01.13.12

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , January 13, 2012

National Vocations Awareness Week 2012

Vocations website gets extreme makeover

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

A screen shot of the new diocesan Vocations Office website at www.fallrivervocations.org

FALL RIVER — For today’s teen-agers and adolescents, quiet time is a phrase they simply might not understand. Their lives are a jumble of school work, school activities, iPods, smart phones, video games and maybe a good night’s sleep.

If God were tugging at their heartstrings, asking them to be still and listen, the request could easily be lost in a sea of electronics and activities.

There may be a shortage of priests, but that doesn’t mean God has stopped calling. With that in mind, the Vocations Office of the Fall River Diocese recently gave Father Jay Mello, newly-appointed assistant vocation director, the task of refreshing and updating its website.

Rather than shrug off the electronic age, the office has embraced it as an opportunity to reach young men on their home court.

As a recruiter, Father Mello said his job isn’t “to be like a military recruiter just getting as many men to sign up as possible.” His ministry is to help young men feel the tug from God and discern if it’s a per-

sonal call from Christ to serve Him and the Church as a priest.

“One of the first and most important things was for me to update the diocesan website,” he told The Anchor. “Technology is constantly being upgraded and more and more of our young people are relying upon different modes of cyber communication than any other means of getting information or communicating.”

“The old website’s state of disrepair necessitated a complete overhaul,” said Father Karl C. Bissinger, director of the diocesan Vocations Office. “Today’s young men and women apparently will not take an organization seriously unless it maintains a professional and appealing website.”

With the help of a website-savvy friend, Father Mello developed a site that provides young men who are open to a priestly vocation with information about the priesthood and discernment, as well as providing parents with similar information relating to the special ministry and the responsibilities they Turn to page 15

UMass Dartmouth chaplain brings energy, zeal to campus

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

NORTH DARTMOUTH — When Father David Frederici took over as chaplain of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this

student mentor — UMass Dartmouth chaplain, Father David C. Frederici.

past August, he was ready not only to nurture a student-based Catholic group on campus but to thread the Catholic connection to area parishes and additional schools teaching under the UMass Dartmouth banner.

In order to do so, he first needed to confront common misunderstandings of the Catholic faith.

“The thought is, to be part of an institutional religion, you have to be condemning,” said Father Frederici. “They have friends or family members who they feel they will have to judge and condemn. So the sound bite has won over what we are about.” He needed to reframe it for then. “This is a faith about the experience; it’s about God’s love for us, and when you put it that Turn to page five

West Harwich school to close in June — Page five

MASS COMMUNICATION — Father Karl C. Bissinger celebrates a Liturgy that was taped recently for Sunday morning’s broadcast on WLNE Channel 6. The weekly diocesan televised Mass is the longest-running program on Channel 6 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

Production changes, improvements enhance weekly diocesan TV Mass

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

NORTH DARTMOUTH — While it’s common to celebrate multiple Masses at most parishes on any given weekend, it’s not often that a site hosts no fewer than four Masses within roughly a four-hour time span on a Saturday morning.

But that’s what happened inside the chapel at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth last week as the diocesan television aposto-

late gathered with the production team from the Fairhaven-based Clicknet.tv to videotape four Mass celebrations for airing later this month on WLNE Channel 6.

And while the weekly TV Mass on Sunday mornings is nothing new for the Fall River Diocese, recent technological advances and changes at WLNE have precipitated how the 30-minute Mass is now produced.

Turn to page 19

News From the Vatican

2

January 13, 2012

Pope names 22 new cardinals, including two Americans

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new cardinals, including two from the United States, and announced a consistory for their formal induction on February 18.

Among those named were Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, a former archbishop of Baltimore who now serves as grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem; and Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto.

The pope’s nominations included 10 Roman Curia officials and 16 Europeans, confirming a trend in his cardinal appointments since his election in 2005.

With the latest appointments, Pope Benedict has named more than 50 percent of the current cardinals under the age of 80, who are eligible to vote in a conclave.

Here is the list of the new cardinals: — Italian Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, 65.

— Portuguese Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 73.

— Spanish Archbishop Santos Abril Castello, archpriest of Basilica of St. Mary Major, 76.

— Italian Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, president Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, who turns 74 February 3.

— Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State, 69.

— Italian Archbishop Fran-

cesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Interpreting Legislative Texts, 73.

— Brazilian Archbishop Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, 64.

— U.S. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, 72.

— Italian Archbishop Domenico Calcagno, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, who turns 69 February 3.

— Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi, president of Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, 68.

— Syro-Malabar Archbishop George Alencherry of India, 66.

— Canadian Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto, who will be 65 January 16.

— Czech Archbishop Dominik Duka of Prague, 68.

— Dutch Archbishop Willem J. Eijk of Utrecht, 58.

— Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Betori of Florence, 64.

— U.S. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who will turn 62 February 6.

— German Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki of Berlin, 55.

— Chinese Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong, 72.

— Romanian Archbishop Lucian Muresan of Fagaras and Alba Julia, 80.

— Belgian Father Julien Ries, expert on history of religions, 91.

— Maltese Augustinian Father Prosper Grech, biblical scholar, 86.

— German Jesuit Father Karl Josef Becker, theologian, 83.

Marian Medal Awards presentation available on video FALL RIVER — The 2011 Marian Medals Awards Ceremony is now available on DVD from the Diocesan Office of Communications. The DVD cost is $24.95.

To obtain one, please for-

The Anchor www.anchornews.org

ward a check in that amount payable to the Diocesan Office of Communications, Diocese of Fall River, PO Box 7, Fall River, Mass., 02722. Shipping is included in the video cost.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 56, No. 2

Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service

Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org.

Subscription price by mail, postpaid $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses.

Send address changes to P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call or use email address

PUBLISHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Roger J. Landry fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org

PoStmaSters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020) Periodical Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass.

husbands and wives — Newly-married couples applaud as Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges them during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Vatican to issue recommendations for celebrating Year of Faith

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In Critical to renewing one’s faith in which all of the baptized will an effort to help Catholics have and being a credible witness is reaffirm their faith in Christ,” it a better and correct understand- having a firm and correct under- said. There will be special Masses ing of their faith and become au- standing of Church teaching, it at the Vatican to mark the opening thentic witnesses to Christ, the said. and closing of the Year of Faith, Vatican issued a list of pastoral Because the year’s start, Octo- it added. recommendations for celebrating ber 11, coincides with the anniverSome recommendations for the upcoming Year of Faith. saries of the opening of the Second bishops, dioceses and parishes The Congregation for the Doc- Vatican Council in 1962 and the include ensuring there be better trine of the Faith released a “note” promulgation of the “Catechism quality catechetical materials that January 7 outlining the aims of of the Catholic Church” in 1992, conform to Church teaching; prothe special year and ways bishops, it would be an auspicious occasion moting Catholic principles and dioceses, parishes and the significance of Vatiope Benedict XVI wanted the Year can II in the mass media; communities can promote “the truth of the faith,” the of Faith, which runs from Oct. 11, hosting events that bring congregation said.

2012, to Nov. 24, 2013, to help the Church artists, academics and It also announced together to renew focus its attention on “Jesus Christ and others that within the Pontifical dialogue between faith Council for Promoting the beauty of having faith in Him.” and reason; offering peniNew Evangelization, a tential celebrations; and secretariat would be set up to sug- to make the work of the council putting a focus on Liturgy, espegest and coordinate different ini- and the catechism “more widely cially the Eucharist, it said. tiatives. The new department will and deeply known,” it said.

It also called for Vatican II The congregation said the documents, the catechism and its be responsible for launching a special website for sharing useful pope “has worked decisively for Compendium to be republished information on the Year of Faith. a correct understanding of the in more affordable editions and to Pope Benedict XVI wanted the council, rejecting as erroneous distribute the texts digitally and Year of Faith, which runs from the so-called ‘hermeneutics of via other “modern technologies.”

Oct. 11, 2012, to Nov. 24, 2013, to discontinuity and rupture’ and The congregation said it wanthelp the Church focus its attention promoting what he himself has ed to promote the recommendaon “Jesus Christ and the beauty of termed the ‘hermeneutic of re- tions because the office’s “speform,’ of renewal in continuity” cific functions include not only having faith in Him,” it said.

“The Church is well aware of with the Church and tradition. safeguarding sound doctrine and The catechism “is an integral correcting errors but also, and the problems facing the faith” and recognizes that without a revital- part of that ‘renewal in continu- foremost, promoting the truth of ization of faith rooted in a per- ity’” by embracing the old and the faith.” sonal encounter with Jesus, “then traditional while expressing it “in The congregation’s note, draftall other reforms will remain inef- a new way, in order to respond ed on the orders of Pope Benefective,” it said citing the pope’s to the questions of our times,” it dict, was written in consultation December 22 address to the Ro- said. The note offers pastoral rec- with other Vatican offices and ommendations aimed at aiding with the help of the Year of Faith man Curia.

The year is meant to “contrib- “both the encounter with Christ preparatory committee. The comute to a renewed conversion to the through authentic witnesses to mittee, which operates under the Lord Jesus and to the rediscovery faith, and the ever-greater under- auspices of the doctrinal congreof faith, so that the members of standing of its contents,” it said. gation, includes U.S. Cardinals Among the initiatives will be William J. Levada, congregation the Church will be credible and joy-filled witnesses to the risen various ecumenical events at the prefect; Francis E. George of Lord, capable of leading those Vatican aimed at restoring unity Chicago; and Canadian Cardinal many people who are seeking it among all Christians, including Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Conto the door of faith,” the note said. “a solemn ecumenical celebration gregation for Bishops.

P

January 13, 2012

The Church in the U.S.

3

Archdiocese of Philadelphia to close 49 Catholic schools

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — January 6, traditionally celebrated as Epiphany, represented a true epiphany for thousands of Catholic school parents and students in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

On that day, the Blue Ribbon Commission formed by Cardinal Justin Rigali a year earlier, formally presented its final report to his successor, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. While the scope of its recommendations was not unexpected, it was nevertheless stunning.

If the recommendations are fully implemented, 45 of the 156 mostly parish-based elementary schools will cease to exist at the end of the present school year as will four of 17 archdiocesan high schools.

In the case of the high schools — West Catholic, Msgr. Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast, St. Hubert and Conwell-Egan — it is an outright closing, with the students free to choose any other existing high school. Technically the elementary schools are not closing. They are combining with one or more other schools at another location to form an entirely new school, but in the minds and hearts of the parents and students involved, their school is closing.

The report recommendations were first explained by Blue Ribbon Commission members to pastors, principals and directors of Religious Education at a morning gathering at Neumann University in Aston.

It was repeated in a shortened version in the afternoon at a packed news conference at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center.

In a letter sent to all parents and guardians, Archbishop Chaput wrote of the trends that are impacting Catholic education in the archdiocese — declining Baptisms, an increase in charter schools and the rising cost of education, which have resulted in higher tuition costs for parents and heavy operating deficits for schools.

Because of this, many of the affected schools were forced to eliminate such programs as art, music, foreign language, library, physical education and technology, among others.

At the news conference, Archbishop Chaput commended the 16-member Blue Ribbon Commission for its work, and said, “I hope the people in the archdiocese join me in thanking them because we owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The commission, he said, “worked very hard to ensure there is a Catholic school alternative for every student affected by this report. It is a critical first step in renewing the health of our Catholic education ministry and in the long term will benefit all of Philadelphia.”

John “Jack” Quindlen, chairman of the commission and a retired senior vice president and chief financial officer of DuPont, said, “Understandably, much of the focus is on school closings, but closings are just one part of a forward-looking program designed specifically to strengthen remaining schools. The commission is confident that if the recommendations are implemented the future for Catholic education in the archdiocese will be immeasurably brighter not for a year or two but for many years to come.”

The commission’s report, titled “Faith in the Future, Sustainable Catholic Education for All Who Desire It,” clearly illustrated why restructuring is necessary. Total enroll-

ment, which peaked at more than 250,000 in the 1960s, has dwindled to approximately 68,000.

At this time, there are more Catholic children in parish Religious Education programs than there are in the schools. As schools shrink in size, despite higher tuitions the parish subsidy grows, with per-pupil cost in the elementary schools on average more than $1,450 higher than tuition charged. In the secondary schools the average is more than $2,000 higher than tuition.

Today, there are 34 elementary schools with an enrollment of less than 200, a figure generally considered a minimum for viability, and 14 of these have fewer than 150.

Another 11 schools have more than 200 students, but nevertheless are experiencing a pattern of decreased enrollment and financial deficits.

Under the restructuring, not only the parish schools actually closing are affected. The schools with which they combine will also cease to exist as a parish school, replaced by the new regional school.

In all, restructuring of the elementary schools will affect almost 21,000 children, 1,500 teachers and 85 administrators, according to Mary Rochford, archdiocesan superintendent of schools.

In most cases the combined school will draw a faculty from the schools involved, but Rochford could only guess how many will be displaced, perhaps 250. The high school closings will also affect approximately 200 teachers, she said.

Normal retirement will account for saving some jobs and there will be an across-the-board hiring freeze in all of the archdiocesan schools so that as many teachers as possible displaced by restructuring can be accommodated.

“As an archdiocese we are going to do absolutely everything possible to assist any who lose their position,” Archbishop Chaput said. “Personally, I pledge my support to those who will not be part of the reorganization going forward.”

Unlike the elementary schools, high school teachers are covered by the contract with their union, the Association of Catholic Teachers.

“The association will be working very hard over the next several months to make the transition of our high school teachers to their new schools as smooth and painless as possible,” said Rita Schwartz, president of Local 1776 of the union.

Although the restructuring of the schools received most of the attention, the Blue Ribbon Commission also made recommendations in areas of special education, Religious Education programs, governance of the schools, advocacy for government support and the creation of a new foundation specifically

to raise funds for the endowment of the schools.

Every parish was urged to employ a trained director of Religious Education, dedicate a specific space to the program,

extend the number of hours for study required each year to 40 hours from the current 30, and delay conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmation until eighth grade.

4

The Church in the U.S.

Archbishop Gomez urges prayer after auxiliary bishop resigns in scandal

Los Angeles, Calif.

(CNA) — The scandal surrounding Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala is a “difficult moment” for the life of the archdiocese and a time for prayer and conversion, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a January 6 letter.

It is understandable for Catholics to feel “disappointed, confused and maybe angry,” the archbishop said in his letter to the faithful.

“I share some of these feelings and I feel a spiritual closeness to all of you in this time,” he added.

Pope Benedict XVI accepted Bishop Zavala’s resignation on January 4 after the bishop admitted to fathering two teen-age children who live in a state other than California with their mother.

Archbishop Gomez said the scandal should be seen as “an invitation to deeper conversion,

a time of prayer and penance to purify the interior of our hearts.”

“Let us strive with new dedication to be more generous in our worship, more compassionate in our love, and more faithful in our commitment to Jesus and his Gospel,” he said.

“The Church is human, but the Church is also divine and Jesus promised to be with his Church until the end of the age, nourishing us with his Word and Sacraments and guiding us by his Holy Spirit.”

The 60-year-old Bishop Zavala oversaw the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, one of five regions in the archdiocese. He has not been in ministry since he submitted his resignation.

Archbishop Gomez on January 4 said that the archdiocese has reached out to the bishop’s children and their mother to provide spiritual care and financial assistance for college.

January 13, 2012

Ten years after abuse scandal, Cardinal O’Malley reflects on its impact

BOSTON (CNS) — “Our Church will never forget the clergy sexual abuse crisis,” said Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston in a document marking the 10th anniversary of the abuse scandal that first rocked the archdiocese in January 2002, the reverberations of which continue to be felt.

“The traumatic and painful days we experienced 10 years ago rightfully forced us to address the issue honestly and implement many necessary changes,” said Cardinal O’Malley in the 2,500-word document, “Ten Years Later — Reflections on the Sexual Abuse Crisis,” released January 4.

Cardinal O’Malley said that since his appointment in July 2003, “our highest priority has been to provide outreach and care for all the survivors of clergy sexual abuse and to do everything possible to make sure this abuse never happens again.”

The cardinal said the archdiocese has met with more than 1,000 survivors and family members. “As one measure of our commitment, during the past seven years, the archdiocese has spent more than $7 million to provide counseling, medicines and other services for survivors and their families,” he added. “At any given time, we are providing assistance for approximately 300 people.”

Since 2003, the Archdiocese of Boston has settled approximately 800 claims of clergy sexual abuse, Cardinal O’Malley said, although no figure was of-

fered on the total archdiocesan payout in those cases.

He added that about 300,000 children have received safe environment training through their parish schools or Religious Education programs. The cardinal said about 175,000 adults — clergy, religious and laity, both paid staff and volunteers — have been trained to identify and report suspected abuse.

“It is indisputable that the survivors of clergy sexual abuse have suffered greatly. As an archdiocese, as a Church, we can never cease to make clear the depth of our sorrow and to beg forgiveness from those who were so grievously harmed,” Cardinal O’Malley said. “The survivors’ strength in proclaiming the truth allowed others to acknowledge their own pain and take steps to begin healing.”

He added, “Men and women who have suffered the most egregious abuse (have) shared that they are striving each day to forgive the man who perpetrated the abuse. This is an extraordinary and humbling sign of God’s goodness beyond all measure, and a message of courage, hope and love.”

Cardinal O’Malley thanked the news media, which uncovered the scope of the abuse in Boston and elsewhere. “The media helped make our Church safer for children by raising up the issue of clergy sexual abuse and forcing us to deal with it,” he said. “All of us who hold the protection of children as the highest priority are indebted to

the media’s advocacy on this issue.”

The cardinal noted that “all Catholics, those who continue to be present at their parishes for the celebration of the Eucharist and those who have felt the need to step away during recent years, have carried the burden of the anger, shame and confusion of this scandal. It is also important to recognize that our Catholic community is an essential part of our ongoing response.”

Cardinal O’Malley said the message was offered “with a spirit of contrition and humility, with a commitment to vigilance and with gratitude for all who have given their time and effort to ensure that such abuse never again occur in the church.” He added, “We look to the future with the hope that God will bring good out of this situation and offer hope and healing to all those affected by the crisis.”

In a letter to Catholics in the archdiocese that accompanied the document, Cardinal O’Malley said, “As leaders in the Church we must accept our responsibility for those failings and clearly acknowledge that Church leadership could have and should have responded more quickly and more forcefully.”

Although “sweeping and significant” changes have been made by the Church in the past decade, he added, “ we cannot be lulled into a sense of achievement that would risk complacency. ... There will never be a time to presume that the crisis is over or behind us.”

Vatican receives final report on U.S. women religious

Hamden, Conn. (CNA/ EWTN News) — A three-year survey of women’s religious life in the United States has concluded with the filing of a final report by the Vatican-appointed Apostolic Visitator Mother Mary Clare Millea.

“Although there are concerns in religious life that warrant support and attention, the enduring reality is one of fidelity, joy, and hope,” Mother Millea said in a January 9 release announcing the submission of her findings to the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Along with her comprehensive report on women’s religious communities, Mother Millea is presenting individual reports on nearly 400 religious institutes to the congregation’s secretary Archbishop Joseph Tobin. These reports are likely to be completed by the spring of 2012.

Cardinal Franc Rodé, the con-

gregation’s former prefect, began the visitation in December 2008, to “look into the quality of life” of communities nationwide. Mother Millea, who is the Superior General of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and hails from the U.S., oversaw the process and conducted much of the research.

Her review of women’s religious institutes spanned 2009 and 2010, with a further year dedicated to compiling and summarizing the findings. Its first three stages involves meetings, questionnaires and other communications, along with visits to around a quarter of the groups nationwide.

The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has not yet set a date to announce its own conclusions from the report.

But Mother Millea said the apostolic visitation had “generated widespread interest” and was al-

ready reaping “tangible benefits” in the U.S. Church.

“The attention to it has resulted in a renewed appreciation for the role of religious in the Church and society and has increased dialogue and mutual awareness among the various communities in the United States,” she noted.

Not all of the attention drawn by the visitation was positive, as some communities challenged its mandate and opted not to provide requested information.

However, Mother Millea called the three-year process “demanding, but equally refreshing” as a reminder of religious orders’ “history and vital role in the Church in the United States.”

“As I learned of and observed firsthand the perseverance of the religious in the United States in their vocations, in their ministries and in their faith … I have been both inspired and humbled,” she said after submitting her report to the Vatican congregation.

January 13, 2012

5

The Anchor

Holy Trinity School in West Harwich to close doors in June

WEST HARWICH — Following years of declining enrollment and annual budget deficits, Holy Trinity Regional School in West Harwich will close in June at the end of the current academic year.

The decision to close the pre-kindergarten through grade five school was announced to faculty, staff and parents of students in meetings yesterday by officials from the Catholic Schools Office of the Fall River Diocese.

While never a large school, Holy Trinity Regional has been experiencing a steady decline in student population over several years. Its loss in enrollment is

reflective of the overall decreasing school-age population in the Lower Cape area. Currently there are only 66 students attending Holy Trinity Regional.

This low and decreasing enrollment has meant insufficient tuition income to cover operational expenses of the school and yearly budget shortfalls.

Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Michael S. Griffin, Ph.D. anticipates the school’s budget deficit for the 2011-2012 school year will be approximately $150,000.

“The school has experienced deficits averaging $96,000 a year for the past four years, due to the loss of tuition income

from a declining student population,” Griffin explained in a letter to parents of Holy Trinity students on the school’s clo-

sure. “The school continued in the hopes of turning the enrollment around. However, despite

New UMass Dartmouth chaplain brings energy, zeal to campus continued from page one

way, it catches them off guard.”

Citing a study that came out this past summer that stated 94 percent of students are not going to church when they go off the college, Father Frederici said the 22 or so students who attend his weekly Mass represent less than two percent of the Catholics on the UMass Dartmouth campus. While some priests may feel deterred by the low number, Father Frederici is using it as a learning tool to modify his approach while understanding the bigger picture.

“Where do we go from here? In all honesty, if we maintain a two percent or less in Mass attendance, the majority of these students are not leaving but staying in the region,” he said. “They’re not going to start going to church when they leave school, so if I can’t build that up here, the long term outlook for the diocese isn’t pretty. We need to help break those patterns. How can we connect the youth groups to campus ministry to parishes?

How do we transition that? What can we do to help the parishes?

And not just to keep these students connected but to keep these students active?”

Keeping students engaged is key, said Father Frederici. Learning from his six years as chaplain at Cape Cod Community College — a position he continues to hold — he is using technology, and his knowledge of how young minds work, to his advantage.

He has created a website (www. collegecatholic.org) and has pushed out electronic surveys and e-mails to try and engage his students.

“I’m starting to get feedback on some of the sites. I’ve advertised on Facebook, and we’ve had some modest results,” said Father Frederici. “It is a generation, even as we are speaking, that is changing. I’ve had to change my whole preaching style, because you have about three seconds to get their at-

tention and then you have to maintain it.”

That style includes PowerPoint presentations during Mass, walking around campus and engaging students in civilian clothes and hosting student-run gatherings at the Newman House located right off of campus grounds.

“Unless they have an investment in it, it’s not happening. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m 40 and to them I’m like the old guy. It’s nice that you PowerPoint at Mass, but you’re still old,” he said, laughing. “I want their investment in this. My number one concern is community.”

That means getting down to their level, especially when dealing with sexual feelings that sometimes conflict with the Catholic doctrine. In church the relationship with God is built up little by little, but Father Frederici finds that discussions among students often jump right into morality issues.

The problem with that, he said, is that morality follows the teachings of the Church and one’s relationship with God; Father Frederici sometimes has to ascertain exactly what the student’s preconceived notions are about priests.

“They can be intimidated by the black. I have no idea of their image or what they’ve heard. Any tool I can use that can create a conversation, I’m ready to go with it,” said Father Frederici, who said that by balancing both his clerical collar with days wearing his “civvies,” more and more students are approaching him simply to say hello.

“The advantage to a smaller setting, the advantages I have in terms of preaching, is I have a pretty much focused community of students,” he said. “Because of that, I can actually engage them with a little more of an intellectual style of content. I can focus it specifically to a college setting. The stressors are a bit easier to name:

relationships and tests, final papers, tensions with families, moving from home to here. To a certain extent, we try to get their attention, deliver content and have it be something they can walk away from. With students you have to be more direct with the action item, while in the parish it’s more theoretical. It should be something they can come away with, a direct action, to be something they can live out.”

This past Christmas season, students participated in a Giving Tree and a Card Swipe that donated a meal from their meal plan to local Catholic soup kitchens. Father Frederici is in talks with area organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life, to funnel Catholic students into volunteering; is overseeing a newly -formed retreat team made of students that will kick off Holy Week with a retreat during the Lenten season; is in talks with the nursing school on the university campus to help guide Catholic student nurses through the stress of their major and ethical dilemmas they may face on the job; and recently began hosting Mass at the UMass Law School campus.

“It’s going to take a while.

There’s no magic formula for building community,” said Father Frederici, adding that the university is a very supportive setting for his endeavors. In five years he would like to have “an observable Catholic presence. I’d like us to be at, and this is a little ambitious, but I’d like us to be at 25-30 percent Mass attendance, which would create some spacing issues but that’s OK. I like issues and that would be a nice issue to have.”

He added, “I have to remind myself that I have to give myself some time and you’re not going to change everything overnight, but I’m going to continue my momentum.”

the dedicated efforts of the Holy Trinity School community, this has not occurred.”

Diocesan school officials will work with other Catholic schools in the region to provide places for students who wish to continue a Catholic school education.

“While the decision to close Holy Trinity will be a disappointment to its students and their families, I want to assure them that the administrations of the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office and that of Holy Trinity School will work with them to achieve a smooth transition to a new school next year,” Griffin said.

Other Catholic schools in the vicinity on Cape Cod include St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth with grades pre-k through eight and St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School in Hyannis that begins with grade five.

Griffin also said that staff from Holy Trinity would be given strong consideration in the hiring to fill any vacancies next year in diocesan schools on the Cape or in the Greater New Bedford area.

Bishop George W. Coleman has been kept apprised of the

decreasing enrollment trend and the mounting debt impacting Holy Trinity Regional School, and with regret he approved the proposal of the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office that the school close.

He joined Griffin in expressing his gratitude for the commitment and support shown the school in its 18-year history by students and parents, principals, teachers, staff and priests, and promised to remember in prayer the students and families of Holy Trinity during this time of transition.

Holy Trinity Regional School opened in September 1994 with grades kindergarten through second in a building on Holy Trinity Parish property that had once housed an earlier parish school from 1965 to 1971. Following a plan to add a grade level each year, Holy Trinity Regional eventually became a kindergarten through gradeeight school. In 2006 it was decided to discontinue its middle school program to allow for the establishment of pre-kindergarten in space that was previously lacking and to focus on early elementary education.

6

The Anchor Vocations awareness in an age of secularism

Today is the fifth and last day of Vocations Awareness Week in the Catholic Church in the United States. This observance began in 1976 in order to help the whole people of God recognize that the entirety of Christian life is meant to be vocational. National Vocations Awareness Week begins with the liturgical celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, which the Church celebrated on Monday. Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan made holy the waters of Baptism so that, when Christ’s Baptism was culminated in blood on the Cross, the waters of Baptism might become sacramentally capable of transforming us into sons in the Son, into true temples of God’s presence. Jesus’ Baptism evokes the importance and the consequences of our own.

Vocational awareness begins by grasping that Baptism brings with it a direct, personal call

by God as His beloved son or daughter in whom He is well-pleased, a real summons to be holy as God is holy, to love as God loves, to live as God lives by living in communion with God. It is out of this baptismal vocation that all other vocations in the Church flow. From Baptism flow the vocations that pertain to our state of life — like the vocation to marriage and parenthood, to the priesthood, to religious life, to consecrated virginity, to apostolic lay celibacy — because they are paths that God gives us in order to help us advance on the path of holiness and build up His family on earth. From Baptism flows as well those vocations that pertain to the work we will do, as teachers, farmers, doctors and nurses, athletes, actors, computer programmers, and so on, which are all means by which we are called to fulfill our mission to fill the earth and subdue it, to have dominion over all creatures, and to be the salt, light and leaven of the earth.

The importance of this week is only growing as the years go by because there is a real crisis of vocational awareness in the Church. Normally when we hear the expression “vocations crisis,” we think of the diminishing numbers of priests or religious. The expression is also now commonly being used to refer to the crisis in the understanding of the vocation to the Sacrament of Marriage; not only is the number of sacramental marriages way down and the percentages of divorce, cohabitation and civil unions way up, but many Catholics seem to be incognizant that marriage is a true calling by God, not just a consequence of ephemeral sexual or emotional attraction.

The root of these vocational crises, however, is the greatest vocational crisis of all: the lack of a basic vocational awareness among Catholics, a chronic incapacity to perceive that, as Martha of Bethany said to her sister Mary in the Gospel, “The Master is here and He is calling you.” Many Catholics are unconscious that the Master is always present and calling us in some way or another. If Catholics are unaware of this, it’s unsurprising that they will not hear His more specific calls to follow Him down particular paths.

This lack of general vocational awareness is a direct result of the metastasizing cancer of secularism within the Mystical Body of Christ. Secularism, as Pope Benedict often says, is living si Deus non daretur, as if God did were not a given. While virtually all Catholics would readily affirm that God exists and confirm their general faith in Jesus, many Catholics live most of their day as practical atheists, because they’ve separated their faith from their daily life.

Surveys show that most Catholics do not pray every day; among those who still do turn to God daily, most dedicate only a few minutes to prayer at the end of the day, a habit of conversation that would not be enough to sustain a marriage and is certainly not enough to keep vibrant a covenant of love with God. Many Catholics have tuned out God’s calling them and seeking to guide them throughout each day. Increasing numbers of Catholics are going through life deaf to the Lord’s eagerly inviting them to eat His Passover meal at Sunday Mass, to His beckoning them with tenderness to receive His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Mercy, to His summoning them to build their love lives on His pure, chaste, demanding, responsible and fruitful love, and to His challenging them to perfection through self-denial, giving of themselves to the poor and coming to follow Him up close. If the Church is ever going to respond to the crises of vocations to the priesthood, religious life and marriage and respond to the challenge of the new evangelization, then she must begin by raising up this general vocational awareness that God is constantly calling us, that He is continually seeking to engage and evangelize us, that He is unceasingly trying to help us to build our day-to-day existence on Him and to learn from Him how to turn every moment in life into an occasion of loving communion with Him and others.

The opposite of the practical atheism flowing from secularism that is leading many Catholics — sometimes even unaware — to ostracize God from life is the vocational awareness that the Church is trying to stimulate this week: this is a consciousness not only that God exists, but that He is present and active calling us at each moment to Himself and entrusting us with His mission to others.

The crisis in general vocational awareness is why the Church as a whole is in need of the Year of Faith that Pope Benedict has announced will begin on October 11. On Saturday, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published, at the pope’s request, a series of pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith (see the article on page two). These pastoral recommendations proposed a series of 10 ways each that individual parishes, dioceses, countries and the Church universal can live the year to help strengthen the faith of believers and equip them to live and share it. We’ll have a chance to examine these recommendations in future editorials as we draw closer to the beginning of the ecclesial year. What is important for us to grasp now is that the lack of general vocational awareness among Catholics comes from an insufficient understanding of, and formation in, the faith among the baptized.

The faith to which God calls us is an “obedient” one in which we personally and with trust adhere to God. Obedience comes from the Latin expression ob-audire, which means to “listen attentively.” Our faith is meant to help us to hear the Lord’s voice and to act on what we hear.

It’s meant to make us conscious of, and attentive to, the Lord’s constant calling. The Pastoral Recommendations stress that Jesus seeks to show us the art of living in an “intense relationship with Him,” a dialogue of love. In every age, the congregation continues, Jesus “convokes” — literally “calls together” — the Church, entrusting her with the Gospel. The Church is basically the body of those who have heard this call to come together with Jesus and whom Jesus wants to form and send to make others aware of this same calling. The upcoming Year of Faith is basically meant to be, among other things, an International Vocations Awareness Year, a cure for cancer of secularism that begins by infecting our hearing and then spreads to impacting our entire life.

As we conclude Vocations Awareness Week in the United States, it is a good time for us to recalibrate our own listening to the Lord in our day-to-day life and to help those we know, especially the young, learn how to tune their ears and their lives to the Lord’s voice as He seeks to guide us to follow Him day-to-day through the various stages and trials of life to true happiness, holiness and Heaven.

I

January 13, 2012

‘Last rites?’

n this week’s column we shift our that the Sacrament is not just a spiritual focus from the Sacrament of Rec- aid and strength for those crossing the onciliation to the second of the Sacrathreshold of death, but also a Sacrament ments of Healing — the “Anointing of of healing for those who are sick with the Sick.” In this week’s article, I will dangerous illnesses. attempt to explain why the Sacrament After the liturgical reforms of the is called this, and no longer the “Last Second Vatican Council, we can note Rites” as many continue to refer to it. a change in the emphasis of anointA few years ago, I was visiting ing. It renews the ancient teaching on some people in the hospital and upon the Anointing of the Sick (not just the entering the room of one of the padying) and is celebrated in hopes that tients, he immediately became visibly health may be restored to the soul and anxious when I asked if he would like even to the body when one is ill and in to receive the Anointing. He asked, danger of death (not necessarily immi“Father, am I dying?” He was under nent). the impression that the only ones to All of this is understood in the light receive this Sacrament were those who of the Christ who is the Divine Physiwere on their deathbed. Unfortunately, cian, the One who came to bring healthis is a thought that many Catholics ing to our bodies and our souls. The still have.

“Catechism” explains, “Christ’s comThe “Catechism of the Catholic passion toward the sick and His many Church” explains, however, “By healings of every kind of infirmity are the sacred a resplenAnointing of dent sign the Sick and that ‘God Putting Into the prayer of has visited the Deep the priests, His people’ the whole and that the Church comKingdom of

By Father mends those God is close Jay Mello who are ill to at hand.” the suffering Jesus has and glorified Lord, that He may raise the power not only to heal, but also to forthem up and save them” (CCC 1499). give sins. He has come to heal the whole The Church reminds us, in the person, soul and body. He is the physician General Introduction to the Ritual the sick need. His compassion toward all on the Pastoral Care of the Sick, that who suffer goes so far that He identifies “suffering and illness have always Himself with them: “I was sick and you been among the greatest problems that visited Me.” His preferential love for the trouble the human spirit. Christians sick and dying has not ceased through the feel and experience pain as do all centuries to draw the very special attenother people; yet their faith helps them tion of Christians toward all those who to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffer in body and soul. suffering and to bear their pain with Christ instituted this sacred anointgreater courage. From Christ’s words ing of the sick as we read about in the they know that sickness has meaning passage from Mark’s Gospel menand value for their own salvation and tioned above. The practice of visiting for the salvation of the world. They and anointing the sick with oil was also know that Christ, who during His clearly practiced by the early Church life often visited and healed the sick, because “the Church received the loves them in their illness.” charge from the Lord to heal the sick From the earliest days, the Church and she strives to carry it out by taking has taken seriously the words we read care of the sick as well as by accompain St. James, “Are there sick among nying them with her prayer of interyou? Let them send for the priests of cession. She believes in the life-giving the Church and let them pray over presence of Christ, the Physician of them, anointing them with oil in the souls and bodies. This presence is name of the Lord. The prayer of faith particularly active through the Sacrawill save the sick person and the Lord ments” (CCC 1509). will raise them up. If they have comThe Sacrament of the Anointing mitted any sins, they will be forgiven of the Sick could be one of the most them” (Jas 5: 14-15). misunderstood of the Seven SacraWhile there was a time when the ments. Certainly this is in part because Sacrament was reserved only for those of the renewed understanding of it in at the point of death and was referred being meant for all those who are serito as “Last Rites,” the Second Vatican ously ill and not just the dying. But we Council helped us to understand that should also be clear that there are spe“Extreme Unction” which may also and cial prayers to accompany those who more properly be called “Anointing of are dying and prayers for those who the Sick,” is not a Sacrament intended have already died. Next week we will only for those who are at the point of look at the actual rite of the anointing death. “As soon as any of the faithful itself so that those who will be receivbegins to be in danger of death from ing this Sacrament will be able to sickness or old age, this is already a more fully enter into the beauty of this suitable time for them to receive this wonderful Sacrament of Healing.

Sacrament” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, Father Mello is a parochial vicar No. 73). This helps us to understand at St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

January 13, 2012

I

noted last week that we had finished examining the narrative parables of the Kingdom. Since every figure of speech was considered parabolic by the Evangelists, there is yet an important parable to consider regarding the Kingdom.

These parabolic events are found in Mt 16:13-19, with parallels in Mk 8:27-29 and Lk 9:18-20. If you have been following the development of the parables of the Kingdom in Matthew closely, you will notice that this scene in Caesarea Philippi is placed midway between the Sermon on the Seashore in chapter 13 with the group of parables there, and the five parables of the Kingdom in chapters 18 to 25.

Outside the city of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus brings up the question of the identity of the Son of Man with His disciples.

This figure from Old Testament prophecy is never clearly identified in the Scriptures and there are many popular opinions.

