March 25, 2005

March 25, 2005

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Year of the Eucharist

Mystery of the Mass, Part 5; youth pilgrimage; eucharistic adoration list Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI MARCH 25, 2005

| Page 7 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Bishop, priests rededicate ministry during chrism Mass

Schiavo being punished for being ‘useless,’ says editorial

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

KEVIN E. MURRAY

VATICAN CITY — Terri Schindler Schiavo has been condemned to die “an atrocious death” in a society that is “incapable of appreciating and defending the gift of life,” said the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano in its March 23 edition.

A judge in the United States “has decided that Terri’s life is not worth living, at the same time condemning the woman to an atrocious death: death by starvation and thirst,” the paper said .

The paper gave its reaction to the case of the severely braindamaged Florida woman in a front-page editorial.

Schiavo, 41, who has been brain-damaged for the past 15

editor

CHARLOTTE — Priests must be willing to sacrifice in order to be good shepherds of Christ’s people, said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“Whether a priest is celebrating the sacraments, or teaching in a classroom, he is in all of those instances gathering Christ’s flock around him, and they hear him and respond as he feeds them on the Word of Life and the sacraments,” said Bishop Jugis.

The bishop offered these words during the chrism Mass, one of the Church’s most solemn Masses, at St. Patrick Cathedral March 22. During the annual Mass, priests rededicate themselves to their priestly ministry, and the bishSee CHRISM, page 5

no. 25

Vatican newspaper: Schiavo condemned to ‘an atrocious death’

A gathering of the faithful by

vOLUME 14

See SCHIAVO, page 4

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis prays the prayer of blessing for the chrism oil during the chrism Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 22. Pictured (from left): Deacon Carlos Medina, permanent deacon at St. Patrick Cathedral; Bishop Jugis; seminarian Paul McNulty; Oblate Father Joseph Zuschmidt (background), pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont; and Father Christopher Roux, master of ceremonies.

Lending a helping Hand to Hand Ministry one of many programs highlighted during CSS Awareness Week by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

Courtesy Photo

Brigette Stowe and her 2-year-old son, Isaiah, read a book. When she was a pregnant teen-ager, Stowe was assisted through Catholic Social Service’s Hand to Hand Program.

WINSTON-SALEM — Brigette Stowe of WinstonSalem was an 18-year-old high school graduate with a lot going for her in 2001.

As opinions shift, church campaigns against death Execution moratorium called for in N.C. by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

College bound, she had been accepted at North Carolina Central University in Durham. With no scholarships, her plan was to pay her way with student loans and membership in the ROTC. Life, she says,

CHARLOTTE — As North Carolina lawmakers were signing a bill that calls for a suspension of executions, the U.S. bishops were kicking off a campaign to end the death penalty in the nation.

On March 20, a bipartisan

See CSS, page 8

See CAMPAIGN, page 12

Culture Watch

Parish Profile

To our readers

‘Da Vinci Code’ still antiCatholic; ‘Millions’ features Catholic students

St. Joseph Church in Kannapolis serves growing community

Our next issue will be April 8. We wish our readers a blessed Easter.

| Pages 10 - 11

| Page 16

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

March 25, 2005

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

CRS collects $121 million in tsunami aid

BALTIMORE (CNS) — Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency based in Baltimore, has collected $121 million for tsunami relief operations as of March 16, said Elizabeth Griffin, CRS media relations director.

Griffin said that the amount of tsumani contributions will continue to rise as many dioceses still have not reported how much money they have collected.

The Diocese of Charlotte raised more than $420,000.

The sum collected so far means CRS can extend its programs in the disaster areas as the amount exceeds the agency’s $80 million program commitment, said Griffin.

The March 17 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy listed CRS as the U.S. charity that has collected the second highest amount for tsunami relief programs. Listed first was the American Red Cross.

Armed with faith

Diocesan planner ALBEMARLE VICARIATE

CNS photo by Lance Cpl. Nathan Alan Heusdens, USMC

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with Marine Lance Cpl. Douglas Curl Jr. during a visit earlier this year to Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Pace presented the Purple Heart to Curl and several other Marines who were wounded in area fighting.

High-ranking Catholic Marine sees no conflict between military, WASHINGTON (CNS) — A photo of Guido Farrinaro still sits on the desk of Marine Gen. Peter Pace in his Pentagon office.

“He was the first man killed doing something that I asked be done,” said the four-star general, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the second-highest-ranking military man in the nation.

The photo, he said, is not only a reminder of Farrinaro, but of all those who have died under his command while serving their country.

It also reminds him to act in ways his Catholic faith requires him to act and recalls the moral lessons imparted to him by the nuns who taught him.

“I struggled real hard not to lash out and be vindictive” after Farrinaro’s death in Vietnam, Pace said. “That would have been counter to what the nuns taught me. I can’t imagine how I would live with myself had I succumbed to something contrary to what they taught me.”

The School Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, who staffed his boyhood parish in Bogota, N.J., taught him morals that “are my anchor and the time to hold onto that anchor is the time you are least prepared to do so.”

After joining the Marines, Pace was

sent to Vietnam in 1968 and put in command of a rifle platoon that experienced heavy casualties.

His time in Vietnam, he said, “drew me closer to God. The most memorable Masses I ever attended were in the field, with bomb craters as gathering places and artillery crates as an altar.”

Pace said his Catholic faith and belief in God are fundamental to what he does today.

“Without God, you could start to believe that the power you have belongs to you,” he said. “It does not belong to you.

It belongs to God and you borrow it.

“As a general you can do good things, you can use your power to make things right. When you report to the next life, you had better be able to report that you used your power to serve the people.”

His Catholic faith does not conflict with his military career, he said.

“I am very comfortable with the United States military and what we do.

We do not keep territory. We go in, do what we need to do, free the people and leave,” said Pace.

“We never conquer and we never subjugate the people. What we do is fundamentally good — we free people and their lands.”

BISCOE — The groundbreaking for the new Our Lady of the Americas Church will be April 9 at 1 p.m. on Farmers Market Road off Route 211 in Candor just east of Interstate 73/74 (Hwy 220). Bishop Peter J. Jugis will preside at the groundbreaking. Following the ceremony there will be food and pageantry followed by a bilingual Mass of Thanksgiving at 4 p.m. For details, call the church office at (910) 428-3051.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 3 with a Holy Hour at 3 p.m. including Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Reconciliation will not be offered. For more information, call Paul Deer at (704) 948-0628.

CHARLOTTE — As a ministry to the hearing impaired, Vanessa Pappas will sign the Liturgy of the Word April 3 during the 10 a.m. Mass at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd. For more information, call the church office at (704) 536-6520 or Cindy Satink, (704) 573-5143.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 3 at 3 p.m. with a solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Reconciliation will not be offered. For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas will host a Blood Drive at the Pastoral Center, 1123 S. Church St., April 6, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more and in

Griffin said that CRS is now trying to educate donors to send contributions that are not earmarked for tsunami relief so that other programs can be developed in the tsunami-stricken countries for chronically poor villages spared by the natural disaster.

A disparity is developing because in some areas a poor village of fishermen unaffected by the tsunamis is not getting help, but a nearby resort village where the people are better off economically is getting aid because it was hit in the disaster, she said.

CRS is still accepting money earmarked for tsunami relief but stopped actively soliciting tsunami funds at the beginning of February, she said.

The Dec. 26 tsunamis left hundreds of thousands homeless in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Maldives, Bangladesh and East Africa.

More than 170,000 people were killed and several thousand more are still missing. good health. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Vanessa Garcia at (704) 3703357 or visit www.ncdonor.com.

CHARLOTTE — Theology on Tap will meet at Pepperoni’s Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center, 4267 Park Rd; Tuesdays in April, at 6:30 p.m.

The theme for the sessions will be “Uncorking the Truth About God, Sex, and the Sanctity of Life” and will feature Father Timothy Reid, Cindy Brown, Dr. Matt Harrison and Abbott Placid Solari as speakers. For more information, contact Catrina Conway at (704) 632-8620.

CHARLOTTE — Al Barbarino and Father Gio Belanich, director of Croatian Relief Services, will visit St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., April 10. A free concert, healing service with the Blessed Sacrament, adoration and Benediction will be offered following the 5:30 p.m. Mass.

For more information, contact Debbie Smith at (704) 578-5059.

CHARLOTTE — The Young Adult Faith Reflection group meets at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., the first and Mondays of each month. The group will read “The Faith Explained,” 3rd edition, by Leo J. Trese and a chapter will be covered every meeting. For more information, call Jordan (704) 737-1964 or Ryan at (704) 377-1328.

GASTONIA VICARIATE BELMONT — What do you know about Islam?

Find out more at Queen of the Apostles Church’s faith formation series, Islam: Religion of Peace, April 4, 11 and 18, 7-8:30 p.m. The series will cover Islamic history, practices and contemporary issues. Classes will meet at the church, 503 North Main St. For details, contact Dennis at (704) 8259600, ext. 26 or e-mail teallfleming@yahoo.com.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — Theophany Catholic Theatre Company will perform “The Jeweler’s Shop,” writ-

March 25, 2005 Volume 14 • Number 25

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Karen A. Evans Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: 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

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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 25, 2005

Priest’s words at consecration Vatican official says church must be committed to life at all must guide way he lives, pope FROM THE VATICAN

et Spes” pushed the church to be actively involved in promoting justice in the world, while at the same time remembering that justice promotes human dignity, which is a gift of God. “When the church commits herself to works of justice on a human level — and there are few institutions in the world which accomplish what the Catholic Church accomplishes for the poor and disadvantaged — the world praises the church,” he said.

“But when the church’s work for justice touches on issues and problems which the world no longer sees as bound up with human dignity — like protecting the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death, or when the church confesses that justice also includes our responsibilities to God himself — then the world not infrequently reaches for the stones mentioned in our Gospel today,” Cardinal Ratzinger said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church’s commitment to justice must include a commitment to protecting human dignity at every stage of human life, said Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The church rightly is praised for its work on behalf of the poor, but when it comes to protecting the life of the unborn, it often is ridiculed, said the cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Cardinal Ratzinger was the main celebrant and homilist at a March 18 Mass at a Vatican conference marking the 40th anniversary of “Gaudium et Spes,” the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

The day’s Gospel reading was the account of Jesus’ enemies wanting to stone him to death for blasphemy because he claimed the miracles he performed were the result of his special relationship with God. Cardinal Ratzinger said “Gaudium

ten by Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), April 9 at St. Pius X School, 2200 North Elm St. This new theatre group is dedicated to the renewal of contemporary culture through dramatic art as a unique and highly effective way of reflecting Christ to all people. There is no charge for admission. For reservations, please contact Peter Strafaci at (336) 931-1239 or ppstrafaci@yahoo.com.

10, 2-4 p.m. all campus building will be open and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the church office at (704) 720-0600.

GREENSBORO — Theology on Tap will meet April 6, 13, 20 and 27 at Coopers Ale House 5340 West Market St. For more information, e-mail greensborotot@yahoo.com.

SALISBURY — Sacred Heart Church, 128 N. Fulton St., celebrates a Charismatic and Healing Mass the first Sunday of each month at 4 p.m.

Prayer and worship with prayer teams will be available at 3 p.m., and a potluck dinner will follow the Mass. Father John Putnam, pastor, will be the celebrant. For further information, call Bill Owens at (704) 639-9837.

HICKORY VICARIATE

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE

LENOIR — St. Francis of Assisi Church, 328B Woodwsay Ln. NW, will host Landings, an outreach program for those who have left the Catholic Church and are thinking of returning.

Landings will meet Saturday evenings at 7 p.m., April 2-May 28. Anyone interested in participating should call the church office at (828) 754-5281.

SYLVA — St. Mary Church 22 Bartlett St., will observe Divine Mercy Sunday April 3, 3-4 p.m., with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, communal prayer and song followed by a reception at St. Mary’s Rectory next door.

Come celebrate with us the great mystery of His Divine Mercy. For more information, call (828) 586-9496.

HICKORY — A Charismatic Mass is celebrated the first Thursday of each month in Sebastian Chapel of St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, at 7 p.m. For further information, contact Joan Moran (828)-327-0487.

SALISBURY VICARIATE MOCKSVILLE — St. Francis of Assisi Church, 862 Yadkinville Rd., will celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy April 2 at 5 p.m.; April 3 at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. Masses. We will also process and enthrone the Divine Mercy image with eucharistic adoration at 1:30 p.m. Sunday with reconciliation, recitation of the holy rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet and Benediction at 3:30 p.m.

Reception will follow in the Parish Center. For details, call the church office at (336) 751-2973.

CONCORD — An open house to commemorate the construction of the new St. James the Great Church, 139 Manor Ave., will take place April

Episcopal

calendar

service of anyone in need.”

“This is exactly what Jesus expected of his apostles,” the pope said, and it is what “the people of God expect of a priest.”

Priests are called to be heralds of the good news that on the cross and through the Eucharist Jesus shed his blood for the salvation of all people, Pope John Paul wrote.

“Yet unless we sense that we ourselves are saved, how can we be convincing heralds?” the pope asked.

Credibility, he said, comes from knowing that one has been saved, living a holy life and demonstrating that one truly believes that Christ will come again.

“Vocations will certainly not be lacking if our manner of life is truly priestly, if we become more holy, more joyful, more impassioned in the exercise of our ministry,” he said.

Editor’s note: The text of the pope’s letter can be found on the Vatican’s Web site at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/ john_paul_ii/letters/2005/documents/ hf_jp-ii_let_20050313_priests-holy-thursday_en.html.

Weaving faith

MAGGIE VALLEY — A Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreat for post-abortion healing will be held in at Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Ln., April 8-10.

For further information or to register contact Shelley at (828) 684-4330, (828) 230-4940 or sglan1234@aol.com. For a complete list of retreat dates and locations visit www.rachelsvineyard.org.

CNS photo by Karen Callaway, Northwest Indiana Catholic

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 15 days prior to the event date in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@ charlottediocese.org or fax to (704)

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

March 26 — 7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 6 — Celebration of Feast of St. Benedict Belmont Abbey, Belmont

March 27 — 11 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 9 — 1 p.m. Groundbreaking for new church Our Lady of Americas Church, Biscoe

April 2 — Ordination to the Diaconate St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Penn.

April 9 — 5 p.m. Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Albemarle

April 4-5 — Bishops’ Ecumenical Dialogue LARCUM Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The words a priest recites when consecrating the Eucharist must be the words that guide the way he lives, Pope John Paul II said.

Thanksgiving, self-sacrifice, a desire to show others the way to salvation, remembering Christ’s saving work, holiness and hope must mark not only a priest’s celebration of Mass, but his whole life as well, the pope wrote March 13 in his annual Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday.

The pope quoted parts of the eucharistic prayers and explained how those words should shape the life of a priest. Jesus’ first words at the Last Supper, he said, were words of thanksgiving.

A priest “must cultivate a constant sense of gratitude for the many gifts he has received in the course of his life,” the pope said.

“We have our crosses to bear — and we are certainly not the only ones — but the gifts we have received are so great that we cannot fail to sing from the depths of our hearts our own Magnificat,” the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise, he said.

Modeling his life on Christ who gave himself for others, the pope said a priest must “offer himself as a gift, placing himself at the disposal of the community and at the

April 11 — 7 p.m. Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro

Sister of St. Joseph Joan Romaniak demonstrates palm weaving with parishioners at St. John Bosco Church in Hammond, Ind., following Palm Sunday Mass March 20. The nun learned the art at home and in her early days in the convent. Woven palms were seen as a symbol of protection in the home, she said.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Schiavo’s death SCHIAVO, from page 1

years, can breathe on her own but requires nutrition and hydration through a feeding tube.

On March 22, U.S. District Judge James Whittemore refused to order the restoration of Schiavo’s feeding tube, which had been removed March 18 by order of a Florida state judge. A 2-1 ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta confirmed that decision.

Schiavo’s parents had appealed to the federal judge after U.S. President George W. Bush signed emergency legislation March 21 allowing them to do so.

But Whittemore said he refused to order restoration of Schiavo’s feeding tube because the woman’s parents had not established a “substantial likelihood of success” at trial on the merits of their arguments.

The Vatican newspaper called the rea-

around the diocese

sons behind the court decision “absurd and chilling” and said Schiavo’s “destiny” based on a court decision was not unlike the death sentence facing the men and women sitting on death row.

However, in this case, “Terri has not committed any crime, other than that of being ‘useless’ in the eyes of a society that is incapable of appreciating and defending the gift of life,” it said.

“A human being, not a vegetable, is slowly dying” and instead of “provoking a wave of pity or solidarity,” the “authentic drama” of Schiavo is “smothered by the indecent race to arrogate the right to decide on the life and death of a human creature,” the paper said.

Schiavo’s suffering recalls the “the agony of love” that comes when one remembers to help those who are “more fragile and needy,” said the paper.

“The slow, heart-rending agony of Terri” is “the agony of humanity,” it said.

March 25, 2005

For the least among us

Courtesy Photo

Knights of Columbus from several councils around North Carolina hold a $38,329 check for “Local Forsyth Area Agencies and Schools” during a disbursement dinner at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem March 10. During the dinner, four Knights councils — Bishop Greco Council 9499, Holy Cross Council 8509, Santa Maria Council 2829 and Our Lady of Mercy Council 10504 — distributed funds raised during their Operation LAMB fund-raisers to 20 agencies and schools with programs for mentally handicapped children and adults. The Operation LAMB (Least Among My Brethren) program began in North Carolina in 1973.

The councils in Forsyth County have raised more than $92,000 in the past three years to benefit the mentally handicapped. Pictured (from left): Grand Knight Chip Evans and Op LAMB Director Dave Thomas, Council 8509; Grand Knight Butch Tomlinson, Council 10504; Op LAMB Director Bobby Page, Council 2829; Grand Knight Bob Nicolosi, Council 9499; Op LAMB Director and emcee Bailey Cobbs, Council 10504; and Op LAMB Director Brian Sternecker, Council 9499.

March 25, 2005

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Rededication of priestly CHRISM, from page 1

op blesses the oils to be used throughout the diocese in the upcoming year.

Bishop Jugis, along with concelebrants Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin; Abbot Placid Solari, OSB, abbot of Belmont Abbey; Abbot Patrick Shelton, pastor of St. James Church in Hamlet; and other clergy of the diocese, gathered with about 100 priests, permanent deacons and seminarians for the diocese to celebrate the liturgy with the people of faith whom they serve.

During his homily, the bishop welcomed the priests who were retiring and those who were celebrating anniversaries of priesthood ordination.

The recommitment ceremony, which followed the Liturgy of the Word, included the priests’ renewal of their dedication as ministers of Christ, striving to be more like Christ and being faithful to their sacred ministry.

“We priests will renew our priestly promises with a dialogue of two questions,” said Bishop Jugis. “The first question we are asked is if we are willing to sacrifice ... our own pleasure and ambition in order to carry out the responsibilities of the priesthood ... in order to promote only Christ.”

The second question deals with the ministry the priests perform — the ministry of the sacraments, the ministry of teaching and the ministry of shepherd, said the bishop.

“It’s a life where everything is

placed at the service of Christ,” said the bishop. “Are we willing to sacrifice all?”

A sign of a priest’s commitment and total surrender to Christ is the prostration which takes place during the rite of ordination, said Bishop Jugis.

In each of the ordination rites — for deacon, for priests, for bishop — there is the prostration, the sign of his total surrender to the Lord in which he says, by that very posture, ‘all is yours. I surrender everything to you. All belongs to you. Take and receive,’” said the bishop.

“The other time prostration shows up in the sacred liturgy of the church is the prostration of Good Friday, the celebration of the Lord’s Passion, where the priest and deacon, as they approach the altar, are “prostrate on the floor once again, recalling our Lord’s total surrender of himself in his Passion.”

“The priest, in the midst of his people, by his prostration is giving a sign of the primacy of Christ’s love,” said Bishop Jugis, “not only in the life of the church, but in his own life personally as a priest.”

“It’s Christ’s love, Christ’s grace, that gives life to the ministry, because apart from him, we can do nothing,” he said.

The bishop stated that in Pope John Paul II’s new book, “Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way,” the Holy Father “makes a connection between the Lord’s Passion and the rite of ordination. Christ the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep ...”

A powerful and practical sign that

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Priests gather around Bishop Peter J. Jugis to concelebrate the eucharistic prayer during the chrism Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 22. the priest is a figure of Christ the Good Shepherd is when the priest is surrounded by his flock, said the bishop.

“The shepherd stands in the midst of his flock; as they listen to him, they recognize the voice of the good shepherd,” he said.

Priests receive the grace of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration, said the bishop.

“How many graces pass through the priest’s hands as he ministers to God’s people, and how marvelous is that anointing that we receive at our ordination, and in which we remain steadfast everyday in our prayer,” said Bishop Jugis.

“In this Mass of commitment to priestly service, and the blessing of the oils and consecration of the sacred chrism, let the example of total surrender of the good shepherd, which we entered into at our ordination, be now our inspiration and our guiding light,” he said.

Also during the Mass, Bishop Jugis blessed three oils used in sacramental and liturgical practices for all of the faithful throughout the coming year.

The oil of the sick, used to anoint the ill and dying, was blessed first. Next came the blessing of the oil of catechumens, which is used during the rite of baptism. The consecration of the chrism — a duty that belongs to the bishop alone — took place near the close of the Mass. Chrism — perfumed with balsam, an aromatic oil derived from trees — is an oil of consecration used after baptism and during confirmation, the ordaining of bishops and priests, and the blessing of churches and altars.

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis pours the balsam into the oil during the consecration of the chrism during the Mass March 22. Balsam is what gives the sacred chrism its fragrance. Seminarian Paul McNulty holds the Sacramentary.

Vials of the oils are dispensed to every parish and mission church in the diocese. With the sacred oils — and having recommitted themselves to the mission they share with their bishop — the priests returned to their parishes, rededicated in

6 The Catholic News & Herald

easter spirit

March 25, 2005

Reliving the

Courtesy Photo by Lisa Crates

Fifth-graders at St. Mark School in Huntersville present a Living Stations of the Cross to the student body, parents and faculty in St. Mark Church March 18.

Courtesy Photo by Lisa Horton

Fifth-graders at St. Ann School in Charlotte present a Living Stations of the Cross for students, parents and faculty March 22. The event was part of two Easter traditions at St. Ann School — after the firstgraders showed off their Easter bonnets during an Easter parade through the school, the student body and guests gathered in the gymnasium for the Stations of the Cross re-enactment. Each year, Sister of St. Joseph Helene Nagle, principal, pulls names for the roles of Jesus and Mary. This year, Tim Wahl was selected to play Jesus and Allison Webber played Mary.

Courtesy Photo

The seventh-grade religion class enacts a Living Stations of the Cross for fellow students, parents and faculty at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro March 2. Chris Ostrom, seventh-grade teacher, directed the enactment. A second performance was held during Holy Week March 23.

March 25, 2005

Credo

Understanding the Mystery of the Mass, Part 12 In the Liturgy of the Word, Christ the great teacher and good shepherd instructs us through the faithful proclamation of Scripture. The events of salvation history are unfolded from the Old Testament promise of a Savior to the New Testament fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Following the particular Scripture lessons is the homily or sermon, wherein the celebrant inspires, encourages and admonishes the faithful to apply the truths of Scripture to their lives in seeking the Kingdom of God. The homily or sermon is, in fact, a response to the lessons of Scripture presented in the Liturgy of the Word with the purpose of increasing faith.

As a further extension of our response to the Word of God, the Profession of Faith and the General Intercessions complete the Liturgy of the Word and are the focus of this week’s catechesis on the Mass.

The Profession of Faith is otherwise known as the Creed (from the first word in Latin, “Credo,” that is “I believe”). The Creed is an ancient summary of Christian beliefs. It is a compendium of the truths of Scripture.

It is historical fact that the Profession of Faith was not originally formulated for use in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Rather, the Profession of Faith was framed in the early Catholic Church for a two-fold purpose: 1) as a list of affirmations recited by the believer before his or her baptism; and 2) as an antidote to the confusion and doubt caused by heresy, or false teachings, about Christ and the articles of faith.

The Apostles’ Creed was one of the earliest and most concise sets of beliefs.

However, due to rampant heresy and theological confusion, the elements of each symbol of faith were elaborated and given further explanation. Thus, the church proposed the list of truths at the Council of Nicaea in 325, added to it at the Council of Constantinople in 381, with the final composition at the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

It was this more explicit symbol of faith that first entered the Mass at the Council of Toledo in Spain in 589: “Let the Creed resound, so that the true faith may be declared in song, and that the souls of believers, in accepting that faith, may be ready to partake, in Communion, of the

YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST

Guest Column Father Matthew Buettner guest columnist

body and blood of Christ.” From Spain, the entrance of the Creed in the Mass spread to Western Europe, where it was eventually placed after the Gospel.

Like the Gloria, the Profession of Faith can be distinguished into three parts: 1) a confession of faith in God the Father as creator of heaven and earth; 2) a confession of faith in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God; and 3) a confession of faith in the means of salvation, supplied by the Holy Spirit through the Church.

These three parts of the Creed unite to form a body of truths that establish the foundation of orthodox Christian faith and ultimately, give witness to the marvelous history of God’s love.

And, as a further response to the events of salvation in Scripture and in recognition of the ongoing work of salvation in the world, the faithful speak on behalf of the church in interceding for the needs of the church and the world. It is important to note that the General Intercessions are by definition “general,” that is, they refer to the broad needs of the universal church and the world.

By definition, they are also “intercessions” or petitions, rather than prayers of thanksgiving or praise. The church orders the sequence of intercessions: for the needs of the church, for public authorities and the salvation of the world, for those oppressed by any need and for the local community, including the faithful departed.

The General Intercessions bring closure to the Liturgy of the Word and bring to completion our verbal response to the Word of God. But the Mass is not ended. The Word must again become “flesh and dwell among us.” The one, true sacrifice of Jesus Christ the high priest must again be presented.

Next week we begin the second part of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Father Buettner is parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton.

WANT PREVIOUS COLUMNS? Father Buettner’s “Mystery of the Mass” series is available online at www.charlottediocese.org/mysteryofmass.html

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Adoration of the Eucharist is offered at the following churches: Andrews Holy Redeemer Church Fridays, 9-10 a.m., with confessions ending

with Benediction Arden St. Barnabas Church Sundays, 1-10 p.m.; weekdays, 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturdays, 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

Asheboro St. Joseph Church first Fridays following 8:15 a.m. Mass until 1 p.m.

Asheville Basilica of St. Lawrence daily, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Belmont Abbey Mary, Help of Christians Church daily, 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Boone St. Elizabeth Church first Fridays following the 12:15 p.m.

Mass for one hour Bryson City St. Joseph Church first Fridays following 5:15 p.m. Mass (unless otherwise posted) until 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte Our Lady of the Assumption Church first Fridays, following 7 p.m. Mass for one hour St. Gabriel Church perpetual adoration St. Matthew Church Fridays following 9 a.m. Mass until 9 a.m.

Saturday, in chapel St. Peter Church first Fridays following the 12:10 p.m. Mass with Benediction at 1:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas Church Fridays following 12:15 p.m. Mass until 8:30 p.m.

St. Vincent de Paul Church first Fridays following 9 a.m. Mass

until 10:30 a.m.

Clemmons Holy Family Church Thursdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. except holidays Concord St. James the Greater Church first Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mass at 11 a.m.

Denver Holy Spirit Church first Fridays, 7 p.m.-1 p.m. Saturday Forest City Immaculate Conception Church Thursdays, 7-8 p.m.; Fridays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Sundays, 8-9 a.m.

Franklin St. Francis of Assisi Church first Fridays 9 a.m. until 9 a.m. Saturday; other Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Gastonia St. Michael Church eve of first Friday, 10 p.m. until 8 a.m.

Friday Greensboro St. Benedict Church first Fridays, 12:15-8 p.m.

St. Paul the Apostle Church first Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Hendersonville Immaculate Conception Church first Fridays, 9-11:30 a.m.

Hickory St. Aloysius Church first Fridays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

High Point Christ the King Church first Fridays: call church for time

Maryfield Chapel perpetual adoration Huntersville St. Mark Church Fridays, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Jefferson St. Francis of Assisi Church Fridays, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Kannapolis St. Joseph Church Thursdays, 4-7 p.m. ending with Benediction and followed by a Spanish charismatic prayer group; Fridays, 10 a.m.-7:45 p.m., ending with Benediction and followed by bilingual Mass Kernersville Holy Cross Church Fridays following 9 a.m. Mass until 7 p.m.

Lenoir St. Francis of Assisi Church Saturdays, 4:15-5:15 p.m.

Lexington Our Lady of the Rosary Church Fridays following morning Mass until 5 p.m.; Benediction following 11 a.m. Mass Sundays Lincolnton St. Dorothy Church Fridays, 6-7 p.m.

Linville St. Bernadette Church Fridays following 11 a.m. Mass Marion Our Lady of the Angels Church first Fridays, 8:30-11:30 a.m. followed by Benediction and Mass. For Spanishspeaking parishioners, 6-8 p.m.

Mocksville St. Francis of Assisi Church first Fridays at 11 a.m.; Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

Monroe Our Lady of Lourdes Church Saturdays, 6:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Sunday Mooresville St. Therese Church first Fridays following 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:45 p.m.

Mt. Airy Holy Angels Church Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Thursdays,

10-11 a.m.

Newton St. Joseph Church first Fridays following 12:10 p.m. Mass

until 6 p.m.

Salisbury Sacred Heart Church Thursdays, 7-8 p.m.; Sundays 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Spruce Pine St. Lucien Church first Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Statesville St. Philip the Apostle Church first Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Swannanoa St. Margaret Mary Church first Fridays following 12 p.m. Mass until 5 To include your church in this list, please call (704) 370-3354. p.m.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Refugee resettlement directors convene in

css awareness week

CSS ministries chang CSS, from page 1

CSS resettles, assists thousands of refugees by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CHARLOTTE — Dozens of Catholic directors involved in immigration and refugee resettlement throughout the Southeast and Southwest recently gathered in Charlotte to discuss and share ideas about the ministry.

Elizabeth Thurbee, executive director of Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Charlotte, and Cira Ponce, director of CSS’s Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte, were among the 40 participants attending the Migration and Refugee Service’s 2005 Regional Convening, themed “Strategies for a New Reality,” held at the Omni Hotel in Charlotte March 3-5.

Since 1975, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) has coordinated the resettlement of more than 800,000 refugees in dioceses throughout the country. MRS periodically convenes program directors from various regions to discuss strategies and report on the various aspects of their ministries.

“It’s an opportunity to bring together those who provide the services to discuss problems and the creative ways they have found to address the problems so the resettlement process can happen more effectively,” said Thurbee.

“It gives us an opportunity to speak with national offices about concerns and strengths in our diocese and to network with other dioceses about their resettlement programs,” said Ponce.

Topics included management issues, advocacy, resource allocation and the reception and placement program for the thousands of refugees resettled legally in the United States.

Since 1975, the diocesan Refugee Resettlement Office has assisted in the resettlement of more than 8,400 refugees from 28 nations and serves as a link between the refugee population, service agencies and the local community.

Through combined efforts of paid staff and volunteers, the diocesan Refugee Resettlement Office provides assistance with housing, social services, health care, social security registration, school registration and cultural and community orientation. It also provides employment orientation and placement, interpretation and initial transportation to appointments.

Instruction in English as a Second Language is available through group classes and in-home volunteer tutors.

Refugees in the diocese have come pri-

March 25, 2005

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis welcomes to Charlotte par ticipants of the Migration and Refugee Services’ 2005 Regional Convening March 3. marily from Asia and Middle Europe during the 1990s, according to Thurbee. But recently there has been a rise in refugees from Africa, particularly from Sudan and Somalia, she said.

The majority of refugees are victims of political strife and unrest in their homelands, said Thurbee.

“All the refugees we assist are here legally and often have spent one to 10 years in resettlement camps,” she said.

With each group of refugees, there are particular issues to address in the community, said Thurbee.

Those issues are not only financial, she said, but also include support from the community such as supplying apartments, home furnishings and automobiles; serving as mentors and translators; and assisting with job placement.

Mary Morton, MRS grants and programs administrator, remained in the diocese after the conference to give a presentation at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte March 6 to solicit volunteers and other community support.

“According to the U.S. bishops, Catholic social teaching says that ‘the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person,’” said Ponce.

WANT TO HELP? For more information or to donate to the diocesan Refugee Resettlement Office, call (704) 370-3277 or e-mail refugeeoffice@cssnc.org.

was all about her.

But two weeks before the start of her freshman year, she stumbled.

Brigette was pregnant and single. The college career was cancelled, her future was in doubt and, obviously, it was no longer only about her.

Today, thanks in part to the Catholic Social Services Hand to Hand Program, Brigette is the proud mother of 2-yearold Isaiah, a working mom and a fulltime student. Her goal is to be a social worker and someday be in a position to help others.

As the first Catholic Social Services Awareness Week takes place April 3-9, Brigette’s story is a reminder that thousands of people in need of assistance and understanding are helped each year

by CSS. “Many people in our diocese are not fully aware of the outstanding work done by CSS,” said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“Catholic Social Services Awareness Week will provide an opportunity to inform all parishes of the great good that CSS does among us and for us.”

Since 1947, before the Diocese of Charlotte was established in 1972, CSS has helped hundreds of thousands of people in North Carolina by expanding and adapting programs to better respond to the needs in the communities, said the bishop.

“Even today, CSS is challenged to do more and reach further because of the needs of parishioners,” said Bishop Jugis. “Rooted in the Eucharist and reaching out with the help of CSS, we can better serve the many people in our diocese who need our help.”

A young Hispanic girl stands in front of her family. Catholic S North Carolina, such as Program Esperanza in Charlotte; Ca and Legal Migration Assistance in Asheville. failed and her telephone was stolen, she had no money left to apply for college.

Hand to Hand came through with the $40 application fee.

Now she spends a full day in class at Winston-Salem State University before going to her job as a night clerk in a motel. She is often tired, but says her priorities are in order.

Her baby is the center of her life, she said, and both she and Isaiah are “trusting in the plan that God has for us.”

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

March 25, 2005

css awareness week

ge many

Courtesy Photo

Social Services offers Hispanic services throughout western asa Guadalupe in Boonville, Greensboro and Winston-Salem; Hand to Hand The Hand to Hand Program is a non-sectarian program providing mentoring and supportive services to teenagers who are pregnant or parenting for the first time. More than 1,500 teens have received services from the Hand to Hand program since it began in 1988.

“When the program first started, the focus was more on adoption as-

sistance than parenting support,” said Katisha Blackwell, a program supervisor in the CSS Piedmont Triad Regional Office. “However, over the years the focus has shifted to parenting support.”

“At present, program services include case management, parenting education, mentoring, transportation assistance and a peer support group,” said Blackwell.

Over the last 17 years, more than 1,500 girls in Forsyth County aged 10 to 21 have gone through the two-year Hand to Hand program.

“When they enter the program, they are overwhelmed with the new responsibility of being a parent,” said Blackwell. “When they exit, they are much more confident in themselves and better able to consistently make responsible decisions, and more confident in their abilities as parents.”

Brigette talks excitedly about how she was encouraged to communicate with Isaiah when he was only a year old.

“I asked him about his day and he answered me; then I asked him something else and now we talk all the time,” she said.

Amazed that a one-year-old could communicate, Brigette said, “He knows more than I think he knows.”

Another primary mission of Hand to Hand is to prevent repeat pregnancies. The classes and in-home visits put an emphasis on peer support among the young mothers, said Blackwell.

“I get a lot of encouragement (from CSS). They are showing that they care for me,” said Brigette. “It tells me that I don’t need to (get pregnant) again.”

Better tomorrows According to Blackwell, the feeling of caring and belonging is a critical element of Hand to Hand. Before entering

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Courtesy Photo by Ann Kilkelly

Linda Campbell of the CSS Refugee Resettlement Office talks with Bosnian youths in Charlotte.

the program, Brigette said that, other than her mother, she had little support for her situation. Isaiah’s father is not participating in the baby’s life.

The classes and individual meetings with a social worker have changed her.

“I drew closer to the Lord and renewed my relationship with Him,” she said.

Brigette said the best thing about Hand to Hand is that she never felt she was being judged by anyone.

“People can look at a pregnant single woman and say, ‘she has messed up her life,’ but Hand to Hand made me feel welcomed and at peace,” said Brigette. “I was excited to be part of the group.”

Despite the help and encouragement, life still is not always easy for Brigette. When the brakes on her car

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on Hand to Hand, call (336) 725-HAND. For more information on CSS Awareness Week, call (704) 370-3228.

Fast Facts Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Charlotte, 2003-04: 18,000+ people helped by CSS 7,249 people receiving CSS counseling services 1,909 people receiving immigration assistance through CSS 1,500 immigrants who received assistance with their income taxes 1,000 participants from Charlotte who, organized through CSS, walked in March for Life in Washington, D.C. 350 couples who prepared for marriage through CSS-sponsored classes 58 years since Catholic Social Services office opened (as part of Diocese of Raleigh)

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

March 25, 2005

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Italian cardinal: ‘Da Vinci Code’ plays on antiCatholic sentiment

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY — The success of Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” is the result of a marketing strategy playing on anti-Catholic sentiment, said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, Italy.

The cardinal told Vatican Radio he was particularly concerned about the fact that the book, first published in Italian in 2004, now is available in paperback and is popular among high school students.

“There is an idea circulating in the schools that one must read this book to understand the dynamics of history and all the manipulations carried out by the church in the course of history,” Cardinal Bertone told Vatican Radio March 15.

“This is truly sad and terrible,” he said, explaining why he had scheduled a public discussion about the book in Genoa.

Cardinal Bertone said the most ridiculous premise in the novel is the Catholic Church’s alleged “obliteration of the feminine aspect from the Gospel narratives and in the life of the church.”

“There is nothing more false,” he said, pointing to the importance the church gives to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the attention the Gospels pay to Jesus’ female disciples, including the women who announced to the male disciples that Jesus had risen.

“There is nothing more false than the need to rediscover a — how can I say it — an ‘amazon’ Mary Magdalene in order to recuperate the presence of women” in the church, he said.

“The more mystifying element” of the book, Cardinal Bertone said, is its “denial of the death and resurrection of Jesus.”

Cardinal Bertone, calling the book a “castle of lies,” said he thinks promotion of the book is an anti-Catholic reaction to all the positive attention paid to the Catholic by

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: APRIL 3, 2005

April 3, Second Sunday of Easter Cycle A Readings: 1) Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 2) 1 Peter 1:3-9 3) Gospel: John 20:19-31

In Jesus’ presence, all will become believers

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

CNS photo from Reuters

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, Italy, speaks out against Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” in a March 15 interview with Vatican Radio.

Church and the Christian faith during the Holy Year 2000.

The cardinal said it seems acceptable to be anti-Catholic; “I ask myself what the reaction would be to a similar book, full of lies, about Buddha or Mohammed or if a novel came out manipulating the whole story of the Holocaust, the Shoah.”

Part of the book’s marketing strategy, he said, is to try to convince people “that one is not an adult Christian if one has not read this book. But I say, ‘Do not read it and, especially, do not buy it.’”

“Glenn! Glenn!” 14-year-old Kenny shouted as he broke out of a circle of 48 teen-agers.

He ran across the room to embrace his adult retreat leader. Locking Glenn in a bear hug, eyes glistening, Kenny grinned and said: “I just want to thank you for getting me here. Otherwise I would’ve missed the greatest weekend of my life!”

Glenn told me that story after a weekend retreat for ninth- and 10thgraders. He didn’t have to explain to me what had gone on or why it was Kenny’s greatest weekend.

I knew that Kenny had been “locked away” on retreat with a group of disciples of Jesus and many reluctant seekers like himself. While he was there, Jesus had stood in their midst, recognized

Kenny’s doubt, and invited him to touch him. Drawn to a wounded, open hand, Kenny touched God and believed.

Kenny’s dad practically had to drag him to the retreat site. Like the other young teens, Kenny was uncomfortable and fearful. Slowly, though, he allowed caring friends to guide him — to set him up — to meet Jesus.

During the retreat, adults and youth shared stories exposing their own wounds to reveal Jesus’ saving presence. They were stories of hurt and healing; stubbornness and patience; sinfulness and mercy; death and new life.

Kenny could relate, and he found in that body of believers a Jesus who actually touched him and loved him and valued his unique gifts.

Kenny’s moment closely mirrors Thomas’ moment in this weekend’s Gospel. Along with the Old Testament passage, they show us how Jesus brings his people to belief: The community of believers gathers, in faith, to encourage one another and strengthen themselves by pooling their gifts. Because they each have personal experience of Jesus, when he comes and “breathes” life on them they recognize him and exchange knowing glances. They invite others to come be with them, trusting that Jesus, in their midst, will offer himself.

Transformed by the personal touch of God, the new believer is affirmed by the knowing community and becomes a part of it.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of March 27-April 2 Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord), Acts 10:34, 37-43, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9; Monday (Monday in the Octave of Easter), Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday (Tuesday in the Octave of Easter), Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday (Wednesday in the Octave of Easter), Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday (Thursday in the Octave of Easter), Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday (Easter Friday), Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday (Easter Saturday), Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15.

Scripture for the week of April 3-9 Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter), Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31; Monday (The Annunciation of the Lord), Isaiah 7:10-14, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38 ; Tuesday (St. Vincent Ferrer), Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7-15. Wednesday, Acts 5:17-26, John 3:16-21; Thursday (St. John Baptist de la Salle), Acts 5:27-33, John 3:31-36; Friday, Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday, Acts 6:1-7, John 6:16-21.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

March 25, 2005

New ‘Millions’ movie focuses on characters who attend Catholic school

by MARK PATTISON catholic news service

WASHINGTON — It’s not exactly a case of life imitating art.

The characters played by the two young actors in the new movie “Millions” go to a Catholic school in the north of England. In reality, though, only one of the youngsters does.

Lewis McGibbon, who plays older brother Anthony, is in his first year at Cardinal Newman High School in Warrington, England.

“We have priests who teach us in class about religious education, and we have Mass,” said Lewis, 13.

Alex Etel, who plays younger brother Damian in the movie, attends a public school. But it was at an open casting call at his school in Gatley, England, that he was first spotted and, ultimately, cast.

Lewis’ first introduction to acting, he recalled, came at age 6, when he was “fascinated by people on TV. I told my mum I would love to do something like that.”

In “Millions,” Damian (Alex) finds a suitcase full of money. He also has conversations with saints, who appear to him, and discusses with them such matters as what to do with the money. While Anthony (Lewis) wouldn’t mind an occasional splurge amid some prudent investments, Damian sets out to give money to the poor — as only an 8-year-old could define “poor,” such as Mormon missionary neighbors whose townhouse lacks some modern amenities.

“I don’t really know the lives of the

saints that much. It was on the script,” Alex confessed while in New York to promote the movie, which opens March 11 in some U.S. cities.

Lewis said that having faith “helps you in life. It makes you a better person. You start to learn things that you don’t know about.”

Because his character wrestles with the responsibility of dealing with so much money at his disposal — the lads never tell their widowed father about it until they absolutely have to — Alex said he has been asked questions about money. He said he didn’t know whether filming “Millions” has changed his approach to it.

“No one really cares about money,” he said. “You just throw it away. But you really need to keep on (top of) it. It’s a big part of your life.”

One thing both young actors agree on is their favorite scene from the movie: They are somewhat magically swept away to an African beach at film’s end. Director Danny Boyle said the scene should not be regarded as a fantasy sequence, but as something real that happens through the power of Damian’s faith.

The U.S. bishops’ Office for Film & Broadcasting gave “Millions” a classification of A-II — adults and adolescents — for “a couple of mildly crude expressions, some intense episodes of menace, a momentary sexual situation, religious stereotyping, slight irreverence, and a brief scene where the brothers look, with boyish curiosity, at a Web site for women’s bras.”

Harry Forbes, director of the office, said the “quirky and charming” movie is “ideal entertainment for older adolescents and up.”

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

March 25, 2005

around the diocese

Many work to abolish death CAMPAIGN, from page 1

group of 38 N.C. state representatives signed House Bill 529 that calls for a twoyear suspension of executions so a commission could study North Carolina’s capital punishment system.

“House Bill 529 simply provides for a study of the documented flaws in our death penalty system and a necessary and finite delay of executions,” said Rep. Joe Hackney, a Chapel Hill Democrat. “The bill also allows for capital trials and appeals to proceed during those two years that executions are halted.”

Bolstered by this kind of trend in public policy, as well as new polling data showing Catholics increasingly oppose capital punishment, the U.S. bishops on March 21 kicked off Holy Week by launching a Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty.

The United States Conference of Catholic bishops have spoken out against the death penalty several times since the 1970s, and individual bishops and state or regional church organizations also have issued dozens of statements and pastoral letters on the topic.

In March 2004, Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte wrote a pastoral statement in support of moratorium legislation in North Carolina.

“The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has considered it a hopeful sign, and a testimony to society’s growing recognition of the dignity of all human life that so many societies have ended the use of capital punishment all together,” wrote Bishop Jugis.

“The Church’s teaching on the death penalty is based on the principal that all life is sacred, made in the image and likeness of God, and that if the innocent of society can be protected from aggressors with non-lethal means, then indeed, such means

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are preferable to the use of lethal force,” he wrote.

Recently, the bishop wrote Gov. Michael Easley of North Carolina to ask for him to sign any moratorium legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Catholic opinion The national campaign hopes to bring “greater urgency and unity, increased energy and advocacy and a renewed call to our people and to our leaders to end the use of the death penalty in our nation,” said Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington at the press conference where the campaign was announced.

Cardinal McCarrick said the campaign will include educational efforts through schools, parishes, universities and seminaries; advocacy with Congress and state legislatures and before the courts; working to change the debate about the death penalty and challenging the notion that justice allows “an eye for an eye”; as well as prayer and reflection.

Pollster John Zogby presented data from his two recent polls showing nearly half of Catholics now oppose capital punishment, a shift of about 20 percent from polls as recent as 2001, when 68 percent of Catholics polled by CBS supported the death penalty.

He said he found the Catholics most likely to oppose the death penalty are those who go to church most frequently.

Fifty-six percent of those who attend Mass at least weekly oppose the death penalty, compared to 50 percent of less frequent churchgoers, he found.

A phone survey of more than 1,700 Catholics interviewed in November 2004 found 48 percent of all Catholics See CAMPAIGN, next page

March 25, 2005

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington speaks at a March 21 press conference in Washington launching a new campaign of the Catholic bishops to end use of the death penalty. John Zogby, left, is president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling firm whose recent data shows that Catholic opposition to the death penalty has increased dramatically.

CAMPAIGN, from previous page

supported the death penalty, and 47 percent opposed it. A follow-up survey in March of about 1,000 Catholics found supporters and opponents split at 48.5 percent and 48.2 percent, respectively, Zogby said.

Broader polls done by Gallup and Quinnipiac University last fall found Americans overall supported capital punishment by 66 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Both the Gallup and Quinnipiac reports said those figures represented a decrease in support of several percentage points from the most recent previous polls.

Until recently, Catholics have tended to support capital punishment by about the same percentage rate as the general public.

Zogby said the shift in opinion among Catholics seems to be that they are hearing and taking to heart the church’s teaching that fundamental respect for human life includes even those guilty of crimes. Pope John Paul II and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” say that while the state has the right to resort to capital punishment in order to protect society, in the modern world the death penalty is unnecessary because such circumstances are essentially nonexistent.

“For us this is not about ideology but respect for life,” said Cardinal McCarrick. “We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. We cannot defend life by taking life.”

“These (Zogby) poll results demonstrate that the consistent message of

The Catholic News & Herald 13

from the cover

CNS photo by Paul Haring

our Church, that human life is sacred and worthy of protection from conception to natural death, is sinking in and being recognized as a foundational moral teaching of our Church,” said Joe Purello, director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace.

“It’s becoming impossible, for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to ignore the Catholic Church’s prophetic stance that life must be chosen over death,” he said.

Shifting momentum John Carr, director of the bishops’ Department of Social Development and World Peace, which is coordinating the campaign, said one of the factors that seems to be changing people’s support for the death penalty may be that “we’ve been executing

a lot of people and we don’t feel better.”

Capital punishment will eventually be gone from the United States, Carr said, but it won’t be because of a single court ruling or law passed by Congress, but the combination of lots of smaller events, such as the recent Supreme Court rulings saying it is unconstitutional to execute people who are mentally retarded or who committed their crimes as juveniles.

Local initiatives In North Carolina, the moratorium bill does not call for the end of the death penalty, according to Rep. Paul Luebke of Durham.

“On the contrary, this bill calls for a reform of a system that is in dire need of repair so death penalty supporters can have confidence it is serving its intended purpose,” he said.

Stephen Dear, executive director of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty (PFADP), said momentum for a moratorium has built steadily over the last several years.

“We believed we had the votes in the House last year, but the vote did not come to the floor,” said Dear. “We’re hopeful that we will get a positive outcome in the House this year.”

If the bill passes the House, it will be sent on to the Senate for consideration.

Concerned North Carolinians should now contact their legislators to urge their support for the bill, said Dear.

“This will not happen without people calling, visiting, and writing their legislators,” he said.

“The numerous pastoral statements from Pope John Paul II and the U.S. bishops, as well as the work of countless activists in our communities and parishes advocating for life - whether for the unborn, those in hospital beds, or those on death row - are contributing to building our Church’s counter-cultural message that says violence and death must not be the response to difficult challenges society and individuals face,” said Purello.

“As sacred Scripture said, we ‘choose life, so that we and our children may live,’” he said.

The North Carolina Coalition for a Moratorium, of which PFADP is a member, will hold a Moratorium Day on March 30 in Raleigh to give organizations, congregations and individuals an opportunity to meet with their legislators.

Those wishing to participate in Moratorium Day can find information about buses leaving from various cities in North Carolina at www.pfadp.org.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

March 25, 2005

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Unusual mother, remarkable child — an Easter story When I learned the inspiring account of an unusual mother, holding the hand of her AIDS-afflicted child, traveling a Lenten journey to the cross and beyond, I knew I was immersed once more in the Easter love story.

Several years ago I saw an article in Readers’ Digest by a reporter I knew from my hometown, Paul Grondahl. He told the story of Mercy Sister Mary Ann LoGuidice and her adoption of Barbara, a young child who was HIV-positive and whose mother was dying of AIDS. Sister Mary Ann was executive director of Community Maternity Services, an agency in Albany helping pregnant teens, children with AIDS and others.

With the blessing of Albany’s Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and her religious community, Sister Mary Ann became Barbara’s mother, caring for her nearly five years until her death from AIDS at age 8 in 1993.

The story was deeply moving, so honest about the excruciating pain and the faith struggle this nun-mother endured at the loss of her beloved child. I related.

A few years ago I sought out Grondahl to talk to him about an astounding series he had written on high-tech prisons. I asked him about Sister Mary Ann. He told me they now had collaborated on a book and that the story was being considered for a television movie.

I got their book, “That Place Called Home,” and truly couldn’t put it down.

At first I thought I was reading my own story. Her father, like mine, was an immigrant from southern Italy, a butcher who owned a grocery store in Albany and never sent anyone hungry away; she went to Blessed Sacrament School, the first Catholic school I attended, and to my college, the College of St. Rose.

Her big Italian family spanned 23 years, like mine, and was devoted to children. I related so strongly to her and really understood why, nurtured in love herself by family and Christ, she had become Barbara’s mommy and given this

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO cns columnist

beautiful child the home she yearned for.

Sister Mary Ann explained that Barbara “drifted into my world like an autumn leaf carried on the wind and transformed me, my family and a community of friends with her extraordinary life force and amazing grace.”

Easter means new life — and that’s what the child Barbara gave to the world in her legacy of having touched so many lives with joy. Even her physician marveled at how this child accepted her diagnosis from a place of utter faith in God’s will and with remarkable courage.

Those who knew her affirmed she had an awe of life, was excited about God’s gifts, from butterflies to dandelions to sunsets. She showed us “a glimpse of God.’’ While Sister Mary Ann is still “haunted’” knowing that 8.2 million children worldwide are orphaned by AIDS-afflicted mothers, her work in human services for youth takes on a special sacredness because of Barbara.

Barbara’s funeral was held in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, my parish, the church I practically lived in until I was married and moved away. Bishop Hubbard presided, saying, “Barbara’s is truly a fantastic love story — a triumph of the human spirit and the conquest of goodness over the forces of ignorance, fear, sickness, suffering and even death.’’

Indeed, this is an Easter story that I pass on with joy!

More info required on stem-cell research I was glad to see the articles “Catholics fight embryonic stem-cell research” and “Stem-cell basics explained” in the March 18 issue.

Many people are confused and misled by the national media. Although your articles covered the basics, what they did not mention were the ethical implications. People must be made aware of the ethical dimension that adds to the movement into our “culture of death” and the utilitarian use of human life.

Recently I have developed an interest in the stem-cell issue and have been amazed at the number of diseases that are being treated with adult stem cells.

Letters to the Editor This great news is, for some reason, being suppressed in the interest of advancing a theoretical promise based on killing a human being. The ethical implications of this issue are staggering.

If pursued we can expect a co-modification and commercialization of human life, and creating a class of humans who exist only as a means to achieve the ends of others.

— Marie Carlson Ennice, N.C.

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When we became known as where and by everyone.

In the period after the final division of Eastern and Western Christianity in 1054, the church in the West tended to refer to itself as “Catholic.” Those in the East usually called themselves “Orthodox” (meaning correct belief).

In more recent times, those in the East who are united to the bishop of Rome generally call themselves “Catholic” as well, while “Orthodox” is used of those not in union with Rome.

The Protestant designation is used for those who generally base their theology and ethics in the Bible, as interpreted by the principal leaders of the Reformation in the 16th century.

We have it on the authority of St. Luke (Acts 11:26) that, also in Antioch, disciples of Jesus Christ were called “Christians” for the first time, decades before St. Ignatius introduced the word “catholic.”

At least in some areas, Christianity was known as “the Way” (e.g. Acts 9:2, 19:9), implying the Christian belief that the truths revealed by Jesus were not simply a set of propositions but a way of life.

Beyond that, we don’t know much about how early Christians were identified.

A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about the sacrament of penance is available by sending a stamped selfaddressed envelope to.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at Father John Dietzen, Box 3315, Peoria, Ill. 61612, or e-mail: jjdietzen@aol.com.

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN cns columnist

Q. When and how did Catholics become known as Catholics? Why was that name chosen? What were we called before that?

(Michigan) A. The title “catholic” for the followers of Jesus Christ was first used by St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch in Syria, who died about the year 107. In his letter to the Christians in Smyrna, on his way to martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius said that “where Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church.”

At the time, the designation “catholic” would not have referred to the Catholic Church in distinction from other Christian groups, which for all practical purposes did not yet exist. It is derived from the Greek word “katholikos,” signifying general or universal, which would have been the meaning intended

by Ignatius.

The term has since taken on several meanings. It is used of the universal church, as distinct from local Christian communities. It also applies to the faith of the whole church, believed every-

The Catholic News & Herald 15

March 25, 2005

Those who stand with the accused People deserve compassion, not contempt will promote growth and continued life.

Always at Stewart’s side is her daughter Alexis. Peterson’s parents and others have remained present for him and were disconsolate at his sentencing. Jackson, too, is continually surrounded by his famous parents and siblings.

(I find it interesting that, while the Jacksons reportedly are Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is a Christian minister, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who counsels and prays with them by phone almost daily to help diminish their anxiety before court.)

Some years ago, outside Superior Court in Washington, a friend and I saw a young woman crying her heart out. We stopped and asked her what was so wrong.

“My brother just got 40 years in jail,” she wailed.

We said sincerely: “We are so very, very sorry. We’ll be praying for you and your brother.”

Our compassion made her stop crying for the moment. Then she disappeared into a sea of people oblivious to her heartache.

I believe people like her should matter. They deserve our compassion, not our contempt.

friends loyal to defendants and convicted felons deserve the public’s consideration?

Are their sword-pierced hearts, their grief for what has happened to someone dear to them reasons for critics to refrain from jeers and name-calling?

I can hear one of my more cynical friends saying: “Give me a break! You mean I can’t call a creep a felon or bimbo jailbird simply because his mother may be somewhere in the world listening?!! Come on!”

My answer would be, “Well, yes.” For every cruel pronouncement one makes lambasting another, regardless of whether or not the other is guilty, he makes a statement about himself. He broadcasts his own lack of humility.

Humble people are well aware of their own faults, like the Good Thief crucified with Jesus. Humble people have a good idea how much they have been forgiven by the Almighty. Humble people are ever mindful that, but for the grace of God, “there go I.” No one act represents all there is to an individual, but a particularly heinous act can overshadow all good in the eyes of others. Because they’ve grown to love a person, family members and true friends hold out despite terrible odds for a resolution that

Bridging Gaps CAROLE NORRIS GREENE cns columnist

There are plenty of high-profile court cases to weigh in on these days.

Scott Peterson was given the death penalty in the brutal murder of his wife Laci and unborn son Connor.

Martha Stewart has been released from prison and is now on home detention until August with some restricted travel allowed.

Michael Jackson is battling accusations of child molestation.

What disturbs me about these cases is what they bring out in people. Too much of it is ugly.

Peterson’s half-sister Anne Bird has written a book, “Blood Brother: 33 Reasons Why My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty.”

I’ve heard Stewart called unflattering names because she’s spent time in jail.

Even so, people with nothing better to do are rallying to walk in her shoes, trying on home-detention monitors and coveting the shawl she wore when released.

Jackson continues to be a favorite brunt of comedians and late-night talk show hosts.

I wonder: Do family members and

Lost and found Life is too short to hold grudges “Your sister just called. She’s coming home!” my mother shouted with excitement.

Oh great, I thought cynically. First she steals money and runs away, turning our parents into crazy people as they try to find her. Now she returns as if nothing happened.

To make it worse, they’ll probably make a big fuss over her like she’s some conquering hero returning from battle.

But I didn’t say that. I just mumbled, “I’ll be in my room.”

“I’ve been here all along, and they barely notice me,” I thought to myself as I skulked up the stairs. What about me?

Why don’t I get more attention? I tried to say that to my parents one time, but my mother just told me to read the story of the Prodigal Son. You know, the prodigal son. That’s the story about the brother who wastes his inheritance, then returns home in shame to beg for forgiveness. Instead of punishing him, however, his father throws a party. The older brother complains that he doesn’t get as much attention as his troublesome kid brother, but nobody seemed to care.

It sounds like my family. I do the right things without reward while my sister gets a celebration just for showing up. Where’s the fairness in that?

My sister and I were in high school.

I was two years older and always had been a goody-two-shoes with glowing report cards and friends who said “please” and “thank you.”

My sister was the type who loved to push the boundaries to see how much she could get away with. She hung around with people who never looked you in the eye, who smelled of smoke and didn’t play sports or make it home by curfew.

She was the kind of kid I didn’t like. She didn’t like me very much either.

It didn’t start out that way. When we were little we used to play games together with the kids in the neighborhood, and we’d whisper in bed after the lights went out. But as my sister grew, so did her rebellion. It was hard to watch, especially because she seemed so unhappy.

Gradually she went her way, and I went mine. My sister’s path took her down dark alleys and lonely abandoned lots, eventually leading to drug addiction and alcoholism. The thing was, the worse her situation became, the more sympathetic I was.

It wasn’t till we were out of high school that I began to understand addiction and how incredibly strong its pull can be. That made it easier to stand by her when she entered drug treatment

Coming of Age M. REGINA CRAM cns columnist

or got in trouble with the law. I guess it made me see that she was still my baby sister even though we walked vastly different roads.

Our best times together were years later when she was dying. She was clean of drugs and alcohol, so that outrageous sense of humor was back. She always made me laugh. I knew we didn’t have much time left, so perhaps that softened me and made me more willing to forgive the past and try to make the best of the little time we still had.

That’s what we did. Sometimes we laughed ourselves silly. Often we cried about stupid things we’d done. I forgave her for the trouble she had caused, and she forgave me for being so self-righteous.

It was long after she died that I realized what had happened. I was no longer the whiny older brother to the prodigal.

A youth minister is Uncle Dan DAN MORRIS cns columnist

A tip of the hat to the youth ministers who labor long and hard in parishes across the country — some paid, some not; some full-time, some not; some young themselves, some not.

Having known a handful pretty well, however, I can venture that: —A youth minister is someone who at times feels like he or she is doing battle with the mighty forces of culture and peer pressure with a coat-hanger sword and a smile.

—A youth minister is someone who marvels at how powerful Jesus can be when wielding a pipe-cleaner sword and a smile.

—A youth minister is someone who aches for the adolescent struggles he or she witnesses.

—A youth minister is someone who rejoices deeply when a troubled teen takes a positive turn toward maturity.

—A youth minister is someone who hurts when he or she watches a gifted youth who seems bent on squandering those gifts.

—A youth minister is someone who often is humbled by the innate wisdom of young people.

—A youth minister is someone torn by what to do with confidences shared by those in his or her care.

—A youth minister is someone who thanks God for the times she or he is able to help a youngster carry a burden.

—A youth minister is someone who sleeps with a thin blanket and socks for a pillow on a hard gym floor during a 48-hour youth ministry fast in solidarity with the poor.

—A youth minister is someone who praises God when a young person moves from feeling that Mass is an unbearable obligation to experiencing it as a joyful celebration and encounter with God. —A youth minister is someone who enjoys challenging young minds to grasp truths, traditions and teachings that are rooted in all time.

—A youth minister is someone who comes to understand acutely the power of example.

—A youth minister is someone who is caught off guard when a parent or a pastor puts an arm around his or her shoulders and says: “You are doing a great job. We are blessed by you.”

Well, youth ministers, you are. And we are.

March 25, 2005

The Catholic News & Herald 16

PARISH PROFILE

Kannapolis mission church serves growing Catholic community ST. JOSEPH CHURCH 108 Saint Joseph St. Kannapolis, N.C. 28081 (704) 932-4607 Vicariate: Salisbury Administrator: Redemptorist Father Alvaro A. Riquelme Permanent Deacon: Deacon Dan Carl Number of registered households: 150

Redemptorist Father Alvaro A. Riquelme St. Joseph Church became a mission of St. James Church in Concord.

Father Alvaro Riquelme, pastor of St. Joseph Church, is a native of Chile who was raised in the United States. The predominately Hispanic parish has a ratio of three Hispanics to one Anglo.

Father Riquelme has seen tremendous growth in the Spanish-speaking population of his parish.

“When I worked as a seminarian in this area in 1995, there was just one Spanish Mass per month with 75 people attending,” he said.

By 2001, more than 500 Hispanic families were worshipping regularly at St. Joseph Church, while about 160 Anglo families were registered. St. Joseph Church now has two Spanish Masses each week with 800 to 1,000 worshippers.

One of St. Joseph Church’s most active groups is the charismatic prayer group, which draws up to 100 parishioners to its weekly services.

A bilingual staff, including Father

Photo by George Cobb

St. Joseph Church, one of only two Catholic churches in Cabarrus County, meets the spiritual needs of hundreds of Catholics in Kannapolis.

Riquelme; Josh Gilliam, youth minister; and Sylvia McGill, parish nurse, help bridge the gap between the Hispanic and Anglo parishioners.

McGill, one of only a few parish nurses in the Piedmont area, serves the growing parish by providing essential medical services and information.

With such growth, additional space for worship was required and, on Oct. 6, 2001, then-Bishop William G. Curlin dedicated a new 1,000-seat St. Joseph Church, built on the site of the small, white church that had served the parish since 1949.

Staff Writer Karen A. Evans contributed to this story.

KANNAPOLIS — In the first half of the 20th century, the Catholic population in North Carolina was largely a missionary group. Northern Cabarrus County Catholics, like many others in the state, had to travel for Mass, and it was partly from that need for more churches that Bishop Vincent S. Waters of Raleigh decided to establish a parish in Kannapolis.

In 1944, Bishop Waters invited the Redemptorist Fathers to begin priestly

work in Kannapolis. Before that ministerial presence, locals traveled to Concord or Salisbury for liturgies. Redemptorist Father Francis Funk was named the first pastor of St. Joseph Church and was handed the task of locating a site for a church.

Masses were celebrated in a private home in the meantime.

Father Funk was successful in his quest, and a building on the six-acre site was furnished as a chapel. The first Mass in the chapel was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1954. Sixteen parishioners made up the charter congregation.

With a new parish taking root in Kannapolis, Bishop Waters established a mission in Mooresville and placed it in the care of St. Joseph Church’s clergy.

The Kannapolis priests also ministered to Catholics at the Mecklenburg County Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Huntersville.

Tragedy struck St. Joseph Church on Holy Thursday in 1949 when a fire destroyed the chapel. While parishioners made plans to replace their church, they gathered for Masses in a funeral home chapel and school auditorium.

A military chapel on the North Carolina coast was purchased by St. Joseph Church in September 1949. The structure was transported to Kannapolis and was assembled in time for Christmas Eve midnight Mass that year. About 120 Catholics lived in Kannapolis at the time.

Diocesan clergy assumed the pastorate of St. Joseph Church and its mission, St. Therese Church in Mooresville in August 1954, interrupting for a time the Redemptorist presence. St. Therese Church gained parish status in 1956.

As Kannapolis grew, so did St. Joseph Church. Industry and businesses have added to the congregation, and a number of converts have complemented its growth as well, prompting the need for additional facilities.

A parish hall was built during the 1950s. Modular classroom space for religious education was added in the 1980s and a parish activity center was constructed in the early ’90s.

In August 1969, the community of