0£6£-66SZ2 o£6£ so
3 N
11IH 13cVHD ono
—
Aavaen nosh* NCI133TI03
3
N
<_>
ATHOLIC
<£SC2<>)
Serving Catholics
in
jnews
Western North Carolina
in the
& Herald Volume 5 Number
Diocese of Charlotte
•
January
12,
1996
A Punch
Winter Storm Packs By JOANN
16
KEANE
Associate Editor
Mountain parishes in the western counties of the diocese storm that left behind more than two feet of snow.
— Father Roland Hautz — — wintry weather. Normally snowy conditions would — and pastor of Glenmary Francis of Assisi Jefferson — swishing JEFFERSON
an avid outdoorsman find the
thrives in
priest
St.
in
along on cross country too powdery,
making
skis. it
Not this time;
it's
impossible to gain a
good stance, says Father Hautz. Mountain counties felt the brunt of
the
storm as the Blizzard of '96 dumped over two feet of the fluffy stuff on the westernmost counties of the diocese. Weekend Mass attendance dwindled to a
measurable feet of snow in Ashe at bay. For only the second time in seven years, Mass was canceled at St. Frances of Rome, the mission of St. Francis of Assisi located in Sparta. In this northwest corner of North Carolina, storm conditions posed the greatest threat with dri fts mounting 1 5 feet and a -20 degree wind chill
Mountains. "Initially we observe other school system plans for inclement weather," says Skube. In Charlotte, thawing snow quickly refroze as evening temperatures dipped well below freezing, producing deadly black ice. 'it's just too dangerous for our students and faculty," says Skube. On Jan. 0, Skube contracted snowplow services lor MACS lots, and brought in loads of rocksalt in anticipation of reopening
factor.
schools.
Father James Cahill, pastor of St.
Photo by JOANN KEANE Piedmont to several
westernmost Counties, the Blizzard of '96 turned the diocese into a winter wonderland last week. In the city of Charlotte, two inches covered the area, making for treacherous but feet in the
beautiful
—
— wintry conditions.
1
Teen-Agers Say Pope Has Positive Image of people they judge as having a positive image, according to a survey by a Catholic weekly magazine. The survey also showed a high percentage of ties to the institutional
the
list
church, but majority dissent from papal teachings on premarital sex. The survey was commissioned by Famiglia Cristiana, a Catholic
weekly magazine, and was based on a sampling of 700 Italians between the ages of 1 5 and 8. The results appeared in the Jan. 1 0 issue. The survey was conducted by Swg, a private polling agency. Respondents were asked to list civic, political, sports and entertainment Figures, well-known in Italy, whom they judge as having a positive image. The pope was on 76.4 percent of the lists, receiving the highest ranking. The second spot went to Antonio di Pietro, an Italian judge noted for his investigations into political corruption. Di Pietro was on 73.5 percent 1
of the
lists.
more than 47 percent said they fulfill the weekly Mass obligaand 82.2 percent said they want a church wedding. Regarding premarital sex, 53. percent said they highly favor a period
Slightly tion,
1
See Pope Image, page 12
for
1
1
The superintendent
points to diocesan
school calendars with two built-in
Though
snow
storm quickly absorbed those days, the other days will be made up, completing a full 80 days of school for the year. "We'll make up the days when the days.
this
1
weather
isn't so threatening," said
Skube.
As temperatures creep above the freezing point, weather forecasters allude to a system this weekend; with precipitation of
yet-to-be-determined substance.
Cardinals Are Cautious About
Italian
By AGOSTINO BONO ROME (CNS) — Italian teen-agers put Pope John Paul II at the top of
Mass
Mary in
one on Sunday. No one showed up for the 9 a.m. service; one individual braved the elements to reach the mountain parish at a.m. In Boone, where more than two feet of snow covered the ground. Mass was moved from St. Elizabeth to the more accessible campus ministry facility, located on a major thoroughfare. Still, less than 20 strapped on boots to make it in for Mass. Sylva, said a cozy
of inches in the
Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools. He
reported less than average numbers in the
Two
Snow. From a couple
of Old Man Winter, with measurable snowfalls from two inches in the Piedmont to almost a foot in the Triad. Diocesan school students received a post-holiday break thanks to fallout from this major storm of the season. All 17 diocesan schools closed; three days in Mecklenburg County, more in outlying areas. Dr. Michael Skube, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese makes the determination to close the seven confers with principals in the Triad and
County kept worshipers
it
Few areas of the diocese escaped without at least a trace
handful, as parishes in the Appalachian region
pews.
Let
the brunt of the
felt
Possible Papal Trip To Sarajevo ROME (CNS) — Two cardinals returning from Sarajevo have expressed caution about a possible papal trip to the war-scarred capital
of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
More stable peace conditions are needed,
and the expectations for the
visit are great,
said Cardinal Ruini.
"Let's hope that the pope can go soon.
This also would mean that the conditions for a stable peace would be achieved soon," he
said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, papal vicar for
added.
Rome, in a Jan. 8 Vatican Radio interview. A week earlier, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk of Prague, Czech Republic, said that it is "not
security difficulties of visiting Sarajevo.
yet the right time" for a trip by
Pope John
because of continuing disagreements all sides in the Balkan conflict. Cardinal Ruini visited Sarajevo Jan. 5-7 to express papal greetings and assess ways in which the Italian church can aid in spiritual and material rebuilding. Cardinal Vlk spoke in Prague in early January after returning from celebrating Christmas Mass in Sarajevo. The pope wants to visit Sarajevo soon Paul
II
among
Cardinal Ruini's visit showed thecurrent
His plans for returning to Rome had to be altered after the U.S. military plane scheduled to fly him from Sarajevo Jan. 6 was fired upon without injuring anyone. Cardinal Ruini then had to travel by land to Split, Croatia, while several other Italian church officials had to remain behind for several
The above
See
more days.
cardinal said his difficulty
all logistical
Trip,
because
page 12
it
was
"was
difficult