March 31, 2006

March 31, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Parish Profile: St. Joseph Church embodies spirit of worship, good works

| Page 16

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI march 31, 2006

Rallying for the cause

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

vOLUME 15

no. 25

Decoding da Vinci

Thousands gather to voice concerns over immigration policy by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CHARLOTTE — As the fate of millions of illegal immigrants is considered in the Senate, thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities across the country, including here in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The eight-block march from Holy Cross Church in Kernersville to the town’s Municipal Building drew an estimated 1,000 people March 25. A rally at Marshall Park in Charlotte drew an estimated 6,000 people March 25.

Although Bishop Peter J. Jugis was unable to attend the See RALLY, page 5

Faith in the extreme

Middle-school students attend retreat by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — More than 250 middle school students had their faith re-invigorated in an extreme way at the Extreme Faith Retreat 2006, which took place at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte March 25.

Young people representing 16 of the 92 parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte gathered for a day of prayer, reflection and catechesis.

The goal of the retreat is See EXTREME, page 4

CNS photo from Reuters

Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” features prominently in Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” and the movie version due this May. The story also depicts Opus Dei, an international Catholic organization, as a secretive cult within the church.

Vatican officials relatively quiet about ‘The Da Vinci

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Is “The Da Vinci Code” on the Vatican’s radar?

You wouldn’t know it by public pronouncements.

Vatican officials have said little or nothing about the book, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, or the upcoming movie, expected to open the Cannes Film Festival in May. The dominant school of thought at the Vatican is that it

is always best to ignore a book or film that presents the church unfairly.

“You’re only feeding the publicity,” said one Vatican official. “I don’t think the Vatican will say much about this movie when it comes out — if anything.”

But not everyone feels that way, and there are signs that the Code phenomenon may be reaching the critical mass See CODE, page 9

Opus Dei called ‘complete opposite’ of ‘The Da Vinci Code’

by JERRY FILTEAU catholic news service

WASHINGTON — The impression of Opus Dei conveyed in Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” is “the complete opposite of what Opus Dei is about,” said Brian Finnerty, U.S. spokesman for the international Catholic organization.

The book portrays Opus Dei as a secretive cult within the church plotting to take over the church and willing to kill those who stand in its way.

One of the main characters in the book is a murderous albino Opus Dei monk named Silas.

In fact Opus Dei, headed by a bishop, is a personal prelature — part of the hierarchical structure of the church — and it has no monks.

With the vast public attention given to the book over the past three years, and now with the movie coming out in May, Opus Dei is using the occasion “to get the word out See OPUS DEI, page 8

Inside the Curia

Enduring light of faith

Perspectives

Computer-whiz cardinal answers medical questions

People still show devotion to Pope John Paul II

Easter and being yourself; coping with news of war

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| Pages 14-15

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

March 31, 2006

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

Poll shows many want religious history in public school textbooks FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CNS) — Religious history and traditions should not be kept out of public school classrooms or textbooks, according to a national poll conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute.

According to results released March 7, more than 79 percent of respondents said religious traditions should be included in public school textbooks and the same percentage also said it was important to teach religious history in public schools.

But some respondents indicated they were not always happy with the way their religious traditions are portrayed in textbooks.

Thirty-six percent said public school textbooks frequently misrepresent their religious history. Twenty-six percent said misrepresentation does not happen or seldom occurs, and 36 percent were unsure.

Among Catholics, 34 percent believe textbooks misrepresent their religion, while 35 percent of Protestants believe

A ROYAL spirit

Diocesan planner ASHEVILLE VICARIATE

CNS photo by Karl Bierach, New Vision

Kansas City Royals baseball player Mike Sweeney poses before a March 9 spring training game. The five-time All-Star first baseman gives a lot of praise to God and uses him as a beacon to guide his life.

Sweeney plans to join players around the league in November on a pilgrimage to meet Pope Benedict XVI in an effort to bring Catholic values into Major League Baseball.

Catholic baseball player thanks God for many SURPRISE, Ariz. (CNS) — It was a cool and crisp morning at spring training camp for the Kansas City Royals baseball team in Surprise.

Wearing a bright blue jersey with the number 29 stitched on the back, first baseman Mike Sweeney worked on his bunting skills.

The five-time All-Star said he was excited to be back at camp and had a lot to be thankful for this spring.

“I’m healthy, blessed with a great wife and two beautiful children and at times I ask the Lord, ‘Why are things so good?’” said Sweeney.

“I know it’s due to his mercy, grace and love for me,” he said.

As a Catholic athlete, Sweeney gives a lot of praise to God and uses him as a beacon to guide his life.

During a time when some of baseball’s biggest stars have been surrounded by controversy about the use of steroids and other performanceenhancing drugs, Sweeney credits the church in keeping his mind, body, and soul pure.

“Without the gift of the Catholic Church and being able to receive the Eucharist, I would probably be the guy experimenting with steroids, drugs and infidelity,” he said.

“I get filled up by my relationship with God,” he said.

When they are on the road for weeks at a time, Sweeney and other members of the Royals seek out a local church before their Sunday games.

Attending services on a regular basis has really strengthened his love for the Lord, he said.

At times in the past, he said, he “would just go through the motions at Mass,” but in the last few years he has developed “a heartfelt love for the Eucharist.”

“I truly believe in Christ’s presence and feel such an honor to receive it,” he said.

For baseball players, the goal of the season is to win the World Series in October. Sweeney believes his team is talented enough to make the Series but he knows that, win or lose, something special awaits him in November.

Players from around the league plan to make a pilgrimage to meet with Pope Benedict XVI in an effort to bring Catholic values into Major League Baseball.

“I spoke with (St. Louis Cardinals pitcher) Jeff Suppan, and he said meeting the pope (last November) was a life-changing experience,” Sweeney said.

“Getting on his knee and kissing the pope’s ring changed him forever. I want to experience that,” he said.

ASHEVILLE — Fostering Justice Worldwide, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, will share Catholic Relief Services (CRS) stories. This free event will take place at St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St., April 8, 1:15-4:45 p.m. The program will provide an overview of Catholic social teaching, CRS-related work in the Diocese of Charlotte, CRS work in Africa, presentations on effective advocacy and more. This event will be repeated in Charlotte June 24, in Newton Sept. 9 and in Stoneville Nov. 4. For specific details about the Saturday afternoon events, please call the Office of Justice and Peace at (704) 370-3234 or (704) 370-3225, or e-mail justicepeace@charlottediocese.org.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — A Lenten Mission will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., April 1-5. Norbertine Father Alfred McBride will celebrate the weekend Masses April 1-2 and at 12:10 p.m. April 3-4. There will be a conference and penance service April 3 at 7:30 p.m.; conference and anointing of the sick April 4 at 7:30 p.m.; and Mass and commissioning service April 5 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 554-7088.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will have a Polish-language Mass on Palm Sunday, April 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. Confessions will be available in Polish beginning at 2 p.m. For more information, please call Elizabeth Spytkowski at (704) 948-1678.

their faith is misrepresented.

More than half of all respondents, 57 percent, suggested publishers allow religious groups to review, but not edit, public school textbooks for accuracy prior to their release. Another 27 percent did not agree and 14 percent were unsure.

Among Catholics and Protestants, support for such textbook reviews was 63 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

“A majority of Americans polled seem to indicate that not only do religious histories matter, but getting them right matters as well,” said June-Ann Greeley, assistant professor of religious studies at Sacred Heart University.

The Sacred Heart University institute’s poll was completed via 1,000 telephone interviews with residents nationwide Feb. 9-15. The margin of error for the survey was plus or minus 3 percent.

CHARLOTTE — The Divine Mercy Novena will be recited at St. Gabriel Church’s Daily Chapel, 3016 Providence Rd., beginning on Good Friday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. and Holy Saturday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. All following days the novena will be recited at 7:30 p.m. Our Lord said to St. Faustina, “By this novena, I will grant every possible grace to souls” (Diary, 796). If you are not familiar with this devotion, please come and pray. We will have brochures available with the intentions our Lord has asked us to bring to him during this novena. For more information, call Tina Witt (704) 846-7361.

CHARLOTTE — Dr. Warren Carroll will speak on “The Growing and Indestructible Church” at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Park Rd., April 18 at 7:30 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, call Estelle Wisneski at (704) 3649568 or e-mail jfwisneski@cs.com.

CHARLOTTE — New formation classes for the St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet the second Saturday of each month, 10 a.m.-12 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 — 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.

CHARLOTTE — The Happy Timers of St. Ann Church meet the first Wednesday of each month with a luncheon and program at 1 p.m. in the Msgr. Allen Center, 3635 Park Rd. All adults

March 31, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 25

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 31, 2006

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope, cardinals discuss several issues, including dialogue with Islam VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI and most of the world’s cardinals sat down for closed-door discussions on a number of administrative and pastoral questions, including dialogue with Islam.

The pope presided over the day of reflection and prayer March 23, the day before he inducted 15 new cardinals, who also were invited to the meeting in the Vatican’s synod hall.

There was no formal agenda, but the pope and cardinals discussed the condition of retired bishops; the question raised by (Archbishop Marcel) Lefebvre and the liturgical reform desired by the Second Vatican Council; and questions connected with the dialogue between the church and Islam.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington said the discussion on Islam reflected the shared recognition that “somehow we’ve got to relate to Islam, because

it’s such a major force in the world.”

“I think (the pope) is concerned that fundamentalist Islam is hostile to every other faith. That’s a concern of all of us,” Cardinal McCarrick said.

He said participants were worried about the fate of Christian minorities in some Muslim countries.

In his own remarks to the assembly, the cardinal said he stressed the need to encourage moderate Islamic leaders to “speak out and proclaim an Islam which is tolerant and able to work with others.”

Others said that, while interfaith dialogue was important, perhaps more important right now is practical cooperation with Muslims — as a sign of dialogue in action.

It was the pope’s idea to convene the meeting, and Vatican sources said it signaled a strong advisory role for the world’s cardinals under the new pontificate.

age 55 and older are welcome. For details, call Charles Nesto at (704) 398-0879.

GASTONIA VICARIATE

Please call the church office at (828) 5869496 to pre-register.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

BELMONT — A Morning of Reflection in preparation for Holy Week will be held at Belmont Abbey College April 8, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Benedictine Father David Brown presents “Isaiah’s Suffering Servant: Who Is It?” and Professor David Pitt will present “Hosanna to Alleluia: The Church at Prayer during Holy Week.” Mass will be in the Abbey Basilica at 11 a.m. followed by midday prayer. All are invited to attend this free event. Please reserve your place by calling (704) 825-6248 or e-mail peggymcglohon@bac.edu.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — Spirit of Assisi, a Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St., will host a Lenten Faith Sharing “brown-bag” gathering 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.

WINSTON-SALEM — Spirit of Assisi, a 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 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.

WINSTON-SALEM — The Healing Companions is a grief support group for the bereaved that meets the first and third Thursdays of the month in conference room B at St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave. For further details, call Joanne Parcel at (336) 924-9478.

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 will meet April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Kloster Center of St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St. A representative from New Garden Nursery will discuss “Planting in Containers.” Please join us for refreshments and to learn more about our group. Any questions can be directed to Mary Giff at (336) 855-7014.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — Rev. Perry Brown, pastor of Ranger-Tomotla United Methodist Church in Murphy, will preach the final in a series of Ecumenical Lenten Services April 5, 12-12:30 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.

SYLVA — A four-part series, “Prayer of the Church,” will be presented at St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St. The sessions will meet 10-11 a.m., April 22, May 27, June 24 and July 22.

Episcopal

calendar

April 2 — 3 p.m.

Youth Pilgrimage Belmont Abbey, Belmont

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)

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

April 4 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Benedict the Moor Church, WinstonSalem

For new cardinals, a ceremony full of symbols VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The main elements in the ceremonies surrounding the creation of new cardinals are red, hat, church and ring.

When Pope Benedict XVI elevated 15 new members into the College of Cardinals March 24, they already were dressed in their new red cassocks.

As French Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, one of the 15, told Vatican Radio: “Red is the color of love, of fire, and it is also the color of the Passion. It is said that the cardinals must be ready even to shed their blood” for Christ and his church.

One by one, the new cardinals approached Pope Benedict and knelt before him so he could place the four-cornered red hat, called a biretta, on their heads.

Next, each cardinal was given a scroll testifying to his new office and containing the name of his titular church in Rome.

By receiving the “title” to a Rome church, each cardinal formally became part of the clergy of Rome. The status connects the modern tradition of the College of Cardinals electing a new pope

to the early church practice by which the bishop of Rome was elected by the clergy of Rome.

Over the coming months, the new cardinals will “take possession” of their titular churches in a brief ceremony, although their official responsibilities to the churches do not go beyond affection and prayerful concern.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston was given the title to Santa Maria della Vittoria, a 17th-century church particularly famous as the home of Gianlorenzo Bernini’s statue of “St. Teresa in Ecstasy.”

The cardinal’s new status and new relationship with the pope were to be sealed with a ring at a March 25 Mass.

The Vatican press office explained the rite is a “sign of dignity, of pastoral concern and of the most solid communion with the see of Peter.”

When handing out the rings, Pope Benedict was to say to each cardinal: “Receive the ring from the hand of Peter and know that with the love of the prince of the apostles your love for the church will be reinforced.”

Ducks in a row

Courtesy Photo

Two newly hatched ducklings make their way out of their shells March 27. Eight ducklings in all hatched in the incubator at St. Ann School in Charlotte.

Since Feb. 27, students have overseen 16 eggs’ incubation as part of a hands-on science lab experiment.

Students monitored the embryonic development of the eggs and learned about the sacredness of life.

Sister of St. Joseph Helene Nagle, principle, was the designated “official duck sitter” for the weekends prior to and shortly after the eggs hatch.

According to Patty Topper, lab instructor, a family at St. Ann Church will adopt the ducks to live on their farm.

The next project will include fertilized chicken eggs.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Helping the hungry

March 31, 2006

YOUTHS IN ACTION

Middle school students attend Extreme retreat EXTREME, from page 1

Courtesy Photo

Youths from Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont have a little fun with some of the canned goods they collected for the 30 Hour Famine held in Belmont March 17-18. More than 130 youths and adults from eight different churches in the Belmont area, including Queen of the Apostles Church, went without food for 30 hours and learned of the many ways all Christians can help the hungry. The participants helped collect more than 1,000 canned food items for the Belmont Community Organization’s food bank.

to enable participants to enter into the experience of God through new ways, said Peg Ruble, associate director of diocesan youth ministry.

Retreat organizers used workshops, art and scripture to illustrate the Annunciation of Mary and the life of Jesus and to address topics of concern for middle school students.

“I hope they walk away from the retreat with a deeper love and appreciation for Christ, his church and the cult of saints, as well as the beautiful art that has been created in western culture,” said Pual Kotlowski, director of diocesan youth ministry.

Ruble said one new experience was praise and worship music, which most of the participants had not been exposed to before.

“The praise and worship music

brought things into depth in a new way,” said Lemaat Michael, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe.

“It was really a cool way to worship.”

Workshops addressed such topics as prayer, Mary and peer pressure.

“The prayer gave me insight to not be shy to ask for what I want when praying and talking to God,” said Danielle Hobbs, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

“One of our most popular workshops was ‘What would Jesus do for a Klondike bar?’ dealing with moral decision-making,” said Ruble.

“The Extreme Faith Retreat was a very touching event that changed the way I think about my religion,” said Christine Zabel, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. “I was able to experience Jesus in new ways.”

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

Salisbury youth wins prestigious scholarship sory Council, recently won North Carolina State University’s prestigious Park Scholarship.

Virginia, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury and a senior at North Rowan High School, plans to major in psychology, a field she discovered after taking an advanced-placement psychology course in high school.

The Park Scholarship, established in honor of N.C. State alumnus and media mogul Roy H. Park, is given annually to 35 in-state students and to 15 out-of-state students. For North Carolina residents, the award is worth $59,000.

As reported in the Salisbury Post, Virginia’s parents both went to N.C. State; her brother is currently a student and her grandfather was a professor there.

