Four transitional deacons to be ordained April 11 A

Transcription

l o c a l
n e w s
Four transitional deacons
to be ordained April 11
C o n s e c r a t e d
L i f e
A Sister of Mercy Tells
Her Story
E a s t e r
2 0 1 5
The resurrection of Jesus
the core of our faith
f r o m
O
t h e
b i s h o p
Messengers of the Good News
n the occasion of the 10th anniversary of North Carolina Catholics, I join
all in our Diocese in expressing thanks to my beloved predecessor, Bishop
Gossman, and his advisors for their vision in recognizing the key role
the magazine would play in highlighting the vibrancy of faith within our
Diocese and in the lives of God’s people throughout this local church. I am also most
thankful to all who have been and remain a part of the monthly publication of our
Diocesan magazine, especially our editor, Richard Reece.
In a particular way, the magazine captures so many
inspiring stories of how men and women of all ages and
backgrounds embrace, live, celebrate and share their
faith in the midst of the daily challenges and blessings of
life. In this manner, the magazine has become a real tool
of the “new evangelization”, a term that does not refer to
new truths and revelations. Rather, the new evangelization
points to the new and creative ways we as Church bring
the Truth of the Gospel and our core beliefs to others.
Especially during the Sacred Season of Easter, we
should renew our commitment to proclaiming the joy
of the Risen Lord to those around us. Modern forms of
communication, such as social media, also provide an
outlet of interaction that can serve as fertile ground for
evangelization and bringing others closer to Jesus Christ
through our personal witness. Saint John Paul II and his
successors have stressed the need to use every tool and
resource available to us as messengers of the Good News.
It is my hope that you regularly visit our Diocesan
website (DioceseofRaleigh.org) and Facebook page
and that you view our YouTube channel and listen to our
frequent podcasts. We hear words of gratitude from
those of you who watch the weekly production of Raleigh
to Rome, a video newsbrief of local and global Catholic
events, as well as those who take advantage of the internet
Livestream of Diocesan celebrations, including Mass at the
Catholic Center. Maybe you even follow my daily Gospel
reflection on Twitter (not just as a Lenten penance!).
While it is essential that we utilize both traditional and social
media, there is no more powerful witness in communicating,
teaching and proclaiming our faith than the witness and
example we offer each and every day as we strive to
unite ourselves ever more closely to Christ. Thus, the key
component each month in our Diocesan magazine is the story
of such living witnesses. In response to reading the stories of
these North Carolina Catholics, it is appropriate for us to ask:
“How can I be a messenger of the Lord and His Gospel?”
Such messengers are those who reflect a spirit of joy
and a heart grateful for the blessings that are ours each
day and who do not despair in the midst of crosses but
rather find comfort in the grace God offers. Our society
needs to see those who, even when challenged by others,
live their faith at school, work and in the community and
who are known for their great reverence and love for
the Holy Eucharist. The communities in which we live
are better because of those who offer their gifts and
talents in sharing and teaching the faith to others in the
parish community; who imitate the compassion of Christ,
especially in outreach to those who need us the most; and
who love and forgive one another in imitation of Jesus.
More than ever our world needs such messengers of the
Good News. Although we human beings will not be perfect
and will not always even be successful
in embracing all these qualities, the
mere fact that we are striving each day
to do so will be a powerful sign and
witness to all those we meet.
With God’s grace during this
sacred season of Easter, may
we not only be people who
know how to use technology
to communicate the Good
News of the Risen Christ,
but may we, in fact, live the
message!
– Bishop Michael F. Burbidge is the
fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh
NC Catholics
2 April 2015 | www.DioceseofRaleigh.org | www.NCCatholics.org
Liturgical Calendar: Holy Thursday April 2 | Passion of the Lord April 3 | Holy Sa
t a b l e
o f
c o n t e n t s
inside
this issue
Most Reverend
Michael F. Burbidge
PUBLISHER
Billy Atwell
From the Bishop
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
2 Messengers of
the Good News
April 2015 • Vol. 12 : Issue 3
Richard Reece
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Consecrated Life
Anjanette Wiley
ADVERTISING MANAGER
9 A Sister of Mercy
Tells Her Story
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge
Father Carlos Arce
William Cardona
Ryan Flood
Father Marcos Leon
Sofia Moyano-Kleckner
Kate Turgeon Watson
Anjanette Wiley
Catholic Charities
10 A Chocolate Affair and
Free Tax Preparation
and Filing
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lettie Banda
One Faith,
One People
TRANSLATOR
11 S tations of the Cross
prayed on Cathedral site
Patrick M. O’Brien
PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Elizabeth Solsburg
Saint of the Month
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
12 Develop a ‘drip’ mentality
Patrick Dally
ART DIRECTOR
The first issue of NC Catholics Magazine, April 2005.
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18
AAMEN Corner
12 Changes coming to
AAMEN Corner
– Father Marcos Leon
From the Editor
13 T
en Years of NCC
– Richard Reece
Pope Watch
Give the gift of
NCCatholics: Order a
subscription today
[email protected]
30 What Pope Francis has
been saying and doing
recently
Word on Fire
The resurrection of Jesus the core of our faith
e l
h i s pano
30 Why Having a Heart
of Gold is Not What
Christianity is About
C at ól i co
Obispo Burbidge
Caridades Católicas
el hispano Católico
20 Mensajeros de
las Buenas Noticias
21 Un Chocolate
Affair/Preparación
y Presentación de
Impuestos Gratis
22 Diez Años
de Católicos
en Carolina del
Norte
La naturaleza de
nuestra fe
24 ¡Gracias
Papa Francisco!
Ministerio Hispano
25 ConciertoOración por las
Familias
con la Hermana
Glenda
aturday April 4 | Easter Sunday April 5 | Divine Mercy Sunday April 12 | St. Martin I, pope and martyr April 13 | Third Sunday of Easter April 19 | St. Anselm, bishop and doctor of the Church April 21
l ocal
new s
Four transitional
deacons to be
ordained April 11
On Saturday, April 11, at 10 a.m. at Saint Catherine of Siena
Parish in Wake Forest, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge will ordain
four seminarians as transitional deacons, the penultimate step
to priestly ordination. This will be the largest deacon class since
Bishop Burbidge arrived in Raleigh in 2006. Here are the men
who will be ordained:
Timothy Ahn – Timothy Ahn, 23, is
one of two children born to Min Song
and Shin Jong Ahn, Mr. Ahn earned
a B.A. degree in Biblical Studies from
Biola University in California and a
Master of Theological Studies from
Duke Divinity School before studying
at the Pontifical North America College in Rome.
Mr. Ahn says his inspiration for the Priesthood took shape
through the cumulative example of the many excellent priests
serving in the Diocese of Raleigh, and through the personal
influence of Monsignor John Williams, his pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Raleigh. “His (Monsignor Williams’)
personal holiness and his love for his parishioners have
served as a compelling witness for me as to the beauty of the
priestly vocation,” Mr. Ahn said.
Asked what he would say to a young man who thinks he may
have a vocation, Mr. Ahn said, “A priestly vocation is simply an
outworking of the baptismal vocation that all Christians have
received. It is the primary duty of every young man to grow in
holiness, whether they are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or not. Thus it is imperative always to participate in the life
of the Church devotedly and intensely – to attend Mass often, to
make frequent confession, to pray with regularity – and if this is
done, God will make it clear to a young man what he must do.”
Philip Johnson – Philip Johnson,
a member of Sacred Heart Parish in
Dunn, attended Westchester Academy
in High Point, NC and graduated from
the United States Naval Academy.
With a strong interest in history, Mr.
Johnson credits his desire for priesthood to the inspiration of Fr. Thomas
Frederick Price, the first native-born
North Carolinian to be ordained a Catholic priest. “He traveled
throughout the state in the late 19th Century in order to spread
the Catholic Faith, and ministered to many of my ancestors, so I
have a special devotion to ‘The Tar Heel Apostle,’” he said.
Like Fr. Price, he is also devoted to Saint Bernadette of
Lourdes. As one who has been diagnosed with terminal brain
NC Catholics
cancer, Mr. Johnson noted that “Saint Bernadette gave us an
excellent example of perseverance in the face of sickness and
suffering.”
A favorite Scripture passage of Mr. Johnson’s is Luke 5:4-5:
“[Jesus] said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down
your nets for a catch. And Simon answering said to Him: Master,
we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy
word I will let down the net.”
“Our Lord often asks us to do things with which we are
uncomfortable, and pursuing a vocation to the priesthood is no
different,” Mr. Johnson said. “This passage is especially touching
because it confirms that God is in control of everything and will
not let us down as long as we remain faithful and trust in Him.”
John Kane – John Kane’s home parish is Saint Joseph in Raleigh. He attended Saint Thomas More Academy
and Belmont Abbey College before
entering Saint Charles Borromeo
Seminary in Philadelphia. He cited a
college friend as a particular influence
in his decision to pursue Priesthood,
and advised any young man who
thinks he might have a vocation to continue to pray about it.
Among his favorite saints are Saint Paul, for his missionary
zeal, and Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder and first Superior
General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). His Spiritual Exercises
have become the basis for an entire system of spirituality. In an
interview at the March for Life in Washington DC three years
ago, he spoke of attending many of the Marches growing up,
and said, “I’m very pro-life, and it’s important to witness.”
Michael Schuetz – Like John
Kane, Michael Schuetz is a member
of Saint Joseph Parish in Raleigh who
attended high school at Saint Thomas
More Academy. Like Timothy Ahn,
he has done his seminary studies at
the Pontifical North America College
in Rome, as well as Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
In addition to his parents, he also cites the encouragement of
Monsignor John Williams as an important influence in discerning his vocation.
Mr. Schuetz calls John 1:1 his favorite Scripture passage: “In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.”
“It is a constant reminder for me that God always is and
always will be present in my life guiding me along as I discern
His call in my life,” he said.
He has a special devotion to Saint Thomas Aquinas. “One
of the things that attracted me the most about Saint Thomas
Aquinas” he said, “was his desire to increase his knowledge,
especially in regards to his faith, and share it with others. So
when I was being confirmed in 2006 I chose him as my patron
saint because I thought he would help me in my studies.”
Ss. George and St. Adalbert, bishop, and martyrs April 23 | St. Fidelis of Sigm
Death of Msgr. Matthew D. Hendrick
Sister Alice Walsh, SP
Reverend Monsignor
Matthew D. Hendrick, 63
years old, died on Friday,
February 27, 2015 in
Pinehurst, NC. He was
born in Chicago, Illinois
on July 26, 1951 to
the late Phillip and Mary
Hendrick. He is survived
by his siblings, Michael
S. Hendrick, Mary H.
Duddy, Margeret H.
Cole, Katheryn Hendrick, Mark G. Hendrick,
Elizabeth H.Law, Martha
H. Armstrong and John
P. Hendrick and their families. He was preceded in death by his oldest brother,
Philip S. Hendrick, Jr.
Monsignor Hendrick was an alumnus of Belmont Abbey College and after
discerning a vocation to the Priesthood, he entered seminary at Saint Meinrad
Seminary in Saint Meinrad, Indiana and then the Pontifical College Josephinum
in Columbus, OH for priestly formation. He was ordained to the Priesthood for
the Diocese of Raleigh on December 6, 1985 by the Most Reverend F. Joseph
Gossman at Saint Patrick Parish, Fayetteville.
In the Diocese of Raleigh, Monsignor Hendrick served as Parochial Vicar at
Immaculate Conception Parish, Durham; Parochial Vicar at Saint Patrick Parish, Fayetteville; Pastor of Saint Mark Parish, Wilmington; and Pastor of Saint
Therese Parish, Wrightsville Beach.
On April 11, 2006, Monsignor Hendrick was named a Prelate of Honor
to His Holiness, with the title of Reverend Monsignor. He retired from active
priestly ministry on May 17, 2010 and had residence at Saint Joseph of the
Pines in Southern Pines.
The Funeral Mass for Monsignor Hendrick was celebrated on Friday, March
6, 2015 at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, with the Most Reverend
Michael F. Burbidge, Principal Celebrant and the Reverend Thomas S. Tully,
Homilist. Interment followed at Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery on Legion Road
in Chapel Hill.
Sister of
Providence
Alice Walsh
died Tuesday,
February 24,
2015 in Mother
Theodore Hall,
St. Mary-ofthe-Woods, IN. She was born on April
1, 1933 in Everett, MA to Thomas
Francis and Julia Jordan Walsh and
was baptized Alice Mildred.
Sister Alice entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in
1952 and received the name Sister
Julia Therese. She professed Final
Vows on January 23, 1960. In her
62 years as a Sister of Providence,
she ministered in schools in Illinois,
Indiana, Massachusetts, Washington
DC, Florida and North Carolina, where
she served a year (1957-58) at Saint
Patrick School in Fayetteville and four
years (1965-69) at Blessed Sacrament in Burlington, three of them as
principal. Retiring from teaching in
2004, she remained in Florida where
her last teaching assignment was, as a
volunteer in schools and parishes.
She came to the motherhouse in
2011 where she continued to minister in a variety of ways, to both her
sisters and the children who came for
tutoring at Educational Family Services in West Terre Haute. Beginning
in 2015, she dedicated herself totally
to the ministry of prayer.
On Sunday, January 18, Holy Infant Church in Durham held its annual “Santo Nino” Mass to celebrate an ancient tradition of Filipino
Catholics, and also to benefit Pregnancy Support Services (PSS), a Christian nonprofit agency. The event, the seventeenth of its kind at
Holy Infant, began with a musical procession featuring Filipino participants in colorful native dress. Worshippers offered gifts of blankets,
diapers, layettes, baby bottles and other such items, which PSS will use to help those facing the challenges of unplanned pregnancies.
maringen, priest and martyr April 24 | Feast of St. Mark, evangelist April 25 | Fourth Sunday of Easter April 26 | Ss. Louis Grignion de Montfort and Peter Chanel, martyr, and priests April 28
l o c a l
n e w s
Bishop Celebrates Ash
Wednesday Mass
On Ash Wednesday,
February 18, 2015,
hundreds of Masses were
celebrated throughout
the Diocese of Raleigh as
Catholics began the 2015
Lenten season.
Catholic Schools Week starts at Saint Raphael
School with inspiration from Isaiah Austin
“How many of you have a dream? How many of you
dream of being a great athlete or a doctor or going to
college?”
Those questions were posed to the students of Saint
Raphael Catholic School by former college basketball star
Isaiah Austin, who told them his story to kick off Catholic
Schools Week at Saint Raphael.
50 young men depart for DC, Saint Charles
Seminary pilgrimage
On Friday, February 20, 2015, 50 young men departed
from Raleigh for a three-day pilgrimage to the Basilica
of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, D.C. and Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. Fr. Bill John Acosta-Escobar, Director of the Diocesan Office of Vocations, and Fr.
Romen Acero, Assistant Principal of Spiritual Life at Cardinal Gibbons High School, led the group, which included
some who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
Deacons, wives assemble for 2015 convocation
The annual Diocesan Deacon Convocation was held Saturday, February 21,
2015, at the Fallon Center of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Raleigh.
Permanent deacons of the Diocese and their wives began the meeting with
Morning Prayer, led by Fr. James F. Garneau, V.F., Director of the Diocesan
Diaconate Program, followed by a discussion with the Most Reverend Michael
F. Burbidge and Mass, celebrated by the Bishop.
NC Catholics
March2015
2014| |www.DioceseofRaleigh.org
www.DioceseofRaleigh.org| |www.NCCatholics.org
www.NCCatholics.org
6 April
Death of
Father Theodore
Hesburgh, CSC
Holy Cross Father
Theodore M. Hesburgh,
who led the University of
Notre Dame through a
period of dramatic growth
during his 35 years as
president and held sway
with political and civil rights
leaders, died Feb. 26 at the
age of 97.
40 Days of Prayer Witness to Human Life
On March 19, 2014, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge joined pro-life advocates in praying the
Rosary at Planned Parenthood, 1765 Dobbins Drive, Chapel Hill, NC. The prayer began
the first Thursday of Lent, kicking off the 40 Days for Life Campaign in the Triangle area.
Rite of Election and
Call to Continuing Conversion
Celebrated in Diocese
On Sunday, February 22, Bishop Michael
F. Burbidge celebrated the Rite of Election
and Call to Continuing Conversion at Saint
Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Louisburg, breaks
ground for a new church
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish celebrates 60 years
On Sunday, March 8, the Most Reverend Michael F.
Burbidge offered Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church
in Raleigh to celebrate the parish’s 60th anniversary and
to dedicate the Saint Bernadette Center. The new Center
is 19,000 square feet and features a gymnasium, music
classes and adult faith study classrooms.
St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church April 29 | St. Pius V, pope April 30
On Saturday, March 7, 2015, Bishop Burbidge celebrated
the rite of blessing and groundbreaking for a new church
for Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Louisburg.
For details and more photos of these and other
news stories, go to our Diocesan website,
www.dioceseofraleigh.org.
Find inspiration and information
from your Diocese on YouTube
www.YouTube.com/DioceseofRaleigh
Evangelizing on the Air
Fr. Leo Patalinghug on Food, Faith and Family
Judi Paparozzi, host of “Carolina Catholic” on Wilmington
Catholic Radio (WBPL), speaks about the important
evangelistic role of traditional radio in a world increasingly
consumed with digital technology.
The host of “Savoring Our Faith” on EWTN discusses the
importance food plays in salvation history, and how food can help us
share our Catholic Faith.
Black and African Families in Today’s Culture
Host Billy Atwell sits down with Fr. Marcos Leon-Angulo, Vicar
for African Ancestry, to discuss Black and African families in
today’s culture.
2015 Bishop’s Annual Appeal
The Gospel mandate, and an unwavering emphasis of Pope Francis, is that our love for God must be reflected in our love for one
another, especially the weak and vulnerable. In response to that call,
our Diocese remains fully committed to increasing our outreach to
feed, clothe, educate and pray with those in most need of assistance.
Plus news, insights and words from our Bishop: La Voz Catolica | A Catholic Life | Raleigh to Rome | Bishop Burbidge Homilies & Messages
Search
Diocese of Raleigh
in iTunes
to find:
Bishop Burbidge
NC Catholics
Raleigh to Rome
A Catholic Life
La Voz Catolica
C o n s e c r a t e d
L i f e
Sr. Anne Heath talks to young sutdents at Saint Michael the Archangle School in Cary.
A Sister of Mercy Tells Her Story
As the Year of Consecrated Life continues, NCC will be
telling the stories of some of the consecrated religious men
and women in our Diocese. This month Sr. Anne Heath,
RSM, tells how she came to be Sister and how her vocation
has brought joy into her life.
I grew up in a fairly religious family with value placed
on service to others and family prayer. We often prayed the
Rosary, attended daily Mass when possible and I attended
Catholic school beginning with Kindergarten. I have a
cousin who is a priest and was a role model for me. I met
the Sisters of Mercy at age six when I attended day camp. I
fell in love with them because they were so human, friendly
and kind. By high school, when I got serious in thinking of
entering religious life, I knew exactly where I would go.
My father died when I was young and my mother raised
my older brother and me to be independent and strong in
our convictions. My brother and I left home on the same
day leaving our mother alone for the first time since she
married! He went to serve in the Army in Vietnam and I to
enter the Sisters of Mercy.
I taught elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and
Richmond, Virginia and after I received a master’s in Pastoral
Studies from Fairfield University, Connecticut, I came to Apex,
North Carolina to serve as a director of religious education in
August 1986. I worked with the Friars of the Atonement, and
we shared our charisms and worked well together.
After 14 years at St. Andrew’s in Apex, I left to obtain a
master’s in social work at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In 2002 I returned to Cary and
began to work with Catholic Charities in the Cary Office.
I love ministering in the Diocese of Raleigh and have been
here more than half my religious life. Being a religious for
48 years has been a very rewarding experience and I feel
blessed to share a faith journey with so many wonderful
people. My pastoral experience at St. Andrew’s was rich
with areas of sharing faith and being with people in both
good times and sad times. The people of the Diocese of
Raleigh and St. Andrew’s are an extension of my community
because these are the people who love and nurture me and
worship with me. Now, as a therapist with Catholic Charities, I am able to continue that journey with adults and
children who seek guidance and help in everyday life.
At one point in my life here, I was a foster parent with
Catholic Charities and cared for newborns awaiting adoption. I must say that experience gave me a new perspective
on family life that I never would have imagined. I continued
that experience later after Catholic Charities no longer had
that need and I cared for 79 babies over 16 years. I feel
blessed to have been able to provide love and care to God’s
smallest creations. I learned a great deal during those years
and gained a newfound respect for parents.
I believe my joy comes from being with others, whether
I was teaching them in elementary school, guiding them in
faith formation or now serving as a therapist. I feel God’s
love through each person I meet, and I feel honored to have
worked with and known them. That is my joy and that alone
keeps me going. I see the face of God in each person. God
called and I listened! I count each day as a blessing. My
mother joyfully sent me off to the Sisters of Mercy and I am
so grateful for her support and encouragement. I hope that I
am living the life that God called me to live with joy.
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Foundress: Catherine McAuley
Year and place founded: 1861, Dublin, Ireland
When did the order come to the Diocese of Raleigh:
1983 - 1984
Charism: Union and charity and service to the poor
Feast Days: December 12 (Foundation day); September 24 (Feast of Our Lady of Mercy) and November 11
(Catherine’s anniversary of death)
For additional information: www.sistersofmercy.org
C a t h o l i c
C h a r i t i e s
T
A Chocolate Affair
he Catholic Charities Fayetteville Office hosted “A
Chocolate Affair… to Remember” fundraiser on
Thursday, January 29th. Guests were invited to the
beautiful Skyview on Hay to enjoy live music, food,
and a live and silent auction. This annual event raises money
to support the Family Support Services program. This program
provides services that help families obtain financial self-sufficiency and maintain proper health and safety. Fayetteville Regional
Director Wanda Collazo describes these services as “teaching a
man to fish rather than simply giving a man a fish.” This year the event raised $9,100 and Ms.
Collazo is hopeful that “the event will continue to grow and raise more money in the future.”
Various members of the community attended the event
in support of the efforts of Catholic Charities. Gary
Skinner, Executive Director, and Lisa Perkins, Piedmont
Regional Director, attended as representatives of Catholic
Charities. Fr. Steve Shott, Pastor of Saint Ann’s Catholic
Church, and Fr. Jack Kelly, Saint Isidore’s Catholic Church,
showed the support of the local Catholic community.
Additionally, local community professionals, members of
Free Tax
Preparation
and Filing
After a cold
winter, longer
days and warmer
weather are
much anticipated
parts of spring.
However, spring,
and more specifically April, has one feature most of us
dread: filing taxes. Catholic Charities is
there to help with what George Quigley,
the Fayetteville Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Site Coordinator, explains
as “a very difficult process to understand
which may confuse clients.” Adding to
the potential confusion this year is the
fact that this is the first year when the
Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.
This means families now need to answer
questions about their minimum health
coverage and determine if they need to
NC Catholics
other community agencies, and 15 members of the Interact Club from Cross Creek Early College who volunteer in
the Fayetteville office also attended. The evening saw over
140 individuals in attendance.
Ms. Collazo expressed that she was “very appreciative of
everyone who supported the event.” The money raised at
this event will help Catholic Charities staff continue to serve
the community.
pay the shared responsibility penalty.
To help with this complicated process, Catholic Charities offers free tax
preparation filing services to families
and individuals whose annual income is
under $52,000. Last year 204 individuals were assisted with preparing their
taxes. The average income for these
families was $17,924.
Clients are assisted by Catholic
Charities staff and volunteers from
February through April at either the
Catholic Charities office in Fayetteville
or at Centro para Familias Hispanas in
Raleigh. Families schedule appointments
with staff on an individual basis at both
locations which are official VITA sites.
The ability to schedule appointments is
unique to Catholic Charities; in other
agencies, families are required to wait in
line until they are served.
There are typically 8 – 10 volunteers
at each service site who assist families.
Training for volunteers begins in December and they are certified using online
modules which ensure that they are able
to properly assist clients. George Quigley
explains the important role volunteers
George Quigley working diligently as
a VITA volunteer.
play: “Without dedicated volunteers who
can establish a rapport with people you
are not going to be successful, and that is
what our volunteers have done. We get
testimony to that by how many return
customers we see.” Clients typically work
with a staff member for about an hour to
complete the appropriate forms, which is
when they develop such strong relationships with the individuals.
