February 20, 2009
The Catholic News & Herald 3
FROM THE VATICAN
Date set for final approval of Blessed Damien’s canonization VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican announced that final approval would be given Feb. 21 for the canonization of Blessed Damien de Veuster, a Belgian-born missionary priest who served patients with Hansen’s disease on the Hawaiian island of Molokai more than a century ago. Pope Benedict XVI authorized the publication of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Damien last July, clearing the way for his canonization. The Vatican said Feb. 16 that an “ordinary public consistory” — a meeting of the pope with cardinals resident in Rome and invited bishops and other dignitaries — would be held Feb. 21 to finalize the approval of 10 canonizations, including Blessed Damien’s. The dates for the canonization ceremonies are expected to be announced shortly after the consistory.
Blessed Damien was a 19th-century missionary, a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Born in 1840, he spent the last 16 years of his life caring for patients with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, on Molokai. Blessed Damien died in 1889 and was beatified in 1995. The miracle attributed to Blessed Damien involves the 1999 healing of Audrey Horner Toguchi, a Hawaiian who had been diagnosed with cancer. She had a tumor and other tissue removed and underwent radiation; when new tumors were found on her lungs, she decided to pray to Blessed Damien instead of undergoing the chemotherapy her doctors recommended. The lung tumors gradually shrunk and disappeared altogether. In his message for World Leprosy Day 2009, Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan called Blessed Damien “a lighthouse of faith and love.”
pray a rosary at a local abortion clinic. The morning will conclude with Benediction. For more information, contact Danielle Mathis at tmathis3@carolina.rr.com. CHARLOTTE — St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., will host a series of eight talks by Father Rick DeClue on “The Mind of the Pope: Benedict the XVI on Major Topics.” The talks will be held the second and fourth Mondays of the month 7–9 p.m. in the parish activity center. Note that the talk scheduled for March 9 has been moved to March 2. No pre-registration is required. For more information, call Ruben Tamayo at (704) 554-7088 ext. 222. CHARLOTTE — Solemn Vespers of Lent will be held at 6 p.m. every Sunday evening during Lent at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. E. Vespers is the name given to the official liturgical evening prayer of the church and completes the Divine Service for that day. The Evening Vespers will include a reflection on the seven last words of Christ. On March 1, Father Roger Arnsparger will give the reflection on the first word, “Father, Forgive them they know not what they do.” For more information, contact the church office at (704) 334-2283. MINT HILL — A Lenten preparation program for adults will be held at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., Saturday afternoons during Lent from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. The first session will be Feb. 28. Sister Veronica Grover will lead the study on the documents and teachings of the church and how we can relate these to modern times. Donations of canned goods will be collected to help stock local food pantries. For more information, call the parish office at (704) 545-1224.
and radio, Runyeon will offer suggestions on how to watch TV from the “inside-out.” This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jeannine Martin at (336) 294-4696 ext. 225. GREENSBORO — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will meet March 5 at 7 p.m. in the Kloster Center at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St. For more information, contact Alice Schmidt at (336) 288-0983. HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St, will host HOSEA (Hope of Seeing Everyone Again) for those who have been away from the faith and are interested in getting reacquainted with the Catholic Church. The next session will be Feb. 18 from 7:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. Come and have your questions answered. For more information, call Jan Hitch at (336) 884-5097 or call the church office at (336) 869-7739.
GREENSBORO VICARIATE
GREENSBORO — “Hollywood vs. Faith: the Struggle to Live Faithfully in the Media Age” will be presented by Emmy Awardwinning actor Frank Runyeon at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., Feb. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. Drawing on examples from his 25 years in television, film
Episcopal
calendar
Economic interests drive wider acceptance of eugenics, says archbishop VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Big economic interests and subtle changes in terminology are helping spread a wider acceptance of eugenics, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. “The term ‘eugenics’ seems something of the past and just mentioning the word elicits horror,” he said during a Vatican press conference Feb. 17. But as often happens, “subtle linguistic formalism together with good advertising that is supported by big economic interests causes one to lose sight of the real dangers” underlying the many advancements in genetics, he said. A lack of clarity also can prevent people from being able “to recognize actual objective evil and formulate a corresponding ethical judgment,” he added. The archbishop was presenting details of a Feb. 20-21 international congress sponsored by the academy for life that will look at “The New Frontiers of Genetics and the Risk of Eugenics.” The eugenics movement, which focuses on improving the human species by controlling hereditary factors in
mating, was associated with Nazi attempts to purify the German race. Genetic research and technology should continue and be supported in order to help heal or ease the suffering of individuals, Archbishop Fisichella said. But, he said, scientific progress must be accompanied by greater ethical awareness that respects the full dignity of every human person. The introduction to the congress program said excesses in the field of genetics can “lead to so-called eugenics which, in its various forms, seeks to obtain the perfect human being,” which includes unethical means that violate respect of all forms and conditions of human life. A real risk exists that genetics may drift away from being used solely for the good of humanity, Archbishop Fisichella said, and the abuse of genetic information is unfortunately part of “a mentality that is starting to slowly, yet inexorably, spread.” Ethical guidelines and judgments are needed to make sure the quest to help people live a so-called normal life does not result in eugenic acts, he said.
Prayers and protest
HICKORY VICARIATE
HICKORY — A Lenten Mission:“Forgiveness Leads to Wellness and Joy,” led by the Father Dennis Corrado will be held at St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, March 9 -11 at 7 p.m. The mission is free and open to the public. For more information, call the church office at (828) 327-2341 or e-mail at staloysius@ charter.net.
Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to kmmoore@charlottediocese. org or fax to (704) 370-3382.
Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:
Feb. 21 (7:15 a.m.) Mass for candidates in Permanent Diaconate Formation Program Catholic Conference Center, Hickory
March 7 (1 p.m.) Rite of Election St. Eugene Church, Asheville
March 1 (4 p.m.) Rite of Election St. James the Greater Church, Concord
March 8 (2 p.m.) Rite of Election St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro
CNS photo by Bob Roller
Megan Guiver of Dayton, Ohio, joins supporters of SOA Watch during a Feb. 17 protest in Washington urging the U.S. government to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Fort Benning, Ga. The institute used to be called the School of the Americas.
Pope names cardinal to lead Lenten retreat VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has asked the former head of the Vatican’s worship and sacraments congregation, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, to lead his 2009 Lenten retreat. During the March 1-7 retreat, the 76-year-old cardinal will focus on the theme “The Priest Encounters Jesus and Follows Him.” Top Vatican officials also attend the annual retreat with the pope . The choice of the Nigerian cardinal
comes the same year Pope Benedict is making an apostolic visit to Cameroon and Angola in March and presiding over a special Synod of Bishops for Africa in October. Cardinal Arinze is one of the three African cardinals the pope has named as his delegated presidents for the special synod. The cardinal also served as a delegate president during the 1994 Synod of Bishops for Africa.