Feb. 4, 2011

February 4, 2011

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

Let Your Light Shine 2011 Diocesan Support Appeal campaign begins

‘You are deacons always’ Six men ordained to diaconate for Diocese of Charlotte,

3 FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte THANK YOU!

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION INSIDE:

n Basics of the DSA campaign

n Ministries supported by the DSA

n 2011-’12 DSA budget and parish goals

ONLINE: Watch the DSA video Calendar 4 Diocese 3-7

FAITH 2

mix 15

nation & World 18-21 Schools 16-17

Viewpoints 22-24

Call us: 704-370-3333 E-mail us: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

Our faith

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Benedict XVI

Prayer is essential for grasping life’s meaning

P

eople don’t really know who they are or what their life’s purpose is unless they pray regularly, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Each day people need “to dedicate the proper amount of time to prayer, to this openness to God, to this journey to seek God in order to see Him and find friendship with Him so that we can experience true life,” the pope said Feb. 2 at his weekly general audience.

The pope’s audience talk was dedicated to the life and teaching of St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th-century mystic and doctor of the Church.

“She teaches us to truly feel the thirst for God that exists in the depths of our hearts, this desire to see God, to seek God, to speak to God, to be God’s friend,” the pope said. “All of us need this friendship, which we must renew day by day.”

“St. Teresa is a true master of Christian life for the faithful in every age,” he said. “In our society, frequently lacking spiritual values, St. Teresa teaches us to be untiring witnesses of God, of His presence and His action.”

St. Teresa’s teaching and example should encourage all Christians to be serious about prayer, an essential part of a truly human life.

“Many of us, we must admit, do not really live because we do not experience the essence of our lives.

Time for prayer is not wasted time; it’s time in which the path opens toward the fullness of life and to love of God, a burning love for Him and His Church and a concrete love for our brothers and sisters.”

“If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today.”

St. Josephine Bakhita Feast Day: Feb. 8 A saintly life

‘Time for prayer is not wasted time ...’

photo courtesy of vatican.va

St. Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947) was beatified in 1992 by soon-to-be Blessed Pope John Paul II.

On Feb. 8 the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan in the 19th century.

Josephine Bakhita was born in a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan in 1869. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery. Her captors asked for her name but she was too terrified to remember, so they named her “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate” in Arabic.

Retrospectively, Bakhita was very fortunate, but the first years of her life do not necessarily attest to it. She was tortured by her masters, who cut her 114 times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained. “I felt I was going to die any moment, especially when they rubbed me in with the salt,” she wrote.

She bore her suffering valiantly, though she did not know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. She also had a certain awe for the world and its creator. “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: ‘Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?’ And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage.”

After being sold a total of five times, Bakhita was purchased by Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Two years later, he took Bakhita to Italy to work as a nanny for his colleague, Augusto Michieli. He, in turn, sent Bakhita to accompany his daughter to a school in Venice run by the Canossian Sisters.

Bakhita felt called to learn more about the Church, and she was baptized with the name “Josephine Margaret.” In the meantime, Michieli wanted to take Josephine and his daughter back to Sudan, but Josephine refused to go back.

The disagreement escalated and was taken to the Italian courts, where it was ruled that Josephine could stay in Italy because she was a free woman.

Slavery was not recognized in Italy, and it had also been illegal in Sudan since before Josephine had been born.

Josephine remained in Italy and decided to enter the Canossian community in 1893. She made her profession in 1896 and was sent to northern Italy, where she dedicated her life to assisting her community and teaching others to love God. St. Josephine was known for her smile, gentleness and holiness. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. She is the first Sudanese to be canonized and is the patron saint of the country.

— Catholic News Agency

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 6 - FEB. 12

Sunday, Isaiah 58:7-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Matthew 5:13-16; Monday, Genesis 1:1-19, Mark 6:53-56; Tuesday (St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita), Genesis 1:20-2:4, Mark 7:1-13; Wednesday, Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17, Mark 7:14-23; Thursday (St. Scholastica), Genesis 2:18-25, Mark 7:24-30; Friday (Our Lady of Lourdes), Genesis 3:1-8, Mark 7:3137; Saturday, Genesis 3:9-24, Mark 8:1-10

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 13 - FEB. 19

Sunday, Sirach 15:15-20, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37; Monday (Sts. Cyril and Methodius), Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday, Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday, Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22, Mark 8:22-26; Thursday, Genesis 9:1-13, Mark 8:27-33; Friday, Genesis 11:1-9, Mark 8:34-9:1, Saturday, Hebrews 11:1-7, Mark 9:2-13

Our parishes

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

catholic news heraldI

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During the Litany of the Saints, the six candidates for the diaconate prostrate themselves before the altar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville Jan. 29. photos by David Hains | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter J. Jugis stands with the newly-ordained deacons of the diocese and their wives: (from left) Deacon David Reiser and his wife Maria, Deacon Martin Ricart III and his wife Mildred, Deacon Daren Bitter and his wife Michelle, Deacon William “Chip” Wilson and his wife Terri, Deacon Michael Martini and his wife Christina, and Deacon Enedino Aquino and his wife Maria Luisa.

‘You are a deacon always’ Six men ordained to diaconate Jan. 29 David Hains Director of Communication

HUNTERSVILLE — A beautiful, sunny Saturday in late January was made warm with the love of God as six men were ordained as deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The ordination of the deacons of the formation class of 2010 took place at St. Mark Church in Huntersville as the deacons’ wives, families and friends looked on.

Priests and deacons of the diocese took part in the two-hour Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis, along with Rev. Monsignor Mauricio West, chancellor and vicar general for the diocese, and Abbot Placid D. Solari of Belmont Abbey College.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis described the sacrament of holy orders that was being bestowed on the men as “the indelible spiritual character which configures them as deacons to Christ.”

The six men – Enedino Aquino, Daren Bitter, Michael Martini, David Resier, Martin Ricart and Chip Wilson – will serve in parishes and ministries in Charlotte, Greensboro and Concord.

“You are deacons always. At home, at work, in your community activity and not just when you are performing your sacred activities,” Bishop Jugis said.

Deacons serve the Church during Mass by proclaiming the Gospel and assisting the priest in the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist. Deacons

More online Check out video highlights from the diaconate ordination Mass online at catholicnewsherald.com.

also administer the sacrament of baptism, bless marriages and conduct funeral rites. They engage in acts of charity such as ministry to the sick or to the imprisoned. Some are retired, others have professional careers. All of the deacons in this class are married and have families.

In recognizing the additional workload that deacons take on, Bishop Jugis described them as doing the Church’s heavy lifting. And he reminded them, “The deacon serves Jesus, not himself ... so also the deacon imitates the love of Jesus and gives his life in service for the salvation of his brothers and sisters, with a special concern for the sick and the poor.”

Their ordinations are the culmination of four years of prayer as well as training that was funded in part by the Diocesan Support Appeal.

At the conclusion of the Mass, in a brief private meeting with the deacons and their wives, Bishop Jugis thanked the couples and distributed letters assigning the deacons to various parishes and ministries in the diocese.

The first duty of the newly-ordained deacons was to prepare the gifts for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Bishop Peter Jugis is seated as the deacons prepare the bread and wine. From left are Deacon Daren Bitter, Deacon David Reiser, Deacon Martin Ricart III and Deacon Michael Martini. Deacon Enedino Aquino pours the wine as Father Christopher Roux, the master of ceremonies, and Deacon Chip Wilson look on.

Deacons’ assignments Deacon Enedino Aquino, Hispanic Ministry in the Greensboro Vicariate

Deacon David Reiser, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte

Deacon Daren Bitter, St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

Deacon Martin Ricart III, St. James Church, Concord

Deacon Michael Martini, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro

Deacon Chip Wilson, Queen of the Apostles Church, Belmont

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar CHARLOTTE

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next week: Feb. 8-9 Colloquium for Priests Gateway Conference Center, Hickory Feb. 11 – 7 p.m.

Mass for Youth 2000 Retreat St. Mark Church, Huntersville

our lady of the assumption church, 4207 SHAMROCK DR. — Volando a La Luz Del Sol Que es Jesucristo: El Evangelio Según San Juan, 7:30 p.m. 8, 15 y 22 de febrero ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 Providence Road — “It’s All About Marketing,” presented by St. Gabriel In Transition (SGIT), for those who are, or may soon be, facing a job layoff or employment transition, Ministry Center, 7-9 p.m. Feb. 17. RSVP to Karen Ganzert at kganzert@bellsouth.net. st. luke church, 13700 lawyers road — Anointing of the Sick, sponsored by the HOPE Committee, 10 a.m. Feb. 19. Contact Mary Adams at 704-545-1224 or Virginia Horne at 704-823-0846.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — “Back to Basics Catholicism 101: The Church,” presented

by Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin, NLC Room 203, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Feb. 9 and 16, and March 2

This week’s spotlight: Natural Family Planning

st. peter church, 507 s. tryon st.

— “Raising Sudan: From Education Comes...Peace,” Biss Hall, 10:15 a.m. Feb. 6. Contact raisingsudan@gmail.com or Bob Cook at 704-616-4469.

— “Men’s Retreat: No Longer Servants, But Friends!,” Benedict Hall, 8:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12. RSVP to 704-3322901.

— “Mountaintop Removal: Cheap Energy at a High Price,” Biss Hall, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17. RSVP to mtntopcoalremoval@ gmail.com or Bob Cook at 704-616-4469. st. thomas aquinas church, 1400 suther road — Anointing of the Sick, 11 a.m. Feb. 5. Contact annettemorales@carolina.rr.com.

— Do Catholics REALLY Believe That?, presented by Ecumenical Ministry, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8

our lady of grace church, 2205 W. market St. — Film: “The Story of Blessed Chiara “Luce” Badano,” Our Lady’s Cottage, 7 p.m. Feb. 8. Contact Greg at gregrinaldi@yahoo.com or 336-665-5899.

HOLLAND FAMILY PRACTICE, 1028 Lee Ann Dr. Suite 100, Concord, Introduction, 7 p.m. Feb. 16.

