01.18.13

The Anchor Diocese of Fall River

F riday , January 18, 2013

Vocations Office encouraged with having nine men in seminary

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

MANSFIELD — As the Church in the United States marks National Vocation Awareness Week this week, the Diocese of Fall River’s Vocation Office is encouraged with the recent addition of another seminarian, bringing the diocesan total to nine men currently in priestly formation.

Dan Connors, a member of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield entered St. John’s Seminary in Brighton to begin pre-theology lessons. “In June of 2011, my grandfather, a man whom I looked up to, lost his battle with cancer,” said Connors. “It was my faith which kept me grounded and allowed me to be a comfort to my nana and to my family. After my grandfather graduated from high school, he entered the seminary and studied with the Oblates.”

Assistant vocations director Father Jay Mello told The Anchor, “We are blessed that six men have recently made the decision to discern the priesthood in the Diocese of Fall River, bringing our total number of seminarians to nine. May God continue to raise up men from our parishes and schools to enter the seminary.”

Connors, the son of Michael and Monique Connors, is a graduate of Mansfield High School and Bridgewater State University. At St. Mary’s he was a member of the folk group and the adult choir and cantor, taught first-grade Faith Formation classes, and was a extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. He was employed in the supermarket industry and also, while a student at Bristol Community College in Turn to page 18

42 abortion clinic workers leave through new ministry

B y Christine M. Williams A nchor C orrespondent

BOSTON — Members of the ProLife community often view abortion clinic employees as lepers, said Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director and Pro-Life activist. She said of those workers, “They are seen as people we can’t touch, people we can’t reach.”

In June last year, Johnson changed that. She started And Then There Were None, an organization dedicated to

helping those in the abortion industry to leave. So far, 42 men and women have been assisted — one of them from Massachusetts.

Johnson will be speaking at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) Assembly for Life on January 27 at Faneuil Hall in Boston.

ATTWN success stories include three abortion workers from a Houston clinic and five from a clinic in Atlanta, leaving just two clinic employees Turn to page 15

NEW HOME — Holy Ghost Church in Attleboro is the worship site for the new St. Vincent de Paul Parish in that city.

Priests, parishioners embrace newly-merged Attleboro parish

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

ATTLEBORO — While the prospect of closing a church can sometimes be a difficult pill for parishioners to swallow, John Viveiros prefers to look at the many good things that can come out of merging two neighboring parishes.

“There are spiritual benefits, cost benefits, emotional benefits, the benefit of having a larger community and even some healthy doses of humility in accepting that what the community needs trumps our fear of change,” said Viveiros, a parishioner at Holy Ghost Parish in Attleboro for

more than 40 years.

Even though he received virtually all of his Sacraments at Holy Ghost Church and it was “the only parish my children have ever known,” Viveiros said he fully supported the recent decision to merge Holy Ghost with nearby St. Joseph Parish into the renamed St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

In fact, Viveiros said parishioners were instrumental in working with their pastor, Father Richard D. Wilson, and parochial vicar, Father Riley Williams, to affect the change that led to Bishop George W. Coleman’s decree, effective January 12, that Turn to page 19

Long-time friend and colleague goes to bat for Father Pat

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

bills that began to pile up, she again sprang of Lake Pearl, has generously given me his ATTLEBORO — For 22 years Fran to action, this time by organizing a fund- beautiful place for the day — the ballroom Gunning has been working with La Salette raising event to help defray some of the and the promenade overlooking the water,” Father Andre “Pat” Patenaude. As manager costs. The event will take place March 3 she said. “And Russ Morin, owner of Rusof his ministry that takes him around the at the Lake Pearl Restaurant in Wrentham sell Morin’s Fine Catering in Attleboro, is providing all of the delicious food that will world spreading Our Lady of La Salette’s from 3 to 8 p.m.

“I was wondering what I could do to be served. When I asked him to help, he message of reconciliation with God, Guntold me, ‘Fran, whatever you want.’ I’m ning has always been proactive. ather Pat has done so much so deeply grateful to both of them.”

So when the singing priest fell seriously ill this past August while minisfor all of us and it is now our The event will have a cocktail hour tering in France, Gunning immediately turn to do what we can do best, to help from 3-4 p.m., at which time guests will bid on many items in a silent auctook the only action she could for her friend half way around the world — she with the huge cost incurred while he was tion. “The gifts will be displayed in the Promenade Room, and people will began to pray for him. Not asking God in France.” have the opportunity to bid on items and to heal him, but confidently thanking get them for ‘next to nothing.’” Some God for healing him. “I began to thank God in advance for Father Pat’s healing,” help,” Gunning said, “and one day on the of the items already donated for the aucGunning told The Anchor. “I started to pray, way home from work, a thought popped tion include Llardo items (Spanish porce‘Thank you God for healing Father Pat,’ into to my head, ‘Why don’t you do a fund- lain figurines whose value increases over and others started to pray it as well. It be- raiser?’ From then on, I’ve been reaching time), Hummels, Waterford crystal lamps came our mantra while he was in a hospital out to people who know Father Pat and the and champagne glasses, a hand-knit Irish La Salette Community to see if they were afghan, $100 gift certificates to restaurants in Grenoble, France.” such as the Blackinton Inn, Luciano’s, and When Gunning learned that Father Pat willing to help.”

So far, the response has been very en- the Lafayette House. and the La Salette Community had no inTurn to page 19 surance to help pay for the astronomical couraging to Gunning. “Joe Lorusso, owner

“F

La Salette Father Andre “Pat” Patenaude

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January 18, 2013 News From the Vatican ‘You are not alone,’ pope tells those suffering from sickness

Vatican City (CNA/ by sickness or pain.”

Christ, Who suffered with infiEWTN News) — Ahead of the The parable recounts how nite love.”

World Day of the Sick, Pope the Good Samaritan cared for The pope noted that many Benedict XVI expressed his a man who had been injured in Church Fathers saw Jesus in closeness to those with ill- an attack by thieves. The pope the Good Samaritan. In the man nesses and reaffirmed that Jesus said its concluding words, “Go who fell among thieves and was Christ’s sufferings give mean- and do likewise,” show how His injured, they saw the wounded ing to their own. disciples should behave towards and disoriented humanity of sin“You are not alone, ful Adam. separated, abandoned or ou are not alone, separated, Jesus, he said, “does useless. You have been abandoned or useless. You not jealously guard His called by Christ and are equality with God but, His living and trans- have been called by Christ and are His filled with compassion, parent image,” said the living and transparent image,” said the He looks into the abyss pope, quoting Pope Paul pope. of human suffering so VI’s words from the Secas to pour out the oil ond Vatican Council. of consolation and the The 21st World Day of the others, especially those in need. wine of hope.”

“We need to draw from the Sick will be celebrated FebruPope Benedict encouraged ary 11 on the Feast of Our Lady infinite love of God, through an Catholic health care workers of Lourdes. Pope Benedict re- intense relationship with Him and institutions, dioceses, released his message for the day in prayer, the strength to live ligious congregations, and all day by day with concrete con- those involved in the pastoral on January 8.

The pope said the observance cern, like that of the Good Sa- care of the sick. is a day for the sick, health care maritan, for those suffering in “May all realize ever more workers and the faithful to en- body and spirit who ask for our fully that ‘the Church today gage in prayer, to offer one’s help, whether or not we know lives a fundamental aspect of sufferings “for the good of the them and however poor they her mission in lovingly and genChurch” and to recognize in may be.” erously accepting every human Pope Benedict said this is being, especially those who are those who suffer “the Holy Face of Christ Who, by suffering, dy- true for everyone: pastoral weak and sick,’” he said. ing and rising has brought about workers, health care workers, The World Day of the Sick and the sick themselves. the salvation of mankind.” will be observed at the Marian He cited his 2007 encyclical Shrine of Altotting in Germany.

The pope used the parable of the Good Samaritan as a point “Spe Salvi,” which said healing The pope asked that the Virgin of reflection. Jesus’ parable is found not by sidestepping or Mary help health care workers “helps us to understand the deep fleeing from suffering but rath- and “always accompany those love of God for every human er by accepting it and “finding who suffer in their search for being, especially those afflicted meaning through union with comfort and firm hope.”

“Y

Pope appoints Boston priest as Vatican’s abuse investigator

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Benedict XVI has named Boston priest Father Robert W. Oliver as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s promoter of justice, the “chief prosecutor” at the office responsible for promoting and safeguarding Catholic doctrine and morals.

“It is with deep humility and gratitude that I received the news that the Holy Father is entrusting me with this service to the Church,” Father Oliver said December 22. “Receiving this assignment during the Year of Faith is inspirational and it is challenging.”

Father Oliver has served the Archdiocese of Boston as Assistant to the Moderator of the Curia for Canonical Affairs. He is a visiting professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In his new position he will investigate serious violations of Church law, including desecration of the Blessed Sacrament, violations of the Seal of Confession and the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley of

Boston said Father Oliver is a “distinguished” canon lawyer, describing him as “a gifted priest who has served the archdiocese with distinction.”

Since 2002, Father Oliver has served as assistant for canonical affairs for the archdiocese’s vicar general, as judge and promoter of justice in tribunals and as a consultant for the Boston archdiocese’s review board on sex abuse cases.

He helped train diocesan officials across America to implement the U.S. bishops’ 2003 reforms crafted in response to sexual abuse by clergy, the Boston Globe reports. The Boston Archdiocese itself was thrown into crisis in 2002 by sex abuse scandals which led to the resignation of then-Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law. Father Oliver was born in New York City on April 7, 1960 and raised on Long Island. He attended the Catholic University of America, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

He was ordained to the priesthood in Boston’s Holy Cross Cathedral in May 2000.

The International Church Anglican nuns praised for joining Catholic Church

January 18, 2013

Oxford, England (CNA) — A group of 11 Anglican nuns who were received into the communion of the Catholic Church January 1 were lauded for their response to “the Holy Father’s summons to unity” at their Mass of reception.

“You have responded, generously and courageously,” Father Daniel Seward, provost of the Oxford Oratory, told the U.K.based sisters.

During his January 1 homily on the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, he said the nuns put themselves “at the service of Our Lord’s own prayer,” that “‘they

should all be one as He and the Father are one.’”

The Sisters, who were members of the Anglican Community of St. Mary the Virgin, received Confirmation at the Mass, held in the Oxford Oratory. Together with Sister Carolyne Joseph, formerly of the Anglican Society of St. Margaret at Walsingham, the 12 will form the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“That may seem like a rather grandiose statement to make, and the Unity of the Church may seem an ambitious project to entrust to a small sisterhood. What can 12 women do? we might

ask,” Father Seward said.

“We might have asked the same question about our Lord’s choice of 12 rustics from Galilee as His Apostles. In faithfulness to His call, He can do great things in you.”

The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary are part of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Ordinariates are an ecclesial structure Pope Benedict allowed in his 2009 apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus.” They allow communities of Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church while maintaining elements of the spiritual and liturgical patri-

One Iranian pastor freed, another remains imprisoned

Washington D.C. (CNA/ EWTN News) — Reports in Iran indicate that a Christian pastor who was arrested on Christmas Day has been released, while a second pastor remains in prison for his religious beliefs.

“Iran must not be allowed to persecute individuals because of their faith,” stressed Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based American Center for Law and Justice, which has been monitoring the plight of Christians in Iran.

In a January 7 blog post, Sekulow relayed news of Christian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani’s release from prison in Iran after being arrested on Christmas Day. The 35-year-old pastor was originally arrested in 2009 after complaining to local authorities about his son being forced to read the Quran at school.

Found guilty of apostasy for converting from Islam to Christianity, Nadarkhani was ordered to recant or face execution. But despite numerous threats, he refused to abandon his Christian beliefs.

An execution order for the pastor was reported in February 2012. As fears of a secret execution grew, the American Center for Law and Justice worked to

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keep an international spotlight on the situation, prompting pressure from the United States, the United Nations and Brazil, which has a key economic partnership with Iran.

Amid increasing calls for the pastor’s freedom, Nadarkhani was acquitted in September 2012. While the court preserved his three-year sentence for “evangelizing to Muslims,” it determined that his time spent in prison was adequate, and the remaining time — about 45 days — could be served on probation.

However, on Christmas Day, Iranian sources reported that the pastor was re-arrested and ordered to serve the remainder of his sentence in jail.

Religious liberty advocates immediately raised concerns, noting not only that Iran had violated the terms of the pastor’s release, but also that his attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, had been imprisoned as well.

Sekulow observed that Nadarkhani “has become the face of persecution around the world” and explained his re-arrest on Christmas Day demonstrates Iran’s intention of making him an example “to intimidate people of minority faiths.”

The pastor’s release was “a direct result of people across the OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 57, No. 2

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world standing up and demanding his freedom,” he said.

But while he welcomed Nadarkhani’s freedom, Sekulow also emphasized that another Christian pastor, Saeed Abedini, remains imprisoned in Iran for his faith.

After converting from Islam to Christianity, Abedini — who is a U.S. citizen — drew the ire of Iranian officials for helping to start house churches in the country. In 2009, he reached an agreement with the Iranian government that permitted him to travel freely in the country if he stopped working with these underground churches.

The 32-year-old pastor then shifted his focus towards humanitarian efforts with non-religious Iranian orphanages, according to his wife. However, during a September trip to visit his parents and work with these orphanages, he was arrested.

He is now being held in one of Iran’s “most notoriously brutal and abusive prisons,” Sekulow warned.

Abedini’s family members in Iran are currently under house arrest, while his wife and young children are in the U.S., working to secure his freedom and speaking up about the toll his imprisonment has taken on the family.

The American Center for Law and Justice has launched a petition calling on the U.S. government to take action on behalf of Abedini. That petition has drawn more than 64,000 signatures so far.

“Iran is watching and responds to immense international pressure,” Sekulow emphasized, calling for renewed efforts and prayers for the pastor.

“We must continue to demand that Iran stop abusing and persecuting Christians and those willing to defend human rights,” he said.

mony inherited from their Anglican tradition.

“We believe that the Holy Father’s offer is a prophetic gesture which brings to a happy conclusion the prayers of generations of Anglicans and Catholics who have sought a way forward for Christian unity,” said Sister Winsome, who had been superior of the Community of St. Mary the Virgin.

The community will observe the Rule of St. Benedict while also continuing many traditions of their former Anglican community. They continue to look for a physical home for their community.

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The Sisters are the newest members of the ordinariate, joining many laity and clergy.

Several other former Anglican religious have already joined the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, including three Sisters of the Society of St. Margaret and Father Robert Mercer, a one-time Anglican bishop and member of the Community of the Resurrection.

The newly Catholic Sisters were exhorted to continue their contemplative calling, pondering in their hearts the things of Christ, just as the Blessed Virgin Mary did.

The Church in the U.S.

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January 18, 2013

Supreme Court lets stand policy on embryonic stem-cell research funds

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Supreme Court January 7 let stand a lower court order allowing government funding of research involving certain embryonic stem-cell lines.

The court also scheduled oral arguments for March in two cases over state laws on same-sex marriage.

Without comment, the court let stand an August ruling by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia which dismissed a lawsuit by two scientists who said the funding policy inhibits their chance of getting government grants for their research on adult stem cells, and argued that violates another law.

Under a 2009 policy, the Obama Administration began allowing federal funding of research on human embryos that were created for in vitro fertilization but were no longer needed for that purpose. Under a previous policy, government funding was allowed on stem cells derived from a handful of lines that existed to that point.

The two scientists, Dr. James Sherley and Theresa Deisher, sought to block the expansion, arguing that it was barred under a 1996 law, known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment, that prohibits use of federal funds for “the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes” or “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or

death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero.”

In his August ruling, Chief Judge David B. Sentelle of the D.C. Circuit, said the National Institutes of Health’s interpretation of the Dickey-Wicker amendment was “reasonable” in permitting funding of embryonic stem-cell research using cells derived using private funds.

Sentelle said the funding guidelines promulgated by NIH in 2009 correctly and legally allowed funding on stem cells derived from embryos created for artificial insemination and donated to scientists after the parents decided to discard them.

The Catholic Church opposes stem-cell research that destroys human embryos. The same objections do not arise over research using adult stem-cell lines, because these are cells taken from anyone after birth.

The court the same day announced that oral arguments would be heard on consecutive days in March in cases over same-sex marriage laws. On March 26, the court will hear arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry, which considers California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage.

On March 27, it will take up United States v. Windsor, which weighs the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

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historical book — The back pages of the Lincoln Bible document the Bible’s use at Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration as president. President Barack Obama will take the oath of office with this Bible at his January 21 inauguration, just as he did in 2009. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)

Two ceremonies, three Bibles for Obama’s inauguration

WASHINGTON (CNS) — When President Barack Obama takes the oath of office to officially begin his second term, he’ll double up on ceremonies and use three Bibles. Because January 20, the day the Constitution sets for the swearing-in ceremony, falls on a Sunday this year, the president will actually take the oath twice — once officially on the 20th in a small, private event, and ceremonially the next day on the steps of the Capitol. The private formalities in the White House January 20 will have the president place his left hand on his wife’s family Bible while he swears the oath of office.

For the public ceremony January 21 at the Capitol,

Obama will place his hand on two Bibles, stacked together — one that was owned by Abraham Lincoln and one by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The federal holiday marking Rev. King’s birthday falls on January 21.

The Lincoln Bible was purchased by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the Supreme Court, for Lincoln’s use at his swearing-in ceremony March 4, 1861.

Obama used the Lincoln Bible for his inauguration ceremony in 2009. It is part of the Library of Congress collection. The Presidential Inaugural Committee said in a press release that the King Bible was used by the civil rights leader and Baptist minister when he traveled.

U.S. called on to lead in Israel-Palestine peace efforts

Washington D.C. (CNA/ EWTN News) — Religious leaders from across the United States asked the Obama Administration to make peace efforts between Israel and Palestine a priority over the next four years.

“American political leadership is needed now more than ever to support both Israelis and Palestinians in creating a resilient and just peace,” said representatives of 35 Christian denominations.

In a January 7 letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, they warned that allowing the status quo to continue could prolong the conflict and bring greater violence to the region.

“As you embark upon your second term, there is an unprecedented opportunity for your administration to play a catalytic role in the resolution of this conflict,” they told the president.

Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, was one of the signatories of the letter. Other signers included representatives of Episcopalian, Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran and other religious communities in the U.S. “As faith leaders deeply committed to peace and reconciliation in this land held sacred by so many, we write to ask that you now bring the full energies of your administration to bear toward facilitating a just, durable, and final negotiated agreement to end the Arab-IsraeliPalestinian conflict,” they said.

The signatories acknowledged the challenges and costs associated with peace efforts, as well as the opposition faced from those on both sides.

An environment of fear and lack of trust make negotiations difficult, they said, “but another generation cannot wait as prospects for peace grow dimmer.”

Offering prayers that the president may be guided with courage and wisdom, the religious leaders urged the U.S. to place “the full weight of its support behind the long-term well-being of Israelis and Palestinians.”

“Proposals put forward must be feasible and convincingly address their separate national aspirations for security and justice,” they stressed.

Leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have also spoken out on the importance of American leadership in the region.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the bishops’ conference, joined Bishop Pates in calling for “a high profile envoy” to work for peace and justice in the area.

In a January 9 letter to President Obama, the two bishops observed that “our nation has a special obligation to exercise vigorous leadership for Israeli-Palestinian peace.”

Echoing the Holy Father’s calls for peace in the region, they encouraged efforts towards a two-state solution, comprised of “a secure and recognized Israel living in peace

alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state.”

The bishops acknowledged that actions by both Palestinians and Israelis “perpetuate an unsustainable status quo” that endangers the entire region.

Recent rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel are “morally unjustifiable uses of indiscriminate force against civilians” that undermine the trust needed for negotiations, they said, while Israeli occupation and expansion in the West Bank “compromise the territorial viability of a future Palestinian state.”

At the same time, they emphasized that the lack of peace is taking “a heavy toll on both Israelis and Palestinians, and especially on the indigenous ancient Christian community of the Holy Land that is emigrating at alarming rates.”

“What is urgently needed is indefatigable and insistent leadership,” the bishops said. “The United States, as a consequence of its relationships and potentially significant influence, is poised, in our estimation, to be the most effective arbiter in this tangled situation that portends enormous risk for the world.”

Pledging their support to the U.S. government’s efforts for peace, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Pates urged leadership that gives both Israelis and Palestinians “hope for a different future free of the shadows of violence and open to the light of peace.”

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The Anchor

January 18, 2013

Official of Holy See to speak at Acushnet parish for Year of Faith

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

ACUSHNET — When Msgr.

John Cihak takes the pulpit as the next speaker in the series of Year of Faith talks being held at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, he will bring not only a wealth of academic knowledge to his presentation, but also his experiences as an official of the Holy See and in his position as Papal Master of Ceremonies at the Vatican.

“What I’ve asked him to do is come and talk to us in the context of being so close to the pope and to the Liturgy,” said Msgr.

Gerard O’Connor, pastor of St. Francis and classmate of Msgr.

Cihak, “and since the Liturgy is probably the greatest expression of our faith, how that links in with the pope’s thoughts on the Year of Faith and how the Year of Faith is being expressed through the Liturgy.”

The timing of Msgr. Cihak’s visit couldn’t be better as people have become more comfortable with the changes to the Roman Missal that took place in November 2011. Due to his working so close with the Holy Father, Msgr. Cihak will offer a unique perspective to how the Holy Father embraced the changes and how those changes impacted the faithful of the Catholic Church.

“For us, the implementation of the new Missal has been a great time for all parishes to look at the way our Liturgies are conducted,” said Msgr. O’Connor.

“Things creep in over the years — and I won’t say abuses —

but we got a bit lax in certain things. We do things perhaps we shouldn’t do, but [think] people have always been doing them, and what’s happened during the implementation with the new Missal is it’s allowed us to go back and look at the rubrics of the Liturgies.”

“As a Liturgist myself,” he continued, “ we always look to the Holy Father; for centuries we’ve always looked to the papal Liturgies to see how they’re done, to see how we should be performing the Liturgies in our parishes and cathedrals. It’s very interesting to have a look at what is happening in the papal realm, and Msgr. Cihak is very close to this and is part of the planning of the Liturgies. That’s that angle that I want Msgr. Cihak to talk about, to give us an idea of the pope’s view of the Year of Faith in light of the way that Liturgies are performed.

While Msgr. Cihak may be focused on his talk entitled “Faith in the Teaching and Life of Benedict XVI,” the female parishioners of St. Francis have been focused this past year on their own talks, thanks in part to a serendipitous dinner conversation between Msgr. Cihak and a St. Francis parishioner.

When Sue Charbonneau went to Rome with family members, Msgr. O’Connor connected her with Msgr. Cihak. It was over dinner that Msgr. Cihak suggested that Charbonneau launch the Women of Grace, a Catholic apostolate that is looking to transform and affirm women in their dignity and vocation as

daughters of God, at the parish.

Msgr. Cihak’s mother knew of the program from her parish in Oregon “and he was impressed with it,” said Msgr. O’Connor, adding the initiative is about to launch its second year at the parish. “It has been a wonderful blessing for us at the parish.

We’ve had more than 60 women in the program.”

And while the women of the parish have been benefitting from Msgr. Cihak’s proposal, Msgr. O’Connor hopes those attending the talk will benefit from a true “theologian” who “brings a wealth of academic knowledge.”

“It’s going to be interesting for some people to see and hear some vignettes of what papal ceremonies are like and what it’s like to stand next to the pope during Masses,” said Msgr.

O’Connor. “Fundamentally he’s a theologian and he’ll try and encapsulate what the Year of Faith means in the mind of Pope Benedict.

“I think the mind of the Holy Father is very much in tune with the Liturgy and with the way the Liturgy has developed, and is very keen on an authentic interpretation of ‘Sacrosanctum Concilium,’ the Vatican document dealing with the Liturgy. I don’t think the Holy Father wants to take everything back to pre-1962 or anything like that, but I think that he’s seen that there has been a rupture of the constant tradition of the Church and in these last few years he definitely wants to heal that rupture and make sure our Liturgy is developing along

the right path.”

There are a few more presenters in the pipeline as the parish continues to celebrate the Year of Faith, including a talk by Father Leonard Kayondo about his experiences in Rwanda during the genocide. The parish is also doing a mission for the Year of Faith in March.

“We have the Fathers of Mercy coming down to run a mission for us,” said Msgr. O’Connor.

“We haven’t done a parish mission since I got here so I thought we’d give it a go during the Year

of Faith. The title of the parish mission is ‘Seven Capital Virtues Overcoming the Seven Capital Sins,’ that’s the theme. So they’ll be coming to talk about human generosity, chastity and those things; the last talk, which sums it all up, is about the Holy Eucharist. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Msgr. Cihak will be giving his talk at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet on January 21 at 7 p.m. For more information call 508-995-7600 or go to www.sfxparish.com.

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The Anchor Building a true community of peace

This weekend our country goes back into “holiday” mode, after having had two full weeks of school or work (for those blessed to have jobs). We celebrate the official birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., whose actual date of birth was Jan. 15, 1929. On his first birthday after being gunned down in Memphis, Pope Paul VI met with King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, at the Vatican. The Holy Father said to her, “We thank you, Mrs. King, for this kind visit, which gives us the opportunity of expressing once more our admiration for your husband, the late Reverend Martin Luther King, and for his untiring and self-sacrificing struggle in favor of the rights of man.”

The pope remarked that “the recognition and establishment everywhere of these rights constitute a principal road to peace.” As we have noted in this space some months ago, a lack of recognition of these rights for any human being results in there not being true peace in our world. The lack of recognition of the right to life of innocent Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the abortion mentality in this country (see Sept. 21, 2012 editorial).

There is a quote, falsely attributed to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, which says, “the fruit of abortion is nuclear war.” What Mother Teresa actually did say, in her 1979 speech in Oslo, Norway accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, was “today the greatest means — the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion.” She then spoke about how everyone at the ceremony could rejoice, because their parents wanted them. She spoke about serving the poor and seeing Jesus Christ in each person.

“We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the Body of Christ 24 hours [a day]. We have 24 hours in this presence, and so you and I. You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our family don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy to bring peace — just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.”

Her recipe for peace is so simple and yet it requires that we concentrate on recognizing Who is truly before us in each and every moment — Jesus Christ.

Through His Incarnation (becoming flesh), He has raised up the dignity of all peoples — a dignity to which all have the right of having it respected.

Blessed Teresa reminded her mainly Norwegian audience, “we must live life beautifully, we have Jesus with us and He loves us. If we could only remember that God loves me, and I have an opportunity to love others as He loves me, not in big things, but in small things with great love, then Norway becomes a nest of love. And how beautiful it will be that from here a center for peace has been given. That from here the joy of life of the unborn child comes out. If you become a burning light in the world of peace, then really the Nobel Peace Prize is a gift of the Norwegian people. God bless you!”

Unfortunately, Norway did not heed the Missionary of Charity’s invitation.

Instead, it continued to follow the advice of Katti Anker Møller, who in a Jan. 15, 1915 speech called for legalizing abortion on demand. She said that “the basis for all freedom is the governance over one’s own body and everything that is in it. The opposite is the condition of a slave” (quote thanks to Wikipedia). Møller got things backwards — it is this treating of another human being as if they were property, which can be destroyed, which has caused a new slavery in Western society.

Even people of good will can fail to understand the dictates of Natural and Divine Law about human reproduction and the dignity of the unborn child. A website, Jezebel.com (named after that wonderful queen from the Old Testament First Book of Kings), proudly proclaimed, “No, Fox News, Martin Luther King Jr. Wasn’t Anti-Abortion.” One can then read on a link the speech which Coretta delivered on Martin’s behalf when he received the Margaret Sanger award from Planned Parenthood in 1966 and his letter to the organization, saying “Words are inadequate for me to say how honored I was to be the recipient of the Margaret Sanger Award. This award will remain among my most cherished possessions.”

This past year Planned Parenthood grabbed headlines when the Susan G. Komen for the Cure cancer charity first announced it was no longer going to send any funding to Planned Parenthood, then backed down a few days later after a political firestorm arose. In our own state, although then-Senator Scott Brown tipped his hand about what he really thinks by listing Justice Antonin Scalia (to the obvious joy of Elizabeth Warren, as we could see on the split screen) as a Supreme Court justice he admires [realizing his political mistake, he then went on to name more than half the court], he felt the need to proclaim how wonderful an organization Planned Parenthood is.

We Catholics can admire Martin Luther King without admiring his every public statement or action. We thank God that racial equality has grown in this country, although much work still needs to be done in terms of converting hearts into ones which truly love neighbors as themselves (even neighbors who look different).

We ask our Lord to help us, through our taking more time in praying before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and serving Our Lord in our neighbors, to be able to build a true community of peace. Next week our country will be facing the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, legalizing abortion throughout our land. May we rededicate ourselves to respecting life, from conception to natural death, recognizing the presence of Christ in each and every person.

January 18, 2013

Coming, returning to, or growing in faith in the New Year

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very year is meant to be a “year of of a priest? the Lord” (anno Domini). Since 2013 Many Catholics don’t know where to start takes place during the Year of Faith, however, in order to evangelize people in these categoall of us are called to make a special effort to ries, because before we can discuss Jesus, the dedicate it to the Lord. It’s a year in which Sacraments and the Christian life, we need to we’re called to grow in faith, walk by faith, meet them where they’re at and have credand spread the faith with love, so that this ible answers to their basic questions about year will be the holiest, most faithful and whether God exists, whether there’s meaning most apostolically fruitful year of our life. to life, whether and why there is good and When the Year of Faith began, we looked evil. Even Catholics who would be compeat how faith is fundamentally a total, loving tent debating justification with Lutherans, entrustment of ourselves to God, and on the explaining the beauty of Marian devotion to basis of that commitment, to all that He has Baptists, and defending Trinitarian theology revealed. We also examined how in this holy before Jews and Muslims, don’t know where year, Pope Benedict has prayerfully chalto begin to engage those who at this point lenged us to grow in both aspects of faith. have no faith at all and often, for that reason, He hopes that, strengthened by faith, each of are in situations contrary to their own good. us can take up our role in the New EvanDuring this Year of Faith in preparation gelization, the re-proposal of the beauty of for the New Evangelization, it’s important the Christian life to those who, for whatever that every Catholic be given an opportunity reason, were once exposed to the Gospel to receive formation in both of these areas, so but who were never captivated by it or who, that, more deeply rooted in Christ and firm through secularization, scandals or other in faith, they can speak credibly and persuareasons, have lost the fascination and faith sively about the gift of faith to others. they once had.

There’s a great program that delivers on This New Evangelization has two essenthis double need. It’s called the Alpha Course tial preparatory for Catholics stages. and a team of First all parishioners and those who pracI are planning tice the faith to launch it at need to be more St. Bernadette’s profoundly on Wednesday evangelized. nights at 6:45

By Father For many p.m., beginning Roger J. Landry Catholics, January 23. I’d Christ remains like to invite at the level of you to particia doctrinal abstraction, a teacher of moral pate in it if you feel a hunger for this type of truths rather than the Truth incarnate, a figure training and are able to get to Fall River. of the past rather than the present, a paraThe Alpha program was originally demedic for spiritual emergencies rather than veloped by Anglican priests at Holy Trinity the most defining reality and relationship of Parish in London to share the Gospel in a our life. Many of us have learned the faith as non-threatening and relaxed way with those if Christianity were a classroom or a series who had no faith and to invite those who had of religious rituals and moral duties instead stopped practicing back into the Christian of a way of life and love in which each of us community. It came to be so successful in is supposed to be able to say progressively introducing or reintroducing people to the with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live but central truths and way of the Christian life Christ Who lives in me.” Since we can only that, beginning in the early 90s, it began to give what we have, the first step in the New spread all over England, into other countries, Evangelization is for the evangelizers to have and into various Christian denominations, a real friendship, a true intimate communion, including the Catholic Church. Since, there with Christ. That’s what the Year of Faith is have been more than 60,000 Alpha courses meant to enable and enhance. run in 169 countries, proposing or strengthThe second step is that those who have ening the faith of more than 19.6 million been evangelized must be comfortable and people, including courses for Catholics in 74 equipped to be able to pass on their faith with different languages. sensitivity, patience and fervor as the greatest During the Vatican’s Synod on the thing that’s ever happened to them.

New Evangelization and the Transmission Over the years many people have come of the Faith in October, Alpha for Cathoto speak to me, with tears in their eyes, to lics was looked at as a model not only describe how their spouse, kids or grandkids, for reaching those with no faith at all or no longer practice the faith and no matweakened faith but also for strengthening ter what they try, they can’t persuade them the faith of practicing Catholics and helpto return. When I ask how they’ve tried to ing them learn how to propose the faith persuade their loved ones, many have replied in an appealing way to others without by telling me that they, somewhat literally, try watering it down. to scare the hell out of them, informing them Alpha for Catholics is a 10-week course that their illicit relationship or voluntarily that includes a meal, a 45-minute movie, and missing Mass is a mortal sin that will lead then small group discussion each night. It them to the inferno. Others have said they examines in a contemporary, irresistible way talk about religious duties and seek to make the basic Gospel message and the essentials them feel guilty about their lack of response of living the Christian faith: who Jesus is, to God’s goodness. But these approaches why He died, faith, prayer, the Bible, God’s normally don’t bear much fruit because most guidance, good and evil, talking about Jesus people today respond negatively to what they to others, healing, and the importance of the perceive as scare tactics or guilt-tripping and Church. In the middle of the course, there is these arguments only reinforce the caricature a retreat focused on getting to know the Holy of faith they have.

