Dec. 22, 2023 by Catholic News Herald

December 22, 2023

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

Independent review finds diocese in compliance on child protection 4

Novenas y Posadas nos prepararon para recibir al Niño Dios 17

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A hopeful Christmas Growing Tryon and Denver parishes look forward to new churches 7, 8 Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations span three days Celebraciones por Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe se extendieron por tres días

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‘FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS’: Monsignor Patrick Winslow explains pope’s guidance on blessings 24

Welcome the Stranger Greensboro parishioners help refugee families entering Triad area

At a glance 2

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CATHOLIC ALL WEEK

DECEMBER 22, 2023

Timely tips for blending faith & life

Volume 33 • NUMBER 6

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

hristmas is perhaps the single most anticipated and beloved holiday across the globe. While delicious foods, shimmering lights and neatly wrapped gifts are always highlights of the season, it is the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that is the reason for our rejoicing – it is the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:1-6). This Christmas, as you gather with loved ones, perhaps consider some of these timely tips to keep the true meaning of this holiday close to your hearts.

Arts & Entertainment................. 19 Contact us.....................................2 Español....................................... 17-18 Our Diocese............................. 4-16 Our Faith........................................3 Our Schools............................20-21 Scripture................................. 3, 18 U.S. news................................22-23 Viewpoints.............................26-27 World news............................ 24-25

STAFF EDITOR: Spencer K. M. Brown 704-808-4528, skmbrown@rcdoc.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@rcdoc.org HISPANIC MEDIA MANAGER: César Hurtado 704-370-3375, rchurtado@rcdoc.org MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER: David Puckett 704-808-4521, dwpuckett@rcdoc.org EDITORIAL TEAM: Kimberly Bender 704-370-3394, kdbender@rcdoc.org Annie Ferguson 704-370-3404, arferguson@rcdoc.org Troy C. Hull 704-370-3288, tchull@rcdoc.org Christina Lee Knauss 704-370-0783, clknauss@rcdoc.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson 704-370-3333, catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CELEBRATE THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

For most of the secular world, Dec. 26 can be a rather low time as people consider it the end of the holidays and the real world kicks back into action. However, for Catholics, the Christmas season is only just beginning. The “12 Days of Christmas” mark the time between the birth of Our Lord and the feast of the Epiphany (celebrated on Jan. 7 in 2024). Liturgically in the Church, this time officially begins the Christmas season and is traditionally when families exchanged gifts and hosted their celebrations. This year, extend your Christmas spirit beyond Dec. 25, and carry on the joy of the arrival of Our Lord into the New Year with ideas that you and your family can make into new traditions, from www.intentionalcatholicparenting.com.

INDEX

SING A JOYFUL SONG

BAKE UP SOMETHING FIT FOR A KING

The Christmas season wouldn’t be the same without music. From beloved carols to rapturous classical compositions, consider attending performances at parishes and schools in the Diocese of Charlotte to spark your Christmas joy. Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro will be hosting “Lessons and Carols” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29. In Charlotte, St. Matthew Church will have “Children’s Christmas Cantata and Adoration” at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, where children of the parish will present a telling of the Nativity story set to music – followed by family Adoration. Check with your parish to see if any musical events are happening near you.

Jan. 7 marks the feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord when, as tradition holds, Magi from the East came to pay homage to Him, bringing Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This year, consider joining in a French tradition that dates back to the 14th century by baking a “Galette des Rois” or “King Scan the QR code Cake.” In northern France, for this week’s this buttery, flakey dessert is recommended recipes, made of pâte feuilleté, puff crafts and activities: pastry, and stuffed with a dense, creamy almond paste called frangipane. Visit: www. carolinescooking.com/galettedes-rois-french-king-cake for a step-by-step recipe that your whole family will enjoy. — Spencer K.M. Brown

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Liz Chandler 704-370-3336, lchandler@rcdoc.org ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@rcdoc.org THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year. NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photos. Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@rcdoc.org. All submitted items become the property of the Catholic News Herald and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives. ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@rcdoc.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $16.75 per year for registered families of the Diocese of Charlotte and $25 per year for all others. POSTMASTER: Periodicals Class postage (USPC 007-393) paid at Charlotte, N.C. Send address corrections to the Catholic News Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203.

Diocesan calendar of events ESPAÑOL VIÑEDO DE RAQUEL: ¿Es usted o un ser querido que busca la curación de los efectos de un aborto anterior? Los retiros de fin de semana son ofrecidos por Caridades Católicas para hombres y mujeres en todas las regiones de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Para obtener información, comuníquese con Karina Hernández: 336267-1937 o karinahernandez@live.com. ENTERTAINMENT VOICE & PIANO CONCERT: 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, 419 Monastery Lane, Belmont. Awardwinning Metropolitan Opera singer Emalie Savoy, soprano, and Mildred Roche, pianist, perform works by Faure, Wagner, Donaudy and others. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. For details, call 704-461-6012 or email artsabbey@bac.edu. PRAYER SERVICES MARCH FOR LIFE CHARLOTTE: 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12. Gather in

the parking lot across from the Pastoral Center at 1123 South Church St. At noon, march to Trade and Tryon streets to witness for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Father Raymond Ekosse will be the guest priest and Deanna Tyler Glenn, Miss Huntersville 2023, will be the prolife speaker. Following the talks, pray the rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. For details, go to www.marchforlifecharlotte.com. ST. PEREGRINE HEALING PRAYER SERVICE: 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month (November and December only), St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. For more information, visit www.stmatthewcatholic.org/st-peregrine. SUPPORT GROUPS RACHEL RETREAT ‘HEALING AFTER ABORTION’: Are you or a loved one seeking healing from the effects of a past abortion? Find healing and support in a confidential, non-judgmental environment at a Rachel Retreat weekend. For details, contact Jessica Grabowski at jrgrabowski@rcdoc.org or 704-370-3229.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following event: JAN. 3 – 10 A.M. Parish Pastoral Planning Meeting for St. Mary Parish, Greensboro Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Our faith

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Pope Francis

Gifts, parties are OK, but don’t forget Jesus at Christmas

The Holy Innocents Feast day: Dec. 28

he Holy Innocents are the children mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2:16-18: “When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity 2 years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.’” The Greek Liturgy asserts that Herod killed 14,000 boys, the Syrians speak of 64,000, and many medieval authors speak of 144,000, according to Revelation 14:3. Modern writers reduce the number considerably, since Bethlehem was a rather small town. Some estimate the actual number around 15 to 20, 10 or 12, or even only six. This cruel deed of Herod is not mentioned by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, although he relates quite a number of atrocities committed by the king during the last years of his reign. The number of

these children was so small that this crime appeared insignificant amongst the other misdeeds of Herod. Macrobius relates that when Augustus heard that among the boys of 2 years and younger Herod’s own son also had been massacred, he said: “It is better to be Herod’s hog, than his son,” alluding to the Jewish law of not eating, and consequently not killing, swine. The Middle Ages gave faith to this story, and French theologian and philosopher Peter Abelard inserted it in his hymn for the feast of Holy Innocents. But the “infant” mentioned by Macrobius is Antipater, the adult son of Herod, who, by command of the dying king, was decapitated for having conspired against the life of his father. It is impossible to determine the day or the year of the death of the Holy Innocents, since the chronology of the birth of Christ and the subsequent Biblical events is uncertain. All we know is that the infants were slaughtered within two years after the apparition of the star to the wise men. Some have disputed that they should be called martyrs since they did not submit freely for the sake of Christ but were “merely victims” of Herod. Nevertheless, the Church has long numbered them in her ranks of martyrs. St. Augustine says of them: “And while (Herod) thus persecutes Christ, he furnished an army (or martyrs)

clothed in white robes of the same age as the Lord. … O blessed infants! He only will doubt of your crown in this your passion for Christ, who doubts that the baptism of Christ has a benefit for infants. “He who at His birth had Angels to proclaim Him, the heavens to testify, and Magi to worship Him, could surely have prevented that these should not have died for Him, had He not known that they died not in that death, but rather lived in higher bliss. Far be the thought, that Christ who came to set men free, did nothing to reward those who died in His behalf, when hanging on the cross He prayed for those who put Him to death.” (Sermon 373, 3, quoted in the Catena Aurea). The Latin Church instituted the feast of the Holy Innocents at a date now unknown, sometime after the end of the fourth century and before the end of the fifth century. While the details are in dispute, the feast day remains an important one for the Church. Through our honoring of their sacrifice, and worship of God, we seek to atone for the many sins against human life, beginning with abortion, and including other forms of murder, euthanasia, disregard for the safety and dignity of others, mistreatment and indifference to the plight of others, and all other sins against life. — Catholic Encyclopedia, EWTN

Daily Scripture readings DEC. 24-30

Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Advent): 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, Romans 16:2527, Luke 1:26-38; Monday (The Nativity of the Lord, Christmas): Isaiah 9:1-6, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14; Tuesday (St. Stephen): Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59, Matthew 10:17-22; Wednesday (St. John): 1 John 1:1-4, John 20:1a, 2-8; Thursday (The Holy Innocents): 1 John 1:5-2:2, Matthew 2:13-18; Friday: 1 John 2:3-11, Luke 2:22-35; Saturday: 1 John 2:12-17, Luke 2:36-40

DEC. 31-JAN. 6

Sunday (The Holy Family): Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3, Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19, Luke 2:22-40; Monday (Mary, the Mother of God): Numbers 6:22-27, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21; Tuesday (St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen): 1 John 2:22-28, John 1:19-28; Wednesday (The Most Holy Name of Jesus): 1 John 2:29-3:6, John 1:29-34; Thursday (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton): 1 John 3:7-10, John 1:35-42; Friday (St. John Neumann): 1 John 3:11-21, John 1:43-51; Saturday: 1 John 5:5-13, Mark 1:7-11

JAN. 7-13

Sunday (The Epiphany of the Lord): Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12; Monday (The Baptism of the Lord): Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Mark 1:7-11; Tuesday: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Mark 1:2128; Wednesday: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20, Mark 1:29-39; Thursday: 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Mark 1:40-45; Friday: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a, Mark 2:1-12; Saturday: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1, Mark 2:13-17

xchanging Christmas gifts and organizing holiday parties are all well and good, but Christians should contemplate the scene of Jesus’ birth to recover what is truly important during the Christmas season, Pope Francis said. At his weekly general audience Dec. 20, just five days before Christmas, the pope told people that “the risk of losing what matters in life is great, and paradoxically increases at Christmas.” “The atmosphere of Christmas is changing,” he said. “It’s true, if people want to give presents, that’s good, but with the frenzy of shopping, ‘go, go, go,’ this pulls one’s attention somewhere else, and there is not that simplicity of Christmas.” For people caught up in the holiday rush, “there is no interior space for wonder” before the mystery of Jesus’ birth, but “only to organize parties,” he said. Recalling the first Nativity scene staged by St. Francis of Assisi 800 years ago in Italy, the pope said that the Nativity scenes being prepared by Christians around the world should provoke a sense of amazement in the humility of a God who became human. “If we Christians look at the Nativity as something nice, something historic, even religious, and pray, that is not enough,” he said. “Before the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, before the birth of Jesus, one needs a religious attitude of wonder. If I, before the mysteries, don’t arrive at this wonder, my faith is simply superficial.” St. Francis created the first Nativity scene “to bring us back to what matters: to God coming to live among us. That’s why it is important to look at the Nativity scene,” the pope said. “So often we put things before people; this doesn’t work.” Nativity scenes also depict great joy, he said, but that “is different than having fun.” “Having fun is not a bad thing if it is done in the right way, it’s something human,” he said, “but joy is even more profound, more human, and sometimes there is the temptation to have fun without joy.” The pope read an account of the first Nativity scene and “returned home with an ineffable joy.” Such joy, he said, did not come from bringing home gifts or attending lavish parties, “no, it was the joy that overflows from the heart when one touches the closeness of Jesus, the tenderness of God who does not leave one alone but consoles them.” “If before the Nativity scene we entrust to Jesus all that we have in our hearts, we too will feel a great joy. Look, and let yourself feel something in your heart.”

Our diocese 4

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Mass attendance required for both Fourth Sunday of Advent, Christmas CHARLOTTE — This year the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls the day before Christmas, so Catholics should plan ahead to attend Mass to fulfill both holy days of obligation. People will need to attend Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and then again for Christmas – two separate liturgies to celebrate the two distinct holy days. Catholics are not allowed to attend one Mass to “cover” both holy days. To accommodate people’s needs, Bishop Peter Jugis is giving pastors the option of adding more Masses Dec. 23-25. Masses for the Fourth Sunday of Advent can be offered anytime after 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Masses for Christmas can be offered any time after 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, guidance from the diocese’s Office of Divine Worship stated. As a result, Mass times may vary, so check your local parish’s website and bulletin to plan your Mass attendance schedule. Also, please note that Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is not a holy day of obligation because it falls on a Monday this year. (See more information on page 5.) The faithful are still encouraged to go to Mass that day – check your parish schedule for Mass times.

Catholic Charities staff attend, present at disaster response training in Raleigh CHARLOTTE — Staff members of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte attended the 2023 Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) held in Raleigh on Dec. 4-8. This annual training, sponsored by Catholic Charities USA, is made available to the national Catholic Charities network of agencies. The program helps local agencies in their provision of disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. More than 200 attendees came from Catholic Charities agencies from over 30 states, including Hawaii. Jesse Boeckermann, director of Catholic Charities in Asheville, and Joseph Purello, director of Social Concerns and Advocacy, presented a workshop titled “ParishBased Response to Local Disasters,” which highlighted the collaborative work of Catholic Charities with Diocese of Charlotte parishes in response to past disasters. The presentation emphasized how parish engagement is a critical component to any Catholic Charities disaster response. — Catholic News Herald

Independent review finds diocese in compliance on child protection CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has passed an independent review of its compliance to nationally prescribed child protection procedures for the 21st straight year. The yearly assessment by Stonebridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y., monitors U.S. dioceses’ compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” which addresses the Church’s commitment to respond effectively, appropriately and compassionately to cases of abuse of minors by clergy or other Church personnel. The review for the period of July 2020 through September 2023 was conducted in November. As a result of the detailed onsite audit, the diocese has been found to be compliant with all audited articles of the charter, as it has done each year since the audits began in 2003. The external review checks compliance with reporting requirements of the charter, including the diocese’s efforts to

ensure the protection of children through criminal background checks and educational awareness programs on recognizing and preventing abuse. In the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, the diocese conducted 5,270 background checks, which are required on an ongoing basis for all diocesan clergy, employees and volunteers. Since 2002, more than

80,000 background checks have been conducted. That includes rechecking active volunteers and employees every five years. A total of 3,028 adults received training in the diocese’s “Protecting God’s Children” abuse prevention awareness program. More than 63,000 adults in the diocese have received training in this program since it began in 2002. “Protecting God’s Children” helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse and the many ways that sexual abuse harms victims, families, parishes, and communities. It teaches them appropriate ways to respond to suspicious behaviors and how they can help prevent abuse. — Catholic News Herald

Learn more At www.charlottediocese.org: Learn more about the Diocese of Charlotte’s Safe Environment policies and programs.

