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N E
January 22, 1999
Volume
t
8
Number 20
W
Serving Catholics
Inside Diocese celebrates King's legacy
...Page
HERALD
&
S in
Western
Carolina
Nortli
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
Western project seeks economic justice
3
By jimmy
ROSTAR
Associate Editor
HAYESVILLE
Papal
visit
to St. Louis-
— Shelby Woody
knows a lot about Clay County. She was born here, and taught school here for 35 years. She knows the place abounds with gorgeous scenery and
Mexico City
community pride. And she knows about the poverty, too.
"We
...Page
New papal In
7
nuncio arrives
United States ...Page
14
Vatican to use high-tech tools to celebrate jubilee ...Page
13
served 2,575 people last year, is growing every day," said Woody, who serves as treasurer of the food pantry in her home county. "There are no jobs, people can't find housing, they can't find food. Woody is one of nearly 50 concerned people from Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties who attended a Jan. 15 conference that examined social and financial needs of citizens in one of the economically poorest regions in the state. The gathering is the latest step in a project led by the Diocese of Charlotte to bring local religious, business,
and the need
education, health care and charitable
Living the Faith
and realize opportunities for economic develop-
Priest's chaplaincy post
ment
entities together to study
The
combines two callings ...Page
Editorials
here.
16
& Columns ...Pages
4-5
Entertainment ..Pages
10-11
Faith Alive! ...Pages
8-9
"Conscious of their own
with greater authority in the forums where laws and policies concerning the family are formulated."
— Pope John Paul
Sills, a
Methodist
teachings
Action Institute in Greensboro, shared findings of a report he researched and presented for the project. "I had been*asked to come here and look at these communities not to find fault, not to discover what's wrong, not even to discover the weaknesses and the shortages and the lack that exist but to discover the opportunities that are here for moving forward, for helping people improve their lot in life, for building stronger communities," Dr. Sills told participants.
and wage standards." For more than a year, Frazer has traveled throughout the diocese working with
—
The fall
project
was commissioned
of 1998 as diocesan
in
officials
sought ways to implement the goals of "Of One Heart and One Mind," the economic justice pastoral letter written by North Carolina's two Catholic bishops. The pastoral was issued by Bishop William G. Curlin of Charlotte and Bishop
Gossman of Raleigh. "What (the bishops) said
F. Joseph
in effect
you work, you should not be poor," explained Joanne K. Frazer, director of the diocesan Office of Justice and is if
H, 1993
Mark
Peace. "Lifting up the ethical and moral dimensions of economic life in our state, they provided a moral framework based on Scripture and drawn from a long tradition of Catholic
minister and executive director of the ecumenical research ministry Faith in
the
rights, families will be able to make their voices heard
Rev.
Photo by Joann Keane
Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Members of the liturgical Kabaka Dancers share their gift of dance during the 14th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte, N.C.
to
...
human
,
especially as they apply
dignity, productive work,
the project offers
many
positive ap-
proaches to implementing the report's proposals. Emphasis on the self-effort
and entrepreneurial
spirit of those being helped is key, he added. Six detailed recommendations for ministry, replete with creative, viable
ways of achieving them, are included
The gathering the latest step
the report.
is
in
a
—
They
in
are:
Increase the supply of affordable
interested in
project led by the Diocese
child care, especially
making the goals the
of Charlotte to bring local
and on evenings weekends in each of
people
pastoral a reality. Jan.
1
5 conference
The religious, business,
was
the second such meet-
ing of the Western Counties Project. Frazer heads the project with Father
and charitable
—
entities
together to study and
economic development
providers;
—
Form
a
worker-owned cooperative to provide small home repair and maintenance services not adequat^y sup-
here.
chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, and
Expand the
number of registered in-home child care
realize opportunities for
Mauricio W. West, vicar general and
Father
the four counties;
education, health care
George
Kloster, pastor of St. William Catholic
plied in the region;
Church in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in
— Establish
a "cars-to-work" pro-
gram providing
quality used vehicles
to people in transition
Hayesville.
While conceding
that challenges
in the four counties are real
times complex. Dr.
Sills
and
from welfare to
employment;
at
stressed that
WESTERN COUNTIES PROJECT, page 15