02 20 15

Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , February 20, 2015

Cape Cod parish launches a 33-day Consecration Retreat to Mary

and a parishioner “had experienced a great deal of comfort and Spirituality beEAST SANDWICH — Inspired by cause of it,” said Stebbins, who had also Pope Francis’ declaration that a Year of experienced the retreat three times in the Consecrated Life should be celebrated last couple of years. “There’s so much in it; (Nov. 30, 2014 – Feb. 2, 2016), Patricia I find every step of this takes you a step Stebbins helped bring a “do-it-yourself ” closer to Jesus. It’s wonderful.”

Having the retreat held during the Year retreat to Corpus Christi Parish in East of Consecration seems fitting because “we Sandwich. Beginning February 20, parishioners will participate in a 33-day re- need to consecrate more people to Mary, get more of the Church militant out and treat for the Consecration to Mary.

Using the book “33 Days to Morn- involved in our Church,” said Stebbins.

With the full support of the pastor, Faing Glory,” by Father Micahel E. Gaitley, ther George Harrison, the parish will be MIC, “the 33 days itself is a Spiritual indiholding the consecration retreat four difvidual retreat,” explained Stebbins. “Each ferent times this year: “[The final retreat] day has its own readings and they’re taken will culminate on December 12 on the from St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Cal- feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On that cutta and St. John Paul II. They’re very day, Father is going to call forth everymeaningful. You do it at home and as you body from the congregation to come forwant to — it doesn’t take long to do it. ward and consecrate and re-consecrate us Each day there’s a reading and a medita- all over again because you really shouldn’t do it every year.” tion.”

The MIC after Father Gaitley’s name The consecration retreat had been held Turn to page 14 at Corpus Christi Parish a few years ago

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

Bishop da Cunha’s 2015 Lenten Message

Dear friends, The ashes we received this past Wednesday remind us of the 40-day journey upon which we have embarked toward the Paschal Mystery. All other ritual symbols we receive become invisible. When we leave church, no one knows we were marked with the symbol. On Ash Wednesday, we keep the mark visible on our foreheads for hours. Everyone knows where we have been, what we did, and who we are. Only Ash Wednesday does this to us. However, after some hours, the ashes are worn away. What remains is not the external mark of the ashes on our foreheads, but the mark of our commitment imprinted on our minds and hearts, to live the Spirit of Lent, a Spirit of penance, prayer, charity, and conversion. We don’t need the sign on our foreheads for the rest of Lent because we ourselves embody the sign.

Ashes were not given to us as some magic formula to protect us or to force us into something, nor are they received because it is what one does on Ash Wednesday. This would be a great disservice to something so cherished and important to our faith and to our values. However, we cannot live in the Church without the ashes of change. Ashes are for those who are willing to embrace deep down the call to conversion and discipleship.

During Lent, we tend to give emphasis to giving up the things we like — food, sweets, drinks, etc., but that is the easy part of doing penance. Perhaps a more challenging and more fruitful way of doing penance this Lent would be to give up things that will truly change us and benefit our Spiritual life and the lives of those around us. We can make this Lent a time to give up things such as criticizing others, selfishness, laziness, indifference, and time spent watching TV, and devote more time spent with family.

As Pope Francis said in his Lenten message: “As a way of overcoming indifference and our pretensions to self-sufficiency, I would invite everyone to live this Lent as an opportunity for engaging in what Benedict XVI called a formation of the heart (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 31). A merciful heart does not mean a weak heart. Anyone who wishes to be merciful must have a strong and steadfast heart, closed to the tempter but open to God. A heart which lets itself be pierced by the Spirit so as to bring love along the roads that lead to our brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis went on to say, “Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a A reliquary containing a fragment of the veil worn by the Blessed Virgin Mary is one globalization of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to confront.” of the more than 150 relics that comprises the “Treasures of the Church” exposition In practical terms, Catholics often choose to isolate an enjoyable food or activthat Father Carlos Martins is bringing to parishes in Taunton and Fall River next week. ity to forego during this 40-day period. However, during this Lenten season, I you to look for ways not only to make a sacrifice or “give something up”, Sacred relics coming to two diocesan parishes challenge but to also find something extra to do. As individuals or as families, we should

By Kenneth J. Souza dict XVI during a Holy Thursday Mass commit to one practice that we can take part in to help our neighbors. This way, Anchor Staff we will not only be motivated by an inward piety, but our charity will be directed four years ago.

TAUNTON — Father Carlos Mar“He’s quoting St. Augustine when he outward towards the betterment of all our brothers and sisters.

As the holy season of Lent unfolds, we turn to God and pay attention more tins has always maintained a fascination says in a sense the saints are an even betintensely than usual to the presence of Christ in our lives. During this time, the with the lives of the saints. ter model than Christ because Christ is Church invites us to examine our actions, our attitudes, and the quality of our “Saints appeal to me because they were perfect,” Father Martins explained. “And faith with renewed scrutiny. Through our practices of generosity, sacrifice, service the humans who made it — they were the so His model is unachievable and can be and charity, we rediscover the true meaning of this penitential season. We prepare victors — so they have made it to the place intimidating for people. But the saints — ourselves to participate fully in the glorious hope of the Resurrection. May our where we all aspire to,” Father Martins re- because they were imperfect in their lives, journey through Lent prepare us for the greatest feast of the Church year — Eascently told The Anchor. “Not only did they because they were sinners … and had to ter — and to receive the blessings of the new life it promises. make it, but they also serve as our interces- go through the difficult work of transforsors and they provide a blueprint to help mation through grace — people find them Sincerely yours in Christ, us get there.” appealing and can find a strength in their As for the naysayers who suggest the witness that isn’t as intimidating as Christ. focus should remain on God and His Son, “In terms of human psychology and Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D. Jesus Christ, Father Martins referenced a affinity, we’re more connected with (the Bishop of Fall River Turn to page 18 homily delivered by Pope Emeritus Bene-

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News From the Vatican

February 20, 2015

Pope Benedict has no regret, doubt about decision to retire, aide says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Retired Pope Benedict XVI has never doubted or regretted his decision to resign, knowing it was the right thing to do for the good of the Church, said Archbishop Georg Ganswein, prefect of the papal household and personal secretary to the retired pope.

“The Church needs a strong helmsman,” and Pope Benedict was keenly aware of his own waning strength while faced with such a demanding ministry, the archbishop said in an interview published February 12 in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Two years after Pope Benedict’s historic announcement February 11 to step down as supreme pontiff, Archbishop Ganswein said the retired pope “is convinced that the decision he made and announced was the right one. He has no doubt.”

“He is very serene and certain in this: His decision was necessary and made ‘after having repeatedly examined my conscience before God,’” he said, citing words from the pope’s Feb. 11, 2013, announcement.

Pope Benedict had told a stunned audience of cardinals assembled for an ordinary public consistory that “I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”

Archbishop Ganswein said in the interview that Pope Benedict was aware of his “duty not to look out for his own self but for the good of the Church.”

The pope spelled out the precise reasons for his decision, the archbishop said, and “all the other considerations and hypotheses are wrong,” including assumptions that the pope’s resignation was not valid or had not been done in full freedom.

“Hypotheses cannot be based on things that are not true and totally absurd,” Archbishop Ganswein said. “Benedict himself said he made his decision with freedom, without any pressure, and he assured his

‘reverence and obedience’ to the new pope.’”

The archbishop said doubts about the validity of the resignation and subsequent election of Pope Francis stem from a lack of understanding of the Church.

Also, the option for a pope to resign is explicitly written in the Code of Canon Law, which says a pope may step down as long as the decision is made freely and is “duly manifested.”

Archbishop Ganswein said Pope Benedict, who will turn 88 in April, is still following the prayerful, quiet life he wanted to dedicate himself to upon his retirement.

Like his namesake, St. Benedict — the father of Western monasticism — the retired pope “has chosen a monastic life. He goes out (in public) only when Pope Francis asks him to; as for the rest, he does not accept other invitations,” said the archbishop, who lives with retired Pope Benedict in a renovated monastery and has been his personal secretary since 2003.

Archbishop Ganswein told the newspaper that in addition to the pope’s usual routine of prayer, reading, keeping up with correspondence, receiving visitors, watching the evening news and walking in the Vatican Gardens, he has been playing the piano much more often: “Mozart especially, but also other compositions that come to mind at the moment; he plays from memory.”

The only health issues, the archbishop said, are “every now and then his legs give him some problems, that’s all.” The pope, who has had a pacemaker for several years and uses a cane, still has an incredibly sharp mind, the archbishop added.

When asked what Popes Benedict and Francis might have in common, Archbishop Ganswein said that while their ways of expression are very different, the one thing they share is “the substance, the content, the deposit of faith to be proclaimed, promoted and defended.”

Pope Francis gives a thumbs up as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope opens cardinals’ discussion of curia reform; new offices explained

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The reform of the Roman Curia should promote “greater harmony” among the Vatican offices, not primarily to save money or promote efficiency, but to solidify the unity of the Church and strengthen its ability to evangelize, Pope Francis said.

The pope arrived in the Vatican’s synod hall a half hour before the consistory, or meeting of the world’s cardinals, was set to begin February 12. Fewer than two dozen cardinals were there before him and the pope greeted them before standing at the front of the hall to welcome each of the others as they arrived.

Nineteen of the 20 Churchmen Pope Francis was to induct into the College of Cardinals February 14 were present — sitting in two rows behind the other cardinals; the Vatican said a total of 165 new and old cardinals were present. Including those who were about to receive their red hats, the College of Cardinals has 227 members.

Most of those who were not in attendance are quite elderly or infirm and were unable to attend.

Pope Francis scheduled the meeting primarily to discuss with the cardinals the proposals his nine-member international Council of Cardinals had developed for the reform of the curia.

The proposals include the creation of two new large, high-profile Vatican offices: the Congregation for Laity, Family and Life, and the Congregation for Charity, Justice and Peace, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman. The charity and justice congregation would include the existing pontifical councils for health care and for migrants, but also would have a new section dedicated to “safeguarding creation.”

The proposed grouping, he said, flows from an understanding

of “charity as fundamental to the essence, existence and mission of the Church” and of working for justice “as a consequence” of charity. The special section for ecology reflects an increased concern and commitment on the part of the Church to the need to protect creation.

The section also would work in the area of “human ecology,” or the idea that social and political environments can be deadly for the human person and for human dignity, he said.

“There is an ecclesial and theological vision” behind the planned combination of the pontifical councils involved and raising their profile to the level of a congregation, Father Lombardi said. “It is not just about taking certain offices and putting them together in order to reduce their number.”

The Second Vatican Council insisted on the important vocation and role of the laity in the life of the Church, particularly in witnessing to Christ in the world.

Just as there are congregations for bishops, for clergy and for religious, Father Lombardi said, it seemed “natural” to the Council of Cardinals that there would be a congregation for laity. Given the centrality of family life for many lay people, it made sense to combine the two councils and to have the Pontifical Academy for Life conduct its work under the new congregation’s auspices, he said.

While the congregation would promote lay involvement in the Church, Father Lombardi said, it is unlikely and almost “unthinkable” that a layperson would be appointed its prefect because the pastoral responsibilities of a Vatican congregation require that it be led by an ordained minister, usually a cardinal.

At the beginning of the meeting, Pope Francis reminded his brother cardinals that the reform

was requested by the College of Cardinals during the meetings that preceded his election in 2013.

“The aim to reach is that of promoting greater harmony in the work of the various dicasteries and offices” of the Vatican, he said, in order to have “more effective collaboration with the absolute transparency that builds up authentic synodality and collegiality,” or shared responsibility under the pope’s leadership for the good of the whole Church.

“The reform is not an end in itself,” he said, “but a way to give a strong Christian witness, to promote more effective evangelization, a more fruitful ecumenical spirit and encourage a more constructive dialogue with all.”

Pope Francis thanked the members of the Council of Cardinals and its secretary, Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano, who, the pope said, “is the one who does the work.”

In drawing up its proposals, he said, the council took into account “many suggestions, including those made by the heads” of the various Vatican congregations and councils.

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, council coordinator, and Bishop Semeraro made presentations to the cardinals about the council’s proposals.

The proposals, Pope Francis said, should “perfect” the work of the curia and its main purpose, which is to assist the pope “in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and the service of the Universal Church and the particular churches.”

As he did at the beginning of the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis asked the cardinals to share their opinions with frankness, fidelity to Church teaching and concern for the Salvation of souls.

February 20, 2015

The International Church

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Dublin archbishop appalled by delay in applying child safety guidelines

DUBLIN (CNS) — Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said he would seek assurances from religious congregations operating in his diocese that they are rigidly following child protection guidelines after a fresh round of audits raised serious concerns.

In a statement February 10, Archbishop Martin said it was “appalling” that some major religious congregations had delayed fully implementJordan’s Queen Rania holds a picture of First Lt. Muath al-Kasasbeh, executed Jordanian pilot, during a ing the Church’s child protecrecent march in Amman. (CNS photo/Petra News Agency via Reuters) tion guidelines and that, in some cases, this process only really got underway in 2013.

Archbishop Martin said the delays left him “seriously VATICAN CITY (CNA/ CNA, Rev. Chalmers said Pope question: “What is happening concerned.”

The Irish Church’s moniEWTN News) — This week Francis is a man of humility and in man’s heart?” He said Jesus retoring watchdog, the National minds us that “from within, out prayer who “is feeling for those Pope Francis mourned the 21 Board for Safeguarding Chilof the heart of man, comes evil.”

Egyptian Christians beheaded Coptic Christians who have dren in the Catholic Church, Our “weak heart is wounded.” been martyred. by the Islamic State, calling published 16 reviews on the Pope Francis noted that every As he promised to the Coptic them martyrs that “belong to all patriarch, Pope Francis offered human being has the seed of evil implementation of policies Christians.”

Mass at St. Martha’s House, his with them, “but we also have the in religious congregations — “The blood of our Christian residence in the Vatican for the Holy Spirit Who saves us! We eight male, eight female. brothers and sisters is a testimo- repose of the souls of the Coptic must choose, in the little things.”

Teresa Devlin, the board’s ny which cries out to be heard,” Christians, Vatican Radio rePope Francis went on to warn chief executive, said she was the pope said. “Their only words ported. against using gossip or slander “disappointed that for the mawere: ‘Jesus, help me!’” Pope As he prepared to begin against our neighbor: “Even in jority of orders, the whole area Francis made these remarks Mass in the Santa Marta Cha- parishes and associations, jeal- of safeguarding is only being one day after the release of a pel, the pope invited the con- ousy” and “envy” can push peo- embraced in the last couple of video from the self-proclaimed gregation to join him in prayer ple to go to their pastor to speak years.”

Islamic State showing their for “our brother Copts, whose ill of others.

She also said that, concerngrisly beheadings.

“It makes throats were slit for the sole reaPointing to the Gospel where ing seven of the male congreno difference whether they be son of being Christian, that the Jesus rebukes the disciples who gations, “there is considerable Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Lord welcome them as martyrs, are arguing among themselves work to be done.” She was reProtestants,” the pontiff contin- for their families, for my broth- about having forgotten to bring ferring to the Franciscan Friued. “They are Christians! Their er Tawadros, who is suffering bread. Jesus reminds them of ars, Franciscan Brothers, the blood is one and the same. Their greatly.” when He multiplied the loaves Servites, Passionists, Augusblood confesses Christ.” They During his homily the pope and fish and urges them to think tinians, Discalced Carmelites were killed “only because they spoke of man’s capability for evil of Salvation, of what God had and the Marist Fathers. confessed Christ,” the pope and destruction and condemned done for them. Pope Francis The safeguarding board said. “The martyrs belong to all what he termed “merchants of went on to note that “they did was established in a bid to reChristians.” death,” business people who sell not understand, because their store public confidence in the Pope Francis telephoned the arms to those at war, furthering hearts were hardened by this Church’s handling of allegapatriarch of the Coptic Ortho- a cycle of hate, fratricide and vi- passion, by this evil need to ar- tions of abuse against priests dox Church, Pope Tawadros II, olence, Vatican Radio reported. gue among each other and see to show his deep participation Pope Francis pointed out that who was guilty of having forgotin the sufferings of the Coptic in the first chapters of the Bible ten the bread.”

Church following the execu- we find many examples in which All of us, he said, “are capable tions. man reveals his wickedness. “An of doing good, but we are also all The New York Times reported evil that lurks in the depths of capable of destruction; destructhat the beheadings occurred the heart.”

The pope noted tion great and small and even weeks after some 20 Coptic some people would urge him within our own family. [We Christians had gone missing not to be so negative, but — he are capable of destroying] our near the coastal city of Surt, also continued — “this is the truth. children,” not allowing them to known as Sirte. This is not the We are also capable of destroy- grow “in freedom, not helping first time Egyptian Christians ing fraternity: Cain and Abel in them to mature; cancelling out have been targeted in Libya. the first pages of the Bible. They our children.”

Last month, an Egyptian Chris- destroy fraternity. This is where The pope ended his homtian teen and her parents were wars begin. Jealousy, envy, so ily by giving his listeners hope: found dead in Surt.

Libyan much greed for power, to have “Jesus reminds us: ‘Remember authorities discovered the bod- more power. Yes, this sounds Me, I have the strength to acies of seven Egyptian Christians negative, but it is realistic. You company you on the journey of last February near militant-held only have to pick up a newspa- life, not on the path of evil, but parts of Benghazi. per, any newspaper and you will on the path of goodness, of doRev. John Chalmers, modera- see that more than 90 percent of ing good to others; not the path tor for the Church of Scotland, the news is news of destruction. of destruction, but the path that was present for Pope Francis’ We see this every day.” builds: builds a family, builds a comments. In an interview with Pope Francis then asked the city, builds a culture.’”

Pope Francis mourns murdered Copts

and religious after a series of judicial reports uncovered serious failings. Four Irish bishops have resigned following severe criticism of their failures in relation to handling allegations of abuse.

Archbishop Martin said that while improvements have been made, especially by the current leadership of the congregations concerned, the failures and delays that have emerged point to “the need to ensure greater systems of accountability of Church authorities in the area of child safeguarding.”

He said the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors “noted clearly in the past days” that “part of ensuring accountability is raising awareness and understanding at all levels of the Church regarding the seriousness and urgency in implementing correct safeguarding procedures.”

The archbishop warned that “survivors trying to regain their confidence in the Church will be disillusioned once again” and “the many laymen and women who work voluntarily in Church safeguarding structures in our parishes must feel disheartened.”

He said that he now intends to “meet with the superiors of all the religious congregations working in parishes in the Archdiocese of Dublin to verify once again the commitment of all these congregations to scrupulously applying the diocesan child safeguarding norms in every aspect of parish life.”

4

The Church in the U.S.

February 20, 2015

Natural family planning,Theology of the Body — the Church’s ‘best-kept secrets’ Denver, Colo. (CNA/ EWTN News) — If you ask Archbishop Aquila, Theology of the Body and natural family planning — both practical resources on human sexuality — may be the Church’s bestkept secrets.

“The truth is, the Church has many positive things to say about the gift of our sexuality,” Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver said recently at a dinner for teachers of natural family planning.

“Theology of the Body” is the corpus of 129 General Audience addresses delivered

by St. John Paul II from 1979 to 1984, regarding the human person and human sexuality.

The heart of these teachings is the Sacramental view of reality on human sexuality, Archbishop Aquila said, meaning that human bodies have a language that reveals something about the mystery of God’s inner life.

Archbishop Aquila believes the importance of Theology of the Body and the positive impact of natural family planning are foundational pillars to understand how Christ redeemed human sexuality after the fall of Adam and Eve. “What makes Theology of the Body unique is that it brings true joy to relationships, Marriages and friendships,” the archbishop noted, saying that without Theology of the Body, natural family planning can become “a kind of Catholic contraception, something which is really a contradiction in terms.”

“If you desire to experience and impart the joy and beauty of natural family planning, then you must understand the Theology of the Body,” Archbishop Aquila stated, saying that both of these resources are “one of the best-kept secrets of the Catholic Church.”

Looking at the past 40 years, the archbishop pointed to the abuse of power, loss of

respect, and the belief that man has unlimited dominion over his own body as some of the causes for today’s societal sexual meltdown.

“We have seen an increase in infidelity, a surge in divorce, more dysfunctional families, a decrease in children’s psychological well-being and a boom in single-parent households,” Archbishop Aquila noted, pointing to the sexual revolution of the ’60s and ’70s as the culprit in the rejection of Christian sexual values.

Great numbers of people find themselves dissatisfied with the culture of meaningless sex and objectification, he noted, saying that a manifestation of this can be seen in the upcoming film “50 Shades of Gray.”

“We were created and called into being to love and be loved, not to be used, not to be an object for someone else’s fantasy,” the archbishop noted.

Although the modern-day understanding of sexuality points to self-gratification, rather than self-giving, Archbishop Aquila called for a return to the mutual love and respect that men and women should have for each other.

“When a couple’s relationship is characterized by a love that is free, total, faithful and fruitful, then they are able to experience the joy God intended for them and so reflect God’s love to the world,” he said, emphasizing the importance of natural family planning and Theology of the Body for couples and their understanding of sexuality.

However, when a couple uses contraception, they contradict this message of total self-giving, he stated.

“They say rather, ‘I give you part of myself, but I also deliberately withhold part of myself,’” Archbishop Aquila noted, believing that this is

why the use of contraception is deceptive.

“As loudly and as persistently as our disbelieving culture proclaims its view of sex and happiness, a simple look around reveals the sad truth: too many people are left alone in the dark, searching for and

failing to find love.”

While the secular approach to sexuality promotes objectification of the person, the archbishop believes that the Church views sexuality as the ultimate exchange of love in self-gift.

“We need to proclaim even

louder and more persistently: God has the best, richest, and fullest plan for the happiness of married couples,” he went on to say.

“Love is a Person, and He has written a wonderful design for human love into each of our bodies and hearts.”

Anticipation building for papal encyclical on environment

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The much-anticipated encyclical by Pope Francis on the environment, expected sometime this spring or early summer, is generating a lot of buzz in Washington and elsewhere.

At the recent Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, a panel discussion on climate change and other environmental issues had to be moved to a larger room.

“We usually get 15, 20 people,” said Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, prefacing his remarks. Surveying the scene in the larger room, he added, “It’s never been this full.”

In St. Paul, Minnesota, in November, there were hopes that an address by Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Institute for Justice and Peace, at Catholic Rural Life’s “Faith, Food and the Environment” symposium would give listeners an early glimpse into the mind of the pope in hopes that the cardinal and the pope were of like mind on the topic.

However, Cardinal Turkson was reassigned to coordinate the Vatican’s response to the Ebola crisis and never made an address.

But in Washington, likemindedness can be hard to come by. “Already there are people criticizing the pope” over the encyclical “and they haven’t even seen it,” Misleh said.

Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio, director of Catholic studies at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington, noted one remark by Pope Francis: “This is our sin, exploiting the earth.”

“Do we really love the earth that is our home?” Sister Ilia asked, noting the pope’s reference to sin. “It’s a collective sin. We have become radically disconnected from the earth and from the poor,” she said.

Sister Ilia acknowledged “a little bit of ambiguity” in the Biblical injunction of humans to have “dominion” over the earth. “Does nature exist for the sake of human life, and what does that mean for us?” she asked.

She also noted a separate remark by Pope Francis, in which the pope said, “One of the greatest challenges of our time (is) to convert ourselves to a type of development that respects creation.” Sister Ilia said the comment harks back to the papal namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, who moved his orientation “from a selfcenteredness to a cadre-centeredness.”

“We tend to hold on to things as if they are ours, as if we own them,” she added.

“According to (St.) Francis, anything we cling to or hold on to prevents us from letting God in.”

Sister Ilia described sin as “the exile of living in non-relatedness,” in which a person acts as if “I don’t want to live in relation to the earth or to the poor.”

“We have become such capitalists,” she added, “we have lost sight of what money is for.”

Misleh quoted Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, who said, “Man finds himself to be a technical giant and an ethical child,” and asked the audience to consider how that applies to environmental ethics.

If only five percent of the estimated 75 million U.S. Catholics got involved in environmental matters, Misleh said, that number would be three times the size of the World Wildlife Fund’s 1.3 million members.

Climate change is gaining attention in different and unexpected quarters, he added.

“The Pentagon and insurance companies are looking into it.

So there must be something

to this,” Misleh said. “There’s going to be some pain as we transition to a more sustainable future.”

Eric Garduno, senior legislative specialist in Washington for Catholic Relief Services, pointed to a map of countries colored by the suspected impact of climate change on their populations.

Sub-Saharan Africa fared worst of all nations, with those nations directly south of the Sahara the worst of the worst.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is dealing with adaptations to climate change with poor farmers, helping with such initiatives as clean energy programs and dealing with deforestation,” Garduno said.

A CRS project in Ethiopia stymied the cycle of topsoileroding downpours on barely arable farmland by developing terraced plots that retain the rainfall and help the crops planted on the terraced land to grow.

CRS, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency, prepared a report, “Tortillas on the Roaster,” about the potential for climate change to take out land for cultivation in Central America. “We don’t want folks, in Central America or anywhere, to have to make that decision” between fewer crops to plant or trees felled to find new cropland.

Misleh said the Catholic Climate Covenant was preparing for the encyclical’s issuance with the help of a 12-week program on the encyclical developed in conjunction with Renew International, and taking part in joint events with interfaith groups that are keeping their eye out for the encyclical.

“Our ecumenical and interfaith partners seem even more excited (about the encyclical) than we are on some days,” Misleh said.

February 20, 2015

The Church in the U.S.

“The Native Americans, I think, are being utilized by these people who have a rather warped view of what evangelization is all about,” he said.

“I’m convinced that the questions about Junipero Serra are really not about Serra himself, who simply epitomized Catholic evangelization. I’m convinced that this is an attack on all of Catholic evangelization throughout the world.”

“There are those people who feel that the Church should not be out evangelizing people. But the problem is, we have to do that. That’s what Christ told us to do: go and preach the Gospel A California legislator has proposed replacing the statue of Father Junipero Serra (left) inside the Na- to all people.” tional Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. (CNS photo) Preaching is what Father Serra did. He left a prestigious university post in Majorca for the New World.

Msgr. Weber said the missionary’s efforts to teach the Washington D.C. among them,” Msgr. Weber maintains the statue, describes native community were marked Father Serra as “one of the most with humility and patience.

(CNA/EWTN News) — Just said. weeks after Pope Francis anGrazie Pozo Christie, a important Spanish missionaries While some activists opposed nounced his intention to can- Miami-born doctor who spent in the New World.” to Serra’s canonization claim he “California today is what he wiped out native culture, Msgr. onize missionary Father Juni- her childhood in Mexico, said pero Serra during his upcoming Father Serra’s canonization started it out to be. Things have Weber noted the missionary’s visit to the states, a California “means a lot” to Catholic Lati- progressed a lot in 200 years, effort to enculturate Christianbut he set the foundation,” ity. legislator has proposed replac- nos as well. ing the soon-to-be-saint’s statFather Serra is “very much Msgr. Weber said.

Father Serra insisted that the However, Sen. Ricardo Lara native community be taught in ue in the U.S. Capitol — but our very own and we love to critics of the move are begin- see our own recognized and has proposed that Father Serra’s their own language, “because ning to speak out. acclaimed,” she told CNA. “I statue be replaced with a statue he said that’s the language in “I certainly wouldn’t endorse saw his statue for the first time of astronaut Sally Ride, the first which they live,” the historian it,” Monsignor Francis J. We- just last month in the Capi- U.S. woman in space. said. “He thought it was good Lara characterized the priest for them to learn Spanish, but ber, an author and historian of tol. I was surprised and moved the 18th century missionary, to see him. I felt like a true as “a controversial figure.” He they had to learn the catechism said his effort to replace the from their native language.” recently told CNA. American.”

Father Serra helped establish “To Latinos, Father Serra statue with Sally Ride’s is about Despite the difficulty of the California missions, many means unconditional love, ac- “recognizing the invaluable printing at the time, several catof which became the centers of ceptance, and sacrifice, because contributions of an accom- echism editions were printed in major cities like San Diego. In that is what he showed our plished Californian and Amer- the languages of various Calirecent weeks, however, Califor- forefathers,” said Christie, who ican pioneer,” according to the fornia natives. There were more nia State Sen. Ricardo Lara has is on the advisory board for The Los Angeles Times.

Msgr. Weber, however, reproposed that the priest’s statue Catholic Association. be replaced with a less “controFather Junipero Serra jected many of the claims versial” figure.

(1713-1784) was born on the against Serra. “You see all of Yet Father Serra’s support- Spanish island of Majorca in these accusations against Serra, ers maintain that aside from his the Mediterranean. He became but not one of them can be personal charisma, the beloved a missionary to the New World, validated by a responsible hispriest played a pivotal role in helping to convert many native torian.”

The missionary, despite a the development of the U.S. as Californians to Christianity we know it today. and teaching them new and vi- painful cancerous growth in his leg, walked most of the way to “It was the first contact tal technologies. that the Europeans made with St. John Paul II beatified Mexico City to secure a bill of the Native Americans,” Msgr. Father Serra in 1988. In Janu- rights for the native commuWeber said of the missionary’s ary, Pope Francis praised Father nity.

“It was very painful. But work. “California today is what Serra as “the evangelizer of the he started it out to be. Things west” and announced his inten- that never slowed him down,” have progressed a lot in 200 tion to canonize the Franciscan Msgr. Weber said, adding that years, but he set the founda- missionary during his sched- the priest worked to separate tion.” uled 2015 visit to the U.S., the missionary and the military Msgr. Weber, the 82-year- during which he is scheduled aspects of Spanish colonialism.

St. John Paul II, during his old Archivist Emeritus of the to make a historic address to a 1987 visit to the U.S., praised Archival Center at the San joint session of Congress.

Fernando Mission in Mission Father Serra’s statue has Father Serra as the native peoHills, Calif., praised Father been in the U.S. Capitol’s Na- ples’ “defender and champion” Serra’s “magnetic personality” tional Statuary Hall Collection whose actions had as their aim despite being “a short little fel- since 1931. His statue cradles a the “spiritual and physical welllow, with poor health.” church in his left arm and holds being” of Native Americans.

Msgr. Weber worried that an “When he died the Native a cross aloft in his outstretched Americans were terribly upset. right arm. The website of the agenda was at work in the critiHe had become such a hero Architect of the Capitol, which cisms leveled at Serra.

Statue of Pope Francis’ new saint could be kicked out of U.S. capitol

5 than 30 indigenous languages in the region, and Father Serra and his fellow missionaries worked to translate difficult Christian concepts like the Trinity into native languages.

Msgr. Weber also said that the missionaries imparted some practical developments to help improve what was often a harsh environment for California’s indigenous people.

“It was a very difficult existence for them, and the missionaries taught them how to cultivate crops, how to raise animals, learn how to sew, to wear clothing, how to make such things as candles. The missions themselves became the foundation of what has developed into the California culture of today.”

Msgr. Weber also rejected claims of forced conversion by the missionaries. “There’s not a single case I’ve ever studied, and I’ve been around for a long time, where any missionary ever forced any Indian to become a Catholic.”

Father Serra’s statue now sits in the U.S. Capitol beside Ronald Reagan’s statue, which replaced a sculpture of traveling preacher Thomas Starr King in 2009.

Msgr. Weber said he could support the inclusion of Sally Ride’s statue if the gallery increased the number of statues per state to three. “I don’t see the reason for moving somebody out of there.”

Christie agreed, saying “There must be enough space to honor him as well as Sally Ride.”

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February 20, 2015

Anchor Editorial

24 hours for the Lord

In his message to us for Lent 2015, Pope Francis, in point number three of the document, states, “As individuals too, we are tempted by indifference.

Flooded with news reports and troubling images of human suffering, we often feel our complete inability to help. What can we do to avoid being caught up in this spiral of distress and powerlessness? First, we can pray in communion with the Church on earth and in Heaven. Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer! The 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, which I hope will be observed on 13-14 March throughout the Church, also at the diocesan level, is meant to be a sign of this need for prayer.”

Since March 13-14 are less than a month away, now might be a good time to figure out how we can participate in this international initiative of prayer and promoting the availability of accessing the Sacrament of Reconciliation during a 24-hour period. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization started the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative last year, during which Pope Francis presided at a Penance service and received the Sacrament himself in St. Peter’s Basilica.

During that service, the Holy Father noted in his homily, “In the period of Lent, the Church, in the name of God, renews the call to conversion. It is the call to change one’s life. Conversion is not a matter of a moment or a year, it is a commitment that lasts a lifetime. Who among us can be assumed not to be a sinner? No one.”

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio, Texas, wrote in Today’s Catholic about his experience of the “24 Hours for the Lord” in 2014.

“Catholics throughout the world experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness as they encountered Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ proclaimed that weekend by Pope Francis. United with the Holy Father, our priests welcomed those who sought God’s mercy, hearing Confessions for 24 consecutive hours at San Francesco di Paola Church.”

So, in San Antonio the approach they took was to have priests from throughout the diocese take turns in one church offering the availability of receiving God’s pardon non-stop during a 24-hour period. Other dioceses had sign-up lists for their parishes to let people know when the priests would be available to hear Confessions.

The archbishop spoke of his experience in ministering the Sacrament: “One Saturday afternoon during Lent I found myself, unplanned and unannounced, hearing Confessions at the cathedral. People were lined up throughout the courtyard and around the corner anticipating the moment when the burdens of sin in their lives would be lifted and forever forgiven

by God. It was an unforgettable experience to see so many standing humbly before their Father, seeking His pardon for the smallest transgressions and the gravest sin; each walking away with the peace of Christ in his heart.”

Over in Ireland, the bishops’ conference of the country promoted the “24 Hours” on its website, with a listing of what the various dioceses had planned. It quoted Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin, who said, “I am delighted to respond to such a wonderful initiative called for by Pope Francis. Pope Francis has described the initiative as a ‘celebration of forgiveness’ which will happen in dioceses across the world. The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is offering this ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ to the people of the diocese as a Lenten Diocesan Reach-Out gift. It is a gift which will make a profound difference in the lives of those who take up the invitation to be open to God’s love and mercy. I am extending a personal invitation to parishioners across the diocese to join us and to be present for some of these 24 hours for Jesus Christ. All are welcome to this Festival of Forgiveness!”

Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau, Alaska invited the people of his diocese to participate in the “24 Hours” last year. “It is good for our cathedral, the smallest cathedral in the country, to participate in such a huge event — a universal celebration of God’s mercy and forgiveness. The act of Reconciliation with our Lord through the Sacrament of Penance is the central meaning and message of Lent and it is a joy to celebrate this event at the request of our Holy Father Francis. The invitation is this — at some point within this 24-hour period we invite people to respond to the universal call by our shepherd, Pope Francis, to encounter God’s healing forgiveness through the Sacrament of Confession. It is a personal invitation by Pope Francis for us to carve out a small period of time in order to embrace a monumental experience of God’s compassion and love.”

Last year in Colombia, Bishop Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Montelíbano promoted the “24 Hours” in every parish in his diocese. He noted how his diocese had been so affected by the violence of civil war and said that the day and night of prayer would be “for Reconciliation, life and peace, it is a call to all the violent, to all the community in general, to us the baptized, to feel the mercy of God, it is an opportunity for us to be truly reconciled, accompanying the renewal of the hearts of men and women, some of whom have been the victims and other who have been the victimizers” of the violence.

Let us take some time at the beginning of this Lent to see how we can participate in these “24 Hours for the Lord.”

Pope Francis’ Angelus message of February 15

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.

In these past Sundays, Mark the evangelist has recalled Jesus’ actions against every kind of evil, for the benefit of those who suffer in body and in Spirit: the possessed, the sick, the sinners.

He presents Himself as the One Who fights and conquers evil wherever He finds it. In today’s Gospel (Mk 1: 40-45) His struggle faces an emblematic case, because the sick one is a leper. Leprosy is a contagious and merciless

sickness, that disfigures the person, and was a symbol of impurity; a leprous person was made to live outside the towns and announce his presence to those passing by. He was marginalized from the civil and religious community. He was like a dead man walking.

The episode of the leper’s healing takes place in three brief passages: the invocation of the sick person, Jesus’ response, and the consequence of the prodigious healing. The leper begs JeOFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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sus “kneeling” and says: “If You wish, You can make me clean” (v.40). To this humble and trustful prayer, Jesus reacts with a profound attitude from His soul: compassion. And “compassion” is one of the most profound words: compassion means to “suffer with the other.” Christ’s heart manifests the paternal compassion of God for that man, coming close to him and touching him. And this particular moment is very important. Jesus “stretched out His hand, touched him and the leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean” (v.41). The mercy of God overcomes every obstacle and the hand of Jesus touches the leper. He does not arise from a safe distance and does not act by proxy, but exposes Himself directly to the infection of our evil; and so our own evil becomes the place of contact. He, Jesus, takes from us our sick humanity and we take from Him His healthy and healing humanity. This happens every time we receive a Sacrament of faith: the Lord Jesus “touches” us and gives us His grace. In this case, we think especially of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that heals us

from the leprosy of sin. Yet once again, the Gospel shows us what God does before our evil. God does not come “to give us a lecture” on pain; He does not even come to eliminate suffering and death from the world; He comes rather to take upon Himself the weight of our human condition, to carry it until the end, to free us in a radical and definitive way.

That is how Christ fights the evil and sufferings of the world: by taking it upon Himself and overcoming it with the strength of the mercy of God. For us, today, the Gospel of the leper’s healing says that, if we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we are called to become, united to Him, instruments of His merciful love, overcoming every kind of marginalization.

To become “imitators of Christ” (cfr 1 Cor 11:1) in front of a poor or sick person, we should not be afraid to look them in the eyes, to come close to them with tenderness and compassion, and to touch them and embrace them. I’ve asked often, to people who help others, to do it looking at them in the eyes, to not be afraid of touching them; that the

helpful gesture may be a gesture of communication: we must also need to feel welcomed by them.

A gesture of tenderness, a gesture of compassion. But I ask you: When you help others, do you look them in the eyes? Do you receive them without fear of touching them? Do you receive them with tenderness? Think of this: how do you help? From a distance or with tenderness, with closeness? If evil is contagious, so is good. Therefore, it is necessary for good to abound in us, ever more. Let us be infected by good and infect others with good!

I send serene and peaceful wishes to all the men and women in the Far East and in various parts of the world who are preparing themselves to celebrate the Lunar New Year. These festivities offer them the happy occasion to rediscover and live brotherhood in an intense way, that is a precious link of family life and the foundation of social life. This annual return to the roots of the person and the family can help people to build a society in which relationships marked by respect, justice and charity are weaved.

February 20, 2015

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ne of the most important practices in a plan of life, as we discussed last week, is daily Mass.

It’s not possible, however, for everyone to attend Mass each day because of our work or school, care for young or sick children, or, in some parishes, the lack of daily Mass every day or scheduling it at unaccommodating times. The part of the Spiritual game plan we’re tackling today is essential for the growth in holiness of those who find themselves in these circumstances.

This Spiritual practice is also key for those who do have the ability to attend each day. I remember the first time I celebrated the 12:10 Mass at St. Francis Xavier in Hyannis in 2003.

I was so impressed by the number of daily Mass goers — it was like a Sunday Mass crowd — that before the final blessing I thanked the attendees for their inspiring faith and love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

After Mass, a curmudgeonly woman came to see me in the Sacristy. “Father Landry,” she said, “I think I’m going to like you because you seem to be smart

Anchor Columnist Spiritual communions

and have a lot of energy.

The most famous and But I think I owe it to you popular vocal prayer expressto disabuse of your naïveté. ing this desire for Spiritual Many of us seniors are here communion was written by not because we love Jesus — St. Alphonsus Ligouri in the although it was kind of you 18th century. to think so — but because “My Jesus,” he wrote, “I we’re bored and don’t have believe that You are present anything else to do with our in the Most Holy Sacrament. time.”

I love You above all things I soon discovered that this occasionally iconoclastic and Putting Into always curmudgeonly the Deep woman’s comments were not representaBy Father tive of the vast majorRoger J. Landry ity of attendees. Yet they were striking all the same. Today’s part of the plan of life can form and I desire to receive You us all to attend Mass with into my soul. Since I cannot greater awareness, awe and at this moment receive you adoration.

Sacramentally, come at least It’s the practice of making Spiritually into my heart. I Spiritual communions. embrace You as if You were In a Spiritual communion, already there and unite we ask the Lord to come myself wholly to You. Never to abide in us the way He permit me to be separated would if we were to receive from You. Amen.”

Him in Holy Communion.

The one I pray most often St. Thomas Aquinas, who was written by 19th-century wrote many of the great Eu- Piarist priests in Spain and charistic hymns that Cathopopularized by St. Josemaria lics still sing today, defined Escriva: “I wish, my Lord, to a Spiritual communion “an receive You with the puardent desire to receive Jesus rity, humility and devotion in the most Holy Sacrament with which Your most Holy and lovingly embrace Him.” Mother received You, with the Spirit and fervor of all the saints.”

I’ll often add to this prayer before saying “all the saints” a specific invocation to imitate the Eucharistic piety of the saint that the Church is celebrating that day, the patron saint of the parish, or a particular saint to whom I’m appealing for a particular intention.

We can also make Spiritual communions in our own words.

I regularly make using expressions taken from Sacred Scripture or some of the great Eucharistic hymns, like: “Lord, give me this Bread always,” as the people in the Capernaum synagogue said to Jesus ( Jn 6:34); “Give us this day our supersubstantial Bread” (Mt 6:11), the real translation of the Our Father in St. Matthew’s Greek, an expression that the early saints said referring to the Eucharist: “Stay with us, The flakes begin to fly on St. Valentine’s Day outside St. Anthony’s Lord,” as the two disciples Church in Falmouth. The blizzard was just one of several blizzards and snowstorm to slam the Diocese of Fall River during the past few said to Jesus in Emmaus (Lk 24:49); “O Res mirabilis” (“O weeks. (Photo by Father Peter John Fournier)

wondrous reality!”) or “Fac me tibi semper magis credere, in te spem habere, te diligere,” (“Make me always believe more in you, hope in you and love you!”) taken respectively from St. Thomas’ Panis Angelicus, and Adoro Te Devote.

St. John Paul strongly encouraged us to make Spiritual communions frequently. He wrote in his 2003 encyclical Ecclesia de Eucaristia, (“The Church Draws Her Life from the Eucharist”) that the Eucharist is “the culmination of all the Sacraments in perfecting our communion with God and the ultimate goal of every human desire.

Precisely for this reason it is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This was the origin of the practice of ‘Spiritual communion,’ which has happily been established in the Church for centuries and recommended by saints who were masters of the Spiritual life.”

I love to teach young children in first and second grade how to make Spiritual communions to stoke their hunger for their First Communion. I encourage people to pray them whenever they make visits to the Blessed Sacrament or go to Eucharistic adoration. I advise homebound parishioners to pray them when they cannot come to Mass but need to watch it on television. I urge

7

people to pray them before Mass to help bring about a more conscious, active, fruitful and passionate participation in the Sacred Liturgy.

I pray several Spiritual communions a day — every time I pray a section of the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Rosary, or make a visit to a Church or Chapel — asking Jesus for the grace to hunger more and more for Him, to live off of Him as the source and summit of my life and to realign myself to the Eucharistic pattern of His life.

Jesus once told the great mystic St. Catherine of Siena how pleased He was with this Spiritual practice. “In this golden chalice,” He revealed to her, “I put your Sacramental communions. In this silver chalice I put your Spiritual communions. Both chalices are quite pleasing to Me.” Whether or not we can attend daily Mass, making Spiritual communions will bring similar pleasure to Jesus, fill us with grace, help us to live a more profoundly Eucharistic life, and spur us toward that holiness that the plan of life is designed to foster.

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

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ur reading from St. Peter tells us that “Christ suffered for our sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that He ( Jesus) might lead you to God.” How do we find Him, seek Him and know Him? Jesus tells us that “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.” So the secret of knowing God, His will for your life and His love for you is to imitate and know the Son. Our Gospel today says that Jesus was driven into the desert, tempted

by Satan and was ministered to by angels. He left there, went to Galilee and began proclaiming the Gospel.

But why was Jesus “driven into the desert and tempted by Satan”?

Jesus was tempted by the devil because He

February 20, 2015

Our desert experience

was a man, fully huevery human being. man like the rest of us, Sometimes in order though unwounded by to know ourselves and sin. to come to know Jesus He wanted to be seen we need our own desert and known as sharing experience. Lent invites the human experiences of ordinary men and women.

Homily of the Week That’s why Jesus Sixth Sunday allowed Himself in Ordinary Time to be tempted

by Satan. Every

By Deacon human being has Gary Porter experienced the lure of evil. Every human being has been us to enter into this kind invited to turn his or her of desert experience. back to God and walk The desert was where the path of self-indulJesus came to distinguish gence and arrogance that between the voice of Adam and Eve opened God which He should up for their descendants. follow and the voice of One would not really be Satan which is temptahuman if one had never tion. How many voices had any contact whatsodo we hear from the ever with the attractivemoment we get up in the ness of sin. That’s why morning till the moment Jesus went off to the deswe go to sleep at night? ert: to give the devil his The countless voices in chance, to experience the the daily paper, the solicappeal of evil that infects iting voices on the radio

and the television, the voices of those who live and work with us, not to mention our own unceasing inner voices. In the desert we leave most of these voices behind to focus on distinguishing between the guiding voice of God and the tempting voice of Satan.

In the desert we come to know ourselves and our Divine calling. In the desert Jesus encountered beasts and angels. There are wild beasts and angels in everyone of us.

Sometimes, owing to our superficial self-knowledge, we fail to recognize the wild beasts in us and give in to vain glory, or we fail to recognize the angel in us and give in to self-loathing. But, in the silence of the desert we come to terms with ourselves as we really are, we

are reconciled with bad and the good in our lives and then we begin make peace with ourselves, possibly for the first time. Lent is the time for the desert experience.

We cannot all afford to buy a camel and head off for the desert. But we can all create a desert space in our overcrowded lives. We can set aside a place and time to be alone daily with Jesus, a time to distance ourselves from the many voices that bombard our lives every day, a time to hear God’s Word, a time to rediscover who we are, a time to say yes to God and no to Satan as Jesus did!

“The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Welcome to Lent!

Welcome to the desert!

Deacon Porter serves at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansf ield.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Feb. 21, Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32. Sun. Feb. 22, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Gn 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15. Mon. Feb. 23, Lv 19:1-2,11-18; Ps 19:8-10,15; Mt 25:31-46. Tues. Feb. 24, Is 55:10-11; Ps 34:4-7,16-19; Mt 6:7-15. Wed. Feb. 25, Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13,18-19; Lk 11:29-32. Thurs. Feb. 26, Est C:12, 14-16,23-25; Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8, Mt 7:7-12. Fri. Feb. 27, Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-8; Mt 5:20-26.

A

I’ll take the muggies, please

was when my neighbor, Les I’m writing this column on press day, Tues- onor, blamed me for this latest onslaught of storms and blizday, it’s snowing outside. Not zards. She said because I like just flurries, but the real stuff. snow, this is why we’re shovelIn fact it seems that whening every other day. ever I do anything these days, Now, Leonor is the sweetest it’s snowing. It snows at night.

It snows during the day. It snows vertically.

It snows horizontally.

The only way it doesn’t snow is up, and that’s what I’m wishing for.

I’ve long been a

By Dave Jolivet winter person; having grown up ice skating on local ponds and woman in the world, and when parks, sledding down the big the sweetest woman in the old hill at Kennedy (South) world blames me for somePark in Fall River, playing thing, it’s time to be healed! tackle football with my chums What has been nice through in the same park, sliding an all this has been the camaextra 10 yards after being hit. raderie among most of my These are all great memoneighbors. We’ve been helping ries. As I grew older, I still each other find our cars, then had an affection for Old Man helping each other get them Winter. Let it be said right out — every other day. here and now, I have been On Valentine’s Day, when cured. I have been healed. I the blizzard finally stopped hate winter. blizzarding, I was with a I think the crowning point

My View From the Stands

As we went to press today, the icicles outside my office window were taller than LeBron James. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

neighbor shoveling and I told her I now have arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I told her, I can’t wait for the season to sit out on our decks so I can show off my new upper body.

She laughed. A little too much I thought. Emilie just shook her head, but then again, she does that a lot when I speak.

And the final straw is when I shoveled a pathway for Igor into the back yard so she can do her thing, and she ends up doing her thing on a neighbor’s sidewalk. That’s enough to make me healed.

I know we’re not out of the woods yet. In fact, we can’t even see the woods. But when summer comes, if it does, and it’s in the 90s and muggy, you’ll hear no complaints from me.

Maybe by then, the sweetest woman in the world will have forgiven me for the winter that just won’t end. davejolivet@anchornews. org.

February 20, 2015

With all the best intentions Friday 20 February 2015 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — early Lent es, dear readers, even I have pet peeves. I know it’s hard to believe. One is when someone phones the rectory and says, “Father, I want to buy a Mass.” The caller, I presume, has all the best intentions but is just unsure of the proper vocabulary. Here’s another one. Someone comes into the Sacristy, hands me $10, and announces, “This is to pay for the Mass.” I try to be polite but I sometimes have to smile through gritted teeth.

And a third example: Someone asks me to celebrate Holy Mass for a “special intention.”

To celebrate that Mass, I don’t need to know the exact nature of the intention, but are not all prayer intentions special?

I remember a story about the saintly Curé of Ars, who, overcome by curiosity, finally asked a parishioner the nature of her frequent “special intentions.” She said she was praying fervently that he get transferred to some other parish. Sometimes it’s best if I don’t know the particulars.

Once, at the request of a

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I

entered the art classroom where I had been assigned substitute coverage. It had been a long day. Wearily, I placed my books down. Any thoughts of simply enjoying their artwork were shattered instantly by this 16-year-old boy who defiantly declared, “I am not going to work on any of my projects.”

In succession, I tried inquiry, persuasion, and then explanation of consequences — all to no avail. I looked up at the cross and said, “Lord please help me as in a few seconds I am going to give this child detention and that just does not seem the correct answer.”

As my eyes lingered on the cross, I knew God’s answer. I told the young man that since it was Lent, it was a good time to consider the sacrifice Jesus had made for each and every one of us. The young man could take the cross down and sketch Our Lord, or he could accept detention. For the next 20 minutes, he stared intently at the cross which he had laid down on the workbench. I said, “Lord, thank You. Today that work is more important than his portfolio.”

Anchor Columnists With all the best intentions prayer intentions at Mass as I parishioner, I said Mass for a wish, but this one I must offer “special intention.” I, like St. to God in a particular way and John Vianney, later learned I can only accept one offering. the nature of the “special Sometimes, in certain places, intention.” After Mass, with due to the shortage of priests no prompting on my part, the woman volunteered additional information: “Well, I hope The Ship’s Log this keeps my nasty Reflections of a aunt from cursing Parish Priest me with the evil eye.

She’s a witch, you

By Father Tim know.” That was way Goldrick more than I needed to know.

The fact is that the and the large number of Mass person who arranged for the Mass intention and offered the intentions, a bishop may allow stipend has neither bought nor his priests to occasionally acpaid for a Mass. That would be cept more than one intention wrong on so many levels. What for a single Mass — but only has happened is that I have ac- one stipend.

Sometimes a lector will say cepted the responsibility of celebrating Mass according to the in the Prayer of the Faithful something like, “for whom this intentions of the person who Mass is offered.” This is pahas made the offering. This tently untrue. All the dead are agreement may carry with it remembered in every Mass celthe obligation to say Mass on a particular date, at a particular ebrated anywhere in the world.

So are all the living. The priest time, and in a particular place. celebrant and every person in My acceptance is a Spiritual and internal act. Once I (or my the assembly can properly have his or her prayer intention at representative) have accepted Mass. These may be identical, the commitment, justice rebut they don’t have to be. quires that I fulfill it. Actually, Since my prayer intention I am free to offer up as many

is Spiritual and internal, I am not obliged to announce it to the assembly. I do so not as a benefit to the deceased, but as a comfort to the living.

Even so, unless it is a Mass for the Dead, I do not have the right to insert names into the Eucharistic Prayer. No priest has the right to insert a single word into the Eucharistic Prayer. In solicitude for the family, it is often helpful to make a public announcement in the parish bulletin or add the name to the Prayer of the Faithful that day or announce the name before Mass begins or post the name on the church bulletin board. Another way of alerting a grieving family to a Mass intention is the Mass card. This can be a great comfort at the time of death — immeasurably more efficacious than a floral piece or a commemorative plaque.

I put out a list of the weekly intentions for the priest celebrants. If one has poor eyesight and can’t make out the name, that’s OK. He is still offering Mass for the intention of the donor. If someone mis-

9 pronounces the name, that’s unfortunate but it does not affect the Mass intention. If the wrong name is announced, the Mass should probably be rescheduled.

Am I obliged to say Mass every day? Strictly speaking, no. It’s strongly recommended but I, like you, have only the obligation to participate at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. As a pastor, I also have the obligation to say a Sunday or Holy Day Mass for the people. I celebrate Mass because I want to. When I was a young curate, Father John Driscoll often advised me, “Tim, when you celebrate Holy Mass, you are exercising the gift of your priesthood to the fullest.”

A stipend is not a fee. In the (very) old days, it was a donation to help defray the cost of consumables (candles, bread, wine, etc.). The requested amount of the stipend is now usually standardized within each diocese.

I hope this clarifies things a bit. Remember, I have all the best intentions.

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

Who is God and who am I? a new light. One can open one’s I don’t think that before this heart to another in need and class that young man had ever walk beside him or her in comsat alone with God for that passion and love. In doing so, long. No matter where we are one is spending time walking in our Spiritual journey, Lent with God. Spending more time challenges each of us in a similar manner to the test that young man faced.

