Feb. 9, 2001

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 February 9, 2001

RobertGatelyremembered as veteran newsman...Page 3

Aid reach-ing Indian earthquake survivors...Page 7

Diocesan high schools show sporting spirit

...Page 5

Asheville man answers call to diaconate

...Page 16

Entertainment...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns...Pages 12-13

Sisters continue outreach with charisms of mercy, charity

By JOaNITa M. NeLLeNBaCHCOrresPONdeNT

ROSMAN — The directions are simple: Right after Victory Baptist Church, put your blinker on when you come to the 45-mile-per-hour sign. And, then, just around the curve to the right is the sign for the Frances Warde Health Service.

Turn up the driveway and into the parking lot. The rocking chair is out front, and the “Welcome” sign on the door greets around 100 patients a week. A lot of those patients are the elderly poor; many are children.

Grants, donations and fees charged for services fund the Frances Warde Health Service. Grants come from various sources such as foundations. A recent grant from the Sisters of Mercy of Belmont, N.C., for instance, will pay the salaries of the nursing staff this year. Medicare pays 80 percent of treatment cost for patients eligible for that benefit. Patients pay all or part of the remaining 20 percent, whatever they can afford, of their treatment cost. The clinic subsidizes about 45 percent of its patients from such sources as the Good Samaritan Fund, the repository for all donations Frances Warde receives.

The clinic also has a patient assis-tance program, in which drug companies provide medicines for patients who are below a certain level of income, don’t qualify for Medicaid, and have no health insurance that pays for drugs.

What would it mean not to have the clinic available?

“They’d owe doctors a lot of money,

Sister Carol Hoban, SC, family nurse practitioner at the Frances Warde Health Service, consults with patient Brenda McCall.

I n s i d e

February 9, 2001Volume 10 t Number 22

L o c a l N e w s

E v e r y W e e k

Serv ing Cathol ics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

“...I have called you by name — you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

By AleShA M. PricesTaff WrITer

HIGH POINT — On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a com-munity of Maryfield Nursing Home residents, the Poor Servants of the Mother of God Sisters that staff the residential care and nursing home facility, other men and women reli-gious and area supporters gathered to celebrate the commitment many have

Celebrating life in Christmade to ministry rooted in the Lord.

A Mass in honor of the World Day for Consecrated Life was held in the chapel at Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point on Feb. 2.

According to information from the National Conference of Catho-lic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference (NCCB/USCC), the day, commissioned by the pope, has been observed in dioceses across the coun-try for the past several years to com-memorate those men and women who have answered God’s call. All men and

women religious, including diocesan and order priests, live a consecrated life — one in which they pledge their lives to God through the profession of the three vows of poverty, chasti-ty and obedience. Although diocesan priests do not necessarily take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedi-ence, they do commit to lead simple and celibate lives in service to their bishop and the diocese.

Although Feb. 2 is the day desig-nated for the worldwide celebration,

see CeLeBraTINg, Page 8

or they wouldn’t go and they’d be dead,” Mercy Sister Jacqueline Dewar of Detroit, said.

Mercy Sister Gretchen Hermanny, M.D., and Sister Jacquie founded the Frances Warde Health Service 18 years ago in nearby Balsam Grove. In a way, they were following in the foot-steps of Sister Frances Warde, leader of the first group of Sisters of Mercy to come the United States. They ar-rived in America in 1843 and spent their lives founding hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes for women.

Sister Gretchen’s specialty is in-ternal medicine. A Sister of Mercy of New Jersey, she had researched regions that were medically underser-viced and decided that this area near Brevard in rural Transylvania County was the place where she wanted to work. She called a friend, Sister Jac-quie, a former teacher, principal and pastoral minister.

“I wanted something that was with the poor,” Sister Jacquie said. “Our community had a program called New Foundations that put people with the poor. Gretchen had finished her boards and was ready to go. She called me and asked if I wanted to go. I said ‘Sure.’ “

They arrived in November 1983 and for the first 10 days lived in a travel trailer with no electricity or running water. “We had a gas stove,” Sister Jacquie said. “We did a lot by candlelight, and we went to bed early.”

Father Joseph Mulligan (now pas-tor of St. Luke Church in Mint Hill) had recently been assigned as pastor of Sacred Hart Church in Brevard, and he helped them find a house that could serve as home and clinic.

“He was a great help,” Sister Jac-quie said. “I don’t know what we would

PHOTO By JOaNITa M. NeLLeNBaCH

see sIsTers, Page 15

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry, for you will be satisfied. — Luke 6: 20-21

2 The Catholic News & Herald February 9, 2001

24 CHARLOTTE — A Catechist Recognition Process Workshop for catechist training and certification is being held today at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd. Registra-tion takes place from 8:30-9 a.m. fol-lowed by Mass at 9:15 a.m. Five Phase 1 modules are being offered during two sessions from 10:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and from 1:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. with a new Phase II module of-fered in the afternoon. Any adult in-volved in parish ministry or seeking personal enrichment is invit-ed to come. For more information and to register, contact Mary-lin Kravatz, Southern Regional Coordinator for Faith Formation, at (704) 370-3247.

Upcoming CHARLOTTE — “Educat ion

for Solidarity: Catholic School Teaching and Economic Life,” a program of the U.S. bishops’ anti-poverty Catholic Campaign for Human Development, is being pre-sented in workshop-style format March 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy. This event, sponsored by the diocesan CCHD office, is for parish leaders, educators, business people, those interested in social concerns and others. For registration and other informa-tion, call Dr. Barney Offerman at (704) 370-3234 by Feb. 15.CHARLOTTE — The Mecklen-burg County Division of the An-cient Order of Hibernians in Amer-ica in cooperation with Dyer-Hart Productions is organizing Char-lotte’s 5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade steps off at noon on Mar. 17 from the corner of Tryon and Stonewall Sts. The parade travels down Tryon past St. Peter Catholic Church and through uptown to 5th St. An Irish festival is also taking place

Israeli peace activists march past a soldier during a rally in Jerusalem Feb. 3, days before Israelis were to elect a new government leader.

Speakers debate need for bigger role of women in church

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CNS) — An Ohio congresswoman urged U.S. Catholic women to use American soci-ety’s democratic freedom to move the church internationally toward democratic structures more open to women. But law professor Mary Ann Glendon voiced reservations about “importing secular notions of governance into the church.” Glendon, who teaches at Harvard Law School, and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, who are both Catholic, appeared together Feb. 4 in a session of a Common Ground Initiative program held in New Rochelle. Kaptur called for a fuller representation of “those doing the work and professing the belief” at every level of the church.Happy tourists carry off Vatican

Christmas tree decorationsVATICAN CITY (CNS) — The

Nativity scene still standing in St. Peter’s

Square in early February was not as odd a sight as the happy tourists leav-ing the square carrying large gold or silver balls. The unusual souvenirs had hung on the Vatican Christmas tree since mid-December. As Vatican workmen dismantled the Nativity scene and used a crane to remove decorations from the massive tree Feb. 5, many of the plastic ornaments crashed to the ground and burst. But those that workers managed to catch were given to members of the crowd which had gathered to watch and shout their pleas for a special Vatican souvenir. Members of the crowd who did not get one of the balls left content with a wicker star or even a length of sil-ver garland from Pope John Paul II’s Christmas tree.

Aid reaching earthquake survivors in India, says CRSWASHINGTON (CNS) — Re-

lief supplies are reaching earthquake survivors in western India, and materi-als for shelter are among their most critical needs, said a Catholic Relief Services worker. In a Feb. 5 telephone interview from Bhuj, one of the most seriously affected areas, David Snyder of Catholic Relief Services said CRS staff have been delivering supplies to the surrounding villages. CRS is the U.S. bishops’ international relief and develop-ment agency. “Our supply line is kind of kicking into high gear now,” he said. The aid “mobilized in the U.S. and around the world is really starting to get here and have the im-pact getting out to people.” The main needs are for shelter, he said, including tents, tarps and blankets, especially because of low temperatures this time of year.

Youths on visit to Capitol Hill urged to be politically involved

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A Jesuit priest who once served in Congress told high school students visiting Capitol Hill Feb. 1 that he hoped their experience would change their lives and make them “resolve to be active politically.” Jesuit Father Robert Drinan addressed more than 300 high school students in a set-ting that was very familiar to him — the floor of the U.S. House of Representa-

tives. He was a Democratic congress-man from Massachusetts from 1971 to 1981. The students came from across the country to participate in the weeklong National Young Leaders Conference. They took part in seminars, tours and political discussions.Outgoing general secretary calls World Youth Day best experience

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Look-ing back on 11 years at the U.S. bishops’ national offices in Washington, Bishop-designate Dennis M. Schnurr said, “For me the highlight was without question the World Youth Day in Denver.” That 1993 event, which he coordinated, “was really a life-transforming experience, because it gave me a new awareness of the potential that we have in our young people and the eagerness of our young people to make a contribution to the church,” he said. Bishop-designate Schnurr ended his term of office Feb. 2

at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and U.S. Catholic Conference, where he was general secretary for the past six years and associate general secretary for five-and-a-half years be-fore that. Pope John Paul II appointed the 52-year-old priest from Sioux City, Iowa, to be bishop of Duluth, Minn., on Jan. 18. He is to be ordained a bishop in Duluth April 2.UNESCO panel gives peace prize to

Sant’Egidio CommunityPARIS (CNS) — A UNESCO panel

led by former U.S. Secretary of State Hen-ry Kissinger awarded its annual peace prize to the Rome-based Sant’Egidio Community, a Catholic lay commu-nity. The Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize, which includes a gold medal and a cash award equivalent to about $160,000, was presented to Sant’Egidio President Andrea Riccardi during a Feb. 1 ceremo-ny at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. In announcing the prize Jan. 27, Kissinger said the prize jury decided unanimously that the Sant’Egidio Community was the most appropriate recipient. “Our choice comes in recognition of the efforts of the Community of Sant’Egidio to achieve ecumenical reconciliation among all religions and for their work in Algeria, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Yugo-slavia,” he said.Pope says religious offer example

of self-givingVATICAN CITY (CNS) — Men

and women who belong to religious or-ders offer the whole church an example of the joyful self-giving that should mark the lives of all Christians, Pope John Paul II said. At a Feb. 2 Mass marking the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the fifth annual Day for Consecrated Life, the pope led hundreds of brothers, nuns and priests in offering thanks for the gift of religious life and renewing their commitment to their vows. The Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was celebrated by Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Ap-ostolic Life, in the presence of the pope, who gave the homily and led the prayer of thanksgiving.

