May 13, 2016

May 13, 2016

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

Principals named for BMHS, St. Pius X 14

Youth dive into ‘Ocean of Mercy’

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INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español.................................10 Events calendar................. 4 Year Of Mercy..................... 2 Our Parishes.................. 3-9 Schools......................... 14-15 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................16 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21

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Honoring Mary, our Mother 12-13

YEAR OF MERCY PROFILE St. John Neumann Church’s ‘muffin ministry’ feeds those in crisis 2

Our Lady of Consolation Parish bids farewell to landmark St. Mark School’s chapel gets new altar 14

Convent housed Oblate Sisters of Providence for 30-plus years

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Year of mercy 2

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

God doesn’t barter, rewarding the good, punishing the bad

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alvation has nothing to do with the tidy business of bartering – earning God’s love in return for good behavior, Pope Francis said. “If you do well you get a reward; if you do poorly you get punished. This is not the logic of Jesus,” whose ability to love and forgive is unconditional and infinite, the pope said May 11 during his weekly general audience.

The pope reflected on the Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son, which teaches everyone is a child of God not because of one’s merits or actions, but because of God’s “unchanging love and ready forgiveness.”

The father patiently waits for his sinning son and rejoices when he returns home, he said. Even though the son tells his father, “I no longer deserve to be called your son” because of his sins, the father immediately seeks to restore “the signs of his dignity,” because he never stopped being his child, the pope said.

No one can take away this dignity of being a child of God, “not even the devil.”

The parable also talks about the older son, who never strayed from the father and worked hard, obediently serving him. This older son, however, lacks the tenderness and understanding of the father, and he speaks with disdain and resentment, the pope said. The older son needs the father’s mercy, too, he said. The older son represents the self-righteous, he “represents us when we ask ourselves whether it’s worthwhile to work so hard and then we get nothing in return.”

“Jesus reminds us that you stay in the house of the father not to get compensation, but because you have the dignity of being a jointly responsible child. It’s not about ‘bartering’ with God, but following Jesus who gave Himself on the cross.”

The parable teaches that everyone needs to “enter in the house of the Father and share in His joy, in His celebration of mercy and brotherhood.”

He said, “The greatest joy for a father is to see his children recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”

It teaches people to open their hearts to be merciful like the Father, and it offers encouragement to parents whose child has strayed onto dangerous paths, to pastors and catechists who wonder if their efforts are in vain, and to panyone who has made mistakes and believes they do not deserve forgiveness.

No matter what happens, “I must not forget that I will never stop being a child of God, of a Father who loves me and waits for my return. Even in the ugliest of situations in life, God waits for me, God wants to embrace me, God expects me.”

Right to choose St. John Neumann Church’s ‘muffin ministry’ feeds those in crisis A Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Most people are familiar with the old “Muffin Man” jingle, but not many Charlotte Catholics have heard about St. John Neumann’s Church “Muffin Ministry.”

Every third Sunday of the month, a rotating group of about 20 parishioners at St. John Neumann volunteer to bake muffins, or donate fruits, snacks and drinks for people at Crisis Assistance Ministry to eat breakfast.

Located in uptown Charlotte, Crisis Assistance Ministry is a non-profit group that provides emergency assistance with rent, utilities, clothing, and household goods to Mecklenburg County residents in need.

Muffin Ministry leader Kathy Sims, with the help of another volunteer, sets up a free shop inside the agency’s lobby the third Monday of each month.

Their table is typically covered with about six dozen muffins baked the day before, plenty of apples and bananas, snacks and crackers, orange juice, bottled water and fresh-brewed coffee.

On a typical Monday morning, they feed 150 to 200 people who have to wait, sometimes for several hours, for much-needed help from Crisis Assistance Ministry.

“We usually get there around 8 o’clock. However, we brew the coffee first, which takes some time, and we usually get out there around 8:30, and we’re there until everyone is fed,” Sims explains.

“They may be locked out of their apartments already. They’re about to have their electricity turned off; their water turned off… We want to let them know that people are caring about them,” she adds.

Karla Emery, volunteer coordinator for Crisis

Assistance Ministry, said St. John Neumann Church is the only Catholic parish in Charlotte that helps feed their waiting clients, and one of only 10 volunteer groups committed to help out with the breakfast or lunch ministry at the agency once a month.

“Because our agency doesn’t advertise breakfast or lunch ministries, it’s always a very fun surprise (for the clients). So, we’ll make an announcement, let them know who is here…

I’ve had people say they are grateful.

Their words are ‘grateful,’ ‘shocked.’

They’ll ask, ‘Who did this?’

‘Who spent time on me?’”

Emery says.

“We remind them that this is not our agency providing it.

We are at the mercy of our RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD volunteers.”

Kathy Sims, Muffin Ministry Muffin leader at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, prepares the Ministry volunteer Kathy batter for a half-dozen banana Johnson relishes nut muffins with the help of the opportunity her husband Thomas for Crisis to help out Assistance Ministry clients.

Sims every month at Crisis Assistance Ministry.

“It’s very satisfying. I feel like I’m helping those in need in a very small way,” Johnson says. “And it’s food. Who knows if they’ve had anything to eat today, or if they’ll have anything to eat when they go home?”

When asked about her baking skills, Sims confesses that baking is not her calling, but serving those in need by providing food and clothing is the main reason she got involved.

“We do have some wonderful bakers, though, here at the church, but I think that helping others through whatever it is (it’s her calling). And making muffins is one of those ways.”

ll the Christian faithful have the right to be free from any kind of coercion in choosing a state of life (Canon 219).

The principle is that everyone has the right not to be subjected to pressure in making a choice about their state in life – whether choosing marriage, the priesthood or religious life. Such coercion would invalidate their choice. For example, Canon 1103 prescribes the conditions of force or fear which would make a marriage null and void.

This is a right to immunity from coercion – not the right in entering – but in “choosing” a state of life.

In other words, the right is limited to the freedom to make a personal decision in the case where consent is necessary for validity.

Editor’s note: This series about the rights and obligations of the Christian faithful, as set forth in canon (Church) law, has been written especially for the Catholic News Herald by Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally.

Sister Jeanne-Margaret is a distinguished authority on canon law, author of the reference guide “Canon Law for the Laity,” and frequent lecturer at universities and dioceses.

A graduate of The Catholic University of America with multiple degrees including a doctorate in psychology and a licentiate of canon law (JCL), she is a psychologist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Watch a video highlighting the work of St. John Neumann Church’s Muffin Ministry

COMING NEXT: Right to a Good Reputation

Your daily Scripture readings MAY 15-21

Sunday: Acts 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23; Monday: James 3:13-18, Mark 9:14-29; Tuesday: James 4:1-10, Mark 9:30-37; Wednesday (St. John I): James 4:13-17, Mark 9:38-40; Thursday: James 5:1-6, Mark 9:4150; Friday (St. Bernardine of Siena): James 5:9-12, Mark 10:1-12; Saturday (St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions): James 5:13-20, Mark 10:13-16

MAY 22-28

Sunday (The Most Holy Trinity): Proverbs 8:22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15; Monday: 1 Peter 1:3-9, Mark 10:17-27; Tuesday: 1 Peter 1:10-16, Mark 10:28-31; Wednesday (St. Bede the Venerable, St. Gregory VII, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi): 1 Peter 1:18-25, Mark 10:32-45; Thursday (St. Philip Neri): 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12, Mark 10:46-52; Friday (St. Augustine of Canterbury): 1 Peter 4:7-13, Mark 11:11-16; Saturday: Jude 17, 20-25, Mark 11:27-33.

MAY 29-JUNE 4

Sunday (The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ): Genesis 14:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11-17; Monday: 2 Peter 1:2-7, Mark 12:1-12; Tuesday (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Zephaniah 3:14-18, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 1:39-56; Wednesday (St. Justin): 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12, Mark 12:18-27; Thursday (Sts. Marcellinus and Peter): 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Mark 12:28-34; Friday (The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus): Ezekiel 34:11-16, Romans 5:5-11, Luke 15:3-7; Saturday (The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary): 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Luke 2:41-51

Our parishes

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Photos by Brandon Berryhill and Deacon Ruben Tamayo | Catholic News Herald

Youth dive into ‘Ocean of Mercy’ at annual conference Brandon Berryhill Correspondent

BLACK MOUNTAIN — Several hundred young people from across the Diocese of Charlotte ended the month of April by jumping into the “Ocean of Mercy” at the annual Diocesan Youth Conference.

The 39th annual retreat April 29-May 1 at Ridgecrest Conference Center brought together high school youth for a weekend of workshops led by youth and adults alike, keynote speakers, entertainment, Mass, Adoration and confession.

Throughout the retreat, the youths were encouraged to dive in and share their Christian joy with others – in part

by striving for continual conversion of heart, with the Holy Spirit as their guide. There were also talks on a wide range of everyday Catholic topics given by priests and women religious. The event was organized by the diocesan Youth Ministry Office, led by Director Paul Kotlowski, and a group of youth volunteers.

“This year our annual youth conference providentially landed in the middle of the Jubilee of Mercy, an opportune moment to stop and reflect on what impact, if any, has been made on our lives, to recalibrate ourselves for the rest of the year in order to ensure that we embrace God’s mercy for ourselves, and boldly offer the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to those around us,” Kotlowski said.

Also part of this year’s programming was the first Mass

in the Extraordinary Form celebrated in the DYC’s 39-year history, with principal celebrant Father Matthew Kauth, chaplain at Charlotte Catholic High School and rector of the diocese’s new St. Joseph College Seminary. Youths also participated in a Eucharistic procession around the retreat grounds, despite rainy weather.

Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, was presented with the St. John Paul II Award for exceptional work in the field of youth ministry by clergy. Caitlin Dibble was given the Bishop Begley Award for outstanding commitment to social justice, and Steven Sheppard and Sophie Fleming received the St. Timothy Award for exceptional youth leadership.

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: MAY 13 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

MAY 18 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point

MAY 22 – 11 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Benedict Church, Greensboro

MAY 13 – 6:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Philip the Apostle Church, Statesville

MAY 19 – 10 a.m.

Diocesan Foundation Board Meeting Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

MAY 24 – 5 p.m.

Baccalaureate Mass Christ the King High School St. Mark Church, Huntersville

MAY 16 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury

MAY 20 – 5 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Andrew Church, Mars Hill

MAY 26 – 7:30 p.m.

Baccalaureate Mass for Bishop McGuinness High School St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

Diocesan calendar of events May 13, 2016 Volume 25 • Number 16

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

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

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LEctures & Workshops The Catholic Church and Homosexuality – Charity & Clarity: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville.

Hosted by Father Paul N. Check, executive director of Courage International, an apostolate of the Catholic Church which ministers to persons with same-sex attraction. All individuals and their family members who are struggling with the same-sex attraction are encouraged to attend, along with guidance counselors, youth ministers and others who are seeking further understanding of God’s love and mercy for all of us through the Catholic Church. For details, email Donna Smith at donna.smith@stmarknc.org.

‘Evening with our Lady of Guadalupe’: 7-9 p.m.

Thursday, May 26, in the Monsignor Kerin Family Center at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville.

Everyone welcome to attend the new Knights of Columbus film, “Evening With Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message,” the Patroness of the Americas and the Unborn.

Discussion 0n ‘Being Church with St. Paul’: 7-8:15 p.m. Wednesdays, June 1-22, in Biss Hall at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon Church, Charlotte. Presented by Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar. Saul encountered Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus and his life was changed. Within 10 years he became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and established Church communities throughout the eastern Mediterranean. He had to deal with a secular, pagan world and with divisions in the Christian community. Through it all, he had a sense of gratitude and saw God’s grace calling all Christians to build up the Body of Christ. What can we learn from St. Paul as we deal with our world, as we seek reconciliation and as we try to “grow up into the full stature of Christ”? To register for one or all sessions, go to www. stpeterscatholic.org.

ST. SHARBEL‘S SACRED RELICS: Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte and St. Matthew South Campus, 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road, Waxhaw. An evening liturgy is scheduled to welcome the relics at the south campus at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4. At 7 p.m. June 4, in the main campus Daily Mass Chapel there will be a service of healing prayers and vigil. At 10:45 a.m. Sunday, June 5, Mass will be celebrated at the main campus. Also, at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5, the Maronite Mission of Charlotte will celebrate a Maronite Mass with procession in the presence of the relics, followed by a luncheon at the St. Matthew south campus. For details, call Father Elie Mikhael at 704-543-7677.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING NFP Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m.

Saturday, May 21, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting. Sponsored

by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230.

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups Parish Mission: 6:30 p.m. May 15-19, at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 708 St Michael’s Lane, Gastonia.

Featuring guest speaker Father Ken Geraci of the Fathers of Mercy. Father Geraci will deliver different lectures each night covering the topics of “Why Be Catholic?” and “God’s Divine Mercy.” This event is open to all ages and levels of faith. Opportunities for confession will be offered prior to the mission at 5:15-6:15 p.m., and after as needed. A healing service will be offered after the lecture on Wednesday, May 18, and a reception after the lecture on Thursday, May 19. For details, call the church office at 704-867-6212.

Ladies Guild Annual Day of Reflection: Saturday, May 21, in the Parish Life Center at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave., Charlotte. The presenter will be Ed Hood. The theme this year is “Forgiveness.”

St. Peregrine Healing Prayer Service: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 26, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. This powerful healing prayer service is offered on the fourth Thursday of the month for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the church office at 704-543-7677.

Mass for U.S. military personnel: 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. The Mass and rosary will be offered for all military personnel who have died and for those who are now serving.

Photos of those who have died or who are now serving in the military will be displayed in the cathedral. To include your service member, mail a color or black/white photocopy of them with their name and military rank on the back of the photocopy to Nancy Weber, Office of the Bishop, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203. Photos must be received

by May 23. Please do not send original photographs as they will not be returned. All military personnel are invited and encouraged to come in uniform.

Pro-Life Rosary: 9 a.m. Saturday, June 4, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Outdoors, rain or shine. Parking available nearby. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

CHARLOTTE Maronite Mission: Masses are offered weekly at 12:30 p.m. Sundays, at St. Matthew South Campus, 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road in Waxhaw. The mission’s pastor is Father Elie Mikhael, who can be reached at 704-543-7677, ext. 1043. The Maronite Mission of Charlotte is an Eastern rite Catholic Church in full communion with the pope.

Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group members.

For details, call the church office at 828-926-0106.

Evening Novenas: Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 1505 East Kivett Dr., High Point. All are invited to pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Join them in praying for the needs of your families and for our hurting world. For details, call the church office at 336-883-0244.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. Upcoming workshops are listed below.

For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus.org.

BELMONT: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St. CANDLER: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 21, St. Joan of Arc Church, 768 Asbury Road CHARLOTTE: 9 a.m. Sunday, May 22, St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road (Spanish only) SWANNANOA: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrew Place WAYNEsVILLE: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19, St. John Church, 234 Church St. SUPPORT GROUPS Shining Stars Adult day respite: Meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Shining Stars is a non-profit adult day respite program for members of the community with early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. For details, call Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

Alzheimer’s Caregiver and Family Support Group: Meets the first Monday of the month, 6:30-8 p.m., in Family Center Room 203 at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Organized with the Alzheimer’s Association, the monthly meetings are for the caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s. For details, email Janet Urban at jgraceart@yahoo.com.

YEAR OF MERCY Jubilee of Mercy Holy Hour: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2, in the Daily Mass Chapel at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. The mini Jubilee of Mercy Holy Hour is offered on the first Thursday of the month. Deacon Gary Schrieber will lead the celebration which includes Scripture, entries from St. Faustina’s diary, and a recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as veneration of St. Faustina’s first-class relic. The celebration is sponsored by Cenacles of Divine Mercy.

Year of Mercy website: Keep up to date on all Jubilee Year of Mercy events, download catechetical resources on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, watch videos on the theme of mercy, and much more, at the Diocese of Charlotte’s Year of Mercy website: www. yearofmercy.rcdoc.org.

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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FILE, Vicki Provost | Catholic News Herald

SYLVA — St. Mary Mother of God Church in Sylva is one of 18 parishes in the diocese hosting the summer catechetical program “Totus Tuus.”

photos provided by Valerie Adams

The convent which once housed the Oblate Sisters of Providence at Our Lady of Consolation Church was razed in April after parish leaders determined the building was too deteriorated to salvage. The sisters taught at the school adjacent to the parish for more than 30 years and left in the late 1980s when the school closed.

Our Lady of Consolation Parish bids farewell to landmark Convent housed Oblate Sisters of Providence for 30-plus years SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Ask any alumnus of Our Lady of Consolation School what they think about their Oblate Sisters of Providence teachers, and the response is always something like, “They were wonderful!” or “I just loved the sisters!”

Admiration and gratitude for the nuns, part of the parish family over more than 30 years, are tangible.

Those memories are even more treasured now as the Charlotte parish has had to demolish the nuns’ former convent and eyes rehabilitating other decades-old properties on the parish campus.

Charlotte’s only African-American Catholic parish was founded in 1955, yet has roots stretching back to the 1940s. The Oblate Sisters of Providence came to Our Lady of Consolation Parish in 1957. Their order was the first Roman Catholic sisterhood in the world established by women of African descent, with the primary mission of teaching and caring for African-American children.

By the 1950s there were more than 300 Oblate Sisters of Providence teaching and caring for African-American children, including the students at Our Lady of Consolation School.

So it was with mixed emotions that the parish’s building committee decided to tear down the old convent last month.

The building had deteriorated too much over the years since the school was shuttered and the sisters left the diocese in the late 1980s.

“The convent building was on the verge of collapsing. Rain water had leaked in and caused some of the timbers to rot,” noted Father Carl Del Giudice, pastor.

The site is being repurposed as a much-needed gravel parking lot for the land-locked parish at the corner of Statesville Avenue and Badger Court. The church has needed more parking space for parishioners to attend Mass and functions for some time, Father Del Giudice said.

The demolition and parking lot project cost approximately $16,000, he said.

Parishioners hope to refurbish the other church, school and cafeteria buildings that date from the 1950s, he added, although fundraising will be needed to accomplish these aims. They particularly would like to get the old cafeteria up and running again as a fellowship hall, and an architect is working on a plan for that, Father Del Giudice said.

The only structure on the parish campus that doesn’t date from the 1950s is a family life center, built in 2005. Large Masses and many other parish and community events are hosted inside this 14,000-square-foot building, as the church itself seats only 260.

Our Lady of Consolation School alumn Valerie Adams tearfully watched the demolition of the convent over the course of several days. She was able to retrieve a wall crucifix from the convent building before it was demolished.

“My years there were so phenomenal,” Adams said. “They (the sisters) made a profound difference in my life. Our Lady of Consolation School set a foundation for me.”

Pearline Carr, one of the original graduates of Our Lady of Consolation School, has great memories of the Sisters of Providence and the convent. She, her sister Dolores and brother Bernard all attended Our Lady of Consolation School in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

“The sisters were wonderful,” Carr recalled. “Mother Dolorosa was remarkable. She could sing opera. We did all kinds of plays and stuff. We used to go bowling with the sisters.

The nuns did a lot of things with us. They were very strict, and they were very smart.”

Carr said that occasionally some of the students would attend Mass in the convent chapel with the sisters.

“The nuns were excellent,” she said. “It broke my heart when they closed the school.”

Father Del Giudice said he appreciates the many memories that parishioners and graduates hold dear, and how difficult it has been for them to see the convent being torn down.

“A few folks have shed some tears. Some of them went to school here. Some were brought up in this parish. To them, it is part of an era that is gone,” he said. “The Sisters of Providence were very dedicated women who worked here.

Many generations of this parish were taught by the sisters.

Their presence is missed.”

‘Prayer and the Our Father’ focus of upcoming Totus Tuus summer camps CHARLOTTE — Children in 18 parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte will have the opportunity to enjoy a week-long Totus Tuus summer program this June to August. For the sixth year, parishes are hosting Totus Tuus Catholic youth summer camps dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship.

Totus Tuus, a Latin phrase meaning “totally yours,” was the motto of St. John Paul II. Taken from St. Louis de Montfort’s “True Devotion to Mary,” it signifies the desire to give oneself entirely to Jesus Christ through Mary.

The Totus Tuus summer program is a combination of fun and faith for children in rising first grade through the 12th grade. This year’s theme is “Prayer and the Our Father.”

There will also be emphasis on the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary.

This summer there will be three teams of catechists serving 18 parishes throughout the diocese. They are coming from all over the country, and their training will be conducted June 1-10 at Belmont Abbey College.

Totus Tuus will be held in these parishes in the diocese this summer: n June 12-17: St. Mary Help of Christians Church, Shelby n June 19-24: St. Barnabas Church, Arden; St. John Neumann Church, Charlotte; St. Mark Church, Huntersville n June 26-July 1: St. Joseph Church, Asheboro; St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte; St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia n July 10-15: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte; Holy Spirit Church, Denver; St. Aloysius Church, Hickory n July 17-22: St. James the Greater Church, Concord; Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro; St. Joseph Church, Newton n July 24-29: St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte; St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon n July 31-Aug. 5: St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton; Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury; St. Mary Mother of God Church, Sylva Sign-ups should be done at each parish.

For more information about the Totus Tuus program, go to www.education. charlottediocese.net/faith-formation/totustuus.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 OUR PARISHES

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Ascension Thursday celebrated CHARLOTTE — On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel, watch an exclusive video of highlights from a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St. Ann Church in Charlotte, featuring the rare “Mass in A Major” by Italian baroque composer Antonio Caldara (1670-1736), in celebration of the feast of the Ascension May 5.

The music was performed by the Carolina Catholic Chorale, led by Thomas Savoy. Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church, was the principal celebrant.

Rico De Silva | Catholic News Herald

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Diocese hosts 15th annual Regional Stewardship Conference CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte hosted a conference April 30 for 180 people involved with stewardship at every level in the Atlanta Province, comprised of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the dioceses of Charleston, Charlotte, Raleigh and Savannah. Keynote speaker was Leisa Anslinger, co-director of Catholic Life and Faith, a center for leadership development in stewardship, and the author of several books on stewardship and catechesis. Bishop Peter Jugis celebrated Mass for the attendees of the 15th annual Regional Stewardship Conference, held at the Charlotte University Place Hilton. In his homily, Bishop Jugis reflected on Jesus’ command to His disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations.”

“Every one of us has a role to play in that mission,” he said, in accord with the teachings of Jesus and His Church.

But to do it effectively, he said, we must first know Jesus and live by His teachings. Once we welcome Jesus into our hearts and our lives, then He can transform us with His saving grace and we can become radiant and joyful Christian witnesses to others. “All of our work is founded and depends on the working of Jesus within us,” he said.

“The Regional Stewardship Conference is a highlight of each year,” noted Kerry Tornesello, associate development director for the Charlotte diocese. “Bringing together clergy and lay people is so important to the stewardship efforts in our parishes. The participants leave inspired and empowered to bring the stewardship message back to their parishes.”

Georgianna Penn | Catholic News Herald

Knights fund ultrasound unit at Greensboro pregnancy center GREENSBORO — A new mobile ultrasound unit was launched by the Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center April 23, thanks in part to the efforts of local Knights of Columbus. Pictured above at the ribbon-cutting are Cy Cole, chairman of the GPCC board, with other board members; GPCC Executive Director Judy Roderick; and Congressman Mark Walker.

The St. Pius X Knights of Columbus coordinated the fundraising effort with nine other Knights councils in the area, collecting a total of $28,000 in local donations and a matching grant from the Knights Ultrasound Initiative Program.

“Think about all the lives this is going to effect,” said Grand Knight John Joyce. “There’s potential for 1,800 babies a year to be saved. And they each have a mother and a father. There’s all those people that really get to live their life in a completely different way, where they get to feel good about themselves and feel closer to Christ and Christ’s work.”

“If you think about it, what we’re doing, is we’re introducing the mother to her child before it’s born,” noted Cy Cole, GPCC’s chairman. “Abortion is a word that will immediately start getting people to take sides. Our mission isn’t to do away with abortion. Our mission is make abortion unnecessary. And so we’re here to minister

to the people who either have been, are being or might be impacted by abortion.”

When a client comes in to the care center to have a pregnancy test, they have an ultrasound immediately available to them, Cole said. “And when they see that their child does have life… they are more likely to go to full term.” Access to an ultrasound is the key, so having a mobile unit where “we can actually go to them” should help remove any barriers from people getting ultrasounds out in the community, he explained.

“I think it’s incredible that we have our Catholic brothers and sisters helping us because we’re not a Catholic organization, but the ecumenicism that’s occurring is needed if we’re going to make abortion unnecessary in Greensboro,” said Carter Mundy, GPCC’s assistant director.

Judy Roderick, GPCC’s executive director, also thanked the Knights and other supporters during the ribbon cutting ceremony, “Out with the people, that’s what Christ did. He was out there with the people, and that’s what we want to do and that’s what we get to do.”

The mobile unit, which will house the GPCC’s second ultrasound machine, will go into service this month, said Haley Landry, GPCC’s client service director. Landry will be the mobile unit manager and is also recruiting volunteers.

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald Gretchen Filz | Catholic News Herald

Eastern rite mission celebrates 10th anniversary CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Mission marked the 10th anniversary of its establishment with several recent liturgies.

The Divine Liturgy (Mass) which inaugurated St. Basil Mission was celebrated on Sunday, April 30, 2006, by then Bishop Robert Moskal of the Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio.

The pastor of St. Basil Mission, Father Mark Shuey, offered Divine Liturgy April 30, the Feast of St. James the Apostle on the Byzantine-rite liturgical calendar. Also that evening, Father Joseph Matlak from St. Josaphat Cathedral in Parma celebrated Great Vespers. Another Divine Liturgy was celebrated May 1.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which follows the Byzantine rite, is in full communion with the pope. The mission worships at the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. For more information about St. Basil Mission, go online to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

Mercy in action: Order of Malta, clergy visit Holy Angels April 25 BELMONT – Members of the Order of Malta in the Diocese of Charlotte joined Bishop Emeritus William Curlin and Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari April 25 at Holy Angels on the Sacred Heart campus of the Sisters of Mercy to tour the facility and interact with residents. Holy Angels of North Carolina provides specialized, around-the-clock care for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.

Bishop Curlin and Abbot Placid visited the residents, blessing them as they went room to room, eliciting smiles from many of the residents and the staff who assist them.

The Order of Malta recently donated $75,000 to remodel three bathrooms at Holy Angels, which required substantial updates to assist residents with their intensive daily care needs. The visit on April 25 was the first opportunity for members to see one of the upgraded bathrooms first-hand.

Holy Angels is a nonprofit organization that depends on the support of others to provide the highest quality of medical, educational, vocational, spiritual and emotional support and healing. They greatly appreciate every corporate contribution, individual financial donations and all the gifts of time, love and labor from volunteers who afford Holy Angels the opportunity to be of service to those who need it most.

For more information about Holy Angels and how you can volunteer or donate, go to www.holyangelsnc.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 OUR PARISHES

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Mass for military to be offered May 30 CHARLOTTE — A Mass for all military personnel who have died and for those who are now serving will be offered by Bishop Peter Jugis at 11 a.m. Monday, May 30, at St. Patrick Cathedral.

Photos of those who have died or who are now serving in the military will be displayed in the cathedral. To include your service member, mail a color or black/white photocopy of them with their name and military rank on the back of the photocopy to Nancy Weber, Office of the Bishop, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203. Photos must be received by May 23.

Please do not send original photographs as they will not be returned. All military personnel are invited and encouraged to come in uniform.

St. Patrick Cathedral is located at 1621 Dilworth Road East in Charlotte.

St. Sharbel relics coming to Charlotte

His Excellency The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Bishop of Charlotte requests the honor of your presence at the Liturgy of Ordination to the Diaconate

CHARLOTTE — The relics of St. Sharbel Makhlouf, the holy Catholic monk of Lebanon, will come to Charlotte June 4-5, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his beatification.

From last October until this coming July, St. Sharbel’s relics are touring Maronite Catholic parishes across the United States, and the relics’ appearance in Charlotte is being sponsored by the Maronite Mission of Charlotte. The relics will be Sharbel available for veneration at both the main and south campuses of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

An evening liturgy is scheduled to welcome the relics at the south campus in Waxhaw at

5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4. At 7 p.m. in the main campus’ Daily Mass Chapel, there will be a service of healing prayers and vigil. At 10:45 a.m. Sunday, June 5, a Roman rite Mass will be celebrated at the main campus, followed by a second Mass in the Maronite rite at 12:30 p.m. that will include a procession in the presence of the relics.

Joseph Makhlouf was born in Lebanon in 1828. At 23, he become a monk and joined the Corps of the Lebanese Maronite Order, following in the footsteps of his two uncles.

He chose the name of Sharbel. After 16 years, he had a burning desire to become a hermit.

Granted the honor by his abbot, St. Sharbel left the community and lived for 23 years as a hermit in silence, prayer and manual labor in the fields. His love for the Eucharist was always with him. He died on Christmas Eve in 1898.

After his death, a light began to shine from his tomb and miracles began to occur. His body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt and intact, still bleeding and sweating. Many miracles have followed his death to this day. He was declared a saint on Sept. 10, 1977.

Courage director to speak in Huntersville HUNTERSVILLE — Father Paul N. Check, executive director of Courage International, will give a talk on “The Catholic Church and Homosexuality: Charity and Clarity” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. Courage is an international apostolate of the Catholic Church that ministers to persons with same-sex attractions and their family and friends. All are welcome to attend the free program. St. Mark Church is located at 14740 Stumptown Road in Huntersville.

Film on Our Lady of Guadalupe being shown in Huntersville HUNTERSVILLE — The new Knights of Columbus-produced film “Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message” will be shown at St. Mark Church in Huntersville May 26 as part of an “Evening with Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

“Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message,” presents a comprehensive IN BRIEF, SEE page 9

Mr. Matthew Patrick Bean Mr. Brian Joseph Becker Mr. Christopher Allen Bond Mr. William Christian Cook Saturday, the fourth day of June Two thousand and sixteen at ten o’clock in the morning Saint Mark Catholic Church 14740 Stumptown Road Huntersville, North Carolina Reception following Parish Hall

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Carmelite promises made The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Group in Charlotte received the definitive and temporary promises of four members recently at St. Ann Church. Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church and spiritual director of the group, celebrated Mass and received the promises of (from left) Teresa Sanctis, Nancy Kitson, Virginia Nash and Christine Pasquale. Sanctis and Pasquale made temporary promises, and Kitson and Nash made their definitive promise.

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE 8

and inspiring account of the historical events and legacy of the 16th century apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “The message of Our Lady of Guadalupe helped to build bridges between culture and worlds, and began the transformation of our continent into a Christian continent of hope,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, the film’s executive producer.

Narrated by actor Jim Caviezel, the film brings history to life through modern reenactments, 3D animations and interviews with leading theologians, historians and scientists.

The free program begins at 7 p.m. in the Monsignor Kerin Family Center, and will include a personal testimony by Father John Putnam, pastor, of his pilgrimage to Mexico City to see the Tilma, the cloak of St. Juan Diego depicting the image of the Mary known as Our Lady of Guadalupe

at St. Philip Neri Church in Fort Mill, S.C. The seminar was led by Monsignor Paul Schetelick of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J. The Bukas Loob Sa Diyos (meaning “Open in Spirit to God”) Covenant Community is a Catholic charismatic community and private association of the faithful in the Church. The BLD Covenant Community started in 1985 in Manila, Philippines, now the center of its international organization.

— Bert and Lith Golamco

“Mercy and Mary” at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain April 29-May 1.

Professed with the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Father Gaitley serves as director of the Association of Marian Helpers. He is the author of numerous books on Divine Mercy and consecration to Jesus through Mary. The retreat included daily Mass, recitation of the rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, as well as Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, in addition to five conferences with Father Gaitley. Relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Catherine Labouré were also made available for veneration.

— Giuliana Polinari Riley, correspondent

OUR PARISHESI

Brother Coleman O’Clabaigh of Glenstal Abbey in County Limerick, Ireland. He spoke of pilgrimages and devotions in Ireland to relics and burial sites of Irish martyrs throughout its persecuted history. The second lecture, “Seamus Heaney, Ireland and the Gospels,” was presented by Professor Richard Russell of Baylor University, who discussed how poems written by Irish poet, playwright and 1995 Nobel Prize recipient Seamus Heaney were impacted

by Heaney’s early Catholic upbringing. Pictured are Dr. Patrick Wadden of Belmont Abbey College, Brother O’Clabaigh, and members of the St. Brendan Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

— Ray FitzGerald We welcome your parish’s news! Please email news items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org.

— Amy Burger

Hibernians support Irish lectures at Belmont Abbey BLD assists at seminar FORT MILL, S.C. — Members of the Bukas Loob Sa Diyos Covenant Community assisted at a recent parish-based Life in the Spirit Seminar

Fr. Gaitley leads Divine Mercy retreat BLACK MOUNTAIN — Father Michael Gaitley, MIC, presented a Divine Mercy retreat entitled

BELMONT — Members of the St. Brendan the Navigator Division in Huntersville and Sons of Erin Division in Charlotte attended and financially supported two Irish lectures at Belmont Abbey College in April. The first lecture, “Saints, Shrines and Sinners in Late Medieval Ireland,” was presented by Benedictine

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Comunidad Hispana de Charlotte se une para apoyar familia de niño muerto Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

Rico De Silva

La Virgen de Fátima y la victoria del Reino de Dios

E

l 13 de Mayo celebramos el 99 aniversario de la primera aparición de la Virgen María a los tres niños pastores en Fátima, Portugal, la cual ocurrió el 13 de Mayo de 1917. La Virgen de Fátima, como ahora se les conoce a esas apariciones, se le apareció a Lucia, Jacinta y Francisco tres niños pastores, todos los 13 del mes por seis meses consecutivos durante el año 1917.

Las apariciones culminaron el 13 de Octubre del mismo año.

Sin embargo, me quiero concentrar en esta columna en el mensaje que la Virgen les dio a los pastorcitos el 13 de Julio, de 1917. Durante esa aparición, María mostró a los niños el Infierno y les dijo: “’Visteis el infierno a donde van las almas de los pobres pecadores; para salvarlas, Dios quiere establecer en el mundo la devoción a mi Inmaculado Corazón. Si hacen lo que les voy a decir, se salvarán muchas almas y tendrán paz..... Habrán guerras, hambre y persecuciones a la Iglesia y al Santo Padre. Para impedirla vendré a pedir la Consagración de Rusia a mi Inmaculado Corazón y la comunión reparadora de los primeros (cinco) Sábados. Si se atienden mis deseos, Rusia se convertirá y habrá paz, si no, esparcirá sus errores por el mundo, promoviendo guerras y persecuciones contra la Iglesia. Los buenos serán martirizados y el Santo Padre tendrá mucho que sufrir; varias naciones serán aniquiladas..... De pronto el horizonte se presenta sombrío....y después surge un rayo brillante de luz y de esperanza: Al final, mi Inmaculado Corazón triunfará.’”

A pesar que, en gran parte, esta profecía parece haberse cumplido, las buenas noticias es lo que ella dice al concluir, “Al final, mi Inmaculado Corazón triunfará.” El mensaje primordial de Fátima que nos da la Virgen es el siguiente: estamos en una batalla contra el Príncipe del mundo, Lucifer. Esta es una batalla que envuelve naciones, sociedades y reinos, y cada individuo

que en ellos reside. Actualmente, en el mundo y hasta dentro de la Iglesia Católica, existe una crisis de fe. Muchas personas no creen en Dios, ni en su Palabra, una falta de obediencia a Dios que se ha revelado a sí mismo y que ha revelado también la Verdad. Falta de fe, que se traduce en una vida cuyo fin es terrenal, no celestial; y que también creencias e ideologías ateas niegan la presencia del mundo supernatural.

La Virgen Maria no es solo el profeta de estos tiempos, sino también es el instrumento que Dios ha escogido para vencer al Enemigo de Dios y de la raza humana. María es la “Mujer” que Dios menciona en Génesis 3:15, “que le aplastará la cabeza a la serpiente (infernal).” Ahora, todo esto es muy interesante saber, ¿Pero, qué podemos hacer nosotros para participar en la victoria final del Inmaculado Corazón de María? Ayuno y oración es la respuesta. Rezar el Rosario, sobre todo en familia y ofrecerlo por completo al Inmaculado Corazón de Maria para que ella disponga de estas gracias de la mejor manera posible, lo cual siempre es la voluntad perfecta de Dios. También, ayuno dos o tres veces al mes unido con oración y regalárselos a la Virgencita es súper poderosísimo. Nosotros los Latinos, en general, tenemos una ventaja sobre muchos católicos Anglos, y es que en nuestros países de origen y en nuestras culturas siempre se nos ha inculcado una devoción a María; algo que en mi opinión parece estar desapareciendo en los hogares de hablainglesa.

Pero, la mejor manera de demostrar nuestro amor y devoción a la Santísima Virgen Maria, es orando y haciendo la voluntad de su Hijo. “Dios te salve Maria, llena eres de gracia…”

Que Dios los bendiga.

Rico De Silva es el Especialista de Noticias Hispanas del Catholic News Herald.

CHARLOTTE — El pasado Domingo, 8 de Mayo, el Padre Fidel Melo, Vicario Diocesano del Ministerio Hispano, ofició el entierro del niño Anthony Castellón en el Cementerio Gethsemane de la calle W. Sugar Creek en Charlotte.

Castellón falleció trágicamente al ser atropellado en la Calle Eastway Dr. en Charlotte, el Domingo, 29 de Abril. Tres parroquias del área de Charlotte hicieron colectas para recaudar fondos para la familia del niño Anthony para ayudar a costear el costo de los servicios funerales. La Parroquia de San Gabriel hizo una segunda colecta durante la Misa en Español el Domingo, 1 de Mayo. También se hicieron colectas entre los miembros de las Iglesias de Nuestra

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Sra. de la Asunción y Nuestra Sra. de Guadalupe en Charlotte.

“Siempre que un hispano fallece en la comunidad inmigrante, en especial entre los hermanos y hermanas de México y Centro América, usualmente la comunidad se une expresando una profunda solidaridad tanto en lo material como en lo espiritual,” dijo el Padre Melo.”Cumpliendo con algunas de las obras de misericordia tanto espirituales como corporales (materiales).

Tales como: ‘Orar por los que mueren’: las personas leen algún texto bíblico y oran, rezan el Rosario, asisten al servicio o a la Misa funeral, ‘Dar sepultura al que muere.’ La comunidad coopera económicamente cuando es necesario ya sea para la sepultura aquí o para enviar al difunto a su país de origen.”

Escuela de la Asunción apoya a maestra ecuatoriana afectada por terremoto CHARLOTTE – La Escuela Católica de Nuestra Sra. de la Asunción, recientemente efectuó una colecta entre sus estudiantes y todo el personal de la escuela para ayudar a una de sus maestras, Diana Lambropoulos, maestra de pre-kínder en la Asunción.

Diana es del Ecuador, y el terremoto que sacudió a ese país recientemente, destruyo la casa de sus familiares inmediatos, dejándolos a ellos sin casa.

La Mama de Diana fue obligada a venir a Charlotte y se está quedando con su hija Diana en esta ciudad actualmente. (Arriba) La Maestra Diana con algunas de las donaciones de los estudiantes y el personal de la Escuela de la Asunción. No se pierdan un entretenido video-corto de esto en el canal ‘YouTube’ de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

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iiiMay 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

Honoring Mary, our Mother LINVILLE — Noemy Garcia crowns Mary during a recent Mass at St. Bernadette Church.

Cindy Giarrusso | Catholic News Herald

Photo provided by Allana R. Ramkissoon

CHARLOTTE — Students at Our Lady of the Assumption School recently honored the Blessed Virgin Mary with song, prayer and a May crowning ceremony at the entrance of Our Lady of the Assumption Church. At OLA, it is a tradition for the students to praise Mary, the Mother of Christ, at the May crowning through songs in Spanish.

Photos provided by Our Lady of Consolation Parish

CHARLOTTE — Children from Our Lady of Consolation Church crowned a statue of Mary after Mass and placed flowers in the Marian garden outside the church.

AMY BURGER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HUNTERSVILLE — Madison Utz, who received her first Communion April 30, had the privilege of crowning Mary during Mass May 1 at St. Mark Church. A parade of children also presented Mary with peach-colored roses.

HE COVER

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos of May crownings from around the Diocese of Charlotte, as well as a beautiful video of Our Lady of Mercy School eighth-graders singing the Hail Mary in Russian, a capella, during the school’s May crowning

Photos provided by Sally McArdle

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School’s senior class and Mary’s Court crowned Mary during a recent May crowning presided over by Father Jason Barone, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The court included Lily Bunta, Georgialee Christmas, Elyse Ferris (pictured crowning Mary), Ify Ogu and Kathryn Sartori.

DENVER — Children at Holy Spirit Church crowned Mary during a recent Mass offered

by Father Carmen Malacari, pastor.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

SYLVA — On Mother’s Day, parishioners at St. Mary, Mother of God Church celebrated the installation of a new statue of Mary outside the church. The May 8 procession included flower girls Maddie Newsome and Corinne Moorman (pictured above), followed by Matthew Newsome and David Ramsey, who carried the statue and placed it in the grotto before Father Joshua Voitus, pastor, blessed the statue and led the congregation in praying the rosary. The statue was also crowned with a wreath of flowers and kudzu. photos by Della Sue Bryson | Catholic News Herald

HUNTERVILLE — Preschool students at St. Mark Church brought flowers to line the walkway of the church’s Mary Garden May 6. Crowning Mary were 5-year-old twins Krista and Kara Stump, the oldest girls in the preschool program.

