02.01.13

The Anchor Diocese of Fall River

F riday , February 1, 2013

Support for Life Marches On

Assembly marks tragic anniversary

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

Diocesan pilgrims join record march

BOSTON — The six, 54foot glass towers stand to remember the six million Jewish people who perished in the Holocaust’s death camps. They are graced with the words of survivors, including author Elie Wiesel, who said the towers evoke “an era in history when civilization lost its humanity and humanity its soul.”

Less than a quarter of a mile from Boston’s New England Holocaust Memorial on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, more than 350 Massachusetts residents gathered to mark a different slaughter of innocents. They came to Faneuil Hall for Massachusetts Citizens for Life’s annual Assembly for Life, held this year days after the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Jaymie Stewart Wolfe — a music minister, children’s book editor and columnist for The Pilot, the Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper — served as the assembly’s emcee and en-

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pilgrims from across the Fall River Diocese filled nine buses to make the trek to the nation’s capital last week for the annual March for Life.

This year’s event saw a record number of attendees — the majority of them students and young Catholics — who expressed a profound need to voice their support for the more than 50 million innocent unborn babies who have been killed since forty years on — Some of the more than 500,000 people, above, who participated in this passage of the Supreme Court deciyear’s historic March for Life as they made their way up Constitution Avenue in Washington, sion legalizing abortion.

D.C. towards the steps of the Supreme Court on January 25. Below, a row of 40 tiny crosses The March for Life — now in its were displayed on the front lawn of St. Bernard’s Church in Assonet on January 22, marking 40th year — marks the anniversary the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in the of the landmark decision in Roe United States. (Top photo by Kenneth J. Souza, bottom photo by Paul Levesque) v. Wade, which legalized abortion throughout the country. While the annual march is usually held on January 22, marking the date of the 1973 ruling, it was moved this year to January 25 due to the presidential inauguration held on January 21.

“It was incredible, the largest march I have ever attended,” said Marian Desrosiers, director of the Diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate.

“Hundreds of thousands of young people, from all over the country,

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Families are the focus in upcoming Family Rosary Lenten Retreat

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

NORTH DARTMOUTH — While he always had his faith, David Calvillo admittedly thought he was “too cool to pray the Rosary.” Today, the husband and father of seven, and attorney and CPA is a nationally-known author and founder of Real Men Pray the Rosary, a web-based ministry promoting prayer, family and community.

Calvillo will be bringing his message and humor to the Family Rosary Lenten Retreat, sponsored

by Family Rosary of Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton. The retreat will take place March 10 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at Bishop

Stang High School in North Dartmouth.

“My mother always wanted me to pray the Rosary,” Calvillo told The Anchor, “but I was a knucklehead and thought it was only for old ladies and funerals.”

Calvillo said he was touched by the Holy Spirit and realized the Rosary was a valuable and powerful tool for Catholics. “I was fortunate that God gave me the grace to be able to pray the Rosary with my mother before she passed away. I am very grateful for that.”

What prompted Calvillo to begin the Real Men Pray the Rosary ministry was seeing someone out-

side his parish church. “I saw this real rough-looking guy, a biker dude, who had a Rosary wrapped around his big fist and was praying it,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘This is a real man, and he’s not afraid to pray the Rosary.’”

It made a great impression on Calvillo, and he was “guided by the Holy Spirit to reach out to the other knuckleheads like myself and redirect them. We all have someone to pray for us, and we too can pray for someone else.”

“Many Christians and even Catholics don’t know the Rosary,” he continued. “Blessed John Paul II asked that we utilize it. In Real Men Pray the Rosary, we

promote the Rosary within the context and in unity with the Liturgy and our daily lives.”

The realmenpraytherosary.org website, provides instructions on how to pray the Rosary, daily reflections, news, and other valuable tools and information to help men be good husbands, fathers, sons, and Christians.

“We have a Facebook page with more than 23,000 ‘likes,’ said Calvillo. “I go on everyday and post a reflection, and then watch people respond. Half the ‘likes’ are from the United States, but the other half are from all over the world. It’s interesting, Turn to page 15

family time — David Calvillo, shown with two of his sons, is one of the keynote speakers at Family Rosary Lenten Retreat at Bishop Stang High School on March 10.

News From the Vatican

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February 1, 2013

Belief in God leads to values that can be countercultural, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To believe in God means allowing His Commandments to guide the concrete choices one makes every day, even when the values reflected in the choices are countercultural, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“To believe in God makes us bearers of values that often do not coincide” with those of popular culture and which give believers criteria for judgment that nonbelievers may not share, the pope said at a recent weekly general audience.

“A Christian must not be afraid to go against the current in order to live his faith, resisting the temptation of conformity,” he said.

Beginning a series of Year of Faith audience talks about the creed, Pope Benedict said that “believing in God implies adhering to Him, accepting His Word and joyfully obeying” His Commandments.

Believers today, like Abraham in the Old Testament, must show trust in the God they profess to believe, even when God’s ways appear mysterious, he said.

Pope Benedict asked the estimated 2,000 visitors and pilgrims gathered for his audience to imagine how they would have responded to a call like that God gave to Abraham, asking him to leave his home and set out for a land God would show him only later.

“In fact, he set off in the dark without knowing where God would lead him. It was a journey that required that radical obedi-

The Anchor www.anchornews.org

ence and trust that only faith could give him,” the pope said.

“When we affirm ‘I believe in God,’ we are saying like Abraham, ‘I trust you, I entrust myself to you, Lord,’” the pope said.

Real trust means turning to God not just “in moments of difficulty” or “a few minutes each day or each week,” he said. “To say ‘I believe in God’ means building my life on Him, letting His Word guide each of my days, each concrete choice, without fear that I will lose myself.”

While many in the modern world act as if God does not exist, he said, there are still people who thirst for God and who hear His Word through the preaching, sharing and lives of others.

The life of faith “is a journey that is sometimes difficult and can include trials and even death,” he said, but it leads to eternal life, “a radical transformation of reality that only the eyes of faith are capable of seeing.”

Pope Benedict ended his audience with prayers for the people of Jakarta, Indonesia, which was “devastated” by flooding in mid-January, leading to at least 20 deaths and displacing more than 45,000 people.

The pope’s audience took place during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an event the pope commented on in his greetings to several groups.

“May the ecumenical prayer of the faithful of different churches and Christian communities enrich the Year of Faith with a deepening of dialogue, search for the truth, recognition of traditions and gestures of reconciliation,” he said in Polish.

Addressing Italian speakers, he said, “I hope the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity stimulates in each community a commitment to insistently asking the Lord for the gift of unity and of life in fraternal communion.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 57, 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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PUBLISHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org

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boosting relations — Pope Benedict XVI greets Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, during a private audience at the Vatican recently. Trong, who has been general secretary of the party’s central committee party since 2011, was accompanied by an 11-person delegation of other high-level party and government officials. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

Archbishop Di Noia urges SSPX to take new attitude in unity talks

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The traditionalist Society of St. Pius X will have a future only if it returns to full communion with the Vatican and stops publicly criticizing the teaching of the pope, said the Vatican official responsible for relations with traditionalist Catholics.

“Surely the time has come to abandon the harsh and counterproductive rhetoric that has emerged over the past years,” U.S. Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, vice president of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei,” wrote to members of the SSPX in an Advent letter.

The archbishop’s letter was sent several weeks before the SSPX superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay, gave a speech in Canada December 28 in which he described the Jews as enemies of the Church and described as “evil” the Mass as reformed by the Second Vatican Council.

In the speech, Bishop Fellay reviewed his group’s so-far unsuccessful reconciliation talks with the Vatican. He said he had continued the discussions for three years because top Vatican officials told him that Pope Benedict’s true views were not reflected in official statements demanding the group accept the validity of the modern Mass, the Second Vatican Council as part of tradition and the Magisterium (the Church’s teaching authority) as the judge of what is tradition.

Vatican Radio reported January 20 on the contents of Archbishop Di Noia’s Advent letter and provided links to the full text in both English and French. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told the French Catholic newspaper La Croix that the letter was a personal appeal from Archbishop Di Noia.

While Archbishop Di Noia said in the letter that the Vatican’s relations with the SSPX “remain open and hopeful,” he also said the Vatican would not and could not continue forever to remain silent when SSPX leaders misrepresent what is

taking place in the discussions or publicly reject positions still supposedly being discussed with the Vatican.

“A review of the history of our relations since the 1970s leads to the sobering realization that the terms of our disagreement concerning Vatican Council II have remained, in effect, unchanged,” the archbishop wrote.

Archbishop Di Noia suggested that the focus of future discussions would need to change to avoid “a well-meaning, but unending and fruitless exchange.”

Instead of focusing first on specific teachings of the Second Vatican Council and of the popes since the mid-1960s, he said, the starting place must be on God’s will that His Church be united and on the roles of various ministers and faithful within the Church.

“Nothing less than the unity of the Church is at stake,” he said.

“Our souls need first to be healed, to be cleansed of the bitterness and resentment that comes from 30 years of suspicion and anguish on both sides,” he said.

But healing also is needed for the “imperfections that have come about precisely because of the difficulties, especially the desire for an autonomy that is in fact outside the traditional forms of governance of the Church.”

Archbishop Di Noia also said a serious change of attitude was needed to move from a situation of stalemate toward reconciliation.

Humility must mark the followers of Christ, he said, and Christians must strive to recognize the goodness in others, even those with whom they disagree. “A divisive tone or imprudent statements” must be avoided, patience must prevail and if others need correction, it must be done “with charity, in the proper time and place.”

“If our interactions are marked by pride, anger, impatience and in-

ordinate zeal, our intemperate striving for the good of the Church will lead to nothing but bitterness,” the archbishop wrote.

The unity of the Church is of such high value — theologically and not just practically — that Catholics are called to work to preserve or recover it “even if it involves suffering and patient endurance.”

In order to maintain unity, he said, Church members must recognize the rights and responsibilities each person has.

“Even if we are convinced that our perspective on a particular disputed question is the true one, we cannot usurp the office of the universal pontiff by presuming publicly to correct others within the Church,” the archbishop wrote.

For priests, including those of the SSPX, he said, “it is the faith that should be preached from our pulpits, not the latest interpretation of what we take to be problematic about a magisterial document.”

He said the SSPX originally was founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and approved by the Vatican “to form priests for the service of the people of God, not the usurpation of the office of judging and correcting the theology or discipline of others within the Church.”

Theologians do have some room for engaging in a discussion with bishops and the pope about certain Church teachings, but it must be done in a respectful way that aims at clarifying the truth, not trying to rally public opinion, said the archbishop, who has served as undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“It has been a mistake to make every difficult point in the theological interpretation of Vatican II a matter of public controversy, trying to sway those who are not theologically sophisticated into adopting one’s own point of view regarding subtle theological matters,” he wrote.

3 The International Church With faith and sustainable agriculture, nuns feed Salvadoran orphans February 1, 2013

SANTA TECLA, El Salvador (CNS) — Dressed in her brown habit, Sister Elsy Gaytan walks through a field among rows of cabbages, pointing to the crisp green crop sprouting from the earth.

“The motto of our institution is God will provide, and indeed He is providing,” she said.

Sister Elsy is the coordinator of Home of Divine Providence, an orphanage that has started a sustainable agriculture project that will feed not only the 32 children who live there, but also allow the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Therese, who oversee the home, to

reach local consumers with organic products.

The orphanage, located in Santa Tecla, about eight miles west of the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador, has been a haven for children since it was founded in 1984 by the order in the midst of the country’s civil war. The war ended in 1992, but the orphans kept coming.

Archbishop Oscar A. Romero, who was shot to death by assassins in 1980 for his vocal opposition to violence at the hands of the Salvadoran military, was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the idea for the orphanage. He donated

funds to build the institution that now encompasses a 12-acre compound.

“He gave us a check three days before he was murdered,” Sister Elsy told Catholic News Service.