Spirit and allowing Him to fill us and help Even more challenging than trying to make the most of the rest of our life. There’s persuade born-and-fled Catholics to revert to no cost for the program, except a small freethe practice of the faith is to try to propose will donation for the food. the faith to those who have grown up without If you’d like to participate in the course, God in their life at all. How do you share the or if you know any friends or family memfaith with atheist immigrants from China or bers who might be interested in giving the North Korea, or children who grew up in the faith a second look — or a first one — please home of thoroughly secularist parents who know you’re warmly invited. Please just send taught that all religious is mythical, or those me an email so that we can make plans for who grew up in situations like the skateboard- food. ing teens in front of St. Anthony’s in New Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette Bedford who used to ask me why I dressed Parish in Fall River. His email address is funny because they had never seen nor heard fatherlandry@catholicpreaching.com.

Putting Into the Deep

January 18, 2013

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hysicians will sometimes prescribe a hormonal regimen (in the form of a hormonal contraceptive like the pill) to treat certain gynecological problems like heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), endometriosis, or other conditions like severe acne. In these cases, the pill is used not as a contraceptive, but as a therapy for a medical condition.

This can be morally permissible under the principle of double effect, which allows for the treatment of a serious medical problem (the good effect), while tolerating its unintended consequences, when other less harmful treatments are not available. In this case, the unintended consequences would be the impeding of one’s fertility and the potential health risks and side effects of the pill (the evil effect).

Married couples may sometimes struggle with the question of whether a pathology is serious enough to warrant the therapeutic use of the pill. The wife of one couple I worked with reflected on the matter and concluded, “Yes, the bleeding is intense, and I’m basically wiped out for at least two or three days each month, but it’s not so debilitating that my

Y

oung parents today seem to struggle with an identity crisis. Are they caretakers, teachers, coaches, friends, or is there something about their responsibilities that makes their identity unique?

They are not sure which responsibilities belong to them, and which belongs to the people whom they trust with their children. Certainly they know the value of physical nurturing, and providing an education, but when it comes to forming the whole person, parents are not sure how best to proceed. This may explain why an article posted on a blog just after Christmas caused such a national commotion. Janell Hoffman, a mother of five from Cape Cod posted in her blog a contract she made with her 13-year-old son that spelled out the rules for his new iPhone.

The contract hit the airwaves and soon went viral across the nation. It is as if people didn’t know that one could parent with such clarity.

The fact that this mother used contract language is misleading, since the document will never withstand legal scrutiny. Her 18 rules fit better into

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The Anchor

The pill as health care?

husband and I can’t manage, faithful Catholics who rationaland we’d really prefer, morally ize that this is what the doctor and medically speaking, not to ordered.” get mixed up with a powerful Lines can blur not only in pharmaceutical like the pill.” the minds of those who may be Other treatments beside the dating, but also in the minds pill may at times be available of medical students, who may to remedy these medical condi- be taught to prescribe the pill tions without having to impede almost reflexively for various fertility. Some young women, though, may be content to opt for a treatment that also offers more latitude for sexual activity. Approaching the medical

By Father Tad use of the pill in this Pacholczyk way can raise concerns about ambiguous intentions. A friend of mine who dated several gynecological issues rather young women who were on than addressing the root cause the pill for a medical condition of the problem. As Lili Cote described his own experiences de Bejarano, M.D., has noted: and struggles this way: “For most of these conditions, “Those I know who have the pill is only treating the done this also tended to be the woman’s symptoms, while her ones who were sexually active. underlying medical problem I believe it does have an effect — the cause of the symptoms on one’s psyche and soul. In — remains unaddressed and fact, in the past I’ve dated two undiagnosed.” women who were doing this Lines become further and it made it really, really blurred when medical profeshard at times to be chaste. sionals start to insist that the When I brought up alternapill, taken purely to avoid tive ways to treat something pregnancy, is “health care.” that doesn’t involve the pill, It is not, in fact, health care, they got very defensive. So I but a lifestyle decision. This think it definitely blurs a line lifestyle decision is frequently even in the minds of the most made in the midst of a cultural

Making Sense Out of Bioethics

backdrop that encourages “neutered” sex in an endless array of forms, and sanctions the misguided view that “health” means we have the right to practice consensual indiscriminate sex without consequences.

The pill, when chosen strictly for these contraceptive purposes, fails the test of being healthcare because it does not heal or restore any broken system of the human body. On the contrary, it actually breaks a smoothly working system — the reproductive system — by disrupting the delicate balance of hormonal cycles regulating a woman’s reproductive well-being and fecundity.

When taken for lifestyle purposes, the pill is quite the opposite of health care — being, in fact, detrimental to women’s health — in light of its frequent side effects of weight gain, headaches, and depression, as well as its heightened and well-documented risk of thrombotic stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and breast cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, classifies hormonal

Not a contract, but a covenant

the realm of covenant, not con- to choose how to live our life, but knows that this freedom tract. Covenants, though simicomes with certain dangers that lar to contracts in their “this can be avoided if we follow for that” language, are infused some simple guidelines. with love, not law. One need only look at the covenant that God has been making with God’s people throughout history. Even though the quintessential symbol of God’s covenant is the Decalogue, known

By Claire McManus to us as the Ten Commandments, these directives were words of Technology is just one commitment to God, not laws that can be negotiated. The Ten more human creation that tests our ability to bind or destroy Commandments were written relationships. This may be why in the second person singular, so many found Ms. Hoffman’s as if God is saying to each person that this is between you contract so insightful. She gave her son some helpful rules to and Me, kid. These words of make his way in the world. love have unfortunately been hijacked by legalism and trans- “[The iPhone] does not go to school with you. Have a conported through time as God’s versation with the people you wet blanket.

When Janell Hoffman wrote text in person. It’s a life skill; Do not use this technology to her set of rules for living with lie, fool, or deceive another the iPhone, she was really human being; Do not involve telling her son that she loves him enough not to allow him to yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others; Do not be harmed by this new freetext, email, or say anything dom, or to harm others with it.

Sound familiar? God also loves through this device you would not say in person; Do not text, us enough to give us freedom

The Great Commission

email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.” In other words, she reminded her son that no matter what piece of technology he holds in his power, he is in control of his relationship with others.

God created us to reach our highest potential, not least of which is demonstrated by such human inventions as the iPhone. Even with the greatest protection we may have against outside harm, God knows that we are most vulnerable to the harm we cause to ourselves. Ms. Hoffman expressed this in 21st-century terms. “Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you.

And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.” No human invention should separate us from the world that God created for us to enjoy. This is the point of Ms. Hoffman’s contract with her son, and God’s covenant with humanity.

“Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you.

contraception as a Group 1 carcinogen.

When a married couple has a proportionately serious reason not to become pregnant — for example, when pregnancy itself would seriously threaten the woman’s life or health — they can opt for periodic abstinence during part of her cycle by assessing various indicators of fertility. This is sometimes referred to under the general heading of “Fertility Awareness Methods,” and offers a morally acceptable, safe and effective approach to spacing children.

To sum up, then, the use of the pill for medical (non-contraceptive) purposes requires a disciplined approach to the matter. Alternative medical therapies should be seriously considered, the great good of fertility should be respected, and unspoken sexual agendas should not be allowed to trump the duty to exercise moral responsibility and sound medical judgment.

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

Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without Googling.”

Parents should feel empowered by what Ms. Hoffman did for her son. The primacy of a parent’s influence in the lives of their children is unparalleled. The contract asserts this in its opening statement, “It is my phone. I bought it.

I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?”

Parents can rest assured that they are indeed the greatest in the eyes of their children.

Pope John Paul II once said that “it is the mission of every family to guard, reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection and sharing in God’s love for humanity.”

This is done whenever a child is hugged, fed, clothed, educated, coached, and yes, given rules for life. Ms. Hoffman’s contract may not have been handed down from Mount Sinai, but when parental love is articulated in covenantal language it takes on Biblical proportions.

Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation.

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January 18, 2013

The Anchor

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e contemplate the miracle that Jesus performed at the Wedding at Cana, changing water into wine. This might seem like the “ultimate” in situations where a bride was upstaged by someone at “her” wedding. Instead of viewing the scene from that modern (and selfish) point of view, we need to realize how fortunate that unnamed couple was. They had Jesus and Mary present at their wedding. What better guests could a couple have? What better wedding gifts could one receive than what the two of them could give?

If we really think and pray about this reality, we would realize how blessed and loved the couple must have felt — here were the two people who truly loved their neighbor as themselves (at least!) socializing with them at their wedding.

Mary’s love for the couple is readily apparent. Pope Benedict, visiting a shrine to the Blessed Mother in 2006, explained, “Now the bride and groom find themselves in trouble, and Mary simply says this to Jesus.

She doesn’t ask for anything specific. She simply hands the matter over to Jesus and leaves

The ultimate Gift

it to Him to decide about what of the creation of Eve: Adam, to do. In the simple words of the surrounded by creation in all its Mother of Jesus, then, we can magnificence, experiences lonesee her affectionate concern for liness as a human being. Then people, that maternal affection Eve is created, and in her Adam which makes her aware of the finds the companion whom he problems of others. We see her longed for; and he gives her the heartfelt goodness and her willname ‘woman.’ In the Gospel ingness to help.”

Jesus’ reaction to Mary’s concern was not Homily of the Week some type of callousness on His part, “yet Second Sunday we still find it very in Ordinary Time hard to understand Jesus’ answer,” the

By Father pope said. “In the first Richard D. Wilson place, we don’t like the way He addresses her: ‘Woman.’ Why doesn’t He say: ‘Mother’? But this title of John, then, Mary represents really expresses Mary’s place in the new, the definitive woman, salvation history. It points to the the companion of the Redeemer, future, to the hour of the cruciour Mother: the name, which fixion, when Jesus will say to seemed so lacking in affection, her: ‘Woman, behold your son.’” actually expresses the grandeur And then He will say to St. of Mary’s enduring mission.”

John (and to us), “Behold your The first marriage did not turn mother.” At Cana, even though out well, since it went from being Jesus tells Mary His “hour had a healing of loneliness and a partnot yet come,” the whole scene nership founded by God to being “anticipates the hour when a conspiracy of sin, as Adam and He will make the woman, His Eve tried to hide from God what Mother, the Mother of all his they had done. At the Wedding disciples. On the other hand, the at Cana, Jesus both reveals that title ‘Woman’ recalls the account He has come to heal all things

that are authentically human and raises up Marriage to the level of a Sacrament. In other words, Jesus makes Marriage into a means of communicating the very life of the Trinity (which is what grace is) through the relationship between wives and husbands and a symbol of the love that He has for His bride, the Church.

Going back to the dialogue between Mary and Jesus (the New Eve and the New Adam, who will reverse the curse of Eden’s sin), we realize, as Blessed John Paul II taught in 1998, how full of faith Mary had to have been, to be requesting from Jesus something that she had never seen before — that He do a miracle. “By acting in this way, she is doubtless obeying an inner inspiration, since, according to the Divine plan, Mary’s faith must precede the first manifestation of Jesus’ messianic power, as it preceded His coming to earth. She already embodies the attitude that was to be praised by Jesus for true believers in every age: ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’ (Jn 20:29).”

Mary was no “doubting Thomas.” Although she did not know exactly what Jesus would do, she knew that He was full of love for her and for the couple.

So, she persists in her trust and tells the waiters to “do whatever He tells you.”

The sign that Jesus accomplished in changing the water into wine “proclaims His hour, the hour of the wedding-feast, the hour of union between God and man,” said Pope Benedict.

“He transforms the human wedding-feast into an image of the Divine wedding-feast in which He gives us every good thing, represented by the abundance of wine. The hour of the cross, the hour which is the source of the Sacrament, in which He gives Himself really to us in flesh and blood, puts His Body into our hands and our hearts, this is the hour of the wedding feast.” We ask God to help us realize the greatness of this gift, offered to us at every Mass, be it nuptial, funeral, Sunday or daily.

Father Wilson is Pastor of St. John the Evangelist and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Attleboro and executive editor of The Anchor.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 19, Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10,15; Mk 2:13-17. Sun. Jan. 20, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-3,7-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11. Mon. Jan. 21, Heb 5:1-10; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 2:18-22. Tues. Jan. 22, Heb 6:10-20; Ps 111:1-2,4-5,9,10c; Mk 2:23-28. Wed. Jan. 23, Heb 7:1-3,15-17; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 3:1-6. Thurs. Jan. 24, Heb 7:25-8:6; Ps 40:7-10,17; Mk 3:7-12. Fri. Jan. 25, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-18.

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The Marriage Debate II — What states really can’t do

n his acute analysis of the character and institutions of the United States, “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th-century French liberal, stressed the importance of what we call “civil society.” American democracy, Tocqueville understood, wasn’t just a matter of the state, here, and the individual, there.

“Between” the state (or government) and the people there were the many free, voluntary associations that formed the sinews and musculature of America.

Those free associations also performed many essential social functions: they educated the young, served the poor, and cared for the sick.

Writing a century-and-a-half after Tocqueville, Pope John Paul II also highlighted the importance of voluntary associations for the free and virtuous society. Those associations, the pope argued, shape the human personality of a political community — what John Paul called, in his philosopher’s vocabulary, the “subjectivity of society.” Thus, in a democracy

— a way of self-government in friendships and in school, in that depends on the character clubs and sports and in reliof a people—the institutions of gious communities. Men and civil society are schools of free- women who, later in life, take dom: the elementary schools of responsibility for making govdemocracy. ernment work first learned how Think about it this way: Every two-yearold is a natural-born tyrant, a beautiful bundle of willfulness and self-absorption who demands (sometimes

By George Weigel winsomely and often loudly) that he or she get what he or she wants — now. Who, or what, turns all to do so, not from the state, but those two-year-old tyrants into from the civil society institudemocrats: mature men and tions in which they grew up. women capable of being demo- Adults who take the responsicratic citizens? Where do we bilities of citizenship seriously learn what Tocqueville called did not learn their sense of the habits of mind and heart, civic obligation from a governand what moral philosophers mental agency: they learned from Aristotle to John Paul II to be responsible and civil and have called the virtues, that are tolerant, flexible but principled, necessary for the machinery of in more humane schools: the democracy to work well? free, voluntary associations that We learn them first in the Tocqueville and John Paul II family, which is the fundamencelebrated. tal, irreplaceable institution Democracy means, among of civil society. We also learn many other things, that the govthose habits of heart and mind ernment is not everything; thus

The Catholic Difference

Mussolini’s definition of totalitarianism (“Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state”) is the absolute antithesis of democracy — indeed, the very antithesis of freedom.

Throughout history, just states (whether democratic or not) have understood that there are limits to their powers: there are certain things that just states simply cannot do.

With rare exceptions, the just state cannot interfere in the doctor-patient relationship or the lawyer-client relationship; it can never interfere in the priest-penitent relationship; it ought to be extremely chary of interfering in the parentchild relationship (save in obvious cases like abuse); and there are limits (always subject to debate and adjustment) about the state’s reach into the employeremployee relationship. The just state acknowledges the integrity of these primary, fundamental, civil society relationships and protects them legally. It has no

business reinventing or redefining those relationships, for the just state exists to serve civil society, not vice versa.

Marriage is the primordial civil society relationship, for it is the basis of the family, which is the primordial civil society institution. That is why, for millennia, states have protected Marriage, understood as what it is: the stable union of a man and a woman ordered to the begetting and raising of children. When a state claims the right to alter the definition of “Marriage” to include samesex relationships, it is tacitly claiming the right to redefine the number of persons who may make a “Marriage” (why stop at two?); it is also tacitly claiming the right to redefine, by governmental fiat, every other pre-existing free association of civil society.

That claim is antithetical to the freedom of individuals, families, and society.

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

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n this anniversary year of Mulieris Dignitatem, it would be good to revisit the document written to women to help them find the essence of their femininity. Twenty-five years ago, relatively early in his pontificate, John Paul II reached out to a society that had imbibed various philosophies deeply antithetical to the human person. The culture that had sprung out of these world views was crushing faith, shredding families, and leaving destructive pathologies in its wake — not the least of which were a spiraling number of diseases previously unknown to mankind. How could anyone with authentic pastoral sensibilities look on this diminished landscape without Christ’s own grave concerns about the sheep in dire need of a shepherd?

An authentic understanding of the human person is grounded in the firm belief that man is not made for himself, or created solely for a material end. Man without God makes no sense, because all of his transcendent gifts would be for naught. The nobility inherent in the human person — his virtuous inclinations, elevated affections, and

Our surest path to joy

artistic sensibilities—have no place in a strictly material world. Rather, these are reliable signposts to an invisible plane of good and evil, where an ethical framework reveals a divine component.

To step back and test this theory, one need only consider the widespread reaction to the recent tragic events in Newtown, Conn. No matter what political outcome accrues, the fact is that everyone agreed that killing five-yearolds is heinous. Even those who will not agree about Who God is, or whether God has revealed himself can agree that murdering those innocents comprised an evil act. In that sense, a natural law is written on our hearts, and although we may differ in the degree of our reactions — some are more verbal, some more emotional, others less expressive — no one would shrug his shoulders and insist that the event was inconsequential.

Moreover, while we can agree that at least some things are reprehensible, we also share an appreciation for what

is good. Anyone who has loved deeply will also agree that such emotions make little sense in a material world.

Beyond that, the expression of beauty in various media — music, visual arts, or literature, for example, is a sophisticated dimension of man that finds resonance in a spiritual realm. Each of these elements remind us that we are more than flesh and blood, and the Church teaches that it is the Divine image, stamped on our very being, that finds expression through these channels.

And yet, for a variety of reasons, human society — which celebrates the individuality of its members — has lost sight of the value of the human person. Individuals who treasure their own opinions trample over others; individuals who are absorbed in their feelings ignore the

Marian Medals ceremony to air on local cable TV

FALL RIVER — A video of the November Marian Medals Ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River is airing on several cable television public access channels in the Fall River Diocese.

As of press time, the schedule is as follows: — Bourne, cable channel 13, January 20 at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; January 23 at 12 p.m.

— Fall River, cable channel 95, January 18, 25 and February 1 at 9 a.m.

— North Attleboro, cable channel 15, January 25 at 1 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; January 26 at 3 a.m., 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.; January 27 at 1:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.; Janu-

Visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

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January 18, 2013

ary 28 at 2 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; January 30 at 4 a.m., 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

— Somerset, cable channel 9, January 20 and 27 at 11 a.m.; January 24 and 31 at 8 p.m.

— New Bedford, cable channel 95, January 22 and 29, and February 5 and 12 at 4 p.m.

The 2012 Marian Medal Ceremony DVD is also available for purchase. To obtain a video, please forward a check in the amount of $24.95 payable to the Diocesan Office of Communications to Of-

fice of Communications, Diocese of Fall River, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Mass. 02722. Shipping is included in the video cost.

same in their neighbor; individuals who set about expressing their unique philosophies ignore those who suggest that such human islands are sorely lacking in those resources found in millennia of wisdom.

This document revisits the primordial question that every generation asks: “What, finally, is that ultimate and unutterable mystery which engulfs our being, and from which we take our origin and towards which we move?”

Here, John Paul II seeks to reintroduce man to God, the

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Giver of all gifts, the Source of our most meaningful ideas, and Whose own Personhood will explain more about the human animal than anything else in the created world.

In particular, we’ll find that familial relationships will enhance each person’s wellbeing — motherhood, fatherhood, and Divine filiation.

Despite seeming trite, these are sources of grace, wellsprings of mystery, and our surest path to joy.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “Set Free: The Authentic Catholic Woman’s Guide to Forgiveness,” and can be found online at feminine-genius.com.

Holy Name School Open House: Jan. 27, 2013 from 1 P.M.- 3 P.M. Holy Name School invites you to attend its Open House on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

We have openings in select grades for the upcoming 20132014 school year.

We have instituted many new and positive changes including iPad and computer use as part of classroom learning strategies. Please come and “Discover the Difference” your child will experience at our NEASC accredited school.

Holy Name School 850 Pearce Street Fall River, MA. 02720 T: 508.674.9131 Email: pwardell@holynamefrschool.com Website: www.hnsfr.com

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January 18, 2013

Blessed John Paul II received ‘help’ from miner in priesthood vocation

Rome, Italy (CNA/EWTN News) — One of the closest collaborators of Blessed John Paul II, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, recounted in Rome a little-known

story about the late pontiff’s vocation to the priesthood.

Cardinal Re served at the Vatican Secretary of State and later prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

On January 9 at the Conciliaziones Auditorium — during the presentation of the recital “The Pope and the Poet,” inspired by the life of Karol Wojtyla — he recalled an unpublished episode from the life of the late pontiff.

The cardinal told reporters that in 1939, young Karol Wojtyla had to quit college and work at a quarry to support himself and keep

from being deported to Germany.

“There he worked with a miner who set explosives in the mines, and one day the miner told him, ‘I think you would make a great priest.’”

“John Paul II told us that until that moment he had never thought of being a priest. He said, that man who I worked with already saw me as a priest,” Cardinal Re said.

During his presentation, Cardinal Re spoke about the young Wojtyla as a philosopher, theologian and mystic, but especially about his facet as a poet and actor.

“Poetry is an interesting ele-

ment that had an impact later on his ministry as pope: many themes are reflected in this exercise of poetic art and it helped him in his ability to reach people, to speak to the masses, to hold peoples’ attention,” he added.

Cardinal Re explained that what stands out in Wojtyla’s poetry is the defense of human rights, life and the dignity of man and woman, and solidarity within the universal human family.

“His poems were always an exaltation of man and elevated the soul to God,” he added.

On the possible canonization

of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Re said many miracles have been attributed to him and that the late pontiff could soon be made a saint.

“Although it’s the doctor who decides if a miracle has occurred — which is the supreme requirement for canonizing a saint,” he said.

The recital “The Pope and the Poet” mixes music, dance, poetry and theater, and is a response to the invitation by Pope Benedict XVI to bring the contents of the faith into today’s culture, in the framework of the Year of Faith.

Bishops must stand firm in truth to lead people to Christ

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In their task of leading people to the light of Christ, bishops must have the courage to face opposition and peacefully stand firm in the truth, Pope Benedict XVI said. Meeting the approval of the wider public “is not the criterion to which we submit. Our criterion is the Lord Himself,” the pope said as he celebrated a Mass on the Epiphany in St. Peter’s Basilica. “The fear of God frees us from the fear of men. It liberates,” he said.

During the three-hour ceremony, the pope also ordained four new archbishops. The four men swore their fidelity to the Gospel and to the Church and laid prostrate on an ornate rug on the floor of St. Peter’s Basilica as the Litany of Saints was chanted. Then they knelt before Pope Benedict, who laid his hands on their heads and ordained them bishops.

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January 18, 2013

Official thanks mothers of priests, asks for their prayers

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The mothers of priests and seminarians deserve the thanks of the whole Church for raising their sons in the faith and supporting them in their vocations, said Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy.