After listening to some of these opinions, He asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Given the

D

uring a 2011 roundtable discussion on Fox News, guest commentator Jay Thomas argued that young people should not be too concerned when it comes to pre-marital sex, because nobody would choose to “buy a car without driving it first. You don’t get married, and you don’t learn about sex, by not having it.” Any reasonable person would prefer to avoid someone who might be, in his words, “odd in the sack,” much as any reasonable person would prefer to avoid getting a lemon when purchasing a new car. Thomas, therefore, could hardly envision anyone’s committing to marriage without first “kicking the tires” a bit, and going for a sex “test drive.”

The test drive analogy comes up short in a number of important ways, and premarital sex is not at all synonymous with a harmless “test drive.” The context in which sex occurs is everything in terms of “getting it right.”

Separated from its proper context of marriage, it becomes a quick path to emotional and interpersonal wreckage. Since sex takes on its proper meaning only within marriage, it cannot be properly evaluated outside the marital commitment. It might be analogous to trying to evaluate the performance of a particular car before it has even been assembled or come off the assembly line.

7

The Anchor

The Parable of the Claviger

discussion they were having, protector of the city, the king, the expected response would be, had the keys to the city gates.

“Oh, You are the Son of Man!” If the king planned to be absent Simon, however, answers, “You from the city, he had to appoint are the Messiah (the Christ), the a claviger (key bearer), someone Son of the living God.” This who would be viceroy or vice answer goes beyond the scope of regent. In the presence of the their conversation, and Jesus proclaims it to be a direct revelation from God. This is theological background for what follows; we must also give some geographiBy Father cal and socio-political Martin L. Buote background.

Caesarea Philippi was a walled city near the foot of Mount Hermon in king, this man had no authority. northern Israel. From the springs In the absence of the king, he had there rose the headwaters of the total authority.

Jordan River. Behind the city After Simon, by divine revelatowered a high cliff with a mastion, identified Jesus as Messive, exposed rock face. Along siah, Christ, the Anointed One the bottom of this cliff were (remember that those anointed shrines to several different Greek in ancient Israel were priests, and Roman deities. prophets and kings), then exerA walled city provided shelter cises His office as king to appoint and security for those who lived a claviger. This appointment is a within the walls and those who formal one. He sets Simon before would come in from the country- the assembly of disciples by his side in times of danger. The chief formal name, Simon Bar-Jona,

Parables of the Lord

and gives him a title of office, Rock! (This must have been impressive with that great rock cliff rising above them.) I say that this title for the word for rock (petros in Greek and cephas in Aramaic) had never been used as a name in either language. The burden of this office was that he would be the claviger of the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is important to recall here that for Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven is primarily the Church on earth, not the celestial home of God, the saints and angels.

Jesus speaks of building His Church on this Rock. We do not know what Aramaic word Jesus used because there was no word for Church in the Aramaic or the Greek of that time. However, by the time Matthew wrote, the Greek word ekklesia was being used by the followers of Jesus for self-identification of the group.

Matthew so uses it here and does so associating it with the term Kingdom of Heaven.

The premarital sex ‘test drive’

trivializes and degrades the seriThe story is told of a famous ous business that marriage really but irresponsible race car driver is. What sorts of things would who decided to borrow a friend’s a young man be expecting to Camaro to take it for a test drive discover with a sexual “test-drive” around the racetrack. He quickly anyway? What kinds of qualities ran it to the edge of the speedwould disqualify someone from ometer, red-lining the engine at more than 100 miles per hour. He pushed it hard for several laps around the track, then finally pulled the vehicle off to the side. As he did so, the strained engine

By Father Tad overheated, seized Pacholczyk violently, and began to pour out smoke. He was used to expensive, high becoming his wife? If he had performance racing machines, lived in purity himself, and it were and the Camaro felt sluggish by his first sexual experience fresh comparison. He walked away from the vehicle, muttering under on the heels of his marriage vows, he would automatically suppose his breath, “I wonder what’s the his wife to be wonderful, and no matter with that car?” Sex before “comparisons” should even be marriage is a similar kind of “test necessary. drive” — clearly unreasonable In the final analysis, who really and harmful.

A sexual “test drive” mentality wants to be sexually “compared” to others anyway? Predictably, is essentially exploitative in napartners can feel threatened if ture, reducing a potential spouse to someone who is easily replaced they think their spouse might be comparing them with previous by a “better” model. When we partners. This provides a strong take a car for a test drive, and incentive to abstain from sex don’t like it, we can just return before marriage, to protect the the keys and move on to the next emotional safety that spouses model. But people are not cars need to feel together in marriage. that we can just exploit and cast Every woman prefers to marry aside. a man who has lived chastely.

The notion of a sexual “test Similarly every man, in his heart drive” as an entrée to matrimony

Making Sense Out of Bioethics

of hearts, wants to marry a virgin, rather than someone who has been “test-driven” by scores of other men.

As one happily married woman described it on her Internet posting: “I’ve only been with one guy; he was only with one girl — and it wasn’t until our wedding night.

Maybe we were both bad in bed. But, you know, neither one of us had any clue, because we’d never been with anyone else. I’ve never seen that as an issue.”

Singer/actress Rebecca St. James, who also participated in the Fox News roundtable, echoed the same sentiments: “Can I just say married sex (and I’ve never been with anyone other than my husband) is wonderful.

It’s so cherishing and beautiful,

One more part of this extended parabolic speech needs to be examined. “Whatever you bind/ loose on earth will be bound/ loosed in Heaven.” This may be rephrased as follows without any loss or change in meaning: “Whatever you bind/loose (for the Kingdom of Heaven) on earth will be bound/loosed (i.e., ratified) in Heaven (the celestial court of God).”

This scene ends with Jesus, in effect, telling His disciples to keep all this under their hat for the time. Only after the Ascension would the role of claviger have importance, and that is when we see Simon Peter (the Rock) began to use his position.

This parabolic scene as Caesarea Philippi unites all the parables of the Kingdom in Matthew and gives cohesion to the history of the Church.

Father Buote is a retired priest of the Diocese of Fall River. For more than 30 years, he has been leading Bible study groups in various parishes and has also led pilgrims to visit sites in Israel associated with the Bible.

and I’m so glad I don’t have any memories with anyone else, and I’m glad my husband doesn’t have anybody to compare me to.

We only have each other.”

Dating and marriage are about commitment and sacrificial love for another person, not comparison shopping for the best deal, or test driving the latest vehicle.

Sex is a unique gift by which we hand ourselves over to another within marriage, and cement the treasure of marital love in a permanent commitment to one another.

Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org.

8

W

ith this Sunday’s observance, we find ourselves in the season of Ordinary Time. That “ordinary” is as in “ordinal” (numbered), not normal or regular. In the other liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, we focus on and celebrate a particular mystery of Christ’s life among us. In this season, we instead make a systematic review of the whole of His life in one of the Gospels. In this way we encounter Christ, hear Him calling His disciples, teaching them, healing them, forming them; if our hearts are open, His Word, eternal and penetrating all time, beckons us to follow, too.

This week and next we will hear Him calling Andrew, Simon Peter, James, and John in the Gospel. In the first reading for these Sundays, we will hear the calling of Samuel, and Jonah. We are dealing with different times and circumstances, different personalities, different missions, but one Lord calling.

His call is subtle and gentle.

There is always an invitation that must first be perceived, then actively responded to.

“Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was. The Lord

January 13, 2012

The Anchor

The subtle call of the Father

called to Samuel, who anthat he was sleeping. Samuel swered, ‘Here I am.’ Samuel was in the Temple. He was in ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I the Temple because he was am. You called me.’ ‘I did not serving the elderly priest Eli call you,’ Eli said. ‘Go back and he also wanted to be where to sleep.’ So he went back to the Lord was. He had served sleep. Again the Lord called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. Homily of the Week ‘Here I am,’ he said.

Second Sunday ‘You called me.’ But of Oridanry Time Eli answered, ‘I did not call you, my son. Go

By Father Michael back to sleep,’ because Fitzpatrick the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet” (1 Sam 3:3-7).

The call of Samuel teaches the priests in their ministry us many important things about since he was a boy. He was our relationship with the Lord. dedicated to service and used If we do not understand this to praying and being present to scene correctly we can be led to the Lord for many hours. This false expectations. habit opened his heart enough First of all, he prudently that the Lord was able to call to seeks out someone (Eli) with him when he was still a youth, experience and wisdom to help but that does not mean Samuel him discern what is happening. understood what was going on.

God makes us need others’ help “At that time Samuel was not in growing in our relationship familiar with the Lord.” with Him so that we don’t get Imagine, after years of full of ourselves. There is a dedicated service and prayer, saying that says he who has Samuel was not yet “familiar.” himself as a spiritual director This is both a pride-check has a fool as a spiritual director. and a most beautiful mystery.

Secondly, God calls gently.

It checks our pride because Samuel was able to hear, bewe must realize that prayer cause he was silent before Him. (conversation with God) is not Do not be misled by the fact something that we initiate. God

initiates. We must be internally quietly attentive, ready. Whatever method we use, 90 percent of prayer is merely trying to make ourselves ready for when God desires to speak to us. It is a beautiful mystery because God does desire to speak with us, and not just to us.

That word “familiar” is probably better translated as “know,” yet it does capture something. The word familiar is philologically connected to “family,” and that points exactly to how intimately, how lovingly, God deeply desires for us to be with Him. Samuel would come to know God’s voice very well, but it would not happen overnight or easily, or because he was so skilled or read many books.

The call of Andrew and Peter (Jn 1:35-42) is likewise a gentle invitation. They, too, were disposed to recognize that there was something unique in Christ. They were disciples of John the Baptist. You can be sure that he was no softy as a spiritual mentor. They were used to praying and fasting and sacrificing. And because of that, they, too, were able to say with

their hearts (if not their lips) “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

The Lord calls and speaks to each and every one of us.

Whether it be discerning what is our vocation or simply how to best follow in His steps today in any given situation, He speaks. We must listen. In interior stillness. Coming to that attentive and responsive (never passive!) interior stillness is the main work of prayer, and is itself a gift.

Let us finish by praying.

Heavenly Father, please give us the courage to stand silently before You with attentive hearts that we may perceive Your voice. Help us to make the verses of Psalm 40 that are given to us this week our own: “I have waited, waited for the Lord, and He stooped toward me and heard my cry. And He put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. Sacrifice or offering You wished not, but ears open to obedience You gave me. Then said I, “Behold I come.” In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do Your will, O my God, is my delight, and Your law is within my heart! ” Father Michael Fitzpatrick is parochial vicar of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 14, 1 Sm 9:1-4,17-19;10:1a; Ps 19:8-10,15; Mk 2:13-17. Sun. Jan. 15, 1 Sm 3:3b-10,19; Ps 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a,17-20; Jn 1:35-42. Mon. Jan. 16, 1 Sm 15:16-23; Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23; Mk 2:18-22. Tues. Jan. 17, 1 Sm 16:1-13; Ps 89:20-22,27-28; Mk 2:23-28. Wed. Jan 18,1 Sm 17:3233,37,40-51; Ps 144:1-2,9-10; Mk 3:1-6. Thurs. Jan. 19, 1 Sm 18:6-9;19:1-7; Ps 56:2-3,9-14; Mk 3:7-12. Fri. Jan. 20, 1 Sm 24:3-21; Ps 57:2-4,6,11; Mk 3:13-19.

W

hy do adults become Catholics?

There are as many reasons for “converting” as there are converts. Evelyn Waugh became a Catholic with, by his own admission, “little emotion but clear conviction”: this was the truth; one ought to adhere to it. Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote that his journey into the Catholic Church began when, as an unbelieving Harvard undergraduate detached from his family’s staunch Presbyterianism, he noticed a leaf shimmering with raindrops while taking a walk along the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass.; such beauty could not be accidental, he thought — there must be a Creator. Thomas Merton found Catholicism aesthetically, as well as intellectually, attractive: once the former Columbia free-thinker and dabbler in communism and Hinduism found his way into a Trappist monastery and became a priest, he explained the Mass to his unconverted friend, poet Robert Lax, by analogy to a ballet. Until his death in 2007, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger

Converts and the symphony of truth

Eccleston, was a convert from insisted that his conversion to Anglicanism, as was the first Catholicism was not a rejecnative-born American saint and tion of, but a fulfillment of, the Judaism into which he was born; the precursor of the Catholic the cardinal could often be found school system, Elizabeth Anne at Holocaust memorial services reciting the names of the martyrs, including “Gisèle Lustiger, ma maman” (“my mother”).

