01.01.88

FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHusms CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

VOL. 32, NO.1.

Friday,-January 1, 1988

FALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly

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January 1 World Peace Day HOn the first day of the year, I am happy to . . . ad.. . dress all my brothers and sis.. . ters throughout the world who have at heart the cause of peace. For I am deeply convinced that to reflect together on the priceless trea... sure of peace is a way to begin to build it."

NC Wide World pho,o

-Pope John Paul II

U.S. bishops may review AIDS statement WASHINGTON (NC) - The U.S. Catholic bishops, divided over a statement on AIDS issued by their Administrative Board in midDecember, may review the document when they hold their next general meeting at the end of June.

The chief point of controversy was a reference in the statement to condom information in public education campaigns against AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The statement said that while not condoning either contraception or non-marital sex, the church could tolerate inclusion of accurate information about prophylactics in public education programs about AIDS. The plan for a possible review of the board statement by all the country's bishops was announced in a private letter to them Dec. 17

by Archbishop John L. May ofSt. Louis, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and U.S. Catholic Conference.

In the letter Archbishop May said the statement "needs to be discussed in greater depth by the mem bership (of the bishops' conference). We might all benefit from a more complete review of the matter. I suggest that our meeting in June might include a full discussion.... We might then be able to agree on certain propositions which could be the basis for clear conference policy."

The Dec. 17 letter or its contents were not revealed, however, until the communications office of the Archdiocese of New York quoted

extensively from it in a news release Dec. 28 intended to give journalists "further clarification and understanding" about the AIDS statement.

Archbishop May and Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, one of the chief drafters of the AIDS statement, reacted sharply after a New York Times report on the May letter interpreted it to mean that the bishops "have set aside for now" the AI DS statement.

"The statement of the Administrative Board on AIDS has not been withdrawn or set aside," Cardinal Bernardin said in a separate statement issued in Chicago.

"At their next meetin'g in June," Cardinal Bernardin added, "the U.S. bishops may discuss the reception that the document has received in the media and elsewhere as well as its underlying moral principles.

The final decision as to its placement on the agenda of the June "At this time, the statement of meeting will be made at the March the Administrative Board stands meeting of the NCCB-USCC Adand is neither being withdrawn ministrative Board."

Despite the publication in New nor temporarily set aside," ArchYork of excerpts from his letter, bishop May said in a statement released by the NCCB-USCC Archbishop May would not release headquarters in Washington after the whole text.

William Ryan, public affairs the Times report appeared Dec. spokesman for the NCCB-USCC, 29.

The "primary purpose" of any said Dec. 29 that Archbishop May discussion of the statement at a "intended it as a private communigeneral meeting "would be to allow cation to the mem bers of the conall the bishops to formulate clear ference and did not intend that it conference policy on aspects of the would be released."

In the excerpts released by the AIDS issue to whatever extent this New York Archdiocese, Archbishis deemed necessary," he said. op May suggested the bishops deHe said his letter to the bishops vote part of their June meeting to also reviewed "in some detail the discussing "certain principles of careful preparation" that went into moral theology and their specific the AIDS statement and discussed application to the AI DS epidemic. "the widespread misperceptions" "We might then be able," he of what the document actually added, "to agree on certain proposaid. A discussion of the document sitions which could be the basis for by the bishops would be within clear conference policy." that context, he said.

He invited comments and sugThe archbishop said he would gestions from the bishops and said "review this possibility with the he would review the possibilities members of the Administrative with the USCC Administrative Board when it meets in March."

Board when it meets in March.

The board, which approved the original AIDS statement, consists of about 50 of the nation's roughly 300 active bishops.

Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York was one of the statement's strongest critics, calling its publication a "very grave mistake."

Joseph Zwilling, assistant director of the New York archdiocesan communications office, said the office's Dec. 28 press release was neither requested by the cardinal nor approved beforehand by him, however.

The office received a copy of Archbishop May's letter, he said, and decided to release portions of it because of numerous inquiries from journalists. Zwilling said the communications office was unaware tha.t the letter was not intended for public dissemination.

Another severe critic of the AIDS statement was ArchbishopJ. Francis Stafford of Denver, who directly challenged the theology behind the statement's toleration of condom information.

A joint statement issued Dec. 12

by Cardinal Law and the 16 other bishops of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, including Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, rejected any toleration of condom education. It came one day after the USCC Administrative Board statement was released.

"We cannot approve or seem to approve the distribution of information regarding contraceptive devices ,and methods which might lead some to think that they could

in good conscience ignore or contradict this teaching," the joint statement said.

It said that the Administrative Board's statement and press reports on it "have generated considerable confusion concerning the church's position on the use of prophylactic devices as a protection against AIDS." Some other U.S. bishops criticized news stories for failing to capture the nuances of the statement, particularly the difference Turn to Page Two

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2 ' THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Jan. I, 1988

Father Clement Paquet

CAPE COD members of various Bishop's Ball committees are, from left, Mrs. James Blackmore, Harwich; James R. Maneely, South Yarmouth; Frank C. Miller, Sandwich, diocesan Vincentian president and honorary ball cochairman; Mrs. Andrew Mikita, Chatham.

1988 Charity Ball presentees named 34 young ladies will be presented to Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. at the 33rd annual Bishop's Charity Ball. to be held Friday Jan. 15 at White's of Westport. The ball will be the 18th at which Bishop Cronin will be the honored guest. It benefits diocesan summer camps and other works of charity.

"The presentees represent parishes in the New Bedford. Fall River; Attleboro. Taunton and Cape Cod areas of the diocese." said Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes. diocesan ball director. "Every year. one third of the 112 diocesan parishes are given this honor." he added.

Mrs. James A. O'Brien Jr. of Fall River. who heads the presentation committee. announced that the presentees with their fathers or other escorts will meet at 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 12 at White's to rehearse the presentation ceremony.

The 1988 presentees are: Attleboro area: Dawn Damiani.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish.

Seekonk: Catherine-Gail Frechette.

St. Stephen·s. Attleboro: Amy .10 Gilmore. St. Mary's. North Attleboro: Kathleen Ann Scanlan. St. John Evangelist. Attleboro.

New Bedford area: Debrah A. Bedard. St. John Neumann. E. Freetown; Tanya Burgo. SI. Mary·s. Fairhaven; Amy Jane LeBlanc. St. Theresa's. New .Bedford; Sheri Lewis. St. Kilian·s. New Bedford; Nicole Lopes.

O.L. Assumption. New Bedford.

Tamara Lukowicz. St. Rita·s.

Marion: Janine Saulnier. St. Joseph's. New Bedford; Karen Marie

Sousa. St. John the Baptist. New Bedford; Kara Mary Sullivan. St. Francis of Assisi. New Bedford.

Taunton area: Kim Arsenault. St. Paul's Taunton; Lisa Desroches.

Holy Rosary. Taunton: Michelle Gibbs. Immaculate Conception.

North Easton; Pamela L. Julio. O.L. .

Lourdes. Taunton: Eileen Marie Zopatti. St. Mary's. Taunton.

AIDS statement Continued from Page One between providing accurate information about prophylactics in educational programs and using such programs to promote or endorse the use of prophylactics.

Some bishops, however, said part of the blame lay with the statement itself, because it was vague and ambiguous.

The day after Archbishop May's Dec. 17 letter was sent out, the bishops of Pennsylvania issued a joint statement on the confusion surrounding the AIDS statement.

They said they "would presume that this matter will be brought to the attention of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops at its next plenary session."

In a two-page statement Dec. 22 Cape & Islands area: Susan ElizaBishop Phillip F. Straling of San beth Fitch. St. Patrick·s. Falmouth: Lisa Hathaway. St. Elizabeth·s.· Bernardino. Calif., said he would prefer to see the origin"'al commitEdgartown: Jodi Ann Hayes. St. .loan of Arc. Orleans: Linda Milmer. tee that drafted the statement St. John Evangelist. Pocasset; Col- "rework the document following leen Murphy. St. Margaret's. Buz- nationwide input and that it be presented to all the United States zards Bay. bishops at our June meeting."

Fall River area: Kristin L. CarBishop R. Pierre DuMaine of reiro. Notre Dame de Lourdes. Fall San Jose, Calif., said ifthe original River: Patricia Cordeiro. SI. Midocument had been presented for ehael·s. Fall River: Michelle Gera decision by the whole body of maine Desrosiers. SI. Anne·s. Fall bishops "I would have voted for it River: Jennifer Sarah Janczura. 5t. without reservation."

Bernard·s. Assonet; Nadine M. LeHe stressed that the disagreevesque. O. L. Grace. No. Westport. ment among the bishops over the Sylvia A. Lynch. St. Mary's Cathedocument "is not about what th6 dral. Fall River: Stephanie Rego. bishops must teach, but how they Santo Christo. Fall River; Lynne can best teach it."

Marie Terceira. Holy Name. Fal1 River; Deborah Tolley. St. Louis.

Archbishop John R. Roach of Fall River: Christine Vieira. St. William·s. Fall River; Pamela A. Wasel. St. Paul-Minneapolis, in a statement Dec. 29, briefly summarized O.L. Fatima. Swansea.

Archbishop May's Dec. 17 letter and commented that "this is a far cry from any retreat from the document." .

He said he considers the AIDS statement "a valuable document" based on "sound" moral principles.

In his own archdiocese, he said, the USCC board statement would be used to help complete an archdiocesan policy statement which "we expect to issue ... within the next month."

Two Statements The texts of Archbishop May and Cardinal Bernardin's Dec. 29 statements follow: Archbishop May: On Dec. 17, I wrote to all the bishops a private letter concerning the recent statement of the Administrative Board of the conference on "The Many Faces of AIDS." My letter reviewed in some detail the careful preparation which preceded the issuance of the statement. It also reviewed some of the wides pread mispercepti_ons occasioned by the document's release - misperceptions which brought SOme measure of pain to some of my fellow bishops.

Finally, I suggested in the letter that the June meeting of the conference might include a full discussion of certain principles of moral theology and their specific application to the AIDS epidemic in this country. The primary purpose of any such discussion would be to allow all the bishops to formulate clear conference policy on aspects

The Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Jan. 2 at St. Anne's Church, Fall River, for Father Clement Paquet, OP, who died Dec. 28 at the Rose Hawthorne Lathrop Home, Fall River, after an illness of over a year.

Bishop Daniel A. Cronin will preside at the liturgy, which will have Very Rev. Pierre Lachance, prior of the Dominican community at St. Anne's, as principal celebrant and homilist.

Father Paquet's endurance of his illness was an inspiration to the sisters and his fellow patients at the Rose Hawthorne Home, said Father Lachance. It occasioned a poetic tribute from Sister M. Christopher, OP. of the home staff (see below).

The priest was born Feb. 15, 1907 in St. George de Beauce, Quebec. The son of the late Wilfrid and Valerie (Poulin) Paquet, he was the eldest of their 14 children. of whom eight survive.

After secondary studies at College St. Anne de la Pocatiere, Quebec. he entered the Dominican order in 1929 and was ordained May 2.1934. in Ottawa. He undertook further studies at the Dominican House in Quebec and in Octobel'. 1938, was assigned to St. Anne's parish. where he spent the remainder of his priestly life. For many years he was assistant pastor in the parish, at that time a title given to the pastor's chief aide.

His duties included direction of the parish CCD program and moderating the Ladies of St. Anne

FATHER PAQUET organization. He also indexed the sacramental registers from the beginning of the parish, a feat believed unequaled in the diocese. said Father Lachance.

Father Paquet is survived by eight brothers and sisters: Gilles Paquet of St. George Ouest de Beauce. Quebec; Francois and Gustave Paquet of Vancouver, British Columbia; Lucien Paquet of Quebec City; Dr. Romuald Paquet of Val d'Or, Abitibi, Quebec; Marthe Fraser of Quebec City; Sister Colette Paquet of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, L'lslet sur Mer, Quebec; and Jeanne Pennino, White Plains, N.Y.

Father Clement o my dear Dominican brother.

In your swollen face I see The suffering lacking to Jesus.

Borne with love for humanity.

Why must you suffer. Father?

The answer's a mystery, But you've been chosen to bear this cross And strengthen the likes of me.

By your smile and patient endurance.

The courage with which you face pain.

I'm reminded of Jesus. my Saviour, And turn in love to Him once again.

You share the work of redemption.

Your cup is filled to the brim.

Not a moment of suffering's wasted When you bear your cross with Him. The burden you bear, dear Father.

Must never get you down.

Jesus is there to help you To win your heavenly crowl'..

Some day in heaven, Jesus ~ill hug you to His breast, He'll remove those heavy crosses, And in Him you will find rest.

He'll reward your every effort To bear courageously All the pain that you've endured.

From pain He'll set you free!

He'll present you to the Father: Priest. victim. loving son.

True sharer in the work of Christ.

Your victory will be won.

And then your gentle Mother.

With words of love will speak As she plants a kiss of welcome Upon your holy cheek!

- Sister M. Christopher. OP

of the AIDS issue to whatever 2) At their next meeting in June. extent this is deemed necessary. I the U.S. bishops may discuss the indicated that I would review this reception that the document has possibility with the members of received in the media and elsethe Administrative Board when it where as well as its underlying meets in March. moral principles. The final deciIf this suggestion is accepted sion as to its placement on the and implemented. this is the conagenda of the June meeting will be text in which the bishops will dismade at the March meeting of the cuss the statement on AIDS. At NCCB-USCC Administrative this time, the statement of the Board.

Administrative Board stands and While I deeply regret the misinis neither being withdrawn nor terpretation and misreading - in temporarily set aside. the media and elsewhere - of this Cardinal Bernardin: The public highly nuanced statement on AI DS, disclosure of the partial contents I reaffirm my support for it. I also of a private letter from Archbishop counsel patience on the part of all.

