March 14, 2003

Page 1

www.charlotlediocese.ors

0 LORD, am your servant; am

World Day of

I

I

your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I wi caii upon the name of the LORD.

Prayer calls for global peace ..PAGE

Psalm 116:16-17

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MARCH

14,

NEWS

&

5

HERALD

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SERVING CATHOLICS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

2003

FIGHTING FOR LIFE

St.

Michael Church: 100 years

in

the making

VOLUME

N9

12

25

RCIA welcomes

Many meet for

adults into the

moratorium

Catholic faith

on executions

By

KAREN

A.

EVANS

Staff Writer

CHARLOTTE — Monsi-

Activists learn how'

gnor Mauricio

to lobby legislators

GERALD POTKAY

By REV. MR.

Correspondent

at St. Gabriel

The

Church Church March 9.

Rite of Election at St.

Gabriel was one of three that

North Carolinians are mobiliz-

will take place in the

ing against the death penalty.

Charlotte this month.

The North

Carolinians

(NCADP) meeting

held

its

was held

statewide

Spanish, to reach out to the in-

at the Presbyterian

Photos by Kevin

Church of the Covenant March 8. The meeting gave

E.

Murray

Rev. Mr. Jack Weisenhorn,

Abbot Placid

Solari, Father Chris lOp^'ier Roux, Bishop William G. Curlin and

chance to jfteet and a two-year moratorium on executions through the General Assembly. "If you have never seen a legislator, we want to prepare you to see one and take one with you," said Ted Frazer to activists a

to help

move

Father Joseph Mulligan during the March 8 dedication ceremony of the new St. Michael Church in Gastonia.

Frazer,

the

NCADP

legislative

cam-

paign coordinator and parishioner of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, ticipants

walks of

welcomed the parwho came from all

life

Parish celebrates E.

MURRAY

on death row, and others who lost loved ones on death row.

gathering outside the church

is

here because

I

feel

it

important to pass legislation

St. St.

said Sister of

Joseph Phyllis A. Tierney of Pius Church in Greens-

X

Bill Vetter,

a parishioner at

Francis Church in Raleigh,

came

awaited

The

eagerly

the

procession's arrival.

The

procession of nearly

100 church

staff,

mem-

choir

bers and honored parishioners

and guests soon approached. included Bishop William G. Curlin, bishop emeritus,

They

boro.

St.

GASTONIA

against the death penalty in

North Carolina,"

to learn the strategies

and to

find out

what the cur-

rent thoughts of the legislators

who

arrived to cut the ribbon

across the doors and officially

dedicate the

new

Church March

"May

St.

Michael

8.

this building

be a

house of salvation where See MORATORIUM, page 8

Christians gather in fellow-

Bishop Curlin. Concelebrating the Mass was Abbot Placid Solari,OSB, abbot of ship," said

Belmont

Abbey.

The

Benedictines were founders of the original St. Michael Church a century ago. "This day begins the celebration of 100 years of St. Michael Catholic Church,"

Ideally, the Rite is

of Election

held once a year in a particu-

Due

lar diocese.

to the size of

the Diocese of Charlotte, three

Sunday's Rite of Election at St. Gabriel consisted of parishes from Charlotte and surrounding counties.

On March

15,

catechu-

candidates from the

0E6E 83

mmi

13d«Jjj

N0S1IH N0U33T103 3N

history to write*" he said.

will participate in the Rite

Also participating in the Mass were Father Jose Antonio Juya, coordinator of

Election at Immaculate Heart

Hispanic ministry

counties will gather for the Rite

at

St.

Michael; Father Christopher Roux, parochial vicar of St.

Mark

Church

Jack Weisenhorn, permanent deacon at St. Michael.

A blending of old and new

much labor of love that brings us to this moment of gratitude and appreciation."

The new paint smell still lingered as the procession and people filed inside the

been

welcome

See

4

of Election

ST.

March

gene Church "I

16 at

St.

Eu-

in Asheville.

came

(to the Catholic

Church) looking for a place for myself, for something to identify with," said Jessica St.

a

catechumen from

Ann Church. "Now,

I

belong to something bigger

MICHAEL, page 15

Students' prose pleads for

...PAGE

Parishes from the western

Graham,

"And now there are new memories to create and new

of

of Mary Church in High Point.

in

Huntersville; and Rev. Mr.

.

home Catholics I000-669ZZ 3N TIIH

ms

English.

mens and

said Father Joseph Mulligan, pastor, to the packed church. "There has

Ministry hopes to

3d

The

readings alternated between the two languages, and songs were sung in both Spanish and

eastern counties of the diocese

By KEVIN

religious, col-

Acting Editor

am

new church

'New memories to create and new history to write'

lege students, relatives of those

"I

Spanish-speaking

creasing

population of the diocese.

separate ceremonies are held.

those in attendance.

moratorium

Diocese of

This year's Rite of Election in both English and

Against the Death Penalty

;

West, dioc-

didates to the Catholic

GREENSBORO

W.

esan adminstrator, welcomed 84 catechumens and 237 can-

peace

than myself"

The

Rite of Christian Ini-

See RCIA. page 16

Birth right offers

solutions to abortion .PAGE

7

...PAGE

9


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