May 24, 1996

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News & Herald

Western North Carolina

Serving Catholics in

in the Diocese of Charlotte

Volume 5 Number 24- May

24, 1996

Slovenian Youths Jog Papal Memories

During Birthday Celebrations By JOHN THAVIS LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (CNS)

— The

"My familiar,

wooded East European mountains helped set the mood. So did the sound of a Slavic language not so from his native Polish. But most of all, it was the presence of young people that stirred up memories for Pope John Paul II on his 76th birthday. In the middle of a three-day visit to Slovenia, two meetings with youths a small group and a very large offered an aging pope a few rare moments for one different

public reminiscence.

Gathered

in the courtyard of his residence in

May

Ljubljana

18,

100 schoolchildren sang an early-

morning "Happy Birthday." They offered a few homemade presents. They hemmed and stammered through memorized poems.

Who

party.

destruction," he said.

resist

St.

Ann School in Charlotte places a band of flowers

on a statue recent

of the

Blessed Virgin Mary during a

May crowning

celebration.

Diocesan Support Appeal Exceeds Goal By

like

There was "fear of bombardments, fear of

was

old, too,"

deportations and fear of reprisals," said the pope,

who

spent most of the war years as a student in a clandestine

seminary

in

Krakow.

"Unfortunately,

he

I

know what it's like to be afraid,"

said.

His remarks came in response to a question from young people about handling fear. His point was that when young people are afraid, they tend to close in upon themselves and close out hope. Today, this often takes the form of escapism the

toward drugs and alcohol, for example, he said. The only real answer to this kind of fear is faith in

See Pope Birthday, page 16

Thomas Aquinas

Group Makes By

Editor again, parishioners

Connection

Spiritual

diocesan history. "It is very humbling for me, as bishop, to witness such an outpouring of love for our sisters and in

The

DSA ministries are a response embrace a ministry of God' s people, a manifestation our diocesan commitment to

to the gospel challenge to

service to

reach out to the least in

our midst," said Bishop William G. Curlin. "Such exceptional generosity of

Catholics throughout western North Carolina is an outstanding expression of faith in action." As of May 17, pledges totaled $2,638,181,

See DSA, next page

MIKE KROKOS

from

throughout the diocese have demonstrated their generous support of the local Church. As a result, pledges exceeding the $2.6 million mark make the 1996 Diocesan Support Appeal the most successful

brothers in Christ.

I

was 20 years old when World War II broke

a storm over Europe and the world, sowing death and

MIKE KROKOS

CHARLOTTE — Once

campaign

You know,

he told the kids, glancing appreciatively at a book of drawings they gave him. "But today I'm celebrating my 76th year, at five o'clock this afternoon, give or take a little," he said through a translator. The children crowded around the beaming pope, and he hugged a few of them. His years showed in the stooped pose and the small, somewhat halting steps through the courtyard. But his wide grin seemed to come straight from the pope's own childhood. The youngsters sang another song, accompanied by a flute, two violins and two guitars. The pope halfclosed his eyes and listened: "I'm a child of Mary,

St.

"I

II,

old are you? Seven, 8?

once 8 years

Photo by JOANNKEANE

clear,

fear."

"How

— Eleven-year-old Mary Gross of

is

engaging in a little nostalgia? who watched from a secondfloor balcony before coming down and joining the could

Not Pope John Paul

May Crowning

path

"For the angels of heaven "Are always near." The pope said he was happy his birthday fell in May, a month dedicated to Mary, a mother for all. "In this moment, I have to thank my own mother, who gave me life," he said, almost as a prayer. His mother died when he was 9 years old. That afternoon, meeting on a green slope outside Postoj na with some 50,000 teen-agers, the pope briefly revisited another chapter of his private life as Karol Wojtyla: his "underground" years during the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II. The pope has spoken often about the war's effect on his country, but rarely about its effect on his own psyche. At this second birthday party, though, he called it an "unforgettable experience of danger and

second Saturday each month from 7:30-9 a.m.

Editor

Brian

Lockhart spends one Saturday each month on a 50-mile trek for spiritual enrichment. Getting up at the crack of dawn and making the drive from Indian Trail to St. in northeast Charlotte is

Thomas Aquinas Church

something Lockhart actually

looks forward to each month. "It's great to

come here

and have guys, especially older ones, share their insight," he explained. "It's like they say, I'm going to offer it to you, not because I'm better or smarter than you, but because I've been there.'" "It's nice to hear some balanced perspective," he added. "You can trust their insights and observations." '

Lockhart

is

at the

church.

referring to the St.

Thomas

Aquinas Men's Group that has met at the church for nearly 1 1/2 years. The group, which consists of both married and single Catholics, talks about things like the mystery and worship of the Eucharist and other Catholic ideology. Members of the group are not only from St. Thomas Aquinas, but from other area churches as well. They meet the

The meetings begin with

prayer, breakfast and a

presentation by one of the group's members, then

breaks into smaller discussion groups. The meetings close with petitions and prayer.

With

the blessing of Bishop William G.

Curlin, the group started with five

attending the

first

men

meeting. Since then,

attendance has consistently increased. Some meetings have drawn as many as 35 men. "The concept has taken off in the past six months," said Chris Hardin, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas who helped establish the group. "Men are looking for something like this to help them in their lives." The group has five goals: To love and obey Jesus Christ by loving their families and following Church teachings; to act as a support network for men and an

extension of

pastoral care for the parish; to allow

Pope John Paul

II

group

way

in

such a

and Bishop Curlin that their

to guide the job as shepherds is

See Men's Group, next page


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May 24, 1996 by Catholic News Herald - Issuu