Bearing fruit for Christ’s Kingdom
CHARLOTTE — Men and women wearing the distinctive habits of religious orders filled pews at St. Patrick Cathedral on Feb. 3 for the annual World Day for Consecrated Life Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.
Celebrated by the Church around the world on Feb. 2, the annual celebration was started in 1997 by Pope John Paul II as a way to show gratitude for the work of consecrated men and women and highlight their ministries. Parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte set aside the weekend of Feb. 3-4 for the celebration.
About 40 men and women representing a dozen religious orders attended.
Bishop Jugis’ homily reflected on the gospel reading for the Mass, John 15: 1-8, in which Jesus refers to Himself as the “true vine” and says that His followers will “bear much fruit.”
A key to the reading, Bishop Jugis noted, is the phrase “Remain in me, as I remain in you” (John 15: 4).
Bishop Jugis explained how the reading reflected the devotion of the consecrated religious and the nature of the work they do strengthening the communion of the Church with the community.
“Jesus used this beautiful image to describe our union with Him, and how we receive life-giving love from Him which we then share in our ministries,” he said. “You as consecrated religious are involved in many ministries which enrich the life of the local church here in the Diocese of Charlotte, and we are truly thankful for the love you give and grateful for your work…We are here to celebrate the bonds among all consecrated religious and your bishop as we take part in the greater mission to bring Christ to the world. Through your many ministries of love and mercy, you are united in Him and you are bearing fruit for His kingdom.”
The Mass also honored five consecrated religious in the diocese celebrating milestone anniversaries- also known as “jubilees.”
Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally celebrated 75 years of profession, looking back on years of work in the fields of nursing, psychology and canon law. She smiled as she noted that she studied canon law at Catholic University alongside Bishop Jugis. As a canon lawyer, she served as a tribunal judge in the Charlotte diocese and the Archdiocese of Miami, wrote extensively, and lectured on the subject.
“I’m kind of surprised that all those years went by so fast,” Sister Jeanne said. “I did a lot of different things over the years, many wonderful ministries, but my favorite was my years working in canon law. As for today, it’s just wonderful to be here and to see everybody again.”
As he celebrated 50 years of profession, Benedictine Brother Paul Shanley had his camera in hand to document the day’s events, not a surprising thing because he currently serves as a photographer and archivist for the Belmont Abbey College’s athletic department. It’s just one of many roles he has served in his 30 years at the college. Brother Shanley also teaches popular film criticism and freshman English, and was the cross-country coach for 23 years until he retired from coaching in 2009.
“The time since I joined the order has flown by for me, and it’s amazing to me when I think of all that has gone on in my life as a brother,” he said.
Mercy Sisters Carmelita Hagan and Lillian Jordan both are celebrating 60 years of profession.
Sister Carmelita has been a teacher, worked in pastoral administration, and served in ministry to homeless women and children.
“God gifted me when He called me to be a Sister of Mercy,” she said.
Sister Lillian taught in Catholic schools around the diocese, specializing in middle school math and science.
“What I loved best was the opportunity to work with the young people and open their minds to the wonders of God’s creation in the world,” she said.
Sister Praveena Madukkamkal of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul is celebrating her 25th jubilee. She professed vows on April 28, 1999, in India and came to the Diocese of Charlotte in 2011, where she is now a preschool teacher.
“I’m so grateful for my ministry and thankful for this day,” she said. “I especially love teaching because we can learn a lot from children, and through teaching them we can build up the future of the community and of society.”
A luncheon that followed the Mass gave attendees a chance to reunite with old friends, make some new ones and learn about how other religious were working for Christ in the diocese.
Brother Raphael Kanguti of the Missionaries of the Poor came to North Carolina from Kenya in 2015 and now serves in Monroe.
“This is a wonderful day and an excellent chance to get to know each other and learn more about our experiences and ministries,” he said.
Sister Jane Russell, a School Sister of St. Francis for 61 years, smiled as she called the day “an international gathering of God’s people.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Troy Hull
Diocese of Charlotte seminarians enjoy life among sites in Italy
Three seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte – John Harrison, Gabriel Lugo and Ronan Ostendorf – are in Italy to study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. They arrived several weeks early and have been traveling, visiting holy sites and studying Italian. (Provided photos)ROME — Pilgrimages, visits to historic Italian churches and a chance to shake hands with Pope Francis. Sounds like a Catholic vacation dream, doesn’t it?
This is the life three seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte – John Harrison, Gabriel Lugo and Ronan Ostendorf – have been living since July as they began studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. It’s not really a vacation – their lives already center around studying Italian, prayer and preparation for classes to start on Oct. 1, but they are experiencing some things that will bring lasting memories and indelibly influence their faith and future lives in the priesthood.
They made a pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto, by tradition the house in which the Blessed Mother was visited by the Angel Gabriel. They viewed holy sites, churches and cathedrals in Assisi and Rome. And they hiked on Mount Subasio in the Perugia province in central Italy.
They also got the chance to enjoy pizza with Bishop Michael Martin in the colorful Trastevere district of Rome during his trip for new bishops’ training in September. They even snapped a photo together with their bishop, which he sent back in one of his “postcards from Rome.”
“It has been a wonderful experience so far and delightful to see the Catholicity of many places,” Lugo told the Catholic News Herald. “In Assisi, we were able to join in a procession for their patronal feast day, which ended with a public benediction of the city. How different from the U.S.! I’m looking forward to the additional graces that God has in store for us here.”
Meeting Pope Francis was one of the spiritual highlights of their time in the Holy City. They didn’t have much time together, mainly time for handshakes and a few words, but the moment had a definite impact on the men.
“I was in an awe-inspired daze to meet the vicar of Christ on Earth,” Ostendorf said. “He seemed quite concerned for our well-being. He told us to be joyful and have a sense of humor.”
Pope Francis advised them to do three things in particular: “Pray, study and do sports,” Ostendorf said.
“Pope Francis was genuinely happy to see us, and he encouraged us in our preparation for the priesthood,” Harrison said.
Harrison also said he witnessed the pope’s love for Mary.
“When we met, he immediately noticed I was holding a rosary,” Harrison said. “He blessed the rosary and smiled at me, knowing full well that his future priests were under Our Lady’s mantle.”
Their travels and experiences also included a month of study of Italian in Assisi.
“Studying Italian has been very fun because I feel less like a tourist when I can begin to talk with random Italians I meet,” Harrison said.
He tried out his new language skills during a recent chance meeting with the aunt of Blessed Carlo Acutis while the men were in Assisi. Carlo Acutis was an Italian teenager with a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006. His pathway to canonization was recently approved by Pope Francis.
“She told us a little about him, and because of our Italian studies we were able to speak with her, though I’m sure she was laughing under her breath at our Italian,” he said.
The three men visited a wide variety of holy sites and were struck both by their beauty and the sacred atmosphere. Ostendorf said the Holy House of Loreto, a Marian shrine about 170 miles northeast of Rome, was especially moving.
“There is a spiritual gravity and luminescence to the place,” Ostendorf said. “It is difficult for me to communicate what it was like to be there. I could feel the power and protection of Our Lady. It was almost like a portal to another world, and yet it was so familiar.”
He especially remembers the words written above the altar in the Holy House: “Hic Verbum Caro Factum Est,” which translate to “The Word was made flesh here.”
Ostendorf said the “deeply incarnational artifacts and places” the men visited have had a strong impact on his faith. He recalled seeing the site where St. Peter was martyred and then his grave in Rome, as well as the site where St. Agnes was executed. Other places also left a big impression.
“Being in places where you can say ‘St. Philip Neri used to preach by those stars. St. Francis used to sleep on this rock. St. Clare wore this hairshirt.’ There are so many wonderful and concrete things that point to the deep faith, heroic virtue and divine love of the saints,” he said. “It makes it easier to feel the weight of glory and aspire to it.”
It hasn’t been all study and travel. There has been down time to meet and hang out with other seminarians they will study with. All three men are musicians and have gotten together for impromptu jam sessions – Harrison on banjo, Ostendorf on mandolin and Lugo on the fiddle.
After they complete their Italian classes and orientation, the seminarians will begin theology studies. Their first year will include extensive study of Scripture as well as explorations in general theology, followed by studies in moral theology, divine life and Christian worship, Harrison said.
As they study, they’ll remain close to the center of the faith that led them to the seminary in the first place.
“The experience of the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church in Rome is a splendid thing – and a great blessing to witness,” Ostendorf said. “Spending time in St. Peter’s Square, one can easily meet Catholics from all over the globe. It truly is a universal Church.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
