Nov. 18, 2011

IN MEMORIAM

Archbishop Emeritus John F. Donoghue, 1928-2011 SECOND BISHOP OF CHARLOTTE 1984-1993

May we all ‘live in Christ Jesus’ as you taught us

November 18, 2011

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

IN MEMORIAM

Archbishop Emeritus John F. Donoghue, 1928-2011 SECOND BISHOP OF CHARLOTTE 1984-1993

May we all ‘live in Christ Jesus’ as you taught us

Archbishop Donoghue laid to rest Nov. 17 in Georgia In announcing the funeral arrangements for Archbishop John F. Donoghue, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta asked for prayers for the repose of the soul of Archbishop Donoghue and for the comfort and consolation of his family members.

Archbishop Donoghue’s remains lay in repose at Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta from Nov. 16 to Nov. 17, when there was a funeral procession from the basilica to the Cathedral of Christ the King, also in Atlanta.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 17 at the Cathedral of Christ the King by Archbishop Gregory, with concelebrating bishops and priests from Georgia and the Carolinas. Bishop Peter Jugis, Bishop Emeritus William Curlin, Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey and several diocesan priests including Judicial Vicar Father John Putnam and Education Vicar Father Roger Arnsparger were scheduled to attend the funeral Mass.

Burial followed that afternoon at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Ga. From his death on Nov. 11 to his funeral and burial on Nov. 17, the Archdiocese of Atlanta arranged a series of commemorations for the late Archbishop Donoghue. Parishes, missions and schools flew their flags at half-mast, they rang their bells to coincide with the start of his funeral Mass on Nov. 17, priests offered Masses for the repose of his soul, and parishes included him in the Prayers of the Faithful last week. Parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte also included a special prayer for him during the Prayers of the Faithful, and besides local churches offering memorial Masses for him, there was a memorial Mass celebrated at Belmont Abbey on Nov. 17.

Archbishop Donoghue was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Daniel Donoghue and Patrick Donoghue. He is survived by a brother, Edward Donoghue; sister-in-law Vickie Donoghue; and 20 nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home, 760 Pollard Blvd., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30315; Missionaries of Charity, Gift of Grace House, 995 St. Charles Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306; Visitation Monastery, 2055 Ridgedale Drive, Snellville, GA 30278; or Little Sisters of the Poor, 4200 Harewood Road, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017.

Condolences may be sent to the family c/o Mary Elkins, Archdiocese of Atlanta, 2401 Lake Park Drive SE, Smyrna, GA 30080.

— David Hains

Archbishop Donoghue, former Charlotte bishop, dies at 83 ATLANTA — Archbishop Emeritus John Francis Donoghue, the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the second bishop of Charlotte from 1984 to 1993, died Nov. 11 following a lengthy illness. He was 83.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta Nov. 17, following a funeral procession from where his body lay in state at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta earlier in the week.

Archbishop Gregory described Archbishop Donoghue as “a much beloved figure, a dear friend, a brother bishop.”

He said his predecessor responded to the growth of the archdiocese by opening new Catholic schools and he also placed respect for life as a central part of his ministry.

“The death of a beloved figure like John F. Donoghue is a moment of sadness. But we are a people of hope,” he said. “There is also the spirit of hope that he is at peace with the Lord and he will be rewarded for his extraordinary, long and generous service to the Church.”

Archbishop Donoghue was born in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9, 1928. One of four sons of Irish immigrants, Daniel and Rose Ryan Donoghue, he said he knew in high school that he wanted to become a Catholic priest.

All of his studies were in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas. He attended Park View School in Washington, Sacred Heart School in Washington; Gonzaga High School in Washington; St. Charles College in Catonsville, Md.; and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.

Following study at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and Roland Park, Md., where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in theology, he was ordained a priest of the Washington Archdiocese on June 4, 1955, by then-Archbishop Patrick O’Boyle.

While he often said that he expected to serve all his life as a parish priest, he was asked in 1964 to study for a licentiate in canon law and then assigned to the archbishop’s office. For the next 18 years, he served on the staffs of three successive Washington cardinals: Cardinal O’Boyle, Cardinal William Baum and Cardinal James Hickey.

In 1970, he was given the papal rank of Chaplain to His Holiness with the title “Monsignor.” A year later, he was further honored to be named a Prelate of Honor.

From 1972 until 1983, he was the chancellor, vicar general and secretary for support services of the Archdiocese of Washington.

In 1984, he was also named moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of Washington, where he served until he was appointed Bishop of Charlotte by Pope John Paul II. Archbishop Donoghue was ordained the second Bishop of Charlotte on Dec. 18, 1984, succeeding Bishop Michael Begley.

He served as Bishop of Charlotte for nine years.

Among the accomplishments in his tenure in Charlotte were the first synod of the diocese, which held three sessions from 1986 to 1987; the reorganization of the Catholic schools into a regional structure; an emphasis on evangelization directed toward inactive Catholics and the unchurched; and the opening of the diocese’s first Catholic newspaper separate from the Diocese of Raleigh, the Catholic News & Herald, in 1991. He played a leading role in the development of the North Carolina Lutheran-Catholic Covenant signed in 1991 by the Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh and the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He was named by Pope John Paul II to head the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1993, and he was installed as archbishop on Aug. 19, 1993.

Each bishop has a coat-of-arms and a motto. As his motto, Archbishop Donoghue chose “To live in Christ Jesus.”

In the Atlanta Archdiocese, he succeeded Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM, who died Dec. 27, 1992, of cancer after only two years in office. Archbishop Donoghue said the day of his Atlanta appointment, “I hope that I’m going to be here for a very long time ... that I will be here until I retire.”

Pope John Paul II spoke to him and told him to “be very kind” to the people of the archdiocese and “to try and bring peace and reconciliation.”

In Atlanta, Archbishop Donoghue made the center of his pastoral work

among Catholics to renew understanding of and devotion to the Eucharist as the Real Presence of Christ. He initiated a Eucharistic Renewal, which inspired renewed teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, including lay seminars where people shared their faith stories. He also initiated chapels for Adoration of the Eucharist, opening the first at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta in June 1994. The chapel has had perpetual Donoghue Adoration there for more than 17 years. More than 70 parishes of the Atlanta archdiocese now have prayer before the Eucharist regularly, eight with perpetual Adoration chapels.

Archbishop Donoghue expressed the hope in 1994 that these perpetual Adoration chapels would bring “a grace hitherto unfelt in the archdiocese.”

Flowing from this renewal, a Eucharistic Congress is held in Atlanta yearly that provides multilingual and multicultural faith teaching to gatherings of 20,000 to 30,000 Catholics. It is the longest continually running Eucharistic Congress in the U.S. and believed to be the largest in attendance. Following his example, the Diocese of Charlotte initiated its own Eucharistic Congress seven years ago, with the most recent congress in September attracting more than 11,000 faithful.

Archbishop Donoghue also believed deeply in the importance of Catholic schools and fostered efforts to build new Catholic schools – including two archdiocesan high schools and three archdiocesan elementary schools in the Atlanta archdiocese, and two diocesan schools in the Charlotte diocese.

Archbishop Donoghue also was devoted to the pro-life cause, frequently speaking on the teaching of the Church on the dignity of human life from conception until natural death and participating in prayer vigils and marches.

He retired as archbishop on Dec. 9, 2004, when Pope John Paul II accepted his retirement due to age.

— Gretchen Keiser, The Georgia Bulletin

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

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‘The past nine years (as Bishop of Charlotte) have been the happiest of my life. I would have been happy (to stay in Charlotte) for the rest of my life.’

— Archbishop Donoghue in his remarks to Pope John Paul II during his ad limina visit to Rome in July 1993

Former Charlotte shepherd taught by example how ‘To Live in Christ Jesus’ SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte lost a beloved former bishop on Nov. 11, as Archbishop Emeritus John F. Donoghue – the second Bishop of Charlotte and former leader of the Archdiocese of Atlanta – passed away in Georgia after a long illness.

Archbishop Donoghue is remembered by his former staff and people of the Charlotte diocese for living his motto, “To Live in Christ Jesus,” in words and deeds during his nine years here. His love of the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother, his collaborative style of management, his commitment to Catholic education and social justice issues, and his ability to foresee and respond to the rapid growth taking place across the diocese made him an effective shepherd during his tenure from 1984 until 1993.

He came to North Carolina in 1984, after Pope John Paul II chose him to be ordained as Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte after spending most of his priestly life in administration in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He replaced Bishop Michael J. Begley who, having reached age 75, retired from active ministry.

Bishop Donoghue and Bishop Begley became close friends, and Bishop Donoghue greatly appreciated having a listening ear in the first bishop of Charlotte. Archbishop-elect Donoghue spoke to his predecessor warmly before he left the diocese for Atlanta in 1993: “You welcomed me so warmly, made me feel an important part of this diocese, never interfering or criticizing the decisions I made.”

— Bishop Peter J. Jugis

Fourth and current Bishop of Charlotte

‘May God grant this good and devoted servant that blessed joy that He promised to those who leave everything to follow Him.’ — Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin Third Bishop of Charlotte

‘He traveled to all 46 counties in western North Carolina within the first year on the job – not confirmation visits, but pastoral visits, to listen and get acquainted.

That was truly impressive.’

LED BY CONSULTATION

Witnessing this friendship between the bishops was Monsignor John J. McSweeney, now pastor of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. The first priest ordained in the Diocese of Charlotte, Monsignor McSweeney served as Bishop Donoghue’s chancellor and vicar general and lived in the rectory with the bishop for seven years. He remembers being impressed by the solicitude and friendship between the two leaders. The three of them would often go out on Saturday nights for ice cream.

“He sought Bishop Begley’s advice and consulted with him, and he consulted with as many people overall as he could. He was a consultative leader,” said Monsignor McSweeney, who was also amazed at Bishop Donoghue’s efforts to come to know the diocese as quickly as possible.

“He traveled to all 46 counties in western North Carolina within the first year on the job – not confirmation visits, but pastoral visits, to listen and get acquainted. That was truly impressive,” he said. “He made that a priority.”

CONVENED DIOCESAN SYNOD

Among his achievements here, he counted the Diocese of Charlotte Synod in 1986-1987 as his top accomplishment during his time in Charlotte. He gathered people from across western North Carolina to discuss the spiritual life, evangelization, education, poverty, lay ministry, councils and growth of the diocese. Goals were set and plans were formulated and implemented as a result of the collaborative synod.

“It gave us a direction, and helped coalesce all of the ideas that came together from the parish visitations,” he said afterwards. “Ultimately, the synod helped the entire diocese, by forcing us to address at least seven issues.”

Jim Kelley, director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, was a part of the synod. He knew Bishop Donoghue before the bishop appointed him to his current position with the diocese. Kelley served on

‘Archbishop John Donoghue was a great leader during his nine years of service in the Diocese of Charlotte.

His devotion to the Eucharist and perpetual Adoration, as well as his guidance in the establishment of the annual Eucharistic Congress, are testaments to his service to God that will live on in both Charlotte and Atlanta.’

— Monsignor John McSweeney

Chancellor and vicar general to Bishop Donoghue, now pastor of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

St. Gabriel Church faith formation students show Bishop Donoghue their classroom in the parish center in December 1992. the diocesan pastoral council and was pleased to help found the Office of Development with Bishop Donoghue to promote stewardship.

More than 25 churches and three schools were built or expanded during his tenure. The Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, opened in 1988, was also a significant project of his leadership. Through the Office of Development, he spearheaded the first diocesan-wide capital campaign, which raised $2.4 million to build the 50-room facility, designed to be a centralized meeting place and training center for the growing diocese.

“He was always open to new ideas and doing things in a different way,” Kelley said. “He was a true gentleman and a man that understood hospitality.”

CHRIST, SEE PAGE 5

‘He was always open to new ideas and doing things in a different way.’

—Jim Kelley

Director of the diocesan Office of Development

‘He was very kind, involved and encouraging. He was a great pastoral man.’

— Mercy Sister Paulette Williams Former principal of Charlotte Catholic High School

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

‘Be men and women of faith, who will always stand up for the truth. Rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you to the Way, the Truth and the Life.’

— Bishop Donoghue in his farewell letter to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte in 1993

Milestones during Bishop Donoghue’s Charlotte tenure, 1984–1993 1984 Dec. 18

1988 Monsignor John Francis Donoghue is ordained and installed as the second bishop of Charlotte

July December

1985 February

March May June July October

Bishop Donoghue grants permission for first Latin Mass to be celebrated since 1970 Parish worship center at Holy Family in Clemmons is dedicated St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte is dedicated St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte is dedicated Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point is dedicated Diocese of Charlotte Synod meetings begin

St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church is dedicated Bishop Donoghue dedicates the main building of the newly constructed Catholic Conference Center near Hickory

1989 March July

October

Ground broken for Our Lady of the Assumption Church Ground broken for Good Shepherd Church in King St. Matthew facility is dedicated in south Charlotte St. Bernadette Church in Linville is dedicated St. Peter Church in Charlotte is rededicated; Ben Long frescoe completed

1990

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTOS

Bishop Donoghue declares the beginning of a “Decade of Evangelization” February Our Lady of the Assumption Church is dedicated December New church for the Catholic Hispanic Center “Cristo Rey” blessed

Above: Bishop Donoghue kneels during his ordination as the second bishop of Charlotte on Dec. 18, 1984.

At left: (from left) Bill Hausle and Jim Kelley show Bishop Donoghue the plans for the new Catholic Conference Center in 1988.

1991 January

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

Bishop Donoghue gives communion to Mercy Sister Christine Beck in April 1987 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

1986 April June

September

St. William Church in Murphy is dedicated Bishop Donoghue becomes first Catholic bishop to address Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. He tells the assembly that churches should be more public in their demands for peace.

A new St. Gabriel Church is blessed and dedicated

September November

Bishop Donoghue issues a statement calling for Catholics to join in prayer for a peaceful and just resolution to the crisis in the Persian Gulf The Catholic News & Herald begins publishing under his leadership A pastoral letter, “Life Has No Place for Active Euthanasia,” written

by Bishop Donoghue, expresses his concern over the moral crisis created when euthanasia is deemed acceptable by society

1987 Final priorities of Diocesan Synod Committee heard, Diocesan Implementation Committee created to oversee synod goals

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

Bishop Donoghue signs the Synod documents in May 1987 at St. Patrick Cathedral.

1993 January

1992 May July September

The new St. Mary Church in Shelby is dedicated Diocese of Charlotte Faith Formation Office is formed “Letter from the Bishops to the People of the Province,” signed jointly by Bishop Donoghue, Archbishop James Lyke of Atlanta, Bishop Joseph Gossman of Raleigh, Bishop Raymond Lessard of Savannah, and Bishop David Thompson of Charleston, opposes the death penalty All Saints and Our Lady of the Assumption schools are dedicated Ground is broken for St. Aloysius Church in Hickory Bishop Donoghue names the first regional board to oversee Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, the new regionalized Catholic school system

March June

Eight days after President Bill Clinton takes office, Bishop Donoghue writes an open letter, “We’re Listening Mr. President, Are You?” asking him not to weaken laws protecting the unborn St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro is dedicated Bishop Donoghue is appointed Archbishop of Atlanta

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

Bishop Donoghue participates in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., in 1993.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

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‘Finally, my brothers and sisters, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.’

— 2 Cor 13:11, from Bishop Donoghue’s farewell letter to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte in 1993

bishop of the N.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bishop Donoghue once said, “He helped me understand that this is the Lord’s command that we become one.” As more religious leaders joined their ecumenical efforts, the association LARCUM (Lutherans, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, United Methodists) was formed. The group still meets annually at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.

At left: Bishop Donoghue holds the North Carolina Catholic, the shared newspaper for the state’s two dioceses.

He started the Catholic News & Herald in 1991 in recognition of the diocese’s growth and unique needs.

‘PROVEN FRIEND’

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

Retired Bishop Michael J. Begley congratulates Archbishop Donoghue in 1993.

CHRIST: FROM PAGE 3

LOVED EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

One of the things that Kelley remembers most is Bishop Donoghue’s devotion to Adoration. “He spent time in Adoration every week. His Adoration time was the most important meeting he had all week,” he said.

Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, principal of Charlotte Catholic High School during Bishop Donoghue’s tenure, remembers his weekly visits to the Sisters of Mercy convent chapel on the Sacred Heart Campus in Belmont. She recalls, “He was very kind, involved and encouraging. He was a great pastoral man.”

It was in 1993, while on a trip to Seville, Spain, to the International Eucharistic Congress, that Bishop Donoghue received the call that would change his path: Pope John Paul II wanted him to succeed Archbishop James Lyke as Archbishop of Atlanta.

Bishop William G. Curlin, a fellow seminarian and long-time friend from Washington, D.C., was then appointed the third bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte by the Holy Father.

“I first met Archbishop Donoghue 60 years ago when we were brother seminarians in the Archdiocese of Washington,” remembers Bishop Emeritus Curlin. “During our seminary years and later as brother priests in the Archdiocese of Washington, he was a proven friend.”

Bishop Emeritus Curlin lauded his friend’s administrative experience in tackling the challenges in the Charlotte diocese, with its “sudden and remarkable growth.”

“May God grant this good and devoted servant that blessed joy that He promised to those who leave everything to follow Him,” he said.

‘GREAT LEADER’

He also understood the importance of Catholic education. In 1991, he led the first-ever regionalization of Catholic schools in the U.S., forming Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools out of what had been a parishbased system.

“I knew if we didn’t do something, we probably would end up with few or no schools. That’s why I am pleased with the regionalization here in Charlotte and why we are looking still to regionalization of other areas of the diocese,” he said at the time.

Under his leadership, the diocesan Faith Formation Office was also established.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis said Archbishop Donoghue established a strong foundation for the faith in our diocese that endures, particularly in love for the Eucharist.

He “was a great leader during his nine years of service in the Diocese of Charlotte,” Bishop Jugis said. “He saw that rapid growth was going to take place in the diocese, and he prepared the people and the parishes for it. His devotion to the Eucharist and perpetual Adoration, as well as his guidance in the establishment of the annual Eucharistic Congress, are testaments to his service to God that will live on in both Charlotte and Atlanta.”

ADVOCATED FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

HIS PARTING WORDS TO US

PROMOTED CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Social justice was another area where he led by example. He issued letters to government leaders opposing abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty.

He took part in prayer vigils outside abortion clinics, he participated in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and he helped set up social services to help the most vulnerable in the community, particularly immigrants and refugees.

ENCOURAGED ECUMENISM

Ecumenism was another of his priorities, which grew after he befriended Michael C.D. McDaniel, then

In his farewell letter to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte in 1993, Archbishop-elect Donoghue wrote, “You have been a source of inspiration and edification during my time in the Diocese of Charlotte. I thank you for the wonderful example as how to love as a genuine follower of Christ, and I would urge you to remain close to the Lord by following, unequivocally, the teaching of the Magisterium. Be men and women of faith, who will always stand up for the truth. Rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide you to the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Below: Bishop Donoghue delivers a homily during a Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral that was taped weekly and aired on local cable TV. CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO

This newspaper one of his legacies PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

CHARLOTTE — Archbishop John Donoghue left many legacies from his nine years leading the Diocese of Charlotte, including the founding of the Catholic News & Herald, now known as the Catholic News Herald.

The newspaper began publishing on Sept. 6, 1991. It was designed to be a tool for evangelization for the growing diocese, bringing together the diverse parish communities, fostering communication and building up the Church in western North Carolina.

Previously to the newspaper, the Diocese of Charlotte shared a publication with the Diocese of Raleigh, the North Carolina Catholic, which has since shifted to a periodical magazine. The split was amicable, as the growing diocese saw a need for its own paper to address the needs and concerns of western North Carolinians.

In the inaugural issue, Bishop Donoghue wrote, “I want The Catholic News & Herald to be a voice for evangelization. The unique challenge for all of us is to find an effective way to bring the saving message of Christ to all our people, to develop ways by which we can share the good news with our brothers and sisters, especially those who have fallen away from the Church, and with the thousands of people who are unchurched and have never had the opportunity to learn about Christ. …

“I agree with our Holy Father, who has often stated that the Catholic press is a missionary in disseminating the truth and that the Church cannot accomplish its mission without a vigorous Catholic press. I want The Catholic News & Herald to be vigorous in expounding the truth.”

Twenty years later, the Catholic News Herald continues to try living up to the mission set by Archbishop Donoghue, with an expanded print edition focusing on local coverage – plus a new website, diocesan YouTube channel, Facebook page, online and web marketing efforts, and a Hispanic communications plan.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | November 18, 2011

Diocesan calendar of events BELMONT

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY.

BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE, 100 BELMONT-MT. HOLLY ROAD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks: NOV. 19 – 2 P.M. SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION St. Matthew Church, Charlotte NOV. 22 – 7 P.M. SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION Holy Angels Church, Mount Airy

— Arts at the Abbey: Holiday Concert with the Abbey Chorus, 8 p.m. Dec. 2 — “First Fridays at the Abbey,” 5 p.m. First Fridays (Sept.May), followed by dinner.

CHARLOTTE

2012 MARCH FOR LIFE: JAN. 13 — Mass for the Unborn, 9 a.m., St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East — Uptown March, 11 a.m., gather at Pastoral Center, 1123 S. Church St.

OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH, 2301 STATESVILLE AVE. — Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir in Concert, 3 p.m. Nov. 20 — Jazz Vespers Concert, presented by A Sign of the Times of the Carolinas, 4 p.m. Nov. 27

— Vespers for the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, Charlotte Catholic High School chapel, 4 p.m. Nov. 20.

Visit www.stbasil.weebly.com.

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 PROVIDENCE ROAD — “Our Lady: Her Role in the Church and Her Call to Discipleship,” presented by Father Al Winsham, Ministry Center, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 — Mass for Parents/Grandparents of Deceased Children, 12:30 p.m. Nov. 20 ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, 8451 IDLEWILD ROAD — Bereavement Care Training Seminar, 9:30-11 a.m. Nov. 19.

Contact Al Tinson at 704-575-6898.

— Natural Family Planning Class, Room 8, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Contact Meredith Magyar at 704-535-4197.

— “The Three Conversations that Changed the World,” Parish Hall,” 7:30-8:45 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

Registration requested to 704-535-4197.

1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 DILWORTH ROAD EAST

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, 1400 SUTHER ROAD — “Circle of Friends” Grief Support Group, office conference room, 7 p.m. Thursdays. Contact Robyn Magyar at 704-707-5070.

— Charlotte’s 36th Annual Citywide Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, with Monsignor John McSweeney, 7 p.m. Nov. 22. Donations of canned goods are welcomed. Contact 704-565-5455.

— Missa Cantata, 7 p.m. Dec. 7 ST. BASIL EASTERN CATHOLIC MISSION, 7702 PINEVILLE-MATTHEWS ROAD

Volume 21 • NUMBER 2

— Lectio Divina, 10-11 a.m. first and third Thursdays.

Contact Pat Donlevy at 704-541-8960.

TEMPLE BETH EL, 5101 PROVIDENCE ROAD

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 PARK ROAD

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

— “Building Our Catholic Identity,” presented by author and nationally-known speaker Joe Paprocki, D. Min., 9:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 10. Register at registration@ stmatthewcatholic.org. Contact Michael Burck at 704541-8362, ext. 4.

— Fall Scripture Study: “Understanding the Mystery of the Mass,” 10-11 a.m. Nov. 20. Contact Margaret at jmgusto@ bellsouth.net.

— Visit www.marchforlifecharlotte.org

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org HISPANIC COMMUNICATIONS: Carlos Castañeda 704-370-3375, cmcastaneda@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org ONLINE REPORTER: Kimberly Bender 704-370-3237 kdbender@charlottediocese.org

— “St. Joseph Didn’t Have a Blackberry,” NLC room 30, presented by Deacon Mark King, 7-9 p.m.

Nov. 30. Registration required to registration@ stmatthewcatholic.org. Contact Michael Burck at 704541-8362, ext. 4.

GREENSBORO

OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, 2205 W. MARKET ST. — “Christmas on Campus,” 6-8 p.m. Dec. 14. Contact Darlene Silknitter at dsilknitter@triad.rr.com or 336855-5342.

ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, 2715 HORSE PEN CREEK ROAD — Walking with Purpose Advent by Candlelight, 8:30 a.m.

Nov. 19. Contact Patty Disney at 336-382-2558. Visit www. walkingwithpurpose.com.

This week’s spotlight: Catholicism: Journey Around the World and Into the Faith For the first time, in breathtaking and highdefinition cinematography, the truth, goodness and beauty of Catholicism are illustrated in a multimedia experience. Journey with Father Robert Barron to more than 50 locations throughout 16 countries. Be illuminated by the spiritual and artistic treasures of this global culture that claims more than one billion of the Earth’s people.

PROGRAM WILL AIR ON EWTN: EPISODE 1: “Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus,” Nov. 19, 1 p.m. and 10 p.m.

EPISODE 2: “A Body Both Suffering and Glorious - The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church,” Saturday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.

EPISODE 3: “Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven: The Mystery of the Liturgy and the Eucharist,” Nov. 19, 4 p.m.

EPISODE 4: “A Vast Company of Witnesses: The Communion of Saints,” Nov. 18, 10 p.m., and Nov. 19, 5 p.m.

EPISODE 5: “World Without End - The Last Things,” Nov. 18, 11 p.m., and Nov. 19, 6 p.m.

HENDERSONVILLE

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, 208 SEVENTH AVENUE WEST — St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan order invites you to a “Come and See.” They meet 1-3:30 p.m. fourth Sundays. Contact Randy Hair, S.F.O., at 828698-6466 or Tim Gibson, S.F.O., at 828-606-1728.

ST. PIUS X CHURCH, 2210 N. ELM ST. — “Coping with Grief During the Holidays,” 2-4 p.m. Nov. 20.

Contact 336-272-4681.

— Advent Hymn and Christmas Carol Sing, 7 p.m. Dec. 9 — “Learn to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours,” Kloster Center, 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Contact Elliott Suttle at spiusx. lothclass@gmail.com.

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Our parishes CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

‘Christ Renews His Parish’ at St. Matthew this fall SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte is the largest parish in the Diocese of Charlotte with more than 8,000 registered families. This also ranks it as one of the biggest parishes in the country with more than 28,000 parishioners.

Now they have another distinction.

St. Matthew is the first church in Charlotte to offer the “Christ Renews His Parish” program, also known as Cornerstone. Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) is a national program that began in the 1970s and is now active in more than 1,000 parishes across the U.S. CRHP retreats last 26 hours and are offered for both women and men.

They are planned, organized and facilitated by members of the home parish. Seven witness talks are given by team members who reflect on God’s presence and action in important moments in their lives. Much like a Cursillo weekend, the retreat involves faith-sharing, Scripture study, personal reflection and the opportunity to receive the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist.

What sets CHRP retreats apart is that it is parish-based and designed to build community within the home church.

“CRHP gives you a sense of connectedness to the people in your own parish. It is meant to renew individual faith and build up community within the church,” said Michael Burck, adult faith enrichment coordinator at St. Matthew Church.

He has worked with this retreat format for 20 years at various parishes.

“I knew that God was faithful when I started the retreat, but to hear this theme repeated over and over in the very real and intimate stories of women just like me, has strengthened my faith and created an even deeper desire to know and love the Lord,” said Jenny Cox, a St. Matthew parishioner since 1999.

Two retreats have been offered at St. Matthew to date: a women’s retreat attended by 90 women of the parish Oct. 21-22 and a men’s retreat on Nov. 11-12 with 57 men in attendance.

For more information about CHRP, go to www.mycrhp.org.

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Belmont Abbey College sues federal government over new contraception mandate PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Belmont Abbey College is suing the federal government over a new regulation that requires employer health insurance plans to provide free contraception and sterilization, even if it may be contrary to their religious beliefs.

The civil lawsuit was filed Nov. 10 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit, public-interest law firm in Washington, D.C., that is representing the Catholic liberal arts college in Belmont.

In its lawsuit, Belmont Abbey College argues that the contraception regulation forces it to violate its religious beliefs or pay a severe fine. Named in the lawsuit are the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Treasury Department and their respective agency heads.

“A monk at Belmont Abbey may preach on Sunday that pre-marital sex, contraception, and abortions are immoral, but on Monday, the government would force the same monk to pay for students to receive the very drugs

and procedures he denounces,” said Hannah Smith, senior legal counsel at the Becket Fund, in a statement issued Nov. 10.

The new contraception regulation is part of implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which sets up new preventative health care coverage specifically for women at no cost.

That coverage includes services such as mammograms, prenatal care and cervical cancer screenings, but it also mandates free contraception, sterilizations and drugs (such as ella and “Plan B”) considered by the Church to be abortifacients – all of which are contrary to Catholic teaching.

For a religious employer that does not want to offer such services, the regulation written by the federal Department of Health and Human Services sets out a detailed exemption: An exempt religious employer is one that “(1) has the inculcation of religious values as its purpose; (2) primarily employs persons who share its religious tenets; (3) primarily serves persons who share its religious tenets; and (4) is a nonprofit organization” under specific sections of the Internal Revenue Code.

Catholic leaders across the country have

Read the lawsuit THE FULL TEXT of Belmont Abbey College’s complaint is online at www.becketfund.org/ wp-content/uploads/2011/11/HHS-ComplaintFinal11.10.11.pdf.

decried this exemption as too narrowly drawn – particularly parts 2 and 3 – and violates the Church’s religious liberty.

During a 60-day comment period that followed the regulation’s announcement on Aug. 1, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Catholic universities and schools, hospitals and charitable organizations voiced loud objections to the mandate, which is expected to go into effect in August of 2012.

The Church’s ministries do and should go beyond serving and employing Catholics, they say.

BAC, SEE PAGE 19

Mercy sister honored for service to Lebanese community PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

BELMONT — Mercy Sister Mary Michel Boulus was honored for her decades of service to the Lebanese American community Nov. 9 during a special Maronite Catholic Mass and luncheon featuring the Lebanese ambassador to the U.S. and several of her former students.

Sister Michel was presented with a plaque from the president of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, by Ambassador Antoine Chedid, in gratitude for the college scholarship program she started for Lebanese students in the 1970s and for the years she spent teaching English to Lebanese students.

The scholarship program enabled Lebanese students to come to the U.S. to study at the now-closed Sacred Heart College adjacent to the Sisters of Mercy convent. Sister Michel helped them to settle into American life and helped to build up the Lebanese American community in Belmont and throughout North Carolina.

Chedid said it took him a while to read her resume. “It is the story of devotion, humility, rightfulness and of success,” the

ambassador said. “Throughout her religious life, Sister Michel has served God, the Church, the human being, the needy, and served the American people with vision, love, integrity and silent enthusiasm.”

Sister Michel’s parents emigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon, and she was born in North Carolina. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1949, and she served as president of Sacred Heart College from 1975 to 1987.

Prior to assuming administrative roles with the Sisters of Mercy, she taught at O’Donoghue High School (a forerunner of Charlotte Catholic High School), Charlotte Catholic High, Asheville Catholic High School, and at Sacred Heart Academy and College.

During the luncheon at the Sisters of Mercy’s administration center in Belmont, former students, family, dozens of fellow Mercy sisters, convent staff and supporters recounted how Sister Michel touched their lives.

Among them was Walid Maalouf, a former student of Sister Michel’s who is now a U.S. citizen, past public U.S. delegate to the United Nations and past director of public diplomacy at the U.S. Agency for

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PAUL BOND, SISTERS OF MERCY-SOUTH CENTRAL COMMUNITY

Mercy Sister Michel Boulus holds her honor from the president of Lebanon for possessing “unique gifts of the mind and spirit” and in recognition of a college scholarship program she established for Lebanese students in the 1970s. Her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon.

International Development.

“Lebanese and Lebanese Americans have a long history with the Sisters of Mercy MERCY SISTER, SEE PAGE 19

8

OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Conference Center in Hickory. Approximately 60 educators from diocesan, school and parish ministries attended.

— Dr. Cris Villapando

In Brief Norris works as legal intern CHARLOTTE — Shannon Norris of Charlotte has joined the Diocese of Charlotte’s legal department as an intern while she completes her paralegal degree at King’s College.

— Richard A. Lucey

Remembering All Souls

St. Matthew parishioners join hands and pray for life CHARLOTTE — Members of the parish Respect Life Ministry and others from St. Matthew Church in Charlotte participated in a Life Chain on Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 2. More than 150 people spent one hour in silent, peaceful protest in support of human life from conception to natural death. Participants held signs and stood shoulder to shoulder along Ballantyne Commons Parkway in front of St. Matthew Church that day.

— Jenny Cox and Tomas Roy

ASHEVILLE — Participants in Asheville’s first 40 Days for Life campaign gathered Nov. 2 outside Femcare, western North Carolina’s abortion provider. Those keeping vigil include parishioners of St. Barnabas Church in Arden, and the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville. Lillian Porter (standing, third from left) organized the prayer vigil.

— Maureen Kennedy

Sisters of Life visit Greensboro GREENSBORO — The Sisters of Life recently visited Greensboro to attend the Room at the Inn of the Triad banquet and speak to students at Bishop McGuinness High School and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. They shared their vocation stories with the young people over ice cream brownies.

“Their presence here has definitely planted a seed in the hearts of the students on the question of vocation and we look forward to heading to New York City in March to do an ‘alternative spring break’ with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and the Sisters of Life,” said Dominique Seraphin, director of Catholic campus ministry at UNCG.

CARLOS CASTAÑEDA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Wedding Anniversary Mass Approximately 50 couples from around the diocese gathered Nov. 6 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte to celebrate and renew their marriage vows. The Mass, an annual tradition for the Diocese of Charlotte, honored couples who commemorated 25 and 50 years of marriage and was celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

learned about Christ through dynamic talks and skits, as well as Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and confession. To top off the weekend, the group had a fun-filled afternoon of recreation.

— Meredith Magyar

St. Mark students put on fall festival CHARLOTTE — St. Mark “Faith Rocks” sixthand seventh-grade faith formation students hosted their 10th annual fall festival for more than 500 families and friends Oct. 21. Proceeds from the annual festival provide funds for the many service projects the middle-school program offers to the community.

— Donna F. Smith

— Dominique Seraphin

45 attend ‘Sowers’ conference, hear Father Brzoska

Day of prayer for peace held GREENSBORO — The Franciscan Family of Greensboro, S.F.O., held a reception following Mass Oct. 27 for the Day of Prayer for Peace celebration at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro.

— Marilyn Duraj-Showers, S.F.O.

Curriculum workshop held HICKORY — Sister Johanna Paruch, PhD., a Franciscan Sister of St George, recently conducted an Education Vicariate training day about curriculum design at the Catholic

DENVER — About 45 people attended a faith formation conference recently at Holy Spirit Church in Denver. Father David Brzoska, pastor of St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone, conducted the general session of the Sowers of Seeds XVI Conference, speaking about the Beatitudes as the Christian attitude needed in life, as well as the ministry. The conference provides both faith enrichment to interested adults and systematic training of catechists in the central region of North Carolina.

— Dr. Cris Villapando

Middle schoolers attend camp CHARLOTTE — Over the weekend of Oct. 15-16, more than 90 middle school students and catechists from St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte attended their second annual Camp Thunderbird retreat. The theme was “Hands and Feet of Christ.” During the retreat, students

Asheville homeschoolers visit Belmont Abbey BELMONT — Members of the Catholic Association of Family Educators, the Ashevillebased Catholic homeschool group, visited Belmont Abbey Oct. 6 to learn about the Benedictine community. Pictured with students and parents is Brother Edward Mancuso, who spent two hours with the group in the Abbey Basilica and the monastery. Following the session with Brother Edwards, a CAFE graduate and Belmont Abbey student Rebekah Torres gave the group a tour of Belmont Abbey College.

— Barbara Edwards

Columbiettes install new officers MOUNT AIRY — The newly elected officers of the Western Chapter of Columbiettes were installed recently at Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy. Pictured are: Joan Schlicker, financial secretary; Sara Archer, sentinel; Jeanette Kilen, president; Megan Hauser, installing officer and past president of the Columbiettes of North Carolina; Kathy Balding, vice president; Norma Garcia, secretary; and Kris Miller, immediate past president and state advocate.

— Jeanette Kilen

OUR PARISHESI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

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St. Patrick parishioners prepare to make ‘Total Consecration to Mary’ 33-day devotion culminates Dec. 8 SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTE — St. Patrick Cathedral parishioners have a special place in their hearts for the Blessed Mother. There are four statues of Our Lady inside the cathedral, a painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel, and depictions of moments of her life in several of the stained glass windows around the cathedral.

Father Christopher Roux, pastor and rector of the cathedral, shares this devotion to the Blessed Mother. He travels annually to Fatima, Portugal, to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, leading pilgrimages for the seminarians

of the Diocese of Charlotte. He also has a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima that he displays to mark the October anniversary of Our Lady’s final apparition to the children of Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun. A short time ago, Father Roux suggested to the Prayer Works ministry at the cathedral that the parish make a ‘Total Consecration to Mary’ using the devotional book by St. Louis de Montfort to prepare. He told parishioners that he had been considering this for about a year and that the spiritual benefits would be immeasurable. “‘Total Consecration to Mary,’” he said, “if undertaken seriously, lovingly and faithfully, offers spiritual graces and blessings, not

only in this life, but it also guarantees we will not lose our soul in the next.”

“Preparation for Total Consecration” is a 33-day period which includes a preliminary period of 12 days during which the faithful endeavor “to free ourselves from the spirit of the world.” That is followed by a second period of three weeks. The first of these three weeks is devoted to the knowledge of ourselves, the second to that of the Blessed Virgin, and the third to that of Jesus Christ.

The cycle of preparation (daily prayers and meditations taking about 10 minutes per day) typically begins on a date that will end on a Marian feast day.

The parish began the “Preparation for

Total Consecration to Mary” on Nov. 5 using St. Louis de Montfort’s book, and will continue until the day of Consecration, Dec. 8 – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On that day, the Consecration will take place at all of the Masses at St. Patrick Cathedral.

Anita Veyera, head of the parish’s Prayer Works ministry, shares the goal of the prayer outreach for the Total Consecration, stating, “Our hope and prayer is that Our Blessed Mother will become the Queen of many, many hearts.”

More information about the “Total Consecration to Mary” can be found at: www.rosaryarmy.com/?page_id=16.

Catholics hear speaker teach about Cherokee history and its impacts today JOANITA M. NELLENBACH CORRESPONDENT

SYLVA — Families forced to emigrate to an alien land. Children taken from their parents and placed in government-run boarding schools.

Patty Grant, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, spoke recently at St. Mary, Mother of God Church about how this history has impacted her, her family and Cherokees in general.

The program, “Catholics and Cherokees: Healing the Soul Wound,” was also presented at St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville, St. William Church in Murphy, and St. Jude Church in Sapphire Valley. The Smoky Mountain Vicariate sponsored the program to help Catholics and others better understand how past events influence people today.

Grant holds a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and is a licensed clinical social worker. She has 18 years as a mental health and substance abuse counselor and a founding member of the Healing and

Wellness Coalition (HWC) on the Qualla Boundary, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ tribal land.

The “soul wound” in the program’s title is “historical grief and intergenerational trauma.” Quoting Dr. Maria Yellow Horse Braveheart, a member of the Lakota tribe and a professor and researcher at Columbia University, Grant explained that such grief and trauma is “a cumulative and psychic wounding across generations related to massive root trauma.”

HWC was founded “to address the loss of culture and traditions that are a result of acculturation, historical trauma, grief and loss which cause many of the social problems that affect the well-being of Native Americans, especially the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to educate community members and service providers [about] these effects, and to begin the healing process from the effects of historical grief and trauma.”

“At least three to five generations of Cherokees experienced a complete loss of culture,” Grant said, “loss of language, land, identity and traditional beliefs.”

The Cherokee lived for at least 10,000 years in what is now western North Carolina and other Southeastern states. They farmed and hunted, lived in houses, and had a representational form of government.

Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, developed an 86-character syllabary in 1821 so his people could read and write their language.

In the winter of 1838-1839, the U.S. government forcibly removed 17,000 Cherokees from their homes and marched them to Oklahoma so their land in North Carolina and other Southeastern states could be opened to white settlement. More than 4,000 Cherokees died on the “Trail of Tears.”

Some 1,000 managed to avoid the removal; they’re the ancestors of the Eastern Band.

In the 1870s the U.S. government began to establish boarding schools. The Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania was the first, founded by Army Col. William Pratt, whose philosophy was “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”

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children attended these boarding schools.

The children were punished for speaking their native language, wearing traditional clothing, or practicing their religion or ancient beliefs.

“You can imagine what it was like to be told you couldn’t be who God created you to be,” Grant said.

Grant’s mother was in the school on the CHEROKEE, SEE PAGE 19

10

OUR PARISHES

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

Born in the Spirit: Charismatic Congress set for Nov. 26 CARLOS CASTAÑEDA CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — The first Hispanic Diocesan Charismatic Congress will take in place in the Cabarrus Arena, next Saturday, Nov. 26, starting at 8 a.m.

Father Alvaro Riquelme, director of the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal Movement, is in charge of organizing this event. “We are very excited for this opportunity to bring the first event of this growing lay movement of our diocese,” Father Riquelme said.

There are approximately 800 active charismatic members expected to attend the congress.

The Charismatic Renewal Movement started as one of the fruits of Vatican II. With a strong Pentecostal influence, the movement focuses its spirituality precisely in the feast of Pentecost, the moment when the Holy Spirit infused its gifts to the Apostles, providing them with the power that comes from the Holy Spirit to evangelize and show the world the power of God. “When the day of Pentecost came,

they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4) Charismatics around the world represent 12 percent of total Catholics, with a significant Hispanic majority, around the world, Father Riquelme said.

“We are working on training and teaching charismatics leaders around the diocese, in a two-year course. We expect to bear fruits in the future, having these leaders training others in their own communities, to continue growing in faith,” he said. “Finally, I would like to invite all the diocesan community to celebrate this first Charismatic Diocesan Congress, next Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Cabarrus Arena, starting at 8 a.m. We really look forward to being around the joy of the living Christ and be renewed by the Holy Spirit.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLYN A. DINOVO AND PATRICK WELSH, PONTIFICAL COLLEGE JOSEPHINUM

Seminarians receive ministries towards priestly formation Three seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, received ministries Nov. 13 as part of their ongoing formation for the priesthood. Casey A. Coleman and Brian J. Kaup were installed as Readers, commissioned to proclaim the Word of God in the liturgical assembly and to catechize the faithful. Paul D. McNulty was installed as Acolyte, entrusted with the duties of attending to the altar, assisting the deacon and priest at Mass, and distributing Holy Communion as an extraordinary minister. The Institution of Readers and Acolytes took place at the Pontifical College Josephinum, during Mass celebrated by Nashville Bishop David R. Choby. Pictured from left are: Paul McNulty, Casey Coleman, Bishop David Choby, Brian Kaup and Father James Wehner (rector).

GEORGE A. HOFFMAN JR. | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Veterans honored at Our Lady of Consolation CHARLOTTE — Members of the prayer shawl ministry at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte honored local veterans Nov. 6 during a breakfast and program, led by Capuchin Father Martin A. Schratz, pastor. Veterans were presented with prayer shawls crafted by the ministry members. Pictured from left: Members of the prayer shawl ministry Jean Jordan, Carmen Pantoja-Perez, Sherry Wray-Cooper, Carol Connor, Rosita Vasquez and Nayira Warren presented veterans with prayer shawls during the event. Wray-Cooper was among those honored during the event for her military service: she served in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1993. Father Schratz was also thanked for his service on the spiritual battlefield.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHANNON C. HABENICHT

Honoring those serving in the military CHARLOTTE — Parishioners at St. Gabriel Church honored those in the military on Nov. 6 with a military appreciation Mass celebrated by Father Francis J. O’Rourke. The celebration focused on veterans and included active-duty military personnel. Parishioners also created cards to send to military personnel serving overseas.

OUR PARISHESI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

Former Concord pastor Father Jack Smyth dies at 73 Redemptorist Father John Louis Smyth, the former pastor of St. James Church in Concord, died Nov. 3, 2011, surrounded by his confreres at their religious community in Stella Maris in Timonium, Md. He was 73. A funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 9, 2011, at Sacred Heart Church in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., followed by burial at the Edgewater Cemetery.

The Redemptorist missionary, superior and administrator Smyth was remembered as a tenaciously hard-working priest who spent nearly 20 years in South American missions and then returned to the U.S. to spend many more years working in parishes in five states.

He served as pastor of St. James Church from 1999 to 2002, and he also served as vicar forane (that is, head) of the Salisbury vicariate in the diocese.

Father Smyth was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., on March 13, 1938, and professed his first vows on Aug. 2, 1959. He was ordained a priest on June 21, 1964.

His first assignments required him to learn Portuguese so that he could minister and preach in Campo Grande, Brazil. He began working in Guaratuba as a young priest in 1966. He continued to serve in South America for the next 19 years in Ponta Pora, Aquidauana, Tibagi and Ponta Grossa.

In 1985 he returned to the U.S. and was appointed to the Baltimore Province Missionary Team. He preached numerous parish missions along the entire East Coast, from Maine to the Caribbean.

Then in 1995 he was transferred to the Vice Province of Richmond, where he served in St. Francis by the Sea Parish in Hilton Head, S.C., Sacred Heart Parish in Griffin, Ga., St. James Parish in Concord, St. Alphonsus Retreat Center in Venice, Fla., St. Michael’s Parish in Wauchula, Fla., and Sacred Heart Parish in New Smyrna Beach. He was the last superior appointed to the Holy Family Retreat House in Hampton, Va. In addition to these varied pastoral responsibilities, he also served the vice province in an administrative capacity as a consultor and vicar.

Confrere and classmate Father Frank Nelson remembered Father Smyth for “his deep spirituality.”

“This wasn’t always obvious because Father Jack liked to sport a bravado exterior.

But the truth is that he made a holy hour every day and never missed his private devotions. I’m sure most folks didn’t see this side of him and I doubt that he would want them to. But they did see the fruit of his prayer life – his priestly dedication. People knew there was something special about him and they never forgot him. Even when he was gone from this parish for over three years, people asked about him every day,” Father Nelson said.

‘His persistent dedication to the ministry

began immediately with his ordination.

When he received his assignment to Brazil, he practiced the language so much that we used to kid him about being more fluent in Portuguese than in English. He was that good,” he continued. “He always found time for others. He was sensible and prudent and respectful. At Mass he was genuinely conscious that what he was celebrating at the altar was something truly extraordinary.

All of this stemmed from his deep and sincere spirituality.”

A second classmate, Father James Brennan, agreed. “I think of him as the all-American boy grown up with a crew cut, florid face, and barreled chest. He always gave 110 percent with great enthusiasm and energy. Father Jack could fill a room with fun and laughter. People liked him. People were drawn to him. And he will be greatly missed.”

“He was an excellent preacher,” remarked his Vice Provincial superior, Father Jerome Chavarria. “The people loved to come and listen to him because he was straightforward, no-nonsense, down-to-earth and practical whenever he spoke. He was my superior when I lived in Griffin, Ga., and he brought a balanced sense of prayer, work and humor to our community life. He applied himself to everything he did, including his recreation on the fairway greens. Even when he hit an errant golf ball into the ravines, he would emerge with renewed determination and a smile.

“But above all he was actually quite an inspiration without ever intending to be.

For example, he never complained about his health issues, even when he broke his back and became paralyzed as a result. I’m sure that his solid prayer life and his devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help gave him the strength and courage to persevere.”

In his own words, Father Smyth once wrote: “Father John Radley had a great influence on me. He used to play ball with us and when the game was over I can still remember him saying, ‘I hope all you boys will be at Mass tomorrow.’ He had the soul of Don Bosco. He gave me a booklet called Our Lady of Perpetual Help Magazine that had a fellow shooting a basketball on the cover and inside was a picture of a priest at the consecration. This gave me a bird’s eye view of community life – the idea of everyone striving toward the same goal. And watching the great work of the Redemptorists helped me to raise my own ideals, to aim a little higher, and to try to be like them. I realize that I have found real happiness in living a community life. The gifts that God and His Blessed Mother shower down upon us will ultimately bring us to our final goal of union with them through the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.”

