June 9, 2006

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 June 9, 2006

Serving CatholiCS in WeStern north Carolina in the DioCeSe of Charlotte

Youths in ActionStudents, Scouts get awards; graduating seniors list

| Pages 12-13

Culture WatchExtension marks 100 years; ‘net neutrality

| Pages 14-15

PerspectivesLooking at Father’s Day; Internet dangers

| Pages 18-19

JUne 9, 2006 volUMe 15 no. 33

See SCRIPTURE, page 5

www.charlottediocese.org

See PRIESTS, page 7

Vocations2006 graduating class better educated; local anniversaries celebrated

| Pages 6-9

Following in Christ’s footstepsPriests called to be shepherds, teachers

Studying Scripture

established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul vi

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

See SURVEY, page 17

CusTomary CHaNges

U.S. immigration director outlines how bill could affect his agency

See BILL, page 16

mosT ameriCaNs oPPose embryoNiC sTem-Cell researCH, survey fiNds

Conference explores Bible, international by KEVIN E. MURRAy

EdItoR

CHARLOTTE — Despite a variety of cultural back-grounds, they came together to study Scripture and share their faith.

Participants from 27 states and four countries gathered in Charlotte for the first an-nual Catholic Scripture Study International Conference, held at the Omni Hotel April 28-30.

Catholic Scripture Study International is comprised of several Bible study programs written by leading Catholic a u t h o r s , s c h o l a r s a n d apologists, including Scott Hahn, Mark Shea and Carl Olson. The study guides and materials are formatted specifically for group study.

Several parishes in the

by PAtRICIA ZAPoRCAtholIC NEws sERVICE

WASHINGTON — The director of the federal agency that oversees immigration told reporters that if applicants for any future legalization program are rejected for noncriminal reasons, “it isn’t my plan” to turn over their information to other agencies for prosecution.

At a round table for reporters May 31, Emilio Gon-zalez, director of Citizen-ship and Immigration Ser-

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Fathers James Stuhrenberg and Alejandro Ayala lie prostrate during their ordination Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 3.

Courtesy Photo

Bishop Peter J. Jugis gives a blessing during the Catholic Scripture Study International Conference in Charlotte April 28-30.

resPeCTiNg life

by KEVIN E. MURRAyEdItoR

CHARLOTTE — Priests are those through whom Jesus is present and continues to serve his flock, said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“By holy orders, the priest is sacramentally configured to Jesus the High Priest. Through that sacramental identification with Christ, Christ is present to his flock and continues his min-istry to his flock,” said Bishop Jugis.

Bishop Jugis delivered this message specifically to two men sitting before him in St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

In a church filled with clergy, seminarians, fami-lies and friends, the bishop ordained Fathers H. Alejandro Ayala and James Stuhrenberg as priests during an ordination Mass June 3.

by NANCy FRAZIER o’bRIEN

CAtholIC NEws sERVICE

WA S H I N G T O N — Despite pressure from sup-porters of embryonic stem-cell research, “Congress should not be misled” into believ-ing that most Americans back the use of federal funds for research that kills embryos, according to an official of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

Richard Doerf l inger, deputy director of the pro-life office, cited a new poll that showed 48 percent of Americans oppose federal funding of stem-cell research that requires destroying hu-man embryos, while only 39 percent support such funding.

2 The Catholic News & Herald June 9, 2006

Current and upcoming top-ics from around the world to your own backyardInBrief Catholic-Lutheran dialogue discusses

death, judgment, resurrectionCaN-do aTTiTude

PublisHer: most reverend Peter J. JugisediTor: Kevin e. murraysTaff WriTer: Karen a. evans graPHiC desigNer: Tim faragheradverTisiNg maNager: Cindi feerickseCreTary: deborah Hiles

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

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JUNE 9, 2006VolUME 15 • NUMBEr 33

ASHEVIllE VICArIATE

HENDERSONVILLE — The St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order meets the fourth Sunday of each month, 2:30-4:30 p.m., at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West. Visitors and inquirers are wel-come. For more information, contact Joanita Nel-lenbach, SFO, (828) 627-9209 or [email protected] VICArIATE

SPRUCE PINE — A Rosary of Intercession for Priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m. Mass. Prayers are offered for bishops, priests and deacons, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. For more information, call the church office at (828) 765-2224.CHArloTTE VICArIATE

CHARLOTTE — A Blood Drive, hosted by The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, will take place at the diocesan Pastoral Center June 15, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. All donors will receive a free t-shirt. If you are interested in giving blood for a good cause, please contact Sherry at (704) 370-3357 to sign up. CHARLOTTE — Fostering Justice Worldwide, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, will share Catholic Relief Services (CRS) stories. This free event will take place at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., St., June 24, 1:30-5 p.m. The program will provide an overview of Catholic social teaching, CRS-related work in the Diocese of Charlotte, CRS work in Africa, presentations on effective advocacy and more. This event will be repeated in Newton Sept. 9 and in Stoneville Nov. 4. For specific details about the Saturday afternoon

events please call the Office of Justice and Peace at (704) 370-3234 or (704) 370-3225, or e-mail [email protected] — The Society of Mary and Martha meets the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. For more information, call Peggy Pohlheber at (704) 588-7311.CHARLOTTE — Healing Hearts, a support group for people coping with the death of a spouse, meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of St Gabriel Church, 3016 Rd. For more information, contact Sister Therese Galligan, facilitator, at (704) 362-5047, ext. 216.CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish hall. For reservations and more information, call Elaine at (704) 847-2835.GrEENSBoro VICArIATE

HIGH POINT — A free Charismatic Conference will be held at Maryfield Chapel, 1315 High Point Rd., starting June 16 at 7 p.m. A healing service will follow the presentation by Deacon Dennis and Elizabeth Chitwood from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Deacon Chitwood will be the homilist at the 10 a.m. Mass June 17, followed by a second conference by Elizabeth Chitwood. Two final conferences will take place June 17, 2-5 p.m. For more information, call Deacon Ron or Bette Steinkamp at (336) 882-9717.HIGH POINT — Hope of Seeing Everyone Again (HOSEA) is a six-week program for Catholics who have been away from the church for a while, but may wish to return. HOSEA will meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the parlor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., through June 27. Small group settings will offer an opportunity to enrich spiritual growth and help inactive Catholics

Diocesanplanner

Troy woman looks homeless, but she’s actually doing

TROY, N.Y. (CNS) — Rosa Murillo laughs as she recalls all the people in Troy who have given her money.

One man watched her redeeming cans for a nickel apiece at a supermar-ket and handed her a $20 bill. Another person passed her $3 after Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church.

Many Trojans mistakenly think she’s homeless because they see the tiny Co-lombian woman, clad in an old coat and stocking cap, collecting cans all over the city. They don’t realize she has a greater purpose.

All the money that Murillo, 89, col-lects goes to mission work at home or abroad.

“I have letters from the missions, and they say, ‘Send money,’ so I say, ‘OK,’” she said.

Although she struggles with speak-ing English, she was eager to make her “mission for the missions” understood.

She came to the United States 40 years ago and worked as a nanny for two families. After hitting retirement, she noticed a woman collecting cans from trash barrels and followed the woman to a grocery store, where she learned about the can-redemption center.

Just like that, she had found her own form of redemption: something to keep her busy in retirement. She got a rolling

grocery cart and began collecting cans.“I feel happy because I’m busy.

God, Mary and St. Joseph — they accompany me,” Murillo said.

Murillo often pulls in as much as $18 a day collecting cans. When she gets to $200 or $300 — including any money handed to her by helpful benefac-tors — she brings it to her church, which has Masses in Spanish that she likes to attend. She hands the money to a priest to forward to the missions.

“Every year, I give almost $1,000,” she said, smiling.

Franciscan Father Mario Julian, pastor of St. Anthony Church, said Mu-rillo “every so often hands me a brown paper bag with a wad of cash in it.”

He distributes her donations among the parish ministries or community programs for the needy.

Other donations have benefited missions in South American countries. After an earthquake hit Costa Rica, Mu-rillo sent money.

Murillo sees collecting cans for the missions as a way of showing gratitude to God for her physical and mental health at her age.

Being mistaken for someone homeless and destitute doesn’t bother her. Of those who try to press money on her, she added, “They think I need it, but

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic and Lutheran scholars discussed death, judgment and resurrection at a four-day session of the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue.

The April 20-23 meeting in Phoenix was the second session of the 11th round of the dialogue. The theme for this round is “The Hope for Eternal Life.”

Questions the group plans to address in future sessions are Catholic-Lutheran differences over issues relating to life after death, including purgatory, indulgences and Masses and prayers for the dead.

“The members of the dialogue team have established solid foundations for further discussion and development,” said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Lutheran co-chair of the dialogue.

Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba of Milwaukee, Catholic co-chair, said, “One of the more illuminating and instructive

aspects of the meeting was the manner in which both Lutheran and Catholic schol-ars were able to reflect on the developing history of their own respective practices since the Reformation.”

The way both traditions imagined and described the state of the justified immediately after death “inevitably reflected the various currents of thought in vogue at the time,” he said.

“I look forward to a future discussion of the meaning of Dr. Martin Luther’s 71st thesis, namely that indulgences are apostolic,” Bishop Sklba added. “These serious conversations, especially in view of their pastoral implications, are extremely fruitful.”

The U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catho-lic Dialogue was begun in 1965. The 10th round, 1998-2004, culminated in a common statement that said the Catholic and Lutheran churches are wounded in their ministries and communities by a lack of full Catholic-Lutheran commu-

Cns Photo by Dave oxforD, the evangelist

rosa Murillo pulls her cart with her collection of cans in Troy, N.Y., in early May. Many of the locals think Murillo, 89, is homeless because they see the tiny Colombian woman collecting cans all over the city. But all the money she collects from redeeming the cans for recycling goes to mission work at home and abroad.


Vatican official: Church in China seeks no privileges, only freedom

from THe vaTiCaN

bond and share their faith. It will also provide an opportunity for them to discuss any questions or issues with other Catholics and get a sense of the modern-day church. For more information, call Larry Kwan at (336) 688-1220 or e-mail [email protected] VICArIATE

MOORESVILLE — A Support Group for Par-ents Who Have Lost a Child of any Age meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd. We draw strength from others’ experience of loss and grief. For more information, call Joy at (704) 664-3992.SMoKY MoUNTAIN VICArIATE

CULLOWHEE — A free adult retreat, “Caring for God’s Creation,” will take place June 17 at Western Carolina University Catholic Center, 9:45 a.m.- 4 p.m. A closing Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. The retreat will consist of learning about Cherokee and Latino cultures and Catholic social teachings on caring for God’s creation. Register by contacting Gloria Schweizer at (828) 293-9374 or [email protected] — A four-part series, “Prayer of the Church,” will be presented at St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St. The sessions will meet 10-11 a.m., June 24 and July 22. Please call the church office at (828) 586-9496 to pre-register. WINSToN-SAlEM VICArIATE

CLEMMONS — Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin will celebrate a Healing Mass June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd. Reconciliation will be offered at 7 p.m. All are welcome to participate with hopeful expectancy. For more information, call (336) 998-7503 or the church office at (336) 778-0600.KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St., invites all Catholics who have been inactive, feel alienated or just want to take another look at the Catholic Church to attend

ReMembering Church, a series of six sessions designed to address issues that have perhaps caused feelings of estrangement. Those seek-ing information about annulment are also cordially invited. These evening discussions will offer a welcoming atmosphere, help with misunderstandings and hurts, look at the changes that have taken place since Vatican II and pro-vide an opportunity to ask questions. Sessions will meet in Holy Cross Church’s Salesian Hall, Wednesdays, through July 12, 8-9 p.m. For more details, contact Juliann Demmond at (336) 996-7136 or e-mail [email protected] — St. Benedict the Moor Church, 1625 East 12th St., hosts a 12:15 p.m. prayer service, Veni Sanctus Spiritus, the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to reflect on God and re-fresh the spirit in the middle of a day. For more information, call Sister Larretta Rivera- Williams at (336) 725-9200.KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St., hosts a Senior Coffee House the first and third Mondays of each month, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., in Salesian Hall in the Child Develop-ment Building. Call the church office at (336) 996-5109 ex t . 12 fo r d i rec t ions o r information.

is your parish or school sponsor-ing a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the diocesan Planner at least 7 days prior to desired publication date (fridays) in writing to Karen a. evans at [email protected] or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Episcopalcalendar Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in

the following events:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vati-can’s top foreign affairs official said the church seeks no privileges in China, but only wants the freedom to organize its internal affairs.

The comments by Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo came after a month of heightened church-state tensions in China over the ordination of bishops unapproved by Pope Benedict XVI.

The archbishop said interference by Chinese authorities in the bishop selection process ends up exacerbating divisions among Chinese Catholics.

“As in all countries of the world, the church in China does not seek any privilege but only wants to be free in its internal or-ganization,” Archbishop Lajolo said.

He said this was a matter of church law and did not represent an intrusion in the affairs of the Chinese state.

“Likewise, Chinese political authori-

ties should not interfere in the internal or-dering of the church and especially in the appointment of bishops,” he said.

The archbishop said noninterference by the state in bishops’ appointments would bring greater social peace among the Chinese people, who at present are forced to choose between “forced obedience to a so-called patriotic church and belonging to the one Catholic Church in communion with the pope.”

From the late 1950s, when the Chinese government formed the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, until the mid-1980s, the only Catholic bishops in China recognized as legitimate by the Vatican were those chosen and or-dained secretly by other bishops in the underground Catholic community.

Since then, however, many government-approved bishops recon-ciled with the Vatican, and, increasingly,

new bishops were approved by the Chi-nese government and the Vatican.

In late April, China began ordain-ing bishops who had not been approved by the Vatican, and sources in China indicated some of those participating in the ordinations were pressured by the government to do so.

Vatican review of English-language Mass translations picks up speed

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican’s review of English-language Mass translations is picking up speed as bishops’ conferences approve liturgical books.

The Vox Clara Committee, a body of English-speaking bishops appointed to advise the Vatican on translations, met May 29-June 1 and will meet again in July.

The July meeting is likely to focus on reviewing the Order of Mass transla-tions adopted in May by the bishops’ conferences of Australia and of England and Wales. U.S. bishops will be asked to approve the translation during their June 15-17 meeting in Los Angeles.

The Order of Mass contains the prayers recited every day at Mass, including prayers for the penitential rite, the Gloria and the creed and the four main eucharistic prayers; it does not include the Scripture readings or the prayers that are specific to a certain Sun-day or feast day.

Liturgical translations must be approved by two-thirds of the members

of a bishops’ conference before they are sent to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for final review.

The Vox Clara Committee, in ad-dition to discussing translations that are in progress and making suggestions be-fore the final drafts are presented to the bishops, assists the congregation in reviewing the versions approved by national bishops’ conferences.

The committee said June 1 it expected to be able to complete its work of reviewing the English translations of all parts of the Mass by the end of 2007.

The International Commission on Eng-lish in the Liturgy prepares the translations.

The initial ICEL draft is sent to English-speaking bishops and members of Vox Clara for comment. The final draft is sent to all members of English-speaking bishops’ conferences for final action, which may include amendments and changes specific to their country.

The text approved by a bishops’ con-ference is sent to Rome.

Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the congregation, reiterated to Vox Clara members his “unwavering intention to assure the implementation of the (2001 congregation) instruction, ‘Liturgiam Authenticam,’” which called for strict translation of texts from the original Latin.

The document also called for specific changes in the English Mass translations, including the people’s response “And with your spirit,” to the priest’s proclama-tion, “The Lord be with you.”

Many bishops had expressed caution over changing texts recited by the faithful during Mass, but Cardinal Arinze said

June 12 — 7 p.m.sacrament of Confirmationst. benedict Church, greensboro

June 13 — 7 p.m.sacrament of Confirmationst. Joseph Church, Kannapolis

June 14-17 usCCb meetinglos angeles, Calif.

June 19-22Convocation of Priests asheville

Blair and Benedict

Cns Photo by l’osservatore roMano

Pope Benedict XVI meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the Vatican June 3. Vatican and British sources said the private talks covered a wide range of issues, including the role of religion in politics and in society, the threat of global terrorism, international aid to Africa, and new developments in the Middle East and Northern Ireland.

NoTiCe To readersThe Catholic News & Herald is currently on its bi-weekly publishing schedule for June, July and august. The next issue will be friday, June 23.

4 The Catholic News & Herald June 9, 2006AroUND THE DIoCESE

Mass at Mary’s house

Courtesy Photo

Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, celebrates Mass May 17 in Ephesus, Turkey, with pilgrims during a diocesan trip to Turkey and Greece. Mass was celebrated outside the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she was cared for by St. John in her last days.The group of 32 pilgrims spent 10 days traveling in the footsteps of St. Paul as they visited five Greek islands, Athens and Istanbul, learning of the history of the Catholic Church and deepening their personal faith experiences.The next diocesan pilgrimage will visit the Holy Land in September. For details, see the ad on page 11.

Courtesy Photo

Parish catechetical leaders and directors of religious education from parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte gather for a luncheon at St. luke Church in Mint Hill June 1. The luncheon honored Joan Mahony (front left), who is retiring after 14 years as faith formation director at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, and Ann Peters (front right), retiring after 16 years as religious education director at St. James the Greater Church in Hamlet.

Gathered in gratitude Unearthing the future


Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin (center) joins the groundbreaking for the new Family life Center at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 3.

The $3.4 million facility will house a reception hall, a catering kitchen, library, nursery, choir room, youth room, conference room and various meeting rooms, and almost 1,000-square-feet of storage space.

Pictured are (from left): Deacon Carlos Medina; les Davaz, outgoing parish council chair; Jim Whitaker, incoming parish council chair; Patti Farmer, building and grounds committee chair; Bishop Curlin; Father Paul Gary, rector; transitional Deacon Patrick Toole; Father robert Conway, parochial vicar; and altar servers.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 5 June 9, 2006FroM THE CoVEr

“This very successful Bible study program, the fastest-growing in the Catholic Church today, was started here in our diocese.”

— Gail Buckley

SCRIPTURE, from page 1

Diocese of Charlotte utilize the program.“This very successful Bible study

program, the fastest-growing in the Catholic Church today, was started here in our diocese,” said Gail Buckley, program founder and executive director.

The conference featured a variety of speakers, including Hahn, a professor of theology and Scripture at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio; Shea, a Catholic writer and radio show host; and Olson, author and Catholic apologist.

John Morales, host of the weekly radio show Catholic Exchange Today, served as the conference master of ceremonies. Bishop Peter J. Jugis, who serves on Catholic Scripture Study In-ternational’s advisory board, gave his imprimatur, or ecclesiastical approval, to the program’s leader’s manual written by Buckley.

The bishop celebrated the confer-ence’s closing Mass.

Other conference speakers included Father Patrick Winslow, pastor of St.

Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson and St. Frances of Rome Church in Sparta, and Father Matthew Kauth, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin.

Father Winslow and Father Kauth are lecturers for the program, which is now in 40 countries.

“Fathers Winslow and Kauth showed not only their entertaining personalities but also their great knowledge and deep reverence of our Catholic faith and Scrip-ture,” said Buckley.

The conference covered a num-ber of topics, such as Bible resources, managing group discussions, under-standing the catechism and starting Catholic Scripture Study programs.

“The conference was a huge success and two Protestants who were in attendance are now (interested in) converting to the Catholic Church,” said Buckley. “One said she cried tears of joy all the way home.”

Contributing to this story was Gail Buckley.

WaNT more iNfo?another conference is planned for Charlotte in april 2007. for more information about Catholic scripture study international, visit www.catho-licscripturestudy.com.

Looking back, looking forwardWomen’s Guild celebrates 40 years with Mass, reflections

CHARLOTTE — The Women’s Guild at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

The celebration, held May 21, included Mass and installation of the guild’s 40th board of directors.

Mass was celebrated by Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, and concelebrated by Msgr. William Pharr, a retired diocesan priest who had served as pastor there for 10 years.

A historical slide presentation, prepared by guild member Grace Narus and narrated by first guild president Marianne Loftus, highlighted the many changes at the parish over the last 40 years. Changes included modifications to the church buildings and growth in the parish, which has grown from 100 families to more than 1,673 families.

The guild’s mission is to foster unity among women in the parish, encour-age spiritual growth, render assistance to the pastor, care for the sacristy and

sanctuary, and assist other parish organizations and members of the community.

The Women’s Guild helps support the parish’s diversity with an annual parish dinner dance featuring more than a dozen cultures reflective of the parish membership.

The guild also has held numerous fundraisers to support the parish, and helped build a rectory and sidewalk on the property.

In addition to supporting outreach organizations throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, the guild also estab-lished the American Red Cross blood drive at the parish and helped found the parish’s Girl Scouts and Brownie troops.

Contributing to this article was Diane Beckwith, 2005 publicity chairperson of the St. Vincent de Paul Church’s Women’s Guild, and Peggy Gibbons, 2006 president of the Women’s Guild.

Courtesy Photo

Father Matthew Kauth and Father Patrick Winslow share a laugh during their presentation at the Catholic Scripture Study International Conference in Charlotte April 28-30.

Conference explores Bible, international program in

6 The Catholic News & Herald June 9, 2006VoCATIoNS

Well-classed priests

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Although the number of new priests remains steady, the ordination class of 2006 in the United States is better educated, older and more likely to be foreign-born than their colleagues of years past.

Data gathered by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation was analyzed by the Center for Applied Research in the Aposto-late, the Catholic research organization based at Georgetown University in Washington, and made public May 1, as part of an annual report.

Based on survey responses from 233 seminarians from 98 of the 195 U.S. dioceses and 24 of the more than 200 religious orders of men, CARA found that nearly 80 percent of the men scheduled for ordination in 2006 had a bachelor’s degree before entering the seminary and 30 percent had earned a graduate degree.

The average age of the class of 2006 is 37, with 22 percent under 30 and 4 percent over 60. Almost a third of the men were born outside the United States.

Based on responses to a separate survey of vocations directors of U.S. dioceses and religious orders, “it appears that the number of ordinands remains steady,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a news release.

Ordinations numbered 438 last year and 454 the year before, according to the Official Catholic Directory.

The 144 diocesan vocation directors and heads of 44 religious orders who responded to the survey estimated 359 potential ordinands, but about 25 percent of dioceses and 90 percent of religious orders did not respond to the survey.

Exact ordination figures for 2006 will not be available until the 2007 Official Catholic Directory comes out next year.

The Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., has the largest ordination class in 2006, with 17 men slated for ordination. The Archdiocese of Washington reports 12 ordinands, the Archdiocese of Denver 11 and the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., 10.

In the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah, where Catholics make up 8 percent of the population, four new priests are being ordained this year.

The Diocese of Charlotte ordained two men to the priesthood June 3.

“These are quality men,” said Bish-op Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Vocations.

“They started out in the seminary with strong educational backgrounds and underwent thorough theological educa-tion and spiritual, human and pastoral formation throughout their seminary experience,” he said.

survey sTaTisTiCsamong the survey’s other findings:— The percentage of ordinands who are asian (13 percent) is higher than the u.s. Catholic asian population overall (2 percent).The percentage of Hispanics (12 percent) is lower than the u.s. Catholic Hispanic population (28 percent), and the percentage of african-americans (1 percent) is lower than the u.s. Catholic african- american population (4 percent).— The percentage of foreign-born ordinands increased from 24 percent in 1998 to 27 percent last year to 30 percent in 2006.— about 75 percent of the new priests reported having full-time work experi-ence before entering the seminary, with the most common field being education.— almost 10 percent of the ordinands had served in the u.s. armed forces, more than a third of them in the u.s. Navy.“The variety of backgrounds reflects the variety found in the current Catholic community which will welcome them in parishes nationwide,” bishop Cupich said.“The generosity of these men needs

2006 ordination class better educated, older, survey finds

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 7 June 9, 2006VoCATIoNS

Bishop ordains two men to priesthood

PRIESTS, from page 1 “What joy you bring to all of us this day by responding to Christ’s call: ‘Come, follow me,’” said the bishop.

Answering the callFather Ayala first heard the call to

the priesthood as a child in his native Argentina.

“I had a beautiful, decisive experi-ence during my first Communion. It marked me deeply and ever since I have pursued embracing religious life,” he said.

Father Ayala came to the United States in 1994 and worked as a caretaker at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Ashe-ville

“I had a chance to think and pray on the feeling that God was calling me to give my life entirely to follow him,” said Father Ayala.

He learned English and applied to be a seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte. In 2000, he was enrolled in St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa.

The experience of being ordained is “hard to put into words,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful gift of God. I have a great sense of peace and joy,” said Fa-ther Ayala.

Father Stuhrenberg, who grew up in Charlotte, originally worked as a civil-ian avionics engineer on military aircraft at the U.S. Marine Corps air station in Cherry Point, N.C.

“I saw (my call) as being like that of Moses ... I’m not the right person,” said Father Stuhrenberg. “But God always reminded me that I said I would follow him and go where he wanted me to go.”

His calling led him to Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass.

“Jesus has given me a great love for his people,” said Father Stuhrenberg. “I’ve always been interested in what people think, what they believe and why they believe it.”

Priests need to possess a combination of piety, study and prayer, he said.

“Those are a means to be the bridge between people and God,” said Father Stuhrenberg.

“It’s a wonderful day for the Diocese of Charlotte. It shows the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of men to respond to the invitation to serve at the altar and to nourish the people of God,” said Father Christopher Gober, diocesan vocations director.

“Fathers Ayala and Stuhrenberg both bring a spirit of joy and willing service. They will be blessings for the faithful on their first assignments,” he said.

Father Stuhrenberg has been assigned as parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Huntersville; Father Ayala as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

“The process of formation that started long ago and continued in seminary still continues for the newly ordained priest,” said Father Ayala.

“I’m looking forward to serving the people and learning under the faithful experience of Father John Putnam (pas-tor of Sacred Heart Church),” said Father Ayala.

Serving like ChristThe parish priest serves as Christ the

Shepherd, Christ the Teacher and Christ the Priest, said Bishop Jugis.

“Jesus ... had compassion for the vast crowds who followed him,” said the bishop, “and the priest in his parish is surrounded by the vast crowds of his parish family and he has compassion for all of them, sharing in their joys, their sorrows and in their striving to live the Catholic faith.”

“He shepherds them, tending them as his flock, and he nourishes them on the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation ... the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist, so they can make progress in the life of grace,” said the bishop.

As a teacher, Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to the great crowds who followed him. The priest, said Bishop Jugis, must teach the Gospel and faith of Christ to the parish who follows him.

The spiritual union between Christ and his priests is an intimate one, said Bishop Jugis.

“When speaking to his first priests, the Apostles, at the Last Supper, he used the word ‘friends’ to describe his relationship with them: ‘I call you my friends because I have told you every-thing I have learned from my Father,’” said Bishop Jugis.

Jesus’ character is permanently impressed upon a priest, said the bishop.

“There is a unique oneness of Christ with his priests ... a special relationship of belonging to the Master, which allows the priest to act in the person of Christ,” said Bishop Jugis.

The bishop asked three things of the new priests: to pray, love and serve.