John L. May, president of the A topic so scientifically complex NCCB-USCC, to all the U.S. Cath- and theologically sensitive as AIDS olic bishops, has unfortunately requires careful study and reflecled to further confusion about the tion. statement on AIDS recently issued by the Administrative Board of the USCe. Nothing Better I offer two clarifications on the "There is nothing greater and matter: better than this: when a husband I) The statement ofthe Adminand wife keep a household in oneistrative Board on AIDS has not ness of mind." - Homer been withdrawn or set aside.

Pastoral administrator qualifications listed

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NC)Notjust anyone can be an effective parish administrator, said the executive coordinator of the Canon' Law Society of America. ,In listing qualifications that bishops should demand of pastoral administrators who will serve in leadership roles in priestless parishes, Father Edward Pfnausch included: - A great concern for people.

- Formal theological training combined with a good sense of the church.

- A great deal of stamina and some pastoral experience.

- A knowledge of counseling, leading prayer and planning.

- A keen financial sense and a healthy Christian spirituality.

A priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., Father Pfnausch is the first fulltime executive coordinator ofthe Canon Law Society.

He commented in an interview with The Catholic Key, newspaper of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

The priest was in Kansas City to lead a workshop on canon law and pastoral administration sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Life, a national center for lay ministry

.

training which is offering a threeyear program preparing lay persons to assume leadership roles in priestless parishes.

The Code of Canon Law is "rather clear about what a person should have to be a pastor who is ordained, but there's nothing about what qualifications a pastoral administrator should have," said Father Pfnausch.

"It's a real talent to be a good, successful, effective pastor or lay pastoral administrator. It's not just something anybody can do," he noted.

About 70 people from 27 dioceses, about half of whom are already leaders in priestless parishes, attended the canon law workshop.

Father Pfnausch said it is crucial that pastoral administrators understand the role of canon law.

"It doesn't answer all the questions that can be raised," he said. "However, we have to develop a sense within these people that they can solve pastoral problems by working within canon law."

He suggested that bishops outline qualifications required for pastoral administrators.

Finding administrators with suf-

ficient pastoral experience may be a problem for some dioceses, said Father John Vaughan, vicar general and director of the office for lay ministry of the diocese of Owensboro, Ky. He cited a study by Father John Renken, chancellor of the diocese of Springfield, Ill., which found that about 3 percent ofthe approximately 19,000 V.S. parishes have no priest as pastor.

The study also found that about 80 percent of pastoral administrators were women religious. There were also some deacons and a few lay people.

More than 40 V.S. dioceses now employ pastoral administrators in parishes "in one form or another," said Joan De Merchant, associate director of the Institute for Pastoral Life.

"We are on the threshold of a quantum leap in the development of this ministry, especially in terms of numbers and a structure for training pastoral administrators," she said.

The institute plans a November symposium in Kansas City on how a parish can best make the transition from a pastor to a pastoral administrator.

Liberation theology part of Latin life FATHER SHARPE

Father Edward J. Sharpe Bishop Daniel A. Cronin was principal celebrant and Father Horace J. Travassos was homilist at the Mass of Christian Burial offered Dec. 31 at St. Patrick's Church, Somerset, for Father Edward J. Sharpe, pastor, who died unexpectedly Dec. 28.

Father Sharpe was a man of quiet charity, said Father Travassos, parochial vicar at St. Patrick's.

He said the pastor habitually made large quantities of soup for the kitchen serving the needy at Diocesan Social Services headquarters in Fall River.

One of his last acts was the Christmas gathering of food and other gifts from parishioners for distribution to the poor.

Born in Needham April3, 1930, Father Sharpe was the son of the late Richard F. and Agnes (McAdam) Sharpe. He prepared for the priesthood at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, O.,and St. ProcopiusSeminary, Lisle,

111., and was ordained at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River, March 22, 1958, by Providence Bishop Russell J. McVinney.

He was parochial vicar at Holy Name parish, Fall River; Holy Family, East Taunton; St. Kilian, New Bedford; Holy Ghost, Attleboro; Our Lady of the Isle, Nantucket; and St. Michael, Swansea, before being named administrator of St. John the Baptist church, Westport, where he served until 1982, when he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's.

He had been spiritual director of the Fall River Particular Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul since 1977.

Father Sharpe is survived by a brother, Richard F. Sharpe Jr., of Needham; and two sisters, Jean Woodsum of Sand wich and Arlene Paul of Boise, Idaho. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Needham.

Women doctors reject surrogacy He said the medical group's resoWASHINGTON (NC) - The American Medical Women's Asso- lution "joins similar statements by ciation has become the first medi- many feminists and other concal organization to officially oppose cerned citizens of all religious and the practice of surrogate mother- political persuasions."

In introducing the resolutions, hood.

A Catholic pro-life official Dr. Michelle Harrison, a Campraised the group's move and said bridge family practitioner and psyit and other similar statements chiatrist, said, "the physician becomes the person who administers were "a welcome development."

The I O,OOO-member organization to the infertile couple and to the approved a measure calling for an surrogate - and physicians are end to "profit-making and brok- the first people that the public ering of women, embryos or tis- turns to in terms of advice."

In surrogacy, an infertile woman sues."

Father Edward M. Bryce, direc- and her husband contract with tor of the National Conference of another woman, usually paid for Catholic Bishops' Office for Pro- the service, to be artificially insemLife Activities, said that surrogacy inated with the sperm of the hus"seeks to create binding commer- band, then give them the baby for cial contracts for realities that can- adoption. not be decently bound by such No Fear contracts: the renting of a woman's body, and the selling of her "I fear no evil, for thou art with child." me." - Ps. 23:4

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WASHINGTON (NC) - liberation theology is the "backdrop" for pastoral life in Latin America, says the general secretary of the Latin American Bishops' Council.

develop strategies to overcome obstacles. In fact, said the bishop, establishment of "comunidades de base" is one of the council's "main programs."

Bishop Rodriguez said it is CELAM's task to answer the problems the Catholic Church faces "on a c0.ntil'!-ent so ~igJ so plurali~-, tic and afflicted by so ml,lch povertyand social-injustice'.:" In Honduras, he said, churchsponsored radio schools have trained the poor to become labor, peasant and trade union leaders.

"Perhaps relatively few Latin Americans have read books on liberation theology, but most peo, pie live it every day," said Bishop Oscar A. Rodriguez Maradiaga. .

Bishop Rodriguez, elected in March to a four-year term as general secretary, also serves parttime as auxiliary in the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

He was interviewed in Washington. indi~ates Pastoral life in Latin America means applying the Gospel "to VATICAN CITY (NC) - The everyday life, to human promo- worldwide ratio of older priests to tion efforts, at work, and in com- younger ones more than doubled munity activities," he said. between 1976 and 1985, according Lay pastoral participation is to a study released by the Vatican's strong and religious and priestly Central Office of Church Statistics. vocations are increasing in Latin In North America the ratio more America, he said. than quadrupled in those nine Liberation theology, which years, it said. sprang up in Latin America in the In 1985, according to the study, late 1960s and early 1970s, is an North America (excluding Mexeffort to apply Christian teachings ico) had 4.5 diocesan priests who to concrete socioeconomic and were 65 or older for everyone political problems. It stresses social under the age of 35. Nine years justice and "a preferential option earlier the numbers in the two age for the poor." groups were nearly identical These concepts emerged and were 103.7 in the older group for every supported by the Latin American 100 in the younger.

Bishops' Council, known by its The office said this "aging index" Spanish initials, CELAM, at con- showed an "extremely high ... direct ferences in Medellin, Colombia, in linear relation" to declines in the 1968, and Puebla, Mexico, in 1979. total number of diocesan priests In recent years critics have said working in areas around the world.

CELAM has backed away from In other words, the higher the the "option for the poor" and has ratio of older priests to younger been hesitant to speak out on priests, the faster the rate of decline social justice issues, Bishop Rod- in the number of priests. riguez acknowledged.

Europe and the Middle East "But these are superficial perceptions," he said, adding it is not had the highest older-younger the role of CELAM to speak out ratios. In 1985 there were about on human rights abuses unless the 5.1 older priests for each younger bishops ofa particular nation make priest in those regions, the study reported. Nine years earlier the a request.

He said liberation theology is ratio had been less than 2-to-1 in "not seen as an enemy" by CELAM. both areas, it said.

It called the European statistics Bishop Rodriguez said one of the theology's components is its "the least comforting." use of basic Christian communiBetween 1976 and 1985, the office ties. In these small groups, Chris- said, "the mean age for four (Euro, tians reflect on the Bible, analyze pean) nations surpassed 60: France material poverty and injustice, and (from 56;4 to 61.8), Luxembourg

Study

"First they learned to read and write, then they learned values including promotion of women in family life. The 'campesinos' [peasants] learned advanced agricultural techniques. Everyone studied social doctrine," the bishop said.

The Vatican has vOIced reservations' :ttbout '}jbeFatitm路 -theology;'" but in 1986 Pope John Paul II sent , a meSsage to the' Bra'tiliail bishop's calling it "an important biblical concept" when applied with "healthy intentions."

greying priests (from 54.1 to 62.2), Switzerland (from 54.8 to 60.1) and Holland (from 56.7 to 62.2).

The office said the mean age of priests in Canada - 53.3 in 1976 and 57.3 in 1985 - was about four years higher than in the V nited States, where the mean age was 49.8 in 1976 and 53.1 in 1985.

The study was published in the English-language weekly edition of L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

It listed only three regions of the world - Africa, Southeast Asia and Asia - where the "aging index" showed fewer older priests than younger ones.

In Africa, where new vocations have been steadily increasing, there were only 42.7 priests over 64 for every 100 under 35. In Southeast Asia the older-younger ratio was 71.9 percent, and in Asia it was 81.3 percent.

Both in 1976 and 1985 priests in the middle 35-64 age bracket made up a significant majority - generally about two-thirds - of the total number of priests in any area of the world.

The study did not attempt to compare priest's ages with general demographic data in different regions. It was therefore impossible to make weighted comparisons that might indicate how priests' ages were affected by general population data such as shorter life expectancy or high percentages of young people in a country's overall population.

4

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Jan. 1, 1988

themoorin~

I I

the living word

1988: A Year for Freedom For most people, peace means the absence of war. In many ways this is a limited view. Ipdeed, it would be grand if a complete halt were brought to the 40-odd world conflicts currently being waged.

Most Americans wish these battles would simply disappear.

In ou.r super-idealism, we tend to think that if Russia and the United States settle their differences, all the others will no longer be of concern. Such an attitude is juvenile, ifnot simply silly.

The real consideration with regard to world peace is that of religious freedom. From Iran to Belfast, the trail of suffering and bloodshed clearly indicates that our bitterest conflicts flow from a fundamental ignorance of the human person.

As Pope John Paul II reflects in his New Year's message: "Peace is not the absence of conflict and war, but the fruit of an order written into human society by its divine founder."

The foundation of our social order is the human person as the possessor of inalienable rights which flow from his or her very being. Despite all'the wars and rumors of war which have taken place in our own lifetime, we cannot escape the reality that much ofthe turmoil we have heaped upon ourselves flows from our purposeful failure to admit that society exists for the person.

Indeed, the initial obligation of society is that of ordering itself to the protection of personal freedoms, the chief of which is religious freedom.

No government, no state has the right to demand authority over a person's religious convictions. Nor may it impose or impede public profession of religious preference.

It is a fact of history that when states interfere even indirectly with these rights, the social order is set on a path of discord and destruction. And we cannot say that such events have never occurred in our own social order. To the contrary, the history of America is pockmarked with cases of religious bigotry, in fact and in hiw.

Evert today, there are' insidious elements in our society that do not hesitate directly and indirectly to ridicule and scorn the U.S. Catholic Church. From right to left, from the Ku Klux Klan to the American Civil Liberties Union, Catholics are fair game.

We have not yet formed such a perfect union that religious freedom is respected and esteemed. As Americans, we should not spend too much time pointing the finger at persecution in other lands; rather, we should spend a little more energy and effort on safeguarding the rights enu'nciated in our own Constitution for our own citizens.

As we enter a New Year and dedicate ourselves to the ongoing promotion of world peace, wouldn't it be well if we did a little work here at home to safeguard our religious liberties from deterioration?

In a country in which vast numbers openly acknowledge secularism as the prime philosophy of' government, there should be an urgency to ensure that the rights to freedom of conscience and religion are effectively respected for all citizens.

The state has no right to become a god unto itself and set up substitute standards of conscience as it attempts to deny religious freedom. Every citizen of this country should be guaranteed such freedom and no one should be ridiculed or shamed because of his or her religious convictions, even if legal action is required to attain these goals.

May 1988 be the year in which we put our house in order with regard to religious freedoms and rights.

The Editor

J

I

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

'

Publi$hed weekly by The Catholic PreS$ of the Pioceseof Fall River 410 Highland Avenue I I Fall River Mass. 02722675路7151 I PUBLISHER Most Rnv. Daniel A. Cronin, 0.0., S.T.D. EDITOR FINANCIAL ADMINISTIlATOR RllY. Msgr. John J. Regan Rev. John F. Moore . . . . Leary Press-Fall Rivet

NC Wide World photo

A NEW YEAR'S WISH

"With thy comeliness and thy beauty set out, proceed prosperously and reign." Ps. 44:5

The Gospel according to YOU

By Father Kevin J. Harrington It is true that Christmas has come and gone but its spirit is so often misunderstood that it remains worthwhile to reflect upon it.

Some may look on Christmas spirit as a gift that should magically descend. triggering that warm feeling of nostalgia; but actually it is an invitation to become more giving. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. Christmas gives you an excuse to do something that you should not be afraid to do more often.

If you find yourselves depressed around the holidays, it is probably because you have shut yourself off from their true spirit. It exists but you may be too busy decrying the overcommercialism of Christmas or resenting what you consider life's injustices against you to recognize it.

I am sure that the innkeepers who found no room for the Holy Family were the same kind of people who complain today about not being able to catch the Christmas spirit.

The surest way to acquire that spirit is through doing something for someone else. maybe giving a surprise gift, or some form of assistance, or a kind, uplifting word.

Adults wrongly assert that Christmas is for children. True, something is lost when little ones are no longer around the Christmas tree. but the Christmas spirit belongs to everyone, regardless of age.

It is not, however, found in the marketplace, which is filled with con men and ripoff artists who exploit the season.

Wars between nations and within our own families and the indifference of people to one another can make this time of year the coldest and the darkest in more ways than one.

Th~ just-passed frenzy and frustration of shopping, of crowded stores, of long lines at check-out counters, of confrontations with store clerks and other shoppers. of disappointment and despair, all smother the spirit we expect to discover because the calendar says it is Christmas.

In fact, the Christmas spirit is joy and it is produced without effort by children of all ages who are unafraid of giving or receiving.

Rejoice, a Child is born for us today! Alleluia! That spirit that shines so brightly throughout the year in children is a challenge for adults to have for even a few weeks. The joy of the Christmas

season dies if the child in each adult is not allowed to live.

The true spirit of Christmas is heralded in the familiar infancy narrative in the Gospel of Luke.

The season glows when you recognize that its spirit stems from within you and is not a mystical presence lurking somewhere among the packages and wrappings. The wonderful old story of Christmas in the Gospel according to Luke is found in the gospel according to You. .

Each day.you are writing another chapter in t~t personal gospel by what you say and do. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have preserved for posterity the power and inspiration of God's love for mankind. And children. even before they can read. seem to know more than some adults about the loy heralded by the ' Gospels.

Perhaps that is why you should be so very careful about the writing of your own gospel because the only gospel many children read is the gospel according to You. What they say and think about your gospel will help them come to know the Word of God made flesh on Christmas Day and living for us through all the New Years to come.

Grandma's death My mother-in-law died last month, the last of my husband's and my parents. I will miss her. She was a friend more than an in-law, never critical and always supportive. But her death was a blessing. She was in great pain and faced more if she lived.

Still, it's never easy to lose one's parents, or to realize that we are now the older generation, the next to die.

I had to cancel a lecture before a large group so before I called my host, I called a colleague who agreed to take my place. She offered condolences and added, "And tell your children how sorry I am they have lost their grandmother."

She was on target. I don't think we realize the depth of loss our children feel when grandparents die. We tend to consider ourselves as the primary mourners, but there is a special bond between grandparents and grandchildren that parents cannot cross.

Grand parents are ever-loving.

They forgive grandchildren when parents don't. They represent stability in a whirling world. They understand that a childish misbehavior doesn't necessarily mean that child is destined for the penitentiary if not immediately corrected. They represent love in its purest most godlike form.

I recall many years ago when I was at loggerheads with mydaughter in a typical parent-teenage standoff. After reconciling, I asked her, "If you ran away, where would you go?"

Without hesitation she replied, "To Grandma's."

Our children are now farflung in various colleges but their reaction to their grandma's death was deep and heartfelt. They denied that the death had value, they felt adrift and they experienced the feeling of helplessness that accompanies the loss of a loved one.

"It isn't fair," said one. "She shouldn't have died," said another.

"I want to come home," said a third. We understood and we grieved with them as well as for ourselves. They lost a special friend, one who loved them "in spite of," one who followed their lives with unflagging interest, one who took their cheeks in her hands and kissed them, saying, "I'm so glad you're here."

I knew only one grandparent and he was deaf so I could never really talk with him but he patted me on the head, gave me a penny and an occasional sip of his homemade beer. When he died, I was 12 and I felt cheated. At 12, life goes on forever. There are feelings of anger and loss that are hard to accept.

If I have learned anything about

A positive '88 During 1987, more than any other year, I was contacted by reporters who would begin by saying, "Father Hemrick, I am doing a story on the Catholic Church. lsn't it true that it is in a crisis, that it is losing its priests, that women are angry with it and the American bishops are split among themselves?

I would reply, "Definitely, the numbers confirm we have troubles. If, however, we look at the entire picture of the church in America, for every negative statistic a positive one can be found.

This is proven from the data."

As everyone knows, it is somewhat easier to focus on the negative side of things than to keep the bigger picture with its positives in mind. There is plenty of bad news to contend with, whether it is conveyed by newspapers, friends, coworkers or anyone else.

There is also a human fascination with reports that portray life as unbalanced and disjointed. A psychologist said that seeing the imperfections of others releases the guilt we feel at our own imperfection.

Whatever the reason for citing the negative more than the positive in life, the negative always seems to make a more lasting impression on us and influences our outlook.

May I suggest as a New Year's resolution that we resolve to increase our virtue of kindness and thus bolster the brighter side of life?

Kindness is being well-disposed toward life. It is founded on the fact that God thought enough of us to redeem us and this life. It gets us to search actively for goodness even though the news may be dark. It reminds us to keep a sense of humor, to laugh at ourselves and others when we get that uptight

feeling that all is going wrong.

Being kind does not imply that we. become weak, uncritical and just go around with a plastic smile.

It requires that we try to get at a situation as it really is, endeavoring to understand the whole picture and seeking a balanced perspective.

It looks at what happens through the eyes of faith, asking where God's plan is when the inexplicable and illogical occur.

It is my New Year's wish that in 1988 your greatest achievement will be in turning life's downers into uplifting moments; that when

THE ANCHOR -

Pope asks dignity vATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope John Paul II told a group of international medical experts to resist modern "solutions and strategies" that offend human dignity. He spoke at a recent Vatican-sponsored conference on "Humanization and Medicine" which addressed issues such as genetic engineering, the borderline between life and death, abortion and health care in the Third World.

Fri., Jan. I, 1988

5

By DOLORES CURRAN

losing grand parents, it is this: don't underestimate the loss to grandchildren. They need to talk about their feelings and recall their good times with grandparents.

For many children, the death of a grandparent is their first experience of mortality and a test of their faith in eternal life. Although they know death exists, they don't really believe it until they lose someone dear to them. At that time, they need us to help them accept that Grandma lives on and that life goes on. We can help keep the memories alive by talking about the deceased grandparent, laughing, crying and praying together.

Our children ~ere unable to attend the funeral so we are planning a memorial liturgy when they are at home. It's important to share the loss together physically and spiritually, not just over the phone and in letters.

We will hold our service in the room where she rocked them as babies and we will share special memories and feelings. It won't be easy but it will be healing.

By

FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

life seems to be caving in, you may find the strength to take an extra minute to look for a sign of goodness in the situation; that you always seek to balance bad news with the brighter side of life.

For it is in such ways that we Christians reflect that life has indeed been redeemed.

Reconciling needed SHANGHAI, China (NC) - A Chinese-appointed bishop said Chinese Catholics want to reconcile their patriotism and their faith as Americans have, according to a Maryknoll official. Auxiliary Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai said he admires how American Catholics manage being both loyal citizens and faithful to their religion, the order's social communicaitons director, Father Ron Saucci, reported. "We want to follow the example of the American Catholic Church by being truly Chinese and truly Catholics," the 71-yearold bishop was quoted as saying.

Diocese of Fall River -

Jan. 4 1961, Rev. Eugene L. Dion, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River Jan. 6 1906, Rev. James F. Roach, Founder, Immaculate Conception, Taunton Jan. 7 Rev. Alfred R. Forni, Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi, New Bedford Jan.S 1940, Rev. Alfred J. Carrier, Founder, St. James, Taunton 1885, Rev. John Kelly, Founder, St. Patrick, Fall River 1944, Rev. Arthur C. Lenaghan, Chaplain, United States Army 1I111i1ll1l1l1l1ll1ll1l1ll1ll11ll1ll1l1l1ll1ll1l1ll1ll1ll1l1ll1ll1l1l THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-o20). Second Class Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass Published weekly except the week of July 4 and the week after Christmas at 410 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $8.00 per year. Postmasters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

Which

parish is mine?

Q. I live in one state and work in another. I am registered in the parish where I live. Three years ago I decided to go to Mass every morning. The only church I could attend and still make it to work was close to my job. After three years I'm beginning to wonder which church is really mine.

Since on weekdays no collections are taken, I have not been contributing to that church. I give my fair share to my home church but cannot afford to give anything more.

My question is, should I quit my church and register in the one I attend on weekdays? I would like to be fair. (Indiana) A. While the churches involved may not always be so far apart, many Catholics find themselves in your situation. They belong to one parish but for various reasons attend another through the week.

Don't worry about it. I'm sure the priest at your workday church is pleased to have you there. If you wish to do so occasionally, you can give a little something to show your appreciation for the opportunity to attend Mass there, but nothing is really required.

A far more important point is that of what it means to be a member of a parish. Some Catholics seem to feel that"belonging to a parish" means hardly more than where they place their envelope in the Sunday collection.

But Church law defines a parish as a "specific community of Christian believers" (canon 515), which means that every parish is a fellowship of believing Catholics who help each other and the rest of the community to live out the Gospel of Christ.

As a general rule, the pastor in the parish where you reside is primarily responsible for you. For a serious enough reason, however, you can register in another parish.

I suggest that you pick out the one where you can honestly expect best to dedicate and use your talents and make it in fact your parish, without, of course, feeling that you cannot also attend Mass elsewhere.

Q. My wife and I were divorced about 10 years ago. After that she married another man and is now divorced from him also. We have talked a lot and are considering remarrying.

We have read the Bible, however, and in the book of Deuteronomy it states that this should not be done, that it is an abomination to the Lord. Would we be doing wrong if we were married again? (Missouri) A. The Old Testament prohibition against a man remarrying his wife after she has married someone else (Deuteronomy 24: 1-4) was part of Jewish tradition governing ritual purity. By marrying the second husband the woman became "impure" for her former husband.

As with other parts of the ritual code of the Old Testament, we Christians do not consider this re-

By FATHER JOHN DIETZEN striction binding in any moral way.

As long as other necessary conditions are met, you and your wife would be free under Catholic Church law to remarry and resume living together as husband and wife.

A free brochure explaining Catholic teaching and practice on annulments is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Parish, 704 N. Main St., Bloomington, III. 61701. Questions for this column should be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address.

Obituaries Sister Methot The Mass of Christian. Burial was offered Monday in the Chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph at Blessed Sacrament Convent, Fall River, for the repose of the soul of Sister Marthe Marie Methot, SSJ, 79, who died Dec. 24 at her order's Mont Marie Infirmary in Holyoke.

The former Yvonne Methot, the daughter of the late Charles and Marie (Bernier) Methot, was a Fall River native. She was a Blessed Sacrament Convent resident before moving to Holyoke six months ago.

She attended Fall River's Blessed Sacrament School and earned a bachelor of arts degree from the city's former Sacred Hearts School of Education. She taught at St. Jean Baptiste and St. Louis schools in Fall River and at St. Michael's and St. Louis de France schools in Swansea.

Sister Methot is survived by four brothers, Julien, Daniel, Ernest and Raymond Methot, all of Fall River, three sisters, Jeanne Thibault of Fall River, Theresa Crosson of Riverside, R. I., and Germaine Fabiano of Wakefield, an aunt, Sister Marie Vincent, OP, of Fall 路River, and several nieces and nephews.

Burial was in Fall River's Notre 'Dame Cemetery.

Sister Davis Sister M. Anastasia Davis, RSM, 82, died Dec. 23 at Mt. St. Rita Health Centre, Cumberland, R.1.

Her Mass of Christian Burial was offered last Saturday at Mt. St. Rita Convent Chapel.

The daughter of the late William and Josephine (Coffey) Davis, the former Catherine Davis, a New Bedford native, entered the Sisters of Mercy on Jan. I, 1925. She was professed Dec. 27, 1927.

Before her 1978 retirement, she taught at SS. Peter and Paul School, Fall River, Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, and New Bedford's former St. Kilian School and Holy Family High School.

Sister Davis is survived by a brother, William C. Davis of New Bedford.

She was buried at Resurrection Cemetery, Cumberland.

6

The Anchor Friday, Jan. I, 1988

Science/belief dialog starts

Bright red vision

WASHINGTON (NC) - 18 scientists, theologians, philosophers and bishops have launched a church-sponsored dialog exploring the connections between science and religious belief.

The group was convened by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Human Values.

Washington Archbishop James A. Hickey, chairman ofthe human values committee, said the meeting revealed "a common dedication to the search for truth - that is, a meaningful description of reality'- and set the stage for future planned discussions."

According to Archbishop Hickey, the human values committee F ALL RIVER area sisters enjoy an appreciation dinner at Holy Name parish hall, hosted had for several years considered

by Father Francis L. Mahoney, pastor. Also expressing gratitude is Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. establishing an ongoing dialogue (Gaudette photo) between the bishops and the scientific community patterned after the ecumenical dialogues the bishops have conducted with other religious bodies for about 20 years.

LOS ANGELES (NC) - A phaly usually live only a few days The participants in this first But protections due all humans baby girl whose organs had been on their own before reduced brain must be observed, he said, and meeting agreed on "a working desintended for transplant because capacity causes breathing to stop. organs could be donated from cription of scientific method" to she was expected to be born severely Such babies, numbering about those who meet the clinical criteserve as a basis for future discushandicapped and incapable of liv3.500 a year in the United States. ria, "that is, death of the whole sions. The next one was scheduled ing was stillborn Dec. 22 at Loma deve.lop in the womb like any brain." for Jan. 22-24 in Washington.

