July 17, 2009

July 17, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Escaping needless guilt; moderation in all things; value of money

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI july 17, 2009

A history of unwavering faith

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

Pope says moral values must be part of economic recovery, development

KATIE MOORE

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

staff writer

ALBEMARLE —Bishop Peter J. Jugis celebrated a special Mass for the 75th anniversary of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle July 11.

Following the Mass was the dedication of the parish office in honor of Olive R o o n e y, f o r m e r p a r i s h secretary of more than 30 years, and a dinner to celebrate the church anniversary.

“Everybody who has come here has loved the place,” said Father Peter Fitzgibbons, pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church. “It’s a marvelous parish.”

“Seventy-five years ago, our parish was founded See PARISH, page 5

no. 33

To safeguard the human person

Our Lady of the Annunciation Church celebrates 75th anniversary by

vOLUME 18

VATICAN CITY — Ethical values are needed to overcome the current global economic crisis as well as to eradicate hunger and promote the real development of all the world’s peoples, Pope Benedict XVI said in his new encyclical.

The document, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), was dated June 29 and released at the Vatican July 7.

The truth that God is the creator of human life, that every life is sacred, that the earth was given to humanity to use and protect and that God has a plan for each person must be respected in development CNS photo by Romeo Ranoco, Reuters

A boy looks at empty plates while he waits for food at a Catholic church complex in Manila, Philippines, in March. In his latest encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate,” Pope Benedict XVI said food and water are the “universal rights of all human beings without distinction or discrimination” and are part of the basic human right to life.

The pope and the president

Pope Benedict welcomes Obama to Vatican Two discuss bioethics, G-8 summit

by CAROL GLATZ and CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

CNS photo by Jason Reed, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI greets U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican July 10.

VATICAN CITY — The church’s position on bioethical issues got marked attention during Pope Benedict XVI’s meeting with U.S. President

See CHARITY, page 8

Deploring ‘unethical guidelines’ N.C. bishops criticize expanded NIH funding rules for stem cell research by

KEVIN E. MURRAY

Barack Obama July 10.

In addition to giving Obama a copy of his latest encyclical, which the pope has been presenting to visiting heads of state since its release July 7, the pope also presented a copy of the Vatican document on biomedical ethics,

CHARLOTTE — The bishops of North Carolina have joined the head of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on ProLife Activities in criticizing final guidelines for funding human embryonic stem cell

See POPE, page 6

See STEM CELLS, page 13

editor

Year for Priests

Culture Watch

Summer success

Diocese of Charlotte launches Web page on priests

Book on saints in Scripture; Vatican OKs Harry Potter

School reading program helps kids improve

| Page 7

| Pages 10-11

| Page 12

July 17, 2009

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Stitching a brighter future

CNS photo by Chris Donahue, The Catholic Spirit

Catholic parishioner Clare Liptak displays a few of the donated sewing machines that will be sent to Tanzania to help women there sew clothes for themselves and their families. A member of Mary, Mother of God Church in Hillsborough, N.J., Liptak shipped 30 machines to the African nation in 2008 and hopes this summer to ship 50 more, along with fabric and other sewing supplies.

Parishioner collects sewing machines for poor in Africa HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (CNS) — Clare Liptak is combining her Catholic faith with a love of sewing to help the poor in Africa stitch together a better life.

Liptak, a member of Mary, Mother of God Church, collects fabric and sewing machines to send to women in Tanzania to sew clothes for themselves and their families. She and her friend Kathleen “Kat” Wilson have 140 sewing machines in storage at Mary, Mother of God Church and another 19 at Liptak’s home.

Liptak shipped 30 machines to Tanzania in 2008. This summer, she hopes to send 50 more along with fabric, sewing supplies, carpentry tools, equipment for a culinary program and children’s books. The container being used to ship the items is supposed to be loaded Aug. 7.

The machines remaining in storage are awaiting shipment to poor families in rural Kentucky, she said.

“It is really a lot of fun to do this, and the people who donate are very generous,” Liptak said. “Often the machine has been in their family a long time and they want it to be used. They don’t want their grandmother’s sewing machine to be thrown away.”

Liptak traveled to Tanzania in 2008 and plans to return in June 2010.

Liptak and Wilson call their project “Give It Up for Good.” They began collecting sewing machines in 2004 to send to the poor in Appalachia.

In 2006, Liptak heard about the daughter of a co-worker who was going on a humanitarian mission to Tanzania coordinated by the Brotherhood of Hope.

In 2007, Liptak’s interest in Tanzania increased when a visiting priest from that country, Father Venance Ndalichako, spoke during a Mass about his association with schools in that country. After Mass,

Father Ndalichako visited Liptak’s home, where she lives with Joe, her husband of 27 years and “No. 1 volunteer.”

“Kat and I were in the living room cleaning sewing machines,” Liptak said.

“I guess Father Ndalichako realized we were serious.”

The meeting went so well that Father Ndalichako, who teaches economics at St. Augustine University in Mwanza, Tanzania, served as their tour guide when Liptak and Wilson visited Tanzania in November. He also arranged for them to stay at the home of Bishop Protase Rugambwa, head of the Kigoma Diocese.

Liptak and Wilson visited several schools in Tanzania, including the St. Gaspar Vocational Training Center in Dar es Salaam, which teaches tailoring.

“The principal at St. Gaspar’s told us enrollment has increased because of the supplies we sent,” Liptak said. “We were really thrilled to have made a difference like that.”

Liptak said that the sewing machines make valuable tools in Tanzania, where the unemployment rate in some areas tops 90 percent.

All the machines sent by Liptak are electric, but some of the older models have a treadle, which allows for manual operation. This is important in areas where power outages are frequent, Liptak said.

Liptak said her outreach to Africa and Appalachia is an outgrowth of her faith and a desire to serve the community.

“I also like to sew and I would like to go around the world meeting women who sew. Sewing machines don’t seem to be valued much anymore. A lot of people don’t sew maybe because clothes are inexpensive, but also because people don’t really have time,” she added.

Nation called ‘fortunate’ to have Alabama physician as Obama nominee WASHINGTON (CNS) — Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, said July 13 she thinks “this nation is so fortunate to have Regina (Benjamin) as surgeon general.”

The Daughter of Charity made the comment in reaction to President Barack Obama’s announcement earlier that day that he was nominating Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the surgeon general of the United States.

The Senate must confirm the nomination.

Benjamin, a Catholic, is founder and CEO of Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala. She is renowned for her outreach to the poor, seeing patients regardless of their ability to pay for her services.

When her clinic was destroyed by Hurricane George in 1998 and again by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Benjamin personally financed its reconstruction.

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

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — A summer study on Women in Church History will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., Wednesdays June 3-July 29 at 10 a.m. The program will be led by Barbara Reagan, retired high school and college history professor with more than 36 years of experience. For more information, call Aida Tamayo at (704) 554-1622.

CHARLOTTE — The Summer Bible Institute at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will take place July 20-24 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Susan Brady will give an exciting and vivid presentation on the Gospel of Mark. All are welcome to attend. For more information or to register in advance, call Susan Brady at (704) 541-8362, ext 4.

CHARLOTTE — A solemn prayer service including a blessing with the relic of St. Peregrine for those suffering from cancer or other incurable diseases will take place at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., July 23 at 7:30 p.m. St. Peregrine has been called the “wonder worker” for his intercession on behalf of those living with

Benjamin belongs to the Shrine of the Holy Cross Church in Daphne, Ala., a historically African-American parish that her mother helped found.

She holds a medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and a master’s degree in business administration from Tulane University in New Orleans.

She was the first African-American woman and the first person under 40 to be elected to the board of trustees of the American Medical Association.

Pope Benedict XVI awarded Benjamin the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross, a papal honor, in 2006. She also began a three-year term on the CHA board that year.

Msgr. Michael Farmer, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Mobile, Ala., said Benjamin was nominated for the papal honor because of “her commitment to her faith as well as well as for putting her faith into practice.”

cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He is the patron saint of all who are afflicted by cancer, leg ailments or any incurable diseases, as well as the patron saint of youths at risk.

For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — The rosary is prayed every Wednesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 4207 Shamrock Dr., at 6:30 p.m. followed by Mass at 7 p.m. All are welcome.

For more information, call Juanita Thompson at (704) 536-0784.

CHARLOTTE — Christians in Career Transition is a ministry devoted to helping people in career crisis. The group meets the first and third Monday of each month, 7-9 p.m., in Room 132 of the New Life Center at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. For more information, call Deacon Jim Hamrlik at (704) 543-7677, ext. 1040; or Jack Rueckel at (704) 341-8449 or e-mail jrueckel@earthlink.com.

CHARLOTTE — “The Work of Catholic Relief Services in the Holy Land” presented by Cullen Larson, program officer for Advocacy and Peacebuilding of Catholic Relief Services, will be held at the diocesan Pastoral Center, 1123 South Church St., July 31 from 2 to 3 p.m. This presentation is sponsored by the Office of Justice and Peace of Catholic Social Services. To RSVP call (704) 370-3225 or e-mail justicepeace@ charlottediocese.org. Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the CSS food pantry. For more information, visit www.cssnc.org.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — Theology on Tap, a speaker series for Catholics in their 20s, 30s and 40s,

JULY 17, 2 009 Volume 18 • Number 33

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.

July 17, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Doctrinal congregation says direct Tourism is a chance to appreciate diversity God abortion can never be justified created, says Vatican Recife noted that abortion always was VAT I C A N C I T Y ( C N S ) — VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Tourism offers a unique opportunity to encounter the tremendous diversity God created on earth, said the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers in a message for World Tourism Day. “In contemplating diversity, the human person discovers traces of the divine in the footprints of what is human,” the council said in the message signed by the council’s president, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, and secretary, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto.

The Vatican released the message July 10 for the celebration sponsored by the U.N. World Tourism Organization.

The theme of the Sept. 27 event is “Tourism — Celebrating Diversity.”

For people of faith, “differences as a whole open ways by which one can draw near the infinite greatness of God,” the message said.

Fear of what is different and fear of the unknown lie at the root of prejudice,

discrimination and misunderstandings between cultures, peoples and religions, it said. Diversity is not a threat or a danger, but an opportunity to be enriched by different cultures, it said.

People must do everything possible “to transform discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance into understanding and mutual acceptance through the roads of respect, education and open, constructive and binding dialogue,” said the message.

Tourism puts people in contact with different religions and different ways of living or seeing the world and its history, it said.

Even travelling the World Wide Web is a form of virtual tourism that allows people to observe diversity at a close range and build bridges with those who are different, it said.

The council said it hoped mutual knowledge will build “a more just, supportive and fraternal society.”

will begin a 3-week session in July. Theology on Tap is a casual forum where people gather to learn and discuss church teachings. The series will be held on the third floor of Natty Green’s Pub and Brewing Co., 345 S. Elm St. The next session is July 20. Come at 6:45 p.m. to eat and socialize, speaker begins at 7:45 p.m. For more information, e-mail greensborotot@yahoo.com or call Deb at (336) 286-3687.

Irish by birth or descent, or who are wives of members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians or mothers of junior members. We will be starting a new division in the Huntersville, Denver and Mooresville areas. To learn more, contact Janice Donahue at (704) 2499161 after 7 p.m. weekdays or e-mail ladydonahue@gmail.com.

GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group meets Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 a.m., in the library at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. A 6-week program on the epistles to the Hebrews will be held each Tuesday June 30 through Aug. 4.

For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

GREENSBORO — The Flames of Fire charismatic prayer group meets every Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph’s House at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2201 West Market St. All those interested in the charismatic way of life are invited to attend. For more information, contact Ben D’Apollo at (336) 812-3730 or Lorraine Brown (336) 292-5186.

GREENSBORO — The health care ministry at St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St., is teaming up with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to offer a 12-week course for family and/or caregivers of individuals with mental illnesses. The free course will be held at the church on Thursdays from Sept. 3 through Nov. 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Class size will be limited. For more information or to register, call Frank or Pat Cleary at (336) 286-2603. Participants must register before Aug. 6.

SALISBURY VICARIATE MOORESVILLE — Are you interested in learning about your Irish heritage? The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians welcome all women who are practicing Roman Catholics and who are

Episcopal

calendar

MOORESVILLE — L.A.F. with God, a young adult group for Catholics ages 1835, meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Room 202 of the Parish Life Center at St. Therese of Lisieux Church, 217 Brawley School Rd. All are welcome. Activities include Theology on Tap, fellowship and yoga. For more information, call (704) 664-3992.

Commenting on the controversial case of a 9-year-old Brazilian rape victim who underwent an abortion, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the concern the church needs to show the girl does not change the fact that abortion is wrong.

In declaring that the doctors and others who were involved in helping the girl procure an abortion automatically incurred excommunication, the church does not intend to deny the girl mercy and understanding, said the statement published in the July 11 edition of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano.

The penalty of excommunication “places in evidence the gravity of the crime committed (and) the irreparable damage caused to the innocent who was killed, to the parents and to all of society,” the statement said.

In early March doctors at a hospital in Recife performed an abortion on the girl, who was pregnant with twins, weighed a little more than 66 pounds and reportedly had been raped repeatedly by her stepfather from the time she was 6 years old. Abortion in Brazil is illegal except in cases of rape or if the mother’s life is in danger.

Interviewed by the media after the abortion, then-Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and

a sin and that, according to canon law, anyone participating in the abortion — including the girl’s mother and her doctors — would automatically incur excommunication.

In the midst of expressions of outrage from around the world over what appeared to be a lack of pastoral concern and compassion for the girl, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said the church’s first reaction should have been to minister to the girl.

The girl “should have been defended, hugged and held tenderly to help her feel that we were all on her side,” said Archbishop Fisichella.

The doctrinal congregation said the statements from church leaders led to some confusion about the position of the church.

“In this regard, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirms that the doctrine of the church on procured abortion has not and cannot change,” the statement said.

To deliberately abort a fetus is to kill an innocent human being, it said, but said that performing an abortion to save a mother’s life is different from carrying out a medical procedure that may have the side effect of causing a miscarriage as long as the death of the fetus was not the goal of the intervention.

Refreshing the spirit

SALISBURY — The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an organization comprised of Catholic men of Irish birth or descent, will be forming a new division in the Salisbury area.

If you are 16 years or older and are proud of you Irish heritage and are interested in your Catholic faith and Irish culture, contact Joe Dougherty, NC state AOH Organizer, at (704) 942-6345 or e-mail uniteire@yahoo.com.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE CLEMMONS — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Mondays at 7:15 p.m. in the eucharistic chapel of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd. Join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and petition. For more details, call Jim Passero at (336) 998-7503.

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:

July 26 (11 a.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Bernadette Mission, Linville

Aug. 4 (6 p.m.)

Priest and seminarian gathering St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Aug. 2 (12 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia

Aug. 5 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Discernment day St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia

CNS photo by L’ Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI walks with other church officials in the Italian Alpine village of Les Combes July 13 as he arrives for his annual vacation. The pontiff will stay in a chalet near the French border with a view of Mont Blanc until July 29.

During his Angelus July 12, the pope called on vacationers to drive safely and asked that they use their time off to renew body and soul and grow closer to God. He said he was praying for those on vacation or pilgrimages, that they would find “refreshment in body and spirit and an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving.”

Diocesan 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

July 17, 2009

Finding refuge and support Approaching Scripture

Courtesy Photo

Ep Ka (left), a Montagnard refugee from Vietnam, sits with his family in their new apartment in Charlotte July 6. The family relocated to Charlotte with the help of Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office. Also pictured are (from left) siblings Nu, Ja and Tha and their mother Tuyen.

Auditors help welcome refugee family to Charlotte Montagnards arrive through Catholic social services CHARLOTTE — Employees from the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche recently put down their calculators and picked up furniture to help a local refugee family.

Fifteen employees from the firm’s Charlotte office, which serves as the external auditor for the Diocese of Charlotte, worked with the diocesan Refugee Resettlement Office of Catholic Social Services to set up a two-bedroom apartment for Ep Ka, a Montagnard farmer now living in Charlotte, in preparation for the arrival of his family from Vietnam.

The June 5 effort was part of the firm’s annual “IMPACT Day,” in which Deloitte and Touche employees perform service projects in their communities.

Montagnards, from the French for “from the mountain,” are indigenous people of Vietnam’s Central Highlands who assisted U.S. Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Ka was forced to flee his family and homeland two years ago under threat of imprisonment by the communist government for being a “nonviolent protestor.” Traveling by night and hiding in the jungle by day, he fled across the border to a refugee camp in Cambodia.

He was eventually interviewed by the U. S. State Department and referred to CSS’s Refugee Resettlement Office in Charlotte. Upon arriving in the United States, Ka shared an apartment with

several other Montagnard men who had been resettled in Charlotte through the Refugee Resettlement Office.

Ka worked daily at the job the office acquired for him, but his ambitions centered on reuniting with his wife and three children and establishing a new home for them in the United States.

Finally in May 2009, Ka received word that his family would arrive in Charlotte June 17. The Refugee Resettlement Office helped him locate a two-bedroom apartment, but needed assistance with furnishing it.

The Deloitte and Touch employees helped set up donated furniture, connected the washer and dryer, and stocked the kitchen with necessities and culturally-appropriate foods. The employees also presented Ka’s family with a gift card to buy needed clothing.

“At the end of the day, I felt really good about the work I had done and the happiness we had brought for someone and their family who greatly needed our help and support,” said employee Kira Parker.

Because of a decrease in donated items and funding cuts, the Refugee Resettlement Office is in critical need of groups willing to help set up apartments for other new refugees. Office members will offer step-by-step guidance in the process and preparation.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about or on assisting the Refugee Resettlement Office, contact Mary Jane Bruton at (704) 370-3283 or mjbruton@charlottediocese.org.

The Groce family and staff welcome our friend, Father Frank Seabo, to our neighborhood at St. Joan of Arc Parish.

Courtesy Photo

Connie Milligan, former faith formation director at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, leads a Scripture workshop for catechists and parishioners at St. John Lee Korean Church in Charlotte June 30.

The workshop was designed to help Catholics use the exegetical approach to understanding the Bible, meaning that the Scriptures’ authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit so that the texts convey a divine revelation. The approach analyzes the literary genre, the culture of the audience, the writers’ historical purposes and the transcendent meaning of the text. During the workshop, participants compared the English translations with their Korean-language Bibles.

Growing in faith

Courtesy Photo

Father Jose Antonio Juya, Gastonia Vicariate coordinator of diocesan Hispanic ministry, stands with the 50 children who received their first Communion at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia May 2.

The Eucharist is one of the three sacraments of initiation, along with baptism and confirmation.

July 17, 2009

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Parish celebrates 75th anniversary in Albermarle PARISH, from page 1

as a beacon of the faith in Stanly County,” wrote Father Fitzgibbons in the 75th anniversary edition of the church directory.

“Despite trial and trouble, this light has not gone out but has grown in beauty. Our parish has seen consistent growth, not only in numbers but most importantly in faith,” he wrote.

“It is the great people of God who have really kept this parish together. They fought to retain their faith and it is very dear to them,” said Father Fitzgibbons.

“They do not take it for granted.”

“It is the great people of God who have really kept this parish together.

They do not take (their faith) for granted.”

— Father Peter Fitzgibbons

Church history The first Catholic residents arrived in the area in 1887.

From then until 1934, visiting priests celebrated Mass in Stanly County.

During that period many families traveled by train to Salisbury to attend religious services.

The first Masses were celebrated in a frame house on North Second Street, that was purchased for $5,000.

The building served as the rectory until 1941. During those years Father James Cowan celebrated Mass in the living room until a monetary gift from Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in New York made the first church possible.

The building was completed Sept. 1, 1934 and dedicated Sept. 4. At that time, the congregation consisted of nine Catholic families.

The growing textile industry brought more Catholics to the area and the parish grew modestly to 35 families by the mid-1940s.

Courtesy photo

Bishop Peter J. Jugis is pictured with members of the Daughters of Mary at the reception following the 75th anniversary Mass of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle July 11.

When the church celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1959, there were 75 families. Today there are 320 families, including a large population of Hmong and Hispanic parishioners.

Highlights In 1966 the parish hall was constructed, giving parishioners a place to hold religious education classes as well as host social events.

By 1970 it became apparent that the church could no longer accommodate the 102 families who attended services.

Funding for the new church began with a generous contribution from the estate of Father Cowan, who had served as pastor form 1934 to 1968, and his late mother, Margaret Cowan.

The building, which was designed to hold 380 parishioners, was dedicated

by Raleigh Bishop Vincent S. Waters July 31, 1971.

The former church was donated to the Albemarle Junior Women’s Club and moved to Rock Creek Park where it is used by various community organizations.

In 1984 the church celebrated its golden jubilee. In 1989 a mission, Our Lady of the Americas, was established in Biscoe. In 1990 then Bishop Michael J. Begley dedicated the newly-built family life center in Albemarle.

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

6 The Catholic News & Herald

Pope, Obama discuss bioethics, G-8 summit POPE, from page 1

“Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”).

When presenting the gifts after their 35-minute closed-door meeting, the pope gave Obama a signed, white leatherbound copy of the encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), then gave him the light-green soft-cover instruction on bioethics issued last December by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“Oh, what we discussed earlier,” said Obama, referring to their closeddoor discussions. “I will have some reading to do on the plane.”

Obama was given the instruction to help him better understand the church’s position on bioethics, Msgr.

Georg Ganswein, papal secretary, told journalists in the pool covering the visit.

Obama arrived at the Vatican shortly before 4 p.m., and a squad of Swiss Guards saluted him in the St. Damasus Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.

U.S. Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, was the first to greet the president, and he accompanied Obama to a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.

Pope Benedict and Obama sat at a desk in the papal library and discussed the Group of Eight summit — the meeting of the world’s wealthy industrialized countries, which concluded that morning in L’Aquila, Italy. The summit focused on the economic crisis, climate change and global tensions.

After the pope welcomed Obama, the president said: “Thank you so much. It’s a great honor for me. Thank you so much.”

Pope Benedict told the president, “You must be tired after all these discussions.”

Obama responded that the meetings were “very productive” and marked “great progress” and “something concrete,” although the precise topic they were discussing at that point was unclear.

The pope and Obama discussed issues that represent “a great challenge for the future of every nation and for the true progress of peoples, such as the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one’s conscience,” according to a Vatican statement released after the audience.

The two men also discussed world issues addressed at the G-8 summit, as well as immigration and the issue of reuniting families, the Vatican statement said.

The meeting with the pope and a separate 20-minute meeting with Cardinal Bertone also touched on international politics, such as the peace process in the Middle East, “on which there was general agreement.”

“Dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid — especially for Africa and Latin America — and the problem

FROM THE COVER

July 17, 2009

of drug trafficking” were discussed, the Vatican said.

“Finally, the importance of educating young people everywhere in the value of tolerance was highlighted,” it said.

At the end of the meeting, Pope Benedict told the president, “A blessing on all your work and also for you.”

The president responded: “Thank you very much. We look forward to building a strong relationship between our countries.”

Exchanging ideas, gifts The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters after the audience that “great serenity and great cordiality” characterized the meeting. Father Lombardi said he spoke with the pope after the meeting and the pope “seemed extremely satisfied with how the meeting went.”

“The president explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the numbers of abortions and to listen to the church’s concerns on moral issues,” he said.

Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications and a member of Obama’s entourage, later spoke to reporters about many of the points in the Vatican statement, adding that the two men also discussed Cuba, Honduras and outreach to Muslim communities.

“I think the president was eager to listen to the Holy Father, was obviously eager to learn more about his views” on issues such as abortion and stem cells, he said.

McDonough said the president asked the pope to pray for his family and expressed his appreciation for the role Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was playing in trying to resolve the political crisis in his country after the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

After their closed-door meeting, Obama introduced the pope to his wife, Michelle, their daughters, Malia and Sasha, and Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson.

There was a private exchange of gifts and a moment for photographs. The pope gave each of the girls a silver key chain with a bas-relief image of the pope, and Michelle Obama and Robinson received papal medals.

Obama’s entourage also included Gen. James Jones, national security adviser; Mona Sutphen, White House deputy chief of staff; Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary; and David Axelrod, senior adviser to the president.

In addition to the encyclical and Vatican bioethics document, Pope Benedict gave Obama a mosaic showing St. Peter’s Basilica and Square and a medal marking the fifth year of his pontificate.

The president told the pope the mosaic, which was made in the Vatican’s mosaic studio, “was very beautiful” and would have “a place of honor” in the White House.

Obama gave the pope a liturgical stole that had been on the remains of St. John Neumann, the first U.S. male citizen to be proclaimed a saint.

CNS photo by Jason Reed, Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, meet with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican July 10.

St. John Neumann, Philadelphia’s fourth bishop, is enshrined in a glass casket under an altar at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. New vestments have been placed on his remains four times since his 1860 death — in 1903, 1962, 1989 and 2008.

The pope thanked the president for the gift and looked very pleased, saying the saint had been “a wonderful person.”

The saint was a Redemptorist priest, and the Baltimore province of the order gave Obama the stole, which had been removed from the casket in 2008.

Father Lombardi told pool reporters that giving the pope such a relic was “a sign of care, of sensitivity.”

Possibility for good Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats, told Catholic News Service in Rome July 10 that with Obama’s visit and the nomination of Miguel Diaz, a theologian, as ambassador to the Holy See, “I think there is a new era about to be launched — a positive, productive one.”

“I think people at the Vatican realize he has some grounding in Catholic social teaching” and that he is able to mobilize and motivate young people for good, Whelan said.

On the issue of abortion, “Obama has taken a third way — the whole

abortion-reduction strategy is not just window dressing,” he said. “I think they (Obama administration officials) are very committed to doing something to reduce abortions without resorting to criminalization.”

Whelan said studies have shown that poverty has a huge impact on abortion rates and “I think the best thing for the unborn was Obama’s economic stimulus package.”

McDonough said Obama had been influenced by Catholic social teaching and by Catholic social service programs, particularly when he worked with Catholic-funded programs as a community organizer in Chicago.

Speaking as a Catholic, the deputy said, “The president, in both his words and in his deeds, expresses many things that many Catholics recognize as fundamental to our teaching.

“One is that the president often refers to the fundamental belief that each person is endowed with dignity,” he said, adding that Obama “often underscores that dignity of people is a driving goal in what we hope to accomplish in development policy, for example, and in foreign policy.”

Contributing to this story was Patricia Zapor in Washington.

July 17, 2009

around the diocese

Diocese of Charlotte launches Year for Priests Web page

by DAVID HAINS communications director

CHARLOTTE — The priesthood is receiving special recognition on the Diocese of Charlotte’s Web site.

Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 2009 through June 2010 as the Year for Priests, a time to recognize the important roles that priests play in the life of the church.

“The centrality of Christ brings with it the correct appreciation of the ministerial priesthood, without which there would be neither the Eucharist, nor even the mission nor the church herself,” the pope said in announcing the year.

He called for the dates to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, who was famed for his priestly ministry.

The Diocese of Charlotte has set up an interactive Web page that will allow visitors to share stories of their experiences with priests and gratitude for their sacramental, spiritual and pastoral leadership.

The page also will feature videos relating to the Year for Priests, personal

Duty and dignity

Lectures explore church’s views on human rights, common good by

KATHLEEN HEALY SCHMIEDER correspondent

essays on the priesthood and a link to information about vocations in the diocese.

The diocese is served by approximately 144 active and retired diocesan and religious order priests.

WANT MORE INFO? To visit the Year for Priests page, visit www.charlottediocese.org.

Priest appointed pastor of St. Eugene Church ASHEVILLE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis has appointed Father Edward Sheridan as pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville and administrator of Asheville Catholic School.

The appointment of Father Sheridan will take effect Aug. 1.

Although Fr. Sheridan is coming out of retirement for the assignment, he said he is delighted to return to full-time ministry and looks forward to many years of service to the church and school in Asheville.

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Father Sheridan has been a priest for 46 years. Ordained to the priesthood in 1963, he is 71 years old.

He has served as pastor of numerous parishes throughout the Diocese of Charlotte, including in Asheville, Charlotte, Hickory and Winston-Salem.

He served as the first superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese. He also has served as school administrator at three diocesan high schools and has been involved with parish-based schools for many years.

HENDERSONVILLE — The Catholic Church’s understanding of human rights and the common good were recently explored at lectures throughout the diocese.

Jesuit Father Joseph Koterski, an associate professor of philosophy at Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York, returned to the diocese for the fifth consecutive year to speak on the topic at parishes in Asheville, Charlotte, Hendersonville and Winston-Salem.

“I hope to give a sense of what the position in the Catholic Church is and how it differs from secular discourse,” said Father Koterski during his lecture at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville June 29.

The priest’s lectures, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, utilized passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which provides a concise and complete overview of the church’s social teaching; and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s “Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”), which addresses a range of bioethics issues including stem cell therapies, embryo experimentation and infertility treatments.

Father Koterski also explored the relationships between ethics, the nature of the human person and reality as a whole.

“Utilitarian and libertarian meanings refer to the common good as the sum total of the individual good.

Often the same words are used, but they mean different things,” he said.

In the catechism, “‘common good’ is used not just to refer to individual interests. The church uses the term ‘common good’ to refer to the public good, where it is good for everyone.”

In regard to political and moral discussions, Father Koterski referred to the fundamental doctrine of duty to God and others as opposed to the secular principle of maximizing pleasure

Jesuit Father Joseph Koterski and minimizing pain.

“Our human rights are inextricably paired with our duties,” said Father Koterski. “Dignity comes with human nature.”

To deal with current societal issues, it becomes a moral obligation to address the issues of the common good through church teachings, he said.

Within the last century the church began to address the idea of human rights as well as Christian duty. Father Koterski said there is continued work underway to provide answers for Catholics facing secular positions that call into question the Christian response to issues such as abortion, capital punishment and other global concerns.

By focusing on the concept of humans made in the likeness of God, Father Koterski compared and contrasted the differences between the morality, anthropology and reality of the church and the secular world.

“The church should teach with much clarity what the principles are, but the church is not responsible for solutions,” said Father Koterski.

However, he noted the efforts made to bring these principles to fruition for the benefit of society.

“The Catholic social system has devised some wonderful systems including hospitals and schools,” he said.

As societal changes continue to challenge Catholics to remain faithful to church teachings in a world focusing more on the immediate rather than the immortal, Father Koterski said our rights and responsibilities become more entwined.

