HUNTERSVILLE — More than 30 parishioners from St. Mark Parish recently braved inclement weather to pray for an end to abortion at the Latrobe Drive abortion facility in Charlotte.
The hour-long vigil was preceded by a Respect Life Mass at the church, offered by pastor Father John Putnam.
After Mass, Father Putnam anointed the parishioners with holy oil to provide spiritual protection while praying at the abortion facility. The parish’s Respect Life Ministry plans a longer vigil from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 23.
All are welcome. For details, email Mike FitzGerald at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
One of the guests at St. Pius X Church’s “Night to Shine,” Rebecca, dances with her friends. Music was provided by DJ KC from 102 Jamz. (Photo provided by MaryAnne Luedtke)GREENSBORO — For the second year in a row, St. Pius X Church hosted “Night to Shine,” a prom night experience for people with special needs that is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Men and women aged 14 and older were welcomed as guests to the event, where they enjoyed a sit-down dinner, dancing, bingo, a photo booth and limousine rides.
The Tim Tebow Foundation has been sponsoring Night to Shine events all over the world for the past five years, and this was the second event held in Greensboro.
“Night to Shine” was a natural fit considering the Greensboro church’s existing ministries that celebrate diversity in the parish community, such as the Sunshine Club. The event emphasized Catholic teaching that all human life is valuable and worth celebrating.
With more than 120 guests, this year’s “Night to Shine” took a team of approximately 80 volunteers to provide support in many different areas. The event allowed many generations of parishioners, and even whole families, to come together for a common purpose and serve together. Their hard work and preparations were rewarded by seeing the joy on their guests’ faces.
— Lindsay Kohl, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Lindsay Kohl is the director of Formational Ministries at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.
“Seargeant Swarm,” the mascot for the Greensboro Swarm basketball team, made an appearance at this year’s “Night to Shine,” entertaining everyone while they were waiting on their limousine ride. (Photo provided by Terry Rumley)