Ask most practicing Catholics whether Jesus offers Himself to us in the Eucharist, and I imagine they’d say “yes.” It is true, in a certain sense: Jesus does give Himself to us in the Eucharist. In this sacrament, we receive His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – which is to say, all of Him. The very reason many people go to Mass is in order to receive Jesus. But there is another very important sense in which it is not true to say Jesus offers Himself to us: that is the sense of the Eucharist as a sacrifice.
Quoting “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Jesus “instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice … to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages” (CCC 1323). The Eucharist is thus inextricably bound up with the crucifixion, which Christians universally recognize as a sacrifice made by Christ to God the Father for our salvation.
THE ROLES OF PRIESTS
Speaking of the crucifixion, St. Paul implores Christian disciples to imitate God and to “live in love, as Christ loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma” (Eph 5:2). St. Paul understands Christ’s sacrifice as being offered “to God” and “for us.” On the cross, Jesus is not only the sacrificial victim but is Himself the High Priest offering the sacrifice.
This gets to the heart of priesthood. Many of us today have a weakened imagination when it comes to what a priest is and does. We think of our priests as men who run the parish, study the Bible, teach the faith, preach sermons and pray with us in our time of need. These are all very important things that priests indeed do, but none of them defines what a priest is.
The fundamental concept of priesthood runs deeper than this. A priest is a person who approaches God to offer sacrifice on behalf of the people. All other pastoral responsibilities flow outward from that.
We find the priests of ancient Israel acting in this way throughout the Old Testament. The books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are full of liturgical instruction dictating how the priests were to offer sacrifices to God for the good of the people of Israel.
There were sacrifices of thanksgiving, sacrifices of praise and sacrifices of atonement. There were sacrifices of incense
EDITOR’S NOTE
The pope’s column will resume after a new Holy Father is announced. Go online to www. catholicnewsherald. com for continuing coverage of the conclave and details about the successor to Pope Francis as soon as news is announced. Francis
‘When we understand the Eucharist to be not just Jesus’ gift of Himself to us, but rather the gift of Himself to the Father for us, it changes how we perceive our role in the Mass.’
and cereal grains, but most typical were the animal sacrifices: a living creature giving its life for the sanctification of others.
OFFERING BACK TO GOD
None of these sacrifices was for God’s benefit. The Creator of the universe already owns the universe and everything in it (see Ps 50:10). We can’t give God anything that isn’t already His. The purpose of the sacrifice was to offer back to God a portion of the blessing He has given to us, so that we might receive an even greater share of God’s grace.
This works because by offering the gift of a worthy sacrifice to God, we participate more fully in the life of God who is Love, and whose essence is therefore self-gift.
Since everything God does is an act of gift, we become more like God by offering gifts, especially the gift of ourselves.
What I’m saying here is that while God doesn’t benefit from our sacrifices, we do. That’s why we say they are offered to God, but for us.
The quintessential sacrifice of Israel coincided with the annual Passover festival commemorating the freeing of Israel from bondage in Egypt. The final plague that convinced Pharaoh to evict Israel from his land was the death of the first born. To be spared this death, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice an unblemished lamb to God. But to benefit from the sacrifice, the people also had to consume the flesh of the lamb and mark
their doorposts with its blood. The flesh and blood of the sacrificial lamb caused the angel of death to pass over the houses of the Hebrews, thus saving them.
The Last Supper, at which Jesus instituted the Eucharist, was a Passover meal. Having celebrated this yearly feast their whole lives, the Apostles would have immediately noticed the absence of the sacrificial lamb. Just as Isaac asked his Father centuries earlier, they may have been wondering, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” (Gen 22:7). And just as Abraham prophetically answered his son, “God Himself will provide a lamb” (Gen 22:8).
JESUS DOES SOMETHING NEW
In the context of this ritual, sacrificial meal, our Lord does something new. He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives thanks, saying, “This is My body which is given up for you” (Lk 22:19): given to God; given for us. And just like the Passover lamb of Exodus, this sacrifice must be consumed for us to benefit by it. By consuming the sacrificial offering, we ourselves participate in that offering. This is reflected in the liturgical prayers of the Mass. For example, in the third Eucharistic Prayer, the priest prays, “Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death You willed to reconcile us to Yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with His Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ. May He make of us an eternal offering to You.”
When we understand the Eucharist to be not just Jesus’ gift of Himself to us, but rather the gift of Himself to the Father for us, it changes how we perceive our role in the Mass. When you and I receive Christ in the Eucharist, we participate in the one perfect sacrifice of Christ the Savior (CCC 1330).
You can consider it this way: In the Eucharist, God offers the sacrifice, God receives the sacrifice, and God is the sacrifice. The whole of Christian worship is essentially a divine act in which you and I undeservedly get to participate through the mediation of Jesus Christ, who gives Himself as a spotless offering to the Father for us, for our sanctification and for our salvation.
DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME, Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate, is the author of “The Devout Life: A Modern Guide to Practical Holiness with St. Francis de Sales,” available from Sophia Institute Press.
Sunday: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8, Rev 21:10-14, 22-23, Jn 14:23-29; Monday (St. Philip Neri): Acts 16:11-15, Ps 149:1b-2, 3-6a and 9b, Jn 15:26-16:4a; Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34, Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8, Jn 16:511; Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14, Jn 16:12-15; Thursday: Acts 18:18, Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, Jn 16:16-20; Friday: Acts 18:9-18, Ps 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, Jn 16:20-23; Saturday (Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Zeph 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16, Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6, Luke 1:39-56
AMY BURGER
Father Melchesideck Yumo celebrates his 10-year anniversary Mass April 27 at St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem. The Eucharist is not just Jesus’ gift of Himself to us, but rather the gift of Himself to the Father for us.
CHARLOTTE — More than 30 people attended St. Patrick Cathedral’s Divine Mercy celebration at 3 p.m. on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27. The cathedral’s rector, Father Christopher Roux, exposed the Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic Adoration and led the congregation in reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet, while parochial vicar Father Raymond Ekosse offered confessions to allow attendees to receive the plenary indulgence granted for Divine Mercy Sunday.
— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent
St. Mark homeschooler wins international essay contest
HUNTERSVILLE — Lucy Dvorak, a St. Mark Homeschool student, was awarded the Knights of Columbus International Award for eighthgrade students for her essay, “Virtues of an Elected Leader.”
Hers was chosen from hundreds of entries submitted from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. A frame holding her letter from the Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight and her essay was presented to her after Mass April 27 by state and council officers.
Pictured are (from left) Mark Schmidt, St. Mark Council grand knight; Lucy’s father Eric, mother Amy and her siblings; Sergio Miranda, North Carolina state deputy; Father John Putnam, St. Mark pastor and council chaplain; Tim Kelley, North Carolina state advocate; and Bill Lange, council deputy grand knight. In 1882, the Knights of Columbus was founded by Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.1 million members in over 16,800 local councils.
As members of one of the world’s leading international charitable organizations, Knights around the world donated more than 47 million service hours and over $190 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2023.
Bishop Martin and other religious leaders unite for National Day of Prayer
LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org
CHARLOTTE — Hope and shared faith in Jesus brought together Christian leaders from across Charlotte, including Bishop Michael Martin, for the 2025 National Day of Prayer on May 1.
It was Bishop Martin’s first time attending the event, which was hosted by First Baptist Church in Charlotte. Its theme, “Pour out to the God of Hope and be Filled” (Rom 15:13), coincidentally mirrors the theme of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025: “Pilgrims of Hope.”
In brief remarks to the 170 attendees of varied denominations, the bishop spoke about the hope that comes through reconciliation with Christ.
“The one characteristic, other than child of God, that we all share is sinner,” he said. “The challenge for all of us today is to acknowledge our own sinfulness and our own personal need for reconciliation. If we are really to talk about reconciliation and oneness, I have to look at myself and say I’m a broken sinner. To first acknowledge that within my own heart is where hope springs.”
“That would be my prayer for us,” he continued. “That we not fear seeing our own brokenness, our own sinfulness, our own breach with the great love that God has shared with us.”
In so doing, he said, faith leaders can be more open to accompany one another “in this great quest for unity.”
revived the tradition in 1863 during the Civil War. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that Congress formally established the observance, with President Harry Truman signing it into law. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday of May as the official date for the annual celebration.
Robert Kelly, founder of FORCLT, urged the faith community to pray for four collaborative movements to bring Charlotte together as a community: transformation, service, discipleship and love.
“There is so much strife and turmoil. What would it look like to become united in hope with God?”
Kelly asked.
Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists and nondenominational Christians all huddled together intermittently throughout the event, joining hands in groups of seven to pray for those who are suffering, those who seek peace, and those who are weary.
Hannah Arrowood, executive director of Present Age Ministries, an organization that helps victims of sexual exploitation, focused on the distress endured by some local residents.
“We don’t need to look far to see suffering within the greater Charlotte area,” Arrowood said. “Let this National Day of Prayer mark not just a moment but a movement.”
The local celebration of the 74th annual National Day of Prayer was organized by For Charlotte Mission Network (FORCLT), a group of religious leaders from various denominations dedicated “to unite the Church to transform the city” of Charlotte.
Across the country on Thursday, there were more than 35,000 prayer vigils, with millions of people exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and religion with one voice.
“God is calling us to be a Jesus church for all God’s people,” said First Baptist’s Pastor Rob Wilton. “This is not our church, it is His and you are all a testament to that.”
“There is something phenomenal going on here in our nation,” said Brenda Jackson-Little, FORCLT prayer network leader. “This historic tradition is older than the nation itself. It is a joy that one day out of the year we can come together in unity.”
The idea of a National Day of Prayer dates back to 1775, when the Founding Fathers called for a day of spiritual reflection. President Abraham Lincoln
Arrowood then went on to cite numbers, among them: 115,000 people in Charlotte – approximately 12% of the population –live below the poverty line, and last year alone, 110 local families were impacted by homicide.
Together, religious leaders put aside their differences for a moment to acknowledge their shared faith in Jesus Christ.
“The Holy Spirit is not for goosebumps but for holy proclamation,” said Skylar Farley, vice president from Ignite Movement Campus Ministry. “Prayer meetings change history.”
High schoolers attend Diocesan Youth Conference
BLACK MOUNTAIN — High school students from 17 parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte attended the 48th annual Diocesan Youth Conference May 2-4 at Ridgecrest Conference Center. The event was sponsored by the diocese’s Youth Ministry Office.
The conference theme was “Rescued,” and its goals were to help youth to develop a personal relationship with Christ, solidify their moral values and character and reach a deeper understanding of what it means to be rescued by Jesus.
Keynote speakers included Father Pat Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Parish in Asheville, Louisiana-based retreat leader and musician Anne Trufant, and Dr. Matt Harrison.
There were workshops on the Beatitudes, dealing with anxiety and despair, different cultural heritages and worship traditions in the Church, overcoming sin, and responding to the
problem of human trafficking as part of the Catholic pro-life programming focus.
Youth had time for fellowship and activities as well as for prayer, including the opportunity to go to confession, attend Mass and adore the Blessed Sacrament. A Eucharistic procession was held on May 3, while Masses were celebrated by Father Cahill and Father Shawn O’Neal, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Brevard.
As Bishop Michael Martin wrote to participants: “You don’t have to wait until you’re older or have it all figured out to make a difference. Right now –in your school, on your team, among your family and friends – you’re called to bring the healing presence of Jesus.”
“This is our ‘rescue mission’ as disciples of Jesus!” he noted.
— Christina L. Knauss
PHOTO PROVIDED
Youth from Our Lady of the Highways Parish in Thomasville enjoy the Diocesan Youth Conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain.
LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Bishop Michael Martin prays alongside other local Christian leaders during the 2025 National Day of Prayer held May 1 at First Baptist Church in Charlotte.
Parishioners help veterans find healing and hope
LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org
GREENSBORO — Vietnam veteran and Navy commander
Christina Illig Rudge from Holy Family Church in Clemmons held back tears as she was welcomed home by hundreds of supporters April 30, when her Triad Honor Flight arrived at Piedmont Triad International Airport.
“It’s surreal, whenever there is healing going on you know that God is there,” said Rudge. “To see all these people from my church that I knew, I thought this is what heaven must be like. It was like the Communion of Saints, everyone saying they love you and thank you.”
Honor Flight is a free program that flies veterans to the national war monuments in Washington, D.C. Parishioners from across the diocese play key roles in the program. The April Triad Honor Flight had some very valuable cargo, including three World War II veterans, 12 Korean War veterans and a group of Vietnam veterans. In all, 99 veterans participated, each escorted by a guardian to assist.
The wait list is large – over 600 names and waits that can be more than four years – but the experience helps bring the longsought healing veterans deserve.
The posters, balloons, handshakes, hugs and joyful tears
Rudge received were a contrast to what she endured at a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade in the 1970s. She was a college ROTC teacher and remembers the experience vividly. “We got out there in the middle of the parade. The crowd started throwing tomatoes and eggs and excrement at us,” she said. “They were screaming out terrible things to us. Our white uniforms were destroyed.”
Rudge’s story is common and is why volunteers like Rosalie Pratesi, a parishioner of Holy Family, and St. Pius X parishioner and board
of directors member Bob Jackson spend hundreds of hours planning this event every six months.
Pratesi does it to honor her father,
who was a World War II veteran, and her brother, who served in the U.S. Air Force. Jackson got involved after taking one of the first Triad Honor Flights. “After that flight, there was never a doubt in my mind I wanted to be a part of this –especially having friends who were in Vietnam and seeing how they were treated when they got home,” Jackson said.
Companies including American Airlines, Walmart and TSA, plus performers like the Jamestown Pipes and Drums donate time and resources, as do churches like Holy Family, and organizations like the Knights of Columbus.
Pratesi also recognizes the tireless efforts of the Triad Honor Flight’s Executive Director Alison Huber.
“Her passion is extraordinary,” Pratesi said.
Rudge served for 21 years in the U.S. Navy as an unrestricted line officer and waited on the list for Triad Honor Flight for a little over two years. When she got the call, she hesitated. “I almost felt like there
are other people that needed to go, and I didn’t want to take their seat.”
But her husband Hank, a Vietnam vet who participated two years earlier, insisted. “My husband said I need to have this experience, and he knows what I have been through,” Rudge said.
Fellow parishioner Melissa Witherspoon was honored to be her guardian, and together they reached the airport before dawn.
Rudge said, “I was completely surprised by the sheer number of people up that early to greet us, and the entertainment.”
They walked under an archway of American flags held by ROTC students. The plane’s captain greeted each one with a handshake. The crew decorated the plane with stars hanging from the ceiling and American flags taped to the seats.
The first stop was the World War II Memorial. For Rudge, it was “mind-blowing.” Hundreds of children lined the entry.
SEE PAGE 12
‘See the world differently,’ Bishop Martin challenges
GEORGIANNA PENN catholicnews@rcdoc.org
STONEVILLE — More than 100 secular Franciscans and friends joined Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., April 27 as he emphasized the importance of recalibrating our lives toward God, during a Mass and blessing of St. Francis Springs Prayer Center’s recently completed columbarium.
The prayer and retreat center is nestled in the midst of 140 wooded acres about 30 miles north of Greensboro. St. Francis Springs offers a serene setting for meditation, with outdoor prayer spaces including the San Damiano Glass Chapel, walking trails, a Stations of the Cross meditation, a labyrinth based on the winding walk at Chartres Cathedral in France, and a waterfall named “Celestial Waterfall” created by Franciscan Father Louis Canino and stonemason Rosali Rivera of Set in Stone Builders in Stokesdale. The 720-niche columbarium is a natural
extension of these spaces.
As a Conventual Franciscan friar himself, Bishop Martin has said he strives to live the life that St. Francis modeled, and in his homily he emphasized the importance of contemplation amid today’s busy world.
“The beauty of a place like St. Francis Springs is that it gives all of us an opportunity to step away from the life of the world in order to recalibrate,” Bishop Martin said.
We can experience God’s mercy through the serenity of nature and in times of quiet retreat, he said. They can provide “a time away to ask the Lord to give us new insight, to allow us to be able see things through the lens of faith, to reimagine with God how we are to appreciate who we are, who God is and what we are called to do.”
The bishop said the next step is to bring that appreciation into every aspect of daily life. “In the supermarket, dare I say, on the interstate, every place we find ourselves that we think is a distraction
from the Lord, that’s where the Lord wants us to be. That’s where the Lord needs us to be,” he said.
“It’s not just being able to see the Lord anew with a different perspective, it’s also to see reality anew and to see Christ in that reality,” Bishop Martin said. “May that be the gift St. Francis Springs brings to all of us – named obviously in honor of a poor man of Assisi who recognized the need to see the world differently.”
“It was a gift to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday with Bishop Michael T. Martin, especially a week after the passing of Pope Francis,” said Steve Swayne, director of St. Francis Springs Prayer Center. “His message to all of us about St. Francis was beautiful. And to celebrate and bless the columbarium was a gift.”
More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com Learn more about St. Francis Springs Prayer Center and its new columbarium
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MELISSA WITHERSPOON; LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
(From top left) Melissa Witherspoon and Commander Tina Rudge pose in front of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Holy Family volunteer Rosalie Pratesi and Knight of Columbus Gerald Bryant can’t help but smile after a long night preparing to welcome the vets home after their Triad Honor Flight. FLIGHT,
PHOTOS BY GEORGIANNA PENN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Bishop Michael Martin blesses the columbarium April 27 at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville.
16,346 pounds of everyday essentials were provided to 16,693 people veterans were aided in securing stable housing
213 people received 2,573 mental health counseling sessions digni ed burials for families in need
95 apartments setup for refugee families
1,516 people participated in social concerns educational and advocacy programs
543 refugees resettled
24,165
237 volunteers gave
481 families in need received gi cards during the holiday season
1,138 refugees provided services to achieve self-su ciency and citizenship
6 college students received support to overcome barriers and pursue their education
708 older adults participated in Elder Ministry educational programs
513 people were assisted with rent and utility payments
198 immigrants received legal services
57 TOP participants received personalized services to overcome poverty
26 people received ongoing support to stay in their homes adolescents supported to achieve stability and pursue high school graduation
556.341 alimentos y
16.346 libras de artículos de uso diaria se proporcionaron
16.693 personas
199 familias necesitadas
95 arreglos de apartamentos para familias de refugiados
543 refugiados reasentados
1.516 personas participaron en programas sociales, educativos y de apoyo
481 familias necesitadas recibieron tarjetas regalo durante las estas
ubicaciones en todo
213 personas recibieron
2.573
veteranos recibieron ayuda para conseguir vivienda estable sesiones de asesoramiento en salud mental
237 voluntarios prestaron
horas de servicio
1.138 refugiados recibieron servicios para lograr la autosu ciencia y la ciudadanía
6 estudiantes universitarios recibieron apoyo para superar barreras y proseguir sus estudios
708 adultos mayores participaron en programas educativos del Ministerio de Ancianos
513 personas recibieron ayuda para pagar el alquiler y los servicios públicos
198 inmigrantes recibieron servicios legales
57 participantes de TOP recibieron servicios personalizados para superar la pobreza
adolescentes apoyados para lograr la estabilidad y proseguir sus estudios secundarios
26 personas recibieron apoyo continuo para que permanecieran en sus hogares
The art of heaven
Artist’s hands carve sacred beauty across the diocese
CHARLOTTE
— Woodworker and sculptor
Jacob Wolfe’s sacred art graces nooks and crannies, walls and ceilings across the Diocese of Charlotte. From the white plaster niches holding the Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, to the sanctuary walls in the Pastoral Center chapel.
LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org
“Jacob is a strong Catholic, and he loves our Faith. His projects reflect his faith,” said Father Timothy Reid, pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte. “He works so diligently and has such great attention to detail because he knows his artwork is meant to glorify our Lord.”
A cradle Catholic born in the small town of Tryon in the western North Carolina mountains, Wolfe spent his childhood running through the woods as his six siblings chased each other with spears and swords crafted from
the bamboo forest guarding their property.
His fascination with creating objects with his hands led young Wolfe to shape those same bamboo shoots into wind chimes. His father, Bob Wolfe, took note of his son’s eagerness when he came home from middle school psyched about constructing Adirondack chairs.
“He said I will buy you all the basic tools you need –WOLFE, SEE PAGE 21
table saw, bandsaw, all Home Depot tools, but these were like the Mac Daddy’s to me,” Wolfe reminisced. “My parents were always rooting for me and pushing me to figure things out. It was a wonderful gift.”
In high school, Wolfe enrolled in a woodshop class. He started designing a table, and while he carved out the corners and sanded the legs, he found his passion for the craft: This could be what God made him to do, he thought.
In 2010, Wolfe, a sophomore at Appalachian State University, came home to find a newly installed pastor, Father Patrick Winslow, at his childhood parish of St. John the Baptist in Tryon, who had a vision for what the church could be.
“Considering his woodworking goals, we discussed what would be possible in the church,” explained Monsignor Winslow. “I threw out some ideas, and he came back with beautiful designs. It was then I knew, this guy is good.”
Monsignor Winslow had many ideas: coffered ceilings stenciled with gold lettering, walls that look like blocks and wooden reredos (the decorative back wall behind an altar). Wolfe was determined to fulfill the monsignor’s artistic vision.
“That back wall turned into really my first piece which I designed and built from scratch,” Wolfe said. “We just kept pushing, and I kept saying, ‘Yeah, I can do that. I can figure it out,’ It was a wonderful, fruitful relationship with mutual trust and mutual understanding that we don’t know what we are doing,” he joked.
The renovation took almost two years to complete, during which Monsignor Winslow became Wolfe’s mentor, spiritual advisor and friend.
Wolfe, who also had an inclination to sculpt but never the opportunity to do so, was commissioned by a benefactor of St. John the Baptist to carve a Divine Mercy statue.
Around the same time, Wolfe repeatedly saw a young woman who was around his age across the street from the church. They would exchange waves every day without fail. One hot summer day the woman, Olivia, appeared and offered Wolfe an ice-cold smoothie. Wolfe believes it was love at first sight. A year later they were engaged, and now they are married with children of their own.
Father Winslow and Wolfe started discussing the possibility of Wolfe launching his own sacred art business. “While eating out one night, between Googling and
brainstorming, Father Winslow and I came up with the name Ars Caeli,” remembered Wolfe. “Latin meaning ‘art of heaven,’ very fitting for what I was about to accomplish.”
Soon after, Monsignor Winslow was reassigned to Charlotte, and Wolfe followed. Ars Caeli quickly built a client base.
Father Timothy Reid of St. Ann Church in Charlotte commissioned Wolfe for stenciling projects.
“I saw Jacob’s work at St. John the Baptist in Tryon and knew that he had a good deal of talent,”
Father Reid said. “I also knew that I wanted to help this young artist get
established in his career.”
The Divine Mercy statue he made to memorialize the sudden death of a 20-year-old seminarian, Michael Kitson, showcased his talent, said Father Reid.
Wolfe was recommissioned by Father Reid, working more than 300 hours on a tabernacle and creating his first marble statue, Our Lady of Fatima. Wolfe first sculpted a smaller version of the statue out of clay, then shipped it to Italy to be sculpted in marble.
“Seeing how many people pray regularly in front of the beautiful statue that stands in the parish
of St. Joseph Seminary in Mount Holly, heard of Wolfe’s love of sacred art and talent to match. He commissioned one of Wolfe’s largest projects, sending him on a 12,000-hour craftsman journey.
“He has crafted the doors, the sacristy furniture, memorial plaques, entryway furniture, tabernacle, choir stalls and a sedilia. They are all custom with hand-carving and expert craftsmanship,” said Father Kauth. “Jacob has an unusual skill in glorifying God through various artistic media.”
