BELMONT — Father Jason Barone, vocations promoter for the Diocese of Charlotte and chaplain at Charlotte Catholic High School, served as facilitator of the fifth annual “Veterum Sapientia” Latin Conference, hosted by Belmont Abbey College July 31-Aug. 4.
The five-day conference was conducted completely in Latin, which gave the 25 participants the opportunity to speak the language and delve into the rich history of the Church’s use of Latin.
Goals for the Latin-immersion conference included: activating one’s passive use of Latin through games, and writing and performing plays in Latin; and exploring all the different areas of Church Latin – through the Church Fathers, scholastic, liturgical and canon Law – as well as the Vatican’s use of Latin or curial Latin.
Latin professor Dr. Nancy Llewellyn served as one of the presenters during the conference. Llewellyn is the new Latin instructor for the men at St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte. The second-year seminarians attended the conference.
Seminarian Jose Palma was one of those at the conference.
“I enjoyed it,” Palma said. “They were teaching us classes in Latin. It was a great experience.”
Father Barone explained that the conference is in response in part to St. John XXIII’s 1962 encyclical “Veterum Sapientia,” “which was written to defend and promote Latin in the Church.”
“Vatican II says seminarians should be fluent in Latin. Before, during and after Vatican II, our most authoritative documents say we need to be fluent in Latin,” he said.
Learn more about the Veterum Sapientia program online at www.veterumsapientia.com.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
CHARLOTTE — Urging attendees to remain close to the Blessed Virgin Mary and imitate her example, Bishop Peter Jugis offered the closing Mass of the seventh annual diocesan Marian Rosary Congress Aug. 12.
The congress drew more than 300 people to St. Gabriel Church for a day-long program focusing on Mary in honor of the 100th anniversary of her apparitions in Fatima, Portugal.
The program included talks by Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, and Father Robin Antonio Mora Casanova.
Along with St. Gabriel’s pastor Father Frank O’Rourke, they concelebrated the closing Mass with the bishop.
In his homily, Bishop Jugis reflected on the centennial anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s messages to the three shepherd children, and the opportunity for the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte to dedicate this year to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As she told the three children in Fatima, he reminded congress-goers, “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
“It’s a good promise … of ultimate victory, ultimate triumph, ultimate winning the battle – for all of us, her children. She will triumph,” Bishop Jugis said.
He also encouraged congress attendees to take courage and be strong by following in Mary’s footsteps in striving for holiness. Just as mothers instill virtues and values in their children, Our Lady seeks to do the same by instilling her virtues in her children, each one of us, he said.
“She is the best model. She is the greatest of all the saints, who most perfectly, without hesitation, always follows Jesus,” he said. “Follow the lead of the Immaculate Heart and her example; stay close to Jesus. That’s where victory lies.”
— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent
