Lord,
love your
I
commands.
Let
me
ac-
your kindness comfort cording to your promise
to
your
New
servants. Let your compassion
come
me thatTmay
to
your law
is
— Psalm
my
knights
live, for
council upholds
delight.
119:57, 76-77
NEWS
&
old traditions
HERALD
...page
SERVING CATHOLICS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE
JULY 26, 2002
VOLUME
11
5
N9 40
Young people
Children share faith in Vacation Bible School
urged to flavor
GERALD POTKAY
By REV. MR.
bland world with
hope of Christ
Correspondent
GREENSBORO
By'CAROL ZIMMERMAN Catholic
News Service
TORONTO
(CNS)
cation Bible School
—
Christ Jesus." The bishop, president of
U.S.
Conference
of
Catholic Bishops, spoke to at least 9,000
on the
youths
floor of
who
sat
—
Va-
School.
a
way
"The parents really enjoy having this special time with their children, while the kids enjoy the variety of activities associated with the program," said Wilson. "The church profits by establishing a Bible-based background as a foundation for
is
—
what looked
old gymnasium at Toronto's Exhibition Place. The bishop focused his talk on the day's theme, "You are the salt of the like an
According to Laura Wilson,
program director of this
particular event for the last
two years, hands-on experiences laced with prayer, crafts, drama skits, singing
and urged the crowd on qualities of salt in their daily lives as Christians not only by bringing flavor and meaning to the world, but by restoring it, as earth,"
to take
Photo by Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay
saline solution restores those
who
students participating in this year's Vacation Bible
of bringing the youth of local parishes together to learn about God, Jesus, the saints and the Bible. Each parish has its own methods, styles and creativity for how the messages of Jesus and the Bible are taught and learned. The forum used at Our Lady of Grace Church Vacation Bible School, which took place July 7-12, utilized an approach similar to one used using stories by Jesus and objects with which people were familiar.
Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, 111.., urged young people "nof to be afraid to be seasoning for a bland world" and to bring it flavor "with the hope of
the
work with the almost 120
Adult volunteer Peggy Culkin works with her daughter Maggie and John Paul Stepkowski, two students at Vacation Bible School at Our Lady of Grace Church July 7-12.
are sick.
"You young people are the saline solution that our
and a lot of interaction have been very successful with the pre-school through fifthgrade students.
Wilson coordinated the
the faith."
While the student volunteers, ranging from grades eight to 10, were accumulating hours for their confirmation obligations, they seemed to enjoy and learn from the experience as much, if not more, than the younger participants. David Peters, a youth crew leader in charge of the registration table with Wilson, said, "It's a good experience for the children. They gather into the classes and
we
try to
make
their experi-
ences fun."
Debbie
Griffin,
an adult
program with parent and upper-student volunteers to
See BIBLE SCHOOL, page
13
world so desperately needs," he told them.
He
said Christ's call for
First chancellor recalls life in
his disciples to be like salt in
their influence upon the world still holds true for believers today, perhaps with even greater necessity.
By KEVIN
and
is
still
flavorless,
quite insipid
perhaps more
desiccated with
its
moral direction and even hope. We are dry, brittle and often hopeless because we have lost contact
—
Msgr. Joseph
re-
it
S.
Showfety
well. Retiring in
By 1971, though, more and more Catholics were moving to North Carolina, and thenBishop Vincent S. Waters saw the need for a second diocese.
"Bishop Waters said
18
when
0£6£ jo Zd
»6S
respected him."
Begley asked him to be chancellor of the Charlotte diocese.
Father Showfety twice
Our Lady
congratulations, but "on both oc-
he was out of the rec-
do, but the church will not be
of Grace
Church, where the soon-to-bebishop was pastor, to offer his
tory," said
The
It
Msgr. Showfety. was Bishop Begley who
was granted,
got in touch with him during a
Back in May 1955, when Father Showfety was ordained to the priesthood at Sacred
and the Diocese of Charlotte was born in 1971, with Bishop Michael J. Begley as its first
snowstorm, three days after the new diocese was announced.
Heart Cathedral
shepherd.
walk,"
in Raleigh, the
petition
"He was the
perfect choice,"
tuh
^m
hmm nosii! NO II 331103 3N
transitional ...page
7
deacons
Here is the future bishop of
Charlotte calling me." Bishop
I want to church in Hendersonville,'" said Msgr. Showfety. "He said, 1 know you
called
casions,
Raleigh Diocese, which spanned
3n
rang.
60,000, he would petition Rome," Msgr. Showfety said.
Bishop ordains two
\m-mz
the
Msgr. Showfety said. "He was known by the priests, and they
Catholic population reached
of the diocese's founding.
DAY,
PAGE
Start-
he looked back on 47 years of priestly ministry that included time as the Diocese of Charlotte first chancellor. "Those were great years," he said
lack of
WORLD YOUTH
—
of North Carolina, had
25,000 Catholics.
July,
focus,
See
all
ing a diocese from scratch
members
so today than ever before," he said. "In fact, our society is
MURRAY
GREENSBORO
"The society in which we live, my young brothers and sisters,
E.
Associate Editor
ministry said, 'Mike,
"I
build
built
a
(new)
by you.
I
want you
in
Charlotte.'" It was a post young Joseph Showfety couldn't have pre-
dicted
when he
first
considered
"I'm outside cleaning off the side-
got
Msgr. Showfety said. "I house the phone
in the
...
See
MSGR. SHOWFETY, PAGE 8
Local youth take
Mercy sister
international
fulfills
honors
in
dance
competition
...page
childhood
6ream...page20
9