If you would like more information about tax assistance or becoming a
volunteer, please contact George Quigley
at 910.424.2020 in Fayetteville or David
Juarez at 919.873.0094 in Raleigh.
O n e
Fai t h,
O ne
Peopl e
Stations of the Cross
prayed on Cathedral site
On Friday, March 13, Bishop Burbidge joined more than 200 of the faithful gathered on
the site of the future Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral to pray the Stations of the Cross. At
each station a different ministry/cultural identity from the Diocese joined the procession,
which ended in the veneration of the Cross.
HolyNameCathedralNC.org
@HolynameNC
HolyNameCathedralRaleigh
Sai nt
of
t he
Mont h
A AM E N
Co rner
Changes
coming to
AAMEN Corner
Develop a
‘drip’ mentality
Saint Isidore of Seville
Feast day: April 4
Saint Isidore of Seville (560-636) is the Doctor of Education. He is known as the schoolmaster of the Middle Ages.
He actually composed an entire encyclopedia (the first to
have been composed in the medieval period) that was used
as a textbook for 900 years and as a history of the world.
He was the archbishop of Seville for more than 30 years,
and is honored by Spain as a preserver of the Catholic faith.
Saint Isidore required seminaries to be built in every diocese,
wrote rules for religious orders and founded schools that
taught every branch of learning.
However, none of these accomplishments was necessarily
foreseeable when Isidore was young. His older brother, Leander, had charge of Isidore’s education, and Isidore could never
please him. Isidore eventually ran away, and it was during this
self-imposed exile that Saint Isidore’s life changed forever.
He was sitting near a rock one day when he noticed water
dripping onto it. The drops carried no force and did not seem
to affect the stone at all. However, upon closer examination,
Isidore realized that the drops had, in fact worn holes into the
rock over time.
He resolved right then and there to keep working at his
studies, with the confidence that his many small efforts would
someday pay off in learning. It obviously did, as Isidore eventually became known as the greatest teacher in Spain.
Along the path to holiness, we too can experience challenges and obstacles. When we suffer a setback spiritually,
the temptation to quit and fall into despair can be very strong.
Then there is the desire to do something great – something
big. When being famous or well-known seemingly carries
such value, it can be hard to perform the small, seemingly
anonymous acts of holiness upon which the essential virtue of
humility is constructed.
To combat such dominant cultural forces, we would do
well to develop a “drip” mentality – patiently showing up,
persevering and doing the “work,” trusting that the Holy Spirit
will ceaselessly “drip” onto our hearts of stone and transform
them, slowly, quietly and without notice, into hearts of holiness.
T
here is an appointed time for everything, and
a time for every affair under the heavens.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
May God be praised, now and forever! The true meaning of catholicity
is reflected more and more in the diverse but unified
community we serve within the Diocese of Raleigh. For
a long time this column has expressed our spiritual and
cultural diversity as well as recounted our activities. As
we are celebrating the joy of the Resurrection and look
towards Pentecost, we also are joyful as a community to
be expressing our new Pentecost.
Beginning with the next
issue of NC Catholics, our
portion of the magazine
will undergo a bit of a
change; a welcome change
from the perspective of the
Office of African Ancestry
Ministry and Evangelization (AAMEN). As those of
you who support AAMEN
know, the office serves
different cultural groups:
the African American community, the African communities (especially our Swahili,
Igbo and French-speaking communities) and our Native
American community.
Our monthly article has not always had the space
to reflect the rich diversity that our office supports. At
times we have tried to incorporate everything in one
article; but the cohesion and clarity suffered in being
so condensed. But, with God’s help, that is going to
improve. In the near future, we will have room to give
a brief highlight for each of the groups we serve. In essence, our communities will step out of the shadows and
you will be able to see their vibrancy.
We continually praise God for the generosity of so
many of you through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and the
Black and Indian Missions collection. Your generosity
continues to assist us in our ways of evangelization and
spreading the Gospel to those like you who love also to
stay connected with the whole of our Diocese through
this magazine.
May the blessings from the Risen Christ continue to be
with you and your loved ones!
– Father Marcos Leon, Vicar for African Ancestry Catholics
Fro m
The IRA Charitable Rollover
This gift option might not be law in 2015, but that
should not stop parishioners from considering creative
ways to use their IRAs to establish charitable gifts.
Bequest of an IRA: A parishioner can take lifetime
withdrawals and designate all or part of his/her remaining
IRA assets to his or her parish or favorite Diocesan
ministry. The best assets for parishioners to give to their
children are the assets that step-up in basis at death,
for example stocks and can be sold with little or no tax
due. By giving an IRA to charity, a parishioner can avoid
taxing heirs and her estate will benefit from an estate tax
charitable deduction (if has a taxable estate).
Gift of Income to Children: A parishioner can take
lifetime withdrawals and transfer any unused IRA funds
to create a term of years Charitable Remainder Unitrust
(CRUT). Studies have shown that when and IRA is
bequeathed to a child that entire IRA is liquidated in 90
days. The trust will pay the children income for up to 20
years. The children will receive income based on the
CRUT rules (not the IRA withdrawal requirements) and
have the potential to pay lower taxes on their payments.
Under the four-tier accounting rules, once tier one
ordinary income is paid from the trust, the trust may make
payments from tier two taxed at capital gain rates.
For a free copy of the Catholic Estate and Personal
Planning Workbook please contact Ryan Flood,
Director of Special Gifts for the Diocese of Raleigh, at
919.821.9774 or [email protected]
2nd Annual Pig Pickin’, Bake Sale & Open
House at Catholic Parish Outreach
3:30 – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18
2013 N. Raleigh Blvd., Raleigh, NC
CPO food pantry invites you to come out to our
2nd annual Pig Pickin’ and Open House. We will
have chopped pork, potato salad, hushpuppies,
brownies, and sweet tea on sale for $10 a plate.
There will be a bake sale, music, and free face
painting. All the proceeds will go toward providing
food for our clients. Let’s “pig out” to feed more
families in Raleigh.
CPO is grateful to the Knights of Columbus of
the Sacred Heart Cathedral Council for helping
sponsor this event and for cooking the meal. Check
out our website www.cporaleigh.org for more
information.
the
Ed ito r
Ten Years of NCC
D
o you remember where you were ten years
ago? For me, that’s an easy question to answer.
In April 2005, brand new to Raleigh, I was
waiting anxiously to see how readers would
receive the first edition of NC Catholics, our
new diocesan magazine.
The communications committee
for the diocese had decided to call
the magazine NC Catholics, with
an “s,” not only to distinguish it
from the NC Catholic newspaper,
which had closed in February, but
also to demonstrate the intended
emphasis of the new publication on
the people of our diocese and their
stories of faith. It’s hard to believe
that we have now published 100
issues of NCC. Yet we have barely
begun to tell all those stories.
Their importance cannot be underestimated. As I wrote in that
first issue:
“We are our stories. Our stories define us, as people, as friends or
parents or spouses. Even as Catholics – our Catholic story begins
with Scripture, and continues with all the events and people
connected to our individual and collective journeys of faith. Our
stories are the way we make sense of our lives.”
A lot of the stories we’ve told over the years stay in my mind:
two teachers from Saint Mary in Wilmington who teach the
blind and disabled to surf; a young couple in Apex who help
other couples to refresh their marriages and their prayer lives; a
woman who recalled the fear and confusion of growing up in Nazi
Germany; a group of Catholic Army wives in Fayetteville who
support each other while their husbands are deployed; a Catholic
Worker couple who made their home in rural Chatham County
an oasis of hospitality for those in need.
For this month’s cover story, we found the three people
who appeared on our first cover ten years ago, and our writer,
Kate Turgeon Watson, asked this question: “Where do you
see yourselves ten years from now?” I’d like to hope that your
Diocesan magazine will still be telling inspiring stories of people
and their faith in 2025.
In our first issue, Bishop F. Joseph Gossman quoted his
predecessor’s words on the launch of the weekly newspaper, The
North Carolina Catholic, to the 7000 Catholics in the diocese in
1946: “May God’s blessing be upon this work for the unification
of the diocese, the instruction and information of the faithful, for
the honor and glory of God and the salvation of souls.” May it
ever be so.
Thanks for your letters and emails and kind
suggestions. You can reach me at 7200 Stonehenge Drive,
Raleigh, NC 27613 or [email protected].
Follow the Diocese of Raleigh on
NC Catholics
14 March 2015 | www.DioceseofRaleigh.org | www.NCCatholics.org
S
alina
Kohut doesn’t feel
any different.
Sure; a
decade ago she was a
globe-trotting newlywed
and graduate student active with Young Adult
Ministry. Today she’s a married mother of two.
There’s less time for some of the activities she
used to do. But, she laughs, she’s almost aged
out of the young adult category. And she’s
found new ways to stay involved.
“So much time has passed, but I don’t feel any
different than I was,” Mrs. Kohut, 37, said. “I look
back and I’m like ‘Whoa. Did ten years pass?’”
It’s the same for NC Catholics magazine.
Things don’t feel any different. Ten years
after its premiere issue was published in April
2005, the magazine still focuses on its original
mission: to tell the stories of Catholics in our
Diocese. Yes; there have been changes. Columnists rotated, the paper the magazine printed on
changed and sections were repurposed.
But, 10 years later, things still feel the same.
To commemorate 10 years of NC Catholics,
the magazine revisited three folks who were on
the inaugural cover. Ten years ago they were the
first of many Catholics in the Diocese of Raleigh
to share their faith stories with NC Catholics.
Teresa Aldahondo
Ten years ago Teresa
Aldahondo was an
employee of the Diocese; she did consulting for the Office of
Hispanic Ministry.
Today she’s still a
mainstay at the Catholic Center, despite her
retirement.
“I guess what I have
been doin’ is volunteering,” she laughed, her hands
busy folding a small package of tissues. Ms. Aldahondo, 70, works for the Lay Ecclesial Ministers’
Association (LEMA) and the Tribunal. She teaches
the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program
(RCIA) and also volunteers in the office at her parish, Saint Michael in Cary.
During the last decade she has welcomed four
grandchildren. (She had one granddaughter when
NC Catholics met her in 2005.) Like many in her
generation, she also cared for a dying parent. She
and her husband, Carlos Soto, have watched their
three sons move and their lives change, as well.
Her faith, she said, is a constant in her life.
“My faith has grown,” she said. “You know …
sometimes you go through, let’s say, the death of
your father. On the other hand, you have the joy of
when a grandchild gets born. Then you say goodbye
to a child who is going to be in Singapore and he
likes it so much he wants to stay out there forever.”
For Ms. Aldahondo, who was born in Puerto
Rico and moved to New York City as a girl, prayer
is essential. “It’s always about prayer,” she said,
adding that she starts her day with prayer and
seeks out reflections and devotions as guides.
She reads “The Word Among Us” in Spanish and
“Give Us This Day” in English. But, for her, there’s
one prayer that will always be said in Spanish,
and it’s Hail Holy Queen. Her mother taught her
NC Catholics
that prayer and they repeated it so often during
her childhood in Spanish that she said she can’t
memorize it in English. “It stuck,” she laughed.
Ms. Aldahondo stays active by walking at
the mall. She also is part of a Cary group called
Seniors in Motion. “Oh, I have fun,” she said. “We
dance … it’s like low-impact aerobics but really
you dance to the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s not
only the exercise, but some of those people have
been there like 16 years. So, it’s bonding.”
For her and her friends who go to Saint Michael’s parish and the class, it’s a time for them to
discuss what’s happening at church. But, she says,
she has friends there from all faiths and it’s a good
opportunity to meet and get to know one another.
When asked where she may be 10 years from
now, she laughed again. “I hope to be alive,” she
said. I have a 17-year-old granddaughter and I
certainly would love to see her out of college and
maybe happily married if that’s what she wants …
so, let’s hope. I still want to be doing everything I
am doing now, but maybe scale back. So, healthy
and well and still enjoying my faith.”
Milton Jenkins
Milton Jenkins, 79,
usually begins his faith
story the same way.
“Well, first, I am a
convert,” he said while
sitting on a bench
in front of Cathedral
School in Raleigh.
