April 18, 2008

April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Children on the battlefield; generosity and renunciation | Pages 14-15

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI April 18, 2008

Pure style

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Pope brings hope

vOLUME 17

no. 24

Pope Benedict greeted

by Bush as he begins first U.S. visit

By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Photo by Katie Moore

Model Meredith Walsh strides down the runway at the first annual Pure Fashion Show in Charlotte, April 13. Pure Fashion is a faith-based program that strives to teach teen girls about the importance of dignity and living a life in accordance with God’s will.

For full story see page 5.

CNS Photo by Jason Reed

Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges the crowd as he walks with U.S. President George W. Bush upon arriving at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington April 15.

Judge for the diocese leads tribunal workshop KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Advocates for the tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte attended workshops at three locations in North Carolina April 15-19. The workshops, which were held at St. Leo the Great Church in WinstonSalem, St. Eugene Church

in Asheville and St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, are part of a continuing education program for volunteer advocates sponsored by the diocesan tribunal.

The tribunal, or church court, handles the marriage

See TRIBUNAL, page 4

See POPE, page 13

CSS

Advocates get refresher course in canon law by

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (CNS) — Welcomed by U.S. President George W. Bush and an array of church officials, Pope Benedict XVI began his first pastoral visit to the United States as pope April 15.

The papal plane landed under an almost cloudless sky at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland at 3:51 p.m. EDT, nearly 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The pope was to spend the next two days in Washington before traveling to New York April 18.

Among those greeting the pope were Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl

Awareness Week 2008 Helping people across the diocese and beyond Courtesy Photo

Phuong Wright with Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte works with Omar Yussuf, a refugee from Eritrea, Feb. 18. CSS Awareness Week takes place April 19-27.

SEE COVERAGE on PAGES 7-10

In the News

Culture Watch

Statistically Speaking

Galileo statue to be built at Vatican

Documentary on Sisters of Mercy

Survey assesses Catholics’ beliefs

| Page 6

| Page 11

| Page 16

April 18, 2008

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Honoring a courageous Catholic

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The ambassadors of Syria and Jordan called on the United States to share the burden of the unprecedented Iraqi refugee crisis.

“The situation is terrible and the burden” on Syria’s resources and population is horrendous, said Imad Moustapha, Syrian ambassador to the U.S. Moustapha was a participant on one of several panels at an April 4 forum in Washington. The forum, sponsored

by Villanova University School of Law in Pennsylvania, gathered advocates, aid workers and lawyers involved with Iraqi refugees.

Moustapha stressed the economic and security problems that 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria have caused the already strained government, which subsidizes social programs such as health care and education for Syrians.

CNS by Brian Aho, Courtesy of U.S. Navy via Reuters

U.S. President George W. Bush applauds after presenting a posthumous Medal of Honor for Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor to his parents, George and Sally Monsoor, at the White House in Washington April 8. The Catholic Navy SEAL died Sept. 29, 2006, after diving onto a grenade during an attack on his combat team in Ramadi, Iraq.

Bush presents posthumous Medal of Honor to Catholic Navy SEAL WASHINGTON (CNS) — A tearful U.S. President George W. Bush presented the parents of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor with a posthumous Medal of Honor for saving the lives of two Navy SEAL teammates by sacrificing his own in Ramadi, Iraq.

Monsoor was 25 when a hand grenade tossed by Iraqi insurgents hit his chest and landed on the ground in front of him. Monsoor immediately threw himself on the grenade, smothering its blow. He died less than 30 minutes later.

At the April 8 ceremony at the White House, Bush said this highest military medal was “awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it. Yet those who knew Michael Monsoor were not surprised when he did.”

Father Paul Halladay, former chaplain of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, was at the ceremony and knew Monsoor when he was a chaplain stationed in Ramadi.

Though the circumstances in which Monsoor died were a very outward sign of his heroism, Father Halladay described Monsoor as being “very softspoken, low-key, unassuming.”

He was not unlike others his age, Father Halladay told Catholic News Service April 7, noting that like the saying “still waters run deep,” Monsoor “was a man with a depth of courage and spirituality.”

Father Halladay, a priest of the Archdiocese of Mobile, Ala., currently

Syrian, Jordanian diplomats urge U.S. to share Iraqi refugee burden

stationed with the 58th Transportation Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., told CNS he knew Monsoor “was well loved by his team” and said Monsoor had a “quick smile.”

The first time Monsoor met Father Halladay, he asked the priest to hear his confession. Father Halladay said that, to him, this was a sign that Monsoor was concerned with and cared about his spiritual life.

“I do know that (his faith) was important to him, while that didn’t keep him from being a normal 25-year-old man,” he said. But his faith “just made him the best 25-year-old man he could be,” added the priest.

Father Halladay said Monsoor’s faith life allowed him to instinctively save the lives of his teammates.

“So when it came down to laying down his life for his friends, his faith life allowed him to be able to do that without a moment’s hesitation,” he said.

Father Halladay, who was with Monsoor before he was officially pronounced dead, noted that Monsoor died Sept. 29, 2006, the feast of St. Michael and two other archangels.

Monsoor received the Silver Star Medal posthumously for his heroic actions in May 2006 when he pulled a wounded teammate to safety while under enemy fire. He also was honored with the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Monsoor became the third Medal of Honor recipient from the Iraq War.

Diocesan planner For more events taking place in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.charlottediocese. org/calendarofevents-cn.

ALBEMARLE VICARIATE MONROE — A holy hour is held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 725 Deese St., until December 2008 in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes.

The holy hour consists of evening prayer, recitation of the rosary and Benediction.

The celebration is open to all. For more information, contact the parish office at (704) 289-2773.

ASHEVILLE VICARIATE HENDERSONVILLE — The St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order meets the fourth Sunday of each month 1-3 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West. Visitors and inquirers are welcome. For more information, call Joanita Nellenbach, SFO, (828) 627-9209 or jnell@dnet.net.

BOONE VICARIATE SPRUCE PINE — A rosary of intercession for priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m.

Mass. Prayers are offered for bishops, priests and deacons, and for an increase in vocations

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Jordan’s ambassador to the U.S., said the “volume of people in such a short space of time (in Jordan) is staggering to the mind.”

Najla Chadha, director of the Catholic-run Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, said the Lebanese “are starting to get jealous” of the 50,000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon because of the support they receive.

Chadha said there is a problem with overlap in services provided by nongovernmental organizations. In an effort to garner funding from donor countries, many organizations say they are working with Iraqi refugees, she said, adding there is a lack of coordination on the part of donors and service providers.

Several other aid workers discussed the unique problems faced by Iraqi refugees, many of whom are illegally residing in their host countries.

to the priesthood. For more information, call the church office at (828) 765-2224.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE –– An Ignatian retreat for women will be held at St. Peter Catholic Church, 507 S. Tryon St. in Charlotte, on Saturday, May 3rd. Consider setting aside some time for quiet reflection and prayer. The theme for this retreat is “To Touch His Cloak” with reflections on hope and healing. There is no charge for the retreat. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.; the retreat will begin at 9:00 a.m. Parking is free in The Green parking garage next door to the church. To register, sign up online at retreat4women@gmail.com, or call the church at (704) 332-2901.

CHARLOTTE — The semi-annual rosary rally will be held on Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. at St. Patrick Cathedral. The rally will include the holy rosary, a Eucharistic procession and Benediction. Join us as we honor Our Lady. For more information, contact Tina at (704) 846-7361.

CHARLOTTE — PROSHRED Security will host a free community shred at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

About seven million Americans become victims of identity theft each year. One precaution you can take to protect yourself is to shred personal documents you no longer need. Documents will be destroyed while you watch. All shredded materials will be recycled. For further details, call the church at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — Ultreya will be held at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Sunday April 20, from 12 - 2 p.m. in

April 18, 2008 Volume 17 • Number 24

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray STAFF WRITER: Katie Moore 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.

April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Cardinal: Papal events with Bush don’t signal approval of policies VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to the White House to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush does not signal Vatican support of the Bush administration’s foreign policies, a Vatican official said.

The April 15-16 encounters with the president when the pope arrives in the U.S. should “absolutely not” be seen as support of Bush’s stance on Iraq, said Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

The cardinal spoke to reporters April 11 during a break in an international conference on disarmament sponsored by the Vatican council.

“The pope and the Holy See cannot renounce with one visit all the Holy See’s positions of rejecting war, always encouraging dialogue to smooth over disagreements and fostering cooperation,” he said.

He said the argument that U.S.-led troops have to remain in Iraq in order to bring security and protect the Christian minority is open to question.

But whether it is wise to keep troops in Iraq is “a very difficult judgment” to make because some analysts say “the daily slaughter that unfolds in Iraq” is rooted in the continued presence of foreign troops, said the Italian cardinal.

Cardinal Martino, who served as the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations, 1986-2002, said he and others at the U.N. “did everything” to prevent what they saw as unjust attacks against Iraq in 1991.

However, Vatican lobbying and repeated papal appeals against the 2003 war against Iraq failed, he said.

The pope’s role is much like the priest urging his flock “to follow the Ten Commandments. It’s then up to us to follow them or not,” he said.

rooms 125/132 in the New Life Center – please note this is a change! There will be no pot luck this month. Babysitting is available, but you must contact Vickie Torres at (704) 543-7677 ext. 1011 to reserve a spot for your children.

Guest speaker this month will be Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast. All Cursillistas are encouraged to attend. For more information, call Lisa or Todd Wilson at 704-543-9764.

SALISBURY VICARIATE SALISBURY — Elizabeth Ministry is a peer ministry comprised of Sacred Heart Church parishioners who have lost babies before or shortly after birth. Confidential peer ministry, information and spiritual materials are offered at no cost or obligation to anyone who has experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a newborn. For details, call Renee Washington at (704) 637-0472 or Sharon Burges at (704) 633-0591.

GASTONIA VICARIATE DENVER — The Senior Group of Holy Spirit Church meets once a month for fun and fellowship. All seniors are invited to join. For more information on upcoming events, contact Irene Brunner at (704) 483-1210.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO —Area Catholics meet each Saturday at 8 a.m. for prayer at the abortion clinic, ‘A Woman’s Choice,’ 201 Pomona Dr. A rosary and a divine mercy chaplet are prayed.

If you are interested in participating, contact Carolyn Dominick at (336) 292-3612.

GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., meets Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 a.m. in the Parish Life Center. The group will be studying Colossians during the month of April. For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — Father Robert Ferris leads a Lectionary Bible Study at St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St., Wednesdays, 9:3010:30 a.m. in the Mary, Mother of God room. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. This study prepares participants for the following Sunday’s Mass by reading and studying the liturgical readings for the next week. For more information on this study, contact Kathy Succop at (828) 327-2341 or stalscoordinator@charter.net.

Episcopal

calendar

April 22 (6 p.m.)

Friends of Seminarians Dinner Grandover Resort, Greensboro April 23 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

Pope urges world to slash military spending, funnel savings for peace VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI urged nations to slash military spending and funnel savings into peaceful development projects around the world.

He also called on nations to halt the spread of handguns and other smallcaliber weapons “that fuel local wars and urban violence and unfortunately kill too many people across the world every day.”

The pope made his comments in a written message presented to participants gathered for an April 11-12 seminar sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The Vatican released a copy of the papal message April 12.

The international seminar, which brought together dozens of experts and representatives from the church, governmental agencies and grassroots groups, was titled “Disarmament, Development and Peace: Perspectives for an Integral Disarmament.”

In his written message, the pope praised the gathering, saying the topic was “timely” and “urgent.”

In order to avoid repeating “the

horrors of the Second World War,” leaders created the United Nations, but “today the international community seems like (it is) missing,” he said.

Tension and warfare rage in some parts of the world, while in places where people are spared such conflict “the feelings of fear and insecurity are widespread,” Pope Benedict said.

Global terrorism also has blurred the lines between the state of peace or war and is “seriously jeopardizing the future hope of humanity,” he said.

While peaceful economic development and political and juridical guidelines are needed to help reduce conflict and weapons proliferation, the pope said it is “ever more urgent to foster a new humanism that enlightens humanity’s self-understanding and the meaning of its place in history.”

Arms reduction and authentic peace can only come about after violence has been eliminated from its roots, that is, in people’s hearts, he said. People need to “decisively point themselves toward the quest for peace, the good, and the just” and become peace workers, he wrote.

Papal Mass Tickets Get Stuffed

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:30 p.m. in the Glenmary House of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need. For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 494-2683.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE CLEMMONS — Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., has Eucharistic adoration each Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. For more details, call Donna at (336) 940-2558 or Carole at (336) 766-4530.

WINSTON-SALEM — Franciscan Sister Kathy Ganiel will present “Dignity of the Human Person” April 20, 3-5 p.m. as part of a series of free talks offering an exploration into some of the major contributions of Franciscan men and women of faith. The talk will take place at the Fatima Chapel, 211 W. Third St. For more information and registration, e-mail spiritofassisi@bellsouth.net or call (336) 723-1092.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to kmmoore@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: April 24 (6 p.m.)

Mass for Diocesan School Board and Principals Pastoral Center, Charlotte April 25 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville

CNS Photo By Gregory A. Shemitz

Diana M. Padilla, right, and Alexandra Bastien of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., stuff tickets to Pope Benedict XVI’s Yankee Stadium Mass into envelopes April 10. More than 11,000 requests were received by the diocese and 1,000 tickets were distributed to lottery winners for the April 20 Mass.

Pope names Slovakian cardinal as envoy to eucharistic congress VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has named Slovakian Cardinal Josef Tomko to be his representative at the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City.

The 84-year-old cardinal was president of the Vatican’s office for organizing the international event from 2001 to 2007. Previously he served for 16 years as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The June 15-22 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec coincides with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.

Church and government officials had invited Pope Benedict to preside over the congress, and Canadian Catholics even launched an Internet petition urging him to attend.

The Vatican announced April 12 that the pope had appointed Cardinal Tomko to be his representative at the gathering, which will include speeches and workshops on different themes related to the Eucharist, opportunities for eucharistic adoration and Masses.

The theme of the congress is “The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the World.”

4 The Catholic News & Herald

from the cover

Workshop better equips advocates for handling marriage nullity cases TRIBUNAL, from page 1

nullity process, working under a set of procedures and laws established as part of canon law, the universal law of the church.

“An advocate is a bridge between the petitioner and the church in a unique way,” said Joy Barnes, tribunal advocate for the Diocese of Charlotte.

An advocate is someone who helps those seeking annulments to develop their cases.

Priests and deacons of the diocese, who serve as case sponsors and provide pastoral support to parishioners going through the process, also attended.

“These workshops are focused on giving them (advocates) both the theory behind the various grounds that are available for hearing marriage cases, as well as some practical experience in looking at cases,” said Dominican Father W. Becket Soule.

Father Soule, who presided over the workshops, is a judge for the Diocese of Charlotte and currently the pastor of St. Denis Church in Hanover, N.H. A licentiate, or graduate degree beyond the master’s level, in canon law is required to serve as judge. A graduate of Davidson College, Father Soule holds a licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Catholic University of America.

He was appointed a judge for the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Peter J. Jugis four years ago.

“Since all procedures in a canonical process have to be in writing, actually being in the office every day is less crucial than it is in a secular trial,” said Father Soule. “Given the current shortage of trained personnel, I am happy to be able to assist the Diocese of Charlotte in any way I can.”

The goal of the workshop was to better equate advocates with grounds

of nullity and go over basic annulment procedures, according to Lisa Sarvis, head of the diocesan tribunal.

“Frequently the judge is unavailable to answer questions,” said Father Soule, “The advocate, therefore, is both a means to keep the parties informed as well as a mean to keep the tribunal aware of their needs and concerns.”

There are 50 volunteer advocates located throughout the Diocese of Charlotte. At least one advocate is assigned to every parish and mission to assist its parishioners.

The purpose of a nullity process is to determine whether or not an indissoluble marriage bond was created when the parties entered their marriage. It must be proved clearly and without doubt that this enduring bond was not established in order to declare the marriage null.

This proof must focus on grounds of nullity recognized by church law and must apply to the marriage from its very beginning. Grounds are the provisions in the law of the church, identifying the circumstances under which a marriage may be invalid.

The tribunal receives around 300 new requests for annulments each year.

“Unfortunately divorce is a fact of life but a civil divorce has no standing in the church, just as decisions rendered in canon law have no civil effect,” said Sarvis.

During a Jan. 26 meeting with members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, a Vatican court that deals mainly with appeals in marriage annulment cases, Pope Benedict XVI said local tribunals play an indispensable role in making justice accessible to Catholics and in “investigating and resolving cases in their concreteness, which is sometimes tied to the culture and mentality” of the local population.

However, he said, “all the sentences must always be founded on common principles and norms of justice.”

When handling the nullity process,

the tribunal works under a set of procedures and laws set forth by the Code of Canon Law. The Code of Canon Law is seldom revised; however, new interpretations and applications continue to develop as cases are heard and resolved throughout the universal church. Thus, the tribunal offers continuing education to the advocates to help them keep up with the latest developments.

“When consent to marriage is invalid, for whatever reason, it is the responsibility of the church to bring that fact to light and free the parties to move on with their lives and their faith journeys,” according to the diocesan

April 18, 2008

advocate handbook. “That is the mission of this ministry and the hope and prayer of all involved.”

“Advocacy is a healing ministry,” said Barnes. “Often our petitioners have become separated from the sacraments by divorce and remarriage. An annulment draws them back to the Eucharist and full participation in their faith communities.”

WANT MORE INFO: For more information on the advocate program in the Diocese of Charlotte, contact Joy Barnes at (704) 370-3343 or jmbarnes@charlottediocese.org.

The Annulment Process: 1. The first step for a petitioner considering a marriage case is to approach the local parish priest or pastoral assistant, who will assist the petitioner in completing a preliminary questionnaire for submission to the diocesan tribunal. This questionnaire provides the tribunal staff an overview of the marriage.

2. The tribunal next contacts the other party to the marriage – the respondent – who has a right to be heard. A questionnaire is sent to the respondent to request information regarding the alleged grounds of nullity.

3. The petitioner is expected to inform witnesses that they will be contacted by the tribunal, and request their prompt cooperation. Each witness is sent a questionnaire based on the grounds in the case and a cover letter explaining how to proceed.

The testimony is to be given under oath, and witnesses have the option of signing the completed questionnaire before a Catholic priest or pastoral minister or before a notary public.

4. A favorable decision in the diocesan tribunal must be reviewed by the Court of Appeals of the Province of Atlanta, Ga. 5. Upon completion, the petitioner is notified and sent a copy of the final decree.

More about Father Soule: • Served as a judge for the Archdiocese of Washington for 10 years and adjutant judicial vicar for the archdiocese 1999-2002 • Taught at the Dominican House of Studies, Catholic University and Oxford University • Served as associate professor of canon law and dean of the pontifical faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. 2003-2007

April 18, 2008

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

“Modesty is more than the way you dress.

It is an interior attitude.”

— Kathy Comer a relationship with Jesus,” she said.

She added that one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is being a good role model for young girls.

“I like being able to help other girls see that they are children of God,” she said. “We are all models of the Great Designer.”

The importance of family was another message that came across strongly throughout the show.

“The seeds of modesty begin at the home,” said Comer, mother to sons Braxton, 12, and Walker, 10, and daughter Lydia, 8. “It’s never too early to start teaching our young girls the importance of living a life of dignity.”

Not surprisingly, the idea behind Pure Fashion came from a group of mothers in Atlanta, seven years ago.

It was institutionalized as a Regnum Christi apostolate two years ago and has

spread across the country and expanded internationally.

It is about “living your faith in your daily life,” said Thalita Cortes, one of the finalists in the essay writing competition.

Cortes, an 8th grader at Community House Middle School and a St. Matthew parishioner, said that through Pure Fashion she became comfortable with herself and realized that there was “no pressure to be something else.”

“This is what is meant to recognize true beauty,” said Comer, “by learning the importance of living a life in accordance with God’s will and fostering a life of grace through purity of mind, heart and body.”

Contact Staff Writer Katie Moore by calling (704) 370-3354, or e-mail kmmoore@charlottediocese.org.

Photo by Katie Moore

Young girls gather around the runway to get a closer look as Pure Fashion models showcase the latest trends in fashion and modesty.

Models of the ‘Great Designer’ Teen girls take fashion high road by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — A runway extended to the center of the second-floor ballroom at the Westin hotel. A cluster of young girls lined the platform anxiously awaiting the beginning of the show.

When the models emerged, the clothes became the backdrop as the message of purity took center stage.

It was the first annual Pure Fashion show in Charlotte, April 13. The show was the culmination of a seven-month program in which 69 teen girls between the ages of 14 and 18 learned the value of dressing modestly in a not-so-modest world.

Tickets to the show sold out in advance and the ballroom was filled to its 760-seat capacity.

“Charlotte is ready for this program,” said Kathy Comer, Charlotte Pure Fashion chairwoman. “Just look around at the malls, in the schools and in the grocery stores. Modesty is more than the way you dress. It is an interior attitude.”

The afternoon included a motivational talk, music and dance performances, a runway show, and a message from national Pure Fashion director, Brenda Sharman.

Three themes ran throughout them all: modesty, dignity, and glorifying God. “It is heartening to know that young people are searching for ways to live in the modern world while retaining

Christian values and virtues,” said Bishop Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte, who opened the event in prayer.

“Pure Fashion is a faith-based program that encourages teen girls to live, act, and dress in accordance with their dignity as children of God,” according to its Web site.

Pure Fashion is sponsored by Regnum Christi, an apostolic Catholic movement associated with the Legionaries of Christ.

Maria Knuth, a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi who assisted with spiritual formation for the Charlotte program, said that the goal is to “teach the girls they can be fashionable and modest at the same time.”

The unique thing about the program is that it “reaches girls you wouldn’t normally reach with other church programs,” she said.

Over the course of seven months, the girls learned lessons in public speaking, manners, hair and makeup artistry, and personal presentation. The Charlotte program also included an essay writing competition, service project, and retreat.

“We teach them that they are made in the image and likeness of God and are created to glorify God in all things, even in the way they dress,” said Comer.

Meredith Walsh, a junior at Charlotte Latin School and a parishioner at St. Ann Church, said the program has helped her deepen her friendship with Christ.

“Pure Fashion has taught me that you can be fun and fashionable and have

Photo by Katie Moore

Two young onlookers share commentary from their front row seats at the first annual Pure Fashion Show held at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, April 13.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

April 18, 2008

IN THE NEWS

‘The great Galileo’

“The Vatican is very enthusiastic about the idea.”

After four centuries, renowned astronomer to return to Vatican

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Four centuries after he was called by church officials to retract teachings deemed suspect of heresy, the 17th-century Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei will be returning to Vatican City.

A statue of the great scientist will be erected in Vatican City to help commemorate next year’s celebration of the International Year of Astronomy and the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of the telescope to observe the cosmos.

Paid for through private donations, the work of art was commissioned by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, but the statue still needs a place to call home.

The science academy “is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of Italian Renaissance art and, therefore, there is a problem of precisely where the statue should go” so as not to disrupt the aesthetic beauty of the landscape, the academy’s president, Nicola Cabibbo, told Catholic News Service.

“The Vatican is very enthusiastic about the idea,” he said, but “the problem is where. ... But something will be worked out,” hopefully by next year when the jubilee kicks off.

Cabibbo, a particle physicist at Rome’s Sapienza University, said honoring Galileo in such a way is important because the academy considers the scientist “to be one of the oldest members of our academy.”

The pontifical academy has its roots in the world’s oldest scientific academy — the National Academy of Lincei — of which Galileo was a member.

Cabibbo said a model of the statue shows Galileo standing and gesticulating as if he were giving a lesson.

Galileo, in fact, taught the church several important lessons. Pope John Paul II outlined most of them in a 1992 speech when he formally acknowledged that the church erred when it condemned the astronomer for maintaining that Earth revolved around the sun.

After accepting the findings of a commission he had appointed in 1981 to study the Galileo trial, the pope told members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that the Galileo case held important lessons concerning “the nature of science and the message of faith.”

One key point, he said, was that the whole affair underlined “the duty for theologians to keep themselves regularly informed of scientific advances” so they could see whether there was cause for “introducing changes in their teaching.”

Incorrect condemnation Galileo’s condemnation in 1633 by the Holy Office, predecessor of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is often used to symbolize the tensions between science and religion; critics often use the Galileo affair to suggest religion might somehow be an obstacle to the

advancement of human knowledge.

This “myth,” as Pope John Paul had called it, is still alive and well, despite the late pope’s hopes of putting the Galileo case to rest for good.

Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI canceled a planned visit to Sapienza University after more than 60 professors wrote a letter protesting the visit, saying the pope was “hostile to science.”

One accusation — based on an erroneous page on the Italian Wikipedia Web site — held that the pope was “against Galileo.”

The page, which has since been corrected, said that in a 1990 speech the future pope endorsed a modern philosopher’s opinion that the church’s trial of Galileo was “reasonable and just” when in fact the pope had called the author’s opinion “drastic.”

During a talk to young people at the Vatican in 2006, Pope Benedict praised the scientist as “the great Galileo” who understood mathematics as the language of God the creator.

Power of proof Born in Pisa in 1564, Galileo was one of the most important mathematicians, physicists, astronomers and inventors of his era. Through his telescopic observations he discovered sunspots, the moon’s pocked and mountainous surface and Jupiter’s satellites.

He also provided evidence for Copernicus’ view that Earth revolved around the sun. At the time, the generally held theological view was based on several Old Testament verses and attested the sun revolved around a stationary Earth.

This view of the Earth-sun relationship was considered an essential part of the overall belief that humans, as redeemed

by Christ, are the center of the universe.

Galileo argued his controversial heliocentric view did not oppose faith.

He believed the Bible was not meant

— Nicola Cabibbo

CNS photo by British Library/HIP/Art Resource

Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei is seen with a globe, telescope and quill pen in this 19th-century painting. A statue of Galileo is to be erected at the Vatican, four centuries after he was called by church officials to retract teaching suspected of heresy. to give scientific explanations of nature; in a letter he once paraphrased a famous remark by Italian Cardinal Caesar Baronius saying sacred Scripture does not reveal what is in the heavens, but rather how to get to heaven.

Jesuit Father Sabino Maffeo, the Vatican Observatory’s vice director for administration, told CNS that Galileo ran into trouble with the Holy Office because he did not have proof for his claims.

“Not having proof ... (the Holy Office) was forced to hold on to the centuries-old concept” that saw Earth as the center of the cosmos, he said.

If he had had proof, which did not come for another 100 years with discoveries made by Isaac Newton, Galileo’s fate could have been much different, Father Maffeo said.

He added that Italian Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, who was part of the 17th-century Vatican commission that admonished Galileo not to hold or defend the Copernican theory, had told Galileo “the day in which you bring a demonstration then we will have to look at how sacred Scripture gets interpreted differently, but as long as there is no proof, we will continue to interpret (Scripture) literally as we have all along.”

Church and science The Stensen Institute, a Jesuit-run cultural center in Florence, Italy, has organized a world congress for spring 2009 to re-examine the Galileo affair.

Members of the Vatican Observatory, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the sciences academy are some of the experts invited to the congress to show how “recent scientific and historical research” could help alleviate the “tension and conflict” still clouding the relationship between the church and science, said Jesuit Father Ennio Brovedani, head of the Stensen Institute.

The Jesuit is just one of a number of scholars who believes there is still more to be done to assure the public that the church has made peace with Galileo.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, who was the last to head Pope John Paul’s commission on Galileo, told CNS that the late pontiff once asked him, “Well, Eminence, has the case been closed?”

“I told him, ‘No, there will still be women and men who with (free will) will be able to think whatever they want,’” the cardinal said.

April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 7

CSS AWARENESS WEEK

CSS Awareness Week 2008 Helping people across the diocese and beyond by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

CHARLOTTE — In a Russian orphanage, a 1-year-old boy sits idly in a crib.

In Greensboro, N.C., an immigrant from the Dominican Republic worries about her three children. Supporting her family keeps her away from home for long hours and the children resent her time away.

In Charlotte, an elderly couple has a bleak future — the husband has dementia and the wife is overwhelmed by the decisions she now must make alone.

The thread running through these three stories isn’t their tragic dimension; it is the hope of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte. CSS offers services that have touched the lives of these people and countless others. Their stories are contained within this week’s issue of The Catholic News & Herald.

With CSS Awareness Week taking place April 19-27, these stories are reminders of the thousands of people helped each year in CSS offices

throughout the 46-county diocese.

In Asheville, Winston-Salem, High Point, Greensboro, Charlotte and Murphy, CSS offices offer marriage preparation courses and natural family planning instruction; pregnancy support; elder ministry; counseling, adoption and immigration services; refugee resettlement; burial assistance; and peer support groups for youths.

CSS is affiliated with Alexandria, Va.-based Catholic Charities USA, which has provided social services and organization leadership for U.S. dioceses since 1910.

CSS was first organized in North Carolina in 1947 and was a part of the Diocese of Charlotte when it was established in 1972.

Elizabeth Thurbee, executive director of CSS of the Diocese of Charlotte, said that each year more than 14,000 people in the 46 counties receive services, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.

“I constantly hear people say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that,’ when I describe the services offered by CSS. People are amazed,” said Thurbee.

Courtesy Photo

Members of the Far West Families First program watch as Judy Young holds up the key to her new home.

The program, part of CSS Justice & Peace Office of Economic Opportunity in Murphy, helps struggling families gain financial independence. CSS Awareness Week takes place April 19-27.

Thurbee said CSS Awareness Week should make Catholics proud of the work done in the name of their faith.

“We were established to provide services to the vulnerable in our society, regardless of who that person may be, in accordance with Catholic social teaching,” she said.

Jennifer, Mike and Andrew DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

WAXHAW — Jennifer and Michael Kellam of Waxhaw worked with Catholic Social Services’ international adoption program to bring Andrew into their lives.

Andrew came from a Russian orphanage in late 2006, a week shy of his first birthday. He is now 27 months old.

Like all new parents, the Kellams are keeping track of their “greatest moments as parents.” For Jennifer, it is whenever she hears Andrew laugh. For Michael, it is “when Andrew says ‘Daddy’ and runs to me or when he hugs me every morning,” he said.

Licensed as a child-placing agency since 1948, CSS of the Diocese of Charlotte provides professional domestic and international adoptions based on the highest children welfare standards.

The CSS program emphasizes support, preparation and education.

CSS’ international adoption program, based in CSS’s Western Region Office in Asheville, places children from several regions in Russia and assists in adopting children from China.

Since its founding in 1994, the program has placed more than 600 Russian children in U.S. homes. CSS currently places between 50 and 80 children each year with families —

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte, go online to www.cssnc.org.

other areas assist adoptive parents in all phases of the process.

Children from infancy to school age are placed in suitable homes. CSS encourages the placement of siblings.

Adoptions are usually completed in 1218 months.

The Kellams describe their adoptive experience through CSS as “wonderful.”

“We felt free to call the staff anytime.

There was always someone available to talk with us,” said Jennifer Kellam.

“CSS was very upfront and efficient and made the whole process as smooth as possible,” she said.

The Kellams are in the process of adopting a second child from Russia through CSS. They are all excited that Andrew will soon have a brother or a sister.

CSS adoption programs bring families together by

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Courtesy Photo

Michael and Jennifer Kellam of Waxhaw are pictured in their home in December 2007 with Andrew, a boy they adopted from Russia through Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte in late 2006. The Kellams are in the process of adopting a second Russian child through CSS. couples married at least two years — and with single women who have been carefully screened and prepared to welcome children.

In 2000, the Russian Federation required agencies placing children from Russia be accredited by the Russian government. Reaccreditations occurred annually until 2006, when the Russian government delayed the process while instituting new requirements.

In 2007, CSS was among the first eight agencies worldwide to be accredited by the Russian Federation.

CSS’ accreditation was the culmination of months of intensive scrutiny to ensure applicant agencies were prepared to conduct adoption services within the government’s new guidelines.

CSS is the only Catholic agency in the United States with a direct placement program in Russia. This means CSS deals directly with Russian authorities in placing children in U.S. homes, usually making the adoption process faster and less expensive than an agency without direct placement capability.

CSS staff located in Moscow and

DID YOU KNOW? CSS adoption services are offered to any qualified family, regardless of religious affiliation. CSS values diversity and works with families from many ethnic cultures and economic backgrounds.

WANT MORE INFO?

For more information on CSS’ international adoption program, call (888) 990-4199 or visit www.cssnc.org/internationaladoption.html.

For information on CSS’ domestic adoption program, visit www.cssnc.org/domesticadoption. html or call (828) 255-0146 in Asheville, (704) 370-3262 in Charlotte or (336) 714-3203 in Winston-Salem.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

April 18, 2008

CSS AWARENESS WEEK

CSS: Volunteering to offer warm welcomes William LaMay, a volunteer with CatholicSocialServices’Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte, assists a family of refugees from Eritrea with apartment-living basics in Charlotte in February 2008. LaMay, a parishioner of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte and a member of CSS’ board of directors, is a finalist for Catholic Charities USA’s 2008 Volunteer of the Year Award due to his tireless efforts to assist refugees through the CSS Refugee Resettlement Office.

Courtesy Photo

Louise and Stewart Counseling services help couple face difficult moments by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

Editor’s note: Names have been changed for privacy.

CHARLOTTE — He was her first boyfriend.

But “first loves” usually don’t last and so it was for Louise and Stewart, who eventually went their separate ways.

Thirty-eight years later, Louise’s husband had died and Stewart was divorced.

He called her and the old flame was kindled.

She moved to Charlotte and love led to marriage. Together in their 50s, it looked as if they would glide together into the golden years.

But when Louise and Stewart were in their 60s, something began happening to Stewart. A medical diagnosis confirmed it — he had dementia.

“It was like going into a dark valley that he will not come out of,” said Louise.

As Stewart lost his ability to speak, he began communicating his pain in a journal.

“I am tears on my pillow,” he wrote.

Louise’s loss was coupled with

fear about finances and their future.

She wondered how she would take care of him.

As they had always been a selfreliant couple, Louise believed she could talk through a problem and resolve it.

But Stewart could no longer speak, and as a senior citizen with limited resources, Louise had no access to professional counseling.

There was just too much on her plate until a bulletin announcement at her parish, St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, offered a spark of hope: Catholic Social Services provides professional counseling services.

Louise began meeting with a counselor and started talking about the things that frightened her.

After four months, the will was taken care of, Medicaid was arranged and her finances were in order.

Even with some issues resolved, Louise’s time now with Stewart may not be what they had envisioned when they met more than 40 years ago, or what they anticipated when they married late in life.

But it is a life of dignity and caring, as Louise spends her days with her husband.

“He likes me to sit with him and hold his hand,” she said.

Louise is appreciative of all the

help they received from CSS. “CSS supports me in what I have to do. CSS helps me take care of me,” said Louise.

“There are lots of supports out there and CSS gave me the courage to take advantage of them,” she said. “I didn’t want to sit and fear the future and, thanks to CSS, I don’t.”

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about CSS’ counseling services, visit www.cssnc.org/counseling.html, or call: • in Asheville: (828) 255-0146 • in Charlotte: (704) 370-3262 • in Greensboro: (336) 274-5577 • in Murphy: (828) 835-3535 • in Winston-Salem: (336)727-0705

Courtesy Photo

Brenda Puckeett, a counselor with Catholic Social Services, uses game techniques in a counseling session with a child at CSS’ Charlotte Regional Office in 2007. The office utilizes a child therapy room to help children feel comfortable and safe. CSS provides counseling to individuals, couples, families and children in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Murphy and Winston-Salem.

April 18, 2008

Ana Maria and her children

The Catholic News & Herald 9

CSS AWARENESS WEEK

Mirsad Suljakovic

CSS’ Latino Family Center helps mother, children realize American dream by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

Editor’s note: Names have been changed for privacy.

HIGH POINT — At 32 years old, Ana Marie’s life was looking bleak in the Dominican Republic.

She could not find work and felt resigned to live with her physically and emotionally abusive husband, because she saw no other way to support her three children — 16-year-old Nancy, 14-yearold Rita and 11-year-old Jorge.

But then one day in 2004, she was contacted by a cousin in North Carolina who told her there was work here, and that she could obtain proper documentation to enter the United States.

Ana Maria borrowed some money to make the move. But she could not afford to take all the children, so only Jorge made the trip. The girls were left with a grandmother.

Ana Maria’s life in America was a regimen of hard work, worsened by her inability to be with her growing daughters. Back in the Dominican Republic, Nancy and Rita both felt abandoned by their mother.

While Nancy, who had seen her mother’s bruises at the hands of her father, tried to understand the sacrifice, Ana Marie’s absence was especially hard on Rita. She had grown quiet and seemingly had forgotten how to smile.

Finally after two years, Ana Maria earned enough money to send for the girls.

Unfortunately Ana Maria’s story did not have a fairy tale ending upon reuniting with her daughters. She struggled with the trauma of the domestic violence she had suffered.

She also worked such long hours to support her family that she wasn’t connecting with her children; it seemed to them that they were being abandoned, yet again.

The girls became estranged from her. Nancy began skipping school and was constantly angry toward her mother and siblings. Rita still wouldn’t smile.

Jorge was withdrawn and quiet as he tried to adjust to life in a new country.

The turning point for the family came when they met Leticia Ontiveros

from Catholic Social Services’ Latino Family Center in High Point.

Ontiveros introduced Ana Maria’s daughters to the Hermanas (Sisters) program for Latina women.

At first, Nancy was quiet during presentations that dealt with self-esteem and abstinence to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sex. But it didn’t take long for Nancy and her sister to begin enjoying the twice-a-week Hermanas meetings.

Now they are building a connection with their Hermanas’ instructors, participating in activities and learning valuable skills and lessons that could change their lives and futures.

The Latino Family Center staff next arranged for Ana Maria and her children to receive family therapy. Irene Agudelo, a CSS caseworker, began serving as an interpreter for them.

Jorge has since joined the Hermanos (Brothers) program this past semester.

He has made friends and learned positive decision-making skills.

Ana Maria participates in the center’s Family Literacy program, where she learns English while her kids take part in other program activities.

Unlike previous holidays, Ana Maria’s family had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas recently, thanks to members of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point, who donated food and gifts.

“It was a nice holiday season for the family,” said Tanya Hoeller, Latino Family Center director. “Rita smiles now, and Ana Maria’s whole family is full of gratitude.”

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

NEED HELP? Are you in need of CSS’ immigration or Hispanic services? Contact: • in Asheville (828) 258-2617 • in Charlotte (704) 370-3262 • in Hendersonville (828) 696-2330 • in Morganton (828) 438-1113 • in High Point (336) 884-5858 • in Winston-Salem (336) 574-2837

CSS data for 2007 In 2007 CSS assisted a total of 16,322 unduplicated clients. following is a breakdown of the specific services that were performed:

Counseling Pregnancy Support Adoption Services Refugee Services Immigration Services Burial Assistance

Courtesy Photo

Mirsad Suljakovic (right), a refugee from Bosnia-Herzegovina, reviews blueprints with Mick Saron (left) and Scott Knowles in Charlotte. Suljakovic found employment through Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office.

Refugee finds new life, work through CSS by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CHARLOTTE — Mirsad Suljakovic is pursuing the American dream, thanks to the help of Catholic Social Services.

Suljakovic, a refugee from BosniaHerzegovina, has been living and working in Charlotte through the efforts of CSS’ Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte.

After losing a brother to the ethnic violence among Serbs, Muslims and Croats in the early 1990s in BosniaHerzegovina, a multiethnic, multireligious war-torn nation, Suljakovic and his family fled to Germany and applied for refugee status to enter the United States.

In 2001, they arrived in Charlotte with few possessions but with a fierce determination to make new lives for themselves.

CSS’ Refugee Resettlement Office provided their first living arrangements, arranged for English as a second language classes and helped them find employment.

Suljakovic now works with a local cabinet design and installation company, putting his skills to use installing highend cabinets. Company owner Scott

507 54 243 1,725 1,147 75

Knowles said taking a chance and hiring a refugee was “the best experience I have ever had in business.”

He credits Suljakovic for his company’s increased sales because of the skills, hard work and integrity he brings to the cabinet installers’ team.

“Mirsad has helped us improve the quality and efficiency of our work,” said Knowles, who is also chairman of the Refugee Resettlement Office’s employment advisory committee.

The committee is comprised of local employers who assist CSS to broaden opportunities for refugee employment.

Six years later after arriving in Charlotte, Suljakovic and his wife own a home and are involved in their children’s school and sports activities.

CSS also serves refugees resettled in the Asheville area from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on CSS’ Refugee Resettlement Office, call (704) 370-3277 or visit www.cssnc.org/refugee.html.

Education and Enrichment Activities Food Provisions Basic Needs Assistance Social Support Socialization Services

5,816 7,080 2,021 1,134 149

10 The Catholic News & Herald

CSS AWARENESS WEEK

Jackie and Christopher

Marriage prep class helps couple prepare for life of matrimony by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

CHARLOTTE — When the curtain went up on the romance of Jackie Dautel and Christopher Timmons, he was the technical director of Theatre Charlotte, she was working on the stage lighting for an upcoming show.

It didn’t take long for 27-year-old Dautel and 29-year-old Timmons to become a couple. They dated for two years before deciding to commit their lives to one another in marriage.

Jackie and Christopher Timmons were married Oct. 6, 2007 at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.

Like all Catholic couples contemplating marriage in the Diocese of Charlotte, before they could make the sacrament of matrimony they first had to complete a marriage preparation class.

Marriage preparation classes are offered through Catholic Social Services throughout the year at locations in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Hickory and Arden. Parishes sometimes offer the classes as well.

Jackie and Christopher Timmons’ class was scheduled for a Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte. As luck would have it, the weather outside was beautiful that day and the couple admitted they were not thrilled with spending the day indoors. Additionally, like many engaged couples, they were busy with wedding preparations.

“We weren’t very excited about the class,” said Jackie Timmons.

But after the class, their attitude about it — and their marriage and life together — had changed for the better.

“I remember coming out of the class and thinking, ‘that was cool,’” said Christpher Timmons. “There were a lot of things that I gained and we gained.”

The classes are divided into sections,

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE Family Life Office: cssflo@charlottediocese.org (704) 370-3228 Elder ministry (704) 370-3220 Family life (704) 370-3250 Marriage preparation (704) 370-3228 Respect life/Rachel’s Vineyard retreat (704) 370-3229 or (704) 370-3228 Natural family planning (704) 370-3228 Justice & Peace Office: justicepeace@charlottediocese.org (704) 370-3225 Office of Economic Opportunity (828) 835-3535 Refugee Resettlement Office: cssrro@charlottediocese.org (704) 370-3262

Courtesy Photo

each beginning with a lecture. Topics include marriage as a sacrament and covenant, marital sexuality and natural family planning, conflict resolution and money and finances.”

After each section, the couples spend time together discussing their thoughts and feelings. Jackie and Christopher Timmons quickly discovered they had not had a deep understanding of each other’s families.

And, they realized, they also had not spent much time discussing the handling of their finances once married.

“It was good to talk about all of those things that make the relationship stronger,” said Jackie Timmons.

For other couples who may see the class as a time-consuming “to do” during a hectic time, Christopher Timmons has advice: “I would highly recommend it. It presents situations and information that you may not have talked about with your significant other.”

“It definitely brought us closer together,” he said.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about marriage preparation, call (704) 370-3228 or visit www.cssnc.org/engaged.html.

Charlotte Regional Office: csscro@charlottediocese.org (704) 370-3262 Counseling (704) 370-3262 Pregnancy support (704) 370-3262 Adoptions — domestic (704) 370-3262, international (888) 990-4199 Burial assistance (704) 370-3262 Support, information and referral services (704) 370-3262 Piedmont Triad Regional Office: csspto@charlottediocese.org (336) 727-0705 Counseling (336) 727-0705 Pregnancy support, emergency assistance, food pantry (336) 727-0705 Adoptions — domestic (336) 727-0705, international (888) 990-4199 YESS programs (336) 727-4263 Host Homes (336) 725-4678 Casa Guadalupe (336) 727-4745 Greensboro Satellite Office (336) 274-5577 Casa Guadalupe - Greensboro (336) 574-2837 Latino Family Center - High Point (336) 884-5858 CSS Western Regional Office: csswro@charlottediocese.org (828) 255-0146 Counseling (828) 255-0146 Pregnancy support (828) 255-1970 Adoptions — domestic (828) 255-1970, international (888) 990-4199 Immigration (828) 258-2617 Refugee assistance (828) 255-0146 Support, information and referral services (828) 255-0146

April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 11

April 18, 2008

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

New documentary showcases faith, witness of Sisters of Mercy ERIE, Pa. (CNS) — Mercy Sister JoAnne Courneen recalls holding in her arms a woman who was crying out in pain at a homeless shelter in Washington several years ago.

It was a defining moment for her.

“At that moment you realize God is really in your life. (The poor) are really the face of God for us,” says Sister Courneen in a new documentary film produced about the Erie Sisters of Mercy.

On Jan. 1, they joined Mercy sisters in Buffalo, the Philippines, Pittsburgh and Rochester to form the New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West Community.

Sister Courneen, who serves on the leadership team for the new community, says the incident made her realize that everyone is one bad decision away from being homeless.

Titled “Meeting of the Waters,” the film is being released as a DVD. It premiered for the general public March 12 in Erie. It begins with the setting sun on the beaches of Lake Erie as a sister writes in a journal. She reflects on her calling as a sister after an emotional assembly in Buffalo, N.Y., last July that united the five regional communities of the Sisters of Mercy.

Moving moments of the assembly are woven into the film. Erie Sisters of Mercy have warmly embraced the film.

“There was some laughter and tears,” Mercy Sister Mary Ann Bader said in an interview after attending a private screening in February. “It was profoundly moving; different than what I expected.”

Using candid interviews and moving imagery, the hourlong film tells the stories of Sisters of Mercy who live out their commitment to religious life each day. Minifeatures include a Mercy associate’s faith story and a sister’s invitation to women to consider a vocation to religious life.

“It’s a very human story of women who were led by the Spirit to live out religious life according to the charism of mercy,” said Gary Loncki, the

community’s communications director.

Loncki worked with Mercy associates to enlist Imago Dei Video Productions to make the film.

Filmmaker Greg Schlueter said most people find religious life intriguing and baffling as those who enter it forgo sexual intimacy, worldly opportunity and material possessions.

“Yet somewhere behind that door are real women who hold the keys to something we’re all pursuing, who give witness to tremendous joy. That’s what we wanted to capture: real women, in their own words, describing what they’re about, why they do what they do,” said Schlueter, whose Erie-based company has worked on several national projects such as Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia,” A&E’s “God or the Girl” and Warner Bros.’ “Superman’s Return.”

In the film, Sister Mary Dolores Jablonski tells of how her parents were reluctant to support her desire to enter religious life.

“They just wanted grandchildren,” says Sister Jablonski, executive director of the Mercy Center on Aging.

Sister Carol Ann Voltz, a nurse’s aide at the Sisters of St. Joseph living center, tells how the example of sisters led her to consider becoming one of them. “I was just so attracted to it,” she says.

Sister Michele Marie Schroeck looks back on her years as a Mercy sister and finds her life fulfilling.

“I’m happier than I ever thought I would be,” she says.

The film explores the impact the Second Vatican Council has had on the sisters’ lives and what the Sisters of Mercy foundress, Mother Catherine McAuley, means to them.

Music for the film was scored by Tim and Ryan O’Neill, internationally known as “The Piano Brothers.” The O’Neills have sold more than a million compact discs of their inspirational and moving music.

They have six Billboard hits and their music has appeared on HBO, PBS, A&E and ESPN.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: April 27, 2008

April 27, Sixth Sunday of Easter Cycle A. Readings: 1) Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20 2) 1 Peter 3:15-18 Gospel: John 14:15-21

Learning to let go and let God

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

A year ago, five other women and I formed a group to be spiritual companions to each other. We gather periodically to read Scripture, pray and “listen to God.” As we gradually have become secure enough in our friendship to reveal deeply held issues and experiences, we have found ourselves taking on each other’s concerns as our own. Now we are a small community of faith, sharing our lives, in love, through the life of Christ.

As companions we’ve grown to be able to help one another discern God’s will in each of our own circumstances. At any given gathering it is common for one person to tell another, “Something you

said to me last time came back to me,” helping that person resolve a particular problem or understand a situation more clearly.

Recently, for instance, we read a Scripture passage about placing trust in God instead of human capability.

Someone lamented a long-running frustration in her life that seemed it would never be resolved.

“I know I should trust God,” she said, “but really, I just can’t believe it will work out.”

One of the other women nodded in understanding, but said gently, “It will. It will.” She spoke in such total confidence of the risen Lord’s goodness that her friend was able to regain her trust.

The Holy Spirit acted through our communal love and faith.

In this weekend’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

When that happens, he adds, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to dwell within and among them and constantly reveal himself to them.

Love and commitment to Jesus -and in him to each other -- promises his life to us “always.”

Questions: What is an example of how your love of Jesus opened you to the grace of the Holy Spirit? How has the Spirit helped you to remain in Jesus and the Father?

Scripture to be illustrated: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of April 20-26 Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Easter), Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12; Monday (St. Anselm), Acts 14:5-18, John 14:21-26; Tuesday, Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday (St. George, St. Adalbert), Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-8; Thursday (St. Fidelis), Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday (St. Mark), 1 Peter 5:5-14, Mark 16:15-20; Saturday, Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21.

Scripture for the week of April 27-May 3 Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Easter), Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:15-21; Monday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis de Montfort), Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26--16:4; Tuesday (St. Catherine of Siena), Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-1; Wednesday (St. Pius V), Acts 17:15, 22--18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (Ascension of the Lord), Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20; Friday (St. Athanasius), Acts 18:9-18, John 16:20-23; Saturday (Sts. Philip and James), 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, John 14:6-14.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

April 18, 2008

around the diocese

Archival Anecdota For the month of April, here are some historical facts about the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, which was designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in April 1993.

The title of minor basilica is granted to prominent and significant churches throughout the world as a sign of papal honor. The title is reserved for a handful of churches — 11 in Rome, 34 in the United States.

Courtesy Photo

Dates of Interest • April 6, 1993: St. Lawrence Church designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II • March 24, 1978: St. Lawrence placed on the National Register of Historic Places • Dec. 14, 1968: Newly acquired relic of St. Lawrence deposited with other relics (Sts. Felicitas and Zeno) in the new altar during its consecration by Raleigh Bishop Vincent S. Waters.

• Oct. 13, 1920: Consecration of St. Lawrence Church, attended by Cardinal James Gibbons • October 1909: St. Lawrence Church dedicated by Abbot-Bishop Leo Haid of Belmont Abbey

Historical Background — The original St. Lawrence Church was dedicated in 1869, but did not have a resident pastor until 1887.

— One of the early missionary priests who served at the first St. Lawrence Church was Father Thomas Price, who would later become famous as the co-founder of the Maryknoll Missioners. His cause for canonization is currently open.

— The famous Spanish architect, Rafael Guastavino, who had earlier assisted with the Biltmore House in Asheville, helped design the basilica.

The second St. Lawrence Church had become too crowded in the summers, and on one particular Sunday, Guastavino had been unable to find a seat. This prompted him to offer the pastor, Father Peter Marion, his architectural services so

that a new larger church could be constructed.

Father Marion, who had been very ill, had promised God that if his life was spared for a few more years, he would do some special work for the Lord’s honor and glory.

His younger brother and assistant pastor, Father Patrick Marion, reminded him of this promise, and they accepted Guastavino’s offer.

— The prototype of St. Lawrence Basilica was Our Lady of the Forsaken Basilica in Valencia, Spain, the native city of the architect, Rafael Guastavino.

“During Bishop Gibbons’ first visit to Asheville, in 1868, a vacant space containing about seven and a half acres in the centre of the town attracted his and the clergy’s attention. A more suitable site for a church and other ecclesiastical buildings could not be found.

“It was purchased at a moderate sum from Colonel N.A. Woodfin, an eminent lawyer … who also contributed handsomely towards the contemplated object.

The people were anxious for the establishment of a Catholic church. …They [Fathers L.P. and J.P. O’Connell] succeeded, after much labor, in realizing the necessary funds, and the following year a commodious brick building was erected, and dedicated by Bishop Gibbons, under the invocation of St. Lawrence.”

Father J.J. O’Connell, “Catholicity in the Carolinas and Georgia”

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April 18, 2008

PAPAL VISIT TO USA

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Pope’s first U.S. visit underway POPE, from page 1

of Washington; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services; Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., USCCB vice president; and Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Although the two spoke privately for less than 10 minutes in a building on the air base grounds, neither Bush nor the pope delivered any formal remarks at the air base. The pope’s official welcome was to take place the next day at the White House.

In their meeting, Pope Benedict sat at a small round table, and the pontiff accepted a glass of juice. The president sat on the pope’s right and the first lady on the pope’s left. Cardinal George and Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, also were at the table.

It was the first time in his presidency that Bush had gone to Andrews to welcome any head of state. The air base has hosted more than 300 arrivals or departures by heads of state since 2006.

Joining the president in greeting Pope Benedict were first lady Laura Bush and the Bushes’ daughter Jenna.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said at an April 15 briefing before the pope’s arrival that Bush would tell the pontiff at the White House that “the hearts of the American people are open to the Holy Father’s message of hope.”

Pope Benedict “will hear from the president that America and the world need to hear his message that God is love, that human life is sacred, that we all must be guided by common moral law, and that we have responsibilities to care for our brothers and sisters in need at home and across the world,” Perino added.

Perino admitted that the pope and the president disagreed on issues such as the war in Iraq and the death penalty but said that “there is much more agreement between these two leaders than there is disagreement.”

“I really don’t think that the president

CNS photo by Jim Young

Pope Benedict XVI is greeted by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington April 15. is planning to spend a lot of time talking about the issues of Iraq with the pope,” she said. “But I do think that the root cause of ... terrorism and extremism is something that they will talk about.”

At Andrews, the wind ensemble from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., provided entertainment while a crowd of approximately 1,200 people assembled before the pope’s arrival. The group was chosen to perform because they were going to Disney World for a competition later in the week and would miss the April 17 papal Mass

at Nationals Park in Washington.

After Pope Benedict spoke privately with the president, he and Archbishop Sambi boarded a limousine that was to take them to the apostolic nunciature, where the pope was to spend the night.

Contributing to this story was Patricia Zapor at Andrews Air Force Base.

See next week’s issue for a complete wrap-up of the pope’s visit.

April 18, 2008

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Ordinary things can be extraordinary reminders of God’s grace

Fridays again days of abstinence?

Q. A new priest in our area tells us that all Fridays are again days of abstinence. Another priest says it is a sin if we do not perform some act of penance on Fridays.

I know the rules about fast and abstinence during Lent, and we should do some penance on all Fridays, but I’ve never heard the obligation expressed in terms of sin. Is there a change?

(Pennsylvania) A. No, there is no change. I have a suspicion someone misunderstood the priest, and he was referring to abstinence on all Fridays of Lent.

In his apostolic constitution entitled “Paenitemini” (Feb. 17, 1966), changing the church regulation about abstinence from meat on Friday, Pope Paul VI was not replacing one kind of sin with another.

The pope said he was pointing out “the implications and importance of the Lord’s command to repent,” since all members of the church “are in continuous need of conversion and reform.”

The fact that a spirit of penitence is primarily an interior religious experience, he writes, does not lessen the need for exterior practice of this virtue.

Because this need is so essential in Christian life, it “prompts the church, always attentive to the signs of the times, and according to the character of each age, to seek beyond fast and abstinence new expressions more suitable for the realization of the precise goal of penitence.”

In other words, practices of penance effective for spiritual renewal at one period of time may not be the best for another period. Thus the church today invites everyone to accompany his or her inner conversion, for example, at times during Lent with “voluntary exercise of external acts of penitence.”

Note the word “voluntary.” One can understand what Pope Paul is getting at in this frantic and stressful age when he says the attitude or virtue of penitence should be exercised first of all in persevering faithfulness to the duties of one’s state in life.

Not many would dispute that devoted, loving steadfastness in fulfilling our daily responsibilities automatically brings with it numerous opportunities for self-denial and patience.

The pope mentions specifically the difficulties arising from one’s work, from one’s human relationships, from the stress of insecurity that pervades modern life and the anxieties of each day’s struggles as additional sources of mortification and self-restraint.

If anyone lovingly and generously tries to observe these habitual practices

Janet’s bag of blessings

Question Corner FATHER JAMES DIETZEN cns columnist

of penance the pope offers, it is hardly conceivable that he or she could go through a whole day without some sort of prayer, self-control and expressions of love that are prescribed by our Lord as well as by traditional Christian spirituality.

Pope Paul, in other words, had no intention to belittle or diminish the importance of penance. He was asking something even more demanding; go back to the command of Christ, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23), and ask yourself what, if anything, that means to you.

Nine months after the publication of “Paenitemini,” the American bishops made its provisions specific for the United States, abrogating the law of Friday abstinence from meat except during Lent.

Without making it a “law,” in the spirit of the pope’s message they recommended Friday abstinence as a praiseworthy, voluntary (not mandatory) act of self-denial.

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

Janet came to the sacristy after Mass with a plastic bag.

“Father,” she said, “can you bless some things?”

People often bring things to be blessed after Mass. Sometimes there is a little line. It is part of our “sacramentalizing” impulse in Catholicism, by which I mean the desire to make the “ordinary” things of creation into “extraordinary” reminders of God’s grace.

Ordinary things are holy when they are set apart for God. In Janet’s bag were some “holy things.” There was a St. Rita of Cascia pill box. St. Rita was an Italian saint of the 14th century. She is patroness of impossible causes, aches and pains, and, most importantly, forgiveness.

She had to forgive the murder of her husband. She also bore on her head the wounds of Jesus’ crown of thorns.

So she is sometimes thought of as a patron to people who have pain. Hence the pill box.

Blessing the pill box makes it a holy vessel of the medications and a way to say that real healing comes through the spirit in forgiveness.

Not a bad message.

Janet also had a Sacred Heart of Jesus coffee mug.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a puzzlement to many people. They don’t understand the flame bursting out of Jesus’ chest. But I think they are missing a great insight.

One of my favorite novenas is to the Sacred Heart. That novena speaks of Christ’s heart as a burning furnace of love for us.

It may seem a little irreverent, but I always think of that Elvis song where he sings of “a hunk of burning love.”

Something really on fire for us.

It is nice that when you are drinking your morning coffee you realize that your life is not just warmed by “Mister Coffee” but by the heart of Jesus.

Janet also had a wall plaque of the prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

People often confuse the Immaculate

Letter to the Editor

Powerful defense of life Dear Editor: The pro-life advertisement published by our Bishop Peter Jugis in the March 21, 2008 issue of The Catholic News & Herald is the most powerful and inspiring defense of life I have encountered. God has blessed the diocese of Charlotte with a courageous bishop whose words and actions reveal his deep respect for all

life, especially that of the unborn child.

May we, his flock, follow the leadership of our Christ-like shepherd in defending all life.

—Mary Rose Pearl Rutherfordton, NC

Parish Diary FATHER PETER DALY cns columnist

Heart of Mary with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We have a man in our parish who always prays for fulfillment of the intentions of both.

I pointed out to him that we don’t pray for the intentions of Jesus because Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, i.e., God. He does not need our help since he is, well, God. But we do pray for the intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We figure anything that Mary has adopted as a prayer intention must be a good thing.

After all, she taught Jesus to pray.

As his mother, her prayers will get a hearing.

All of this is, of course, “anthropomorphic.” We assume that God responds to human motivations. That might seem a little silly, but we do believe that we are made in God’s image.

Besides, what else can we do? It is our nature to see things from a human perspective. God’s will is only a partially revealed mystery.

Finally, Janet had a big set of glowin-the-dark rosary beads. She said they had been blessed by the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Evidently Mary tells pilgrims they should take it to a priest to be blessed.

I was flattered. While I could hardly improve on Mary’s blessing, I could see Janet’s point that it is still important that the priest pronounce it holy as a representative of Christ and his church.

Not everybody is a walking religious goods store like Janet. But I understand her desire.

She wants to make the whole world into something sacred. That is a good thing.

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April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Children on the battlefield Christians can’t ignore ‘scourges of humanity’ In his Easter message Pope Benedict XVI said, “How often relations between individuals, between groups and between peoples are marked not by love but by selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence.” And these “scourges of humanity, open and festering in every corner of the planet,” are often ignored.

Every day the news is filled with reports of murder, rape, war and every other array of hatred and violence. It’s almost impossible to escape the ongoing news of man’s inhumanity to man.

So then why is the pope stating the obvious?

Well, when things become so commonplace, when we hear similar reports over and over, we tend to get used to them. Even the most horrible stories — if we’re not careful — fail to move us.

And as Pope Benedict observed, we end up ignoring the “scourges of humanity.”

One of the worst scourges of humanity is an underreported, ongoing tragedy suffered by many of the world’s forgotten children.

According to Human Rights Watch, approximately 250,000 children under

18 and some as young as 8 years old are recruited and forced to serve in staterun armies, paramilitaries and guerilla groups around the world.

Known as “child soldiers,” these boys and girls serve as combatants, spies, sex slaves and human mine detectors.

According to Human Rights Watch, “Children suffer higher mortality, disease and injury rates in combat situations than adults. The lasting effects of war and abuse may also remain with them long after the shooting stops.

“Both girls and boys may be stigmatized and traumatized by their experiences and left with neither family connections nor skills to allow them to transition successfully into productive adult lives.”

In 2006 the U.S. State Department listed Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda as countries using child soldiers in government forces or governmentlinked militias.

Ye t t h e U . S . g o v e r n m e n t continues to give military assistance to these nations.

A bill designed to significantly improve this misguided foreign policy

Generosity and renunciation Happiness resides in giving over taking Many years ago, I knew two young men who were discerning a call to priesthood. Both decided to test their vocations by entering different religious orders.

Unlike a diocesan priesthood, each order would eventually call the men to a vow of poverty.

I mention “poverty” because it relates to my observations of them, both great guys, as they prepared to enter religious life.

One of them was very thrifty. Before he entered, he methodically sold his possessions at garage sales.

He really wouldn’t need the money, I thought, going off on this pilgrimage of renunciation. But maybe he was hedging his bets.

The other guy gave everything away. He had accumulated a lot of quality clothing when he worked for a haberdasher during college. He distributed it all to cousins and friends.

It didn’t seem to occur to him — or he didn’t care — that if he didn’t stay, he could use some of those possessions later.

My 16-year-old brother was visiting me at the time, and this friend handed him a pair of fine shoes.

“Wow,” my baby brother said, “this

has been a great trip.” He didn’t have much money and those shoes were a big deal to him.

Well, as it turned out, neither of the young men became priests. Both of them went on to marry and raise fine families.

Luckily for me, one of them, the one who gave his fashionable clothes away, became my husband.

I share this memory because the attitudes people bring to money and possessions are such a fascinating part of who they are.

What makes us thrifty, sometimes to the point of hoarding, and what makes us open-handed?

CBS News recently reported on a study that purports to show that people who spend money on others are happier than people who spend money on themselves.

Of course, as Christians, this shouldn’t surprise us. Christ called us to serve others and he assured us that the poor in spirit were blessed. True happiness follows the way of generosity and renunciation. At least that’s what we aspire to.

Still, it’s tough to conquer our inherent desire for security and possessions.

My mother, a child of the Great Depression who saw her father lose

Making a Difference TONY MAGLIANO

Sticker shock: Jesus wasn’t kidding

cns columnist

and provide concrete means to help countries end their reliance on children as soldiers is sitting in the U.S. Senate gathering dust.

The Child Soldier Prevention Act (S1175), if passed into law, would provide funding designed to assist offending governments to disarm, demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers from government forces and governmentsponsored paramilitaries.

Having signed the U.N. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which sets 18 as the minimum age for forced recruitment or participation in hostilities, the United States has an obligation to do everything within its power to stop the unspeakable practice of using child soldiers.

No matter how much Catholics disagree on the issue of military spending, we should all certainly be able to agree that the use of child soldiers is an intolerable practice that cannot be ignored.

With just a little time and effort here, we can help advance Pope Benedict’s goal of replacing selfishness, injustice, hatred and violence — with love.

For the Journey EFFIE CALDAROLA cns columnist

his farm to creditors, was unable to overcome her need to hang on to money, although she was far more generous with her children than with herself.

Being truly my mother’s daughter, I can identify with the friend who had the garage sales. I know he’s a devoted Catholic, and I’m sure he’s generous with time and money.

But I bet he calculates it well, watches every penny and keeps the receipts for his taxes.

I can identify with all of that.

Meanwhile, there are nights I lie awake worrying about finances while the man who shares my bed mutters “it’s only money” and falls asleep.

Do we become happier because we give? Or do happier people give more?

Regardless of the answer, and regardless of the attitudes about money we grew up with, our faith calls us to constantly challenge ourselves to give more.

And if the end result of doing that is happiness, how can we go wrong?

Extra!

Extra!

STEPHEN KENT cns columnist

Committed believers can bring about needed revolution One of the better methods to escape boredom while creeping through chronic traffic congestion morning and night is to read and then reflect upon the thoughts expressed on the bumper stickers of nearby cars.

This might be described as the “lectio divina” of today’s urban roadways, readings that spark a thought that leads to further contemplation.

By these ubiquitous banners, vehicle owners proclaim many things: what they would rather be doing; the breeds of dogs they prefer; their view on Darwin and evolution; their son’s or daughter’s status on the middle school’s honor roll; the fate awaiting those who follow too closely or their various fatalistic views of life often expressed in scatological terms.

Some are like potato chips — two bites and they are gone and forgotten.

Others are like chili, returning in a minute of two with an aftertaste not easily forgotten.

Such was the case recently.

“May all who are hungry be fed,” a bumper sticker proclaimed. What a nice thought, so pleasant, warm and giving.

Then the aftertaste.

“May all who are hungry be fed.”

Fed by whom?

That nice — and safe — statement wishing the poor well exemplifies the contrast between passive Christianity, something we belong to, with active Christianity, being what we are.

The countercultural revolution that Christianity must bring about in the world can come only by the active involvement of committed believers.

But to accept this is to accept several hard facts: Jesus wasn’t kidding. The Sermon on the Mount is not poetry, but an imperative.“Thy kingdom come” is not an expression of longing, but a statement of absolute certainty.

Accepting the invitation to be Christian is not accepting membership in a moral uplift society; rather, it is making a commitment to be a disciple.

That bumper sticker served as an examination of conscience...the Christian imperative is a directive: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked.

Or as a once popular bumper sticker said: “Just do it.”

April 18, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 16

in the news

Statistically speaking

Survey assesses Catholics’ beliefs, practices on Mass, sacraments

By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN catholic news service

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WASHINGTON — As the U.S. Catholic Church prepared to welcome Pope Benedict XVI, a new survey found big differences among Catholics of different generations about the importance of the sacraments in their lives.

Asked which sacrament was most meaningful in their lives, 39 percent of respondents named baptism, 26 percent said marriage and 25 percent named the Eucharist. Among those who said they attended Mass weekly or more often, 52 percent said the Eucharist was most meaningful in their lives.

The study also divided respondents into four generations in relation to the Second Vatican Council: pre-Vatican II, comprised of those born before 1943; Vatican II, born between 1943 and 1960; post-Vatican II, born 1961 to 1981; and millennial Catholics, born after 1981.

While those of the first three generations chose the Eucharist as their most meaningful sacrament, 43 percent of the millennial Catholics said marriage was the sacrament most meaningful to them.

The survey of 1,007 self-identified adult Catholics was commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Department of Communications and conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington. A 178-page report on the results was released April 13.

The margin of error for the survey was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The survey found that for each succeeding generation the percentage who had made their first Communion and first confession and received the

sacrament of confirmation declined.

While 95 percent of Catholics in the pre-Vatican II generation and 91 percent of the Vatican II generation said they had been confirmed, only 79 percent of post-Vatican II Catholics and 69 percent of millennial Catholics said they had received the sacrament of confirmation.

The percentage of Catholics who had made their first Communion ranged from 99 percent of pre-Vatican II Catholics to 85 percent of millennial Catholics. For first confession, the range was from 98 percent of the oldest generation to 84 percent of the youngest generation.

Only 2 percent of Catholics across all generations said they participated in the sacrament of reconciliation once a month or more, 12 percent said they did several times a year, 12 percent said they did once a year, 30 percent said less than once a year and 45 percent said they never made a sacramental confession.

The CARA report, titled “Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics,” summarized responses to a wide range of questions about Catholics’ attitudes toward and participation in the Mass and the sacraments, their knowledge of the Catholic faith, their views on church leadership and teachings, and whether they pray the rosary, carry religious objects or have pictures of Mary hanging in their homes.

Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco, who authorized the study as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Communications, said the results would offer guidance to church leaders.

“It reveals good will, healthy attitudes toward neighbor and an openness to the church among young Catholics,” he said in a news release. “Yet it also points out a need for greater efforts in education for both adults and young people.”

CNS graphic by Emily Thompson

Baptism is named most often by U.S. Catholics as the most meaningful sacrament in their lives.