March 3, 2006

March 3, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Raising awareness Students hear dangers of drinking and driving; youths fast to fight hunger | Pages 4-5

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI March 3, 2006

Unexpected blessings

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Marking the journey

by

GASTONIA — Lent is a “beautiful, sacred season” during which we should expect a “very profound encounter with God,” said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

Bishop Jugis distributed ashes during the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Michael Church in Gastonia March 1.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the period that runs through Holy Thursday and is considered a period of penance.

“The Lord is summoning us to a change of heart. It is a journey of the heart of a child of God into the heart of God, where we will find mercy, forgiveness and love,” he said.

Receiving ashes is an external sign of interior repentance, said Bishop Jugis.

“It is an interior conversion — a change of heart, renewing our life, and that is something marvelous,” he said.

staff writer

OAK RIDGE, N.C. — At 22 years old, Mary Shaw found herself faced with the most important decision she had ever made.

In October 2004, she was at a party “drinking quite heavily.”

“The last thing I remember was being on the front porch with my friends,” she said. “The next thing I knew, I woke up in bed next to a guy I hardly knew.”

See ADOPT, page 7

From womb to tomb

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said God’s love for humans does not differentiate between the stages of embryo, adult or old age.

That is one reason why the church proclaims the sacred and inviolable character of all human life, even in the form of a pre-implanted embryo, the pope told participants at a Vatican conference Feb. 27.

The conference, sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, was examining the theme “The Human See EMBRYO, page 6

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

KAREN A. EVANS

Pope says God loves humans in all stages of life, embryo to old age

no. 21

Ashes exterior sign of interior repentance, says bishop

Young woman chooses life, adoption for child by

vOLUME 15

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis distributes ashes to a St. Michael School student during the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Michael Church in Gastonia March 1. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.

Related Stories Page 4 | Bishop Jugis assumes pastorate of St. Michael

For the community Facility brings new life to Our Lady of Consolation Church by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — With the dedication of the Community Life Center, parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, and their neighbors, have a facility worthy of its name.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis dedicated the 15,000-squarefoot facility Feb. 26, fulfilling

a journey five years in the making. Also in attendance were Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin; Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte; and Capuchin Fathers Jude Duffy, Martin Schratz and Ignatius Zampino.

Father Duffy serves as the See CENTER, page 8

Photo by Karen A. Evans

The Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir from Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte sings during the dedication Mass of the church’s new Community Life Center Feb. 26.

Inside the Curia

Culture Watch

Perspectives

Portuguese cardinal ‘objective fan’ of sainthood causes

Priest uses podcast to preach; Catholic competes on ‘Apprentice’

Arsenal of prayer outbursts; making real differences

| Page 9

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 14-15

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

March 3, 2006

Current and upcoming topics from around the world to your own backyard

Theft of figurine, cemetery vandalism bring hate crime charges NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CNS) — Three New Jersey teenagers face hate crime charges in connection with the theft of a baby Jesus figurine from St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Metuchen Diocese and damage to the parish’s cemetery.

A Middlesex County grand jury returned an indictment charging Christopher Olson, 18; Nicholas Hess, also 18; and Michael Payne, 19, with bias intimidation and conspiracy to commit bias intimidation, prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced Feb. 16.

The suspects also were charged with criminal mischief and two counts of theft and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief. Olson also was charged with receiving stolen property.

Hess and Payne face a total of 40 years in prison and $370,000 in fines if convicted on all charges. Olson faces 45 years in prison and $385,000 in fines.

Two 15-year-olds from Old Bridge,

A taste of motherhood

Diocesan planner CNS photo by David V. Kamba, Catholic New World

Junior Jazleen Rosado (left) and senior Marilin Torres tend to their “babies” at Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago in January. The “Baby Think It Over” program aims to teach students parenting skills while showing them just how much caring for an infant would affect their everyday lives.

‘Baby Think It Over’ program teaches girls motherhood is no easy task CHICAGO (CNS) — For Sandra Avorywoskie, it was the way her baby would cry every time she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

That was when her school project — caring for a computerized baby doll for the weekend — suddenly seemed like a lot more than she had signed up for.

“I thought it was going to be easy,” said Avorywoskie, a senior at Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago.

“I knew it would be challenging, but it was more work than I thought.”

Avorywoskie took the doll home as part of Marcia Berke’s family development class, an elective offered to juniors and seniors.

Each student takes a baby home one weekend, and the doll records how well they handle the task. Did they let it cry too long without responding? Let it go too long between feedings or diaper changes? Handle it roughly?

All of that comes out on the report Berke generates when the dolls are returned.

Each student gets an electronic tag on a wristband that cannot be removed without being cut. The baby only responds when the person wearing the tag cares for it.

This is all part of a program called “Baby Think It Over,” which uses dolls made by a Wisconsin company. The baby program is intended to teach students parenting skills while showing them just

how much taking care of an infant would affect their everyday lives.

Most of the Notre Dame students who take the class can’t wait to take a baby home on Friday, said Berke. By the time they return Monday, most can’t wait to turn the dolls in.

Except for the ones who don’t show up at school on Monday.

“They’re too tired,” said Berke. “But when they come back, I remind them that when you really have a baby and a job, you can’t take every Monday off.”

The babies are meant to look real, and each gets sent home with a diaper bag full of supplies — including diapers and bottles that set off the doll’s electronic sensors — and an infant car seat.

Since the girls must keep the babies with them all weekend, they also get a taste of how people regard teenage mothers.

Some people were nice, others were not, said Avorywoskie. Junior Jazleen Rosado and senior Marilin Torres both got some dirty looks, and even unsolicited advice.

The babies follow their own schedules — they are programmed after real infants and can be fussy, medium or easygoing.

Even easygoing babies are difficult to care for, said Rosado, who acknowledged the project made her want to postpone parenthood.

“I thought about it more thoroughly.

It stops you from so many things,” she

BOONE VICARIATE SPRUCE PINE — A Rosary of Intercession for Priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m. Mass.

Prayers are offered for bishops, priests and deacons, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. For more information, call the church office at (828) 765-2224.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — Passionist Father Vincent J. Segotta will preach at all Masses as St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., March 4-5. The parish mission and renewal, “Toward the Heart of God, the Journey of Faith” will take place March 6-8, 7:308:30 p.m. in the church. Monday and Tuesday evenings there will be a family dinner at 6:30 p.m. Child care will also be available each evening. For Mass time and reservations, call (704) 543-7677, ext. 1008.

CHARLOTTE — Father Ed Sheridan will be the celebrant at a Mass celebrating the gifts of those with mental retardation March 5 at 5 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Parishioners and visitors with varying degrees of mental retardation will serve as musicians, lectors, greeters and ushers. For more information, contact Mary Kennedy, St. Gabriel disABILITY Ministry, at (704) 364-6964.

CHARLOTTE — Dr. Alveda C. King, daughter of slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will speak at “Life is Sweet,” a free dessert-and-coffee social at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., March 11, 1-3 p.m. King calls abortion oppressive to women and a violation of the civil rights of

N.J., also faced charges of bias intimidation, theft, criminal mischief, harassment, desecration of venerated objects and tampering with a witness. Their names were not made public because they are minors.

According to the indictment, Olson, Hess and Payne committed or conspired with each other to commit third-degree criminal mischief against the property of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Sayreville with “a purpose to intimidate an individual or group of individuals because of religion, or under circumstances that caused any victim of the criminal mischief to be intimidated.”

Ralph Cretella, assistant prosecutor, said Feb. 21 that evidence presented to the grand jury showed a “specific group was targeted and the grand jury accepted it.”

None of the defendants has had a court arraignment, when a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges is made, Creunborn Americans. For more information, e-mail Debbie Capen, director of Charlotte Right to Life, Capenfamily@earthlink.net, or go online at www. charlottelife.org.

CHARLOTTE — An inquiry class for the St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet the second Saturday of each month, 12-2 p.m. Classes take place at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave. Those interested in learning more about the SFO and the Franciscan way of life are invited to attend. The order also gathers the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Consolation Church. For more information, call Kathleen Zuckerman at (704) 455-7954.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will host a Christian Coffeehouse March 11 at 7:30 p.m. Single and married adults are invited for an evening of contemporary Christian music, food and fellowship.

For more information, call Kathy Bartlett at (704) 400-2213.

CHARLOTTE — Healing Hearts, a support group for people coping with the death of a spouse, meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of St Gabriel Church, 3016 Rd. For more information, contact Sister Therese Galligan, facilitator, at (704) 362-5047, ext. 216.