T h e W o r l d i n

Bishop Curlin will take part in the following events:

February 11 — 11 a.m.MassSt. Patrick, Charlotte

February 12 — 7:30 p.m.Legislative dinner hosted with Bishop Joseph Gossman, Ra-

leigh

February 15 — 10 a.m.Foundation Board MeetingHickory

February 17 — 8:30 a.m.-noonSpiritual retreat with Knights and Dames of Malta, Charlotte

February 18 — 11 a.m.MassSt. Patrick, Charlotte

plan-DiocesanEpiscopal

calen-February 9, 2001

Volume 10 • Number 22 Publisher: Most Reverend William G. CurlinEditor: Joann S. KeaneAssociate Editor: Jimmy RostarStaff Writer: Alesha M. PriceGraphic Designer: Tim FaragherAdvertising Representative: Cindi FeerickSecretary: Jane Glodowski1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382E-mail: [email protected]

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 $15 per

year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

CNs PHOTO frOM reuTers

Peace activists rally in Jerusalem


February11 CHARLOTTE — A charismatic Mass is being held at St. Patrick Ca-thedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, this afternoon at 4 p.m. with prayer teams at 3 p.m. and a potluck dinner at 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For further information, contact Josie Backus at (704) 527-4676.CHARLOTTE — Churches in the Charlotte area are hosting ultreyas followed by a school of leaders on the following dates and times: St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., from 7-8 p.m. tonight for adults only with shared snacks; St. Thomas Aqui-nas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., from 1-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 with childcare and a family potluck and St. Mat-thew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., from 1:30-3 p.m. on Feb. 25 with childcare and a family potluck. For more information, call Dan Hines at (704) 544-6665 or Aliceann Coon at (704) 540-8696. MORGANTON — St. Charles Borromeo Church , 728 West

Union St., is hosting a Valentine Tea for Chocolate Lovers this afternoon from 2-4 p.m. in Mur-ray Hall. Valentine delights include snow-drenched chocolate cheesecake, brownie decadence, chocolate-kissed strawberries and other goodies. For tickets and other information, call the church office at (828) 437-3108.12 CHARLOTTE — The support group for adult children grieving the loss of a parent meets tonight and Feb. 26 from 7-8 p.m. in the family room at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For further details, call the church office at (704) 364-5431.14 CHARLOTTE — A session en-titled “Spiritual Aspects of Grief ” is being held at the ministry center of St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. The gather-ing is for those who have experienced a loss or those in bereavement ministry. For more information, call (704) 364-5431. C H A R LO T T E — T h e 5 0 + Club o f S t . John Neumann

Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., is having a meeting this morning at 11 a.m. with a program with a guest speaker from Sharon Luggage and lunch in the parish center. Dona-tions are being accepted during the meeting. For more information, call Louise Brewer at (704) 366-8357 or Gloria Silipigni at (704) 821-1343.16 HOT SPRINGS — The Je-suit House of Prayer, 289 NW Hwy. 25/70, is hosting a Reiki retreat weekend. Reiki is a natu-ral healing technique that uses laying on of hands to reduce stress and accelerate the body’s ability to heal. Karen Prescott, a second-degree Reiki practitioner in the Usai system of healing, is the retreat facilitator. For more infor-mation, call Mercy Sister Peggy Verstege at (828) 622-7366 or e-mail [email protected]. 17 DENVER — The Knights of Columbus Council 10389 Denver is having its annual Italian Night

Robert Gately remembered as veteran newsman, founding editor of The Catholic N e w s & HeraldBy JOaNN s. KeaNe

edITOrCHARLOTTE — If it is

said that ink pulses through the veins of a true newspaper-man, Robert Gately was an ink-stained tribute to the pro-fession. Founding Editor of The Catholic News & Herald Robert Gately died Feb. 3 — his legacy retained within printed volumes of newsprint.

A veteran newsman and vener-able political pundit, Gately spent his lifetime among the working press. He spent time with several small newspapers before joining United Press International. For 31 years, he served various editorial posts within UPI in Indianapo-lis, Charlotte and Chicago. Prior to his retirement from UPI in Chicago, he was editor of UPI’s National Radio.

While in Illinois, Gately was active in politics, serving as an elected County Commissioner for DuPage County, one of the west-ern suburbs of Chicago.

During his tenure with The Catholic News & Herald , Gately frequently wrote politically charged commentary linking the teachings of the Catholic Church with current na-tional and international issues.

Gately joined the pastoral staff of the Catholic Diocese of Char-lotte in July 1987, spending time on research and special projects from the chancery. He was appointed editor of The Catholic News & Her-ald when it was established as the diocesan newspaper early in the 1990s. The first edition was published September 6, 1991.

It was a transition for the veteran newsman — whose back-ground in publishing came from the

A r o u n d t h e D i -

in the parish hall of Holy Spirit Church, 537 Hwy. 16 North, at 7 p.m. tonight. The dinner is open to the pub-lic on a first-come, first-served basis, and guests may dine on soups, pasta, desserts and other foods. For tickets or other information, call Pat Lisi at (704) 896-7735 or the church office at (704) 483-6448.23 CHARLOTTE — All married couples are invited to participate in the next Worldwide Marriage En-counter this weekend at the Holiday Inn Airport in Charlotte. Marriage Encounter is a 44-hour period when couples can take time off from fami-lies, work and other responsibilities to focus on each other to grow spiritually and emotionally as one. The weekend begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight and ends at 4 p.m. on Feb. 25. Upcoming mar-riage encounters are taking place Mar. 9-11 and May 25-27. For more information or reserva-t ions, c a l l Tom and Emi l i e Sandin at (704) 274-4424 or go to http://cg.thedepot.com/me.

era of cut and paste set up for news-papers — to move into the age of desktop publishing. This challenge, however, he took in stride, taking The Catholic News & Herald into the elec-tronic age.

His efforts paid off as the Charlotte diocesan newspaper became one of the first diocesan papers in the nation prepared totally within an electronic environ-ment. Moreover, during his tenure with The Catholic News & Herald, the newspaper garnered awards for jour-nalistic excellence.

Gately retired from The Catholic News & Herald in 1995 following sur-gery and for recuperation. In a letter published on Sept. 1, 1995, Bishop

William G. Curlin said, “Bob has met the challenges of his illness with courage and fortitude of faith.” Bishop Curlin, publisher of The Catholic News & Herald, accepted Gately’s resignation “with reluctance,” thanking him for his efforts in establishment of the diocesan newspaper.

Robert Edward Gately, 73, died Feb. 3, 2001, at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. A member of St. Peter’s parish in Charlotte, Gately was born Jan. 23, 1928, in Boston, son of the late Joseph Gately and Marie Galligan Gately. He was a graduate of Boston Lat-in High School and Northeastern University in Boston. He was a Navy veteran.

Surviving are a stepdaugh-ter, Carol Eastwood, and two granddaughters, Christie East-wood and Anna Eastwood, all of Charlotte; a brother, Richard Gately, and his wife, Eliz-abeth, of Braintree, Mass.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass was cel-ebrated on Feb. 8 at the Catholic Pastoral Center, with committal following in the Sharon Memorial Park Mausoleum. Bishop Curlin and Jesuit Father Robert J. Paquet offici-ated.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte, N.C. 28202.

Contact Editor Joann S. Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail [email protected]

By CINdy WOOdeNCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Chris-tians must not be intimidated by the hostility the media sometimes show to the Christian message and Christian values, Pope John Paul II said.

From radio to the Internet, mod-ern media reach an audience whose size “would have been beyond the wildest imaginings of those who preached the Gospel before us,” the pope said.

In his message, the pope wrote, “As much as the world of the media may at times seem at odds with the Christian message, it also offers unique opportuni-ties for proclaiming the saving truth of Christ to the whole human family.”

At athe beginning of the third millen-nium, he said, “an estimated two-thirds of the world’s 6 billion people do not in any real sense know Jesus Christ.”

Proclaiming the Gospel to those who have never heard its message and renew-ing the faith of those who have strayed will require more than an effective use of the media, the pope said, but the media as a tool cannot be ignored.

“Catholics should not be afraid to throw open the doors of social communi-cations to Christ, so that his Good News may be heard from the housetops of the world,” he said.

The size of the media’s potential audience is not the only motive for church action in the field of communi-cations, he said.

“The media are having an increas-ingly visible effect on culture and its transmission,” he said. “Where once the media reported events, now events are often shaped to meet the requirements of the media,” sometimes blurring the line between truth and illusion.

At the same time, the ease of getting information has given people

christians should not be intimidated by media, pope says

see MedIa, Page 15


By JIMMy rOsTarassOCIaTe edITOr

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s Education Vicariate will focus on leadership in action next month as a second part of its Lead-ership Training for Lay Ministers program.

The pilot program debuted last fall for lay people involved primarily in educational ministry. Campus min-isters, educators, liturgy and music coordinators, parish catechetical leaders, RCIA coordinators, youth ministers and other interested persons are invited to attend the program.

The program was designed by education vicariate officials who want-ed to offer an organized way for lay ministers to maximize their leadership potential and responsibilities.

“The first workshops provided a foundation on leadership skills, and these workshops will zero in on tak-ing those skills and applying them to a certain ministry,” said Mercy Sister Maureen Meehan, diocesan director of religious formation for schools. “This concept — leadership in action — is not something new for this diocese. We’re simply affirming what people in the diocese are doing and letting people know that they are in sync with what is going on in the church.”

The program, scheduled for March 23-24 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. in Charlotte, will include three tracks: Communication and Collaboration; Providing Human Services in the Parish and Doing Faith Justice; and Evangelization and Incul-turation.

Diocesan and community leaders will facilitate the sessions.

Terry Aiken, a diversity and leadership consultant from the Triad, will present a keynote address to begin the program on March 23. In addition to his consulting work, Aiken has been a juvenile court counselor for 11 years and is director of youth ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point, where he is a parishioner.

The new round of workshops will be related to last fall’s program, although they will be a self-contained unit. Those who did not attend the program in the fall are welcome as new participants.

Like the church at large, the Diocese of Charlotte is committed to fostering and utilizing the talents of lay people, Sister Maureen said. “We have the gift of talent in this diocese, and we’re tapping into that talent,” she said. “This is a very unique program in that it is coming from the laity and is for the laity.

“The Second Vatican Council docu-ments emphasize the gifts of the laity, and we’re just implementing those docu-ments.”

Ann Peters, the director of faith formation at St. James Church in Ham-let who attended the first workshops, said she feels called to serve the church as a lay person in a leadership role.

“When I moved from Wisconsin to

Former Belmont Abbey coach Al McGuire dies

MILWAUKEE — Legendary college basketball coach Al McGuire died Jan. 26 at the age of 72. McGuire’s career was launched at Belmont Abbey, where he coached from 1958-1965. His departure for Marquette University led to phenomenal seasons there, cul-minating with his NCAA champion-ship win in his last coaching game of his career in 1977.

McGuire, who brought basketball glory to Marquette University in the 1960s and ‘70s, played Jan. 29 to his final full house, his funeral Mass at Gesu Parish, Milwaukee. McGuire died of acute leukemia Jan. 26 at the Franciscan Woods treatment center in Brookfield, a Milwaukee suburb.

In his 13-year coaching career in Milwaukee, he led the Marquette War-riors to 11 consecutive post-season appearances, capturing the NCAA title in 1977 and National Invitation Tour-nament title in 1970.

Belmont Abbey College awarded an honorary doctorate to McGuire in the fall of 2000. Presented in absentia due to his illness, the doctoral diploma and citation were sent to McGuire’s home in care of his wife, Patricia.

McGuire taught health classes and coached at Belmont Abbey from 1957- 1964, just before he embarked on his historic seasons at Marquette Univer-sity. During his first year at the Abbey, he took the Crusaders to five postsea-son tournaments, including NAIA and NCAA tourneys. His overall record at the Abbey was 109-64.

After moving to Marquette, he led the Warriors to win the NCAA cham-pionship during his very last game before retiring from coaching. His overall record at Marquette was 295-80. In 1992 he re-ceived basketball’s highest honor when he was elected to the Hall of Fame.

McGuire had a successful career in sports merchandising and television broadcasting, retiring in the spring of 2000.

More than 20 years ago, he founded Al’s Run and Walk, which benefits Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and is now the third largest foot race in the nation.

“Al McGuire achieved more re-nown than perhaps any other Abbey employee,” said Dr. Robert A. Preston, president. “But it was for his respect for Catholic education, his desire to de-velop student athletes fully and his civ-ic commitments that we honored him. We are fortunate to have had him as our Crusaders coach.”

