Oct. 10, 2025

At a glance

OCTOBER 10, 2025

VOLUME 35 • NUMBER 1 1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@rcdoc.org

704-370-3333

PUBLISHER

The Most Reverend Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., Bishop of Charlotte

INDEX

Contact us 2

Español 16-17

Our Diocese 4-11

Our Faith 3

Our Schools 12-15

Scripture 3, 17

U.S. news 18-19

Viewpoints 22-23

World news 20-21

STAFF

EDITOR: Trish Stukbauer 704-370-3392, tmstukbauer@rcdoc.org

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CATHOLIC ALL WEEK

Timely tips for blending faith & life

October is traditionally the month of the rosary. Originally, the association sprang from the celebration of the Oct. 7 feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and it was further reinforced by the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima on Oct. 13, 1917. The rosary is a treasured Catholic tradition popularized by the 1214 apparition of Mary to St. Dominic in which she asked him to spread the devotion. It was formalized into the structure we know today in the 15th century by Dominican monk Blessed Alan de la Roche, with the luminous mysteries added by St. John Paul II in 2002. Here are some different ways to engage with the rosary:

DOWNLOAD A PRAYER KIT

How do you get children excited about praying the rosary? Start with a downloadable kit complete with coloring pages, comics, a poster and more. Aid to the Church in Need put together the kits ahead of their effort to encourage 1 million children to pray the rosary for unity and peace on Oct. 7. The colorful illustrations and interactive pages will inspire young children to pray and to learn.

CHANGE YOUR VIEW

Finding the perfect place to allow for prayerful meditation on key moments in Jesus’ life is essential, and October in the Carolinas offers many options. Get outside to enjoy the majesty of God’s creation in a prayer garden or grotto at your local church or find a secluded bench in an area park.

PRAY TOGETHER

While the rosary is a meditative prayer that encourages private reflection, there is spiritual strength in praying it as a group. Not only can communal prayer help each individual better focus on the prayers and nurture a group of friends, but there are also spiritual benefits. In “The Secret of the Rosary,” St. Louis Marie De Montfort advocated for the rosary to be said in groups and noted that those who say the rosary together gain the spiritual merits of every rosary being said. Many churches offer rosary groups or informally gather before or after Mass to say the rosary together. Other resources, like www.comepraytherosary.org, enable users to pray with people around the world in real time.

— Catholic News Herald, Aid to the Church in Need, and the Catholic Encyclopedia

Diocesan calendar of events

PRAYER SERVICES

TRIAD PRO-LIFE MASS & ROSARY VIGIL: 10 a.m. Saturday Oct. 18, St. Benedict the Moor Church, 1625 E. 12th St., Winston-Salem. Mass followed by a peaceful rosary vigil on the sidewalk across from Planned Parenthood in Winston-Salem. Sponsored by the Carolina Pro-Life Action Network. Contact: triadprolifecatholics@gmail.com. 25TH AND 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS: 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte, offered by Bishop Michael Martin for couples commemorating 25th or 50th wedding anniversaries. Reception to follow. Register at www.charlottediocese.org/form-wedding-anniversary-mass. TALKS

CATHOLIC GRANDPARENTS GROUP : Saturday, Oct. 18, St. Philip the Apostle Church, Statesville. 9 a.m. Mass followed by coffee and donuts and a 10 a.m. meeting on a Grandparents’ Special Vocation. Learn more at www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.org.

‘NO MERCY – THE REALITIES OF EUTHANASIA IN THE USA’: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, St. Leo the Great Church, Bishop Begley Parish Center, 335 Springdale Ave., Winston-Salem. Talk by Sister Deirdre Byrne, a surgeon, missionary, retired U.S. Army colonel and professed with the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 2004.

Michael Martin, OFM Conv., will participate in the following events over the coming weeks:

Bishop

Our faith

Jesus wants to be close, rekindle hope, pope says

What does prayer accomplish?

DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME

Special to the Catholic News Herald

JIesus is always walking alongside everyone, no matter how mundane or precarious their journey, Pope Leo XIV said.

“Sometimes we think that the Lord comes to visit us only in moments of contemplation or spiritual fervor, when we feel worthy, when our lives appear orderly and bright,” the pope said Oct. 8 during his weekly general audience.

“Instead, the Risen One is close to us precisely in the darkest places: in our failures, in our frayed relationships, in the daily struggles that weigh on our shoulders, in the doubts that discourage us,” he said. “Nothing that we are, no fragment of our existence, is foreign to Him.”

Meanwhile, in his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, “Jesus Christ our Hope,” Pope Leo reflected on Christ’s resurrection as being marked by simplicity and humility.

“The risen Lord does nothing spectacular to impose Himself on the faith of His disciples,” he said. “He does not appear surrounded by hosts of angels, He does not perform spectacular feats, He does not deliver solemn speeches to reveal the secrets of the universe.”

“We would have expected special effects, signs of power, overwhelming evidence,” he said. “But the Lord does not seek this: He prefers the language of proximity, of normality, of sharing a meal.”

“There is a valuable message in this,” the pope said. “The Resurrection is not a theatrical coup; it is a silent transformation that fills every human gesture with meaning.”

Every human body, story and relationship, he said, are “destined for the fullness of life” by “entering into a deeper communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, in a humanity transfigured by love.”

That means “everything can become grace. Even the most ordinary things: eating, working, waiting, taking care of the house, supporting a friend,” Pope Leo said.

“However, there is an obstacle that often prevents us from recognizing Christ’s presence in our daily lives: the assumption that joy must be free from suffering,” he said.

The disciples expected “a different ending” for the Messiah, he said. “But Jesus walks alongside them and patiently helps them understand that pain is not the denial of the promise, but the way through which God has manifested the measure of His love.”

“Christ’s resurrection teaches us that no history is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope,” he said.

n the wake of national tragedies, it is customary for public figures to offer their “thoughts and prayers” for those affected. Lately this phrase has been criticized by some as a pious excuse for inaction. Indeed, if “thoughts and prayers” are mere empty words, they do no good. As the epistle of James reminds us, “If a brother of sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?”

(Jas 2:15-16).

Concrete acts of charity are important, but prayer itself is also an act of charity. Often it may be the only charity we find ourselves in a position to offer, especially if we are hindered by distance or lack of resources. No one ought to feel that their prayers are useless. Nevertheless, even people of faith may find themselves wondering what good our prayers accomplish. God is all-good and all-knowing. That means God is fully aware of every human tragedy and is able to rectify any wrong in ways that are both merciful and just. His understanding of the needs of any situation far surpasses our own. So why do we need to bring our concerns to God? We are not telling Him anything He does not already know. Do our petitions really make a difference?

WHY WE PRAY

When grappling with these questions, it is good to remember what prayer is really for. It is not about providing information to God or trying to change God’s mind. The Catechism of the Catholic Church begins its section on prayer by rooting the concept of prayer in relationship. It opens by recalling the need for Christians to live the mystery of the faith “in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship,” it says, “is prayer” (CCC 2558).

Interpersonal relationships are

Daily Scripture readings

OCT. 12-18

Sunday (Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time): 2 Kgs 5:14-17, Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 2 Tim 2:8-13, Lk 17:11-19

Monday: Rom 1:1-7, Ps 98:1bcde, 2-3ab, 3cd4, Lk 11:29-32

Tuesday: Rom 1:16-25, Ps 19:2-3, 4-5, Lk 11:37-41

Wednesday (Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church): Rom 2:1-11, Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 9, Lk 11:42-46

Thursday: Rom 3:21-30, Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab, Lk 11:47-54

Friday (Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr): Rom 4:1-8, Ps 32:1b-2, 5, 11, Lk 12:1-7

Saturday (Feast of St. Lk, Evangelist): 2 Tim 4:10-17b, Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18, Lk 10:1-9

TYLER ORSBURN | OSV NEWS

A young woman prays with a rosary. Prayer can be an act of charity and is essential to our relationship with God.

multifaceted. Consider relationships you have with family and friends. If the only time you communicate with your loved ones is when you need something from them, no one would consider that a healthy relationship. As a father, I want my children to come to me with their needs. But I also want to hear about how their day has been. I want them to share with me their interests and aspirations. I want to know what excites them. And I also want them to listen to me. Similarly, as a husband, I want my wife to tell me her needs. But I also want to hear her words of affection. I want to know she loves me, and that is communicated not only by words but by her presence and attentiveness. The same is true of our relationship with God. If the only time we talk to God is to ask Him for something, that’s not a healthy

OCT. 19-25

Sunday (Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time): Ex 17:8-13, Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 2 Tim 3:14-4:2, Lk 18:1-8

Monday: Rom 4:20-25, Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75, Lk 12:13-21

Tuesday: Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21, Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17, Lk 12:35-38

Wednesday: Rom 6:12-18, Ps 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, Lk 12:39-48

Thursday: Rom 6:19-23, Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Lk 12:49-53

Friday: Rom 7:18-25a, Ps 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94, Lk 12:54-59

Saturday: Rom 8:1-11, Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, Lk 13:1-9

relationship. There has to be more to it.

PRAYER IS A TRIP

In defining prayer, the Catechism begins by quoting two saints. The first is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who defines prayer as “a surge of the heart … a simple look turned toward heaven … a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” The second is St. John Damascene, who says, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (CCC 2559). Making requests of God is an aspect of prayer, but only one aspect. There are prayers of Adoration, Thanksgiving, Repentance, Intercession and Petition. A good way to remember these different types of prayer is

NEWSOME, SEE PAGE 24

OCT. 26-NOV. 1

Sunday (Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time): Sir 35:12-14, 16-18, Ps 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23, 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18, Lk 18:9-14

Monday: Rom 8:12-17, Ps 68:2 and 4, 6-7ab, 20-21, Lk 13:10-17

Tuesday (Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles): Eph 2:19-22, Ps 19:2-3, 4-5, Lk 6:12-16

Wednesday: Rom 8:26-30, Ps 13:4-5, 6, Lk 13:22-30

Thursday: Rom 8:31b-39, Ps 109:21-22, 2627, 30-31, Lk 13:31-35

Friday: Rom 9:1-5, Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20, Lk 14:1-6

Saturday (Solemnity of All Saints): Rev 7:2-4, 9-14, Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, 1 Jn 3:1-3, Mt 5:1-12a

Pope Leo XIV

Newsome

Our diocese

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Father Batamack assigned to Statesville parish

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., announces the assignment of Father Jean Lambert Batamack as parochial vicar at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Statesville, effective Oct. 5, 2025. Father Batamack comes to the Diocese of Charlotte from the Diocese of Buea, Cameroon, where he was ordained for the priesthood on April 9, 2015, by Bishop Emeritus Immanuel Bushu.

Over the past decade, Father Batamack has served as a pastor, principal, school and hospital chaplain and as a college campus priest.

“I look forward to sharing the love and mercy of God and to live out my priestly ministry after the Heart of Christ and His Church,” Father Batamack said.

— Catholic News Herald

TLM Chapel opens in Mooresville

MOORESVILLE — Traditional Latin Masses in the Diocese of Charlotte are now being offered exclusively at the Chapel of the Little Flower, located at 757 Oakridge Farm Hwy.

Father Brandon Jones, chaplain, offers Masses on Sundays at 10 a.m. and noon, and on holy days of obligation as announced.

The 5,000-square-foot chapel seats up to 364 people and takes its name from nearby St. Thérèse Parish in honor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s nickname, the “Little Flower.”

The chapel opened Oct. 5, completing the diocese’s implementation of “Traditionis Custodes,” Pope Francis’ 2021 instruction that prescribes limits on the TLM in dioceses around the world but allows bishops to set up alternate worship sites. The TLM follows prayers and a liturgical calendar that predate the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

For more information, go online to www. charlottediocese.org/TLMChapel or email TLMChapel@rcdoc.org.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle St. Leo to host euthanasia talk

WINSTON-SALEM — Sister Deirdre Byrne, M.D, a surgeon, retired U.S. Army colonel and professed with the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, will speak on “No Mercy: The Reality of Euthanasia in the USA” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at St. Leo the Great Church’s Bishop Begley Parish Center, 335 Springdale Ave., Winston-Salem. The free talk is sponsored by the local chapter of the Catholic Medical Association.

— Catholic News Herald

Bishop praises health care professionals for walking with the wounded

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

WINSTON-SALEM — About 100 Catholic health care professionals filled the pews at St. Leo the Great Church Sept. 25 to worship, pray and reflect on the special relationship between their faith and the work they do. Bishop Michael Martin celebrated their commitment to “walk with people in their woundedness,” during the White Mass organized by the Triad Region Guild of the Catholic Medical Association.

The tradition of the White Mass originated in the early 1930s with the founding of the national Catholic Medical Association and takes its name from the white coats health care professionals traditionally wear.

The liturgy offers a special time of prayer for God’s blessing on all those who work in health care – doctors, nurses and other practitioners and caregivers.

This was the first time Bishop Martin celebrated a White Mass in the diocese, and he noted it took place the night before the feast day of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, twin brothers born to Christian parents in Arabia in the third century. Cosmas became a physician and Damian was an apothecary, and neither charged for their services. They are the patron saints of surgeons and physicians.

Traditionally, White Masses are also held under the patronage of St. Luke, who was a physician.

In his homily, the bishop talked about the special role health care professionals play and related it to the readings, which focused on God’s role as a guardian over those He has created, no matter what they are going through.

Sponsored by the Triad Region Guild of the Catholic Medical Association, the Sept. 25 White Mass focused on the relationship between medical careers and faith.

“In many instances,” he told them, “you are on the front lines when people are at their worst, able to to be with them in their pain and assure them that God cares and

that God is with (them).”

