April 24, 2009

April 24, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Lament for Notre Dame; Catholics need to examine consciences; pulling back curtain on stem cells

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI April 24, 2009

Saved at sea Daring rescue of ship’s captain leaves Vermont parish overjoyed

| Pages 14-15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

vOLUME 18

no. 24

With courage and conviction Seminarians prepare for priesthood through prayer, study

by CHAZ MUTH catholic news service

by MARY B. WORTHINGTON

WASHINGTON — When news of the bold liberation of U.S. Capt. Richard Phillips from the grip of pirates off the coast of Somalia filtered through his Vermont Catholic parish April 12, members of his church community felt like their Easter prayers had been answered.

“We’re so happy that it turned out the way that it did,” said Donna Schaeffler, secretary of St. Thomas Church in Underhill Center, Vt., the parish where Phillips, 53, and his wife, Andrea, regularly attend Mass.

“There is so much media here and we’re trying to give the Phillipses their privacy, but we’ve been praying at Mass for his safe release,” Schaeffler said.

Photo by Mary B. Worthington

WYNNEWOOD, Pa. — It is 6 o’clock in the morning April 1, and a dozen seminarians start their day at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary with an hour of prayer.

Among the seminarians are three of the 14 men studying at seminaries to be ordained priests for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The pews are notoriously squeaky, yet the chapel is profoundly quiet and peaceful.

Many of the seminarians use the time to pray the Liturgy of the Hours’ Office of Readings.

All ordained clergy and vowed religious are bound to observe the Liturgy of the Hours. In order to prepare them

See CAPTAIN, page 6

Transitional Deacon Benjamin Roberts of Statesville prays the Liturgy of the Hours during a holy hour in a chapel at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., April 1.

See CALLING, page 5

correspondent

Catholic Social Services Awareness Week 2009 April 25-May 3

Photo by Ann Kilkelly

The Kanda brothers, refugees from Liberia assisted by Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office, read a book at their home in Charlotte in April. CSS Awareness Week is April 25-May 3.

Inside is a look at some of the ways Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte is helping people across the diocese and beyond.

See coverage on pages 7-10.

School wins national award Students hit pavement in fight against diabetes by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

HUNTERSVILLE — A local Catholic school received national honors from the American Diabetes Association for the most money raised by a school in the 2008 National See WALK, page 13

Culture Watch

Youths in Action

Reflecting on Easter

Book on military tales; a priest’s take on Susan Boyle

Youths win essay contest; take part in cultural trip

Parishes, schools celebrate spirit of Easter

| Page 11

| Page 12

| Page 16

April 24, 2009

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Catholic coalition seeks to influence outcome of climate-change bill WASHINGTON (CNS) — Led by a coalition of more than a dozen Catholic organizations, religious communities are ramping up efforts to ensure that the legislative debate on climate change beginning April 22 in Congress will not overlook the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

The effort of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change and the National Religious Partnership on the Environment came as the House Energy and Commerce Committee opened hearings on a clean energy bill. The Catholic coalition unveiled the Catholic Climate Covenant, a wideranging climate-change campaign, during a nationwide teleconference April 21.

Aimed largely at Catholics in the country’s 19,000 parishes and 6,250 elementary schools, the campaign integrates the traditional Catholic practice of prayer with specific actions meant to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint on the world while influencing public policy.

Several coalition leaders said specific

Influencing many with mercy

steps involve lobbying Congress and state legislatures about the need to pass prudent legislation that takes into account the needs of the common good, specifically the poor whom they say are affected most by climate change.

While noting that the effort revolves around prayer and reflection, John Carr, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development and coalition chairman, acknowledged that working within the political arena will be a necessary part of the campaign’s work. “There is going to be a huge debate, in fact a struggle ... and our voice is going to be that voice that puts the poor first,” he said.

Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., honorary chairman of the campaign, said the campaign is “an urgent call with an urgent message.”

The campaign is being introduced at a time when a majority of Catholics believe that climate change is a serious problem, according to pollster John Zogby.

CNS photo by Sarah Webb, Catholic Standard & Times

Mercy Sister Mary Scullion, co-founder and executive director of Project HOME, reads with a young man at the center in Philadelphia April 3. Sister Scullion has been named a finalist in Time magazine’s 2009 annual most influential list.

Mercy nun a finalist for Time list of world’s most influential people PHILADELPHIA — You wouldn’t expect to see a Philadelphia nun who works with the homeless on a list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Mercy Sister Mary Scullion, cofounder and executive director of Project HOME, has been named a finalist in Time magazine’s 2009 annual most influential list, which calls her “Philadelphia’s Mother Teresa.”

As of April 23, she was ranked 49th among 204 nominees in continuing online voting, ahead of the Dalai Lama. The list includes people in government, science, technology and the arts.

On the plus side, according to the citation, she has helped slash the homeless rate in half in the City of Brotherly Love, and 95 percent of those who cycle through Project HOME are never again homeless, “a success rate which has made the program a model for dozens of other U.S. cities.”

The only negative, according to the citation: “She’s not too well-known outside of Philly.”

That’s beginning to change.

“It’s not about me; we are a community of a lot of people,” Sister Scullion said.

She co-founded Project HOME in 1989, along with Joan Dawson McConnon, to whom Sister Scullion attributes as much, if not more, responsibility for the organization’s success. HOME stands for Housing, Opportunities for Employment, Medical Care, Education.

Now 55, Sister Scullion, the daughter of Irish immigrants, was a high school senior when she applied to the Sisters of Mercy in 1971.

Living and working among the poorest people in north Philadelphia,

Sister Scullion felt drawn to a ministry more directly involved in alleviating their needs. She joined the staff of Mercy Hospice, a shelter conducted by her congregation for homeless women.

A defining moment for her was the 41st International Eucharistic Congress, held in Philadelphia in 1976, which brought to the city such advocates for the poor as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India; Father Pedro Arrupe, the Jesuits’ superior general; and Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.

“Father Arrupe said, ‘When people are hungry anywhere in the world, the Eucharist is incomplete,’” she said. “The Eucharist is central to my spiritual life, and there is a place for everyone at God’s table.” The same principle holds for homelessness. “Our vision is that none of us are home until all of us are home,” she said.

In 1985 she was a co-founder of Women of Hope, a safe haven that provides permanent housing for mentally ill women.

Since 1989, Project HOME has been her main focus. And under the leadership of Sister Scullion and McConnon, it has grown from transitional housing for 12 men to a multifaceted agency designed to break the cycle of homelessness for the men and women it serves.

A woman of seemingly boundless energy, she usually finds time for a run through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park a couple of times each week and hopes to participate in a May 3 10-mile run in the city. But most of her energy is spent in mission.

The question for Sister Scullion is what is God’s vision for the world and what can be done to make it happen, through his grace, prayer and community.

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

ASHEVILLE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE —An Estate Planning Seminar will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., April 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ministry Center.

The seminar is free and dinner will be provided.

RSVP to Maxine Mauney at (704) 364-5431, ext.

203 by April 25 to reserve your place.

CHARLOTTE —“Water into Wine,” an Ignatian retreat for women, will take place at St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., May 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Biss Hall (below the church). Parking is free in The Green parking garage next door. To register, call the church office at (704) 332-2901 or e-mail retreat4women@gmail.com.

ASHEVILLE — Wayne Weible, a former newspaper publisher and columnist who has authored seven international best seller books on the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, will speak at the Basilica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St., May 3 at 7 p.m.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nick Grasberger at (828) 274-8225.

CHARLOTTE — The 66th Semi-Annual Rosary Rally will be held May 3 at 3 p.m. at St. Patrick Cathedral. This 33-year tradition will include recitation of the rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benediction. The homilist is Father Brandon Jones. Children ages 7-17, who have received their first Communion, are invited to participate in the procession. For more information, call Tina Witt at (704) 846-7361.

ARDEN — Wayne Weible, a former newspaper publisher and columnist who has authored seven international best seller books on the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, will speak at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr., May 4 at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nick Grasberger at (828) 274-8225.

CHARLOTTE —The fourth annual community shredding event at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will be May 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Parishioners and members of the community are encouraged to bring their documents to St. Matthew Church where PROSHRED Security will destroy them for free while you watch. For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

HENDERSONVILLE — Wayne Weible, a former newspaper publisher and columnist who has authored seven international best seller books on the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, will speak at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 Seventh Ave. W., May 5 at 7 p.m. with a special program directed towards youth, young adults and young at heart.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nick Grasberger at (828) 274-8225.

CHARLOTTE — A special concert performance

by Franciscan Father Stan Fortuna will be take place at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., May 3 in the church at 7 p.m. Once a professional bass guitarist, Father Fortuna is a member of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Bronx, N.Y. From traditional hymns of praise to jazz, reggae and rap, Father Fortuna proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a spiritual energy that appeals to all ages.

April 24, 2009 Volume 18 • 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 24, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Vatican deplores Belgian parliament’s criticism of pope on condoms VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican has deplored a Belgian parliamentary resolution that criticized Pope Benedict XVI for his remarks about condoms and AIDS prevention.

In an April 17 statement, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State said it “deplores the fact that a parliamentary assembly should have thought it appropriate to criticize the Holy Father on the basis of an isolated extract from an interview, separated from its context and used by some groups with a clear intent to intimidate.”

The statement said it appeared that those groups were hoping “to dissuade the pope from expressing himself on certain themes of obvious moral relevance and from teaching the church’s doctrine.”

The Belgian parliament voted overwhelmingly April 2 to have the government relay to the Vatican the parliamentarians’ disapproval of Pope Benedict’s statement March 17 that distributing condoms was not the key to

preventing AIDS. The Belgian ambassador to the Holy See, Frank de Coninck, met April 15 at the Vatican with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states, to formally inform the Vatican of the resolution.

The pope was asked about condoms in AIDS prevention by reporters aboard his flight to Cameroon March 17. After highlighting the church’s efforts to help AIDS victims, the pope said: “One cannot overcome the problem with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem.”

The pope went on to explain that true prevention requires a change in sexual behavior and a real effort to befriend and care for those living with AIDS. In its statement April 17, the Secretariat of State said the pope “also emphasized the commitment of the church in both these areas. Without this moral and educational dimension, the battle against AIDS will not be won.”

For more information, contact the church office at (704) 549-1607.

Church, 2205 West Market St. Celebrating priests will include Father John Putnam (homilist), Father James Ebright, Father Conrad Kimbrough, Father Richard DeClue and Father Christopher Roux. Recitation of the rosary will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Mass following at 6 p.m. For more information, call (336) 765-1815.

GASTONIA VICARIATE

BELMONT — A Men’s Night of Reflection will be held at Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd., in Grace Auditorium on the 3rd floor of St. Leo Hall, May 3 at 7 p.m. Featured speakers will include Legionaries of Christ Father Todd Belardi, formation director for Pinecrest Academy Boys School in Atlanta; and Peter Freissle, president of Polydeck Screen Corporation. Father Belardi will speak on the topic “Faithful Catholic Fathers and their Children.” Freissle will speak on the topic “Christian Values in the Workplace.” For more information, call Matt Ferrante at (410) 5074329. This event is sponsored by Regnum Christi.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

GREENSBORO — “For me to live is Christ,” a series of six presentations on the life and message of St. Paul will begin April 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., in the Parish Life Council lounge.

All are invited for an hour of information and discussion. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Jaqueline Messick at jmessick2@triad.rr.com.

GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. for an hour of prayer, sharing and discussion in the library at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. The group will start a month-long program on the Book of Joshua May 5. For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@ pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

GREENSBORO — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will meet at 7 p.m. May 7 in the Kloster Center at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St. For further information, contact Alice Schmidt at (336) 288-0983.

GREENSBORO — A Mass of thanksgiving and celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima will take place May 13 at Our Lady of Grace

Episcopal

calendar

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE

BRYSON CITY — Guest speaker Father Robert Rivers, a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle, will present reflections on the writing and the mission of St. Paul at St. Joseph Church, 316 Main St., April 27. The presentation will begin with Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a potluck supper and the program beginning around 5:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend. Participants are asked to bring a covered dish. For more information, call the church office at (828) 497-9755.

Vatican officials object to Iranian president’s remarks on Israel VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican has criticized Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remarks about Israel at a U.N. conference on racism as “extremist and unacceptable” and said the comments promote an atmosphere of conflict.

At the same time, Vatican officials, including Pope Benedict XVI, emphasized the importance of participation in the conference, which was being boycotted by the United States and several other Western countries.

Ahmadinejad told conference participants in Geneva April 20 that Israel had “resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering” and had established a “totally racist government in the occupied Palestine.”

His comments prompted a temporary walkout by dozens of diplomats in attendance.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told Vatican Radio April 20 that “statements like those of the Iranian president do not go in the right direction, because even if he did not deny the Holocaust or the right of Israel to exist, he expressed extremist and unacceptable positions.”

“For this reason it is important to continue to affirm with clarity the respect

for human dignity against every form of racism or intolerance. We hope the conference can still serve this purpose,” Father Lombardi said.

The following day, the Vatican spokesman issued a broader statement, saying that “the Holy See deplores the use of this United Nations forum for the adoption of political positions of an extremist and offensive nature against any state.”

“This does not contribute to dialogue and it provokes an unacceptable atmosphere of conflict,” it said.

Father Lombardi said the conference was an important opportunity to take new steps toward “effectively combating the racism and intolerance that still today affect children, women, those of African descent, migrants and indigenous peoples ... in every part of the world.”

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the chief Vatican representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva, said although the Vatican objected to the Iranian president’s remarks about Israel, Vatican delegation members did not think walking out was the right response.

OnApril 19, Pope Benedict underlined the importance of the international conference and urged participants to take concrete steps to combat discrimination and intolerance around the world.

Enhancing the canopy

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — Father Kurt Fohn, pastor of St. Phillip the Apostle Church in Statesville, will share his experience as husband, father and priest in a presentation addressing the challenges facing the Catholic family today to be held in the Bishop Begley parish center of St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave., April 28 at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information, e-mail Mary Beth Young at yrmarybeth@aol.com or call the church office at (336) 724-0561.

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 25-26 Diaconate ordination of John Eckert and David Miller Pontifical College Josephinum, Ohio

April 30 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Joseph Church, Asheboro

April 29 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Ann Church, Charlotte

May 1 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

CNS photo by Paul Haring

Sophomore Sean Scofield (left), 19, from Mountainside, N.J., shovels dirt as he and other students and staff plant a tree on Earth Day at The Catholic University of America in Washington April 22. The university planted 35 trees to “enhance the tree canopy of the city.”

CORRECTION

In the April 10 edition, student Patrick DePinto was misidentified as potraying Jesus in a photo caption regarding a living Way of the Cross performance at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro April 3. Jesus was actually portrayed by student Andrew Horne in the photo. The Catholic News & Herald regrets the error.

Diocese of charlotte requirements for reporting ministry-related sexual abuse of a minor 1. Any individual having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery.

2. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities. The individual reporting the incident to the Chancery will be notified of the particulars regarding the Chancery’s filing of the incident with civil authorities.

3. This reporting requirement is not intended to supersede the right of an individual to make a report to civil authority, but is to ensure proper, complete and timely reporting. Should an individual choose to make a report to civil authority, a report is still to be made to the Chancery.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

April 24, 2009

Installing a pastor

Caring for Carmelites

Courtesy Photo by Dr. Cris Villapando Courtesy Photo by Linda Behr

Carmelite Sister Libby Dahlstrom (right), associate provincial delegate of the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in Darien, Ill., is pictured with members of the St. Mary, Mother of God Carmelite Community in Sylva March 29.

Pictured are (clockwise from left) Kathy Starr, Jane Sullivan, Delphine Moss, Sister Dahlstrom, Nancy Newsome and Allene Ramsey Sister Dahlstrom visited the St. Mary, Mother of God community to help foster the continued spiritual ways and structure of the community, which is part of the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, a religious community of men in the Catholic Church.

Lay Carmelites commit themselves to following Jesus Christ according to the charism, traditions and spirit of the Carmelite Order.

