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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , January 30, 2015

Miracles abound in the life of Sister Mila

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues Anchor Correspondent

ATTLEBORO — In the wake of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, the world watched the apostolic visit of Pope Francis, including Mother Superior at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette.

Sister Maria Milagros Dela Cruz, SNDS, was born and raised in Ramon, Isabela, in the far north of the Philippines.

A visit by the pope is a great blessing to the Filipino people, according to the vibrant, animated nun, affectionately known as Sister Mila, 65.

“I watched the Mass in Manila, and it was raining,” she said.

“We Filipinos don’t get discouraged when it rains. The old people would say it is a blessing from God.” Sister Mila came from a very large family of 17 children, including eight girls and nine boys. Her parents would also

adopt another son.

“I was number 10 and a blue baby,” she said. “The doctor told my aunt that they did their best, but the baby was dead. The doctor left, and then my aunt said I started crying. My aunt reported to the doctor that the baby came alive.”

Consequently, the doctor baptized the preemie Maria Milagros (Miracles).

Her siblings walked to school, which was two miles away; but Sister Mila was too weak to walk a long distance.

“My father would come with us, and he put me on his shoulders,” she said.

He also gave her a small dog so that she would never be alone.

She named him Pepsi.

“I had him for 16 years,” she said.

Learning to write her long name in first grade was a trial.

Her classmates’ names were Turn to page 18

Sister Maria Milagros Dela Cruz, SNDS, serves as Liturgical coordinator at Our Lady of La Salette Shrine in Attleboro for acolytes, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, and sacristans — and also assists the priests. (Photo by Linda Andrade Rodrigues)

Deacon designs program to welcome those with autism

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

PITTSBURGH, Penn.

— According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, about one percent of the world population has an autism spectrum disorder; the preva-

lence in the United States is estimated at one in 68 births with more than 3.5 million Americans living with autism.

Lawrence Sutton, Ph.D. is an ordained deacon and licensed psychologist specializing in autism. He is nationally-recognized for developing a unique Religious Education Turn to page 14

Attached is a photo taken of the group of pilgrims from St. John & St. Vincent’s parishes in Attleboro following the closing Mass of the March for Life at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington last Friday.

A group of pilgrims from St. John and St. Vincent’s parishes in Attleboro gathered for a group photo following the closing Mass of the March for Life at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Cape Verdean faithful express joy over first-ever cardinal appointment

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

(in our parish).”

Fellow parishioner Arlindo Rodrigues remembers joking with the bishop about them sharing the same first name.

“He’s very friendly; he almost seems like someone I knew before,” Rodrigues said.

“We talked a lot about the Church and he was a very nice man. People find him easy to talk to.”

Although Rodrigues said Bishop Furtado doesn’t seem to him to be a “political person,” he thinks he will be a great cardinal for Cape Verde.

“I am excited that he’s go-

ing to be a cardinal,” he said.

“He’s a very good man and very humble.”

Father Stan Kolasa, SS.CC., director of the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham, was serving as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish at the time.

“He’s a lovely, simple man,” Father Kolasa said. “I’m delighted, of course, that he’s been named a cardinal because he’s a good priest and a good bishop. That he’s (a native) of Cape Verde is also good; but I think it’s more important that

NEW BEDFORD — Ten years ago, when Maria “Matuca” Freitas hosted the bishop of the newly-established Mindelo Diocese in Cape Verde at her home in New Bedford, little did she know that he would one day become the first-ever cardinal named from her native Cape Verdean islands.

But earlier this month, Pope Francis announced that Arlindo Gomes Furtado, current Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde, would be the first cardinal appointed from the PortuTurn to page 18 guese-speaking archipelago.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Freitas recently told The Anchor. “Everybody is happy that they’ve appointed (Bishop Furtado) as a cardinal. The bishop is such a nice man.”

Bishop Furtado will be among 20 men elevated to the College of Cardinals at a February 14 consistory at the Vatican.

“He came here for the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in 2005,” Freitas said. “Everybody in the Cape Verdean community knows me so I had a big feast Cardinal-designate Arlindo Gomes Furtado, current Bishop of Sanfor him here at my house. We tiago de Cabo Verde, will be the first cardinal appointed from the really enjoyed having him here Portuguese-speaking archipelago. (CNS photo)

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News From the Vatican

January 30, 2015

Christian unity demands encounter — not theory, says Pope Francis

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — More than “theoretical discussions,” what unites Christians is encounter, and a willingness to “challenge one another,” said Pope Francis as he marked the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“Christian unity will not be the fruit of subtle theoretical discussions in which each party tries to convince the other of the soundness of their opinions,” the pope said recently during vespers at St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica.

“To plumb the depths of the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who harmonizes diversities and overcomes conflicts,” he said.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally celebrated from January 18-25, between the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Those present at this year’s Vespers included Ecumenical patriarch representative Metropolitan Gennadios, Archbishop of Canterbury representative David Moxon, and various other representatives of churches and ecclesial communities.

Pope Francis’ address was largely focused on St. John’s Gospel account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. “He has no problem dealing with Samaritans, who were considered by the Jews to be heretics, schismatics, separated,” the pope said.

“His attitude tells us that encounter with those who are different from ourselves can make us grow.”

In the Gospel account, Jesus asks the woman for a drink, but the pope observes that His is more than a physical thirst: “It is also a thirst for encounter, a desire to enter into dialogue with that woman and to invite her to make a journey of interior conversion.”

The Holy Father also noted Jesus’ patience and respect for the woman before revealing Himself: “His example encourages us to seek a serene encounter with others.

To understand one another, and to grow in charity and truth, we need to pause, to

accept and listen to one another.”

“In this way, we already begin to experience unity,” he said.

When the woman asks Jesus “where God is truly worshiped,” the Holy Father said, Christ “goes to the heart of the matter, breaking down every wall of division. He speaks instead of the meaning of true worship.”

“So many past controversies between Christians can be overcome when we put aside all polemical or apologetic approaches, and seek instead to grasp more fully what unites us, namely, our call to share in the mystery of the Father’s love revealed to us by the Son through the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Father went on to say the “human existence is marked by boundless aspirations: we seek truth, we thirst for love, justice and freedom.”

“These desires can only be partially satisfied, for from the depths of our being we are prompted to seek ‘something more,’ something capable of fully quenching our thirst. The response to these aspirations is given by God in Jesus Christ, in His Paschal Mystery.”

The Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus made her a missionary, the pope continued: “Her encounter with Jesus restored meaning and joy to her life, and she felt the desire to share this with others.”

Pope Francis said that “we cannot evade” the request from the many men and women who ask Christians for “something to drink.”

“All the Churches and Ecclesial Communities discover a privileged setting for closer cooperation,” he said. “For this to be effective, we need to stop being self-enclosed, exclusive, and bent on imposing a uniformity based on merely human calculations (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 131). Our shared commitment to proclaiming the Gospel enables us to overcome proselytism and competition in all their forms.”

Pope Francis went on to stress that religious life “is called to offer in our time a witness to that communion in Christ which transcends all differences and finds expression in concrete gestures of acceptance and dialogue.”

A woman holding her daughter takes a selfie with Pope Francis during a recent weekly audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)

Pope surprised by misunderstanding of his words on responsible parenthood

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis was surprised that his words on responsible parenthood were not widely taken in the sense that he intended them, a Vatican official related in a recent interview.

Archbishop Giovanni Becciu, Substitute at the Secretariat of State, also told Avvenire, the Italian bishops’ publication, that the pope was saddened at the misunderstanding.

“The pope is truly sorry that it created such disorientation. He absolutely did not want to disregard the beauty and the value of large families,” Archbishop Becciu stated.

“Seeing the headlines, the Holy Father, with whom I spoke yesterday, smiled and was a bit surprised that his words were not fully contextualized with regards to a very clear passage of Humanae vitae on responsible parenthood,” Archbishop Becciu stated.

Blessed Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical on the regulation of birth said that “responsible parenthood, as we use the term here, has one further essential aspect of paramount importance. It concerns the objective moral order which was established by God, and of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. In a word, the exercise of

responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God, themselves, their families and human society.”

In the in-flight press conference back from Manila January 19, Pope Francis said, “some think that — excuse the language — that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits,” and stressed that it was instead important to exercise “responsible parenthood.”

Archbishop Becciu said the pope’s statement “must be interpreted in the sense that the procreative act of humans cannot follow the logic of the animal instinct, but it is instead the fruit of a responsible act that is rooted in love and in the mutual gift of the self.”

He lamented that “unfortunately, very often the contemporary culture tends to diminish the authentic beauty and high value of conjugal love, with all the negative consequences that follow.”

During the press conference, Pope Francis had also said he is saddened when people say three children per family is too much, citing that three children per couple “is the number experts say is important to keep the population

going.”

Many interpreted this as a proclamation as a normative number of children for each Christian couple, but Archbishop Becciu dismissed this interpretation.

“The number three only refers to the minimum number that would assure the stability of population, as indicated by sociologists and demographers. In no way did the pope want to say that it represented the ‘just’’number of children for each married couple,” Archbishop Becciu said.

He then explained that “every Christian couple, in light of grace, is called to discern according to a variety of Divine and human parameters the number of children they should have.”

The archbishop said the correct interpretation of Pope Francis’ words comes from the teaching of Blessed Paul VI and from the ancient tradition of the Church, which Pius XI’s 1930 encyclical Casti connubii reiterated: that “even if the unitive and procreative aspects of the sexual act must never be separated,” the act “must always be included in the logic of love” with regard to the “capacity of each person to open to the mystery of the gift of self in the bonds of Marriage.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Addressing the Vatican tribunal primarily responsible for hearing requests for Marriage annulments, Pope Francis said all annulment processes should be free of charge. “The Sacraments are free. The Sacraments give us grace. And a matrimonial process pertains to the Sacrament of Matrimony. How I wish that all processes were free,” the pope said at a recent meeting to in-

augurate the Roman Rota’s judicial year.

Pope Francis also said that, because contemporary culture portrays Marriage as a “mere form of emotional gratification,” people often marry without a true understanding of the Sacrament, meaning many such Marriages might actually be invalid. “The judge, in pondering the validity of the consent expressed, must take into account

the context of values and of faith — or their presence or absence — in which the intent to marry was formed. In fact, ignorance of the contents of the faith could lead to what the code (of canon law) calls an error conditioning the will. This eventuality is not to be considered rare as in the past, precisely because worldly thinking often prevails over the magisterium of the Church,” the pope said.

Pope says Marriage annulment process should be free of charge

January 30, 2015

The International Church

Sri Lankan war victims feel ‘healed’ by pope’s Madhu visit

MADHU, Sri Lanka (CNS) — Kunaratnam Sabaratnam’s legs were severed by a shell in the closing stages of Sri Lanka’s ethnic war.

But shaking hands with Pope Francis at the Marian shrine in Madhu “was like meeting God, and the pope’s touch took way all my pains of these years,” Sabaratnam told Catholic News Service.

Sabaratnam, a Hindu, recently spoke to Catholic News Service at his home at the Claretian-run Vanni Rehabilitation Organization for the Differently Abled in Vavuniya, 25 miles from the Marian shrine.

Three days earlier, he presented a wood carved souvenir to Pope Francis when the pontiff visited the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, 160 miles north of Colombo. The carving was signed by each of the 120 residents of the Vanni center.

“The pope even shook hands with me,” Sabaratnam, a Hindu, told CNS. “The pope’s speech was touching. There should be no war in the world,” said Sabaratnam, 50.

For two decades Vanni, the region between Vavuniya and Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, was under the control of ethnic Tamil rebels known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The shrine houses a statue of Mary venerated by Sri Lankans since the 16th century. During most of the 26-year struggle between government forces and the Tamil rebels, both sides recognized

the area around the shrine as a demilitarized zone, which served as a sanctuary for thousands of war refugees. However, in 2008, the shrine came under crossfire.

Sabaratnam got stranded in the war zone while visiting his younger brother in the Tamilheld areas in 2006, when the truce between the rebels and the government collapsed.

Since the war ended, he said, “I had lost touch with my family and have been feeling lonely, but meeting the pope has given me a life enthusiasm,” said Sabaratnam, a cook at the rehabilitation center.

Kajiendran Asha, another Hindu, also shook hands with Pope Francis.

“I am blessed. I cannot forget that moment,” she said.

“By coming to Madhu, the pope has recognized the suffering of the war victims. He has drawn world attention to our suffering,” said Asha, 25, whose legs were amputated after she was hit by a shell in February 2009.

“I was very happy to see the pope releasing a dove,” the symbol of peace, she added.

R. Tulsika, who identified herself with only her first initial, lost her left hand and left leg at the age of 16 after she was hit by a shell in 2009 when she was attending the funeral of the grandmother of her classmate. She told CNS she was disappointed that she could not shake hands with the pope but described the event as “a saint coming to Madhu.”

“I felt like encountering God.

He touched our hearts and healed us,” said Tulsika, a Hindu who is continuing her education while living at the Claretian center.

Antony Constantine, who works at the Madhu shrine, was proud that his daughter, Mary, got to present Pope Francis with a bouquet of flowers. He said his sons Britto, 14, and Bruno, 12, were among 16 children from the refugee camp at the shrine who were killed in a landmine blast, along with their headmaster, on their way to school in 2008.

“Both of them were altar boys, and I am happy that my daughter was chosen to present a bouquet to the Holy Father,” said Constantine, touching the cross on top of the tombs of his sons in the cemetery where the 16 children are buried.

Constantine said he came to the shrine in 2006 with his family to meet his sister, Holy Cross Sister Ida Thomas, in the convent near the shrine.

“Suddenly the cease-fire ended and there was war. We could not go back to Jaffna, and we decided to stay in the refugee camp,” Constantine said.

“This visit has given a healing touch to the war victims,” said Marydasan Revel, who sells palmira roots. He gets around on a bicycle, steering with his left arm, because his right arm has been amputated.

“I have bought the posters of the pope, and I will hang them in my house. It will be an inspiration for me,” said Revel.

Sainthood cause of Focolare’s founder officially opens in Italy

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sainthood cause of the founder of the Focolare movement, Chiara Lubich, opened officially January 27 in the cathedral of the Italian Diocese of Frascati, which includes the town where the international lay movement is based.

Bishop Raffaello Martinelli of Frascati was to preside at the opening ceremony, which will include the formal establishment of the tribunal that will study Lubich’s life and holiness.

The Congregation for Saints’ Causes authorized the opening of the diocesan inquiry into the potential sainthood of Lubich, who died March 14, 2008, at age 88.

Maria Voce, president of Focolare, said there is a huge amount of documents, letters and even videos of Lubich giving talks that they have turned over to the diocese for the tribunal that will

study Lubich’s writings and interview people who knew her.

The collected information will be the basis for deciding whether Lubich lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way and deserves to be declared venerable. If so, the attribution of a miracle to her intercession would then be the normal requirement for beatification, and another miracle for canonization.

Lubich’s holiness can be seen in her ordinariness and how “you can be a saint by leading a normal life,” Voce recently told Vatican Radio.

Everything extraordinary in her “normal life is the fruit that comes from God, from Chiara’s relationship with God and Chiara’s normal relationship with the people,” Voce said.

Lubich’s holiness, Voce said, was seen not just in her own desire to live the Gospel, but also in

her ability to attract others, even those who did not know the Gospel, and inspire them to follow her example and “put Gospel principles into action.”

Lubich was born in Trent, Italy, in 1920, and was christened Silvia. Her admiration of St. Clare of Assisi led her to adopt the name Chiara, the Italian form of Clare.

In 1943, after consulting a priest, she privately took vows consecrating herself to God and gradually began forming a circle of friends who read the Gospels together.

Gradually, the women decided to form a community and share everything they had with each other and with the poor. They sought a sense of family gathered around a hearth — “focolare” in Italian.

Focolare now has more than two million members and associates in 192 countries.

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January 30, 2015 The Church in the U.S. Little Sisters’ attentive care helps elderly poor live with dignity

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QUEENS VILLAGE, N.Y. (CNS) — “I found Heaven,” Agnes Russo said definitively, as she described the Little Sisters of the Poor Queen of Peace Residence, her home of 17 years.

Russo, 99, was one of eight women recently honored at a festive “807 Years of Life” party celebrating residents who will be 100 or more years old in 2015.

Each of the women was greeted with applause as she entered the spacious community room and was introduced to the gathering of family, staff and volunteers. Students from Kellenberg Memorial High School escorted the honorees and helped them get settled at the head table.

The celebration included live music, dancing, fruit punch, cake, ice cream and certificates of recognition from state Sen. Tony Avella. Each of the exquisitely dressed honorees was invited to share a few words.

Gratitude was a common theme in their brief reflections.

Queen of Peace is in a residential neighborhood at the eastern edge of the New York borough of Queens. The Little Sisters of the Poor opened the facility in 1970 and have cared for 1,240 elderly men and women there, including the 81 current residents. Twenty sisters and 95 employees serve the residents, with help from volunteers and young women in the Little Sisters’ novitiate, which shares the compound.

Queen of Peace provides long-term care for the aged poor, consistent with the vision of St. Jeanne Jugan, who

founded the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1839. The congregation’s mission is to “offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for as family and accompanied with dignity until God calls them to Himself.”

Mother Celine Therese Vadukkoot, superior of Queen

the Sisters work together with employees, volunteers and residents to create a family Spirit.

“Everyone can take care of somebody, but if you’re grounded in faith, you’re also serving the Lord,” while you’re working, she said.

“And we’re here for the residents 24/7,” Sister Sheila said.

“Our convent is upstairs. The

Sisters Carol Ferrucci, left, Maria Goretti Hung and Margaret Regina Halloran prepare to distribute cake during a recent birthday party for centenarians at the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Queen of Peace Residence in the Queens borough of New York. Eight residents celebrating 100 or more years in 2015 were honored at the event. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

of Peace and president of its board of trustees, said: “We want our residents to be happy here and enjoy life in our home.”

Sister Sheila McLoughlin, the director of nursing, said Queen of Peace differs from other nursing homes because of the charism and Spirit of the congregation and the way

Sisters start their day with prayer and have a strong prayer life, communal life and apostolic life.”

The Sisters also take a vow of hospitality, which permeates everything they do, she said.

Queen of Peace includes 28 independent living apartments and 53 single rooms with private baths in a skilled nursing

Philly archdiocese says pope’s U.S. schedule yet to be finalized

Philadelphia, Pa. (CNA/EWTN News) — Archdiocese of Philadelphia director of communications Kenneth Gavin clarified that Pope Francis’ official schedule during his trip to the U.S. in September has yet to be finalized.

“We are overjoyed that Pope Francis will be with us in September, and planning for his visit is intensely underway,” he told CNA. “However, no final decisions regarding the papal itinerary for Philadelphia have yet been made.”

“Certainly, we are exploring a wide variety of potential scenarios and there are numerous factors and contingencies to consider,” Gavin noted, adding

environment. There is an infirmary in the building and residents are taken to the hospital, “if they will get well,” Sister Sheila said. There is a tender focus on end-of-life care, manifested in a commitment to never leave a dying resident alone.

Most residents are Catholic and Mass is celebrated daily in the two-story chapel. “The

that final confirmation of the Pope’s Philadelphia schedule “can come only after consultation with the papal household.”

The update comes after Archbishop Bernardito Auza — a member of the organizing committee for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the U.S. — revealed details of the proposed schedule, which includes visits to three cities.

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 pope announced in November that that he will visit the U.S. in September 2015, including a stop at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which will take place from September 22-27.

Even before the pope’s announcement, the meeting was expected to draw tens of thousands of people. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia told a gathering of Catholic bishops in November that a papal visit would likely result in crowds of about one million.

A global Catholic event, the world meeting seeks to support and strengthen families. St. John Paul II founded the event in 1994, and it takes place every three years.

majority come to us because they’re Catholic and want to be with the Sisters and have someone praying with them when they’re dying,” she said.

Volunteer Mary Frost said her mother “was happy at Queen of Peace from day one.

The Sisters sang her to Heaven nine years later at age 103.”

Frost, a trained gerontologist with experience as a nursing home ombudsman, said the dignity and respect she saw at Queen of Peace made it easy to recommend it to her mother. “On my very first visit, I was impressed that there was no odor and everyone was dressed, each had their own room and bath, and many people brought their own furniture,” she said.

The group party was Mary McQuade’s third celebration since she recently became 100.

The retired nurse who worked in retail until she was 86 said, “When I became 100 years old, I couldn’t believe it myself.

I don’t feel any different than when I was 25. The years add up, but you don’t know it!”

McQuade reads voraciously and is currently enjoying a biography of John Adams. She is

partial to author John Grisham.

She said the people at Queen of Peace have become a new family for her. “We all eat together and the food is very nice. I go to Mass every day that I can,” she told Catholic News Service.

Kevin McQuade, her son, said the staff is “very attentive, very joyful and everyone goes out of their way to help. The care is very pragmatic. They don’t over-medicate and they let the residents live their lives with tremendous dignity.”

The 2015 operating budget for Queen of Peace is $6.6 million, according to Katharine Ogonek, director of development. In addition, $1 million to $3 million is needed for capital projects. While 98 percent of the residents are eligible for Medicaid, payments from Medicare and Medicaid cover only 40 percent of the budget.

The rest is raised through parish appeals, direct mail, private donations and fund-raising events, including a GermanFest in January.

“When you take care of the poor, you have to have faith that people will support the mission who will never use the facility,” Ogonek said. “You can’t buy your way in here. It really is for the poor.”

Marianist Brother Michael Gillen accompanied the student volunteers from Kellenberg Memorial High School, a Marianist school in nearby Uniondale. “We’ve been coming here for 26 years.

The teens socialize and create a relationship with the elderly and give them the same respect they would want to have,” he said.

Kellenberg junior Michael Duffy said, “There’s a school focus on community service and I enjoy it. We mostly come here for dances, but also bring presents and joy at Christmas.” Kellenberg partners with Queen of Peace for a “Junior-Senior Prom” in February.

The Little Sisters of the Poor congregation is in a legal battle over its refusal to provide contraceptive coverage to its employees as required by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Affordable Care Act. Mother Margaret Regina Halloran, provincial of the order’s Brooklyn province, said she hoped they would get a permanent injunction against enforcement of the mandate.

“It’s not our life to have to do that,” she said.

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January 30, 2015

It’s up to young people to ‘end the scourge of abortion,’ says speaker

WASHINGTON (CNS) — On a chilly and cloudy morning on the National Mall in Washington, crowds gathered January 22 for the annual March for Life, this year marking the 42nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion virtually on demand.

Tens of thousands gathered first to hear a lineup of speakers, before marching from the Mall up Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill.

Early in the day, Pope Francis showed his support of the Pro-Life gathering by tweeting the theme: “Every Life is a Gift” with the hashtag #marchforlife.

By late morning, the temperature had reached about 40 degrees, warmer than many a previous march, and a music group opened the rally with the songs “To Be Loved” and “You’re Not Alone.” The music was upbeat with lively mandolin licks and the powerful voice of the lead singer.

Several members of Congress were in attendance, including U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, RKansas, who told Catholic News Service, “I am here to make my colleagues listen.” Huelskamp said life is a core issue in the public debate, and that Kansas was already at the forefront of human rights issues. “They were at the forefront of the slavery issue,” he said, and are now at the forefront of the life issue.

Levi Fox, a volunteer and a graduate of Liberty University, said, “Half of our generation is missing. Sixty million have been killed since Roe v. Wade, which is why I am dedicating my time to the March for Life.”

After the musical opening, Patrick Kelly, the chairman of the March for Life board, told the crowd they were attending “the largest and most important human rights rally in the world,”

students from Shanley Catholic High School holding the March for Life banner.

Among the marchers was a delegation led by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. The group included Catholic cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. “So much of the violence that plagues our contemporary world stems from the failure to recognize that human dignity,” the archbishop said in a statement.

“We demonstrate today to reiterate clearly that each person has an inestimable value from the moment of conception to his or her natural death.”

As the Pro-Lifers reached the Supreme Court, a small of group demonstrating in support of keeping abortion legal tried to stop them. The protesters held signs that read, “Abortion on demand and without apology.” At least eight were arrested by the U.S. Capitol Police for People pray in the upper level of the Verizon Center in Washington during a Pro-Life youth Mass in blocking the marchers’ path.

In an interview with CNS Washington January 22. Thousands of young people gathered at the arena to rally and pray before participating in the annual March for Life. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz) a day before the march, Scott, the South Carolina senator, had dox, Orthodox American, An- was “the responsibility of every referring to the school bring- predicted it would be a “fantastiochean Orthodox and Serbian single person in America.” The ing its entire student body on tic experience,” adding that his Orthodox churches, in a show conscience bill would imple- the 1,300-mile journey to the foundation in religious faith informs his position on life. of what the archbishop called “a ment a broad religious exemp- march.

“I see the world through the “Our generation has seen tion and conscience protections sign of Christian unity.”

The archbishop called the for private employers who op- through the smokescreen of lies prism of faith and the sanctity of life is a key component to our marchers to not only “be joyful pose the federal contraceptive and secrets,” she added.