Besides the flower procession and crowning, the children sang songs about Mary to all of the parents and then treated their mothers to muffins and juice in the classrooms.

Photos by AMY BURGER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

STATESVILLE — First Communicants at St. Philip the Apostle Church crowned the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary after two Masses May 1, celebrated by Father Thomas J. Kessler, pastor. Pictured are members of the Spanish class crowning Mary after the Spanish Mass.

Photo provided by Connie Ries

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Principals named for BMHS, St. Pius X

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief St. Patrick School hosts Science Night

David Hains Director of Communication

CHARLOTTE— St. Patrick School hosted its second annual Duke Energy Science Night April 15, one of only 155 North Carolina elementary schools selected for this official event of the 2016 N.C. Science Festival.

The evening featured hands-on activities designed to help students and their families explore science, technology, engineering and math. Children learned about physics through experiments focused on potential and kinetic energy, thrust, gravity, air drag and lift, pendulum motions, and structure stability and weight-bearing capacity. Other topics included surface tension, pH, light manipulation, identifying dominant and recessive genes, and “seeing” your heart rate.

Support from the Duke Energy Foundation enables the festival to provide each selected school with all materials needed for the activities. The Duke Energy Foundation seeks to power vibrant communities through investments in high-performing, sustainable initiatives that emphasize STEM, including programs that help create greater access to and participation in STEM-related informal and out-of-school education opportunities.

Duke Energy Science Nights are an educational initiative of the N.C. Science Festival presented by the Biogen Foundation, with statewide science programming for all ages, and produced by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

— Laura Hughes

CHARLOTTE — The Catholic Schools office of the Diocese of Charlotte recently announced the appointment of two principals.

Tracy Shaw, assistant principal of Bishop McGuiness High School in Kernersville, was named principal of the school on May 9.

Ann Flynt, assistant principal at St. Pius X School in Greensboro, was also recently named principal of that school.

Shaw is a 20-year veteran of Catholic schools in the Charlotte diocese and served as a teacher at St. Pius X School before moving to Bishop McGuiness in a leadership role. She has served as acting principal of Bishop McGuinness High since the sudden death of long-time Principal George Repass last November.

Shaw says that the support she received from the school community during her interim appointment has been both unbelievable and humbling. “Some parents even sent flowers,” she said with a grateful laugh.

Her goals for the school include “building upon what George has done and making

it even better,” she said. Shaw also plans to increase collaboration among students, teachers and parents and to more fully integrate technology into the academics of the school.

Flynt was appointed principal at St. Pius X on April 22. She had been assistant principal at the school for the past seven years. She has been an educator in the Greensboro area for two decades.

Flynt replaces Ann Kapanake, who is relocating with her family to Pennsylvania.

St. Pius X is a K-8 school and will be adding a pre-kindergarten class in a new building this fall.

Flynt said she is “excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with wonderful professionals in both the church and school community, and to make a positive difference in lives of students.”

Two other principal positions will be filled by the diocese in the coming months.

Sharon Broxterman, principal of St. Gabriel School in Charlotte, is retiring after 30 years in the diocesan Catholic schools system.

Georgette Schraeder is retiring after 19 years as principal of St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.

Director of Catholic Formation and Parish Engagement The Cathedral of St. Patrick in Charlotte, NC is seeking a full-time Director of Catholic Formation and Parish Engagement who will: conduct parish religious education and sacramental preparation programs for all age groups; develop and execute faith formation activities for youth, young adults and adults in the parish community; coordinate and conduct the annual summer education sessions; assist the priests with marriage preparation and paperwork; develop content for and maintain the parish website with outside assistance as necessary; and develop and update parish publications and printed materials, including the bulletin and newsletter.

Qualified candidates must be able to demonstrate: excellent knowledge and understanding of Catholic religious education and sacramental preparation; excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to maintain websites; the ability to work in a team environment; a current driver’s license and proof of insurance; the ability to lift 25 lbs. without assistance and 40 lbs. with assistance; and the ability to recruit and train volunteers to assist with ministry programs.

The position requires Protecting God’s Children, adhering to diocesan guidelines on ministry-related sexual misconduct, and the ability to pass a background screening exam as required by the Diocese of Charlotte.

A preferred candidate will also be able to demonstrate graphic design and development experience, as well as experience with youth and young adult faith formation programs.

The candidate should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. A Master’s Degree is preferred. This is a full time position and salary is commensurate with education and experience.

This position will report directly to the pastor of the Cathedral of St. Patrick. To apply, please email resume to Father Christopher Roux at croux@stpatricks.org. No phone calls please.

St. Patrick Cathedral is an equal opportunity employer.

Photos provided by Amy Burger

New altar dedicated at St. Mark School’s chapel HUNTERSVILLE — A new altar for the chapel at St. Mark School was dedicated May 4 by Bishop Peter Jugis. The new altar caps an extensive renovation effort for the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel at the K-8 school adjacent to St. Mark Church. During the special Mass, Bishop Jugis consecrated the altar with sacred chrism. Bishop Jugis also met with students and prayed with them in a Living Rosary along with Father John Putnam, pastor, and Father Paul McNulty, parochial vicar, teachers and parents in the Marian garden outside the school. The student-led Living Rosary is a tradition each May at the school.

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the altar dedication and the Living Rosary

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

15

Brick pathway honors Charlotte Catholic’s 61-year history Longtime educators, school leaders memorialized SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Thanks to the efforts of the Charlotte Catholic High School Athletic Association, the campus of Charlotte Catholic High School now features a brick pathway honoring the school’s 61-year history.

The pathway, complete with benches, is located in the piazza between the school’s front entrance and the stadium. It features 515 engraved bricks and four new brick and concrete benches. The engraved bricks are arranged in the shape of a cross which spans the width of the piazza. Engraved on the bricks are the names of educators who dedicated more than 20 years of service to Catholic schools in Charlotte and the names of alumni, students and families in the Charlotte Catholic community.

Also honored are the Sisters of Mercy who played a key role in the development of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte and especially at Charlotte Catholic High School, which has its origin in the O’Donoghue School in Dilworth. The high school officially opened in 1955 in a location on Park Road (now the site of Holy Trinity Middle School).

From 1955 to 1995, Charlotte Catholic went through many transitions. Marianist Brothers came to help teach at the high school, which for a time was split, with girls going back to the O’Donoghue School, attending classes on the second floor at what was then named Our Lady of Mercy School. In 1968 the two schools merged, and in 1969 the Marianist Brothers left and the Sisters of Mercy provided the administration and education of the co-ed population. Charlotte Catholic moved to its present location on Pineville-Matthew Road in 1995.

Principal Kurt Telford was approached about the brick pathway project about 18 months ago by several members of the athletic association.

“The idea was to honor our past, present and future. It was a great idea,” Telford said.

Athletic association members Casey Corser and Gaye Fitzpatrick, along with Athletics Director Kevin Christmas, spearheaded the project. They received approval from the diocesan properties department, organized the fundraiser, selected the bricks and solicited bids for the installation.

“More than $66,000 was raised from the sale of the bricks which covered the entire cost of the project – grading, installation, shipping, engraving of the bricks and the hallmark stones to mark our journey from our humble beginning to today,” Corser said.

All remaining proceeds will go directly to the athletic association, as will proceeds from all future sales.

“Our goal was to pay for it and to replenish funds for the athletic association,” Corser explained. “We really wanted to

sueann howell | catholic news herald

honor our faith and our journey and our future path. There is plenty of room to continue the project for thousands of other Cougar families – past, present and future!”

Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who served as principal of Charlotte Catholic for 20 years, is grateful for the recognition of the Sisters of Mercy and their contribution to education at the high school.

“We appreciate being recognized in this way. I look forward to seeing it,” she said.

Charlotte Catholic has more than 1,250 students enrolled at the south Charlotte campus. Of those, more than 1,010 students participate on 40 teams in 26 sports programs offered at the high school. During the 2015-’16 school year, Charlotte Catholic teams have clinched two state championships in football and basketball, which brings the total of state championships in the history of the school to 66.

Mix 16

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

‘Captain America: Civil War’ This comics-based adventure is more an ensemble piece featuring the whole Avengers crew of superheroes than an outing primarily focused on the titular good guy (Chris Evans). Yet, as the group splits over whether to submit to United Nations supervision, public concerns have been raised over the collateral damage their crusades tend to exact, he does become the leader of one rival faction, the other being headed by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Co-directors highlight the cost of even wellintentioned mayhem as well as the downside of pursuing vengeance. But the real point of the proceedings is to watch diversely “enhanced” beings pit their outsized gifts against each other. Newcomers to the Marvel universe may find themselves bewildered since the script does little to bring the uninitiated up to speed, while parents will have to consider carefully before allowing even older teens to view material best suited, in terms of combat

scenes and vocabulary, to grown-ups. Possibly acceptable for mature adolescents. Constant strong violence, CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

‘Ratchet & Clank’ Busy 3-D visuals fail to mask the flat tone and by-thenumbers storytelling of this animated sci-fi adventure.

After failing in his effort to join a team of glamorous intergalactic peacekeepers, a catlike mechanic (voice of James Arnold Taylor) teams with a robot (voice of David Kaye) to take on a planet-destroying villain that the more seasoned warriors have so far been unable to defeat. This video-game adaptation sends respectable messages about plucky underdogs doing the right thing.

But the vehicle used to convey this theme bears more resemblance to a tired jalopy than a gleaming spaceship.

Some cartoon violence, including explosions, occasional peril.

CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: PG

‘Mother’s Day’ Set in Atlanta, this sprawling ensemble comedy takes on, among other themes, divorce, marital secrets, parental prejudice and life after loss. Considerable focus and aplomb would be required to keep an audience engaged with such complex proceedings. Instead Garry Marshall’s uneven direction, added to a disorganized script, results in a leaky slop bucket of bromides. The film’s aesthetic flaws are matched by a faulty moral outlook that, gives both cohabitation and a lesbian relationship an unthinking pass. Tacit acceptance of immoral lifestyles, occasional crude language.

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

‘Other movies’ n ‘Keanu’: CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

On TV n Saturday, May 14, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Therese.” The mesmerizing story of a young girl’s romance with God. Her faith and sacrifices reveal a way of life based on love and simplicity. A contemplative film based on the true story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the most popular saint of modern times. n Sunday, May 15, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Pentecost from Rome.” Pope Francis celebrates the Solemn Mass of Pentecost, live from St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by the Regina Caeli. n Wednesday, May 18, 4:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “The Chimes.” Charles Dickens’ story of a poor 19th century porter, who is magically transported to the future from the sounds of chiming bells and his hope is restored. Narrated by Derek Jacobi n Saturday, May 21, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “St. Rita.” The life of Rita of Cascia, the saint of the impossible and advocate of desperate cases, reveals the great faith of a woman who endured many hardships and difficulties on her journey to God. Part 1. n Sunday, May 22, 10 p.m.

(EWTN) “Sister Lucia- Our Lady’s Messenger.” The life of the longest living Fatima visionary, Sister Lucia de Jesús dos Santos, and her fervent mission to spread devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.

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n Monday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “We Said I Do Forever.” An up-close and personal look at the challenges and graces of a present day marriage, and how God works through couples. n Tuesday, May 24, 4:48 p.m.

(EWTN) “St. Henry de Osso.” The life of St. Henry De Osso through pictures, music, and narration, encouraging your little ones to follow his example by living and loving as Jesus did. n Thursday, May 26, 1 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemnity of Corpus Christi Mass and Procession from Rome.” Pope Francis presides over the Solemn Mass of Corpus Christi and the Eucharistic Procession of Corpus Christi, live from Rome. n Thursday, May 26, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Msgr. Vincent Foy: Champion for Life.” A celebration of “Pro-life Man of the Year” Msgr.

Vincent’s Foy’s life, whose defense of Church teachings on family and marriage earned him a papal commendation. n Friday, May 27, 6:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Pope John XXIII: The Saint.” A documentary on the incredible contributions of John XXIII to the Church and to the world, featuring historic footage from the Vatican Archives and interviews with many on his legacy including his grand-nephew, Marco Roncalli.

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VISIONS IN FAITH Healing Our Culture as Living Words Sunday, June 12 – Wednesday, June 15 Father Jeffrey Kirby This year’s program is about brokenness and healing, about light and darkness. It’s about death and living fully. It’s about encountering the Living Word in our lives and allowing ourselves to become living words in our culture.

Inspired by various scenes from Scripture, we’ll explore Jesus as the Living Word and our call to become living words sent to heal our culture and share the abundant life we have received.

This event is offered for laity and religious, with a late afternoon / evening schedule suitable for commuters.

Father Jeffrey Kirby has served as the Vicar of Vocations for the Diocese of Charleston and is the author of several books, CD’s and DVD’s.

Cost: $125 tuition for all sessions / $40 per day $200 room and board $21 daily supper for commuters

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

New ordinations give reason for hope, but need for priests still great Chaz Muth Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s ordination season and Catholics have reason to be pleased with the numbers of priests who will serve the Church well into the future.

In recent years, the numbers of priestly ordinations have given Catholic Church observers reason to believe there is not a global vocations crisis, but they acknowledge there is still a need for more.

“The good news is that the global number of priests stopped declining about five years ago,” said Father Paul Sullins, associate professor of sociology at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

Since 2012, the total has been stable at about 415,000 priests worldwide, a number that is the net of new ordinations and retirements or deaths, Father Sullins said.

“The Church now has about the same number of priests that it had in 1970,” he said. “The bad news, though it is not really bad news, is that the global population of Catholics has grown dramatically since then, so today we have far fewer priests per Catholic.”

Though the global numbers are currently strong and vocations are plentiful in some regions of the world, such as African and

Asia, the quantity of priests are not as abundant in other continents, such as in parts of North America, Father Sullins said.

“We are importing priests from areas of the world where young vocations are booming, or at least more prevalent than in the U.S.,” he said. “In 2014, almost a third of priests ordained in the U.S. were foreignborn and that does not count foreignordained priests who serve in the U.S. on assignment.”

Many U.S. dioceses also are faced with a disparity in the number of new priests being ordained and the number who are retiring or leaving ministry, said Father Carl B. Fisette, director of vocations for the Diocese of Providence, R.I. “We have 18 men in formation at this time (and) over the years when they would be projected to be ordained, we will probably have about 54 priests who will be over the retirement age,” Father Fisett said. “So there will be quite a net decrease in the number of priests in active ministry over the next six to eight years.”

These kinds of vocations trends are not unique to New England, said Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, who said many of his fellow bishops throughout the country are faced with similar circumstances.

“It becomes a real challenge to ensure

our parishes have enough priests to serve the people,” Bishop Tobin said.

Shrinking numbers of priests also coincide with fewer numbers of Catholics attending Mass, Father Fisette said.

Though he called that fact unfortunate, Father Fisette said it did make it easier to spread the wealth in terms of priests serving Catholics.

“Mass attendance rates nationwide are down,” he said. “If you have fewer people going to Mass, you don’t need to have as many Masses in each parish.”

This allows the diocese to assign priests to multiple parishes, Father Fisette said.

The Church also has more than 18,000 permanent deacons today who perform many functions, like homilies, baptisms and marriages, that were reserved to priests in the 1960s, when the Church did not have permanent diaconate in place, said Father Sullins, author of “Empty Pews and Empty Altars: A Reconsideration of the Catholic Priest Shortage.”

Though growing secularization and parish closings have allowed dioceses to dispense their shrinking numbers of priests with greater ease, Father Sullins argued those cultural trends show there actually is a need for more priests to evangelize through their presence in society.

In its report “The Class of 2016: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood,” the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate found that 51 percent of the respondents indicated that they were discouraged from considering the priesthood.

The laity can be an invaluable resource in increasing vocations simply by encouraging their sons to consider the priesthood, Father Sullins said.

“Many priests, including Pope Francis, relate that they first felt a call to priesthood from the example, devotion and encouragement of their mother and father,” he said. “A mother can consecrate her son to God’s service, which doesn’t necessarily compel him, but has a powerful influence on his choice of vocation and state of life.”

Regardless of the numbers, it’s still important to increase vocations, Father Sullins said.

“We need more priests, not because we are in some numeric crisis, but because God is always renewing His Church through calling faithful young men to serve as priests,” he said. “To pray and work to (strengthen) new priestly vocations is the work of evangelization, in which all of us can contribute to the renewal and proclamation of the faith.”

Pueblo people celebrate faith, life on patron saint feast days Zita Fletcher Catholic News Service

CNS | Nancy Wiechec

Visitors to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, N.M., look at a display depicting the Pueblo way of life in this 2014 photo.

Pueblo values – land, language, way of life, family, community and the environment – are listed above the display.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In an open square surrounded by sand-colored buildings, hundreds of dancers moved and prayed as one. Their footsteps shook the ground like thunder, raising clouds of dust under clear blue skies. The air was filled with sounds of chanting and drumbeats. In the midst of the celebration, a statue of St. Dominic stood under an awning adorned with deer antlers, rugs and evergreen branches.

The group was celebrating the annual feast day of Santo Domingo Pueblo, home of the Kewa people and one of the 19 Native American Pueblo nations of New Mexico. The feast day honored both the Kewa residents of the pueblo and St. Dominic, their patron saint given by Spanish Franciscan friars centuries ago.

Although Catholicism was introduced to Native Americans amid foreign incursions and painful chapters in history, 18 Pueblo communities continue to celebrate

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feast days honoring their patron saints as a unique union of traditional Pueblo and Catholic beliefs, said Travis Suazo, cultural and community engagement officer at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.

Pueblo Native Americans made their homes in autonomous villages in the American Southwest. For thousands of years, they practiced ceremonial songs and dances as a means of communication with heaven.

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, founded in 1976, is dedicated to preserving the culture and history of Pueblo Indians.Its new exhibit, “We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story,” opened in April and provides insights and features high-tech interactive exhibits about Pueblo cultural heritage.One area of the exhibit contains devotional folk art paintings of the Pueblo patrons, including St. Joseph (Laguna Pueblo), St. Bonaventure (Cochiti), St. Dominic (Santo Domingo/Kewa), St. Francis of Assisi (Nambe), St. Stephen of Hungary (Acoma), St. Ann (Santa Ana), St. Anthony (Sandia), and St. Jerome (Taos).

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief EWTN asks for full-court hearing on contraceptive mandate case WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Eternal Word Television Network has asked for a rehearing of its case by the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in its case regarding the federal Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate. Attorneys for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, in a May 4 filing with the court, said federal government briefs filed in the ongoing Supreme Court case of Zubik v. Burwell involving the Little Sisters of the Poor and six other religious employers admit the government could use a less restrictive manner of providing contraceptive coverage to women working for these organizations should they so choose. The case originated after the government determined that all employers must provide contraceptive coverage to women in health insurance plans or the employer must check a box on a form stating that, as a religious employer, they are not required to provide such coverage. The religious employers argued that even checking the box would violate their religious freedom. A three-judge panel from the 11th Circuit issued a 2-1 decision against EWTN while the Supreme Court was preparing to listen to initial arguments in Zubik v. Burwell.

Commission head: Religious freedom has ‘spiraled downward’ WASHINGTON, D.C. — The state of religious freedom worldwide saw more decline than

improvement in the last year, said Robert George, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Regrettably, things have not improved, and in some places, things have gotten worse,� said George, a Princeton University law professor and director of the university’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, May 2. “At best, in most of the countries we covered, religious conditions have failed to improve in any demonstrable way. In most cases, they have spiraled downward,� he added. The 2016 report, covering the year from March 1, 2015, to Feb. 29, 2016, notes the nations labeled by the State Department to be “countries of particular concern� for their treatment of its citizens’ religious rights: China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Four of the countries – China, Iran, Myanmar and Sudan – have had the designation since it was first issued in 1999. An 11th nation, Tajikistan, was added by the State Department in April.

St. Katharine Drexel Shrine, Blessed Sacrament motherhouse put up for sale PHILADELPHIA — The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the congregation founded by St. Katharine Drexel, announced that it will sell its historic motherhouse in Bensalem, Penn. The 44-acre property also contains the National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel and her tomb. At a future date, St. Katharine’s tomb will be moved to the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. At the same time, the congregation has placed for sale a 2,200-acre property in Virginia that was the location of two schools founded by St. Katharine and her sister, Louise Drexel Morrell. Blessed Sacrament Sister Donna Breslin, the president of the congregation, said in a statement that a portion of the proceeds from the sales will support the care of retired sisters. — Catholic News Service

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Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

An ocean of tears calls for mercy, compassion, pope says Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

CNS | Tony Gentile, Reuters

Pope Francis kisses a disabled young man during a special audience with members of Doctors with Africa at the Vatican May 7.

Health care is a right, not a privilege, pope says Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church is not a fancy medical clinic for the rich, but a “field hospital” that – often literally – provides the only medical care some people will ever receive, Pope Francis said.

“Health is not a consumer good but a universal right, so access to health services cannot be a privilege,” the pope said May 7 during a meeting with members, volunteers and supporters of Doctors with Africa, a medical mission begun by the Diocese of Padua, Italy, 65 years ago.

