June 23, 1995

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I^^ATHOLIC

News & Herald Volume 4 Number 39 • June

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Give You

I

My

23, 1995

Catholic, Lutheran Bishops Join Sisters'

To Comfort Those With HIV/AIDS By

EDUARDO PEREZ

Oue Lord

tioned love.

looks at you and

CHARLOTTE — For years, people

me and wants us for who we are," Bishop Curlin said. "Jesus says, bring me the

HIV or AIDS have been

brokeness, the hurt, the ridicule, the criti-

However, the only

cism and the despair. I will refresh you."

James ( a pseudonym) has lived with HIV for seven years. He is enlivened by what he calls a circle of faith. "It's important to have Bishop Curlin and Bishop Menees as representatives of their churches supporting us in our

Staff Writer

suffering from

ostracized by society.

sickness that

is

terrifying

is

the absence

of God. In the Diocese of Charlotte, those same shunned individuals receive

comfort in the healing power of the Lord.

It was the second year for the Healing Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, and on June 11, the arms of compassion were flung wide open for the 100 individuals hungry for the healing that comes from

His word.

Bishop William G. Curlin established the Mass last year as a sign of compassion to those with HIV, AIDS, their families and caregivers. This year, Bishop Curlin was joined on the altar by Bishop Mark Menees of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to perform the laying on of hands a sign of spiritual healing for people who are suffering.

"We are here today to be filled with the presence of God," said Bishop Curlin.

"We need a deep spiritual awakening in us of his presence."

Those attending the Mass were encouraged by Bishop Curlin to have faith in God' s love. "God doesn't have condi-

—

— —

pain."

Not only does James cherish the ecumenical efforts supporting those suffering with AIDS but he says, "It allows people to see the best example of God's ,

and caring for

love, actively loving

people."

"The Church needs to reach out with the forgiveness and healing of Christ and

make an

effort to

show

that the

Lord

is

with those who are suffering," said Jesuit Father Gene McCreesh, pastoral advisor to four

RAIN

teams from

Peter

St.

Church.

RAIN Network)

(Regional is

AIDS

Interfaith

made up of church

.teams

that assist persons with AIDS

by visiting them and giving them

them, caring for whatever is needed.

See AIDS, Page 2

Abbot Oscar Burnett Receives Cuthbert Allen Ecumenical Award BELMONT — The Ecumenical Inoperated jointly by Belmont Abbey College and Wake Forest University stitute

Bishop William G. Curlin welcomes Missionaries of Charity Sisters Maria assistant superior, Maria Cecil Ann and Maria Christy convent superior, in the chapel of the newly established convent in Charlotte. See section two of The Catholic News & Heraldior a special report on the June 13 Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa.

Photo by JOANNKEANE Shanti, Maria Elvira

—

presented its Cuthbert E. Allen Award to

—

Benedictine Abbot Oscar Burnett of Belmont Abbey at the annual Allen Dinner and Memorial Lecture June 1 1 at the college.

The award

is

presented annually in

recognition of significant contributions to the

Bishop Curlin To Ordain

11

New Permanent Deacons

cause of ecumenism.

It is

named

for the late Benedictine Father Cuthbert

E. Allen a three-time president of the

July

college whose vision led to the founding

1

of the Ecumenical Institute in 1968.

Abbot Burnett, who became abbot of Belmont Abbey Monastery in 1 99 1

Eleven men, including three from the Hispanic community, have completed an

are awaiting transfer of their faculties.

The men

to be ordained July

1

are

intensive three-year formation period and

Carlos Medina,

Edwin Rodriguez and

become permanent deacons of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Bishop William G. Curlin will or-

Rafael Torres,

all

will

dain the

new deacons

at

1 1

a.m. Satur-

Hispanic Catholic

Center, Charlotte; Wayne Adams of Trinity and Ron Steinkamp of Thomasville, both Our Lady of the Highways, Thomasville; Neil Chirico, St. John

,

is

CEO

of Belmont Abbey College. He is a native of Savannah, Ga., where he practiced law until he also chancellor

and

entered the monastery in 1957.

He made

solemn profession as a monk at Belmont Abbey in 1961 and was orhis

for the members of the class last weekend

of Jamestown, St. Benedict, Greensboro;

dained a priest in 1962.

He is a former professor and dean of students at Belmont Abbey College and served as campus minister from 1973-

Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.

Keith Kolodziej, St. Matthew, Charlotte; Michael Langsdorf of Lewisville, Holy

Ecumenical

Msgr. Anthony Kovacic, vicar of Permanent

Family, Clemmons; Paul Teich, Our

day, July Charlotte.

1

at St.

Gabriel Church in

The bishop

directed a retreat

at the

Neumann,

Charlotte; Philip Killian

Jr.

84.

He was In

executive director of the from 1984-90.

Institute

making

the presentation, Dr.

the diocesan Office of the

Lady of Grace, Greensboro; and John

Claude Broach noted Abbot Burnett's

Diaconate, says there are presently 51 permanent deacons serving actively in

Weisenhorn,

the diocese. Two men who were ordained

as deacons in other dioceses and

who

have moved to the Diocese of Charlotte

ABBOT OSCAR BURNETT would be blest beyond measure if there were many, many more who shared his spirit

and

his

dreams."

The annual

lecture

was delivered

Michael, Gastonia.

The position of deacon has existed in the Church since the earliest times although the role of the deacon has varied through the centuries.

"warm heart, his good common sense ...

jointly by Dr. Walter Harrelson of Wake

and the unfailing optimism which is born of a great faith." Broach, a former director of the institute and former pastor of

Forest and Rabbi Shira Lander of the Jewish College Services in Baltimore.

They discussed "The Influence of Jewish-Christian Studies and Dialogue on

See Deacons, Page 2

added, "This troubled world of religions

St.

St.

John's Baptist Church in Charlotte,

My Own Faith."

A (^ELEBRATION OF FAITH zuitli

Mother Teresa The Catholic News

& Herald

•

Serving Catholics In The Diocese

Of Charlotte

•

Volume 4 Number 39

•

June

23, 1995

''Love to pray.

for prayer gives a ckan

tI

And a

heart.

ckan heart

can see Qod.

Mother Teresa

'atbolic News

& Herald • June 23

,

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

1995

Mother Teresa Brings Gift Of Her Sisters To Diocese Bishop William G. Curlin

recalls the conversation that

preceded Mother Teresa's historic third bishop of the

gratulatory call "I

new

have a

He had just been named

from Mother Teresa.

gift for

diocese,"

visit.

Diocese of Charlotte, and received a conyou. I'm going to send

Mother Teresa

new

the need

would be

"Hundreds of bishops ask for her to supply them," says

sisters to

your

said long distance to her friend of

25 years. Though Bishop Curlin had yet to Charlotte, he

my

Bishop Curlin.

tional blessing for our diocese.

Some

visit the

Diocese of

evident. sisters, I

and she's not able

consider this an excep-

(bishops) wait five to ten

Mother to be able to answer their request."

"The Lord has blessed us," says Bishop Curlin. "This gift from God." years for

is

a

Bishop Curlin greets Mother Teresa at the airport.

Father Mauricio West, chancellor and vicar general, Father Anthony Marcaccio, priest secretary to the bishop and chaplain for the Missionaries of Charity in Charlotte, and Bishop Curlin with Mother Teresa and her Sisters.

Photos by JoannKeane

Mother Teresa carries the Blessed Sacrament.

"This is to be a house of love," said Bishop Curlin in his homily to Mother Teresa and her sisters during the first Mass at the new convent. "Don't just bring your hands that help the poor and suffering, bring us your hearts."

Bishop Curlin blessing the newly established Missionaries of Charity convent.

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa'

June

23, 1995

•

The Catholic News

&B

Mother Teresa Brings Message Of Hope

By JO ANN

KEANE

Associate Editor

CHARLOTTE — Mother Teresa' Charlotte

visit to

fulfills

month

a 14-

promise to Bishop William G. Curlin.

Following his appointment last spring bishop of Charlotte, Mother Teresa telephoned; offering congratulations, assurance of prayers, and a pledge to send her Missionaries of Charity Sisters to open a convent in the as third

Diocese of Charlotte.

On June 13, the 85-year-old Nobel laureate stood before 1 3,500 in the Charlotte Coliseum, conferring her gift upon the

Queen

heart. I give you

"Look at all the people," said Mother

returned her seat on stage, Mother Teresa

turned to Bishop Curlin asking

here."

against the child, a direct killing of the

The 4

foot 10 inch matriarch of the

Catholic Church stood

cepted ovations.

ward

As she stepped

for-

to speak, an unbreakable silence

over the crowd. Planners had woraged voice would fall prey to arena acoustics. Not so. Her words may have echoed, but every syllable fell

ried that her

And

the audience

the Missionaries of Charity Sisters

—

along side their Mother General

re-

body, prayer

commu-

visit.

Four of

—

in Charlotte, establishing the

North Carolina convent.

But for the people of Charlotte, the convent was miles from their thoughts

order's first

on this

is

abortion, because

it

is

summer day,

as Catholics lined

up with non-Catholic neighbors outside Coliseum, waiting in ear-

the Charlotte

Mother Teresa.

"I

want the

willing to accept any child

is to

the soul.

The body,

—

—

prayer."

c

In her white sari, and thread-bare

sweater,

Mother Teresa spoke for about

10 minutes, then turned to her year-old National Prayer Breakfast

text.

For the

child. I am who would

COYNE WESSLING

Teresa was coming to Charlotte until late

Monday

afternoon.

herself years

ago that

She promised if the famous

her mother-in-law and 6-year-old son in the stands and rolled Gary T.

left

down

ters,

Mother Teresa

said,

"We

make every

effort to go. Peters

someone to travel with her and her two sons, Gary T. and Elliot, from Simpsonville, S.C., to the Charlotte Coliseum the next spent that evening trying to find

day.

are not

work in the eyes of some people, but we must be contemplatives in the heart of the world." Reiterating one of her themes, she added, "For we must bring

God into your family."

She urged the audience to seek out the poor in their own communities. "Begin love there. Be that good news to your

mother-in-law,

Mary

Peters, to go.

The

van hoping to get and find a place where Gary T., 13, could get a good view from his wheeljchair. Gary T. was born deaf and disjabled from cerebral palsy. At the top of four set out in Peters' in

Section 126, just right of the skyboxes, |the

Peters family settled

in.

Though

from the stage, Peters (was in awe of being in the same place with Mother Teresa. She recalled how ihundreds of yards

[years

before she

town

was

thrilled to learn

which she was born, lamshedpur, India, housed a leper colony begun by Mother Teresa, "Even though my family left there when I was only 1, 1 felt a special bond Iwith Mother Teresa," she said.

Then something even more starItling happened at the Coliseum: Peters [was approached by Jill Walker who was tin charge of the children chosen to |present flowers to Mother Teresa when he came on stage.

"I told (Adrienne) she might think what I was going to ask her to be really trange but would her son like to give flowers to Mother Teresa because we ere short one child," explained Walker.

Peters immediately replied, "Of ourse he would!" Walker said she'd that the

in

j

need to

first

clear

it

with Father Francis

D'Rourke who was coordinating the Btage activities. Later Peters said, "Even if Jill came back and told us Gary couldn' po it, just the fact that she asked was

with others."

Office of the Bishop

Dear Friends

23, 1995

in Christ:

take this opportunity to express

my heartfelt gratitude to all

ramp

who contributed their time and talent toward the wonderful "Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa" in the Charlotte Coliseum last week. As soon as Mother entered the Coliseum, she whispered to me, "Look at all these wonderful people. I

"I

on

wanted

stage.

to roll

The little

him up

girl

the

who rolled Gary

T.'s chair in place did fine.

I sat

can

feel love all

around me."

right in

Gary T. could see me," said Peters.

Once on stage, the boy realized he was separated from his mother and almost began to cry. "I thought he was going to burst into tears so I touched my lips which is the sign for smile. He broke out into a big grin," his mother said.

Other worries were soon laid to rest as well: Gary T. did not tear the bouquet front of the stage so

Eventually she convinced her

"coming out to that area was one of the most moving moments of the whole program," said Bishop Curlin.

The intensity of her love radiated throughout the coliseum. "Her love and joy is contagious," said Bishop Curlin.

"She struck a spark in everyone's heart that rekindles the sense of God's love, creating a desire to be at peace and to share the Lord's love and happiness

sis-

We may be doing social

that presence of

security, touching as

because I was concerned about setting the brakes on his chair. But Father O'Rourke didn't want too many people

missionary ever made it to the Carolinas she'd

She defied

many possible. Though a pressing crowd made it impossible to reach everyone,

and thrown away."

social workers.

I

front.

she replied.

make that one point, that no

June

Once chosen, Gary T.'s mother moved through the event in a daze. She

she took the bishops' hand. let us go, this is the Missionaries of Charity work, to be with the sick,"

"Come,

care of the mother and adoption for her

Of her Missionaries of Charity

Celebration of Faith with

tation,

work to offer solutions. "I will tell you something beautiful. We are fighting abortion by adoption, by

Flowers At Celebration Adrienne Peters didn' t know Mother

As "A

sisters'

baby. Let us

to the spot-

Mother Teresa" neared completion, Bishop Curlin whispered, "Mother, would you mind going with me to visit the sick," pointing to wheelchair bound members of the audience. Without hesi-

be aborted."

Mother Teresa drew applause with references to the horror of abortion, and her

would return

light three times.

"Please don' t kill the child," pleaded

together,

cannot live without blood, so our hearts our souls cannot live without

thoughts. She

innocent child," said Mother Teresa.

Disabled Youth Presents

By MARY

a war

for, or killed

and underscored her

main

today

child will be unwanted, unloved, uncared

and if you stay together, you will love each other as God loves each of you. I always say, what blood is to the

nity,

"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace

as she ac-

tall

if she could return to the podium to add other

dignitaries.

ering to keep families strong through

the

first."

she concluded her address and

members of congress and

prayer. "Families that pray together, stay

welcomed by

the Diocese,

people

As

about4,000, including President Clinton,

by

a gift graciously accepted

own

Teresa to Bishop Curlin as they ascended the stairs onto the platform. "How wonderful to see all of God's people

my sisters," said Mother

Teresa.

It is

nally delivered in the nations' capital to

became immersed in her simple message of the living Word.

Mother Teresa reminded the gath-

silver to give

What I have, I give with my whole

you.

next half hour, she read passages origi-

public address.

saturated the arena.

City.

have no gold and

"I

nest to hear Mother Teresa deliver a rare

of flowers apart, his chair stayed in

and best of all, a kind man who sat behind the boy gently wiped the drool from Gary T.'s face. place,

marvel at how much was accomplished in the brief time of eleven days which preceded Mother's arrival in Charlotte.

Many, many generous people came forward to offer their services. Their names are too many to list; however, I do wish to publicly express my gratitude to Ms. Pat Signs, Associate Director of Development for the Diocese of Charlotte, who coordinated everything associated with the celebration in the Coliseum. Also, I express deep appreciation to Father Frank O'Rourke, Rector of St. Patrick Cathedral, for creating a I

atmosphere of worship. The enormous cross suspended above the podium united all hearts in a true celebra-

visible

tion of faith.

Peters said of that act of kindness:

"Here was Mother Teresa talking about brotherly love; being kind to your neigh-

bor and here was

Gary T.'s

drool.

wiping example

this stranger

What

better

could there be?"

Prior to her speech, Mother Teresa was approached by each child who gave her the blue and white flowers. As with the other children, Mother Teresa laid her hands on Gary T.' s head and smiled at him. His mother's final concern passed: Gary T., who has a fear of people wearing things on their heads, did not scream but smiled back at Mother Teresa.

After the presentation, Walker es-

This edition of The Catholic News &f Herald will, I trust, be a lasting reminder and memento of this historic occasion in the Diocese of Charlotte. Please God, may the love ofJesus that Mother Teresa has stirred up in our hearts, move all of us to witness that love in the service of our needy brothers and sisters.

To share in this ministry of the Missionaries of Charity Sisters, please call their consent, (704) 339-0028. Their address is 236 S. Torrence St., Charlotte, NC 28204.

Begging God above,

I

to bless

each one of you with every grace from

am

corted the children off stage. Gary T.

joined his mother in the front row. "He sat wonderfully while Mother Teresa

Prayerfully in the Lord,

spoke," said Peters of her son. "He's a

wonderful not sure

lip

reader but even then I'm understood."

how much he

See Flowers Page 5

Most Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte

4 The Catholic News

& Herald • June 23, 1995

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

Stewardship Can Be Learned

Mercy Sisters Reflect On 125 Years Of Service By

Mercy

Staff Writer

Sister

four-year college.

Throughout the history of the order, Sisters have sought to minister to the poor, sick and ignorant (those uneducated academically as well as in the faith). For many years that mission the

Mercy

was achieved through

the operation of

waiting crowd.

hospitals and schools.

Though the impact of the Sisters of Mercy may be more subtle, it is no less great. For more than 125 years, this

they expanded

women

religious,

founded

in

Ireland, has ministered to countless

people in North Carolina through numerous institutions and programs.

They were not alone. For decades the Church in North Carolina has benefited from the ministries of women religious. Other orders with long histories here include the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Trinitarians and the late

By EDUARDO PEREZ

MARY COYNE WESSLING

Pauline Clifford walked on stage at the Charlotte Coliseum just moments before Mother Teresa appeared. Sister Pauline may have been contemplating the impact this tiny woman from India would have on the

order of

From Mother Teresa

Immacu-

Heart of Marys.

The first presence of the Sisters of

a

Over

the years

their outreach to include

number of special ministries like Holy

Angels, a

home

for mentally retarded

and multiply handicapped children.

They also established The Mc Auley Center which offers adult religious education and retreats, the Mercy Institute/ Well of Mercy which provides individual and group therapy for adults, House of Mercy which provides a home for people living with AIDS and case

management

for people with

AIDS

in

Gaston and surrounding counties, and Catherine's House which is a transitional housing facility for women and

ombmbbb

children

who

are

home-

less.

In addition, Sisters of

TJie le individual can carry the mission,

Mercy

are

still

teaching

in diocesan schools, op-

hut she also carries the

community

Hosand of-

erating St. Joseph's pital in Asheville,

vohich in turn aives her support.

fering pastoral care in

Mercy Hospital lotte

^^mmmmmm

in Charand pastoral minis-

"We have always meet the needs of people," said Sister Pauline, president of the Re-

worked

bey. Sacred Heart Convent served as a

were the needs in our area."

Like Mother Teresa' s order, the Sisters of Mercy provide immediate comfort and care to people every day. But in addition, they study the economic needs of the poor and strive to change the system which causes poverty. "Many women religious are actively working

for the sisters

Eventually, the

and an academy.

academy grew

into a

A Celebration of Faith 'With

Mother Teresa of Calcutta is

a special section of

The Catholic News & Herald June 23, 1995

Bishop William G. Curlin, Publisher

to

1524 East Morehead St., NC 28207

Charlotte,

Mail:

PO Box 37267, Charlotte,

Phone:

NC 28237

(704)331-1713

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1524 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28207, 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 $ 18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte, NC and

POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, PO Box 37267, Charother cities.

lotte,

NC 28237.

were invited to establish roots in places where little was known about nuns. "Even if the mission was difficult," said Sister Pauline, "they went because they saw a religious

entire order.

"The individual can carry the miscommunity which in turn gives her support. Even if sion but she also carries the

may not know who I am, the name Mercy is known. Being part of the (religious) community gives credibility

people

when

so

many

fraudulent things Trinitarians or

Missionaries of Charity, the

women re-

Sheree McDermott Eduardo Perez

Kathy Schmugge

lotte.

Cover design and Page 12 photography and design: joann keane Extra thanks to:

Nancy Biggs

Mary Coyne-Wessling

ligious in

them assistance.

Those four women won't be able to carry that whole load by themselves, said Signs. They are going to need support from the community.

"The sense of giving and receiving is what stewardship is all about," said Signs. "Mother Teresa's treasure is the Christ that she portrays and gives to others."

Service To Poor Is Mission Of

Catholic Social Services

By MARY COYNE WESSLING Elizabeth Thurbee

is

looking for-

working with the Missionaries

to

"We

Teresa has agreed to send her sisters here to open a convent. They have certainly

shown

in other countries

and

ministry," said Thurbee. director of Catholic Social Ser-

And while the Missionarof Charity's ministry is most welcomed, they will quickly discover they are not alone in serving the neediest in should know. ies

the Carolinas.

Catholic Social Services (CSS) has the poor.

With outreach

get back

offices in

on

their feet.

CSS dates back to 1948 when, under the Diocese of RaThe

leigh,

it

origin of

was

staffed

by three

sisters

of

the Missionary Servants of the Blessed

When the Diocese of Charlotte was established in 1972, CSS opened an

Trinity.

office in Charlotte. Since

its

beginning,

CSS

has maintained a commitment to social services as well as education and

health care.

vides

many

services to the poor includ-

ing crisis counseling, food, clothing and spiritual support.

"Anyone who comes to us is given something," said Thurbee. "Sometimes they need food and assistance in paying bills. Sometimes they just need someone to listen. Each person is treated with dignity; their value as a

and child of God

is

human being

affirmed."

Assistance to the

many

Some

outreach

programs comes from several parishes in the diocese. On designated Sundays

support

CSS

donations. All of

through monetary

them give

spiritual

support, said Thurbee.

In addition to crisis assistance,

cit-

U.S. their devotion to the poor and needy. Charlotte and the Carolinas definitely have people in need of their ies in the

As

throughout the year, many parishes colfood and clothing which is then distributed to the branch offices. Some

lect

parishes refer needy people to CSS.

Mother

are very blessed that

A staff of more than 50 people pro-

go on."

North Carolina are symbols of integrity and service.

In Sister Pauline's words: "People expect something from us and that is to live up to who we say we are; to be women who live by the Gospel."

Mary Coyne Wessling, a former assistant editor of the North Carolina Catholic, is a freelance writer in Char-

Donna Jernigan

tunities to give

wants us to love one another as he loved each one of us," said Mother Teresa.

There are so many ways people can become stewards of Christ and enjoy giving something back to the needy in their communities, said Signs. Many parishes throughout the diocese are involved in projects such as: homeless shelters, Meals on Wheels, Crop- Walk, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Habitat for

lem, CSS has helped thousands of people

Be they Mercys, photography:

hopes that there will be plenty of oppor-

community gives women

and

sisters."

good news; that God loves us and that he

general, Sister Pauline said the aspect of spiritual

asked, "If you have time, give help to

ards of Christ. "Jesus came to give us the

Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Sa-

emotional support and allows individuals to minister while representing the

Signs recalls being emotionally

overwhelmed when Mother Teresa

Once the four Missionaries of CharMother Teresa ity establish themselves in Charlotte urged those attending to become stew- and decide what their mission is, Signs

a long and reputable tradition of serving

Speaking about women religious in

Teresa told us not only to live our lives

In her presentation,

vices for the Diocese of Charlotte, she

women

in-

helps others and promotes justice.

ties,

for systemic changes," Sister Pauline

In the past, in an effort to affect

become

volved with stewardship. "Mother

money to church and community activi- my

of Charity.

today

Special Section Cover:

volve giving time, talent and treasure.

Being with God in prayer and worship, as well as volunteering time and giving

ward

said.

a sense of inspiration to

as Jesus lived His, but to find the Godaccording to the principles of given gifts that each one of us have and give them back to the church and comstewardship."

The principles of stewardship in- munity," said Signs.

ministry and Catherine's House. Those

to our work. That is important especially

Special Ac(cnowtedgemmts

Signs hopes that people attending

Mother Teresa' s presentation took home

live a life

Community of North Carolina.

"That"s why we got involved in AIDS

great need."

Office:

Diocese of Charlotte.

"Her whole life is a living out of what stewardship means," said Pat Signs, associate director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte. "Mother Teresa is the embodiment of what it means to

gional

change,

Volume 4 • Number 39

visit to the

try in parishes.

Mercy in the Piedmont dates back to 1892 when a group of them opened a school for young women in Belmont at the invitation of Bishop Leo Haid and the Benedictine monks of Belmont Ab-

home

Mother Teresa brought the message Humanity. These projects and others of Jesus' love as well as the example of are always seeking people to volunteer giving time, talent and treasure in her their time, said Signs.

CSS

chance to begin a new life in a new place. The Refugee Office, located in Charlotte, is considered a preferred site by the United States Catholic Conference. More than 4,800 refugees of 20 nationalities have been assisted by the Refugee Office since 1975.

Along with fulfilling those housing needs, CSS's Charlotte branch works with St. Peter's Homes, an ecumenical effort to put people in homes who otherwise cannot afford one.

Children have always held a special place in the hearts of CSS workers. In addition to providing needy children with food and clothing, CSS organizes special giving drives around the holidays. Gifts of toys and games are given offers people a

by caring Catholics as generously as food and new clothes.

Other targeted populations include migrant workers. The Winston-Salem and Asheville offices offer specific support services to migrants and their famithroughout the year.

CSS workers understand the enormous stress of poverty so they also offer counseling. This support is given on a

lies

sliding fee scale and enables people to have access to trained professionals who can help them through difficult times.

This past year, through the help of clergy, religious, counselors and volunteers, CSS was able to touch the lives of an accomplishthousands of people ment of which even Mother Teresa

—

would be proud.

Mary Coyne Wessling, a former assistant editor of the North Carolina Catholic, is a freelance writer in Charlotte.

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

June

23, 1995 •

A Chance Of A Lifetime To See A Living Saint

&

The Catholic News

Herald

Thank you, Media The Diocese of Charlotte sincerely all members of the media for

thanks

such wonderful coverage of A Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa.

Media

By

inquiries began immediand so did the reporting. Many television stations and newspapers conducted advance interviews with Bishop Curlin; the interest in Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity sisters was overwhelming. We are

MARY COYNE WESSLING

ately,

A cool breeze swept through Charon Tuesday afternoon, lune

lotte

1

3 as

thousands of people waited outside the

Coliseum for

their chance to fulfill a dream: to see and hear Mother Teresa.

The crowd cooperated as beautifully as the weather. Even though some people stood in line for more than two hours, the mood was peaceful. While no one appeared anxious about getting

certain these stories helped i-

t*,'

,

'Nik y

^^-'v

ing the Coliseum service.

in-

—

Director of Communications

y§4

His message to love one another.

It did not matter if the people were

many were

not.

Nor

matter if they were infirmed, educated, rich or poor they knew the one

—

a crowd of about 13,500 admirers waits at the charlotte coliseum for mother Teresa to come to the stage.

photo by Mary Coyne Wessling

who serves the poorest of the poor would welcome them with open, loving arms.

"Mother Teresa reveals Jesus Christ to anyone who is looking," said Susan Smith, a mother and member of Nations Ford Baptist Church in Charlotte. "You don't have to be Catholic to feel the Holy Spirit working through her."

Smith, 40, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Rachel, to the Charlotte Coli-

seum to see Mother Teresa. When asked what she knew of the missionary, Rachel replied: "She picks people up off the

could attend the event, said she hoped many of her clients decided to come too.

of her former students from Our Lady of

could not be in Charlotte and not go see this saintly person. This is impor-

field trip to see the saint

"I

tant for

me,

my work and my own spiri-

tual life," said Stein

who

is

Jewish.

Glenn Fleming, 15, who attends Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont decided to accompany his mother to the event "to make sure everyone had a good time." The most impressive trait of Mother Teresa, he said, is her generous spirit and special caring

and takes care of them."

"I have always tried to use (Mother Teresa) as an example of what Jesus was like," said Smith. "Some people might say she's Catholic and into the pope but I say she's into Christ and reminds us we are all children of God." Louise Jackson, 77, of Gastonia's St. Stephen AME Zion Church, believes Mother Teresa is doing a wonderful job.

"I'd like to keep her here to help some of

Fleming's mother, Cheryl, is Director of Nursing for Hospice of Gaston County, an organization that serves people with life-threatening illnesses.

"Mother Teresa is the ultimate hospice person. She promotes care for people no matter what their affliction AIDS,

the people in this country."

hospices in the area jump

Clara Lowrey, Jackson's daughter, travelled with her mother to see what she described as a great inspiration. "I

to

streets

Mother Teresa could stay here and influence some of our people who commit violence. She can teach us to too wish

find peace in ourselves because that's

the only

way we can

Marie Vetter and her friends from Durham and Raleigh reflected on what impresses them about Mother Teresa.

"We all talk about doing good works but she does it everyday," said Vetter, a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Durham.

"She knows who she is. For those of us who aren't always sure, we come to see someone who is sure," said Margaret Pegg, also of Immaculate Conception.

Holding a stack of books written about Mother Teresa, Bobby Lufty, 45, said

he

tant,

attending churches in Raleigh and

Chapel

is

both a Catholic and a Protes-

Hill.

A

longtime admirer of

Mother Teresa, Lufty said, "Probably more than any one else today, she embodies the

Once

spirit

of Jesus."

inside the coliseum, people

sat patiently in their seats or

roamed the

aisles in search

of friends or to get a closer look at the center stage. A steady current of goodwill mixed with excite-

age,

— and no matter

background or

work with her

their

hope the chance

status in life. I

sisters,"

at

ForOliverC. Conner, 81, of Shelby, Mother Teresa in person was just too good to pass up. Conner,

the chance to see

a Methodist, said the event was "a wonderful time to hear a great lady speak.

She is a kind, loving Christian lady who lot of good in this world."

Kathy Duppstadt of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte left work early on Tuesday to bring her daughters Sandra, 15, and Jennifer, 18, to the event.

Duppstadt said she was hoping Mother Teresa's message that day would inspire people to live better lives and think about things besides material goods.

"Mother Teresa tries to show us that

we need God

in our lives, especially in our families," said Duppstadt.

Joe Bianco of St. Matthew Church

Matthews said he is impressed with Mother Teresa's commitment to live "a very basic lifestyle. She's done things that overpower the miniscule efforts we all make in an effort to be good people.

It's good to hear from someone who knows what life is all about."

For family man Bianco, a good life means putting his loved ones before work. He was true to his word that day as he sat in the stands reading a book to his in

5-year-old daughter, Laura.

rector of "To Life," an organization that

fortunate."

excitement to-

helps people deal with loss. Stein, who rescheduled her appointments so she

"When

the children

saw

than themselves abandoned. real impact," said Kersey.

Catholic, decided to

come

Patty Kersey of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, rounded up several

"Be like Jesus and practice what He preaches."

Josie Backhaus, St. Ann Church,

—

Charlotte.

the slides

from Mother Teresa's place in India, they were shocked. They did not realize the poverty; the sick and dying people she cares for. They saw children younger It

made

a

see

"Be a good person and

—

share."

Hillary Belk, 13, St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte.

"Help the poor but also rehow important family unity is and how it's in danger alize

Mother

Teresa because she wanted to be "in the presence of an enlightened person. The work she does, her commitment to service is not something we see everyday."

—

of being lost."

Mary Belk, St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte.

"Love and compassion.

Openness and tolerance."

Kevin Melody, St. Peter

—

Flowers from page 3

she said.

day," said Alexis Stein, executive di-

"I love the feeling of

Mother Teresa has generated here

of India. SevAssumption, she invited a friend to speak about Mother Teresa to the students. eral years ago, while teaching at

—

terminal illness

During interviews with people who came to hear Mother Teresa, we asked people what they believed her most important message is for the world. Here are some of their responses:

Assumption Catholic School for a

Phyllis Rollins of Rock Hill, a non-

His wife, Mary Ellen, kept on eye on daughter Catherine, 2. He brought his family, he said, to help his children "understand the many blessings they have and to begin teaching them to help those less

ment prevailed.

the

for children.

does a

survive."

—

—

seeing Mother Teresa. Many of those interviewed described her as a modern day saint, a personification of Jesus and

it

The Media

were respectful that this was first and foremost a prayer service. We thank you, and appreciate the video and print clips.

Joann Keane

pressed excitement at the thought of

Catholic. In fact,

the

We're most impressed with the reverence given to Mother Teresa dur-

side the 23,000-seat facility, several ex-

did

fill

Charlotte Coliseum.

Church Charlotte.

"Love.

In the course of the event, Peters

moved Gary and onto her

It's

Phyllis Rollins,

—

universal."

Rock

Hill.

T. out of his wheelchair lap.

With

his

head resting

gently on his mother' s shoulder, Gary T.

A

smiled. cameraman captured the tender mother-son scene and their image

flashed on the large screens high above

Coliseum floor.

"Every time they showed us, my mother-in-law wanted to jump up and scream, 'That' s my grandson and daugh-

the

ter-in-law!'" Peters said.

On the ride home, the family stopped Gastonia for pizza. "A woman approached me and asked if that was my son who met Mother Teresa. I told my in

husband later that Gary T. was already a celebrity," said Peters.

The following day Adrienne

Joe and Mary Ellen Bianco read to DAUGHTERS LAURA (l) AND CATHERINE (r) WHILE THEY WAIT TO SEE MoTHERTeRESA.

Peters

anyone willing to listen. She even joked with her pastor that she could give the homily at Mass that afternoon. In the same humorous vein, Peters said she would not wash Gary T.'s hair until everyone had a chance to touch his head as Mother

izing

Teresa did.

Christ."

Putting the chance meeting between Gary T. and Mother Teresa in perspective, Adrienne Peters said: "This is so much of how Gary T. has touched the

Leo Church, Winston-Salem.

related the story to

lives

of our family.

He

brings us

many

moments. All through the event all I could think was God is so good."

Mary Coyne Wessling, a former assistant editor of the North Carolina special

Catholic, lotte.

is

afreelance writer in Char-

"Service, discipline, service to humanity... love."

— Nina Layton, Rock

Hill.

"Love and peace and the

real-

humbleness

— Gail Atkinson,

of St.

"Pray and be a nice perCollette Gardner, 8,

son."

St.

—

Matthew

Church,

Matthews.

"Love and help everyone and don't ask anything in return."

— Jennifer Duppstadt,

18, St. Vincent de Paul Church,

Charlotte.

5

51 Celebration

Proo

'Come Let Us Together

Scores of Individuals Anxiously await the Opening of the Coliseum Doors

Photo by Nancy Biggs

Left:

John

Wilkins OF

Our Lady of Consolation,

Charlotte shares a

-

fSONGBOOK with Mother

Teresa as Alice Vance

of

St.

Patrick

Cathedral,

Charlotte looks ON.

Photo by Donna Jernigan

Mother Teresa and Bishop Curlin share a light moment during the prayer service.

of Jm

With 'Mother Teresa

the Greatness of the Lord'

Photo by Nancy Biggs

Above:

A crowd of 13,500 listens to Mother Teresa in the Charlotte Coliseum.

Below

Right:

To welcome Mother Teresa to Charlotte,

children representing the cultural

diversity of the dlocese presented small bouquets of flowers.

Photo by Nancy Biggs

Left:

At the conclusion of the mother teresa

prayer service,

stepped into the audience; stopping to meet the

handicapped, and handed out

Miraculous Medals.

Below: missionaries of Charity Sisters wait for the service to BEGIN.

Photo by Donna Jernigan

Left:

Mother

Teresa shares a sign of peace

with Methodist Bishop Bevel Jones.

Photo by Joann Keane

by Joann Keane

Photo by Joann Keane

8 The

Catholic News & Herald

•

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

June 23, 1995

A Life Of Giving: Do Small Things With Great Love News

Catholic

Service

Even Mother Teresa

after health

problems led

Dublin and in Darjeeling, India, she made her first vows as a nun in 1928 and

Twenty-one years later, when President Ronald Reagan presented her with

Charities in 1990, her order re-elected

principal at Loreto House, a fashionable

Medal of Freedom at White House, he called her a "heroine of our times" and noted that the

her as superior anyway and she went on

girls'

was de-

plaque honoring her described her as the

to resign as

traveling at a pace that

would have tired

vows nine

her final

years

the presidential

later.

While teaching and serving

head of the Missionaries of

college in Calcutta, she

as a

the

"saint of the gutters."

Mother Teresa might be the

first

recipient to take the plaque

and melt

world to deliver a single message: that love and caring are the most important

homeless street urchins, the ostracized sick people lying prey to rats and vermin in the alleys.

In 1946 she received a "call within a call," as she described it. "The mes-

things in the world.

sage was clear.

A favorite motto she has lived and preached has been "Do small things with great love."

But the "small things" she has done so captivated the world that she has been showered with honorary degrees and other awards, almost universally praised by the media and sought out by popes, presidents, philanthropists and other figures of wealth and influence.

During a month-long tour of the United States in 1982, she was asked at a press conference in Charleston, S.C., about the popular conviction that she

vent and help the poor, while living

city's streets, the

The tiny, wizened nun iar

white and blue

was already

sari

in her famil-

has traveled the

a saint.

I

was

to leave the con-

among them,"

down

to get

money

Mother Teresa's

—

sends it. We do

work; he provides the means. If he does not give us the means, that shows he does not want the work. So why worry?" his

Two to

the

Loreto Sisters

Her com-

follow

new

toward

attitude

years later, the Vatican gave her per-

and

it

money was that "God will provide."

"Money I never think of it," she once said. "It always comes. The Lord

said.

leave

award

for the poor.

she

mission

call-

bination of se-

ing under the

rene, simple

her

rarely known to praise Popes, still-living individuals

He also joked that

pressed by the destitute and dying on the

people half her age.

Times of London. "She has given me a whole new vision of what being a Christian means: of the amazing power of love, and how in one dedicated soul, it can burgeon to cover the whole world."

and

for

have not hesitated to hold Mother Teresa up as a symbol of what it is to be a Christian.

Awarding her the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1 97 1 Pope Paul VI proclaimed her "an example and symbol of the discovery of the secret of peace... that man is our brother."

"We hold up to the admiration of all this intrepid messenger of the love of Christ," Pope Paul said when he announced that she would be the first recipient of the award. Mother Teresa used the $25,000 prize to establish a sanctity,

,

home

for leprosy patients.

Pope John Paul has invited Mother Teresa to visit him almost every time she has been in Rome. In 1 980 he named her one of five auditors to that year's Synod of Bishops, where in a half-hour

jurisdiction of

faith

di-

address she asked the assembled bish-

archbishop of

rect, practical

When Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on

Calcutta.

ten

Dec. 10, 1979, she accepted it "In the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those who feel unwanted, unloved, un-cared for throughout society."

In recent years, she began work with

ops to give the world holy priests.

In 1982 as she was about to leave Rome for war-torn Lebanon, Pope John Paul invited her to the podium at an audience and declared that she "already knows" the language of peace because it belonged to her "Christian spirituality, to her soul, to her genius, to her heart."

He then publicly thanked God "for having sent among us Mother Teresa, whom we all admire for her simplicity, her authenticity, her apostolate."

In addition to winning the Nobel and Pope John XXIII peace prizes, Mother Teresa was given the Templeton

"Please, let

me

die first," she an-

swered.

the

efficiency of-

amazed

After

those

three

came

of

months medical

tact

training under

with her.

In

when

American

the

who in con-

1982, Israeli

Medical Missionary Sis-

troops were

deficiency syndrome

ters in Patna,

under siege

She opened shelters in New York, Philadelphia and Washington for people with AIDS. She founded houses in Cuba and the Soviet Union countries not generally open to foreign church

Mother Teresa went

an effort to

acquired

immune

sufferers.

—

India,

into

C

a

1

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta in 1950.

cation into her

In 1963

Mother Teresa co-founded the

Missionary Brothers of Charity with an to join in her

work.

In 1969, in response to growing interest of laypersons

who wanted to be

associated with her work, an informally

became a diocesan religious community and 15 years nized

it

directly

as a pontifical congregation,

Teresa was formed with the approval of Pope Paul VI.

dience, but the

more peasant than merchant.

too serious for her age.

Of the three

of us, she alone did not steal the jam."

As a student at a public school in Skopje, she was a member of a Catholic sodality with a special interest in for-

eign missions. "At the age of 12, 1 first knew I had a vocation to help the poor," she once said.

—

vian Jesuit missionaries in Bengal present-day Bangladesh but then part of

At 18 she

than in other congregations because, as

Mother Teresa explained, "to be able to love the poor and know the poor, we must be poor ourselves."

Jn addition the Missionaries of Charity

take a vow of "wholehearted and free

service to the poorest of the poor."

Mother Teresa once explained: vow means that we cannot work

left

home

to join the

Irish branch of the Institute of the

Blessed

Virgin Mary, known as the Loreto Sisters. After training at their institutions in

a community of her nuns at

we accept any what we do. Ours is to be a free service and to the poor."

In 1952, Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) Home for Dying Destitutes in a dormitory formerly a hostel attached to a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Kali donated by the city of Calcutta. Although some of

Spring School, a east Beirut.

It

home

for the

aged

in

was her first visit in a war

zone but not her last.

Meeting with Red Cross officials about relief needs, she asked what their most serious problem was. They took her to a nearby mental hospital that had just been bombed, requiring immediate evacuation of 37 mentally and physically handicapped children.

"I'll take them," she said.

"What stunned everyone was her energy and efficiency," a Red Cross official

involved in the evacuation said

afterward. "She

saw the problem,

fell to

—

chamber

those taken in survive, the primary func-

home is to be "a shelter where the dying poor may die in dignity." Tens tion of the

of thousands of people have been cared for in the

home

since

it

opened.

caring for leprosy patients in 1 957

.

When

Pope Paul VI visited Bombay in 1964, he gave Mother Teresa a white ceremonial Lincoln Continental given to him by people in the United States. She raffled off the car and raised enough

money

to finance a center for leprosy

victims in the state of

West Bengal.

In recent years, ten appears high on

pots.

We

Mother Teresa lists

of-

of the world's

most admired women, but she and her work were not widely known until 1968, when the noted British journalist and TV personality Malcolm Muggeridge, a curmudgeonly intellectual and caustic social critic, produced the television documentary on her, "Something Beautiful for God." His TV documentary and 1971 book by the same title were the first major popular works on Mother Teresa, who has since been the subject of several books and thousands of magazine and newspaper articles.

When Muggeridge and his wife, Kitty, 1

became Catholics

in

November

982, he attributed his conversion largely

to

"Words cannot convey how beholden

I

am

to her,"

he wrote

in

The

Kennedy

1971, the $300,000 Balzan Prize for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood in 1979, and dozens of other awards and honors, including one of India's highest the Padmashri Medal.

—

Dear Jesus, Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.

Flood our souls with your spirit and your

life.

Penetrate and possess our whole being

so utterly lives

may only be a

That every soul we come

radiance

in

us

in contact

with

May feel your presence

our

in

soul.

Let them look up and see no longer

us,

But only Jesus.

Stay with

us,

and then we

shall begin to

shine as you shine.

So to shine is to be a light to others.

The light, oh Jesus, will be all from you.

None of it It will

will be ours.

be you, shining on others,

through

us.

Let us praise you in the

way you

love

best

By

shining with love on those around

us.

Let us preach you without preaching, not by words, but by example.

By

the catching force, the sympathetic

influence of what

Mother Teresa.

F.

in

and then she was rattling off a list of nappies (diasupplies she needed didn't expect a saint to be so efficient."

—

John

Award

That our

pers), plastic pants,

—

in 1973, the

International

of yours.

Shine through us and be so

money

for

Award

her knees and prayed for a few seconds,

for the rich; neither can

The Missionaries of Charity began

At 1 5 Agnes was inspired to work in India by reports sent home by Yugosla-

India.

vow of poverty is stricter

"This

Lazar said their mother's example was a factor that led to Agnes' vocation.

"Already when she was a little child she used to assist the poor by taking food to them every day like our mother," he said. When Agnes was 9, he said, "She was plump, round, tidy, sensible and a little

Vatican recog-

under Vatican jurisdiction.

take

Albanian parents in Skopje, in the Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia, on Aug. 27, 1910. She had a sister, Aga, and a brother, Lazar. Her father was a grocer, but the family was

later the

The members of the congregation vows of poverty, chastity and obe-

structured, ecumenical International

to

to join her.

1950 the Missionaries of Charity

In

Association of Co- Workers of Mother

Teresa was born Mother Agnes Ganxhe Bojazhiu

Teresa visited photo by Joann keane

Soon volunteers came

Australian, Father Andrew Travers-Ball,

who left the lesuits

,

Mother

school.

first

in

root out the Palestine Liberation Organ i z a t i o n

the c u 1 1 a

slums to bring children cut off from edu-

workers.

holding Beirut

we do

—

The evident fullness of the love.

Our hearts bear us to you. Amen.

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

June

Generations Find Inspiration By

MARY COYNE WESSLING

The memories of Mother Teresa's visit

14 years ago in Charleston are still

When asked if she remembered any of Mother Teresa's speech, Belk replied, "What she said wasn't something so profound as

was basic

Students Learn: Treat People As Children Of God

By Kathleen Schmugge

— don't

Sarah Lawlor, a student

Gardner and her daughter, Mary Gardner Belk.

"My son told us the day before her visit that she was coming. We went not knowing if we'd even get in," said

forget the poorest of the poor. But she

Forest University,

said it in such a loving way I didn't feel preached to but joy-filled to hear it. I thought afterwards, 'Yeah, I could do

ten students at

Charlotte, a member of Our Lady of the

that.'"

clear for Charlotte

Assumption Church

it

"Even after all that she has seen and

in Charlotte.

done, all the poverty she has lived among,

Stadium, both women soaked up every small detail of the day and stored them

Charlotte. "I often recall her words: 'Joy

memories, sure that this would be the only time they d ever see Mother Teresa in person.

Fast forward to June 13, 1995.

Mary and Charlotte sit among their family and friends waiting once again to see and hear the famous missionary to the world. Before Mother Teresa in their

'

came on stage for the Charlotte event, Mary and Charlotte reflected on the similar event 14 years before

and their

admiration for the guest speaker.

remember

"I

it

started to rain,"

she has so

is I

much joy and

a net of love by which

think of that when

I

we catch souls.'

start to get discour-

aged."

Charlotte, mother to eight children

and Mary, mother of four, both find other inspiring messages from Mother Teresa.

"I believe she reminds mothers to have unconditional love for their children," said Mary. 'That' s what her motherhood is ... that and to be happy and

giving in

all that

"She inspires

we

do."

me to find the saintli-

ness in other people," said Charlotte. "I

"Mother Teresa asked everyone who had an umbrella to please share it with the person next to them. I was struck by her voice it was beauti-

know people

—

sweet with her accent."

Mary Belk, a member of St. Patrick

fully

in

my parish who are also

people who do so many things for others without other people knowing about their good works." saintly;

Mary's four children accompanied her and their grandmother to the Char-

Cathedral in Charlotte, recalled Mother

lotte

Teresa's stature. "I saw a

Gardner, cousins and in-laws. Hillary Belk, 13, said the chance to see Mother

little

person

come out on the stage and I was struck by that. Then suddenly, I hear this melodious voice and felt such a peace and calmness. I could have sat there for days and listened to her speak."

event along with Grandfather Bill

Teresa was a chance to be in the presence of someone who is likely to be-

come

Sarah described her days as won-

Wake

knows first hand the positive influence of Mother Teresa. A year ago December, Sarah was one of

Wake

selected for the

Mother homes in Calcutta, India.

It was a dream come true for the 1 9-

year-old Catholic

"She's a good person

God's

who

it

all

the

more

special.

Mary

Coyne

Wessling, a former assistant editor of the

North

Carolina Catholic, is a

Three Generations: Hillary and Allie Belk (front), Charlotte Gardner and Mary Gardner Belk (rear). freelance photo by mary coyne wessling Charlotte.

writer in

the problem," said Sarah.

Although Sarah's parents were supportive, they had some trepidation about such a long journey. Sarah did not. "there is nothing I can get that I can't get rid of," replied their faith-filled daughter.

"People who by American standards have nothing, truly have so much in their strong family ties." Sarah described the many kinds of poverty and how she now can see the tremendous spiritual poverty in every socio-economic group in the U.S. "I personally look for poverty in my own relationships and try to reach out more."

A typical day was "fun" but exhausting with much physical work.

She and the other students stayed in a YMCA, which was similar to a college

Staff Writer

CHARLOTTE

— During Mother

Teresa's ecumenical prayer service, no

unloved, the sick, the dying, the crippled

and demented."

"Mother Teresa's presence in the Diocese of Charlotte was an unbeliev-

little

Mother Teresa. After breakfast, they began work in one of two homes; Prendan, which means "gift of love," or Kalighat, a

home

for the dying and

destitute.

Sarah spent most of her time in Prendan with the mentally and physically ill and disabled. She would bathe patients and help them dress or take them "to the sun." The group would also help with the laundry which was done by hand and carried up and down many flights of stairs. "We sang religious songs with the sisters while we worked. We really had a great time."

happen to carry out God's word and message until people give."

Mother Teresa also exemplifies the importance of leaving a legacy behind

message does not happen without people

a legacy of giving love and service to

giving," said Kelley.

people in need.

generously sharing their God-given gifts

ing, is the

eventually die. She will leave

important example of this giv-

Kelley encourages people to use

"There was no collection because

work put into the Cherry neighborhood house occupied by four

the flavor of the celebration was to focus

Missionaries of Charity Sisters. Mother

on the message Mother Teresa brought us," said Jim Kelley, director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte.

In her presentation, Mother Teresa encouraged her listeners to live their lives as Jesus lived His and to always have a sense of giving. "The aim of our

Teresa's

Mother Teresa as an example in their lives. "Her life should cause us to think of what we could do to help people in our communities by giving of

have four of her Sisters in Charlotte began with finding them a house. Locally, the principles

Jesus on the Cross," said Mother Teresa.

of stewardship were shown by people donating money to help purchase the home and donating their time and expertise to fix it up with the necessary items.

"That house did not become a reality until people started giving their time,

"Love

talent

congregation is

is

to satiate the thirst of

revealed by asking for the

salvation and sanctification of the poorest

of the poor, for the unwanted, for the

and treasure," said Kelley.

like that in

our Christian

core of what

we

life.

"It's

God is the

do, but things don't

ourselves,"said Kelley.

"We need to start

looking beyond our death to what type of legacy we might leave for future generations."

Our legacy

we

give in this

is

a direct result of what

life,

said Kelley. Like

Mother Teresa, our legacy should involve sharing our God-given gifts with people in need.

comfort

woman

grabbed the

to rub Sarah's arm. "I

were many of

these touching moments."

The day would often end in the The physical and mental strain was great and an afternoon nap was not uncommon. After dinner, the students would gather for reflection their time to pray and share some of their experiences. Sarah felt it was a early afternoon.

—

time of rediscovery and awareness of her own obligation to help those in need.

Communication was not

the ob-

one might imagine for the group.

Sarah did learn a few phrases in the local dialect and the sisters could speak some English, but most communication came in the form of smiles, gestures and stacle

touch.

"I was so impressed with all of Mother Teresa's accomplishments.

With more than 450 homes, her own all

this,

the assertiveness

she

maintains

still

great humility."

When

asked about what

it

was

like

to work for Mother Teresa, Sarah quickly

pointed out that she worked with Mother Teresa. "She did everything that every-

one else

did, often to leaving the

most

degrading jobs for herself, like cleaning the bathrooms."

Sarah came to Calcutta with many questions and left with a new set. She said it changed her life, showing her what needs to be done and what her faith can do. Her desire to join the Peace Corps demonstrates her sincerity.

Sarah's advice to young people is not to worry about what you can't do but to

do what you

can. "Treat people as

God." a free-lance writer in Taylorsville and a member of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory. individuals, children of

Kathy Schmugge

is

...

The best laid plans of journalists and printers sometimes go astray ...

stewards of time, talent and treasure with the poor in their communities by

to

the old

and began

OOPS

Charlotte encouraged people to become

commitment

when

necessary to do

and

when we

An

tient

order of nuns, and

in the center

able occasion, but carrying out of her

was

start to

comforted. She shared a story in which she began to put lotion on a dying pa-

no roof

taken, but the Diocese of

offering

Often Sarah would

a patient and end up being the one

dorm except with no air condition-

Diocese Encourages The Giving Of Time, Talent And Treasure

By EDUARDO PEREZ

was easy to see the face of Christ

just started to cry. There

to get involved with this

mission; to be part of the solution, not

the illness

all

in these people."

want others

moderate so it was comfortable.

The group would get up at 5:45 a.m. and walk the couple of miles to the Motherhouse. They would usually attend Mass where they always saw

for me." second meet-

tiful. It

bottle

said

will,"

ing with Mother Teresa was more than Charlotte and Mary had hoped for. Bringing along the next generation of family

made

is

Amid

and death, Mother Teresa has created an environment of peace and hope. "Everyone was so friendly, warm and beau-

leading another trip this December. "I

privacy. Luckily the temperatures were

good

A

the eigh-

follows

Hillary. "Seeing her is

who found

teen day trip so enriching that she

ing,

a saint.

derful and tiring.

grant which sends students to

Teresa's

peace," said

recalled Charlotte of the Charleston event.

at

City of Joy Scholars, a service-oriented

They did. And while in the Citadel

& Ki

The Catholic News

23, 1995 •

In

the

tujo

first

section of this edition,

ads contain information to be

corrected.

A video on the Celebration of Faith with Mother Teresa was advertised, suggesting a $20 donation. Carly requests have exceeded planned volume, thus reducing the cost per tape. The new suggested donation is $10.

A second advertisement offered the text of Mother Teresa. This text is now contained in this second section.

This week's edition of The Catholic News & Herald was printed in two installments. Section one printed

days before the second. As

we went

to press with section one, we did not have the complete text transcribed.

UUe're now pleased to include the message of Mother Teresa.

Catholic News & Herald

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

June 23, 1995

•

Her Words: MotheI

In

We

have

been created

all

—

for great things

to

love and to be loved.

Let us ask Our Lady to give us her heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate. Her heart, so full of love and humility, that

we may be

able to re-

ceive Jesus, the bread of life: love Him as she loved Him and serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poorest of

the poor.

Jesus said: as the father has loved

me, so I have loved you. Love one another as I have loved you. Where does this love begin? In our own family. How does it begin? By praying together. Families that pray together stay together; and if you stay together you will love each other as God loves each one of you. I always say, what blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul. And so the body cannot live withour out blood, so also our hearts

gift of God to our To be with Jesus, teaches us that whatever we do to the least, we do it to

most beautiful

the

society.

We are also so close to Him in the

him.

Eucharist.

Ask your parish priest to give

you the joy of Adoration. It' s something so real, so beautiful.

It

brings us so close

bring prayer to your family. This has

been the greatest congregation: that ful

of God to our we have the beautigift

time to pray together; and the more

we pray together, the more we come to

came

Jesus

news: that

God

good

to give us the

loves us and that

He He

wants us to love one another as loved each one of us. To make it easy for us to love one another Jesus said: if you give a glass of water in my name, you give it to me. If you receive a little

£)esus insisted

we

love

each one of

us...

still

to

give whatever

—

that

we may

continue I

another. child in

my name you receive me. And

when you again

we

die and

go home

God "Come

to

will hear Jesus say:

you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you; because I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was naked and you clothed me; I was homeless and you took me in; I was sick and in prison and you visited me.

Come, receive the kingdom prepared for you.

If we read the

gospel carefully this

He preached the beautiful word of God and He was is

exactly what Jesus did.

busy with the sick, with the lepers, and with the hungry. He spread beautiful proof of tender love so that we may learn from Him how to show that love for each other.

Again I say, where does this love begin? In our own family. The aim of our congregation is to satiate the thirst of Jesus on the cross, for love that is revealed by working for the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor, for the unwanted, for the unloved, the sick, the dying, the crippled,

and demented. Anyone that

not wanted. He frees the hearts of people to be His love, His compassion, His is

presence. To be able to do that we need the deep life of prayer. That's why we

have daily Holy Mass and Holy Communion and with God's blessing we have daily Adoration. That has been

also

want to thank the families that have been generous in giving their children, their to daughters and their sons, to join us be Missionaries of Charity. We are now in 126 countries; we have 555 tabernacles all around the world. I want you all to pray very specially that we may continue this beautiful work with God'

—

Mary

Jesus brought peace to John the Baptist,

On

"Come,

on

his right hand,

enter the kingdom.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me." Then Jesus will turn to those on his left hand and say, "Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me."

These will ask Him, "When did we see you hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to your help?" And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of the least of these, you neglected to do unto me!"

As we have gathered here to pray together, I think it will be beautiful if we begin with a prayer that expresses very well what Jesus wants us to do for the least. St. Francis of Assisi understood

0esus

is thirsting

love,

and

for

this is the

of

thirst

everyone, rich alike.

I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile.

And Sister said: "This is the way it is

nearly every day.

they are hoping that a son or daughter

And as if that were not enough, as if were not enough that God the Son should become one of us and bring peace and joy while still in the womb of Mary, Jesus also died on the cross to show that greater love. He died for you and for me, and for that leper and for that man dying of hunger and that naked person lying in

will

the street, not only of Calcutta, but of

do we put our own interests first? These are the questions we must ask ourselves,

it

Africa, and everywhere.

Our sisters serve

do good to one another. And in the Gospel Jesus says very clearly; "Love as I have loved you."

Jesus died on the cross because that is what it took for him to do good to us to save us from our selfishness in sin.

He gave up everything to do the Father' will to show us that we too must be willing to give up everything to do God' will to love one another as He loves it

takes to

—

— —

each of us. If we are not willing to give whatever it takes to do good to one another, sin is still in us. That is why we too must give to each other until it hurts.

It is not enough for us to say, "I love God," but I also have to love my neighbor. St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. How can you love God

whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you do see, whom you touch, with whom you live? And so it is

very important for us to realize that

be

has to hurt.

willing to give whatever

—

we

will pray

it

together.

Let us thank God for the opportunity He has given us today to have come here to pray together. We have come here especially to pray for peace, joy and love. We are reminded that Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor.

He had told us what is that good news when He said: "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." He came not to give the peace of the world which is

only that

we don't bother each

other.

everyone was looking toward the door.

And I did not see a single one with a smile on their face. I turned to Sister and asked: "Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they

beth.

love, to

had the same difficulties that we have today. I think that some of you so already have this prayer of peace

—

who leapt for joy in the womb of Eliza-

very well expressed by a prayer.

And this prayer, which we say every day after Holy Communion, always surprises me very much, because it is very fitting for each one of us. And I always wonder whether 800 years ago when St. Francis lived, they

—

and forgotten them maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything good food, comfort-

not smiling?"

and poor

very well these words of Jesus and his life is

hurts.

I

able place, television, everything, but

whatever

the last day, Jesus will say

it

tution

of

us

Prayer Breakfast

text

true love, to give until

leapt with joy.

womb

in the

tells

delivered at the Feb. 1994 National

blessing and God's love.

is thii sting

and this is the thirst of everyone, poor and rich alike. We all thirst for the love of others, that they go out of their way to avoid harming us and to do good to us. This is the meaning of

the child in the

those poor people in 126 countries throughout the world. Jesus insisted that we love one another as He loves each one of us. Jesus gave his life to love us and He tells us that we also have to give

it

takes to do good to one

— womb of Elizabeth —

I

this beautiful work, this great love.

dying on the cross,

can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an insti-

her cousin, Elizabeth, Scripture

our

love?

to those

have

went in haste to give that good news. And as she came into the house of ately she

—

we

that

came in to Mary' s life, immedi-

While

we have homes for people with AIDS. There is one thing I can tell you sincerely, that no one has died disturbed. The most beautiful death each one died in peace and in love with God. What work of love can bring so much peace and unity with God's

Mother Teresa read from her

one another as I7ie loves

—

unborn child

to pray for us

So

live without prayer.

And God loved the world so much He gave His son it was a giving.

God gave His son to the Virgin Mary, and what did she do with Him? As soon

that

that the

the United States

When He was

Jesus said, "I thirst." Jesus for our love,

to others.

mented, the lepers and in many places in

one of us.

— cannot

— from doing good

as Jesus

love each other as Jesus loved each

souls

comes from loving

Him. As you know we work for the poorest of the poor. We have homes for the sick and the dying, the crippled, de-

to

want also to thank all of you who have been helping the sisters to do this work with great love because, as you know, we cannot do everything. So many who have come to share the work with us; it has made it possible for us to have these homes in many places and to give tender love and care. Everyone has died in peace with God. That's why I want you to all of you

—

He came to give the peace of heart which

true,

it

I

harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until there

is

no

it

hurts. Otherwise,

true love in

me and

injustice, not peace, to those It

I

bring

around me.

We have

hurt Jesus to love us.

been created in His image for greater things, to love and to be loved. We must "put on Christ" as Scripture tells us. And so, we have been created to love as He loves us. Jesus makes Himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, the unwanted one, and He says, "You did it to me." On the last day He will say to those on his right, "Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me, and He will also say to those on His left, whatever you neglected to do for the least of these, you neglected to do it for me."

are expecting,

come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten." And see, this neglect to love brings spiritual poverty. Maybe in our own family we have feeling lonely, who is who is feeling worried. Are we there? Are we willing to give until it

somebody who is feeling sick,

hurts in order to be with our families, or

especially as

we

begin this year of the

We

must remember that love begins at home and we must also remember that "the future of humanity passes family.

through the family."

I

was surprised in the West to see so

many young boys and girls given to drugs. And I tried to find out why. Why is it like that, when those in the West have so many more things than those in the East? And the answer was: " Because there

no one

is

receive them."

Our

us for everything

in the family to

children depend on

—

their health, their

nutrition, their security, their

coming to

know and love God. For all of this, they trust, hope and expectaBut often father and mother are so busy they have no time for their children, or perhaps they are not even married or have given up on their marriage.

So the children go to the streets and get

look to us with tion.

involved in drugs or other things. We are

which is where love and peace must begin. These

talking of love of the child,

are the things that break peace.

But

I feel

that the greatest de-

stroyer of peace today is abor-

must be

takes not to

They

tion,

because

it

is

a

war

against the child, a direct killing of the

innocent child, murder by the mother And if we accept that a mother

herself.

can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?

do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion should be helped to

How

love, that

is,

to give until

it

hurts her

plans, or her free time, to respect the life

of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By

abortion, the mother does not

learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion,

the father is told that he does not have to

Celebration Of Faith With Mother Teresa

June

eresa,

June

We cannot

We are not social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of some people, but we must be contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we must bring that presence of God into your family, for the family that prays together, stays together. There is so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is

the problems in the world, but

not how much we do, but how much love

take any responsibility at all for the child

turn the attention to each other as hap-

pens in natural family planning, and not to self, as happens in contraception.

Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows very

women

into

same trouble. So abortion just leads more abortion. Any country that ac-

the to

cepts abortion

not teaching

is

its

people

what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. people are very, very concerned with the child-

Many

ren of India, with the child-

where quite a few die of

ren of Africa,

hunger, and so on.

Many people are also

concerned about all the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions

who

And

what

this is

And for this

I

— "Let us bring

solve

all

family planning.

us never bring in the worst problem

let

and that is to destroy love. And this is what happens when we tell people to practice contraception and abortion. of

all,

This

— at home in the

begins

—

and concern. This is the only way that our world can survive because our children are the only hope for the future. As older people are called to God, only their children can take their places.

But what does God say to us? He says: "Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved in the palm of my hand." We are carved in the palm of His hand: that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception and is

you

The poor have a very great people.

They can teach us so many beautiful things. Once one of them came to thank us for teaching her natural family plan-

to teach us natural family planning be-

nothing more than self-conout of love for each other." And

trol

it is

what this poor person said is very true.

These poor people maybe having nothing to eat, maybe they have not a home to live in, but they can still be great people

when

When street,

by God

called

to love

and

now in this life, God can never forget us. not only

will tell

to

be loved,

but forever.

a piece of bread. But a person shut out,

beautiful.

who

who feels unwanted, unloved, who has been thrown

out of society

much

—

harder to overcome.

And

abor-

by care of the mother and adoption for her baby. We have saved thousands of

the

lives.

We have sent word to the clinics, and police

stations:

"Please don't destroy the child;

we will

So we always have somethe mothers in trouble: "Come,

take the child."

one

tell

we will take care of you, we will get a home for your child." And we have a tremendous demand from couples who

—

cannot have a child but I never give a child to a couple who have done something not to have a child. Jesus said,

"Anyone who receives a

child in

my

name, receives me." By adopting a child, these couples receive Jesus but, by aborting a child, a couple refuses to receive Jesus.

don't

Please

want the

me

kill

the child. I

child. Please give

the child.

I

am

willing to

who would be aborted and give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3 ,000

accept any child

children from abortion. These children

have brought such love and joy to their adopting parents and have grown up so full of love and joy.

I

their

know that couples have to plan family and for that there is natural

poor, and that

is

be very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters:

"You

take care of the other

three; I will take care of the

I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face.

She took hold of my hand, as she said one word only: "Thank you" and she

love can do.

—

died.

could not help but examine my own conscience before her. And I asked: "What would I say if I were in her place?" And my answer was very simple.

I

would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said: "I am I

hungry,

I

am

dying,

am

I

am in gave me

cold,

pain," or something. But she

I

— she gave me her

much more love. And she

grateful

died with a smile on her

Then there was the man we picked up from the drain, half eaten by worms and, after we had brought him to the face.

said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die as an angel, loved and cared for. " Then,

home, he only

after

we had removed

from

his body, all

God"

power

who

looks worse." So I did for her all that my

family

natural family planning, not

one

— and he

he I

died.

am It

ful to see the greatness

all

said,

the

worms

with a big

going

home

to

was so wonderof that man who

giving life, through contraception, a lusband or wife is doing something to self. This turns the attention to self and

could speak like that without blaming anybody, without comparing anything.

Like an angel this is the greatness of

Him or her.

people who are spiritually rich even when they are materially poor.

)f

so destroys the gift of love in In

loving, the

husband and wife must

—

One of the most demanding things is when I have to travel to so many places. But God is so beautiful;

me

for

so generous in His love for us

all.

we remember that God loves us, and that we can love other as He loves If

us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world.

Let us thank God for his great love.

As Jesus said: as the father has loved me I have loved you. Love one another as God loves each one of you. And I have the most beautiful gift news to

—

New York ten sisters took

us in Scripture: "Even

if a

forget the child in her

womb"

ence and wholehearted service of the poorest of the poor. These are the children of the United States The other day we had also final vows of 15 sisters who took their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and wholehearted service to the poorest of the poor in Washington. I'm very grateful to the families who have been so generous in giving

—

—

never forget you."

And so here I am talking with you. I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people first. And find out about your next-door neighbors. Do you know who they are?

I

"I will

first

—

dMake

us worthy, JZord,

our

to serve

ovo

man

throughout the voorld voho

and

live

die in

vows

— consecrated

their lives to

Jesus in poverty, in chastity, in obedi-

.

their children. Please give

—

I

had the most extraordinary experi-

ence of love of neighbor with a Hindu family. A gentleman came to our house and said: "Mother Teresa, there is a family who have not eaten for so long.

Do something." So I took some rice and went there immediately. And I saw the children their eyes shining with hunger. I don't know if you have ever seen hunger. But I have seen it very often.

And the mother of the family took the rice I gave her and went out. When she came back, I asked her: "Where did you

most difficult to overcome.

Those who are materially poor can

smile, was: "Sister

is

&H

The Catholic News

give you. In

the worst poverty and

amily planning. The way to plan the :ontraception. In destroying the

•

problems, these problems can never discourage us. We must always remember what God tells all its

which often follows from contra-

ception, brings a people to be spiritually

to the hospitals

of the world with

that spiritual poverty is

We are fighting abortion by adoption —

I

If

is

terrified, the person

tion,

you something

they are spiritually rich.

pick up a person from the hungry, I give him a plate of rice, I

I

>

"You people who have

practiced chastity, you are the best people

cause

we do. we are contemplatives in the heart

put into what

forget

family.

ning and said:

we

mother could something impossible, but even if she could

where love

is

I

the

image and likeness of God for to love and to be loved.

In this year of the family we must bring the child back to the center of our care special

tice natural

to such blindness.

The child is God's gift to Each child is created in the

greater things

in the

— abortion

child back." the family.

—

world that many spouses do not love each other enough to prac-

own moth-

appeal in India and

appeal everywhere

also know that there are great prob-

the greatest

is

destroyer of peace today

which brings people

I

lems

by the

are being killed

deliberate decision of their ers.

easily.

but to use any violence to get

to love,

1995

1995

13,

he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other

23,

some more

need more. God bless you all.

Following the National Prayer

Breakfast text, Mother Teresa continued with additional comments:

As

we

are here together

would

I

pray for poor people throughout the like us to

is so much suffering, so much pain. In some countries we have so many difficulties regarding the poor, and so much suffering, so many diseases. I hear now that there is a new sickness down in Africa where many

world. There

people are dying already. So let us pray: Make us worthy Lord, to serve our fellow man throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger.

Give them, through our hands, this day their daily bread and by our understanding love, give peace and joy. May God's blessing be with you all, in the name of the Father, the Son and the

Holy

Spirit.

God bless

you.

go? What did you do?" And she gave me a very simple answer: "They are hungry

have no gold and silver to give you. What I have I give with my whole heart. I give you my sisters. We are opening two more centers here and we will be able to take tender love and care

also." What struck me was that she knew

to the needy, to the suffering, to those

I

poverty.

— and who they? A Muslim family — and she knew bring any more are

.

I

didn' t

who need love and care. Counting these two, we will have about 40 houses in want you

rice that evening because I wanted them,

the United States.

Hindus and Muslims

share the joy of loving and whenever

to enjoy the joy of

sharing.

But there were those children, radiating joy, sharing the joy and peace with their mother because she had the love to give until it hurts. And you see this is where love begins at home in the

—

So, as the example of this family

God will never forget us and something you and I can always do. We can keep the joy of loving Jesus in our hearts, and share that joy with all we come in contact with. Let us make that no child will be that one point unwanted, unloved, uncared for, or killed and thrown away. And give until it hurts

all to

you have time, please come and help the sisters. So pray for these new houses,

my

gift to

you.

have good news to give you. We are soon going to have a home for babies to give in adoption in WashingI

ton.

family.

I

So pray for us that we may do this work with great love. Some-

beautiful

we have been

shows,

thing like in Calcutta,

there

able to give over 3,000 children in

is

—

— with

a smile.

Because

I

talk so

much

of giving

with a smile, once a professor from the United States asked me: "Are you mar-

And I said: "Yes, and I find it sometimes very difficult to smile at my spouse, Jesus, because He can be very demanding sometimes." This is really something true. And there is where love comes in when it is demanding, and yet we can give it with joy for with joy it brings joy, peace, love and

ried?"

— —

unity.

—

do the same Washington will be ready soon and we will be able to do something beautiful for God. Let us give thanks to Almighty God for these and all the other benefits which of thy bounty we have received through Christ, our Lord, Amen. May God's blessing be with you all. God bless you.

We give you thanks, Almighty God, for these and all the other benefits which of thy bounty we have received adoption.

I

thing here.

would like The house

to in

through Christ, our Lord, Amen. May God' s blessing be with you all. Always pray together, and if we pray together

we

will stay together. If

we

stay to-

gether we will love each other as Jesus loves each one of us. in peace.

God bless you. Go

LEBRATION OF F with

Mother Teres of Calcutta

The Diocese of Char expresses heartfelt

THE MANY VOLUNTEi p S WHC VORK TO INSURE THE SI ESS OF THE ecumenical prayer service with Mother Tere

be Catholic

News

& Herald

June 23, 1995

Bishops' Meeting At

A Glance

CHICAGO (CNS) — When the U.S. bishops met in Chicago June

15-17 for

the spring general meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, they:

—

Called unanimously for a sharp curb on international arms sales and a worldwide ban on land mines in a 10-page statement, "Sowing the Weapons of War." Decided to disband their Catholic Telecommunications Network of America this summer and set up a planning process to develop a new telecommu-

—

nications plan within three years.

—

Failed after intense debate to approve or disapprove the proposed revision of the day-by-day Mass prayers of the Sacramentary, with mail balloting of absent bishops needed to resolve the question.

—

Approved with almost no debate a statement, titled "Faithful for Life," condemning abortion and euthanasia as "particularly grave" attacks on human life.

—

Issued new "Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments With Persons With Disabilities," designed to improve access to the sacraments by disabled persons and to reduce inconsistencies in pastoral practice.

Began discussions, in small groups and as a body, of the possible

—

restructuring of the

NCCB and U.S. Catholic Conference, with bishops appearing

evenly divided on one of the basic questions, whether the NCCB-USCC should be

combined into a single conference.

Were told that orders of U.S men and women religious still need to add $6.9

—

.

billion to their retirement funds in order to

cover expected needs of their aging

members, even though they now have $5.8 billion set aside.

Heard a detailed report on Chicago Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin's surgery June 12 for malignant tumors on his kidney and pancreas, his recovery in the hospital, and his need for radiation and chemotherapy because of a strong

—

likelihood of recurrence.

— Approved

a plan for a forum of scholars and a small team of U.S. bishops

Lutheran Bishop Mark

June

1 1

AIDS

Menees

(r)

joins

Bishop Curlin

(From Page

Bishop Curlin said.

There is hope that the Healing Mass will become an annual ecumenical event, said Father McCreesh. "This year we wanted the Lutheran community to join us because their efforts to help people with HIV or AIDS have been active for

1)

on the liturgy, to cover not just translation questions but other issues surrounding During his homily Bishop Curlin

liturgical texts.

— Heard

a preliminary report

on a three-year national vocations

recruiting

plan which the Vocations Committee intends to submit for the bishops' approval in

told of his days as chaplain at Gift of

November.

— Proposed Vatican — evangelization, vocations and care — consideration themes planned Pan-American Synod of Bishops. from Bishop John Kinney on work of — Heard progress Ad three topics to the

pastoral

as

for

for the

report

a

the

F.

his

Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, now working on a second volume of resource on issues this November. materials

related to clergy sexual abuse of minors to

go to the bishops

—

Greeted Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana, who said his people need humanitarian aid because of deteriorating economic conditions under

home for persons AIDS in Washington, D.C., run by

Peace, a residential

with

annual Healing Mass Photo by JOANN KEANE

for the

at St. Patrick Cathedral.

Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Char-

some years."

"This Mass

ity.

He

urged those attending to allow God to enter the depths of their souls and confirm His love. "God lives in us," said Bishop Curlin. "When we feed a hungry person, it's God feeding the hungry.

Bear witness to Jesus, not by talking about Him, but by living like Him,"

that the

Church

clearly is

made

evident

a place of mercy and

care for all people," said B ishop Menees.

"In the judgmental world

we live in, we

must remember to imitate Christ in praying for the healing of all people, no matter what their illnesses."

communism.

Greensboro

Woman —

ELON COLLEGE

Gets Council Post

Johnson, a member of St. Paul the Apostle

on the council's Equal Rights and Children and Families Advocacy commit-

Parish in Greensboro has been elected

tees.

third vice president of the lina

Bridget

North Caro-

Council of Churches.

She was elected by the Council's House of Delegates at its annual meeting

May

1 1

at the First

United Methodist

Church of Elon College. She also serves

Diocese of Charlotte P.O. Box 36776 Charlotte,

June

Johnson has been very active in her parish and on the diocesan and vicariate levels. She is a member of the diocesan for Human Development Committee and of the Greensboro Vi-

Campaign cariate

Dear Friends

Community Life Network.

(From Page

1)

proved the idea in 1 964 and Pope Paul VI issued directives for implementing the

In the beginning, the deacon was regarded as a helper to the priests and served many functions including works

restoration in 1967.

of charity, celebration of some sacred

diaconate in the Diocese of Charlotte in

and fulfillment of some pastoral by the fifth century, the position came to be regarded almost exclusively as a step toward ordination as a priest a role comparable to the

rites

duties. But,

—

present transitional deacon.

As part of the changes decreed by the Second Vatican Council the permanent diaconate was restored, the council ap-

Now retired Bishop Michael J. Begley established the permanent 980 and the first permanent deacons in were ordained in 1983.

The permanent diaconate is open to married men but there are some restrictions. A deacon who is single at the time of ordination must remain celibate and a married deacon whose wife dies after his 1

the diocese

ordination

A Celebration of Faith

may not remarry.

1995

in Christ,

Evangelization, the proclaiming of the Gospels,

Catholic Church. Since 1885, the

Deacons

14,

NC 28236

is

a priority in the

Home Mission Collection

(the Black

and Indian Mission Collection) has been a tremendous help to the dioceses that otherwise would have a serious problem promoting evangelization. The faithful have annually been very generous and the Church has advanced in many parts of the United ,

States

because of

this collection.

The 1 995 Home Mission Collection will be taken in our diocese on the weekend of July 8-9. I ask your support and generosity that once again needed assistance may be available to areas of our land that still are mission areas. What began over a century ago and has been a tremendous success for the Church is needed today more than ever.

Today in the United States, there are priests, sisters, deacons and bringing the Church to people who do not have a financial base.

People in their areas are very poor, work is scarce and for the Church to be available to the people, these religious must receive financial assistance - and that is the reason for the Home Mission Collection. laity

vfith

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Asking your generous response to this collection and wishing you and yours God's abundant blessings, I am

Come Let Us together Proclaim the greatness of the Lord

Sincerely yours in Christ,

The Text of Mother Teresa's June 13 Ecumenical Address at the Charlotte Coliseum is

Very Reverend Mauricio W. West, V.G. Chancellor

available from:

The Office of Communications 1524 E. Morehead St. Charlotte, NC 28207 A Five Dollar Donation is requested 1

524

E.

Morehead

Street Charlotte,

NC 28207

The Catholic News &

June 23, 1995

Statue Dedication...

\

Knights Elect Officers, Honor

Top Councils At State Convention GREENSBORO — Luther J. Stultz of Fayetteville was elected state deputy of the North Carolina State Council of the Knights of

Columbus at last month

the annual

convention

state

Greens-

in

boro.

Stultz will serve for the 1995-96 fraternal year, succeeding James L.

Neely

of High Point. Other officers elected for

coming year were John Harrison of Clemmons, state secretary; Robert Singer the

of Wilson, state treasurer; Tony Petite of Kernersville, state advocate; and

Onofrio of Fuquay-Varina,

David

state

war-

den. Father Thomas Gaul, pastor of Good

Shepherd Church

in

Hope

was

Mills,

appointed state chaplain.

North Carolina councils receiving national awards at the convention included Charlotte Council 770 which re-

John Harrison

ceived the Supreme Youth Award.

On

of

Clemmons

(r),

outgo-

ing state treasurer of the Knights of

Columbus, presents the State Golden Knight of the Year Award to Past State Deputy Richard Grebner of Gastonia at the recent state convention in Greens-

the state level, the best large

council award went to Council 9499 of

Clemmons. The First place Ladies Auxiliary was Council 7343 of Charlotte.

Council 9560 of Charlotte had the big-

boro.

gest percentage gain over quota and the

Father

Raymond

Hourihan, pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church,

Albemarle, recently dedicated a statue of the Blessed Mother with the Christ Child.

The

statue, sculpted by Adrian

Van Der

Staak,

was

set

in

largest net increase in membership among

Knight of the Year Award, an honor

the state's large councils.

reserved for Knights over 50 years of age

of Gastonia received the State Golden

Cardinal Bernardin's Pancreatic CHICAGO (CNS) — Doctors said

Tumor Was Malignant

the pancreatic tumor removed from Chi-

of other organs.

cago Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin June 12 was malignant but caught in time

Doctors initially believed a tumor found on the kidney was cancerous though

some discomfort during his treatment, he expected to resume his work duties.

The cardinal was in good spirits and accepted the news with equanimity, ac-

before

ney, 40 percent of the pancreas and parts

is

unrelated to the tumor on the pancreas.

cording to doctors and Chicago Archdio-

Yet doctors gave the cardinal only a 20-25 percent chance to survive the next five years and will begin chemotherapy and radiation treatment to prevent a re-

At the press conference they said they were unsure if the kidney growth was

cese officials.

cancerous.

cardinal's deep faith and resignation to

currence.

remarkably well from the surgery and was expected to leave the hospital in a week, will undergo intensive chemo-

Raymond E. Goedert, who as vicar gen-

therapy treatment for four to six weeks

accept whatever

and will receive intermittent treatment two years. Although he will be in

him."

it

spread.

The announcement came during

a

June 14 press conference at Loyola University Medical Center, two days after the cardinal's surgery. The seven-hour surgery removed the cardinal' s right kid-

The

cardinal,

with more than 15 years of service.

Past State Deputy Richard Grebner

a garden created by

parishioner Jackie Haynie near the parish's Family Life Center.

who was

progressing

for

"We God's eral is

have

will,"

been inspired by the

all

said Auxiliary

Bishop

running the archdiocese while the

cardinal

is ill.

"He has been

The bishop

God

willing to

has in store for

said he

met with

the

cardinal not long after he learned of the

tumor's malignancy, and the cardinal

WILL AN EXTRA $1 ,000 A MONTH HELP YOUR CLUB / CHURCH?

DO YOU HAVE NEEDS THAT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS CAN'T COVER?

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Call us to learn more about how we can get you started.

calmly explained his medical status.

"He was so matter of fact you'd think he was building a building or something," said Bishop Goedert.

Dr.

Warren Furey, the

CARDINAL BERNARDIN Dr. Gerard Aranha, chief of surgical oncology at Loyola, said he was encouraged in finding the cancer had not spread other than to a lymph node, which had been removed. "We've passed a lot of hurdles," said Dr. Richard Fisher, head of Loyola's Cancer Center.

cardinal's

personal physician, described how eager

was to begin his recovery.

Soon after he received the news form his doctor, the cardinal said, "Let's get on with that walk I'm supposed to take." the cardinal

Remember HisWll

"A valid Will stands as a continuing expression of our

concern for loved ones, as well as an ongoing commit-

ment to the Church and the community in which we live!'

In Yours.

Y

Bishop William G. Curlin

ou can express your commitment to your Church by making a bequest to the Diocese of Charlotte or to your parish. Simply have the following statement included in your Will:

"I leave to the

Charlotte (or

Roman

Catholic Diocese of

parish, city) the

sum of$

percent of the residue of my estate) for religious, educational and charitable works." (or

1

-800-992-2468

us

Fiber

its

For more information on how to make a Will that works, contact Jim Kelley, Diocese of Charlotte, Office of Development, 1524 East Morehead

St.,

Charlotte,

NC 28207,

(704) 331-1709 or 377-6871.

& Herald

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

Pro-Life Corner Gruesome experiments on tiny pre-born boys and girls will be funded with your tax dollars unless you act now!

The National

Institute of Health

wants to use your tax

dollars to fund

human embryo

experimentation.

Please contact your Congressman today:

Hon.

House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Switchboard: 202-225-3121

Editorial The Impact on Charities The theory behind proposed

Trie

cuts in funding for

Respect Life Office

"Diocese

(704) 331-1 720

of Charlotte

welfare and other federal social programs is that private charitable organizations will take

Church Must Revitalize Preaching

up the slack and met

the needs of the poor.

But a new report indicates

budget

that the federal

cuts will significantly reduce the ability of nonprofit

organizations to meet the needs of their communities at a time

when those budget cuts will also sharply increase

the need for their services.

The

comes from Independent Sector, a 800 voluntary organiza-

report

national coalition of more than

and corporate giving programs. It is based on the current and projected financial operations of 108 nonprofit organizations in 31 states.

It predicts a $254 BILLION cumulative gap between available funds and the amount needed by those organizations to maintain the current level of services during the fiscal years 1996-2002. That doesn't take into account the expected increased demand for services because of federal budget cuts during the period.

Sara Melendez, president of Independent Sector, says that in 2002 "if the participating organizations had to make up their program revenue with private giving, charitable contributions would have to be increased by 124 percent from the previous year ..."

The organizations included in the report provide services ranging from child care to counseling, from education to environmental action and from disaster tions, foundations

relief to disability rights.

Lester Salamon of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, one of the authors of the report, says private giving in

2002

have

will

to increase

by 252

percent over 1 996 if the 1 08 organizations surveyed are to provide the

Not eral

same

community.

services to the

fund and those that do not will not be impacted as

severely by the budget cuts. But even they will be

impacted by an increase in the number of people needing their services.

While important ecumenical and

The federal government has been helping nonprofit human needs for more than a century. The first federal human services grant went to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington in 1 892.

This does not appear to be the time for a major reversal of long-standing federal social policy.

The Catholic

m

News & Herald June 23, 1995

Volume

primary aim of pastoral efforts should be announcing the Gospel, he said.

Specifically, he said, the Church' s preaching should be capable of "reawakening the consciences of contemporary people, who are often apparently indifferent or caught up in other interests."

He called for "a renewed preaching, for a renewed evangelization," capable of prompting men and women to take a close look at their

own religious attitudes and

ethical practices.

4,

tians can give to the men and women of our time, marked it is by hatred, violence, injustice and, above all, by a loss of the true meaning of life," he said.

"In fact, in confronting the conflict between death

as

and life in which we are immersed nothing can help like faith in the Son of God," who became human and lived on earth so that all people would have abundant life, he said.

In doing so, the Church should not be afraid of using

new media and technology, he

adding that it was a fact of modern life that the evangelization of culture depends greatly on the impact of mass media.

As the year 2000 approaches, he said, the Church needs to pay attention to the "new language, the new techniques and the new psychological attitudes" that characterize our age. said,

"It is faith in the risen Lord who conquered death and faith in the blood of Christ ... which gives hope and gives back to humanity its authentic face," the pope

said.

Pope John Paul expressed his thanks and that of the Church to men and women who have made a complete and lifelong commitment to missionary activity and especially "to those

Pope Says Proclaiming 'Good News' Is Great Service For Humanity VATICAN CITY (CNS) In a world

—

filled

with

and confusion, proclaiming the Christian message is the greatest service Catholics can perform for humanity, Pope John Paul II said.

All Christians are called to witness to the love of

God and

salvation through Christ, the

message

for the 1995 celebration of

pope said in his World Mission Sunday. The message was released at the Vatican June 1 0 for the celebration, which will be held Oct. 22 in most

radical

and

total self-giving

"Do

not

let

yourselves be intimidated by doubts,

difficulty, rejection or persecution,"

The pope

also addressed special

Mail Address:

PO Box

Sullivan

St.,

NC 28207 NC 28237

Charlotte,

37267, Charlotte,

Mullen Publications,

&

Inc.

