The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 1 September 30, 2005

Serving CatholiCS in WeStern north Carolina in the DioCeSe of Charlotte

Stronger marriagesTeams of Our Lady provide spiritual growth for couples

| Page 5

In Our SchoolsSt. Pius X advisory board recognized; St. Leo the Great wins Blue Ribbon

| Page 6

Perspectives‘Mystery of the Mass’ conclusion; St. Malachy’s prophecy

| PageS 14-15

SePteMBer 30, 2005 volUMe 14 no. 44

See PROTEST, page 13

See SPEAKERS, page 8

www.charlottediocese.org

MarCH Said To SigNal More uNified faiTH-baSed voiCe iN oPPoSiNg war

See CONGRESS, page 7

Faith and protest

Parish ProfileOur Lady of the Rosary Church is home to thriving Catholic community

| Page 16

A procession of faithThousands gather for diocese’s first Eucharistic

Messages of faith, inspiration imparted at Eucharistic

SPeakerS of THe word

established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul vi

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis carries a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II during a eucharistic procession in uptown Charlotte Sept. 24. The procession was part of the Diocese of Charlotte’s first Eucharistic Congress, which took place at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 23-24.

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Scott Hahn, a theology and Scripture professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, speaks to thousands of people during the Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 24.

by KEVIN E. MURRAyEdItoR

CHARLOTTE — One speaker spun basketballs on his fingertips. Another punched through wood boards.

Despite the theatrics, the messages of the speakers were similar and quite clear — they challenged people to be better Catholics and to stand up for

their faith.A dozen speakers offered

inspiring talks throughout the day to the adults, teens and children gathered for the di-ocesan Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 23-24.

Speakers included actor

a STar iS borN?

Charlotte Catholic senior in Will Ferrell

by KAREN A. EVANSStAff wRItER

CHARLOTTE — When most people meet someone they admire — the pope, a politician or an entertainer — they ask for an autograph or pose for a photo. They don’t insult them.

But that’s exactly what Matt Day did to actor Will Fer-rell. And he got paid to do it.

See ACTOR, page 12

by KEVIN E. MURRAyEdItoR

CHARLOTTE — Con-struction workers atop a high rise paused and tipped their hardhats in respect.

People lining the streets knelt reverently in silence. Those who weren’t Catholic watched with great interest.

It was the first time a eu-charistic procession had made its way through the streets of uptown Charlotte.

Approximately 3,500 peo-ple from across the 46-county Diocese of Charlotte joined Bishop Peter J. Jugis as he car-ried a monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament from St. Peter Church to the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 24.

The procession was part of

by NANCy fRAZIER o’bRIEN

CAtholIC NEwS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — With all major faith groups repre-sented, the Sept. 24 protest march in Washington against the war in Iraq marked a new step in the effort to bring a more unified religious voice to the anti-war movement, accord-ing to a representative of Pax Christi USA.

Michael Jones, director of communications for the Catho-lic peace movement based in Erie, Pa., said at least 500 Pax Christi members and thousands of other Catholics participated in the demonstration, which drew an estimated 100,000

2 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005

Current and upcoming top-ics from around the world to your own backyardInBrief Bishops’ task force expanded to

include Hurricane Rita aidaN arMy of faiTH WASHINGTON (CNS) — A special

task force created by the U.S. bishops to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will also address the problems expected to be caused by the impact of Hurricane Rita on the Gulf Coast.

Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, task force chairman, announced the expanded responsibility Sept. 23 as Rita approached the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

The archbishop was named to head the task force Sept. 14 by Spokane Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“As many victims of Hurricane Katrina who took refuge in Galveston-Houston now move on because this re-gion is facing its own hurricane-related danger, this task force is determined to be prepared to address whatever needs will arise in the wake of this second storm,” Archbishop Fiorenza said.

The task force made up of bishops and representatives of leading Catholic organizations collecting funds and carry-ing on relief work was established by the USCCB Administrative Committee.

It aims to build on what is already in place and seeks to:

— Support the many efforts of the affected dioceses.

— Encourage a sustained response from the Catholic community.

— Coordinate the many diverse efforts in order to increase effectiveness, assure ac-countability and eliminate duplication.

— Examine the future moral and policy implications of this disaster for the church and society.

Members of the task force are Arch-bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta; Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Brook-lyn, N.Y.; Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz.; and Bishop John H. Ri-card of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla.

PubliSHer: Most reverend Peter J. JugisediTor: kevin e. MurraySTaff wriTer: karen a. evans graPHiC deSigNer: Tim faragheradverTiSiNg MaNager: Cindi feerickSeCreTary: deborah Hiles

1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203Mail: P.o. box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237PHoNe: (704) 370-3333 faX: (704) 370-3382e-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

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

for any reason deemed appropriate. we do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. PoSTMaSTer: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.o. box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2005VOlUME 14 • NUMBER 44

CHARlOTTE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Cancer Support Ministry is open to cancer patients, their caregiv-ers and cancer survivors. If you would like to share your experience in a faith-based setting and receive group support and encouragement, join us on the first Tuesday of each month, September through June, at 7 p.m. in the St. Matthew Church Office lounge, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. Call Marilyn Borrelli at (704) 542-2283 or Bob Wilcocks at (704) 542-1541 for more information.CHARLOTTE — The Semi-Annual Rosary Rally will take place at St. Patrick Cathe-dral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. The rally will include recitation of the rosary, a eucharistic procession and Benedic-tion. For more information, contact Tina Witt at (704) 846-7361.CHARLOTTE — Rev. Dale Mullennix, executive director of the Urban Ministry Center, will pres-ent “Homelessness in Mecklenburg County — A Discussion of the Issue and the Faith Community’s Response” at the next Just Second Fridays event Oct. 14, 1-2 p.m., in the Atrium Room of the An-nex Building of St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and lunch is provided. Visit www.cssnc.org/justicepeace or call (704) 370-3225 for further information about this pre-sentation.CHARLOTTE — Healing Hearts, a support group for people coping with the death of a spouse, meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of St Gabriel Church, 3016 Rd. For more information, contact Sister Therese Galligan, facilitator, at (704) 362-5047, ext. 216.CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neu-mann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., meets the second

Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish hall. For reservations and more information, call Lucille at (704) 537-2l89.GREENSBORO VICARIATE

GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Council of Cath-olic Women is planning as their annual community project an “Operation Smile” mailing to be held Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. Time will be with light refreshments provided. For more information, please contact Carmen Wood, (336) 545-9266.GREENSBORO — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians of Guilford County will meet Oct. 6 in St. Pius X Church’s Kloster Center, 2210 North Elm St. A representative from Legal Aid will speak at 7 p.m. At the meeting, plans will be finalized for the Irish Feis Dinner Dance, to be held Oct. 29. For more informa-tion, call Mary Giff at (336) 855-7014.HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 4145 Johnson St., is offering Free Spanish Classes through Nov. 3. Classes meet Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m. at the church. All are welcome. For more information, contact the church office at (336) 869-7739 or e-mail Larry Kwan at hlkwan@lexcominc.net.GREENSBORO — The Reemployment Support Group of St. Paul the Apostle Church will meet Oct. 6, 7:30-9 p.m. in Room 8 of the Parish Life Center, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. If you are currently out of work or looking to make a career change, join us for encouragement, support and informative topics to help you in your job search. For more information, call Colleen Assal at (336) 294-4696, ext. 226.HICKORY VICARIATE

HICKORY — St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, is offering a weekly Catholic Scripture Study. Catholic Scripture Study is a program whose mem-bers not only learn the Scriptures, but come to a deeper understanding of their faith in a setting that builds Christian fellowship. Evening and daytime classes will be held each at the church, Wednesdays,

Diocesanplanner

One man’s passion for rosary launches new

CONYERS, Ga. (CNS) — Greg Willits is 6-foot-5 with a shaved head and a goatee. He’s hardly the type of guy one would imagine doing arts and crafts. But love for his faith has inspired Willits and, in turn, hundreds of others to become rosary-making soldiers.

The Willits home, looking from the outside like an unassuming family home, houses the headquarters of an army — an organization that counts prayer as part of its artillery.

Since Willits created the Rosary Army in 2003, people across the country have taken to heart the group’s slogan: “Make them, pray them, give them away.”

Willits, a “cradle Catholic,” in 1995 married his wife, Jennifer, a baptized Catholic who was not practicing the faith. It was during a powerful reconcili-ation experience with a parish priest that Willits began to embrace the rosary.

“I basically had to relearn it,” he said.

He prayed the rosary every day dur-ing a 54-day novena.

“I found a lot more peace than I had in a long time,” he said.

Willits had always been a creative person, but it was one day, while search-ing the Internet for instructions to make a twine-knotted rosary, that his life changed. He found some basic instruc-tions and began to make his own rosary,

and soon he was hooked.The buzz surrounding the Rosary

Army was slow at first, with a few people requesting rosaries through its Web site, www.rosaryarmy.com. After word got out, thousands of free, all-twine knotted rosaries have been distributed, and hun-dreds of “soldiers” have joined the group to make rosaries.

Through the Web site, visitors can learn how to pray the rosary and how to make a twine rosary. Through interactive forums, they can also discuss their faith and make prayer requests. Rosary Army soldiers make the rosaries and send them in to Willits, who then distributes them to those who request them.

At the Atlanta Archdiocese’s eucha-ristic congress, more than 2,500 rosaries were distributed.

“We have sent a rosary to every state in the United States and I don’t know how many countries,” Willits said.

His family has also become involved. Willits’ mother, Pat, serves as the head of quality control, putting metal crucifixes onto the rosaries and checking to make sure they have been properly made. Wil-lits’ wife is also heavily involved. As the mother of four boys, Jennifer said that she now looks to Mary as a role model.

“I really try to treat her as a spiritual mother,” she said. “I revere her in a new way.”

CnS Photo by MiChael alexander, GeorGia bulletin

Rosary Army members Pat Willits (left), her son, Greg, and husband Dick work on some rosaries in Conyers, Ga., in mid-August. Greg Willits started making rosaries three years ago and formed Rosary Army Inc. on Good Friday in 2003.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 3 September 30, 2005

Pope says Eucharist should be impetus for love, charity

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — The Eucharist should be an impetus for the faithful to love others and at-tend to their needs through charity, Pope Benedict XVI said at his Sept. 25 noon-time Angelus.

Jesus transformed his death into “a gift of himself, an act of love which he gives completely,” said the pope.

“In the Eucharist, the Lord, with his body, gives himself, his soul and his divinity to us, and we become one with him and among ourselves,” he said to the people gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

The faithful’s response to God’s great act of love and sacrifice “should then be concrete,” he said.

“One must express an authentic con-version to love, in forgiveness, in mutual welcoming and attention to the needs of

all people,” said the pope.He said there were myriad ways one

could serve others every day and that the faithful could look to the Eucharist as a source of energy and inspiration for per-forming good works.

“In this way the Eucharist becomes the source of the spiritual energy that renews the world in the love of Christ,” he said.

The pope said the saints offered the church examples of people who received strength for their charitable works from the Eucharist.

He highlighted St. Vincent de Paul, the founder of the Daughters of Charity whose feast day was Sept. 27, and Blessed Mother Teresa of Cal-cutta, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope

Benedict XVI presides in October over the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, an assembly that will review liturgical issues, emphasize the importance of Sun-day Mass and mark the close of the “Year of the Eucharist.”

More than 250 bishops from every continent will attend the Oct. 2-23 synod to discuss the theme “The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mis-sion of the Church.”

The synod will take an in-depth look at many pastoral aspects of the Eu-charist, then formulate conclusions that are passed on to the pope for possible use in a later document. The synod’s function has always been advisory, and many observers will be watching the October session to see if the new pope expands that role or gives the synod ad-ditional responsibilities.

Pope John Paul II announced the synod on the Eucharist several months before his death. Pope Benedict has embraced the event, saying it will serve to highlight the Eucharist as “the true treasure of the church.”

The potential topics of conversa-tion are many and varied, ranging from liturgical abuses to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Some bishops are expected to zero in on particular pastoral problems, such as the local shortages of priests to celebrate Sunday Mass or

the church’s policy against reception of Communion by Catholics who have di-vorced and civilly remarried without an annulment.

The working document for the synod, which will be used as a starting point for the synod discussions, said that because Christ is truly present in the Eucharist the sacrament must be treated with dignity and shared only by those who hold the same faith. It repeatedly called for balance in how the Eucharist is celebrated and for universal respect for liturgical norms.

The key problem, according to the working document, is that Catholics have a diminishing awareness of the ob-ligation and benefits of attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist every Sun-day. In addition, it said, too few Catholics are aware that the Eucharist can only be received when they are in a “state of grace” — which means receiving the sacrament of penance if a serious sin has been committed.

Pope Benedict opens the synod with a Mass at the Vatican Oct. 2. In the days that follow, bishops and other partici-pants meet in morning and evening ses-sions in the synod hall, which is closed to outsiders.

froM THe vaTiCaN

6:45-8:30 p.m., and Thursdays 9:30-11:15 a.m. For more information, call Ann Miller at (828) 441-2205, or email stalscss@charter.net.HENDERSONVILLE — The Widows Lunch Bunch, sponsored by Immaculate Conception Church, meets at a different restaurant on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are necessary. For more information and reservations, call Joan Keagle at (828) 693-4733.HICKORY — A Charismatic Mass is celebrated the first Thursday of each month in Sebastian Chapel of St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, at 7 p.m. For further information, contact Joan Moran (828)-327-0487.SAlISBURY VICARIATE

MOORESVILLE — St. Therese Church, 217 Braw-ley School Rd., will host the Personal Foundation Program with Rosemary Santillo, a professional life and business coach. The free sessions will take place Oct. 5 and 19. Attend all sessions or just come for one that sparks your interest. To register, call the faith formation office at (704) 664-7762 or email dconk-lin@sainttherese.net. For more information about Rosemary Santillo and her programs, visit Coaching at Reflection Rock at www.reflectionrock.com.MOORESVILLE — A Support Group for Parents Who Have Lost a Child of any age meets the sec-ond Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd. We draw strength from others’ experience of loss and grief. For more information, call Joy at (704) 664-3992.SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE

WAYNESVILLE — Adult Education Classes are held the first three Wednesday evenings of each month beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the St. John the Evangelist Church Social Hall, 234 Church St. For more informa-tion, call Charles M. Luce at (828) 648-7369 or e-mail luce54@aol.com.WAYNESVILLE — The Catholic Women’s Circle of St. John the Evangelist Church, 234 Church St., meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the

church hall. For more information, call the church office at (828) 456-6707.FRANKLIN — The Women’s Guild of St. Francis of Assisi Church, 299 Maple St., meets the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. in the Family Life Center. The meetings feature guest speakers and special events periodically. For more information, call Claire Barnable at (828) 369-1565.WINSTON-SAlEM VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — The Portiuncula Francis-can Spiritual Center, 211 W. Third St., provides an environment, experiences and resources that enable people to meet God in both stillness and activity. A study and action program, Pace e Bene (Part One): From Violence to Wholeness, explores nonviolence as a creative and effective process for resolving the conflicts in our lives and in the world. The group will meet Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31, 7-8:30 p.m. For more information, call Sister Kathy Ganiel, at (336) 624-1971 or e-mail Portiuncula@bellsouth.net.

is your parish or school sponsor-ing a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the diocesan Planner at least 15 days prior to the event date in writ-ing to karen a. evans at kaevans@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Synod of Bishops to review liturgical issues, emphasize Sunday Mass

CnS Photo froM reuterS

A newly delivered electric car is seen at the Vatican Sept. 21 in this handout photo from Global Electric Motorcars. The car will be used by Pope Benedict XVI for small trips inside the Vatican.

Papal transport

oct. 1 — 5 p.m. 50th anniversary CelebrationSt. Stephen Church, elkin

oct. 2 — 11 a.m. diaconate ordination, agostino fernandez o.S.b.belmont abbey, belmont

oct. 2-7 Priests’ retreatMaggie valley

oct. 9 — 9 a.m. Sacrament of ConfirmationSt. elizabeth of the Hill Country Church, boone

Episcopalcalendar Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate

in the following events:

welcome to faith exchange, a new feature in The Catholic News & Herald where our readers do the writing. we’ll pick one response to publish in an upcoming issue. additional responses will be posted on our web site, www.charlottediocese.org/catholicnews.Question of the week: why is your parish right for you?Submit your story by e-mail to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or mail to The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St.; Charlotte, N.C. 28203Photographs are welcome, but cannot be returned.remember:1. Submissions should be 150-200 words. 2. Stories must be completely true. 3. include your name, hometown, parish and daytime phone number. 4. deadline for receipt is oct. 7.

faiTH eXCHaNge

4 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005AROUND THE DIOCESE

LEXINGTON — Hundreds of people gathered recently to celebrate Mexico’s Declaration of Independence and the sixth anniversary of Hispanic ministry at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lexington.

Approximately 300 people attended a dance held at the National Guard Ar-mory Sept. 17, and hundreds gathered outside the church for a bilingual Mass Sept. 18. Mexican independence is cel-ebrated Sept. 16.

“When I was assigned here to Our Lady of the Rosary Church (in July 1998), a woman approached me and asked me to start a Spanish Mass,” re-called Oblate Father Al Gondek, pastor.

Unsure at the time if a Spanish-lan-guage Mass was needed, Father Gondek waited a year before asking Father Fidel Melo, now pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, to celebrate a Spanish-language Mass on Mexican In-dependence Day in 1999.

“He graciously accepted and the church was packed,” said Father Gondek. “I told them there would be a Spanish Mass every Sunday.”

Father Gondek began studying Spanish in order to celebrate Mass and reach out to the Hispanic community.

After the bilingual Mass Sept. 18, Anglo and Hispanic parishioners enjoyed a fiesta with traditional Mexican food, folklore dances and games.

Gathering of faithHundreds celebrate Hispanic ministry, culture

“A fantastic time was had by all,” said Father Gondek. “These events gave testimony to the city of Lexington that the Catholic Church is vibrant with the 3,000-plus Hispanics who live here.”

waNT More iNfo?for more on the history of our lady of the rosary Church, please see the Parish Profile on page 16.

CourteSy Photo

Franciscan Father Al Gondek, pastor of Our lady of the Rosary Church in lexington, celebrates an outdoor, bilingual Mass Sept. 18. The Mass celebrated both Mexican Independence Day and the sixth anniversary of Hispanic outreach at the parish.

PiCture by Kevin e. Murray

Members of the Diocese of Charlotte consult with visitors from the Archdioceses of Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia, at the diocesan Pastoral Center in Charlotte Sept. 22. It is the third time representatives from Australian dioceses have visited the Diocese of Charlotte to learn firsthand how the diocese implements development and stewardship efforts.

The diocesan Office of Development serves parishes, agencies and ministries in their development and stewardship efforts. Services reflect a spirituality of stewardship as a way of life — a response to Jesus’ call to discipleship.

Pictured (from left front): Jeremy Howes, financial administrator of the Archdiocese of Brisbane; Kerry Ann Tornesello, stewardship commission chair at St. Therese Church in Mooresville; Jim Kelley, director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte; John Hurren, general manager of the Catholic Development Fund of the Archdiocese of Melbourne; Father Peter Meneely, moderator of the Archdiocese of Brisbane; Andrew Musial, executive director of archdiocesan services in Brisbane; and Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Sharing stewardship

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 5 September 30, 2005AROUND THE DIOCESE

by KAREN A. EVANSStAff wRItER

CHARLOTTE — Not many people would argue that marriage is a challenge. Jobs, family obligations and worldly temp-tations all add stress to today’s marriages.

Fortunately, there are many resourc-es to help marriages, whether they could be described as “in trouble,” “wedded bliss” or somewhere in between.

One such resource is Teams of Our Lady, an international movement of mar-ried couples founded in 1947 by Father Henri Caffarel, a French priest.

Teams of Our Lady has existed in the United States since 1958, and the

movement continues to grow throughout the nation. It is officially recognized by the Vatican as a lay institute under the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Teams are being formed in the Diocese of Charlotte. Several families attended a picnic at Cane Creek Park in Waxhaw Aug. 28.

The purpose of the Teams of Our Lady movement is growth in the spiri-tual life of married couples and families through a program of prayer and study. Husband and wife develop intimacy through shared prayer and regular in-depth conversations while making their Christian faith a daily living experience.

Each team is made up of five to seven couples and a spiritual counselor, often a priest. The goal of each married couple is to help others grow in Christ and, through their marital bond, promote the kingdom of God.

The movement does not impose a particular type of spirituality on its mem-bers, but teams agree to practice daily prayer, regular reading and reflection on Scripture; a monthly discussion of family

To have and to holdTeams of Our Lady provide spiritual growth for

and spiritual matters; and an individual “rule of life” for personal improvement.

“Sacramental Christian marriage not only represents the loving union between Christ and the (Catholic) Church, but makes a couple share in this union,” Fa-ther Caffarel said in 1959.

For Mary Pat and Vince Arostegui, joining a Team of Our Lady was a chance to grow together spiritually as a couple.

They joined Teams of Our Lady 20 years ago while living in Virginia. Parish-ioners of St. Matthew Church, they are a “sector couple” and their duties include holding informational meetings in the diocese and piloting new teams for their

first five months.“We still enjoy the opportunity to

be with like-minded Catholics who are curious about their faith,” Mary Pat Aro-stegui said.

Although the mission of Teams of Our Lady is spiritual growth, not mar-riage enrichment, couples find their marriages grow stronger through their participation, Arostegui said.

Couples involved in Teams of Our Lady include newlyweds as well as couples who have celebrated their golden anniversaries. Arostegui said she is impressed with the commitment young couples give to their marriages.

“These young couples are a blessing to the Catholic Church,” she said. “They are willing to put it the effort.”

waNT More iNfo?for more information about Teams of our lady, visit www.teamsofourlady.org or contact Mary Pat arostegui at (704) 882-8757 or marypatarostegui@carolina.rr.com

6 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005IN OUR SCHOOlS

GREENSBORO — The advisory board at St. Pius X School in Greensboro is doing some outstanding work.

The board was one of eight govern-ing or advisory boards of Catholic edu-cation to receive the Outstanding Board Award from the National Association of Boards, Commissions and Councils of Catholic Education, a department of the National Catholic Education Associa-tion.

Gary Fly, president of the St. Pius X School board, accepted the award during the association’s annual convention in Philadelphia, Pa., March 30.

According to Dr. Regina Haney, NABCCE executive director, the 2005 award winners

“represent qualities of effective boards that set the example for others.”

Projects sponsored or run by the St. Pius X School advisory board include BASH (Building a Scholastic Heri-tage), a celebration/fundraising event; an annual living rosary; the implemen-tation of new bookkeeping procedures including the purchase and installation of new software; and a long-range plan that reflects the school’s mission and facilitates the school’s administrative goals.

by KEVIN E. MURRAyEdItoR

WINSTON-SALEM — St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem wins the blue ribbon.

St. Leo the Great School is one of 295 schools in the nation to be named a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School for 2005. It is one of only 10 in North Caro-lina and the first Catholic school in the diocese to receive the recognition.

“We’re all very excited here,” said Principal Georgette Schraeder, shortly after learning the news Sept. 23.

The No Child Left Behind Blue Rib-bon Schools program honors public and private kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools that are either academically su-perior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

“The achievement gap is closing and that is great news for every student,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and stu-dents can achieve.”

“In the three-plus years since No Child Left Behind was signed into law, we’ve learned a new equation: ‘Ac-countability plus high expectations plus resources equals results,’” she said.

The program recognizes schools

St. Pius X School advisory board receives national award

that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools are selected based on one of three crite-ria:

— schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance on state tests;

— schools whose students, regard-less of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests;

— and private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation.

“All of our classes are scoring 90 percent or better across the board in read-ing and math,” said Schraeder. “It shows a strong academic program here at St. Leo the Great School.”

Under No Child Left Behind, schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress in reading and language arts and mathemat-ics. Each state — not the federal govern-ment — sets its own academic standards and benchmark goals, because each state knows best what goals and criteria are most appropriate for its school districts.

“They also look for community outreach and ecumenical projects,” said Schraeder.

Schraeder and Christine Hurley, the school media specialist who assisted with the program’s academic reports,

Achieving excellenceSt. Leo the Great named Blue Ribbon School

will represent the school and receive an award certificate from President George W. Bush during a ceremony in Washing-ton, D.C. in November.

“Being a Catholic school in a mostly non-Catholic state, this recognition is good for us,” said Schraeder. “It’s an af-firmation of all the work we’ve done and it helps us feel more confident to work harder and try new things.”

“Seeing your hard work rewarded is a blessing,” she said.

waNT More iNfo?for more information on the blue ribbon Schools program, visit www.

CourteSy Photo by donna birKel

Principal Georgette Schraeder and eighth-graders at St. leo the Great School celebrate their Blue Ribbon status Sept. 23.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 7 September 30, 2005EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Thousands enriched at Eucharistic

Photo by Kevin e. Murray

Thousands of people kneel reverently as Bishop Peter J. Jugis carries a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II into the main ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 24.

the first diocesan Eucharistic Congress Sept. 23-24 — two days of prayer, praise, worship and music centered on the holy Eucharist. An estimated 7,000 people at-tended the congress.

“The whole Eucharistic Congress far exceeded my expectations,” said Bishop Jugis. “The response was significant in that the people of our diocese were hun-gering for an event of this sort where they could come together to celebrate their faith and love for the Lord.”