In many parts of the world, especially in Africa, the pope said, basic health care “is denied – denied!” – to too many people. “It is not a right for all, but rather still a privilege for a few, for those who can afford it.”

“Access to health services, to treatment and to pharmaceuticals is still a mirage,” Pope Francis told the group,

which includes dozens of young doctors who volunteer their services in Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Angola, South Sudan and Sierra Leone.

Offering medical care in sub-Saharan Africa and training Africans to take over the clinics when they are able is an important expression of “a church that is not a super-clinic for VIPs, but a field hospital,” the pope said.

Pope Francis also paid tribute to the late Father Luigi Mazzucato, who directed Doctors with Africa from 1955 to 2008. He died in November at the age of 88.

In his last will and testament, the pope said, Father Mazzucato had written: “Born poor, I always sought to live with the minimum necessary. I have nothing of my own and nothing to leave. The few clothes I possess, I would like to be given to the poor.”

Adding to his customary request that people pray for him, Pope Francis told the group, “pray for me that the Lord will make me poorer each day.”

VATICAN CITY — The tears shed by men, women and children around the world each day cry out for mercy, compassion and consolation, Pope Francis said during a special Year of Mercy prayer service for those who weep.

“How many tears are shed every second in our world; each is different but together they form, as it were, an ocean of desolation that cries out for mercy, compassion and consolation,” the pope said May 5 as he led the prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Before the pope spoke, he and the congregation listened to three testimonies.

Giovanna Astarita and Domenico Pellegrino and their son Raffaele spoke about the suicide of Antonio, the couple’s first son. He was only 15. “Antonio dragged my life, my soul and my mind into that tomb, too,” his mother said. Faith in God and an experience of God drying her tears was and is the only thing “that prevents me from going crazy,” she said.

Maurizio Fratamico spoke about how he worked, traveled, made a lot of money, “used and threw away” a lot of young women, but felt empty and alone. His twin brother had a conversion experience and shared it. Thanks to the tears of his parents and his own tears of remorse, Fratamico said he has set out on a journey of faith and has found “the joy I was always seeking.”

Qaiser Felix, a Catholic journalist from Pakistan, spoke about how his reporting on anti-Christian discrimination led to threats against him and against his family, eventually forcing him to flee and to try to start life over in Italy. “To know persecution and the fear of death is a terrible experience, especially when I think of my children,” he said.

The service included special prayers for persecuted Christians; those in imminent danger of death; people enslaved; victims of war and terrorism; abused children; the seriously ill and their caregivers; the unjustly accused and prisoners; those who feel abandoned, depressed and desperate; people suffering from addictions; families who have experienced a miscarriage or the death of a child; and those who have lost or been forced to leave their homes, families or jobs.

But before the formal prayers were read, ushers went through the basilica with baskets, collecting the prayer requests of the congregation.

At the beginning of his homily, Pope Francis asked people to join him in asking for the Holy Spirit’s presence. “May He enlighten our minds to find the right words capable of bringing comfort. May He open our hearts to the certainty that God is always present and never abandons us in times of trouble.”

Everyone has experienced the sadness or suffering that makes them yearn for a comforting presence and a word of consolation, he said. “The bitterest tears are those caused by human evil,” especially when a loved one is violently killed.

When one is in pain or mourning, he said, God offers consolation and “in His tenderness comes to wipe the tears from our eyes.”

For centuries, the pope said, Christians have drawn consolation from knowing they are not alone in their pain and that Jesus, too, knew what it meant to weep for the loss of a loved one.

“In one of the most moving pages of the Gospel, Jesus sees Mary weeping for the death of her brother Lazarus” and He, too, begins to weep, the pope said. “If God could weep, then I too can weep, in the knowledge that He understands me.”

But in addition to offering consolation to believers, Jesus’ tears encourage believers to open themselves to compassion for others, he said. “The tears of Jesus serve as an antidote to my indifference before the suffering of my brothers and sisters. His tears teach me to make my own the pain of others, to share in the discouragement and sufferings of those experiencing painful situations,” particularly the death of a loved one.

“Jesus’ tears cannot go without a response on the part of those who believe in Him,” Pope Francis insisted. “As He consoles, so we, too, are called to console.”

Turning to the copy of the Weeping Madonna of Syracuse, a Marian image chosen especially for the prayer service, the pope said: “At the foot of every cross, the mother of Jesus is always there. With her mantle, she wipes away our tears. With her outstretched hand, she helps us to rise up, and she accompanies us along the path of hope.”

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In Brief Be faithful to God, Philippine bishops’ head says after election MANILA, Philippines — The head of the Philippine bishops’ conference said it was time to “get up” and be faithful to God, as millions of Filipinos elected Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte president. In a May 9 pastoral letter, issued as votes were being counted, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, bishops’ conference president, said the Church would not back off from “reminding (Christ’s) disciples of what fidelity to Him – in all things, including political life – demands.” The archbishop said the Church was praying for wisdom and discernment of God’s will for those who won office. He said they should remember that God had a hand in their victories and that God calls public officials “to service and to care for the weakest and the most distressed in our midst,” particularly children in need and exploited women. “The greatest promise the Church can offer any government is vigilant collaboration, and that offer, we make now. We will urge our people to work with the government for the good of all, and we shall continue to be vigilant so that ever so often we may speak out to teach and to prophesy, to admonish and to correct – for this is our vocation,” the letter said.

Vatican funds job-creation project for refugees in Jordan VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is funding a job-

creation program for Iraqi refugees in Jordan, a country that is hosting close to 1.5 million refugees, but is struggling to provide work for them. With $150,000 donated to the Vatican by visitors to its pavilion at the World’s Fair in Milan in 2015, the Vatican will provide the funding that Caritas Jordan needs to launch the project.

Fifteen Iraqi refugees will have full-time work cultivating, producing and selling vegetables and oil, said a communique May 10 from the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Vatican office which promotes and distributes Catholic charity.

The jobs will allow them to provide for their families and become self-supporting, the office said. Another 200 Iraqi refugees will be given training in carpentry, agriculture and the food industry, Cor Unum said, and an additional 500 will be given seasonal employment.

Jordan currently is hosting about 130,000 Iraqi refugees, Cor Unum said; many of the refugees fled their homes in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of their country and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Jordan also is hosting more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, making it even more difficult for any refugee to find work.

Religious in danger of adopting ‘first-world lifestyle,’ sister says ROME — The leaders of the world’s communities of Catholic women religious were warned against accepting an “entitlement creep” that numbs them from confronting poverty and environmental destruction. At the opening session of a triennial assembly of the International Union of Superiors General in Rome, U.S. Sister Carol Zinn, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, told about 900 women religious representing nearly 500,000 sisters globally that religious life has widely been a “first-world lifestyle” marked by opportunities for higher education and job and housing security. While Sister Zinn said such education is important, she said it also “numbs our minds and

The Catholic Conference Center in Hickory presents

A Three Day Centering Prayer Retreat

This 3-Day Centering Prayer Retreat is an in-depth experience into profound stillness and silence. The purpose of the retreat is to assist the retreatants into a more intimate relationship with God. This is facilitated through the cultivation of a deep level of interior silence in a nurturing, supportive environment that combines both solitude and community. Each day will feature multiple periods of Centering Prayer, corporate worship and periods of silence for individual solitude. It is recommended that retreatants have a regular practice of Centering Prayer.

Dates: Friday, June 17th beginning with a reception @ 7:00 PM concluding with breakfast on Sunday, June 19th.

Total cost of the retreat which includes program, lodging and all meals is $240.00 for single occupancy. Double occupancy is available for $195.00 per person.

To register, call Cathy Webb at 828-327-7441

by Monday, June 13th or via email info@catholicconference.org

blinds our heart.” The gifts that women religious receive, she said May 9, “can create a numbness of consciences and a blindness of heart through which we can easily see not the pain, but see what we want to see.” During five days of plenary sessions and meetings, including a scheduled private audience with Pope Francis May 12, the community leaders were to tackle questions of the role of religious life in the world in the light of current global issues, particularly the continuing economic and environmental crises.

Pope tells struggling Europe he has a dream for its future VATICAN CITY — As Europe faces an unprecedented influx of immigrants and refugees while struggling to counter continued economic woes, Pope Francis urged the continent to step up to its responsibilities with renewed hope, not cower behind walls and treaties. The pope evoked U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., telling European heads-of-state and top-level representatives that he had a dream of a divisive Europe coming together to protect the rights of everyone, especially families and migrants. “I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime, but a summons to greater commitment” to help those in need and, he said, “I dream of a Europe where young people” can lead a simple life and see that marriage and children are a joy, not a burden because there are no stable, wellpaying jobs. The pope’s dream of a rejuvenated and united Europe came as he received the prestigious Charlemagne Prize May 6.

Pope: Ethics must guide medical research, protect human dignity VATICAN CITY — Moral and ethical concerns must guide medical research so it will always be at the service of protecting human life and dignity, Pope Francis said. In that way, education and

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research can strive “to serve higher values, such as solidarity, generosity, magnanimity, sharing of knowledge, respect for human life, and fraternal and selfless love,” he said April 29, during an audience with people taking part in a conference on adult stem cell research. “Research, whether in academia or industry,” he said, “requires unwavering attention to moral issues if it is to be an instrument which safeguards human life and the dignity of the person.” The April 28-30 conference looked at current and experimental techniques in using adult stem cells to fight disease, specifically rare illnesses afflicting children. It was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture; its foundation; and the Stem for Life Foundation, a nonprofit offshoot of the forprofit Caladrius cell-therapy company.

Suspects arrested in alleged plot against Vatican, Israeli embassy VATICAN CITY — Italian authorities arrested six suspects who allegedly received orders from the Islamic State terrorist group to attack the Vatican and the Israeli embassy in Rome. The arrests made in Lombardy and Piedmont April 28 were the result of a joint operation coordinated by the district attorney of Milan and the Italian antiterrorism agency. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, authorities arrested Abderrahim Moutaharrik and his wife, Salma Bencharki; Abderrahmane Khachia, and three people who have maintained contact with a couple that left Italy to join the Islamic State in Syria. All of the suspects are of Moroccan origin. A warrant has been issued for the couple, Mohamed Korachi and his Italian wife, Alice Brignoli, who are believed to have left for Syria in 2015. Authorities monitored a series of conversations between the suspects via WhatsApp. One of the messages sent to Moutaharrik said: “Dear brother Abderrahim, I send you ... the bomb poem ... listen to the sheik and strike,” ANSA reported.

