Father Jim Shea talks about Katie Ledecky's faith
CHARLOTTE — Katie Ledecky has become a household name for Americans watching the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The champion swimmer from the Washington, D.C., area racked up four gold medals and a silver medal at the Rio games, besides two new world records.
For Father Jim Shea, pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, Ledecky's success in the pool comes as no surprise. Ledecky is his goddaughter, and he's seen her grow up to become a balanced, sweet 19-year-old who doesn't shy away from the pressure of success or in witnessing to her Catholic faith.
"I'm very proud of Katie," Father Shea said Aug. 8, after Ledecky won her first gold medal in Rio. "She's very centered. She's unflappable. She doesn't get all upset."
Pictured: Katie Ledecky competes in the 400-meter freestyle final Aug. 7 during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (CNS photo/David Gray, Reuters)
And part of the reason for that is her faith, he said, formed within a close-knit Catholic family and a Catholic education from pre-kindergarten through high school.
"Her faith is important to her, and it sustains her. It grounds her, and it centers her."
That comes as "a great joy" to the Jesuit priest, who baptized her, gave her first Holy Communion, and served as her confirmation sponsor.
He's known the Ledecky family since he was a priest in the D.C. area more than 20 years ago, where he worked with Ledecky's mom at Georgetown Hospital. He officiated at the Ledeckys' wedding, and has remained very close to the family ever since.
"It's a family tradition that I would have Thanksgiving dinner with them," he said, and he's done that nearly every year.
For the years that he has known the Ledecky family, though, Father Shea got an up-close look at Ledecky's record-shattering performance in the pool only recently: at the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., in late June.
"It was the first time I ever saw her swim in a meet," he recalled. He sat with the Ledecky family and was able to meet with Katie briefly. "I was able to give her a blessing."
Ledecky talks often about her Catholic upbringing, and how that grounds her through all of the attention and accolades she is receiving as a world-class athlete.
Before every race she offers a prayer, she recently told the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Jesuit Father Jim Shea poses with his goddaughter, Katie Ledecky, during the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., in late June. (Photo provided by Father Jim Shea)"I do say a prayer – or two – before any race. The Hail Mary is a beautiful prayer and I find that it calms me," she told the Catholic Standard in an email interview.
In the interview, Ledecky discussed how her faith is a source of strength and how the communities at home have supported her along the road to her second Olympics. She attended Little Flower School through eighth grade and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Md., for high school.
"I received an excellent, faith-filled education at both schools. Having the opportunity to attend academically rigorous schools has facilitated my interest in the world and in serving others and has enriched my life so that it is not solely focused on my swimming and athletics," Ledecky said in the email. "Nevertheless, going to these schools was important to my swimming – my Catholic schools challenged me, they broadened my perspective and they allowed me to use my mind in ways that take me beyond just thinking about swim practices, swim meets and sports."
"The importance of balance in one's life is a lesson I have learned, and one that I hope will help me in college and beyond," said Ledecky, who will attend Stanford University this fall.
Father Shea said he is confident that Ledecky's success in the pool is going to continue. She already holds world records in the 400-, 800- and 1500-meter freestyles, and the American record holder in the 500-, 1000- and 1650-yard freestyles, and on Aug. 7 she broke her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle.
Besides the gold medal she earned early on in Rio in the 400-meter freestyle, Ledecky has claimed the gold in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. She also earned a silver medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
"It's just the beginning," Father Shea said Aug. 7, as he rattles off the times of each scheduled meet with excitement. "I've got it all in my calendar," he said with a laugh.
"Unless she breaks her leg, she's going to have an historic Olympics."
He added that Ledecky understands the importance of her role in the spotlight, particularly on the world stage in Rio.
"She's very conscious. She's seen herself how important it is to have role models as a swimmer and as a person."
Father Shea said he feels gratified that he has played "a little role" in ministering to the family over the years, administering the sacraments to Katie as well as to her older brother Michael.
"It is always a great joy to a priest when there's a family (for whom) you are really their priest in a special way."
"I just feel very grateful to have such a lovely person in my life," he said. "I would do anything for that kid."
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor. Kelly Seegers, staff writer for the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, contributed through Catholic News Service.
BELMONT — Teen volunteers from Catholic Heart Workcamp recently volunteered at House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence caring for low-income persons living with AIDS. Youth representing Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey and North Carolina spruced up the residence by spreading mulch, cleaning windows and also enjoyed meeting House of Mercy residents.
Pictured, Catholic Heart Workcamp volunteers are appreciated by House of Mercy resident Shelia Williams (right). Catholic HEART Workcamp started in 1993 in Orlando, Fla., with 100 participants and has grown to more than 13,000 serving annually. CHWC provides opportunities to restore homes and hearts, feed the hungry, lift the spirits of children, bring joy to the elderly and disabled and offer assistance while partnering with social agencies.
The Centers for Disease Control reports more than 1.2 million people living with HIV disease in the U.S., including more than 515,112 with AIDS. As of Dec. 31, 2014, there were 28,526 people diagnosed and living with HIV in North Carolina. In House of Mercy's primary 10-county service area, 7,096 people were diagnosed and living with HIV (including 2,963 living with AIDS). All residents of North Carolina are eligible for admission to House of Mercy, although the primary service area includes Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Anson, Stanly, Rowan, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln and Cleveland counties.
Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level, particularly among black Americans. Fortunately, the development of anti-viral medications has significantly improved the ability of infected people to live with HIV/AIDS, and this has increased the need for housing and care.