Belmont Abbey College is a pri-vate Catholic liberal arts institution providing undergraduate education to approximately 1,000 students. Monks of the Order of St. Benedict founded Belmont Abbey in 1876.

Belmont Abbey College and Catholic News Service contributed to this story.


Education Vicariate to sponsor second round of Leadership

here in Richmond County, where there are only 143 Catholic families, I made the resolve to do whatever was asked of me” in terms of serving the church locally, said Peters, whose background includes teaching in a Catholic school and working as a catechist.

Weighing her options as a school-teacher or a faith formation director in her new hometown, Peters felt she “could serve more people more effectively” in the church.

The church continues to call on lay people as significant contributors whose potential needs to be tapped. At a worldwide gathering of lay leaders last November in Rome, Bishop Stani-slaw Rylko, secretary of the Vatican’s laity council, said lay Catholics experi-ence “such a need to re-live, in a truly fresh way, amazement at the greatness and beauty of the Christian vocation — a vocation rooted in baptism.”

In an interview with Catholic News Service, laity council president Cardinal J. Francis Stafford said, “The task of bringing the expression of God’s love to the world rests primarily with the lay person in the church.”

Cardinal Stafford emphasized the value of the lay person in the post-Vatican II church. “That’s very important, that the lay person is now perceived since the Second Vatican Council as integrally involved — in-tegrally a part of — the very mission of the church; not an appendage, not a recipient, but an actual, active disciple of Christ.”

For registration information and other details on “Leadership Training for Lay Ministers, Part II: Leadership in Ac-tion,” see the advertisement in next week’s issue, or call (704) 370-3244.

Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Ro-star by calling (704) 370-3334 or e-mail [email protected]


High school athletics extend Catholic school vision, athletes and


By JIMMy rOsTarassOCIaTe edITOr

Lynn Ruggieri is passionate about basketball. She loves competing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She has crafted some valuable friendships.

Moreover, the senior at Bishop Mc-Guinness Memorial High School says participating in athletics makes her a well-formed person.

“This is my third year of playing basketball, and the past two years I’ve been co-captain,” says Ruggieri, 18. “The younger players really look up to you — not only in basketball, but also outside of school with morality-type stuff.

“They look up to you and follow you, so I think that I have to be this type of leader on and off the court — at practice, during games and just being together.”

Ruggieri is one of dozens of youth who participate in the athletic programs of the Diocese of Charlotte’s two Catholic high schools. Like their curricula and other activities, the schools have designed sporting programs that are an extension of their vision for values-based educa-tional experiences.

Eddie Mitchell is directing a blos-soming sports program at Bishop Mc-Guinness in Winston-Salem. He says the school community has embraced a vision of teamwork and sportsmanship where athletics are concerned.

“I wasn’t interested in if we won or lost as such,” said Mitchell, who took over as athletic director last May. “I was inter-ested in the way we won or lost. That’s meant a lot to me, and overall, we have

kept to that standard.”A new football program was well

received by the McGuinness com-munity, Mitchell says, adding that the school also has a new cheerleading team and a revamped soccer program. McGuinness will introduce lacrosse and wrestling over the next two school years.

Joey Nitz, a basketball player and

cross-country runner, says participat-ing in Bishop McGuinness sports has enhanced his leadership skills and made him appreciate cooperation even more.

He’s an active volunteer for Special Olympics — an extension of a passion for sports that he says is a fundamental part of who he is.

“Our coach and our players don’t

always talk basketball before every game,” says Nitz, an 18-year-old senior. He adds that the team prays before each time they take the court.

“It’s a lot deeper than just the game,” he says. “It’s a lot more than just basketball — it’s pretty much de-veloping us as persons who are going to leave high school and join the ranks of the world.”

Ruggieri and Nitz agree that good conduct, self-discipline and values-based behavior are important in ath-letics — just as they are in the Catholic school experience and through life in general.

Their athletic director agrees as well.

“Athletics really is an important factor in what we do here,” says Mitch-ell, a retired professional soccer player. “We have a lot of good kids who come through here who are really grounded. I think the athletic program really gives them the opportunity to shine, and that shows in their academics, too.”

Down the interstate at Charlotte Catholic High School, a tradition of excellence permeates the classrooms and athletic fields as well. Jim Oddo, who has coached and directed the ath-letic program there since 1973, says the sports program has rounded out many students’ experiences at that school also.

“Sports in general is just a very big rallying point around the whole community,” says Oddo. At this high school, he adds, “there’s a good overall Catholic spirit and very good support.”

With pride, he easily recalls gym-nasiums and stadium bleachers filled with Charlotte Catholic fans — both at home games and on the road. He remembers close calls and thrilling victories. He speaks with excitement about the undefeated girls’ volleyball team that won the state championship last fall, and Charlotte Catholic’s being awarded the Wachovia Cup for overall athletic excellence for two consecutive years.

But, like his counterpart in Winston-Salem, Oddo says his pride

Bishop McGuinness Memorial High School basketball player Bob Kilbough drives to the hoop during a recent game. The diocese’s two Catholic high schools have athletic programs that are an extension of values-based educational experiences.

COurTesy PHOTO

see aTHLeTICs, Page 15


Vatican interreligious dialogue expert defends ‘Dominus Iesus’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican official who coordinates inter-religious dialogue, Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, said a church document re-emphasizing Christ as savior for all should not create problems for non-Christians. The document, “Dominus Iesus,” simply spelled out basic Catholic beliefs, Cardinal Arinze told Vatican Radio Feb. 3. Dialogue with those of other faiths must continue, but can bring “great risk” if Catholics are not sure about their own iden-tity, he said. When “Dominus Iesus” was issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Sep-tember, it prompted considerable negative reaction in interreligious and ecumenical circles. The document affirmed that the church of Christ ex-ists fully only in the Catholic Church, and it rejected the idea that “one reli-gion is as good as another.”Lockerbie verdict bittersweet for

Pennsylvania Catholic coupleGREENSBURG, Pa. (CNS) — Car-

ole and Glenn Johnson Jr. of Hempfield Township in the Greensburg Diocese lost their only daughter in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Beth Ann Johnson, 21, and Ely-se Saraceni, 20, of Salem Township, per-ished in the crash on their way home for the holidays after studying abroad. They were both Seton Hill College students. So Jan. 31 — the day verdicts were handed down in the trial of two Libyans accused of carrying out the bombing — was a bittersweet day for the Johnsons. Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, 49, was convicted of the mass murder of 270 people — 259 who were aboard the flight and 11 on the ground. He was sentenced to life in prison and is eligible for parole in 20 years. Lamen Khalifi Fhimah, 44, was found not guilty and walked away a free man.

Priest remains in critical condition after being shot at

schoolNEW DELHI, India (CNS) — A

priest who served as a Catholic school principal remained in critical condi-

tion after being shot when he refused entrance to three strangers. Three un-identified people, who some suspected were indigenous militants, approached the Catholic school in Canchipur, In-dia, Feb. 2. One shot Father Tommy Manjaly, the school principal, who refused their demand for admission, an archdiocesan official said. Such demands are a pretext to attack, Msgr. Joseph Kachiramattam, vicar general of Imphal Archdiocese, told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. He said that indigenous militants in Manipur state, which is served by the archdiocese, of-ten demand money from missionaries.

World War II Polish freedom fighter Jan Karski remembered

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The life and deeds of the late Jan Karski, a member

of the Polish Resistance during World War II who tried to alert the world to the horrors of the Nazis’ Holocaust, were re-membered Jan. 31 during a tribute to him at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Karski, first captured by Soviet forces and later by Nazi troops only to escape each time, tried to warn U.S. and British officials about what was happen-ing to Europe’s Jews, but his words fell on disbelieving ears. He would say of his mission that “it was a failure,” but his story “is not a story of failure,” said Je-suit Father Leo O’Donovan, president of Georgetown University, where Kar-ski taught government and East Euro-pean history for nearly 40 years until his

retirement in 1995. Karski died last June 13 at age 86.No good can come from cloning

plans, pro-life official saysWASHINGTON (CNS) — The

announcement that a pair of U.S. and Italian scientists plan to pro-ceed with the cloning of a human being strikes fear — and disgust — in the heart of Richard Doer-flinger of the U.S. bishops’ Secre-tariat for Pro-Life Activities. “This is awful if it does work,” said Doer-flinger, associate director for policy development in the pro-life office, in a Jan. 31 interview with Catholic News Service. “And it’s worse that it will often fail and lead to the de-struction of a great deal of innocent life,” he added. Panayiotis M. Zavos, professor of reproductive physiology at the University of Kentucky, and Dr. Severino Antinori, director of a Rome-based artificial insemination clinic, announced Jan. 25 in Lexington, Ky., that they planned to begin cloning human beings for couples who have not been able to bear children.Nun says popular rap music among

forces harming today’s youthsNEW YORK (CNS) — The presi-

dent of Covenant House says lyrics by popular rap star Eminem and others are an example of cultural forces that are giving young people today a sense of hopelessness. Such forces are “spawning a generation of children who feel more lost, terrified, disenfranchised, hurt and hope-less” than any generation in history, said Sister Mary Rose McGeady, a Daughter of Charity. The head of the youth shelter, which has its headquarters in New York, made the comments in her monthly letter to supporters, dated Feb. 7. She also men-tioned the “rap icons” called Puff Daddy and Dr. Dre, but spotlighted Eminem singing lyrics such as one imagining “the joy” of murdering “wives, nuns, sluts — whoever.”

Washington Cardinal-designate Theodore E. McCarrick blesses a child as he greets residents of the city of Izalco, El Salvador, Feb. 1. He was in the country with representatives from Catholic Relief Services assessing damages from January’s devastating earthquake.

P e o p l e i n t h e


McCarrick blesses child in El Salvador


A woman feeds her injured child outside a Red Cross hospital in the western Indian city of Bhuj Feb. 5. At least 30,000 people are thought to have died in the devastating earthquake that ravaged western India in late January.

Aid reaching earthquake survivors in India, says

By JeNNIfer e. reed CaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Relief supplies are reaching earthquake survivors in western India, and materials for shelter are among their most critical needs, said a Catholic Relief Services worker.

In a Feb. 5 telephone interview from Bhuj, one of the most seriously affected areas, David Snyder of Catholic Relief Ser-vices said CRS staff have been delivering supplies to the surrounding villages. CRS is the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency.

“Our supply line is kind of kicking into high gear now,” he said. The aid “mobilized in the U.S. and around the world is really starting to get here and have the impact getting out to people.”

In the village of Nalappa, CRS distrib-uted buckets, soap, three heavy wool blan-kets per family, tarps and jerrycans, he said.

“We have three villages to go to to-morrow, and that number is likely to go up exponentially every day,” he said.

The main needs are for shelter, he said, including tents, tarps and blankets, especially because of low temperatures this time of year.

“The need for food isn’t yet critical. People are still able to recover food and still grow crops. ... Water is more critical,” he added.

Coadjutor Archbishop Roger L. Schwi-etz of Anchorage, Alaska, a CRS board member, was to arrive in Bhuj Feb. 6 to visit the area, said Snyder.

U.S seismologists measured the Jan. 26 quake, centered in India’s western Gujarat state and also felt in neighboring Pakistan, at magnitude 7.9, making it the strongest to strike India in 50 years. Indian officials feared the death toll could rise to 30,000 people.

Indian Defense Minister George Fer-nandes said the final death toll may never be known.

Seismologists recorded more than 50 aftershocks, at least one measuring more than magnitude 6, in the 36 hours following the first quake.