“Sanctify each day through your

prayer ... love with boundless generos-ity ... and serve for the salvation of your brothers and sisters,” he said. “You are ordained not for yourself, but for their sanctification and salvation.”

Priests “are the hands and feet of Christ, doing the work of Christ, with Christ,” said Father Stuhrenberg. “Jesus promised me it would be a partnership.”

Ordination MassConcelebrants of the ordination

Mass included Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and diocesan chancel-

lor; Father Gober; and other priests serving in the Diocese of Charlotte. In attendance was Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin.

During the rite of ordination, Fathers Ayala and Stuhrenberg confirmed their promises to fulfill the office of the priest-hood. Kneeling, they placed their hands between Bishop Jugis’ hands in a promise of obedience to the diocese.

The congregation was invited to join in prayer for the priestly candidates, the church and its people as they lay prostrate before the altar.

During the rite’s most solemn moment, Fathers Ayala and Stuhrenberg knelt before Bishop Jugis, who laid his hands on their heads. The celebration of the sacrament of holy orders was completed as the bishop extended his hands over the kneeling candidates and prayed the prayer of consecration.

Fathers Ayala and Stuhrenberg were vested with stoles and chasubles — outer garments of the priestly office. The bishop anointed their hands with sacred chrism and they were then presented with chalices and patens signifying their roles as celebrants of the Eucharist.

The newly ordained Fathers Ayala and Stuhrenberg then joined their brother priests to concelebrate the Mass, thus opening the new chapter in their lives.

PriesTly assigmeNTsfather H. alejandro ayala will serve as parochial vicar at sacred Heart Church in salisbury.father James stuhrenberg will serve as parochial vicar at st. mark Church in Huntersville.


Bishop Peter J. Jugis anoints the hands of Father Alejandro Ayala with sacred chrism during the ordination Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte June 3.


Father H. Alejandro Ayala, a native of Argentina, studied for the priesthood at St. Vincent Seminary in latrobe, Pa.


Father James Stuhrenberg, a native of California who grew up in Char lotte, studied for the priesthood at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass.

8 The Catholic News & Herald June 9, 2006VoCATIoNS

Celebrating service

Courtesy Photo

Bishop Peter J. Jugis and priests from the Diocese of Charlotte celebrate a bilingual Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard May 30 in honor of Father Carl Del Giudice’s 25th anniversary in the priesthood. Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church and its mission, St. Jude Church in Sapphire Valley, as well as community members, Knights of Columbus and longtime friends came to honor Father Del Guidice, pastor of Sacred Heart Church. A reception was held after Mass with a photo display highlighting Father Del Giudice’s priestly ministry.

faTHer del giudiCe HoNored

gaTHered iN miNisTry

Courtesy Photo

Priests celebrate their respective anniversaries to the priesthood in the chapel at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville May 24.Pictured (from left): Msgr. Joseph Showfety, Conventional Franciscan Father Juniper Alwell, Father Joseph Waters, Conventional Franciscan Father Conall McHugh, Father Andrew latsko and Father Joseph Kelleher.Fa the r Ke l l ehe r ce l e b r a t ed 53 yea r s ; Msg r. Show fe t y ce l e b r a t ed 51 yea r s ; Fathers Juniper, Waters and McHugh celebrated 50 years; and Father latsko celebrated 13 years.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 9 June 9, 2006VoCATIoNS

All walks of lifeReligious vocations can come from any place

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A few years ago Teresa Min-Sook Kim was a young Korean immigrant in Minnesota, a non-Catholic who spoke little English.

Jay Toborowsky was a young Jewish man working as an aide to the mayor of Woodbridge, N.J.

Carol Derynioski had been teach-ing more than 25 years and had her own home in Boca Raton, Fla.

What do they have in common? Now each is called “Sister” or “Father” and is an example of the way the call to priest-hood or religious life can be heard.

It was 15 years ago that Kim — now Sister Kim in the Sisters of St. Joseph

of Carondelet — telephoned her college algebra teacher, Sister Agnes Foley, to tell her she wanted to become a nun.

She said what drew her to a religious vocation was the sense of peace and free-dom she found embodied in Sister Foley.

At the time Sister Kim was not Catho-lic. She had grown up in a nominally Protes-tant family, but had rejected religion and any notion of God after her sister died in 1987.

“It was a crazy idea at first” to want to be a nun, but when she made that phone call, she said, “I knew.”

Over the years that followed, Sister Kim struggled to learn English, learned about Catholicism, was baptized, be-came a lay associate of the sisters, and in 2000 took her first vows as a Sister of St. Joseph.

On April 22 she took her final vows at the sisters’ chapel in St. Paul.

“She is an Asian woman join-ing a province that has no other Asian women as vowed members,” Sister Foley told those gathered for the event. “Remarkably, she has been able to bridge two cultures, and we need that.”

Sister Kim said she has found what she thinks many people are seeking and have not yet found. “In that sense, I am so blessed,” she said.

Never deterredFather Jay Toborowsky is a priest

of the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J. Born Jonathan Samuel in 1967 in Perth Am-boy, N.J., he was raised in a Jewish household until his parents divorced when he was 5.

He and his mother moved into the home of his grandmother, a Catholic.

While his mother worked, his grand-

mother baby-sat him, and if she went to Mass, he would accompany her. But he attended a Jewish elementary school through fifth grade and learned Hebrew as a child — something that would come in handy years later in seminary studies.

He said he made Catholic friends when he started attending public schools and he felt deeply affected by Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to New York.

During his college years, Father To-borowsky said he started thinking more seriously about life’s big questions and felt himself drawn toward Catholicism. He was baptized in 1990 and became increasingly active in volunteer roles at St. Anthony Par-ish in Port Reading, N.J.

In 1992 the Metuchen Diocese accepted him into the seminary and in 1998 he was ordained. While he was in the seminary, he said, his father began seeing a priest for spiritual direction and also converted to Catholicism.

Father Toborowsky, now an as-sociate pastor of St. Mary Church in Alpha, N.J., and moderator of the weekly diocesan radio program, “Proclaim the Good News,” said he did not feel certain of his call to the priesthood until “the day I was ordained a deacon.”

He said he advises young men who are considering the priesthood not to let doubts or fears deter them.

“Think you can’t do it? So did I,” he said. “Think you’re not good or holy enough? Been there, done that.”

Filling a voidCarol Derynioski grew up Catholic

in Connecticut, the oldest of five children, and entered the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception as a teenager.

But her father died during her third year in religious life and “I left the community the next year to help my family,” she said.

She earned a college degree and taught for 26 years. But she felt a restlessness. She returned to her former order and for six years taught school as Sister Mary Carol, most recently in Ware, Mass.

It was not enough, she said. “I felt that although I was living in an active community I was drawn to the contemplative life.”

After learning about the Monastery

of the Mother of God in West Spring-field, a community of contemplative Dominicans, she contacted them. Last August she entered the monastery and in February she took the white veil of a novice and the name Sister Maria Gianna of the Divine Mercy.

She said back in her teens she probably would not have been mature enough to understand contemplative life or persevere in it. She believes God used her experiences to bring her to this point.

Spiritual adoptionHaving a connection with nuns and

priests and learning about the paths many take to ecclesial vocations is one of the aims of an apostolate at Holy Trin-ity School in Greenfield, Mass. The youngsters have adopted and been adopt-ed — spiritually — by religious orders.

That started when Marcie Zim-merman, a mother of two of the stu-dents, started thinking about the fact that few children today have the opportunity to know members of religious congregations.

With support and input from the principal, she wrote to about 25 communities of men and women re-ligious, inviting them to connect with the students and adopt a class that they would pray for. The students in turn post pictures in class of “their” communities of priests, brothers or sisters, correspond with them and pray for them.

The groups range from religious communities in Massachusetts to the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord in Vladivostok, Russia.

Zimmerman said many of the communities were delighted with the spiritual adoption idea and said they had never been approached that way before. The program has led to visits to the school by several members of the reli-gious communities involved.

Who knows which student there might some day, years from now, feel a restless tug toward priesthood or religious life?

Contributing to this story were Emi-lie Lemmons in St. Paul, Regina Kelly in Metuchen and Peggy Weber and Cori Fugere Urban in the Springfield Diocese.


Courtesy Photo

Third-grader Ellie Baumgartner of St. Pius X School in Greensboro reads to Bea McGarity, a resident of Morning View Assisted living, May 19. The third-grade class read and sang to the residents during an afternoon tea.

Students enjoy weeklong cultural residencyby CARolE MCGRotty

CoRREsPoNdENt

ASHEVILLE — “Ago?” the stu-dents were asked, meaning, “Do I have your attention?”

“A’me,” they replied, meaning, “Yes.”

The students were participating in dialogue used between teachers and students throughout Africa.

It was part of a weeklong residency during which two Zulu tribe members brought their music, art, culture and history to third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at Asheville Catholic School in May.

As part of a group of professional performers and teachers, Shaka and Naimah bring their culture to schools throughout the United States. Relo-cated after Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans to Atlanta, they continue teaching students about the Zulu in New Orleans as well as the history of Mardi Gras.

In addition to making costumes and accessories under the guidance of

Shaka and Naimah, the students learned songs and dances for their performance at the Lake Eden Arts Festival in Black Mountain in May.

