Dec. 3, 2010

December 3, 2010

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

Celebrating Our Mother The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is Dec. 8, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12,

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Expanding in Elkin St. Stephen Mission dedicates parish hall, 5

Condoning condoms?

Pope Benedict XVI’s new book sparks confusion over remarks about condom use, 21 FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte

3 people – 1 story of hope Holy Angels in Belmont celebrates 55 years of ‘unconditional love and unlimited possibilities’

THANK YOU!

Holy Angels got its start in 1955 with one special little girl, 8-9

Calendar 4 Diocese 3-7

FAITH 2

Holy Angels now helps children and adults with disabilities in many ways, 10

mix 16 Schools 14-15

Therapies focus on building up residents to have as much independence as possible, 10-11

Viewpoints 22-24 World & nation 18-21

Call us: 704-370-3333 E-mail us: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

Our faith

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The Immaculate Conception Wednesday, Dec. 8 Pope Benedict XVI

Pope reflects on Advent expectation

P

ope Benedict XVI welcomed the season of Advent during the Angelus prayer Nov. 28, remarking on the nature of “expectation” and calling it a “profoundly human” experience.

The pontiff opened his comments by discussing what he called the “dual nature” of the Advent season.

The Church during this time, he said, focuses both on the first coming of Jesus as an infant born of the Virgin Mary and also on “His glorious return, when He will come to judge the living and the dead.”

He described the Church’s expectation and reflection on both events as a “profoundly human” experience in which “the faith becomes, so to say, a single thing with our flesh and our heart.”

“Expectation and awaiting represent a dimension that touches our entire individual, family and social existence,” he added, saying that it is “present in many situations, from the smallest and most insignificant to the most important.”

The pope mentioned the examples of a couple expecting a child, a person waiting for the results of an exam, someone expecting the arrival of a friend from far away, or the anticipation of someone meeting a loved one.

“We could say that man is alive so long as he expects, so long as hope remains alive his heart.”

Pope Benedict continued to say that men and women can be recognized by their expectations, and that “our moral and spiritual ‘stature’ may be measured by what our hopes are.”

In “this time of preparation for Christmas each of us may ask ourselves: what do I expect? This same question can be posed at the level of the family, the community, the nation.

What do we expect together? What unites our aspirations, what brings us together?” he asked.

— CNA/EWTN News

“The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

— Pius IX in “Ineffabilis Deus,” 1854

“The Immaculate Conception” by Martino Altomonte (1719)

Pray the novena The Immaculate Conception Novena may be said for nine days prior, surrounding, or after the feast day. Go to www.ewtn. com/Devotionals/novena/immaculate.htm for a handy guide.

— Catholic News Agency

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 5 – DEC. 11

What is a sacrament?

A sacrament is an outward, visible sign instituted by Jesus Christ that gives the grace it signifies.

Why do we celebrate the sacraments?

The Holy Spirit confers grace upon those who receive the sacrament, and that grace strengthens and helps us express our faith.

Why are there seven sacraments?

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n 1854, Pope Pius IX’s solemn declaration, “Ineffabilis Deus,” clarified with finality the longheld belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free of original sin.

Mary was granted this extraordinary privilege because of her unique role in history as the Mother of God. That is, she received the gift of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception.

Even though Mary is unique in all humanity for being born without sin, she is held up by the Church as a model for all because of her holiness and her purity, and her willingness to accept God’s plan.

Christians are called to recognize and respond to God’s call – to their own vocation – which is to carry out God’s plan for their lives and fulfill the mission prepared for them since before the beginning of time. Mary’s “Let it be done to me according to Thy Word,” in response of the Angel Gabriel’s greeting is the response required of all Christians to God’s plan.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the great joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary, and to recognize with greater clarity the truth that each and every human being has been created by God to fulfill a particular mission that only he or she can fulfill.

The facts of faith

Sunday, Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-9, Matthew 3:1-12; Monday (St. Nicholas), Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 5:17-26; Tuesday (St. Ambrose), Isaiah 40:1-11, Matthew 18:1214; Wednesday (The Immaculate Conception), Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38; Thursday (St. Juan Diego), Isaiah 41:13-20, Matthew 11:11-15; Friday, Isaiah 48:17-19, Matthew 11:16-19; Saturday (St. Damasus I), Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11, Matthew 17:9-13

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 12 – DEC. 18

Sunday, Isaiah 35:1-6, 10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11; Monday (St. Lucy), Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17, Matthew 21:2327; Tuesday (St. John of the Cross), Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13, Matthew 21:28-32; Wednesday, Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25, Luke 7:18-23; Thursday, Isaiah 54:1-10, Luke 7:2430; Friday, Genesis 49:2, 8-10, Matthew 1:1-17; Saturday, Jeremiah 23:5-8, Matthew 1:18-25

The seven sacraments – baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony – were instituted

by Jesus Christ. For the first 11 centuries of Christianity, the word “sacrament” was often used to refer to the mysterious plan of God. Little by little, specific aspects of this mysterious plan began to be singled out and called sacraments. In the 12th century, we began to see the list of the seven actions which we now call sacraments. In 1547, the Council of Trent stated: “The sacraments of the new law are seven, no more and no less” (Session VII, Canon 1). Seven is frequently used to connote completeness.

There are “seven gifts” of the Holy Spirit and there are “seven Churches” in the Book of Revelation, symbolizing the universal Church.

Our parishes

December 3, 2010 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Rosary being misused

— AmericanCatholic.org

Did you also know?

The sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy orders also confer a special, indelible seal by which a Christian is made a member of the Church according to different functions. It remains forever in the Christian as a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a duty to divine worship and to service for the Church, so these three sacraments can never be repeated.

— CCC 1121

photo courtesy of the Charlotte Fire Department

Firefighters and emergency personnel discuss the fire at St. Matthew Church with Monsignor John J. McSweeney, pastor, Nov. 24.

SueAnn howell staff writer

ROSARY, SEE page 7

courtesy of contactmusic.com

Pop star Ke$ha, wearing two rosaries

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Sister Mary Immaculata (right) smiles as she helps Mother Dolores Marie (left), abbess of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte, clothe the newest member of their community, Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician.

Sister Mary Raphael took her first vows Nov. 21 at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

‘Prayer beads’ popular fashion, used by gangs CHARLOTTE — A growing fashion trend that misuses the rosary has at least one U.S. bishop calling attention to the issue – and the problem has also recently been noticed in Charlotte.

Rosaries – mislabeled “prayer necklaces” – are now draping the necks of models, actors, pop singers, rap artists, and in some cases, gang members. The misuse was so noticeable that the bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs recently issued a statement supporting a local middle school’s policy that bans wearing the beads out of respect to Catholics.

catholic news heraldI

sueann howell | catholic news herald

A joyful transformation Young woman takes vows to join the Poor Clares sueann howell staff writer

CHARLOTTE — The joy was unmistakable at St. Ann Church Nov. 21, as Allison Schumacher professed her first vows as a Poor Clare nun and became Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician.

Bishop Robert Baker of the Diocese of Birmingham, Ala., for whom Schumacher worked before she entered the monastery, traveled to Charlotte to receive her vows and to celebrate the Mass on behalf of Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“What a happy occasion it is for these two dioceses as we promote vocations to the religious and contemplative life as well as to the priesthood,” Bishop Baker said in his opening remarks.

He made his comments just after the clothing portion of the ceremony, where he blessed the 25-year-old Poor Clare’s new habit with holy water and then watched as Schumacher knelt at the steps of the sanctuary to have her hair cut and then be clothed in her habit and veil.

Mother Dolores Marie, abbess of St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte, was assisted by Sister Mary Immaculata as she cut off Schumacher’s long blonde hair. Then they proceeded to clothe her in the brown habit of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, including a veil, a white rope belt and a rosary.

Once she was fully habited, Schumacher

knelt again to receive her new name in religious life.

Up to that point, Schumacher did not know what name she would receive – the name she’d be known by for the rest of her life.

“This is the best part,” said Mother Dolores Marie, Sister Mary smiling as she unrolled a Raphael scroll containing the chosen name. “I have never seen a name so made manifested and confirmed by God.” “Dear Sister, in order to begin your new life in Jesus, you will be called by your new name: Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician.”

The name is particularly special to Schumacher. She became ill in 2008 and had to leave the Poor Clare monastery in Alabama before renewing her temporary vows. With her first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Sister Mary Raphael begins her period of POOR CLARE, SEE page 17

More photos online A slideshow from Sister Mary Raphael’s profession of vows is online at www.charlottediocese.org.

St. Matthew Church fire causes $200k in damages CHARLOTTE — In the early morning hours of Nov. 24, an electrical fire caused about $200,000 in damage to St. Matthew Church in Ballantyne.

No one was injured, and the Mass schedule was not interrupted.

The fire above the narthex was discovered by a security officer at the church a little after 5 a.m.

Firefighters from the Charlotte Fire Department’s Station 32 arrived at the scene at 5:24 a.m.

A total of 44 firefighters from 10 companies responded to the twoalarm fire call. It took them 22 minutes to put out the fire.

The fire department ruled the fire accidental, attributing it to a failure in the electrical system for outdoor holiday lights on the roof of the church.

Monsignor John J. McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Church, directed a swift clean-up and repair of the roof, so there was no interruption to the regular schedule of Masses over the Thanksgiving holiday.

— SueAnn Howell

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks: Dec. 2 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Foundation Board Meeting Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

BELMONT QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, 503 N. Main St. — “Night of the Father’s Love, The Awe and Mystery of God With Us: A Christmas Cantata,” Sisters of Mercy Cardinal Gibbon’s Chapel, 4 p.m. Dec. 5, Reception to follow at Queen of the Apostles’ MAK Center.

— Mary, Mother and Model Part 1, MAK Center, adult education program, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7

Dec. 2 – 6 p.m.

Advent Gathering for Priests

— Mary, Mother and Model Part 2, MAK Center, adult education program, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14

Bishop’s Residence

CHARLOTTE Dec. 4 – 10 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Mark Church, Huntersville Dec. 7 – 2 p.m.

Catholic Voice NC Meeting Greensboro Dec. 11 – 11 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. John Baptiste de la Salle Church, North Wilkesboro

DIOCESAN PASTORAL CENTER, 1123 S. Church St. — Natural Family Planning Class, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 11.

RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@ charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, 4207 Shamrock Dr. — Bible Study Groups, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Sundays or 7:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays. Contact Deacon Kevin Williams at 704-537-9973.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH, 6212 Tuckaseegee Road — Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration, Bojangles’ Coliseum (2700 E. Independence Blvd.), 8 p.m. Dec. 11. Folkloric dances, live presentation about the apparitions to St. Juan Diego, procession of flags, celebration of the Eucharist, Las Mañanitas (see story, page 7).

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 Park Road — Missa Cantata, 7 p.m. Dec. 8 ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 Providence Road — Shining Stars Adult Day Respite for those with early to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

— Shining Stars Adult Day Respite Caregivers Support Group, Ministry Center Rm. E, 10-11:30 a.m. last Monday of each month. Contact Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

— St. Matthew “yoU”niversity: “Different Paths for Different Folks” Mini Seminar, explores the history and prayer

December 3, 2010 Volume 20 • Number 3

1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org 704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cindi Feerick 704-370-3332, ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

This week’s spotlight: Advent programs and events ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, 109 Crescent Hill Dr., Arden: Women’s Advent Program, Advent Reflections: Through the eyes of Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), 9 a.m. Dec. 4. Contact Marcia Torres at johnandmarciatorres@yahoo.com or 828-697-1235.

ST. EUGENE CHURCH, 72 Culvern St., Asheville: Advent Taizé Prayer Service, Day Chapel, 7-8 p.m.

Dec. 5 and every first Friday of the month. Contact Megan at 828-285-0838 or Janet at 828-251-5513.

ST. LUKE CHURCH, 13700 Lawyers Road, Charlotte: Parish Advent Retreat with Sister Jeanne Marie Guerin, SHCJ, 8:30 a.m. Dec. 11 ST. PETER CHURCH, 507 S. Tryon St., Charlotte: “The Mystery of God Becoming Human: An Ignatian Guided Advent Retreat,” 8:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 4-Dec. 18, free parking in the Green Parking Garage.

Registration required to 704-332-2901.

ST. PIUS X CHURCH, 2200 N. Elm St., Greensboro: Advent Hymn and Christmas Carol Sing, 7 p.m.

Dec. 10

ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 Dilworth Road E. — Night of Prayer for Life, 9 p.m. Dec. 8 ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 Old Reid Road — Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Coffee and Reflection, presented by Father Roger Arnsparger, 9 a.m. Dec. 6.

Contact Linda Granzow at jlgranzow@windstream.net or 704-847-7872.

— The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Meeting, 7 p.m. third Wednesday of each month. They welcome Irish-Catholic women who are interested in sharing their Catholic faith, Christian charity and the traditions of the Irish people. Contact Mary Herbert at mherbert@ carolina.rr.com or 704-231-9546.

Advent season begins with wreath making

MAGGIE VALLEY — More than 20 families gathered at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley Nov. 21 to make Advent wreaths and hear Augustinian Father John T. Denny, pastor, speak about Advent traditions during a faith formation assembly entitled KERNERSVILLE “Waiting for the Light.” Pictured HOLY CROSS CHURCH, 616 S. Cherry St. — Coffee with Christ, Commons, 10-11 a.m. Sundays. Contact above are Thomas, Kayden, Christine and Breyson Mallette Bob Hoover at 336-769-3755. making their family Advent wreath.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, 208 Seventh Ave. W. — Justice for Immigrants Ministry presents the DREAM Act Conference, 9 a.m.-noon Dec. 11. RSVP to cjnc154@att.net or 828-697-0083 (see story, page 5).

ST. MARGARET MARY CHURCH, 102 Andrew PlACe — Clases de Inglés, 7-8:30 p.m., todos los miércoles, cuido de niños disponible.

— Betsy McLeod

50 families fed, thanks to parish food ministry

MOORESVILLE — Parishioners of St. Therese Church in Mooresville HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4820 Kinnamon Road recently collected enough — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 8 donations to provide turkeys and food for complete Thanksgiving — Charismatic Prayer Group, Chapel, 7:15 p.m. Mondays dinners for 50 families. This was the third year that parishioners — Eucharistic Adoration, Curlin Center, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. have supported the Holiday Meal Thursdays Ministry.

— Life in the Spirit Seminar, Function Hall, sponsored by — Rosemary Hyman BLD Charotte, Mar. 26-27, 2011. Submission deadline Dec. 20. Contact Bert & Lith Golamco at guapolai7@aol.com or 336-201-2774.

WINSTON-SALEM method associated with Ignatian, Benedictine and Franciscan spirituality, NLC Room 239-241, 9:45-11:30 a.m.

Dec. 4. RSVP required to Michael Burck at 704-541-8362, ext. 4.

— Opus Dei Recollection for Men, Daily Mass Chapel, 7-9 p.m. Dec. 10. Confession available at 6:30 p.m. Contact Joe Ignacio at joremy.ignacio@gmail.com or 704-7527155.

— Opus Dei Recollection for Women, Daily Mass Chapel, 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 11. Confession available at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Remy Ignacio at remy_ignacio@hotmail.com or 704-752-7155.

— St. Peregrine Healing Service, church, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

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Four Knights councils raise more than $14,000

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SueAnn Howell Staff writer

HENDERSONVILLE

SWANNANOA

OUR PARISHESI

National Night of Prayer for Life set for Dec. 8, 9

In Brief

ASHEVILLE ST. LAWRENCE BASILICA, 97 Haywood St. — National Night of Prayer for Life, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 8-9.

Please join us for an hour during this vigil for life (see story, page 5).

December 3, 2010 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

WINSTON-SALEM — Knights of Columbus councils 102610 (Mocksville), 9499 (Clemmons), 10504 (Winston-Salem) and 2829 (Winston-Salem) held their second annual L.A.M.B. Charity Dinner and Auction Nov. 12 at the Embassy Suites in Winston-Salem. Honored at the event was the Winston-Salem Police Department and Police Chief Scott Cunningham for their work supporting Special Olympics. More than 150 people attended the event, raising more than $ 14,000 that night alone for the special needs community. L.A.M.B., created by the Knights of Columbus, stands for “Least Among My Brethren,” and Knights across the U.S. support the charity through their famous Tootsie Roll sales. The four Knights councils contributed more than $26,000 to 25 entities in Forsyth County in 2009.

— Brian Sternecker

Peggy Bowes | Catholic News Herald, INSET PHOTO COURTESY OF SISTER JANIS MCQUADE

St. Stephen Mission in Elkin recently opened its Family Life Center, after four years of planning and months of construction work. Above, Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Father John Hanic (pastor) and parishioners process from the church to the new Family Life Center Nov. 28 underneath clear blue skies in downtown Elkin.

St. Stephen dedicates family life center Peggy Bowes Correspondent

ELKIN — Following the 9 a.m. Mass Nov. 28, Bishop Peter Jugis extended his hands in blessing over the new Family Life Center at St. Stephen Mission in Elkin. The new center sits on a hill overlooking downtown Elkin and is highlighted by a distinctive round window with an embedded cross.

The Family Life Center for this mission parish of about 70 families is expected to be put to good use. The first major event planned is the annual Epiphany dinner, but the space will also be used for faith formation classes, youth ministry gatherings, retreats, meetings, spaghetti dinners and more. An outdoor fire pit, filled with colorful flowers for the ceremony, has been built primarily for the Easter Vigil fire.

As St. Joseph Sister Janis McQuade, the mission’s pastoral administrator, declared, “The Family Life Center is a place where the family of St. Stephen can grow and gather.

Gathering and relationships are key in being Church.”

The building project began four years ago when Sister Janis arrived to serve as the mission’s first full-time pastoral administrator. When 125 parishioners squeezed into a small room adjacent to the church to welcome her, she asked with surprise, “Where do you gather?” Their answer: in borrowed or rented spaces at other Elkin churches. Together, they began planning a permanent gathering place for the growing Catholic community and they formed a building committee, encouraging

everyone to “dream big.” They hired an architect, took bids for the project, and finally broke ground last June.

St. Stephen’s pastor, Father John Hanic, drove from his other parish of St. John Baptiste de la Salle in North Wilkesboro to attend meetings and oversee the project, but it was largely a community-led effort.

Parishioners of all ages laid sod, spread mulch, planted shrubs and even procured donated appliances for the center’s kitchen.

During the construction of the Family Life Center, members of the Elkin community frequently stopped by to admire the growing structure and to offer their help and encouragement.

“The Family Life Center stands as a testament of your faith,” Sister Janis told parishioners. “You are the’ living stones of Christ, built into a spiritual edifice.’ Through your prayer, planning, and extraordinary generosity, your true has come true,” Sister Janis told the parishioners.

St. Stephen has long been a visible presence in Elkin, and Sister Janis said she expects the new Family Life Center to become a center of their ongoing parish activities. Since the mission was formed in 1956, parishioners have looked after one another and made hospitality and service to their town a high priority. They volunteer at the local clinic and with area schools and they support charities devoted to the poor, the hungry, unwed mothers and specialneeds children.

As Sister Janis proclaims proudly, “They understand their baptism and their call to serve.”

CHARLOTTE — The National Night of Prayer for Life will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at most participating parishes. The National Night of Prayer for Life is a prayer service consisting of exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 20 decades of the rosary, the Prayer to St. Michael and more.

“We live in a society that sees people as expendable, resulting in the loss of dignity of many,” said Maggi Nadol with the diocesan Respect Life Office. “The National Night of Prayer for Life is an opportunity for parish families to set aside time to pray and reflect on the sanctity of life.”