But more than a week after the quake, people were being found alive under the rubble.

On Feb. 5, a middle-aged brother and sister were pulled from the ground floor of their collapsed apartment building in Bhuj where they had been trapped in their

F r o m t h e

kitchen and had enough food and water to survive, reported Reuters, the British news agency.

Sean Callahan, Catholic Relief Services’ regional director for South Asia, said trau-ma counseling and long-term reconstruc-tion assistance will be needed to help people recover from the quake.

In a Feb. 1 telephone interview from CRS headquarters in Baltimore, Callahan said, “There are a lot of people that have been really affected by trauma of loss of all family,” as well as “parents who have

heard ... their children go silent or crying underneath (the rubble), and they couldn’t help them.”

Callahan said at least a year-and-a-half of reconstruction work will be required, since many of the houses were completely destroyed and people have no shelter.

CRS is operating two emergency relief offices in Gujarat, said Callahan, one in Ahmedabad, the capital, and one in Bhuj, one of the most severely affected areas.

“It’s going to be a long haul, the reha-bilitation of this area,” which will require reconstruction of housing and sanitation services, and restoration of electricity and water supplies, Callahan said.

“Many of the businesses have been de-stroyed, too. People have lost not only their homes but their livelihood for the future,”

he added.Callahan said concerns are increasing

over a risk of epidemics because of unsani-tary conditions and lack of clean water.

“Makeshift hospitals have been set up under tarps and tents” to try to control the spread of disease, “but there’s definitely the potential,” he said.

He noted that several serious natural disasters have hit India in the last few years, including a cyclone in Orissa state in late 1999 that killed 20,000-30,000 people and major flooding in eastern India in late 2000 that left thousands dead or missing.

Callahan said CRS has committed $650,000 to rehabilitation.

The New York-based Catholic Medi-cal Mission Board announced Jan. 31 that it donated $25,000 to its partner agency, Caritas Internationalis India, and is ready to airlift antibiotics, analgesics, vitamins and first aid supplies.

Christian bishops in India urged church agencies to join Hindus in helping survivors, despite claims that right-wing Hindu groups have interfered in their relief work.

In New Delhi Feb. 5, the government said power had been restored to more than 80 percent of some 900 quake-affected vil-lages.

At his Jan. 28 weekly Angelus prayer, Pope John Paul II, said, “I assure my close-ness, with sentiments of deep solidarity, to the Indian and Pakistani populations struck by this appalling disaster.”

He called on all people to “unite their moral and material forces, so our brothers and sisters so harshly tried get the neces-sary relief.”

Want to help?The Diocese of charlotte, through

catholic relief Services (crS), is responding to the immediate human needs of the people of india for food, plastic sheeting, blankets, tents, mats and other non-food items. crS is the U.S. catholic church’s international development and relief organization and is committed to helping the people of india recover from this tragedy and rebuild their communities.

This call for your generous response to the needs of the people of india follows upon the Diocese of charlotte’s recent appeal for assistance to aid the people of el Salvador. Only two weeks ago el Salvador experienced a severe earthquake.

if you wish to donate funds to support the earthquake relief efforts of crS in india and/or el Salvador, please send a contribution to your parish office. Make your checks out to your parish marked clearly for crS relief: india or crS relief: el Salvador. Alternatively, you may make your donation check out to Diocese of charlotte, mailing your check to the following address: Diocese of charlotte, crS earthquake relief, 1123 South church Street, charlotte, N.c. 28203. contributions will be forwarded to crS. Thank you in advance for your generosity.



Despite Super Bowl loss, priest loves being Giants’ chaplain

A r o u n d t h e D i o -

since the day fell on Friday this year, in the United States, the event was observed by many on the weekend of Feb. 3 and 4. The sister community at Maryfield Nursing Home decided that they would have their first community Mass on the feast day.

“It is important that we celebrate consecrated life because by baptism, we are all consecrated, but we have a special call because of our vows of poverty, chastity and obedience,” said Poor Servants of the Mother of God Sister Mona Comaskey, who works at Maryfield and is a chaplain at High Point Hospital. “It think it is impor-tant to celebrate this wonderful day with the whole community.”

During his homily, Father An-thony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro and celebrant at the Mass at Maryfield, talked about the significance of recognizing these men and women religious. “How ap-propriate that the World Day for Con-secrated Life falls on the feast day of the Presentation of Our Lord,” said Father Marcaccio. “[Those in conse-crated life] have helped to spread the light of Christ in what is sometimes a dark and fearful world. We have seen the heroic witness of men and women in consecrated life, which has won the recognition of the church. ...”

Acknowledgement of those who have dedicated their lives to God is significant with the unfortunate de-cline of men and women religious. According to statistics from the NCCB/USCC, the number of women religious in the United States has dropped by nearly 50 percent over the last 20 to 30 years with similar find-ings among men religious. While the number of priests has not decreased as much as that of sisters and brothers, the numbers are steadily dwindling. There are an estimated 82,000 sisters; 9,000 brothers and 14,000 priests in the United States today.

One of the visiting attendants, Missionary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Angelica Cruz from

the Philippines, said that one way of attracting more men and women to a religious life was through “the re-articulation of our way of life and spreading of the knowledge that re-ligious life has evolved over the years. For many young men and women, I believe their notion of religious life is still what they have learned from be-fore — the old way of living the vows.

CELEBRATING, from page 1

Poor Servants of the Mother of God Sister Lucy Hennessey, administrator of Maryfield Nursing Home, foreground, and Mercy Sister Mary Timothy Warren, vicar for women religious and director of diocesan lay ministry, join hands during the Our Father prayer at the Mass in celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life at Maryfield Chapel in High Point on Feb. 2.

PHOTO By aLesHa M. PrICe

I think if we are able to convey these newer ways of living, then I think we can attract more young people to reli-gious life.

“I want people to know that this alternative way of life allows me to — in my own small way — do things for others, show people a little hope and be there for them. This gives meaning to my life.”

By WArD MieleCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

NEWARK, N.J. (CNS) — Despite the defeat of his beloved New York Giants, his first Super Bowl is something Father Richard Corbett will not soon forget.

That is because in addition to being acting executive director of the CYO for the Archdiocese of Newark, Father Cor-bett is also the Catholic chaplain for the Giants, a team he has supported for as long as he can remember.

Chaplain since last June, Father Cor-bett celebrates Mass for players and other team personnel prior to all home and most away games. He celebrated Mass on Super Sunday Jan. 28 at 1:30 p.m., five hours before kickoff.

A good portion of the Giants’ staff is Catholic, Father Corbett told The Catholic Advocate, Newark’s archdiocesan newspaper.

Regulars at Mass include fullback Greg Comella, defensive tackle Christian Peter, backup linebacker Pete Monty and backup quarterback Jason Garrett.

Asked how he likes being Catholic chaplain, Father Corbett answered enthu-siastically, “I love it. It is great, wonderful.”

As chaplain, the priest has the “unique perspective” of being on the sidelines dur-ing games — that is, of course, with the exception of the Super Bowl for which he had “a good seat.”

Cruising the sidelines is not without its perils. In the Jan. 14 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings that sent the Giants to the Super Bowl, Father Cor-bett was almost upended by a charging Rob Smith of the Vikings. “You have to be careful,” he says with a chuckle.

At the Mass on Super Bowl game day, Father Corbett recalled, the players and Coach Jim Fassell were “really relaxed and confident.”

But the chaplain began to feel it was not going to be the Giants’ day when the team failed to capitalize on the momentum of Ron Dixon’s touchdown run that closed the gap to 17-7.

After the Baltimore Ravens won the game 34-7, Father Corbett said, the play-ers were “down” but “still in good spirits. They are good sports.”

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 9 February 9, 2001 A r o u n d t h e Dio-By aLesHa M. PrICe

sTaff WrITerCHARLOTTE — Several framed

paintings and drawings line the walls of Charlotte Catholic High School (CCHS), many with the look and pol-ish of seasoned, professional paint-ers. However, the artists are CCHS students, and through their talent and dedication, three of those students won recognition in a regional art con-test.

The paintings of seniors Emily Walsh and Michael Stout and junior Ana Islas were among the 600 win-ning entries chosen out of 3,000 entries from schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area and Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston and Union Coun-ties in the Scholastic Art Awards com-petition for the mid-Carolinas region, sponsored by the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Arts and Educa-tion Office Foundation.

“This is outstanding because so many of our kids are multi-talented, and there are so many ways in which they can express themselves, espe-cially through music and art, which doesn’t always get as much recogni-tion as sports and other activities,” said Augustinian Father James Cas-sidy, CCHS principal. “The paintings

are very expressive, and this is another deserving recognition of their obvious talent.”

Islas from St. Matthew Church earned a gold award and one of the five American Visions Awards, a first for CCHS. With this award, Islas will be presented $100, and her winning painting will be entered in the Nation-al Scholastic Art Awards Competition in New York.

Stout from St. Gabriel Church and Walsh, a parishioner at St. Matthew Church, received honorable mention awards for their work, and Walsh also received a silver award. Last year, Stout and Walsh also received honor-able mention awards and the Airport Arts and Education Office Purchase Awards, which meant that their entries were bought by members of the com-munity.

“This gives me a boost of self-con-fidence and a real sense of appreciation for my artwork,” said Stout, who may major in graphic design or landscaping architecture after graduation. “These art classes have helped me tremen-dously, and with the basic fundamen-tals I have learned here, I will be able to apply them to other skills in life in whatever career I choose.”

Bill McKinney, CCHS art teacher, entered the 20 paintings from his sophomore, junior and senior classes in January of this year. The judges included art teachers, professors and professional artists from around

CCHS students win in regional art

CCHS art teacher Bill McKinney discusses some of his current students’ artwork. From left to right, seniors Michael Stout and Emily Walsh and junior Ana Islas received recognition for their artwork submitted to the regional Scholastic Art Awards competition.

North Carolina. The school has been involved in the competition for the 14 years that McKinney has been teach-ing at the high school.

“I choose the paintings that I think will be the best. I can only enter 20, so I have to make selections,” said McKinney. “I think that it [entering their paintings] gives them a lot of self-confidence and also gives a lot of recognition to individual students.”

The students will receive their certificates and gold and silver key awards at a ceremony later this month. The winning paintings are on display at the airport from Feb. 12-March 16.

PHOTO By aLesHa M. PrICe


Word to LifeFebruary 11, Sixth Sunday in

Ordinary TimeCycle B Readings:1) Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalm 1:1-4, 62) 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-203) Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26

By daN LuByCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

Driving into the Texas Pan-handle in a midsummer drought can be a harrowing experience. Fierce heat creates a shimmering mirage on the blacktop, but it’s the only sign of water there is. The sky is a bright lid for a solar oven, and everything under it — air, cattle in the fields, the occasional slow motion pump jack, buildings, people, the dusty earth — is dry to the bone. Driving the stunningly flat terrain in summer’s scalding heat, rain is only a memory, and water itself — cool, life-giving water — seems beyond imagining.

On the flat highway between towns and crossroads, the monotony of the parched landscape sensitizes the traveler’s eye for any change to break the visual boredom. Of the limited vertical possibilities, none is more welcome to the eye or the heart than a little stand of trees, cotton-woods mostly, breaking the horizon-tal plane with their green leaves and waving branches.

Readings for the week of Feb. 11 - 17, 2001Sunday, Jeremiah 17:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20, Luke 6:17, 20-26; Mon-

day, Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday, Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday (Sts. Cyril & Methodius), Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22, Mark 8:22-26; Thursday, Genesis 8:1-13, Mark 8:27-33; Friday, Genesis 11:1-9, Mark 8:34-9:1; Saturday (Seven Servite Founders), Hebrews 11:1-7, Mark 9:2-13

Readings for the week of Feb. 18 - 24, 2001 Sunday, 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Luke

6:27-38; Monday, Sirach 1:1-10, Mark 9:14-29; Tuesday, Sirach 2:1-11, Mark 9:30-37; Wednesday (St. Peter Damian), Sirach 4:11-19, Mark 9:38-40; Thurs-day (The Chair of St. Peter), 1 Peter 5:1-4. Matthew 16:13-19; Friday (St. Polycarp), Sirach 6:5-17, Mark 10:1-12; Saturday, Sirach 17:1-15, Mark 10:13-16

W e e k l y S c r i p t u r e

By JOsePH r. THOMasCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

“Founding Brothers” by Joseph J. El-lis (Alfred A. Knopf, $26) displays a rare amalgam of literary virtues. It is informa-tive and instructive, yet so stylistically superior that one is pleasantly entertained while absorbing the lessons of American history.

Subtitled “The Revolutionary Generation,” the book rescues the key figures of the War for Independence from the myths that robbed them of their humanity, enveloping them in an aura of godliness and invincibility. In the process of showing this “band of brothers” as the mortals their contem-poraries knew them to be, Ellis ably demonstrates just how fragile were the ties that bound the 13 original colonies, each fiercely protective of its own rights and lacking a sense of nationhood.

Ellis is the Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College and the author of the Jefferson biography “American Sphinx,” winner of the 1997 National Book Award. He explores the revolutionary generation by dissecting the frequently querulous relationships between Thomas Jef-ferson, John Adams, James Madison, George Washington, Benjamin Frank-lin, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

He goes about this, however, in an uncommon fashion, approaching each at pivotal points in their lives — and in the life of the new republic — even while the shape of that republic was still being determined and was as shaky as the last leaf on a tree.

Thus, for instance, we come upon Hamilton and Burr as they are about to engage in their historic duel, not atop the New Jersey cliffs lining the Hudson but in a secluded clearing at the base of the palisades. That is the opening chapter in a book as riveting as the events of the Revolution’s af-termath, when tempers and jealousies and maneuverings were set loose from the moorings of the unity forged in the struggle for independence.

“I wanted to write,” Ellis says, “a modest-sized account of a massive his-torical subject, wished to recover a seminal moment in American history without tripping over the dead bodies of my many scholarly predecessors, hoped to render human and accessible that generation of political leaders customarily deified and capitalized as Founding Fathers.”

No easy task. But Ellis has suc-ceeded admirably, providing a volume destined for more than catching dust on bookshelves. It’s not just his novel approach and masterful synthesis of complex issues that commend “Found-ing Brothers” to us, but is as well his marriage of style and scholarship.

For instance, in his chapter on Washington’s Farewell Address (which wasn’t an address at all), he observes that by the time Washington became president, “the mythology surround-ing (his) reputation had grown like ivy over a statue, effectively covering the

man with an aura of omnipotence.” Yet he notes that “some of the most incredible stories also happened to be true” and he documents a few of them.

Again, writing of Madison, “gen-erally regarded as the most influential political leader in the new nation,” he observes: “At five feet six and less than 140 pounds, ‘little Jimmy Madison’ had the frail and discernible fragile appearance of a career librarian or schoolmaster, forever lingering on the edge of some fatal ailment.”

In short, because the writing sparkles, the men and the events and the country they shaped are made new again. Not only is this instruc-tive but it remains relevant today because the old debate over federal-ism and the rights of the individual states, having been incorporated into the Constitution itself, still domi-nates political discourse. The argu-

ments that swirled around some of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet nominees gave evidence of that.

“Founding Brothers” can rightly be called a book for the ages. It is es-sential reading for anyone wishing to understand the spirit of compromise enshrined, sometimes ambiguously, in our basic law.

If the heat is bad enough and the drought has been long, these volunteer groves may be the only thing green you’ll see for miles, and just the sight of them can refresh a weary spirit.

I think these little stands of vegetation make hope spring up be-cause, in the barren heat, they give wordless testimony to the presence of water. If you pass near enough to one you inevitably will find wa-ter — a stock pond refreshed by a windmill, a little spring, a tiny creek hiding from the sun.

Sunday’s first reading reminds us that to trust in the Lord, to put oneself in God’s hands, is to be like a tree planted by a stream, green in the fiercest heat, fruitful when oth-ers are bare.

May God keep us close to the living water of his word, sacramen-tal life and the community of the church.

QUESTIONS:What is one specific way in which

God “waters” me? How can I be re-freshing, life-giving water for the people who make up my daily life?

R e a d -

New history of America’s birth is a book for the ages


NEW YORK (CNS) — Following are recent capsule reviews issued by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting.

“Hannibal” (MGM)Repelling sequel continues the mur-

derous cannibalism of fugitive Dr. Han-nibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) as he outsmarts an Italian cop but is ensnared by a vengeance-crazed former victim and comes face-to-face with his FBI nemesis, agent Starling (Julianne Moore). Director Ridley Scott jettisons depth of character in favor of graphic, grotesque slaughters in a trashy and uninvolving tale of human degradation. Excessive violence and gore, crude sexual references, some profanity and intermittent rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

“Head Over Heels” (Universal)Frivolous romantic comedy in which

an art restorer (Monica Potter) liv-ing with four supermodels in New York City falls for the seemingly per-fect guy (Freddie Prinze Jr.), until she thinks she sees him commit murder. As directed by Mark S. Waters, the film has a few entertaining moments despite its conventional comedy-of-errors plot. Fleeting violence, a few sexual encounters, some crude humor and brief crass language. The U.S. Catholic Conference clas-sification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of Amer-ica rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children un-der 13.“The Invisible Circus” (Fine Line)

Flat drama set in the mid-1970s in which a teen-ager (Jordana Brewster) travels to Europe in search of the truth behind the mysterious suicide of the older sister (Cameron Diaz) she idol-ized. Flashing back over the previous six years, director Adam Brooks’ tepid film frustrates with its shallow explora-tion of the characters’ feelings as well as its failure to capture an impassioned era of youthful, naive idealism. Fleeting violence, a few sexual encounters,

brief nudity, some drug content and intermittent rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.“The Million Dollar Hotel” (Lions

Gate)A by-the-books FBI agent (Mel

Gibson) investigates a possible ho-micide at a seedy Los Angeles hotel where most of the residents (including Jeremy Davies and Milla Jovovich) are mentally unstable indigents. Director Wim Wenders wanders in his attempts to inject humor and humanity into his characters, resulting in a bittersweet but unfocused film. Fleeting violence, some sexual innuendo, occasional profanity and recurring rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

“Sugar & Spice” (New Line)Senseless comedy about a pregnant

cheerleader (Marley Shelton) who robs a bank with her cheering squad to have money for the baby. Director Francine McDougall’s intended farce fails to amuse with its disturbing combination of teens and guns as well as its flippant attitude toward teen-age pregnancy. Casual attitude toward violence and teen pregnancy, some menace, sporadic profanity and an instance of rough language. The U.S. Catholic Confer-ence classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Asso-ciation of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Two Ninas” (Castle Hill)Formulaic romantic comedy in

which a forlorn twentysomething writer (Ron Livingston) falls for two women with the same name. Nothing can save director Neil Turitz’s derivative debut from its sleep-inducing, feeble plot that wearies with its predictable situations and endless banalities. A few sexual encounters, several sexual refer-ences and recurring profanity and rough language. The U.S. Cath-ol ic Conference c lass i f i cat ion is A-III — adults. The Motion

E n t e r t a i n -

Movie Capsules

By aNNe NavarrOCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

NEW YORK (CNS) — The black stovepipe hat, the funny looking beard and the words “four score and seven years ago” — these are some of the sounds and images evoked when Abra-ham Lincoln is the subject. In his latest documentary, writer-director David Grubin goes beyond these to offer a per-sonal and intimate portrait of the fron-tier farmer’s son as well as his aristocrat wife in the comprehensive and compel-ling “Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided.”

The three-part series presented by “The American Experience” airs Mon-day-Wednesday, Feb. 19-21, 9-11 p.m. EST on PBS (check local listings).

Abe and Mary Lincoln were a most unlikely couple: he, a 6-foot-4, self-educated, dirt farmer’s son determined to make something of himself; she, the petite, pampered daughter of an aris-tocratic family. Both had lost their mothers when they were young children, and both had suffered greatly from it, struggling with lifelong bouts of debilitating depression.

But what truly bound them together was their love of politics. Mary had used politics to get her father’s attention and affection. For Lincoln, politics was the only avenue available to break out of the impoverished life he led.

The first episode entertains with its presentation of personal details. The gangly, gawky Lincoln used self-dep-recating humor to deflect his sadness. Although Mary, a learned woman, was an incredible flirt, she waited a year and a half for Lincoln to propose a sec-ond time, after he had callously broken off their initial engagement. She saw in him the dogged ambition that would lead him to be president, and she wanted to be by his side when it happened.

From his first term as president, the bloody Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation through to Lincoln’s re-

election and assassination, the next two episodes emphasize the human story behind the historical facts. Archival photos and lively dramatizations as well as scenes shot in the Mary Todd Lin-coln House in Kentucky and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Illinois break up the historians and biographers’ commentary.

Narrated by David McCullough, the documentary describes the tragedy and grief that had marked the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, beginning with the death of her mother and continu-ing with the deaths of three of her four sons. Her despair and painful grief, along with Lincoln’s often distant and distracted personality, had sunk her into many a terrible state. And the final blow — the death of her beloved husband and confidante — led the emotionally fragile Mary down the path to insanity.

During his presidency, with the nation divided and many against him, Lincoln became sallow, dangerously thin and desperately anxious, as if the devastating loss of life during the Civil War and his constant wrangling with the moral questions surrounding slavery had become a physical bur-den he carried on his back. Photos of Lincoln, with his hollow eyes and sunken cheeks, say more about the mental state of the president than any words could.

Parents should be aware that the documentary contains gruesome images of Civil War victims unsuit-able for younger viewers. However, the program is a thorough and engag-ing presentation that could serve as psychological history lesson for adolescents.

Abraham and Mary Lincoln had forged an alliance of loyalty and friendship rarely seen, and Grubin captures their love and the tumultuous historical period with a compassionate, tender eye and a sharp artistic edge.

“Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided” to air on

Cameron Diaz and Jordana Brewster in a scene from the film “The Invisible Circus.” The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

CNs PHOTO frOM fINe LINe feaTures

SCENE FROM MOVIE “INVISIBLE CIRCUS”


Sibling relationships are life-longSystems Theory suggests that families are

biological in nature. When one element changes, the whole organism changes. This is true not just about families but also relationships between family mem-bers, particularly siblings.

We recently witnessed theory becoming praxis when our daughter came home from college for the holidays. There was something different about her relationship with her 15-year-old brother. They seemed to honor each other in ways we hadn’t seen before. Though it only took a few days for the old familiar mold to return, there still remains evidence of growth — a new maturing — in their sibling relationship.

In most families sibling rivalry persists, if only at the subconscious level, even into adulthood. Nonetheless, healthy sibling relationships grow into mutually supportive roles that are less based on gain-ing favor with one or both parents.

However, to develop such healthy relationships between adult siblings, there need to be healthy adult-to-adult relationships between parents and their adult children. Though we know that such relationships are attainable, we struggle to find appropriate names for them. A parent of an adult should no longer be a “parent” in that relationship. And adult children . . . well, the oxymoron is clear.