The president of Students existence,” he said, “and to the witnesses to the Gospel of Life,” mandate that is part of the Affor Life, Kristan Hawkins, dis- extent that we can protect it at but also to be “loving and wel- fordable Care Act. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New cussed the gift of her son’s life its inception, we find ourselves coming” to those in dire circumJersey, who followed Scott, told despite a diagnosis of cystic fi- on the most solid footing to exstances.”

Jeanne Monahan-Mancini, the crowd, “There have never brosis. Hawkins said, “I have perience the fullness of life.”

Scott has talked often director of the March for Life, been more Pro-Life lawmakers personally witnessed the push addressed the marchers, con- in Congress than we have today.” in our culture to create ‘perfect’ about facing adversity in his own life, growing up in povIn discussing the Knights of babies,” she said. gratulating them for making a The remarks echoed those of erty, and how he would have “pilgrimage” before focusing on Columbus’ ultrasound initiative, which has just donated its 500th the other speakers and march- made bad choices if a mentor this year’s theme.

“Every Life Is a Gift” em- ultrasound machine, Supreme ers in declaring that “we are the had not intervened and put him on a path to success. phasized that every life is a gift, Knight Carl Anderson said, Pro-Life generation.”

Every life is important and After the rally, the crowd left “Women have a right to know regardless of a person’s difficulty the Mall for Constitution Av- “not giving up on any of them or disability, and also was meant the truth.”

In what may have been the enue and marched up to the Su- I think is incredibly important,” to emphasize that everyone has a call and a mission — and a role most inspiring address of the preme Court. At the front were he told CNS. “Many people would have given up on me in my early teens and frankly my mother and some strong mentors did not give up on me. I have been able to see the other side of life. I hope that we take that same position and approach to the unborn.”

He added, “So many folks talk about the conditions in which you bring a child into this world, but the fact of the matter is that I am thankful that, while I had to struggle with some very difficult times, I’ve lived long enough to see the other side and I want everyone to have that benefit.” and noted the march is becoming “bigger and younger every year.”

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, opened the rally with prayer alongside priests, bishops and patriarchs of the Greek Ortho-

to play creating a Culture of Life.

A large congressional delegation in attendance emphasized the importance of the Health Care Conscience Rights Act before yielding the floor to a passionate and energetic address by Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, who said the defense of life

day, Julia Johnson, a senior at Shanley Catholic High School in Fargo, N.D., said it was up to the youth of America to “end the scourge of abortion.”

As a member of “the ProLife generation,” she said she was proud to have come alongside “400 Pro-Life warriors,”

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January 30, 2015

Anchor Editorial

Snow

The founder of the Fall River Diocese, St. Pius X, mentioned snow in his 1905 encyclical Acerbo Nimis. He was speaking (in paragraph 14) about the very important work of catechists and began with a quote from the prophet Isaiah (who was quoting God): “‘And as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth and water it, and make it to spring and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: so shall My Word be, which shall go forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it’ (Is 55:10). We believe the same may be said of those priests who work hard to produce books which explain the truths of religion. They are surely to be commended for their zeal, but how many are there who read these works and take from them a fruit commensurate with the labor and intention of the writers? The teaching of the ‘Catechism,’ on the other hand, when rightly done, never fails to profit those who listen to it.”

St. Pius was describing the work of catechists as an essential first step (and, as we mentioned last week in the editorial, the first and primary catechists are the parents, who are then aided by parish Religious Education and Catholic school teachers) to having people embrace the faith. He said that without adequate catechesis, other proclamations of the faith will often be useless: “We do not disapprove of those pulpit orators who, out of genuine zeal for the glory of God, devote themselves to defense of the faith and to its spread, or who eulogize the saints of God. But their labor presupposes labor of another kind, that of the catechist. And so if this be lacking, then the foundation is wanting; and they labor in vain who build the house.”

Pope Pius XI also mentioned snow, in the context of an encyclical he wrote in 1923 honoring St. Francis de Sales (whose feast we celebrated last Saturday). In Rerum Omnium Perturbationem (at paragraph eight) he wrote about the saint’s catechetical efforts: “In order to bring [his parishioners] the light of faith and the comforts of the Christian religion, he was known to have traveled through deep valleys and to have climbed steep mountains.

If they fled him, he pursued, calling after them loudly. Repulsed brutally, he never gave up the struggle; when threatened he only renewed his efforts.

He was often put out of lodgings, at which times he passed the night asleep on the snow under the canopy of Heaven. He would celebrate Mass though no one would attend. When, during a sermon, almost the entire audience one after another left the church, he would continue preaching. At no time did he ever lose his mental poise or his Spirit of kindness toward these ungrateful hearers. It was by such means as these that he finally overcame the resistance of his most formidable adversaries.”

In 1926 the same pope wrote an encyclical about St. Francis of Assisi

Dear brothers and sisters, Today’s Gospel presents the beginning of Jesus’ preaching in Galilee. St. Mark highlights that Jesus began to preach “after John [the Baptist] had been arrested” (1:14). Precisely in this moment in which the prophetic voice of

Pope Francis’ Angelus message of January 25 the Baptizer, who announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, is silenced by Herod, Jesus begins to walk the streets of His land to bring to all, especially the poor, “the Gospel of God” (ibid). Jesus’ announcement is similar to that of John, with the major differOFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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entitled Rite expiatis. In paragraph 44 of that letter he spoke about the Poor Clare Nuns: “The holy virgins of the Second Order who participate ‘in the angelic life which was made known by St. Clare, by the snow-like whiteness of their souls, should continue to spread abroad, like lilies planted in the Garden of the Lord, a sweet fragrance so pleasing to God. Through their prayers, may sinners in much larger numbers hasten back to the merciful arms of Christ Our Lord, and may Our Holy Mother the Church feel the increasing joy of seeing her children restored to Divine grace and to the hope of eternal life.” Their prayers and sacrifices help prepare the ground of our hearts to accept catechesis.

Pope Pius XI’s successor Pius XII mentioned snow four times — in reference to Mary’s “snow-white brow crowned with a golden diadem” (1954’s Ad Caeli Reginam 20); in a 1955 speech to an U.N. agency in which he referred to how “forests retain the snows, and even if they can not prevent exceptional flooding they regulate river levels”; in a reference to the British author John Snow; and in a 1947 radio message to Catholic school children in the United States.

In the address, his first-ever to them via radio, the pope said, “You are very happy in your beautiful schools, some small, some very big. You have light and heat, and all the books you need to learn your lessons well. When school is over, you put on your warm over-coats, wrap up well and go out to play even in the snow; because your shoes and stockings are strong and protect you securely against the cold and wet. When evening comes, you will sit down to a warm supper that mother has prepared to make you grow up healthy and happy.” We here at The Anchor hope that this Currier and Ives vision was enjoyed by many kids this week.

The Holy Father then reminded them, “But you must know that there are other millions of children here in Europe and out in the far East, whose life is very different. They are young boys and girls just your age, and they too should be growing up happy and healthy. Instead, they are falling victims to dread disease, they are hungry, some of them are starving, and many of them are going to die so very young. They shiver in the cold; their clothes are thin and worn; many have only rags to cover their frail bodies, have no stockings, no shoes. And their mothers, who love them just as much as your mothers love you, can give them only a little bite to eat at the end of the day.”

We here at the paper hope that the snow emergency will be long over by the time you read this paper (so we don’t have to review the dozens of references to snow by more recent popes), but our concern for those in need, be they on other continents or in our diocese should grow. May God figuratively snow down upon them many blessings, in part brought about by our generosity.

Vol. 59, No. 4

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

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ence that Jesus does not indicate that another is to come: it is Jesus Himself Who is the fulfillment of the promise; He is the “Good News” to believe in, to receive and to communicate to men and women of all time, so that they also entrust to Him their existence. Jesus Christ Himself is the Living Word and He is active in history: he who listens to Him and follows Him will enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Divine promise because it is He Who gives mankind the Holy Spirit, the “Living Water” that quenches our restless heart that thirsts for life, love, freedom, peace: that thirsts for God. He revealed Himself to the Samaritan woman, who He met at Jacob’s well, to whom He said: “Give Me to drink” ( Jn 4:7). These very words of Christ, addressed to the Samaritan [woman], were the theme of the annual Week of

Prayer for Christian Unity which concludes today. This evening, with the faithful of the Diocese of Rome and with the representatives of the various churches and ecclesial communities, we will meet in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls to pray fervently to the Lord, so that He strengthens our commitment to the unity of all believers in Christ.

It is an ugly thing that Christians are divided. But Jesus wants us to be united. One body! Our sins, our history have divided us. For this we must pray that the Spirit unites us again.

God, Who made Himself Man, had our thirst, not only of water, but above all the thirst of a full life, free from the slavery of evil and death. At the same time, with His incarnation God has placed His thirst, because God also thirsts, in the heart of mankind: Jesus of Nazareth.

Therefore, in the heart of Christ,

human and Divine thirst meets.

And the desire for the unity of His disciples belongs to this thirst. We find it expressed in the prayers raised to the Father before the Passion: “So that they all may be one” ( Jn. 17:21). That is what Jesus wanted, the unity of all. The devil, as we know, is the father of division. He is one that always divides, always makes war and does so much evil.

May Jesus’ thirst increasingly become our thirst! We continue, therefore, to pray and strive for the full unity of the Disciples of Christ, in the certainty that He Himself is at our side and sustains us with the strength of His Spirit so that this goal can be reached. And we entrust this, our prayer, to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church so that she, like a good mother, may unite us.

January 30, 2015

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ast week we discussed how to get the plan of life off to a solid start each day by making a good Morning Offering, consecrating the day at its outset to God. Today I’d like to look at the Spiritual practice that complements the Morning Offering at the other end of the day: the General Examination of Conscience that saints and Spiritual directors have long urged us to make in the evening before retiring.

The General Examination is a prayerful daily evaluation we make to assess how well we’ve been faithful to the consecration we made at the start of the day. When done well, it’s one of the most powerful and important means for us to grow in the holiness that the plan of life is meant to foster.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century doctor of the Church, said that it is a crucial practice to get to know oneself in light of God’s calling and grace. “As a searching investigator of the integrity of your own conduct,” he wrote, “submit your life to a daily examination. Consider carefully what progress you have made or what ground you have lost.

Strive to know yourself.

Place all your faults before your eyes. Come face-to-face

Anchor Columnists The general examination with yourself, as though you God, and to decipher the were another person, and direction God is trying to then weep for your faults.” give us in life.

St. John Vianney once One of the confusions I told a businessman who had often find when encouraging poor knowledge of his soul people to make a daily Genthat this daily Spiritual exeral Examination of Conamination is more important science is that most people than a regular accounting of think that it’s meant to be receipts and expenses. “It is a daily review of one’s sins, necessary to put your conscience in better order than you put in Putting Into order your business affairs,” the patron the Deep saint of priests told him. If we’re going

By Father to take our “moral Roger J. Landry bottom line” more seriously than a businessman takes his economic similar to the Examination health, Vianney told his paof Conscience we do as we rishioners, “We will do well prepare to receive the Sacrato make an examination of ment of Penance and Reconconscience every night.” As ciliation. Few people would comptrollers know, it is easi- get excited about finishing er to make reconciliations on each day pondering the day’s a daily basis than to try to do moral failures! so over the course of a week, But the daily examinaor months or years. tion is focused on something St. Ignatius of Loyola much broader and deeper made the practice of the than a review of one’s sins. “examen” one of the pillars It is centered on God: how of the Spiritual discipline he He has sought to accompany sought to impart to Jesuits us throughout the day, how and to the faithful in general. much we’ve been conscious It was so important that he of that help and how well counseled us to do it twice a we’ve responded. day, at noon and at bedtime.

For the last 25 years, I’ve He taught it is essential for made the daily general examus to discern the various ination according to the admovements of our soul, to vice given by Blessed Alvaro determine which come from del Portillo, who encouraged

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us to review the whole day in light of how we’ve responded to God’s presence, an approach that will lead to three prayerful responses: “Thank you, Lord” for the gift of so many graces over the course of the day; “Sorry,” for the times we were not aware of them or failed to correspond to them; and “Help me more,” an expression of hope to do better on the morrow. I was very pleased that when Blessed Alvaro was beatified in September, Pope Francis wrote a letter reiterating what Blessed Alvaro taught the whole Church about the practice of finishing each day with this prayerful, sincere “gracias,” “perdón,” and “ayúdame más!”

The most traditional form of the daily examination comes from St. Ignatius and involves five parts: thanking God for the gifts received throughout the day; asking Him for the grace and the courage to know one’s sins and eradicate them; prayerfully reviewing one’s thoughts, words and actions throughout the day to determine where God has been in each of them; begging God’s mercy for whatever faults we may have committed and His help to make the necessary changes to keep better

union with His saving love; and resolving to amend our conduct in accordance with that help.