Pope awards Father Arnsparger honorific title of ‘Monsignor’ CHARLOTTE — Pope Francis has honored Father Roger K. Arnsparger, one of the Diocese of Charlotte’s longestserving priests, with the honorary title “Monsignor” for exceptional service to the Church. “Monsignor” is a title granted by the pope typically based on the local bishop’s recommendation. It is a rare honor from the Vatican, even more so under Pope Francis, and it has been given to only a handful of priests in the Charlotte diocese since its founding in 1972. In a Dec. 12 message to priests, Bishop Peter Jugis noted Monsignor Arnsparger’s wide-ranging responsibilities over his 46 years of priestly ministry, 24 of which have been in the Charlotte diocese. “I am writing to share with you some good news that the Holy See has honored one of our brother priests by naming him a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title ‘Monsignor,’” Arnsparger Bishop Jugis wrote. “Please join me in offering congratulations and best wishes to Father Roger Arnsparger, the recipient of this honor.” Monsignor Arnsparger said he was surprised by the news. “I didn’t know anything about this until I got a call from the bishop yesterday – and I was speechless,” he said. “I am humbled and honored by this kindness of the Holy Father and the bishop, and I am profoundly grateful for the privilege of

serving the Lord and the parishes in this diocese along with my brother priests, deacons, religious and all of the laity.” Monsignor Arnsparger’s leadership of the diocese’s signature annual event, the Eucharistic Congress, was particularly noteworthy, Bishop Jugis wrote. As chairman of the congress planning committee, Monsignor Arnsparger has overseen the work of over 30 subcommittees “which work to make the congress a success each year for the faithful of the diocese,” the bishop wrote. The congress will celebrate its 20th year in 2024 and is one of the largest events of its kind in the United States, drawing 10,000 to 15,000 Catholics to Charlotte each fall for two days of worship, fellowship and inspirational talks in multiple languages, and a spectacular Eucharistic procession through the streets of uptown. The bishop also recognized Monsignor Arnsparger’s role as rector and pastor of the historic St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, where he “is heading up the Basilica Restoration and Preservation project to restore and save St. Lawrence Basilica, our Catholic treasure in the North Carolina mountains.” A Kentucky native and Catholic convert, Monsignor Arnsparger was ordained a priest in 1977 for the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky. He has served in many parishes during his 46 years of priestly ministry, as well as at high schools where he taught religion classes. Since moving to the Charlotte diocese in 1999, Monsignor Arnsparger

has served at St. Barnabas Parish in Arden, St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Gastonia, St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, and St. John the Baptist Parish in Tryon, before being assigned to St. Lawrence Basilica in 2018. Since 2008, Monsignor Arnsparger has worked to strengthen Catholic education and faith formation as the diocese’s Vicar of Education for Catechetical Formation. He has also served as a member of the Presbyteral Council since 2004 and the College of Consultors since 2005 – two groups of clergy that advise and assist the bishop in governance of the diocese. “It’s hard to describe the depth of the impact Father Arnsparger – now Monsignor Arnsparger – has had on this diocese and on the people of God,” said Chris Beal, director for Faith Formation in the diocese. “We are grateful for his vision, leadership and dedication throughout his many years of service, not only as vicar of education, but as head of the Eucharistic Congress – and simply as a parish priest for so many years at so many churches.” Monsignor Arnsparger said he’s been blessed to serve at parish and diocesan levels alike. “What a wonderful experience it has been especially to work in the parishes where I have served – we’ve given praise to God,” Monsignor Arnsparger said. “It has also been a privilege to work at the diocesan level on the Eucharistic Congress and to provide catechetical education to so many people in our growing diocese.” — Catholic News Herald

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Plan ahead for 2024 holy days, solemnities CHARLOTTE — As the New Year approaches, Catholics are encouraged to look ahead to the holy days of obligation and solemnities in 2024. While some feast days and holidays don’t change their dates year to year, the Church’s liturgical calendar often rotates depending on the dates of other events. So, to help the faithful keep track, here is a list of holy days of obligation, solemnities and special feast days next year. Holy days of obligation are days on which the faithful are obliged to go to Mass, unless excused for a serious reason such as illness or disability, the care of infants or care for others who are ill, or prevented through no fault of their own (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 2180-2181). Every Sunday is a holy day of obligation. Additional holy days are listed below. For solemnities and other feast days, such as the ones listed below, Mass attendance is encouraged but not required.

2024 holy days of obligation

Filipino community celebrates traditional Simbang Gabi Mass at Charlotte parish Young people from the Filipino community carried elaborate stars called parols up the aisle at the beginning of the Simbang Gabi Mass Dec. 15 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. A tradition in the Philippines, Simbang Gabi is a way for people to spiritually prepare for Christmas. The event included songs in Tagalog and a reception afterward featuring traditional Filipino foods.

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Members of the Filipino community from around Charlotte gathered the night of Dec. 15 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church to celebrate Simbang Gabi, a special Mass that is part of a beloved spiritual tradition from the Philippines. The Simbang Gabi Mass dates back to the 17th century when farmers and other laborers in the Philippines attended Masses early in the morning during the days leading up to Christmas to receive special blessings before going to work. Simbang Gabi, which means “Night Mass” in Tagalog, is also called Misa de Gallo in Spanish, or “Mass of the Rooster,” as the Masses are traditionally held at dawn. The Masses developed into a nine-day novena of worship at dawn and became a popular way for Filipinos to prepare spiritually for Christmas. Simbang Gabi in the U.S. has been adapted to lifestyles here, so the Masses are now most often held at night. For the past 15 years, St. Thomas Aquinas’ growing Filipino community has celebrated Simbang Gabi at the Charlotte parish, where the tradition continues to thrive, according to parishioner Nennette Costes, one of the organizers of the Mass. The parish also has three Dominican sisters from the Philippines who oversee faith formation programs at the north Charlotte parish. Friday night’s Mass drew nearly 300 people, followed by a reception featuring traditional Filipino foods. “It’s a wonderful time of the year, with

TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

the Mass and the traditional foods, and it’s also a great chance to see everybody and connect with people in the community,” said parishioner Bert Rodriguez. The Simbang Gabi Mass featured many elements of traditional Filipino culture, with children carrying elaborate stars called “parols” – star lanterns displayed in homes and businesses in the Philippines during Advent and the Christmas season – leading the procession at the beginning of Mass. The Mass also featured a choir singing beautiful, lilting hymns in Tagalog. Parishioner Joie Arrojado became the coordinator of the choir several years ago and said she enjoys gathering to sing for the celebration. “This is a wonderful chance for people to share their talents, and this is my yearly thing I do as an offering to the Lord for all the wonderful gifts He has given me during the year,” Arrojado said.

Hannah Asibal attended the celebration with her parents, her nieces and her sister. Asibal and other women in her family, and many other women who attended, wore beautiful long dresses decorated with elaborate beadwork and embroidery. The dresses are called “Filipinianas,” and are traditionally worn for Simbang Gabi and other Filipino cultural events, as well as weddings. Several men at the Mass wore traditional suits including long embroidered formal shirts called “barongs,” also worn by groomsmen at weddings and other special occasions. “It’s a beautiful celebration because it’s a way to immerse ourselves in Filipino culture,” Asibal said. “It’s also important for younger people because we can see how important the tradition is to our parents who brought it here from the Philippines, and it’s a way for us to carry on those traditions here.”

n Sunday, Jan. 7 – Epiphany of the Lord n Sunday, March 24 – Palm Sunday n Sunday, March 31 – Easter Sunday n Sunday, April 7 – Divine Mercy Sunday n Sunday, May 12 – The Ascension of Jesus (This celebration is transferred from Thursday, May 9, in the Diocese of Charlotte.) n Sunday, May 19 – Pentecost Sunday n Sunday, May 26 – Trinity Sunday n Sunday, June 2 – Corpus Christi n Thursday, Aug. 15 – The Assumption of Mary n Friday, Nov. 1 – All Saints Day n Sunday, Nov. 24 – Solemnity of Christ the King n Wednesday, Dec. 25 – Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Solemnities and other special celebrations n Monday, Jan. 1 – Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (This is usually a holy day of obligation, but in 2024 it is not because it falls on a Monday.) n Monday, Jan. 8 – Baptism of the Lord n Friday, Feb. 2 – Presentation of the Lord n Wednesday, Feb. 14 – Ash Wednesday n Tuesday, March 19 – Solemnity of St. Joseph n Thursday, March 28 – Holy Thursday n Friday, March 29 – Good Friday n Saturday, March 30 – Holy Saturday n Monday, April 8 – The Annunciation of the Lord (This feast is usually celebrated on March 25, but since in 2024 it is the Monday of Holy Week, it is transferred.) n Friday, June 7 – The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n Saturday, June 8 – The Immaculate Heart of Mary n Monday, June 24 – The Nativity of St. John the Baptist n Tuesday, Aug. 6 – The Transfiguration of the Lord n Saturday, Nov. 2 – All Souls’ Day n Monday, Dec. 9 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception (This feast is usually a holy day of obligation celebrated on Dec. 8, but since in 2024 it is the Second Sunday of Advent, this feast is transferred and is not a holy day of obligation.) — Catholic News Herald. RelevantRadio contributed.

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Welcome the Stranger While making room in their hearts for the Christ child this Advent, Greensboro parishioners are also creating space for refugee families entering the Triad area. ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

GREENSBORO — The gifts under the angel tree at St. Benedict Church look a little different this year than in Advents past. Instead of brightly wrapped packages of toys, there are pots, pans, paper towels, sheets, comforters, toiletries and other household items piling up in the entrance to the historic 124-year-old Greensboro church. Although these gifts may look less festive, they are every bit as appreciated by those who will receive them – refugees fleeing persecution and war. The items are part and parcel of the parish’s new “Welcome the Stranger” outreach ministry benefiting World Relief Triad, which welcomes governmentvetted refugees to the region by setting up apartment homes and acclimating the new arrivals to life in the United States. Championing the efforts is Father James Duc Duong, pastor of St. Benedict and a former Vietnam refugee himself. Parishioners Steve and Sharon Finger are spearheading St. Benedict’s volunteer efforts with World Relief Triad – a Christian humanitarian organization that helps settle 70 refugee families each year in the High Point, Greensboro and Winston-Salem area. The families come from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. “World Relief needs a lot of household goods for the refugees, so the parish decided that we would take the annual giving tree and instead of doing toys for kids, we would dedicate it to collecting household items for refugee families this year,” Steve Finger said.

RELIEVING A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Finger noted that the idea for the “Welcome the Stranger” parish ministry came from Father Duong, who fled to the U.S. from Vietnam almost 50 years ago. Father Duong spoke from the pulpit about the effort and his experience, inspiring Finger to take the lead. By the end of October, they had about a dozen volunteers, enough to get the ministry going. “There is such a refugee crisis in this country, and it is one of Christ’s requests that we welcome the stranger,” said Finger. “It’s something that I didn’t have a lot of experience with before and wanted to learn more about, and this seemed like the way to do it.” They’re off to a running start, volunteering regularly on weekends for home setups and taking in household donations during the Advent season. On Friday, Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the parish had already amassed loads of home goods at the start of the first collection weekend. Father Duong was eager to transfer the items to a storage space on the church grounds, moving quickly and setting up tables where World Relief can pick up the items. He is on a mission to help those who are facing the same kind of hardships he endured for 16 years in Vietnam.

UNDERSTANDING THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES

Beginning in 1975 with the fall of Saigon, Father Duong and his family suffered extreme persecution from the Communist government, including imprisonment and harsh conditions in labor camps, before they escaped to the United States. Father

PHOTOS BY ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Sharon and Steve Finger help sort and transfer angel tree gifts for refugee families at St. Benedict Church in Greensboro. They, along with about a dozen fellow parishioners, Father James Duc Duong, pastor, and Lynne McGrath, secretary and faith formation coordinator, collect household items and help set up homes for refugees through World Relief Triad, a local Christian humanitarian organization.

What is World Relief? World Relief is a global organization founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. For more than 75 years, it has partnered with local churches and communities across the globe to develop solutions to mass displacement, natural disasters, extreme poverty and other major world problems. The organization has 22 locations in the United States, which focus on serving refugee and immigrant families in partnership with the U.S. State Department. World Relief Triad, founded in 1989, is one of those locations. Duong and his brother, Father Tien Duong, knew they were called to the priesthood but could not fulfill their callings for political reasons. After being split up, each of the 12-member Duong family made it to the United States by 1991. Unknown to the family at the time, the Diocese of Charlotte had sponsored them through a government program they qualified for due to their father’s work. Through his priestly ministry, Father Duong has given back for decades to the country that helped his family break free from Communist Vietnam. Now, Duong with the support of his parish, he has the chance to help others fleeing persecution. “I am overwhelmed by the response from my parish family,” Father Duong said. “St. Benedict has a long history of outreach to those on the margins, and this is one more way we can do what Christ calls us to do in Matthew 25:35 – ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’ “Words cannot express my gratitude for the chance my family had to come here

all those years ago, and we as a parish are pleased to play that role in the lives of others facing similar situations today.”

TAKING THE FIRST STEPS

Father Duong said he has wanted the parish to get involved with helping refugees for years, and with the Finger couple’s involvement, the “Welcome the Stranger” program had the momentum it needed to get started. St. Benedict parishioners help set up apartments with furniture, bedding, kitchen and bathroom supplies, and other household necessities for incoming refugee families. Parishioner Carole Vaughan became interested after seeing a notice in the parish bulletin. Retired and wanting to get more involved in the community, she sought more information. “When you think about refugees, the border comes to mind, and you may think, ‘I don’t know about this,’ but after I went to the interest meeting where they explained how all the refugees are vetted through the State Department, I thought it was a good program,” Vaughan said. “Father Duc came through something similar and had people help them, so this made sense to do.”

Parishioners plan to grow their support in coming months by developing friendships with the refugees through World Relief Triad’s “Good Neighbor” program, which gives refugees a network of support as they navigate life in the U.S. Jon Musser, mission services director for World Relief Triad, said he looks forward to the St. Benedict parishioners’ continued involvement and hopes more churches will join their efforts. “Some of the volunteers are really wanting to connect relationally and form friendships with incoming families,” Musser said. “That’s our hope: to see people meet other people and enter into mutually transformative relationships.” Seven parishioners, including Vaughan volunteered for the first home setup in November. Vaughan noted that she enjoys the fellowship and that she gained a new skill at the second home setup: assembling a bed. The initial struggle to figure out the assembly was well worth the effort, she said. “The refugees are flying in from very far away, and they’re picked up at the airport by strangers and dropped off at an apartment, but when they walk in, it’s some semblance of a home. It’s not just an empty space,” Vaughan said. “That’s what is so special about this, and we get to be a part of creating that space.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read more about the harrowing journey of Father James Duc Duong and his brother Father Tien Duong. At www.worldrelief.org/triad: Learn more about World Relief Triad.

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

‘We need a new church’

Following pastoral plan to accommodate its growth, St. John the Baptist Parish looks forward with hope

LIZ CHANDLER lchandler@rcdoc.org

TRYON — The vibrance of St. John the Baptist Parish was on full display Sunday, Dec. 17, when 400 people cycled through the small church for three Masses and a children’s Christmas concert. As usual, dozens of parishioners arriving for the 8:30 a.m. Mass headed to the basement – which doubles as the church’s overflow area and “cry room” – to watch via livestream the service going on upstairs. With 16 altar servers, there wasn’t room for all of them in the sanctuary, so they sat in the front pews. Outside, traffic snarled in the parking lot between each Mass, and despite the dreary weather, folks gathered out front to chat beneath umbrellas because there’s no place to congregate inside. “It was kind of a controlled chaos,” says Father Jason Christian, pastor, joking that crowds are a good problem for any church to have. “At one point there were 50 people on the patio waiting to get in, and everyone was fighting for parking space. We are completely landlocked on this site, so we really can’t expand.” The Sunday crowd wasn’t simply a function of the Advent season or the concert, he says, but is a reflection of the vitality of the Catholic faith in the foothills of western North Carolina. The scene outside and inside the 140-seat church aptly demonstrates what has become painfully obvious to the parish in recent months as St. John the Baptist worked its way through the Diocese of Charlote’s new parish planning process: “We need a new church,” Father Christian says. “Everyone loves our little church,” he says. “I don’t think anyone is happy with the idea of leaving. It’s really bittersweet. If I could just double the size of the church and the parking lot, we’d be fine. But we need more space, that’s clear, so we can accommodate more people and more ministries.” The capacity challenge isn’t new at St. John the Baptist. The parish has nearly 500 registered families, ticking up – despite the pandemic – from five years ago when Father Christian arrived. And pastors before him also recount struggles of trying to serve a congregation more than three times the church’s capacity. What is new for St. John is that parishioners and church leaders named a new church as a priority as they developed their first-ever, six-year plan for the future – a document now required of all parishes in the diocese. And they wrote it all down in a detailed Parish Pastoral Plan, recently approved by Bishop Peter Jugis. “Somehow when you write it down, it becomes more concrete,” says Father Christian, who is now turning his attention toward timing, logistics, fundraising and all the details that come with building a new church. The parish is years away from any construction but has already begun to look for land, and Father Christian says he’s watching the economy and changes within the community and the diocese to help decide when the timing is right.

PLANNING WITH PURPOSE

St. John was the first of the diocese’s 92 parishes and missions to participate in the diocese’s new Parish Pastoral Planning exercise. It generally begins a year before a pastor meets with the bishop to review the direction of his parish.

PHOTOS BY CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

More than 400 people cycled through St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon for three Masses and a special children’s Christmas concert on Dec. 17. The process involves a straightforward document the pastor fills out with input from his parishioners, examining 14 areas of pastoral care – from how the parish is serving different populations, to catechesis and formation, to charitable works, schools, evangelization, facilities and more. A parish must have a pastoral plan approved by the bishop before it may embark on any major construction project, to ensure the parish has adequately weighed factors that influence its overall health and longevity. “With the growth we are experiencing across our diocese, we wanted to bring more structure to parishes’ planning for the pastoral care of the faithful under a pastor’s watch,” explains Monsignor Patrick

Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, who led development of the new planning process and who coincidentally spent six years as pastor of St. John the Baptist, overseeing its 2011 renovation. “Renovations and other physical improvements are just one element a pastor, in collaboration with his parishioners, looks at as they create their long-term plans,” he said, “all in an effort to better serve the people and bring them closer to God.”

PARISHIONERS WEIGH IN

The Tryon parish is an eclectic mix of tried-and-true locals, retirees, young families with children, rural and workingclass folks, and horse enthusiasts who have relocated to the area to access the Tryon

International Equestrian Center. Earlier this year, Father Christian gathered his parishioners together for a series of town hall-style meetings to discuss the needs, wishes and priorities of the parish from their perspective. While there is a wide variety of interests among his flock – and multiple Masses and ministries to serve those interests – parishioners were nearly unanimous in their conclusion that the parish needs a new church. Their desire for a Catholic cemetery in the area also ranked a high priority. And with the number of parishioners, Masses and activities going on, Father Christian has also requested the support of a second priest to help him and his semiretired deacon minister to his parishioners. While both are happy with their pastoral work, he says, the demand can strain their ability to always respond promptly. Father Christian also serves as academic dean for St. Joseph College Seminary, 75 miles away in Mount Holly, where he spends at least two days a week teaching the 20 young men who are there to discern a vocation to the priesthood. “Additionally, many of our parishioners come from long distances, which makes traveling for sacramental and pastoral care challenging,” he explained to the bishop in his pastoral plan. “The faithful have been very supportive but have also expressed a desire for greater priestly presence.” To help bridge the gap and adjust for recent retirements, the parish recently hired two members of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother to assist with administration work at the parish office. With the parish offertory at an all-time high, Father Christian believes the faithful at St. John can support a second priest. Still, he says, he – and his parishioners – understand demand is high across the CHURCH, SEE PAGE 25

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Holy Spirit Parish blesses ground for future church site SPENCER K.M. BROWN skmbrown@rcdoc.org

DENVER — Advent’s theme of anticipation took on greater meaning for the people of Holy Spirit Parish Dec. 17, as they gathered for Mass and a special blessing for their future church. As Mass began, soil taken from the property where the parish’s new church will be built – specifically, from the very site where the altar will be placed – was brought into the church and blessed by Father Carmen Malacari, pastor. “It is truly special that we gather today, on Gaudete Sunday or Rejoice Sunday,” Father Malacari told the congregation. “As not only are we less than a week away from the celebration of the birth of Our Lord, but today we also celebrate the goodness that has brought our parish community to this moment where we bless the very soil which we will be building the Lord’s earthly kingdom upon.” The Denver parish has seen unprecedented growth in the past 16 years and has already needed to move the church to a larger building once to accommodate more parishioners and higher Mass attendance. Masses are currently celebrated in a converted gymnasium next door to the original church, which now functions as parish offices. The new church will be approximately 16,000 square feet and accommodate nearly 700 people. It will be built in an open lot adjacent to the current Parish Activity Center. The parish looks forward to breaking

ground early in the new year with site improvements. Construction is slated to begin around June.

“We have been working on this project for over 10 years, ever since we noticed and anticipated the growth in our area,” said Tommy Touchstone, chairman of the parish’s building committee. “It has been a challenge but a labor of love. We looked at many options to expand our inadequate church but to do it affordably. We even looked at two dozen alternate sites. In the end, we purchased an adjacent parcel and decided to remain in our current, highly visible location.” Ron Geiger, a building committee member and recent fundraising chairman, credited the parish’s incredible growth as the primary impetus for the project. “We have grown over the last 10 years from about 500 families to now nearly 1,000 families,” Geiger said. “The old church, which was a converted school building with a modest capacity of about 300, is beyond its ability to serve our needs. The cost to upkeep or expand it is cost-prohibitive, so a new place of worship was critical to meet the needs of our community. We currently are seeing attendance approaching 400 at some Masses.” Everyone could feel the excitement during the ground blessing ceremony – and with good reason. It has been a long process to see this dream come to fruition and has required a great deal of patience and perseverance, Father Malacari and building committee leaders said. Even with skyrocketing costs of construction, inflation and delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said, the parish community has remained united and hopeful. “In the readings we just heard, it makes us think of how the Jewish people waited centuries for liberation and salvation,” Father Malacari said during his homily. “Here, we’ve waited over 10 years. But God bless our building and planning committee, who have been more patient than Job, having to deal with all the (site evaluation and design) processes and difficulties along the way.” “Thanks be to God that we have so many great people here in our parish that have

helped to make this a reality,” he said. The new church will be one of the first new churches designed according to updated diocesan norms for Catholic churches that emphasize traditional Catholic architecture. “One requirement, which we were initially concerned about, is to have a liturgical architect,” Touchstone said. “This has turned out to be a blessing. We believe we may now have a design for the first really traditional Catholic church to be built in the diocese in recent memory. We are very pleased and proud of our design, which we believe will be a model or inspiration for others.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED

During Mass on Dec. 17, Father Carmen Malacari, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Denver, blessed ground taken from where the parish’s new church is to be built. The parish plans to break ground for the new church (see sketch above) in the New Year, with construction slated to begin in June.

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

A tradition for all ages St. James the Greater rolls out annual ‘Christmas Train’ display CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CONCORD — A miniature Christmas tradition on wheels has been delighting people of all ages at St. James the Greater Parish in Concord for more than 15 years. Known as “The Christmas Train,” the model train set and Christmas village are set up in one corner of the parish’s office building, continuing a tradition started in 2008 by the late Father James Geiger when he was the pastor. “Father Geiger was a train enthusiast, and he had quite a train collection himself,” said parishioner Vic St. Pierre, who took over setting up the train annually when Father Geiger retired. At age 98, St. Pierre still works on it annually, although he passed primary control on to fellow parishioner Mike Ford three years ago. The original set featured only a small train, about six figurines and miniature houses, and fit on one table. Over the

years, St. Pierre has added more houses and holiday figures, some part of his own Christmas village, and now the holiday display takes up two tables. The train runs on a circular track surrounded by lighted village buildings and dozens of miniature figures depicting wintertime scenes, including ice-skaters and a motorized figure of two boys having a snowball fight. The model also has Santa Claus, Christmas trees and a nativity scene, with artificial snow and Christmas lights adding the finishing touches. “Children love it, and we also get a lot of comments from adults who come in to see it,” St. Pierre said. “It’s become very popular, and at my age it means a lot to be able to do this for the parish.” The train set is especially popular with students at New Beginnings Preschool, which is run by the parish. “Both the students and the staff get excited when they see Vic and Mike pull up on set-up day and start unloading their bins,” said Suzanne Carney, director of the preschool. “The children are absolutely mesmerized by the train set. Their faces light up when they see it, and they see details in it we as adults don’t see. When they stand around it, you can hear them talking, and their imaginations are running wild as they envision themselves in that little village.” It takes Ford and St. Pierre about three hours to assemble the train set. Both men love to see the joy the set brings to the preschool students, especially when they

PHOTO PROVIDED

Vic St. Pierre and Mike Ford, members of St. James the Greater Parish in Concord, set up a popular Christmas model train display – a tradition that was started by the late Father James Geiger when he was pastor. A model train, lighted buildings and figurines make up the display. get to control the speed of the train. “The looks on the kids’ faces is the best part of it,” Ford said. “You can tell it’s magical to them. Watching them absolutely brings out the kid in us.” The entire train set is about seven feet long, and next year the men plan to widen it by about a foot to add more space for the displays.

“To me, tradition is the glue that holds us together, not just as a preschool family but as a church family, so it’s great to see Father Geiger’s legacy continue for the children,” Carney said. “He would be so proud to see how the village has grown and how his legacy is being honored.” The Christmas train will be on display until after Epiphany.

Becoming one of the ‘Millions of Monicas’

Popular Greensboro ministry – where mothers pray for their children who have left the faith – expands to Clemmons ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

GREENSBORO — A series of “Godincidences” led to the start of the Millions of Monicas prayer ministry in Greensboro. In the span of 24 hours, Amy Voss noticed three signs. First, a woman who recently moved to the area told her, “I am feeling called to start a prayer group for my adult children.” Voss shared this with another mom who said, “I am feeling called to start a devotion to St. Monica.” “Then, that same night I happened to read about the national ministry called Millions of Monicas. Coincidence? I think not,” said Voss in a recent interview. “After praying about it in Adoration, the Triad chapter began.” Fifty women showed up to the first meeting in May at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro, and about 30 consistently show up weekly to pray for their children’s return to the Catholic faith. The ministry has proven to be a balm for the souls of women from across the region. “I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Yvette Boland, who attended one of the prayer meetings after hearing about the ministry from a friend. As healing as it was, it can be a struggle to get to the meeting. For Boland, it’s a 40-minute drive from her Winston-Salem home to St. Paul the Apostle, so she decided to start a new chapter at Holy Family Parish in Clemmons. The first meeting at Holy Family will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16. Boland, a mother of four, said she

Women from across the Triad gathered Dec. 11 to pray for their children and others who have fallen away from the faith at the weekly Millions of Monicas prayer group at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro. A new chapter of the national organization is set to start Jan. 16 at Holy Family Parish in Clemmons. ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

believes the ministry is spreading quickly throughout the country because so many have fallen away from the faith. Some of the women who attend have no children of their own, and they, along with others in the group, may also pray for neighbors, spouses, siblings and extended family. The one-hour meetings – held at St. Paul the Apostle Mondays at 7 p.m. and Tuesdays at 9 a.m. during the winter months – include prayers composed specifically for those who have fallen away from the faith as well as Scripture, time for reflection, small-group prayer, and the rosary. An image of St. Monica is set up in front of the altar along with a table of small crucifixes that are held during prayer in the small groups. The group’s patroness is there in spirit and imagery as well as inside the altar, where there is a relic of St. Monica, a fourth-century Catholic in Northern Africa

who prayed unceasingly for her son – the future St. Augustine – to return to the faith. The organizers say that Millions of Monicas is not a support group in that there aren’t discussions about specific situations – just prayer and the chance to reflect on positive changes they’ve noticed in those for whom they are praying. Each person in the small groups takes home the first names of three children to pray for throughout the week. “We have to remember that St. Monica prayed for years for her husband and her mother-in-law before she ever prayed for her son, who had not yet strayed,” said Sherry Lineberry, one of the Greensboro coordinators. “St. Monica was all about the family.” It can be quite painful for the mothers to talk about why they take part in this ministry, but several opened up to the Catholic News Herald during comments

after the Dec. 11 prayer meeting. Mary Wells has been attending since the ministry started and is praying for her youngest daughter, who has struggled a long time with Catholic faith. She noted that she also prays for her other two children who still practice. “In our struggling world today, they need all the help they can get,” she said. “When I come here and I’m with other moms who are praying, there’s something special about it. It makes me feel uplifted.” Another mom, Beth, added that she had been praying for a ministry like this to start. For many years, she has been concerned for her three daughters who were born cradle Catholics and brought up in the Church and Catholic schools. “They are all not practicing now. The same is true of so many of my friends’ children. All of us moms who were friends thought we were doing our best,” she said. “We raised them up with the best foundation, so this has been just heartbreaking to see so many of our young generation not practicing the Catholic faith.” The Millions of Monicas group has proven to be a bright spot in the darkness. Beth has noticed that her middle daughter is showing signs of returning because she wants to get her baby baptized. “With this ministry there’s a little something extra that we can do now to fight Satan and what he’s sadly doing to our young generation,” she added with conviction. “We need to pray and pray and then pray some more.” St. Monica couldn’t have said it better herself.

