March 2, 2001

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March

Volume 10

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&

2001

2,

Number

24

Serving Catholics

Inside

Staff Writer

Fleming is "Andy Griffith she works in the town of

often reminded of the

Nussbaum funeral

Show"

standing room only

as

Belmont. She compares herself to the that she feels like a fixture in the town's everyday life. Even as a Northern transplant, she says that the citizens have treated her as one of their own, and she and her neighbors have grown to respect and admire one another for the gifts all have to offer. It is because of her dedication as a parish nurse to the health and wellness of her adopted community that she was honored as the Belmont citizen of the year. For more than 30 years, the Belmont Chamber of Commerce has chosen a person who "has contributed to the well-being of the Belmont community through leadership of service roles" to be named as the citizen of the year. The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors sift through nominations advertised in the town's newspap 01 to find tlie person who fits the characteristics, and this year, Fleming's w ork stood out from among the rest of the entries. "She (Fleming) definitely fits all those categories," said Beth Rutledge, Chamber of Commerce director. "She is a very caring person who is well-worthy of the title because she does so much for Belmont by helping people who cannot afford private or personal nurses. An award such as this makes people aware of the type of people who live here and what we are doing for our community." Reverend Dr. Richard Boyce, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, was one of those who nominated Fleming for the award. "She (Fleming) has dreamed a great dream of the churches mobilizing to help their members be better stewards of their health and to help us as a community reach out to those who do not have access to health care. She is a real servant of Jesus Christ, and we are proud to call her our citizen of the year and claim her as our parish nurse not only for our congregation but also for this community." To say that Fleming was more than a little surprised would be an understatement. "I was shocked and amazed. I had no idea. I didn't take it so much as it being just an award for me. I took it as an affirmation of the program and the work I do. It is really bolstering to have had this happen because you know you

Aunt Bee character in

Page 4

Capuchin sees lesson Earnhardt tragedy .Page

Local

5

News

'

Christian

musician

reaches out in

song ...Page

7

Deacon's ministry

supported by wife

...Page

16

Every Week Entertainment

Editorials

.Pages

10-11

.Pages

12-13

& Columns

"Ask and

it

will

be given to

are on the right track."

Fleming has followed

you; seek find,

and you

will

knock and the door

be opened to you."

Matthew

a track that

she says

God

Through

a series of what she calls

incidents,"

will

Western North Carolina

in

the Diocese of Charlotte

BY ALESHA M. PRICE

BELMONT— Cheryl

in

in

in

her

life

has

mapped out

Fleming says

for her.

"God-

that everything

has been in preparation for her

ministry as a parish nurse.

7:

Her training and experience

as a

medical and surgical nurse and an inten-

Belmont nurse recognized for

community work sive care nurse in her

home of Pennsylwork at Hos-

God

pice of

Gaston County, a

minally

ill

patients. After

to

as a

duties involve constant interaction with

moving first

volunteer, then as a patient care and

nursing coordinator. pice,

ing.

but

I

"I felt

called to

Hos-

also felt called to parish nurs-

Father Richard Hokanson, pastor of the Apostles Catholic Church,

Queen of

offered to lend

me

the

money

more

from coast to coast over the past several years, and their

facility for ter-

North Carolina, she worked

directs you."

Parish nurses have become

vania prepared her for her

for the

and then an anonymous donor provided the money for my classes. This is an example of one of those 'God-inci-

visible in dioceses

the

community and involvement with

those

who may

not have sufficient medi-

cal attention otherwise.

"Parish nursing is recognized by the American Nursing Association as a subspecialty in that you have to take a

classes,

course that teaches die core curriculum.

dents.'

structured program and shouldn't be confused with home health services,"

I

believe that

you are

called to

various professions, and you have to

ten with your heart and

spirit.

Moreover,

chis

is

not

a

loosely

lis-

Then,

See

PARISH NURSE,

page

Photo by Alesha M. Price

Let the good times

roll

Three-year-old Clare Lohrmann sits for a face-painting session from Corrine Rupp, family life coordinator, at the Mardi Gras International Dinner held at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville on Feb. 25. The afternoon gathering included games, grab bags and mask decorating for the younger parishioners and bingo and a potluck dinner including ethnic dishes for the adults.

4


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