April 2, 2004

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 April 2, 2004

Serving CatholiCS in WeStern north Carolina in the DioCeSe of Charlotte

Conversion to ChristAuthor discusses whole community catechesis

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In Our SchoolsSt. Ann School, Our Lady of Grace School

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PerspectivesColumns, Letters to the Editor

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april 2, 2004 volUMe 13 no. 27

See VICTIMS, page 13See PLEDGE, page 8

www.charlottediocese.org

See VISITS, page 8

by JERRy FILTEAU cAThoLIc nEws sERvIcE

WASHINGTON — Pas-sage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act by the U. S. Senate drew praise from pro-life groups and criticism from advocates of keeping abortion legal.

“We applaud the Senate for voting for justice for women and their children,” said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, director of plan-ning and information for the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

“No woman should ever be told she lost nothing when she loses her child to a brutal attacker,” Ruse added.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 61-38 March 25. It had passed in the House Feb. 26 by a vote of 254-163.

President Bush said he looked forward to signing it into law. “Pregnant women who have been harmed by violence, and their families, know that there are two vic-tims — the mother and the un-bom child — and both victims should be protected by federal law,” he said.

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is also known as “Laci and Conner’s Law” after Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, whose disappearance and deaths drew national attention. The California woman was nearly eight months pregnant when she disappeared in December

U.S. Senate passes Unborn Victims of Violence Act

Parish Profile Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville

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Bishop Jugis visits with Holy Father

By DAVID HAINSSpecIAl to the catholic news & herald

VATICAN CITY — Bishop Pe-ter J. Jugis awoke at 1 a.m. Monday, March 29. He was in Rome for his weeklong “ad limina” visit.

The time difference between Rome and Charlotte is seven hours and he had arrived only the day before. But it wasn’t jet lag that kept him from sleeping; it was an appointment scheduled for 11 a.m. with Pope John Paul II.

“I couldn’t sleep anymore and so I was praying and preparing to meet the Holy Father,” said Bishop Jugis.

Bishop Jugis and 23 other bishops from the southeastern United States were the first group of American bishops to make their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. The highlight of the visit was a 15-minute, one-on-one meeting with the pope during which each bishop discussed his diocese and

Bishop tells pope of ecumenical issues and growth in diocese

Court weighs ‘under God’ in pledge, whether parent can sue

By pAtRIcIA ZApoRcAtHolIc NewS SeRVIce

WASHINGTON —The crowds outside the Supreme Court March 24 waged shout-ing matches over whether the Pledge of Allegiance should mention God.

But inside the courtroom, the justices seemed most concerned with whether a California man even has the legal right to seek the change on the grounds that it harms

his daughter to be exposed to the words “under God.”

Arguing his own case against the Elk Grove Uni-fied School District, Califor-nia physician and lawyer Dr. Michael Newdow told the court that even though he does not have primary cus-tody of his daughter he has a right not to have his atheist beliefs demeaned in her eyes

established Jan. 12, 1972 by pope paul vi

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Courtesy Photo by L’osservatore romana

Bishop Peter J. Jugis meets with Pope John Paul II as part of the bishop’s “ad limina” visit to the Vatican March 29.

Cns Photo by PauL haring

Judy Baylor of Columbia, Md., prays with those in support of keeping ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance outside the Supreme Court building in Washington March 24.

DisCussiNg A DioCese

Pro-life activists commend ‘Laci and Conner’s Law’

2 The Catholic News & Herald April 2, 2004

Current and upcoming top-ics from around the world to your own backyardInBrief Holy Saturday ceremonies to

bring 150,000 new Catholics into churchHeAveNly boDy

WASHINGTON (CNS) — More than 150,000 people will join the Catho-lic Church in the United States on Holy Saturday, April 10, according to figures compiled by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Evangelization.

Nearly 64,000 will join with their bishops in diocesewide celebrations, usu-ally held at the cathedral, while another estimated 90,000 men and women will formally become members of the church in ceremonies at their new parishes.

Of the 63,891 participating in di-ocesan ceremonies, more than 26,000 will be completing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and will be baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time on Holy Saturday. More than 37,000 others, already baptized as Christians, will become full members of

the Catholic Church at those ceremonies.Those who participate in the Rite of

Christian Initiation of Adults are called catechumens, while Christians who are already baptized are called candidates.

The 2004 numbers from the dio-ceses are slightly higher than the 62,261 who joined the church on Holy Saturday in 2003.

At least 17 U.S. dioceses will bring in groups larger than 1,000 people, with the largest groups of candidates and catechumens in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (3,070) and the Diocese of Galveston-Houston (1,797).

In the Diocese of Charlotte, more than 600 people are expected to join the Catholic Church.

PublisHer: Most reverend Peter J. JugiseDiTor: Kevin e. MurraysTAff WriTer: Karen A. evans grAPHiC DesigNer: Tim faragherADverTisiNg rePreseNTATive: Cindi feerickseCreTAry: sherill beason

1123 south Church st., Charlotte, NC 28203MAil: P.o. box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237PHoNe: (704) 370-3333 fAX: (704) 370-3382e-mail: [email protected]

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APRIL 2, 2004VoLuMe 13 • NuMBeR 27

ASHeVILLe VICARIATe

SWANNANOA — St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrew Pl., will celebrate Di-vine Mercy Sunday April 18. Reconciliation will be offered at 2:30 p.m. and the chaplet will be recited at 3 p.m., followed by Mass. Everyone is invited to pray the chaplet be-ginning on Good Friday and ending on Di-vine Mercy Sunday. For more information, contact the church office at (828) 686-8833.CHARLoTTe VICARIATe

CHARLOTTE — The Happy Timers of St. Ann Church meet the first Wednesday of each month with a luncheon and pro-gram at 1 p.m. in the parish activity center, 3635 Park Rd. All adults age 55 and older are welcome. For more information, call Charles Nesto at (704) 398-0879.CHARLOTTE — Theology on Tap is a speaker series for young adults providing a casual forum for “straight talk, hard facts, and real answers” on the Catholic faith and how it applies to daily life. The theme April will be “Exploring the Passion.” ToT will meet April 5, 12, 19 and 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pepperoni’s at Park Road Shopping Center.CHARLOTTE — Just Second Fridays is a luncheon speaker series on social justice topics that meets the second Friday of each month in the Annex Building of St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Attendees are welcome to attend the good Friday service at St. Peter Church follow-ing the JSF presentation. The featured speaker for April 9, James P. Cooney III,

will address “Reflections on Death in a Civilized Society: The Death Penalty in America.” Parking is available in the underground garage next to the church. For details call (704) 370-3225.CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 18, with a Holy Hour at 3 p.m. including benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Di-vine Mercy Chaplet. Reconciliation will not be offered. For more information call Gail Abraham (704) 786-0709.HUNTERSVILLE — The Newcomers Women’s Ministry of St. Mark Church in-vites women who are new or still feel new to the area to a 10-week course entitled, “After the Boxes are Unpacked” based on the book by Susan Miller. We will talk about the spiritual, emotional and practical needs associated with moving. Classes begin April 21 in Room 200 of St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd., 10:15 -11:45 a.m. followed by lunch. Call Ger-ry Phillips at (704) 895-2388 or Colleen Sia-dak at (704) 987-7920 for more information.CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, St. Brigid Division 1, an Irish-Catholic group of women dedicated to their faith, country and Irish heritage, will meet at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Anyone interested in membership, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554 0720. CHARLOTTE — Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF), a weekly support group for separated and divorced women, meets every Wednes-day, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the New Life Center building, room 114, of St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., including a potluck dinner. Divorced men are invited every third Wednesday of the month. TGIF is a healing

Diocesanplanner

Vatican scientist named to panel to define new object in solar system

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One of the Vatican’s top planetary scientists has been chosen to be part of a five-man team of international astronomers to decide if Sedna — the most distant object yet seen orbiting the sun — is really a planet.

The new body currently lies some 8 billion miles away from the sun, “almost twice as far away as anything else in the solar system,” said U.S. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory.

But, because it is such a recent discovery and because it is so far away, scientists are not yet sure how to classify the new world.

“There was no working group on planets because no new planet has been discovered for the past 70 years, and there is no working definition of what a planet is, either,” Brother Consolmagno told Catholic News Service.

The International Astronomical Union — a world body made up of about 100 member nations, including the Vati-can — set up the working group to decide on an official definition of a planet. The union also will decide whether Sedna — named after the Inuit goddess of the Arctic Sea — can join the solar system’s

planetary club.Sedna is three times farther away

from the sun than the farthest planet, Plu-to, and it takes 10,000 earth years for it to make one trip around the sun; its days last about 40 hours. Surface temperatures on Sedna are thought to hover around minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit, Brother Consolmagno said.

If the International Astronomical Union decides Sedna is a planet, it will get the name of a Roman god, as is the tradi-tion; otherwise, it will retain the name its discoverers gave it, Sedna.

Planet or not, many scientists still consider Sedna an exciting find because it is expanding notions of how the solar sys-tem was formed and what can be found in its outer reaches.

This ever-expanding universe can have two kinds of effects on someone’s personal relationship with God, said Brother Consolmagno.

“A pessimist can say ‘Oh the world is so big and I’m so small, how can God ever see me?’ But an optimist can say ‘The world is so big and God still notices me, that just shows how big God really is,’” he said.

Cns Photo Courtesy nasa

The planet-like object Sedna is depicted in a conceptualized illustration. The bottom three panels show the first detection of the faint distant object on Nov. 14, 2003. Sedna was identified by the slight shift in position noted in the three pictures taken at different times. All that is known about its appearance is that it has a reddish hue.


Pope meets members of American Jewish aid agency

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — By loving and assisting others, Christians and Jews act on the knowledge that they are created in the image and like-ness of God, Pope John Paul II said.

The pope met March 29 with members of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, an interna-tional organization providing aid to Jewish communities in need, as well as emergency disaster relief around the world.

Pope John Paul told committee members, “Your visit is yet another sign of the bonds of friendship be-tween the Jewish people and the Cath-olic Church, bonds which we hope will grow ever stronger.”

The pope told the members that the duty to assist and serve others flows from the fact that Jews and Christians believe they were created in God’s image and endowed with an ability to love.

“It is through love that we fulfill our destiny to act in the likeness of God,” he said.

The commandment in the Book of Leviticus to “love your neighbor as yourself,” is a call “to serve those who need our help to live in security, justice and freedom,” the pope said.

The Jewish distribution commit-tee is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The

path to holiness passes through the confessional, Pope John Paul II said.

Addressing participants of a Vat-ican-sponsored study seminar March 27, the pope said the sacrament of pen-ance deserves rediscovery as a moment of purification and spiritual enlighten-ment. It’s not something Catholics can do without, he said.

“It would be an illusion to want to become holy, which is the vocation everyone receives from God, without approaching with frequency and fer-vor this sacrament of conversion and sanctification,” he said.

The pope said going to confession by its very nature brings purification, as the penitent bares his conscience and feels the deep need for forgiveness and spiritual regeneration.

“We will never be holy enough not to need this sacramental purification. A humble confession, carried out with

love, induces an increasingly delicate purity in the service of God,” he said.

He said confessors should act as spiritual guides to penitents, helping them to recognize their sins and com-mit themselves to avoiding sin in the future.

Penance is also necessary for priests, he said.

“Even if we are called to exercise the sacramental ministry, we have our own faults in need of remittance,” he said.

The study seminar was sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican office that deals with matters of conscience involving the sacrament of penance and procedural issues con-cerning indulgences. It is headed by U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford.

Waxing faith

froM THe vATiCAN

ministry sponsored by Catholic Social Servic-es, Charlotte Regional Office and St. Matthew Church. For details, call Karen Wepasnick at (704) 541-1891 after 3 p.m.CHARLOTTE — The Charismatic Prayer Group of St. Matthew Church will host a Prayer Service for the Sick at St. Matthew Cha-pel, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Barbara Gardner at [email protected]. GReeNSBoRo VICARIATe

GREENSBORO — Knights of Columbus Piedmont Council 939 is sponsoring a Di-vine Mercy holy hour at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Smith and N. Elm St., April 18 at 3 p.m. A traveling icon depicting Christ’s divine mercy, commissioned by Pope John Paul II, will be on display. There will be no reconcili-ation service or Mass. The prayer service is spreading word about divine mercy, one of the church’s newest devotions, which is em-braced by Pope John Paul II.HIGH POINT— A special Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated April 18 at 3 p.m. at Maryfield Chapel, 1315 Greensboro Rd. The Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited at 2:45 p.m. and the sacrament of Reconcili-ation will be offered at 2 p.m. preceding the Mass. For more information call (336) 886-2444.GREENSBORO — Burke Balch, director of medical ethics at National Right to Life, will speak at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., April 23 at 7 p.m. He will be speaking on as-sisted suicide and euthanasia. Mr. Balch has served as chief counsel for the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Dis-abled and worked at the U.S. Commission of

Civil Rights on the federal Protection of Handicapped Infants project. This event is free and open to the public. For further information, contact the parish office at (336) 272-4681.SALISBuRY VICARIATe

MOORESVILLE — Seniors ages 55 and up are invited to St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., the second Saturday of each month following the 5:30 p.m. Mass for Senior Games Night, featuring games and a potluck dinner. Call Barbara Daigler at (704) 662-9752 for details.CONCORD — Discover how beautiful God’s plan for marriage really is! Natural Family Planning classes are being offered at St. James Church, 251 Union St., begin-ning April 13 at 6:30 p.m. Learn a natural method that is just as effective as the Pill and is in accord with Catholic teaching. Contact Susan Chaney at (704) 720-0772 for more information or email questions to [email protected] MouNTAIN VICARIATe

WAYNESVILLE — St. John the Evange-list Church, 234 Church St., will celebrate a Seder meal April 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the church hall. For more information, call the church office at (828) 456-6707.WINSToN-SALeM VICARIATe

MT. AIRY — Holy Angels Church, 1208 N. Main St., offers Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., and every Thursday, 10-11 a.m. Adoration concludes with Benediction.

is your parish or school having a free event open to the public? Please submit

Pope says path to holiness passes through confessional

Cns Photo from reuters

A visitor passes wax figures of Jesus Christ and his Apostles at the Last Supper in a display at the Curtea Veche museum in Bucharest, Romania, March 31. It is part of a traveling show titled “Religion and Mystery” from the Historical Museum of Wax Figures in St. Petersburg, Russia.

THIS MONTH IN —1998Ancient order in CharlotteMembers of the equestrian order of the Holy sepulchre, Middle Atlantic lieutenancy, were among the congregation that celebrated Palm sunday Mass with then-bishop William g. Curlin at st. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte April 5. The order dates back to the first Crusades and the Knights established by godfrey de bouillon to guard the sepulchre of our lord immediately after the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. The group’s presence in Charlotte was growing in 1998, with four new members recently invested at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

CorreCTioNMsgr. richard Allen was not identified as a monsignor in the March 19 issue’s parish profile.

April 8 — 7:30 p.m.Mass of the lord’s supperst. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 9 — 7:30 p.m.Celebration of the lord’s Passionst. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 10 — 8:30 p.m.easter vigilst. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 11 — 11 a.m.easter sundayst. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

April 17 — 6 p.m.sacrament of Confirmation Massst. Joan of Arc, Asheville

April 18 — 11 a.m.New church dedicationour lady of lourdes, Monroe

episcopalcalendar

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:

4 The Catholic News & Herald April 2, 2004ARouND THe DIoCeSe

OVERBROOK, Pa. — Justin Grosnick, a seminarian studying to be a priest for the Diocese of Charlotte, was accepted into the rite of Ministry of Acolyte at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary March 20.

Grosnick was one of 16 seminar-ians from 11 archdioceses, dioceses and religious communities received by Auxiliary Bishop Robert P. Maginnis of Philadelphia into the rite, which is celebrated during the seminarians’ second year of graduate theological studies at the seminary and is required as part of the formation process.

“Although Justin is one of our

many outstanding seminarians for the Diocese of Charlotte, we rejoice that his journey to the altar is being marked by the reception of this special ministry in which he will share more deeply the celebration of Mass,” said Father John Allen, director of voca-tions for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Fists of faith

Courtesy Photo

Students participate in the joust, one of the activities during the extreme Faith retreat for middle school students held at St. Barnabas Church in Arden March 20. Approximately 120 youths spent the day engaged in prayer and workshops on how to live out in love the 10 Commandments, and other fun activities.

Courtesy Photo by JosePh mattera

From left: Seminarian Justin Grosnick; Auxiliary Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Philadelphia, rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary; Bishop Robert P. Maginnis, auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia; and Father Christopher Schreck, vice rector of the seminary, after Grosnick’s rite of ministry of Acolyte March 20.

Seminarian received into rite of Ministry of Acolyte

folloWiNg THe fAiTH

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 5 April 2, 2004ARouND THe DIoCeSe

By JoANItA M. NelleNBAcHcoRReSpoNDeNt

MORGANTON — Conversion: falling in love — with Jesus. Imagine your parish so on fire with the love of Christ that it permeates everything ev-eryone does.

Catholic author and catechist Bill Huebsch talked about conversion as the goal of “Whole Community Catechesis” at St. Charles Borromeo Church March 27. Some 84 people from 26 parishes at-tended the daylong program.

The 1997 edition of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” defines catechesis as, “education of children, young people, and adults in the faith of the Church through the teaching of Christian doc-trine in an organic and systematic way to make them disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, yes, we talk about Christ in our classes and pray in our prayer corners, and try to help our students understand how Christ is in the church,” Huebsch said, “but knowing about Christ and actu-ally meeting Christ are two very different things, according to the GDC.”

Evangelization, he said, means fall-ing in love with Christ and turning your heart to him.

Heubsch’s books include, “The Gen-eral Directory for Catechesis in Plain English: A Summary and Commentary” (2001), “Whole Community Catechesis in Plain English” (2002) and “Handbook for Success in Whole Family Catechesis” (2004).

The term “whole community cat-echesis” comes from GDC paragraph 254:

“The Christian community is the ori-gin, locus and goal of catechesis. Procla-mation of the Gospel always begins with the Christian community and invites man to conversion and the following of Christ. It is the same community that welcomes those who wish to know the Lord better and permeate themselves with a new life.”

“Conversion precedes catechesis, “ Huebsch said.

What is conversion?“It’s an encounter with Christ that

leads to a deeper life in the Church,” Huebsch said. “Being a Catholic is not joining a club. It’s an ongoing process of being initiated into a community of Christ. Eucharist is a sacrament of initia-

tion. You’re initiated every week. Every time you receive Eucharist it’s another conversion.”

When you have that encounter with Christ, Huebsch said, “you have a supple sense of self: you let the Spirit take you a little more, you reach out more spontane-ously to people, without embarrassment. You have flexibility with others. Love, rather than principles, is what matters. You have greater generosity toward oth-ers and endless patience with others as they sort out their lives.”

He pointed out that, often, conver-sion doesn’t happen, because American Catholic religious education frequently takes place in a “schoolhouse framework” in which attendees learn about Christ, but never become immersed in Christ. Con-firmation is often seen as “graduation” from religious education.

“Confirmation becomes not a sacra-ment of initiation but a sacrament of termination,” Huebsch said.

Whole community catechesis, how-ever, is built on four “planks.”

“The first plank ... is that, in whole community catechesis, the total parish is involved in learning and sharing the faith,” Huebsch said. “Every Christian of every age in the parish is involved, not just children. ... Whole community catechesis provides a framework within which such parishwide faith sharing hap-pens every week, year in and year out.”

One way to do this, he said, is to have a weekly question based on the Sunday readings. For instance, “When you heard the beatitudes today, which one really touched you?”

Huebsch said the most profound way to “help yourself remain in a process of turning your heart to Christ over and over” and to “help others experience lasting Christian conversion” is through faith sharing “within our programs and throughout our parishes.”

The second plank is the building of households of faith — 50 percent of cat-echetical activity should involve building such households.

“The household is the context in which whatever we teach in religious education class becomes the stuff of real, everyday life,” Huebsch said.

Thus, Plank No. 3 — education — is for everyone.

Parents don’t drop off their children for “CCD,” they participate with them in “catechetical assemblies.” Each child (first to eighth grade) has a sponsor, usually one or both parents, who attends reli-gious education with the child. The spon-sor does not have to be Catholic.

High school students have sponsors who are not their parents.

“The fourth plank of whole com-munity catechesis is that it is more like a movement within the parish than a pro-gram,” Huebsch said.

“It’s a movement of the Spirit of Jesus

Catholic author discusses whole community in the world,” he said. “It’s a movement within our own hearts. ... To become a Christian, in short, is to join a movement, not a club. It’s an unending process of an-nouncing the Good News and assisting folks to live by it.”

Whole community catechesis can radically change a parish, Huebsch said.

For the parishes that adopt a pro-gram of conversion and evangelization, Huebsch said, “there’s a fire in those par-ishes and that fire is what the Holy Father

is trying to light in the whole church.”

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or e-mail [email protected].

CoNversioN To CHrisT

Photo by Joanita m. neLLenbaCh

Bill Huebsch makes a point during his talks on “Whole Community Catechesis” at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton March 27.

6 The Catholic News & Herald April 2, 2004IN ouR SCHoooLS

By KAReN A. eVANSStAff wRIteR

CHARLOTTE — What is the best way to put out an electrical fire? What three elements are needed to ignite a fire?

These are the types of questions St. Ann School students answered to win the first place prize in the 26th Annual Fire & Life Safety Bowl. The quiz contest is de-signed to educate students across Meck-lenburg County about fire and life safety.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students from 32 public and private schools in Mecklenburg County took part in the competition at the Oasis Shrine Temple in Charlotte March 17. St. Ann School has competed for the past five years. In three of the previous competitions, they won second place.

The team from St. Ann School consisted of Gina Federal, Nicole Eagle, Grace Cahill, Sloane Phillips and Tim Wahl, coached by Diane Troy. Cahill was named most valuable player.

Students had to buzz in, Jeopardy-style, to answer questions, said Sister Helene Nagle, a Sister of St. Joseph and principal of St. Ann School. This aspect made the competition more difficult than if they had taken a written test.

In addition, if a student said that a true-or-false statement was false, they had to explain what would make the statement true.

The competitors had studied about 400 questions incorporating chemistry, math and history, said Sister Nagle. They even devoted two Sunday afternoons to prepare for the bowl, practicing their response time and grammar.

“How they presented themselves was an important part of the bowl,” she said. “This is our main academic competition.”

When the team from St. Ann School reached the final round, they called the school to ask for prayers.

St. Ann School’s first place win awarded them with $500 and the John W. Knowles Award, a silver bowl en-

St. Ann School students win Fire and Life Safety Bowl

First-graders at St. Ann School in Charlotte continued their Lenten good works by making lunches for homeless persons at the urban Ministry Center in Charlotte March 16. The students made a total of 200 lunches, each containing two sandwiches, cookies, carrots and an apple. The first-graders are also collecting gently used books for the Thompson Child Development Center.

Courtesy Photo

Members of the 2004 Fire Bowl team from St. Ann School show off their first-place trophies. The fifth-graders competed in a seven-round, single-elimination quiz bowl answering questions about fire and life safety March 17.

sPArK of KNoWleDge graved with the school’s name, along with individual trophies for each team member. The award is named in honor of Mecklenburg County’s longtime fire marshal, who retired in 1998.

The 2004 Fire & Life Safety Bowl was presented by the Mecklen-burg County Fire Marshal’s Office, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other sponsors. In addition to teach-ing students about fire and life safety, the Fire Marshal’s Office hopes they will share their knowledge with their friends, family and community and help make Mecklenburg County a safer place.

Lunch and love

Courtesy Photo by Lisa horton

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 7 April 2, 2004IN ouR SCHooLS

GREENSBORO — Kindergarten through eighth-grade students at Our Lady of Grace School “traveled” to many countries during the annual Multicul-tural Day March 11.

Each grade studied a specific country and its culture and prepared its classroom by making crafts and food native to the particular country of study.

Then the students packed brown paper bag “suitcases” and wore “pass-ports” around their necks to visit each country. As they entered the doorway of a particular country, their passports were stamped to log their travels.

This year, kindergarten students learned about China and crafted

Chinese dragons for their visitors. First-graders learned about Egypt, studying hieroglyphics, the Sphinx and camels. Visitors to Egypt sampled various fruits, two types of puddings and hummus on pita bread.

Second-graders focused on Eng-land, making kingly crowns for their heads and enjoying a British tea party, complete with special teacups and scones, as well as Beatles music.

Third-grades learned about Ar-gentina, and many students came dressed as Argentine cowboys and cowgirls. They made gaucho belts and sampled an Argentinean peach drink.

OLG students go multicultural

DON’T PROCRASTINATE! CALL NOW!!

Courtesy Photo

Kindergarteners at our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro travel from “China” to “egypt” during the school’s annual Multicultural Day March 11.

THere AND bACK AgAiNsKiPPiNg To A DiffereNT beAT

GREENSBORO — Through their physical education classes, students at Our Lady of Grace School helped raise money for the American Heart Asso-ciation by joining in with children from across the country in the annual Jump Rope for the Heart.

Jeff Kinlaw, physical education teacher at Our Lady of Grace School, coordinated the jump-roping fund-

raiser with a representative of the American Heart Association that was held during all gym classes the week of Feb. 16.

The students raised more than $3,000. A check was presented to Jeff McPherson of the American Red Cross Feb. 25.

Courtesy Photo

Jeff Kinlaw (left), physical education teacher at our Lady of Grace School, and representatives from each class present a $3,000 check to Jeff McPherson of the American Red Cross Feb. 25.

OLG students jump rope for healthy hearts

8 The Catholic News & Herald April 2, 2004FRoM THe CoVeR

answered any questions the pope may have.

Bishop Jugis met with the pope in a library of the apostolic palace in the Vati-can. Bishop Jugis said the room was very close to the familiar balcony room from which the pope often addresses crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The first thing the pope wanted to know about was the status of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated religious life of sisterhood.

“I was really proud to tell him that we have 16 seminarians studying for the priesthood and that we are getting ready to ordain three men from the transitional deaconate,” said Bishop Jugis. “He was also very interested in vocations to the religious life including the sisterhood. I mentioned to him that our largest foundation is the Sisters of Mercy. He was nodding his head and smiling as I mentioned the Sisters of Mercy.”

The pope then asked the bishop about the status of ecumenism in the Diocese of Charlotte. Bishop Jugis described his October ordination at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, which was attended by religious leaders from several denominations. In addition, the bishop cited the many interfaith meet-ings and prayer services that routinely take place in the diocese.

One topic of special interest to Bishop Jugis, which he had planned to talk about with the pope, was the warm reception Catholics in the dio-cese have given to the Hispanics now living in western North Carolina. When describing the situation, the pope expressed surprise that so many Mexicans had come to the diocese.

“I told him that there are many people moving into our area because of the job opportunities and the qual-ity of life,” said Bishop Jugis. “I also told him of the efforts of diocesan priests to minister to the Latino popu-lation.”

During the conversation about Hispanic ministry, Pope John Paul and Bishop Jugis spoke in Spanish, in which both men are fluent. The other parts of their conversation were in

English.“Ad limina” visits are held once

every five years. During 2004, all of the U.S. bishops will make the trip to Rome to visit with the pope and to deliver quinquennial reports — documents that describe the status of Catholic life in a diocese. The bishops also visit various offices of the Roman Curia for discussions about the differ-ent needs their dioceses may have.

In addition to the meeting with the pope, another highlight of the pil-grimage is a visit to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul.

According to Bishop Jugis, the frail physical condition of the 83-year-old pontiff — who suffers from a neurologi-cal disorder, believed to be Parkinson’s disease — did not affect their conversa-tion.

“He struck me as doing very well and was very attentive, following very care-fully everything I was saying,” said the bishop. “His physical weakness was not a hindrance to the conversation and his desire to know what was happening in the Diocese of Charlotte.”

“I came away from the meeting awed and humbled. It was a very holy moment,” said Bishop Jugis. “I spent the afternoon reflecting on our meeting.”

Bishop Jugis also felt that the visit would have a long-term impact on his ministry.

“The thing that will affect me most is the continued realization of the mystery of the Church,” said Bishop Jugis. “Christ established this church — it is a divine institution. The mystery of the church is the presence of Christ, alive in mere mortal instruments. The pope is human, yet his office, his election and vocation are willed by Christ, the head of the church.”

At press time, Bishop Jugis and the other bishops were scheduled to meet with the pope as a group April 2. The Catholic News & Herald will carry an account of the meeting it its next is-sue.

David Hains is the director of com-munications for the Diocese of Charlotte.

WANT More iNforMATioN?Hear bishop Peter Jugis’ reflections on his meeting with Pope John Paul ii by visiting the Diocese of Charlotte

Bishop meets popeVISITS, from page 1

by a school exercise that refers posi-tively to the existence of God.

Justice Anthony Kennedy in par-ticular seemed to struggle with why Newdow thinks he has the right to bring the claim that the pledge violates the Constitution.

He asked Newdow if he had consid-ered the common sense conclusion that his daughter would be the subject of a public outcry if “God” was removed from the pledge. And, he said, it is a dispute with which she “probably doesn’t agree.”

Newdow said he had addressed that by keeping his daughter’s name off the case when he filed it and by subsequently rephrasing it as an infringement of his own civil rights. But, as Kennedy pointed out several times, Newdow’s argument supporting his claim that he has legal standing to bring the case always began with a description of his daughter putting her hand on her heart and reciting the pledge.

Newdow said the words “under God” are tantamount to the kind of school-led prayer the court has ruled unconstitutional in previous cases.

“‘Under God’ is as religious as you can get,” he said.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said “under God” is much less like a prayer than the first words of the patriotic song, “God Bless America,” which chil-dren sometimes sing in school.

By comparison, the phrase in the pledge comes in the middle of something recited by rote “and the child doesn’t have to say them,” Ginsburg said.

“The issue is whether the gov-ernment can put those words in her mouth” over her father’s objections, Newdow said.

But, as the noncustodial parent, “you don’t have the right” to make that claim, Ginsburg reminded him.

The girl’s mother, Sandra Banning, said in a brief to the court that she and

her daughter are practicing Christians who have no objection to the phrase “one nation under God” in the pledge.

“On the first day of third grade, she was the first in her class to volunteer to lead the pledge,” Banning told report-ers outside the court later.

Attorney Terence Cassidy, arguing on behalf of the school district, told the court that district policy requires the pledge to be recited daily in elementary school classrooms as a patriotic exer-cise. And neither Newdow’s daughter nor any other student is required to say it. A 1948 Supreme Court ruling in a case brought by Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose beliefs preclude taking oaths, said students nationwide may opt out of participating in the pledge.

Solicitor General Theodore Olson, arguing in support of the school district, said Newdow has no legal right to make the claim of damage on his daughter’s behalf and that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals erred in saying he had legal standing to make the case.

If the justices do consider the mer-its of the claim about the pledge itself, Olson said, he has found opinions by 14 different Supreme Court justices saying there is a significant difference between the pledge and other government-sponsored religious acts.

“The Pledge of Allegiance is not a religious exercise,” he said.

Justice Stephen Breyer told New-dow that while the pledge is not perfect it does a fair job of providing a unifying patriotic statement that encompasses the beliefs of a broad segment of the populace. “It seems the purpose of uni-fication at the price of offending a small number of people like you” is a valid civic exercise, he said.

Only eight of the court’s nine jus-tices heard the case, which could com-plicate efforts to issue a decisive ruling.

A decision in the case is expect-ed before the court adjourns for the summer.

Court weighs ‘under PLEDGE, from page 1



A roundup of scripture, readings, films and more

Culture Watch

By JoHN tHAVIScAtHolIc NewS SeRVIce

ROME — In a soon-to-be-pub-lished book about his 20 years as a bishop in Poland, Pope John Paul II tells of almost daily confrontations with communist authorities and de-scribes his efforts to adopt a new and more open style of pastoral ministry.

The book, a 200-page personal reflection written last year, will be published in Italian May 18, the pope’s 84th birthday. Its probable English title will be, “Get Up, Let Us Go,” a phrase taken from the Gospel account

of Christ’s last encounter with his Apostles.

Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Vatican spokesman, said the pope, in an intro-duction, describes the work as a col-lection of “memories and reflections” rather than a chronological account. It begins in 1958, when he learned about his episcopal appointment during a canoe trip in the Polish mountains, and covers the period up to his election as pope in 1978.

Navarro-Valls said the new book is sprinkled with personal details and humor. The revelations are sometimes simple: “I’ve always like to sing,” the pon-tiff mentions at one point.

“I think the pope made a special effort to write in a way that could be understood by the greatest number of people,” the papal spokesman said.

Gian Arturo Ferrari, director-general of Mondadori publishing house’s book division, said the pope offers an inside look at some of his many conflicts with officials of the Polish regime.

“It’s not an analysis of com-

In new book, pope describes confrontations with communist

munism, but a description of a daily confrontation with the communist authorities. It was a very combative situation,” Ferrari said.

The pope also describes his efforts to evangelize among Polish intellectu-als, his friendships during those years, and his attempt to adopt an “open-door” policy at his episcopal residence, so that he would be accessible to people from all walks of life.

The pope completed the work in Polish between March and August of last year, dictating to an aide. The Ital-ian version is completed; the Vatican is finishing the work on translations in English, French, German and Spanish.

Ferrari said it was uncertain whether the English edition would be ready by the May 18 Italian publica-tion date. He said Mondadori had en-gaged an agent to find a U.S. publisher, and similar efforts were being made in other countries.

A portion of the earnings from the book was to go to a special fund to be used for charitable causes at the pope’s discretion.

Navarro-Valls said he doubted this would be the pope’s last big literary work.

He said that for years the pope had been thinking of a new autobiographi-cal volume on his career as a bishop, but did not have time to write it until 2003. He also was prompted by two anniversaries that year — the 45th an-niversary of his ordination as a bishop and the 25th anniversary of his elec-tion as pope.

WORD TO LIFESUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: APRIL 11, 2004

April 11, Easter SundayCycle C Readings:

1) Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 16ab-17, 22-232) Colossians 3:1-43) Gospel: John 20:1-9

by shARon K. PERKInscAThoLIc nEws sERvIcE

Some of the best family vacations we’ve ever taken have been the van trips that started in the dark at 5 a.m. — the children still foggy with sleep, curled up on the back seats under their blankets while my husband and I greeted a clean windshield and the open road.

While the early departure time ostensibly gave us a jump-start on the many miles we needed to travel before nightfall, I always liked beginning the journey with a quiet van and the prom-ise of sunrise. It always came — the misty gray horizon giving way, little by little, to purples, pinks and finally a sliver of pale yellow light — heralding the dawn of long-awaited relaxation and family adventures around the next bend of the road.

I think of Mary of Magdala ris-ing from sleep on that first Easter morning, physically and emotionally drained from the events of the previ-ous days, stumbling through dewy grass and dusty gravel to fulfill a practical mission. Setting out while it

was still dark, she expected to find a dead body and was shocked to find an empty tomb.

In John’s Gospel, she and the dis-ciples were greeted by a resurrection sunrise that at first brought a mix-ture of dismay, puzzlement and, only gradually, the dawn of faith.

There is something about the slow, steady progress of daybreak that offers a wonderful metaphor for the discovery of the risen Lord in our lives. Many times we set out stumbling in the darkness, intent upon our goals and tasks, drained of hope, expect-ing to find something predictable and coming up empty.

Nevertheless, resurrection always comes — not in blinding flashes of light, but more often as a gradual unfolding of radiance that illuminates dark corners and creates hope.

Those sunrise experiences sustain us, but they also compel us to tell oth-ers about the life just around the bend that, as St. Paul writes, is “hidden with Christ in God.”

Questions:How has your observance of Lent

prepared you for a “sunrise experi-ence” at Easter? In what aspect of your life do you expect to find the resurrection light of Jesus unfolding?

Scripture to Illustrate:

sCriPTure for THe WeeK of APril 4 - APril 10sunday (Palm sunday of the lord’s Passion), luke 19:28-40, isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, luke 22:14-23:56; Monday (Monday of Holy Week), isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday (Tuesday of Holy Week), isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday (Wednesday of Holy Week), isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday), exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15; friday (good friday), isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; saturday (easter vigil), exodus 14:15-15:1, Psalm 118:1-2, 16-23, luke 24:1-12

sCriPTure for THe WeeK of APril 11 - APril 17sunday (The resurrection of the lord), Acts 10:34, 37-43, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9; Monday (easter Monday), Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday (easter Tuesday), Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday (easter Wednesday), Acts 3:1-10, luke 24:13-35; Thursday (easter Thursday), Acts 3:11-26, luke 24:35-48; friday (easter friday), Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; saturday (easter saturday), Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15

WEEKLY SCRIPTURECns fiLe Photo

As bishop of Krakow in the 1960s, Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul ii, was a prolific writer. in a soon-to-be-published book about his years as bishop, the pontiff describes his confronta-tions with Poland’s communist government and his efforts to create a new style of ministry.


The cows are coming ‘Home’

Cns Photo from buena vista PiCtures

Cows Maggie, Mrs. Caloway and Grace star in the animated feature “Home on the Range,” a family-friendly adventure in which the cows decide to capture a notorious desperado for the reward money to save their beloved dairy farm from the auction block. The film turns the traditional Western on its horns in telling a rip-roaring cowboy yarn about teamwork and camaraderie, resulting in a barnyard full of fun for moo-viegoers of all ages. Some brief mild rude humor and innuendo, as well as some cartoon violence. The uSCCB office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested.

NEW YORK — Attention all col-lege campuses!

The Christophers have announced their 17th Annual Video Contest for College Students. The contest in-cludes cash awards of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 for the top three entries and five honorable mention prizes of $100 each.

The top winners also will have their work featured on the syndicated television program, “Christopher Clo-seup,” which is broadcast on more than 100 outlets throughout the United States and in more than 150 foreign countries via the Armed Forces Net-work.

To enter, students should inter-pret the theme, “One Person Can Make a Difference.” Past winners have used a variety of styles and genres including drama, comedy, documentary, news format, music video and animation.

“In these troubled times, it’s im-portant to listen to and encourage the idealism and enthusiasm of these stu-dents,” said Dennis Heaney, president

of The Christophers. “More than ever, the world will be shaped by their posi-tive and creative vision.”

Entries must be created using film or video; must be submitted only in NTSC format on standard, full-sized VHS tape; and must be five minutes or less in length. The contest is open to all currently enrolled college students, on both the undergraduate and gradu-ate levels. Students may enter more than once, but an official entry form must accompany each video.

The deadline for entries is June 11, 2004.

WANT AN eNTry forM?official entry forms are available by writing to College video Contest, The Christophers, 12 east 48th street, New york, Ny 10017; by calling (212) 759-4050; or by visiting www.christophers.org/contest.htm.

College students invited to enter video contest$6,500 in prizes and airtime on television series


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faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 s. Church st., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: for information, call (704) 370-3332.

CuLTuRe WATCH

Classifieds

Photo by Kevin e. murray

Former North Carolina Governor James Martin watches as Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, accepts his humanitarian award during the 33rd Annual National Conference for Community and Justice Humanitarian Awards dinner at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte March 30. other honorees included Leon and Sandra Levine, founders of Family Dollar Stores, and Kike Aluko, a junior at Charlotte Latin School.

Exemplifying the hands of Christ

ACross1 Concise6 Hudson’s Day11 seaport capital12 begin surgery14 shade tree15 rap artist17 simpson’s character18 sunshine st.19 betrayer20 ___ barnum21 shakespearean villain24 ___ of roses25 orchestra header term27 useless information29 first attempt31 Papal name32 Mimic33 Athens’ last king36 french province39 israel seaport40 When he said to them, “___,” they turned away and fell to the ground. (John 18:6)

42 Poem43 Charles’ ex44 son of Mary46 sun god47 latin greeting49 lively50 vietnamese New year51 live53 flammable gas55 Pittsburgh metal56 “To ___ own self be true.”

DoWN1 Column2 belief3 ___ eliot4 Muslim pilgrimage (var)5 African ethnic group6 Poe poem “el ___”7 unshuts (arch.)8 A drop of golden sun?9 “___ gada Davida” (iron butterfly)

10 it may be last11 belong13 silly ___16 HsT successor22 Comedienne radner23 in the open25 Cola company26 lieu28 Promissory note30 loki’s mother33 biblical tree34 Mount of ___35 “Dirty Harry” director36 Talisman37 Cross helper’s nationality38 exalt41 “___ lay Dying” (faulkner)44 green gem45 Cain’s brother48 great ending50 bronze52 That is (abbr.)54 greeting

The Passion


2002; Laci and Conner’s bodies were found the following April.

Under the law, anyone who harms a woman’s unborn child while commit-ting a federal crime, such as assaulting the woman on federal property, com-mits a distinct crime against the child in addition to the crime against the woman.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., lost by a 50-49 vote on her attempt to replace the measure with a “single vic-tim” substitute bill which would have eliminated language defining an un-born child as “a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of develop-ment, who is carried in the womb.”

Her substitute proposal would have increased penalties for an attack on a pregnant woman by adding a sec-ond charge of harm to the pregnancy, avoiding any mention of a second victim.

Although the legislation adopted specifically excludes any application to voluntary abortion, Feinstein called it “the first strike against all abortion in the United States.”

“It is encouraging that our federal legislators moved in a positive direction regarding the sanctity of life,” said Maggi Nadol, director of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Respect Life Office. “With the passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, un-born children are given a small voice that has been silenced for so long.”

“I encourage all Catholics and all people of good will to continue to pray for even more legal safeguards for the protection of life of the unbom,” said

Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte.The week before the Senate vote,

Cardinal William H. Keeler of Balti-more, chairman of the bishops’ Com-mittee on Pro-Life Activities, urged passage of the bill.

“This bill simply ensures that both mother and child are protected from violent assault and murder,” he said.

Ruse, responding to attacks on the legislation by supporters of legal abortion, said, “We are grateful to the Senate for ignoring the offensive claims of the abortion lobby and its allies in Congress. Abortion activists may recoil from the acknowledgment of a child’s existence before birth, but their efforts to erase the child as a second victim in a violent crime are an insult to all women and families who have lost a loved one to violence.”

Maggie Gray, president of the National Council of Catholic Women, said passage of the new legislation “closes a ‘justice gap’ for unborn chil-dren by recognizing their injuries and providing legal redress.”

Father Frank Pavone, national direc-tor of Priests for Life, said the Senate vote “is another sign that our legal system is experiencing a new moment of awareness in regard to the unborn child.”

The American Life League said it was encouraged that 61 senators were “willing to publicly state that a preborn baby is a human being.” But the league said it could not support the language of the new legislation because “this law has a clearly stated exception for abortion,” perpetuating “the lie that some preborn babies’ rights are worth defending and others are not.”

Editor Kevin E. Murray contributed

VICTIMS, from page 1

Senate passes Unborn Victims of Violence Act

FIGHTING FoR LIFe

By ReV. MR. GeRAlD potKAycoRReSpoNDeNt

GREENSBORO — The day was very special, said sixth-grader Matthew Bednar.

“Because this is the day (the angel) Gabriel came to Mary and said she would have a son,” said Bednar, a student at St. Pius X School. “Yesterday, I adopted an unborn child named Joseph. Someday I hope to meet him on earth or in heaven.”

That special day to which Bednar referred was celebration of the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, celebrated March 25 this year. Msgr. Anthony J. Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church, incorporated the feast with the celebra-tion of life.

Msgr. Marcaccio wrote out a prayer pledge for the spiritual adoption of an unborn baby who is in danger of being aborted. Students wrote the names of unborn children they spiritually adopted on the card. They then signed a pledge saying that they would pray for that baby for the next nine months, in the hope that abortion would not be an option for the mothers.

The pledges were gathered and pre-sented to Msgr. Marcaccio during the offertory at Mass March 25.

“The pledges will now be embossed with the church seal and will then be redistributed to the children to be placed (possibly in a frame) ... in a prominent location in their homes to remind them of their pledges to pray for the unborn children they had just agreed to adopt and pray for,” said Mark Akerman, principal of Pius X school.

Akerman said many of the students used their own middle names in choos-ing the names of unborn children, which made the pledges more personal.

“I liked being able to choose a name for the baby. I think this was a good experience,” said sixth-grader Tommy Flannery. “Yesterday, I adopted an un-born child. I named him Frank. I will be praying for him every night.”

During his homily Msgr. Marcaccio reminded the students that nine months from that day would be Christmas Day, and that they pledged to pray for little babies to be born and see the light of day.

“Some people don’t believe this,” said Msgr. Marcaccio. “We know that the spirit of God is with that child. God loves that child.”

During his March 24 weekly general audience, Pope John Paul II spoke of the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, and told several thousand pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that Mary’s ac-ceptance to take part in the Incarnation “opened the doors to the fulfillment of God’s salvific plan for the redemption of all men and women.”

At St. Pius X Church, sixth-grader Melissa Medina said the Annunciation was special because “if Mary hadn’t ac-cepted the baby, Jesus would never have been born and we wouldn’t have freedom today.”

“That’s kind of like me accepting the baby that I adopted just today,” she said. “I will try to keep this unborn baby in all of my prayers.”

At the end of Mass, Jennifer Spill-ane, a junior at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville, told of her participation in the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, where thousands of youth gathered to celebrate life and protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that legalized abortion 31 years ago.

Prayer cards let students spiritually adopt unborn children

Photo by rev. mr. geraLd PotKay

Msgr. Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Grensboro, explains the adoption pledge certificate that the St. Pius X School students signed as a reminder to pray over the next nine months for unborn children in danger of abortion.

PleDges AND PrAyers


Perspectives A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints Pope says Christ’s

suffering calls people to work for justice

By cINDy wooDeNcAtHolIc NewS SeRVIce

VATICAN CITY — Christ’s suffer-ing and death not only frees individuals from sin, but calls them to bring justice and healing to the world, Pope John Paul II said.

Through baptism into Christ’s pas-sion, Christians are given a share in his kingship and priesthood in order “to build up and sanctify all creation,” the pope said March 31 at his weekly general audience.

At the audience, the last before Holy Week, Pope John Paul focused his talk on a canticle from the Book of Revelation telling of a heavenly host singing hymns of praise to “the Lamb who was slain.”

The canticle, used in the church’s evening prayer, also speaks of a scroll with seven seals that could be opened only by Christ.

“That book contained the whole series of divine decrees that must be put into action in human history so that per-fect justice will reign,” the pope said.

“The basis of Christ’s power over history,” and, therefore, of his authority to open the scroll, “is nothing other than his paschal mystery,” the pope said.

“Christ was slain, and with his blood he ransomed all humanity from the power of evil,” he said.

“The redemption he offers does not have only the function of rescuing us from our evil past, healing our wounds and relieving our misery; Christ gives us a new interior being which makes us priests and kings, participants in his own dignity,” the pope said.

“Never, never do for others what they can do for themselves.” This is the “Iron Rule” of the Industrial Areas Foun-dation.

The what foundation?OK, it is not the greatest label that

might have been chosen back in 1940 by Saul Alinsky to name his new Chicago-based organization working for change in neighborhoods affected by industrial growth.

Saul Alinsky?Although his is no longer a house-

hold name, Alinsky earned a place in history as a famous agent of change and master community organizer.

A community organizer?This is a practical, street-smart

professional who believes and puts into action Alinsky’s conviction that “change means movement; movement means friction; friction means heat; heat means controversy.”

A community organizer’s idea of a community organization is one that brings people together around an issue that calls for change and then mobilizes the power resident in those people to achieve the desired change.

“Organizing for Power, Action and Justice” is the subtitle of a new book, “Roots for Radicals” (Continuum), writ-ten with the assistance of Michael Cowan by Edward T. Chambers, Alinsky’s suc-cessor as head of IAF. It is a memoir and a playbook meant to inform and inspire anyone willing to work, not just hope, for change.

“Organizers are agitators, catalysts and public-life coaches,” says Chambers. “They make things happen. They are rooted in the holy books, democracy’s founding documents, and the lives of pub-lic heroines and heroes. They are radicals in the best sense of the word.

“The ‘why’ question is important to the professional organizer, who needs a nagging curiosity about how it is that people, events and politics are this way or that way. They are generally feared and misunderstood for standing against the status quo. They are public people who seek collective power to act for justice.