— “The Battle of Prayer: How to Win It,” 6:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Childcare available. Contact David and Meg Froppe at 336-510-4218.

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CHURCH, 708 St. Michael’s Lane, Gastonia, Introduction and Full Course, 9:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Feb. 5.

— “Straight Talk ...For Men,” Our Lady’s Cottage, 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 21, March 21, April 18 and May 16. Contact John Endredy at jendredy@gmail.com or 336-202-9635.

st. thomas aquinas CHURCH, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, Introduction and Full Course, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 19.

RSVP required for all courses to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@ charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

— Roman Missal Revision Workshop, 9:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12.

Contact Michael Burck at mburck@stmatthewcatholic. org or 704-541-8362, ext. 4.

— Welcome Home for Returning Catholics, welcoming Catholics who have been away from the Church, program offers a one-on-one companion to walk with the returning individual as they journey the path to full communion with the body of Christ. Contact Julie Jahn at urblessed@carolina.rr.com or 704-560-9202.

GREENSBORO

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 OLD REID ROAD — Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Reflection, with Father Christopher Roux, 9 a.m. Feb. 7. Membership is not required to attend. Contact Linda Granzow at jlgranzow@ windstream.net or 704-847-7872.

— Catholics Returning Home Program, Faith Formation Center, 7:30-9 p.m. Feb. 7, 14 and 21, and March 1 and 7.

Register at 704-554-7088.

— The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Meeting, 7 p.m. third Wednesday of each month. They welcome Irish-Catholic women who are interested in sharing their Catholic faith, Christian charity and the traditions of the Irish people. Contact Mary Herbert at mherbert@ carolina.rr.com or 704-231-9546.

HIGH POINT immaculate heart of mary CHURCH, 4145 johnson st.

— Spanish Classes for Beginners and Advanced, 7-8:30 p.m.

Feb. 17, will continue for eight weeks. Contact Dr. Kwan at hinglkwan@gmail.com or Nancy at 336-884-0522.

HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD — Class: Certain Classy Moms of Biblical Renown, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 — Active Older Adults Exercise, Parish Hall, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. This is a total body exercise class.

KERNERSVILLE HOLY CROSS CHURCH, 616 S. CHERRY ST. — Senior Coffee House, Salesian Hall, 10 a.m. the first and third Mondays of each month. Contact Martha Schaefer at 336-784-7409.

STATESVILLE ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE CHURCH, 525 CAMDEN DR. — International Dinner, sponsored by Catholic Daughters, 3 p.m. Feb. 13. Please bring an ethnic dish. Contact Audrey Bollero at 704-878-9699.

CONCORD ST. JAMES THE GREATER CHURCH, 139 MANOR AVE. s.w.

— Pink Ribbon Challenge Workshop, to promote breast health awareness, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7

DENVER

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3382.

HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, 537 N. HIGHWAY 16 — Cancer Support Group, PAC Room 8, 2-3 p.m. Feb. 8

— Taizé Prayer Service, 7 p.m. Feb. 15

February 4, 2011 Volume 20 • Number 10

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

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cindi Feerick 704-370-3332, ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 35 times a year.

NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photographs for publication in our print and online PDF editions.

Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@ charlottediocese.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: For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Cindi Feerick at 704-370-3332 or ckfeerick@

charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 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.

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

OUR PARISHESI

FAITH IN ACTION

Helping to end abortion funding, one letter at a time

Welcoming the Lunar New Year

SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — The written word, especially heartfelt appeals made to our conscience, can be powerful. We read this in the transformation of the lives of the saints throughout Church history, and we see it in our world today as more people turn from the hollow promises of the world to the truths of the Catholic faith.

Brice Griffin is a local Catholic woman who has lived through the horror of abortion and is using the power of the written word to make a difference in the lives of the unborn. She and thousands of others have joined forces to support “The Boycott List,” an ongoing letter-writing and boycott campaign to help cease funding of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S. Twelve years ago, Griffin was a young, unmarried woman when she shared the news with her boyfriend that she was pregnant. Her boyfriend had been in that situation before and told her he would help her “take care of it,” she recalls. He took her to an abortion facility and paid for it. They broke up shortly thereafter, and Griffin suffered severe depression.

Even though Griffin has come to accept forgiveness and has reconciled herself to the Church, she is haunted by the psychological side effects from the abortion.

“Each time I mail a letter (supporting the boycott), I ask myself ‘What more could I do?,’” Griffin says.

She learned of “The Boycott List” by joining Life Decisions International. Members receive a list of companies that support Planned Parenthood, then write letters to each company, targeting approximately one each week. The goal of the campaign is to bombard the companies’ CEOs with letters asking them to quit funding Planned Parenthood.

“The success has been awesome,” Griffin says.

In the last three months of 2010, through the efforts of the campaign, companies such as Mrs. Field’s Cookies, Cisco Systems, Dr. Gross Skincare, KOHLS, Rolex and Trader Joes all stopped supporting Planned Parenthood, according to Life Decisions International.

Griffin decided to bring the letter-writing and boycott campaign to the attention of her Catholic Scripture Study group at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Many of those in the group have begun participating in the campaign as well.

In her letter to companies, Griffin states, “It is my sincere wish to help other women avoid the guilt and shame that plagued me for so many years. I hope that my efforts, and the efforts of others who join Life Decisions International, will help put an end to Planned Parenthood, and ultimately an end to abortion.”

For more about Life Decisions International and how you can join the campaign, go to fightpp.org.

photos by sueann howell | catholic news herald

Members of the Vietnamese community of the Diocese of Charlotte celebrated the Lunar New Year with several special Masses across the diocese, including a Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte Jan. 30. Father Peter Pham, who is in residence at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, was the celebrant. Father Pham encouraged the community to “live the happiness of the Beatitudes” as they enter into the new year. Father Pham also wished everyone “happiness, good health and longevity of life.” Members of the choir and the band played traditional Vietnamese music and wore traditional Vietnamese clothing as part of the celebration. To see more photos, go online to catholicnewsherald.com.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 OUR PARISHES

WASHINGTON MARCH FOR LIFE

photo provided by Tracy Winsor

Educating prenatal diagnosis ministry leaders Tracy Winsor, co-founder of Be Not Afraid-Charlotte (second from right), and Maggi Nadol, Respect Life Director for the Diocese of Charlotte, attended a national meeting Jan. 23 of prenatal diagnosis ministry partners hosted by the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the annual March for Life. They participated in a discussion with others who work supporting parents experiencing poor prenatal diagnoses and/or carrying to term, including those pictured above: Nancy Mayer-Whittington and Cubby Lahood, co-founders of Isaiah’s Promise (a service supporting parents carrying to term in Montgomery County, Md.), and Monica Rafie (founder and director of Benotafraid.net).

photo provided by Christy Fitzgerald and Billy Griffith

St. Aloysius Life Teens meet congressman in D.C. Members of St. Aloysius Church’s Life Teen group from Hickory met with their Congressman, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District, during the annual March for Life in the nation’s capital Jan. 24. McHenry expressed his gratitude for their visit, and he remarked that these marches go a long way in showing the nation’s leaders in Washington where the American people stand on pro-life issues. He also informed the St. Aloysius Life Teen group of his plans to support pro-life legislation in government policy, such as the recent submission of H.R.3, which would prohibit the use of federal funding for abortions.

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief

OUR PARISHESI

Classified FOR SALE CONDO HOME: Charlotte/Cotswold. 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 baths. Approx. 1,000 square feet. Convenient to shopping, medical, hospitals, restaurants and churches. Excellent for retired/single. Beautiful Cotswold setting. $145,000. Call for appointment to see: 704/225-8188. Leave message.

Salesian Award winners recognized LEXINGTON — Each year in honor of St. Francis de Sales, Father Albert Gondek, O.S.F.S., presents the Salesian Award to a member or members of the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lexington who exemplify the virtues of St. Francis de Sales: gentleness, dedication to the Church, support of parish life, service to those in need, and outreach to the community. This year’s winners are Martha Castano, Veronica Contreras, Leonel Lopez and Gonzalo Agudelo, pictured above with Father Gondek Jan. 22.

— Linda McAdam

‘Walk to Jerusalem by Easter’ KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church in Kernersville has coordinated with other local churches for a Walk to Jerusalem by Easter program. This faith-based virtual walking program is now taking registrations. The official kickoff was Jan. 30, but walkers/parishes may join in at any time. The program literature is available in English and Spanish. For more information or to register, contact Melanie Feeney-Lewis, Holy Cross Parish Care, at 336-996-5109, ext. 12, or parishcareholycross@ triadbiz.rr.com.

— Annette Tenny

Natural law scholar to speak Feb. 18 BELMONT — Dr. Hadley Arkes, author of several books on philosophy, jurisprudence and natural law, will speak at Belmont Abbey College Feb. 18. The 8 p.m. lecture in the Haid Theatre is free and open to the public.

A convert to Catholicism who was particularly drawn to the Church’s pro-life teaching founded on natural law, Arkes is on the faculty of Amherst College.

In 2002, he wrotte “Natural Rights and the Right to Choose,” describing his experience of moving through Congress the bill that became known as the BornAlive Infants’ Protection Act. His lecture is entitled “The Catholic Church, the Natural Law, and the Law of the Land: What Path to Take?” It is the 2011 Cuthbert Allen Lecture, named for the late Benedictine Father Cuthbert Allen of Belmont Abbey.

Arkes will argue that the Church has become the main preserve of natural law reasoning and that people in our society of every religious background, especially Arkes our legislators and judges, should also engage natural law reasoning on divisive political issues.

Eagle Scout rank earned CHARLOTTE — Kevin Bahr, a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, was awarded his Eagle Scout rank Jan. 15.

We welcome your parish’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Rev. Msgr. James P. Moroney

Current Mass wording isn’t bad – new translation just reflects 40 years of experience Kevin Aldrich Special to the Catholic News Herald

Beginning this Advent, the revised English translation of the Roman Missal will be the way that most English-speaking Catholics around the world celebrate the Eucharist.

Already, though, voices of dissent have criticized the revised translation, hoping to stop it. One Web site claims more than 20,000 signatures to its petition “What If We Just Said Wait?” regarding the implementation of the revised translation.

Recently, I spoke with Rev. Monsignor James P. Moroney, one of the foremost authorities on the English translation of the revised Roman Missal. Here is the first of two interviews focusing on the need for a revised translation, how it was prepared, and who is responsible for the Missal we will soon be using: Q: Monsignor Moroney, can you tell readers a bit about your background and expertise when it comes to the Roman Missal?

A: While I am at heart a parish priest, I hold pontifical degrees in liturgy and I have spent most of my priestly life working in this field, whether as chairman of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, executive director of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, a consultant to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, or the executive secretary of the Vox Clara Committee. In each of these capacities I have been involved in one or another aspect of the Roman Missal.

Q: What is the Roman Missal?

A: The Roman Missal is that liturgical book which contains the rites, prayers and chants which we use for the celebration of the Mass.

Q: You’ve created a DVD called “A New Translation for a New Roman Missal.” Can you explain the difference between the Roman Missal and the revised English translation?

A: In 2001, the Holy See issued the third

edition of the Latin “Missale Romanum” for the whole Roman Catholic Church.

Vernacular editions, in each of the languages Catholics use throughout the world, were subsequently developed by the bishops from throughout the world, including the Misal Romano (the Spanish translation) and the Roman Missal (the English version).

Q: Some people say that English is the “new Latin,” that is, it has become the common international means of communication. Does this have any bearing on why there is just one new English translation of the Roman Missal rather than many national English versions: i.e., one for Americans, and others for the British, Australians, South Africans, Indians and Pakistanis?

A: In the age of instant communication,

A: Through “Liturgiam authenticam,” the Holy Father made clear his concern that “translations of liturgical texts in various localities stand in need of improvement through correction or through a new draft” (LA, no. 6). This was particularly true for English because of the enormous influence our language has on the world. At the same time, it should be made clear that the problems were due to an evolving realization that certain theories of translation popular 40 years ago have been improved and developed.

Q: What kind of new translations did John Paul II call for? What is wrong with the English translation we’ve been using for the past 40 years?

A: “Liturgiam authenticam” called for a translation which was more precise and thus

‘How we pray best defines what we believe. This is one of the reasons why an accurate translation of liturgical texts is so essential to the life of the Church.’

— Rev. Monsignor James P. Moroney English has certainly become more standardized because what I post, tweet or blog in Massachusetts is quickly read and responded to by folks in India, Scotland and South Africa. As a result, the differences between English spoken in various parts of the world is not so great as to require different translations of liturgical texts. This relative universality is not true for all languages, however – most notably Spanish, as there are seven different translations of the Roman Missal for the Spanish-speaking world.

Q: In his instruction “Liturgiam authenticam,” what criticism did Pope John Paul II level against some liturgical translations published after Vatican II? Was he thinking especially of the English translation?

gave the listener a more authentic sense of the original Latin text. Such a translation was to be “without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses” (LA, no. 20).

Q: How come it has taken 15 years to get this revised English translation?

A: Because the celebration of the Eucharist is the source and the summit of the entire Christian life, there are few more important tasks than the preparation of translations which are, at the same time, beautiful, precise and proclaimable. Such a task involved the work of hundreds of bishops, theologians, liturgists, Biblical scholars, pastors, poets, musicians and

Learn more This is part 5 of a year-long series featuring the revised translation of the Third Missal. Our series will be compiled online at catholicnewsherald.com.

For even more resources, check out the U.S. bishops’ extensive material online at usccb. org/romanmissal.

specialists in both liturgical Latin and English literature. The fruits of such an enormous undertaking will soon be evident to the Church in the English-speaking world.

Q: Can you provide some examples of how the Latin Missal was badly mistranslated into English?

A: It is important, I would suggest, not to see the first translation as bad and the new one as good. The revised translation is an improvement, based upon 40 years of experience by the bishops and the Holy See in effecting liturgical translations. This improvement is reflected in the introductory dialogue at the start of the Eucharistic Prayer, where “Dignum et iustum est” has been translated rather dynamically as “It is right to give him thanks and praise.” The new, more precise rendering is: “It is right and just.”

Q: One glaring change in the revised English translation is in the repeated dialogue between the priest and the people. When the priest says, “The Lord be with you,” why are we supposed to now respond with “And with your spirit”?

A: This dialogue between priest and people precedes every important liturgical prayer or blessing and is designed to prepare us to participate fully in the forthcoming rite.

In the liturgy, only a priest says, “The Lord be with you.” The priest is reminding the people of their baptismal sharing in Christ’s Priesthood and how he now acts among MORONEY, SEE page 10

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Changes coming Some changes in wording at Mass that will come with the revised Roman Missal in English at Advent 2011

Father Patrick Toole

Be awake, and prepare

“

Stay awake and be ready!” This injunction to rouse us from our spiritual slumber is usually most familiar to us as we begin our journey in the Advent season.

“Be on guard!” “Pay attention!” “Stay awake!” The sacred Scriptures and the liturgy seem to cry out to the people of God. We are called to pay attention to something that is of the utmost importance, the advent and glorious coming of the Lord.

On the first Sunday of Advent 2011, a similar announcement to “stay awake and pay attention” will be most appropriate as the revised Roman Missal for use in the Mass in the U.S. is introduced. On that first Sunday, the revised translation of the Missal will be made official and will guide the celebration and worship of the Church in America.

Last August the Atlanta Province, which consists of the dioceses of Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Savannah and Atlanta, met to discuss the upcoming renewal and implementation of the Roman Missal for use in the Mass. The discussion was fruitful and insightful as the texts were presented and discussed along with some background as to how the translations were arrived at in their final stages. The presentation went word by word and line by line through the liturgical texts. The best part of the presentation was the realization of what the revised Missal can mean for the Church in the U.S., particularly for the laity in worship.

On June 28, 1988, Pope John Paul II decreed the apostolic constitution “Pastor Bonus,” which formally outlined the structure of the Roman Curia as the official “bodies” that assist the pope in his work as head of the Church and the Vatican City State. Within the Roman Curia are certain “dicasteries” that deal with the unique makeup of persons and activities in the Church universal. “Pastor Bonus” flowed from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II’s work as bishop in the Diocese of Krakow, Poland, in recognition of the importance of the work and mission of the laity in the proclamation of the Gospel. The Constitution states that “the Pontifical Council for the Laity is competent in those matters pertaining

Workshops planned St. Matthew Catholic Church will offer a series of workshops on adult faith formation using the U.S. bishops’ materials on the revised Missal. The workshops will be held: 9:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12, and 7-9:30 p.m.

March 15. Contact Michael Burck at mburck@ stmatthewcatholic.org or 704-541-8362, ext. 4.

to the Apostolic See in promoting and coordinating the apostolate of the laity and, generally, in those matters respecting the Christian life of lay people as such (art.

131) ... to urge and support lay people to participate in the life and mission of the Church in their own way, as individuals or in associations, especially so that they may carry out their special responsibility of filling the realm of temporal things with the spirit of the Gospel (art. 133) ... it fosters joint action among lay people in catechetical instruction, in liturgical and sacramental life as well as in works of mercy, charity and social development and it attends to and organizes international conferences and other projects concerning the apostolate of the laity.”

“Pastor Bonus” effectively gave a “wakeup call” to the Church in its post-Vatican II existence and continued to give the injunction to the pastors of the Church to assist the laity in waking up and being alert to all of what it means to be the Body of Christ. On Sept. 1, 2010, the Pontifical Council for the Laity, beginning in South Korea, commenced the “Congress of Catholic Laity in Asia,” and on Aug. 16-21, Madrid will host the 26th annual meeting of the young laity in the Church for “World Youth Day.” These two events, in Europe and Asia alike, are concrete examples of the continuing understanding and exploring of what the full, conscious and active participation of the laity in the Church truly means.

TOOLE, SEE page 10

Part of Mass

Present Wording

Revised Wording

People’s response at the Greeting, Preface Dialogue, Sign of Peace and Concluding Rites

And also with you.

And with your spirit.

...I have sinned through my own fault...

...I have greatly sinned... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault...

Gloria

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory...

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. ...

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen... ...one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. ...

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. ... ...consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made. ...

Sanctus

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. ...

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. ...

Mystery of Faith (Memorial Acclamation, form A)

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

Penitential Act (form A)

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MORONEY FROM PAGE 8

those who gather in His name. On their part, the people pray that the priest might now act with that “spirit” he received in his ordination, as did the 70 elders who received a portion of the “spirit” which God had imparted to Moses in days of old.

Q: Some have complained about the rhetorical style of the revised translation. What are they objecting to?

A: In our day, “formal rhetoric,” once so common a way of speech, no longer enjoys the currency it once did. The Roman liturgical prayers, however, are written in a very formal style of high rhetoric. While we may find such a way of speaking less familiar than in previous generations, an accurate translation of the Roman liturgical texts requires that their original high rhetorical style be respected and reflected in their translation into English.

Must-watch TV EWTN will air a one-hour presentation by Monsignor James P. Moroney, “A New Translation for a New Roman Missal,” at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, and 5 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5. Monsignor Moroney is the former executive director of the U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat for the Liturgy and the executive secretary of the Vox Clara Committee, created by the Vatican in 2002 to advise the Congregation of Divine Worship on the English translation.

Rev. Monsignor James P. Moroney is one of the foremost authorities on the revised English translation of the revised Roman Missal. Monsignor Moroney was executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for the Liturgy from 1996 to 2007. Pope John Paul II appointed him as a consultor to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and Pope Benedict XVI reappointed him as a consultor to the Congregation, where he also serves as executive secretary to the Vox Clara committee which advises the Holy See about its confirmation of the texts which have been approved by the bishops. This interview was conducted with Kevin Aldrich, author and teacher.

TOOLE FROM PAGE 9

We as members of the Church in the U.S. do not have to feel distant from these events across the globe. We as members of the Church in the U.S. do not have to wait for the first Sunday of Advent 2011 to experience the richness of the revised liturgical texts of the Roman Missal. We are able to “be awake” right now in our anticipation of the implementation of the revised Missal.

Even before the revised translations come into “official use,” we can begin to practice them outside the Mass. By praying the new words of the texts, in discussing the translations, and through exploring the history and meaning that underlies the Missal, we as a Church can be fully awake and ready for the first time those words are celebrated in the Mass.

The celebration of the Eucharist is the tie that binds us together as a Church.

The Eucharist is “the source and summit of our faith,” and by learning the texts of the revised Missal translation in anticipation of the first Sunday of Advent 2011, we as the people of God can be ready to celebrate fully, consciously and actively in our worship.

As “Pastor Bonus” states, the Pontifical Council for the Laity has the charge “to urge and support lay people to participate in the life and mission of the Church in their own way.” So, what is going to be your own way of learning the new liturgical texts?

Whether it is by listening to a homily at Mass, joining a discussion group in your parish or neighborhood, sitting in church with the Blessed Sacrament – whatever is your own way of beginning this beautiful process of partaking in the continued opening of the sacred liturgy begun by the Second Vatican Council – just find a way. And begin now to “Be ready!” and “Stay awake!”

Father Patrick Toole is parochial vicar at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

FROM THE COVERI

Let Your Light Shine 2011 Diocesan Support Appeal Diocese of Charlotte

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iiiFebruary 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

FROM TH

DSA-supported ministries Catholic Social Services Ministries: Family Life, Elder Ministry, Natural Family Planning, Marriage Preparation, Respect Life, Justice and Peace, Office of Economic Opportunity, Refugee Resettlement, Adoption, Counseling, Immigration Services, Direct Assistance, Pregnancy Support Catholic Social Services Regional Offices: Western Regional Office, Charlotte Regional Office, Piedmont Triad Office Housing Ministry Multicultural Ministries: African American Affairs Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Hmong Ministry Educational Ministries: Catholic Schools Administration, Education Office, Media Resources, Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, Campus and Young Adult Ministry, Evangelization and Ministry Formation Vocations: Seminarian Education, Permanent Diaconate

2011 DSA campaign begins Feb. 5-6 SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — This week marks the kickoff of the 2011 Diocesan Support Appeal, the annual campaign that funds more than 30 ministries and agencies across the Diocese of Charlotte. The 2011 DSA campaign goal is $4,560,000, a 6 percent increase over last year’s campaign. Some of the additional money raised this year will be applied to the Catholics Come Home program, whose aim is to encourage lapsed Catholics to return to the faith.

This year’s DSA theme is based on the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5:13-16, which recalls every Christian’s duty to be a witness to the Gospel by being a beacon of God’s love in action in the world. The reading is featured on the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 6.

“We took the theme for the campaign specifically from these readings,” said Jim Kelley, director of development of the Diocese of Charlotte.

The DSA funds nearly one-third of Catholic Social Services’ overall operating budget, and even more for specific ministries such as the Hispanic Ministry and the Campus and Young Adult Ministry. The DSA is critical to these continued operations.

Parishes that exceed their DSA campaign goals will receive back the extra funds for their own ministries. For parishes that do not meet their goals, the shortfall is paid out of the parishes’ operating budgets. Last year, 77 percent of parishes met or exceeded their goals.

A video about the 2011 Diocesan Support Appeal will be shown in parishes around the diocese during the campaign. For more, go to charlottediocese.org/developmentoffice.html.

DSA success story: Immaculate Conception Church ‘Personal touch’ helps parish exceed goal SueAnn Howell Staff writer

HENDERSONVILLE — Don Nolan didn’t know what he was in for when he volunteered to coordinate the Diocesan Support Appeal at his parish of Immaculate Conception Church last year. The parish had fallen short of its goal the year before, so Nolan was looking for new ways to convey the importance of the annual campaign.

“I called a few other parishes that were of similar size and asked how they had run their campaigns,” Nolan said. “I found that many of them were using speakers who addressed the parish on specific things that were done by their ministries.

That sounded like a much better idea.”

Nolan found that many of his fellow parishioners didn’t know what the DSA was about or what the money was used for.

“I wanted to educate the parish and eliminate some of those misconceptions,” Nolan explained. “So we did that. We had the person who runs our faith formation, our youth ministry

director, and the director of the Asheville office of Catholic Social Services each speak to our parishioners at Mass.”

Nolan also used some examples from the manual that he had been given from the diocese for parish coordinators of the DSA campaign.

“There are some compelling stories in there,” Nolan said.

“We had never heard any of that before. I thought the three stories I picked showed the value of what DSA can do for others.”

With permission from their pastor, Capuchin Father Nicholas Mormando, the parish committee also showed the diocesan video explaining the DSA campaign to parishioners at Mass.

Another effective approach Nolan and the committee used, he said, was illustrating how the DSA helps their own parish, not just all the good causes across the diocese.

“I think we were in the first 25 percent of parishes to make our goal,” Nolan said.

Immaculate Conception ended up with a surplus of $13,295 from last year’s campaign. Their goal was $111,205.

Nolan will be coordinating the DSA efforts again this year for the “Let Your Light Shine” DSA campaign.

He said he and the committee hope to continue bringing a personal touch to educating their fellow parishioners about all that the diocese has to offer through the ministries funded by the DSA.

MORE ONLINE: For more information about this year’s Diocesan S

HE COVER

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How you can share your gifts

Meet the people helped by DSA David Reiser, Deacon David Reiser is a retired FBI agent whose path to Catholicism has its roots in the Jewish faith of his birth. Reiser’s training as a deacon was funded by the DSA. He was ordained Jan. 29 and plans to work in prison ministry.

Chip Wilson, Deacon When he isn’t assisting at Mass as a newlyordained deacon, William “Chip” Wilson works full-time as an editor for the Charlotte Observer. He describes the DSA funding for the diaconate as providing the opportunity to assist the priests of our diocese in their mission.

Paul Kotlowski, Youth Ministry During his many years as director of diocesan Youth Ministry, Paul Kotlowski has seen how youth ministry has acted as a springboard for youth for vocations to the priesthood, religious life and marriage. DSA funds are used to train and support parishes’ youth ministry leaders.

Allison Quinn Youth ministry at St. Eugene Parish in Asheville is a multi-cultural affair, with English and Hispanic youths often working together. Allison Quinn gets a lot out of being in the parish’s youth ministry, funded by the DSA. She especially likes the way youth ministers explain what she hears in Mass and how they make God’s plan for her life more understandable.

Charlie Hendrick / Mia Allushuski Engaged couples such as Charlie Hendrick and Mia Allushuski attend a marriage preparation class. The class teaches couples effective communication skills and the importance of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their relationships. Hendrick says that amidst all the activity in preparing for a wedding, the DSAfunded class was a valuable experience.

Megan Kubala Megan Kubala of Catholic Social Services leads a recent marriage preparation class at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. The classes are funded by the DSA. The day-long sessions, which were attended by 482 couples in 2010, are held several times each year in parishes throughout the diocese.

Support Appeal, go to charlottediocese.org/developmentoffice.html.

Pledge: Make a pledge that is payable in up to 10 equal installments. You will automatically receive monthly reminders until your gift is completed.

Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT): Have your monthly gift installment taken directly out of your checking or savings account.

Fill out the withdrawal authorization on your pledge card and be sure to include a voided check. Electronic Fund Transfers will begin on the 15th of the month once your pledge card and authorization materials are received.

Credit Card: This is possibly the easiest method and may benefit from rewards on your card such as airline miles or cash back, and you can enjoy the ease of no paperwork. Fill out the credit card authorization on your pledge card. Be sure to include the type of card (Visa or Master Card) and expiration date. Credit card charges will be made on the 15th of the month once your pledge card and authorization materials are received.

Online Giving: You can give online with any major credit card at the Diocese of Charlotte’s Web site, charlottediocese. org/giving, with no hassle, no paperwork and no mailings.

Stock Donation: Make a donation of publicly traded securities and receive the tax benefits for giving appreciated stock. A stock donation form and instructions can be downloaded from charlottediocese.org/giving.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 FROM THE COVER

2011-’12 DSA Ministries Budget

2011 DSA Parish Goals

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES MINISTRIES Family Life Office Elder Ministry, Natural Family Planning,

Marriage Preparation, Respect Life Office of Justice and Peace Office of Economic Opportunity Catholic Social Services Administration Refugee Resettlement Office Western Regional Office – Asheville Adoption, Immigration Services, Counseling,

Direct Assistance, Pregnancy Support Charlotte Regional Office Adoption, Immigration Services, Counseling,

Direct Assistance, Pregnancy Support Piedmont Triad Office – Winston-Salem Adoption, Immigration Services, Counseling,

Direct Assistance, Pregnancy Support

PARISH/MISSION CITY Basilica of St. Lawrence Asheville Christ the King Kings Mountain Christ the King High Point Divine Redeemer Boonville Good Shepherd King Holy Angels Mount Airy Holy Cross Kernersville Holy Family Clemmons Holy Infant Reidsville Holy Redeemer Andrews Holy Spirit Denver Holy Trinity Taylorsville Immaculate Conception Hendersonville Immaculate Conception Forest City Immaculate Conception Canton Immaculate Heart of Mary High Point Immaculate Heart of Mary Hayesville Our Lady of Consolation Charlotte Our Lady of Fatima Winston-Salem Our Lady of Grace Greensboro Our Lady of Guadalupe Cherokee Our Lady of Guadalupe Charlotte Our Lady of Lourdes Monroe Our Lady of Mercy Winston-Salem Our Lady of the Americas Candor Our Lady of the Angels Marion Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle Our Lady of the Assumption Charlotte Our Lady of the Highways Thomasville Our Lady of the Mountains Highlands Our Lady of the Rosary Lexington Prince of Peace Robbinsville Queen of the Apostles Belmont Sacred Heart Salisbury Sacred Heart Wadesboro Sacred Heart Brevard Sacred Heart Burnsville St. Aloysius Hickory St. Andrew the Apostle Mars Hill St. Ann Charlotte St. Barnabas Arden St. Benedict Greensboro St. Benedict the Moor Winston-Salem St. Bernadette Linville St. Charles Borromeo Morganton

$239,849

$159,949 $360,807 $76,181 $186,639

$311,814

$288,756

HOUSING MINISTRY

$157,562

MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES African American Hispanic Ministry Hmong Ministry

$38,230 $610,459 $52,295

EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES Campus and Young Adult Ministries Catholic Schools Administration Education Office Evangelization and Ministry Formation Faith Formation Media Resources Youth Ministry

$598,467 $108,481 $201,103 $202,906 $263,881 $90,454 $113,559

VOCATIONS Permanent Diaconate Seminarian Education

$109,527 $194,173

CAMPAIGN EXPENSES

$194,908

TOTAL

$4,560,000

Projected allocation of funds

GOAL 55,122 5,525 14,408 8,753 10,963 20,723 67,056 120,720 19,016 4,346 43,222 8,003 108,715 23,410 3,834 107,122 20,150 41,005 8,539 120,283 2,381 42,873 49,432 63,765 24,505 8,833 28,193 41,490 15,227 13,425 17,147 2,627 61,413 81,104 3,170 52,612 6,592 109,864 6,980 65,633 70,709 21,333 12,091 24,991 40,484

PARISH/MISSION CITY St. Dorothy Lincolnton St. Elizabeth Boone St. Eugene Asheville St. Frances of Rome Sparta St. Francis of Assisi Jefferson St. Francis of Assisi Lenoir St. Francis of Assisi Franklin St. Francis of Assisi Mocksville St. Gabriel Charlotte St. Helen Spencer Mountain St. James Concord St. James Hamlet St. Joan of Arc Asheville St. John Baptist de La Salle North Wilkesboro St. John Lee Korean Charlotte St. John Neumann Charlotte St. John the Baptist Tryon St. John the Evangelist Waynesville St. Joseph Kannapolis St. Joseph Asheboro St. Joseph Newton St. Joseph Bryson City St. Joseph of the Hills Eden St. Joseph Vietnamese Charlotte St. Jude Mission Cashiers St. Leo Winston-Salem St. Lucien Spruce Pine St. Luke Charlotte St. Margaret Maggie Valley St. Margaret Mary Swannanoa St. Mark Huntersville St. Mary Shelby St. Mary Greensboro St. Mary Sylva St. Matthew Charlotte St. Michael Gastonia St. Patrick Cathedral Charlotte St. Paul the Apostle Greensboro St. Peter Charlotte St. Philip the Apostle Statesville St. Pius X Greensboro St. Stephen Elkin St. Therese Mooresville St. Thomas Aquinas Charlotte St. Vincent de Paul Charlotte St. William Murphy

GOAL 23,428 29,373 67,134 6,612 10,550 25,732 26,377 18,799 271,900 5,852 85,773 12,107 20,479 12,328 16,153 76,788 33,960 20,658 14,757 35,435 20,293 5,621 9,755 18,946 18,284 135,654 7,761 79,377 22,750 23,042 185,543 26,391 37,376 16,601 570,213 65,112 88,525 125,772 83,111 38,359 115,972 11,446 131,296 108,586 101,274 20,956

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

On TV n Tuesday, Feb. 8, 7-9:45 a.m. (TCM) “The Shoes of the Fisherman” (1968). Uneven screen version of the Morris L. West novel about a Russian bishop (Anthony Quinn) who becomes pope and decides that the Vatican’s wealth should be given to the world’s poor.

Directed by Michael Anderson, the point of the story gets lost in a series of murky subplots involving international intrigue.

The religious pageantry is eye-catching but conveyed largely on a superficial level.

CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: Not rated n Tuesday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Vailankanni: The Lourdes of the East.” A study of the unique Marian devotion in the southeastern coastal town of Vailankanni, India, also known as the Lourdes of the East. n Wednesday, Feb. 9, 10-11 p.m. (EWTN) “Christian Witness in the Middle East.” A documentary look at the lives of Christians in Syria and Jordan. Highlights include interviews with Bishop Giuseppe Nazzaro, a Franciscan who is apostolic vicar of Alep, Syria, and Bishop Selim Sayegh, auxiliary Latin-rite bishop of Jerusalem and patriarchal vicar for Jordan. n Friday, Feb. 11, 10-11:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Healing and Miracles at Lourdes.” This documentary about miraculous cures at Lourdes, France, begins with a summary of the events leading to the establishment of the shrine and moves on to an explanation of the process by which such cures are approved. Of the 30,000 people who have considered themselves healed since 1858, the script points out, the Church has recognized only 65. The program will be rebroadcast Saturday, Feb. 12, 2-3:30 p.m.

Mix

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Exorcist praises new movie ‘The Rite’ for showing power of faith Marianne Medlin Catholic News Agency

SAN FRANCISCO — Exorcisms have always piqued Hollywood’s imagination and provided a steady source of material for filmmakers in the horror genre. And with a new movie released last week, plus a reality-TV series on exorcists coming this spring, Hollywood is once again entering the battleground of good versus evil.

Father Gary Thomas, whose real life experience as an exorcist-in-training is chronicled in the new movie “The Rite,” praises the film for its positive portrayal of the Church and for its witness to the power of faith.

The movie, starring Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and newcomer Colin O’Donoghue, is loosely based on Father Thomas’ experience traveling to Rome and studying under an Italian exorcist in 2005.

“The Rite” follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue), sent to study exorcism at the Vatican in spite of his own doubts. Anthony Hopkins plays a character named Father Lucas, an Italian priest and veteran exorcist who befriends Kovak and helps open his eyes to the reality of demon possession and the need for the exorcism rite in the modern world.

The movie is based on journalist Matt Baglio’s 2009 book, “The Rite: The making of a modern exorcist.” Baglio met Father Thomas while in Rome and chronicled ‘RITE,’ SEE page 24

CNS | Warner Bros.

Anthony Hopkins stars in a scene from the movie “The Rite.”

‘The Rite’ Religiously honorable, but aesthetically tentative drama, about a skeptical seminarian (Colin O’Donoghue) who has pursued priestly studies mainly to get a free education. To forestall his dropping out, a superior dispatches him to Rome to complete a Vatican-sponsored exorcism course. Inexplicable experiences with a veteran demon fighter (Anthony Hopkins) challenge the young cleric’s secular certainties. CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

Our schools 16

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

photo provided by Pat Burr

photo provided by Jean Navarro

SPX Geography Bee contestants St. Pius X School held its annual geography bee Jan. 24 for students in grades 4-8. Pictured above are the contestants: (front row, from left) Julia Miller, Jillian Sauve, Luke Kreber, Brianna Paul, Adam Pitman (runner-up), Bryan Bell and Evan Kordsmeier; and (back row, from left) Alex Strasser, Aidan Welsford (school-wide winner) and Jack Boydoh. Welsford will take a written test to compete for a chance to move on to the regional competition.

St. Michael Geography Bee contestants These students from St. Michael School in Gastonia participated in the National Geography Bee Jan. 19. One student from each of the fourth through eighth grades competed. Pictured from left are: Emily Collins, third-place winner, sixth grade; Clara Hahn, second-place winner, fifth grade; Kenny Osemeka, school-wide winner, seventh grade; Dean Gamble, eighth grade; and Jacob Younan, fourth grade. Osemeka will now advance to the next level of competition, a written examination.

In Brief Geography Bee winners named SALISBURY — Sacred Heart School conducted its geography bee the week of Jan. 3. Students from grade 4 to 8 participated, with each grade

choosing two finalists that competed in the final round Jan. 7.

Eighth-grader Arnold Yu will represent Sacred Heart in the regional tournament.

— Lisa Clark

photo provided by Lara Davenport

Our Lady of Mercy Geography Bee winners Our Lady of Mercy School recently held its annual school-level National Geographic Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography. Pictured from left are the winners: Phillip Johnson, third place; Erin O’Rourke, first place; and Hayden Davenport, second place.

The National Geography Bee is sponsored by National Geographic and Google. Up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will be eligible to compete in the state-level bee April 1. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the national championship rounds May 24-25, moderated by Alex Trebek. The national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief

Teacher named finalist

Megan Healy Scholarship awarded CHARLOTTE — The 15th annual Megan Healy Scholarship has been awarded to Michael Stetzler, an eighth-grader at Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte, for his commitment to faith and service. The scholarship is named in honor of Megan Healy, a graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School (1990) and St. Patrick School who died unexpectedly in 1996.

The daughter of Kathy and Jerry Healy, her short life was symbolized Stetzler by a commitment to helping people in need while always being cheerful. The scholarship is awarded each year to an eighth-grade student at Holy Trinity Middle School for the grade’s annual trip to Washington, D.C., trip. Interested students applying for the scholarship are asked to submit essays describing their commitment to the Catholic faith, service and interactions with other students.

— Kevin Parks

CHARLOTTE — Morgan May of Charlotte Catholic High School has been named a 2011 N.C. Teaching Fellows Regional Finalist. She will continue on in the Teaching Fellows Scholarship process this spring.

— Jennifer B. Johnson

Band students selected for All-District clinic CHARLOTTE — Eleven students from the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools instrumental music program were chosen to participate in the 2011 South Central District Bandmasters Association All-District Clinic held recently at Hickory High School and Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory.

Students chosen to represent Holy Trinity Middle School in the all-district middle school band were Faith Kressner, Lindsey Mahn and Hayley Russell. Sara Denlea and Nolan McDonald were designated as alternates.

Chosen to represent MACS in the high school (grades 9-10) band were Ann Harouny, Will Larsen and Lindsay Russell, all of Charlotte Catholic High School. CCHS students selected for the senior high (11-12) band were Kyle Burns, Caitlin Cristante, Stephen Fawcett, Angela Small and Katherine Williamson.

The instrumental music program is offered at

every MACS school. Depending on students’ age and experience levels, the program provides basic instruction and performance and competition experience in concert, symphonic, marching and

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jazz bands. Begun in 1992, the program now enrolls about 500 students in grades 4-12. Dr. Stanley F. Michalski is coordinator of instrumental music for MACS.

Our nation 18

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In Brief New university president says Catholic intellectual life needs renewal WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calling for a rebirth in Catholic intellectual life, a pursuit that leads to virtue, John H. Garvey was sworn in Jan. 25 as the 15th president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “As Pope Benedict said at this university in 2008, ‘this is a place to encounter the living God. ... This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and His teaching,’” Garvey, 62, said in his inaugural address.

Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, Catholic University’s chancellor, was the main celebrant and homilist for the inaugural Mass, celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He was joined

by Chicago Cardinal Francis E. George, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, as well as Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to the U.S. Garvey was dean of Boston College’s Law School when he was appointed to his new post.

“The intellectual life, like the acquisition of virtue, is a communal, not a solitary, undertaking. We learn from each other,” he said. “The intellectual culture we create is the product of our collective effort. A Catholic intellectual culture will be something both distinctive and wonderful if we bring the right people into the conversation and if we work really hard at it.”

North American prelates get extra assignments VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI named U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke and Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet to the council of cardinals and bishops advising the Vatican Secretariat of State on diplomatic matters, and he named Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City to the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers.

The appointments were announced at the Vatican Jan. 29. Cardinal Burke, who heads the Apostolic Signature, which is the Vatican’s supreme court, and Cardinal Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, were named to the advisory council along with Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, and Cardinal Fortunato Baldelli, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, another Vatican court. The council of cardinals and bishops advises the section for relations with states of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

— Catholic News Service

Bishop promotes marriage day, week observances, use of USCCB resources

In a 2010 survey commissioned by the U.S. bishops, 84 percent of the major superiors of women religious who responded reported that they had no one professing perpetual vows last year. Three percent had two or more. In the Diocese of Charlotte last year, two women made their final vows to join the contemplative Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Sister Mary Immaculata (right) smiles as she helps Mother Dolores Marie (left), abbess of the Poor Clares, clothe the newest member of their community, Sister Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician. Sister Mary Raphael took her first vows Nov. 21 at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

Catholic News Service

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Women entering religious life older, well-educated Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Women entering religious orders today are highly educated and active in parish ministries, according to a new national survey.

The results of “The Profession Class of 2010: Survey of Women Religious Professing Perpetual Vows” were released in advance of World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 2. It was conducted by the Georgetown Universitybased Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

The survey was sent to sisters represented by the two conferences of religious women in the U.S. – the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious – and to contemplative communities.

Major superiors of women religious who participated in the survey reported a total of 79 women who professed perpetual vows in 2010. Eighty-four percent of the major superiors who responded to the survey reported they had no one professing perpetual vows last year. Thirteen reported having one new profession, and 3 percent had two or more.

Among other findings: n The average age for these new women

religious is 43. Women religious making perpetual vows in 2010 ranged in age from 25 to 62. n Eighty-seven percent of the sisters were born Catholic and eight in 10 came from families where both parents are Catholic. n Although 71 percent of the new women religious were born in the U.S., the new women religious came from 10 different countries of origin. The most popular non-U.S. countries of birth were Mexico (7 percent), Philippines (4 percent) and Nigeria (3 percent). n Half of responding women religious attended Catholic elementary schools. n More than 25 percent earned graduate degrees before entering their religious institutes. Nearly six in 10 entered religious life with at least bachelor’s degrees. n Half said they were under age 18 when they first considered religious vocations; the average age when a vocation was first considered was 20. n Nine in 10 women religious said they were encouraged to consider religious life by someone in their lives. Of those who reported that they were encouraged to consider vocations, more than half said they were encouraged by religious sisters. A third of the sisters said they were introduced to their institutes by the recommendation of a priest or advisor.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two initiatives in February focus attention on the need to strengthen marriage, in line with the U.S. bishops’ priority interest in that area, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., told his fellow bishops.

Bishop Rhoades, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, expressed support for World Marriage Day Feb. 13 and National Marriage Week USA Feb. 7-14 in a Jan. 13 letter to bishops.

World Marriage Day, promoted by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, has as its theme this year, “Love One Another.”

The observance received Pope John Paul II’s apostolic blessing in 1993, and “has continued to grow and spread among many countries and faith expressions ever since,” Bishop Rhoades said.

National Marriage Week USA is sponsored by the Let’s Strengthen Marriage Campaign. First observed in the United Kingdom in 1996, it has since spread to other countries.

“This project – now in its second year (in the U.S.) – is a collaborative effort to influence the culture by faith communities, business, media, education and nonprofit groups,” Bishop Rhoades said. He said it involves “new efforts for marriage education and crisis intervention,” as well as promoting “a message about the benefits of marriage.”

He also urged use of the online resources on marriage at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web site, foryourmarriage. org, and its Spanish-language counterpart, portumatrimonio.org; advocacy resources atmarriageuniqueforareason.org on why marriage should be promoted as the union of a man and a woman; and the bishops’ pastoral letter on marriage, “Love and Life in the Divine Plan,” available online at usccb.org/loveandlife.

The For Your Marriage site received nearly half a million visits in 2010, a 23 percent increase from 2009, according to a report from Google Analytics.

The report found that articles on preparing for a Catholic wedding were especially popular. The site offers information about wedding readings, music, ceremony options, interchurch marriages and tips for planning a memorable wedding.

“People visit For Your Marriage because they want useful and reliable information,” said Sheila Garcia, USCCB staff member and the site’s content editor. “Whether you’re interested in marriage preparation or enrichment, or what the Catholic Church teaches about marriage, you’ll almost certainly find what you need.”

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

catholic news heraldI

CHA president affirms bishops’ role in interpreting health directives Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an exchange of letters with the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the head of the Catholic Health Association has affirmed that the local bishop is the “authoritative interpreter” of the ethical and religious directives that guide Catholic health care.

Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, said her organization “has a sincere desire to work with the Church and individual bishops to understand as clearly as possible clinical issues and bring the majesty of the Church’s teaching to that.”

In response to the letter, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, USCCB president, said the Church must “speak with one voice” against the “increasing political and social pressures that are trying to force the Church to compromise her principles,” including “the problem of illegitimate government intrusion in our health care ministries.”

The letters followed telephone conversations among Sister Carol, Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla., who serves on the CHA board. Bishop Kevin W. Vann of Fort Worth, Texas, the bishops’ liaison to CHA, “was also part of the consultation,” according to a USCCB news release.

CHA and the USCCB took opposing stands on whether the health reform bill passed last March would adequately protect against the possibility of federal funding of abortion and guard the conscience rights of health care providers and institutions.

Sister Carol also sided with Catholic Healthcare West, the health system that sponsors St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, in the hospital’s dispute with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix over whether an abortion that occurred at the hospital in late 2009 violated the “Ethical

and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” often referred to as “the ERDs.” Hospital officials had contended that the mother’s life was the only one that could have been saved in the case and that the directives had been followed. But Keehan Bishop Olmsted disagreed and in December 2010 decreed that the hospital could no longer identify itself as Catholic, because he could not verify that it provided health care consistent with “authentic moral teaching.”

During the controversy, Sister Carol had defended the hospital’s action in a “heartbreaking situation” and said personnel there “carefully evaluated the patient’s situation and correctly applied” the directives, to which all Catholic hospitals in the United States are required to adhere.

Archbishop Dolan said in his Jan. 26 letter to Sister Carol that “any medical case, and especially one with unique complications, certainly requires appropriate consultation with medical professionals and ethical experts with specialization in the teaching of the Church.”

“Still, as you have reasserted, it is the diocesan bishop’s authentic interpretation of the ERDs that must then govern their implementation,” he said. “Where conflicts arise, it is again the bishop who provides the authoritative resolution based on his teaching office. Once such a resolution of a doubt has been given, it is no longer a question of competing moral theories or the offering of various ethical interpretations or opinions of the medical data that can still be legitimately espoused and followed.

The matter has now reached the level of an authoritative resolution.”

Sister Carol said in her letter, dated Jan. 18, that CHA has always told sponsors, board members and clinicians that “a

bishop has a right to interpret the ERDs and also to develop his own ethical and religious directives if he chooses.”

“We are absolutely convinced that the teaching of the Church, in combination with a clear understanding of the Dolan clinical situation, serves the people of God very well,” she added.

Archbishop Dolan welcomed the CHA support, expressed in a Jan. 24 letter from Sister Carol to Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., for the congressman’s Protect Life Act, which would amend the health reform law to ensure there is no funding for abortion or abortion coverage.

Noting that “our staffs have recently met and are working together on this and other policy matters,” Archbishop Dolan said, “We look forward to CHA’s collaboration with the bishops and the USCCB staff as we advocate for the bill’s passage and implementation.”

But the archbishop said the USCCB also has “significant and immediate concerns” about threats to conscience rights in the health reform law passed last year.

In a Jan. 31 interview with the National Catholic Reporter, Archbishop Dolan said Sister Carol “feels very strongly that the decision (to revoke the Catholic status of St. Joseph’s Hospital) was terrible, but she knows that the bishop of the diocese is the authentic interpreter and implementer” of the directives.

“She wholeheartedly believes that, and CHA believes that,” he said.

The archbishop also said that “defending the integrity” of health care might mean that other Catholic facilities will have to cut their ties with the Church.

“The worry is that our Catholic hospitals are now where our universities were back in the 1980s, slowly drifting out of the Catholic orbit,” Archbishop Dolan said.

‘The worry is that our Catholic hospitals are now where our universities were back in the 1980s, slowly drifting out of the Catholic orbit.’

— New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Our world

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In Brief Pope: Divided Christians must support one another VATICAN CITY — When one Christian community is suffering, other Christians must offer assistance, Pope Benedict XVI told Coptic Orthodox and other Oriental Orthodox church leaders. The pope met Jan. 28 with members of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox theological dialogue during their annual meeting in Rome; the 2011 meeting came less than a month after a bomb attack on a Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria, Egypt, left 23 people dead.