The week was “really interesting because we got to see what other cultures are like,” said third-grader Ashley Bruce.

Courtesy Photo

Pre-kindergarten students watch butterflies being released at St. Michael School in Gastonia May 23. The students watched the butterflies evolve from their larvae stage over seven days. As the butterflies were released, the children shouted “good-bye” and waved joyfully to their insect friends.

Photo by Carole MCgrotty

Third-graders at Asheville Catholic School practice Zulu dance moves during a weeklong residency program in May.

Flying free

From Africa to AshevilleIN oUr SCHoolS

Sharing stories


Courtesy Photo

First-graders take part in a tug-of-war during the annual Field Day at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point June 1. The day, which celebrates the end of the school year, featured games and activities for all grades.

Stepping back in time

Courtesy Photo

Principal Gary Gelo stands with students dressed in Colonial-era costumes during a Colonial Fair at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro March 24.Fourth- and fifth-graders learned about Colonial-era dances, games and choirs, including how to weave with a large loom and examine cloth made without mod-ern machinery. The students enjoyed cider and cornbread with butter made by the students.Students pictured: Katie Watterson, Caroline Sherwood, Grace DeMers, Mimi LaMuraglia, Anne Prendergast, Sebastian Lucek, Jackson Williams, Patrick Tier-ney and Patrick DePinto.

Photo by Karen a. evans

Two fifth-graders at St. Matthew School in Charlotte try on Colonial-era dresses as part of the Camp Flintlock field trip May 31.

Hands-on historyby KAREN A. EVANs

stAFF wRItER

CHARLOTTE — The fifth-graders of St. Matthew School in Charlotte re-cently took a field trip to the past.

Camp Flintlock set up a Colonial era-style encampment on the school’s campus May 31, introducing the students to the crafts, games and chores of fami-lies during the 1770s.

“We chose this time period because we study all of the history of the United States,” said Utahnah Miller, fifth-grade teacher. “Camp Flintlock was the only place that would provide hands-on activities.”

Camp Flintlock was created in 1999 to teach young people about Colonial history in an authentic historical context.

The students learned to make fudge over an open fire, bookbinding, candle making and jewelry making.

Fifth-grader Jennifer Holder was surprised that children living in the 1770s had time to play games like tug-of-war, nine pins and hoop racing.

“I thought they would stay inside, and it would be boring,” she said.

After dressing up in a period cos-tume, student Nicholas Shoat decided he

St. Matthew School students experience 18th-century life would rather live in 1776 than 2006.

“They were more adventurous — hunting and fishing,” Nicholas said. “You had to meet your own needs.”

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail [email protected].

Fun on the fieldIN oUr SCHoolS


Lighting the way

Courtesy Photo

Members of the children’s choir at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro sing and perform sign language May 3 for residents of Dolan Manor, a housing facility on the parish property for older adults. The children were led and assisted by Sallie Kelton, choir director; Ginny Fox, performing sign language; and Ann Bauer, on piano.

Courtesy Photo

Junior Girl Scouts at St. Ann Church in Charlotte receive Bronze Awards during a troop awards and bridging ceremony May 21. Members from all the troops — Girl Scouts, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes — and their adult leaders participated in the event, which included a flag ceremony, a play and dinner, award and badge presentations, and a bridging ceremony, during which the girls were honored for their progression and growth.

The Bronze Award is the highest honor that Junior Scouts can receive. Pictured (from left): Kaitlyn Sommer, rachel George, Cassidy Tackett, Flannery Kuhn, Ann-Marie Weatherly, Kaylin Charlton, Ivey Andersen and leader Nancy Andersen.

Each girl lit a candle as she told what she had learned while completing the service requirements to earn her award.

GREENSBORO — Eight members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 16 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro re-cently received Silver Awards, the high-est award that can be earned by cadettes.

The award has several progressive steps, all of which prepare the cadettes, ages 11-14, to design and conduct a ser-vice project.

For their project, the cadettes recorded onto tape more than 100 books. They donated the tapes, books and 10 recorders to the Pathways Center, a housing program of Greensboro Urban Ministry that provides temporary shelter to families seeking housing.

The cadettes enlisted others to help record the books, including Father James Ebright, parochial vicar at Our Lady of

Grace Church, and a Spanish teacher from Guilford Middle School.

They delivered the donated items to the center March 5, and celebrated with a reading party with Girl Scout cookies for the children there.

The eight award winners were Molly Ball, 14; Emily Byerly, 13; Nicole Agres-to, 14; Myriah Dixon, 14; Nikki Curnes, 14; Audrey Amolegbe, 13; Christiane Ruggiero, 14; and Patty Simril, 13.

Youths, priest recognized at DYC

Singing and signing

by KAREN A. EVANsstAFF wRItER

CHARLOTTE — Three high school students and a priest were recognized for living out their faith and outstanding personal qualities and community ser-vice.

The awards were given at the 29th annual Diocesan Youth Conference near Black Mountain April 28-30.

Kierstan Snyder received the Bishop Michael J. Begley Award in recognition for demonstrating the attributes of Bish-op Begley: outstanding character, parish involvement and service to the com-munity.

She serves as a faith formation teacher, Vacation Bible School crew leader and RCIA sponsor at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

In her community, Snyder has par-ticipated in CROP WALK, LifeSpan and the Interfaith Youth Symposium. She has volunteered for Pathways, a homeless shelter; and organizes bingo games for residents at Maryfield Health Care Households Neighborhood in High Point.

Lianna Beard received the Eagle

of the Cross, a national award from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministers. It is awarded to a youth that demonstrates outstanding faith in action.

A parishioner of St. Barnabas Church in Arden, Beard participates in her parish youth ministry and youth music programs, is an altar server and is involved in pro-life activities.

A member of the National Honor Society and Spanish club at her school, Beard tutors middle school students in algebra and seventh-grade math.

Billy Sutton, a parishioner of St. James the Greater Church in Concord, received the St. Timothy Award, which is awarded to a youth demonstrating leadership qualities. Sutton has served in a number of parish ministries, includ-ing altar server, extraordinary minister of holy Communion, faith formation teacher and vocations advocate.

A third-degree Knight of Columbus, Sutton is a member of the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council.

Augustinian Father James Cassidy, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe, received the John Paul II Award in recognition of his service to the youth

Cadettes bring audio books, joy to children

YoUTHS IN ACTIoN

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 13 June 9, 2006ADVErTISEMENT


a roundup of scripture, readings, films and moreCulture Watch

Catholic magazine marks 100 years of covering U.S. mission territory

WORD TO LIFESUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: JUNE 18, 2006

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE

Extension of faithJune 18, The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Cycle B Readings:1) Exodus 24:3-8 Psalm 116:12-13,15-16,17-182) Hebrews 9:11-153) Gospel: Mark 14:12-16,22-26

God’s grace heals our wounds, sins

by dAN lUbyCAtholIC NEws sERVICE

“We will do everything that the Lord has told us,” the people shout as one voice fervent with affirmation and confidence.

They sound so eager, so convinced, so willing to get it right this time.

That’s why this enthusiastic response to Moses’ proclamation of God’s message makes us wince to hear it now, centuries after the fact.

For we know that despite their sincere desire to make up for their long history of shortcomings and failures of generosity and imagination and nerve, they won’t get it right.

We see, with the 20/20 clarity of hindsight, that Israel lets God down, not only there in the Sinai but over and over for centuries. We know because we have listened sadly to the endless round of stories detailing Israel’s capacity for

self-deception, for willful deafness to God’s call.

Generation after generation they will behave in ways that are faithless, inconstant, selfish.

When we hear their overconfi-dence we shake our heads in sorrowful recognition of our kinship with these spiritual ancestors.

Like them, our good intentions and commitments to conversion all too often prove shallow. Like them, we are tragically quick to violate the principles and betray the values of God’s covenant.

The bad news then is that we are sinners, that we cannot make ourselves worthy.

The good news of the readings for this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is that the covenant depends not on our faithfulness, but the Lord’s; not on our heroism, but Christ’s; not on our generosity, but God’s.

We are healed of our wounds, forgiven our sins, imbued with the presence of Christ through our participa-tion in the Eucharist. In the end, we are saved, not by our efforts, but by God’s grace, made tangible as food and drink in the celebration of the Mass.

That is as good as news can be.

Questions:What is one way I experience the

nourishing power of the Eucharist? Concretely, how can I make my partici-pation in the Eucharist more intentional?

Scripture to be Illustrated:

CHICAGO (CNS) — The Catholic magazine Extension is celebrating 100 years of bringing Catholics the stories of missions in rural areas across the United States.

The Catholic Church Extension Society, which publishes Extension, has published a commemorative issue with articles, photos and stories that capture the culture of the Catholic Church and noteworthy church events over the last century.

In an effort to serve Catholics in rural and remote areas, the Catholic Extension organization was founded in 1905, and six months later, in 1906, the magazine was founded.

The Chicago-based organization has given more than $400 million over the years to construct chapels, edu-cate seminarians, and provide campus ministry, religious education and more in U.S. mission dioceses.

“So many Catholics who know about missions in the United States have learned this from Extension magazine,” said Bishop William R. Houck, Catholic Extension president.

