01.13.23

Diocesan conference to focus on importance of the Eucharist in our lives

By Dave Jolivet Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

EASTON — For the first time in three years, diocesan women and men will again gather for a day of prayer, praise and inspiration at the annual Women and Men’s Conference sponsored by the diocesan Secretariat for the New Evangelization. The primary focus will be the sacredness and importance of the most Holy Eucharist in lives of the faithful.

The conference, themed “Receive Jesus.

Worship Jesus.,” is open to all and will take place on March 10 at the Ames Sports Complex on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton.

“There will be a very powerful and prayerful presence this year focusing on the Eucharist,” as part of the national threeyear Eucharistic Revival initiative, Beth Mahoney told The Anchor. Mahoney is the chairperson of the committee for the event, and principal of St. Stanislaus School in Fall River. “We have three

very dynamic speakers sharing topics to provide those in attendance with a better and clear understanding of how receiving the Eucharist nourishes us and brings us into a better relationship with God.

She added that after two years of COVID restrictions, “We are so grateful… face-to-face again. . And there couldn’t be a better main theme than that of Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist.”

The speakers this year will be Fall River Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., who has routinely spoken about the Eucharist’s importance in our lives since the beginning of the launch of the National Eucharistic Revival that began on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 19, 2022. That initiated a Year of Diocesan Revival that will run to June 11, 2023; followed by a Year of Diocesan Revival from June 11, 2023 to July 17, 2024; ending with a Eucharistic Congress from July 17-21, 2024 where 80,000 women, men and

Bishop da Cunha shares reflection on the passing of Pope Benedict XVI

FALL RIVER — Bishop

Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., on December 31 shared the following reflection on the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:

Today God has called to His eternal reward Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, bringing to an end the earthy journey of this faithful and humble servant who became the 264th successor to St. Peter. His passing provides us with the opportunity to remember and reflect on his eight-year pontificate and to thank God for his extraordinary service to the Church and to the world.

I am grateful for the opportunities that I had to meet Pope Benedict, to speak with him, to hear him speak, to concelebrate Mass with him and to be close to him. My first experience with him was when he came to the United States on his apostolic visit in 2008, meeting with all the bishops of the country and speaking to us at

the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on April 16 of that year. The next day, I was blessed to be among the bishops who concelebrated Mass with him at the Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC., with thousands of people partic-

Coverage of Pope Benedict’s funeral appears on page two.

ipating in what I consider a memorable experience.

In May 2011, I was in Rome for the Beatification of St. Justin Russolillo, the founder of my Religious Congregation, the Society of Divine Vocations, when I met with him again during his general audience. As usual, he was the kind and gentle shepherd to world came to know.

Again in 2011, while in the Vatican for the occasion of the ad limina visits of the bishops of the United States, I had the opportunity, together with the other bishops from

my region, to gather with the Holy Father for a time of fraternal dialogue, to discuss issues affecting the Church in the world, especially in the United States. What remains so strongly with me from those meetings I had with him was his paternal attitude toward the bishops and his interest and care about our mission in our own dioceses. He showed amazing knowledge and great interest about what was happening in the world.

Pope Benedict was an intellectual giant who actively participated in and influenced many of the documents of Vatican II, and he helped implement many of those pastoral principles that came out of that ecumenical Council. The influence of Pope Benedict has had on the Church is great, and his legacy will live on for generations to come. He had an incredible gift to communicate the truth about

Then-Auxiliary Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., of Newark, N.J., stands third from the right during a 2011 visit with Pope Benedict XVI. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)

Tens of thousands attend solemn liturgy for beloved pope emeritus

VATICAN CITY (CNA and Anchor) — Tens of thousands of people were present in St. Peter’s Square for the January 5 funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a leading theologian of the 20th century and the first pope to resign from office in nearly 600 years.

Royalty, cardinals, patriarchs, government officials, and many Catholic families and religious attended the funeral on a cold and foggy morning at the Vatican. More than 3,900 priests concelebrated the Mass.

The Vatican said 125 cardinals concelebrated, including Sean Cardinal O’Malley of Boston.

Father Roger Landry, interim editor of The Anchor, was present doing the commentary on the Mass for EWTN.

The ceremony began with the transport of the pope emeritus’ wooden coffin from the basilica to St. Peter’s Square.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s personal secretary, approached the coffin, knelt before it, and kissed it. The crowd then prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in Latin for the repose of the soul of the late pope.

The funeral Mass was simple and solemn, in accord with Benedict XVI’s wishes. The Sistine Chapel Choir sang the “Ave Maria,” “In Paradisum,” and other hymns.

An image of the resurrection of Christ, a favorite of Pope Benedict from the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, was hung from the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica behind the

altar.

Pope Francis presided over the funeral for his predecessor.

came to see Benedict XVI lying in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the days ahead of the funeral.

King Philip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

banners, including one that said “Santo Subito,” calling for Benedict’s immediate canonization.

In his homily, he reflected on Jesus’ final words on the cross: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit,” which was the Gospel for the Mass.

“God’s faithful people, gathered here, now accompany and entrust to him the life of the one who was their pastor,” he said.

“Like the women at the tomb,” he said, “we too have come with the fragrance of gratitude and the balm of hope, in order to show him once more the love that is undying. We want to do this with the same wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years.”

Benedict XVI died on December 31 at the age of 95. As confirmed by Archbishop Gänswein, his last words were “Signore, ti amo!” (“Lord, I love you”).

Nearly 200,000 people

“Together, we want to say: ‘Father, into Your hands we commend his spirit,’” Francis said in his homily. “Benedict, faithful friend of the Bridegroom, may your joy be complete as you hear his voice, now and forever.”

The Vatican only invited two official state delegations — from Italy and Germany — to the funeral, but many heads of state and public figures decided to attend in an unofficial capacity.

In addition to the Presidents and Prime Ministers from both Italy and Germany, Poland’s… President Andrzej Duda, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar came to the Vatican to attend the ceremony, along with European royals Queen Sofia of Spain and

In the Prayers of the Faithful, the second prayer was said in German: “For Pope Emeritus Benedict, who has fallen asleep in the Lord: May the eternal Shepherd receive him into His kingdom of light and peace.”

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, he was elected to the papacy in April 2005, taking the name Benedict XVI, after decades of service to the Catholic Church as a theologian, prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, cardinal, and one of the closest collaborators of St. John Paul II, whom he succeeded as pope.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein (right), the longtime personal secretary for Benedict XVI, kneels to kiss the book of the Gospels atop the coffin of the pope emeritus on January 5 in St. Peter’s Square. (Daniel Ibañez/CNA)

Widely recognized as one of the Catholic Church’s top theologians, Benedict’s pontificate was marked by a profound understanding of the challenges to the Church in the face of growing ideological aggression, not least from an increasingly secular Western mindset, both within and outside the Church. He famously warned about the “dictatorship of relativism” in a homily just before the conclave in 2005 that elected him pope.

