HUNTERSVILLE — Deacon Robert Murphy of St. Mark Church was struck by a motor vehicle Jan. 26 while out walking with his wife, Angeles.
He was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with life-threatening injuries.
As of press time he was listed in stable condition, scheduled to be moved to a rehabilitation center to recover. In lieu of well-wishes or flowers, Deacon Murphy has asked that donations be made to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.
If anyone witnessed the accident or has any information they can share with the Huntersville Police Department, please contact Sergeant Nick Bruining at 704-464-5400.
— Catholic News Herald
‘We receive from the Lord, with joyful hearts, the gift of four new deacons for the Church’
HUNTERSVILLE — On a glorious First Saturday and Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary June 4, Bishop Peter Jugis ordained four men to the transitional diaconate at St. Mark Church. Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and W. Christian Cook became the Diocese of Charlotte's newest deacons and took another step on their journey to the priesthood.
Father Christopher Gober, diocesan director of vocations, attested to the preparedness of the four men who were called, one by one, to stand before Bishop Jugis at the steps of the altar during the election of the candidate portion of the ordination rite.
Bishop Jugis joyfully accepted each candidate on behalf of the Church, saying, "Dear brothers and sisters, we receive from the Lord, with joyful hearts today, the gift of four new deacons for the Church. They become ordained sacred ministers through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, and they enter into the official ministry of the Church."
VIDEO EXTRAS: Watch video from the ordination Mass on our Facebook page and live video from Periscope here and here.
Bishop Jugis then spoke about the responsibilities the men will assume in their new roles as deacons.
"They will participate in the Church's ministry of the Word, the ministry of the altar and the ministry of charity – all of these are part of the ministry of salvation that Jesus commissioned His Church to do until the end of time," he said.
"Diaconal ministry is a ministry of service," Bishop Jugis continued. "Proclaiming the Gospel at Mass. Preaching at invitation of the priest. Preparing the altar for the sacrifice of the Eucharist. Distributing the Lord's Body and Blood to the faithful. Administering baptisms. Assisting at and blessing marriages. Bringing viaticum to the dying. Conducting funeral rites. Instructing believers and unbelievers in the Church's doctrine. Presiding over public prayer. And performing works of charity."
"The guiding principle for the deacon's ministry are Jesus' own words which He used to describe Himself: 'The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.'
"The deacon is always thinking, 'How can I help the bishop and the priests in their ministry?'" Bishop Jugis noted before continuing his remarks.
"Now dear sons, you are to be raised to the order of the diaconate. The sacrament of holy orders marks you with an indelible spiritual character which configures you as deacons to Christ."
"Hold fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience," Bishop Jugis also noted, recalling the words of St. Paul.
"Believe the Gospel. Believe the teaching of Christ and the teaching of the Church. Be not ashamed of the Gospel. Teach the faith. Teach what you believe and practice it," Bishop Jugis told the four men.
After the homily, the men stood before their bishop and publicly affirmed their intentions to serve him and the Church, making specific promises. They then lay prostrate before the altar, as Bishop Jugis knelt in prayer with them and the faithful and all those gathered sang the Litany of Supplication, also called the Litany of the Saints.
The men then arose and one by one approached Bishop Jugis as he laid hands on their head and prayed the prayer of ordination over them, thus consecrating each man as deacon.
Each newly-ordained deacon then was vested with a stole, a sign of the deacon's office of service, and the dalmatic, the outer garment used in the liturgy. Deacon Matthew Bean was vested by Deacon Thomas McGahey; Deacon Brian Becker was vested by Father Bill Quigley, C.I.C.M.; Deacon Christopher Bond was vested by Father James Ebright; and Deacon Christian Cook was vested by Deacon Michael Zboyovski.
The newly-vested deacons then again approached the sanctuary one by one, receiving the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Jugis and a fraternal kiss of peace to welcome them in their new role in the Church.
More than 25 priests and 24 deacons participated at the Mass and were on hand to congratulate the new deacons.
"Serve the Lord faithfully and joyfully, and He will make your ministry fruitful," Bishop Jugis told the four men. "A whole new life opens before you beginning today: the life of an ordained minister of the Church. You will be changed by the action of the Holy Spirit. You will not leave this church in the same way you came into it.
"By your faithful service, may you be blessed to hear the Lord say to you on the last day, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.'"
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photos by SueAnn Howell. Videos by Rico DeSilva and David Hains, Catholic News Herald
VIDEO: Bishop Jugis' homily
PHOTOS: Scenes from the ordination Mass
Profiles of the four new transitional deacons
Matthew Bean
Birthplace – Buffalo, N.Y.
Birthday – Jan. 16, 1987
Elementary and Middle School – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Orchard Park, N.Y.
High School – West Seneca West Senior High School, West Seneca, N.Y.
College Degree – B.A. in History, University of Mary Washington
Pre–Theology – St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa.
Theology – The Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio
Home Parish – St. Michael Catholic Church, Gastonia
Summer Assignments in the Diocese – St. Mark Catholic Church, Huntersville
Parents – Patrick and Megan Bean
Siblings – A younger brother, Timothy Bean
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Bean: In my free time I like to read books in the area of history, especially the Civil War, and the Roman Empire. I also like to exercise, and watch movies with my brothers here at the seminary. I also like to keep up with ice hockey, which I grew up with in western New York.
CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?
Bean: I started to seriously discern the priesthood when I was in college at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. I was involved at the campus ministry in college, and it was through time spent in prayer and the encouragement of the chaplain at the campus ministry that I began to ask the Lord if He was calling me to be a priest.
CNH: Who has helped you (mentored you) or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?
Bean: There have been a number of people who have been a great help and example to me in the past five years in formation at the seminary. Many priests such as Father Edlefsen, the chaplain at the campus ministry I was involved in in college, Father John Putnam, and Father Matthew Buettner, have shown me what it is to be a priest and to bring Christ to those you are called to serve. My family and the people of the diocese have also been very supportive in their prayers and encouragement.
CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte?
Bean: I am excited to say yes to what the Lord is calling me to, and to serve you all as a transitional deacon in the diocese.
Brian Becker
Birthplace – Charlotte
Birthday – Jan. 30, 1986
Elementary and Middle School – Elementary, Charlotte Latin School; Middle School, Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School
High School – Charlotte Catholic High School
College Degree – Economics, International Studies at UNC-Charlotte
Pre–Theology – Pontifical College Josephinum
Theology – Pontifical College Josephinum
Home Parish – St. Matthew Church, Charlotte
Summer Assignments in the Diocese – 2012: St. Eugene Church in Asheville; 2013: St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon; 2014: St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte; 2015: Costa Rica Spanish immersion studies
Parents – Joe and Tammy Becker
Siblings – Deena Faust, Mark Becker
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Becker: I grew up playing sports, baseball, basketball and cross country in high school, and played club Ultimate Frisbee at UNC. I've really enjoyed getting to play sports in seminary, also. We old guys get to chase the collegians around the football field in our Mudbowl each fall, and the Josephinum hosts an inter-seminary basketball tournament each winter which we have come so close to winning so many times.
CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?
Becker: I first felt a strong call to discern the priesthood when I was 24, and entered seminary a year later. This first pull was very strong, and God's grace cleared the way for me to enter seminary easily. But I didn't feel confident that I had a vocation to the priesthood until a couple of years into seminary.
CNH: Who has helped you (mentored you) or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?
Becker: We have a lot of very good priests at the seminary who have helped me greatly, but my most helpful experiences have come from my relationships with my pastors in each of my summer assignments. Father Pat Cahill, Father John Eckert and Father Pat Winslow each very generously provided a great example of how to live one's priesthood – at the altar, in the parish, in the rectory, and in each area of their lives. Being able to live alongside these priests in very close proximity has been the most powerful example that I have been given to follow.
CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte?
Becker: I would like to express my deep thanks to all those in the diocese who have supported me and my brother deacons-to-be throughout our time of formation. Your prayers have been the foundation of our ability to persevere and to grow in holiness throughout this process, and your material support has made it possible for us to discern this call with total freedom and to benefit so greatly from the formation the Church offers to her seminarians. Thanks to all of you, and I ask for your continued prayers for all those in holy orders in the diocese, for their fruitful ministry and the sanctification of all God's people of the Diocese of Charlotte.
Christopher Bond
Birthplace – Stroudsburg, Pa.
Birthday – June 12, 1975
Elementary and Middle School – Clearview Elementary School, Stroudsburg Middle School
High School – Stroudsburg High School
College Degree – B.A. in Business Administration
Pre–Theology – Pontifical College Josephinum
Theology – Pontifical College Josephinum
Home Parish – St. Patrick Cathedral
Summer Assignments in the Diocese – St. Ann Church in Charlotte; St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia
Parents – Allen and Virginia Bond
Siblings – Debbie Rusciolelli, Elizabeth Ohlhaut
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Bond: Bike riding, basketball, creative writing, fishing, going to the beach
CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?
Bond: I was 30 years old before I seriously even considered becoming a priest. It took another few years before I was able to discern, through much prayer, that God was indeed calling me to such a vocation.
CNH: Who has helped you (mentored you) or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?
Bond: This is a difficult question to answer exhaustively because the Diocese of Charlotte is blessed with so many sincere, holy and "normal" priests. It is their collective dedication to beautiful liturgy and their insatiable desire to do the Will of God which I hope to emulate the most.
CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte?
Bond: It is hard to believe the time has finally come to be ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte. I have no doubt this penultimate step toward the priesthood will be very challenging, but I imagine the graces will be immeasurable!
W. Christian Cook
Birthplace – High Point
Birthday – Aug. 15, 1967
Elementary and Middle School – Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in High Point and St. Eugene Catholic School (aka, Asheville Catholic School) in Asheville for grade school; South French Broad Junior High School in Asheville for middle school.
High School – Asheville High School
College Degree – Western Carolina University (B.S. in Business Administration; and Master of Public Affairs); and the University of Dayton School of Law (Juris Doctor)
Pre–Theology – St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Theology – Pontifical College Josephinum
Home Parish – St. Eugene Church in Asheville
Summer Assignments in the Diocese – St. Eugene Church, and St. Ann Church in Charlotte
Parents – William H. Cook Jr. and the late Ursula S. Cook
Siblings – Liesel (Cook) West, David Cook
CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?
Cook: I enjoy reading, playing basketball and soccer, watching/attending sporting events, sailing/boating, skiing (water and snow), hiking in the mountains, and cooking.
CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?
Cook: When I was a young altar boy at St. Eugene Church, I served for many good priests such as Monsignor Joseph Showfety, Father Carl Del Giudice, Father Richard Hansen and Father James Solari. I was attracted to the idea of the priesthood then, and I sense that the seed of a vocation was planted back in grade school. I used to talk with my mother, Ursula, about it but then I continued on to college and law school. It was not until I was practicing law in corporate America that the idea of a vocation to the priesthood returned. I enjoyed my legal career, but there was something incomplete about my life. As I discerned what that "something" might be, the Lord made it very clear to me that I should further discern a call to the priesthood in the seminary. My mother had passed away by that time, but my father Bill and my entire family have been so supportive. My vocation was sustained by their love and encouragement.
CNH: Who has helped you (mentored you) or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?
Cook: The priests of the Diocese of Charlotte have been such great mentors to me through the years of seminary, and I have leaned on the spiritual fatherhood of Bishop Jugis throughout my discernment and preparation in the seminary. Our vocations director, Father Christopher Gober, has been a great steward of my formation. I have tried to learn something from every priest in the diocese and many have been great examples and mentors to me: Father Pat Cahill (my pastor), Father John Putnam, Father Timothy Reid (summer pastor), Father Matthew Kauth, Father Patrick Winslow, Father John Eckert, Father Lucas Rossi, Abbot Placid Solari, Father Matthew Buettner; and from my youth, Monsignor Joseph Showfety, Father Carl Del Giudice, Father Richard Hansen, Father James Solari; and recently ordained priests, with whom I attended seminary, are great examples: Father Paul McNulty and Father Casey Coleman.
CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a transitional deacon here in the Diocese of Charlotte?
Cook: Throughout my studies and discernment in the seminary, parishioners throughout the diocese have supported me in so many ways. I feel certain that their prayers and support, and their friendship and encouragement, have been very effective in bringing me to this day – my ordination to the transitional diaconate. I was born, and grew up, in the Diocese of Charlotte and the priests and people of God have served me so well during my life here. I have prayerfully anticipated my ordination, and I look forward to serving the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte for the rest of my life. Please continue to pray for me, as I pray daily for all of you.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
‘We have hope’
CHARLOTTE — Babies with toothless grins wearing “All Life is Precious” stickers were just some of the bright signs of hope seen at the March for Life Charlotte Jan. 13. The 11th annual march drew hundreds of men, women and children hoping to bring a positive prolife message to the streets of uptown during lunch hour.
Unseasonably warm weather prompted a joyful spirit among the marchers, who hoped to witness to the sanctity of all human life and for the need to love mothers and their children who find themselves in a difficult situation.
“What a great opportunity we have on a glorious day like this to point people towards the love of Christ,” said Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, as he addressed the marchers before leaving the Pastoral Center parking area on the 1.5-mile march.
He asked for the intercession of the saints to help remind people today that sin never has the last word.
“We have hope – hope in Our Lord and Our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Peter Jugis was also present and spoke to the marchers before they began the march.
“I appreciate all of you being here to witness to the sanctity of human life, the unborn child in the womb. For those who have come from nearby and those also who have made sacrifices to come from other parishes further away in the diocese, thank you for your sacrifices you have made to be here today. We pray that the Lord will reward you for the sacrifices you make for this very important cause for our country.”
Once the marchers reached Independence Square, Father Eckert delivered the keynote address.
One of the points that he made was “We need to avoid turning in on ourselves, thus risking our salvation,” he said.
But, he continued, “We have the opportunity to experience heaven in this life, as well, to participate in true and lasting love. And what is love? What does it mean? Does it mean we skip through life, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, listening to music all the time and eating from one of the countless delicious restaurants around us? No!”
He quoted C.S. Lewis, “To love at all is to be vulnerable.” Opening oneself up to love can be scary, he continued, but it also offers hope and the only sure way to heaven.
Kathy Belfiore, who was adopted as an infant and is now a board certified medical technologist, mother and lector at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, also spoke to the marchers, sharing her and her brother’s story of being adopted by a loving family and growing up to lead a fulfilling life.
People of all ages joined in the march and to hear the presentations in Independence Square.
Several parishioners from St. Luke Church in Mint Hill participated.
“We come out every year because this is something we can’t let go,” Bob Hayes said. “If we don’t let the public know that this is a problem, it’s not a problem. We have to show them we’re here and to pay attention.”
Deb Lawrence and her husband also attended.
“This is something we believe in,” she said. “We think this is a basis of our faith. I’m not sure of where the confusion is. It’s just important. If we don’t do it, it won’t get done.”
Charlotte Catholic High School students Lewis and Charlotte Nazarian were enlisted to help carry a banner and a sign behind the statue of the Blessed Mother in the March for Life. They have recently relocated from Rochester, N.Y., where they say the prolife movement is not as active as it is in the Diocese of Charlotte.
“I’m a huge supporter of the prolife movement,” Lewis Nazarian said. “I have friends who have had parents or relatives who have been victims of abortion. I have friends who have been failed abortions and have survived, and seeing them and the sanctity of their life has inspired me to continue and strive to help this cause and help those who are in danger of such an awful thing.”
Charlotte Nazarian added, “I think it’s really important to show the young people are just as involved as the elderly, because often we get a bad rap as being the pro-choice generation – but we are the prolife generation.”
Marie Cook traveled from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin with her 7-year-old granddaughter, Catherine.
“I wanted to bring our granddaughter to see this part of the Catholic Church, to see what we believe,” Cook said. “It’s such an important thing to educate the young on what is right or wrong. She has been showing her (prolife) sign to everyone this morning.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photos from Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte provided by Christiana Witt.
See live video and video highlights from the March for Life in Charlotte on our Facebook playlist.
March for Life events in Raleigh and Washington, D.C.
‘The Power of One’ is theme of this year’s March for Life in D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The March for Life Education and Defense Fund has announced the details for the 2017 March for Life to be held on Friday, Jan. 27. “The Power of One” will be the theme of the annual march, which seeks to draw attention to the value of every life and the power of every American’s voice in speaking out for the unborn.
A Mass for pro-life advocates from North Carolina will be celebrated at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of The Catholic University of America at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Bishop Peter J. Jugis will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist.
The March for Life events will begin with a rally at noon on the National Mall, which will be followed at 1 p.m. by a march to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear testimony from women who regret their abortion.
Other D.C. March for Life events
A Youth Rally and Mass for Life hosted by the Archdiocese of Washington will take place on Jan. 27. The ticketed event will be held at the Verizon Center and the D.C. Armory, both in Washington, D.C. For more information about the event, visit youthrallyandmassforlife.org.
The Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy, Washington, D.C., will hold the Fifth Annual Nellie Gray Mass Jan. 27, immediately after the March for Life, at 3p.m. The Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (traditional Latin Mass) will be offered at St. Mary Mother of God Church at 5th and H Sts. N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C.
On Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28, Latinos Por La Vida will host its Third Annual Pro-Life Conference in the Sheraton Tysons Hotel in Tysons Corner, Va. after the March for Life. There will be a concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Entertainment will be provided by Martin Valverde and Azeneth Gonzalez. On Jan. 28 the conference will feature two keynote speakers: Father Augustino, C.F.R., and Dr. Pilar Calva. For details, go to www.latinosporlavida.com/events.
Diocese of Raleigh events
The Diocese of Raleigh will host a Love My Life Rally for Catholic teens on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh. As part of the event, a diocesan Mass for Life will be celebrated at noon. The March for Life with North Carolina Right to Life will immediately follow the Mass at 1 p.m.
For details, go to www.dioceseofraleigh.org
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mass on Jan. 21 marked a defining moment in the priestly formation of Alfonso Gamez and Britt Taylor, seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte who are studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum, as Bishop Frederick F. Campbell of Columbus admitted them to candidacy for holy orders.
They are pictured with Bishop Campbell and Monsignor Christopher J. Schreck, rector/president of the Pontifical College Josephinum.
The Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders is celebrated when a seminarian, usually in his second year of graduate study, has reached a maturity of purpose in his formation and has demonstrated the necessary qualifications for ordination. In the presence of the bishop, he publicly expresses his intention to complete his preparation for holy orders and his resolve to fully invest himself to that end, so that he will serve Christ and the Church.
— Carolyn A. Dinovo
The upcoming 2017 Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Program begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1.
Parishes and schools which participated in last year’s CRS Rice Bowl will receive the same number of materials again for this year’s CRS Rice Bowl with no need to place an order. (Shipments of Rice Bowl materials were scheduled to arrive in parishes and schools by mid-January).
Parishes and schools that wish to participate for the first time, or participating parishes and schools which need additional materials, should call toll-free 1-800-222-0025 or go to www.crsricebowl.org to place a new or updated order. Orders for first-time or additional CRS Rice Bowl materials that are requested by Monday, Feb. 13, should arrive in parishes and schools in time for distribution prior to the start of CRS Rice Bowl on Ash Wednesday.
Any questions? Contact Joseph Purello at Catholic Charities, who serves as the CRS diocesan liaison, at 704-370-3225 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..