Two of the great

By George Weigel 19th-century converts were geniuses of the English language: theologian John Henry Newman Seton. Mother Seton’s portrait in the offices of the archbishop of and poet Gerard Manley HopNew York is somewhat inconkins. This tradition of literary gruous, as the young widow converts continued in the 20th Seton, with her children, was run century, and included Waugh, out of New York by her unforGraham Greene, Edith Sitwell, Ronald Knox, and Walker Percy. giving Anglican in-laws when Their heritage lives today at Our she became a Catholic. On his Savior’s Church on Park Avenue deathbed, another great 19thcentury convert, Henry Edward in New York, where convert auManning of England, who might thor, wit, raconteur and amateur have become the Anglican pugillist George William Rutler archbishop of Canterbury but presides as pastor. became the Catholic archbishop In early American Catholiof Westminster instead, took cism, the fifth archbishop of his long-deceased wife’s prayer Baltimore (and de facto primate book from beneath his pillow of the United States), Samuel

The Catholic Difference

and gave it to a friend, saying that it had been his spiritual inspiration throughout his life.

If there is a thread running through these diverse personalities, it may be this: that men and women of intellect, culture and accomplishment have found in Catholicism what Blessed John Paul II called the “symphony of truth.” That rich and complex symphony, and the harmonies it offers, is an attractive, compelling and persuasive alternative to the fragmentation of modern and post-modern intellectual and cultural life, where little fits together and much is cacophony.

Catholicism, however, is not an accidental assembly of random truth-claims; the Creed is not an arbitrary catalogue of propositions and neither is the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

It all fits together, and in proposing that symphonic harmony, Catholicism helps fit all the aspects of our lives together, as it orders our loves and loyalties in

the right direction.

You don’t have to be an intellectual to appreciate this “symphony of truth,” however. For Catholicism is, first of all, an encounter with a person, Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). And to meet that Person is to meet the truth that makes all the other truths of our lives make sense. Indeed, the embrace of Catholic truth in full, as lives like Blessed John Henry Newman’s demonstrate, opens one up to the broadest possible range of intellectual encounters.

Viewed from outside, Catholicism can seem closed and unwelcoming. As Evelyn Waugh noted, though, it all seems so much more spacious and open from the inside. The Gothic, with its soaring vaults and buttresses and its luminous stained glass, is not a classic Catholic architectural form by accident. The full beauty of the light, however, washes over you when you come in.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

January 13, 2012 Monday 9 January 2012 — at home on the Taunton River — Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, official end of the Advent/Christmas cycle ince I was a teen-ager, I’ve always enjoyed the media’s annual year-end reviews. This season past, though, I hadn’t time to pay attention. Once you light that first candle of the Advent wreath until the church Nativity scene is swathed in bubble wrap and packed away, there’s just too much going on in the present to contemplate the past. Well, dear readers, the time has come.

Early on this mid-January morning, I’ve already prayed the Divine Office, fed greyhound Transit, emptied the waste baskets, taken out the garbage, and made my bed. I still have time before driving over to the church for morning Mass, so I’m

S

B

9

The Anchor

Looking back

sitting down in my favorite chair, sipping a mug of freshly-brewed Honduran coffee (a gift from St. Rosa of Lima mission) and reviewing the year 2011. Better

late than never.

The big news was the reassignment of our parish staff member Sister Mauricia.

Almost two years ago, Sister Vimala, the Provincial of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, assigned Sister Mauricia to pastoral work at St. Nicholas Church. Sister Mauricia has proven to be a Godsend to us.

Her ministry was that of outreach. She worked one-on-one

with parishioners who were experiencing such major life events as the birth of a baby or the death of a loved one. She helped recruit a greater variety of parishioners to take an active role in Sunday Liturgies. She also made home visits to the sick and occasionally to parishioners in general. She brought compassion, joy, and heart-felt solicitude to the ministry here. Not coincidentally, I might add, she was the only woman on the parish ministry team.

When the Mother General in Rome decided to send four Sisters to found a new ministry in the Philippines, she and her counselors discerned the name of Sister Mauricia. Sister is a native of the Philippines. The news was bittersweet for the parishioners of St. Nicholas Parish. We would be losing a valued parish staff member, but at the same time we

Pascal for parents

laise Pascal (1623-1662) was a brilliant French philosopher and mathematician who offered a suggestion to those who struggled with faith.

Since reason cannot be trusted and faith cannot be proven, he said, there is a choice: to believe or not to believe. Weighing the cost of being wrong in either choice, he argued that it is far safer to believe (and enter oblivion after death) than to reject God (and risk eternal damnation). Furthermore, living as though one believed is a gesture that cannot go unnoticed by God, who will surely provide the grace of sincerity in due time.

This concept came to mind as I considered how difficult it is to teach our children to prioritize virtue and the sacramental life. It has ever been thus, as the familiar story of St. Monica reminds us, but another saint noted on the calendar recently helped me to twist Pascal’s “wager” into a slightly different form.

In reading about the life of St. Basil (330-379), I learned that his mother raised three children honored by the Church: Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and their sister, St. Macrina; two other brothers were bishops.

His grandfather was martyred for the faith, and both parents were known for their piety.

Nevertheless, Basil writes of his early life: “Much time had I spent in vanity, and had wasted

nearly all my youth acquiring the sort of wisdom made foolish

by God. Then once, like a man roused from deep sleep, I turned my eyes to the marvelous light of the truth of the Gospel, and I perceived the uselessness of ‘the wisdom of the princes of this world, that come to naught.’

I wept many tears over my miserable life, and I prayed

that I might receive guidance to admit me to the doctrines of true religion.”

Think for a moment of how rich their family life must have been, and how many times young Basil had heard accounts of persecution and courage.

Surely he was offered excellent moral formation and enthusiastic catechesis — and yet he still proved vain and foolish for a time.

This brings me to my variation on Pascal, which may help parents find peace in this new year. Either God exists or He doesn’t. If He does — as witnessed by the resurrection of Our Lord — then He loves your children dearly, is intimately familiar with their inner journey, and passionately wants them to be with Him for eternity.

Moreover, He offers abundant graces to make this happen.

Conversely, if God doesn’t exist, then all that we’ve been trying to teach our children is virtually useless (other than the earthly benefits that some moral guidelines provide).

Basil said that his eyes were opened one day when read the Gospel — but surely he was familiar with it since infancy. What must have transpired was that “in the fullness of time,” he embraced the graces won by Christ (and for which his extended family, living and dead, must have begged).

When considering many conversion stories, one is baffled by what exactly supplies the critical piece for a soul — the “aha moment!” as it were. For some it’s a passage in a book, for others it’s a seemingly inconsequential comment, for others it may be a particularly scenic view. Rather than seeking “a silver bullet” (accompanied by hand wringing and anxiety — revealing our lack of faith) perhaps this should be a year of trust, for the grace is there. Surely, peaceful parents who pray and sacrifice with confidence are placing the surest bet of all. In the words of Padre Pio, “Pray, hope and don’t worry.”

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman” (Servant Books) and blogs at feminine-genius.com.

would be contributing in some way to the Church’s worldwide mission of evangelization.

Another aspect of parish life that really came into its own during 2011 is the Faith Formation Program. Under the leadership of Greg Bettencourt, the program has reached new heights. We have record numbers of children in our Religious Education classes and their course of study is top notch. It’s Youth Ministry, though, that wins the prize this year. Droves of teen-agers and their friends come here regularly to socialize with each other and to lend a hand with apostolic work. With this kind of youth involvement in Church life, there is bound to be future vocations to the priesthood and religious life from the parish, God willing.

Other news here in 2011 was financial. These are tough times for everyone, including dioceses and parish churches. St. Nicholas Parish has been financially challenged since its inception.

On one hand, we have become a welcoming, growing and active faith community, but on the other hand, it all costs money we just don’t have. Budget cuts were required. Office staff had to be let go. Services had to be cut. Vendor contracts had to be renegotiated. Properties were sold and buildings razed. The good news is that parishioners have been especially generous in helping the parish get through. Collections are up. Under the leadership of parishioner Nancy Goulart, financial whiz, member of the Parish Finance Council and 2011 Marian Award recipient, both

the parish’s own annual collection and the diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal set new records in 2011.

Take the Knights of Columbus Council, for example.

When the men heard how much it costs to maintain the church grounds, they rolled up their sleeves and set about doing the work themselves. Brian Brown led the volunteers. The Knights are saving the parish hundreds of dollars.

Speaking of the Knights, another highlight of the year was the parish mission trip to the diocesan-sponsored mission in Guaimaca. It was a parish-wide effort and a real eye-opener for all of us. Just before the New Year, I hosted a social gathering of the Knights, their spouses, and the parish mission team at the rectory. A guest of honor was Father Paul Canuel, founding pastor of the Honduran mission.

We have become family to each other through our shared mission experience.

In 2011, the Parish Pastoral Council was busy at the task of assisting parish groups to identify a common goal and to work together to accomplish it. This task will be very long-term. As St. Paul says, one plants the seed; another harvests.

There’ll be so much to do around here in 2012. Before we know it, 2013 will be here. The wheel of the year will turn again, as it always does. And parish life goes on. Have a happy 2012.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.

10

The Anchor

January 13, 2012

Faith and family are key to couple’s marital strength

B y Kenneth J. Souza A nchor Staff

FALL RIVER — For more than 25 years, couples within the Fall River Diocese have been actively engaged in several Teams of Our Lady — a Catholic marriage support ministry that meets monthly to share their faith and marital concerns.

And for nearly a decade now, one couple has strived to become an example for their peers: Dionisio and Judy DaCosta.

“We have a couple of friends who invited us to get involved about eight years ago,” Dionisio said. “We have Portugueseand English-speaking teams here in the diocese; although we are Portuguese, we are now involved with the Englishspeaking teams.”

DaCosta said there are two basic goals for members: one is to develop and grow the couples’ relationship in love, and the other aspect is to strengthen their faith.

“It’s been very enriching for us as a couple and as a family, too,” Judy added. “I think it’s brought us much closer together … and I truly feel it has deepened our faith and helped us to serve as better role models for our children and grandchildren. Even friends and family members see how well

Judy admitted it’s not alwe work together as a couple member a time when he wasn’t not only in the home but also involved in the Church — ev- ways easy to juggle work, famerything from the charismatic ily and parish obligations — out in the community.” especially with two Husband and wife children still living both agreed they at home. have greatly benefit“Our youngest ted from the Teams is 15 and our oldof Our Lady experiest is 34,” she said. ence.

“We also have three “I think it helps beautiful grandchilwhen we’re todren. I hope we’ve gether as couples served as good role to strengthen each models and this will others’ marriages,” brush off on them.”

Judy said. “We dis“They are cercuss issues that haptainly devoted to the pen in married life parish and I can’t — it helps to acthink of anyone who knowledge those isis more committed sues and understand to their faith,” said we’re not alone.” the couple’s pastor, As parishioners Father Brian Albino. at St. Anthony of When asked why Padua Parish in Fall more and more marRiver for the past 13 riages end in diyears, the DaCosvorce today, Dionisio tas have managed to thinks the answer is not only fortify their clear. marriage through the “We are all Teams of Our Lady, very concerned but also have beabout where our come integral playsociety is going ers in the life of their in terms of prinparish.

For Dionisio, it’s Anchor Persons of the week — Dionisio ciples and morals,” he said. “Sometimes a natural extension and Judy DaCosta. we tend to criticize of his previous volunteer efforts at St. Anthony’s movement to providing music and point fingers at the institutions, the organizations and Parish in Taunton and his for- at Mass.

“I’m not consistently in- the individuals responsible for mer parishes in nearby Rhode Island before that. He can’t re- volved with the music at St. decision-making at all levels.

Anthony’s Parish, but for spe- And sometimes we don’t think cial occasions I play the gui- about how much we can contar,” he said. “I play for Christ- tribute and how much we can mas, Easter and other special do for ourselves and our family celebrations. Last year when members and friends. We have we had the 100th anniversary a job to make God known, beof the parish, I was very in- cause we know the tendency volved with the music program is to forget about God today. for that.”

If more people realized this, Judy recently became the I think things would be much Faith Formation director for better for everyone.”

St. Anthony’s Parish and she Judy concurred that people often works alongside her need to start putting God first husband on various couple’s, in all aspects of life. adult and teen-age retreats, in“Everything has to be based cluding the annual retreat for on God in our home,” she said. those preparing to receive the “We are careful to make sure Sacrament of Confirmation. we only watch TV shows that “It’s sometimes hard for us are acceptable and would bring to get together on the same us closer to God and not disday, because often we’re out tance ourselves from Him. We and about doing different try to make choices that bring things,” she said. “It keeps us us closer to God.” pretty busy.”

While celebrating the Lit-

urgy every Sunday is certainly important, Dionisio said it’s not enough to devote just one hour a week to your faith.

“We are naturally social beings, we are born to be part of a community,” he said. “We are not isolated. But we are living in a very egocentric society right now and we need to reverse this. We need to think about the principles that Jesus gave us. This is the fundamental reason why I feel it is important for myself, for my marriage and for my family to be actively involved with the Church.”

“I think you have to spiritually get close to God,” Judy said. “Going to church is good, but you also have to develop a personal relationship with God. Being in the Teams of Our Lady has certainly helped us do that. We no longer go to church because we have to, we go because we want to. We have a hunger to listen to the Word and to receive Christ.”

Dionisio said there’s always something you can do in a parish to help and you simply need to find out how to get involved.

“I know here we have the St. Vincent de Paul Society,” he said. “During Thanksgiving we prepared 160 meals for people in need. We also prepared baskets for Christmas.

There are always people in need and you need to look for opportunities to get involved.”

Thinking back to his childhood, Dionisio was reminded of an old Portuguese saying.

“We used to say: ‘rever a sua vida’ which means ‘review your life’ at the end of the day,” he said. “What did you do? How did you do it?

And for what purpose? What is good and what can be improved? I think it’s important to just stop once in a while to examine your life.”

Those interested in Teams of Our Lady should visit www. teamsofourlady.org.

To submit a Person of the Week nominee, send an email with information to fatherrogerlandry@anchornews. org.

January 13, 2012

The Anchor

11

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@anchornews.org

Fathers Karl C. Bissinger, Kevin A. Cook, and Jay Mello The Fall River Diocesan Vocation Office

12

The Anchor

Pray daily for Vocations

January 13, 2012

Pope: The Lord’s call is a gift, not merited

VATICAN — Last year, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Vespers with students from the Pontifical Universities in Rome.

Students from around the world attend these Church-run institutions, which offer degrees in philosophy, theology, canon law and other disciplines. During his homily, the pope gave some reflections on priestly ministry, since many of the students at the Pontifical Universities are priests and seminarians.

The Holy Father underlined three main points: the desire to collaborate with Jesus in spreading the kingdom of God; the fact the priestly vocation comes from grace and not merit; and the attitude of service. He said the call to priestly ministry is an “encounter with Jesus and being fascinated by Him, overcome by His words, His gestures, his own person.”

He added the clergy “must never forget … the Lord’s call to ministry is not the result of special merit, but is a gift to be accepted … according to His will, even if it does not correspond to our desires for self-realization.”

“The pope spoke as a father and with a very friendly tone to all the seminarians and priests who were gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica,” said Father Robert Gahl, Associate Professor of Ethics at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. “He challenged them to grow in their personal with Jesus, and he challenged not to seek human ambition or human success, but rather to seek the Cross of Jesus Christ.”

Father Gahl said Pope Benedict XVI has also given the students an example of this in his own life.

“To everyone it’s evident that Cardinal Ratzinger did not desire to be elected pope, it was the last thing he wanted, and yet he accepted it as the will of God. He really laid down his life for the Church.”

January 13, 2012

13

The Anchor

World Day for Consecrated Life: ‘For the sake of the Gospel’

FALL RIVER — Dioceses and parishes nationwide will celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life the weekend of February 4-5. Men and women in consecrated life in the Fall River Diocese will gather at the Vigil Liturgy on February 4 at the chapel of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in Dighton. This annual event recognizes and supports all who have made this special commitment to God through the Church.

In anticipation of this day, Sister Catherine Donovan, RSM, diocesan Episcopal Representative for Religious, asked faithful of the diocese, “As you gather to celebrate Eucharist in your local parishes, kindly pray in gratitude for all who have espoused consecrated life and who have graced

this diocese throughout the years by their unique vocations and special charisms. We, likewise, ask your prayerful remembrance and support of young adults

whom God is calling to religious life. May they have the courage to answer this invitation and to respond wholeheartedly ‘For the Sake of the Gospel.’”

14

W

hen I researched Shakespeare’s religious context, I hit an irresistible sideline: Blackfriars Gatehouse. Sometimes, the bare facts don’t tell us much; other times, the facts practically stand up and sing.

The history of Blackfriars Gatehouse reads like a Tom Clancy novel. Before retiring to Stratford-upon-Avon, Will Shakespeare purchased Blackfriars Gatehouse in London. I should explain, Shakespeare was like the Elizabethan Steve Jobs, the mind that is creative but shrewd. He not only wrote great plays, his practice represented a revolution of entertainment and business, and Shakespeare made a small fortune off his efforts. So, when historians describe Blackfriars Gatehouse as an “investment property,” it is not particularly suspicious. Until you start looking at the history of this

The Anchor

January 13, 2012

Blackfriars Gatehouse: A real-life mystery

particular investment.

Elizabeth I banned the CathoThe Blackfriars Theatre lic Mystery and Miracle Plays was called so because it was that had been a wildly popular built on the site of a Dopart of the Church’s liturgical minican monastery where the cycle. Theater, therefore, was religious wore dark robes. It wedded to “papistry” and was was closed during the reign of considered potentially dangerHenry VIII as part of a massive repossession of the religious houses, and became a property of the crown. In a delicious turn, it was the site of the divorce proceedBy Jennifer Pierce ings between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, and must have caused Will some delight when his play ous, since nostalgic, Catholic re-enacted that same scene sentiment (as well as former on that very spot. It eventuCatholic players) might “creep ally became the Office of in.” Blackfriars maintained its Revels, the office responsible civic role until it passed into for the close review of plays the hands of James Burbage. for subversive and potentially There he began the Chambertreasonous content. This may lain’s Men, the company in seem odd, but understand this: which Will was a full shareholder by 1595.

After its dissolution under Henry VIII, the gatehouse to the Dominican friary immediately became a locus of sedition and recusancy, a space intimately connected with disSunday, January 15, 11:00 a.m. sembling and disguise, both in theatricals and real-life drama.

In fact, the two practices — theater and sedition — were Celebrant is Father Karl C. interwoven to such an extent, Bissinger, diocesan director of the I imagine the practice of both together became darkly playVocations Office and secretary to ful, in something the French Bishop George W. Coleman might call jouissance. The walls of Blackfriars Gatehouse hid disguised priests and its intricate network of underground tunnels led to

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6

Hidden Shakespeare

the Thames, allowing for human smuggling, in and out of the city. Among the “papist” owners were: Catholic Bishop of Ely, William Blackwell, and Blackwell’s widow, Mary Blackwell née Campion, relative of Edmund Campion, Jesuit martyr.

Thanks to false media depictions and the equally false postures of secular ideologues, we have a tendency in America to see Catholicism as “conservative,” maintaining a social status quo that seeks to support those in power; so the subversive nature of Catholicism in the context of Elizabethan England is difficult to grasp initially. Similarly, contemporary anti-Catholic narratives describing Catholics in thrall to an authoritarian pope, makes the sometimes anti-authoritarian nature of Catholicism a cognitively dissonant chord. If, however, we remove those preconceived notions and realize that the anti-authoritarian impulse belonged to the Catholics in Elizabeth’s England, you hear a different tune. The Church of England may have been part of a Protestant Revolution, but as G.K. Chesterton said, radicals become conservatives the day after the revolution.

So, who were these “papists” who owned Blackfriars Gatehouse? Mary Campion Blackwell, for example, allowed the Catholic Bishop of Ely to lodge at her home

until his death in 1570, at a time when housing a Catholic priest was an act of treason.

Also a tenant of Blackwell’s was Mary Banister, the sister of the Robert Southwell who addressed his Catholic plea to the poet WS. Shakespeare purchased it from the notorious recusant Henry Walker in 1613. Why? Well, history concludes, for Shakespeare it was different.

For him, it was “just an investment property.” Six years after Shakespeare’s death, a tragic collapse of the house revealed that it had been used as a secret house for the Catholic Mass for many years.

(It is sometimes said that the house collapsed from the sheer weight of the number of people attending secret Mass on an upper floor.) While still alive, Shakespeare leased his investment to a John Robinson whose father harbored the priest Richard Dudley, and whose son went to Rome and took Holy Orders.

Perhaps the activities of a tenant don’t really mean anything at all. Not even a tenant who visited Shakespeare in Stratford, was with Shakespeare as he lay dying, and was the legal witness to the signing of his will. Wills for our Will have a funny role in this entire story, don’t they? We’ll save this one for the end. Next, we’ll be looking at the plays.

Jennifer Pierce is a parishioner of Corpus Christi in East Sandwich, where she lives with her husband Jim and three children.

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@ anchornews.org

January 13, 2012

15

The Anchor

States strip $61 million from abortion providers in 2011

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — As hundreds of thousands of people prepare to travel to Washington, D.C. for the 38th March for Life next weekend, Pro-Lifers think of the gains and setbacks of 2011. While many states made great inroads by denying Title X funds to Planned Parenthood, the federal government repeatedly opposed such efforts and filled the coffers of the country’s largest abortion provider.

According to the Susan B. Anthony List, nine states defunded Planned Parenthood of more than $61.2 million last year. Texas tops that leaderboard by redirecting $47 million.

Because of the cutbacks, Planned Parenthood closed 12 abortion clinics in Texas and has plans to shut down four more.

Last month, President Barack Obama’s administration notified Texas that the state does not have the right to withhold Title X funds from Planned Parenthood, thus denying the state the right to determine where such funds are allocated. The administration ordered the state to restore the monies by March or risk being denied healthcare funding that the state now gives to organizations that do not perform abortions.

The same scenario occurred in Indiana earlier in the year, and in New Hampshire, the Obama administration restored $1 million of the $1.8 million that had been redirected by the state.

Supporters of laws that redirect funds away from abortion providers argue that states have the right to structure their own

Diocesan vocation website gets extreme makeover continued from page one

have as Catholic parents.

The impressive site, located at www. fallrivervocations.org, offers visitors myriad links and resources to better understand what the discernment process actually is.

“A priestly or religious vocation means making a radical decision to follow Christ,” said Father Bissinger. “This involves risk and the willingness to make a commitment. One’s friends and family might not understand the desire to answer God’s call to serve in the Church as a priest or religious. That’s why it is so important to have the help and support of spiritual guides and Church leaders.”

With a few clicks of a mouse, users are greeted with a message from Bishop George W. Coleman. From there, one can chose several menu options, including Discernment; brief biographies and pictures of diocesan seminarians; and the Vocations Office newsletter, designed to make people aware of what the Vocations Office is doing and the great need for diocesan faithful to pray for and promote vocations.

There is a strong local influence on the new site, with links to personal reflections on their vocations from diocesan priests that originally ran weekly in The Anchor during the Year For Priests in 2010. Also included are links to video reflections from several diocesan priests, including Bishop Coleman, that were produced by the diocesan Communications Office, also in the Year For Priests.

Sections on Frequently Asked Questions and resources for parents and parishes are very helpful as well. “There are also a number of links to a variety of resources, my favorite of which, is www.gopriest.com, where one is able to sign up and receive a free book, ‘To Save a Thousand Souls,’ on how to discern a priestly vocation,” said Father Mello.

Rounding out the trove of resources is a calendar of vocation-related events, including the many Holy Hours for Vocations that take place in parishes across the diocese, and the several office-sponsored retreats and events to help young people find some quiet time to reflect on their lives.

“We also have a Fall River Vocations Facebook page with links to the latest articles and videos concerning the priesthood and discerning one’s vocation,” added Father Mello, who also said he has received

a good amount of positive feedback on the revamped site.

Father Mello said the office has also developed a new diocesan prayer card, with the image of Our Lady of the Assumption, patroness of the Fall River Diocese on the front.

Parishes that would like the cards are asked to email Father Mello at fallrivervocations@ gmail.com. Cards will soon be available in Spanish and Portuguese as well.

“When it comes to promoting or cultivating priestly vocations, I think that young people are generally open to the idea of a priestly vocation if it is proposed to them in the right way,” Father Mello said. “Too often children and teen-agers are asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ While that question is asked with good intentions, the more proper way to ask that question is ‘Why did God create me?’ or ‘What does God want me to do with my life?’”

With National Vocations Awareness week being this week, Father Mello was able to visit two of the diocese’s Catholic high schools, and preach at all weekend Masses at a diocesan parish. The week closes with a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration to pray for new vocations and for the seminarians currently in formation. It will take place Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet.

“I would say to a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood that if he feels even the smallest tug at his heart to consider this calling,” suggested Father Mello. “He must look into where it is coming from. I don’t think that our secular society is doing much to encourage priestly vocations, so if one is feeling that call, it must be coming from somewhere. It would be a real disappointment if God were calling someone to do something special with their life, like becoming a priest, and one ignored that call.

“Discerning one’s vocation is not making the decision to become a priest anymore than going out on a date is a decision to get married to someone. Seminary is there to help men discern and discover exactly what our Lord is calling them to do with their lives. This is also the mission of the diocesan vocations office, to assist young men in discerning the call.”

In order to do that, today’s youth must hear the gentle whisper from the Lord. The Vocations Office website hopes to help that process.

Medicaid programs and that Planned Parenthood and like organizations are not entitled to public funding. They say that Title X funds — used on administrative and other costs — free up dollars for the ending of young lives.

In some cases, Medicaid funds actually directly pay for abortions. They are used for that purpose when a woman says her pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or if the pregnancy endangers her health. Individual states can determine whether or not to make their matching funds available for abortion.

Currently, 17 states, including Massachusetts, use Medicaid money to do so.

On December 30, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America released its fiscal year 2009-2010 report, which revealed that 46 percent of its more than $1 billion in assets came from taxpayers in the form of government grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements.

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement the same day, “With more than a billion in net assets and a business model centered on abortion and government subsidies, it is time for Planned Parenthood to end its reliance on taxpayer dollars.”

Like several states, the U.S. House voted to defund Planned Parenthood last year, but the measure did not pass in the U.S. Senate.

In September, Congress mounted an investigation of Planned Parenthood. Representatives demanded the organization provide documentation on how it has spent federal funds. The inquiry questioned whether the

abortion group had been handling those funds properly and whether it has followed federal guidelines on the mandatory reporting of underage sexual abuse.

In April last year, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said in a letter to the U.S. Congress that during a time of painful budget cuts, Planned Parenthood should receive no taxpayer dollars.

He noted that abortions account for onethird of Planned Parenthood’s income and the organization has aborted more than five million children since the 1970s. The group also mounts “numerous legislative campaigns and litigation strategies” that oppose any limits on abortion, fight parental notification and refuse recognition of the conscience rights of healthcare workers.

“Whether to fund the largest abortion network in the country is not one of those hard choices,” he said.

Bea Martins, who served as Catholic Citizenship’s Fall River representative until the end of last year, said that while social and civic action are important in the Pro-Life fight, people of faith must also remember to keep vigil.

“With the abortion issue, we make progress and then they make a side attack. We just continue in this journey where we need to be vigilant in our prayers and fasting,” she said.

Martins also recommended joining others to pray outside abortion clinics during the 40 Days for Life. The next campaign begins February 22.

16

Youth Pages

January 13, 2012

apple of their eyes — Patrice Wood from WJAR Channel 10 News recently came to Espirito Santo School in Fall River to present Christine Mello with the “Golden Apple Award.”

The award is co-sponsored by the television station and the Hasbro Company. It is a way of recognizing and thanking educators in southern New England who have made a difference in their schools and in the lives of their students. Mello has been the kindergarten teacher at Espirito Santo for 32 years, following in the footsteps of her aunt, Mary Cabral who taught kindergarten at the school from 1925 until 1978. A former student who now has a child in Mello’s class nominated her for the award.

Just like grandma — A group of sophomores from Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, led by Molly Desrosiers, brought the spirit of Christmas to children on the Cape recently. They delivered toys, clothes and other necessities to children at Carriage House, a shelter for battered women and their children in North Falmouth. Desrosiers and her friends and family members carried on the tradition of giving, started by her late grandmother, Carol Labonte. From left: Brendan Gelson, Lexi Belanger, Zach Mello, Desrosiers, Jack Landry (Santa Claus,) and Bethany Lajoie.

breakfast buddies — Pre-k and grade-one students at SS. Peter and Paul School in Fall River delighted in Santa’s visit during the school’s “Breakfast with Santa” event held in December.

sweet gesture — These fifth-graders at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro collected extra Halloween candy from fellow SJE students. The students are part of Sister Mary Dumond’s Peace and Justice Program. The students boxed eight packages.

They sent one large box to the troops in Afghanistan, six smaller ones to one veteran home in each New England state and one box to the New England Homeless Veteran Center in Boston.

getting a foothold — The fifth-graders at Holy Name School in Fall River recently traced their feet and used one inch squares to calculate the perimeter and area. They then traced their hands and used their creativity to make reindeer.

Youth Pages

January 13, 2012

W

hen was the last time you had an argument with one of your friends, a sibling or a family member?

What was the argument about and what did you do? Did you have to compromise something? Compromising may appear that we are “losing” something or someone. But we need to look at the situation from the other person’s point of view. This is called empathy. We can’t always view a situation as “What am I going to get out of this?”

Let me share with you some examples of compromising situations. What would you do in these cases — compromise, negotiate, or a bit of both?

Steve works part-time at a video store. The manager told Steve that he is such a good worker that he would really like Steve to work more hours and even give him an hourly raise. Steve’s girlfriend, however, is already complaining that he is too busy. She’s starting to think about going out with someone else who has time for her. What should Steve do? What would you do?

Matt just became part of a group of friends and learned that they break into cars, steal radios and sometimes the en-

To compromise or not to compromise

tire car. Matt wants to remain temple of the Holy Spirit. Rea part of the group, but he spect your body as God’s most feels uneasy about being a car perfect creation. Not getting thief. What should Matt do? yourself into that compromise What would you do? is to see past the media hype Kayla and Donna are best friends.

One weekend Kayla wanted to go iceskating with Donna (as they usually did), only Kayla’s cousin

By Ozzie Pacheco Andrea was coming to visit. Kayla’s mother said that she had to spend the weekend with Andrea as she was a rela- when it comes to these latest tive and didn’t come to visit fashions. very often. What should Kayla What about people who are do? What would you do? often more cruel to friends Have you ever comproonline than they would be in mised your Catholic faith, “real life?” I’ve seen much of afraid of what others might that and can only shake my think of you because of what head. How sad! This great tool you believe and practice? Do we call the Internet has now you remain silent when somebecome the media, for some, one speaks wrongly about to talk about others behind your faith? Or worse, do you their back. In real life they say you agree with them so as put on a falsetto and it can not to let them know your true only lead to compromises with belief? negative impact.

That is no different, to me, Some compromises, howevthan, for example, compromis- er, can be good, if you are fair ing your body by the way you and allow others to feel good dress. What message are you about themselves. This is the sending to others when you best way to get what you want. wear the latest fashion that If you have made others feel reveals more than it should? good about themselves they Remember, your body is the will be much more willing to

Be Not Afraid

‘Try Prayer! It Works!’ contest deadline is February 1

EASTON — The call for entries deadline approaches for the 2012 “Try Prayer! It Works!” contest. In this national competition sponsored by Family Rosary, children are encouraged express their faith through art, poetry and prose.

The “Try Prayer! It Works!”

Contest is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The 17th annual national competition attracts more than 3,000 entries from more than 50,000 participants nationwide. Children and teens from Catholic schools, parishes, home schooling and other Catholic organizations use their talent to convey their beliefs.

This year’s theme — Fear not, I am with you! — focuses on The Visitation. In the second Joyful Mystery, Mary visits Elizabeth after the angel Gabriel tells her of God’s plan. During the visit, Mary comforts her cousin and helps her as she awaits the birth of her child. How do you visit with people? Why do you visit them?

Whom do you visit? Do you see Christ in others — like Mary and Elizabeth when they visited with each other?

“The lesson of the Visitation helps us understand the importance of friendship and service,”

17

said Father John Phalen, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, of which Family Rosary is a member ministry. “Visiting with others is an opportunity to share God’s love and to offer ourselves in charity and service to our neighbors when necessary.

When we do so, we know we can count on Jesus and Mary to be there with us.”

The “Try Prayer! It Works!” contest asks entrants to use creativity to depict their thoughts and feelings to show how they visit with family and friends.

Children in grades K-12 enrolled in a Catholic school, Religious

Education program, parish, home school or other organization are eligible to participate.

For details or to download an application, go to www.

FamilyRosary.org/TryPrayer.

All entries must be postmarked

by Feb. 1, 2012. Questions? Call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 800-299-PRAY (7729). Family Rosary, a member ministry, encourages family prayer, especially the Rosary. Holy Cross Family Ministries is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross. For more information, call 800-299-PRAY (7729) or visit www.Family Rosary.org.

agree with you, and they will continue to engage you in conversation. Never belittle others or make them feel inferior; they will only be that much more defensive and unwilling to compromise.

Take a look around and see what you already have. Do you really need anymore?

Have you heard the expression, “Our possessions end up owning us”? Learn to “let go.” You’ll realize that life is much easier when you’re not in charge. Let God handle things and take the lead, and always allow others to help. To do this, you have to appreciate what you need in particular instead of trying to play “winner takes all.”

Competitive people may have a difficult time with this. But if you can do this, it will help you mature into a more com-

passionate and caring person.

There are certain things you should never compromise.

As a Christian, and Catholic, don’t compromise how you are saved (by grace through faith), who your Lord and Savior is (Jesus Christ), and whether Mary was a virgin or not when she gave birth to Jesus (she was and is).

Whether you compromise or not, the essential thing is to know what you are not prepared to give up and what you are prepared to give up.

Make sure you are as clear as you possibly can be about what that is, that those you compromise with are equally as clear, and that everyone concerned is trying to reach the same end. We all have to live by the consequences of our own actions.

Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.

Specializing in: Brand Name/ Foreign Auto Parts 1420 Fall River Avenue (Route 6) Seekonk, MA 02771

The Anchor provides a weekly wealth of Catholic information.

Subscribe and stay informed on Church issues.

Subscribe to

The Anchor

One-year subscription — $20 Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

if given as a gift, the card should read: From: Street:

City/State:

Parish to receive credit: Enclose check or money order and mail to: The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722 This Message Sponsored by the Following Business Concern in the Diocese of Fall River Gilbert C. Oliveira Insurance Agency

18

I

The Anchor

It’s not a miracle!

t’s time for the mass media and I didn’t see a miracle. I saw to put “Tebowmania” to Tim Tebow and the rest of the rest. Instead of all the reports of Broncos, including the coaching another Tebow “miracle,” how staff, put together a very good about reporting the fact that the game plan, capable of knocking kid is a very good athlete, and off the defending AFC champs. he went out and did his job last Sunday when the Denver Broncos upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the four Wild Card games.

Tim Tebow was draftBy Dave Jolivet ed out of college, not as freak show, but because he’s built like a tank and can run and throw. Why is the I saw the Bronco running backs fact that he succeeds at what bull their way through the front he’s supposed do a miracle? Is it four for significant yardage. I because he’s an unabashed young saw Denver wide receivers and Christian man? Is it because he tight ends work their way open doesn’t taunt, ridicule, curse, and in the Pittsburgh secondary. I dance his way across a gridiron? saw Tebow put the ball where his Is being a good human being receivers could catch it. And I and succeeding in life that much saw the receivers bowl their way of a rarity that it’s continuously through and around the Steeler called a miracle? defenders.

I watched last Sunday’s game, I saw the Bronco defense

My View From the Stands

Around the Diocese 1/19

A Healing Mass will be celebrated at St. Anne’s Church, 818 Middle Street in Fall River on January 19 beginning with the praying of the Rosary at 6 p.m. Benediction and healing prayers will take place immediately following the Mass.

1/22

A Young Adult Retreat for men and women between college age and 35 year old who are married or single will be held at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham beginning at 6 p.m. on January 20 and will conclude with a luncheon on January 22. This retreat will be facilitated

by Deacon Bruce Bonneau, assistant director of adult evangelization and spirituality; Crystal-Lynn Medeiros, assistant director of youth and young adult ministry; and Father David Frederici, UMass Dartmouth chaplain. For more information or to register, visit www.fallriverfaithformation.org or call 508-678-2828.

1/22

Cape Cod Bus for Life, Inc. has room available for anyone wishing to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. The bus will depart on January 22 and return on January 24. Cost includes bus transportation and a two-night stay at the Washington Court Hotel. For more information call 508-291-0949.

1/22

The seventh annual Winter Brunch to benefit the St. Mary’s Education Fund will be held January 22 at the Coonamessett Inn, 311 Gifford Street in Falmouth, beginning at noon. Proceeds will provide “need-based” scholarships to children in need of financial assistance to attend one of the schools in the Diocese of Fall River. For reservations or more information call 508-759-3566.

1/22

A Pro-Life Hour of Prayer will be held on January 22 at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, 80 Bay Street in Taunton beginning at 2 p.m. The holy hour will include exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary prayer, and a presentation by Gregg Bettencourt. The hour of prayer is sponsored by the Taunton Deanery Pro-Life Committee in the diocese.

