01 23 15

Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , January 23, 2015

Catholic Schools foster faith development and academic success

By Dr. Michael S. Griffin Diocesan Superintendent of Schools

FALL RIVER — A recent research report from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University began with the question: “Do Catholic schools matter?” As we begin the celebration of Catholic Schools Week across the United States January 25-31, it is an excellent time to consider the contributions of Catholic Schools, and in particular, the difference Catholic schools are making for the future of our Church.

CARA conducted national surveys of adult Catholics and examined the responses of those in different age groups regarding Mass attendance. The results demonstrated higher rates of Mass attendance among Catholic school graduates than the population in general. While this applied to all age groups, the difference

was especially noteworthy in the responses of young adults (age 32 and below), among whom Catholic school attendance appeared to have a particularly strong impact. The trend continued in other areas of the survey in relation to reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation, consideration of priesthood or the religious life, and lay participation in ecclesial ministry.

In each case, a positive Catholic school effect was noted, particularly among the younger adults.

The study concluded, “In the broadest view, the long-term benefits of Catholic schools in making Mass attendance more likely and helping ensure young Catholics are confirmed (and remain Catholic as adults), along with the importance these institutions play in fostering Catholic leaders likely outweigh many of the Turn to page 11

College professor helps others find God amidst suffering

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

WESTON — If it bleeds, it leads; the mantra of many a news station or newspaper that inundates the world with a seemingly never-ending list of tragedies and loss of life. As people see these senseless sorrows unfold on a daily basis, one cannot help but question: where is God in the midst of all this suffering and evil?

Dr. Ernie Collamati is currently a professor of religious studies at Regis College in Weston, and his choice in studies

stemmed from his interest in trying to decipher some of life’s most often-asked questions: “I became more and more fascinated by what I later called, ‘the questions that never go away,’” said Collamati. “Those deep and abiding questions for human beings: where are we from?

Where are we going? Does life make sense? Is there a God?” Those questions led him through a few majors at Providence College until he selected humanities with a focus on the history of philosophy, then went to Turn to page 16

The sixth-graders at Holy Name School in Fall River recently created books to explain how to tell time in Spanish. During Catholic Schools Week, they will use these books to teach their second-grade prayer partners how to tell time.

Anonymous alum inspires matching donation drive

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

NORTH ATTLEBORO — While most Catholic school teachers and administrators may never know what impact or effect they’ve had on the students who have filtered through their classrooms, Denise Peixoto, principal of St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro, received confirmation via an unexpected and muchappreciated pledge of support from an alum.

Upon learning about the school’s recent addition of four modular classrooms to accommodate students in grades six, seven and eight, the former St. Mary-Sacred Heart School grad — who wished to re-

main anonymous — pledged to match, dollar-for-dollar, any and all donations up to $100,000 to offset the costs of the project.

“I guess he had heard that some of the project had run over-budget and we were working at trying to add to our growth fund to help defray some of those costs,” Peixoto told The Anchor. “He approached Susan McConville, our development coordinator, and he told her he felt this was a way he could help give back to the school.

He came here as well as all of his sisters and brothers and he really felt the school helped to form him into the person he is today, because he’s a very successful businessperson.”

Turn to page 22

Local Catholics react to martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

NEW BEDFORD — Local Catholics originally from El Salvador celebrated the news that Vatican theologians declared Archbishop Oscar Romero a martyr on January 7. They said his steadfast dedication to the poor and outspoken opposition to government tyranny, which lead to his assassination in 1980, show that he was a dedicated Servant of God who was killed for the faith. He was shot through the heart while celebrating Mass.

Berta Carranza, parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Parish in New Bedford, said that Romero

spoke up for the voiceless: “He was a very good guy who really, really followed the message of Jesus. He did what Jesus did for us.”

She called the declaration of martyrdom “very special” — to her and El Salvadorian people.

“Everybody in my country, they want him to be a saint,” she said. “We are very proud.”

When Karla Guzman, from the same New Bedford parish, was a little girl, there were many times that her grandmother took her to the cathedral in San Salvador where Romero is buried. There she attended celebrations on his birthday. She said she expected him to be declared a martyr.

“He was always on the poor people’s side,” she said. “He fought for them until the day he died.”

In one of his homilies, Romero said, “The transcendence that the Church preaches is not alienation; it is not going to Heaven to think about eternal life and forget about the problems on earth. It’s a transcendence from the human heart. It is entering into the reality of a child, of the poor, of those wearing rags, of the sick, of a hovel, of a shack.

It is going to share with them. And from the very heart of misery, of this situation, to transcend it, to elevate it, to promote it and to say to them, ‘You aren’t trash. You aren’t marginalized.’ It Turn to page 13

Archbishop Oscar Romero receives a sack of beans from parishioners following Mass outside of the church in San Antonio Los Ranchos in Chalatenango, El Salvador, in 1979. (CNS photo/Octavio Duran)

2

January 23, 2015

Surprise papal meeting with former street kids features songs, hugs

Visit The Anchor online at www.anchornews.org

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Pope Francis did not disappoint hundreds of former street children who were part of a massive campaign to show him one of the centers where they have found safety and love.

Although it was not in his official program, Pope Francis walked out of Manila’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral after Mass January 16 and across the street to the Blessed Charles de Foucauld Home for Girls, which is run by the Tulay Ng Kabataan foundation.

Accompanied by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a frequent guest, the pope spent about half an hour with some 320 boys and girls and young adults from a number of TNK homes in metropolitan Manila.

“It was a beautiful, beautiful encounter,” Cardinal Tagle told reporters later. “You could see the Holy Father was in his element.”

The cardinal translated for the pope as several of the children approached and shared their stories, stories that often included horrible experiences of exploitation and abuse when they lived on the streets.

“You could see the attentiveness of the pope,” he said. Getting emotional himself, the cardinal said that as he listened the pope’s “eyes were getting cloudy and beginning to fill with tears. You could see he was trying to show his affection to the children, but at the same time trying to fathom these deep wounds and pain.”

When the children came up to touch and to hug the pope, he said, Pope Francis whispered to him that it was clear they yearned for a loving human touch, “the touch of a parent.”

The pope “assured the children that they are loved by God, that God is with them, and that they should not forget that.”

In a text message reply to questions, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the visit featured “songs, kisses and hugs. And a blessing.”

“These children — the poorest among the poor — are for sure the most vulnerable victims of our society, but they remain masters of joy, as one can see on their smiling faces,” the foundation’s director, 39-year-old Father Matthieu Dauchez, told Pope Francis.

In a statement issued after the visit, the center said that by taking the time to meet “many children who faced horrors of the street like begging, violence, drugs (and) prostitution,” Pope Francis demonstrated “that he is the pope of the forgotten.”

“This is awesome,” the statement quoted 10-year-old Alvin as saying.

“He gave me a huge warm hug!”

3

January 23, 2015

Pope’s canonization announcement surprises even Blessed Serra’s promoters

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Surprising even the people who have been promoting the sainthood cause of Blessed Junipero Serra, Pope Francis announced January 15 that in September, he hopes to canonize the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan who founded a string of missions across Mexico and California.

Blessed Serra is credited with directly founding nine missions in California, one in Baja California in Mexico and with reinvigorating established missions in Mexico.

Friars under his tutelage founded many others across California, in territory that was then part of New Spain.

The vice postulator for Blessed Serra’s sainthood cause, Franciscan Father John Vaughn, told Catholic News Service he was taken completely by surprise by the pope’s announcement. Even among the friars at Mission Santa Barbara, where he lives, “I was the last to know,” he said.

The announcement came when Pope Francis, aboard a flight from Sri Lanka to the Philippines, explained to reporters his decision to canonize St. Joseph Vaz, a 17thand 18th-century missionary to Sri Lanka, bypassing the usual process, including verification of a second miracle attributed to the saint’s intercession. Pope Francis said St. Joseph was among great evangelists whom he planned to canonize without such preliminaries, in an effort to celebrate the practice of evangelization.

“Now in September, God willing, I will canonize Junipero Serra in the United States. He was the evangelizer of the West in the United States,” the pope said. He did not specify when or where the canonization might take place.

Father Vaughn said he had heard that Pope Francis consid-

ered Blessed Serra to have already met the sainthood criteria because of the way he brought the Catholic faith to California and the native populations. But that the pope was ready to move on canonizing the friar came as a total surprise, he said.

The announcement is “a great honor for the province,” Father Vaughn said. “We’ve always looked to Serra as the ideal for how to preach the Gospel, as he said ‘always go forward, never back.’”

Blessed Serra was born in the village of Petra on the Spanish island Mallorca Nov. 24, 1713. After entering the Franciscans, he obtained a doctorate in Sacred theology at the National University of Blessed Ramon Lull and developed a career as an academic and acclaimed preacher in Spain. At the age of 36, he volunteered to go to the New World, to Mexico.

As noted in a biography of Blessed Serra on the website of the California-based Santa Barbara Province of the Franciscans, the friar first was assigned to the remote Sierra Gorda region, in what is now the state of Queretaro, where he worked among the Pame Indians, some of whom had already been converted to Catholicism. He then spent another decade crisscrossing central Mexico, preaching.

In 1758, he was appointed to head up a group of Spanish Franciscans sent to evangelize and colonize “Baja” and “Alta” California.

He personally established nine missions in what is now the state of California, beginning with Mission San Diego de Alcala in presentday San Diego. He supervised the Franciscans who founded 12 more California missions.

He died at age 70 Aug. 28, 1784, and is buried at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, California.

He was beatified in Rome Sept. 25, 1988, by St. John Paul II.

Steven Hackel, a history professor at University of California at Riverside who has written a biography, “Junipero Serra: California’s Founding Father,” told CNS he thinks of Blessed Serra as one of the little-heralded “founding fathers” of the United States. Though he was a contemporary of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the priest and other missionaries who settled areas beyond the East Coast were crucial to the development of the nation as well.

“Every region had its missionaries who were founding fathers of another sort,” Hackel said.

Although California fourthgraders study Blessed Serra’s accomplishments in social studies classes, Hackel said he and the other missionary founding fathers are often ignored in history textbooks.

He said he hopes new attention to Blessed Serra will change that.

As to where the canonization might take place, Pope Francis gave no indication.

The pope is scheduled to visit the United States in September to participate in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which runs September 22-27.

Flying back from the Philippines, Pope Francis told reporters on the papal plane that he would also visit New York City and Washington, D.C. during the autumn visit.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said in early January that he expects the pope also will visit Washington, where he has been invited to address a joint session of Congress, and New York, where he has been invited to address the United Nations.

Pope Francis also has been invited to other parts of the United States, and he has said he wants to go to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mexican President Enrique Pena

Nieto said last June when they met that Pope Francis told him he would accept the invitation to visit Mexico, though he did not say when. In a pastoral trip to Nuevo Laredo January 10, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, remarked that there was “joy and hope” that the pope would visit Mexico, but that he had no information about dates.

At the time of Blessed Serra’s beatification, protesters demonstrated against the action and spraypainted graffiti on the walls of a San Diego museum named for the friar.