CHARLOTTE — The Vietnamese Cursillo of Charlotte School of Leaders meets the second Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd. For more information, contact Nam Le at (704) 549-1525.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE STONEVILLE — The Greensboro Council of Catholic Women will host its annual Lenten Retreat Day, led by Father Louis Canino, March 9 at the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., followed by lunch. For more information, please call Carmen Wood at (336) 545-9266.

March 3, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 21

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Karen A. Evans Graphic DESIGNER: Tim Faragher Advertising MANAGER: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Deborah Hiles 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

The Catholic News & Herald 3

March 3, 2006

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope says Lenten practices like fasting express faith, not Time of Lent should be faced with ‘new spirit,’ says Pope Benedict XVI VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Lenten practices like fasting should be experienced as an expression of faith, not as a difficult burden, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The pope made his remarks at the Vatican Feb. 26, three days before he was to open the Lenten season with an Ash Wednesday liturgy in Rome.

“During this period, one abstains from singing ‘Alleluia,’ and people are invited to practice appropriate forms of penitential sacrifice,” he said.

“The time of Lent should not be faced with an old spirit, as if it were a heavy and bothersome burden, but with the new spirit of one who has found in Jesus and in his mystery the meaning of life and understands that everything now

refers to him,” he said.

The pope was preparing for his own Lenten retreat March 5-11. During that time, papal appointments are canceled and the pontiff joins Roman Curia officials twice a day to pray and listen to Lenten sermons.

Preaching the pope’s retreat this year will be Cardinal Marco Ce, a theologian and biblicist and the retired patriarch of Venice, Italy. Cardinal Ce has used his free time in recent years to conduct many spiritual retreats for bishops, priests, religious orders and lay groups.

The theme of this year’s papal retreat is “Walking With Jesus Toward Easter, Guided by the Evangelist Mark.”

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., will offer a free Spanish course, Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., through March 23. For more information or to register, please call Nancy Skee at (336) 884-0522.

WINSTON-SALEM — The Portiuncula Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St., will host Lenten Faith Sharing “brown-bag” gatherings March 8, 15, 22, 29 and April 5, 12-12:45 p.m. We will spend time looking ahead to the weekend Lenten readings to prepare our hearts for the Word of God to take root. Bring your own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call (336) 624-1971 or e-mail portiuncula@ bellsouth.net.

GREENSBORO — All Irish-Catholic women are invited to participate in the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, a social, cultural and charitable group for an ongoing series of fun and informative activities. LAOH meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Kloster Center of St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St. Please join us for refreshments and to learn more about our group.

Any questions can be directed to Mary Giff at (336) 855-7014.

SALISBURY VICARIATE MOORESVILLE — Bishop Emeritus William Curlin present a parish mission, “The Presence of Jesus Within Us” at St. Therese Catholic Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., March 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 664-3992.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — Rev. Patrick Garrett, pastor of Murphy Church of God, will preach the first in a series of Community Lenten Worship Services March 8, 12:05-12:30 p.m. at St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. The series is designed to strengthen ecumenical bonds within the community. For more information, call Joan Kennedy at (828) 837-8519.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE WINSTON-SALEM — The Portiuncula Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St., will host a book discussion on “Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective” by Ilia Delio, O.S.F. This book deals with the theology of divine humility and God’s relationship to the world, while at the same time tackling some tough questions. The group will meet March 6, 13, 20 and 27; April 3 and 24; and May 1, 8 and 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

For more information, call (336) 624-1971 or e-mail portiuncula@bellsouth.net.

Episcopal

calendar

KERNERSVILLE — A Catholic College Night will take place in the Krispy Kreme Activity Center of Bishop McGuinness High School, 1725 N.C. Hwy. 66 South, March 13, 7-9 p.m. Dr. William K. Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, will be the keynote speaker. Parents and students can visit with representatives from several Catholic colleges and universities. For more information, please call Anton Vorozhko at (336) 564-1246 or e-mail avorozhko@bmhs.us.

WINSTON-SALEM — Take time to explore the need for personal reflection and prayer. Franciscan Father Jude DeAngelo will present An Out of the Way Place, a program for professional caregivers, clergy and counselors. The program will take place March 16 and 23, 7:15-8:15 p.m., at The Portiuncula Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St. For more information, call (336) 624-1971 or e-mail portiuncula@bellsouth.net.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 7 days prior to desired publication date (Fridays) in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@ charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:

March 4 — 10 a.m.

Deacon’s Annual Commitment Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

March 5 — 3 p.m.

Rite of Election St. Michael Church, Gastonia

March 4 — 2 p.m.

Rite of Election Holy Cross Church, Kernersville

March 11 — 12 p.m.

Rite of Election St. Eugene Church, Asheville

Pope says Bible helps youths through dark times, deceit, false ideas VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Bible should be the constant companion of young people so that it can help them navigate through life’s dark moments and past the deceit and erroneous ideas present in today’s world, Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for World Youth Day. Reading, studying and meditating on the word of God would help young people get to know Jesus and help them live “a life of consistent fidelity to Christ and his teachings,” the pope said.

“I urge you to become familiar with the Bible and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow,” the pope said Feb. 27.

The theme of the XXI World Youth Day message is “Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet and a Light to My Path,” a passage chosen by Pope Benedict from the psalms. Celebrations this year will be held April 9, Palm Sunday, on the diocesan level.

The pope urged young people to love and be faithful to the word of God and the church.

Just as a jewelry box keeps a

precious gem safe for successive generations, the church has been the depository safeguarding Jesus’ word of salvation, he said.

“Without the church, this pearl runs the risk of being lost or destroyed,” the pope said.

He urged young people to “love the word of God and love the church, and this will give you access to a treasure of very great value and will teach you how to appreciate its richness.”

The church’s mission is to show people the way to true happiness in a world “where people are often held captive by the current ways of thinking,” he said.

While some people may think they are free by being rid of God and his laws, “they are being led astray and become lost amid the errors or illusions of aberrant ideologies,” he said.

“The darkness in which humankind is groping needs to be illuminated,” he said, and “the lamp that dispels the darkness of fear and lights up the path even when times are most difficult” is God’s loving presence through his word.

Supreme Court again finds for clinic protest WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Supreme Court’s 8-0 decision rejecting attempts to use racketeering laws against abortion clinic protesters was hailed by one of the successful petitioners as a victory for free speech.

It was the third time the high court had ruled in the case, which dates back to 1986 when the National Organization for Women attempted to use racketeering laws in class-action lawsuits against abortion clinic protesters.

The Feb. 28 ruling reversed the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ interpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling in the case.

The lower court had found that the Supreme Court’s decision for Joseph Scheidler and Operation Rescue neglected to deal with four out of 121 instances in which a jury had found abortion protesters violated laws that prohibit

acts or threats of violence to person or property.

Scheidler, head of the Pro-Life Action League, said the “court was right when they ruled in 2003, but the National Organization for Women refused to acknowledge defeat.”

In the latest decision, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that to violate the Hobbs Act — a 55-year-old law prohibiting extortion — physical violence or threats of violence must be related to extortion.

In the 2003 ruling, the Supreme Court had found that the protests did not constitute extortion under the Hobbs Act because they did not involve attempts to obtain property. The court also said there was no basis for claims under the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Scheidler said, “The Supreme Court seems to take the First Amendment more seriously than the (circuit courts) do.”

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Raising awareness

around the diocese

Bishop Jugis makes unique pastoral

Speaker, recent accident shed light on dangers of drinking and driving by

Bishop to serve as interim pastor of St. Michael Church by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Some people think it isn’t possible for one decision to change countless lives forever. Brandon Silveria, unfortunately, knows better.

Silveria told the juniors and seniors of Charlotte Catholic High School Feb. 27 how two beers and one bad decision destroyed his hopes and plans for his future.

In 1987, Silveria was a popular, athletic junior at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif. Just a few weeks before his junior prom, Silveria drank two beers at a party and decided to drive home.

During the four-mile drive, Silveria fell asleep at the wheel, crashing into a tree.

He was driving 45 mph in a 50-mph zone.

Silveria spent the next two-anda-half months in a coma. When he awoke, he was unable to walk, talk or eat. What followed were three years of intensive therapy, relearning the most basic functions.

Silveria suffers from brain damage, affecting his memory and his abilities to speak clearly and walk. He has suffered seizures that nearly killed him.

In the nine years since his accident, Silveria has dedicated his life to making sure young people learn from his mistakes instead of repeating them.

He and his father, Tony Silveria, travel throughout the United States talking to teenagers about the dangers of alcohol. Their work is sponsored by the Century Council, a group that fights drunken driving and underage drinking and is funded by leading U.S. distillers.

In slow, distorted speech, Silveria encouraged the students to make responsible decisions about alcohol, including resisting peer pressure to drink.

“You can disagree with each other and still be friends,” said Brandon Silveria. “The test of your friendship is when you know your friend has made the wrong choice and you take responsibility for him.”

His address was followed by a 1992 segment of the television show “Rescue 911.” The video re-creates Silveria’s accident, detailing his recovery as he relearned how to use his hands and walk.

“When I go to college, this will remind me to be responsible for everything I do,” said Mario Acitelli, a senior who will be playing football at Appalachian State University in the fall.

Tony Silveria, Silveria’s father, also spoke to the students, sharing a parent’s viewpoint, as well as facts about alcoholrelated fatalities and injuries.

“Seven out of 10 families come apart at a time like this,” he said. “Imagine going to a party Saturday night, having a couple of beers … and never seeing your family again.”

Tony Silveria said his son’s medical expenses have exceeded $3 million. His

March 3, 2006

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Tony Silveria (right) addresses students at Charlotte Catholic High School about drunk driving Feb. 27.

His son, Brandon Silveria (left), suffered permanent brain damage after a drunk driving accident in 1987.

anti-seizure medication, which he will take for the rest of his life, costs $394 a month.

“We have paid the price for you — you don’t have to pay this price,” said Tony Silveria. “You still have an opportunity to make decisions that keep you away from this.”

“I know now that one bad decision can take away everything I want — friends, a boyfriend, college,” said Addie Shapack, a senior at Charlotte Catholic.

The Silverias’ message wasn’t just for the students. Tony Silveria said he wants parents to take responsibility for their kids.

“If I had the chance to go back and do something different, I would make sure Brandon knew he could always call (home for a ride), no matter what the circumstances.”

Unfortunately, Silveria’s story isn’t unique. In 2005, there were 553 alcoholrelated traffic fatalities in North Carolina, and 75 of those drivers were underage.

Less than two weeks ago, 18-yearold Brock Franklin drove the wrong way down Charlotte’s I-485 and collided with another car, killing its driver and passenger.

State troopers found empty beer cans in Franklin’s car. A “MySpace” Web page under the name Brock Franklin shows the teen against a backdrop of whiskey bottles. The site also says he enjoys “getting drunk and getting high.” “(Teenagers) are going to drink — I wish we could stand up here and tell them not to drink, and they would listen,” said Tony Silveria. “But reality says they’re going to, so let’s prevent a result like Brandon’s.”

“The bummer of all this is that I created this mess for myself, because of making stupid choices,” Brandon Silveria said. “First, the choice of thinking I was cool enough to drive. After all, I was invincible —nothing was going to happen to me.”

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans

GASTONIA — It isn’t often that parishioners of any one church can claim the bishop as their pastor, but that is exactly what members of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia will be doing for the next few months.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will serve as interim pastor of the 735-family parish.

The unusual move became necessary when Father James Solari retired for health reasons in February.

Father Solari came out of retirement to serve as interim administrator of St. Michael Church in June 2005.

The appointment of a bishop to a pastoral assignment is atypical. Bishops are responsible for a long list of administrative duties that are combined with sacramental calls at the parishes and missions of the diocese.

The Diocese of Charlotte has 92 churches.

“We don’t always have extra priests that we can call upon when a situation like this arises,” said Msgr. Maurico W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

For Bishop Jugis, the assignment is a return to familiar routines. He served as a parochial vicar, administrator or pastor of 10 churches in the diocese in the 19 years prior to his ordination as bishop in October 2003.

“I am looking forward to spending time with the families of St. Michael Church,” said the bishop between Masses on Ash Wednesday.

“My schedule won’t permit me to be present here as much as another pastor might be, but I will be celebrating the sacraments here as often as I can,” he said.

Father Christopher Gober, director of vocations for the Diocese of Charlotte, said there are 16 men currently in formation for the priesthood in six seminaries.

“I am excited that Bishop Jugis is taking the opportunity to shed light on the importance of priestly vocations in our rapidly growing diocese,” said Father Gober. “Personally, as a brother priest, I am inspired by his pastoral zeal.”

Although the bishop’s decision to serve as pastor of the church has no definitive end date, the appointment is expected to last for several months.

David Hains is director of communications for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@charlottediocese.org.

March 3, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 5

around the diocese hungry to help

Sharing stories

Photo by Deacon Gerald Potkay Courtesy Photo by Frank Ryder

Megan McKenna, an author, Catholic theologian and former Maryknoll Sister, speaks about the “Resurrection Stories of the Gospels” at St. Luke Church in Mint Hill Feb. 18. McKenna, who leads retreats, workshops and parish missions, talked about the Gospel’s resurrection stories and Catholics’ call to unity. The event was sponsored by St. Luke Church’s education commission, worship and life commission, and St. Luke Pax Christi.

Catholic youths from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point and St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro join other Christian youths in a prayer service during the 30 Hour Famine in High Point Feb. 25-26.

Youths experience hunger to help world’s poor by

projects, such as helping at the Evergreen Nursing Home and making 128 bag lunches for a soup kitchen in High Point.

“This is my first time (in the project). It has been a good experience while enabling me to get another view of life and to understand what is going on in other places,” said Joe Risi of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Samantha Bonham from St. Paul the Apostle Church returned for her second famine.

“I came back this year because I had so much fun last year. We meet a lot of new people. Most importantly, I learned that I can do without,” she said.

The famine ended with a potluck supper for the participants, their parents and friends, and the youth group leaders and helpers from churches involved with the weekend event.

“The fasting helps me to realize what it means to be hungry. Joining in with the different denominations helps to make this an incredible experience,” said Risi.

“It’s been hard, but it is well worth it.”

Contact Correspondent Deacon Gerald Potkay by calling (336) 427-8218 or e-mail gpotkay@triad.rr.com.

DEACON GERALD POTKAY correspondent

HIGH POINT — Going hungry can be a good thing.

Youth groups from seven churches, including 89 youths from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point and 41 youths from St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro, participated in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine at Christ United Methodist Church in High Point Feb. 25-26.

The 30 Hour Famine is an international youth movement to fight hunger around the world. Last year’s project raised $11.6 million for World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization, and utilized in areas such as Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the United States.

According to World Vision’s Web site, groups raise money through donors and sponsors to help millions of starving and hurting children in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Youths from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church have participated in the famine for the past 10 years, contributing $20,000 during the last seven years.

St. Paul the Apostle Church’s youths joined the successful project last year, which raised more than $13,000, making it the top North Carolina fundraising group.

“This worldwide event not only brings in money to feed the poor, but it helps our youth experience what it is to be hungry so they might have more compassion for those who are living in extreme poverty,” said Terry Aiken, youth minister at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

At the same time, they get the opportunity to “grow in their faith as they share time with their friends and meet new friends,” said Aiken.

During the 30 hours, the youths learned about hunger and homelessness throughout the world. They also worked in groups to perform community service

6 The Catholic News & Herald

March 3, 2006

respect life

Pope says God loves humans in South Dakota Legislature all stages of life, even embryos bans nearly all abortions EMBRYO, from page 1

could never decipher the mystery of human life.

“In fact, as soon as reason succeeds in overcoming one limit that was thought insuperable, other limits, until then unknown, challenge it. Man will always remain a profound and impenetrable enigma,” he said.

At the beginning of the third millennium, he said, humanity has greatly increased knowledge on many fronts, but “it seems too difficult for human intelligence to recognize that, when looking on the created world, one encounters the imprint of the Creator.”

To grasp the true significance of man and creation, people have to move beyond the limits of the scientific method and begin “the adventure of transcendence,” he said.

“As we advance with scientific technology, we are humbled as we realize that it is the touch of our Creator who gives us life,” said Maggi Nadol, Respect Life director in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The diocesan Respect Life program educates and raises awareness of life issues, such as abortion.

“It is the breath of God, visited upon each person, that calls us into being,” said Nadol.

Contributing to this story was Editor Kevin E. Murray.

Respect Life is one of the ministries supported by contributions to the Diocesan Support Appeal, an annual campaign in the Diocese of Charlotte that helps support 30 ministries providing 50 programs. The 2006 DSA runs Feb. 4 to March 12.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Before you were born I dedicated you.”

— Pope Benedict XVI, quoting God’s words Embryo Before Implantation: Scientific Update and Bioethical Considerations.”

The pope said the topic was fascinating but very difficult, one that science alone cannot fully fathom.

From the church’s point of view, neither Scripture nor ancient Christian tradition offers explicit treatments of the subject of embryos, he said, but the Bible does reflect an awareness of and respect for human life at its earliest stages.

H e q u o t e d G o d ’s w o r d s a s recounted in the Book of Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you.”

The meaning of that passage becomes clear, the pope said, when one considers that “God intervenes directly in the creation of the soul of every new human being.”

“The love of God does not distinguish between the newly conceived still in the womb of his mother, and the child, or the youth, or the man or elderly person,” he said, adding that in each one is God’s image.

The connection between man and his Creator gives the human being a unique dignity at every stage of his life and is the reason the church proclaims such life sacred, he said.

“This moral judgment is valid already at the beginning of the life of an embryo, even before it is implanted in the maternal womb, which protects and nurtures it for nine months until the moment of birth,” he said.

The pope said that while scientific advances have shed great light on aspects of nascent life science alone

If signed into law, bill would be most sweeping ban on abortion since 1973 apply to medical treatment “that results in the accidental or unintentional injury or death to the unborn child.”

In 2004 Gov. Mike Rounds vetoed, on technical grounds, an anti-abortion bill that also contained an exception for the health of the mother. But he recently said at a news conference that he would “look favorably” on any bill that meets the concerns he raised about the 2004 legislation.

He said it was his understanding that the new legislation sought to address those concerns.

The new legislation strikes some current South Dakota abortion restrictions that would no longer be relevant in light of the broader ban, but it also provides that if implementation of the new statute is enjoined, suspended or delayed by a court order, or if the new law is found unconstitutional, the laws it replaces will automatically be reinstated.

Planned Parenthood, which runs the only abortion facility in South Dakota, said it would file suit to block the legislation if the governor signs it.

According to LifeNews.com, legislators in at least four other states — Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee — have proposed legislation that would prohibit most or all abortions.

In the 1990s Utah, Louisiana and Guam, a U.S. territory, passed laws prohibiting most abortions. They were struck down in lower courts and the Supreme Court refused to review the cases, letting the lower-court rulings stand.

by

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PIERRE, S.D. — By adopting legislation that would prohibit all intentional abortions except those to save a mother’s life, the South Dakota Legislature moved toward a direct challenge of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

If signed into law it would become the most sweeping ban on abortion adopted in any state since 1973.

The South Dakota House of Representative passed the bill Feb. 24 by a vote of 50-18. The Senate had approved it Feb. 22, by a vote of 23-12, after slightly amending an earlier version adopted by the House.

The House vote Feb. 24 incorporated the Senate’s amendment.

The amendment, an addition to the introductory legislative findings of the bill, said the Legislature finds that “the guarantee of due process of law under the constitution of South Dakota applies equally to born and unborn human beings” and that the mother and her unborn child “each possess a natural and inalienable right to life.”

The bill, called the Women’s Health and Human Life Protection Act, specifically exempts women from any criminal conviction or penalty for obtaining an abortion. But it says that anyone who performs an abortion except to save a mother’s life commits a Class 5 felony, which is punishable by a fine up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.

The legislation says the law does not

March 3, 2006

respect life

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Young woman chooses life, adoption for child ADOPT, from page 1

A month later, Shaw took a pregnancy test, which came back positive.

“My parents took the news better than I did,” she said. “My father said, ‘Mary, this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. From now on, you make the decisions for your unborn child.’”

After telling her family about her pregnancy, Shaw went to visit Msgr. Anthony Marcaccio, her pastor at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

“My biggest concern was that I would bring shame and embarrassment to my family,” said Shaw.

Shaw’s father is Deacon Bill Shaw, permanent deacon at St. Pius X Church.

“Msgr. Marcaccio told me, ‘We are a right-to-life parish. If we cannot walk where we talk, we shouldn’t be talking at all,’” she said.

After her meeting with Msgr. Marcaccio, Shaw said she knew “everything was in God’s hands.”

A choice to make The birthfather wanted Shaw to have an abortion, an option she didn’t even consider. She has only spoken to the birthfather twice since the night their child was conceived.

Shaw also didn’t consider raising the child herself.

“I knew that I could not provide the life that I desired for my child,” she said.

“I wanted my child to be raised in a home with a mother and a father who love him.”

Shaw turned to Catholic Social Services (CSS) to help her make the best decision for her and her child.

“We strongly believe we are here to help each woman to make her own decision about her pregnancy, not tell her what to do,” said Becky DuBois, adoption and pregnancy support counselor for the Piedmont-Triad CSS office in Winston-Salem.

“The mother has to decide what is best for her and for her baby,” she said.

After meeting with DuBois, Shaw opted for an open adoption.

And open, or identified, adoption allows the birthparents to select the adoptive family. After the adoption, the birthparents and adoptive parents have as much interaction as they choose.

Shaw and the adoptive parents have a verbal contract that allows Shaw to see her child on his birthday, at Christmas and on special occasions, such as his baptism. She also communicates with her child’s adoptive parents regularly.

“Some people thought I placed my child up for adoption so that I wouldn’t have to take care of him,” Shaw said.

“Placing my child up for adoption was the hardest decision and action of my

Courtesy Photo

Mary Shaw holds her son on the day of his baptism. Shaw placed her child up for adoption through Catholic Social Services rather than having an abortion or raising him without a father. She chose an open adoption, which allows her to maintain contact with her son. life.”

“Anyone who says ‘You took the easy way out’ has no idea how many days I cried my eyes out,” she said.

A promising future Shaw hopes that as her child grows up, they will have a relationship like that of a loving aunt and nephew. She also hopes he will want her to be a part of his life.

“I want my child to know that I love him, and that the reason I made this decision was because I loved him,” said Shaw.

“He will know he has an entire birthfamily who loves him with all their hearts and who thinks about him all the time.”

Shaw said DuBois, and CSS, provided a lifeline throughout her pregnancy. In the final weeks of her pregnancy, Shaw’s belly became too large for her to drive her car. So DuBois drove to Shaw’s home for their weekly counseling sessions.

When Shaw’s pregnancy became high-risk and she had to cut her work schedule to 20 hours a week, CSS helped pay her bills.

“I don’t know what I would have done without Catholic Social Services,” Shaw said. “Becky told me from the beginning that this was my choice, and if I decided not to put my child up for adoption … that they would support me in any

decision I made.”

The right choice Shaw wanted her child’s transition to his adoptive parents to be as easy as possible. She slept with a receiving blanket, so that her child could have something in his crib with her scent on it.

Shaw also had the adoptive family record themselves talking and going about their daily lives. She played that tape every night, with the tape player on her belly.

Immediately after the baby was born, the adoptive father stood next to his bassinet and said, “Hey there, little guy.” “(The baby) turned his head and looked at him,” Shaw said. “There was a connection already. I knew that I had done the right thing for my child.”

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

Catholic Social Services is one of the ministries supported by contributions to the Diocesan Support Appeal, an annual campaign in the Diocese of Charlotte that helps support 30 ministries that

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March 3, 2006

around the diocese

Many enjoy Mardi Gras Adults, children partake in ‘Fat Tuesday’ education, celebration at basilica by

CAROLE McGROTTY correspondent

Photos by Karen A. Evans

Above: Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses the new Community Life Center at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. He is assisted by Capuchin Father Jude Duffy, pastor.

Below: Parishioners leave the 15,000-square-foot center following its dedication Mass.

Facility brings new life to parish, community CENTER, from page 1

church’s pastor, while Father Schratz serves as parochial vicar at both Our Lady of Consolation Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Father Zampino is the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church.

Also in attendance were former pastors of Our Lady of Consolation Church; diocesan representatives; city and county government officials; and members of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars Province of the Stigmata of St. Francis, who staff the parish.

“This has been a long journey,” said Sporty Gerald, chairman of the building committee. Gerald said fundraising began in 2001 and ground was broken in August 2004.

“This is the fulfillment of a dream,” said Father Duffy. “We have a place for our diverse community to learn about each other and to share their lives.”

The $1.9 million Community Life Center consists of a multipurpose room that is also a full-size basketball court, five classrooms and a youth lounge.

The facility will be used for community outreach programs including computer education, English as a Second Language classes, Boy and Girl Scouts, senior citizens’ events, Bible study and a variety of educational and cultural enrichment activities.

“The love of Christ cannot stop at the church doors,” said Bishop Jugis in his homily. “It must be carried with us out into the community.”

Our Lady of Consolation Church is located in an area with a rapidly growing Hispanic population.

“We want to reach out and embrace all the members of our community,” said Gerald.

The dedication of the Community Life Center is not the end of expansions at Our Lady of Consolation. With more than 600 families worshipping at Our

Lady of Consolation Church each weekend, Father Duffy said the parish will soon begin plans for building a new church, replacing the existing 50-yearold structure.

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

ASHEVILLE — An early Mardi Gras celebration helped catechesis participants focus on the Christian roots of the event.

Adults and children meet separately for catechesis, formerly known as religious education, at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville on the first Sunday of each month.

The two groups came together last month to study the religious aspects of Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” which traditionally provides an opportunity for festivity and merrymaking the day before Ash Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent.

Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, Mardi Gras likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. As early as the middle of the second century, the Romans observed a fast of 40 days, which was preceded by a brief season of feasting, costumes and merrymaking.

In his Sunday homily, Father C. Morris Boyd, parochial vicar of the basilica, said the Catholic Church’s rules on fasting during Lent used to be stricter; also, that people ate all the meats and sweets they had before Lent, hence the term “Fat Tuesday.”

Mardi Gras came to the Americas

Photo by Carole McGrotty

An adult and children enjoy the cakewalk during the Mardi Gras celebration at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville. in the late 17th century. Eventually the French in New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with masked balls and parties.

The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

The colors adorned the hall at the basilica for the catechesis celebration. Children decorated masks and wore beads.

Both children and adults participated in a cakewalk and other games.

The event ended with the cutting of a king cake, whose round shape symbolizes unity of faith. A small, plastic baby (representing the baby Jesus) was baked in the cake; the person who finds it is said

In the spirit of the season

Second-graders at St. Matthew School in Charlotte celebrate Fat Tuesday with king cupcakes and Mardi Gras masks Feb. 28. Student Connor Geoghagan became “king” for the day when he found the baby doll in his cupcake.

Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” traditionally provides an opportunity for festivity and merrymaking the day before Ash Wednesday and the penitential season of Lent.

Courtesy Photo

March 3, 2006

inside the curia

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Mindful of miracles

Portuguese cardinal is ‘objective fan’ of soccer, sainthood causes — absolutely not. He has just said the study and research can begin.

“The process for Pope John Paul is the same as the process for anyone,” he said.

Although some may find the very idea shocking, the cardinal said, the process is serious and not just a matter of formality.

“It is possible, as has happened in other cases, that there could be a negative outcome,” he said. “Nothing is guaranteed.”

Asked about the impact of public reaction to the causes of Pope Pius XII and Pope John Paul, the cardinal said, “Just because some people are very much in favor or very much opposed to a cause cannot influence our decisions.

We want the historical facts, reality and that alone.”

An ‘objective fan’ The Portuguese cardinal describes himself as an “objective fan,” both when it comes to soccer and when it comes to evaluating material submitted in sainthood causes.

A well-known supporter of Lazio, one of Rome’s two premier-league soccer teams, he said he is sad when Lazio loses, “but I know it will help them learn to play better.”

The cardinal said his job as prefect of the congregation handling sainthood causes is a role that requires even more objectivity.

“For us, the process for a pope or for a cloistered nun is the same,” he said.

“Holiness is a very personal thing. What matters is that the individual lived his or her life in a holy way, whether the person was a prince or a chimney sweep.”

Extraordinary efforts Like the other Vatican congregations, Cardinal Saraiva Martins’ office has about 30 full-time employees.

They handle requests for Vatican approval to begin the local phase of sainthood causes, ensure that causes follow the procedures outlined in church law and coordinate the historical and theological review of materials submitted in support of a claim that an individual lived a saintly life.

Separate studies are conducted on miracles alleged to have occurred through the candidate’s intercession.

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

Editor’s note: This is the second of an occasional series based on interviews with heads of Vatican offices. The articles describe the work of the agencies and the main challenges they face and briefly profile the people who head them.

VATICAN CITY — The Portuguese cardinal who heads the Congregation for Saints’ Causes has been given extra duties by Pope Benedict XVI. The pope, having decided not to preside personally over most beatification ceremonies, usually delegates the responsibility to Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the 74-year-old congregation prefect.

While no one expects Pope Benedict to match the super record-setting pace of canonizations and beatifications set by Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said the amount of work done by his office is not expected to slow any time soon.

“I foresee the rhythm continuing as it has been,” he said. “With 2,200 causes open here, it is clear things will continue.

“Even if no other causes were submitted, we would have enough causes to study to keep us busy for years and years, but new causes always are arriving,” the cardinal said.

During his first 10 months, Pope Benedict has personally presided over the canonization of five people and proclaimed another 31 candidates blessed.

None of the causes were introduced or speeded up by Pope Benedict, who is letting them follow their normal path from introduction in a diocese through the often years of study at the Vatican.

One notable exception, however, was Pope Benedict’s decision to set aside the five-year waiting period and allow the sainthood cause of Pope John Paul to begin.

Cardinal Saraiva Martins said Pope Benedict “has not decided the outcome

CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec

Portuguese Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, talks with reporters in Rome May 2, 2005. He was part of a panel discussing Pope John Paul II and the saints.

Cardinal Saraiva Martins said his congregation actually has substantially more people working with it than any other Vatican office.

“We have 62 consultants,” including theologians and historians who review all the written material submitted for each cause, and 70 physicians prepared to examine the clinical data submitted in support of miracles, he said.

In addition, about 200 postulators — the official promoters of sainthood causes — are in regular contact with the congregation, he said.

Rules and procedures The Catholic Church’s process for recognizing saints is marked only by the rarest of exceptions; for the vast majority of causes, the process is very methodical and very orderly.

For the cardinal, a fan and former ice hockey player, the rules are the rules.

While the congregation does not have a penalty box, it does have nine tall, doublewide cupboards filled with material belonging to causes that have officially stalled and are unlikely to proceed.

The cupboards line the hallway leading to what the cardinal describes as “one of the greatest treasures of the Catholic Church” — the congregation archives.

The huge rooms contain not only information on every sainthood cause

submitted to the Vatican since 1588 but also Vatican records dealing with every aspect of the Latin-rite liturgy from 1588 to 1969.

For 381 years, the former Congregation of Rites handled both the causes of saints to be added eventually to the church’s liturgical calendar and the liturgy itself.

When the Congregation for Saints’ Causes and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments were separated, Cardinal Saraiva Martins’ office was given responsibility for the historic archives.

Even without looking in the archives, the cardinal can tell visitors that the five-year waiting period the church usually requires before opening a sainthood cause is nothing compared to what it used to be.

“At first, it was 50 years, then it was reduced to 30 and now it is five,” he said. “Why? For scrupulousness and objectivity.

“The 50-year period was instituted because it was unlikely that anyone who knew the person would still be alive and, therefore, the process would be much more objective. Certain passions generated when someone dies cool off and the remaining impressions are more objective,” he said.

The cardinal said the current five-year period allows the excessive emotional

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

March 3, 2006

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

March 12, Second Sunday of Lent Cycle B Readings:

‘On the wired side’

Delaware priest uses podcast to spread God’s word

by GARY MORTON catholic news service

DOVER, Del. — “Greetings, everybody, this is Father Stanislao, and I welcome you to another issue of ‘The Daily Walk Heavenwards.’”

That’s how the soothing, Italianaccented voice of Father Stanislao Esposito welcomed listeners to one recent episode of his spiritual “podcast.”

The associate pastor of Holy Cross Church in Dover, Father Esposito — who goes by “Father Stanislao” on the podcast — uses the Internet medium to preach God’s message of love.

That has been the priest’s mission since young Stanislao — inspired by a book given to him by the pastor of his parish near Naples, Italy — would read parables from the Gospels to his fourthgrade classmates during recess.

Father Esposito, 37, entered the digital world in 1994, developing a Web site to expand on a Bible study group he had formed. Last summer a seminarian friend suggested he try a podcast.

Early one morning in midNovember, in his bedroom in the rectory at Holy Cross, he produced his first podcast.

“It was recorded at 5 o’clock; I had the 6 o’clock Mass,” he said. “I was whispering into the microphone so I did not wake up the other priests.”

Since then, each of the approximately 50 episodes of “The Daily Walk Heavenwards” has begun with an invitation to join Father Esposito on a walk toward heaven. He reads the day’s Gospel, provides a short reflection and offers a prayer.

Some days he will talk about items of current interest. Sometimes he will answer questions from listeners or play some recorded music.

Weekday podcasts run about 10 minutes and are produced and posted on Web sites Monday through Thursday most weeks. Sunday podcasts are longer but rarely exceed 30 minutes.

Once on the Web, the podcasts can be downloaded to iPods or MP3 players around the world.

Father Esposito said he has heard from listeners across the United States and from Europe.

“I feel like my parish is way larger than Holy Cross, and Holy Cross is a large parish” with more than 3,200 families, he said.

Marty O’Toole of Cleveland listens to “The Daily Walk Heavenwards” while driving to work.

“It’s like being able to dial up Father Stanislao at my convenience for a bit of theological teaching with a personal touch,” O’Toole said.

Closer to home, Lisa Smith of Clayton, Del., checks for a new episode every morning.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: MAR. 12, 2006

1) Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Psalm 116:10, 15-19 2) Romans 8:31b-34 3) Gospel: Mark 9:2-10

It’s a blessing to be in God’s hands

By SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service

CNS photo by Don Blake, The Dialog

Father Stanislao Esposito of Holy Cross Church in Dover, Del., wears headphones with a built in microphone as he records his podcast, “The Daily Walk Heavenwards,” in late January. Father Esposito said he has heard from listeners across the United States and from Europe.

“It is wonderful to be able to start the day with prayer and the Liturgy of the Word,” she said.

Podcasts are just the latest way Father Esposito has found to communicate the Gospel message.

In Italy, before he came to the United States in 1992 as a novice of the Holy Cross brothers, “I used to do voiceovers. I used to do theater, musicals, play the guitar, whatever it took to bring out the fact that God loves you,” he said.

“There are so many ways to minister,” said Father Esposito, who left the Brothers of the Holy Cross in 1998, then taught at St. Peter the Apostle School in New Castle before entering the seminary. He was ordained in 2003.

He would like to start a book club and a program called Words of Life, which each month takes a sentence from Scripture and asks members to make it a part of their lives.

Words of Life is part of Focolare, a Catholic lay spirituality movement.

The priest hopes to have several podcasts on “The DaVinci Code” ready before May, when the movie based on the novel is released. He also envisions a commentary on the “Our Father” and programs to help people learn ways to pray.

Editor’s Note: “The Daily Walk Heavenwards” is available at heavenwards.mypodcasts.net. It is also available for iPod and MP3 feeds through i Tu n e s ( w w w. a p p l e . c o m / i t u n e s ; go to the Music Store and type in “ Father Stanislao”) or Podcast Alley (www. podcastalley.com; type “Heavenwards Walk” in the box titled Search for a Podcast).

About this time last year, our family was looking death in the face, and death wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was rather a shock.

Of course we had experienced the deaths of loved ones before. All my grandparents had died in their old age, but it was to be expected. They lived full lives and succumbed, like most of the very elderly do, to the ravages of diseases that take their course.

My husband’s parents recently had died, but they too had suffered with lingering illnesses, and so their deaths, while painful for us, brought some measure of peace.

But this time it was different. This time it was my dad, the quintessential “Energizer Bunny,” who slowed down for nothing and was hardly ever sick, who went to see his family doctor (reluctantly, at my mother’s insistence) about a sinus infection and came back with the diagnosis of the dreaded “c” word: pancreatic cancer.

We all knew that people died of this stuff, relatively quickly. I was numb.

What followed over the ensuing weeks was surreal, since I live 1,000 miles away and didn’t see him or what he and my mom went through on a daily basis.

I only knew I was scared and didn’t want to be. And when his surgeon confirmed the malignancy, I knew that he was in real danger.

It was also then that my faith told me even while I prayed earnestly for his recovery that I had to start the process of “letting go” whether I was ready or not.

His life was truly “in God’s hands,” and the phrase took on a significance that was frighteningly immediate and oddly comforting at the same time.

Abraham, when asked to give up a son whom he loved and wasn’t ready to lose, must have gone through an even more intense test of faith.

My dad’s story had a happy ending: After the tumor’s timely surgical removal and a successful round of chemotherapy, he is as active and energetic as ever, albeit a little thinner. He’ll probably be around for a while longer, and I’ll get a second chance to be his daughter.

But I wouldn’t trade the realization that our lives are truly not ours to hold or the blessing of closeness it brought to our extended family.

We are all in the hands of God, and being reminded of that fact is indeed a blessing.

Questions: What is God asking you to “let go of” right now? How can this letting go make a new space in your heart for God’s blessing?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of March 5-11 Sunday (First Sunday of Lent), Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15; Monday (First Week of Lent), Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Matthew 25:31-46; Tuesday (Sts. Felicity and Perpetua), Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:7-15; Wednesday (Lenten Weekday), Jonah 3:1-10, Luke 11:29-32; Thursday (St. Francis of Rome), Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 or 4:17 (Esther’s Prayer), Matthew 7:7-12; Friday (Lenten Weekday), Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26; Saturday (Lenten Weekday), Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48.

Scripture for the week of March 12-18 Sunday (Second Sunday of Lent), Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10; Monday (Lenten Weekday), Daniel 9:4-10, Luke 6:36-38; Tuesday (Lenten Weekday), Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Matthew 23:1-12; Wednesday (Lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28; Thursday (Lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31; Friday (St. Patrick), Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46; Saturday (St. Cyril of Alexandria), Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

March 3, 2006

‘16 Blocks’ a good trip Living the dream

Catholic college graduate to compete on ‘The by

MARY FRANCES McCARTHY catholic news service

CNS photo by Warner Bros.

Bruce Willis and Mos Def star in “16 Blocks,” a far-fetched but surprisingly diverting New York story about a world-weary alcoholic cop (Willis) assigned to drive a jailed trial witness (Def) to the courtroom 16 blocks away. They quickly find corrupt cops are out to kill the witness before he exposes them, prompting an unlikely alliance between detective and criminal.

Willis and Def are so believable, one readily overlooks the loopholes in the formulaic thriller, while the corny but inspiring themes of breaking with the past, embracing new beginnings, and sacrificing for others resonate.

Violence and language quotients are refreshingly low for this sort of film, and allow recommendation for older adolescents and up. Scattered rough and crude words, mild action violence, a couple of murders, shooting, alcoholic character, brief crime scene gore.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Tarek Saab does not even own a television, but the Catholic college graduate is appearing on television screens across the nation in the fifth season of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” where he competes with 17 other men and women for a chance to work for Donald Trump.

The fifth season premiered Feb. 27 on NBC. Saab, a 27-year-old Maronite Catholic, lived in war-torn Lebanon as a child before he and his family moved into public housing projects in New Bedford, Mass.

He earned a scholarship to a boarding school in Massachusetts and later earned a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington in 2001. Saab now works as a global marketing manager for Texas Instruments in Dallas.

In an interview for “The Apprentice,” Saab said he has lived the American dream because he achieved a successful business career “with little guidance and without a dime” in his pocket.

At the Manchester college, he worked with campus ministry and participated in an alternative spring break in Maine building a home in a poor community.

Benedictine Father Jonathan DeFelice, president of St. Anselm’s, still keeps in touch with Saab and described him as “a young man of great ability and great values.”

“I certainly hope he is successful on the show, but I know that Tarek will make a positive difference in the world wherever he works,” he said.

Saab was also involved in campus ministry at Catholic University, where he led a spiritual retreat for athletes and helped organize a spring break trip to build a meeting room for cloistered nuns in Connecticut.

Therese Bermpohl, former associate campus minister for community

CNS photo by Virginia Sherwood, NBC

Tarek Saab, a Maronite Catholic, appears on NBC’s “The Apprentice.” outreach at Catholic University, described Saab as “a bit of a schmoozer,” but added, “Tarek wants to do the right thing and wants to live his faith out. He really embraced his faith in a more profound way at Catholic.”

Saab attends daily Mass and is godfather to nine children. He mentors youths and speaks at high schools on how faith can influence success. During his college years he also gave chastity talks to high school students.

“He has enough confidence in himself to say, ‘I believe in this message and I will try to live it out,’” Bermpohl said.

When asked how she thinks he will fare on reality TV, Bermpohl said, “I’m hopeful that his faith life will help him, and the fact that he’s a charmer.”

Joe Camm, one of Saab’s friends from Catholic University, is worried that his friend’s confidence might come across as cockiness on the reality TV show, and his honesty could also help or hurt him.

On the show, he said there is “a tendency to point a finger at other people.”

Camm does not think Saab will fall prey to that behavior.

“He’s not like that,” Camm said. “If

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March 3, 2006

March 3, 2006

in our schools

Buzzing about

Sixth-grader wins Geography Bee at St. Pius X by

KAREN GRAVES

special to the catholic news & herald

GREENSBORO — Andrew Scheppegrell, a sixth-grader at St. Pius X School in Greensboro, recently won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee in January.

The school-level geography bees, held by participating schools Nov. 14,

2005-Jan. 13, 2006, determine school winners to compete in the state-level bees in March and the national bee in Washington, D.C. in May. The nationwide geography competition is designed to encourage fourththrough-eighth-grade teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject and increase public awareness about geogra-

The Catholic News & Herald 13

phy.

As the school winner, Andrew took a written test to qualify for the state bee.

The National Geographic Society will provide all-expense-paid trips for the state winners and teacher escorts to the national bee in Washington.

The first-place winner of that competition will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

The following students won in their homerooms and participated in the finalround competition: Fourth-graders: Connor Cooke and William Johnson; fifth-graders: Alex Errington and Connor Speetjens; sixth-grader: Brian Jordan; seventh-graders: John Perry and Nicholas Cook; and eighthgraders: Ethan Miele and Ellis Murray.

Karen Graves is a middle school

Courtesy Photo

Sixth-grader Andrew Scheppegrell recently won the school-level National Geographic Bee at St. Pius X School in Greensboro.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

March 3, 2006

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Move over, ‘American Idol’ Those who make real differences are real celebrities I knew celebrity had reached a strange new status in America when William Hung hit the stage in 2004. The tone-deaf college student was rejected by “American Idol” and then embraced by a cult following of Americans.

It was never quite clear whether fans were mocking Hung’s lack of talent or saluting his abundance of energy, and it didn’t really matter. Across the globe, people bought his album and attended his concerts.

Regardless of what creates stardom, one thing’s for sure: Americans adore the stars.

As a reporter, I’ve had the opportunity to interview a few better known folks. I bragged to everyone in earshot about interviewing Joe Mauer, a catcher playing for his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins. I kept his number in my cell just to show off.

I recently interviewed Omarosa, the villain of NBC’s 2004 “The Apprentice,” and Matt Hoover, the winner of NBC’s 2005 “The Biggest Loser,” for a magazine feature. My reality-TV-viewing friends (and most are) wanted to hear all the juicy details afterward.

It got me thinking about the range of people I’ve interviewed in my young career. But when I’m honest with myself, the most admirable ones are working quietly in their corners — outside the headlines.

An engineering professor devising hunger fighters for women in Africa. Two sixth-graders asking their classmates to donate to youth victims of Hurricane Katrina. A busy mom making time to teach catechism every Wednesday night.

People making a difference.

It makes me wonder about the criteria by which we choose our celebrities. Why do we picture someone’s face on a magazine cover or drop her name in a headline?

Some reasons seem just plain bad.

Take Paris Hilton. The laudable feat she accomplished? Inheriting money.

Now, week after week, magazines

Coming of Age CHRISTINA CAPECCHI cns columnist

illustrate her spending it frivolously, wearing those oversized sunglasses and miniskirts.

The good news is that Catholics have a well-cloaked celebrity who is also well qualified to stand on a pedestal: the pope. Unlike Paris Hilton, the 78-year-old Pope Benedict XVI earned his position through decades of dedication to the church.

I joined 1 million other Catholics to participate in Mass with the new pope at World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, last August. It was awesome to see so many teens gather for a real star.

I even spotted a celebrity magazine on a Cologne newsstand that had printed a picture of Pope Benedict on its cover with the headline “The Star of World Youth Day.” It featured a two-page foldout of the pope on the inside.

Of course, that’s not what Pope Benedict is seeking. The day he was elected pope he told a packed St. Peter’s Square: “I am a humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord.” Pretty different from a vain star in the Hollywood spotlight.

And as opposed to the 15 minutes they score, workers for the Lord land an eternity in paradise. Way better than a Prada purse, Paris.

Recently I took a trip to Rome, where I attended the pope’s Wednesday general assembly. Again, he spoke of humility, this time reflecting on Mary’s response to bearing Jesus.

But since I still haven’t mastered that virtue, I will indulge in my moment of glory: I got to shake hands with Pope Benedict. I looked directly into his smiling eyes and I said “Papa!” in awe.

When he continued down the aisle, tears spilled down my cheeks. How good it feels to find a worthy celebrity.

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Pope says Bible meditation leads to conversion, charity during Lent

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Lent should be a time for deeper meditation on the word of God, which will lead to conversion and to concrete acts of charity, said Pope Benedict XVI. “Lent stimulates us to allow our lives to be penetrated by the word of God and in that way to know the fundamental truth about who we are, where we come from, where we are going and what is the path we must follow in our lives,” the pope said March 1, Ash Wednesday.

Speaking at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the pope urged Catholics to allow themselves to be “nourished with the abundance of the word of God” during Lent.

The pope looked at the two phrases used when distributing ashes: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return” and “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”

The first, he said, is a reminder that people have fallen and have limits, and it “is meant to urge us to place all our hope in God alone.”

Lent is a time of “fasting, penance and vigilance over ourselves, knowing that the struggle against sin never ends because temptation is an everyday reality, and fragility and disillusionment are experienced by everyone,” the pope said.

The admonition to “convert and believe in the Gospel,” he said, “places firm and faithful adhesion to the Gospel at the foundation of personal and communal renewal.”

Letters to the Editor Altar server article a worthy story

I was pleased and moved to read the article in The Catholic News & Herald about the three altar servers with Down syndrome at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro (“Serving at the Lord’s Table,” Feb. 10). As my sister was born with Down syndrome, stories such as this really touch my heart.

My younger sister, Leslie, died before having such an opportunity, but I know, had she had the chance, that she would have been as fine a server as those featured in the article. I am not only pleased that this is happening here in the Diocese of Charlotte, but that it is also considered worthy of a front-page article in the diocesan newspaper.

My prayers are with these servers, their families and the pastoral staff of St. Paul the Apostle Church.

— Father Mark Lawlor, pastor St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte

Confusion over B.C.E., C.E.

I have come across the terms B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Com-

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI “The Christian life is a life of faith founded and nourished on the word of God,” he said. “In the trials of life and before every temptation, the secret of victory consists in listening to the word of truth and decisively refusing falsehood and evil.

“This is the real program of the Lenten period: to listen to the word of truth, to live, speak and act in truth and to refuse falsehood, which poisons humanity and is at the root of all evil,” the pope said.

One who follows the truth, meditates on the Gospel and draws closer and closer to God, he said, also “sees others with new eyes. He discovers his brothers and sisters and their needs.”

“Because the truth of God is love, conversion to God is conversion to love,” Pope Benedict said.

The “climate of Lent,” he said, “is precisely the climate of love for our brothers and sisters” because it is a time for learning to see others with Christ’s eyes.

Pope Benedict said because conversion includes a growing realization of the obligation to demonstrate love for one’s neighbors charity and almsgiving are central to the Lenten practice.

mon Era). This terminology appeared in secular publications so I dismissed their use as a manifestation of political correctness. Still to me, as a Christian, the terms were a bit annoying.

But I was taken aback to see these terms appear several times in the articles about the Dead Sea Scrolls (“Hidden treasures uncovered,” Feb. 24). Have I missed something? When did B.C.E. and C.E. become the accepted term for B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, the Year of our Lord)?

— Joseph Gerardi, Brevard Editor’s response: When it comes to grammar and language usage, we defer to two sources: the Associated Press Stylebook and the Catholic News Service Stylebook.

The AP Stylebook does not mention C.E./B.C.E. However, the CNS Stylebook reads as thus: “C.E.,B.C.E. — The Jewish equivalents respectively of A.D. and B.C. ...

Use with dates only in quoted matter or in stories dealing with Judaism or JewishChristian relations in which the term has significance.”

Although the scrolls and the Old Testament are central to our Christian faith, they are not exclusively Christian documents. Since the scrolls were written by Jews before the time when Jesus lived, using C.E./B.C.E. was appropriate.

To note, the scrolls exhibit at Discovery Place in Charlotte uses C.E./B.C.E.

The Catholic News & Herald 15

March 3, 2006

‘O Dio mio’

Lenten abstinence from television

The happiness in an arsenal of prayer outbursts

Uncle Dan

a few words that may be mental or oral.

Spiritual writers remind us that those who love little and those who are negligent will think this practice is impossible.

Indeed it is, until we give ourselves seriously to mental prayer and fill our minds with good thoughts and affections that build up an arsenal of prayer outbursts.

The secret of my grandparents’ happiness was the gift of experiencing something beautiful, awesome and divine, and being able to throw their heart into it. They could let their love fly.

They celebrated life when the moment presented itself.

This method of prayer speaks worlds to an age that is making us uptight because of terrorism and the fears it spawns. This prayer method asks us: “When did you last see something beautiful and let go with a short prayer of wonder? When did you last release your affections and feel them shoot out like a flame from a burning furnace?

“When last did you see God’s awesomeness in something you experienced and feel compelled to blurt out, ‘O Dio mio!’”?

The Human Side FATHER

EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

Looking back on my life, I often wonder what it was that made my grandparents happy people — people you enjoyed being around.

During my childhood, we lived downstairs from my Italian grandparents.

Grandpa would rise at 5:30 a.m. and take the streetcar to work. He was a sewer contractor. He would dig the ditches between the street sewers and new homes, and fit them with sewer tiles.

Even though it was tough manual labor, he always came home with a smile on his face.

My grandmother was the same. Even though she and my grandfather watched one of their sons die in their home of tuberculosis, she never lost her sense of humor.

I used to think that their secret to happiness came from being Italian and coming from sunny Italy. As we know, the sun does wonders for the disposition.

Recently I came across a book on various methods of prayer that revealed my grandparents’ real secret.

It was common to hear my grandparents periodically cry out in Italian, “O Dio mio,” meaning, “Oh my God.” Although this could be interpreted as alarm over something, it was also said in praise of an unexpected wonderful happening.

This short prayer is relatively common today. How many times have we seen an athlete perform an awesome feat, or come upon exquisite beauty and blurted out, “O my God!” meaning: This reflects God’s power and beauty?

The secret to my grandparents’ happiness was that their day was dotted with prayers of aspiration.

What is a prayer of aspiration? It is a fervent elevation of the mind to God composed of a few words that in a moment are hurled toward heaven to make known to God the good affection and holy desires of our heart. It springs from a heart of love, just as a flame springs from a burning furnace.

It is a short prayer, composed of only

The three kings Q. What can you tell us about the three kings who came to worship Christ after he was born? Do we know their names? Are they considered saints? If so, when is their feast? Where did they die?

(Pennsylvania) A. We know very little about these men, except that the Gospel of Matthew presents them as the first gentiles to believe in Christ (Mt 2:1-12). In the New Testament they are called sages (in Greek “magoi”) who came apparently from the East to offer gifts to the Christ child.

The third-century theologian Tertullian was the first to raise the idea that they were kings; he called them “almost kings.”

Some centuries later they were commonly honored as kings, probably based on the passage in Psalm 72 , which says of the Messiah, “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles (the far west) will offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba (the far south) shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage.”

Many passages in the Gospels and other parts of the New Testament find their roots in prophetic writings of the Old Testament.

The Bible says nothing about how many there were. The numbers fluctuated greatly, but eventually there were said to be three, probably because of the three gifts offered in Bethlehem.

The names Melchior, Gaspar and

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN cns columnist

Balthasar are first mentioned in the sixth century.

By the Middle Ages devotion to the Magi was popular all over Europe. They were venerated as saints, and their images appeared widely in all forms of art.

Much later, in the 15th century, artists started depicting one of them as a black African nobleman.

A feast in honor of the “Three Wise Men” is listed in Butler’s Lives of the Saints for July 23. It is not widely observed, however, and is not on the Catholic liturgical calendar.

No one has a clue, of course, about where or when they might have died.

Catholic authorities in Milan claimed to have their bones after these were brought to Italy from Constantinople around the year 500.

In 1162, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa took them to Germany and gave them to the archbishop of Cologne. They are still enshrined in the Cologne Cathedral.

Are they genuine? For a variety of

reasons, no one can know. That the relics in Cologne are those brought from Milan in the 12th century seems certain. Where they originated, however, and what happened to them during the thousand years before that, no one can say.

A free brochure describing basic Catholic prayers, beliefs and moral precepts is available by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 5515, Peoria, IL 61612.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address, or e-mail: jjdietzen@aol.com.

DAN MORRIS cns columnist

We at the Roadkill Theological Roundtable do not want to take total credit for this, but we are very confident that a groundswell of support is building for something we began advocating more than eight years ago.

But, we would love some of the credit; 72 percent sounds like a good number.

I know it is on the tip of your tongue: CATSCAN, which stands for Catholics Abstaining From Television: a Spiritual Campaign for a Nation. It was born in 1998 in the wake of the U.S. bishops’ vote not to reinstate abstinence from meat on Fridays at the same time they issued a pastoral letter on the media.

We RTR members took their leadership to the next logical step: Let’s abstain from TV on Fridays.

This was met with much confusion and many questions.

For example, would it be licit to tape one’s favorite Friday programs and watch them later? Would it be fudging to watch videos on TV instead or to watch TV on one’s laptop? Would Eternal Word Television Network apply for an exemption?

Why single out TV? Why not also abstain from radio, movies, streamingscreaming videos, cell phones, etc.?

There are a couple of answers to the last question. First, TV is the only medium that has been accepted as a legal drug. Second, it would screw up the acronym — although we could change the campaign from CATSCAN to MRI (Media Reflection and Insight). That said, CAMSCAM does kind of roll off the tongue.

At least two Catholic columnists in recent weeks suggested that Catholics take a hard look at their TV consumption.

—Father Peter Daly hinted that others might want to follow his lead in cutting way back on television (and radio) news, admitting it tends to have just about the in-depth content of product labels, only with less accuracy.

—Media writer Mark Pattison floated the notion of giving up television for Lent. It would certainly unmask any TV addictions we might have — like having it on for background noise or building one’s entire week around the next episode of “American Idol” or “Survivor.”

Whether one decides to abstain from TV on a Friday, for Lent or just for a while, it certainly seems like a healthy exercise.

And if you happen to use the time to visit a friend, a library or a shut-in, tell them RTR sent you. Well, about 72 percent of the way anyhow.

Comments are welcome. E-mail Uncle Dan at cnsuncle01@yahoo.com.

March 3, 2006

Popular pastry

The Catholic News & Herald 16

in the news

Albertines prepare for Lent in culinary fashion — making paczki

by STEVE EUVINO catholic news service

HAMMOND, Ind. — Things are heating up in the kitchen at the Albertine Home in Hammond where the sisters are preparing for Lent in Polish culinary fashion.

In a word, that’s paczki.

A pastry associated with pre-Lenten activities, paczki are very popular with the Albertines, and Sister Patrycja Bryniarska is the unofficial “pro” at making them.

She came to this country several years ago from Poland. Having learned cooking from other sisters, Sister Bryniarska is now in charge when it comes to paczki.

Working with Sister Donata Stachowiak as her interpreter, Sister Bryniarska said that paczki are not just for “fat Tuesday,” the day before Ash Wednesday. That, the sisters said, is more of an American tradition.

In their native Poland, paczki are prepared on the previous Thursday.

So, in keeping with the traditions of two paczki-loving countries, Sister Bryniarska may make up to 200 in

“No one knows how this tradition got started ... everyone (in Poland) has to eat at least one.”

— Sister Donata Stachowiak

CNS photo by Karen Callaway, Northwest Indiana Catholic

Father Matthew Kish sneaks a paczki as Albertine Sister Patrycja Bryniarska forms dough for the Polish pastries at the Albertine Home in Hammond, Ind., Feb. 23. The traditional doughnutlike pastries are said to have come about as a way to use rich ingredients that could not be consumed during Lent.

two days.

“No one knows how this tradition got started,” said Sister Stachowiak, noting that paczki may go back to the 17th century.

According to one account, religious Poles, knowing that they had to give up

to two days of paczki — the Thursday and Tuesday prior to Lent — and where the sisters wouldn’t think of selling their popular pastries.

“It’s a big treat here,” said Sister Stachowiak. “Sometimes the people ask for more than one.”

all their favorite foods for Lent but not wanting to let anything go to waste, took all the rich ingredients, mixed them in a batter, and came up with paczki.

That story makes some sense to Sister Stachowiak. She recalled that people in her native country would eat all they could just before Lent, because once Lent arrived, “they stopped celebrating.”

Back in the kitchen, Sister Bryniarska had the batter ready and was waiting for it to rise to three times its original size. She starts with flour, sugar and eggs; mixes them; and then covers the batter to allow it to rise on its own — with the help of a well-heated kitchen. The entire process takes about two hours.

“The most important part is to take time to prepare the dough,” Sister Bryniarska said.

Sister stresses the need to make the dough “poofy.” Otherwise, she said, the batter becomes “doughy.”

After the batter rises, Sister Bryniarska then kneads the dough. About 40-50 minutes later she starts forming dough balls that become paczki.

She will then add rose marmalade for filling. After adding a little vodka — to the batter, not the cook — she places the balls in oil for frying.

The alcohol, Sister Bryniarska explained, keeps the grease in the cooking oil from saturating the paczki dough.

Sister Bryniarska fries the paczki until they are a light brown color. As to the filling, some people use chocolate, pudding, or jelly, and they have a specific means of getting the filling into the center.

Sister Bryniarska recalled that while growing up in Poland, paczki were a real treat — something the children looked forward to every year.

“Everyone (in Poland) has to eat at least one,” Sister Stachowiak said of paczki.

That was not a problem at the Albertine Home, where residents were treated