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
