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October
&
2000
13,
Number
Volume 10
atholic NEWS HERALD
6
Serving Catholics
Inside Appalachia
group gives award ...Page
3
From the Cover Diocesan pilgrims find way to canonization
...Page
7
Local News Permanent deacons gather for retreat ...Page
4
Woman professes first vows
as
Mercy Sister ...Page 16
Every Week Entertainment ..Pages
Editorials
10-11
& Columns ...Pages
Cover
12-13
Art:
On October
1st,
Pope John Paul II canonized 123 in St. Peter's Square. Photos
try
.Joann S. Keane
Illustration by Julie Radcliffe
in
Western North Carolina
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
5
2
The Catholic News & Herald
October 13, 2000
The World in Brief
Focolare expects 10,000 at interfaith conference WASHINGTON (CNS) Catholic and Muslim co-sponsors are anticipating
Washington Sri
—
many
Post.
Lankan bishops urge leaders to halt 30-year civil war
LONDON
(CNS)
—
Sri
Lanka's
tural, interreligious
bishops urged political leaders to call for an end to their country's 30-year-old
in
war that has cost tens of thousands of
as
as 10,000 people at an intercul-
conference Nov. 12 Washington. The event's theme is "Towards the Harmonious Living of the Human Family: Faith Communities To-
lives.
The church
leaders issued their
plea Oct. 2 through the Catholic
Fund
be held at the Washington Convention Center, with a friendship dinner and interfaith concert for youths the previous evening. Chief speakers are Chiara Lubich, founder of the worldwide
for
Focolare movement, and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, leader of the Muslim
and hoped for an end to the country's war. CAFOD's partners, Caritas Sri Lanka and the local church in Sri Lanka, -
gether."
Overseas Development, based in London. The agency, the official devel-
It is to
American
William H. opening
Society. Cardinal
Keeler of Baltimore
is
opment arm of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, said the people of Sri Lanka were longing for a lasting peace
said the
to deliver
remarks.
More federal money urged for state child abuse prevention efforts
environment
A (CNS) USA official said more
is
Daly, vice president for social policy for
USA,
Catholic Charities
also said
Con-
gress should encourage states to develop integrated treatment programs to help families deal with addictions and
rate statements the bishops of northern
CNS photo from
annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic Priests, leaders
bers of the
—
The head
of Caritas Yugoslavia, the country's largest Catholic charity, expressed hope that the new government will support efforts for humanitarian aid to ease the "very poor conditions" faced by most of the population. The Caritas
Antun
director, Jesuit Father
Pecar,
"Everything is desperately needed here, from food to medicines. We count on the new government to offer positive humane cooperation and help us in our said,
—
NEW
at the
reported.
Members
of the association
emphasized their desire to work darity, the leaders said.
president, Father
J.
The
for," said
that "there
as a "cohesive
(CNS)
—
The
heavy history of suffering" endured by
promote
that continue to plague Africa are a sign of "contempt for the human person," the pope said in a written message to mem-
Symposium of Episcopal
Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.
The message was
released Oct. 6 as the
meeting at a retreat center outside Rome. East Timorese bishop says refugee
Gil, said
the continent's people and must find to
conflicts
association
Catholic Church in Africa shares "the
ways
The armed
reconciliation,
new
Pope
situation at 'crisis point' (CNS) Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo of Dili, East Timor, said the situation of East Timorese refugees in West Timor has reached a crisis point. The United States and other world governments must demand that Indonesia expel militias from West Timor, where they are terrorizing East Timorese in refugee camps, and from East Timor, where they have been penetrating with Indonesian military
WASHINGTON
—
The bishop made his an Oct. 4 op-ed piece in The
support, he said.
remarks
in
not being well
is
clearly, indubitably
and
in-
creasingly a crisis of the family farm in
African bishops concluded their annual
body," despite the cultural differences of being priests born in various countries of Latin America, in Spain or in the United States to Hispanic parentage. More than 100 association members attended the convention Oct. 2-5 at a retreat house in New York. Pope says church shares Africa's 'heavy history of suffering'
VATICAN CITY
said.
is
the Indiana statement. It
focused especially on agriculture, saying
in soli-
Fernando
members saw themselves
II
called
The
bishops;, of the
Boston
— which includes of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine — quoted Ortho-
ecclesiastical province all
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople: "To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin." They said there are "two primary (environmental) concerns in our region: agriculture and fisheries."
dox
As Nigeria marks independence, bishops urge end to disunity LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) Bishops
—
Nigeria urged the government and citizens to overcome disunity and instability as the nation marked its 40th anniversary of independence. Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of Lagos, marking the anniversary Oct. 1, said lack of unity had led to the instability of political and economic structures and programs, which had resulted in obvious underdevelopment of the country. "Ethnic selfishness, nepotism and lack of sincere love have also contributed to the country's woes," he said. in
meet the most basic needs."
efforts to
N B
W
S
October
13, •
Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events:
2000
Number
6
Most Reverend William G. Curlin Joann S. Keane
Publisher:
Associate Editor: Staff Writer:
October 15
Jimmy Rostar
AleshaM. Price
—
Production Associate: Julie Radcliffe
Freelance Production Associate: Fred Stewart,
Jr.
Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick
—
Secretary: Jane Glodowski
1123 South Church P.O.
St.,
Box 37267,
Charlotte,
Charlotte,
NC 28203 NC 28237
Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org
—
The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $1 per year for enrollees
the
Roman
in
parishes of
Catholic Diocese of
Charlotte and $18 per year for
other subscribers.
postage paid other
cities.
all
Second-class NC and
at Charlotte
POSTMASTER: Send
address corrections
—
2 p.m. 25th and 50th Anniversary Mass St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte October 19 9 a.m. Directing day of retreat for seniors, St. Mark, Huntersville October 21 9:30 a.m. Fire in the Mountains Lake Junaluska 6 p.m. Confirmation St. William, Murphy 12:15 p.m. October 22 Confirmation St. Ann, Charlotte 5 p.m. Dedication of church building St. Francis of Assisi, Lenoir October 24 7 p.m. Hosting dinner for Friends of Seminarians, Charlotte October SO 7 p.m. Installation of Father J. T. Putnam as pastor Sacred Heart, Salisbury
to
The Catholic
—
—
Mercy
Diocesan
Episcopal, j calendar
& H E R A L D
Volume 10
Mail:
"The earth
sibility.
cared
Indiana."
nomic prosperity, we believe Congress should do more to heal families and pro-
new government helps poor BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNS)
England and Indiana have
care of the environment a moral respon-
7.
other related problems, such as depression. "In a time of unprecedented eco-
House Ways and Means the Committee's Subcommittee on Human mfJair '"' J«* Resources. Caritas Yugoslavia official hopes
Reuters
Hundreds of faithful took part in the service marking the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In a ceremony in Rome Oct. 8, Pope John Paul II entrusted the world and its future to the protection of Mary. a prayer service in Bogota, Colombia, Oct.
John Paul
our nation's children," said Daly, testified Oct. 3 at a hearing before
New
A Colombian woman holds up an image of Mary and a rosary during
Vocations, immigration top concerns at Hispanic priests' meet Vocations YORK (CNS) and immigration were principal concerns
Editor:
political
WASHINGTON (CNS) — In sepa-
needed for state programs to protect children from abuse and neglect when their families face a crisis involving substance abuse. Sharon federal support
who
if
Catholic statements urge care of
—
WASHINGTON Catholic Charities
tect
war could be stopped
leaders faced the situation with courage.
planner October
—
the theme for Theology on Tap, a series of programs geared for young adults in their late teens to is
and early forties to reacquaint them with the church and their late thirties
is
designed for them to enjoy fellow-
young adult Catholics The series of programs
ship with other
in the area. continues tonight from 7-9 p.m. at
St.
Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., with Father Matthew Kauth as the guest speaker. The programs will continue as follows: Oct.
at
Thomas Aquinas Church,
—
14 GASTONIA The St. Michael School 41st Annual Fun Fair is happening today from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at 704 St. Michael's Lane. Join the students and parishioners for food, drinks, rides, games, crafts, a silent auction and more. For details, call the school at (704) 865-4382. "Tapping into 15 CHARLOTTE the Spirit"
Sister Larretta Rivera-Will-
Southend Brewery, 2 100 South Blvd., and Oct. 29 with Capuchin Father Martin Schratz at St. iams
24 with
1400
Suther Rd. For more information, call Jennifer Rupp at (704) 370-3359. The Ladies' An18 CHARLOTTE cient Order of Hibernians are having their annual "Pub Nite" at the Tyber Creek Pub, 1933 South Blvd., on the corner of E. Tremont Ave., at 7 p.m. The night includes a buffet dinner
—
and live entertainment from Billy Mulligan and his group and Irish singers and dancers. For reservaJeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554-0720 or Helen Gassen at (704) 542-9406. There is a 19 ASHEVILLE women's cursillo weekend taking place through Oct. 22 at St. Joan of Arc Church, 919 Haywood Rd. For more information, call Dan Hines at (704) 339-2076 or the church office tions, call
—
at (828)
20
252-3151.
CLEMMONS
— A post-abortion
October 13, 2000
In
The Catholic News & Herald 3
the News
Appalachia committee marks 30th year, establishes award THOMAS
By
PAPEIKA
R.
