HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church hosted a Mass and Holy Hour of Reparation Aug. 3. Nearly 70 people attended the second-annual service, held to atone for the sins of abortion, contraception, euthanasia and same-sex unions in the United States.
Father John Putnam, pastor, offered the Mass of Reparation and preached about the need to make reparation to Christ for these offensive sins, especially those committed against the Eucharist, as Our Lady of Fatima mentioned when she requested the five First Saturday devotions.
Reparation is especially needed in light of Catholics who act contrary to Christ’s teachings, Father Putnam noted. (Pictured above) After Mass, Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar, led the faithful in a Holy Hour of Reparation which offered prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in atonement for the sins of man.
The service was sponsored by the parish’s Respect Life Ministry. The Catholic Pro-Life Action Network of Charlotte, a coalition of parish Respect Life coordinators, is encouraging each parish to organize this event at least annually. St. Thomas Aquinas Church will be next to offer a Mass and Holy Hour of Reparation in January.
— Mike FitzGerald | Catholic News Herald
SYLVA — Father Mark Shuey, the former pastor of St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Mission Parish in Charlotte, gave a retreat and talk Aug. 17-20 at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva about acedia, based on the book “The Noonday Devil” by Benedictine Abbot Jean-Charles Nault.
The Third Annual East/West Retreat brought together clergy of the St. Josaphat Eparchy’s North Carolina missions for a weekend of prayer, liturgy, fellowship, and evangelization of the Western Carolina mountain region.
The noonday devil is the demon of acedia, or the vice of spiritual sloth. Acedia is not laziness; in fact, it can manifest as busyness or activism. Rather, acedia is a gloomy combination of weariness, sadness and lack of purposefulness.
Father Shuey shared with those in attendance the signs and experiences one has with this demon, and how to overcome these troubles with prayer and fasting. He shared the teachings of Evagrius Ponticus, also called Evagrius the Solitary, a Christian monk and ascetic, and he reviewed other wisdom from the early Church and Eastern Catholic teachings on this topic.
Retreat participants celebrated vespers at the end of each day, along with Divine Liturgy on the final day of the retreat. Father Deacon Kevin Bezner of St. Basil Mission assisted at the retreat.
Retreat host Father Josh Voitus, pastor of St. Mary Church, and Father Peter Shaw, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City, joined for Divine Liturgy as well. At the conclusion of the retreat, Father Voitus hosted a buffet and fellowship where people were able to talk more with Father Shuey and others.
— Brandon Berryhill | Catholic News Herald