July 8, 2005

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 July 8, 2005

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Carl Heil (second from right), volunteer caretaker/historian at St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly, supervises the straightening of gravestones by members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Sons of Erin Division of Mecklenburg County, June 25. The Hibernians helped with various repair work to the church built by Irish immigrants in the 1800s.

Serving CatholiCS in WeStern north Carolina in the DioCeSe of Charlotte

Assisting refugeesGrant for ELS classes; Volunteer coordinator retires

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Catechesis directoryNew book will assist Catholic educators

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PerspectivesShrimp and evangelization; Praying as a parish goal?

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July 8, 2005 voluMe 14 no. 36

www.charlottediocese.org

Toward saiNTHood

See HISTORY, page 5

by CINDy WOODENCathOlIC NEWs sErvICE

ROME — The process to beatify and canonize Pope John Paul II opened June 28 with an evening prayer service attended by cardinals, bishops, lay people and representatives of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, papal vicar of Rome, presided over the ceremonial opening of the Rome Diocese’s inves-

Diocese of Rome opens canonization process for Pope

HiberNiaNs refurbisH HisToriC CaTHoliC CHurCH

by KEvIN E. MUrrayEDItOr

MOUNT HOLLY — With precision and care, a group of Irish-Americans straightened and balanced gravestones in the cemetery of the small, white clapboard church.

The scene may have re-sembled the work of 19th-century Irish Catholics, who helped build the church and buried many of their dead out-side its walls.

Members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Sons of Erin Division in Mecklenburg County spent a full day June 25 refurbishing St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly, one of the old-est standing Catholic churches in North Carolina.

Restoring our roots

established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul vi

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

aborTioN alTerNaTive

Local women discuss, heal from adverse pregnancies

See ABORTION, page 13

by MaDElINE PECOra NUGENtsPECIal tO

thE CathOlIC NEWs & hEralD

CHARLOTTE — Both Sandy Buck and Renee Pierson expected their prenatal ultra-sounds to be happy events at which the health of their babies would be confirmed. They never imagined the distressing diagnoses they would receive.

Casey, Sandy’s unborn son, was diagnosed with the fatal condition Trisomy 18. The prognosis was terrible as most Trisomy 18 babies die before or shortly after birth.

“My doctor told me that if Casey survived the pregnancy and the birth, we would have a

Elizabeth Ministry helps grieving mothers

See SAINT, page 6

stOry aND PhOtO by KarEN a. EvaNs

staff WrItEr

CHARLOTTE — St. Joseph Vietnamese Church celebrated the Year of the Eucharist with a special Mass June 26. Father Le Van Tan, pastor, carried the Eucharist, encased in a gold monstrance, during a eucharistic procession preceding the Mass.

A few hundred parishioners, including members of several parish groups, walked in the procession, many of the elder parishioners wearing native Vietnamese dress. During the procession a recitation of the Rosary, prayers of the Eucharist, prayers of Jesus’ Sacred Heart, songs about the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart were played over loudspeakers.

During the Mass, nine teenagers and adults were initiated into the Catholic Church and an infant was baptized. Also, new members of the Sacred Heart of Jesus men’s group were initiated.

For more photos, see page 7.

Vietnamese celebrates Year of the Eucharist with Mass, initiations

Year of the EucharistUnderstanding the Mystery of the Mass, Part 20

| Page 7

2 The Catholic News & Herald July 8, 2005

Current and upcoming top-ics from around the world to your own backyardInBrief Knights of Columbus sets new record

for charity in 2004

feNdiNg for His family

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) — The Knights of Columbus set new records for charitable giving and volunteer hours in 2004.

The results of the Knights’ annual survey of fraternal activity for 2004 show that total contributions to charity at all levels climbed to $135,753,039, exceed-ing the previous year’s total by more than $5 million.

The survey also showed that Knights devoted an estimated 63 million hours to charitable work last year. Members contributed another 9.3 million hours to fraternal service activity.

There were 407,746 Knights of Co-lumbus blood donors during the year, and Knights made more than 6 million visits to the sick and the bereaved.

Cumulative figures show that over the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated $1.174 billion to charity, and provided in excess of 560 million hours of volunteer support for charitable causes.

Knights of Columbus in Ontario led

the way in charitable giving, with $7.6 million, followed by California ($6.6 million) and Quebec ($5.7 million).

The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest lay Catholic organization, with 1.7 million members in the United States, Canada, Philippines, Mexico and Central America.

Gerry Kissel, an artist and graphic designer from Springfield, Mo., was of-ficially designated the organization’s 1.7 millionth member when he joined April 26.

“Hitting the 1.7 million member mark represents an enormous mile-stone in the history of the growth of the Knights of Columbus,” said Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight. “I’m proud of every Knight who has brought in a new member this year, and thank each of them for helping to make the Knights of Columbus the very best fraternal benefit society in the world.”

The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney

PublisHer: most reverend Peter J. JugisediTor: Kevin e. murraysTaff wriTer: Karen a. evans graPHiC desigNer: Tim faragheradverTisiNg rePreseNTaTive: 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]

The Catholic News & Herald, usPC 007-393, is published by the roman Catholic diocese of Charlotte, 1123 south Church st., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and easter week and every two weeks during June, July and august for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the roman Catholic diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising

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July 8, 2005VOluME 14 • NuMbEr 36

bOONE VICArIATE

SPARTA — St. Frances of Rome Church, Hendrix and Highlands Rds., sponsors the Ora-tory of Divine Love Prayer Group in the parish house the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 1 p.m. Call (336) 372-8846 for more information.CHArlOTTE VICArIATE

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will host a Chris-tian Coffeehouse July 16 at 7:30 p.m. Single and married adults are invited for an evening of contemporary Christian music, food and fellow-ship. For more information, call Kathy Bartlett at (704) 400-2213.CHARLOTTE — 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 — The Young Adult Faith Reflection group meets at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., the first and third Mondays of each month. The group will read “The Faith Explained,” 3rd edition, by Leo J. Trese and a chapter will be covered every meet-ing. For more information, call Jordan (704) 737-1964 or Ryan at (704) 377-1328. MINT HILL — G.E.M.S. Daily is a prayer/sup-port group for mothers of children with disabili-ties. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., to share concerns, praise and prayers. For details, call Michelle Roth at (704) 321-1717.

CHARLOTTE —The Young Widowed Group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall of St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For more informa-tion, contact facilitator Sister Therese Galligan 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 reserva-tions and more information, call Lucille at (704) 537-2l89.CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hi-bernians, St. Brigid Division 1, an Irish-Catholic group of women dedicated to their faith, country and Irish heritage, meet the third Wednesday of each month. Anyone interested in membership, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554 0720.CHARLOTTE — New Creation Monastery invites you to a day of silence and solitude in the presence of Almighty God. The monastery offers private spiritual retreats for lay people. Write to Father John Vianney Hoover at New Creation Monastery, 11517 Spreading Oak Ln. Charlotte, NC 28226, stating why you want to go on retreat and when. For more information, call (704) 541-5026. GrEENSbOrO VICArIATE

GREENSBORO — If you have a special need for prayers, or would like to offer your time in prayer for others’ needs, please call the Prayer Chain at Our Lady of Grace Church. The Prayer Chain is a sizable group committed to praying for your needs and the needs of your family and friends on a daily basis. To request a prayer or to participate in the Prayer Chain, call the church office at (336) 274-6520, ext. 10 and leave your name, address and phone number.GUILFORD COUNTY — The Ancient Order of

Diocesanplanner

At U.S.-Mexico conference, cardinal calls for new hope for migrants

EL PASO, Texas (CNS) — Wash-ington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick urged bishops from the United States and Mexico to help make “the New World a place of new hope” for migrants through-out the Western Hemisphere.

Addressing the binational confer-ence on migration in El Paso June 23, Cardinal McCarrick said, “Let our solidarity with them (migrants) and our love be obvious in what we do, even if it means that in this one America we must share our God-given resources in a more equitable way and share our wealth more equitably as well.”

