Sept. 11, 2009

September 11, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Learning from St. Francis de Sales; Catholic points in healthcare reform; leaving behind material things

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI september 11, 2009

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

Living Reason to celebrate proof Woman’s tale of faith, prayer and survival by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Immaculée Ilibagiza is living proof of the power of prayer.

A survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, she lived for 91 days in a cramped bathroom with seven other women.

Ilibagiza, a Catholic, said it was prayer that gave her the strength to persevere while men with machetes ravaged the village around the women and even searched for them in the home where they were in hiding.

She will share her story of faith and survival at the See SURVIVAL, page 5

vOLUME 18

Priests honored at Jubilee Mass by

Keeping the Faith

Grassroots movement measures, enhances active parishioner base by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

photo by

Heather Bellemore

Participants in a Living Your Strengths small group open their meeting in prayer at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte Sept.10. Small groups like this one serve as a social gathering with the purpose of helping parishioners connect to their parish community and learn more about their individual strengths.

CHARLOTTE – How connected do you feel to your parish?

If you have ever wondered if there is more to life as a registered Catholic than regular tithing, attending Sunday Mass, and logging service hours, then

you are not alone.

Eleven parishes across the Charlotte diocese have dipped their toes in a study developed by the Gallup Organization to measure that intangible thing called faith and form action plans to strengthen community bonds.

See STRENGTHS, page 7

Culture Watch

Around the diocese

Reviving the rhythm in Bangladesh; film on St. Augustine

Bishop blesses church cemetery and columbarium; new pastor at Holy Cross Church

| Pages 10-11

| Page 8

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Nine priests celebrating jubilee anniversaries were recognized during a Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Sept. 8.

The jubilees, or special anniversaries, mark 25-, 50-, 55- and 60-year milestones of service to the priesthood.

Celebrating 60 years are Father Charles Reese and Benedictine Father Matthew McSorley; 50 years is Father Gabriel Meehan; and 25 years are Conventional Franciscan Father Jude DeAngelo, Father Peter Fitzgibbons, Father Paul Gary, Father Thomas Kessler, Father Philip Kollithanath and Father John Tuller.

“Our parishioners look for their priests to be authentic witnesses of Christ,” said Bishop Jugis during his homily.

Photo by Katie Moore

Bishop Peter J. Jugis, jubilarians and concelebrating priests are pictured during the eucharistic prayer at the Jubilee Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Sept. 8.

no. 38

See JUBILEE, page 9

Advocacy applied beyond annulments Deacon candidates, wives to study advocacy throughout parish life by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

CHARLOTTE – How does advocacy, the process of developing a case for a marriage annulment in the Catholic Church, relate to the See ADVOCACY, page 12

13 days until the

Eucharistic Congress September 25 & 26

www.goEucharist.com See back page.

September 11, 2009

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

US bishops impressed with AIDS work in southern Africa Delegation arranges funding for relief projects

Papal Plaudits

PRETORIA, South Africa (CNS) – Members of a U.S. Catholic bishops’ delegation visiting southern Africa said they were impressed with the church-run programs that treat and care for AIDS orphans and those infected with HIV. Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City said he was particularly “touched by the number of volunteers” involved in the efforts, noting that they “make it possible to get the services to the people” who need them.

The bishop was part of a U.S. bishops’ delegation visiting southern Africa Aug. 26-Sept. 6. Participants visited Zimbabwe Aug. 26-28, then traveled to South Africa, where most remained until Sept. 6.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington who joined the delegation Aug. 31, and several others traveled to the landlocked kingdom

Diocesan planner CNS photo, courtesy Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sister Sharon Holland, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, displays the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross in Monroe, Mich., July 13. She received the medal from Slovenian Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, at the Vatican June 26.

US nun receives papal honor for Vatican congregation work MONROE, Mich. (CNS) – A Michigan nun who before her retirement in June was one of the highest-ranking women at the Vatican has received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross, a papal honor recognizing her outstanding service to the church.

Sister Sharon Holland, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is a canon lawyer who was one of the first women to become a “capo d’ufficio,” or section chief, at a major Vatican agency.

She spent 21 years as a section chief at the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. In that role, Sister Sharon responded to questions on governance from congregations of religious from all over the world.

Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect of the congregation, presented Sister Sharon with the papal honor June 26. Upon her retirement she returned to her congregation in Monroe.

In a July 14 statement, Sister Sharon described her ministry at the Vatican as “a wonderful experience in terms of being exposed to the universal church.”

Although she didn’t expect any kind of honor, she said receiving the medal

“was a very positive sign of my work having been appreciated.”

In a March 2007 interview with Catholic News Service in Rome, Sister Sharon said she had seen an increase in the number of women working at the Vatican, “and I think it would be safe to say there’s an increase in the level of work they’re doing.”

Women officials are more directly involved in laying the groundwork for decisions by higher-ups, she said.

“None of us make the decisions finally, but the better they’re prepared, the more likely they are to move forward,” she said.

In April of this year, the Catholic Health Association honored her with a bronze statuette and a board resolution calling her “a champion of American religious congregations and their ministries” throughout her time in Rome.

In 2007 she was awarded the International Medal from Vincentianrun St. John’s University in Jamaica, N.Y. In the citation for the award, presented in Rome where the university has a campus, St. John’s called Sister Sharon one of the world’s leading canon lawyers and said she “models what is best about religious life.”

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

of Swaziland and saw households where orphaned teenagers are raising their younger siblings.They also visited St. Philip’s Hostel for AIDS orphans.

“It was wonderful to see the courage of these children, and I am grateful that people in the U.S. have a role to play in helping them,” he said, noting that this help “is a great blessing for everyone.”

Swaziland has the world’s highest HIV-positive rate.

Members of the delegation met with staff at the U.S. Embassy to Swaziland in Mbabane in an effort to arrange for U.S. government funding for church-run HIV and AIDS projects. The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, provides extensive funds for the AIDS projects run by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which includes the bishops of Swaziland, South Africa and Botswana. at 6:30 p.m., speaker will start around 7 p.m. The next session will be Sept. 17 on the topic “Finding Meaning in Your Work” presented by Deacon Mark King. For event details, visit www.meetup. com/youngadultlife or e-mail st.matthews.yal@ gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — A Blood Give-In will be held at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., in the Parish Center Family Room Sept.

20 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sign ups will be in the Narthex the weekends of Sept. 5-6 and Sept. 1213. Walk-ins will be accepted as time permits.

CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians invites women of the diocese to join them in celebrating their Irish-Catholic heritage. The next meeting will be at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554-0720 or e-mail www. nclaoh.com.

CHARLOTTE — The Fall 2009 Kick-off vigil for the 40 Days for Life will be held at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. 40 Days for Life is a nationwide, pro-life campaign seeking to end abortion through prayer and fasting, community outreach and a peaceful vigil outside of a local abortion facility. The campaign runs Sept.

23 through Nov. 1 and will be held outside of “A Preferred Women’s Health Center,” 3220 Latrobe Dr., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, contact Brian or Angela Williams at (704) 8477311 or email angiegirl67@yahoo.com.

CHARLOTTE — An Ignatian Retreat for Young Adults in their 20s and 30s will be held in Biss Hall at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Consider setting aside some personal time for a morning that will help you develop tools of reflection for living in the present for the sake of tomorrow. The retreat will be followed by Mass. Parking is free in The Green parking garage next door to the church.

To register, call St. the church office at (704) 332-2901 or e-mail yamretreat@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — A Post Abortion Support Group using exercises of St. Ignatius will be starting at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. This is a 31-week program which follows the Liturgical calendar. The exercises will consist of meeting once per week in addition to being assigned daily scriptural meditations. The group will meet on Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m. in Room NLC 204, starting Sept. 23 and running through April 28. For more information, contact Christy at (704) 293-6602 or Andrea at (704) 996-4597. Confidentiality assured.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Young Adult Life presents Theology on Tap, a speaker series for Catholics in their 20s and 30s. The series will take place once a month from August through November at Harper’s Restaurant, 11059 Carolina Place Pkwy. Come and mingle

CHARLOTTE - Anyone interested in learning more about the Secular Franciscan Order and how to become a part of this group is invited to attend an informational meeting at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd. There will be concurrent sessions in English and Spanish on Sunday, Oct.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE

september 11, 2009 Volume 18 • Number 38

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Interim Editor: Heather Bellemore 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.

September 11, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Catholic parish joins Muslim students to help after Indonesian quake We must help the people, priest says TA S I K M A L AYA , I n d o n e s i a (CNS) – A Catholic parish in the predominantly Muslim Indonesian province of West Java is working to provide emergency aid to victims of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Sept. 2.

Humanitarian aid is not being adequately distributed to victims “so we must help the people” who have not been reached, Father Albertus Nugroho, a priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Tasikmalaya, told the Asian church news agency UCA News.

Parish leaders, representatives of the Indonesian bishops’ charitable agency and a representative of the

Muslim Students Movement in West Java met Sept. 3 and agreed first to provide emergency aid, then to work on rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Parish leaders said they were told other parishes and the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services would send them aid to distribute.

Bishop Johannes Trilaksyanta Pujasumarta of Bandung visited quake victims in Tasikmalaya Sept. 4.

According to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency’s Web site, the quake killed at least 59 people and damaged more than 10,000 houses. More than 25,000 people were displaced from their homes.

10 at 10 am. For more information, contact David Romero at (704) 877-5505.

CLEMMONS — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Thursday in the Curlin Center of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information contact Carole at pinmoney@bellsouth.net.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. for an hour of prayer, sharing and Scripture study in the library at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. A six-week program on the Book of Daniel in conjunction with the First and Second Book of Maccabees will take place once a week Aug. 25 through Sept. 29. The program will review the history of Israel in the centuries before the Lord’s coming. For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

GREENSBORO —Free Spanish classes will be offered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., every Thursday for eight weeks beginning Sept. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Beginner and advanced classes are open to everyone and class materials are furnished. For information or to register, call Nancy at (336) 884-0522 or e-mail Dr. Kwan at Hlkwan@lexcominc.net.

HICKORY VICARIATE

MORGANTON — The Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Charlotte is hosting a diocesan-wide Grand Ultreya at Steel Creek Park/Campgrounds in Morganton, 7081 NC Hwy. 181 N., Sept. 19.

The Grand Ultreya begins at 11:30 a.m. with Mass at 12 p.m. Lunch follows. Participants are asked to bring a covered dish and a 2-liter drink; Cursillo will provide hamburgers/hotdogs. Other events include guitar music, group reunion, spiritual talks, and hiking/nature trails for children. The event ends at 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Michelle Fabrize at mfabrize@aol.com.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — The Secular Franciscans of the Fraternity of St. Clare is sponsoring a Blessing of the Animals Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730 Link Rd. All caged or leashed pets welcome. For more information, call Anne Modrow at (336) 760-1938.

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.

Learning Eastern, Western spirituality aids Christian unity, says pope Letter directed to inter-Christian symposium VATICAN CITY (CNS) – A better understanding of Western and Eastern Christian spirituality and doctrine will aid in promoting Christian unity, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Common ground in Eastern and Western spirituality “is the valuable lifeblood for a broader relationship between Catholics and Orthodox,” he said.

The pope’s remarks came in a written message to Catholic and Orthodox participants in an inter-Christian symposium Sept. 3-5 in Rome. The message, addressed to Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was released by the Vatican Sept. 3.

The pope said the symposium’s focus this year on St. Augustine in Eastern and Western traditions was important for learning more about Christian theology and spirituality in the West and East and how they developed.

While the fourth-century saint and theologian was of fundamental importance in influencing theology and culture in the West, “the reception of his thinking by orthodox theology turned out to be rather problematic,” said the pope in his written message, which was read at the symposium’s opening session.

He added that a better understanding of “the doctrinal and spiritual riches that make up the East and West’s Christian heritage becomes indispensable not only for enhancing their importance, but also for promoting a better, reciprocal appreciation among all Christians.”

The inter-Christian symposium was sponsored by the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality of Rome’s Antonianum University and the department of theology at Aristotle University in Salonika, Greece. The symposiums, which began in 1992, are held alternatively in Italy and Greece.

Serra Supports Priesthood Increase

CLEMMONS — There will be a kick-off meeting for 40 Days for Life Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd. Jennifer Fogle of Salem Pregnancy Center will speak. All are invited. For more information call, Donna at (336) 940-2558.

WINSTON-SALEM — 40 Days for Life, a nationwide, pro-life campaign seeking to end abortion through prayer and fasting, community outreach and a peaceful vigil outside of a local abortion facility, will be held in Winston-Salem Sept. 23 - Nov. 1. The campaign will take place on Maplewood Ave. near Planned Parenthood from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.40daysforlife.com/ Winstonsalem.

WINSTON-SALEM —The 19th annual Life Chain of Winston-Salem will be held Oct. 4 on Hanes Mall Blvd., west of Stratford Rd. from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. For more information, call Donna at (336)-940-2558. cns photo by

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.

Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier

Father Brian Carpenter offers a blessing to his sister, Kimberly Carpenter, following his ordination Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester, N.Y., June 6. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, keynote speaker Aug. 30 at the 67th Serra International Convention in Omaha, Neb., said the lay faithful of the church have a duty to nurture vocations to the priesthood.

67th Serra international convention promotes sacramental priesthood Laypeople have duty to nurture vocations, says Archbishop Dolan

Episcopal

calendar

Sept. 13 (2:30 p.m.)

Mass for the Heritage Society St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte Sept. 16 (10 a.m.)

Back to school Mass for Home School Association St. Patrick Cathedral

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: Sept. 18 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation St. Margaret of Scotland Church, Maggie Valley Sept. 19 (5 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville

OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) -- New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, keynote speaker Aug. 30 at the 67th Serra International Convention in Omaha, said the lay faithful of the church have a duty to nurture vocations to the sacramental priesthood.

“Ordained priests have the duty to call forth the gifts of the lay faithful as they share in the role of Jesus of teaching, serving and sanctifying,” Archbishop

Dolan said. “And the lay faithful have the duty to take care of vocations to the sacramental priesthood.”

The archbishop is the episcopal adviser to the Serra Club, an international organization that promotes and fosters vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. He was one of several speakers at the convention held at Omaha’s Qwest Center Aug. 27-30 and attended by more than 500 people.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

in our schools

Learning how to lead

September 11, 2009

Perfect score

courtesy photo

New student council officers at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro were installed in a ceremony following the weekly school Mass Sept. 2. These students in fourth through eighth grades will hold office during the 2009-2010 school year.

The mission of the council is to assist in carrying out the religious, social, academic and administrative programs concerning students as well as plan social functions and raise funds for charities. Once per month, the council sponsors a casual dress day for which each student pays $1 to dress out of uniform. These funds go toward charities selected by the elected council. In addition, the council collects canned food for Urban Ministry, an ecumenical outreach agency in Greensboro that provides crisis intervention and emergency services through the basics of food, shelter, and clothing.

courtesy photo

Anthony Palillo, son of Anthony and Carol Palillo and a senior at Charlotte Catholic High School, was the only college-bound student in North Carolina and one of 84 in the U.S. and abroad to achieve a 36, the highest possible composite score, on the June 2009 national test administration of the ACT. While the number of students earning a score of 36 varies from test to test, less than one-tenth of one percent achieve the top score nationally.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. For purposes of comparison, the average composite score for the national high school graduating class of 2008 was 21.1 out of 36.

Some students also take ACT’s optional Writing Test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included in the ACT composite score.

In a letter recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Ferguson pointed out that Anthony should have a choice of the widest possible range of future educational options.

ACT scores are accepted by all U.S. colleges and universities.

The total for the 2008-2009 school year Urban Ministry donation reached more than 1,200 pounds.

Catholic cheers

courtesy photo

Participants of the Charlotte Catholic High School cheerleading camp are pictured with Jennifer Healy, CCHS dance and cheer director, and the current high school team. Most campers came from Holy Trinity Middle School and St. Matthew and St. Gabriel elementary schools.

During the camp, which was held June 15-19, future Cougars split into two sessions according to skill level and learned CCHS cheers, dance routines, and stunts. The week culminated with a performance for the little Cougars’ parents and a performance at this year’s first CCHS home football game while partnered with the CCHS team.

Healy says, “It was a wonderful way to invite our Catholic youth here to share in our programs in hopes to encourage more participation in our future cheer and dance teams.” Casey Corser, whose daughter assisted with the camp, was impressed by the involvement of the CCHS dance and cheer team members.

“These young ladies truly emulated all that we as parents hope our children will become; genuinely kind, caring, enthusiastic , and willingly sharing their time and talent!”

ALL BISHOP McGUINNESS FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF! Bishop McGuinness is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this school year and we are looking for former faculty and staff members. You are a very important part of the school’s history and we would love for you to attend some of our events and join in the celebration.

If you taught or worked at Bishop McGuinness High School please contact the school’s Advancement Office at 336-564-1009 or send an email to ps@bmhs.us to provide us with your current contact information (mailing address, phone number, email address). We look forward to hearing from you! Bishop Pride!!!

September 11, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 5

from the cover

Woman’s tale of faith, prayer and survival SURVIVAL, from page 1

Diocese of Charlotte’s fifth Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 25 and 26.

In an interview with The Catholic News & Herald, Ilibagiza talked candidly about the power of prayer in her life and the importance of forgiveness.

Overcoming fear During the first week of hiding, Ilibagiza found herself struggling with the reality of her situation. The town where she was once loved had suddenly turned against her.

Hiding in the bathroom with the other women, “I thought I would go crazy,” she said. “I was hungry, fearful, my stomach was aching.”

During the second week the killings began. People flocked to stadiums for protection. But no one was safe.

“They were going home by home,” said Ilibagiza, “They threw hand grenades

have to let it go, I have to forgive, I have to understand.”

“Anytime I prayed I felt so strong, but the moment I let go the fear would become overwhelming.”

— Immaculée Ilibagiza into the stadiums.”

They came to the house where she was hiding and searched for two hours.

It was then that she truly began to rely on God. “When I realized that God was listening in our hearts, I started to pray every second of the time I was in the bathroom,” Ilibagiza said. “I prayed the rosary over and over and over and over.”

“Prayer was everything to me,” she added.

At first, prayer was a way of keeping her mind off of the fear.

Courtesy photo

Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, will speak at the Diocese of Charlotte’s fifth Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 25 and 26.

“Prayer, in that way, was like food — food and water to drink,” she said.

Gradually, she took her prayers deeper by meditating on the words. She began to not only say the words, but to really think about what she was saying.

“For every mystery I went back to the Bible and read,” said Ilibagiza.

“Anytime I prayed I felt so strong, but the moment I let go the fear would become overwhelming,” she said.

Ilibagiza estimates that during the 91 days she was in hiding she prayed approximately 27 rosaries a day.

Sometime she struggled with the words of the prayers.

“When you are praying the rosary, you must repeat those words, ‘forgive us as we forgive,’” said Ilibagiza. “At one point I stopped saying that part of the prayer.”

But then she understood, “These are Gods words. You can’t change them, you can’t edit them. That’s when I realized I

A new beginning In 1998, Ilibagiza immigrated to the United States. While working for the United Nations she was encouraged by co-workers and friends to write down her story.

That effort became “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.”

“When I was writing this book, everything was against me,” she said.“I had never met an author of a book before I wrote the book. I met the publisher three days after I finished.”

Today Ilibagiza travels the world spreading her message of peace, faith and forgiveness.

She uses her speaking engagements as opportunities to talk about the power of prayer, even when she is speaking at nonreligious events.

“When I am given a chance to talk to people who don’t believe in God,” she said, “I try to teach them about the rosary.”

“God has so many ways of using his people,” said Ilibagiza. “We can only wish that a little drop of his Word can come through.”

When she speaks at the upcoming Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte, Ilibagiza said she hopes to share a message of forgiveness.

“I want people to know that our healing is from God,” she said. “I have gone through it, I have seen his hand.”

“I want to remind the people, no matter how bad it is to hold on to God,” said Ilibagiza. “There will be betrayals, there will be injustice, there will be all kinds of evil, but if you hold onto God and Our Lady and Jesus, they will walk with you.”

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

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenges Maryland priest to ‘throwdown’ In other Eucharistic Congress related news, Father Leo Patalinghug was featured on an episode of “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay” which aired on the Food Network Sept.

9. In the episode, celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenged Father Patalinghug to a fajita cooking contest June 8 in Emmitsburg, Md. The priest’s “Grace Before Meals” movement is gaining in popularity with families, Catholics and foodies alike.

Father Patalinghug will speak at the Diocese of Charlotte’s fifth Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 26.

CNS photo/courtesy Grace Before Meals

6 The Catholic News & Herald

September 11, 2009

around the diocese

Making a difference in the lives of children

“Future Cougars” show school pride

Holy Angels receives “Good For Kids” award

St. Gabriel School families support CCHS

by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

ASHEVILLE – A local Catholic non-profit organization was recognized recently by the North Carolina Pediatric Society for its work in improving the health of children.

Holy Angels in Belmont was awarded the “Good for Kids” award at a luncheon in Asheville, Aug. 22. Over 200 North Carolina pediatricians were in attendance as Regina Moody, President/CEO and Dr. Ellis Fisher, Holy Angels Medical Director, accepted the recognition.

The award is given each year to recognize organizations that provide services to make a difference in the lives of children.

“We consider it essential to acknowledge and recognize the work of everyone who contributes to improved health outcomes for children and youth,” said Steve Shore, executive director of the NC Pediatric Society.

Members of the award selection committee not only looked at the innovative and unique services that Holy Angels has provided for children with special needs but also the long history spanning over 50 years.

In the mid-1990s, the NC Pediatric Society established the “Good For Kids” award to recognize collaborative partners who are essential to helping pediatricians accomplish their work to improve the lives of children.

It is given to an individual or organization that exemplifies the mission of the American Academy of Pediatrics: ‘dedicated to the health of all children.’

When asked about the recognition, Dr. Fisher stated, “It is a privilege for me to work with the staff of Holy Angels, where the focus is always about the children who live there and their special needs.”

Dr. Docia Hickey, a neonatologist at Carolinas Medical Center and Holy Angels board member, nominated Holy Angels for this award.

Dr. Hickey is very aware of the difference Holy Angels continues to make in the lives of young children who are medically fragile, especially infants with very special needs.

Founded in the 1930’s, the North Carolina Pediatric Society met primarily to get pediatric practitioners together for continuing education and fellowship.

Today, it has expanded its mission to include the formation of policy to promote the health, safety, and well being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults in North Carolina.

Holy Angels was founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy. The private, nonprofit corporation located in Belmont provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with varying degrees of mental retardation and physical disabilities, some of whom are medically fragile.

Programs include the Morrow Center, four Community Group Homes, five ICF/ MR group homes (Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded), Little Angels Child Development Center, Great Adventures, Camp Hope and Cherubs Café & Candy Bouquets in downtown Belmont.

Angels in Waiting

Courtesy photo by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

St. Gabriel School students showed their support for Charlotte Catholic High School during the PTO-organized tailgate party in front of a large sign that read “St. Gabriel loves CCHS” and was signed by the students. More than 500 attendees cheered Charlotte Catholic High School coach Jim Oddo and his team during a game against Providence High School Aug. 28.

Coach Oddo did not disappoint as he led the team to his 300th victory in a threeovertime game. The final score was 48-47.

“The family tailgate was a wonderful gathering complete with food and fun for everyone,” said St. Gabriel School parent Virginia White. “The kids loved showing their spirit by wearing red “Future Cougar” t-shirts and painting their faces with cougar paw prints.”

Following his momentous win, Coach Oddo was named head coach for the 2009 Shrine Bowl.

Courtesy photo

Herb Clegg, II, Past President of the North Carolina Pediatric Society (NCPS); Marian F. Earls, President of the NCPS; Regina Moody, Holy Angels president/CEO & Ellis Fisher, Holy Angels medical director (from left to right) bear broad smiles as they hold the “Good For Kids” award for Holy Angels in Asheville Aug. 22. The NC Pediatric Society awards “Good For Kids” annually to recognize those organizations that provide services to make a difference in the lives of children.

September 11, 2009

From the Cover

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Grassroots movement measures, enhances active parishioner base STRENGTHS, from page 1

photos by

Heather Bellemore

Parishioners and leaders are busy increasing engagement at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte Sept. 10.

(Pictured above) Participants in a Living Your Strengths small group discuss engagement. (Pictured below left) Parish leadership prepares engagement parish expectation statements for parishioners to sign during Sunday Masses. (Pictured below right) Janet LeClair, head of the leadership development committee for St. Matthew Church and Don Garby, chair of the engagement commission for St. Matthew, strategize during the leadership summit planning session.

What is the study?

Rosemary Keely, Living Your Strengths (LYS) coordinator for St. Mark parish in Huntersville, describes engagement as the umbrella and LYS groups as one spoke. LYS was developed by the Gallup organization in the form of a guidebook intended to help readers identify God-given strengths and use them to enhance engagement.

Keely said LYS programs are about “personal, person to person connections.”

Meredith Ellisor, LYS facilitator for St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, agrees.

“It has such practical applications for faith involvement, and moreover, it is a wonderful way to meet people.”

The Gallup Organization, a group known for expertise in public opinion polling since 1958, chose the term ‘engagement’ to describe the degree of belonging individuals feel to their church.

In the fall of 2001, the Gallup Faith Poll and Congregational Engagement Index was launched. In 2002, St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. pioneered the application of survey results to improve engagement.

“I’ve been in corporate America thirty years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Bill Conwell, engagement committee co-chair at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. “The beauty is that it is truly a grassroots movement to better connect individuals to the church.”

Conwell said new partnerships are forming across parishes in the Charlotte diocese. Father Francis J. O’Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel Church remarked that he was “so impressed by Msgr.

McSweeney’s (pastor of St. Matthew Church) energized and blessed parish” that he wanted the same for St. Gabriel Church.

He adds that during a Gallup summit St. Matthew Church in May for the five dioceses of Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh, Savannah, and Atlanta, there existed a broader representation of faiths, including Protestant and Jewish.

Conwell says, “Part of the magnitude of these programs is the realization that this is an incredible outreach opportunity from an interfaith standpoint.”

Engagement in the Diocese of Charlotte St. Matthew Church is the first parish in the Diocese of Charlotte to become involved with engagement initiatives and LYS small groups.

The parish heard of the program through Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHOM) parish in Cincinnati, whose pastor spoke at St. Matthew Church.

“We found out about it accidentally, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, there are really no accidents,” said Don Garby, chair of the engagement commission at St. Matthew Church, who added they saw the program when looking at the IHOM website. “IHOM was one of the earliest parishes to adopt the engagement concept. We visited them and that got us started.”

In December 2007, St. Matthew Church conducted a congregational engagement survey. The parish plans to conduct a follow-up survey Sept. 26.

In the nearly two years that have passed, the parish has trained nine coaches to assist parishioners in deciding how to best use their strengths in the parish and counted approximately 600 parishioners and non-parishioners who have participated in a LYS small group.

In July, the church conducted LYS Level I Coach training and is currently conducting a Gallup Leadership Excellence program for two parochial vicars. St. Matthew Church is considered a Center of Excellence by the Gallup Organization for the southeast region.

How engagement works The engagement process begins with a parish evaluation survey, intended not only to determine the level of engagement parishioners feel, but clarify expectations of two groups, church leadership and church members.

The LYS process begins with an online, 30-minute questionnaire, the result of Gallup Organization research with over two million people. The questionnaire determines an individual’s top five strengths out of a pool of 35 possibilities.

Follow-up resources include small group studies and individual coaching.

Small groups provide descriptions of strengths and brainstorm applications in the church and in daily life. Coaches, trained by Gallup, provide in-depth, personalized counseling on the implementation of an individual’s top five strengths.

Spreading the word As a regional leader in the Gallup engagement and LYS programming, St. Matthew Church considers reaching out to other parishes a priority.

A traveling troupe of parishioners that St. Matthew Church has named the “Roadshow” visits parishes across Charlotte to discuss Gallup programs and help train facilitators and coaches.

Other Charlotte diocese parishes have been implementing or considering the engagement program since attendance at the May summit. They include: the Basilica of St. Lawrence of Asheville; Our Lady of the Highways of Thomasville; St. Aloysius of Hickory; St. Elizabeth of Boone; St. Gabriel of Charlotte; St. Leo the Great of Winston-Salem; St. Mark of Huntersville; St. Paul the Apostle of Greensboro; and St. Benedict and St. Pius the Tenth of Greensboro.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

September 11, 2009

around the diocese

A new shepherd Bishop installs pastor at Holy Cross Church by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

Courtesy photos

Parishioners gather in front of the columbarium wall during the blessing of the cemetery and columbarium at Holy Family Church in Clemmons Sept. 5. The cemetery’s capacity for traditional burial is 222 with 245 niches in the columbarium.

KERNERSVILLE — Parishioners of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville welcomed a new pastor, Salesian Father Paul de Chant into their parish community Sept. 2.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis presided at the Mass and ceremony.

Both Bishop Jugis and Father de Chant were further welcomed at a social gathering sponsored by the Columbiettes, Hispanic Society and Family Life held in Salesian Hall following the installation ceremony.

Father Paul de Chant succeeds Father Joseph Tustin, Holy Cross Church pastor of 11 years who has moved to a parish in Philadelphia, Pa. Originally from California, Father de Chant was previously located at St. John Neumann Church in Reston, Va. This

was not his first visit to Kernersville, however, as Father de Chant conducted a mission trip at Holy Cross Church three years ago.

It was during that mission that Holy Cross Church parishioner and Knights of Columbus member Fred Hogan met Father de Chant. Hogan described him as a “man of character, a timeless priest.”

Hogan said that Father de Chant has a black lab named Shadow who greets all parishioners after each Mass and is “a great hit with the youngsters and everyone else.”

The nearly two-hour installation was “most impressive as well as informative,” said Hogan, “especially for those who attended such a service for the first time.”

The program included the Knights of Columbus Council 8509 in full regalia.

Holy Cross Church was started as a mission in the early 1970s and has since grown to more than 1,000 families.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis performs the sprinkling rite during the blessing of the cemetery and columbarium at Holy Family Church in Clemmons Sept. 5.

A place for eternal rest

Bishop blesses cemetery and columbarium by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CLEMMONS —A new cemetery and columbarium was blessed by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at Holy Family Church in Clemmons Sept. 5.

It is the fifth Catholic cemetery to be blessed in the Diocese of Charlotte in the past two years. The capacity for traditional burial is 222 with 245 niches in the columbarium.

Construction of the cemetery and columbarium began four years ago but came to a halt in 2006 when the diocese implemented a moratorium on constructing and expanding columbaria and conducted a study on the use of columbaria and cemeteries.

In March 2007, the Diocese of Charlotte issued its new policy on cemeteries and columbaria, which states parishes may offer at one location a resting place for both the bodies and the cremated remains of the deceased.

Construction resumed in Sept. 2008 and was completed in June 2009.

The columbarium wall is located in the middle of the cemetery. The faceplates on the columbarium are granite and names will be laser engraved.

At its center, the cemetery features a bronze-colored fiberglass crucifix.

At the close of the dedication

ceremony, Father Michael Buttner, pastor, expressed his appreciation to all who made it possible for the addition of the cemetery and columbarium to the parish campus. Immediately following the ceremony, the bishop greeted parishioners at a reception in the parish Family Center.

courtesy photo

Bishop Peter Jugis smiles with Father Paul de Chant after his installation ceremony at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.

September 11, 2009

from the cover

Priests honored at Jubilee Mass JUBILEE, from page 1

It was fitting that the Jubilee Mass was celebrated on the feast day of the birth of Mary, said the bishop, because like Mary, a priest is chosen for Jesus.

Of the factors that indicate priestly happiness, a good relationship with God is followed closely by a positive relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary, added the bishop.

At the end of his homily, the bishop thanked the priests for their devotion to the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Of the nine jubilarians, four were in attendance at the Mass. The Catholic News & Herald spoke with Fathers

DeAngelo, Fitzgibbons, Gary and Kessler about their 25 years of service to the priesthood.

Conventional Franciscan Father Jude DeAngelo Father DeAngelo is currently serving as campus minister at Wake Forest University, Salem College and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

He was ordained May 26, 1984

by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard at Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Albany, N.Y. Father DeAngelo’s first pastoral assignment was at McCorristian Catholic High School in Trenton, N.J., where he taught religion from 1984 to 1990.

He came to the Diocese of Charlotte in 1998 and has been serving as campus minister at Wake Forest University, Salem College and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in

Save $100- register Now!

Winston-Salem ever since.

“I just really love being a priest,” said Father DeAngelo, who said the most important part of his ministry is the celebration of the Mass. He also enjoys the “Franciscan flavor of preaching” and the “privilege of walking with God’s people.”

His advice to seminarians and new priests is two-fold: First, “Dedicate everything you do to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That’s where your spirituality as a priest has to come from.” Second, “Listen to your people in your parishes.

They are filled with wisdom and the power of Christ.”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons Father Fitzgibbons is the pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle where he has been for the past five years. Father Fitzgibbons was ordained at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 9, 1984.

His first pastoral assignment was at the cathedral, where he served as assistant rector. During the past 25 years he has served throughout the Diocese of Charlotte and around the world as an Army chaplain.

In June 1989, Father Fitzgibbons was released from the diocese by Bishop John F. Donoghue for service in the Army.

From 1989 to 1996, he was stationed at various bases in North Carolina as well as in the Persian Gulf, Korea and the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba.

In 1996 he returned to the diocese of Charlotte. He served in the Army Reserve and was called to active duty in 2003. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2004.

The two things Father Fitzgibbons enjoys most about being a priest are celebrating Mass and administering the sacraments.

“That’s why we were ordained,” he said.

Reflecting on his time in the Diocese of Charlotte, Father Fitzgibbons spoke fondly of friendships with his brother priests.

“We have great priests here,” he said, and “I’m impressed by the younger priests.” His advice to new priests and seminarians: “A Holy Hour every day.”

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Father Paul Gary Father Gary is the pastor of St. Luke Church in Mint Hill. He was ordained by Bishop Michael J. Begley at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Feb. 11, 1984.

His first assignment was serving as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

“I’ve enjoyed everything about being a priest,” said Father Gary. “Visiting the sick, the school Masses, helping people, preaching, confession, and celebrating Mass.”

During his 25 years as a priest in the diocese one of the most notable changes Father Gary has seen is the growing number of Catholics in the area.

His advice to new priests or seminarians: “Be prayerful and love the church. Love the people of God and do your best to serve them.”

Father Thomas Kessler Father Kessler is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe. He was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown, Pa. on May 12, 1984.

Father Kessler spent the first years of his ministry in Pennsylvania. Then, in1988 he received permission to serve as a missionary priest in Bolivia.

He served in Bolivia for five years before returning to Pennsylvania.

In 1999 his bishop lent him to Diocese of Charlotte, where he was assigned to St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton for three years.

In 2002 he became incardinated as a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Throughout his 25 years as a priest, Father Kessler has served as a parish priest, missionary, high school administrator and hospital chaplain.

The thing he likes most about being a priest is the diversity.

Through the diversity of his ministerial experiences, Father Kessler said he has been blessed to witness “the goodness of God and his people.”

His advice to new priests and seminarians was two-fold: First, “Don’t be a naive realist. When it comes to the mystery of God, there are things we don’t know and you should know that.”

Second, “Know what you are doing.

The sanctity of your office as a priest is important.”

Photo by Katie Moore

Altar server Benjamin Bruck hands Bishop Jugis the censer as he prepares for the incensation of the altar at the beginning of the Jubilee Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Sept. 8.

Setember 11, 2009

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: Sept. 20, 2009

September 20, Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

BANGLADESH BEAT Sohin Mree, 90, poses with traditional Garo musical instruments in August in Tangail, Bangladesh. U.S. Holy Cross Father Eugene Homrich has employed Mree as the curator of a small museum to preserve traditional Garo musical instruments.

Cycle B Readings: 1) Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 Psalm 54:3-6, 8 2) James 3:16 to 4:3 3) Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Managing Stress, Demonstrating Compassion by

SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service

cns photo by Anjon a

Nokrek, ucan

Reviving the Rhythm

US priest in Bangladesh helps Garo tribe save musical instruments TANGAIL, Bangladesh (CNS) — The beat of traditional tribal Garo drums is being heard a little more often these days in the Mymensingh Diocese in Bangladesh.

The playing of these and other traditional instruments is undergoing a revival thanks to the efforts of American Holy Cross Father Eugene Homrich, the parish priest of St. Paul’s Church in Tangail, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News.

Father Homrich, 85, has been working in this forested tribal area of northwestern Bangladesh since 1952 and has established a small museum to preserve traditional tribal musical instruments, some of which were at risk of being lost forever.

He also has employed four elderly Garo musicians to teach young people how to play the instruments, UCA News reported.

“After having spent over 40 years with the Garo people, I found that ... they have a rich musical heritage.

So I’ve tried to be of some help” in this area, said the priest, who is known affectionately as “Achchu (Grandfather) Nokrek.”

Father Homrich started collecting and preserving instruments in 1993.

Since then, he has preserved about 300 instruments, spending almost $3,000 in the process.

He said he had to obtain many of the instruments from India.

“My friends in America and some wealthy local and foreign donors helped

me to finance the scheme,” said the priest, who speaks the Garo language and often celebrates Mass in Garo.

The museum also has a collection of traditional Garo household utensils, some of which are no longer to be found in the Garo community in Bangladesh.

Father Homrich has employed 90year-old Sohin Mree as the museum curator and as a teacher of traditional Garo music to 25 young Garo people.

“I learned to play musical instruments from my father,” said Mree, who used to be a farmer. He added that he never imagined he would become a music teacher.

Father Joyonto Raksam, an ethnic Garo, said Father Homrich “has revived interest in traditional Garo music, which is also a part of local Catholic liturgy.”

Father Raksam, the rector of St. Paul’s Seminary, said, “The Garo have hymnbooks and Mass books in their native language,” so musical instruments are important for accompanying hymns sung during Mass and other liturgical celebrations.

He also said Father Homrich’s initiative has helped reawaken cultural awareness among parish priests in the diocese. They, too, have started collecting and preserving traditional musical instruments in their own parishes, he said.

According to the Bangladesh Catholic directory, nearly 73,000 Catholics lived in the diocese in 2007. Most of the Catholics are members of the Garo tribe, reported UCA News.

When we first got our now 7-yearold cat we named him “Mischief,” and for good reason: He loved to chew things and caused frequent damage to blanket fringe, Venetian-blind cords and shoelaces when we weren’t looking. It was an irritating quirk, but one that we learned to live with by protecting our belongings from his reach.

More antagonistic cat traits eventually surfaced when we had to leave Mischief alone in the house for extended periods of time. He “retaliated” by leaving us “surprises” where we couldn’t fail to find them -- usually where we sat or walked.

For a while, it seemed as though we were at war with our cat until we recognized that his behavior was directly related to his level of separation anxiety. The hostilities between us lessened as soon

as we responded compassionately and stabilized his environment.

In some ways, people aren’t that much different from cats. Even welltrained, well-meaning folks can get cranky when exhausted or be callous toward others when anxious. Historians have written volumes about the recurrent patterns of war and bloodshed that occur when fear-based ideologies and severe levels of stress influence entire peoples to act against their common humanity.

Today’s readings illustrate but a few of a gamut of passions that are responsible for such human carnage: resentment toward those who would point out our faults, jealousy, “selfish ambition,” covetousness and lack of trust. The Gospel of Jesus provides a simple but paradoxical antidote: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Putting those words into action, Jesus carried this axiom to its ultimate conclusion when he carried his cross to Calvary.

Demonstrating compassion toward another human being can often be more challenging than showing mercy to one’s cat. The same Jesus who died and rose for all of us impassioned, conflicted people gives us both the means and the will to be servants to one another.

Questions: What human passion is most at the root of your unkindness to others?

To whom do you need to demonstrate Christ’s compassion today?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?”

(James 4:1)

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of September 6-12 Sunday (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 35:4-7, James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37; Monday, Colossians 1:24--2:3, Luke 6:6-11; Tuesday (The Nativity of Mary), Romans 8:28-30, Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23; Wednesday (St. Peter Claver), Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 6:20-26; Thursday, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 6:27-38; Friday, 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14, Luke 6:39-42; Saturday (Most Holy Name of Mary), 1 Timothy 1:15-17, Luke 6:43-49.

Scripture for the week of September 13-19 Sunday (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 50:4-9, James 2:14-18, Mark 8:27-35; Monday (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross), Numbers 21:4-9, Philippians 2:611, John 3:13-17; Tuesday (Our Lady of Sorrows), 1 Timothy 3:1-13, John 19:25-27; Wednesday (Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian), 1 Timothy 3:14-16, Luke 7:31-35; Thursday (St. Robert Bellarmine), 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Luke 7:36-50; Friday, 1 Timothy 6:2-12, Luke 8:1-3; Saturday (St. Januarius), 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Luke 8:4-15.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

September 11, 2009

Message of truth lives in film

IN THE CAMERA’S EYE

Pope praises film on St. Augustine as an authentic slice of life

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI praised a madefor-television movie dedicated to St. Augustine, saying the two-part miniseries “represents every aspect of the human life experience with all of its problems, sorrows and failures.”

Furthermore, the movie shows how “in the end truth is stronger than any obstacle,” he said Sept. 2 after viewing a shortened version of the more than threehour-long film.

“This is the great hope that it ends up with: We cannot find truth by ourselves, but the truth, which is a person (Christ), finds us,” he said.

The movie, called “St. Augustine,” was directed by the award-winning Canadian director Christian Duguay, and was co-produced by Italian, German and Polish television companies.

Promotional materials said the miniseries was one of a number of madefor-television movies being produced, which were also to focus on Roman Emperor Nero, St. Peter and Ben Hur. The pope said St. Augustine’s life seemed to end tragically because the city

of Hippo, “the world for which and in which he lived, ends and is destroyed.”

“But as it has been shown here, his message has remained and, even as the world changes, that message lives on because it is based on truth and guides charity, which is our common destiny,” he said.

The pope has often said his own thinking has been greatly inspired by the fourth-century theologian. When he was a young priest in 1953, the pope wrote his doctoral thesis on St. Augustine’s teachings, and his encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est” (“God Is Love”), owes much to the thought of this saint.

Born in North Africa, St. Augustine for many years ignored the counsel of his Christian mother and led a hedonistic lifestyle before converting and being baptized in Milan, Italy, at the age of 33.