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

PHOTOS BY TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Visitors from around the Diocese of Charlotte were greeted by St. Joseph College Seminary’s two beloved dogs, Bocca and Lupo, as they turned out in Mount Holly Dec. 16 for an Advent open house welcoming the public.

College seminary welcomes hundreds to holiday open house CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

OUNT HOLLY — Hundreds of people from across the Diocese of Charlotte got a look into the daily life of a seminarian at a holiday-themed open house Saturday at St. Joseph College Seminary. The façade of the seminary was decked with garland and wreaths made by the seminarians from holly, pine, fir, magnolia, and other plants they had gathered in the nearby woods. Father Matthew Kauth, rector, stood in front of the main entrance with the seminary’s two beloved Great Danes, Bocca and Lupo, to greet visitors. “This seminary belongs to all the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, so this is a great chance to welcome the faithful and share with them what we have here,” Father Kauth said. “It impresses me how visitors from all parts of the diocese have turned out for this.” Visitors traveled in for the open house from the Charlotte and Greensboro areas, as well as Boone, Blowing Rock, Tryon, Franklin, and other places. The celebration drew people of all ages, including many families with small children. Fredrik Akerblom, the seminary’s advancement director, estimated turnout at between 350 and 400 people. Visitors toured the seminary, from the library and study rooms to the seminarians’ living quarters. People prayed in the beautiful chapel where relics of a saint were

on display, and visited the chapel sacristy to learn about priestly vestments and other items stored there. In the large kitchen and dining area, visitors enjoyed hot chocolate, coffee and homemade cookies and got to see where the seminarians have their daily communal meals. Hot dogs and other refreshments were available at the seminary’s barn, which serves as a recreation and fellowship site for the seminarians. St. Joseph College Seminary currently houses 20

seminarians who are discerning a vocation as a priest for the diocese while studying for an undergraduate degree at nearby Belmont Abbey College. They live in community and follow a daily schedule of prayer, work, study, meals, and recreation inspired by the Benedictine monks who founded Belmont Abbey. “It’s beautiful and breathtaking to see what is going on here,” said Kathleen Wellman, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte. “I wish everybody had a chance to see this beautiful place.” Andrea Mantilla, a member of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, visited with her husband and two daughters. She especially enjoyed visiting the chapel and said it reminded her of churches in her native country of Colombia, where she used to attend Mass with her grandmother. “Everything is beautiful and holy here, and so organized,” she said. “I’m also glad my children are here. One of my daughters has said she would like to be a religious sister someday, so showing her a place like this is a way to encourage her and show her what that life could be like.” Charles and Theresa Fraune, who attend St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, visited with their four children. Charles Fraune said the visit was especially moving for him because five students he previously taught OPEN HOUSE, SEE PAGE 11

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Guests had the chance to glimpse the daily life of a seminarian during the open house. They visited the chapel, kitchens, residence halls and other parts of the seminary, as well as enjoyed refreshments and viewed the seminary’s holiday decorations.

OPEN HOUSE FROM PAGE 10

at the diocese’s Christ the King High School have since gone on to study at the seminary. Added Theresa Fraune, “Visiting here gives us so much hope for the future of the Church.” Bishop Peter Jugis founded the college seminary program in 2016, and in 2017 the diocese purchased 90 acres in Mount Holly for a permanent site for the seminary.

Construction was completed in 2020. St. Joseph College Seminary recently reached an important goal for its future: meeting an initial $22 million fund-raising goal to build a major chapel, offices, piazza, and welcoming hall that will host talks, visits, and retreats for parishes. Groundbreaking is expected in June 2024.

More online At www.stjcs.org: Learn more about St. Joseph College Seminary

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY SPENCER K.M. BROWN AND ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Pictured from left) The Western Region Office in Asheville recently added a gift table filled with children’s books to their monthly Woodfin Community Market. Catholic Charities volunteers and staff load clients’ cars with holiday donations from St. Matthew Parish Dec. 18 at the Catholic Charities office in Charlotte. Volunteer Norm O’Shea was all smiles while filling trunks with Christmas food and gifts at the Catholic Charities office in Winston-Salem.

Catholic Charities holds annual holiday distributions Hundreds of families receive food, gifts thanks to parishes’ donations Staff and volunteers at Catholic Charities offices throughout the Diocese of Charlotte enjoyed sharing the true spirit of Christmas by distributing mountains of food and gifts to deserving families in recent weeks. Donations poured in from parishes throughout the diocese, helping to make Christmas easier on those in need. Charlotte’s St. Matthew Parish dropped off 125 baskets of food Dec. 18 at Catholic Charities’ Charlotte office, which distributed the items the same day. Boy Scouts from St. Luke Parish in Mint Hill also

arrived at the downtown Charlotte office that morning bearing 75 boxes of food. These were distributed Dec. 19 during the Charlotte office’s regular weekly food pantry. Catholic Charities’ Western Region Office in Asheville also stayed busy with its weekly food pantry and regular markets with its partner, MANNA FoodBank. On Dec. 12, as part of their monthly market at Woodfin Community Center, children were invited to choose books they’d like to keep. The Western Region Office also held its annual angel tree project. Piles of gifts filled the office at 50 Orange St. in Asheville over the past month, thanks to the generosity of donors throughout western North Carolina. Longtime angel tree volunteer and Western Region Office advisory board member Susan Loveland

coordinated gifts for more than 55 families. It was “organized chaos” as Loveland led the efforts to ensure that all 279 program participants received gifts. Volunteer and advisory board member Donna Bange helped track more than 600 angel tree requests. At the Catholic Charities office in Winston-Salem, staff and volunteers organized and distributed holiday meals and gifts from Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem. Together, the parishes donated enough food, toys and gift cards to help 108 families. Joy filled the hearts of everyone concerned as they loaded trunks with all the goods needed for a Merry Christmas. — Annie Ferguson

Christmas Mass Schedule

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Our Lady of

Guadalupe

Celebraciones por Nuestra

Señora de Guadalupe se extendieron por tres días

celebrations span three days

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On Dec. 11-12, St. Mary’s Parish in Greensboro held a two-day Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration filled with prayer and festivities, including traditional folk dancing.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La parroquia Santa María en Greensboro homenajeó por dos días seguidos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe con una celebración llena de oraciones y festividades, incluyendo danzas folclóricas tradicionales.

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

HARLOTTE — Parishioners across the Diocese of Charlotte demonstrated their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe at celebrations held at dozens of churches last week. Some festivities even began on Sunday, Dec. 10, continuing for three days into the feast day on Dec. 12. In keeping with one of the most revered and widely celebrated holy feast days in Mexico, many people stayed up into the early hours of the morning on Dec. 11 to sing “Las Mañanitas” to Our Blessed Mother. Some parishes honored Our Lady of Guadalupe early the next morning with novenas and singing, while others celebrated Masses and held traditional music and dancing in the evening.

GREENSBORO

St. Mary’s Parish in Greensboro began

its celebrations on Dec. 11 with special novenas and devotions and continued on into the next day with Mass. The day concluded with singing, traditional folk dances and a reenactment of Our Lady’s apparition to St. Juan Diego, along with delicious food including tamales and hot atole. Azucena Lara, director of the day’s performances, commented that the almost 30 members, including children and adults, worked GUADALUPE, SEE PAGE 14

HARLOTTE — Los feligreses de toda la Diócesis de Charlotte demostraron su fe y devoción a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en múltiples celebraciones llevadas a cabo en docenas de iglesias durante una semana. Algunas festividades incluso comenzaron el domingo 10 de diciembre, continuando durante tres días consecutivos hasta el día central de la fiesta, 12 de diciembre. De acuerdo con una tradición en México, muchas personas permanecieron despiertas hasta altas horas de la madrugada del lunes para cantar “Las Mañanitas” a Nuestra Santísima Madre. Algunas parroquias honraron a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el martes por la mañana temprano con novenas y cantos, mientras que otras celebraron Misas y

realizaron presentaciones de música y bailes tradicionales por la noche.

GREENSBORO

La parroquia Santa María en Greensboro comenzó sus celebraciones el 11 de diciembre con novenas y devociones especiales, Mañanitas, y continuó hasta el día siguiente con la celebración de la Santa Misa. El día concluyó con cantos, bailes folclóricos tradicionales y una recreación de las apariciones de Nuestra Señora a GUADALUPE, PASA A LA PÁGINA 15

FROM TH

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GUADALUPE FROM PAGE 13

intensely in a short time to be able to offer two dances in honor of Our Blessed Mother. “For us it is a way of thanking Our Lady and God for everything they do for us, for everything she gives us. This is a simple thing, this is offering a small sacrifice,” Lara said. “We are proud, and happy to see that when we bring our traditions here (to the United States), they are not lost, and we pass them down to our children.” The reenactment of Our Lady’s apparitions to St. Juan Diego was also very moving, including handmade costumes and a set that alternated with each scene. During the Mass, Father Eric Sanchez, parochial vicar, drew a parallel between St. Juan Diego and the Gospel, which narrated Mary’s encounter with her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. Our Lady, he said, came to help Elizabeth just as she later came to help Juan Diego and all the people of God. “I am struck by Our Lady’s words when she says that she is here, that she is our mother,” Father Sanchez said. “Let us place ourselves in the hands of the Virgin Mary.”

HIGH POINT

At Christ the King Parish in High Point, parishioners gathered in the parish hall Dec. 12 to pray the rosary in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and attend a special Mass celebrated by their pastor, Father Joseph Dinh. They held a large celebration afterward with Mexican food, mariachi music, singing, dancing, and religious items for sale. Children and adults alike dressed in traditional attire, such as replicas of St. Juan Diego’s tilma imprinted with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Hispanic community held a raffle where participants won prizes, and Father Dinh gave a special blessing for the children. “The congregation appreciated the children who dressed as St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe,” said Sisters Vinaya and Josna of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who serve at the parish. “In preparation for the feast, many members of the Hispanic community and sisters gathered at the parish center to decorate the image of the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

REIDSVILLE

At Holy Infant Parish in Reidsville, more than 300 parishioners filed into the church for a standing room-only Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. After the entrance hymn, a joyful devotion to Our Lady, Father Frank Seabo, pastor, paused and smiled as he looked out at the congregation. “You can feel the Holy Spirit among us tonight,” Father Seabo said. “What a beautiful evening to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, with all of these flowers and music and our whole parish family here together.” In his homily, Father Seabo preached on Our Lady’s words, saying, “Our Mother told Juan Diego, ‘Listen, let nothing frighten and afflict you or trouble your heart. Am I not here, I, who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow?’ Our Blessed Mother is here with us, she is here to intercede and care for us. Do we listen?” After Mass, parishioners clad in

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY CÉSAR HURTADO AND TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Children at St. Mary’s in Greensboro (top left and center) and St. Aloysius in Hickory (above left) wore traditional dress, danced and prayed with their families on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Parishioners at Christ the King in High Point (top right), Holy Redeemer in Andrews (middle right) and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Charlotte (bottom right) decorated the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

‘Our Blessed Mother is here with us, she is here to intercede and care for us.’ — Father Frank Seabo, Holy Infant Church colorful costumes gave a performance of folk dances and songs, and they shared a grand meal of traditional foods.

ALBEMARLE

Festivities began at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle on Dec. 10, following Mass. Parishioners gathered for dances and songs, and they shared traditional foods, including homemade tamales.

ASHEVILLE

In Asheville, the Hispanic community of Immaculate Conception Parish and the entire vicariate of Asheville celebrated

with great joy and faith on Dec. 10 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Nearly 1,200 people participated in the procession, Mass, and cultural celebration that is convened annually in a joint effort of Immaculate Conception Parish and the Hispanic Ministry office of the Asheville Vicariate. One of the biggest and most beloved feast days dedicated to Mary, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, recalls her appearance on Dec. 12, 1531, to St. Juan Diego on Mt. Tepayac in Mexico. Over the centuries, the feast has become one of the largest annual celebrations in Mexico, and Mexican

Americans have brought the tradition here. The feast is observed with special Masses, songs, dancing, music, processions, and live representations of Mary’s appearance. The story of her appearance nearly 500 years ago to St. Juan Diego is a testament to faith and devotion, according to Pope Francis. In a speech about evangelization on Aug. 23, the pope called Our Lady of Guadalupe a shining example of motherhood and a model of faith for all people. “Our Lady always chooses those who are simple, on the hill of Tepayac in Mexico as at Lourdes and Fatima,” he said. “Speaking to them, she speaks to everyone, in a language suitable for all, comprehensible like that of Jesus.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos of celebrations across the diocese.

HE COVER

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

impresa con una imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. La comunidad hispana realizó una rifa donde los participantes ganaron premios y el Padre Dinh dio una bendición especial para los niños.

