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catholicnewsherald.com | May 24, 2019 OUR PARISHES
Perpetual Adoration at Maryfield to celebrate its 25th anniversary HIGH POINT — Pennybyrn at Maryfield has hosted Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist every day for 25 years – that’s 9,125 consecutive days, or 219,000 hours. To mark this remarkable anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the continuing care retirement community run by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God is planning a celebration for Sunday, June 2, and adorers and supporters are welcome to attend. The celebration will feature Holy Mass in the Maryfield Chapel, offered by Bishop Peter Jugis, starting at 10:30 a.m. After Mass, there will be an outdoor picnic on the lawn. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament began in the Maryfield Chapel on June 5, 1994, the Feast of Corpus Christi. Following the celebration of Holy Mass at 3 p.m. with Bishop William G. Curlin of the Diocese of Charlotte as principal celebrant and seven priests from local parishes as concelebrants, there was a procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the Rose Garden that concluded with Benediction in the Chapel at 4 p.m. After Benediction, Our Lord was enthroned in the monstrance and placed on the altar – thus beginning Eucharistic Adoration at Maryfield Chapel that continues unbroken to this day. “Now looking back at our brave beginnings, we understand how the Holy Spirit guided our lay leaders to bring the awareness of this treasure of the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament into the lives of so many people in the Triad,” notes Mission leader Sister Lucy Hennessy, SMG. Eucharistic Adoration originated in the area with Joe Lanham, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville. His then-pastor, Father John Murphy, OSFS, gave his blessing to the project and suggested Dick Kellenbarger, a fellow parishioner, help chair the committee to launch the effort. Adoration started in Thomasville with 12 hours of Adoration on the fourth Saturday of each month. The parish’s Knights of Columbus and their families rallied behind the idea, and it wasn’t long before 100 people had signed up. Thanks to encouragement from then-Bishop John Donoghue, local priests and lay leaders, and the intervention of Divine Providence, people wanted to expand Eucharistic Adoration to 24 hours – and the chapel of Pennybyrn at Maryfield was the perfect home for it. By 1994, when Bishop Curlin came to Pennybyrn, more than 400 people had signed up to participate at least one hour per week in Eucharistic devotion. Anne Carr of Our Lady of the Highways Church, Eileen Rohan and Colette Woelfel of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, and Edna Corrigan of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church High Point have been instrumental in the prayer effort from the early years, Sister Lucy also notes. “These leaders, in whatever capacity, worked long and hard for months and weeks before the chapel was opened to make sure there was a least one adorer in front of Our Lord every single hour of the day and night,” she says. “But the real heroes continue to be the adorers, who sign up to spend one hour once a week to be with the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.” The constant flow of traffic to and from the chapel, she adds, demonstrates that more and more people have been drawn to visit the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and that Perpetual Adoration has fostered a deeper prayer life for those who participate. “One could say that people have opened up to the spiritual side of what is offered here at Maryfield,” Sister Lucy says. “We have many adorers who committed at the beginning and who are still with us. One young man who has never missed his hours, smiled and told me, ‘The pay is low, but the benefits are great!’ Many people like to have two hours, because the first one goes by too fast.” Pennybyrn at Maryfield is located at 109 Penny Road in High Point. To learn more about this unique community in the Diocese of Charlotte, go online to www.pennybyrnliving.org. — Catholic News Herald
Series of talks takes closer look at U.S. bishops’ new pastoral letter against racism JOSEPH PURELLO AND ROSHEENE ADAMS SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
CHARLOTTE — Members of several Charlotte area parishes gathered May 11 at St. Gabriel Church to learn more about “Responding to the Sin of Racism,” an effort to continue the dialogue and raise awareness about racism in light of the U.S. bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism entitled “Open Wide Our Hearts – the Enduring Call to Love.” The event was one of four educational opportunities being offered in May and June that are being jointly sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, the Diocese of Charlotte’s African American Affairs Ministry, and the Sisters of Mercy to reflect on themes presented in the bishops’ pastoral letter. Presenters included Donna Toliver Grimes, assistant director of the U.S. bishops’ Office of African American Affairs, and Deacon Clarke Cochran of St. Peter Church in Charlotte. Grimes addressed how to implement “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” and Deacon Cochran’s presentation covered “Promoting Racial Justice and Ending Health Disparities in the USA.” St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton hosted the first event on May 6, entitled “Saved by Grace in Striving for a More Racially Just Church and Society” presented by Mercy Sister Cora Marie Billings. St. Eugene Church in Asheville was also expected to host a program May 23.
The fourth program will be held Saturday, June 15, at St. Mary Church in Greensboro. All are welcome: details can be found online at www.ccdoc.org/education and www.charlottediocese.org/africanamerican-affairs-ministry/events. JOSEPH PURELLO is director of Catholic Charities’ Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy, and ROSHEENE ADAMS is director of the Diocese of Charlotte’s African American Affairs Ministry.
Pray for an end to racism This prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary closes the U.S. bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter against racism entitled “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” and attendees at the four Diocese of Charlotte events have been concluding their discussions with this prayer to Our Lady: Mary, friend and mother to all, through your Son, God has found a way to unite Himself to every human being, called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other. We ask for your help in calling on your Son, seeking forgiveness for the times when we have failed to love and respect one another. We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society. We ask for your help in following your Son, so that prejudice and animosity will no longer infect our minds or hearts but will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person. Mother of the Church, the Spirit of your Son Jesus warms our hearts. Pray for us.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ROSHEENE ADAMS AND JOSEPH PURELLO
Mercy Sister Cora Marie Billings discussed the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism during one of four such events May 6 in Morganton. Similar programs were held May 11 at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and May 23 at St. Eugene Church in Asheville, with a fourth planned for June 15 at St. Mary Church in Greensboro. People involved in planning this series of talks include (pictured from left) Mercy Sister Rose Marie Tresp, Deacon Clarke Cochran, Rosheene Adams, Donna Toliver Grimes, Chanele Jackson and Joseph Purello.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AMY H. LOESCH
Celebrating Catholic Charities Week CHARLOTTE — Father Gregory Gay and the parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church prepared lunch for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte staff May 8 to celebrate Catholic Charities Week. This was a great opportunity to meet each other, share a meal and discuss ways that Catholic Charities and the parish can work together to help those in need and serve the local community. Learn more about the range of services and volunteer opportunities available with Catholic Charities online at www.ccdoc.org.