Volume 22 Issue 1
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church
February 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Peace in the Lord!
As we enter this last week of Advent, preparing as a community for the
joy-filled celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ─myself,
Fr. John and Fr. Christopher─wish to offer a few reflections on this
calendar year of 2011, rapidly coming to a close, and a look at things
to come in 2012.
A Litany For Lent
Let my fasting
turn me to the needs
of others,
and not my own hungers.
Let my broken relationships
be healed in reconciliation,
leading me beyond
my isolation.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Let my very life
Let my charity
be a sign of your generosity, be consecrated to your will,
as this Lent leads
not an occasion
to Easter’s new life.
for sinful pride.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Let my prayer
make me a witness
to your grace,
leading me to acts of justice.
Have mercy, O Lord!
Let my every
thought, word, and deed
during these Lenten days
be a sign of my love for you,
and of your love
for the world.
Amen.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Let my sufferings
make me one with Christ,
who suffered
For our salvation.
Have mercy, O Lord.
Let my good deeds
not be merely for show,
but for helping your
kingdom come.
Have mercy, O Lord.
].S. Paluch Company
Ash Wednesday
February 22, 2012
Schedule of Services
7:00 am—Mass
8:45 am—School Mass
12:00 pm—Ashes only
4:00 pm—Ashes only
6:00 pm—Mass
8:00 pm—Mass (Spanish)
This past year has been one full of change, challenge, and charity. The
departure of Fr. Dave and the arrival of Fr. Christopher, the near-fatal
stroke and inspiring recovery of our extraordinary Director of Music,
Brian Marble, and the sudden death of a beloved member of our
school faculty, Joan Regan, all impacted our parish in a variety of
ways.
After six years of service to our community, Principal Gary Gelo
departed Our Lady of Grace to take on a new role as a superintendent
in Florida. In October, Mr. Gelo’s replacement in the role of principal,
Cheryl Whitaker, resigned, ultimately because the role was not a good
fit. We have welcomed back Shirley Kinlaw, former assistant principal
and math teacher, as our interim principal, and Joy Myers is serving
the school as our assistant principal. A search team is already in
place to begin a nation-wide search for a permanent principal who can
lead our school now and into the future, continuing the important
mission of Catholic education at OLG.
Even with all the change and challenge in the many and varied
aspects of parish life at Our Lady of Grace in 2011, we are still thriving
as a community. We are growing both in numbers and in faith. As a
parish family, we have come together in unprecedented ways to
support and care for one another. With continual demonstrations of
generosity, such as the impressive outpouring of support for our
Thanksgiving baskets, the Angel Tree, and most recently, with helping
to operate the Women’s Overflow Shelter for the winter, the
parishioners of Our Lady of Grace have embraced the call of Christ to
serve Him in the least fortunate among us. Through it all, God’s grace
and love have shone brightly at Our Lady of Grace, and we are
stronger as a whole from these experiences.
As we enter 2012, let us remember the successes and victories of
faith, love and perseverance over the past year. Through the grace of
God, the love and support of his wife Mercedes and our parish family,
Brian Marble returned to Mass two weeks ago, playing the piano and
directing our spectacular choir! The entire Regan family was
supported through their difficult time with an outpouring of support
including a memorial mass attended by countless numbers of current
and past students, families, staff, and parishioners. And Phase I of
our capital campaign, under the leadership of Paul Dascoli, has
brought us almost halfway to our fundraising goal! God’s grace is truly
amazing!
We continue to grow, needing more and more space for our countless
events and programs that are perpetually at work, striving always for
the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. Phase II of our
capital campaign, led by Ann Mason, will begin shortly after the New
The Highlighter, February 2012
Year. With your continued gifts of
time, talent and treasure, we will be
able to achieve our goal of better
serving the entire parish community.
After the challenges of the past year,
2012 promises to be one that reaps
the benefits of a great deal of prayer
and hard work of the dedicated
families and individuals that
comprise this extraordinary
community. As the priests of this
wonderful church, we are grateful for
the opportunity to serve amidst such
a vibrant and faith-filled group, who
are always working, in the love of
Jesus Christ, to continue the
worthwhile work of “Building a
Community of Grace.”
With loving prayers for you and your
family for a Merry Christmas and a
Blessed New Year, we remain
Yours in Jesus Christ our Lord,
Rev. Fidel Melo
Pastor
Page 2
2012 Diocesan Support
Appeal Begins
Your gift to the Diocesan Support Appeal makes a difference right
here at Our Lady of Grace. There are some who ask why they
should give to the DSA when they already support our parish and
see the many wonderful things going on here at Our Lady of Grace.
You may not realize that many of these wonderful things result, in
part, from DSA supported agencies that coordinate, train and
provide services to us. Faith Formation classes, Youth Ministry,
Evangelization, the Permanent Diaconate, Lay Ministry Training, Elder Ministry, … all these have
an impact on our parish.
DSA ministries also reach beyond the boundaries of Our Lady of Grace. Many DSA supported
agencies provide services that are well beyond the scope of any single parish. In combining
resources, they are able to minister to the diverse populations in the diocese, provide much
needed spiritual support on our college campuses, and help create and provide housing facilities
with services for seniors, low income families and individuals and other vulnerable populations,
among other things.
Your DSA contributions will help make the education of our 17 seminarians possible. We are
blessed with the presence of these dedicated and caring young men who will one-day serve the
people of our diocese as priests. Eventually they will touch the lives of everyone in the diocese.
Please make a pledge to our Diocesan Support Appeal. As good stewards, we have a
responsibility to look beyond our own parish needs to the larger church. Your gift to the DSA
might just change the life of someone who desperately needs your help. Become the “Hands of
Christ” by responding to His call to support the work of the Church in Western North Carolina.
Focus on Stewardship
By OLG Stewardship Commission
Our Lady of Grace Church is on a journey to make stewardship a way of life.
We invite you to join with us on our journey. It will change your life forever.
Rev. John Eckert
Parochial Vicar
Many of us know that stewardship involves the sharing of our time, talent and
treasure. What is not so well known is that authentic stewardship is a fundamental
response to the gifts we have been given from God. Stewardship is the response to the
immeasurable love God has for us. In essence, it is a relationship of love between God and
the Church.
On this journey, we are asked to take a good look at the six major gifts God has given us;
Time, Talent, Treasure, Prayer, Family, and Faith, and share them for His purpose.
Rev. Christopher Davis
Parochial Vicar
Stewardship of Time
Stewardship of Talent
Stewardship of Treasure
Time is a uniquely valuable
gift from God as you
cannot buy it, you cannot
sell it, nor can you stop it.
Whether you have one or
many talents, they are a
gift from God who
instilled them in you
before you were born.
Talent is the essence of
who we truly are.
This does not mean giving
generous gifts from our
possessions. Stewardship
means that we recognize God
owns it all. We have been
entrusted with the goods of
the earth, yet we own nothing.
We must make those
resources we do not need
available to others.
The Highlighter, February 2012
Page 3
Stewardship of Prayer
Prayer is God’s most
powerful gift He has given
each of us to share. God
wants us to turn to Him
each day of our lives,
sharing with Him from our
heart, our inner most self.
Stewardship of Family
Stewardship of Faith
One of God’s most
precious gifts to us is our
family. God has
entrusted us to be the
caretaker of this most
precious gift. All children
are a blessing of God,
the more you invest in
them the greater the
reward.
As Catholics we receive this
gift of grace through the
sacraments. Our first
relationship is initiated when
God adopts us as his children
through Baptism. We also
receive grace by receiving Him
in the sacrament of the
Eucharist, and when we fail to
be good stewards, we can
share in the sacrament of
Reconciliation.
To help us on our journey, each month
the Stewardship Commission will feature
an organization or a group event that is
need of resources. We will share details
of the event or organization and will
identify specific needs so that we may
share the gifts God has given us.
We believe that true stewardship does
not have religious boundaries and that it
encourages virtue and bears the fruit of
unity among all people… a great example
is the Winter Emergency Shelter for
women, also known as WE.
WE is truly a multi-faith, multigenerational project that is hosted by the
YWCA, it includes volunteers from Our
Lady of Grace Church, St. Mary's Catholic
Church, St. Paul the Apostle, First Baptist
Church, Sojourn Community Church, and
New Jerusalem Cathedral.
The shelter will stay open for only 120
days beginning in December 2011 and
hosts a maximum of 25 women during
the cold months of winter.
Located in the YWCA building in
downtown Greensboro, and the shelter
opens each evening at 6 pm and closes
the following day at 7 am. In addition to
having a warm place to stay, a place to
safely store their belongings, showers
and healthy meals, the ladies also
receive pajamas, underwear, toiletries,
gloves/hats/scarves and referrals to
needed resources in Greensboro. Nightly
meetings provide help with resumewriting, job searches and a variety of life
skills in addition to Bible Study and
prayer groups which are available.
Many volunteers are needed to serve at
the shelter, donate supplies, provide
meals and PRAY for all involved.
Women are admitted to the shelter at 6
pm and leave the shelter in the morning
at 7 am. During those hours, volunteers
serve as greeters, overnight helpers,
serve meals, and prepare breakfast
bags for the women to take out of the
shelter in the morning. A staff member
is present each night as supervisor of
the ministry.
Although significant resources are
poured into the project from the YWCA,
they are still in need of:
▪ Volunteers for all jobs listed above,
especially the overnight helpers
▪ Money for bus passes (which are
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
purchased at the disability rate: 65
cents for 1 ride—$25.00 for a 31 day
pass)
Paper products
∗ Bath tissue
∗ Paper towels
∗ Napkins
Styrofoam cups/lids
Pajamas/gowns for women of all sizes
Quarters for ladies to use at
laundromat
Bleach, laundry detergent,
dishwashing soap, and dishwasher
detergent
Bottled water
Please take a look at the list above, are
you able to help this mission with giving
of one or more of your gifts and share
them for His purpose?
If you are able to help in any way, please
contact coordinators Melanie Gonzalez
at fla4me@aol.com or Chris McKinney at
chrism@saintmarysgso.com or you may
contact Freida Espinosa, Stewardship
Commission Co-chair at (336) 4201362.
Baptisms
Russell Robert Cobb
Stella Lauren Young
Katelyn May Luther
Lucy Adaire Walker
Oliver James Martinez
Brady Aaron Henderlite
Greyson Lloyd Vest
Noah Mebrahtom Woldu
Naomi Mebrahtom Woldu
Simone Faith Mei-Li Tang
Olivia Grace Knighton
Vincent Gabriel Lawlor
William Joseph Lawlor
Isabella Rae Disney
Carmelina Jae Beasley
Marriages
William Sean Reavis & Miranda Gail Reynolds
Michael Thomas Carter & Lisa Marie Banta
James Elliott Buckner &
Maria Isabel Sciabbarrasi
Chad Edward McDonald & Julie Ann Daub
Yampier Dupuy & Nensi Tomas
John Bamboa Pimentel &
Regilda Grace Jucar DeVera
New Members
Cyrille Koussanta
John & Mary DeShazor
Matthew & Sarah Heeden
John & Sherry Felder
Steven & Elizabeth Altmanshofer
Jerry & Diane Williams
Stephen & Debra Parker
Michael & Courtney Splawski
Ryan & Charlotte Sudano
Christopher & Kay Weiss
Robert & Angela Lipke
Jeffrey & Michelle Sahol
John & Reoma McGinnis
James & Kathryn Mendenhall
Kelly Knowles
G. Michael & Lisa Kestler
Daniel & Edith Bergman
Juan Blas de Jesus
Kelly Cleary
Brad & Britney Knighton
Joan Perry
Josip Hmilj
Dijana Asentic
Robert & Debra Richards
Odell & Casey Terrell
Akin & Patricia Akinola
Jenna Miller
Juan & Kaneika Pinto-Rivera
Thomas & M. Elizabeth Collins
Deaths—Rest in Peace
Harold Robert Scherzer
John Andrew Mullins, Jr.
John Wallace Grimes
The Highlighter, February 2012
Page 4
An Invitation ...
from Our Lady
of Grace Women's Club
Ladies! Ladies! Ladies!
Come one, come all!