Forming Franciscans

Courtesy Photo

Franciscan Father Louis Canino, director of St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, presides over a profession ceremony Jan. 14, during which 10 candidates joined the Franciscan Family of Greensboro fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order.

The candidates were Gus Bellia, Mary Joan Bellia, Enid Dunning, Barbara Geiszler, Alice Gottschalk, Howard Kelly, Cosmas Robless, Shirley Robless, Kitty Rodgers and Mary Taylor.

The candidates were in formation and discernment for approximately two years prior to their profession to the order. The fraternity now has 42 active members.

Secular Franciscans, a lay group, are a “third order” of the Franciscans. Priests constitute the first order, and brothers and women religious make up the second. Secular Franciscans are called to make a promise to live the Franciscan rule in their everyday life and work.

Franciscans reflect on relevance of charism 800 years after founding ASSISI, Italy (CNS) — Approximately 1,800 Friars Minor, Conventual Franciscans, Capuchins and Third Order Regular Franciscans attended an April 15-18 gathering celebrating the 800th anniversary of papal approval of the Franciscan rule.

It was the first time that many representatives of the four main Franciscan branches had come together in Assisi, Italy.

Many activities centered around

or near the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which houses the Portiuncula chapel — the small church where their founder, St. Francis of Assisi, experienced his conversion.

On April 18, participants traveled south for a special audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The trip recalled St. Francis’ pilgrimage to see Pope Innocent III in 1209 to receive approval of his rule of life and formally establish the Franciscan order.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis watches as Franciscan Capuchin Father Martin Schratz (right) accepts his appointment as pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte and St. Helen Mission in Spencer Mountain during a Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church April 2. Capuchin Franciscan Father Remo DiSalvatore (left), pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, serves as a witness.

Nearly 300 people attended the ceremony, including members of Father Schratz’s former parish in Florida.

April 24, 2009

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

“The most important thing a seminarian does each day is go into that chapel and pray.”

Seminarians prepare with prayer, study CALLING, from page 1

for life as priests, seminarians also pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

“It (Liturgy of the Hours) brings a discipline to prayer,” said transitional Deacon Benjamin Roberts, a member of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville and a seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Throughout the hour, the nearly 80 theology division seminarians file in, all clad in traditional clerical cassocks.

“Since we are being formed as priests, in all ways, we begin to live that life as much as possible,” says David Miller, a member of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory and seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte.

“The [clerical] garb is another way to enter into that,” he said.

This morning, Deacon Roberts serves as the deacon during the holy hour and Mass. Deacon Roberts rotates the liturgical duties with the 19 other transitional deacons in his class.

After Mass, the seminarians head to breakfast while some spend extra time in prayer or make last-minute preparations for class, which will start at 8:50 a.m.

“The most important thing a seminarian does each day is go into that chapel and pray,” said Deacon Roberts.

Five minutes before class begins, third-year theology students — who are only six weeks away from diaconate ordination — file in for the day’s first class, “United States Church History.”

The 15 men pull out texts and laptops. Miller sits in the back row. The 75-minute class is both academically challenging and pastorally focused, with topics varying from ecumenism to liturgy to popular piety.

Practice and preparation After class, the seminarians proceed to the chapel, this time for a weekly practicum on the responsibilities of the deacon at Mass.

By now, Miller has attended thousands of Masses in his life; however this is different — the seminarians must master all of the subtleties of their role before diaconate ordination. Miller will be ordained to the transitional diaconate, along with seminarian John Eckert, by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a Catholic seminary in Columbus, Ohio, April 26.

Father Patrick Welsh, dean of men and head of liturgy, instructs the seminarians on posture, which is “not rigidity, but a posture that is formal and sacred.”

It is Miller’s turn to roleplay. He said he is not nervous of the role itself, “but nervous to be a good deacon.” He likened the training to earning a driver’s license.

“Driving a car and navigating the road is a whole new experience” than

Photo by Mary B. Worthington

Seminarian David Miller of Hickory remains attentive during class at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., April 1. riding in the passenger’s seat, he said.

After the practicum, the third class period of the day begins. Seminarians have five or six classes per semester, which meet two times per week on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning.

Afternoons are for study, elective classes, exercise, personal business and preparation for various apostolates.

Thursdays are reserved for apostolic work at schools, parishes and agencies around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Richard Worthington, a secondyear theology student and seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte, spends this Wednesday afternoon doing lesson plans.

He is teaching moral theology to sophomores at a Catholic high school.

Worthington, a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville, has spent the past several Thursdays on a series of classes explaining the Catholic teachings on marriage, fertility and chastity.

After spending a class giving his vocation story, Worthington said he “taught classes on the problem of contraception.”

“I used an approach that started with the premise of beauty … When contraception is used, the beautiful marital embrace becomes ugly through the trash that we bring into it,” he said.

“More precisely, one or both of the persons is holding back.”

To explain chastity, he said he brought in “some superb chastity educators from Generation Life, [who] delivered a difficult message in a way that was relevant” to the teenagers.

To begin again Deacon Roberts, Miller and Worthington are all in the seminary’s theology division, or the “upper division” of studies.

Photo by Mary B. Worthington

Seminarians Richard Worthington of Mocksville (seated, right) and Michael Schuetz of the Diocese of Raleigh (seated, left) hear menu options from Msgr. Michael Magee during dinner at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., April 1.

Seminary study begins with two years of philosophical training called “pre-theology,” or a four-year college program for those who have not completed an undergraduate degree.

The “lower division” students reside in a separate building with a separate chapel from the theology students.

Each Wednesday, both divisions of men gather in the lower side chapel to chant evening prayer before attending “Rector’s Dinner,” during which all seminarians and priests gather for a meal and to work on friendships and manners.

Afterward, seminarians are back at their books or in the chapel before retiring usually by 10 or 11 p.m., ready to spend another day in preparation for service of

the church as priests.

“We are men like any others,” said Miller of his current role as a seminarian.

“We need grace just like others do, although we have a higher calling.”

“Seminary is a daunting task because of what it’s leading to,” said Deacon Roberts, who will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 6.

“Entering takes the same courage that it took Matthew to get up from the tax collector’s booth and follow Jesus,” he said.

Contact Correspondent Mary B. Worthington at marybethworthington@ gmail.com.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

FROM THE COVER

April 24, 2009

Captain’s rescue overjoys Vermont parish CAPTAIN, from page 1

“Our pastor (Father Charles Danielson) also asked everyone to pray for the Phillipses during the Easter morning Mass. We were just so happy to hear the news of his rescue later in the day,” she said.

Phillips allowed himself to be taken hostage by four pirates who tried to seize the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama April 7 in the Indian Ocean, in order to keep the crew of the 17-ton ship safe.

He was detained by his armed captors on one of the ship’s lifeboats for five days. U.S. naval forces surrounded the small boat, and Navy snipers fired three shots to kill a trio of Somali pirates and free the American sea captain, a Navy commander told The Associated Press April 13.

The fourth pirate, who had been aboard the USS Bainbridge for negotiations about the captain’s release, surrendered and could face life in a U.S. prison, the AP reported.

President Barack Obama, who told the AP he was pleased with the rescue, said Phillips’ courage was “a model for all Americans.”

The White House had authorized the Navy to take action to resolve the fiveday standoff.

Father Danielson told CNS he prayed with Phillips’ wife privately at the couple’s Underhill Center home the day before the dramatic rescue, and spoke to “excited and overjoyed” family members April 12 after he learned the captain was safe.

The U.S. sea captain told news reporters shortly after his rescue that he was not a hero, and praised the Navy SEALs for their efforts in securing his freedom.

Bishop Salvatore R. Matano of Burlington, Vt. — who spoke with a member of the Phillips family April 11 and plans to have a face-to-face meeting with them after they are reunited with the captain — said this ordeal has reminded Catholics all over Vermont how much

they need the peace that Easter brings.

“I’m sure the Phillips family understands that wonderful peace since their horrible ordeal is over,” Bishop Matano said. “They realize the peace of Easter and we hope that continues.”

The event that unfolded for the family and citizens of Vermont has helped locals focus on tragedies all over the world and reminded them to pray for the safe return of members of the military serving in war-torn regions around the planet, he told CNS April 13.

“It’s been a real eye-opener, I’ll tell you that,” Father Danielson said.

“An event like this really humanizes the news. It really brings home that the faces of people in the news belong to real human beings.”

“It’s someone in your parish, in your community, and we’re hoping and praying for the best,” he added.

The ordeal has also shown the priest, who has been pastor of St. Thomas Church since last July, that he has a faith community of people who really care about one another, pray for each other and band together in difficult times.

“This is a small community and everyone here has been concerned,” Schaeffler said. “Our office has been flooded with phone messages and e-mails from people who have expressed their well-wishes to Capt. Phillips and his family. When things settle down, I’ll make sure they get these messages.”

CNS photo by Herb Swanson, Reuters

Capt. Richard Phillips of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama kisses his wife, Andrea, upon returning to Burlington, Vt., April 17. The couple’s Catholic parish in Underhill Center, Vt., had prayed for the captain’s safe return as he was being held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia. U.S Navy SEALs freed him in a dramatic ending to a five-day standoff with U.S. naval forces.

April 24, 2009

CSS AWARENESS WEEK

The Catholic News & Herald 7

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES AWARENESS WEEK APRIL 25—MAY 3

8 The Catholic News & Herald

css awareness week

April 24, 2009

After the tragedy

Family receives support, encouragement from Catholic Social Services

by DAVID HAINS communications director

ASHEVILLE — Tasha Roby and John Ledbetter recently made their way into the foyer of the Catholic Social Services Western Regional Office in Asheville.

The office, in a converted home a few blocks from the center of town, is the last place the married couple expected to find themselves a year ago.

Both in their late 20s, Roby and Ledbetter are the well-educated parents of six children, three of whom are 5 years old. The parents planned to buy the home they were renting and build a financially-secure future.

Roby’s dream was to return to college and finish her bachelor’s degree.

But their hopes and dreams were put on hold when John was seriously injured in an automobile accident. He now suffers from multiple injuries that prevent him from working and require the attention of medical specialists.

While Ledbetter was not at fault in the accident, money from his insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver has not been enough to cover his medical costs.

Additionally, Ledbetter’s doctors require upfront payments, but his

insurance company won’t process his claims until he has been treated.

Meanwhile, the national economic downturn has affected Roby’s employer who, in an effort to keep from laying off workers, has reduced the work week for all employees from 40 to 25 hours.

Under the stress of losing their home, Ledbetter’s physical and emotional pain and their mounting expenses, Roby and Ledbetter turned to CSS for help.

The family received food assistance, Ledbetter received counseling and the couple left with hope and an understanding that there were people in the community who cared about their needs and could help them find solutions to their problems.

In addition to counseling and food assistance, the CSS Western Regional Office offers adoption and immigration services, refugee assistance and pregnancy support.

Courtesy Photo

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about the Catholic Social Services’ Western Regional Office in Asheville, call (828) 255-0146.

From despair to hope CSS provides counseling, assistance with untangling complicated lives by

ANN KILKELLY

special to the catholic news & herald

Editor’s note: Some names have been changed for privacy.

GREENSBORO — Life was becoming complicated for “Hope.”

Suffering from the stress of work and a bad relationship, Hope found herself slipping into depression — she ate less, avoided friends, felt her world growing dark.

She realized she needed help and sought counseling through Catholic Social Services’ office in Greensboro.

Soon she began to turn her life around.

“It was good to realize that I am not crazy. I just needed to clarify my own thinking,” she said.

“Without counseling, I probably would be miserable still. I would not be where I am now,” said Hope. “I am becoming more self reliant and value relationships.”

Hope encourages others in need to seek counseling.

“Find yourself and who you are with the Lord instead of being down all the time. It is worth it,” she said.

CSS’s Greensboro office receives counseling referrals from local parishes,

resource centers and other mental health providers. Counseling is available on a sliding fee scale, so no one who may benefit from the services is turned away.

In addition to counseling, the Greensboro office provides parenting assistance, adoption services, legal immigration and translation assistance, and referrals to community social services.

CSS was a key player in the formation of the Congregational Assistance Network, a coalition of churches and agencies — including Urban Ministry, Salvation Army, the Greensboro Housing Corporation and Department of Social Services — to address the emergency needs of individuals and families in the Greensboro area.

Sandi Hall, a social worker with Gateway Education Center, a nationally recognized school that serves youths with disabilities, worked closely with the CSS office to address the immediate needs of a Gateway client family.

In a letter to the CSS office, she wrote, “I have been most impressed with the professionalism, compassion and tenacity in your work with me and multiple community resources on behalf of this family.”

Ann Kilkelly is development director for Catholic Social Services.

Diana McCarthy (right), a volunteer with Catholic Social Services Western Regional Office in Asheville, stands with Tasha Roby and her children, Jazmine Blankenship, Jackie Blankenship and Aidan Blankenship, in the office’s food pantry April 15.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Catholic Social Services’ 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

COMMENTS ABOUT CSS

“Catholic Social Services has a great working relationship with the staff members at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro. CSS offers counseling services and marriage preparation classes for our parishioners. CSS reaches out to the Hispanic community of Greensboro by translating legal documents and assisting the needy wherever possible.”

— Father Fidel Melo, pastor Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro

CSS data for 2008

The following is a breakdown of services performed by Catholic Social Services: • 9,101 people received food staples or basic needs assistance • 5,816 people attended Office of Justice and Peace workshops and other CSS offices’ seminars and parish meetings • 1,725 refugees in the resettlement process were assisted • 1,147 immigrants sought assistance with documentation and translation • 902 people participated in pre-marriage workshops • 582 seniors took part in Elder Ministry programs • 506 people received counseling for depression, grief, parenting issues and relationship struggles • 6 office sites are currently operated by CSS (Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, High Point, Murphy, Winston-Salem)

April 24, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 9

css awareness week

Weathering the storm CSS food pantries see increased need, donations during economic downturn

by DAVID HAINS communications director

CHARLOTTE — Catholic Social Services offices in Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem have been feeling both the burdens and blessings of the national economic meltdown.

The first signs that the needs for the basics of food, warmth and shelter were rising rapidly began appearing in the summer of 2008, as more and more families showed up at CSS food pantries.

In Winston-Salem, the CSS food pantry typically served 100 or so families per month. By January 2009, the number ballooned to 328 families — who were given a total of 962 bags of groceries containing non-perishable canned goods, frozen meat and even fresh products like bread and eggs.

Like all CSS services, the food was given to anyone in need, regardless of the recipient’s faith.

Diane Bullard, director of the CSS Piedmont-Triad Office in Winston-Salem, said she faces “an avalanche of need.”

During February, the food pantry was completely depleted.

Bullard said many of those in need have never asked for help before.

“We have people who try and access services but don’t know how. They don’t know what to do,” said Bullard. “People also ask to come during off hours because they are embarrassed.”

Bullard, her staff and volunteers work to meet those needs and to provide services in a dignified manner.

The CSS food pantry in Charlotte has also seen an increase in need.

“Demand for the food pantry is off the charts. There are days when it takes the efforts of everybody around here to help

meet the need,” said Geri King, director of the CSS Charlotte Regional Office.

A majority of the food pantry recipients are refugees — many of whom hail from Asia and Africa and face language barriers at Charlotte’s emergency service providers — and Hispanics — many of whom are undocumented and feel safe only when seeking aid from their church.

Jacquie Crombie, director of the CSS Western Regional Office, said much of their outreach is also directed toward Hispanic families.

“Some families face long stretches of unemployment while awaiting deportation hearings,” she said.

In February, the Western Regional Office took over operation of a food pantry that had been run for the last 10 years by Diana Riddle, a parishioner of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.

The food pantry was struggling to meet the increasing demand of those in need. The week before Easter, the food pantry assisted 155 adults and children.

But all three offices have seen silver linings amid the grim and growing needs.

In Asheville, $10,000 worth of commercial-grade refrigerators were recently donated, which will allow more food to be preserved. The Western Regional Office also recently received a $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

The money will allow the office to help some families pay utility bills.

In Winston-Salem, Bullard said more people are donating to the food pantry than ever before.

“People have been incredibly generous. They bring food because they know the need is greater,” she said.

Courtesy Photo

Diana McCarthy, a Catholic Social Services volunteer and advisory board member, works in the Western Regional Office’s food pantry in Asheville April 15.

Bullard said she has heard of area children who are asking birthday party guests to substitute gifts with canned food donations to the pantry.

A similar act of generosity will take place on April 26, when Deacon Ben Wenning retires from the permanent diaconate at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. Deacon Wenning has asked that parishioners substitute any gifts they were considering giving him with food donations to the local CSS food pantry.

“As Ben has nurtured the parish through more than 20 years of ministry, he will now nurture the larger community with this gift of food,” said Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor.

The Charlotte Regional Office also received a $40,000 grant from the Levine Foundation and the Foundation for the Carolinas. The money is being used to help

‘Do unto others ...’

Woman channels gratitude into service, operates food pantry for more than 10 years by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

ASHEVILLE — Diana Riddle was suffering from arthritis and degenerative back problems when she received assistance from the Asheville-area conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society 10 years ago.

“They were just such wonderful, giving and generous people,” said Riddle, who was so moved by the help she received that she decided to become a Vincentian.

Soon after joining the local chapter, Riddle, a parishioner of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, felt called to open a food pantry that would serve the poor of Buncombe County.

“I had become disabled and had been in a state of poverty for quite a while,” said Riddle, referring to her circumstances at the time.

She was about to lose her home

when the Vincentians stepped in and helped her make her payments. “I made up my mind to help give back for what they did for me,” Riddle said.

Riddle began operating the food pantry, which served local Vincentian clients and others in need, from her home in Candler. She named the food pantry “Lilies of the Field,” from the Bible verse Matthew 6:28.

In that verse, “the Lord tells us that we should live on faith,” said Riddle.

As the ministry grew, she was given space in the basement of Catholic Social Services’ Western Regional Office in Asheville. When CSS moved to a larger facility, “Lilies of the Field” moved into the remodeled garage next door.

Riddle continued to operate the food pantry until February of this year when she stepped down from her position and its operation was taken over by CSS. “Thanks to the groundwork laid by

Courtesy Photo

Tom Chmielweski presents a plaque to Diana Riddle during a banquet in her honor in Asheville April 17.

Diana Riddle, the transition was smooth and the poor of the county continue to benefit from this loving ministry,” said Tom Chmielewski, president of the Asheville-area conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

On April 17, Asheville-area Vincentians hosted a banquet honoring Riddle for her dedication to serving those in need. A plaque in Riddle’s honor was placed in the food pantry.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international organization of Roman Catholic lay men and women of all ages

families meet rent and utility payments.

King said the Charlotte office has experienced a welcomed surge in donations of food and clothing, as well as volunteers to help sort and distribute the items. Bullard said the economic times have both hurt and helped bring out the best in people.

“It goes both ways — we see the need and we see that people are really stepping up to the plate,” Bullard said.

WANT MORE INFO? If you need help from or want to offer help to the CSS food pantries, contact them: • Charlotte Regional Office, Charlotte: (704) 370-3262 • Piedmont-Triad Office, Winston-Salem: (336) 727-0705 • Western Regional Office, Asheville: (828) 255-0146

whose primary mission is to help the poor and less fortunate. On a local level, the society is broken down into units called conferences.

The conference that Riddle belongs to was formed in 1998 and is comprised of parishioners from the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Eugene Church in Asheville, and from St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler.

“The primary focus of the society here in Asheville has been helping families with electric, fuel oil, gas and water bills,” said Chmielewski. “We also help with rent, car repairs, bus tickets and food deliveries from the ‘Lilies of the Field’ food pantry.”

The food pantry receives donations of food and money from churches private donors and Manna Food Bank, a private, nonprofit service organization.

“The only money that we have ever received has come from the Catholic community,” said Riddle. “Just good Catholic people who want to see it work and help make it work.”

Today the food pantry at CSS continues to serve the local Vincentian clients as well as those of the society’s St. Margaret Mary Conference in Swannanoa and the clients of CSS.

10 The Catholic News & Herald

css awareness week

April 24, 2009

A refugee’s story

Liberian man and children find home in America through CSS

by DAVID HAINS communications director

CHARLOTTE — Life for Saah Foday Kanda became chaotic and dangerous nearly 30 years ago.

Kanda lived in the West African nation of Liberia. Founded by freed American slaves in the 1840s — its capital, Monrovia, was named for the fifth U.S. president, James Monroe — the nation became torn by years of civil war starting in 1980 and by armed conflicts with its neighbors Sierra Leone and Ghana.

Hundreds of thousands died in the fighting. In 1989, as the civil unrest continued, Kanda, who had been a bank loan officer, began working for the international Red Cross — first as a translator and later as a relief coordinator.

Kanda’s wife and three children, along with her parents, fled to New Guinea while Kanda continued to work in Liberia, disseminating human rights information.

When Kanda refused to cooperate with a rebel leader in 1994, he was placed on a wanted list — a death sentence in the almost-lawless country. Kanda was forced into hiding.

He escaped to a refugee camp in Ivory Coast where, after much searching,

he was finally reunited with his family.

Life in the camp was harsh — the family had nothing but straw to sleep on and were surrounded by misery and sickness with little help from the outside world.

Kanda saw the situation as temporary and as a challenge — he prayed that he would be able to use his experiences to help others in the future.

In the late 1990s, the Kandas began the five-year immigration process to enter the United States. Before it was complete, Kanda’s wife suffered a stroke and later died due to lack of medical treatment in the camp.

Kanda and his children had to start the process over, and finally arrived in the United States in 2003.

The Refugee Resettlement Office of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte provided the Kandas with a home and some food, and assistance with job seeking and accessing social services.

“I once was voiceless, but CSS listened to me and helped me with my needs,” said Kanda. “Now I want to do that for others.”

By 2005, at 49, Kanda was enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He did not let his age deter his desire for a degree.

“There is no failure in trial. If you never try, you fail,” he said.

In December 2008, Kanda graduated

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE Family Life Office: cssflo@charlottediocese.org, (704) 370-3228 Elder Ministry (704) 370-3220 Marriage preparation (704) 370-3228 Respect Life/Rachel’s Vineyard retreat (704) 370-3229 Natural family planning (704) 370-3230 Justice & Peace Office: justicepeace@charlottediocese.org, (704) 370-3225 Office of Economic Opportunity in Murphy (828) 835-3535 Refugee Resettlement Office: cssrro@charlottediocese.org, (704) 370-3262 Charlotte Regional Office: csscro@charlottediocese.org, (704) 370-3262 Counseling — Winston-Salem (704) 370-3262, Greensboro (336) 274-5577 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 Immigration Services — Winston-Salem (336) 727-4745 Greensboro (336) 574-2837 Latino Family Center (336) 884-5858 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

Photo by Ann Kilkelly

Saah Foday Kanda, a Liberian refugee who relocated to North Carolina with the help of Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office, reads a school textbook at his house in Charlotte in March 2009. and is now pursuing a master’s degree in international humanitarian law and human rights from a university in Costa Rica.

Eventually he would like to work for the United Nations helping others who are going through what he and his family experienced. Acknowledging the hazards of international social work, Kanda said he is leaving it to God to help work everything out.

“You know when you ask God, he will provide,” he said.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on CSS’s Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte, visit www.cssnc.org/refugee.html or call (704) 370-3262.

COMMENTS ABOUT CSS

“We have a wonderful partnership with Catholic Social Services. CSS touches our needs through its Elder Ministry programs and marriage preparation classes. At the same time, St. Gabriel Church is blessed with individuals and families who have the ability to respond to the needs that CSS addresses in the larger community.”

— Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte “When local parishes work closely with CSS, the agency benefits, the people of the parishes are able to work as a team with CSS professionals, and together we can make a greater difference than would have otherwise been possible.”

— Father Brian Cook, pastor St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem

The Catholic News & Herald 11

April 24, 2009

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Some military tales engage the reader, while others have little drama reviewed by BRIAN OLSZEWSKI catholic news service

In “God in the Foxhole,” Charles W. Sasser gets the obvious out of the way in the introduction when he notes the adage that there are no atheists in foxholes.

For the following 300-plus pages, he demonstrates the validity not only about nonbelievers in foxholes, but also in tents, headquarters, fields, bombers, ground vehicles and anywhere else military personnel serve during combat.

His style allows readers to elicit their own images and sounds from his wellcrafted narratives.

In a section regarding Pfc. Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector seen by some of his fellow servicemen as a coward, Sasser lets the dialogue explain the conflicts and heroism of Doss’ role as a medic in World War II. The author’s “You Are There” tone in this piece is indicative of what occurs throughout the book. GIs pinned under fire. Growing numbers of wounded. Doss on the top of a cliff, an easy target for the enemy, hoisting the wounded to safety, praying aloud, “Lord, help me get one more. Just one more.”

There’s a resurrection theme in many of the tales. The captain who deemed Doss unfit for military service said, “He saved my life. The man I tried to have kicked out of the Army ended up being the most courageous person I’ve ever known.”

In another story, readers meet Sgt. Gene Beck, who survived two tours of duty in Vietnam relatively unharmed, but who was severely injured

in a car accident.

Once Sasser sets the scene in 1982, he takes readers to Beck’s Vietnam in 1968, and then back to 1982. The ebb and flow of that and similar stories keep readers engaged. Each section ends with an epilogue.

Cynics might discount stories, many of which have an Audie Murphy thread in them, and that fall into chapters with such headings as “Prayer,” “Doubt,” “Why Me, Lord?” and “The Unexplained.”

Yet, who can explain faith? In many of the stories, there are no logical explanations as to what happened or didn’t happen to those involved.

What they do have is a faith-at-work element meshed with patriotism capable of inspiring believers and nonbelievers, hawks and doves.

Where “Foxhole” is a series of engaging stories, “War in the Garden of Eden” reads like a series of military reports — very thorough with its “justthe-facts” tone, but dry.

Although it is Rev. Frank E. Wismer III’s account of his experiences and about people he met while serving as a chaplain in Iraq, the stories have little drama. They are good reflections, but for the most part tedious reading.

However, “War in the Garden of Eden” serves a purpose in that it provides a religious perspective on a war whose devastation readers are familiar with. His perspective, while staid, is one that might not be read elsewhere.

Olszewski is executive editor of the Catholic Herald, a publication of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Priest not surprised by Scottish woman’s performance on British TV LONDON (CNS) — The audience snickered and the judges of “Britain’s Got Talent” expressed bemused skepticism as the awkward-looking middleaged woman told them she wanted to be as famous as the popular British actress and singer Elaine Paige. Then Susan Boyle began to sing, and they were spellbound and shocked by the beauty of her voice and rose to their feet in applause.

But Father Basil Clark, who watched the show on television at his home in Broxburn, Scotland, was not surprised.

He has seen the situation unfold many times before, having regularly accompanied Boyle, 47, on the annual Legion of Mary pilgrimage to the Marian shrine in Knock, Ireland.

“When I watched the judges’ faces it reminded me of what I was like when I first saw Susan singing — absolutely blown away by the quality of the singing and by that fantastic voice,” said Father Clark, dean of West Lothian.

Boyle first appeared before judges on the ITV1 sister show of “America’s Got Talent”; it was broadcast April 11.

Her fame spread on the Internet, and in just five days she had attracted more than 15 million YouTube viewings of her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream,” from the musical “Les Miserables.”

Part of Boyle’s attraction is that she appears to be such an unlikely candidate for stardom. She said on TV that she has “never been kissed” and has lived alone with her cat since her mother died in 2007.

Boyle has learning disabilities as a result of being starved of oxygen at birth.

She is unemployed and, as a churchgoing Catholic, her social life revolves around her family and her parish of Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

“In a sense, there is a beautiful voice trapped in this damaged body,” said Father Clark. “It is an absolute contrast.

There she was on television acting very peculiarly and the audience was expecting peculiar things to happen and then a voice of an angel comes out — and that’s Susan.”

He described Boyle as “a woman of great faith” who was often “very gentle and very caring.”

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: MAY 3, 2009

May 3, Fourth Sunday of Easter Cycle B Readings: Acts 4:8-12 Psalm 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29 1 John 3:1-2 Gospel: John 10:11-18

Christ is like a shepherd, tending his flock

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

Mary was not just a hired hand.

True, she had been employed by my friend Barbara and her siblings to care for their enfeebled father Scott in his last years of life. But caring for the elderly man was more than a job to Mary — not because of any stipulation in her contract, not because she set high standards.

It was simply because of who she was, and who he was to her.

Barbara told me Mary seemed to know what her father wanted or needed before he said so. Indeed, she cooked, cleaned and helped him shave and dress.

But she also attended to more than his physical needs. She knew what foods he liked and prepared them to please him.

She knew how to arrange his things to make him comfortable and happy.

She also learned about Scott’s past life, his family and what interested him.

They talked all day long. She recognized how he felt and helped him deal with his deepest concerns.

In short, her greatest interest was him.

Barbara said that when she came to visit and Mary took time off, she was never gone as long as expected. She preferred to be there to care for Scott. In fact, the only time she spent a night away was when her own granddaughter was sick and needed her.

For his part, although he loved his children, Scott was most at ease when Mary was nearby. Their relationship of mutual caring was gratifying to Barbara and her brothers and sisters.

When Scott died, Mary came to the funeral. Afterward she sat with the family and shared stories about him with his children and grandchildren. She grieved with them.

For Scott and his loved ones, Mary was like the good shepherd described in this weekend’s Gospel. He has true concern for each member of his flock and they know he has their best interests at heart. He prefers to be with them.

Because they know they have his unselfish love, they trust and prefer his care.

Far beyond the interests of a normal hired caregiver, Mary chose to give herself over fully to concern for Scott.

Likewise, Jesus the good shepherd reminds us that he freely chooses to give his life for our sake.

Questions: Whose life and concerns do you care for as much as your own?

How does this help you understand and trust Jesus as your good shepherd?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are” (1 John 3:1).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of April 26-May 2 Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter), Acts 3:13-15, 17-19, 1 John 2:1-5, Luke 24:35-48; Monday, Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-29; Tuesday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis de Montfort), Acts 7:518:1, John 6:30-35; Wednesday (St. Catherine of Siena), Acts 8:1-8, John 6:35-40; Thursday (St. Pius V), Acts 8:26-40, John 6:44-51; Friday (St. Joseph the Worker), Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24, Matthew 13:54-58; Saturday (St. Athanasius), Acts 9:31-42, John 6:60-69.

Scripture for the week of May 3-9 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Easter), Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18; Monday, Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday, Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday, Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday, Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday, Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday, Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

April 24, 2009

youths in action

Ministry awards contest winners A journey of faith and fun HICKORY — The African American Affairs Ministry of the Diocese of Charlotte has named the winners of the ministry’s first diocesan-wide essay contest for students in sixth- through 12th-grade.

Out of 42 entries, six winners — three in the sixth- through eighth-grade and three in the ninth- through 12thgrade divisions — received cash awards and certificates of achievement from the ministry.

Five of the winners read their essays during the ministry’s Family Day of Reflection at the Catholic Conference

Center in Hickory March 21.

Contest participants were required to research and write about either St. Benedict the Moor, Bishop James Augustine Healy or St. Josephine Bahkita. Entries were evaluated by the ministry’s contest committee on content, grammar and punctuation.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on the African A m e r i c a n A ff a i r s M i n i s t r y, v i s i t www.charlottediocese.org/aaam.html or call (704) 370-3267.

Courtesy Photo

A group of teenagers and adults from the Diocese of Charlotte is pictured outside St. Agnes Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 5, as part of the Sankofa 2009 “A Journey to Freedom and Beyond.”

Sankofa is an annual educational awareness program sponsored by the diocesan African American Affairs Ministry. For the past 14 years, Sankofa has offered teens and their families opportunities to explore African American heritage and contributions to the nation and world.

The group of 19 teens and 20 adults visited historic and religious sites in Cincinnati and Covington, Ky., April 4-6.

Courtesy Photo

Pictured are five of the six winners of the diocesan African American Affairs Ministry essay contest during the Family Day of Reflection at the Catholic Conference Center March 21. From left are Sean Thomas, Alexandria Wilson, Bry’anne Robbing, Ebube Okoyeh and Vanessa Okoyeh.