When adult siblings still live in competitive roles where they vie for parents’ favor, they act like children. When parents hold on to their authoritative roles with their adult offspring, they block the neces-sary growth for healthy family relationships.

We recognize that our relationships with our siblings will be the longest of our lifetimes. Along the way we have had to invest in each other — in our sibling relationships — so that we have more than just a common family of origin. Our current relationships, though influenced by our childhood experiences together, should be more about our pres-ent lives.

It takes initiative to nurture adult sibling rela-tionships. Good ones don’t just happen. Whether they live minutes or thousands of miles from each other, adult siblings have to continually rediscover each other and allow new relationship scripts to take on.

Modern technology offers a variety of ways to stay connected. However, particularly during the high holidays, efforts to physically connect and spend time together feed the spiritual familial bonds in ways that cyberspace, a mere phone call or letter cant do.

Andrew’s siblings have decided to have monthly dinners as a way to preserve family closeness. The reasons for these gatherings are partly because of Mom — we still want to please her — but mostly for our enduring relationships as sisters and brothers who care about and want to invest in each other.

So, today or some time this week, make a plan to make better connections with a sibling relationship. It’s a relationship that is truly life-long. Make it a healthy one.

In a couple of weeks our daughter’s school is hav-ing “Sibling Weekend.” Her brother will spend that weekend with her. They are both excited about it. And we are amazed.

By ciNDy WOODeNCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The church is described as the bride of Christ and as a mother because the church is a sign of God’s love for the world, Pope John Paul II said.

“The church is a sign raised up among the nations to witness to the intensity of divine love revealed in Christ, especially in giving his own life,” the pope said Feb. 7 during his weekly general audi-ence at the Vatican.

To describe the identity of the church, the pope said, the Bible uses feminine terms, “bride and mother, underlining in this way a dimension of love and fecundity.”

As St. Paul described it, the church is to be “glo-rious, without stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and immaculate,” he said.

The love which God has poured out on the church must spread to all men and women, “re-minding humanity — which frequently has the sen-sation of being alone and abandoned in the desolate and barren lands of history — that it will never be forgotten or deprived of the warmth of divine ten-derness,” the pope said.

The church, he said, is called to live its love “with the freshness of two spouses who love each other in the joy of giving without reserve and in daily generosity, both when the skies of life are spring-like and calm as well as when the night falls and the clouds of the winter of the spirit gather.”

And, like a husband and wife, the church is called to make sure that its love is not restricted, but is fruitful and gives life to others through baptism, he said.

The church is called to move with hope toward Christ, he said, even though it may sense “the hos-tile and furious presence of another feminine figure” from the Book of Revelation, “Babylon, the great harlot, who incarnates the bestiality of hatred, death and interior sterility.”

Pope John Paul prayed that the church always would be “the custodian of hope, luminous like the woman of the Apocalypse, ‘clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of 12 stars.”’

Better Than DeMilleThere is this great scene in “Indiana Jones and the

Last Crusade” where action hero Indiana (aka Harrison Ford) finally figures out that to reach the so-called Holy Grail he must step out into what seems like thin air over a deep, seemingly endless cavern.

He literally steps off the cliff edge with no support in sight for his foot. The audience gulps as he tests his confidence and appears to be taking a long first step into oblivion.

Luckily for Harrison Ford fans, what had been an invisible bridge across the cavern appears. Indiana finds himself on firm footing.

Oddly enough, this scene brings to mind not only the devil’s temptation of Jesus (Lk 4:1-13), but a delight-ful exchange with a dear friend as she shared about the early days of her marriage.

In terms of the devil inviting Jesus to go temple-jumping to prove God’s angels would swoop down and save him, the parallel is obvious.

As a side note, I know for a fact I am not the only one in league with the devil on this Scripture passage. While wildly swilling illicit Oreos and milk during a back-yard pup-tent poker game years ago, some buddies and I admitted outloud that it would have been “beyond rad” if Jesus had in fact leaped off the temple, causing this awesome squadron of angels to dramatically swoop in and snag him mid-air. Yes!

I also strongly suspect Cecil B. DeMille would have preferred this version as well, and instead of watching Charleston Heston parting the waters of the Red Sea around Easter every year, we’d see him as Jesus grace-fully gliding off the parapet of the temple to be rescued by angels.

My friend and her husband were surviving on a meager income in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. They lived far from family and friends. They had no health insurance. She became pregnant. And, she laughs now, “I was terrified.”

Yet all went well, she smiles, as it has in other times of their lives when they faced what seemed like insur-mountable odds.

“According to my husband,” she says, “having kids and losing jobs are among the best things that can hap-pen to a couple because these experiences can open our eyes to the fact we are neither self-sufficient nor alone. In the hearts and hands that reach out to help, we catch a glimpse of the God who cares for us.”

In both Harrison Ford’s stepping out into apparent oblivion and my friend’s reflection on divine providence, it strikes me that we perhaps live not boldly enough too much of the time.

While Jesus clearly tells us that it is not our place to be literally or even metaphorically putting God to the test (leaping off parapets), he also underscores that our faith will sustain us and that “if God clothes in such splendor the grass of the field which grows today and is thrown on the fire tomorrow, how much more will he provide for you!”

At the same time, it seems pretty clear that you and I are asked to be the “invisible” bridge for others, keeping an eye out and a hand ready for those who might not even know we exist.

How very often this takes place in simple acts of kindness and concern — from the knitting of warm boo-ties for a newborn to sending along our tax return check to the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society so its members can help others buy a coat or heat their home.

Eat your heart out, Cecil.

The Pope Speaks

Family Reflections

On the Light side

POPe JOHN PauL II

DAN MOrriSCNs COLuMNIsT

aNdreW & TerrI LyKeguesT COLuMNIsTs

E d i t o r i a l s & C o l -

Pope says church is sign of God’s love for the world

Pope urges Hungarian bishops to combat high abortion rate

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II urged Hungary’s bishops to work to reduce the country’s high abortion rate, which he called symptomatic of a “culture of death” spreading across Europe. “The abortion statistics published in recent decades in your country are alarming,” said the pope, meeting with the bishops Jan. 30. “Do everything possible to encourage pregnant women to carry their pregnancies to term,” he said. The Hungarian bishops were on their “ad limina” visits, which heads of dioceses are required to make every five years. About 40 percent of all Hungarian pregnancies end in a procured abortion, according to a 1999 study conducted by a Hungarian univer-sity hospital in association with the World Health Organization.


Part X: The Principle of AssociationCatholic social teaching views the human person

as both sacred and social.You will notice how most of the word “social” is

lodged right there in the middle of a larger word, “as-sociation.” You might also note that “association” de-rives from the Latin preposition “ad,” meaning “to” or “toward,” together with another Latin word, “socius,” meaning “companion.”

Association, accordingly, means “toward com-panionship.” It implies social contact.

Association involves being with others, enjoying the companionship of others, working with others, shar-ing life, joy, energy and responsibility with others.

Our faith tradition recognizes that how we orga-nize our society economically, socially, politically and legally will affect each person’s capacity to be with oth-ers and to grow in community.

For any human person, it all begins with family. Our social doctrine points to family as the centerpiece of society. That is why Catholic social action always will work to promote family stability and defend the family against any potentially destructive forces.

By association with others in a family, the human person begins the process of socialization. That pro-cess continues on through school and work and all the stages of life. It continues by association with others in social institutions that foster growth, protect dignity and promote the common good.

This is how human persons achieve their fulfill-ment: in relationships with others, in companionship with others.

How many times have you heard the words “I (or we) don’t associate with” this group or that, this person or another? In the Gospel story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn 4:5-30), the writer felt compelled to explain that Jesus was breaking new ground in meeting alone and speaking with this woman because, as is written in Verse 9, “Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”

That was just one of the many divisions Jesus wanted to close. Association brings people together. By association, individuals overcome isolation. If as-sociation is denied, the path to a fuller life is foreclosed.

Phone books list all kinds of associations. Eight of the Yellow Pages in the Washington, D.C., telephone directory cover associations — literally from A to Z. They reflect an impressively broad range of human activity.

There are associations that use other labels like “league,” “union,” “federation,” “council” or “confer-ence.” Regardless of the name, the purpose is the same: to unite people for a purpose, and at bottom the pur-pose is some kind of enhancement of human life and advancement of human growth.

Catholic social teaching has a nice link at this junc-ture with Catholic sacramental theology. Association relates to companionship, and companionship, in the Catholic view, relates to Eucharist. Eucharist is a bread-breaking ritual. Those who gather around the altar to remember their Lord “in the breaking of the bread” are indeed bread breakers. There is a Latin phrase, “cum pane,” that describes what believers are about when, with bread, they give praise and thanks to God. That same phrase, “cum pane,” is hidden at the heart of the more familiar word “company.”

What a revolution it would be if bread-breaking believers carried the spirit of their Sunday companionship into the companies where they go to work on Monday morning! And what a denial of eucharistic unity it is if Sunday’s bread breakers choose not to associate with other humans they judge to be inferior or deny access to others, for any prejudicial reason, to employment, education, housing or health care.

Love is GreaterIt was about twenty-five years ago that I attended

Colleen and Jack’s wedding. I was a relatively young guy, but couldn’t mistake the passionate feelings these two shared for each other. They were the couple you just know will accomplish everything. And for a while, they did. Jack was a huge success on Wall Street. Col-leen was the perfect homemaker, and in short order, the perfect Mom. They had a family of five children - not surprisingly, all great kids. So here they are: rich, beautiful, strongly attracted to each other, parents of wonderful children, liked and respected by many in the community.

Then, for no reason in particular and for many reasons, Colleen and Jack start to drift apart. Work consumes him; the family consumes her. They spend less and less time focusing on each other. He takes more trips without his wife. She finds new friends with whom she shares intimate details of life. He uses alcohol as a release. Her relationships with other men goes beyond appropriate boundaries. The children watch sadly as Mom and Dad come home more angry after marriage counseling than before.

In the midst of pain and poor communications, Colleen takes a boyfriend. Jack finds out and files for a divorce. Our perfect couple now see each other very differently. To Colleen, Jack was the bully she never really liked nor respected. He drank too much. He noticed too many younger women. He dumped responsibility for the children on his wife.

Jack’s viewpoint has also changed. Colleen kept a messy home and rarely cooked a decent meal. The children got away with too much. She was a permis-sive role model who gave them too much freedom. She tried smoking pot, even at home! And the final straw: she cheated on her husband — though he never mentioned that he’d given into temptation a few times himself.

The divorce comes, ugly and painful. As Danny DeVito’s character wisely admits in the film “The War of the Roses, “In divorce, there are no winners,

Light OneCandle

Marriage for cohabiting coupleQ. What steps would a Catholic couple who have lived to-

gether for a long time need to take to be married in the Catholic Church? Is it possible for a priest to marry them knowing they have been cohabiting?

A. Contrary to what many Catholics seem to assume, living together is not an impediment to mar-riage in church law. In other words, a couple who have lived together for whatever length of time are not prohibited from marriage for this reason.

Cohabiting couples are, of course, expected to fulfill the same premarriage requirements as other couples, including attendance at marriage prepara-tion programs, premarital inventories and so on, as required by the local bishop.

Most dioceses today also provide guidelines to priests and other pastoral staff, to help such couples bridge the gap, spiritually, intellectually and psycho-logically, between their present relationship and an authentic sacramental marriage.

Again, however, there is no obstacle of any kind to a marriage in the church simply because of their current situation.

On beatificationQ. Some friends were discussing the beatification of Pope

John XXIII and wondered about the celebration of Mass in his honor. Is that possible now?

