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
HMMNMNMMHMHIKWM
MARCH
14,
NEWS
&
5
HERALD
BHMMHHMMMUNBnflMMM
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