She was one of two North Rowan High School students nominated and was chosen from about 900 other applicants. The field was first narrowed to 200, and, after a round of regional interviews, 100 students headed to N.C. State for final interviews.

While Virginia felt her confidence pushed her ahead of the other finalists, she believes her resume helped, too.

As an active member of the diocesan Youth Advisory Council, Virginia is part of a 20-member group that meets one weekend a month to plan an annual conference for Catholic youth.

At North Rowan High School, she is student body president, a member of the Key Club, Anchor Club, National Honor Society and captain of the Quiz Bowl team.

Virginia is captain of the varsity soccer team, runs cross country and swims.

She is ranked second in her class.

Courtesy photo

Participants create artwork to represent the Annunciation of Mary as part of the Extreme Faith Retreat 2006. The annual retreat, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry, drew 250 middle school students March 25.

Virginia Ball SALISBURY — Virginia Ball, a member of the diocesan Youth Advi-

March 31, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 5

immigration reform

Advising change

Thousands gather to voice immigration

Two from diocese serve on governor’s council

RALLY, from page 1

by

JOANITA M. NELLENBACH correspondent

today bring with them wonderful gifts and talents that they want to share with those around them,” said the bishop. “Let us work together to make it possible for all to live with dignity and without fear in this country, which has been built by immigrants for more than 200 years.”

At the Kernersville rally, marchers carrying a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas, led the procession to the town hall. They carried signs that read “We do pay taxes” and “We are no longer foreigners.”

Judge George Bedsworth of Forsyth District Court spoke about obeying the law and told the immigrants gathered to make every effort to learn English, a remark met with applause.

Heather MacKenzie, an immigration lawyer in Winston-Salem, called on Hispanics to organize and lobby Congress.

“We tried to ask the community to call the Congress ... and to let them know that we’re concerned about what’s going on down there,” said Martin Mata, director of Hispanic ministry at Holy Cross Church.

In Washington, the Senate Judiciary Committee seemed to answer many people’s prayers, for the time being, anyway.

On March 27, the committee voted 12-6 to send the full Senate a bill that would give the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country a chance to legalize their status and would provide 1.5 million temporary visas to agricultural workers in a new guest worker program.

Another 400,000 “green cards” or permanent resident visas would be available to people in various industries.

The bill would double the size of the

Courtesy Photo

An estimated 1,000 people march from Holy Cross Church in Kernersville to the city’s town hall as part of a pro-immigration rally March 25.

Charlotte rally, his letter to those gathered was read in English and Spanish by Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott, director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte.

In the letter, Bishop Jugis said he fully supports the U.S. bishops’ campaign for immigration reform.

“All sides of the debate agree that our country’s immigration system is in need of reform,” said Bishop Jugis in his letter.

“It is my hope and prayer that all involved will work for legislation that will implement an immigration policy that will protect our national security interests, ensure the common good and maintain respect for the law as well as respect the human rights of those who come to our country as refugees from political and economic hardship in their home countries,” he said.

Bishop Jugis said it is a Christian mandate given by God to “love, to offer charity to those in need and to protect and nurture human life in all its stages.”

“The immigrants of the past and of

Border Patrol and provide more funds for high-tech equipment to monitor the border.

The Senate began debate on the bill March 28. Floor discussion is expected to take two weeks before the Senate votes.

The final Senate bill will need to be reconciled with legislation passed in the House in December that deals with enforcement-related issues. Even in their approval of enforcement provisions, the Senate committee rejected many elements included in the House bill.

The committee refused to adopt amendments that would make it a crime to be in the United States illegally or to provide assistance to undocumented immigrants. Illegal immigration currently is a violation of civil law. Religious organizations are among the most vocal opponents of those provisions in the House bill.

In Charlotte, Bishop Jugis said prayer and support for immigrants would continue.

“The Catholic Church ... will continue to offer spiritual and material assistance to our brothers and sisters, doing what we can

RALEIGH — Eduardo Bernal and Francisco Risso of the Diocese of Charlotte have been named to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

District Court Judge Wanda Bryant swore them in at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History in Raleigh March 10.

Bernal is the Hispanic ministry coordinator for the diocese’s Smoky Mountain Vicariate. Risso directs the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center in Morganton.

They join 13 other council members from throughout North Carolina.

Risso fills a council vacancy in the Morganton area and will focus on worker issues. Bernal, the first person appointed the council from far-western North Carolina, will represent the Hispanic community at large.

Martha Oyala-Crowley, council chair, said Bernal was chosen for the council because he’s well-known for his work with Hispanic people in the Smoky Mountain region.

Gov. James Hunt created the council in August 1998 at the request of Hispanic leaders. He also created the Office of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, which has a two-person paid staff.

The advisory council’s members are unpaid volunteers. Fifteen are ex officio, nonvoting members: secretaries and commissioners of various state agencies such as the departments of Commerce, Revenue and Labor, as well as the attorney general and the governor’s legal counsel.

The 15 voting members are all from the Hispanic community. There is no limit to how long a person can serve on the council.

Bernal, a native of El Salvador, has been the Smoky Mountain Vicariate’s Hispanic ministry coordinator for four years.

His work includes outreach to the Hispanic community; training people as lectors and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion; organizing small faith communities; and translation.

“I have an insight into people’s lives,” Bernal said. “I want to learn how government works so I can do things better.”

Risso, a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton, assists low-wage workers; helps immigrants understand their rights and assists them with work-related problems; and helps them file complaints with government agencies.

“I asked to be on the council,” Risso said. “ I think it’s going to be valuable to work with the people from the government and see what kind of influence we have.”

Both Bernal and Risso are concerned about immigration policy.

“Immigration is a consequence of globalization,” Bernal said. “Goods move (across) the borders; people should be able to also.”

He added that desiring a globalized economy but not wanting people to come to this country is “not real ... out of touch with reality.”

“We want North Carolina to be as appreciative as possible of the contribu-

6 The Catholic News & Herald

Life and death matters

INside the curia

March 31, 2006

Computer-whiz cardinal answers medical questions as Vatican official He cajoles big pharmaceutical companies into lowering their prices, and he is not above begging for donations to the Vatican’s Good Samaritan Foundation, which pays for antiretroviral treatment for the poorest AIDS patients.

In its two years of existence, the foundation has distributed almost $300,000, with all the money used to buy antiretroviral drugs at a discounted price.

“The nuncio in Ghana told me Mother Teresa’s sisters, who have a home for people with AIDS, were bringing him 21 people to bury each month,” the cardinal said. “Now it is one a month because they have antiretroviral drugs.”

Cardinal Lozano has estimated that Catholic religious orders and institutions are responsible for about 25 percent of all the treatment offered to people living with HIV/AIDS around the world.

Showing the church’s action against the pandemic is the only way to fight the widespread prejudice that the church is doing nothing because it is not handing out condoms, he said.

Cardinal Lozano said that during a visit to Lithuania he was interviewed on television and was asked, “Why does the church want to control people’s sex lives?”

“I said, ‘Look, each person faces two paths. One leads to life and the other to death. I have an obligation to tell you which leads to death and which leads to life, then you have an obligation to choose,’” he said.

Web of work Cardinal Lozano was bishop of Zacatecas, Mexico, when he was appointed president of the council in 1996.

In the early days, he said, “I brought my own laptop (computer) to work” because the Vatican offices were not computerized.

In the 1980s, he personally put together a Web site for his diocese. His council was one of the first Vatican offices to have a Web site and it still functions independently of the Vatican site.

Although he managed to teach himself how to build a Web site, he said when he arrived in Rome he relied on books, assistants and consultants to educate him about health care issues.

“I had an obligation to study, to learn many things, and this is an obligation that continues,” he said. “Otherwise, what good would I be doing? This is not an office concerned with fairy tales, but with real life-and-death issues.”

Editor’s note: This is the fourth 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. something to say to us in our political decisions and our institutional decisions.

It is not something ethereal.”

Loving life Cardinal Lozano said the more than 109,000 Catholic hospitals, clincis, rehabilitation centers and other health-related institutions around the world are a sign of the church’s love for all people.

Another sign of love, he said, is his office’s efforts to train and support Catholic doctors, nurses, pharmacists and researchers in their efforts to cure and care for the sick and to defend human life.

