1 1
U '*Lc
1
ll|IMI|ll>ll||l||llll|l|l||illl
1 1 1
1
1
1
1
II
1
II
1
Ml
i
1
1
1
1
MIT'I III 1
I'UH is <J9H3 3 NO Hi DI13311Q 3 ON iZZS 119 T /T
C
v.
v, it M.
\£,
j,; .\t
#U
-V. tt.
-U
'
.
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