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Volume 4 Number 29 • March
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
24, 1995
Catholic Social Services
995 Beatty Award And CSS Spirit Winners Present "A timber man
1
you a tree cannot be measured until it has fallen. Once it is cut down, its girth and length can be calculated. This can also be said about great men. This can be will tell
We
said about Colonel Beatty.
are all just beginning to see his
John Engler, the 1995 recipient of
true measurements, " said
Catholic Social Services Colonel Francis
By Joann Keane
present board
Associate Editor
tal in
CHARLOTTE —While
offering
acceptance comments for Catholic Social Services' annual award, John Chapin Engler, the 1995 recipient of the Colonel
Francis
J.
J.
Beatty award, described the
Beatty award.
member of Mercy Hospi-
addition to serving on the board of
Mercy Health
Services. Engler has
Abbey Symphony, the
served on boards for Belmont College, the Charlotte
Chamber of Commerce and chaired Discovery Place's Science Museum. He Above: Peggy and John Engler are joined by Bishop successfully led fundraising efforts for
similar plaudits to characterize
Johnson C. Smith University, the United celebration. Way, and Goodwill Industries. "What I Below: Jeannie Beall, director of the have been able to give has returned to John and Mary Nelis. me ten or twenty fold," said Engler.
Colonel Beatty' s life as a "classic demonstration of faith, dignity, dedication, warmth, compassion and class." Those who spoke of Engler used
man
—
CSS'
John of the year. "Our honoree has much in common with Engler
—
Ray
Francis Beatty," said
Farris, last
year's Beatty Award winner. "John Engler' s uncompromising devotion is to
God,
his church, his wife Peggy,
and
The fruits of have made it
their children, in that order.
that respect in priorities
possible for John to live the
life
for
which he is honored tonight." About 500 CSS staff, civic and community leaders, friends and associates of Engler managing principal of Merrill
—
Lynch Charlotte
— attended
the
March
15 reception and dinner at the
Omni
Hotel. "There' s not a family represented
here
who hasn't
— been
—
directly or indirectly
affected by Catholic Social Ser-
vices," said Ty
Boyd, master of ceremo-
nies for the evening.
—
"What
CSS Charlotte office presents the spirit award to Photo by JOANN KEANE
comes
around goes around in life," said Engler. "When I was born, I had the good fortune to be involved in something
Welfare Reform Must Not Target
that Catholic Social Ser-
vices does
all
Children,
the time."
The year was 1936, and the organization was Catholic Charities in Des Moine, Iowa. "It was run
Immigrants,
Bishops Say
by a group of sisters and they were responsible for placing
By NANCY FRAZIER O'BRIEN WASHINGTON (CNS) — As wel-
me in a home
with Ernie and Dorothy (Engler),
fare reform
and created for
—
is
presented
annually to an individual whose strong in
Mecklenburg
County. "I knew Colonel Beatty when he was at his elegant finest; which was any year of his life," said Boyd. "He was an incredible role model for the leader-
going around ing around."
Catholic bishops signaled that they would fight many elements of the plan,
is
is
com-
including proposals to end payments to
See CSS Award, Page 3
and the children of unmarried women. legal immigrants
In a statement released
North Carolina Lutheran And Catholic Bishops Issue Letter Regarding Plight
community. But
more than that, he was a great member of the community at large." "It is
easy to understand
why he
enjoys a regional and national reputa-
"John is a picture of purpose, competence and consistency. tion," said Farris.
But the
must be enlarged and balanced with a structure of duty and touches of modesty and kindness." Those who know John best would portrait
—
say he is as selfless as he is focused whether serving as chairman of the board
On March
a letter signed by three N.C. bishops was sent to each state legislator expressing "concern for the people of North Carolina who live in poverty," and urging that the poor not be abandoned or blamed for societal
problems during this time of call for welfare reform. Bishop Mark Menees of the N.C. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Bishop William G. Curlin of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, acting together as a sign of the unique covenant among their judicatories, urged the legislators to remember the "threads of compassion and social justice for the poor and
benefits.
years, said Farris.
to address the
Dame
is
member of St. He is past chairman and
an active and dedicated Gabriel Church.
graduate,
the sacred writings of
all religions.
While acknowledging the need for people to "move toward supporting themselves and their children," the bishops said that the elimination of poverty should be the focus during deliberations on welfare reform rather than cuts in
of Mercy Hospital or as a member of the many boards he has helped over the Engler, a Notre
woven throughout
They expressed support
for collaboration
March
19,
Board of the U.S.
Catholic Conference said
it
supports
"genuine welfare reform which strengthens families, encourages productive
"We
1,
vulnerable" that are
the Administrative
work and protects vulnerable children."
Of The Poor
ship of this community; an incredible part of the Catholic
in the
House of Representatives, the U.S.
religious faith promotes effective church
and public service
headed for a vote
me the beginning of what
The Colonel Francis J. Beatty Award established in 1991
William G. Curlin and Elizabeth
Thurbee, executive director of Catholic Social Services following the March 1 5 awards
late
among community
institutions
needs of the poor. But they also cautioned the legislators that resources of religious communities in providing human services are currently severely stretched and that any expectation for churches to replace the role of government in overcoming widespread poverty is unrealistic.
are not defenders of the wel-
quo which sometimes relies on bureaucratic approaches, discourages work and breaks up families," the bishops said. "However, we oppose abandonment of the federal government's fare status
necessary role in helping families over-
come poverty and meet their children's basic needs."
The statement was requested and adopted by the 50 bishops attending the March 14-16 Administrative Board meeting in Washington. The Administrative Board acts in the name of the full bishops' conference between general meetings.
Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard of
Baltimore, chairman of the
USCC
Do-
mestic Policy Committee, said the state-
See Welfare, Page 2