July 6, 2012

July 6, 2012

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INDEX Contact us.......................... 4 Espรกnol.........................20-21 Events calendar................. 4 Our Parishes................. 3-19 Our Faith............................. 2 Schools..............................24 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies...................... 22 U.S. news..................... 26-27 Viewpoints...................30-31 World news................. 28-29

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Reidsville church marks 50th anniversary Holy Infant Church celebrates dedication with Mass, new sanctuary furnishings 5

Health care reform reactions Bishop Jugis: HHS mandate violates First Amendment, tenets of our faith U.S. bishops urge fixes to Affordable Care Act Lawsuits over HHS contraception mandate move forward

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Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast retires after 60 years of service Founding principal of St. Gabriel School, first diocesan DRE, St. Matthew pastoral associate,

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Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions Feast day: July 9 Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China’s relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly.

The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (87) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging in age from 9 to 72. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.

The 33 foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese solider who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (of the Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815 along with his 119 companions.

Among their number was an 18-year-old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: “Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian.”

Beatified in groups at various times, the 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on Oct. 1, 2000,

by Pope John Paul II. The Chinese-born martyrs honored by this feast were regarded by their persecutors as dangerous because they were considered allies of enemy, Catholic countries. The martyrs born outside China often tried to distance themselves from

A saintly life

European political struggles relating to China, but their persecutors saw them as Westerners and therefore, by definition, anti-Chinese.

A year after these martyrs were canonized, Pope John Paul II addressed a group of Chinese and Western scholars, gathered in Rome for a symposium honoring the 400th anniversary of the arrival in Beijing of Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit scholar and Chinese intellectual.

After noting the positive contributions that Christianity had made to China, especially in health care and education, the pope said, “History, however, reminds us of the unfortunate fact that the work of members of the Church in China was not always without error, the bitter fruit of their personal limitations and of the limits of their action.

Moreover, their action was often conditioned by difficult situations connected with complex historical events and conflicting political interests. Nor were theological disputes lacking, which caused bad feelings and created serious difficulties in preaching the Gospel….

“I feel deep sadness for these errors and limits of the past, and I regret that in many people these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people on the part of the Catholic Church, making them feel that the Church was motivated by feelings of hostility toward China. For all of this I ask the forgiveness and understanding of those who may have felt hurt in some way by such actions on the part of Christians.”

— Source: Americancatholic.org. Excerpted from “Saint of the Day,” by Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

A correction to our readers Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

In the June 22 edition, an incorrect icon was published depicting St. Irenaeus of Lyons, featured in “A Saintly Life.” That icon (pictured on the left) is in fact St. Gregory Palamas, who lived about a thousand years after St. Irenaeus and in a completely different country. The correct icon of St. Irenaeus is pictured on the right.

Totally different, right?

Actually, these two holy men do have a lot in common, and not just in their long beards and serious faces.

Both led difficult lives fighting for their faith and both left important spiritual writings that continue to enlighten us.

St. Irenaeus

St. Gregory Palamas

St. Irenaeus of Lyons

St. Irenaeus was born in Greece a little more than 100 years after Jesus’ death and Resurrection. He studied with a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, one of the Gospel writers, and he served as a bishop in Gaul, now France.

One of the early Church Fathers, St. Irenaeus argued against the heresy of gnosticism, which in part claimed that matter is evil and that knowledge is more important than faith.

Gnostics claimed that the world had been created not by God, who they said was distant and unknowable, but by a subordinate “demiurge” gradually over time. They also claimed that man’s

The facts of faith Shouldn’t everyone assume the same postures at Mass as a sign of unity?

Q: My friends kneel at Mass for the consecration of the Eucharist even when that particular parish is not accustomed to doing so. The same applies with bowing before receiving the Eucharist. It is my understanding that all parishioners should assume the same posture as a sign of unity. Who is correct?

A: You are correct that a common posture during the Mass is a sign of unity, but it is your friends who are observing the correct posture (kneeling) during the consecration.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal states: “A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred liturgy: It both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.”

(GIRM 42) To that end, the GIRM instructs that the faithful “should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason.” (GIRM 43) Also, not for the sake of unity but out of reverence, the GIRM instructs, “When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence” (GIRM 160).

— Jim Blackburn for Catholic Answers, online at www.catholic.com

CORRECTION, SEE page 14

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 8 - JULY 14

Sunday, Ezekiel 2:2-5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Mark 6:1-6; Monday (St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions), Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22, Matthew 9:18-26; Tuesday, Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13, Matthew 9:32-38; Wednesday (St. Benedict), Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12, Matthew 10:1-7; Thursday, Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9, Matthew 10:7-15; Friday (St. Henry), Hosea 14:2-10, Matthew 10:16-23; Saturday (Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha), Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 10:24-33

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 15 - JULY 21

Sunday, Amos 7:12-15, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:7-13; Monday (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), Isaiah 1:10-17, Matthew 10:34-11:1; Tuesday, Isaiah 7:1-9, Matthew 11:20-24; Wednesday (St. Camillus de Lellis), Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16, Matthew 11:25-27; Thursday, Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19, Matthew 11:28-30; Friday (St. Apollinaris), Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8, Matthew 12:1-8; Saturday (St. Lawrence of Brindisi), Micah 2:1-5, Matthew 12:14-21

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 22 - JULY 28

Sunday, Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ephesians 2:13-18, Mark 6:30-34; Monday (St. Bridget), Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, Matthew 12:38-42; Tuesday (St. Sharbel Makhluf), Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Matthew 12:46-50; Wednesday (St. James), 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Matthew 20:20-28; Thursday (Sts. Joachim and Anne), Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13, Matthew 13:10-17; Friday, Jeremiah 3:14-17, Jeremiah 31:10-13, Matthew 13:18-23; Saturday, Jeremiah 7:1-11, Matthew 13:24-30

Our parishes

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Editor’s note: Priest assignments list to come CHARLOTTE — The list of parish assignments for the clergy of the Diocese of Charlotte had not been finalized as of press time Tuesday, July 3, for inclusion in this week’s edition.

As soon as all of the assignments have been confirmed, we will publish the information online at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

“Like” the Catholic News Herald on Facebook to receive this news alert,

as well as all other news published in between the print editions, which publish every other Friday. It’s the best way to keep up with the latest breaking news easily and quickly.

And during this month, if you “like” our Facebook page, you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing for a $50 iTunes card!

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle

U.S. bishops urge fixes to Affordable Care Act Lawsuits over HHS mandate, not considered in ruling, move forward

Bishop Peter Jugis greets parishioners following Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral July 1. In his homily for the Fortnight for Freedom campaign, Bishop Jugis said the federal mandate on artificial contraception coverage violates religious institutions’ right to the free exercise of their religious beliefs and must be opposed by all people of faith.

Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Go online to learn more At www.youtube.com/ dioceseofcharlotte: See Bishop Peter Jugis’ complete homily on religious liberty At www.usccb.org: More information about the Fortnight for Freedom campaign effort by the U.S. bishops At www.standupforreligiousfreedom. com: Details about the national organized opposition to the HHS mandate

Stay updated online At www.catholicnewsherald.com/ features/religiousfreedom: Explore news, history and the latest local and national stories in the Catholic News Herald’s religious freedom section online: n Learn about all the HHS mandate lawsuits, including the lawsuit filed by Belmont Abbey College and their latest status n Catch up on the full controversy in an HHS timeline n Read a FAQ on religious liberty n Get resources on conscience protection

Faith and charity must go together, Bishop Jugis preaches Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — In a special homily about the threat to religious liberty posed by the federal contraception mandate, Bishop Peter Jugis emphasized that the witness of our faith necessarily must go beyond the pews at Mass.

“Our religious faith is shown in our care for the sick and the poor, in visiting the imprisoned, in helping refugees and immigrants, and many other ways,” Bishop Jugis preached during Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral July 1. “Faith in Jesus blossoms into works of charity and mercy toward our neighbor.”

This fact is why all people of faith must oppose the federal mandate that will force nearly every employer to provide free artificial contraception in their health insurance plans despite religious objections, he said.

The mandate – part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 – is a new federal regulation written by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that sets up new preventative health care coverage specifically for women at no cost. Coverage includes services such as mammograms, prenatal care and cervical cancer screenings, but the HHS insists that employers must also provide free artificial birth control pills, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs – which are contrary to Catholic teaching.

For employers who object to covering free artificial contraception on religious grounds, the HHS provides a narrow way out: Only those who serve and hire people FAITH, SEE page 14

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 28 decision upholding the health insurance reform law makes it even more urgent for Congress to act to fix the law’s “fundamental flaws” on abortion funding, conscience protection and immigrants’ access to health care, the U.S. bishops said.

The Supreme Court affirmed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – also known as the ACA or as Obamacare – in a 5-4 opinion June 28. The court ruled that Congress has the power to require people to purchase health insurance coverage under its constitutional power to tax.

The ruling does not impact ongoing litigation by Catholic Church employers, schools and dioceses over the controversial federal mandate to provide free artificial contraception, sterilization and abortioninducing drugs.

Bishops: ACA must be fixed

The U.S. bishops, who are vocal opponents of the HHS mandate, said the ACA as its stands must be repaired, because it does not adequately protect religious liberty and because it does not sufficiently help immigrants and their families.

They reiterated the fact that the U.S. Church has advocated for universal health care for nearly a century, but they added that the ACA is not without its problems.

More about the ruling

In the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) live blog June 28, sponsored by Bloomberg Law, court reporters summed up the ruling, saying, “Salvaging the idea that Congress did have the power to try to expand health care to virtually all Americans, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of the crucial – and most controversial – feature of the Affordable Care Act. By a vote of 5-4, however, the Court did not sustain it as a command for Americans to buy insurance, but as a tax if they don’t.

That is the way Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., was willing to vote for it, and his view AFFORDABLE CARE, SEE page 29

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar of events CHARLOTTE eucharistic congress, charlotte convention center — “Behold the Lamb of God,” Sept. 21 and Sept. 22. Visit www.goeucharist.com.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis

pastoral center, 1123 s. church st.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next two weeks:

— Entrenamiento de Catequista en español, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 28 de julio — Catechist training in Spanish, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Julu 28

July 7 – 10 a.m.

Ordination to the Diaconate of Jason Christian St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 park road — Solemn High Mass in Extraordinary Form, according to the 1962 Missale Romanum, for the feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne, 7 p.m. July 26

July 11 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Trinity Mission, Taylorsville

ST. gabriel CHURCH, 3016 providence road — Respect Life Rosary, at the Blessed Virgin Grotto, following 10:45 a.m. Mass first Sundays

July 14 – 6:30 p.m.

Mass for Knights of St. John International St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, 8451 IDLEWILD ROAD

July 16 – 9 A.m.

Dedication for Room at the Inn Residential Facility Belmont

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY.

July 26 -7 p.m.

SOLEMN HIGH MASS (MISSA SOLEMNIS) for the feast of sts. joachim and ann St. Ann Church, Charlotte

— “Legion of Mary” group invites you to join them, Council Room, noon Mondays. Contact Janice Kemble at janicekemble@aol.com or 704-301-7331.

— Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 1-5 p.m. Aug. 11. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

— “Handing on the Faith in the 21st Century,” lecture with Marylin Kravatz-Toolan, Ph.D., NLC Banquet Room, 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 23 — Centering Prayer Group, NLC Room 206, 7-8:30 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays. Contact Bruce Hassett at 704-641-9041 or Janie Normile at 803-396-8016.

— St. Peregrine Healing Prayer service, 7:30 p.m. fourth Thursdays St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East — Military Mass: July 15, starting at 3:30 p.m. A rosary will be prayed starting at 3 p.m. All military personnel are invited to attend and encouraged to come in uniforms.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, 1400 SUTHER ROAD — Divine Child Mass and Celebration in Spanish, 7 p.m.

July 20. There will be a special blessing for children.

Please dress them and/or yourself in pink. Following Mass, there will be a celebration in Aquinas Hall with delicious Colombian dishes.

— New chapter starting: Men of Veritas, following 9 a.m.

Mass second and fourth Saturdays. Contact Charlie at menofveritas@stacharlotte.com.

July 6, 2012 Volume 21 • Number 18

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

Misa y Celebración del Divino Niño Jesus

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Hispanic Ministry invites all to celebrate our first Mass in Spanish in Honor of the Divine Child at 7 p.m. July 20.

Devotion to the Divine Child began in Bogotá, Colombia. The Infant Jesus is dressed in a pink tunic with His loving arms open wide to love and comfort us. The Mass will be celebrated by Father Gabriel Carvajal from St. Aloysius Church in Hickory. He will have a special blessing for the children. Please dress them and/or yourself in pink. After Mass, we will continue the celebration, sharing delicious Colombian dishes in Aquinas Hall. All are welcome. St. Thomas Aquinas is at 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

El Ministerio Hispano de la Iglesia St. Thomas Aquinas invita a todos a celebrar nuestra primera Misa en español en honor del Divino Niño el 20 de julio a las 7 p.m. Devoción al Divino Niño comenzó en Bogotá, Colombia.

El Niño Jesús está vestido de una túnica color rosa con su amante brazos abierto amplio a amar y confortarnos. La Misa se celebrará por el Padre Gabriel Carvajal de la Iglesia St. Aloysius en Hickory. Contará con una bendición especial para los niños. Por favor, vista a los niños o usted mismo en color de rosa. Después de la Misa, va a continuar la celebración, compartiendo deliciosos platos Colombianos en el Salón de Aquino. Todos son bienvenidos. La Iglesia St. Thomas Aquinas se encuentra en 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

— Young Widowed Group, Ministry Center, 7-9 p.m. first Tuesdays. Contact Sister Eileen mcLoughlin, MSBT, at 704-543-7677, ext. 1043.

July 15 – 3 p.m.

Rosary and Mass for Military Personnel St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

July 17 – 5 p.m.

Mass and CSS Board Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Divine Child Mass and Celebration

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 GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 Old Reid Road — “Ministry Retreat Day”: Faith Formation Retreat for St. Vincent de Paul Church, St. Patrick Cathedral, St. Ann Church, Our Lady of the Assumption Church and St. Michael the Archangel Church, July 14. Contact Aida Tamayo at atamayo@stvincentdepaulchurch. com or 704-554-1622.

GREENSBORO st. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, 2715 HORSE PEN CREEK ROAD — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes all women who are practicing Roman Catholics, and who are Irish by birth descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, or the mother of a junior member. Meetings are first Thursdays. Contact marylisk@aol.com.

HUNTERSVILLE St. mark Church, 14740 stumptown road — Mid-week Mass for the Disabled, 10:30 a.m. July 10.

Contact Connie at 704-489-6099.

— Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novenas, following 6:30 p.m. Mass Wednesdays — Hora Santa en español, 7:30-8:30 p.m. primeros viernes

KERNERSVILLE HOLY CROSS CHURCH, 616 S. Cherry ST. — Charismatic Prayer Group, 8 p.m. first and second Fridays. Contact Cesar and Ava Gordola at 336-4540146 or 336-823-7710, or Tony Baludio at 336-2974862.

st. PIUS X CHURCH, 2210 N. ELM ST. — “Catholicism 101” Inquiry Session, 7 p.m. Aug. 7.

Contact Tracy Earl Welliver at 336-272-4681. No registration required.

WINSTON-SALEM HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4820 Kinnamon Road — Charismatic Prayer Group, 7:15 p.m. Mondays Our Lady of Mercy CHURCH, 1730 Link Road

HICKORY St. Aloysius Church, 921 SECOND St. N.E. — Patriotic Rosary: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 7. Come to this inspiring rosary and join us as we sing patriotic songs and pray for our country, its leaders and its servicemen and women. Contact: Kathy Succop at 828-327-2341 or stalscoordinator@charter.net, or go online to www.staloysiushickory.org.

— Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 1-5 p.m. July 14. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

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— Charismatic Prayer Group, 8 p.m. first and second Fridays. st. leo the great CHURCH, 335 Springdale Ave. — Frassati Fellowship: “Living the Beatitudes in Today’s Society,” Youth Room, 7 p.m. July 12. Contact parish office at wsfrassati@stleocatholic.com or 336-7240561.

Is your parish or school hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date.

Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

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facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD Diocese of Charlotte

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter J. Jugis incenses the new altar at Holy Infant Church in Reidsville during a Mass June 24 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the church’s dedication. A new ambo, left, and more, made by a parishioner, were also recently installed at the church.

Deacon Gerald Potkay begins to read the Gospel during Mass.

Reidsville church marks 50th anniversary Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

REIDSVILLE — Joyful music in English, Spanish and Latin marked the 50th anniversary celebration at Holy Infant Church in Reidsville June 24.

Holy Infant Church was dedicated on June 24, 1962, and 50 years later, the church’s pews were filled with worshippers strong in their faith and in their Catholic witness in Rockingham County.

With Father Joseph Mack, pastor, as concelebrant, Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated the anniversary Mass and blessed the church’s new altar. The new altar and ambo, built by a parishioner of Holy Infant Church, were among recent renovations to this unique architectural gem that also included installation of faceted glass windows.

church transforms us

On this anniversary of the church’s dedication, Bishop Jugis said during his homily, it was an occasion to think about the three purposes of a church building.

A church is primarily a place set aside for the celebration of the sacraments and the Church’s highest prayer, the sacrifice of the Mass, he said.

A church building also provides a means of transformation: by participating in the Mass and receiving the grace from the sacraments, Catholics conform more closely to Christ, becoming living temples of the Spirit.

And in the case of Holy Infant Church, its recent renovations are symbolic of the parish’s continual spiritual growth, Bishop Jugis noted.

“Just as the interior of this church has changed so beautifully as it has been renovated, you must also be changed – you must also become more beautiful,” he said.

“The external transformation of

the interior of the church should be a reflection of what is constantly taking place within your own heart, within your own soul – being transformed by God’s grace, becoming more loving, more holy, more grace-filled.”

Bishop Jugis then recounted a story about the time an interviewer slyly asked Blessed Teresa of Calcutta what must be changed in the Church. Blessed Teresa gave a very interesting answer, he said: “The first thing that needs to change in the Church is you and I.” Thirdly, Bishop Jugis explained, churches are a tangible presence of the universal Catholic Church in a community, especially important in areas like Reidsville where Catholics are a minority.

The church and its parish community can be a tool of evangelization and understanding of the faith.

And through our involvement in our parishes, we can link our faith to our actions, he said, enabling us to share the Gospel message with the wider community.

On the occasion of the church’s anniversary, Bishop Jugis said, it is an opportune time to ask: “Are we bringing the light of Christ into our community, to scatter the darkness of this culture – sometimes called the culture of death, but also the culture of selfishness, a culture of materialism, a culture of relativism?”

In his remarks at the conclusion of Mass, Father Mack thanked all the parishioners who helped organize the anniversary celebration.

“The parish church stands as a good testament to the witness of the hard work of a small parish and its ability to endure the many challenges that have faced it over its history,” Father Mack said.

“It is an honor to be able to serve them as pastor.”

Following Mass, parishioners gathered together under tents for a picnic and fellowship.

Holy Infant’s HISTORY

When Holy Infant Church was built in 1962, there were just a handful of Catholics in the area, then a booming community powered by tobacco and textiles.

Early on, local Catholics went to Greensboro or Danville, Va., for Mass, then for years later they traveled to Eden, where St. Joseph of the Hills Church was built in 1938.