News Service CHARLESTON, W.Va. (CNS) The Catholic Committee of Appalachia has established the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Peace and Justice Catholic
Award
—
as part of its 30th anniversary
observance.' Its •
namesake, the bishop of Rich-
Bishop Sullivan also was a signer of the 1995 follow-up document, "At Home in the Web of Life." In it the Appalachian bishops discussed the need for "sustainable communities" that would have a permanent social and economic base in the region and be an alternative to outsiders
coming
in
and seeing the area
mond,
Va., since 1974, became the award's first recipient. "I'm a much better person for being in Appalachia," Bishop Sullivan said at an awards ceremony held during the committee's Sept. 29-Oct. 1 gathering in Charleston. "Over the years, I learned a lot from the people
and
in this region,
them
I'd like to
world governments to reduce global warming, shift to local and sustainable economies, endorse the Earth Charter in the U.N. General Assembly, and recognize the rights of self-
determination
Garland also noted the continuing development of the committee's Web
— www.cathcomappalachia.org — where people can the pastorals
Bishop Sullivan, a native of Washington, D.C., was ordained a
site
see
in
on Appalachia and receive updates on
He was
28, 1974,
and
installed that July.
He was among the bishops of Appalachia who issued "This Land is
Home to Me," a 1975 pastoral letter which focused on the economic and people of Appaamid America's flourishing industrial economy. It was the first pastoral letter issued by the bishops of a particular
political plight of the
lachia
region.
Bishop
Emeritus
Michael
J.
Begley, founding bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte,
was
a key leader in
the drafting and issuing of that pastoral.
The
letter
was written during
Bishop Begley's term as chairperson of the Commission on Religion in Appalachia.
indigenous
for
peoples.
tion."
ordained an auxiliary bishop of Richmond on Oct. 15, 1970 and was appointed its bishop on May
rum, where more than 2,300 representatives were accredited by the United Nations to give input on re-
Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. He said the group called on
an inspiring leader and steadfast friend and supporter of the organiza-
1953.
since
The
thank
Richmond Diocese
past year included being invited to the United Nations' millennium fo-
"I attended the working group sessions on sustainable development and the environment," Garland told
Todd Garland, executive director of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, said Bishop Sullivan "has been
priest of the
"This Land is Home to Me," the Appalachian pastoral issued by the 24 Catholic bishops of the Appalachian
forms.
all."
activities.
only as a source of cheap resources and labor. They also decried the abandonment of Appalachian people in the post-industrial age and the pervasive attacks on the region's environment. Garland said that for 30 years the Catholic Committee of Appalachia remained loyal to has Appalachia's people, especially the poor. "We strive to walk with the poor who struggle to live a life of dignity," he said. "And we promote a sustainable lifestyle which respects and defends God's entire web of creation." Appalachia is a vast region stretching from New York to northern Alabama, an area of rugged beauty, of geographic isolation and,
A
many point out, of ongoing economic injustice. Garland said some of the Catholic committee's accomplishments of the as
Nearly 100 people attended the committee's two-day anniversary celebration in Charleston, which included workshops on Catholic social teaching, racism in Appalachia, welfare reform, global climate change, land stewardship, and conditions in Cuba and Nicaragua.
One workshop, offered by Appalachian Science in the Public Interest, focused on growing "virtually wild" ginseng. Mature, "virtually wild" grown ginseng has the same market value as wild ginseng and
can provide woodland owners a source of income that does not destroy the natural forest canopy, said
Garland.
An effort to cultivate the ginseng seen as one of the sustainable developments called for in the Appalachian pastorals. is
region,
The
is being held at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., tonight at 7:30 p.m. for men and women who have been affected by abortion, either personally or through a family member or friend.
Individual confession
is
available af-
For more information, Debbie or Martha at (336) 659-
ter the retreat. call
1342.
—
21 CHARLOTTE A Harvest Dance is taking place at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., in the parish hall tonight from 8 p.m.midnight. Music by the Atlanta Polka Band, snacks and set-ups are being provided. For reservations, call Frank or Marie Czelusniak at (704) 846-3205.
HENDERSONVILLE
—
First Bap-
Church invites the Diocese of Charlotte to their Interdenominational Women's Conference today from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Speaker Jennifer Rothschild, songwriter, singer and Dove Award nominee, and One Body, a new interdenominational praise and tist
worship team, are the conference guests. For Oct. 10 ticket reservations, which include lunch, and for other information, (828) 693-3493.
22
CHARLOTTE
call
the church at
—
Paul Hurst, an internationally acclaimed harpist, is
performing a concert of popular show tunes at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., today at 2 p.m. For details, call Drennan Thompson at (704) 554-7088.
CHARLOTTE
—
There is a sup23 port group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer's/ dementia today from 2and E of the 3:30 p.m. in rooms ministry center at St. Gabriel Church,
D
3016 Providence Rd. Activities for the memory-impaired are also being provided. For more information about the meeting or the Adult Day Respite Program for the memory-impaired, which meets every Monday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m.-l p.m., call Suzanne Bach at (704) 3764135.
—
MAGGIE VALLEY
now
its
message
celebrates over 20 years
initial
publication in
pastoral retains the
1975.
same freshwas there at
ness and inspiration that its initial writing. The pastoral is about a beautiful people and their undaunted pursuit of freedom and justice. The pastoral's poetic images dramatically depict the rape of the land and the defacing of the mountains that brutally impoverish an entire people.
Against the backdrop of that land and those mountains of Appalachia, where is king, the pastoral recounts the story of the Appalachian people deter-
coal
mined
to end the violence that surrounds them and steadfast in their re-
solve to be free of the oppression that enslaves them.
The pastoral letter gives them a message of hope at a time when hopelessness has become a way of life. The message manifests the enduring beauty of this people even as their lives marred by high unemployment and underemployment. The Spirit still reigns throughout the Appalachian region. The Spirit is the great voice of God which still cries out for new life. The Spirit makes the impossible possible, turns nightmares into dreams and darkness into visions. This booklet retells the Appalachian story in picture form. Once are.
again, the pastoral letter, the finest ever written, comes alive and touches the hearts and imagination of all. Coal is no longer king in Appalachia. God now reigns throughout the Appalachian region and stands beside a valiant people as they dream their dreams, compose songs for their hope and write down their visions in the language of beauty, poetry and imagination."
— message from Bishop
Walter F.
Sullivan in the silver anniversary edition
of "This
healing retreat
bishop's
Land
is
Home
to
Me"
To get in touch with the "abundant life" that surrounds everyone and to enjoy a deep conversation with God, all are invited to the Living Waters Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane. "Nature Retreat: Abundant Life" will consist of reflection time outdoors and
who have
on the trail with Augustinian Father Terry Hyland and Charity Sister Fran Grady. For more information, call the
Carolina Catholic Charismatic Service Committee invites the Diocese of Charlotte to their annual conference beginning today through Oct. 29 at John Neumann School on Polo Rd. The guest speakers are Rev. Tom Forrest and Jim Murphy. For a brochure and more details, write to Ross Gamble, 7817 Loch Lane, Columbia, S.C. 29223 or e-mail
daily liturgy celebrated
center at (828) 926-3833.
GREENSBORO
24
—
Pastor
Conrad Pridgen of Bethel A.M.E. Church and a member of the N.C. Council of Churches and Pulpit Forum is speaking about "Justice and Righteousness" at today's luncheon gathering at the Franciscan Center, 233 N. Greene St., from 12:10-1 p.m. A love offering is being taken right before the meal, and for more information, call the center at (336) 273-
2554 25
CHARLOTTE
invited to a
—
All families are
memorial Mass
for those
died throughout the Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Call the church office at (704) 334-2283 with the name(s) of loved ones so they can be remembered at Mass. The South 27 COLUMBIA, S.C.
month
at St.
—
rbgam@juno.com. Please submit notices of events for the Diocesan Planner at least 10 days prior to the publication date.
4
The Catholic News & Herald
October 13, 2000
Around the Diocese
Permanent deacons and their wives gather for annual retreat re'treat.
1.
n.
A
peace, quiet, privacy, or 2.
place affording
A period of seclusion,
retirement, or
solitude. 3.
A period of group
prayer, meditation,
By
and
withdrawal for
study.
JIMMY ROSTAR
Associate Editor
HICKORY weekend
in the
—
During an autumn western Piedmont, the
Diocese of Charlotte's permanent deacons spent some time with one another to focus on commitment to their ministry.
The annual permanent
diaconate
retreat Oct. 6-8 at the Catholic
ference Center gave the diocese's
Conmore
than 60 deacons and their spouses opportunities for renewal, prayer and fellowship.
Father Cecil Tice, pastor of
Leo the Great Church
St.
Winston-
in
types of deacons currently in ministry
the disciples in Jerusalem increased
Church. Men who are in their final stages of preparation for the priesthood are called transitional deacons. The role of the deacon is to be a minister of charity to all he encounters. Ordained to proclaim the Gospel message in word and deed, he is appointed to baptize, preach, assist at the altar during Mass, and officiate at weddings and funerals. In the community, his ministry extends from the parish he serves to wherever his pastoral outreach is needed. The diaconate is traced to the early church, an era whose story is told in Luke's Acts of the Apostles. In his work, St. Luke describes a time the 12 apostles led the spread of Christianity. It also tells of the need for people of faith to help bring the
greatly...."
in the Catholic
security.
Scriptures alive to the greater
munity through the
who some way
munity of the
—
those
are not ordained,
must
find
of seeking solitude and
si-
"At that time, as the number of grow, the Helle-
called together the disciples
and
com-
said, 'It is
not right for us to neglect the word of
God
mately and truly pray," he
from you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and
"When we do
that,
we
don't lose sight
of our calling to be what
God wants
us to be.
"When we
seriously look at
it,
we
find that there are all kinds of places in
our
lives already
where we can
that silence to hear
God
find
speaking.
That makes our ministry richer and helps us to more ably tend to those we serve."
The
retreat included daily Mass,
eucharistic adoration, conferences and
time for solitude and socializing. Permanent deacons are one of two
to serve at table. Brothers, select
to the ministry of the word.'
The
pro-
posal was acceptable to the whole
community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of
Jhs. J-AanciAcan
Ministries.
North Carolina.
He
a
said the retreat offered a spe-
time for both him and his wife,
cial
In large groups as well as individually, the deacons are to
grow
was spiritually joyful
and
upliftingto just
close one's eyes and
allow one's heart to
The retreat allowed time for the deacons to think about their calling to ministry in profound ways, said Rev. Mr. Ben Wenning, diocesan administrator of the permanent diaconate
listen."
in the diocese.
"Father Tice developed the theme
Rev. Mr. J. Daniel Carl, regional
vicar in the
members and
ministers of the church.
program
—
encouraged
spiritually in their mission to
serve as faithful family
"It
permanent diaconate
of finding silence, in your
life
by
reading several
of the
prayers used by the bishop at ordination and the laying of hands," he said.
Donna, to focus on the power of silence and solitude while thinking of God's presence. "It
was
spiritually joyful
lifting to just close one's eyes
and upand al-
low one's heart to listen," said Rev. Mr. Carl. He added that the direction of the weekend was beneficial for those assembled. "Father Tice, our retreat master,
gave
outstanding
presentations
pointing to the importance of spending time in solitude with the Holy Spirit,"
many
he
said.
"The
retreat offered
opportunities to spend in soli-
caused us to really listen to those words. He helped us to examine and to reflect on those times in our lives, during the course of a given day, when we can find that silence to let the Lord speak to us." "It
Correction:
An
article in the Oct.
issue incorrectly stated the year
ordination of permanent deacons in the
Diocese of Charlotte. was 1983.
The
correct year
Contact Associate Editor
Jimmy
Rostar by calling (704) 370-3334 or email jtrosta r@cha rlottediocese. org
mre V
Rnnm Room
at the
Inn * Jubilee 2000 Banquet
Titles, plus Bibles, Rosaries, Statues,
& much, much more! Monday Friday
(336) 273-2554
233
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9am -5pm
Greene
St.
Greensboro,
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NC 27401
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largest
gatherings of permanent deacons in the diocese each year. The deacons also meet several times as a group for continuing education and to formally recommit themselves in ministry to the bishop and the church in western
is
glected in the daily distribution. So
Twelve
Ongoing formation The retreat is one of the
husband, father and director of the homeless shelter operated by Cooperative Christian
He
parish covers.
complained against the Hebrews
lence in our lives to be able to legitisaid.
James Church in Concord, Rev. Mr. J. Daniel Carl spends many hours a week in ministry at the church and in locales throughout the geography the
because their widows were being nethe
in the chapel, where the Blessed Sacrament was on the altar all day and all night during the retreat."
tude
the permanent deacon at St.
and
disciples continued to nists
1-6)
6:
Finding time
As
com-
acts of charity
Word:
Salem, directed this year's retreat. Throughout the weekend, he focused on the theme of finding silence in life and to hear to allow God to speak his message. "Those of us who are ordained ministers of the church, as well as
(Acts
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Kim Grady (704) 525-1199 by October
27.
*
October 13, 2000
The Catholic News & Herald
Around the Diocese
5
Lenoir parish reflects passing of St. Francis SIGMON
By ELLEN NEERINCX
restoration of old churches.
—
LENOIR
St.
the world, and, as in the text of
new church
building on Sunday, Oct. L
brothers of his order.
That same week, Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott and members of the local Brother Francis Secular Or-
much
—
3, in the new church. "The ceremony goes through some of the same things he did (on the night of his death)," said Sister An-
evening, Oct.
drea, coordinator of Hispanic minis-
Hickory Vicariate.
mem-
service,
bers of the order and others in atten-
dance sang hymns and heard readings from "The Testament of St. Francis," the "Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order" and the writings of Thomas of Celano on the death of St. Francis. They sat in darkness lit only by candles on the altar for a
moment of reflection. They also heard the
Photo by Ellen Neerincx Sigmon
Members of
the Secular Franciscan Order and Order of St. Francis based out of Hickory include, seated from left, Maria Rudisill and Mary Adele Frogge; standing, Sister Andrea Inkrott, Dr. John Martin, Frank Cogger, Bill Brockhoff, Linda Robinson, Herman Thoni and Ruth Thoni.
ney during those years coaster. Later,
a
roller
"I
when he had
Italian
Spirit
Francis gave to his brothers on his death bed, and recited his "Canticle of St.
Brother Sun," the song that his brothers were singing when he died. The members of the fraternity renewed their commitment to observe the Gos-
working in his office, he said that he "learned that St. Francis loved all of God's creatures." read the book "God's Fool: The Life and
example of St. Francis of Assisi. During the service, Dr. John Mar-
Times of Francis of
tin, a
Lord Jesus Christ
member
of the local fraternity
He
year of veterinary school, when a teacher mentioned St. Francis in one of his classes.
church
lar,
was
wanted
Catholic Church
member
said
Francis lived "a
St.
...
I
life
leading
to
souls to Christ" during,
I
her introduction at the
to be."
service.
— Dr. John Martin, to St.
Francis
born
him to the Catholic Church
was
Francis
St.
in Assisi, Italy, in
1182. In
1205 he be-
gan performing chari-
among
ties
church.
The large
of
stained-glass windows, the
wooden
crucifix,
Mary and
wooden
statues
Joseph, the Stations of
the Cross, the back altar and the tabernacle were taken from the old
church and were cleaned and given new life by talented parishioners or outside professionals.
"They did a beautiful job of blending things from the old St. Francis to the new," said Sister Andrea.
the lepers
Is
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The Transitus ceremony took
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Pineville
are here.
St.
and working on the
'Our Specialty
We
September 1224,
his spiritual jour-
©
little
traveled as
place in a church that used many things from the old St. Francis
of the
local fraternity,
was where wanted
of Assisi led
where
to be."
devoted
whose devotion
in particu-
Ruth Thoni, another
knew that the
Italy
visited
the presence
ish)
of the Holy Spirit and
Julien
and Assisi in 1998, and attended his first Mass at St. Joseph Church, Catholic Newton, in 1999.
first
Martin called
by
Assisi" Green.
and a veterinarian in the area, spoke about the influence of St. Francis in his life. It began in 1973 during his
"I felt
1995, Martin
In
after the
pel of the
the presence of the Holy and knew that the Catholic Church, and this (par-
felt
veterinary students blessing that
He
would allow him,
after 40 days Francis was praying when he felt pain and joy, and he discovered that the stigmata, the marks of the crucifixion of Christ, had appeared on his body. He returned to Assisi and died in 1226, surrounded by the brothers of his order, and without possessions. He was canonized in 1228. The local members of the Secular Franciscan Order are planning to do a re-enactment of Jesus' birth at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory. The group meets on the second Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at the conference center or in members' homes. The dedication of the new St. Francis of Assisi church building will be held on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.
In
of fasting,
—
At the Transitus
as his health
spreading the Gospel.
der Fraternity commemorated the anniversary of another transition the passing of St. Francis from with a earthly life to eternal life "Transitus" service on Tuesday
try in the
few
Matthew 10: 5-14, to possess nothing, but to do good everywhere he went. He began preaching and gathered 12 disciples who became the original
Francis of Assisi
Catholic Church parishioners completed their transition from old church to new by celebrating Mass for the first time in their
A
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6
The Catholic News & Herald
People
in
October 13, 2000
the News
Cardinal George calls abortion 'a defining issue'
CHICAGO
(CNS)
—
their last respects.
Cardinal
Francis E. George of Chicago said that "abortion is a defining issue"
both morally and politically. In his weekly column in the Oct. 1-7 issue of
The Catholic New World,
Among
their ranks
were Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, Canada's Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, Cuban President Fidel Castro, former U.S. President
Jimmy Carter, Britain's Prince Andrew and Canadian musician and
his
archdiocesan newspaper, Cardinal
poet Leonard Cohen.
George
Jubilee missionary meeting to study proclamation of Christ VATICAN CITY (CNS) Hundreds of church evangelization experts are meeting in Rome in mid-
also called for the abolition of
punishment. He also explained church teaching and practice concerning demons and exorcism following recent media coverage of the fact that the archdiocese has an official exorcist. On abortion he said, "Many people wish the issue would disappear as a subject of public discussion. It can't disappear for believing Catholics and many others because it is a matter of life and death, a defining issue not only personally but socially. Poverty can be addressed incrementally, but the death of a child is quite capital
final."
—
October continent.
WASHINGTON
—
(CNS)
whose decades of work with Catholic Relief Services, Pax Christi
USA
movement mitment died of
and the Catholic Worker
reflected a lifelong
to peace
com-
and nonviolence,
pneumonia Oct.
Vincent's Hospital in
at
7
New York
St.
at the
age of 88. According to a statement from her family, Egan "died peacefully," with her brother, Jerome, and Kate Hennessy, granddaughter of Catholic Worker co-founder Dorothy Day, at her bedside. The first woman and first layperson to join the staff of CRS, Egan was an executive with the U.S. church's overseas aid agency for nearly four decades. She co-founded the forerunner of Pax Christi USA in the 1960s, and was active in New
York tality
City's Catholic
Worker
hospi-
houses throughout her adult
life.
Washington cardinal marks milestones during jubilee year WASHINGTON (CNS) For
—
Cardinal James A. Hickey,
life
has
revitalizing
The gathering comes on
the heels of a controversial Vatican
document CNS
that emphasized the need announce Christ as the only true savior, even in places where Christians are a minority. The pope will to
photo by John Thavis
Nicolas Segoviano and Lidia Chavez are to be married before Pope John Paul II during an Oct. 15 Mass in St. Peter's Square. The couple from San Jose, Calif, are among eight pairs to have the pojpe presiding at their wedding during Mass for the Jubilee for Families.
come
20 years as archbishop of Washington. At his incircle in his
full
stallation
Mass
at the Cathedral of St.
Matthew
in August 1980, he said a key goal would be "as a community of faith to prepare for a third millennium the year 2000, a milestone
man and
22,
ing them with crosses to signify their commitment to spread the Gospel. In his message for World Mission Sunday, the pope said he was convinced
Catholic bishop on the
a
agency's board. Speaking with The Florida Catholic newspaper Oct. 2,
Bishop Paul Boyle of Mandeville, Jamaica, and Robin Mahfood,
and Christianity." Having reached the year 2000, Cardinal Hickey presided over the archdiocese's first eucharistic con-
tion.
for civilization
gress, held Oct. 5-8, then he
was
to
lead an archdiocesan jubilee year pil-
grimage to Rome beginning Oct. 9. While there on Oct. 11 he was
—
—
to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Food for Poor CEO removed after admitting misconduct,
say officials
WEST PALM BEACH,
—
Fla.
(CNS) The Sept. 25 resignation of Food for the Poor founder and CEO Ferdinand Mahfood came after he admitted using donations to benefit two female members of his staff and their say the group's
families,
We'll beat
new
chair-
any advertised
price... Let
us prove
Trudeau remembered as man of faith devoted to family, country
—
MONTREAL (CNS) Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's faith was "rigorous, radical and fundamental," long-time family friend Father Jean-Guy Dubuc said in the homily at Trudeau's funeral Mass. Almost 3,000 mourners packed Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal to stand before a casket draped in the Canadian flag and adorned with Trudeau's lapel trademark red roses to pay Elliott
—
Schools
new missionary impetus
needed
in today's "church;
lives
VATICAN CITY sonal holiness
is
(CNS)
the best
— Per-
way
to
com-
municate the Gospel, and the Catholic faithful have a right to see it in their bishops, Pope John Paul II told bishops from around the world. "A living word has been entrusted to us; we must therefore announce it with our lives before we do so with our mouths," the pope said Oct. 8 as he presided over the Mass concluding the Jubilee for Bishops.
The
jubilee
celebration included the recitation of
the rosary Oct. 7 and a formal "act of
entrustment" Oct. 8 in which the pope and more than 1,500 bishops placed the world and the third millennium under the protection of Mary.
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October 13, 2000
The Catholic News & Herald 7
From the Cover
Lead me, guide
me
Diocesan pilgrims find way to St. Peter's
visited the country school. "She encouraged us to do the very best we could for the children to put our heart into teaching and give the children the best for them, religious and
Square for
...
canonization ceremony JOANN
By
S.
KEANE
education-wise," recalls Lettterlough. "She was a gracious, saintly lady.
Editor
VATICAN CITY — Tears mingled with the
falling rain.
of joy
Quiet and lovely. So kind." "Her apostolate helped bring about a growing awareness of the need to combat all forms of racism through education and social services," said Pope John Paul II.
Inter-
mittent cloudbursts kept umbrellas
popping up and down, creating temporary seas of color. And a worldwide gathering rejoiced in unison as Pope John Paul II marked another milestone in this millennial year, with the introduction of 123 new
"The candidates for canonization do indeed come from East and West, from North and South; they lived in different times and cultures and represent different social and ecclesiastical categories," said the Holy Father.
saints.
was
It
a jubilee celebration in St.
A missa cantata of epic proportion, especially poignant as an Peter's Square.
The
American woman's name was raised in honor alongside two other saintly women, a former Sudanese slave, and the first Spanish Basque woman to be canonized. These three were elevated, as were 120 Chinese mar-
Oct.
1
canonization brings the
total of saints
named by
this
pope to
nearly 300.
"To
by Pope John Paul II. The pilgrimage, led by Rev. Mr. Curtiss Todd, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte and vicar of African American Affairs, included Diocesan Judicial Vicar Father Peter Jugis,
of you, dear Brothers and here in such numbers to express your devotion towards those shining witnesses of the Gospel," said Pope John Paul II. "Is not the Holy Year the most opportune time to let their heroic witness shine forth?" The 123 blessed almost all of whom belonged to the missionary world are accompanied by the veneration of the people of God who look with gratitude at their heroic example of sainthood and ask for their protection, said the pope. "...God, in all times, chooses persons to show His love to men and
sacramental minister to the diocesan
women and
pilgrims.
are called to be the privileged tools of
tyrs.
—
Sisters,
A pilgrimage of 30 sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte joined Mass
the jubilee
Oct.
1
—
in St. Peter
weren't raining enough, to the water," said Pearline Thompson, recalling her tears of joy. "It was just so moving," said the member of St. Mary parish in Greensboro. But even a deluge of rain couldn't dampen the spirits of pilgrims enthralled with the rare opportunity to witness a canoniza-
"As
Photo By Joann S. Keane
salt
tion.
As
—
if it
added
the faithful waited en masse
impending papal arrival, a biographical sketch was read in the
for the
who have gathered
—
Square, counting themselves among the 50,000-plus gathered in homage to the newest round of saints named
I
all
native tongue of each of the new saints. A choir comprised of the young and not so young sang out in joyous praise. The U.S.A. contingency was particularly vocal with
—
—
St.
for
Mary parish, has a Mother Katherine
introduction of the second American-born saint, Katherine
siana.
Drexel.
rural St. Letterlough, of Greensboro's
Providing Quality LongTerm Care
Drexel. In the
1950s, Letterlough taught in a school established by Mother Katherine Drexel in southwest Loui-
the
Ruby
special affinity
Though Letterlough taught Leo
for
one year,
at
was
it
during that year that Mother Drexel
raises
up institutes that
His action," said Pope John Paul II. "The pope recognized the ethnic differences, and gave credit and honor to those people," said Thompson, "And I thought, 'God. At last, at last.' There's a sameness, but there's a difference.
And
it is
See related
good."
story,
page
9.
Contact Editor Joann S. Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@charlottediocese.org.
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8
The Catholic News & Herald
n the
October
News
13,
2000
Atlanta Archdiocese relocates refugees; director resigns By
GRETCHEN KEISER
Catholic
ATLANTA
News Service
—
(CNS)
The
21-
year veteran director of the refugee resettlement program of the Atlanta Archdiocese has resigned after church officials were informed his wife is a coowner of property where the agency has placed refugees. In addition, reports on shabby living conditions at another facility where refugees were being housed has prompted the archdiocese to relocate some refugee families and review the resettlement program's policies and procedures. Bui Van Tarn, director of Catholic Social Services refugee resettlement programs since 1979, resigned Oct. 2 after the archdiocese learned his wife, Anh Le, is a co-owner of property where refugees have been placed by his office.
"That
a conflict of interest for
is
the director to be placing refugees in property owned by his spouse," said Matthew Coles, general counsel for the archdiocese. Coles said Tarn's wife has been a
co-owner of the property since about 1994. A preliminary audit by the archdiocese Oct. 3 shows $19,635 was paid by Catholic Social Services since 1994 for the use of that property for the refugees, but nothing was paid directly to Tarn's wife.
"He was very sorry that he had put the archbishop in this potentially embarrassing situation," Coles said. Tam and his family were among the first
Vietnamese families to come to
Atlanta in 1975. Tarn's resignation came after an Oct. 2 press conference at which Archbishop John F. Donoghue apologized for living conditions at another facility, the Crescent Hills Apartments in south Atlanta, where refugees were being placed by Catholic Social Services.
The
was
cited for
ber about 60 people, porarily into a motel about a mile away. Archdiocesan employees went door-to-door offering the refugee families the chance to move, the archbishop said. In the Crescent Hills complex some apartment units have broken or
ing them get settled in housing, jobs
and schools.
The USCC
vices."
He
said that while the revelations
are embarrassing,
who numwere moved tem-
resettled families,
mately 400 to 500 refugees each year. It is part of a network of local agencies that resettle refugees under agreements between the U.S. Catholic Conference and the State Department, using a combination of government and private funding. Local agencies take responsibility for refugees for a 90-day period, help-
housing code violations
including holes in walls, defective toilets, defective electrical outlets, decaying flooring and trash and debris on the premises. At the press conference, Archbishop Donoghue apologized for the shabby conditions and apologized to the refugee families and to Catholics of the archdiocese "who have placed their trust in Catholic Social Ser-
was brought
"we are glad that to
"In a sense, through our actions as well as our omissions sights,
we have not been
$740
in fed-
according to Mark Franken, executive director of the Migration and Refugee Services of the USCC, About $270 per refugee goes to assistance like food, clothing and shelter; the balance is divided between the local and national refugee programs for administrative costs, according to
our attention because it gives us the opportunity to correct a problem that truthfully should never have occurred. this
receives
eral funds for each refugee,
and over'church' to
Franken.
do not work. Some units were dirty and infested with roaches. The archbishop described the
these people," he said. "There is no excuse for this so we will make none. However, the evidence compels the archdiocese to look at the infrastructure of CSS and their resettlement program and challenges us to develop new and effective policies and proce-
conditions, the subject of articles in
dures."
from parishes, volunteers and
cardboard-patched windows or plumbing and appliances, such as stoves, that
the Atlanta Journal Constitution daily newspaper, as "deplorable." He said the situation had prompted a review of the resettlement policies and procedures.
The Journal Constitution reported on a city inspection in July of the Crescent Hills Apartments, which
The archbishop
also said he
"It is
way
understood that
this in
no
covers the true cost of resettling
The Georgia Bullenewspaper of the Atlanta Arch-
a refugee," he told tin,
diocese.
;
The church
had
"
also provides support local
Catholic Social Services agencies, he said. Additional funding for .refugee assistance is available through federal
asked a group of parishes to provide immediate assistance to the refugee
agencies such as Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettle-
families'"
The Atlanta
archdiocesan refugee resettlement program serves approxi-
ment.
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In
The Catholic News & Herald 9
the News
The Making of Saints By
JOANN
S.
KEANE
service of the sick and prepared her to be the
Editor
Following are excerpts from Pope John Paul IPs sermon on the occasion of the Oct.
1
canonizations in St. Peter
Square:
—
"Two thousand
years from
the beginning of the redemption, to-
day we make those words our own, while we have before us such models of sanctity: Augustine Zhao and 119 companions, Martyrs in China, Mary Joseph of the Heart of Jesus Sancho di Guerra, Katherine Drexel and Josephine Bakhita."
— "The Church to her Lord,
who
is
grateful today
blesses her and
fills
her with the brilliant light of holiness of these sons and daughters of China." These Chinese "men and women of every age and situation, priests religious an laity, gave witness to the same conviction and joy, and sealed their own unwavering faithfulness to Christ and to the Church with the gift of their lives. This took place over a span of several centuries in complex and difficult periods in the history of China."
—
"In the
life
of the
new
Saint,
the first Basque to be canonized, the action of the a special
Holy
way.
Spirit
He guided
is
shown
in
her to the
mother of
a
new
religious
Mary Joseph lived her vocation as a true apostle in the field of health care, where her way of helping combined giving attention to the material as well as the spiritual, bringing about through every means the salvation of souls. In spite of illness during the last twelve years of her life, she did not avoid effort or suffering and gave herself without limits to the charitable service of the infirm in an atmosphere of spiritual contemplafamily. Sister
tion.
May
the example and the in-
tercession of Saint Mary Joseph help the Basque people to leave aside violence forever, and that
Euskadi £the Basque. Country^]
may
be a blessed land of a place of peace and brotherly living together, where the rights of all people may be respected and where never again may innocent blood be shed."
—
Mother Katherine Drexel
was born into wealth
in
Philadel-
phia in the United States. But from
her parents she learned that her family's possessions were not for them alone but were meant to be shared with the less fortunate. As a young woman, she was deeply distressed by the poverty and hopeless conditions endured by many Native
Americans and Afro-Americans. She began to devote her fortune to missionary and educational work
among
members of socishe understood that more was needed. With great courage and confidence in God's grace, she chose to give not just her fortune but her whole life totally to the Lord. To her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, she taught a spirituality based on prayerful union with the Eucharistic Lord and zealous service to the poor and the victims of racial discrimination. Her apostolate helped to bring about a growing awareness of the need to combat all forms of racism through education and social services. Katherine Drexel is an excellent example of that practical charity and generous solidarity with the less fortunate that has long been the distinguishing mark of the poorest
ety. Later,
American Catholics."
—
Sister Josephine Bakhita was abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven. "She suffered much at the hands of cruel master. But she came to understand the profound truth that God, and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa. In today's
Operation Christmas Child®
is
warming
world, countless women continue to be victimized, even in developed modern societies. In Saint Josephine Bakhita, we find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to
work
and oppression and vio-
effectively to free girls
women from lence,
and to return them to their
dignity
in
the
full
exercise of their
My
thoughts turn to the new Saint's country, which has been torn by cruel war for the past seventeen years, with little sign of a solurights.
name of sufferappeal once more to those with responsibility: open your hearts to the cries of millions of innocent victims and embrace tion in sight. In the
ing humanity,
I
the path of negotiation. I plead with the international community: Do not continue to ignore this immense human tragedy. I invite the whole Church to invoke the intercession of Saint Bakhita upon all our persecuted and enslaved brothers and sisters, especially in Africa and in her native Sudan, that they
may know
reconciliation
Contact Editor Joann S. Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@charlottediocese.org.
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and
peace."
evangelism organization.
www.samaritanspurseorg
10 The Catholic News & Herald
October 13, 2000
Readings
Book Review
Book covers high points John Paul
ll's
papacy,
of
Word to Life
life October
Reviewed by Catholic
Reading
JOHN THAVIS
15,
Twenty-Eighth
Ordinary Time Cycle B Readings
Sunday
News Service
papal biography can be an arm-spraining experience these days. Several recent works on the life of Pope John Paul II have weighed in at close to 1,000 pages, and read more like research tools than coherent stoa
Man i JOHN PAUL theJUjllenmum
in
1)
Wisdom
2)
Psalm 90:12-17 Hebrews 4:12-13
II
3)
7:7-11
Mark
Gospel:
\
1
Catholic
HENSLEY
News Service
Gospel
this
week, Jesus'
demands and his promised rewards seem pretty extravagant. He tells the rich young man who comes to him seeking the path to everlasting life that he must sell all he has and
John Paul II," by Luigi Accattoli. Pauline Books & Media (Boston, 2000). 276 pp. $19.95
give
it
to the poor.
The young man,
already observing all the commandments required of him, went away "sad, for he had many possessions." This all puzzles the disciples, who want to know both who can be saved and what is in store for them (and all those who give up all to follow him). Jesus promises them "a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property and persecution besides (in this age) and in the age to come everlasting life. .Having had an adult conversion experience that changed my life dramatically, I can attest to the trustworthiness at least of the rewards this side of mortality. For the rest, it's going to be God's grace all
A BIOGRAPHY By Luigi "translated
Accattoli
human
befuddled
new papal approach
as
OP
is
at
home
explaining
the pope's "theology of the body" and
his
fraught with
Accattoli
hy Jordan Aumarm*
"Bonding with the Media," "Reopening the Galileo Case" and "Lefebvre's Break with Rome."
the high points of the pope's
minutiae or analysis. Accattoli's book has another advantage: It's based largely on the journalist's own notes during more than 20 years of reporting, which gives his account an eyewitness quality that others have lacked. The author clearly has a great respect for the pope, but also an objectivity that allows him to step aside and make some tough judgments. For example, he gives the pope high marks as a "missionary" but says that his Vatican management style has left structural problems that will need to be faced by his successor. Another strength of this volume is its careful tracking of the pope's efforts to lead a churchwide "examination of conscience," which began well before the jubilee year 2000. Accattoli distinguished himself as the only journalist who saw the "raea culpa" pattern early, identifying this
I
walked
many years. But even with a good grounding, when I hit "God is Dead" movement was very much au cou-
sexuality, a topic
many
—
which has
others. His conclu-
sions are the distillation of long reflection
on papal
talks,
encyclicals and
actions.
The author
often quotes papal asides that are not part of the official record comments to journalists on
—
his airplanes, or ripostes to children
during
a visit to a
emerges
many
Rome
parish.
What
—
and almost without exception
college friends allowed their soself-centered natures
cial activism,
and the pseudo-intellectualism of the '60s and '70s to drive a sharp dividing wedge between us and whatever spiritual heritage we had received from our parents. The path back to God was slow, but it was much less painful than what I had experienced because of my separation from God and failure to live by his standards. Scripture, the church and the example of others were very important in following the graced steps that
God
allowed"
me
to take back
to him.
In Scripture's wisdom and in God's shaping of my life, I found peace and purpose and, in time, as we gave more and more of who we were to God, my wife and I found the fulfillment of the promises Jesus
gives in the ing,
Mark
passage, includ-
from time to time that
little
twist at the end: "and persecution besides."
the way.
more human pope than
a
is
rant,
my
"Man of the Millennium:
lost in
college years
routine for
10:17-30
1
In the
life and papacy to date, without getting
my
the teen years, the
By JEFF
.*
ries.
Luigi Accattoli, probably the best of the Italian journalists who cover the pope regularly, has done everyone a favor by writing tightly and making this pope's story more accessible to nonexperts. His 276-page "Man of the Millennium: John Paul II" covers
In
away from God after having been brought up in a Christian home where daily devotionals at the breakfast table were part of the
people are familiar with.
This
is
a
Weekly Scripture
book that rarely chal-
lenges Vatican policy, and its pages reflect the author's genuine sympathy for Pope John Paul. First published in Italian in 1998, its big drawback is that it is already somewhat dated on some subjects, such as the church's
Readings for the week of Oct. 15-21, 2000 Sunday, Wisdom 7:7-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Mark 10:17-30; Monday (Sts. Hedwig and Margaret Mary Alacoque), Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1, Luke 11:29-32; Tuesday (St. Ignatius of Antioch), Galatians 5:1-6, Luke 11:37-41; Wednesday (St. Luke), 2 Timothy 4:9-17, Luke 10:1-9; Thursday (North American Martyrs), Ephesians 1:3-10, Luke 11:47-54; Friday (St. Paul of the Cross), Ephesians 1:11-14, Luke 12:1-7; Saturday, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 12:8-12 Readings for the week of Oct. 22 - 28, 2000 Sunday, Isaiah 53:10-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, Mark 10:35-45; Monday (St. John of Capistrano), Ephesians 2:1-10, Luke 12:13-21; Tuesday (St. Anthony Claret), Ephesians 2:12-22, Luke 12:35-38; Wednesday, Ephesians 3:2-12, Luke 12:39-48; Thursday, Ephesians 3:14-21, Luke 12:49-53; Friday, Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 12:54-59; Saturday (Sts. Simon and Jude), Ephesians 2:19-22, Luke 6:12-16
relations with Jews, in view of the pope's Holy Land pilgrimage this year, or the pope's personal devotion to Mary, in view of the publication of
the Fatima secret.
bold but
pitfalls.
The book is arranged move somewhat
in 40 chapchronologibut focusing on such themes as
ters that cally,
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2000
The Catholic News & Herald 11
the N
Catholics have no voice in either major U.S. party, says Flynn JOHN THAVIS
VATICAN In an interview with Vatican Radio, former
Holy See from 1993-97, said he bemajor political parties in the United States had become more "elitist" and less responsive to the
Post and other media," Flynn said. "But if you have a Catholic politician who gets up and says, 'I'm prolife because I believe this,' he'll get
U.S. ambassador to the Vatican
church's traditional pro-life, pro-poor
criticized
Raymond Flynn
agenda. One reason is that many Catholics seem to have abandoned political activism or divorced it from their faith, he said. "It seems that the better the economy is, the less people care about the poor, and the less they care about government," he said. Catholics have "made it" in the United States and
the media in the
By
News Service CITY (CNS)
Catholic .
criticized
crats and Republicans
was "no voice
and
lieved both
—
Demo-
said there
in either party for the
Catholic point of view."
thought the coming presidential election would be an "eye-opener" for Catholics in the United States.
Flynn
said he
He
predicted that after the vote, Catholics would look back and realize zens" as far as political influence was
have retired to the political sidelines, he said. He suggested that Catholic politi-
concerned.
cians
Flynn, a one-time Democratic mayor of Boston who now heads the nonpartisan Catholic Alliance, made the comments Oct. 4 on Vatican
gion and politics should take a lesson
they had become "second-class
citi-
who
are reluctant to
mix
reli-
from the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, DConn. "Joseph Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew and more power to him when he speaks out on behalf of his
Radio's "Jubilaeum" program, which uses a talk-show format with brief
—
—
translations in several languages.
The former ambassador, who
religion, he's praised in The New York Times and The Washington
served as U.S. representative to the
Faithful Citizenship
voting bloc, nor do we wish to instruct persons on how they should vote by endorsing or opposing candidates. We hope that voters will examine the position of candidates on the full range of issues, as well as on their personal integrity, philosophy, and performance. We are convinced that a consistent ethic of life should be the moral framework from which to address all issues in the political arena. We urge our fellow citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not simply party affiliation or mere self interest. from "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New
—
Millennium," U.S. Catholic bishops' administrative board
St.
Katharine Drexel
by
and 120 Chinese martyrs.
He
said
Mother Drexel, who used her inheritance to help poor Na-
all
Americans and AfricanAmericans, was tive
United States," he
The former ambassador,
said.
"Maybe Joe Lieberman has
who served as U.S.
thing
representative to the Holy
this
in
"a great witness
to our Catholic
taught us some-
campaign.
See from 1993-97, said he
Catholic politicians ought to
believed both major
express their point of view, including their religious values and
Sen.
Lieberman
did,"
he
United States had
more
"elitist"
faith
States America."
He
less
religious
said.
Flynn
traditional pro-life, pro-poor
said
agenda. One reason
Catholic vote in
the States
He is
that
have abandoned
Demo-
recent U.S. trade
overtures
their faith,
"Many of us believe that the
from
U.S.
he said.
government
should not have a special trade
relationships with communist China" until the country allows
ests.
think a
it
week
after the election
people to practice their religion in freedom and ends other human rights abuses, he said.
wake up and say: We have lost our political strength. This is no longer 1960, when Catholics finally made it with John Kennedy, this is 2000, when Catholics are going to
Catholics took a major step back in political
influence in the United
States," he said.
Flynn was
Assuring Absolute
ce
Integrity
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12 The Catholic News & Herald
Editorials
October 13, 2000
& Columns
School Prayer of the Best Kind
The Pope
Speaks
POPE JOHN PAUL
II
Pope marks Cardinal Hickey's 80th birthday at audience By CINDY Catholic
VATICAN CITY
WOODEN
News Service
—
(CNS) The Eucharist supreme celebration" of God's love, Pope John Paul II said at his weekly general audience, which included special birthday greetings for an American cardinal. "The Eucharist is thanksgiving," the pope said Oct. 1 at his weekly general audience. "In it, the Son of God unites redeemed humanity to himself in a song of giving thanks is
"the
1
and
praise."
During the audience, Pope John Paul greeted a 100-member pilgrimage from the Archdiocese of Washington led by Cardinal James A. Hickey,
as well as several other U.S. bishops leading diocesan pilgrimages. Speaking of the cardinal before an estimated 38,000 people at the audience, the pope said, "I offer my cordial good wishes for his 80th birthday which he is celebrating today."
Back and forth the conflict goes, from courts to classrooms to football fields, of all places. A court declares that prayer before a public school football game violates the separation of church and state. In response angry parents and students (we assume), upon reading the ruling carefully, decide that what is forbidden is officially sanctioned prayer. So what's to stop one member of the crowd from just starting to pray and everyone else from joining in? How can that be a violation of the Constitution? Wouldn't it be, rather, a violation of the First Amendment (you know, freedom of speech and all that) to shut them up? It's a sticky question, and one that's not easily answered by that most simplistic of modern Christian solutions: What would Jesus do? I don't know. What do you think? Do you think Jesus would get riled up about the question of praying or not praying before an athletic event? I may not know the answer to that particular question, but I do know this, and so do you I bet: Jesus tells us to put God first. Paul tells us to "pray unceasingly." Somehow, I think that goes beyond asking the Creator's blessing on a football game, soccer match or gymnastics meet. Not that God doesn't care about those things. Of course, God cares about every tiny thing we do, no matter how trivial or ultimately unimportant. But if you're serious about your relationship with God, you know that the kind of prayer life Jesus calls us to goes way beyond that particular kind of public prayer and doesn't need it at all in order to thrive. And I'm not talking about a whispered plea for help before a chemistry test either. I'm talking about getting up in the morning, thanking God for
Family
Cardinal Hickey, walking very slowly and looking frail, was the first of dozens of bishops from around the world to shake hands and speak with the pope at the end of
Reflections
the audience.
As the cardinal approached, Pope John Paul stood up to greet him and say a few words to him. The pope then sat again as all the other bishops came up to him. In his main audience talk, Pope John Paul continued his teaching on the Eucharist, in which "Jesus is really present under- the species of bread and wine as he himself assures
God and human ity,
ANDREW &
TERRI LYKE
Guest Columnists
Service that touches the heart
We
us."
While the Old Testament
sacrifices united
beings in a bond of solidar-
the pope said, in the sacrifice of Christ in
the Eucharist "the intimacy becomes total, the embrace between God and man reaches its summit."
"Uniting
itself to the sacrifice
Coming of Age
you pay attention
to the news, you've been hearing a lot about that pesky thing called school prayer lately. If
of Christ,
the church in the Eucharist gives voice to the praises of all creation," which is renewed by Christ's death and resurrection, he said.
Offering God thanksgiving and praise through the celebration of the Eucharist, the faithful increase their participation when they offer God their entire lives, he said. Tn this way, one life unites God and man, the Christ crucified and risen for all, with the disciple called to give himself totally entirely to Christ," the pope said.
have witnessed transformation in individuals and families when they roll up their sleeves and serve others. Whether one is involved in an alternative spring break, confirmation service hours or mission work in another country, investing time and energy in service to others shapes identities and concretizes the radical egalitarianism of the Gospel into personal experience. Ultimately, service informs the religious experience with application of gospel principles, i.e., to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, shelter the homeless. Seris an important part of being a Christian. It is something that should be expected of all in the Christian community, particularly those preparing for marriage. The Church, in its pastoral outreach to those
vice touches the heart and
preparing for marriage, has expectations of engaged couples. A standard expectation is that they seek pastoral guidance from a priest or deacon during the preparation period. Marriage education programs, such as PreCana and Engaged Encounter, and premarital inventories, such as FOCCUS,
may
These proengaged opportunities to see themselves living as sacrament and begin developing marital skills to help them maintain a sense of wellalso be part of what's expected.
grams
offer the
AMY WELBORN CNS
Columnist
another day of life and offering the day and all your work to him. I'm talking about developing a spirit that sees every single person you meet from the teacher everyone despises to the pest who has the locker next to you to that girl you. know dissed you behind your back seeing them all as God's children, as deeply loved by him as you are. Imagine that. I'm talking about seeing your whole day prayerfully that means, as much as you can, seeing it as God sees it. Why did he put you here, in this family, in this school, on this day? What situations need his love, peace and healing? Who that you might meet need to know, in some way, that they're important, that they're valuable, that they're cared for? What gifts did God give you; and how can you use them today? What challenges are you going to meet? Are you going to run away from those challenges and take the easy way out, or are you going to dig deep, turn to God for strength and meet them head-on? For all of that, you see, is prayer in school. It's the kind that's not used for political purposes or to prove a point to the outside world. It's the kind that no court or school system can take away from you. It's the best kind of school prayer, too.
—
—
—
being in their married life. Why not include service among the expectations? While service informs personal religious experiences, it also has the potential of showing an engaged couple their shared spiritual center that "something else" that is part of their synergy. It is that "something else" that they must tap into to live as sacrament. It's important that the service be something they do together. As they experience their individual transformation, they witness the other's as well. The relationship is affected by the shared experience; it takes on a gospel character. However, the service itself offers little without
—
prayerful reflection. in their
Those who
assist the
marriage preparation should
assist
engaged
them
in
such reflection so that the experience applies meaning in other areas of their lives. Service without reflection is just work. With prayerful reflection, transformation is possible. Questions such as the following may be helpful in the guided reflection: * What did you do? * Who were the beneficiaries of your service? * Why was this worth your time and energy? * What did you learn about the people you served? * What did you learn about yourself? * How did you see your fiance(e) differently? * How did you experience your relationship differently?
Particularly for today's
young
adults, a
more
pragmatic generation, service opportunities with guided reflection are effective ways to evangelize. The time of engagement is a wonderful opportunity for the church to reach out to the soon-to-be married and engage them in the work of the church. So, we call on all who minister to the engaged to encourage doing service together as part of their marriage preparation. What better way to begin a marriage than toiling in the Lord's vineyard and serving the people of God.
October
13,
2000
Light
there was a baby for whom everything had failed, he turned the child over to Old Anna. Talbot explained, "She has more success than all the doctors and nurses in this institution combined." My friend moved on to his second illustration. The late Doctor Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, internationally-known psychiatrist and authority on death and dying, liked to tell the true story of an old woman who worked for many years in a Chicago
Whenever
One
Candle
FATHER THOMAS
J.
mopping floors. Whenever the scrubwoman
Ten Principles of Catholic Social Thought
FATHER WILLIAM
CNS
hospital,
McSWEENEY Guest Columnist
left
the
phenomenon over
Healing body and soul wise doctor friend of mine recently shared
Ross determined a
couple of stories with me that helped me see his vocation in an entirely new light. were discussing the marvelous advances in medicine made possible by new technologies and research. But when I began to rave about the many innovations, he smiled good-naturedly and raised his hand in gentle protest. "I hate to admit it, Father, but the healing arts are getting dangerously close to losing the one thing that all these the huscientific breakthroughs cannot provide man touch." He offered these two examples. During the first two decades of this century, a great number of babies wasted away in hospitals and died from unknown causes. In some institutions it was customary to enter the condition of all seriously sick infants as "hopeless" on admissions cards. Among those who confronted infant mortality daily was Doctor Fritz Talbot of the Children's Clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany. He had such uncommon success in dealing with sick children that other doctors began to inquire what kind of wonder drug he was using. Talbot explained that his secret was "Old Anna," a grandmotherly woman who would cuddle a baby on her lap while seated in a large rocker.
We
—
Doctor Kublerwas happening.
why woman
it
She invited the old to her office for a There she learned that this poor, uneducated cleaning woman had faced a great deal of suffering and tragedy in her life. The woman told the doctor about the time when she had waited in a conference.
public health clinic for her three-year-old son to be treated for pneumonia. Before the
little
boy's turn
for treatment came, he died in her arms.
"You
Part
see, doctor," the old
woman
said,
"dying
patients are just like old acquaintances to me, and
I'm not afraid to touch them, to talk with them, or them hope." Deeply touched by her words, Kubler-Ross notified hospital authorities. In turn they offered the old scrubwoman a newly created position of "Counselor to the Dying" and she worked in that capacity for several years before her own death. friend's point is this: At this moment in your life there are people who need you, need your help, need your support, need your love. Do not be afraid to touch them, to talk with them, to listen with understanding, to give them hope. Do not be afraid to give them love! Their healing begins with you. to offer
My
Father Thomas
J.
McSweeney
is
director
of The
Christophers.
II:
Respect for Human Life is human action based
Principled behavior
a period of time,
to find out
BYRON, SJ
was happier
peace than before. Having observed this
at
J.
Columnist
room of a dying
patient, that patient, without exception,
and more
A
The Catholic News & Herald 13
& Columns
Editorials
on an internalized conviction.
Deep trine
in the heart of Catholic social docthe principle of respect for human life.
is
This principle rests on the conviction that human life from the moment of conception through death is sacred. This conviction drives all social action aimed at protecting the unborn and defending each unique human being's right to life through all stages of life. Honest people in society do differ on whether a human person is present from the moment of conception. That is a biological and philosophical question that can never be settled by political argument. Catholic doctrine is clear, however, that a human life, worthy of respect, is present from the moment of conception. A human embryo is
human being. And Catholic practice regarding embryonic human life is guided by the same respect the tradition accords a fully formed human a
person. It
seems to
me
that "pro-life" and "pro-
choice" are political labels of diminishing utility. The Catholic tradition is pro life and pro moral choice in every area of human decision
making.
The
Question
Deceased Person
A
dear member of our family died recently, and a question arose about our prayers for the dead. I think I read once that we should never stop praying
Q.
abortion debate, particularly in the of solid moral arguments before choices are made. Emotions can understandably run high when issues of human life and death are under discussion, but political arena, requires the light
Prayers Years Later for a
Corner
heated debate has to be cooled by moral reasoning if personal and policy decisions that respect human dignity and human life are to
for our dead relatives because the person receives the benefit of our prayers at the time of death, even if the prayers are said correctly?
(New
30 years York)
later.
Did
emerge. Catholic social thought weaves what is called a "consistent life ethic." It embraces the unborn, the weak and poor, the elderly and
I understand that
FATHER JOHN DIETZEN A. Yes you did. As far as we can know, there is nothing like time in our sense of that reality in eternity. Supposedly, we hours, days, years will be out of a dimension where such measures of time make sense. Thus, any answer to your question cannot be based on a parallel between events here and the duration of events after we die. In its prayers and liturgies (the Eucharistic Prayers at every Mass are good examples), the church basically just walks around that question and continues to pray always for all who have died. Excellent reasons exist for this Christian tradition. Perhaps the most fundamental is that our prayers for the dead, as all our prayers, go to a God who is eternal, who has no beginning or end, for whom there is no past or future. Everything, from the beginning of time to the end of the world, is one eternally present moment for God. cannot imagine God saying, for example, "If you had just said that prayer a week ago I could have done something about it, but now it's
—
We
too
late."
As St. Thomas Aquinas explained, God is present in the whole of reality, the whole span of time and place, in one infinite act of divine knowledge.
When we
pray for someone, therefore, considering that universal reach of God's presence and being, our prayers are not limited by time. They to the beginning of extend back and forward
—
CNS
—
—
Columnist
infirm;
it
ated with
an individual's
life,
through to the end, and into
eternity.
For the same reason we pray constantly
(again,
Mass are excellent examples) for a good and holy death for ourselves and others. The fact that death may be years away the Eucharistic Prayers at
speaks to life-and-death issues associwar and weaponry, death and dying,
incarceration and capital punishment. Catholic social thought calls for conviction
and consistency across the board on life issues. Moreover, Catholic social thought looks to issues such as violence, denial of health care, carelessness regarding automobile speed and safety, toleration of hunger and neglect of ei-
doesn't matter.
ther personal or public health as respect-for-
worth remembering, finally, that prayers for our loved ones are also always prayers of thanks, praising God for his goodness to that person and for all the good done for others in and through that individual's life on earth. Your memory, and your instincts, are good. Keep up the prayers.
life issues.
It is
A
free
brochure answering questions Catholics
ask about the sacrament of penance is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, IL 61651. Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address, or e-mail: jjdietzen@aol.com.
A
respect-life perspective looks to life's be-
ginning and end stages;
it
stretches
from the
abortion issue to euthanasia. Rarely, if ever, will public policies reflect 100 percent agreement with Catholic values. To expect the end result of a political process to
match perfectly
with the moral convictions Catholic social thought embodies is unrealistic. It would be quite realistic, however, for Catholics to adopt a social-action strategy that devotes intellectual energy to the development of moral arguments that can be used by moral leaders in their task of moral persuasion aimed at building a consensus broad enough to support public policies that demonstrate a genuine respect for
See
life.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN
LIFE, Page
15
8
3
l lllHlillllllllllllllHI I
14 The Catholic News & Herald
In
Repectfor Human
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
'
October 13. 2000
»U
satisfies.
P
U O
October 13, 2000
the News Life, from page 13
Catholic social teaching holds it is morally impermissible directly to attack, with intent to destroy, innocent human life. Moving from that moral principle to a politi-
sensus in the direction of respect for life and to participate in democratic processes aimed at reducing the range of permissibility of anti-life behavior.
community
Meanwhile, individual Catholics and the broader Catholic community have to meet the challenge of
that
or.h
te, NC 2S20j-«O03
703-370-3336 P.O. Box 37267, Char
cal (art-of-the possible,
standard-setting) position requires careful moral reasoning and powerful moral persuasion.
CD GO 00 00
Rqaan^Ciith oiic Oiotcse of Chn rl.otce
Church Si.
a.
t
C harlo itc.
Action without thought and thought without action will be
KC 282 0
equally ineffective in this regard. In a participative and represen-
democracy, the law often permits anti-life policies that go against a national consensus on respect for life. The challenge facing Catholic social action is to influence that con-
GO
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to
cacy of abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and the unjustifiable use of force only serve to contradict Catholic social doctrine and delay the removal of these obstacles to the coming of God's promised kingdom of
tative
d
©
providing good respect-for-life example. Catholic acceptance and advo-
and peace.
justice
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The Carh
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News A Herald
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434 Charlotte Avenue, P. O. Box 11 586 Rock Hill, SC 29731 -1586 (803) 327-2097
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Director of Adult Catholic Enrichment/Order of Christian Initiation: Holy Family Catholic Church of Marietta seeks a full-time salaried Director for Adult Catholic Enrichment (ACE) and the Order of Christian Initiation (OCI) programs. Applicants should have leadership experience in ACE/OCI areas and/or have religious education degreed background suitable to develop high quality programs and volunteer assistance in the community. Must be practicing Catholic. If interested, please submit resume and cover letter to Ret Siefferman, Director of Religious Education at Holy Family Catholic Church, 3401 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, GA 30068. Fax (770) 578-0475. Inquire at (770) 973-7400, ext. 21 with questions.
