Oct. 6, 2006

October 6, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Promoting the Eucharistic Congress; a call to action for Catholics; the most precious of angels

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI OCTOber 6, 2006

Meeting needs

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

Sidewalk counselors teach respect for life by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

KAREN A. EVANS

CHARLOTTE — A young woman walks slowly out of the reproductive health clinic, holding a small white bag.

“Look — she’s had an abortion,” Andrea Hines says. The bag holds postoperative medications and instructions, and possibly birth control pills.

A few minutes later, the woman stops her car where Hines and Veronica Cortes are standing. She talks with Cortes for a moment, and takes the pamphlets Cortes offers.

Hines stands a few feet away, holding a sign reading, “I regret my abortion.”

staff writer

CHARLOTTE — While Catholic schools are known to provide excellent, wellrounded education with focus on the Catholic faith, some students have been left out due to a school’s limited resources and budgets.

Through the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) Special Needs Endowment Fund, specialneeds students could eventually be the beneficiaries of a Catholic education.

When the Betty J. and Stanley J. Livingstone Charitable Foundation closed recently, the principle Photo by Karen A. Evans

See MACS, page 5

no. 44

Helping to save innocent lives

New endowment provides for special needs in classroom by

vOLUME 15

A young woman talks with Margaret Nogy, a member of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, as Karen and Francesca pray outside a reproductive health clinic in Charlotte Oct. 4.

Wall of fears

Border fence bill passes amid strong opposition from religious leaders

by PATRICIA ZAPOR catholic news service

CNS photo by Carlos Barria, Reuters

Jorge Alverez of Mexico walks into U.S territory after crossing the fenced border from the beach of Tijuana in Mexico May 6. The U.S. Border Patrol reported it had arrested 724,613 undocumented migrants crossing from Mexico into the U.S. since Oct. 1 last year, a rise of 6 percent from the same period a year earlier.

WA S H I N G T O N — Legislation calling for construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border passed both houses of Congress before they adjourned until after the November elections.

The fence was criticized by advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, who said the bill was little more than an election-year stunt aimed at

See SIDEWALK, page 7

Back to court

Cases on partial-birth abortion set stage for court’s October opening

by PATRICIA ZAPOR catholic news service

voters who want a crackdown on illegal immigration.

In a Sept. 29 teleconference, Kevin Appleby, director of migration and refugee policy for the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, said the bishops opposed a fence for a variety of reasons.

For one thing, half of those who are in the country illegally come in legally and stay beyond

WASHINGTON — With the Oct. 2 opening of its new term, the Supreme Court will quickly face cases on the federal law banning a procedure known as partial-birth abortion and others on protecting the environment, all of which are drawing attention from the religious community.

See WALL, page 12

See COURT, page 12

In Our Schools

Culture Watch

Ongoing discussions

BMHS in top 50; OLA gets Blue Ribbon

Saint John’s Bible’s next volume; rapping priest’s CD

Catholic-Muslim dialogue on faith

| Page 6

| Pages 10-11

| Page 16

October 6, 2006

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

No hosing around

CNS photo by Sam Lucero, Catholic Herald

Four-year-old kindergarten students from Blessed Sacrament School get a hands-on demonstration of a water hose from the Milwaukee Fire Department Sept. 15. Fire department representatives visited the school after students reported a house fire across the street from the school’s playground during recess Sept. 13.

Kindergartners called heroes for spotting smoke, reporting house fire MILWAUKEE (CNS) — Quick action by members of Cathy Dudzik’s kindergarten class to report a house fire across the street from their playground brought a fast response from the fire department and earned the entire class a commendation for being heroes.

The 4-year-old kindergartners at Blessed Sacrament school were outside for recess Sept. 13 when three of the children rushed to their teacher to report black smoke billowing out of a house.

All the children watched from the safety of their classroom window as the firetrucks zoomed down the street.

Principal Kathleen Kannenberg and Ron Wachowlak, the school’s maintenance man, rushed to the house to see if anyone was inside. No one was home at the time of the fire, but the owner’s cats and a dog were inside.

“I knew there wasn’t supposed to be smoke coming out of the house,” 4-yearold Matthew Barker said.

The boys said they alerted their teacher

right away, “because you always tell the teachers,” said Dominic Gonzales.

Kannenberg felt the students needed to be praised for their quick thinking and assistance. They received ice cream treats and certificates saying “they were heroes,” she said.

“We were able to talk about fire safety at school and at home, so we were able to use it as a teachable moment for them,” said Kannenberg.

As another show of thanks, firefighters from Engine Company 23 of the Milwaukee Fire Department visited the school Sept. 15.

“It was an opportunity to show our appreciation of what they did and the service they provided,” said the company’s Lt. Tom Kizewski.

The firefighters allowed the children on the firetruck. They also unrolled a hose and allowed the children to take turns holding it.

“They were very thrilled and excited about everything,” said Kizewski.

Peace tomorrow relies on justice today, Vatican official tells U.N. UNITED NATIONS (CNS) — “Building peace for tomorrow requires doing justice today,” a top Vatican official told the U.N. General Assembly.

Italian Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governor’s Office for Vatican City State, addressed issues ranging from development and human rights to religious freedom and dialogue in his speech at the assembly’s annual opening debate Sept. 27.

The archbishop warned that “failures to correct fundamental inequalities in the world economic system are fast becoming lost opportunities to advance a moral alternative to war.”

He praised the Millennium Development Goals adopted by key world leaders including U.S. President George W. Bush but warned that “implementation has been lacking.”

“The present lack of progress in the fields of development aid and trade reform threatens everyone’s security and well-being,” he said. “The surest way to

Diocesan planner ASHEVILLE VICARIATE ARDEN — Benedictine Father Matt Habiger from the NFP Outreach Group will speak at all Masses at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr., Oct. 21-22. His general theme during homilies will be “Marriage and the Family,” and will touch on subjects such as chastity, Natural Family Planning, and other “Right to Life” issues.

For more information and Mass times, call (828) 684-6098.

BOONE VICARIATE SPRUCE PINE — A Rosary of Intercession for Priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m. Mass.

Prayers are offered for bishops, priests and deacons, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. For more information, call the church office at (828) 765-2224.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — Please join St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., for the Sung Rosary: Joyful Mysteries on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. This 50-minute evening of candlelight, music, prayer, meditation and peace offers a lovely and unique way to pray the rosary. Call the church office (704) 523-4641 for more information.

CHARLOTTE — St. Basil Ukrainian Church will have a liturgy Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. at Charlotte Catholic High School, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Rd. The liturgy is open to anyone who would like to attend. For more information, please contact Deacon Mark Shuey at mshuey2@nc.rr.com or call (919) 779-7246.

HUNTERSVILLE — Maxim Healthcare Services will be at St. Mark Church, 14740

prevent war is to address its causes.”

He called human rights “pillars of peace” and urged governments to understand that “violation of the fundamental rights of the person cannot be removed from the attention of the international community.”

Addressing the role of religion in world affairs, Archbishop Lajolo said, “At its best, truest and most authentic, religion is a vital force for good, for harmony and for peace among peoples. ... It cultivates peace in hearts.”

Archbishop Lajolo urged nations and civil societies to “promote religious freedom and a sane, social tolerance that will disarm extremists even before they can begin to corrupt others with their hatred of life and liberty.”

He encouraged current U.N. reform efforts but warned that the organization’s “lofty goals ... will be reached only by overcoming the narrow confines imposed by the dominance of national interests.”

Stumptown Rd., Oct. 13 and Oct. 26 to provide flu and pneumonia vaccinations. You must schedule an appointment by calling (704) 895-0496. Maxim will file claims with the following insurances: Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Medicare Complete, Medicare Part B and Partners Medicare Choice.

CHARLOTTE — The Semi-Annual Rosary Rally will be held Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East. This 32-year diocesan tradition will include the holy rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benediction. For more information, call Tina at (704) 846-7361 CHARLOTTE — Theology on Tap, a dynamic speaker series designed to provide young adults in their 20s and 30s with the opportunity to discover more about their faith in a relaxed open environment, will be held Oct. 17 and 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Pepperoni’s Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center. These interactive events will explore the issues and challenges that Catholic young adults face in the 21st century. Contact Catrina at (704) 665-7374 or e-mail c_l_conway@hotmail.com for more information, or visit www.compass-catholic. com.

MINT HILL — St. Luke Church 13700 Lawyers Road, will a free festival in celebration of the feast day of their patron saint, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Red Cross Bloodmobile will also be on hand accepting blood donations 7 a.m.-12 p.m. For more information, call John V. Doyle at (704) 535-9174 CHARLOTTE — Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia, will speak at “Dessert and Devotion” Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the activity center of St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. This talk is sponsored by Our Lady of Victory Chapter of C.U.F. RSVP to gail@ catholicscripturestudy.com.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will host a Christian Coffeehouse Oct. 21, 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

oct. 6, 2006 Volume 15 • Number 44

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

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

October 6, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope thanks all who helped him have a peaceful stay at papal villa Rosary is ‘simple yet so profound,’ says pope CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — Wrapping up his public appearances at the papal summer villa, Pope Benedict XVI thanked those who helped ensure he had a peaceful stay in the hills south of Rome.

During a morning meeting Sept. 30 he conveyed his thanks to the mayor, city council and parish priest of Castel Gandolfo, to the religious communities present in the town and to the police and firefighters who assisted Vatican agents throughout the summer. In the afternoon, he met with employees of the papal villa, gardens and farm.

The pope left Castel Gandolfo Oct. 4 after a stay of more than two months.

Reciting the midday Angelus Oct. 1 for the last time before returning to the Vatican, the pope encouraged Catholics

around the world to make a special effort to pray the rosary with their families during the month of October and to be missionaries of God’s love.

In the Catholic Church, the month of October traditionally is dedicated to the rosary and to the promotion of the church’s missionary work around the world.

Pope Benedict said the Oct. 7 feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is an annual invitation “to rediscover the beauty of this prayer, which is so simple yet so profound.”

The pope asked Catholics “to recite the rosary during this month in your families, communities and parishes for the intentions of the pope, for the mission of the church and for peace in the world.”

Christian music, food and fellowship. For more information, call Kathy Bartlett at (704) 400-2213.

music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need. For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 494-2683.

CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish hall. For reservations and more information, call Elaine at (704) 847-2835.

HUNTERSVILLE — New Creation Monastery invites you to a day of silence and solitude in the presence of Almighty God. The monastery offers private spiritual retreats for lay people. Write to Father John Vianney Hoover at New Creation Monastery, 17009-D Northstar Dr., Huntersville, N.C., 28078, stating why you want to go on retreat and when. For more information, call (704) 609-9011.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — A Charismatic Healing Mass will be celebrated Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 West Market St., sponsored by the parish Health Ministry and the Flames of Fire Prayer Group. Father Andrew Latsko from Maryfield Nursing Home will be the celebrant, with Deacon Ron Steinkamp as the homilist. Healing teams will be available for personal ministry after the Mass. Everyone is welcome. For information, call Ben D’Apollo at (336) 812-3730.

SALISBURY VICARIATE SALISBURY — Elizabeth Ministry is a peer ministry comprised of Sacred Heart Church parishioners who have lost babies before or shortly after birth.

Confidential peer ministry, information and spiritual materials are offered at no cost or obligation to anyone who has experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a newborn. For details, call Renee Washington at (704) 637-0472 or Sharon Burges at (704) 633-0591.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE

MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:30 p.m. in the Glenmary House of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. join us for praise

Episcopal

calendar

Oct. 6-7 Eucharistic Congress Charlotte Convention Center Oct. 10 — 6 p.m.

Red Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

WAYNESVILLE — Adult Education Classes are held the first three Wednesday evenings of each month beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the St. John the Evangelist Church Social Hall, 234 Church St. For more information, call Charles Luce at (828) 648-7369 or e-mail luce54@aol.com.

Pope prays that ties between Muslims, Christians in Iraq endure CASTEL GANDOLFO (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI prayed that the strong ties between Muslims and Christians in Iraq endure as he prayed for peace in the “martyred country.”

He invited everyone to join him in praying for “the gift of peace and harmony” in Iraq after praying the Angelus Oct. 1.

The pope said he met Sept. 30 with Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad who detailed “the tragic reality faced daily by the dear people of Iraq, where Christians and Muslims have lived together for 14 centuries as children of the same land.”

“I hope these bonds of fraternity will not be loosened,” the pope said from the window of his summer residence to pilgrims gathered in the courtyard below.

The patriarch made a special visit to Rome and Castel Gandolfo to inform the pope about the situation in Iraq, said Father Philip Najim, the Rome-based representative of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad.

Deaths of Iraqi civilians have been on the rise, according to a recent report by the United Nations. More than 6,500 civilians were killed in July and August this year, the report said. Many were killed by death squads and sectarian militias, it said.

Christians have been facing an onslaught of recent attacks in Mosul and Baghdad. AsiaNews reported Sept.

25 that Muslim militias in Mosul had threatened the city’s Catholic bishop and priests unless they publicly denounced the speech Pope Benedict made at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

Fliers had been distributed in the city calling for a condemnation of the pope’s remarks about Islam or else “Christians would be killed and churches burnt down,” reported AsiaNews.

Father Najim told Catholic News Service Oct. 2 that militants were using the pope’s speech as “an excuse to threaten all the Iraqi people,” not just Christians.

Everyone, Muslim and Christian, “is under threat in Iraq,” he said.

Plowing the competition

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

KERNERSVILLE — The Catechism of the Head and Heart religious education series for adults will be held this fall in the library at Bishop McGuinness High School, 1725 NC Hwy 66 South. Danita McDonald will speak about “Highlights of Ecclesiology” Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Loretta Bedner at (336) 564-1040.

WINSTON-SALEM — The Spirit of Assisi hosts a Wednesday Lunch & Speaker Series each Wednesday, 12:30-1:15 p.m., at the Fatima Chapel, 211 W. Third St. Father Jim Day will present “Ora et Labora: Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality” Oct. 11. The sacrament of reconciliation will be offered at 12 p.m. in the chapel. For more information and to RSVP, call Sister Kathy Ganiel at (336) 624-1971 or e-mail kganiel@triad.rr.com. Walk-ins are welcome.

KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St., hosts a Senior Coffee House the first and third Mondays of each month, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., in Salesian Hall in the Child Development Building. Call the church office at (336) 9965109 ext. 12 for directions or information.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 10 days prior to desired publication date (Fridays) in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: Oct. 13 — 10 a.m.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Diocesan Pastoral Center, Charlotte Oct. 14 Visit of Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal of Jerusalem Charlotte

CNS photo by Alf Harvey

Irishman Eamon Tracey works his way to third place in the world plowing competition in Grangeford, Ireland, Sept. 30. The contest drew competitors from more than 30 countries and more than 200,000 spectators — a number too large to ignore for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, which hosted a stand at the events.

ATTENTION READERS! HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Is there something unique taking place at your church? Do you know of someone who is an example of how to live the Catholic faith? Have a photo of a parish or ministry event? If so, contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans at (704) 370-3334 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

October 6, 2006

around the diocese

How do you like these apples?

Courtesy Photo by Father John Putnam

Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury are pictured with seminarians Tri Vinh Truong (near center, kneeling), Jasone Barone (left) and Matthew Codd (right, rear) at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in September.

Courtesy Photo

Immaculata School in Hendersonville won first place in the 2006 King Apple Festival Parade for best float in the nonprofit category. The parade, one of the highlights of the N.C. Apple Festival, is held on Labor Day each year and draws about 60,000 people to Hendersonville.

Whirled peace

Courtesy Photo by Katherine Watkins

Students at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem wave pinwheels in the school gym as part of the school’s celebration of International Day of Peace Sept. 21. The entire student body participated in the festivities of the day, also known as Peace Day, which was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 and first celebrated in September 1982. The pinwheels were part of Peace Day’s Pinwheels for Peace program to help generate “whirled peace.”

Sacred Heart parishioners make pilgrimage close to home EMMITSBURG, Md. — Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury recently returned from a pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, Md. The parishioners accompanied their pastor, Father John Putnam, on the trip to visit the national shrines of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Grotto of Lourdes Sept. 26-28.

“Last year the parish made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Alabama. It was such a success that we wanted to try another pilgrimage this year,” said Father Putnam.

“Many people are unable to take major pilgrimages to the shrines of Europe and the Holy Land, so a pilgrimage closer to home is perfect for them,” he said.

Emmitsburg is located in the rolling hills of western Maryland,

where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint, once ministered. A predominantly rural lifestyle still prevails.

The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is surrounded by park-like grounds. The National Shrine of the Grotto of Lourdes is the oldest known replica of the revered French shrine honoring the apparitions of Mary in 1858.

Father Putnam described the area as a “very picturesque area of Maryland.”

“Our daily lives are so busy that it is very easy to forget the importance of being quiet and reflective,” he said. “This was the greatest gift of the pilgrimage the opportunity to come away and spend some time with God.” The group also visited Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the battlegrounds at Gettysburg during the trip.

October 6, 2006

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

New endowment provides for special needs in classroom MACS, from page 1

was divided among various local organizations.

David Bishop, a member of the Livingstone foundation board of directors and the chair of the MACS Education Foundation board of directors, recommended MACS as a recipient of the principle funds.

The MACS Special Needs Endowment Fund was established, and will receive $100,000 over a two-year period.

The endowment fund will provide grants for unique situations not normally included in a school’s budget.

“In the past, diocesan schools have not always been able to serve students with special needs,” said Susan Cameron, former director for diocesan Catholic schools development. “This fund allows them to do that.”

“We had one student with mild autism — the child did well in a small classroom at times, but at other times needed an area to be alone, without feeling isolated,” said Linda Cherry, superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools.

“It would be nice to have an area within the classroom that is soundproof

“Students with speical needs will have greater access to a Catholic education.”

— Susan Cameron and enables the child to feel successful,” she said.

Some students with learning challenges receive limited help from the learning support teachers, due to other students requiring their assistance, said Cherry.

“If each classroom teacher had materials to use with individual students, the learning-challenged student could receive even more assistance,” she said.

Cherry said one of the greatest benefits she has seen recently was the addition of the Down syndrome class at St. Patrick School.

The main goals of the program are to make the students employable and educate more students. There is a

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Paige Ingles teaches how to make change and count money to Morgan Grier and Jenna Clayton at St. Patrick School Sept. 20. Soon, more students with special needs will be able to receive a Catholic education through the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Special Needs Endowment. focus on learning time- and moneymanagement skills.

The class’s three students are taught basic academic curriculum as well as life skills based on their levels of ability.

Students join the other St. Patrick students in the lunchroom, on the playground, at Mass and in some of the special classes.

“These children have changed the lives of the other students and parents at St. Patrick,” Cherry said. “They have been given the opportunity to learn, live and play with other children within a Catholic environment.”

“While we may not be able to meet the needs of every single child with special needs, to be able to say to parents ‘we can certainly try’ gives hope to many

Catholic families,” she said.

With the endowment fund, “students with special needs will have greater access to a Catholic education,” said Cameron.

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

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on Catholic schools development in the Diocese of Charlotte, call Jim Kelley, director for diocesan development, at (704) 370-3301 or e-mail jkkelley@charlottediocese.org.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

in our schools

Bishop McGuinness among top 50 Catholic schools in nation KERNERSVILLE — Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville recently was designated as one of the top 50 Catholic secondary schools in the United States for 2006.

The designation was announced Sept. 27 as part of the Catholic High School Honor Roll.

“The honor roll provides a powerful resource to parents and educators by acknowledging those schools that best maintain high academic standards, uphold their Catholic identities and prepare students to actively engage the world,” said Anthony Pienta, research project coordinator for Acton Institute.

The honor roll is an independent project of the Acton Institute, an international research and educational organization. The honor roll was produced in consultation with a national advisory board comprised of Catholic college presidents and noted Catholic scholars.

“High schools that are fulfilling well their mission to form students

morally and intellectually deserve to be recognized,” said Gerard Bradley, University of Notre Dame law professor and advisory board member.

Nearly 1,300 Catholic high schools were invited to apply to the honor roll by completing surveys that measure academic excellence, Catholic identity and civic education.

Texas led with six schools selected, followed by California with five. Overall, 25 states are represented on the honor roll, including North Carolina for the first time.

Eleven different religious orders sponsor honorees, including the Dominicans, Legionaries of Christ, Jesuits and Norbertines.

“Congratulations to Principal George Repass, his teachers, staff, students and parents for this distinguished honor to not only Bishop McGuinness, but all of the Diocese of Charlotte,” said Linda Cherry, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Our Lady of the Assumption School named a Blue Ribbon school CHARLOTTE — And the blue ribbon goes to: Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte.

The school was announced to be one of the 2006 No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Sept. 22.

The U.S. Department of Education’s No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon Schools program honors public and private kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

“These Blue Ribbon Schools are examples of what teachers and students can achieve,” Spellings said.

They “show what wonderful accomplishments can be made when we

focus on the bottom line in education — student achievement,” she said.

A state’s chief school officer nominates public schools and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools.

Our Lady of the Assumption School qualified for the award with consistent academic excellence and programs that meet its diverse students’ needs.

The pre-kindergarten-through-fifthgrade school was one of 250 schools nationwide to receive the distinction this year and one of two private schools to be recognized in North Carolina.

Principal Mary Leva and a representative teacher will be honored at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November.

October 6, 2006

October 6, 2006

respect life

The Catholic News & Herald 7

‘Our biggest day was six saves. We had about 25 saves in the last month.’

Sidewalk counselors teach respect for human life SIDEWALK, from page 1

With Cortes and Hines are Margaret and Stephen Nogy and Francesca and Karen, who asked to be identified only by their first names.

There is no yelling, no condemnation — just silent prayer, a few signs, a model showing fetuses at various stages of development and women handing out literature and rosaries.

“We use a loving approach,” said Nogy. “The main thing is to change hearts so that they don’t come back again.”

The women and man are all part of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, a Brooklyn-based network of volunteers working to help women who face unwanted pregnancies choose to give birth to, rather than abort, their babies.

Founded in 1989 by Msgr. Philip Reilly, the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants are a group of people committed to maintaining a loving and prayerful presence outside of the abortion clinics.

The Helpers’ work doesn’t end when a women walks into the abortion clinic.

If she does terminate her pregnancy, they will refer her to Rachel’s Vineyard and other post-abortive counseling services.

There are currently about a dozen Helpers in Charlotte, who spend about three hours, three days a week praying and counseling at Charlotte’s abortion clinics.

Hines estimated that about 25 women visit the clinic each day, which

offers a variety of gynecological services, including pregnancy tests, birth control and abortions.

About one-third of the women will stop and talk to the sidewalk counselors.

Usually, two each day will decide against the abortion.

“Our biggest day was six saves,” Hines said. “We’ve had about 25 saves in the last month.”

The Helpers pray not just for the women, but for their husbands or boyfriends, parents, friends, clinic workers — anyone involved in the decision to have or perform abortions.

“We hope that clinics will close due the changes in the hearts of the employees,” said Nogy.

When a pregnant woman decides again abortion, the Helpers refer her to pregnancy help organizations, including Room At The Inn and Catholic Social Services.