The cardinal said having a priest-son requires a new form of motherhood, one that involves a “discreet, but very effective and invaluably precious accompaniment in prayer.”

When a man becomes a priest, he said, everyone in his family is touched and is called to a deeper conversion, but “unique and special are the spiritual consolations that come from having carried in your womb one who becomes a priest in Christ.”

“The experience of the Church teaches that the mother ‘receives’ her priest-son in a completely new and unexpected way, so much so that by the will of God she is called to recognize in the fruit of her womb a ‘father,’ who is called to generate a multitude of brothers

and sisters and accompany them to eternal life,” the cardinal wrote.

“The mothers of priests and seminarians truly represent an army that raises prayers and offerings to

Heaven from earth and, with even greater numbers, intercedes from Heaven so that grace is poured out on the lives of holy pastors,” Cardinal Piacenza said.

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12 From an editorial in the Catholic Sentinel of Portland, Ore.

PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — It’s right that the people of God have adjusted to having fewer priests and religious. Bravo to us for stepping up to join councils, to work in parishes, to serve as permanent deacons. We should be in the front lines of the Church’s evangelizing mission, witnessing to the Gospel at

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January 18, 2013

Encourage vocations

home, in our neighborhoods and even at work.

But make no mistake. Our Eucharistic faith cannot survive without priests. Similarly, our mission in the world is weakened when it lacks the authentic witness of people who dedicate everything to God and Church life.

We laity have an urgent mission: encouraging good young people to consider priesthood

and consecrated life.

Our youth are not naive. They know it will be difficult to be chaste, simple and obedient.

Based on our experience as married or single, we must remind them that no way of life is all joy and no sorrow. We need to put forward priests and religious who can assure our youth that life of service to the Church is a radical but viable option that is

fulfilling. Most of all, we need to alert young people among us to the need. Those with the call will step forward.

God will provide vocations.

But we need to be there to listen.

Parents should make sure their children have moments of quiet in their lives so the “still, small voice” of God can penetrate.

Second, more parishes should form vocation committees. In

some places, a vocations cross is passed from household to household, where families spend a week praying that more people will respond to God’s call.

Third, parents cannot stand in the way if God is calling their children to serve. Alarmingly, we often hear of those who push for Marriage and grandchildren but don’t give ample emphasis on priesthood and consecrated life.

January 18, 2013

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January 18, 2013

Archbishop Chaput: Campus ministry has eternal value

Clearwater, Fla. (CNA/ EWTN News) — Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia offered encouragement to campus ministers recently, assuring them their mission “matters eternally because each human soul you touch is immortal.”

“For every Rich Young Man who turns away from Christ, there’s another young woman or man who longs for something more than this world can give — something deeper, richer and lasting,” he said in his January 10 keynote at the Catholic Campus Ministry Association’s national convention.

“A single fruitful encounter with Jesus Christ can engage the deepest aspirations and change the entire course of a young adult’s life.”

The archbishop’s comments were book-ended with reflections on the relationship between 16th-century St. Thomas More and his daughter Meg. The saint formed his daughter well, and she herself was a model of courage and conviction.

“The importance of forming intelligent, committed young

adults, as Thomas More in- moral rules.” do resonate with a longing for offered as a central means to spired and formed his daughArchbishop Chaput used greatness, which means they bring young adults to the beauter, is the same today as it was the Gospel account of the rich can be reached,” he said. ty of prayerful silence. then. Because most of you here young man, who was too at“The idealism, striving and The archbishop also exhorttoday work with young people tached to comfort to follow seeking in the hearts of so many ed his listeners to count sucat a decisive time in shaping Christ, to critique the naiveté of young adults instinctively order cess not only in the number of the direction of their them toward God. No persons attending activities, but lives, you have one of single fruitful encounter matter how black the with a focus on conversion of the most vital missions with Jesus Christ can engage darkness is, no matter life, “a disciplined focus on the in the Church.” how deep the cultural needs of others,” and “an ongoArchbishop Chaput the deepest aspirations and change the confusion, no matter ing hunger for knowing and dotold the ministers that entire course of a young adult’s life.” how ignorant persons ing God’s will.” despite their differencare of the Creator Who Archbishop Chaput cones, they share one vast made them, young cluded by encouraging campus pastoral problem, America’s the Second Vatican Council’s adults at their core long to give ministers to reflect the love of post-Christian pop culture. assumption that the “visible themselves to Someone higher Christ, as did St. Thomas More He said this new culture Church would serve as a lamp, than themselves.” to his daughter. “complicates” the task of evan- drawing the modern world out Archbishop Chaput re“Our job is live what we gelization, but that despite this, of darkness into God’s light.” minded the assembled campus preach, and to preach ... the “too often in the Church we’ve At the same time, he said ministers that their task is not Good News of Jesus Christ to held on to the same institu- that while there are many ex- merely to bring young people the young adults we serve. God tional patterns of organization, amples of the “rich young to “religious activities,” but to loves us with the tenderness the same methods of preaching man” on campuses today, there “the beauty of interior silence and zeal of a father. We need to and teaching that worked in a are also young people who do that enables a person to hear reflect that same love to others. religion-friendly past.” yearn for truth. the will of God and entrust his No one is immune to the power A renewal of Catholic life is “Young people want to make or her life to Jesus Christ.” of being loved, least of all the “crucial” to convincing young a difference. And therein lies Eucharistic Adoration was young.” adults to “open their hearts to our reason to the Christian faith, the arch- hope. Regardbishop maintained. less of disThe Church must be present- tractions and ed to young adults “as the liv- obstacles, deing presence of Jesus Christ,” tours and traps, he said, and “not merely as an young people 50 years ago — Bishop Cassidy 10 years ago — The Fall River institution or a collection of in every age Memorial High School in Taunton Diocesan Council of Catholic Womofficially opened after the 290 en prepared to celebrate its anniverstudents and 12 faculty members sary of service to the diocese with helped to move books, papers and its 50th Annual Convention. The similar small items from St. Mary’s jubilee celebration included a trip to High School to the new building.

Washington, D.C., featuring a visit to Mary’s Garden at the Shrine of the 25 years ago — The New Life Immaculate Conception. program for divorced Catholics was started by the Diocesan OfOne year ago — Members of St. fice of Family Ministry. The pro- Bernard’s Parish in Assonet made gram was held in the basement of the final payment on a 30-year-old Immaculate Conception Church mortgage, retiring the parish’s debt in Taunton and was open to all di- on the purchase of the former First vorced Catholics.

Christian Church building on South Main Street.

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This week in

Diocesan history

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Catholic Communications Campaign is this weekend FALL RIVER — The Catholic Communication Campaign will be taken up this weekend at parish Masses throughout the Fall River Diocese.

This annual national campaign is designed as a shared collection, meaning half the proceeds stay in the local diocese and the other half is forwarded to the U.S. Bishops’ Conference to support national communication programs and projects.

The portion remaining in the Fall River diocese is used to help fund the weekly Television Mass, which airs at 11 a.m. each Sunday on WLNETV, Channel 6. In September of this year, the Television Mass

will reach a significant milestone: its 50th anniversary. The diocese has sponsored the televised Liturgy all those years as a service for those unable to attend a parish Mass because of infirmity or advanced age.

This long-time ministry is not without cost. In 2012, the Fall River diocese paid $100,468 for the Television Mass. The total includes expenses for production of the Mass, airtime and closed captioning services.

Its cost increased significantly in the latter part of 2011 when WLNE-TV was no longer able to handle the production end and the diocese began using the services of a Fairhaven-

based independent production company. At the time Bishop George W. Coleman expressed his commitment to maintaining the Television Mass, saying it is an important way for the local Church to reach out and serve elderly, homebound and infirmed members of the diocesan community.

In addition to proceeds from this weekend’s CCC collection, the Television Mass is also supported by the Catholic Charities Appeal.

“We have been very fortunate in that we have been able to provide a Mass on television for 50 years now,” said Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, director of the TV Mass Apostolate

42 abortion clinic workers leave through new ministry

and pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield.

“While cable TV carries Masses from different places in the country, there is still value in offering a Mass from our diocese. Our Television Mass provides hospitalized and homebound parishioners with a spiritual connection with our local parishes. Many who watch regularly will know the priest celebrant and truly feel part of the congregation,” he explained.

Msgr. Avila expressed on behalf of Bishop Coleman his gratitude to those who support the TV Mass through the CCC collection and the Catholic Charities Appeal. He said that donations may also be sent

directly to the Diocesan TV Mass at P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Mass. 02722.

On the national level, the CCC supports the development and production of a wide range of media projects produced by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference and grantee organizations and made available through the Internet, radio, TV and print media. A portion of CCC national funds are also set aside for grants to aid Catholic communication efforts in developing nations.

To learn more about the Catholic Communication Campaign, visit http://www.usccb. org/catholic-giving/opportunitiesfor-giving/catholic-communicationcampaign/

continued from page one

there. Johnson said that such an exodus “cripples” an abortion facility.

There are about 650 abortion clinics in the country, and Johnson estimates that there is an average of about five employees per facility. That would make about 3,300 abortion clinic employees in the United States. According to those figures, more than one percent of abortion workers have reached out for help in the first six months of Johnson’s ministry.

The assistance they receive ranges from emotional to financial support. They qualify for up to three months of financial assistance, help with finding another job, free legal counsel and a spiritual advisor of their choosing.

Johnson never wants a lack of funds or fear to chain someone to the abortion industry.

Crises pregnancy centers support women who feel trapped, and ATTWN seeks to do the same for abortion clinic workers, she said.

Johnson stressed that it is difficult for employees to leave the abortion industry. They are typically highly-paid and tend to work in areas marked by economic hardship. They leave behind a support network and financial security during a difficult time to find work. Some of the women Johnson has helped are single mothers.

In addition, many workers have not been honest with family about their employment. Sometimes no one in the family knows where they have worked, Johnson said.

“There’s so much secrecy in the abortion industry. A lot of times the workers are hesitant

to come forward because they don’t want to expose themselves to people they have, ultimately, been lying to,” she said.

ATTWN’s motto is “No abortion clinic workers, no abortion clinics, no abortions.

It starts with the workers.”

Some of the people helped by the organization have reported their clinic’s violations to authorities. At one facility in Muskegon, Mich., the subsequent investigation closed the clinic doors for good on December 26.

Anne Fox, president of MCFL, said, “We are working every way we can to stop abortion. If there were no people to man the facilities, then, there would be hardly any abortions.”

Fox said that she believes a good number of people working in clinics have fallen into the job, are not present during abortions and may not fully understand the implications of their work. Providing them with an exit is a great service.

While not taking away from

the significant Pro-Life victories over the last 40 years, Fox described the time period as the “lean years,” and predicted that the biggest victories are yet to come.

Johnson said that former abortion clinic workers have an important part to play in those future victories. Former facility employees can report on the abuses they have witnessed and possibly participated in. They offer an insider’s perspective.

“It is hard for abortion supporters to discredit people who have worked directly in the industry,” she said. “That eyewitness experience is so powerful.”

As the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade quickly approaches, the momentum is on the side of the Pro-Life movement, Johnson said.

