CHARLOTTE — By the mandate of the Holy See, the nuns of St. Joseph Adoration Monastery, currently based at St. Ann Parish in Charlotte, will merge with the community of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Ala., under the leadership of Mother Dolores Marie. Both communities are part of the same religious order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, founded in 1854.
The merger is expected to take place this fall.
Our Lady of the Angels Monastery is known for its founding abbess, Mother Mary Angelica, who was also the foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network, EWTN. Mother Angelica has been in declining health since suffering a stroke in 2001. She was named Abbess Emerita for Life in 2009 by the Holy See and will continue to reside at the monastery in Hanceville.
The six members of the Charlotte community will increase the membership of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery to 11 solemnly professed members, including Mother Angelica, in addition to those in formation.
In 2010, the community of St. Joseph Monastery, then located in Portsmouth, Ohio, was invited to the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Peter Jugis.
Over the past five years, the Poor Clares, in conjunction with the Te Deum Foundation, have acquired more than 500 acres in Cleveland County. A future monastery for the Poor Clares and a regional seminary have been planned for the site.
The monastery building project will be placed on hold for now, but the Poor Clares will maintain their ownership of the property.
Pictured: The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration will be leaving the Diocese of Charlotte this fall, merging with their sister community in Hanceville, Ala. Members of the contemplative order are pictured during the Eucharistic procession through Charlotte during the Eucharistic Congress Sept. 12. (Photo by SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald)
According to Mother Dolores, "The Holy See hopes that this decision to merge the two communities will lead to a flourishing of vocations, that one day we may be able to send sisters back to build St. Joseph Adoration Monastery."
The nuns of St. Joseph Adoration Monastery find it difficult to leave this diocese which they have called their home, Mother Dolores said. They have found the Diocese of Charlotte to be a place where their cloistered, contemplative vocation could flourish and which was well supported by priests and laity alike, she said.
She also said that they are very thankful for the many blessings they have received during their past five years in Charlotte.
"Even though we will be separated by distance, we will continue to hold in our hearts and prayers all those we have had the privilege of meeting during our time here. We especially wish to thank Bishop Jugis, who so warmly invited us to the diocese and has been a tremendous support, along with the priests who have provided for our sacramental and spiritual life, our seminarians, as well as the many families and individuals who have prayed and provided for us in so many ways."
The Charlotte monastery also produces altar bread that is used in the sacrifice of the Mass at 100 churches in North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana and Texas. The move to Hanceville will not impact this part of the nuns' ministry, Mother Dolores said.
Bishop Jugis expressed his heartfelt wishes for God's continued blessings upon the Poor Clares.
"The presence of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration and the joyful witness of their life of contemplative prayer for the Church and for the world, have been great blessings for all of us in the Diocese of Charlotte," he said. "The nuns have found a very special place in the hearts of the faithful of the diocese. We offer our humble prayers for God's continued blessings upon the sisters, and we beg the Good Lord for a flourishing of religious vocations to this beautiful monastic community."
— Catholic News Herald
GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro blessed and rededicated a new Parish Life Center and the Kathleen Price Bryan Hall Sunday, Oct. 4. The event marked the conclusion of more than six years of planning, construction and remodeling, noted Father Eric Kowalski, pastor.
"What you see today, in a new and unified school building next door, and a total remodeling of this building into parish office spaces, meeting rooms, and this exquisite banquet hall and terrace is the direct result of that planning and vision," Father Kowalski remarked at the rededication ceremony.
"This was part of a campus-wide $4.5 million capital campaign, which included a new school building and the relocation of parish offices to the third floor of the Parish Life Center. The second floor houses meeting rooms and conference room with the lower floor a banquet hall," parish business manager MaryAnn DiPaola said.
During the rededication ceremony, Father Kowalski expressed special gratitude to all the members who formed the parish's committees and sub-committees, and all those who volunteered during the lengthy construction process.
Father Kowalski also offered special thanks to "those longtime dedicated parishioners who six years ago helped then-pastor Father Fidel Melo lead the process of our entire family as it evaluated the future needs of the parish and formulated a parish plan to meet those needs in the future."
Noting that "a plan and a vision doesn't happen without dedication and financial support," Father Kowalski offered special words of thanks to parishioners John Englar, Don Brady, Ken Kemp and Joseph Bryan Jr. for their vision and generous financial support throughout the project.
The Kathleen Price Bryan Hall is located on the lower floor of the Parish Life Center. Joseph Bryan Jr., the son of Kathleen Price Bryan, donated the funds for renovation of the hall, kitchen and terrace.
"This was a historic moment for our parish. It has allowed us to close a six-and-a-half year chapter. At the same time, it has allowed us to open a new chapter for Our Lady Grace Parish and position ourselves to meet the needs of our parish and the community in general moving forward," Father Kowalski said.
— Rico De Silva, Hispanic Communications Reporter
Charlotte family gives others hope amid grief
CHARLOTTE — Pope Francis' visit to the United States has generated tremendous excitement and the momentum continues to build in anticipation of the arrival of His Holiness. From every corner of the country, including the Carolinas, Catholics and people of all faiths are inspired by the visit of Pope Francis and his support of organ, eye and tissue donation.
As he met with the Transplant Committee for the Council of Europe in Rome last year, the pope described the act of organ donation as a "testimony of love for our neighbor." In fact, all major religions support organ donation as an act of charity and love, the major tenets of Christianity.
Faith and hope also play an important role in the donation and transplantation process. Whether someone awaits a life-saving transplant or has donated a loved one's organs – all have faith in something greater than themselves.
Ed Maciejewski of Charlotte found this to be true when he honored his wife Marcy's wishes to donate her organs six years ago. Marcy, a registered nurse, sustained a critical brain injury in a car accident in 2009. She had been an advocate of organ donation since her youth.
"Marcy inherited the value of organ donation from her mom," Maciejewski explains. "When Marcy was a little girl, her mom suffered a serious eye injury. During her recovery in the ward, she saw several children who had lost their vision. From that point she never wanted to take anything with her that anyone else could use, especially her eyes. For as long as I knew Marcy, she was always adamant about being a donor and made her wishes clear to me time and time again."
Two years after Marcy's passing, Maciejewski met the two women who received Marcy's kidneys, who as Divine Providence would have it, had been receiving treatment in the same medical facility at the time. Marcy had been helping patients just like them at the clinic where she worked.
"They fondly call Marcy their 'kidney sister,' and for me it adds some closure in a tragedy that ended with sudden death... Seeing Abbie and Jeunita – eating with their families, reading their Facebook posts – is seeing Marcy continuing to live and literally making a difference in people's lives.
"I see Marcy continuing to reach people due to her tenets of being a donor. I also find comfort in opportunities I've had to share her message, hoping more families will understand the gift and importance of donation. For these reasons I will continue to be a mouthpiece for her and pick up where she left off."
Maciejewski now organizes an annual golf tournament to support the Marsha Nash Maciejewski Scholarship Foundation. He also dedicated an eagle observation shelter at the Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville and adopted a highway in front of Marcy's former workplace in Monroe.
Today, there are more than 122,000 people nationwide whose lives depend on the kindness of strangers to make the choice to Donate Life. Sadly, 22 of these individuals die on average each day because the organs they need are not donated in time. That is exactly why organ donation is so important.
A recent poll stated that nine out of 10 Catholics are in favor of Pope Francis and his teachings. In honor of the pope's powerful message of charity and love, LifeShare Of The Carolinas urges Catholics who have not yet registered as an organ, eye and tissue donor to do so.
"I told LifeShare that she did the hard part of being a donor, so now I'm holding up my end by telling her story and advocating such a noble, sensible and responsible cause," Maciejewski says.
— LifeShare Of The Carolinas. SueAnn Howell, senior reporter, contributed.
About Lifeshare
LifeShare Of The Carolinas is the regional organ procurement organization that serves a 23-county region throughout southwestern North Carolina. The organization is the bridge between people who need transplants and the donors who make those transplants possible. In addition to facilitating organ transplants, LifeShare also operates an eye bank and recovers tissue for transplants.
LifeShare will join the rest of the country in observing the National Donor Sabbath on Nov. 15, 2015. It is an annual interfaith celebration designed to dispel the misconception that donation is not consistent with religious beliefs. Parishes that would like to learn more information or to receive materials can contact LifeShare at 704-512-3303.
Registering as an organ donor is easy: sign up at the DMV or visit www.loveforneighbor.org. For more information about organ donation, visit www.LifeshareCarolinas.org.
CHARLOTTE — There is one thing for certain, Pope Francis' latest encyclical "Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home" is causing a lot of discussion and awareness of how every person can affect the environment.
In the third of five presentations hosted by Catholic Charities' Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy, presenters Matthew Burkhart and Sam Perkins spoke Oct. 5 about the pope's encyclical and what actions people can take to make a difference on a global and local level. Their presentation at St. Peter Church was entitled "From Stewardship of Our Local Catawba River to a Justice Vision of Global Fresh Water Usage."
Matthew Burkhart, advocacy relationship manager for the southeast regional office of Catholic Relief Services, spoke first about Laudato Si' and climate change and its effects on the poorest countries, as well as how CRS works to find solutions for vulnerable populations.
He shared the "Top Ten Takeaways from Laudato Si'" compiled by Jesuit Father James Martin and published in America Magazine last June.
Burkhart reviewed the impacts of environmental degradation: rising temperatures, increasing storms, destruction of homes, severe drought, poor crops and withered growth. He also touched on how we need to adapt to climate change and work to prevent its causes when possible.
He gave examples of how devastating storms and water crises in places like the Philippines and Bangladesh have changed how CRS works with local communities, so that in times of disaster and drought the people in need may still have access to clean drinking water or plant crops and sustain their food supplies.
Sam Perkins of the Catawba River Keeper Foundation gave a presentation on how climate change, precipitation, runoff and energy consumption impacts people in western North Carolina. He shared historical information about the Catawba River Basin and how land use and explosive growth in the region have impacted the water supply over the past century.
The Catawba River Keeper Foundation oversees 5,000 square miles of the Catawba River Basin. There are about 2 million people in this densely-populated area, and that means high demand for water and a lot of waste.
"We (the Catawba River Basin) have been set up to be the most endangered river in America," he explains, based on how the river has been used and misused in recent years.
Our local water resources must be better protected, he said, so that communities can continue to grow and develop sustainably.
Burkhart hopes that those in attendance take away a few things from the presentation.
"As Catholics, we are all called to care for creation," he said. He also hopes people remember that the U.S. Catholic Church through CRS is responding to the needs of the poor and the vulnerable around the world who are affected by climate change.
"Catholics and others of goodwill are invited to participate in that work through prayer, learning and action. There are many ways parishes, schools and ministries can respond to the pope's call in Laudato Si' to care for creation and care for the poor and vulnerable," he said, noting that there are many resources available through CRS, Catholic Charities and others. "All are called to participate – not just a select few – and through that participation our faith is strengthened, the sacraments take on a deeper meaning and we walk closer with Jesus."
Joe Purello, director of Catholic Charities' Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy, organized the presentation.
"Pope Francis and before him, Pope Benedict, have emphasized access to safe, drinkable water as a basic human right," Purello said. "This right is given emphasis in Laudato Si'. So I must ask myself, 'how am I helping to ensure that this human right is promoted and protected?'"
Purello noted that this presentation gave attendees, blessed to live in areas with good access to water resources, a look at life in areas without such access.
"Matt's images of places around the world where people go through great effort to capture every drop of rain were very eye-opening. Then we heard Sam share just how fragile is our access to clean water here in the Carolinas," he noted.
"Our local water resources, while plentiful in comparison to many other places, are under great strain from over-usage and contamination. We have an obligation to protect this resource, not only for our health and well-being, but also for the generations to come."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Resources available on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'
Laudato Si' is the appeal from Pope Francis addressed to "every person living on this planet" for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. These upcoming events offer opportunities to learn more about this encyclical and Church teaching on the environment:
— 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, Curtin Hall, on the Sisters of Mercy campus, 101 Mercy Dr., Belmont: "Implementing Pope Francis's Call to Care for Creation in Laudato Si' – Theological, Spiritual, and Practical Insights" presentations by Father Frank Cancro, pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, and Mercy Sister Rose Marie Tresp, director of justice for the Sisters of Mercy South Central Community. This presentation and workshop will prepare attendees to be "faithful engagers" in homes, parishes and communities to share the message of Laudato Si'. Lunch provided. The event, cosponsored by Catholic Charities and the Sisters of Mercy, is free but you must register by Wednesday, Oct. 21, to attend. Call 704-370-3225 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, Good Shepherd Mission in King: "Being Good Stewards of God's Creation – Pope Francis' Call to Global Solidarity." The program will follow the 6 p.m. Mass. It is free, but RSVPs are requested to 704-370-3225 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
More online
At www.ccdoc.org: Find resources and a link to the full text of Laudato Si', and more details about the events listed above
At www.catholicclimatecovenant.org:Learn more about Catholic teaching on the environment
ROME — Diocese of Charlotte seminarian David McCanless was among 39 men from the Pontifical North American College ordained transitional deacons Oct. 1 during Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica. His ordination is one more step along his journey of formation to the priesthood.
Cardinal Dolan, a native of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, an alumnus of the North American College and past rector, has been the archbishop of New York since 2010, and was created a cardinal in 2012.
In his homily, Cardinal Dolan spoke to those about to be ordained about the paradoxes of the Christian faith, which are manifested in the ordination rite itself.
"You were called forth and were said to be found worthy, and yet we began our prayer with an acknowledgment to God of our sinfulness. You come here freely and yet will make a promise of obedience to your ordinary. You are raised up to serve at the altar, yet in a moment you will lie down prostrate in a symbol of submission to the supplication to the saints on your behalf."
Cardinal Dolan continued that this is all perfectly fitting in the basilica dedicated to the Apostle Peter, whose own martyrdom, on a cross upside down, allowed him more clearly to see right side up the Jesus whose love he had come to imitate.
During the ordination, the new deacons promised to live a life of prayer, celibacy and obedience to their diocesan bishop. The new deacons will have an additional year of theological studies and spiritual formation before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses.
As part of the ordination rite, the cardinal placed the Book of the Gospels in the hands of each candidate being ordained and said, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."
The Pontifical North American College serves as the American seminary in Rome. Founded in 1859 by Blessed Pius IX, the college has formed over 5000 priests near the heart of the Church for service in dioceses around the United States, Canada, and Australia. The College strengthens the bonds between Rome and local Churches worldwide, and it allows its students to study the Church's rich religious and cultural heritage at close range.
— Pontifical North American College