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Rates: $.80/word per issue ($16 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: For information, call (704) 370-3332.

April 24, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 13

in our schools

School wins national award in fight against diabetese WALK, from page 1

Courtesy Photo

Students of St. Mark School in Huntersville cheer March 23 as the school receives national honors from the American Diabetes Association for the most money raised by a school in the 2008 National Walk for Diabetese.

Walk for Diabetes.

For raising $52,000, an award from the ADA was presented to St. Mark School in Huntersville by local WCNC weatherman Larry Sprinkle March 23.

Sprinkle served as master of ceremonies at an assembly to kickoff this year ’s two-week campaign, which culminated with the walk for diabetes April 3.

“I think our school is passionate about the fight against diabetes because in one way or another most families have been affected by it,” said Megan Findley, physical education teacher and faculty

coordinator for the event.

“We also have several students attending St. Mark who struggle with diabetes,” she said.

The school has participated in the event for the past six years.

Each year, students raise money by collecting pledges from friends, family and neighbors.

Other fundraisers include selling raffle tickets and an in-school “penny wars” competition, in which classes compete to see which one can collect the most pennies.

On the day of the walk the classes take turns covering 45 minute shifts, so that between 8:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. there are always students walking.

Throughout the two weeks prior to the walk, the school teaches the students about the disease and the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle as a means for preventing some forms of diabetes.

“We really use this opportunity to teach the students about making healthy lifestyle choices,” said Janis Boone, public relations coordinator for the school.

Another reason that the fundraiser is so popular is because the money collected is used on a local level.

“All of the money raised goes to help kids with diabetes go to Camp Carolina Trails,” said Findley.

Camp Carolina Trails is a special camp for kids with diabetes. Along with regular camp activities, such as sports and arts and crafts, campers are educated on ways to manage their diabetes and learn skills to help them become more independent.

The camp also helps them “realize they are normal children because most of the other campers have diabetes as well,” Findley said.

For the past three years, St. Mark School has been the highest moneyraiser for the National Walk for Diabetes in the Southeast.

This was their first time winning the national title.

April 24, 2009

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Lament for Notre Dame Presidential invite forsakes Catholic identity, causes grave scandal Any good lawyer has a disclaimer, so here is mine: I love the University of Notre Dame.

My wife received her undergraduate degree there and I proudly graduated from the law school.

My three years at “Our Lady’s University” were some of the most wonderful of my life. From the campus’ Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and Bookstore Basketball tournament to the House that Rock Built stadium, I love it all.

But my favorite place is the university’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

As a student I served at Mass there every week, including Monday-noon Mass for then-university president Holy Cross Father Edward “Monk” Malloy.

On Sunday nights, I would sit in wonder as the liturgical choir sang vespers in the Lady Chapel. And at the end of each Lent, I would marvel at the beauty of the Triduum celebration.

The basilica truly is the heart of the university’s Catholic identity.

It is because I love Notre Dame so much that the university’s recent decision to honor President Barack Obama as its 2009 commencement speaker, and to award him an honorary doctor of laws degree, has caused me so much pain.

Don’t misunderstand — this is not a political position. Rather, it is a moral one; in fact, the most important moral issue of our time — namely, the dignity of life.

As the U.S. Conference of Bishops said in its 2007 statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” the right to life is “the most basic and fundamental right” and “is not just one issue among many.”

Obama does not respect this fundamental right. He is unquestionably the most radical, pro-abortion president ever.

Within the first few months of office, he already has approved federal funding for abortions on foreign soil and for research involving the destruction of human embryos.

He has expressed support for the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate all state restrictions on abortion and require the use of U.S. tax dollars to kill the unborn.

The list goes on and on.

By inviting Obama, Notre Dame has turned its back on the most innocent among us.

One of the key lessons I learned at Notre Dame was the importance of the human person in the eyes of the law. The law school’s mission statement addresses this by stressing a “commitment to the relationship between law and social justice.”

Guest Column WILLIAM L. ESSER IV guest columnist

However, as Pope John Paul II said, any outcry “on behalf of human rights — for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture — is false and illusory if the right to life ... is not defended with maximum determination.”

Notre Dame has now publicly proclaimed that honoring the president for his positions on “racial equality” is more important than standing up for the unborn.

As Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend has said, Notre Dame has thus chosen “prestige over truth.”

It has publicly rejected the U.S. bishops’ 2004 prohibition on Catholic institutions awarding honors to those who reject fundamental Catholic beliefs.

In short, it has forsaken its Catholic identity; betrayed its students, alumni and faculty; and caused grave scandal.

Please join me in praying that the university will recognize its error and revoke the invitation. It is not too late.

“For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?” Matthew 16:26.

Thirty pieces of silver is no price for the souls of the unborn. Mary, our mother, tender strong and true, pray for us.

William Esser is a partner at a regional law firm based in Charlotte and a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

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It’s not only Obama who needs to exmamine conscience Surveys indicate abysmal lack of catechization of many Catholics The alarm, criticism and concern surrounding the choice by the University of Notre Dame of President Barack Obama to be its commencement speaker overwhelms a much more serious matter.

As the Obama flap captured the headlines, the release of a Gallup poll should be of equal — or greater — concern, for it deserves as much attention for its long-lasting impact: the abysmal lack of catechization of many Catholics.

Gallup’s 2006-2008 Values and Beliefs surveys indicate that fewer Catholics in the United States believe in the Catholic position on a number of moral issues than do non-Catholics.

Critics of the Notre Dame selection of the president to receive an honorary degree and deliver the commencement address say his support of legal abortion and embryonic stem cell research makes him an inappropriate choice for a Catholic university.

The controversy reached such a point that the superior general of the Holy Cross order, which founded Notre Dame, sent a letter from Rome to Obama, asking him to rethink his position on abortion and life issues.

Father Hugh W. Cleary asked the president to “rethink, through prayerful wrestling with your own conscience, your stated positions on the vital ‘life issues’ of our day, particularly in regard to abortion, embryonic forms of stemcell research and your position on the Freedom of Choice Act.” Certainly it is a worthwhile invitation to an examination of conscience — and one that should be extended to all Catholics in the United States. There should be as much concern about what Catholics believe as what Obama believes.

One defuser would be to make clear that the university is providing a locus for a speech by the president of the country but avoiding any indication of approving his views by not awarding him an honorary degree.

As arguments swirl about what his appearance connotes, consider this: The Gallup poll revealed 40 percent of Catholics found abortion morally acceptable compared to 41 percent of non-Catholics.

Even without comparison to non-Catholics, the Catholic score on moral acceptability of various issues is atrocious.

Here are the percentages of what Catholics find morally acceptable: having a child out of wedlock, 61 percent; divorce, 71 percent; premarital sex, 67 percent; embryonic stem cell research, 63 percent; the death penalty, 61 percent.

Little comfort can be taken in believing that those figures are diluted by the “twice-a-year” Catholics.

Gallup distinguished regular churchgoing Catholics and non-Catholics

Consider This STEPHEN KENT cns columnist

from nonregular churchgoing Catholics and non-Catholics.

Of weekly church attendees, 24 percent of Catholics found abortion morally acceptable, 53 found embryonic stem-cell research acceptable, 53 percent found premarital sex acceptable and 48 percent felt having a baby out of wedlock was acceptable too.

To paraphrase the warden in the movie “Cool Hand Luke”: “What we have here is a failure to catechize.”

In commenting on the implications of its findings, the Gallup organization said: “Catholic leaders’ objections to the Obama situation could themselves be at least partly a reflection of the leaders’ awareness of and concern over the fact that in today’s contemporary American culture, there is little differentiation between Catholics and non-Catholics in terms of adherence to conservative Catholic church positions on moral issues.”

Father Cleary’s invitation to “rethink, through prayerful wrestling with your own conscience, your stated positions on the vital ‘life issues’ of our day” should be extended beyond President Obama.

One critic of Notre Dame officials said they “didn’t understand what it means to be Catholic.”

Unhappily, that criticism appears to be too true for too many Catholics.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE It is evident that action on the important issue of defending unborn human life must proceed along various fronts simultaneously.