The agriculture project started in July 2011 with funding from DKA Austria, a Catholic children’s movement, and technical support from the Foundation for SocioEconomic Development and Environmental Restoration.

The Sisters had grown vegetables and raised animals for years, but the foundation’s experts convinced them that sustainable agri-

DUBLIN (CNS) — The head of the Redemptorist fathers in Rome said he deeply regrets the actions of an Irish member of the order who accused the Vatican of subjecting him to “frightening procedures reminiscent of the Inquisition.”

Redemptorist Father Michael Brehl, the order’s superior general, also confirmed in a statement that Father Tony Flannery, 66, is under Vatican investigation for alleged ambiguities “regarding fundamental areas of Catholic doctrine, including the priesthood, the nature of the Church and the Eucharist.”

Father Flannery told a recent Dublin news conference that he was “threatened with excommunication from the Catholic Church for suggesting that, in the future, women might become priests and calling for this and other matters to be open for discussion.”

The Irish Catholic newspaper reported that the investigation of Father Flannery — a foundermember of the Association of Catholic Priests — was triggered by a 2010 article in a religious magazine.

In the article, Father Flannery wrote that he no longer believed that “the priesthood as we currently have it in the

Church originated with Jesus” or that Jesus designated “a special group of His followers as priests.”

Father Flannery wrote: “It is more likely that some time after Jesus, a select and privileged group within the community, who had abrogated power and authority to themselves, interpreted the occasion of the Last Supper in a manner that suited their own agenda.”

In his January 23 statement, Father Brehl confirmed that “in January 2012, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith raised concerns about some of the writings of Father Flannery.”

“He was instructed to undertake a period of prayer and theological reflection to clarify his positions on these matters.

During this sabbatical period, he was instructed not to grant interviews or make public statements and to withdraw from active involvement in the leadership of the ACP, especially since the priesthood was one of the matters on which he was asked to clarify his position. He was also instructed to withdraw from active priestly ministry during this period of prayer and reflection,” he said.

The superior general said he wanted to “earnestly invite” Fa-

ther Flannery “to renew the efforts to find an agreed solution to the concerns raised by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” He also asked Irish Redemptorists to “join with me in praying and working together in the spirit of St. Alphonsus to maintain and strengthen our communion with the universal Church.”

In a separate statement, the Irish province of the Redemptorists said it was “deeply saddened by the breakdown in communication” between Father Flannery and the Vatican.

“It is of immense regret that some structures or processes of dialogue have not yet been found in the Church, which have a greater capacity to engage with challenging voices from among God’s people, while respecting the key responsibility and central role of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“We sincerely hope and pray that even at this late stage, some agreed resolution can be found to this matter,” the Irish Redemptorists said.

Redemptorist superior says he regrets Irish priest’s actions

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Reverend Johnathan Hurrell, ss.cc., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, United States Province, and has made the following appointment: Rev. Joseph Pasala, ss.cc., Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in New Bedford.

Effective January 1, 2013

culture would be a better approach and encouraged the Sisters to start applying organic production techniques. Good results have begun to show.

The Sisters grow tomatoes, cabbages, carrots and other vegetables, and raise tilapia, rabbits, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats.

The foundation’s staff introduced three varieties of grass that provide high levels of protein, so the sheep reach the proper weight of 90 to 155 pounds for lamb production.

The nuns also are planning to acquire a machine to produce organic concentrate from corn, legumes and minerals to feed the goats and boost goat milk production by up to 80 percent.

The legumes enrich the soil with nitrogen, making it more productive, said Israel Morales, an agricultural engineer for the foundation.

“We re-integrated into the land the remains of what we grow or produce,” Morales said. “Even the chicken feathers enrich the soil.”

A biodigester, which breaks down organic material biologically in an oxygen-free tank, already is installed. It will produce methane gas from animal manure that can be used for cooking, saving the orphanage about 30 percent on its natural gas costs.

Pests are fought with plants that naturally repel insects. A variety of ants devours worms that attack tomato crops.

“We want to be self-sustaining and provide our children healthy and environmentally friendly food,” Sister Elsy said.

But self-sustainability has not been achieved yet. Much of the food for the orphanage’s residents must be purchased with limited financial resources. Without donations from solidarity organizations, the orphanage would not survive,

she said.

An important component of the project is the creation of the Organic Consumers Network, which seeks to spread the virtues of organic products and teach 100 families in the surrounding community the basic techniques of growing vegetables in their own gardens.

“Instead of roses or carnations, these families have grown at least a square meter with two or three vegetables,” Morales explained.

In El Salvador, production and trade of organic food are not widespread yet, but small farmers have slowly begun to break into the market. The Sisters hope the orphanage joins them.

When not attending classes in the community school, the children immerse themselves in agricultural activities, learning how to grow vegetables or raise goats and rabbits.

“We also want to offer them ways of learning, so that we deliver good people to society,” she said.

Tania Perez, 15, came to the orphanage when she was eight because her mother, an alcoholic, could not care for her, and her family was too poor to pay for schooling. Now she dreams of becoming a veterinarian.

“I think everything I’m learning here will help me for my future,” she said while taking a short break in the activity of the day: coffee picking.

In addition to orphans, the institution welcomes children at risk of falling into street crime in one of the most violent countries in the world.

Rafael Sandoval, 15, has lived at the orphanage since he was six, an age at which he was already involved in gangs and without family support. Now he sees a brighter future and wants to become a biologist or a psychologist.

“Here we are learning to be someone in life,” he said.

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February 1, 2013 The Church in the U.S. Clerics apologize to abuse victims as lawsuit files become public

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — As the Archdiocese of Los Angeles released Church records on clergy sexual abuse, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony again apologized to abuse victims, saying he was naive about its impact on their lives.

The cardinal, who retired as archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011, also said in a recent statement that he prays for victims of abuse by priests daily as he celebrates Mass in his private chapel.

“It remains my daily and fervent prayer that God’s grace will flood the heart and soul of each victim, and that their life journey continues forward with ever greater healing,” he said, explaining that on his altar he keeps cards with the names of each of the 90 victims he met with from 2006 to 2008.

“As I thumb through those cards I often pause as I am reminded of each personal story and the anguish that accompanies that life story,” Cardinal Mahony said.

“I am sorry,” the cardinal’s statement concluded.

Cardinal Mahony’s comments followed the publication by the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press portions of documents filed in court as part of a lawsuit against the archdiocese. Some of files showed archdiocesan officials worked

to conceal child molestation by and 1987 by Cardinal Mahony tion of clergy accused of sexual priests from law enforcement and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas abuse that in retrospect appear authorities in the 1980s.

J. Curry, who was the arch- inadequate or mistaken,” said The release came two weeks diocese’s vicar of clergy and the bishop, who is assigned to after a Superior Court judge’s chief adviser on sexual abuse the archdiocesan region around ruling that the names of person- cases at the time, reveal pro- Santa Barbara northwest of Los nel identified in the files could posals to keep police from in- Angeles. be made public. Judge Emilie vestigating three priests who “Most especially, I wish to H. Elias’ January 7 ruling over- had admitted to Church offi- express my sympathy to all the turned an earlier decision by a cials that they molested young victims of sexual abuse by clerretired federal judge gy. Like many others, I s I thumb through those cards have come to a clearer who, acting as a mediator in a settlement over I often pause as I am reminded understanding between the archdio- of each personal story and the anguish the years of the causes cese and those who and treatment of sexual claimed they were that accompanies that life story,” Cardi- abuse,” he continued, sexually abused, said nal Mahony said. “and I have fully imthat material to be plemented in my pastoreleased should have ral region the archdionames redacted to prevent the boys, the Los Angeles Times cese’s policies and procedures documents’ use to “embarrass reported. for reporting abuse, screening or ridicule the Church.”

The documents show that those who supervise children Church officials in Los An- Bishop Curry suggested to Car- and abuse prevention training geles had fought for years to dinal Mahony that they pre- for adults and children.” keep the files private. vent the priests from seeing In its apology, the archdioThe 2007 settlement for $600 therapists who might alert au- cese said “no institution has million covered more than 500 thorities and that the priests be learned more from mistakes people who made claims about given out-of-state assignments made decades ago in dealing being sexually abuse by priests to avoid criminal investigators. with priests who have abused and other Church personnel.

The newspaper said the young people than the ArchdioSome of the priests who had memos were from personnel cese of Los Angeles.” claims against them sued to files for 14 priests. Files of at “We have apologized for keep their names from being re- least 75 more accused abusers the sad and shameful actions leased, saying it violated their are to become public in coming of some priests as well as for privacy rights. weeks under the terms of the our inadequate responses in asWhile the archdiocese’s ac- settlement. sisting victims and in dealing tions to protect priests accused Bishop Curry and the archdio- with perpetrators, the archdioof abuse and its reluctance cese apologized for their actions cese said in citing the steps it to work with investigators is in the handling of abuse reports has since taken to report abuse known, the documents offer a in statements January 22. allegations to law enforcement closer look at the efforts un“I wish to acknowledge and officials. dertaken to safeguard accused apologize for those instances “The past cannot be changed, clergy. when I made decisions regard- but we have learned from it,” Memos exchanged in 1986 ing the treatment and disposi- the statement said.

The newspaper reported archdiocesan attorney Michael Hennigan said in a statement January 21 that Church policy in the late 1980s was to let victims and their families decide whether to go to police.

“Not surprisingly, the families of victims frequently did not wish to report to police and have their child become the center of a public prosecution,” he said.

Hennigan also said that memos from that era “sometimes focused more on the needs of the perpetrator than on the serious harm that had been done to the victims.”

“That is part of the past. We are embarrassed and at times ashamed by parts of the past.

But we are proud of our progress, which is continuing,” Hennigan said.

Cardinal Mahony’s statement, released through the archdiocese, said steps to safeguard “all children in the Church began here in 1987 and progressed year by year as we learned more about those who abused and the ineffectiveness of so-called ‘treatments’ at the time.”

“Nonetheless, even as we began to confront the problem, I remained naive myself about the full and lasting impact these horrible acts would have no the lives of those who were abused by men who were supposed to be spiritual guides,” Cardinal Mahony said.

and concelebrate Mass on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. as well as on major feast days.

There are 24 canons in St. Peter’s Basilica, and with the addition of Msgr. Kelly, they will represent 10 countries.

Cardinal Comastri said that his representation of the United States is “a beautiful sign of the Catholicity of the Church.”

Before Msgr. Kelly there were two U.S.-born priests who were made canons in the 20th century — Msgr. William Anthony Hemmick and Archbishop Martin O’Connor.

As he prepared to take on his new role and before his installation, Msgr. Kelly celebrated a Mass at Casa Santa Maria, a residence for American priests who are studying in Rome, where he has served as the superior for the last eight years.

“It was a beautiful Mass and very meaningful for me,” he said.

“I had the privilege to be the principal celebrant and share with them my great gratitude

to God for His extraordinary goodness to me in carrying me through these 50 years of priesthood.

“The priesthood is the most extraordinary adventure, privilege and satisfying lifestyle that anyone could be called to,” Msgr. Kelly told CNA. “As I look back I’m just so grateful to God, and I’m very conscious that it was God who chose me, because I didn’t choose this,” he reflected.

“From the time I was an adolescent, I knew that was what I wanted to do,” he added.

His installation at the Canons Chapel in the basilica included about 300 people.

During the ceremony Msgr.

Kelly was taken to the seat where he will be praying and worshiping from now on.

“I was highly honored to have five American cardinals present for the ceremony, my own priests from Casa Santa Maria, and many other friends I’ve made here in Rome,” said Msgr. Kelly.

“A

Pope selects American priest for rare St. Peter’s job

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — For the first time in the 21st century, Pope Benedict XVI has made an American priest a canon of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“You’re the first of this century and the first of this millennium,” said Cardinal Angelo Comastri during the celebration for Msgr. Francis D. Kelly.

“This is a celebration of fidelity, and fidelity is maintaining during the whole life the commitment pronounced in your youth,” he added in St. Peter’s Basilica, referring to Msgr. Kelly’s priesthood of 50 years.

Pope Benedict XVI announced his new role in an October 20 decree, giving the 76-year-old the primary tasks of prayer and worship. A canon is a senior priest who is responsible for the celebration of the sacred Liturgy at the Vatican basilica and for maintaining a prayerful presence in the place where St. Peter is buried. They lead the recitation of evening prayers

5

The Anchor

February 1, 2013

Vatican official says U.S. Pro-Life marches have global impact

Rome, Italy (CNA/EWTN News) — A top Vatican official on life issues called the protests sweeping across the U.S. last week against abortion a historic witness to the sanctity of human life.

“These marches for life that are taking place across the United States are very important, not only for the country, but for the whole world,” Bishop Carrasco de Paula, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told CNA. “These events which favor human life without limits, from conception until the end, have become a very important historical reference for all other Catholic countries worldwide,” he added.

“And if we talk about the Vatican as another face of the Church, then we can say the Church supports these marches in the whole world because

the participants are the Church meeting features guest speakers 40 years of legalized abortion themselves.” and this year’s theme will be on in the U.S., he noted, it has also From coast to coast, Pro-Life “faith and human life.” helped raise awareness on the marches and rallies in America “Our talk will relate to this value of human life. marked the week of January 22 because it’ll cover not only the “Many women have reacted as the 40th anniversary by rebelling ... sayof Roe v. Wade – the omen who undergo abortions ing they don’t accept Supreme Court deciare themselves a victim, espe- this and they want to sion that effectively do what is possible to legalized abortion cially when doctors advise them to un- change with, of course, throughout the nation. dergo an abortion, he said. “Sometimes specific means,” he According to the women are just not able to defend them- added. “I really believe 75-year-old bishop, the that, like slavery, we selves from certain situations.”

Vatican aims to help will be able to eradicate those that are on the abortion eventually.” front lines of the culAt the same time, he tural battle to defend life. The defense of human life, but love qualified, abortion legalization Holy See “is well aware that for human life,” said Bishop de has had a profoundly negative these actions have become very Paula, who has served the acad- impact on the social value of visible in the world, especially in emy since 1994 and was ap- maternity. the United States,” he said. pointed by Pope Benedict as its “Abortion doesn’t help The Pontifical Academy for president in 2010. women when they are in need Life will be holding its annual “Life is worth living and of most support and then it beassembly next month, where there are a lot of people who comes a fountain of interior sufall its members from abroad need to be told that.” fering,” he added. “We’ve been will meet in Rome. The annual Despite the devastation of created by God to be happy and what abortion does is simply the opposite.”

W

Pope stunned by Brazilian night club fire tragedy

Vatican City (CNA/ because of the Sputnik, the no Assis, expressed his condoEWTN News) — Pope Benedict machine we use to create a lu- lences through a message sent XVI is shocked at the deaths of minous effect with sparks. It’s to Archbishop Helio Adelar Ru233 people at a Brazilian night harmless, we never had any pert of Santa Maria.

Archbishop Rupert sent club on January 27, and is pray- trouble with it,” he said. “When ing for the wounded and the the fire started, a guard passed his own message expressing families and friends of those us a fire extinguisher, the singer sadness over the tragedy and tried to use it but it wasn’t work- pledging the Church’s solidarwho passed away. ity with “the families and all of In a telegram sent to Arch- ing.” society.” bishop Helio Adelar “Do not lose hope: Rubert of the Santa ay our Lady of Mercy covLet us pray to Jesus Maria Archdiocese, er the parents and family Christ, the source of Vatican Secretary of members of these young people with life, our Savior. Let us State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said that her mantle of love,” said Archbishop pray for the deceased and their families and the pope is “shocked Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo. for all of society that by the tragic death of is suffering from this hundreds of young tragedy,” he said. people” and offers his The fire spread rapidly and The president of the World “deepest condolences to the families of the victims, sharing caused panic in the venue, but Youth Day Organizing Comin the sorrow of all those who most of those who perished died mittee, Archbishop Orani Joao from asphyxiation.

Tempesta, said thousands of mourn them.”

Most of the victims were young people from Rio de JaPope Benedict also “entrusts the dead to God, the Father of college students who were not neiro would hold a prayer vigil mercy, and prays for the comfort able to escape through the lo- at the Cathedral of Rio to pray and restoration of the wounded cale’s sole entrance. Around 110 for the deceased, their families and for the courage and consola- young people were wounded in and those wounded.

Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer tion of all those affected by the the fire, with 79 in intensive care. of Sao Paulo asked priests in his tragedy,” the message says.

Police inspector Ranolfo archdiocese to celebrate Masses “He sends his apostolic blessing to all those who are suffer- Vieira Junior told the media at for the victims. “Our sadness is ing and those who are assisting a January 28 news conference only greater knowing that the that three individuals were ar- tragedy was the result of a sethem.”

Tragedy struck at around 3 rested on a temporary basis as ries of errors and omissions that a.m. on January 27 at the Kiss part of the investigation into the could have been avoided,” he nightclub when pyrotechnics set fire and a fourth person was be- said.

“May our Lady of Mercy off by the band Gurizada Fan- ing sought.

The bishops and Catholic cover the parents and family dangueria apparently caught the faithful across Brazil are voic- members of these young people ceiling on fire.

Rodrigo Martins a guitar ing solidarity with the families with her mantle of love,” said player in the band told Radio of the 233 young people who Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo of Belo Horizonte.

Gaucha that the group “had died in the fire.

Hours after the fire, the presiPrayers and Mass were also played around five songs when I looked up and noticed the roof dent of the National Conference being said at the Shrine of Our of Catholic Bishops of Brazil, Lady of Aparecida, the patronwas burning.”

“It might have happened Cardinal Raymundo Damasce- ess of Brazil.

The Academy for Life has studied in-depth the trauma that abortion can cause in women, often many years after the procedure.

“The consequences include a very large umbrella with a minority of women who hardly notice they’ve had an abortion and others who develop serious disorders,” said the former director of the Bioethics Institute of the University of the Sacred Heart in Rome.

“Women can have anxiety neurosis, depression and even more serious disorders, especially with personalities with a predisposition to a psychotic disorder,” he added.

Women who undergo abortions are themselves a victim, especially when doctors advise them to undergo an abortion, he said. “Sometimes women are just not able to defend themselves from certain situations.”

“M

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR PERSONNEL DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER The Diocese of Fall River seeks an experienced educational leader with excellent communication skills who demonstrates a clear dedication to the academic and spiritual mission of Catholic education.

Must be a practicing Catholic and hold Masters Degree.

Please submit letter of interest, Pastor’s letter of recommendation, resume and transcripts by March 8, 2013 to: Michael S. Griffin, Ph.D., Superintendent Department of Catholic Education 423 Highland Ave. Fall River, MA 02720

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The Anchor A great way to plant a seed

A Catholic newspaper serves a special role in the life of a diocese. It performs the regular journalistic duties of reporting news, be it local, national or international. Like a secular paper, it also has features, offering such items as movie or book reviews, the occasional obituary, photos of achievements of the young people of the diocese and bits of humor.

A Catholic newspaper also has the mission that Christ gave to all Christians — to spread the Good News about Christ to all humanity, so that disciples might be made of all nations (see Crystal Medeiros’ column on page 17). As such, we look at the news from this perspective and provide columnists who might help in that evangelizing effort.

The name of our paper, The Anchor, is rooted in the ancient Christian understanding of an anchor being a symbol of hope, hope rooted in God. In the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, we are told, “So when God wanted to give the heirs of His promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of His purpose, He intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 6:17-20). This quote was read at daily Mass recently and it reminds us that our hope is anchored into something in which we can trust while we are buffeted about in the storms of this life — it is anchored in Christ, Who is always faithful to His promises to us.

Our newspaper strives to show how we can have this Christian hope. Even when we are reporting on or commenting on things which seem to show the world falling further away from Christ, we know that ultimately Christ will prevail. Our goal is for us to have Christian hope — a hope not based on our own abilities, but upon God, Who had the Archangel Gabriel tell Mary, “nothing is impossible for God” (Lk 1:37).

Many poems and Christian songs have been written about Christ or God being the anchor in our lives. A frequent refrain is “God’s anchor holds.” Lawrence Chewning and Ray Boltz wrote one song with the title, “The Anchor holds.” In it, they wrote, “I have journeyed Through the long, dark night Out on the open sea, By faith alone, Sight unknown, And yet His eyes were watching me.” Then they sing the chorus, “The anchor holds though the ship is battered, The anchor holds though the sails are torn.

I have fallen on my knees as I faced the raging seas. The anchor holds in spite of the storm.” One of our goals here at this newspaper is to help people cling to that anchor and realize that God will get them through anything.

February is Catholic Press Month. Greg Erlandson, president of the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada wrote on this occasion, “Our bishops have made clear their concern with recent government regulations and the threat such regulations pose to religious liberty. It is during challenging times like these that we can best recognize the great blessing that is the Catholic press. It is critical that Catholics not only have access to sound news coverage and commentary, but that they hear directly from their leaders on the issues of the day and have the resources to see their world through the eyes of faith. Only the Catholic press gives Catholic leaders a voice with which to be heard by their people — unmuted, uncensored and independent of the preconceptions and prejudices of too many secular media outlets.”

Here at The Anchor we take this time in Catholic Press Month to ask your assistance in promoting subscriptions to our newspaper. We encourage you both to read the paper and share your copies with friends and relatives (you might wonder how this helps the paper economically, but even a shared copy allows us to remind our generous advertisers of the number of people who see their ads).

We also encourage you to purchase gift subscriptions for people in your lives — for people who are already involved in the Church and who would have a natural interest in our stories AND for friends and relatives who might be away from the Church or who have doubts or questions. Our news stories, whether they be those written by our staff writers or from the wire services of CNA and CNS, help to put the events of the life of the Church locally and around the world in perspective. Our columnists help to bring varied approaches to living out the faith, be it from the point of view of people working with youth or from young adults or from more seasoned members of the Christian faithful. We look forward in the future to bringing more voices into our paper, as we are at present reaching out to various schools and ethnic backgrounds so as bring even more of the richness of our faith to these pages.

A gift subscription can be a great way to “plant a seed” in someone’s heart. We have been heartened here at the paper to learn about how people have attended events on the other side of the diocese because they read about them in The Anchor. Even if you had an edition sitting out in your living room when entertaining folks at your home, they might take a look at it while you prepared for them a cup of coffee or a snack. They might read something that starts them to wonder about that emptiness in their lives, which can only be filled by Christ.

We thank all the people throughout the diocese who are so generous in helping to fund The Anchor. Since each parish is expected to provide for the funding of a certain number of subscriptions, each subscription you buy for yourself or for a friend or relative is also lessening the quota for which your parish is responsible. Thus, you are at the same time getting a beneficial news product, helping to fund the diffusion of the Gospel via this means, and defraying expenses for your parish. It’s a “win-win” situation.

We thank God for having this ministry of promoting the Gospel through this newspaper. Please remember us in your prayers as we pray for you.