REIDSVILLE

En la parroquia Santo Niño en Reidsville, más de 300 feligreses atendieron una Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Después del himno de entrada, una alegre devoción a Nuestra Señora, el Padre Frank Seabo, párroco, hizo una pausa y sonrió mientras miraba a la congregación. “Pueden sentir al Espíritu Santo entre nosotros esta noche”, dijo el padre Seabo. “Qué hermosa noche para honrar a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, con todas estas flores y música y toda nuestra familia parroquial aquí junta”. En su homilía, el Padre Seabo resaltó las palabras de Nuestra Señora, diciendo: “Nuestra Madre le dijo a Juan Diego: ‘Escucha, que nada te asuste y te aflija ni turbe tu corazón. ¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre? ¿No estás bajo mi sombra? Nuestra Santísima Madre está aquí con nosotros, está aquí para interceder y cuidar por nosotros. ¿Escuchamos?” Después de la Misa, los feligreses vestidos con coloridos trajes ofrecieron una actuación de danzas folclóricas, canciones y compartieron una gran comida de comidas tradicionales.

ASHEVILLE FOTOS PROPORCIONADAS Y POR CÉSAR HURTADO Y TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Niños en la Iglesia Santa María en Greensboro (izquierda arriba y centro) y en San Luis Gonzaga en Hickory (abajo izquierda) vistiendo trajes tradicionales, danzaron y oraron acompañados de sus familiares. Parroquianos de la Iglesia Cristo Rey King en High Point (arriba derecha), Santo Redentor en Andrews (a la mitad derecha) y Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte (abajo derecha) agasajaron a la milagrosa imagen de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

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San Juan Diego, junto con deliciosa comida que incluyó tamales y atole caliente. En la celebración debutó el grupo ‘Danza Santa María’, una agrupación de bailarines de la propia parroquia, que tras cinco años de paralización reinició sus actividades con el paso de la reciente Antorcha 2023. Azucena Lara, su directora, comentó que los casi 30 integrantes, entre niños y adultos, trabajaron intensamente en poco tiempo para poder ofrecer dos danzas en honor a Nuestra Santísima Madre. “Para nosotros es una forma de agradecer a la Virgen y a Dios por todo lo que nos dan”, dijo Lara. “Estamos orgullosos y felices de ver que cuando traemos nuestras tradiciones aquí (a los Estados Unidos), no se pierden y se las transmitimos a nuestros hijos”, agregó. La recreación de las apariciones de

‘Nuestra Santísima Madre está aquí con nosotros, está aquí para interceder y cuidar por nosotros.’ — Padre Frank Seabo, parroquia Santo Niño Nuestra Señora a San Juan Diego también fue muy emotiva. El vestuario, hecho a mano, estuvo a la par con un decorado realista que se alternaba con cada escena. La Misa fue celebrada por el Padre Eric Sánchez, vicario, con el Diácono Enedino Aquino sirviendo en el altar. Concelebró el padre John Timlin, párroco. Durante la Misa, el Padre Sánchez, vicario parroquial, trazó un paralelo entre la aparición de la Virgen a San Juan Diego y el Evangelio, que narraba el encuentro de María con su prima embarazada, Isabel. Nuestra Señora, dijo, fue a ayudar a Isabel, así como más tarde llegó a ayudar a Juan Diego y a todo el pueblo de Dios. “Me impresionan las palabras de la

Virgen cuando dice que está aquí, que es nuestra Madre”, dijo el Padre Sánchez. “Pongámonos en las manos de la Virgen María”.

HIGH POINT

En la parroquia Cristo Rey en High Point, los feligreses se reunieron para rezar el rosario en honor a Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe y asistir a una Misa celebrada por su párroco, el Padre Joseph Dinh. Luego realizaron una gran celebración con comida mexicana, música de mariachi, cantos, bailes y venta de artículos religiosos. Tanto niños como adultos vestidos con atuendos tradicionales, como réplicas de la tilma de San Juan Diego

En Asheville, la comunidad hispana de la Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción y todo el vicariato de Asheville, celebraron con gran alegría y fe el 10 de diciembre en el Centro Agrícola de WNC en Fletcher. Cerca de 1,200 personas participaron en la procesión, Misa y celebración cultural que se convoca anualmente en un esfuerzo conjunto de la Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción y la oficina del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Asheville. En Thomasville, la parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Caminos celebró la fiesta durante tres días con procesiones, misas, bailes folclóricos, mañanitas y mucha comida y compañerismo. Una de las fiestas más grandes y queridas dedicadas a María, la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe recuerda su aparición el 12 de diciembre de 1531 a San Juan Diego en el cerro Tepayac en México. A lo largo de los siglos, la fiesta se ha convertido en una de las celebraciones anuales más grandes de México, y la tradición se ha anclado aquí. La fiesta se celebra con Misas, cantos, bailes, música, procesiones y representaciones en vivo de las apariciones Marianas.

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Vea más fotos de celebraciones en toda la diócesis.

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Children at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Charlotte (above) performed traditional folk dances. Our Lady of the Angels in Marion (right) held a large outdoor procession honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. Children at Our Lady of the Annunciation in Albemarle (center) and Christ the King in High Point (far right) dressed as St. Juan Diego and Our Lady as well as in traditional Mexican clothing to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. Parishioners celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe (below left). Father Philip Kollithanath (below right) celebrated the feast day with his parishioners at St. Joseph Church in Asheboro. PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY CÉSAR HURTADO AND TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Niños de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte (arriba) realizaron danzas folclóricas tradicionales. En la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles en Marion (medio izquierda) realizaron una gran procesión en exteriores en honor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Niños en Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación (medio centro) y Cristo Rey en High Point (medio derecha) vestidos como San Juan Diego y Nuestra Señora, así como también con trajes mexicanos tradicionales, dieron honra a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Parroquianos oran y celebran en la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Lourdes en Monroe (abajo izquierda). El Padre Philip Kollithanath (abajo derecha) celebra el día de fiesta con sus parroquianos en la Iglesia San José en Asheboro. FOTOS PROPORCIONADAS Y POR CÉSAR HURTADO Y TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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Feligreses de la parroquia Santo Niño en Reidsville participan de la primera posada navideña realizada el sábado 16 de diciembre. A la luz de las velas cantan ‘Los Santos Peregrinos’, mientras piden posada para José y María que esperan la pronta llegada del Niño Dios. La posada concluyó con la representación de la natividad y entretenidas piñatas para los niños.

Diácono Scott Gilfillan

FOTO CORTESÍA PARROQUIA SANTO NIÑO

Novenas y Posadas nos prepararon para recibir al Niño Dios CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Llegó la Navidad, y con ella la reunión en el calor del hogar entonando villancicos, arreglando el nacimiento y adornando la casa, alistándola para recibir a amigos y familiares que celebrarán con nosotros el nacimiento de nuestro redentor. Durante la temporada de Adviento hemos preparado nuestros corazones cada domingo escuchando las lecturas en Misa y practicando las tradiciones de nuestros países de origen. Las más populares, novenas y posadas, nos han guiado por varios días y recordado los pasajes más importantes para la llegada de Jesús en un pesebre.

LAS POSADAS

Es una tradición mexicana que se mantiene muy viva. Se inicia nueve días antes de la Nochebuena, que es la víspera de la Natividad de Nuestro Señor. Amigos y familiares se reúnen en una casa para rezar, y después recorren las calles del vecindario buscando albergue para María y José que pronto verán el nacimiento de su hijo Jesús. Después de cantar villancicos, en especial ‘Entren santos peregrinos’ que recrea la conversación entre José y los posaderos, se ingresa a una casa donde ya se han preparado platos y bebidas calientes tradicionales. Los niños suelen romper piñatas de siete puntas donde se encuentran golosinas. En muchas ocasiones, las posadas hoy se realizan en las iglesias que generosamente abren sus puertas para acoger esta tradición. Si no llegan a concretarse todas las noches, en al menos una se representa una obra conocida como Pastorela, en la que se recrea el camino a Belén, el nacimiento del Señor y la Adoración de los Reyes Magos. El Padre Juan Miguel Sánchez, vicario de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Merced en Winston-Salem, dijo que las posadas son una forma de evangelización iniciada por los evangelizadores que llegaron a México para reemplazar festividades a los dioses aztecas. “Desde que tengo uso de razón me acuerdo de las posadas. Era un evento en el que me divertía mucho. Vivía en una población donde no había tanto alumbrado público, donde se hacía la peregrinación desde las distintas casas que auspiciaban la posada. Nos alumbrábamos con velas y siempre era la búsqueda de quiénes iban a ser los pastores, José y María. Todos los niños nos juntábamos para rezar, cantar y pasarla bien en ese caminar al templo”. El Padre Sánchez añadió que mostrar a los niños que ya

nacieron en Estados Unidos lo que “nosotros vivimos en México”, les ayuda a entender el significado de la Navidad, “compartiendo la tradición, familiar, del país y de la fe. Reconocer quiénes somos, de dónde venimos, enriquece nuestra fe y muestra que se puede alabar a Dios de muchas maneras”.

LAS NOVENAS

Una costumbre muy arraigada en Colombia, Venezuela y Ecuador es la celebración de la Novena de Aguinaldos. Aunque se realiza en las mismas fechas que Las Posadas, su concepto y forma es muy diferente. Fue creada por Fray Fernando de Jesús Larrea. Después, la Madre María Ignacia la modificó y agregó los gozos. La novena de aguinaldos es hoy un evento social en el que las familias, amigos, trabajadores y otras comunidades, se reúnen en torno a la oración, canto de villancicos y el compartir de viandas tradicionales navideñas, a la espera de la llegada el Niño Jesús. El Padre José Cárdenas-Bonilla, párroco de la Misión Holy Trinity en Taylorsville, dijo que recuerda y extraña la tradición de su natal Colombia, pero que hoy que reside en una comunidad de mayoría mexicana se ha adaptado y disfruta de participar con la feligresía en Las Posadas. Relató que de niño participaba en La Novena de Aguinaldos que, “se realizaba entre vecinos, cada día en una casa diferente, desde donde luego salíamos a caminar rezando y cantando hasta la iglesia”. Hoy, explicó, las cosas en Colombia han cambiado y en las zonas mayoritariamente urbanas es más una reunión social donde se congregan compañeros de trabajo, amigos y familiares para pasar un momento entretenido sobre la base de las novenas y disfrutar de los clásicos buñuelos que se sirven tradicionalmente en la época.

OTRAS TRADICIONES

Los puertorriqueños tienen los “asaltos navideños”, donde los boricuas se reúnen para llegar de sorpresa a la casa de sus familiares y amigos para celebrar con canciones y villancicos navideños. Para los cubanos, la celebración es una oportunidad de reunirse con la familia y amigos para compartir sus costumbres tradicionales, y realizando un banquete con puerco asado, frijoles negros, yuca con ajo, flan y turrones. Para los hispanos, además del nacimiento del Redentor, la Navidad significa también familia y fiesta. Y aunque existen otras tradiciones para celebrarla, a todos nos une la fe y la ferviente esperanza de poder recibir al Niño Dios en nuestras vidas.

La más grande virtud de Adviento

Cuándo fue la última vez que realmente te sentiste “maravillado”? Por definición, el estar maravillado es un hábito de asombro, de reverencia y curiosidad. A veces el asombro surge de forma natural, como cuando ves un glorioso amanecer o una estrella fugaz. No es tan fácil experimentar asombro ante las cosas simples y ordinarias como doblar la ropa, rastrillar las hojas, etc. A diferencia de las virtudes en las que gradualmente “crecemos”, es decir, humildad, prudencia, templanza, el asombro parece ser la virtud que tristemente “dejamos atrás”. El Adviento es una gran temporada para reavivar la olvidada virtud del asombro. Una fotografía, que es una de las favoritas de mi familia y que está llena de asombro, acompaña esta reflexión. Fue tomada poco después del nacimiento de mi hija. Fue prematura y pasó semanas en el hospital. Después de varios días de confusión y alteración en sus vidas, los hermanos mayores finalmente pudieron ver a su hermana pequeña. La foto captura su primer encuentro. Si has olvidado cómo es maravillarse, vuelve a mirar la imagen. Hasta ese mismo día, los niños vieron a sus padres yendo y viniendo del hospital. No lo entendían del todo. No fue hasta que llegaron al hospital que experimentaron de primera mano la gravedad de la situación, pero al mismo tiempo se llenaron de alegría al presenciar este pequeño milagro de la vida. En su mirada, incluso podría haber un atisbo de asombro y reverencia, ya que su ADN despertó en sus corazones las mayores responsabilidades que pueden surgir al llevar ahora el título de “hermano mayor”. Esta podría ser la misma sensación de asombro que sintieron los pastorcillos al llegar al pesebre. Al contemplar al bebé, sus corazones se llenaron de asombro y deleite al darse cuenta de inmediato de que su estatus en la vida cambiaría para siempre. Esto también podría reflejar el mismo asombro que sintieron los Reyes Magos al llegar a su destino y ofrecer regalos al bebé recién nacido: un rey que cambiaría los valores del mundo. Jesús vino como un niño para confundir las sensibilidades de los eruditos y los conocedores, es decir, tú y yo, y revelarlas a los niños. La puerta de entrada para adentrarse en estos misterios es el asombro. En realidad, el estar asombrado no está reservado sólo para ocasiones trascendentales, sino que es una virtud cristiana que debe ser alimentada y practicada en todas las situaciones de la vida. Dedica un poco de tiempo cada día durante el Adviento a practicar la virtud de estar asombrado en momentos ordinarios y maravillosos. Recuerda que Emmanuel significa que ‘Dios está con nosotros’. ¡Qué hay más maravilloso que eso! ¡Bendiciones en tu Adviento! EL DIÁCONO SCOTT GILFILLAN es director del Centro de Conferencias Católico en Hickory.