“This is really a time for us to branch out and educate people about abortion, to educate people about the human person and to reach those who maybe haven’t been reached out to before,” she said.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, January 20, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Marc H. Bergeron, Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in New Bedford

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January 18, 2013

blowing their tops — Fourth-graders at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently learned about volcanoes as they experimented by creating eruptions. home sweet home — Fifth-grade students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton recently helped their preschool buddies construct gingerbread houses.

science and fun — Students at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven are exploring the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math with Stem Coordinator for the school, Misti Nordstrom. So far students have applied Newton’s Laws of Motion by designing and launching rockets, built their own musical instruments while studying sound and waves, and are currently studying cell permeability and osmosis using eggs.

a nose for trouble — Representatives from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency recently visited St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro for a presentation. CBP Agriculture Specialist Tara Kennedy and her dog Apache demonstrated different aspects of the job. Apache found an apple, an illegal food item, in a waist-pack worn by fourth-grader Olivia Baker while classmate Seamus Sutula looks on. Apache, along with six other canines, work at Logan International Airport in Boston as agricultural specialists with their owners.

Deadline approaching for Family Rosary’s 2013 ‘Try Prayer! It Works!’ contest

making their presents known — Eighth-graders from St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth recently prepared to deliver gifts to children in need in the community.

EASTON — It’s time to submit entries for the 2013 “Try Prayer! It Works!” Contest. The deadline for this national competition encouraging children to express their faith through art, poetry and prose is February 1.

Sponsored by Family Rosary, the “Try Prayer!

It Works!” Contest is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The 18th 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 — Joy to the World! — focuses on The Nativity. The Third Joyful Mystery tells the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph participating in the ultimate family moment. The “Try Prayer! It Works!” Contest asks entrants to use

creativity to depict their thoughts and feelings on what The Nativity means to them.

Children in grades K-12 enrolled in a Catholic school, Religious Education program, parish or other organization are eligible to participate in the “Try Prayer! It Works!” Contest. For more information or to download an application, go to www.

FamilyRosary.org/TryPrayer. All entries must be postmarked by February 1. Questions? Call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 800-299-PRAY (7729).

In the spirit of its founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, Holy Cross Family Ministries serves Jesus Christ and His Church by promoting and supporting the spiritual well-being of the family. Faithful to Mary, the Mother of God, the Family Rosary, a member ministry, encourages family prayer, especially the Rosary. For more information, call 800-299-PRAY (7729) or visit www.Family Rosary.org.

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priest from Chicago recently visited our parish and as part of his homily shared a story that I thought would be a valuable message to share. He told a story of a young man who appeared to be a budding artist.

Of all his works, he was most proud of his latest masterpiece he had just completed, a painting of the Last Supper.

With great enthusiasm, he was anxious to show the piece to his friend and get his opinion.

That friend was the writer Leo Tolstoy.

The day finally came when the young artist was able to present his work to the famous writer. He unveiled his rendition of the Last Supper. Anx-

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If you loved Him more

iously, he asked his friend, that important lesson. What “What do you think?” Tolstoy would someone looking at quietly studied the picture. He our life say to us Christians pondered every detail as the artist watched impatiently. The silence was finally broken as Tolstoy slowly pointed to the central figure.

“You don’t really love

By Frank Lucca Him,” he said quietly.

The confused young man responded, “Why, that is the Lord Jesus Christ!” “I know,” said Tolwho claim to have Jesus at stoy, “but if you loved Him the center of our lives? Would more, you would have painted they say, I can see that you Him better.” love Him, or would they say, While most of us are not “If you loved Him more, you budding artists, we are called would serve Him better?” to be budding servants of the Our Christian faith requires Lord and this story points out more than prayer and worship.

Be Not Afraid

stating their case — The Bishop Connolly Debate Team recently began the debate season with impressive victories at the league meet at Old Rochester Regional High School. The Fall River school’s varsity debaters finished with a combined 9-3 record. Special congratulations went to the four-person A team of Brandon Cordeiro, Tyler Lewis, Aaron da Silva and Matt Ferreira as well as the C negative team of D.J. Higgins and Riley Raiche for going undefeated in the competition. Congratulations also to Georgianna Silveira, Victoria Simonetti, Stephanie Miranda, Owen Marshall, Devin Casey, Keagan Casey, Grant Mooney, Rebecca Farias, Brody Pelletier, and Julia Whalen for their victories at the debate meet.

science on the go — Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro recently hosted a two-day visit from a bio-tech mobile lab from Boston University for the enhanced studies of science students. The program called City Lab is a part of the Boston University School of Medicine. Described by its website, “The MobileLab is a 40-foot traveling science laboratory whose mission is to increase community access to modern-day biotechnology.” Under the direction of MobileLab staff, freshmen took part in a DNA fingerprinting lab called the “Case of the Crown Jewels,” while genetics students took part in a genetic engineering lab called “Medicine in the New Millennium.” Here, freshman Kathleen Lovett learns DNA fingerprinting.

It requires that we go out and serve others. We have been challenged to live our lives in the way that Jesus called us to live. How are we doing with that? What do our actions say about our love for the Lord. Do we give from our need or from our surplus?

Do we do enough or just enough?

Is our faith the center of who we are? I guess we can only answer that for ourselves; but I know that I have met many people in my life that “love Him more.” I don’t mean that they are radicals or conservatives or diehards.

I mean, rather, that I see in them God’s love present and moving outward from their hearts. I see in them evidence of their relationship with God governing their actions, character and values. Simply put, they walk the talk. They let out what so many have trapped inside. As Catholics we are not called to a “meGod” relationship alone. We are called to an apostolic life.

We are called to serve others.

We are called to bring Christ to all others. I know that’s the type of Christian I want to be and I work daily to stay on that path.

Now that the celebra-

tion of Christmas is over, the real work of Christmas is just beginning. Howard Thurman (1899-1981) summarizes for me the real lesson of this story, when he wrote, “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.”

Let’s take some time during these quiet months of winter to examine the quality of our service and remember, “If we loved Him more, we would serve Him better.” Then, let’s get to work. Let’s look around and see where we can make a difference and then let’s serve Him better.

Frank Lucca is a youth minister at St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea. He is chairman and a director of the YES! Retreat and the director of the Christian Leadership Institute.

He is a husband and a father of two daughters and a sonin-law. Comments, ideas or suggestions? Please email him at StDominicYouthMinistry@ comcast.net.

all the world’s a stage — Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton recently held its 16th Annual Shakespeare Competition in conjunction with the English Speaking Union, an international organization dedicated to the advancement and exploration of the English language, and the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare in American Communities program. The NEA Awards were given to juniors Mercedes Lamb and Turin Ikbal.

The ESU alternate is junior Jonathan LaChance and the school winner freshman Alycia Nichols who performed a monologue from “Macbeth” and sonnet number 40. She will be the first Coyle freshman to compete in the ESU State semi-finals, which will be held on January 26 at the Old North Church in Boston. She will compete against approximately 30 other school winners from across the state. Students chosen to participate in the State Finals will compete in February in Boston at the Tufts Performance Center at Emerson. The state winners will compete in April for the top prize; the opportunity to study Shakespeare in London during the summer. The four school winners were, from left: Turin Ikbal, Jonathan LaChance, Alycia Nichols, and Mercedes Lamb.

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Around the Diocese 1/22

A prayer vigil for the unborn will be held at St. Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford on January 22, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Witness to life by joining outside the church at the corner of County and North streets, or inside where there will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The vigil begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. Parking is available in the church parking lot.

A 10-week Alpha for Catholics Course on the basics of the Gospel and the Christian way of life will begin on January 23 at 6:45 p.m. at St. Bernadette’s Parish, 529 Eastern Avenue in Fall River. The course will involve a meal, a 45-minute movie, and small group discussion each night. Alpha is designed for those who want to learn the basics of Christianity in a relaxed and non-threatening way, for those who are willing to give the Catholic faith a second look, and for practicing Catholics who want to get to know the foundations of their faith better and learn how to present it more persuasively and attractively to others. The course is free, but there’s a small free-will donation for food. For more info or to register, please call St. Bernadette’s at 508-679-1991 or email fatherlandry@saintbernadettefallriver.com.

1/23

1/23

The Pro-Life Prayer Groups of Holy Trinity Church and Holy Redeemer Church will hold their monthly Holy Hour on January 23 following the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity Church, Route 28 in West Harwich. It will include recitation of the Rosary with Pro-Life prayers, followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Please come and bring a friend to pray for an end to abortion.

1/24

The Corpus Christi Parish Respect Life Committee will be hosting a bus to the abortion facility in Attleboro on January 24. It will leave from the Corpus Christi parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and return about 11 p.m. All are invited all to come and pray the Rosary at the only remaining abortuary in the diocese. For more information or reservations, call 508-8338432. A nominal donation will be taken depending on number riding.

1/24

A Healing Mass will be celebrated on January 24 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford. The Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m. and includes Benediction and healing prayers. At 5:15 p.m. there will also be a holy hour including recitation of the Rosary. For more information call 508-993-1691 or visit www.saintanthonynewbedford.com.

1/24

Adoption by Choice, an adoption and pregnancy counseling program of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Fall River, will hold an information session for individuals interested in domestic newborn or international adoptions on January 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Catholic Social Services central office, 1600 Bay Street in Fall River. For more information or directions, call 508-674-4681 or visit www.cssdioc.org. Handouts and refreshments will be available and there is no charge for the session.

1/31

An open meeting of the Support Group for Divorced and Separated Catholics will be held January 31 beginning at 7 p.m. in the parish center of St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road in North Dartmouth. This session is a free discussion of personal difficulties regarding separation and divorce and is open to all. The meeting will end between 8:30 and 9 p.m. For more information call 508-678-2828, 508-993-0589 or 508-673-2997.

2/2

A Day With Mary will be held February 2 at Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Taunton from 7:50 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include a video presentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother with Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for Reconciliation.

There is a bookstore available during breaks. Please bring a bag lunch. For more information call 508-996-8274.

2/9

St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton will host its third annual February Craft Fair on February 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the St. Nicholas Faith Formation Center. Food and beverages will be served all day and a cake sale and raffle will be held. Donation of raffle items are being accepted. The fair is sponsored by the parish Knights of Columbus Council #14947.

3/10

A Family Rosary Retreat will be held March 10 from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

This family event centers on the theme “Lord I Believe — Help My Unbelief” and will consist of an afternoon of activities including inspiring keynotes, family activities, Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary Prayer and a screening of a new video release on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

Many hands are needed to conduct the program. The event will be held at Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth. For more information call 508-238-4095 or 800-299-7729 or visit www.familyrosary.org/retreat.

The Anchor Diocese now has nine men in seminary continued from page one

Fall River, worked at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., as part of a work-study program.

At St. John’s, he joins Eric Queenan of St. Mary’s Parish in Seekonk and Chris Peschal of Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Taunton, both in third Theology, and Matt Gill of St. John’s Parish in Attleboro, also in first pre-theology.

Jack Schrader from Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich is currently in second college at North American College in Rome; Alec Lengyel from St. Joseph’s Parish in Woods Hole and Stephen Booth from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet are in first college at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence, R.I.; and Gregory Bosse of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton (third college) and Neil Caswell (first college) from St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton, are at Cathedral Seminary in Brooklyn, N.Y. “It’s important for us to pray for vocations and to encourage and support those young men and women whom we think the Lord may be calling to the priesthood or religious life,” Father Karl Bissinger, diocesan Vocations director, told The Anchor. “Following a vocation is not always easy, because it requires that we do some self-denial and be flexible concerning our own desires and preferences. The consolation of saying yes to Christ, however, is that He’s always right there walking beside us.”