Heavenly voicesA collection of sacred choral music

opened the congress Friday evening, Sept. 23. The choir, comprised of parish-ioners from churches around the diocese, performed music from several eras of church history.

“The number of people who attended the concert exceeded my expectations,” said Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor of St. Barnabas Church in Arden and chair of the Eucharistic Congress steering committee.

“Many people said they enjoyed the concert and that it benefited and enriched them,” he said.

After the concert, actor Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” spoke about his Catholic faith and challenged participants to embrace their faith in the midst of the diversity in American culture.

Eucharistic processionKnights of Columbus color guard

and first communicants from around the diocese, who kissed and then dropped rose petals, led the eucharistic procession Saturday morning. They were followed by deacons and priests of the diocese and guest clergy.

Bishop Jugis carried the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance blessed by

Pope John Paul II. The congress was in part due to the late pope’s proclamation of the Year of the Eucharist, which ends with the Synod of Bishops Oct. 2-23.

“In his apostolic letter inaugurating the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II asked that we maintain a sense of eu-charistic amazement in the church, that we allow ourselves to be amazed — to be in awe and in wonder — at the miracle of the holy Eucharist,” said Bishop Jugis.

Following Bishop Jugis in the pro-cession were banners representing many of the 92 parishes and missions in the diocese. Hundreds of people watching the procession joined in as their parish’s banner passed by.

“I’ve had tears in my eyes, watching the different congregations go by, singing hymns and praying the rosary,” said Jim Keidel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte and grand knight of Knights of Columbus Council 10505.

“But seeing the bishop carrying the monstrance, especially here in the south, and seeing our Catholic faith prospering and growing is a great feeling,” said Keidel.

“It’s the first time I’ve participated in anything like this,” said Beanie DeJean of Holy Family Church in Clemmons. “It is such a profession of our Catholic faith. It will stick with me a long time.”

Walking in the procession were Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, Archbishop Emeritus John F. Donoghue of Atlanta, a former bishop of Charlotte, and Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Ab-bey.

Groups participating in the proces-sion included Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, Knights and Dames of Malta, Catholic Daughters of the Ameri-cas, Belmont Abbey College, rosary and eucharistic adoration groups, Holy Cru-saders and Filipino-American groups.

“We were able to demonstrate to the community the spiritual energy emanat-ing from Filipino spirituality and Filipino religious culture,” said Cris Villapando, director of diocesan faith formation min-istries.

“By including us in this Eucharistic Congress, we felt very proud of our reli-gious tradition and we felt empowered to use this event as a teaching moment for our children,” he said.

“What better avenue to bring us to-gether than the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity, which makes us the living Body of Christ,” said Bishop Jugis.

Holy hourThe procession led into the con-

vention center’s main ballroom, where a holy hour followed with eucharistic adoration, prayer and song. Giant view screens projected happenings on the stage to participants both inside and out-side the ballroom.

“During the holy hour, although there were thousands of people in the room, there was a reverent silence (dur-ing the adoration) that impressed me,” said Bishop Jugis. “I attribute it to our love for the Lord and reverence for the great mystery of the Eucharist there on

the altar.”Bishop Curlin reminded the congress

participants that they were the living Body of Christ and challenged them to discover Jesus inside themselves.

“This (congress) should change the Diocese of Charlotte,” said Bishop Curl-in. “This should set us on fire with a burn-ing desire to go out and serve the world.”

The Eucharist was then taken to an adoration chapel. As it passed by, the con-vention center was quiet, with thousands on their knees in reverent silence.

Eucharistic adoration, said Bishop Jugis, is an integral part of expressing the Catholic faith in the Eucharist.

“We have the celebration of the Mass, and we have eucharistic proces-sions, but an equally valid expression of our faith in the Real Presence is the silent adoration of our Lord, when we allow him to speak to us and move us,” he said.

“All of these expressions were pres-ent during the course of the congress,” said Bishop Jugis.

Around the congress

A dozen speakers offered inspiring talks throughout the day to adults, teens and children. Congress participants also could visit the vendor area or spend time in eucharistic adoration. Priests were avail-able to hear confessions in both English and Spanish. A Mass celebrated by Bishop Jugis and concelebrated by priests and vis-iting clergy closed the congress.

“During the Mass, I realized all the wonderful things that had taken place during the Year of the Eucharist and dur-ing this congress,” said Father Arnspar-ger. “To look out and see so many people gathered from around the diocese was wonderful.”

“I am grateful for the participation of all the faithful at this Mass,” said Bishop Jugis during his homily.

“Pope Benedict XVI remarked at his Mass of installation: the Church is alive and the Church is young. The same can be said today of this gathering of the Church of Charlotte,” said the bishop.

Congress reflectionsApproximately 350 volunteers

helped to keep the congress running smoothly.

“This congress would not have hap-pened or been a success if it had not been for the harmonious working together of the volunteers, staff and steering com-mittee,” said Bishop Jugis.

“It was tremendous participation and goodwill from everyone, and what was produced was a beautiful tribute to the glory of God,” he said.

Bishop Jugis also was grateful to those who attended the congress from near and far.

“I am thankful to the parishioners who made the sacrifices to come from areas far distant from Charlotte to be present and participate in the congress,” he said.

Many people who attended the con-gress felt rejuvenated in their faith.

“It was so inspiring. It’s a proud day to be a Catholic,” said Kathy Moran, a parishioner of Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

“I wish we could do this every week,” she said.

“Many of the priests said this con-gress was a wonderful thing for the dio-cese. And many people asked if we could do this again,” said Father Arnsparger. “Plans are already underway.”

During the closing Mass, Bishop Jugis announced the plans for another Eucharis-tic Congress next year. His remarks were met with thunderous applause.

“As soon as I saw the crowds at the concert and at the procession, I realized this would not be a one-time event and will be something we will continue in the future,” said Bishop Jugis.

“Everywhere I went during the congress, people were thanking me for making this available,” he said. “We presented an opportunity for our Catholic people to celebrate and the Holy Spirit took it, ran with it and multiplied the blessings.”

Those blessings, said Bishop Jugis, will continue to spread throughout the diocese.

“I believe that from this congress, the excitement and interest in the holy Eucharist will continue to grow around the Diocese of Charlotte,” he said.

CONGRESS, from page 1

8 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Speakers impart messages of faith at Eucharistic Congtress

SPEAKERS, from page 1

PhotoS by Kevin e. Murray and Karen a. evanS

Above: Bishop Peter J. Jugis stands before the Eucharist outside St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte Sept. 24. Bottom far left: Charlie Aeschliman, a basketball-handling champion, spins bas-ketballs for teens Sept. 24. Below left: Father Leo Patalinghug from Maryland uses martial arts to relay “spiritual combat” to teens Sept. 24. Below right: A girl prays during eucharistic ado-ration at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 24.

Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in the movie “The Passion of the Christ.”

“I enjoyed his talk. He challenged us to not be afraid to be Catholic and to live our faith in the midst of the diver-sity in American culture,” said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

Caviezel spoke also about the spiri-tual effect of portraying Jesus on film.

“His presentation was compelling about his getting into the role and mind of Christ,” said Bishop Jugis. “He said it had a lasting effect on his spiritual life.”

Bishop Jugis said Caviezel’s experi-ences were a good model for Catholics.

“We should draw close to our Lord in prayer, seek friendship with him and live in union with him,” said Bishop Ju-gis. “Being like Christ, identifying with him, will have an effect on our spiritual lives as well.”

Dr. Dora Tobar, a theology professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., spoke in Spanish on “Living Hosts for a Hungry World.”

In his last encyclical, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” Pope John Paul II wrote that the eucharistic celebration occurs not only in the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but also with Catholics’ conversion to be the “ecclesiastical body of Christ.”

This means, said Tobar, that taking part in the eucharistic table transforms people into active members of the church whose mission is to communicate Christ to the world.

“Dr. Tobar said husbands and wives need to be Christ for one another,” said Antonio Garcia, Hispanic ministry coor-dinator for the Asheville Vicariate.

“Men need to realize that when they

deny their children (such as through abortion), they are saying ‘no’ to Christ,” he said.

Approximately 700 people attended the Hispanic track, according to Ricardo Veloz, coordinator of diocesan Hispanic youth and young adult ministry.

Father Leo Patalinghug, associate pastor of St. John Church in Westminster, Md., and spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement of Baltimore, spoke to teenag-ers about “Spiritual Combat.”

Being a Catholic often makes young people targets of criticism and tempta-tion, said Father Patalinghug. To combat evil and temptation, he said youths need three “spiritual weapons” — patience, balance and joy.

“Part of being Catholic is being a bridge to God and reaching out to others who don’t know God,” he said. “But to do so, you first must know God your-self.”

To be successful, youths need to stay balanced in their faith and beliefs.

“You need to keep your eyes on a target that never moves — Jesus,” said Father Patalinghug.

Charlie Aeschliman, a former U.S. Navy S.E.A.L. and basketball-handling champion, spoke to teens about “Basket-ball and Eucharistic Strength.”

“It was great hearing (Aeschliman) talk about perseverance,” said Reed Ignizio, a parishioner at St. Barnabas Church. “(Perseverance) is very impor-tant if you want to accomplish anything in life.”

Father Antoine Thomas, a member of the Congregation of St. John who began leading holy hours for youngsters in his native France in 1994, guided the teens through a period of eucharistic adoration.

“He showed that even the youngest person is capable of religious expression, even silent, focused adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,” said Bishop Jugis.

Young people participate in the celebration of Mass, said Bishop Jugis, but it is good for them to know other ex-pressions of their faith in the Eucharist, such as the eucharistic procession and eucharistic adoration.

“I hope experiencing eucharistic adoration will engender in their hearts a hungering for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,” said Bishop Jugis. “Maybe that hunger for quiet adoration will move their parents to participate with them in adoration at their parishes.”

Contact Editor Kevin E. Murray by calling (704) 370-3334 or e-mail kemur-ray@charlottediocese.org.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 9 September 30, 2005EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Understanding of Eucharist deepened at Congress

PhotoS by Kevin e. Murray and Karen a. evanS

Top left: Confession is heard during the Eucharistic Con-gress. Top right: Bishop Peter J. Jugis carries the monstrance dur-ing the eucharistic procession in uptown Charlotte Sept. 24. Above: Banners representing various parishes and groups in the Diocese of Charlotte are car-ried in the eucharistic proces-sion. Right: Vendors sell mer-chandise to participants

by dEACoN GERAld PotKAyCoRRESPoNdENt

CHARLOTTE — They came from different parishes, different backgrounds, different cultures.

But for many of the estimated 7,000 people who attended the diocesan Eu-charistic Congress in Charlotte Sept. 23-24, they were there to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist.

“Since we live in an area where Catholicism is sparse, we don’t usually have the opportunity to gather like this,” said Janice Steiner, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe who brought her teenagers to the congress.

“Hopefully, (the congress) will give them and us the fire to truly ignite our faith.”

A dozen speakers offered inspiring talks throughout the day to participants. Sacred music was incorporated into the various events and Mass. Confession and eucharistic adoration was available.

“The celebration of the Eucharist and the songs made me very emotional,” said Hope Zigler, a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral.

“Just being with those who are hon-oring the Eucharist is spectacular,” said Peggy Zohorsky, a parishioner of St. Vin-cent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

“The faith that they (the speakers) have and how they express it to people is fantastic,” she said. “This is bringing me a deeper faith in the Eucharist.”

Gilberto Garcia from Holy Cross Church in Clemmons came to see speak-er Scott Hahn, a theology and Scripture professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, who spoke on “The Lamb’s Supper” and his conversion to Catholicism.

“I came to learn about the Eucha-rist,” said Garcia. “The more I walk in my Catholic faith, the more I am convinced what it means to be Catholic, for I see the beauty of Catholicism.”

Joan Sodanski of Holy Infant Church in Reidsville believes many people take the Eucharist for granted.

“We don’t fully realize that it is truly Jesus in the Eucharist. This Eucharistic Congress gave us the opportunity to un-derstand more and receive more graces as a community,” she said.

“It was powerful to see so many people kneeling on the sidewalks and in the streets of Charlotte (as the eucharistic procession passed by),” said Sodanski. “The sacredness of the event became more obvious to me as different ethnic groups sang and prayed in their parish communities.”

Carolyn Tazioli, a parishioner of Our Lady of Angels Church in Marion, said she was already looking forward to next year’s Eucharistic Congress.

“I came away with such a spiritual uplifting due the speakers, the bishop, the camaraderie and the enthusiasm of our fellow Catholics,” she said. “This event was for every person of every age. We

waNT More PiCTureS?More photographs from the diocese of Charlotte’s eucharistic Congress are available for viewing online at www.goeucharist.com.

Above: First communicants kiss and drop rose petals be-fore the Eucharist during the eucharistic procession Sept. 24.

10 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005

a roundup of Scripture, readings, films and moreCulture Watch

by ShARoN lIttlECAtholIC NEwS SERVICE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Pay atten-tion to your next-door neighbor and the cashier at the grocery store. They, and many others, may offer lessons your heart needs to learn.

That’s the kind of attitude that San Francisco attorney Jerry Hurtubise has taken to his own heart through the years, and it’s evident in his new book, “The Spiritual Apprenticeship of a Curious Catholic.”

Hurtubise, who provides legal as-sistance to severely injured people in San Francisco, said he initially intended the recollections from his childhood to be letters to his son, Peter, now 15, so he

would know something of his father’s growing-up years.

His own father died unexpectedly when he was 13, and it was the absence of personal knowledge about his dad’s childhood that motivated him to write.

Friends persuaded him to turn the recollections into a book, and ACTA Pub-lications in Skokie, Ill., made it the first in its American Catholic Experience series, aimed at giving voice to lay men and women concerning their Catholic faith.

With an Irishman’s wit, Hurtubise has chronicled a variety of experiences that make easy, enjoyable reading. One

‘Curious Catholic’ letters to son become popular

of the funniest is his recollection of his first confession as a second-grader when, in an attempt to bring to the priest a sin worthy of forgiving, he confessed to adultery.

Growing up in Indiana, Hurtubise became an attorney, in large part because of an interest in the United Farm Workers union and in social justice issues related to migrants.

Today, Hurtubise is happy in his chosen vocation. Peter read his father’s letters, and even helped edit them.

Hurtubise thinks and hopes the book and its positive stories will become more important and meaningful to Peter when he grows older.

The point the author hopes read-ers will take from the book, he said, “is that providence works with a person, especially in the most trying times. God puts people in your life to help you get through certain periods.”

The volume has received praise from death-penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of Me-daille, and Holy Cross Father Theodore Hesburgh, former president of the Uni-versity of Notre Dame in Indiana.

“Occasionally something is written causing us to reflect upon and more fully appreciate our common Catholic experi-ence,” said Sister Prejean in a back-cover blurb about the book. “This refreshingly unmoralistic, often poetic, book is one such experience.”

Father Hesburgh said, “In this age of uncertainty in our church, these beauti-fully written memoirs of a Catholic as a young man could not have come at a more opportune time.”

Despite its popularity, however, “The Spiritual Apprenticeship of a Curi-ous Catholic” may be the author’s only book.

“I have nothing left to say; that’s all I wanted to say,” Hurtubise said.

WORD TO LIFESUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: OCT. 9, 2005

Oct. 9, Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A Readings:1) Isaiah 25:6-10a Psalm 3:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 62) Philippans 4:12-14, 19-203) Matthew 22:1-14

During crisis, we can feed on feast of God

by bEVERly CoRZINECAtholIC NEwS SERVICE

Recently, we have been eyewit-nesses to history as we have watched the cataclysmic destruction and suffering along the Gulf Coast. Our view, however, has been limited by the perspective of each television company’s camera.

On the first weekend after the hur-ricane, we had numbers of visitors in our parish who had made it out and were staying with relatives. Countless stories of escape and survival culminated with someone saying, “Everything we had is gone, but thank God we’re alive!”

By mid-week a friend and I visited with people in the Arlington, Texas, Sal-

vation Army shelter. We listened to folks tell their stories.

One mother told us that she was so thankful the children were back in school because school was something normal and their blank stares were disappearing. The children came home during our visit and were eager to talk about how great their school day had been.

As we were leaving I saw a little boy leaning against the pillow on his bed, eating chips, cheese, grapes and a cookie. The look on his mother’s face told me how thankful she was for her son’s after-school feast. In that moment I knew something both of the importance of a feast and what it is to be an eyewit-ness to history.

In the readings from Isaiah and from Matthew’s Gospel we find images of the great feasts of the Lord. Each feast story illustrates the generosity and compassion of God as well as God’s promise never to desert us.

Even in times of greatest peril the im-ages of the great feast of the Lord help us to remember that we never are truly alone.

Questions:When, recently, have you been in-

vited to “feast” on the riches of God? How have you responded?

SCriPTure for THe week of oCTober 2 - oCTober 8Sunday (Twenty-seventh Sunday in ordinary Time), isaiah 5:1-7,Philippians 4:6-9, Matthew 21:33-43; Monday, Jonah 1:1-2:1, 11, Jonah 2:2-5, 8, luke 10:25-37; Tuesday (St. francis of as-sisi), Jonah 3:1-10, luke 10:38-42; wednesday, Jonah 4:1-11, luke 11:1-4; Thursday (St. bruno, bl. Marie-rose durocher), Malachi 3:13-20, luke 11:5-13; friday (our lady of the rosary), Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2, luke 11:15-26; Saturday, Joel 4:12-21, luke 11:27-28.

SCriPTure for THe week of oCTober 9 - oCTober 15Sunday (Twenty-eighth Sunday in ordinary Time), isaiah 25:6-10, Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20, Matthew 22:1-14; Monday, romans 1:1-7, luke 11:29-32; Tuesday, romans 1:16-25, luke 11:37-41; wednesday, romans 2:1-11, luke 11:42-46; Thursday, romans 3:21-30, luke 11:47-54; friday (St. Callistus), romans4:1-8, luke 12:1-7; Saturday (St. Teresa of avila), romans 4-13, 13-18, luke 12:8-12.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 11 September 30, 2005

CnS Photo froM Walt diSney PiCtureS

Shia laBeouf and Josh Flitter star in ”The Greatest Game Ever Played,” an absorbing and inspiring true-life story of a young amateur working-class golfer, Francis Ouimet, who played against British golf champion Harry Vardon in the 1913 U.S. Open. Director Bill Paxton’s film is filled with excellent period detail, and though the pace is leisurely, the color palette muted and the dialogue low-key, the themes of class conflict, achievement against improbable odds, loyalty and good sportsmanship are vividly drawn, and the golf sequences are grippingly suspenseful. This film contains minimal, mild language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested.

This ‘Game’ worth playing

‘Flightplan’ (CNS)A thriller set aboard a jumbo jet in

which a recently widowed passenger (Jodie Foster) questions her sanity as she desper-ately searches for her young daughter who mysteriously disappeared midflight, leaving no trace she was ever on board.

The tautly paced nail-biter maintains a high-suspense altitude, though the script experiences increasing turbulence

in its story logic and plausibility leading to a more conventional action climax.

Several intense sequences, some violence, minimal crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

12 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005

Classified ads bring results! Over 125,000 readers! Over 49,000 homes! rates: $.70/word per issue ($14 minimum per issue)

deadline: 12 noon wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: ads may be e-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org,

faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: for information, call (704) 370-3332.

CCHS student in movieFROM THE COVER

eMPloyMeNT

COMMUNITY GROUP HOME MANAGER (adults): Live in (7 days on/7 days off). Prepare/serve meals, transportation, recreation, cleaning, medical treatments, work goals. Requirements: HS/GED and group home and MR/DD experience. Ap-

ply in person: Holy Angels, Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 7 pm, 6600 Wilkinson Blvd, Belmont, NC. info@holyangelsnc.org

for reNT

VACATION CABIN: Lake Lure. Mountain views! Fantastic fall foliage! 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, fully furnished. Reasonable rates. Call for details. 828-299-3714

Classifieds

Ferrell is filming a NASCAR-themed movie in the Charlotte area. He plays a top driver who falls on hard times after being defeated by a French Formula One driver.

Ferrell’s character, Ricky Bobby, goes to work as a pizza delivery driver to make ends meet.

Matt, a senior at Charlotte Catholic High School, plays a teenage delivery driver who makes fun of Bobby.

Matt began acting with Charlotte’s Children’s Theater when he was in the seventh grade. A parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church, he also plays running back on Catholic’s undefeated varsity football team.

A couple of years ago, Matt signed on with a local talent agency, looking for work in commercials. A few weeks ago, the agency called him about auditioning for the Ferrell movie.

Matt said Ferrell goaded the star-struck young actor by kidding around with him prior to shooting the scene when Matt’s character insults Bobby with the line “Hey, Ricky, are you on fire?”

In the scene, Bobby stands out, liter-ally — Ferrell is 6 feet 3 inches tall — in his uniform of denim shorts, green shirt and orange cap — thus igniting the “on

fire” line.Matt hopes this won’t be his last

on-screen performance. He plans to try acting in college (he hasn’t decided to which school he wants to go next year) and looks forward to someday having a bigger role in another Will Ferrell movie.

And that $700, plus residuals, he got paid for one day’s work? Most of it will go toward paying for college, but “my mom’s letting me keep some of it,” he said.

If acting doesn’t work out, Matt said he might go to law school.

Stay tuned for Matt’s big-screen de-but, coming to a theater near you in 2006.

CourteSy Photo

CCHS senior Matt Day, left, poses with actor Will Ferrell on the set of Ferrell’s NASCAR-themed movie, currently being filmed in the Charlotte area.

ACTOR, from page 1

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 13 September 30, 2005FROM THE COVER

Faith groups oppose warPROTEST, from page 1

people for a march past the White House to the National Mall.

Other Catholic participants included members of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Catholic Worker movement, as well as individual Catholics such as 1976 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Mairead Cor-rigan Maguire and Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, whose vigil outside President George W. Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, drew national attention during the summer.

“We believe our presence was re-quired,” Jones said, adding that his orga-nization’s opposition to the war in Iraq is built upon the late Pope John Paul II’s statement that war is “always a defeat for humanity.”

“We wanted to say that it is still a defeat three years later, and it will still be a defeat three years from now,” Jones told Catholic News Service in a Sept. 26 telephone interview.

He said “the faith-based contingent was huge” at the Sept. 24 demonstration and that an evening interfaith service Sept. 25 under two tents on the grounds of the Washington Monument had “the spirit of tent revivals” of the past.

Maguire spoke at the interfaith service, representing Pax Christi USA, Jones said.

Officials from Jewish, Muslim, Quaker, Buddhist, Mennonite and main-line Protestant houses of worship also spoke or led prayers during the service, which was organized by Clergy and La-ity Concerned About Iraq and United for Peace and Justice.

On Sept. 26, Sheehan was the first of several dozen protesters arrested in front of the White House for failing to move on when ordered to by police. Other Catholics arrested included Jesuit Father Simon Harak and Marie Dennis, vice chairwoman of Pax Christi International.

The “demands for the demonstra-tion” included U.S. withdrawal from Puerto Rico and the Philippines; an end to “threats against Venezuela, Cuba, Iran and North Korea”; no military recruiting in schools or communities; and defense of civil rights against “the racist, anti-immi-grant and anti-labor offensive at home.”

As the demonstrators were gather-ing, leaders of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Sisters and Lay Missioners is-sued a joint statement Sept. 23 reiterating

“with even greater vigor” their opposi-tion to the war in Iraq, which they first formally opposed in February 2003.

“The cost of war in terms of human life and suffering for the people of Iraq, for our own service people and their families, and for others involved in the conflict has been unconscionable,” they said. “The burden of war has been carried by the poor and vulnerable as military expenditures steal funds from social pro-grams in the U.S. and around the world.”

“We the people can help by beseech-ing Congress that monies allocated to Iraq arrive there, that we cease the establishment of permanent bases, and that troops are withdrawn quickly yet in a manner conducive to the well-being of the people of Iraq,” they added.

The Maryknoll leaders called for quick withdrawal of all U.S. “military troops, bases and secret prisons” and for U.S.-financed reconstruction in Iraq, “repairing damage caused by the inva-sion, occupation and years of U.S.-led sanctions.”

“Reconstruction projects should not provide another windfall for U.S. firms,” they said. “Contracts should provide jobs for Iraqi workers and companies.”

CnS Photo by nanCy WieCheC

A protester displays a sign during an anti-war rally and march in Washington Sept. 24. More than 100,000 people gathered for the protest and among the participants was a contingent of Catholic peace groups, including Pax Christi.

14 The Catholic News & Herald September 30, 2005

Perspectives a collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

It’s no exaggeration to say gasoline prices have reached a crisis point that is causing a ripple-down effect on every-thing we purchase.

As ominous as the word “crisis” sounds, it comes from the Greek and means a crossroads; it also denotes an opportunity to take a fresh route leading to new discoveries.

While the gasoline crisis is causing hardships, it is also changing Americans for the better.

For example, we are seeing a new surge in carpooling. And people in car-pools find they are more relaxed not having to drive every day. They also tend to enjoy the opportunity it gives them to socialize.

The better gas mileage that many cars now are getting is another change for the good. We’ve known for a long time that gas mileage was a problem, but no one did much about it. But now not only is action being taken, but we are seeing that more and more people prefer hybrid cars that get excellent gas mileage.

I have found it interesting that as gas prices changed, so did my driving habits.

In years past, I bicycled across this country. The roads taken were anything

For the past 26 lessons, we have examined and discussed the constitutive parts of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. We have focused our attention on the basic structure and historical, theological and spiritual significance of each part of the Mass.

However, a study such as the one we just completed, that attempts to dis-sect its subject, may leave the audience with the impression that the Mass is a loose compilation of dissimilar parts. Therefore, it is necessary to reiterate the essential coherence of the Mass as one single act of worship, a reality that we mentioned from the beginning.

Indeed from beginning to end, with all its parts, the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the prayer of self-sacrifice and thanksgiving of the Son of God offered to the eternal Father, in which we, as his Mystical Body, render to God worship, adoration, praise and thanksgiving. In each Mass, we unite ourselves with the worship of Jesus Christ, the high priest and victim, unto the Father in the Holy Spirit.

By recalling the events of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection at every Mass, we are truly present at Calvary, present when Christ offered the one perfect sacrifice of his body and blood to the Father and offered the fruits of his sacrifice to you and me.

And so, the Mass provides us access to the saving mysteries of our faith: the events of the past are brought into the present that the benefits of our redemp-tion may be applied to our souls. There-fore, the past 26 lessons of the Mass have dealt principally with examining the events of the past that are brought into the present at each Holy Mass.

But what about the future?Indeed, there is still a further expla-

nation that is necessary, a further aspect of the Mass not yet investigated: the es-chatological reality, the final end toward which the holy sacrifice of the Mass is directed.

In his encyclical on the holy Eucha-rist, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” Pope John Paul II discusses the eschatological real-ity of the Holy Mass:

The Eucharist is a straining toward the goal, a foretaste of the fullness of joy promised by Christ (Cf. John 15:11); it is in some way the anticipation of heaven, the “pledge of future glory.” In the Eu-charist, everything speaks of confident

waiting “in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ” (EE #18).

And not only does the Holy Eucha-rist anticipate future glory, but the Holy Father explains that in the Mass, our bond of communion with the Church already in heaven is strengthened, that we actually participate in the heavenly liturgy:

The eschatological tension kindled by the Eucharist expresses and rein-forces our communion with the Church in heaven.... This is an aspect of the Eucharist, which merits greater attention: in celebrating the sacrifice of the Lamb, we are united to the heavenly “liturgy” and become part of that great multitude which cries out: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10).

The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing on earth. It is a glori-ous ray of the heavenly Jerusalem which pierces the clouds of our history and lights up our journey (EE #19).

Therefore, our participation in the holy sacrifice of the Mass anticipates and prepares us for our eternal occupation in heaven, of offering praise, glory, adora-tion and worship to the Father with the Son in the Holy Spirit.

And as we await the second coming of the Lord, the advent of his promised return in glory, the Church orients her-self to the east, the land of the rising sun, and faithfully continues to “Do this in memory of me.”

The mystery of the Mass is thus re-presented on every altar in every Catho-lic Church throughout time and history, so that we may unite ourselves to the mystery of divine love, which impelled St. Thomas Aquinas to exclaim: “O Sa-cred Banquet, in which Christ becomes our food, the memory of his passion is celebrated, the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us” (Cf. CCC #1402).

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

waNT PreviouS ColuMNS?father buettner’s “Mystery of the Mass” series is available online at www.charlottediocese.org/mysteryof-mass.html.

waNT To CoMMeNT?feedback is welcomed regarding fa-ther buettner’s series, “understanding the Mystery of the Mass.” Please send your comments to kemurray@charlot-

A pledge of future

Q. We are told that for centuries popes have changed their names on be-coming bishop of Rome, as our new pope took the name Benedict instead of his baptism name Joseph.

Do we know who was the first pope to take another name? (Florida)

A. The first pope we know of who chose another name was Pope John II, who was elected in 533. He was a Roman priest named Mercurius (Mercury), who felt it would not be appropriate for the leader of the Catholic Church to have the name of a pagan god.

Pope Sergius IV, pope from 1009 to 1012, often is mistakenly identified as the first to assume a new name. His given name was Peter, but after his election he chose another, out of deference to St. Peter the apostle. He was not the first to do so, however.

The first pope who chose another name for

but flat. So when you are on a bike all day, you learn to conserve energy. I now find myself applying what I learned on those trips to my driving.

Whenever I would come to a crest in the road and start downhill on my bike, I would consciously put it into a coasting mode. After repeatedly doing this, I developed a sense of soft-pedaling and gliding. I’ve adapted this technique to driving by paying more attention to crests in the road and when to soft-pedal things while maintaining appropriate speed.

I’ve become aware that half the miles I travel to and from work are slightly downhill. Then there are the down ramps. By design, most of them are steep, and you don’t need to “drive” your car down them to maintain the proper speed before arriving at the highway.

Another technique I use is to take notice of stop lights and stop signs ahead of me. So many people drive right up to them and slam on the brakes. In most cases when we see a red light or stop sign, we can begin coasting 100 to 200 yards before reaching them without caus-ing a problem to drivers behind us.

Yet another technique at a stop light is momentarily to lift the foot off the brake as it changes and to let the car roll five or 10 yards before applying the gas. Most people spurt as soon as the light changes. By letting the car roll ever so little, the engine works less in moving dead weight.

If we treat our car engine as if we were conserving our “legs,” we will learn that our energetic cars can be just as en-ergetic on less fuel. Equally important, we will be turning a crisis into a new

Learning to coast

Understanding the Mystery of the Mass, Conclusion

QuestionCornerfAthER JohN

dIEtZENCNS ColUMNISt

Guest ColumnFATHER MATTHEW

BUETTNERguest columnist

The Human SidefAthER EUGENE

hEMRICKCNS ColUMNISt

Raise your ingenuity as gas prices remain high

A free brochure in English or Span-ish, answering questions Catholics ask about baptism practices and sponsors, is available by sending a stamped, self-ad-dressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 3315, Peoria, IL 61612.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address, or e-mail: jjdietzen@aol.com.

The Cathol ic News & Hera ld 15 September 30, 2005

At audience, pope prays repeatedly for peace

by CARol GlAtZCAtholIC NEwS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI, speaking at his weekly audience, prayed repeatedly for peace.

“Oh Lord, let your face shine upon us today for the benefit of peace and, in these times, give us and all people on earth har-mony and peace,” he said Sept. 28.

God’s “divine love becomes con-crete and nearly observable in history with all its bitter and glorious events,” he told some 30,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Today, God’s redemptive and pro-tective power “reaches us now in Christ,” he said.

“Oh Lord, let your face shine on us for the benefit of peace, to protect us with your powerful hand and save us from ev-ery sin ... and rescue us from those who unjustly hate us,” the pope said, quoting from the writings of Pope St. Clement I.

He said this first-century pope’s prayer can be a prayer for the faithful today.

Pope Benedict asked God, who is “the only one capable of carrying out these works that are greater than us,” to grant harmony and peace to all the people of the world.

At the end of his audience, the pope mentioned a group of Palestinians and Israelis who were to attend a peace semi-nar in Rome.

In his catechesis reflecting on Psalm 135, the pope said the psalm offers praise to God who “is greater than all gods” and does all that he wills “in heaven and on earth.”

The psalm, he said, attributes the slaying of Israel’s enemies and Israel’s inheritance of the promised land to “the powerful intervention of God.”

God intervened in history with his “awesome” and “wonderful works,” showing “his face as redeemer of his people and sovereign of the world,” said the pope.

“The liturgy has the task of making the divine gifts ever present and effica-cious,” he said, showing them to lead to “freedom and salvation.”

After the audience, the pope returned to the Vatican to take up his residence in his newly renovated papal apartments.

It marked the official end to his vaca-tion stay at the papal summer residence south of Rome, in Castel Gandolfo, where he had spent most of the summer months.

Communicators often use the word “channels” to describe the dif-ferent ways a message can travel from a sender to a receiver. A channel can be as simple as word of mouth public-ity or as complex and expensive as a full-page magazine advertisement or television commercial.

For most organizations, especially nonprofits, the holy grail of channels is the news media. A news media an-nouncement of an upcoming event is free publicity, so for starters you can’t beat the price.

In addition, the presence of report-ers, especially those with television cam-eras, has a tendency to validate the event. Organizers can say, “The news media showed up, this must be important.”

Over the last year I worked to com-municate the message of the first Eu-charistic Congress to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte. It was an exciting time at the Pastoral Center as the steering committee met monthly to discuss our plans. We lined up speakers, rented the Charlotte Convention Center and asked volunteers to help us.

In choosing my communication

The new media — tell a channels, I decided to put the news me-dia at the bottom of my list. Although I believed that the eucharistic procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte would be a compelling story, and I prayed that we would have a turnout that justified the cost of staging the event, I knew I didn’t have any proof that what was being planned would happen on the scale for which I hoped.

Since this was our first congress, I could only guess at the turnout. And be-cause the centerpiece of the congress was the Eucharist — something the general news media finds difficult to understand — I didn’t expect much coverage in ad-vance of the event.

The effort to promote the congress focused on word of mouth, the Internet and The Catholic News and Herald. A network of 61 parish contacts was at the core of the communication effort, talking up the event, hanging posters and making sure that bulletin and pulpit announce-ments were made on a regular basis.

Advertisements and articles in this diocesan newspaper and the Web site answered most questions about the con-gress and did a great deal to increase interest.

As the event drew closer, the secular media took note and several small ar-ticles appeared in newspapers around the diocese. The coverage was welcomed, but by the time it appeared, all of our other channels were in high gear.

On the day of the event, the cover-age that was planned by The Charlotte Observer, the largest newspaper in the Carolinas, failed to materialize so there was no mention or dramatic picture of the event in the Sunday paper. The reli-gion editor called me on Monday to ex-plain that someone had dropped the ball and that they would do better next time.

He also mentioned that they had

The Pope Speaks

PoPE bENEdICt XVI

already received calls and letters from readers wondering why the paper didn’t cover the story.

Anyone who attended the congress will tell you that it was an impressive event. An estimated 7,000 people attend-ed throughout the day, and the vigil Mass Saturday afternoon filled the cavernous ballroom to overflowing with more than 4,000 people praying, singing and listen-ing to the Word of God as we witnessed the miracle of the Eucharist on a grand scale.

The lesson from this episode is that secular media coverage of church events isn’t nearly as valuable as word of mouth, the World Wide Web and this diocesan newspaper; and while the presence of the news media is welcome, it isn’t needed to validate our dedication to the Eucharist.

Next year we will have a track record of success and some dramatic photos. I suspect that the news media will be very interested in Eucharistic Congress II.

What about you? Would you like to be a parish contact for next year’s congress? Send me an e-mail if you are interested in helping. The date hasn’t yet been determined, but I now know from experience that whenever it takes place, plenty of help is going to be needed to make it as successful as our first Eucha-ristic Congress.

David Hains is director of commu-nication for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@charlottedio-cese.org.

Catholics & the Media

DAViD HAinsguest columnist

Good news spreads without secular

An attitude of prayer

Spirituality for TodayfAthER JohN CA-

toIRCNS ColUMNISt

Abiding in God leads to joyful lifeAbiding in the Lord is a beautiful

form of prayer.Listen to the words of Jesus: “Abide

in me and together we will bear rich fruit. ... In this world you will have many troubles, but do not be afraid, for I have overcome the world. ... I have told you all these things that your joy may be full.”

The Lord wants us to live in his joy. We do this best by abiding in him. In other words, by giving ourselves to God consciously and joyfully we are creating an attitude of prayer.

This doesn’t mean we have to be thinking about God all the time; that would be next to impossible. But we can make a daily morning offering, giving the Lord all our thoughts, actions, joys and sorrows.

Just beneath the surface of your busy lives, your soul will be resting in the Lord. Like a mother who is atten-tive to the sounds of her infant in the next room even while she is busy doing something else, so too will you be atten-tive to the presence of God, even though you are not consciously thinking of him at the moment.

It is a wonderful gift to God when you make an intention to abide in his presence — even though you know your thoughts will be a million miles away from him most of the day. This is what we call a virtual intention as opposed to an actual intention, which would have to be repeated thousands of times a day.

Here’s a little prayer I use during the day to recapture my morning offering: “Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore you. ... Thank you for loving me. Guide and protect me always, and help me to be responsive to the needs of others.”

I find that by repeating this thought

often, I not only live in his joy but I re-new my awareness that I am a carrier of divine love.

Recently I gave a day of recollec-tion on joy to the priests of the Diocese of Erie, Pa. One of them put up his hand and asked me to define spiritual joy. I replied, “Spiritual joy is abiding in God’s unchanging love.”

I explained further that supernatural joy requires a leap of faith. Whereas natural joy is immediate, like holding a laughing baby, supernatural joy comes from the deep inner knowledge of God’s loving presence within you. It is a joy that this world cannot give.

Julianne of Norwich said that we can choose this state of mind. She said, “The greatest honor you can give to al-mighty God, greater than all your pen-ances and sacrifices, is to live gladly, joyfully because of the knowledge of his love.”

Even if you are a sinner, caught up in some situation not of your liking, you can abide in God’s love. The desire to be a saint one day is a sincere beginning. It pleases God to receive your good inten-tions and high hopes. Keep it up.

One day the Lord will heal all your wounds and forgive all your misdeeds. In the meantime, abide in his love, and live your precious life joyfully.

PARISH PROFIlEThe Cathol ic News & Hera ld 16 September 30, 2005

Our Lady of the Rosary Church a thriving home for Catholics

our lady of THe roSary CHurCH

619 South Main Streetlexington, N.C. 27292Phone: (336) 248-2463vicariate: winston-SalemPastor: oblate father albert gondekNumber of households: 186

Oblate Father Albert Gondek

Photo by GeorGe Cobb

Our lady of the Rosary Church in lexington has served Catholics in Davidson County for almost 60 years.

LEXINGTON — In 1917, J.V. Brown and family came to Lexington, the earliest known Catholics in the area. A few years later they were joined by Sylvia Leake Marsh and J. Lance Crump.

For nearly 30 years, local Catho-lics traveled to Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury for Mass and to receive the sacraments.

In January 1944, through the efforts of Charles Coira, a local Catholic busi-nessman, Father Thomas Colgan of St. Edward Church in High Point began cel-ebrating Sunday Mass in the Coira home.

In April 1944, a mission of Sacred Heart Church was established in Lexing-ton. Father Cletus Helfrich was assigned pastor of the unnamed church and con-ducted services for about two years. At that time, there were 100,000 people in the county, with less than one percent of the population being Catholic.

In November 1946, when about 15 Catholics were gathering weekly for Mass, a house was bought on the present site of Our Lady of the Rosary Church. With this purchase the parish could then call itself Holy Rosary Church — the church’s original designation.

The Diocese of Raleigh installed Fa-ther Edward Sullivan as the first resident pastor of the new parish.

In 1950, Father Peytus from Christ the King Church in High Point came to lead a small African-American Catholic mission of 12 people.

Among them was Pauletto Thomas, who, in 1962, became Dominican Sister Mary Paul.

In 1954, that mission was integrated into Holy Rosary Church.

By the mid-1950s, the facilities had

become inadequate. Construction of a new church and adjoining rectory was begun in September 1957. The construc-tion was completed during Holy Week 1958 and dedicated by Bishop Vincent Waters on July 16, 1958.

In 1966, Father Ron McLaughlin was assigned as pastor. There was at this time a great deal of racial tension and unrest. Father McLaughlin was instrumental in forming the Layman’s Christian Council, whose goal was to unite lay people from local black and white churches. They met monthly at the First Presbyterian Church to resolve many of the issues of the time.

During the 1970s and early ’80s, Oblates of St. Francis de Sales priests pastured the Lexington church.

In 1977, the church was updated to meet the requirements of Vatican II. In 1979, a separate rectory was built behind the church. The former rectory was con-verted into office space.

In 1981, the parish received a modi-

fication of a different kind: its name was changed to Our Lady of the Rosary Church. A nearby building was also pur-chased that year, named Our Lady of the Rosary Center and modified to include classrooms for religious education, a kitchen and a parish hall.

In 1988, the diocese assumed leader-ship of the parish, assigning Father Rich-ard Hanson as pastor, followed by Father Joseph Kelleher in 1991.

In 1998, the diocese once again en-trusted the administration of the parish to the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales at the request of then-Bishop William Curlin. On July 1, 1998, Oblate Father Albert Gondek was assigned as pastor. Under his leadership, the church and Rosary Center were updated and modernized, a rectory was purchased and the former rectory was converted into administra-tive offices.

With an influx of about 3,000 His-panics to the Lexington area during the 1990s, a Hispanic community was born.

“When I was assigned here ... a woman approached me and asked me to start a Spanish-language Mass,” said Father Gondek. “I told her that there were no Spanish-speaking people here. She said that there were more Spanish people here than I could imagine.”

On Sept. 18, 1999, a Spanish liturgy was celebrated for the first time. The church was filled to capacity and contin-ues to be so at the weekly Spanish Mass.

At the present time, the parish is seeking approval to renovate the parish center to accommodate various activities and events.

Staff Writer Karen A. Evans contrib-uted to this story.

waNT More iNfo?for more on our lady of the rosary Church’s Hispanic parishioners, please see page 4.