“What a vision back in 1906 to have this wonderful way to spread the word about life in our home missions,” he said.

Going through back issues is kind of like entering “a Catholic time machine,” said Bradley Collins, the magazine’s editor for the past 25 years.

Over the years, the magazine has become a repository of archival information and is often used by parishes to learn more about their past, Collins said.

Extension has featured work by a variety of artists, including the late Thornton Utz, whose work is displayed at the National Gallery in Ireland and the

Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Franklin McMahon is another

renowned artist who began illustrating Extension’s short stories in 1941. His art has since been featured in national publications, from Harper’s and Sports Illustrated to Life and The Saturday Eve-ning Post.

His son, Mark, illustrated a story for the magazine in 1992.

According to a news release on Extension’s anniversary, a number of writers well-known today, including Mary Higgins Clark and Taylor Caldwell, had their first stories published by the magazine before they became household names.

Editor’s Note: Subscriptions to Extension magazine are free. Readers can receive 12 months of the magazine

sCriPTure for THe WeeK of JuNe 11-17sunday (most Holy Trinity), deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40, romans 8:14-17, matthew 28:16-20; monday, 1 Kings 17:1-6, matthew 5:1-12; Tuesday (st. anthony of Padua), 1 Kings 17:7-16, matthew 5:13-16; Wednesday, 1 Kings 18:20-39, matthew 5:17-19; Thursday, 1 Kings 18:41-46, matthew 5:20-26; friday, 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16, matthew 5:27-32; saturday, 1 Kings 19:19-21, matthew 5:33-37.

sCriPTure for THe WeeK of JuNe 18-24sunday (The body and blood of Christ), exodus 24:3-8, Hebrews 9:11-15, mark 14:12-16, 22-26; monday (st. romuald), 1 Kings 21:1-16, matthew 5:38-42; Tuesday, 1 Kings 21:17-29, matthew 5:43-48; Wednesday (st. aloysius gonzaga), 2 Kings 2:1, 6:14, matthew 6:1-6, 16-18;Thursday (Thomas more and John fisher), sirach 48:1-14, matthew 6:7-15; friday (sacred Heart of Jesus), Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9, ephesians 3:8-12,14-19, John 19:31-37; saturday (Nativity of st. John the baptist), isaiah 49:1-6, acts 13:22-26, luke 1:57-66, 80.


Content controlby MARK PAttIsoNCAtholIC NEws sERVICE

WASHINGTON — Noncommer-cial religious speech on the Internet is threatened unless protections are put in place to guard against Internet access providers having control over content, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Com-mittee on Communications said in a May 23 letter to Congress.

“The Internet was constructed as a unique medium without the editorial con-trol functions of broadcast television, radio or cable television,” said Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., in the letter.

“The Internet is open to any speaker, commercial or noncommercial, whether or not the speech is connected financially to the company providing Internet access, whether it is popular or prophetic,” he said.

“Those characteristics make the Internet critical to noncommercial religious speakers,” said the bishop.

The House Judiciary Committee May 25 approved a bill requiring that Internet service providers give equal access to all Web services, content and applications, a principle called “net neutrality.”

“Net” refers to the broadband network created by Internet service providers.

Proponents of net neutrality fear the nation’s Internet service providers —

mainly large telephone and cable televi-sion companies — would charge more to guarantee equal access, and slow down access for those who don’t pay.

Opponents say net neutrality is a solution in search of a problem.

“Unless Congress requires telephone and cable companies to act as neutral providers of Internet access, as they had been required to do since the birth and through the spectacular growth of the Internet, those companies will use their control over Internet access to speed up or down connections to Web sites to benefit themselves financially,” Bishop Kicanas said.

“If the Internet becomes, as it inevitably will without strong protec-tions for net neutrality, a medium where speakers must pay to deliver their messages, religious speech will be effec-tively barred from the Internet,” he said.

The debate over net neutrality arises from a Federal Communication Commission decision to classify broad-band providers as information services rather than telecommunications services.

The old regulation meant these providers had to open their high-speed networks to other Internet service providers on nondiscriminatory terms and follow other common carrier rules.

FCC commissioner Michael Copps, a Catholic, told reporters May 22 the FCC has the authority to impose net neutrality.

“I think we have authority to go now to the second phase of network neutrality, to make sure that there’s not discrimina-tion against those that are not affiliated with the network owners,” Copps said.

“I think we have a good bit of author-ity in serving the public interest in keep-ing the networks open to move ahead on this,” he said.

The debate on net neutrality has already provided for some unusual alliances. In addition to the U.S. bishops, others calling for such neutrality include the Christian Coalition, the Gun Owners of America, large Internet firms such as Microsoft and Google, and Trent Reznor, leader of the hard rock band Nine Inch

Nails.A rival bill that previously passed

the House Energy and Commerce Com-mittee would codify principles the FCC adopted last year that encourage Internet service providers to ensure the Internet is open to consumers to go where they

Bishop Kicanas favors ‘net neutrality’ regulation for Internet

SIDNEY, Ohio (CNS) — While writing two books on Catholic his-tory, Kevin Schmiesing discovered that “although there was a wealth of infor-mation pertaining to American Catholic history on the Web no one had collected and organized it.”

So Schmiesing has launched a new Web site devoted to American Catholic history at www.catholichistory.net.

Intended as a resource for students,

Author creates Web site devoted to American Catholic history

teachers and researchers, the site displays important events, people and places, organized by time period, and offers lists of suggested readings on topics such as “Catholics in time of war.”

The “Spotlight” feature looks at a subject currently in the news from the perspective of its significance in Catho-lic history. Recent topics have included immigration, Catholics on the Supreme Court and Catholics in Hollywood.

Catholichistory.net, which relies solely on donations, has an advisory board that includes history professors from various universities.

Schmiesing said he hopes the Web site leads to greater awareness of the country’s Catholic past.

“All Catholics should have a basic understanding of the history of their faith in the American context,” he said.

‘Cars’ worth a spin

Cns Photo by Disney

Mater, a rusty but trusty tow truck, and hotshot rookie racecar lightning McQueen are pictured in a scene from “Cars,” a delightful computer-animated movie set in a world of anthropomorphic autos.McQueen (voiced by owen Wilson), while en route cross-country to compete in a prestigious championship, is unexpectedly detained in a neglected desert town, where his growing friendship with the town’s four-wheeled residents (voiced by Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and larry the Cable Guy, among others) effects a change of heart regarding fame in the fast lane. The film has a full tank of humor and emotions — not to mention bar-raising visuals — while its solid storytelling imparts a charming message about taking the time to appreciate what really matters in life.The USCCB office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.


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Classifieds

Immigration director outlines potential changes

vices, known as CIS, outlined his efforts to be ready for major new immigration programs that could come out of legislation in the works in Con-gress if the measure becomes law.

The agency could be managing a new guest worker system, and handling legaliza-tion for agricultural workers, for students whose parents brought them to the country as minors as well as for millions of others who are in the country illegally.

He also said that regardless of new mandates from Congress, many fees charged for the agency’s ongoing services likely will increase to better cover costs.

Circumstances and compromiseIf a legalization program is ap-

proved by Congress and signed into law, Gonzalez said that unless there are clear security concerns, he would not be inclined to take information gathered from unsuccessful applicants for legal-ization and turn it over to enforcement authorities at Immigration and Customs

Enforcement, known as ICE.Both agencies, formerly part of the

Immigration and Naturalization Ser-vice, are now within the Department of Homeland Security.

A bill passed by the Senate May 25 would offer all but the most recently ar-rived of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States a chance to legalize their status after meeting certain conditions.

The provision is one of the many dif-ferences between the Senate bill and one passed by the House in December that focused entirely on enforcement.

A House-Senate conference committee was to begin hammering out a compromise between the two bills the first full week of June. Some congressional sources expect no resolution before late summer at best.

A 1986 legalization program includ-ed provisions protecting confidential-ity. The federal immigration agency was prohibited from using any information it obtained from applicants and giving it to enforcement authorities.

CIS staff members at the May 31 briefing explained that the provision was intended to encourage people to apply

for legalization without fear that merely seeking legal status would cause them to be deported.

Gonzalez said it would be unwise to have such a broad confidentiality guarantee given current security concerns, but that he expected his agency would only pass along information about people with outstanding warrants or other connections to crimes.

Though he said he would comply with whatever the law ultimately says, he wouldn’t be inclined to have his agency provide details that might lead to deportation for people whose legaliza-tion applications are rejected but who have clean criminal records.

The Senate bill provides for confidentiality except in connection with the investigation or prosecution of certain crimes when information is requested by an enforcement agency.

‘A moving target’Gonzalez told reporters that his

agency is gearing up for a wide range of new responsibilities and changes in its current work, although much remains uncertain about the final legislation — including whether it even will include legalization and guest worker programs.

He pointed out that amid heated de-bate about immigration, little attention has been given to the fact that the 800-page Senate bill also includes changes intended to eliminate backlogs of applications for legal immigration.

That also will affect what he called

“the day job” at CIS: approving visas, processing applications for asylum and refugee status, and naturalizing citizens.

He said CIS will make recommenda-tions to Congress about the bill he called “a moving target,” with many variables and some elements that are simply unworkable as written.