Jointly sponsored by the U.S. and Mexican bishops’ conferences, the June 23-26 meeting was to consider how to implement the ideals of “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” a joint pastoral letter issued by the two bishops’ conferences in 2003.

Building on the themes of migration in the Gospels, the church’s teachings on just treatment for migrants and Pope John Paul II’s call for solidarity in “The

Church in America,” the cardinal offered three suggestions for dealing justly with migrants in the hemisphere.

First, “we must change the minds of people about migrants,” he said. “We must try to change their hearts and seek to address their fears.”

Second, “we must ultimately change the laws affecting migrants, immigrants and refugees in both” the U.S. and Mexi-co, said the cardinal.

He said U.S. immigration laws lead to the separation of families, the violation of human dignity and sometimes to tragic deaths in the desert. “In Mexico as well, we must work to ensure that migrants are not harmed and abused.”

Finally, Cardinal McCarrick called on the bishops to “continue to provide pastoral care to migrants and their fami-lies.”

“Those who find themselves outside their own country as they seek a better life for themselves or for their children must be aware that the church will meet their spiritual needs no matter where they

CnS Photo by DaviD Maung

Ernesto Tuleno, 40, a migrant worker from the Mexican state of Guerrero, shows a photograph of his son, while resting in an encampment near strawberry fields in Carlsbad, Calif., June 9. About 60 workers live in the camp hidden under a canopy of trees and bushes. They are given no support services from their employers and survive on what they can buy or what various church and human rights groups are able to provide. Tuleno sends his earnings to his wife and four children in Mexico.


Pope chooses ‘In Truth, Peace’ as theme for World

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When founded on the truth about the human person and human dignity, peace creates an atmosphere where people grow in righteousness and love, said the Pontifi-cal Council for Justice and Peace.

“In Truth, Peace” is the theme Pope Benedict XVI has chosen for the Jan. 1 celebration of World Peace Day.

The Vatican published the theme June 25 along with a brief explanation of the theme by the council.

The pope’s message for World Peace Day will be released in Decem-ber.

The council’s presentation quoted heavily from the Second Vatican Coun-cil’s document on the church in the mod-ern world, particularly its insistence that true peace is the result of justice and righ-teousness and not simply a matter of find-

ing a balance between opposing forces.Peace, the Second Vatican Council

said, “is the fruit of that right ordering of things” according to God’s plans for creation.

The Vatican’s explanation of the peace day theme said true peace allows people the space and freedom to seek the truth about themselves, about life and about God. A thirst for truth, there-fore, translates into a desire for peace and for order.

“True peace is also pacifying,” the Vatican said. “It reconciles and brings people out of their isolation. Truth en-lightens and helps people see the path for authentic human relations, allows them to correct errors, to reconcile themselves with others, to be transparent in negotia-tions and faithful to their word.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Even with Pope Benedict XVI pledging to make

ecumenism a priority of his pontificate and the Russian Orthodox Church wel-coming his election, the Catholic-Russian Orthodox dialogue is proceeding slowly.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, visited Moscow June 20-23 for talks with his Russian Ortho-dox counterpart, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

The cardinal did not meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II, but he told a Moscow Catholic newspaper that no meeting had been planned.

“I did not ask to meet him because we are still at the beginning of our work,” Cardinal Kasper said. “Our aim now is to discuss some technical and concrete matters.”

Cardinal Kasper said that Metropoli-tan Kirill had a half-hour meeting with Pope Benedict at the Vatican in April when the Orthodox leader was in town for the pope’s inauguration.

“They decided to continue the dia-logue about the principal problems exist-ing in our relations,” the cardinal said. “Right now we are trying to continue and perhaps deepen the dialogue.”

Cardinal Kasper said he was not expecting any breakthrough in the rela-tionship, but was hoping relations would improve with “small steps” forward.

While the Russian Orthodox Church continues to complain to the Vatican about the activities of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Kasper said, “It is not my task to speak about ques-tions tied to another church.”

The Ukrainian Catholic Church is in communion with Rome and requires papal approval for some of its activities, but is considered a self-governing church for the most part.

Cardinal Kasper said his discussions with Metropolitan Kirill were focused on “what the Holy See and the Russian Orthodox Church can do together in Eu-rope and for Europe, to support Christian values in Europe.”

At the end of the meetings, the Rus-sian Orthodox Church issued a press release saying the focus had been “coop-eration between the Orthodox and Catho-lic churches in consolidating Christian spiritual and moral values.”

from THe vaTiCaN

Hibernians Guilford County Division, the oldest and largest order of Irish Catholic men, is look-ing for more Irish Catholic men to join them for meetings, educational seminars and social events. Contact Michael Slane at (336) 665-9264 for time and location.HICKOry VICArIATE

NEWTON — The Little Flowers Catholic Girls’ Group is for all Catholic girls ages five and up. The group meets the fourth Monday of each month at St. Joseph Church, 720 West 13th St., at 4 p.m. in the Holy Family Hall. For more details, call Debbie Vickers at (828) 495-2039.SAlISbury VICArIATE

CONCORD — Father Matthew Habinger will conduct a free three-hour workshop, “God’s Plan for Human Love,” at St. James Church, 139 Manor Ave., July 16. The workshop will include talks by two local NFP-only physicians and a witness couple. Childcare will also be available. For details and to RSVP, call Susan Chaney at (704) 720-0772 or e-mail [email protected] — Father Matthew Habinger of the Natural Family Planning Outreach will celebrate all the Masses at St. James Church, 139 Manor Ave., the weekend of July 16 and 17. For informa-tion on NFP outreach, visit www.nfpoutreach.org. For general details, call Susan Chaney at (704) 720-0772 or e-mail [email protected] — Seniors ages 55 and up are invited to St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., the second Saturday of each month following the 5:30 Mass for Senior Games Night, featuring games and a potluck dinner. Call Barbara Daigler at (704) 662-9752 for details.SMOKy MOuNTAIN VICArIATE

WINSTON-SAlEM VICArIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — All young adults, single or married, are invited to Theology on Tap, a speaker series for Catholics in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Theology on Tap is a casual forum where people gather to learn and discuss the teachings of the Catholic Church. Theology on Tap will meet July 13, 20 and 27 at 7 p.m. at Mi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant, 644 S. Stratford Rd. For more information, e-mail [email protected] — Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St. will present the Gospel of John Catholic Scripture Study, a 30-week program whose members learn the Scriptures, and come to a deeper understanding of their Catholic faith in a setting that builds Christian fellowship. The class is forming now for Fall 2005. For more information, visit www.catholicscripturestudy.com. Please register by July 17 to Juliann Demmond at (336) 996-7136 or [email protected], or call Betsy Hoyt at (336) 996-6396.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 ext. 12 for directions or information.WINSTON-SALEM — The Healing Compan-ions is a grief support group for the bereaved that meets the first and third Thursdays of the month in conference room B at St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave. For further details, call Joanne Parcel at (336) 924-9478.

is your parish or school sponsor-ing a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the diocesan Planner at least 15 days prior to the event date in writ-ing to Karen a. evans at [email protected] or fax to (704)

Catholic-Russian Orthodox dialogue proceeds slowly, cardinal says

Suffering in the Sudan

CnS Photo froM reuterS

A 4-year-old Sudanese boy lies on the ground after collapsing from hunger at a feeding center run by Doctors Without borders in the village of Paliang, Sudan, May 25. Millions of Sudanese are facing very difficult conditions and as many as 180,000 are dead after attacks by Arab militias backed by the Sudanese government.

CORRECTIONSfather larry lomonaco’s name was misspelled in the Pastoral assignments (June 24). also, father luis osorio was left off the list — he has been assigned as pastor of Holy infant Church in reidsville effective July 5.

July 17 — 11 a.m. massst. bernadette Church, linville

July 19 — 5:30 p.m.Catholic social services board meetingCatholic Conference Center, Hickory

Episcopalcalendar Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the

following events:

MURPHY and HAYESVILLE — Liz Ducas will lead a summer mission at St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. in Murphy, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Highway 64 West in Hayesville, July 16-20. The topic of the mission will be “Eucharist for the Life of the World.” Noon Services will alternate between the churches and evening Mass.

For more information, call Howard Platz at (828) 389-0335 or Judy Lott at (828) 835-3359.

4 The Catholic News & Herald July 8, 2005ArOuND THE DIOCESE


CHARLOTTE — The Verizon Foundation recently gave a $4,000 grant toward the English as a Second Lan-guage (ESL) classes of Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office in the Diocese of Charlotte.

The Verizon Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations within the United States. The foundation sup-ports literacy, domestic violence preven-tion and technology.

“The funds will help us continue the much-needed English language class-room instruction for our refugee clients,” said Cira Ponce, CSS Refugee Resettle-ment Office director.

“The ESL classes help the refugees become self sufficient,” said Luz Vick-ers, ESL project director. “If they under-stand the English language, they can bet-ter navigate life in the United States. The classes make a significant impact on the refugees’ efforts to start a new life here.”

Currently, the ESL classes, which are offered at two locations in Charlotte, consist primarily of Montagnards from the highlands of Vietnam and Bantu trib-al people from Somalia in eastern Africa.

The Montagnards are Christians who aided U.S. Special Forces during the 1960s, and many became prisoners in re-education camps after the Vietnam War ended. Hundreds have settled in Charlotte since the mid-1970s.

The Bantu are a minority clan in Somalia whose persecution includes con-fiscation of their lands and denial of some basic rights. The CSS Refugee Resettle-

ment Office resettled 123 Bantu people in the Diocese of Charlotte in 2004.

Since 1975, the CSS Refugee Re-settlement Office has assisted in the resettlement of more than 8,000 refugees from 26 nationalities in Charlotte.

waNT more iNfo?for more information about or to volunteer with the Css refugee resettlement office esl class-e s , c o n t a c t e s l c o o r d i n a t o r Jennifer girard at (704) 370-3255.

Verizon grant helps ELS classes for refugees

fuNdiNg THe fuTureDecades of devotion


CHARLOTTE — After 22 years of welcoming refugees to North Carolina, Sonia Hayden is saying goodbye.

Hayden, volunteer coordinator for Catholic Social Service’s Refugee Reset-tlement Office in the Diocese of Charlotte, was honored by co-workers and friends during a retirement party at the diocesan Pastoral Center June 17. Her last day with the diocese was June 30.

While Hayden facilitated volunteers to assist new refugees, she said her some of her fondest memories are working directly with the refugees.

“Doing the everyday things they needed was satisfying, especially teach-ing them English,” she said. “I still see some of them, and hearing them speak English now is a joy.”

“We help a lot of people often in very stressful situations. Sonia is sensi-tive and caring toward the refugees, many of whom were trying to reconnect with family, children,” said Linda Camp-bell, Refugee Resettlement Office’s em-ployment case coordinator.

“Sonia radiates Christ’s love and has a calming effect on them,” said Camp-bell. “She really listens to them and gives them hope.”

Hayden is credited with expanding the volunteer program.

“She developed the program and made it an integral part of the Refugee Resettle-ment Office,” said Elizabeth Thurbee, ex-ecutive director of CSS in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“Sonia made it into a real outreach to parishes and other community organiza-tions to partner and work with the agency to help refugees,” said Thurbee.

Thurbee said Hayden’s warmth and dedication inspired the volunteers.

“I couldn’t have done this job with-out the dedication of the volunteers,” said Hayden.

Hayden plans to travel, visit her grandchildren and take a cruise or two.

“I am also writing a book on the refugees’ experiences,” she said.

“Sonia may never know the extent of her 22 years of helping refugees and placing volunteers, but it’s certain they will never forget her,” said Cira Ponce, Refugee Resettlement Office director.

“Sonia has a bright smile and at-titude that we miss when she’s off (from work) on Wednesdays,” said Campbell. “When she’s gone, every day will be Wednesday for a long time.”

waNT more iNfo?for more information about the refugee resettlement office, go online at www.cssnc.org/refugee.html.


Sonia Hayden, with CSS’s refugee resettlement Office, shares a laugh with co-workers during her retirement party at the diocesan Pastoral Center June 17. Hayden is retiring after 22 years.

loNgTime voluNTeer CoordiNaTor reTires from refugee reseTTlemeNT offiCe

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 5 July 8, 2005frOM THE COVEr

“We wanted to give back to our Irish heritage and do something for this place,” said Matt Crawley, a Hibernian. “This is where our ancestors from Ireland came. It’s Irish history and Catholic history.”

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, founded in 1836, describes itself as the oldest lay Catholic organization in the United States. The Church of St. Joseph and Mary, known as St. Joseph Church since the Civil War, was built by Irish immigrant gold miners in the 1800s.

The church accommodates maybe 100 parishioners. It has no electricity, no bathroom; six large windows were used to light and heat the church.

A small room for a priest is located at the rear of the church; on the Spartan walls are 19th-century photographs showing how Catholicism’s roots in North Carolina took hold at this tiny church near the banks of the Catawba River.

“Our ancestors laid the groundwork. We’re continuing what they started,” Crawley said. “We want to bring the church back as close as it can be.”

“I don’t turn down any help,” said Carl Heil, a parishioner of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont and volun-teer caretaker of St. Joseph Church since 1993. “I’m thrilled to have them (Hiber-nians) over here.”

The Hibernians righted gravestones, weeded and cleared brush, and painted and cleaned the structure, helping pre-serve the church’s history and presence.

“Otherwise it would be a major loss in history, and we learn from his-tory,” said Hibernian Evan O’Donnell, a parishioner of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. “We would make mistakes if

we didn’t have history to learn from.”

Back in the dayThe discovery of gold in North Caro-

lina lured miners from Ireland to what is now Gaston County. Six Irish Catholic families living on the western bank of the Catawba worshipped in a chapel inside the home of Chevalier Riva De Finola, the French-Italian owner of several gold mines.

De Finola hoped to build a church,

but plans were deferred when his mines were closed by an 1832 court injunction.

“The (miners) were very poor ... all they had were their lands ... but being very dedicated Catholic people from Ireland, they wanted a church,” said Heil.

A missionary priest, Father J.J. O’Connell, traveling via horseback across Georgia and the Carolinas, brought infrequent Masses to the area, but the remaining miners wanted to establish a parish. One of the families of-fered to donate more than six acres if the bishop of Charleston, S.C., would build them a church. At that time, the Diocese of Charleston encompassed both North and South Carolina and Georgia.

Bishop John England of Charleston agreed, but only if the families helped raised construction money. The bishop assigned a priest to the area and St. Jo-seph Church was completed in 1843. The

Hibernians refurbish historic

Irish immigrants were so thrilled they inscribed “Habemus Altare” (“We have an altar”) above the humble altar.

Bishop Ignatius Reynolds, sec-ond bishop of Charleston, dedicated the church in 1844, making St. Joseph Church the fourth Catholic church in North Carolina. During the same year, St. Paul Church in New Bern, the state’s first Catholic church built in 1841, was dedicated (churches had also been built in Raleigh and Fayetteville). Today, St. Joseph and St. Paul churches stand as the oldest Catholic churches in the state.

After the Civil War, all but one of St. Joseph Church’s families remained, and when Belmont Abbey opened nearby in 1876, area Catholics were relegated under the care of the Benedictine monks.

St. Joseph Church was mostly ne-glected over the years, said Heil.

Continuing effortsIn the early 1970s, under then-

Bishop Michael Begley of Charlotte, the church exterior, altar and pews were restored to its 19th-century splendor.

“All they did was refinish what was here. Nothing was replaced,” said Heil.

In 1979, the church was designated as a National Historical Site by the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Depart-ment of Interior. In October 1993, Msgr. John J. McSweeney, then-diocesan ad-ministrator, celebrated the sesquicenten-nial celebration of St. Joseph Church.

The continuing upkeep efforts of Heil and others, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, are a tribute to the immigrants’ faith.

“It’s here for everybody to enjoy,” said Heil. “But there are those who do not know this place exists. It’s such a shame.”

The Hibernians plan to make repairs at the church an annual service project.

“We’ve got our teeth in it now, and there’s a lot of work to do,” said Crawley.

Heil offered a reason for the church’s longevity.

“We’ve had many chances of this place burning down, because there’s no water on the property; there hasn’t been a well here since the 1800s. Yet nothing’s ever happened,” he said. “The Lord’s kept his eye on it.”

waNT more iNfo?To learn more or to visit st. Joseph Church, call (704) 825-9600.


Evan O’Donnell, a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, explores the historic St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly with his son, Patrick, June 25.


St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly, built by Irish immigrants in the 1800s, now stands as one of the oldest Catholic churches in North Carolina.

HISTORY, from page 1

HisTory of sT. JosePH CHurCHearly 1800s — irish Catholic gold miners settle in mount Holly area. missionary priest brings mass to the area infrequently.1883 — bishop of Charleston assigns father T.J. Cronin to serve Catholics in mount Holly.1843 — st. Joseph Church completed by irish immigrants.1844 — Church dedicated, becoming fourth Catholic church in N.C.1876 — Church closed; parishioners placed under care of belmont abbey.1970s — designated as National His-torical site by North Carolina and u.s. department of interior.1993 — sesquicentennial celebration held. Carl Heil becomes volunteer caretaker/historian.2005 — st. Joseph Church and st. Paul Church in New bern (first Catholic

6 The Catholic News & Herald July 8, 2005IN THE NEWS

tigation into “the life, virtues and fame of holiness of the servant of God, Pope John Paul II.”

He began by thanking Pope Benedict XVI for accepting “the choral and ardent pleas raised by the people of God” to waive the normal five-year waiting pe-riod before Pope John Paul’s cause could begin.

While the June 28 ceremony was the official beginning of the process, it was clear much work already had been done.

Cardinal Ruini had appointed a Pol-ish priest working in the Rome tribunal, Msgr. Slawomir Oder, to be the postula-tor of the cause.

The postulator promotes the cause by identifying witnesses to testify about the candidate’s life and holiness, collecting the candidate’s writings, compiling his biography, gathering evidence that he has a widespread reputation for holiness and looking into claims by the faithful that they were healed through his intercession.

Oaths and witnessesDuring the opening ceremony at

the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome’s cathedral, Msgr. Oder presented Cardi-nal Ruini with a list of some 100 people

who will be called to testify about their knowledge of Pope John Paul.

While “reserving the right to present other witnesses,” Msgr. Oder formally vowed not to “say or do anything directly or indirectly that would offend justice or limit the freedom of the witnesses; I swear, finally, to maintain the secrets to which those having a part in this cause are held.”

One of those secrets is the identity of the people on the list, although Msgr. Oder told Catholic News Service earlier that not all the witnesses are Catholics.

Cardinal Ruini, the judges and the notaries involved with the cause took oaths promising to carry out their as-signed tasks in investigating “the life and

Rome opens canonization process for

virtues” of Pope John Paul, as well as any miracles attributed to his intercession.

They also were asked to swear they would not accept “any type of gift” meant to influence their work.

Holy convictionCardinal Ruini read a long biography

of Pope John Paul, which, he acknowl-edged, “could appear superfluous given how great and universal knowledge of him is and given how deep and unani-mous is the conviction of his holiness.”

The cardinal said that as archbishop of Krakow under the communist regime, the pope “knew how to unite his intel-lectual strength and artistic genius with a passionate love for Christ, for the church and for men and women.”

His 1978-2005 pontificate, the cardi-nal said, was marked by a deep love and concern for “humanity wherever it was threatened,” by untiring efforts to pro-mote peace and help the poor, and by an unwavering call to defend every human life and the traditional family.

“At the root of all this untiring apos-tolic activity, there clearly was the inten-sity and profundity of the prayer of John Paul II — which many of us witnessed directly — that intimate union with God that accompanied him from his child-hood to the end of his earthly existence,” Cardinal Ruini said.

The cardinal prayed that God would help the process to beatify and canon-ize Pope John Paul reach its conclusion soon.

In an interview published June 28, Avvenire, the Italian Catholic daily, asked Msgr. Oder about a rumor that Pope John Paul could be canonized without first be-ing beatified.

“At this point, I can say only that that is a pious hope,” Msgr. Oder answered. “Our technical approach is the ‘normal’ one,” working first toward beatification.

“But, certainly, the competency belongs to the Holy Father, and he could decide what he wants,” the monsignor

CnS Photo froM reuterS

Italian Cardinal Camillo ruini signs a document opening the process of beatification and canonization for Pope John Paul II in rome June 28. Pope benedict XVI waived the normal five-year waiting period for the late pope May 13.

SAINT, from page 1

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 7 July 8, 2005yEAr Of THE EuCHrIST

Celebrating culture, Last time, we began our investiga-

tion of the Canon, or Eucharistic Prayer, which begins the second movement of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, known as the consecration.

In the consecration, we unite our-selves with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the high priest and victim, and thereby render true worship to the Father and receive the fruit of our redemption. Let us continue with our study of the Canon to trace the elements that unfold this mystery of our salvation.

Since the advent of the Novus Ordo (New Mass), authorized by Pope Paul VI after the Second Vatican Council, there are several options for the Canon of the Mass: four common Eucharistic Prayers — three prayers that may be used for Masses with children and two that may be used for Masses of reconciliation.

The first Eucharistic Prayer, com-monly known as the Roman Canon, orig-inated in Rome at the end of the fourth century. It developed its present form around the seventh century and has had no significant changes since. In fact, the Roman Canon was the only Canon used extensively in the Roman Rite since the Council of Trent (1563) until the Second Vatican Council (1965).

This prayer contains two lists of saints: the first includes the apostles and the early popes, while the second list includes many early martyrs.

The second Eucharistic Prayer is the shortest and is similar to the text of St. Hippolytus around the year 215. The third Eucharistic Prayer is rich with Eastern influences (such as the Alexan-drian, Byzantine and Maronite rites) and emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the fourth Eucharistic Prayer provides a fuller summary of salvation history and relies extensively on biblical events.

Within the variety of Eucharistic Prayers, there are certain commonalities that define them as Eucharistic Prayers. The Canon is composed of several parts that can be distinguished as follows: 1) Thanksgiving (Preface), 2) Acclamation (Sanctus), 3) Epiclesis, 4) Institution Nar-rative and Consecration, 5) Anamnesis (Memorial), 6) Offering, 7) Intercessions and 8) the final doxology (GIRM #79).

The Canon actually begins with

the Preface and its customary dialogue between the celebrant and the congrega-tion. Ever since the third century, this series of three verses and responses has marked the introduction of the Preface.

Here is established the ultimate pur-pose of the Mass: Dignum et iustum est [“It is right and just”]. Immediately fol-lowing this dialogue is the first part of the Canon mentioned above: Thanksgiving.

As with the Eucharistic Prayers, there is a variety of Prefaces that change depending upon the day, the festivity or the liturgical season of the year. The Preface expresses profound praise and gratitude to the Father for the wonders of his creation and the wonderful work of redemption accomplished by his divine Son. Each preface concludes by singing the unending hymn of praise, called the Sanctus.

The Sanctus is sung by all and is the second part of the Canon. What is the origin of this mysterious hymn? The Sanctus was added to the Mass by Pope St. Sixtus (119-128). This hymn is com-posed of two parts.

The first part, “Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory,” is taken from the vision of the Prophet Isaiah (6:1-3), where he saw the Lord sitting upon the throne surrounded by angels singing this hymn.

The second part, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest,” is taken from the shouts of praise offered to Jesus as he made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:9).