He grew up Baptist,
but didn’t go to
church very often as a
child. One place he could often be found, however, was at the playground of a Catholic church in
Greenville, North Carolina.
“Saint Gabriel was the only church in the area
that had a playground,” he said. “And I never went
to church there but we always used the playground
… every day of the week. They had seesaws and
swings and stuff like that.”
As a young adult, he swapped the playground
for yard work. And it was in his front yard that he
met a seminarian who was visiting every house in
the neighborhood. Mr. Jenkins remembers that the
seminarian invited him to take a correspondence
course on the Catholic faith. He accepted and
studied for a year.
“I got the nerves to walk up into the church at
Mass on one Sunday morning … I enjoyed the
services. And I haven’t stopped going since,” he said.
Mr. Jenkins, who was about 20 at the time, was
baptized inside that same church about a year later.
It was a small parish, he said, and he was happy
to get involved with groups such as the Legion of
Mary, the Knights of Columbus and the African
By Kate Turgeon Watson
Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization (AAMEN.)
Over the years he sponsored more folks for confirmation than he can count.
Today Mr. Jenkins, a retired electronics repair
technician, is still involved with his church. He
and his wife, Rachel, still live in Greenville. And
he’s spending a lot of his time on prayer, reflection
and penance.
“There is so much to read and remember. Even
now,” he said. “I am learning … I read Scripture
and it really enlightens me.” He also spends time
learning from the series “Welcome to the Catholic
Church,” a CD-ROM he uses on his computer.
Mr. Jenkins seeks out quiet because he says he
can think best in that environment. Ask him what
he thinks his next ten years may hold and he just
may give a slight chuckle and then become very
serious.
“When I was 16 I never expected to retire from
work. I didn’t expect to be here that long. My
mother was 65 when she passed away,” Mr. Jenkins
said. “I tell ya, I’m trying to correct my life now
because I don’t know how much longer I will be
around … see, people go through life and they
don’t put any emphasis on expecting to die. And
the Lord says we should be prepared.”
Salina Kohut
Salina Kohut, 37,
was born and raised
Catholic. When she
shared her story 10
years ago she was
newly married to her
husband, Matthew,
whom she first met at
the Newman Center
while they were undergraduate students
at UNC-Chapel Hill. She was active with her
parish, Saint Michael’s, and busy with Young Adult
Ministry retreats and Spirits & Wisdom.
Early in their marriage the couple traveled
quite a bit because of Matthew’s job with Lenovo.
They visited Rome, Florence, Nice, Milan, Tornio,
London, Prague, Sydney and cities in Iceland and
Puerto Rico. They were part of a general audience
with Pope Benedict at the Vatican.
“We didn’t understand anything he was saying,”
she laughed. “But it was very cool to see him.” The
couple also saw Il Duomo di Firenze, or Florence
Cathedral, as well as the Last Supper mural by
Leonardo da Vinci. She had a faith-filled moment
in Milan when she had one extra ticket to see the
mural and thought it may go to waste because
there were no individuals nearby who needed a
ticket, only couples and groups. But then, she
said, at the last minute a man from South America
showed up at the sold-out exhibit and said he had
been praying in his hotel room and felt he should
come to the exhibit even without a ticket.
“He was so shocked and surprised that we would
just give him a ticket,” she said. “That was neat …
interesting to see how we were there at that moment
and we didn’t know how that ticket was going to be
used and it was that man who said, ‘I was just praying I would be able to do this.’ There we were from
part way across the world and he’s from the other
side. And we all shared this moment.”
Today the traveling has slowed down a bit. And
Ms. Kohut can often be found in a new home in
Cary with Matthew and their two children -Sydney,
2, and Zachary, 8 months. Inside their home are
two cockatiels (Mr. Katie and Annabelle), and
more than 20 species of birds fly through the backyard seeking the family’s birdfeeders.
Mrs. Kohut holds a Master’s Degree in Fisheries and Wild Life Science and enjoys working with
wildlife rehabilitation groups. Still a parishioner at
Saint Michael’s, she isn’t involved with young adult
ministry but can be found organizing the annual
Holiday Craft Fair to benefit the Jesse Tree (which
gives Christmas gifts to children in need), Saint Mike’s
Bikes (which refurbishes bicycles) and the Gabriel
Project (which assists pregnant women in crisis).
In her life, she says prayer is central. “People say
all the time, ‘Let go and let God,’” she said. “There
have been ups and downs. I think my faith has
changed somewhat … deeper in some ways. I pray
more often now that I have children.”
Best Read?
We asked the editor, Rich Reece, “Which
cover story garnered the most comments
and attention?”
“There have been a few,” he said, “but
‘We Never Stopped Trusting’ (October
2011) interested many readers. It was
about a couple expecting triplets. They were
advised to sacrifice one of the babies in
the womb for the safety of the others. They
didn’t take the advice and had three beautiful girls. I think the story had a lot of drama,
a strong example of faith and, of course, a
positive outcome.”
Holy Thursday
During the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we
remember Jesus’ last meal with his disciples
in a powerful way, re-enacting even the
washing of feet. Did you ever notice that
Holy Thursday’s celebration of the Lord’s
Supper does not really end? There’s no
conclusion to it. Without a blessing and dismissal, we process the Blessed Sacrament to
a chapel of repose and stay there in prayer
and adoration, just as the apostles were
asked to do in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The doors of the tabernacle in the
church stand open, so everyone can see
that it is empty. The sanctuary lamp is
extinguished.
Good Friday
The resurrection of Jesus
THE CORE OF OUR FAITH
T
he resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the bedrock fact of
our faith. It is the heart of the Good News about Jesus. The
Easter triduum, which marks the end of Lent, begins at the
evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and spans three days –
Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Although it spans three days, it is one
event. The triduum is not really three
liturgies, it is one long liturgy, with some
rest breaks. One celebrates the three days
not just by attending Holy Thursday’s
celebration of the Lord’s Supper, or by
attending Good Friday’s liturgy (which
is not a Mass), or by simply going to the
Easter Vigil liturgy. No, one celebrates the
triduum by attending all three of those
services. It’s all one liturgy!
Everything in the Old Testament flows
toward these three days, and everything
in the New Testament flows from them.
They are the core matrix of all that is
Christian. The Christian Bible comes from
them – the Church, the sacraments, the
Mass and the priesthood.
Let’s take a closer look at the Easter
triduum liturgy:
On Good Friday, there is no Mass anywhere in the universal Church. We can
participate in a variety of services by which
we remember Jesus’ suffering and death
on the cross. Churches offer the Stations of
the Cross, the Liturgy of Good Friday and
sometimes a Tenebrae service.
During the Good Friday liturgy, we listen
to a dramatic reading of the Passion, venerate the cross with a touch or kiss and receive
Communion from reserved consecrated
hosts. Again, we depart in silence. If the
parish has a Tenebrae “darkness” service, it
is held at night. The seven last words of Jesus are spoken, with a candle extinguished
at each one. It is a powerful and moving
experience of the need for the light.
Easter Vigil
The most beautiful Mass of the entire
year occurs on Holy Saturday night, at the
Easter Vigil. The Mass begins after dark with
the blessing of new fire, the lighting of the
paschal candle and a candlelit procession
into the darkened church. The Exultet, a
history of salvation, is chanted and we listen
to readings from the Old and New Testaments that reflect that history. There may be
as many as nine readings, followed by the
first singing of the Gloria since the beginning of Lent.
The Easter Vigil includes the baptism,
confirmation and first Communion of
catechumens who have been preparing for
this day for months. We welcome them
into our community and celebrate their
presence among us.
Although the Easter Vigil can be quite
By Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, and Father Charles Irvin
long, it is truly worth spending the time
– it is a rich experience of the resurrection of the Lord. And for the first time
since Ash Wednesday, we sing Alleluia!
Light has triumphed over darkness, God
has brought life out of death and we are
enabled to overcome evil with good. God
is victorious over all that would tear us
away from him.
The Paschal Mystery
These three great days are grounded in
the paschal mystery. Our word “paschal”
comes from the Jewish word Pesach, the
“passing over,” or Passover. God is faithful
to his covenant and, as Christians, we believe he has fulfilled his promises. Christ,
the mystical lamb, joined us into himself
and brings us with him in his triumph
over death into eternal life. He now takes
us back to our Father in heaven. Finally,
having over these three days entered into
Christ’s Passover, we are sent forth to
bring its power into our world.
Water (baptism) and blood (the Eucharist) flowed from Christ’s pierced side
when he was sacrificed on the altar of
the cross. His life flows out into us now
in his Church’s sacraments. God “passes
over” our sins because we are justified in
Christ’s merciful and sacrificial “Passover.”
Truly, we are saved by the blood of the
Lamb of God. For our Jewish brothers
and sisters, the Passover is a celebration
of freedom. In the Passover, God freed
them from slavery, their bondage under
Pharaoh, and brought them out of the
desert to Mount Sinai.
Through Moses, he gave them, in the
Ten Commandments, the freedom to do
good – no longer held in the bondage
of evil. He thereupon led them into the
Promised Land. God is always faithful to
his covenant. Christians believe he has
fulfilled his promises in Christ’s coming
– joining us all into Christ, overcoming
death – and bringing us through him,
with him and in him into eternal life.
The triduum is the core of the matrix
of everything that is Christian. Every
celebration of the Mass is a recapitulation of all that Christ accomplished in
the paschal mystery, which is why we
refer to it as the holy sacrifice of the
Mass.
PALM WEAVING
What do you do with the fronds
you bring home from Palm Sunday
Mass? Place them on a dresser or
tuck them behind a crucifix, perhaps?
This year, why not try something
different, something more creative?
Here’s a simple cross pattern
that is fun for the whole family.
1 Take a palm frond about one inch
wide and 13 inches long. Hold it
horizontally.
2 Bend the right end straight up from
the center to form a right angle.
3 Fold this same top strip, from the center, back and down, up and over
again, to form a square at the back. It will still be a right angle at this point.
4 Bring the left strip forward and fold over the center toward the right. Fold
away from you and thread through the square at the back, all the way.
5 Bend the top strip forward and thread the end through the center square to
make a shaft of desired length.
6 Fold left strip backward and thread through the back square. This makes
the left crossbar and should be in proportion to the shaft.
7 Fold the right strip back to form the right crossbar and thread through the
back square to secure. Cut a “V” into the base of the shaft for a dovetail
effect, if desired. The finished cross should measure approximately 2
inches wide by 3 inches high. – Patricia Majher
Q&A
TOP 3 QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE RESURRECTION
What is the significance of eating? In
the shore-side meeting in Galilee, Jesus
eats fish with his disciples. Jesus also
eats with the disciples after he appears
on the road to Emmaus, and at least one
other time.
When the Word became flesh, people
couldn’t believe he was God. Now that
he is risen, it is tremendously important
that people remember that he is human.
His eating food is a way of affirming the
Incarnation. The resurrection doesn’t
mean that Jesus finally went back to being God again. He never ceased being
God. And he never ceases being human.
Eating is a simple action – very ordinary. We who are witnesses to the risen
Lord have to look for his presence in the
ordinariness of our own lives.
Why does the risen Lord still bear
the marks of the wounds? Life is a
continuum. Resurrected life is not something completely separated from this life,
For Christ, the wounds caused by the
nails and the spear became emblems of
victory. Our sufferings will continue to
have meaning, too, for all eternity.
Why don’t we encounter the risen
Lord more often? In one of the Gospels,
the women come to the tomb and find an
angel sitting there who asks them, “Why do
you seek the living among the dead?”
The same question might be addressed
to us. Perhaps we don’t look for the risen
Lord in the right places. We think that the
less human we become, the more like
God we become. That the more “celestial” we try to be, the closer to God we
will get. We do more looking than doing.
Perhaps we don’t look with faith. God is in
the small moments, the ordinary moments
and actions of everyday life – if we but
just look with faith and recognize.
O bi spo
Bur bi dge
Mensajeros de las
Buenas Noticias
C
on motivo del décimo
aniversario de North Carolina
Catholics, me uno a todos en
nuestra Diócesis para expresar
agradecimiento a mi querido predecesor,
el Obispo Gossman y a sus asesores por su
visión al reconocer el papel clave que juega
la revista al poner de relieve la vitalidad
de la fe dentro de nuestra diócesis y en las
vidas del pueblo de Dios, a través de esta
Iglesia local. También estoy agradecido con
todos los que fueron y siguen siendo parte
de esta publicación mensual de nuestra
revista Diocesana, especialmente nuestro
editor, Richard Reece.