For instance, he said the Senate bill calls for applicants for legalization to register with the government within a 90-day period. Given that as many as 10 million people might apply for legalization, Gonzalez said that time frame is unrealistic.

“In a perfect world it would take nine to 12 months,” he said.

One change Gonzalez said appears likely is that application fees will in-crease for many of his agency’s services. Citizenship applications now cost $330, plus a $70 fingerprinting fee.

Fees don’t cover costs, he said, and it’s unlikely that Congress will approve funding to pay for services.

Although an agency ombudsman recently recommended that CIS be-gin charging for asylum or refugee applications, Gonzalez said that’s one cost he won’t pass along to applicants.

“It’s never been done before,” he said. “Nor will it be as long as I’m here.”

“How do you charge refugees?” Gonzalez asked. “That’s a cost we happily absorb.”

Cns Photo by DaviD Maung

Fieldworkers from Mexico harvest watermelons in the early morning May 19 at a Pasquinelli Produce Co. field about 30 miles east of Yuma, Ariz. located near the Mexican border, the company knows firsthand some of the problems migrant farmworkers face with the U.S. immigration system.

BILL, from page 1

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 17 June 9, 2006rESPECT lIFE

Most Americans oppose embryonic stem-cell research,

SURVEY, from page 1 WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catho-

lics should pressure pharmaceutical companies and government authorities to quickly come up with alternatives to vaccines derived from cells taken from aborted fetuses, according to an association of U.S. Catholic physicians.

The Catholic Medical Association said in a mid-May statement that “physi-cians and patients are permitted to use the vaccines when no effective alternative is available.”

But patients may decide not to use vaccines derived from aborted fetuses as long as the refusal does not place children or the general public at significant risk, the statement added.

Vaccines derived from cell lines that used tissue taken from voluntarily aborted fetuses include those for rubella (German measles) and hepatitis A, marketed under the names Meruvax, Vaqta and Havrix.

When alternative versions of the vaccines are available, “they must be used in place of those produced by im-moral means,” the Catholic Medical As-sociation said.

The organization, founded in 1932, describes itself as the nation’s largest professional association of Catholic doc-tors.

The statement was drawn from a June 2005 document of the Pon-tifical Academy for Life called “Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared From

Cells Derived From Aborted Human Fetuses,” the association said.

The Vatican academy said Catholics have a “moral duty to continue to fight and to employ every lawful means” to convince the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies and national health systems to make ethical alternatives available.

“The bottom line is that vaccines derived from abortions should mainly be avoided and used only when alterna-tives are unavailable,” said Robert Saxer, executive vice president of the Catholic Medical Association.

“But there is really no reason why those alternatives should be unavail-able. The pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the vaccines have the ability and know-how to produce versions of these vaccines which do not depend on cell lines from aborted fetuses.

“They should be pressured to develop those vaccines to meet the health needs of those who have religious and ethical objections to abortion,” he said.

Saxer said the Food and Drug Ad-ministration could allow licensing and importation of “safe and effective ethical alternative vaccines ... and it has a moral duty to exercise that authority.”

Richard Doerflinger, deputy direc-tor of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said his office would work with the Catholic Medical Asso-

The rest said they didn’t know or refused to answer.

When told that scientists disagree on whether embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells would “end up being more successful in treating diseases,” 57 percent of survey respondents said they favored research “using adult stem cells and other alternatives, to see if there is no need to destroy human embryos for research.”

Only 24 percent said they would support “all methods, including those that require destroying human embryos, to see which will be most successful.” Another 11 percent said they did not sup-port either option, and the rest said they didn’t know or declined to answer.

The poll was conducted by tele-phone among 1,022 U.S. adults May 19-23. Commissioned by the pro-life sec-retariat and conducted by International Communications Research, the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

The May 31 release of the poll results coincided with the first-year anniversary of passage in the House of Representatives of the Stem-Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would lift the ban on federal funding

of stem-cell research involving the destruction of human embryos.

The legislation was expected to come before the Senate in June.

“Most Americans do not support federally funded research that requires destroying human embryos,” Doerflinger said in a statement.

“Our opponents also know this. No doubt this is why their public state-ments — and many of their own opinion polls — either ignore or misrepresent what this research involves, while irre-sponsibly hyping its potential for miracle cures,” he said.

Polls by International Communi-cations Research in August 2004 and May 2005 had similar results, with most Americans saying they did not support embryonic stem-cell research. The high-est level of support was 43 percent in 2004.

The latest survey also found over-whelming opposition to human cloning. Asked whether scientists should be al-lowed to use cloning “to try to create children for infertile children,” 83 percent said no and less than 10 percent said yes.

When asked about using cloning “to create a supply of human embryos to be destroyed in medical research,” 81 per-cent were opposed and 11 percent said they were in favor.

Although the 2004 and 2005 polls conducted by International Communica-tions Research showed strong opposition to human cloning, the new poll’s figure

A ‘moral duty’Catholic doctors urge substitutes for abortion-linked vaccines


Perspectives a collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints Our forgotten heroes

WriTe a leTTer To THe ediTorThe Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or less, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letter or petitions. items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.send letters to letters to the editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.o. box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail [email protected].

We are a nation of children, mothers and fathers. Since we have set aside spe-cial celebrations for children and moth-ers, why not celebrate our fathers?

The idea to honor our fathers actually developed during a Mother’s Day sermon.

In spring 1909, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, Wash., heard a Mother’s Day sermon that did not mention the word “father.” Her mother had died when she was a child and her father was charged with raising her and her five siblings.

Through Mrs. Dodd’s influence, the first Father’s Day was observed in Spokane June 19, 1910, and on a national level in 1924.

I call my father and all fathers the “forgotten heroes,” because by reading Chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiasticus (Sir.3:1-16), I realize how much we didn’t do for our fathers, and yet our fathers kept on doing their best without being recognized.

When I was cleaning my closet, I found some papers that I saved long ago in a torn cardboard box. One was a worn newspaper article quoting a broadcast of radio legend Paul Harvey. The title was “What is a father?”

A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without anesthetic. A father is a thing that growls when he feels good and laughs too loud when he’s scared half to death.

A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks ... never quite the man his son believes him to be.

Fathers fight dragons almost every day. They hurry away from the breakfast table to the arena that is an of-fice or a factory.

They never quite win the fight, but they never give up. Knights in shining ar-mor and fathers in shiny trousers are very much alike, as they march out to face the world each day.

Our fathers are so important that we take for granted what they do every day.

While driving on I-40, a bumper sticker on the car ahead caught my attention recently. It was about father and dad: “Any man can be a father. It takes a special man to be a daddy.”

Any healthy male can biologically generate children, but in my ministry I’ve discovered that many men are role models, whether they have biological offspring or not. They are the unsung heroes with a love song always in their hearts.

My father was not a preacher. He re-ally didn’t speak too much, but preached according to the Franciscan philosophy: “Preach always, sometimes use words.”

Words teach, but example compels. For me, the father is a teacher who doesn’t know everything, but he knows that he doesn’t know and that’s real wisdom.

A father was walking with his young son. The boy asked, “Daddy, what is electricity?”

“Well now, I don’t know,” said the father. “All I know about electricity is that it makes things run.”

A little farther on, the boy asked, “Daddy, how does gasoline make automobiles go?”

The father replied, “Well, I don’t know. I don’t know too much about mo-tors.”

Several more questions followed with much the same result, until at last the boy said, “Gee, Dad, I hope you don’t mind my asking so many questions!”

“Not at all, son,” said the father, “You go right ahead and ask. How else will you ever learn anything?”

The father knows he is not perfect, but yet we love him. For him, “disci-pline” means more than chastisement or punishment, which can be misunderstood by the children.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur has been quoted to have said this prayer:

“Build me a son, O God, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, but humble and gentle in victory ....

“Give him humility so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength; then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived in vain.’”

Yes, General, you have not lived in vain and we will not whisper, but shout, “Happy Father’s Day, General!”

Father Auri l ia is pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Hen-dersonville.

What a shame to dishonor our dedicated combatants with Tony Maglia-no’s column (“Taking Memorial Day more seirously,” May 19) with the following statement: “The lust for power and greed, arrogance, nationalism, the military industrial complex, lack of imagination and ineptitude are the real reasons young people are sent to kill and be killed.”

The Catholic News & Herald must be more compassionate to the fam-ily members who have dedicated sons and daughters as soldiers, who may think their children are dying for those emotional unsubstantiated accusations.

Magliano’s shameful assertion column should have limited itself to praise for these honored deaths.

— Dick WebberHendersonville

How unfortunate that on this Memorial Day weekend you printed “Taking Memorial day more seriously” by the anti-military and foolish Tony Magliano.

Does he really believe that a strong military is not a deterrent to world domination by some current despots? Does he think Taiwan would be free to-day if not for the United States?

How would World Wars I and II have turned out if we didn’t lead the way to free-dom? How many extermination camps did the United States and Allies liberate?

Today, Iraq and Afghanistan have a chance for freedom and self determination. And yet Magliano is critical of our country taking part in that action. I wonder if he is aware that Isaiah said and Jesus com-manded us “to set free the oppressed”?