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February 1, 2013

The prayer of the whole People of God

ack in December, I had dinner with a danger that it can become routine, that one a great Catholic couple who took me can finish saying all the words and look back and four priest friends to Fernando’s in New and not remember anything he supposedly had Bedford in anticipation of Christmas. prayed. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen used to During the course of dinner, Richard asked talk about these difficulties all the time in his me to explain to him what the “breviary” — the retreats to priests. For me, I’ve tried to defeat book of prayers priests pray each day — is. Even this temptation in various ways over the now though he’s been a close collaborator of priests 20 years I’ve been praying it: by saying it out for years, he had never had explained to him loud, singing it, praying it in different lanwhat’s involved in praying the Liturgy of the guages, anything I can do to help my mind and Hours. So I gave him a three-minute excursus of heart align itself to the words being prayed. what’s involved as well as the level of commitThere has also been the traditional difment the Church requires priests to make with ficulty of praying the breviary “on time” — regard to praying it. He finished the mini-confor example, praying midday prayer around versation by asking, “Don’t you think it would midday — which in busy priestly life normally be good for lay people to know about all these means carrying the breviary with you to enprayers priests pray for them each day?” gagements so that you could pray it in a waitThis column is a response to that gentle ing room, in the car, and elsewhere on the go. suggestion. I also hope to convey in it the Now it’s become much easier through the help Church’s ardent desire for lay people to join of technology. There are great programs for priests and religious in making this beautiful smart phones and tablet devices — like iBreprayer their own. viary, Universalis, RC Calendar and others — Priests, on the day they’re ordained tranthat make it much easier to have the breviary sitional deacons, are asked by the ordaining with you at all times and pray it on time. These bishop, “Are you resolved to maintain and programs are also a great gift to those who are deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your beginning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, way of life and, because, rather in keeping with than having to what is required worry like those of you, to celin yesteryear ebrate faithfully about fixing the Liturgy of ribbons and flipthe Hours for ping sections in the Church and a physical book

By Father for the whole when special Roger J. Landry world?” By feast days are his “I am,” he being prayed, it commits himself puts everything to praying five times a day together with Christ in one continuous file so that one can pray the High Priest for the Church and the world. without distraction.

Normally the daily prayer of the Liturgy of Technology is also helping in other ways. the Hours begins with the Office of Readings, One of my principal Year of Faith resolutions which includes an invitatory psalm (like Psalm was to pray the breviary more slowly and with 95) to open one’s heart to prayer, a hymn, greater faith — and faith, as St. Paul says, three more psalms, a lengthy reading of Sacred comes through hearing. So since October I’ve Scripture, and an extended commentary from been using another great smartphone app, a saint, pope or Church council. This is the Divine Office, to pray several hours of the brelongest part of the Liturgy of the Hours. Most viary. This is a recording of all the parts of the priests begin their daily prayer with it, but it Liturgy of the Hours for every day, with sung can be prayed any time during the day or even hymns, great lectors, and more, so that I’m the night before. able to listen to a high quality recitation of the The two most important moments in the breviary and pray and sing along with it. It’s Liturgy of the Hours are Morning Prayer also a huge help on my busiest days because (Lauds) and Evening Prayer (Vespers), which I can also play one of the hours in the car to involve a hymn, two psalms, two Scriptural sanctify a traffic jam! canticles, a short Bible reading, various interThe Liturgy of the Hours is not supposed cessions for God’s people, the Lord’s Prayer, to be prayed only by bishops, priests, deacons and a closing prayer. and Religious communities that feature it The other two hours are shorter and are as part of their communal prayer. Since the prayed sometime around the middle of the Second Vatican Council, the Church has been day — the Church gives three options, midcalling all of the faithful to take it up and begin morning, midday and afternoon, from which to pray it in their churches and in their homes. a priest must pray one but may pray all three The “Catechism” says that the Liturgy of — and then at the end of the day when he the Hours is “intended to become the prayer prays Night Prayer or Compline, during which of the whole People of God.” It encourages he examines his conscience and commends pastors to try to arrange for it to be prayed in himself and God’s people, as Christ did on the church on Sundays and the more solemn feasts cross, into the Father’s merciful hands. and urges the laity to recite it “either with The Church’s “Code of Canon Law” stress- priests, among themselves or even individues the importance of the priest’s praying the ally” (CCC 1175). breviary. In discussing a priest’s duties, it says In “Verbum Domini,” Pope Benedict that the priest is “earnestly invited” to celebrate expressed his hope that “this prayer become Mass every day, an invitation to which Pope more widespread among the People of God, Benedict continually encourages every priest particularly the recitation of Morning Prayer to respond wholeheartedly, considering that and Evening Prayer,” sure that this would lead there is nothing greater a priest can do than to “to greater familiarity with the Word of God offer to the Father His Son’s own sacrifice for on the part of the faithful.” He also recomthe salvation of the world. mended that parishes “promote this prayer When the “Code” turns to praying the with the participation of the lay faithful” (62).

Liturgy of the Hours, however, it says that Since prayer is faith in action, I would enpriests are “obliged” to fulfill it daily. The courage all lay people during this Year of Faith breviary is a “must,” where daily Mass is a to consider trying to pray the Liturgy of the strong “should.” Pope Benedict reiterated the Hours on their own, with their families, or with seriousness of this duty a few years ago in others in their parish. An easy start would be to his 2010 exhortation on the Word of God in download iBreviary or Divine Office. The door the Life and Mission of the Church (Verbum of faith is open and entering through the portal Domini), saying that all bishops, priests and of the Liturgy of the Hours will help them not transitional deacons are “obliged to pray all the only sanctify the day but enter into the prayer Hours daily.” This is because a priest’s prayer of the whole Bride of Christ, together with is his “office,” his principal work or task, his Jesus the Bridegroom, to God the Father. greatest service for God’s people.

Father Landry is Pastor of St. Bernadette Praying the breviary isn’t always easy.

Parish in Fall River. His email address is Like the Rosary or any vocal prayer, there’s fatherlandry@catholicpreaching.com.

Putting Into the Deep

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The Anchor

February 1, 2013

Pope urges respect, honest dialogue in social media networks Vatican releases message for Communications Day on May 12

Dear Brothers and Sisters, As the 2013 World Communications Day draws near, I would like to offer you some reflections on an increasingly important reality regarding the way in which people today communicate among themselves. I wish to consider the development of digital social networks which are helping to create a new “agora,” an open public square in which people share ideas, information and opinions, and in which new relationships and forms of community can come into being.

These spaces, when engaged in a wise and balanced way, help to foster forms of dialogue and debate which, if conducted respectfully and with concern for privacy, responsibility and truthfulness, can reinforce the bonds of unity between individuals and effectively promote the harmony of the human family. The exchange of information can become true communication, links ripen into friendships, and connections facilitate communion. If the networks are called to realize this great potential, the people involved in them must make an effort to be authentic since, in these spaces, it is not only ideas and information that are shared, but ultimately our very selves.

The development of social networks calls for commitment: people are engaged in building relationships and making friends, in looking for answers to their questions and being entertained, but also in finding intellectual stimulation and sharing knowledge and know-how. The networks are increasingly becoming part of the very fabric of society, inasmuch as they bring people together on the basis of these fundamental needs. Social networks are thus nourished by aspirations rooted in the human heart.

The culture of social networks and the changes in the means and styles of communication pose demanding challenges to those who want to speak about truth and values. Often, as is also the case with other means of social communication, the significance and effectiveness of the various forms of expression appear to be determined more by their popularity than by their intrinsic importance and value. Popularity, for its part, is often linked to celebrity or to strategies of persuasion rather than to the logic of argumentation.

At times the gentle voice of reason can be overwhelmed by the din of excessive information and it fails to attract attention which is given instead to those who express themselves in a more persuasive manner. The social media

thus need the commitment of all who are conscious of the value of dialogue, reasoned debate and logical argumentation; of people who strive to cultivate forms of discourse and expression which appeal to the noblest aspirations of those engaged in the communication process. Dialogue and debate can also flourish and grow when we converse with and take seriously people whose ideas are different from our own. “Given the reality of cultural diversity, people need not only to accept the existence of the culture of others, but also to aspire to be enriched by it and to offer to it whatever they possess that is good, true and beautiful” (Address at the Meeting with the World of Culture, Bélem, Lisbon, 12 May 2010).

The challenge facing social networks is how to be truly inclusive: thus they will benefit from the full participation of believers who desire to share the message of Jesus and the values of human dignity which His teaching promotes. Believers are increasingly aware that, unless the Good News is made known also in the digital world, it may be absent in the experience of many people for whom this existential space is important. The digital environment is not a parallel or purely virtual world, but is part of the daily experience of many people, especially the young. Social networks are the result of human interaction, but for their part they also reshape the dynamics of communication which builds relationships: a considered understanding of this environment is therefore the prerequisite for a significant presence there.

The ability to employ the new languages is required, not just to keep up with the times, but precisely in order to enable the infinite richness of the Gospel to find forms of expression capable of reaching the minds and hearts of all. In the digital environment the written word is often accompanied by images and sounds. Effective communication, as in the parables of Jesus, must involve the imagination and the affectivity of those we wish to invite to an encounter with the mystery of God’s love. Besides, we know that Christian tradition has always been rich in signs and symbols: I think for example of the Cross, icons, images of the Virgin Mary, Christmas cribs, stainedglass windows and pictures in our churches. A significant part of mankind’s artistic heritage has been created by artists and musicians who sought to express the truths of the faith.

In social networks, believers show their authenticity by sharing

the profound source of their hope and joy: faith in the merciful and loving God revealed in Christ Jesus. This sharing consists not only in the explicit expression of their faith, but also in their witness, in the way in which they communicate “choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically” (Message for the 2011 World Communications Day). A particularly significant way of offering such witness will be through a willingness to give oneself to others by patiently and respectfully engaging their questions and their doubts as they advance in their search for the truth and the meaning of human existence.

The growing dialogue in social networks about faith and belief confirms the importance and relevance of religion in public debate and in the life of society.

For those who have accepted the gift of faith with an open heart, the most radical response to mankind’s questions about love, truth and the meaning of life — questions certainly not absent from social networks — are found in the person of Jesus Christ. It is natural for those who have faith to desire to share it, respectfully and tactfully, with those they meet in the digital forum. Ultimately, however, if our efforts to share the Gospel bring forth good fruit, it is always because of the power of the Word of God itself to touch hearts, prior to any of our own efforts. Trust in the power of God’s work must always be greater than any confidence we place in human means.

In the digital environment, too, where it is easy for heated and divisive voices to be raised and where sensationalism can at times prevail, we are called to attentive discernment. Let us recall in this regard that Elijah recognized the voice of God not in the great and strong wind, not in the earthquake or the fire, but in “a still, small

voice” (1 Kg 19:11-12). We need to trust in the fact that the basic human desire to love and to be loved, and to find meaning and truth — a desire which God Himself has placed in the heart of every man and woman — keeps our contemporaries ever open to what Blessed Cardinal Newman called the “kindly light” of faith.

Social networks, as well as being a means of evangelization, can also be a factor in human development. As an example, in some geographical and cultural contexts where Christians feel isolated, social networks can reinforce their sense of real unity with the worldwide community of believers. The networks facilitate the sharing of spiritual and liturgical resources, helping people to pray with a greater sense of closeness to those who share the same faith. An authentic and interactive engagement with the questions and the doubts of those who are distant from the faith should make us feel the need to nourish, by prayer and reflection, our faith in the presence of God as well as our practical charity: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1).

In the digital world there are social networks which offer our

contemporaries opportunities for prayer, meditation and sharing the Word of God. But these networks can also open the door to other dimensions of faith. Many people are actually discovering, precisely thanks to a contact initially made online, the importance of direct encounters, experiences of community and even pilgrimage, elements which are always important in the journey of faith.

In our effort to make the Gospel present in the digital world, we can invite people to come together for prayer or liturgical celebrations in specific places such as churches and chapels. There should be no lack of coherence or unity in the expression of our faith and witness to the Gospel in whatever reality we are called to live, whether physical or digital.

When we are present to others, in any way at all, we are called to make known the love of God to the furthest ends of the earth.

I pray that God’s Spirit will accompany you and enlighten you always, and I cordially impart my blessing to all of you, that you may be true heralds and witnesses of the Gospel. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15).

From the Vatican, 24 January 2013, Feast of St. Francis de Sales.

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February 1, 2013

The Anchor

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very time I celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism, I always begin obviously by welcoming the families and those visiting for the ceremony, but I also tell them that I like to make the ceremony a teaching lesson on why we use the various symbols of the tracing of the cross several times during the ceremony, the water, the candle, the white garment, the oils, and the purpose of the prayer shawl that we present to each of the newlybaptized. As I go through the ceremony, I watch to see how the people react to this teaching, especially the children who may be attending, and occasionally I will get a child or even an adult who might ask a question or even offer a more positive reaction by saying, I never knew that’s

Called to be prophets

why we used oil, or that by yet when we were baptized the words of Baptism and the we were anointed with the oil pouring of the water at the of chrism while these words same time makes the Sacrawere prayed: “God the Father ment valid. People’s curiosity is amazing, but it’s a good feeling at the end when people Homily of the Week come over and say Fourth Sunday “Thank you, Father,” in Ordinary Time for those little explanations, I never knew

By Father that.” Yes, Baptism is Michael S. Racine a Sacrament first, but it also a wonderful moment to evangelize and teach the people. This is of our Lord Jesus Christ has called being a prophet, bringfreed you from sin, given you ing the faith to the people at a a new birth by water and the very important time in a little Holy Spirit, and welcomed child’s life; the beginning of you into His holy people. their journey of faith.

He now anoints you with the When we think of prophchrism of salvation. As Christ ets we turn to the Bible and was anointed Priest, Prophet, those who lived before and and King, so may you live during the time of Christ, and always of a member of His

Body, sharing everlasting life. Amen.

Yes folks we are prophets but, we are chosen even before our Baptism, and the challenge of life is to live up to that title.

Sunday’s readings focus on the role of prophets, how we are called by name, that God knows us in our mother’s womb as prophets and we are all chosen to bring His vision and love to the world.

This role of prophet is not always easy — bring a vision of love in this world? Now that is a task! When we look around and see and sometimes experience the tragedies of life, the downfalls of life and try to bring God’s vision of love, it appears

impossible! And yet that’s what the Gospel tells us this week. The role of a prophet can be dangerous, and indeed if we are to truly to accept our appointment by God, disrespect from others might be the result. Jesus Himself said, “No prophet is accepted in his native place.” How many times in our lives have we felt like Jesus? But Jesus kept on going, so must we go forth and shake the dust from our feet.

It is my prayer that you will think about the role of being a prophet and how important and vital it is to bring the vision of God’s love into the waiting world, a world that awaits us each and every day.

Father Racine is Pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Feb. 2, Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7-10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32. Sun. Feb. 3, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jer 1:4-5,17-19; Ps 71:1-6,15-17; 1 Cor 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13; Lk 4:21-30. Mon. Feb. 4, Heb 11:32-40; Ps 31:20-24; Mk 5:1-20. Tues. Feb. 5, Heb 12:1-4; Ps 22:26-28,30-32; Mk 5:21-43. Wed. Feb. 6, Heb 12:4-7,11-15; Ps 103:1-2,13-14,17-18; Mk 6:1-6. Thurs. Feb. 7, Heb 12:18-19,21-24; Ps 48:2-4,9-11; Mk 6:7-13. Fri. Feb. 8, Heb 13:1-8; Ps 27:1,3,5,8-9; Mk 6:14-29.

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The Marriage Debate III — The nature of things

ardinal Francis George of Chicago is, arguably, the most intellectually accomplished bishop in the history of the American episcopate. Earlier this year, when the Illinois legislature began to consider changing state law to “accommodate those of the same sex who wish to ‘marry’ one another” (as the cardinal put it), Professor Dr. George gave the readers of his column in the Chicago archdiocesan newspaper a lesson in metaphysics — and, I suspect, a high-voltage intellectual jolt: “Sexual relations between a

man and a woman are natuthe common good of society. rally and necessarily different It means we are all to pretend from sexual relations between to accept something we know same-sex partners.

This truth is part of the common sense of the human race. It was true before the existence of either church or state, and it will continue to be true when there is

By George Weigel no state of Illinois and no United States of America. A proposal to change this truth about is physically impossible. The Marriage in civil law is less a Legislature might just as well threat to religion than it is an repeal the law of gravity.” affront to human reason and The crucial term here is “naturally.” And if people were shocked by the cardinal’s suggestion that a samesex “marriage” law would be as fatuous as a statute repealing the law of gravity, it’s because our philosophicallychallenged culture has lost any grip on what “nature” January 25, 2013 means, beyond that physical Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina world we venerate through such civic rituals as recycling.

“Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer.

There is little sense of May your prayer be as strong as a living stone, the givenness of things, in until with your lives you become witnesses. Wit- the 21st-century postmodern ness the beauty of your faith. I am with you and West. And where there is no culturally-affirmed convicintercede before my Son for each of you. tion that some realities simply “Thank you for having responded to my call.” are, there will be a parallel intuition that everything is fungible, plastic, malleable: Spiritual Life Center of Marian Community anything can be changed by One Marian Way an act of will. The legal ne Medway, MA 02053 • Tel. 508-533-5377 plus ultra of this cultural Paid advertisement phenomenon came in 2007,

Our Lady’s Monthly Message From Medjugorje

The Catholic Difference

when the Spanish government allowed Juan to become Juanita on his/her national identity card by simply declaring (absent any surgical alteration) that he was now she.

Cardinal George was suggesting, correctly in my view, that samesex “marriage” is the same, essentially incoherent denial of givenness manifest in Spain’s Law 3/2007.

In his Christmas address to the Roman Curia last December, Pope Benedict XVI raised similar issues. We deplore the “manipulation of nature” today “where our environment is concerned,” the pope noted; but when it comes to human affairs, human “nature” has become a matter of our “choice.” Which means that we no longer experience ourselves as unique composites of matter and spirit. The “matter” of our humanness is mere ephemera; we are merely, as Benedict put it, “spirit and will.”

Who are the big losers, the pope asked, when societies and cultures lose their grip on the reality that “man and women are complementary versions of what it means to be human”? The family is certainly a loser: for if there is no “duality of man and women” that is accepted as the Way

Things Are, than “neither is the family any longer a reality” established by anything other than our willfulness.

The biggest losers, though, are children, the pope argued. If children are simply a lifestyle choice in a “family” that is nothing other than a willed arrangement for mutual convenience, children lose their rightful place and their rightful dignity. Citing the chief rabbi of France, Gilles Bernheim, Benedict argued that children are, in this bizarre new world, no longer the subject of rights. Rather, “the child has become an object to which people have a right and which they have a right to obtain.” The freedom to be creative, which finds its most awesome expression in procreation, has been reduced to the freedom to create myself, however I imagine myself to be.

The Marriage debate is thus about more than the legal definition of Marriage, although that is serious enough. It’s a debate about whether there are any givens in the human condition, or whether willfulness and self-assertion trump reality at every point. If they do, what happens to democracies built on self-evident truths?

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

February 1, 2013

A

t the end of this week’s column, I’ve included a copy of part of page one of the Jan. 25, 1973 Anchor. It was this publication’s first edition following that year’s Supreme Court Roe v.

Wade decision legalizing abortion in the United States.

As you can see, then-Fall River Bishop Daniel A. Cronin was appalled at the verdict. He told Anchor readers, “In the moral climate in which we live in today’s world, and I fear the court’s decision is reflective of this climate, it behooves each one of us again to assert the truths of ethical living in order that the moral fibre of this

W

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The Anchor

Supreme in word only

nation will not wither in the face of have to say the title of the nine judges is a misnomer. difficulties of upright and GodI thought God was the Sufearing conduct.”

Unfortunately, it appears that this nation’s “moral fibre,” is not only withering, it’s downright threadbare.

I looked up the word “supreme” in Webster’s

By Dave Jolivet Dictionary. It means the “highest in rank, power, authority,” or “highest preme Judge, and I hardly think in quality, achievement, perforHe would have handed down a mance.” Based on the killing of death sentence for the purest of His more than 50 million innocents creations. over the last 40 years since this Forty years later, the judges of “supreme” court’s decision, I’d

My View From the Stands

Women in combat — Part I

welcome, there are also tenets ith the recent decision in feminism that are violently by the military’s Joint destructive to the feminine vocaChiefs of Staff, it would seem tion. To begin, it is important that there is an indisputable decito make distinctions among the sion to allow women to serve in strains of feminism, which have combat units in the future. To ardiffering objectives. gue to the contrary might be an Early in the equal-rights exercise in futility — much like movement, many feminists that closing the barn door after the we now call equity feminists horses have bolted — but this is not so. A decision that would have been unthinkable 50 years ago (and thus a waste of time in discussing) is now upon us, striking a large segment of our population as deeply wrong, but for

By Genevieve Kineke reasons that are difficult to put into words. It is for that reason that I’d like to believed that men and women explore the main problems with share a common dignity, and such a policy, and to harness the should share an equal standing elusive arguments that we need before the law. In terms of eduto counter it. cation, inheritance, and employThe reasons against sending ment, this version of feminism women into combat are many, provided a noble contribution but the decision flows organito society overall, because there cally from the sweeping changes was no effort to dispute the funin western culture over the last damental differences between century — changes that are men and women. Because of the unhealthy humanly, socially, and initial impetus, women gained spiritually. Given the modernaccess to many schools and day consensus concerning the jobs from which they had either foundational vocations of men been legally barred or discourand women, the understanding aged from pursuing by cultural of human sexuality, and the misnorms. sion of the military, one is nearly It must be noted that the tongue-tied in speaking out Catholic Church has always against the status quo, but it is delighted in the tremendous gifts the underlying premises that we of women. Even in the earlishould be disputing — that very est centuries, the equal dignity consensus that is wrong. of girls was firmly taught, and Feminism over the last wherever the faith took root, century has brought tremenwomen Religious made possible dous change to the way that the growth of schools, hospitals, most women understand their orphanages, and other venues lives. Much of the ground-swell that allowed women to leave the support came in reaction to home and enrich their comundeniable sexism and strains munities. It cannot be disputed, of misogyny that existed — one though, that after the Protestant need only watch old movies and reformation — with the loss of what passed for humor to get the option for Religious proa taste of what many women fession for women — many had to put up with in everyday opportunities for women were life. While many elements of lost. While basic Christianity the shift in attitudes have been

The Feminine Genius

honored motherhood and the appreciation for femininity, Marriage was the only option for most women, and there were fewer opportunities, especially for higher education. It was this setting that ignited the greater frustration with popular culture.

After the first wave of feminist reaction to sexism in society, a more radical form of thinking took root, which established a deeply problematic view. At the height of the sexual revolution, these radical feminists incorporated into their philosophy the express notion that sexual license is a fundamental human right. Despite their anger towards the double-standard that has often existed — allowing men to be promiscuous and irresponsible — they chose not to demand sexual purity for all, but to pursue those ends that would allow women to be promiscuous without public censure or consequence. Thus, widespread access to contraception and abortion were essential, and of such thinking Sandra Fluke stands as proud witness even today.

One more wave of feminism — which has prevailed in the last decade — has led us to the current situation. Gender feminism emerged, joining forces with many other streams of deconstructionist thought.

Together, these groups have relentlessly pushed an androgynous view of humanity in which all cultural norms are dismissed as mere artificial constructs that inhibit human freedom. The next column will explore that philosophy, and expand on the other contributing factors that have led to this most deplorable decision.

Mrs. Kineke writes from Rhode Island and can be found online at feminine-genius.com.

the “highest quality” in the nation, still can’t see the forest through the trees. They can’t see that abortion is murder.

In his 1973 address to the faithful of the Fall River Diocese, Bishop Cronin said the decision of these judges, “does not alter in the least the truth of the Church’s teaching that abortion is evil.”

It’s curious that the Roe v. Wade decision came as the Vietnam conflict was winding down after 20 years. One of the national sore spots of the day was the conflict in Southeast Asia. In the two decades of fighting, U.S. armed forces lost nearly 60,000 troops and another 1,600 were missing in action. Americans found these numbers appalling. Why don’t people find 50 million innocent deaths unacceptable?

Bishop Cronin continued, “Now that the longed for days of peace in Southeast Asia seem to be drawing near, I urge all who were so rightly appalled by the killing in that unfortunate region of the world to raise their voices once again in unison against the wanton destruction of unborn human life taking place throughout the world by the evil of abortion.”

In a Catholic wire story also on the cover of the 1.25.73 Anchor, Cardinal Terence Cooke of the New York Archdiocese called the court’s decision, “shocking, horrifying.” He went on to say of the Supreme Court, “They have usurped the powers and responsibilities of the legislatures of 50 states to protect life.”

Cardinal John Krol of Philadelphia, in the same article, is quoted, “No court and no legislature in the land can make something evil become something good. Abortion at any stage of pregnancy is evil.”

For 40 years, those “highest in

rank” and “highest in quality” in this country have sold out and succumbed to the pressures of those, who for one reason or another, refuse to believe that abortion is murder.

Elected officials in this country, from the president, to senators and congressmen, to judges, to state and local authorities, refuse to listen ... to their constituents, and more importantly, to God. To some, this column may make me seem un-American. On the contrary, I love this country and what it was founded on — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In Bishop George W. Coleman’s homily at a Mass in Washington, D.C. last week during a pilgrimage there for the annual March for Life, he brilliantly compared today’s abortion advocates to the leaders in George Orwell’s “1984.”

Bishop Coleman told the mostly youth-oriented congregation, “Those who would support the killing of unborn babies attempt to transform a morallyindefensible action into something good by changing their choice of words. Innocuous-sounding terms such as ‘pro-choice’ or ‘women’s health care’ are used over the term abortion, hoping that we will forget about the rights of the other person affected by the abortion; namely, the unborn baby.”

Simply put, if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. No matter what pro-choice people call abortion, it’s still abortion. It was 40 years ago, and it is now.

Our “highest in rank and quality” leaders need a change of heart, and that can only come from God ... through our efforts. Otherwise, an Anchor editor 40 years from now will be quoting from this week’s edition, lamenting the death of 100,000,000 babies.

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The Anchor Retired Polish primate, Cardinal Glemp, dies at 83

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Cardinal Jozef Glemp of Warsaw, who served as primate of the Catholic Church in Poland during the final years of communism and during the restoration of democracy, died January 23 at the age of 83.

Offering his condolences to Polish Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI said Cardinal Glemp had a “profound love for God and for man,

which was his light, inspiration and strength in the difficult ministry of guiding the Church at a time when significant social and political transformations were taking place in Poland and Europe.”

Vatican Radio reported that Cardinal Glemp died in a Warsaw hospital; he had undergone surgery almost a year ago as part of his treatment for lung cancer. In a

telegram released by the Vatican, Pope Benedict said the cardinal’s last days were “marked by a suffering that he endured with a serenity of spirit.”

“Personally, I always appreciated his sincere goodness, his simplicity, his openness and his dedication to the cause of the Church in Poland and in the world,” the pope wrote. “That is how he will remain

February 1, 2013 in my memory and in my prayer.”

The cardinal was a controversial figure in Poland during the communist regime’s imposition of martial law in the early 1980s. While he

had urged Catholics not to resist the clampdown, he continued to support the right of priests to speak out in defense of freedom and respect for human rights.

February 1, 2013

The Anchor

TENDING HIS FLOCK — Bishop George W. Coleman celebrated Mass with some of the many youth and adult groups from the Fall River Diocese who traveled by bus to the annual March for Life last week at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown Washington, D.C. on January 26. (Photos by Kenneth J. Souza)

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February 1, 2013

The Anchor Marian Medals ceremony to air on local cable TV

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

As of press time, the schedule is as follows: — Taunton, Comcast channel 15 or Verizon channel 22, February 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 6:30 p.m.; February 9, 16, 23 and March 2 at 12 p.m. and 10 p.m.; February 10, 17, 24 and March 3 at 9 a.m.

— Westport, cable channel 17, February 1, 8 and 15 at 5 p.m.; February 5 and 12 at 8 a.m.; February 7 and 14 at 1 p.m.

The 2012 Marian Medal Ceremony DVD is also available for purchase. To obtain a video, please forward a check in the amount of $24.95 payable to the Diocesan Office of Communications to Office of Communications, Diocese of Fall River, PO Box 7, Fall River, Mass. 02722. Shipping is included in the video cost.

dirty dealings — Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg star in a scene from the movie “Broken City.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Fox)

DIRECTOR OF LITURGICAL MUSIC IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH NORTH EASTON, MA is seeking a trained musician to work closely with the Pastor, Parish Staff, Liturgy Planning Committee, and lay volunteer musicians to develop, organize, and direct all the liturgical music for our parish.

Please send a letter of intent and a resume to redegagne@gmail.com Revised and updated ...

2012-2013 Diocese of Fall River Catholic Directory ... NOW SHIPPING !!

Published by The Anchor Publishing Company P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Massachusetts 02722 Please ship _____ directories x $18 each, including shipping and handling. Total Enclosed $_____ NAME ____________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________ CITY _____________________ STATE _______ ZIP _____ Please make checks payable to “Anchor Publishing” For more information, email theanchor@anchonews.org, call 508-675-7151, or order online at www.anchornews.org

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“Broken City” (Fox) Scandal, intrigue, and a surfeit of bad language combine to form director Allen Hughes’ dark thriller with political overtones. Seven years after being acquitted in the suspicious shooting of a rapist and murderer, an ex-New York cop (Mark Wahlberg) is asked by the city’s mayor (a sensational Russell Crowe), who withheld evidence of the former officer’s wrongdoing, to prove that Hizzoner’s wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is two-timing him. Predictably, things are not what they seem, and the grizzled protagonist — who is also struggling with alcoholism and battling to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, a wannabe actress (Natalie Martinez) — quickly finds himself caught in a web of intrigue and blackmail. Laudably, Brian Tucker’s screenplay shows the true costs and consequences of corruption.

And, while it encourages viewers to understand the main character’s morally dubious choices, his script doesn’t prompt them to approve.

Still, the evident desire to turn out a gritty movie makes this suitable only for the most tolerant adults.

Occasional graphic violence, possible cohabitation, fleeting but strong sexual imagery, brief upper female nudity, mature themes, including adultery and homosexuality, about half-a-dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough language, occasional

crude and crass terms, a couple of anti-gay slurs. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“The Last Stand” (Lionsgate) A souped-up Corvette gets more screen time than star Arnold Schwarzenegger in director Kim Jee-Woon’s shoot-’em-up action flick. Schwarzenegger’s return to leading-man roles finds him playing an Arizona sheriff who has the

last chance to stop a violent Mexican drug-cartel leader (Eduardo Noriega) from crossing the border after the gangster’s escape from federal custody. The result is meandering mayhem for the sturdy and mature only. Considerable violence, including much gunplay, occasional profanity, frequent rough language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, February 3, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Kevin J. Harrington, Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Bedford

February 1, 2013

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The Anchor

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The Anchor

February 1, 2013

Assembly marks tragic Roe anniversary continued from page one

couraged those gathered to visit the Holocaust memorial. She said the site serves as a reminder that ours is not the only society in history to make humanity selective. Then, she played the theme song from the Holocaust film “Schindler’s List” on her violin in memory of the 55 million children legally aborted since 1973.

The program also included the tolling of hand bells by the Blackstone Valley Catholic Youth Choir for deceased Pro-Lifers, songs sung by the choir, “Amazing Grace” played on the bagpipes and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

The assembly’s featured speaker, Abby Johnson — a post-abortive woman and former Planned Parenthood director turned Pro-Life activist — was unable to make it due to illness.

In her place, a different post-abortive woman and Lynn native, Cori Connor-Morse, shared her story. She recalled every detail of the day in 1983 that her son, whom she later named Patrick, was aborted.

The mundane facts of what she wore, what she ate and what time she awoke that morning are still with her. She juxtaposed that with the fact that she sometimes finds it difficult to remember such details about yesterday.

Connor-Morse said that the day “I killed the only child I would ever conceive” marked the beginning of depression, panic attacks and suicide attempts. Her survival depended on denial and even her counselors told her that the abortion was not her problem.

It was not until the love of her current husband, Steve, began to heal her stubborn wounds that she made an appointment with a priest. Twenty-six years after her abortion, the priest told her that what she had done was wrong, listened to her sob for two hours and sent her to Project Rachel, the ministry for post-abortive women.

Connor-Morse learned through the ministry that “abortion was wrong for all of us.” Since her “long process” of healing from abortion began, she has sought to pay forward the help she received. She often prays outside the abortion clinic in Lynn, and last February, she was present when an abortion-minded couple decided to keep their daughter, Eleanor.

“All babies are wanted by someone,” she said. “All mothers should be told.”

David Franks, chairman of the MCFL board and theology professor at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, said that now is the time for Massachusetts Pro-Lifers to recommit them-

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selves to the struggle and recover their passion.

He encouraged everyone to invite others to join MCFL and to build up its regional chapters. Doing so is the first step toward converting the state legislature to a Pro-Life body and for Massachusetts again to lead the way to freedom.

Franks quoted the Declaration of Independence that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including the right to life. He spoke about the freedom discussed in Faneuil Hall at the country’s founding and Massachusetts’ role in bringing an end to legalized slavery.

“We can convert this Commonwealth. We can make it consistent with the ideals that were debated in this hall,” he said. “We helped break the slave power, and we will break the abortion power too — if we work.”

This week in

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assembly for life — More than 350 Massachusetts residents gathered at Faneuil Hall in Boston for Massachusetts Citizens for Life’s annual Assembly for Life, this year marking the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in the U.S. Below, Cori Connor-Morse, a post-abortive woman, shared her story with the assembly. (Photos by Ed Boylan)

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Diocesan history

50 years ago — Stonehill College announced plans to construct a new wing at the North Easton campus consisting of 11 new classrooms and a 250-seat lecture hall, expanding the capacity of the school to more than 1,200 students.

10 years ago — St. Mary’s Parish in Taunton hosted a 175th-anniversary Mass marking the historic 1828 founding of the parish. Msgr.

George W. Coleman, then-diocesan administrator, was principal celebrant and homilist at the Liturgy.

25 years ago — A balloon launch at St. James Church in New Bedford kicked off celebrations for the parish’s 100th anniversary year. A hundred balloons of various colors were released at the chime of the noon Angelus bells after the Mass.

One year ago — Fall River native and seminarian Jason Brilhante was ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop George W. Coleman inside the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. He would later be ordained to the priesthood the following June.

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The Anchor

February 1, 2013

Catholic education sways decision for Religious life, new survey shows

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic education in high school and college is a significant factor for men and women choosing to enter a Religious order, according to an annual survey of Sisters and brothers who recently professed final vows.

The survey also found an increase in the number of Asians, particularly Vietnamese, choosing Religious life in the U.S. The report, “New Sisters and Brothers Professing Perpetual Vows in Religious Life” is based on a survey conducted by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

Researchers surveyed Religious who professed perpetual vows in 2012, and obtained responses from 108 Sisters and

24 brothers, a response rate of 85 percent of the 156 potential members of the profession class of 2012 identified for CARA by their Religious superior.

Major findings showed: — The average age of Religious of the profession class of 2012 is 39. Half of the men and women are 37 or younger.

The youngest Sister who responded was 23; the oldest, 66.

Eight women professed perpetual vows at age 60 or older.

Among brothers, the youngest was 25 and the oldest, 62; two professed perpetual vows at age 60 or older.

— The class makeup is 69 percent white, 15 percent Asian and 8 percent Hispanic. Most respondents (71 percent) were born in the United States. Of those born outside the U.S., the most common country of origin is Vietnam.

— About four in 10 Religious (43 percent) attended a Catholic elementary school, a rate similar to the U.S. Catholic adult population (42 percent). These respondents were more likely than other U.S. Catholics to have attended a Catholic high school (36 percent of the Religious, compared to 22 percent of U.S. adult Catholics overall) and much more likely to have attended a Catholic college (33 percent of the Religious, compared to just seven percent of U.S. adult Catholics overall).

The Religious also are highly educated. Twenty-two percent earned a graduate degree before entering their order and 60 percent entered their order with at least a bachelor’s degree or more.

Most Religious did not report that educational debt delayed their application for entrance to their Religious institute. For

those who did, they averaged two years of delay while they paid down an average of $19,500 in school debt.

More than eight in 10 Religious (82 percent) had work experience prior to entering their Religious institute. Women were more likely than men to have been employed in education or health care. Men were more likely to have been employed in business or Church ministry.

Many Religious were active in parishes before entering their institute. Almost half participated in youth ministry or a youth group. One quarter participated in a young adult ministry or group, Catholic campus ministry/Newman Center, and/or World Youth Day. Almost nine in 10 (88 percent) had ministry experience before entering their Religious institute, most commonly in

Faith Formation. Women were more likely to have participated in faith formation or liturgical ministries (except altar servers), while men more commonly reported working in hospital or prison ministries, being an altar server, or teaching in a Catholic school.

On average, Religious who responded to the survey said they were 20 years old when they first considered a vocation, but half were 18 or younger when they first thought about it. Eight in 10 (82 percent) said they were encouraged to consider Religious life by someone, predominantly priests, Religious Sisters and brothers.

The women who responded to the survey represented 64 Religious congregations, provinces or monasteries. The brothers were from 19 different congregations, provinces, or monasteries.

School has been the site of some very successful Rosary Rallies for Life.”

The retreat is geared towards families. “Our greatest gift from God is our family and our greatest gift to our family is our time,”

stays together.’”

Father Peyton, whose sainthood cause is currently underway, was the founder of Holy Cross Family Ministries.

“For people who think they are too busy to attend, I ask them

clude speakers, family activities, Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary prayer with a new video release on the Luminous Mysteries, and praise and worship music.

Children will be able to participate in Holy Cross Family Min-

said Father Phalen. “Families are so overburdened with activities and ‘busyness.’ It makes it difficult to stay close, and more difficult to find time to pray. This retreat is a perfect opportunity for families to make time and come together for an afternoon.

“Our hope is that they will find meaning in Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton’s famous slogan, ‘The family that prays together

to please reconsider whether that soccer game or dance lesson or shopping chore is more important than a half-day retreat which can invigorate your family’s spiritual life,” said Father Phalen. “Please come, bring all the kids, any age, and do a little focusing on your encounter with Christ in faith.

You won’t regret it.”

The retreat will be in English and Spanish and will in-

istries “Try Prayer! It Works!” contest, a national event at which nearly 50,000 children submit artwork, poetry and essays on faithrelated subjects.

The Spanish speaker will be Dr. Jose Fermin, a high school teacher of biology and science for the City of Providence, R.I., Department of Education and past coordinator for Latin-American Family Retreats at the La Salette

Retreat Center. Dr. Fermin is a trained professional in the field of drugs and alcohol rehabilitation.

He will share insights on how families can share their weaknesses, sorrows, and successes through prayer, study and service.

Hispanic praise and worship music will be provided by Oscar Pozuelos, a former leader of Youth Explosion. He will perform with his band and the Bishop Stang Campus Ministry Band.

“As a trial lawyer, I always try to begin with an impact statement,” said Calvillo. “I can’t think of a better impact statement than Father Peyton’s, ‘The family that prays together stays together.’”

Registration for the retreat, which includes a snack, is $5 per person with a maximum of $20 per family. For information, or to register call 508-238-4095 or 1-800-299-PRAY, or visit www.

FamilyRosary.org/Retreat.

For information on Real Men Pray the Rosary, visit www. realmenpraytherosary. org.

Family is the focus at upcoming Family Rosary Lenten Retreat continued from page one

depending on what time of day I post dictates where the sharing comes from. People respond from the U.S., Africa, and a great many from the Philippines.”

Calvillo told The Anchor that his nine-year-old son is very much into the Rosary. “He told me he wanted to start a blog, ‘Real Kids Pray the Rosary.’ I’m helping him prepare that now.”

Calvillo also has a book soon to be published by Ave Maria Press, “Real Men Pray the Rosary: A practical guide to a powerful prayer.”

Holy Cross Father John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, told The Anchor Calvillo was invited as a speaker this year because, “David’s reputation and book precede him, as well as his work with retreats for men.”

Father Phalen said the Rosary Retreats have been a very successful ministry for several years now. “We move the retreat around yearly to attract folks from different areas. Bishop Stang High

16

Youth Pages

reaching for the stars — Eighth-graders at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven recently learned about August Ferdinand Mobius, the German mathematician and astronomer. They explored the Mobius surface which was discovered in 1858, and were thrilled to showcase their creations while wearing their paper Mobius strips to lunch.

fresh veggies — Kindergarten and first-grader students at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford grew vegetables and donated them to Market Ministries in New Bedford as a Community Service Project. Here the firstgrade teacher, Christine Medeiros, is picking the vegetables.

February 1, 2013

current events — The fifth-grade students at Holy Name School in Fall River made electromagnets using wire, a battery and a nail. They wrapped the wire around the nail and taped the ends of the wire to the ends of the battery. They met with success and could pick up several paper clips. They got quite a charge when the electromagnet worked.

super marketers — Third-grade students in Paula Bedard’s math class “shopped” for meals. They used a Stop and Shop flyer to compute the cost of their meal. After they had all the prices, they had to add it all up. When they had a total, they cut out each item from the flyer and pasted it to their paper plate.

The class average was $54. From left: Olivia Sirard, Logan Gallagher and Summer Pereira.

snow-biz — Seventh- and eighth-grade students from St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth, St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School in Hyannis, and St. Margaret Regional School in Buzzards Bay, as well as St. Pius X Alumni, recently attended the Snowball Dance held at St. Pius X School.

February 1, 2013

O

n Sunday, March 3, the Diocese of Fall River will celebrate the annual High School Youth Convention followed by a Middle School Rally for schools and parishes on Monday, March 4 — these events were once held in October. The theme for this year’s convention is taken directly from Pope Benedict XVI’s 2013 World Youth Day theme, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (cf. Mt 28:19).

The pope states in his message of Holiness for the 28th World Youth Day 2013, that “this is the great missionary mandate that Christ gave the whole Church, and today, 2,000 years later, it remains as urgent as ever.” For “to make Christ known is the most precious gift that you can give others.”

As Catholic-Christian disciples, we have heard variations on this Scripture verse numerous times, so why the emphasis on this theme — this mission — in 2013? Well, the answer is twofold really. In the fall of last year, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed 2012-2013 the Year of Faith hoping that Catholics sitting in the pews as well as some who may be too timid or feel unwelcomed in our Church will be provided opportunities to learn more about the faith from something other than newspaper headlines and the nightly news. Part two of the answer to the aforementioned question also rests in the fact that there is a resurgence of the New Evangelization; which, when one actually sits to think about this “New Evangelization,” it is really not so new for it is what we have been called to do since the day of our Baptism. In other words, it’s what we should have been doing all along.

But this still doesn’t answer the question: “How do I go out and make disciples of all nations?”

According to the pope’s message, he breaks down this mission into eight parts or what I like to call, steps: A Pressing Call — He challenges young people to see that God is love; for humanity can only grow if it is “founded on love rather than on materialism.”

The pope, like many of our own diocesan priests and leaders, places great hope in our young people’s capacity to open their hearts and to love.

Become Christ’s Disciples — The “missionary vocation is necessary for our personal journey of faith. We cannot be true believers if we do not evangelize.”

Most of our young people are very familiar with Christian service either through their schools

Youth Pages

17

Go therefore and make disciples

or the parish Faith Formation and up to complete that task. But youth ministry programs. But Pope Benedict says that we don’t is the service being completed have to. He states, “Some people rooted in the missionary vocaare far away geographically, tion of the Church or are they but others are far away because used as a means to an end? The their way of life has no place for pope goes on to say that a disciple is a person attentive to Jesus’ Word.

If we complete such service in a way that evangelizes those whom we serve, then we are truly becoming one of

By Crystal Medeiros Christ’s disciples.

Go Forth — It is my opinion that far too many of us, youth and adults, God.” He goes on to challenge us forget this part. We tend to hold to simply go deeper into our own our faith close to the breast rather lives and reach those “nations” spreading the Good News of of which we are a daily part, i.e. our salvation to others. That is families, communities, schools, the essence of evangelization. etc.

“Through Confirmation we are Make Disciples — This is a strengthened by the gifts of the tall and challenging order but it Spirit so that we can bear witness begins with one small and simple to the Gospel in an increasingly step: never forget that the first act mature way.” We said “Yes” of love that you can do for othat our Confirmations, but are ers is to share the source of our we living out our Confirmation hope. Invite someone to Mass promises by going forth or are or a youth ministry event. Invite we too caught up in living in our someone to walk the journey of worlds? faith with you. Personal invitaGather All Nations — Now, I tion can often bear much fruit. don’t know about you, but here Firm in the Faith — “Auis where I get hung up. All nathentic evangelization is born of tions? I can’t possibly measure prayer and sustained by prayer.”

Be Not Afraid

If we hope to make disciples and become the evangelizers we are called to be, we must ourselves take nourishment from our faith.

We must rely on prayer, participation in the Sacraments and Mass attendance to strengthen our fortitude in the faith and keep us rooted to Christ so that we may never forget that He is always with us.

With the Whole Church — “Our witness is always given as members of the Christian community, and our mission is made fruitful by the communion lived in the Church.” We cannot do this alone. We cannot be missionaries alone. We must remain in community and rely on the gifts and strengths that God not only gave to us individually but to

the whole Church. Wherever you go, whether to college or away from your home parish, find a community to stay connected to for it is important to remember that we are one part of a larger whole.

And finally: “Here I Am Lord!” — “I would ask all of you to hear, in the depths of your heart, Jesus’ call to proclaim the Gospel.”

Do not cast aside the tug in your heart or that little something you may not quite be able to identify.

You are being called for great things. Be like Samuel, awake from your slumber and proclaim to the Lord, “Here I am” and let His love guide you to be the disciple He knows and longs for you to be.

For more information on the Youth Convention and Middle School Rally, please visit www. fallriverfaithformation.org

FAITH FORMERS — Five Catholic school teachers recently completed all courses for certification as religion teachers in the Diocese of Fall River. They are, front from left: Kathy Farrell-Packard from St. Joseph Fairhaven; Heidi Kuliga from Holy Family-Holy Name, New Bedford; Jean Cabral and Ellen Gasson and from Taunton Catholic Middle School, Taunton; and Ruth Dionne, also from Holy Family Holy Name. In the back row are Catholic Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Griffin and Faith Formation Director Claire McManus, who directs the certification program.

education fund fun — The eighth annual St. Mary’s Education Fund Winter Brunch was held recently at the Coonamessett Inn of Falmouth. More than 70 guests heard Dr. Michael Griffin, diocesan Superintendent of Schools, speak about the fund. Father Arnold Medeiros, Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish of North Falmouth and St. John the Evangelist Parish of Pocasset, hosted the event with cochairmen Dorothy Hiltz of Mashpee and Peggy Foley of Falmouth. It was a fun-filled day with fantastic raffle prizes and balloon pops, priceless silent auction items, face painting and balloon animals as well as a scrumptious brunch buffet, all while supporting a worthy cause. From left: Hiltz, Father Medeiros, Foley, Victoria Burgess (student at St. Margaret Regional School in Buzzards Bay), Grace Davis, and Katie Davis (students at St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth).

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Diocesan pilgrims join record march continued from page one

coming together to pray and march on behalf of unborn children and post-abortive mothers.

“The Pro-Life movement is alive and well, younger and stronger than ever. Our diocesan youth should be highly commended and thanked for standing in the public square and calling for an end to the killing of our most defenseless and innocent children.”

The reasons for participants’ attendance at this year’s milestone gathering were as varied as the colorful signs and banners that not only proclaimed their points of origin, but also expressed poignant slogans such as “Abolish Abortion Courageously” and “I am the ProLife Generation.”

Although this was only her second time traveling to D.C. for the event, Sue Charbonneau, a parishioner from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, said this year’s march was a much more moving and inspirational experience.

“There were so many people this year,” Charbonneau said. “We went with a whole group from our (parish) youth group. They were excited to be there — some because they are teen-agers and wanted to hang out with their friends and sleep in a hotel in Washington — but others really took something home with them.”

Among the group traveling from Acushnet with Charbonneau was her 14-year-old son, Jack.

“He was so taken with the people and the pictures they had displayed at the march,” she said. “He was really moved seeing photos of the 10-week-old fetus. It wasn’t something he expected to see, but I’m glad he did. I think he got a lot more out of it than just a few days hanging with friends.”

Fellow St. Francis Xavier parishioner Mary Cardoza, making her fourth trip to the March for Life, said this year’s historic anniversary clearly drew a record number of people to the nation’s capital.

“It’s by far the most people I’ve ever seen at the march … and I can’t imagine another group that has been that large in Washington,” Cardoza said. “It’s funny the next morning we were checking the

newspapers at the hotel, and they didn’t have much coverage about the march at all.”

While unconfirmed estimates put the total number of attendees at the March for Life somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000, a gathering of gun control advocates who staged a similar march in Washington on the same day — deceptively dubbed the “Million Mom March” — reportedly drew less than 10,000 supporters.

Despite the vast number difference, however, media outlets like MSNBC, CNN and The New York Times chose to virtually ignore the March for Life and made the “Million Mom March” their lead story of the day.

“I just so wish we heard more about the march on television channels other than EWTN,” Charbonneau said. “But you can’t ignore more than 500,000 people. It might not be all over the news, but the president is aware of our being there and why we were there.”

For some, sacrifices had to be made after traveling a great distance only to miss out on being among the tens of thousands who marched from the National Mall up to the Supreme Court building.

A woman who traveled on the bus from Attleboro awoke ill on the morning of the main event and was reluctantly encouraged to stay at the hotel during the rally and march. With help from Sister Ana Maria Corona, O.P., of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Attleboro and Kevin Ward, founder and president of the Cape Cod Bus for Life, the ailing woman was given some medication in the hotel lobby and sent back to her room to rest.

Despite bitter cold temperatures hovering around the 20-degree mark in the nation’s capital and a light snow that began falling, an impressive number braved the elements to send a strong but simple message to elected officials that abortion remains an intrinsic evil and should no longer be tolerated.

Many speakers praised the resiliency of the crowd, but they also spoke of the Pro-Life movement getting re-energized by the thou-

sands of young people who are becoming the effort’s new torchbearers.

Hundreds of high school and college groups were scattered in the rally crowd, their members texting, taking pictures and creatively protesting by wearing Pro-Life stickers on their faces and carrying placards on the backs of their jackets.

The significance of the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling remained a key theme at this year’s March for Life.

Jeanne Monahan, new president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, is 40 — just as old as the movement protesting the 1973 Supreme Court decision.

Monahan praised Nellie Gray, the late founder of the March for Life, for her long dedication to the cause and several speakers also credited Gray for getting the ProLife movement on its feet with the first march and leading each one until her death last year.

During the rally, a video tribute to Gray was shown on giant video screens.

“Forty years ago, people thought opposition to the Pro-Life movement would eventually disappear,” Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., told the crowd assembled on the National Mall for the rally prior to the march along Constitution Avenue to the front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

He noted that Nellie Gray “was not going to allow that to happen,” nor was the Pro-Life movement.

“The march grows stronger every year,” said Cardinal O’Malley, who also serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

“We have been wandering in the desert for 40 years,” Cardinal O’Malley continued, making reference to the plight of Moses, adding that we “are nearing the promised land.”

As a sign of hope, the cardinal pointed to work that Pro-Life groups within his own diocese have done to expose the evils of the culture of death. A wide coalition of Pro-Life and disabilities advocates in Massachusetts succeeded in halt-

February 1, 2013 ing an attempt to legalize physician-assisted suicide in November 2012, despite significant initial support for the measure.

Cardinal O’Malley said the motion “was like the race between the tortoise and the hare,” gaining slow and steady support for protecting life within the state.

Still, he warned, although the Pro-Life movement won a victory in that instance, the continuation of abortion in the U.S. will lead to more efforts to support euthanasia.

“A society that allows parents to kill children will allow children to kill parents,” he cautioned.

Cardinal O’Malley encouraged Pro-Life pilgrims from across America to deepen their faith, explaining that a culture of life must be founded upon the conversion of our own lives.

“Our task is to live our faith so intensely,” he said, “that we will generate a culture of life.”

Another new aspect at this year’s rally was more use of social media technology, with speakers prior to the rally’s start urging participants to Tweet about the rally and follow the March for Life on Facebook.

One Tweet read to the crowd, which drew a lot of cheers, was from Pope Benedict XVI, which said: “I join all those marching for life from afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and promote a culture of life.”

More than 13,000 people gathered the night before the rally and march inside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for an opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life.

Cardinal O’Malley was the principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass, which was concelebrated by 324 priests, 41 bishops, and six cardinals.

The vigil continued with Confessions, prayer and holy hours celebrated throughout the night.

It concluded on the morning of January 25 with a closing Mass, at which Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas was the principal celebrant and homilist. More than 5,500 were in attendance.

Pilgrims from the Fall River Diocese concluded their two-day excursion with an annual Mass celebrated by Bishop George W. Coleman on the morning of January 26

at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown Washington, D.C. “Every year I look forward to being with you and I look forward to this Mass,” Bishop Coleman said in his homily to a cathedral filled with mostly students from the diocesan high schools. “Your presence here has really been a great source of hope to me. You are young and filled with energy that you want to use to do something of great value.

During the past few days, you have been with tens of thousands of your peers who desire to bring about much-needed change in our country.”

Urging the younger members of his flock to always “seek and know the truth … in a manner that can be understood by others,” Bishop Coleman drew parallels between contemporary proponents of the pro-choice movement and the totalitarian government depicted in author George Orwell’s prescient novel “1984,” published more than 60 years ago.

“The novel is set in a country called ‘Oceania’ … where people are subject to surveillance and public mind control,” Bishop Coleman said. “Part of that undertaking was the creation of a new language by which certain actions that used to be considered illegal receive new, euphemistically-sounding names.

The leaders of this movement in Oceania distort the truth in such a way that they think and speak in ‘doublespeak’ and ‘Newspeak.’ All those who think independently are guilty of ‘thoughtcrime.’”

Today Bishop Coleman said abortion advocates — and likeminded supporters in the secular media — use similar language to disguise the harsh realities of abortion.

“Those who would support the killing of unborn babies attempt to transform a morally-indefensible action into something good by changing their choice of words,” he said. “Innocuous-sounding terms such as ‘pro-choice’ or ‘women’s health care’ are used over the term abortion, hoping that we will forget about the rights of the other person affected by the abortion; namely, the unborn baby.

“If some express even the slightest opposition to the taking of the lives of the unborn, those who use this new language — or ‘Newspeak’ — are quick to deny the humanity or the personhood of the unborn baby, calling it a ‘lump of tissue,’ the ‘product of conception,’ or even a ‘potential person.’ In their choice of words, they attempt to undermine rational thought and the normal human compassion that we would feel for the 50 million defenseless human beings legally aborted since Roe v. Wade 40 years ago.”

Bishop Coleman noted someContinued on page 19

February 1, 2013

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

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

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

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

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

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

East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich.

Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

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

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

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

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

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction.

Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass. taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Expostition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass.

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

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

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

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

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

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what ironically how members of the British news media — fellow journalists working across the pond in Orwell’s home country — recently expressed great delight in reporting the news that Kate Middleton, duchess of Cambridge, was carrying “a child.”

“That’s right: they declared that she was carrying a child,” Bishop Coleman repeated. “Not a ‘product of conception.’ We are told that her baby will be third in line to the throne, behind Prince William and Prince Charles. The British news media are clearly in the right to be treating the royal baby not as a clump of cells to be disposed of for any reason, but as fully human — as a person.”

Stressing that “the language we use does matter,” Bishop Coleman challenged all Catholics — young and old alike — to “never fear to speak the truth.”

“For as George Orwell also said: ‘In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary action,’” he added.

In closing, Bishop Coleman thanked everyone for attending the March for Life and for their ongoing commitment to the dignity of every human life.

“Winning the hearts and minds of people today will require prayer and an unwavering dedication to the cause of life,” he said. “The Church has confidence in you and offers you the most precious gift she has — the opportunity to raise your eyes to God, to encounter Jesus Christ Who is, Himself, justice and peace.”

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks 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. 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, SMM, 2004 Feb. 6 Most Rev. Frederick A. Donaghy, M.M, Bishop of Wuchow, 1988 Feb 7.

1991, Rev. Arthur N. Robert, O.P., St. Anne Shrine, Fall River Feb. 8 Rev. Raymond P. Monty, USAF Retired Chaplain, 1996

Mary Cardoza said she thinks the youth attending this year’s historic March for Life will be “transformed forever.”

“I don’t think any of them will ever, ever consider having an abortion now,” she said. “I think

they’re the generation that’s going to change this world. At least that’s my hope in seeing all of them at these marches.”

With wire reports from Catholic News Service and Catholic News Agency.

Around the Diocese 2/2

A Day With Mary will be held tomorrow at Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Taunton from 7:50 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include a video presentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother with Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for Reconciliation. There is a bookstore available during breaks. Please bring a bag lunch. For more information call 508-996-8274.

2/9

Good Shepherd Parish, 1598 South Main Street in Fall River will be selling its famous homemade malassadas on February 9 in the parish hall beginning at 7:30 a.m. until sold out. For more information visit www.gsfallriver.com or call 508-678-7412.

2/9

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

2/11

A special Healing Mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford on February 11 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Every year the pope gives a message for World Sick Day, which will be celebrated on February 11. This year the event also coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Sacrament of Anointing will be offered during Mass, followed by Eucharistic Adoration and healing prayers. For more information visit www.stanthonynewbedford.com.

2/14

The Support Group for Divorced and Separated Catholics will offer a screening of the video “What does the Bible Say” on February 14 beginning at 7 p.m. in the parish center of St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road in North Dartmouth. This session will deal with what Scripture has to say about divorce, with a discussion to follow the video presentation. For more information call 508-678-2828, 508-993-0589 or 508-673-2997.

2/16

A speaker, multi-media presentation and discussion featuring Sister Linda Bessom, SND, Faith Into Action Together Coordinator for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, will take place February 16 at St. Vincent de Paul Parish at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street in Attleboro. The program begins with a 4 p.m. Mass, followed by a pot luck dinner at 5 p.m. and the presentation set to start at 5:30 p.m.

Sister Bessom serves on the Massachusetts Catholic Conference Social Policy Committee. The MCC is the voice of the Massachusetts Roman Catholic Bishops on Beacon Hill. Her goal is to create awareness about the ways people can advocate for vulnerable residents in our community, including unaccompanied youth, who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. Sister Bessom will provide a faith-based charity and justice response to the problems of poverty and homelessness in Attleboro, and the larger community.

2/18

St. Louis de France Parish, 56 Buffington Street in Swansea, will host weekly Centering Prayer gatherings using a Lectio Divina format. The group will meet in the family room of the main church, gathering at 5:45 p.m. every Monday in Lent beginning February 18 through March 25 (except March 18, due to schedule conflicts). Prayer begins promptly at 6 p.m. Come rest in God’s embrace. For more information contact Charles R. Demers at forums4ami@gmail.com or 508-264-5823.

3/10

A Family Rosary Retreat will be held March 10 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. This family event centers on the theme “Lord I Believe — Help My Unbelief” and will consist of an afternoon of activities including inspiring keynotes, family activities, Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary Prayer and a screening of a new video release on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. Many hands are needed to conduct the program. Whatever your talent, they would be grateful for whatever time you could offer. The event will be held at Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth.

For more information call 508-238-4095 or visit www.familyrosary.org/retreat.

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February 1, 2013

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