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

San Esteban, primer mártir cristiano

Ibis Centeno

Una invitación a celebrar y contemplar

uando llegan estos tiempos, no podemos evitar sentir algo especial que nos da alegría y deseos de celebrar con todos los seres queridos y nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo. Las calles comienzan a iluminarse con las decoraciones en las casas, se hacen ceremonias para encender las luces de los arbolitos de Navidad en las ciudades y pueblos, todo se viste de colores y el ambiente invernal se llena de música y la aroma de cidra de manzana y canela. Y es por la alegría de recibir al “Niño Jesús”, quien nos honra viniendo como un pequeñito pobre, hijo de Santa María y San José, quienes lo amaron y protegieron, enseñándole las Sagradas Escrituras para que todo se cumpla y luego entregar Su vida por nosotros. Este tiempo de Adviento nos invita a celebrar y contemplar el nacimiento de Jesús en Belén. Este niño nos representa a cada uno de nosotros, Él tiene rasgos de todas las personas en el mundo: Pobre, inmigrante, perseguido, encarcelado, amolado, humillado, sacrificado; también bondadoso, trabajador, humilde, misericordioso y tantas otras cualidades como es estar lleno de Amor, pues es ahí donde incluye todo lo demás. Vino como uno de nosotros, hombre entre los hombres. Esta fue su primera venida. El mes de diciembre está lleno de fiestas que nos recuerdan la esperanza de llegar a la Santidad y estar en el Reino en la tierra. Comenzando con fiestas de Santos como Francisco Javier, Santa Barbara, San Nicolás; la celebración de la Inmaculada Concepción de María y luego la fiesta de San Juan Diego y Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, que se celebra desde más temprano con sus Novenas y preparaciones para la gran fiesta de nuestra Madre. Durante el Adviento se trata de vivir en el presente de nuestra vida diaria la “presencia de Jesucristo” en nosotros en el mundo. En la oración, siendo “Contemplativos en la Acción”: Al silencio, a la meditación de la Escritura, al coloquio íntimo con Dios, escuchar, ser compasivos, tomar aliento… pero a la vez actuar, acompañar, luchar por la justicia, comprometerse con la realidad en que vivimos, con la gente, con la vida. Encontrando a Jesús en lo cotidiano, en la vida y en la muerte, en nuestro sufrimiento y en el ajeno, en nuestras escuelas, los centros de trabajo y en nuestra iglesia, en los momentos estresantes y en las horas de ocio. Acercándonos cada vez más a Dios. Este tiempo Navideño se trata de estar atentos, ser pacientes y prepararnos para la segunda venida de Jesucristo. Entonces vendrá como Señor de todas las naciones, y premiará con el Cielo y la vida eterna sin sufrimientos a los que han creído en Él; los que hemos vivido como hijos fieles del Padre y buenos hermanos y hermanas. La Navidad, que es la Natividad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo; quien, como el Padre y mediante el Espíritu Santo nos trae la esperanza de volver a ver a nuestros seres queridos, a convivir en Su Reino por los siglos de los siglos y en Toda Su Gran Gloria. IBIS CENTENO es coordinadora del ministerio hispano del Vicariato de Salisbury.

an Esteban fue uno de los primeros diáconos y el primer mártir cristiano. Su fiesta es el 26 de diciembre. Era uno de los hombres de confianza de los apóstoles. En el libro Hechos de los Apóstoles, el nombre de Esteban se encuentra por primera vez con ocasión del nombramiento de los primeros diáconos (Hechos, 6, 5). Habiéndose suscitado insatisfacción en lo relativo a la distribución de las limosnas del fondo de la comunidad, los apóstoles eligieron y ordenaron especialmente a siete hombres para que se ocuparan del socorro de los miembros más pobres. De estos siete, Esteban es el primer mencionado y el mejor conocido. La vida de Esteban anterior a este nombramiento permanece casi enteramente en la oscuridad. Su nombre es griego y sugiere que fuera un judío nacido en alguna tierra extranjera y cuya lengua nativa era el griego. No se sabe tampoco cuando y en qué circunstancias se hizo cristiano. La Iglesia, al escogerlo para diácono, le había reconocido públicamente como un hombre “de buena fama, lleno de Espíritu y sabiduría”(Hechos 6:3). Era “un hombre lleno de fe y de Espíritu Santo”(6:5) “lleno de gracia y de poder” (6:8); nadie era capaz de resistir sus poco comunes facultades oratorias y su lógica impecable, tanto más cuanto que a sus argumentos llenos de la energía divina y la autoridad de la escritura Dios añadía el peso de “grandes prodigios y señales” (6:8). Grande como era la FOTO CORTESÍA MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID eficacia de “la sabiduría y el Espíritu ‘San Esteban en la Sinagoga’, óleo en tabla de Juan de Juanes (1503-1579, Valencia, España). con que hablaba” (6:10), aun así no Este cuadro formó parte del Retablo de San Esteban, Valencia, la obra más famosa del pudo someter los espíritus de los valenciano Juanes, que recoge las escenas más importantes de la vida del santo, primer refractarios; para estos el enérgico mártir del cristianismo. predicador se iba a convertir pronto fatalmente en un enemigo. por las oraciones de este mártir, y que aprobaba aquel Habló y defendió muy bien a Jesús, que entre los delito. Mientras lo apedreaban, Esteban decía: “Señor judíos generó cierto desconcierto. Por tal razón, la Jesús, recibe mi espíritu”. Y de rodillas dijo con fuerte tradición señala que fue llevado violentamente ante el voz: “Señor, no les tengas en cuenta este pecado”. Y Tribunal Supremo de la Nación, el Sanedrín, para ser diciendo esto, murió. acusado con falsos testigos, los cuales argumentaron Los cristianos lo rescataron y dieron a su cuerpo que Esteban afirmaba que Jesús iba a destruir el digna sepultura. templo y a acabar con las leyes de Moisés. Durante siglos la tumba de Esteban estuvo perdida, Sin embargo, el santo no se atemorizó, y por el hasta que en el año 415 un sacerdote llamado Luciano contrario, pronunció un impresionante discurso en supo por revelación que el sagrado cuerpo estaba el cual fue recordando toda la historia del pueblo en Caphar Gamala, a alguna distancia al norte de de Israel (Hechos 7) y a través del cual exhortó a los Jerusalén. Las reliquias fueron exhumadas y llevadas judíos a rectificar, reprendiéndolos por haber llegado primero a la iglesia de Monte Sión, luego, en 460, a al extremo de no sólo no reconocer al Salvador, sino de la basílica erigida por Eudoxia junto a la Puerta de haberlo además crucificado. La respuesta de Esteban Damasco, en el lugar donde, según la tradición, tuvo fue una larga relación de las misericordias de Dios lugar la lapidación. El sitio de la basílica de Eudoxia hacia Israel durante su larga historia y de la ingratitud se identificó hace unos veinte años, y se ha erigido un con que, durante todo el tiempo, Israel correspondió a nuevo edificio sobre los viejos cimientos por los Padres esas misericordias. Dominicos. La turba, llena de ira, conforme a la ley hebráica, lo arrastró fuera de la ciudad y lo apedreó. Los que — Condensado de ACI Prensa y la Enciclopedia Católica Online lo apedreaban dejaron sus vestidos junto a un joven llamado Saulo, el futuro San Pablo que se convertirá

Lecturas Diarias DICIEMBRE 24-30 Domingo (Cuarto domingo de Adviento): 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, Romanos 16:2527, Marcos 13:33-37; Lunes (La Natividad del Señor): Isaías 52:7-10, Hebreos 1:1-6, Juan 1:1-18; Martes (San Esteban): Hechos 6:8-10, 7:54-60, Mateo 10:17-22; Miércoles (San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista): 1 Juan 1:1-4, Juan 20:2-9; Jueves (Santos Inocentes): 1 Juan 1:5–2:2, Mateo 2:13-18; Viernes (Santo

Tomás Becket): 1 Juan 2:3-11, Lucas 2:22-35; Sábado: 1 Juan 2:12-17, Lucas 2:36-40 DICIEMBRE 31-ENERO 6 Domingo (Fiesta de la Sagrada Familia): Sirácides 3:3-7, 14-17a, Colosenses 3:12-21, Lucas 2:22-40; Lunes (Solemnidad de María Santísima, Madre de Dios): Números 6:22-27, Gálatas 4:4-7, Lucas 2:16-21; Martes (Memoria de San Basilio Magno y San Gregorio

Nacianzeno, Obispos y doctores de la Iglesia): 1 Juan 2:22-28, Juan 1:19-28; Miércoles (Memoria del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús): 1 Juan 2:29–3:6, Juan 1:29-34; Jueves (Memoria de Santa Isabella Ana Seton, religiosa): 1 Juan 3:7-10, Juan 1:35-42; Viernes (Memoria de San Juan Nepomuceno Neumann, obispo): 1 Juan 3:11-21, Juan 1:43-51; Sábado: 1 Juan 5:5-13, Marcos 1:7-11

ENERO 7-13 Domingo (Solemnidad de la Epifanía del Señor): Isaías 60:1-6, Efesios 3:2-3a, 5-6, Mateo 2:1-12; Lunes (Fiesta del Bautismo del Señor): Isaías 42:1-4, 6-7, Marcos 1:7-11; Martes: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Marcos 1:21-28; Miércoles: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20, Marcos 1:29-39; Jueves: 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Marcos 1:40-45; Viernes: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22, Marcos 2:1-12; Sábado: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 10, 17-19, 10:1; Marcos 2:13-17

Arts & entertainment

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

With ‘The Messiah,’ Handel created a beloved tradition CHRISTINA REITZ Correspondent

ach Advent, many churches and community choirs host the beloved tradition of a “Messiah” sing-a-long. The libretto – or text – is full of paraphrased Old Testament references to the birth of Christ and prepares listeners for a Christmas mindset. Although G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” is undoubtedly the most well-known oratorio in history and hugely popular in England and Germany, the genre actually originated in Italy. During the Counter Reformation, St. Philip Neri (1515-95), who wrote the rule for the Congregation of the Oratory, believed the faithful could benefit from prayers, songs, and even concerts of sacred music in the vernacular. An oratory is where such practices were held and where the word “oratorio” originates. Initially, the genre of oratorio was small and, at times, used as a substitute for bombastic opera during the penitential season of Lent. To reflect the spirit of the season, the texts retold stories of sacrifice from the Old Testament. In the oratorio’s origins, the texts were either in Latin or the vernacular (and thus classified as oratorio latino or volgare, respectively). By the time of Handel’s “Messiah,” the length, instrumental and vocal resources had expanded monumentally, and the texts were in the language of the people. The work was composed extraordinarily quickly: begun Aug. 22, 1741, and completed less than a month later on Sept. 14. To conserve space at the premiere, women were advised not to wear hoops in their gowns and men were asked to leave their swords at home. “The Messiah” is in three parts, with the first part being the Christmas section. Unusual for the genre, no specific named

WIKICOMMONS

Portrait of George Frideric Handel by Thomas Hudson, circa 1748 characters appear in this part. For instance, there is no role for the Blessed Mother or St. Joseph. Instead, Charles Jennens, who also provided Handel with the text for several other oratorios, paraphrased parts of the Bible to narrate the story. “Rejoice Greatly,” a soprano solo, is a Da Capo Aria, a threepart form with texts truncated from the Book of Zechariah (Zech 9:9-10): “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O

daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Savior, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.” The first section begins in B-flat major, a tonality associated with hope, clearly appropriate here. An instrumental theme opens the work and introduces the melody that will be repeated upon the soprano’s entrance. The singer repeats the word “rejoice” numerous times in the first section, with Handel enhancing the mood by adding many, many notes on reiterations of the word. The second part of the aria provides musical contrast and begins on the text, “He is the Righteous Savior.” The joyful major key is replaced by minor with the volume lessened considerably. The final part returns to the opening in the original key and, although unnotated, the singer is expected to embellish or add extra notes, making the music simultaneously familiar and new. Handel’s devotion to his craft was legendary. He once threatened to hold a soprano out the window until she agreed to perform the music the way he intended (she wisely acquiesced). His high standards and unwillingness to compromise contributed substantially to the history of music. His works in the sacred genre, particularly his beloved “Messiah,” are a wonderful soundtrack to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity and prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Our Savior. CHRISTINA L. REITZ, Ph.D., is a professor of music at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Watch it online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Watch a rendition of Handel’s “Messiah” by the Staatskapelle Dresden, conducted by Alondra de la Parra in 2019.

Your Life’s Journey… how will you be remembered? Establish a legacy that responds to the many gifts God has given you. Come to this fun, inspiring and joy-filled night with internationally acclaimed Catholic speaker, author and TV host Chris Stefanick.

For more information on how to leave a legacy gift to your parish, Catholic school, Catholic agency, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocese foundation, please contact Gina Rhodes, Director Foundation of the of Planned Giving at 704-370-3364 / Diocese of Charlotte gmrhodes@rcdoc.org .

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Our schools 20

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Celebrating 70 years of excellence OLG School holds events honoring milestone anniversary ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Parents, students, faculty, staff and alumni of Our Lady of Grace School gathered at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro to celebrate the school’s 70th anniversary. Meagan Kopp (left) is OLG’s director of advancement and the mother of an eighth-grader. Principal Catherine Rusch (right) is the mother of two current students and two OLG graduates. Rusch encourages all alumni to return for upcoming anniversary events.

GREENSBORO — The Our Lady of Grace School community enjoyed a festive night at Greensboro’s Carolina Theatre Dec. 13 as they celebrated the school’s 70th anniversary. First, the school family gathered for a reception with food and drinks and live piano music, followed by a showing of “Home Alone” in the historic theater. Meagan Kopp, the school’s director of advancement, said the PTO worked hard to organize the event. She also reflected on what Our Lady of Grace means to her both as a former student and a current parent. “Our Lady of Grace’s academics prepared me to tackle any challenge I encountered later in school and even in my daily work life, and the Catholic values and faith instilled in me have helped guide me through the years,” she said. When Kopp and her husband were first considering where to send their daughter – now in eighth grade – for kindergarten, they toured Our Lady of Grace. “I was so deeply impressed with the school. From the teachers and staff to the students themselves, I could feel the love and support as I walked around,” Kopp recalled. “I knew that OLG was going to challenge my daughter academically in the best ways, while also offering enrichment through the special classes that were offered, along with plenty of extracurricular activities like athletics and camps, all balanced with Catholic faith.” Alumna Jessica Cupito Carney currently has two children at the school and a recent graduate. When she was halfway through first grade, her family

moved to Greensboro from Ohio, where it seemed like everyone was Catholic. “When we arrived in North Carolina, it was a bit of a culture shock that not everyone shared our faith. OLG quickly began to feel like our home away from home as we were immediately welcomed into the community,” Carney said in a recent interview, noting how the teachers nurtured her academic and spiritual development. “My first-grade teacher, Elaine Hoover, helped me learn that life would be OK in a new place with new people. My secondgrade teacher, Molly Farrington, helped me nurture excitement for the Eucharist,” she said. “Margene Wilkins, my eighth-grade teacher, taught us how to diagram sentences and what it means to fully participate in Mass.” Our Lady of Grace Catholic School was dedicated by Bishop Vincent Waters on Nov. 15, 1953, just one year after the church’s dedication. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters from Scranton, Pa., also arrived that year to staff the school. In 1976, Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen celebrated Mass at the church and blessed the school’s activity center, which added a gym and classrooms, and a new school building opened in 2014. In honor of the milestone anniversary, Principal Catherine Rusch invites former students to join Our Lady of Grace’s alumni network by scanning the QR code below. Alumni are also invited for homecoming basketball games Jan. 6, 2024, starting at 9:30 a.m. in the OLG gym, where there will be halftime fun and swag. Former students are also invited to attend the school’s annual auction April 20, 2024. Look for details in the coming months on the school’s Facebook page.

Scan this QR code to join Our Lady of Grace School’s alumni network.

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAY SILTZER

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARIA HUNGERFORD

Immaculata students process, sing in honor of Our Lady

Canongate High School hosts O Antiphons concert

HENDERSONVILLE — Students at Immaculata School participated in a procession in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, carrying a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a prayerful route around the block and back to the school. Younger students held a banner they made together, while middle school students carried the statue of Mary. All the while, participants sang “Immaculate Mary” as they processed in the beautiful morning air.

ARDEN — On Dec. 10, Canongate students presented “O Antiphons: Lessons and Carols,” an original creation of director Jennifer Murrey, at St. Barnabas Church in Arden. Based on the O Antiphons (also known as the Great Advent Antiphons or Great Os), that are taken from vespers the week leading up to Christmas. The students presented an interactive program of music, scripture and poetry, bringing the school community together for a special time to pause, reflect and enter more fully into the Advent season in anticipation of Our Savior’s birth.

St. Matthew students host Christmas Cantata CHARLOTTE — Parents, faculty and students of St. Matthew School enjoyed a Christmas Cantata performance by third-graders on Dec. 11. All four third-grade classes participated in the musical production about the birth of Jesus Christ. Excited parents smiled and snapped pictures of participants during the presentation, as students performed dressed as shepherds, angels, Magi and animals. PHOTOS BY TROY HULL

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Supreme Court agrees to review legal challenge to abortion pill KATE SCANLON OSV News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court said Dec. 13 it would take up a case concerning the abortion pill, the first major case involving abortion on its docket since the high court overturned its previous abortion precedent last year. Back in June 2022, the Supreme Court issued its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and its related precedents that made abortion access a constitutional right. The Dobbs decision returned the matter of regulating or restricting abortion back to the legislature. The timing of the abortion pill case could result in the court issuing its decision next summer amid the 2024 presidential campaign. A coalition of pro-life opponents of mifepristone, which is the first of two drugs used in a medication or chemical abortion, previously filed suit in an effort to revoke the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug, arguing the government violated its own safety standards when it first approved the drug in 2000. The FDA has argued the drug poses little risk to the mother in the early weeks of pregnancy. A federal judge in Texas ruled April 7 to suspend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone,

but that ruling was later blocked by the Supreme Court, which left the abortion pill on the market while litigation proceeds. That decision froze the lower court’s ruling to stay the FDA’s approval of the drug. Following the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling limiting access to mifepristone – rolling back the FDA’s regulations expanding access to the drug while not voiding its initial approval from 2000 – the Justice Department and the abortion pill manufacturer Danco asked the high court in September to overturn the decision. Proponents of the drug have argued mifepristone poses statistically little risk to women using it for abortion in the early weeks of pregnancy and claim the drug is being singled out for political reasons. However, the justices indicated their review would be of the lower court’s ruling, not the FDA’s initial approval of the drug in 2000, as they did not take up the challengers’ petition for review on that decision. Erin Hawley, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom and vice president of its Center for Life and Regulatory Practice, said in a statement, “Every court so far has agreed that the FDA acted unlawfully in removing common-sense safeguards for women and authorizing dangerous mail-order abortions. We urge the Supreme Court to do the same.”

“The FDA has harmed the health of women and undermined the rule of law by illegally removing every meaningful safeguard from the chemical abortion drug regimen,” added Hawley, who also is the wife of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “Like any federal agency, the FDA must rationally explain its decisions. Yet its removal of common-sense safeguards – like a doctor’s visit before women are prescribed chemical abortion drugs – does not reflect scientific judgment but rather a politically driven decision to push a dangerous drug regimen.” Some reports describe the drug as “commonly used” because most abortions in the U.S. are carried out with the drug. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s abortion data from 2021, the last such report from a time with Roe still in place, showed 53% of abortions were carried out via medication. That report only surveyed legal abortions. White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said in a Dec. 13 statement the ruling on mifepristone under judicial review “threatens to undermine the FDA’s scientific, independent judgment and would reimpose outdated restrictions on access to safe and effective medication abortion.” “This Administration will continue to stand by FDA’s independent approval and regulation of mifepristone as safe and effective,” she said. “As the Department

of Justice continues defending the FDA’s actions before the Supreme Court, President Biden and Vice President Harris remain firmly committed to defending women’s ability to access reproductive care. We continue to urge Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade – the only way to ensure the right to choose for women in every state.” The Catholic Church opposes abortion, teaching that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death and that society must extend support to mothers and children. Earlier this year, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, denounced the Biden administration’s attempts to loosen regulations around the abortion pill, saying the U.S. bishops “decry the continuing push for the destruction of innocent human lives and the loosening of vital safety standards for vulnerable women.” “The Catholic Church has been and remains consistent in its teaching on upholding the dignity of all life,” said Chieko Noguchi, USCCB spokeswoman, Dec. 13 in a statement to OSV News. “We need to put women and families first, serve women in need, and pray for the day when ending the lives of preborn children will become unthinkable.”

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December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Possible Ohio diocesan merger aims to ‘advance the Gospel’ COLUMBUS — Two Ohio bishops told OSV News that a potential merger between their dioceses is part of their shared mission “to advance the Gospel (and) to make disciples of all nations.” In a joint letter issued Dec. 11, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, and Bishop Paul J. Bradley, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, said they “have begun very preliminary discussions regarding the potential merger of the dioceses.” The initiative, undertaken at the request of the Apostolic Nunciature, is still in its early stages, with the final decision to be made by Pope Francis after thorough consideration by the U.S. bishops and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops. A possible reshaping of the diocesan territories requires both temporal efforts and spiritual discernment, Bishop Bradley and

Bishop Fernandes told OSV News. Population and priestly vocational decline have prompted the inquiry, with a goal of meeting the current and future pastoral needs of the faithful in both diocesan territories. “Change is difficult for everyone,” admitted Bishop Fernandes, but “the pope calls us to move from maintenance to mission,” he said. In the meantime, “we continue to preach the Gospel and continue to provide pastoral care for our people,” said Bishop Bradley.

Bishop hopes to see ‘hearts set on fire’ with Eucharistic love at 2024 congress INDIANAPOLIS — As the point person for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ threeyear National Eucharistic Revival and the National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, urged the faithful to come to Indianapolis for the 2024 congress and open their hearts to encounter Jesus “but also to pray that God would send the Holy Spirit upon our country in a new way, and especially on the Church in the United States so that we might be strengthened in our hearts to be who God wants us to be.” The bishop is chairman of the National Eucharistic

Congress Inc. The congress is the culmination of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, launched in 2022 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to renew and strengthen Catholics’ understanding of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. The revival focused on diocesan leadership in its first year and parish life in its second year, with missionary discipleship as the focus in its final year. In an interview with The Criterion, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the bishop said the planning of the revival and the congress has been “a Holy Spirit-led experience.” Ultimately, he added, the goal of the revival and the congress is about hearts “set on fire with love for Jesus in the Eucharist.”

New Texas law criminalizing unauthorized migrants’ entry into state called inhumane AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed an immigration bill Dec. 18 that makes it a state crime for unauthorized migrants to cross into Texas from Mexico. Catholic organizations including the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops have opposed the

legislation. The bill, Senate Bill 4, was passed by Republican majorities in both the state House and Senate in November, making unlawfully crossing Texas’ international border a state crime separate from a federal one, granting local law enforcement officials power to arrest migrants suspected of lacking legal authorization. Supporters of the legislation argue that it would combat unauthorized entry into the state by empowering law enforcement. Opponents argue it is unconstitutional and inhumane. In a statement, Abbott argued Democratic President Joe Biden has neglected the border and left Texas to “fend for itself,” claiming the legislation “will help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas, add additional funding to build more border wall, and crack down on human smuggling.” The legislation is likely to face legal challenges; federal law already makes it illegal to enter the U.S. without authorization. Most portions of a similar 2010 Arizona law were later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Jennifer Allmon, executive director of the Texas bishops’ conference, called the legislation “grossly imprudent” and said it “could have deadly consequences for innocent migrants.” — OSV News

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catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Fiducia Supplicans’: What is all the chatter about? Editor’s note: On Dec. 18, Pope Francis approved a document from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith regarding the nature and types of blessings. That document, “Fiducia Supplicans – On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings,” has prompted much media attention, discussion and confusion about the implications of blessings by ordained ministers and who may receive them. Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, explains what the document means and how Catholics should regard pastoral blessings: MONSIGNOR PATRICK WINSLOW Special to the Catholic News Herald

Simply speaking, “Fiducia Supplicans” addresses the two types of blessings that an ordained minister can give: pastoral blessings and sacramental blessings. It distinguishes between spontaneous pastoral blessings for people who seek grace and assistance from God and those that bless relationships that correspond to God’s design.

Regarding the latter type of blessing, the document states: “…when a blessing is invoked on certain human relationships by a special liturgical rite, it is necessary that what is blessed corresponds with God’s designs written in creation and fully revealed by Christ the Lord. For this reason, since the Church has always considered only those sexual relations that are lived out within marriage to be morally licit, the Church does not Winslow have the power to confer its liturgical blessing when that would somehow offer a form of moral legitimacy to a union that presumes to be a marriage or to an extra-marital sexual practice” (11). Because the pastoral work of the Church involves clergy encountering people of all backgrounds, circumstances and situations – often in strange and beautifully providential ways – it might be appropriate

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to offer a blessing that is more akin to a prayer that petitions God for grace on behalf of those seeking it in their lives. As a matter of pastoral practice, the document recognizes that people often begin and pursue their Christian journeys in imperfect and complex situations. This would include people who are in irregular marriages (marriages not regarded as valid by Christian doctrine) and couples of the same sex. In this context, the document describes pastoral blessings in a significantly different way: “This is a blessing that, although not included in any liturgical rite, unites intercessory prayer with the invocation of God’s help by those who humbly turn to Him. God never turns away anyone who approaches Him! Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God. The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live. It is a seed of the Holy Spirit that must be nurtured, not hindered” (33). “Fiducia Supplicans” describes the importance of making clear and necessary practical distinctions between how the two types of blessings may be offered. Blessings of relationships that are “morally licit” employ the sacred liturgical rites of the Church. They are often planned ceremonies. Frequently they take place in a chapel or church with the ordained minister wearing appropriate vestments. By contrast, pastoral blessings are spontaneous and private in nature. The document notes that they are to “never cease being simple gestures that provide an effective means of increasing trust in

God on the part of the people who ask for them, careful that they should not become a liturgical or semi-liturgical act” (36). Regarding the timing of pastoral blessings, the document states that they “should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding. The same applies when the blessing is requested by a same-sex couple” (39). It continues to explain, “Such a blessing may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage. Indeed, through these blessings that are given not through the ritual forms proper to the liturgy but as an expression of the Church’s maternal heart – similar to those that emanate from the core of popular piety – there is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for His help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness” (40). “What has been said in this declaration regarding the blessings of same-sex couples is sufficient to guide the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers in this regard. Thus, beyond the guidance provided above, no further responses should be expected about possible ways to regulate details or practicalities regarding blessings of this type” (41). In other words, it appears Pope Francis does not intend to say anything more about this matter. When it comes to common pastoral practice, it can be argued that this document does not mark any practical change in the United States. However, in Europe some bishops have explored – and even initiated – different pastoral practices, provoking a number of public debates within the Church. Although it is natural to read such documents in light of our own circumstances, it is important to keep in mind that Church documents are always to be read in her own context, not in light of any one culture. Dioceses and bishops’ conferences around the world will now have guidelines and important distinctions to guide their pastoral efforts as they reach out to people in complex situations. Some may realize that they have done too little, while others have done too much.

Read the full text At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the complete text of the Vatican’s “Fiducia Supplicans – On the Pastoral Meanings of Blessings”

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December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Cardinal Becciu, five others sentenced to prison following Vatican trial VATICAN CITY — The Vatican City State criminal court sentenced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to five years and six months in prison on two counts of embezzlement and one of aggravated fraud but found him not guilty of abuse of office or witness tampering. The 75-year-old cardinal’s attorney, Fabio Veglione, told reporters his client would appeal. The three-judge panel of the Vatican court handed down the verdicts late Dec. 16. In addition to Cardinal Becciu, five other people were sentenced to jail time ranging from three years to seven years and were ordered to pay the Vatican millions of dollars in damages. Pending appeal, none of the six people given jail terms were taken into custody. The trial revolved around the Vatican’s investment in a property in London’s chic Chelsea district. The cardinal and three others – Raffaele Mincione, Fabrizio Tirabassi and Enrico Crasso – were found guilty of embezzlement for taking $200.5 million from the Secretariat of State’s investment fund.

Israeli army denies targeting Gaza church where pope says civilians were ‘targets’ JERUSALEM — Following a series of attacks on Christians in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces Dec. 16, including the killing of a mother and daughter at a Catholic church, the Israeli Defense Forces said that it “takes claims regarding harm to sensitive sites with the utmost seriousness.” However,

the statement did not make any mention of the shooting deaths of the two women in the Holy Family Parish premises. In a heartfelt appeal during an Angelus prayer Dec. 17, Pope Francis called for an end to the “terrorism” of war, condemning the previous day’s attack in which an Israeli army sniper shot and killed Nahida Khalil Anton, and her daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, as they walked to a convent at the Holy Family Parish compound in Gaza. The convent of the Missionaries of Charity also was targeted. The Israeli Defense Forces said in a Dec. 17 statement, “An initial review suggests that IDF troops, who were operating against Hamas terrorists in the area, operated against a threat that they identified in the area of the church.” The Israeli military said it “is conducting a thorough review” of what it called “the incident.”