Room At The Inn is a maternity and after-care program for pregnant women. The program concentrates on self-sufficiency support services by providing emotional health therapy; education, job training and housing guidance; and referrals to a variety of community agencies.

Catholic Social Services offers adoption services and pregnancy support to people of all faiths.

The Charlotte Helpers recently had a baby shower for a young woman who decided to have her son.

“Just our presence at the clinics is good,” said Nogy.

Recently, a young woman stopped outside the clinic where Nogy was praying and showed a photograph of her baby.

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Andrea Hines holds a sign stating, “I regret my abortion” outside a reproductive health clinic in Charlotte Oct. 4. Hines is part of a network of volunteers who offer pre-life counseling to pregnant women considering abortion.

“She drove by us one day and knew she couldn’t go through with (the abortion),” said Nogy.

WANT MORE INFO? The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants meets Thursdays at 10 a.m. at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. For more information, call (704) 882-5006, (704) 996-4597 or (704) 877-1996.

Find the nearest pregnancy center at www.care-net.org or call (800) 395-HELP.

IF YOU NEED HELP In the Diocese of Charlotte, the Respect Life program provides services for pregnant women, adoptive and birth families and postabortive women and men, regardless of race or religious affiliation.

When you make an adoption plan, you give your child the gift of life, adoptive parents the gift of family and yourself peace of mind. As the birth parents, you select a family that is best suited for your child.

CSS offers traditional, semi-open and open adoption plans.

Contact Catholic Social Services at (704) 370-6155 in Charlotte, (336) 7270705 in Winston-Salem or (828) 255-0146 in Asheville, or visit www.cssnc.org.

Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat for Post-Abortion Healing provides a chance to be nurtured and supported by experienced retreat leaders.

Contact Maggi Nadol at (704) 370-3229 or e-mail respectlife@charlottediocese.org for more information.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

RESPECT LIFE

Speaking the truth

Classes help laity understand, respect life by

CAROLE McGROTTY correspondent

ASHEVILLE — The truth is being spoken in Asheville.

“Speak the Truth in Love” is a series of eight Saturday morning classes designed to equip the laity — especially youths — to “lovingly speak the truth about three absolutely fundamental things: life, love and marriage,” according to its brochure.

The series, held at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville and sponsored by the parish Respect Life Committee, runs from August until April 2007.

The classes will educate and provide strategies for speaking the truth, according to Pat Glass, a parishioner of the basilica and a member of Guadalupe Catholics for Life.

“We live in a time when many people ignore God until they are desperate,” said Glass, who conducted the first session,

Photo by Carole McGrotty

Episcopal Father Jim Swatzell and Basilica of St. Lawrence parishioner Hilda Horan chat during a “Speak the Truth in Love” session at the basilica in Asheville Aug. 19.

“Abortion vs. Civilization of Life and Love,” Aug. 19.

Basilica members were joined at that session by parishioners from Arden, Hendersonville, Franklin, Waynesville and Charlotte, as well as by Episcopal Father Jim Swatzell, pastor of Church of the Incarnation in Black Mountain.

“I wanted to gain greater understanding and awareness on issues surrounding the culture of death and the culture of life to share in my own parish,” said Father Swatzell, “with hopes we can balance out to some degree the misinformation coming from the culture of death.”

Glass recalled her youth in the 1950s, when people dressed more conservatively, families stayed together and beliefs were basic — “God and one nation under God.” In the 1960s, she said, a revolution occurred, and we are now living in a “cultural war of beliefs and ideas.”

Other speakers included Ben Wadhams, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Asheville who helped found an on-campus Right to Life group, and a nurse who had abortions and is now a pro-life activist.

Upcoming session topics include contraception, euthanasia and the theology of the body.

Maggi Nadol, Catholic Social Service’s Respect Life coordinator in the Diocese of Charlotte, said she was appreciative of the Basilica of St. Lawrence’s pro-life efforts.

The classes bring “a message of life in such a vibrant life-affirming manner,” said Nadol.

Helen Gordon, a member of the basilica’s Respect Life Committee, said she was pleased with the turnout for the series, and its messages.

“The whole purpose is to take it back with you,” she said.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on the series, contact Helen Gordon at (828) 683-9001.

October 6, 2006

Forming the chains

Photos by Kevin E. Murray

Above and below left: Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte, stands with his parish Life Chain in Charlotte Oct. 1. Below right: A boy shows his support during St. Patrick Cathedral’s Life Chain in Charlotte.

October 6, 2006

RESPECT LIFE

The Catholic News & Herald 9

of life in Charlotte

Week of prayer, fasting part of Respect Life Month events Goals are to end abortion, build a culture of life

Photos by Kevin E. Murray

Above and at right: Men and women take part in a Life Chain during the Silent No More rally in uptown Charlotte Sept. 29. The nondenominational Silent No More Campaign holds rallies nationwide to inform the public about the emotional, physical and spiritual consequences of abortion. Silent No More organizers hope more women will have the courage to tell their own stories and end the silence that surrounds abortion.

Top right: Parishioners of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte pray after their Life Chain Oct. 1.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A coalition of Catholic and other Christian organizations have mobilized a grassroots effort worldwide to pray and fast for life in October, which is Respect Life Month.

Respect Life Sunday Oct. 1 was the first day of the 14th annual International Week of Prayer and Fasting to promote a culture of life.

The observance, which actually was to last until Oct. 10, included prayer rallies and life chains, which ask people to line up by an abortion clinic to pray for an end to abortion.

In announcing the observance, the coalition asked people to participate as individuals, families and parishes by fasting, attending daily Mass and taking part in Holy Hours, going to confession and reciting the rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet.

“The goals of the week are: the conversion of nations, an end to abortion and to build a culture of life,” said the announcement.

Among participants listed on the event’s Web site were representatives of Generation Life, Priests for Life, Life Teen, United for Life Foundation and WAKEUP, which stands for Women Against the Killing and Exploitation of Unprotected Persons.

Two major events were planned in the Washington area: a youth and family conference with the theme “To Build a Culture of Life” Oct. 7 in the Diocese of Arlington, Va., and an all-day prayer vigil Oct. 9 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Another major pro-life event taking place in Washington and around the country at the beginning of October was the American Life League’s second annual Pro-Life Memorial Day Oct. 2, the opening day of the new U.S. Supreme Court session.

By participating in the observance, pro-lifers were paying “their respects to the estimated 47 million babies lost through surgical abortion,” said Erik Whittington, the league’s director of youth outreach.

“The innocent children who have fallen victim to this American tragedy have no voice of their own. It is our job to speak up for the babies,” Whittington said in a statement.

WANT MORE INFO? Go online to www.internationalweekofprayerandfasting.org. (no hyphen)

October 6, 2006

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Oct. 15, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Third volume of The Saint John’s Bible published COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (CNS) — Liturgical Press has published the third in its series of full-color reproduction books from The Saint John’s Bible.

The volume, Pentateuch, features text and illustrations of the first five books of the Old Testament — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy — known as the Torah in Judaism.

Illustrated scenes include creation, the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, Jacob’s ladder, Abraham and Sarah, the Ten Commandments and the death of Moses.

When completed in 2007, The Saint John’s Bible will be composed of seven volumes: Gospels and Acts, Psalms, Pentateuch, Historical Books, Prophets, Wisdom Literature, and Letters and Revelation.

Each 9.75- by 15-inch volume is about two-thirds the size of the handilluminated vellum pages that form the original 1,150-page manuscript.

The $4 million project began in 1998 when the Benedictine monks of St. John’s Abbey commissioned one of the world’s foremost calligraphers, Donald Jackson, to serve as artistic director and illuminator.

Jackson is senior scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Office.

The first handwritten Bible that illustrates Scripture from a contemporary perspective, The Saint John’s Bible also incorporates imagery from Eastern and Western religious traditions, as well as influences from the native American cultures in the Minnesota area.

It also documents Minnesota as the birthplace of The Saint John’s Bible through the illustration of flora and fauna indigenous to the region.

“Many people have appreciated the butterflies of central Minnesota in the margins, or the occasional building from St. John’s that has been tucked into an illumination, or the reference to the now-vanished World Trade Center in New York,” said Benedictine Father Eric Hollas, senior associate of arts and cultural affairs at St. John’s University, in a statement.

“Many agree it is important to bring

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: Oct. 15, 2006

Cycle B Readings: 1) Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalm 90:12-17 2) Hebrews 4:12-13 3) Gospel: Mark 10:17-30

When God calls, we must answer

by JEFF HENSLEY catholic news service

Photo by CNS

This is an illustration on an inside page of the Pentateuch volume of The Saint John’s Bible, the third in a series of full-color volumes from Liturgical Press. The volume features text and illustrations of the first five books of the Old Testament — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy — known as the Torah in Judaism. our own experience of the world to the Bible,” he said.

Meanwhile two versions of the “Illuminating the Word” exhibit continued to tour U.S. museums and galleries. The exhibit features more than 60 actual manuscripts, examples of preliminary sketches and tools of the artists, and explanations of the nature and history of the project.

The exhibit was at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York until Nov. 26 and was to appear at the Library of Congress in Washington, Oct. 6-Dec. 15.

Upcoming stops include the Naples Art Museum, Naples, Fla., Jan. 26-April 6, 2007; Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, Dec. 21, 2007-March 7, 2008; and the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Ala., Oct. 10, 2008-April 10, 2009.

It has been my pleasure to know a large number of men better than myself.

They have been doctors, lawyers, meat inspectors, mechanics, engineers and insurance salesmen.

Like growing to like vegetables and fish, this observation of the virtue of others is one of the great privileges of growing into maturity.

One of my virtuous friends, the meat inspector, died only a couple of weeks ago.

Ralph was one of the finest men I ever knew. He was also one of the gentlest, most courteous and wisest of men.

Humble, good humored, he epitomized for me the manly maturity all males hope to grow into.

And he had a godly wisdom that came forth in his humor. He didn’t talk a great deal, nor was he taciturn, but

when he spoke you knew that what he said would be, like him, reliable, sound and grounded in his love of God and common-sense wisdom.

This week’s Scriptures speak much of the value of wisdom and how, when pursued above all other goals, it brings us all good things besides.

In the reading from Mark for this weekend, we have the rich young man coming up to Jesus asking what must be done to enter into eternal life.

Jesus asks him if he knows the commandments and lists off six of the 10.

The young man replies that he has kept them from his youth.

Jesus then asks him to measure up to a higher standard, to sell all his many possessions and give them to the poor.

The young man turns on his heel and goes away sad, knowing he cannot part with his riches.

Though I can’t know for certain that the virtuous men I have known would be able to meet this higher standard, I do believe they are not so full of the love of money that they would have no chance of complying with Jesus’ call to leave their possessions behind to follow him — should he ever make that request.

Questions: Are there possessions or honors or positions that own you rather than you owning them? If Jesus called you to give them up for the sake of the Gospel, what would you do?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of Oct. 8-14 Sunday (Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time), Genesis 2:18-24, Hebrews 2:9-11, Mark 10:2-16; Monday (St. Denis and companions, St. John Leonardi), Galatians 1:6-12, Luke 10:25-37; Tuesday, Galatians 1:13-24, Luke 10:38-42; Wednesday, Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14, Luke 11:1-4; Thursday, Galatians 3:1-5, Luke 1:69-75, Luke 11:5-13; Friday, Galatians 3:7-14, Luke 11:15-26; Saturday (St. Callistus I), Galatians 3:22-29, Luke 11:27-28.

Scripture for the week of Oct. 15-21 Sunday (Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Times), Wisdom 7:7-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Mark 10:17-30; Monday (St. Hedwig, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque), Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31--5:1, Luke 11:29-32; Tuesday (St. Ignatius of Antioch), Galatians 5:1-6, Luke 11:37-41; Wednesday (St. Luke), 2 Timothy 4:10-17, Luke 10:1-9; Thursday (St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and companions), Ephesians 1:1-10, Luke 11:47-54; Friday (St. Paul of the Cross), Ephesians 1:11-14, Luke 12:1-7; Saturday, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 12:8-12.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

October 6, 2006

Rapping priest releases new CD, says genre speaks to young people

by NADIO POZO catholic news service

PHILADELPHIA — He’s at it again.

Father Stan Fortuna, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal who is known as the “rapping priest,” has released his latest CD in the genre.

Eighteen songs, ranging from oldschool rap to world beats, make up the new release, which completes the series of rap albums he has released over the past few years.

“Sacro Song 3: The Completion of the Trilogy” deals with a range of topics, from the negative effects visited on fatherless children in “Daddy Wound,” and the grip of the culture of death in “Hangin’ in There,” to a message of peace in “Peace Shout Out,” and a tribute to his beloved role model, the late Pope John Paul II, in “I’m Loving You,” “The Great One” and “KW.” Throughout the album, the doctrines of the Catholic Church are a consistent thread.

“I continue to do rap music because it’s a genre that makes the message intelligible to many young people,” Father Fortuna said. “And it even challenges people who don’t like the genre, because the rap music affords the message to transcend boundaries and make an impact on the culture.”

The new album includes the aspiring young rappers Sean Santiago, youth director of the South Bronx Youth Cultural Center in New York founded

by Father Fortuna, and Glenda Mortoral, who is a member of the center.

Their song, “Ima Do Me,” deals with their experiences growing up in the inner city of the South Bronx.

The album also features the rap artist Righteous B in “Jesus Talks,” and the lyrical prose of Brother Agostino Torres, also a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, in “Mezcia.”

“I didn’t go into working on this CD saying, ‘Here is what I need to touch upon.’ It was very spontaneous,” Father Fortuna said.

For instance, the idea for “Daddy Wound” came to him during a conversation with another friar about the children and teens to whom they minister in the South Bronx and, specifically, about how the lack of a father figure has severely wounded those young people.

CNS photo courtesy of Francesco Productions

Rappin’ Father Stan Fortuna performs in this undated photo. The Franciscan Friar of the Renewal’s latest release contains 18 songs ranging from old-school rap to world beats.

He was on his way to World Youth Day 2005 in Germany and was missing the late pontiff, who had so greatly desired to make it to that youth festival, when Father Fortuna was inspired to write “I’m Missing You,” which is his own favorite track on the album.

He has dedicated the album to Pope John Paul II, writing: “This project is dedicated to none other than my hero now and (forever), the late, great Pope John Paul II. What can I say but ‘Thanks JP. I’m Lovin’ You,’ and see you soon.”

During the same trip, Father Fortuna was impressed with Pope Benedict XVI and the current pope’s clear but profound explanations of the faith.

“I love his spirituality, and the way God made his brain. He’s extremely clear,” Father Fortuna said.

That was also when he was inspired to write the song dedicated to Pope Benedict: “B16 Bomber.” In the song, Father Fortuna includes excerpts of Pope Benedict’s closing Mass homily from World Youth Day. All proceeds from the CD go to Francesco Productions, Father Fortuna’s nonprofit organization, which works with the poor and needy in the South Bronx.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

Partial-birth abortion cases set stage for Supreme Court COURT, from page 1

Court observers are eyeing two abortion cases, in which the 9th and 8th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals each said the 2003 federal law banning partialbirth abortion was unconstitutional, to see if recent changes in the Supreme Court’s makeup will affect the outcome of abortion-related decisions.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is among the organizations that filed amicus, or friend-of-the-court, briefs urging the high court to uphold the ban and use the cases to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Another case that has attracted the attention of Catholic organizations is a lawsuit by Massachusetts against the Environmental Protection Agency, for failing to adopt regulations that would limit greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The National Catholic Rural Life Conference joined the National Council of Churches in an amicus brief arguing that the EPA was remiss in ignoring reports that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles are contributing to global warming.

Christian ethics call for stewardship of the environment, the brief said, and the two organizations “therefore contend we must reduce our substantial contributions to climate change to protect the world entrusted to us.”

The two abortion law cases are challenges to the 2003 federal law banning partial-birth abortion. Both rulings on appeal at the Supreme Court, as well as one by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that is not before the high court, found the legislation

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SERVICES COUNSELING: The Cedar Institute. Professional

October 6, 2006

from the cover

unconstitutional.

In Gonzales v. Carhart, the 8th Circuit sided with Dr. Leroy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion doctor who successfully sued to overturn that state’s partial-birth abortion ban. In 2000 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 the state law was unconstitutional because it lacked a provision allowing an exception in cases where the pregnant woman’s health is at risk.

Congress sought to reverse the effect of that ruling by passing a federal law banning the procedure nationwide. The bill did not include a health exception, because, the bill’s proponents argued, sufficient evidence had been heard that this particular procedure is never medically necessary.

The banned procedure involves partially delivering a live fetus and then puncturing the brain stem to kill the baby before completing the delivery.

Supporters of keeping the procedure legal argue that it is usually used late in pregnancy when other abortion methods are more dangerous to the woman.

In Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood, the 9th Circuit ruled on behalf of a San Francisco-based Planned Parenthood affiliate and its national organization that the federal law is unconstitutional because it lacks a health exception, imposes a burden on a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion and is constitutionally vague.

The legal question before the Supreme Court when it hears both cases Nov. 8 is whether the law is invalid because it lacks a health exception or otherwise is unconstitutional on its face.

The case will be heard Nov. 29.

Rulings in the abortion cases and the environmental case are expected by the time the court term ends in June.

Additional cases are likely to be added to the court’s docket soon after the term opens.

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Rates: $.70/word per issue ($14 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: For information, call (704) 370-3332.

Objections to border fence bill WALL, from page 1

their permitted period, he said. Also, a fence will not prevent people from attempting to cross into the U.S. over even more difficult terrain, he added.

But it’s also a moral issue, said Appleby, citing a Government Accountability Office report that showed the number of deaths doubled after the United States began to blockade less hazardous crossing points in the 1990s.

“It’s going to lead to more deaths because people will become desperate,” said Appleby. “It sends the wrong signal to our neighbors. Instead of meeting the problem head-on, we’re hiding from it.”

Frank Sharry, director of the National Immigration Forum, said in the same teleconference that the fence legislation was pushed by the House Republican leadership “in hopes of turning out voters.”

Also before the recess, Congress included $1.2 billion in appropriations to go toward various border enforcement measures including the fence, the cost of which is estimated conservatively at more than $2 billion.

Despite that, Sharry said he doubted the fence would ever be built, because of the harsh mountainous terrain, objections such as those expected from environmentalists and the Tohono O’odham Indian tribe, whose reservation traverses the border in Arizona.

In the days before the late night vote Sept. 29, religious leaders joined senators from both parties in a final push to prevent the passage of several immigration bills that House leaders threatened to add to last-minute legislation.

Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto of Orange, Calif., said at a Sept. 26 press conference in Washington that “this is not the time to make political points.”

He said Congress was faced with “a stark moral challenge,” as well as a complicated economic, political and cultural issue.

“We cannot accept ineffective proposals which masquerade as solutions,” Bishop Soto said.

He was among religious leaders and politicians who insisted that any broad immigration legislation must include measures to enable foreign workers in the country to meet labor demands legally and to provide a path for illegal immigrants to “come out of the shadows” and regularize their status.

Jewish, Baptist and evangelical

Protestant leaders also put immigration proposals emphasizing enforcement into a moral context.

“Thirty-six times the Bible tells us to treat strangers as we treat ourselves,” said Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the ReligiousAction Center of Reform Judaism.

“It is its most common command.”

At the same press conference, Sens.

John McCain, R-Ariz., Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., all argued for holding out for a comprehensive immigration law that includes a guest worker plan and provisions that would allow the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country to legalize their status.

Several enforcement bills were put on the table in September by House members who had blocked efforts to move forward on a comprehensive immigration bill passed in May by the Senate.

The House had earlier passed a bill with only strict enforcement measures. It was expected the two different bills would go to a joint House-Senate conference committee over the summer and a compromise version would emerge.

Instead, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., House Judiciary Committee chairman, and other committee chairmen held a series of field hearings around the country during the summer that focused largely on enforcement. Supporters of comprehensive legislation, including Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, criticized the hearings as one-sided.

When Congress returned to work after Labor Day, Sensenbrenner resurrected parts of the original House bill as three separate pieces of legislation, which passed Sept. 21. A fourth, expanding enforcement authority against people who build cross-border tunnels, was attached to the Defense Department appropriations bill and also passed.

In a Sept. 26 letter to the Senate, Bishop Gerald R. Barnes of San Bernardino, Calif., chairman of the bishops’ migration committee, had urged senators to oppose the Secure Fence Act. The fence law “would create more problems than it would solve,” Bishop Barnes wrote. “We fear it would lead to increased exploitation and deaths of migrants ... and an increase in smugglingrelated violence directed at Border Patrol agents and others.

He said that a fence might be viewed “as a sign of fear, weakness and isolation, not strength and engagement.”

October 6, 2006

around the diocese

New Catholic high school open in Arden ARDEN — St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, the first North Carolina mountain-area high school in 30 years to offer a Catholic curriculum, opened in Arden Aug. 16.

The private, nonprofit school was organized by local parents and is run by a board of directors. It is not part of the Diocese of Charlotte Catholic school system.

“We’re part of a national movement to establish schools for Catholics in rural and underserved areas,” said Barbara Edwards, president of the board of directors.

Three Catholic high schools once existed in the Asheville area, but the last one closed in the mid 1970s. Meanwhile, the area’s Catholic population has increased.

The board spent several years preparing for the school’s opening and were pleased to meet with Bishop Peter J. Jugis in 2004 as part of their preparations.

“It was a real shot in the arm to meet with him,” said R. Trent Codd Jr., headmaster of St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. “That meeting energized us.

No question.”

The school utilizes a collegepreparatory curriculum. While it is open to students of all faiths, Catholic students attend Mass at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.

“I am very excited about the opening

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Director named for Abbey Motorsports program

Rishel to oversee unique college program

Courtesy Photo

Father Wilbur Thomas, pastor of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, blesses students at St. Thomas Academy in Asheville Aug. 18. of this academy,” said Father Wilbur Thomas, pastor of the basilica and spiritual director of the school.

“Many have been waiting a long time for a return to the mountains of a high school in the educational tradition of the Catholic Church,” he said.

Father Thomas visited the school and blessed the students, faculty and building Aug. 18.

“With a classical curriculum, this academy builds itself on the educational foundation of Christendom,” said Sedrick Dellinger, academic dean.

The school opened with students in ninth through eleventh grades and will graduate its first class in spring 2008.

BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College recently announced Dr. Tracy Rishel as director of its new Motorsports Management program.

The college is home to the nation’s first four-year bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in motorsports management. Rishel’s appointment was announced Aug. 31.

“We recognize the importance and uniqueness of motorsports,” says Dr. Philip Bayster, chair of the business department in which the motorsports management program resides.

“There’s a need for management talent. The companies associated with the motorsports industry are exceedingly advanced and, as the industry continues to grow, there will be an even greater need for highly sophisticated, competitive individuals,” he said.

Although other programs of study exist, Bayster says Belmont Abbey College’s program is the first with a strong emphasis on business. Other programs concentrate on technical aspects of the industry and are solely engineering-based.

Rishel is responsible for curriculum development and delivery, motorsports industry relations and student advising.

She also will be involved with marketing, internships and student recruitment.