“All Christians need to work together in mutual acceptance and trust in order to serve the cause of peace and justice,” he told representatives of the Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Malankara Orthodox Syrian and Eritrean Orthodox churches, adding a prayer that the example of the martyrs of both churches would give Christians strength and courage in the face of adversity.

U.S. bishop opens cause for Mary’s House founder KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The diocesan phase of the canonization cause of Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey, the French nun regarded by the Church as the founder of Mary’s House at Ephesus in Turkey, officially opened at Kansas City’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Jan. 21.

Mary’s House, or “Meryem Ana Evi” in Turkish, is a small stone home overlooking the bay at Ephesus, believed to be where Mary lived with St. John after the death and resurrection of Jesus and where she was assumed into heaven. It is a place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims.

Missionaries ready for Bhutan VATICAN CITY — Catholic missionaries are ready to set up faith communities in Bhutan after the country announced it would accept the registration of Christians for the first time, a Vatican news agency reported. The Fides missionary news agency said Jan. 27 that two Catholic religious orders in India were prepared to go to Bhutan as soon as the government permits registration. The population of the small South Asian country, which has a tiny Christian minority, is predominantly Buddhist and Hindu.

“We are ready to open communities of men and women in Bhutan. We do not know the territory well, but if the authorities permit it, and we have the necessary conditions, we will willingly start our activities,” Father Arul Raj, a missionary from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, told Fides.

— Catholic News Service

Cardinal: MuslimChristian dialogue will continue despite setback

A protester shouts during a demonstration in Cairo Jan. 30.

Anti-government demonstrations in Egypt continued this week and showed no signs of waning, with protesters planning even larger rallies.

Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

CNS | Mohamed Abd ElGhany, Reuters

Church leaders follow Egyptian unrest with interest, concern John Thavis Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Church leaders have been watching the unfolding political drama in Egypt with a mixture of hope for reform and concern over potential violence, said the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa told Vatican Radio Jan. 30 that the widespread unrest that has weakened the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak came as a surprise to Catholics in the region.

“We all sense that these are epochal changes. None of us would have imagined these kinds of developments a few months ago,” he said. “This means that there are currents, especially in the Arab world, that now have found visible expression.

This is certainly a positive sign, but it’s also worrying because we don’t know how all this will end – we hope with the least possible amount of violence and bloodshed.”

Father Pizzaballa said he hoped “respect for religious minorities will be preserved” in Egypt. His concern appeared to reflect the fact that Mubarak’s opponents include both radical and moderate Muslim groups, and it was unclear who might assume power if the president resigns.

Father Pizzaballa spoke on a Church-

sponsored day of prayer for peace in the Holy Land. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI marked the day with a prayer to “lead minds and hearts toward concrete projects of peace.”

He did not specifically mention the unrest in Egypt.

The pope, joined by two Italian youths, then released two doves from his apartment window as a sign of peace.

Father Pizzaballa said the search for peace and freedom involves “not allowing oneself to be dominated by passions.”

“We all see how in the Middle East, in the Holy Land and in Jerusalem, passions can blind people. Instead, to have real freedom, we need a certain distance from things in order to see them more clearly,” he said.

He said real freedom in the Middle East needs to include religious freedom, access to places of worship and holy places, and freedom of religious expression.

Francesco Zannini, who teaches at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome, said the situation in Egypt reflected the weakening political power of Arab leaders who have ruled as “monarchs” but who are threatened by changes brought by globalization.

In Egypt, it was unclear whether the momentum of the unrest was great enough to bring lasting reforms, Zannini told the Rome-based agency AsiaNews.

VATICAN CITY — The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue will still move forward in its efforts to promote Christian-Muslim dialogue despite the fact that top Muslim academics in Egypt recently suspended talks with the Vatican.

The head of the council, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, said he believed the boycott could be resolved and that he was still scheduled to meet later this month with Muslim academics from Cairo.

The president of al-Azhar University in Cairo and members of the Islamic Research Academy announced Jan. 20 that they were freezing all dialogue with the Vatican to protest Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks about anti-Christian violence in Egypt and the need to protect religious minorities there.

Cardinal Tauran told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Jan. 29 that they were still trying to understand what compelled Cairo’s Muslim academics to suspend dialogue.

He said he believed “an attentive reading” of the pope’s remarks would help clear up any misunderstanding.

“If we want to move forward with dialogue, one must first of all find the time to sit and talk face-to-face, not through the newspapers,” he said.

“In such a precarious world so full of walls separating people physically or morally, it seems to me more necessary than ever for religions, despite their differences, to promote together love and peace.”

The interreligious dialogue council “will continue to welcome with friendship whoever wishes to enter into a conversation with the Catholic Church,” said the cardinal.

“For the moment, all of our appointments are still on, including the one in February with our partners in Cairo,” he said.

Every year, the Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions meets in late February.

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Pakistan’s bishops seek curbs on extremism to protect freedoms Catholic News Service

LAHORE, Pakistan — Church commissions and human rights organizations in Pakistan have called on the government to allow “freedom of conscience and expression” by curbing increasing extremism in the country.

“We strongly condemn target killings and judicial ruling on journalists, especially in cases against political workers,” said the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s National Commission for Justice and Peace.

“We support the political process without any armed or religious interference. It is imperative to separate religion from state matters.”

The commission sponsored a program in Lahore Jan. 31 to discuss concerns about the country’s crippled economy, increasing extremism and a lack of direction to address

social ills, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Organizers said 500 people attended the event, with most speakers being politicians.

More than 40,000 people rallied in Lahore Jan. 30 to protest any change in the blasphemy laws, which make insults of the Quran an offense punishable by up to life imprisonment and call for the death penalty for anyone convicted of insulting Mohammed. On the same day, civil society groups observed the chehlum – marking 40 days after a death – for the assassinated governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer.

Taseer was gunned down Jan. 4 in Islamabad. His bodyguard, Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, told police he killed Taseer for criticizing the country’s blasphemy laws.

Pope Benedict XVI also urged Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws while referring to Taseer’s “tragic murder.”

Iraqi archdiocese plans construction of university, hospital Sara Angle Catholic News Service

ROME — The Archdiocese of Arbil in northern Iraq has announced plans for the construction of a university and hospital.

Both projects come in response to the increasing number of Christians moving into the area, including skilled professionals trained in education and medicine.

On Jan. 31, the regional government guaranteed the local archdiocese a gift of two parcels of land for the projects. The university and hospital will be run by the Church and owned by the archdiocese but will be open to all people regardless of their religious or political preferences.

Archbishop Bashar Warda of Arbil said construction of the university and hospital would provide jobs, training and other opportunities to thousands of Christians in the area.

“We do not want Christians to leave Iraq,” Archbishop Warda told Aid to the Church in Need, an organization providing support for persecuted Christians. “It is clear that our society needs schools, universities and hospitals and this provides us with an opportunity to encourage the Christians to build a future for themselves here.”

The 320,000-square-foot university site and 86,000-square-foot hospital site will be “symbols of hope for the Christian presence,” Archbishop Warda said. He said he would like the projects to be completed within two years, but a fundraising campaign must be initiated before construction can begin.

Iraq’s Christian population has dropped

from 800,000 to about 400,000 over the past decade. Christians fleeing the Baghdad and Mosul regions often go to Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan. The latest pilgrims came to the Archdiocese of Arbil after a massacre on a Syrian Catholic church in Baghdad Oct. 31, 2010.

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World needs witnesses of God’s love, pope says Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The world needs God, which means it needs people who will dedicate their lives to serving Him and serving others in God’s name, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“God is generous and all the local churches must be equally generous in their commitment to the pastoral work of vocations promotion,” the pope wrote in a message to the Latin-American Continental Congress on Vocations.

The meeting, sponsored by the Latin American bishops’ council, was being held

Jan. 31-Feb. 5 in Cartago, Costa Rica.

Pope Benedict said studies have shown that well organized and constantly supported vocations programs bear fruit, but it’s also true that a vocation is not a response to some kind of publicity campaign or job fair.

“In its deepest reality it is a gift of God, a mysterious and ineffable initiative of the Lord, who enters the life of a person enthralled by the beauty of His love and consequently giving rise to a total and definitive response to divine love,” the pope wrote.

ViewPoints

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

By the numbers

Dr. Gerard A. Carter

MARIAN APPARITIONS More than 1,500 visions of Mary have been reported around the world. Only some have received official Church approval.

With your help, we are partners in helping people

W

e do what we do because of who we are, I have often remarked to staff at Catholic Social Services.

We do what we do because we are Church, and as Church, we are drawn to the truth so clearly proclaimed in Sacred Scripture by Isaiah the prophet (58: 7-10) that we are to share our bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and homeless, and clothe the naked. By not turning our backs on those in need, our lights shall shine forth like the dawn. We are instructed by Jesus that our charitable good deeds not only bring light to the darkness of human suffering and need, but through care for others our heavenly Father is glorified (Matthew 5: 13-16).

Just eight months into his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI chose the role of charitable works in the life of the Church as the theme for his first encyclical “Deus Caritas Est”: “The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising the ministry of charity.

These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.”

As the local Catholic Charities agency charged with carrying out a diocesan-wide ministry of charity, Catholic Social Services is very blessed to receive 31 percent of its operating revenue from the Diocesan Support Appeal. Along with another 10 percent donated directly to us through appeals and fund raising events, we rely upon the generosity of thousands of parishioners for almost half of the funds needed to provide food for the hungry, counseling for those without insurance, supportive services for pregnant women and their partners experiencing unplanned pregnancies, assistance to immigrants too poor to access immigration services to which they are legally entitled under federal laws, adoption services for those choosing to place their newborns into loving homes, as well as many other critical services.

You are our partners, and it simply would not CARTER, SEE page 24

CNS graphic | Emily Thompson

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or

petitions. Items submitted to the Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

Mail: Letters to the Editor Catholic News Herald 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203

E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

catholic news heraldI 23

February 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Rico De Silva

Would God use Twitter?

W

hile I was recently watching one of those nightly entertainment news shows, I was amazed how powerful a medium the Internet has become in our contemporary culture.

Apparently, the latest teenage heartthrob and singing sensation decided to retaliate against an overzealous fan who had enough ingenuity to get the singer’s cell phone number after hacking into the celebrity’s best friend’s Facebook page. The fan then called the pop singer from his cell phone. However, the young star did not find the prank amusing, and he immediately posted the prankster’s phone number on Twitter. The singer then “tweeted” all his “followers” to call him at that number right away. The story said the kid’s cell phone literally rang every second for days, and his cell phone did not have enough memory to record the thousands of voice mails he received during that time.

The current Twitter craze is just another example of our society’s microwave mentality, driven by our constant need for immediate gratification. For those of you not familiar with Twitter, it’s like text messaging online, with messages limited to 140 characters or less. With a few exceptions, celebrities, movie stars and sports stars are using Twitter. It’s a convenient way to update their thousands of followers immediately about anything – from where they’re going to lunch, to how good it feels finally to be out of jail after serving time for violating probation on a substance abuse conviction.

Then I asked myself: “If God truly meets us where we are and would use any means to get our attention, would He tweet?”

The answer, of course, is that He tweets every second we breathe. We just don’t hear Him. Because we’re so preoccupied by what’s going on around us, we neglect to pay attention to our interior life, where He prefers to talk to us. Like Elijah in the cave, we hear the heavy wind outside, we witness an earthquake and then fire, and we think God is talking – but the Lord is not there. He speaks to our hearts in a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).

The real question, I think, is not whether God would use Twitter like us, but it is why we don’t truly follow His every prompt with the same solicitude and deference we give to our favorite actor, pop singer or athlete. Possibly, it’s because being a faithful follower of Christ takes conscious effort and discipline, and most of the time Jesus gives us no immediate feedback to gauge our progress in the spiritual life.

I have close friends who have left the Church. They tell me in all sincerity that they “don’t get anything out of” the Mass. It’s boring, and God doesn’t speak to them at church, they say. My response to them is that maybe God is telling them to work on the same issue over and over again, and that Jesus has nothing new to say until they take care of that issue first.

God’s conversations with us span the ages.

Scripture, the Mass, Church teaching, and our neighbors are the subjects of His “tweets” to us. He even gives us the food for strength to “tweet” back to Him, through the Eucharist.

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

Deacon Jim Toner

Follow the light of Christ, and become lights in this dark world “

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17). The verb “repent” means to “be sorry for something” or to “abandon bad habits.” In turn that implies a standard, an authority, or a set of moral criteria we have somehow departed from, distorted, denied or desecrated. But if everything is about “having it my way,” then the only thing I should be sorry about is the fact that I’m not rich or famous or powerful.

And isn’t being rich and famous and powerful what it’s really all about? There are 168 hours in a week. For about 167 of them, the messages we get from movies, TV, radio, and even our own families sometimes say that success means lots of money or lots of fun.

Then, for one hour on Sunday, we come to Mass (only about 25 percent of Catholics do!). There we may hear the message that sin is a frightening reality and that we are all guilty of it (Rom 3:23). Sin means that we have turned our backs on the standard, the authority, and the moral criteria established by Christ and His Church.

Those in the darkness – the people of Zebulun and Naphtai and Greensboro – “have seen a great light” (Is 9:2, Mt 4:15; cf. John 8:12).

Remember the three “manifestation feasts” we have just celebrated: Christmas, the Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord? The light of Christ is there for us, but as St. John tells us, too often we “love the darkness rather than the light” (3:19).

Some elements of the faith we must simply believe because reason alone proves insufficient – the Trinity, for instance. Other elements of the faith are just self-evident, if we care to think seriously about them.

The reality of sin is chief among them. Sin crucified Christ. Sin has caused the greatest and gravest evils in history – and in our own lives.

What happens when we permit Christ and His Bride, the Church, to be our light?

When we see the Light of Christ (cf. John 8:12), we begin to understand right from wrong, sacred from sinful, divine from diabolical. When we see the Light of Christ, we begin to understand that we are made by and through and for Him. When we see the light of Christ, we begin to understand that peace is found in doing His will.

We are thus enlightened, for we know these things with deep conviction. We have all heard the expression that we should be openminded. True – but as G.K. Chesterton once put it, we don’t want to be so open-minded that our brains spill out! There is, after all, a big difference between an open mind and an empty head.

Regardless of whether we choose to see the light of the Risen Christ, it exists because He exists. And if He exists and if – as we Catholics believe and profess – He established a living Church to guard and guide us, the greatest success we can ever have lies in knowing, loving and serving Him in and through His Church. The greatest joy we can ever have lies in living as we should live. And the greatest peace we can ever have lies in the profound conviction that we belong to Him TONER, SEE page 24

Peggy Bowes

A lesson from the lady who owns Wal-Mart

M

y children and I were shopping at a busy Wal-Mart after school one day.

As we searched high and low for graham crackers, we overheard a woman nearby scolding her two young daughters.

They’d clearly had enough of the shopping trip and were beginning to whine. The exasperated mother bent down to their level and threatened, “If you don’t behave right now, then ‘The Lady Who Owns Wal-Mart’ is going to come and take you away!”

My daughter nudged me and rolled her eyes. I decided to use it as a “teaching moment” to tell my children that a parent needs to rely on his or her own authority for discipline. It is foolish and weak to threaten children with consequences from anonymous strangers. As I pointed out, what will this mother do when the girls are teenagers?

Later that day, I posted a summary of the incident on my Facebook page. (I always find it interesting that few people comment on or “Like” the wonderful links to great Catholic resources that I share on Facebook, but I can generate a lively discussion on an inane topic like laundry.)

As expected, the Wal-Mart incident prompted comments like “How lame,” or “I can’t stand that type of parenting.” Yet one comment immediately caught my attention.

A devout Catholic friend wrote, “How about, ‘All that we do should give glory to God, who loves us more than we can ever imagine.’?”

My first thought was dismissive: “Why can’t she just lighten up? Not everything has to be about religion!”

That evening, I kept pondering my friend’s comment. It was eating at me, and I couldn’t let it go. When I replayed the Wal-Mart incident, I realized that when my son was that age, I had similar moments of parental stress. I had once threatened him with consequences from “The Man Who Drives the Big Tractor,” an anonymous construction worker who drove a tractor through our neighborhood.

That poor mother needed a kind word or a prayer offered up for her, not condescension and scorn. Why did I think I was such a perfect parent, when I had once done the same thing? What type of person am I if I feel compelled to post a stranger’s humiliation on Facebook to provoke BOwes, SEE page 24

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘RITE’ FROM PAGE 15

the priest’s studies at the Pontifical North American College and his eventual apprenticeship with a local exorcist.

Father Thomas, now pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Saratoga, Calif., was a consultant for the film, particularly the scenes featuring exorcisms. He said that “to their credit,” the directors and

CARTER FROM PAGE 22

be possible to serve so many without DSA support. Your light shines every day in offices in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Murphy and Winston-Salem.

Your generosity in supporting the DSA permits us to work together to share the authentic teachings of the Church on Catholic social teaching, marriage, natural family planning, and respect for life from natural conception through natural death.

Without the DSA, it would be difficult to imagine there even being a local Catholic

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comments?

I further reflected on the many times that I had shown weakness in public. If only someone had smiled sympathetically, spoken a gentle word of encouragement or offered a silent prayer, I might have calmed down and pulled myself together.

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who loves us and who suffered, died and rose from the dead for us.

We have all walked in the darkness of sin, but that can be corrected by the beauty and power of the sacraments of baptism and confession. But to confess means that we accept a standard, an authority, a set of moral criteria we use as lights to guide us through the ethical darkness of our time.

The devil Lucifer was, originally, the light bearer, an angel of light who became diabolical by trying to become his own God. Instead, he became an agent of evil, sin and moral darkness (CCC 1850). Lucifer is an image of the 167 hours a week when we may hear messages telling us that we are our own light, our own truth, our own church, our own god.

The burning candles at the ambo represent

producers wanted the exorcism scenes to be as accurate as possible. And Hopkins, a professed Christian, and O’Donoghue, a practicing Catholic who serves as a lector at his parish in Dublin, “very much” believe in the existence of evil and wanted the movie to be authentic, Father Thomas said.

“The environment of that movie set was very reverential towards the Church. The producer and the director and the cast whom I worked with at the time were very open.”

— Sheila Dabu Nonato of Catholic News Service contributed

Charities agency in this diocese.

We do what we do because of who we are – and we are able to do what we do because you share in our joint work to serve those in need.

On behalf of the thousands of people who will directly benefit this year from your generosity to the DSA and support throughout the year, please accept our sincerest appreciation and be assured that we never underestimate the value of your partnership with Catholic Social Services.

May God bless all of us as we continue to let our lights shine, so that through our good deeds the Father may be glorified.

Gerard A. Carter, Ph.D., is the acting executive director of Catholic Social Services for the Diocese of Charlotte.

There was definitely a “teaching moment” in the Wal-Mart incident, but the lesson was for me.

I resolve to live my life based on sound advice from a friend who wisely knows that everything is “all about religion,” if all that we do gives glory to God, who loves us more than we can ever imagine.

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

the light and the truth of sacred Scripture, and the candles on the altar represent the light and truth of Christ the Lord, who comes to us – body, blood, soul and divinity – in the Holy Eucharist. We listen to the proclamation of the Word and then, if we are in the state of grace, we receive the Blessed Sacrament. Then we are called to be lights in the world (cf. Mt 5:14, 28:19; CCC 1268), to testify to the truth in our homes, workplaces and schools.

In this, we are like Our Lady of Grace, the Blessed Mother. Unlike the arrogant Lucifer, the fallen angel, the Blessed Virgin knew that she herself was not the light but only a reflection of it – much as the moon reflects the light of the sun. So, too, must we reflect the light of the Son in what we think, say and do.

Deacon James H. Toner serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro. He is the author of “The Good Life: God’s Way” (K of C Veritas Series #315). He holds a master’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.