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News & Herald Volume 2 Number
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
2
•
September
11,
1992
Mercy Milestones Of Mercy Celebrate 100 Years In Belmont Sisters
KEANE
By JOANN
Associate Editor
BELMONT
— On
Sept.
1,
1892,
Mercy arin Belmont
ive travel-worn Sisters of
ived on a 4:30 p.m. train
was
"The good
figure," she said.
One-hundred years later, at precisely k30 p.m., church bells tolled across the grounds of Sacred Heart, Motherhouse >f the Sisters of Mercy. Silently the noment went back a century to the five wrave sisters and their historical trek to he small Gaston County town. "The five women who arrived in ielmont had no idea what Sacred Heart vould become," said Sister Pauline
as a
ers
president of the Sis-
of Mercy of the Americas, to several last
week
in celebration
of their
entennial anniversary in the Gaston
bunty town that has served as home. "They came at the invitation of our riends, the Benedictine Monks of ielmont Abbey, to join in their efforts 0 find places to educate not only Catholics but anyone who wanted a Christian environment for their educaion of their children," said Sister
—
—
auline. It tie
was Bishop Leo Haid's desire
sisters to establish
for
a school for girls.
Tie close proximity to
Belmont Abbey
ecured the
sisters' religious foundaand the friendship between the two rders has linked tightly over the years. True to their mission, the Sisters of 4ercy take vows of poverty, chastity ,on,
nd obedience, the service of the poor, ick and uneducated, and perseverance 1 the Order of Mercy, according to the Constitution written by their foundress, Mother Mary Catherine McAuley. The sisters became the first reliious sisters to serve North Carolina in
862; a scant 30 years before their roots
Belmont. Today, the isters of Mercy of North Carolina continue the largest order of women reliious in service within the Diocese of
x>k to
soil in
harlotte.
Along the way, the sisters have cap-
own
six children."
"This campus us.
It
is
sacred ground to
was dedicated
to the service of
God in 1892," said Sister Pauline. "And for these 100 years, the grounds and facilities have been used for Chrisyouth and
tian education of children
adults."
Many
adolescents passed throuth
the halls of Sacred Heart on the
Kathleen Bryan Edwards, chairperson of the board of trustees o Sacred Heart College, said, "The living spirit
was always
the devotion of the
Sisters of Mercy to Sacred Heart. truly
gave
to the college
mourned the closing of this tution.
the college lives on in those privi-
leged to have
felt the
thoughts and ac-
—
Ninety-nine-year-old Sister Jarlath McGarry, oldest living in
Belmont joined
in the celebration festivities.
member of the Sisters of Mercy Photo By JOANN KEANE
See Mercy, Page 3
Pope Says
Fighting Produces 'Tragic Images'
CASTEL GANDOLFO, (CNS)
—
The
Italy
fighting in Bosnia-
Herzegovina has produced "tragic images" not seen in Europe since World War II, said Pope John Paul II. "Populations, often defenseless and deprived of necessities, face the consequences of armed conflicts," he said. The pope spoke Sept. 6 during his
Several days before, an unarmed
cargo plane with relief supplies crashed near the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, killing the four-man crew.
was shot down by a missile but did not say who fired on the it
aircraft.
3 crash caused the tempo-
rary suspension of relief flights to
The
"Old wounds are opened, and these are added
numerous
new
initiatives
international
to
ones, despite the
community
to establish
peace," the pope said.
The
tragedies should teach people
"to fight egotism, hate and violence
area
is
the scene of fight-
ing between Serbian militias and mostly
Muslim Bosnian
forces. In other parts
said.
"Peace
On
is
Sept. 5, before leading a recita-
on Vatican Radio, he asked prayers for "the dear and tornapart land of Bosnia-Herzegovina" marked by "massacres and devastation caused by such an absurd conflict." "This is a tragic hour for Europe," he said. The papal talks came at a time when U.S. and West European negotiators were trying to get the warring partion of the rosary
tional relief supplies.
Humanitarian supplies seem to be a
undertaken by the
born from a new heart." It was the second day in a row that the pope pleaded for peace.
his
Italian
Sarajevo.
to respect cease-fire accords
with harmony and fraternal charity," he
from
Rome.
The Sept.
ties in the
Croat groups.
Gandolfo, 15 miles south
talk
former Yugoslavian republics and agreements to allow safe passage of interna-
of Bosnia, Serbian militias are fighting
summer
midday Angelus
Italian officials said
my
love and devo-
tion of all those associated with Sa-
ves.
^dn't influence
fine insti-
But, the spirit that permeated
of
Jons," said Edith Baugh Darwin, recalllg the sisters too many to mention - who had an impact on shaping her fe. Darwin lost her mother when she
They
and when
Sisters of Mercy, citizens of Belmont and Gaston County, faculty, students, friends, alumni and the board all
Sacred Heart Academy and College lumni recall a quality education, contant encouragement, learning high stanards and values. Most of all they relember the sisters who touched their
Belmont
...
the last class graduated in 1987, the
villa at Castel
"I can't think of a time throughout
way to
maturity.
jred the hearts of thousands.
iy life that a Sister of Mercy in
Sacred
"They cared for me young child, watched over me as a young teen, encouraged me as a young college student, and rejoiced with me as I became a mother to my
tundred friends joining the Sisters of
4ercy
to
have been a mother
sisters
ind began a journey known only to God.
lifford, regional
came
5 years old, and
Heart as a second grader in 1928.
"privileged objective" of bombardments against Sarajevo, said a statement
is-
sued Sept. 6 by the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Meanwhile, a Catholic official in Bosnia-Herzegovina told Vatican Radio that tensions were growing between Croats and Muslim Slavs. The two groups have been in a loose alliance against the Serbs.
"There
is
disagreement
in various
places of Bosnia-Herzegovina because
we
are always dealing with the issue of
the conquest of power," said Coadjutor
Bishop-designate Ratko Peric of Mostar. "When Croats capture territory, they don't leave
it
easily.
Muslims," he
said.
It is
the
same for the