— Catholic News Service

CCDOC.ORG

Forgiveness and Healing after Abortion Catholic Charities can help men and women who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey. Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat creates a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. The retreat works to reconnect individuals to themselves, their friends, and family and to realize God’s ever present love.

Asheville Area June 24-26, 2016 AND September 16-18, 2016 For more information please contact: Jennifer Ganser: 336-209-2161 / jmganser@charlottediocese.org -orShelley Glanton: 828-230-4940 / sglan1234@aol.com

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catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Barbara Case Speers

Run for your life

S

pring is here and we’re dusting off our running, hiking or walking shoes to get back in shape after the long winter. If you’re like me, those months have added five pounds to the scale! It’s a good idea to keep our bodies physically in shape, but what about our endurance to run our spiritual race?

Did you know running was very popular in the Bible? Joseph was the first runner. Working his way up the ladder, he became the personal attendant to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh. Having authority over Potiphar’s house, Joseph took care of everything and was very successful at his job. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife was his adversary. While her husband was out on business, she had devious plans for her servant.

Genesis 39:11-15 says, “One such day, when Joseph came into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were then in the house, she laid hold of him by his cloak, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ But leaving the cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand as he escaped outside, she cried out to her household servants and told them, ‘Look! My husband has brought us a Hebrew man to mock us! He came in here to lie with me, but I cried out loudly. When he heard me scream, he left his cloak beside me and escaped and ran outside.’” To avoid temptation, Joseph ran! Joseph was in good standing with God but ended up in jail. You’ll have to read the rest of the story to find out what happened.

There are times when running is not approved by God. Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “There are six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that are quick to run to evil, the false witness who utters lies, and the one who sows discord among kindred.” And Isaiah 59:7-8 says, “Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness, violence and destruction are on their highways. The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice on their paths; their roads they have made crooked, no one who walks in them knows peace.”

In the New Testament, we read about the women who found the tomb empty after the Resurrection: “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put Him.’ So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in” (John 20:1-5).

When we go to Mass, do we have the same urgency as Mary, John or Peter who was winded from the run, desiring to see Jesus? Are we participating, or just going through the routine? When it comes to serving the Lord, do we run to Him or run away when we are called to provide for God’s people? When we are capable of teaching or evangelizing, do we hide our light under a bushel? Has our Christian walk become more like an occasional stroll, or are we energetically doing the will of God? To run a marathon, one must train the body and the mind. Our spiritual race also requires time and preparation. A healthy soul requires a daily workout by reading, studying, praying, meditating and serving using our God-given gifts.

Our spiritual race can have obstacles – hills and valleys, circumstances that test our faith. There are times when we can trip over our own feet of complacency, disbelief, sin or spiritual laziness. Instead of focusing on Christ crucified, we are distracted by our own images of what we want.

Sometimes we are led astray by others. St. Paul questioned the Galatians. “You were running well; who hindered you from following (the) truth? That enticement does not come from the One who called you. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough” (Gal 5:7-9).

What can keep us on the right spiritual track? Scripture tells us: “So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with purity of heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Most importantly, we must sincerely seek to receive Christ in the Eucharist – the consecrated Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Savior – which is our living bread come down from heaven, to fortify us on our journey through this desert.

Finally, we should remember the words of Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before Him He endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken His seat at the right of the throne of God.” Barbara Case Speers is a writer who lives in Hickory.

Fred Berretta

Rely upon Mary, the mother of God, in striving for the Christian life M ay is especially reserved for devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and honoring her is not just a tradition befitting more pious ages. It is something God intended for us from the beginning. Her role is prefigured in Genesis 3:15, hidden in the Old Testament, and plainly revealed in the New Testament.

We first consider why Jesus came to us through Mary at all. He is God and could have manifested as an adult and walked right out of the desert. He chose to be born through Mary’s consent, and in that decision He linked His mission to her in an inextricable way, which she would exercise from her motherhood. In contemplating the level of knowledge and closeness Mary enjoyed regarding Him, we wisely deduce it is superior to ours.

Her distinctive influence unambiguously shines from the Scriptures. At the Annunciation, Mary facilitates salvation by her proclamation to “Let it be done to me according to your word”(Lk 1:38). God willed salvation to be dependent on her assistance. It is a massive understatement to say we are fortunate that she cooperated. Again, when she and Joseph found the child Jesus in the temple, Mary conveys her motherly clout: “And He went down with them … and was subject to them” (Lk 2:51). In submission to her, Jesus performs His first public miracle: “And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus said to Him: they have no wine. And Jesus said to her: Woman, what is that to Me and thee? My hour has not yet come” (Jn 2:3-4). Here, we see the will of the Father being communicated to Jesus through her, and Him reverently complying. She neither asks nor directs Jesus, but rather conveys the problem and He addresses it.

She emphatically demonstrates her role as intercessor because she communicates to Jesus on behalf of the wedding party.

Scripture provides even more clues to her incomparable importance. In Mary’s Magnificat: “My soul doth magnify the Lord … Because He that is mighty has done great things for me…” (Lk 1:46-49). And finally

from the cross, Jesus gave Mary to the world, represented by John: “Woman, behold thy son … then He said to the disciple, behold thy mother” (Jn 19:26-27).

Jesus gave Mary to us not as an anecdote to His way, but precisely to help us journey along it. Her role is singularly unique relative to the apostles, and more integrated, because Jesus’ relationship with her is matchless. He loves and honors her not as any good son, but as the God Son. She loves Him in a way beyond the constraints of our sinimpaired minds. Can we try and imagine this level of mutual love?

If we want to please Jesus, we should imitate Him by acknowledging Mary’s role, honoring her and seeking her intercession. We do this by embracing her as our spiritual mother with a filial attitude, and this enables her to more fully exhibit her God-given role in our lives, aiding us in a relationship with Jesus as no one else can. With her, it becomes easier to do whatever Jesus tells us, and as her soul magnifies the Lord, she amplifies our prayers. As she was favored by God in her lowliness, we too find favor with Him through humility toward her. Like Elizabeth, we do well to say, “Whom am I that the mother of my lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43) An exceptional model for this is to say a consecration prayer to Mary and practice a daily devotion, such as the rosary or seven sorrows. Most of all, we should strive to love her, for she is the greatest of all mothers.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of Auschwitz, said, “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

Good mothers make hard things easier, and the Christian life is simply easier with her intercession. We can trust God’s plan that if Jesus chose Mary as His loving mother, so should we. As she comforted Jesus, so shall she comfort us, for she truly is the Help of Christians.

‘Good mothers make hard things easier, and the Christian life is simply easier with Mary’s intercession.’

Fred Berretta is a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

May 13, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Parish spotlight

April Parker

Surrender S

urrender. The word seems to be a common theme during the Easter season. To the strong, this word may evoke thoughts of weakness. To the weak, it may be the dread of further humiliation. But to Christians, surrender is grace.

The Old and New Testament are full of accounts of total surrender.

Noah trusted God enough to follow an unbelievable plan to save creation from a devastating flood despite the ridicule of his peers. Then there was Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who surrendered her infant son to the safety of a small basket released to the arms of the dangerous Nile.

Consider Rachel, surrendering her whole person to stay by the side of a frail old woman whose family and religion were both foreign to her. And what of Abraham? Was he not willing to give up his only son, that he had waited so long for, to obey God’s command? These examples are but a few that resonate with the theme of surrender, but not just surrendering for a moment in time. The surrender in each of these stories brought forth a great purpose from the total giving of self. These stories and countless others were not just stories with a happy ending that happened once upon a time. These were stories of a building of a kingdom. The surrendering in each story brought forth a wave of such magnitude that it rippled down through the ages – pointing to and paving a way for the most important surrender of all through Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ life in itself is based on surrender, surrender to the Father. Look at the very beginning of Our Lord’s conception. Mary totally accepted the call to surrender her body to be used in miraculous ways and bring forth a savior. All of this may seem like a heroic gesture, but the most aweinspiring part is that Mary had no idea of God’s plan. She could have been stoned to death for the conception of a child outside of marriage. Her planned marriage to Joseph could have been revoked. Instead, God sheltered this act of surrender in the palm of His hand, just as He sheltered that little babe in a basket on the Nile.

Fast-forward to Jesus as a child, lost from His frantic parents for three whole days. Mary and Joseph must have been praying with every breath for the safety of their Son, putting into God’s hands what they could not control, what they could not physically hold and protect. Yet, when their prayers were answered and Jesus was found safe and sound in the temple, yet another surrender was to be felt.

“Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) As a parent, if you have ever felt like you have lost control, this would have been that moment for Mary and Joseph. What a blow for Joseph to be reminded this was not flesh of his flesh, but the Son of God, of whom he was the steward. Yet, the Scriptures never tell us that Joseph complained or gave up. He surrendered his services as a father figure, a mentor, and a protector to the Son he always would know was not his own.

With Holy Week behind us, the message of Christ’s Passion still fills our hearts and minds. We still see the images, still feel close to Jesus, the apostles and Mary. Remember the garden? Luke tells us that Jesus sweated drops of blood in His surrender to the Father before the hour he knew would come, for the hour He would become the Pascal Lamb and sacrifice Himself for so many. This is total surrender, a surrender He even contemplated God taking from Him. “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) God had a much greater plan in mind – the ultimate plan that would top the pinnacle of the accomplishments of Noah, Abraham, Moses and even King David. This plan would succeed in defeating sin and death, and ultimately open the gates of heaven for each one of us.

As Christians, we must look at surrender in the context of God. He has a plan in mind for each of us and our families according to His will for the building of His kingdom. There is a much greater plan at work in your life.

Surrender to the Father and let Him take the lead.

‘There is a much greater plan at work in your life.

Surrender to the Father and let Him take the lead.’

April Parker is a member of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, where she teaches third grade at St. Pius X School. Parker is also an author and freelance writer.

Giuliana Polinari Riley | Catholic News Herald

Retreat on mercy TRYON — Father Patrick Winslow, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte and a Missionary of Mercy during the Church’s Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, presented a mini-retreat about mercy April 24-25 at St. John the Baptist Church. The church was filled to capacity on both evenings. Participants met with Father Winslow, who is the former pastor of the Tryon parish, at a reception after each presentation.

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catholicnewsherald.com | May 13, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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For information, to volunteer or K-12 Track Registration: www.GoEucharist.com

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Mark your calendar for the 12th Eucharistic Congress September 9 & 10, 2016 Charlotte Convention Center

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Be Merciful, just as your Father is Merciful 6:3

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2016 Eucharistic Congress Diocese Of Charlotte

September 9 & 10 JUBILEE OF MERCY