The need to reinforce the church’s position is being addressed from within the hierarchy, but ultimately, said Father Koterski, it is with each person that church doctrine will find its way into the community forums.

“You have to be able to state your opinion,” said Father Koterski. “It only works if you speak up to the public domain.”

8 The Catholic News & Herald

RESPECT LIFE

July 17, 2009

Pope says moral values must be part of CHARITY, from page 1

programs and in economic recovery efforts if they are to have real and lasting benefits, the pope said.

Charity, or love, is not an option for Christians, he said, and “practicing charity in truth helps people understand that adhering to the values of Christianity is not merely useful, but essential for building a good society and for true integral development,” he wrote.

Critiquing the crisis In addressing the global economic crisis and the enduring poverty of the world’s poorest countries, he said, “the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity.”

The global dimension of the financial crisis is an expression of the moral failure of greedy financiers and investors, of the lack of oversight by national governments and of a lack of understanding that the global economy required internationally recognized global control, Pope Benedict said.

“In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth,” the pope wrote.

“To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that

would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority,” he said.

Pope Benedict insisted that the idea of the world’s richest nations scaling back development aid while focusing on their own economic recovery overlooked the long-term economic benefits of solidarity and not simply the human and Christian moral obligation to help the poor.

“In the search for solutions to the current economic crisis, development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means of creating wealth for all,” the pope said.

The economic growth of poorer countries and their citizens’ demands for consumer goods actually benefit producers in the world’s wealthier nations, he said.

The pope said that “more economically developed nations should do all they can to allocate larger portions of their gross domestic product to development aid,” respecting the obligations they made to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals aimed at significantly reducing poverty by 2015.

Life matters Pope Benedict said food and water are the “universal rights of all human beings without distinction or discrimination” and are part of the basic right to life.

He also said that being pro-life means being pro-development, especially given the connection between poverty and infant mortality, and that the only way to promote the true development of people is to promote a culture in which every human life is

CNS photo by Andrew Biraj, Reuters

A child carries away rubbish after his slum was demolished by order of the government in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 21. In his latest encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth), Pope Benedict XVI said an anti-life mentality in the world’s richest countries is related to the lack of concern for the poor. welcomed and valued.

“The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of

mutual help,” he said.

He said the environment, life, sexuality, marriage and social relations

July 17, 2009

RESPECT LIFE

The Catholic News & Herald 9

f economic recovery, development are inextricably united.

If society does not respect human life from its conception to its natural end, “if human conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology,” he said.

Development programs and offers of aid that encourage coercive population-control methods and the promotion of abortion do not have the good of people at heart and limit the recipients’ motivation to become actors in their own development and progress,

the pope said.

In addition, he said, an anti-life mentality in the world’s richest countries is related to the lack of concern for the poor.

“How can we be surprised by the indifference shown toward situations of human degradation when such indifference extends even to our attitude toward what is and is not human?” the pope asked.

“While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is

human,” he said.

Better business Pope Benedict also emphasized church teaching that making money and being wealthy are not sins, but that the way the money is made and the way it is used can be.

The encyclical condemned corruption, the exploitation of workers, the destruction of the environment, the continuing practice of wealthy nations imposing such high tariffs on imports that they shut poor countries out of the international marketplace and, especially, an “excessive zeal” for enforcing patents, especially on

“The primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity.”

— Pope Benedict XVI

medications that could save the lives of thousands of poor people if they were available at a reasonable cost.

Pope Benedict called for “a profoundly new way of understanding business,” which recognizes that investors are not a company’s only stakeholders, no matter how the business is structured and financed.

Employees, those who produce the raw materials, people who live in the communities where the company is based, where its products originate and where its products are sold all have a stake in the business, the pope said.

He also said that investing always has a moral as well as an economic significance.

“What should be avoided is a speculative use of financial resources that yields to the temptation of seeking only short-term profit without regard for the long-term sustainability of the enterprise, its benefit to the real economy and attention to the advancement — in suitable and appropriate ways — of further economic initiatives in countries in need of development,” he said.

WANT MORE INFO? The English version of “Caritas in Veritate” can be found on the Vatican Web site at www.vatican.va.

Read Stephen Kent’s perspective on “Caritas in Veritate” on page 14.

July 17, 2009

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Texas author’s book links saints to Scripture

by ANGELA CAVE catholic news service

WASHINGTON — Theresa DoyleNelson couldn’t find any books about saints mentioned in the Bible.

So she wrote one herself.

“It dawned on me: Maybe this is my book to write,” Doyle-Nelson said.

Setting out to do research, she found the Internet rife with mediocre information, with one Web site even canonizing Adam and Eve. Starting from scratch, she used a list of saints from “Butler’s Lives of the Saints” published in 1756, and did her own investigating.

The result is the author’s first book, “Saints of the Bible,” which was published in March. The saints are arranged by church feast days starting with Mary, the mother of God, on Jan. 1 and ending with the Holy Innocents on Dec. 28.

Each saint’s history is briefly chronicled and accompanied by Bible verse references.

Doyle-Nelson, a former elementary schoolteacher, said she kept the book at about a fifth-grade reading level.

“I don’t like things that get too lofty

or sophisticated,” she told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview.

Reviewers and readers have responded positively to its brevity and simplification of a complex topic. After its first two weeks on shelves, 800 copies were sold. One of her Protestant friends had never heard the story of St. Raphael the Archangel — patron of young people, peacefulness and healing — until reading her book because the saint is only mentioned in the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament.

She said several readers have enjoyed reading about lesser-known saints.

In addition to informing adults, “Saints of the Bible” would serve as a resource for confirmation candidates, Doyle-Nelson said. Her Web site, http://theresadoyle-nelson.com, features teaching tools she created to correspond with the book.

Doyle-Nelson has written about Catholicism for journals and magazines for 12 years, covering such topics as house churches in the New Testament, religious art and Mary’s queenship. She lives in Pipe Creek, Texas, with her husband and three sons.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: july, 10, 2009

July 26, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44 Psalm 145: 10-11, 15-18 Ephesians 4:1-6 Gospel: John 6:1-15

Faith in God will provide more than we can imagine

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

My friend Dave, a microbiologist, was preparing for a lab experiment last week. He tried to explain his task to me in laymen’s terms, and I think I understood, sort of.

Basically it was this: Certain microbes, if introduced into a certain environment, would alter it through the action of their normal life function.

Dave said he spent hours calculating how many microbes to use in this experiment. He decided to check his conclusion by trying to examine these microbes under a microscope, although he didn’t expect to see much since their natural setting blurs the image.

But he accidentally mis-set the microscope and was surprised to get a clear look. What he saw was that this microbial community was exponentially thicker than previously believed.

His numbers were way off.

Dave was amused and gratified.

“It just goes to show you that God has so much more for us than we can

ever imagine!” he said.

A scientist of abiding faith, Dave knows the truth revealed in this weekend’s Scriptures. Elisha’s barley loaves provide for more people than seems possible.

Jesus’ miraculous multiplication of the five loaves and two fish feeds more than 5,000 men.

In each case there was plenty left over too.

God provides for our need and has more besides — more than we can imagine.

Yes, it is hard to imagine how Jesus can make five loaves of bread satisfy 5,000 people. But knowing how isn’t what’s important for our faith. What’s important is knowing that God can do it and God chooses to do it.

God doesn’t gather from some supply. God creates — infinitely. That is who God is.

God also is Love. So God gives to us — infinitely.

God even shares with us his act of creating! Endless new music is created every day — drawn from a bottomless well of ideas that also enter the minds of countless artists, writers, scientists, chefs, teachers, etc., for generations.

For our part, we are called to trust in what God places in our lives for the sake of his life and to receive and share his creation in the spirit of love through which he offers it.

Questions: What has God provided in your life that has been “more than you could imagine” from him? How have you accepted and shared such gifts?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the Lord had said” (2 Kings 4:44).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of July 19-25 Sunday (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ephesians 2:13-18, Mark 6:30-34; Monday (St. Apollinaris), Exodus 14:5-18 Exodus 15:1-6, Matthew 12:38-42; Tuesday (St. Lawrence of Brindisi), Exodus 14:21-15:1, Exodus 15:8-10, 12, 17, Matthew 12:46-50; Wednesday (St. Mary Magdalene), Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15, John 20:1-2, 11-18; Thursday (St. Bridget of Sweden), Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Matthew 13:10-17; Friday (St. Sharbel Makhluf), Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 13:18-23; Saturday (St. James), 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Matthew 20:20-28.

Scripture for the week of July 26-Aug. 1 Sunday (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), 2 Kings 4:42-44, Ephesians 4:1-6, John 6:1-15; Monday, Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34, Matthew 13:31-35; Tuesday, Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28, Matthew 13:36-43; Wednesday (St. Martha), Exodus 34:29-35, John 11:19-27; Thursday (St. Peter Chrysologus), Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38, Matthew 13:47-53; Friday (St. Ignatius of Loyola), Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37, Matthew 13:54-58; Saturday (St. Alphonsus Liguori), Leviticus 25:1, 8-17, Matthew 14:1-12.

Scripture for the week of Aug. 2-8 Sunday (Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15, Ephesians 4:17, 20-24, John 6:24-35; Monday, Numbers 11:4-15, Matthew 14:13-21; Tuesday (St. John Mary Vianney), Numbers 12:1-13, Matthew 14:22-36; Wednesday (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome), Numbers 13:1-2, 25--14:1, 26-29, 34-35, Matthew 15:21-28; Thursday (Transfiguration of the Lord), Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Mark 9:2-10; Friday (St. Sixtus II and Companions St. Cajetan), Deuteronomy 4:32-40, Matthew 16:24-28; Saturday (St. Dominic), Deuteronomy 6:4-13, Matthew 17:14-20.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

July 17, 2009

Movie magic

CNS photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Daniel Radcliffe stars as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in ”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

Vatican newspaper praises values in new Harry Potter film VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican newspaper gave the new Harry Potter movie four stars for promoting “friendship, altruism, loyalty and self-giving.”

As “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was set to open worldwide July 15, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, once again downplayed concerns that the film and book series

by J.K. Rowling promote magic and witchcraft.

“Certainly, Rowling’s vision lacks a reference to transcendence, to a providential design in which people live their personal histories and history itself takes shape,” the paper said in its July 14 edition.

But, it said, the new film and the books make clear “the line of demarcation between one who does good and one who does evil, and it is not difficult for the reader or the viewer to identify with the first.”

“This is particularly true in the latest film,” the review said. “They know that doing good is the right thing to do. And

they also understand that sometimes this involves hard work and sacrifice.”

The magic in Harry Potter is similar to the magic found “in classic fairy tales,” it said.

When the book is finished or the film credits roll, what is remembered are “the values of friendship, altruism, loyalty and self-giving” rather than the magic tricks, the newspaper said.

L’Osservatore said the film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth Harry Potter film, is the best adaptation so far.

“As the characters — now adolescents on the threshold of adulthood — have grown, the tone of the story has as well and the film benefits,” it said.

The Vatican newspaper said the fact that the teen stars are starting to experience a bit of romance, “with the right balance, makes them more credible” because “they are called to face the same problems as their ‘Muggle’ peers.”

In the Harry Potter series “Muggles” are people not endowed with magical powers.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

July 17, 2009

around the diocese

Summer success

1923 — 2009: The Honorable Robert Daniel Potter

Catholic judge remembered for humility, courage, commitment

Courtesy Photo

Students use computers at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem July 1 during a session of the school’s Read Naturally summer program.

School program helps students’ reading skills WINSTON-SALEM — The computer lab at St. Leo the Great School was a busy place of learning this summer.

The lab hosted a summer reading enrichment course based on Read Naturally, a research-based program that combines teacher modeling, repeated reading and assessment and monitoring to improve oral reading fluency and reading comprehension.

Fourth-grade teacher Patti Eiffe, second-grade teacher Lindsay Hodgson and librarian and French teacher Christine Hurley assisted 52 students during the 1-hour sessions over the 5-week course June 16 through July 16.

“We have a variety of students with a wide range of needs this summer,” said Eiffe. “Some students are already reading above their grade levels, but the practice that this program provides — and the high interest level of the nonfiction stories of the program — keep them motivated to make even further improvements.”

Eiffe said the program also served students who may be struggling with reaching.

“They range from rising first-graders to rising eighth-graders. The program is flexible enough to meet their needs, whether for help with specific phonetic patterns or with oral reading fluency and comprehension,” said Eiffe.

The program is in its fourth summer at the school and continues to grow.

“Some of our students are St. Leo students who also use the program during the school year,” said Hodgson.

“But increasingly, we are reaching out

to other children in our local parishes and communities to help students who don’t have access to the program in their own schools.”

This summer, English is a second language for many of the students who participated.

“The practice that the program provides, and the opportunity to ‘read along’ with a proficient reader, gives them the chance to build their confidence and their skills,” said Eiffe.

St. Leo the Great Church sponsored 17 of the 52 students in this summer’s program.

“Thanks to the generosity of St. Leo parish, we are able to offer scholarships to children who can really benefit from the program, but would not be able to afford the tuition,” said Hodgson.

Helping students to improve is what drives the teachers involved.

“What means the most to us is seeing the glow in a child’s eyes when he or she first experiences reading success,” said Hurley.

“During one of our sessions, a rising eighth-grader brought his mom who spoke no English into our lab to watch him work and see the progress he was making,” said Hurley. “When we saw the pride on her face and his — well, that made our whole summer worthwhile.”

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about St. Leo the Great School or any of the 18 Catholic schools of the Diocese of Charlotte, go online to www.charlottediocese. org/catholicschools.html.

CHARLOTTE — The Honorable Robert Daniel Potter, senior U.S. district judge for the Western District of North Carolina, died July 2 at Carolinas Medical Center following a brief illness.

He was 86.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Patrick Cathedral July 7.

Internment followed at Belmont Abbey cemetery in Belmont.

While Potter, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, was a judge known for stern lectures and long sentences, friends and colleagues remember him as a man of deep humility, integrity, courage and commitment to his family.

He was born April 4, 1923 in Wilmington. Following service as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1944 through 1946, he graduated from Duke University in 1947 and then Duke University Law School.

In 1950 he began practicing law in Charlotte and, five years later, opened a law office as a sole practitioner until he became a judge in 1981.

In 1966, he ran and was elected to the Mecklenburg County Commission; he served until 1968. Upon the recommendation of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, in 1981 President Ronald Regan appointed Potter as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of North Carolina.

He later served for many years as

Judge Robert D. Potter Chief United States District Court Judge — the first Catholic to hold that office in North Carolina in the past century. He served until Dec. 31, 2000.

Among his celebrated cases were the 1989 sentencing of PTL evangelist Jim Bakker and his controversial 1999 ruling that stopped race-based school assignments in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Potter was active in public life and served as a board member of Mercy Hospital and Christendom College in Virginia. He was a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

He received many honors and awards. In 1982 Pope John Paul II conferred upon him the Benedictine Medal for distinguished Christian service. He received the Pro Deo et Patria Medal from Christendom College in 1990 and was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Sacred Heart College in Belmont.

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July 17, 2009

respect life

Bishops criticize NIH funding rules for embryonic stem cell research STEM CELLS, from page 1

research issued by the National Institutes of Health.

In a joint statement issued July 10, Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh said they joined Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia in deploring the “unethical guidelines” adopted by NIH “Embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of a human embryo, a human life,” said the bishops’ statement.

“These guidelines permit the death of human life in order to pursue unpromising research in the hope of curing genetic defects and other serious infirmities.”

In a statement issued July 7, Cardinal Rigali said the final guidelines are “even

broader” than the draft guidelines issued by NIH and he asked Americans to contact their members of Congress, “urging them not to codify or further expand this unethical policy.”

The cardinal also criticized NIH for ignoring “the comments of tens of thousands of Americans opposing the destruction of innocent human life for stem cell research.”

“Even comments filed by the Catholic bishops’ conference and others against specific abuses in the draft guidelines were not addressed,” he added. “Existing federal law against funding research in which human embryos are harmed or destroyed is not given due respect here.”

In a telephone briefing with the media July 6, the day before the final guidelines took effect, NIH acting director Dr. Raynard Kington said 30,000 of the approximately 49,000 comments

received by NIH during a monthlong period of public comment opposed any federal funding of such research.

But those responses were “deemed not responsive to the question put forth,” Kington said. “We did not ask them whether” to fund such research, “but how it should be funded.”

Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said it was “disingenuous (for Kington) to say that comments criticizing the guidelines overall were to be ignored.”

The 30,000 individuals or organizations that made comments in opposition to federal funding of embryonic stem cell research were saying, “You’re not responding to what the American people want. Start over,” Doerflinger added.

Guidelines glance NIH’s final guidelines are not significantly different from the draft guidelines published April 23 and open for public comment until May 26.

The Catholic News & Herald 13

The draft guidelines allowed the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research only on embryos created for reproductive purposes at in vitro fertilization clinics and no longer needed for that purpose.

They set standards for voluntary informed consent by those donating the embryos, and said no NIH funds would be given for research that did not meet the standards.

The final guidelines, however, set up an “alternative pathway” for approval of funding of research involving embryos donated before the new guidelines took effect or involving stem cell lines developed in foreign countries.

A working group made up of about 10 scientists and ethicists will look at each such application on a case-by-case basis, Kington said, to determine whether it meets “the core principles of voluntary informed consent.”

Like the draft, the final guidelines specifically ban funding for “research using human embryonic stem cells derived from other sources, including s o m a t i c c e l l n u c l e a r t r a n s f e r, parthenogenesis and/or IVF embryos created for research purposes.”

Also prohibited is funding of research in which stem cells “are introduced into nonhuman primate blastocysts” or research “involving the breeding of animals where the introduction of human embryonic stem cells or human-induced pluripotent stem cells may contribute to the germ line.”

The final guidelines also call for the establishment of “a new registry listing human embryonic stem cells eligible for NIH-funded research.”

Contacting Congress Cardinal Rigali said the debate over embryonic stem cell research “now shifts to Congress, where some members have said even this policy does not go far enough in treating some human beings as objects to be created, manipulated and destroyed for others’ use.”

“I hope Americans concerned about this issue will write to their elected representatives, urging them not to codify or further expand this unethical policy,” he added.

The N.C. bishops’ statement also called for Catholics in North Carolina to contact their elected representatives to “urge them to support only legislation that will fund adult stem cell research.”

“Adult stem cell research ... has shown tremendous promise in the race to cure genetic defects and serious infirmities,” said the bishops. “This research, which respects both science and ethics, should be the place where we target our federal tax dollars.”

The bishops said it was “imperative that Catholics make their legislators aware that we take our obligation seriously to participate in the development of public policy ... and will continue to press for policies that are scientifically promising and ethical.”

Contributing to this story was Nancy Frazier O’Brien of Catholic News Service.

WANT MORE INFO? To c o n t a c t y o u r C o n g r e s s i o n a l representatives regarding NIH funding, visit www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign.

July 17, 2009

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Charity is more than donations, love is more than an emotion The pope’s vision of a new economic future In a way it is unfair to criticize the presentation and reception of an encyclical that seemingly states the obvious to a world always looking for a new angle and instant solution.

“Pope calls for ethics in economy” headlines stir the same excitement as “NASA supports law of gravity.”

In “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), Pope Benedict XVI incorporates and builds upon the teaching and philosophy developed over 2,000 years.

As such, it cannot be placed on the same plane as a political platform or a new plan for the world economy.

It is a global, philosophical view of a world, and it risks being undervalued by the confusion of media messengers attempting to understand it as a political document.

A New York Times reporter wrote: “In many ways, the document is a somewhat puzzling cross between an anti-globalization tract and a government white paper, another indication that the Vatican does not comfortably fit into traditional political categories of right and left.”

Indeed, it does not fit, nor is it trying to. This is not the First World talking to the Third World by pitying the poor or the Third World talking to the First World by chastising the well-to-do. It is written by a pastor with a universal view.

He sees “the prospect of a world in need of profound cultural renewal, a world that needs to rediscover fundamental values on which to build a better future.”

Pope Benedict says much more than “be less greedy and give money to the poor.” Charity is not donations. Love is not an emotion.

Charity is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity, says the encyclical. Love is an extraordinary force that leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace.

Charity is at the heart of the church’s social doctrine.

Charity needs to be understood in the light of truth, Pope Benedict said: “This is a matter of no small account today in a social and cultural context which

Consider This STEPHEN KENT cns columnist

relativizes truth, often paying little heed to it and showing increasing reluctance to acknowledge its existence.”

He makes a rather different appeal to self-interest in saying charity is not only moral, it is profitable. Development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means for creating wealth for all, he said.

When the pope speaks of development, he is not speaking of a new shopping mall or attracting industry to a city.

Development “depends on recognition that the human race is a single family working together in true communion, not simply a group of individuals who live side by side,” he said.

His remarks about greater international control of economic affairs will be a hard sell in the United States, but at the same time valuable in helping people realize that a pope is not the chaplain of the chamber of commerce.

The world audience has changed since the last encyclicals on economic matters. Now when the pope speaks of economic reform to people more affected by the current global crisis he should find a more receptive audience.

The encyclical is not a dry document meant for theologians and scholars. As with all encyclicals, it is meant for “all people of good will.” Pope Benedict, a writer of grace and clarity, provides a valuable resource to help understand, to see and to judge current events through the light of faith.

“Caritas in Veritate” will reward the reflective reader by providing a solid understanding of how the difficulties of the present time become, as Pope Benedict says, “an opportunity for discernment in which to shape a new vision for the future.”

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It’s only money As Christians, our hope is in Christ, not materialistic things It’s only money.

In tough economic times, it is important to remember that.

A few weeks ago we had a terrible spate of murders and suicides in our area, all of them thought to be related to the recent economic meltdown.

In one terrible case a man killed his wife and three children and then took his own life. He was apparently $460,000 in debt, half of it on credit cards. He had been a good Catholic, worker and father.

He just gave up.

Across the Potomac River from me, the acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, the huge governmentbacked mortgage company, took his own life at age 41. He had worked for Freddie Mac for 16 years, his entire professional career.

He had watched the company melt down. He had become the acting CFO only a few months before. Under huge stress, he tried to resign. His boss was concerned and told him to take a few days off and think it over.

He went home and reportedly hung himself in the basement.

Just to the north of me in Baltimore, a lawyer from Long Island, who was visiting his daughter, a sophomore at Loyola College, killed his wife and two daughters and then himself at a suburban hotel. The housekeeping staff made the terrible discovery.

Evidently the lawyer had run some kind of investment fund. It had gone bankrupt. One friend of his had invested $500,000. The friend needed the money immediately.

In despair and shame the lawyer annihilated himself and his family.

These men despaired. Why? In God’s great mercy, I’m sure they are forgiven. God knew their clouded thinking. God knew the dark curtain of despair that had come over them.

But these poor men were wrong.

We have to remember that money is only money. It is not the measure of our worth. It is not our true security. It is not our ultimate salvation.