“The greatest challenge facing Catholic health providers today regards the dignity and sacredness of life,” he said.

The problem is not just the legalization of abortion and growing acceptance of euthanasia, but efforts to violate the conscience of Catholic medical personnel by forcing them to participate in procedures they consider immoral, he said.

“There are many universities and many countries where you cannot become an obstetrician if you have not assisted at and performed a certain number of abortions,” Cardinal Lozano said.

The council supports Catholics in defending their right to conscientious objection, and it lobbies for legislation recognizing that right.

Aiding the sick Another major problem, he said, is posed by the AIDS pandemic, especially in Africa.

While the cardinal has been drawn into the debate over condoms — he insists that abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriage are the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease — his focus is on getting people in developing countries access to the same drugs that save people with HIV/AIDS in wealthy countries.

CNS photo by Michael Hoyt, Catholic Standard

Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, greets patients at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md., in February 2003. The cardinal is a trained theologian and self-taught computer whiz who spends most of his time dealing with very technical medical questions.

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — A trained theologian and self-taught computer whiz, Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan now spends most of his time dealing with very technical medical questions.

The 73-year-old cardinal is president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, which encourages the work of hospital chaplains, but goes well beyond strictly pastoral concerns.

“We must provide guidance on the various problems that face the world of health care today, from specific illnesses to technological discoveries, from political decisions to medical practice,” Cardinal Lozano said.

Although Pope Benedict XVI has yet to make specific requests of the council, the cardinal said the pope’s first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est” (“God Is Love”), has set the framework for the council’s activities.

The cardinal said the pope’s encyclical told the church: “Love has

March 31, 2006

Enduring light of faith

The Catholic News & Herald 7

papal anniversary

Private meetings, public appearances: A look at pope’s first year

A year after pope’s death, people worldwide continue to show devotion

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — From starting prayer groups to cheering at the mention of his name, people around the world continue to show their devotion to Pope John Paul II. A year after Pope John Paul’s death, the Vatican still maintains a separate entrance to the grotto under St. Peter’s Basilica where he is buried, and Pope Benedict XVI still cites his writings and example in his public speeches.

While the cause for Pope John Paul’s canonization continues with interviews of people in Rome and Poland who were close to him, Pope John Paul prayer groups are springing up around the world.

Msgr. Slawomir Oder, the official promoter of the pope’s sainthood cause, said the groups — one in Argentina calls itself “Juan Pablo Magno” (John Paul the Great) — not only support the cause with their prayers, but they study Pope John Paul’s writings.

Pope Benedict does not appear jealous of the attention; in fact, from the beginning of his pontificate he has urged the church to continue to study the teachings of his predecessor.

Speaking to the Roman Curia in December, he said: “No pope has left us a quantity of texts equal to what he left us; no pope before him could visit the entire world like he did and speak directly to men and women of every continent.

“The Holy Father, with his words and his works, has given us great things;

but no less important is the lesson he gave us from the chair of suffering and silence,” Pope Benedict said.

In addition to the television movies, documentaries and books on the life of Pope John Paul, an Italian work focused specifically on the suffering.

“Let Me Go: The Strength in Weakness of John Paul II” was released March 15 in Italy and featured reflections by the pope’s longtime secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, and by Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, the pope’s personal physician.

“He always demonstrated an attitude of profound interior serenity which — despite some moments of visible human disappointment and impatience — led him to accept sickness, physical pain and forced inactivity from the hands of God,” the doctor said.

The title of the book comes from the pope’s last words, murmured in Polish: “Let me go to the house of the Father.”

In his contribution to the book, Cardinal Dziwisz said Pope John Paul’s life “from the beginning was marked by suffering, which he transformed into an instrument for his apostolate.”

The Krakow cardinal said Pope John Paul’s obvious suffering in silence and his death were his “last catechesis,” telling the world that “moments of suffering and death must be lived in the light of faith, with love and Christian hope, in complete abandonment to the will of God.” The way Pope John Paul lived and

CNS photo by Alessia Pierdomenico, Reuters

A young man in St. Peter’s Square holds a photo of Pope John Paul II on the night the pope died, April 2, 2005. the way he died have led millions of people to his tomb.

Archbishop Angelo Comastri, the papal vicar for Vatican City State, said that until Pope John Paul died an average of 300 people a day went down to the grotto below St. Peter’s to visit the tombs of the popes.

Now, he said in early March, the daily number is 10 times greater and often reaches 20,000 on Sundays and holidays.

Pope Benedict, one of Pope John Paul’s closest aides as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, obviously tries to connect with those devoted to his predecessor.

At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict seemed surprised when people would interrupt him — especially during a Mass homily — with applause and cheers.

When he would mention Pope John Paul, the reaction was immediate and predictable, and it did not take long for Pope Benedict to adjust his timing and, especially with young people, to emphasize his predecessor’s name and let the

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Compared to Pope John Paul II’s early years, Pope Benedict XVI appears to be going at a slower pace. All the same, his list of first-year accomplishments is impressive: — In February, he named 15 new cardinals and convened them March 23 for a discussion on any topic they chose.

— Last fall, he embarked on a reconciliation effort with Lefebvrite traditionalists, meeting with excommunicated Bishop Bernard Fellay and convening top Vatican officials to discuss proposed solutions.

— In October, he opened up the Synod of Bishops to free discussion, joining in the debate at times on such topics as the priest shortage and priestly celibacy.

— In August, he presided over World Youth Day celebrations in Germany, winning the respect of young people with a serious demeanor and some thoughtprovoking talks. He also met with ecumenical leaders, Muslims, government ministers, bishops and seminarians.

— He has scheduled four foreign visits this year — to Poland, Spain, Germany and Turkey.

— Late last year, he reviewed the major documents of the Second Vatican Council 40 years after its close. Then, in a major talk to the Roman Curia, he explained the right way and wrong way to interpret the council’s teachings.

— He moved quietly last summer to encourage the successful appointment of new Chinese bishops acceptable to both their government and the Vatican.

— Throughout the year, he presided over ecumenical liturgies and met with a number of ecumenical groups, pledging continued efforts toward Christian unity.

— He met several times with Jewish leaders, affirming the church’s commitment to dialogue and reflecting on the Holocaust.

— In December, he named a new apostolic nuncio to the United States.

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decoding da vinci

March 31, 2006

Opus Dei called ‘complete opposite’ of ‘Da Vinci Code’ portrayal OPUS DEI, from page 1

N.Y., called Opus Dei “a wonderful thing in my life.” Now 71, she said she learned of Opus Dei in her late 30s when her oldest boy got involved in a club run by some of its members.

“I was very impressed with the young people. I loved their joy and their spirit of giving,” she said.

As a busy mother of seven, she said Opus Dei’s message that lay people could be “contemplatives in the midst of the world” was a new idea to her. She joined at the age of 39.

For the past 15 years Hickey has worked at the Rosedale Center of the South Bronx Educational Foundation, begun by local Opus Dei members and others to improve the education of girls in the South Bronx, one of New York City’s poorest areas.

Staff and volunteers mentor and tutor the inner-city grade-school and high-school girls one-on-one after school and teach classes on Saturdays and in special summer programs, she said. The foundation runs a similar program for boys nearby at the Crotona Center.

Opus Dei’s Midtown Educational Foundation in Chicago runs similar programs for disadvantaged boys and girls there.

Criticisms and secrecy Father John Wauck, an American Opus Dei priest who teaches at Opus Dei’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, has a personal Web log, known as a blog, on Opus Dei and “The Da Vinci Code.”

He predicts the cilice and whip will be what moviegoers vividly remember about Opus Dei when they leave the theater.

The cilice (pronounced SIL-is), which is a belt or chain with sharp points, and the whip are used by numeraries for bodily mortifications.

The priest says Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, also used the whip, known as “the discipline,” but “everyone knows that’s not what the Sisters of Charity are all about. And it’s not what Opus Dei’s about either.”

In contrast to the “heavy knotted rope” that the monk character named Silas uses in the book, Father Wauck said the whip used by Opus Dei numeraries is “small and light enough to carry in a closed fist.”