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks 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 Jan. 21 Rev. Msgr. Henri A. Hamel, USAF, Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1983 Jan. 24 Rev. Aaron L. Roche, O.P., Immaculate Conception Mission, North Easton, 1870 Rev. Louis A. Casgrain, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1920 Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Boston College Faculty, 1951 Rev. Thomas F. McMorrow, Assistant, Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, 1977 Rev. Cornelius J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1999 Jan. 25 Rev. Jack Hickey, O.P., Dismas House, Nashville, Tenn., 1987

January 18, 2013

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 — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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. through November 17.

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 beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. 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 — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich.

Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

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, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 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 — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 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.

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. Please use the side entrance.

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.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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 noon.

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 508-336-5549.

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. taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Expostition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass.

The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day.

Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Every First Friday, Eucharistic Adoration takes place from 8:30 a.m. through Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer is prayed at 9; the Angelus at noon; the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.; and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m.

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.

19

The Anchor

January 18, 2013

Priests, parishioners embrace new Attleboro parish

Going to bat for Father Pat

the new joint St. Vincent de Paul Parish would occupy the former Holy Ghost Church building on Linden Street.

“I believe the time had come for a pragmatic view of the costs associated with maintaining two parishes, when the single parish could accommodate the needs of all,” Viveiros said.

“We all have wonderful memories there, but we knew what was more important was what was inside that church,” agreed fellow parishioner Renee DePietro. “Friendships and bonds that were fostered by love in Christ — those we can take with us.”

“While it is always sad to have to close a church, the vast majority of parishioners have taken an active role in making this merger take place,” said Father Williams. “We realize that while the buildings do hold a significant place in our faith lives, the mission of the Church to evangelize and aid in living the Gospel message must always take priority.”

Father Wilson, who in July 2012 became pastor of three Attleboro parishes — Holy Ghost, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist — concurred that it was members of the parish council who first approached him about the potential merger.

“They felt that given the financial situation of both parishes, Holy Ghost would be a cheaper building to maintain, since it did not need the work that St. Joseph’s Church needed and it would be cheaper to heat because it doesn’t have a high ceiling like St. Joseph’s does,” he said. “They felt it would be more economical, even though St. Joseph’s was the bigger of the two parishes.”

The diocese stressed to the parish the need to evangelize and reverse the downward slide of attendance. If the parish fails to grow in the next five years and make progress in paying its debts, it will have to merge with St. John the Evangelist Parish.

The priests and members of the parish councils have agreed to this stipulation.

“This process has been ongoing for some time, due to the struggles many parishes face as a result of lower attendance,” Viveiros said. “I think reasonable and dedicated parishioners have to embrace survival by merger … over the prospect of changing nothing at the risk of closure.”

A precedent for joining forces had also been set prior to Father Wilson’s tenure when his predecessor, Father John Murray, combined some of the parishes’ services such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Faith Formation program.

“I can’t do any of this without such wonderful people making such wonderful donations,” Gunning added. “People have been more than happy to donate.”

Gunning added that others are still encouraged to donate to the silent auction and/or to attend the event itself.

Following the cocktail hour will be dinner and music from 4 to 6:30 p.m., at which time there will also be raffles and eventually the auction winners will be announced.

Gunning noted that the March 3 fund-raiser is not affiliated with the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette. “It’s something that I wanted to do for Father Pat and the community,” she said.

Gunning also noted that the names of all those who donate gifts for the silent auction will be listed at the event. “Companies too, are encouraged to donate,” she added. “We will also list the companies. It will be good advertising for them.

“Every penny brought in by the fund-raiser will go to Father Pat and the La Salette Community to help pay the astronomical costs.”

“It should be a wonderful, fun day and evening,” said Gunning.

“Father Pat will be there as well as his sister Rita, and Lorraine Gendreau, who were with him through his time in France. He is doing very well, but he is still weak and going through therapy twice a week. He’s excited to be home.”

Father Pat returned home on December 14, and according to

continued from page one

“All the classes were held in the Holy Ghost parish center,” Father Wilson said. “And once we knew were going to be merging, we moved the adoration chapel (from St. Joseph’s Church) over to Holy Ghost Church and we renamed it the St. Joseph Chapel.”

In keeping with the trend of other recent parish mergers in the diocese, a new patron saint was selected to provide it with a unique identity.

“We asked parishioners to submit names for potential patron saints,” Father Wilson said.

“One of the names submitted was St. Vincent de Paul because of all the work both parishes do for the poor.”

“The idea was to pick a name that would honor both parish families in a new but fair way,” Viveiros said. “I believe the idea was to make each side feel like they gave up something to gain a ‘new,’ healthier start on even footing.”

In addition to St. Vincent de Paul, many parish names were considered such as Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Divine Mercy and Blessed John Paul II. In the end, the parish prayed over the names and submitted three to Bishop Coleman, who ultimately approved St. Vincent de Paul as the new parish’s patron.

“I think the selection of St. Vincent de Paul as the patron of our parish is very appropriate, given the activities already taking place at St. Joseph’s and Holy Ghost parishes,” Father Williams said. “St. Vincent was concerned with ensuring the spiritual and material wellbeing of God’s people. Going into this parish we have not only spiritual activities such as an active devotional life and adoration chapel, but also charitable needs such as the St. Joseph Food Pantry.”

At the first Mass celebrated as St. Vincent de Paul Parish, retired Bishop Donald Pelletier, a La Salette priest who grew up as a member of St. Joseph’s Parish, quoted the passage from the Book of Revelation “Behold, I make all things new” in his homily.

“This word is being accomplished in this parish today,” he added.

“God does make all things new,” DePietro said. “I already see new friendships being formed with the merger … and Father Wilson and Father Williams have been so helpful in making this transition smooth.

What comforts me the most is when I look up and see the crucifix we had at St. Joseph’s Church is now hanging on the wall be-

hind the altar at St. Vincent de Paul. It feels like home.”

“This merger respects the different communities which had their homes at St. Joseph’s and Holy Ghost by allowing them to continue,” Father Williams said.

“At the same time, we have the opportunity to create one new community out of all the parts that are coming together in St. Vincent’s, respecting the distinctive nature of each while benefitting from the strength that comes from our union.”

As the number of practicing Catholics continues to decline, Father Williams said the Church needs to find ways to encourage more active participation in parish life.

“I think we need to realize that there is a crisis of faith in our culture,” he said. “Statistics have shown that New England has … a large number of people who have some connection to the Catholic faith, but for whatever reason they no longer see belief as a compelling force in their life. Until we discover and respond to the reasons for which this phenomenon occurs, any reorganization is simply moving deck chairs on the Titanic.”

“I don’t know the answer, but I do see a shift away from organized religion towards a more secular society,” said Viveiros.

“I fear that in the relative comfort and blessings of life in the United States, people tend to feel self-aggrandized.”

“I think the biggest thing we as Catholics can do is start inviting people to church,” DePietro added. “We need to share the fullness of our faith with our family and friends. We need to make the parish a community experience and invite people to participate.”

Noting it has been a challenge to facilitate a parish merger during his first assignment as parochial vicar, Father Williams has been impressed with the level of support and assistance he’s received from parishioners.

“Being able to walk this journey with the parishioners of St. Joseph’s and Holy Ghost — many of whom have long attachments with their parishes — has allowed me to be a witness to their zeal for Christ in their own lives, and of their desire to continue to spread His message and life here in Attleboro,” he said.

“The people at St. Joseph and Holy Ghost parishes have been great,” Father Wilson agreed.

“Because they realize that Church is not about the building — it’s about our encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and our witness to Christ in the world.”

continued from page one

Gunning, “it’s a miracle that he’s alive, a true miracle.”

Gunning explained that Father Pat did have pancreatic problems prior to his leaving for France, but the effects became acute and severe following a 10-day excursion from France to India and back to France. “After about two days after returning from India he experienced severe pain,” said Gunning.

“Everything came to a head, but he was very fortunate to be taken to one of the best hospitals in France, University Hospital in Grenoble.”

Doctors placed Father Pat in an induced coma to help relieve the swelling’s effect on his other organs.

“While he was in the hospital, Father Pat received so many cards, letters and Mass cards from so many people,” said Gunning. “At first he wasn’t able to read them, but when he did become able he opened and read every one of them. Father Pat knows that many good people have been praying for him and he is so very grateful.

It’s going to be a long road to recovery for him. He knows it will be about a year before he starts to feel himself again.

“Father Pat has done so much for all of us and it is now our turn to do what we can do best, to help with the huge cost incurred while he was in France.”

To make a silent auction gift donation, or to attend the March 3 event, call Gunning at 508-4552656, or write to Make It Known, P.O. Box 40118, Providence, R.I. 02940.

20

T

here are a million reasons why I wouldn’t want to be God — not the least of which are the hours. I can barely make it past 9 p.m. any longer, and that’s daytime for half the globe.

I would have to delegate authority to someone I trust to cover the time when I’m sleeping, and who can really be trusted to be God? But as usual, I digress.

One of the times when I would least like to be the Almighty is during playoff season in the National Football League. If I were the Creator during this tumultuous time of year, I would reroute

January 18, 2013

The Anchor

It happens every January

when the Red Sox won their first all my calls to the answering championship in nearly 90 years, machine, stay off Facebook and Twitter, and pretty much hibernate my fears were dispelled — God for a month.

Why, you may ask?

Because all football crazies think that God is a fan of “their” team.

I did learn through the years that God does not

By Dave Jolivet play favorites when it comes to sports. For the longest time I thought did not wear pinstripes.

God was a New York Yankees Back to football. I don’t know fan. The reasons for which would of a sporting event that has such easily be known by other oldan ebb and flow of emotions like timers like myself. But in 2004

My View From the Stands

following the old pigskin on the gridiron.

I find football easily surpasses any other sport for evoking such passionate emotions.

Take last weekend’s playoff games for instance.

In Denver, the venerable Peyton Manning and the Broncos were less than 40 seconds from certain victory against the Baltimore Ravens when lightning struck and the Ravens scored and won in overtime.

Broncos fans went from delirium to extreme dejection in seconds. And that dejection will last until next September.

In Atlanta, Falcons fans left the stadium with their collective heads spinning, not sure if they had indeed won or not.

The Falcons, after leading the entire game, were caught by the Seattle Seahawks and passed with a skinny 31 seconds to go. Certain victory turned to certain defeat in a heartbeat. But wait. With eight seconds left, the Falcons kicked a game-winning field goal. Tears of frustration became tears of elation.

Look in the stands during playoff time and count how many folks have their hands folded in prayer, eyes looking Heavenward, asking God to let their team win.

Never mind that, look around the living room in which you are watching the game and count how

many of your family and friends have hands folded in prayer, eyes gazing skyward. Still yet, you yourselves may be in the “Please, please, pleeeeeeease God!” position.

I know that the Good Lord doesn’t have a favorite team like we do, but I have the feeling He is a sports fan. Not for the competition, but for watching His little children come unglued every January.

I don’t know how He handles the thousands of prayers desperately hurled His way every second of every game. But that’s one of the countless traits that separates Him from me.

On Sunday thousands of God’s weird little creatures in San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, New England and around the world will have God on speed-dial.

As for me, I know God doesn’t play favorites, and I won’t be bothering Him with pathetic requests because of a silly game played with a ball — that’s not even round. Whatever happens, happens.

That’s until the Patriots fall behind, and I instinctively plead, “Please God, just one more time.

Pleeeeeeeeeease!” Just like thousands of others will.

And what will God be doing?

If I were He, I’d break open a bag of Doritos, settle back and watch the phenomenon that is commonly known as NFL fans.

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