Participating are: Holy Cross, Kernersville; Holy Family, Clemmons (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 8); Our Lady of Grace, Greensboro; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Charlotte; Our Lady of the Highways, Thomasville; Our Lady of the Rosary, Lexington, St. Ann, Charlotte, St. Charles Borromeo, Morganton; St. Gabriel, Charlotte; St. Joseph (Vietnamese), Charlotte; St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville; St. Leo the Great, Winston-Salem (8 p.m. to midnight Dec. 8); St. Matthew, Charlotte (8:30 to 11 p.m. Dec. 8); St. Mark, Huntersville; St. Michael, Gastonia; St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte; St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte. (Check with each parish for details.)

Learn more about immigration reform at Dec. 11 conference HENDERSONVILLE — The faithful are invited to learn more about the DREAM Act, proposed legislation before Congress that seeks to help foreign-born high school graduates seek higher education, jobs and military service, but who are currently ineligible based on their immigration status.

The DREAM Act legislation is supported by Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh.

Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville will host the DREAM Act conference from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 11. The conference is being co-sponsored by Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City. The two churches have recently formed a joint ministry to serve the causes of immigrants in their parishes. For details about the event, e-mail Catherine Lynch at cjnc154@att.net or Bob Gray bob.gray3447@att.net.

The conference is a local effort stemming from the U.S. Bishops’ campaign “Justice for Immigrants,” implemented in the diocese by a committee chaired by Father Shawn O’Neal, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City. Go to www. justiceforimmigrants.org to learn more.

— Kathleen Schmeider

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 OUR PARISHES

December 3, 2010 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church prepares for feast day Feast day celebrations The following parishes have special celebrations planned for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is only a partial list – for additional information, contact your parish’s office.

Holy Family Church in Clemmons will have Las Mañanitas at 9 a.m. followed by refreshments, then Mass at 7:15 p.m. with refreshments afterwards, Dec. 11. Contact Marcos Meijas (336778-0600, ext. 254).

photo provided by Bill Loeffler

Pastor Michael Buttner of Holy Family Church in Clemmons congratulates Ray and Elsie Miller on their 70th anniversary, and presents them with a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.

Holy Family couple marks 70th anniversary Mollie Gordon Correspondent

CLEMMONS — Nov. 21 marked the 70th wedding anniversary for Ray and Elsie Miller. Holy Family Church in Clemmons commemorated the event during Mass by presenting the couple with a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI. “I would be nothing without her,” Ray says. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 70 years.”

The couple has lived a full life, with all of its ups and downs, they say.

“We didn’t care much for each other at first,” Ray recalls. “I was jealous. It was a rocky courtship. We went together three years, and we argued a lot. I would drive across town to see her, we’d argue, I’d leave, and by the time I got back home, I’d have cooled off and would drive back to see her.”

Ray proposed as they walked down Fifth Avenue in Cleveland one day. When asked why she accepted after such a rocky courtship, Elsie says firmly, “Because I wanted to. I knew he didn’t mean it (the arguing).”

According to Ray, Elsie’s aunt tried to talk her out of marrying him, even up to the night before the wedding.

“Aunt Stella said this wouldn’t last. She said, ‘I give you a year.’”

Ray and Elsie still laugh about that.

They were married at St. Ignatius Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thanksgiving Day 1940. Ray’s name was nearly the same as the city’s mayor (the only difference, a middle initial), and the priest mistakenly said the mayor’s name during the ceremony.

The couple laughed then, and as they retell the story now, they still laugh.

“We had a lot of fun together,” Ray says. “After we got married, we were very compatible.

We always agreed on everything.”

Three years after their wedding, Ray was drafted to serve in the Pacific during World War II. Elsie and their young son Chuck returned to Ohio to live with her mother until after the war.

Ray’s career moved them 21 times. Each time he was promoted, they moved. Elsie turned it into a joke: when he’d come home from work, she’d ask him, “Where are we moving to now?” They still laugh about that, too.

In 1993 they moved again – to Clemmons to be closer to their son Chuck and his family. They joined Holy Family Church in Clemmons and became active in parish life.

On Nov. 21, their son Chuck and his wife Mira, three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren, along with fellow parishioners of Holy Family congratulated Ray and Elsie, and laughed with them on the joyful occasion of their 70th anniversary.

Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews will celebrate Dec. 11 starting with a 4 p.m. procession through town followed by Mass at 5 p.m. On Dec. 12, there will be Las Mañanitas at 6 a.m., followed by Mass at 7 a.m. Call Eduardo Bernal (828-399-0912).

Our Lady of Mercy, Winston-Salem, will have Mass at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 12. There will be an information session about Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe after the 11 a.m. Mass Dec. 5.

Call Catherine Sangueza (336-722-7001, ext. 8).

Sacred Heart Church in Brevard will have a Mass in Spanish at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12.

St. Barnabas Church in Arden will have a vigil Mass in Spanish at 7 p.m. Dec. 11., followed by a celebration in the social hall.

St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin will have a procession on Maple Street at 5 p.m.

Dec. 12, then Mass at 6 p.m. and a celebration in the parish hall afterwards. Call Eduardo Bernal (828-399-0912).

St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville will have Las Mañanitas at 5:30 a.m. Dec. 12, followed by refreshments in the parish hall. Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. Call Eduardo Bernal (828-399-0912).

St. Jude Church in Sapphire Valley will have Mass at 8 p.m. Dec. 11. Call Eduardo Bernal (828-399-0912).

St. Mark Church in Huntersville will have a celebration at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12. Events include Mass, a procession around the church, representation of “The Apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe,” and a dinner party in the parish center. Call Enrique Rojas (980-297-1611), Belisario Solorzano (704-491-4570) or Deacon Edwin Rodriguez (704-502-8264).

St. Mary Church in Greensboro will gather to pray the rosary at 11 a.m. Dec. 11, followed by Las Mañanitas at 11:30 a.m., and on Dec. 12, Mass at 4 p.m. with a potluck meal afterwards.

St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva will celebrate Dec. 11, starting with a 9 p.m. procession through the streets of Sylva, followed by a 10 p.m.

Mass. At midnight, there will be Las Mañanitas in the church, followed by refreshments in the parish hall.

Call Eduardo Bernal (828-399-0912).

SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Throughout history when Our Lady has appeared in the form of an apparition, she has given people signs to help foster faith and a deeper union with God. In the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe, she appeared to a poor Aztec Indian, Juan Diego, in 1531 near Tepayac Hill in central Mexico. Our Lady asked him to go to his bishop and express her desire that a church be built there so the people could experience her compassion.

St. Juan Diego was rebuffed by the bishop twice and appealed to Our Lady for her help.

As proof of her apparitions, Our Lady provided roses in the dead of winter for St. Juan Diego to wrap in his tilma (cloak) to present to the bishop so that he would believe and act upon her request to build a cathedral and inspire the people to amend their lives.

Our Lady also left a miraculous image of herself on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, which can be seen hanging above the altar at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

To commemorate the Dec. 12 feast, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte will have these events: n A novena beginning Dec. 3. Prayer will be held nightly at 7:30 in the church. n A celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte Saturday, Dec. 11. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the program begins at 9 p.m.

Folklore dancing, a live presentation of the apparitions of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego, the procession of flags, and the celebration of the Eucharist will take place. At midnight there will be Las Mañanitas (songs) to Our Lady of Guadalupe. n On Sunday, Dec. 12, the feast day, the church will offer Las Mañanitas to Our Lady of Guadalupe at 5 a.m. Mass follows at 6 a.m. Masses continue at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

For details, call 704-391-3732.

ROSARY: FROM PAGE 3

The rosary, as given to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary in an apparition in 1214, is meant to be prayed. It is a form of meditation on the life of Jesus Christ. But it’s not to be worn as jewelry.

The problem – mostly seen in California and in larger American cities – has now infected Charlotte.

School leaders in the CharlotteMecklenburg public school system have been seeing increasing numbers of students wearing rosaries as necklaces – and they suspect the kids are mimicking what they see pop stars doing on TV and in fashion magazines.

“Last year I asked several students wearing them if they prayed the rosary on a regular basis. Of course, they had no idea what I was talking about and had no idea it wasn’t really a necklace,” said Louise Jones, principal at Hopewell High School in northwest Charlotte. “I believe it has more to do with rap music and popular musicians than anything else. I have visited other high schools and the problem is indeed widespread.”

Mark Bosco, principal at Independence High School, agrees, saying, “I certainly see it a lot in school.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools do not have a dress code policy that precludes students from wearing rosaries. Their policy states only that: “Student dress or grooming that is substantially and materially disruptive to the learning environment or to student health or safety

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is prohibited.”

School officials say they are reluctant to police the wearing of rosaries out of respect for students’ religious freedom and right to self-expression. And they say it’s difficult to tell whether a student is wearing a rosary because of his or her religious faith or because it’s a fashion statement.

The fashion trend has spilled over into gang activity, law enforcement authorities report, with members wearing rosaries as a sign of their gang affiliations.

Gang of One, the gang unit of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, has noticed the trend in gangs wearing rosaries.

“We have seen the trend in kids wearing them,” said the Gang of One hotline manager, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “They knot them in a particular way and put colors in a certain order to represent gangs. Gang members will use anything to identify themselves.”

Mike Campagna of the CharlotteMecklenburg Police Department also notes that in instances when the rosary is used by gang members to show affiliation, the identification is based on the color of the rosary beads or in the color sequence of each decade of beads. There have also been examples of gang symbols written or engraved on the back of the crucifix or centerpiece of the rosary. Another misuse is with the sequence of the beads, such as each of the five decades of beads representing the rules of the gang.

“The rosary is more used by prison gangs than by street gangs due to its religious nature, and is therefore allowed in most prisons due to the freedom of religion,” Campagna said.

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Milestones

Therapy

1953 The Sisters of Mercy, true to their four vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service, open Sacred Heart Day Nursery in Belmont for working mothers.

Holy Angels employs one physical therapist, Sister Jill Weber, and two physical therapist assistants. There is also an occupational therapist and a speech therapist.

Sister Mary Francis Crowley (left, with satchel) and a young Maria T. Morrow pause to greet Mother Mary Benignus Hoban, foundress of Holy Angels.

1955 Dec. 20, baby Maria T. Morrow is born with varying disabilities and hydrocephalus.

Doctors give her six months to live.

1956 Jan. 10, Dorothy Powell, a textile worker in Belmont, brings her daughter Maria to Sacred Heart Day Care Nursery and asks the sisters to take care of her. They accept baby Maria, and Sister Marie Patrice Manley and Mother Mary Benignus Hoban found Holy Angels.

They care for every aspect of a resident’s physical well-being; from medicinal needs, to finding the most comfortable and beneficial resting position.

All residents receive yearly evaluations and plans.

1961 The sisters dedicate a new wing to the care, education and development of disabled children.

1972 Current Main Center opens.

Medical and clinical services

photo courtesy of Diocese of Charlotte Archives

1975 Maria begins working at Holy Angels as a receptionist at the front desk.

Three people, one story of hope

1982 Regina Moody, as executive director, implements a comprehensive developmental program at Holy Angels.

1987-1988 Belhaven and Lakewood Community Group Homes open for residents with Down Syndrome who had resided at Holy Angels since infancy.

1990 Great Adventures social club for adults with and without developmental disabilities begins. Little Angels Child Development Center opens in the Main Center. PUSH Place adaptive playground with wheelchair accessible swings is dedicated.

1996 Cherubs Café and Candy Bouquet by Holy Angels open in downtown Belmont to provide vocational training and meaningful employment to adults with developmental disabilities.

The Morrow Center on campus acts as Holy Angels’ administrative, medical and educational center.

The severe/profound group of children reside in the Morrow Center, to be close to the medical center.

24-hour nursing staff “I can’t say enough about the love and attention that he’s gotten, but in all fairness, it’s not just him – you go around campus, and you see the love that the employees have for all the residents,” said Jim Dunn, grandfather of James, pictured here.

“It’s all about helping them experience life to the fullest.”

— Sister Nancy Nance

Holy Angels celebrates 55 years of ‘unconditional love and unlimited possibilities’

1997 Regina Moody is appointed CEO/president.

Holy Angels builds new housing, and Maria moves into the Gary House, named for her friend Kays Gary.

Holy Angels’ vice president of community relations

Story by Morgan Castillo n Photos by Doreen Sugierski

1998 Holy Angels dedicates and opens its first state-of-the-art sensory learning facility known as the Snoezelen Room. Snoezelen therapy is implemented for all residents.

2000 Holy Angels Greenhouse opens with a fall plant sale, and horticulture therapy begins for all residents.

2004 Holy Angels’ Main Center is renamed the Morrow Center in honor of Maria Morrow, and the Garden of Angels, a memorial garden in the center of the Morrow Center, is dedicated.

2010 Aug. 24, Maria dies from complications during surgery, but her spirit and memory persists in the hearts of all that knew her. “Her birth and her life have really given life to this place; it’s who we are and what we’re about, and serving is part of our mission and our ministry and what we do here for people with disabilities,” said Regina Moody, CEO/president and close friend of Maria.

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he sprawling campus of Holy Angels is tucked away in the quiet town of Belmont, situated between the Sisters of Mercy convent and Belmont Abbey College. A home for people with intellectual developmental disabilities, the institution and its staff are true to their slogan: “unconditional love, unlimited possibilities.”

Ministering to a wide variety of people, Holy Angels cares for them in mind, body and spirit.

They not only give their special residents the gift of a full, happy life, but also receive a great deal of joy and inspiration from them in return.

The first ‘little angel’ It all started with Maria.

Maria T. Morrow was born with complex medical needs, multiple disabilities and a bleak prognosis. She wasn’t expected to live, much less have a full and happy life.

Shortly after Maria was born, her mother realized that her demanding medical needs

required more care than she could do herself.

She asked the sisters if they could become her full-time caretakers.

“That was really the beginning of Holy Angels,” says Mercy Sister Jill Weber, a friend of Maria and a physical therapist at Holy Angels. Maria essentially “grew up in the convent,” Sister Jill says, attending Sacred Heart Grade School, a school established by the sisters in 1957.

Although Maria was paralyzed from the waist down, “she didn’t let that stop her,” says Sister Jill. “She would try to see if she could do something herself before she would ask for help.”

When she grew up, Maria moved into Gary House, a home built for the more self-sufficient residents of Holy Angels. She worked as a receptionist in the Morrow Center, the main administrative building, and at Cherubs Candy Bouquet, a shop in downtown Belmont.

“Her smile was the first thing people saw when they came to Holy Angels,” Sister Jill says.

Maria’s legacy is the foundation of Holy

Angels’ history, and memories of her are photo courtesy of SISTER NANCY NANCE everywhere: A recent photo of Maria shows photos, stories her as friends remember her: from the staff, smiling and sharing her love with and buildings others. bearing her name, such as the Morrow Center. She was the one “little angel” who inspired the Sisters of Mercy to establish the home, and families from all over have Maria and the sisters’ charity to thank for Holy Angels.

Each year, Holy Angels celebrates its anniversary on Dec. 20, Maria’s birthday.

Maria would have shared her 55th birthday with Holy Angels this year, but she died on Aug. 24 following complications during surgery.

“She had so much to teach us,” Sister Jill says. “She didn’t see herself as having a handicap – she just couldn’t do things the same way we could.”

One of the younger residents, Joseph, relaxes by the bubble columns in the popular “Snoezelen Room,” a multi-sensory room that includes aromatherapy, tactile boards, mirrors, music and a colorful wall kaleidoscope.

Therapy for 3-year-old James One of the younger residents at Holy Angels is 3-year-old James, who lives in the Morrow Center, the building that one sees first after entering Holy Angels. James suffered a severe trauma in his infancy and consequently has brain damage and is “corneal blind,” meaning that he can see only light and shapes. However, because of Holy Angels, “the improvement in him has been mindboggling,” says his grandfather Jim Dunn, who’s often by James’ side at Holy Angels.

James sees three different physical and occupational therapists each week, and he has

been making great progress. Currently, the staff is trying to shift James from tube feeding to oral feeding, and they are helping him learn how to use a walker to strengthen his muscles and improve his mobility. Recently, James has been saying a few words, and he is growing by the day.

Like all residents at Holy Angels, James receives a rehabilitative approach to his therapy and care. The spirit behind the therapy is one of hope, and it truly supports the mission of “unlimited possibilities.”

Because he is too young to participate in Holy Angels’ educational program (which begins with kindergarten), James spends a lot of time at Little Angels Child Development Center (LACDC).

LACDC is a day care center for both the youngest residents and children of the staff.

The day care center, in session during the week, operates like any other day care center and now enrolls about 15 children.

Elizabeth Ferguson, program director of LACDC, says residents “get to do all their peer interactions with non-disabled kids throughout the day, which is a benefit for not only them, but also for the employee kids.” Ferguson believes that “it’s a life-changing experience for these young kids that don’t even know it yet.”

The day care center participates in a campus-

More than 7,500 medications are administered monthly.

Dr. C. Ellis Fisher, pediatrician, has been medical director for more than 35 years and comes to Holy Angels every Tuesday to conduct a clinic and check up on residents.

He is also on call anytime.

On-site physician specialty clinics and off-site physicians appointments

wide activity schedule that changes from month to month, including boat rides, outings to downtown Belmont, going to the movies, even having Discovery Place, Charlotte’s hands-on science center, bring in its mobile planetarium.

James is a well-known resident around Holy Angels, always zipping around the halls in a wheelchair pushed by his grandfather, smiling and laughing with the staff, who all know and adore him. Last year, Dunn printed 115 copies of James’ Christmas picture for all of James’ fans, only to find that he didn’t have one left for himself. It’s clear that the entire staff dotes on James.

“I can’t say enough about the love and attention that he’s gotten” Dunn stresses, “but in all fairness, it’s not just him – you go around campus, and you see the love that they have for all the residents.”

James’ caretakers and the staff possess infinite hope for his future, and Dunn says that it’s possible he may even talk one day.

“What he’s going to say, and how much, we don’t know. We’re just hoping,” Dunn says. With the help and love of the staff at Holy Angels, there’s no telling what James might do.

ANGELS, SEE page 10

Medication Administration Specialized Equipment and monitoring Consultants in: nutrition, speech/communications, occupational therapy, visually impaired, psychiatry and psychology

Staff training Orientation lasts for two weeks in nightly sessions, and education about physical therapy takes up three of those nights. Training emphasizes range of motion, splinting, positioning, etc.

Staff focuses on training about cerebral palsy, feeding, body mechanics, lifting, positioning, preventative therapy, wheelchair care, etc.

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“The fight these kids have in them, I don’t think any of us have. You’re the closest to God working with them.”

Residential programs 5 intermediate care facilities, where residents receive 24-hour care, special education, vocational and daily living skills training. All the homes are located on campus.

— Elizabeth Ferguson

director of Little Angels Child Development Center

4 community group homes, which serve adults with intellectual disabilities in an environment that challenges each resident to attain his or her highest level of independence, and provides residents with live-in staff. Two homes are located on campus, two are off campus in Belmont.

1 specialized community residential center, located in the Morrow Center, where residents who are severely or profoundly disabled receive 24-hour care. They also receive special education, physical therapy, speech, music, horticulture and creative arts therapy. The building also houses the Dr. C. Ellis Fisher Health Care Center, a 24-hour specialized medical center, operated

by Holy Angels and staffed with registered nurses and licensed medical staff.

Cherubs Café and Candy Bouquet In business since 1996, Cherubs Café and Candy Bouquet provide vocational training and employment options for residents with mental and intellectual disabilities. They allow residents to integrate and interact with the local community, growing socially and in independence.

Cherubs Café features gourmet coffees and specialty coffees such as cappuccinos and lattes, handmade ice creams and freshbaked desserts, homemade soups and salads, and sandwiches.

Cherubs Café is available for evening meetings, special dinners and catering.

Cherubs Café is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, located at 23 North Main St., Belmont.

Candy Bouquets are unique gifts, made from candies and the finest chocolates. Flowers are handmade, then arranged in a decorative container.

Cherubs Candy Bouquet is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, at 25 North Main St., Belmont.

Deborah Adams, an employee at Cherubs Café, observes as Lorraine mixes up a fresh batch of Cherubs’ signature pecan chicken salad.

ANGELS: FROM PAGE 9

Independence for Lorraine From children like James, who are medically fragile and need around-the-clock care, to adults like Lorraine, a woman with Down syndrome, Holy Angels is home to a variety of residents.

Like James, Lorraine came to Holy Angels when she was just a baby. The 7-month-old came to Holy Angels with her family following a 15-hour train ride from New York City. Crying and tired from the journey, her family handed Lorraine over to an aide. Sister Marie Patrice Manley, a founder of Holy Angels, held and rocked her.

At that moment, Lorraine’s mother Jean Giannini recalls, “We knew that was the place for her.” Lorraine has lived happily at Holy Angels for 47 years.

Over that time, Holy Angels has expanded to include many more programs to help residents such as Lorraine grow intellectually and spiritually.

Lorraine is employed at Cherubs Café, a small restaurant, and Cherubs Candy Bouquet, the gift shop right next to it in downtown Belmont.

When speaking of the impact of Holy Angels and these programs, her mom says, “She has had a very, very full life – something I now realize that she never would have had if she had

been home.”

Giannini calls her daughter “an observer” who is “a very focused worker” and diligent in her tasks at Cherubs Café and Candy Bouquet. Other employees rave about Lorraine’s skill in creating the candy and cellophane roses used in many of the Candy Bouquet creations.

It’s clear that Lorraine’s work is an important part of her life and provides her with social and creative outlets.

When Lorraine isn’t whipping up batches of Cherub Café’s famous chicken pecan salad (one of her specialties), she Gaye Dimmick, creative arts director at Holy Angels, helps resident Greg re-pot a fern participates in Holy Angels’ in the greenhouse, a part of Holy Angels’ horticulture program.

Dance Troupe, takes art the Lakewood home, an off-campus residence lessons, goes on cruises, designated for the more independent and and maintains a close relationship with the older residents of Holy Angels. Residents get staff. Having been a resident since she was a transportation to and from work and have a livebaby, she and many of the faithful staff have in staff member should they need assistance. formed lasting bonds.

For the most part, though, they take care of “The reciprocal part on my daughter’s behalf shows you that it is genuine. Every single person themselves – and thanks to the care they’ve received from Holy Angels, they can. that has come in contact with Lorraine has only As Giannini says, “If I had had (Lorraine) shown her love, attention and laughter,” her home, I could never ever do what Holy Angels mom says. has done for her.”

Lorraine has lived for the past 18 years in

Residents Katie and Kelly and staff member Dee Martin (middle) pause for a picture behind the counter in Cherubs Café in downtown Belmont.

Teresa Friday, a Holy Angels employee, reads a Dr. Suess book to resident Anthony in Area One, an educational center for younger residents.

Financial challenges Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and governed by a board of directors, Holy Angels is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. It offers its services to North Carolina residents and has a long waiting list with limited openings.

Holy Angels receives 85 percent of its total operational funding from state and federal government aid, but its Holy Angels Foundation must raise the remaining 15 percent. That amounts to about $1.5

million per year.

Families pay for what they can afford – costs that range from $150-$335 per day depending on the type of care needed. Holy Angels applies for state and federal government assistance for the remaining cost, based on what the families qualify for. What is not covered by the families and state or federal assistance is then covered by the funding Holy Angels raises through Holy Angels Foundation.

“The majority of the people we serve have a cost well over $300 (per day), because they require three shifts of 24/7 care, with supporting nursing services, along with the other disciplines we provide (for them),” says Regina Moody, president and CEO of Holy Angels.

Holy Angels Foundation works throughout the year to raise the money it needs to operate this growing and multi-faceted ministry. This involves two yearly appeals to the public, one occurring around Christmas and one in the spring. They also organize a golf tournament each fall and have an “Angel Bowl” tournament in the spring.

Money that Holy Angels receives from fundraising campaigns, individual donors and corporate gifts is essential to the ministry as a whole.

Moody, who has served at Holy Angels for 28 years, acknowledges that the future holds a lot of challenges.

Despite the difficult economy and the ever-changing medical field, Moody and the staff are hopeful and dedicated still to their mission of “unconditional love; unlimited possibilities.”

“What we want to do here is provide as normal a life for the children and adults as possible, while recognizing that they have needs that must be met,” Moody says. “We always say, ‘it’s not about disability, it’s about ability.’ It’s about what we can do, not what we can’t do.”

Holy Angels: By the numbers 78 residents, ranging in age from 3 to 68 and coming from 13 counties across North Carolina 15 facilities 300 full- and part-time employees, 90 volunteers and 35 “VolunTEENs” 21 board members 4,500 donors and 2,605 participants in special events 25 service projects per year $9.7 million budget for 2009-2010

How you can help Give: Consider giving financially online at www.holyangelsnc.org. For more information, contact the Holy Angels Foundation at 704-825-4161.

Volunteer: Volunteers, adults and teens (aged 13 to 17), are welcome.

No experience is necessary, and training is offered. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Joanne Sigmon, RN, at 704-825-4161 or joannes@ holyangelsnc.org.

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Our schools

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In brief

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MACS director of admissions to retire Dec. 10 Sue ann howell staff writer

CHARLOTTE — If you have enrolled a child in a Mecklenburg Area Catholic School during the past 15 years, then Virginia Bond has touched your life. Bond joined the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools office in May 1995, just before students took their seats in the new Charlotte Catholic High School location on Hwy. 51.

“I am the only person left from 15 years ago,” Bond says.

“I remember going down to tour the new Charlotte Catholic High School building as it was being upfitted.”

Today, there are 1,700 more students in the MACS system than there were when Bond began working as director of admissions.

Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School was created and two schools, St. Matthew and St. Mark, were built during that time as well.

“Every student that is in one of our schools now, which is more than 4,000 children, I have worked with their families,” Bond adds.

During her tenure in the MACS office, Bond has worked with four school superintendents, three business managers and all Bond of the principals.

“When anyone mentions MACS Admissions, Gini’s name is always associated with that position,” says Linda Cherry, superintendent of schools. “I appreciate everything

Gini has done to help make the MACS admissions process smooth and welcoming to families looking for a Catholic school in Charlotte.”

Bond is a married mother of three and grandmother to 16 (with number 17 due in February).

She plans to spend her free time helping her husband Allen with their family business, Carolina Catholic Corner. She is also going to enjoy spending more time just being “Gee,” as her grandchildren call her.

“I’ve always seen my work as a ministry,” Bond says. “I’ve always seen it as God’s work, and because of that it has seen me through a lot of difficult times. I have been helping to put children in Catholic schools and they and their families will hopefully grow in their Catholic faith. That makes it all worthwhile.”

photo provided by Peggy Brookhouse

Planting the seeds of friendship Students from St. Patrick Catholic School and Brookstone School recently planted a vegetable and flower garden at Brookstone School thanks to a Front Porch Grant from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Foundation, an affiliate of Foundation for the Carolinas.

The purpose of this grant is to foster trust, understanding and relationships across boundaries of race, ethnicity, age and geography. The schools first partnered last year, and with this garden project, students worked side by side to pray, plant, learn about gardening, and make new friends. Besides the grant, the garden was supported by Catherine St. Onge of Flower Girl Design; Brian Brugh of Bru Time Landscaping; Lowe’s and Home Depot.

photo provided by Karen L. Hornfeck

New Girl Scouts Members of Cadet Girl Scout Troop 41134 recently presented girls from Daisy Troop 01708 with their daisy pins, welcoming them into their first year as Girl Scouts. Both troops are from Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro.

Project developer hired for proposed Catholic high school CHARLOTTE — Dan Dolan has been hired by the Catholic Schools Office as the project developer for Christ the King Catholic High School, the proposed new school for the rapidly growing area north of Charlotte.

Father Roger Arnsparger, diocesan vicar for education, said Dolan will be the spokesperson for the proposed new high school as he directs its development. He will be engaged in all aspects of the new school, including strategic planning and implementation, selection and development of temporary and permanent sites, curriculum and faculty development, as well as all aspects of fund development Dolan and financial management.

Communication with everyone who has a stake in this project will be key, Father Arnsparger said.

He said Dolan will work closely with the people who have already put so much work into plans for the proposed school.

Currently 51 ninth-grade students are enrolled in the first class at the school. Dolan and the Catholic Schools Office will work to raise that number to 100 students by the end of February, so that the school can open in August 2011.

Dolan comes to the Diocese of Charlotte after years of service to the Catholic schools in the dioceses of Richmond and Arlington, Va., where he worked as a teacher and administrator. He

taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels and served as principal and as assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Richmond. He also has experience at the high school level in operational planning.

Updates about the proposed high school will be posted at www.ChristTheKinghs.com.

Peterson wins CDA music award GREENSBORO — Laura Peterson, a recent graduate of Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, won first place in North Carolina for her vocal rendition of an original composition in the Catholic Daughters of the Americas’ National Education Contest. She then competed at the national level and was awarded third place in Music, Division II. Pictured presenting the award are Maryann Grabasky, National Director for the Catholic Daughters of America (left), Peterson (middle) and Elizabeth Grabasky, Court Regent for CDA Court Greensboro 1200 (right). Anna Peterson and Laura’s parents, Bill and Roslyn Peterson, are pictured in the back row.

— Gary Gelo

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Mix

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December 3, 2010 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In theaters

‘Tangled’ In this traditional animated offering based on the Rapunzel fairy tale, a golden-haired damsel (voice of Mandy Moore) imprisoned in a tower by an evil crone (voice of Donna Murphy) escapes with the help of a boastful thief (voice of Zachary Levi). With its “love conquers all” theme, this family-friendly fantasy blends light-hearted romance, vigorous action sequences, humor via two funny animal characters, and music into an entertaining whole.

CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: PG

‘Unstoppable’ Veteran rail engineer (Denzel Washington) and a novice conductor try to stop a runaway train before it derails on a twisting stretch of track running through a densely populated Pennsylvania town. Director Tony Scott crafts a diverting story solidly founded on its main characters’ heroic selflessness and incorporating themes supportive of family life.

A few scenes of graphic injury, profanity, crass language.

CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ The penultimate film in the wildly successful franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s fantasy novels finds the Hogwarts trio – Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) – on the run, jumping all over Britain to escape the clutches of evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Much action violence, brief partial nudity, scenes of murder and torture.

CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

On TV

Diocesan socialSocial media usage Diocesan Media Usage

A recent survey found that many U.S. dioceses are using top social media sites.

A recent survey found that many U.S. dioceses are using top social media sites. Percent of those responding that use: 85% 62% 55% blogs other

20% 17%

Source: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

CNS graphic/Emily Thompson ©2010 CNS

Survey says dioceses getting the hang of new media, but slowly Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

BALTIMORE — Dioceses are getting the hang of a multiplatform media universe, according to the results of a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of Communications.

The increase in media awareness is at least evident in those dioceses who responded to the survey. Of 189 U.S. diocesan communications offices surveyed, 89 returned the questionnaire.

Among those dioceses who completed the survey, “there is great variation in the use of new media,” said the executive summary of the report, “Survey of Diocesan Media Usage,” dated October 2010. The dioceses were queried earlier in the fall, and the report was distributed to the U.S. bishops during their fall meeting last month in Baltimore.

“Some are just entering new media, others are immersed in it,” the executive summary said.

“Therefore, diocesan needs related to new media will also vary widely.”

Of the 89 dioceses that returned the survey – although not every diocese answered every question – 70 said they posted audio files on the diocesan Web site, and 72 said they provided video files.

Fifty-one dioceses reported they had a “corporate presence” on Facebook, while 37 said they had such a presence on Twitter and 33 on YouTube. In each instance, it was a majority of dioceses answering the question.

By a 6-to-1 margin, dioceses do not use social media for fundraising, although one diocese said it was using a mobile phone app for fundraising.

In another sign of Web savvy, 22 dioceses said they were using social media to improve search engine results, which would put diocesan Web sites higher in

the list of potential sites to be visited by Web surfers looking up keywords on Google, Bing, Ask and others.

A majority of dioceses said they had social media guidelines in place for diocesan and parish personnel – 44 said they do, 34 do not – but dioceses by a nearly 3-to-1 margin (59-20) said they did not provide training in the use of social media to diocesan or parish personnel.

“There is a strong desire to learn more about new media, as respondents requested training in numerous areas,” the executive summary said. “Deepening the use of new media also requires additional resources. The most frequent request is not for additional dollars but for staff who are trained in the use of new media.”

It added, “The next step in the effective use of new media is for diocesan leadership to commit to more sophisticated use of these technologies and the training and resources they will require.”

Traffic to diocesan Web sites is varied. Two dioceses reported more than 100,000 unique visitors a month. The other 41 dioceses reported an average of 14,498 visitors a month. And 17 said they didn’t have information on how many visitors came to their site.

Close to two-thirds of those dioceses responding said they offer different Web sites for the diocesan newspaper and for the diocese itself.

Dioceses have not yet tapped electronic readers such as Kindle or the iPad. Only a third of those answering make their publications available electronically, and more than 90 percent of those offer those publications as PDFs (“portable document format”) which allows for the exchange of electronic documents across systems and platforms.

When it comes to seemingly old-fashioned media like radio and TV, 10 percent of the dioceses responding said they operated a radio station; the stations average 22,038 listeners. Six percent operated TV stations, with average viewership of 28,068.

POOR CLARE: FROM PAGE 3

formation at the monastery in Charlotte, after which she will take her final, or solemn, vows. n Wednesday, Dec. “The Lord took me on a journey I never 8, 10-10:30 a.m. EST expected,” Sister Mary Raphael said later.

(EWTN) “Homage to the “Going back into the world, my eyes were Immaculate” (Live). On the opened not only to my own brokenness Solemnity of the Immaculate and need for healing, but I saw this need Conception of the Blessed all around me. It was a difficult time, and Virgin Mary, Pope Benedict yet also a period of great hope and grace, XVI will preside over the as I discovered in a deeper way the healing traditional homage to Mary presence of our Lord in the Most Blessed Immaculate in Rome’s Sacrament.”

Piazza di Spagna. The Schumacher experienced a major healing program will be rebroadcast at the end of 2009, which allowed her to 2:30-3 p.m. EST. n Wednesday, Dec. 8, noon-1:30 p.m. EST (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of the Immaculate Conception” (Live). From Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, solemn Mass for the shrine’s patronal feast day. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, U.S. apostolic nuncio, will serve as celebrant and homilist. The liturgy will be rerun 9-10:30 p.m. EST. n Friday, Dec. 10, 6:15-8 p.m. EST (TCM) “Lilies of the Field” (1963). When an itinerant jack-of-all-trades (Sidney Poitier) stops to help a group of German nuns newly arrived in New Mexico, his cheerful generosity is disdained by the stern, demanding Mother Superior (Lilia Skala) until he builds them a chapel with the aid of the local Mexican-American community. Directed by Ralph Nelson, the movie’s simple little story of the triumph of faith coupled with good will has enormous charm and an infectious theme song that will leave viewers humming “Amen.” n Saturday, Dec. 11, 5:30-8 p.m. EST (TCM) “The Keys of the Kingdom” (1945).

Underrated adaptation of A.J. Cronin’s novel about a Scottish priest (Gregory Peck) sent to China at the end of the 19th century where he rebuilds a ruined mission, endures misunderstanding, war and disease but perseveres through humility and cheerful service to win many converts and friends until retirement in Scotland fishing for supper rather than souls.

pursue the religious vocation she felt called to since she was just 12.

“If you think about it, our journey as Christians is one of healing – from the wounds of sin to our restoration as children of God,” Sister Mary Raphael added. “As we grow in the life of grace, God desires to heal us by drawing us close to Himself. I tend to think of healing as a ‘being made whole,’ becoming who we are meant to be. God takes the very things that cause us pain and suffering, transforms them, elevates them and uses them for our good.”

During his homily, Bishop Baker noted the new nun’s joyful spirit, saying, “It has been said that joy is an infallible sign of the presence of God, so may the Lord bless you, Sister Mary Raphael, with the joy He places on your heart because of your willingness to do His holy will each and every day of your life.”

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In brief Megan Ward and Bryce Horsley smile after lighting the unity candle during their wedding at Sts. Philip and James Church in St. James, N.Y., in July.

During the bishops’ annual fall meeting in Baltimore, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., urged his fellow bishops to look at today’s challenges to traditional marriage as if they could see the Supreme Court’s Roe v.

Wade decision coming before 1973. A recent Pew Research Center survey has found that a growing number of Americans think marriage is becoming obsolete.

Sixth archbishop of San Antonio installed SAN ANTONIO — Urging Catholics to unite against the “ignorance, fear and insecurity” that “feed racism and hatred toward the stranger,” Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller was installed Nov. 23 as the sixth archbishop of San Antonio. An auxiliary bishop of Chicago since 2003, Archbishop GarciaSiller succeeded Archbishop José H. Gomez, who was named coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles in April. He is one of 26 active Hispanic bishops in the U.S.

Hunger strike aims to push DREAM Act forward WASHINGTON, D.C. — Taking a page from civil rights protesters of another era, eight young adults in San Antonio are waging a hunger strike to try to pressure Congress to pass the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. In general, the legislation would give young adults who lack legal residency the chance to become legal residents and eventually citizens if they go to college or join the military. Congressional leaders say they may bring the popular measure to a vote as a stand-alone bill before the 111th Congress adjourns in December. If they do, Obama has promised to sign it.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Gregory A. Shemitz

Dioceses boost efforts to stress importance of marriage Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite a recent Pew Research Center survey that found a growing number of Americans – now 39 percent, up from 28 percent in 1978 – think marriage is becoming obsolete, family ministers across the country say they believe marriage remains a strong institution.

And they’re taking steps to keep it that way.

“That (survey) says that over 60 percent agree that marriage is not becoming obsolete,” said Bill Boomer, executive director of the Department of Marriage and Family in the Cleveland Diocese. “The majority of first marriages still last. It is still possible to be married for a lifetime.”

Professional ministers such as Boomer, while not buoyed by the survey’s results, said they believe marriage will survive, but he acknowledged they must come up with ways to impress upon young generations the important role marriage plays in society.

They also say the Church’s view that marriage can only exist between one man

and one woman is important to share with modern-day culture.

“If we don’t get that message out, that Christian message out, the next few years, our culture will have succeeded in defining marriage for us,” said Lorrie Gramer, co-director of the Family Life Office in the Diocese of Rockford, Ill. The Pew survey examined a wide range of issues related to marriage and families.

Besides finding that nearly four in 10 people consider marriage less important as an institution, the survey also revealed that slightly more than half – 52 percent – of all adults were married in 2008 compared with 72 percent in 1960.

The decline in marriage has occurred primarily based on educational background.

By a 64 percent to 48 percent margin, college graduates are more likely to be married than people with a high school diploma or less.

While people in both groups were just as likely to say they want to marry, according to the survey, people with a high school diploma or less placed a higher premium on financial stability as a very important reason to marry.

The survey also found that a large

majority of respondents do not see marriage as the only foundation of family life, with 86 percent saying a single parent and child is a family, 80 percent saying an unmarried couple living together with a child is a family and 63 percent saying a same-sex couple raising a child is a family.

Meanwhile, 69 percent of those surveyed said the trend toward more single women having children is bad for society. At the same time, 61 percent said a child needs both a mother and father to grow up happily.

A minority of respondents (43 percent for each question) thought cohabitation without marriage, unmarried couples raising children and gay couples raising children are bad for society.

It comes down to faith and religious values, said Boomer in Cleveland. It’s in those areas where he believes the Church can make a difference.

“It’s taken us 40 years to get here,” he said. “I think it’s too early to tell (if we’re succeeding). But we’ve got to try.