Linda University Medical Center. fetus, but lack the cerebral hemisIt will focus on the implications "To donate organs from a living The anencephalic child, Jarren pheres that control thought, motion of genetic engineering. human subject with the effect that Winner, whose fate was the sub- and sensation.

In a document produced at an the donation of organs results in ject of a nationwide ethics conIn his statement, Archbishop August meeting, the group asserted the death of the donor is not pertroversy, died a few minutes before Mahony said circumstances of hanthat "it is not inconsistent for a missible," he said. birth, said doctors, who noted that dicap or accident "do not justify scientist to respect theology as a . He applauded the Winners "for efforts to revive her continued for any medical interventions which rational activity." their courage and willingness to six minutes. would compromi~e orerode respect The document also said the accept the child as the precious gift The girl's parents. Michael and for hl.\man life." . Catholic Church should address from God that it is. how scientific findings are per-' . Brenda Winner. of Arcadia. Calif..

But he said it was "appropriate" "As such, appropriate medical had wanted their baby's organs to to sustain "for a short period of ceived. "Scientists stress the provicare is to be offered, and in the be donated. This raised a host of time" a clinically dead individual sional nature of their current work, moral. ethical and legal questions by means of ventilator support "in event that life cannot be sustained, while the public often attributes because such babies are considered order to maintain the integrity of the Catholic moral tradition has certitude to it. This misplaced conlong recognized that the inherent "dying," not dead. and it is unac- the organs." fidence sometimes causes religious finitude of human existence is also ceptable for doctors to remove doubts," the statement said.

"Howelt'er, these protocols also organs from people who are not recognize that respect for the dig- to be accepted as part of the divine It added, "This dialogue should plan." brain-dead. explore ways in which the critinity of the person does not warOn Dec. 14, Los Angeles ArchOn Dec. 18 officials at Loma cally evaluated findings of modern rant maintenance for an indefinite bishop Roger Mahony said that period of time," he said. science can be of greater use in the Linda. which is 60 miles east of medical care for the baby must not development of theology."

Los Angeles, announced a policy "Special difficulties" eXIst in the "compromise" or erode respect for case of anencephalic babies. the for using brain-dead newborns as The discussions grew out of a human life." religion and science conference archbishop said. but added that organ donors. The hospital is a He also said sustaining the infant "such babies are to be treated pioneer in the field of baby heart sponsored by the U.S. bishops last on life support systems for"a short equally along with other approp- transplants.

September in Detroit. period of time" to maintain organ The policy. which was to be riate candidates for organ donaAt that time, Archbishop Hickey integrity would be appropriate if tion, and, according to the same used for the first time with the said many persons see scientific all criteria governing organ dona- clinical criteria for the determina- Winners' baby. said an anenceadvances as undermining faith tions were met. phalic baby can be kept alive by tion of death." while others "are embarrassed to He made the comments in a The archbishop called organ don- respirator for seven days. during talk about God or life after death statement regarding an agreement ation from individuals "who meet which time it would be checked in public because they feel these announced by the medical center the clinical.criteria for brain death" every 12 hours for brain function. matters are beyond the scope of regarding the Winner baby. a form of "charity" and said it was the empirical."

If none is present, the parents "ethically justifiable."

The child was born with "no visBasic Christian doctrines such could donate the organs. If no ible signs of life," said Dr. Joyce as the Resurrection are "glossed brain function were detected after Peabody, the center's chief of neoover" as being contrary to the laws EDICTAL CITATION the seven-day period, life support natology. "The Winner family held of nature, while "pronouncements DIOCESAN TRIBllNAL machines would be removed and their baby and said goodbye," she of popes and councils are dismissed FALL RIVER, MASSACHliSETTS the child allowed to die naturally. added. as conservative and contrasted with Since the actual place of residence'of The 'policy holds that organs Dr. Peabody said that Loma progressive and more scientific DALE K. READ is unknown. will not be taken from an anenceLinda intends to proceed with anenviews," he said.

We cite DALE K. READ to appear phalic child until it is brain-dead. organ transplants. cephalic Dialog participants included personally before the Tribunal of the Other Catholic response to the The use of babies such as Jarren Charles Misner, an internationally Diocese of Fall Rivcron.January4.1988. situation included reaction from Faas organ donors has been avoided renowned astrophysicist from the at 10:30 a.m .. at 887 Highland Avenue. ther Donald McCarthy, director

by U.S. hospitals because of ethiUniversity of Maryland; Maxine Fall River. Massachusetts. to give tesof education at the Pope John cal concerns raised by the need to Singer, National Institutes of timony to establish: XXIII Medical-Moral Research keep such infants on life ~>upport Health g'eneticist and a member of Whether the nullity of the marriage and Education Center in Braintree. even though they will die. the Pontifical Academy of Scienexists in the HOW AR D-READ case'!

He said the organ donation is Once anencephalic newborns are ces; Jesuit Father William Stoeger Ordinaries of the place or other pas"an act of charity." but noted it brain-dead, they can be organ donof the Vatican Observatory; and tors having the knowledge of the resiwas important to have "reliable ors but without life support the Jesuit Father Paul Quay, research dence of the above person. Dale K. Read. clinical indications that the brain organs would deteriorate as the professor at Loyola University in must see to itthat she is properly advised stem is no longer functioning." infant dies, and thus could not be Chicago. in regard to this edictal citation.

He also said limitations must be transplanted.

Henry T. Munroe established to prevent babies from Some critics contend it may be Judicial Vicar What Love Does being seen "as nothing but an ethically wrong to prolong a life Given at the Tribunal. organ source" and warned that "Love one another earnestly, not to benefit the patient but solely Fall River Massachusetts. physicians should be monitored to because love covers over many to "harvest" organs. ori this. 17th day of Decemberr. 1987. keep them from "cutting corners." sins." - I Pet. 4:8 Babies who suffer from anence-

O'rgan

transpl~nt

ethics clarified

Dear Editor: Dark winter mornings make rising and facing the day's many problems very difficult. On one frosty morning, I was surprised by a flash of red in the midst of an uncared-for thicket. A red cardinal perched on the delicate branches.

No leaves remained on the bush, yet the bird's presence shouted that even in this barren spot a regal visitor could be found. The crimson wings offered a reminder that God gives numerous examples of hope and beauty in nature. Even on the bleakest winter mornings he sends a lovely message.

Seeing such beauty even when nature has abandoned its fall finery shows that the God of love is always there. The beautiful cardinal who comes when all is bleak is like Christ who comes into our souls to brighten and give hope.

So even as I shiver in the frosty morning light, I'll recall my bright red vision and smile and hope.

Jean Quigley Rehoboth

SISTER Rosemary Sullivan has been elected U.S. provincial superior of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, an international congregation serving in over 75 countries and in nine of the United States.

In the Fall River diocese the sisters teach in Espirito Santo School, staff St. Francis Guild and are involved in religious education and pastoral care of the sick, all in the city of Fall River.

Sister Rosemary, a native of Rochester, N.Y., is a graduate of Andover Newton School of Theology. She has directed religious education in Singapore and was director of a Woonsocket day center.

Most recently she was associate pastor of a parish in Hamilton, Ga., where she was active in ecumenical ministry.

"Welcoming the Stranger" Migration Week focus

Scene at flagpole dedication

Pastor's last prayer found in typewriter The last prayer composed by Rev. William E. Farland, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Taunton, who died last Nov. I, was for something he and his parishioners had waited a long time for - a new flagpole monument dedicated to veterans of the parish.

The prayer was found in Father Farland's typewriter the morning his body was discovered by assistant pastor Rev. Kevin J. Harrington.

Had he lived, Father Farland would have read the prayer at the Nov.8 monument dedication - a week after his death.

Parishioners, along with Father Harrington, however, decided to go on with the service as Father Farland would have conducted it.

After all, everyone - especially Father Farland - had waited better than two years for the day when the monument was fundedand ready to be dedicated.

Dozens of parishioners attended the dedication service led by Father

Harrington. Featured was Father Farland's prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask your blessings upon this nag and upon all the nags which will ny from this mast.

Bless this monument which states that our nag will ny and is dedicated to all veterans, those deceased, those living and those who, will become veterans of this parish dedicated to St. Joseph.

We ask you to be merciful in your judgment of those veterans who willingly gave their lives in defense of their country.

We ask you to look with kindness on those veterans who after serving their country have gone to th,eir eternal reward.

May you shower your blessings upon the living veterans of our parish who stand with pride for having served their country.

Heavenly Father: shower your blessings upon our country - upon our leaders. We pray that one day our country and all countries of the world will come to understand the wastefulness of war and be able to live in peace with each other.

We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

-Reprinted by permission from the Taunton Daily Gazette

Science academy

FATHER FARLAND

WASHINGTON (NC) - A U.S. Catholic academy of sciences has been established by 12 American Catholics involved in political, legal, medical and business life. At its first meeting, held at the Catholic University of America, members elected officers and drew up a covenant outlining the aims of the group, to be modeled on European science academies.

"Smile. Be kind. Be patient," he advised. "Don't judge."

Parishes, said the priest, can foster a welcoming atmosphere by: - Sponsoring potlu'ck dinners at which recent immigrants share their stories.

- Teaching children that "just because someone's a little different is no reason he can't be your friend'." , - Inviting immigrants from nearby communities to a parish information night at which they explain their particular customs.

A real challenge to the U.S. Catholic Church today is "to what extent it will allow new immigrants to express their faith in different ways," Father Anthony Czarnecki, USCC special assistant for pastoral care of migrants. and refugees, said in an interview the same day.

He said that for instance in some communities Polish immigrants have encountered "tremendous resistance" when they expressed interest in celebrating Masses for Poland, a tradition in their homeland. Critics misunderstood the meaning of such celebrations and labeled them "nationalistic," he ~aid.

Like the Mexican custom of breaking the pinata which has been adopted by many U.S. families, other ethnic traditions can serve to enrich the lives of North Americans, said Father Zendzian.

The priests said. the nation's most recent immigrants - who come primarily from Asia and Latin America - have greater expectations of the church than did those who came in years past.

"Many of these people came from countries where they had to make sacrifices in order to be Catholic," said Father Zendzian.

"They left their homes because they had to leave ... 'they couldn't achieve full human dignity where they were." .

For example, he said, to many

WASHINGTON (NC) -In this "hustle-bustle world" it's easy to forget to take time¡to welcome the recent immigrant, said a U.S. Catholic Conference official. . To locate the new immigrant "people only need to open their eyes and look at who their neighbors are ... or who's sitting in the pew next to them at church," said Father Peter Zendzian, new USCC director of pastoral care of migrants and refugees.

"Everyone has the responsibility to make others feel at home," said the priest, adding that it is especially important to welcome those who "come from different lands and speak different languages."

He was interviewed in connection with National Migration Week Jan. 4-9.

Among those in the Fall River diocese involved with problems of immigrants is Rev. John J. Oliveira, parochial vicar at St. Michael's parish, Fall River. He is chairman of the Portuguese Health Care committee at St. Anne's Hospital. also Fall River. that is concerned with health education of area newcomers from the Azores. many of whom face a language barrier in trying to make their needs known to caregivers.

Father Zendzian applauded the "thousands" of Catholic volunteers nationwide who have participated in efforts by church-run agencies to help illegal aliens apply for legalized status under amnesty provisions in the 1986 immigration reform law.

But welcoming immigrants "doesn't have to mean being a social worker," said Father Zendzian, adding "it does mean being gracious and charitable" to those one meets.

It requires taking an interest in their histories, developing a sensitivity for their cultures and an openness to different kinds of peoples. he said.

Latin Americans forced to flee their homelands the church was the "one place they could get the energy they needed to take on systems of government that were unjust."

In Poland, too, the church is where the people went to "get nourishment," he said.

"Faith to them means more than the rosary or the K of C," said Father Zendzian. "These people can invigorate the American church."

According to Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Migration, "The National Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsors National Migration Week nationwide, seeing in it an annual opportunity to reaffirm the church's year-round commitment to serving all people on the move, from immigrants and refugees to the displaced persons and migrant workers."

The 1988 National Migration Week theme is Catholic Laity and Migration. Iva message issued for this event. Pope John Paul II declared: "The commitment to alleviate the burden of suffering, of humiliation and poverty, that weighs heavily on the migrant is the responsibility of the Church as a whole. But first of all it is the duty of the laity because of the strong social implications that migration connotes."

The U.S. church, says the U.S. bishops' Office of Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees is multicultural.

The bishops, say the pastoral care officials, instituted National Migration Week: - to focus attention on migrants both in the U.S. and abroad; - to examine the impact of human mobility on spiritual life; - to raise awareness of the plight of those displaced by persecution, poverty, economic hardship and other adverse conditions; - to celebrate the multicultural dimension of American society.

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8

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Jan. I, 1988

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During my first four weeks of prayer group involvement, the experiences, teachings and charismatic practices all fitted together - except for one incident.

On my second night, the layman who was teaching us handed me a book, "The Challenging Counterfeits," and remarked, "I think you should read this."

A few weeks later, as I went back to him to check out and review my beginning experiences, I mentioned to him that the book was the only part of my involvement that didn't seem to fit together with the other pieces. I then asked, "Is that meant for later?" He assured me ~hat it was.

The author had become a medium, a person who performs seances, from the very good motive of trying to console those who had lost a loved one. Eventually he realized he was involved in powers which he could not handle. Someone pointed out to him that the "supernatural powers" which he experienced and used for others, were condemned in Scripture.

He then tried to withdraw from these powers and ended up with a number of life-threatening experiences. Eventually he was totally set free and wrote the book, "Challenging Counterfeits." to warn others about occult involvement.

This book, together with the positive charismatic experiences of the Pentecostal RenewaL opened my eyes to the dangers and attractiveness of the occult. As I learned the many true charisms of the Spirit, I also realized that every charism has a "counterfeit," a power that looks like a charism but doesn't come from the Holy Spirit. Rather than being a gift from the kingdom of Jesus, these powers are really snares from the kingdom of darkness.

I want to list some of these powers, which many feel are neutral or even good but which really are rooted in the kingdom of darkness.

These include the ouija board,

tarot cards, fortune tellers and seances, ESP, mind control and transcendental meditation. The daily horoscope, although taken lightly by most, shares in the powers of darkness and can be a true obstacle to the Spirit, if read daily and taken seriously. (For some people, horoscope reading is their daily "Bible quote".) . People coming into the Renewal have frequently dabbled in these powers. Some have even maintained an attachment to them.

All newcomers receive clear teaching that these are counterfeit charisma. Counterfeit does not mean "not real" in this case, because the powers themselves are very real. If someone plunges fully into them, he or she will soon gain proficiency and will also become terribly mixed-up. Counterfeit here means they look like powers from Jesus' Spirit, but are really from the kingdom of darkness.

Their purpose is to entrap, to entice, to attract away from the real charisms. Certain signs give them away. First, they are often condemned in Scripture. Second,

if not condemned, they at least have no basis in Scripture. Third, they claim to be human powers even though the phenomena go beyond the human. Fourth, they don't focus on God, but on the person, claiming that these are really human powers, undeveloped in most.

Catholic Pentecostalism teaches clearly the existence and power of two kingdoms. The kingdom of God is uncreated yet shared with mankind, especially through Jesus Christ. This kingdom is kind, beneficial and always helping. The kingdom of darkness was created but in some mysterious way was removed from God's original purpose. This kingdom of darkness, too, retains some relationship to mankind. However, this relationship is harmful and meant to divert people away from God. It counterfeits gifts which are rooted in a theology that claims they are really the full development of human powers. They appeal to people's egos and pride.

"The Challenging Counterfeits" opened my eyes to the amount of naivete among those who dabble in strange powers, thinking they are on neutral ground when really they are stepping into enemy territory.

A full explanation' of these counterfeits and of the kingdom of darkness is contained in chapter 15 of my own book, "A Key to Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church."

One Sunday, when the Gospel spoke about Jesus overcoming Satan, I quoted from that chapter.

The number of people who came up to me after Mass, saying that they never realized anything was wrong with some of these occult practices, showed me clearly how much Catholics need to be taught about avoiding the counterfeit gifts.

MSGR. WALSH

Msgr. Walsh is the vicar for charismatic prayer groups of the Philadelphia archdiocese.

Black Catholic committee to stress evangelization

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WASHINGTON (NC) - Evangelization will be a major thrust of the newly created Black Catholic Committee of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, said its new chairman, Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard of Baltimore.

"We will focus a great deal on' the evangelization mission of the church.... We want to reach out to the unchurched and to reclaim blacks who have left to go to fundamentalist groups or other churches'," the, bishop said in an . . mtervlew.

The U.S. bishops at their November 1986 meeting established the new committee and an NCCB Secre-

tariat for Black Catholics, with the first committee chairman to be chosen in 1987 and the secretariat to be established by January 1988.

Beverly Carroll, executive director of the Urban Commission of the Baltimore archdiocese, has been appointed as th~ secretariat's first director. .

The secretariat will serve the committee and be a liaison between the bishops and national black Catholic organizations.

Formation of the groups was "long overdue," said Bishop Ricard, one of the nation's II black bishops.

Six million to IO million black Americans have no church affilia-

tion. Of the country's 52 million Catholics, 1.3 million are black.

The committee will work on "coalition building" among black Catholic organizations as well as implementation of a national pastoral plan which has as priorities evangelization.

Guarantees "Everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened." - Luke 1I: IO

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Jan. I, 1988

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FRIENDS OF ST. THOMAS MORE, from left, Father John F. Moore, Sister Thomas More, OP, Msgr. John J. Regan, pastor ofSt. Thomas More parish. Msgr. Regan holds a piece of wood from the Thomas More mulberry tree.

Mementos of St. Thomas ~ore come to Fall River diocese tel arrangements, said that in October 1986 permission had been A recent trip to England yielded . obtained to offer Mass in the souvenirs for St. Thomas More Tower· of London cell where the parish, Somerset; Sister Thomas martyr was held for over a year More of the Dominican Sisters of before his execution July 6, 1535. the Presentation; and Father John F. Moore, Anchor editor.

Hofton said the Mass, the first All share special devotion to St. offered in the room since the death Thomas More, the Lord Chancelof the saint, was a tremendously lor of England executed in 1535 moving experience. "I took a stone for standing firm against King from the floor," he confided, "to Henry VIII when the monarch add to our mementos here." disputed the spiritual authority of the pope. . Among saints, Thomas More In the Chelsea area of London, stands out for his sense of humor, it was our party's good fortune to reflected in what is surely one of stay at the seminary of the archdithe most cheerful prayers ever ocese of Westminster, used as a written: 0 God, for whose love thy hostel during students' vacations. blessed martyr Thomas cheerfully The seminary, Allen Hall, is left family and wealth for prison located on St. Thomas More's and for death, grant that we, in the former estate on the banks of the same blithe spirit of devotion, may Thames River. On its grounds is a merrily sacrifice all to gain Jesus gnarled mulberry tree under which the saint sat with his family.

On a rainy London night, we were taken by flashlight to see the tree. I picked up a few leaves as souvenirs but later found that the previous week a storm had brought one of the ancient branches to the ground. It had been cut into chunks, each sealed with the archdiocesan coat of arms to attest its authenticity. Needless to say, the two to three-inch pieces formed more permanent remembrances than leaves, so we obtained several for ourselves and St. Thomas More's other Fall River friends.

By Pat McGowan

The mulberry tree is not the only reminder of the saint at Allen Hall, itself a historic seminary.

Moved to Douai, France, in 1568, during the persecution of English Catholics, the seminary returned to Ware in Hertfordshire, England, in 1793 and came to Chelsea in 1975, occupying what had heen a convent where sisters prayed around the clock for the return of the country once known as Mary's dower to the ancient faith.

In a small showcase off the seminary chapel, we saw a tiny, exquisite wax bust of St. Thomas More, purchased at the end of the 19th century at the time of sale of Hales Place in Canterbury, once the home of Margaret Roper, the saint's favorite daughter.

Made shortly after the saint's death, the bust was pronounced an excellent likeness by a contemporary critic.

Bringing the story of St. Thomas to the present, seminarian William Hofton, in charge of hos-

Christ, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

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An inconsolable teenager

By Dr. James and Mary Kenny Dear Dr. Kenny: My 16-yearold daughter came home one night last week to tell me her life was over. Her steady boyfriend of one year had found someone else. She was inconsolable.

Since then she has been quiet and cries easily. She mopes around taking little interest in anything. I have insisted that she attend school, do her homework and keep up her chores, but she does not show any motivation to go beyond the bare minimum.

There is no indication that she is suicidal. I asked her directly and she said no. Life is simply no longer any fun. (Indiana) You are a lucky parent to have your daughter's confidence. Most teens are unwilling to share personal matters with mom or dad.

You are also a wise parent. You have riot made light of her loss, or tried to tell there will many more

young men in her life. That would tant issue is that your teen cononly indicate to her that you did tinue to reach out an be a loving not understand. person, even though in this relaFirst loves and young loves are tionship, he or she feels hurt and very important. We remember them rejected. Your teen may need your for a lifetime. There is no hurt like support and help to be able to trust the loss of a first love. " and love again.

Boy-girl love is infused with True love is like sex. While it has sexuality, whether there has been a selfish side wherein one takes intercourse or not. This makes personal delight, the basic direcsuch relationships wonderfully ur- tion is outward. Love reaches begent and when one party breaks yond the person, beyond the lovthem, the pain seems like the end ing couple. of the world.

That is why all the world loves a What can a parent do? First of lover, because a person truly in all, listen. Don't be too quick to love has a smile for everyone. reassure. Let your teen spill out Love surely has its stumbles, its the grief and the emptiness and the setbacks, its broken. hearts. An anger. Then, share. Remember your understanding parent can do much own heartbreaks and share them. to maintain a teen's courage to Tell about the times you thought love a world that sometimes does your own life was over because not love back. someone did not return your love.

Reader questions on family livFinally, remind your teen that ing and child care to be answered true love is an attitude, not an in print are invited. Address The object. It is a trait of the lover and Kennys; Box 872, St. Joseph's does not demand return. The impor- College, Rensselaer, Ind. 47978.

Justice an.d the holidays

SINCE PLAYING for Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles, armless Tony Melendez, who plays the guitar with his feet, has made appearances throughout the nation. "People want to kiss the cheek the pope kissed," he said. "When kids walk up to me all puckered up, I know what they want." (NC photo)

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THESE ARE THE FIVE ACTS OF BLASPHEMY WHICH ARE COMMITTED AGAINST THE

Immaculate Heart of Mary 1. Denying Mary's Immaculate Conception 2. Denying Mary's Virginity 3. Denying Mary's Divine Motherhood (refusing at the same time to recognize her as Mother of men)

4. 'Teaching children a hatred and contempt of Mary and an indifference toward her.

5. Dishonoring Mary's holy images You can make reparation for these insults to Our Lady by practicing the devotion of the five first Saturdays of the month.

By Antoinette Bosco Justice isn't a word we usually associate with the holidays. All too often it evokes thoughts of punishment or getting even. It rarely conjures up feelings of joy.

Yet it ought to. If all people were treated justly, there would be great cause for celebration.

During a recent homily, a priest defined God's justice in terms of equality. A just world, he said, is one in whic.h people no longer make mistakes about what really belongs to them. They recognize that the earth's abundance given

by God belongs to all God's children.

We all like the sound of these words in theory. In practice, however, how many are willing to make sacrifices to achieve God's justice on earth?

Justice requires that the rich share with the poor, that the mighty give up some of their power and status and that the strong take care of the weak.

Justice might require a shift in national priorities or even a tax increase, the kind of sacrifice nobody wants to make. Yet as Christians we must be ever conscious of the growing injustice and inequality in our nation.

A study recently released by the Physicians' Task Force on Hunger in America at the Harvard School of Public Health describes the emergence of "two Americas." The first is "glittery, rich and growing richer." The second is made up of "hard-working people who have played by the rules and now find themselves ~estitute and hungry."

The study, titled "Hunger Reaches Blue-Collar America," cites a high prevalence of hunger in working-class families.

In a nation of staggering wealth, a miner can't feed his family because his wife needs surgery, a bankrupt farmer can't get food stamps and a . hotel maid works six days a week but can't get school meals for her children.

Since 1981, consumer prices, particularly housing costs, have skyrocketed while the minim'um . wage has stood still. The result is higher corporate profits and poorer workers.

Perhaps some of our cherished old ideas about private ownership, profits and survival of the fittest must give way to a new dawn of sharing the wealth,' not begrudg-

ingly but graciously.

Maybe it's time to recognize that the strong have an obligation to support the weak, that we owe something to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Most people agree that homelessness and hunger are terrible. but few are willing to sacrifice money, comfort or time to help solve the problem.

We must move in the direction of equality. In a world of limited resources, this inevitably means the richer and stronger must share

their wealth and power with their less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Spiritual growth always requires letting go of possessiveness, selfcentered needs and immature beliefs about what is right, wrong, fair or unjust.

The message of the holiday season is clearly that the greed and injustice of the past must give way for the birth of new life and hope.

Right now our society desperately needs to hear that message and to begin living it in 1988.

Hilda's holiday happenings

By Hilda Young I've done something I've always promised myself I would do. I kept track of where the toys of Christmas went.

As I write this on New Year's Day, Joey and Mikey are in a corner of the living room playing with the assortment of 3-inch, standup soldiers that came in a plastic bag. The assortment cost Santa 99 cents. The boys have played with them daily since Christmas.

The battery-powered $16.75 "stomper truck" stomped right over slippers and wrapping paper, but apparently was not designed to stomp angel hair o.r tinsel from the Christmas tree.

I guess I am saying this aloud in the hope it might give us the courage next Christmas to withstand the consumerism that infects us every year, even when we have the best of intentions to fight it.

I am going to tape a copy of this column to November on our 1988 calendar and see if my resolve holds.

• • • •

One of my 1987 New Year's resolutions was to repaint the front room. But after a while you become blind to the reality: the pieces of paint stripped off by Scotch tape, the tar impression left by a basketball, the stain created by the execution of a IO-pound mosquito, the "settling crack" in the plaster that's starting to look like a map of the Mississippi River with all its tributaries.

Anyway, my husband decided to help me out with my resolution and came home with four gallons of oil-based paint he found on sale.

"It's just the color you wanted," he smiled.

"Oh, really?" I answered.

"They were discontinuing it."

"That's because working with oil-based paint is like cooking in a 'cast iron pot over the fireplace," I said.

Those last words seemed almost prophetic the next afternoon as, perched on top of a five-foot ladder, I watched as youngest son let the dog in to trot directly to the paint tray and sit next to it, dropping his tail smack into the paint.

I felt my life ,slipping away. If I screamed, the dog might knock over the paint. If I did nothing, he mi~ht go back out the door.

"Good dog. Stay." I said in a calm voice.

Big mistake. He stood up and started wagging his tail. Paint hit the TV, sewing machine, sofa, lampshades, fireplace ..,all at least 10 feet away.

"Y ou stupid dog," I yelled. Bigger mistake. He lost his cool. Down the hall he fled to the boys' room, dripping, flicking and smudging as he went.

You know those stories you hear about people generating superhuman strength in panic situations, like little old women picking up cars? Well, somehow I cornered that crazed canine paintbrush and carried him out of the house.

"Wow, you can smell the turpentine three blocks away," spouse said as he walked into the house that night.

It was the wrong thing to say. I made a resolution on the spot (no pun intended) to help him with his annual resolution to exercise more.

I began by chasing him around the house with a paintbrush.

Coerced conversions

By Msgr. George G. Higgins When Jews for Jesus and messianic Jews first surfaced several years ago, Paulist Father John Sheerin - my dear friend and colleague - and I took them on in our respective columns. From a Catholic point of view, we tried to point out the theological pitfalls and essential unfairness of these types of aggressive and deceptive proselytizing tactics.

Sponsored by extremist fundamentalist Christians, we pointed out, such groups attempt to hide their true identity from those they address. They list their centers with Hebrew names in telephone books and newspapers under "synagogue." Their services parody the traditional Jewish format of prayer.

Their manuals counsel them to avoid references to central Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the crucifixion, proclaiming themselves instead a legitimate branch of contemporary Judaism.

In short, they attempt to ignore 2,000 years of the development of Christian tradition and biblical interpretation in order to "sell" Jews (particularly the young and the vulnerable) a truncated version of Christianity. At the same time, they selectively appropriate elements of sacred Jewish tradition and practice. The result is a fundamental distortion of authentic Christian witness and a denigration of the integrity of Judaism.

While not, by all accounts, tremendously successful among Jews, Jews for Jesus does seem successful at raising money. Recently, the group has been taking out fullpage ads for their latest tracts in major journals such as Newsweek and The Washington Post. The ads declare, for example, that Christmas is really "a Jewish holiday" and that Jesus is a "nonsectarian, interdenominational Savior of anyone who needs to get saved."

In an article in Lights, the newsletter of the Christian-Jewish Office

of the National Council of Churches, Jewish leader Annette Daum tellingly asks: "Is it morally acceptable for Christians to distort Jewish symbols and redefine Judaism in order to gain Jewish converts?" I think not.

Recently, the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., a group which includes the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington as well as Baptist and mainline Protestant groups, formally adopted a statement on proselytism which puts the matter well: "We condemn proselytizing efforts which delegitimize the faith tradition of the person whose conversion is being sought. Such tactics go beyond the bounds of appropri~te and ethically based religious outreach. Examples of such practices are those that are common among groups that have adopted the label of Hebrew Chris-. tianity, messianic Judaism or Jews for Jesus. These groups specifically target Jews for conversion to their version of Christianity... By celebrating Jewish festivals, worshiping on the Jewish Sabbath, appropriating Jewish symbols, rituals and prayers in their churches, and sometimes even calling their leaders 'rabbi: they seek to win over, often by deception, many Jews who are sincerely looking for a path back to their ancient heritage. .. These proselytizing techniques are tantamount to coerced conversions and should be condemned."

It was one thing for St. Paul, writing as a Jew to the first generation of Christians long before the Gospels themselves were set down to state: "Unto the Jews I became a Jew, that I might gain the lews."Jt is quite another, after two millennia of development of church tradition to jettison that tradition a'1d pretend it never happened.

Jews for Jesus represents a dangerous movement to its targets and practitioners. Jt is dece.ptive, reductionist and syncretistic. The Washington Interfaith Conference has it exactly right.

Hospital merits 3-year accreditation Alan D. Knight, president of St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River, has announced that the hospital has been awarded a three-year certificate of accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals.

"JCAH accreditation demonstrates St. Anne's commitment to excellent patient care," Knight said.

"We are especially pleased that emergency and anesthesia services

are in total compliance with JCAH standards."

The assessment included review of surgical procedures based on criteria set by the hospital's medical staff. Incidence and justification of procedures were found appropriate in all cases reviewed.

To become accredited, St. Anne's requested on-site evaluation by JCAH representatives of hospital compliance with national standards of quality patient care.

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THIS SATURDAY IS THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

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Honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary Practice the devotion of the five First Saturdays This devotion was requested by Our lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917, when she said: "God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.

"I shall come to ask for the consecrati~n of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If people listen to my requests, Russia will be converted and there will be peace."

Then again, on December 10, 1925, Our lady appeared to Sister lucia, one of the children of Fatima, and told her the following: "Announce in my name that' promise to assist at the hour of .death with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall

1. Go to confession and receive Holy Communion, 2. Recite the Rosary, 3. And keep me company for a quarter of an hour while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary 4. With the intention of making reparation to me." of

To practice this devotion, you must fulfill the requests of Our Lady, doing so in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Confession may be made during eight days before or after the Communion.

NATIONAL HONOR Society members at CoyleCassidy High School, Taunton, display toys they collected for needy children.

(Courtesy of the Third Order of St, Francis of Assisi, St. Hedwig parish, New Bedford, Ma5S.) .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~L~~~~L~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Jan. I, 1988

Historian explains WW2 papal silence on Nazis

Peace Day message urges protection for all believers

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VATICAN CITY (NC) - Calling religious liberty a "measure" of al1 other human rights, Pope John Paul II urged legal protection worldwide for believers and religious associations in a message that included an apparent challenge to communist and Moslem nations.

"Every violation of religious freedom, whether open or hidden, does fundamental damage to the cause of peace," the pope said in a 3,000-word message for World Peace Day, Jan. I. Titled "Religious Freedom: Condition for Peace," the document did not mention religious policies of specific countries or regions, but described a worldwide panorama of religious repression affecting "mil1ions of people."

"They are victims of repressive and oppressive legislation, victims sometimes of open persecution, but more often of subtle forms of discrimination aimed at believers and communities. This state of affairs, in itself intolerable, is also a bad omen for peace," the pope said.

The message carried an implicit challenge to Communist countries, questioning how any state could . ask its people for trust and collaboration,.:When "it proclaims itself atheistic" and "takes up an attitude opposed to the faith of a part of its citizens."

It also appeared to respond to the issue of the status of Christians in countries that have adopted Islamic law. It said that even where the state grants special legal status to one religion, it has a duty to ensure freedom of conscience for others, including foreigners living temporarily in the country.

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Vatican's Justice and Peace Commission, said at a press conference that the statement addressed concerns about religious liberty in some Moslem-ruled countries.

The document's strongest language came in a section that described religious expression as a "civil and social right" which is "a point of reference of the other fundamental rights and in some way becomes a measure of them."

The freedom to profess one's faith, it said, "must be specifically guaranteed within the juridical structure of society." Civil law must make sure believers are free from any coercion by individuals or groups, it added.

It listed several policies that states and governments "cannot" adopt. The document said the state cannot: - "Claim authority, direct or indirect, over a person's religious convictions," nor can it "impose or impede" the practice of any single religion.

- "Set itself up as the substitute for the conscience of the citizens."

- "Remove or take the place of the freedom of action of religious associations," but must instead al10w religious participation by individuals and groups.

In fact, the pope said, these

principles are "frequently" violated.

In some countries, he said, "laws and administrative practices" have annul1ed the freedom of religion guaranteed by the constitution. In other places, "completely unjustified limitations" have been placed on believers. In the worst cases, states have adopted discriminatory provisions that ~'amount to open persecution," he said.

Sometimes, the pope added, . "spontaneous outbreaks of intolerance" are the cause of bad feelings among religious communities.

Christians have not always been blameless, he said.

"How many divisions and misunderstandings we Christians bear a certain responsibility for, and how much more remains for us to build, in our own spirits, in our families and communities, beneath the banner of reconciliation and fraternal charity," he said.

The pope praised organizations that defend the rights of believers "who often have no voice of their own." He said the Holy See, in addition to its public statements on the issue, also works in "more discreet" ways through political contacts to.help those facing religious repression.

While warning that today's "selfishness; materialism and pride make man ever less free," the pope found cause for hope in the growing interest in world peace shown by ordinary faithful and religious leaders.

He cited the interreligious prayer meeting in Assisi, Italy, in 1986 to il1ustrate the church's view that peace requires the "conversion of hearts" in addition to social reforms.

He closed the message by expressing his particular affection for Christians who suffer "rejection and humiliation" because of their faith.

"I want these brothers and sisters of ours to feel our spiritual closeness, our solidarity and the comfort of our prayer," he said.

The message is normal1y presented to heads of states and governments around the world by Vatican delegates in the countries.

"Glasnost"rapped ROME (NC) - An influential Jesuit publication has criticized the Soviet Union's new "glasnost" policy for not including significant religious liberty guarantees. The policy so far does not justify even "cautious optimism on religious affairs,"路 said Civilta Cattolica, a Rome-based Jesuit magazine which often reflects Vatican views.

However, Austrian Cardinal Franz Konig, long involved in Vatican-Soviet relations, said that the religious situation is starting to improve, but significant changes "need patience, time and understanding." Soviet leaders are stil1 tied to a policy that religion and Marxism are incompatible, said the cardinal, retired president of the Vatican Secretariat for NonBelievers, in an interview with the Rome daily, II Messaggero.

NC photo

CARDINAL CASAROLI

Religious orders try to aid Vatican deficit ROME (NC) -:- At the Vatican's request, religious orders are studying ways to regularly contribute funds to help cover the Vatican's annual budget deficit.

Some are planning to contribute money to help cover the 1987 deficit, while most plan to study possible long-range projects for aiding the Vatican, said several religious officials in Rome.

The request was contained in a letter sent recently to the heads of religious orders by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, Vatican secretary of state.

"We want to help without placing the burden of the deficit on our shoulders," said one high-ranking religious official in Rome.

Many religious officials said the primary ~esponsibility for helping cover the deficit belongs to dioceses around the world.

The religious officials asked not be be named because their orders have not yet formulated a policy on the Vatican request.

The Vatican letter asked religious orders "to study the method for their independent and continuous financial contribution to the Holy See" to help cover yearly expenses. It was dated June 29, but many religious orders did not receive it until the end of September.

As a fol1owup to the letter, a series of meetings were held at the end of November between religious officials and Cardinal GiHseppe Caprio, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, the Vatican's budget office.

Religious officials said the meetings were an effort to question the Cardinal about Vatican finances but no concrete decisions were made.

A similar letter was sent earlier in the year to the world's bishops.

In October, the Vatican estimated its 1987 deficit at $59.3 million. For the first nine months of the year, the Vatican said it had raised $35.8 mil1ion to cover the deficit, mostly through worldwide collections and private contributions to Pope John Paul II. Much of the money raised came from the worldwide Peter's Pence col1ection, taken up annual1Y for use at the pope's discretion.

The Vatican deficit has grown steadily since the figure was first made public in 1979. The 1979 deficit was $20 mil1ion.

ROME (NC) - Adolf Hitler's plan to crush the German Catholic Church is the key to understanding Pope Pius XII's public silence -about Nazi atrocities while working behind the scenes to oppose Hitler, according to a Vatican historian.

Pope Pius had hard evidence that Hitler planned to destroy the German church and was fearful that public criticism would accelerate the process, wrote Jesuit Father Robert Graham in a recent issue of the Rome-based Jesuit biweekly, Civilta Cattolica.

"In these bitter years, the Holy See was locked in deadly-conflict with the regime of Adolf Hitler," and "the very existence of the church was at stake," Father Graham said.

Pope Pius XII's predecessor, Pope Pius XI, publicly criticized Nazism in a 1937 encyclical "Mit Brennend~r Sorge" (Of Burning Concern), and this resulted in stepped-up persecution against the church, said Father Graham.

"The encyclical came out in the high point of the 'appeasement' policy of Great Britain and France and was consequently given insufficient and unbelieving attention in the press of the democracies," he added.

But "Hitler's reaction was tremendous," said the historian.

"He multiplied trials for alleged immorality, he arrested priests and laymen for alleged illegal exportation of reichsmarks, he filled Dachau with priests on such charges as 'using the pulpit for political purposes,' or treason," said Father Graham.

This occurred at a time when domestically Hitler had "successively eliminated his main opponents: the communists, Masons and Jews," he said.

"And he was well on his way to eliminating the fourth opposition, the Catholic Church," he added.

As Cardinal Eugenio Pacel1i, papal secretary of state, the future Pius XII helped write the 1937 encyclical, said Father Graham, an American responsible for organizingand publishing World War II documents in the Vatican archives.

Pope Pius XII's decision in 193940 to serve as an intermediary with Britain for German officers planning to unseat Hitler "is the surest clue of the sentiments of the pope and at the same time a measure of the depths of persecution to which the church in Germany had been subjected," said Father Graham.

The German generals never carried out their coup plot, although in 1944 some of them tried to assassinate Hitler.

Pope Pius based his conviction that Hitler wanted to destroy the church on evidence provided by

the German bishops and by Josef Muller, a member of German military intelligence, who passed secret information to the church, said Filther Graham.

Such information indicated that in the 1940-45 period, 2,800 priests and religious were sent to the Dachau concentration camp, he said.

"But at the end of the war only 816 were still alive," Father Graham said.

"The real history of the persecution of the Catholic Church in Germany under National Socialism -does not coincide with the false picture currently propagated by the media and elsewhere of a church complacent, accommodating, sympathetic, passive," said Father Graham.

The Jesuit historian also defended the Vatican decision to sign a 1933 condordat with Hitler's Germany. The concordat often has been cited by church critics as a sign of Vatican cooperation with Nazism.

The pope believed that "the concordat provided Catholics with a juridical basis of defense" against the growing church persecution, Father Graham said.

Basic communities called church staple VATICAN CITY(NC)- Basic Christian communities are a growing staple of church life in Latin America, Africa and Asia, according to speakers at the 1987 Synod of Bishops.

In priest-poor Third World contries, they are seen as the principal way of keeping faith alive and providing religious formation in the numerous places which hardly see a priest.

In Latin America, they are a major component of the church's social consciousness. African and Asian bishops say they are a primary means of encouraging and maintaining lay involvement in church life.

They also have taken root in the United States and "within the parish provide the ongoing formation of the laity in prayer, Scripture study, life-shari!1g and outreach to the needs of society;" said Archbishop John L. May of St. Louis, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The groups are also known as smal1 faith communities, living ecc1esial communities and small ecdesial communities.

In general, they are smal1 groups of neighbors who meet for Bible readings and reflections on their application to daily life. They have lay leaders and are considered part of a parish structure.

The Anchor

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DIOCESAN delegates to the 43rd national convention of the National Council of Catholic Women, held recently in Minneapolis, above; left, from left, Claire McMahon, Cathedral parish, Fall River, president-elect of NCCW Associates, and Mary Bowers, outgoing president. Also at the convention', Gertrude O'Brien, Cathedral parish, reported to delegates as chairman of the NCCW nominating committee and Claudette Armstrong, St. Louis de France parish, Swansea, was elected to that committee.

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After Marielle Martineau was widowed in 1972, she began to realize that her social circle was very couples-oriented.

And, like many widowed persons, she felt she didn't belong anymore.

So to meet new friends and expand her support system, Mrs. Martineau joined the Attleboro Area Widowed Support program when it was established about seven years ago. She was involved as a member for about a year, she said, before taking the reins as coordinator, a job she's relished. This month, the Sacred Heart parish, North Attleboro, member hands over her responsibilities to Jane Sellmayer, a recently-widowed past president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

The support group, like its sister groups in the Cape Cod and Islands, Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton deaneries, is sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Family Ministry, which is directed by Father Ronald A. Tosti.

The groups' programs are designed to provide comfort, companionship and practical information to men and women who have lost a spouse.

Mrs. Martineau said that although she has family commitments that will keep her busy, she'll remain an active group member. "You need new blood," she said, adding that Mrs. Sell mayer "is really capable," and has good ideas.

"I think she'll do a terrific job," she said.

Mrs. Martineau said the Attleboro group has about 50 active members and about the same number "who come when they need to." Women outnumber men by a wide margin, she says, noting that she sees widowers as "a little more

shy" than widows when it comes to joining organizations.

A few marriages have occurred between group members and several non-Catholics participate in the program.

She said the newly widowed and those having difficulty adjusting to life alone receive a lot of support.

Informal meetings have proved popular, Mrs. Martineau said, including speakers on topics of interest to the widowed, and/ or entertainment such as cards or line dancing.

Special events over the past year, she said, have included a Western Night in her backyard, complete with a bonfire, and a communion brunch.

Spiritual direction has come from Father Edmond R. Levesque, pastor of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus parish, South Attleboro, where the group has often gathered.

Father Levesque, said Mrs. Martineau, has been tremendously supportive. "He even cooked dinner

for us at out last meeting," she said.

Mrs. Sell mayer, who lost her husband last February, was DCCW president from 1983 to 1985. She is a Norton resident and a member of St. Mary parish, Mansfield.

She says she hopes to make more widowed persons aware that the support group exists by holding meetings an~ establishing liaisons at various Attleboro deanery parishes.

The new leader is planning an evening of recollection in March at Attleboro's LaSalette Shrine and a communion breakfast.

Mrs, Sellmayer urges Attleboro area widowed persons thinking of joining the group to contact her at 285-5736, The program's next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at Attleboro's St. Joseph parish, Father Paul E. Canuel will show slides on Peru.

Dates and sites of other upcoming meetings will be announced,

Maryknollers .shelter refugees NEW YORK (NC) - Maryknoll Missioners at the community's main headquarters and seminary building at Ossining, N.Y., have given sanctuary to a Guatemalan couple who have been living in the United States iIIegalIy. They include Father William M. Boteler, superior of the society.

The couple, Ana and Frederico Garcia, with their children, Carlos and Oscar, were previously sheltered by the Riverside Church, an interdenominational congregation in New York, and later in a Brooklyn house, whose sale led to their relocation.

Father Emmett L. Farrell, a Maryknoll associate who is outreach coordinator and executive of the Greater Hudson Valley

Coalition for Sanctuary and Refugees, said the Garcias would be working with him in a program to inform area congregations about the situation in Central American and to encourage action regarding U.S. foreign policy.

Father Farrell said there was little fear that publicizing the family would bring legal repercussions.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service, he said, is expected to avoid conflict with the Catholic Church over the sanctuary issue as much as possible.

"We think we are not really breaking the law," Father Farrell said. "We are demanding that the law be applied justly and equally."

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THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Jan. I, 1988 Stang's candidate for Greater New Bedford's Otto Graham award for football excellence.

• • • • The junior varsity f09tball team recently completed its best season in school history, rolling through a IO-game schedule undefeated. Coaches Mike O'Brien, Je.ff Gardner and Mike McDermott are thanked for their efforts.

• • • •

1984 alumnus Dan Cooney, a former Spartan gridder, played starting nose tackle for Army in the recently-televised annual Army-Navy game.

• • • •

BISHOP DANIEL A. Cronin receives a birthday cake after celebrating Mass at Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth. From left, seniors John .O'Donnefl and Tom Clark, the bishop and Stang chaplain Father Marcel H. Bouchard.

Bishop Stang beth Vasconcelos and Gregory Vrona.

58 students earned First Honors and 108 checked in with Second Honors.

Kristen Cote, Loreen Coyne, Tina Nickloffand Richard Roberts, seniors at Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth, merited placement on the principal's list for the first quarter of the 198788 academic year.

Also making the list .were juniors April Asato, Christina Connelly, Todd Govoni, Robyn Nunes and Paulo Pereira and freshmen Erin Hayden, S'ophia Park, Eliza-

~

-

• • • • Senior Jim Gouveia has been nominated for admission to the U.S. Military Academy,' West Point; N.Y., by Senator Ted Kennedy.

The student was also selected as

.

.

•

By Charlie Martin

IS THIS LOVE?

..

I should have known better Than to let you go alone It's times like these I can't make it on my own Wasted days and sleepless nights And I can't wait to see you again.

I find I spend my time Waiting on your call How can I tell you babe My back's against the wall I need you by my side To tell me it's all right 'Cause I don't think I Can take anymore.

Is this love That I'm feeling Is this the love That I've been searching for Is tbis love Or am I dreaming This must be love 'Cause it's really got a h~d on me A hold on me.

I can't stop the feelin' I've been this way before But witb you I've found the ley To open any door I can feel my love for you Growing stronger day by day Growing stronger day by day And I can't wait to see you again So I can hold you in my arms.

Recorded by Whitesnake. Written by David Coverdale and John Sykes. (c) 1987 by Whitesnake Music Ltd. TO BEGIN my 1988 columns.

The song describes a person I turn to Whitesnake's "Is This wondering if love is what he is Love?" During December, the feeling. Apparently he defines song climbed into the Top Ten, love in the romantic sense of feel. perhaps on its way to becoming ing close and very attracted to the group's second top-rated another. Whatever he is feeling, single. his emotion is bringing new

Students Patrick Dawson, Danny Mulcare, Richard Roberts and Christopher Goulart recently represented the school on WLNE-TV's TV News Game.

Bishop Connolly A comprehensive biographical reference volume listing all known living alumni of Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, will be published this fall.

Connolly's first" professionally produced directory will include alumni names, occupations and business and home addresses and phone numbers. Geographical and class year listings will also be . included.

Alumni will receive biographical update questionaires in March. opportunities into his life because "with you, I've found the key to open any door."

Love is a powerful force in our lives. As ·we enter into 1988, I want to suggest that each of us examine how loving we are to others. 1 speak' of love i,n a sense that goes beyond the song's description. Romantic love is something most people seek, bUf the' power of love is far' more extensive than romance.· Each of us can help build a more loving world by allowing our care for others to affect their lives.

• If you.choose to try to be more loving in 1988, it is important to keep two points in mind.

First, real love is freely given: It does not bargain to receive something in return. Instead, a loving person freely supports others.

Second, the choice to be more loving brings a specific focus.

How loving you are is shown by your behavior.

Love is much more than the feeling the song describes. It is an act that follows upon the decision to do something positive for another.

To answer the question, "Is This Love?" check and see if what you are experiencing leads to specific caring acts, given freely, without concern over what you will receive in return.

I challenge you to pick out one goal for love in the coming year.

Put this goal in writing and share what you have written with someone you trust.

Ask that person to periodi. cally check in with you about whether you are still practicing your work of love during 1988.

Such a plan will state your com" mitment to live iri a more loving way throughout this coming year.

Your comments are welcome always. Address Charlie Martin, 1218 S. Rotherwood Ave., Evansville, Ind. 47714.

A GOOD TIME was had by all at an open house recently held,at Dominican Academy, Fall River. Sister Louise Synan, OP, center, former D.A. principal, visited the fifth grade classroom where teacher Doris Ferreira, left, was making pies with students Elizabeth Ramos and Cathy Arruda and Mrs. Levasseur, a student's.grandmother. (Gaudette photo)

ALAN IVESON helps Christine Brown with a clay sculpture while Judy De Oliveira looks on. (Burt photo)

Enrichment workshops at SSe Peter and Paul Students at SS. Peter and Paul School, Fall River, recently participated in learning enrichment workshops.

Presenters included teachers, parents and community volunteers.

Workshops and presenters were: scuba diving, Robbie Jackson; skin care, Maureen Webster; child care, Connine Stankiewicz; clay sculpture, Alan Iverson; broadcasting, Thomas O'Grady; stamp collecting, Pat Eagan; sign language, Barbara Domingue.

Also health careers, Barbara Pitera and Debbie Pelletier; carpen-

try, Bob Ciosek; crocheting, Sister Davida Dunne, RSM; rock creations, Sister Eileen Kitchen, RSM: candy cane reindeer ornaments, Angela Stankiewicz; bear country, Lynn Provost; Christmas ornaments, Terry Rosseter; clown ministry, Kathie Barboza and friends; first aid, Louise Shea; weight lifting, Darren Doane; needlepoint, Judy Primo; baking, Mary Janick; and firefighting, Michael Arruda and Michael Lesiow.

Pat Benoit, Rosemary Peterson and Margaret Costa were resp'onsible for scheduling.

FILM RATIN GS A-I Approved for Children and Adults

•

tv, mOVIe news

Cinderella

A-2 Approved for Adults and Adolescents Baby Boom Cry Freedom Dark Eyes Harry and the Hendersons

Innerspace La Bamba Like Father Like Son Maid to Order

The Princess Bride The Whales of August

A-3 Approved for Adults Only Big Shots Can't Buy Me Love Date With an Angel Dirty Dancing Fire and Ice Flowers in the Attic Hello Again Hope and Glory House of Games

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Made in Heaven Matewan Moonstruck No Way Out Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The Rosary Murders Stakeout Suspect Teen Wolf Too Three Men and a Baby The Wannsee Conference Wish You Were Here You Talkin' To Me?

A-4 Separate Classification (Separate classification is given to certain films which while not morally offensive, require some analysis and explanation as a protection against wrong interpretation and false conclusions) Broadcast News Nuts

Deadline Full Metal Jacket Good Morning, Vietnam The Sicilian Walker Wall Street

O-Morally Offensive Amazon Women on the Moon The Big Town Cross My Heart Fatal Attraction

The Hidden Less than Zero Overboard Penitentiary III Prince of Darkness The Principal

River's Edge Someone to Watch Over Me Surrender Too Outrageous!

(Rec.) after a title indicates that the film is recommended by the U.S. Catholic Conference reviewer for the category of viewers under which it is listed. These listings are presented monthly; please clip and save for reference. Further information on recent films is available from The Anchor office, 675-7151.

Area Religious Broadcasting The following television and radio programs originate in the diocesan viewing and listening area. Their listings normally do not vary from week to week. They will be presented in the Anchor tbe first Friday of each month and will renect any changes tbat may be made. Please clip and retain for reference.

On TV Each Sunday, 11:00 a.m WLNE, Channel 6. Diocesan Television Mass.

Portuguese Masses from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, New Bedford: 12:15 p.m. each Sunday on radio station WJFDFM, 7 p.m. each Sunday on television Channel 20.

Portuguese Masses from Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Anthony of Lisbon parishes, Taunton: 7 p.m. each Sunday and 6 p.m. each Monday on cable channel 27.

"Confluence," 10:30 a.m. each Sunday on Channel 6, is a panel program moderated by Truman Taylor and having as permanent participants Father Peter N. Graziano, diocesan director of social services; Right Rev. George 'Hunt, Episcopal Bish· op of Rhode Island, and Rabbi Baruch Korff.

"The Beat," produced by Building Block Ministries of Taunton and aired on cable channel 27, Taunton, features videos from and information on contemporary Christian rock artists. Check local listings for times and dates.

Mass 9:30 a.m. Monday to Friday, WFXT, Channel 25.

"Breakthrough" 8 a.m. each Sunday, Channel 10, a program on the power of God to touch lives, produced by the Pastonil Theological Institute of Hamden, Conn.

"Maryson," a family puppet show with moral and spiritual perspective 6 p.m. each Thurs-

day, Fall River and New Bedford Cable Channel 13.

"Spirit and the Bride," a talk show with William Larkin, 6 p.m. Monday, cable channel 35.

On Radio "Be Not Afraid," 15 mi,rlutes of music and Gospel message hosted by Father James M. Fitzpatrick, parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist parish, Attleboro, is heard at 8 a.m.

Sundays on station WARA, 1320 AM. The Catholic clergy of the Attleboro area sponsor the program.

Charismatic programs with Father John Randall are aired from9:30to \0:30a.m. Monday through Friday on station WRIB. 1220 AM; Mass is broadcast at I p.m. each Sunday.

Symbols following film reviews "Good Morning, Vietnam indicate both general and Catholic (Touchstone) - Robin Williams Films Office ratings, which do not stars as a wacky U.S. Armed Foralways coincide.

• General ratings: G-suitable for ces radio disc jockey brought to general viewing; PG-l3-parental gui- boost troop morale in 1965 Vietdance strongly suggested for children nam but whose unmilitary sense of under 13; PG-parental guidance sug- humor brings him into contlict gested; R-restricted, unsuitable for with those in charge ofthe station. children or young teens.

Seriocomic film has some hilarCatholic ratings: Al-approved for ious routines but also raunchy children and adults; A2-approved for adults and adolescents; A3-approved sexual humor, rough language and for adults only; 4-separate classifi- irreverences, only somewhat recation (given films not morally offen- deemed by being placed within the sive which. however. require some context of the obscenity of war. analysis and explanation); a-morally A4,R offensiv.,e.

"The Lonely Passion of Judith Catholic ratings for television movies are those of the movie house Hearne" (Island Pictures) - Disversions of the films. appointing movie version of the 1955 Brian Moore novel about a middle-aged Dublin spinster (Mag. gie Smith) who mistakes a gentleman's attentions as romantically Please check dates and intended and suffers a nervous times of television and radio breakdown when she discovers the" programs against local listtruth. Religious dimension is un· ings, which may differ from derdeveloped. Some sexual scenes the New York network schedinvolving a teenage maid. A3, R ules supplied to The Anchor.

"Wall Street"(Fox) - An earnest young stockbroker (Charlie Sheen) wants to make an honest New Films million but a financial wheeler"Broadcast News"(Fox) - News dealer (Michael Douglas) teaches producer (Holly Hunter) finds her- him that there are easier ways to self drawn away from a hard- make money than working for it. working reporter whom she ad- Cautionary tale is somewhat unmires (Albert Brooks) by an attrac- convincing in its dramatization of tion to a handsome but unpro- the corruption of an innocent and fessional reporter (William Hurt) his ultimate redemption. Several being groomed for network news scenes depicting sexual activity and anchor. Romantic comedy is often some very rough language. A4, R quite funny and also worthwhile in Film on TV its satiric portrait of television news. Permissive attitude toward Sunday, Jan. 3, 9-11:30 p.m. casual sex, several explicit sexual EST (NBC) - "An Officer and a references and some rough lan- Gentleman" (1982) - Bitter loner guage. A4, R (Richard Gere) enters officer can"Moonstruck" (MGM) - A didate school with the dream of widow (Cher) accepts the proposal becoming a Navy pilot. Steamy of a fastidious bachelor (Danny sex scenes and rough language. 0, Aiello) but falls in love with his R darkly emotional younger brother Religious TV (Nicolas Cage). Romantic comedy Sunday, Jan. 3 (CBS) - "For is pleasantly amusing, emotionally Our Times" - At the beginning of operatic and humanly uplifting. a new year CBS reviews key events Several restrained scenes implying sex but moral perspective is implicit of 1987 and their meaning and interviews religion writer the Rev. throughout. A3, PG Martin Marty of the University of "Overboard" (MGM) - When Chicago on the role religion played a rich lady (Goldie Hawn) suffers amnesia, a rough carpenter (Kurt in these events.

Religious Radio Russell) claims her as the mother ~unday, Jan. 3 (NBC) of his four unruly children. Tasteless sex farce relies on the sugges- "Guideline" - Nick Chiacchiero tiveness of a situation that makes of Autumn Age Wanders discusses light of adultery and uses vulgar the travel opportunities available for senior citizens. language and references. 0, PG

-----._----""" NOTE

Programs of Catholic interest are broadcast at the following times on station WROL Boston, 950 AM: Monday through Friday 9,9:15,11:45 a.m.; 12:15, 12:30, I p.m.

A Polish-language Mass is heard from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. every Sunday on station WICE, 550 a.m.

FOURTH-GRADERS at St. Anne school, Fal1 River, recently had a lesson on cetaceans when the Rhode Island Audubon Society brought its 65-foot inflatable whale to the school. The program was sponsored by the St. Anne Home and School Association. (Almeida photo)

15

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"Topic Religion," presented by two priests, a rabbi and a Protestant minister, is broadcast at 6:06 a.m. and 9:06 p.m. each Sunday on station WEEI Boston, 590 AM.

A Polish-language rosary hour, conducted by Father Justin, is broadcast at I:30 p.m.

Sundays on station WALE, 1400 AM.

The Anchor Friday, Jan. I, 1988

-

16

THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., Jan. I, 1988

Iteering pOintl MUCin CUIIMEN Ire Isked to submit news Items for this columlt to 11It AncIIor, P.O. BOI 7, Fall River, 02727.. Name of city'" or town should lie IltCluded as well as full etates of all actlvltl... Plea.. ..nd news of future rather than Plat eVlllts. Note: We do not carry _ of fundralslllI actl,ltles such IS blll,OS, w11lst.. dancas. suppera and bazaars.

We are hIP\IY to carry notices of spiritual prOlflm" club meetlnâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘, youth projeeta and Ilmllar nonprofit actl,ltles. Fundralsln. proJects may ba advertised at our reaular rat.., obtainable from The Anchor buslnen office, telephone 675-7151.

On 5tHrlnc Point. Itema FR Iltdlcate.

Fall River, NB Iltdlcat.. New Bedford.

WIDOWED SUPPORT, ATTLEBORO Widowed persons interested in bowling on Sunday afternoons should contact John Mona, 6998236.

ST. ANTHONYOFTHE DESERT, FR Exposition of Blessed Sacrament noon to 6 p.m. Sun., holy hour- at 5 p.m., St. Sharbel Chapel.

DOMINICAN ACADEMY, FR O.L. CAPE, BREWSTER Students' Advent service projects The Peace and Justice Ministry included donating baby items to Birhas linked the parish with one in' thright of Greater Fall River.

Haiti; symbolic of the connection, a handcarved Haitian creche is on DCCW, CAPE AND ISLANDS" Cape Cod and Islands District display in the church.

Ladies Guild board meeting 9:30 Council of Catholic Women meeta.m. Jan 12; regular meeting II a.m. ing 2 p.m. Jan. 10, St. Francis Xavbegins with Mass; L:illian Sonnea- ier parish hall, Hyannis; affiliate presidents and officers urged to berg will speak on nutrition. attend.

HOLY NAME, FR Rectory open house 2 to 4 p.m. BLESSED SACRAMENT Feb. 7. Marian year prayer books ADORERS, NB Exposition of Blessed Sacrament have been distributed to parishioners.

Jan. 8, St. Theresa Church, New ST. JAMES, NB The parish congratulates new altar Bedford, follows 9 a.m. Mass to 7 boys Richard N. Charpentier, Jared p.m.

Correia, David Freitas, Thomas O.L. MT. CARMEL, SEEKONK Jupin, Keith LeBlanc and Trevor Children's choir and Epiphany Rose. CYO Advisory Council meetplay rehearsals 10 a.m. tomorrow; ing 7 p.m. Jan. 8, school. play at 9 a.m. Mass Sunday. Appreciation night fOf parish workers Jan. ST. GEORGE, WESTPORT 15, Venus de Milo restaurant, Women's Guild business meeting Swansea.

Family ice cream sundae 7 p.m. Jan. 25; Melinda Soares celebration 3 p.m. Sunday, parish Murphy of Lifeline will speak on center. drugs; all welcome.

VINCENTIANS, FR ST. JOSEPH, FAIRHAVEN Fall River Vincentian district Family Ministry team seeks Mass council meeting following 7 p.m. greeters and pastry bakers; informaMass Jan. 6, Blessed Sacrament partion: John Negri, 996-2759. The parIsh tl1ariks roi-met senibr ydutli gtdup ish. Fall R,iver. director Wayne St. Pierre; a new ST. PATRICK, WAREHAM director is needed; information: recCYO meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, tory, 994-9714. hall.

ST, DOMINIC, SWANSEA Volunteers needed to babysit during Sunday Masses and for parish mothers who need to visit doctors or hospitals; information; rectory, 6757206. Beginning tomorrow, the Saturday vigil Mass will be offered at 4 p.m. Appreciation banquet for parish workers 6 p.m. Jan. 10, center.

OUR LADY'S HAVEN, FAIRHAVEN The nursing facility recently hosted its third annual Christmas dinner and gift distribution for about 350 residents. It followed a Mass celebrated by chaplain Father Lucien Jusseaume. Family members were guests.

HOLY GHOST, ATTLEBORO First penance catechists Flo Fournier, Mary Amaral and Doris Castro are thanked for their efforts.

"Who Are We As Church?" catechist formation sessions 9:40 a.m.

Sunday and 7 p.m. Tuesday; all welcome. Women's Guild meets 7:30 . p.m. each fourth Monday, Vincentians noon each second Sunday; Charismatic prayer group Portuguese 7 p.m. each Monday.

ST. THOMAS MORE, SOMERSET The youth group recently collected clothing for Marie's Place, a distribution center sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation. In lieu of a gift exchange at the Women's Guild Christmas party, a donation was made to Fall River's Rose Hawthorne Lathrop Cancer Home.

D of I, ATTLEBORO Daughters of Isabella Alcazaba Circle open meeting 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7, K of C Hall, Hodge St., Attleboro; all welcome.

ST. STANISLAUS, FR New Year holy hour begins II :30 p.m. Dec. 31. Blessing of chalk and incense at all weekend Masses. Sister Christopher O'Rourke, RSM, will conduct parenting seminars at the parish 3:30 to 6 p.m. Jan. 10 and 17. Paula and Stella Lawton are thanked for preparing Jesus' birthday cake for the Christmas Day family Mass.

CHRIST THE KING, COTUIT/ MASHPEE Non-perishable food items for needy families will be collected at the church entrance regularly.

O.L. VICTORY, CENTERVILLE First Saturday rosary of reparation and act of consecration will precede 9 a.m. Mass.

ST. ANNE, NB Appreciation party Jan. 15; storm date Jan. 17. Parish council meeting Jan.lO. O.L. ASSUMPTION, OSTERVILLE Adult choir rehearsal 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 7; the choir will sing at 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday.'

VINCENTIANS, TAUNTON Taunton district Vincentian council meeting Monday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church follows 7:30 p.m. Mass. Information: WiIliamK. McCarthy, 824-4758.

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Confirmation before first communion is urged WASHINGTON (NC) Reception of first communion by persons baptized but not yet confirmed, a common practice in the Catholic Church, is a block to union with Orthodox churches, according to the international Catholic-Orthodox commission.

The International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Church, established in 1979, stated its position in a newlyreleased document, "Faith, Sacraments and the Unity of the Church."

The document called for "deep theological and pastoral reflection" on the practice.

The document was approved at the commission's fifth plenary session, held in Italy.

In the early church the three sacraments of initiation - baptism, confirmation and Eucharist - were administered in that order "in the course of a single, complex liturgical celebration," the document said. "This pattern remains the ideal for both churches."

It also said that churches in both East and West gradually grew to make infant baptism, which was' permitted in the early church, the usual practice.

But the Eastern churches retained "temporal unity" in administering the three sacraments in one ceremony, while in the West it "was often preferred to delay confirmation so as to retain contact of the baptized person with the bishop."

Additionally, in some Latin churches "the practice has become more and more common of admitting to first communion baptized persons who have not yet received confirmation," it said.

Catholic liturgical norms hold that confirmation should follow baptism and precede first communion, as happens during admission of an adult into the Catholic Church.

In practice, however, those baptized as infants have been admitted to first communion at the age of reason and confirmation has been delayed until during or near adolescence. " The inversion needs study "because pastoral practice should never lose sight of the meaning of the early tradition and its doctrinal importance," the document said, adding that Christian initiation, though made up of three sacraments, is a "whole" process in which confirmation is "the perfection of baptism" and "the Eucharist is the completion of the other two" sacraments.

Drexel cause boost ROME (NC) - Medical experts have found no natural"cause for a cure attributed to the intercession of Mother Catherine Drexel, U.S.born foundress ofthe Sisters ofthe Blessed Sacrament. The finding moves her towards canonization.

The case considered involved a boy's seemingly miraculous recQvery of hearing.

the anchor logbook Do you remember?

JANUARY 1958 Bishop James L Connolly was received into the Third Order of St. Francis at Our Lady's Chapel, New Bedford.

1963 _ Sister Mary Ellen Bernadette, O. Carm., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel R. Magano of Fall River, pronounced perpetual vows as a Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirm.

1968 78 people received Marian Medals in the first-ever presentation ofthe diocesan distinguished service awards.

1973 Fathers Walter J. Buckley and David A. O'Brien retired from active service as diocesan priests. They had 9S years of service between them.

1978 The new Our Lady of Providence Chapel at New Bedford's Regina Paeis Hispanic Center was blessed by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin.

1983 AT ANNUAL Information Day at Holy Name parish hall, New Bedford, young inquirers about the diocesan priesthood meet with Msgr. John J. Smith, diocesan vocations director, seated center, and seminarian Craig Pregana and Fathers James A. Calnan and Horace J. Travassos, standing from left. (Rosa photo)

A 40-pound cake replica of St. Bernard parish, Assonet, was baked by Leo Giroux to celebrate the first anniversary ofthe parish's move to a building formerly occupied by the United Church of Assonet.