You are cordially invited to attend
the annual Communion Breakfast on
Sunday April 22, 2012 immediately
following the 8:30 AM Mass
Plan to bring your sisters, mothers,
daughters, aunts, lady friends or
neighbors to the lovely Starmount
Forest Country Club just off North
Holden Road.
Share a delicious breakfast, celebrate
community and friendship, and
listen to a delightful program by the
Bell Ringers Choir from Christ
United Methodist Church, directed
by Andre Lash. The Bell Ringers
will truly help all of us R-R-Ring in
the Spring!
Please make your reservations as
early as possible, or at least by
Saturday, April 14th. The cost is
$15 per person and $7.50 for girls
ages 2-17. (You don't need to be a
member of the Women's Club to
attend!) Please make your checks
out to: Our Lady of Grace
Women's Club and send them - with
the names of those attending - to:
Shirley Kinlaw, 603 Shawnee Road,
Greensboro, NC 27403 or Lynne
Bryant, 205 Country Park Road,
Greensboro, NC 27455.
For directions to the Country Club,
set your GPS to: 1 Sam Snead
Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410
Want to volunteer to help? Or do
you need more info? Just call Lynne
Bryant at 545-0626 or Shirley
Kinlaw at 294-6926 and we'll be
glad to answer your questions.
Page 5
The Highlighter, February 2012
OLG Women’s Club
Women’s Club members sing
‘Happy Birthday’ to Lura Lyle,
Women’s Club member and long
time parishioner.
The OLG
Women’s Club
December
cookie
exchange
was full of
warm smiles
and delicious
treats!
Upcoming Women’s Club Gatherings
Meeting & Lunch─Thursday, February 16
Join us at Bravo Cucina Italiano Restaurant (3324 W. Friendly Ave, Greensboro). RSVP by
Thursday, February 9 by sending $17.50, check payable to the OLG Women’s Club, to:
Pam Dalton, Treasurer
203 Green Valley Road
Greensboro, NC 27403
Hope to see you there!
Monthly Meeting─Thursday, March 15, cafeteria
6:30pm—social; 7:00pm—business; 7:30-8:30pm—Program
March’s program will be Kidspath speaker, Jane Gibson. Bring packaged small treats to
go in St. Patrick’s Day goodie bags for Kidspath families—i.e. chips, granola bars, gum,
playing cards, note cards, candy bars, etc.). Hostesses: Janet Green, Jeannie Hall and
Suzie Johnson. Looking forward to seeing you!
See the Women’s Club Handbook or contact Carol Stratton at 851-0436 to find out more!
Angel Tree is
a gift to families!
Our Lady of Grace would like to
thank everyone who participated in
the Angel Tree Program—the
volunteers who graciously donated
their time to assist this project and
everyone who opened their hearts
to these children and families and
succeeded in making their
Christmas special. Below is a
letter we received from a grateful
family:
Our boys had an AMAZING
Christmas thanks to the angels
who "adopted" them. They are so
happy and playing with their gifts
non-stop. They LOVE their
clothes and shoes and stockings.
It was an amazing Christmas
morning. The Harris Teeter cards
provided Christmas dinner and
then some. It was like being in a
wonderful TV Christmas movie. It
was such an amazing blessing.
Please relay our thanks and
know we can never find words to
convey what they did for our
family.
Each of us has a mission, each
of us is called to change the
world, to work for a culture of
life, a culture forged by love and
respect for the dignity of each
human person.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address in Hyde
Park, London, Sept. 18, 2010
Page 6
The Highlighter, February 2012
Open House
Pre-K through 8th grade
Monday, February 13 10:00am
Tuesday, March 20 10:00am
Between 2006 and 2011, six different OLG School
graduates were either valedictorians or salutatorians
in area high schools. Come find out why! Join us at
10:00am in the school library for a short presentation
and tour of the campus. Can't make the open
house? Call Karen Hornfeck at 275-1522, ext. 100
to schedule a personal tour. Let us show you why
Grace is amazing!
Middle School Readiness Seminar and Open
House on February 8, 6:30pm
Middle school can be a challenging time for students
as they face new challenges academically, socially
and more. Join our middle school teachers as they
share tips to help put your child on the path to
success during this crucial stage. Stay for a middle
school open house to hear parents, alumni and
current students talk about their OLG School
experience.
