Jan 12, 1996

Page 1

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


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.