De manera especial, la revista captura tantas historias
inspiradoras de cómo hombres y mujeres de todas las
edades y experiencias abrazan, viven, celebran y comparten
su fe en medio de los retos diarios y bendiciones en la vida.
De esta manera, la revista se ha convertido en una verdadera
herramienta de la “nueva evangelización”, un término que
no hace referencia a nuevas verdades y revelaciones. Más
bien, la nueva evangelización apunta a las formas nuevas y
creativas que la Iglesia presenta a los demás, la Verdad del
Evangelio y nuestras convicciones.
Especialmente durante el Tiempo Sagrado de Pascua,
debemos renovar nuestro compromiso al proclamar la
alegría del Señor Resucitado a aquellos que nos rodean.
Las formas modernas de
comunicación, tales como
los medios de comunicación
social, también
proporcionan una salida
de interacción que puede
servir como tierra fértil para
la evangelización y llevar
a otros acercarse a Cristo
Jesús mediante nuestro
testimonio personal. San
Juan Pablo II y sus sucesores
han expresado la necesidad
de usar cada herramienta
y recurso disponible como
un mensajero de las Buenas
Noticias.
NC Catholics
Es mi esperanza que usted visite con frecuencia nuestro
sitio web Diocesano (DioceseofRaleigh.org), página
de Facebook y vean nuestro YouTube y escuchen los
frecuentes frecuentes podcasts. Escuchamos palabras de
agradecimiento de los que semanalmente ven la producción
de Raleigh to Rome, un video que muestra un noticiero
breve de eventos católicos y globales, así como de aquellos
que aprovechan el internet para ver el video en vivo de las
celebraciones Diocesanas, incluyendo la Misa en el Centro
Católico. Quizás ven mis reflexiones diarias del Evangelio en
Twitter (¡no solo como penitencia de Cuaresma!).
Aunque es imprescindible utilizar tanto los medios
tradicionales como las redes sociales, no hay testimonio
más poderoso que comunicar, enseñar y proclamar nuestra
fe con el testimonio y ejemplo que ofrecemos cada día
a medida que luchamos para unirnos más que nunca a
Cristo. El componente clave cada mes en nuestra revista
Diocesana es la historia de esos testimonios vivos. En
respuesta al leer las historias de éstos Católicos de Carolina
del Norte, es apropiado que nos preguntemos: “¿Cómo
puedo ser un mensajero del Señor y Su Evangelio?”
Los mensajeros son aquellos que reflejan un espíritu de
alegría y un corazón agradecido por las bendiciones que
son nuestras cada día y que no se angustian en medio de
las cruces, sino que encuentran consuelo en la gracia de
Dios. Nuestra sociedad necesita ver a aquéllos, que aún
cuando son retados por otros, viven su fe en la escuela,
en el trabajo y en la comunidad, y son conocidos por la
gran reverencia y el gran amor a la Santa Eucaristía. Las
comunidades en que vivimos se encuentran mejor debido
a quienes ofrecen sus dones y talentos para compartir
y enseñar la fe a los demás en la comunidad parroquial;
a quienes son imitadores de la compasión de Cristo,
especialmente al ofrecer ayuda a quienes más necesitan
de nosotros; y aquellos que se aman y se perdonan unos a
otros imitando a Jesús.
Más que nunca, nuestro mundo necesita de estos
mensajeros de las Buenas Noticias. Aunque nosotros,
como seres humanos, no siempre somos perfectos y no
siempre somos exitosos
al abrazar todas las
cualidades, pero el simple
hecho de luchar cada día
para hacerlo será un signo
poderoso y testimonio para
todos aquellos que nos
encontremos en el camino.
Con la gracia de Dios
durante este tiempo sagrado
de Pascua, que no seamos
solo personas que saben
cómo usar la tecnología
para comunicar las
Buenas Noticias de Cristo
Resucitado, sino que, de
hecho, ¡vivamos el mensaje!
Car i d ades
C at ól i cas
Un Chocolate Affair
L
a Oficina de Caridades Católicas
en Fayetteville, organizó “A Chocolate Affair… to Remeber”, para
recaudar fondos, el Jueves 29 de
enero. Los asistentes fueron invitados bajo
una hermosa tarde en un campo de heno
con música en vivo, comida y una subasta
silenciosa. Este evento anual recaudó fondos para fortalecer el programa de Servicio
de Apoyo Familiar. Este programa proporciona servicios que ayudan a las familias
obtener una auto-suficiencia financiera y
mantener una buena y segura salud.
La Directora Regional de Fayetteville, Wanda Collazo, describe dichos servicios como “enseñar al hombre a ser un pescador en vez de darle el pescado”. Este año el evento recaudó
$9.100 dólares, y
la Sra. Collazo tiene
la esperanza que “el
evento continuará
creciendo y recaudará
más fondos en el
futuro”.
Varios miembros de
la comunidad asistieron al evento para
apoyar los esfuerzos
de Caridades Católicas. Gary Skinner, Director Ejecutivo, y Lisa Perkins, Directora
Regional en Piedmont, asistieron para representar a Caridades
Católicas. El P. Steve Shott, Párroco de la Parroquia St. Ann
y el P. Jack Kelly, de la Parroquia de St. Isidore, mostraron el
apoyo de la comunidad local católica. Además, profesionales
de la comunidad local, miembros de otras comunidades y 15
miembros del Interact Club de la Universidad Cross Creek
Early que ayudaron en la oficina de Fayetteville, también asistieron. Más de 140 personas se dieron cita esa tarde.
La Sra. Collazo expresó: “estoy muy agradecida con todas
las personas que apoyaron este evento”. Los fondos recaudados ayudarán al personal de Caridades Católicas para seguir
ofreciendo servicios a la comunidad.
Preparación y Presentación
de Impuestos Gratis
Un invierno frio, días largos y un clima cálido son señales que nos avisan, que
la primavera viene; sin embargo y siendo más específicos, el mes de Abril es
preocupante para la mayoría de los individuos por las declaraciones de impuestos. Caridades Católicas está allí para ayudarles; por ello George Quigley, el
Coordinador de VITA en Fayetteville, lo explica como “un proceso muy difícil
de entender que puede confundir a los clientes”. La confusión potencial este
año se lo atribuye al hecho de que este es el primer año que se implementa
completamente el Affordable Care Act. Esto significa que a las familias ahora
tienen que responder las preguntas sobre su cobertura médica mínima y determinar si tiene que pagar la penalidad de responsabilidad compartida.
Para ayudar con este complicado
proceso, Caridades Católicas ofrece
servicios de preparación de impuestos a las familias y personas cuyo
ingreso anual de $52.000 o menos.
El año pasado, 204 individuos fueron
asistidos con la preparación de impuestos y el promedio de ingreso de
estas familias era de $17.924.
Los clientes son asistidos por el
personal de Caridades Católicas
y voluntarios desde Febrero hasta
Abril, ya sea en la Oficina de Cari-
dades Católicas en Fayetteville o en
el Centro para Familias Hispanas
en Raleigh. Las familias necesitan
hacer citas con el personal de manera
individual en cualquiera de los locales
VITA (Asistencia Voluntaria sobre los
impuestos de ingresos). La capacidad de programar citas es única de
Caridades Católicas, ya que en otras
agencias las familias tienen que esperar en línea para ser atendidos.
Típicamente hay 8 a 10 voluntarios
en cada lugar de servicio que asisten a
las familias. El
entrenamiento
para los voluntarios comienza
en Diciembre
y son certificados para usar
módulos en
línea que asegura que están capacitados para ayudar a los clientes adecuadamente. George Quigley explica
la importancia del rol que juegan los
voluntarios, “Sin voluntarios dedicados, que establecen una relación con
la gente, no hay éxito, y eso, es lo
que nuestros voluntarios han hecho.
Recibimos testimonio de ello al ver
cuanta gente regresa”. Normalmente,
los clientes trabajan una hora con los
miembros del personal para completar las formas apropiadas, y es donde
desarrollan una fuerte relación con las
personas.
Si desea más información sobre los
servicios para asistencia en impuestos
o para ayudar como voluntario(a), por
favor contacte a George Quigley al
910.424.2020 en Fayetteville o David
Juárez al 919.873.0094 en Raleigh.
e l
hi spano
C at ól i co
original al narrar historias de los católicos en nuestra Diócesis.
Claro que con algunos cambios; los columnistas han rotado, el
papel imprenta de la revista y las secciones se han replanteado.
Pero después de diez años, las cosas sé siguen sintiendo igual.
Para conmemorar los 10 años de NC Catholics, la revista
volvió a visitar tres personas que estuvieron en primera plana
en la inauguración. Hace diez años fueron los primeros de
muchos católicos en la Diócesis de Raleigh en compartir sus
historias de fe con NC Catholics.
Diez Años
de Católicos
en Carolina del Norte
La revista continúa
evangelizando con historias
de fe de la gente
S
alina Kohut no se siente diferente. De seguro, hace una década
era una estudiante trotamundos
recién graduada y activa en el
Ministerio de jóvenes adultos. Hoy es una
madre casada con dos hijos y tiene menos
tiempo para algunas actividades que solía
hacer. Pero, se ríe, pronto superará la edad
de joven adulto; sin embargo, encontró nuevas maneras de mantenerse involucrada.
“Ha pasado tanto tiempo, pero no me siento diferente que
antes”, dijo la Sra. Kohut de 37 años. “Veo el pasado y me
pregunto: ‘Whoa, “¿Pasaron diez años?’”
Lo mismo sucede con la revista NC Catholics; no se siente
diferente. Diez años después de la publicación de la primera
edición en abril del 2005, se sigue centrando en su misión
NC Catholics
Teresa Aldahondo
Hace diez años Teresa Aldahondo fue empleada de la Diócesis; ella era consultora para la Oficina del Ministerio Hispano.
Hoy día, a pesar de su retiro, sigue siendo un apoyo en el
Centro Católico.
“Creo que es voluntariado lo que he estado haciendo”, se
ríe, y sus manos ocupadas doblando un pequeño paquete
de toallitas. La Sra. Aldahondo, de 70 años, trabaja para la
Asociaciones Laicales y Movimientos Eclesiales (LEMA – por
sus siglas en inglés) y el Tribunal. Enseña Rito de Iniciación
Cristiana para Adultos (RICA) y también ayuda en la oficina
en su parroquia St. Michael en Cary.
En la última década se convirtió en abuela de cuatro nietos.
(Tenía una nieta cuando NC Catholics la entrevistó en el
2005.) Igual que tantos de su generación, también atendió a
uno de sus padres cuando éste se encontraba en agonía. Ella y
su esposo, Carlos Soto, vieron mudarse a sus tres hijos, y sus
vidas cambiaron. Su fe, compartió ella, es constante en su vida.
“Mi fe ha crecido”, dijo ella. “Sabes…a veces pasas por,
vamos a decir, la muerte de tu padre; pero por otro lado estás
alegre por el nacimiento de tu nieto. Después la despedida de
un hijo que viaja a Singapur y le gusta tanto que decide permanecer allá”.
Para la Sra. Aldahondo, que nació en Puerto Rico y se mudó
a la Ciudad de New York cuando era niña, la oración es esencial. “Se trata de la oración”, compartió ella, añadiendo que ella
comienza su día con la oración, busca reflexiones y devociones
para guiarse.
Ella lee “La Palabra Entre Nosotros” en español y “Give
Us This Day” en Inglés. Pero para ella, hay una oración que
siempre la hace en español, Dios te Salve. En su crecimiento,
su madre le enseñó esa oración y lo repetían en español tantas
veces que no logró memorizar la oración en inglés. “Se me
quedó grabada la oración en español”, comparte riéndose”.
La Sra. Aldahondo camina en el centro comercial para
mantenerse activa. Forma parte del grupo llamado Seniors in
Motion en Cary. “Oh, me divierto mucho”, comenta ella. “Bailamos…es como los ejercicios aeróbicos de bajo impacto, pero
en realidad bailas al ritmo de la música de los 50’s y 60’s. No es
sólo el ejercicio, algunas personas han estado asistiendo por 16
años; así que es el vínculo”.