Designing and building the 38 choir stalls, the high altar, the low altar and the gothic sacristy cabinets became one of Wolfe’s most challenging accomplishments.
“The work I did at St. Joseph’s chapel was the most rewarding,” said Wolfe. “I do enjoy that one-of-akind church furniture and fixtures; they help support the architecture and the sacred art.”
Father Lucas Russo had a challenge of his own at St. Michael. He wanted to house the Divine Mercy statue and Our Lady of Guadalupe statue on either side of the church, but there were unsightly closets in the way.
He commissioned Wolfe to create oak niches that beautify the church while hiding the closets. Wheels allow mobility, so the closets are still accessible.
Father Winslow’s reassignment to St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte gave them another opportunity to beautify a sacred space.
While conceptualizing a redesign, Wolfe came across an antique 18thcentury baldachin (a decorative canopy) for sale.
courtyard is proof to me that his artwork brings our parishioners closer to God,” said Father Reid.
“When I look at this piece, I see that entire journey and smile. It has been a blessing, one I hope can be shared and appreciated for the next hundred years,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe’s name came to the mind of Father John Putnam, pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, as he planned a redesign of the adoration chapel. Father Putnam wanted unique works that would elevate worshippers’ minds to the heavens. Sharing a common love of the works of Italian Baroque sculptor Gian Bernini, Wolfe understood Putnam’s vision.
“I wanted to draw inspiration from Bernini’s idea of a full work of art – meaning all elements work together as one,” Wolfe said.
Father Putnam trusted Wolfe with the design. Wolfe hand-crafted every element, from the motif inlaid on the floor to the floor itself, the rails and the wooden walls. While the statues of Mary and Joseph were there, Wolfe sculpted the two angels holding the monstrance and the Holy Spirit above. His hand molded the capitals of the pillars and painted the stencil work on the ceiling.
“Yeah, I did it all, with the grace of God,” a mantra that begins or ends most of the Wolfe’s sentences.
Father Matthew Kauth, rector
The solid oak, 30-foot-tall baldachin was bought at a steal for $25,000. Wolfe pieced it together and carved gold frames to surround the paintings displayed on the back wall. He made communion rails and cast plaster niches for the stations of the cross.
It was only natural that when then-Father Winslow became a monsignor and began working at the pastoral center, Wolfe helped transform the little chapel there.
Today, Wolfe does selective projects for the diocese but spends his time making secular furniture and running the new Catholic app
“Truthly” with friends Jacob Ciccarelli and Zac Johnson from St. Ann.
Wolfe moved to Winston-Salem with his wife and children. They attend St. Leo the Great and are excited about their next adventure.
“Whatever he does, I want Jacob to be able to support his family,” said Monsignor Winslow. “This is his vocation. As for his specific skills, I would love for him to be able to work for the Church. Whatever projects he chooses, I know he will do well. Jacob once said to me if he won the lottery, he would volunteer his labor for the Church.’ This speaks to his soul, to a profound sense of stewardship for his many talents.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
As we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Artists, this is part of an occasional series on artists whose work has transformed our diocese and brings us a little closer to the beauty and majesty of God.
(Left) Jacob Wolfe spent over 12,000 hours creating most pieces of this chapel at St. Joseph Seminary. He carved the choir stalls, high altars, low altar and tabernacle.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS BY JACOB WOLFE
SUBMITTED PHOTOS BY JACOB WOLFE
(Clockwise from top) Jacob Wolfe carves a reredos in his studio. Wolfe did all the woodwork and painting at St. John the Baptist in Tryon under the supervision of mentor and friend Monsignor Patrick Winslow. Wolfe spent years molding and sculpting this Our Lady of Fatima that sits outside St. Ann. (Bottom) Wolfe was commissioned to beautify the adoration chapel at St. Mark in Huntersville.
Winslow
Trump establishes religious liberty commission including Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Barron
KATE SCANLON OSV News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump on May 1 signed an executive order creating a religious liberty commission during an event marking the National Day of Prayer in the White House Rose Garden.
Those named to the commission included Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop Robert E. Barron of WinonaRochester, Minnesota.
The White House said the commission, which will advise its Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council, is tasked with producing “a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, strategies to increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism, current threats to religious liberty, and strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations,” and that some of its areas of focus include school choice and conscience protections.
In comments at the event, Trump sought to cast his administration as one defending “people of all faiths, their religious freedoms, at home and abroad.”
Some of the Trump administration’s policy positions have been criticized by faith leaders, perhaps most notably on immigration. In January, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said executive orders signed by Trump on issues including migration, the environment and the death penalty were “deeply troubling,” while praising another on gender policy. Trump lamented the absence of Cardinal
An attendee kneels in front of the stage as Paula White, senior adviser to the White House Faith Office, in yellow, prays next to President Donald Trump during the National Day of Prayer outside the White House. Also pictured (back, fourth from left) is Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
OSV NEWS | EVELYN HOCKSTEIN, REUTERS
Dolan from the event. He is in Rome preparing for the conclave to elect a new pope
“He has really an excuse,” Trump said of the prelate. “Cardinal Dolan is in Rome, I just left Rome, it was a beautiful service,” Trump said in reference to his attendance at the late pontiff’s funeral April 26. “But he’s in Rome having to vote for the next pope.”
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In a post on X, Bishop Barron wrote, “I am grateful to President Trump for appointing me to serve on the Commission on Religious Liberty.
“Freedom of religion in our country has been a central concern of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for decades, and I see my task as bringing the perspective of Catholic social teaching to bear as the commission endeavors to shape public policy in this matter,” he said. “In assuming this responsibility, I take as my model Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the legendary president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987. In the course of his career, Hesburgh served on sixteen separate presidential commissions over several decades in both Republican and Democrat administrations. I ask you to pray for me as I commence this important work.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was named as the commission’s chair and Dr. Ben Carson as its vice chair. Ryan Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, the Rev. Franklin Graham, Pastor Paula White and television personality Dr. Phil McGraw are among its other members.
In his remarks, Trump credited White with helping him win over skeptical Christians.
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Marcuzzo of Jerusalem, visiting the affected sites on May 1. Both communities have launched fundraising appeals to rebuild and are committed to continuing their mission of prayer and hospitality in the Holy Land.
Jerusalem religious communities ask for help to renovate gardens
Members of religious orders remember Pope Francis
VATICAN CITY — Along with members of the College of Cardinals, women and men belonging to religious orders paid tribute to Pope Francis, a Jesuit, and thanked God for his life and ministry.
Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who was pro-prefect of the dicastery that assists religious orders, was the main celebrant at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica May 3, the eighth day of the “novendiali” – the nine days of official mourning and Masses for the late pope.
After the entrance procession, Sister Mary T. Barron, superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of
the Apostles and president of the International Union of Superiors General, spoke about Pope Francis’ support for and trust in women religious.
“Celebrating this Eucharist in his memory, we give thanks for his pastor’s heart, for his vision and for the deep trust he placed in consecrated women,” she said.
Camaldolese Father Mario Zanotti, secretarygeneral of the men’s Union of Superiors General, spoke after Sister Barron. “Francis was a pope who was close to us, listened to us and sometimes, with strong words, even shook us out of our certainties and some of our habits that were clothed in religiosity.”
AI image of Trump as pope was ‘not good,’ cardinal says
ROME — An AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump dressed as the pope “was not good,” Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of
New York said in Rome.
“I hope he didn’t have anything to do with that,” he told reporters before he entered Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where he celebrated Mass May 4.
The picture, featuring Trump wearing a white cassock and miter traditionally worn by a pope, was first shared on his @realDonaldTrump account on TruthSocial.com and then shared by official White House social media accounts May 3.
Cardinal Dolan was asked if he was offended by the image. “Well, you know, it wasn’t good. The Italians say, ‘brutta figura,’” he said, meaning, it made a “bad impression.”
The cardinal was celebrating Mass at his “titular” parish. When prelates are made cardinals, they are assigned a “titular” church in Rome, which makes them members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome.
- OSV News and Catholic News Service
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