Special Find at First
Grade Field Trip
During a fall field trip
to the Piedmont Environmental Center in
High Point, Our Lady of
Grace School students
made a historic
find! First graders
Our Lady of Grace School first
from Our Lady of
graders Adriana Bevis and Lindsey
Grace School went on Ramsey show off the 1000 year
a nature walk during old spearhead that the girls found
a field trip to the
while on a field trip to the Piedmont Environmental Center.
Piedmont Environmental Center and
learned that the forest can "talk" to them if they keep
their eyes and ears open to different clues that are
scattered about. Right after the talk, students went
on their own investigations and students Adriana Bevis and Lindsey Ramsey found a 1000 year old spearhead. Representatives from PEC said only one other
of its kind had been found on the site previously.
After the girls' find, PEC marked the area off for further research. OLG School was given the spearhead
and plans to display it. During the trip, OLG's first
grade class also learned about composting, recycling
and soil during the trip to PEC. It was an exciting day!
On November 19, 2011, Our Lady of Grace
School students, families, and staff ran or
walked in the NC Marathon in honor of teacher
Joan Regan, who passed away after a short
illness in September. Father John Eckert ran
his first 5k in her honor and the OLG Panther
was there to cheer him on! Funds raised by
OLG School walkers and runners will go into a
"Regan Fund" to be used for the benefit of the
school.
Upper left: OLG Interim Principal Shirley Kinlaw and Katie Regan, one of Joan Regan's
children get ready to walk the 5K.
Upper right: OLG students Catherine Bagnoli and Carl Essa get ready to run with the OLG
Panther.
Lower left: OLG fourth grade teacher Chris Nunez poses with Olympic champion Joey
Cheek who also ran the 5K.
Preschool Story Time on January 31, 10:00am
Preschoolers and their parents and/or guardians are invited to a winter
preschool story time on Tuesday, January 31 at 10:00am in the OLG school
library. Join us to hear a few snowy stories! This event is free and open to
the public so please bring a friend!
Praying together...
The Mission Effectiveness Committee of the Our Lady of Grace School
Board invites the entire OLG Community to join them in praying each
month for teachers and staff. These wonderful servants are helping in
the formation of the children of our parish and would so appreciate our
prayers and support. During the month of February, please ask God to
bless and sustain:
Mr. Romel, Mr. Oleksiak, Mrs. Patrick, Mrs. Hanner, Mrs. Farrington
The Faculty and Staff of Our Lady of Grace School are completing the
circle of prayer by devoting prayers each month to specific families of
our school community to uplift and support them. During the month of
February, we are praying to God for grace, solid support, growth in truth
and love, and fruitfulness for the following families:
Lumor, Lush, Starr/Mahood, Markun, Marrujo, McArthur, McCann,
McDonough, McNamara, Merendino, Miller, Miller,
Mims, Molen, Moncla, Moon, Moore, Morris, Mullaney, Mullins
Murphy, Murray, Myers
The Highlighter, February 2012
Page 7
Boy Scouts Help Out!
Catholic Schools Week Means Lots of Fun at OLG School!
Catholic Schools Week began early this year for the students at Our Lady of
Grace! Students attended a pep rally on Friday, January 27th to prepare for a
full week of activities the next week as we celebrated Catholic education across
the nation. That night, students in Pre-K through fifth grade were treated to a
movie in the gym, complete with popcorn! Students were excited to dress in
their pajamas and bring sleeping bags as they watched “Dolphin Tales”
together.
On Sunday, January 29th, our families, children, faculty and staff members
joined together with the loyal and generous parishioners of Our Lady of Grace
Church to celebrate Mass at 10am and reflect on this year’s theme for the
week: Faith. Academics. Service. We are so blessed to be members of this
exceptional parish.
30th,
On Monday, January
students participated in a Big Buddy/Little Buddy
activity as they created homemade cards for parishioners who have recently
had babies baptized at OLG or who were married recently at the church.
On Tuesday, January 31st and Wednesday, February 1st , parents were invited
to have a special lunch date with their child. Wednesday also featured a
“Rummage Sale” at which students could purchase gently-used toys, books
and games that some of their fellow students had donated to the cause earlier
in the week. Proceeds from the Rummage Sale and from collections of “pocket
change” during the week were earmarked for the parish Capital Campaign --just to show how committed the students of Our Lady of Grace School are
toward the overall goals of our parish family.
On January 8, Boy Scout Troop 111, under the
leadership of the Stepnowski Family, prepared
and delivered a meal for the Women’s
Emergency Shelter. The Boy Scouts donated
ingredients to prepare a dinner of chili and salad
and a breakfast bag of fruit, cheese, and
granola bars, and then cooked and assembled
the meals for the ladies of the shelter.
Thursday, February 2nd, brought another day of community for our school as
families gathered for a spaghetti dinner in our school cafeteria that evening.
Middle school students showcased artwork based on Polish and Mexican folk
art, a project that was generously funded with a grant from the United Arts
Council. Families also brought desserts to share using tradition recipes from
their countries of origin. It was fun to see the variety of treats there and many
countries were represented, including Ireland, Poland, Italy, Mexico, Germany
and many more! It was wonderful to see the rich diversity of our school
community!
On Friday, February 3rd, our middle school students enjoyed a dance in the
school gym and the very next day, OLG students turned out for the OLG/St. Pius
basketball games. OLG hosted the annual “Panthers for Pink” event during the
games to raise money for breast cancer prevention.
Each year, Catholic Schools Week reminds us how blessed we all are by a
nurturing community of parents and teachers, students who are eager to learn
and a parish who continues to support Catholic education in so many ways.
May God continue to bless us – EVERY ONE!
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA),
Greensboro Court #1200 gathered for their
New Year’s meeting on January 9 at the home
of member MaryAnn Grabasky. The CDA
actively engages in many devotional, charitable
and educational works. All Catholic women are
invited to join the CDA. Contact Elizabeth
Grabasky to find out more at
egrabus@gmail.com or 299-7151.
Page 8
The Highlighter, February 2012
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church
201 S. Chapman St.
Greensboro, NC 27403
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Greensboro, NC
Permit 261
Mark Your Calendars!
February 22
Ash Wednesday
March 9
Knights of Columbus
Parish Fish Fry
March 12 –14
Parish Lenten Mission
with Father David Meconi, SJ
April 8
Easter Sunday
PrepareDOthe
way of the Lord
SOMETHING EXTRA
Our Lady of Grace
Catholic Church
2205 West Market Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Mailing/Office Address:
201 South Chapman Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
(336) 274-6520
www.olgchurch.org
MISSION STATEMENT
In the Eucharist we receive the
true Christ—the foundation of our
Church. With Christ in us, we
form, nurture and promote love,
respect for human dignity,
Christian values and teachings
within our family, parish, and
community through worship and
service.
How often have you been asked what you
are giving up for Lent? Sometimes we never
grow out of the childhood habit of just giving
up candy or sugar! How about a different
approach, by which you make an effort to do
something extra to honor God in this
season?
• Reconcile yourself with someone you
don't like, someone you generally avoid,
or someone you have injured in some
way.
• Perform acts of kindness for people
without expecting anything back.
• Buy a meal for a homeless person.
• Resolve neither to listen to nor pass on
gossip.
• Take time to sit in prayerful silence--even
if it's only a few minutes each day.
• Read all you can about what causes
poverty. Not only will you give yourself
some useful lessons in economics,
sociology, and biology, you will know
better how to serve God's poor.
• Save the cost of one meal a day and
donate it to a favorite charity at Easter
time. (Such as Operation Rice Bowl.)
• Study, meditate, and pray with one or two
scripture passages each day.
• Do some ordinary daily task, and think
about God while doing it.
• If you are sick, confined to the house, or
on the road a lot, pray for the needs of
others.
• In a place you go to regularly--your office,
the supermarket, school--think about
finding Jesus in that place, and what you
might do for him.
• Are there special prayers or devotions from
your ancestral heritage that might help
you grow spiritually?
• Clean out closets and give gently-used
clothing and household items to a charity.
• Take bags of grocery items to the local
food pantry.
• Take part in a weekday Mass, parish
mission, or special Lenten prayer service.
• Keep a crucifix near you. Remember Jesus'
death on the cross.