Linda Ruf of Chicago, an Opus Dei member for more than 20 years, has led parish information sessions in the Midwest.

She also appeared on television to discuss the errors in “The Da Vinci Code” — not just errors about Opus Dei, but about Christianity itself, where author Brown constructs an elaborate two-millennium conspiracy theory that challenges fundamental Christian beliefs.

“I was astounded that women were having faith crises over this,” she told CNS. Of the criticisms of Opus Dei that the novel uses to fashion a picture

Opus Dei is about “coming closer to God and finding God in everyday Founded in Spain in 1928, Opus Dei now has more than 87,000 members in more than 60 countries, including 3,000 in the United States, according to Finnerty.

Members seek to make their faith infuse all aspects of life, including their jobs. Members are expected to attend daily Mass and to pray the rosary and engage in mental prayer, spiritual reading and meditation every day.

About 70 percent of Opus Dei members are supernumeraries, those who are married or who plan to marry, according to Finnerty. The rest, he said, commit themselves to lives of celibacy.

Of those members, about twothirds live in Opus Dei centers and are called numeraries; the other third, called associates, live in their own homes. More than half the members around the world are women. about who we really are,” Finnerty told Catholic News Service in a phone interview.

He said one of the things the organization has done is provide a brief description of the real Opus Dei for a new Web site funded by the Catholic Communication Campaign, www.jesusdecoded.com.

“Opus Dei” is Latin for “God’s work,” and members often refer to it simply as “the Work.”

And what is the Work really about?

“Coming closer to God and finding God in everyday life,” Finnerty said.

While the novel portrays it as being in opposition to the world, “Opus Dei is about seeing the world as a place of encounter with Christ,” he said.

Faithful members Russell Shaw, a Washington-based Catholic journalist and former media spokesman for the National (now U.S.) Conference of Catholic Bishops, told CNS he joined Opus Dei in 1980 and it has helped him develop “a richer, deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.” He said that even when he first became aware of Opus Dei, perhaps 15 years or so before he joined, he was attracted to its concept of a lay vocation, of seeing one’s work in the secular world as a form of service to God. As an Opus Dei member, “I try to do that, I try to cultivate that intention underlying the work that I do. But it’s difficult. It’s not 100 percent (successful),” he said.

Catherine Hickey of Larchmont,

CNS photo by Todd Plitt

Catherine Hickey, an active member of Opus Dei, volunteers her time helping Crystal Rodriguez, 9 (left), and Stephanie Nunez, 13, at the Opus Dei-funded Rosedale Center March 21 in the South Bronx in New York City. Hickey called Opus Dei a “wonderful thing in my life.” of a secretive sect within the church, she said, “Opus Dei, I’m sure, has made some mistakes in the past with individuals, and we should learn from some of those possible mistakes.”

She said a recent book titled “Opus Dei” by John L. Allen Jr., an American journalist and author who covers the Vatican, “does a pretty good job of saying what some of Opus Dei’s problems are and what some of its strengths are,” giving voice to the critics but also reporting the organization’s response to those criticisms.

Some critics claim Opus Dei recruits people aggressively and excessively controls the lives of members, but Shaw and Hickey described their decisions to join as a free choice without pressure from members.

Hickey said that while her children were involved in the organization’s clubs, they were never asked to join.

Many benefits Bruce Lachenauer, 46, of Irvine, Calif., a father of five and a partner in a large executive search firm, said that as a student at Northwestern University he was invited to participate in activities at

the nearby Opus Dei center. “There was nothing high pressure about it,” he said, and he didn’t become interested until a couple of years later, after the center moved closer to campus.

He described himself as “a product of the ’60s” who went to public school and to parish religious education classes that didn’t get much beyond “how Jesus loves us.”

“One of the first things Opus Dei helped me with was a theology class, where I learned so much more about my faith,” he said.

Lachenauer said as an Opus Dei member he finds his faith “woven into every aspect of life,” from his work environment to his relationships with family and friends.

He said he has invited “many friends to participate” in retreats, talks, parenting seminars and other activities sponsored

by Opus Dei because he thinks they will benefit from those experiences.

He said he has invited some people to consider joining Opus Dei, but to his knowledge none have joined, although several friends have become “cooperators” — nonmembers who support Opus Dei financially or volunteer their time for

March 31, 2006

In Rome, women discuss ‘Da Vinci Code’ depiction of Mary Magdalene

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

ROME — “The Da Vinci Code” came in for resounding criticism at a recent round-table discussion at the Marianum Pontifical Theological Faculty in Rome.

It was not a pick-it-apart session by church historians. Instead, four women spoke about Mary Magdalene and her distorted depiction in Dan Brown’s book.

The moderator of the discussion, Marinella Perroni, a New Testament theologian, said “The Da Vinci Code” joins a list of books and other media treatments that exploit the figure of Mary Magdalene.

Perroni said caution is always needed when dealing with scriptural figures, but for some reason people feel free to take great liberties with Mary Magdalene.

Maria Luisa Rigato, a retired professor of exegesis at the Pontifical Gregorian University, said she found Brown’s book entertaining fiction — but that it was clear to real scholars that Mary Magdalene was neither the wife nor the lover of Jesus.

The Catholic participants drew a sharp distinction between what is known about Mary Magdalene from the approved Gospels and what has been circulated for centuries in the so-called Gnostic gospels, rejected by the church long ago.

But a Protestant pastor, the Rev. Letizia Tomassone, said she thought the noncanonical gospels, although they are clearly later manuscripts, can be valid secondary sources of information.

In some of these later gospels, she said, Mary Magdalene appears as the “mediator of the resurrected Christ,” which aligns with what the Gospel of St. John says about her being the first witness of the resurrection.

Mary Magdalene, Rev. Tomassone said, comes across as “one who knows how to heal the heart of a wounded community.”

The experts generally agreed, however, that there is no scriptural evidence that Jesus and Mary were lov-

The Catholic News & Herald 9

decoding da vinci

Vatican officials quiet about ‘The Da Vinci Code’ CODE, from page 1

CNS photo from Crosiers

ers, which is a key element in the plot of “The Da Vinci Code.”

Even the incomplete references in the Gnostic gospels about Jesus’ special relationship with Mary Magdalene depict a “spiritual intimacy,” not a sexual relationship, Rev. Tomassone said.

Rigato downplayed the impact of “The Da Vinci Code,” saying it was “third-rate literature” compared to earlier treatments of similar subjects, like “The Last Temptation of Christ” by Nikos Kazantzakis.

“Dan Brown with his 40 million copies is nothing compared to the billions of copies of the Bible. It’s something you consume and forget and will not affect the faith in the least,” she said.

But Miriam Diezi Bosch, a Catholic journalist who lectures on communications, said it was disturbing that a book like “The Da Vinci Code” was succeeding so well. Similar books may follow, she said.

The good thing is that “The Da Vinci Code” has given Catholics a chance to explain themselves, she said. The bad part is that Catholics clearly need to be better instructed in their faith, she added.

She said the church in particular needs better catechesis and more widely published scholarship on the figure of Mary Magdalene — something more profound than presenting her as “the icon of the fallen woman.”

figure of Christ under cover of imaginary and nonexistent new documents and discoveries. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is but the last and most aggressive episode of the series. It is becoming a fashion, a literary genre,” he said.

“The Da Vinci Code” is loosely based on writings called the Gnostic gospels, which the church rejected as part of the Christian canon many centuries ago.

It’s unlikely that Pope Benedict XVI or most of the Vatican’s top officials have even read the book. But if they went down to St. Peter’s Square and looked in the backpacks of tourists and pilgrims, they’d probably be amazed at how many people are toting it around.

With the film version expected to reach an even bigger audience, some people think the Vatican may not be able to sit on the sidelines of this cultural battle. The strategy should be pro-active and not just defensive, they say.

“We need to point out the errors. But we also need to take advantage of the interest it’s stirred up, to talk about real biblical scholarship and the real history of the church,” said one Vatican official who works in communications.

necessary to provoke something stronger from the Vatican.

Last year, Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, formerly No. 2 at the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, said it was “truly sad and terrible” that “The Da Vinci Code” had become such a popular book among Italian high school students.

What left him aghast was that young people were uncritically accepting the novel’s premise that the Catholic Church had tried to obliterate the feminine aspect from the Gospel narratives and from the life of the church.

“There is nothing more false,” Cardinal Bertone said.

He pointed to the importance the church gives to Mary and the attention given in the Gospel to Jesus’ female disciples, including the women who announced to the male disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead.

“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 papal preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, also blasted “The Da Vinci Code” in one of his last sermons to Pope John Paul II last year.

“In an unending stream of novels, films and plays, writers manipulate the

WANT MORE INFO? The U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communications Campaign has established a Web site, www.jesusdecoded.com, to provide accurate information about the life of

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. The cardinal called the book a “castle of lies” and urged Christians not to read or purchase the book.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

March 31, 2006

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Ordinary inspiration Author says McGivney bio could help restore respect for priests

by JOHN THAVIS catholic news service

ROME — Supporters of the sainthood cause of Father Michael McGivney are hoping he will become the first American-born parish priest to be canonized.

A new biography is introducing a wider audience to the 19th-century priest — and may also help restore respect for the many good priests in the United States, said one of the book’s authors.

Julie M. Fenster, a historian who co-wrote “Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism,” spoke about the book to U.S. priests and seminarians Feb. 27 at Rome’s Pontifical North American College.

At a time when the image of the U.S. priest has been damaged by sexual abuse committed by a small minority of clergy, the book chronicles the good work of a priest who, after founding the Knights of Columbus, worked as a simple pastor until his death at age 38.

“I’m hoping this book might act as a gyroscope to reset some of the balance for people whose only exposure to parish priests is out of those headlines” on sexual abuse, Fenster said in an interview.

She said part of her motivation for writing the book was anger that so many good priests were being maligned because of the actions of a few.

Father McGivney, she said, provides a model for the kind of selfless pastoral work done by countless priests in the United States. His faith and Catholicism entered into every activity, whether preaching a sermon or playing baseball, she said.

“He believed that when you’re having fun you should feel Catholic, too, not just when you’re sitting in church,” she said.

The book, released in January, has been on the New York Times extended bestseller list for six weeks.

Fenster was impressed with Father McGivney’s return to parish work in Connecticut after making an important mark on society through the Knights of Columbus.

“He chose to draw back into the life he really wanted, as parish priest. He gloried in these little details that other people can get distracted away from,” she said.

Father McGivney’s work is considered influential in animating lay Catholics through the Knights of Columbus, and at the same time helping to remove the widespread anti-Catholic bias in U.S. society.

The Knights, a Catholic men’s fraternal benefit society, has grown to include 1.7 million members. The organization sponsors educational, charitable and religious activities around the world.

Father McGivney’s sainthood cause is now being reviewed by the Vatican, said Dominican Father Gabriel O’Donnell, postulator for the cause. He said a

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: APRIL 9, 2006

April 9, Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) Cycle B Readings: Mark 11:1-10 1) Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18a, 19-20, 23-24 2) Philippians 2:6-11 3) Gospel: Mark 14:1 to 15:47

A time to examine commitment to Jesus

by DAN LUBY catholic news service

reported miracle of healing attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession also has been submitted to the Vatican for study.

Father O’Donnell said he sees in Father McGivney’s life an example of what Pope Benedict XVI described in his recent encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est” (“God Is Love”).

“The obligation of the church to exercise charity is what Father McGivney was about,” Father O’Donnell said.

One of Father McGivney’s gifts, he said, was that he could speak to those at every level of society, relating well with the poor immigrant community of Catholics as well as those who were upwardly mobile, and forging connections between these groups.

Father O’Donnell said that, unlike saints of earlier centuries who were known for their extraordinary accomplishments, Father McGivney falls into the category of “the more modern saint, who is great because he did the ordinary things so well.”

“He was humble, compassionate and charitable to a heroic degree, but only within the confines of an ordinary life,” he said.

RELATED COVERAGE See Antoinette Bosco’s column on Father McGivney on page 15.

Shivering in the cold spring wind, the crowd buzzed all along the barriers marking the motorcade’s route.

Te e n a g e r s s k i p p i n g s c h o o l , grandmothers in old-world scarves and overcoats, VFW officers and union officials — they all crowded forward, hoping to get a glimpse of their hero and maybe obtain a handshake.

Off to one side, some college students stood smoking cigarettes, observing the commotion outside the university auditorium where the charismatic senator was speaking. In their accustomed pose of world-weary cynics, they smiled patronizingly at the crowd. You wouldn’t see them getting so excited.

A roar went up when the limo turned the corner. The waiting faithful were galvanized, shouting, waving signs, calling out the senator’s name. Suddenly, the college boys actually could see that famous face, feel the power of that megawatt smile.

To their amazement, they found themselves hoarse from cheering, jostling to the front of the barricade, feeling their hearts race and their hope rise just as much as any of the less sophisticated fans they’d mocked only minutes before.

It was a rush that left them excited for days.

Then the gravity of life began, imperceptibly, to pull them down. Friends smirked at their na<ve change of heart.

The campaign meeting they’d vowed to attend turned out to conflict with a party.

Exams loomed.

Before long, they were back to their old, jaded selves, wondering what had come over them.

Palm Sunday is the only day in the church’s year that calls for two Gospels to be proclaimed — the glorious story of the cheering crowds greeting Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem and the heartbreaking narrative of his betrayal and execution.

The contrast is striking, as it’s meant to be. It makes us examine the depth of our commitment to Jesus.

During this sacred and solemn week, may we reflect mindfully on our ongoing struggle against a divided heart and on Christ’s example of fidelity.

Questions: How can my observance of Holy Week deepen my commitment to the Gospel? What is one concrete way to maintain my enthusiasm for following Christ?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “All of you will have your faith shaken” (Mark 14:27)

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of April 2-8 Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Lent), Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33; Monday (Lenten Weekday), Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11; Tuesday (Lenten Weekday), Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday (Lenten Weekday), Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92,95, Daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42; Thursday (Lenten Weekday), Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-59; Friday (Lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 20; 10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday (Lenten Weekday), Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-56.

Scripture for the week of April 9-15 Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion), Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1-15:47; Monday (Monday of Holy Week), Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday (Tuesday of Holy Week), Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday (Wednesday of Holy Week), Isaiah 50:5-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday), Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11;23-26, John 13:1-15; Friday (Good Friday), Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; Saturday (Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil), Exodus 14:15-15:1, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

March 31, 2006

Jazz pianist, composer to receive Laetare

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) — Jazz legend Dave Brubeck has been named winner of the 2006 Laetare Medal presented by the University of Notre Dame.

The 85-year-old jazz pianist and composer is scheduled to receive the medal at the university’s May 21 commencement.

Brubeck’s art “helps us apprehend the fullness of creation,” said Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, Notre Dame president.

“His life and his music splendidly interweave the celebration of beauty with the imperative to worship,” he said.

The award, first given in 1883, honors a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences,

illustrated the ideals of the church, and enriched the heritage of humanity.”

Brubeck became known for his innovations as a piano player and composer.

Among his compositions are ballets, a musical, an oratorio, cantatas and a Mass.

In 1951, Time magazine described Brubeck as “the most exciting new jazz artist at work today.”

Earlier in March, Brubeck was given the Christopher Life Achievement Award by the Christophers, a nonprofit organization promoting Christian values in the mass media.

Previous medal recipients include Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chi-

Compendium of catechism goes on sale in paperback WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a 200-page synthesis of the 1992 catechism, is available in paperback from USCCB Publishing, the publishing office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Both the paperbook version and a hardcover edition to be published soon will be available in English and Spanish.

The compendium, made up of 598 questions and answers, echoes to some degree the format of the Baltimore Catechism, which was standard in many U.S. Catholic parishes and schools from 1885 to the 1960s.

It also includes two appendices — a list of Catholic prayers in English or Spanish, side by side with the Latin versions, and a list of “formulas of Catholic doctrine,” including the Ten Commandments, the beatitudes, the theological and cardinal virtues, and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Msgr. Daniel Kutys, USCCB deputy secretary for catechesis, said members of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Catechesis have recommended that the compendium “be used as a standard reference companion

to which teachers and catechists refer their students in much the same way they use Bibles for instruction.”

“It is not meant to replace religion textbooks, but to augment and complement them,” he added.

Pope Benedict XVI has said the compendium “contains, in concise form, all the essential and fundamental elements of the church’s faith.”

Editor’s Note: The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church may be ordered online at www.usccbpublishing.org, or by phone at (800) 235-8722.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

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March 31, 2006

March 31, 2006

AROUND THE DIOCESE

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Do you have a faith-based story that you think would be of interest to our readers? Please contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans at (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Exploring the science of education

Belmont Abbey College hosts educators, students at annual physics conference BELMONT — Nearly 200 participants — professors, teachers and students from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia who have a passion for physics — recently attended a joint conference at Belmont Abbey College.

The 11th annual meeting of the North Carolina and Southern Atlantic Coast Chapters of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the Society of Physics Students was held at the college March 24-25.

“The purpose of this conference is to share new ideas with educators who specialize in the field of physics,” said Dr. Rajive Tiwari, conference coordinator and professor of physics at Belmont Abbey College.

“We want to meet the needs of physics educators in our region and further an interest in education in this field, its research, the applications of technology; and assist in overall teaching effectiveness,” said Tiwari.

Speakers included Paul Hewitt, author of “Conceptual Physics,” and Dewey Dykstra, professor of physics at Boise State University.

In addition to student projects and special sessions, there also were handson workshops such as techniques in photographing the night sky and using satellite imagery and software for environmental physics.

The AAPT presented special

Courtesy Photo

Belmont Abbey College’s Monte Monteleone accepts corporate gift sponsorship from Duke Energy’s Richard Jiran during the 11th annual physics conference March 24-25. recognition awards for students and teachers to highlight excellence in the field of physics.

“We are pleased to provide an opportunity for these professionals to share their insights and experience with peers and assist in the growth and development of individuals who will design future energy sources,”said Richard Jiran of Duke Energy, one of the conference sponsors.

Founded in 1876, the college is inspired by the Benedictine monastic tradition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the college and Abbey Basilica greet thousands of visitors

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

March 31, 2006

Perspectives

Pope says belief in Jesus leads to communion with Easter and the art of God, people A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

being yourself

Harmonizing with God’s plan brings truth, fulfillment The resurrection teaches us about the purpose of creation. Easter points us in the direction of eternal joy.

When Christ taught us to love one another, he was inviting us to become part of the kingdom of heaven. Hold on to this awesome thought.

The supreme law of love teaches us that the best thing we can do with our life is give it away. This is our fundamental purpose in life.

Jesus calls each one of us to himself, “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,”(Mt 11:28). When we come to him we come to the source of our being.

The Bible describes God as the Spirit of peace, love and joy. Jesus recommends that we connect with our Maker to find out who we are.

God intended you to be yourself, which means that you must first find your purpose.

Not to know your purpose would put you at a great disadvantage. What profit would there be in gaining the whole world if on your deathbed you came to the stark realization that during your whole life you had been moving in the wrong direction?

Take time to be your true self.

You came from God, and you will one day return to him. In Genesis 1:26 we learn that we were made in God’s image.

Our purpose therefore is to be like him, manifesting his love and joy always and everywhere.

Love and joy are two sides of the same coin. The kingdom of God is within you. No matter how low you may have fallen, you are still the same miraculous child of God you were when you were an innocent infant. Get up and be your true self.

The art of being yourself is the art of harmonizing with God’s plan for you.

Staying connected to him enables you to transcend the limitations of life and the bad experiences of the past.

Do not entertain negative thoughts.

Keep to your purpose. Reject fear in all its forms. Let nothing disturb you, let nothing cause you fear.

Do not let bad feelings stop you from attaining your goal. In spiritual matters, feelings are not facts. Faith can move mountains.

You are the child of the King of Heaven, and he loves you. Be your true self.

Everything you need in order to fulfill your destiny is already within you.

Align your thoughts with your source, and decide to become an instrument of

FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

his love, peace and joy. (For more on this concept visit my Web site: messengerofjoy.com).

Stay in tune with your purpose.

You will then become a better, happier human being.

Choose to magnify God’s love in this world. Be kind. Be generous.

God loves a generous giver. A sense of well-being will enfold you.

The recipients of your kindness will grow in grace and feel blessed by God. You will become more yourself, a healer rather than a victim.

Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my lambs, feed my sheep.” You can do this.

Be an inspiration to others from now on, not a disappointment.

Choose to be joyful. Behold God’s beauty in everything, and learn to reflect God’s inner glow of joy.

Pray with Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord, who by the grace of God was able to say, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Belief in Jesus Christ should lead people both to a deep communion with God as well as to unity with all men and women, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“Communion with God and communion among us are inseparable,” the pope said March 29 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

If people are not in communion with the God who created them, “the root or source of unity among us is destroyed,” he said. And if people forget that they are all brothers and sisters, “our living in communion with the triune God is not real or true.”

Pope Benedict was continuing a new series of audience talks about the apostles and the church, following his prepared text only briefly as he explained that it is through the apostles and their successors that the church continues to be a saving communion.

“This life of communion with God and among us is the aim of the proclamation of the Gospel, the aim of conversion to Christianity,” he said.

Pope Benedict told the estimated 37,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the Eucharist nourishes communion with God and with all who gather around the Lord’s table

Letter to the Column reiterates importance In Father John Catoir’s column, “‘Faith alone’ is not enough” (March 17), he makes our Catholic position on faith and action crystal clear — and he does it through Scripture.

Like Father Catoir stated, I, too, “love our separated brethren.” Many of them are convinced that Catholics believe we have to work our way into heaven, but that is not the case. What Father Catoir explains clearly is that if we have faith, this faith empowers us into action.

We need more Scripture-based teaching by our clergy on a regular basis so that we can all be effective Catholic apologists. We need to tell our separated brethren with confidence that we are more fundamental, relative to Scripture,

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

throughout the world.

“This network of unity which embraces the world is the anticipation of the world to come in Christ Our Lord,” he said.

In a world where “solitude threatens everyone,” the pope said, the communion experienced in the church “makes us participants in the love which unites us with God and, therefore, unites us with one another.”

“Despite all the human frailties” seen in the church throughout the centuries, he said, the church is “a marvelous creation of love.”

“In the church, the Lord remains with us. In the Scriptures the Lord does not speak of the past, but speaks in the present tense. He speaks to us today. He gives us his light. He shows us the path of life. He gives us communion and, in that way, opens us to peace,” he said.

then the so-called “Fundamentalists.”

Catholics take Scripture very seriously, but unfortunately, we do not study Scripture seriously enough. As David tells us in Psalm 103, “Forget not all your benefits.” We Catholics — because of ignorance of Scripture — cannot name many benefits.

— Joe Massi Charlotte

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The Catholic News & Herald 15

March 31, 2006

Father McGivney and the death Priest fought to save young man’s life On the Sunday before the execution, Father McGivney, “broken with emotion,” as a reporter put it, celebrated a Mass for Smith.

The priest told his people, “I trust that all of you will offer up fervent prayer to the throne of grace that God will strengthen and prepare us to perform that awful duty which we shall be called upon to perform before this time next Sunday.

“To me this duty comes with almost a crushing weight. If I could consistently with my duty be far away from here next Friday, I should escape perhaps the most trying ordeal of my life, but this sad duty is placed my way by providence and must be fulfilled.

“If we receive your prayers, Mr. Smith and I shall be sustained by the supreme power in the hour of our great trial.”

Our Catholic bishops have put out a very strong statement calling for the end of the death penalty, asking “the Catholic community to bring about an end to the use of the death penalty in our land.”

I find myself praying to Father McGivney in heaven to help us all in this so important respect-life action.

RELATED COVERAGE Read the “Parish Priest” book review on page 10.

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO cns columnist

A new book has been getting enormous coverage in ads and reviews, and rightly so. It is called “Parish Priest, Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism.”

The book is the story of the young Connecticut priest who founded the Knights of Columbus and whose canonization cause has now been introduced.

Moved by seeing the pain of severe poverty and the deaths of too many overworked fathers who died too young, Father McGivney struggled to develop practical ways to ensure financial assistance to families should a breadwinner die.

The Knights of Columbus was formed in 1882 to help such families.

The Knights now report an international membership of l.7 million men.

I long have been intrigued by the amazing story of this priest, who died Aug. 14, 1890, at age 38. The reason for this lies partly in the fact that I live

in Connecticut, not too far from the parishes where Father McGivney served.

Now that I have read Father McGivney’s story, I will pray ever harder for his canonization because I truly believe in his sainthood. There was a surprise in the book that underscored that for me.

In an era in America when the death penalty was in full force, Father McGivney tried to save a young man from being executed.

The killing by the young man was a headliner. An unemployed 21-year old named James “Chip” Smith, drinking and carousing one late December night, showing off by shooting a pistol near a saloon, was apprehended by a policeman named Dan Hayes.

When the officer, also holding a gun, tried to get Smith’s gun away from him, one of the guns went off, hitting the officer, who died a few hours later.

At trial in 1881, Smith was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be executed. Father McGivney, a regular visitor to the jail in New Haven who offered spiritual support to the prisoners, began to visit and counsel Smith often.

There were appeals on the grounds that this was not a “premeditated” shooting, but since it was a policeman who had lost his life, judges threw these appeals out.

Coping with the news of

Through faith we learn of everlasting peace I was a child during World War II. Every night the radio commentator Gabriel Heater would start, “It’s a bad night tonight, folks.”

Early on in the war, soldiers, sailors, the air force and especially the merchant marines were taking bad beatings.

Although the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are not all-out wars like World War II, almost every night the news we hear echoes Heater’s “It’s a bad night tonight, folks.” The effect this is having on Americans may not be as obvious as was the effect of World War II, but my guess is that it is reaching a critical point.

These wars aren’t going to disappear.

In fact, they show signs of escalating and unsettling us for the rest of our lives.

How do we cope with their traumatic effects?

A good place to start is to reflect on our habit of watching the news. If we are watching the news at night and also catching glimpses of it during the day, it might be good to break this habit.

I have found that when I must go out at night and miss the news, I tend to sleep better and am much calmer the next day.

Several friends have told me that they actually censure out the news from time to time to clear their minds and relax.

Another helpful exercise is to read history. If we are young, we tend to feel

this is the first time wars like this have occurred. This tends to make us feel we are alone in this experience.

But history teaches that we ‘re not alone. Others have gone through the same thing and not only have survived, but became stronger because of the experience.

In fact, wars often have brought out amazing courage in people that they never knew they possessed.

History also teaches us that war is spawned by jealousies and resentments, and that these qualities continue unabated in the world. Perhaps war won’t be always with us, but its presence surely is persistent.

Our faith contains our best means for coping by pointing us to a gentle, peaceful Christ who was crucified. His unjust crucifixion is testimony to the evil that exists on earth, which even God had to endure.

It also points us to the Eucharist where we celebrate Christ’s sacrificial death and — so important for our lives — his resurrection.

Through our faith, we learn that even though this world doesn’t enjoy complete peace, there is another world that offers eternal peace. Our present life is only a very small part of a bigger life.

The Human Side FATHER

EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

To the degree that we do our small part trying to make this life more peaceful, we will achieve eternal peace.

What is the ‘seamless garment’?

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN cns columnist

Idea has helped right-to-life concept Q. In articles about abortion recently I’ve seen reference to a “seamless garment” and a “consistent ethic of life.” I recently became Catholic and am not familiar with these names, which as I understand it come from the Catholic Church. What do they mean? (New York) A. Both terms have approximately the same meaning: All issues involving respect for the dignity and sacredness of human life weave together. They support each other, and none can be ignored or minimized without undermining all of them.

The first to use the phrase “ consistent ethic of life” was probably the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. The beauty of such an ethic, he once said, “is that it provides an overall vision, and it shows how issues are related to each other, even though they remain distinct.”

While he did not use those exact words, no one, I believe, has given a more clear description of this important concept than the late Pope John Paul II in his January 1999 message for the World Day of Peace, and at greater length in the encyclical “The Gospel of Life.”

In the first document, titled “Respect for Human Rights: The Secret of True Peace,” he repeated that the right to life is inviolable. A culture of life, he wrote, “guarantees to the unborn the right to come into the world. In the same way it protects the newly born, especially girls, from the crime of infanticide. ...

“To choose life involves rejecting every form of violence: the violence of poverty and hunger, which afflicts so many human beings; the violence of armed conflict; the violence of criminal trafficking in drugs and arms; the violence of mindless damage to the natural environment. ... No offense against the right to life, against the dignity of any single person, is ever unimportant” (No. 4).

As the pope indicated, the first of all basic rights is the right to life. For the past 20 years, the seamless garment idea has helped our bishops and all of us better to understand and protect that right.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen, Box 5515, Peoria, IL 61612, or

March 31, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 16

PARISH PROFILE

St. Joseph Church embodies spirit of worship and good works in mountain community BRYSON CITY — St. Joseph Church is located in Swain County, at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina. In the 1930s, before the parish was established, a priest 34 miles from Waynesville would travel to Bryson City to celebrate Mass in various homes and at the Fryemont Inn. As the Catholic community grew, a need for a Catholic church in the area became evident. Land was purchased at the east end of Bryson City’s Main Street and construction of St. Joseph Church began.

The church, built at a cost of $11,568, was dedicated by then-Bishop Eugene McGuiness of Raleigh in September 1941 and was a mission of St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville.

At that time, St. Joseph Church was the only Catholic church west of Waynesville and is the oldest church in that area of North Carolina.

The church building was constructed with stone from Swain County and wood native to the area was used whenever possible. At the time of the dedication, there were 20 members at St. Joseph Church.

In 1955, Glenmary priests took responsibility for the parish. A nearby training center for Glenmary priests provided an ideal situation for both parishioners and priests. While the priests were able to get hands-on experience dealing with parish life, St. Joseph Church was able to maintain a generous supply of enthusiastic priests.

In the late 1960s, St. Joseph Church was transferred from being a mission of St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville to a mission of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin.

On Sept. 8, 1972, St. Joseph Church became an independent parish. Today,

St. Joseph Church 316 Main St. Bryson City, N.C. 28713 (828) 488-6766 Vicariate: Smoky Mountain Administrator: Father Shawn O’Neal Number of Households: 70 year- round, 30 additional seasonal

Father Shawn O’Neal

Photo by George Cobb

St. Joseph Church in Bryson City embodies the Christian spirit of worship and good works found throughout the Diocese of Charlotte. the church has its own mission, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Cherokee.

Three Glenmary priests served as pastors of St. Joseph Church after its establishment as a parish in 1972: Fathers Donald Levernier, Frank Gardner and Tom Field.

When Father Field retired in 2002, the Glenmary presence at St. Joseph Church ended.

Father Frank Seabo, a diocesan priest, served as administrator between July 2002 and July 2003. In 2003, Father Shawn O’Neal became the administrator.

The parish is involved with SAFE, a center for victims of domestic violence; Habitat for Humanity; Meals on Wheels and it actively collects food for the Bryson City Food Pantry.

In 1983, the church purchased property and began a thrift shop. Now the small shop has grown into one the largest

According to Father O’Neal, many local residents can barely afford to remain in Bryson City, where their families have lived for many generations.

“The physical presence on Main Street of both the church and thrift shop helps us to understand the economic crisis of the region, because the people most affected by the crisis come to our doorstep,” Father O’Neal said. “Our parishioners respond to local needs with compassion that truly brings the Gospel to life.”

Contributing to this story was Staff Writer Karen A. Evans.

ecumenical charities in the area. In fact, parishioners of St. Joseph Church and other area churches have kept the shop so stocked with donated goods that there has never been a need to go outside the area for donations.

“Our thrift shop volunteers consist of both longtime parishioners and recent arrivals to our area,” said Father O’Neal.

“No matter when they came, though, they understand the need for providing a place where members of our community can obtain goods at affordable prices.”

Due to an influx of retirees moving to Bryson City, land values have been pushed to artificially high levels, said Father O’Neal.

“Many local residents need as many affordable purchasing options as they can find, because this area suffers from the terrible combination of low wages, high unemployment,” he said.