Father Smyth was preceded in death by his mother, Viola Smyth, and sister, Gail Tometesko. He is survived by his sister, Lois Semplice, and several nephews and nieces.

— Stephanie K. Tracy, Redemptorist Office for Mission Advancement

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

This Christmas

“With their support, I was able to complete my nursing degree and buy my own home for my daughter Alyssa and me.”

Jessica, LPN

“RATIC gave me the love I needed during my pregnancy and supported me during and after my adoption plan.”

Stephanie, Birthmother

“I was living in my car when I came to RATIC. They made me a part of the family. I was able to complete both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. Today my son Gabe and I have a bright future.”

Leah, MSW

Room At The Inn of the Carolinas, Inc. (homes in Greensboro, NC and Bluffton, SC) is a unique, comprehensive program helping homeless, single, pregnant women (with or without previous children), not only during their pregnancies but also after the birth of their babies. By providing shelter, food, clothing, case management, in-house daycare, transportation, life skills education and counseling in a structured environment, we help these families have new lives of healthy, hope-filled self sufficiency.

Find us in the Official Catholic Directory (P.J. Kenedy and Sons)

Room At The Inn of the CAROLINAS PO Box 484, Colfax, NC 27235 (336) 996-3788

Visit our website: www.RoomInn.org On behalf of our mothers and children,

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

13

….will you give a little Jesus?

The young woman was tired and weary. Her life had changed dramatically months before when she found out she was pregnant. Her question, “How will this be?”, was met with assurance that with God’s help, all things are possible. As she rested in the lowly manger and held her newborn son, she reflected on the journey that her “YES” to God had started. Looking into the eyes of Joseph, she recognized the human love and support that Divine Providence had given her. That first Christmas, as others came to marvel at the sight, she was joyful and at peace knowing she had given the world a little Jesus.

Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Even today, as other young women unexpectedly face the news they are pregnant, they too, are asked to say “YES” and to trust in God’s care and love for them.

W Will you be the human love and support that these young mothers need to choose life? Whether she is a n teenager making an adoption plan, a young woman attending tee college who needs long-term support and assistance, or a new mother working hard to be able to provide a home for her family, Room At The Inn of the Carolinas offers housing, programs and services to meet the varying needs of the young mothers who come to us for help.

We have established Mary’s Fund, which will allow us to provide housing and programs for single, pregnant women suffering from homelessness. Your financial support will ensure that these young mothers will have the resources and support necessary to say “YES” to God’s gift of The Council on Accreditation accredits human service Life, regardless of how difficult or life-changing this decision organizations that meet the highest standards of Please use the envelope included in this issue of the Catholic News and Herald or make your gift via PayPal by visiting our website.

n

Credibility, Integrity and Accountability and that implement best practices throughout their agencies. We are proud that we have received this national recognition.

Through the generosity of a private donor, your gift to Mary’s Fund is being doubled!

“The service that this organization provides is exceptional.

It is respectful, supportive, continuous and enduring. The outcomes have been very impressive.”

Your tax-deductible gift will help meet this challenge and help these young mothers and children all year round.

Council on Accreditation Final Accreditation Report May 6, 2010

we pray that you and your families have a Blessed Christmas and New Year! Thank you for making “room at the inn”.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

National Night of Prayer for Life set for Dec. 8-9 CHARLOTTE — This year marks the 22nd annual Night of Prayer for Life, linking the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8 with the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego on Dec. 9, 1531.

The National Night of Prayer for Life bridges these two feasts to pray for the sanctity of life.

During the Hour of Unity, from midnight to 1 a.m., the faithful are asked to unite in prayer with churches across the country to end abortion and in reparation for sins against the Gospel of Life.

The National Night of Prayer for Life is a prolife prayer service consisting of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary, silent prayers and hymns.

Parishes are asked to sign up by contacting Maggi Nadol, diocesan Respect Life program director, at mnadol@charlottediocese.org.

Go to www.nationalnightofprayerforlife.org for more information about the event and to download prayers written in English and Spanish.

Holy Angels CFO wins award

Columbiettes sponsor retreat MOUNT AIRY — The Columbiettes (Auxiliary 11406) of Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy, held an annual half-day confirmation retreat Oct. 1.

Confirmandi spent the day in prayer, Scripture reading and sharing. Pictured from left are: (front row) Storm York, Cassie Hoge, Jamie Hernandez, Monse Ramirez, Ana Ortiz, Jessica Garcia and Christian Cabrera; (back row) Geri Rushing, Michele Gilley, Marge Johnson, Daphne Martin and Mary Bryer.

— Maggi Nadol

— Geri Rushing

BELMONT — Mike Giang, Holy Angels chief financial officer, recently received the CFO of the Year Turnaround Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal. During Giang’s 11 years as CFO, Holy Angels’ budget has increased from $6 million annually to $10 million, with assets increasing from $4 million to $16 million, as a result of the expansion of residential and other programs.

When talking about his role Giang at Holy Angels, Giang said, “In monitoring our finances, we make sure the resources we have are always to benefit the residents we serve – helping them have a better quality of life. This includes my sister Maime, who is a resident in our Belhaven group home. I experience on a very personal level the mission of Holy Angels – through my sister and the other 76 residents – unconditional love and unlimited possibilities.�

He credits much of his success to his parents,

who brought their family to North Carolina from Vietnam when he was 11.

Holy Angels was founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy. The private, nonprofit corporation provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities, many who are medically fragile.

WE WELCOME your parish’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

S P E C I A L P U L L- O U T S E C T I O N

EDITOR’S NOTE: This special section is designed for you to pull out and take to Mass. It follows the general Order of the Mass, with the instructional text printed in red and the prayers to say or sing printed in black (following the old saying, “Say the black, do the red.”). Changes in the people’s responses that will launch on Sunday, Nov. 27, are noted in bold. To help you understand the Biblical foundations of the Mass, there are accompanying footnotes with specific Scriptural references to those particular Mass prayers.

The Introductory Rites When the people are gathered, the Priest approaches the altar with the ministers while the Entrance Chant is sung. When he has arrived at the altar, after making a profound bow with the ministers (or if the tabernacle is in the sanctuary, the ministers genuflect), the Priest venerates the altar with a kiss and, if appropriate, incenses the cross and the altar. Then, with the ministers, he goes to the chair. When the Entrance Chant is concluded, the Priest and the faithful, standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.1 The people reply: Amen.

Then the Priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Or: and the love of God, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 be with you all.2

Or: The Lord be with you.4

1 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 28:19).

2 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Cor 13:13).

3 “…to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 1:7; see 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; Phlm 3); “Grace to you and peace” also occurs at Col 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1; Rev 1:4. See also 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Tit 1:4; 1 Pt 1:2; 2 Jn 3.

4 “Soon, along came Boaz from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, ‘The LORD be with you,’ and they replied, ‘The LORD bless you.’” (Ruth 2:4).

The people reply: And with your spirit.5

5 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.” (Gal 6:18). “The Lord be with your spirit.” (2 Tim 4:22)

Penitential Act

6 “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (Jn 20:19).

Then follows the Penitential Act, to which the Priest invites the faithful, saying: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

7 “Then David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly in doing this thing.’” (1 Chr 21:8).

A brief pause for silence follows.

Then all recite together the formula of general confession: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned,7 in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, And, striking their breast, they say: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; Then they continue: therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

8 “Hear, LORD, and have mercy, for you are a merciful God; have mercy on us, who have sinned against you.” (Bar 3:2).

Or: The Priest then says: Have mercy on us, O Lord.

The people reply: For we have sinned against You.8 The Priest: Show us, O Lord, Your mercy.

The people: And grant us Your salvation.9

9 “Let us see, O LORD, your mercy, and grant us your salvation.” (Ps 85:8).

10 “[The LORD] heals the brokenhearted; he binds up all their wounds.” (Ps 147:3); “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners.” (Is 61:1).

11 “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

(Mt 9:13).

The Priest, or a Deacon or another minister, then says the following or other invocations with Kyrie, eleison / Lord, have mercy: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:10 Lord, have mercy. / Kyrie, eleison.

The people reply: Lord, have mercy. / Kyrie, eleison.

The Priest: You came to call sinners:11 Christ, have mercy. / Christe, eleison.

The people: Christ, have mercy. / Christe, eleison.

The Priest: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:12 Lord, have mercy. / Kyrie, eleison.

The people: Lord, have mercy. / Kyrie, eleison.

The absolution by the Priest follows: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

The people reply: Amen.

12 “Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us” (Rom 8:34); “…in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens.”

(Eph 1:19-20); “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1); “When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb 1:3); “Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25).

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13 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Lk 2:14).

14 “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29).

15 “For you alone are holy.” (Rev 15:4).

16 “Let them know that you alone, you whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth.” (Ps 83:19).

17 “Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. ‘See,’ he said, ‘now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.’” (Is 6:5-7).

18 “For in him all things were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible.” (Col 1:16).

19 “Now the Lord is the Spirit…” (2 Cor 3:17).

20 “but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:6).

21 “the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father” (Jn 15:26).

22 “for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God” (2 Pt 1:21).

23 “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:48).

24 “…the creator, who is blessed forever” (Rom 1:25). “God who is over all be blessed forever.” (Rom 9:5).

25 “I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.” (Mt 26:29).

26 “and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ.” (1 Cor 10:4).

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | November 18, 2011

KYRIE ELEISON The Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) invocations follow, unless they have just occurred above: Or: V. Lord, have mercy.

V. Kyrie, eleison.

R. Lord, have mercy.

R. Kyrie, eleison.

V. Christ, have mercy.

V. Christe, eleison.

R. Christ, have mercy.

R. Christe, eleison.

V. Lord, have mercy.

V. Kyrie, eleison.

R. Lord, have mercy.

R. Kyrie, eleison.

GLORIA Then, when it is prescribed, this hymn is either sung or said: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.13 We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world,14 have mercy on us; You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For You alone are the Holy One,15 You alone are the Lord,16 You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

When this hymn is concluded, the Priest, with hands joined, says: Let us pray.

And all pray in silence with the Priest for a while.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Collect prayer, at the end of which the people acclaim: Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word FIRST READING / PSALM / SECOND READING Then the reader goes to the ambo and reads the First Reading, while all sit and listen. To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims: The word of the Lord.

All reply: Thanks be to God. The psalmist or cantor sings or says the Psalm, with the people making the response. After this, if there is to be a Second Reading, a reader reads it from the ambo, as above.

GOSPEL There follows the Alleluia or another chant laid down by the rubrics, as the liturgical time requires. Meanwhile, if incense is used, the Priest puts some into the thurible. After this,

the Deacon who is to proclaim the Gospel, bowing profoundly before the Priest, asks for the blessing, saying in a low voice: Your blessing, Father.

The Priest says in a low voice: May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim His Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Deacon signs himself with the Sign of the Cross and replies: Amen.

If, however, a Deacon is not present, the Priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly: Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,17 that I may worthily proclaim Your holy Gospel.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,19 the giver of life,20 who proceeds from the Father21 and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.22 I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Deacon, or the Priest, then proceeds to the ambo, accompanied, if appropriate, by ministers with incense and candles. There he says: The Lord be with you.

The people reply: And with your spirit.

The Deacon, or the Priest: A reading from the holy Gospel according to N. and, at the same time, he makes the Sign of the Cross on the book and on his forehead, lips, and breast.

The people acclaim: Glory to You, O Lord.

Then the Deacon, or the Priest, incenses the book, if incense is used, and proclaims the Gospel. 16. At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims: The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly: Through the words of the Gospel, may our sins be wiped away.

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

HOMILY

CREED At the end of the Homily, the Symbol or Profession of Faith or Creed, when prescribed, is either sung or said: I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.18 I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, At the words that follow up to and including and became man, all bow. and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist OFFERTORY When all this has been done, the Offertory Chant begins. Meanwhile, the ministers place the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal on the altar. It is desirable that the faithful express their participation by making an offering, bringing forward bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist and perhaps other gifts to relieve the needs of the Church and of the poor. The Priest, standing at the altar, takes the paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice: Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the bread we offer You: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.23 Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal.

If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the Priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim: Blessed be God for ever.24 The Deacon, or the Priest, pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly: By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.

The Priest then takes the chalice and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying in a low voice: Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the wine we offer You: fruit of the vine25 and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.26 Then he places the chalice on the corporal.

If, however, the Offertory Chant is not sung, the Priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim: Blessed be God for ever.

After this, the Priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by You, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in Your sight this day be pleasing to You, Lord God.27 If appropriate, he also incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. A Deacon or other minister then incenses the Priest and the people.

Then the Priest, standing at the side of the altar, washes his hands, saying quietly: Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.28 Standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his hands, he says: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

The people rise and reply: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His holy Church.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings, at the end of which the people acclaim: Amen.

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER Then the Priest begins the Eucharistic Prayer.

(Note: This text is taken from Eucharistic Prayer I, but there are three other Eucharistic Prayers.)

Extending his hands, he says: The Lord be with you.

The people reply: And with your spirit.

The Priest, raising his hands, continues: Lift up your hearts.

The people: We lift them up to the Lord.

The Priest, with hands extended, adds: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. The people: It is right and just.

The Priest, with hands extended, continues the Preface. At the end of the Preface he joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people, singing or saying aloud: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.29 Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.30 The Eucharistic Prayer continues. Then come the words of consecration. Holding his hands extended over the offerings, the Priest says: Be pleased, O God, we pray, to bless, acknowledge, and approve this offering in every respect; make it spiritual32 and acceptable, so that it may become for us the Body and Blood of Your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

He joins his hands.

On the day before He was to suffer, He takes the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:

He took bread in His holy and venerable hands, He raises his eyes. and with eyes raised to heaven to You, O God, His almighty Father, giving You thanks, He said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples, saying: He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.

After this, the Priest continues: In a similar way, when supper was ended, He takes the chalice and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues: He took this precious chalice in His holy and venerable hands, and once more giving You thanks, He said the blessing and gave the chalice to His disciples, saying: He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY33 FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME. He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal, and genuflects in adoration.

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION Then the Priest says: The mystery of faith.

And the people continue, acclaiming: Or: We proclaim Or: Save us, Your Death, When we eat O Lord, this Bread and Savior of and profess drink this Cup, the world,35 Your we proclaim for by Your Resurrection Your Death, Cross and until You O Lord, Resurrection come again.34 until You You have set come again. us free.

The Priest continues with the Eucharistic Prayer, ending with the doxology, which follows: He takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he says: Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, for ever and ever.

The people acclaim: Amen.

COMMUNION RITE After the chalice and paten have been set down, the Priest, with hands joined, says: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say: He extends his hands and, together with the people, continues: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

With hands extended, the Priest alone continues, saying: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.42 He joins his hands.

The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming: For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours now and for ever.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says aloud: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles: Peace I leave You, my peace I give You;43 look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will.

He joins his hands.

Who live and reign for ever and ever.

The people reply: Amen.

EXCHANGE OF PEACE The Priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

The people reply: And with your spirit.

Then, if appropriate, the Deacon, or the Priest, adds: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace, communion, and charity. The Priest gives the sign of peace to a Deacon or minister.

FRACTION RITE Then he takes the host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the chalice, saying quietly: May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.

27 “But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received… So let our sacrifice be in your presence today and find favor before you.” (Dan 3:39-40).

28 “Wash me completely from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Ps 51:4).

29 “One cried out to the other: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!’” (Is 6:3); “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty.” (Rev 4:8).

30 “The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’”

(Mt 21:9).

31 “My vows to the LORD I will fulfill before all his people.” (Ps 116:14, 18). See Ps 22:26; 50:14; 56:13; 61:9; 65:2; 66:13.

32 “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1); “like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk…” (1 Pt 2:2).

33 “Drink from it, all of you, for this is the blood of my covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:27-28); “This is the blood of my covenant, which will be shed for many.” (Mk 14:24); see also Is 52:13 - 53:12, especially 53:12: “[he] bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors.”