St. Augustine’s spiritual awakening was not an overnight event but a continual process. The saint’s eyes were opened, the pope once said, by an awareness of God’s love, which is “the heart of the Gospel, the central nucleus of Christianity.”

cns photo/Reuters

A Vatican cameraman captures Pope Benedict XVI during a weekly general audience at the Vatican in August. The pope’s encyclical “Charity in Truth” clarified his view on the influences of media.

Old school, but media savvy by

RICHARD A. SOKERKA catholic news service

PATTERSON, N.J. (CNS) — There’s no doubt Pope Benedict XVI is old school when it comes to his preferred means of personal communications – his passion for reading books and writing out his documents in longhand.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t media savvy when it comes to today’s new communication tools and the power they have to serve the common good or promote immoral interests.

Toward the end of his encyclical, “Charity in Truth,” the pope included a short but firm analysis about the “increasingly pervasive presence” of modern media.

In his encyclical, the pope cautions:

“Just because social communications increase the possibilities of interconnection and the dissemination of ideas, it does not follow that they promote freedom or internationalize development and democracy for all.”

The pope also noted: • The mass media are not morally “neutral.”

• The media have a large role in shaping attitudes that requires careful reflection on their influence, especially when it comes to questions of ethics.

While the pope has affirmed new media by utilizing YouTube videos and podcasts to evangelize, he knows perfectly well the downside to modern technology and will not hesitate to voice his concerns when they are warranted.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Archival Anecdota For the month of September, here is a look back as Our Lady of the Annunciation in Albemarle, the sole Catholic parish in Stanley County, celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Annulments in context

Advocacy classes better equip deacon candidates to serve thier parishes ADVOCACY, from page 1

Archives Photo

Bishop Hafey with priests, nuns, and laity at Our Lady of Annunciation in Albemarle in 1934.

• 23 February 1933 – Diocese of Raleigh Bishop William Hafey wrote the pastor of St. James Church in Hamlet, Fr. Edward Gross, and asked him to visit Albemarle once a month believing there to be four Catholic families residing in Albemarle.

The bishop requested Fr. Gross offer Mass for them and provide religious instruction.

• 5 March 1934 – A letter to Bishop Hafey informed him that the Annunciation branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith had consented to provide money for a chapel in Albemarle. The chapel was built in memory of Bishop John J. Dunn and under the patronage of Our Lady of the Annunciation.

Bishop Dunn died in 1933 and served as Auxiliary Bishop of New York. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith raised funds to construct the church and completely furnish it.

• 20 June 1934 – Work on the church began with Belmont Abbey monk, Fr. Michael McInerney, O.S.B., as architect.

• 1 July 1934 – Fr. James A. Cowan was designated as pastor of the new Our Lady of the Annunciation parish. Bishop Hafey, also, assigned him the care of St. James in Concord. Fr. Cowan’s mother, Margaret, resided with him in the rectory.

• 2 September 1934 – Bishop William Hafe dedicated Our Lady of the Annunciation church. Rev. Arthur Quinn of New York sang the Mass and Fr. Thomas McDonnell of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith preached the sermon. A motion picture was made of the ceremony for use in Propagation of the Faith talks.

• April 1936 – A statue of the Blessed Mother arrived at Our Lady of the Annunciation to be placed over the front entrance. The statue was another gift from the Annunciation Branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

• 1940 – Fr. Cowan held the responsibility of eight Catholic missions in six different counties. The missions under the custodial care of Our Lady of the

• • •

•

• •

•

•

•

•

Annunciation were Badin, Concord, Kannapolis, Gold Hill, New London, Mt. Pleasant, Norwood, and Troy.

September 1954 – Our Lady of the Annunciation recorded 92 parishioners.

31 July 1964 – Our Lady of the Annunciation experienced growth and had 153 registered parishioners.

13 April 1966 – Due to the poor health of Fr. Cowan, Fr. (now Msgr.) Anthony Kovacic was appointed Administrator of Our Lady of the Annunciation while Fr. Cowan remained in residence at the church. Except for a brief period during 1946-1947, Fr. Cowan served Our Lady of the Annunciation since its establishment in 1934. He was their pastor for 32 years.

4 October 1967 – Bishop Vincent Waters offered Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation and blessed the newly constructed Education/Social Hall.

3 December 1968 – Fr. James A. Cowan died at the age of 80.

9 September 1969 – The parish of Albemarle registered 96 families, a total of 288 parishioners. Also, under its tutelage are 40 Catholic Students from nearby Pfeiffer College.

31 July 1971 – Constructed on the same site as the original church, Bishop Waters dedicated the new expanded Our Lady of the Annunciation church.

25 March 1984 – Bishop Michael Begley offered the Golden Jubilee Mass for Our Lady of the Annunciation church. Pastor Fr. Carl Del Giudice and other former pastors of the parish celebrated the sacred liturgy as well.

January 1988 – Bishop John F. Donoghue designated Our Lady of the Annunciation as an indulgenced church for the 1987-1988 Marian Year Celebration.

February 1990 – Our Lady of the Annunciation took over custodial care of Our Lady of the Americas mission, Biscoe. In July 2007, Our Lady of the Americas was elevated to parish status.

September 11, 2009

rest of parish life?

In September, candidates in the diaconate formation program hope to discover that. The program is introducing a new class in advocacy to prepare the deacon candidates to assist parishioners with the annulment process.

Along the way, they will discover that annulments can relate to almost every area of parish life. * Baptism: At least one godparent must be an active practicing Catholic in full communion with the Church, which means they must be in a valid marriage.

If the Catholic sponsor is divorced and remarried, an annulment is needed. * Marriage: Any previous marriage of either party, Catholic or not, requires an annulment. * RCIA: Married people who were previously divorced need an annulment of the earlier marriage to be received into the Church and admitted to the sacraments. * Liturgy: Ministers of the Church are required to be in full communion with the Church, which means they must be in a valid marriage. If they are divorced and remarried, an annulment is needed. * Ministry to the Sick: If not near death, individuals who desire anointing of the sick and who are currently married would need an annulment for any previous marriage. * Religious education: Catechists, like all ministers of the Church, are required to be in full communion with the Church and, if married, in a valid marriage.

Fresh approach Deacon candidates have long been taught the portion of the Code of Canon Law that addresses marriage.

However, the application of the canons to real life situations in Advocacy is an innovation that will better equip them to serve their parishioners after ordination.

In another innovation, the wives of the candidates have also been invited to participate in the advocacy class and to become advocates in their own right.

The diocese currently has two wives of deacons who serve as advocates.

Novice advocate Nancy Kopfle is the wife of deacon John Kopfle of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

Veteran advocate Catherine Shaw, wife of advocate and deacon Vincent Shaw, serves the St. Mary and St. Benedict parishes in Greensboro.

The Diocese currently has 14 deacons who are also advocates for 26 parishes and missions.

More about annulments The tribunal, or church court, handles

the marriage nullity process, working under a set of procedures and laws established as part of Canon Law, the universal law of the Church.

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

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

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

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

When handling the nullity process, the tribunal works under a set of procedures and laws set forth by the Code of Canon Law. The annulment process The first step for a petitioner considering a marriage case is to approach the local parish priest or pastoral assistant, who will assist the petitioner in completing a preliminary questionnaire for submission to the diocesan tribunal.

This questionnaire provides the tribunal staff an overview of the marriage.

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

The petitioner is expected to inform witnesses that they will be contacted by the tribunal, and request their prompt cooperation. Each witness is sent a questionnaire based on the grounds in the case and a cover letter explaining how to proceed. The testimony is to be given under oath, and witnesses have the option of signing the completed questionnaire before a Catholic priest or pastoral minister or before a notary public.

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

Want to serve as an advocate?

The Advocate Training Program was created in 2004 and is open to any parishioner wishing to help those seeking annulments.

An advocate for each party to an annulment is required by the Code of Canon Law. Since 2007, every parish and mission in the Diocese of Charlotte has been assigned at least one advocate.

Advocate training is offered online.

Anyone interested in becoming an advocate may contact tribunal advocate Joy Barnes at (704) 370-3343 or jmbarnes@charlottediocese.org.

September 11, 2009

A call to end wars

The Catholic News & Herald 13

in the news Outdoor audience

German pope recalls Holocaust, other ‘barbarities’ of World War II by

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VITERBO, Italy (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI said the memory of the Holocaust and other “barbarities” of World War II should lead people to press for an end to contemporary conflicts around the globe.

The world’s religions in particular have a duty to fight against violence and extremism, the pope said Sept. 6 during a visit to Viterbo, Italy. It was the second time the German pontiff had recalled the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II, which began when Germany invaded Poland Sept. 1, 1939.

The pope’s remarks came in a long-distance greeting to participants of an interreligious peace encounter in Krakow, Poland.

“We cannot help but remember the dramatic facts that provoked one of the most terrible conflicts in history, causing millions of deaths and so much suffering to the Polish people; a conflict that saw the tragedy of the Holocaust and the extermination of other groups of innocents,” the pope said.

“The memory of these events impels us to pray for the victims and for those who still bear the wounds in their bodies and their hearts. It should also be a warning against repeating these barbarities and lead us to intensify efforts to build a lasting peace in our own time, which is still

marked by conflicts,” he said.

The pope said the key to future peace was the ability to transmit to younger generations a culture and style of life that is marked by love, solidarity and respect for others.

In this sense, he said, the world’s religions must promote forgiveness and reconciliation against the “violence, racism, totalitarianism and extremism that disfigure the image of man’s Creator” and lead to attitudes of hatred and contempt.

At the Vatican earlier in the week, the pope decried the absurdity of war and called on people to embrace forgiveness, peace and reconciliation.

Speaking in Polish to pilgrims attending his general audience Sept. 2, the pope said that the “human tragedies and the absurdity of war remain in people’s memories.” The pontiff was 12 years old and lived in Bavaria, in Germany, when the war began.

“Let us ask God that the spirit of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation pervades the hearts of all people,” he said. “Europe and the world today need a spirit of communion,” which should be built upon Christ, his Gospel, charity and truth, he said.

Two days after German troops invaded Poland from the north, south and west, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. The war ended in 1945, leaving more than 60 million people dead, most of them civilians.

cns photo byCarlo Ferraro, pool via Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI walks with Bishop Lorenzo Chiarinelli of Viterbo, Italy, at La Quercia Church in Viterbo Sept. 6. The pope was on a one-day trip to Viterbo, where cardinals instituted the first papal conclave more than 700 years ago.

Emphasizing evangelization

Pope encourages strong witness of Gospel, commitment to charity by

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

cns photo by Grzegorz Kozakiewicz, Reuters

Delegates representing several religions visit Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland to pray for peace Sept. 8.

Up to 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, died in the former Nazi death camp during World War II. Among the Catholics participating in the service was Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Pope John Paul II’s former personal secretary and the current archbishop of Krakow.

Classifieds Classified ads bring results! Over 160,000 readers! More than 55,000 homes!

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.

VITERBO, Italy (CNS) – Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Italian Catholics to strengthen the witness of the Gospel in all areas of life, from personal charity to politics.

The pope made the remarks Sept.

6 during a visit to Viterbo, a city near Rome where cardinals instituted the first papal conclave more than 700 years ago.

At an outdoor Mass at a sports complex, the pope told a crowd of some 20,000 people that announcing and witnessing the faith remains a task for every era of history. It begins with the responsibility to listen to God’s word and discern his signs, he said.

“The most immediate sign of God is certainly attention to one’s neighbor,” he said. The charitable activity of the church and its members is an essential expression of faith and an important service to modern society, he said.

The pope said lay Catholics, in addition to doing volunteer and charity work, should also witness the faith in other areas, including service to political action.

“The seasons of history go by, the social contexts change, but what doesn’t change and disappear is the vocation of Christians to live the Gospel in solidarity with the human family, in

step with the times,” he said.

The pope said the desert, popular in the Bible as a place of spiritual drama and difficulty, has relevance in contemporary times.

“The most profound desert is the human heart, when it loses the capacity to listen, to speak and communicate with God and with other people. Then one becomes blind because, unable to see reality, ears are closed against those who cry for help, and the heart is hardened in indifference and selfishness,” he said.

While in Viterbo the pope visited a Marian sanctuary and met with the cloistered nuns who reside there. They prayed together to Mary for the special intention of modern families that are “divided and in crisis.”

Later the same day, he traveled to the nearby town of Bagnoregio, where he venerated the relics of St. Bonaventure, a 13th-century Franciscan theologian and a doctor of the church.

Addressing townspeople in the square outside the cathedral, the pope underlined St. Bonaventure’s incessant search for God and his ability to see and praise the beauty of creation. The saint understood God as the source of such beauty, he added.

“How useful it would be if today, too, people discover the beauty and value of the created world in the light of divine goodness and beauty!” he said.

September 11, 2009

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Are you a lapsed Catholic?

St. Francis de Sales gathers lost sheep Pretend you were a lapsed Catholic when St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) was alive. If you were, he would hunt you down like a shepherd in hot pursuit of a prized sheep.

Remember the words of Jesus, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Lk 15:7).

Well, St. Francis de Sales truly believed that.

Francis was born to a wealthy family at the castle of Sales in Savoy. He was a brilliant student who had ambitious plans for his future. He was dreaming of becoming a successful businessman.

However, in his heart there was a yearning he could not seem to quiet, so he was also struggling with the idea of becoming a priest.

Eventually God won, and Francis entered the seminary. As he deepened in faith, he realized that God had a special plan for him. After his ordination in 1593, his bishop sent him to Geneva with a specific mission in mind. It seems that Catholics there were leaving the church in droves.

Some were simply attracted by the world, but others were drawn to the powerful preaching of John Calvin. The Catholics who remained were listless and dwindling in number.

Francis prayed mightily about it and then devised a plan to travel by foot from door to door, speaking about the faith to anyone who would listen. For months he met only jeers and ridicule, but he persevered.

As time went on, more and more people responded positively to his message.

Francis also learned to use the power of the pen to expand his outreach.

He wrote a series of pamphlets about

Spirituality for Today

by FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

the faith. Because of his clarity and conviction, he touched hearts. Each pamphlet was designed to lead to the next, until they all added up to a complete explanation of the Catholic faith.

Francis was not only the writer; he was also the publisher and marketing director. He even performed the delivery service. He would slip the printed tracts under the doors in all the villages around him. Then he began preaching on street corners.

As his fame spread, the crowds grew larger. Within four years he achieved amazing results. The thousands that had left the church began returning. They not only came back; they began practicing their faith with a new fervor. The impact of his ministry became known throughout Europe.

In 1602 Francis was made the bishop of Geneva. His most famous book, “Introduction to the Devout Life” (1608), is still in circulation today.

St. Francis died in 1622 and was canonized in 1665. He became a doctor of the church in 1877, and in 1923 Pope Pius XI made him the patron saint of writers and journalists.

Those of you who are interested in evangelization would do well to follow his example. He understood that the most effective way to win back souls to God is to go directly to the target audience.

Don’t wait for them to come to you.

Welcoming the Deaf For many years I have interpreted the Mass at a local church and one in Maryland.

Not only have I interpreted the regular Mass, I have even interpreted the entire Christmas Midnight Mass including the musical portion prior to the Mass.

About five years ago statistics said that in Rowan County alone there were 11,730 persons 18yrs and up with hearing loss (both deaf and hard of hearing).

I have experienced priests in Maryland saying that with an interpreter

Letters to the Editor

the congregants do not watch him as they should.

There have been parishioners who have complained that having an interpreter is distracting and that the deaf person/s should not sit only in the front pew.

Churches need to have induction loops for the hard of hearing. After Mass I make sure that I am available to interpret between the deaf person and any other parishioner but very seldom does anyone approach the deaf person.

— June Clancy Salisbury, NC

Simple Realities

Setting a few parameters for the health care debate The national health care reform debate is moving into a critical phase.

Lawmakers have talked about various proposals for months and heard an earful from constituents. Now the time for action — whether to adopt changes to the system, or once again forgo reform for the foreseeable future – is fast approaching.

To be sure, making the right decisions won’t be easy. The bills under consideration are lengthy and deal with complex issues. There is no simple cure for what ails a health care system suffering from inefficiencies, high costs and barriers to access for too many Americans.

And there is still a lot to debate and decide: Should a new health care approach feature a government-sponsored option?

Nonprofit co-ops? Tort reform? Some of the above? None of the above?

The ongoing debate can be fruitful and lead us to make the right choices if we are willing to acknowledge some simple realities and establish a few parameters for the discussion from this point forward.

First, we need to acknowledge that our current health care system is broken and needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

It’s a scandal that 47 million Americans can’t afford or can’t access the health insurance they need. It demeans their human dignity. And it drives up the cost of health care for everyone else when visiting the local hospital’s emergency room becomes the only option for a doctor visit. Many of us are only a job loss away from being in the same situation.

Second, we shouldn’t buy into the false notion popular in some circles that the church is only interested in the abortion issue regarding reform efforts.

Yes, we Catholics are adamant that reform efforts don’t expand access to abortion. Yes, we believe that the health care system must respect human life from conception to natural death. But that’s what a health care system should do: protect and nurture human life, not destroy it.

The church, rightfully, also has been a proponent of efforts to provide quality health care for everyone, including the

Write a Letter to the Editor The Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification.

Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letter or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

Send letters to Letters to the Editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

Guest Column

by JOE TOWALSKI cns columnist

poor and immigrants. That, too, is an essential part of any reform package, and we need to be vocal about reminding lawmakers that universal care and universal respect for life are twin pillars on which reform must rest.

Third, as we make our views known, we must be civil and take care not to demonize those with whom we disagree.

Town-hall meetings where attendees shout down lawmakers and others in the audience are examples of disrespectful and boorish behavior. These actions result in a lot of fire – as well as media coverage – but shine little light on the issues at hand.

As Catholics who believe in everyone’s God-given human dignity and Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves, we are called to a higher standard. We should assume that others – like us – are motivated by a sincere desire to do the right thing. And, when we disagree with others, those disagreements should be rooted in facts and logic, not misplaced anger and emotion. We need to show others that civil conversations and debates are still possible.

At the same time, it’s clear that many people are very frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of candor on the part of lawmakers to truly listen to their constituents’ views and disclose their own views on the particulars of health care reform. Lawmakers need to be clear, honest and offer the same kind of respectful listening that they expect from voters.

Finally, let’s not forget that we must look beyond our own personal situations as they relate to the current debate.

The command to love our neighbor means that we must be concerned not only about our own family, co-workers and close circle of friends, but also our family members in faith whom we don’t know personally: the uninsured parents with a child suffering from a serious medical challenge, the immigrant newcomer who is working two jobs with no health insurance to help put food on his family’s table, the young single woman facing an unplanned pregnancy who needs help to make life-giving choices.

Doing what’s right for these people – as well as the people we know – is what it means to be concerned for the common good, to help establish God’s kingdom on earth.

That’s one of the ideas we as Catholics are called to bring to this health care debate.

Are we up to the challenge?

September 11, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 15

A moral obligation demands respect

Take time out daily to hear God’s voice, says pope

Discussing Catholic points in U.S. healthcare reform

The Pope Speaks

Let’s make a distinction between sports talk radio and the debate on a vital moral issue – health care reform – before Congress resumes consideration of a myriad of health reform bills later this month.

There is room for vigorous debate on the topic, both sides agree, but what’s been happening through the summer months is not vigorous debate. It has been a time full of hyperbole, namecalling, and a time when volume seemed to replace logic.

The gravity of the topic deserves a much higher level of discourse.

“This is, quite literally, a life-anddeath issue, about human pain and suffering, and about the proliferation of immoral practices carried out by insurance companies,” wrote Michael Jeffries, a columnist for the Manchester Guardian.

“Just as it is important to speak about quality control and efficiency, it is critical to frame health care reform as a moral obligation – as something that we owe to each other as Americans and as parents of future generations.”

And that is exactly what the Catholic bishops of the United States are doing.

“Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation,” said the chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop

William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., in a July 17 letter to Congress.

Accepting as fact that adequate health care in support of human dignity is a moral question, it is important to insist that it be treated with the respect a grave matter deserves. There should be valid concern about end-of-life issues, but not the caricatures of “death panels.”

Those who equate health care reform with Nazism show an appalling lack of understanding both of history and of rhetoric.

“We are in danger of turning evil itself into a triviality when we draw on the images of Hitler’s Germany to make political points in debates that are in no way comparable to the terrors of Nazism,” Pulitzer Prize historian Jon Meacham wrote recently in Newsweek.

Those demonizing health insurers are no less guilty of a lack of charity.

A free and vigorous debate is not name-calling, angry shouts and incendiary signs. It should be a reasoned discussion as proponents of an issue use logic under an assumption of good faith.

Health care reform is complex, with terminology more common to insurance policies and medical texts. For that reason, it is imperative to understand our Catholic position.

Equally important is knowing what is not the church’s position.

For example, the church’s position on stem-cell research has been

Consider This by

STEPHEN KENT cns columnist

misrepresented as opposition to all stemcell research, thus denying assistance to thousands of suffering people. But the church is not against all stem-cell research. It is in opposition to embryonic stem-cell research, which requires the destruction of life. It favors research involving the use of adult stem cells and umbilical cord cells.

The bishops established four criteria for comprehensive health care reform: respect for human life and dignity, access for all, pluralism and equitable costs. An acceptable bill must exclude mandated coverage for abortion and require continuance of existing laws that restrict abortion funding.

The heat of the summer sniping and name-calling should give way to cooler temperatures and temperaments of the fall and a vigorous presentation of positions conducted well within the bounds of rhetoric and the spirit of charity.

Final move

Leaving material things, taking spiritual growth I hate moving.

I especially hate it when I am moving somebody else’s stuff. But that is what I was doing. Schlepping boxes around in the late-August heat and packing stuff up for the “final move.”

A friend and former parishioner had died. He appointed me his executor.

It was logical. He had no children.

He had never married. He was not particularly close to his siblings. In the last few years of his life I had become his counselor and friend. Since I was both a lawyer and his priest, he figured I would know what to do.

Being an executor is a melancholy duty. When I got the call that my friend had died, I made arrangements for his funeral. I drove three hours to his house and closed it up. I cleaned out the fridge.

He had been in the hospital for six weeks, so some stuff was pretty ripe.

After the funeral, I was back at the house for a couple of days. I hired a lawyer and filed the necessary papers with the court. I met with a real estate agent and started the ball rolling on selling the house.

I closed up his bank accounts and

shut off his cell phone. I secured the car and arranged for its sale. I filed a change of address card and notified the neighbors and the homeowners’ association.

Finally I arranged with an estate auction house to come the next day to take away all his furniture, art and nice things such as china and silverware.

Just before the auction house truck came, I started emptying out drawers.

All the little things people collect poured out.

I packed up family photos and other personal items for his sister. I selected a photo of him for myself. Then I tackled the clothes closets. So much stuff!

It all went to the local charity thrift store.

As I sat on a folding chair sorting all this stuff, I was overcome with sadness for my friend. His things counted for nothing in the end.

I believe what he wanted was friendship, and he had outlived his closest friends.

I never realized how important it was to him that we occasionally went out to dinner or talked on the phone.

In just two days time, all the

Parish Diary FATHER PETER J. DALY cns columnist

physical evidence of his existence was gone. The accumulated stuff of a lifetime vanished!

As I turned the key in the empty house, I thought of the poet John Keats’ epitaph: “Here lies one whose name is writ in water.”

We leave little evidence of ourselves.

I know my friend lives on in God’s sight. But still it was so sad.

In the end, the stuff we collect matters nothing. Strangers will take it away.

What really matters is friendship.

What really matters is the bond with other people.

What really matters is love.

POPE BENEDICT XVI VATICAN CITY (CNS) – People need to carve time out of their busy day to dedicate to silent prayer or meditation in order to hear what God has to say, said Pope Benedict XVI. The faithful also have to remember not to become completely caught up in their daily activities and concerns, forgetting that Jesus should be the focus of their lives, he said at his weekly general audience Sept. 9.

Continuing a series of audience talks about influential Christian writers from the Middle Ages, the pope focused his catechesis on the life of St. Peter Damian, an 11th-century monk, cardinal and doctor of the church.

Monastic life offers an important lesson to all Christians – that it is important to learn how to achieve an inner silence in order to listen to God’s voice, he said.

St. Peter Damian taught that Christ must be at the center of monastic life; Christ must be heard in one’s voice, be served in one’s life and felt in one’s heart, the pope continued.

All Christians, not just contemplative religious, must cultivate this intimate union with Christ, Pope Benedict concluded.

Here is the text of the pope’s audience remarks in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on the Christian writers of East and West, we turn to Saint Peter Damian, who was born in Ravenna at the beginning of the eleventh century and became an accomplished writer and Latinist. His fine sensitivity made him excel in poetry and enabled him to see the world as a parable, full of symbolic references to the supernatural, leading him to embrace as a mature man a monastic vocation at Fonte Avellana, founded not long before. He was fascinated by the salvific mystery of the cross of Christ and promoted as the fullness of Christian living a form of monasticism noted for its austerity.

Nourished by a mystical understanding of Scripture, Saint Peter Damian enjoyed precise theological insights especially into the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, our union with Christ, and the Church as a communion, from which he derived practical advice for living in charity with others. In 1057 he accepted the office of Cardinal Bishop of Ostia and assisted the Pope with courage and dedication in the reform of the Church of his time.

After ten years he was granted his wish to return to his monastery and continued to serve the Church with prayer and action until his holy death in 1072. May the example and intercession of Saint Peter Damian, my dear Brothers and Sisters, inspire and renew us in our love of Christ and his Church.

September 11, 2009

advertisement

The Catholic News & Herald 16