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News & Herald
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Volume 7 Number 24
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
«
February 20, 1998
Kansas Bishops Offer Guidelines For Welfare Policy —
KANSAS CITY (CNS) Welfare changes in Kansas must take into account the need to provide adequate income, basic health care, adult education and child care, according to the state's Catho-
age productive work and protect vulnerable children.
"We ought it
to
believe the target of reform be poverty, not poor families,"
said.
highlighted by North Carolina Catholic
The four bishops who signed the statement were Archbishop James P. Keleher of Kansas City and Bishops Eugene J. Gerber of Wichita, George K. Fitzsimons of Salina, and Stanley G. Schlarman of Dodge City. The statement was timed to coincide with the Kansas Legislature's 1998 terra,
Bishops William G. Curlin and
which runs
lic
bishops. In a statement approved Feb. 3 and
released Feb. 13, the four bishops outlined priorities and policy
grams
recommenda-
pending revisions to
tions for
state pro-
for the poor.
The guidelines raise
Gossman
similar concerns
Joseph
F.
November 1997 pas"Of One Heart and One
in their
toral letter,
Mind."
The statement says welfare
into
May. Several
bills deal-
ing with aspects of welfare, medical care
and child care have been introduced. The bishops said lasting welfare
legisla-
See Welfare, page 3
tion should strengthen families, encour-
Aimed to Meet Needs Of Young Adults Ministry By
MIKE KROKOS Editor
Edward
HICKORY
Archdiocese of St. Louis visited the Charlotte Diocese last week. He concelebrated Mass with long-time friend Bishop William G. Curlin on Feb. 1 5 at St. Patrick Cathedral. Both served in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Auxiliary Bishop
K. Braxton of the
Larry Cadomiga were looking for a to get involved with their
said the pope's
many
Cuban
ten far in the past for various reasons,
Smith
visit
of the positive as-
said.
"We are designed to be more
than a singles group," she explained.
"We start by developing friendships
As members of St Aloysius Church, they attended Mass regularly and even assisted with the parish's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program Now, they were searching for an avenue to connect with other parishioners their age with similar interests. With the assistance of Father Wilbur Thomas, St. Aloysius pastor, the pair set out to start a young adults group. "Father Wilbur told us this was one of the things he really wanted to get started at
and go from there."
As
part of their faith de-
velopment, the group holds regular formation classes.
One
recent ses-
sion focused on Catholic and Protestant issues of the church. The group also held a retreat at the Catholic Conference
more than 200 prisoners
pects of U.S. -Vatican relations. Al-
marked a "great first step" in reform and shows that the Cuban government was Hstening to Pope John Paul n during his recent visit, said the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Lindy Boggs. "I was personally thrilled to see that there had been a special effort on the issue of prisoners," Boggs said in an interview Feb. 17 in Rome. She said she thought the Cuban regime of President Fidel Castro was trying to tell the pope: "Your message was heard. It was appreciated. We will try to abide by some of the things you expect
though the United States maintains an embargo on Cuba which the Vatican opposes and has other difficulties with the Castro government, Cuban authorities did "everything under the sun" to facilitate travel and transport to the island during the pope's visit, she said. She said the U.S. government also helped in careful screening of wouldbe visitors to make sure that no troublemakers turned up in Cuba and helped block an announced plan by Cuban ex-
adult orga-
ocesan-wide steering committee that will
visit.
nizations in the Diocese of Charlotte, the
help other paiishes get young adult min-
of us."
"The U.S. government could not have been more cooperative, nor more proud that the Holy Father would undertake a trip" to Cuba and the Ameri-
Aloysius group is made up of parishioners in their 20s and 30s. At St. Aloysius, the group consists of both single Catholics and married couples without children.
istry started since the
release of
l
Boggs
exemplified
way
Other attempts to organize young had not got-
adults groups at St. Aloysius
peers.
Cuban Prisoners' Release Shows Pope Was Heard By JOHN THAVIS ROME (CNS) — Cuba's announced
— Deanna Smith and
Boggs
called
it
a "positive gesture
of real importance" and added: should all accept it on face value."
The Cuban weeks
after the
action
came some
pope and
"We three
his aides pre-
sented the government with a list of names of prisoners and appealed for their release
on humanitarian grounds. The
list
included political prisoners as well as others.
—
iles to
—
the church," Smith said.
After forming a planning team and
meeting
season.
She said one good aspect of the visit was that it had prompted reflection on the embargo, which has been in place for more than
It
was
the first of
ful gatherings for the
Like
more about Catholicism is an integral focus of the group. "We must be able to apply God's plan to our lives," Smith said. "We must understand our
—
a get-
many
other
many
success-
group.
young
St.
"Our main goals
are to learn
more
learning
and apply it to our world." Colleen McDermott, director of
faith
August, the group held their
together which kicked off the football
land a flotilla during the papal
cas, she said.
in
function last September
first
Center in Hickory. is impor-
Although the social aspect tant,
Young Adult
Ministry for the Charlotte
Diocese, said several parishes have ac-
Young Adult groups. In the months ahead, McDermott hopes to form a di-
tive
number of Cathoage group is growing by leaps and bounds. "There is definitely a need, and we must reach out and meet that need," she lics in that
said.
pope's
about our
know each other
"There are 16,000 young adult
some deep
on a more personal level, and to create a healthy environment to have fun," Smith
Catholics in the city of Charlotte alone,"
35 years.
said.
faith, to get to
See
Ministry,
page 3