Finishing each day with daily examination is a means to live by Socrates’ great insight that the unexamined life is not worth living. It helps us to resist the modern obsession with spontaneity to live with the intentionality, self-discipline and joy that forms a faithful disciple.

It helps us to heed the famous words of Psalm 95, “If today you hear [God’s] voice, harden not your hearts,” because it makes us daily more sensitive and attentive to that voice and assists us to find God in all our daily activities.

Like the Morning Offering, the General Examination is a prayerful encounter with God that doesn’t need to take very long, generally only a few minutes a day.

But that short period of time is an investment in our relationship with God that will bear great fruit, because this holy anamnesis will help us renew our Christian identity each night before God. I encourage you to make it part of your Spiritual game plan.

Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

March shows youth, growth and energy of Pro-Life movement

WASHINGTON (CNS) — At this year’s March for Life, the things to notice about the crowd in attendance were its youth, its growth and the sense that these young people are bringing about a cultural renewal.

Groups from all over the United States came in droves and the majority of people in those groups were young, energetic, bright-eyed and hopeful.

At a coffee and doughnuts breakfast at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill, offered in the parish hall below and filled with March for Life pilgrims, one group that stood out was the one from St. Agnes Church in Hillsboro, Illinois.

According to the group’s leaders, not only had the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., had to add an extra bus this year to transport its delegation, the delegation itself was heavily composed of the parish’s youth.

“The kids are aware of the truth of the life issue,” said An-

gie Mizera, a group leader. “The Pro-Life youth are important come to the march for years, lies created by the opposition because “We are the nation’s fu- regardless of who came or what have been proven false over and ture and since we don’t have as it was like, but now I come not over again, and thanks to the many in our generation as we only to march, but also to see technology and transso many young people he kids are aware of the truth doing the same.” parency resulting from it, the truth has been In a statement from of the life issue,” said Angie made apparent to this Mizera, a group leader. “The lies created the congressional delgeneration.” by the opposition have been proven false egation issued for the Accompanied by Roe anniversary, U.S. banners, balloons and over and over again, and thanks to the Rep. Chris Smith, Rdrums, Crusaders for technology and transparency resulting New Jersey, said that Life brought in youth from it, the truth has been made appar- “Tom Brokaw wrote and adults from all over ent to this generation.” about the greatest genthe Detroit metro area. eration, and the WWII One of the marchers generation was indeed with them, Joe Jaczshould, we must defend those great, but yours will be the prokowski of SS. Cyril and Metho- who cannot defend themselves.” dius Parish in Sterling Heights, She added that the Pro-Life Mich., stated, “I’ve been com- movement “isn’t about hate or ing for the past eight years and control, but about creating a it’s been amazing to see how its dialogue of compassion and ungrown. For every one more adult derstanding.” you see come, you see five more When asked about his perteen-agers.” spective on the youth of the Before the march, Ashley movement, Archbishop Joseph Accardo, a 16-year-old from the E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., the Archdiocese of New Orleans, president of the U.S. bishops’ told Catholic News Service that conference, told CNS: “I have

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life generation.”

In an interview with CNS, former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum said that “the thing to notice about this march is that it’s young, it’s energetic and it is disproportionately women, which is not something the media would ever portray (about) the Pro-Life movement, but it is.

“And that’s encouraging,” he said. “It’s really encouraging to see this kind of dedication every year. I think it’s growing and the energy is definitely palpable.”

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January 30, 2015

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apernaum is a rather large city on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was the center of Jesus’ activities in Galilee. In today’s Gospel, Mark describes the first public act of Jesus in the synagogue. Jesus was powerful in word and deed.

There were basic differences between the synagogue and the temple. The synagogue was primarily a teaching institution. The service consisted of only three things — prayer, the reading of God’s Word and the exposition of it. It could be said that the temple was a place of worship and sacrifice while the synagogue was a place of teaching and instruction. If a man had a new message to preach,

The demon within

the synagogue was the him.” At last, the man place to do that and was free from the evil Jesus was there that very spirit. day to do just that.

Jesus made contact While teaching, Jesus with the man and freed encountered the man him to be himself. with the unclean spirit who cried out, “What have Homily of the Week You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Fourth Sunday Have You come in Ordinary Time to destroy us?”

By Deacon The word unclean Del Malloy means unholy, unworthy to come into contact with God. But Jesus would Jesus wants to bring have none of that. He God’s healing power came to bring people to all people, the man closer to His Heavenly in the synagogue, and Father and to do so for to you and I as well. this man he said, “Quiet!

He wants to put each Come out of him!” As and every human beit says in Mark’s Gosing into contact with pel, “The unclean spirit God. The question we convulsed him and with must ask ourselves is, a loud cry came out of “Are we listening when

He speaks to us?” Are we ready to bring our demons to Him? Are we ready to accept His invitation? In the first reading from Deuteronomy we are told, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to Him you shall listen.” Jesus is that prophet, the fulfillment of that prophecy. If we would simply let go of our attachment to sin, Jesus will takes its place in our lives. The psalm gives us excellent advice as to how we should proceed, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

The man in the synagogue enjoyed a new

life after his encounter with Jesus. Jesus offers us the same new life if we will just listen to His Words. He will drive the unclean spirits out of our lives, not in the same way he drove the unclean spirit out of the man in the synagogue but through prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We must ask ourselves what it is that we would like to be liberated from and ask God to free us, so that when we meet others they will see a person of peace, a person of love, a person of hope. The choice is ours. For that new life that Jesus offers us, we must decrease and he must increase.

Deacon Malloy serves at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 31, Heb 11:1-2,8-19; (Ps) Lk 1:69-75; Mk 4:35-41. Sun. Feb. 1, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Dt 18:15-20; Ps. 95:1-2,6-9 1 Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28. Mon. Feb. 2, Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7-10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32. Tues. Feb. 3, Heb 12:1-4; Ps 22:26b-28, 30-32’ Mk 5:21-43. Wed. Feb. 4, Heb 12:4-7, 11-15; Ps 103:1-2,13-14,17-18a; Mk 6:1-6. Thurs. Feb. 5, Heb 12:18-19,21-24; Ps 48:2-4,9-11; Mk 6:7-13.

Fri. Feb. 6, Heb 13:1-8; Ps 27:1,3,5,8b-9c; Mk 6:14-29.

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Junipero Serra to be canonized by Pope Francis this September

uring his plane flight from Sri Lanka to the Philippines on January 15, Pope Francis held an impromptu press conference, as is his custom. But before the questions began, he had an announcement about the meaning of the previous day’s canonization of St. Joseph Vaz, the first Sri Lankan to be declared a saint. He said that “these canonizations were done following the procedure foreseen in Church law called equivalent canonization. It is used when for some time a man or woman is blessed, and has the veneration of the people of God, in fact is venerated as a saint, and the procedure of the miracle is not done.

Well, I have chosen to do this for persons who have been great evangelizers.

And now, in September, God willing, I will canonize Junipero Serra in the United States, because he has been the evangelizer

first American male to be of the western United canonized, though he too States.” was an immigrant misAnd so the Apostle of sionary, from Bohemia; California, whose statue but dying as bishop of is one of the two repPhiladelphia on the eve of resenting California in the United States Capitol (the other is of RonJudge ald Reagan), will For become the 13th American saint Yourself and just the third

By Dwight G. Duncan American male to be canonized. Of course, this Spanish Franciscan priest from the American Civil War, Mallorca, who lived from he had at least become an American citizen. (Which 1713-1784, died well before California became explains why some of part of the United States. us are anxious to have a native-born U.S. citizen In that regard, his situalike Archbishop Fulton J. tion is analogous to that Sheen soon raised to the of St. Damien of Moloaltars!) kai, Hawaii, a Belgian The pope’s surprise Sacred Heart missionary announcement of the to the lepers, who died upcoming canonization of before Hawaii became part of the United States. Blessed Junipero Serra is wonderful news! It will be (St. Damien’s statue is one of the two represent- the first time a canonization has occurred in the ing Hawaii in the U.S. United States, and by no Capitol building.) St. less than the pope himJohn Neumann was the

self.

I discovered via Wikipedia, my favorite quick reference work, that “During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Father Serra took up a collection from his mission parishes throughout California. The total money collected amounted to roughly $137, but the money was sent to General George Washington.”

To be sure, there is some controversy associated with Father Serra’s cause of canonization because of the mistreatment of the native Americans by the Spaniards.

But Serra resisted efforts to enslave the native Americans, and when his San Diego Mission was sacked in 1775 and three Spaniards were killed, the perpetrators were arrested and the viceroy wanted them executed. According

to the January 16 Los Angeles Times, “Serra called for the prisoners’ release and pleaded their case to the viceroy in a letter: ‘As to the killer, let him live so that he can be saved, for that is the purpose of our coming here and its sole justification.’ In so doing, [biographer] Orfalea said, Serra modeled his life on the Gospel of Love — not a desire for land or gold.”

In so deciding to canonize Blessed Junipero, Pope Francis seems to be following Serra’s own motto, “Always forward, never back.” He is celebrating what he calls “figures who have done a powerful evangelization and are in harmony with the spirituality and the theology of the Gospel of Joy.” Anchor columnist Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

January 30, 2015

Thursday 29 January 2015 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — first “Seeing Eye” dog-training institute established in North America (1929) wake or asleep, dreaming or not, I really don’t know — but I do know it was the middle of the night. The cold rain of another winter storm was pelting the windows.

I felt a presence in the darkness.

I awoke (or at least I thought I did). Beside the bed stood Transit, the resident greyhound.

He was panting, as he often does now that he has grown ancient of days. His tongue was flopping out one side of his mouth, making him look quite silly. This tongue thing began after he went to the doggie dentist and had several teeth extracted.

Since there are fewer teeth to hold his tongue in place, it just sort of pops out, flapping in the wind. I suppose there must be such things as doggie dentures.

Surely they are available on the Internet — everything else is — but I refuse to Google it. No, doggie dentures will never be part of Transit’s future.

“Are you awake?” asked Transit. “I’m awake,” I answered, although not entirely sure that was the case. “Do you need to

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here are often many an argument about what it truly means to be a faith-filled person. Some will argue that to be a truly faith-filled person you must be all things Catholic. Some come at it from the perspective of being penitent, of always reminding ourselves that we are sinners. Others will argue that you need to be well-versed in Scripture and fully understand the four pillars of the faith. Still others will argue that they are Spiritual not religious; the arguments go on and on; there are so many more that would take up several pages of this newspaper.

From my perspective all of these arguments hold a measure of truth, and it is a combination of these that I seek. Yes, I enjoy some of the rituals of our Catholic heritage and understand the meaning behind most of them.

Yet there are rituals that remind me of my childhood and my initiation into my faith journey, and do not hold the same meaning for me as they did in my youth. As for constantly being a penitent Catholic, I must confess, I am still in my infancy when it comes to this

Anchor Columnists Interview with a greyhound it? What has become of ethics? go out?” I asked in universal Does one have a responsibility canine code. “No,” said Transit. or not to give time each week to “I just can’t sleep. I have too worshipping God in commumany things on my mind.”

Greyhounds sleep an average of nity? What does Confirmation 80 percent of their lives, so these really mean to our students? must be weighty matters. “Tell me what’s bothering you, TranThe Ship’s Log sit,” I said with some Reflections of a solicitude. “The future,” Parish Priest he answered.

“The future?” I

By Father Tim inquired sleepily. “The Goldrick future of the Church,” he elaborated. “Since I retired from the Graduation? Will we see them racetrack, my life has revolved in church sometime before their around the Church. I have now wedding day? “Not to worry, lived in five different rectoTransit. These issues have been ries. And I have even adopted with us since the beginning. The priests on three separate occaLord provides. Now, go back to sions. You’ve heard of a church mouse? Well I’m a church dog.” sleep.”

“I worry about the priest “I see,” said I, slipping into my shortage,” Transit continued. counselling mode. “And what Ah, yes, there is an increasing exactly is it about the future of shortage of priests. This has a the Church that causes your two-fold causality. First, there insomnia?”

“I worry about the increasing are fewer men entering the seminary. Secondly, the Catholic failure to make the connection Church not only has the largbetween daily life and Church est membership in the United teachings and moral values,” States (more than all other Transit began. I acknowledged Christian denominations comthis is a problem. Have we lost bined) but is also experiencing all sense of sin? Is morality the largest increase in numbers. based solely on how one sees

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“Not to worry, Transit. Accentuate the positive. Now, go back to sleep.”

“I worry about people who go church shopping,” Transit went on. Hmm. There is a lot of that going around.

Parish boundaries don’t seem to mean much anymore. People tend to go wherever they want to go, without acknowledgement of local responsibilities and commitments. People tend not to act locally anymore. Whatever clergy or style or program or music or denomination suits their taste, there they will go until they find something better.

“Yes, Transit, the Church must address the issue of rootlessness.

She is in fact already doing so.

Not to worry. Now go back to sleep.”

“I worry about the divisions among Church members in their understanding of the Church’s mission in the world,” Transit confessed. Yes, I see that too. Just as we have politically red and blue states, so we have sharp distinctions in the way Catholics think, act, and worship. There is reform, and reform of the reform, and reform

of the reform of the reform. We need to be more accepting towards each other. “Not to worry, Transit, we are called “Catholic” because there’s room for many points of view and many worship styles in our Church. Now, go back to sleep.”

“I worry about the closing and merging of parishes,” Transit continued, showing no sign of drowsiness. This has become a fact of life in the United States as it has been for decades in other parts of the world. “Transit, the Church has modified its structure throughout history. That’s why we’re the oldest continuously-operating institution in the world. We adapt. Not to worry. Go back to sleep.”

It had been a long day of parish ministry with so many places to be and things to do.

The morrow promised to be even busier. I needed to end this late-night conversation. I slyly asked Transit again if he wanted to go “out.” This time he fell for it. The discussion ended.

After that, I fell promptly back to sleep (or at least, I think I did). So did Transit.

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

a people who give freely of themselves and when able, of their treasures as well; a people that God recognized as needing His loving mercy and grace, not giving up on us. God is not seeking perfection from us (He knows we are not perfect, that is why He sent Jesus to us); God wants us to fall in love with Him each and every day, to desire to be in a relationship with Him; to understand that we are clay to be molded, and He is the Potter. In His hands we are all masterpieces, lovingly created by Him, vessels to be filled with his love, mercy and grace.

In turn, we are given the Spiritual gifts we need, to share our imperfection, our brokenness with others. Giving others the hope that God is love, God is mercy and if we truly desire, we can enter into a life-giving relationship with Him. We are “Wounded Healers” as Henri J. M. Nouwen refers to in his book by that title; it is in our brokenness that we can reach out and help others heal their own brokenness.

As for me, being a faith-filled person is to recognize that God truly wants me to love Him, and that He offers me a pure and unconditional love. Trusting the voice that says, “I love you. I knit you together in your mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13), and believing that we are all welcomed and cared for. If that is not sufficient enough, we are reminded by Jesus’ death and Resurrection, that we were and continue to be invited to share Christ’s intimate life with the Father; Jesus wants His home to be ours, wanting to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house (“The Inner Voice of Love” by Henri J. M. Nouwen).

God is at the very core of my faith and Spiritual life, teaching me to dwell in the present, trusting that I am cared for and loved. Jesus reminds us to “dwell in Me as I dwell in you,” and I can’t think of any other place I’d rather be.

Anchor columnist Rose Mary Saraiva lives in Fall River and is a parishioner of St. Michael’s Parish, and she is the Events Coordinator and Bereavement Ministry for the diocesan Office of Faith Formation. rsaraiva@dfrcs.com.

Dwell in Me ments, which bring us God’s part of my faith journey. Yes I freely admit I am a sinner; that I grace as we grow in our faith don’t always get it right the first, journey; the Commandments which serve as guidelines for second or even the 50th time, but I am learning. But I dare say living a Christian life, keeping I am in good company here, St. us in a loving relationship with God (Abba) our Father; and Paul had to be knocked to his senses before he got it. St. Peter The Our Father which sums up was scared and ran off after being questioned; and Jesus Himself, dined with some pretty shady characters.

When it comes to Scripture, I enjoy reading

By Rose Mary the Bible and take comSaraiva fort from the written words in good and bad the four Gospels, taught to us times. Just don’t ask me which

by Jesus, giving us the Words to chapter and verse my favorite lines come from. I can generally speak in prayer to Abba (God).

So would I say I was Spiripoint you in the right direction, but to say I have memorized the tual, religious or just someone occupying a pew on Sunday; pages, chapters or verse numon any given weekend I can be bers, would require me spendone or all. Yet I continue to ating some amount of time in Confession. I do however know tend Sunday after Sunday, why, because I am broken, I am still the four Gospels — Matthew, searching, I am a sinner, a saint, Mark, Luke and John, thanks and a work in progress. Would to the Holy Union Sisters who I say I am a faith-filled person? drummed this into my head as a child. The Sisters also thought Absolutely, as are each and every one of you. Why? Because we me the four pillars: The Creed, are a people of hope, a people which sums up all that we as who love and long to be loved; Catholics believe; the Sacra-

In the Palm of His Hands

10

January 30, 2015

Youths find ‘amazing’ atmosphere, high energy at Pro-Life rally, Mass WASHINGTON (CNS) — Just as the sun rose January 22, thousands of Catholic teen-agers and young adults from across the country poured into the Verizon Center to meet other Pro-Lifers, pray for the unborn and celebrate the joy of being alive at the annual Youth Rally and Mass for Life.

Many, like Megan Holzmeister, who attends a Catholic high school in Kansas City, Kan., found that the combination of prayer, song and celebration kept them wide awake in the early morning hours.

“The atmosphere is amazing,” she said. “With all the young kids, it keeps it fun and upbeat, and it’s a great opportunity to meet people.”

Before the Mass, several youths in brightly colored, coordinated sweatshirts joined the long Dunkin Donuts line before hopping into the equally long line for the Sacrament of Penance.

Others took pictures in the photo booths, and then tweeted them out along with hashtag #Mass4Life or hashtag #iStand4Life to show an online witness.

Young adult Grace Duffley and her adopted brother, Chris, serenaded the crowd with “Hold Me” by Toby Mac and Jamie Grace, and then Chris, who is autistic and blind, sang and played “Open the Eyes of My Heart” on the piano.

The youth leadership team, consisting of teens from youth groups in parishes around the archdiocese, led the Verizon Center in praying the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, the main celebrant at the Mass, was joined by hundreds of priests and religious as well as dozens of bishops who traveled with their young people to Washington.

He remarked that between the Verizon Center, the D.C. Armory, and some 14 churches in the archdiocese, “we’ll have some 30,000 energetic young people representing the next generation. These young people are saying, ‘Let us embrace every mother, let us embrace every child, let us embrace all life.’ That’s a great message.”

In his homily, Father Ma-

rio Majano, a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Takoma Park, Md., said he considered a true hero to be someone who spoke up for the truth again and again. He gave an example of a woman who had three crisis pregnancies and chose life every time.

In one instance, her child was conceived in rape, and another child had the possibility of being born deformed because of the cancer treatment she was undergoing at the time. However the child was born healthy and grew up alongside her two siblings.

“So thanks, mama,” said Father Majano, looking over to his mother in the crowd.

Everyone stood and applauded.

Eleventh-grader Abby Durniat from Atlanta said in an interview that she was Pro-Life because the doctors told her parents to abort her twin sisters, believing they would have mental disabilities. Her parents refused, and her sisters were born without any disabilities.

“I don’t know where I’d be without them,” Abby said, looking over at her sister Ally. Even though her sisters were born healthy, Abby said she believes in the value of a human life no matter what obstacle or disability faces a child.

“I babysit a girl with Down syndrome, and she’s so important to me. Even when children have disabilities, they’re still kids, they’re still going to be a life that’s important,” she said.

After the rally and Mass, the participants headed over to the National Mall for the annual March for Life, marking the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Mary Archer and Seth Tavera, students at The Catholic University of America, were there selling T-shirts that featured a Pro-Life quote from Pope Francis. The proceeds from the sales were going toward the students’ mission trips to Costa Rica, Belize and Jamaica.

Archer and Tavera also were there with around 300 to 400 other Catholic University students to show their support for life. “Life is an inalienable right and it’s a tragedy that abortion is legal,” said Archer. “Plus, who doesn’t love little babies?”

January 30, 2015

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

12

January 30, 2015

Flea market find becomes Heavenly gift for Pope Francis

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — The journalist who won a big smile from Pope Francis after giving him an image of St. Therese of Lisieux on his way to the Philippines said that she found it in a flea market, and gave it as the second in a pair.

“I found (the Virgin of Lujan) at the flea market just before Christmas (and) I also found another medal which was Sister Therese and I thought: Well that’s wonderful, because it would be the perfect pair. We could do one for his birthday and one for Christmas,” Caroline Pigozzi told CNA. The French author and journalist is the one responsible for giving Pope Francis his personal visit from St. Therese after he prayed for her guidance and intercession ahead of his January 12-19 trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Pope Francis received the gift while speaking with journalists during his in-flight news conference from Sri Lanka to the Philippines. He said that whenever he asks St. Therese to help with something, he also asks her to send him a rose so that he knows she has taken on the task.

“I asked also for this trip; that she’d take it in hand and that she would send me a rose. But instead of a rose she came herself to greet me,” the pope said after receiving the gift.

Pigozzi, who works with French newspaper Paris Match, said that she first started to learn about Pope Francis after going to Argentina to meet his friends and fellow priests that work in the slums after his election.

“He has a lot of friends,” she said, and recalled that after spending some time with them, they quickly arranged for her to go to one of the pope’s Masses at the Vatican’s St. Martha guesthouse.

After meeting the pope at Mass, Pigozzi noted that she saw him nearly every day during October’s Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family.

On the last day of the gathering, the journalist recalled how she was sitting in the cafeteria of the St. Martha guesthouse when the pope came up to her and told her, “I’ve seen that you have been here every single day,” and noted that “he likes (to do) this kind of thing.”

She first got the inspiration to give the pope a birthday gift after finding a silver bas-relief, or carving, of Our Lady of Lujan at the flea market in Paris, where she goes every weekend.

“I bought it immediately and I spent one night polishing it because it was absolutely dirty, from the 30s I think. It wasn’t in bad condition, but it hadn’t been cleaned since the 1930s so I spent the whole night (cleaning it),” Pigozzi explained.

After having it framed she brought it to the Vatican during an interview the day before the Pope’s birthday on December 17.

When she dropped it off at the reception counter in the St. Martha guesthouse, Pigozzi said that she had her doubts that it would make it into the pontiff ’s hands.

So once the pope came to greet journalists on his flight to the Philippines Pigozzi asked whether or not he had received the image of Our Lady of Lujan — to which he responded “No, of course not.”

“If I had a Virgin of Lujan I would have thanked you immediately because for me it’s a very important thing,” he told her, and went to inquire with his staff about what had become of the image.

Once they located it, Pigozzi said that she then wanted to give him the image of St. Therese, which she had also polished by hand.

So when the pope came to greet her again and thank her personally for the image of Virgin of Lujan, she told him “Santo Padre that was the Virgin of Lujan. Now I have a present for Christmas to make the pair. So, I give you a Sister Therese.”

The pope, she recalled, was “so happy” when he received the gift “because I think Sister Therese is important for him.”

On the back of the framed bas-relief was a note Pigozzi had written saying that she was presenting him the image “with all my admiration and respect,” as well as her signature.

Pigozzi said that she was so emotional after giving Pope Francis the gift that she didn’t realize how happy he was.

“It was like a child with a toy.

I think he was so happy, it was incredible. So I (also) was very happy, because it’s difficult to please a pope (and) to have such a reaction,” she said.

The journalist said that she always looks for gifts in advance for the people who are important to her, and waits until the right occasion to give them away.

When asked if she would also find her next gift at the flea market, Pigozzi said that “I hope so!”

Dawn, voice of Meredith Anne Bull, and Marianne, voice of Evan Rachel Wood, star in a scene from the movie “Strange Magic.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/ Lucasfilm)

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by CNS. “American Sniper” (Warner Bros.)

Sober war drama based on Chris Kyle’s 2012 memoir (written with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice) about his service as a Navy SEAL during the conflict in Iraq. As Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, gains a reputation as an expert sharpshooter, he wins the respect of his comrades, but also becomes a prime enemy target with a price on his head. The Texas native’s insistence on returning to combat through four grueling tours of duty, moreover, predictably exacts a psychological toll and strains his relationship with his wife (Sienna Miller). Working from a script by Jason Hall, director Clint Eastwood successfully conveys the heroic personal commitment that motivated Kyle to protect his fellow fighters. Yet the film avoids any big-picture moral assessment of the specific struggle in which he participated or of armed clashes in general. Stylized violence with some gore, a scene of torture, a premarital situation, some sexual humor and references, several uses of profanity, constant rough and crude language.

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Still Alice” (Sony Classics) The real depredations of Alzheimer’s disease and its toll on the families of the afflicted are not on display in this flawed

drama about a Columbia University linguistics professor ( Julianne Moore) who falls prey to the early-onset strain of the illness shortly after turning 50. While it features a sensitive and appealing performance by Moore, directors and co-writers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s adaptation of Lisa Genova’s 2007 novel fails to follow through on a number of its story lines, including the title character’s preparation for the taking of her own life. Mature themes, including suicide, a few references to body functions, fleeting crass language.

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Strange Magic” (Disney) This leaden animated riff on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is an untidy muddle made all the worse when the characters break into pop tunes from across the decades, outbursts that do nothing either to reveal inner emotions or advance the plot. Director and co-writer Gary Rydstrom gets completely lost in his not-so-enchanted forest as a princess (voice of Evan Rachel Wood) and her vain suitor (voice of Sam Palladio) navigate the rocky course of love. Some intense action sequences. The Catholic News Service classification is A-I — general patronage.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, February 1, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Riley J. Williams, parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Attleboro.

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January 30, 2015

CSI mummy:Vatican experts use forensic science to unravel mysteries VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Scientific advancements in imaging technology, genetics and nano research have allowed museums to make new and surprising discoveries about the tightly-wrapped mysteries of ancient mummies.

The Vatican Museums also have been employing the latest state-of-the-art laboratory tools and tests to find out more about the ancient mummies in its collections.

Fabio Morresi, an assistant at the museums’ diagnostic laboratory, said his job is “like being the CSI of the Vatican Museums,” referring to the hit TV show of crime scene investigators who scour every trace of evidence to solve mysteries.

While historical studies are important, museum research today “can’t be done without laboratory analysis,” said Alessia Amenta, Egyptologist and curator of the museums’ Department for the Antiquities of Egypt and the Near East. She and the museums’ laboratory experts spoke at a recent news conference, unveiling their latest discoveries.

Amenta spearheaded the museums’ Mummy Project in 2007, using the latest scientific techniques to study and restore the nine mummies in their collection.

Their first two-year round of sophisticated testing revealed the “she” mummy identified on the sarcophagus as “daughter of Sema-Tawi” is really a “he,” who suffered from what looks like a benign tumor on the scalp — making it what could be the first case of this kind of tumor for a mummy.

Amenta focused the latest investigation on two small mummies that are one- to twofeet-long, have a painted plaster face covering the head and three-dimensional painted coverings made of plaster and linen bandages called cartonnage.

Amenta said the small specimens could have been an embalmed child, a small animal or falcon or a so-called “pseudomummy” — a bundle of wrappings and other materials — sometimes a few bones — that were used in ancient times to substitute a missing or incomplete body of a dead loved-one.

The transfiguration and “divinization” of the deceased was so important for the ancient Egyptians that some kind of physical form had to be designated to send “into another di-

mension” after death, she said.

They used: X-ray florescence and electron microscopes to tabulate what chemical elements were contained in all the materials; carbon dating to determine the different materials’ age; infrared and ultraviolet analyses to reveal colors and images hidden to the naked eye; gas chromatographymass spectrometry to identify the presence of organic compounds; and CT-scans to create 3D images of the contents inside.

Morresi said they discovered that each tiny package was “like a box full of Legos” containing a random assortment of adult bones, like the long tibia and fibula of the lower leg, vertebrae from the spine and foot bones.

“Every time we got close to an answer” another test result would reveal “something that set us back. The results were schizophrenic, with things saying the mummy could be real and then that it was not,” he said because “some materials, techniques and contents were pertinent to the era” and others were not.

For example, the wrappings were from 3,000 B.C., but the bones were from a man and a woman from the Middle Ages.

Other red flags revealing something fishy were the presence of zinc and tin in the paints and a metal laminate often used to darken colors — all elements not found in pigments used at the time. These created an aging effect.

Perhaps the last nail in the coffin of any theory they could be authentic came from the “multiplanar reconstruction” of hundreds of CT-scan images pieced together of 0.6 millimeter-thin sections of the whole object.

A technique called “volume rendering,” which is commonly used in medicine to display complex cardiovascular anatomy, let experts recreate and isolate particular layers of the whole mummy.

By filtering images according to each object’s density, “we can ‘erase’ the thick cartonnage mask and just look at the bandages” or peel off the image of the thin wrappings to just see the dense bones underneath, said Sveva Longo from the museums’ lab.

This process revealed something the X-rays did not, she said: a “modern nail” was stuffed inside with the jumble of bones.

All the data taken together

proved the mummies were fakes, they said.

While their sophisticated tools helped unlock the mystery, Ulderico Santamaria, director of the diagnostic laboratory, said it helped immensely that whoever made the forgeries was not very good at crafting a convincing con.

“Thanks to the fact he didn’t know the techniques very well, we found out” the forgeries quite easily, he said.

Amenta said a fake mummy “is a well-defined category” so it “is not a scandal” to uncover them in their collections.

The industry of churning out fake mummies was widespread even back in the age of the pharaohs 5,000 years ago, she said, making them a legitimate and interesting offshoot field of study.

Creating fakes reached a high point in the 1800s when Europe began experiencing a real “mummy mania” after Napoleon’s expeditions to Egypt spread word of the wonders found there and the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, which helped decipher hieroglyphics and led to the emergence of Egyptology as a new and real science, Amenta said.

Elite Europeans needed proof of their exploits in Egypt and show off to their friends back home, she said.

One monk captured the mood when he noted in 1833, “It would be hardly respectable, upon one’s return from Egypt, to present oneself without a mummy in one hand and a crocodile in another.”

Amenta said mummies were in high demand from the Middle Ages up to the Renaissance because they were burned and used as a powder in apothecary potions for various ailments.

“The market was so huge,” she said, that adjusted for inflation, two pounds of mummy dust would be equivalent to $17,000 today.

Their bodies were also used to create the brown for oil paints aptly named “Mummy Brown,” she said, showing how forgeries had been a huge business for hundreds of years.

So, Amenta said, the real news isn’t that they’ve discovered two fakes.

“What we showed was how this approach” of using modern medical and scientific advancements “was necessary to discover this common phenomenon” in the Vatican’s collection.

Vatican sculptor and castmaker Andrea Felice reconstructs the spine of the mummy Ny-Maat-Re at the Vatican Museums in this undated photo. Experts have concluded a two-year comprehensive study on the seven adult mummies in the Vatican Museums. The study uncovered a mystery about Ny-Maat-Re — while hieroglyphics on the mummy’s covering indicate the occupant is female, a 3-D CT scan shows the mummy is male. (CNS photo/courtesy of Vatican Museums)

14

January 30, 2015

Deacon designs program to welcome those with autism

aration, he certainly fulfilled the requirements that the UScontinued from page one CCB require, and when the program for children with au- do; people get scared of what it’s about education and that’s three of them came down tothe power of the pulpit.” tism and other special needs, they don’t know. gether to receive, there wasn’t Not only can priests and a dry eye in the congregation “What I do at times, and and through Loyola Press has written a book, “How to Wel- this is what I stress to priests deacons educate their parish, because everybody knew and come, Include and Catechize and deacons, that it’s impor- so can the parents. By having understood. It was a parish Children with Autism and tant that when you see learn- their child attend Mass, par- community celebration, not Other Special Needs: A Par- ing moments, you talk about ents can create a stable, loving just a family celebration, for ish-Based Approach,” which and describe them. If some- and welcoming environment these children.” provides a guide for creating body sees someone bouncing not only for their children but Then there was the family a program that addresses the up and down on their toes, or also help educate parishioners, who had two little boys who needs of children with physi- flapping their fingers in front who will be more welcoming were impaired, and all the cal, developmental and cogni- of their face, or getting really and accepting as they see the mother wanted to do was attive disabilities and welcomes excited when they see the sun children grow as members of tend a full Mass: “I had her, them into the life of the par- coming through the stained- the parish. for the first five or six weeks, glass windows — ish. just stay and listen if you don’t have Deacon Sutton was inften secular news media feed miscon- to the announcespired to delve deeper into au- words to express ments and leave. ceptions about autism, adding to the After that, stay as tistic studies after seeing the yourself, how else struggle those children had in do you express stress of parents who feel uncomfortable because long as the first their child isn’t one of the “quiet ones” and when song — again, just Religious Education: “I went happiness?”

Autistic children their child gets bored during Mass, they may five or six weeks. about trying to find a program that might assist them,” said and his or her fam- become more vocal and disturb those around Then come back the parishioner of Our Lady ily should be made and leave after the them: “When they don’t have words and get to feel welcome. of Grace Parish in Pittsburgh, Old Testament Penn., “but found there wasn’t Often secular news frustrated or bored, tired or hungry, they might Gospel reading. media feed mis- move around or make noises. They may do any a lot.”

“The hardest He was given an open cur- conceptions about number of behaviors, and when this happens – part for this parriculum by someone in his autism, adding to and it’s no one’s fault – but an usher may come ticular family was diocese, and over the course the stress of parents the homilies were of a few years adapted it to who feel uncom- up and say, ‘ You know we have crying rooms in hard to predict because the back and other people are trying to attend — they’re long or meet the needs of the autistic fortable their child isn’t Mass.’’’ children in his parish. Seeing short, interesting one of the “quiet the success of his program and or not; that took his first book, Loyola Press ones” and when a bit longer to get Sutton cited the story of the children to stay. Once we helped Deacon Sutton write their child gets bored durhis methods into a curricu- ing Mass, they may become a set of triplets he baptized, got past the homilies, things lum, and launched the “Adap- more vocal and disturb those where one of the children was went really well,” said Deative Program — Finding God: around them: “When they significantly involved in au- con Sutton, adding it took 18 Our Response to God’s Gifts” don’t have words and get frus- tism while the other two were months of work. “Both kids trated or bored, tired or hun- typical. The mother came to were able to receive the Eu(www.FindingGod.com/ gry, they might move around Deacon Sutton a few years charist together the following adaptive).

Deacon Sutton now spends or make noises. They may do after the Baptism, crying and spring.” nearly every weekend trav- any number of behaviors, and expressing her lament over As those kids become eling the country to speak when this happens — and it’s the triplets not being able to adults, due to the welcomat catechetical conference: no one’s fault — but an usher receive the Eucharist together ing atmosphere found at their “What seems to be occurring may come up and say, ‘You because of the one child who parish, many become contribis that I’m spending time ex- know we have crying rooms in was so impaired. uting members; at Sutton’s “It was quite a focused effort the back and other people are plaining what autism is and parish, there’s a lector and for a couple of years,” recalled usher who are in the autistic what it’s not,” he said. “Folks trying to attend Mass.’

“It’s hurtful stuff,” said Dea- Deacon Sutton, “and while he spectrum. The more rewardknow pieces of it, but they don’t know necessarily what it con Sutton, “and I don’t think may not know as much as his ing part, said Sutton, is “the is or how to treat it, or what to that’s the intention at all, but sisters know in terms of prep- families find there’s a place for their children and feel they, themselves can become involved” in parish ministry.

“It’s evangelization from a different perspective,” said 50 years ago — Dads and daughters 10 years ago — Sensing the need to Sutton. “People see this proprepared to twirl at the annual fatherhelp ease the suffering of tsunami vicgression and the congregation daughter dance at Sacred Hearts Acadtims in Asia, students and faculty at follows it, and see the develemy in Fall River. The event was held in Bishop Stang High School in North opment and the growth in the academy’s gym and was sponsored Dartmouth and Coyle and Cassidy these kids.”

by Sucordium Club.

High School in Taunton collected monParents don’t just want their ey to send to Catholic Relief Services. children to attend Mass, but 25 years ago — Father William P. want their children to receive Blottman, then-pastor of St. Rita’s Parish One year ago — Religious Sisters the Sacraments. The USCCB in Marion, marked the 25th anniversary and Brothers in the diocese joined Bishreally do give a clear definition of his priestly ordination with a Mass op George W. Coleman to celebrate of what is necessary to receive followed by a reception at the Lakesider “World Day for Consecrated Life” at the Sacraments and “yes, you need on Route 6 in North Dartmouth.

Dominican Sisters’ chapel in Dighton. to know lots of things,” said Deacon Sutton, “but there are ways to teach. We get caught up on wanting to keep kids longer and teach them ev-

O

This week in

Diocesan history

erything to know; it becomes more of a graduation from Church, I think.”

In his parish, Deacon Sutton explained how he created a parish program more than 10 years ago designed to help autistic children acclimate into the parish, and uses teen-agers as mentors in the program.

Meeting early Sunday mornings before Mass, Deacon Sutton uses a systematic schedule where a group of 25 kids, ranging in ages from three to 20 years old, are partnered with a teen-ager and work on a series of lessons throughout the year: “I find that they take those lessons and learn them insideout, because each child communicates slightly different, and they turn those lessons into something their child can understand. Over the course of time they are very successful at it, and they get to know their child very well.

“The irony of teens is they don’t have the prejudices that a lot of adults too. I know it’s working because when I walk into the room to see how they’re doing lessons, they both go quiet because I’m intruding on they’re lesson,” said Deacon Sutton, who said it was a happy accident seeing that the connection made between the teen and their student has created a “continuing catechesis because technically they [the teen-agers] weren’t involved in any kind of continuing education [after Confirmation]; it was just remarkable.”

Once people understand, they become more accepting, and if it comes from a pastor, even better because “he’s validating that we are all God’s children,” said Deacon Sutton.

Parishioners, directors of Faith Formation and Faith Formation teachers don’t need specialized training to recognize autism; it’s just a parish responding to members in need: “It’s not rocket science, this is very doable for anybody. The materials are such now that one can and should take a responsibility; children have the right to learn about God. Yes, they are special and yes, they are gifts. St. Lawrence spoke about the disabled being gifts of the Church and they certainly are, but they also have the right to learn as much as they are capable about God and I feel we have the responsibly to prepare them as well as possible to enter our Church, in whatever capacity that is.”

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January 30, 2015

Non-Catholics choose Catholic schools for values, not just academics

ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) — When Felicia and Ethan Carr began searching for a high school for their eldest son, they wanted a school with a topnotch college preparatory program.

But the Carrs, who are Baptist, sought something else as well.

“A lot of schools focus on the brain; we wanted a school that also focused on the heart,” said Felicia.

The search eventually led them to Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington where their son Christopher is a junior and his brother, Nicholas, is a freshman.

The Carrs are not alone. Nationally, one-fifth of Catholic secondary school students are not Catholic, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.

Families from different faiths choose Catholic schools for reasons “beyond class size and beyond the academics,” said Virginia Colwell, principal of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax. “They are looking for something more, for a school that has their moral values and their beliefs. They want their children to be exposed to values in the classroom every day, not just at home.”

According to the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Christian Education, the proper function of Catholic schools “is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel Spirit of freedom and charity.”

It is this Gospel Spirit that cultivates the value-focused environment that appeals to nonCatholic parents, said Joseph Vorbach, who is head of school at Bishop O’Connell.

“Parents know that fundamentally this is a program grounded in a value system, and

they find that very appealing,” he told the Arlington Catholic Herald, the diocesan newspaper.

“It has to do with our mission that education is rooted in the life of Christ and focused on the whole person. Even if they are not Christian, they find that attractive.”

Krista Price, mother of Sam and Rachel Price, who attend Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, said her family is Protestant but she “wanted the kids to receive a solid education and to avoid the pitfalls of public school.” The family was home-schooled through eighth grade, so she felt a smaller school would ease the transition. Most importantly, though, “we wanted a Christ-centered school,” she added.

“The Catholic faith element has been a positive influence for our whole family,” Krista pointed out, noting that questions raised in religion class topics often “motivate us to go back and research what we believe.”

Sam, who has considered becoming a minister, agrees with his mom and said he’s been inspired by his Catholic classmates.

“Some (fellow students) want to go into ministry, and whether it’s as a missionary or a priest or a nun, I’ve found that pretty cool that we are different denominations but all want to serve God,” he said.

As Orthodox Christians, Maria and Ruairi Murray decided to send their son Patrick to Seton in Manassas, a junior and senior high school affiliated with the Arlington Diocese, for a number of reasons, including the school’s academic rigor, its conservative feel and Christian environment.

“It was important to us for him to see peers who are struggling to live the Christian life, that it’s not just an ideal but an everyday struggle, because it is

for each of us,” said Maria.

However, the Murrays ensure their son understands the distinction between Catholicism and their own faith, but the differences also deepen a family’s own Christian beliefs.

“As parents, we have great comfort in knowing that our son is in an educational environment that will reinforce much of what he learns in the Eastern Church,” said Ruairi.

“With that said, there are some key differences. Being cognizant of these differences and why they exist is something that we have and will continue to make Patrick aware of.”

Myles Sherman, who is Baptist, and a sophomore at St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries, believes the effects of his high school experience will have impacts beyond the classroom.

For starters, he said he has learned to “deal with people who have different views.”

There are some challenges for non-Catholics, though.

Krista Price said it was “a little awkward at times” for her son when Catholic students went to Confession or the students went to Mass.

But students and parents are quick to say they’ve felt welcomed.

At Catholic high schools in the Arlington Diocese, students are required to take religion courses and participate in faith-based activities, such as schoolwide Masses and prayers. Of course, non-Catholic students don’t partake in the Eucharist or Confession, but in every other way “they are part of the Spiritual life of the school,” said Vorbach.

The students also enhance their Catholic peers’ academic and Spiritual formation, bringing to the classroom their diverse backgrounds and Spiri-

tual practices, said Colwell.

Father Edward J. Bresnahan, chaplain at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, said non-Catholics can “elevate the dialogue in religion classes” because they have less knowledge of Catholicism than cradle Catholics and often ask more questions.

“Our basic premise is that all are welcome,” said Sister Karl Ann Homberg, a Sister of St. Joseph, who is assistant superintendent of Arlington Catholic Schools.

It is not the schools’ mission to convert non-Catholics, but rather to evangelize in the sense of animating the Gospel through words and actions.

Some students may be drawn to the Catholic Church, she said, but for others it is an opportunity to awaken and deepen their own beliefs.

“When students are exposed to good role models, to faculty and students who are actively living the faith, their own faith and beliefs can be revitalized,” she added.

Andrew Cullen (left), Martin Caron (right) present a New England Revolution jersey as a gift to Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., during his recent visit to St. Andrew’s Parish in Taunton. (Photo courtesy of Bill Breen)

16

Youth Pages

St. Mary’s Parish First Reconciliation students at All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford were recently visited by pastor, Msgr. John J. Oliveira, who returned the “lost sheep” crafts made as part of their preparation for receiving the Sacrament.

Second-grade students, from Holy Name School in Fall River, recently wrote a sequential paragraph on “How To Build a Snowman,” and completed it with an art project.

Middle school students from St. Joseph School in Fairhaven recently taught the first-graders how to use microscopes.

January 30, 2015

Kindergarten teacher at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford, Margarida Pour, received a welcome visit from her son, Army Specialist Arian Pour, who came to express his gratitude to the students for remembering him in their daily prayers.

Students in grades three through eight at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro recently took part in an “Hour of Code” during Computer Science Education Week. If the students coded for one hour, they could log onto www. csedweek.org and register in the international promotion. Pictured are thirdgraders Oceana Duffy, Emma Silva-Henningson and Dillon Thomas coding an “Elsa” from the “Frozen” movie on a laptop.

Students in grade four at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently created an outline for expository writing (dogs that help humans).

Youth Pages Connections

January 30, 2015

W

e have become an overly “connected” people. Most of us are seldom without a phone, tablet or laptop and most of the time spent on those devices is used to ‘communicate’ with others.

We share every detail and every moment of our lives on Facebook. Even such mundane pronouncements as when we’ve arrived at a location or what we’ve had for breakfast. We’re connected and then again we’re not.

One only needs to look around at a group of people, whether on campus or at the mall, to see that just about everyone is carrying some sort of electronic device. People seldom look up to acknowledge each other any more. They just look at their screens. Do we ever even use these devices for phone calls anymore? The human species may someday

adapt by having eyes on the are we too distracted to get the top of our heads too, so we can message out to others, or are see where we’re going while we others too distracted to receive text or post on these devices. the message? Are we so busy Yes, we are connected but “communicating” that we miss then again, maybe we’re not. the message intended for us.

Surrounded by other people, Fortunately, Jesus will go to many choose to communicate any length to call us to Him with those who are not there and He doesn’t text or use rather than those who stand Facebook. He reaches out to us just a few feet away.

Are we losing the ability to connect face-to-face?

While social media is a way to stay connected with others, are

By Deacon we so “connected” that Frank Lucca we miss what is going on around us? How does an important message get through all that in very special ways. texting or posting or YouTube We’re all called in different videos? ways. While I was fortunate Getting the message of Jeto grow up in a loving, faithsus Christ out to others is our ful family, it really wasn’t until role as His disciples. However, later in life that I felt a real call from Jesus. I like to say that in my young life I never said no to Christ, it’s just that I never said yes either. It wasn’t until 1988 that I heard His call. I’m glad that I answered.

Through the efforts and prodding of my wife, I attended a weekend retreat called Cursillo and I have to say it was a lifealtering experience. Jesus didn’t use a cell phone or text me (as most people didn’t have them back then anyway), but it was a clear connection nonetheless.

Through the people he placed on that weekend, I heard what Prima CARE, P.C. executives from left:, Samuel A. Cordeiro, MBA, He had to say to me — loud Controller; Dr. Martin A. Fogle, chief medical officer; and Richard and clear. I felt a gentle tug Mateus, CEO present check to St. Vincent’s staff, Carolyn DaSilva, on my heart. When I left director of Residential Services; Missy Reis, education supervisor; the Cursillo weekend, I knew

Be Not Afraid

and Jack Weldon, CEO.

17 exactly what He wanted me to do. My ministry as a deacon and my work with youth today are direct outgrowths of that Cursillo weekend.

There are many opportunities in your life to get the call from Jesus. He’s calling you all the time. In fact, He might be calling you right now. You just have to listen. He’s asking you to go out and spread His Word to others — to do His work. He wants you to answer. Are you ready to answer His call or are you so busy texting and posting that you don’t even hear what He has to say to you?

I think one of the best opportunities to hear the voice of Jesus and what He may be calling you to, is to remove yourself or “retreat” for a while just as I had. But don’t wait 36 years as I did. Besides your local parish retreats, there are many other opportunities here in our diocese to attend a retreat. For post-Confirmation young people in grades nine12, the YES! Retreat to be held on April 10-12 at Cathedral Camp is a perfect opportunity to learn what Christ wants for you. For those in college and into early adulthood, Catholic Campus Ministry offers a number of retreats such as the Seekers’ Retreat or the Jesus Retreat (www.dfrcm.org) which will be held on February 20-22 at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center; an Emmaus Retreat (http://emmausretreats.com/),

like one being held March 20-22 might be the opportunity. There are other opportunities like ECHO (http:// www.echoofcapecod.org/) also offered in our diocese. Take a look at one of these opportunities if you feel the call to do so.

Some of us may have other opportunities to get the call. A priest, teacher or friend might help us hear the call. Just listen.

He’s reaching out to you all the time!

Even if you’ve answered the call, sometimes in our lives the signal fades and we can’t hear Jesus anymore. That’s what is so great about our God. Jesus will continue to call and call and call until we answer again.

I guess that’s the key — we have to be the one to answer.

When we finally do answer, we’ll hear that crystal-clear voice telling us that we are always welcome back and He’ll tell us exactly what He wants us to do. We just have to be open, to listen and then act on the call.

And never worry how long you talk, long distance charges do not apply!

Anchor columnist Frank Lucca is a permanent deacon in the diocese of Fall River, a youth minister at St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea, and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth.

He is married to his wife of 36 years, Kristine, and the father of two daughters and their husbands, and an 11-monthold grandson. Comments, ideas or suggestions? Please email him at DeaconFrankLucca@ comcast.net.

Prima CARE, P.C., helps community with a donation to St. Vincent’s Home

Fall River — Prima CARE, P.C. takes great pride in supporting local area charities and non-profit organizations and is proud to continue its charitable affiliation with St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River. Prima CARE, P.C. CEO, Richard Mateus, along with Dr. Martin Fogle, Prima CARE’s chief medical officer, and Samuel Cordeiro, Prima CARE’s controller, presented a $5,000 check to St. Vincent’s Home to support services to children, youth and families. Donated funds help support the trauma treatment programs provided

by St. Vincent’s expert team of direct care staff.

Donations were raised at Prima CARE’s 2014 Holiday Office Party with more than

800 employees and guests in attendance. A holiday raffle resulted in $5,000 being donated to St. Vincent’s.

Prima CARE, P.C. CEO, Richard Mateus, explains, “Prima CARE is proud to support the efforts of highly-respected child and family-serving organizations like St. Vincent’s.

It is important we give back to organizations such as St. Vincent’s that provide critical services to the children and families of our community — children and families who are seen by Prima CARE’s healthcare professionals each day.”

For more than 15 years, Prima CARE, P.C. has donated clothing, toys and presents to St. Vincent’s children and youth for the holidays.

A team of AP chemistry students from Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River lent their support to Fall River’s young scientists when they served as judges for Holy Name School’s recent annual science fair. The Connolly panel included, from left: Eric Tompkins, Logan Reardon, Gianna Tobojka, Lucas Wu, Joshua Ortiz, Zachary Young, Svea Erickson-Potter, Clement Ojo, Derek Hathaway, and Jessica Jensen.

18

January 30, 2015

Miracles abound in the life of Sister Mila continued from page one

short, and they would tease her, “Mary Miracles!”

“I would come home crying,” she said.

Many years later when she went to college, she was asked to translate her name into English.

“Your name is very beautiful,” said the professor. “Your name is ‘Miracles of the Cross.’”

“That teacher was very stern, but I loved him,” she said. “He was the only one who was able to tell me the meaning of my name.”

Growing up in a very poor family on a small tract of farmland, Sister Mila remembers the long years of drought.

“The La Salette Fathers came to my area and did a Novena at the farm,” she said. “They carried the cross and sang songs in Latin. We saw cracks in the soil, and you know in those cracks we found edible frogs. We could not plant rice, but God gave us frogs. We brought them to the market and sold them.”

One of the La Salette priests, Father Conrad Blanchet, gave the family a gas-powered well pump so that they could plant rice and irrigate the land. They also watered a neighbor’s field.

“We were very poor, but my mother and father always shared,” she said. “Lots of people who needed food came to our house for help, but we always had something to eat. It is a mystery.”

Sister Mila attended La Salette High School in Santiago, and that’s where she first saw a statue of Our Lady of La Salette. She learned about the weeping mother and received her calling.

“I told them I wanted to become a Sister of La Salette, even though we had none in our area,” she said.

Her formation was done in Manila at their regional house.

In her fourth year, she received her veil. Through the years she served the apostolate in schools as Religious Education coordinator, guidance counselor, registrar and principal.

Three of her siblings also had vocations; two joined the La Salette missionaries and a third is a Maryknoll.

In October 2007, Sister Mila was assigned to the U.S. mission in Miami, where she served as school principal.

“The American culture was

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Cape Verdean faithful overjoyed itself a challenge,” she said. “I was unprepared to deal with all the technical demands of my job, including using computers.

Amazingly, I learned quickly how to do many things, and I was even able to teach others to do the same.”

Now serving at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Sister Mila works in the shrine church as Liturgical coordinator of their 80 volunteers — acolytes, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and sacristans — and assists the priests.

Living in Cumberland, R.I., about 30 minutes from the shrine, the nuns leave their house early each morning to take part in Community Prayer and Mass at the Attleboro monastery. Two nuns, one from Madagascar and the other from Connecticut, work in the gift shop. Sister Mila’s day revolves around the 12:10 and 6:30 p.m.

Masses. When the nuns return to their convent at the end of the day, they go directly to the chapel to pray.

Pilgrims from all over the world worship at the shrine church, where Sister Mila offers a special ministry. She set up a box for prayer petitions and also answers prayer requests online every day.

She recalls the first time she was approached by someone in need of prayers. “Sister, I want to talk to you,” said a young mother with three small children.

“We have priests,” Sister Mila replied. “I can get you a priest.”

“No, no, Sister,” the woman said. “I want to talk to you.”

“I just came from the doctor’s office, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” said the woman.

“I have a short time to live.”

“Don’t worry,” said Sister Mila. “I will pray.”

A year later, the priest in charge of vocations came looking for Sister Mila.

“Do you remember a lady with three children who talked to you last year?” he asked. “She wanted me to tell you that her breast cancer is gone.”

“And she’s not the only one,” said Sister Mila beaming.

“You cannot believe how many prayers have been answered.”

Still a farm girl at heart, Sister Mila also tends the many beautiful live flowers that thrive at the shrine even in winter.

“We need a beautiful place for people to come and experience the nearness of God,” she said.

continued from page one

he’s a good priest and bishop.”

Father John Sullivan, pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham, which also boasts a significant number of Cape Verdean parishioners, recently reported the good news in his weekly bulletin.

Of the 20 new cardinal-designates, Father Sullivan noted that Bishop Furtado is one of three who hails from a relatively small diocese.

“Santiago de Cabo Verde is smaller than our own diocese,” Father Sullivan said. “I feel it is an important gesture from the pope to include new cardinals who come from dioceses that aren’t historically recognized or are from areas that aren’t large cities, but rural or not otherwise believed to be large centers of Catholic life.”

Despite Cape Verde’s size, with just about half-a-million inhabitants, it is estimated that an impressive 90 percent of the population on the chain of islands located 400 miles off the coast of West Africa is Roman Catholic.

“I think it’s wonderful that this is happening for Cape Verde and it’s great that the country is being recognized,” said Beverly Rideaux, a Cape Verdean descendant and parishioner at St. Anthony’s Parish in Mattapoisett. “I’m very proud of the fact that (Bishop Furtado) is the first-ever cardinal from Cape Verde. I would say any way that we can spread God’s message and Jesus’ love, to me, is very important. It’s quite an honor and I’m sure the residents there must be so proud that this has happened to their small country.”

“The Cape Verdean people all have a deep faith — that’s what we feel,” added Freitas. “I talked to some of my friends in Cape Verde, and they said they are all very happy about Bishop Furtado becoming a cardinal.”

In a telephone interview from his diocese, based in the Cape Verde capital, Praia, Cardinal-designate Furtado recently told Catholic News Service he had no idea Pope Francis was going to name him a cardinal January 4: “It was a complete and total surprise,” he said.

The 65-year-old said he believes he was chosen because of the history of the Catholic Church in his Portuguesespeaking country. The diocese, based in the capital, is one of

the oldest dioceses in Africa, he said, adding, “I believe it was time for a cardinal to be chosen from here.”

The cardinal-designate said of his appointment: “It will be a challenge, I am sure, but with the help of God and my community I will try to further the teachings of the Lord.”

This is the first time the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde will have a cardinal, let alone one of its native sons.

Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado was born Nov. 15, 1949, in Santa Catarina, on the largest island of the Cape Verde archipelago. He pursued his theological studies in Portugal, and returned to Cape Verde where he was ordained a priest July 18, 1976.

He obtained his licentiate in Scripture at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute.

He was a professor, a parish priest and diocesan vicar general until 2003, when Pope John Paul II named him bishop of the newly-established Mindelo Diocese. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to his current post as bishop of the Santiago Diocese.

On his Facebook page, Cape Verde Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves congratulated the cardinal-designate.

“I felt an enormous pride and my heart filled with joy upon receiving the news of his nomination,” he said. “It is a moment of great jubilation for the entire Cape Verde nation.”

“It’s a marvelous celebration for the Cape Verdean people,” Father Kolasa agreed. “But I think it’s good for the whole Church, too. I think it’s an ecclesial delight because Pope Francis has really chosen some good, holy men” to become cardinals.

With contributions from CNS wire reports.

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

19

January 30, 2015

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

Pope urges new cardinals not to let nomination go to their heads

Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 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.

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. 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, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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 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 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. 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.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

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

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

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction 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.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

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.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Writing to the 20 new cardinals he will create in February, Pope Francis said they should graciously accept that their friends, family and faithful will want to celebrate, but they also should ensure that the celebrations are not exaggerated.

“As good Christians, they will celebrate because Christians rejoice and know how to celebrate,” the pope wrote. “Accept it with humility. Only do so in a way that in these celebrations there does not creep in a Spirit of worldliness that intoxicates more than grappa on an empty stomach, disorienting and separating one from the cross of Christ.”

The letter, signed by the pope January 4, the day he

~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ 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.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount 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.

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 are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Feb. 4 Rev. Msgr. Hugh J. Smyth, P.R., Pastor, St. Lawrence, New Bedford; First Vicar General, Fall River, 1904-07; Administrator of Diocese, February-July 1907, 1921 Rev. Raymond Graham, S.M.M., 2004

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Jan. 31 Rev. Charles J. Burns, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1901 Rev. William F. Sullivan, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset, 1930 Rev. Manuel C. Terra, 1930 Feb. 1 Rev. Msgr. Michael J. O’Reilly, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1948 Rev. Msgr. Patrick H. Hurley, V.F. Pastor, St. Joseph, Taunton, 1968 Rev. Anatole F. Desmarais, Pastor, St. Jacques, Taunton, 1975 Rev. Msgr. Gerard J. Chabot, Pastor, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, South Attleboro, 1983 Rev. William F. O’Connell, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford, 1995 Rev. Arthur T. DeMello, Retired Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 2004 Feb. 2 Most Rev. William Stang, D.D., First Bishop of Fall River: 1904-07, 1907 Rev. Patrick F. McKenna, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1913 Rev. John L. McNamara, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1941 Rev. P. Roland Decosse, Pastor, St. Hyacinth, New Bedford, 1947 Rev. Daniel F. Moriarty, Assistant, St. Brendan, Riverside, R.I., 1991 Feb. 3 Rev. Antonio O. Ponte, Pastor, Our Lady of Angels, Fall River, 1952

Feb. 6 Most Rev. Frederick A. Donaghy, M.M, Bishop of Wuchow, 1988

announced the names of the new cardinals, was published January 23 in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. Pope Francis had written a similar letter, also requesting restrained celebrations, when he created new cardinals in 2014.

Pope Francis also told the 20 cardinals he will create February 14 that their new

role in the Church is a call to greater service — helping, supporting and being particularly close to the pope for the good of the Church.

“It will do your heart good to repeat in prayer the expression Jesus Himself suggested to His disciples to help them remain humble: ‘We are worthless slaves,’” the pope said, quoting Luke 17:10.

Around the Diocese

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 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 508672-4822 or Club President Norman Valiquette at 508-672-8174.

A Placement Exam will be held at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River on February 7 at 8 a.m. for all prospective high school students and eighth-grade LEAP students who are interested in attending Connolly next year. The fee for the exam is $20 and it will be held at Bishop Connolly High School, 373 Elsbree Street in Fall River. For more information call 508-676-1071, extension 333.

On February 8, all religious Sisters throughout the United States are being encouraged to host an event that will raise the awareness of consecrated life in the area that they live. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate will also host an event that day at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford called “Meet the Religious — Nationwide Opportunities to Explore Religious Life.” The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. starting in the church hall and will consist of a short welcome, followed by the showing of a DVD about the order’s missionary work throughout the world. There will then be a coffee break followed by a question-and-answer period where the public is invited to ask questions about vocations and religious life in general. The event will culminate with a Eucharistic holy hour in St. Anthony of Padua Church to pray for consecrated men and women and vocations to the religious life. All are welcome. For more information, contact the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate at 508-990-0335 or visit www.cmswr.org.

World Day of the Sick will be celebrated on February 11 at the Father Peyton Center with a noon Mass in the chapel. Those sick and suffering in our families will be remembered and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick with blessed oil will be administered to any faithful in danger of death because of sickness or advanced age. The Father Peyton Center is located at 518 Washington Street in North Easton. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508-238-4095, extension 2027, or visit www.FamilyRosary.org/Events.

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January 30, 2015

I guess our treasure lies in the size and weight of a football

t’s amazing how little time New England Patriots’ fans had to relish in winning the American Football Conference championship and a trip to the Super Bowl this coming Sunday.

It was like one night!

Then deflategate took over the airwaves and, once again, the Patriots were guilty of cheating, and by association, so was the rest of Patriots Nation.

All this while nothing was proven. There is indeed no more innocent until

proven guilty in this country. before I began to really take notice just how sad this The media, and those who country is. “believe” in whatever slant People all over the U.S., is provided by their news source of choice, take care of and the world for that matter, have worked themselves that for us now. into a lather over this. And At first I was a bit diswe still don’t know if anyone turbed that this Super Bowl appearance was tainted before it even got off the ground.

But what became more disturbing was the publicity it was garnering in all areas

By Dave Jolivet of the media.

It didn’t’ take long

My View From the Stands

was guilty of anything.

There isn’t a news outlet or sports station, on TV or radio that hasn’t devoted incredible amounts of air time on the pounds per square inch of a football.

One simply cannot escape the onslaught of accusations and innuendos this “scandal” has caused.

We have former NFL quarterbacks and players and coaches and writers and “fair and balanced” news

people who have come out and flatly stated that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have lied during their press conferences. To me, it takes a lot of nerve, and more than enough playing God to call someone a liar without knowing all the facts.

I know that some of these folks themselves had to deny a story or two about themselves and when they did, no one called them a liar.

I guess what goes around doesn’t necessarily come around.

But let’s put all this foolishness aside. Deflategate goes way beyond footballs.

How about the coverage given to last week’s March for Life in Washington, D.C.? I didn’t see much if any in the secular press, did you?

And the irony of it is that these people are trying to save the lives of little innocent human beings, some of whom, at the risk of sounding melodramatic, have their little heads deflated during one of many cruel abortion procedures.

People are starving, are immigrants with nowhere to call home, are being slaughtered because of their religious beliefs, are victims of sexual abuse, are victims of domestic violence, are victims of any of a plethora of prejudices, but all the hubbub is about how many pounds of air are in a football.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I guess our treasure lies in the size and weight of an NFL football more than anything else lately.

Now that’s truly deflating.

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