CHARLOTTE — Several parishes in the diocese have turned to a uniquely Catholic Vacation Bible School alternative and aren’t looking back.
“Growing with the Saints really packages our Catholic faith in a way that is memorable for these kids. It teaches them in a way that really sticks with them,” said Danielle Mathis, director of summer catechesis programs at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.
For the past six years, children at St. Ann Church have been exploring their faith through Catholic Kidz Camps. These uniquely all-Catholic Vacation Bible School curricula were developed by Growing with the Saints Inc., a family-company based in Indiana, said marketing manager Susan Lawson. They were developed by Lawson’s sister, Melissa Kaiser, a mother of seven who wanted to fill a need for Catholic-specific vacation Bible school.
“Our goal was to make a Catholic VBS with all the same wonderful elements, and really teach our faith, evangelize and bring home Catholic teaching through the children,” Lawson said. “These are comprehensive, quality, Scripture-based programs that talk about the saints by name and the Eucharist, in the music, in the skits – all throughout.”
Pictured: Children at St. Eugene Church participate in Adoration during “Tracking Mary" camp. (Photo provided by Tracy Jedd.)
While many parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte use Totus Tuus as their summer Catholic youth program, some have been using Protestant Vacation Bible School lessons which teach general Christian lessons like “God loves” and “Jesus forgives” but are not tailored to the Catholic faith.
St. Ann Church, St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton and St. Eugene Church in Asheville are among the more than 1,000 parishes nationwide using Catholic Kidz Camp programs.
“If these programs can reach our children, they can be the best evangelizers. If this material can get in the children’s hands, we can try to bring parents back as active participants in their faith,” Lawson said. “We want people to fall in love with their faith again.”
After using Protestant-based camps, catechetical leaders at St. Ann Church decided they wanted their camps to provide solid Catholic catechesis, build the faith community and use the gifts of the parish’s teens. Mathis said they explored Totus Tuus, but it didn’t meet their goals.
That’s when they found Growing with the Saints programs, which is simple for adult and teen volunteers to lead the lessons and it didn’t take “tailoring” to fit with the faith lessons important to the parish, Mathis said.
“The children who participate, the teens who volunteer, and their parents grow in richness through these programs,” Mathis said. “It embraces Catholic tradition. It’s deep, but easy to grasp programs and materials.”
The coordinator of Faith Formation and Edge at St. Eugene Church in Asheville, Tracy Jedd, also found Catholic Kidz Camp’s programs while searching online. She used the latest program, “Tracking Mary,” for this past summer’s camp. The parish had been among those using a Protestant-based VBS for many years.
“I was excited when I saw it,” Jedd said. “It was well-written. I didn’t have to change anything out of it like the others programs I’ve used. It was so refreshing to get it and be able to use it right out of the box.”
She said she didn’t need to change much, but it was easy to adapt. St. Eugene used a large group, then smaller group format, instead of individual classes.
“The Marian program spoke to me and we just had the Our Lady of Fatima statue come through our parish, so it was a cool tie-in for the kids,” Jedd said.
It’s definitely Catholic, she said, and she liked that the program gave the children a chance for Eucharistic Adoration. Jedd said she was apprehensive at first that the children would cooperate.
“I was going to have them do something different, but something told me to set up for Adoration. We did it spur of the moment, and the kids responded to it wonderfully,” Jedd said.
“They were quiet. I used it as a teaching moment, so they knew what Adoration was and what they’re supposed to do. I told them they could come up and kneel. I was expecting maybe a couple would. The whole altar, the kids were wrapped around it, on their knees.”
Jedd said she really felt the Holy Spirit present throughout the week and especially during the children’s Adoration time.
Catholic Kidz Camp goes beyond the “throwaway” lessons good for only one use during a week-long camp. Lessons could be pulled from “Tracking Mary” and used in May or October in honor of Mary, for example.
“We’ll keep it around and use it as we can,” Jedd said.
St. Dorothy Church found the program while looking for Marian content to use to supplement the VBS plans for the Fatima anniversary, said Director of Religious Education Meg Barrett. “It was really solid. Really Catholic and really fun, for us and for the kids.”
They hope to try one of the other programs next year, Barrett said.
Five other Growing with the Saints camps have been developed since 2012: “Vatican Express” featuring St. Jerome; “Assorted Saints and the Virtues of Faith, Hope and Love”; “Parade Around the Our Father” featuring St. Joseph of Cupertino; “Set Sail with the Holy Trinity” featuring St. Patrick; and “Parachute with the Angels and St. Catherine Laboure.”
St. Ann Church has taught all six camps and will continue to rotate through the camps and look to try others as they’re developed in the future, Mathis said. St. Eugene will definitely use another of the Growing with the Saints programs next summer, Jedd said.
To a parish considering using a Growing with the Saints program, Mathis encourages them to investigate the resources available.
“The creators of these have poured their heart and soul into the material,” Mathis said. “They’re fulfilling a niche that was needed.”
— Kimberly Bender, online reporter
Learn more
At www.growingwiththesaints.com: Learn more about these Catholic-based Vacation Bible School and catechetical programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Respect Life Month is observed every October by the church in the United States, beginning with Respect Life Sunday, which takes place this year Oct. 1. These events kick off the 2017-18 Respect Life Program.
The theme for the coming year is "Be Not Afraid" and will be in effect through September 2018.
New materials are produced each year to help Catholics understand, value and become engaged with supporting the God-given dignity of every person.
The Respect Life Program materials — available at http://bit.ly/ZO9Tp3 — are intended to help leaders integrate respect for human life into their work or ministry, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. Also, action ideas and suggestions found in the customized leaders' toolkit are provided throughout the resource guide and online, but the secretariat invites anyone to build off or adapt what is offered.
For example, "9 Days for Life: Leaders' Guide" was originally created for use in youth or young adult ministries. However, many of the suggestions are adaptable for other age ranges. Similarly, specific suggestions are written for teachers, but someone in another field may find the same idea useful for their area of expertise.
Separate toolkits are available for priests and deacons, parishes, Catholic educators, Respect Life ministries, youth ministries, young adult ministries, faith formation and the Catholic press.
Six brochures are available in English and Spanish on these topics: "How to Build a Culture of Life," "Catholic Considerations for Our Earthly Passing," "What to Do When a Friend Is Considering Abortion," "Understanding Conscience," "Death Penalty: Q&A" and "Top Reasons to Oppose Assisted Suicide."
Brochures, in either language, are 40 cents each, making it easier to buy in bulk for parishes and organizations. They can be ordered online at http://store.usccb.org/category-s/2211.htm, by phone at (866) 582-0943, by fax at (301) 779-8596, or by mail to USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life-Activities, c/o Distribution Center, 3570 Bladensburg Rd., Brentwood, MD 20722. Materials for previous years of the Respect Life Program, dating back to the 2011-12 program, can still be ordered online.
Parishes may copy a printable version of the new brochures at no cost, provided such reprints are distributed without charge and under the condition that each page is reproduced in its entirety without any alteration or change beyond adjustment in size.
Homily notes and suggestions for general intercessions for use at Mass are also available online, as are fliers, bulletin covers and reproducible images bearing the new theme and logo of the Respect Life Program.
— Catholic News Service
Father Paul Buchanan installed as 14th pastor of Greensboro’s historic parish
Father Paul Buchanan installed as 14th pastor of Greensboro’s historic parish
GREENSBORO — Smiles beamed on the faces of everyone gathered at Our Lady of Grace Church Sept. 2 when Bishop Peter Jugis installed Father Paul Buchanan as the Greensboro parish’s 14th pastor. Already loved by parishioners for his service as their parochial vicar over the past year, Father Buchanan’s installation Mass was particularly joyful for the parish community.
“With this change, I became the spiritual father of the church,” Father Buchanan said in a recent interview. “The bishop has given me the responsibility to care for souls and help all of us get to heaven, so the nature of my relationship to the parish has changed in a very significant way – in a deeper and more beautiful way.”
Father Buchanan succeeds Father Eric Kowalski, who has been named pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville.
“When I first heard about it, it was very surprising. I’ve only been a priest for three years. My first assignment was at St. Matthew in Charlotte, the largest church in the country, and I learned a lot there,” he said. “Monsignor (John) McSweeney, as my first pastor, gave me more confidence in the administrative tasks involved in becoming a pastor. He showed me how to be a good pastor by being with the people and sharing in their concerns and troubles.”
Celebrated in the stunning Gothic Revival church in Greensboro’s historic Sunset Hills neighborhood, the installation Mass was well attended by parishioners, guests and participating clergy from across the Diocese of Charlotte – including Father Christian Cook, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Grace; Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury; Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe; Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Church; Father Paul McNulty, parochial vicar of St. Therese Church in Mooresville; and retired Father Robert Ferris. The parish's Deacon Mark Mejias and Deacon James Toner assisted at the Mass.
The parish's music minister, Andrew O’Connor, composed new music for the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 63) and dedicated it to Father Buchanan.
The pastor’s parents, Robert and Gloria Buchanan, served as gift bearers. “We’re so blessed and so happy he’s here at Our Lady of Grace. It’s a beautiful parish, and everyone’s so friendly and willing to do whatever they can to make him comfortable. Today was absolutely beautiful,” said Gloria Buchanan.
It’s plain to see what this warm welcome has meant to the Buchanans. “In my heart, I was hoping and praying he’d become a priest,” his mother said. “He’s our only child, and we gave him back to the Lord.”
Originally from Charlotte, where he was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Father Buchanan was officially installed as pastor of the 65-year-old parish at the start of the Mass, when he made his Profession of Faith and signed the documents on the altar in the presence of Bishop Jugis and the congregation. He also took an Oath of Fidelity, which includes his promise to pass on the faith – “the pure and unadulterated Catholic faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ,” as Bishop Jugis said in his homily.
In his homily, Bishop Jugis explained that the role of the pastor includes the responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying and pastoral governance.
"He is responsible for the care of souls. His task is to prepare you for eternal life,” Bishop Jugis said.
Father Buchanan is jumping right into his teaching role at the parish and school, including serving as the seventh-grade religion teacher, with Father Christian Cook, the parochial vicar, and Principal Kathleen Miller teaching eighth- and sixth-grade religion, respectively.
“When I found out that Father Paul was going to be our religion teacher, I was ecstatic! All of my classmates were very excited because we’ve never had a priest for a religion teacher before, and we already knew he was a really cool priest,” said seventh-grader Lindsey Ramsey. “He has taught me more about my faith and about what it means to be Catholic.”
“Father Paul is a blessing to our church and school. He encourages our students to deepen their faith and commitment to the church at this crucial time in their – and our – lives,” says Katie Kilgariff, mother of three, including Hobbes Kilgariff, who was one of 16 altar servers at the installation Mass.
The role of sanctifying, as explained by the bishop, involves increasing the spiritual life of the parish by drawing people closer to Christ – especially through the sacraments of the Eucharist and reconciliation.
“Everything that happens here draws its life, draws its meaning and its vitality from the altar – from Jesus Christ and His Real Presence,” Bishop Jugis said. “So you might look at the Eucharist as a bright, shining sun in the universe of the parish’s activities, and the rays of this sun emanating out from the altar – emanating out from the Eucharist – bringing the warmth and light of Jesus Christ and His Living Presence to all ministries of the parish.”
“Another way I want us to grow spiritually is to really foster and increase devotion to Our Lady,” Father Buchanan said. “It’s her parish, and to be able to increase our closeness to her will bring us all closer to Christ.”
— Annie Ferguson, correspondent
Krispy Kreme Challenge raises $45K to benefit Carcinoid Cancer Foundation
HICKORY — Record-high pre-race registration numbers set the pace for a very successful Krispy Kreme Challenge 5K held June 24 at Lenoir-Rhyne University. More than 600 participants and a crowd of spectators gathered for the inaugural event in memory of Sister Mary Norman. Proceeds totaled $45,000 to benefit the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation.
“What an amazing event and extraordinarily generous gift to the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation!” said Keith Warner, CEO of the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation.
“We thank the Maryvale Sisters who wished to honor the memory of Sister Mary Norman, who passed away from carcinoid cancer in August 2016; Mark Sinclair, committee chair for the Krispy Kreme 5K Run/Walk; Krispy Kreme; and the hundreds of community participants and sponsors for raising awareness of this rare disease.
“Our foundation’s mission is to ensure that everyone, worldwide, is aware of carcinoid cancer and neuroendocrine tumors – until then our work is not done. Thank you to all who joined the Krispy Kreme Challenge 5K and supported carcinoid/NET cancer awareness and the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation – you have made a huge difference.”
The Maryvale Sisters had never been to a 5K before and had no idea what to expect. ”We were completely overwhelmed!” said Mother Mary Louis. “You could feel the friendship and love that permeated the event. So many people came up to us to share how Sister Mary Norman had an impact on their lives or on the lives of someone they know. They thanked us for this special way of remembering her.”
RunTimeRaces of Newton managed the event. Owner Kelly Stewart explained, “This is an illustration of how partnerships, teamwork and synergy created a win-win for our community and a very important research organization – Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. RunTimeRaces was very honored to be part of something this significant to our community members.”
Krispy Kreme of Hickory and Lenoir was the title sponsor for this inaugural event. Runners and walkers of all ages participated, with medals awarded in specific age categories. A $1,000 award, donated courtesy of Krispy Kreme, was presented to Hard Bodies, team winner with the largest number of pre-registered participants.
Sister Mary Norman was a member of the Maryvale Sisters who operate a large daycare facility in Vale. She served as the director of religious education for more than 30 years in churches in North Carolina, including Hickory, Lincoln County, and congregations as far east as Hamlet and west to Franklin. Sister Mary Norman was instrumental in bringing members of different churches together through special ecumenical book studies, vacation Bible school, and youth ministry programs.
Sister Mary Norman also offered no-cost spiritual direction and counseling to people of all faiths. She was available day or night to help in a crisis. Her gentleness, genuine smile and helpfulness filled everyone whose lives she touched with happiness and hope.
Participating sponsors included A Woman’s View, Platinum sponsor. Gold sponsors include: Alex Lee Inc., BOCA, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Custom Design Group LLC, Frye Regional Medical Center and Unifour Podiatry. Silver sponsors include: Abernethy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Trucks-Lincolnton, Cardwell Chiropractic Associates, Carolina Dental Care Center, Catawba Women’s Center, CopyMasters Printing Services Inc., EmergeOrtho, Fulbright Lumber Inc., Graystone Eye, Hickory Real Estate Group, LFR Grain and Chemical, Paramount Motors, RAR Richards Appliance Repair, Speagle Grading, Father Wilbur N. Thomas, Vale Veterinary Hospital, vonDrehle Corporation and Wyant Farms.
The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation is the oldest nonprofit carcinoid and related neuroendocrine tumor organization in the United States, founded in 1968. Its mission is to increase awareness and educate the general public and healthcare professionals regarding carcinoid and related neuroendocrine tumors, to support cancer patients and their families, and to serve as patient advocates.
Learn more at: www.carcinoid.org.
— Kathy Chickering, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Kathy Chickering is a member of the Krispy Kreme Challenge 5K Committee.
CHARLOTTE — The St. Patrick School community is helping families and schools in Texas recover and rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
The Diocese of Beaumont Catholic Schools needs help. The area of Beaumont was engulfed in some areas by a 15 foot wall of water, covering some homes entirely.
Families suffered total losses of their possessions. Many came to shelters with only the clothes on their backs.
Over the next week, in collaboration with Charlotte Catholic High School, St. Patrick School is collecting new and gently used goods to send to Texas. Please consider looking through your homes and donating items from these lists.
Greatest needs for the schools are:
- Rugs for floors for elementary schools
- Plastic tubs for supplies (the biggest need in Texas)
- Paper and school supplies
- Used children’s books for Library
Greatest needs for families’ recovery stage:
- “Mold/Mildew Blocker” like Mold Armour,
- Sprayer for getting Blocker on walls
- Plastic tubs and covers that snap
- Bleach, buckets, rags or sponges and gloves
- Paper Goods: plates, cups, paper towels, toilet paper
- Zip lock bags – 1-2 gallons size
- Lysol or Clorox wipes and hand sanitizers
- Laundry soap, dish soap, etc.
Greatest needs for the rebuilding stage:
- Sheets, blankets, pillows, mattresses, beds, etc.
- Dishes, pots, pans, dish towels, flatware, glasses, cups
- Towels, washcloths, shower curtains, rugs
- Small appliances: toasters,microwaves,coffee makers
- Furniture of all kinds
Items will be collected at St. Patrick through Thursday, Sept.28th.
All donations are greatly appreciated!
There will also be taking up a financial collection for St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, Port Arthur, Texas in October. The school itself was flooded with knee-deep water and many families are in need of basic necessities.