Para ella y sus amigas pertenecientes a la parroquia Saint
Michael y asistentes de la clase, es un tiempo para discutir los
acontecimientos de la Iglesia. Cuenta ella que tiene amigos de
diferentes creencias y es una oportunidad para compartir y
conocerse.
By Kate Turgeon Watson
Cuando le preguntamos dónde estaría después de diez años,
nuevamente se ríe. “Espero estar viva”, dijo ella. “Tengo una
nieta de 17 años y me gustaría verla graduarse de la Universidad y poder verla felizmente casada, si es su deseo… así que
esperemos. Quiero seguir haciendo lo que hago ahora; pero
tal vez reduciendo el tiempo. Y mantenerme saludable, bien y
continuar disfrutando mi fe”.
Milton Jenkins
Milton Jenkins, de 79 años, comienza su historia de fe de la
misma manera.
“Bueno, primero, soy un convertido”, dijo él sentado en una
banca enfrente de la Escuela Catedral en Raleigh.
Creció siendo Bautista, pero de niño no asistía a la Iglesia con
frecuencia. El lugar donde se encontraba con frecuencia era en el
patio de la Iglesia Católica en Greenville, Carolina del Norte.
“San Gabriel fue la única Iglesia en el área que contaba
con un parque”, comentó él. “Nunca fui a la Iglesia, sólo al
parque… cada semana. El parque contaba con balancines,
columpios y juegos por el estilo”.
Cuando era joven adulto, cambió el parque por trabajo en el
jardín. Fue en el jardín que conoció a un seminarista que estaba visitando las casas en el barrio. El Sr. Jenkins recuerda que
el seminarista lo invitó a tomar un curso sobre la fe Católica, el
cual aceptó y estudió por un año.
“Tuve la valentía de entrar a Misa un Domingo en la mañana…disfruté el servicio. “Desde entonces no he dejado de
asistir”, compartió. Un año después de asistir, el Sr. Jenkins,
quien tenía como 20 años en el aquel entonces, fue bautizado
en la misma Iglesia.
Era una parroquia pequeña, dijo, y estaba feliz de participar
en grupos tales como la Legión de María, los Caballeros de
Colón, el Ministerio de la Herencia Africana y Evangelización
(AAMEN-por sus siglas en inglés). Al paso de los años, fue
apadrinando a muchas personas en la Confirmación.
Hoy, el Sr. Jenkins, un jubilado técnico de reparación electrónico, sigue involucrado en su Iglesia. Él y su esposa, Rachel,
siguen viviendo en Greenville. Él pasa mucho tiempo haciendo
oraciones, reflexiones y penitencia.
“Hay tanto que leer y recordar. Aun ahora”, dice él, “estoy
aprendiendo… leo la Escritura y verdaderamente me ilumina”.
También dedica tiempo para aprender de las series.
El Sr. Jenkins busca el silencio porque dice que de esa manera
se concentra mejor. Preguntándole qué le deviene en los próximos 10 años se comenzó a reír, pero después se puso serio.
“Cuando tenía 16 nunca pensé en retirarme del trabajo. No
esperaba estar tanto tiempo acá. Mi madre tenía 65 años cuando
falleció”, compartió el Sr. Jenkins. “Les digo, estoy tratando de
corregir mi vida ahora porque no sé cuánto tiempo más estaré
aquí… vea, la gente vive sin poner énfasis en que un día llegará
la muerte, el Señor dice que debemos estar preparados”.
Salina Kohut
Salina Kohut, de 37 años, nació y creció siendo Católica.
Cuando ella compartió su historia hace 10 años estaba recién
casada con su esposo, Matthew, a quien conoció en el Centro
Newman cuando eran estudiantes en UNC-Chapel Hill. Era
activa en su parroquia, Saint Michael, y se mantenía ocupada
en el Ministerio de Jóvenes Adultos y Spirits & Wisdom.
En los primeros años de casados la pareja viajó mucho debido al trabajo de Matthew con Lenovo. Visitaron Roma, Florencia, Niza, Milán, Tornio, Londres, Praga, Sydney y ciudades
en Islandia y Puerto Rico. Participaron en una asamblea general
con el Papa Benedicto XVI en el Vaticano.
“No entendimos nada de lo que decía”, se reía ella. “Pero
fue muy agradable verlo”. La pareja también fue a Il Duomo di
Firenze, o Catedral de Florencia, así como al mural de la última
cena de Leonardo da Vinci. Experimentó un momento lleno de
fe en Milán, cuando se encontró con un boleto extra para ver el
mural, pensaba no encontrar a un individuo interesado de un
boleto, sólo había parejas y grupos. Pero luego, dijo ella, en el
último minuto, se presentó un hombre de Sur América, en la
exposición donde los boletos se habían agotado, comentando
que había estado orando en su habitación de hotel y sintió la
necesidad de ir a la exposición de todos modos.
“Él se sorprendió cuando le entregamos el boleto”, dijo ella.
“Fue bonito… interesante ver como estábamos en el momento
sin saber a quién regalárselo y fue al hombre que dijo: ‘estaba
orando que se me permitiera hacerlo’. Ahí estábamos de una
parte de un mundo y él del otro extremo del mundo. Todos
compartimos este momento”.
Hoy los viajes han disminuido. La Sra. Kohut se encuentra
en su nuevo hogar en Cary junto a Matthew y sus dos hijos
– Sydney, 2 años y Zack, 8 meses. Dentro de su casa hay dos
cacatúas (Katie y Annabelle), y más de 20 especies de aves
volando por el patio buscando comida.
Sra. Kohut tiene una Maestría en Gestión de Pesca y Ciencia
de Vida Salvaje, y disfruta trabajar con grupos de rehabilitación
de la vida silvestre. Siendo feligrés de Saint Michael, no se involucra con el ministerio de jóvenes adultos, sino organizando
la Feria Anual de vocaciones artesanales, que beneficia Jesse
Tree (entregando tarjetas de Navidad a los niños necesitados),
Bicicletas de San Miguel (reparando las bicicletas) y Proyecto
Gabriel (para asistir mujeres a embarazadas en crisis).
Para su vida la oración es central. “La gente dice todo el
tiempo, ‘déjalo ir y deja que Dios’”, dice ella. “Hay altas y bajas
y mi fe ha cambiado algo…profundamente en cierta manera.
Ahora que tengo hijos rezo más seguido.
La historia más popular
Le preguntamos al editor Rich Reece, “¿Qué historia
obtuvo más comentarios y atención?
“Ha habido algunas”, dijo él, “pero la historia,
‘Nunca dejamos de confiar’ (Edición de Octubre
2011) fue de gran interés para muchos lectores.
Se trata de una pareja embarazada de trillizos. Se
les pide que sacrifiquen a uno de los tres bebés por
la seguridad de los otros dos. No hicieron caso y
la madre dio a luz tres hermosas bebés. La historia
narró mucho drama, un gran ejemplo de fe y, por
supuesto, con un final positivo.
Sant o
del
m es
Desarrollando una
mentalidad de
constancia como
el “goteo”
San Isidoro de Sevilla
Feast day: 04 de abril
San Isidoro de Sevilla (560-636) es el Doctor en Educación. Se le conoce como el maestro de la Edad Media. El
compuso toda una enciclopedia (la primera que fue compuesta en la época medieval) que fue utilizada como libro de
texto por 900 años y como una historia del mundo.
Él fue arzobispo de Sevilla durante más de 30 años,
y es honrado por España como un preservador de la fe
católica. San Isidoro requirió que se construyeran seminarios en cada diócesis, escribió reglas para las órdenes
religiosas y fundó escuelas que enseñaban todas las
ramas del aprendizaje.
Sin embargo, ninguno de estos logros fue necesariamente previsible cuando Isidoro era joven. Su hermano
mayor, Leandro, estaba a cargo de la educación de
Isidoro, e Isidoro nunca le pudo complacer. Isidoro finalmente se escapó, y fue durante este exilio voluntario que
la vida de San Isidoro cambió para siempre.
Un día, él estaba sentado cerca de una roca, cuando
se dio cuenta de que había un goteo de agua sobre ella.
Las gotas no realizaron ninguna fuerza y no parecían
afectar a la piedra en absoluto. Sin embargo, con un
examen más detenido, Isidoro se dio cuenta de que con
el tiempo las gotas habían desgastado la roca haciendo
agujeros en ella.
Resolvió en ese mismo momento seguir trabajando en
sus estudios, con la confianza de que sus muchos pequeños esfuerzos serían algún día sus frutos en el aprendizaje. Obviamente lo logró e Isidoro llegó a ser conocido
como el más grande maestro en España.
A lo largo del camino de la santidad, también podemos
experimentar retos y obstáculos. Cuando sufrimos un
revés espiritualmente, la tentación de dejar de fumar y
caer en la desesperación puede ser muy fuerte. Luego
está el deseo de hacer algo grande, algo muy grande. El
ser famoso o conocido pareciese tener mucho valor, y
puede aún dificultar la realización de pequeños actos de
santidad, aparentemente anónimos, sobre los cuáles se
construye la virtud esencial de la humildad.
Para combatir estas fuerzas culturales dominantes,
haríamos bien en desarrollar una mentalidad de “goteo”
- pacientemente perseverar y hacer el “trabajo”, confiando en que el Espíritu Santo no va a cesar el “goteo” en
nuestros corazones de piedra y transformarlos, lentamente,
en silencio y sin previo aviso, en corazones de santidad.
NC Catholics
la naturaleza de nuestra fe
¡Gracias
Papa Francisco!
L
o viejo siempre se resiste a lo nuevo, el mal
al bien, las tinieblas a la luz. Coexisten en
una permanente tensión dialéctica. Jesús lo
vivió constantemente y su servidor, el Papa
Francisco, lo experimenta desde muchos
frentes. Bajo apariencias de una “falsa fidelidad a la
Iglesia” lo atacan de variadas maneras con la hipocresía
cínica de quienes no se abren a la acción del Espíritu
cuya naturaleza es la inesperada irrupción porque “sopla
donde quiere, escuchas su voz, pero no sabes de dónde
viene ni a dónde va” (Jn 3,8).
Están cerrados a todo
cambio y no viven el
cristianismo como un
permanente camino de
conversión. Añoran un
modelo de Iglesia medieval
centrada en el poder, los
privilegios, la prepotencia
y la corrupción. Insisten
en seguir disfrutando de
los beneficios de una
institución que no refleja
los valores de Jesús,
sino que se ha dejado pervertir por la superficialidad,
la apariencia y lo mediático. Se resisten a la vida del
evangelio que consiste en su novedad radical y alegría
transformantes.
El Papa Francisco es un pastor que realiza el
mandato que Jesús pidió a Pedro: “Confirma a tus
hermanos” (Lc 22,31). Él nos ofrece la oportunidad de
volver a la fuente vivificante del Espíritu para liberarnos
de la “mundanización” de nuestra fe.
Éste el camino que hemos de seguir para ser fieles
a la Buena Nueva de Jesús en la sociedad actual.
Necesitamos recuperar y reactivar el potencial liberador
del Reino de Dios que es la fuente de donde brota la
verdadera vida. Es imperativo que nos dejemos guiar
por el Papa Francisco y replantear nuestras prioridades
desde las “periferias existenciales” de la vida.
Solamente desde esta perspectiva podremos sintonizar
y dar respuestas a “los signos de los tiempos” que nos
desafía el Concilio Vaticano II. Es urgente que como
Iglesia retomemos la centralidad absoluta del Reino
y ajustemos todo a su soberanía, para ser coherentes
con nuestra misión. La Iglesia debe ser siempre fiel al
servicio del proyecto de Jesús. La sociedad actual lo
demanda y todos lo necesitamos: ¿Aceptamos el reto?
– Padre Carlos N. Arce, Vicario para los Hispanos
M i n i s t e r i o
H i s p a n o
Concierto-Oración por las Familias
con la Hermana Glenda
En nuestro camino de preparación
hacia el VIII Encuentro Mundial
de Familias a realizarse del 22 al
27 de septiembre, en la ciudad
de Philadelphia, continuamos
profundizando las catequesis: “El
Amor es nuestra Misión, la Familia
plenamente viva” a través del recurso
pastoral que hemos elaborado como
apoyo a la implementación de los 10
temas en los hogares y parroquias.
Por ello, el Ministerio Hispano de
la Diócesis de Raleigh, les hace
la cordial invitación para que nos
acompañen en el mes de Abril, junto
con la Hermana Glenda, al conciertooración por las familias.
Tema: “Familia, semilla de servicio”
Fecha: Abril 18 de 2015
Lugar: Parroquia St. Thomas More
940 Carmichael Street Chapel Hill
NC 27514
Hora: 7:00 p.m. a 11:00 p.m.
Costo: $10.00 dólares por persona,
mayores de 12 años.
No contaremos con el cuidado de
niños.
Cupo limitado
Contactos:
Diácono Luis Royo Tel. 9199421040
William Cardona Celular: 9198104213
Si deseas descargar el material
de trabajo correspondiente a esta
actividad o las anteriores catequesis
desarrolladas desde el mes de
noviembre, puede hacerlo a través de
las siguientes páginas:
www.catolicosraleigh.org
www.iglesiasdomesticas.com
http://www.sepi.us/wmof.aspx
dioceseofraleigh.org/worldmeeting
Ven y participa junto con nosotros del
gran Encuentro Mundial de Familias,
a través de esta actividad de abril, o
de la siguiente, a efectuarse el 9 de
mayo, en la Parroquia Nuestra Señora
de Guadalupe, en Newton Grove.
Para mayor información
comunicarse con:
William Cardona-Arias
Coordinator of Hispanic Family Life,
Catechesis and Adult Formation
Oficina: 9198219764
Celular: 9198104213
dioceseofraleigh.org
Email: [email protected]
facebook.com/ministeriohispanodioceseofraleigh
www.iglesiasdomesticas.com
Twitter:@williamyandrea
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S. Olson
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–
theology 101
YE
AR
FO
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Doug Culp is the CAO and secretary for
pastoral life for the Diocese of Lexington, Ky.
He holds an MA in theology from Catholic
Theological Union in Chicago.
Definitions
At its most basic, a mixed marriage is any
marriage between a Catholic and a nonCatholic. In practice, however, a mixed
marriage generally refers to a marriage
between a Catholic and a baptized nonCatholic (a member of a church or ecclesial
community not in full communion with the
Catholic Church).
In contrast, an inter-religious marriage is a
marriage between a Catholic and a member
of a non-Christian religion, such as Islam,
Hinduism or Buddhism. The Code of Canon
Law calls this a marriage with a disparity of
cult, or a marriage between a Catholic and a
non-baptized person.
©DollarPhotoClub/wlablack
The ends of marriage
MIXED AND
INTER-RELIGIOUS
MARRIAGES
T
he Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, held in October
2014, and the upcoming Ordinary Synod on the Family in
October 2015 have made reflection on the vocation and mission
of the family, both in the Church and in the modern world, very
timely. Over the next year, therefore, Theology 101 will explore the Church’s
teaching on many of the themes being considered by the two synods.
NC Catholics
In order to understand the Church’s
teaching on mixed and inter-religious
marriage, it is necessary to first understand
the meaning or purpose of marriage. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the
end of marriage is twofold: “the good of the
spouses themselves and the transmission
of life.” Further, since married couples have
the mission to transmit human life, they also
have the mission to educate their children.
The Church’s teaching
As one might guess, the Catholic Church
discourages mixed marriages because of the
difficulties that may arise in the relationship
due to the couple not sharing the same religious beliefs. Christian disunity in the heart
of the home over differences about faith and,
especially, over the education of children can
introduce significant tension into and put
tremendous strain on the marriage. Perhaps
even worse for the life of faith, the couple
might be tempted to religious indifference as
a way of avoiding such tension.
At the same time, the catechism states that
a difference of religious confession between
the spouses does not represent “an insurpermission of Church authority in order
mountable obstacle” to the marriage. For
for the marriage to be valid. For the Cathoexample, the couple can successfully navigate lic entering into an inter-religious marthe dangerous waters of a mixed marriage
riage, a dispensation is required because
by focusing on what they share in common
the act of marrying a non-believer actually
about belief in Christ and by their willingrepresents an impediment to the validity of
ness to respectfully learn from each other
the marriage.
how each seeks to live in fidelity to Christ.
Of course, the difficulties and temptations
Current concerns
inherent in mixed marriages can be further
aggravated in inter-religious marriages beThe topic of mixed and inter-religious
cause notions of faith, marriage and worldmarriages was covered in the preparatory
view can be significantly different. Consedocument, the midterm report and the
quently, the Church calls for even greater
final report for the Extraordinary Synod of
pastoral care in the case of an inter-religious
Bishops on the Family. While the bishops
marriage in the hope that the pitfalls can be
noted that such marriages can encouravoided and that the Catholic spouse can ful- age greater ecumenism and inter-religious
fill his or her specific task as delineated in the dialogue, they were primarily concerned
catechism: through
about the pastoral
sincere married love,
challenges that often
CATECHISM QUIZ
the humble and
accompany these
patient practice of
unions. The formaThe vocation and mission of the
the family virtues,
tion of children in
family in both the Church and the
and perseverance
the Catholic faith,
modern world is at the center of the
in prayer to prepare
in particular, stood
Synod of Bishops. Test your own
the non-believing
front and center as
knowledge of the Church’s teachspouse to accept the
an issue.
ing on the family by answering the
“grace of conversion.”
More specifically,
following:
the
Vatican News
The Christian family is both a
Ecclesiastical
reported
the conspecific revelation and realization
permission?
versation
on mixed
of ecclesial communion and should
and
inter-religious
therefore be called a(n)
marriages primarThe Code of Canily arose within the
on Law (1059) asserts,
A. alternative church
context of a debate
“Even if only one
B. domestic church
on the Church in
party is Catholic, the
C. apostolic church
the Middle East and
marriage of CathoD. privileged church
in North Africa. For
lics is governed not
only by divine law
example, the bishops
but also by canon
were concerned
law …” This is imabout the state of
portant because the
Christian spouses
code goes on to state in Canon 1066, “Before and their children involved in inter-religious
a marriage is celebrated, it must be evident
marriages with Muslims in Muslim countries
that nothing stands in the way of its valid
where Christians do not enjoy equal rights
and licit celebration.”
with Muslim citizens.
The fact is that marriage is a sacrament,
The bishops also were concerned with
and therefore a liturgical act which should
cases in which civilly divorced Catholics,
be celebrated in the public liturgy of the
unable to obtain a declaration of nullity, leave
Church. Further, marriage introduces the
the Church for another Christian confession
couple into an ecclesial order, creating
in order to remarry in that church. Irrespecrights and duties in the Church between
tive of the specific issue, the bishops clearly
the spouses and toward their children. It is
were calling for constructive responses to
a state of life in the Church requiring the
these challenges so that they could be transconsent of the spouses and their lifelong
formed into opportunities “to walk towards
commitment. Consequently, marriage should the fullness of marriage and the family in the
reflect ecclesiastical form.
light of the Gospel.”
For the Catholic entering into a mixed
– All quotes from Catechism of the Catholic Church 16341637, 2363, & 2367 unless otherwise noted.
marriage, this means he or she needs the
AT A GLANCE:
Catholics in
the United States
In October 2007, the Center for
Applied Research in the Apostolate
(CARA) at Georgetown University
published the results of “Marriage
in the Catholic Church: A Survey
of U.S. Catholics.” CARA had been
commissioned to conduct the study by
the Committee on Marriage and Family
Life of the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
Here is some of what CARA
discovered about mixed and interreligious marriages among U.S.
Catholic respondents:
Is your spouse Catholic?
Answer: (B) domestic church (CCC 2204)
72% Catholic
21% Protestant or other
7% No religion
.1% Jewish
Spouse considering
becoming Catholic?
94% No
6% Yes
t h i n g s
t o
d o
Upcoming events
at Avila Retreat Center
711 Mason
Road, Durham.
27712. To register
or for more
information, call
919.477.1285.
Life, Loss,
& Healing
Workshop, May
1-3, Friday, 8:30
a.m. – Sunday,
11 a.m. We have
all lost someone
or something. In
addition to the
death of loved
ones, we may
lose health, relationships, pets, jobs, homes and even our
childhood. This ecumenical workshop is an opportunity to
explore the losses in our lives in a safe, confidential and
accepting setting. This is not a weekend for quiet reflection,
but rather an opportunity to experience the intensity of our
feelings and learn safe ways to express them. For more
information about this retreat and/or to sign up, contact
Mike Yow 336.392.8017 or [email protected]
Mothers and Daughters: Friends for Life, May 8-9,
Friday, 7 p.m. - Saturday 4 p.m. Theme: The Circle of Life:
Celebrating Mothers and Daughters. A time for mothers
and their adult daughters to be with each other reflecting on
their lives together and apart. Outdoor activities: mother/
daughter dyad walks, campfire songs; craft making (memoir
journaling, photo scrap book, art work …); Scripture
reflections; letter writing. Donation: $160 per mother/
daughter pair (includes breakfast and lunch Saturday).
Presenter: Gladys Whitehouse, mother of nine (one with
special needs), spiritual director, retired pastoral leader at
St. Francis of Assisi parish.
Ignatian Retreat for Men, May 15-17, Friday 5 p.m.
– Sunday, noon. St. Luke’s and St. Raphael’s Knights of
Columbus Councils, in collaboration with St. Raphael’s
Office of Life Long Faith Formation, are sponsoring
this silent retreat weekend for Catholic men. Men of the
Diocese are invited. Theme: “Heart Centered Spiritual
Exercises.” Presenter: Father James Kubicki, S.J.,
National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer (http://
apostleshipofprayer.org) will direct the retreat, drawing on
the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. This will be
a weekend of prayer, listening and contemplation. Mass
is scheduled on Sunday. There will be (optional) time for
familiar devotions, personal prayer and reflection, and
meetings with Father. Cost: $175 cost for the three-day
retreat includes an overnight private room for two nights,
dinners, breakfasts and lunches.
Contact Jim Haag at 919.841.5817 (JJMTHAAG@
Bellsouth.net). Or make reservation by sending a
$60 deposit to K of C Council #12455 – note Men’s
Retreat to: Ignatian Men’s Retreat, C/O Jim Haag, 500
Emerywood Dr., Raleigh, NC 27515.
NC Catholics
things to do:
Holy Family Perpetual
Adoration Chapel at Our
Lady of Lourdes Catholic
Church, 2718 Overbrook
Drive, Raleigh, NC 27608.
The Adoration Chapel is
open to everyone, and all are
welcome to visit and pray
anytime and for as long as you
want. Go to our website: www.
ourladyoflourdescc.org for
more details and to sign up for
a Holy Hour.
Mission Trip to Albemarle
Deanery, Monday, April 6,
7 a.m. to Wednesday, April
8, 10 p.m. The youth from
Cardinal Gibbons High School
will be offering a mission trip to
Albemarle Deanery. For more
information please contact
Sr. Laura Downing I.H.M. at
[email protected]
Doorways Introduction to
Christian Prayer, Tuesday,
April 7 - 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
OR 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at
Saint Thomas More Catholic
Church, 940 Carmichael Street,
Chapel Hill, NC 27514. This
Level I course begins on the date
above and runs for 6 sessions.
Participants will explore the
basics of Christian prayer,
particularly the Our Father, and
be introduced to some major
Catholic spiritual traditions in
the life of the Church. Integral to
each session is prayer, course
content, faith sharing, and large/
small group discussion so
that participants can apply the
teachings to their life and ministry.
Required text is We Pray: Living
in God’s Presence by Oscar
Lukefahr (Liguori Publications,
2007) and United States
Catholic Catechism for Adults
(United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops, 2006).
Presenter: Deacon Bob Troy.
Cost: $20. Be sure to select
your preferred time as this course
is being offered at two different
times. Contact Jim Hynes,
919.942.6237 or [email protected] or click on the
link on the event calendar on the
diocesan website.
Ordination to the
Transitional Diaconate,
Saturday, April 11, 10 a.m.
– 12 p.m., Saint Catherine of
Siena Parish, Wake Forest, NC
27587. Reception to follow.
Catholic Social Teaching,
Thursday, April 16, 9:15 a.m.
to 11:15 a.m. at The Catholic
Center, 7200 Stonehenge
Drive, Raleigh, NC 27613.
This Level II Course begins on
the date above and runs for
four weeks. The goal of the
course is to provide the kind of
background on Catholic Social
Teaching suggested by the
bishops as fundamental for living
the Christian life. The course
relies heavily on documents
prepared by the bishops and on
the Catechism of the Catholic
Church. The course will
cover the seven key themes of
Catholic Social Teaching outlined
by the bishops: the life and
dignity of the human person;
the call to family, community,
and participation; rights and
responsibilities; option for
the poor and vulnerable; the
dignity of work and the rights of
workers; solidarity; and care for
God’s creation. Also included
is a process for defining and
effecting change related to
significant social justice issues
at the diocesan and parish
levels. The course will reiterate
the centrality of social justice
teachings for all Christians, and
its consistent independence
from any political ideology of
the left or the right. Required
texts are Sharing Catholic
Social Teaching: Challenges
and Directions, United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops;
USCCB website pages to be
announced before and during
the course, and handouts given
during the course. Presenter:
Melissa DuCharme. Cost:
$20. Please click on this date
on the Event Calendar on the
diocesan website to register.
Contact: Melissa DuCharme,
919.821.9751 or melissa.
[email protected].
Single-Single Again is a group
of single, divorced or widowed
Catholic adults, brought together
through common interest as we
pray, work and play together.
The group was formed to offer
help and support in facing the
challenges of being single and
“single again” in the Catholic
Church. We meet for Mass at
Cardinal Gibbons High School
chapel once monthly on Sundays
at 5:30 pm. If you are interested
to become a part of our
community, please plan to attend
mass with us. Our next Mass
is April 19. Visit our website at
http://www.singlesingleagain.
com/ for more information about
SSA ministry and to sign up for
our Yahoo group that sends out
notices of our activities.
Priesthood Discernment
Group, April 18, 9 a.m. – 1
p.m. Adult Catholic men
between the ages of 17-48
discerning a possible call to
Priesthood are invited to the
Priesthood Discernment Group,
which meets once a month,
usually on a Saturday. If you are
just beginning to contemplate
a vocation or are more serious
about a call to priesthood,
please consider attending
this group. The Priesthood
Discernment Group provides a
fraternal environment in which
to discuss your discernment of
a possible call to Priesthood
with other men who are also
examining the call. The group
discusses issues central to
the call and does so within the
context of prayer, presentations,
and discussion. The morning
begins with Mass at 9:00 a.m.
at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Parish, located at 211 Irwin
Drive in Newton Grove.
Morning Prayer, a discussion/
presentation about discernment/
Priesthood, Daytime Prayer,
and lunch follow. Next meeting
May 30. For more information
contact the Vocations Office,
919.832.6279.
Quo Vadis Meeting, April 19,
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the 620
House at St. Joseph Parish,
2817 Poole Road, Raleigh from
6:30pm – 8:30pm., beginning
with Evening Prayer. High school
aged boys are invited to attend.
Quo Vadis provides a fraternal
environment and an opportunity
to gather for fellowship, prayer
and a discussion on discernment
and vocations. Dinner is
provided. Next meeting May
31. Please contact the Office of
Vocations for more information at
919.821.9731.
Fifth Annual Catholic
Charities Celebrate God’s
Gifts Gala, April 25, 6:00
p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the
Raleigh Marriott City Center.
For event sponsorship or
ticket information, visit www.
CatholicCharitiesRaleigh.
org or contact Katey Fithian,
919.821.8142 or Kathryn.
[email protected].
Memorial for St. Joseph
the Worker, Friday, May 1,
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bishop
Burbidge encourages all of our
parishes throughout the Diocese
of Raleigh to provide an
opportunity to ask the heavenly
intercession of Saint Joseph
the Worker on May 1, 2015
for those who are unemployed
and those underemployed. This
memorial is an opportunity to
seek the assistance of Saint
Joseph as Protector of the
universal Church, that he may
intercede for the unemployed
and underemployed, who often
feel utterly alone, abandoned,
and many times guilty about
their situation. Our prayers are
a sign of our own concern and
a hope for God’s providence
in a most challenging situation.
On this special day, parishes
throughout our Diocese, as
well as the regional offices
of Catholic Charities, will be
joining together in this prayer
for the unemployed, the
underemployed and all those
who assist them. Resources will
be made available. Contact
Melissa DuCharme, melissa.
[email protected] or
919.821.9751 for more
information.
Adult Couples, are you
looking for a great ministry?
The Diocese of Raleigh is
looking for Adult Coordinators who want to help with the
Search retreat for high school
students. The couples need to
be at least 25 years of age and
be interested in becoming part
of the Adult Volunteer Team for
future Search retreats. The requirements for this program are:
•A
ttended Search in the past as a teen or as an adult (prefer).
•B
oth members have to be in good standing with the Catholic
Church.
•H
ave a passion to serve the youth of our Diocese in this retreat.
•B
e willing to receive the Safe Environment training required by
the Diocese.
Each couple will be mentored by experienced couples through
the full training process. If you are interested, write a short
description telling us about yourself, your gifts and why you feel
called to the retreat program. Please send this to Katherine Angulo at [email protected].
Grant applications available – Grant applications are available for a project to be used to support and uphold the sacredness of
human life of all persons from conception to natural death. Funds are derived from a grant provided by the Diocese of Raleigh generated by funds from the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. The total amount available for 2015 is $10,000.00. The Respect Life Grant was established in the year 2000 to meet the demand for funding for Respect Life initiatives. Grants are awarded in amounts from $500.00
to $2,000.00. Applications must be submitted by April 30, and funds will be awarded in June. For more information, or to download
the application form, please visit http://dioceseofraleigh.org/offices/stewardship-and-advancement/grants.
Follow the Diocese of Raleigh on
pope watch
Focusing on families,
Ukraine and
20 new cardinals
Pope Francis greets Pope emeritus Benedict XVI during a
Mass to create 20 new cardinals on Feb. 14.
Reuters
On families
Reuters
What POPE FRANCIS has been
saying and doing recently
Reuters
Speaking to more than
9,000 people gathered in St.
Peter’s Square, Pope Francis focused on the family. He
talked about the importance of
brothers and sisters, and how
a special bond is formed within
the family unit. In the family,
Pope Francis said, siblings
learn “the human coexistence that one must live out in society.”
In the same way that family members help each other, he said,
Christians care for the weak and the poor “because the words
and example of the Lord tell us that we are brothers and sisters.”
Pope Francis puts the biretta on newly elevated Cardinal
Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit during a Mass to create 20
new cardinals at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
On Ukraine
With the new cardinals
Pope Francis urged Ukrainian Catholic bishops to be united
and work together to be a clear moral voice for peace in their
war-torn country. He urged Latin- and Eastern-rite bishops
not to become politicized, but instead said, “there are socialcultural situations and human tragedies that are waiting for
your direct and positive contribution.” He went on to say: “In
these circumstances, what is important is to listen carefully to
the voices that come from the places where the people who
are entrusted to your pastoral care live.”
During his homily at Mass with the 20 new cardinals, Pope
Francis urged them to reach out to those who may be on the
margins of the Church and the periphery of society. Going out in
search of the lost, he said, “does not mean underestimating the
dangers of letting wolves into the fold,” but it does mean “rolling
up our sleeves and not standing by and watching passively the
suffering of the world.” “The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone for eternity,” he said, but “to pour out the balm of
God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart.”
“DO YOU REALIZE
HOW MUCH YOU ARE WORTH
IN THE EYES OF GOD?”
– Message to youth on Feb. 17 for local celebrations of World Youth Day.
NC Catholics
W o r d
o n
F i r e
Why Having a Heart
of Gold is Not What
Christianity is About
by Fr. Robert Barron
Many atheists and agnostics today insistently
argue that it is altogether
possible for non-believers
in God to be morally
upright. They resent the
implication that the denial
of God will lead inevitably to complete ethical
relativism or nihilism. And
they are quick to point out
examples of non-religious
people who are models
of kindness, compassion,
justice, etc. In point of
fact, a recent article has proposed that non-believers are actually, on average, more morally praiseworthy than religious
people. In this context, I recall Christopher Hitchens remark
that, all things considered, he would be more frightened of
a group of people coming from a religious meeting than a
group coming from a rock concert or home from a night on
the town. God knows (pun intended) that during the last
twenty years we’ve seen plenty of evidence from around the
world of the godly behaving very badly indeed.
Though I could quarrel with a number of elements within
this construal of things, I would actually gladly concede
the major point that it is altogether possible for atheists
and agnostics to be morally good. The classical Greek and
Roman formulators of the theory of the virtues were certainly not believers in the Biblical God, and many of their
neo-pagan successors today do indeed exhibit fine moral
qualities. What I should like to do, however, is to use this
controversy as a springboard to make a larger point, namely
that Christianity is not primarily about ethics, about “being
a nice person” or, to use Flannery O’Connor’s wry formula,
“having a heart of gold.” The moment Christians grant that
Christianity’s ultimate purpose is to make us ethically better
people, they cannot convincingly defend against the insinuation that, if some other system makes human beings just as
good or better, Christianity has lost its raison d’etre.
Much of the confusion on this score can be traced to the
influence of Immanuel Kant, especially his seminal text
Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone. Like so many
of his Enlightenment era confreres, Kant was impatient with
the claims of the revealed religions. He saw them as unverifiable and finally irrational assertions that could be defended, not through reason, but only through violence. Do you
see how much of the “New Atheism” of the post-September
11th era is conditioned by a similar suspicion? Accordingly,
he argued that, at its best, religion is not about dogma or
doctrine or liturgy but about ethics. In the measure that the
Scriptures, prayer, and belief make one morally good, they
are admissible, but in the measure that they lead to moral
corruption, they should be dispensed with. As religious
people mature, Kant felt, they would naturally let those
relatively extrinsic practices and convictions fall to the side
and would embrace the ethical core of their belief systems.
Kant’s army of disciples today include such figures as John
Shelby Spong, John Dominic Crossan, James Carroll, Bart
Ehrman, and the late Marcus Borg, all of whom think that
Christianity ought to be de-supernaturalized and re-presented as essentially a program of inclusion and social justice.
The problem with this Kantianism both old and new is
that it runs dramatically counter to the witness of the first
Christians, who were concerned, above all, not with an
ethical program but with the explosive emergence of a new
world. The letters of St. Paul, which are the earliest Christian texts we have, are particularly instructive on this score.
One can find “ethics” in the writings of Paul, but one would
be hard pressed indeed to say that the principal theme of
Romans, Galatians, Philippians, or first and second Corinthians is the laying out of a moral vision. The central motif
of all of those letters is in fact Jesus Christ risen from the
dead. For Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is the sign that the
world as we know it – a world marked by death and the fear
of death – is evanescing and that a new order of things is
emerging. This is why he tells the Corinthians “the time is
running out” and “the world in its present form is passing
away;” this is why he tells the Philippians that everything
he once held to be of central importance he now considers
as so much rubbish; this is why he tells the Romans that
they are not justified by their own moral achievements but
through the grace of Jesus Christ; and this is why he tells
the Galatians that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
means anything; what counts is the “new creation.” The new
creation is shorthand for the overturning of the old world
and the emergence of a new order through the resurrection
of Jesus, the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
The inaugural speech of Jesus, as reported in the Gospel of Mark, commences with the announcement of the
kingdom of God and then the exhortation to “repent and
believe the good news.” We tend automatically to interpret
repentance as a summons to moral conversion, but the
Greek word that Mark employs is metanoiete, which means
literally, “go beyond the mind you have.” On Mark’s telling,
Jesus is urging his listeners to change their way of thinking
so as to see the new world that is coming into existence.
It is indeed the case that Buddhists, Hindus, Christians,
Muslims, Jews, atheists, and agnostics can all be “good
people.” In terms of what we privilege today, they can all be
tolerant, inclusive, and just. But only Christians witness to
an earthquake that has shaken the foundations of the world
and turned every expectation upside down.
April 2015
7200 Stonehenge Drive
Raleigh, NC 27613
Online:
www.DioceseofRaleigh.org
www.NCCatholics.org

Four transitional deacons to be ordained April 11 A

Transcription

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