Critics, including representatives of Native Americans, said Blessed Serra brutalized Native Americans and suppressed Indian culture.

A 1986 report by the Diocese of Monterey, California, defended Blessed Serra, saying his reputation had been attacked “without proof or documentation.”

The National Assembly of Religious Women, a now defunct grassroots organization, said at the time that the Vatican “failed to consult adequately” with Native Americans before beatifying Blessed Serra, and that he “was guilty,

along with many others, of extreme brutality toward California Indians.”

Hackel said he expects some of those controversies to surface again, but he thinks this time the debate about Blessed Serra could be a constructive conversation.

“He was uncompromising,” Hackel said of the priest. “Without a doubt some Indians will oppose this. But others are rejoicing.”

Working through the controversies “will be a good thing,” he said. “It can lead to reconciliation and mutual understanding.”

4

January 23, 2014 News From the Vatican Pope, at Mass with millions, tells Filipinos to protect the family

MANILA, Philippines to the Vatican spokesman, roads to get to Rizal Park (CNS) — Pope Francis told Jesuit Father Federico Lom- held statues of Santo Nino.

For his final scheduled a crowd of an estimated six bardi, that would be the largmillion gathered in a Manila est number of people ever to public talk in the country, park to protect the family gather to see a pope. A Mass Pope Francis stuck to his “against insidious attacks and with St. John Paul II in the prepared English text and programs contrary to all that same place 20 years earlier is did not improvise in Spanish, as he had done at we hold true and Sacred, all that is most beautin his homily, Pope Francis several emotional points during the visit. Yet his ful and noble in our culsaid Christians “need to see voice rose with emphasis ture.”

The pope’s homily at each child as a gift to be welcomed, during the passage about the January 18 Mass also cherished and protected. And we protecting the family.

Those words echoed reprised several other need to care for our young people, themes he had sounded not allowing them to be robbed of his warning, during a January 16 meeting with during the four-day visit, including environmental hope and condemned to life on the Filipino families, against “ideological colonizaproblems, poverty and streets.” tion that tries to destroy corruption. the family” through such Despite continuous rain, the congregation in believed to have drawn four- practices as same-sex marRizal Park began to assemble five million people, often riage and contraception.

In his homily, Pope Francis the night before the after- described as the largest live said Christians “need to see noon celebration. Cardinal crowd in history.

Luis Antonio Tagle of MaThe Mass was celebrated each child as a gift to be welnila canceled other Masses on Santo Nino Day, or the comed, cherished and prothroughout the archdiocese feast of the Holy Child Je- tected. And we need to care to enhance turnout. sus, one of the most popular for our young people, not alThe government estimated feast days in the Philippines. lowing them to be robbed of total crowd size at six-seven Many of those who walked hope and condemned to life million people. According great distances down closed on the streets.”

The pope praised the Philippines, whose population is more than 80 percent Catholic, as the “foremost Catholic country in Asia,” and said its people, millions of whom work abroad, are “called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia.”

Yet he warned the developing nation, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, against temptations of materialism, saying the devil “hides his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being modern, like everyone else. He distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink.”

Pope Francis, who had urged a group of young people earlier in the day to address the challenge of climate change through dedication to the environment, told Mass-goers human sinfulness had “disfigured (the) natural beauty” of creation.

Other consequences of sin, the pope said, were “social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption,” problems he had emphasized in his January 16 speech at Manila’s presidential palace.

I

An aerial view shows pilgrims gathering to hear a Mass celebrated

by Pope Francis at Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines, January 18. The view shows only a portion of the Mass site, which a local Church official said was more than a mile long. (CNS photo/Philippine Air Force/Handout via Reuters)

January 23, 2015

5

6

January 23, 2015

Anchor Editorial

Catholic Schools Week 2015

This Sunday begins Catholic Schools Week, an annual observance which began back in 1974. According to the National Catholic Education Association, this week “is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2015 is January 25-31. The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week 2015 is ‘Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.’ Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members.”

Throughout this edition of The Anchor you can read news and advertisements inviting you to come to know and support the Catholic schools which exist throughout our diocese. We urge you to keep in prayer our students and staff, asking God to always help them in their special vocation of promoting an integral education of the youth, which shows the connection between faith and everyday life.

In Seoul, South Korea this past August 14, Pope Francis expressed to the bishops of that peninsula their duty to promote Catholic education. He said, “I would ask you to be concerned in a special way for the education of children, supporting the indispensable mission not only of the universities, important as they are, but also Catholic schools at every level, beginning with elementary schools, where young minds and hearts are shaped in love for the Lord and His Church, in the good, the true and the beautiful, and where children learn to be good Christians and upright citizens.”

The pope’s remarks remind us that God is the Source of all knowledge and that in a Catholic school all the various fields can be taught together so that children see these connections and that this education will help them in their religious and their civic lives.

Last February 13, speaking to the Congregation for Catholic Education at the Vatican, the Holy Father spoke again about this relationship between all the disciplines and how the teachers lovingly live this out: “I would like to limit myself to recalling the features of an educator and his or her specific duty. To educate is an act of love, it is to give life. And love is demanding, it calls for the best resources, for a reawakening of the passion to begin this path patiently with young people. The educator in Catholic schools must be, first and foremost, competent and qualified but, at the same time, someone who is rich in humanity and capable of being with young people in a style of pedagogy that helps promote their human and Spiritual growth.

Youth are in need of quality teaching along with values that are not only articulated but witnessed to. Consistency is an indispensable factor in the education of young people! Consistency! We cannot grow and we cannot educate without consistency: consistency and witness!”

During the same speech the pope pointed out a reality which is true in the Catholic schools of many dioceses, including ours — that many non-Catholic children attend them. Thus, another reason is given for the staff and the Catholic students to give a good witness to their faith throughout the school day (and beyond it). He

“A Child is born to us, a Son is given us” (Is 9:5). It is a special joy for me to celebrate Santo Niño Sunday with you. The image of the Holy Child Jesus accompanied the spread of the Gospel in this country from the beginning.

Dressed in the robes of a king, crowned and holding the scepter, the globe and the cross, He continues to remind us of the link between God’s Kingdom and the mystery of Spiritual childhood.

He tells us this in today’s Gospel: “Whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Mk 10:15). The Santo Niño continues to proclaim to us that the light of God’s grace has shone upon a world dwelling in darkness. It brings the Good News of our freedom from slavery, and guides us in the paths of peace, right and justice. The Santo Niño also reminds us of our call to spread the reign of Christ throughout the world.

In these days, throughout my visit, I have listened to you sing the song: “We are all God’s children.” That is what the Santo Niño tells us. He reminds us of our deepest identity. All of us

said, “In fact, Catholic schools and universities are attended by many non-Christian students as well as non-believers. Catholic educational institutions offer everyone an education aimed at the integral development of the person that responds to the right of all people to have access to knowledge and understanding. But they are equally called to offer to all the Christian message — respecting fully the freedom of all and the proper methods of each specific scholastic environment — namely that Jesus Christ is the meaning of life, of the cosmos and of history.”

Our Catholic schools are proud to witness to Christ — not “proud” in the sense of that deadly sin, but proud that Christ has given them this special mission to witness to Christ throughout the day, from what goes on in the classrooms, to the chapel, to the lunchroom, and to the schoolyard. All of these locations are places for privileged encounters between Christ and others. “Jesus began to preach the Good News in the ‘Galilee of the Gentiles,’ a crossroads for people of different races, cultures and religions. In some ways this context is similar to today’s world. The profound changes that have led to the ever-spreading multicultural societies requires those who work in schools and universities to become involved in the educational programs of exchange and dialogue, with a bold and innovative fidelity able to bring together the Catholic identity to meet the different ‘souls’ existing in a multicultural society,” said Pope Francis last February.

Although the Church provides Catholic schools and parish Religious Education programs, Pope Francis has reminded us of the truth that education begins in the home and that the parents have the right and duty to be the teachers of their children (as the Baptismal Rite has us pray, “May they always be the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith in what they say and do”). On Oct. 2, 2014 the pope exhorted the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe: “The family, which already fulfills its role with regard to its members, is a school of humanity, brotherhood, love, communion which forms mature and responsible citizens. Open cooperation between the clergy and families will favor the maturation of a Spirit of justice, of solidarity, of peace and the courage of one’s convictions. This will come about by supporting parents in their responsibility to educate their children, thus protecting their inalienable right to provide their children with the education they deem most suitable. Parents, in fact, remain the first and foremost educators of their children, thus they have the right to educate them according to their moral and religious convictions. In this way, you will be able to outline common and coordinated pastoral directives necessary to promote and effectively support Catholic schools.”

In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), at No. 65, the pope listed things that people, even non-believers, appreciate about the Catholic Church, and to that list he added, “And how much good has been done by Catholic schools and universities around the world! This is a good thing.” We thank God for the presence of this good thing in our diocese, for the efforts of our teachers, staff, parents and students to live out this important witness to Christ in the field of education.

Pope Francis’ homily of January 18

are God’s children, members of God’s family. Today St. Paul has told us that in Christ we have become God’s adopted children, brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is who we are. This is our identity. We saw a beautiful expression of this when Filipinos rallied around our brothers and sisters affected by the typhoon.

The Apostle tells us that because God chose us, we have been richly blessed! God “has blessed us in Christ with every Spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Eph 1:3). These words have a special resonance in the Philippines, for it is the foremost Catholic country in Asia; this is itself a special gift of God, a special blessing.

But it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia.

God chose and blessed us for a purpose: to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1:4). He chose us, each of us to be witnesses of His truth and His justice in this world. He created the world as a beautiful garden and asked us to care for it. But through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin, man has also

destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption.

Sometimes, when we see the troubles, difficulties and wrongs all around us, we are tempted to give up. It seems that the promises of the Gospel do not apply; they are unreal. But the Bible tells us that the great threat to God’s plan for us is, and always has been, the lie. The devil is the father of lies. Often he hides his snares behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being “modern,” “like everyone else.”

He distracts us with the view of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink; we turn in on ourselves.

We forget to remain focused on the things that really matter. We forget to remain, at heart, children of God. That is sin: forget, at heart, that we are children of God. For children, as the Lord tells us, have their own wisdom, which is not the wisdom of the world. That is why the message

of the Santo Niño is so important.

He speaks powerfully to all of us.

He reminds us of our deepest identity, of what we are called to be as God’s family.

The Santo Niño also reminds us that this identity must be protected. The Christ Child is the Protector of this great country.

When He came into the world, His very life was threatened by a corrupt king. Jesus Himself needed to be protected. He had an earthly protector: St. Joseph.

He had an earthly family, the Holy Family of Nazareth. So He reminds us of the importance of protecting our families, and those larger families which are the Church, God’s family, and the world, our human family. Sadly, in our day, the family all too often needs to be protected against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and Sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture.

In the Gospel, Jesus welcomes children, He embraces them and blesses them (Mk 10:16). We too need to protect, guide and encourage our young people, helping them to build a society wor-

thy of their great Spiritual and cultural heritage. Specifically, we need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected. And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and condemned to life on the streets.

It was a frail Child, in need of protection, who brought God’s goodness, mercy and justice into the world. He resisted the dishonesty and corruption which are the legacy of sin, and He triumphed over them by the power of His cross. Now, at the end of my visit to the Philippines, I commend you to Him, to Jesus Who came among us as a Child.

May He enable all the beloved people of this country to work together, protecting one another, beginning with your families and communities, in building a world of justice, integrity and peace. May the Santo Niño continue to bless the Philippines and to sustain the Christians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world. Please don’t forget to pray for me! God bless.

7

January 23, 2015

Exclusive: Details of the proposal for Pope Francis’ U.S. visit revealed

Manila, Philippines (CNA/EWTN News) — Archbishop Bernardito Auza — a member of the organizing committee for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the U.S. — has revealed details of the proposed schedule, which includes visits to three cities.

“He would arrive on the 22nd and he would leave the evening of the 27th. It’s really a full six days, plus the travel, so it’s really one week,” Archbishop Auza told CNA/EWTN News in Manila on January 18.

A Philippines native, Archbishop Auza is the Holy See’s permanent observer to the U.N. in New York and to the Organization of American States in Washington. He is back in his homeland this week participating in the events of Pope Francis’ January 15-19 apostolic journey.

The archbishop spoke of a meeting held last Monday by the U.S. trip’s organizing committee appointed by Pope Francis, during which the details of the visit were discussed.

After a projected arrival to Washington, D.C. on the evening of September 22, they’re proposing that Pope Francis visit the White House the following morning, where the official welcoming ceremony would take place.

Following his stop at the White House, the pontiff would go on to celebrate Mass at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Mass, the archbishop observed, would be primarily for bishops, consecrated and religious men and women, seminarians and representatives from humanitarian and Catholic charitable organizations.

“And we might say really the highlight of the Washington visit might be his speech to the

joint-meeting of Congress, so the Senate and the House of Representatives,” Archbishop Auza said. According to the proposal, Pope Francis would leave for New York City on the afternoon of the 24th.

The U.N. general-assembly would be his destination on the morning of the 25th, which is also the opening of the threeday Post-2015 Sustainable Development Summit.

“Practically all of the heads of states and governments will be around and they will all be there on that day, so if the pope were to finalize this visit to the U.S. that means that he would address all the heads of states and of governments, who will be sitting with their official delegations,” the archbishop explained.

“We certainly are looking forward to that,” he said, noting how everyone involved is anticipating what the pope might say, particularly U.N. secretarygeneral Ban Ki-moon, who is “extremely thrilled.”

The papal address at the U.N. would take up the entire morning of September 25, Archbishop Auza said. He added that proposals for what the pontiff may do afterward include an interreligious meeting, and “of course the pope will visit St. Patrick’s (Cathedral).

That’s for sure.”

The visit to the historic church wouldn’t likely mean the celebration of Mass there, the archbishop said. Mass has been proposed instead for another area of New York. He named the Madison Square Garden as a possibility.

“Our plan is not to have a huge Mass outside of Philadelphia, because the focus will really be Philadelphia, because the pope is going to the United States for the World Meeting of Families,” he explained.

Perhaps the most “unique ingredient” of Pope Francis’ proposed schedule for New York would be an interethnic meeting with the pontiff, which is significant given the diverse ethnic background of the city.

“Ground Zero,” the site of the terrorist attack on Sept.

11, 2001, which brought down New York City’s twin World Trade Center towers, is another foreseeable stop on the pope’s itinerary, Archbishop Auza noted.

Benedict XVI visited the site during his 2008 visit, but the Archbishop mentioned that since then the official memorial has been inaugurated, the museum has been finished, and the metal cross found in the wreckage of the towers is there.

“But these are just proposals.

At the end of February there will be the first organizational visit (from a Vatican delegation), and then we will see what we could really fill in,” the archbishop said.

Pope Francis could spend a couple of nights in New York, but “it depends” on what else comes up.

From New York the Roman Pontiff would head to Philadelphia in the early morning of the 26th as his last stop, where he is set to participate in the World Meeting of Families from September 26-27.

“Philadelphia is confirmed.

That’s for sure,” the archbishop observed, explaining that the two big events set to take place with the pope are a prayer vigil on the 26th and Mass Sunday, the 27th.

There is also an encounter planned with grandparents and children, however the archbishop said he does not know whether or not the pope will participate.

Pope Francis himself conTurn to page 20

8

January 23, 2015

Philippine students inspired by pope’s words about emotions, feelings

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Young people drew inspiration from an encounter with Pope Francis at the University of Santo Tomas.

Rain started to fall the moment the pope took the stage before a sea of young people in bright-colored T-shirts, but the 30,000 students and youth leaders remained rooted in their sections, listening to the pope urging them to cry, to love and to think, feel and act.

Csherina Sanchez said she was inspired by his words.

“He shows me, really, that asking and crying (for) the poor is something that I should be brave about doing,” she told Catholic News Service. “He said that true Christians should cry. For me it’s a really good message.”

Sanchez, 25, a student at Manila’s Emmanuel School of Mission, explained: “As Asians we have this tendency to keep negative feelings. Positive feelings we can express freely. But in terms of negative ones like sadness, fear, we keep it inside. And it’s really a freeing message that it’s OK to cry.

It’s good to cry.”

Father Mark Anthony of the Diocese of

Virac equated crying with empathy.

“If you know how to cry, you can actually know how to give compassion to others,” said Father Tasarra, 33. “This is a very Christian thing.”

He told CNS the pope’s directive for the young people to learn how to cry was inspiring “because sometimes I’m not so compassionate even though I’m a priest. So I have to express my emotion.”

As Pope Francis arrived in his popemobile, young people ran from one corner of the sports field to another, trying to keep pace with the beaming pontiff.

Celine Villarin, 19, a member of the Student Catholic Action of the Philippines, said she could not find the words to say why the pope makes such a huge impression.

“I don’t really know, but there is something really magical in him that when you see him, goose bumps are really felt all over you,” she told CNS. She called the pope’s message very simple “but I think it really moved us all.

The way he talks, he uses simple words, and that’s why he really touches the heart of every Filipino youth.”

9

January 23, 2015

W

e see many important things happening in this week’s readings, the third week of Ordinary Time. One aspect stands out significantly, that of repentance. So while are not in Lent yet, this idea of changing for the better in a Spiritual sense is present loud and clear.

Perhaps this seems a bit abrupt from the recently concluded Christmas season, if so all the better to catch our attention.

In all three readings and the responsorial psalm we find this aspect. Clearly as Jonah in our first reading walks through Nineveh, he is crying out a warning to the people to which they respond positively, changing their ways “and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.” We even see here that even God repents

Let’s try not to be hard as a rock

of what He had “threatened and believe in the Gospel.” to do.”

Jesus’ very first words of The Psalm response is preaching are about the “Teach me your ways, O need for repentance.

Lord” and in the psalm it Now let’s dig a bit deeper states that “He shows sininto this word repentance. ners the way.” All this is Mark wrote his Gospel in about change, altering the course that Homily of the Week one is on in life.

St. Paul’s letter Third Sunday to the Corinthians in Ordinary Time opens up the second

By Deacon reading very bluntly, Larry St. Pierre as Paul is known to do, “I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.” He the Greek language and the closes in an equally frank word that he used for repenmanner, “For the world in tance is “metanoia.” When its present form is passing we examine metanoia we away.” find the concept of a change Finally in Mark’s Gospel of heart. This we can underwe hear the first words of stand here in the Biblical preaching from our Lord Jesense of the conversion of a sus Christ, “This is the time person not just in thought of fulfillment. The Kingdom but in direction as well. of God is at hand. Repent, We should think of a

change of heart as a necessary part of any repentance, a goal that we should strive for, to make a change away from the bad in the world to the good in the world. For the change to be real and therefore of lasting value to us, it indeed has to be a change that in our heart.

You may recall the phrase, “stony heart.” This is what is meant when we speak of “harden not your hearts.” Hearts of stone are hardened to the Word of God, that is, the good in life. These hearts have become fossilized and are no longer capable of beating with life that is with the breath of God in them.

Certainly this is no easy task to take on, but is one that we must and need to take on. This is where

our free will plays such an important role. Our choices either make our hearts harder, and therefore make it more difficult for us to repent, or make it easier for us to do so. It is our choice.

Let us try not to be as hard as a bunch of rocks.

This task may not be done perfectly as we are not totally perfect creatures. There is no reason to despair. But when we hear the call to repent we must respond as the people in Nineveh did, we must respond as the fishermen in Galilee did, Simon, Andrew, James and John, and answer the call to follow our Lord.

That is where our Salvation lies, to repent of our old ways and take up the ways of the Lord.

Deacon St. Pierre serves at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 24, Heb 9:2-3,11-14; Ps 47:2-3,6-9; Mk 3:20-21; Jn 15:9-17. Sun. Jan. 25, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jon 3:15,10; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20. Mon. Jan. 26, 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:1-3,7-8a,10; Mk 3:22-30. Tues. Jan. 27, Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2,4ab,78a,10-11; Mk 3:31-35. Wed. Jan. 28, Heb 10:11-18; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 4:1-20. Thurs. Jan. 29, Heb 10:19-25; Ps 24:1-4b,5-6; Mk 4:21-25. Fri. Jan. 30, Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6,23-24,39-40; Mk 4:26-34.

L

ast week we spoke about the heroic moment of getting out of bed as soon as our alarm clock goes off as the first element in a Catholic plan of life designed to train us toward the holiness to which our Baptism calls us. Today I’d like to talk about what to do once we’re out of bed: it’s traditionally called “The Morning Offering.”

The Morning Offering is a prayer in which we consecrate the day to God and ask for His help to live it as a day of the Lord.

It’s normally best prayed once one is alert enough to pray. For some, that can be as soon as they arise. For others, it means once they’ve gotten a cup of coffee or after they’ve been awakened in the shower. For those who set aside a period of time to pray each morning before the day gets going, it can be delayed until that time of prayer begins.

The key is to pray it early, before one has gotten distracted by news, emails, social media or chores.

The Morning Offering helps us start the day focused on the purpose of time and the meaning of our life. St. Paul wrote to the first Christians, “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your Spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1-2). Those

The Morning Offering

who make the Morning Offermonth.” ing begin the day by offering I prefer to pray the Morning their body, mind, heart, soul and Offering as soon as I’ve made strength to God. the Heroic Moment. I kneel The Morning Offering can down at the side of the bed be long or short. It can be done facing a crucifix and, to ensure with one’s own words or with I’m praying sincerely rather than those written by someone else. routinely, I say it in my own One of the shortest mornwords. What I pray has been ing offerings is simply to say heavily influenced by St. John “Serviam!,” which means “May Vianney’s and St. John Paul II’s I serve!” This commitment to advice. serve God and others during the day is in direct opposition to the Putting Into devil’s attempts to get us to make his egocenthe Deep tric, “Non serviam!,” his refusal to obey God, our

By Father motto and lifestyle.

Roger J. Landry The 19th century French Apostleship of Prayer popularized a longer Morning Offering that “In the morning, upon wakhas found its way into many ing,” the Curé of Ars counseled, prayer books: “we need to offer God our heart, “O Jesus, through the Imour Spirit, our thoughts, our maculate Heart of Mary, I offer words, our actions, our self, to You my prayers, works, joys, and use them for His glory. We need sufferings of this day in union to renew the promises of our with the Holy Sacrifice of the Baptism, to thank our guardian Mass throughout the world. angel and to ask His protection I offer them for all the intento remain at our side during the tions of Your Sacred Heart: the day.”

Salvation of souls, reparation The patron saint of priests, for sin, and the reunion of all whom vigorously promoted the Christians. I offer them for the Morning Offering among his intentions of our bishops and parishioners and fellow clergy, of all Apostles of prayer, and said that we should also petiin particular for those recomtion God for all the graces we’ll mended by our Holy Father this need to make the day holy and

fruitful.

“We should never forget that it is at the beginning of each day that God has the necessary grace for the day ready for us. He knows exactly what opportunities we shall have to sin and will give us everything we need if we ask Him then.”

St. John Paul II once said that praying the Morning Offering is “of fundamental importance in the life of each and every one of the faithful. It is a daily reminder to make our entire day, our whole life ‘a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.’” In his Morning Offering, he would consecrate the day to God through Mary, renewing the consecratory prayer of St. Louis de Montfort from which his papal motto, Totus Tuus, was taken. He would also pray in a special way for all those whom he would meet during the day, that he might receive each of them as a gift and become a vicarious sign for them of Christ’s presence in return.

Following their lead, I generally make my Morning Offering along these lines: “Thank you, Lord, for the gift of another day. Please help me to live it well. If it proves to be my last day on earth, help me to live it in total union with You so that it will be my first

day in eternity. Grant me the graces I’ll need to overcome all the temptations You know I’ll face today. Awaken me to receive everyone the way I would receive You and help me to be for them a reminder of You and Your holy priesthood. Help me to make this day a Liturgy of the hours, my heart an altar, and my work a commentary on the words of consecration. Into Your hands, I commend this day, begging the intercession of my guardian angel and all the saints.”

St. Mechtilde, the famous 13th century mystic, once shared that Jesus had revealed to her how pleased He is to receive our Morning Offering. “When you awaken in the morning,” she reported He said to her, “let your first act be to salute My Heart, and to offer Me your own.” She said Jesus promised that everyone who calls on His help at the beginning of the day would receive it.

The Morning Offering is a means by which to build every new day on the rock of living faith in Christ. I encourage you to make this prayer a part of your winning daily Spiritual game plan.

Anchor columnist Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River. fatherlandry@catholicpreaching. com.

10 Tuesday 20 January 2015 — Port-O-Call: Rio de Janeiro — Saint Sebastian Day ’m a practicing neologist. I study neologisms.

I follow the development of new words, terms, and phrases across the English-speaking world. This task is especially incumbent upon me because I write for The Anchor. I certainly wouldn’t want my words and phrases to appear archaic or clichéd.

Language is constantly evolving as we strive to name new human experiences.

Words percolate from the grass roots up, but you use them improperly until there is formal decree of acceptance by Imperial Command. When a word or phrase enters into usage, its legitimacy can only be decreed by the Supreme Council of those who write dictionaries.

While pondering these matters, I accidently stumbled upon a previously unrecognized worldwide conspiracy.

There’s a secret international cabal controlling our language.

Yes, I know it’s difficult to believe but there are powerful dictionary editors who meet clandestinely in the dark of the night, under heavy armed guard, to approve new words.

They have absolute control over all things linguistic. I call it “The New Word Order.”

I

I

was lucky enough to board the good ship Anchor in 1996. I was welcomed aboard by then captain Msgr. John F. Moore and three great ladies: Rosemary Dussault, Pat McGowan and Barbara Reis.

With Msgr. Moore “over the bridges” taking care of a parish, I saw him once a week. But it didn’t take long before the Anchor women made me feel right at home.

Over the nine years that Barbara and I shared a ride

Anchor Columnists The New Word order

shop in Springfield, Mass. Ever I must alert Jesse Ventura, hear of the Merriam-Webster that champion of conspiracy Dictionary? Of course you theorists. have. Springfield remains the This ancient conspiracy American hotbed of nefariof the dictionary originated ous language control. I know centuries ago with the Sumeit’s nefarious because I looked rians. It was organized in the United States in the early 18th up the word in the MerriamWebster dictionary. century by New Englander Noah Webster. Webster learned 26 languages to prepare for The Ship’s Log his mission. He added Reflections of a such non-British words Parish Priest as “skunk” and “chowder” to the dictionary.

By Father Tim (There are apparently Goldrick neither skunks nor chowders in England.)

Here are some words the Some other of his attempts at word-control met with less ac- cartel of dictionary editors will now allow us to use without ceptance, however, such as his support for spelling “tongue” as fear of retribution. They have added them to the dictionary “tung” and “women” as “wimfor 2015. men.”

Selfie — using a cellphone There is pushback here on camera to take a photograph Cape Cod — a sleeper cell of of yourself (sometimes with anti-dictionary rebels. They’re others). When presidents and covertly attempting to change popes start participating in Webster’s dictionary spelling selfies, you know the word has of “chowder” to “chowdah.” gone mainstream.

Evidence of their resistance Crowdfunding — the movement most often surfaces on restaurant menus. Only the solicitation of funds over the Internet. It can raise lots of tourists have adopted their money in a very short time. cause thus far.

Hashtag — the symbol # The rights of Webster’s used to summarize the accom“Dictionary of the American panying text. I used this in the Language” were purchased by title of a recent Anchor column George and Charles Mer“#300/45Y.” You know me, riam. The brothers ran a print

dear readers, I’m cutting edge.

Fracking — the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure to free up oil or natural gas. This one is a political hot potato.

Social networking — the creation and maintenance of relationships online.

Tweep — a person who uses the Twitter online message service to send and receive tweets. He or she must never be referred to as a “twit.”

Freegan — an activist who scavenges for free food (as in dumpsters behind stores and restaurants) as a means of reducing consumption of resources Turducken — a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey. Yummy, I’m sure, but I would have to double my cholesterol medication.

Shockingly, the cabal of dictionary editors have added more than 150 new words to the dictionary this year. When using these newly-coined words, one is no longer required to enclose them in quotation marks. Spellcheck should no longer reject them. Unfortunately, my outdated spellcheck has never heard of “freegan.”

When adding so many new words and phrases every year,

there must be a need to delete others in order to make room.

Otherwise, our dictionaries would simply grow fatter and fatter until they became so heavy we could barely pick them up. I have some candidates that, in my opinion, should be tossed into the dustbin of history.

Jumbo shrimp — If the crustacean in question is jumbo-sized, how can it simultaneously be a shrimp? I refuse to order an oxymoron as an appetizer.

Polar vortex — Whether or not it descends from Canada, isn’t it just a winter storm, or, as we say on Cape Cod, a nor’easter?

Foodie — Why not just say “gourmand?” If you can’t spell it, look it up in the dictionary.

Skill set — A skill is a skill.

If you have more than one, you have skills. What it the purposes of a matching set?

Takeaway — The main point of a presentation, that which you bring home with you. When I hear “takeaway,” I think of sending out for lunch.

Enhanced interrogation — sounds like torture to me.

Beware! It’s a conspiracy, I tell you, this New Word Order.

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth. Contact him at frxmas@aol.com.

each day, including her love to decorate, was her ever-present smile and sense of humor.

I’ll always fondly remember our Anchor Christmas dinners; whether they were at a local restaurant, or just a simple get together in the office with good food and better conversation.

Never to be forgotten is the infamous (within The Anchor circle) overflowing sink episode — a Christmas event we laughed at for years after.

While Barbara was the quintessential Anchor employee, her true passion was her husband Tom and their wonderful children.

I was saddened to learn of Barbara’s death, and offer my deepest condolences to her beloved family. And to you Barbara, my friend, I offer my prayers and thanks for nine years of fun, friendship and professionalism. And rest assured, I’ll no longer leave an unheeded faucet running in a sink with the stopper firmly in place.

Godspeed Anchor lady. davejolivet@anchornews.org.

Godspeed, Anchor lady

aboard The Anchor, there were subscription drive, which in and countless laughs, some frustraof itself could be a full-time job. tions, and some tears as we lost The phone at The Anchor oftwo of the three great ladies of The Anchor, Rosemary and Pat. This week, we lost Barbara as well.

In her more than 15 years at The Anchor, BarBy Dave Jolivet bara worked diligently for the diocesan publication: as a secretary; helping out with advertising; fice never seems to stop ringing, and coordinating the yearly and there were times when I thought we’d have to have the OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE telephone handset surgically DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER removed from her ear.

Vol. 59, No.3 www.anchornews.org Barbara handled each and Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service every call with grace, charm Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, and professionalism; even when Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org.

Subscription price by mail, postpaid $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses. the voice on the other side had Send address changes to P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call or use email address none of those qualities.

PUBLISHER - Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. Barbara’s worth to The AnEXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org chor did not go unnoticed nor EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org unrewarded.

She was eventually OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org promoted to office manager, ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org aptly filling Rosemary’s shoes, REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org which was, by no means, an easy task.

Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org Among the things that PoStmaSters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

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

Barbara brought to The Anchor

My View From the Stands

January 23, 2015

Former Anchor office manager Barbara Reis, with then executive editor Msgr. John F. Moore and editor Dave Jolivet in this file photo.

January 23, 2015

Catholic Schools foster faith development and academic success

ing: collecting and distributing food to a variety of food pantries, continued from page one providing household items for short-term financial difficulties The theme of Catholic gift of Catholic education to our My Brother’s Keeper, donating Catholic schools currently face” Schools Week across the coun- Church and the world. homeless kits for veterans, and (Mark M. Gray, “Do Catholic try is the celebration of “Faith, The theme of “knowledge” sending thank you notes of apSchools Matter?”

Center Knowledge, and Service” that will be showcased in science fairs, preciation to parents and grandfor Applied Research in the are woven into the fabric of each spelling bees, and career fairs. As parents, teachers, police and fire Apostolate, June 13, 2014, www. Catholic school. Every school in one example, the middle school personnel, and men and women nineteensixty-four.blogspot. the Diocese of Fall River will be students from the New Bedford in the armed forces. com/2014/06/do-catholiccelebrating Eucharistic Liturgies area schools will participate in Catholic schools are joyful schools-matter.html, para.14). during the week in accord with the “Catholic Schools Chal- communities of learning and The fostering of Catholic faith the theme of fostering “faith” lenge,” testing their knowledge Catholic Schools Week provides and values within an environ- among our students. Schools in all academic areas. an occasion for fun and special ment of academic excellence is have also identified special op“Service” to others, while tak- social activities. Schools will the foundational goal of Catho- portunities for prayer which ing place in every school through- host assembly programs, sports lic schools in the Diocese of Fall will include prayers for peace, out the year, will be highlighted team days, and ice cream sundae River. It is gratifying, although for their families, for those in during Catholic Schools week parties to name a few. There will not surprising, to see studies such the armed services, and for the by a variety of activities includ- be trips to roller skating rinks as the one cited above, confirming the extended impact of a Catholic school education into adult life. A Catholic school student spends more than 1,000 hours a year in an environment that includes daily prayer, religion classes, high expectations of respect for self and others, service to the community, and pursuit of academic excellence. The results are powerful and lasting, and important to our Church and society as Catholic school children develop into a new generation of leaders.

More than 6,700 young people are currently served by the 22 elementary and secondary schools of the Diocese of Fall River. The academic success of these students is evidenced in test score results, such as SATs, where our high school students’ average score of 1606 well surpassed the Massachusetts state average of 1556 and the national average of 1497. The Iowa test scores of our students in grades three-eight, averaging at the 66th percentile, are also well beyond the national norm of 50 percent. Combined with the emphasis on faith and values, Catholic school students are guided by teachers and administrators who are dedicated to the education of the “whole person.” They reinforce each day the values parents are teaching in their homes.

This week, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River will join with others across the country in celebrating the distinctive Spiritual, academic, and social mission of Catholic education. A highlight will be the bishop’s Catholic Schools Week Mass, which Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate with the students from the six Catholic schools in the city of Fall River at St. Anne’s Church.

This is the culmination of a series of six Masses Bishop da Cunha has celebrated across the diocese in recent weeks, involving the students of all our Catholic schools.

11 and the bowling alley for some children, while others will enjoy story times, school dances, and games.

Open House sessions will be offered by many schools, providing an opportunity for new families to visit and register for the next school year. In the Diocese of Fall River, one-third of our Catholic schools grew in enrollment last year. Given the importance of Catholic schools for our students, our Church and our society, we invite all interested families to explore the opportunities Catholic schools provide for growth in faith, knowledge and service to God and others.

12

January 23, 2015

A young woman holds her statue of Santo Nino, the Holy Child Jesus, as she waits to see Pope Francis along the parade route after the pope’s Mass in Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines, January 18. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Filipinos bring Santo Nino statues for blessings from pope MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — The record-breaking papal Mass in Rizal Park coincided with one of the most popular feast days in the Philippines: Santo Nino Day, or the feast of the Holy Child Jesus.

Many of the more than six million people who walked along the closed-off roads surrounding the park January 18 held Santo Nino statues of various sizes. Their goal was to get their doll-like figurines blessed by Pope Francis.

Viljon Ilocos hugged his Santo Nino, dressed in a satiny green caftan with a gold thread design.

“He is my hero,” said the 22-year-old from Cebu, where deep devotion to Santo Nino originated in the Philippines almost 500 years ago.

“When I was sick before, He helped me,” Ilocos told Catholic News Service right after the Mass with the pope. He explained he had typhoid fever that went undetected.

“When I was graduating, I guess from being overworked with all of the school activities, I got sick and really thought I was going to die,” Ilocos said. “I asked Him to give me one chance to live and He did. That’s why I love Him very much.”

In 1565 Spanish Augustinian Father Andres Urdaneta discovered a Santo Nino statue in Cebu, amid the rubble of a conflict area that was believed to have been given to the wife of a local king after she was baptized. Father Urdaneta placed the statue at the Basilica of Santo Nino, where it remains today.

Nino “represents a God Who

is accessible to all and can be approached without fear. The devotion instills the virtues of simplicity, obedience and trust in God. At the same time it calls for mature discipleship and loving service to all,” says the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Every year Cebuanos parade around the streets of their city with the original Santo Nino statue, dressing Him in new kingly robes. They also carry their own replicas, which range from identical copies to classic dolls whose thick-lashed eyes open and shut. Devotees dress Him up just like a doll, too.

They do a dance with the statues called the sinulog, which has a steady beat and involves much swaying of arms.

Merlinda Garcia told CNS she sometimes dances the sinulog with her tiny Santo Nino, which is from Cebu.

“It’s relaxing and even though you have a problem, you don’t think of the problem anymore,” she said, likening it to a danced prayer. “And the blessings also come with it.”

Garcia wanted to make sure her Santo Nino would be blessed by the pope, so she took it for the three-hour drive from Tarlac province to Manila.

Ilocos said he was glad Pope Francis could bless the icon of his favorite saint.

“I was super happy ... when the pope passed by because they say with the wave of his hand, he’s already blessing you. I feel like (Santo Nino) is really very happy, too. It feels great!”

January 23, 2015

Locals react to Romero martyrdom continued from page one

is to say exactly the opposite, ‘You are valuable.’”

In addition to speaking out against poverty and social injustice, Romero condemned the assassinations and torture perpetrated by the government.

He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

In his homily the day before he was killed, Romero made a special appeal to soldiers, telling them that “Each of you is one of us.”

He went on, “The peasants you kill are your own brothers and sisters. When you hear a man telling you to kill, remember God’s words, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ No soldier is obliged to obey a law contrary to the law of God. In the name of God, in the name of our tormented people, I beseech you, I implore you; in the name of God I command you to stop the repression.”

Douglas Tejada, a parishioner at St. Mary-Our Lady of the Isle Parish in Nantucket, commended Romero’s dedication to peace and outspoken love for the marginalized.

“He says the truth,” Tejada said of Romero. “That is why the government killed him.”

Noe Pineda, also from St. Mary Parish, said that he grew up during the war in El Salvador and remembers that difficult time well.

He added that he has long believed that Romero had authority and power from God. “He had the assistance of the Spirit to preach the way he did in those times.”

Pineda said that the fact that Romero is one step closer to being declared a saint by the Church shows that God guided Romero in life and that it is His Will that Romero will be declared a saint.

“It is very clear in my heart,” he said.

13

14

January 23, 2015

Here’s why Pope Francis goes off script Manila, Philippines (CNA/EWTN News) — In a press briefing with journalists in the Philippines, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi ventured to explain the reason why Pope Francis so frequently deviates from his prepared speeches.

“Every time that we are in a particularly intense situation, the pope desires to speak from the heart,” the spokesman told journalists during the recent briefing.

“Sometimes maybe he is tired or he feels (he is) not able to find the right word and then he reads the speech, but if he feels that the emotion and the strength is there to express his heart more spontaneously, then he does this.”

The press briefing took place after Pope Francis’ half-day trip to the Philippine island of Leyte, which was scheduled to last all day but was cut short due to adverse weather caused by an inbound typhoon.

Father Lombardi said that so far this papal trip has been “a paradigmatic situation” because the pontiff made a great effort beforehand to prepare with English texts so that people would understand him, yet has still gone off script.

“Sometimes he feels that he can express still better what he has in the heart through spontaneous expression in Spanish, sometimes in Italian,” the spokesman explained, noting that today’s morning Mass in Tacloban was “wonderful” because there was a translator available.

“I think this mix is really very good. This morning it was not possible to have a longer time, (but) then the pope did a synthesis from his heart and that was sufficient for the people present,” he said.

One journalist also brought into question what makes so many people begin to cry when they see the pope, saying that he saw many burst into tears that didn’t seem like the “usual tears of joy.”

Father Lombardi responded by saying that there are times when “we are very profoundly moved, until the roots of our hearts, of our being, and it happens that we are a little confused and it’s not easy to explain what we are experiencing.”

When we feel something moving us that deeply it’s normal to express it in tears, he said, noting that in our faith, we are called to announce consolation to those who are experiencing intense suffering or conversion.

“In this sense the Christian faith has to announce that ‘Christ is with you,’ and this is the message that the pope has given: even if you are profoundly moved and suffering, you are not alone.”

Manila archbishop Cardinal Antonio Luis Tagle was also present at the press briefing, and also responded to the question by explaining that in the Christian tradition there is something called “the gift of tears.”

“It’s a gift because it comes when there is a profound experience, especially a deep human experience that also reveals to you something of the Divine — and it is so profound and you know you are before it and your body responds to it in a very physical way, and one of those ways is tears,” he said.

Although some who cry in front of the pope don’t seem to be crying out of happiness, the cardinal assured that if they were to be asked, they would say that they are, in fact, crying tears of joy.

They are, he said, “tears of joy and at the same time tears of consolation or just being considered important, or just tears of realizing I matter, I was approached, I was seen, etc. You could see that.”

Once Pope Francis returned to Manila after his visit to Tacloban ended earlier than expected, he spent the day resting, rather than making any other visits.

Cardinal Tagle and Father Lombardi also spoke about the pope’s energy on the trip, noting that although standing for long periods of time and meeting so many people do wear him out, he recovers quickly.

“Our experience is that he has an incredible energy and a good capacity to recuperate his energy with two hours of rest,” Father Lombardi observed, noting that once in a while the pope cancels something in Rome when he feels too tired to “do a good service to the Church.”

However, after canceling, the pontiff rests for a while and then starts again, the spokesman explained.

Pope Francis “can be well again so soon — we are always surprised that a man of his age can do what he is doing, at home and abroad,” he said, noting how the pope himself refers to this unusual energy as “the grace of office,” in which God gives whatever is needed for the mission He assigns.

15

January 23, 2015

Where will you walk?

I

n this Sunday’s readings, we will hear God’s second call to Jonah. The prophet Jonah then visits Nineveh where all repent and are open to receiving God’s mercy and love. Jonah is always popular with science students. The story imagery sparks their curiosity.

Someone always asks, “Just how large was that big fish’s stomach?” or “Wow, how did Jonah avoid being digested by that stomach acid?” Believe it or not, all it takes to get them to try to imagine and put it all together on their own is a quietly spoken, “Amazing is it not?”

Let us revisit God’s first call to Jonah. When asked to go to Nineveh (a city of people considered enemies of Israel), Jonah doesn’t just say no. He actually boarded a ship heading in the opposite direction!

On the way to Tarshish, the sailors were petrified of the huge storm and cast Jonah into the sea which immediately calmed. The sailors then offered sacrifice to God. After three days in darkness and silence, Jonah sought forgiveness. Only after his prayer of thanksgiving to God did the fish deposit Jonah near Nineveh.

Jonah could serve as poster boy for the message of the importance of thinking (and deciding) before walking.

Jean de La Fontaine said, “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” On a deeper level, that is Jonah is it not? On a

personal and perhaps even A few years later, I was private level, that is each of driving to a meeting, but us is it not? was unfamiliar with the I will share one such city and had gotten myself experience from my life. A lost. I stopped at a fast food little background informarestaurant to ask directions. tion is needed. I have lived There was this rather diin a number of large urban sheveled young adult hangareas. If one truly looks with one’s heart Wrestling with God open, there is often Holding on for great need present in one’s neighbors.

His blessing However, one must carefully analyze that

By Dr. Helen Flavin set point for loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Can one safely and ing outside the door asking actually help? If so, then for money. comes the challenge of deThat day, I replied I’d ciding how best to aid one’s make a deal with her. If brother or sister in Christ. she swapped me directions One day I was driving to my destination, then I’d home. It had been a very buy her food. Her request long day. It was pouring. was modest. Today, it still I was drenched and cold. amazes me that inside I did As I paused at a red light, not ask anyone else direcI noticed an older woman tions. pulling a cart of groceries.

Also, although I knew To that little voice that I was headed somewhere said, “Go help her,” I rewhere there would be food, plied that today was a day I suddenly wanted some for someone else as I was French fries. The young exhausted and going home. adult was ready with the Through the mirror, I saw directions when I returned. that no one else stopped.

Suddenly, I found myself That little voice whispered, asking her for one French “Suppose that is God and fry. She smiled and gave me you choose not to help?” one.

I reversed direction only As I went to enter my car to find she was gone! I did she called out, “Hey, you’re a not believe that there really minister aren’t you?” It was had been time for someone my turn to smile. I told her to load both the woman and that I was just a regular perher groceries into another son like herself. We parted car. I drove in the area for a few minutes, but she was not there. The chill that ran down my spine had nothing to do with the damp and cold.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, January 25, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Craig A. Pregana, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Parish in New Bedford

saying that we each would pray for the other. Her directions were perfect.

The fact that our God gives each of us that second call is really only part of the message of the tale of Jonah.

More important is that by the time we accept that precious second chance, each of us will have grown, through silence and prayer, to be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Long before Jonah is a prophet to Nineveh, he opens the sailors’ eyes and hearts to God. Evangelization is thus not only a job

for Apostles, priests and prophets, but is a job for each and every one of us.

Through our daily interactions with others, we can briefly open their hearts to see and receive God’s love.

What each of them will do after that is beyond us. We just plant that initial seed for God. Today, where will you walk and whose heart will you help open to receive God’s love?

Anchor columnist Helen Flavin is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer and a member of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River. biochemwz@hotmail.com.

16

January 23, 2015

Professor helps others find God amidst suffering continued from page one

Notre Dame College to earn a Masters in Theology, “because I was just so captivated by the theological questions,” he said, and ultimately earned a Doctorate in Theology from the same school.

He taught in the Midwest for almost 20 years at St. Mary-ofthe-Woods College in Indiana before moving back to Massachusetts to teach at Regis College in 1987. Through it all he has never lost his desire to delve deep into religious and philosophical studies, and does 25-30 presentations annually on various theological topics, including Catholic identity and Catholic tradition, on a local and national scale. He credits the Church for allowing him to explore areas that had been off-limits to lay people until he was in college.

“A lot of it was because of what was happening to the Church,” he said. “Vatican Council II closed while I was a sophomore in college, and it all began to bubble up and there were new opportunities for lay people and the beginning of doctoral programs for lay people.

The lay theologian wasn’t particularly known in the United States and I saw the possibilities and that’s the road I took.”

His recent presentation, “Where is God in the midst of suffering and evil?” at last year’s Faith Formation Ministry Convention sponsored by the Office of Faith Formation in Fall River struck a cord with many who attended the event.

“It’s a question many people have,” said Collamati. “It’s not simply a theoretical question, but a practical and personal question.”

The idea to explore such a question came from his love of reading. When Collamati read Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” Collamati said he may not have agreed with

everything Kushner shared, but said he felt Kushner had stunning insight as Kushner dealt with his three-year-old son’s diagnosis of progeria (a rare genetic disorder that prematurely ages a child), and learned his son would only live until his early teens; he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? “He took on a very real question that started with a very real hurt,” said Dr. Collamati. “As a rabbi, the things he would say to people who were suffering, and now heard being said back to him, were completely unsatisfying, if not frustrating.”

As a person who has attended thousands of religious services, and not just Catholic services but also vigil services and wakes of others of different religions, said Collamati, “sometimes you hear from the pulpit or others trying to express sympathy, some language that — and I always precede my presentation that these things are said to comfort — but when you step back and examine what is actually said, you realize how problematic and disconcerting a number of those statements are.”

When a death or traumatic illness has occurred, the most heard statement from those looking to give comfort is “it’s God’s Will.” But just through the content of the language, what does that mean to the person hearing those words?

“What kind of God are you portraying?” asked Collamati.

Those people trying to offer comfort now seem to be placing blame on God, that God is the primary source for the pain.

Everyone, from young to old, “has said that there’s a reason for everything,” said Collamati, “but if you’re a believer in God, then God must have a reason for sending this to me. What I try to disabuse people of thinking is, God doesn’t send any of this.

Does illness exist? Yes. Are we mortal beings? Yes. Please don’t think that God, on any given day among millions of people, is giving a disease or life-threatening illness. Diseases have no conscience; they’re not self-directed. Innocent people suffer and sometimes some terrible people have very healthy lives.”

This way of thinking is a holdover from the ancient notion that God blesses those that are good, and punishes those who sin. That kind of thinking that there is a larger reason for what happened may give shortterm comfort, but upon further reflection may feel, “What kind of God would do this?” and people may distant themselves from God because the image they have of God doesn’t work, and His image has become repugnant — something Collamati can relate to when, at the age of 18, he lost his father to pancreatic cancer.

“I felt that through my youth and as a teen-ager, that if I was extra good and devout — I even went to daily Masses — that life, particularly materialistically, would be spared, and for a good while it worked,” said Collamati. “It was comfortable and we never lacked for anything — life was good. Then we had a cluster of three serious health challenges, one was being the quick death of my father.”

As Collamati found himself taking theology classes at Providence College while simultaneously dealing with his grief, he said he would walk out of a class and say to himself there isn’t a God. Collamati battled this crisis of faith until he had an epiphany.

“I finally broke through and realized that it was not God that I was having a problem with,” said Collamati, “it was my image of God.” He continued, “In gentle terms, just ask people to realize

that God is present and ‘metaphorically and poetically’ speaking, God is sorrowing with you.

If we have a crucified Lord as the centerpiece of our faith, then our God knows intimately through Jesus the reality of profound suffering” Jesus did not have a wall around Him that prevented His pain, suffering, unjust treatment and death, so why would anyone feel — no matter how good they are — that God would shield them from all harm? In terms of Jesus’ humanity, said Collamati, His crucifixion happened when Jesus was human so more likely than not, bad things will happen to you. By humanizing Jesus, it helps people understand that Jesus is Divine and human, and that “the more you understand Jesus’ humanity, the more you see yourself in that story.”

When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, Collamati found great inspiration in her approach: “She never asked the question, ‘Why me?” said Collamati, and when he asked her about it, she said that asking that question made no sense, stating, “‘I’m a woman and I’m vulnerable like any woman. The question for me, as a believer, is how God will guide me through this, whatever the outcome, and how He is present through this journey?’”

The best nugget of wisdom Collamati gleaned from Kushner’s book is something he often shares with his students: don’t spend a lot of your time asking why? Spend your energies answering the questions: what am I going to do about it, and how will I respond?

“It has to do with the question, how will I respond in grace to the suffering?” said Collamati, “and can I see grace coming to me, mainly through relation-

ships with other people? God works through the human order through humans.”

Humans desire to make sense of life, the mind recoils at the idea that life doesn’t make sense, he said, but God is not testing you.

Why would God need to test you when He already knows you?

What would you say to a parent inflicting pain on their child to “test” them? You’d call child services on them. How can anyone find comfort in a Divine test?

Natural disasters and illnesses are not God’s punishment; God is not testing anyone. Sometimes there is no reason as to why a family of five was killed in a fire — please don’t try to suggest that God has a reason for doing this: “There are tragedies and God is not causing them,” said Collamati.

The problems of evil stem from human free will, like the recent events in France, he said: “The gift of God’s free will — the gift to build the world, and the gift to destroy it.”

“I never exclude the miraculous, but think about how does God primarily work? He’s not pushing buttons and sending storms here, immediately healing a gash; God works through the creative life and the very world He brought into being,” said Collamati. “I hope that our faith and our relationship with God empowers us to respond as modeled through Jesus’ ministry.

He saw evil, saw suffering and responded and showed us how God would respond to it.”

January 23, 2015

17

18

Father Andrew Johnson, pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish and School, leads the first grade in the traditional Epiphany classroom blessing. Classroom doors are marked with the symbol 20+C+M+B+15, standing for the phrase Christus mansionem benedicat and the current year. Prayers are said for all those who will enter through the doors throughout the coming year. Assisting Father Johnson are Paul Saucier, Jason Rajani, seminarian Larry Valliere, and Ben Walz.

Youth Pages

January 23, 2015

Chris Herren, a former NBA basketball player from Fall River, came to talk to students, faculty and staff at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth recently to share his tale of a descent into addiction, a miraculous recovery, and his new life mission of sharing his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching at least one person and making a difference.

Following a DVD presentation of the “Chris Herren Story,” Herren spoke about experiences that have impacted his life as a teen-ager, athlete and speaker. He spoke on drug and alcohol use, peer pressure, bullying and cutting. The event concluded with questions-andanswers.

The fifth-grade girls basketball teams from St. John the Evangelist in Attleboro and Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland, R.I. recently gathered for a scrimmage at St. John’s for the second annual Holiday Hoops for the Hungry. The girls asked for a non-perishable food donation in lieu of an admission fee. They collected nine boxes of food which will be split between the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry and The Hebron Food Pantry.

As part of the Sleuth assessment books, second-grade students at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently learned about various ways Native Americans used strawberries while enjoying a special treat of their own! The students had fun incorporating Social Studies and ELA while encouraging healthy eating habits.

On January 10-11, the SMRS Players of St. Margaret Regional School in Buzzards Bay performed a production of “The Gifts from the Elves” under the direction of Janice Rogers and Lee Dresher of Buzzards Play Productions in Wareham. The student-actors and audience had a great time!

Students and faculty at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet celebrated “I Have A Dream Day” by coming to school in their PJ’s to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday, January 15. Each grade level participated in MLK learning activities during the day to learn more about this great historical figure. Pictured above are the fourth-graders with Mrs. Gomes, their instructional aide.

January 23, 2015

I

was 17 years old when I handed my life over to God, although at the time I did not know it. It was then that I became involved in ministry in my parish; first, with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and then other ministries that I could share my time and talents with. Life became very busy, and at times, overwhelming. I thought I could control it all.

Man, was I wrong!

Even today I become anxious about ministry, whether it’s planning or running youth events, parent meetings, Sacrament preparations, choir practice or Liturgy. And each time I try to remember that I am not in control here — God is! “Be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go” ( Josh 1:9).

We all face difficult times, some of us most days. Through trials and hardships, sadness and depression, we call out to God, “Why me, Lord?

Why is this happening to me?” I see daily updates of family and friends on Facebook. Once in a while I read about someone who can’t take it any longer. Nothing’s going right.

It seems the world is closing in on them. They don’t know what to do.

Youth Pages Who’s in charge of your life?

days I would have realized that all The fix? I see that some just simply they wanted, and prayed for, was my want to run away from it all. It’s not happiness, and nothing more. If you that simple. We can’t run away from can realize that now, you will know our problems. They’re ours and ours that it’s not control they have over to fix, but, not necessarily alone. you. Rather, it’s love they want to give The upside to these Facebook you. updates is that I see many post comMy mother once told me that ments like this, “I need a change in there’s no greater love than the love my life.” Therein lies the hope that of a mother helps one to for her child. I understand wish I unhow to turn derstood that things around! back then. You First thing to see, some of do is pray. This us spend years will enable

By Ozzie Pacheco wishing our you to begin parents would to give control get off our of the situabacks, only to realize they’re the only tion over to God! Listen to God and ones who ever really had our back. follow His lead and the results will Our parents knew all the while that astound you!

God was, and still is, and always will Working with youth over the last be in control of everything! We only three decades has opened my eyes to need to allow Him to do it! the many issues they face very day.

A dear friend of mine, Jose, proMany of them are very familiar — I pelled me into ministry at 17. Yes, experienced them myself. “Why are it was he who got me started with my parents always putting limits on the St. Vincent de Paul Society. And what I want to do? Why can’t they we have worked together ever since. allow me to do what I want? They don’t control me!” If only I could have Recently, however, he had to go to understood my parents better in those a nursing home. He celebrated his

Be Not Afraid

19

91st birthday last week, his mind is as sharp as ever. Only his body limits what he wants to do so badly — be a part of our choir at Sunday Mass.

Last week we had a parish luncheon and I thought it would be great to get him out and join his parish family for an afternoon. I was anxious and nervous, not sure if I would be able to care for him for those few hours. Susan and I picked him up, wheelchair, walker and everything else he needed for a comfortable time at the parish. I wanted so much to be in control, but only for Jose’s wellbeing and comfort.

My fears and anxieties were all taken away when we got to the parish. Jose was welcomed home! Memories and good times were rekindled.

They even congratulated him with a birthday wish! When I saw the tears of joy streaming down his face I knew at that moment that God had everything under control. And so I realized that my daily prayer was answered, “Lord, I place my life and this day in Your hands. Thank you.”

God is always in control!

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

What Pope Francis learned from homeless girl: ‘Cry with the suffering!’

Manila, Philippines (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis praised Filipino former homeless girl Glyzelle Palomar for asking why God allows children to suffer, saying her tearful question shows that Christians must “learn how to weep.”

The 12-year-old Glyzelle burst into tears as she recounted her experience to the pope last Sunday: “There are many children neglected by their own parents.

There are also many who became victims and many terrible things happened to them like drugs or prostitution.”

“Why is God allowing such things to happen, even if it is not the fault of the children? And why are there only very few people helping us?” she asked.

Her comments followed an affecting testimony from a former homeless boy, 14-year-old Jun Chura, during a youth meeting on the campus of Manila’s Santo Tomas University January 18.

After Jun’s testimony and Glyzelle’s tearful question, the two approached Pope Francis, who embraced them. The Holy Father then used the girl’s tears as the springboard for an answer to her question.

“Glyzelle is the only one who has put a question to which there is no answer,” Pope Francis said, “and she wasn’t able to express it in words, only in tears.”

“Why do children suffer so much?” he asked. “When the heart is able to ask itself and cry, then we can understand.”

Pope Francis pointed to the way Jesus ministered to His people. He did not meet people’s needs with a worldly

compassion, only stopping for a few moments to hand out money or material things. Rather, the pope said, Christ took the time to listen and to sympathize with His people.

“Jesus in the Gospel, He cried,” Pope Francis said. “He cried for His dead friend, He cried in His heart for the family that had lost its child, He cried when He saw the poor widow burying her son, He was moved to tears, to compassion, when He saw the crowds without a shepherd.”

It is only when we learn to cry with those who are suffering that we can begin to understand them and to love them, Pope Francis explained.

“If you don’t learn how to cry, you can’t be good Christians,” he emphasized.

“Let us learn how to weep, as Glyzelle has shown us today. Let us not forget this lesson.”

The 12-year-old’s question followed a heartbreaking testimony from Jun Chura, a formerly homeless Filipino child. Jun was one of three young people to personally address the Holy Father at a meeting with Filipino youth on the sports field of the University of Santo Tomas on January 18.

Not long ago, Jun left his family, as they could no longer send him to school, and took to the streets.

“I was feeding myself with what (I) can find in the garbage,” he said. “I did not know where to go and I was sleeping on the sidewalk looking for a piece of carton to make a mat.”

Besides having to fend for himself,

Jun witnessed things on the street no child is prepared to see.

“Terrible things happened to my companions in the street: I saw that they were taught how to steal, to kill also, and they have no respect anymore for the adults,” he said. “I saw also some children who were taught how to use drugs.”

It was hard to know when to accept help from those who offered it, Jun said.

Adults would often approach children in the street, purporting to offer food or shelter, but would the use the children

for unpaid labor or sexual abuse.

That’s why, when Jun was first approached by the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, he declined. He wasn’t sure he could trust that the group was actually there to help him.

Jun now accepts help from the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation. They are helping him continue his education, and one day he hopes to work with the Foundation to help his family and other street children like himself.

Glyzelle too has been helped by the foundation.

Pope Francis hugs a former homeless girl Glyzelle Palomar at a youth rally in Manila January 18.

20

January 23, 2015

Details of proposal for pope’s U.S. visit emerge continued from page seven

firmed his presence at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia during the November 17-19 Humanum Conference in Rome, saying that he will attend “if God wills it.”

Besides the encounter with families, Archbishop Auza said that the Philadelphia visit will likely include “a visit either to a children’s hospital or a juvenile pris-

on.”

Members of the organizational committee for the visit, he said, include himself; papal nuncio to the United States Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano; Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington; Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, archbishop of Boston; Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, also president

Visit The Anchor online at http://www.anchornews.org

of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York; Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia; Msgr.

Ronny Jenkins, secretary-general at the bishops’ conference, as well as a team of various secretaries and assistants.

On his January 15 flight from Sri Lanka to the Philippines, Pope Francis also made the surprise announcement that he would canonize the founder of California’s first missions, Blessed Junipero Serra.

When asked whether or not the pope’s itinerary for his U.S. trip would include a visit to California for the canonization, Archbishop Auza said that although it would be the ideal place, the state will most likely not be on the agenda.

“I think he may do that in Washington,” he said, noting how there is a statue of Blessed Serra in the National Statuary Hall of the Capitol building, honoring him as one of the founders of California.

The pontiff would most likely preside over “what they call a brief canonization, not the formal solemn canonization,” he said.

On a final note, Archbishop Auza spoke of the possibility that the pope would go to Mexico as part of his trip to the U.S., saying that “they might skip Mexico this time because it becomes a very, very long (trip).”

The pontiff might make another visit to Latin America, the archbishop noted, although he did not know when that would be.

“So that’s more or less the plan. It’s a plan, we’ll see how it will pan out.”

21

January 23, 2015

Father Michael Annunziato, SS.CC.

FAIRHAVEN — Father Michael Anthony (Dominic) Annunziato, SS.CC., an ordained member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary-United States Province, passed away January 13. At his bedside were his sister Elaine and her husband George and three of his SS.CC. Brothers.

Father Mike, who would have celebrated his 88th birthday on March 21, was born in Providence, R.I. The second of five children, he was the son of Michelangelo and Angelina (Greco) Annunziato. He is survived by his sister, Elaine (Annunziato) Oldfield and her husband George of Raynham; sisters-in-law, Constance (Frappier) Annunziato of Taunton and Helen (Fraga) Annunziato of Taunton; 11 nieces and nephews and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews. He was pre-deceased by his three brothers, John, Amalio and Msgr. Armando Annunziato of the Fall River Diocese.

Father Annunziato had been a member of the Congregation for more than 60 years, having entered the novitiate in 1946 at the age of 19. He followed in the path of his uncle Father Amalio Greco S.A.C. who was also a missionary priest.

After his ordination in Washington D.C. in 1953, he was assigned to the Province Mission in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. For the next 14 years, he served in various capacities helping to administer parishes in Shimodate, Hitachi, Yamagata, Tomobe and Yonezawa and mastering the Japanese language.

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Guy Roddy, 75, was born to Wallace and Anna (Walsh) Roddy on Sept. 8, 1939 in Burlington. Vt. and died on January 10 in Canton, Ohio after a brief illness.

It was as a student of Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburgh, N.Y. that he entered the formation center of the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Alfred, Maine. On completing high school, he formally became a member of the congregation as a novice on Aug. 15, 1958. His profession of perpetual vows took place in August 1964, in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Brother Roddy was a lifelong learner. He taught several years in high schools having earned his B.A. from Walsh University (Canton, Ohio) in 1965. In the span of 25 years he earned additional degrees: an M.A. in catechetical theology from Manhattan College (’68), and an M.A. in pastoral counseling from Emmanuel College (‘82).

In 1968, he returned to the East Coast Province in Fairhaven and for a short time was the administrator at St. Anthony Parish in Mattapoisett. Early 1969 brought Father Annunziato to Texas where he was assigned as associate pastor at Queen of Peace Parish in Harlingen. He remained there for eight years before being asked to become the pastor of Our Lady of the Angels and its five mission churches in La Joya, Texas. Once again he mastered a third language becoming fluent in Spanish and thoroughly enjoying the Texas culture — and its food! After remaining in La Joya for 10 years, he returned to Queen of Peace as pastor for three years before accepting his final assignment as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Edinburg, Texas in 1990, retiring from there in 2005 to return to Damien Residence in Fairhaven.

He especially loved spending his retirement time visiting with his sister Elaine, and her family and was particularly boastful of his great nieces Angela and Christine and great nephew, Michael. Father Annunziato still has ties to his birth town with several cousins in Providence, Cranston and Smithfield, R.I. A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church in Fairhaven, January 19 followed by burial in the Sacred Hearts Community Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sacred Hearts Community, Damien Residence in Fairhaven.

Father Benedict (Frank) Folger, SS.CC.

NEW BEDFORD — Father Benedict (Frank) Folger, SS.CC., an ordained member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary-United States Province, passed away January 15 at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.

Father Folger, who last celebrated his 82nd birthday, was born in New Bedford to Frank and Mary (Rapoza) Folger on June 20, 1932. His early years were spent in Fairhaven where he attended St. Joseph’s School and Fairhaven High School, graduating in 1949.

Father Folger is survived by his sister Lucy (Folger) Makara and her husband Frank of Fairhaven; his niece Marianne Gaboriault and her husband Richard of Pawtucket, R.I.; his nephew, Stephen Makara and his wife Cindy of New Bedford; six grandnieces and nephews and eleven great-grandnieces and nephews.

Always knowing that he wanted to be a priest from a very early age, Father Folger joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in 1951 making his first profession in 1952 at St. Joseph’s Church in Fairhaven. He was ordained to the priesthood at Queen of Peace Seminary in Jaffrey, N.H. on Sept. 29, 1957. Being very close to his family, his niece, Marianne, was the first baby he baptized following his ordination, something which created a special bond between the two.

