Dec 5, 2003

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www.charlottedioccsc^ors

Roman

Catholic

Diocese of Charlotte

Parish Profile: St.

Helen Church PAGE

NEW^AIERALD

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI

DECEMBER

5,

SERVING CATHOLICS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

2003

12

A country of conflict and crisis

VOLUME

13

N9

1

Worid AIDS Day draws support

HAS VATICAN

CHANGED POSITION

ON IRAQ WAR, OR HAS WAR CHANGED IRAQ?

fromcliurches BY

PATRICIA ZAPOR

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE BY

JOHN THAVIS

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY

WASHINGTON

Early this year, during the

countdown to the Iraq War, Pope John Paul II and his Vatican aides wasted no opportunity to broadcast their opposition to a U.S.-led in-

From Washington

to Dakar, Catholic bishops joined in marking World AIDS Day Dec. 1 with promises of

Senegal,

support for those with

warned

that besides being unjust, an invasion would be counterproducti_ve it would leave

many dead and wounded,

Followers of a radical Shiite cleric pray al-Fitr in

in

front of a U.S.

Army tank during

tfie Islamic festival

the Baghdad, Iraq, suburb of Al Sadr Nov. 25. The Vatican's representative

a military withdrawal

now would be the worst

PHOTO FROM Reuters

in

of

to

change behaviors that lead to the spread of the disease.

II

In Rome, Pope John Paul and the head of the Vatican

encouraged Catholics to join them in praying for people with HIV/ AIDS and to care for those office for health care

destroy Iraqi infrastructure, increase the hardships on civilians, increase political pressures on Iraqi Christians, ignite civil strife in the country, weaken the United

across Asia. In Dakar, the S;yTnposium of Episcopal Conferences of Af-

Nations and foment global

rica

terrorism.

CNS

HIV/

AIDS and encouragement

vasion.

They

with the disease.

Catholic organizations worked on AIDS pre\ention

and Madagascar, which represents the bishops in

Fast-forward eight

Africa, issued its first collective

months, and it seems that most or all of the Vatican's warnings were accurate, but

proposing a plan of action involving work with parishes,

See IRAQ, page 6

See AIDS, page 6

Eid

statement on

HIV/AIDS,

Iraq has said

option.

FROM LEBANON TO NORTH CAROLINA

Maronite Catholics seek to strengthen, grow their church in Southeast BY

JOHN STRANGE

NC Catholic Staff DURHAM — Father seph

knew what Jo-

Thomas

has a gift for some North Carolina Catholics a gift of "self-knowing" and a return to the traditions of

their ancestors in the

Maronite

Catholic Church.

encourage the people of origin, people who all their lives have heard the word 'Maronite' but never "I

ing the Eastern church, Father

pastor of the Maronite Catholic mission of St.

Sharbel in Raleigh, told the

NC Catholic. Sharbel hosted the

Nov. 14-16 Southeast regional conference of the National Apostolate of Maronites, where much of the focus was

1000-665^3 3N IIIH 0£6e 80

meant, to make

Thomas,

St.

Maronite

it

themselves available" and open-minded when consider-

mmn

13dW3

on how to strengthen and grow the Maronite Catholic Church in the Southeast. The Maronite Church is one of 22 Eastern Catholic churches with origins in Eastern Europe, Asia or Afi-ica, often identified by a national or

ethnic

Photo by John Strange,

NC

Catholic

The

character.

Maronites, for example, trace their history back to St. Maron

Father Joseph Thomas, pastor of

St.

Sharbel's Maronite Catholic

mission, identifies Maronite icons for a display at the Southeast

regional conference of the National Apostolate of Maronites

See MARONITE, page 9

Dreams

of Eagles

Durham

Nov.

14-16.

Sister Evelyn Mattern

Culture

Watch

Student project beautifies

Raleigh Diocese loses

Children's books for

Immaculata School

crusader for justice

Christmas gift-giving

nosiiD

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Dec 5, 2003 by Catholic News Herald - Issuu