In 1951, Catholics obtained permission to have Mass said at a local funeral home in Reidsville and then at Reidsville Municipal Building. As the number of faithful grew, the second floor of a local washerette was converted into a chapel and classroom space.

Through the influence of Mrs. Ashby Penn, a local philanthropist, the families were able to acquire land to build a church.

At the bishop’s request, they chose a hilltop site along the highway going into Reidsville – a visible location that would be easily accessible to Catholic travelers.

First they built a temporary chapel, later used as the rectory, and then with financial help from a Connecticut family interested in building churches in mission areas, they were able to finally construct a permanent church.

The church was dedicated on June 24, 1962, by Bishop Vincent Waters. The Connecticut family named the church Holy Infant.

A lot of the church furnishings were given as memorials from local families and companies, including American Tobacco Co., the area’s leading employer.

But even with the growth and the new church, Holy Infant remained a mission church. Then in 1967, the church community became a parish on its own and received its first full-time pastor, Father Edward O’Doherty.

In 1982, the church underwent significant repairs after an unknown arsonist set fire to the building and caused considerable

Julio Ruiz, a member of Estudiantina Nueva Generacion of Asheboro, plays the tricordia, which is a variation of the mandolin, during Mass at Holy Infant Church.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the anniversary celebration and hear a recording by the Estudiantina Nueva Generacion of Asheboro At www.holyinfantreidsvillenc.com: Learn more about Holy Infant Church of Reidsville and see photos of the new faceted glass window designs

damage.

In 1985, the church was appointed the diocese’s first permanent parochial administrator, Sister Pauline Mary Clifford, by Bishop John F. Donoghue.

HOLY INFANT, SEE page 13

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the archbishop of Vienna, Austria, was a guest at Belmont Abbey College and monastery June 29, where he celebrated Mass.

Cardinal Schönborn thanks Belmont Abbey, college for service to the Church Austrian prelate receives honorary degree Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

BELMONT — Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, O.P., the Archbishop of Vienna, Austria, celebrated Mass with the bishops of Charlotte and Charleston, S.C., along with others at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians at Belmont Abbey College June 29.

The cardinal, a renowned theologian, educator, and editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, was on a personal visit at the invitation of the Benedictine monastery and college in Belmont.

Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis and Charleston, S.C., Bishop Robert Guglielmone concelebrated the Mass, held on the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul. Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey, and Monsignor Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, also concelebrated.

In his homily, Cardinal Schönborn thanked the monastery and the college for their service to the Church, calling them “co-workers with God,” in the words of St. Paul.

They are “rocks on which Jesus can build His Church today,” Cardinal Schönborn said, and he urged all of the faithful – bishops, priests, monks and laity – to follow Jesus’ call just as St. Peter did, as retold in the day’s Gospel reading from Matthew 16.

“He builds His Church upon each of us – a mother, a father, a priest, a teacher.

Each of us is called to be a rock,” Cardinal Schönborn said.

But, he added, “It is not our Church. It is His Church. And it is not we who build

this Church – it is He who builds His Church. This is the true strength of His Church, because it is His, and He is the builder.”

When Jesus called St. Peter the rock upon which He would build His Church, He was entrusting the continuing work of evangelization and confession of the one true faith to human beings, Cardinal Schönborn said.

Even though we are weak in our humanity, just as Peter was, “do not be afraid,” the cardinal encouraged everyone. “It is His work.”

Cardinal Schönborn demurred from addressing current issues facing the Church in the U.S., such as the campaign for religious freedom or protection of marriage and family life.

But, he said, “I congratulate you for the stand you have taken, and for your courage, for your commitment. May God bless the good work that you do.”

Following Mass, Cardinal Schönborn attended a luncheon in his honor at the college, and he was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, said, “We are a Catholic college loyal to the Magisterium and it is an honor to have him here.”

Born in Bohemia, in what is now part of the Czech Republic, Cardinal Schönborn moved to Austria when he was just a boy. He studied theology in Paris, and philosophy and psychology in Bornheim-Walberberg and Vienna.

He also studied theology at the Catholic Institute of Paris, before studying Slavic and Byzantine Christianity at the SERVICE, SEE page 14

Photo provided by Barbara Gaddy

Tim Britton from St. Leo Church in Winston-Salem shakes hands with Dr. Frank Villaronga after the graduation.

New class of 57 lay ministers graduates Challenged to ‘bring the message of hope and salvation to all’ Barbara Gaddy Special to the Catholic News Herald

HICKORY — “Lord God, in Your loving kindness You sent Your Son to be our shepherd and guide. Continue to send workers into Your vineyard to sustain and direct Your people.”

That was the prayer spoken by Monsignor Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor, as he blessed 57 lay ministers who were recently recognized for completing the Diocese of Charlotte’s Lay Ministry Program.

Dr. Frank Villaronga, diocesan director of evangelization and adult education, presented these newly-formed lay ministers to Monsignor West. The ceremony took place on June 16 at the Catholic Conference Center with 135 lay ministers, family, friends and teachers in attendance at Mass.

During his homily, Monsignor West reminded the graduates that they have “discerned a call to become followers of Jesus in the world and to bring His message of hope and salvation to all with whom you come in contact.”

After sharing a story about service at the Catholic Social Services Food Pantry, Monsignor West reminded all of them that they “must be Jesus for others.”

“Father Shawn and I cannot do this work

alone,” he said. “We need you!”

Concelebrant at the Mass, Father Shawn O’Neal, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Cherokee, made the trip to celebrate with his first two “graduates,” Glenda Jarrett from Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission and Concetta “Connie” R. Di Lillo from St. Joseph Church.

George “Tim” Britton from St. Leo Church in Winston-Salem said he was profoundly touched by Monsignor West’s message.

“I’ve been told multiple times throughout Lay Ministry that I am called to be holy, to bring Christ to others, but hearing from Monsignor West that I am ‘called to be Jesus’ was so powerful,” Britton said.

The multicultural nature of the gathering was evidenced by the first time a reading was proclaimed in Vietnamese at a Lay Ministry Mass. St. Joseph parishioner and lay ministry graduate Quang Thanh Nguyen read from the First Book of Kings.

This year’s group of lay ministry graduates represents 28 parishes throughout the Diocese of Charlotte.

Classes were held in Bryson City, Lenoir, Greensboro and Charlotte over the past two years.

Barbara Gaddy is the associate director of the diocesan Stewardship and Development Office.

Get involved Applications are now being accepted for the next class of Lay Ministry beginning this fall. For more information, contact Dr. Frank Villaronga at favillaronga@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3274.

Read more about the Lay Ministry Program at education.charlottediocese.net/adult-education/lay-ecclesialministry-formation/diocesan-program.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Bishop Peter Jugis joined his brother bishops in Charleston, S.C., last week for a series of meetings, prayer and fellowship.

With him (from left) are Raleigh Bishop Michael Burbidge, Savannah, Ga., Bishop Gregory Hartmayer, and Charleston Bishop Robert Guglielmone at Mass.

Photo provided by the Catholic Miscellany

Pastor installed in Hamlet HAMLET — Father Jean Pierre Swamunu Lhoposo was officially installed as pastor of St. James Church in Hamlet and Sacred Heart Mission in Wadesboro, at a ceremony presided over by Bishop Peter J. Jugis during Mass June 30. Pictured is Father Lhoposo signing the Oath of Fidelity to the Church and to the bishop, and at left, Jerome Lindstrand, parishioner and official witness during the installation.

During his pastoral visit, Bishop Jugis also administered the sacrament of confirmation to 10 members of both St. James Church and Sacred Heart Mission.

— Dr. Cris Villapando

Deacon ordination set CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis will ordain seminarian Jason Michael Christian to the transitional diaconate during a Mass starting at 10 a.m. July 7 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. This is one of the final steps of preparation for the priesthood. The public is welcome to attend.

Military Mass planned for July 15 at cathedral CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate a Mass for U.S. military personnel at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The Mass will be preceded by a rosary at 3 p.m. and will be offered for all military personnel who have died and for those who are now serving. All military are encouraged to attend and wear their uniforms.

Divine Child Mass and celebration planned CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Hispanic Ministry in Charlotte invites everyone to celebrate its first Mass in Spanish in Honor of the Divine Child starting at 7 p.m. July 20. Devotion to the Divine Child began in Bogotá, Colombia. The Infant Jesus is dressed in a pink tunic with His loving arms open wide to love and comfort us. The Mass will be celebrated by Father Gabriel Carvajal of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory. He will have a special blessing for the children. Please dress them or yourself in pink. After Mass, the parish will continue the celebration, sharing delicious Colombian dishes in Aquinas Hall. St. Thomas Aquinas Church is located at 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

— Dina D. Wilson

Bishops hold regional meeting in Charleston Amy Wise Taylor The Catholic Miscellany

CHARLESTON — The Provincial Assembly of Bishops met in Charleston, S.C., June 25-27 for their annual conference to discuss various Church issues.

According to several of the bishops, one of the main topics they focused on was upholding the sacrament of marriage.

Charleston Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said they spoke of ways to come up with practical policies to make it easy for people to understand where the Church stands on practical issues related to marriage.

Two areas of concern for dioceses center on marriages between Catholics and people of another faith, and where a marriage ceremony can take place. Bishop Guglielmone said more and more often, couples want to be married in all sorts of locales, not inside a church, and “we’re trying to preserve the sanctity of the holy place.”

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta said they cover a lot of Church business during these regular meetings, but primarily they provide an opportunity for fellowship and mutual support.

The other bishops agreed, saying that there have been new bishops installed in the region for each of the past three years, and the gatherings are a good way to get to know one another, share ideas, and support each other through prayer.

“It’s a great opportunity for fraternal sharing regarding the pastoral issues that we all face,” noted Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

Bishop Jugis said the group also talked about the increasing threats to religious freedom in the U.S., as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “For Your Marriage” campaign (online at www.foryourmarriage. org), which educates Catholics about the societal impact of marriage and which provides married couples with tools of support, education and prayer.

Archbishop Gregory led the assembly and celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston on June 26.

Concelebrants included Bishop Guglielmone and Bishop Emeritus David B. Thompson of Charleston, Bishop Jugis, Bishop Luis R. Zarama of Atlanta, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, and Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer and Bishop Emeritus J. Kevin Boland, both of Savannah.

During his homily, the archbishop spoke about holy and wise people from the past and our desire to capture their knowledge and use it in life.

Jesus’ teachings, including His commandment to love one another as oneself, is worth striving for, Archbishop Gregory said.

“It sounds so simple ... but yet it is one of the most challenging mandates that we can follow in trying to follow Jesus’ teachings,” he said.

Jesus didn’t qualify the statement, the archbishop said, so it applies to everyone – even people we don’t agree with or even like.

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OLC choir to perform at National Black Catholic Congress SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Our Lady of Consolation Parish’s Choir is known for bringing people to their feet as the choir members give listeners a glimpse of what the heavenly choir must be like. The talented, awardwinning choir will take its engaging performance style to Indianapolis, Ind., on July 19-21 for the National Black Catholic Congress.

The theme for Congress XI is appropriately entitled “Faith Engaged: Empower. Equip.

Evangelize.”

If you have ever seen the OLC choir perform, then you know the choir members will give everyone in earshot a taste of the Holy Spirit in action with their moving vocals and enthusiastic performance style.

The choir will board three buses for the ride to Indianapolis.

Members of the Diocese of Charlotte African Affairs Ministry will also attend the Congress, led by Sandy Murdock, its director.

Speakers at Congress XI include keynote speaker Immaculee Ilbagiza, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and an author and motivational speaker who now lives in the U.S.; and general session speaker Dominican Father Reginal White, a professor of law at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota who was born and raised in Baltimore.

Congress participants will also have an opportunity to attend workshops, spend time in Adoration, attend Mass, network and visit vendor booths, in addition to the lectures and concerts offered.

For details, go to www. nbccongress.org.

Deacon Rodriguez of St. Mark Church passes away HUNTERSVILLE — Deacon Edwin Rodriguez, who served at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, passed away unexpectedly July 1, 2012, at his home.

Deacon Rodriguez, 63, directed the Hispanic Ministry at the parish.

A Mass of Christian Burial was scheduled to be celebrated Friday, July 6, starting at 11 a.m. at St. Mark Church, with Bishop Peter J. Jugis as celebrant and Monsignor Richard Bellow, pastor, as homilist. A reception was to follow the funeral Mass at 12:30 p.m. in the parish hall.

Cremation and burial is to follow at a

later date, the parish office said.

Mr. Rodriguez was born Oct. 23, 1948, in Puerto Rico, a son of the late Juan Rodriguez and Luz Maria Ramos Rodriguez. He was ordained a permanent deacon in the Diocese Rodriguez of Charlotte on July 1, 1995, and most recently served at St. Mark Church.

Mr. Rodriguez is survived by his beloved wife, Carmen L. Rodriguez; sons, Edwin

Armando Rodriguez, Luis Roberto Rodriguez and his wife Debra, and Jose Ralphaez Rodriguez, all of Charlotte; sister, Myrna Rivera of Puerto Rico; brothers, Eddie Rodriguez of Charlotte and Johnny Saldiva of California; and by his grandson, Davian Rodriguez.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to St. Mark Catholic Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd., Huntersville, N.C. 28078.

McEwen Funeral Service-Mint Hill Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences to the family may be offered at www.McEwenMintHillChapel.com.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

(From left) Viridiana Martinez (student), Cynthia Martinez (student) and Mercy Sister Rose Marie Tresp of Belmont speak during the Mercy Sisters “Dial a Dream” event at their biennial assembly, urging congressional leaders to pass the DREAM Act. These students would be positively affected by the passage of the DREAM Act.

Photos provided by Paul Bond, Sisters of Mercy South Central Community

Mercy Sister Bernadette McNamara of Belmont and Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton of Baltimore, Md., call congressional offices June 22 during the “Dial a Dream” campaign to urge passage of the DREAM Act.

Mercy Sisters ‘Dial a Dream’ at biennial assembly Community also elects new leadership team SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CONCORD — Phones in Congressional and Senate offices all over Washington, D.C., were ringing off the hook just before noon on June 22. More than 300 Sisters of Mercy of the South Central Community gathered at their biennial Assembly, June 21-24, setting aside time to “Dial a Dream” to fight for the passage of the DREAM Act and the future of young, undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The Sisters of Mercy made their voices heard, pulling out their cell phones, calling their representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to urge passage of the DREAM Act. Long stalled in Congress, the DREAM Act would give current, former and future undocumented high school graduates and GED recipients a pathway to U.S. citizenship through college or the armed forces. An estimated 1.1 million students across the U.S. could be eligible for legal status under the DREAM Act, including more than 50,000 in North Carolina.

Their efforts came on the heels of a partial move by the Obama Administration towards the DREAM Act. President Barack Obama announced June 15 that he was relaxing deportation rules for young undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children, such as those who would qualify under the DREAM Act. U.S. Catholic leaders, including the U.S. bishops, continue to advocate for full congressional passage of the DREAM Act. “These are our brothers and sisters,” said Sister Rose Marie Tresp of Belmont, director of justice for the Sisters of Mercy South Central Community, based in Belmont.

“God calls us to love them – especially the children, who are here through no fault of their own. Matthew 25:35 tells us, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”

Sister Rose Marie stressed the importance of bringing about broader lasting change through social advocacy, a focus of the Sisters of Mercy. “For example, helping poor migrant workers who pick tomatoes is admirable, but we can also change systems through advocacy – by getting businesses to agree to pay more to tomato pickers.”

She introduced two speakers: Sister Rosemary Welsh, executive director of Casa de Misericordia, a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children in Laredo, Texas; and Regina Moody, president/CEO of Holy Angels in Belmont. Each emphasized the importance of pushing for permanent social change.

of Catherine McAuley.” Her keynote was entitled “Laying Sister Rose Marie has seen first-hand the challenges Down One’s Life for the Flock.” facing young immigrants trying to build a better life in the Through the South Central Community, 630 sisters U.S. Before coming to Belmont in 2008 to serve as director in 18 states, Guam and Jamaica work to serve the of justice of the Sisters of Mercy, the Texas native spent needs of people who are economically poor, sick and seven years as director of ethics at Laredo Medical Center undereducated, with an emphasis on women and in that Texas city on the Mexican border. children. Among its ministries are the Holy Angels In addition to the social justice dimension, Sister Rose home for developmentally disabled children and adults; Marie said she wants people to appreciate that passing the House of Mercy outreach to those with AIDS/HIV; the DREAM Act makes good business sense for a nation and Catherine’s House, serving women and children in in need of an economic boost, as well as for young people transition. yearning to become citizens.

There are 4,000 members of the Sisters of Mercy of “They want to become productive members of the the Americas in the U.S., Central and South America, community,” she said. “And they have the skills and the Caribbean, Guam and the Philippines, and 10,000 talents to be assets to our society. We need them to become worldwide, all advocating for social justice while serving doctors, nurses and teachers. Economically, it’s good for people who struggle with poverty and justice. The Sisters our country.” of Mercy were founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831 by “Dial a Dream” was a highlight of the 2012 Assembly of Catherine McAuley. the South Central Community of the Sisters of Mercy. The private Assembly convenes every two years, and this year’s — Myra Joines, communications director of the Sisters of Mercy assembly brought together more than 300 sisters.

South Central Community, contributed to this article.

Also during the assembly, the sisters on June 23 elected a leadership team of six sisters to serve for the term 2012-2016.

Members of the new leadership team, who will take office on Sept. 1, are: Mercy Sister Jane Hotstream, president; Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, vice president; Mercy Sister Mary Rose Bumpus, team member; Mercy Sister Patricia Coward, team member; Mercy Sister Linda Falquette, team member; and Mercy Sister Deborah Lee Kern, team member.

Currently, Sister Jane serves as vice president of the 20082012 leadership team, and Sister Paulette is a team member.

A native of Concord, Sister Paulette is former principal of Charlotte Catholic High School.

Delivering the keynote address on June 21 was Mercy Sister Mary Sullivan, who The 2012-2013 leadership team of the Sisters of Mercy South Central Community are: (from left) Mercy recently published the book Sister Linda Falquette; Mercy Sister Mary Rose Bumpus; Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, vice president; “The Path of Mercy: The Life Mercy Sister Jane Hotstream, president; Mercy Sister Patricia Coward; and Mercy Sister Deborah Lee Kern.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast retires after 60 years of service Founding principal of St. Gabriel School, first diocesan DRE, St. Matthew pastoral associate Jenny Cox Correspondent

It did not come simply,” said Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Church. “It is because of the fine work of Sister Jeanne Marie and others like her that we now have the opportunity to continue building the Body of Christ.”

To her credit most recently is the successful Supportive Housing Innovative Partnership (SHIP), a collaborative effort of St. Matthew and St. Gabriel churches, The Salvation Army and the Charlotte Housing Authority. The program has moved some 70 women and 130 children from homelessness into independent living.

Sister Jeanne Marie recalls, “The (Charlotte) Observer had been running stories on homelessness. Sister Therese

CHARLOTTE — Teacher of the faith. Advocate for the poor.

Compassionate listener.

These are just a few phrases that describe Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast, who at 85 retired last month after more than 60 years of service. She left St. Matthew Church, where she’s been an integral part of the faith community for more than 20 years, and returned to Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont where her journey began.

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the daughter of a U.S. Marine, Sister Jeanne Marie spent the first part of her life moving from one place to another. She first considered entering religious life while a student at Sacred Heart Boarding School. “The thing that struck me about the sisters was a closeness among them … they had a joyful spirit and would spend time together and laugh,” Sister Jeanne Marie said with a smile. “I had no thought about being a nun at that time … but the Lord just kept knocking.”

Sister Jeanne Marie answered the call and joined the Sisters of Mercy in 1945 and made her final vows in 1951. With a degree in education, she was first assigned as a teacher at a newly formed school run the by the order in Guam. This would be the first teaching post of many that included positions as principal of Sacred Heart Grade School, the founding principal of St. Gabriel School and Dean of Students at Sacred Heart College.

When the newly formed Diocese Photos provided by Jenny Cox | Catholic News Herald of Charlotte was looking for a (Pictured from left) Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast, Deronda Metz of The Salvation Army and Mercy director of religious education Sister Therese Galligan stand in front of apartments that have become homes for homeless women and in the early 1970s, Sister Jeanne their children through the Supportive Housing Innovative Partnership, a program that was conceived by the Marie was a natural choice. She sisters and has successfully moved 70 women and 130 children from homelessness to independent living. became the diocese’s first DRE and developed its original training programs for both faith formation coordinators and catechists at parishes throughout western North Carolina. She even created training videos which, she recalls, was progressive in those days.

When talk of building a new parish in south Charlotte began, the Holy Spirit led Sister Jeanne Marie to be a part of it.

“It was time for some new blood at the diocese, and I wanted to — Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast be available to listen to and be a presence for people … to help them to pray and draw closer to God,” (Galligan) and I were reading them and said, ‘Let’s do she says. That desire manifested in her position as the first something.’” With the support of their pastors, the two sisters pastoral associate at St. Matthew, a role she has had for more spearheaded a community effort to create the program that than two decades. provides fully-furnished apartments and support services to Under Sister Jeanne Marie’s leadership, pastoral care at help homeless women and children move out of shelters and the parish – which is the largest in the diocese and thought into their own homes and lives of self-sufficiency. to be the largest in the U.S. at more than 8,000 families – has “We didn’t want to just provide a shelter … It’s not about expanded to include bereavement and counseling services, doing for people but helping them reach a place where they support groups, outreach to the homebound, nursing homes can do for themselves,” she says. “It’s God’s work.” and the sick, as well as Family Assist – a program she helped As she returns to the motherhouse this summer, Sister develop that provides support services for parishioners in Jeanne Marie says she sees retirement as “a new beginning.” need. She’s also been active in various other ministries, She plans to continue to serve where needed and looks including the Women’s Guild, Seniors That Are Retired and forward to having time to write about a subject near to her Ministry of Mothers Sharing, and has led many adult Bible heart: “I’m a storyteller, and I plan to write the story behind studies over the years. the story about our special sisters.”

“We can’t take for granted what we have here in Charlotte.

‘God wants to be close to us. He wants us to allow Him to be close to us. He cares so much, and we just need to turn our minds to Him.’

Mary B. Worthington | Catholic News Herald

Construction is finished on the Room at the Inn maternity dorm at Belmont Abbey College. The facility will officially open July 16.

Nation’s first collegebased maternity center opens July 16 Renowned pro-life leaders to attend ceremony SueAnn Howell Staff writer

BELMONT — On the morning of the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16, Room at the Inn will realize a dream long in the making: the opening of the first collegebased maternity center in the country, located on the grounds of Belmont Abbey College.

Room at the Inn has been assisting women of all ages in the Charlotte area facing unexpected pregnancies for the past 18 years.

The new 10,000-squareMore online foot facility sits on four For more acres donated information, go to by the www.rati.org.

Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey and will house up to 15 mothers at a time, providing emotional support and practical assistance to single college women facing unexpected pregnancies.

Residents will be able to have their babies and continue their education at nearby colleges.

Room at the Inn will offer the program free of charge to the residents, who can stay at the maternity center for up to two years. Young women do not have to be Catholic or attend Belmont Abbey College to participate.

To date, more than $2.3 million of the $3 million goal has been raised for the facility, much of the funding coming from the Knights of Columbus of North Carolina.

National pro-life leaders Father Frank Pavone, president of Priests for Life; David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life; and Serrin Foster, president of Feminists for Life, plan on attending the grand opening event of the new maternity and aftercare facility.

The event begins at 9 a.m. at Belmont Abbey, 100 Belmont-Mount Holly Road. For more information, go to www.rati.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Boone parishioner promotes religious dialogue was able, through a Fulbright Award, to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina and work at the University of Sarajevo. She saw the devastation that a lack of dialogue BOONE — Dr. Maria Lichtmann has between two faith backgrounds can had the opportunity to travel the world bring. helping to promote dialogue between After her research in Bosnia, peoples of different faiths. Now, a Lichtmann wanted to visit Asia, to Catholic retreat center on the island research the local Muslim culture and of Bali is waiting for this member customs. She was awarded another of St. Elizabeth Church in Boone to Fulbright Scholarship to study in return. Lichtmann left there in 2011, Indonesia, then was assigned to but retreat leaders have extended an Muhammadiyah University in Java. invitation for her to return.

Indonesia was very similar to Bosnia: she saw a lack of dialogue between the Christian and Muslim populations, Lichtmann says. Even though Indonesia’s motto is “Unity through Diversity,” she says, she did not see much openness between the different religious communities. One person even told her that “all other religions but Islam come from Satan.” So, in a country that is 90-97 percent Muslim and has six government-recognized religions, Lichtmann says, she tried to bring people together in a religious dialogue by introducing her students to other world religions – for example, to Christianity through the Gospel of Luke.

While in Indonesia, Lichtmann had the opportunity to meet Father Joseph Gerungan, a Carmelite priest. They met in person on retreat in January and she joined his Holy Week tour of Catholic Flores during Easter in 2011. During her stay in More online Indonesia, she was asked by the law faculty to give a talk on Read more about Dr. Maria’s Lichtmann’s human rights and Christianity. travels in Indonesia: fulbrightinindonesia.

After her talk, she heard blogspot.com. stories from local Muslims about the violence they had personally seen between Christians and Muslims.

Lichtmann earned a doctorate in After her Fulbright stay ended, religious studies from Yale University.

Father Gerungan extended her an But her interest in religious dialogue invitation to come back and be a lay began long before that, as she was the Catholic presence at his retreat center child of a holocaust survivor. When in Bali and his “satellite” retreat she taught at Berea College in the center in Ubud. The retreat center has 1990s, Lichtmann helped to organize a chapel, a Marian grotto, a library, a an interfaith dialogue. She was able kitchen and cottages. to travel throughout the U.S. – to She hopes she will be available to go places such as a Buddhist monastery via a Fulbright Specialist Grant. Right in Kentucky and an Islamic Center now, she says, she is waiting for word in Ohio – introducing her students to from Indonesia that her grant has been other faith traditions. approved there.

Opportunities soon came to take her research outside the U.S. In 2004, she Amber Mellon Correspondent

Catholic News Herald wins Catholic press awards The Catholic News Herald recently received four awards from the Catholic Press Association for its work in 2011. The awards were announced during the Catholic Media Convention held in Indianapolis June 21-22. The diocesan newspaper, which competes in the 40,000-plus circulation category, placing it among the largest Catholic newspapers in the U.S., won: n Third place for Best Editorial Section: Catholic News Herald staff n Honorable Mention for Best Multiple Picture Package: “Seeing God Dogs,” by SueAnn Howell, Doreen Sugierski, Tim Reid, Mollie Gordon, Suzanne Konopka and Ryan Murray n Honorable Mention for Best Multiple Picture Package: “Bishop urges: Be witnesses to God’s love,” by SueAnn Howell, Ruben Tamayo and Kate Drinkwater n Honorable Mention for Best Personality Profile: “Man on a mission,” by SueAnn Howell “We are grateful for this recognition,” said Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle. “The newspaper is the product of a lot of hard work by many people, as you can see from the awards list. We hope our efforts help to educate and inspire our readers in the faith.”

photo provided by Todd Koenig

Children of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Pucallpa, Peru, are pictured with (center left to right) Mark and Todd Koenig on their “futobol mission trip” to Peru in January. Father Gregorio Chisholm, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, is shown kneeling on the far right.

St. Mark parishioner speaks international language of sports Trainer collects funds, takes equipment to children in Peru SueAnn Howell Staff writer

HUNTERSVILLE — A providential encounter during Mass at St. Mark Church last fall stirred up a desire in Todd Koenig’s heart to bring joy to children more than 3,000 miles away. Koenig, a sports trainer and parishioner at the Huntersville parish, was touched during a homily given by visiting Father Gregorio Chisholm from Peru, when he shared about his work with the people of South America.

After Mass Koenig approached the priest, telling him about his business working with athletes all over the Charlotte area and expressing his interest of going on a mission to bring sports equipment to the youth of a parish, engaging them in something they would be interested in – soccer.

Father Chisholm, who is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Pucallpa, Peru, felt this would be a great opportunity for the youth of his parish, so the two began planning the trip.

Koenig’s father, Mark, who is a parishioner of St. Mary Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., set out to help raise the money to purchase the equipment for the mission trip. Father and son were able to raise more than $4,000 from friends, family and parishioners. They partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Koenig and his dad were successful in taking more than 75 soccer balls, 75 pairs of cleats, some goals and other equipment to the children in Pucallpa.

“It was an absolutely amazing trip as we interacted with the youth and the entire community associated with Father Chisholm’s church,” Koenig said. “We were able to travel around the area to interact with other parishes because Father Chisholm went above and beyond to ensure we were safe at all times and enjoying our trip.”

During the 14-day mission trip, Koenig and his father took 80 videos and 800 pictures to help share the entire trip with others, but they still find it difficult to explain the warm welcome they received for their efforts to help Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Pucallpa.

What struck them was that despite not having many of the modern conveniences and luxuries most Americans have, the Peruvian people were very happy.

“Father (Chisholm) told them Americans were here to play soccer and games with them,” Koenig recalled. “They were so excited to speak to us and just hug us in thanks for making the trip.”

Koenig now plans to collect funds and equipment throughout the year and make an annual trip to Peru.

His motivation?

“It was an absolute blast working with such grateful and happy children. … It’s something I’ll never forget.”

For more information about how to contribute to the Peru mission, contact Koenig at todd@detonatesportsperformance. com.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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For the past 15 years it has been my pleasure to help the employees of the Diocese of Charlotte plan for a secure retirement.

I would also like be your trusted financial advisor.

Retirement planning – Life – LTC – Auto & Home Insurance Call: 704-839-3755 or email: kaltman1@metlife.com Member: National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors (NAIFA) St. Mark Catholic Church – Huntersville

Photo provided by Peg Costigan

Sonterria Heyward, Lesley Arita, Araceli Lopez and Brooklyn Moore (pictured from left) are seemingly happy and elated at the prospect of another Friday dinner at the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County, thanks to the “Feed the Kids” project with Immaculate Conception Church and other churches in Hendersonville.

St. Patrick School students Dabney Asmer, Ty Vendal and Carson Foster make prayer boxes for the needy during Operation Rice Bowl last Lent.

Photo provided by Lisa Lehmuller

Operation Rice Bowl collection a success Catholic News Herald

Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community founded by the U.S. bishops in 1943, received $41,875.54 from this year’s Diocese of Charlotte Operation Rice Bowl (ORB) Lenten collection.

Fifty-eight parishes and missions of the Diocese of Charlotte and seven diocesan schools participated this year. The amount raised was more than 25 percent greater than last year’s amount.

Operation Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten program that began in 1975 in the Diocese of Allentown, Penn., as an ecumenical response to the drought in the African Sahel. For more than 35 years, CRS’ Operation Rice Bowl has offered U.S. Catholics a way to connect with our brothers and sisters in need around the world through the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Nearly 13,000 faith communities across the U.S. participate in the program each Lent to demonstrate solidarity with the poor at home and around the world. (Learn more at orb.crs.org).

An example of one local collection effort was St. Patrick School in Charlotte, which raised almost $1,500 for Operation Rice Bowl through several projects last Lent.

Under the leadership of educator Lisa Lehmuller, who is also the librarian at the school, students focused on education, prayer and almsgiving with students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. As part of the curriculum, the students made life-sized paper dolls of children dressed to represent the people of the countries they studied, and then decorated shoe boxes as “prayer boxes,” into which students placed prayer intentions each week during Lent.

The older students also learned about micro-loans, small businesses for women in developing countries, and much more.

Younger students studied the countries where Operation Rice Bowl sends aid, along

with their food insecurity issues and how they could help – emphasizing solidarity with the poor.

Not all of the money raised through Operation Rice Bowl goes overseas. This year, $13,958.51 from the ORB collection will be distributed locally in the Diocese of Charlotte’s ORB Mini-Grant Program coordinated by Catholic Social Services’ Office of Justice and Peace to fund local hunger and poverty relief projects sponsored by diocesan entities.

In the last round of CRS ORB MiniGrants, held in February, 12 grants totaling $9,025 were dispersed to 10 Catholic parishes for such projects as food pantries, homeless shelters, street meals, community gardens, and weekend food assistance projects for children from low-income households.

Parishes from the following places received grants: Andrews, Asheville, Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Hendersonville, Murphy, Thomasville and Wadesboro.

One recent ORB grant recipient was Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville, for its “Feed the Kids” project. This effort, a coalition of about 12 churches in Hendersonville, provides food to needy students particularly outside of regular school hours when food insecurity is often a bigger problem. Church members involved with “Feed the Kids” shop, cook and serve a meal to the students to enable them to have healthy meals to start their weekend.

“We at Feed The Kids, and more especially Immaculate Conception, are very grateful to the diocese and Operation Rice Bowl for their generous grants, which enables us to continue this worthwhile ministry,” said Peg Costigan, a parishioner involved with the project.

The diocese’s postmark deadline for the receipt of applications in the next round of CRS ORB Mini-Grants is Oct. 15. Guidelines, eligibility criteria, and applications are available online at www. cssnc.org/cchdcrs.

His Excellency The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Bishop of Charlotte invites all the faithful of the diocese to the Liturgy of Ordination to the Diaconate of

Jason Michael Christian Saturday, the seventh of July Two thousand and twelve at ten o’clock in the morning Cathedral of Saint Patrick 1621 Dilworth Road, East Charlotte, North Carolina

Ken Altman

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

Sisters of Mercy award $1.7M in grants across western North Carolina BELMONT — The Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation announces grant awards totaling $1,714,830 to nonprofit organizations in North Carolina.

The grant funds will be used for a wide variety of purposes by the organizations.

Supported programs include affordable housing, children’s services, crisis assistance, education, health care, legal services and social services.

The following organizations will benefit from the foundation’s most recent grant making activities:

Big Brothers Big Sisters Services, WinstonSalem, empowers children to reach their full potential by recruiting, developing and training mentors to provide professionally supported one-on-one Big Brother and Big Sister relationships. Their $25,000 grant will provide salary support for the full-time case manager for the Davie County office.

A Child’s Place of Charlotte, Charlotte, works with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to provide education and support services for children and their families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

They were awarded $50,000 to provide salary support for the social work staff.

Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County, Hendersonville, inspires and enables young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. They were awarded $45,000 for general operating support for Middle School Project Learn.

Adult Enrichment Services of Wilkes County, North Wilkesboro, provides a protective environment and program for combined adult day care and day health services. Their grant award of $35,000 will provide salary support for a registered nurse for the Adult Day Health Program.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, provides accessible, quality educational opportunities to meet the diverse and changing needs of the community. They were awarded $30,000 to provide operating support for the Minority Leadership Academy.

The BELL Foundation, Dorchester, Mass., provides educational after school and summer programs for children living in under-resourced communities. Their $100,000 grant will provide support for the BELL Summer 2012 program for low-performing CharlotteMecklenburg students.

Belmont Community Development Corp., Charlotte, works to provide affordable housing as well as educational and living wage employment opportunities. They will receive $37,825 to provide salary support for the organization’s program assistant.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont, High Point, will receive $30,000 for salary support of a case manager. The organization helps children to develop socially, academically and personally by placing a positive role model in their lives.

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Gaston, Gastonia, helps disadvantaged children to develop the qualities necessary to become responsible citizens and leaders.

They will receive $26,000 for salary support for the addition of two after-school program staff.

Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont, Statesville, works to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

They were awarded $32,000 for salary support of the Responsible Attitudes Program manager.

Buncombe County Schools, Asheville, works to provide a safe, caring and engaging learning experience that prepares students to become responsible citizens.

They will receive $115,000 for operating support for the Graduation Initiative.

Cabarrus Partnership for Children, Concord, was awarded $15,500 to support the Parents as Teachers Program. The organization ensures that services for young children in early education, child care, health and family support are available and accessible.

Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, Charlotte, assists in the accomplishment of the educational objectives of Central Piedmont Community College. Their $65,000 grant will be used for operating support of the Pathways to Employment program.

Charlotte Community Health Clinic, Charlotte, provides health care services to low-income, uninsured residents of Mecklenburg County. They will receive $72,000 to provide salary support for the clinic’s lead nurse practitioner.

Citizen Schools, Charlotte, educates youth, strengthens communities and brings new solutions to the challenges of young adult education through

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out-of-school time programming for low-income middle school children. Their $75,000 grant will provide support for direct campus program costs at two middle schools as well as planning costs for Expanded Learning Time in collaboration with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Project LIFT. Community Clinic of Rutherford County, Spindale, was awarded $75,000 to provide salary support for three positions in the clinic as well as the purchase of equipment for the electronic medical records system. The clinic provides accessible, quality medical care, wellness education and medication assistance to low income and uninsured adults.

Crisis Control Ministry, Winston-Salem, responds to the critical needs of individuals and families by assisting with rent, utilities, food, clothing and medicine.

They will receive $35,000 to provide salary support for a full-time pharmacist for the ministry’s Free Pharmacy.

Gaston County Department of Social Services, Gastonia, empowers victims of domestic violence by providing emergency shelter, advocacy, and support. They were awarded $40,000 to provide salary support for a case manager in the Shelter of Gaston County Program.

Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry, Hickory, unites the resources of the community to serve people in need of crisis assistance, support and education. They will receive $65,000 to provide salary support for the pharmacist and the pharmacy tech as well as to purchase medications.

Guilford Child Development, Greensboro, will receive $51,000 for salary support of a nurse home visitor for the Nurse-Family Partnership Program.

Through five supportive programs, the organization provides services that are focused on helping children and families reach their full potential.

Irene Wortham Center, Asheville, delivers comprehensive, quality residential and day services for individuals with developmental challenges. They were awarded $40,000 to help provide operating support for the Early Learning Center.

Mecklenburg County Health Department, Charlotte, offers a spectrum of preventive and care services to address the leading health challenges of the community. Their $63,222 grant will provide salary support for the social worker position for the Community Alternative Program for Disabled Adults.

Men’s Shelter, Charlotte, provides shelter and opportunities for homeless men to rebuild their lives by offering services such as assistance with substance abuse, mental health problems, education, employment and housing. Their $50,000 grant will provide salary support for two intake workers.

NC MedAssist, Charlotte, assists low-income, uninsured North Carolina residents by operating a licensed pharmacy that provides free prescription medication.

They will receive $75,000 to provide salary support for the pharmacy staff.

Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, Charlotte, resolves child abuse cases through collaboration with

key partner agencies as well as strives to break the cycle of abuse. Their $40,000 grant will provide salary support for a family advocate.

Pisgah Legal Services, Asheville, provides legal services for economically disadvantaged persons. They were awarded $50,000 to provide salary support for an attorney and a legal assistant in the Rutherford County office.

Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, Charlotte, provides care, education and leadership development to people affected by AIDS. They were awarded $45,000 to provide salary support for a case manager for the Compassion, Accountability, Responsibility and Education Program.

Rowan Helping Ministries, Salisbury, provides crisis-oriented services for the needy such as shelter, food, and clothing. Their $40,000 grant will contribute salary support for the Crisis Assistance Network staff.

The Salvation Army, Charlotte, provides programs and services to elevate the moral, physical, spiritual and social conditions of individuals. They will receive $100,000 to help support the Hampton Crest Project, a multi-family development designed to help families headed by women with children.

Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry, Columbus, provides assistance to those who do not have the resources to provide for their basic life needs. They will receive $25,000 to help renovate the facility.

United Family Services, Charlotte, provides counseling and education, consumer credit counseling, domestic violence services and victim assistance to those in need. They will receive $47,283 for salary support of a child and family advocate for the Tree House Children’s Advocacy Center program.

Yokefellow Service Center, Spindale, assists individuals through charitable giving of food, clothing, fuel, utilities, medicine, and rental assistance. Their $25,000 grant will provide crisis assistance to needy families.

Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation is a supporting organization and sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas South Central Community, providing support for its charitable, religious and educational mission. The South Central Community is one of six communities of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, part of an international order of Catholic women religious committed to serving those suffering from poverty, sickness, and lack of education. The South Central Community, with administrative offices located in Belmont, has more than 700 sisters serving in 18 States in the U.S., Guam and Jamaica.

Since 1996, the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation has awarded 1,246 grants totaling more than $56,100,000 to organizations serving unserved or underserved populations.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land November 7-16, 2012

Visit Haifa, Tiberias, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem This pilgrimage is hosted by Brother Josemaria Schlubach, C.O. and Father Conrad Hoover. Walk where Jesus walked, cruise the Sea of Galilee, visit Nazareth, climb the Mt. of Olives and view the Old City of Jerusalem, walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and visit Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. $3,400 per person from Charlotte, price includes roundtrip air fare from Charlotte, first class hotels, breakfast and dinner daily, services of a professional tour director, comprehensive sightseeing, all hotel service charges and local taxes, plus porterage and entrance fees.

For information and a brochure: brjosemaria@hotmail.com | (803) 370-5339

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

HOLY INFANT: FROM PAGE 5

Also in 1985, Father Peter Jugis, then pastor, began celebrating Mass in Spanish each Sunday, drawing Hispanic Catholics from across Rockingham County as well as in nearby Virginia and as far south as Greensboro to be able to worship in their native language. He also served as pastor of Holy Infant Church from 1993 to 1996, so this 50th anniversary Mass was a kind of homecoming for him as well.

Now, about 150 Catholic families call Holy Infant Church their home, comprised of a diverse cultural mix of English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics.

ARCHITECTURE of the church

Holy Infant Church is probably the most unusual looking church in the diocese.

Its architect was Richard Burke Schnedl of Reidsville, a North Carolina native who was in the first graduating class at N.C.

State University’s School (now College) of Design.

Schnedl was a devotee of Frank Lloyd Wright, and his designs featured similarly simple lines, open floor plans and understated elegance.

His design for the church featured bold white stucco walls, accented by piercing angular windows and high skylights, an outward-angled front door, and a curved roof line. Inside, the white walls and geometric accents highlight the crucifix mounted behind the altar. The accompanying bell tower is built of similar white stucco.

RECENT RENOVATIONS

Since its dedication 50 years ago, the church has undergone a few minor modifications, but nothing as significant as what the parish did in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the church’s dedication.

Parishioners and Father Mack raised funds to purchase the new faceted glass windows, made in a modern design to complement the church’s contemporary architectural style.

Parishioner John Savinski constructed a new altar and ambo of dark wood, which contrasts with the church’s white interior to set off the sanctuary and make it even more of the focal point for the church. Savinski also constructed a new altar of repose for the tabernacle, a new ambry (cabinet that keeps the three sacred oils used in the sacraments), and wall pedestals for the statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

Priests and religious who served at Holy Infant Parish 1962-1966 1966-1967 1967-1978 1978-1979 1979-1982 1982-1985 1985 1985-1988 1986 1986-1988

Father Thomas Clements Monsignor Dennis Lynch Father Edward O’Doherty Father Gabriel Meehan Father Joseph McCarthy Father Don Baker Father Peter Jugis Sister Pauline Mary Clifford, parochial administrator Father Carl Kaltreider Father Tom Stott

1988-1989 1989-1990 1990 1990-1993 1993-1996 1996-1997 1997-2000 2000-2005 2005 2006 2006-present

Father Ron Marecki Father Raymond B. Hourihan Father Cecil Tice Father Richard Sotelo, S.J. Father Peter Jugis Father Joseph Valentine Father John T. Putnam Father Christopher Davis Father Luis Osorio Father Christopher Roux Father Joseph W. Mack

OUR PARISHESI

Pope thanks airport chaplains for their work Charlotte Douglas International Airport director Deacon George Szalony among those honored Deacon George Szalony Special to the Catholic News Herald

ROME — Permanent Deacon George Szalony, director of the Airport Chaplaincy team at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and his wife Chris, along with 80 airport chaplains and chaplaincy members from 36 airports located in 15 countries around the world, received an apostolic blessing from Pope Benedict XVI as part of the XV World Seminar for Catholic Civil Aviation chaplains and chaplaincy members held in Rome June 11-15.

For 23 years, there has been a Catholic presence at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Today, the team consists of Father Conrad Hoover; Permanent Deacons David Riser, Kevin Williams, Patrick Devine, Martin Ricart III, Ben Wenning and Szalony; eight additional ordained ministers of different faiths; and nine pastoral volunteers and a rabbi who are vital to this interfaith ministry at the airport.

The Charlotte Douglas International Airport ranked 11th nationwide in passengers, according to its website, with a total of 39,043,708 passengers in 2011.

The airport sees an average of more than 700 departures each day. The airport chaplaincy seeks to serve the spiritual needs of those passengers and visitors to Charlotte.

In Rome, the conference attendees enjoyed an audience with the pope at the Vatican as well as speeches from Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and Scalabrinian Father Gabriele Bentoglio, undersecretary for the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

In his remarks to the group, the pope challenged participants to â€œâ€Śreflect on new methods and new forms of evangelization in your area of ministry . . . and to always be conscious that you are called to embody in the world’s airports the Church’s mission of bringing God to man and leading man to encounter God ‌ Make sure that every person, of whatever nationality or social background, can find in you a welcoming heart.â€?

Pope Benedict also pointed out that even in chance encounters, people are able to recognize a man of God, “and that often a small seed falling on good soil can bring forth abundant fruit.�

After returning to the conference hotel, presentations were made by Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca, undersecretary, Pontifical Council for Culture; Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president, Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization; Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president, Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue Cardinal Veglio spoke about New Evangelization in the World of Human Szalony Mobility and Father Tony Milner, theology tutor at the Venerable English College in Rome, addressed ecumenism and the New Evangelization.

Father Louis Cameli of the Archdiocese of Chicago, shared ideas about the New Evangelization and the pastoral care of civil aviation.

The next days were filled with individual activity reports from each airport and break-out groups to discuss the thoughts presented and to attempt to identify paths of activity consistent with the varying civil environments of the chaplaincies. Cardinal Veglio expressed his desire to bring these contributions to the next Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. deacon George Szalony is director of the Airport Chaplaincy at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

For more information about the airport chaplaincy, contact him at gszalony@msn.com.

Read more Read more of Pope Benedict XVI’s message to the airport chaplains: www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/ cns/1202436.htm.

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FAITH: FROM PAGE 3

primarily of their own faith will be considered exempt as religious institutions.

That is a much narrower definition of religious organizations than most states, including North Carolina, and the federal government have used before.

Most Catholic employers would not meet the requirements of this exemption, as they serve and hire anyone regardless of their faiths. So employers face the stark choice of either going against Church teaching by providing free artificial contraception, stop offering health insurance to their employees and students, or pay severe fines for noncompliance with the mandate.

Catholic hospitals, religious schools and colleges, Catholic Charities affiliates, diocesan ministries, charitable aid agencies and relief organizations, and Catholic-owned businesses that have more than 50 employees are all affected by this new HHS mandate.

More than 40 federal lawsuits have been filed against the HHS challenging the mandate, including one by Belmont Abbey College.

“It’s a very narrow definition of religion which the federal government has now — Bishop Peter enacted,” Bishop Jugis explained. “They J. Jugis define religion to be only what takes place in the church building. But caring for the sick, educating children, serving the poor, sheltering the homeless, helping refugees and immigrants – these activities are not considered to be religion according to the new definition.

“I think you can see how wrong that reasoning is.”

Bishop Jugis then quoted from the day’s Mass readings: “In our Gospel reading today (Mark 5: 21-43) we see the sick woman, because of her faith, reaching out to Jesus for healing, and Jesus says to her: ‘Daughter,

‘This is our faith.

This is a faith in Jesus, which blossoms forth in charity and mercy...’

SERVICE FROM PAGE 6

Sorbonne.

He was ordained a Dominican priest in 1970 in Vienna, when he was 25.

He studied under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the University of Regensburg in Germany. He obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1971 and subsequently completed a doctorate in sacred theology in Paris.

He was consecrated a bishop in 1991 when he was 46 years old, choosing as his episcopal motto “I have called you friends” (from John 15:15).

He was elevated to a cardinal in 1998

your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.’ And the synagogue official, because of his faith, reaches out to Jesus to heal his daughter, who is at the point of death. And St. Paul writes in his second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 8:7): ‘excel in faith. Let your faith grow and shine forth in your good works of charity and mercy.’

“We cannot separate the fruits of faith from faith itself. Faith is a response to God’s grace and His love, and it involves the whole person, including our actions,” Bishop Jugis said.

The Fortnight for Freedom campaign, which runs from June 21 to July 4, is a way for Catholics to learn more about the threat to religious liberty, to understand the vital societal role that the people of the Church have in helping anyone in need, and to pray for relief from the unjust mandate.

Why is this issue a threat to religious liberty, and not just a troublesome federal rule? Because it specifically defines what a religious institution is, and what its members can and cannot do. That violates the constitutional rights of all people of conscience, Bishop Jugis said.

“The government should not be intruding upon the free exercise of religion and our works of charity and service. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ Forcing our Catholic institutions to offer health insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization, and abortioninducing drugs, is intruding on the free exercise of religion,” he said.

“My brothers and sisters, the Holy Eucharist, which we are here to celebrate this morning, is where our charity is constantly nourished. Jesus lays down His life for us, so great is His love, and He feeds us on the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood from this altar,” he said.

Evoking his episcopal motto, “The love of Christ impels us,” Bishop Jugis continued, “This love of Christ, which we celebrate here today, impels us to serve the poor, to serve the sick, to serve the needy, to serve not just people of our own faith – which is what this mandate would likely restrict us to – but to serve all people, regardless of their religious affiliation. This is our faith.

This is a faith in Jesus, which blossoms forth in charity and mercy” through the many Catholic institutions built up to serve others.”

He prayed that Catholics and all people of faith would find the courage to speak out against the mandate and to pray for the protection of religious freedom in the U.S. He also encouraged people to attend an extra Mass, do a holy hour or pray a rosary for this intention.

by Blessed John Paul II. He has been the Archbishop of Vienna since 1995. In 2005 he was one of the youngest cardinals to participate in the election of Pope Benedict XVI. In collaboration with then-Cardinal Ratzinger, Cardinal Schönborn was responsible for editing the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the early 1990s. More Schönborn recently, he has written YOUCAT, short for “Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church,” which was launched on World Youth Day 2011.

— Correspondent Mary B. Worthington contributed.

CORRECTION: FROM PAGE 2

spiritual goal was to separate the pure soul from the bondage of its corrupt, physical body – rather than man looking “forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” And they claimed to possess secret, unwritten knowledge from Jesus apart from the Apostles’ teachings and writings.

In his definitive work “Adversus Haereses” (“Against Heresies”), St. Irenaeus debunked gnosticism and defended the Christian faith and its apostolic foundations – emphasizing that none of Jesus’ Apostles expressed gnostic ideas and that the Church’s contemporary leaders, the bishops, could trace their ordinations directly to the Apostles.

St. Irenaeus stressed the unity between the Old Testament and the Gospel, and he defined the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as canonical – nearly 200 years before St. Jerome compiled the books of the Bible as we now know it.

He died about 202, and while he is celebrated as a martyr, not much is known about his death.

St. Gregory Palamas More than 1,000 years later, in 1296, St. Gregory Palamas was a Greek born in Constantinople. He is venerated as a saint by many Eastern rite Catholics, and his feast is commemorated on the Byzantine liturgical calendar.

Rather than joining the emperor’s court as he had been groomed for, he rejected wealth and power to become an austere monk. He was well-educated in Greek philosophy and wrote many works on mystical theology and prayer – including “Treatise on the Spiritual Life” and “In Defense of Those who Devoutly Practice a Life of Stillness” – making him an

influential theologian in the development of Byzantine Christianity.

He lived in the wake of the Great Schism in 1054, when the Western (Latin, or Roman) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches split over serious theological differences as well as disagreements over tradition and the primacy of the papacy, and his legacy remains colored by those disputes of the day.

His chief enemy was Barlaam of Seminara, a theologian who opposed St. Gregory’s defense of mystical prayer such as the ancient Jesus Prayer. One of their arguments also revolved around the words “and the Son” in the Nicene Creed. This doctrine, called “Filióque” from the Latin phrase in the Creed, states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. St. Gregory and the Orthodox churches erroneously never accepted this addition to the Nicene Creed, while the Roman Church did.

For his part, St. Gregory endured a lifelong battle against Barlaam, prompting several episcopal councils to settle their theological disputes in St. Gregory’s favor.

But St. Gregory probably wasn’t comforted by the victory.

He was forced to resign from serving as abbot of a monastery after only a short time because the monks thought his administration was too austere. He was imprisoned and attacked, in person and in writing. And when he was appointed metropolitan (archbishop) of Thessaloniki, the faithful viewed him with suspicion and refused to welcome him. He was forced to live outside his archdiocese for the first three years.

Then, just a couple years into his episcopacy, during a voyage to Constantinople, the 58-year-old was captured by Turkish pirates, imprisoned and beaten. He spent a year in prison at the Ottoman court before he was ransomed and returned to Thessaloniki.

Three years later, he died, on Nov. 14, 1359.

His dying words were “To the heights! To the heights!”

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July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

15

Celebrating First Communion

(Above) WADESBORO — Children from Sacred Heart Mission in Wadesboro recently celebrated their first holy Communion. Pictured are: Daniela Ponce Juares, Brady Michael Ross, Bryan Mendoza, H. Santiago, Ponce Juarez, Carol Holloway (faith formation director) and Father Jean Pierre Swamunu Lhoposo, pastor.

(At left) HAMLET — Children from St. James Church in Hamlet also recently celebrated their first holy Communion. Pictured are: (first row) Rae Anna Adeimy, Kassie Smith, Ricki Ollice, Gabriel Zenteno, Annette Zenteno, Jesus Zapata, Paola Zenteno and Camila Peres; (second row) Mauricio Silva, Miguel Hernandez, Andrew Migliore, Juan Zenteno, Alexis Carrillo, Brianna Mendez, Mariah Mendez, Giselle Silva and Erika Mendez; (third row) Cecilia Wilson, faith formation director, and Father Jean Pierre Swamunu Lhoposo, pastor.

Photos provided by St. James Parish

Photos by Annette Tenny and Barb Robless | Catholic News Herald

KING — Fifteen children from Good Shepherd Mission in King and St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem recently celebrated the sacrament of first holy Communion during English and Spanish Masses at Good Shepherd Mission. Father Lawrence Heiney is the pastor of both churches.

(Above) Pictured are: (front row, from left) Alex Sanchez, Julian Mendieta, Jonathan Lainez, Billy Tillinghast, Catherine Luzzi, Silvia Vazquez, Carmen Garcia and America Alvarez; (back row, from left) Catechist aide Rosita Mendieta, Jack Tillinghast, catechist aide Monserrat Mendieta and catechist Annie Fournier.

(Below) Pictured are: (from left) Cynthia Gallardo, Flor Rodriguez, Bexair Lucio, catechist Ana Maria Rodriguez, Dulce Lucio, Kevin Paredes and Lisbeth Uraga.

Photo provided by Deacon David Reiser

CHARLOTTE — Four refugee children from Myanmar (Burma) and six refugee children from Eritrea (Ethiopia) recently celebrated their first holy Communion at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte. The sisters of the Missionaries of Charity in Charlotte, along with Father Philip Scarcella, pastor, taught the children and prepared them for the sacrament.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 OUR PARISHES

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In Brief St. Matthew to sponsor food drive July 1-14 CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte hopes to collect 160,000 pounds of food and provide 3,000 hours of volunteer service in its annual World Food Drive this month. The parish is now collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations and will host a Stop Hunger Now meal-packaging event on Saturday, July 14, in the Parish Center gym. Its goal is to surpass the 285,000-plus meals made last year.

Lenoir preschool choir sees notable rise in its numbers LENOIR — A little over a year ago, Mary Moretz of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir asked Father Julio Dominguez if she could start a pre-school choir to give young children a way to participate at Mass. The choir now sings during the offertory collection once a month. Shortly after the group formed, something exciting happened: The four families whose seven children make up the group, each announced they were expecting new babies, every one being a boy. God must be providing for the future of the choir.

Pictured (from left) are: Emmaline and Elias Phipps with brother Liam, Nathan Smith with brother Zander (in car seat), Madeline and Caleb Walker with brother Aaron, and Connor and Carson Wilson with brother Chandler.

With the recent addition of two new members, the preschool choir is now up to nine members.

— Mary Moretz

Albemarle church installs new stained glass window ALBEMARLE — Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle recently installed a rose window featuring symbols of Christianity encircling an image of Christ’s empty tomb. The stained-glass window was crafted by Statesville Stained Glass Co. and given by parishioner Lake Snyder in memory of her husband Ed. Parishioners led by Bob Miles installed the window, which is now an illuminating focal point in the sanctuary of the church.

— Done M. Espina

Vocation Awareness Day set for Aug. 8

SonFest a big success

CHARLOTTE — Young men of the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to a day of exploration of the priesthood, during the annual Vocation Awareness Day. Vocation Awareness Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

All high school and college-aged men of the diocese are cordially invited to join Bishop Peter Jugis and his priests and seminarians for a day of recreation and meditation focused on the vocation to the priesthood.

For details, contact the diocesan Office of Vocations at 704-370-3327.

SYLVA — Members of the Knights of Columbus Smoky Mountain Council 9722 in Sylva recently completed a number of construction projects at their parish, St. Mary Mother of God Church.

Knights provided all the labor – more than 1,300 man-hours – for projects including installing tile on the floor of the sanctuary and new flooring in the parish hall and office; converting a garage at the parish’s conference center into classroom space and an office for the religious education program; opening up an attic space in the church and building a choir loft; and supplying technical supervision for Boy Scouts who put in a handicap ramp at the conference center.

CHARLOTTE — SonFest 2012 at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte was a big success last month.

Attendance was up significantly over last year’s inaugural event with more than 4,000 people from all over Charlotte enjoying what Father Pat Hoare, pastor, called the “beginning of a summer tradition” that promises fun for the whole family. The bungee trampoline and ferris wheel were big hits as was the international “flavor” of the food that included Polish sausage, Vietnamese, Eritrean, Latin American and barbecue along with many traditional “fair foods,” and there was even a hotdog eating contest. There was active participation in bingo and a silent auction as well as the “I’m Feeling Lucky Raffle,” and entertainment featuring a variety of musical and cultural styles was also featured.

Father Hoare and seminarian Brian Kaup even braved the dunking booth, which was probably the best seat in the house given the hot weather.

— Nick Norgaard

— Al Tinson and Marty Schneider

Sylva Knights put in lots of work

Photos provided by Al Tinson

Some of the volunteers from Charlotte Catholic High School are pictured at Camp SOAR, a week-long camp for children and adults with intellectual disabilities held at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte.

Camp SOAR sees another successful year Al Tinson Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — A record turnout of campers and volunteers came out for the 12th annual Camp SOAR (Special Olympics Athletic Retreat), a week-long camp for children and adults with intellectual disabilities held at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte.

Nearly 350 campers and more than 400 volunteers took part in the event, which featured sports such as soccer, swimming, bowling, basketball, bocce and tennis. In addition, this year during arts and crafts, the coordinator of that activity, Eileen Schwartz of Flags Across The Nation, had the campers decorate pillowcases that were sent to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and to the Wounded Warriors program at Ft. Bragg.

The inaugural Vickie Bowler Memorial Volunteer Award was presented to Charlotte Catholic High School graduate Joe Fiato Jr. of Weddington, a member of St. John Neumann Church who has been a Camp SOAR volunteer for more than nine years and was, once again, a group leader this year. The award is named in honor of Vickie Bowler, daughter of SOAR founder Bob Bowler and his wife Marilyn. She was a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte who passed away in April after a three-year battle with breast cancer. She was 42. Canteen Vending, a division of Compass Foods sponsored the award.

The Charlotte Bobcats and Jordan Brand were a Gold Level sponsor of Special Olympics North Carolina and presented Camp Director Bob Bowler with a check for $15,000.

Once again, Charlotte Catholic High School was a significant factor in the camp’s success. More than 100 students volunteered, many for all five days of the camp, and Charlotte Catholic’s principal Jerry Healy arranged to have buses donated to transport the campers to Carolina Lanes in Matthews for bowling.

Other organizations who volunteered included the Charlotte Soccer Academy with Program Director Jamie Luckie bringing more than 60 players who put the campers through various drills. Also, Duke Energy had more than 20 volunteers and LDL Financial had 36.

Compass Foods donated all of the lunches and snacks for the camp.

Joe Fiato Jr. (far left) is pictured with members of the Bowler family after being awarded the inaugural Vickie Bowler Memorial Volunteer Award for his support of Camp SOAR. Fiato is a Charlotte Catholic High School graduate and a member of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte. Pictured with him are camp director Bob Bowler (middle) and Marilynn Fiato (right).

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com

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In Brief CCWG elects new officers CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group has elected new officers for the 2012-’13 year. The new executive board is comprised of: president, Michelle Rahilly; first vice president, Vicki Borin; second vice president, Mary Catherine Surface; secretary, Lynn Efird; and treasurer, Mary Paul Forsyth.

The CCWG general board is comprised of the following committee chairs: apostolic chair, Elizabeth King; communication chair, Anita DiPietro; membership chair, Cindy Burk; social chair, Margaret Gustafson; special projects chair, Mary Sample; spiritual chair, Peggy Lindsley; and website chair, Trista Bremer.

CCWG will resume its monthly meetings this fall. For more information, go to charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

meetings. The Knights gratefully provided copies because with Mary ever present at our side, what can we not accomplish?

The Knights thank coordinators of the event: Sergio Miranda, PGN, Alex Sabo, GN, Richard Clancey, DGK, Brother Knight and Spanish Ministry Coordinator Enrique Rojas, Spanish Ministry Coordinator Dr. Manuel Landron, and Joe Ernst, program director.

— Jim Copio

Scout sells cookies, earns college scholarship BOONE — Ann Mellon, a member of Girl Scout Troop 10492 in Boone, was recently awarded a $500 college scholarship. She was selected from among the Daisy Girl Scouts who sold more than 500 boxes of cookies during the 2012 cookie season. Ann sold 1,226 boxes of cookies this year. She is a rising secondgrader at Hardin Park Elementary School, and her troop is based at St. Elizabeth Parish in Boone.

OUR PARISHESI

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Totus Tuus serves at Boone parish BOONE — Children and teens at St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country Church in Boone took part in Totus Tuus, the Catholic summer catechetical program, last month. Totus Tuus team members are pictured at right.

— Amber Mellon

— Amber Mellon

St. Francis of Assisi homeschoolers put on play MOCKSVILLE — Members of a homeschool co-operative that meets at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville recently put on an elaborate outdoor theater production of medieval tales set in 13th century England. Each play featured the Gospel message of Christian joy and hope for others and was based on the book “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!” by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Angie Hudson, owner of Creative Drama Children’s Theatre, directed the dozen children (pictured above with Father John Starczewski, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church) with her adaptation of the book’s monologues for stage. The end script, written and adapted by Alice Reynolds, homeschool mom, tied in a surprise visit from St. Francis of Assisi with a message of God’s forgiveness and consolation amid the difficulties of life in the Middle Ages.

Following a Mass celebrated by Father Starczewski, a crowd of more than 65 people met in the parish hall for a “frankfurter picnic” put on by the Mocksville chapter of the Knights of Columbus. The mothers of the homeschool co-op provided a table flowing with pies on the church lawn, so guests could enjoy dessert during the play.

“It was so much work, this ‘little’ production, but so very worth it,” said Reynolds, member of the co-op since 2002.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

Holy Spirit cheers for Relay for Life 2012 DENVER — Members of Holy Spirit Church in Denver recently participated in East Lincoln’s Relay for Life for the seventh straight year. Through parish fund raisers such as fish fries, a Husqvarna raffle and luminary sales, as well as personal commitments to raising money by walking laps, Holy Spirit parishioners raised more than $5,000 for Relay for Life to help find a cure for cancer. This parish-wide effort continues to help fight a disease that is personal to many parishioners. Holy Spirit’s members also raised funds at the Relay through the efforts of youth ministry members selling gum for “Stick It To Cancer” as well as glow necklaces and food. Brooklyn Brothers once again donated pizzas for the youth ministry’s booth. The sausage and pepper grinders were a big hit, and the parish youth ministry won Best Booth Food two years in a row.

— Alice Reynolds

N.C. Knights take part in ‘Running of the Rose 2012’

Bishop Begley Award presented to St. Vincent de Paul’s Scout troop

SPX Knights of Columbus assist parish Scouts to mark Flag Day

HUNTERSVILLE — North Carolina Knights of Columbus councils, including the council in Huntersville, recently participated in the Knights of Columbus Running of the Rose 2012.

The silver rose embodies the Knights’ devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and their commitment to the culture of life, and unifies Knights of the order with their brothers throughout all of North America. In the Running of the Rose, four sterling silver Knights of Columbus-commissioned roses made their way from Canada and the U.S. to Monterrey, Mexico – the site of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The roses were transferred from council to council through all Canadian provinces and U.S. states.

St. Mark Council 12654 in Huntersville received the “handoff” June 3. The rose was displayed on the altar for the day’s bilingual Mass celebrated by Father David Miller. Following Mass, 75 parishioners processed from the church to the St. Mark Church parish hall for a reading on the history of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. A rosary including the Glorious Mysteries was prayed by all assembled.

Some of those observing the beautiful service asked to take copies of the prayer booklets to guide future rosary prayer group

CHARLOTTE — The St. Vincent de Paul Boy Scout Troop in Charlotte recently was named the recipient of the Bishop Begley Award, which is awarded in recognition of a troop’s demonstration of duty to God, community service and Scouting skills.

The Bishop Begley Award, sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Sons of Erin Division), was presented at the 2012 Catholic Camporee in cooperation with the Charlotte Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting. Pictured above are Sons of Erin President Mike McLaughlin presenting the award to SPL Chris Daly and Scoutmaster Peter Olynick of Troop 288 from St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

— Tim Lawson

GREENSBORO — Knights of Columbus Assembly 3253 provided color guard to Boy Scout Troop 244 June 9 to commemorate Flag Day on the campus of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Each year the Boy Scout troop performs a retirement ceremony for American flags that are no longer serviceable for public display. While describing to all assembled the meaning of the flag’s colors, the Scouts reverently and respectfully destroy them by fire.

Knights pictured above are Grand Knight Walter Kulla, Past Grand Knight Tom Heslin and Deputy Grand Knight Greg Rachal.

Scouts pictured are Sean Duffy, Joe Duffy, Alex Strasser, Nathan Strasser, Joshua Walker and Gherih Loughran, accompanied by Scout Leaders Jim Duffy and Joe Strasser.

— John Russell

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704-370-3333

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OUR PARISHESI

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In Brief

Scout Sunday held at St. Paul Church

Senior altar servers recognized CHARLOTTE — For the past four years, St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte has recognized altar servers who have graduated from high school and are moving on to college.

This year, six altar servers received a certificate of appreciation from Capuchin Franciscan Father Remo DiSalvatore, outgoing pastor, during Mass on June 17. The senior altar servers are Steve Magyar, Austin Sorg, Andrew James, Samantha Hlebak, Alex Clinton and Caleb Theodros.

Pictured are Samantha Hlebak, Alex Jones and Caleb Theodros with Father DiSalvatore.

— Mary “Annette” Morales

GREENSBORO — Local Scouts were honored on Scout Sunday recently at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro. Parishioners representing several local Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops participated in the Scout Sunday Mass and celebration, organized by Susan Rabold, director of parish youth ministry.

Three Scouts were presented with scouting religious medals during the Mass by Father John Allen, pastor. Pictured from left are: William Dahlinghaus, who received the Parvuli Dei medal; Patrick Stop, who received the Light of Christ medal; and Alexander Stop, who also received the Parvuli Dei medal.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

Having fun with Totus Tuus

— Paula Stop We welcome your parish’s news! Please email news items and photos to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@ charlottediocese.org.

DENVER — The week of June 10-15, Holy Spirit Church in Denver was filled with youthful enthusiasm as a team of four college-aged leaders engaged more than 75 students in an exploration of the Catholic faith. Totus Tuus is a summer catechetical program that many parishes throughout the diocese are offering this summer. The specially trained catechists led small groups in sessions that focused on the Creed and the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary. The students attended daily Mass, participated in games and activities, and ended each day singing praise and worship. A favorite song to end the day involved being “Bananas for Jesus.” The smiles, laughter, singing and sharing were testaments to how much the children enjoyed their week with Totus Tuus. The answers they provided to Father Carmen Malacari, pastor, and the leaders at the end of Mass each day were evidence that knowledge was gained and faith was deepened during the students’ time with their teachers. The teenagers engaged in activities, faith discussions, and took part in Eucharistic Adoration and reconciliation one night during the evening teen sessions.

Pictured above, a Totus Tuus leader is made into a human sundae by the children of Holy Spirit parish – one of the lighter activities the group traditionally does during the week together.

Totus Tuus will begin at the following parishes this month and next: July 8-13: Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro, St. James the Greater in Concord, St. Mary in Shelby July 15-20: St. Barnabas in Arden, St. Pius X in Greensboro July 29-Aug. 3: Sacred Heart in Salisbury, St. Joseph in Asheboro, St. Dorothy in Lincolnton For details and registration information, go online to education.charlottediocese.org/faith-formation/totus-tuus or contact Chris Beal, diocesan Totus Tuus coordinator, at 704-370-3247 or cabeal@charlottediocese.org.

Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte Executive Director: Gerard A. Carter, Ph.D. (704) 370-3250 Refugee Office: Cira Ponce (704) 370-3262 Family Life: Gerard Carter (704) 370-3228 Justice and Peace: Joseph Purello (704) 370-3225 OEO/CSS Murphy Satellite Office (828) 835-3535

Photo provided by Mary “Annette” Morales

Charlotte Region: 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Area Director: Sharon Davis (704) 370-3218

Mass with the diocesan school board Bishop Peter J. Jugis celebrated Mass for the diocesan school board June 19. Pictured are: Dr. Janice Ritter, superintendent of the Diocese of Charlotte Schools, Joann Wasson, Mary A. Morales and Bernie Moorman. Following Mass, Bishop Jugis attended the board’s closing meeting of the school year.

Your Local Catholic Charities Agency

Western Region: 50 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Area Director: Michele Sheppard (828) 255-0146 Piedmont-Triad: 627 W. Second St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Area Director: Diane Bullard (336) 727-0705 Greensboro Satellite Office (336) 274-5577

For information on specific programs, please call your local office.

www.cssnc.org

Providing help. Creating hope. Changing lives.

catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 20

In Brief Misa y Celebración al Divino Niño Jesus CHARLOTTE — El Ministerio Hispano de la Iglesia St. Thomas Aquinas invita a todos a celebrar nuestra primera Misa en español en honor del Divino Niño el 20 de julio a las 7 p.m. Devoción al Divino Niño comenzó en Bogotá, Colombia.

El Niño Jesús está vestido de una túnica color rosa con su amante brazos abierto amplio a amar y confortarnos. La Misa se celebrará por el Padre Gabriel Carvajal de la Iglesia St. Aloysius en Hickory. Contará con una bendición especial para los niños. Por favor, vista a los niños o usted mismo en color de rosa. Después de la Misa, vamos a continuar la celebración, compartiendo deliciosos platos Colombianos en el Salón de Aquino. Todos son bienvenidos.

La Iglesia St. Thomas Aquinas se encuentra en 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

Photo provided by Christopher Lux | Catholic News Herald

Temoc González leads a children’s retreat at St. John Baptiste de la Salle Church in North Wilkesboro.

Viaje a Washington SALISBURY — El Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Salisbury le invita a un viaje a Washington, D.C., Será el 28 y 29 de julio. Irán a: La Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción, el Monasterio Franciscano, el Monumento a Lincoln, el Monumento a los Veteranos de Vietnam, y otros lugares. Para precios y más información, comuníquese con Elina, elportondemitierra@hotmail. com o 704-873-6394.

Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano de la vicaria de Boone:

Temoc Gonzalez:

‘This is my ‘esta es mi vida, esta es mi fe’ vocation, this is my life, this is my faith’ Christopher Lux Correspondent

BOONE — José Cuauhtémoc “Temoc” González, coordinador del Ministerio Hispano de la vicaria de Boone, es un esposo y el padre de tres hijos. El trabajo de coordinador no es fácil y requiere mucha entrega pero González sabe bien que importancia tiene la familia y por eso lo dice: “cada Domingo toda mi familia se reúne para el desayuno y lo disfrutamos mucho. Es el tiempo de planear, discutir, aconsejar y educar, nos sentirnos muy unidos”.

Después de este tiempo con la familia González sale para trabajar en las parroquias con diferentes actividades.

El trabaja, más bien es decir el busca de ayudar a resolver las necesidades no solo espirituales a su gente hispana si no que todo el todo tipo de la necesidad como; trabajo, salud, migratoria, y consejería.

Como coordinador de la vicaria de Boone González tiene varias parroquias y las misiones que están muy lejos de los servicios sociales.

El dice: “Estoy ayudando a los mas pobres de la diócesis, porque la mayoría son trabajadores agrícolas que trabajan en los campos, en medio de la nada, y son ellos los que necesitan mucha ayuda, porque no hay cerca ninguna de las agencias que pudieran ayudarles como lo

Servicios Sociales Católicos”.

Por esto cuentan siempre con la ayuda de González.

El es capaz de ofrecer con éxito los consejos y apoyos a muchos trabajadores migrantes en sus áreas.

Dice: “Yo trabajo con los trabajadores del campo, quienes están muy lejos de Gonzalez las zonas urbanas y hay que conducir muy lejos para llegar a las fincas, con los árboles de Navidad, granjas, y huertos de Tabaco”. La mayoría de estos trabajadores son hombres solteros quienes necesitan mucha ayuda para no perderse en su soledad.

González que habla español, italiano, francés, ingles y portugués, ofrece una gran variedad de experiencia y conocimiento de pastoral y teología, para poder ayudar en ministerio hispano de su vicaria.

Nacido en la ciudad de México, estudió primero para ser veterinario por dos años en la Universidad de Guadalajara. Después estudió en Francia e Italia donde obtuvo los grados de maestría en Misiono logia y Catequesis Misionera y Comunicaciones Sociales.

BOONE — José Cuauhtémoc “Temoc” González, the coordinator of Hispanic Ministries in the Boone vicariate, is a husband and father of three. The work he and other coordinators do is challenging, but González recognizes the importance of family. “Every single Sunday the breakfast is for us. We normally take our breakfast together, we enjoy that moment. We stay as long as we can there.” Then, after their quality, uninterrupted time, González heads out to work with parishes’ Sunday activities.

He works hard not only to meet the needs of his family, but also the spiritual and material needs of Hispanic Catholics of the Boone Vicariate. The rural vicariate is home to four parishes and four missions.

GONZÁLEZ, SEE page 21

GONZÁLEZ, SEE page 21

Christopher Lux Correspondent

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

GONZÁLEZ: FROM PAGE 20

Desde 1984 el fue “llamado a trabajar para la Santa Sede – en el Vaticano, en Propaganda Fide. En el año 2003 visitó los Estados Unidos y durante esta visita conoció al Padre Fidel Melo, quien lo invitó a trabajar en Carolina de Norte como director de la formación religiosa.

Luego, en 2006, González aceptó el cargo como coordinador del Ministerio Hispano en la vicaria de Boone. González cual ayuda a los más necesitados dice: “Estoy trabajando en esta vicaria por 5 años y tuve la oportunidad de conocer mucha gente, sea hispanos al igual que anglos y con las relaciones y conexiones puedo más ayudar a toda mi gente en necesidad.”

En su vicaria González trabaja con párrocos y directores de la formación de la fe, para poder ofrecer los programas de catequesis, al igual también realiza retiros y formación de la fe a los hispanos. El dice: “Yo hago la catequesis para los adultos desde lo básico a lo profundo, gradualmente porque la mayoría no conoce bien su religión. También se organizan los diferentes retiros para los jóvenes, adultos y

GONZÁLEZ: FROM PAGE 20

“Because it is so rural,” González says, “I cover seven counties and I have to travel a lot. It’s a long drive everyday.”

González work is varied, but he spends a lot of time providing for the material needs of the people. He points to a saying in Spanish that has influenced his approach in to his work: “No puedo hablar de Dios sin darte algo de comer,” which means “I cannot talk about God without giving you something to eat.”

González, who speaks Spanish, Italian, English, French and Portuguese, brings a wide range of experience and knowledge to Hispanic ministry. Born in Mexico City, he studied to be a veterinarian for two years at the University of Guadalajara. He then lived in France and Italy for 12 years, where he earned degrees in mass communications, catechesis and missiology. In 1987, he was “called to work for the Holy See in Propaganda Fide.”

After moving back to Mexico in 1992, González made a visit to the United States. He met Father Fidel Melo, who now leads the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry Office, who invited him to live and work in North Carolina as a director of faith formation. Then, in 2006, González accepted the position as the coordinator of Hispanic Ministries in the Boone vicariate. He also currently serves as the vice president of the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network, a national organization dedicated to pastoral ministry with migrant and seasonal farm workers.

His work now allows him to help the poor of the Church by getting them food, employment, documentation, financial assistance and transportation. By working with a lot of people and organizations, González has become wellknown, which allows him to provide a great deal of help to the Hispanics of his vicariate.

“Thank God I have very good relationships,” he says, “I have been working there for five years. Many people know me in many ways, Anglos and Hispanics. Many people.” With his connections and relationships, he is able to help those in need.

The parishes and missions of the vicariate are far away from social services that more densely populated areas benefit from. He says, “I am working for the poorest people in the diocese because it’s rural areas. Most of them are farm workers, they work in the fields. They need many things because they are very far from many agencies who can help them, like Catholic Social Services. We don’t have very

niños, con gran éxito a estos últimos. Hay que ver que estos chiquitines son el futuro de la Iglesia entonces deben conocer y vivir bien su fe y desde esta edad temprana hacerlos sentir parte importante de la Iglesia”.

Mientras González reconoce que trabajar directamente con la gente no es fácil, es un gran reto, pero también confirma que le da mucha satisfacción. En particular disfruta en “motivar a la gente para abrir su mente en la Fe….y vivir su vida caminando como hijos de Dios, no solamente participando en las misa del domingo pero también vivir su fe siendo caritativos con las demás personas. Dice: “En la vicaria tenemos varias actividades donde cada persona puede encontrar esto que le pueda ayudar a desempeñar sus dones como: ser parte del coro, ministros de la palabra, Ministros extraordinarios Eucaristía, ujieres, en grupos de oración u otros, hay lugar para todos”.

No es raro que González trabaja 12 o 14 horas al día y todavía no se ha completado todo. Dice: “todos los coordinadores del Ministerio Hispano trabajamos mucho. Para este trabajo hay que tener vocación, dentro del cual hay compromiso real y el sacrificio”. Pero González sabe y confirma que esta es su vocación, “esta es mi vida, esta es mi fe”.

close services for them because we are in the middle of nothing.”

After meeting the material needs of the people, he is then able to speak with them about their faith. He is there for the Spanish-speaking people to provide spiritual assistance that is so badly needed. He is able to successfully provide counsel and support to the many migrant workers of the area.

“I work with the farm workers. Most of them are single men,” says González. “They need a lot of help. They have a lot of loneliness. It’s very far from urban areas. You have to drive very far to get to the Christmas tree farms, tobacco farms and orchards (where they work).”

In the parishes, González works with priests and faith formation directors to provide retreats and formation in Spanish.

“I do, for adults, basic faith formation to teach them exactly what the faith of the Catholic Church is – from the very beginning, because normally they don’t have any kind of formation.” He also organizes retreats for both children and adults. For the adults, he works with parishes to put on retreats in Lent and Advent. He puts on a three-day retreats for teenagers and children’s retreat for ages 4 to 10.

He says, “I do it every year in four parishes. I get very good success because this is a time for children.” The children’s retreat is similar to vacation Bible school, but he calls it “a retreat because they identify to the word better. They like it… It’s very pleasant and the children get very motivated to get involved in the faith formation program.”

While González acknowledges the many difficulties in working to serve people with such varied needs, he says, “It’s hard, but very pleasant.” He particularly enjoys “motivating them to open their mind in the faith…(and) to live their faith in the right way – to be involved in the community. No only appear for Mass every Sunday but they have to get involved to help other people. We have various activities like choirs, they can become lecturers or Eucharistic ministers, or help do maintenance in the parish, and also create groups of prayer that can help people in the community who suffer.”

It is not unusual for González to work 12- or 14-hour days, and still have not completed everything. “There are many people. I don’t have time to visit everyone. It’s impossible to do it. It’s one person and a lot of territory, but I do the best I can,” he says. The job is challenging and requires real commitment and sacrifice.

But González knows he is called to this work.

“To do this kind of work,” he says, “you have to have a vocation, if not you are lost. This is my vocation, this is my life, this is my faith.”

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Photo provided by Mariella Buscaglia

Final de curso CHARLOTTE — Final del curso del ministerio pastoral dictado por el SEPI durante cuatro años contando con la asistencia de miembros de las siguientes parroquias: Guadalupe, Asuncion, San Marcos, San Gabriel, Santa Ana, San Vicente y Santa Teresa.

SEPI course ends CHARLOTTE — Several Charlotte-area parishioners recently completed the four-year course through SEPI, the Southeast Pastoral Institute – training that will prepare them for ministry leadership and catechesis work with the diocese’s Hispanic community. SEPI is part of the Southeast Regional Office for Hispanic Ministry, created in 1978 to assist the bishops in the Southeast in their pastoral service to the growing population of Hispanic Catholics. Parishes that were represented included Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Mark, St. Gabriel, St. Ann, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Thérèse churches.

Photo provided by Mariella Buscaglia, Maria Eugenia Pozo, Angélica Hurtado and Ramon Quintero

Aprender de Salvador Gómez HUNTERSVILLE — Miembros de la Iglesia St. Gabriel en Charlotte, disfrutaron de las enseñanzas del hermano Salvador Gómez durante su visita a Charlotte y Huntersville del 25 al 27 de Mayo. El evangelista internacionalmente conocido fue el orador principal en la “Renovación de la Unción”, celebrada en Holy Trinity Middle School y patrocinado por el grupo católico carismático en la Iglesia de San Marcos en Huntersville. Cientos de fieles se reunieron para el evento a través de Pentecostés.

Learning from Salvador Gómez HUNTERSVILLE — Members of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte enjoyed the teachings of Salvador Gómez during his visit to Charlotte and Huntersville May 25-27. The internationally-known evangelist was the keynote speaker at “Renewing the Anointing,” held at Holy Trinity Middle School and sponsored by the Catholic charismatic group at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. Hundreds of worshippers gathered for the event over Pentecost.

Mix 22

catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On TV

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

n Saturday, July 7, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “Keeping Your Kids Catholic: Part 2.” Host Bert Ghezzi continues his mini-series with a look at how parents can build a Catholic way of living within the family.

In theaters

n Saturday, July 7, 8 p.m.

(EWTN) “Maria Goretti.”

St. Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints in the history of the Church, gave up her life to protect her purity; this remarkable new film explores her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions.

‘People Like Us’ A basically good-hearted but unscrupulous businessman faces a moral dilemma when he discovers, in the wake of his long-estranged father’s death, that he has a half-sister and that Dad left secret instructions for him to convey a large cash bequest to her. Up against financial reversals, he needs the money himself. But as he gets to know his struggling sibling, he contrives to cross her path as though he were a chance acquaintance, and bonds with her troubled preteen son, less selfish considerations come to the fore. Cohabitation, brief semigraphic sexual activity, drug use, addiction theme, some profanity.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ The 16th president of the United States uses his trusty ax to split a lot more than rails in this goofy mash-up of American history. Bloody violence, fleeting upper female nudity, occasional profanity.

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

‘Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection’ In one of her weaker outings, her district attorney nephew convinces Madea to shelter a white family after a massive corporate Ponzi scheme gone awry, leaving Levy’s falsely suspected character not only facing fraud charges but threatened by mobsters as well. Occasional slapstick violence as well as fleeting crass language and drug references.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

Additional movies: ‘Magic Mike’

n CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ n

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

‘Stella Days’

n CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: Not rated

‘Ted’

n CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

Kimberly Bender | Catholic News Herald

Communications coordinator Shannon Habenicht has helped St. Gabriel Parish launch a new website, use QR codes for smart phones to scan and save information on bulletins and flyers, and is now working on building a mobile app – all in an effort to better communicate to the parish’s approximately 3,000 members.

St. Gabriel Parish: Using technology to connect with members Kimberly Bender Online reporter

CHARLOTTE — The communications coordinator at St. Gabriel Church is hoping new technology will help boost attendance and spread the word about what’s going on at the vibrant Charlotte parish.

Shannon Habenicht has helped St. Gabriel Parish launch a new website, use QR codes for smart phones to scan and save information on bulletins and flyers, and now to create an original mobile app for the parish. St. Gabriel is among the largest parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte, with more than 3,000 registered families, so communication is key. And these technologies can help the parish communicate better, faster and easier, Habenicht says.

“I worked marketing, fundraisers and worked for a health care system. It took me to come to Catholic church in my hometown to do QR codes and apps. It’s like – boom – technology,” Habenicht says excitedly about all of the parish’s new initiatives.

Habenicht, who attended St. Gabriel School and graduated from Charlotte Catholic High School, returned to Charlotte eight years ago after attending college in Virginia and working in Washington, D.C. An email sent through a Christian mothers’ group alerted her to the job opening. She has served as parttime communications director at the church for nearly two years now.

“It was meant to be as I thought and hope it was,” she says. “It’s been really great. We’re very lucky to have supportive staff and Father Frank (O’Rourke). I knew I’d like it here, but I love it here.”

As parish communications director, Habenicht writes press releases, compiles the weekly bulletin, updates the calendar and maintains the parish website, which was recently redesigned.

“I’m getting out the good works that we do here,” Habenicht says.

In an attempt to reach a broader audience, Habenicht says, the parish is now looking to connect to more people through their smart phones.

With help from a local company, St. Gabriel Parish is developing an app, an application for Apple and

More online Check out St. Gabriel Church’s new website: www.stgabrielchurch.org Learn more about QR codes or create them yourself: www.qrstuff.com

Android phones, that will have the same look as the website. The app will also have GPS directions to the church from the phone’s location, front desk numbers, Mass schedules, calendar of events and push notifications that will go parish-wide, Habenicht says.

It will also have a form for ministries to use, so that if a meeting is cancelled or changed, a notification can be “pushed” to all the attendees’ phones.

“We didn’t have the technology to reach everyone before. The free app is voluntary,” Habenicht says.

“We’re trying to reach a larger audience.”

The goal through the mobile app is to target the 18to 35-year-old demographic, she says.

“That’s really where things are going. A lot of people don’t even check email anymore. We want people to see that we’re in the times, and we’re doing so many things, and people may not know about them.

The app gives them immediate access to us.”

The mobile app should be available for download in the next few weeks, she says.

The other initiative that St. Gabriel Parish is undertaking is adding quick response codes, or QR codes, to bulletins, flyers and other communications.

These two-dimensional boxes of code can be scanned by smart phones, similar to bar codes, and are free and easy to produce and use.

Through these codes, the goal is to boost attendance at events and awareness for campaigns through the ability to quickly obtain the information on the go and reading more on a phone or device at a more convenient time, Habenicht points out.

ST. GABRIEL, SEE page 23

n Sunday, July 8, 2 a.m., Friday, July 13, 10 p.m., and Saturday, July 14, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Jesus Living In Mary: St. Louis Marie De Montfort.” A film on the life of St. Louis de Montfort, covering his upbringing, his formation for the priesthood, spiritual purification by trial, canonization and the movement to declare Montfort a Doctor of the Church. n Sunday, July 8, 10-11 p.m. (EWTN) "Life Issues: From Conception to Natural Death." Colin Donovan leads this discussion of Catholic teaching on such topics as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and just war. An "EWTN Theology Roundtable" presentation. n Monday, July 9, 6:30-7 p.m. (EWTN) "The God of Mercy." First episode of a five-part series recounting the life of St. Faustina Kowalska and exploring her message of Divine Mercy. The series continues nightly through Friday, July 13, 6:30-7 p.m. each night. n Friday, July 13, 1 p.m. and Saturday, July 14, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “Keeping Your Kids Catholic: Part 3.” Host Bert Ghezzi discusses some ways to guide your teens into a loving relationship with Christ. n Friday, July 20, 1 p.m. and Saturday, July 21, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “Keeping Your Kids Catholic: Part 4.” Host Bert Ghezzi discusses the flip side of the coin: focusing on the importance of keeping parents rooted in a Catholic way of life.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

ST. GABRIEL: FROM PAGE 22

“I’m more excited for the QR codes than I am for the app,” she says. “To take all the time to write down the details while a baby is screaming is hard. But with the code, you just scan and go. I think it’s a good way to get people to start coming to events. I think it’s a neat concept. I think it’s cool for the Catholic Church to have that ability. We’re pretty progressive with the technology. ” The first QR codes appeared in the parish bulletin over the June 23-24 weekend, and five people scanned the codes for more information. “Not a ton, but a nice start,” Habenicht says.

Kate Stephens, director of St. Gabriel’s preschool, the Cradle, said she’s grateful for Habenicht’s hard work in creating

greener communication, including using QR codes to pay tuition.

“I’m really excited about it. In the Cradle, we strive educate our students as 21st century learners. It only makes sense for our parents to use 21st century communication,” Stephens says.

“Shannon has brought a lot convenience to the parents because the website has become more user-friendly. We’re fortunate to have someone bright like Shannon to keep us up to date.”

Since the parish’s new website launched, Habenicht says, they’ve seen steady growth of new and returning visitors to the site.

Habenicht says she looks to her peers at other parishes for advice and ideas, and she could see that a position like hers would be beneficial in other parishes.

If you’d like to learn more about what she is doing, email Habenicht at shabenicht@stgabrielchurch.org.

Anthony Perlas, seroptics.com | Catholic News Herald

Dr. Stanley Fish, one of the country’s leading public intellectuals and a world-renowned literary theorist and legal scholar, gave the keynote address to kick off Belmont Abbey College’s first literary conference June 22.

Belmont Abbey College holds first literary conference Featured speaker was famed Dr. Stanley Fish Christopher Lux Correspondent

BELMONT — In a beautifully archaic auditorium at Belmont Abbey College, more than 70 people gathered June 23 to listen to keynote speaker Dr. Stanley Fish, world-renowned literary theorist and legal scholar, kick off the college’s first literary conference.

“Why are you here? It’s a nice day,” Fish rhetorically asked them during his keynote address.

Fish wondered why there were so many young people present on a Saturday afternoon “doing what we are told is dying and needs justification.”

The Catholic liberal arts college, as host for the conference, demonstrated its commitment to what Fish himself was acclaiming: an education centered on the arts. And the conference’s high attendance confirmed Fish’s argument for and demonstration of the power and value of literary art.

Fish’s address explored the theme of “Transformations in Literature.”

Attendees and presenters included students, alumni, faculty and staff of the college, along with members of Belmont Abbey’s Benedictine monastic community.

Also in attendance were students and faculty from schools such as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Charlotte, Ave Maria University, the University of Notre Dame and Wingate University.

The conference kicked off Friday, June 22, and continued through June 24. As papers were presented and talks were given, the weekend was broken up with

coffee breaks, literary conversations and a banquet dinner.

Organized by Assistant Professors of English at Belmont Abbey College Drs. Al Benthall and Joseph Pizza, the event took more than a year of preparation. The hard work paid off with a well-attended, lively weekend focused on literary art.

“For Dr. Benthall and me,” Pizza said, “the most enjoyable part of organizing the event was listening to the fine papers that were given and taking part in the engaging literary discussions that they inspired.”

Conference papers addressed a range of writers from classical, medieval, Renaissance, and contemporary periods, and they explored an array of topics.

Fish is one of the country’s leading public intellectuals, a world-renowned literary theorist and a legal scholar.

Currently professor of humanities and law at Florida International University, he is a prolific author, having written more than 200 scholarly books and articles. He is also a frequent media commentator and has appeared in such venues as CNN, “Hardball” with Chris Matthews, “The O’Reilly Factor,” NBC Nightly News and many NPR stations.

The professors who organized the conference were faced with limited funding and the pressure of putting together a conference from scratch. However, Pizza acknowledged, “in overcoming those challenges we were aided by the encouragement and support of many on campus, especially by Dr. Bill Thierfelder, the president of Belmont Abbey College;

by Dr. Carson Daly, vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty; by her administrative assistant, Kathy Shaw;

by Jillian Maisano, the assistant director of marketing; by Denise Boykin in the Office of Administration and Finance; and by Jenny Ross, the catering manager at Chartwells. Without their help, the conference probably would not have taken place.”

23

704-841-1160

Our schools 24

catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In Brief OLM celebrates Science Day

St. Michael School honors retiring teachers GASTONIA — St. Michael faculty, staff and students gathered in the school’s gymnasium to honor Carla McGuire, first-grade teacher, (left) and Elizabeth Bruchon, third-grade teacher, (right) on their retirement. McGuire has taught at St. Michael for 28 years, and Bruchon has taught there for nine years.

Each teacher was given a memory book with students writing poems, drawings and a farewell note of thanks. A quilt was made for each teacher with a picture of students in all classrooms on it and beautiful flowers were presented as well.

— Pat Burr

WINSTONSALEM — Science Day at Our Lady of Mercy School recently made science fun for everyone. The middle schoolers led morning activities for grades K-5 such as making ice cream, going on a nature scavenger hunt, doing sea turtle hurtles, making “glubber,” designing camouflage insects, and writing the story of rock life cycles. The day, organized by OLM science teacher Nancy Farmer, was capped off with an egg drop contest for the middle school students (pictured above) to test their engineering skills.

— Lara Davenport

Photo provided by Lara Davenport

Our Lady of Mercy School celebrates its grads WINSTON-SALEM — Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem honored its eighth-grade graduates June 6 during a graduation Mass and award ceremony. Graduates Hannah Boone, Carson Gann, Melissa Rademaker, Carson Keith and Colin Jacobsen gave reflections during the Mass about their memories of OLM and how the school has helped them be the young people they are today. Immediately following the Mass was a reception and awards ceremony.

The first awards were for academic achievement, presented by the Knights of Columbus Council 10504. Bronwyn Cortez, Andres Rodriguez, Tylen Watts, Carson Keith, Carly Player, Kaili Griffin, Maia Cancro, Hannah Boone and Melissa Rademaker were recipients of these academic honors. Gold President’s Awards for Educational Excellence were given to Andres Rodrigues, Tylen Watts, Carly Player, Kaili Griffin, Bronwyn Cortez, Maia Cancro, Analisa Camacho, Melissa Rademaker and Hannah Boone. Silver President’s Awards for Educational Achievement were presented to Gina Koesters, Carson Keith, Lissete Del Rio, Nicholas Buchmeier, Andrew Buchmeier, Carson Gann, Cailin Gillooley and Colin Jacobsen. Students who helped lead the school-wide service organization, Helping Hands of Mercy, were honored for their leadership: Lindsey Carnes, Carson Gann, Analisa Camacho, Gina Koesters, Carson Keith, Maia Cancro, Hannah Boone and Carly Player.

Ralph White and Analisa Camacho received the first-ever Principal’s Award for an outstanding Mercy student who has exemplified the Mercy spirit with excellence in academics, athletics and service to community.

Photo provided by Mendy Yarborough

Immaculate Heart of Mary School graduates 30 HIGH POINT — On June 5, parents, students, faculty, parishioners and friends gathered to honor 30 members of the eighth-grade graduating class of Immaculate Heart of Mary School. Mass was celebrated along with a graduation ceremony at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point. It was a joyful celebration that highlighted the deep relationships these students have developed over the years. Many of the students have been together since their first day of kindergarten in 2003. Seventeen of these rising freshmen will continue on to Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville. Two students will attend Early College, and one will be attending a local private school. The remaining graduates will attend local public high schools.

Eva Ellenburg’s hard work and dedication at IHM School earned her the title of class valedictorian. She held the highest cumulative grade-point average from sixth through eighth grade.

St. Michael School honors graduates GASTONIA — St. Michael School had 23 eighth-grade students graduate on June 3. Greg Davidowitz, eighthgrade teacher, is pictured with the graduating class. St. Michael Church in Gastonia offered a Mass for the students, parents, teachers and staff, friends and parish community, and the school had an awards ceremony in the gym followed by a reception honoring the students.

Photo provided by Pat Burr

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July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Our nation 26

catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Philadelphia’s Monsignor Lynn found guilty on one charge of child endangerment Matthew Gambino Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA — With the same expression of serenity that he had shown for 13 weeks, Msgr. William J. Lynn listened to the criminal jury foreman speak the verdict of guilty on one charge of endangering the welfare of a child June 22 in a Philadelphia courtroom.

Msgr. Lynn becomes the first highranking Catholic clergyman in the U.S. to be convicted of a crime associated with the handling of priests accused of child sexual abuse, though he himself faced no charge of abuse.

According to guidelines mentioned by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, Msgr. Lynn faces a sentence of six months to seven years for his conviction. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13. The priest’s defense lawyers would not comment on whether they will appeal.

The Philadelphia Archdiocese as well as lawyers for the prosecution and defense had been bound from commenting on the trial since it began March 26.

Sarmina lifted the gag order at the trial’s conclusion.

A statement by the Philadelphia Archdiocese June 22 acknowledged the “difficult time for all Catholics� during the trial, especially for victims of sexual abuse. “The lessons of the last year have made our Church a more vigilant guardian of our people’s safety,� the statement said. “The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is on a journey of reform and renewal that requires honesty and hope. We are committed to providing support and assistance to parishioners as they and the Church seek to more deeply understand sexual violence, and to create an environment that is safe and welcoming to

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all, including past victims.�

The statement said the archdiocese “offers a heartfelt apology to all victims of clergy sexual abuse. Now and in the future, the Church will continue to take vigorous steps to ensure safe church environments for all the faithful in Philadelphia.�

The charge of child endangerment for which the jury found Msgr. Lynn guilty stemmed from the case of former priest Edward V. Avery, 69. Jurors declared, in effect, that Msgr. Lynn should have done more to prevent the abuse.

Before the start of the trial in March, Avery pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting an altar boy at St. Jerome Parish in Northeast Philadelphia in the 1990s. Avery was laicized in 2006 and now is serving two and a half to five years in prison.

The jury acquitted Msgr. Lynn of the charge of conspiracy with Avery and other archdiocesan officials and of a second child endangerment charge concerning the case of Father James J. Brennan, 48.

Father Brennan, who has not functioned as a priest since 2006, faced charges of attempted rape and endangerment of a child from an allegation also stemming from the 1990s. The jury declared it was hung on finding a decision on his case.

State prosecutors have not determined if they will retry his case before a new jury or drop the charges.

Throughout the 13-week trial, adult victims of sexual abuse stood as powerful witnesses to the lifelong damage that incidents of abuse caused them. Many of the adults had heroically learned to come to grips with experiences even if still brought to tears by the memories.

Other victims struggled still with personal problems they say are a result of the abuse they endured.

Besides the testimony of nearly 20 witnesses, jurors weighed a mountain of

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Father Pavone allowed to minister outside diocese AMARILLO, Texas — A Vatican decree allows pro-life activist Father Frank Pavone to minister outside the Diocese of Amarillo, where he was incardinated in 2005, but he still must obtain specific permission to do so from Amarillo Bishop Patrick J. Zurek. The decree from the Congregation of the Clergy was dated May 18 and became public about a month later. Bishop Zurek said in a June 20 statement that the congregation “has sustained Father Frank A. Pavone’s appeal of his suspension from ministry outside the Diocese of Amarillo. As a gesture of good will, I will grant permission to him in individual cases, based upon their merits, to participate in pro-life events with the provision that he and I must be in agreement beforehand as to his role and function,� the bishop added.

The priest, who is national director of Priests for Life, also must continue his ministry as

administration to the former archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, who died in January this year.

Msgr. Lynn and his lawyers argued that the cardinal bore ultimate responsibility for assigning priests in the archdiocese.

Archbishop Chaput sees deep roots to clergy sexual abuse crisis

CNS | Tim Shaffer, Reuters

Msgr. William J. Lynn, former secretary of clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, walks from the courthouse as the jury deliberates during a sexual abuse trial in Philadelphia June 20. Msgr. Lynn was later found guilty of child endangerment but acquitted on two other charges in the Philadelphia child sex abuse trial. evidence from almost 2,000 Church files that documented the actions of numerous administrators of the Philadelphia Archdiocese over several decades in an attempt to show a pattern of officials covering up clergy sexual abuse.

Jurors also heard from Msgr. Lynn himself, who under a blistering three-day verbal assault by prosecutors, admitted that even though he let a case of one credibly accused priest “slip through the cracks� by failing to handle the case of former priest Stanley Gana promptly, he repeatedly said he was doing the best he could in his position.

The position of secretary for clergy that Msgr. Lynn held from 1992 to 2004 reported up a chain of command in the archdiocesan

chaplain to the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, a religious order in Channing. A June 26 statement on the Priests for Life website said the group was “happy to announce that the Vatican has upheld Father Frank Pavone’s appeal and has declared that Father Pavone is not now nor has ever been suspended. Father Pavone remains a priest in good standing all over the world.� Last September, Bishop Zurek suspended the priest from ministry outside the diocese, saying he was needed for work in Texas and remained a priest in good standing in the Amarillo diocese.

Illinois Catholics rejoice over ‘venerable’ decree for Archbishop Sheen PEORIA, Ill. — The Vatican’s June 28 decree that U.S. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen lived a life of heroic virtues and should be considered venerable – advancing his sainthood cause – prompted much rejoicing in his home state of Illinois. “This is a great day for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and the Catholic Church in America,� said Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, who added that the “heroic virtues of a son from central Illinois and a priest of Peoria have been recognized by the Catholic Church. Fulton Sheen’s zeal, wisdom and holiness should help

INDIANAPOLIS — Noting that the Church in Philadelphia is “now my family, an intimate part of my life� a year after being appointed to lead the Church there, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said that the clergy sexual abuse scandal “has caused terrible suffering for victims, demoralized many of our clergy, crippled the witness of the Church and humiliated the whole Catholic community� in that region.

Archbishop Chaput made his remarks June 20 during a keynote address at the 2012 Catholic Media Conference, sponsored jointly by the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy for Communications Arts Professionals.

The day after his talk in Indianapolis, the archbishop announced a reorganization of the archdiocesan administration that will result in the loss of 40 jobs and the closing of The Catholic Standard & Times, the 117-yearold archdiocesan newspaper. He said the archdiocese faced a shortfall of $17 million between expected revenue and expenses, not including more than $11 million in legal fees over the past year. “As a bishop, the only honest way I can talk about the abuse tragedy is to start by apologizing for the failure of the Church and her leaders – apologizing to victims, and apologizing to the Catholic community,� Archbishop Chaput added. “And I do that again here, today.�

us build our faith,� he said. The decree issued by the Congregation for Saints’ Causes and signed

by Pope Benedict XVI said Archbishop Sheen should be considered venerable because he heroically lived Christian virtues. In general, the Church must then confirm two miracles before sainthood is declared. The first miracle is needed for beatification and the second for canonization.

Distress remains on ‘show me your papers’ immigration ruling WASHINGTON, D.C. — In what one observer called “the judicial equivalent of white smoke,� immigration advocates were largely happy with the June 25 Supreme Court ruling that struck down three key provisions of Arizona’s own immigration law. However, they voiced distress over the one part of the law the high court kept intact: the “show me your papers� provision.

Because of “certain limitations,� the court said, such checks do not “interfere with the federal immigration scheme.� But the decision also said the provision would face further scrutiny and could later be found unconstitutional. “We are encouraged that the court did not rule it (the provision) constitutional,� said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration, in a statement. — Catholic News Service

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Anderson offers ways Catholics can help bring end to political gridlock Julie Asher Catholic News Service

INDIANAPOLIS — Catholic voters “should insist that candidates measure their political platforms by Catholic social teaching,” especially if those seeking office are Catholics, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said June 22.

“Catholic voters should have the courage to settle for nothing less,” he said in a speech in Indianapolis. “And they should have the courage to withhold their vote from candidates who fail this test – even if it means at times that they will withhold their vote for both candidates for a particular office.”

“Withholding a vote may at times be the most effective vote,” Anderson said.

The head of the Knights of Columbus gave the address at the closing banquet of the Catholic Media Conference in Indianapolis. The June 20-22 gathering was the annual joint convention of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy for Communications Arts Professionals.

In his speech, Anderson cited the U.S. Catholic bishops’ quadrennial statement titled “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” which he said “tells us that some actions are intrinsically evil and must always be opposed.”

“As Catholics, we wish we could debate and vote on the full range of Catholic social teaching – including prudential issues that raise serious moral questions. But to be able to effectively do this, we must first refuse to support candidates who advocate policies that are intrinsically evil,” he said.

Later, in response to a question emailed to him by Catholic News Service about whether his statement about “withholding” one’s vote went further than what the bishops themselves have stated in election years, Anderson cited section 36 of “Faithful Citizenship.”

“The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate,” says the section. “Such an option shouldn’t be one’s first choice, but it is a choice preferable to casting a vote for a candidate whose policies would support something intrinsically evil.”

“My point wasn’t that Catholics shouldn’t vote. They should,” Anderson told CNS in a June 26 email reply. “But I wanted to make clear that it is no longer acceptable for Catholics to justify voting for candidates whose positions include support for intrinsic evils by pointing to other,

prudential issues on which that candidate may be superior to another who does not support intrinsic evils.

“I didn’t wish to say what sort of candidates Catholics should vote for,” he continued. “I wanted to make clear the sort of candidates they cannot vote for.

“And if a Catholic voter is unable to bring himself or herself to vote for a certain candidate, for whatever reason, but the other candidate in that race holds positions that cooperate with intrinsic evil,” he continued, then, as the bishops’ document says, they “may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting.”

“The point of my talk was precisely to stress the importance of the reasoning in C ‘Faithful Citizenship’ 36,” he told CNS. “Issues like abortion – or the integrity M and definition of the Catholic Church Y under assault through the HHS mandate – precisely fit the definition of ‘intrinsicallyCM evil’ and thus Catholics should not ever MY vote for candidates who support those CY issues,” he said.

The mandate is the requirement issued by CMY the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of the health reform law. It K says most religious employers, despite their moral objections, must provide insurance coverage of contraception, sterilization and abortifacients free of charge to their employees. Only those religious employers who fit a narrowly drawn exemption will not have to provide such coverage.

“For those Catholics who might strongly disagree with a candidate on some prudential issue and would not want to vote for that person, there is still no justification to vote for someone holding intrinsically evil positions,” Anderson said.

In his address in Indianapolis, Anderson said he believes all Americans at one point or another have “lamented the sad state of today’s political environment: the intransigence and partisanship that disfigure nearly every national policy debate and make the search for solutions virtually impossible. It is an environment that drives away from national leadership many persons of intelligence and integrity.”

“Catholics are uniquely positioned to offer a solution to our current dilemma.

We have an extraordinarily rich tradition of social teaching and the experience that much of American history has been shaped

by Catholics,” he said.

“If we are faithful to the social teaching of our Church, Catholics can truly transcend partisanship and transform our nation’s politics,” Anderson said.

27

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Kenyan bishops call for increased security after church attacks

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Catholic, Orthodox leaders to issue statement urging reconciliation WARSAW, Poland — Catholic and Orthodox leaders from Poland and Russia will issue a joint statement committing their churches to fostering reconciliation between the two historically feuding countries. Archbishop Henryk Muszynski, Poland’s former Catholic primate, said the text could be compared to a famous 1965 declaration by Poland’s Catholic bishops to their German counterparts; that document contained the words “we forgive and ask forgiveness.” However, he cautioned that Polish-Russian ties had not yet “matured sufficiently” for a comparable pledge of mutual forgiveness and said it was still “very difficult to reach a common position with Russians” on historical issues.

UNESCO adds Church of Nativity to list of heritage sites in danger ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — UNESCO has placed sites – including the Church of the Nativity – in Bethlehem, West Bank, on its list of World Heritage in Danger. In its application, Palestine, which became a full UNESCO member last October – said the church had not had upkeep and repairs since 1967, when Israel began occupation of the West Bank and because of Israeli restrictions on movement in and out of the territory. Inscribing a site on the List of World Heritage in Danger allows the World Heritage Committee to allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to the endangered property.

Pope names U.S. archbishop to new post to aid talks with traditionalists VATICAN CITY — In an effort to aid reconciliation attempts with traditionalist Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI has named U.S. Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia to fill a newly created post of vice president of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei.” “The appointment of a high-ranking prelate to this position is a sign of the Holy Father’s pastoral solicitude for traditionalist Catholics in communion with the Holy See and his strong desire for the reconciliation of those traditionalist communities not in union with the See of Peter,” the Vatican said in a written statement June 26. The statement, released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees “Ecclesia Dei,” said the New York-born Dominican is a respected theologian who has devoted much time and attention to the doctrinal issues under review in current talks with the breakaway traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, led by Bishop Bernard Fellay. The society rejects some of the teachings of Vatican II as well as the modernizing reforms, especially to the liturgy, that followed in its wake.

— Catholic News Service

Francis Njuguna Catholic News Service

CNS | Giancarlo Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

Pope Benedict XVI presents a pallium to Byzantine Catholic Archbishop William C. Skurla of Pittsburgh during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 29.

Pope says pallium is sign of tie to heaven and earth, Christ and pope Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — After placing a woolen band around the shoulders of 44 new archbishops as they knelt before him, Pope Benedict XVI told them it was a reminder of their ties to heaven and earth and of their loyalty to Christ and the successor of Peter.

“You have been constituted in and for the great mystery of communion that is the Church, the spiritual edifice built upon Christ as the cornerstone, while in its earthly and historical dimension, it is built on the rock of Peter,” the pope said June 29 during his homily on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

However, he added, the “Church is not a community of the perfect, but a community of sinners, obliged to recognize their need for God’s love, their need to be purified through the cross of Jesus Christ.”

Before celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict gave the archbishops from 23 countries the woolen pallium as a sign of their sharing with him authority over the faithful in their archdioceses.

The pallium is presented every year to new archbishops or those who have been assigned to a new archdiocese.

The archbishops included Archbishops Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia; William E. Lori of Baltimore; Samuel J. Aquila of Denver; and William C. Skurla, who leads the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

Among the others were four prelates from Canada, including Archbishop Christian Lepine of Montreal, and two from Australia, including Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane.

Two new archbishops were unable to attend the ceremony and received

their palliums at home, making the final count 46 new archbishops from 24 countries, including South Korea, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica began with a fanfare of trumpets and “Tu es Petrus” sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir and the world-renowned Westminster Abbey choir of Great Britain.

The pope invited the Anglican choir to sing with the papal choir, bringing two distinctive choral styles together at an event reaffirming papal authority and Catholic bishops’ unity with him.

Anglican Father John Hall, the dean of Westminster, said he hoped the historic visit would help the church and the Anglican Communion progress along the “long and tortuous path toward full and visible unity.”

Also present at the Mass was a delegation sent by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.

The pallium ceremony saw a small but significant change this year, since it came before the start of Mass, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of the Mass or seeming to suggest that the bestowal of the pallium has the status of a sacrament.

In his homily, the pope said Sts. Peter and Paul represent a “new brotherhood” in which differences can be harmonized in unity with love for Christ. That unity extends not just among Catholics, but all believers in Christ as they pursue full communion, he said.

“Together we are all cooperators of the truth, which as we know is one and symphonic, and requires from each of us and from our communities a constant commitment to conversion to the one Lord in the grace of the one Spirit,” he told the archbishops.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s Catholic bishops called upon the government to intensify its security efforts in the country’s north after the July 1 attacks on two churches, including a Catholic cathedral, that left at least 17 people dead and more than 50 people injured.

The simultaneous attacks on Our Lady of Consolation Cathedral and the Protestant Africa Inland Church in the northern town of Garissa were the most recent in a series of incidents since Kenyan troops were sent into Somalia in October to crush al-Shabaab militants.

“These unjustifiable acts of violence being continuously meted out on Kenyans, including women and children, have not only resulted in the loss of innocent lives but also created a sense of insecurity among Christians and all peace loving Kenyans,” the bishops said in a statement July 2.

The bishops said they continued to believe the attacks were not part of a religious war even though they were carried out on Christian faith communities.

“We ask all Kenyans to work towards promoting peaceful coexistence,” the bishops said.

Witnesses said masked gunmen attacked the churches with gunfire while lobbing hand grenades as worshippers prayed during morning services.

In their statement, signed by Cardinal John Njue, chairman of the Kenya Episcopal Conference, the bishops urged the government to thoroughly investigate the attacks, assess the “country’s security situation” and chart a way forward that ensures the safety of all Kenyans.

“We call on all Kenyans to remain vigilant and cooperate with the security agencies and other authorities to ensure their security is guaranteed, we remind them that fighting terrorism, extremism and insecurity is not just for the security agencies but the duty of each and every Kenyan because terrorists and criminals operate amongst us,” the statement added.

The bishops also offered their sympathy to the families and friends who lost loved ones in the attack and offered prayers for the injured.

Nigerian bishops say anger, hatred after bombings is at dangerous level LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Catholic bishops expressed concern that anger and hatred are growing among Christian and Muslim communities and have reached a dangerous level following a spate of church bombings believed to be carried out by a fundamentalist Islamic sect. “These are sad days for Nigeria and for all Nigerians,” the bishops said in a June 26 statement released in Abuja. “We feel greatly pained by the violent events which have become almost daily occurrences.” The statement, signed by Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of Lagos, lamented the lack of security for Christians despite mounting attacks.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

AFFORDABLE CARE: FROM PAGE 3

prevailed. The other Justices split 4-4, with four wanting to uphold it as a mandate, and four opposed to it in any form.�

But the five justices in the majority disagreed over why the individual mandate was OK. The blog said, “The Affordable Care Act, including its individual mandate that virtually all Americans buy health insurance, is constitutional. There were not five votes to uphold it on the ground that Congress could use its power to regulate commerce between the states to require everyone to buy health insurance.

However, five Justices agreed that the penalty that someone must pay if he refuses to buy insurance is a kind of tax that Congress can impose using its taxing power. That is all that matters. Because the mandate survives, the Court did not need to decide what other parts of the statute were constitutional, except for a provision that required states to comply with new eligibility requirements for Medicaid or risk losing their funding. On that question, the Court held that the provision is constitutional as long as states would only lose new funds if they didn’t comply with the new requirements, rather than all of their funding.�

The court placed some limits on the federal government’s ability to terminate states’ Medicaid funding, saying in the majority opinion that the federal government could not force states to participate in the expansion of Medicaid or risk losing all of their existing Medicaid funding.

Justice Anthony Kennedy issued the minority dissenting opinion, saying in the opening of his statement, “In our view, the entire Act before us is invalid in its entirety.�

The court did not consider the constitutionality of other components of the ACA, including the HHS mandate.

Its ruling specifically focused on the constitutionality of the individual mandate to carry health insurance, as well as Medicaid funding, not other parts of the ACA.

the Bishops’ statement

In a statement released June 28, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that the ACA must be “repaired� if it is to accomplish the goal of “life-affirming health care for all,� as it does not protect freedom of conscience regarding artificial contraception coverage, and it leaves immigrants and their families “worse off� than before.

The statement read: “For nearly a century, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform to ensure access to lifeaffirming health care for all, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable. Although the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did not participate in these cases and took no position on the specific questions presented to the Court, USCCB’s position on health care reform generally and on ACA particularly is a matter of public record. The bishops ultimately opposed final passage of ACA for several reasons. “First, ACA allows use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions and for plans that cover such abortions, contradicting longstanding federal policy. The risk we identified in this area has already materialized, particularly in the initial approval by the Department of Health and Human Services of ‘high risk’ insurance

pools that would have covered abortion. “Second, the Act fails to include necessary language to provide essential conscience protection, both within and beyond the abortion context. We have provided extensive analyses of ACA’s defects with respect to both abortion and conscience.

The lack of statutory conscience protections applicable to ACA’s new mandates has been illustrated in dramatic fashion by HHS’s “preventive services� mandate, which forces religious and other employers to cover sterilization and contraception, including abortifacient drugs. “Third, ACA fails to treat immigrant workers and their families fairly. ACA leaves them worse off by not allowing them to purchase health coverage in the new exchanges created under the law, even if they use their own money.

This undermines the Act’s stated goal of promoting access to basic life-affirming health care for everyone, especially for those most in need. “Following enactment of ACA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has not joined in efforts to repeal the law in its entirety, and we do not do so today. The decision of the Supreme Court neither diminishes the moral imperative to ensure decent health care for all, nor eliminates the need to correct the fundamental flaws described above. We therefore continue to urge Congress to pass, and the Administration to sign, legislation to fix those flaws.�

Lawsuits not over

Belmont Abbey College was the first to file a lawsuit last fall against the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate to provide free artificial contraception coverage despite an employer’s religious objections, as it would force the Benedictine college and its monastic community to fund health insurance coverage that violates Church teaching.

The Catholic Church teaches that artificial contraception, sterilization and abortion are intrinsically immoral.

Belmont Abbey College’s president, Dr. William Thierfelder, said the court’s ruling has nothing to do with the college’s legal battle over the HHS mandate.

Thierfelder said he “would have been happier� if the Supreme Court had struck down the ACA because that would have made moot the college’s lawsuit. But, he said, “It’s by no means over.�

Thierfelder encouraged his fellow Catholics to “stand shoulder to shoulder,� continuing to stand up for “what we know to be right.� “We’re all in this together,� he said.

Becket Fund: Fight will continue

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty – a non-profit law firm that is representing four clients including Belmont Abbey College in opposing the HHS mandate, part of the ACA, requiring nearly all employers to provide free coverage for artificial contraception, sterilization and abortioninducing drugs – reiterated last week that the legal fight will continue.

The contraception mandate is being challenged nationwide in 23 lawsuits filed in U.S. District Courts, by various religious employers, churches and schools that say the HHS mandate violates their religious freedom. Requiring religious employers to provide free artificial birth control is unconstitutional, they maintain, because the government action would force them to go against their religious beliefs and violate conscience protections.

A narrow exemption provided by the HHS for religious employers allows only those who hire and serve only people of their own faith can be considered exempt from the mandate. The HHS mandate is set to go into effect in August, although

an “accomodation� issued by President Barack Obama earlier this year would give religious employers another year to figure out how to comply with the mandate.

The effect of the HHS contraception mandate and this narrow exemption means that Catholic employers, schools and dioceses would be forced to pay for an inherent evil, pay severe fines for noncompliance with the mandate, or cease offering any health insurance to their employees and students.

In a statement issued following the Supreme Court ruling, Hannah Smith, senior counsel at the Becket Fund, said, “We are challenging the Health and Human Services mandate on religious liberty grounds which are not part of today’s decision. We will move forward seeking vindication of our client’s First Amendment rights.�

As Belmont Abbey College’s lawsuit was the first to be filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., it is anticipated that it will be the first case to be heard.

29

also objected to the narrowly drawn exemption to the mandate, which requires most religious employers to provide free coverage of contraceptives and sterilization procedures for their workers. It added that this “incursion� by the HHS prevents the free exercise of religion.

Among the Catholic signers of the letter were Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Freedom; and Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis. — Catholic News Service

— Catholic News Service contributed to this report.

Leaders sign joint letter against HHS mandate ST. LOUIS — Two dozen religious leaders have joined the president of the Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod in signing an open letter he wrote to oppose the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate and urge it be retracted.

The Rev. Matthew C. Harrison June 21 issued the letter called “Free Exercise of Religion: Putting Beliefs into Practice,� which states that “no government should tell religious organizations either what to believe or how to put their beliefs into practice.� The letter, available online at www.lcms.org/president,

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letters to the editor

Don’t give out too much information Listing a film as “CNS: O (morally offensive)” is enough information for any reasonable subscriber of the Catholic News Herald. There is no need to further disturb readers by listing all of the morally offensive details. We can reasonably assume that the film is unworthy of our attention.

Carl Horstkamp lives in Winston-Salem.

Food for thought In the comments made

by Sister Simone Campbell on June 9 in response to a reprimand from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (published in the June 22 edition of the Catholic News Herald), there is, sadly, a sense of arrogance and disrespect.

On the other hand, in that same edition, columnist Deacon James Toner has, once again, given us much food for thought and prayer in these challenging times.

He encourages us to speak religious truth to political power, and I might add, to dissenting Catholics.

Mary Pat Arostegui lives in Matthews.

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 written from a perspective of Christian charity.

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 accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry, 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.

E-mail: catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Mail: Letters to the Editor

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Rico De Silva

Joseph Bruck

How to pray well “

I look at Him, and He looks at me.” These words are traditionally attributed to a quiet man from years ago who was usually found in a church. When the Curé of Ars, Father John Vianney, noticed how much time his parishioner was spending in front of our Lord, this affectionate explanation was given. After all, what better way could there be to describe such a beautiful gaze between man and his God? Quoting St. John Damascene, the Catechism defines prayer as the “raising of one’s mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2559).

We do it at night, we do it on Sundays, and we do it before meals. But how can we best learn how to pray well – in other words, the way God teaches us to pray? The answer lies in the Catechism and in Sacred Scripture. As the former so eloquently explains, humility “is the foundation of prayer.” “Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours” (CCC 2559-2560). And in the words of Christ Himself, When “you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

So to pray with purity of heart, we must recognize our needs and our littleness before God. As Catholics, we have the benefit of many wonderful vocal prayers, such as the rosary, a special favorite of our Blessed Mother’s. In this prayer, the consistent rhythm of the Hail Mary helps us to meditate upon the many events in the Savior’s life. Of course, we should also pray interiorly as well, which can be done at any time, regardless of the circumstances. In fact, no matter how busy we ever become, even a simple “My Jesus, I love you!” is of great value when said with love.

Prayer isn’t easy. On the contrary, it’s often a battle.

Distraction, discouragement and weak faith may disquiet us and attempt to frustrate our attempts to talk with God, especially during times of great pain or loss. Even so, God will always be there for us, whether we run to Him with joyful hearts or fall into His open arms with extreme sadness. Prayer, in the end, is how we grow closer to God each day – combined with charity, love and hard work.

If you have trouble praying or feel unemotional sometimes, don’t worry! Love is not a feeling. It’s a decision to will the good of another, as St. Thomas Aquinas discovered. May we all strive to pray with more love and hope every day, trusting in the infinite mercy of Jesus and His Blessed Mother!

‘Prayer isn’t easy.

On the contrary, it’s often a battle. ... Prayer, in the end, is how we grow closer to God each day – combined with charity, love and hard work.’

Joseph Bruck is a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on July 3, 723 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com viewed a total of 1,794 pages so far in July. In June, the website also saw a record number of visits: 12,603. The top 10 headlines in June were: n Joyful celebration as three ordained to priesthood..............................................................................938 n Sister Helene Nagle, beloved Sister of St. Joseph for 57 years, passes away..............................622 n Bishop Jugis to deliver ‘Fortnight for Freedom’ homily July 1 in Charlotte.................................... 372 n Ad Limina 2012 – A Virtual Pilgrimage......................................................................................................346 n New priest celebrates his first Mass in the Extraordinary Form ........................................................ 315 n Photos of Father Barone’s first MEF...........................................................................................................244 n Supporters hope for plaza, not hotel near Basilica of St. Lawrence..................................................214 n Father Lynch, formerly of St. Thérèse Parish in Mooresville, passes away....................................208 n Social justice advocate calls for ‘meaningful conversation’..................................................................172 n Supreme Court upholds Affordable Care Act........................................................................................... 157

‘Undercover’ God? “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (Jn 14:2-3)

O

utside of watching “Dora the Explorer” with my daughter every now and then, I don’t watch much TV these days. However, there was one “reality” show that got my undivided attention during the spring: “Undercover Boss.”

The show is produced by one of the major networks. For those not familiar with the show, it normally profiles a CEO of a major company posing as an average person supposedly doing research or some project that requires handson experience at their workplace. The cameras follow the boss in disguise, as he or she interacts and works next to the employees who do most of the grunt work – be it at a factory, or providing a service or a product. At the end of the show, the CEO meets with the employees who appeared on the episode at the company’s headquarters.

Then, the boss discloses his/her true identity to them, they watch clips of the episode together, and the boss normally commends the employees for a great job and rewards them for something the employees wished they had earlier on the show. (Of course, at that moment there’s always tears of joy flowing from the pleasantly surprised employee.)

I’ve never been crazy about reality shows, but for some reason “Undercover Boss” really appeals to my spirituality. The similarities between what Jesus did when He became one of us are quite many. Like “Undercover Boss,” only Mary and Joseph at first knew that Jesus was the Son of God. Although He had no cameras following Him around Nazareth, Jesus lived a normal life for his first 30 years on earth and earned a living as a carpenter. Then, when Jesus began His three-year ministry, He identified with the lowly and promised them better lives in the Kingdom of God. Yet His “suits,” the religious leaders at the time who were supposed to recognize the CEO’s Son, rejected Jesus and eventually killed Him. Jesus is still “undercover” in our midst.

Besides the poor, the sick and the incarcerated, to name just a few, Jesus also hides in that coworker who always complains about something, but who really just wants someone to listen to them. Or perhaps Jesus is behind that neighbor kid who is always acting out because he’s starving for the attention his parents never give him.

Who is not to say that at the end of our time here on earth, we will sit with the Lord and watch different “clips” from our lives. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. For I whined to you at work frequently, and you were kind to me anyway. For I was a pain in the rear growing up, and you were a patient parent to me in spite of it all.”

To quote another popular reality show, the only other phrase we’ll hear Jesus say to us if we live self-centered lives and don’t labor for His Kingdom is going to be: “You’re fired!”

Rico De Silva is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.

July 6, 2012 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Peggy Bowes

Deacon John Kopfle

Our obligation to the less fortunate

My soul is … a jet pack?

A

s a parent of two teenagers, I often feel guilty about my shortcomings. I never did teach them Latin, we still have a long way to go on Bible studies, and, occasionally, I serve macaroni and cheese for dinner.

There is one thing I have gotten right, though – both my children are very comfortable with the sacrament of reconciliation. I’ll never forget how my son came to me immediately after his very first confession and declared, “I need to go to confession every month. Let’s plan on the first Saturday.” How could I refuse such a request from a second-grader?

Ever since, we have made a habit of monthly trips to the confessional. Of course, we’re human and so we skip a month here and there, but my kids will remind me if it’s been too long. We also take advantage of vacation travel to receive the sacrament in other parishes. My children are comfortable with dark, Gothic-style confessional booths, face-to-face confession, and even the whispered confessions in a communal penance service.

We all appreciate the sensation of burdens falling off our shoulders as we emerge from our parish chapel. My children recently tried to vocalize the feeling of relief that the sacrament of reconciliation brings.

My daughter declared, “I think of my soul as a beautiful round and shiny globe. When I sin, it starts to get dusty, but when I go to confession, Father takes a little brush and sweeps away all the dust so it’s shiny and new again.”

My son considered the idea for a few minutes before adding, “I think of my soul as a jet pack. My sins weigh it down and I feel heavy, but after confession, all the weight is taken off and I feel lighter and free.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us why we experience this renewal: “In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin. In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and does not come into judgment.” (CCC 1470) Think about that. “…The sinner passes from death to life.” No wonder we feel so light and free! The sacrament of reconciliation also gives us the grace to grow in virtue so that we might better fight the temptations that await us as soon as we emerge from the confessional.

Better yet, I am confident that when my children leave my home and influence, they will continue to seek the grace and renewal of frequent confession. One more thing to cross off my “motherly guilt” list. Now I’m off to make mac and cheese for dinner.

Peggy Bowes is a member of Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy and author of “The Rosary Workout” (www. rosaryworkout.com).

T

wo stories in the news recently caught my eye.

The first was an economic piece stating that after World War II there were many good-paying jobs for blue-collar workers in the U.S. because demand for goods was strong. Today, however, those jobs are not so attractive because we are now a more service-oriented society, and those with college degrees are typically much better paid than those without a college education.

The second item was the announcement that in 2011, there were more births to what we typically call “minorities” (black, Latino, Asian or of mixed race) than to the “majority” (non-Hispanic whites).

This is a remarkable development but it is also sobering, because in the aggregate minorities attend college at a far lower rate than Anglos, and thus their economic prospects are generally not as good.

Demographics are predictable, and we know that given current birthrates, there will be more and more “minorities” in the future and fewer Anglos. Given that, and a continuation of the college education disparities, we will likely see a large segment of the population facing economic difficulties. As a society, and especially as Christians, what is our obligation to help remedy this economic inequality? The broader question is, how should we work to remedy social problems in general?

Even a casual reading of the Scriptures shows many, many passages in which God tells us to serve the disadvantaged, including the poor, outcasts, prisoners, the sick, widows and orphans. Looking at the Old Testament, Psalm 41 reads, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak”; Psalm 72 reads, “May he (the king) defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy”; 1 Samuel 2 reads, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.”

How did Jesus address the social problems during His time on earth?

In Matthew 19, He says to the rich young man, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Luke 14 tells us what Jesus said to the Pharisee: “... when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”

Jesus spent much time with people who were looked down on in that society. So, it’s clear that He is ordering us to help the less fortunate, and He set an example for doing so.

What about Church teachings? The modern Catholic tradition of social ethics has consistently insisted that the needs of the poor must take priority.

Pope Leo XII’s 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” (literally, “On the New Things,” referring to capital and labor) was perhaps

the first Church document in the Industrial Age dealing with our obligations to those less fortunate. The encyclical states, “There underlies a dictate of natural justice more imperious and ancient than any bargain between man and man, namely, that wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wageearner.” “Rerum Novarum” was written as a result of the problems resulting from the industrialization of the U.S., in which workers were being taken advantage of by unscrupulous business owners. It spoke of the obligations of workers, yet it condemned unrestrained capitalism.

So, Scripture and Catholic teaching stress our obligation to help the disadvantaged, but they don’t say specifically how to do it today. There are two general methods: government programs and private giving. Almost all of us would agree that some combination of the two is justified, but the difficult decision is, what should be the proper proportion of each?

Some say the best way to meet these needs involves adopting tax policies designed to stimulate economic growth, along with increased amounts of private charity. Others emphasize public programs and increased government intervention.

There are good points on both sides.

Overly generous government programs reduce the incentive to work and can undermine society’s value on individual responsibility. On the other hand, while in the ideal world enlightened business practices and private charity would be the best way to remedy all social ills, they cannot always cover all those in need – some people slip through the cracks. So a balance is required.

One thing is clear: there are no easy solutions, and anyone who claims to have one is mistaken. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions for us as Catholics in dealing with social issues: n Stay informed. Be aware of issues regarding the less fortunate in our community, our country and our world. n Participate in the political process by supporting candidates and policies in line with Catholic teaching. Bring your faith to your politics, not the other way around. n Donate generously to worthy charities, commensurate with your financial situation. Give until it hurts, following the example of the widow in the Scriptures. Ten percent of your income is a good goal. n Don’t just give money; volunteer.

Follow Jesus’ example of personally serving the less fortunate. n Do the right thing in your personal life and set a good example for others.

Don’t underestimate the benefit of living a virtuous life and the effect it would have on the disadvantaged if all of us who are more fortunate would do that.

Deacon John Kopfle serves at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

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Ryan Murray

Look for the face of Jesus in others

H

ave you ever tried to find the face of Jesus in others? It’s something that I want to be more conscious of doing, but many times my good intentions get forgotten in the day-today activities of life. To put it plainly, it’s really unfortunate. The funny thing is – no matter what we do, Jesus has a way of putting His face right in front of us. It happened to me recently, and it happened with bubbles.

In the past year or so, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country for my job. I’ve always tried to take in the beauty of our United States in nature, places and things. It’s been a fantastic experience to meet other people, but at times I’ve found myself wrapped up in where I’ve needed to go next instead of taking the time to really see what is passing me by. Has that ever happened to you?

I met an amazing young man named Trevor recently. He can’t walk on his feet, but he goes from place to place on his own, knowing what he wants and where he needs to be. He can’t talk using spoken words, either.

Jesus talks through him, though.

I introduced myself to him and, using an iPad, he said my name. Then he told me he wanted to go outside and blow bubbles, so we did.

Trevor and I went out on his deck and we blew bubbles – big ones, small ones, funny-shaped ones, you name it. We played together for maybe 15 minutes. It was by far the best 15 minutes of my day, not only because we had fun but because he was the teacher and I was the student. What you can learn is amazing if you listen, whether or not words are involved.

In those 15 minutes, I saw Jesus not only in Trevor, but in his parents. I saw a calling to make the world a better place, not only today but tomorrow and the days looking ahead.

There are some very good lessons to be learned here.

Life can get busy – very busy. So think about what’s important. Take time to step back and see Him in others. Even more importantly, take a second to realize when He is talking through others. Sometimes – dare I say, many times – it can be difficult to do.

However, if we can remember to see His face, we might just be able to see Him in ourselves.

And that brings color into our lives, color that can radiate to everyone around us.

Just like a bubble.

Ryan Murray is a member of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Have an idea or comment? E-mail him at murrayrj18@hotmail.com. You can also follow Murray on his blog at nobonzaboutit-ryan.blogspot.com.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 6, 2012 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

8th ANNUAL

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS September 21 & 22 Charlotte Convention Center

Holy Hour Holy Mass Inspiring Speakers Sacred Music Concert

Eucharistic Procession K-12 Education Tracks Confession

Details at GoEucharist.com

Registration for K-12 tracks CLOSES August 31st.

(Walk-up registration for high school students available at Congress)