In 1958 he received his first assignment to teach at Bishop Amat High School in La Puenta, Calif. He remained there until 1972 when he returned to the East Coast Province

Brother Guy Roddy, F.I.C.

Always searching for professionalism in preparation for a career change, he obtained an M.S. in administration from the University of Notre Dame (’89) and a D.Min. in Church administration from the Graduate Theological Foundation, Ind. (’92).

With this extensive preparation Brother Roddy accepted a variety of assignments. His early high school teaching assignments were in Detroit, Mich. and Alfred, Maine. and later at Walsh University as an assistant professor in the Theology Department. For five years he held the position of Religious Education Coordinator, first in Canton, Ohio (St. Joan of Arc Parish) and then in the North Country of upstate N.Y. He enjoyed seven years as a high school guidance counselor in New York State, and in Massachusetts — Bishop Connolly, Fall River and Holy Name, Worcester. In

1989, he returned to Plattsburgh to serve for six years as business manager for Seton Catholic High School before accepting a teaching position at Wadhams Hall Seminary in Ogdensburg, N.Y. until its closing in 2002. After a year’s stint in the Philippines, he landed a teaching position at Walsh University in 2004 were he additionally served as local superior of the Brothers’ LaMennais Hall community on campus.

He strove to live a quality life as a religious Brother, and for several years in formation work, guided young religious both at the novitiate and scholasticate stages. He was a founding member of the National Conference of Religious Brothers. He held membership on several boards in Ohio.

With his rich and varied experiences, he was serving from 2009 until his last illness as assistant to

to serve as parochial vicar and pastor at several of the area churches including Our Lady of the Assumption in New Bedford, Our Lady of Lourdes in Wellfleet, and St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet.

Father Folger went to the Bahamas in 1977 where he became parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s Church in Nassau. In 1983 he returned to become parochial vicar at Holy Trinity in Harwich for almost 10 years followed by assignments as pastor at St. Mary’s in Fairhaven and at St. Margaret of Scotland in Seat Pleasant, Md. But perhaps the most beloved of the assignments Father Folger received was that of parochial vicar for the parishes of Our Lady of Grace, St. Anthony and Immaculate Conception and their mission churches located in and around Artesia, N.M. where the Congregation established a new community-in-mission.

Assigned there in 2003, he remained in active ministry until health concerns forced his retirement to Damien Residence in 2008, but Artesia was a place to which he had always hoped to return.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated for Father Folger at St. Joseph’s Church in Fairhaven January 20, followed by burial in the Sacred Hearts Community Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sacred Hearts Community Damien Residence in Fairhaven.

Arrangements were by the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, Fairhaven. For memorial register go to, www.hathawayfunerals.com.

the provincial superior of the Notre Dame Province.

He is survived by his three siblings, John and Mary of Orlando, Fla. and Ellen Peloubet of N.J. He will be truly missed by members of his family and especially by his fellow Brothers who remain grateful for his years of genuine enthusiasm for his religious vocation.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Brothers’ Retirement Fund can be sent in his memory to Brother Jerome Lessard, P.O. Box 159, Alfred, Maine, 04002.

Funeral services were held on January 19 in the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the campus of Walsh University, North Canton, Ohio. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on January 26 at 10:30 a.m. at Notre Dame Chapel in Alfred, Maine. Burial will take place in the Brothers Cemetery in Alfred. Arrangements were

by Black Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.

22

January 23, 2015

Anonymous alum inspires matching donor drive continued from page one

The generous offer couldn’t have come at a better time.

Noting that the school’s enrollment has been steadily increasing over the last seven years, Peixoto said she worked with the diocesan Catholic Education office to put together a temporary solution to the space confinements by adding four modular classrooms for the middle-school-aged students, replete with Internet service, interactive projectors and Apple TV. “About four years ago, we added two modular classrooms,” Peixoto said. “That got us through a few years as far as needed extra space; but because of our enrollment we needed more space for this past September.”

With initial cost estimates in hand, work proceeded in earnest this past summer so the four new classrooms would be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the school year.

“As with any project, you expect certain costs and then other things creep in,” Peixoto said. “So we notified our parents at the start of the school year and put notices in our parish bulletin that the project had cost this amount, this is what we’ve been able to put towards that, and any donations that would be made to our growth fund would be used to defer those

(additional) costs.”

Peixoto said the school’s anonymous benefactor must have read about their need for additional funding and that’s when he stepped up to the plate.

“It’s my understanding that he’s helped his college and high school before, but it’s very rare that anyone comes forward to do any type of matching fund for an elementary school,” she said. “It was very overwhelming for me, but as he has said to us: this school help set the foundation for him.”

Instead of making an outright donation to the school, however, the donor felt that a matchingfund challenge might inspire others to give back a little to their alma mater as well — and that seems to be the case.

Having announced the drive in October, in just three months’ time they’ve already surpassed the halfway mark to the $100,000 goal.

“We’re encouraging families, if they haven’t yet given, to consider donating,” Peixoto said. “The date that (the donor) has set is February 28 and that’s when we’re going to end the matching drive effort.”

Peixoto remains optimistic that they’ll reach their goal by February 28.

“I think we’ll make — I hope

Around the Diocese

A presentation on “Life With Christ Radio,” WQMC 102.3 FM, which will be coming soon to Cape Cod, will be held at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on January 26 beginning at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. Kevin Ward and Vinnie Armstrong will discuss the new Catholic radio station, which will be an EWTN affiliate broadcasting national and local programming. Please come to learn more about the future of Catholic radio. The program is sponsored by the Mashpee Knights of Columbus Council No. 13388. For more information contact Grand Knight Mark Linse at 508-274-4764.

The Cape chapter of Mass Citizens for Life will hold its quarterly meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church, Route 6A in Brewster, at 9 a.m. on January 31 with MCFL President Ann Fox in attendance. Counselors at Learn Your Options, the pregnancy resource service previously known as A Woman’s Concern, will also share stories and an organizer of the Cape Cod Bus for Life will talk about the March for Life in Washington, D.C. A continental breakfast will be served and all are welcome.

A Healing Mass will be celebrated on February 2 at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Victory Parish, 230 South Main Street in Centerville. If you are coping with any physical illness, dealing with worries, fears or anxieties, struggling with a life crisis or just feeling lost Spiritually or if you are concerned about a friend or family member and don’t know how to help them, come and join this special Mass of Healing to pray for these concerns. The Mass is sponsored by Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cancer Support Group, which meets immediately following the Mass in the parish center. The speaker for that evening will be Tom Duffy, an auxiliary member of the Knights of Malta who has had the privilege of travelling to the Shrine of Lourdes several times. Tom will have Holy Water from the shrine available. For more information contact Geri Medeiros at 508-362- 6909.

On February 6 at 6 p.m., Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate Mass and have dinner with the men of the Fall River Area Men’s First Friday Club. Following dinner, Bishop da Cunha will address the membership. The Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church on North Main Street in Fall River and is open to the public. The dinner is by invitation only through members of the First Friday Club. Father Jay Mello, parochial administrator of St. Joseph’s Parish, will concelebrate Mass with the bishop. For more information, contact Daryl Gonyon at 508-672-4822 or club president Norman Valiquette at 508-672-8174.

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

we will,” she said. “Everyday a few more checks come in here and there. It’s been an overwhelming response and it’s not something we’ve ever done before, so we really didn’t know what to expect as far as a response. But we’ve gotten donations from as small as $1 to those in the thousands; and it’s not only our current families who have given: it’s been grandparents, alumni and family members of alumni, and a lot of parishioners from St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart parishes have responded wonderfully and quite a few have asked their employers to match their donations as well.”

Peixoto said it’s encouraging to see donations from parishioners who don’t have or never had a child enrolled in the school.

“Just to see them respond in that way to help us really does show that we truly are a part of the parish, we’re not just a school that’s removed from the parish,” she said. “The parish really does consider us to be a part of their family as well.”

Although the bulk of the money raised will be used to pay off the remaining balance on the modular classrooms, Peixoto said whatever money is left over will be put back into the school’s growth fund for future expansion.

“The modular classrooms are more of a temporary solution, so if our enrollment continues the

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 continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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 and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 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.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

In Your Prayers

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.

Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks

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.

Continued on page 23

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 Jan. 27 Rev. John T. O’Grady, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1919 Rev. Joseph M. Silvia, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Thomas E. Lockary, C.S.C., Stonehill College, North Easton, 1988 Jan. 28 Rev. Joseph M. Griffin, Pastor, St. Mary, Nantucket, 1947 Rt. Rev. Msgr. John J. Shay, V.F., Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro, 1961 Jan. 29 Rev. Christiano J. Borges, Retired Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1944 Rev. Albert J. Masse, Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1950 Jan. 30 Rev. Raymond F.X. Cahill, S.J., Assistant, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis, 1983 Rev. Sebastian Slesinksi, OFM, Conv., 2006 Rev. Raul M. Lagoa, Pastor, St. John of God, Somerset, 2012

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 Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also 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 perpetual 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. Exposition 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 — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall.

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.

23

January 23, 2015 Continued from page 22

way it has been, we’re going to have to continue working with the diocese to determine what direction to go in,” she said. “Whatever matching funds that come through that don’t need to be used to pay for the project are going to be put away to be used for any permanent solution or whatever direction we’re headed. The modular classrooms we have now will tide us over for a few more years, but if the enrollment continues on as it has been, I’m going to run out of space again.”

Admitting a lack of space is “a great problem to have,” Peixoto said this certainly speaks well for the confidence that parents have put in St. Mary-Sacred Heart School and Catholic schools in general.

“What I hear a lot from families is they’re looking for a place where their child feels safe and where the parent feels safe dropping off their child for the day,” she said. “In addition, we are able to introduce and reinforce the same Catholic values that they teach in their homes that, I think, is sorely missing from a lot of families. We use Catholic values to teach the whole child, so we develop a whole person academically and Spiritually — it’s not just reading, writing and arithmetic.”

Peixoto sees the anonymous alum’s generous offer as “a true gift to our elementary school and a testament to what we do.”

“We’re very blessed, because when we went over-budget on the project, we’ve had wonderful vendors who have been waiting patiently for their payment,” she said.

“We figured we’d work through it, but when we were at our darkest hour and realized we still owed this much, that’s when Susan came to me and said she had just received a call from an alum. So when one door shuts, another one

opens — God will provide.”

And while Peixoto certainly respects and understands the donor wanting to remain anonymous, she thinks hearing about his benevolence might set an example for others to follow.

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

“I think getting the message out about our alum might just inspire and help somebody else — whether it’s our school or another Catholic elementary school in our diocese,” she said. “It may spark someone to think: ‘You know, they

did help lay the foundation for me, so how can I give back in some way, shape or form to the Catholic school that helped form me?’

Maybe it will inspire someone to do something similar for their own Catholic elementary school.”

24

January 23, 2015