And then Magliano starts with this “change of heart” nonsense. How can you convert a person whose only purpose in life is to see you dead? After all, they believe God told them to kill us “infidels.”

People such as Cindy Sheehan and Magliano owe every veteran — alive or dead — an apology. How shameful!

— R.W. KeenanHorseshoe, N.C.

I strenuously object to Tony Magliano’s column on “Taking Memorial Day more seri-ously,” and I hope he has a different “take” on Memorial Day than he displayed.

Those soldiers who have died to keep

us free, and to potentially keep others from being killed, deserve more than just our respect. They gave their lives at the prime of theirs. I recall Jesus telling us that “man has no greater love than to lay his life down for a friend.”

My son was shot in Iraq while try-ing to prevent terrorists from committing another 9/11. Certainly 9/11 should have been a wake-up call, and I hope Magliano has not forgotten about that. Yet he seems grossly out of touch by claiming military strength does not bring peace.

It should be obvious that the strength of the United States has prevented numerous wars and merciless killings. America has never entered a war to purposely kill — only to prevent as much killing as possible.

I seriously hope no terrorist ever knocks on Magliano’s door. Then again, they wouldn’t be knocking.

— Kevin RoetenAsheville

Abortion observers bear responsibility, sin

Father Frank Pavone’s column about “The ‘tragic triangle’” (May 19) around abortion, and particularly the role of observers, was most interesting to me.

Observers of sin (particularly that in which an innocent victim is harmed) do have greater responsibility because they often have, or should have, greater objectivity, and because their passive consent has tremendous meaning to both the victim and to the perpetrator.

Standing by and letting others be hurt (even from the sidelines) is a deci-sion to participate in sin.

I pray we all recognize our propen-sity to remain passively quiet in the face of wrongdoing whether it be abortion, child abuse within a family, or any abuse of power. It is never easy to speak out, but it is our calling.

— Tracy Webb

Father’s Day to remember sacrifices, victories of dads

Guest Column

CAPUChIN FAthER JohN

AURIlIAGUEst ColUMNIst

Columnist dishonors vets, skews truth

Letters to the Editor

Cns Photo


Got ‘windows’? Pope condemns anti-Semitism, says world must not

Parents must talk to kids about Internet dangersAs children grow and mature, they

demonstrate an increasing desire to assume more responsibility for them-selves and their activities.

It can be extremely confusing for par-ents when it comes to knowing how much privacy to allow their children in their use of the Internet. When trying to decide on a comfortable level of freedom, parents should consider the following:

— Even in adolescence, the brain is growing and developing into an adult brain. Not only are the “wires” and the “departments” of the brain continuing to come together and become complete, brain chemistry is in flux as well.

The most well-behaved and well- intentioned kids are still prone to ques-tionable judgment from time to time.

— Raging hormones — enough said.— Trusting kids is one thing; trust-

ing the Internet community is another.As tempting as it may be to strictly

curtail kids’ usage of the Internet, it is unfortunately all too easy for our children to find access to it somewhere. When they use the Internet outside of the house, we are in the dark about where they have been on the Web.

Creating “windows” into our chil-dren’s Internet use is probably our best bet to maintain healthy parental controls. Making the Internet a family affair can help open up the communication about

what is okay and what is not.The following may provide some

guidelines:— Keep the computer in a central

location of the home that gets plenty of traffic.

— There are a number of techniques to control what kids can or cannot access on the computer. Computer programs can be purchased that allow parents to tailor children’s access to the Internet and even provide reports of Web activity.

— Cell phones that access the Inter-net should be subject to parental review, if allowed at all.

— Talk as a family about Internet pitfalls for children and adults alike — people lie; there are con artists aplenty; predators are real and active in every community.

— Consider a “Family Pledge for Online Safety.” Post that agreement, or general family rules about Internet use, at the computer. A great example of this can be found at www.yahooligans.com under Parent’s Resources.

There are a number of resources in the community and online that can help:

— w w w. n e t s m a r t z . o rg : a n interactive educational safety resource to teach kids and teens how to stay safe on the Internet.

— www.playitcybersafe.com: empowering children, parents and teachers to prevent cybercrime through knowledge of the law, their rights, and how to avoid misuse of the Internet.

— Disney.go.com/cybersafety/in-dex.html: children learn about proper Internet ethics and the importance of keeping private information private via Mickey, Goofy and the gang.

— www.safekids.com and www.safeteens.com: Tips advice, links and suggestions to help make your family’s online experience fun and productive.

Talking about Web sites and learning new things on the Web need to be parts of a continuing process. Stay interested, enthusiastic and plugged in on a regular basis to what kids are experiencing on the Internet.

Being a partner rather than an opponent in how children are explor-ing that enormous world is a good way to keep the “windows” of trust and communication open.

Lori Fox is supervisor of counseling services at Catholic Social Services.

by CINDy WOODENCathOlIC NEWs sErvICE

VATICAN CITY — “Our world must not forget Auschwitz,” German-born Pope Benedict XVI said three days after he visited the site of the Nazi death camp in Poland.

Dedicating his May 31 general audience talk to a review of his trip to Poland, Pope Benedict condemned anti-Semitism and racial hatred and prayed that all people would recognize that “God is the father of all.”

The pope said that during his May 25-28 trip he wanted to visit places associated with the life and ministry of Polish-born Pope John Paul II and to call on Poles to remain solid in the faith so that Europe and the world could benefit from their testimony to Gospel values.

“All Christians must be commit-ted to giving this testimony to prevent humanity of the third millennium from knowing again horrors like those tragically evoked by the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp,” he said.

Some Jewish leaders had criticized Pope Benedict for not focusing enough on the Nazis’ 6 million Jewish victims and for not explicitly condemning anti-Semitism during his May 28 visit to the camp that has become a symbol of the Holocaust.

During his audience talk, the pope said, “At the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and in similar camps, Hitler had more than 6 million Jews exterminated.”

In facing the horror of Auschwitz, he said, Christians must contemplate and learn from the cross of Christ, the symbol of “a love which brings salvation by freely descending into the abyss of evil.”

Christ’s sacrifice, he said, can heal human beings rebelling against God.

“May modern humanity not for-get Auschwitz and the other ‘death factories’ where the Nazi regime attempted to eliminate God in order to take his place,” the pope said.

“May it not give in to the temptation of racial hatred, which is the origin of the worst forms of anti-Semitism,” he said.

“May people recognize that God is the father of all and calls us in Christ to build together a world of justice, truth and peace,” he said.

Who gets to go to Q. Several times I’ve heard that

people who do not believe in Jesus, are not baptized and are not members of the Catholic Church cannot be saved.

Recently Barbara Walters hosted a television special about heaven. She was told to her face that only those who be-lieve in Jesus can go to heaven.

If this is Catholic teaching then God’s “chosen people” along with many others will not go to heaven. Where will they go? This is upsetting to me as a Catholic, and I would guess to others as well. (New York)

A. What you report was said on that program is not Catholic teaching. Some other Christians would agree with it, but I think the belief of most mainline Christian communities today, including Catholics, is quite different.

To begin with, if people cannot be saved without explicit faith in Jesus and baptism, salvation would be impossible for most of the human race. Jesus would have failed miserably in the mission he received from the Father.

Let’s discuss first the point about belonging to the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks strongly, as we would expect, about the essential role of Jesus Christ and baptism in God’s saving plan.

Then it adds a significant and critical sentence:

“Hence, they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God

through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it” (No. 846, quot-ing Vatican Council II’s Constitution on the Church, 14).

When you read this carefully, especially the words between the com-mas, you can see that they do not apply to billions of people on earth now and in the past, including most if not all people of the Hebrew tradition.

This teaching becomes more explicit in the following catechism paragraph:

“Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their con-science — those too may achieve eternal salvation.”

Note the words “moved by grace.” Jesus is, we believe, the universal and only Savior of mankind. All good and virtuous actions, even by those who never heard of the Gospel or Jesus, or of God as we believe in him, happen because of the saving merits of our Lord’s life, death and resurrection.

In other words, God’s grace is guid-ing and saving those who live sincere and conscientious good lives, but who have, for whatever reason, honestly never seen the embrace of Christ or the church as a personal religious obligation.

Pope John Paul II, in his book “Cross-ing the Threshold of Hope,” reflects the understanding of the Catholic Church when he speaks of the common elements

of belief between Christianity and what we often call “pagan” religions.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions,” he writes, because we are “guided by the faith that God the Creator wants to save all mankind in Jesus Christ.”

We don’t know how God does all this, he continues, but we do know that “Christ came into the world for all these peoples. He redeemed them all and has his own ways of reaching each of them” in the present age of salvation history (pp. 80-83).

This acknowledges that our heav-enly Father has told us much about some details of his saving love for us; but he still “has his own ways” of doing things. If that is true anywhere, we would expect it to be true in his plan for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ.

A free brochure in English or Spanish, answering questions Catholics ask about baptism practices and spon-sors, is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 5515, Peoria, IL 61612.

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

The Pope Speaks

PoPE bENEdICt XVI

Peace of Mind

loRI FoXGUEst ColUMNIst

QuestionCornerFAthER JohN

dIEtZENCNs ColUMNIst

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June 9, 2006

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June 9, 2006