At the end of the funeral Mass, Pope Francis presided over the Final Commendation and Farewell, which were followed by a moment of silent prayer.

Pope Francis approached with a cane and prayed while touching the wooden coffin of his predecessor.

Bells tolled and the crowd warmly applauded as Benedict XVI’s coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Basilica to his place of burial in the in the crypt of the Basilica, where previous the bodies of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II lay prior to their beatifications. People waved flags and

On Feb. 11, 2013, the 85-year-old Benedict shocked the world with a Latin-language announcement of his retirement, becoming the first pope in 598 years to do so. He cited his advanced age and his lack of strength as unsuitable to the exercise of his office.

Reflecting on life after death in an Angelus message on Nov. 2, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said eternal life will be like “immersing yourself in the ocean of infinite love where time — a before and an after — no longer exists. Fullness of life and joy: This is what we hope for and expect from our being with Christ.”

The life, deaTh, funeral and legacy of PoPe BenedicT

Normally the death and funeral of a successor of St. Peter takes place within the context of a major distraction. The routine shock that comes even when death is expected, the grief that accompanies the realization that in this world we will never again hear the deceased pope’s voice, the realization for Catholics of being in some way temporarily spiritually orphaned — all inexorably and impatiently give way, despite the traditional nine days of mourning, to the dynamics of an upcoming conclave and the inevitable prognostications, aspirations and anxieties as to who will be the next to bear the responsibility of the Petrine office.

Not for Pope Benedict. One of the consequences of his renunciation of the papacy in February 2013 — although perhaps not recognized or deemed important at the time of his historic announcement — was that his death and funeral would not take place with the attendant intrigues involved in replacing the supreme pontiff, a reigning head of state, and a global spiritual father.

They would be more “normal,” in the sense that the whole Christian world would be able to pray with fewer diversions for divine mercy that “the Lord may admit [him] to the eternal dwellings, despite all [his] sins and shortcomings,” as he asked us to do in his spiritual testament. It would be an opportunity to thank God for the gift of his life and for the multitude of ways that God through him has blessed our lives. It would be a chance to focus on another form of succession than on the chair of St. Peter, namely, about receiving, living and transmitting the legacy of virtues, experiences and teachings the man who became Pope Benedict XVI richly bequeathed us.

Pope Benedict XVI was the greatest theologian to occupy Peter’s chair since at least Pope St. Gregory the Great (440-461). He used his gifts, first, to shore up the faith of German university students looking for the truth in the immediate aftermath of the ideological intellectual terrorism of the Nazis and the compounded traumas of World War II. As the theological expert and ghost writer of Cologne Cardinal Josef Frings at the Second Vatican Council, he played major roles not only in the overall direction of the Council but in the composition of its major documents, particularly the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum. After the Council, when various theologians and others in the Church, intoxicated by the so-called “spirit” of the Council that they sought to use as a justification to discard anything in the faith they didn’t understand, appreciate or like, he served on the International Theological Commission and co-founded the journal Communio, to do theology in communion with the Church. As Archbishop of Munich-Freising, he sought to implement the authentic teachings of the Council during a time of cultural seismic shifts and confusion. During his nearly 25 years as the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he sought to help the Church transmit with clarity and beauty the teachings of the Church in response to the questions of the age, and with courage, kindness and firmness corrected heterodox ideas and theologians.

When he was elected the 265th Peter in 2005 at the age of 78, he was well aware not only of the enormous demands of the office, but of his strengths and

weaknesses before the three-fold task of the papacy to teach, sanctify and govern.

At a physical level, he had already had two strokes, a pacemaker for 20 years, prostate problems, degenerative joint disease and was slowly beginning to lose sight in one eye. He knew what he lacked in terms of the energy, training and administrative and managerial skill sets needed for the task of governance, something that would prove problematic over the 2,873 days of his papacy, as he was betrayed by those close to him, as many within the Vatican tried to advance their own agendas, and as several unforced errors took place to his and the Church’s embarrassment. The enormous physical demands needed to effectively to govern the Church was one of the major factors that led him to renounce the papacy for the good of the Church. It would be hard enough for an 85-year-old to run a bustling parish, not to mention a world-wide Church, and humbly and courageously he recognized he could not do it well.

But he was also aware of his leadership strengths and sought to use them fully in the service of the Church. He saw as his principal task to lead us to God.

He did that, first, through his teaching. Rather than teaching a world-wide doctoral seminar for theological scholars, he — like his spiritual mentor St. Augustine (354-430) upon becoming Bishop of Hippo — decided to put all his training to use in teaching everyone the foundations of Christian faith and life. He wrote two encyclicals on charity (2005, 2009), another on hope (2007), a third on faith (2013, published by Pope Francis), an exhortation on the Eucharist (2007) and another on the Word of God (2011). He dedicated catechetical series to the Psalms and Canticles of the Liturgy of the Hours, the apostles, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, St. Paul’s life and writings, great male and female saints, prayer and faith. He gave great annual Christmas addresses to children and regular talks to young people. He regularly engaged in question-and-answer sessions with clergy and other groups. He celebrated Holy Years dedicated to the Eucharist, St. Paul, the priesthood, and faith. And he used his vacation time to work on a trilogy dedicated to helping us to get to know the real Jesus of Nazareth after various scholars had injured the faith of many by importing philosophical biases and ideologies to their work.

He likewise led liturgically. He labored to bring back a true and fitting worship to the celebration of the Mass, after decades of liturgical confusion. The Mass, he taught by word, writing and witness, is fundamentally theocentric: priests and people are called to focus on God, rather than remaining a self-enclosed circle worshiping themselves. His homilies were doxological, focused above all on God and His glory, and less on us and what we must do. He formed priests in the “art of celebrating the Mass,” which means aligning their minds, hearts, soul, strength and all they are, body and soul, to the prayers being directed toward God the Father and in loving adoration of the Word-made-flesh. And he helped the faithful to grasp what “active participation” really means: not external activity during Mass but greater and more devout awareness of what is taking place and how it applies to

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Daily Readings † January 14 - January 27

Sat. Jan. 14, Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10,15; Mk 2:13-17. Sun. Jan. 15, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 49:3,5-6; Ps 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Cor 1: 1-3; Jn 1:29-34. Mon. Jan. 16, 1 Heb 5:1-10; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 2:18-22. Tue. Jan. 17, Heb 6:10-20; Ps 111:1-2,4-5,9,10c; Mk 2:23-28. Wed. Jan. 18, Heb 7:1-3, 15-17; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 3:1-6. Thu. Jan. 19, Heb 7:25 8:6; Ps 40:7-8a,8b10,17; Mk 3:7-12. Fri. Jan. 20, Heb 8:6-13; Ps 85:8,10-14; Mk 3:13-19. Sat. Jan. 21, Heb 9:2-3,11-14; Ps 47:2-3,6-9; Mk 3:20-21. Sun. Jan. 22, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 8:23 9:3; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; 1 Cor 1:1013,17; Mt 4:12-23. Mon. Jan. 23, Heb 9:15,24-28; Ps 98:1,2-3ab,3cd-6; Mk 3:22-30. Tue. Jan. 24, Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2,4ab,7-8a,10-11; Mk 3:31-35. Wed. Jan. 25, Conversion of St. Paul, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:122; Ps 117:1bc,2; Mk 16:15-18. Thu. Jan. 26, 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:1-2a,2b-3,7-8a,10; Mk 4:21-25. Fri. Jan. 27, Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:36,23-24,39-40; Mk 4:26-34.

Diocesan Family and Respect Life Office shares format for national 9 Days for Life Novena beginning January 19

FALL RIVER — To coincide with the annual March for Life and Mothers being held in Washington, D.C. on January 20, the diocesan Family and Respect Life Office, part of the Secretariat for the New Evangelization, has shared the format for a 9 Days For Life Novena beginning January 19 and ending January 29.

Diocesan faithful are encouraged to participate from their homes and join other Pro-Life advocates in seeking a definitive end to abortion in this country.

The structure is as follows:

~ 9 DAYS FOR LIFE ~

The Novena will take place Thursday, January 21 — Friday, January 29, 2021

Each day, participants are urged to pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be each day with the daily intentions and reflections listed below. The full novena, including daily suggested actions and additional information can be found at www.9daysforlife.com.

DAY ONE: Intention: May the tragic practice of abortion end.

Reflection: At every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love. The presence of an illness, disability, or other challenging situation never diminishes the value of a human life. God does not call us to perfection of appearance or abilities, but to perfection in love. Christ invites us to embrace our own lives and the lives of others as true gifts. Abortion tragically

rejects the truth that every life is a good and perfect gift, deserving protection. This violent practice ends the life of a human being at its very beginning and horribly wounds all those involved. But Christ came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10), taking on human flesh for the sake of our redemption. May our culture experience the power of God’s transforming love, that all eyes may be opened to the incredible beauty of every human life.

DAY TWO: Intention: May all unborn children be protected in law and welcomed in love.

Reflection: Today, on this 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we mourn the many children’s lives ended by abortion and remember in prayer those who suffer the aftermath. The Church comes together today to pray for the protection of all unborn children and to make reparation for abortion, trusting that the Lord hears our prayers. The importance of prayer is reflected in Evangelium vitae, which says, “A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer” (EV 100). May that prayer arise in our hearts today and each day forward until every human being is pro-

January 13, 2023

tected in law and welcomed in love.

DAY THREE: Intention: May every expectant mother receive compassionate care and support as she nurtures the life in her womb.

Reflection: When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she opened her heart to receive his message that she would conceive the Son of God in her womb. As a young, betrothed, but unmarried, woman, Mary knew that her pregnancy presented many challenges. Despite this knowledge, she faithfully responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Like the Blessed Mother, women who unexpectedly become pregnant often face significant challenges. They, too, are called to place their trust in God and faithfully respond to His gift of new life. And we are called to walk with them in their time of need. As Jesus taught us, when we love and serve others, we are loving and serving Him. May all expectant mothers be encouraged by Mary’s example and receive support and grace in lovingly welcoming their children into the world.

DAY FOUR: Intention: May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life.

Reflection: Fatherhood has its origins in God, who chose to reveal Himself to us as Our Father, sending His only Son for the sake of our salvation. Fathers therefore have a special role

“in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God” (Familiaris consortio 25). Fathers are called to exhibit “generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother” (FC 25). They are uniquely entrusted with the protection and defense of both mother and child and, in this way, in safeguarding the sanctity of human life. As evidenced in our world today, the role of the father “is of unique and irreplaceable importance” (FC 25). Often women choose abortion because they do not have the support of the child’s father, or — even worse — the father of the child pressures her to make the decision to abort. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge with compassion that men can also be overwhelmed by an unexpected pregnancy and that society increasingly tells them that they should have no say in their children’s lives. In the face of these false messages, we pray that expectant fathers will find courage in the example of St. Joseph — who embraced the role of father amid difficult circumstances — and offer loving, life-affirming support to the mothers of their children.

DAY FIVE: Intention: May each person suffering from the loss of a child through abortion find hope and healing in Christ.

If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential, compassionate help is available. Visit hopeafterabortion.org.

Reflection: After more

than four decades of legalized abortion, many children’s lives have been ended, and many parents and family members suffer that loss — often in silence. Yet God’s greatest desire is to forgive. No matter how far we have each strayed from His side, He says to us, “Don’t be afraid. Draw close to My heart.” Be assured that it is never too late to seek God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son. After repenting of sinning against his father, he returns from far away to seek forgiveness and work as a servant. But the father sees him approaching, runs to warmly embrace him, and hosts a banquet to celebrate his return. So, too, does God welcome all of His repentant children, no matter how serious the sin. Let us turn confidently to Our Lord, Who is love and mercy.

DAY SIX: Intention: May expectant mothers choosing adoption receive grace and support in embracing this loving option.

Reflection: Mothers placing their children for adoption often face many challenges along the way. One of the greatest obstacles can be inaccurately perceiving adoption as abandonment. But mothers who make an adoption plan for their children are not abandoning their children. Rather, they are exemplifying the sacrificial love of Christ on the cross in choosing to do what is best for their children, even at great cost to themselves. Like Christ, they pour out

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9 Days for Life Novena

continued from page four

their bodies and souls for the sake of another. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that, in the face of fears and trials, we can “hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm” (Heb 6:18-19). We pray that each expectant mother choosing adoption will be filled with “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7) as she makes a loving choice for her child. Let us all cling fast to the anchor of hope, for we have received “a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom 8:15).

DAY SEVEN: Intention: May all who support or participate in abortion experience a conversion of heart to seek and receive the Lord’s boundless mercy.

Reflection: When God fashioned the human person in His own image and

likeness, He destined us for eternal life with Him. Yet because of the sin of our first parents, death entered the world. The book of Genesis recounts the first occasion in which a person takes the life of another, as Cain violently kills his brother Abel. This instance of brother rising up against brother “at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed” (Evangelium vitae 8).

From the time of creation, disregard for human life has continued to spread. When we, like Cain, allow sin to find a place in our hearts, we become blinded to the truth. Sometimes this blindness might be so deep that we fail to recognize the undeniable humanity of unborn children. We may even tragically believe the lie that abortion is an act of compassion. But we know that “life, especially human

Bishop reflects on Pope Benedict XIII continued from page one

the Church and worked determinedly to reconcile faith and reason. He wanted all of us to continue learning and growing in knowledge while at the same time growing in faith and in holiness.

In thanksgiving, let us pray for Pope Benedict and commend him to the Lord who chose him to serve as

His vicar on earth and who promised him and us that He would be with us to the end of time.

life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God Himself” (EV 9). Let us pray that all who support abortion will encounter the transforming love of the Father and, with repentant hearts, seek His mercy.

DAY EIGHT: Intention: May civic leaders work for the protection of all human life, in every stage and circumstance.

Reflection: The Declaration of Independence boldly affirms that first among our inalienable rights is the right to life, given to us by the Creator. Yet despite being so solemnly proclaimed, the right to life is today threatened and often denied, particularly at the moments when life is most fragile. Our laws should — first and foremost — protect life. But “our highest Court does not yet recognize children in their mothers’ wombs as persons. Further, many political

leaders work actively to increase access to abortion. Some falsely describe it as health care and even as a basic human right.” Laws and policies that legalize or promote an intrinsic evil like abortion violate the virtue of justice. Those who work as public officials and civic leaders have a duty to serve the common good, and therefore have a profound obligation to safeguard this most fundamental right to life. Through our own prayer, witness, and civic participation, we can encourage our leaders to truly answer their call to protect the rights of all people. For “there can be no true democracy without a recognition of every person’s dignity and without respect for his or her rights” (Evangelium Vitae 101).

DAY NINE: Intention: May all who defend life find strength and renewal in the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: God has

carefully, tenderly created every person in His own image and likeness, to be in a loving relationship with Himself. From each tiny child knit within a mother’s womb, to every person approaching death, all are loved perfectly and completely by God: “It is therefore a service of love which we are all committed to ensure to our neighbor, that his or her life may be always defended and promoted, especially when it is weak or threatened” (EV 77).

In a world in which those who are most vulnerable are so often overlooked and disregarded, Christ calls us to embrace and uphold the unconditional dignity of every human life. In answering this call, we help to build “a new culture of life, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love” (EV 77). May the Holy Spirit continually renew us as we strive to faithfully defend God’s gift of life.

Diocese again receives high grade in annual VOTF report

FALL RIVER — In the recent 2022 financial transparency report by the Voice of the Faithful, a national lay organization of Catholics that formed after the revelations of clerical sexual abuse in 2002, the Fall River Diocese was again ranked among the top dioceses belonging to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. For the second consecutive year the diocese earned a score of 92 out of 100 points.

The report is based on a review of 177 dioceses across the country. The review was done last summer by a team of independent reviewers, with results published on November 30. The average score for the

Editorial

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daily life.

More than anything, he sought to lead us to God through prayer. Not only did he give us between 2011-12 the greatest papal catechesis on prayer in Church history, but his renunciation of the papal office to “devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer” shows that he

177 dioceses surveyed was 70 (up from 69 last year).

“The Diocese of Fall River was specifically identified for its finance page on the diocesan website (FallRiverdiocese.org),” Joseph Harrington, Director of Finance for the Diocese told The Anchor

The report read: “This year four dioceses stood out with excellent finance pages. They included two standouts from last year, Scranton and Fall River, and two dioceses, Covington and Seattle, that made significant improvements this year. Their well-organized finance pages made key financial information easily accessible.”

Kevin Kiley, Chancellor

and Chief Financial Officer of the Diocese of Fall River, expressed gratitude to the organization: “We would like to thank Voice of the Faithful for their continued pursuit of achieving financial transparency for Dioceses and Archdioceses across the country.” He added, “The Diocese of Fall River has benefited tremendously from this process in achieving such a high score in terms of our own financial transparency for the faithful to have confidence in.

“I would like to thank Joe Harrington and the Finance Department team for their continued due diligence and providing all the necessary dioce -

san financial information on our website for all to review.”

On its website, the organization emphasized, “Every Catholic shares in the responsibility to ensure that funds donated for Church work actually go toward those purposes. Without access to financial reports and information on Diocesan Finance Councils, budgets, and the overall financial health of a diocese, ordinary Catholics cannot exercise their full responsibility of stewardship or verify where their donations to the diocese go.’

In 2016, VOTF initiated an annual report, Measuring and Ranking Diocesan Online Financial

Transparency. On its website it said, “Such financial transparency must be one key element of an open response by the Church to survivors of clerical sexual abuse. It will also be essential in rebuilding the trust of U.S. Catholics in our diocesan leadership.”

The site further said, “Financial transparency can help address an array of problems that have emerged within the Church in recent centuries.”

According to the report, the reviews were conducted by three independent reviewers following the independent reviews, VOTF reconciled all scores to ensure that each diocese received proper credit.”

considered prayer even more important than the exercise of the papacy. His last decade was a living illustration of what Jesus taught Martha and Mary in Bethany, that the “one thing necessary” and “better part” is not what we do for Him but the friendship we form with Him in His presence (Lk 10:38-42).

The day after he was elected, Pope Benedict returned

to the Sistine Chapel with the Cardinals who elected him and told them: “I undertake … the ‘Petrine’ ministry at the service of the Universal Church, with humble abandon to the hands of the Providence of God. And it is to Christ in the first place that I renew my total and trustworthy adhesion: ‘In you, Lord, have I put my hope: and I will never hope for You in vain.’”

Those words, taken from the beginning of Psalm 71, the Church prays in the last lines of the Te Deum, the hymn used on Sundays and Solemnities and other major occasions. They’re used by the Church every December 31 as well, when during Vespers at St. Peter’s, the Church thanks God for the graces of the year coming to a close and expresses its trust and hope in Him for the year upcoming.

It’s fitting that as the Lord Jesus came for His faithful vicar on Dec. 31, 2022, those words would be resonating within the heart of His Mystical Body. His homily from exactly 14 years earlier serve not only as a fitting

valedictory to his inaugural words as well as well as exclamation point on his life of faith and longing for God:

“Our great hope as believers is eternal life in communion with Christ and the whole family of God. This great hope gives us the strength to face and to overcome the difficulties of life in this world. … God never abandons us if we entrust ourselves to Him and follow His teachings. …Full of trust, we shall then be able to sing at the end of the Te Deum: … ‘In You, Lord, is our hope: and we shall never hope in vain.’ Yes, Lord, in You we hope, today and forever. You are our hope. Amen!”

During Advent, the St. Nicholas of Myra Knights of Columbus Council #14947 in North Dighton, and the K of C Bishop Coyle Council #82 from Annunciation of the Lord in Taunton, hosted a free breakfast for both parish families after the 8 and 10:30 a.m. Masses in St. Nicholas parish hall. Manuel DeSousa from Annunciation of the Lord appeared as good old St. Nick. Bruce Blunt handed out treat bags filled with candy, and Christmas trivia activities to each child. The men prepared and served pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, orange juice, coffee and tea. The St. Nicholas of Myra Women’s Guild also offered a cookie sale and raffled off a homemade Gingerbread House. Above are twins Amelia and Adeline Thacher are being served by a volunteer; below are Joe Figeurido, Al Enos, Manuel Avila, and Mike LaPlante working in the kitchen. Bottom photo, Mary Bennett with raffle and gingerbread house made by her, and the winner was Sue DeSa.

FACE to participate in 2023 Falmouth Road Race

FALMOUTH — The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) will participate in the ASICS 2023 Falmouth Road Race again this year, as part of the Numbers for Non-Profit Program with 10 entries.

FACE is looking for

others to participate in the Falmouth Road Race for TEAM FACE. The In Person Race Day is August 20 and the At-Home Edition is from August 6-13 for the 7-mile race. By participating in the Falmouth Road Race for FACE, folks will help raise critical schol-

arship aid for students to attend a school in the Diocese of Fall River.

For more information, please visit www. face-dfr.org or contact team captain, Jane Robin at jrobin@ catholicfoundationsema. org to join TEAM FACE.

Eucharist focus of Women and Men’s Conference

children will gather to consecrated themselves to the Holy Eucharist.

Also speaking will be Mari Pablo, a well known dynamic singer and presenter at the annual Steubenville Youth Conferences, NCYC, NET, Life Teen events, FOCUS conference, diocesan events and more. She says she has a deep love for Christ and is dedicated to helping others encounter Him.

The conference will also welcome back to the diocese Father Roger Landry, was the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, and is now concurrently Catholic Chaplain at Columbia University in New York, interim executive editor of The Anchor, and has been designated by the United States Conference

of Catholic Bishops one of 56 national Eucharistic Preachers.

“I’m super happy to be able to come to this year’s Conference to speak about the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist within the context of the National Eucharistic Revival, one of the most important initiatives of the Church in the United States in decades,” Father Landry told The Anchor in an email from the Vatican where he was a commentator on EWTN for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral. “More than that, Jesus — God in the flesh, under the miraculous appearances of bread and wine — Himself will be present at the Conference. After eight years working outside of the diocese, I’m really excited about seeing so many friends and being home for a little while with Bishop da

Cunha and my brother priests to talk about the greatest treasure in the world.”

“Father Landry’s Eucharistic mission in the diocese won’t end with the conference,” added Mahoney. “The following week, he will be delivering a message of the importance of the Eucharist to diocesan school children during the day, and visiting parishes in the evening.”

Mahoney also told The Anchor that the conference committee is very excited to be able to display two holy relics; one of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

The website of Blessed Carlo says, “Carlo was born May 3, 1991, in London. His family moved to Milan shortly after. From a young age Carlo developed a love and reverence for the presence of Christ in the Eucharistic. He attended daily Mass frequently and eventually convinced his parents to attend Mass.”

As most young people his age, Blessed Carlo had a great affinity for computer games and programming. Yet he didn’t just use that passion for entertainment, he developed a website about Eucharistic miracles around the world (www.miracolieucaristici.org), an interest he developed from hearing stories from his grandmother.

In 2006 he was diagnosed with an incurable leukemia and died in October of that year. His life’s mantra was “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven,” and he spent his brief time on earth helping others to see that. He was declared Venerable in 2018 and a Blessed in 2020.

Blessed Carlo’s Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit will be available for viewing at the conference.

The other relic is that of St. Manuel Garcia. According to the National Eucharistic Revival website (eucharisticrevival.org): “He was born in Seville on the 25th of February 1877. He entered the Minor Seminary of Seville on September of 1889 where he wrote: ‘If I would be born a thousand times;

a thousand times I would be a priest.’

“He was ordained by Blessed Cardinal Spínola, the founder of the newspaper El Correo de Andalucía, where he worked when he was still a seminarian. In September of 1901, he celebrated his first Mass at the Church of the Holy Trinity and entrusted himself to the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians.”

St. Manuel was sent by the Archbishop of Seville to Palomares del Río, a beautiful and secluded village of Aljarafe, but upon his arrival no one came out to meet him. The church was greatly abandoned: filled with dust and dirt, cobwebs inside the tabernacle and torn altar cloths. Upon seeing this situation, he knelt before the altar and thought about the many abandoned tabernacles in the world. This prompted him to start the “Eucharistic Reparatory Union.”

At the age of 28, he was sent to Huelva where he saw many children in the streets. Later on, he devoted his attention mainly in founding schools and teaching catechesis with the help of his parishioners.” He died in 1940 and was canonized in 2016.

In addition to the speakers and following breakout sessions in English, Spanish and Portuguese, there will be Adoration, music, Reconciliation, morning refreshments, lunch, and vendors. Bishop da Cunha will celebrate a closing Mass at 4 p.m.

Plan to join Catholics from throughout the Diocese for this day of spiritual renewal and enrichment during Lent. Register by January 23 for an early bird discounted fee. Visit www. fallriverdiocese.org for details.

Posters and hard copy registration forms will also be delivered to all parishes in the diocese. Parishes and groups are encouraged to consider bus trips to and from the event. Further information will appear in future Anchor editions.

Office of Clergy Support announces new initiative

FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River, Office of Clergy Support, recently announced a new initiative of priestly support! Women throughout the diocese are invited prayerful to consider are invited to prayerfully consider participating as a Spiritual Mother for diocesan priests.

Spiritual Motherhood is a tradition in the Church with ancient historical and theological roots.

This new initiative is for women of the Diocese of Fall River who may feel called to spiritually support priests in a more intentional way. An informational meeting will be held in February 2023.

To find out more information about this initiative or the informational meeting, please contact Matt Robinson, Director of Clergy Support, at mrobinson@dioc-fr.org or 508-492-0995.

NORTH EASTON — Holy Cross Family Ministries is offering a film screening on January 21, at 7 p.m. of the documentary, PRAY: THE STORY OF PATRICK PEYTON, a film about a poor Irish immigrant who came to America in 1927 with dreams of becoming a millionaire. But God and the Blessed Virgin Mary had other plans for him.

Father Peyton’s ministry drew more than 28 million people to their global events and his films drew stars, like Bing Crosby.

The screening takes place at the Museum of Family Prayer, 518 Washington Street, North Easton. MuseumofFamilyPrayer.org

HCFM to hold film screening on Father Peyton documentary

“She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.”

These familiar lines ring in our ears each Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. My favorite children’s Christmas story centers around Little Johnny. Little Johnny really wanted to play the part of Joseph in the Christmas pageant but his earnest request for the part

Room in the inn

was denied. Instead, he was offered the role of the inn keeper. Johnny reluctantly accepted the part.

The night of the pageant had arrived and the auditorium was abuzz with anticipation. Joseph knocked on the door of the inn, the door flew open, and Johnny stepped out, threw his arms wide open and said, “Come in! Come on in! There’s lots of room in the inn.”

Johnny’s lines brought the house down with applause. Of course, his

words were not exactly those of the original script and this story does not relate whether or not Little

Johnny went on to become a movie star or a stand-up comedian. Yet his lines would live on in that community. We do not know whether the inn keeper was as cold hearted as he is portrayed as being, or if the inn was already booked to capacity on that historic night. Perhaps Joseph and Mary had run out of cash by the time they had reached Bethlehem after their long trek from Nazareth. One second-grader of note is said to have put the blame on Joseph when he said that Joseph should have used his cell phone ahead of time to book a room.

We live in a world where modern wonders, like the cell phone, have revolutionized our lives at the touch of a button. Yet the sign “No room in the inn” hangs out for many people in various ways. While some refugees from wars or other disasters find shelter with other people in other lands, others have not. Some have found work

opportunities to provide for their families while others have been shut out of the work-place even as my fellow countrymen were in times past when the posted sign read, “No Irish wanted.” Of course, there are other ways in which “No room in the inn” has become a reality. There are those who speak or pen the truth to society and to the world but are subsequently censured and censored by the powerful media and even the government who do not want the truth to be revealed. Free speech and the First Amendment are shut out.

Here in Kalaupapa, we celebrated Christmas as we usually do with Mass on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas morning. We do not have a children’s Christmas pageant because we do not have any children resident in the settlement due to the existing rule here. So we could say that here in Kalaupapa there is no room in the inn for children. Of course, we understand that this policy is in respect to our resident patients who had their children taken away from them after birth lest they catch the dreaded Hansen’s Disease, known as leprosy. In their place, we seek to compensate for the lack of youth by being young at heart — and at times being silly.

May you always have a Blessed Christmas season in your heart and may you always have room in the inn. Aloha

Anchor columnist, Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.

Nothing but love

Istood in the doorway of my classroom. Behind me was the window that provided a vista to the bird’s nest. My students and I had watched as the mother bird first prepared her nest then laid her eggs. Ahead of me were two very rude upperclassmen. Neither was in any of my classes. Both had recently sought out then accosted me in the hall. Round one of discussions was their request to see the eggs in the nest followed by my answer of no. Then, I quickly moved to a better position physically barring entry.

One student said, “Dr. Flavin, we will be good. We will be quiet. We, too, want to see the mother bird and her eggs.” The other student said, “We won’t frighten the bird. We will not ruin this. We promise.” I felt the students fully deserved to be sent on their way. The response of “Thank you, but no” followed by closing the locked door was very appealing.

To understand my hesitancy, you have to get a feel for the context. A fellow educator bought friendship with the students by provid-

ing students a forum where they were rewarded for disrespecting other faculty. The administration could not or would not stop this. The result was encouragement of atrocious student behaviors.

I knew that if I did not show them, then the students would sneak into my classroom. Yet, if I shared the nest with them, they might keep coming back. My thoughts reached, “You boys will most definitely not be part of this special moment.

I will not let you.” I was amazed at the depth of my emotions.

Immediately, I realized that such thoughts were the beginning and essence of marginalization. Such behaviors are never in line with Jesus’ words to treat our neighbor with loving kindness. I felt God’s whisper of “You know the path of joy. Will you choose it?” At that moment, I was not sure I had the patience or courage to imitate the Prince of Peace.

I slowly backed away from the entrance. In doing

so, I stepped away from being their judge back to being a fellow traveler. Conscious of my responsibilities as educator, I guided the boys to the window. Based upon their past behaviors, I had expected the worst. What I saw in the boys, however, was inquisitiveness and wonder. The three

our hearts. When we do so, we are instantly changed. So is our world.

During Advent, we heard Isaiah’s stunning words about the leopard and the kid or the calf and the lion (Is 11:6-8). All of them living in peace and harmony with a little child to guide them. The imagery is of the amazing world possible when sin has been vanquished. That little child is of course the Savior Jesus.

ing about His Kingdom.

Jesus directed us towards a powerful beacon that will always guide us to await in harmony with all of God’s creation: when He asked us to let the children come to Him (Mt 19:14). A child-like heart is to be cultivated in each of us a heart open to wonder, awe, and sharing God’s love.

of us silently stood together in awe of the new life God had brought into the world.

The boys left my classroom with a quiet chorus of “Thank you, Dr. Flavin.” I was thanking our Lord when one boy’s head popped back into my doorway. He gently said, “Hey Dr. Flavin, I am sorry.” He ran off. Wow! I had witnessed God touching a human heart and the immediacy of the loving response.

The Christmas season is all about becoming more open to welcoming God’s infinite agape (love) into

As I stood before a Nativity, instead of those animal images, I often remembered those boys. What had seemed humanly insurmountable (charity on their part and forgiveness on mine) was accomplished in an instant. Each of us decided to trust in God and then chose to share God’s love with each other.

We live in a world between the first and second comings of Christ. We are called to live fully yet await what will be. Each time we walk away from temptation each time we repent then receive forgiveness for our sins, we assist God in bring-

war,’ Pope Francis proposes

VATICAN (CNA) — The global community is engaged in a “third world war” marked by heightened fear, conflict, and risk of nuclear violence, but a recommitment to “truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom” can provide a pathway to peace, Pope Francis told international diplomats on January 9.

Citing the ongoing war in Ukraine but also draw-

ing on conflicts in places such as Syria, West Africa, Ethiopia, Israel, Myanmar, and the Korean Peninsula, the Holy Father said this global struggle is being “fought piecemeal” but is nonetheless interconnected.

“Today the third world war is taking place in a globalized world where conflicts involve only certain areas of the planet direct,

but in fact involve them all,” said Pope Francis, speaking in the Vatican’s apostolic palace.

The pope made these remarks as part of his annual address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. Pope Francis characterized this speech as “a call for peace in a world that is witnessing heightened divisions and war.”

As part of this height-

ening of tensions, the pope warned about the increased threat of nuclear warfare, drawing particular concern to the stall in negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal. He told the gathered diplomats that the possession of nuclear weapons is “immoral” and called for an end to a mentality that pursues conflict deterrence through the development of ever-more lethal means

I remember an image from the “Twilight Zone.’’ Imagine a lifeless toy doll. Then, watch as a child’s love brings that doll to life. In essence, “In the arms of children, there can be nothing but love.” God is within each of us. We each can be that child bringing and sharing God’s love with the world. When we choose to do so, we are a ray of light shining through the darkness.

In quiet stillness, like that of the recent Christmas pre-dawn darkness, may each heart hear the quiet whisper of the call, “The meaning of Christmas is found always in the love people share.”

Anchor columnist Dr. Helen J. Flavin, Ph.D., is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer.

of warfare.

“There is a need to change this way of thinking and move toward an integral disarmament, since no peace is possible when instruments of death are proliferating,” the pope said.

In proposing a path toward global peace, the Holy Father drew heavily from Pacem in Terris (“Peace on

To counter ‘third world

‘truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom’

and Y oung a

New year, best me

Happy New Year!

It is that time of year again when the gyms are full, diet companies are in the black, and many people in the world resolve to spend less money, eat better, or involve more time in self-care. It is that time in our lives when we think of the model, “New Year, New Me!”

Self-improvement is always important but when I think of the word “new,” I think of a complete restart. But while we all have areas of improvement, there are definitely unique gifts God has bestowed on us that we are not meant to lose to “make new.” It made me think about the being a “new me.” I’m not sure God wants me to be new, but rather, He wants me to be whom He created. To be that, I need to be the best version of myself.

Society tells us that every year we need to find

a way to lose weight, eat healthier, pick a new hairstyle, or wear the latest trend. Physical improvement is not a bad thing. We are supposed to take care of the body that God gave us. We only get one. These are not the only ways we can improve, however, and they definitely are not the most important. Every day God is calling us to be our best selves. He calls us to be the version that He created. Being the best version of ourselves means taking care of ourselves. Author Iyanla Vanzant once wrote, “How you treat yourself is how you treat God, because you are a representative of God in your life. So when you are putting yourself last, you are putting God last.” Yes, we are called to care for and serve oth -

ers, but we have to make sure we are taking care of ourselves as well. They say you cannot give what you do not have and so if we do not have love, we can -

uniquely and beautifully. We are told in Scripture that we are made in God’s image and likeness and when He saw what He made He said it was “very good.” Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, in his book simply titled “Prayer,” wrote, “What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”

minutes of prayer, complimenting people instead of judging, donating instead of spending, are all little ways we can move towards the person we were created to be. St. Francis de Sales said it best, “Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.” May this new year bring an abundance of blessings, a greater love for the Lord, and a recognition that we do not need to be new, just improved.

not give love. In the same way, in order to share Christ with one another, we need to have Christ in our lives.

The new year gives us a great opportunity not so much to start anew but rather to build on the goodness of the previous years. We are made

Using the gifts He gives us to glorify Him is one of the ways we can thank Him for the blessings in our lives.

Starting small and recognizing where we most need God in our life is how we start to move towards being our best self. Adding a few more

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. She can be reached at atarantelli@ bishopstang.org.

More than 100 diocesan faithful to attend D.C. march

FALL RIVER — The diocesan Office for Family and Life has announced that 111 area faithful, including many students, will be attending the annual March for Life and Mothers in Washington, D.C. on January 20.

The overnight pilgrimage runs for diocesan high schools from Thursday to Saturday, January 19-21.

This year’s theme is “Next Steps, Marching in a Post Roe America.”

March organizers

In Your Prayers

Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks:

Jan. 14

1977, Rev. John J. Lawler, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner

Jan. 15 1948, Rev. Thomas F. Kennedy, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Woods Hole 1972, Rev. Vincent Marchildon, O.P., Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River 1977, Rev. Msgr. John E. Boyd, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham 1997, Rev. Harold A. Whelan, Jr., SS.CC., Ph. D.

Jan. 17

Rev. John F. Laughlin, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro Rev. Daniel J. McCarthy, SS.CC., Former Provincial Superior, Retired Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 2002 Rev. Gilles M. Genest, M.S., 2012

Jan. 18

Rev. Paul J. Duff, C.S.C., Retired, Holy Cross Parish, South Easton, 2012

Permanent Deacon James Paul Leavitt, 2018

Jan. 19

Rev. Thomas E. O’Dea, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1999

Jan. 20

Rev. Roland J. Masse, Assistant, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1952

Jan. 21

Rev. Msgr. Henri A. Hamel, USAF, Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1983

Jan. 23

Permanent Deacon John Cwiekowski, 2001

Jan. 24

Rev. Aaron L. Roche, O.P., Immaculate Conception Mission, North Easton, 1870

Rev. Louis A. Casgrain, Pastor, St Mathieu, Fall River, 1920

Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Boston College Faculty, 1951

Rev. Thomas F. McMorrow, Assistant, Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, 1977

Rev. Cornelius J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1999

Jan. 25

Rev. Jack Hickey, O.P., Dismas House, Nashville, Tenn., 1987

Rev. David M. Andrade, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 2018

Jan. 27

Rev. John T. O’Grady, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1919

Rev. Joseph M. Silvia, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 1955

Rev. Thomas E. Lockary, C.S.C., Stonehill College, North Easton, 1988

have said there is a new route in 2023. “In order to mark not only our victory in Dobbs but also our need to maintain a presence in Washington,” a press release stated, “this year’s March for Life will have a slightly different marching route than in years past. This year we will also march

past the Capitol and finish between the Capitol and Supreme Court. We will give witness to the inherent dignity of the human person to Pro-Life and pro-abortion legislators alike, helping them understand that we will not cease advocating for women and children until every life is protected.”

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, January 15 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from St. Anthony Church in Taunton

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, January 22 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in New Bedford

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6

Sunday, January 15 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Marek Chmurski, Pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Buzzards Bay.

All are invited to join in the 9 Days for Life Novena 9, a format of which begins on page four of this Anchor edition.

There will be a departure Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C. at 8:30 a.m. before the ride back home with diocesan students and chaperons. Those from the diocese who are going up on the march on their own are welcome to join.

The rally/March can be watched live on EWTN on January 20.

The March for Life Rally features a live concert and inspiring speeches from Pro-Life leaders sharing how to stay involved in the Pro-Life movement all year long. The rally begins at noon on the National Mall. It can be viewed livestreamed on the March for Life website, marchforlife.org, Facebook, and YouTube channel.

The March for Life will begin immediately following the rally — usually around 1 p.m.; starting between 12th and 14th Streets, up Constitution Avenue to the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Sunday, January 22 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Christopher M. Peschel, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in New Bedford.

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

Pope Francis: Celebrate the date of your baptism like a birthday

VATICAN (CNA) —

Pope Francis baptized babies in the Sistine Chapel on January 8 and encouraged parents to teach their children to celebrate their baptism anniversary each year.

On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the pope baptized 13 babies and presided over Mass beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes.

In a brief off-the-cuff homily, the pope said that baptism is like a rebirth in Christ and therefore should be celebrated “like a birthday.”

“Dear parents, thank you for bringing your children here to have them

enter the Church. This is a good day,” Pope Francis said.

It is like a birthday because baptism makes us reborn in Christian life. That is why I advise you to teach

to worry if their babies made loud noises during the ceremony.

He said: “The children are symphonic. ... Let them cry ... and breastfeed them freely. What is important is

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” describes baptism as the “basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit ... and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.”

Vatican employees.

your children the date of their baptism as a new birthday: that every year they will remember and thank God for this grace of becoming a Christian.“

Following the homily, the Sistine Chapel choir sang the Litany of the Saints in preparation for the baptisms.

As in previous years, the pope told parents not

that today is a celebration.”

The pope concelebrated the Mass with the papal almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Archbishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist.

Pope proposes method to prevent ‘third world war’

continued from page 11

Earth”), the papal encyclical promulgated by St. John XXIII in 1962. Pope Francis said the conditions that prompted the “good pope” to issue Pacem in Terris 60 years ago bear a striking similarity to the state of the world today.

In particular, the Holy Father drew from what John XXIII described as the “four fundamental goods” necessary for peace: truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom, values that “serve as the pillars that regulate relationships between individuals and political communities alike.”

Regarding “peace in truth,” the Holy Father underscored the “primary duty” of governments to protect the right to life at every stage of human life.

“Peace requires before all else the defense of life, a good that today is jeopardized not only by conflicts, hunger, and diseases, but all too often in the mother’s womb, through promotion of an alleged ‘right to abortion,’” said Pope Francis, also calling for an end to the death penalty and violence against women.

Speaking of the necessity of religious freedom for peace, the Holy Father noted not only widespread religious persecution against Christian minorities but also discrimination in countries where Christianity is a majority religion.

“Religious freedom is also endangered wherever believers see their ability to express their convictions in the life of society restricted

in the name of a misguided understanding of inclusiveness,” he said.

Regarding justice, the Holy Father called for a “profound rethinking” of multilateral systems such as the United Nations to make them more effective at responding to conflicts like the war in Ukraine. But he also criticized international bodies for “imposing forms of ideological colonization, especially on poorer countries” and warned of the growing risk of “ideological totalitarianism” that promotes intolerance toward those who dissent from certain positions claimed to represent ‘progress.’”

The Holy Father also spoke of the need to deepen a sense of global solidarity, citing four areas of

St. John Paul II began the papal tradition of baptizing children in the Sistine Chapel on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Jan. 11, 1981.

The ceremony initially took place in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace but was moved to the Sistine Chapel in 1983.

The event was reserved at first to babies of Swiss Guards but later expanded to include the children of

interconnectedness: immigration, the economy and work, and care for creation.

“The paths of peace are paths of solidarity, for no one can be saved alone. We live in a world interconnected that, in the end, the actions of each have consequences for all.”

Finally, regarding “peace in freedom,” Pope Francis warned of the “weakening of democracy” in many parts of the world and an increase in political polarization. He said peace is only possible if “in every single community, there does not prevail that culture of oppression and aggression in which our neighbor is regarded as an enemy to attack rather than a brother or sister to welcome and embrace.”

The Holy Father’s address to the diplomatic corps, which includes

To qualify, children have to be under one year of age and their parents must be married in the Church. Each child is accompanied in the Sistine Chapel by its parents, siblings, godfather, and godmother.

The family groups attend a rehearsal before the ceremony. During the event, the Vatican provides baby-changing tables in a nearby room in the Apostolic Palace.

“Today is a day to celebrate,” the pope said. “It is the celebration of the beginning of a beautiful Christian journey in which you will help your children to move forward. Thank you for your decision to bring them to be baptized.”

representatives of the 91 countries and entities with an embassy chancellery accredited to the Holy See, also served as an opportunity to review diplomatic highlights of the past year and expectations for the year to come.

Milestones included the signing of new bilateral accords with both the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and with the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Holy Father also briefly mentioned the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, first agreed to in 2018 and renewed in 2022 for an additional two years.

“It is my hope that this collaborative relationship can increase, for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and that of the Chinese people.”

“T oday is a day to celebrate,” the pope said. “It is the celebration of the beginning of a beautiful Christian journey in which you will help your children to move forward. Thank you for your decision to bring them to be baptized.”

I do believe Old Man Winter has met his demise

Much to the contrary of my lovely wife, I am a winter person — always was and always will be. Perhaps it’s my French-Canadian heritage. My paternal grandfather was born in Rivière du Loup, Quebec, Canada, about 600 miles north of Fall River. My maternal grandmother was born in the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec, more than 350 miles north of here. So I am, in fact, cold blooded (and not in a creepy way).

As a young pup, my dad taught me how to ice skate on the South Watuppa Pond where the Narrows used to be before Interstate 195 ruined the beauty of that area and took away the beloved Quequechan River waterfall.

Back then in the 60s, it was cold enough to freeze the ponds or lakes for safe skating from late December to early March. And, as an added bonus, Mother Nature allowed Old Man Winter permission to dump our area with feet of snow for months.

It was during this period of my life that my cold-bloodedness was at its best.

As I mentioned, Larry taught me to skate and it was the winter activity that took up most of my time. I would

skate until my toes became frigid, and I knew it was time to head home and warm the little digits before it became problematic. As much as I loved skating, whether it was on the ponds or at the skating area at South (Kennedy) Park, but I hated the warm-up that followed. I would pull my socks off and my piggies were as red as Santa’s hat. Either mom or dad would gently massage the warmth back into them, or immerse them in warm water.

Next came the burn, then the itching as my circulation was awakened from the hibernation in which I placed them. But I never had a case of frostbite.

Along with skating, we would flop on a sturdy Flexible Flyer (I still have the one my brother and I shared), and travel down any incline that would allow gravity to do its thing.

At first it was in my grandparents’ yard, then the streets (neighborhood streets were far less busy then), and then to my trusty South Park.

And then there was skiing. I started out in the

same places (see photo of me pulling out of my grandparents’ yard on Whipple Street in the “Rive”). We lived across the street, so my first winter wonderland was a snowball’s throw away.

I knew it was time to go

it himself as a youth a time or two. That made me feel better, but looking back it was in fact a stupid risk to take and thank God nothing happened.

But, as I said it only happened once or twice. Pond hockey became the game of choice, and when we were late teens, we would play at a friend’s cottage all day and have a mini-keg of beer in the snow for short breaks.

for the pups of today who are missing out on hours of fun, frozen toes and ears, bruises and the occasional laceration. Good fun.

Some say it’s global warming, but there have always been temperature shifts during this old planet Earth’s long history.

Regardless of the cause, it does seem that Old Man Winter has met his demise, but I do want to thank him for all the good times. So cool.

home when my ears would experience the same sensation as my toes when skating. The thawing out process for ears was far less intense and much quicker, but the burn and the itch were the same.

As I grew older and wiser (well older anyway), I would still look forward to winter. I would skate on the ponds, and once or twice skated the “bends” on the Watuppa, when the ice was thick enough to support us, but not in a group and not for more than a few seconds. The ice would actually undulate as we raced across. I felt if Larry knew I did that he would have blown a gasket, and my mom wouldn’t have let me out of the house until May. But I later learned from Larry he did

I also hit the slopes for a week each winter (before I had children) at Mounts Cranmore, Attitash and Wildcat in and near North Conway, N.H.

I have some great stories about those days too, but for another time.

But back in the Rive, the winters became less icy and snowy, to the point where kids today would have no idea what I experienced at their age. Very rarely are the ponds safe to skate and there isn’t much snowfall for sledding or skiing.

As an adult, in the winter, my daughter Emilie and I would hit the outdoor, man made rinks in Providence, R.I., or in Foxborough, but that was it.

Now, I’m too fragile for any of that, but I do feel bad

Oh, and my lovely wife read the headline of my column and said, “Be careful what you say.”

I send special thanks out for a random act of kindness. davejolivet@anchornews.org

This photo of me circa 1966, could have been taken in December through February. Not anymore.