In the Sanctus, we unite ourselves to the angelic voices of heaven as we draw near to the divine throne and await the coming of our Savior. The Sanctus is the final warning of the immanent approach of our Lord, who will become truly pres-ent in a few moments in the consecration. With haste we unite our voices with the heavenly host of angels and saints and await our Savior’s coming.

Next time, we will continue with our examination of the Epiclesis and the Institution Narrative and Consecration.

Father Buettner is parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton.

waNT Previous ColumNs?father buettner’s “mystery of the mass” series is available online at www.charlottediocese.org/mysteryof-mass.html.

Guest ColumnFATHER MATTHEW

BUETTNERguest columnist

Sanctus, Sanctus, Understanding the Mystery of the Mass, Part 20

PhotoS by Karen a. evanS

St. Joseph Vietnamese Church celebrated the year of the Eucharist with a eucharistic procession and Mass June 26. The procession included members of Sacred Heart of Jesus men’s group, Eucharistic youth Group, Catholic Mother’s Group and many parishioners. During the Mass, a group of adults were baptized, confirmed and received first Communion.

year of THe euCHarisTmore information about the diocesan eucharistic Con-gress, sept. 23-24, is available at www.goeucharist.com.


BELMONT — The deafening roar of engines. The heat of the track. The cheers rising from fans in the stands.

Many people say there is nothing like it — the sights and sounds at Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, the home of NASCAR.

Now students at Belmont Abbey College will get an exclusive look into the inner workings and behind-the-scenes drama of one of America’s fastest-growing sports.

Lowes Motor Speedway and the college have partnered to give practical on-the-job experience to students who excel in the classroom. The partnership gives Abbey students exclusive rights to the first of six internships offered at the speedway in the fall and spring semes-ters.

The internships involve various ar-eas of operations including sales, market-ing and public relations, events, admin-istration, general operations and tickets.

H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, speedway president and member of the Abbey’s board of trustees, will personally review all resumes from the college for the fall and spring semesters.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Wheeler and everyone at Lowes Motor Speedway for this opportunity and what it will mean for students at the Abbey,” said Dr. William Thierfelder, Belmont Abbey College president.

“It is truly an exciting venture for our students, who excel in the classroom, to now also have the practical experience of applying what they learn into a business setting with one of the country’s leading sports companies,” he said.

Although Lowes already has in-ternship programs with other colleges and universities, Abbey students will have priority.

“The Abbey is a very special place, giv-ing its students a true sense of purpose,” said Wheeler, whose father served as athletic director, coach and faculty member at the Abbey. “We’re hoping to nurture that with this new internship program.”

Belmont Abbey College also plans to develop curriculum related to motorsports management in the near future.

The Abbey’s new chair of the busi-ness department, Dr. Philip Bayster, will work with faculty members to further build the college’s business program, providing students with learning experi-ences in courses and internships.

Bayster plans to lead the business department in seeking accreditation, increasing internship opportunities for the Abbey’s students and building relationships with the local business community.

With the majority of racing teams based within 30 miles of the track and a number of racing events held each year, Lowes Motor Speedway is considered

Living life in the fast Internship program at Speedway gives Abbey students advantage

Changing of the guard

CourteSy Photo

New officers for the Knights of Columbus Council 8509 at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville were recently elected for the 2005-06 fraternal year.

Pictured are (from left): Mike Hamilton, recorder; Tom McMahon, trustee; David Shephard, treasurer; Chip Evans, trustee; George Role Jr., trustee; Tom Fitzger-ald, outgoing treasurer; Guy Harley, deputy grand knight; Dick Meyer, advocate; Lance Cancro, grand knight; and Al Livelsberger, outside guard. Officers not pic-tured are Sal Vita, chancellor; Max Saffer, inside guard; and Jean Dion, warden.

In 2004, Council 8509 raised almost $22,000 to benefit handicapped adults and children in North Carolina.

The Knights of Columbus, an international service organization founded in 1882 in New Haven, Conn., emphasize charity in each council’s local community.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 9 July 8, 2005ADVErTISEMENT


a roundup of scripture, readings, films and moreCulture Watch

rEvIEWED by barb fraZECathOlIC NEWs sErvICE

The following children’s books are guaranteed to chase away those mid-summer doldrums.

“Help Wanted Stories,” by Gary Soto.This book has a multifaceted ap-

peal to middle-grade readers: First, it’s great story-telling. The main character of each tale is a middle- or high-school student who faces a problem common to teens, from feeling too gangly (“Teenage Chimps”) to feeling ashamed of siblings and parents (“Sorry, Wrong Family”).

Most stories include Hispanic char-acters and Spanish phrases, and the book includes a three-page translation list in

the back. Stories are told from the per-spective of both sexes, yet the problems cross gender lines. The short stories make the book easy to read in short spurts — a fine competitor to TV and comput-ers. (Ages 11-14)

“My Very First Bible,” by James Har-rison, illustrated by Diana Mayo.

Mayo’s colorful illustrations make this book worthing buying, but special children’s features add to its charm. Large-font story type blends well with the pictures, and some pages contain even larger type with simple phrases or sentences for beginning readers.

Each story has a Bible citation on

Children’s books guaranteed to chase away summer doldrums

which the tale is based, and some stories have small matching or sorting games for nonreaders. For example, “How many colors can you see?” is under the illustration of Joseph’s coat of many colors. The book works especially well if older readers read along or read aloud. (Ages 3-8)

“Please Bury Me in the Library,” by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Kyle M. Stone.

This is possibly the most clever book of poetry I have read. From haiku to rhymes to free verse, Lewis proves him-self to be an accomplished wordsmith with an unlimited imagination.

Each poem has something to do with reading. Stone’s colorful and humorous paintings make this book, to steal the title of one poem, “Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal!”

It is billed as a book for beginning readers, but, as Lewis writes, “A chil-dren’s book is a classic/If at six, excit-edly/You read it to another kid/Who just turned sixty-three.” (All ages)

“God Made Creepy Crawlies,” by Sally Anne Conan, illustrated by Becky

WORD TO LIFESUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: JULY 8, 2005

July 10, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A Readings:1) Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 142) Romans 8:18-233) Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

Growing in God leads to fruitful harvest

by sharON K. PErKINsCathOlIC NEWs sErvICE

As the child of farmers and vegeta-ble growers, I’ve spent much of my adult life trying to get things to grow.

Recently I visited my parents’ farm-stead in Texas where my mom’s lush flowerbeds and my dad’s bumper corn crop greeted me. Inspired, I returned to my struggling flowerbeds in Ohio, ready to do battle again with the moles, rocky yellow clay and unfamiliar variables of vegetation, climate and rainfall.

For a Texas gardener, Ohio is a dif-ferent world that requires patient learn-ing through trial and error and the advice of experienced neighbors.

It was through the lens of that expe-rience that this week’s Gospel acquired

fresh meaning for me. I’ve always taken this parable as an admonition to prepare the ground of my heart for God’s word and to avoid those factors that would jeopardize its reception and full fruition.

After all, it would seem that spiri-tual deafness and lack of understanding is simply a matter of choice.

But sometimes, lack of understand-ing is part of the human condition of “changing landscapes” — of trying to move from one realm (self-centered) to another (God-centered) with little per-sonal knowledge to guide the way.

If redemption were merely a mat-ter of enlightenment or straightforward choice with guaranteed outcomes, there would be no “groaning” involved. But the seedbed of each person’s life pro-vides unique challenges and opportuni-ties that must be dealt with.

We are capable of embracing the word of God joyfully, even as we cling stubbornly to hardheartedness and our own distractions. But as Isaiah claims, that same word is relentlessly persistent.

