Comfort and solace on the ‘Longest Night’
A man lights candles on the Advent wreath during the “Mass of the Longest Night,” held Dec. 21 at St. Peter Church in downtown Charlotte, in order to give those experiencing grief, loneliness and other difficult times during the holidays a chance to find spiritual comfort. (Christina Lee Knauss | Catholic News Herald)CHARLOTTE — The days before Christmas can be a joyful whirlwind of events and preparations for many people, but for people who are going through difficult times, it may be more difficult to see the joys. St. Peter Church in downtown Charlotte offered a special Mass Dec. 21 meant just for these people.
Called the “Mass of the Longest Night,” the evening featured reflective hymns, prayers and readings selected to offer comfort and solace to those experiencing grief, illness, loneliness or other painful events during the Christmas season.
The Mass was offered on the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. “Longest Night” services have been a tradition on the solstice for a while in Protestant churches and are just now starting to catch on among Catholics.
“For those grieving, lonely or longing for something during this season, this is an avenue to make space for care and compassion for those emotionally having a difficult time this holiday,” said Jesuit Father Tim Stephens, St. Peter's pastor and celebrant for the Mass. “Making room for sadness around Christmas is not new. We’re in the season of Advent, which is the season of waiting for a Savior. Although in this season of light our hearts may be veiled in sadness and shadow, the light will shine in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.”
The Mass was attended by couples, groups of friends, and people on their own. Elements throughout the service offered perspective on dealing with difficult times, including special reflections as each candle of the Advent wreath was lit.
Instead of a monetary offertory, people were invited to write their cares, burdens, concerns and other prayer requests on sheets of paper and place them in a basket. The basket was brought up with the bread and wine and placed near the altar before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. After Communion, the church lights were dimmed and people prayed silently and sang “Silent Night.”
Deacon Jim Bozik, who was one of the organizers of the event, reflected on the evening’s theme in his homily. He encouraged attendees to rely on their faith and realize God’s presence even in bleak times.
“We can live with our sorrows and joys as long as we have faith that Jesus will never abandon us,” Deacon Bozik said. “No matter what challenges come our way, we can stand on the Word of God and the love of Jesus to see us through. God brings us these winters of the spirit as a necessary step to the next spring. While we are in them, it can feel like God is absent, but wait for God and He will come. That is the message of Advent – there is One who is waiting to be with us.”
One woman who did not want to give her name said the Mass was a gift for her spirit after she experienced a difficult year with many life-altering events.
“This meant so much to me because it helped me to remember to just have faith,” she said. “We’re all going to experience loss and illness in our lives, and it’s important to remember to stop and think and be intentional about how we live our lives as a result.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
CHARLOTTE — More than 60 priests came together Tuesday for faith, fellowship and food at the annual Advent dinner hosted in their honor by Bishop Peter Jugis at his home in Charlotte.
“This is my way of saying ‘Thank You’ for your devoted service to the faithful across our diocese,” the bishop told his brother priests, who mingled, shared stories and posed for pictures.
He has hosted the event since 2003, when he was ordained bishop, and he’ll welcome seminarians as well as deacons and their wives in a similar show of gratitude over the next several weeks.
“Everybody looks forward to this as an opportunity for the priests to gather before the busy season of Christmas,” said Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor of our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe. “We’re pretty spread out at churches and missions across 46 counties of the diocese, so this is a little bit like a fraternal reunion.”
— Catholic News Herald. Photos by Troy Hull
CHARLOTTE — Looking for a job? Consider a future working with the Diocese of Charlotte.
Pastoral Center
Five positions are currently available at the diocesan pastoral center in Charlotte, according to Emily Madden, human resources specialist for the diocese. Openings are available for accounts receivable clerk, HR manager total compensation and benefits, bookkeeper (parish accounting services), development director for Catholic schools, and staff accountants.
Those interested in applying should click the “apply” button on the link at the diocesan website’s Careers page: www.charlottediocese.org/employment-opportunities. From there, they will be directed to a site where they can submit applications and resumes.
This is a smaller number of open jobs than usual, but other openings do come up, and those interested in working with the diocese should consistently monitor the careers page, Madden said. There, they can check for openings in Catholic Charities, schools and at the pastoral center.
Schools
The biggest employment search currently under way in the diocese’s school system is four principal positions coming open for the 2024-’25 school year, according to Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of schools for the diocese.
New principals will be needed at Asheville Catholic School, Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, and at St. Leo the Great School and Our Lady of Mercy School, both in Winston-Salem.
Those interested in learning more about the opening at Bishop McGuinness should go to www.bmhs.us/about/principal-search.cfm. Specific information about the other principal positions will be available online in the near future.
Monroe said those interested in the education field should consider the special opportunities offered by Catholic schools.
“Working in a Catholic school isn’t just a job – it’s a vocation where one can truly make a difference and contribute to a legacy of education, faith and building intentional Catholic culture,” he said.
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is also hiring, with several positions open in Asheville, Charlotte, Murphy or Winston-Salem – including the position of regional director for its Piedmont-Triad Office.
Read more and apply at www.ccdoc.org/jobs.
— Christina Lee Knauss
More online
At www.charlottediocese.org/employment-opportunities: Get more information about the 28 jobs available now with the Diocese of Charlotte, its school system, and at Catholic Charities.
MOUNT HOLLY — Hundreds of people from across the Diocese of Charlotte got a look into the daily life of a seminarian at a holiday-themed open house Saturday at St. Joseph College Seminary.
The façade of the seminary was decked with garland and wreaths made by the seminarians from holly, pine, fir, magnolia, and other plants they had gathered in the nearby woods.
Father Matthew Kauth, rector, stood in front of the main entrance with the seminary’s two beloved Great Danes, Bocca and Lupo, to greet visitors.
“This seminary belongs to all the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, so this is a great chance to welcome the faithful and share with them what we have here,” Father Kauth said. “It impresses me how visitors from all parts of the diocese have turned out for this.”
Visitors traveled in for the open house from the Charlotte and Greensboro areas, as well as Boone, Blowing Rock, Tryon, Franklin, and other places. The celebration drew people of all ages, including many families with small children. Fredrik Akerblom, the seminary’s advancement director, estimated turnout at between 350 and 400 people.
Visitors toured the seminary, from the library and study rooms to the seminarians’ living quarters. People prayed in the beautiful chapel where relics of a saint were on display, and visited the chapel sacristy to learn about priestly vestments and other items stored there.
In the large kitchen and dining area, visitors enjoyed hot chocolate, coffee and homemade cookies and got to see where the seminarians have their daily communal meals. Hot dogs and other refreshments were available at the seminary’s barn, which serves as a recreation and fellowship site for the seminarians.
St. Joseph College Seminary currently houses 20 seminarians who are discerning a vocation as a priest for the diocese while studying for an undergraduate degree at nearby Belmont Abbey College. They live in community and follow a daily schedule of prayer, work, study, meals, and recreation inspired by the Benedictine monks who founded Belmont Abbey.
“It’s beautiful and breathtaking to see what is going on here,” said Kathleen Wellman, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte. “I wish everybody had a chance to see this beautiful place.”
Andrea Mantilla, a member of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, visited with her husband and two daughters. She especially enjoyed visiting the chapel and said it reminded her of churches in her native country of Colombia, where she used to attend Mass with her grandmother.
“Everything is beautiful and holy here, and so organized,” she said. “I’m also glad my children are here. One of my daughters has said she would like to be a religious sister someday, so showing her a place like this is a way to encourage her and show her what that life could be like.”
Charles and Theresa Fraune, who attend St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, visited with their four children. Charles Fraune said the visit was especially moving for him because five students he previously taught at the diocese’s Christ the King High School have since gone on to study at the seminary.
Added Theresa Fraune, “Visiting here gives us so much hope for the future of the Church.”
Bishop Peter Jugis founded the college seminary program in 2016, and in 2017 the diocese purchased 90 acres in Mount Holly for a permanent site for the seminary. Construction was completed in 2020.
St. Joseph College Seminary recently reached an important goal for its future: meeting an initial $22 million fund-raising goal to build a major chapel, offices, piazza, and welcoming hall that will host talks, visits, and retreats for parishes. Groundbreaking is expected in June 2024.
— Christina Knauss. Photos by Troy Hull
Learn more about St. Joseph College Seminary: www.stjcs.org
Hundreds of families receive food, gifts thanks to parishes’ donations
Staff and volunteers at Catholic Charities offices throughout the Diocese of Charlotte enjoyed sharing the true spirit of Christmas by distributing mountains of food and gifts to deserving families in recent weeks.
Donations poured in from parishes throughout the diocese, helping to make Christmas easier on those in need. Charlotte’s St. Matthew Parish dropped off 125 baskets of food Dec. 18 at Catholic Charities’ Charlotte office, which distributed the items the same day.
Boy Scouts from St. Luke Parish in Mint Hill also arrived at the downtown Charlotte office that morning bearing 75 boxes of food. These were distributed Dec. 19 during the Charlotte office’s regular weekly food pantry.
Catholic Charities’ Western Region Office in Asheville also stayed busy with its weekly food pantry and regular markets with its partner, MANNA FoodBank. On Dec. 12, as part of their monthly market at Woodfin Community Center, children were invited to choose books they’d like to keep.
The Western Region Office also held its annual angel tree project. Piles of gifts filled the office at 50 Orange St. in Asheville over the past month, thanks to the generosity of donors throughout western North Carolina.
Longtime angel tree volunteer and Western Region Office advisory board member Susan Loveland coordinated gifts for more than 55 families. It was “organized chaos” as
Loveland led the efforts to ensure that all 279 program participants received gifts. Volunteer and advisory board member Donna Bange helped track more than 600 angel tree requests.
At the Catholic Charities office in Winston-Salem, staff and volunteers organized and distributed holiday meals and gifts from Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem. Together, the parishes donated enough food, toys and gift cards to help 108 families. Joy filled the hearts of everyone concerned as they loaded trunks with all the goods needed for a Merry Christmas.
— Annie Ferguson. Photos provided