34 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26).

35 “…we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” (Jn 4:42).

36 “I am the bread of life.” (Jn 6:35, 48).

37 “The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the name of the LORD.” (Ps 116:13).

38 “while Abel, for his part, brought the fatty portion of the firstlings of his flock.” (Gen 4:4).

39 Gen 15:7-21; 22:1-14.

40 Gen 14:18-20.

41 “Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?” (1 Cor 10:18).

42 “as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13).

43 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (Jn 14:27).

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44 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’” (Jn 1:29).

45 “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” (Rev 19:9).

46 “And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.’” (Lk 7:6-7).

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | November 18, 2011

LAMB OF GOD / AGNUS DEI Meanwhile the following is sung or said: Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,44 have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Then the Priest, with hands joined, says quietly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through Your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, Your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to Your commandments, and never let me be parted from You. Or: May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through Your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy.

The Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, says aloud: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.

Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.45

And, together with the people, he says: Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.46 The Priest, facing the altar, says quietly: May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.

And he reverently consumes the Body of Christ.

Then he takes the chalice and says quietly: May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.

And he reverently consumes the Blood of Christ.

The Concluding Rites If they are necessary, any brief announcements to the people follow here. Then the dismissal takes place.

The Priest, facing the people and extending his hands, says: The Lord be with you.

The people reply: And with your spirit.

The Priest blesses the people, saying: May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The people reply: Amen.

After this, he takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants.

The Priest raises a host slightly and shows it to each of the communicants, saying: The Body of Christ.

The communicant replies: Amen.

And receives Holy Communion.

Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says: Or: Or: Or: Go in Go in Go and Go forth, peace. announce peace, the Mass the Gospel glorifying is ended. the Lord of the by your Lord. life.

Following Communion, a sacred silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.

The people reply: Thanks be to God.

Then, standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, with hands joined, the Priest says: Let us pray.

Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim: Amen.

Then the Priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss, as at the beginning. After making a profound bow with the ministers, he withdraws.

EXCERPTED FROM THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL. COPYRIGHT: INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON ENGLISH IN THE LITURGY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT: U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS, WASHINGTON, D.C. USED WITH PERMISSION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

More resources online ■ www.usccb.org/romanmissal: You can find much more information about the revised Missal here, including detailed explanations of the revised texts, the preparation under way for the launch at Advent, and videos explaining the translation process, history of the Missal, talks by liturgy experts about the changes, and lots more.

■ www.catholicnewsherald.com: ■ Under the Revised Missal link, read a 10-part series by acclaimed Catholic News Agency columnist Louie Verrecchio, “Preparing the Way,” desribing in detail the changes in the people’s responses at Mass.

Missal Moments ■ Also under the Revised Missal link, read an in-depth, step-by-step guide to the Mass

by Father Matthew Buettner, pastor of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, excerpted from his book “Understanding the Mystery of the Mass - Revisited.”

■ old.usccb.org/romanmissal/samplespeople.shtml: Read or download a PDF chart of the people’s parts at Mass with interactive commentary.

■ www.icelweb.org/musicfolder/openmusic. php: Musical settings and accompaniments for each part of the Mass.

Seven videos explaining particular changes in the English text at Mass, featuring Father Brandon Jones, pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews, are online at the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel and at www. catholicnewsherald.com.

The series includes: #1: “And With Your Spirit” #2: “Many vs. All” #3: “Lord, I am not worthy” #4: “I believe in one God” #5: “Consubstantial” #6: “Bowing during the Creed” #7: “Holy, Holy. Holy”

Want more copies?

This section is designed for you to pull out and take with you to Mass. You may also download this special pull-out section as a PDF from www.catholicnewsherald.com and print extra copies as needed.

For inquiries, call 704-370-3333.

OUR PARISHESI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

BAC: FROM PAGE 7

From food pantries to adoption services, refugee resettlement and more, the Charlotte diocese does not scrutinize clients’ religious tenets before they help them. The diocese also hires people of all religious faiths, and diocesan schools enroll non-Catholic students.

Likewise, Belmont Abbey College has 1,700 students and more than 200 full-time employees, not all of whom are Catholic.

Therefore, unless the college restricts its enrollment and hiring exclusively to Catholics, it would not be able to qualify for the religious exemption on the health services and health insurance it offers to those students and employees when it renews its health insurance policy in January of 2013.

Abbot Placid Solari, chancellor of Belmont Abbey College, said in a written statement Nov. 11 that the college’s board of trustees “voted without dissent” to sue the federal government because the contraception regulation “is in direct opposition to the public and authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church. We therefore believe this is an egregious infringement on the part of the federal government of the right of free exercise of religion guaranteed to all American citizens by the Bill of Rights.”

Added the Becket Fund in its statement, “Belmont Abbey, as a small Catholic liberal arts college, teaches that contraception, sterilization and abortion are all against God’s law. The government mandate forces Belmont Abbey and others to make the Hobson’s choice of either violating their deeply-held religious beliefs or paying a heavy fine and terminating their health insurance plans for employees and students.”

In its lawsuit, the college states, “The government’s Mandate unconstitutionally coerces Belmont Abbey College to violate its deeply-held religious beliefs under threat of heavy fines and penalties. The Mandate also forces Belmont Abbey College to fund government-dictated speech that is directly at odds with its own speech and religious

‘We ... believe this is an egregious infringement on the part of the federal government of the right of free exercise of religion...’

— Abbot Placid Solari

Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College teachings. Having to pay a fine to the taxing authorities for the privilege of practicing one’s religion or controlling one’s own speech is un-American, unprecedented, and flagrantly unconstitutional.”

Many other Catholic organizations have voiced similar concerns, saying that unless the HHS regulation is changed or dropped, they would not betray Church teaching, and instead they would be forced to drop their health insurance policies altogether.

North Carolina and 27 other states have some kind of mandated coverage for contraceptives, but none is as sweeping as the HHS regulation, said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. Nineteen of those states – including North Carolina – have some kind of religious exemption, most of which simply state an employer may be exempt “for religious reasons.”

This legal battle over health insurance coverage and religious liberty is not new to Belmont Abbey College.

The Becket Fund also represented the college in a 2009 dispute with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over whether denying to pay for birth control in its employee health plan constituted gender discrimination. The EEOC initially ruled in March 2009 that the complaint by eight faculty members over the health insurance policy was baseless. In July 2009 the EEOC reopened the complaint, prompting college president Dr. William Thierfelder to vow he would close the college rather than be forced to offer or subsidize health services that contradict Catholic teaching. The case remains unresolved.

CHEROKEE: FROM PAGE 9

Qualla Boundary for six years, and her parents couldn’t speak to or touch her.

“There was a fence around the school,” Grant said, “not to keep the children in, but to keep the parents out.”

Cherokees did not become U.S. citizens until 1944. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 made it legal for Native Americans to openly “believe, express, and exercise” their traditional religious beliefs.

Many still carry the scars, the unhealed wounds resulting from the trauma and loss. “If feelings aren’t resolved,” Grant said, “we carry them with us.”

“We can choose to maintain the life as is

MERCY SISTER: FROM PAGE 7

and the former Sacred Heart College,” he said during his remarks at the luncheon.

“Sister Michel brought the late Danny Thomas (entertainer, philanthropist and Lebanese American) to Sacred Heart to help raise money to build the Sisters of Mercy motherhouse.”

Sister Michel’s scholarship program grew out of concern for Lebanese students trapped in the war-torn country during the mid-1970s.

“She decided to reach out to help the youth of Lebanon by starting the Lebanese scholarship program,” Maalouf said. Dozens of students passed through the program over the next decade, helping many Lebanese to earn an education and

or begin to process the losses and grieve in a healthy way and let go of unhealthy feelings,” Grant said. “If I do that, I will become a stronger individual.”

The Cherokees are reclaiming their culture, including immersion classes to teach Cherokee children their native language. Of the 13,000 enrolled members of the tribe, some 60 percent live on the Boundary. Grant estimates that only about 250 adults are fluent in the Cherokee tongue.

HWC’s mission statement notes that it is “committed to enhancing the lives of the people by honoring and reclaiming the seven Cherokee core values, especially by the reduction of substance abuse in a comprehensive manner primarily focusing on youth. The seven core values are: Spirituality, Harmony, Education, Sense of Place, Honoring the Past, Strong Character and Sense of Humor.

remain to become Lebanese American leaders who are in turn helping many others.

A cedar tree, the national symbol of Lebanon, was planted on the Sacred Heart campus in 1985 in recognition and thanksgiving for the program’s success.

“Your deeds are unforgettable and what you have planted continues growing to make Lebanon and the United States a better place for human dignity,” Waalouf said.

A rare Maronite Catholic Mass was celebrated by Father Nabil Mouannes in the Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Chapel in Sacred Heart Convent, at Sister Michel’s request.

Father Mouannes, a former student of Sister Michel’s, flew in from his parish in San Diego to celebrate the Mass and join fellow Lebanese Americans in honoring Sister Michel.

Now serving Charlotte and Greensboro

Advent

704-549-4010 336-665-5345

19

20

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

De

Cerca El Padre Alvaro Riquelme es el director espiritual de la Renovación Carismática de la diócesis de Charlotte. La Renovación congrega a cerca de 800 miembros a través de grupos de oración en las diferentes parroquias de la diócesis.

CARLOS CASTAÑEDA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CARLOS CASTAÑEDA CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD-ESPAÑOL

Nacidos en el Espíritu

CHARLOTTE — La Renovación Carismática de la diócesis reúne a más de 800 fieles esparcidos en grupos de oración por varias parroquias de la diócesis.

El Padre Alvaro Riquelme, de nacionalidad chilena, pertenece a la Congregación de los Misioneros Redentoristas y como Asesor Espiritual de la Renovación Carismática de la diócesis, ha podido ayudar a dinamizar y organizar el movimiento.

Con la invaluable ayuda de los propios laicos miembros de la Renovación se ha dado a la tarea de estructurar y organizar el movimiento estructurados dentro de la comunidad Católica Hispana. Estando en vísperas de celebrar el primer Congreso Carismático diocesano, quisimos reunirnos con él y conocer más del movimiento y su espiritualidad.

“Yo conocí a la Renovación Carismática cuando era laico. Ya que mi vocación nace de una conversión, para mí reavivar la fe a través de un bautizo en el espíritu encajó perfectamente como un nuevo inicio y el final de mi búsqueda,” puntualiza el Padre Riquelme. “Luego de ordenado sacerdote y al iniciar mis labores como párroco de la Iglesia San José, quise involucrar a la

Renovación en la vida de mi parroquia.

Gracias a Dios y al Espíritu Santo, el movimiento ha dado sus buenos frutos y hoy estamos ad portas de la realización de este primer Congreso Carismático diocesano,” agregó.

El movimiento carismático Católico, nacido hacia los post-conciliares años 70, surge en un contexto ecuménico en el que muchos le atribuyen orígenes pentecostales.

Dentro de la Iglesia Católica, el movimiento carismático agrupa al 12% de los Católicos, la gran mayoría de origen Hispano.

La Renovación Carismática se centra en lo que se conoce como el bautismo en el Espíritu, una forma de definir el avivamiento y el nuevo despertar de la fe. Este bautismo en el espíritu no es un sacramento. Se fundamenta en la fiesta de Pentecostés, la segunda fiesta Católica más importante, después de la Pascua. En este momento cumbre, el Espíritu Santo desciende sobre los apóstoles en forma de lenguas de fuego y reparte entre ellos sus dones, con el fin de ‘equiparlos’ para sus labores de evangelización. “Cuando llegó el día de Pentecostés, estaban todos juntos en un mismo lugar. De repente vino del cielo un ruido como el de una ráfaga de viento impetuoso que llenó toda la casa donde estaban sentados, y se les

aparecieron lenguas como de fuego que, repartiéndose, se posaron sobre cada uno de ellos. Todos fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo y comenzaron a hablar en otras lenguas, según el Espíritu les daba habilidad para expresarse.” (Hechos, 2:1-4).

El Padre Riquelme nos aclara algunos de los puntos o mitos que muchas veces distorsionan o confunden la percepción de los carismáticos ante otros grupos Católicos, al recibir dones como el de hablar otras lenguas, la profecía o el de la sanación.

“Mucha gente confunde o malentiende el hecho de recibir dones como el de poder hablar otras lenguas o el de profecía, con nuestra imaginación bien intencionada, pero humana. En esto tenemos que ser sumamente cautelosos. En mi calidad de Asesor Espiritual de la Renovación de la diócesis, puedo facilitar un mayor discernimiento entre los miembros para que estos dones legítimos no sean tomados arbitrariamente o sin control. Muchas veces, al simplemente aplicar los dones y frutos que nuestra Iglesia nos enseña que recibimos del Espíritu Santo, podemos tener el mejor filtro para saber y confirmar si estos dones son realmente fruto de la gracia de Dios y no pura imaginación.

Es crucial poder tener un balance y un discernimiento para no confundir lo que pudiera eventualmente ser parte de la

emoción,” acota el Padre Riquelme.

Gracias al Sacramento de la Confirmación, el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica nos enseña que recibimos los dones del Espíritu Santo: ciencia, consejo, fortaleza, inteligencia, piedad, sabiduría y temor de Dios. Asimismo, los frutos que son producto de una vida en el Espíritu son: caridad, gozo, paz, paciencia, longanimidad, bondad, benignidad, mansedumbre, fe, modestia, continencia y castidad. Estos dones y frutos son recibidos por todos los Católicos y son justamente la consecuencia o producto de una vida en el Espíritu.

Entre los proyectos que actualmente desarrolla la Renovación Carismática está la formación de líderes.“Se trata de un curso de dos años, luego del cual, se espera que estos líderes tengan un efecto multiplicador y puedan a su vez, educar y formar sus propias comunidades a través de la diócesis, acerca de la vida en el Espíritu y a través de la Renovación Carismática,” señala el Padre Riquelme. “Además, estamos ultimando detalles para la realización del primer Congreso Carismático diocesano, en el Cabarrus Arena, el próximo 26 de noviembre, desde las 8 de la mañana. Esperamos poder recibir a todos nuestros hermanos para gozar de la presencia viva del Señor y renovarnos en el Espíritu Santo,” finalizó.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

21

Aqui

estamos!

Encuentro Conyugal Diocesano 2011

Arzobispo John Francis Donoghue, Arzobispo de Atlanta, falleció el pasado 11 de noviembre, a los 83 años.

Monseñor Donoghue fue el segundo obispo de la diócesis de Charlotte. Su episcopado duró entre 1984 y 1993.

El Ministerio Católico Hispano de la diócesis de Charlotte invita al Encuentro Conyugal 2011, para parejas en unión libre, casadas por civil o por la Iglesia. Se llevará a cabo en la Iglesia La Sagrada Familia, en Clemmons, el sábado 19 de noviembre, de 8 a.m. a 10 p.m. El costo es de $30.00 por pareja. Informes con Marcos y Adarely al 336-491-2039, 336-273-2343 y nino05@hotmail.com

La Antorcha Guadalupana El Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte invita a todos a que participemos en esta actividad de solidaridad hispana que llegará a Charlotte el 24 de noviembre. La antorcha estará en Newton el 25 de noviembre, en Mocksville el 27 y en Greensboro el 29 y 30 de noviembre.

Con Cristo y Maria todo se puede!!

Informes: Delmy Ayala al 336-4651571, o a los teléfonos 336-963-3704, 336-273-2343 o nino05@hotmail. com.

En

contacto Envíenos sus noticias o anuncios y forme parte de esta sección Este espacio y sección es para promover y conectar a nuestra comunidad.

Todos los comentarios y sugerencias son bienvenidas. Si desea escribirnos, dejar sus comentarios, sugerencias u opiniones, así como para enviar alguna noticia o promover algún evento de su parroquia o grupo, por favor contáctenos: Carlos Castañeda (cmcastaneda@ charlottediocese.org, 704-370-3375.

Si desea participar escribiendo o formando parte del ministerio de comunicaciones, no dude en unirse! Contáctenos por email o visite: www.catholicnewsherald. com (Sección Español) e ingrese su información. Nosotros le contactaremos tan pronto como sea posible.

ARCHIVO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Falleció el Arzobispo John Donoghue, segundo obispo de Charlotte CARLOS CASTAÑEDA CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD-ESPAÑOL

CHARLOTTE — El pasado 11 de noviembre falleció el Arzobispo Emérito John Francis Donoghue, quinto arzobispo de Atlanta y segundo obispo de Charlotte, luego de una larga enfermedad y a los 83 años de edad.

La misa de cuerpo presente fue celebrada el pasado 17 de noviembre, por el Arzobispo Wilton D. Gregory, en la Catedral de Cristo Rey (Christ the King), en Atlanta, Georgia.

Entre los logros durante su episcopado en nuestra diócesis se encuentran el primer sínodo diocesano, el cual se celebró en tres oportunidades, entre 1986 y 1987; la reorganización de las escuelas Católicas en una estructura regional; el énfasis en la evangelización a aquellos que se alejaron de la Iglesia; y la creación del primer diario diocesano, separado de la diócesis de Raleigh, El Catholic News & Herald, en el año 1991. Monseñor Donoghue también jugó un papel muy importante en el desarrollo de la Alianza Católica-Luterana de Carolina del Norte, firmada en 1991, por las diócesis de Charlotte y Raleigh y el sínodo de la Iglesia Luterana Evangélica Luterana de América.

El Padre Fidel Melo, Director del Ministerio Hispano de la diócesis de Charlotte, recuerda la influencia que su episcopado sembró en el desarrollo de la multiculturalidad diocesana. “Mi vocación al

sacerdocio nace durante su episcopado, así como la de algunos diáconos permanentes. Fuimos los primeros nuevos seminaristas Hispanos a quienes Monseñor Donoghue quiso alcanzar, en este objetivo de abrir el seminario a estudiantes que hablan otros idiomas. Gracias a esta visión, la diócesis impulsó aún más la presencia Hispana y muchos de los que hoy somos sacerdotes, somos parte y fruto de esa vision,” puntualizó el Padre Melo.

El liderazgo de Monseñor Donoghue mostró una gran visión pastoral multicultural al promover la creación de algunas misiones Hispanas en los alrededores de la diócesis. “Algunas de estas misiones con el tiempo se fusionaron y dieron paso a lo que hoy conocemos como Donoghue las florecientes parroquias de Divino Redentor (Divine Redeemer), en Booneville y Nuestra Señora de las Américas, en Biscoe. Estas parroquias funcionan ofreciendo todos los servicios y sirven hoy en dia una gran demanda pastoral y espiritual de las comunidades hispana e anglo,” finalizó el Padre Melo.

Monseñor Donoghue (1984–1993) fue el segundo obispo de nuestra diócesis, precedido por Monseñor Michael J. Begley (1971–1984) y sucedido por Monseñor William G. Curlin (1994–2002).

El obispo actual es Monseñor Peter J. Jugis (2003–presente).

Our schools 22

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | November 18, 2011

Murphy church fits weekend meals into bags for needy students CHRISTOPHER LUX CORRESPONDENT

MURPHY — During Lent, Catholic Social Services invites parishes to take part in Operation Rice Bowl, a program that collects donations to help fund development programs that promote human dignity and encourage self-reliance. Twentyfive percent of the donations support efforts to alleviate poverty within the Diocese of Charlotte.

St. William Church in Murphy runs one of the programs supported by these local Operation Rice Bowl donations.

The Backpacks Ministry began when it was discovered that 3and 4-year-olds at a local pre-kindergarten school were not eating their snacks during snack-time. Instead, they were saving them so they would have food to eat over the weekend when they were at home. The publicly-funded school is for children who are not prepared for kindergarten. Being from low-income households, many of them risk going without food when they are not in school.

St. William’s parishioners partnered with an area Baptist church to provide weekend meals for the children. When the other church ran out of money, St. William members kept it going with the support of other parishioners and the diocese.

Each week parishioners from the confirmation preparation class gather to pack meals into bags for the students to take

home with them. Last year, they filled bags for 30 children, but this year there has been a huge increase. They now fill 51 bags with six meals every week. Because it is likely that the young children will be left to fend for themselves at meal-time, the bagged meals consist of food that is easy to prepare, such as PopTarts, applesauce and peanut butter crackers.

Michelle Calascione, the parish’s catechetical leader, reflects on the fact that these children rely on food that can fit into a small bag: “How many people can fit all the food they eat for a whole weekend into a single brown bag?”

Calascione says the ministry also serves an educational purpose for the young parishioners who pack the brown bags.

“They all know why they’re doing it, they know what the purpose is,” she says.

One of the confirmation class leaders, Sylvia Servin, says the students volunteer their time to do this because “we are called to make a difference in the world. These young children are preparing to receive a sacrament that confirms the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives; this ministry offers them the opportunity to share the fruits of the spirit with those less fortunate.”

With the ongoing support of the diocese and parishioners, the ministry has had no problem providing more than 300 meals each week. “It’s amazing,” Calascione says. “The generosity has been unreal.”

CHRISTOPHER LUX | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Hillary Higgins, a member of the confirmation preparation class at St. William Church in Murphy, helps fill bags full of food for needy students to take home with them on the weekends. The parish got involved after learning that young students at a local school were saving their daytime snacks to take them home, so that they would have food to eat when they were not in school.

St. Eugene Church 72 Culvern Street Asheville, NC 28804 Saturday, December 3 (10am – 6pm) Sunday, December 4 (9am – 2:30pm) The Artesanias Pachamama, a non-profit women’s cooperative in Manazo, Peru, brings handmade 100% Alpaca wool and Pima cotton sweaters, and beautiful indigenous crafts – all of designs and colors reflecting the vibrant nature of these women who live in one of the poorest and most remote regions of the Andes altiplano. The proceeds of their annual sales help empower them to be self-sufficient and support their families and community.

See us at: www.perusweaters.org or YouTube: Artesanias Pachamama, Peru.

Info: directorartesaniapach mamausa@yahoo.com

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 23

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM THOMPSON

Celebrating Columbus Day at OLG PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL

Checking out their new digs On Monday, Nov. 14, the students of the inaugural class of the new Christ the King High School visited the property where the permanent school will be built near Huntersville for an informal groundbreaking and celebration. This Sunday, Nov. 20, marks the school’s patron feast day.

Piedmont Council 939 of the Knights of Columbus in Greensboro joined with Our Lady of Grace School in recently having students do reading assignments and artwork in recognition of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World.

Kindergarten to eighth-grade students did various projects to display their knowledge. Kindergartners sang a song about Columbus; second-graders created mobiles of the three ships; third-graders prepared a 3-D map and fact sheets; fourthgraders drew posters using their computer skills; fifth-graders prepared fact and opinion sheets from their research; and eighth-grade student Sean Farley created a poem about Columbus. Pictured above is one third-grade class with their drawings of the three ships. In the background are displayed a fourth-grade class’s computerized drawings.

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To donate: National Religious Retirement Office/CHA, 3211 Fourth Street NE, Washington DC 20017-1194 Make your check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

Or give at your local parish December 10–11.

Mix

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In theaters

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | November 18, 2011

Local publisher’s motto, rooted in history, makes for thriving family business

‘Attractive and accessible’ approach key to success for Saint Benedict Press

Saint Benedict Press in Charlotte is marking the third year since it acquired TAN Books out of bankruptcy. Pictured at left is Conor Gallagher, vice president of the family-owned business.

SUEANN HOWELL STAFF WRITER

‘Jack and Jill’ Half-witted comedy in which Adam Sandler plays both a successful Los Angeles advertising executive and his well-meaning but irksome, Bronx-based twin sister. When Sis comes to town for her annual Thanksgiving visit, the ad man can hardly wait for her to leave again, until, that is, she artlessly wins the heart of Al Pacino, whom he’s been trying to convince to appear in a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial. Much violent slapstick and gross scatological humor, brief implied nudity, some sexual jokes, and adult references.

CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG

‘Tower Heist’ Crude action-comedy in which, abetted by a petty thief, the manager of a luxury Manhattan apartment building and several of his colleagues plan a revenge caper against the Wall Street financier who looted their employee pension fund. Some profanity, much sexual banter and innuendo, and a suicide attempt.

CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: PG-13

‘J. Edgar’ Clint Eastwood’s polished but taxing biographical drama recounts major events in the long public career of famed FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and attempts to reconstruct his enigmatic personal life. Its exploration of the three main relationships in Hoover’s life, with his domineering mother, his girlfriendturned-secretary, and his number two at the bureau, a man who was certainly Hoover’s daily companion over several decades and might have been his lover, feels sensationalized at times and will prove uncomfortable viewing even for mature audience members. Brief intense but bloodless violence, a scene of semigraphic adultery, homosexual and transvestite themes, and a same-sex kiss.

CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: R

CHARLOTTE —Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be proud of all Saint Benedict Press has accomplished. Three years ago, on Nov. 8, the Charlotte publisher acquired TAN Books out of bankruptcy. Since then, Saint Benedict Press has enjoyed annual double-digit growth – a rate that might seem miraculous given changes in the publishing industry and the anemic economy.

To understand the Sheen connection, you have to go back to the beginning, in the 1950s, when a man named Bud Gallagher befriended a young Scottish priest educated at Oxford University named Father John Bradley. Father Bradley had just taken a teaching position at Belmont Abbey College after having worked in New York City as the personal advisor to Archbishop Sheen.

Archbishop Sheen was incredibly popular because of his powerful evangelization style and comfortable communication style. He used radio and TV from the 1930s through the 1960s to capture people’s attention and encourage them to grow closer to God. His TV show “Life is Worth Living,” with his signature farewell blessing “God love you,” won him an Emmy Award and garnered worldwide attention. His cause for canonization was opened in 2002.

Father Bradley served with Archbishop Sheen during those fruitful years. When the archbishop referred Father Bradley to the abbot of Belmont Abbey, he welcomed the chance to join with the Benedictines to build up the Church in the mission territory of the south. From 1970 to 1978, Father Bradley served as Belmont Abbey College’s president.

Father Bradley brought the same zeal for the faith that inspired his work for Archbishop Sheen. He also became a mentor and best friend to Gallagher. Over the years he inspired Gallagher in his work as a publisher to present the Catholic faith the same way Archbishop Sheen did, making the faith attractive and accessible to people in contemporary society.

“Father Bradley influenced our family and our business,” said Conor Gallagher, vice president of publishing for Saint Benedict Press and the grandson of the late Bud

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAINT BENEDICT PRESS

Gallagher. “Father Bradley taught us how to present the Catholic faith in an attractive and accessible manner.”

Gallagher said he believes Father Bradley intercedes for Saint Benedict Press and played a special role in the acquisition of TAN, which was completed on the fifth anniversary of Father Bradley’s passing.

Gallagher also believes Archbishop Sheen is a big part of the company’s success.

The publishing house, with an everexpanding warehouse on Carowinds Boulevard in Charlotte, has seen its sales skyrocket in the past three years. It has published Bibles and religious books that appeal to people from all walks of life – many of whom seem to be pressed for time in this fast-paced world.

The company started out by taking Catholic literary classics and redesigning the book covers to make them more visually appealing. Over the past three years, it has also sought leading Catholic authors to develop original content.

Works like “A Year With The Church Fathers” by Mike Aquilina and a series called “The Classics Made Simple” present information about the history of the Catholic faith and its saints. The books present material – which may have seemed difficult to digest before – in a way that is understandable and appealing.

Saint Benedict Press has also produced a new line of Bibles, including the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE).

It has also created a deluxe leather limited-

edition library of Catholic classics, the “Cor Amoris collection,” made as a special fundraiser for the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte.

Its latest venture, “Catholic Courses,” debuts in December. “Catholic Courses” is comprised of college-level courses featuring audio and DVD lectures from the best minds in the Church. Titles such as “The Hidden Meaning of Lord of the Rings,” the “The Seven Myths About the Catholic Church and Science” and “Saints With a Past” provide in-depth, engaging insights into the subjects they explore.

“Catholic Courses” is the publishing house’s most ambitious undertaking yet, and involved building the set, filming last summer temporarily at the Haid Theater at Belmont Abbey College and building a new permanent studio at Sacred Heart Convent, the home of the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont.

“Every human being desires to know Truth…with that in mind, we created ‘Catholic Courses,’” Gallagher said.

He emphasizes that staying true to the company’s mission continues to be critical to its success. “I walk around here every day repeating those words, ‘attractive and accessible,’ so I stay focused on our mission statement. Our growth is directly related to sticking to it.”

For more information, go to www. tanbooks.com or call 800-437-5876.

Information about Catholic Courses is at www.catholiccourses.com.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 25

November 18, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Advent mediations available from Belmont Abbey professor BELMONT — The author of a popular Lenten meditations has just released a new edition of his Advent meditations, “Prepare the Way: Daily Meditations for Advent.”

Dr. Ronald Thomas, assistant professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College, is the author of a widely-sold book of daily meditations on the Stations of the Cross featuring the unique carved Stations inside Belmont Abbey’s basilica. Dr. Thomas has a Master of Divinity from Emory University and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.

The second edition of his daily Advent meditations has been updated for the current liturgical calendar, and it is being published through Saint Benedict Press of Charlotte.

“With his daily meditations, Dr. Thomas provides a 27-step path along which we can journey more deeply into Jesus’ loving heart, and through which Jesus can travel more deeply into ours,” according to the publisher’s website.

In “Prepare The Way,” Dr. Thomas writes, “The beauty of the generosity of God is that He will take anything we give Him. Any little thing. And He will receive it from us as if we had given Him everything.”

For details on obtaining a copy of “Prepare the Way,” go online to www.saintbenedictpress.com.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

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On TV ■ Sunday, Nov. 20, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Gregorian Chant from the Choir of the Friars of the Abbey Of Solemnes.” Musical pieces from a Gregorian Mass sung by the Monks' choir of the abbey of Solesmes. Scenes from different monasteries in Spain.

■ Sunday, Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 26, 4 a.m. (EWTN) “Joy of Music - Music for the Thanksgiving Season.” Diane Bish presents music from the Pilgrim Fathers Church in Leiden, Holland and the Stadtkirche in Celle, Germany with the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet.

■ Monday, Nov. 21, 5:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2:30 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 26, 6 p.m. (EWTN) “From the Heart of God: Catholic Charities Tulsa.”

Explore the work of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Tulsa, Okla.

■ Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Karol - A Man Who Became Pope: Part 2.” A 10-year-old’s journey full of encounters and events will mark the start of a long journey from worker, to poet and teacher, to a priest and finally, in 1978, to become the man who made history as Pope John Paul II. ■ Thursday, Nov. 24, 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25, 3:30 a.m., and Saturday, Nov. 26, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “EWTN’s Vatican Report.” Stay informed with important news stories from the Vatican, interviews with Church leaders, special exhibitions of sacred art and visits to lesserknown sites of Catholic interest in Rome.

■ Friday, Nov. 25, 10 p.m. (EWTN) "A Hill of Redemption." A documentary look at a centuriesold Christian community in Nagasaki, Japan, and at its members' faith-filled response to the nuclear bombing of their native city in the closing days of World War II. ■ Sunday, Nov. 27, 2 a.m., Friday, Dec. 2, 10 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “God Touches A Life.” In 1830 a French nun, Catherine Laboure, received a series of Marian apparitions that would change the world. This is the amazing story of her life, and how Our Lady used her to bring the Miraculous Medal to the world.

■ Sunday, Nov. 27, 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28, 1:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, 3:30 a.m., and Friday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “O Divino Niño Jesus.” Recorded in the Presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration dedicate this program to the Divine Child Jesus.

■ Wednesday, Nov. 30, 1 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “The Way to Life.” A look into the mysterious way in which God calls men to follow Him. ■ Thursday, Dec. 1, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Narcisa de Jesus.” St. Narcisa Martillo Moran, canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, was a laywoman who lived a life of intense prayer, austerity and mortification.

■ Friday, Dec. 2, 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Cloak of Juan Diego.” This documentary examines the history of the appearance of the Blessed Mother to Juan Diego and explains the current devotion of the Mother of God at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

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Our nation

26

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of Oakland, Calif., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, applauds a talk Nov. 14 during the annual fall meeting of the U.S. bishops’ conference. Bishop Peter Jugis attended the meeting along with Father John Putnam of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, who attended as a priestobserver.