Herald,

USPC

007-393,

is

pub-

by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1524 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28207, 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 lished

enrollees in parishes of the

and $18 per year for

postage paid

at

Charlotte

Roman

all

Catholic Diocese of Char-

other subscribers.

NC

young

being in announcing the Gospel and serving His people,"

pope told young people. "But do not

His

involvement in spreading the Christian message and for "a greater passion" for evangelization, the pope said.

"This is the first and most important service Chris-

ished by closing in on yourselves; open your minds and

week The Catholic News

to

requests of you are also a measure of His love for you.

"Do

not

let

fear!

yourselves be withered and impover-

your hearts to the infinite horizons of the mission," the

pope

said.

Laid Plans...

and other

TER:

Send address corrections

to

Herald,

PO Box

NC

37267, Charlotte,

cities.

Second-class

POSTMAS-

The Catholic News 28237.

it

became

obvious that our original plan for a rush edition to cover Mother Teresa would be a logistical impossibility. As you probably remember, we had planned to try to print the June 23 issue a week early with the entire issue devoted to Mother Teresa's visit to Charlotte.

Because of the timing of her visit with the only public appearance late on Tuesday afternoon, it quickly became apparent that the mechanics alone would preclude the possibility of publishing a special edition a

Phone: (704)331-1713 Printing:

words

God expects great things of them, he said.

"He asks the maximum commitment of your whole

people.

mm

McDermott

1524 East Morehead

Office:

he told missionar-

ies.

the

After the June 9 issue went to press

Hispanic Editor: Luis Wolf

Gene

and new and courageous

efforts."

The annual day for recognizing the Church's missionaries is also a time to pray for a wider Church

The Best

Eduardo Perez

Editorial Assistant: Sheree

name of

dioceses.

Most Reverend William G. Curlin

Advertising Manager:

are suffering for the

The commitment of the missionaries, he said, is a model for the whole Church "which always needs

Robert E. Gately

Staff Writer:

who

Christ."

Number 39

Associate Editor: Joann Keane

lotte

interreligious

events are being planned for the coming five years, the

hatred, violence

organizations meet

Editor:

of the second millennium.

of the organizations surveyed receive fed-

all

Publisher:

—

VATICAN CITY (CNS) In its evangelization campaign leading up to the year 2000, the Church needs to revitalize its preaching and take advantage of modern mass media, Pope John Paul II said.

The pope, addressing the Vatican's planning committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 on June 8, said the Church willneedamajor effort to break through the widespread religious indifference that marks the end

&

1

Editor's

Notebook Bob Gately

early.

After studying all of the possibilities, we decided on this issue.

We present the regular issue of June 23 with

the usual stories and features plus a 12-page special

section devoted to Mother Teresa and her sisters as they

begin their ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The

credit for putting together the special section

goes largely to Associate Editor Joann Keane with help

Editorial Assistant Sheree McDermott and Staff Writer Eduardo Perez. There also were contributions from freelance writers and photographers who supplemented our staff. You'll see their bylines and photo

from

credit lines throughout the special section.

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

& Herald

5

Discerning God's Will At times, discerning God's

will can

be as easy as reading the Gospels; at other times it's more difficult than finding your way out of a dense forest on a

It may not be immediately clear what God wants of you. Questions abound

when you're young. Should I attend this school or that? Should

I

serve in this

As you

get older the

dark moonless evening.

capacity or that?

Webster defines the verb "discern" as "distinguishing with the eye or the

questions change. Should

mind." The healthy eye can distinguish between the colors red and green. The healthy mind can distinguish between good and evil. To discern also implies the ability to detect something that is not immediately obvious. A secret service agent can detect the stirrings of a genuine vocation hidden beneath the confused emotions of a teenager.

All you need to know about God's will is contained in these three words of Jesus, "Love one another." When you try to be a more loving person, more respon-

want

more self-sacrificing, more forgiving and more compassionate, you are sible,

doing God's

That part is easy.

However, discerning God' s will becomes more difficult when you try to ponder your purpose and direction. will.

Monuments connect

souls, serving

The monuments I'm thinking of come and in my environment I pass them every day. There are war

overlooked as they come to be taken for granted.

Their significance struck

me

in a

way recently when I saw the film "Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision" at

fresh

the National Gallery of Art in

Washing-

ton.

It

recounts

how

at the

age of 20,

Maya Lin

submitted her model for the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, never thinking it would be chosen.

Of course, it

was chosen. But she paid the price of a true artist, being rejected at first by many of those she most wanted to serve, Viet-

really

I do know that there are three things keep in mind when it comes to discerning God's will. Here they are:

to

The Holy Spirit often leads us along paths we would not have chosen

wrong. Do not do to another what you would not want done to you. Discerning God's will in a crisis situation is

for ourselves. Expect the unexpected.

not always easy, but

The

respect

1.

and where a cross. Don't be

Spirit calls us to love,

there

is

love there

surprised

if

is

you find yourself called

to

make sacrifices.

2. In all circumstances try to obey God' s supreme law of love. Keep in mind that the moral law is concerned with love in action. For example, Pope John Paul II in his recent encyclical, The Gospel of Life, sates that abortion is always mor-

ber and be with their loved ones in It

Some rial

and a flag over

it,

.

have a beautiful voice, then use it in some way for God's glory, and for your own happiness. If you are a good teacher, then presume that God wants you to teach. Put your gifts at the service of others. Be a cheerful giver and you will find that, "all the way to heaven is heaven" (St. Catherine of Sienna).

Maya

News Note, "What Do I Want To Do ?,

"

send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Christophers, 12 East 48th Street,

New

York,

NY 10017.

Father Catoir

is

director of The

Christophers.

Lin

memo-

but she objected,

saying this would take away from the main purpose, to have a place where a person could meditate on the life of those whose names were inscribed there.

She fought (and won) to have the flag and statue placed at a distance from the sanctuary she had designed. She wanted as few distractions as possible.

The Vietnam Memorial is a V-shaped wall which slowly slopes down from its highest end to below ground level. On its black granite are inscribed the names of those killed in the Vietnam War. When one visits there, the sound of voices tends instinctively to hush

—

a

is

the

their husbands, fathers, brothers

and

friends.

also designed another

John The

likewise

it,

people

come first.

That monument is inscribed with the names of many who gave their lives to the civil rights movement. Water, which signified cleansing and new life for Martin Luther King Jr. lightly flows over the ,

inscriptions.

around

it

to touch the

water, they are forced to

come together in spirit in order to overcome prejudice, division and hatred.

Whenever people view this monument,

it,

like the

The New Testament describes John

vating virtue and practicing justice to-

ward one another and piety toward God. Apparently John did not know who Jesus was. The fourth Gospel emphasized this twice (John 1:31,33). Even the earliest and most straightforward ac-

from the crucifixion, mentioned outside the Gospels (Acts 10:37).* The first three Gospels present John

count of Jesus' baptism at the hands of John found in Mark (1:9-11) does not imply that John recognized Jesus. The dialogue between John and Jesus in

the Baptist as a prophet proclaiming a

Matthew (3:14-15)

soon to come upon Israel and calling people to a baptism of purification and to reformation of their lives.

The fourth Gospel eliminates these references to sin and repentance and instead pictures John giving testimony to Jesus.

The late-first-century Jewish historian

bue the baptism scene with this writer's theme of righteousness. Only Luke (1:36) makes John a relative of Jesus.

After His baptism, Jesus seems to have remained a disciple of John for

Josephus, writing for a Roman audience,

apparently took

goes even further: for him John was a good man, perhaps somewhat of a moral

disciples

philosopher, who invited Jews to join the

were originally disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:35-37), and also that

composed

creates a silence

awe which

is

and instills the sense of

so necessary in a true

monument.

As I watched the Maya Lin film, I reflected also on our churches as monuments to God. I was reminded of the architects I have known who, like Maya Lin, envisioned churches as places where people can be drawn into a sacred part of the earth to be with their Creator and to unite their living spirit with God's infinite life.

Father Hemrick

is

research direc-

tor for the United States Catholic

Con-

ference

Copyright© 1995 by Catholic News Service

Vietnam Memorial,

Baptist: Jesus'

the Baptist as having the greatest influ-

Mentor

Guest Column Father Francis

T.

Gignac, SJ

to im-

some time before beginning a ministry of His own.

Montgomery,

names under the become a tightknit circle symbolizing the dream of the civil rights movement that people might

As they move slowly along the wall, they become one in spirit with

is

this one, in

When large numbers of people gather

if spirits

signer envisioned. People come, stop,

Maya Lin

—

Ala., to civil rights leaders. In

are to

necessary

way

memorial

monument's de-

loved ones.

culti-

3 Let your gifts and talents lead you If you

veterans wanted a sculpture

representing soldiers next to the

But she defended the design, which she maintained was not meant to make a political statement. Rather it was meant for the people. She wanted to create a place where people could come, remem-

baptism provided that they were

our duty to

tism.

meditate, quietly cry and remember their

fiery judgment

is

spirit.

war, its sacrifice or America' s suffering.

Jesus, apart

it

life.

Pray for the grace to know God's and for the courage to carry it out.

True happiness is found in cheerful acquiescence to the Lord' s will. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, my burden light."

For a free copy of the Christopher will

was not meant to glorify war or patrio-

There were those who were outraged because they felther design didn'treflect

baptism of repentance. This is the first historical event preserved by the Gospel tradition and the only event in the life of

ally

Strong, Clear Vision Of

unite in the

by coming to John and submitting to his

f

but

hush that

who began His public life

*9 ^?

One Candle

Father John Catoir

me to do?

nam veterans.

ence on Jesus,

Light

my

I don't pretend to be an expert in the mysterious field of vocational guidance,

in many forms,

memorials, gravesites, statues, churches.

Their role is significant, but perhaps

change

What does God

career or not?

The as a link to living spirits that never die.

I

Jesus Himself baptized and began to acquire more followers than His mentor

(John 3:22, 26).

Jesus continued

many of the

ings of John the Baptist.

teach-

They shared

sense of

God

as Father,

His joyful an-

nouncement of God's mercy, and His emphasis on the role of love in human life were reflected in His acts of healing and his association with sinners.

When He left John' s circle, He

common

themes: the view of an immi-

The baptism of Jesus by John and the

some of John's other with Him. The fourth Gospel

nent divine judgment, the urgent need for

subordinate role Jesus originally played

repentance, and the key motif, the

com-

kingdom of God. But Jesus

also

undoubtedly proved a source of embarrassment to the early Christian communities, some of which came in to contact

suggests that the

first

disciples of Jesus

ing

proclaimed a new mode of salvation that through Him was available at once. His

See Gignac, Page

1

6 The Catholic

News

& Herald

June 23, 1995

Multiculturalism Begins At Today our Church

in

America

is

striving to be more catholic (with a small

phy, share a common culture while still made up of different subcultures. They

different

would not be "community" if there were

ethnic and racial cultures sharing the

not some common elements that connect

"c") with respect to the

same worship

man

many

The

space.

pristine

Ro-

lady finds herself dancing with a

variety of gentlemen callers

and has

learned to step to many different rhythms.

For many of

living

us,

in

a

multicultural environment is part of our everyday lives: on the job, in our neighborhoods, at school and at play. The same challenges in those aspects of our lives are present in the incensed sanctuaries and pews of main-stream Catholic

parishes across the country.

We are strug-

gling to be culturally relevant in a multicultural environment.

What is culture anyway? The American Heritage Dictionary defines culture as "the totality of socially transmitted

behavior patterns,

and

tions

all

arts, beliefs, institu-

other products of

human

work and thought." In light of this definition, we've always lived in a multicultural world. In fact, whether

recognize

it

or not,

all

we

communities, no

matter the size, race ethnicity or geogra-

Home

them. But no matter how tightly connected people are, each person is unique

and therefore different, and by those differences.

is

Family Reflections

cultured

Andrew

we

look at multiculturalism as a normal part of our existence we are better able to deal with the challenges that come with it. When we start with our If

own families we can

&

Terri Lyke

see our capacity to

live in a multicultural setting.

Our family members are of different and

sexes, generations, temperaments

Each member is of a unique culture and experiences the world through a unique prism. Yet, our families function as a system. Each family member's unique qualities, with those shared by other family members, comprise the common culture of the system.

The family just wouldn't be the same without even one of its members.

How do we handle conflict in the family? Do our differences tear us apart?

Or do we find ways to remain a functionidiosyncrasies.

ing system despite our differences?

to take

Though we don't always agree with each

ethnicity, sex,

other (or even like each other), ate, accept,

socioeconomic class, etc.

Sharing worship space with other

we toler-

compromise, negotiate, sac-

that

is at

home

we've learned

we

learn to dance to

However, because of the life-lessons we've learned in our family settings, we may find that we're pretty good dancers and ready for the challenge. After all, that's what being "catholic" is all about.

Your comments, questions and suggestions for topics are welcome. Send them to Family Reflections, P.O. Box 652, Matteson, IL 60443. Send E-mail to Lyke2Lyke@aol.com. FAX to (708)

and good parishioners. The best way to learn tolerance, acceptance and to value within our families.

Multiculturalism begins at home.

may require new rhythms.

ethnic and racial cultures

submit and persevere in the face of our differences. And we do it with confidence and expectation for good.

Good families make good neighbors rifice,

others

on the bigger challenges of race,

Once

cope with the challenges of cultural diversity within our families, we have a prototype from which to

481-3501.

On Q.

Our

oldest child just finished

year of college, in a Catholic school. We were told it is one of the her

first

real Catholic colleges and universities in the country. She has become very confused, however, by the various groups or movements she is urged to join to be a better and active Catholic.

Frankly, we share her confusion. Some make us suspicious, especially one

which is tied (they say) to appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Another scares her, and us, the way they (clergy and lay people) claim someone cannot be "good, loyal Catholics" except their way. Sometimes they sound awfully narrow. Can you give us any advice?

(Ohio) A. Your concern and,

my

if

mail

is

is

any

a healthy one criterion,

one

shared by a large number of good and obviously well-informed Catholics.

Plain

good common sense is always

A 'Good

Being

with them, or who sees things differently, is

somehow a second-level Catholic.

These types of organizations (one might even call them cults) have been around since the beginning of Christianity.

We

New Testament. Such exaggerated claims seem to be a common temptation for any In my 4 1 years as a priest, I have led or participated in dozens of spiritual and apostolic

plished

movements. All have accom-

much good.

But nearly every one went through a stage when it was tempted to consider itself something like an eighth sacrament, to believe no one is a genuine, full Catholic until he or she has done their "thing" or seen things their way.

Of course, groups and societies who pursue this course always have the highto "purify" the Church est motives and so on. But, unchecked, such attitudes often lead to gross intolerance and

—

Catholic tradition.

caused enormous personal injuries, persecution and hurt to the body of Christ.

But still they surface every generation or

Before anything else, however, it is important to remember that ours is a big Church. Throughout history, when it is at its best and most alive, there has always been room for a whole rainbow of ways for people to pray, to think, to live out their faith and grow in holiness.

Just because something does not appeal to us doesn't mean there is anything bad about it. Without respect and

Father John Dietzen

religious movement.

arrogance.

I

Question Box

read about them already in the

might also suggest a few basic guidelines from our

the first judge of such things.

Catholic'

When

sufficiently large, they

have

ments, the Gospels and the basic prayer

good, loyal and complete Catholic Chris-

and spiritual efforts taught in continuous

tians.

Church

tradition

^

Spirit

who was

now.

Another warning flag is the claim of this or that group to be the elite. They are the real, genuine Catholics. Anyone not

past

is

with

it

Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish

need and to

"change the structures that deny people their dignity and rights as children of God.

OF SA^y.

Service and action, charity and justice are

complementary components of parish social ministry. Neither alone

is

sufficient;

both are essential signs of the Gospel at Work."

U.S. Catholic Bishops,

The Eucharistic

Communities ofSalt and Light

Peter

liturgy, the sacra-

and Paul §Heai>ing§ for «)e toeeft of 3utte

Sunday:

25-$uty 1

Zechariah 12:10-12 Galatians 3:26-29 Luke 9:18-24

is

with the Church in the

See Question, Page 13

atholic teaching calls us to serve those in

I

Monday:

any position which rejects out-of-hand what the Church is teaching today. For example, some refuse to accept any developments in the Church since Vatican Council II. In their opinion these teachings and practices conflict with what they see as the "golden age" of Pope Pius V and the Council of Trent in the 1 6th century. We believe on the contrary that the same sign to look for

make

so.

stagnates.

One danger

suffice to

&fitt ^ln<h Jji<gAt

room for these honest varieties within the appropriate framework of faith, the Church

still

Tuesday: The

feast of these

two

saints

had

at

Paul were ardent in their efforts to spread the Christian faith and were martyred as a result. Jesus told Peter,

"You are

Peter

and on

this rock

I

love,

I

gain nothing."

Their feast

is

June

Genesis 12:1-9

Ephesians 2:19-22

Matthew

John 20:24-29

7:1-5

Genesis 13:2, 5-18

Genesis 19:15-29

Matthew

Matthew 8:23-27

7:6,

12-14

Wednesday: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Matthew 7:15-20 Thursday:

Acts 12:1-11 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Matthew 16:13-19

Genesis 21:5, 8-20

Matthew 8:28-34 Genesis 22:1-19

Matthew 9:1-8

will

my church." Paul preached, "If I deliver my body to be

build

burned but have not

1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Luke 9:51-62

is

two great of the church, even though both times denied Christ. Peter and

celebrated together as the pillars

fReo&iitg^ for the toccfe of guttj

Friday:

1 7: 1 , 9-1 0,

15-22

Matthew

fiSjt*

— ^* Saturday:

29.

©1995 CNS

Genesis

Graphics

8:1-4

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67

Matthew 9:9-13

Genesis 18:1-15

Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29

Matthew

Matthew 9:14-17

8:5-17

2-8

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

Hope To Disabled

Missionaries Bring

By SISTER

BARBARA MAYER

In

& Herald

7

Madagascar

difficult roads," explained Father

Although he was born blind, 12year-old Dylan is still a lucky boy. He

hours of waiting, intervening, arguing,

attends a special school for the blind in

interceding and crying. Often, discour-

comes from the Scripture passage in which Peter and John tell a lame beggar at the temple gate called The Beautiful, "In the name of Jesus, get up and walk"

Morondava, Madagascar and has learned to read Braille. He loves to "watch" the fishing boats on the ocean and is learning

aged by the endless red tape and

inertia,

(Acts 3:2)

like loading the children

up and

with a Braille typewriter that Father Don Pelletier, a LaSalette missionary, brought him from the United to write

Dylan' s friend is his CFCA sponfrom Missoula, Mont., who writes to him and sends him gifts so that he will know how special he States.

Pelletier.

I felt

returning to Morondava. girl,

Before Father Pelletier and other

came

LaSalette missionaries

Mada-

to

gascar, families hid their children with

handicaps because they were ashamed

Many

for others to see them.

of the

children had polio and could not

walk

because of shriveled and paralyzed legs.

When Father Pelletier learned that most of these children could regain some mobility through orthopedic surgery and appliances or physical therapy, he organized trips to the National Polio Center in Antsirabe.

the

"We would pack 1 0 or 1 2children in Land Rover for the 14-hour trip over

"This best defines our goals: that the

One 7-year-old

Nadia, from Bethany (a nearby

lame

vil-

toward

will take

...

Father

to serve as

new we added four rooms lodging for children who

came from

distant areas.

grant from Raskob,

In 1985, the LaSalette missionaries their efforts

up and walk

Pelletier said. "Last year with a

—

began directing

will stand

full responsibility for their lives,"

had to have her foot amputated.

Our numbers kept growing from 20 to 50 to 100." lage)

sor Richard Beighle

is.

"At the polio center there were

re-

children,

habilitating their children with polio with-

accompanied by

Thus these

their parents,

out having to take them out of Morondava.

can receive intensive therapy for five to 10 days. On a rotating basis, they can

With a grant from the Raskob Founda-

return to the center

Wilmington, Del., they built a cobbler shop for the maintenance of shoes and braces. They received a second grant to purchase aluminum bars to build braces. Eventually, they were able to convert a storeroom into a consultation and therapy room.

As more and more children began coming from Antsirabe to have their shoes and braces repaired in Morondava, the need for ongoing therapy and reeducation increased. There was also a need

year."

tion of

The center now has more than 300

made

plans to build a

clients. Salaries, materials, transporta-

Jerry Tolle, the late vice president of the

tion,

and Aging, with Dylan, a blind Malagasy boy, during a 1988 visit to Morondava, Madagascar.

Christian Foundation for Children

water and electricity

bills are all

paid through Christian Foundation for

Children and Aging, a Catholic sponsorship organization aiding more than

50,000 children and elderly around the world.

permanent rehabilitation center on a piece

"Our present concern and permanence

of land next to the local hospital.

The

more

to assure

is

our program," said the LaSalette priest. "We felt the only way to do this was through a community of sisters. The Sisters of St. Jeanne Delanoue have agreed to take on this work.

"There is so much more we could do for these children. We want to organize recreational, educational, nutritional and stability

"The Beautiful Gate," was completed in 1 990 with grants from various foundations. The name

to reach out to other handicapped. In

1988, they

two or three times a

center, called

to

vocational activities that would eventually contribute to a tion.

more total rehabilita-

We have begun teaching crafts and

organizing modest work units that could

income for both the children and the program."

The LaSalette mission teams looks back in gratitude over the growth and development of the past 12 years. As they tried to respond to the needs of the youth, God provided the funds through create jobs and

caring agencies and

CFCA sponsors.

we have journeyed

"In 12 years

a

very long road," Father Pelletier said.

"We have given to hundreds of disabled children the hope of a normal

many we have

To

life.

up and walk!'

Many are not motivated and we hope to continue our j ourney with them and to go even further. said, 'Get

"In the Third

Sponsor a child

at a Catholic

This

She lives in a small village in the mountains of Guatemala. Her one-room house is made of cornstalks with a tin roof and a dirt floor. Her father struggles to support his family of six on the $30 a month he earns as a day laborer.

Now you have the opportunity to help one very poor child like Marta through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), is

Marta.

the only Catholic child sponsorship program working in the 23

countries For as

little

as $10 a month, you

Yes,

I'll

Boy I

I

will

Dylan

Diocesan Position: Re-

Christine

can.

gional Coordinator of

rector of Faith Formation,

that fallacy.

Any

in

Name

most need

$20

$25

Other $

.

of your sponsored child, information about your child's family and country, letters from your child and the CFCA quarterly newsletter.

Please take this opportunity to

employment opportunities

Faith Formation For Western Region :

cfca;

(Asheville,

Catholic Child

Sponsorship

(please

person

print)

in this position

semi-annually

annually

Endosed

is

my first contribution of $ my gift of $

cannot sponsor now but endose

Please send

I

me more

.

.

information.

I

Phone Financial report available

on request/ Donations are U.S. tax deductble

Christian Foundation for 203

Children and Aging

Member: U.S. Cathol ic Mission Association, Natl Catholic Development Conference, Cathofc Press Association, Catholic Network of Volunteer Service, Natl Catholic

I

Stewardship Council, Natl Catholic Council

tor

Hispanic Ministry

One Elmwood Avenue / P.O. Box v "YA 3910 City, KS 661 03-091 0 / (800) 875-6564 '

Kansas

n §

I 1

«i 1

Organist/Music DirecPosition immedi-

tor:

240

responsible for the co-

Responsibilities include

ordination of ministry

direction of choirs and

of faith formation serv-

cantors for weekend Masses and special liturgies. Degree preferred,

degree

in

ish in

Swannanoa, NC.

Must have experience a

in

church,

liturgical

religious education or

Strong knowledge of

related ministry, experi-

Catholic liturgy essen-

enceincatechesisforall

tial.

age levels, teaching and

Send resume,

administrative experi-

salary history to: Organ-

ence

Search Committee, Box 99, Swannoa, NC 28778.

in

educational or

ministry setting. Send

I

"

household Catholic par-

diocese. Qualifications

City \State\ Zip

St.,

NC 28207.

Diocesan Director of Faith Formation and is

western region of the quarterly

524 East Morehead

Charlotte,

ately available for

ing the parishes in the

Address

^ 1

Newnan, Di-

reports directly to the

are: Master's

I

Smokey

Mtn. Vicariates). The

contribute:

monthly

He is healthy and intelligent

and receiving a good education.

For more information, contact Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, One ElmwoodAve., Kansas City, KS 66103 or call (800) 875-6564.

To help build your personal relayou will receive a picture

tionship,

is:

$15

one example of destroying

day!

Teenager

Girl

is

make a difference in the life of one poor child. Become a sponsor to-

benefits as other sponsored children.

help one child:

My monthly pledge $10

fallacy."

same

donations and the tireless efforts of our dedicated Catholic missionaries that your child receives the

we serve.

and complete rehabilitation of the handicapped, we hope to destroy that total

can help a poor child at a Catholic mission site receive nourishing food, medical care, the chance to go to school and hope for a brighter future. You can literally change a life!

Through CFCA, you can sponsor a child with the amount you can afford. Ordinarily it takes $20 a month to provide a child with the life-changing benefits of sponsorship. But if this is not possible for you, we invite you to do what you

CFCA will see to it from other

desperately poor developing

mission

month

for just $10 a

World we identify the As we work for a

disabled with beggars.

resume by July 15

to:

ist

P.O.

Salary competitive, references,

8

& Herald

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

How one man

into

fell

work of justice

the

All

contents copyright

FAITH IN THE

©1995 by CNS

MARKETPLACE

What can a parish

actually

do to promote social justice? is not just another program. It is a way of life. It should inform everything else we do.... When we vote we need to do it from a social justice

"Social justice

ments

(a stolen

CD player;

one teen-ager quitting; the landlord stalling on lights), gains far outweighed losses.

He became

a friend,

in-

vited for meals and sought for advice. Residents took

more responsibility

for keeping the complex safe and clean. Some were looking into a tenants' rights organi-

CNS

illustration

by Robert

F.

McGovern

By Dan Luby Catholic

He knew,

News

Service

pressed a clean handkerchief to the wound. Then an old man hobbled into view, and the painter handed the crying child to her grandfather. The

abstractly, that justice

was something to which Jesus' followers ought to be committed. But he'd also seen too

much not to be skeptical.

The conflicts of the Vietnam era,

"His rule was, 'Don't get

corporate corruption and global poverty led

Then came

involved.'...

him

the

"The people

still.

this

doubt that much could be done. His rule was, "Don't get involved."

He'd built a

to

people living

in the truck

back

in (dilapidated)

job painting houses into a prosperous busi-

and "felt beyond what

painter got involved

enriched, far

and the

the little girl's affection were great. Conversation was animated.

ness with two he'd risked." dozen employees.

But he didn't The discovery watch the news that the painter and changed the subject when people knew the building's owner brought a talked about social justice ("too defrightened silence, and then piercing pressing"). questions. In the end (asking himself,

Then came a

providential encoun-

ter with people living in apartments

owned by a customer.

The units were appalling: roaches the size of mice, broken light fixtures, glass on the floor, peeling paint. He wouldn't even bid on the job.

As he was leaving that place, a toddler came rocketing around the corner

it

was time

for

them to become

grandfather sat with him during long hours in waiting rooms.

When his landlord wanted to evict him, the grandfather called a tenants' rights advocate for help. His daughter negotiated appointments with doctors and stared down a bill collector.

At his funeral, his priest movingly told the story of the man and his new friends as an example of ordinary Christian people making justice hap-

apartment. The grandfather's gratitude and

apartments owned by a customer." Reluctantly, the

summer

at

told his friends his

But

clinic.

pen.

"We may not be able to influence great political movements," he said, "nor stop wars blazing half a world away. But we can make a difference

"How did

I get into this?"), the painter offered to talk to his customer about promised repairs.

He made a deal with the landlord, offering, if the repairs were made, to do the painting at cost. He decided to head the crew and hire three teen-

it

are

also helps the

parish better understand their real

needs and how they help the fulfill its

role."

— Dan

Robinson, Ripley, Tenn. in a parish most commit themselves to do are already tied up with other

likely to

Yet social justice is simply a Christian. Each of us can only do so much, so we

things.

part of being

need

to simplify

how we

organize

our parishes to eliminate the overload and burnout, and free us up to focus more on social justice issues."

Liz Simpson, Dorcas,

—

W.Va.

"When

social justice issues are

happening in other places in the world, have a speaker come in from that place to educate the parish about it. For example, when the civil war was raging in Rwanda, my parish had a priest from there come and talk about the situation during the homily."

— Cristina Ward, "Christian justice

Clairton, Pa.

is

not the

same

here.

as social

"And when we take the risk of speaking out for those who need our help, when we put our own comfort on

we seek the God for others. For example, when someone comes to my door wanting money to buy

the line for what is right, we lay the foundations for justice worldwide."

(Luby is the director of the division of Christian formation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, and a free-lance

justice. Christian justice

demands kingdom

that

of

hand them the money, them that am a sinner and ask them to pray for me. That Father makes them my equal."

Jim Creedon, Petersburg, W.Va. food and I

agers from the complex.

Although there were disappoint-

who

terminal illness, his health declined rapidly and his business more rapidly

his advocate.

He had lost his truck, so they drove him to the clinic. The girl and the

They talked

providential encounter with

community not

part of the parish

parish

pacity to be their advocate.

drove them to

a

"People need to be first made an equal part of the community before they can be helped wisely with their other problems. Being a

day he died. That day came sooner than expected.

When the painter found he had a

news sadly.

He had no more money, no more ca-

though. Then he

scandals in govern-

ment,

— Sister Shawn

Ashby, W.Va.

marginalized, but

He

painter held onto her foot,

Ft.

enriched, far beyond what he'd risked. And he maintained his friendship with the girl's family felt

until the

and jumped when she saw him, right onto a shard of glass. She howled, and blood flowed from a foot gash.

Instinctively, he picked her up and

Scanlan,

only helps those

zation.

He

perspective."

I

tell

I

—

writer.)

An upcoming

FAITH IN ACTION "Often,

when one engages

in

a

life

of active ministry, time for prayer gets shortchanged," states Sister of St.

Joseph Betsy Clark

New

World Order (Paulist Press, 997 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, N.J. 07430. 1994. Paperback, $4.95). In her "Prayer of an Anti-racist Racist" she writes: "Something is wrong. When look around me, see almost everyone looks just like me.... may not be the one responsible for slavery, but unless begin to live my life differently, could be responsible for maintaining the situation that results from it. Divine Compassionate One ... open my heart to learn." in

her collection of Prayers for a

I

I

Reflection: Is there in turn

some

by the very people

prayer in

I

I

I

sacrifice for

my heart "to learn."

I

whom

can make I

that could enrich another's

sacrifice? This

week

I

will start

life

the long run? And am willing to be enriched my world through new eyes, and with a new

in

looking at

I

edition asks:

What

is

your definition of "consumerism"?

If you would like to respond for possible publication, please write: Faith Alive! 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017-1100.

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

& Herald

!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT a "new culture of life." have attracted great interest. But the pope is also explicit about the essentials of a culture of life, for example a "renewed lifestyle" that involves "passing from indifference to concern for others, from rejection to acceptance of them."

Pope John Paul wrote about this in a 1 995 encyclical titled The Gospel of Life. Essential to a culture of life, he said, is the attitude that "other people are not rivals ... but brothers and sisters to be supported. They are to be loved for their own sakes, and they enrich us by their very presence" (No. 98).

To construct this culture people must proclaim the Gospel of life, the pope

The present pope wants people

A common ground

for justice

and unity are especially necessary because justice work can be filled

light

By Father Herbert Weber

to mobilize for

His thoughts on the "culture of death"

II

Catholic

News

with conflict and struggle.

Service

Dolores, a mother of three

A nun I know

deeply involved in social justice issues. She counsels is

many women who have been abused or otherwise victimized.

This sister works tirelessly to help poor women speak up for themselves.

She challenges institutions that take

advantage of women.

Recently she visited another sister

who works in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, on the border between the United States and Mexico. That sister also is committed to social justice issues, but her focus is on the rights of aliens and the injustices done to un-

documented aliens.

The two women spent a week together learning about each other's concerns. There were points of common concern. Nevertheless, my friend reported to me later that it had been a disappointing expe-

the

war effort.

But Dolores felt that the war was unjust and unnecessary.

Friends and neighbors asked how she could not "support the troops" since her own son was one of them. Her response, spoken in a quiet, gentle way, was that she did indeed support the troops. So much, in fact, did she support them that she did not want them to participate in a war she be-

knew what

she

so-

frustration in their

rather disunity than hope in their

common

war was her view of

justice issues often will not

humanity. She knew that

innocent victims. Indeed, children died in the

many

bombing."

-

justice.

tion for all social justice in the Chris-

community. I felt that if some guiding principles could be highlighted as a common ground, then all justice concerns would be seen as diftian

ferent expressions of the tian justice.

same Chris-

The Christian concept

of justice

from the image of creation itself.

Genesis gives a reminder that God not flows

only created the world with a sense of order, but that what was created was also very good. This basic goodness has been marred since then, and order sometimes has given way to chaos.

Justice seeks to recreate the world to make it a place where each person's dignity is respected and all people live

—

in solidarity

with each other.

Jesus was more explicit in many of and actions as he sowed the seeds of the kingdom of justice.

When people feed and clothe each his teachings

I

I

other,

when

starvation and exploita-

and when the powerless are not condemned, then the tion are eliminated,

(

kingdom must be

flourishing.

Therefore, the guiding principle of

simply stated, is to transform the world into a new order that has the basic goodness that God intended.

justice, i

admit, never will be fully attained. But it becomes a guid ing light and source of unity. Such

This goal,

I

CNS

photo by Dwkjht Cendrowski

Stepping over Lazarus on the

way home

be popular. the expense of the poor

of popularity, I would add that it is rare for a parish justice committee to have

bombs, would have

Her story made search to find some basic founda-

David Gibson, Editor, Faith Alive!

26

And speaking

war, even using smart

me

—

another reminder about social justice: What you regard as

vision of

It is a matter of showing care "for all life and for the life of everyone," he writes.

Throughout the ages, this gave rise "to an outstanding history of charity" a history every Christian community must continue writing today (No. 87).

her view.

But that provides

conviction regarding the

issue was most urgent. In short, they found

81).

was unjust.

That particular war was "popular" among many U.S. citizens and judged to be just by many others. So Dolores wouldn't achieve popularity through

"What kept Dolores anchored in her

cial justice

Its "core" elements include the belief that Jesus' unique relationship with each person "enables us to see in every human face the face of Christ" (No.

says.

lieved

rience.

Each person had her own agenda, and each thought

grown

sons, was in a particularly difficult situation during the Persian Gulf War. One of her sons, serving in the Navy, was assigned to a ship participating in

"They

parishes don't even have a justice com-

their castles what they have extorted and robbed" (Amos

justice

although

workers can

2:6-7; 3:10).

By Father John Catholic

The very

News

first

J.

This became a constant theme in Jesus' preaching.

The Gospel of Luke especially portrays him championing what today is called

Castelot

Service

Christians were

rooted in Judaism, and the law made ample provisions for fairness in dealing with others.

The law was explicit about treating helpless

and disadpeople

The

justly:

widows,

or-

phans, aliens. This was not a matter of

what we

call "char-

but of basic justice: regard for human dignity and the rights of everyone to

"His parable of Lazarus

and the

rich

—

—

many strands

are necessary to form a single tapestry, all these areas of concern are important in the task of restoring the beauty and goodness of the created world that God first provided.

(Father Weber is pastor of St. Peter's Parish, Mansfield, Ohio, and a freelance writer.)

lived luxu-

and feasted

riously

sumptuously "every day," while the homeless sick

Lazarus lay

in squalor at his gate.

selfish disregard for

This was

concerned with justice. The first three commandments dealt with respect for God's rights; the other seven protected people's rights.

Later, kings will be lauded if they "judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land's afflicted" (Isaiah 11:4).

But human nature being what it some people were faithful mainly

is,

to

the laws that didn't interfere with their selfish interests or greedy pursuits. The prophets relentlessly condemned these breaches of justice.

Amos, the first prophet whose sermons were preserved in writing, set the tone for future preaching and is known, significantly, as the prophet of

He lived in a situation where the wealthy few became wealthier at

The man and

his

simply friends stepped over Lazarus to get to the house.

others."

food, clothing, shel-

justice.

a

powerful denunciation of

ity,"

summed up in the Ten Commandments, all of which were

issues, or questions of discrimination, or as Dolores was to issues of

man was

self-centered

man

rich

Rather than compete with each other, they need to support each other. The hope is that by sharing

some common guiding principles about the need to transform the world, these connections will grow stronger.

Certainly, some people will favor working to stop world hunger while others will be drawn to unemployment

a "preferential option for the poor."

Not that he was contemptuous of the rich, but he was honest and fearless in pointing out their injustices.

His parable of Lazarus and the rich man was a powerful denunciation of selfish disregard for others.

vantaged

ter.

is.

to do right,

says the Lord, storing up in

serve as models to each other of what

war.

Just as

the just man for

know not how

mittee

social justice

sell

and the poor man for a pair of sandals.... For they silver

more than a few members. (Many

they might have service committees or outreach teams that provide local charity. Even the very word "justice" is more threatening than "charity.")

What kept Dolores anchored in her conviction regarding the war was her view of humanity. She knew that war, even using smart bombs, would have innocent victims. Indeed, many children died in the bombing.

Dolores also believed that violence degrades the human race, thus impeding the work of rebuilding the world.

Having strong convictions, even if they are based on church tradition and Scripture, may not be enough to prevent one's justice work from becoming lonely work. So people who want to work for justice need to make connections with others working for justice.

Actually, through the way they

work together,

ma-

jority.

The rich man didn't physically abuse the poor wretch, but ignored him. This callous disregard for an unfortunate human being was especially reprehensible (Luke 16:19-31).

Another parable told of a man who reaped such a bumper crop that he didn't know what to do with it all. His

was to build larger storerooms and enjoy the proceeds. All around him people were starving.

But the man came to a sudden, sad end. And Jesus draws this lesson: solution

"Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God" (Luke 12:1621).

The early Christians learned this lesson well and put it into practice.

(Father Castelot

is

scholar, author, teacher

a Scripture

and

lecturer.)

9

10

The Catholic News

& Herald

June 23, 1995

People Retired Pennsylvania Bishop Connare Dies At 83

GREENSBURG,

Pa.

(CNS)

In

—

Greensburg died June 12 after a lingering illness and complications from ane-

He was

A

83.

celebrated June

1 6 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg with Bishop Anthony G. Bosco of Greensburg as the

main celebrant. Bishop Connare served 27 years as bishop of Greensburg until 1 987, when he was succeeded by Bishop Bosco.

He

attended

all

office.

own

Head Says Crisis Of Fatherhood Mired In Divorce Culture NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) The best news about fatherhood is that "more people are acknowledging that fatherhood and fathering are in deep crisis," said the head of the Knights of Columbus in a statement for Father's Day. "There is a growing awareness that

conclusions you can draw." Meanwhile,

—

Mass was

funeral

Prep briefly before transferring to public high school.

Knights'

Retired Bishop William G. Connare of

mia.

The News

the decline of the father's role

is the biggest single factor in a host of prob-

sessions of the

Second Vatican Council, addressing it in 1 962 on behalf of the U.S bishops on the divine office and the breviary. Shortly

lems afflicting society," Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant said June 7 from the

before Vatican IF s close, he prepared the

ven.

diocese for the upcoming liturgical changes and had the cathedral renovated

nals and into mainstream media." There

.

organization' s headquarters in New

"has

meet the new liturgical norms. In 1980, Bishop Connare was one of three U.S. prelates at the funeral mass of Arch-

is

bishop Oscar Romero

problems will become."

to

is

wel-

comed by his sister, Stacy, on his arrival Andrews Air Force Base, Md., June O'Grady survived six days in the woods after being shotdown by Bosnian at

11.

Serbs while on a United Nations (CNS photo from Reuters)

—

found themselves unable to say no to children in need of homes, so they adopted 10 of them. As parents of children enrolled in a Catholic foster parents, they

patrol.

when their

were Catholic. Once they started attend-

—

dramatic rescue.

out there,

faith, his

I

heard

all

"When I was

your prayers, heard

time "was very emotional at times, but a very good feeling. I felt a closeness to

them loud and clear," he told a cheering crowd June 1 1 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, just outside Washington. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1965, O'Grady grew up in Spokane, Wash.,

God."

where he attended Cataldo Catholic Grade

and School in Ottawa. His wife, 40, said receiving the sacraments for the first

(CNS)

—A

priest ac-

He was

School.

enrolled at

Gonzaga

Father Cunha said he is suing the Toronto

Star for

libel.

Irish Bishop Says

Church Must Allow Married Priests DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS)

—

Bishop Brendan Comiskey of Ferns has said that to end the drop in vocations the Latin-rite Catholic Church must allow a married priesthood. "Where there is no priest there is no Eucharist, and where there is no Eucharist there is no Church," he said in an interview published in the June 1 Dublin Sunday Tribune. Bishop Comiskey noted that married priests who converted from Anglicanism are ministering in parishes in London. "We have already made an exception," he said.

"How can you have two guys on the same street ministering, side by side, under different rules?" Bishop Thomas Flynn of Achonry, spokesman for the Irish bishops' conference, said he would need "some convincing" before accepting the idea of married priests.

back taxes will maintain his position within the Church while the dollars in

archdiocese investigates the allegations.

Father Alberto Cunha, who chairs the

if serious

after his

contentment," said Shields, 42, a maintenance worker at St. Columba Parish

TORONTO

cused of owing hundreds of thousands of

northern Bosnia, credited his

and heroic Marines for bringing him home. "The first thing I want to do is thankGod.Ifitwasn'tforGod'slovefor me and my love for God I wouldn't be here," he said at a press conference held at an air base in Aviano, Italy, two days

as a family, they couldn't say

To Keep Position While

Archdiocese Investigates Allegations

board of two nonprofit buildings in

training

no to becoming Catholics all at once.

Twelve members of the Shields family were received into the Catholic Church at St. Patrick's Parish in Ottawa on May 4. "I have a feeling of great relief and

Priest

Downed Pilot Credits God's Love, Marines' Heroics For His Rescue WASHINGTON (CNS) While everyone was hailing him as a hero, Capt. Scott F. O'Grady, the downed Air Force pilot who was rescued June 8 from

—

youngsters wanted to attend Mass, even though neither they nor their children

Mass

Force Capt.Scott O'Grady

Air

Family Of 12 'Couldn't Say No,' Everyone Becomes Catholic OTTAWA, 111. (CNS) Terry and Penny Shields "just couldn't say no." As

ing

also increased awareness that "the

longer this situation continues, the more entrenched and harder to solve those

in San Salvador.

During the Mass gunshots rang out and bombs exploded in the square outside the cathedral. Forty people died and 250 were injured in the violence.

school, they couldn't say no

Ha-

He said recognition of the crisis moved out of social science jour-

"He's still there, so draw your conclusions," said Msgr. Boehler.

"If that changes, then there are other

Toronto, will continue in that capacity, said Msgr. Edward Boehler, judicial vicar for the Toronto Archdiocese.

Msgr.

THE ORATORY SUMMER BIBLE INSTITUTE

Boehler, who investigates alleged wrong-

Sunday, Aug.

allegations are made, often the archdiocese will remove the accused from

INTERN AT. AUDTTOR The Diocese of Charlotte

Fr.

Dr.Toni Craven Eugene LaVerdiere, SSS

Old Testament: Dr.Toni Craven will focus on the Book of Daniel. These

is

sessions will be

internal auditor. Responsible for

Friday morning. Dr.Craven is on the

internal audits at locations throughout western North Carolina and coordination of the annual audit.

faculty of Brite Divinity SchoolTexas Christian University.

New Testament: Father Gene is an

Applicants must be

CPAs with a

old friend of the

accounting. Applicants must have fund accounting experience and be proficient in using PCs.

EOE. history to:

Summer Bible

Gafffor compfete (feiaifs

C>

c^eorye

n ~LT r

(k

(704)333-4663

POBox

1//

(SOO) 333-2328

Jielene

7

11586

Rock Hill, SC 29731

NC 28236

Gabriel School, Charlotte,

St.

Institute

The Oratory

Manager

Charlotte,

Bible In-

stitute

years related experience, including 3 years in public

Send resume and salary

Summer

from Emmanuel magazine and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His talks will be Sunday evening through Thursday evening.

For more information:

minimum of 5

P.O. Box 36776

QfZOTg&f

Monday through

accepting applications for an

Fiscal

Gjj

6, to

Friday, Aug. 11, 1995

doings of archdiocesan employees, said

NC

Principal

(JUyatt

St.

Jfiy/i ^7~as£ion CP/iotograp/iy

Gabriel School seeks an experienced educator for principal effective

July

1,

1995.

students.

Gabriel's

St.

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a K-5 co-ed Catholic school serving 500

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in

November, 1992 with 24

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field.

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

New Media WASHINGTON

—

watching violent TV make my child vio-

November in Minneapolis, where 6,500

lent?"

teens are expected to gather.

founder said is "the biggest and best we've ever done."

Called Beyond Blame: Challenging

that

The

its

"We know from personal reflection

audiences: grade

schoolers, middle schoolers, teens and

"A more

relevant question

learning to ask now

is:

we

public, said center founder and executive

Sister Elizabeth said media violence

take a

good

good and started"

five years to get

in getting the kit's

director Sister Elizabeth Thoman, a mem-

breeds insensitivity "to people

ber of the Congregation of the Humility

come

of Mary.

out

But like tobacco and alcohol, media violence is due for "demarketing," she

is

said. "It's like anything like socialjustice

she said, "creates an appetite for

or environmental consciousness. Ittakes

and more violence" and fosters world syndrome" because of fears that the kind of violence seen in the media could happen at home.

"The Club for my car, dogs for the yard, guns for quote-unquote 'protec-

a while."

The

kits contain lesson plans,

worksheets and handouts, plus audio and video segments to inform citizens old and young of the effects of media violence in society and the connection be-

tween make-believe violence and the real thing.

Sister Elizabeth to take part in

was in Washington

a White House conference

on drug and alcohol abuse policy. This conference was aimed at deterring adolescents

from

starting to

smoke or drink

stuff."

A

What is the long-

concepts to take hold with the general

"It'll

and communities.

media literacy training workshop leaders "and getting people to use this step in

are

term impact of excessive violent imagery as entertainment doing to our individual collective psyches? What kind of personal value system and culture world view are we passing on to our children?"

adults, parents

Sister Elizabeth envisions as the next

watching violence does not itself cause people to be violent or we would all be murderers!" the kit says.

Violence in the Media, the kit has separate parts for specific

who

on a shelf?" she asked. Even if all were being used, "there are 1 8,000 parishes in the United States and we haven' sold one-tenth of that," she added.

Sister Elizabeth noted the comments

on media violence made in May by Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kan., and President

be-

City federal building

media,

on violence and the

tional conversation

more a "mean

"You don't So you stay at home at

Oklahoma bombing for a na-

Clinton's call after April's

ethic,

very important in Christianity."

tion,'" Sister Elizabeth said.

,700 copies,

sitting

distrust

in

1

but "are they being used or are they just

and of reaching — victims" "the Good Samaritan which

The amount of violence

Catholic Connections to Media

Literacy kit has sold about

media.

"If

you want

to start that conversa-

Affirmative Action

tion to take an active role in setting

relief."

publication through the center.

flurry of kit-based training is also being

ducers, network executives and advertis-

done with religious communities with a large percentage of teaching members.

The center also will do a presenta-

Gignac

(From Page

He warned

women

there has been

year."

He said it is possible to change curand people may legiti-

rent programs,

mately disagree on specifics of affirmative action policies. But any change must involve an acknowledgement of past and present discrimination and must keep the elimination of discrimination as its principal goal, he said.

none

greater than John the Baptist" (Matt.

with followers of John (Acts 18:25; 19:3).

Each successive Gospel writer tries to tone down the story of the baptism and to portray John as the precursor of Jesus.

Perhaps this is done most effectively by the author of Matthew (11:14), who [placed John in the person of the prophet [Elijah, expected by devout Jews to return to inaugurate the kingdom of God. But [he also incorporated a phrase derived

[from the hypothetical

Q document that

[he shared with the author of Luke, in

which Jesus praises John: "Among those

Luke 7:28).

What an honor to be called by Jesus the greatest human being up to that time No wonder John the Baptist has always 11:11;

is

the only saint except

Mary whose

we celebrate as a feast, on June

24.

—

has a responsibility for eliminating the

standards and providing mechanisms for

"The human impact of our choices must remain uppermost in our debate," he said.

The cardinal urged parishes throughout his archdiocese to hold educational sessions over the next 1 8 months "that will enable parish members to reflect on and discuss the substantive issues."

He also urged nonpartisan voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote campaigns. "Voting on election day is a

concrete

of putting our faith into

The cardinal noted that efforts in the

which proposals for change must be

California Legislature to repeal affirma-

measured:

tive action

"Although progress has been made, we must not fail to remember that societal and institutional racism and discrimination and their effects remain

ballot."

have failed so far. But he warned, "In the upcoming months, attempts will be made to place an affirmative action voter initiative on a 1996 California voters have determined

deeply woven into the fabric of society."

— "Any proposal

Gignac is a professor and chairperson of the Department of Biblical Studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

way

action," he said.

He cited three basic principles against

—

held a unique position in Christianity and is the patron saint of French Canada. He birthday

that the future of affir-

mative action "seems destined to be at the center of debate in the 1996 election

Catholic Youth Ministry' s conference in

who have historically and systematically suffered from it."

"Society, including government, tion against those

discrimination historically suffered by

8.

tion during the National Federation for

born of

5)

Needed

Still

certain groups of persons and an obliga-

fit

blame," in which viewers, writers, pro-

blame the others without admitting

Center for Media Literacy, 1962 S. Shenandoah St., Los Angeles, CA 90034.

For details call (800) 226-9494.

dismantle existing affirmative action pro-

didn't

Affir-

ciples underpin the national discussion."

any responsibility themselves. The circle, Sister Elizabeth said, "has been fueled by one unanswerable question: Will

view unit including a town hall presenis $59. 95. The children 's resource package which includes the introduction and overview unit and the elementary and middle school curriculums costs $1 49.95, as does the adult resource package, which substitutes the teen-adult and parent-caregiver programs. Quantity discounts are available. Shipping is $5 for orders under $100, $7.50 for orders between $100-$500, and $10for orders over $500. Orders can be sent to tation

into standard teaching prac-

it

—

The first

ers

coming political season."

The complete media kit costs $249.95. The introduction and over-

Noting efforts across the nation to

LOS ANGELES (CNS)

grams, Cardinal Mahony said, "It is imperative that moral and ethical prin-

about the "circle of

moral high ground" on the issue "during this

mative action is still needed in some form, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles said in a pastoral statement June

She said the center relied greatly on funding from religious orders to support

kit talks

kit. "This is a real challenge for parishes. They can take the

go out at night. night and watch more TV." She said educational publishers turned down the multimedia kit, which contains audio- and videocassettes, magazines and other printed material, saying

and alcohol in adulthood as well as a using illegal drugs.

Beyond Blame

Los Angeles Cardinal Says

tices.

The

1

she said of the

tion, here's the tool"

because of links to greater use of tobacco start to

Herald

Focuses On Exposure To Violence

Kit

Center for Media Literacy in Los Angeles has produced a kit on media violence

(CNS)

&c

Jesuit Father

to

reform the

sta-

and programs must not fail to advance society toward the elimination of discriminatus of affirmative action policies

public policy by popular referendum on a

number of significant

issues in recent

years.

Cardinal

Mahony

said that since

affirmative action programs began with the

1

964 Civil Rights Act, there has been

progress toward ending discrimination, but the battle

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12 The Catholic

News

& Herald

June 23, 1995

'Qmuniquemonos

La hermana Margarita Brewer con sus hijos Dan, a la izquierda y William con su esposa, a la derecha durante la recepcion con motivo de su consagracion religiosa, en el convento de las Hermanas de la Caridad en Cincinnati, Ohio.

Grupo de ninos que asisten al catecismo los domingos en la iglesia de la antigua Asuncibn y que recibieron su primera comunidn en la parroquia de Santa Ana hace un par de semanas.

De madre a hermana Por

ARTURO DE AGUILAR

despues de varios anos de estudio, trabajo

Para cualquierjoven seria muy diffcil explicar a sus amigos que su

mama

es

una "monja". Esto se debe a que la idea tradicional que la gente tiene respecto a las "monjas" es que son jeres que nunca se han casado ni que nunca se casaran.

Pero en mi historia de hoy, descubri que esa idea es un poco erronea y las cosas pueden ser diferentes. Esto es lo que les paso a Dan y William Brewer, quienes no creyeron que su madre en verdad queria ser una religiosa.

La

idea, el sentimiento estaban ahf

desde los dieciseis anos de edad. Pero no fue hasta la anulacion de su matrimonio que ella decidio dar el primer paso hacia la vida consagrada. Ella siempre supo que Dios la estaba llamando a algo distinto, a su servicio, y es por eso que ella contesto

con un "sf

al

Senor para

dedicar su tiempo y su vida completa a las obras de Dios. Esta mujer, de la cual

estoy escribiendo, es la hermana Margarita Brewer, quien el mes pasado profeso sus votos perpetuos como Hermana de la Caridad en Cincinnati, Ohio.

La hermana Margarita nacio en Ciudad de Panama, Panama, y emigre a los Estados Unidos en 1964.

Poco despues de su llegada, comenzo a envolverse en diversas actividades de la Iglesia en los distintos lugares donde ella vivio. Cuando ella, junto con su familia vinoavivirala comunidad de Moors ville, N.C. ella comenzo a trabajar acti vamente el la iglesia de Santa Teresa, con el padre William Kelly. Ah, desempeno el cargo de presidente del comite de la construction de la nueva iglesia, y debido a que es arquitecta en diseno, estuvo a cargo del disefio interior de la misma. Tambien estuvo envuelta en muchas de las actividades de su comunidad. Una vez que sus hijos fueron autosuficientes, ella se fue al convento de las Hermanas de la Caridad en la ciudad de Cincinnati, donde Colaboradores Voluntarios El padre Roberto Graves esta interesado en publicar una hoj a en espanol con contenido doctrinal para ser distribufda gratuitamente en todas las

comunidades hispanas. Para ello necesita voluntarios que le ayuden con este apostolado. Interesados comunicarse con el aesta direction: Box 1 123 Wadesboro, NC 28179 Tel. (704) 694 5183.

Primera Comunion

y discernimiento vocacional, decidio los votos perpetuos de la vida

tomar

religiosa.

"Yo,

sister Margarita,

libremente

me comprometo de por vida al

servicio

de Dios y su Pueblo..." fueron laspalabras por medio de las cuales ella prometio colaborar con el plan de la salvacion de Dios. Esta fue la reafirmaci6n del contmuo y dedicado trabajo que ella ha estado realizando gran parte de su vida.

En los ultimos anos ella ha estado trabajando en Outer Banks, N.C. en la diocesis de Raleigh, como asociada de la pastoral.

Sus obligaciones ahf comprenden el cargo de Directora de

En la Iglesia de Santa Ana mas de veinte ninos y ninas que asisten regularmente a las clases de catecismo ofrecidas en el Centra Catolico recibieron la primera comunion. Las catequistas encargadas de preparar este grupo han sido Consuelo Cansler y Daisy Medina, quienes con mucho amor, empeno y

dedication ofrecen su tiempo para el crecimiento doctrinal de estos

pequenuelos. Toda la comunidad de Charlotte le agradece a Consuelo y Daisy su labor en la comunidad y ademas felicita atentamente a estos ninos y ninas y les da la

bienvenida al Banquete dominical.

Education Religiosa, laresponsabilidad por el programa RCIA, por el grupo de mujeres y especialmente el trabajo con los hispanos inmigrantes.

Es interesante descubrir como Dios trabaja de una

forma misteriosa e

Como una mujer que despues de ser madre, trabajar como arquitecta por 23 anos y criar a sus hijos es llamada por Dios para colaborar con la obra de santificacion en la vida religiosa consagrada. Eso me hace invitarles a reflexionar si Dios no esta llamando a cada uno de nosotros a una mision especial, quiza no a la vida consagrada, pero si a colaborar con su trabajo de la salvacion en nuestras inescrutable sus designios.

Al final del retiro

poso para esta

se celebro la Eucaristia dominical y despues el grupo de parejas de recuerdo de su presencia en el centra de Cristo Rey de

foto

Yadkinville.

situaciones concretas y particulares.

Toda

la

comunidad hispana de

la

diocesis de Charlotte se alegra por la

hermana Margarita, quien beneficio a nuestra comunidad con su servicio desinteresado y amoroso, y eleva una plegaria par que Dios le bendiga en su trabajo y en la lucha diaria por contestar al

llamado de Dios.

To Our Friends Article by Arturo De Aguilar about Sister Margarita Brewer, a hispanic woman born in Panama City,

Panama who professed her final vows as a Sister of the Charity in Cincin-

Ohio. The Centro Catolico Hispano prepared a group of children nati,

who received the sacrament of Eucarist in St. Ann Church. Article about a retreat for couples held in Cristo Rey Hispanic Center in Yadkinville.

Experiencia de amistad

y

amor en Por

En

Yadkinville

ARTURO DE AGUILAR

pasado retiro para parejas realizado en el centro Cristo Rey de Yadkinville, un numeroso grupo de mujeres y hombres se dieron cita para compartir una verdadera experiencia religiosa en la cual, a lo largo del dfa reflexionaron temas como el amor, la relation de la pareja, la comunicacion y la familia. El matrimonio Rivera de Orlando, Florida estuvo a cargo del programa y, como invitado especial el padre Jose Luis Mesa de Mexico, pero radicado en Miami, Florida, dirigio varias de las charlas y celebro la Eucaristia el

padre.

Tambien muchos de

los

participantes aprovecharon la ocasion

para recibir

el

sacramento de la un poco con el

reconciliation o platicar

padre Mesa.

Las hermanas Linda y Andrea, quienes son las responsables del centro Cristo Rey, trabajaron mucho invitando a la gente y durante el dfa del retiro, logrando que la gente pasara un dfa

agradable y de verdadera reflexion. Mas de cincuenta personas se dieron cita ese

domingo, y comieron, rezaron y como verdadera compartieron comunidad. Muchas de ellas expresaron

muy

su deseo de volver a participar en una

beneficioso segun el testimonio de varias parejas participantes, quienes dijeron

experiencia como esa y a la vez invitaron al padre y al matrimonio Rivera a volver

haber sido "tocados" por las palabras del

pronto.

para las parejas. Este retiro fue

June 23, 1995

Father Catoir To Direct

Media Evangelization PATERSON, N.J. (CNS)

— Father

John T. Catoir, a priest of the Paterson Diocese and director of The Chri stophers since 1978, will return to his home diocese in October to take up a new diocesan position as director of evangelization and communication.

Paterson Bishop Frank J. Rodimer announced the appointment of Father Catoir, who he called "an evangelizer, one who tells the good news."

"He's coming back to us to do the do for and with people," the bishop said, and "especially, to use his talents as a communicator." things priests love to

The new Paterson office is believed to be the first in the

United States to focus

on the use of mass media for evangelization.

Mass

Effort

ning seminary studies.

He was ordained

Paterson in 1960, and holds a doctorate in canon law from The Catholic in

University of America in Washington.

In Paterson, he served in the diocesan tribunal 1964-73, was a member of the Priests' Senate and Personnel Board, and had three parish assignments.

At The Christophers, the New Yorkbased organization that uses print and broadcast media to promote Christian values in society, Father Catoir has written a column distributed to 200 newspapers and has hosted a weekly TV show airing on 60 commercial and 1 ,500 cable stations, as well as the Armed Forces TV Network.

He is the author or co-author of 10 books, and has held national office in

Father Catoir told The Beacon,

several professional associations.

He was

Paterson' s diocesan newspaper, that he

president of the Catholic Press Associa-

plans to create a new entity called the St.

tion in

Jude Media Foundation to produce spiri-

Francis de Sales

tually oriented radio "I will

up

and television spots.

be using my own savings as startfor this venture," he said. native of Jackson Heights, N.Y.,

Fordham Army, and

Father Catoir will take up residence Mary Parish in Passaic Oct. 10,

at St.

following work as color commentator

WABC-TV

Father Catoir graduated from

for

University, served in the

Pope John Paul

NBC

worked as an

St.

Award for outstanding

contributions to Catholic journalism.

money

A

1988-90 and received its 1993

page before begin-

in

New York

II' s visit

to the

during United

States.

Spiritual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land September 14-24 11 days, 10 nights A Roman Catholic journey through the Holy Land. Limited to a maximum of 25 pilgrims, relaxed pace. Spiritual director: Father Jim Wilmes, Andrews, N.C.

We will have daily

Mass, Rosary and

by Father Jim. Visit Bethlehem, explore Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, ride cable car up to mountain top of Massada, see Dormition Abbey where Our Lady was assumed into heaven, the Franciscan Cenacle commemorating the Last Supper, the Place of the Ascension, walk the way of the cross and more.

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Father LaVerdiere will present the New Testament course entitled, "In the Breaking of the Bread: the Development of the Eucharist According to the Acts."

His presentations will be evenings Aug.

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SC 29731

The third and best criterion of all

in

evaluating the genuineness of these move-

One archbishop noted

this in

con-

ments and societies

is

the old standby:

nection with one of the several dozen

What

alleged apparitions current today. His

they bring to the Catholic

is

valid in other matters as well.

are their fruits, their results?

(parish,

Do

community diocese, universal Church)

"One can become a saint," he wrote,

greater hope, unity, charity, kindness,

"and fully participate in the life of the Church, without giving credence to such apparitions; they are not part of the deposit of faith. In fact, basing one's piety on them can often be narrow and

peace and other fruits of the Spirit listed

by St. Paul? (Gal. 5:22) Or do they cause mistrust, secretiveness, elitism, hostility and bickering, division and oppression?

You can guess which ones St. Paul

illusory."

Service of Others

Consider

PRIESTHOOD in

The Diocese of Charlotte Contact Father Frank O'Rourke Vocation Director

Address:

The Oratory, PO Box

2097.

Maine: Please Print

interested in Scripture study.

all

mation, contact The Summer B ible Insti-

at Catholic

at the

A DONATION OF $20.00 IS REQUESTED.

will

emphasize the visionary and apocalyptic writings from the prophetic literature of the Jewish Scriptures. Her presentations will be mornings Aug. 7-11.

Craven is professor of Old Testament at Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

The Summer Bible Institute is open

Theological Union and the

understanding of the Eucharist in the

of Calcutta pleased to make available a two hour video capturing the Ecumenical Prayer Service held June 13, 1995 * Charlotte Coliseum.

will

early Church. Father LaVerdiere teaches

view of Luke's Eucharistic message in on the Acts of the Apostles and their contribution to the the Gospel, he will focus

PUT YOUR GIFTS is

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Continuing education and catechetical certification credit can be arranged. Tuition is $60 for each course or $1 10 for both. Room and meals are available at the Oratory at additional cost.

For registration or additional infor-

says that after giving an over-

Mother Teresa The Diocese of Charlotte

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Speakers Set For Summer Bible

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and Christian tradition recommend.

(Afree brochure on confession without serious sin and other questions about the sacrament of penance is available by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Church, 704 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL 61701. Questions for this column should be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address.)

Copyright 1 995 by Catholic News

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News

atholic

June 23, 1995

Diocesan News Briefs church.

ister at the

Healing Retreat

"Inner Healing: Healing the Child Within," with spiritual directors Father

peer support group for the separated or divorced, meets Tuesdays from 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church. For information, call Martin at (704) 523-1708.

Damion Lynch and Bobbie May, is July 21-23 at Belmont Abbey College. The

Group For Widowed Meets

BELMONT — A weekend retreat,

theme

is life

God's

patterns that need

ASHEVILLE

—

A

over 30

Summer Retreat

Chardin," exploring how the insights of Teilhard can help to overcome negativ-

support group

Aug.

ity, is

1 1-1

healing touch. For information, call Bobbie May at (704) 327-8692.

for widowed men and women meets Sun-

ter.

day, June 25 at 4 p.m. at Catholic Social

diocesan

Services. For information, call Sister

editor of The

Widowed, Separated,

Marie

at

(704) 255-0146.

Divorced Retreat

—

HICKORY A weekend retreat, "One Candle Lights Another," offers

Day Of Recollection

presentations, reflection, prayer, liturgy

Monastery Day of Recollection is the first Sunday each month beginning with Mass at 1 1 a.m. followed by meditation, sharing and the reading of a short story

by Flannery O'Connor. Bring a bag lunch. Call (910) 699-4005 for reservations at least one week in advance.

and optional group sharing for widowed, separated and divorced Catholics Aug. 5-6 at the Catholic Conference Center.

Registration deadline is July 26 (see the ad in this issue and the next for registration form). For information, call Suzanne Bach at (704) 377-6871.

Mass In Latin

— The Mass

ASHEVILLE

BOONVELLE — The New Creation

Eucharistic Adoration Anniversary HIGH POINT There was a spiritual gathering recently in celebration of

—

is

cel-

Sunday each Lawrence Ba-

ebrated in Latin the

first

the first anniversary of Perpetual Eucha-

month

St.

ristic

5 p.m. at

at

Solemn Vespers

silica.

is at

4:30 p.m.

Ret rou vail le Weekend The Retrouvaille program offers a "lifeline" for couples in troubled mar-

Adoration at Maryfield Nursing Home Chapel. The program consisted of a Eucharistic procesion, a blessing of the sick and the aged, and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament followed by a reception.

who and want their marriages to

work. The next Retrouvaille weekend is July 14-16. For information, call Nick and Irene Fadero at (704) 544-0621.

Healing Mass

CHARLOTTE — A Mass for heal-

ing mind, body and spirit is July 5 and the first

Wednesday each month at 7 30 p.m. :

at St.

HICKORY

—A

six

week

adult

formation program which focuses on stages in the human journey begins June 25 from 9:15-10:45 a.m. at St. Aloy sius Church in the lower level video

room. For information, contact Mary vale Sister

Mary Norman Woodend

at

around you. The donation is $210.

A week-long retreat July 12-18, 'The Personality of Jesus," directed by Father Chester Michael (co-author of Prayer and Temperament), focuses on who Jesus is as reflected in the Sermon on the Mount and other Scripture. Donation is $200.

A week-long retreat July 19-25, "I Will Seek Him Whom My Heart Loves," directed by Conventual Franciscan Father Donald Halpin, focuses on Biblical poetry. Donation is $200. all

To tact

register for these retreats, con-

Living Waters Reflection Center,

1420 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley, NC 2875 1 For information, call (704) 926-

And Leaders'

Schools

MORGANTON — Ultreya for the

Morganton/Hickory areas meets the fourth Tuesday each month at 7 p.m. at

lished the scholarship in 1994 for the

children of members of the council.

Perpetual Novena

— There

is

a per

Novena to the Blessed Mother ai St. Vincent de Paul Church Mondays ai 8:30 a.m. For information, call Eva at

petual

(704) 542-1614.

Charles Church. Leaders' School

St.

follows.

SALISBURY

—

Ultreya for the

Salisbury/Albemarle areas meets the last Friday each month at 7: 30 p.m. at Sacred

Heart Church. Leaders' School follows.

CHARLOTTE— Ultreya meets the last Thursday

each month at 7:30 p.m.

at

Gabriel Church. Leaders' School

Red Cross Bood Drive

GREENSBORO

—

The

St.

Paul

the Apostle annual ecumenical blood

drive

p.m.

is

A

Monday, Aug. 7 from 2:30-8 nursery

is

provided and no ap-

pointment is necessary.

327-2341.

Fun And Game Night

Bible Seminar

of

Hospice Volunteers Needed GREENSBORO Hospice ol Greensboro needs volunteers to woii with terminally ill patients and their fami

—

lies.

Training sessions are Mondays anc

Thursdays from 6-8:30 p.m. For infor mation, call Mil Hendrix at (910) 621 2500.

The Catholic News & Herald welcomes parish news for the diocesar. news briefs. Good photographs, preferably black and white, also are welcome, Please submit news releases and photoi at least 10 days before the date of publication.

MAGGIE VALLEY — Family Life

present the Fourth Annual Bible Semi-

nar July 17-21 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30

on the

Open Door Quarterly, who

—

Maule Council of the Knights of Columbus has presented the $500 John P Raywood Scholarship to Deborah Taormina. The scholarship committee selected her on the basis of her essay "Perseverance." Raywood' s wife estab-

(704)

p.m.

Sister Jeanette Stang, focuses

and Marie Norrisey,

priest,

Wins Scholarship ARDEN The Father Joseph

CHARLOTTE Ultreya

faith

of the Creatures," directed by Franciscan

presence of the creative Spirit within and

Richmond

are single, divorced on

follows.

nature retreat July 5-11, "The Canticle

Father Thomas Vigliotta and Dominican

Tabor Retreat Cen-

Explore Life's "Crossroads"

CHARLOTTE — Susan Brady will

MAGGIEV ALLEY— A week-long

at

have co-authored two books, Arise: A Christian Psychology ofLove and Prayer and Temperament, will co-direct. The cost is $50 for overnight stay and $30 for commute. To register by Aug. 4 or for information, contact Tabor Retreat Center, 2125 Langhorne Rd., Lynchburg, VA 24501 or call (804) 846-6475.

Peter Church.

Living Waters Retreats

2

Father Chet Michael, a

St.

riages, including separated or divorced

couples

—

LYNCHBURG, Va. The retreat, "The World View of Teilhard de

who

widowed. Events include dinners, sporting events, dancing, trips and outdooi activities. For a current newsletter, call Kathy at (701) 552-2401.

Margaret Church sponsors a Fun night the first Friday each month at 7:30 p.m. in Murphy Garland Hall. Bring a game and your own reSt.

and

Game

John Neumann Church. The theme, "Stories Jesus Knew from Books Jesus Loved," explores the prophets' role as speakers of the Word of God. Fee is $25 and there is no fee for Catechists.

For information, call (704) 845-9441.

freshments.

Maryfield Volunteers Needed

Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools seeks a development director to take

at St.

Singles Summer Activities

CHARLOTTE— Catholic Singles of Charlotte

is

a social group for those

FOUR GREAT NAMES

Development Director

HIGH POINT volunteers

— Maryfield needs

who like to work outside and

over established public relations, stitutional

fication of the grounds. If interested, call

ing programs. Effective July 1, 1995.

Candidate must have excellent communication skills (oral and written), high level of enthusiasm and energy

(910) 869-8186 or (910) 886-2444.

Maryfield

at

at

—

advancement and fundrais-

MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI

Vacation Bible School

CHARLOTTE

KNOW

in-

care for flowers to help with the beauti-

Dot Hockett

to

The

Church vacation bible school

St.

Ann

for chil-

dren in pre-school through grade 6

is

July 10-14from9a.m.-12:30p.m. Reg-

coupled with collaborative leadership skills. Apply to Dr. Michael Skube, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Charlotte, 524 E. Morehead St. Charlotte, NC 28207.

MOTORS

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SPLUNGE CHARLOTTE —

Take the

The Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry offers

SPLUNGE July

1

8-23.

It is

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service experience for youth at least 15

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—

Pathfinders, a

1337 Central Ave. Charlotte, N.C. 28205 (704) 375-8108 (800) 331-0768

DEALERSHIPS SERVING CHARLOTTE WITH INTEGRITY FOR OVER 33 YEARS! Frank LaPointe, President St. Gabriel Church

Member of

The Catholic News

June 23, 1995

& Beraki

World And National Briefs was

Editor Says Religionists, Not

degree. Father Fernando, 50,

ac-

ket ban on recruitment of maids for

of the intangible and sacred nature of

Religions, Foment Ethnic Conflicts

cused of attempting to rape a 30-year-old housekeeper May 4 at the rectory of Sacred Heart Church, where he was serving. State Supreme Court Judge Norman J. Felig scheduled sentencing

service in Singapore," noting that such a

life." In

ban could deny domestic workers an opportunity to earn more money abroad than they could working in India. The bishops' letter came as news media in India reported that Singapore needs more than 75,000 housemaids following the partial withdrawal of Filipina maids, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Hundreds of Filipinas working as domestic workers in Singapore left after a Filipina maid convicted of murder was executed in March, despite a plea to review the case from Philippine President Fidel

ritory

WASHINGTON (CNS)— Religion is

not necessarily at fault in ethnic con-

flicts

past and present, according to a

Muslim editor, but he said those acting in the name of religion deserve more of the blame.

"It is pointless to

debate whether

Islam has been more successful or less successful than Christianity in solving

and tackling ethnic conflicts," said Khalid Duran, editor of TranState Islam. "That would be turning religion into a tool instead of visualizing us as servants of the faith." Duran was part of a panel discussion on "The Vocation of Monotheistic Faiths in a Conflict-Ridden World" June 8 as part of an interfaith symposium, "Scriptural Faiths, Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict" at The Catholic University of America, Washington. "A chief characteristic of the racial question

— extremists terrorism —

our 'anarcho-Islamists' resorting to

their appalling

teachings,"

is

precisely

ignorance of Islamic

Duran

said.

Retired Archbishop Offers Plan For New Catholic TV Venture

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Retired

Archbishop Philip M. Hannan of Orleans believes the next

move

New

for the

U.S. bishops in television programming

with direct broadcast satellite technol-

is

for

Aug.

priest

is

8.

1

Under the plea bargain,

the

expected to be deported but not

imprisoned. In the interval before sentencing, he

was to undergo counseling at

a hospital.

Churches Look For Their Role On Information Highway

WASHINGTON

(CNS)

— As

the

information superhighway gets even more

crowded, churches not only want to take want to ensure that the escalating technology is accessible to everyone. These were just some of the issues discussed during a June 8-9 conference on "Global Information Infra-

The

Justice

homes

proposed National Catholic Television Network, which could debut his

Agenda, The

would carry five cable outlets: CNN, ESPN, American Movie Classics, the Discovery Channel, and a

Rivera Carrera of Tehuacan when he named him to head the Archdiocese of

Mexico City. In his nine-and-a-half years as a Mexican prelate, Bishop Rivera has never administered any of Mexico's 14 archdioceses, nor has he ever been elected by fellow bishops to a post on the important 20-member Permanent Council of the Mexican bishops' conference. Yet, following the pope's June 12 appointment, the 53-year-old prelate will move in July from the Diocese of Tehuacan, a

more

disturbing than the fact that

children' s channel, the archbishop wrote

no one may ever know how many people died in Rwanda is the fact that no one seems able to predict when the violence

terminally

the territory.

Mainland

Chinese Priests Concelebrated With Pope In Belgium

LOUVAIN, Belgium (CNS)

the "patriotic" Catholics and the Chinese state

1

in the greater

Mexico City metropolitan

8 million Catholics living

The new archbishop told reporters

Tehuacan

Pope Prays For WWII Victims, Denounces Continuing Conflicts VATICAN CITY (CNS) Pope

—

that

he was surprised by the

not only a historical necessity but a

moral one. We must not forget!" the pope

by the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of CTNA, the Catholic Telecommunications Network of America. The committee recommended that Archbishop Hannan be encouraged

sphere in the country, making reconcili-

overseeing the largest Catholic archdio-

June

cese in the world.

to continue his efforts.

Tomko,

territory

was an "extremely dangerous"

country such as Rwanda."

step that violates the sacredness of hu-

other clerical prisoners of German troops.

Vatican Official Condemns Australian Euthanasia Law

gelization of Peoples. Writing June 9 in

the Vatican newspaper, in a series of

VATICAN CITY (CNS)

marking the first anniversary of murder of three Rwandan bishops,

Cardinal

Tomko

a Staten Island parish, pled guilty 1

May

8 to a charge of sexual abuse in the first

said reconciliation is

P. O'Rourke Certified Public Accountant 4921 Albemarle Road, Suite 116 Charlotte,

NC 28205

A

man life. "When one asks for euthanasia it' s as if one wants to kill oneself. To help

Indian Bishops Warn Against Sending MaidsTo Singapore

domestic workers because of possible

is an inhuman and cruel act," said Bishop Elio Sgreccia, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Bishop Sgreccia, who made the remarks in an interview with Vatican Radio June 1 1, said that with or without

However, a nun who works

the consent of the patient, euthanasia

women cautioned against "a blan-

represents "a violation of the right to life,

that person kill himself

NEW DELHI, India (CNS) — The

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

Joseph

—

Vatican official said the recent legalization of assisted suicide in an Australian

Father Albert Fernando, a visiting priest

from Bombay, India, who was serving at

11.

"the only true, realistic prospect for a

prefect of the Congregation for the Evan-

articles

NEW YORK (CNS) — Norbertine

Mass in St. Peter's Basilica The Mass marked the 50th

said after a

anniversary of the end of the war, which ravaged Europe, the Pacific and other parts of the globe. Concelebrating with the pontiff were the bishops of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where atomic bombs were dropped in August of 1945; two Polish bishops interned at the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany; and

ation difficult, said Cardinal

the

Nobertine Priest Serving In New York Pleads Guilt To Sex Abuse

without compromising Catholic

doctrine and lines of authority.

Hatred continues to poison the atmo-

will end, said Cardinal Jozef

The government-approved

during a June 12 press conference in

the estimated

area.

Tomko.

Vatican.

bishop Hannan' s proposal was discussed

Arch-

has cautioned the Indian government against sending exploitation.

with

women to Singapore as

Card Of Thanks Thanks to God, St. Jude, St. Anthony and the Holy Infant of Prague for prayers answered.

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church officially does not recognize papal authority over its affairs and elects bishops without Vatican approval. However, there have been ongoing Vatican efforts to normalize relations both with

papal appointment, adding that he is nervous over the challenge presented by

in a

ill

the country can obtain assisted suicide in

John Paul II, joined by priests and bishops who suffered in concentration camps during World War II, prayed for the war' s victims and denounced continuing conflicts around the globe. "To keep alive the memory of what happened is

Puebla state, to replace Cardinal Ernesto Corripio Ahumada as spiritual leader of

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Poten-

tially

May 22 letter to the bishops.

II

provincial city of less than 500,000 in

satellite

Bill

before they could join in, according to the

—

Vatican Concerned No End In Sight To Rwandan Violence

as early as next year. In addition the

111

doctor-assisted suicide.

surprised Bishop Norberto

John Paul

ogy. The satellite would carry directly to

which legalized Under the law, patients from anywhere in

the Terminally

Pope Surprises Mexican Bishop With Appointment To Mexico City MEXICO CITY (CNS) Pope

Ramos.

Churches," held at The Catholic University of America in Washington. The conference was cosponsored by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, National Council of Churches of Christ USA, World Association for Christian Communication, U.S. Catholic Mission Association and U.S. Catholic Conference. Organization officials said it was the first such conference they had sponsored.

Australia's Northern Ter-

During his recent trip to Belgium, Pope John Paul II concelebrated a beatification Mass with three priests from mainland China's government-approved Catholic organization. The Chinese clergy were allowed to participate in the service, which involved a large number of priests and bishops, after making a profession of faith which was required

part, but they also

structure,

May,

Parliament passed the Rights of

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News

June 23, 1995

Vietnamese Bishop Recalls

He Survived Concentration NEW YORK (CNS) — An exiled Vietnamese archbishop told a New York audience how he continued his ministry in a concentration camp and how he got a communist guard to sing a medieval Christian hymn.

Archbishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, who has served since No-

vember as vice president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said he overcame the constraints of imprison-

ment by maintaining his determination to love.

He said he told his two guards of his love for them, and eventually "they be-

came my

students."

They asked him to teach them French, and one of them later wanted to learn a song in Latin, the archbishop said. So he

hymn

taught the guard the Pentecost

Veni Creator (Come, Creator).

"He learned it by memory, and every morning while this communist policeman was doing his exercise and washing, I could hear him singing Veni Creator" said Archbishop Nguyen.

He said that his persistence in showing love to the guards led them to take a tolerant attitude when he wanted to make a wooden cross and then sought wire for hanging the cross around his neck.

Archbishop Nguyen, who said his family had been Catholic since the first evangelization of Vietnam, was named

How Camp

on the Apostle Paul writing letfrom prison, and decided: "I will

flected ters

write."

For a time, Archbishop Nguyen was under house arrest in an area where children could come in and out. He told of getting a boy to bring him old calendars and take away what he wrote on the back of them.

A compilation of these messages

was later published asThe Road ofHope, and translated into several languages.

Msgr. Clark wrote an introduction to an English edition. The boy who took the writings out is now a seminarian in Holland, the archbishop said.

Recounting other prison experiences, Archbishop Nguyen told of writing a message asking his people to send wine for his "stomach disease." He said they understood and sent him the wine he needed to celebrate Mass, but labeled it "for stomach relief."

The Church in Vietnam has freedom still

must operate

within limits, Archbishop

Nguyen said.

of worship today, but

Some

mostly former military chaplains, remain in prison, he said.

B ut he said that despite the limits the Church experienced large numbers of vocations and of conversions. priests,

He said the Church in Vietnam now more than 100

had

communists in 1975 and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

He was arrested later that year and

students in each. But he said the govern-

it fell

to the

held until 1 9 8 8

,

1

six seminaries with

ment limited the number of men who could attend seminaries, and each diocese had a large group of men preparing

much of the time spent in

solitary confinement. Since

for the priesthood but

99 1 he has ,

who are unable to

been in exile.

Archbishop Nguyen recounted his prison camp experience June 8 in a lecture sponsored by the Wethersfield Institute, program arm of the Homeland Foundation in New York. Headed by Msgr.

Eugene V. Clark, pastor of St. Agnes Church in Manhattan, the foundation

enroll in regular seminary programs.

makes

tism.

the

Nguyen said.

He told of a Hmong group from the Laos border region

walked seven and ask for bap-

that

days to reach a priest

grants to Catholic educational

They had learned of the

Christian

faith by listening to a radio broadcast in

language from Protestant broadcasters in the Philippines, he said.

"The Holy Spirit can use the Protestant radio to make Catholics," Archbishop Nguyen remarked. But he credited most of the conversions to a large and active corps of catechists.

Archbishop Nguyen said Vietnam needs U.S. help both economically and politically as a counterforce to China, and he favors U.S. establishment of diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

The New York lecture followed the

their

archbishop' s appearance at a meeting of

Vietnamese clergy in Chicago.

Archbishop Nguyen said that when he was arrested he remembered a statement by the late Mary knoll Bishop James •

Walsh about

the importance of con-

was imprisoned

tinued activity while he in China.

"My

Conversions have come not only from Vietnamese but also from the

country's ethnic minorities, Archbishop

projects.

E.

decision

was

to

do something

every day, and to do everything for the love of God and my neighbor," Arch-

Diocesan School Board Openings The Diocese of Charlotte School Board has

five

board

for three years.

Bishop Curlin

The Board

to enact in

is

Third grade faith formation students at St. John

Neumann Church in Charlotte made

origami cranes and sent them, along with a copy of the book Sadako, to children

Oklahoma City following the bombing of

in

the federal building there. In the book, paper

cranes are symbols of peace and hope.

Pope

Leaders

Tells Financial

New Economic System Needed VATICAN CITY (CNS)

— The

the great moral challenges of our time,"

world needs a new economic system that

the

new opportunities for investment and the opening of new mar-

pope

kets, but also contributes to the dignity

ways of

thinking and the proposal of models of

economic growth which defend and promote the dignity and freedom of each individual and of every community," he

of

every person, Pope John Paul II said.

During a brief audience with participants in the Paine

told the group.

"It requires of everyone new

not only presents

Webber Chairman's

said.

The pope asked members of the group

Council Conference June 12, the pope asked leaders in the banking and invest-

to carry out their financial activities in "a

make human welfare

spirit of solidarity with the men and women of developing countries" and with

"The dramatic political and economic changes of recent years," he said, have not only brought new international business possibilities, "they have also drawn attention to the many situations of pov-

a commitment to ensuring that economic

ment

industries to

their bottom line.

erty

and

injustice in

growth serves not just the material wellbeing of some, but takes into account the spiritual, moral and cultural needs and rights of all people.

which so many

®

members of the human family continue to live."

"The urgent need for integral human development on the global scale is one of

0^e candle

This newspaper

is

printed on recycled

newsprint and

is

re-

cyclable.

lights another.

a retreat for Wftoweb, Separated, Divorcee) presentations, personal reflection, prayer and liturgy, optional group sharing

Catholic Conference Center August

5-6,

1995

$55 double occupancy, of which $15.00 is a non-refundable deposit required to confirm reservation. Add $12.00 for single room occupancy. For Friday night registration, call the Catholic Conference Center at (704) 327-7441. Mon. thru Fri., 9 a_.rn.-4 p.m. For financial assistance, call Suzanne Bach at (704) 377-6871.

REGISTRATiON

member

positions and one teacher representative position to be filled. is

Of Peace

bishop Nguyen recalled. Concerned about staying in touch with his people, he re-

coadjutor archbishop of Saigon shortly before

Gifts

The term

PHONE

NAME

(

)

responsible for proposing policies to

governing

1

ADDRESS

7 schools.

The Board meets monthly from September

to

June on agreed upon

CITY/STATE/ZIP

dates from 6:30-9 p.m. rotating from the Catholic Center in Charlotte

PASTOR

to a school in the Triad area.

Interested applicants should send

by July

18,

1995 a

letter

and

resume detailing parish and/or school involvement and state why you would like Bishop Curlin to appoint you to serve on the Diocesan

PARISH PHONE

PARISH

PLEASE CIRCLE: Widowed

Separated

Divorced

School Board.

Send information

to:

SMOKING ROOM YES /NO

AMOUNT ENCLOSED.

Diocesan School Board c/o Catholic Schools Office The Catholic Center

Please return registration by July 26, 1995.

1524 East Morehead Street Charlotte, NC 28207

Suzanne Bach, 1524 East Morehead Charlotte, NC 28207 (704) 377-6871 ext. 314

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