The psalmist sings of a God who prepares the land and blesses its yield. As St. Paul writes, we have the “first fruits” of the Spirit of Jesus, who not only has shown us the way but empowered us to labor with patience until the harvest.

sCriPTure for THe weeK of July 10-16sunday (fifteenth sunday in ordinary Time), isaiah 55:10-11, romans 8:18-23, matthew 13:1-23; monday (st. benedict), exodus 1:8-14, 22, matthew 10:34-11:1; Tuesday, exodus 2:1-15, matthew 11:20-24; wednesday (st. Henry), exodus 3:1-6, 9-12, matthew 11:25-27; Thursday (bl. Kateri Tekakwitha), exodus 3:13-20, matthew 11:28-30; friday (st. bonaventure), exodus 11:10-12:14, matthew 12:1-18; saturday (our lady of mt. Carmel), exodus 12:37-42, matthew 12:14-21.

sCriPTure for THe weeK of July 17-23sunday (sixteenth sunday in ordinary Time), wisdom 12:13, 16-19, romans 8:26-27, matthew 13:24-43; monday (st. Camilus de lillis), exodus 14:5-18, exodus 15:1-6, matthew 12:38-42; Tuesday, exodus 14:21-15:1 exodus 15:8-10,12,17, matthew 12:46-50; wednesday (st. apol-linaris), exodus 16:1-5,9-15, matthew 13:1-9; Thursday (st. lawrence of brindisi), exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20, daniel 3:52-56, matthew 13:10-17; friday (st. mary magdalene), song of songs 3:1-4, John 20:1-2, 11-18; saturday (st. bridget of sweden), exodus 24:3-8,matthew 13:24-30.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE


WASHINGTON (CNS) — CBS plans to air a four-hour miniseries on the life of Pope John Paul II during the 2005-06 television season.

Some secondary filming has already taken place at the Vatican, including St. Peter’s Square.

The movie, tentatively titled “Pope John Paul II,” has not yet been cast. Plans call for beginning principal shooting this summer. Most shooting will be done in Italy and Rome, with some filming in Poland as well. The movie could land on the CBS schedule as early as November.

Historians at the Vatican are consult-ing on the script, according to an an-nouncement by CBS.

The made-for-TV movie “will begin with Karol Wojtyla’s journey from his youth in Poland through his late days on the chair of St. Peter,” the CBS an-nouncement said.

“It will also explore the 264th pope’s

fascinating life behind the scenes: how he managed to touch the hearts of millions of people and change the face of the church and the world; how he defended the dig-nity of mankind against all kinds of totali-tarianism — from Nazism to communism to consumerism; and who successfully related to people of all ages,” it said.

The papal film will be produced by members of the production team that assembled the TV miniseries “Jesus,” which aired on CBS in 2000.

“Pope John Paul II” will be an inter-national production, involving the col-laboration of Granada America, the U.S. arm of the British production studio; Quinta Communications of France; RAI Fiction, a subsidiary of the Italian state television network; Italy’s Lux Vide stu-dio; Spain’s Gupe Intereconomia studio; Germany’s Tele Munchen studio; and Poland’s Baltmedia/Projektor studio.

Made-for-TV movie about Pope John Paul II to air on CBS next


CHARLOTTE — Melissa Brzycki, a recent graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School, received a perfect score on the 2005 National Latin Exam.

Only 1,581 students out of 134,000 who took the test in March received this distinction.

A congratulatory letter was sent to the students’ principals and Latin teach-ers, and a hand-lettered certificate was sent to each of the students.

The exam, which was administered in the students’ schools, is offered under the joint sponsorship of the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League.

More than 148,000 Latin students across the United States, Australia, Bel-gium, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Niger Republic, Poland, Switzerland and Zimbabwe took the 2005 exam.

This year for the first time, students from China and France also took the exam.

laTiN eXTraordiNare

Charlotte teen wins Latin exam

National Directory for Catechesis is published

by KarEN a. EvaNsstaff WrItEr

WASHINGTON — Religion educa-tors in the United States now have an updated resource for teaching catechesis, as the publishing office of the U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published the National Directory for Catechesis May 1.

The directory was developed by the Committee on Education and the Com-mittee on Catechesis of the USCCB. It was approved at the June 2003 general meeting of the U.S. Catholic bishops and received Vatican approval in De-cember 2004.

It will replace “Sharing the Light of Faith,” the national catechetical directory the U.S. bishops adopted in 1977.

The new directory will serve as a guide for all those who have catecheti-cal responsibilities in U.S. dioceses and parishes, especially those responsible for organizing and supervising catechetical

programs such as religion teachers and Catholic-school principals.

In June, Mercy Sister Maureen Meehan, director of religious formation for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte, presented the directory to the diocesan teachers and principals.

“The National Directory for Cat-echesis is the proactive way that the U.S. Catholic bishops aligned themselves with the Roman magisterium after the Vatican published the General Directory for Catechesis,” said Dr. Cris Villapando, director of faith formation programs in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“The Charlotte Diocese is looking forward to conducting a general workshop on the NDC on Nov. 3, when an official representative from the USCCB will pro-vide an even deeper understanding of the

New book will serve vital role for Catholic educators

document,” he said. “The Office of Faith Formation hopes to implement the recom-mendations in strategies and methodolo-gies in teaching the faith within various catechetical contexts.”

The directory stresses the need for appropriate catechesis for all people, including all ages and all varieties of life circumstances — married, single, ill, handicapped, in college, in prison, immigrants, people of different cultural backgrounds, police, firefighters and members of other professional groups.

It provides the fundamental theo-logical and pastoral principles and offers guidelines for applying those principles within the catechetical mission of the Catholic Church in the United States.

“The National Directory for Cat-echesis provides us with an understand-ing of the teaching and developments in catechesis that have taken place since the Second Vatican Council,” said Archbish-op Daniel M. Buechlein of Indianapolis and chair of the USCCB Committee on Catechesis.

“With the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ ... and the National Directory for Catechesis ... we have two solid tools on which to rely as we concretely respond to the Lord’s call to us to baptize and teach,” he said.

Throughout the directory, the idea that Jesus is the heart of catechesis re-gardless of where catechesis takes place is reinforced.

Jerry Filteau of Catholic News Ser-vice contributed to this story.

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The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 13 July 8, 2005fIGHTING fOr lIfE

difficult time caring for him,” Buck said. “She said Casey would never live a full life ... and that the most humane thing is to terminate these pregnancies.”

When Buck, a parishioner of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, explained to her doctor that termination was not an option, she said she was told, “Then you are on your own.”

Pierson’s experience was similar.“Our (unborn) son, Tanner, was di-

agnosed with a rare kidney defect ... and it was suggested that we terminate the pregnancy,” said Pierson. “We decided instead to seek treatment options.”

As her pregnancy continued, Tan-ner’s defect could not be corrected, and the doctors kept reminding Pierson and her husband, parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, that a termi-nation was still possible.

“One doctor even called me on the telephone and told me to reconsider my decision,” said Pierson. “He said that if I didn’t terminate the pregnancy, I might feel guilty later because I could have spared my son such a miserable life.”

Buck and Pierson both opted to have their children, and each delivered her son early after going into premature labor on their own.

“I realized that maybe the preg-

nancy, for as long as it lasted, would be my only chance to be Casey’s mom,” she said. “I have no regrets.”

Buck’s son, Casey, died during birth.“I would do it all over again just for

those wonderful hours that we had with Tanner,” said Pierson. “He was my pride and my joy, and he changed my life for-ever. He has deepened my faith, given me hope and left me with such wonderful memories.”

Tanner lived for just 36 hours.The two women met through their

involvement with Elizabeth Ministry, a peer support ministry for young families who have lost babies before or shortly after birth. Buck and Pierson continue to provide support to those who have experienced a pregnancy loss, stillbirth or newborn death.

Therapeutic abortionsNot every pregnant woman with an

adverse prenatal diagnosis chooses to deliver her child.

The termination of pregnancies around 20 weeks gestation (and some-times later) is called “therapeutic abor-tion,” or “induced labor abortion.” Eighty to 90 percent of women now terminate their pregnancies in the wake of an adverse prenatal diagnosis.

Language and circumstance allow this abortion procedure to mimic birth. Many are performed in hospitals that

provide obstetric care. In some cases, medical means are used to ensure the death of the baby before delivery, provid-ing a stillbirth.

Parents hold, name and plan funer-als for these babies, and often these terminations of pregnancy are treated as perinatal losses.

In some instances, babies have been delivered alive following induced-labor abortions, and reportedly, in these cases, they have then been left to die. It was just this circumstance that led to the passage of the federal Born Alive Infants Protec-tion Act in 2002 when a Chicago nurse went public with the care provided to a Down’s Syndrome baby born alive after an induced-labor abortion.

Recently, the National Catholic Bio-ethics Center (NCBC) in Boston, Mass., clarified the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding therapeutic abortion in its state-ment on early induction of labor. Accord-ing to the NCBC, an induction of labor before term (37 weeks) is only licit if the mother has a serious medical pathology such as chorioamniotis or preeclampsia.

Inductions of labor performed be-cause the child has a lethal anomaly and therefore will die at birth or because of maternal emotional distress as the result of such a fetal diagnosis are considered illicit as defined by the Catholic Church.

The NCBC further asserts the benefit of providing psychological support such as is available in perinatal hospice for women carrying to term following an adverse prenatal diagnosis.

Vital support

Those at Elizabeth Ministry believe there is a benefit in providing support to mothers and families following adverse prenatal diagnoses. Many mothers might

choose to carry to term if that option were presented as plausible and if ser-vices to support them were available.

“I know how much it would have meant to me to have had the support of someone who could have understood my pregnancy with Casey from the perspec-tive of their own personal experience of carrying a baby who is going to die,” said Buck.

“The anxiety I experienced as I won-dered about the fate of our son who was still alive and kicking inside of me is in-describable,” said Jennifer Howard, a pa-rishioner of St. Matthew Church in Char-lotte, who received an adverse prenatal diagnosis following a routine ultrasound.

“I feared that I’d bring a child into the world who would only live to ex-perience pain and suffering,” she said. “I wondered if it would be more peace-ful for the baby to end things, but the thought of not giving him a chance was devastating.”

Howard’s turning point came when a priest put her in touch with another mother at her parish who had carried to term a daughter with a fatal condition.

“Her story and her pictures of baby Claire gave me the first peace I had known in weeks,” said Howard. “It was about having someone who understood how I felt and who had survived this ex-perience herself. Spending time with her, I realized I could do this.”

Howard’s son was born early, too. Despite the grim prenatal prognosis and a harrowing birth, Mikey is now 2 years old and doing the normal things that kids do.

Howard, who works with Eliza-beth Ministry in the area of pregnancy complication, admits Mikey’s birth and childhood have not been easy medically, but she said people who are unaware of his condition see him as a perfectly healthy, happy and bright child who will celebrate his third birthday this summer.

“Mikey’s birth and tenacity to sur-vive what seemed the impossible have taught me to view life in a way that I never could have before,” she said. “I am so glad that we listened to our hearts and gave him a chance. He has brought us such joy.”

Madeline Pecora Nugent is the au-thor of several books including one for women experiencing a crisis pregnancy and has been involved in pro-life work since 1973.

waNT more iNfo?for more information about eliza-beth ministry, call Tracy webb at (704) 543-4780.for the NCbC’s statement on early induction of labor, go online at www.ncbcenter.org/press/04-03-11-earlyinduction.html

Local women grow, bond after difficult pregnancies

ABORTION, from page 1

CourteSy Photo

Mikey Howard, 2, is the son of Jennifer Howard, who carried her son to term despite receiving an adverse prenatal diagnosis about his health.


Perspectives a collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints At audience, pope

confirms African synod, relaxes with crowd

by CINDy WOODENCathOlIC NEWs sErvICE

VATICAN CITY — With a dozen African cardinals and bishops seated be-hind him, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he was confirming Pope John Paul II’s decision to convoke a second Synod of Bishops for Africa.

“I nourish great hope that this gath-ering will mark a further impulse on the African continent for evangelization, the consolidation and growth of the church and the promotion of reconciliation and peace,” the pope said June 22 at the end of his weekly general audience.

Pope Benedict did not say when the synod would take place, although it was expected to take several years to prepare. The bishops present at the au-dience were in Rome to begin planning for the gathering.

The first special assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held in 1994. For the next 10 years, a small group of African bishops met annually at the Vatican to discuss the implementation of the synod’s recommendations and new challenges facing the church on the continent.

Vatican officials said significant changes in the situation of the church and society in Africa since 1994 gave rise to the idea of a second synod for Africa.

An estimated 31,000 people had gathered in St. Peter’s Square under a scorching summer sun for the audience.

When the crowd began to cheer the pope, he waved and kept repeating “thank you,” which only seemed to fuel people’s enthusiasm.

“We feel not only the heat of the sun, but also the warmth of your hearts,” the pope said.

In his main audience talk, Pope Benedict spoke about Psalm 124, a hymn of joy and thanksgiving to God, who saves his people.

“We, too, can be sure that God will

come to save us, even when all hope seems lost,” he said.

Pope Benedict said God demon-strates his saving power particularly on behalf of “victims and the persecuted who cry to him day and night.”

The psalm of thanksgiving, he said, “can be thought of as our song, the song of the church on earth, expressing our confident hope that whatever difficulties may befall us, the Lord will be on our side.”

The pope appeared relaxed and com-fortable throughout the audience. Prepar-ing to end the formal part of the gathering by greeting Italian-speaking groups, he hesitated a moment and then said, “Ah, there is still a page to read.”

After leading the singing of the Our Father in Latin and greeting dozens of bishops, Pope Benedict went to shake hands with and offer his blessing to several groups of nuns, seminarians and newlyweds. Although the pope did his best to reach all the outstretched hands, several people could not resist tugging him toward them.

At one point, Pope Benedict had to step back so that he could put his fisher-man’s ring securely back on his finger.

Because of the high temperatures, the sick and the disabled were seated in the shade on the perimeter of the square instead of near the pope’s chair. But Pope Benedict, standing in the back of an open jeep, had his driver stop so he could still shake hands and bless the sick.

I just returned from New Orleans, where I was able to enjoy barbecue shrimp.

For those who may never have ex-perienced this culinary treat, barbecue shrimp consists of whole shrimp baked in an incredible butter sauce with Cajun spices. The shrimp is usually served with crusty French bread.

Each restaurant makes it slightly dif-ferently, but the common denominator is that it is an amazing dish capable of transporting you to new heights of culi-nary ecstasy. I love to tell people about this dish and watch their reactions as they eat it for the first time.

While in New Orleans I was en-joying this meal when I overheard the couple next to me debating about what to order. I suggested they try the barbecue shrimp appetizer. They ordered and en-joyed a new experience.

The next day, I went to a different restaurant and decided to once again try this meal and compare it to my previous experience.

The couple next to me saw me enthusiastically enjoying the meal and asked what I was eating. I explained and said they should definitely order it next time they had the chance.

Later that day when I went out to eat with friends, I had them try the dish.

My obsession with barbecue shrimp reminds me of evangelization. In the document “Go and Make Dis-ciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States,” the U.S. bishops list as the first goal: “To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others.”

The key word is “enthusiasm.”At times, people wonder what is

the first step in evangelization. They worry that they may not be knowledge-

able about their faith or that they are unable to quote Scripture. They may not be able to answer difficult ques-tions or have not had a course in apolo-getics.

The truth is that all these things are secondary; while important, they take a backseat to a genuine love of faith — a love that makes people not only curious, but want to partake in it as much as one would want to partake in, well, barbecue shrimp.

The problem is that many Catho-lics are lukewarm about their faith. It’s not so much that they don’t understand their faith, but rather they don’t feel the power of their faith; they don’t relish or enjoy it.

They go through the motions in-stead of experiencing the joys of their faith. They see it as a series of monoto-nous rituals that are to be endured and imparted on their children. They lack the experience of faith and with it, the enthusiasm necessary to want to share.

In many ways, we are to blame — and by “we,” I mean everyone who understands the genuine joy of being a Catholic. We get enthusiastic about a great many things and are able to feel the joy in them, but when it comes to our faith, we are unable to convey the same kind of energy — we reduce our faith to a series of teachings rather than a powerful experience that has some-thing to offer others in their life.

It’s often hard for others to find the “good news” in the Good News. That is why the bishops’ first goal is not simply to make others aware of the church’s teachings in order to lead others to the truth, but rather to create an enthusiasm that in turn will lead others to begin liv-ing their faith in Jesus. Only then will they be able to freely share an awesome experience.

When I left New Orleans, four people had tasted, and six others had heard about, barbecue shrimp. Next time you’re in New Orleans, you should try the barbecue shrimp.

And the next time the opportunity rises to talk about something you love, you should try sharing. It may be barbe-cue shrimp. It may be God.

Frank Villaronga is director of evan-gelization and ministry formation for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Barbecue shrimp: First step to evangelization?

Guest ColumnfraNK vIllar-

ONGaGUEst COlUMNIst

Sharing joy, experiences may help

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The Pope Speaks

POPE bENE-DICt XvI


“I have been saying that we should drop all church programs for a year and just teach our people how to pray!”

This quote by Franciscan Father Richard Rohr raises this question for me: When we summarize all that happens in a parish, what is its primary mission?

Those who advocate social justice would argue that the parish is a prophetic voice in the midst of a secular society; the parish defends the less fortunate and those enduring injustices. A social justice model of a parish would make room for activities such as protecting the migrant worker, advocacy on behalf of improved laws and actions against war, racism, euthanasia, capital punishment, abortion and unjust wages.

Here the parish is seen as a pro-active faith community pursuing just causes within and outside its boundaries.

Others tend to view the parish as a spiritual social network in which the community works together to uphold family life, protect its youth, enhance the life of singles and come to the aid of single parents, substance abusers and those on the margins of society.

Here the parish is seen as a pro-active faith community that supports its immediate members.

Still others see the parish as a learn-ing center whose primary aim is religious education and learning more about God.

Here the parish is viewed as a center seeking ways to communicate religious knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

We all know that parish life encom-passes a range of services, and the vari-ous ways it serves its people are whole-some. But what if a parish focused solely on becoming a praying congregation?

What would happen if for one year, the only parish program available was one that taught people to pray?

What if such a program focused on questions such as: When do we know we are praying? Does God really hear our prayers? Why does God seem to answer some prayers and not others? Is there a “right” way to pray? If God already knows everything, why pray? What does it mean to listen to God?

What if a parish made it a pre-emi-nent goal to encourage and help people to pray, as Pope John Paul II did? I have to believe that all the other ways a parish serves its people not only would fall into place, but would become driven by a fresh and awesome spirit.

June 29 marks the 13th anniver-sary of Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade — that women have a “liberty interest” to choose abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy.

The Supreme Court said it decided to maintain its precedent in Roe v. Wade in part because case law subse-quent to and legal principles developed since Roe v. Wade have not under-mined its legal basis. The Court said, “No evolution of legal principle has left Roe’s doctrinal footings weaker than they were in 1973.”

This line of enquiry begs the ques-tion of whether Roe ever stood on a firm legal foundation.

Any legal basis for Roe was chal-lenged immediately following its an-nouncement even by scholars who sup-port legal abortion.

In 1973, John Hart Ely, a professor of law at Yale Law School, writing in the Yale Law Journal said, Roe v. Wade is “a very bad decision ... It is bad because it is bad constitutional law, or rather because it is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be.”

The same year, Harvard law profes-sor Laurence Tribe wrote, “One of the most curious things about Roe is that, behind its own verbal smokescreen, the substantive judgment on which it rests is nowhere to be found.”

Earlier this year, Benjamin Wittes, a Washington Post legal affairs writer noted, “Since its inception Roe has had a deep legitimacy problem, stemming from its weakness as a legal opinion.”

Perhaps most interesting of Roe’s commentators is Edward Lazarus, a for-mer law clerk to Justice Harry Blackmun, Roe’s author. Lazarus, who describes himself as someone who loved Black-mun “like a grandfather” called Roe “one of the most intellectually suspect consti-tutional decisions of the modern era” and “ a jurisprudential nightmare.”

Lazarus has also commented on Casey v. Planned Parenthood. He said the Casey opinion was “not an act of constitutional interpretation or lawmak-ing. Instead, it was an act of judicial and political diplomacy — one designed to extricate the Court from the eye of the

abortion rights storm.”Indeed, in Casey, the Court said that

a “dimension” of its decision in Roe was to “call the contending sides of a national controversy to end their national division by accepting a common mandate rooted in the Constitution.”

It is now 32 years after Roe, 13 years after Casey and five years after Carhart v. Stenberg, which invalidated Nebraska’s ban of the grisly partial-birth abortion procedure. On the Court’s docket for this fall is consideration of New Hampshire’s parental notice law.

The national controversy of which the Court speaks is far from over. The Court did not resolve the controversy. It created it. Without any real constitutional basis, the Court usurped from the demo-cratic process and the American people the question of what protection ought to be afforded to unborn children.

The Court said none. The vast ma-jority of Americans disagree. Roe must be overturned.

Maureen Bailey is a public policy analyst with the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Supreme Court did not resolve abortion controversy: It created it

The question often has been asked: What makes a saint a saint?

“Saints are saints, because they are:“—Cheerful when it is difficult to

be cheerful.“—Patient when it is difficult to be

patient.“—Because they push forward

when they want to stand still.“—They keep silent when they

want to talk.“—They are agreeable when they

want to be disagreeable.“—That’s all. It is really quite

simple.” AnonymousWhat struck me in that quote was

the stress it placed on the passive vir-tues of restraint, patience and silence. Going against one’s natural instinct to strike back, to give offense, to lash out, is apparently something quite holy.

One is well advised to wait pa-tiently in all circumstances, at least up to a point. God doesn’t expect anyone to become a doormat.

So many good people are taken for granted. They endure the humiliation of being used and abused by those who claim to love them. They endure these things because they are always ready to forgive, which is a saintly disposition in itself.

This is basically noble, but there

comes a time when human dignity calls for some kind of protest. Forgive-ness is not the issue at that point. A saint is one who maintains his or her self-respect.

Generally speaking, most saints have to eat a lot of humble pie before they rise to say “No more.” Then they become like the prophets, and those who oppose them had better get out of their way.

Love is the essence of Christian perfection. St. Paul summed it up beauti-fully in these words. Here is my para-phrase of the text:

Love is patient and kind, it does not envy; it is not pretentious nor is it self-seeking. It is not easily provoked, and it thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice over wickedness but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

What makes a saint a Love is filled with waiting, endur-ing, holding back. Most people put up with a lot of frustration in dealing with their loved ones. It might not seem to be meritorious or holy, but apparently God thinks it is.

The next time you are really frus-trated by the actions of someone you love, count to 10. Endure the cross for Christ’s sake. In doing that you please the Lord. God will give you the strength you need to wait for better days.

God also waits. The world he made is filled with waiting. Waiting is one of the primary laws of nature. Winter waits for spring. Buds wait for warmth. The earth waits for rain. Nothing in life comes to instant maturity. The value of waiting is far superior to mindless activism.

All things begin as a tiny seed wait ing to grow to full s tature. The maturing process takes time. Dante described hope as “waiting with certitude.”

Since we know that there is ulti-mate meaning to our waiting, we have hope, and hope gives us the courage we need.

Pray for the grace to continue wait-ing patiently. Reach into the depths of your own being, and try to understand that waiting patiently can be the great-est kind of love.

Just being there when you want to run away may be the holiest thing you’ll ever do.

What if teaching people to pray was your parish’s top

Life Issues

MaUrEEN baIlEy

GUEst COlUMNIst

Patience, endurance can be greatest kinds of love

fathEr JOhN CatOIr

CNs COlUMNIst

ameriCaN PeoPle usurPed oN ProTeCTioN of uNborN CHildreN

The Human SideFATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

CNs COlUMNIst

ADVErTISEMENTThe Cathol ic News & Hera ld 16 July 8, 2005

July 8, 2005

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