“In the last couple of years, I’ve been becoming hopeful both because of the (bishops’) national initiative and these local things.”

Bishop Hubbard urges Senate to ratify START during lame-duck session Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Citing the Catholic Church’s concern for the sanctity of human life, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace called on U.S. senators to set aside politics and ratify the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged senators in a Nov. 29 letter to approve the treaty known as START during the lame-duck session in the final weeks of 2010.

Citing earlier statements by both Pope Benedict XVI and the bishops’ conference, Bishop Hubbard called ratification of the arms control accord critical “because it is a modest step toward a world with greater respect for human life.”

Bishop Hubbard’s letter pointed to statements that Pope Benedict and the U.S.

bishops have made welcoming the treaty, which was signed April 8 in Prague by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as well as longstanding support within the Church for nuclear arms control.

The treaty would commit the two nations to reducing their strategic arsenals to 1,550 warheads deployed on long-range missiles, bombers and submarines. Under the previous START pact, which expired in December, both countries reduced their strategic arsenals to 2,200 weapons each.

“Nuclear weapons are a grave threat to human life and dignity,” the bishop said. “Nuclear war is rejected in Church teaching” because it targets innocent civilians, threatens to spew radiation far and wide, and would cause untold devastation.

“We urge the Senate to take up the new START treaty without delay,” he concluded.

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In brief Vatican plans new guidelines to fight abuse VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is preparing a document for all bishops’ conferences offering guidelines for a “coordinated and effective program” of child protection and for dealing with allegations of clerical sexual abuse, said Cardinal William J. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

During a meeting Nov. 19 with Pope Benedict XVI and about 150 cardinals, Cardinal Levada spoke about the abuse crisis and “made some observations about the greater responsibility of bishops for safeguarding the faithful entrusted to them,” said a Vatican statement issued after the meeting.

Chinese bishop illicitly ordained

John Thavis and Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

Burke

Wuerl CNS | Paul Haring

Newly-installed U.S. Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C., exchanges greetings with cardinals during a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 20. Pope Benedict XVI installed 24 new cardinals.

VATICAN CITY — The ordination without papal approval of a bishop in China inflicted a “painful wound” on the Catholic Church, and government pressure on other bishops to participate in the ceremony was a “grave violation of freedom of religion and conscience,” the Vatican said. Under close surveillance from local government officials Nov. 20, Father Joseph Guo Jincai was ordained bishop of Chengde – the first bishop ordained without papal approval in four years. Some of the ordaining bishops had been detained by government officials in the days before the ordination in an effort to force them to participate, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. The ordination was a violation of Church law and Father Guo could face “severe sanctions,” including automatic excommunication, the Vatican said.

Anglican ordinariate to be started in January LONDON — The first personal ordinariate for former Anglicans will be established in England in early January, the English and Welsh Catholic bishops recently announced. It will include five former Anglican bishops, who announced their resignations in November, and an unspecified number of clergy and laity divided into about 30 groups. The ordinariate will be formed by a decree and Pope Benedict XVI will appoint the ordinary at about the same time, they said. The structure, which will resemble a military diocese, will be the first to be created since the pope issued his apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus” Nov. 4, 2009.

— Catholic News Service

In new book, pope addresses sex abuse, condoms, resignation

Pope creates new cardinals, telling them authority means service Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has created 24 new cardinals, including two from the U.S., and called them to be strong in spreading and defending the faith and promoting peace and tranquility within the Church.

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C., and Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Vatican’s supreme court, joined other new cardinals from 13 countries Nov. 20 in formally professing their Catholic faith and fidelity to the pope.

After the oath, all but one of the new cardinals knelt before the pope to receive a red biretta, which the pope said, “signifies that you must be ready to act with strength, to the point of shedding blood, to increase the Christian faith, for the peace and tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and growth of the Holy Roman Church.”

Cardinal Antonios Naguib, the Catholic Coptic patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, received a new patriarch’s hat with a thin red trim added to the traditional black veil.

Pope Benedict concelebrated Mass Nov. 21 with the new cardinals and gave each of them a cardinal’s ring, telling them it was a sign “of your nuptial pact with the Church.”

Rather than precious gems, the gold rings feature a crucifix, which, “for the same reason your clothes allude to blood, is a symbol of life and love” as demonstrated

by Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all, the pope said.

The consistory to create new cardinals took the form of a prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Gospel reading was St. Mark’s account of the disciples vying for a place of honor with Jesus, and Jesus telling them, “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”

Pope Benedict told the new cardinals that Jesus’ “style of living became the basis of new relationships within the Christian community and of a new way of exercising authority.” Even after Jesus explained to the disciples that following Him would involve suffering, they demonstrated that they had “expectations and plans for greatness, authority and honor in the eyes of the world,” the pope said.

At the end of the service, the College of Cardinals numbered a record 203 members, with 121 cardinals under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. With the induction of Cardinals Wuerl and Burke into the College of Cardinals, the U.S. has 18 cardinals, 13 of whom are younger than 80.

U.S. delegation hosts new cardinals ROME — Miguel Diaz, the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, hosted the new U.S. cardinals at his residence Nov. 19, on the eve of the consistory when Pope Benedict handed red hats to Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl and 22 others. Cardinal Burke, who heads the Vatican’s top tribunal, has been a sharp critic of some of the Obama Administration’s policies on life and family issues, particularly abortion. Cardinal Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., has also been a public voice on pro-life issues, emphasizing the need to better educate the Catholic faithful on the Church teaching. In a toast praising the experience and service of the two new cardinals, Diaz said the get-together was a “celebration of U.S. achievements” and an occasion to promote dialogue. It was the first time the White House had sent a presidential delegation to a consistory.

— Catholic News Service

ROME — Pope Benedict XVI’s book-length interview is certain to spark global attention, and not only for his comments concerning condom use.

In the 219-page book, “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times,” released Nov. 23, the German pontiff speaks candidly about the clerical sex abuse scandal, relations with Islam, papal resignation and the “threatening catastrophe” facing humanity.

The wide-ranging interview was conducted

by German writer Peter Seewald, who posed questions in German in six one-hour sessions last summer.

The Vatican newspaper published excerpts from the book Nov. 20, and sparked worldwide media attention over the pope’s comments regarding condom use.

In the book, when Seewald asked the pope whether it was “madness to forbid a high-risk population to use condoms, Pope Benedict replied: “As a matter of fact, you know, people can get condoms when they want them anyway.

But this just goes to show that condoms alone do not resolve the question itself. More needs to happen. Meanwhile, the secular realm itself has developed the so-called ABC Theory: AbstinenceBe Faithful-Condom, where the condom is understood only as a last resort, when the other two points fail to work. This means that the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality, which, after all, is precisely the dangerous source of the attitude of no longer seeing sexuality as the expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves.

This is why the fight against the banalization of sexuality is also a part of the struggle to ensure that sexuality is treated as a positive value and to enable it to have a positive effect on the whole of man’s being.

“There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward discovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is

not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.”

Seewald then asked, “Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?”

Pope Benedict replied, “She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.”

The book reveals a less formal side of the pope, as he responds simply and directly on topics as diverse as the joy of sex and the ban on burqas.

The pope candidly answered every question Seewald asked, and nothing from the book was censored before or after the interviews, Seewald said.

Seewald is the same journalist who sat down with then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, for a series of conversations that resulted in “Salt of the Earth,” published in 1996, and “God and the World,” published in 2002.

Much of the conversation focuses on the pope’s call for a global “examination of conscience” in the face of economic disparity, environmental disasters and moral slippage.

The pope repeatedly emphasized that the Church’s role in a largely broken world is not to impose a “burden” of moral rules but to open the doors to God. Seewald said he enjoyed working with the pope on the book because he was so willing to talk.

“He does not come across as a dictator or as the ‘Panzer cardinal’ or ‘Panzer pope,’” he said.

“He is a pope who makes you feel welcome, who focuses on every question; a man of dialogue who has no problem tackling critical questions” and someone who “is not afraid of any question.”

Seewald said he believes the book, in its structure as a conversation, lets readers get a true sense of who Pope Benedict is.

He said newspaper headlines are not enough to understand Benedict’s pontificate and his thinking, and the book offers the pope’s answers exactly as he gave them “uncut and undistorted.”

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Advent: Week 2, Dec. 5

God has a dream for us

Rev. Monsignor Mauricio W. West

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Help care for our retired religious

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ear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Parishes throughout the Diocese of Charlotte will conduct the 23rd annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious on the weekend of Dec. 12. This is our opportunity to “Share in the Care” for the many women and men religious who have dedicated their lives to the service of others in the Church and world.

Last year the Diocese of Charlotte contributed nearly $260,000 to this collection conducted by the National Religious Retirement Office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This 2009 national appeal enabled the Religious Retirement Office to distribute more than $23 million to 477 religious institutes. Those funds supplemented the day-today care of elder religious and helped implement long-range retirement strategies. Funds from the collection help ensure quality of life and adequate health care for thousands of women and men religious formerly at risk.

Catholic religious who are past age 70 now number nearly 45,500. More than 5,500 women and men require skilled nursing care, of which the average cost in the U.S. is more than $55,200 annually. One out of every five religious institutes has less than 20 percent of the amount needed to care for elderly members. Almost without exception, our elderly and infirm religious offer moving examples of aging with grace, dignity and faith. Most elderly religious even continue to volunteer in ministry long after they retire from stipended ministry.

Historically, older religious worked for years for small stipends, with surplus income reinvested in their ministries, such as schools, hospitals and social service agencies. Retirement was not a priority in the past when there were enough younger members to care for older ones. That is no longer the case.

On the weekend of Dec. 12, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Charlotte will have an opportunity to “Share in the Care” of our retired religious. The Collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be taken at all of the Masses on the second weekend in December. I encourage everyone to acknowledge the treasure that our elderly religious women and men represent and respond generously to their retirement needs.

Grateful for your prayers and generosity toward the retired religious throughout the United States, I am sincerely yours in Christ.

Very Rev. Mauricio W. West is the vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Rico De Silva

The following Advent wreath prayer is intended to help busy families make Advent a prayerful time during the rush of Christmas preparations Leader: Today begins just the second week of Advent, our season of waiting and preparing for Christmas. In order to help each of us prepare our own heart for the birth of Christ, we take these few moments again this week to pray together.

Light two candles on the Advent wreath.

Read aloud: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12

(Leader may read all, or others in the household may each proclaim a reading.)

Leader: Do you ever feel like Christmas will never get here?

The readings that the Church has selected for this Second Sunday of Advent just add to that sense of anticipation, teasing us about the wonders to come. The Prophet Isaiah tells of the Savior who is coming, how wonderful He will be, how things will change, how what we’ve come to believe and expect will all be different. St. Paul tells the people of Rome to take hope in the fact that we don’t have to try to figure things out for ourselves, that Jesus – through His life and through His parables – left instructions for us – instructions, for example, about how to treat a neighbor, and who our neighbor is. In the Gospel reading, Matthew shares the story of John the Baptist,

this strange character who has come to prepare the way – and prepare us today – to be ready for the coming of the Lord.

Repent, the Baptist warns, and be ready to prove you have repented.

Closing prayer: (Leader may read all, or others in the household may each read a segment) (1.) Dear God, give us hope. Don’t let us settle for good enough but help us to strive always and with everyone to be just and kind, and to work for peace.

(2.) Holy Spirit, guide the choices we make this week so that we remember the instructions Jesus left for us. Help us in our efforts to be wheat, not chaff.

(3.) Father in heaven, we offer thanks to you for this season of Advent, this reminder to prepare our hearts for the coming of your Son into our world.

(4.) Come Lord Jesus. Open our eyes so that we see you in every person whose life touches our own.

dvent is a time to “stay awake” and be watchful “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt. 24:44).

I’ve always had a hard time grasping why the Church focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus during Christ the King Sunday and for most of the Advent season. With the beginning of the new liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent, and Christmas less than a month away, it just doesn’t seem like “Christmas Spirit” to hear about the “end times” – or in Church parlance, the four “last things”: death, judgment, heaven and hell.

However, it is important to remember that Jesus Christ is the “spirit” of Christmas. The reason He was born was to die for us, so if we live and die for Him, we could live with Him forever at the end of our lives. In this way, the two celebrations are understandably linked.

I’m not a George Clooney fan, but I recently watched the movie “Up in the Air.” In the movie during one of the many firings Clooney conducted, he had a line that stuck in my mind. After looking at a disgruntled employee’s resume, Clooney tells the man, “Do you know why people admire professional athletes? Because they follow their dreams.” Apparently the guy he was firing had studied culinary arts earlier in his career, and Clooney wanted to redirect the employee back to his initial calling to be a chef.

After reflecting on that statement, I pictured myself face to face with Jesus after I died, and I imagined Him asking me, “Do you know why people admire the saints? Because they followed my Father’s dream.”

God’s dream for each one of us is to be spiritually perfect, like Him, and it’s in the pursuit of our spiritual perfection that we become holy. As it is, we are all a work in progress, and it is up to us to choose the speed of our progress.

Similar to the U.S. Army’s recruiting slogan, one could say that the motto for God’s army is: “Be all that I created you to be.”

In the letter to the Romans, St. Paul gives us a timeless blueprint to help us become all that God wants us to be: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:14).

Although Advent has a penitential dimension to it, just as Lent does to a greater extent, perhaps we should approach Advent in a more literal way: as a new beginning in our spiritual lives. The Advent season is a good time to avail ourselves of the sacrament of reconciliation and atone for our sins by helping the poor and the marginalized according to our state of life, “since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8).

This Advent, let’s live out the Father’s dream and prepare ourselves for the return of our King, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rom 13:11).

— Reprinted with permission from The Catholic Spirit of St. Paul, Minn. Rico De Silva is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.

Pope offers guide on how ‘lectio divina’ meditation works Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — In his postsynodal document on the Word of God, Pope Benedict XVI urged all Christians to get to know the sacred Scriptures better.

He gave a few suggestions that included having a Bible in every home. The pope paid particular attention to the importance and efficacy of “lectio divina,” a form of prayerful meditation on the word of God, and he offered a stepby-step guide on the practice.

The post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Verbum Domini” (“The Word of the Lord”), was released Nov. 11. The pope said the first step is to open with a reading (“lectio”) of a text, “which leads to a desire to understand its true context: What does the biblical text say in itself ?” Understanding what the text is trying to say is important so as to move beyond

one’s own notions and ideas, he said.

“Next comes meditation (‘meditatio’), which asks: what does the biblical text say to us?” the pope wrote. Christians both as individuals and as a community need to let themselves be “moved and challenged” by what the sacred text is telling them.

“Following this comes prayer (‘oratio’), which asks the question: what do we say to the Lord in response to his word?” wrote the pope.

“Finally, ‘lectio divina’ concludes with contemplation (‘contemplatio’), during which we take up, as a gift from God, His own way of seeing and judging reality, and ask ourselves what conversion of mind, heart and life is the Lord asking of us?” he wrote. God asks everyone not to conform themselves to the world, but to be transformed by conversion.

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Peggy Bowes

Reflections on the third Joyful Mystery

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sought a spiritual director, Jesuit Father Bob Paquet, who helped me to understand it through practice.

He told me I must not ruminate about things I cannot change. First, I should pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten me, asking Him to remove obstacles to my listening.

Then, I recalled one of my favorite passages, John 14:26: “the Holy Spirit ...will teach you everything.”

There are four parts to “lectio divina”: Read (“lectio”) aloud two times; reflect (“meditatio”) on a word or phrase that touches your heart; respond (“oratio”) to relate personally, and in petition; and rest (“contemplatio”) for two minutes in God’s presence. I call them the four Rs. Through “lectio divina,” I came to believe that I must become like soft metal in God’s hands that needs to be refined. As I practice ”lectio divina” each day, I wish to receive from God, through the Holy Spirit, what He wants me to receive. With a renewed sense of peace I meet each day, listening to His Word and talking with Him.

uring this season of Advent, we are preparing for the arrival of “The Word made flesh.” We honor and reflect upon this event every time we pray the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. Our Almighty God humbled Himself by taking our human form in order to redeem us. He loves us that much!

When I think of the mystery of the Nativity, I often recall the day when each of my two children was born. Few things compare to the miracle of childbirth. It is pure joy to finally hold the child who grew in utero for nine months, to gaze into that tiny face with wonder and delight.

Yet the wonder and delight can quickly turn to frustration and helplessness when the tiny baby cries inconsolably or demands to be fed at 3 a.m.

Motherhood requires a process of working through selfishness. The baby’s needs must come before the needs of the mother, and sacrifices are required which are not always met with joy and acceptance.

I turn my thoughts to the Madonna and Child and reflect on the purest love between the holiest of all mothers and her Divine Son. Since Mary was conceived without original sin and Jesus is God Incarnate, there were no barriers of selfishness to interfere with that mother-son bond. I consider the intense love I have for my children and multiply it a million times. Then it occurs to me that Jesus has the same love for me! How can I not devote 20 minutes a day to pray the rosary as a way to understand and meditate upon that enormous, unfathomable love?

The rosary is a Christ-centered prayer, but we are led through its mysteries by the Blessed Mother, who “...kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Mary, our teacher and guide, helps us to contemplate the scenes of Jesus’ conception, birth and childhood through the Joyful Mysteries. We follow her on the path of His adult ministry in the Luminous Mysteries and witness the suffering of Jesus‘ passion and crucifixion as we meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries. Finally, we rejoice in the glory of the risen Savior, the Holy Trinity and in Mary‘s role as Queen of Heaven and Earth through the Glorious Mysteries.

Those who study the mysteries through frequent and devout rosary recitations are led to search for a deeper understanding of the Truth that Christ revealed and a desire to become more Christ-like. “I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths.”

(Psalm 119:15) Advent is the perfect time to begin a habit of praying a daily rosary. Although the weeks ahead will be busy and possibly stressful, we must keep our focus on Christ, “the reason for the season.”

Pat Donlevy is a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. Reach her at patldonlevy@ gmail.com.

Peggy Bowes is a member of Holy Angels Church in Mt. Airy and the author of “The Rosary Workout.” Find more information at www.rosaryworkout.com.

Have you heard of ‘lectio divina’?

ave you wanted to experience a conversion of heart, an answer to your desire for deeper spirituality?

When I first heard of “lectio divina,” I was hesitant, so I researched it further. I learned the purpose of this practice was to encounter God at a deeper level and to nurture the gift of resting “in God.” This practice would take 20 minutes a day or longer.

In my own prayer life, my practices had become routine. I found comfort in knowing that God was near and, occasionally, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Then something happened – an event to cause distraction and an imbalance. I could no longer talk with God; He seemed far away.

This can happen during an event over which you have no control, such as a business deal that was not fruitful, a situation when you were not feeling heard, or the loss of a job, a relationship or a person.

Perhaps I should word things differently when I talked to God, I wondered. Then perhaps I could get His attention. Talking with Him, I believed, was the right way to pray.

I wasn’t sure whether “lectio divina” was right for me, so I

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | December 3, 2010 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letter to the editor

Thank you for the Nov. 19 cover story We would like to congratulate you on your wonderful article “A Safe and Holy Place,” about the new convent for the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul at High Point, published in the Nov. 19 edition.

What was so extra special to us about this article is that we know personally Father Philip Kollithanath and many of the sisters.

We met Father Philip about 20 years ago when he was a visiting priest at our church, Immaculate Conception in Hendersonville, and we have had a very close relationship since then. He graciously married our son

and daughter-in-law in Maryland. He is such a hardworking and dedicated priest.

The kind sisters have made many delicious native Indian meals for us. It is always such a pleasure visiting them.

What was especially nice was that your newspaper appreciated Father Philip’s and the sisters’ hard and dedicated work in completing this project by publishing this beautiful article.

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Benedict live in Hendersonville.

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

Mail: Letters to the Editor Catholic News Herald 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org