CHARLOTTE — For the second consecutive month, a group of more than 80 people attended the Vigil of the Two Hearts devotion at St. Patrick Cathedral on first Friday evening March 5.
The evening began with Mass offered by St. Matthew Church’s parochial vicar, Father Peter Ascik, followed by a Holy Hour of Reparation led by St. Vincent de Paul Church’s Deacon John Kopfle. Afterwards, the night of prayer continued with Nocturnal Adoration until the 8 a.m. First Saturday Mass. The intentions for Mass and the Holy Hour of Reparation were offered both for an end to abortion and for abortion-connected scientific research.
The Vigil of the Two Hearts is offered each first Friday evening overnight through first Saturday morning at the cathedral to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary devotions, while praying for the end of abortion, for families, and for the country’s conversion back to God.
Because the next first Friday is Good Friday, the next vigil is planned for Friday, May 7. The event is organized by the Carolina Pro-Life Action Network of Charlotte (C-PLAN). For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.prolifecharlotte.org/two-hearts.
— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent
CHARLOTTE — In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, medical professionals have the opportunity to receive relevant continuing education through “Converging Roads,” a medical ethics conference that will be offered both in person and online Saturday, March 20.
The St. John Paul II Foundation, in collaboration with the Diocese of Charlotte and Belmont Abbey College, is bringing Converging Roads to Charlotte for the fourth consecutive year. To accommodate the needs of attendees, interested medical professionals and students are able to attend either in person or online.
Converging Roads is an initiative of the St. John Paul II Foundation, a national Catholic apostolate proclaiming the Good News about life and family through education and formation.
At this conference, health care professionals, including chaplains, can receive continuing education credits. However, all are invited to attend regardless of their profession.
This year’s conference will focus on the topic “Hippocratic Medicine: Do No Harm.” The day-long conference will provide continuing education deeply rooted in the Hippocratic and Catholic ethical tradition and will feature presentations from Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD, on “Rationing in Times of Crisis”; Claudia R. Sotomayor, MD, DBe, on “The Role of Disability in Determining Proportionate and Disproportionate Means”; Paul Hruz, MD, PhD, on “Gender Dysphoria in Children & Adults: Science, Ideology, and Ethics”; and more.
Continuing education opportunities will be offered for both in-person and online attendees, depending on CME/CNE inclusion, and the recordings will be made available for 72 hours following the conference for those who are unable to attend the livestream on March 20.
The conference will open with an 8 a.m. White Mass for healthcare professionals. The Mass will be celebrated by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey at St. Patrick Cathedral, located at 1621 Dilworth Road East in Charlotte.
To register or get more information, visit www.convergingroads.com and click on “Charlotte, NC.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter Amelia Arth contributed.