“Tracy brings a unique set of qualifications to this position,” said Bayster. “Her impressive academic credentials, expertise in operations management and previous faculty experience in motorsports make her the ideal choice to lead this program.”

A longtime racing fan from Pennsylvania, Rishel comes to Belmont Abbey College after two years at N.C. A&T in Greensboro, where she contributed her expertise in the business aspects of racing to the school’s motorsports technology curriculum.

An active member of the N.C. Motorsports Education Coalition since its inception, Rishel has researched, presented findings and co-authored numerous articles related to the business of motorsports.

“I love academia and have a passion for motorsports, so the opportunity to combine the two is my dream job,” said Rishel. “My goal with this new position is to develop a sound program that graduates students with the business knowledge and skills needed by the industry.”

Belmont Abbey College is continuously ranked to be one of the best comprehensive colleges in the southeast

by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

October 6, 2006

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Spreading the Word — who needs big media?

Hi-tech and grass roots promos inform the faithful

L a s t y e a r, w h e n p l a n n i n g was underway for the first diocesan Eucharistic Congress, questions arose about the best way to promote the new, unknown event.

Invariably in discussions like that, the idea came up about asking the secular news media for publicity. Over the course of my career, I’ve spent a lot of time working with and in the news media, and asking reporters for free advertising didn’t strike me as a good idea.

News organizations don’t exist to help well-meaning Catholics, or any other group, get the word out about an event. News organizations function at their best when they are explaining events as they occur or when they are detailing a conflict of some kind.

A story about an unknown event with only a guess as to how many people might attend isn’t very attractive to news professionals.

But not having help from the news media doesn’t mean that you can’t attract a crowd. Quite the contrary. We hoped and prayed that 2,500 people would come to the first Eucharistic Congress.

God certainly heard us, because we were blessed with a crowd of close to 6,000 for the two-day event.

That response led us to rent a larger venue for the 2006 Eucharistic Congress, and we are once again praying for a big turnout.

So how did we get the word out?

Along with prayer, we used a variety of media channels to spread the message about the Congress. This included advertisements in this newspaper, a series of columns on the Eucharist by Father Matthew Buettner, letters from Bishop Peter J. Jugis to the priests of the diocese and to the faithful, Web pages on the diocesan Web site, posters and prayer cards that were distributed to churches and the creation of an e-mail list of parish contacts.

These parish contacts worked at the grass roots level, making sure that bulletin and pulpit announcements were placed, putting Congress posters on the walls of churches and talking up the event. They also kept me informed about the number of buses that were coming to Charlotte, an important indicator of crowd size.

I am most grateful to that group of people for proving beyond any doubt the power of word-of-mouth advertising.

This year’s Congress created a landmark event for the successful use of a media tool in the diocese. Last year, registration for the Children’s Track was

Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS communications director

handled at the parish level. This year, for a variety of reasons, registration for the Children’s Track was done almost entirely on the Congress Web site at www.goEucharist.com. (A printed version of the form appeared in ads in this newspaper.)

Final score: Web registration: 320; print forms received: 2.

As a two-way mass communication tool, the World Wide Web has no equal.

More and more of us use the Web, from searching for telephone numbers to registering for an important faith-based event.

As I have mentioned many times before, the Web is a liberating place where we can express, share and communicate our faith. Look for more creative uses of this medium on the diocesan Web page www.charlottediocese.org in the months to come.

Please take the time to fill out a Eucharistic Congress survey form, which will be posted Monday, Oct. 9.

Your feedback of your impressions of the Congress will help us make the next Congress a better event. (It takes place Sept. 21-22, 2007.)

Thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers and the existence of media tools such as the Web, spreading the word about an important event based on the Word has never been easier.

D a v i d H a i n s i s d i re c t o r o f communications for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@ charlottediocese.org. A podcast of this column is available at www. charlottediocese.org.

The most precious of God’s angels “Hello again,” said the Child with a smile.

“Hello, little one,” said the Voice.

“My, you’ve gotten a lot bigger since I saw you last.”

“I can suck my thumb now,” beamed the Child. “See?” “My, that’s wonderful,” said the Voice.

“I hear other voices,” said the Child, “but I don’t recognize them.”

“You hear your mother talking with the doctor,” said the Voice. “They are talking about you.”

“My mother doesn’t speak to me much anymore,” sighed the Child.

“I’m glad you visit with me. It’s always brighter when you do. ... Sir, are you my father?”

“I am not your biological father, but I am your heavenly father,” replied the Voice. “And I am always with you.”

“Who is that man in the corner, the man with the horns?” asked the Child.

“He scares me.”

“Do not pay attention to him.”

“You seem sad today, Father,” said the Child. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m sorry, little one,” said the Voice. “I so looked forward to seeing you born, to watching you grow up. You were going to live near the water, and break a national swimming record. You were going to dance with a boy at your prom, fall in love and marry him. You were going to raise precious children of your own. You were going to work with sick people and help them feel better.

But now ... that is not going to happen.”

“Why not?” asked the Child.

“Because, little one ... your mother made a choice,” replied the Voice.

“I don’t understand,” said the Child.

“I want to be born. I want to grow up and do all those things.”

“I know you do. And you would have been amazing at them.”

“Why is my mother doing this?” asked the Child. “Does she not love me?”

“She does not know you,” replied the Voice. “She has been corrupted by the lies of that man with the horns. He has won another victory today.”

“What is happening, Father?” asked the Child. “I don’t feel well. Something is wrong.”

“Look at me, little one. Focus on me.

Do you hear the music?”

“Yes, I hear it.”

“That is the chorus of my kingdom, where my angels sing and dance on the clouds,” said the Voice. “Listen to the music.”

Murray’s Musings KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

“I’m trying, but I feel pain! It hurts, Father!” cried the Child. “Am I dying?

I don’t want to die! I want to be born! I want to grow up! Please, Father!”

“I am sorry, little one,” said the Voice. “I am so sorry.”

“Father ... don’t leave me ....”

“Never.”

Darkness overcame the Child. The chorus of heaven fell silent. And the man with the horns smiled.

“What ... what happened?” asked the Child.

“Hello again, little one,” said the Voice.

The Child looked around. “I can hear the music again! Is that where we are going?”

“Yes. I am taking you to my kingdom.”

“I can see it! It’s so beautiful! And I can see your angels dancing on the clouds!” said the Child.

“They are celebrating to welcome you home,” said the Voice.

The Child paused, looking back.

“Father, is there any way I can help my mother, and other mothers, to make the right choice?”

“That’s a big task,” said the Voice.

“Let’s work on that together.”

The Child beamed. “Thank you, Father. But first ... I want to dance on the clouds with the angels!”

“Of course, little one, but,” said the Voice, holding out his hand, “may I have the first dance?”

During this Respect Life Month, let’s remember: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you.” (Jer 1:5) “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.” (Ps 139:15) “You shall not kill.” (Fifth Commandment)

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October 6, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 15

The miraculous act of ‘knowing’

Seeing, sharing with others reaffirms our humanity One of our most precious resources as human beings is about to become extinct.

We are becoming completely invisible to each other. We can spend a busy and productive day, run a dozen errands around town and not actually “see” any other people.

We can go to the bank and withdraw our money from a machine. We can go to the grocery store and check out through the self-checkout line. We can talk on our cell phones as we drive through town, never noticing anyone else around us.

Our modern technology affords us incredible ease in our daily lives. But with each new convenience, there is a part of our humanity that is being lost: our connection with each other.

We don’t look at each other, don’t make eye contact, don’t touch. We rarely smile or say a kind word.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta called America “the loneliest, the most disconnected and the must unhappy nation on earth.” Loneliness, according to Mother Teresa, “is the most terrible poverty.”

This is reflected in some of the biggest problems our society faces: increased crime that objectifies people

as irrelevant, all-time-high rates of depression that leave people feeling alone in facing their problems and a divorce rate that illustrates just how quickly we give up on each other.

Do you know your neighbors?

Do you address the grocery clerk, whom you see sometimes twice a week, by name?

Do you look your fellow elevator riders in the eye and say good morning?

St. Paul tells us, “Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

(1 Corinthians 13:12).

As Christians, our goal is to share the God that is within us and to recognize the God that is in others. This is what feeds our spirit and brings healing to the wounds of life.

But how does this happen when we don’t make a conscious act of “seeing” those around us?

Let us now challenge ourselves to help break down the walls of alienation and loneliness in some of the following ways: 1. Be in the moment when we are with others. Let us turn off our Ipods and take off our Bluetooths. Let us open our

Peace of Mind LORI FOX guest columnist

senses and honor the presence of the life that is around us.

2. We can make a connection with a smile or a handshake.

3. We can treat people around us as though we truly care about them, even if it’s just for the one moment we’re passing by.

One of our greatest human fears is that we will be invisible to others. Our deepest need is to know that we matter.

You have the power to heal and encourage a total stranger with merely a smile and a nod. You have the power to bring more of God’s love into your heart every time you interact with another person, whether it’s standing in line at the bank, waiting at the bus stop or spending a few minutes with co-workers before a meeting begins.

To know and be known? The choice is yours, a hundred times a day.

Lori Fox is supervisor of counseling services at Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Charlotte.

A call to action for Catholics

Informed voting can help foster real immigration reform Many localities are seeing a campaign of agitation of anti-immigrant sentiment for political gain. Hispanics, in particular, are being vilified in the hopes of getting a few more voters out on election day.

Candidates and incumbents often seem to have declared an open season on Hispanics. Unfortunately, this is not receiving the national attention it deserves.

As Catholics, we are called to care for the poor, the widow and the “stranger” among us, for they have nobody to champion them. Most of these voiceless “illegals” are fellow Catholics — in fact, in many places, and despite their apparent invisibility, they are no longer the minority of local Catholics.

Unfortunately many, inside and outside the Hispanic community, fail to see this.

Despite the best efforts of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I worry about the broader Catholic Church in the United States as appearing excessively aloof from such a pressing human concern, and too deferential to the secular world’s “wisdom” on this matter.

We are all the church, and as such we would look bad (internally and

Guest Column MANUEL ALIAGA guest columnist

externally) if we didn’t take this issue to heart.

Most voters are not hearing the other side of the picture. Many Catholic voters may not be aware of the wisdom of the Gospel, as it is presented by the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform (www. justiceforimmigrants.com).

The Catholic Church, through its many venues, should: 1. Unmask the false political rhetoric we often hear in the media about immigrants in our communities; 2. Offer other relevant facts and figures to help develop a more balanced understanding of the reality of immigration today; and

3. Present the fullness, nuances and wisdom of church social teaching as it relates to this matter and the duties it places on us as Christians, as citizens, as politicians and as legitimate authorities.

Catholics have a duty to take Catholic social doctrine as a key point of reference in the shaping of their political views.

The U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform is doing its share to help.

The interventions of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and several other bishops are enriching the local and national debate. But we need more.

This is truly an unparalleled opportunity for renewed conversion, for a deepening of our awareness of the demands of the Gospel and for action to address some of the justice and compassion issues faced by almost half of the Catholics in the United States.

Election time is only a few weeks away. The Catholic Church as an opinion-maker can play an important role in providing guidance to its Englishspeaking voters, to the wider church and to the nation.

Manuel Aliaga works in Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Pope says Christians must discover Jesus personally The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — To truly know Jesus requires discovering him personally, Pope Benedict XVI said at his weekly general audience.

While hearing about Christ through the Bible or through other people can introduce a person to Christian belief, “it must then be ourselves (who) become personally involved in an intimate and deep relationship with Jesus” in order to know he is truly the savior of the world, the pope said.

The pope returned to the Vatican Oct. 4 by helicopter from his long summer stay at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

Some 30,000 pilgrims packed into St. Peter’s Square, where security was boosted by additional uniformed police officers posted along the periphery of the square.

The pope, however, continued his traditional tour of the square in his open jeep at the start of the audience, greeting pilgrims and kissing babies. Additional plainclothes Swiss Guards trailed the jeep.

Continuing a series of talks on the apostles, the pope focused his catechesis on St. Bartholomew, who is traditionally identified as Nathanael.

Little is known about this apostle, the pope said, which goes to show that “belonging to Jesus can be lived and witnessed without performing outstanding works.”

It was Nathanael who, incredulous at first that the Messiah could come from an obscure town, said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

But Philip urged him to “come and see” for himself. Jesus showed Nathanael that he already knew him and that he had seen him under a fig tree.

The pope said this struck Nathanael as proof that Jesus was someone who “knows everything about me, knows everything” in the world, including the right path to take in life, and that this was a man whom he could really trust.

It was then that Nathanael realized and proclaimed before Jesus that he was the Son of God and the king of Israel — two aspects of Christ that all Christians must never lose sight of, the pope said.

Proclaiming only Christ’s “heavenly dimension” as the Son of God risks turning him into something “ethereal and evanescent” or intangible and fleeting, said the pope, just as only recognizing his place in human history as the “king of peace” would overlook his divinity.

October 6, 2006

in the news

The Catholic News & Herald 16

Discussions of peace and virtue Catholic-Muslim dialogue looks at faithful living in today’s world

by JERRY FILTEAU catholic news service

WASHINGTON — At their recent Midwest dialogue, Catholic and Muslim leaders and scholars discussed what it means to live one’s faith in a complex society that is secular and multicultural.

The Midwest Regional Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims was held Sept.

12-13 at the Retreat Center at St. John’s in Plymouth, Mich. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic co-sponsor of the dialogue, issued a news release on it at the end of September.

Amid a debate over the role of religion in American life, Catholic and Muslim dialogue participants noted that their respective convictions, based on revelation, make them bearers of faith traditions that offer humanity guidance on peace, reconciliation and virtuous living.

Anas Malik, a Muslim who teaches sociology and political science at Xavier University in Cincinnati, analyzed the dynamics of Christian-Muslim collaboration on justice and other shared social concerns.

He said cooperation involves a cost on each side, so agreement to take the risk of collaborating cannot be presumed.

His paper set a framework for discussing the interaction of trust and power in

human group relations.

Donald W. Mitchell, a professor of philosophy and religion at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., presented a paper on the role of the laity in the life of the Catholic Church.

He discussed lay spiritualities and movements and the challenges of living as a Catholic in a secular culture.

Discussion of his paper led to clarification by Catholic participants that when the church speaks of evangelization it is not talking about proselytizing, but bringing values of the Gospel to all aspects of life.

The discussion also turned to questions of authority in Catholicism and Islam.

Participants noted that, while Islam is basically egalitarian, in practice holy people and legal scholars may exercise a certain authority. Participants also discussed the authority of their respective holy books in their communities - the Bible for Catholics, the Quran for Muslims.

The next meeting is to be held Oct. 21-23, 2007, at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich.

Its topic will be “The Mission of Muslim-Catholic Dialogue in the USA.” Among issues to be discussed are best practices in local dialogues, the scope

CNS photo by Larry Allen Peplin, Michigan Catholic

Wearing head scarves and leggings to comply with Muslim modesty, students from St. Paul Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., prepare to enter the Islamic Center of America in late September in Dearborn, Mich. It is the largest mosque in America. and structures of regional dialogues, interreligious cooperation on social issues, the principles and ethics of dialogue and how to approach questions of interfaith prayer.

The Midwest dialogue, one of three regional dialogues between Catholics and Muslims in the United States, was

started in 1996. Last year it issued a report, “Revelation: Catholic and Muslim Perspectives.”

Co-chairing the Plymouth meeting were Auxiliary Bishop Francis R. Reiss of Detroit and Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary of the Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim co-sponsor of the dialogue.