Under motto 'Unity and Charity,' CDA holds convention
CHARLOTTE — Essie Walker, a member of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, has been elected a national director of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas – the first African-American from North Carolina in this top leadership position.
Walker, state regent of North Carolina for the CDA, was named to the post during the organization's 56th biennial national convention in Pittsburgh July 20-24. One of nine national directors, she will begin a two-year term starting in September.
The CDA is the oldest and largest Catholic women's group in the Americas. Formed in 1903 in Utica, N.Y., as a women's auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, today it numbers 68,000 members in more than 1,300 courts in 45 states across the country, as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
The national convention emphasized the CDA's motto, "Unity and Charity," and Walker sees the role of the CDA within the Church as one of fostering unity and inclusion.
The first African-American from North Carolina to hold the position of national director, Walker emphasizes the importance of unity in her own leadership style, making it a personal mission to connect with other members of the CDA.
"I believe that the best way to serve your people is through including everyone," she says.
Walker has been a member of Our Lady of Consolation Church for more than 30 years, where she helped to start a seniors group. Beginning in her parish and continuing with her service in the CDA, she has always been compelled to build connections in the community. She sees the organization as an opportunity for women of the Church to establish connections with one another.
"I feel that the CDA allows women to bond with one another through their faith," Walker says.
Walker has held other leadership positions in the CDA, beginning as treasurer and rising to state regent for North Carolina.
"My philosophy as a leader is: to be a good leader you must learn to follow," Walker says.
Walker sees her position in the CDA also as a way to encourage more women to get involved in the Church.
"I hope other African-Americans will see an opportunity through my election. I hope I inspire other women to strive for their goals," she says.
The CDA convention featured a keynote speech by Bishop Donald J. Kettler of St. Cloud, Minn. Outgoing national regent Shirley Seyfried welcomed the newly elected national officers, who were installed at a Mass and ceremony July 23 by Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik.
— Rachel McKimmon, Intern; William Cone of Catholic News Service contributed.
CHARLOTTE — When Jim Kelley came on board to lead development efforts for the Diocese of Charlotte in the mid-1980s, the diocese was home to 32,000 registered households. Fast forward 30 years and there are now 65,000 registered households.
Kelley has helped to find financial resources to support this "tremendous growth" since Monsignor John McSweeney, then the diocese's vicar general and chancellor, hired him as the diocese's first development director in 1986. Kelley was charged with creating a spirit of stewardship among the people of God and encouraging them to participate in the life and future of their parish.
From his first day on the job, he recalls, there was a three-fold focus on development that went beyond simply raising money.
"The focus has stayed consistent from the first day. First, we wanted people to live stewardship as a way of life, to see how blessed they are – and in gratitude for those blessings to give back their time, talent and treasure. Second, we also wanted people to get closer to Jesus and get closer and engage in their parish community. And third, we wanted the focus to be on changing lives – both the donors' lives and the recipients' lives. We know the Holy Spirit changes lives," he says, "but we can help set up an environment where that can more readily happen."
Under Kelley's tenure, the scope of work for the diocesan development office has expanded significantly.
"When I started, we were only coordinating the Diocesan Support Appeal. Soon after, we were working on capital campaigns," he recalls. "Now we have 24 different efforts in the development office including the successful 'Forward in Faith, Hope and Love' campaign – the largest of its kind in the history of the diocese. That campaign raised pledges of more than $67 million for parish life and ministries, clergy support, Catholic education, Catholic outreach, and pastoral and temporal needs.
"Overall, we have helped raise $497 million (over the past 30 years)," he says. "That speaks to the generosity of the people."
The office also oversees the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation, which since it was established in 1994 has grown to encompass 235 endowments and more than $32 million in assets. It has also conducted 163 capital campaigns to help build churches, activity centers and schools and to help parishes pay off debt.
"We've also had over 900 people indicate to us that they are making gifts to the Church in their estate," Kelley adds.
The diocesan development office has grown from just Kelley and his administrative assistant of almost 30 years, Carol Flynt, to an additional six professional staff and two support staff.
"I have been blessed to work with very talented and hard-working people over the years. I am very proud and appreciative of all their efforts, and look forward to accomplishing more for the diocese."
Kelley, who served as president of the International Catholic Stewardship Council, travels the world promoting stewardship, meeting with people to foster an understanding of what true stewardship is and how to implement it.
"The Church is so dynamic here in western North Carolina. I have had the good fortune to work with more than 100 dioceses over time. There aren't a lot of places that have the dynamic growth that is happening here. Some areas are closing churches and schools. We've had nothing but dealing with growth."
Kelley also stresses that he has noticed great spiritual growth in the diocese.
"At the end of the day, we're looking for spiritual change in parishes. We've seen a lot more things happen spiritually. There were 14,000 people at the Eucharistic Congress last year. More parishes have adult education. More parishes offer Bible studies. We are finding that people are getting more engaged – not just at Sunday Mass, but throughout the week. There is more focus on Adoration, on prayer, on confession, on daily Mass, on developing ministries that serve others. We're seeing that spiritual connection."
These successes point back to the original focus on stewardship set out by Monsignor McSweeney 30 years ago, he notes. "I have learned so much from the three bishops and three chancellors I've worked with here in Charlotte. They have allowed me to share the message of stewardship throughout our diocese and dioceses across the country. There is truly nowhere else I would have wanted to spend the past 30 years than with the pastors and people of the Diocese of Charlotte."
— SueAnn Howell, Senior Reporter
CHARLOTTE — Married couples from around the U.S. who participate in Teams of Our Lady, a lay movement in the Church which helps foster and support the sacrament of marriage, attended the Teams of Our Lady 2016 National Conference July 12-15.
On July 12, Bishop Peter Jugis welcomed the 175-plus participants and celebrated the opening Mass of the conference at St. Matthew Church. During his homily, he drew a link between the love of Christ present in the sacrament of Holy Communion and the sacrament of holy matrimony.
“Here we are celebrating the love of Christ, present of course at every Mass, but a love which is also so beautifully made present in the sacrament of holy matrimony and a love which you so beautifully celebrate in the Teams of Our Lady movement,” Bishop Jugis said.
“In our culture today, we are all so aware that we cannot talk enough about the love of Christ in our divided culture,” he continued. “The Church needs to proclaim and to witness to the love of Christ – especially through the sacrament of holy matrimony.”
The Eucharist is the source of life for the Church, he said. At every Mass, “the Eucharist nourishes us in holiness, nourishes us on the love of Christ. We keep returning to the Mass every day for that ongoing nourishment in His life, His love, His grace and His holiness.”
“It’s inspiring to me as the bishop of Charlotte to see the importance you place on the celebration of the holy sacrifice every day of the conference to continue drawing from the source, the inexhaustible source for all of your work,” he told the conference-goers.
With the help of the Eucharist, he said, “we stand on a very firm foundation of Christ’s love.”
Bishop Jugis added, “Your witness to the beauty of Jesus’ love and grace in married life and your witness to your celebration of Jesus’ love in Teams of Our Lady is so refreshing today, especially in a culture which is so confused about marriage, a culture which has in fact has redefined marriage.”
“There is no way to change the sacrament of holy matrimony which Christ has instituted and which is preserved, safe and inviolable, in the Church. The sacrament of holy matrimony instituted by Christ will never be changed, never be redefined, will never go away,” he said.
In his closing comments, he prayed for the participants that “at this Mass the love of Christ will accompany you during these days of the conference, and that you will be blessed in carrying the love you celebrate here into your daily lives.”
The Teams of Our Lady 2016 National Conference included local and national speakers, daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, training sessions, discussion and fellowship.
Local speakers included Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, chancellor of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont; and Deacon Tom and Teresa Sanctis of St. Ann Church in Charlotte. National speakers included Deacon Dominick Pastore and his wife Teresa Tomeo, EWTN Radio/TV host and author.
For more information about becoming a part of Teams of Our Lady, go to www.teamsofourlady.org.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
JEFFERSON — Seventeen children received first Holy Communion on the feast of Corpus Christi at St. Francis of Assisi Church. Pictured with them are Father James Stuhrenberg, pastor, and Father Camilo Cárdenas, the Hispanic Ministry coordinator for the Boone Vicariate.
— Patrick Hession | Catholic News Herald
Pictured: Father Carl Del Giudice congratulates members of Our Lady of Consolation Church's Ladies Rosary Society for their service in 2014. The Rosary Society, just one of the parish's many outreach ministries, makes rosaries and organizes an annual parish dinner with proceeds going to help Our Lady of Consolation's needy. Father Carl says that over his 35 years of priesthood, he has learned that "the heart and beauty of the Church is born and lived in the family, but celebrated in the life of the parish." (File, Rico De Silva, Catholic News Herald)CHARLOTTE — Growing up, Father Carl Del Giudice enjoyed a happy family life in both his native New Jersey and southern California.
A cradle Catholic whose mother was a convert to Catholicism, Father Carl (as he prefers to be called) received a Catholic school education which introduced him to both Franciscans and Carmelites during his years at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Gardena, Calif., and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Tenafly, N.J., where he was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station.
"My brother and I were raised in the faith without what I identify as cultural baggage," Father Carl explains. "In that home our parents raised two sons, one of whom is married for 36 years and me a priest for 35 years."
Father Carl, pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, says he had the first inkling of a vocation when he was 10 years old, but then again, at that age he also wanted to be a Hollywood movie actor and fireman.
"It was not until I was attending university at Appalachian State University that the priesthood raised its adult head on occasion," he recalls. "Upon graduation, I took a teaching position at Niagara University. During my tenure I went through a period of personal discernment in my professional development and future."
At that point, he felt a strong call to the priesthood. He sought out the vocations office of the Diocese of Charlotte. After attending seminary, he was ordained a priest of the diocese on May 30, 1981, by Bishop Michael J. Begley at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.
Father Carl's first assignment was that summer as the assistant administrator of Our Lady of the Hills Camp in Hendersonville.
"At the conclusion of the camping season, I was assigned as parochial vicar to St. Eugene Church in Asheville. Since then I have had assignments in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Albemarle, Franklin, Highlands, Sylva, Cullowhee and Brevard."
He served more than 30 years in the far western mountain parishes, 20 of those years in Brevard.
"The heart and beauty of the Church is born and lived in the family, but celebrated in the life of the parish," he says. "Celebrating the rhythms of life from sacraments of initiation, marriage, healing and funerals are what make us unique. Catholicism is a very earthy religion."
He says that over the past 35 years of priestly ministry he has learned quite a lot.
"As much as I enjoy being involved with people and their lives, I do not behold fools well," he says.
And, he says, "Bishop Begley told us as seminarians and priests not to get in the way of the Holy Spirit."
"Another lesson is that as a pastor (I learned) to always surround myself with people who are smarter than me. They are to be the best catechists, bookkeeper, director of music, ministerial leaders, etc. I never surround myself with people I feel that I can control."
Father Carl explains that his interests are truly catholic – that is, universal. "Sunday Mass is African-American Gospel music. But I enjoy time with a Mozart chamber piece, Italian opera and even a John Philip Sousa march."
As an American of Italian heritage he also enjoys food. "Italian restaurants were practically nonexistent 48 years ago. To make up for the dearth of this 'soul food,' I taught myself to cook Italian like back home. My fried chicken could be chicken Marsala or chicken piccata. I also enjoy dishes from Scandinavia that I am now trying to master."
His advice for men discerning a call to ministry?
"To any man considering or entertaining a vocation to the priesthood, the Holy Eucharist must be at the core of spiritual life, along with a developing prayer life. I say 'developing,' since a life of prayer is never static but growing and evolving. A man can find strength, solace and inspiration in prayer."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter