MOORESVILLE — A Human Trafficking Forum will be held at St. Therese Church in in Mooresville on Friday, Feb. 25. The panel will feature Robin Chapman, a Victim Assistance Specialist with Homeland Security, and Sister Rose Marie Tresp, Director of Justice with the Sisters of Mercy.
Last year, there were over 40 million victims, our brothers and sisters. Many enduring trafficking situations of many forms of exploitation or forced labor here in our own country.
The CCDOC Human Trafficking Awareness Committee is partnering with St. Therese Parish to bring the speakers panel and fair trade event for awareness to this prevalent and fast growing crime.
Join in Friday night, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Church located at 217 Brawley School Road in Mooresville. For information, contact Janet This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information on the Church’s response to human trafficking, go to: https://www.usccb.org/committees/administrative/become-shepherd
BELMONT — The Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College has recognized Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., as the recipient of the 2022 Benedict Leadership Award. This award highlights the incredible achievements of men and women whose lives reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict.
Belmont Abbey College founded the Benedict Leadership Institute in 2016 to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith.
For its fifth recipient, the Benedict Leadership Institute recognizes Archbishop Chaput’s devotion to helping find ways to live meaningfully in light of the truth of the Gospel.
“At Belmont Abbey, we live by the Benedictine hallmarks and believe that they are key in living a life of virtue,” Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey College said in the Feb. 21 announcement. “Archbishop Chaput embodies the qualities of St. Benedict through his passion to build greatness in his community, empowering others to be successful, and utilizing faith in leadership.”
Archbishop Chaput said God’s call for his life became evident to him at a young age. He was born in 1944 in Concordia, Kan., to a French Canadian father and Native American mother and was part of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation early on. At 13, he decided that he wanted to become a priest and attended a Catholic seminary high school. In 1970, Bishop Cyril Vogel ordained him to the priesthood, and he went on to earn a Master of Arts in theology from the University of San Francisco. He taught at the collegiate level until he became pastor of Holy Cross Church in Thornton, Colo., in 1977. In 1988, he was ordained Bishop of Rapid City, S.D., where he served until 1997. He then went on to serve as Archbishop of Denver (1997-2011), and Archbishop of Philadelphia (2011-2020). In 2020, Archbishop Chaput retired at the mandatory age, but he has remained active in sharing the Gospel message with others.
He is a leader that tirelessly encourages people to share God’s word with confidence and joy, said Conor Gallagher, executive director of the Benedict Leadership Institute.
“The Benedict Leadership Institute exists to highlight Catholic leaders who impress upon society the importance of living by faith and encourage other leaders to live by this example. Archbishop Chaput has dedicated his life to this mission with seemingly boundless energy,” Gallagher said.
In retirement, Archbishop Chaput published his third book “Things Worth Dying For,” where he tackles life’s most important questions such as why we’re here, the important things that Christians should be willing to die for, and how we can seek to live and die meaningfully. As Archbishop Chaput told Catholic News Service, he hopes that after reading his latest book that “anybody who is a serious Christian will take the Gospel more seriously, their lives more seriously and the world around more seriously.”
His work is an inspiration to believers and non-believers alike, as well as other Catholic leaders, Gallagher said.
“Archbishop Chaput’s enthusiasm, evangelization, and wisdom have impacted the faithful on both a global and personal level. From the American prairies to Rome, Archbishop Chaput has engaged and mobilized the laity, tirelessly worked to right the wrongs and heal deep wounds in the Church, and fought for religious liberty at home and abroad,” he said.
— Belmont Abbey College