Principles of Catholic Social Thought:

QuestionCorner

FATher WilliAM J. ByrON, SJCaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

faTHer JOHN dIeTZeNCNs COLuMNIsT

Also, one of our group told us that some other Christians, besides Catholics, honor John XXIII in their worship. But he did not know which ones. Is that true?

A. Beatification was formerly a way of acknowl-edging the sanctity of an individual Christian for the benefit of people in a particular locality. Often this was declared by the local bishop and permitted public veneration of the person, including Mass.

Canonization, on the other hand, is a declaration meant for the universal church. That geographical distinction no longer applies. Beatification, proclaim-ing an individual Christian blessed, is generally today a step in the process of canonization and, like canonization, is reserved to the pope.

The permission for celebration of the liturgy honoring those who are beatified remains, however. Normally, the pope grants the newly elevated blessed a Mass and Office of his or her own and a particular feast day, to be celebrated particularly, but not exclu-sively, in places related to his or her life.

Pope John Paul II has assigned Oct. 11 as the feast of Pope John XXIII, the date of the opening of Vatican Council II. Masses may be celebrated in his honor at the discretion of the local bishop.

To your second question, the only non-Catholic Christian denomination I have found which officially gives some sort of liturgical recognition to Pope John XXIII are Lutherans. Listed in the calendar of lesser festivals and commemorations of the official Lutheran Book of Worship we find: “June 3 — John XXIII, Bishop of Rome.”

Originally printed in l978, the Book of Worship is published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod; and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada.

A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about cremation and other Catholic funeral regulations and customs is available by sending a stamped, self-ad-dressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, IL 6l651.

Msgr. JaMes P. LIsaNTe

guesT COLuMNIsT

it’s only about degrees of losing.” And so it was for Colleen and Jack, two scarred people who could see little good in their children’s other parent.

And then it happened. The youngest child, Brendan, is in a terrible accident. He survives, but is disabled for life. Left without the use of his legs or arms, the former athlete needs his family now more than ever. Jack and Colleen, along with their other four children, respond with enthusiastic and lov-ing support. Suddenly, the issues and mistakes that divided a home don’t seem so important when mea-sured by the love and healing given Brendan in his time of need. I saw these two divorced parents at the hospital, in follow-up therapy and many times since that awful accident. They look at each other with renewed respect and appreciation. You can almost see love again.

No, they won’t be getting re-married. But they will remain friends. They will, once again, share con-versations of intimacy and caring. Because Jack and Colleen have learned a valuable lesson borne of pain: that in any close relationship love may change and evolve. It may ebb and flow. Yet, there is much more to love than you see. The differences, the battles, the hurts, the betrayals are important. But nowhere as powerful as generosity and reconciliation, never more lasting than forgiveness and redemption.

E d i t o r i a l s & C o l -


Administrative Assistant: Full-time. Oversees church statistics/database, supports pastor and staff, prepares and manages church calendar, as-sists prospective parishioners, and other duties as assigned. BA/BS and 2-4 years business/adminis-trative experience required. Must have knowledge of Catholic terminology, excellent customer service skills and be a self-motivator who works well with others. Proficiency in MS Office, Excel, and Powerpoint required. Excellent diocesan ben-efits provided. Submit resume, salary history, and references by December 1 to: Search Committee, Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Drive, Durham, NC 27713-9470.

Adult Faith Formation: St. Elizabeth Ann Se-ton, a parish community of 500 families, seeks a Pastoral Associate to be responsible for RCIA/RCIC, sacramental preparation, adult faith forma-tion, and act as a resource person to staff, youth and teen ministers, and parish committees. M.A. in religious Education/Theology required. Send resume, references and salary requirements to: Search Committee, 700 Carnegie St., Fayetteville, NC 28311.

Director of Music Ministry: Holy Infant Catholic Church is in search of a full-time Director of Mu-sic. Located in Durham, North Carolina, a dynam-ic and growing area of the country near Research Triangle Park, this Vatican II parish consists of

In brief . . . CCHD program to debut in

dioceseCHARLOTTE — “Education for

Solidarity: Catholic Social Teaching and Economic Life,” a program of the U.S. bishops’ anti-poverty Catholic Cam-paign for Human Development, will be presented in workshop-style format March 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Mat-thew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte.

This initiative of the Catholic Cam-paign for Human Development connects Catholic social teaching to economic life and forces in society.

Presenters include Glenmary Father John Rausch, who writes, teaches and or-ganizes in Appalachia and is a syndicated newspaper columnist.

This event is for parish leaders, social concerns members, educators, business people and all interested persons. It is sponsored by the CCHD office of the Diocese of Charlotte.

For registration and other informa-tion, call Dr. Barney Offerman at (704) 370-3234 by Feb. 15.

Campus Ministry Office sponsors campus retreat

CHARLOTTE — The diocesan Of-fice of Campus Ministry has announced “Living Catholic” as the theme of the 2001 college retreat Feb. 16-18 at Camp

Thunderbird in Lake Wylie, S.C. The annual retreat experience unites

campus communities in the Diocese of Charlotte while encouraging students to strengthen their relationships with God, others and themselves. The retreat focuses on catholic identity, tradition and worldview.

Talks, small-group discussions, lit-


900 households that are 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 re-sume to: DOMM Search Committee, Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Dr., Durham, NC 27713. Fax 919/544-1799. References re-quired at time of application for consideration for this position.

Music Minister: Rapidly growing parish of 700 families near Raleigh, North Carolina is build-ing new church and desires qualified per-son knowledgeable in Roman Catholic lit-urgy. Candidate will have a BA in music and keyboard proficiency. Full-time salary of 35K with benefits. Job description on request. Send inquiries/resume by February 28 to: Search Committee, St. Ann Church, 113 N. 7th St., Smith-field, NC 27577.

Principal, Elementary: St. Mary School, Johnson City, Tennessee, has an opening for principal beginning July 1, 2001; 200 stu-dents, K-8. Southern Association accred-itation. Qualifications: practicing Catholic; leadership skills; master’s in administration or

willing to work on certification. Deadline: February 23rd. Letter and resume to: Kathleen Mitchell, 2211 E. Lakeview Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601.

Teacher: St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School is accepting applications for certified Kindergar-ten Teacher starting March 2001; also, 3rd Grade teacher for August 2001. Contact or send resume to: Ed Manville, Principal. Phone: (919)570-0070; Fax: (919)570-0071; e-mail [email protected]

Teachers: Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, located in Fairburn, Georgia (south of Atlanta), is seeking teachers in all disciplines for the 2001-2002 school year. Mercy offers an excellent teaching envi-ronment as well as competitive salary and benefits. Interested individuals should send a cover letter and resume to John Cobis, Principal, OLMCHS, 861 Highway 270, Fairburn, GA 30213.

Youth and Young Adult Ministry: Diocese of Savan-nah seeks a qualified director for this ministry in south Georgia. Qualifications: Practicing Catholic in good standing; at least 3 years’ relevant experience; mas-ter’s degree or equivalent in appropriate field; suitable organizational skills; demonstrated capacity to work collegially; strong oral and written communication skills; ability to travel independently within Diocese. Spanish language ability a plus. For job descrip-tion and application contact Youth Ministry Search Committee, Catholic Pastoral Center, 601 E. Lib-erty Street, Savannah, GA 31401-5196; fax (912)238-2339; e-mail [email protected]

REAL ESTATE

Buying? Selling? Call me anytime — Charles Mc-Collum, member of St. Gabriel, Charlotte. Past Grand Knight of K of C Charlotte Council 770. Part of commission donated to Church. Coldwell Banker

Flouhouse - (704)541-5111 or home (704)367-1371. Let’s get started now!Office Space for Sublease: We’ve expanded - now available in Charlotte’s Arrowood area in Oak Hill Business Park (waterfalls, walking trails). 1,000 square feet including 3 partially furnished window offices, computer lab and reception area. Reasonable! (704) 896-3555.

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Want to lose weight? 12 people needed to lose 10 to 20 pounds in the new year. All natural. 100% guaran-teed. Call 1-800-8578.

Nursery Furniture: Belllini crib, corner bookshelf, 3-drawer dressing chest/changing table, rocker + ottoman, custom bedding (quilt, pillow w/cover, crib bumpers, glider pad/ottoman covers, changing table pad). Paid $3,300, asking $750 for all. St. Gabriel par-ish/school family. (704)708-4528.

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Complete Hair Care in YOUR Home: Shampoo, Cut, Perm, Color. Done at YOUR convenience. Call Greta Perlata: (704)341-1936 (NC License). St. John

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication dateHow to order: Ads may be faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to:

Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.Payment: Ads may be pre-paid or billed. For information, call (704) 370-3332.

C l a s s i -

Bishop William G. Curlin visited Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Charlotte during Catholic Schools Week Jan. 28-Feb. 3. Here, he shares a smile with students at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.

PHOTO By susaN deguZMaN

urgy and prayer and music highlight the event.

For registration information, con-tact Jen Rupp at (704) 370-3359.

Faith Formation official to address L.A. Religious Education

CongressCHARLOTTE — Dr. Cris V. Villa-

pando, the Diocese of Charlotte’s director of faith formation programs, will address the Religious Education Congress spon-sored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Feb. 15-18. The annual event drew 37,000 participants last year.

Villapando will present two lectures: “Transactional vs. Transformation Lead-ership” and “Culture as a Vehicle of the Gospel.” Last year, he gave lectures on “Exploring an Evangelization Paradigm” and “The Seven Prime Filipino Values that Reflect the Face of God.”

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week

“Light Weigh” weight-loss program

CHARLOTTE — The Light Weigh is a 12-week Catholic spiritual growth weight-loss program designed to help deepen your relationship with Jesus while learning to eat the foods you enjoy in moderation. An orienta-tion will be offered at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., on March 7 at 7 p.m. in the parish center in Room 102. The classes will run for the following 12 Wednesdays at 7 p.m. For details, call Connie Tobey at (704) 541-6858 in the evening.

Annual World Day of Prayer ecumenical service

HICKORY — The Annual World Day of Prayer ecumenical worship service will be held March 2 at 7 p.m. in the chapel of Holy Trinity Luther-an Church. The theme is “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action” and is drawn from the biblical wisdom of Es-ther. Men and women of all denomi-nations are invited, and childcare will be provided. Refreshments will also be served. Contact Carole Marmorato at (828) 256-8956 for further details.

Men’s and Women’s Ultryea Weekends

MAGGIE VALLEY — The 55th Men’s Weekend Ultreya will take place at Living Waters Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane, March 1-4. The 57th Women’s Weekend Ultreya will take place at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., Greensboro from March 29-April 1. For details, call Dan Hines at (704) 544-6665 or Aliceann Coon at (704) 540-8696.

For details regarding this event, call Dr. Villapando at (704) 370-3246.


have done without Father Joe and [the late] Sister Veronica. She was the ad-ministrator at St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville.”

Bishop Michael Begley assisted them in getting an 8-foot-by-16-foot trailer through Catholic Extension Service. Sister Jacquie kept patient records and escorted patients to the trailer, where Sister Gretchen exam-ined and treated them. In September 1984 they added a new ministry, tak-ing the trailer over the mountain to Barber’s Orchard in Waynesville to be used Tuesday and Thursday evenings as medical clinic for migrant farm workers. Back in Rosman, half of Sis-ter Gretchen’s bedroom (smaller than the 12-foot-by-14-foot kitchen of their clinic) became the examining room.