1/26

The Divorced and Separated Support Group will host an open meeting where one can discuss freely personal difficulties regarding separation and divorce on January 26 beginning at 7 p.m. at St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road in North Dartmouth. Refreshments will be served.

For more information call 508-678-2828, 508-993-0589 or 508-673-2997.

2/4

A Day with Mary will take place on February 4 from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street in downtown New Bedford. It will include a video presentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother along with Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for Reconciliation. There will be a book store available during breaks. For more information call 508-996-8274.

2/10

The diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate is sponsoring its annual essay contest to focus on the upcoming anniversary date of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. The theme this year is “I can so that all might have life and have it to the full!” The deadline for submissions is February 10. For more information, contact your parish office or call 508-675-1311.

make the plays they had to, when they had to, just like every other team in the league does when it wins. There was nothing supernatural about it.

Let’s cease and desist with the religious stereotypes and start referring to him and his work on the football field as they should be — the ups and downs of an NFL quarterback.

Frankly, I find all the Tebow hype a bit ridiculous. It’s as though the secular media has never encountered a Christian before.

Take for instance the network television football crew that collectively “Tebowed” at the end of the Denver game on Sunday. Do they realize that “Tebowing” is a brief pause for a chat with God? Perhaps, as they were trying to be funny, they raised a prayer of thanks to the Almighty, thanking Him for the cushy, well-paying “jobs” they have. I doubt it.

Tim Tebow is not a freak. He’s a young professional football player, who is learning and gaining experience with each game he plays. He belongs out there.

When he faces the New England Patriots tomorrow night at Gillette Stadium, I assuredly will be rooting for my Pats, but should the Denver game plan be better than that of the Patriots, it won’t be a miracle. That word has been butchered by the secular press way too often this season.

And if Tebow does help bounce us from the playoffs, I’d rather lose to that young gentleman, than to a chest-beating, trash-talking, arrogant athlete, who forgets from Whom he received his talents.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Jan. 14 Rev. John J. Lawler, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1977 Jan. 15 Rev. Thomas F. Kennedy, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1948 Rev. Vincent Marchildon, O.P., Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 1972 Rev. Msgr. John E. Boyd, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 1977 Rev. Harold A. Whelan Jr., SS.CC., Ph. D., 1997 Jan. 17 Rev. John F. Laughlin, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro, 1967 Rev. Daniel J. McCarthy, SS.CC., Former Provincial Superior, Retired Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 2002 Jan. 19 Rev. Thomas E. O’Dea, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1999 Jan. 20 Rev. Roland J. Masse, Assistant, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1952

January 13, 2012

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

Acushnet — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds eucharistic adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. until January 13, 2012, and from January 7 to November 17, 2012.

ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph Church holds eucharistic adoration in the Adoration Chapel located at the (south) side entrance at 208 South Main Street, Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Brewster — Eucharistic adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays following the 11 a.m. Mass until 7:45 a.m. on the First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and Mass. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

East Freetown — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

East Sandwich — Eucharistic adoration takes place at the Corpus Christi Parish Adoration Chapel, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Also, 24-hour eucharistic adoration takes place on the First Friday of every month.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, eucharistic adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has eucharistic adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration. Refreshments follow.

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Notre Dame Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has eucharistic adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has eucharistic adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has eucharistic adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has eucharistic adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has eucharistic adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

HYANNIS — A Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration will take place each First Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 347 South Street, beginning immediately after the 12:10 p.m. Mass and ending with adoration at 4 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of eucharistic adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and every Friday from noon to 5 p.m., with Benediction at 5 p.m.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has eucharistic adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

WAREHAM — Adoration with opportunities for private and formal prayer is offered on the First Friday of each month from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, High Street. The Prayer Schedule is as follows: 7:30 a.m. the Rosary; 8 a.m. Mass; 8:30 a.m. exposition and Morning Prayer; 12 p.m. the Angelus; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet; 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer; 7 p.m. Sacrament of Confession; 8 p.m. Benediction.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

Production changes, improvements enhance diocesan TV Mass continued from page one

“Channel 6 did all the production on the TV Masses for us, but as of last September they no longer do production so we had to go with an independent production company that prepares the Mass and then sends it over to Channel 6 for broadcast,” said Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield and director of the diocesan Television Apostolate.

According to John Kearns, director of communications for the Fall River Diocese and producer of the TV Mass, Channel 6 had a mobile production van that would come to Bishop Stang for the Mass tapings; but the station could no longer support the van or make the necessary upgrades to the equipment to accommodate its new switch to high-definition programming.

“They told us they were committed to continuing to air the Mass, but that for a number of reasons they were no longer going to be able to produce it,” Kearns said.

Management at WLNE approached Msgr. Avila and Kearns last summer to let them know about the upcoming changes and to give them ample time to find a suitable alternative. They then met with Bishop George W. Coleman, along with Msgr. John A. Perry, vicar general, and chancellor Father Michael K. McManus to discuss options.

“When we met with Bishop Coleman, he was extremely supportive of wanting to continue the TV Mass recognizing, of course, that it would incur a greater cost,” Kearns said. “We decided to hire a third-party to come in and videotape the Mass.

The company is called Clicknet. tv and it’s owned by John Methia, a Fairhaven resident who has done some video work for the diocese in the past.”

Kearns said the new company was already working with state-of-the-art, high-definition equipment and it was also convenient in that Methia worked at Channel 6, so he was the perfect bridge between the production and broadcast phases.

“The quality has certainly improved with the high-definition technology,” Msgr. Avila said.

“The company is on the cutting edge of technology and trying to advance it as much as possible.

We not only now broadcast the Mass in high-definition but we also make it available online so you can watch it anytime during the week. We’re also trying to work with our diocesan Health Care Facilities so they might be able to use the online version to broadcast it within the differ-

19

The Anchor

January 13, 2012

ent facilities and nursing homes multiple times during the day, so it’s not just confined to that one half-hour on Sunday morning.”

The longest-running program on Channel 6, the weekly diocesan TV Mass first began airing on Sunday mornings in 1963 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, although nothing has yet been planned to mark the occasion.

“Even though there are Masses on Catholic TV and EWTN, there’s nothing like seeing your own pastor and parishioners and recognizing them on TV,” Msgr. Avila said. “It makes you feel so much more a part of it, and that’s why I’m very grateful that Bishop Coleman has had the vision to continue it into the future.”

“Having a Mass here in the diocese offers the opportunity to see different priests and they sometimes bring people from their parish to the taping,” Kearns added. “It’s a nice way to reach out and remind those watching that they are still part of the diocese.”

A major portion of the weekly TV Mass is funded through the annual Catholic Communications Campaign collection that is being taken up this weekend at all parishes in the diocese.

“It’s an annual collection that’s designed to be shared between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Communications Office and the local diocese,” Kearns said. “So whatever we bring in through the generosity of our people, we keep half of it here in the diocese and we send the other half to the USCCB office. The half that remains in this diocese has always been used to fund the TV Mass.”

Kearns added the money that stays in the diocese hasn’t fully covered the costs of the TV Mass in the past, so the expenses are usually supplemented through donations to the Catho-

lic Charities Appeal.

“We thought folks out there would want some understanding of where their money goes to fund the TV Mass and to let them know that we had to change the way we do it, which has increased our costs,” he said. “But Bishop Coleman is committed to keeping it going and we’re looking forward to celebrating the 50th year of the TV apostolate.”

Msgr. Avila said even with the increased cost of producing the TV Mass, the money is well spent in providing a unique programming opportunity to bring the Mass home to people who are sick, infirmed or just temporarily confined on a weekly basis.

“I know from my own personal experience that when people are unable to attend Mass after going for so long, there is a real disconnect and hopefully this Mass keeps them connected with the faith community,” he said. “The by product of the TV Mass is it’s also an evangelization tool for the Church.

Someone may be at home who has been away from the Church for a while and they happen to be flicking through the dial and catch a homily or a reading from Scripture that hopefully might inspire a spark within them to return to the Church.”

Kearns estimated it will cost about $28,000 more a year to produce the TV Mass with Clicknet.tv — which is over and above the expense of buying the half-hour time slot on WLNE every week — so donations collected this weekend will be a big help.

“In order to keep costs down, we do multiple tapings on one day,” he said. “It’s not the ideal way to do it, but it does allow us to continue to provide a televised Mass every week.”

Kearns said he is also grateful to Bishop Stang High School for providing them with the use of its chapel for the TV Mass tap-

ings and Msgr. Avila wanted to express his thanks to the priests of the diocese who agree to come in to celebrate the Masses.

“With their own pastoral responsibilities coming here to do the tapings on a Saturday morning is a challenge sometimes,” he said. “They often have funerals or weddings or other pastoral responsibilities, but they have been very supportive and with-

out them we couldn’t do this.”

“I think there’s a perception out there that it’s a free service, but that’s not the case,” Kearns said. “So this year more than ever we are trying to get the message out that we are doing everything we can here in the diocese to keep the television Mass on the air. But practically we need financial help in order to make that happen.”

20

The Anchor

January 13, 2012

Events in Washington, around U.S. mark 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON (CNS) — One thing that always stands out in the annual marches and rallies in Washington and across the country marking the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion is the crowd.

“People are always surprised by the number of Pro-Lifers that show up in Washington and in their own state capitals,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.

“The crowds are getting bigger and bigger each year and have more young people, which is encouraging for the Pro-Life movement and a shock for those who think abortion should remain legal,” she told Catholic News Service.

And based on expected turnouts, this year will be no exception.

Tens of thousands of people from across the United States are expected to gather in the nation’s capital January 23 for this year’s March for Life in Washington with the theme: “Unite on the life principles to overturn Roe v. Wade and with love protect mothers and preborn children — no exception, no

compromise.”

The event falls on a Monday, the day after the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, to allow participants to visit their representatives on Capitol Hill after a noon rally on the National Mall and a march along Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court.

Next year’s march and rally in Washington is slated for Friday January 25 because the January 22 anniversary will fall on a Tuesday, the day after public ceremonies for the presidential inauguration, and organizers said they were not able to secure an adequate number of hotel rooms.

The night before this year’s rally, March for Life organizers are planning a mini-rally in Lafayette Park across from the White House.

They are also sponsoring a youth rally that night at a Washington hotel.

A capacity crowd of about 20,000 pilgrims is expected to fill the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life, which begins with a January 22 vigil Mass. Cardinal Daniel

N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the principal celebrant and homilist.

Marchers are invited to stay in the basilica’s lower level to sleep overnight and participate in various services, including a Rosary, Confessions, hourly holy hours, night prayer and morning prayer, concluding with a morning Mass celebrated by New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, USCCB president.

For the 16th year, the Archdiocese of Washington will sponsor its annual Pro-Life youth Mass and rally the morning of January 23. The popularity of the event prompted the archdiocese to hold this event in two sports venues last year — the Verizon Center and the D.C. Armory — to accommodate a crowd totaling about 28,000.

The event includes a concert, Confessions, praying the Rosary, and Mass, before most of the crowd heads to the annual March for Life.

After the March for Life the ral-

lying-spirit will continue with several Pro-Life organizations sponsoring the National Pro-Life Youth Rally near the Supreme Court.

Other Washington events related to the Roe anniversary include the Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life at Jesuit-run Georgetown University January 22 for college and high school students featuring a keynote address by Philadelphia Cardinal Charles J. Chaput; two Rock for Life concerts — January 21 and 22; speeches at the Supreme Court during the march sponsored by the Silent No More Awareness Campaign; and a January 23 Mass at St. Aloysius Church in Washington sponsored by the Ignatian ProLife Network, a union of Pro-Life groups from Jesuit high schools, colleges universities and parishes.

Although Washington draws the biggest crowd making a stand against legalized abortion, similar events take place on a smaller scale across the country.

For the eighth year, the West Coast Walk for Life expects to draw thousands of Pro-Life supporters to San Francisco Janu-

ary 21. Thousands more people around the country will attend local events sponsored by their dioceses and Pro-Life organizations.

For the second year, the Midwest March for Life will hold a banquet dinner January 18 and a march and rally the next day in Jefferson City, Mo., the state capital.

“We feel the Midwest is ripe for a huge event,” said Kathy Forck, coordinator of Columbia (Mo.) 40 Days for Life, a local group that is part of a national campaign to end abortion. Forck hoped this year’s turnout would exceed last year’s, especially since the March for Life in Washington and the West Coast Walk draw so many participants.

Tobias, who began her term as National Right to Life president last April, said a number of the state rallies this year will likely focus on new legislation passed in five states that prohibits abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, the stage of development when a fetus is said to feel pain.

Fetal pain legislation passed in Nebraska in 2010 and in Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma and Alabama last year.