“If you take anything from this Mass, realize that the Lord Jesus put you in medical school so you can be with the wounded of the world,” the bishop said. “Praise God that you are people of faith, that you take the gift of life seriously and that you are willing to walk with people in their woundedness.”

After the Mass, attendees gathered in the parish hall for a reception, where they spent time talking, networking and catching up with peers.

This was the second White Mass organized by the Triad Guild, which launched in October 2024. Guild President Ursula Whalen, a physician, said the organization offers “spiritual formation, education and fellowship” for members. Members hold meetings every six weeks, during which they discuss topics related to the health care field and hear from guest speakers.

Scott and Debbie Morton, psychotherapists in Winston-Salem, said the guild has given them a way to better connect their work and faith.

“It’s wonderful to have a group that brings together people who bring knowledge of the Catholic faith to the health care profession,” Debbie Morton said. “It’s great to have a chance to be together and talk about what we do.”

“To be with other health care professionals who are also Catholic is a real blessing,” Scott Morton said. “It was special to attend the Mass and hear the bishop’s message about the nature of healing.”

The next meeting is open to the public and will feature Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne, professed with the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and a surgeon and retired U.S. Army colonel. She will speak about euthanasia at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the parish hall.

Help feed and care for the poor through World Mission Sunday

CHARLOTTE — Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte are encouraged to support the Church’s outreach around the world on World Mission Sunday, observed this year on the weekend of Oct. 18-19.

This special second collection supports the Pontifical Mission Societies in mission efforts and evangelization around the world. Funds go toward medical care, food and education – especially in areas facing poverty and violence – and help build the Church in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe.

World Mission Sunday was started by Pope Pius XI in 1927 and always falls on the next to last Sunday of October.

fundamental vocation to be, in the footsteps of Christ, messengers and builders of hope. I trust that it will be for everyone a time of grace with the faithful God who has given us new birth in the risen Christ ‘to a living hope’” (1 Pet 1:3-4).

This year’s theme, chosen by Pope Francis for the Jubilee Year before he died, is “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.”

In his letter announcing the theme on Jan. 25, Pope Francis noted: “It reminds individual Christians and the entire Church, the community of the baptized, of our

“I urge all of you, children, young people, adults and the elderly, to participate actively in the common evangelizing mission of the Church by your witness of life and prayer, by your sacrifices and by your generosity,” the pope wrote.

Father Patrick Cahill has served as mission office director for the Diocese of Charlotte since 2014. He is also pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte.

He said he thinks of the “hardships of the mission Church” with the aim of World Mission Sunday. “I reflect on the countless letters and requests that come to the Diocese of Charlotte, and I see the children and the nuns and the priests that are helped despite tragic, unjust and even horrific

circumstances.”

Over the past year, Father Cahill has welcomed bishops, priests and nuns from all over the world to the diocese. The diocese honors the intention of donors for these collections, and he said churches in these mission territories are often signs of hope for those communities.

“The people there cling to the Church and to their faith,” Father Cahill said. “Jesus gives us the command to remember the poor and those on the margins. By participating in the World Mission Sunday collection, each of us is part of this critical and essential work of the Church.”

— Christina Lee Knauss and Trish Stukbauer

More online

At www.onefamilyinmission.org : Learn more about the mission work of the Church worldwide and how your support impacts thousands of people

Batamack

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Paws and prayer

Pet parents of the furry, hooved, feathery and scaly kind recently brought their beloved animals to receive a special blessing at parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte. The annual Blessing of the Animals honors the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. Pet owners know the special role their animals play in their lives as a source of unconditional love and stress relief, and pet blessings are a chance to share the love of God with these special creatures.

— Catholic News Herald

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Patrick Cahill and Father Binoy Davis bless cats, dogs, birds and even some reptile friends for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Father Jason Barone blesses pets including dogs and a few brave cats outside Our Lady of the Mountains Church in Highlands.

(From left) This cat is happy to attend the first pet blessing held since the COVID-19 pandemic at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville. Pet owners dress for the occasion at St. Matthew in Charlotte. Animals and their owners line up outside St. Mark Church in Huntersville for their annual blessings.

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(From left) All species of pet friends are greeted outside St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. Cats and dogs are side by side in keeping with the spirit of their patron at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir. A member of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte brings several birds for a blessing. St. Francis is also honored with animal blessings outside St. James the Greater Church in Concord.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

Furry friends of all types take to the streets of uptown Charlotte outside St. Peter Church to receive a special blessing.

On patronal feast day, St. Francis of Assisi Parish dedicates a space named in honor of their former pastor

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

LENOIR — St. Francis of Assisi Parish celebrated its patron saint’s feast day with a Saturday morning filled with furry blessings and an evening dedication of their new memorial courtyard.

Father Alfonso Gamez Jr. and Deacon Stephen Pickett started the festivities early Saturday morning with confession and a Holy Hour.

Then a line of feathered and furry guests of all different shapes and sizes formed to receive their yearly pet blessing. Ornery and calm alike, in cages, on leashes or free to roam, predator next to prey, they all gathered on the hill next to the church.

Later that evening, before the Vigil Mass, the congregation came together in front of the new Memorial Courtyard. The former patch of grass and sidewalk had been transformed into a sacred space for meditation, reflection and prayer, with a large fountain, benches, statues and flowers. The fountain was installed to commemorate longtime pastor, the late Father Matthew Leonard.

then pastored St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa from 2009 until his death in 2019 at 57 years old.

A St. Francis paso (float), decorated with flowers, had two parish St. Francis of Assisi relics acquired from Italy at the foot of the saint. One, a firstclass relic, was a piece of bone, and the other was a piece of his staff, a second-class relic. Father Gamez encouraged his flock to touch rosaries and medals to the relics, a tradition that creates a third-class relic as well as giving them a physical connection to a venerated saint.

“He was our former pastor here from 2000 until 2009,” explained Father Gamez. “This is a reminder of the dedication to what our pastors have done. He is the first pastor who served here who passed away, and this is a way for us to show gratitude for the amount of time he spent here serving the parish. In this way, we can remember his dedication and sacrifice.”

During more than 20 years of priestly ministry, Father Leonard served at four parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte, including St. Francis of Assisi Parish. He

Father Gamez’s homily highlighted the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his connection to the saint. Father Gamez grew up with the Franciscans in Hendersonville who served at Immaculate Conception Parish, but he always felt a deep devotion to St. Dominic.

“When I was ordained was when they left (the Franciscans), but I actually have more of a devotion to St. Dominic. … They’re contemporaries,” Father

Gamez said.

The two 13th-century saints shared a common vision and were quick friends. St. Dominic once said to St. Francis, “You are my companion. We will work together, supporting one another toward the same end, and no one will prevail against us.”

Customarily, a Dominican preaches to the Franciscans on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and a Franciscan preaches to the Dominicans on St. Dominic’s feast day, Aug. 8, Father Gamez said.

“I actually tend to be more aligned with the Dominican tradition of spirituality of the faith and living out that charism,” Father Gomez said. “So, I consider myself a Dominican preaching to a bunch of Franciscans.”

The worldly image of St. Francis as a concrete garden statue surrounded by birds and deer does not complete the saint’s story, he said.

“Holiness, the life that you and I are called to, may look messy by the world’s standards, but St. Francis shows us that holiness comes about with fidelity,” Father Gamez said. “St. Francis shows us that the Lord does not care about earthly results. He cares about fidelity.”

Mass ended with a procession carrying the paso from the church to the reception hall, where the congregation spent time in fellowship admiring their patron, St. Francis of Assisi.

Parishioner Sylvia Echeverria, a member for 25 years, remembers and misses her original pastor, Father Leonard, but has grown fond of her new shepherd, Father Gamez.

“He is a very, very good person,” Echeverria said. “He is helpful, and he is always there for us.”

Lay Dominicans hold Rite of Advancement

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Lay Dominican Chapter of Our Lady of Perpetual Help held its Rite of Advancement Sept. 20 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Florin Florea and Michael Kitson advanced from inquirers to candidates. Martina Benedikovicova, Kristine Lenti and Deacon Martin Ricart advanced from candidates to make their temporary promises. Suzanne Albertson and Kathryn Heim made their perpetual promises.

The Order of Lay Dominicans are men and women in various stations of life, living in the secular world, who have chosen to live their Christian life with a specific spirituality in the model of St. Dominic de Guzman. Founded

the Dominicans are properly known as the Order of

of Dominican life are Prayer, Study, Community and

The

For more information about the Charlotte Lay Dominicans, go online to www.charlottelaydominicans.org.

by St. Dominic in 1216,

Friars Preachers.

four pillars

Apostolate.

PHOTOS BY EDWARD F CHAPLINSKY JR. | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The fountain was dedicated to Father Matthew Leonard, who served the parish from 2000 to 2009. The parish will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.

LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD (Above) Father Alfonso Gamez blesses the new memorial courtyard outside St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir. (Below) At a reception following the feast day Mass, Father Gamez invited the congregation to venerate a relic of St. Francis of Assisi.

Franciscan Month encourages people to live like the saint

TRISH M. STUKBAUER tmstukbauer@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — October is Franciscan Month, and it provides an engaging opportunity for Catholics to emulate the spirit and works of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order. Francis rejected his familial wealth in order to serve the poor, marginalized and disenfranchised of his day. He heeded the invitation of Christ “to rebuild the Church,” not one made of stone but one built on a profound relationship with God. In doing so, Francis became a brother to all God’s creation, as captured so well in his song “Canticle of the Sun.”

The month was started in 2023 by Brother Gregory Cellini of the Office of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. It is now recognized by is recognized by various Franciscan organizations, Catholic dioceses, and institutions.

“The month is designed to celebrate the charism of the Franciscan way of life,” explains Father Paul Lininger, OFM Conv., the justice, peace and integrity of creation director for Our Lady of the Angels Province, to which Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin also belongs.

At the core of the Franciscan tradition is a simple question, Father Paul says: “How do we make the Gospel real in our own time?”

The 2025 theme of Franciscan Month is building a world of kinship and encounter while recognizing our connectedness within our common home – Earth – in the spirit of Sts. Francis and Clare, founder of the Poor Clares, who was influenced by Francis.

The celebration “is designed to raise awareness of all the different ways and means that Franciscans – priests, brothers, sisters and lay members of the Secular Franciscans – minister,” says Father Paul, who resides in Burlington. Those actions range from advocacy efforts – participation in a march to support immigrants and refugees Sept. 28 in Washington, D.C. – to assisting persons experiencing food insecurity, homelessness

A prayer for Franciscan Month

Most high and merciful God who bonded us as a family – brothers and sisters to all creation – enlighten us in living the Holy Gospel by walking in Francis’ footsteps to Christ in our daily lives. Amen.

and more to advocating for environmental awareness and stewardship of God’s creation as a gift to all peoples.

“It’s recognizing the impact that Sts. Francis and Clare have had and honoring both of them,

but it’s also understanding how we look at the Gospel and how we bring it into our own lives in our own time,” he says.

Across the Diocese of Charlotte, Secular Franciscans and friends gathered to commemorate the

— www.franciscanmonth.org

memorial of St. Francis’ death on Oct. 3 (called the Transitus) and his feast day on Oct. 4, and to conduct pet blessings in churches and schools throughout the week.

A website dedicated to Franciscan Month lists practical

steps people can take each day – such as cleaning up a park, volunteering at a food bank, or buying a product made using fair trade practices – to walk in the spiritual footsteps of the Troubadour of Assisi.

That ties into a question that Father Paul says is at the core of Franciscan teaching for all people: “I have these blessings in my life. How do I use them effectively to help support my brothers and sisters? How do I uphold human dignity at every step?”

“It’s not supposed to just be intellectualized,” he emphasizes. “It is a challenge – just as Christ challenged His disciples to come learn from Him and then take what you have learned and be able to bring it out into the world.”

What you can do

Here a few suggestions on how to live more like St. Francis

n Donate gently used clothing to a shelter

n Fast from social media to pray

n Attend Eucharistic Adoration or silent prayer

n Recycle and reduce waste

n Write a thank-you note to someone who serves quietly n Bake bread or soup to share with someone in need

n Join a prayer vigil or peace walk n Practice humility by letting someone go first

n Choose vegetarian meals

n Reflect: Where do you need conversion? Pray for grace n Journal who you need to reconcile with; pray for courage n Create a prayer space with images of Sts. Francis & Clare - Franciscanmonth.org

More online

n At www.franciscanmonth. org : Learn more and get daily steps to follow during the Franciscan Month.

n At www,franciscanaction. org : Learn about public advocacy programs aligned with the Franciscan charism.

Franciscan sister leads night of prayer for St. Francis of Assisi

WINSTON-SALEM — The last Franciscan sister in the Diocese of Charlotte led the local Secular Franciscan Order, the Fraternity of St. Clare, in a customary night of prayer for St. Francis of Assisi on the eve of his feast day. Sister Kathy Ganiel, OSF, serves at Our Lady of Mercy Parish.

The group met at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at the small mission chapel of Our Lady of Fatima to commemorate the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi.

The word “Transitus” stems from the Latin for “passing over.” For Franciscans, the word refers to the moment when St. Francis joyfully passed from his earthly life to heaven on Oct. 3, 1226.

As is custom, Sister Kathy recited the story of the saint’s life, which was followed by reading John 12:1-17, which recounts Jesus washing the feet of His disciples the night of the Last Supper, something St. Francis also requested on his deathbed, and

then Psalm 142.

The tradition commemorates the life of St. Francis, renews the vows of the Franciscan vocation, and celebrates the hope of eternity with the Lord.

Sister Kathy renewed her vows of simplicity, fraternity and service while the secular Franciscan order reviewed their promises at a special Mass Oct. 4 at Our Lady of Mercy Church.

— Lisa M. Geraci

Sister Kathy Ganiel, OSF

OSV NEWS

St. Francis’ “The Canticle of the Sun” celebrates all of God’s creation. The song turns 800 this year.

Catherine’s House welcomes bishop to tour transitional home

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

BELMONT — Bishop Michael Martin toured Catherine’s House on Sept. 23 to learn more about the organization, meet the residents and share his vision of how the Diocese of Charlotte can further their mission.

Catherine’s House, established in 1992 by the Sisters of Mercy, is a transitional home that serves up to 15 women and 11 children who are facing homelessness.

The location is a remodeled dormitory, offering residents a private room and bathroom, located on the Sisters of Mercy’s campus.

The program lifts women through challenging times and guides them back to selfsufficiency, providing four to six months of housing paired with financial guidance, employment services, counseling and extensive love.

“We used to be the best-kept secret of Belmont, but now we want people to be aware that we exist and understand the need,” said Clinical Director Anne Jurchak. “We are also encouraging volunteers.”

The bishop met with CEO Kathy Gauger, Jurchak, and retired house manager and now volunteer Sister Carmelita Hagan to discuss challenges facing residents and how local Catholics can help.

When Bishop Martin asked, “What is the largest hurdle?” both Gauger and Jurchak said it is the lack of affordable housing in the area.

Gauger explained, “Homelessness has changed. It could be that you are a victim of

domestic violence or a survivor, or it could be that the fair market rent in the Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland and Charlotte areas for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,800 a month.”

During their stay, Catherine’s House residents enroll in a savings program and are partnered with landlords and organizations, including Catholic Charities, that help them transition into permanent housing.

“It is luck, it is Jesus, it’s that we don’t take no for an answer,” Gauger said. “It is very cliché to say, ‘It takes a village,’ but we

are that village, and we will do whatever we can to see our folks get housed.”

Catherine’s House’s after-care program allows former residents to reach out for help when a setback arises, which is why 97 percent of clients remain housed for the long haul.

Bishop Martin shared with them his vision that all ministries across the diocese move from transactional giving to transformational outreach. He wants donors “to see the inherent dignity in all people who find themselves in need and then step

forward in relationship rather than simply saying, ‘I wrote a check and did my part.’ I mean, bless you, but there is more here.”

Bishop Martin then peeked into the food pantry, the counseling area and the laundry room. Upstairs, residents showed off their living spaces. He blessed their rooms, then took time to learn one resident’s famous crabcake recipe and about another’s new job.

One of the last residents collapsed into the bishop’s arms for a hug and told him of her recent visits to Queen of the Apostles Church, her heightened devotion to the Lord, and her enhanced prayer life. During the blessing, she surprised him with her own holy water. Before leaving, she said, “Not so fast, can I get a selfie?”

Afterward, Bishop Martin met with the board of Catherine’s House, mostly comprised of local Catholic women who have served for years. Over hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks, he listened to their stories of how and why they became involved with this ministry.

“Your presence is the presence of God saying, ‘Someone cares about you.’ Maybe you applied for a job, but this is more than a job –this is a vocation,” he told them. “This is the way you serve the greater good of humanity, and that’s what God calls us all to do.”

“They may not be taking selfies with you,” he joked. “But let’s face it, two weeks from now I will be a distant memory; two years from now you will not. They will always look back at this difficult part of their lives, and your names will be forever etched in their hearts and stories.”

Pennybyrn retirement community opens Adult Day Center

TRISH M. STUKBAUER

tmstukbauer@rcdoc.org

HIGH POINT — Finding a trustworthy facility to care for aging loved ones during the workday can be a struggle for many caregivers. Pennybyrn is making that process easier with the Oct. 6 opening of the Melvin & Ruth Witcher Adult Day Center.

The center will offer a safe, caring and socially stimulating environment on the retirement community’s 71-acre campus where older adults can participate in activities that include art, music, exercise, games, spiritual renewal and holiday celebrations.

Caregivers will receive educational resources and the peace of mind that comes from knowing loved ones will receive a high level of care while they go to work or attend to other responsibilities.

“I feel fortunate to have

found a program for my mom associated with a facility that has a reputation as high as that of Pennybyrn,” said Ginger Moore,

who has enrolled her mother in the center. “The program’s design – being structured, stimulating and monitored – gives me peace

of mind knowing my mom will be well cared for while I am away. I see this program as a time for her to socialize and engage with her peers when she otherwise would not have had an opportunity to do so.”

Pennybyrn’s Vice President Vonda Hollingsworth said the Adult Day Program continues the legacy of serving the community nurtured by the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, who founded Pennybyrn nearly 78 years ago.

“Participants (will) find purpose, joy and connection – whether through engaging activities, laughter with friends, or simply being part of a caring community,” Hollingsworth said. “For caregivers, it provides the peace of mind and rest they need, knowing their loved one is safe and fulfilled. In every way, this program reflects our mission to show God’s love to all the lives we touch, helping each person have the best day possible, every day.”

The center is an expansion of Pennybyrn’s mission and an opportunity to serve older adults and their families in the local community. It was made possible through a $1 millon gift from the Douglas S. Witcher Family Foundation in honor of his parents, Melvin and Ruth, and additional donations to the “Beyond the Horizon” capital campaign. The campaign funded health care center and assisted living area renovations, the building of the Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center and the addition of the Adult Day Center in a redesigned space previously occupied by the physical therapy center.

“This center is a beautiful expression of love, family and generosity,” said Pennybyrn’s CEO Rich Newman.

“We are honored to open our doors to the community and look forward to serving older adults and their families in a meaningful way.”

PHOTOS BY TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Michael Martin recently met with the board members of Catherine’s House. The members shared how they got involved with the organization, and then asked the bishop questions. When asked what he likes best about being a bishop, he said he loves preaching.

Residents at Catherine’s House had their rooms blessed, and some shared hugs or took selfies with the bishop.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Pennybyrn is expanding its offerings for the community with the Melvin & Ruth Witcher Adult Day Center. The center is part of an expansion that includes a health care center and assisted living area renovations, as well as the building of the Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center.

Diocese of Charlotte Foundation celebrates milestone in helping parishes, schools

COURTNEY MCLAUGHLIN catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Foundation recently reached a milestone: growing its endowment distributions from $10 million to $20 million in less than six years.

The foundation gives people and organizations a way to provide long-term financial stability for the diocese and its more than 180 recipient parishes, schools and ministries. It now tops $107 million in assets.

An endowment is a permanent fund in which the principal is never touched, but the income from it can be used according to the wishes of the donor organization or individual. Endowments generate income and help to sustain the long-term strength and viability of the diocese and its parishes, schools and ministries.

Immaculate Conception Parish and Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville have benefited from 16 endowments – four for the parish and 12 for the school – with a total market value of over $2.8 million. A little more than $1.5 million has been distributed to the parish and school.

Gayden Gauthier, chair of the Planned Giving Committee for the parish and the school, says a majority of school endowment funds go toward tuition assistance for pre-K through eighth-grade

students, ensuring families have access to faith-based education. Endowment resources have made it possible to purchase computers and classroom technology, helping students and teachers remain competitive.

Additionally, the 20-year-old church building receives critical support for lighting, maintenance, computer replacements and everyday expenses. Gauthier is grateful for the generosity that makes these improvements possible: “It is support from the parish community and a source of funding for special needs we have.”

Father John J. Eckert of Sacred Heart Parish and Sacred Heart School in Salisbury says it takes a lot of different people and programs to make a parish run. “There are

a lot of needs people don’t know about,” the pastor said.

The Salisbury parish and school have benefitted from six endowments – three for the parish and three for the school – with a total market value of $709,653 as of June 30. Nearly $300,000 has been distributed to the school.

Endowments and other financial gifts help sustain and grow parish ministries, providing stability for both the present and the future. “It’s taking the gifts that you have and providing for the long-term needs of the Church,” he says.

Immaculate Conception Parish’s Father Andrés Gutiérrez appreciates the good endowments do for both the recipients and the givers.

“The spiritual value of gifting

through endowments and other legacy opportunities should not be overlooked,” Father Gutiérrez says. “On a material level, yes, of course wonderful things happen at parishes, schools and the diocese. But on a spiritual level, those who contribute also receive such special blessings and graces according to God’s unmatched generosity. He knows exactly what we are most in need of! Through the prophet Malachi, God challenged His people (and challenges us) with this remarkable exhortation: ‘Thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing’ (Mal 3:10). I hope many more will ‘put God to the test,’ in this sense, by gifting through endowments or bequests in their legacy planning.”

Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, said that to date, more than 1,800 people in the Diocese of Charlotte have notified the Development Office that they

Fund an endowment

have made or are making an estate gift or establishing a named endowment to a diocesan entity in their will or estate plan.

Since the foundation’s establishment in 1994, Kelley has seen gifts that range from thousands to millions of dollars, and donors continue supporting the Church through endowments as a way to keep giving long into the future.

Kelley said he is gratified to see these endowments being put to good use for the benefit of parishes, schools and ministries throughout the diocese.

“Individuals or entities establish endowments because they want to provide for the future of the Church,” Kelley said. “Their generosity allows for distributions that change people’s lives and impact parishes and schools for generations to come. We want to encourage parishioners to establish endowments in their wills or estate plans.”

Interested in setting up or adding to – an endowment to benefit your parish or Catholic school? You can establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a trust or annuity, or a gift of real estate, life insurance, cash or securities. For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-370-3364 or gmrhodes@rcdoc.org.

Celebrating the Catholic Heritage Society

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael Martin welcomed more than 90 Catholic Heritage Society members to St. Patrick Cathedral Sept. 28 for a special Mass and dinner reception. The Catholic Heritage Society and the annual gathering are the bishop’s way of recognizing parishioners who have chosen to remember the Church in their estate plans or have established an endowment to benefit any of the diocesan parishes, Catholic schools, ministries, the diocese or the diocesan foundation. The society has more than 1,800 members.

If you have not alerted the diocese of your estate plans or would like more information about the Catholic Heritage Society, bequests or endowments, contact Gina Rhodes, director of planned giving, at 704-370-3364 or gmrhodes@rcdoc.org.

PHOTOS

TARA HACKMAN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Immaculata Catholic School upgraded classroom technology thanks in part to funds disbursed by the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation.

From pain to purpose: Recovery inspires Sober-Now

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CLEMMONS — Melissa Gissy Witherspoon went from being an addict and attempting suicide to a best-selling, awardwinning author who has just released her latest book and founder of a worldwide recovery organization called Sober-Now.

“Melissa is our little miracle,” said Gerald Bryant, business manager of Holy Family Parish in Clemmons. “She has brought so much light to this parish and everyone she meets.”

Her recovery is as authentic as Witherspoon herself. A 24-year drug addiction was broken through God’s love, a loving family and a little help from her friends at Holy Family Parish.

AN ADDICTION IS UNLEASHED

Raised Catholic in a suburb outside Atlanta, Witherspoon says she felt like an outsider, a weirdo, like love was a battle she always lost. The devil worked his lies on her, she says, telling her she wasn’t enough – not for man’s love, and certainly not for God’s.

She says she tried to fill the void with godless relationships, endless people-pleasing, and eventually a drug and alcohol habit. By her teens, she was staying out late drinking. Her behavior escalated from recreational marijuana use to hard drugs, and from social alcohol use to drinking in the morning to ease the withdrawal pains.

She dropped out of high school, became homeless and eventually, she says, the men she surrounded herself with took advantage and abused her.

Her life became a revolving door of

treatment facilities, relapses, DUI convictions and failed relationships that ultimately led to the temporary loss of custody of her children.

The devil played a permanent slideshow of failure in her head, Witherspoon says –something she thought could only be stopped by taking her own life.

Interrupting her plans, Witherspoon says, a comforting figure came to her. His words warm and loving, giving her an internal hug. He told her He was her freedom.

“It was strange for me that for so many years I had lost faith in God but turned to Him

addiction is connection.’

Founder of Sober-Now

in my hour of death,” Witherspoon says. “I went from begging for death to realizing my past could be fertile ground for new growth.”

ROAD TO RECOVERY

After rehab, help from AA and a newfound sobriety, she moved to North Carolina at 38. The move was as daunting as her uncompleted 500 hours of community service mandated through accountability court.

The new area left her feeling depressed. She packed her car and attempted to run. On the drive out of town, she pulled over sobbing

and looked up. The Holy Family Church sign was right there, filling her vision and bearing the same name as her childhood church. It truly was a sign. She felt Him. God was there.

Witherspoon called Holy Family, and office manager Vicki Harrow answered. Before realizing it, she confided in Harrow a rambling rendition of her life story, ending the conversation by asking for service hours.

Harrow quickly became her spiritual mentor while Witherspoon worked.

“I watched her evolve,” Harrow says. “Melissa went from insecure, worried about what people thought about her. Now, she could be my mentor, that’s how much she’s come around.”

Witherspoon says the people of Holy Family Parish understood her, treated her with compassion, and looked forward to her future accomplishments through Christ.

STARTING A NEW FUTURE WITH CHRIST

When Witherspoon finished her service hours, Harrow and Holy Family’s pastor at the time, Father Michael Buttner, wouldn’t let her leave. Instead, they offered her a paid administrative assistant position.

Holy Family clergy, staff and parishioners have watched in awe as Witherspoon blossomed into a woman with undeniable faith, wisdom and conviction.

“It’s beautiful to watch,” Harrow says. “I say there’s hope to offer because I see it in her. God makes miracles.”

Witherspoon’s words inspired addicts to come to God and made Holy Family see her true potential.

“You need to write a book,” suggested Father Peter Nouck, who was then serving at the parish. But Witherspoon rejected the idea at first. “A high-school dropout writing a book? No, thanks.”

But God was calling her to write, Harrow and Father Nouck insisted, and they encouraged her to answer His call.

When Witherspoon’s self-help memoir,

“I’m Sober … So Now What?” hit the market in 2023, it flew off the virtual shelves, almost instantly hitting the bestseller list. As the books rolled out, a lot of money rolled in.

“It didn’t feel right,” Witherspoon recalls. She says she felt God wanted her to return all the proceeds to help the recovery community. She used the profits to buy her own books and donate them to recovery organizations, detox centers and prisons.

Father James Stuhrenberg, by then pastor of Holy Family Parish, urged Witherspoon to start a nonprofit, Sober-Now, with Holy Family’s blessing and at the parish.

Sober-Now is a group in which addicts openly discuss their struggles. They make connections and unite with a common goal to remain sober, one day at a time, Witherspoon says.

“The opposite of addiction is connection,” she says. “We are all uniquely designed by God, and all of our pasts are going to look different, but if we stick with the principle of unity through the Holy Spirit, then we are never walking alone.”

When an addict walks through the parish doors, Witherspoon is there with arms outstretched, waiting to hear their story with no judgment, just a listening ear.

“They love me because I’m real. I know who I am now. I’m a mom, and I’m Melissa, and I’m sober, and I’m working through this one day at a time at Holy Family,” she says.

With almost 12 years in recovery, Witherspoon just released her third book, “Unity in Recovery,” already another bestseller. She travels around the country sharing her story with others looking for hope. She credits the clergy, the Church, her family and God with giving her a second chance, and she reminds everyone that we are all children of a God who loves us, and we are enough.

LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Melissa Witherspoon had a booth at this year’s Eucharistic Congress, where she gave away her three best-selling books and introduced her organization, Sober-Now, to Catholics across the Diocese of Charlotte. She spent the day retelling her pathway to recovery and inspiring others.

Witnessing for life

Faithful

across the Diocese of Charlotte gathered last weekend to kick off Respect Life Month and form “Life Chains” along sidewalks and roads in their communities as a public witness to the dignity of all human life. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity and gift of every human life.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Members of Charlotte Catholic High School’s Voices for Life Club prayed in front of the school on Respect Life Sunday. They were one of many schools and churches who visibly demonstrated for the sanctity of life.

(Clockwise from above left) Parishioners at Immaculate Conception in Hendersonville gathered Sept. 20 outside the Asheville abortion facility to peacefully witness to the dignity of all human life. Outside St. Luke Church in Mint Hill, parishioners lined the sidewalk to pray the rosary. Knights of Columbus set up a “Memorial for the Unborn” outside St. Aloysius Church in Hickory.

AMY BURGER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Parishioners and other supporters showed support for life during a Life Chain outside St. Mark Church in Huntersville ahead of the 40 Days for Life campaign and Respect Life Month.

Our schools

ONE MISSION OF DISCIPLESHIP

Catholic educators called to be witnesses of hope, Bishop Martin says

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Test scores, lesson plans and athletics weren’t the focus of a diocesan-wide professional development day for Catholic school teachers Sept. 26. Instead, more than 800 educators gathered at Charlotte Catholic High School to reflect on their central mission: forming disciples for God’s Kingdom.

Bishop Michael Martin presided at the day’s opening Mass, concelebrated with school chaplains Father Christopher Brock, Father Aaron Huber and Father Chinonso Nnebe-Agumadu. In his homily, the bishop –himself a former teacher, coach and administrator – set the tone by reminding educators from the diocese’s 20 Catholic schools of their faith witness.

Their vocation as teachers is immensely important, he said. Yet, he asked them to remember: “In the midst of it all, where is Christ to be found? Where is Christ to be found?”

‘HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT’

Bishop Martin urged teachers to lead with hope, a hope grounded in the Holy Spirit.

Though the group was gathered in the school gym for Mass, he said, “I am not here for a pep rally. I am here to proclaim the power of the Holy Spirit. … That is a power that transforms, not just for applause, not just for games or scoreboards. That’s a torque, a power, that takes all of us to an entirely different level if we are open, if we are willing.”

The first reading for the Mass, from Romans, echoed the Church’s theme for the Jubilee Year of Hope: “Hope does not disappoint.” Bishop Martin invited the teachers to claim that message as their own, rallying them to repeat it aloud with him: “Hope does not disappoint!”

“If there is something you want to put on the bathroom mirror to greet you every morning, let it be that,” he suggested. “Hope does not disappoint. And it is not some hope in some future. It is a hope in the moment for what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life – personally, today, right now, in this second.”

Even in moments of human weakness, Bishop Martin

‘Do we believe that we have been graced with the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of the young people entrusted to our care?’

Bishop Michael Martin

reminded them, this hope never disappoints.

“Do we believe that we have been graced with the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of the young people entrusted to our care?” he asked. When the teachers’ reply was not loud enough, he reiterated it until the whole gym echoed back a resounding “yes.”

He reminded the educators the power of transformation starts with the heart, looking inward.

“Claim it (your failures) and then turn to the healing power of the Holy Spirit that will not disappoint. Jesus sends that Spirit to be that healing presence in our lives, and it is only then, once we have been eyes wide open before the mirror, that we can walk into our classrooms and be ready – not to be perfect but to be on top of our … game, to be there to serve the young people,” he said. “Perfect, never. Open, always.”

After Mass, teachers crowded into the Fine Arts Center to hear a keynote address from the bishop before heading into 31 breakout sessions for the day based on various curriculum areas.

MAKE DISCIPLES FOR THE KINGDOM

In his keynote address, Bishop Martin outlined steps he believes can inspire greatness and urged teachers to share the Church’s mission with clarity and conviction.

“Is Jesus a compelling articulation of our mission? Yes,” he said. “He is the way, the truth, and the life. … He is our mission. He is our true north.”

While faith cannot be measured or graded, the bishop noted, the true measure lies in the number of disciples formed.

He also pointed to sobering statistics: half of Catholics leave the Church, and of those, only 11% ever return. Seventy-nine percent of those who leave do so before age 23. Meanwhile, 31% of college students report no religious affiliation, 21% of 12th-graders have never attended a religious service, and a third of young adults ages 18 to 24 say they don’t believe in God.

Those numbers can feel overwhelming, he acknowledged, even for himself as bishop in leading the 500,000-plus Catholics of the Diocese of Charlotte.

“But guess what?’ he continued. “God chose me, and God chose you, all of you, the totality of you. There is not a weakness that God can’t raise up and make something greater from.”

“We are about making disciples for the kingdom,” he said. “It seems daunting, but you are not in this by yourself. We are in this together.”

Bishop Martin urged educators to challenge themselves by asking whether their students can see the compassion of Christ reflected in them, even as they uphold high standards. He encouraged them to lead by example – such as by joining or starting small faith groups.

“Imagine what the students might think once they find out their teachers get together and reflect on scriptures,” he said. “Model how you want them to live in faith. Show them your journey and passion to grow closer to Christ and the Church.”

In his own remarks to teachers, diocesan Schools Superintendent Greg Monroe echoed the bishop’s message of hope.

“Hope is not a naive optimism; it is not a ‘I think things will be fine.’ No, it is a deep-seated conviction that things will be OK because darkness has been overcome, and you all are a testament to the hope we have in the future: our students,” Monroe said.

Teachers reacted with enthusiasm to what they heard.

Dina Alvarado, a first-year teacher at St. Ann School in Charlotte, smiled at the prospect while she formulated new lessons in her mind.

“I definitely incorporate religion in my lesson planning because we teach religion classes,” Alvarado said. “But listening to the bishop, I thought about other ways to show my faith – not just during specific times, but how I can be a disciple of Christ and show them that throughout the day. … It did inspire me.”

LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Michael Martin spoke to more than 800 Catholic educators at a Sept. 26 professional development day. He challenged them by asking whether their students could see Christ reflected in them.

Emotional ceremony celebrates renovation of St. Ann School

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Gratitude and joy flowed at St. Ann School at a Sept. 29 ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the school’s extensive renovations over the summer.

When students returned to school in August, they walked into a school completely transformed in 11 weeks by workers from Charlotte-based Choate Construction.

The $5.1 million renovation touched every part of the 70-year-old school, which opened in 1955 and hadn’t received such a significant update since then.

The work included new paint in hallways and classrooms, a new HVAC system, improvements to the library and playgrounds, new cabinets, flooring, lights, acoustic ceiling tiles, tutoring classrooms and more.

This was made possible by a $3.5 million grant from Shea Homes, part of the Shea Family of Companies, one of the most significant supporters of Catholic education nationwide since the 1980s. Funds for the renovation also included $600,000 from the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system, $700,000 raised by the school and $300,000 by the parish.

‘We believe the more kids educated in the Catholic system, the better our future world will be.’

John Shea Jr.

Principal Celene Little fought back tears of joy as she opened the ceremony attended by Bishop Michael Martin, diocese schools superintendent Dr. Gregory Monroe, other diocesan staff and donors from the parish and school community.

“It’s unbelievable what has taken place in this school,” Little said. “We have a safer, brighter, more inspiring place for our children to learn.”

Bishop Martin offered a prayer.

“As blessed as we are this day to realize

Music Director

John Shea Jr. accepts a touching tribute from the students of

Ann

their thumbprints. The school received a $3.5 million grant from Shea

which along with funds from the diocese and the parish, made its renovations possible.

the great ways in which so many people have worked together, have brought their gifts to bear so this school can be a better place for learning … we’re even more grateful for what transpires here every day,” he prayed to God. “… Our teachers, our assistants and our parents all work together so we can find even more creative ways for Your children to grow as disciples of Your Son Jesus.”

Father Timothy Reid, St. Ann’s pastor, reflected on the school’s history and how the renovation changed the building he has known since he was appointed in 2007.

“For years and years and years I walked through these halls, and I’ve always thought I would love to renovate this school,” he said. “… What is amazing about this project is that so many different groups came together to pull this off. The money was one hurdle, and the other was getting this done in the course of a summer. I was amazed at how this building got transformed … truly a very beautiful

St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC is seeking a full-time Music Director to lead a dynamic and inclusive liturgical music ministry.

Responsibilities include:

• •

•

Directing choirs and cantors

• Coordinating music for all parish liturgies

Overseeing the sound system

Working collaboratively with clergy and staff.

This role requires strong leadership, musical expertise, and the ability to inspire and guide a volunteer-based ministry.

To apply: please submit a cover letter and résumé to: Glenda Lliguicota at officemanager@4sjnc.org

John Shea Jr., who lives in the Charlotte area, represented his family’s foundation at the ceremony and took a tour of the school alongside Bishop Martin and others.

After the ribbon-cutting, students presented him with a special gift – a photo of all 356 students surrounded by thumbprints gathered from every student, with a different color representing each grade.

“It’s exhilarating to see what has happened here at St. Ann’s, and amazing to see that it happened in such a short time,” Shea said.

In a 2024 interview with the Catholic News Herald, Shea said the family’s commitment to Catholic education is motivated by belief in what Catholic

– is key,” he said. “We believe the more kids

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St.

School: a photo surrounded by each of

Homes,

New mural brings to life the mission of St. Matthew School

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — A new mural in the cafeteria at St. Matthew School offers a bright, beautiful reminder of the role faith plays in the life of the school community.

Artist Dean Kiradjieff, a parishioner at St. Matthew Church, put in 65 hours of work over the summer to create the mural that greeted students when they returned to class in August.

The mural is part of other recent updates to the school. Thanks to funds raised by the PTO and support from St. Matthew Parish, the school library received a complete overhaul including removal of the circulation desk, all new furniture, technology updates and a fresh coat of paint.

New chairs were purchased for every classroom in the school, offering a new look as well as improved seating for students. The chairs were selected for their ergonomic shape and other features to “help maintain correct back posture while encouraging natural body movement – improving alertness, concentration and well being,” said Principal Kevin O’Herron.

The school PTO approached Kiradjieff to paint the mural after O’Herron asked if it would be possible to brighten up a plain white wall in the cafeteria.

Kiradjieff is no stranger to painting murals for his parish. Several years ago, he painted a Noah’s Ark theme in the church’s

C.

| CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

nursery.

The vision for this mural came from elements of the school’s mission and vision statements, which were revised by the longrange planning committee of the School

Leadership Council during the 2024-2025 school year.

“The goal was to bring the mission and vision to life in a very Catholic way that kids would relate to,” Kiradjieff said. “I wanted to make it colorful and fun, and to also create something beautiful.”

The artist sat down with his wife Diane Kiradjieff, director of religious education for St. Matthew Parish, and sketched the mural, which incorporates images of the church and school with portrayals of Catholic worship, service, academics and fun daily activities familiar to every child. He showed it to PTO Presidents Kristina Villella and Cameron Jung.

“I was speechless when I saw the sketch, and I immediately thought this is going to be a teaching tool for everyone who sees it,” Villella said. “I knew the Holy Spirit was involved with this because we had just completed the (school’s) mission and vision statements.”

Kiradjieff started work on the mural June 28 and finished Aug. 14.

At the center of the mural is an image of the school topped with a large, radiant monstrance, representing Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist and His role as the center of both the Catholic faith and everything that goes on at St. Matthew.

“I wanted it to be front and center, the first thing that catches your eye,” Kiradjieff said.

Written out are the seven virtues, which students focus on throughout the school

year.

To the left of the school is St. Matthew Church and to the right is a house, symbolizing the two other places that have the most influence in the lives of students.

Service plays a big role at St. Matthew School, and the mural depicts annual projects to help needy families at Christmas and feed the hungry.

The mural is encircled by images of the globe and words from Matthew 28:19-20, which begins: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” reminding students to take what they learn at St. Matthew and share it with others.

Scattered throughout the mural are 20 hidden crosses painted onto the figures, a fun element that young children especially enjoy finding.

The mural is in a section of the cafeteria where parents sit when they come to eat lunch with their kids.

“If parents eat with their children, they sit surrounded by the mural, and it’s a great reminder of why they send their kids here,” Jung said.

The PTO prepared a description of the mural that hangs next to it so people who view it in the future will understand the symbolism, Vilella said.

“It’s really such a joy to have this mural here,” she said. “It feels like something that should have always been here, because it really describes what this school is all about.”

St. Matthew School replaced all of its chairs over the summer, worked with artist Dean Kiradjieff to refresh its walls, and updated its library to accommodate new technology.

TROY

HULL

St. Matthew School’s new mural design incorporates elements of its vision and mission statements and depicts worship, service and academics.

CARTER SCORES!

Touchdown moment melts hearts, fulfills dream

CHRISTINA

LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — The Bulldogs from Holy Trinity Middle School were playing football against the Weddington Middle Wildcats Sept. 27, and things weren’t going well for the Bulldogs. As halftime approached, they hadn’t scored.

But moments before the whistle blew, the team ran one more play. The quarterback handed Carter Russell, number 58, the ball and he ran it five yards into the end zone. His team cheered, chanted his name and lifted him on their shoulders.

That wasn’t an ordinary touchdown. It was a dream come true for the Holy Trinity sixth-grader – made possible by his coaches and fellow players.

Carter, 11, is a student in Holy Trinity’s Options Program for children with special needs. He was born with a rare medical condition that impacts nearly every part of his body and causes continual health issues. He also is physically smaller than most of his peers.

Carter is also a huge football fan. He cheers for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Cincinnati Bengals.

But Carter wanted to do more than just watch football. He wanted to play.

Both his parents and doctors were hesitant. But Carter persisted.

“We spent months trying to convince him not to join the team, talked through all

Holy Trinity Middle School football player Carter Russell scored a touchdown during the team’s game against

together to make the player’s dream come true. See the big play at www.catholicnewsherald.com.

the dangers and risks, but he had his own opinion,” says his mother, Michelle Russell.

“When he found that anybody who wanted to be on the sixth-grade team could be on it, he assumed that meant him.”

Despite his challenges, Holy Trinity’s coaches said they wanted him on the team.

Carter’s fellow players supported him from the moment he put on a uniform and stepped on the practice field.

“Carter makes you realize the true meaning of why you’re out there to coach,” says Ed Doughty, Holy Trinity’s head football coach. “In his case, with the

CARTER, SEE PAGE 24

Christ the King High School breaks ground to pave way for more Crusaders

LISA M. GERACI

lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

HUNTERSVILLE — The marching band played and loud cheers erupted as Christ the King High School stakeholders shoveled fertile black soil on a plot of grass surrounding the statue of the school’s namesake, beginning a $12 million expansion project that is projected to be completed in 14 months.

The addition includes two classrooms, a band room, a shop and a cafeteria. Additionally, spaces in existing buildings such as the cafeteria, kitchen and shop will be transformed into classrooms.

As Principal Mark Tolcher explained, “This new extension will provide more space for teachers to help transform the lives of students and help these young people grow into the sons and daughters they were created to be.”

The addition will also feature a fitness training area, administrative offices, a larger entry point to the gym and a north lobby equipped with concession stands, ticket booths and a Crusaders Spirit Store.

The additional 17,000 square feet will allow the school to accommodate up to 650 students instead of its current capacity of 450.

“We are really excited about the beauty of the building, the size of the building, and the grandeur of the building,” Christ the King’s President Carl Semmler told the crowd of teachers, clergy, students and community members.

Semmler quoted Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build,” then continued, “What this building is really all about is the smaller Church … the children that form the Body of Christ. They are the future of the Church. They’re

Christ the King High School broke ground, ready for their new expansion project, which will take around 14 months to complete. By the winter of next year, the school will have enough space to accommodate up to 600 students.

the real edifice. … This building is going to create the Church of the future.”

The Oct. 2 groundbreaking was also attended by Bishop Michael Martin, who celebrated an All School Mass prior to the event.

Bishop Martin emphasized that point in his earlier homily, which focused on the Feast of the Guardian Angels.

He asked, “Don’t you feel like I would probably have a better homily if I had a student up here assisting me?” The congregation adamantly agreed.

One of the sophomores was called upon but did not know the answer to Bishop

Martin’s question: What does the word “sophomore” mean? He was able to phone a friend – ironically on this feast day a freshman named Raphael – who responded with the correct meaning of the word, the oxymoron “wise fool.”

The bishop used the exchange to illustrate his point that God wants us to guard one another.

“God does not want us to go through this life alone. Instead, He gives us people to go through this life with,” the bishop said. “God is trying to teach us, the wise fools that we are, this very simple message … that God doesn’t leave us alone.”

God gives us guardian angels who remain with us all the time, the bishop said, as well as people who sometimes take on their qualities in our lives – spouses, children and best friends.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” he asked, then responded for them, “Yes!”

He continued, “We are going to break ground for a new building today. The school’s growing; it is really great.” Yet, he cautioned that he “wouldn’t give you a dime for it, not a dime, if I didn’t think what we were building here was students who were more concerned with building up the good in their classmates. That’s the school I want to build.”

He instructed the students to look out for one another, and to imagine what the school would look like if everyone became a guardian for each other.

“Imagine a CTK where everyone has someone, where everyone is reaching out, amid the difference, to hold someone else accountable,” the bishop noted.

“That is what Christ the King came to establish on this earth: a place where everyone, everyone, didn’t follow Him like a mascot but rather worshiped Him as Lord and accepted the responsibility of caring for those around us with a greater love. … That’s the school we want to build.”

Principal Julie Thornley of St. Mark School in Huntersville, which typically sees 98% of their graduates go on to become Crusaders, called the groundbreaking a blessing.

St. Mark’s dean of students and mother of two Crusaders herself, Hillary Shores, agreed with the bishop. “There is so much goodness in this school, and such a platform for building up the faith, I am just proud of it.”

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

magnitude of the medical battles he faces on a regular basis, it’s just so inspiring to see his level of dedication to the sport of football. He lifts up the entire team.”

One of Carter’s biggest supporters

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Weddington Middle. Coaches, teammates and referees worked

catholicnewsherald.com | October 10, 2025

Un niño que sirve desde su corazón

BRIAN SEGOVIA bmsegovia@rcdoc.org

SPARTA — En la parroquia Santa Francisca Romana de Sparta, ubicada a unas 50 millas al noroeste de WinstonSalem, Ángel Velázquez Lagunes, un niño de siete años, no solo asiste a misa; su pequeño cuerpo se convierte en un servidor fiel durante la ofrenda, llevando una reverencia y devoción que conmueven a los feligreses de esta misión. Durante los últimos dos años, cada domingo, Ángel se viste con un atuendo marrón que recuerda al hábito capuchino de los Frailes de la Orden Franciscana, similar al que usaba su mayor referente, el Padre Pío. Con respeto hacia los feligreses, el sacerdote y la Iglesia que lo rodea, se levanta para ayudar durante la ofrenda. Esta devoción ha capturado la atención y el corazón de muchos miembros de la comunidad hispana en nuestra diócesis.

Su madre, Sara, explica que Ángel ha sido muy tierno y compasivo con los demás desde temprana edad. “Si ve a alguien que se siente mal, lo abraza,” dice Sara Lagunes. “Siempre les dice a otros que estén tranquilos porque Dios está con ellos.”

El joven servidor siempre ha sido reverente respecto a temas de fe. En su hogar, la familia practica el catolicismo con seriedad. Cada noche, se reúnen en la sala para rezar el rosario, leer las Sagradas Escrituras del día y educar a Ángel y su hermano menor de cuatro años, Daniel sobre los misterios de la fe. “Creemos que lo más importante como padres es guiarlos hacia Dios,” afirma su madre. Esta base de fe en el hogar inspiró a Ángel hace dos años. Sara, quien ha sido lectora durante los últimos cuatro años en la misión de Sparta, llevaba a Ángel de la mano cuando ella proclamaba las lecturas. Allí, Ángel sintió el llamado a servir en la misa de su propia manera, asistiendo durante

la ofrenda. Inicialmente, tuvo que esperar hasta que el sacerdote, el Padre Mlakar, le permitiera servir debido a su corta edad. Pero desde que recibió permiso a los cinco años, Ángel ha tomado muy serio su papel en la misa. “Él no se ríe; todo lo hace con completa seriedad y reverencia,” comenta

su madre. Mayra Castillo, quien ha sida lectora en esta misa por aproximadamente 10 años, también ha sido testigo de la seriedad con la que Ángel desempeña su papel.

“Pone mucha atención, para que no se le pase ninguna persona,” dice Castillo. “Es un gran ejemplo para otros niños.”

Una de las películas favoritas de Ángel es la versión animada del Padre Pío. Después de conocer sobre el Padre Pío y su historia de servicio, oración, confesión y caridad, el joven le pidió a su madre un atuendo similar al del Padre Pío. “Lo encontré en Amazon y lo ordené, pero cuando llegó, me dijo que no era igual al del Padre Pío,” relata Sara. “Entonces me puse a coser.”

Desde que Ángel recibió ese traje parecido a un hábito capuchino, dice que siente un amor profundo por cada oportunidad que tiene para servir en la Iglesia y prácticamente nunca se lo quita. “Ángel me dice que su corazoncito late muy fuerte cada vez que sirve; es algo muy bonito,” indica Lagunes.

Sara explica que ella y su esposo enfrentaron momentos difíciles antes de tener a sus hijos. Los médicos le habían dicho a Sara que sería muy difícil que tuviera hijos debido a unos tumores en la matriz. “Le dije a Dios: Señor, que se haga tu voluntad,” explica Lagunes.

Cuando fue a la cita médica para hacerse una radiografía meses después, descubrió que estaba embarazada, algo que sintió como un mensaje de Dios. “Fue una bendición,” exclama Sara. Ahora, con Ángel sirviendo por dos años, su presencia no pasa desapercibida. El joven desea seguir sirviendo y expresa que le gustaría ser sacerdote algún día. “Por el momento, creemos que Ángel puede seguir sirviendo, y ojalá, con la ayuda de Dios, siga siendo inspiración para otros niños,” concluye Lagunes.

San Francisco de Asís dedica un espacio a su anterior párroco en el día de su fiesta

LENOIR — La parroquia de San Francisco de Asís celebró el día de su santo patrono con una mañana del sábado llena de bendiciones para las mascotas y una dedicación por la noche de su nuevo patio memorial. El párroco, padre Alfonso Gamez Jr., y el diácono Stephen Pickett comenzaron las festividades temprano el sábado por la mañana con confesiones y una Hora Santa. Luego, una fila de invitados emplumados y peludos de todas las formas y tamaños se formó para recibir la bendición anual de sus mascotas.

Esa noche, antes de la Misa de Vigilia, la congregación se reunió frente al nuevo Patio Memorial. El área, que anteriormente era un parche de césped y acera, ha sido transformada en un espacio sagrado para la meditación, reflexión y oración, con una gran fuente, bancos, estatuas y flores. La fuente fue instalada para conmemorar al antiguo párroco, padre Matthew James Leonard. “Fue nuestro párroco aquí desde el 2000 hasta el 2009”, explicó el padre Gamez. “Este es un recordatorio de la dedicación a lo que nuestros párrocos han hecho.”

Durante más de 20 años de ministerio sacerdotal, el padre Leonard sirvió en cuatro parroquias de la Diócesis de Charlotte, incluida la iglesia de San Francisco de Asís. Fue párroco de la iglesia de Santa Margarita María en Swannanoa desde 2009 hasta su muerte en 2019 a los 57 años.

Un paso de San Francisco (carroza) decorado con flores tenía dos reliquias de la parroquia de San Francisco de Asís adquiridas en Italia a los pies del santo. Una, una reliquia de primera clase, un trozo de hueso, y la otra era un trozo de su bastón, una reliquia de segunda clase. El padre Gamez animó a su feligresía a frotar rosarios y medallas sobre las reliquias, una tradición que crea una reliquia de tercera clase, además de darles una conexión física con un santo venerado.

La homilía del padre Gamez destacó la vida de San Francisco de Asís y su conexión con el santo. El padre Gamez creció con los franciscanos en Hendersonville, quienes servían en la iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción, pero siempre sintió una devoción profunda por Santo Domingo.

“Cuando fui ordenado fue cuando ellos se fueron (los franciscanos), pero en realidad tengo más devoción por

Santo Domingo, pero son contemporáneos”, dijo el padre Gamez.

Los dos santos compartían una visión común y fueron amigos rápidos. San Domingo le dijo una vez a San Francisco en el siglo XIII: “Tú eres mi compañero. Trabajaremos juntos, apoyándonos mutuamente hacia el mismo fin, y nadie prevalecerá contra nosotros.”

“Por costumbre, un dominico predica a los franciscanos en la Fiesta de San Francisco de Asís, y un franciscano predica a los dominicos en el día de la fiesta de Santo Domingo, el 8 de agosto,” dijo el padre Gamez.

“En realidad, tiendo a estar más alineado con la tradición dominica de espiritualidad de la fe y vivir ese carisma”, dijo el padre Gamez. “Así que me considero un dominico predicando a un montón de franciscanos.”

La imagen mundana de San Francisco como una estatua de jardín de concreto rodeada de aves y ciervos no completa su historia, dijo.

“La santidad, la vida a la que tú y yo estamos llamados, puede parecer desordenada según los estándares del mundo, pero San Francisco nos muestra que la santidad llega con fidelidad”, dijo el padre Gamez. “San Francisco nos muestra que al Señor no le importan los resultados terrenales; le importa la fidelidad.”

La misa terminó con una procesión llevando el paso desde la iglesia hasta el salón de recepciones, donde la congregación pasó tiempo en compañerismo admirando a su patrono, San Francisco de Asís.

La feligresa Sylvia Echeverría, miembro durante 25 años, recuerda y extraña a su párroco original, el padre Leonard, pero se ha encariñado con su nuevo pastor, el padre Gamez. “Es una persona muy, muy buena”, dijo Echeverría. “Es servicial y siempre está ahí para nosotros.”

- Lisa M. Geraci, Catholic News Herald

Ángel Velázquez Lagunes comenzó a servir durante la ofrenda en la misa en español en la Parroquia Santa Francisca Romana a los cinco años de edad.

LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Padre Alfonso Gámez Jr. celebra la fiesta de San Francisco de Asís con un paso procesional del santo, quien instituyó la Orden Franciscana en 1209.

Jesús quiere estar cerca y reavivar la esperanza

El Papa León pide a todos que recen el rosario por la paz durante el mes de octubre

El Papa León XIV pidió a los católicos que recen el rosario todos los días de octubre por la paz.

El Papa hizo esta petición al final de su audiencia general del 24 de septiembre.

El Papa León señaló que octubre se acercaba y que, con la festividad de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, el 7 de octubre, la Iglesia Católica tradicionalmente dedica todo el mes al rezo del rosario.

Jesús siempre camina junto a todos, sin importar cuán mundano o precario sea su camino, dijo el Papa León XIV.

“A veces pensamos que el Señor sólo viene a visitarnos en momentos de recogimiento o de fervor espiritual, cuando nos sentimos con fuerzas, cuando nuestra vida parece ordenada y luminosa”, dijo el Papa el 8 de octubre.

“En cambio, el Resucitado se acerca en los lugares más oscuros: en nuestros fracasos, en las relaciones desgastadas, en los trabajos cotidianos que pesan sobre nuestros hombros, en las dudas que nos desaniman”, dijo. “Nada de lo que somos, ningún fragmento de nuestra existencia le es ajeno”.

Mientras tanto, en su serie de catequesis sobre el tema del Jubileo, “Jesucristo, nuestra esperanza”, el Papa León reflexionó sobre la resurrección de Cristo como un acontecimiento marcado por la sencillez y la humildad.

“El Señor resucitado no hace nada espectacular para imponerse a la fe de sus discípulos”, dijo. “No aparece rodeado de huestes de ángeles, no hace gestos sensacionales, no pronuncia discursos solemnes para revelar los secretos del universo”.

“Habríamos esperado efectos especiales, signos de poder, pruebas abrumadoras”, dijo. “Pero el Señor no busca eso: prefiere el lenguaje de la proximidad, de la normalidad, de la mesa compartida”.

“En esto hay un mensaje precioso”, dijo el Papa. “La Resurrección no es un giro teatral, es una transformación silenciosa que llena de sentido cada gesto humano”.

Cada cuerpo humano, cada historia y cada relación, dijo, están “destinados a la plenitud de la vida” al “entrar en una comunión más profunda con Dios y con nuestros hermanos, en una humanidad transfigurada por el amor”.

Eso significa que “todo puede convertirse en gracia. Incluso las cosas más ordinarias: comer, trabajar, esperar, cuidar de la casa, apoyar a un amigo”, dijo el Papa León.

“Sin embargo, hay un obstáculo que a menudo nos impide reconocer esta presencia de Cristo en lo cotidiano: la pretensión de que la alegría debe ser sin heridas”, dijo.

Los discípulos esperaban “otro final” para el Mesías, dijo. “Pero Jesús está a su lado y, con paciencia, les ayuda a comprender que el dolor no es la negación de la promesa, sino el modo en que Dios ha manifestado la medida de su amor”.

“La resurrección de Cristo nos enseña que no hay historia tan marcada por el desengaño o el pecado que no pueda ser visitada por la esperanza”, dijo. “Por distantes, perdidos o indignos que nos sintamos, no hay distancia que pueda apagar la fuerza infalible del amor de Dios”.

“Invito a todos, cada día del próximo mes, a rezar el Rosario por la paz, personalmente, en familia y en comunidad”, dijo.

El Papa también invitó a los funcionarios y empleados del Vaticano a rezar el rosario juntos cada noche de octubre a las 7 p.m. en la Basílica de San Pedro.

Invitó a todos a la Plaza de San Pedro el 11 de octubre para rezar juntos el rosario durante la vigilia del Jubileo de la Espiritualidad Mariana, recordando también el aniversario de la apertura del Concilio Vaticano II, que comenzó de 1962.

El rezo del Santo Rosario surge aproximadamente en el año 800 cuando se creó el salterio de los laicos. En esa época los monjes rezaban los 150 salmos, pero como la mayoría de los laicos no sabían leer, se les enseñó a rezar 150 Padres nuestros. Después se formaron otros tres salterios que incluían 150 Aves Marías, 150 alabanzas en honor de Jesús y 150 alabanzas en honor de María. En el año 1365 se combinaron los cuatro salterios. Se dividieron las 150 Aves Marías en 15 decenas y se puso un Padre nuestro al inicio de cada una de ellas. En 1500 se estableció, para cada decena, la meditación de un hecho de la vida de Jesús o María, y así surgió el Rosario de quince misterios. En el año 2002 el Papa San Juan Pablo II introdujo los misterios luminosos. Con ello, se cuentan actualmente 20 misterios en el Santo Rosario.

La palabra Rosario significa “Corona de Rosas”. La Virgen María ha revelado a muchas personas que cada vez que rezan un Ave María le entregan una rosa y por cada Rosario completo le entregan una corona de rosas. Así como la rosa es la reina de las flores, el Rosario es la rosa de todas las devociones y, por lo tanto, es la más importante.

El Santo Rosario es considerado como la oración perfecta porque se meditan los principales misterios o hechos de la vida, muerte y gloria de Jesucristo y de su Santísima Madre. Estos están distribuidos en los misterios gozosos, dolorosos, gloriosos y luminosos.

El Rosario está compuesto por dos elementos: oración mental y oración verbal. La primera consiste en la meditación de los cuatro misterios. La oración verbal consiste en recitar las veinte decenas (Rosario completo) o cinco decenas del Ave María encabezadas por un Padre Nuestro.

Es una oración simple, humilde como María y que podemos rezar con ella. Con el Ave María la invitamos a que rece por nosotros. Al unir su oración a la nuestra, esta se hace más poderosa porque la Virgen siempre recibe lo que ella pide.

Por otro lado en cada una de sus apariciones, nos invita a rezar el Rosario como un arma poderosa en contra del maligno, para traernos la verdadera paz.

La Santa Iglesia recibió el Rosario en su forma actual en el año 1214 de una forma milagrosa: la Virgen se apareció a Santo Domingo de Guzmán y se lo entregó como un arma poderosa para la conversión de los herejes y otros pecadores de esos tiempos. Además, le encomendó la tarea de propagar su devoción.

Esta cobró fuerza en la cristiandad tras la Batalla de Lepanto en 1571. Los musulmanes controlaban el Mar Mediterráneo y

preparaban la invasión de la Europa cristiana. Los reyes católicos de Europa estaban divididos y parecían no darse cuenta de la amenaza inminente. El Papa Pío V pidió ayuda pero no le hicieron mucho caso hasta que el peligro se hizo muy real y la invasión musulmana se hizo certera.

El 17 de septiembre de 1569 el Papa pidió que se rezase el Santo Rosario. Para salvar a la cristiandad se formó la Liga Santa, conformada por los Estados Papales, el Reino de España, la República de Venecia, la República de Génova, el Ducado de Saboya y la Orden de Malta.

El 7 de octubre de 1571 la Liga Cristiana, comandada por Don Juan de Austria, se enfrentó a la flota musulmana en el Golfo de Corinto, cerca de la ciudad griega de Lepanto. Antes del combate las tropas cristianas rezaron devotamente el Santo Rosario para vencer a un enemigo superior en número y buques de guerra.

La batalla de Lepanto duró muchas horas pero, al final, los cristianos resultaron victoriosos. Mientras el combate naval transcurría, en Roma el Papa Pío V rezaba el Rosario en su capilla. De repente — Catholic News Service y ACI Prensa

12–18 OCTUBRE

Domingo (XXVIII Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario): 2 Re 5:14-17, Sal 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 2

Tim 2:8-13, Lc 17:11-19

Lunes: Rom 1:1-7, Sal 98:1bcde, 2-3ab, 3cd4, Lc 11:29-32

Martes: Rom 1:16-25, Sal 19:2-3, 4-5, Lc 11:37-41

Miércoles (Memoria de Santa Teresa de Jesús, Virgen y Doctora de la Iglesia): Rom 2:1-11, Sal 62:2-3, 6-7, 9, Lc 11:42-46

Jueves: Rom 3:21-30, Sal 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab, Lc 11:47-54

Viernes (Memoria de San Ignacio de Antioquía, Obispo y Mártir): Rom 4:1-8, Sal 32:1b-2, 5, 11, Lc 12:1-7

Sábado (Fiesta de San Lucas, Evangelista): 2 Tim 4:10-17b, Sal 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18, Lc 10:1-9

19-25 DE OCTUBRE

Domingo (Vigésimo Noveno Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario): Ex 17:8-13, Sal 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 2 Tim 3:14–4:2, Lc 18:1-8

Lunes: Rom 4:20-25, Lc 1:69-70, 71-72, 7375, Lc 12:13-21

Martes: Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21, Sal 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17, Lc 12:35-38

Miércoles: Rom 6:12-18, Sal 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8, Lc 12:39-48

Jueves: Rom 6:19-23, Sal 1:1-2, 3, 4 y 6, Lc 12:49-53

Viernes: Rom 7:18-25a, Sal 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94, Lc 12:54-59

Sábado: Rom 8:1-11, Sal 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, Lc 13:1-9

26 DE OCTUBRE – 1 DE NOVIEMBRE Domingo (Trigésimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario): Eclo 35:12-14, 16-18, Sal 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23, 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18, Lc 18:9-14

Lunes: Rom 8:12-17, Sal 68:2 y 4, 6-7ab, 2021, Lc 13:10-17

Martes (Fiesta de San Simón y San Judas, Apóstoles): Ef 2:19-22, Sal 19:2-3, 4-5, Lc 6:12-16

Miércoles: Rom 8:26-30, Sal 13:4-5, 6, Lc 13:22-30

Jueves: Rom 8:31b-39, Sal 109:21-22, 2627, 30-31, Lc 13:31-35

Viernes: Rom 9:1-5, Sal 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20, Lc 14:1-6

Sábado (Solemnidad de Todos los Santos): Ap 7:2-4, 9-14, Sal 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, 1 Jn 3:1-3, Mt 5:1-12a

Lecturas Diarias

Papa León XIV

CNS PHOTO | VATICAN MEDIA

El Papa León XIV saluda a un joven que sostiene un rosario durante su audiencia general en el salón Pablo VI del Vaticano el 13 de agosto.

Our nation

U.S. bishops say ‘Healing and Hope’ initiative tackles mental illness crisis at local level

GINA CHRISTIAN OSV News

The nation’s Catholic bishops have launched a new effort to more closely engage the faithful in addressing the issue of mental health, particularly at the local level.

In a Sept. 16 press release, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced its “Healing and Hope” initiative as a “new component” of the USCCB’s National Catholic Mental Health Campaign.

Unveiled in October 2023, the campaign is spearheaded by Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, who leads the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

Several organizations partnered with Archbishop Gudziak and Bishop Barron in developing the campaign – among them Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Health Association, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers.

RESOURCES

n Experiencing a mental health crisis? Call 911 or call/text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which also offers support in Spanish.

n Novena materials: www.usccb.org/ mental-health-novena

n Mental Health Sunday resources: www.usccb.org/mental-health-sunday

Bishop Barron, who stressed that “anyone who is suffering from mental illness or facing mental health challenges” remains “a beloved child of God, a God of healing and hope.”

“Healing and Hope” – which is aimed at both those who suffer from mental illness, and those who support them – will feature three new elements to back that message.

A revived digital campaign for the effort will include bishops’ reflections, posted to the USCCB’s social media platforms, that will “invite all people into deeper conversation on the realities and stigmas of mental health,” said the USCCB.

In addition, bishops, clergy, religious and lay people will gather for state-level conferences on “local mental health realities,” with the first such event to take place early next year in New Jersey.

patron of health care, who in the Letter to the Colossians is referenced as “the beloved physician” (Col 4:14).

Each day of the novena, which opened the USCCB campaign in October 2023, focuses on a particular aspect of mental health, addressing stigma, social relationships and the impact of factors such as racism and poverty. Saints and others invoked during the novena include St. Dymphna, patron of those with mental illness; St. Martin de Porres, who experienced racial discrimination throughout his life; and Dorothy Day, a servant of God who twice attempted suicide as a young woman.

In their introductory message for the effort, the two prelates said their goals were threefold: to raise greater awareness of the issue, to remove the sense of stigma for those suffering from mental illness, and “to advocate a clear message to all: everyone who needs help should get help.”

Parishes are being encouraged to “raise awareness of mental health” by observing “Mental Health Sunday” and praying at Masses during the Oct. 11-12 weekend, which follows World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10.

The “Healing and Hope” initiative takes its name from the campaign’s introductory statement by Archbishop Gudziak and

For first time in U.S., Catholics will be able to venerate the habit of Padre Pio

FRANCESCA POLLIO FENTON Catholic News Agency

For the first time in the United States, Catholics will have the opportunity to venerate the full-size habit worn by St. Pio of Pietrelcina, also known as Padre Pio. The rare opportunity will take place on Oct. 11-14 at the National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Allentown.

A group of Italian Capuchin friars from Padre Pio’s friary – the Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary in San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy – will bring the habit to be displayed at the national center, which has been designated a jubilee site within the Allentown Diocese.

“This unprecedented visit from the friars of San Giovanni Rotondo is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to share a rare and intimate relic of Padre Pio with his devotees,” Vera Marie Calandra, the vice president of the center, said on the group’s website.

“We expect to have pilgrims visiting from throughout the United States, and we will be ready to make their visit a special time of veneration, prayer and reflection.”

The weekend of festivities will open on Saturday, Oct. 11, with Mass celebrated

by the Capuchin friars from San Giovanni Rotondo. Following the Mass, there will be a procession honoring Padre Pio.

Mass will also be celebrated on Sunday, Oct. 12, with a procession following. On Oct. 13, Harrisburg Bishop Emeritus Ronald Gainer will celebrate Mass in English followed by a Mass celebrated in Italian by the friars.

Allentown Bishop Alfred Schlert will celebrate Mass on Oct. 14 followed by a Mass celebrated in Italian by the friars.

“We could not be more excited about having the opportunity to have Padre (Francesco) Dileo and other friars from Padre Pio’s Our Lady of Grace friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, visit us with these rare and precious relics,” said Nick Gibboni, the executive director of the National Centre for Padre Pio.

“We continue to be enormously blessed to have a close relationship with Padre Pio’s brother friars, and we are excited about our continued relationship.”

In addition to the habit’s visit at the national center, the friars will also be taking the habit to the Padre Pio Foundation of America in Cromwell, Connecticut. The habit will be available for veneration at St. Pius X Church in Middletown, Connecticut, on Oct. 15-18.

Padre Pio was a Capuchin Franciscan friar, priest and mystic of the 20th century. He is known for his deep wisdom about prayer and peace, having the stigmata, and miraculous reports of his bilocation.

The USCCB also urged faithful to pray the conference’s Novena for Mental Health, the nine days of which commence on World Mental Health Day and conclude on Oct. 18, the feast of St. Luke, the evangelist and a

New graphic

Close to 60 million U.S. adults, or one in five, experienced mental illness in 2021, with more than 14 million of them reporting a serious condition and well over 19 million battling both substance abuse and mental illness concurrently, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The nation’s youth have been particularly hard hit: In 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued an advisory on the issue, citing data that showed in 2019, one in three high school students and half of female students reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, a 40% spike since 2009.

novel tells story

of Father Emil Kapaun: Army chaplain, Korean War POW

JACK FIGGE OSV News

A nonprofit dedicated to supporting the U.S. Army has released a graphic novel highlighting the story and service of Father Emil Kapaun, the Catholic military chaplain who gave his life in a prisoner-ofwar camp during the Korean War and has an active cause for canonization.

Since 2018, the Association of the United States Army, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the U.S. Army through education and professional development initiatives, has released four graphic novels every year. The comic books seek to highlight the heroic lives and stories of Army Medal of Honor recipients.

This fall, the organization chose to feature the story of Father Kapaun, who received the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2013. Father Kapaun is the first military chaplain to be featured in the comic book series, which was released Sept. 23.

“I was doing research for a different graphic novel and came across the story of Father Kapaun, and his life really piqued my interest,” said Joseph Craig, director of the AUSA Book Program.

“The more I learned about him, the more fascinating the story became. Based on the reception we are receiving about this particular issue, we are finding other people agree with that.”

Drawn and written by comic book

professionals who have previously worked on Marvel and DC Comics projects, the eight-page comic presents Father Kapaun’s story in an engaging, accurate manner.

“These people really know how to make a story come to life, and they really do Father Kapaun’s story justice,” Craig said.

OSV NEWS | ST. LOUIS REVIEW Father Emil Kapaun, a U.S. Army chaplain and candidate for sainthood, died May 23, 1951, in a North Korean prisoner-of-war camp. Father Kapaun is the first military chaplain to be featured in a Medal of Honor digital graphic novel series created by the Association of the United States Army.

U.S. bishops’ president asks all to end political violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five years after the release of Pope Francis’ encyclical on fraternal love, and amid a rise in political violence, the leader of the nation’s Catholic bishops is pleading for a rediscovery of – and respect for – a common humanity.

U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

The archbishop shared his thoughts in an Oct. 1 pastoral invitation for reflection ahead of the fifth anniversary of “Fratelli Tutti,” which Pope Francis penned in 2020 as an exploration and exhortation on the issues of human fraternity and social friendship.

Archbishop Broglio’s reflection was released just days after several high-profile killings, including deadly attacks on a Latter-day Saints church in Michigan and a Catholic church in Minnesota, and the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university campus.

While not naming those specific incidents, Archbishop Broglio lamented that “places once regarded as safe harbors to grow and learn –our schools, universities and churches – have become sites of heartbreaking tragedy and bloodshed.”

He called for a renewed embrace of the Gospel values, including the corporal works of mercy, listening and dialogue.

Trump plan to end war in Gaza met with optimism, skepticism

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump released a 20-point peace plan to end the IsraelHamas war Sept. 29. The plan was met with cautious optimism from some world leaders – including Pope Leo XIV – and skepticism from others. It remained to be seen whether Hamas would accept the agreement amid increasing international concern about humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

During a White House visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the plan could be a “historic day for peace,” but said that if Hamas did not accept the plan, Israel

Director of Music

St. Luke Catholic Church

“would have my full backing” to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.”

Trump told reporters he would give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to his proposal. The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to release all of all hostages.

Pope Leo XIV told reporters Sept. 30 at Castel Gandolfo, “It seems that it is a realistic proposal.” He expressed hope that Hamas “accepts it in the established timeframe.”

The plan states Gaza would “be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.” The plan also left the door open to “a credible pathway to Palestinian selfdetermination and statehood.”

Broglio

Our world

Be an ‘action hero’ to fight climate change, pope and Schwarzenegger urge

CAROL GLATZ Catholic News Service

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — People of faith cannot love God while despising His creatures, and people cannot call themselves Christians without caring for everything fragile and wounded, including the Earth, Pope Leo XIV told climate activists and political and religious leaders.

“There is no room for indifference or resignation,” he said, inaugurating an international conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”

Seated behind a slowly melting chunk of ice from a glacier in Greenland, the pope said, “God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that He created, for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters.”

“What will be our answer?” he asked.

Pope Leo spoke Oct. 1 during the opening session of a three-day conference titled “Raising Hope for Climate Justice.”

Organized by the Laudato Si’ Movement and with the support of the Vatican dicasteries for Promoting Integral Human Development and Communication, the event was held at the Focolare Movement’s Mariapoli Center near the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo.

The conference brought together some 500 delegates representing global leaders, faithbased organizations, governments and nongovernmental organizations active in climate justice to celebrate what has been achieved since Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical was published in 2015 and to hammer out new strategies for expanded partnerships and concrete action.

“We are one family, with one Father,” Pope

Leo said, and “we inhabit the same planet and must care for it together.”

“I, therefore, renew my strong appeal for unity around integral ecology and for peace!” he said.

Pope Leo noted, as Pope Francis did in his follow-up exhortation “Laudate Deum,” that “some have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming and even to blame the poor for the very thing that affects them the most.”

“What must be done now to ensure that caring for our common home and listening to the cry of the Earth and the poor do not appear as mere passing trends or, worse still, are seen and felt as divisive issues?” he asked.

“Everyone in society, through nongovernmental organizations and advocacy groups, must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls,” the pope said.

“Citizens need to take an active role in political decision-making at national, regional and local levels,” he said. “Only then will it be possible to mitigate the damage done to the environment.”

Pope Leo asked the audience to “give thanks to our Father in heaven for this gift we have inherited from Pope Francis,” which was followed by enthusiastic applause.

“The challenges identified in Laudato Si’ are in fact even more relevant today than they were 10 years ago,” he said, and these challenges, which are social, political and spiritual, “call for conversion.”

“It is only by returning to the heart that a true ecological conversion can take place,”

Pope Leo said. “We must shift from collecting data to caring, and from environmental discourse to an ecological conversion that

transforms both personal and communal lifestyles.”

For believers, he said, “we cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising His creatures. Nor can we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ without participating in His outlook on creation and His care for all that is fragile and wounded.”

Integral ecology thrives on four relationships: with God, with others, with nature and with ourselves, he said. “Through our commitment to them, we can grow in hope by living out the interdisciplinary approach of Laudato Si’ and the call to unity and collaboration that flows from it.”

Pope Leo expressed his hope that a number of upcoming U.N. summits, including the 2025 Climate Change Conference in Brazil in November, “will listen to the cry of the Earth

and the cry of the poor, families, Indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world.

“I encourage everyone, especially young people, parents and those who work in local and national administrations and institutions, to play their part in finding solutions for today’s cultural, spiritual and educational challenges, always striving tenaciously for the common good,” he added.

Among the participants who spoke during the opening session in the presence of the pope was Brazil’s minister of environment and climate change, Marina Silva, and the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has long been involved in initiatives for the protection of creation. Indicating Pope Leo, Schwarzenegger said he was in the presence of a true “action hero” because of his election as pope and leader of a city-state whose goal is to become the first carbon-neutral state in the world.

Pope Leo later quipped in his opening remarks that “if there is indeed an action hero with us this afternoon, it is all of you who are working together to make a difference.”

Schwarzenegger outlined how he took aggressive action on fighting climate change while he was governor of California from 2003 to 2011, reducing greenhouse gases by 25% and promoting other green initiatives.

Warnings that environmental legislation would ruin the state’s economy were “a bunch of nonsense,” he said. “Today, California has the strictest environmental laws in the United States, and we are No. 1 economically” in the U.S., as well as “the fourth largest economy in the world” with a $4 trillion GDP. Instead of people “whining” and wondering what to do, everyone should “get to work” because “everyone has the power” to do something, he said.

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Leo XIV blesses a chunk of ice from a glacier in Greenland during the opening session of an international conference.

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former California governor, speaks in the presence of Pope Leo XIV during the opening session of an international conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Oct. 1 at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.

Key anniversary sparks calls for reparations for Catholics

OXFORD, England — As England marks 175 years since the Catholic hierarchy was restored under Pope Pius IX’s “Universalis Ecclesiae,” calls are growing for a national reckoning with centuries of anti-Catholic persecution.

Timothy Guile of the Catholic History Association told OSV News there’s never been an apology for brutal laws that once banned Catholic worship, barred Catholics from owning land or holding office, and led to imprisonment or death for priests.

“These enormous historic injustices have simply never been addressed, and have left Catholics visibly poor and marginalized alongside their Anglican neighbors,” a Church of England administrator who preferred to remain anonymous told OSV News.

While Cardinal Vincent Nichols praised past Catholic resilience in a pastoral letter read across England, some Anglican voices now say it’s time to acknowledge their church’s role. The senior Anglican administrator said atonement is a “moral duty,” similar to how the Church of England recently pledged reparations for its role in slavery.

Guile for his part hopes for a clear expression of regret – adding that healing history begins not with politics, but with truth, humility and justice.

Rosary pilgrimage to Lourdes, with record turnout, highlights brotherhood, martyrs of Algeria

PARIS — Lourdes saw a record turnout for the annual Rosary Pilgrimage, with 17,000 pilgrims Oct. 2–4 – the highest number since the Dominican-led event began in 1908.

Among them were 3,000 young people, 200 Dominicans, and nearly 1,000 sick and disabled, supported by 2,700 hospital workers.

The main preacher was Cardinal JeanPaul Vesco of Algiers, who brought about 30 Algerian Muslims with him.

“We had to overcome Himalayan difficulties to bring them here,” he said, highlighting “the audacity of brotherhood.” He emphasized the “discreet” life Christians live in Algeria, where Islam is the state religion.

The group performed “A Friend of the Last Minute,” a powerful play about the 1996 murder of seven Trappist monks in Algeria.

Cardinal Vesco recalled the hospitality shown by Father Christian de Chergé, the superior of the monks of Tibhirine, to the leader of an Islamist commando unit who had come to the monastery looking for a doctor on Christmas Eve 1993. The superior was among the monks slain three years later.

“This is an extraordinary testimony for us,” he said. “Christian brotherhood must strive for universal brotherhood.”

Pope: Migrants, refugees are often models of hope and faith

VATICAN CITY — Migrants and refugees often are “privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and trust in God,” Pope Leo XIV said Oct. 2.

“Often they maintain their strength while seeking a better future, in spite of the obstacles that they encounter,” he said during a meeting with participants in the conference “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home,” organized by the Augustinian-run Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia.

The Vatican dicasteries for Promoting Integral Human Development and for Culture and Education and the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services were among the co-sponsors of the conference, held in Rome Oct. 1-3 just before the Jubilee of Migrants and the Jubilee of Missions Oct. 4-5.

Pope Leo encouraged participants to share

migrants’ and refugees’ stories of steadfast faith and hope so that they could be “an inspiration for others and assist in developing ways to address the challenges that they have faced in their own lives.”

Vatican official sees ‘perverse spiral of hatred’ in Israel-Gaza war

VATICAN CITY — The Hamas attack on Israel two years ago “was inhuman and indefensible,” the Vatican secretary of state said, and Israel’s two-year-long war on Gaza has had “disastrous and inhuman consequences.”

“It is unacceptable and unjustifiable to reduce human beings to mere ‘collateral damage’” in Israel’s stated goal of destroying Hamas, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state.

The cardinal was interviewed by Vatican Media Oct. 6, the eve of the second anniversary of the terrorist attack

on Israel and the start of Israel’s massive attack on the Gaza Strip.

“We prayed, and continue to pray, and we continue to ask that this perverse spiral of hatred and violence, which risks dragging us into an abyss with no return, come to an end,” the cardinal said.

Pope asks Vatican police to be witnesses of the Gospel

VATICAN CITY — Police work is a service for the safety and security of people and institutions, Pope Leo XIV said, but it is also a way for Christians to give witness to their faith.

“Yours is not just a profession: it is a service for the good of the Church. Your daily work, in fact, gives witness to the Gospel,” the pope told members of the Vatican gendarmerie, or police force, at Mass the evening of Oct. 5.

The liturgy in the Vatican Gardens, at the replica of the Lourdes grotto, was a delayed celebration of the Sept. 29 feast of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron of the police. — OSV News and Catholic News Service

Parolin

ViewPoints

Brian Pusateri

We are all called to preach

“Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.” Most Christians are familiar with this quote. Some of us have used this quote. Sadly, too many of us are confused by the quote. The quote is widely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, but did he say it? Did he live by it? Should we?

This quote seems to place more emphasis on living a Godcentered life rather than preaching the Gospel with words. For some Christians, it provides a defense and or an excuse not to preach with words. This quote seemingly makes a distinction between preaching with words or living the Gospel by example. We might be inclined to see this as a choice between one or the other, when in fact we are called to do both. We need to live a righteous life, and we need to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

You may be surprised to discover there is no evidence at all that St. Francis ever said or wrote that quote. Scholars widely believe it was falsely attributed to him. The quote is also inconsistent as to the way St. Francis lived his life. He never shied away from preaching. He was known to preach strong words to the wealthy class even when they didn’t want to hear his message.

So, historically speaking, St. Francis lived a good life and he continually preached about Jesus. It has even been said of him that while traveling from one place to another he would preach to the wild animals and even preach to the birds. He simply could not contain his enthusiasm for sharing the Good News of Jesus. Do we have that same enthusiasm?

It is not unusual for Christians to live with some fear of discussing their faith in public. Some of us were taught at a young age to keep our faith to ourselves. Relativism has taken root in today’s society. Too many people now believe that all religions are equal. Even some Christians believe that people should be given the opportunity to step up to the smorgasbord to choose whichever one of the world’s great religions best suites them. Today, many Christians feel no obligation to guide others to Jesus.

Some Christians don’t feel equipped to preach. Others don’t feel worthy to preach. Many Christians use the quote which was falsely attributed to St. Francis to justify their lack of preaching. We need to read the entire quote. The quote concludes with, “when necessary, use words.” There has never been a time in the last 2,000 years when it wasn’t necessary to tell others about Jesus. This is especially true today. St. Paul was one of the greatest Christian evangelists. Other than Jesus Christ Himself, perhaps no other preacher made a bigger impact on the world. He did so through both his words and actions. His preaching laid the groundwork for all of the preachers who followed him. Paul preached in the face of great opposition, even to the point that his preaching cost him his life. He followed in the footsteps of the Master. Will we? We cannot allow fear of rejection or alienation stand in our way. We should expect and welcome these trials. Jesus told us what would happen. In Matthew 24:9, He said, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” We will likely not be killed for preaching the Gospel, but our modern culture will likely try its best to silence our voice. To follow Jesus, we must preach the Gospel fearlessly.

When God spoke to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:4-7, He said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” Likewise, before God formed us in the womb, He had already appointed us to share the message of His Son to the ends of the earth.

Like Jesus, St. Paul and St. Francis never shied away from powerful preaching. Neither should we.

BRIAN PUSATERI, a Christian author and speaker, founded 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries. This is condensed from an essay published at www. brokendoorministries.com.

Do our beloved pets

go to heaven?

It’s a familiar question: What should we tell children when a pet dies and they ask whether animals have souls and go to heaven?

The answer to the first question – do animals have souls? – depends, of course, on how we define “soul.” Ancient and medieval writers, both pagan and Christian, often used terms that we translate as “soul” (Greek “psyche,” Latin “anima”) to refer in general to that part of an animate (living) creature which sets it apart from inanimate (nonliving) creatures.

Some Old Testament texts seem to apply certain Hebrew terms in a similar way. For example, the phrase “nephesh chayah” (literally “living soul”) can refer both to human beings (Gn 2:7) and to animals (Gn 1:30). If we think of “soul” in this sort of way, animals and even plants have what could be called a “soul” simply because they are alive. Thus the ancients spoke of animals as having “sensitive souls” and plants as having “vegetative souls.”

No doubt that sounds strange to our modern ears. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that even if we use

the term “soul” as the ancients did, we must observe that plant, animal and human souls are of quite different kinds. The plant’s “vegetative soul” (its life principle) enables it to reproduce and to assimilate nourishment for growth. That’s something a rock, for example, can’t do. Animals can do that plus other things. Their “sensitive” souls allow them to move, to sense and respond to external stimuli, and for some, to perform rudimentary mental functions such as learning and even communication. Even so, the human soul is unique. Of all earthly creatures, only humans are made in the image of God (see Gn 1:26-27). Their soul is actually an immortal spirit, fully rational, able to reason and communicate at high levels, and able to choose good or evil with a free will. Only humans are truly able to love in the full sense of the word: to will the highest good of another. Humans can know and love God and enter into friendship with Him in a way that no other earthly creature can. Through sanctifying grace, the human soul is capable of the beatific vision in heaven – that is, entering so fully into union with God that we can see Him and know Him as He is.

A child might understand these concepts like this:

Animals have “souls” in the sense that they are alive; they aren’t just objects like rocks or chairs. That’s why we enjoy them so much!

But their souls aren’t the same as human souls. The human soul is something much higher and greater, and that makes it possible for humans to have a deep friendship with God in a way that other creatures can’t.

IS THERE A PLACE FOR ANIMALS?

So, do animals go to heaven? Some people point to the scriptural account of Elijah’s being taken to heaven by “a flaming chariot and flaming horses” as evidence that animals can be in heaven (see 2 Kgs 2:11-12). But it’s not possible to draw firm conclusions from that passage.

Given that human beings can have fellowship with God in a way that animals can’t, it would make sense that life in heaven is a privilege that animals don’t share with us in any form. But Scripture seems to be silent about the matter, and the Church has never pronounced on it authoritatively. However, before we assure children too quickly that only people go to heaven, we should remember that even great Christian thinkers such as C.S. Lewis have debated this issue and left the possibility open.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that animal “souls” could not by their nature survive death. Perhaps that leaves open the possibility that God might choose to keep at least some animal “souls” from perishing after death, granting them a privilege beyond their natural capacity. In any case, we do know that, since animals cannot have sanctifying grace in their souls, they cannot receive the beatific vision, or the experience of seeing God face-to-face. So if some animals go to heaven in some sense, it wouldn’t be for the same reason that humans are in heaven.

What other reasons could there be? It just might be that God would allow the animals we’ve loved on earth to take part somehow in our heavenly life as part of our eternal happiness. In fact, since God Himself takes delight in all the creatures He has made, perhaps He would give animals some sort of life in heaven for the sake of His own pleasure and glory.

As Lewis pointed out, even in this life our pets sometimes become an important part of our lives, almost an extension of who we are. Their association with us elevates them to a higher kind of life than they would have had on their own. “In this way,” he concluded, “it seems to me possible that certain animals may have an immortality, not in themselves, but in the immortality of their masters.”

WE CAN ENTRUST OUR PETS TO GOD

Whatever the case, we probably do well to leave this particular question open. Perhaps the best answer is to affirm that if, by God’s help, we go to heaven, we carry our pets with us in our hearts. We can also be assured that God loves every creature He makes, that He loves our pets even more than we do, and that when our beloved pets die, we can entrust them to Him.

One final and encouraging note: Since the lower creatures aren’t morally responsible for their behavior on earth, they cannot deserve a reward, but neither can they deserve a punishment. So they cannot suffer in hell.

One of Lewis’ readers once made fun of his speculation that at least some animals might be allowed a heavenly existence. The wag demanded to know: “Where will you put all the mosquitoes?”

Unperturbed, Lewis replied wryly, “if the worst came to the worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.”

PAUL THIGPEN is a retired theology professor and a bestselling author. He wrote this for OSV

News.

Paul Thigpen

Letter to the Editor

Catholic News Herald should leave politics to the other media

I love reading the Catholic News Herald from front to back, but your Aug. 29 edition was a noticeable change from your usually excellent publication.

The Viewpoints pages are a particular favorite of mine, containing great religious articles. But in the Aug. 29 edition’s Viewpoints section, there was a turn to the political with commentaries written by Jason Adkins and Jamie Stuart Wolfe. The second part of Jason Adkins’ commentary, “Leadership Rooted in Hubris,” was politically charged. I know the page is called “Viewpoints,” but politics should not be part of your publication. We get enough of this fodder from the everyday media. Jamie Stuart Wolfe’s article also belonged in Time magazine rather than the Catholic News Herald. On the other hand, Mark Bradford’s article in that same edition, “The prophetic witness of disability,” is more of what I expect from the Viewpoints section.

Lastly, in the “In Brief” section of the national and world news pages, we read more politics in “Land transfer including indigenous sacred site blocked” and “First lay synod in India’s Eastern Church …,” as if nothing else religious happened in the world. My recommendation would be to leave the politics to ABC and Fox and continue with the religious information that we all so desperately need.

DANIEL A. LONGO lives in Concord.

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NEWSOME

with the acronym: A TRIP. When we pray, then, we take A TRIP. But to where? And to whom? The two saints I quoted give us the answer: to heaven and to God. The purpose of prayer is to help us get to heaven by fostering communion with God (which is what heaven is all about).

The scriptures teach that the way to abide in Christ is for us to “live just as He lived ... this is the way we may know we are in union with Him” (1 Jn 2:6, 5). To conduct ourselves as Christ, we must learn to be like Him. This is what it means to be a disciple (a student). We must learn from the Master.

If I want to learn to be a master carpenter, I have to seek out a master carpenter and say, “teach me to do what you do.” Similarly if I want to learn to play classical violin, I have to seek out a violinist and say, “teach me to do what you do.” So in the Christian life, if we want to grow in holiness we must put ourselves in the presence of Christ and say, “teach me to do what you do.” Prayer is meant to transform us.

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of October.

Rev. Alcuin Baudermann, OSB – 1975

Rev. Paschal Baumstein, OSB - 2007

Rev. Patrick J. Donahue, OSB – 1994

Rev. Joseph A. Elzi – 2019

Rev. Raymond B. Hourihan – 2016

Rev. John A. Oetgen, OSB – 2009

Rev. Msgr. William Wellein – 1997

Rev. Lawrence Willis, OSB - 2003

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus www.kofcnc.org

CARTER

PAGE 15

is Assistant Coach Ryan Arends, who appreciates his determination to play.

“We do our best in practice to make sure we give him a real experience, but we also make sure other kids don’t hit him at full speed,” Arends says. “It’s incredible to see the support the other players give him. He’s got 55 brothers that protect him like you would not believe. He’s just an incredible spirit. He always listens and has a smile on his face. God was showing off when He made Carter.”

It was Arends who came up with the idea to give Carter a touchdown opportunity. When the coaches arrived at the Weddington game, Arends told Doughty and then coordinated with the Weddington

When tragedies arise (as they will), we can often feel helpless. This is true whether the tragedy is a personal one, or something on the national or international scene. Our hearts may be filled with sorrow or moved with compassion, but we don’t know what to do. We may be prompted to anger and not know how to direct it. We may feel frustrated at our inability to “fix things.” In all of these cases, the best thing we can do is to put ourselves in the presence of our loving Father and say, “I’m scared. I’m concerned. I’m angry. I’m confused. What do you want me to do?” Sometimes that answer may be, “There is nothing for you to do. Just trust in Me.” Other times we may be inspired to a concrete action, in which case our charity will be more effective

team’s coaches and referees. Carter’s teammates and the Weddington players were excited. Everyone was on board.

Right before halftime, the referees threw a flag and said there would be one more play. The teams lined up, and Carter was handed the ball. He cradled the ball to his chest like a pro, ran it into the end zone and did a quick victory dance. The players chanted his name and lifted him on their shoulders. Weddington ultimately won the game, 32-0, since Carter’s touchdown wasn’t scored, but the final result didn’t matter. It was Carter’s play that everyone remembers. (See the video at www. catholicnewsherald.com)

“It was perfect the way it unfolded,” Arends says.

Michelle Russell happened to be the only person from her family in the stands because her husband, Michael, was with the couple’s two daughters, who also had games that day.

because we allowed it to be directed by the source of charity itself.

Prayer is never useless. By presenting our needs and concerns to our merciful Father, we open our hearts to being filled with His divine love. The intimacy with God born from a life of prayer is the very source of a Christian’s strength. It should never be neglected. The work of prayer inspires and infuses all our other good works with divine love.

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.

She was overwhelmed by the reaction.

“Other parents who have known Carter since he was little were cheering for him,” she says. “One of the moms was sprinting down the field to get pictures and videos, sprinting full force to not miss the moment. I called my husband, and he was in tears when he heard what happened.”

She can’t thank the Holy Trinity coaches enough for what they’ve given her son.

“This whole season they’ve gone above and beyond to make the team such a supportive, inclusive environment, and then they go out of their way to coordinate a moment like the touchdown,” she says. “It’s so special that they gave him an experience like that. A lot of people don’t realize how much that lifts someone up, to give them a memory like that.”

After the hugs and the cheers, Carter described the experience with simply, “It was all I ever wanted.”