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News & Herald
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Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Volume 2 Number
September
•
1
1992
4,
Bishops Of Province Of Atlanta Take Stand Against Capital Punishment Archbishop James
P.
Lyke of Atlanta,
metropolitan of the Province of Atlanta, and the other four bishops of the province have issued a strong pastoral statement in opposition to imposition
In the statement
of the death openalty. and an accompanying
letter to the Catholics of the province which embraces the states of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the bishops said
that they are called to "stand against the death penalty as a right and proper punishment for crime."
In addition to
statement and
letter
Archbishop Lyke, the were signed by Bishops
Raymond W.
Lessard of the Diocese of Savannah, Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of the Diocese of Raleigh, Bishop John F.
ARCHBISHOP LYKE
Donoghue of the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop David B. Thompson of the Diocese
testimony of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of
of Charleston.
Chicago before the Senate Judiciary
In a separate letter to the people of the
ascan SisterRobertMcKinnon (center holding plaque) is joinedby
members of her community,
e Sisters of St Francis
of Tiffin, Ohio. Sister Roberta was honored with the Peacemaker Award aringa conference in Greensboro of the Franciscan Federation, Third Order Regular, of the Brothers id Sisters
of the United
Photo by JOANN KEANE
States.
was "not one of an academic oped
in theory
Native Americans
Associate Editor
— For 20
said the issuance of the statement
was timeiy because
ranciscan Sister Roberta
McKinnon
has
on the Cherokee Indian ReserWestern North Carolina. Aug. 23, Sister Roberta was hon-
On
red for her grace, as recipient of the
A
ranciscan Federation s Peacemaker ward, he celebration culminated the 27th An'
ual
—
Her work has done much Those
Indians.
have transformed a Chemical Dependency Treatments Center for adults and youth on programs
...
believe
we need not take
life
for life."
the use of the death
favor capital
punishment and there are no executions imminent in Georgia at this time.
efforts
Men,
The c
apital
texts of the bishops' statement on punishment and their letter to the
people ofthe province are on Page 13 ofthis issue.
Women Meet In Greensboro To
Countless lives have been touched by
Ponder Future Of Religious Life GREENSBORO (CNS) — Contemcommunity, and synods of and —
include here the College of Cardinals, the
the sister from Tiffin, Ohio. Working closely
plation,
The award is given to a brother or sister ho has made a difference in the quality of
with Cherokee tribal leaders, virtually every
witness are not the usual topics for a national
aspect of social service assistance on the reservation can be linked to Sister Roberta.
gathering of 1,000 executives
Franciscan Sister Jane Schimmoeler,
life
should not take the life of any person not even one who has taken another life. Society must send a message that we can break the
increasing, the presidential candi-
ireensboro.
e and relationships among those with horn she or he lives and serves.
so precious that the state
is
like
the reservation.
Franciscan Federation Conference in
human
life
to raise the
awareness of specific needs of the Cherokee into
We
the sanctity of
human
In their statement the bishops cited the
issue.
linistered
ation in
is
dates of both major parties
Ohio and her community responded with a corporate stance on the
Tiffin,
years,
"The Catholic bishops of the United committed to defending
States are deeply
cycle of violence, that
He penalty
GREENSBORO
Amos, was murdered in Chicago in
1982.
Roberta McKinnon Honored
By JOANN KEANE
stance develbut not tested by the actual
confrontation of the violent death of a loved one." Archbishop Lyke noted that his older brother,
Pacemaker For Sister
Archdiocese of Atlanta, Archbishop Lyke said that his own involvement in the matter
Com-
mittee three years ago:
Through her
initiation, opportunities
conversion, prayer
who
direct
bishops
ence of bishops for finding a
the national confer-
that has
new
more
potential
passage for the church
thousands of institutions and the lives of
through dangerous waters. The religious
about 120,000 people.
orders have always been the scouts and
for
But those were among the main con-
others have
become reality for those on the reservation. From aid for the homeless, a
cerns as the superiors of U.S. religious congregations some 160 priests and
God's people."
sen an
shelter for victims of domestic violence, to
brothers and well over
ily
work with teenage pregnancies, Sister Roberta and her undying spirit have paved the road to a better life for Native Ameri-
vened
day, Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, editor of the national lay Catholic magazine,
immunity minister rancis
for the Sisters of St.
of Tiffin, Ohio,
"Roberta has
said,
example of peace and justice. Not by her presence, but by her many
forts."
"During these years, she has become
more immersed in the lives of the and more endeared to their hearts,"
/en
jople
ud Sister Jane. "Roberta has given herself Tthebetteimentandequalityforthe people the reservation, while at the
same time
npowering the people." In a span of two decades, Sister Roberta is
made
great inroads with the people of
herokee. It
for the betterment in the quality of
cans.
"Roberta's peacemaking on the Chero-
kee Indian Reservation is summed up in the honor and respect with which she is held in the Cherokee reservation," said Sister Jane. "She is known as a woman to be trusted. She is known as a just woman; one who respects persons and traditions of
all
cul-
She is known as a wise woman. 'How does one adequately say thanks,"
tures.
was during this time that she became
'
volved with the Navajo/Hopi Land Settle-
said Sister Roberta. "I
ent Act. She introduced a resolution to her
the Spirit
Mtimunity
life
—
was
telling
was just doing what
me to do."
the Sisters of St. Francis,
—
in
—
800 sisters conGreensboro Aug. 26-30 for a joint
assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Conference of
Major Superiors of Men. It was clearly an activist and actionoriented group. The theme of the meeting was "Now Is the Time," a reference to starting
now
in
a 20-year plan to
Sisters
md
of Mercy
this
Next week's
week
are
marking the 100 anniversary of their arrival in & Herald will feature stories
issue of The Catholic News
pictures of the centennial activities at Sacred Heart Convent, the
ielmont.
Motherhouse
in
the religious to focus
real challenges to the
church are
massive changes
life.
from our
The husband-wife keynote team
forming U.S. church
With no objections and only
...
encounter with the world." lined to the religious leaders a in the
out-
wide range of
— changes
world
scattered
which they said require Catholics to recover
abstentions, they passed joint resolutions
their spiritual and intellectual bearings in order to have a significant positive impact
calling for forgiveness
of Third World debt,
support for Guatemalan refugees and the strengthening of shareholder rights on so-
The
LCWR
unani-
ing capital punishment.
The
Commonweal, urged
on the challenges of the world. "Despite the conflicts within the church," she said, "I want to insist that the
make
mously passed a separate resolution oppos-
torth Carolina.
In a second keynote address the next
religious orders a leading factor in trans-
cial justice concerns.
Centennial Celebration
vanguards, the explorers and the sentries of
on
the future.
In other discussions and talks, the assembly focused on the spiritual underpinnings of effective witness and action. "There is a clear thrust among us for a
At the closing Mass the participants put more than $7,000 in the basket in a special
greater understanding of contemplation
collection for victims of Hurricane Andrew.
lives," said the head, Christian Brother Paul Hennessy, in his presidential
In a keynote address Steinfels, senior religion
Aug. 27, Peter
correspondent of
The New York Times, declared that "there is no other group of Catholic leaders and Y
—
its
fundamental place
in
our
own
and
spiritual
CMSM
address. Brother
Hennessy
is
through his two-year term as
midway first
non-
See Religious, Page 2