For men especially, so much of our identity is tied up in our ability to provide for our families. Our self-worth comes

Parish Diary FATHER PETER DALY cns columnist

from our work. Failure as a provider and a worker seems like failure as a father, husband and person.

But it isn’t. We need the resignation of Job: “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

We need the acceptance of the father of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel. So, the money was gone, but the boy is alive.

Kill the fatted calf and let’s rejoice.

Money is important in consumer culture. It gives us security. It gives us dignity. And work gives us joy because we feel productive.

But when it all collapses, it is not the end.

If these men had confided in their wives and children, I’m sure each would have said, “It’s OK, Dad, we can start over. So long as we have each other, we will survive and thrive.”

If only they had called their pastors.

In the last few months, I have dealt with three different families facing financial ruin and foreclosure. What did I try to get across to them?

Do not despair.

You are more than your bank account.

You are more than your house.

You are more than your credit rating.

As Christians, our hope is not in the things of this world. Our hope is in Christ. That is more than a theological proposition. It is the bedrock on which we build our lives.

See the lilies of the field. See the birds of the air. Are you not worth more than these?!

Work and security are important. But money is only money.

July 17, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Free yourself from needless guilt

Joy cannot be attained until we remove heresies from life, church The fullness of joy the Lord wants you to have cannot be attained until you free yourself from the many heresies that have crept into the church from the earliest days. Seeing them for what they are can help you to be free of needless guilt and fear.

For centuries, the fear of eternal damnation, even for petty offenses, was taught in the name of religion. George Carlin, the late comedian, abandoned his faith because he saw the absurdity of believing in a God who would send you to hell for all eternity for eating meat on Friday.

Many Catholics left the church for the same reason. Winning them back will take a massive re-education process.

The church was poisoned by heresies over the centuries. The better you understand these errors, the better you will be able to cope with the problem of needless guilt.

For instance, the Manicheans explained the existence of evil by teaching that there are two gods: the good god, who created the spirit world; and a bad god, who created the material world.

They saw the material world, including the body, as evil, and the soul as good.

As a result, many came to the conclusion that we have a better chance

of saving our souls if we run away from the world to keep it from corrupting us. Thus the early desert fathers were considered the holiest of Catholics.

The truth is that the holiest Catholic is the one who is most loving and kind.

St. Irenaeus (c. 130-200), bishop of Lyon, France, was the first great Catholic theologian. He encouraged people to be more loving to one another in order to purify the world.

St. Augustine (c. 354-430), bishop of Hippo, was actually a Manichean in his youth. Later he became a Catholic and then a bishop. He taught that there is only one God, and everything he created, both soul and body, is good.

St. Benedict (c. 480-550) started out as a hermit, moving away from the world, but when a community gradually built up around him, he started a monastery. Group living became a means of promoting social order.

Pope St. Gregory the Great (c. 540-604) became an ardent promoter of Benedictine monasticism. He urged people to live together in joy and holiness.

Centuries later, the Manichean plague reappeared in the form of Albigensianism. This heretical sect, named from the city of Albi where it

How to include the church in plans you already have Simple steps now can benefit many in the long term Most of us own life insurance policies and invest in retirement plans in an effort to protect our families’ financial security. We all want to provide future support for our loved ones as well as provide income during retirement.

Perhaps you also have thought about how your plans can allow you to support your parish, or a Catholic school or agency, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocesan foundation.

Giving through life insurance Making a gift through life insurance is relatively simple and easy. Here are two examples of how this can work.

1) You can continue to provide for family members and other beneficiaries and, at the same time, designate a Catholic organization to receive part or all of the policy proceeds.

2) You can gift a life insurance policy you no longer need to the church. An example of this would be a policy originally purchased for a child’s education.

When you make a charitable gift to the church through life insurance, possible tax savings may also be an added benefit of your gift.

Giving through retirement plans Retirement plans — including IRAs, Keough plans, SEPs and 401(k) plans — also may be used to make charitable gifts. If you are over age 59 and a half and can make unpenalized withdrawals from your IRA or other qualified retirement plan, you may choose to give that money to a Catholic organization.

While the withdrawal will be subject to tax, the gift qualifies for a charitable income tax deduction for those who itemize deductions. The result is that the usual tax on withdrawal is avoided.

You can also make charitable gifts through retirement plans when you no longer need the funds.

For example, consider naming a Catholic organization as the second or third beneficiary after providing for your spouse, children or other loved ones. This ensures

Spirituality for Today FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

began, spread throughout Europe from the 11th century to the 14th century.

Its followers were also referred to as the “Cathari.” For them, enjoying food was a sin, so too was the enjoyment of sex, even in marriage.

St. Dominic (c. 1170-1221) reacted to these errors, and founded an order of friars to preach against them. St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) carried on after him with the aim of winning back lapsed Catholics.

Cornelius Jansen (c. 1585-1638) preached a theology of pessimism, which eventually infected America like a plague. Pope Innocent X (1574-1655) condemned the errors of Jansen, whose severity in matters of sexuality and ecclesiastical discipline led to so much emotional pain.

Cardinal John Newman (c. 18011890) also preached against this heresy.

He encouraged Christians to trust in God’s love as a way of freeing themselves from needless fear and guilt.

In John 15:11, Jesus said, “I have told you this so that ... your joy may be complete.” You would be wise to take the Lord at his word.

Legacy Notes JUDY SMITH guest columnist

that your surviving loved ones are taken care of first and charitable distributions will be made only after the primary beneficiary no longer needs the funds.

Take the next step It is easy to name your parish, a Catholic school or agency, the Diocese of Charlotte or the diocesan foundation through your life insurance or retirement plans.

It could be as simple as contacting your insurance representative or the administrator of your retirement account and completing a change of beneficiary form.

Just remember that everyone’s needs are different so it is important to consult your professional advisor to review your plan.

Judy Smith is planned giving director for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact her at (704)370-3320 or jmsmith@ charlottediocese.org.

Moderation in all things The Human Side FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

It was the worst train accident in the history of Washington’s subway system!

A train traveling at top speed crashed into a standing train, leaving a lot of dead and seriously injured people.

“I’ll bet the conductor was text messaging,” several people remarked to me. “You see it everywhere; people start up their cars and immediately dial up someone. These are nothing but selfish people.”

Even though text messaging was not the cause, jumping to the conclusion that it was reveals a growing backlash against people text messaging and speaking on cell phones while driving.

Without a doubt, the latest technological advances in communication are creating addictions. Most of the addicted would argue it is important to stay in contact with others, especially family members.

They contend a family that communicates with each other frequently stays together. Others would argue it makes business transactions easier.

The problem as I see it is not selfish, inconsiderate people. Rather, it is not knowing how to prudently cope with the new age of modern technology. It is failing to include one crucial element: moderation.

Samuel Butler, a British writer, once said, “Half the vices which the world condemns most loudly have seeds of good in them and require moderate use rather than total abstinence.”

The word “moderate” means to regulate and apply rules. In the case of new communication technologies, there is no need to do away with cell phones.

Rather, what is needed are new rules.

What are these rules?

An old Maltese proverb tells us: “Better one word less than one too many.” In other words, owning a cell phone doesn’t imply you have to talk on it incessantly.

Henry Kissinger once said, “Moderation is a virtue only in those who are thought to have an alternative.” In other words, is there a better alternative to constant phone communication that just might allow us to smell the flowers and better enjoy contemplation?

A Tibetan proverb cautions us: “Even the nibbling rabbit can gorge itself to death.” In other words, how easy it is to multiply phone calls and overload the senses to our detriment.

A Tamil proverb warns: “If in excess, even nectar is poison.”

It goes without saying that we have entered a new age requiring new rules to avoid immoderation that leads to self-destruction.

July 17, 2009

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