Faith amid adversity
Father Patrick Cahill enjoys time with residents of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during his visit in October.ASHEVILLE — On World Mission Sunday in October, Father Patrick Cahill experienced a special joy of celebrating Mass alongside Missionhurst Father Andre Mangongo at his parish in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Father Cahill, mission office director for the Diocese of Charlotte and pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville, spent seven days in the central African nation, from Oct. 20 to Oct. 27, to visit parishes, convents and schools in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, which are supported by funds raised in the diocese.
“I try to occasionally make due-diligence visits to the missions to see how things are going,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for me to communicate our love and concern for our brothers and sisters in the missions we support.”
He was lucky to make the trip, because the U.S. State Department turned down his requests for a visa the first two times he applied, because of the region’s severe instability.
Congo has struggled for decades with civil wars and violence against civilians from various armed groups, some homegrown and others from neighboring nations, particularly in the country’s eastern region. Christians have been targeted in the east, including the death of a Catholic priest in 2022 and 17 people who died in an explosion at a Pentecostal church in January.
Despite ongoing violence elsewhere in Congo, conditions around the Archdiocese of Kinshasa were safe enough for Father Cahill to travel. For safety, his visits were confined to the sprawling capital city of Kinshasa in the southwest and its outskirts, home to more than 16 million people.
The Archdiocese of Kinshasa has 6,378,000 Catholics, a massive population served by only 143 parishes, according to recent statistics.
Some of the funds raised by the Diocese of Charlotte go to support the Missionhurst order of priests, also known as the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Other funds go directly to support seminaries, convents, schools and parishes.
“I visited three seminaries, two convents, numerous parishes and the archdiocesan chancery and pastoral center,” Father Cahill said. “And despite the challenges people face there, I found it a very inspiring place to be because the Church there is alive. The seminaries and the convents are full. The Catholic schools are full and a lot of the parishes are full. Their needs are expanding there because the Church is growing.”
He said the enthusiasm Congolese Catholics have for their faith was evident at the Oct. 22 Mass with Father Mangongo, a former visiting priest to the Diocese of Charlotte. Offered at a parish in a developing area on the outskirts of Kinshasa, the Mass lasted three hours, and included lots of vibrant, percussive music, a special procession before the reading of the Gospel, and an elaborate offertory.
“It takes a long time because the offertory is very intentional – every single person there has to decide whether they individually stand to offer something, so it takes a while,” Father Cahill explained.
After the Mass, he also blessed a new well on the parish grounds.
“It was a challenge to get there, because the roads were not paved and the conditions in the area were pretty extreme, but it was special to be able to reach out and show support for Father Mangongo,” he said. “Despite the heat, I got a great welcome from people there who are very happy and very devoted to their faith.”
Growing the faith takes place amid a seemingly endless list of challenges around Kinshasa, he said, ranging from electricity that is sometimes only available a few hours a day, to squatters who take up residence on church properties and refuse to leave.
Despite some adversity, however, men are flocking to the priesthood in the archdiocese’s seminaries. And a seminarian’s work, he said, is seemingly never done – the men leave the classroom and go to work maintaining campus facilities, tending animals and working in fruit and vegetable gardens.
“It was exciting and inspiring to see their work and an honor to visit Congo and experience the faith of the people,” Father Cahill said. “It was a chance to see the very real impact mission funds can have on building the Church.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Father Cahill concelebrated a Mass alongside Missionhurst Father Andre Mangongo, once a guest priest in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Children fill jugs at a well on the site of a parish that helps local residents with access to clean water.
Patience and love
CHARLOTTE — Larry and Carolyn Keith of Charlotte have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at two different St. Patrick’s cathedrals this year – first in July in New York City and then on Sunday, when they joined couples from around the Diocese of Charlotte at St. Patrick Cathedral for the annual Wedding Anniversary Mass.
The Mass offered by Bishop Peter Jugis gave couples celebrating 25 and 50 years of marriage a chance to renew their commitment to each other and receive a special blessing for the future of their marriages.
The event drew couples of all ages, many with children and others with family members and friends. Couples held hands and looked into each others’ eyes often during the Mass.
“We honor you for the witness of your love for each other and your faithfulness to the marriage covenant,” Bishop Jugis told couples during his homily. “The readings today are a reflection of the fact that men and women were created for one another, and that God was the author of marriage. It was part of His plan from the beginning. Whoever remains in love remains in God, and the love of men and women in marriage is the image of God’s love for all of us.”
The readings for the liturgy celebrated the unique nature of marriage. They included Genesis 2:18-24, which describes the creation of a woman as a partner for Adam and the verse, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” The second reading, from Corinthians, includes a description of the special nature of love and the famous verse “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
The Gospel from John told the story of Jesus attending the wedding feast at Cana, when Jesus — with His mother Mary and His disciples in attendance – turned water into wine so the celebration could continue.
Bishop Jugis said the celebration of milestone anniversaries is important because it honors the fact that the couples “have made a special place for the Lord in your married lives.”
“God is present in your marriages, working miracles of love and mercy, holiness and goodness,” he said.
After his homily, Bishop Jugis led the couples in a special Renewal of Commitment.
“Help us, we pray, to remain faithful in our love for one another, so that we may be true witnesses to the covenant You have made with humankind,” the couples prayed to God together.
After the Mass, the couples waited in line for a chance to have a photo made with the bishop and then attend a special reception. As they waited, many laughed and joked with other couples.
The Keiths, members of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, experienced a special way to continue their celebration of 50 years together, their actual anniversary being July 28. The couple was originally married in Garden City, N.Y., and have four children and six grandchildren.
The key to their long and happy marriage?
“Patience, patience, patience,” Larry Keith said, his wife nodding in agreement. “And everything in that verse that was read at Mass today from 1 Corinthians is true. That Scripture was read at our marriage and is perfect advice if you can live it.”
“For a successful marriage, you need to be willing to bend with what the times bring you,” Carolyn Keith added.
Chris and Lynn Frank, members of Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury, said the Mass was a great way to observe their 25th anniversary. Lynn Frank said the event was doubly special because both the second reading and the Gospel were the same ones featured at their wedding 25 years ago in Indiana. They now have four sons aged 14 to 22.
“This was a beautiful Mass,” Chris Frank said. “And a great way to reflect on our marriage.”
— Christina Lee Knaus. Photos by Troy Hull
‘We’re not building a house, we’re building a community’
Members of five Shelby churches, including St. Mary Help of Christians, are building a house for a single mother and her children. The project has brought together the parish’s Spanish- and English-speaking communities. Father Peter Ascik. (Photos provided by Ralph Jones) SHELBY — Well before November, on the corner of Young and Oak streets in Shelby, parishioners of St. Mary Help of Christians Church have been living the spirit of Thanksgiving in a very real way.
Since early July, they have gathered to share food, teach each other new trades and create community among diverse groups of volunteers, all while building a new home – and a new life – for a deserving family.
Twice a month they arrive ready to work with volunteers from four other churches – Shelby Presbyterian Church, Eastside Baptist Church, Rayburn Memorial Presbyterian and New Creation Christian Center. They’re building a three-bedroom, two-bath house for a single mother and her children.
It’s the first time Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland County has attempted a “church build,” and it’s going exceedingly well, says Father Peter Ascik, pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians, who is helping build the home with his parishioners.
“It started when we were invited to a meeting to propose the project, and after gathering information, we asked parishioners in a survey whether they thought we should embrace the project and whether they would be willing to donate volunteer time,” he says. “That survey came back overwhelmingly in favor of the project, so we committed to it.”
And the numbers grew from there. With 80 people currently signed up, there is a waiting list to volunteer at the site, which typically has about 30 people at a time, organizers say. For most of the build St. Mary works with members of other churches, but some workdays are reserved for the individual churches.
Because the Catholic parish has such high participation, with nearly 1,000 volunteer hours logged so far, St. Mary volunteers are able to help on the additional Habitat build next door and lend a hand when extra help is needed. The future owners of the house also work on the home, which is due for completion by July 2024.
“It has been a very positive experience for our parish,” Father Ascik adds. “It has given us the opportunity to work together and cooperate with other Christians in Shelby.”
Each of the five churches has two project coordinators. For St. Mary, it’s parishioners Sean O’Connor and Ralph Jones.
“It turned out to be fun. It’s sort of like playing a game of Tetris,” Jones said about organizing the project. “We had ourselves a big meeting and invited everybody in the church to attend. I was astonished by the turnout.”
Jones, a retired general contractor, offers a helping hand and answers questions at the build site, leaving it to the licensed contractors from Habitat to oversee the construction.
Jones says he has thoroughly enjoyed the experience so far and that it has strengthened the bonds between the people of the parish.
“There’s been a tremendous boost to the coordination between our Spanish- and English-speaking communities,” Jones says, noting that more Spanish-speaking parishioners have joined the Knights of Columbus as a result. “We were already coming together, but this strengthened the relationship.”
He also appreciates the rotating schedule of meals brought by members of each church, noting the excellent Mexican food he would otherwise not have experienced as well as the fellowship opportunities.
“I love all the food. That’s part of the camaraderie, getting people together not only working in individual teams on part of the project but also coming together at the beginning of the day for a devotional, safety instructions, light breakfast and coffee, and then again around lunchtime to just talk and meet.”
Everyone Jones has talked to says they’re enjoying the project, and they’re learning something, he says. Most have never worked in anything construction-related, and they’re getting the opportunity to learn why things are done a certain way and a certain order.
“We’re not building a house, we’re building a community,” Jones says. “That home we’re working on? That’s just an excuse for us to get together and have fun.”
Winston-Salem's Frassati young adult group volunteers for Habitat for Humanity twice a year. In October, they added flooring to one of the new homes.Frassati young adults embrace service with Habitat project
Other Catholics throughout the Diocese of Charlotte are also involved with Habitat for Humanity projects. One example is the Frassati young adults group at St. Leo the Great Parish in Winston-Salem. The group completes a Habitat project twice a year and recently had nine members tile a floor for one of the homes in the eastern part of the city, building friendships as they worked.
“We especially enjoy working with Habitat because the service is enjoyable, fun, and makes a tangible difference. It’s really rewarding to look back at the work you did all day and see the progress you made,” says Lori Obendorf, a teacher at St. Leo School and the coordinator of the Habitat projects.
“When we walked into the house in October, the only flooring tiles laid down were in the hallway,” she says. “Seven hours later, we had completed the flooring in 3.5 rooms. It’s fun to look back and say, ‘We did that.’”
The group has adopted four pillars: prayer, study, fellowship and service. Their patron is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a devout Italian man known for his charity and activism.
“Frassati regularly went to the slums to distribute food, supplies, and even the clothes off his own back. He developed relationships with the people he served and, through his actions, reminded them that they are beloved children of God,” Obendorf says.
The group enjoys activities related to the other pillars, but a major focus is community service. In May, the group attended a dedication ceremony at one of the new homes and were moved by the gratitude expressed by the receiving family.
“We want to make a difference in the lives of people in our own community,” Obendorf says. “Volunteering for organizations like Habitat for Humanity allows us to do just that. Attending the dedication was a great reminder that the homes we have worked on are going to be a game changer for families in need.”
St. Peter parishioners join Charlotte homebuilding effort
St. Peter Parish in Charlotte is participating in the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project (CWP), which includes local church partners and many other volunteers from around the world. The project involves the building of approximately 25 homes in Charlotte on a nine-acre property called the Meadows at Plato Price, off Morris Field Drive.
St. Peter parishioners will co-host a build day Dec. 2. Look for a full story in a future edition of the Catholic News Herald.
— Annie Ferguson
Building new lives
Nant Si and her husband and two young daughters are among those who now call Charlotte home, thanks to Catholic Charities and generous parishioners across the diocese who help fund the program. (Photo by Troy Hull)CHARLOTTE — After a five-year slowdown, Catholic Charities has seen a sharp increase in the number of refugees coming into the Diocese of Charlotte to build new lives after escaping conflicts around the world.
The agency resettled 290 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, as families fled violence and persecution in countries including Congo, Myanmar and Syria.
That’s dramatically more than Catholic Charities has welcomed in the diocese since fiscal year 2017, when the agency resettled 306 refugees.
Program leaders expect to receive at least 375 refugees this fiscal year and say the higher numbers reflect a “new normal” for its Refugee Resettlement program. The figures do not include special U.S. evacuation efforts such as those from Afghanistan in 2021 and Ukraine in 2022 – which brought an additional 333 evacuees into the diocese.
Nant Si and her family are among those who now call Charlotte home, thanks to Catholic Charities and generous parishioners across the diocese who help fund the Refugee
Resettlement program.
“I love Charlotte because we now have freedom,” said Si, who arrived with her husband and two young daughters in December 2022. “We don’t have to deal with violence, with police asking us for bribes…and every week on Sundays we are free to go to church to worship God.”
Si and her husband separately fled violence in Myanmar years ago, after a new government began persecuting the country’s Christian minority. They met and married in refugee housing in Malaysia, where they waited years for a chance to get to the U.S. Now, they’re working, living and raising their 3- and 9-year-old girls in an east Charlotte apartment decorated with family photos and a wedding portrait taken at their Malaysian ceremony.
“It’s rewarding to know you’re helping people start a new life,” said Catholic Charities caseworker Conor McSweeney. “We’re also building communities within Charlotte where the refugees can find support and help from others from their home countries.”
Growing Refugee Numbers
Two girls spend time at a local roller rink during Catholic Charities’ “Refugee Summer Camp.” (Provided by Catholic Charities)The number of refugees seeking new homes and lives in the Charlotte diocese has varied widely, depending on the approach of the U.S. government, which each year sets a total number of refugees the country will accept. That number can be compounded by special evacuations at moments of international crisis – as it was after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Russian war on Ukraine.
Catholic Charities offices around the country work in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees fleeing war, political upheaval, or religious, economic or ethnic persecution.
“Situations around the world change and affect the number of people we assist each year,” said Laura Townsend Jones, Catholic Charities’ assistant regional director for refugee services. “Sadly, the number of displaced people around the world has reached 100 million, and only one half of one percent of them eventually get a chance to be resettled in another country.”
The highest number of refugee arrivals in the past decade came in FY 2015-16, when Catholic Charities welcomed 440 people into the diocese. But that number declined sharply beginning in 2017 – hitting historic lows between 2019 and 2021 – due to changes in federal immigration policies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of refugees rebounded in the most recent fiscal year and based on estimates from federal officials, Jones expects a “new normal” of hundreds of refugees – unless federal policy changes again. Resettling families in a new land is complicated by language and cultural barriers, refugees’ lack of resources and, in communities like Charlotte, a severe shortage of affordable housing.
In addition to resettlement services, Catholic Charities continues to provide assistance in a variety of ways for another 300 to 400 refugees for up to five years, including continued case management, employment assistance and youth services.
Easing the Transition
A young boy enjoys swimming at the “Refugee Summer Camp,” an annual event organized by Catholic Charities. (Photo provided by Catholic Charities)People who make it to the U.S. for resettlement go through a lengthy application process and often wait for years in crowded refugee camps in other countries. Catholic Charities is notified of impending newcomers about two weeks before they arrive. Finding affordable rental housing is the biggest challenge, Jones said, particularly in Charlotte and Asheville, where Catholic Charities has a second regional office and offers a full slate of resettlement services.. Language barriers and refugee families’ lack of a credit rating add to the struggle.
“We’ve built strong relationships with landlords around the area to try to find apartments, but in many cases we’re having to look further outside Charlotte to find them,” she said.
Many of the newest arrivals to the area, including Si and her family, are settled in apartment complexes in “ring communities” outside of Charlotte, Jones said.
Refugees often arrive with few possessions, so the new housing is furnished by a group called Homemakers of Mercy that works with Catholic Charities. Volunteers from several parishes around the Charlotte area – including St. Gabriel and St. Matthew – collect donations of new or gently used furniture and other items, then set up the apartments in advance so families will have a ready home.
Catholic Charities also offers employment services and youth programs for refugee families, as well as help enrolling in English classes and teaching families about life in North Carolina, including such skills as how to ride public transportation.
The goal is for new families to find work within 30 to 60 days of their arrival, and a swift transition to self-sufficiency. Si’s husband, Chung Thang, landed a job at a local Chinese restaurant and eventually was able to get a car after several months of struggling to find rides to work.
Si and her husband said they are grateful for the work of Catholic Charities, which has provided stability and hope. Si is working online toward her GED and dreams of going to college to study accounting. Her oldest daughter, Miracle, likes her elementary school classes and has made friends with children from other countries who live in their apartment complex.
“I am so thankful for the things we are able to do now, and I’m hoping God will give me a chance to go on with school,” she said. “I am so happy that Catholic Charities was able to help us come to Charlotte.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Want to help?
Want to help?At www.ccdoc.org: Go online to donate, volunteer or learn more about Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s resettlement program, or call 704-370-3251.