Director of Music: Full-time position as Director of Music for growing parish of 650 families
who
love to sing! Responsibilities include: Lit-
urgy preparation and planning; playing for 5 weekend masses, holy days, funerals. Weddings negotiated; directing and developing adult mixed choir; organizing and directing children's choir; attend conferences and workshops for continued education and renewal; and attend weekly parish staff meetings. Competitive salary and benefits. Experience a plus, but musical accompaniment skills (piano & organ) a must Send resume to Search Committee, Sacred "Heart Church, 128 N. Fulton St., Salisbury, 28144, or fax to 704-647-0126.
committed to ongoing liturgical renewal. Holy Infant Parish embraces its call to be hospitable, inclusive and Christ-centered. This position works closely with the Pastor and a collaborative and supportive staff. Requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a relevant field although a master's degree is preferred. Must have music performance skill (e.g. piano, voice); choral directing; cantor training; knowledge of Catholic rites and rituals. Available no later than November 1, 2000. Salary commensurate with education and experience. Benefits package included. Send resume to: Search Committee, Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Dr., Durham, NC 27713. that are
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Fax 919/544-1799. References required
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Production Associate: The Catholic News and Herald has an opening for a part-time production associate (30 hours per week). Good benefit package. Candidate will be proficient with PageMaker 6.5, Photoshop 5.5, and Corel 7.0 (a PC environpreferred). Position involves layout
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development of a full' range of primary, secondary, young adult and adult based Religious Education programs is essential. The ability to encourage a spirit of volunteerism to meet broad community needs is a must. Should be competent in managing all educational levels and administrative staff functions. Must have bachelors and/or advanced degree in education and/or religious training. Must be practicing Catholic. Holy Family's Religious Education nity.
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a multi-cultural
experience would be a useful asset. If interested, please submit resume and cover letter to Ret Siefferman, Director of Religious Education, Holy Family Catholic Church, 3401 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, 30068. Fax (770) 578-0475. Inquire at (770) 973-7400, ext. 21 with questions.
GA
To
Director of Music Ministry: Holy Infant Catholic Church
east of Charlotte.
Knowledge of Catholic
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Organist preferred. Choral experience. For more info or send resume to Rev. Lawrence W. Heiney, Annunciation Catholic Church, 416 N. Second St., Albemarle, NC 28001-3911. (704)982-2910 or Fax (704)982-0881. e-mail: annalbnc@vnet.net
to:
Youth Ministry Director:
Full time. Master's or undergraduate degree in Catechesis or a youth related field. 1,200-family parish in Charlotte,
NC. Send resume/cover
Dilworth Rd. East, Charlotte, (704)377-6403.
ence preferred. Please forward layout/design samples and resume to: Editor, The Catholic News
Religion Teacher: Asheviile Catholic School is seeking middle school religion teacher for 12 hours per week. Must be practicing Catholic and have sound knowledge of Roman Catholic doctrine and adolescent psychology. EOE. Please send re-
sume
letter to: St.
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1621
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to assist the parish community in building a solid foundation for Christian living. Salary commensurate with credentials and experience. Benefits package included. Please send cover letter and resume to Fr. Joe Corbett, Saint Brigid Catholic
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October 13, 2000
The Catholic News & Herald 15
Diocese of Charlotte
World
October
•
22,
2000
Mission Sunday
Sister teaching in This
Tanzania
local sister
is
teaching
a kindergarten class in her native Tanzania in Africa.
Each day she helps these
young people
learn not only
about math and reading, but about
also
how very much
the Lord loves each of them.
Sister Josephine tells the story of a mother who brought two severly malnourished children to the clinic.
One child died;
weak. In Rwanda,
we
continue our celebration of this Jubilee Year marking we are ever more
"No
the 2,000* anniversary of the Incarnation,
aware of the many Christ.
It is
bring His
who do
millions
not yet
the
22
October
significance.
Church
in
home for
salvation to
nd
of
We
this
Jubilee
Year
must make known to
the Missions
his son."
The
Sisters
gave
him
a cardboard
box
in
which
to place the
all.
and the man struggled off through the camp, no one coming
to
- not
his aid.
added
on
takes all
the work of the
only foreign missions but
.
home
missions, as well.
Sister Josephine Let us support
the next day:
shoes, hardly any clothing, and nothing in which to carry home
World Mission Sunday on
of
celebration
man coming to them
know Jesus
the responsibility of every baptized person to
message of love and
Josephine remembers a
child, Thus,
dead are carried
in Christ,
Sister As
a tradition that the
burial by a family member. The mother took the little sick child home and said she would send her husband back for her other son.
office ur Till. BISHOP
Dear Friends
it is
the other was treated, but remained very
World Mission Sunday by
praying for the
missionary work of the Church and by participation
in
the
and asked him why.
Eucharist.
unless Wishing you the blessings of
this Jubilee Year, I
man who was there with her, "Sister, who will help the poor
turned to a Rwandese
He answered,
you do?"
am
On World Mission Sunday, Catholics in the Pacific Islands, across Asia,
Prayerfully in the Lord,
Africa and Europe, throughout the American continent parishes of our diocese Most Reverend William G.
Curlin
Bishop of Charlotte
—
—
in the
are called to offer special prayers for the
Church's missionary work.
Do we hear a question coming to
us from those missions,
"who Diocese of Charlotte • Post Office Box 36776 • Charlotte,
NC 28236 • (704) 370-6299
will bring the good news, the Gospel of Jesus, to the poor ...
UNLESS YOU DO?"
icNews * Herald
Making steps in the path to the Lord
First Vows:
By
ALESHA
Her husband John worked as a worked in
M. PRICE
Staff Writer
BELMONT — gious
Entering the
reli-
Mercy
Joann Ury's mind on a couple of occasions, but she did not pay much attention to the thoughts. HowSister
ever, soul-searching
change
and careful con-
prompted her
sideration
later in her
to
make
a
Sisters of
North Carolina gathered to welcome Sister Joann into their arms as she professed her first, or temporary, vows during a ceremony and liturgy at the Cardinal Gibbons Chapel at the Sacred Heart Convent on Oct. 7. "The profession of vows by an individual sister
is
a celebration of the
whole religious community
we gather
to praise
God who
in
which
loves us,
and by this profession, witness to God's presence in all creation and particularly in the church," said
Mercy
Sister
Mary
bookkeeping and accounting. Because they wanted to live in a warmer climate, the couple moved to Charlotte from Ohio. Tragically, a year after their move, her husband died suddenly. Through the support of local friends, she continued her life in
lotte
life.
Mercy of the Americas Regional Community of
The
Rosalind Picot,
president of the Regional
Community
of North Carolina.
The ceremony involves formal and traditional questioning of the sister by the president about her intentions to become a Mercy Sister and the proclamation of the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service presence of two witnesses for a three-year period of ministerial work, after which, one professes final vows. Some of Sister Joann's first steps on her life path, one much like other women's, were in the direction of sharing that life with another person. in the
SffOTwml
reach the profession of final vows: pre-candidacy involving further and continued personal introspection and analysis of the call to religious life; candidacy, a two-year period; novitiate, also a two-year period of theological study and a time to learn more about deep and committed involvement in the order; and temporary
radio newscaster, and she
fleetingly crossed
life
°-
Living the faith
fry Catriftlis
and
later started her
Char-
own
profession.
ac-
counting and bookkeeping business. At her parish, St. John Neumann in Charlotte, Sister Joann worked with Laotian and Vietnamese refugees, church bookkeeping, nursing home visits and other ministries. There, she met several Sisters of Mercy who were working with adult education at the church. "They always seemed joyful in everything they did; they were out there
among
"Each stage has a
of the Sisters of Mercy does not begin until one has professed first vows, she said.
Courtesy Photo
Mercy
the people," said Sister Joann.
Sister
Sister Joann will be working primarily with the elderly at the Sisters of Mercy Marian Center, a residential care facility in Belmont, and at St. Michael Church in Gastonia. "I want to be able to serve the people and help in whatever way I can and be compassionate and caring like the sisters I met before I entered," said Sister Joann.
Joann Ury
Several years after her husband's death, the idea to serve
woman after
God
as
a
came up again, and the concept seemed to linger in religious
her deepest thoughts for many years, it was something that she had to investigate for her own peace of mind. "I never pursued it [the call to religious life] back then because I felt that I didn't have the relationship with God that I have now," said Sister Joann. "Eventually, I had to pursue it to see if it was what God was calling
me
to do."
She talked with the vocation director at the convent, and in 1996, she entered as a candidate. During this two-year period, she lived in the community and was exposed to the daily
?w»at9fii[Yi^g
Shaw your day and lunch
l
,
l
Et^ r l
l
IV{m isMes l
ritual that wel-
comes her to the next stage of process which builds up to final vows," explained Mercy Sister Carolyn McWatters, director of incorporation for the North Carolina Regional Community. Membership in the Institute
of a Mercy Sister while she still worked with her business. In 1998 she moved on to the novitiate level, life
with a year of traveling across the state exploring the various ministries and a second year of study in St. Louis,,
Mo.
"She
is
a very prayerful person
Mother
good sense of serving other people in a gentle, unassuming way," said Mercy Sister Pauline Mary Clifford, Sister Joann's mentor for four years and vice-president of the Regional Community of North Carolina. "Through our weekly meetings, my role was to walk with her and to help her in any way I could." The profession of first vows falls and has
a
Catherine
McAuley
founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, and the order spread to
all
parts of the world. In
1869, a group of sisters settled in Wilmington, N.C., and were invited
by the Benedictine monks to begin a school for women, which later became Sacred Heart College, in Belmont in 1892.
fourth in line of a series of stages, or
Contact Staff Writer Alesha
the incorporation process, through which a woman must go in order to
Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-
mail ampric.e@charlottediocese.org.
l
with friends!
Thursday, Oct. 26 St. Elizabeth,
Boone
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M.