At www.thehouseofmercy.org: Learn more about local efforts to care for people living with AIDS, and what you can do to help.
— Photo provided by Marjorie Storch
CHARLOTTE — An estimated 400-500 people attended a Mass in Polish to honor St. John Paul II and Our Lady of Czestochowa at St. Thomas Aquinas Church Aug. 21. The fifth-annual Mass included veneration of a first-class relic of St. John Paul, a drop of blood on a piece of his cassock from his assassination attempt in 1981.
The Mass was offered by Polish-born Father Jan (John) Trela, now pastor of Blessed Mary Angela Church in Dunkirk, N.Y. In his homily, Father Trela encouraged the faithful to step away from the busyness of their daily lives, seek silence, and pray.
“Today we are living in a very fast-paced world. We are not walking, we are running. We are driving faster and we are not patient. Hurry up, do it faster, go faster – we want to have everything today, if not yesterday,” he said. “Stop for a while. Think of what you are living for. Take a break... Listen to this poem written by Blessed Mother Teresa: ‘The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace.’
“Be quiet, stop talking and start listening. Be open to God speaking in silence.”
“When we start to pray, we are open for all God’s ideas. Also, we can easily hear God’s will and what He wants of us,” he continued. “We can recognize God, who He is and how He acts. Finally, we will be able to discover the same that John wrote for us in the Bible: ‘God is love and everyone who loves was born from God and God is in him. Who does not love does not know God and does not know truth.’”
Seeking God through prayer in silence, Father Trela said, we can better understand how to love others and how to sacrifice for others.
In addition to the Mass, Father Trela heard confessions in Polish for about four hours. Deacon James Witulski, one of the organizers of the celebration, noted that the confession line stretched to the front door of the church. “Confession is an amazingly beautiful and important of our annual Polish Mass,” Deacon Witulski said.
— Photos by Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Greek Mission in Charlotte recently installed an authentic Byzantine iconostasis for the sanctuary of the chapel at St. Thomas Aquinas Church where the community worships. An iconostasis is a screen, decorated with icons, that demarcates the sanctuary from the nave.
The iconostasis also acts as a veil for the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The central doors, or holy doors, have the Annunciation depicted on them to show that heaven and earth meet in the church just as heaven and earth were united in the womb of the Mother of God at the Incarnation. The opening and closing of the holy doors occurs at different times during the Divine Liturgy, or Mass, displays the different events of Christ's saving work being made present. The iconostasis also points to the Sacred Mysteries that cannot be seen but must be contemplated with the heart. New World Byzantine Studios in Charleston, S.C., designed, constructed and installed the iconostasis.
Learn more about St. Basil Mission at www.stbasil.weebly.com.
—Photos provided by Father Deacon Kevin Bezner and Father Deacon Matthew Hanes
'What are your spiritual goals for 2016?'
CHARLOTTE — For Catholics, New Year's Day is more than just a day to make resolutions. It's a day to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God and consider ways to imitate her virtues to grow in holiness and in deeper communion with her Son, Jesus Christ.
"Have you decided on your goals for the year 2016?" asked Bishop Peter Jugis during his homily Jan. 1 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. "We've got to have goals. We've got to have something to work toward to keep us moving forward – otherwise, we just stay in one place."
For those who may be seeking spiritual goals during 2016 Bishop Jugis offered these five suggestions: "Read the Bible more often or do spiritual reading. Pray the rosary more often, or other prayers or novenas. Make a Holy Hour at the Adoration Chapel. Make more frequent confessions to grow in holiness. Make a better preparation for Mass by reading the scripture readings and thinking about them before coming to Mass."
It's important to remember that the ultimate goal of our lives is heaven, he stressed. It's essential we make progress every day towards attaining that goal, because we never know when God may call us from this life.
Bishop Jugis recalled that St. John Paul II said at the beginning of the new millennium, the Jubilee of 2000, the first priority of every person should be holiness.
"To achieve that goal of holiness, he said that all of our parishes should be schools of prayer where we are constantly growing in holiness," Bishop Jugis noted. "So, taking a cue from our beloved St. John Paul II, how about holiness as a spiritual goal for 2016?"
Holiness is a gift we receive at our baptism when sanctifying grace is infused into our souls and we become followers of Christ, he explained. At that moment we are joined to Christ and a life of holiness – very different from other paths available in this world.
As we grow and practice our faith, we build upon that foundation of holiness, he continued – every time we go to confession, every time we receive the Eucharist, every time we pray.
"The Blessed Mother, whom we honor today on her feast day, also received holiness as a gift, a most extraordinary gift that she above all other humans received – the gift of perfect holiness," he said. "From the very first moment, she is the Immaculate Conception, entering life without sin."
Mary is the perfect example of holiness and the best teacher for our "schools of prayer," he said.
He pointed out that the Gospel reading describes how the shepherds heard the angel's message and sought out the infant Jesus, adding, "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."
"What is she reflecting upon?" he asked. "Really, she is reflecting on the Mystery of Christ that she has been privileged to carry and bring into the world. If you think about it, that is what we are privileged to do every time we pray the rosary. We are reflecting on the Mystery of Christ, the same Christ whom we have been privileged to welcome into our own soul, into our own lives at our baptism, and every day that we receive the Holy Eucharist – Jesus really, substantially, coming to live in our souls, into our lives."
"May the Blessed Mother pray for us as we pursue the worthy goal of holiness this New Year 2016," he prayed. "Life is so much better with Jesus as an active presence in our daily life."
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter