March 24, 2006

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 March 24, 2006

Serving CatholiCS in WeStern north Carolina in the DioCeSe of Charlotte

Around the DioceseFranciscans flip flapjacks; programs help many

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n Our SchoolsBishop McGuinness sweeps models U.N., Congress

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PerspectivesBabel’s confusion; dancing with God

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marCh 24, 2006 volUme 15 no. 24

www.charlottediocese.org

See ISSUES, page 7

Luminous blossoms

Fruitful endeavorLocal priest compiles Mass reflections into book

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Irish jigging in the streetsResPeCTiNg life

established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul vi

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

St. Patrick’s parade, festival held in Charlotte

Catholics bring legislatures messages on life-and-death issues

CHARLOTTE — Catho-lic schools and local Catholic organizations marched in the 10th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in uptown Charlotte March 18.

This year’s parade, the largest yet, ran along Tryon Street past St. Peter Church and was viewed by more than 40,000 spectators. It was followed by a free community festival that featured Irish food and live entertainment.

by NANCy FRAZIER O’bRIEN

CAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

WASHINGTON — In Washington, issues such as parental notification before an abortion, fetal pain and assisted suicide remained on the back burner in Congress and court observers wondered when a judicial challenge to Roe v. Wade might reach the Supreme Court.

But around the country, state legislators were stepping up in defense of life.

Although not every effort was successful, legislators in nearly every state were work-ing to limit abortions, pro-hibit assisted suicide, improve health care access, eliminate the death penalty, achieve just immigration reform and enact a living wage for workers.

And in many places, Catholics were taking their messages directly to legisla-

Photo by Joanita M. nellenbach

Kathy Posey of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City places a tea light on a “feet picture,” then prays for the person who wrote on the picture, as part of the Catechist Oasis program March 17-18. See CATECHISTS, page 5

by JOANITA. NELLEN-BACH

correspndent

LAKE JUNALUSKA — The 25 catechists acknowl-edged that chaos is part of the journey.

Catechist Oasis 2006’s program, “Chaos, Catechists and Contemplation: Finding the Still Point in a Busy Life,”

Canceling chaosCatechists study prayer, meditation at retreat

See ROSE, page 13

began with each person receiving a drawing of two feet. On those feet, they wrote what causes chaos in their lives: job commitments, too many obli-gations, and too little time, just to name a few.

Catechist Oasis, March 17-18, emphasized dealing with chaos. The Diocese of Charlotte’s Office of Faith For-mation and the parish catecheti-cal leaders of the Asheville

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Dancers from Rince na h’Eireann School of Traditional Irish Dance make their way past St. Peter Church in Charlotte as part of the 10th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade March 18. Company develops

hybrid tea rose in honor of late pope

by ED lANGlOIsCAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

PORTLAND, Ore. — There have been medals, mugs, puzzles and even a commemorative umbrella, but an Oregon company has created arguably the most elegant memorial for the late Pope John Paul II.

The company unveiled a hybrid tea rose in honor of the pope, who died a year ago April 2.

page 8-9 I Parade photos; history of St. Patrick’s Day parade

More Coverage

2 The Catholic News & Herald March 24, 2006

Current and upcoming top-ics from around the world to your own backyardInBrief Pro-life official urges Congress to

suspend FDA approval of RU-486

eveRyday exPloReR CHalleNge

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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MaRCh 24, 2006VOluME 15 • NuMBER 24

aShEVIllE VICaRIaTE

ASHEVILLE — The Basilica of St. Law-rence, 97 Haywood St., will host a free concert by the University of North Carolina-Asheville Singers and Chamber Chorus March 26 at 3 p.m. The program will consist of works by R. Vaughn Williams, Herbert Howells and John Rutter. For more informa-tion, call the church office at (828) 252-6042.BOONE 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 Lenten Mission will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., April 1-5. Norbertine Father Alfred McBride will celebrate the weekend Masses April 1-2, and at 12:10 p.m. April 3-4. There will be a conference and penance service April 3 at 7:30 p.m.; conference and anoint-ing of the sick April 4 at 7:30 p.m.; and Mass and commissioning service April 5 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 554-7088.CHARLOTTE — A free Natural Family Planning Refresher Course will take place April 2, 2-4 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. Please register by March 31. Generally, Couple to Couple League encourages class attendance by the

couple together. However, since this is simply a refresher class for people already familiar with the method, feel free to come without your spouse. For more information, call Kelly Schif-fiano at (704)845-1435 or e-mail [email protected]. 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 at every meeting. For more information, call Jordan at (704) 737-1964 or Ryan at (704) 377-1328.HUNTERSVILLE — A Mass to Honor Deceased Loved Ones is celebrated the last Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd. For more infor-mation, call Pam Schneider at (704) 875-0201.CHARLOTTE — The St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order gathers the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave. Those interested in learning more about the SFO and the Franciscan way of life are invited to attend. For more information, call Tom O’Loughlin at (704) 947-7235.GaSTONIa VICaRIaTE

BELMONT — A Morning of Reflection in preparation for Holy Week will be held at Bel-mont Abbey College April 8, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Benedictine Father David Brown presenting “Isaiah’s Suffering Servant: Who Is It?” and Professor David Pitt will present “Hosanna to Alleluia: The Church at Prayer during Holy Week.” Mass will be in the Abbey Basilica at 11 a.m. followed by midday prayer. All are invited to attend this free event. Please reserve your place by calling (704) 825-6248 or e-mail [email protected].

Diocesanplanner

Catholic school student’s essay earns a Galapagos adventure

ST. LOUIS (CNS) — Caitlin Zera’s parents have always liked to take their children on Saturday adventures to explore areas near their home. That spirit of adventure has been passed on to Caitlin and helped her earn a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Caitlin, an eighth-grader at St. Fran-cis of Assisi School in Oakville, Mo., is one of 15 students nationwide to win the Everyday Explorer Challenge, a con-test sponsored by National Geographic Kids magazine, the National Geographic Channel and the makers of Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer. The contest was aimed at encouraging a love of exploring in young people. Entries required essays and photos of local places participants like to explore.

Caitlin said she read about the contest in National Geographic Kids magazine and thought it would be fun to enter. She chose a location she and her family visit frequently — Soulard Farmers Market.

Caitlin noted that her parents have taken her to “really cool places” and added that she likes to “explore all different kinds of things, not just places, but the things you find there, the people, the culture, the foods.”

Regarding her upcoming trip, Cait-lin said, “Every aspect of the trip is so exciting. To be able to see things that

I can’t see anywhere else in the world, things I probably won’t see again — it is just exciting,” she said.

Caitlin’s family is equally excited and proud about her trip to the remote island chain 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. “It’s pretty amazing. We are still in shock,” said Susan Zera, who will accompany her daughter.

Caitlin and her sister Lauren, a fifth-grader, were among 81 students to come from St. Matthias to St. Francis, which now has an enrollment of 442 kin-dergartners through eighth-graders. The Zeras are members of St. Matthias Parish in Lemay.

“I really like it at St. Francis,” Caitlin said. “It was a bit of an adjustment. We had 13 kids in our class and 12 came over. Now we have 52 kids in our grade with two classes. I like it.”

She said she likes geography and enjoys reading, writing, painting, playing basketball and volleyball.

When asked what advice she had for other young people, Caitlin’s response was: “Get out there and try new things. Don’t be afraid of other cultures and people. Get to know them. A lot of people are really cool and nice. You can learn so much from them.”

cnS Photo by MarK KeMPf, St. louiS review

Caitlin Zera, an eighth-grader at St. Francis of assisi School in Oakville, Mo., poses with a map in early February detailing the Galapagos Islands, the destination of an upcoming trip she earned in the Everyday Explorer Challenge, sponsored in part by National Geographic Kids magazine. Caitlin won with an essay about her local exploration of the Soulard Farmers Market, a historic market in the Soulard neighborhood of South St. louis.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A spokeswoman for the U.S. bishops’ pro-life secretariat, responding to a report that two more women have died after taking RU-486, called on Congress to pass legislation that aims to suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug used for chemical abortions.

“We are deeply saddened by yet another advisory from the Food and Drug Administration that two more women have died from RU-486 abor-tions,” said Deirdre A. McQuade, direc-tor of planning and information for the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

However, in its March 17 public health advisory, the FDA said it was not yet “able to confirm the causes of death” of the two women in the United States but was “investigating all circumstances associated with these cases.”

The agency said it had received “verbal notification” of the deaths by

the manufacturer of RU-486, Danco Laboratories. McQuade said 10 women have died after using the regimen.

“We again call on Congress to pass the RU-486 Suspension and Review Act,” McQuade said.

The measure calls for temporary suspension of the FDA’s approval of RU-486 so the U.S. comptroller general can review the agency’s adherence to statutory mandates in its process for approving the drug.

RU-486 induces an abortion in the first seven weeks of pregnancy when used in conjunction with another drug, prostaglandin.

RU-486 prevents the fertilized egg from clinging to the uterine wall, and the prostaglandin is used 48 hours later to set off contractions that expel the embryo.

McQuade said the New Eng-land Journal of Medicine reported in December 2005 that “RU-486 abortions are 10 times more likely to kill a woman, from infection alone, than are surgical


Pope urges religious leaders to reconcile conflicts with dialogue

fRoM THe vaTiCaN

BELMONT — First Saturday Devotions take place on the first Saturday of each month at Belmont Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd. Devotion begins at 9:30 a.m. with the recitation of the rosary, followed by reconcilia-tion and Mass. For more information, call Phil or Terri at (704) 888-6050.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.SMOKY MOuNTaIN VICaRIaTE

MURPHY — Rev. Deborah Rice, pastor of Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Hayesville, will preach the fourth in a series of Ecumenical Lenten Services March 29, 12-12:30 p.m. at St. William Church, 765 An-drews Rd. The series is designed to strengthen ecumenical bonds within the community. For more information, call Joan Kennedy at (828) 837-8519.MAGGIE VALLEY — A Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat for Post-Abortion Healing is a confi-dential opportunity for anyone struggling with the emotional or spiritual pain of abortion. The retreat is designed to help you experience the mercy and compassion of God. It is also an op-portunity to surface and release repressed feel-ings of anger, shame, guilt and grief. This will help you to grieve the loss of your unborn child, to receive and accept God’s forgiveness, and to forgive yourself. The next retreat is April 21-23 at the Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane. For further informa-tion, call Shelley at (828) 670-8192 or (828)

230-4940, e-mail [email protected] or vis-it the Web site at www.rachelsvineyard.org.WINSTON-SalEM VICaRIaTE

WINSTON-SALEM — Spirit of Assisi, a Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St., will host Lenten Faith Sharing “brown-bag” gather-ings March 29 and April 5, 12-12:45 p.m. We will spend time looking ahead to the weekend Lenten readings to prepare our hearts for the Word of God to take root. Bring your own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call (336) 624-1971 or e-mail [email protected] — Spirit of Assisi, a Franciscan Center, 221 W. Third St., will host a book discussion on “Humility of God: A Franciscan Perspective” by Ilia Delio, O.S.F. This book deals with the theology of divine humility and God’s relationship to the world, while at the same time tackling some tough questions. The group will meet March 27; April 3 and 24; and May 1, 8 and 15, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information, call (336) 624-1971 or e-mail [email protected] — 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 Development Building. Call the church office at (336) 996-5109, ext. 12, for directions or 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.

March 25 — 11 a.m.sacrament of Confirmationgood shepherd Church, King

april 2 — 3 p.m.youth Pilgrimagebelmont abbey, belmont

april 4 — 7 p.m.sacrament of Confirmationst. benedict the Moor Church, Winston-salem

Episcopalcalendar Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in

the following events:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI called on Jews, Christians and Muslims to work together to pro-mote peace and justice in the world, and he urged religious leaders to lead the way by reconciling conflicts and divisions through dialogue and active solidarity.

In a March 16 speech to members of the American Jewish Committee, the pope underlined the “rich common patrimony” that “distinguishes our relationship as unique among the religions of the world,” he said.

Christianity acknowledges God’s relationship with Israel as the begin-ning of salvation history, and the pope reminded his audience that the Catholic Church “can never forget that chosen people with whom God entered into a holy covenant.”

But Judaism and Christianity also share a unique trait with Islam in that they all believe in one God as creator of

heaven and earth, he said.“All three monotheistic religions

are called to cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serv-ing the cause of justice and peace in the world,” said the pope.

He emphasized the importance of religious leaders spearheading such efforts since they “have a responsibil-ity to work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue and acts of human solidarity.”

The pope said such cooperation is urgent today because greater attention needs to be given to “teaching respect for God, for religions and their symbols, and for holy sites and places of worship.”

He encouraged the visiting commit-tee delegation to continue “to build bridg-es of understanding across all barriers.”

The committee’s international director of interreligious affairs, Rabbi David Rosen, said he agreed with the pope’s assessment of

“the need to reach out to Islam.”VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Despite

public debates or the rule of dictators, the truth about human dignity, including the sacredness of human life and the impor-tance of the traditional family, eventually will be victorious, Pope Benedict XVI said.

In a March 18 meeting with Vati-can diplomats accredited to the United Nations and other international gov-ernmental organizations, the pope said Christians must not “marvel and, even less, be discouraged in the face of dif-ficulties and misunderstandings” because God is on the side of truth.

The growing participation of Vatican diplomats in international organizations and meetings is a consequence of the church’s conviction that human dignity must be protected in every sphere, he said.

By upholding the dignity of the human created in God’s image, the church works to foster the common good, authentic freedom, justice and peace, he said.

“Relations between states and with-in states are just to the degree that they respect the truth,” the pope said.

When the truth is desecrated, “peace is threatened and rights are compro-mised and, with logical consequences, injustices are unleashed.”

Pope Benedict said injustices based on violations of the truth about people “are borders that divide countries in a much deeper way than do those drawn on a map.”

Among the injustices he listed, the pope cited those based on “disinterest or disorder,” including those that “dam-age the structure of that original cell of society which is the family.”

Another, he said, is “domination or arrogance that can arrive at the arbitrary, silencing those who have no voice or do not have the strength to make them-selves heard, as occurs in the case of the injustice which, today, is perhaps the most serious, that of suppressing unborn human life.”

Pope Benedict told the diplomats that “the church intends to continue rais-ing its voice in defense of man, even when the policy of states or the major-ity of the public moves in the opposite direction.”

“The truth, in fact, finds its strength

Truth about human dignity will prevail, pope tells Vatican diplomats

Lenten mission

Photo by SuSan deGuzMan

Father James Solari (front), a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, and Father Johnathan Hanic, parochial vicar of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, bless people during the anointing of the sick at the church March 7.The Mass was part of the parish Lenten mission, themed “Love and Charity for Oth-ers,” March 5-8.Other events held during the mission included presentations on the seven capital sins by Father Matthew Buettner, parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton; the Corporal Works of Mercy by Father Timothy Reid, parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Huntersville; the Spiritual Works of Mercy by Msgr. Richard Bellow, pastor of St. Mark Church; and Catholics’ eucharistic mission by Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was offered each day during the mission.Also during the week, parishioners of St. Leo the Great Church traveled on a mission trip to Bolivia.

4 The Catholic News & Herald March 24, 2006aROuND ThE DIOCESE

Host Homes honors

HIGH POINT — The Hispanic Center in High Point now will be able to help prepare more Hispanic children for school with a recent grant.

The $17,500 grant from the Mebane Charitable Foundation of Mocksville was awarded for the center’s De Paul Academy Preschool Project, “Helping Hands for Hopeful Kids.”

The grant enables the center to pro-vide reduced fees on a sliding scale for the project services for low-income families.

The Hispanic Center, located at Christ the King Church, was founded in 1999 to serve area Hispanics through various programs and services. It is managed by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

The De Paul Academy offers bilin-gual preschool and afterschool programs for Hispanic and other minority children.

Currently, about 70 children are enrolled in the preschool program and 25 in the afterschool program. Almost all of them are from low-income families, said Father Philip Kollithanath, pastor of Christ the King Church.

Without affordable programs such as these, many Hispanic children must stay at home and are not prepared for school, said Father Kollithanath.

The De Paul Academy also teaches parents how to help their children in school.

Contributing to this story was Kelly Kramp of the High Point Enterprise.

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The “Fantastic Franciscan Flapjack Flippers,” members of the Fraternity of Brother Francis, Secular Franciscan Order in hickory, pose for a photo at St. aloysius Church in hickory in February. The group has conducted pancake breakfasts at St. aloysius Church, St. Joseph Church in Newton and St. Francis of assisi Church in lenoir to help raise funds for the St. Fidelis Friary in Guam.

The friary, built in 1955 and housing 20 Franciscan priests and brothers, was destroyed by Supertyphoon Pongsona in December 2002. The friars of Guam and hawaii plan to rebuild a new friary on the same location.

Flipping for the friaryWINSTON-SALEM — A special

reception for donors to and supporters of Host Homes was celebrated in Winston-Salem March 16.

Host Homes, a program of Catholic Social Services Piedmont Triad Re-gional Office in Winston-Salem, provides services to restore and maintain healthy family relationships and to promote the well-being and safety of children and youths.

Through a special appeal, Host Homes raised $17,000 that will help provide ongoing services, such as coun-seling, temporary shelter and foster care.

Host Homes also runs the Safe Place project, where youths can seek help at 232 participating local businesses, to which Host Homes responds immedi-ately.

A 24-hour crisis hotline also gives youths and their families easy access to Host Homes help. Counselors provide parent education and anger manage-ment classes, as well as workshops and presentations to community groups.

Additional services include infor-

mation and referral services, a mentor-ing program for at-risk youths and a leadership development program for

Grant helps center educate Hispanic children

Photo by ann KilKelly

Mable Stevenson (right), program director for Catholic Social Services Piedmont Triad program host homes, shares a light moment with Gerry Finley, advisory board chair, and Carolyn and larry hardy, supporters of host homes, during a reception for donors and supporters in Winston-Salem March 16.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 5 March 24, 2006aROuND ThE DIOCESE

Catechists study prayer, meditation at retreat

CATECHISTS, from page 1Vicariate cosponsor the annual retreat for catechists in the Asheville and Smoky Mountain vicariates.

Augus t i n i an Fa the r Robe r t Dueweke, who works with the His-panic ministry in the Smoky Mountain Vicariate, spoke first on “Prayer: Un-derstanding Christian Spirituality and Sacred Texts.” He earned his doctorate in spirituality and theology at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

He pointed out that, “When we try to do everything, we get burned out. It’s not we as ministers who trans-form people but the (Holy) Spirit who transforms. It’s up to us to create the en-vironment for that to happen. It’s not our church, it’s God’s church.”

“The purpose of a parish,” he added, “is to create an environment where people have an encounter with, an experience of, Christ. Where is Christ in your life? How does Christ touch you?”

Church, he said, is everyone working together.

“Vatican II emphasized the people of God — the faithful, rather than la-ity and clergy (as separate groups) — people of faith on a journey to God,” he said. “Vatican II helped us refocus on discipleship. There’s a difference between thinking about Jesus and following Jesus. Spirituality is the notion of discipleship.”

Living examplesEach catechist received Pope John

Paul II’s apostolic exhortation, “The Church in America — On the Encounter with the Living Jesus Christ: The Way to Conversion, Communion, and Solidarity in America.”

Father Dueweke cited paragraph 44, which describes “the church as the people of God.”

It adds: “Pastors should have a

profound respect for the witness and evangelizing work of lay people who, incorporated into the people of God through a spirituality of communion, lead their brothers and sisters to encoun-ter the living Jesus Christ.

“The renewal of the church in Amer-ica will not be possible without the active presence of the laity. Therefore, they are largely responsible for the future of the church.”

Catechists, Father Dueweke said, must teach not just doctrine, but out of their own experience of Christ.

He asked about the practices that help one encounter Christ: “Do I read the Scriptures? Pray the rosary? Go to Mass? As a disciple, what are the habits you have that feed the life of the Spirit?”

He suggested that lectio divina — dialoging with sacred texts — is one way to find calm in the midst of chaos and to encounter Christ. This ancient prayer method involves “lectio,” reading from a text; “meditatio,” meditating on a word or phrase from the text; and “oratio,” prayer, a direct, short dialogue with God.

Lectio, he said, could be Scriptures or other sacred texts, or it could be an experience or an event.

Rediscovering silenceIn his second presentation, “Prayer

of the Heart: Silence and Contempla-

tion,” Father Dueweke described con-templative prayer (or meditation) as another way to find Christ and calm.

Contemplative prayer, going back to the early Christian mystics, the “desert fathers and mothers,” is different from the “meditatio” of lectio divina.

Father Dueweke suggested that, “part of our mission as catechists is to create spaces of silence, to help people rediscover silence.”

“We tend to project on our exterior lives what goes on in our interior lives,” he said. “We often can’t control what goes on outside, but we can go into our center.”

“The meditation is done in Christ, that’s what makes it Christian,” Father Dueweke said. “Instead of talking about Christ, it’s being with Christ. We don’t have to justify our being. It’s important to be instead of to do.”

Maxine Pendleton, youth minister at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Mars Hill, has seen contemplation’s positive results in the 13- to 18-year-olds she teaches.

At the end of each class, they light candles and spend 15 minutes in silence.

“The kids are so in touch with who they are spiritually,” Pendleton said. “I’ve seen such growth in their faith; it’s carried them through some rough times.”

Calming effectsThose in the Catechist Oasis got

a taste of contemplation by viewing a video, “Coming Home,” then meditating for five minutes. Following traditional meditation practice, they sat still, closed their eyes and silently began repeating a word they had chosen.

Father Dueweke recommended “Maranatha,” the Aramaic word in Jesus’

language for “Come, Lord.”The idea was to begin by repeat-

ing the word but then to not think of anything. When thoughts come, repeat the chosen word so that the distracting thoughts go away.

Father Dueweke recommended beginning with five minutes of contemplation twice a day, working up to 30 minutes twice daily.

At the end of the five minutes, Father Dueweke led everyone in the “Lord’s Prayer.”

The interior calmness that meditation fosters manifests itself in calmness in ev-eryday life and in compassion for others.

Many were surprised that five min-utes could pass so quickly.

“The time went fast for me,” said Ann Stowe, pastoral assistant at Sacred Heart Church in Burnsville and involved in faith formation at St. Andrew the Apostle Church. “And when we said, ‘Our Father’ ... it was so powerful.”

After the meditation period, those feet drawings with the causes of chaos written on them were placed in a circle on the floor. Each person lit a candle from a larger candle, placed it on a feet picture and prayed briefly for the person represented there.

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or

Photo by Joanita M. nellenbach

at the beginning Catechist Oasis 2006, participants write on “feet pictures” about the chaos in their lives. Pictured: John Sherrill (left) and Suzanne Sherrill, Immaculate Conception Church, hendersonville; alice Elio, St. Eugene Church, asheville; annamarie Jakubielski, Immaculate Conception Church; Marie Seiglie, St. William Church, Murphy; and Don hendricks, St. andrew the apostle Church, Mars hill.

6 The Catholic News & Herald March 24, 2006IN OuR SChOOlS

Assembly of greatnessWASHINGTON, D.C. — The Mod-

el United Nations team from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville was recently designated “best high school” in the Model U.N. competition.

High school teams from across the United States, each portraying various U.N. countries, participated in the compe-tition held in Washington, D.C. Feb. 9-12.

Simulating a United Nations as-sembly, students researched positions of the country they represented and worked with other “countries” to pass resolutions on the issues presented.

The team from Bishop McGuinness, under the leadership of faculty advisor David Seidel, won the national competi-tion for the second year in a row.

“The Bishop McGuinness Model U.N. team is made of the most motivated group of high school students one could imagine,” said Seidel. “Their com-petitive success is matched only by their

personal dedication and willingness to sacrifice in order to achieve.”

First place, “Best Delegation” awards went to students P.J. Dascoli, P.J. Standford, Noah Carmichael, Casey Moore, Evin Tor-ney, Tyler Frankenberg, Sam Wharton, Neil Goodman and Josh Chen.

Second p lace , “Outsand ing Delegation” awards went to Jordan Cain, Thomas Parcell, Patrick Schweighart, Ify Walson, Tony Barker, Brendan Cain, Robert Whelan, Chris Coggin, John Vali-tutto, Michael Scott, Mike O’Shea and Jenny Pentz.

Speaking Citations went to Brian Rice, Justin Balser, Terri Walsh and Bre-anne Long.

Other Model U.N. team members from Bishop McGuinness were Helen McNamara, Matthew O’Neill, Tommy Saintsing, Holly Navarro, Will Scott, Joanna Braeckel, Kelsey Calaghan, Joch Manguno, Matt Sutter, Melissa Plunkett, Michael Taylor and Brenden Regan.

courteSy Photo

Students from Bishop McGuinness Catholic high School in Kernersville are pictured at the 21st annual harvard Model Congress this month.

KERNERSVILLE — More than 200 middle school students from five Catholic schools recently participated in a Model United Nations competition.

For the second time, the program was held, at Bishop McGuinness Catho-lic High School in Kernersville Jan. 27.

Bishop McGuinness’ International Relations Association sponsors the an-nual middle school Model U.N. This year, 218 students participated from St. Pius X and Our Lady of Grace schools in Greensboro, Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point, Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem and Blessed Sacrament Academy in Charlotte.

Student teams chose a U.N. member country and participated in two sessions, one that discussed the political situation in Haiti and one that discussed problems in the Sudan. At the end of the daylong event, judges rewarded students from each group for their efforts.

Bishop McGuinness students win at Model

BMCHS hosts middle school Model U.N.Catholic school students receive awards at competition

Bishop McGuinness shines at Model KERNERSVILLE — Students

from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville turned in a stellar performance at the 21st annual Harvard Model Congress March 17.

The students were recognized with 13 individual awards of excellence, more than were received by any of the other 80 high schools participating in the event at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard Model Congress is a gov-ernment role play facilitated by Harvard students that simulates all three branches of the U.S. government. While the con-

ference’s focus is educational, recogni-tion awards denote outstanding prepara-tion and performance.

Award winners from Bishop Mc-Guinness included Dominic Dascoli, Neil Goodman, Matt Maloney, John Valitutto, Melea Foley, Chris Coggin, Mike O’Shea, Preston Stanford, Brendan Regan, Robert Whelan, Samantha Cibel-li, Laura Beth Enos and Sam Wharton.

Bishop McGuinness has been par-ticipating in the model congress for over 20 years, and has emerged as one of the strongest schools in the last five years.

courteSy Photo

Catholic middle school students participate in the Model united Nations competition at Bishop McGuinness Catholic high School in Kernersville Jan. 27.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 7 March 24, 2006FROM ThE COVER

Catholics bring messages on life-and-death issues to

ISSUES, from page 1

tors.“We put them in office and we

need to hold them accountable,” Candy Hill, senior vice president for social policy at Catholic Charities USA, said of legislators in a March 8 talk to students and adults gathered in Nashville, Tenn., for Catholic Day on the Hill.

“One of the most important things we can do as citizens is to be here and learn to understand the issues,” Father Ragan Schriver, director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, told 250 middle and high school students at the Capitol.

“It’s a great day to recognize what our faith tells us as Catholic Christians to advocate for,” he said.

Like other Catholic Day on the Hill participants, Bishops David R. Choby of Nashville, Joseph E. Kurtz of Knoxville and J. Terry Steib of Memphis met with state legislators in their offices through-out the day to discuss immigration, abortion, health care and other issues.

The bishops also met privately with Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Catholics in Florida planned similar meetings with legislators during Catho-

lic Days at the Capitol in Tallahassee March 21-22.

Among the topics cited as priori-ties by the Florida Catholic Conference during the March 7-May 5 legisla-tive session were parental notification, the death penalty, farmworker safety, affordable housing, a sales tax exemption for textbooks and adoptions by homo-sexuals, currently banned in the state.

Issues in IllinoisIn Illinois, parents and supporters

of Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish and other nonpublic schools came together for a February rally in support of legislation expanding scholarship opportunities and after-school educational programs to low-income children attending public, private or religious schools.

Another issue drawing Catholic attention in the Illinois General Assem-bly was the “morning-after pill” — in particular, whether pharmacists who object to it can be forced to dispense the drug.

A bill under consideration would require pharmacists to dispense the morning-after pill without a prescription, while other proposals would include pharmacists under the state’s Health Care Rights of Conscience Act, which Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says applies only to doctors.

Blagojevich has pledged to veto any legislation that weakens the state regulation requiring pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception.

“Let me make something else very clear — if any of those bills reach my desk, they are dead on arrival,” the governor said.

Physician-assisted suicideAt the other end of the life spectrum,

legislators in California were prepar-ing to debate whether that state should become the second to allow physician-assisted suicide, currently legal only in Oregon.

The debate was expected to heat up in mid-April, when Democratic

soMe oTHeR issues befoRe sTaTe legislaTuRes THis sPRiNg

Assembly members Patty Berg and Lloyd Levine scheduled a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Assembly Bill 651, a measure that would allow doctors to prescribe le-thal medication to patients who have been declared mentally competent and terminally ill by two physicians.

Berg and Levine tried unsuccessful-ly last year to pass another assisted sui-cide measure, but abandoned the effort because of lack of support.

A recent survey showed 49 per-cent of Latinos in the state strongly disapprove of physician-assisted sui-cide, 15 percent disapprove, 17 percent somewhat approve and 12 percent strongly approve. The margin of error was plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.

The results “speak volumes about

cnS Photo by ricK MuSacchio, tenneSSee reGiSter

Tennessee Bishops Joseph E. Kurtz, from left, of Knoxville, David R. Choby of Nashville and J. Terry Steib of Memphis talk with Gov. Phil Bredesen during Catholic Day on the hill March 8. The bishops have asked Catholics across the state to help improve the tone of political debate.

how the Latino community opposes doctor-assisted suicide,” said Angel Lu-evano, state director of League of United Latin American Citizens.

“Latinos know that this is morally wrong. We don’t see this as a partisan issue, but one that concerns civil and hu-man rights,” said Luevano.

Abandoning abortionsAnother hot topic in state legisla-

tures this spring was Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that lifted most state restrictions on abortion.

In March, South Dakota became the first state since Roe took effect to ban nearly all abortions, except those to save the life of the mother.

A similar bil l is headed for conference committee in Mississippi, after the state Senate March 15 de-clined to concur with House-passed amendments adding exceptions for rape, incest and “the presence of a life-threatening condition in the mother that would be worsened by continuing the pregnancy.”

Contributing to this story was The-

— unborn victims of violence: The south Carolina senate and a georgia state senate committee have passed legislation making it a crime to kill or injure an unborn child during an attack on a pregnant woman.— Parental consent/notification: bills passed by the House in arizona and oklahoma would require parental consent before an abortion is per-formed on a minor.— abortion regulations: legislation in the Kansas House that would have increased safety requirements at abortion clinics was amended to in-clude all medical clinics that perform surgery, changing its intent and mak-ing passage less likely, according to supporters.— informed consent: georgia gov. sonny Perdue was expected to sign the Women’s Right to Know act, which also strengthens the state’s parental notification requirements, in early

april.a measure mandating informed con-sent before an abortion also was headed for passage in Kentucky.— government funding of abortions: The arizona senate approved a bill to prohibit use of taxpayer funds for abortions in state, local and county government insurance plans.— “Wrongful birth”: The ohio senate passed a measure banning lawsuits based on wrongful birth or wrongful life arguments.The legislation would protect doctors from claims that women were insuffi-ciently informed about the possibility of disabilities in their children and therefore decided not to abort those children.— death penalty: a coalition that includes Catholics has called on the Tennessee legislature to put a moratorium on executions and order

8 The Catholic News & Herald March 24, 2006ST. PaTRICK’S DaY

Irish saint not really so

CHARLOTTE — Diocese of Charlotte schools, churches and other local Catholic organizations were among the 86 groups that marched in the 10th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in uptown Charlotte March 18.

St. Patrick, Ireland’s favorite saint, wasn’t actually Irish. Nor did he drive the snakes out of Ireland — because Ireland is lucky enough to not have any native snakes.

Instead, St. Patrick was born around 385 A.D. in Britain as the pampered, far-from-faith-filled son of a Roman no-bleman. Patrick’s real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat, and his baptismal name was Patricius.

In his teens, his plush lifestyle ended when his village was attacked and slave traders kidnapped him and sold him into slavery to an Irish chieftain. Serving as a shepherd on a lonesome hillside, the distraught youth gradually turned to prayer, after six years made a daring es-cape to Gaul (now France), and eventu-ally returned home.

But memories of the Irish haunted him and Patrick felt God wanted him to preach the Gospel in pagan Ireland. Ordained to the priesthood, he sailed back to Ireland in 432 A.D. and in es-sence converted the entire populace. That this was accomplished without resorting to violence is a historical rarity.

Patrick’s success at winning converts upset the Celtic Druids. They arrested Patrick several times, but each

Carrying on the spirit of Ireland’s patron saint

St. Patrick converts Ireland to time he escaped.

Patrick traveled throughout Ireland establishing monasteries, which were instrumental in preserving Western civi-lization’s literary traditions through the Dark Ages. He also set up schools and churches, which would help him in his conversion of the Irish country to Chris-tianity.

It is believed that Patrick raised people from the dead, though this can-not be substantiated. He is also said to have given a sermon from the hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Because no snakes were ever native to Ireland, many scholars believe this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans to Christianity.

Patrick’s mission in Ireland lasted for 30 years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17, 461 A.D. The day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a secular holiday, often celebrated with parades and festivals.

Mercy Sister Patricia Durbin, di-rector of the diocesan Media Resources Office, contributed to this story.

The shamrock, a three-leafed clover, is the national emblem of Ireland. It is widely believed that St. Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity, but the idea cannot be proven.

The shamrock, which is also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sa-cred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the 17th century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.

As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began wearing the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and displeasure with English rule.

Legend of the shamrock

This year’s morning parade, the largest ever, that ran along Tryon Street and was viewed by an estimated 40,000 people. It was followed by a free com-munity festival that included Irish music, Irish and Celtic dancers and bagpipers.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the Unit-ed States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the sol-diers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

Today, St . Patr ick’s Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, includ-ing Japan, Singapore and Russia.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade — an American institution

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 9 March 24, 2006ST. PaTRICK’S DaY

The 10th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade took place in uptown Charlotte March 18. The celebration was the largest parade to date, with 86 groups marching in front of approximately 40,000 spectators.

Pictured clockwise, from upper left, are: St. Matthew School in Charlotte; St. Mark School in huntersville; St. Gabriel School in Charlotte; ancient Order of hibernians Mecklenburg — Division 1; Belmont abbey College in Belmont; and St. ann School in Charlotte.

Center: Youths from St. Patrick School walk alongside a float on Tryon Street.

PhotoS by Kevin e. Murray


a roundup of scripture, readings, films and moreCulture Watch

Local priest compiles Mass reflections into

WORD TO LIFESUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: APRIL 11, 2006

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE

a fRuiTful eNdeavoR April 2, Fifth Sunday of Lent

Cycle B Readings:1) Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-152) Hebrews 5:7-93) Gospel: John 12:20-33

Serving God can be difficult, but rewarding

by JEAN DENtONCAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

The words of Jesus in this week-end’s Gospel echo in my mind with the voice of my Haitian pastor friend, Father Hermann.

The scriptural words are, “It is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.” Jesus was explaining why he was going forward with the task at hand in Jerusalem despite a heavy sense of foreboding.

He would be arrested, convicted, scourged and crucified, but he knew it was for the glorification of God and for the sake of God’s people whom he loved.

Father Hermann lives and serves sev-eral thousand people in Haiti’s central pla-teau. Most of them are very poor, working hard in a struggling agricultural economy.

One time, when conditions there were particularly volatile, I was having lunch with the 48-year-old priest and some friends. He told us about a recent incident when his life had been threatened: A gang of men had stopped his car, forced him out and held a gun to his head.

Bystanding parishioners success-fully begged for his release.

He was sl ightly shaken but continued his ministry unabated. I knew how his days were spent — mornings walking through town to visit people, afternoons sitting on a bench outside the rectory (in the center of the town) conversing with a steady stream of individuals seeking his help.

Some days he walked or rode a horse to a remote mountain village to provide the same pastoral care.

Considering the dangerous situation at the time, I wondered aloud whether maybe he should curtail his activities for awhile.

“Ampil travay isit” (“There’s much work here”), he said.

“But aren’t you afraid?” I asked.“No,” he said simply.I couldn’t believe it. “You’re not

afraid?” I pressed.He turned in his chair to face me and

spoke my name in his preaching voice for emphasis.

“Jean,” he said, his piercing, gen-tle eyes expressing his desire that I understand something deeply important to him, “it is for this reason that Jesus came.”

Unspoken was the same preface Je-sus had offered: “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’”

Father Hermann smiled his assur-ance that the one who had gone before him also had taken away his fear.

Questions:In your own situation, what risks are

you called to take for the sake of others and the glory of God? What are fears you must overcome?

by KEvIN E. MURRAyEDItOR

LINCOLNTON — Father Matthew Buettner did not set out to write a book.

“The book has a rather strange but providential origin ... it’s what gives me evidence and the assurance that it is God’s work,” said Father Buettner, parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton.

“Understanding the Mystery of the Mass: Si Scires Donum Dei” is the collection of Father Buettner’s popular series of columns of the same name, which appeared in The Catholic News & Herald during the Year of the Eucharist in 2005.

Each column addresses an aspect of the Mass, from preparation to concluding rites. The purpose, as well as that of the collected works in the book, is to “assist the Catholic faithful to better understand the mystery of the Mass so we can better assist at holy Mass and participate more fully,” said Father Buettner.

Also, he said, “it serves to introduce non-Catholics to the tremendous gift that we have been given in the holy Mass.”

The 90-page book may prove to be a great source for RCIA, adult education and confirmation classes, he said, as well as for those whose Catholic education could use refreshing.

The concept for “Understanding the Mystery of the Mass” began a few months after Father Buettner’s ordination in June 2003.

“I heard of a bishop in California who was so scandalized by the lack of catechesis and knowledge of the Catholic faith among the faithful that he asked his priests to teach for five minutes after holy Communion at every Sunday Mass in the diocese,” said Father Buettner.

“I was inspired by this idea to pres-ent a similar idea to my pastor in my first parish assignment,” he said.

Msgr. Richard Bellow, then-pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, liked the idea, but believed it impractical for a large suburban parish with seven Sunday Masses. So Father Buettner was asked to teach a class on the Mass instead.

“The turnout was overwhelming. People were definitely interested in un-derstanding the Mass better,” he said.

During his second parish assign-ment at St. Dorothy Church, after the late Pope John Paul II proclaimed the Year of the Eucharist, Father Buettner began giving five-minute talks following Communion at the two Sunday Masses.

“There was a good response from my parishioners,” he said.

As part of the Year of the Eucharist, the Diocese of Charlotte began plan-ning its first Eucharistic Congress for September 2005. Father Buettner was asked to serve on the steering committee.

“The committee decided, as one aspect of the Year of the Eucharist and as preparation for the congress, to employ

a catechetical instrument throughout the diocese,” said Father Buettner, “namely, to teach on a regular basis on the Eucha-rist through the diocesan newspaper.”

Once again, Father Buettner said, response to the weekly teachings was overwhelming.

“People began to write and call, searching for back issues that they had missed. The next step was to make the reflections available on the diocesan Web site, which drew more attention,” he said.

As Father Buet tner ’s ser ies approached the end, he received requests for compiling them into a single resource.

“So, in response to the numer-ous requests, I revisited the text, made revisions where necessary, added more than 100 footnotes and completed it with a bibliography and appendices,” he said.

The book was given a “nihil obstat” (Latin for “nothing stands in the way,” a judgment by an official church represen-tative that a book contains no errors of faith or moral teaching) from Dominican Father Giles Dimock, a former profes-sor of liturgy at the Angelicum, one of Rome’s pontifical universities, and Father Buettner’s liturgy professor at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis, who gave the book an “imprimatur” (an ecclesiasti-cal permission to publish, certifying the work is in conformity with Catholic understand of Scripture), “was a great supporter throughout the project,” said Father Buettner.

Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, noted author and philosopher, wrote the for-ward to the book, which is already receiving high praise from readers.

Father Buettner felt the completion of the book was timely, considering the diocese is planning its second Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte Oct. 6-7.

“As a tangible development of the first Eucharistic Congress, it flows fortu-itously into our second Eucharistic Con-gress, themed ‘The Love of Christ Impels Us,’ referring to the apostolic works and fruitful endeavors that come from devotion to the holy Eucharist,” he said.

Father Buettner said he is humbled and grateful to God for the experience of writing the book.

“I am still amazed that I was able to be involved in this work,” he said. “It rep-resents an exercise in trust in God’s provi-dence, humility and fidelity to his will.”

sCRiPTuRe foR THe WeeK of MaRCH 26-aPRil 1sunday (fourth sunday of lent), 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23, ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21; Monday (lenten Weekday), isaiah 65:17-21, John 4:43-54; Tuesday (lenten Weekday), ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-16; Wednesday (lenten Weekday), isaiah 49:8-15, John 5:17-30; Thursday (lenten Weekday), exodus 32:7-14, John 5:31-47; friday (lenten Weekday), Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10,25-30; saturday (lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53.

sCRiPTuRe foR THe WeeK of aPRil 2-8sunday (fifth sunday of lent), Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33; Monday (lenten Weekday), daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11; Tuesday (lenten Weekday), Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday (lenten Weekday), daniel 3:14-20, 91-92,95, daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42; Thursday (lenten Weekday), genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-59; friday (lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 20; 10-13, John 10:31-42; saturday (lenten Weekday), ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-56.


cnS Photo by bob roller

This rosary, made from fishing weights, was designed by Father Edward Burns, director of the u.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation, as part of the “Fishers of Men” vocations project. The program is based on having dioceses and religious orders convene priests to discuss their vocations and then encourage other men to consider following them.

New vocations film encourages priests to be ‘Fishers of Men’

by CAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

WASHINGTON — With the mid-March premiere of “Fishers of Men,” an 18-minute film on DVD that shows many facets of a priest’s daily life, “all the ele-ments are in place” for dioceses to join in a new vocations fulfillment and recruit-ment project sponsored by the U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops, according to the head of the USCCB Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation.

Father Edward J. Burns, execu-tive director of the secretariat, said the Priestly Life and Vocation Summit: Fishers of Men project is intended to re-new priests’ sense of fulfillment in their vocation and to encourage them to draw on that satisfaction to invite other men to pursue the priesthood.

The project was developed by the USCCB Committee on Vocations.

“Through workshops for priests, the goal of this project is to renew and regen-erate the priesthood in the United States,” Father Burns said.

“It is intended to help priests articulate the joy in their vocation that the overwhelming majority of priests feel and to give them confidence that if they extend the invitation to consider the

priesthood, they will find that Catholic men today, especially young men, are open to the challenge,” he added.

Produced by Grassroots Films of Brooklyn, N.Y., “Fishers of Men” features testimony by several priests on the importance they place on their own vocation and a dramatic re-enactment portraying how a priest can inspire a vo-cation through his service to someone in need of priestly ministry.

Msgr. David J. Malloy, USCCB general secretary, described the film as “extremely moving” and added, “It reminds us why we became priests. I would love for my nephews to see it.”

The film also is intended to be used by priests in discussions with men con-sidering the priesthood.

In an address to the full body of bishops last November, Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., USCCB president, said “the challenge of fewer priests is a reminder of how important it is to encourage vocations.”

“Who can more surely invite another man to be a priest than a man who is a priest?” he asked. “And what priest is a more attractive inviter than a man who appreciates his own gift of priesthood?”


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do you have a faith-based story that you think would be of interest to our readers? Please contact staff Writer Karen a. evans at (704) 370-3354 or e-mail [email protected].


Company develops rose in honor of late

FROM ThE COVER

Representatives of Jackson & Per-kins worked with Vatican officials over a period of several months to designate the rose.

In addition, the company will put 10 percent of sales at the disposal of the Vatican; church officials have designated the poor people in sub-Saharan Africa as the recipients.

The Vatican chose the pure white rose, which its creators are calling “luminous.” The color is reminiscent of the late pope’s white garb, and the description

brings to mind the five luminous mysteries the pontiff added to the rosary in 2002.

“Pope John Paul, a man of peace and compassion, was one of the most revered leaders of our time,” said Bill Williams, president of Jackson & Perkins, a nationally recognized gardening and outdoor decorating company.

Ten of the rose bushes have already been planted in the Vatican gardens overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It’s going to be popular with cus-tomers and perpetuate the good works and the sense of noble Christianity that we found in the heart of our late Holy Father,” said Bill Ihle, the company’s se-nior vice president of corporate relations

and a member of Shepherd of the Valley Church in Central Point.

He helped develop the idea of honoring the pope.

Jackson & Perkins, a subsidiary of catalog giant Harry & David, has hon-ored other prominent figures. Roses have been named for Princess Diana, Presi-dent Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Habitat for Humanity, the Rev. Billy Graham and President John F. Kennedy.

In all cases, proceeds went to causes associated with the figure. What Ihle called “cause roses” are one way he gets to live out his faith, he said.

Proceeds from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose, for example, fund college scholarships for low-income Latinos. The 1997 Princess Diana Rose raised $750,000 to eradicate land mines and make prostheses for people injured by mines.

In 2004 Ihle went to Italy with his pastor, Augustinian Father Jim Clif-ford, and Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny. The men planted an Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose in the pope’s personal garden at Castel Gandolfo.

The pope, too ill to attend the ceremony, sent good wishes via U.S. Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka, currently president of the commission that governs Vatican City State.

The cardinal suggested a rose honoring the Vatican. But Ihle made the point that roses named after people have “much more emotional appeal.”

Archbishop Vlazny and Father Clif-ford suggested Pope John Paul II.

After the pope died, Ihle met twice

with Cardinal Szoka. Given choices between pure white, off-white and coral, the cardinal immediately liked the first one.

“This is a remembrance that people will be able to have for years and years to come of a man who moved them, moved their faith and moved the world to a bet-ter place,” said Ihle.

ROSE, from page 1

cnS Photo courteSy JacKSon & PerKinS

This hybrid tea rose has been unveiled in honor of the late Pope John Paul II, who died a year ago april 2. The Vatican chose the pure white rose, which creators are calling “luminous.”


Perspectives a collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints Da Vinci decoded

Truth won’t lie in film, but in church teaching

Like a runaway freight train, the movie version of the mega best-seller, “The Da Vinci Code,” is barreling toward us. Unless, as an answer to a prayer, the movie is an unwatchable dud, we need to get ready for its May release.

By now the allegations of the book are well-known. Sales of 40 million copies will do that. The author, Dan Brown, sets up an international murder mystery and claims, along the way, that Jesus wasn’t divine, he married Mary Magdalene and their offspring are roam-ing around Europe hoping to release this strange news to billions of Christians. What a tale!

If you’ve read the book, you are probably well aware of the controversy over its questioning of the divinity of Je-sus, as well as the historical accuracy of Brown’s depiction of Jesus, the Catholic Church and Leonardo Da Vinci’s works of art.

Brown has a convincing and captivat-ing writing style that makes what he writes believable. For many people the book rep-resents truth. The movie will likely have a bigger audience. The book makes claims about the Catholic Church and the Catholic faith that people will question.

Fortunately, you can easily learn the truth and find answers to questions. The Catholic Communication Campaign and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have created a Web site, www.jesusde-coded.com, which will provide factual answers to some of the questions raised by the film.

The bishops’ conference is sponsor-ing the Web site for two good reasons. First is the acknowledgement that the movie is going to create a great deal of interest in our faith. Their hope is that people who come out of the movie with questions about their faith or the Catholic Church can find factual answers at www.jesusdecoded.com.

It would be tempting for the site to attack the poor scholarship Brown dem-onstrated in his book, but instead the Web site gives serious answers to important questions. For example, the centerpiece of the book, and presumably the movie, is that the Catholic Church has somehow brutally suppressed the role of Mary Magdalene.

But if the Catholic Church really wanted to suppress Mary Magdalene’s role, wouldn’t it have deleted the sentences in three of the four Gospels where she is the first person to hear, “He is risen,” the most important words in history? In the other Gospel (John 20:10), Mary Magdalene is the first per-son the resurrected Jesus speaks to.

The second reason for the existence of the Web site is the pastoral role that the Catholic Church plays. If you step back from the controversy of the book and film, you realize that it probably won’t really have much impact on a worldwide church of more than 1 billion souls. But from a pastoral point of view, it is unacceptable for even one person to develop a distorted view of Jesus Christ or his church based on a movie. That individual, like a lost sheep, is as important as the whole world.

The bishops’ conference is also producing a one-hour television documentary, “Jesus Decoded.” It will be available to NBC affiliates for airing during the last weeks of May, just as the movie is released. There are two NBC affiliates in the diocese — WCNC in Charlotte and WXII in Winston-Salem. WYFF in Greenville, South Carolina broadcasts into the Asheville area. The Web site says the stations have not indi-cated yet if they plan to run the program.

The trailer for the movie “The Da Vinci Code” has the audacity to end with the words, “Seek the truth.” That is al-ways a good idea, but don’t expect to find it in a movie theatre. For real answers, check out www.jesusdecoded.com.

David Hains is director of commu-nication for the diocese. Contact him at [email protected].

Mind your posture and God’s big feet

“Ouch!” I exclaimed.“Oops, sorry,” said God.“Don’t you apologize, Lord; it’s

Kevin’s fault,” grumbled Antonio, giving me his fourth dirty look of the day. “Quit dragging your feet, Kevin, and let’s try it again from the top!”

And so God and I tried it again — ballroom dancing. Antonio, our instructor, started the music and God and I, arm in arm, started the steps. “One, two, three,” I counted, trying to mind my foot placement.

“Up straight!” scolded Antonio, smacking me in the back. “Relax! This is supposed to be fun!”

Fun? It was excruciating, especially when God stepped on my toes again. And as you can imagine, God’s got a pretty big foot.

“My bad,” he offered.Antonio cut the music and gave me

another dirty look. “No, Lord, you’re do-ing fine. It was Kevin again! Can you not hear the music?”

“Sure, but it’s not that ...” I said. “I’m just not used to wearing shoes with heels.”

“Bah!” he said, placing his hands on his hips. “You’re just too tense. You need to loosen up, let go. Give yourself to the task at hand.”

That was easier said then done. But it made me think back to how this all started ...

I was talking to God one day at the diocesan Pastoral Center, and he asked me if there was anything I wanted. Knowing God has a wicked sense of hu-mor, I jokingly told him I wanted to learn to ballroom dance.

“Really?” he asked. “Well, gosh — me, too. What a great idea!”

I couldn’t tell if he was serious, or if he was just saying that because he want-ed to be involved in my life — that was God; always there, whether you wanted him to be or not.

Next thing I know, we’re in Anto-nio’s studio, trying on ballroom dancing shoes and stretching our legs. Since it was all my idea, I suggested I lead when we danced.

It was a bad idea.“I’m not sure I’m cut out for this,” I

said. “It’s too hard. I just can’t do it.”Antonio was disappointed, mut-

tering under his breath. God just stared silently at his big, shiny shoes. “Would you like me to lead, Kevin?” he asked.

I didn’t respond right away. Surely

letting God lead would make sense, but the thought of letting go, of giving him control, was a bit frightening. I like being in control of my life, or at least thinking that I am.

But that’s not really the case, is it?“Okay,” I conceded. “God, I’m in

your hands.”God returned a warm smile.“OK, let’s do it right this time!”

snapped Antonio, clapping his hands and starting the music. And off we went.

God led me around the floor, pa-tient and mindful as I stumbled along, concentrating on my feet, my posture, the rhythm of the music. But then, when I looked up into God’s eyes, saw his reas-suring smile, it all made sense. And I let myself go.

God whisked me around the room, but I had no trouble keeping up with the pace he set — whether we were waltzing or doing the mambo, the foxtrot, the cha-cha-cha; whether we were spinning or dipping — God never gave me more than I could handle.

And I was surprised how great a dancer I could be, there in God’s arms, secure in his gentle embrace.

Eventually the music ended, and Antonio applauded with tears in his eyes. “I knew you could do it, Kevin,” he said.

“So did I,” whispered God.I hugged him. “Thank you, God.

This was a great idea.”As we slipped off our dancing shoes,

God asked me, “So, what would you like to conquer next?”

I thought about it a moment. “Why don’t you decide what’s next, God? You haven’t led me astray so far.”

He grinned. “I’ve always wanted to try bungee jumping.”

I started to protest, but then gave in — I knew I had nothing to fear.

And it’s amazing what we can accomplish and where we can go, if only we’re brave enough to let God lead.

Trust in God leads to good things, even dancing

Murray’s MusingsKEvIN E. MUR-

RAyEDItOR

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 submit-ted 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].

Catholics & the Media

DAvID hAINsGUEst COlUMNIst


Confusion at the tower of Babel

One step forward, two steps Pope says main task of evangelizers is to lead people to Jesus

The Human SideFAthER EUGENE hEMRICK

CNs COlUMNIst

Have you noticed how many times we take one step forward, only to then take two steps backward? It makes one wonder about the real meaning of prog-ress in this life.

We have computers that cut our work in half, and yet I know many people who have been hospitalized with neck, back, eye and hand problems because of them.

Recently I purchased a Prius hybrid car that consumes less gas and emits fewer fumes. When a friend heard this, he berated me, saying its batteries are highly toxic and difficult to dispose of when they go dead.

In conversation with a physical therapist, I learned that the percentage of children with diabetes is growing. When I asked why this is so, she replied: “There are many reasons, some of them congenital, but one cause is the corn syrup in many of our foods. This has a tendency to break down the pancreas and cause diabetes.”

We have come a long way in enrich-ing our foods and making them more flavorful, but when we compare a home-grown tomato to a hothouse tomato, we

quickly realize we haven’t made as much progress as we thought. Many of our foods have lost their natural flavors.

Recently, I read that NBC will offer a service in which breaking news will be flashed to people with video cell phones (for an additional fee, of course). We have come a long way from the days of Dick Tracy in the comics. He had a video wristwatch, and we fantasized about owning one.

But is this real progress?The word “calm” in Greek means to

come out of the torrid heat into a shel-tered place. With minute-to-minute news coverage at our fingertips, isn’t it a little like staying out in the hot sun too long and making our heads spin?

In the Book of Ecclesiastes we read: “For when I considered all the things that I had done and the energy I had expended in doing them, it was clear that the whole of it was futility and a grasping at the wind, and none of it was profitable under the sun.”

If the author of the Book of Eccle-siastes were here today, he would tell us that all life is vanity. We talk a good game about progress, but in reality it’s not true.

We live in the most advanced civili-zation in history. It is also a civilization that has devised ways to annihilate itself.

The author of Ecclesiastes would remind us that nothing in this life is per-fect. We must accept and live with our imperfections.

But most of all, we must not allow momentary happiness to be overrun by a restless dissatisfaction that forever strains after what it cannot have.

“Cherish the happiness of the moment, especially if you are young,” he would say, “and most important of all, see that it can always be improved; put your hearts into making this happen.”

by CINDy wOODENCAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

VATICAN CITY — The basic mission of Jesus’ Twelve Apostles and of those who evangelize today is not to spread an idea, but to lead people to Jesus and gather them into a single family, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Addressing some 35,000 people in St. Peter’s Square March 22 for his weekly general audience, the pope gave the second in a series of talks about the apostles and the church.

In each of the four Gospels, he said, Jesus’ call of the Twelve Apostles is the first step of his public ministry following his baptism in the Jordan River.

Pope Benedict said that, especially in the Gospel of Luke, “the call to fol-low him comes after they have listened to Jesus’ first preaching and experienced the first marvelous signs he performed,” especially the episode in which they catch a huge net full of fish after having little success.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus asks his future disciples, “What are you looking for?” and they ask him, “Where do you live?”

“Jesus’ response is an invitation, ‘Come and see,’ ‘Come in order to see.’ The adventure of the apostles begins as an encounter between individuals who open themselves to one another. The disciples begin to have direct knowledge of the Master,” the pope said.

“In fact, they are not called to announce an idea, but to give witness to a person,” he said. “Before being sent to evangelize, they must stay with Jesus, establishing a personal relationship with him.”

The Twelve, the pope said, were Jewish men expecting the Messiah and the coming kingdom of God. They were called first to proclaim the message among their fellow Jews, “in the light of God’s special relationship with Israel, the covenant community,” the pope said.

Jesus was sent to gather Israel together again, the pope said. “Through this gathering, the kingdom of God would be announced to all peoples.”

Once Jesus died and rose again, it became clear that the apostles’ mission was to go to all nations, making them disciples of Jesus, Pope Benedict said.

Setting aside his prepared text, the pope said, “This mission continues. The mandate of the Lord always is to gather all people in the unity of his love and his faith.

“This is our hope and our mandate: to contribute to this universality, this true unity with the richness of (different) cultures in communion with Our Lord

Q. I always pray for divine help to make us be of one faith, one Lord, living together in love as brothers and sisters of Christ. This makes me wonder why, in the book of Genesis, in the story of the tower of Babel, the Lord says, “Let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other” and be scat-tered over the world.

This only causes people to be of different nationalities and customs, and leads to animosity toward one another. Can you explain why God would do this? (New York)

A. Obviously, God did not desire animosity between peoples, but accord-ing to the story as we hear it in Genesis there was a reason the Lord wanted the people spread out.

At creation, God told the first humans to multiply and fill the earth. As Jesuit Father Richard Clifford points out in the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, until Chapter 9 of Genesis, the emphasis was on multiplying; then attention was given to “filling the earth.”

To make this happen, we read that God assigned to each branch of the peo-ple a particular area of land and told them to take possession of their inheritance. (See, for example, Deuteronomy 32:8-9.)

The people refused to go, however. They were comfortable where they were, and rather than possess their lands they chose to band together, build a huge city

and top it off with a tower that would reach to the sky.

As the story goes, their defiance of God, their proud intention to “make a name for ourselves” rather than scatter over the earth (Gn 11:4), brought God’s punishment by fulfilling his creative intent in another way: making it impos-sible for them even to communicate with each other.

Of the many ziggurats (sacred temple towers made of bricks) in Mesopotamia, the one in Babylon, not far from present-day Baghdad, was especially renowned at the time. Part of the great temple of the god Marduk, it had several terraces and reached nearly 70 feet high. Perhaps it was the model for the tower proposed in Genesis.

The Babylonians claimed that the name of their city meant the “gate of God,” which may be where the biblical people got the idea of a tower that would reach to the heavens.

The Hebrew name for Baby-lon, however, was Babel, also liter-ally the gate of God, but which they also explained as coming from the Hebrew word to confuse, to mix. Thus their tower became a place of confusion.

Another and different level of the tower story in Genesis, however, is that it could explain the wide variety of languages on the earth. The belief that there was once a common language for all early human beings was widespread in the ancient world. And they were al-

ways anxious to know the origins — of people, places, customs and speech.

Genesis 11 served not only as their explanation of these diversities. It also was another of the lessons that abound in Genesis that the God of the Hebrews is beyond all gods, supreme on the earth and supreme among nations, and that disobedience to him, violence against his created harmony, always results in disaster and destruction.

A free brochure on ecumenism, in-cluding questions on intercommunion and other ways of sharing worship, is available by sending a stamped, self-ad-dressed 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].

Wanting too much can lead to unhappiness

QuestionCornerFAthER JOhN

DIEtZENCNs COlUMNIst

The Pope Speaks

POPE bENEDICt XvI

Diversity of humans part of God’s divine

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 16 SuPPORTING ThE TROOPS

March 24, 2006

by JANEt MARCElCAthOlIC NEws sERvICE

THIBODAUX, La. — The words “In God We Trust” on the U.S. penny were the inspiration for Thibodaux resident Sally Sobert’s Power of Prayer Penny Project, which she began shortly after U.S. military forces invaded Iraq in 2003.

“When President (George W.) Bush first started to talk about a war with Iraq, there were a lot of people who were against sending our troops over there. I wanted to find a way to show our soldiers that we cared about them, that we were praying for them and that no matter whether we believed in the war or not, we supported them,” Sobert said.

She said she had witnessed the power a prayer coin had on a friend of hers who received it while she was recovering from an injury, and the mem-ory of it stayed with her.

“Whenever my friend rubbed the coin, it brought her comfort,” she told the Bayou Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Sobert’s prayer pennies for the military are spray-painted red or blue, then affixed to a card that reads: “God has so blessed America. You are one of his many blessings. Thank you. Thanks be to God for you. Keep this penny as a reminder that our prayers are with you. Thank you for serving our country and for protecting the world. God bless you and keep you.”

The project has two goals. The first is to let those serving the country know that people’s prayers and support are with them by giving them the military penny card. The second goal is asking people to pray for the troops by distributing penny cards that contain the prayer for peace.

To date, according to Sobert, more than 50,000 of the military penny cards have been distributed to troops in the U.S. and Iraq.

The project has been an ecumeni-cal effort, with people from different religious denominations helping with everything from donating pennies to spray-painting them and affixing them to the cards.

Sobert needs thousands of pennies, but she said she has had no problems getting them.

“As word of the project got out, I literally had people coming up to me and giving me pennies,” she said.

Some local organizations have also collected pennies for the cause, including St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux and the Bayou Community Band, which collected pennies at its concerts.

When 4,400 members of the National Guard from the area were deployed to Iraq, Brig. Gen. Hunt Down-er of Houma requested military penny cards for each of them. He presented the cards to the soldiers while they were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, to let them know that the people of south Louisiana would be praying for them.

Word of the project has spread throughout Louisiana and beyond. Currently Sobert is working with a group called Operation Lifeline from New Castle, Pa., which sends goody boxes to military personnel in Iraq.

Sobert has received postcards and letters from people all across the country that have learned of the project. Some want to request information about the project and others just want to thank her.

Last Dec. 18, Capt. Bill Roberts, a 20-year Army veteran stationed in Bagh-dad, Iraq, called Sobert and told her he

had had one of her military penny cards for 10 months. He said he “feels the prayers.”

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux’s chapter of the Marian Servants of the Word has adopted the project as a ministry. Members sometimes work together in assembly-line fashion plac-ing glue dots on the pennies, affixing them to the military and prayer cards and preparing them for delivery or shipment.

cnS Photo by lawrence chataGnier, bayou catholic

Volunteers Elicio Nicholas (left), Mary Nicholas, Elsie Taylor, Judy Daigle and lorraine Thibodaux, place glue dots on pennies and affix them to “penny” cards and prayer cards Feb. 3 at the Marian Servants of the Word house of Prayer in Thibodaux, la. Sally Sobert designed the penny cards as a way to show support to those serving their country both at home and abroad. To date, more than 50,000 penny cards have been distributed to military personnel in the u.S. and Iraq.

Louisiana woman’s penny project sends prayers, support to U.S. troops

a PeNNy foR youR PRayeRs

March 24, 2006

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