Bishop urges Mexicans to avoid indifference to violence and massacres SALVATIERRA, Mexico — A Mexican bishop has called for people not to be indifferent after the massacre of a dozen young people at a Christmas party in one of the country’s most violent states. Gunmen burst into the party Dec. 17 at a former hacienda in the central state of Guanajuato, killing 12 people and leaving 10 injured, according to local media. The state prosecutor’s office later confirmed the death toll in the municipality of Salvatierra in a short post on X, but provided no other details. The newspaper Reforma reported the victims were between the ages of 17 and 35 years old. Bishop Enrique Díaz Díaz of Irapuato urged people to avoid indifference in the face of such atrocities, which have occurred with disturbing regularity in Guanajuato – a state rife with drug cartel conflicts. He also took issue with government officials downplaying violence or claiming that violence mostly takes the lives of people involved with organized crime.

CHURCH

destroyed in a fire and rebuilt in the 1960s. In 2011, the building underwent an extensive interior makeover and now features custom woodwork, a coffered FROM PAGE 7 ceiling with dramatic arches and hues of red and blue, Italian marble altars, growing diocese of 530,000 Catholics, “so and gilded artwork of the church’s two we’re leaving that in the hands of God patrons: a fleur-de-lis representing and the bishop.” the Blessed Virgin Mary and a shell representing St. John the Baptist. LIVING OUT THEIR FAITH The high altar containing the With Bishop Jugis’ signoff, the parish tabernacle is made from red and white hopes to have their plan for a new church Carrera marble and depicts the scene well under way by the next time the of St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus at the river Jordan. Above it, the crucifix is framed by the shape of a cross. The church’s Neo-Gothic design is meant to emphasize its motto: “That in all things God may be glorified.” That motto, Father Christian says, is evident every day as the people of St. John live out their faith. On the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, the earliest arrivals gathered in the dimly lit church The capacity challenge isn’t new at St. John the Baptist before dawn to pray the rosary Parish, which has nearly 500 registered families. Former and prepare for the 8:30 Mass. pastors also struggled trying to serve a congregation more The crowd swelled to 250 people, than three times the church’s capacity. Seen above, the then, flanked by poinsettias and overflow room helps ease the space issue and allows for Christmas trees, the children more parishioners to attend weekend Masses. gathered in front of the altar to cheerily sing in anticipation of Christmas pastoral planning process rolls around in – engaging parishioners to accompany 2030. them. In the long term, unless they need With Christmas just a week away, the the funds from a sale, parishioners also spirit of the music and the hope for the hope to retain their little church for the future reflected the theme of waiting possible use as an oratory or a chapel for that Father Christian focused on in his religious communities. homily: “The Bridegroom is near. In a Founded in 1911, the original church short while He will be coming.” on the same site just east of Tryon was

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Please pray for the following deacons who died during the month of December: Leonard Pliska Joseph Weckbach Richard Kauth Gerard Schumacher Gerald LaPointe Thomas Rasmussen Patrick Devine III

12/4/1990 12/4/1995 12/15/2005 12/1/2010 12/18/2016 12/22/2016 12/10/2020

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catholicnewsherald.com | December 22, 2023 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Sister Nancy Usselmann

Father Patrick Briscoe

‘Christ before me’: Bring the wisdom of St. Patrick to the manger

Pray the news, pray the media, and imbue the culture with Christ

hough our media screens are gifts from God, living and working behind them can sap our energy and leave us feeling listless and spiritually dry. Growing our spiritual lives while immersed in a digital world requires a media spirituality that centers us in Christ, the perfect communicator. Blessed James Alberione developed Pauline Spirituality to root modern-day communicators and media users in the Word and the Eucharist. Alberione’s spirituality of communications follows the example of the greatest evangelizer and lover of Christ, the apostle St. Paul. In Alberione’s thinking, St. Paul did not wait for people to approach him, but instead he went forth to proclaim Jesus to

but with action – the apostolate performed with fervor and love.” The darkness of ignorance proliferates in our media feeds. We can prayerfully consider how to address the intellectual confusion of our day through our media interaction. St. Paul guides our approach in communicating the truth of the human person and humanity’s ultimate search for God, through a passion for the Gospel and love for each human being we encounter, in-person and online. To be authentic communicators of truth, we need to be imbued with Christ, the goal toward which we tend as missionary disciples. The Pauline media Spirituality of Alberione roots us in Jesus Master as Way, Truth, and Life for humanity, present tangibly in the Word of God and the Blessed Sacrament. These are the pillars of a media spirituality. As communicators, we listen attentively to the Word in the Scriptures, meditate on it, and sit at the feet of the Master present in the Eucharist. There, like Mary, we experience “the better part” (Lk 10:42) and become imbued with Christ so to go forth and communicate Christ in the digital spaces and with our neighbors face-to-face. As disciples of Jesus, like Paul, we enter the public square with the Gospel of Christ, seeking to change hearts by pointing out the beauty, truth and goodness of God present in the world and in the cultural stories of our day. Each one of us can do our part.

‘To be authentic communicators of truth, we need to be imbued with Christ, the goal toward which we tend as missionary disciples.’ every person he encountered in the ancient world – Jew, Greek, Roman, or Arab. His message always drew on the culture around him, making connections for people with the stories, poets, and orators of the times. Paul realized that cultural stories often touch upon humanity’s deepest yearnings. When in Athens, he went to the Areopagus, the public square of learning and philosophizing, and discovered altars raised to various gods. When he saw the altar to an “unknown god,” Paul found the hook to attract his audience. Human beings long for a connection with our creator, in whose image and likeness we are made. So he quotes from their poets and writers to speak to them of the One God, creator of all, and of Jesus Christ, Redeemer of humanity. He started with the people’s culture to address their deepest desires and lead them to Christ.

THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE

In 1958 Blessed Alberione wrote about how media apostles must imitate the example of Paul: “St. Paul held all peoples in his heart. He affirmed that his heart had opened wide to embrace all nations. In his intentions, his prayers and his desires all were present. We are to have love for people, therefore, and show it especially towards those who live in the darkness of ignorance. We are also to nourish zeal for the salvation of all people not with words,

FROM ANXIETY TO INTERCESSION

Though we are surrounded by media and sometimes feel the need to break away to pray in silence, we can also pray the media we use each day. We can pray the news. As we scroll through our social media feeds or watch a news broadcast or listen to a podcast, we consider the situation in our world. We offer intercessory prayers for all that we heard or read. Instead of feeling anxious and disturbed by the news, we make this a regular practice to grow in media mindfulness and discernment regarding media messages and to raise up the needs of the world to God. St. John Paul II called Blessed Alberione “the Apostle of the New Evangelization,” who gave the Church a spirituality for everyone who engages with media. To be Christ’s missionary disciples, we can pray the media we use each day and communicate Christ in the Areopagus of the digital culture. SISTER NANCY USSELMANN, a Daughter of St. Paul, is director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles and a media literacy education specialist.

f all the things and people to be present at the birth of Jesus Christ, there were shepherds! I would probably have been more surprised if there were not shepherds. After all, David was a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. David taught us to pray, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). And Christ fulfills David. Imagine the life of a shepherd, his days spent under the vast expanse of open sky, hills, and valleys stretching out before him. St. Patrick, a shepherd himself, was no stranger to this way of life. On that glorious night of Christ’s birth, the angel of the Lord announced the good news to shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem. Patrick, too, found God while pasturing sheep.

SHEPHERDS WERE LED TO A SAVIOR

The shepherd of shepherds will lead the way through unknown paths of life. He sent his angel to lead shepherds to him, and find him they did. But regardless of what comes, each step can be taken with the assurance that the Incarnate Lord walks alongside them. In solitary pastures and on stormy nights, the shepherd will pray, “Christ with me.” The shepherds of Bethlehem, who lived as one with their flock, discovered on Christmas night a shepherd who lives as one with them. Their lives entwined with their sheep, they find a savior whose life will be inseparable from theirs. “Christ before me,” the shepherd humbly prays, kneeling before the infant king’s crib. Christ is there when the shepherd rises in the crisp morning air, when he sleeps beneath the starry canopy, when he breaks bread at the end of a weary day’s toil. In all these moments, “Christ behind me, Christ within me” becomes a whispered assurance that the incarnate God is there – in waking and sleeping, in moments of rest and labor. “Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” The shepherd’s life mirrors the encompassing nature of the Incarnation. Christ isn’t a distant figure but an everpresent companion, woven into every aspect of the shepherd’s life. “Christ on my right, Christ on my left.”

LIKE A SHEPHERD, CHRIST CALLS US

This discovery of the presence of Christ is not hypothetical. Luke’s Gospel tells us: “They made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds” (Lk 2:17-18). And just as God called the shepherds, He calls us.

The Breastplate of St. Patrick A breastplate is a piece of protective armor worn over the chest. Tradition holds that St. Patrick wrote this prayer in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. A longer version can be found at www. ourcatholicprayers.com/st-patricksbreastplate.html.

“Exactly the same sign has been given to us,” said Pope Benedict XVI. “We too are invited by the angel of God, through the message of the Gospel, to set out in our hearts to see the child lying in the manger.” Weakness and sin and all, He calls us. Like a shepherd, He calls us. He calls us to come to Him, to see the babe among the animals and know that He is near. “Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down.” The mystery of Christmas is the mystery of discovering Christ among us and carrying Him with us from this day on. Never do we have to be alone. Never do we have to fear. Never do we have to agonize about the way we should go. Love has come and love will lead us. “Christ when I arise.” And, please God, may others see His love in me. “Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me.” This Christmas, I’m praying the Breastplate of St. Patrick at the manger. And I hope you will, too. Together we can think of the shepherds, and in so doing, may we find again the Good Shepherd, who first revealed His love in the manger. FATHER PATRICK BRISCOE is a Dominican friar and the editor of Our Sunday Visitor.

December 22, 2023 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Deacon Matthew Newsome

The creche and the cross Jesus was born to die, because we are born to live

once came across a beautiful image online of a medieval depiction of Christ’s Nativity. In the background of that image, hanging discreetly over the heads of Mary and Joseph and above the infant lying in the manger, was a crucifix. In the comments of the post where the image was shared, in a typical display of 21st-century sarcastic cynicism, someone wrote, “Spoiler alert!” Modern man pokes fun at the anachronism, but the medieval artist wasn’t concerned with historical accuracy as much as conveying a deeper truth. There is a profound connection between the creche and the cross. I cannot find the source of the quote – I may have read it in Peter Kreeft, Archbishop Sheen, or St. Athanasius – but someone wise observed that while everyone else is born to live, Jesus was the only man born to die. That may

becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8). If there is one thing we can say that the eternal Son of God gained when He took on human nature, it is this: He gained the ability to die. What is the significance of that? To make atonement for our sins? Certainly. To pay the price of our salvation? Yes. But even more fundamentally, Christ died to show His love for us. John 3:16 tells us that the Son of God came into the world because God loves the world. Jesus says, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (Jn 18:37). And what is that truth? That there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (Jn 15:13). And this is how we are loved by the Father – so much that He who could not die became something that could die so that He could give up His life out of love for us. Jesus was born to die, because we are born to live. The chapel in our campus ministry center is named for Our Lady of the Annunciation. In the sanctuary, on either side of the tabernacle, there is an icon of St. Gabriel and the Blessed Virgin. Above them hangs a crucifix and the words, “Be it done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). It is a silent juxtaposition of life and death, love and sacrifice. It reminds us that Mary’s “yes” includes the cross. The child she carried in her womb, she would also carry to His tomb. Calvary and the crib are part of one divine act of love for mankind. And this divine love is present in the small brass box tucked between Mary and Gabriel and beneath the cross, with the flickering flame of a single candle to keep vigil. “This is my body,” God says to Mary as He takes on flesh in her womb. “This is my body,” Jesus says to His friends at the Last Supper. “This is my body,” He says to us from the cross. “This is my body,” we hear Him say from the altar at each Mass, “which will be given up for you.” Given in the creche. Given on the cross. Given in the Eucharist – all of Him, His Body and Blood, His birth and His death, His humanity and divinity – given to us out of love. That is the gift that lies at the heart of Christmas. Blessed be God forever.

‘And this is how we are loved by the Father – so much that He who could not die became something that could die so that He could give up His life out of love for us.’ strike us as a morbid thought for a Christmas morning, but it is true. While everyone dies at some point, that’s not the reason any of us are brought into the world. At our conception, each of us received a great gift – life! One moment we did not exist, and the next moment we did. What a miracle! It may be true, as they say, that from the moment we are born we begin to die, but that’s not why we were made. God made us for life, not death (see Wisdom 1:13-14). The fact that we die is a result of sin (Rom 6:23), and this is precisely where Christ enters into the picture. Unlike us, who gain our very existence from God at the moment of our conception, Christ gained nothing at the incarnation. He was not born to live – He already possessed life from all eternity. When the Son of God took on human flesh to dwell among us, it was a humbling descent. St. Paul articulates this well in his letter to the Philippians: “(T)hough He was in the form of God, (Christ) did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, He humbled himself,

DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME, Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate, is the author of “The Devout Life: A Modern Guide to Practical Holiness with St. Francis de Sales,” available from Sophia Institute Press.

Most-read stories on the web ‘Let us pray to the Lord for peace, do not forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel, and in other conflict zones.’ Pope Francis

From online story: “Pope condemns targeting of unarmed civilians in Gaza” The Catholic News Herald reached the Facebook and Instagram feeds of more than 110,000 people in English and Spanish last month. The most talked about post? Coverage of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebrations. Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/ CatholicNewsHerald. On YouTube in December so far, videos produced by the Catholic News Herald have been viewed more than 7,000 times. The most popular video? The building of a massive Advent wreath. So far this month, 43,000 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 63,000 pages. The top trending headlines are: n 10 facts about Advent............................................................................................................................ 11,302 n Churches to end use of digital projection screens during Mass................................................ 8,562 n Retired St. Leo pastor, Father Brian Cook, passes away................................................................. 1,811 n Former St. Mark pastor Msgr. Bellow dies aged 80........................................................................ 1,792 n Pope awards Father Arnsparger honorific title of ‘Monsignor’..................................................... 987 n Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations span three days.....................................................................954

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