They had been accepted into the local community, and the house that they lived and worked in was was rap-idly becoming too small as they treated more and more patients. A number of local people, including Brenda and Randall McCall, a Baptist couple, had helped them settle in. Brenda handed out flyers announcing the clinic, and the McCalls helped them find the property that became the site of the current clinic.

But before that, they had to find a house that was bigger than the one they occupied. Someone knew about some land, and someone else knew

about a house that was half habitable, half termite-ridden. With help the good half of the house was moved to the new land, and parishioners from Sacred Heart helped expand and enclose the structure into a 935-foot space that included two examining rooms. The McCalls traveled to Iowa and Indiana to pick up tables that had been donated to the clinic.

With more space and a growing number of patients, the two sisters needed more help. Sister Carol Hoban, a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth of Convent Sta-tion, N.J., arrived in September 1985.

“She was a real blessing,” Sister Jacquie said. “We were just so frustrated because we were seeing all these patients and we needed help.”

Sister Carol is a family nurse practi-tioner. Lisa Searls, R.N., a Seton volun-teer, and Sister Annette Byrne, a Sister of Charity, also joined the staff. The added help was welcome, but meant looking for a bigger facility. “With five of us in that place, we were stumbling over each other,” Sister Jacquie said.

Sister Annette did some grant work to gather the funding needed to build the current facility, which the staff designed. They moved into the new building in April 1988. The sisters now occupy two small houses nearby.

Today, in addition to Sisters Gretch-en, Jacquie and Carole, and Seton associ-ate Lisa Searls, the clinic staff includes Sister of Charity Irene Mongrandi and Ranessa Thomas, registered nurses working there part time; Joyce Spears is the full-time certified nursing assistant. Martha Robinson works in the business office, along with Beverly Benjamin and Linda Metcher, who are part-time vol-unteers.

A computer hookup to Transylvania Community Hospital helps the clinic keep records updated for their patients who have been admitted to the hospital. The hospital also does X-rays and some lab work for clinic patients, and Sister Gretchen is internist-on-call at the hospi-tal every seventh weekend.

The Frances Warde Health Service means affordable, as well as closer, care for many who would have to travel some distance to go into Brevard. Before the clinic was established, “You had to go into Brevard every time,” Brenda McCall said.

and excitement aren’t limited to wins over losses.

“It’s more than just participation in sports,” he says. “We are a faith com-munity, and sports is one way to pull people together.”

He says the student-athletes realize ear-ly in their careers the need for values-based participation. “They need to understand when they participate in sports that team-work comes out,” he adds. “The old saying goes, ‘there’s no ‘i’ in ‘team.’”

Teamwork is one of many benefits Charlotte Catholic senior Matt McKillop has enjoyed during his time at the school. At age 17, he says he has learned the foundation of what it takes to be a good person.

“Our school takes great pride in our sportsmanship,” says McKillop, a varsity basketball player and a member of the Fel-lowship of Christian Athletes. “That is reflected in all the things that we do and the services we perform.

“Playing sports has taught me a lot about myself — about what I need to do to push myself to become a better person.”

Megan Picinich, an 18-year-old Char-lotte Catholic senior and a member of that championship volleyball team, says par-ticipating in sports has left her with cherished memories and lifelong values.

“It helps a lot to have faith in your team and your school,” she says. “The sportsman-ship is awesome. We learn a lot, and we respect other people as well as ourselves.”

Coach Oddo says that in many cases in a society that promotes self-importance, playing sports adds fresh emphasis on com-munity. “When kids get into sports, they have a tendency to step back, evaluate and say there’s a larger picture here,” he says.

Focusing on a larger picture has helped Charlotte Catholic senior Michelle Watts. A basketball player, Watts injured her knee last season — a devastating setback that kept her from participating this year in two other favorite sports, volleyball and track.

“Playing sports gives you a lot of de-termination and discipline,” says Watts, 18. “It makes you want to work for something. When something like this happens, you question yourself and ask why is this hap-pening to me at this time in my life, especially when I was right in the middle of basketball season.

“It knocked me down, but determina-tion and wanting to make myself better really pushed me. It’s a good mental and

“That’s at least a 30-minute trip from where we live in Balsam Grove.”

One of Frances Warde’s original pa-tients, Brenda said, “I get the treatment that I want. They take good care of me.”

Sometimes, though, it takes convinc-ing to get patients who can’t pay to come back to the clinic for further treatment. “We’ve had to talk some people into com-ing [back] because they owed us money,” Sister Jacquie added. “We’ve said, ‘We’ll carry you as long as you need it. Your health is more important.’ “


ATHLETICS, from page

Sister Jacquie Dewar, RSM, handles a phone call and checks patient records at the clinic.

PHOTO By JOaNITa M. NeLLeNBaCH

SISTERS, from page 1

MEDIA, from page 3an unprecedented access to the truth, he said, and it is the church’s task to make sure that the truth is what they receive.

“The world of the media can sometimes seem indifferent and even hostile to Christian faith and moral-ity,” the pope said. “This is because media culture is so deeply imbued with a typically postmodern sense that the only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths or that, if there were, they would be inaccessible to human reason and therefore irrelevant.”

At his Jan. 24 general audience, Pope John Paul marked the feast of

16 The Catholic News & Herald February 9, 2001L i v i n g t h e

By WeNdy e. MurrayCOrresPONdeNT

ASHEVILLE — Called in faith, steadfast in belief, Mike Zboyovski is about to realize a dream he has had since he was 7 years old. In June, Zboyovski will be ordained as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church.

As early as he can remember, his ear-ly inclination was to be a medical mission-ary. “At that time in my life, I wondered how do I preach the word of God when people are poor and sick?” Zboyovski said. “Then I thought, I was being called to be a priest.”

After four years in seminary and much discernment, Zboyovski realized his gifts would be better utilized in the medical profession. Little did Zboy-ovski know at the time that his hands would be used in a different way.

It took his brother’s near-fatal car accident to be drawn into becom-ing a chiropractor. So intrigued with healing, Zboyovski and his brother John enrolled in the Logan College for Chiropractic Care. Eventually, they shaped their own Back Pain Clinic of Asheville.

Busy with a growing practice, his wife Jan and their three children, Zboyovski settled into daily life. He was using his hands to heal, yet there was a restlessness and a constant prod-ding to do more.

“I began to hear my faith com-munity calling me forward to begin a commitment to become a deacon,” he said. “After making a Cursillo in 1986, the bishop affirmed my inner sense that something must be unfolding within me.” Father Jim Solari and Father George Maloney reassured Zboyovski that he was being led. “Doors began to open to me,” he said. “I felt that this was a direction I should follow.”

Zboyovski wanted to jump right into the diaconate program. “I had to be patient and find silence to allow God to speak, in order for me to hear his message,” he recalled. “This was the hardest part, yet I’ve come to know that this affirmation from God and

others is an important step.” The role of a deacon is to be a minis-

ter of faith to all he serves. Empowered at ordination to proclaim the Gospel message in word and deed, Zboyovski will be able to baptize, preach, assist at the altar during Mass, and officiate at weddings and funerals.

Gifted in his ability to play sev-eral musical instruments including the hammered dulcimer, 6- and 12-string guitars, Zboyovski is a seasoned per-former at wedding ceremonies. “John and I put ourselves through college by playing our music at Mass,” he said.

As a permanent deacon, he will be given a chance to serve in a much-needed ministry. “I’m hoping that my talents will conform to the needs of the Catholic community,” Zboyovski said. “A chaplaincy in a hospital or prison setting where there is a sense of hopelessness would allow me to bring the light of Christ to those in dire need.”

“I had to break down some walls to be open to the Spirit of God,” he con-tinued. “This is a process. My spiritual director, Jos Vandermeer, former dea-con at St. Eugene Church of Asheville who died suddenly last year, told me that I would have an interior sense that I will know if it is right. He was a spiritual father to me.”

He added that this ministry has deepened his prayer life and blessed him with deep peace and tranquility.

Zboyovski and his brother contin-ue to follow similar paths. John Zboy-ovski serves as an ordained priest in the Russian Orthodox Church, which answers to the Patriarch of Constanti-nople. The brothers often get a chance to play music together, and a CD re-cording may be in their future.

Soon Dr. Zboyovski will make the transition from helping mend bodies to healing broken souls as Rev. Mr. Mi-chael Zboyovski. “Never losing sight of what God wants me to be,” he said, “I’m looking forward to the unfolding of what’s next.”

The permanent diaconate program is

By Mary sT. PIerre CaTHOLIC NeWs servICe

PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — Jason R. Dorsey believes the solution to school violence does not rest in more security guards or metal detectors for the na-tion’s schools.

Instead, the young founder of the Insti-tute to End School Violence sees the solu-tion in avoiding gossip, listening, changing behavior, forgiveness, and sharing examples of success, as well as learn-ing to lose, empathize and apologize.

Dorsey’s program — based on his book “Can Students End School Vio-lence?” — has been adopted in five schools of the Palm Beach Diocese. Pat Cantieri, assistant superintendent of schools in the diocese, wants all the schools in the dio-cese to sign on.

“Instead of giving kids an as-signment which would mean more homework, the teachers read part of the book, ask the students to think about it, and then have open discus-sions on the subject,” she told The Florida Catholic, Palm Beach diocesan newspaper.

Dorsey founded the not-for-profit insti-tute at age 21 to help students, educators and parents strengthen the social climate within their school. He speaks annually to more than 100,000 students and educators across America. His mission is to make schools and communities, both rural and urban, safer.

“Many students have a very different perspective on violence than their parents, teachers or even the media,” Dorsey said. “Their biggest concern is not about being stabbed or shot in school. They are more afraid of being laughed at in class or the caf-eteria during lunch.”

School violence, according to Dorsey, stems from any action that negatively affects the social climate in a school. This includes how students feel about themselves, their relationship to their peers, their parents and their teachers.

“Children who often receive negative reactions by their peers, parents or teachers, begin to feel ostracized and they often act out violently on these feelings,” Dorsey said.

One man answers the call: “Whom shall I

Schools bring peace studies into daily curriculum

The path that led Dorsey to peace studies was not a straight one. Raised by a single mother in a rural Texas community, he began college pre-med studies at age 16 but found that medicine was not the field for him. Through Harvard University he then became the youngest participant on an inter-national archeological dig in Israel.

At age 18, Dorsey wrote “Graduate to Your Perfect Job” and founded his own educational publishing company, raising capital through investors, friends and family.

Realizing through conversation and education that there was a problem with violence on many levels, Dorsey began to study school violence from the perspective of students. His research led to his second book, “Can Students End School Violence?”

“The goal of my book is to really build powerful families by emphasizing the importance of strong values,” Dorsey said. “To build community in schools across America we must educate stu-dents on how to better connect with each other at home, in school and on the streets.”

To better understand the mind-set, problems and desires of school children, Dorsey met with more than 150,000 students nationwide before writing the book. They shared their personal insight and solutions to preventing violence.

The in-school programs, such as those in the five Palm Beach Catholic schools, were developed by Dorsey and a team of educators, students, parents and com-munity leaders to reach students on their level. Teachers who have implemented the program have applauded the fact that it fits into an existing class instead of being an added class.

Dorsey believes that to help restore schools as safe havens, it is time for children, their peers, teachers and families to connect as a group and for every person’s contribu-tion to be valued.

“All schools have the potential to get better at creating connection and community,” he said. “What it takes to prevent and end school violence will start with each one of us.”

Michael Zboyovski, second from left, is one of a group of men who will be ordained as permanent deacons in June.

fILe PHOTO By JIMMy rOsTar

Documents

Feb. 9, 2001