“Being an organizer is not about be-ing liked, but ... about being respected. Organizers march to a different drum-mer.”

The title for this book, “Roots for Radicals,” is the suggestion of the late Msgr. Jack Egan, who, as a young Chi-cago priest, worked with Alinsky to se-cure and protect the housing interests of otherwise powerless people on Chicago’s South Side.

Before his death in 1972, Alinsky had written “Reveille for Radicals” and “Rules for Radicals.” Msgr. Egan subsequently saw the need to complete the trilogy with a reflection on the roots — spiritual, his-torical, practical and strategic — needed to pit persistence against resistance in the struggle for justice.

Big Ed Chambers, Alinsky’s faithful disciple, stepped up to the challenge.

This short book probably will have to be read twice by anyone considering a personal investment of time and energy in the struggle for community improve-ment in a context of just relationships. This is not to say that it is dull or difficult reading, not at all, but simply to make the point that it takes time to assimilate the strategic thinking that reflects the genius of Alinsky and his pragmatic, sometimes counterintuitive approach.

“There are all kinds of organizers,” says Chambers, “mothers of families, labor agents, ministers, teachers, CEOs, managers, politicians and others.” And he adds, “This profession is for the few, not the many.”

Age is important. “It’s best to begin a career in organizing from ages 24 to 26,” says this veteran, who started organizing for Alinsky at age 26.

His book belongs in the hands of young people today who may be “turned off” by politics but could be “turned on” to the challenge of grass-roots organizing for social justice.

E-mail: [email protected].

Organizing for justice and social change

Looking Around

FATHER WILLIAM J. BY-

RON, SJcns coLUmnIsT

The Pope Speaks

pope JoHN pAUl II

iN THe DioCese of CHArloTTeThe diocesan office of Justice and Peace seeks to assist Catholics and other people of good will to put their faith into action on behalf of justice. With so many threats to human dignity present in society, the office of Justice and Peace offers educational resources that empower people to overcome such threats and actively address unjust social conditions.

Contact office Director: Joseph T. Purello (704) 370-3225; Program Director, Parish social Ministry: Terri Jarina (704)370-3234; or e-mail [email protected].

I just finished reading Antoinette Bosco’s March 19 Bottom Line column (“Message for Mel Gibson: A sequel to ‘The Passion’?”). I can’t quite figure out what this column is doing in a Catholic paper.

She writes of the need to “revive resurrection celebrations.” One day is not enough, she writes, to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, and so she encourages us to celebrate “Bright Sunday” one week after Easter. As an example of this “very old Christian tradition,” she holds up the First Presbyterian Church of Winter Ha-ven, Fla., where it is duly celebrated with butterflies and fiber optic lighting.

I would assume Mrs. Bosco is a Catholic, but how could she miss the fact that, for the Catholic Church, Easter (the principal celebration of Christ’s resurrec-tion) is not a day, but an entire season of the Church year, lasting a full six weeks? While those Presbyterians in Florida are hanging butterflies from the ceiling, we Catholics will be celebrating the Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday.

Catholics wanting a fuller celebra-tion of the resurrection need only look into their own Catholic tradition and participate in what the Church has given us in her calendar — not to mainstream Protestantism and its rein-terpretation of some supposed “ancient Church tradition.”

Don’t try to fix what is not broken. Don’t try to find what’s not been lost.

— Matthew NewsomeSylva

Letters to the

Pill perspective appreciated

We thank Father Matthew Buettner for giving us a glimpse into the beautiful depths of the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage (“A pastoral perspective on the pill,” March 26).

We have studied contraception’s damaging effects upon women’s health, family life and society, and we are con-vinced that if couples were aware of the many dire consequences of this practice, they would never engage in it. Dr. Janet E. Smith’s work on this issue (available at www.ccli.org) has helped hundreds of thousands of families choose a better way.

Since moving to Charlotte, we have met many young couples who have dis-covered the joy and freedom of God’s plan for married life. The contentment that characterizes these families is remarkable. Natural Family Planning has been called “marriage insurance,” because there is a near-zero divorce rate among those who use it.

Remaining open to the blessing of children is an invitation to the Lord to dwell in the very heart of the family. Where God dwells, love remains. And love is the source of all joy in this life.

How good to know that the Church has always proclaimed this truth, and that she always will.

—John and Elizabeth BuerkertCharlotte

l

Bosco advice is unadvisable


Recently, I wrote a column on caregivers as unsung heroes who sac-rifice daily helping those unable to help themselves.

Several weeks after that column, I received a letter with a generous check from a woman who asked that I distribute the money to caregivers I knew. I did as she requested. Afterward, I received a beautiful letter from a caregiver who said she had enlisted a lawyer to help her save the little her parents had left and that the money I’d sent was the exact sum she needed to pay the lawyer.

As I read her letter, it occurred to me that when I wrote about caregivers I had focused solely on them and their sacrifices. It hadn’t occurred to me that many of these caregivers are supported by people such as the caring woman who wrote to me. They, too, are unsung heroes we seldom — or never — hear about. In fact, if we counted them as caregivers, the number of caregivers we would find in one parish alone would be staggering.

Care-giving requires all the strength one has to perform it day af-ter day. When people become disabled through physical illness or old age, they need constant care. Some must be fed, cleaned, moved and constantly reaffirmed.

You don’t get used to these types of tasks, especially when the one you are car-ing for is your own flesh and blood. And too, when we love someone dearly, we hurt all the more in seeing them fail. This, more than taking care of their physical needs, leaves caregivers drained.

Equally wrenching is a dark cloud that forever hovers — the fear of losing a loved one. No matter how strong care-givers may be, they cannot go it alone for long. Sooner or later, the pressure may start to win out — unless, that is, there is someone to support them.

Without a doubt, prayer is a power-ful support. But unless caregivers border on sainthood, they can use all the help they can get from those who personify the corporal works of mercy.

These people may be neighbors who bring meals or who take turns in helping caregivers so that they can have a break. These people may be parishioners who constantly check in to see if everything is OK, or lawyers and doctors lending their services pro bono.

In the eyes of society, this is not glamorous work, but it is a corporal work of mercy, and blessed is he or she who

Q. I’m puzzled by the relative lack of importance attached the feast of the An-nunciation (March 25) by the church. Dec. 8, the feast of Our Lady’s conception, is a day of obligation, but the feast of Our Lord’s conception is not.

The church teaches that life begins at conception, and the Annunciation marks the event when the Word became flesh. It would seem that promoting this feast would both honor our Lord and emphasize our commitment to the church’s teaching about the origin of life.

Our Catholic paper not long ago had an article about a Catholic English mar-tyr, Margaret Clitherow. Her feast, they said, is on the feast of the Annunciation. Can another saint be commemorated on that day? (Pennsylvania)

A. Your question is a good and in-teresting one, particularly since the An-nunciation is apparently the first event in Mary’s life to be honored liturgically by Christian people.

In addition, it was widely believed in the early centuries of Christianity that March 25 was the day of Christ’s death. St. Augustine (died 430) echoed a long tradition when he declared that Jesus was put to death March 25, the same day of the year on which he was conceived (“De Trinitate,” Book 4).

By that time, a church had been built

in Nazareth to commemorate the An-nunciation, which would seem to indicate some liturgical celebration of that feast already.

Probably the feast of the Annun-ciation would have developed into a more solemn celebration except for one fact. For centuries, in both Eastern and Western parts of Christianity, the widely accepted practice was that no eucharistic liturgy could be celebrated during Lent except on Sunday. In fact, no feast at all was to be observed during what then was called the “great fast.”

Since March 25 usually occurs during Lent, often on the days of the Sunday “scru-tinies” for catechumens, and even during the solemn celebrations of Holy Week, this would bar the celebration of any feast in March, even the Annunciation.

To avoid the problem, some Christian churches tried to move the feast to the week before Christmas, Dec. 18, or dur-ing January, but these alternatives never became popular. Eventually, about the year 700, despite Lent, the feast finally was established on March 25.

Even today, of course, March 25 often falls in the final days of Lent or dur-ing Holy Week, in which case the feast may be observed later, during the Easter season.

The pro-life implications of this feast

are not overlooked. Increasingly today, parishes and dioceses give special atten-tion, liturgically and in other ways, to the fact that since we honor the presence of the Word in the womb of his mother from the beginning of her pregnancy, so we should respect the sacredness of other human beings from the moment of their conception.

Finally, as with March 25, feasts of several saints are observed every day of the year, though most of them are not on the calendar for celebration by the uni-versal church. Even Dec. 25 has at least half a dozen saints whose feast day occurs along with the birth of Christ.

A free brochure in English or Spanish answering questions Catholics ask about baptism practices and sponsors is avail-able by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, IL 61651.

Questions may be sent to Father Diet-zen at the same address, or e-mail: [email protected].

QuestionCornerfAtHeR JoHN

DIetZeNcNS colUMNISt

The feast of the Annunciation’s importance

More unsung heroes than The Human Side

FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

CNS coLUmnIsT

As April Fool’s Day was Thursday, April 1, I considered writing a humorous column in honor of the day.

But instead of taking the easy way out, I decided to use this space to answer some of the letters and questions I’ve received from readers over the last few months.

I dug deep into the mailbag and sorted through the stacks and stacks of envelopes to unearth your most pressing inquiries. I hope you find the questions and answers insightful and useful. Enjoy!

Q. My wife and I are Catholic, but our relatives here in North Carolina are radical Protestants. They don’t want to spend any time with us because of our Catholic faith, and when they do, it is only to try and convert us away from what they call a “sinful religion.”

How can I make them accept us, with-out driving them away? (Nancy Steele, Sylva)

A. Unfortunately, you’re not alone, as I know of many Catholics who are being “persecuted” — often by loved ones — because of their faith. But, re-main strong. Remember, Jesus died for all of us sinners, and you must pray for your Christian relatives that their eyes and hearts will be opened, and they will come to see that we are all sons

and daughters of the good Lord above.Or, next time they come around,

you can poke them with a stick until they go away.

Q. I often see you at various church events around the diocese, and you seem to be in fantastic shape. Your body is well toned, you always have a radiant tan and not one hair on your head is ever out of place. What’s your secret? (Monica Allen, Charlotte)

A. I floss. A lot.

Q. OK, Mr. Smartypants, answer me this: Before Prohibition, who owned the most property in Chicago other than the Catholic Church? (Bonnie Wiechec, Highlands)

A. P’shaw, that’s easy! Schlitz Brewery actually owned more prop-erty, believe it or not. And, for what it’s worth, Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City after the Catholic Church. How do ya like me now?

Q. Are you a ninja? (Tom Pattison, Huntersville)

A. Yes. Yes, I am.

Q. 666 is the number of the Beast.

What else can you tell me about him? (Jolene Nichols, Mooresville)

A. Not much, really. Except that 660 is the approximate number of the Beast, DCLXVI is the Roman numeral of the Beast, 1010011010 is the binary of the Beast, $665.95 is the retail price of the Beast, $699.25 is the price of the Beast plus sales tax, $769.95 is the price of the Beast with accessories and replacement soul, $656.99 is the Target price of the Beast, Route 666 is the way of the Beast, 666F is the oven temperature of the Beast, 666I is the BMW of the Beast and 668 is the next-door neighbor of the Beast.

Q. When I grow up, can I be just like you? (Peter Asher, Forest City)

A. The life of a ninja is complex and full of peril. You will have to train rigorously, undergo a battery of physical and psychological difficulties, and often endure many hardships and sacrifices.

Plus, you will need to floss. A lot.

Inquiring minds want to know

Murray’s MusingsKeVIN e. MUR-

RAyeDItoR


BURNSVILLE — The history of Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville is intertwined with that of Catholic churches in neighboring Mitchell and Madison counties, including St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Mars Hill.

Jesuit Father Andrew Graves came to Madison County in 1937 to serve as pastor of the now-defunct Chapel of the Little Flower in Revere. Barely a hand-ful of Catholics lived in the mountain re-gion at the time, but the small mountain chapel would prove to serve a mission-ary role in decades to come.

Father Graves eventually relocated to Hot Springs, where a Catholic mis-sion had existed since the 1880s. The Jesuit priest was instrumental in estab-lishing the Chapel of the Redeemer in Hot Springs, where he also acquired a home that his later successors would model into the Jesuit House of Prayer, a retreat center.

By the early 1980s, the majority of Madison County Catholics had cen-tered in and around Mars Hill, and the community there became a mission of Revere. In November 1985, the mission attained parish status and was placed under the patronage of St. Andrew the Apostle. The Chapel of the Redeemer, for a time, became a mission of St. An-drew the Apostle Church.

Meanwhile, in the Yancey County town of Burnsville, a small Catholic population was slowly growing.

In the early 1930s, Jesuit Father Louis Toups, Father Graves’ predeces-sor who had also served the Catholic populations in Revere and other towns in Madison, Mitchell and Yancey coun-ties, occasionally visited Burnsville from Hot Springs to celebrate Mass. The celebration of Mass in Burnsville con-tinued intermittently in private homes, an American Legion hall and a building

on the town square until the mid-1950s.At that point, Glenmary Missioners

were appointed to the Mitchell County pastorate of St. Lucien Church in Spruce Pine and its mission, St. Patricia Church in Linville, which is no longer in dioc-esan use. Father Francis Schenk served as the first Glenmary pastor of the three churches.

In August 1959, then-Bishop Vin-cent S. Waters of Raleigh acquired two acres on Summit Street in Burnsville, and Father Schenk began directing the construction of a multipurpose church facility, complete with a rectory and par-ish hall.

Bishop Waters dedicated the new building, called Sacred Heart Church, in June 1962. The local Catholic population numbered 28.

Diocesan priests began serving St. Lucien Church and its mission in 1968, the first being Father (now Msgr.) Felix Kelaher.

By the early 1980s, about 50 fami-lies were worshipping at Sacred Heart Church, and Father John M. Pagel, pastor, oversaw an expansion. By re-moving a rectory living room wall,

seating capacity in the church was increased from 110 to 140. Adult education and CCD (faith formation) programs were introduced and culti-vated at that time.

Sacred Heart Church was placed under the ministerial care of St. An-drew the Apostle Church in Mars Hill in 1986. With the addition of the Yancey County church to its parish re-gion, St. Andrew the Apostle Church’s territory expanded to more than 1,000 square miles over Madison, Yancey and north Buncombe counties.

Jesuit Father Edward Ifkovitz served as pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Church and Sacred Heart Church from September 1996 until July 2002, when diocesan priest Father David Brzoska became pastor.

In recent years, the ministerial outreach of Sacred Heart Church has expanded further to include Mexican migrants working in Yancey County’s tobacco and lumber industries. With more than 200 members, the Hispanic community gathered in December 1997 for the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration. The festival at the church continues to remain a popular celebration for Hispanic parishioners.

Jesuit Father Francis Reese, pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle in the early 1990s and now retired, and Mercy Sister Peggy Verstage, who runs the Jesuit retreat house in Hot Springs, both assist with Hispanic ministry at Sacred Heart Church and St. Andrew the Apostle Church.

Each year in October, the parish’s St. Francis of Assisi celebration draws more than 300 local Hispanics to the event.

Summertime visitors increase at-tendance at both churches, and con-struction is beginning at Sacred Heart Church to expand and remodel the wor-ship space to increase seating capacity from 110 to 160 people.

Ministries and outreach are an important aspect of parish life at Sa-cred Heart Church, with a number of parishioners actively involved in the local hospice, Reconciliation House for needy persons, the local animal shelter, as well as the Knights of Columbus and the Women’s Guild, which is starting an Angel program to visit people who are homebound or in hospitals or nursing homes.

PARISH PRoFILe

Sacred Heart Church serves spiritual needs of Burnsville

sACreD HeArT CHurCH20 summit streetburnsville, N.C. 28714(828) 689-3719 A mission of st. Andrew Church, Mars Hill

vicariate: AshevillePastor: father David brzoskaPastoral Assistant: Ann stoweNumber of Households: 81

Father David Brzoska

Photo by george K. Cobb

Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville, dedicated by Bishop Vincent S. Waters of Raleigh in June 1962, is now home to more than 80 families.

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April 2, 2004