Public outcry over Notre Dame’s decision must be accompanied by ongoing catechesis in our parishes, public witness by the entire Catholic Church and involvement in the political process in order to promote a culture that protects the sanctity of unborn human life.

The problem of the lack of respect for the right to life of the unborn is so serious in our society that this multi-front approach is essential.

This is a task for laity, clergy, religious, parents and teachers — in short, for everyone.

— Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte

April 24, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Oz pulls back the curtain Embryonic stem cell research advocates put politics, money ahead of sound science “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain,” mutters the ordinary man posing as the great and powerful Oz in the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz.” This scene recently became reality on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” when Oprah’s star doctor and regular guest, Dr. Mehmet Oz, appeared alongside actor, Parkinson’s disease victim and embryonic stem cell research proponent, Michael J. Fox. As Dr. Oz explained how Parkinson’s disease affects the brain, he broke from Fox’s normal talking points by embracing scientific integrity and said: “I think, Oprah, the stem cell debate is dead, and I’ll tell you why: The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come from embryos, like all of us are made from embryos, and those cells can become any cell in the body, but it’s very hard to control them and so they can become cancer.”

Oz then informed the stunned Fox and Winfrey that with recent advances in adult stem cell research, including the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (embryonic-like stem cells reverted from their adult state), Parkinson’s

disease may be cured in the next decade.

Unfortunately, Dr. Oz is not entirely correct: cures can be expected but the debate over destroying embryos in medical research is not dead. It should be, however, for many important reasons.

After decades of research transplanting embryonic stem cells in animal models, no disease has been treated successfully.

In contrast, evidence of more than 73 diseases and conditions successfully treated with adult stem cells continues to build.

Yet many researchers continue to conduct, and more to advocate, destructive embryonic stem cell research, putting politics, research contracts and job security ahead of sound science.

Scientists who pursue embryodestructive research despite the noteworthy successes with adult stem cells violate the rights of their week-old human victims by taking their lives.

They also fail in their responsibility to the millions awaiting effective treatments for a vast array of diseases and conditions.

Of course, even if embryonic stem cell research produced successful

Spirituality of adults: What is it, exactly?

Joy is living out God’s love in everyday life As winter was coming to an end, I felt it was time for my days to have an infusion of what I simply call “something sunny.”

Then I saw an ad in America magazine for a program at Wisdom House, a retreat center not far from where I live.

Elizabeth Dryer, a professor at Jesuitrun Fairfield University in Connecticut, was scheduled to give a program on “Spirituality for Catholic Women.”

I signed up. But first I bought her book, “Making Sense of God: A Woman’s Perspective.”

I immediately knew I was in the right place when I read that “spirituality is the joy of falling in love with God and living out that love in everyday life.”

That sentence was something worth meditating on!

At the program, I sat down next to two lovely women, Felicia and Barb, surprised to learn that they lived in my own town and are members of a former parish of mine.

We were actually neighbors!

Felicia and Barb were sponsoring a “ministry of mothers” meeting on Friday mornings. They invited me to join them when I could, which I did a week later.

It was a joyful encounter!

Felicia, a mother of teen triplets, spoke of their mothers ministry as having

evolved into a meeting of “companions who share a grounding in faith and a commitment to see all of our life experiences through ministry.”

She added, “Now we have re-fallen in love with God.” Barb said, “Our moms ministry has given us the strength to survive what life throws at you all the time.”

I cannot justly describe the joy that was in that room, but I knew the source of it.

Often I’ve been reminded by my Catholic teachers that, where two or three are gathered in his name, God — the source of all joy — is in their midst!

Another book I was reading that week also gave me a spiritual boost.

In “Listening to God’s Word,” award-winning Catholic author Alice Camille explains in her introduction that her book is “to facilitate that holy crossing from the world of the Bible to the world in which we live and move and have our being.”

And she adds a truth as only someone deeply immersed in the study of our religious history could: “If our citizenship in the reign of God does not influence our citizenship in this world, we may well be holding a false passport.”

Camille begins her book by telling of a time when she suffered from a

Life Issues Forum MARY E. McCLUSKY guest columnist

treatments, the Catholic Church could never advocate its use because it destroys a human person in his or her first week of life.

Each of us began life as a human embryo, and we are, as the Declaration of Independence acknowledges, “created equal” and possess a God-given right to life.

Every child deserves to be conceived and protected within the shelter of a husband and wife’s loving embrace.

The fictional Wizard of Oz lacked the courage to be honest with the Emerald Kingdom, but the real Dr. Oz courageously threw back the curtain on false promises.

Let us pray that others in the medical profession and scientific community will have the heart to embrace intellectual honesty and advance cures that we can all live with.

McClusky is special projects coordinator at the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO cns columnist

depression she said she couldn’t shake.

She asked God “testily”: “So what do you want from me?” and told him, “Forget happiness. ... I’d settle for meaning. I long for a reason to do something, anything,” to get away from the future that “yawned so emptily.”

What she learned is that “God works in mysterious ways.” She picked up a dust-covered red Bible and read it “from cover to cover.”

Her life was changed, and she has ever since affirmed: “We need the Bible. We need it not just as a record of salvation history, but for the sake of what we might call salvation present.”

Nothing is better “for the God seeker to read” than this book, she affirms, for it is the story of God’s journey and ours.

Camille’s book is in a series called “Catholic Spirituality for Adults.”

These experiences I’ve just shared have told me that it truly is about time that spirituality for adults continues to make good headway in our church!

Pope says greed — the root of all evil — triggered economic crisis The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Greed lies at the root of all evil and is the source of the current global economic crisis, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“It is precisely greed that insinuates to us that having is the highest good” in life and yet it is greed that distorts the purpose of material goods and destroys the world, he said April 22 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The pope’s catechesis dealt with early Christian writers of the East and West, and his talk focused on a littleknown, eighth-century Benedictine monk, Abbot Ambrose Autpert.

This French-born abbot lived during a time marked by strong political tensions, nationalism and tribalism, which affected life within the monasteries, he said.

The pope said Abbot Autpert wrote a very popular treatise titled “Conflict Between the Vices and the Virtues” as a way to help his monks combat temptation and face their daily spiritual struggles.

“For each of the 24 vices threatening the soul, he indicated the corresponding virtue that would help the Christian overcome temptation,” said the pope.

The abbot taught that greed is the root of all the vices, he said.

“I underline this because in light of the current worldwide economic crisis it reveals itself as being (a) timely (message).

We see that this crisis arose precisely from this root of greed,” he said.

Abbot Autpert foresaw that the wealthy and the powerful would defend their way of life, saying they were not monks and therefore were not obligated to follow the austere life of an ascetic, the pope said. The abbot said their excuse was valid, but he explained that God offers humanity just two paths and two doors in life: a door that is narrow or wide and a path that is steep or easy, the pope said.

God did not point to a third way that was both easy and led to salvation.

“There are many different ways to live, but people, including the rich, must fight against greed, against the desire for appearances, and be against the false sense of freedom,” which leads people to think whatever they desire is at their disposal, he said. Everyone, rich and poor, “must find the right path of truth, of love and therefore of the principled life.”

The ascetic lifestyle of contemplative religious does not reflect a disregard for the world, creation and beauty, he said.

That would reflect “a disregard for the false vision of the world greed presents to us” and distore “creation and destroys the world.”

April 24, 2009

easter reflections

The Catholic News & Herald 16

Courtesy Photo

Zeth Garcia, 21, portrays Jesus during a “Via Crucis” (Way of the Cross) performance at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lexington April 10. The performance April 10 and April 12 was enacted by the parish’s Hispanic youths and adult volunteers.

Courtesy Photo Courtesy Photo

Students perform a re-enactment of the Last Supper and Way of the Cross at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem April 8.

Fifth-grade students and their parents of Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem celebrate a Passover Seder meal April 7. The meal has been organized for the past nine years by fifth-grade teacher Jean Degnan in an effort to impart ecumenical understanding and to have greater appreciation of ChristianJudaic roots and how they fit into today’s church. On April 8, a Seder meal was held for candidates and sponsors participating in the parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program.