Our parishes
18
catholicnewsherald.com | October 7, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Lawsuit filed challenging Women’s Right to Know Act
For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com
In Brief Kimberly Bender hired to new position on CNH staff CHARLOTTE — The Catholic News Herald has hired Kimberly Bender for the newly created position of online reporter/search engine optimization specialist. Bender, who has a degree in journalism from Kent State University in Ohio, will be writing for www.catholicnewsherald. com and helping increase the newspaper’s presence online. Bender Bender comes to the CNH from The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C. She and her husband Bill are the proud parents of a 6-month-old boy, Grant. They live in Charlotte. “We are excited to welcome Kimberly aboard in this new position, as we expand our communication and evangelization efforts beyond print to online and social media,” said Editor Patricia Guilfoyle. Bender can be reached at kdbender@ charlottediocese.org.
SueAnn Howell and David Hains Catholic News Herald
Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald
Bishop Peter Jugis and Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey concelebrated the annual “Red Mass” at St. Patrick Cathedral Sept. 29. In his homily, Bishop Jugis spoke about the Source of moral law and warned that when we are out of touch with God’s moral law, human dignity is threatened. The Red Mass was followed by a banquet in which state Rep. Ruth Samuelson was given the 2011 St. Thomas More Society of Charlotte Award.
At Red Mass, Bishop Jugis entreats all to follow God’s moral law Catholic legal society honors key supporter of pro-life law Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor
Kernersville Knights installed KERNERSVILLE — New officers of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Pope John Paul II Assembly 3017 of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville were recently installed. Pictured above are (first row, from left): Al Livelsberger, two-year trustee; Fred Schaefer, three-year trustee; Herb Pennington, faithful captain; Tom Fitzgerald, faithful purser; and Mike Karn, outer sentinel; (second row, from left): Jean Dion, one-year trustee; Mike Hamilton, faithful scribe; Chris Gonzalez, inner sentinel; Richard Phillips, faithful navigator; Steve Salvitti, faithful pilot; and Richard Meyer, faithful comptroller. The installation service was programmed and directed by Robert Grabowsky, district master, assisted by Thurman Dubose, past faithful navigator. — Fred Hogan
CHARLOTTE — State Rep. Ruth Samuelson of Mecklenburg County received the 2011 St. Thomas More Society of Charlotte Award Sept. 29 following an annual gathering of Catholic legal professionals and the celebration of what’s commonly called the “Red Mass” at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Samuelson was instrumental in the recent passage by the N.C. General Assembly of the Woman’s Right to Know Act, which provides pregnant women considering an abortion with information that could save the life of the unborn child, including requiring them to wait 24 hours and requiring abortionists to display and Samuelson describe an ultrasound image of the baby. The St. Thomas More Award, named for the patron saint of politicians and statesmen, is given annually to a person who exemplifies service to Truth in the area of law. Earlier on Sept. 29, a lawsuit that seeks to stop North Carolina from implementing
the Right to Know Act was filed in federal court in Raleigh by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation, Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, and the Center for Reproductive Rights. They contend the law is unconstitutional, alleging it violates the rights of abortion facilities and women. Gov. Beverly Perdue had vetoed the act passed by the state legislature earlier this year, but state legislators narrowly overrode her veto. Charlotte’s eighth annual Red Mass was celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis and concelebrated by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, chancellor of Belmont Abbey College. It’s called the Red Mass because the clergy wear red vestments. Since the 13th century the Red Mass has marked the opening of the term of courts. It provides the legal, political and law enforcement communities with an opportunity to ask God for wisdom as they administer the law. During his homily, Bishop Jugis referred to Pope Benedict XVI’s speech to the German parliament during his September trip to his homeland, in which the pope reflected on the source of all law. RED MASS, SEE page 36
RALEIGH — On Sept. 29, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation, Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Middle District of North Carolina challenging the new North Carolina law that requires abortion providers to show women who are seeking an abortion an ultrasound of their unborn child and provide them with information 24 hours prior to an abortion being performed. The lawsuit is being sought by the organizations on behalf of several North Carolina physicians and seeks to declare that the new law passed in July is unconstitutional and to issue an injunction that would prevent it from being enforced. The law is set to go into effect Oct. 1. Both houses of the N.C. General Assembly narrowly voted to override Gov. Beverly Perdue’s veto of the Woman’s Right to Know Act in late July. The law requires abortionists to give women information that will allow them to make informed choices about the lives of their unborn children. A woman who seeks an abortion will have to wait for 24 hours after first going to an abortion clinic. During that time, the doctor performing the abortion is required to: n Make available to the woman a realtime ultrasound with the sound of the heartbeat n Explain the medical risks of an abortion n Explain the medical risks of carrying the child to term n Reveal whether the abortionist has medical malpractice insurance n Tell the location of the nearest hospital n Inform the woman if the abortionist does not have admitting privileges to the nearest hospital The new law also requires that women considering an abortion be given information about support for them and their unborn children during the pregnancy and after birth.