CNS | NANCY PHELAN WIECHEC

Bishops discuss religious liberty, marriage, finances at annual meeting CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

BALTIMORE — At the start of their annual three-day fall assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops were urged to restore the credibility and beauty of the Catholic Church in the hearts of its members.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York called on his fellow bishops Nov. 14 to communicate to the world that the sinfulness of the Church’s members is not “a reason to dismiss the Church or her eternal truths, but to embrace her all the more.”

In his first presidential address since election as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last November, he opened and closed with the words: “Love for Jesus and His Church must be the passion of our lives.”

He described the Church as a spiritual family that “to use the talk show vocabulary ... (and) has some ‘dysfunction.’”

He said the bishops’ “most pressing pastoral challenge today is to reclaim that truth, to restore the luster, the credibility, the beauty of the Church.”

He noted that the Church still has plenty to say to the modern world.

“She dares the world ... to foster and protect the inviolable dignity of the human person and human life; ... to protect marriage and family; to embrace those suffering and struggling; to prefer service to selfishness; and never, ever to stifle the liberty to quench the deep-down thirst for the divine.”

But he cited “chilling statistics we cannot ignore” that

Read more FULL COVERAGE of each day’s events and votes at the U.S. bishops’ fall meeting is online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

“fewer and fewer of our beloved people – to say nothing about those outside the household of the faith – are convinced that Jesus and His Church are one. So they drift from her, get mad at the Church, grow lax, join another or just give it all up. If this does not cause us pastors to shudder, I do not know what will.”

Archbishop Dolan also said later that he was encouraged by a Nov. 8 private meeting he had with President Barack Obama at the White House.

He said he found the president to be “very open to the sensitivities” of the U.S. Catholic Church on issues related to religious freedom that the two discussed. He said it’s part of the current culture to try to limit the role of religion in the public square as a philosophical shift, “to push religion back into the sacristy” in a way, or in other words, to keep churches from participating in “the public square.” But the Church has faced such efforts since the early days of Christianity, he added.

Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., and chairman of a new Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, outlined

some of the issues at stake in a report to the bishops.

He said several situations involving Church and government are related to policies of the Department of Health and Human Services. They include draft HHS regulations that would require all private health insurance plans to provide coverage for sterilization and contraception, as well as restrict religious employers’ right to be exempt from the regulation.

HHS also recently denied a one-year grant to the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services to aid foreign-born human trafficking victims. The attention has focused on requirements in the guidelines for the new grants that called for agencies to offer the “full range of reproductive service,” including abortion and contraception, to trafficking victims.

Bishop Lori also cited the Department of Justice’s shift from defending the Defense of Marriage Act to opposing it in court “as an act of ‘bias and prejudice’ akin to racism, thereby implying that churches which teach that marriage is between a man and a woman are guilty of bigotry.”

He said the bishops see a pattern in culture and law to treat religion “as merely a private matter between an individual and one’s own God. ... Some decisions and some administrative regulations treat religion not as a contributor to our nation’s common morality but rather as a divisive and disruptive force better kept out of public life.”

— Contributing to this report were Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Mark Pattison and Patricia Zapor in Baltimore and Carol Zimmermann in Washington, D.C.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 27

November 18, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews catholicnewsherald.com

In other news from the USCCB fall meeting: Dolan: Penn State scandal shows scope of sex abuse scourge BALTIMORE — The scandal rocking Penn State University shows both the scope of the sex abuse problem and the value of safe environment training, Archbishop Dolan said, responding to a question during the first day of the bishop’s meeting in Baltimore. He said the news that has led to the indictment of several Penn State officials and the firing of the university’s president and its longtime football coach, Joe Paterno, “has reopened a wound in the Church as well. It shows that the scourge (of sex abuse) is not limited to any one faith and certainly not limited to priests,” he said. “It’s in organizations, in universities, all over the place, in families and, yes, in priests.”

Archbishop Dolan said the Church’s own sex abuse scandal “makes us a little timid about wanting to give advice – glass houses and all that.” But he said the Church’s experience with providing safe environment training to help children and their parents, as well as clergy and Church volunteers, become more aware of the warning signs of child sex abuse has been “phenomenally advantageous” over the past decade. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we have made major strides,” he said.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston gives the homily during a Nov. 4 Mass in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica with U.S. bishops on their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. Bishops from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were the first group of U.S. prelates to visit the Vatican to report on the state of their dioceses. As part of their “ad limina” visits to Rome, bishops are required to make a pilgrimage to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul in their respective basilicas.

3 percent assessment hike approved for 2013 BALTIMORE — The USCCB approved a budget of $217.4 million for 2012 and a 3 percent increase in diocesan assessments for 2013. The budget represents just a 3.1 percent increase over the current budget.

Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., USCCB treasurer, said it was “providential” for the USCCB to have undergone a reorganization in 2008, before the onset of the U.S. economic downturn. “By the time the financial disaster hit, this conference was already downsizing and reorganizing,” he said. “A year later, the entire world was being told to.”

New apostolic nuncio introduced BALTIMORE — New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, USCCB president, introduced the new apostolic nuncio to the U.S. to the U.S. bishops Nov. 14 at the beginning of their annual three-day meeting in Baltimore.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said he was pleased to be with the bishops for the first time and also expressed personal greetings from Pope Benedict XVI. He told the bishops the pope puts great hope in this country for the future of the universal Church. The nuncio also praised the U.S. for being filled with vitality and always looking for a better tomorrow.

The nuncio, who is Italian, served most recently as secretary-general of the commission governing Vatican City. He arrived in the U.S. just two days before the bishops’ meeting. On Oct. 19, he was named to fill the position left vacant with the July 27 death of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, who had been the apostolic nuncio to the U.S. since 2006.

Bishops discuss optional memorials BALTIMORE — The U.S. bishops, gathered in Baltimore for their fall general assembly, voted Nov. 14 to add Oct. 22 as an optional memorial for Blessed John Paul II in the proper of saints calendar for the U.S. The bishops also were to vote on adding an optional memorial for Blessed Marianne Cope.

Oct. 22 is the late pope’s feast day and the anniversary of his installation as pope in 1978. He was beatified May 1.

Jan. 23 was suggested as the memorial for Mother Marianne by the Vatican following her beatification in 2005.

Committee heads elected BALTIMORE — Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle was elected USCCB secretary-elect. Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, was elected chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Bishops also elected new committee chairs including: Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, communications; Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, cultural diversity; Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis, doctrine; Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinnati, national collections; and Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, pro-life activities.

Revised texts put on hold BALTIMORE — Another item on the bishops’ agenda – a revised English translation of the Rite for Blessing the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick, and for Consecrating the Chrism – was deferred until the Vatican develops new texts. The bishops were advised to use the texts currently found in the Sacramentary for the year 2012.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | PAUL HARING

First U.S. ‘ad limina’ visits highlight religious freedom, evangelization VATICAN CITY — Religious freedom, “new evangelization” and the push for vocations emerged as key issues during the first round of U.S. bishops’ “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. Eighteen bishops from New England met with Pope Benedict XVI and top officials of 12 major Roman Curia agencies Nov. 3-9. It was the first of 15 U.S. groups making “ad limina” visits over the next several months, and the bishops said some particular questions and challenges surfaced quickly in the talks.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston said the bishops had discussed religious freedom in meetings with several Vatican agencies, including pontifical councils that deal with family and laity issues. He said the bishops are “very, very concerned” because “the Church’s freedom is constantly being eroded” in the U.S. The cardinal said there was a tendency in the U.S. to interpret religious freedom solely as an individual right, which does not leave the Church the space it needs to “live its life and implement its teachings.”

That is becoming especially apparent on questions regarding marriage, family and human life, he said. “Obviously, the issues around same-sex marriage are putting the Church on a collision course with the civil authority in many different ways,” Cardinal O’Malley said.

He also cited the recent decision not to renew a grant by the Department of Health and Human Services to the bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services for its human trafficking program. A new requirement by the HHS would oblige MRS to agree to provide the “full range” of reproductive services, including abortion and contraception, to human trafficking victims and unaccompanied refugee minors.

GOP senators seek information on how trafficking grants were awarded

Senate committee passes bill to repeal DOMA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of 27 Republican senators have asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for detailed information to justify the denial of a one-year grant to the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services to aid foreignborn human trafficking victims.

The senators’ letter follows a similar request Oct. 13 from Johnny Young, MRS executive director, to George Sheldon, acting assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services through which the grants are administered. Young said his request came days after a meeting he and three MRS staff members attended with Sheldon and two HHS attorneys to discuss why the bishops’ program was denied funding despite a successful five-and-a-half-year track record of serving trafficking victims under an earlier contract.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Judiciary Committee 10-8 along party lines Nov. 10 to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. But according to a number of lawmakers, it does not appear the legislation would have enough votes to pass the full Senate or the House if it makes it that far.

The U.S. bishops had urged the committee not to repeal the legislation, calling it important for human rights and the common good.

The House Judiciary Committee has not yet taken up consideration of the bill.

— Catholic News Service

Our world

28

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

Pope: Embryos cannot be destroyed even for important research VATICAN CITY — In rejecting research using embryonic stem cells, the Catholic Church is not trying to impede science or delay treatment that can save lives, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The Church’s opposition to the use and destruction of embryos flows from the conviction that all human life is sacred and that destroying the most defenseless will never lead to a true benefit for humanity, the pope said Nov. 12 to participants in a Vatican-sponsored conference on research using adult stem cells.

“When the end in view is so eminently desirable as the discovery of a cure for degenerative illnesses, it is tempting for scientists and policy-makers to brush aside ethical objections and to press ahead with whatever research seems to offer the prospect of a breakthrough,” the pope said. However, “the destruction of even one human life can never be justified in terms of the benefit that it might conceivably bring to another.”

The Pontifical Council for Culture partnered with NeoStem Inc., a U.S. company researching and marketing adult stem-cell therapies, to sponsor the three-day conference, “Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture.” The 30 speakers, along with patients who had been treated with stem cells, looked not only at the scientific progress being made with adult stem cells, but also at the cultural, ethical and political issues surrounding the research, its use and its availability.

Pope Benedict told conference participants that “in drawing attention to the needs of the defenseless, the Church thinks not only of the unborn, but also of those without easy access to expensive medical treatment.”

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, council president, said in the modern field of research all sorts of potential interests intertwine, including health care and economic interests.

In searching for a partner to promote research and discussion about adult stem cells, the Vatican sought a collaborator whose ethical practices fit in with the Vatican’s own views, he said.

Father Tomasz Trafny, who works with the cardinal on issues of religion and science, said, “We struggled to find the right partner,” and while NeoStem is a business, “it is one that has a very clear ethical statement” that it will not destroy human embryos to obtain stem cells.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different types of cells and are used primarily to regenerate damaged tissue or systems in the body. NeoStem executives said adult stem cells are being used to treat leukemia and other cancers, heart disease and autoimmune disorders.

— Catholic News Service

Bishops leave a session of the Synod of Bishops for Africa at the Vatican in this Oct. 12, 2009, file photo. Pope Benedict XVI will present a document of the synod’s conclusions during his Nov. 18-20 trip to the West African nation of Benin.

CNS | PAUL HARING

In Benin, pope to outline Church’s pastoral direction in Africa JOHN THAVIS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI is making his second trip as pope to Africa this week, spending three days in Benin and presenting an important document on the future of the Church on the continent.

The Nov. 18-20 trip to Benin features meetings with government leaders, a speech to non-Christian leaders and an encounter with children at a local parish.

The 84-year-old pope will deliver 10 major talks at 16 events in the west African nation, but the centerpiece of his visit will be an “apostolic exhortation” – a papal document arising from a historic synod of African bishops in 2009 that he will sign Nov. 19 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Ouidah, Benin, and present formally to African bishops Nov. 20 during a Mass in Cotonou.

The 2009 special Synod of Bishops for Africa, which brought more than 200 bishops to Rome, focused on “the Church in Africa in service to reconciliation, justice and peace.”

It ended with calls for spiritual conversion and social reforms, appealing for a fairer global order and telling corrupt Catholic politicians in Africa to “repent or resign” in the name of the common good. At the end of the synod, the bishops gave the pope 57 proposals for action on the part of Church leaders and the faithful, including a call for a new spirituality to counter bad government, ethnic tensions, disease, exploitation by multinational companies and the cultural agenda of foreign aid organizations.

Pope Benedict used the propositions as the basis for the postsynodal apostolic exhortation. Closing the 2009 synod, he said that if the Church wants to change hearts and minds on the continent, it must itself be a model of unity with “no divisions based on ethnic, language or cultural groups.”

Church officials say Benin, with more than 40 ethnic groups, enjoys a climate of interreligious calm and cooperation. Its population of nearly 9 million people is 42 percent Christian and 24 percent Muslim, with the rest divided between followers of voodoo practices and native religions.

One point Pope Benedict has consistently underlined is the need for African Christians to reject traditional customs that go against the Gospel.

Speaking to bishops from Angola in October, he said Christians were called to renounce the persistent practice of shunning or even killing people accused of being witches.

In Benin, where polygamy is officially illegal but endures in practice, the pope is expected to underline the Christian understanding of marriage as a primary objective for the Church.

The Catholic population in Africa doubled under Blessed John Paul II. In general, Pope Benedict has sought to consolidate the gains made under his predecessor, emphasizing religious education as a fundamental element of firm faith.

Like many African countries, Benin has enjoyed a boom in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Here, too, the pope has expressed gratitude for this

trend, but also has pointed to the need for careful selection of candidates and better formation programs.

Social justice issues will undoubtedly figure prominently in the pope’s postsynodal document and in his speeches in Benin. During the 2009 synod, the pope spoke about the tremendous suffering caused by poverty, disease, forced migration and civil strife, and said the Church must combine evangelization and the promotion of social justice.

He also said the Church needs to help steer globalization toward a more inclusive economic model that benefits all people and not only the wealthy. In Benin, one of Africa’s poorest countries, it will be interesting to see if the pope refers to the recent hard-hitting document issued by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which called for creation of a world political authority with powers to regulate financial markets in favor of the common good.

The African synod called for “saintly politicians who will clean the continent of corruption.” Corruption is common in Benin, and the pope will no doubt raise the issue, probably by encouraging the work of the recently formed Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa, which is headed by Benin’s anti-corruption chief.

The pope’s visit will include a visit to pray at the tomb of the late Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, who died in 2008.

The Benin cardinal retired as dean of the College of Cardinals in 2002 and was succeeded by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 29

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Redemptorists urge Hanoi Catholics to remain calm after attacks HANOI, Vietnam — Redemptorists at a Hanoi parish have urged local Catholics to keep calm after a mob led by government officials attacked a convent and church in early November. UCA News reported tens of thousands of people attended 10 special Masses celebrated Nov. 5-6 at Thai Ha Church in the capital. During the Masses, priests told parishioners about the attacks and appealed to them to stay calm.

On Nov. 3, around 100 people, accompanied by security officials and members of the press, attacked the convent. They damaged a gate and verbally abused and physically assaulted several Redemptorist priests and laypeople. They fled after the church’s bell rang out, bringing many people to the scene, UCA News reported.

bishop said his diocese does not believe the woman on whose testimony the case is based.

The Nov. 8 ruling by the High Court in London for the first time defined in British law the relationship of a priest to his bishop as that of an employee to an employer, instead of seeing the priest as effectively self-employed. This means that a bishop and a diocese can be punished for the crimes of a priest. Survivors’ groups hope that it will also mean that many people who claim to have been abused by clergy will be able to claim compensation more easily.

CHARITABLE

Pope to light world’s largest Christmas tree using iPad VATICAN CITY — With a tap on an iPad, Pope Benedict XVI will light the world’s largest electronic Christmas tree in the Italian town of Gubbio without having to leave his home in Vatican City. The City of Gubbio and the Diocese of Gubbio said the pope would light the tree Dec. 7 via a video link set up by the Vatican Television Center.

From his apartment in Vatican City, the pope will turn on the tree using an application on the iPad 2.

The electronic tree extends more than 2,000 feet upon the face of Mount Igino near Gubbio, and uses more than 25,000 feet of electrical cable. Built in 1981, it was recognized in 1991 by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest Christmas tree and stays lit until the Epiphany.

British court: Church can be held liable for clergy’s crimes MANCHESTER, England — A British court has ruled that the Church can be held legally liable for the crimes of abusive clergy, but an English

VATICAN CITY — Vatican officials are at an advanced stage in studying the possibility of a papal trip to Mexico and Cuba in the spring of 2012, the Vatican spokesman said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman, said the nuncios to Mexico and Cuba have been told to inform those governments that “the pope is studying a concrete plan to visit the two

GIVING

countries, responding to the invitations received” from them. Father Lombardi said a definite decision regarding a trip in the spring should be made within a few weeks. Besides Mexico, “Cuba is another country that really wants to see the pope,” Father Lombardi said, and a papal visit could offer great encouragement to the people and the country “in an important period of their history.” The timing would be related to the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, the patroness of Cuba.

— Catholic News Service

GIVING

at Year End

As you consider your Christmas and end of year giving, remember to include your parish family!

Your gift to your parish will help sustain our parish ministries and the work of your Church. We hope

Pope: Prostitution, pornography threaten women’s dignity VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to prostitution and pornography, saying the practices denigrate women and represent “a serious lack of humanity.” The pope’s Nov. 7 talk focused on the Church’s role in defending human dignity. “A relationship that does not take into account the fact that a man and a woman have the same dignity represents a serious lack of humanity,” the pope said. With the “materialistic and hedonistic tendencies” that seem to be gaining space in the West, there is a growing form of discrimination against women, the pope said.

“The moment has come to energetically halt prostitution as well as the widespread distribution of material with an erotic and pornographic content, including through the Internet in particular.”

2012 papal trips to Mexico, Cuba being studied

that you will find this information useful as you consider your year-end giving.

Special Opportunity If you are 70 1/2 or older and have a traditional or Roth IRA, this year you can make gifts directly to charitable recipients – including the Church – from these accounts on a totally tax free basis. Amounts up to $100,000 can be given in this way. Couples with separate IRAs can each give up to $100,000. Taking advantage of this opportunity can be especially attractive if withdrawals in past years have caused your Social Security income to be taxed at higher rates, or if you have reached the limit for the amount of charitable gifts you can deduct.

Gifts of Stocks and Bonds Provide Tax Advantages A gift of appreciated securities can provide a great tax advantage. These gifts are deductible for federal tax purposes up to a limit of 30 percent of your adjusted gross income each year. If you itemize, you receive a charitable tax deduction for the full value of your gift just as you would with cash, provided you have owned the securities for more than 12 months.

Endowment Options If you would like to have your gift continue to give to the Church long after you are gone, direct it to one of our endowments. Consider a gift to an endowment in memory or in honor of a loved one. Or, consider establishing a new endowment. Investment earnings on endowment funds provide money that can be spent each year. The principal grows in perpetuity and is never spent, guaranteeing an income for generations to come – a true legacy gift as well as a creative non- traditional gift that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas.

Gifts through Bequests A bequest to the Church can be made through your will or trust, and is fully deductible for estate tax purposes. All bequests of any size are appreciated and important. Contact the planned giving office at 704-370-3320 for specific bequest language.

For more information call the planned giving office at 704-370-3320.

Remember to consult your financial advisor before making any charitable gifts.

ViewPoints

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CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

catholicnewsherald.com | November 18, 2011

By the numbers Study finds more optimism, less depression among weekly churchgoers

SueAnn Howell

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License plate love letters from God

od speaks to us in many ways if we’re paying attention. Sometimes it’s through music.

Sometimes it’s through prayer. Sometimes it’s through people He puts in our path. He’s employed all those methods with me over the years, but perhaps the one that I am most grateful for that never fails to put a smile on my face and catch me by surprise is His use of “license plate love letters.”

I first started noticing this phenomenon when I was driving a lot for work. Three hours a day in the car every weekday meant I was spending a lot of time behind the wheel, and a lot of time in prayer. Anyone who knows me knows that driving in traffic is my least favorite thing to do and the cause for much time in the confessional.

I’m guessing that’s why God took pity on me and started sending me signs of encouragement.

The first instance I can recall is when I was singing in the car to pass the time. I was giving Him praise and belting out, “Speak Lord, I long to listen to Your voice. Speak Lord, here I am!” It was a tune I had sung for years with the choir at my church and it always put me in a good mood.

The next thing I knew, I was in traffic behind a car with a license plate that read, “I SPEAK.” I kid you not!

Years later when I was unemployed and driving along a rural highway pondering my difficult job search, asking God what He wanted me to do, I passed a car with a license plate that read, “APOSTLE.” I didn’t understand what He meant at the time, but told Him, “OK, Lord. I will serve You in whatever way You want me to make You known.”

Shortly after that, I got a temporary job working at the diocese as a receptionist and spent a year at the main desk outside the chancery, answering calls and meeting and greeting visitors and employees. Every day I sat outside the chapel at my desk giving Him the glory, thanking Him for a job, and engaging in conversations to encourage others in their faith.

Then, in His perfect timing, He opened up an opportunity at the diocesan newspaper, allowing me the privilege of helping to evangelize more than 57,000 households per issue, as well as all of the visitors to our web site.

Perhaps one of the most moving communications from God happened most recently. I attended the 2011 Eucharistic Congress and offered my plenary indulgence for the soul of my deceased uncle – my godfather who passed away this year. I prayed all weekend for his eternal salvation and attended Mass again on Sunday at my parish, asking for the grace to know if he was safe in Heaven with Our Lord.

Can you guess how He answered me?

On my way home from Mass a sport utility vehicle got in front of me. He had a little Christian fish symbol right next to his license plate that read, “SIR CHARLES.” My uncle’s name was Charles.

Another “license plate love letter,” thanks be to God. SUEANN HOWELL is a staff writer for the Catholic News Herald. Her license plate reads “IN GOD WE TRUST” at the top, with the four letters “FATH” to encourage fellow motorists.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Past studies have shown that those who attend religious services at least weekly tend to live longer and healthier lives. Now, new research indicates that frequent churchgoers also face those additional years with more optimism and greater social support than other people.

A study involving more than 92,000 postmenopausal women showed that those who reported weekly attendance at religious services were 56 percent more likely to be above the median in terms of their optimism level. They also were significantly less likely to be depressed or to be characterized by cynical hostility.

Titled “Psychological and Social Characteristics Associated with Religiosity in Women’s Health Initiative Participants,” the study was published in Journal of Religion and Health Nov. 11.

The study, which used data from the long-running Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. No margin of error was given for the figures.

Those who attend religious services weekly were: 56% MORE LIKELY to be optimistic 27% LESS LIKELY to be depressed 54% MORE LIKELY to say they have strong social support SOURCE: JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH

— Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Catholic News Service

Reader poll Thanksgiving Day, as its name states, is a day to give thanks to God for the blessings we and our families and friends have received. This year Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, Nov. 24. This month we’re asking readers:

Are you planning on attending Mass on Thanksgiving Day? ■ Yes

■ No

Go online to www.catholicnewsherald.com to respond.

Most-read stories on the web From Nov. 1 to Nov. 16 at press time, 649 page titles www.catholicnewsherald.com were viewed a total of 6,235 times. The top five local headlines so far in November are: ■ Archbishop Donoghue, former Charlotte bishop, dies at 83.................................................................428 ■ Belmont Abbey College sues government over new contraception mandate.................................. 221 ■ Cloistered Carmelite monastery is now home for St. Michael’s parishioner .................................... 193 ■ Missal Moments: videos on the Revised Missal.......................................................................................... 142 ■ Belmont Abbey grad inspires next generation of Catholics at CCHS....................................................113

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 20 - NOV. 26

Sunday (Christ the King), Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28, Matthew 25:31-46; Monday (Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Luke 21:14; Tuesday (St. Cecilia), Daniel 2:31-45, Daniel 3:57-61, Luke 21:511; Wednesday (St. Clement I, St. Columban, Bl. Miguel Agustin Pro), Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:1219; Thursday (St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions), Daniel 6:12-28, Daniel 3:68-74, Luke 21:20-28; Friday (St. Catherine of Alexandria), Daniel 7:2-14, Daniel 3:75-81, Luke 21:29-33; Saturday, Daniel 7:15-27, Daniel 3:82-87, Luke 21:34-36

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 27 - DEC. 3

Sunday, Isaiah 63:16-17, 19, 64:2-7, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:3337; Monday, Isaiah 2:1-5, Matthew 8:5-11; Tuesday, Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 10:21-24; Wednesday (St. Andrew), Romans 10:9-18, Matthew 4:18-22; Thursday, Isaiah 26:1-6, Matthew 7:21, 24-27; Friday, Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31; Saturday (St. Francis Xavier), Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26, Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 4 - DEC. 10

Sunday, Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11, 2 Peter 3:8-14, Mark 1:1-8; Monday, Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 5:17-26; Tuesday (St. Nicholas), Isaiah 40:1-11, Matthew 18:12-14; Wednesday (St. Ambrose), Isaiah 40:25-31, Matthew 11:28-30; Thursday (The Immaculate Conception), Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12, Luke 1:26-38; Friday (St. Juan Diego), Isaiah 48:17-19, Matthew 11:16-19; Saturday, Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11, Matthew 17:9-13

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

The Poor Clares

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Deacon James H. Toner

Let us give thanks to God

hough Thanksgiving is a secular holiday and does not appear on the Church’s calendar, it holds much meaning for the life of a Christian. Just as Christmas is not about presents, Thanksgiving is about more than turkey and pumpkin pie. It is a time to count our blessings and, hopefully, to turn with gratitude to the God who has so lavished His gifts upon us.

However, too often we forget to be thankful.

We turn to God and to prayer when we are lacking something, when we want something, when we are desperate. Sadly, we often forget Him when our needs are not so pressing and we are content.

The foundress of our Order of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, Mother Marie Ste. Claire Bouillevaux, heard a sermon one day in 19th century France on this very topic, which captured her heart. The priest, Father Bonaventure, who was helping her to found our order, had been sick for several days.

Feverish after a sleepless night, he was not able to give the sermon he had planned. Instead, he preached on a dear and familiar topic to him: the simple phrase “Deo gratias,” or “Thanks be to God.” Recounting the Gospel story of the 10 lepers whom Our Lord healed, he emphasized that only one of the lepers returned to give thanks for the gift of a new-found life after the living death of leprosy had been wiped away. Our Lord did not ignore this fact. The wistfulness in His voice can almost be heard in the words, “Where are the other nine? Were not 10 healed?”

The priest developed this thought – urging the congregation to give thanks with and through Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. In fact, the very word “Eucharist” means thanksgiving.

Mother Marie Ste. Claire, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, dedicated our order to perpetual Adoration. Hearing the passionate words of Father Bonaventure, she felt deeply that nothing wounds the Heart of Jesus more than ingratitude.

Through this pivotal moment, it came about that the adoration of the PCPAs would have a particular end: thanksgiving. Our prayers would

be forever offered in a spirit of thanksgiving, not only for our own blessings, but on behalf of all those who never think to thank God. Our vocation was to be a “standing in the gap,” as it were, filling the void left by ingratitude.

Thanksgiving is one of the highest forms of prayer, and every Christian is called to it. “Counting your blessings” is not just a sentimental idea, it is a way of life enjoined on us by the Scriptures: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18) A good way to incorporate this call in our life is to spend a few moments each day reflecting on the blessings that day held for us. This can easily be added to the traditional evening examination of conscience as a means to deepen our thanks.

As far as counting goes, when we really begin to think about it, we will quickly realize that our blessings are truly without number.

There are the fundamental blessings of creation, redemption and sanctification through the great gifts of the Church and her sacraments showered on us by an infinitely loving God. There are also so many little joys in life: a beautiful day, a happy surprise, the companionship of a friend. Some things are not thought of with gratitude until they are gone.

How often do we thank God for our five senses?

A life of thankfulness only multiplies our benefits. Adopting an attitude of gratitude makes us joyful – turning our focus from the negative to the positive. It also fosters humility as we realize that everything is an undeserved gift.

Let us make the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday more than a hearty meal. Let us make it a true time of thankful praise and the springboard for a life of gratitude. Deo gratias!

SISTER MARIE THÉRÈSE OF THE DIVINE CHILD JESUS is professed with the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. This is part of a monthly commentary by the Poor Clares to focus on topics of faith and to address questions about religious life. Learn more about the community and subscribe to their newsletter by going online to www.stjosephmonastery.com.

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry,

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form letters or petitions. Items submitted to the Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

Mail: Letters to the Editor Catholic News Herald 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

I

Can you answer these two questions?

fervently wish the news were better: abortion, embryonic destruction by “scientific research” and in-vitro fertilization, a contraceptive mentality, assault on holy matrimony, rampant divorce, unjust war, poverty and despair, morally corrosive entertainment, a social climate of increasing violence, education often uncoupled from moral instruction, a growing neo-paganism and witchcraft, indifference to or contempt for religion.

Did I mention an entertainment industry which frequently undermines and scoffs at the virtues once considered to be the heart of our nation?

We Catholics are going to be busy doing two things which are at the heart of our vocation: being witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8) and being ready to give the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15). We are also going to be busy, I hope, answering two questions which are all around us: in classrooms, over coffee, at water coolers, at sporting events, and after Mass.

The first question is: Shouldn’t we just live and let live? What do we care, for instance, if other states permit homosexual marriage? And if others want the right to kill babies in the womb, why should we care?

The answer is as simple as it is compelling. We are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt 5:13-14). We are called to care about our neighbor and his salvation.

That means that we should be faithful Catholics always and that we should “be urgent in season and out season (and) convince, rebuke, and exhort” even though some people do not want such witnesses (2 Tim 4:2-3).

There is, or should be, a virtuous circle here: Society helps to form us, but we Catholics are called upon to help form society according to the truth which will set us free. Because we care about others and because we love our country, we must be involved in speaking the truth in love, even though what we speak may not be popular. That is one of the reasons for and benefits of the sacrament of confirmation (CCC 1303).

The second question around us is: Isn’t religion, at best, irrelevant or, at worst, evil? Perhaps disliking commitment, someone may choose to be “spiritual” without being “religious.”

Religion, after all, binds; it imposes obligations.

If I am “spiritual,” I am free to do as I please, and my ego is king. But, of course, that is the point: we should be doing God’s will, not our own. In fact, we should be conforming our wills to His, for only there will we find the peace that is beyond all understanding (Phil 4:7). There will be no peace, personal or political, until, as St. Augustine told us, our hearts rest in God, because He has made us for Himself (cf. Psalms 63 and 42). Germans, by the way, have a perfect word for this: “Sehnsucht,” which means longing or yearning.

In his Sonnet 137, Shakespeare told us that the corruption of the best is the worst. Anything that is good, true and beautiful can be abused or corrupted. To offer a physical analogy: water is good but can drown us; food is good but can make us obese; wine is good but can inebriate us. The faith, too, has been subjected to apostasies, heresies and schisms. Murder, torture and multiple cruelties have been perpetrated in the name of religion.

During his 2006 visit to Regensburg, Germany, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out the great evil of separating reason from faith, deploring the violence which consequently often results. But those who see religion as evil rarely, if ever, have read the Holy Father’s address or thought much about Blessed John Paul’s similar point that “faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth” (“Fides et Ratio” 1998). Called to love of God, some nevertheless have committed atrocity in the name of religion. Hospitals, medical and scientific research, universities and schools, charitable institutions – and, principally, the salvation of souls through Christ the King – are the proper fruit of religion as it ought to be, and, thank God, usually is.

Mother Teresa wrote: “Often you see power lines running alongside the street. Unless current is flowing through them, there is no light. The power line is you and I! The current is God! (We can) allow the current to flow through us and thus to generate the light of the world: Jesus – or to refuse to be used and, thus, allow the darkness to spread” (YOUCAT, 18-19).

DEACON JAMES H. TONER serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 32

November 18, 2011 | catholicnewsherald.com

Faith

“ is our foundation. It brings joy to all who live in this beautiful retirement neighborhood.”

Sister Lucy Hennessy,SMG

C , Board of Directors Chairman,

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