Namely, to find our own Wrestling with God new way to be alone Holding on for with God. Lent is thus a time of renewal of our His blessing relationship with God and perhaps even a time

By Dr. Helen J. Flavin to expand our own understanding of God. St. Theodore Guerin, the foundress reading Scripture, attending Lenten talks, or even spending of the Sisters of Providence, more time reflecting how to expressed this well with her apply God’s Word in one’s life words, “Occupy yourself less are important ways of focusabout yourself and more about ing attention on the important God.” question: “Who is God?” This ideal is embodied in In His earthly life, Jesus set the traditional Lenten practices the direct example for us reof self-denial such as fasting garding prayer time with God. and personal observances of abstaining from foods or activi- Before making choices, during work, and after grueling experities that one enjoys. In small ences, Jesus went to be alone in ways, these represent a giving prayer with the Father. After up of parts of oneself so that one can better focus upon God. each of these times, Jesus came back to the disciples sure of One can also choose to focus the Father’s will and of how to attention from self to others by simply choosing to see others in best direct/guide the disciples

in learning, then carrying out the Father’s will. As they grew in Spirituality, Jesus invited the disciples to be with Him in prayer with the Father. Today, that guidance is available to each of us through the Holy Spirit.

At the start of Lent, Lenten regulations are posted. This reminder is necessary for a community of believers, but can sometimes inadvertently distract us from the essence of Lent which is furthering development of our personal relationship with Our Savior. As we know, Jesus always emphasized the Spirit of the law which is written on each of our hearts. Lenten observances must always guide us to reflect ever more deeply on God’s greatest Commandments: “You shall love the Lord, Your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself ” (Mt 22:37-39).

A great way to ensure that our Lenten practices guide us ever closer to God is to take the time to understand and then

share with someone younger the reasons behind our choices in observances.

One amazing part of this process is the gift the younger person returns to us. Getting back to that young man in art class, he spent the better part of the next week completing that sketch of Jesus on the cross.

He came up to me one day and said, “Here it is.” It was so beautiful that I tried to get him to share it with his mom. He angrily replied, “You said you would frame it!” Needless to say I bought it a beautiful frame.

Today, his work hangs above my entryway. I walk below it each time I enter or leave my classroom. For me, the sketch is a personal reminder to look deeply for God’s answer of love.

In addition, it is a constant reminder of the important role each of us plays in walking one another home to be with Our Lord for all eternity.

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

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February 20, 2015

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

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., was recently a dinner guest and speaker at the Fall River First Friday Club, and was the principal celebrant of a Mass with the group at St. Joseph’s Church in Fall River. Meeting for more than 65 years, the group is believed to be the oldest such organization in the U.S.

February 20, 2015

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February 20, 2015

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by CNS. “Fifty Shades of Grey” (Universal) Unusually explicit for a mainstream film, director Sam TaylorJohnson’s adaptation of the first volume in a trilogy of novels by E. L. James has a pornographically narrow focus and a potentially dangerous message. Filling in for her roommate (Eloise Mumford), a socially awkward college student (Dakota Johnson) interviews an intimidating business tycoon ( Jamie Dornan) for the campus newspaper, and the two fall for each other. As the virginal co-ed tries to bond with her aloof new beau, however, she discovers he’s an obsessive sadist. Though it’s framed in the familiar context of a good girl’s crusade to redeem a naughty boy, her hesitant cooperation with the mogul’s perversion risks conveying the idea that all women are potentially willing victims of physical abuse and humiliation. The fact that their aberrant interaction is mostly toned down, moreover, only aggravates the damage this armchair flirtation with the darker aspects of human nature has the ability to inflict. Excessive sexual content,

including graphic deviant behavior and nonmarital sexual activity with much nudity, a benign view of casual sex and contraception, several uses of rough language, at least one crude term. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” (Fox) James Bond gets younger, hipper competition via this suave but excessively violent adaptation of Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ 2012 comic book series “The Secret Service.” A young hooligan (Taron Egerton) is invited by a spy (Colin Firth) to turn his life around by joining a top-secret independent intelligence agency. The lad’s recruitment coincides with the organization’s efforts to save the world from a wicked megalomaniac (Samuel L. Jackson) bent on mass slaughter. While it’s intended as an amusing send-up of classic espionage movies, director Matthew Vaughn’s slick film is marred by an amount of bloodletting that even many adults will likely find repellent. Lost along the way is a positive message for wayward youth about achieving reform by learning to look out for others. Strong gory violence, brief partial female nudity, some sexual innuendo, frequent profane and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, February 22, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Andrew Johnson, pastor of St. Stanislaus and Good Shepherd parishes in Fall River

The story behind Pope Francis’ surprise visit to a Rome shantytown regarding their health, because Vatican City (CNA/ least well off,” Iasilli said.

Among the 30 shantytown “if you get sick on the streets, EWTN News) — Pope Francis recently made a surprise stop at inhabitants present at the par- it’s very difficult.”

Upon hearing that many of a shantytown on his way to cel- ish for the pope’s Mass were all ebrate Mass at a Roman parish nationalities except for Latin the people in the audience and in the Arcobaleno suffer from — a “secret” plan that only the Americans and Eritreans.

The encounter between the violence, including alcoholpontiff knew about and which prompted tears of joy from resi- pope and the Arcobaleno dwell- ism and arson fires that destroy ers “was a significant gesture their homes, the pope told those dents.

“We forgot that we can cry that showed depth and mercy,” present that people call them also for joy. We cry for shame Iasilli noted, revealing that the homeless, “but without saying and for suffering. Today, we re- pope came into the parish hall your names.”

The encounter, Iasilli said, membered that we can pray for before Mass and closed the joy. This was the best day of our door, before asking for each of “was very moving because it was them where they came from. so profound,” and noted that lives.”

“It was very moving. They there was “a sense of mystery” in According to Gianna Iasilli, who spoke with CNA, these were moved. Many are alcohol- everyone.

Sant’Egidio has been were the sentiments of ope Francis’ visit to the Arcobaleno working with the shantythose who live in the “Arcobaleno” shanty“was a visit that the Holy Father town for 15 years and is town, where Pope Fran- left a secret, truly a secret. No one knew,” on a first-name basis with of the inhabitants. cis made a stop on his Iasilli said, revealing that the pope had many In additions to offering way to celebrate Mass at the Roman Parish of San asked his driver to stop at the town’s ad- showers in a local parish where the homeless Michele Arcangelo Febru- dress while on his way to the parish. can get new clothes and ary 9. sheets, the community A member of the ics, many live in the shanties or brings dinner to the town every Sant’Egidio community, Iasilli was one of three representa- sleep on the streets. They live in Tuesday and Thursday.

The pope thanked the comtives from the community who front of shops, looking for a bit accompanied 30 of the shanty- of warm air at night,” she said, munity for their “generosity and town’s inhabitants to the papal and recalled how Pope Francis patience,” and told inhabitants Mass. After stopping briefly at asked to know which ones lived that he gives them “courage from the Holy Spirit because the town itself, Pope Francis on the streets.

She said that some of the par- your lives are like ash. When met with the 30 individuals in the parish hall before Mass be- ticipants in the papal encounter the fire goes out the ashes redon’t have places to stay in the main. But if the wind blows, the gan.

Built in the 1930s, the block town, but are too embarrassed fire is rekindled. That wind is where the town is located was to return to their own countries. the Holy Spirit.”

Despite the difficult reality constructed as a provisional al- Many used to work, but have of those who participated in the location for those evicted from lost their jobs, she noted.

Many who were present in the encounter, the pope’s visit “was their homes in downtown Rome following the restruc- papal audience asked for peace, a gesture that helps us to underturing of the city by early 20th including the Ukrainians and stand that we’re able to change century Prime Minister, Benito the Russians, who said that while the cities to make them more they live side-by-side in the united, more human, so they Mussolini. can be more inclusive to the Pope Francis’ visit to the Ar- town, their countries are at war.

Iasilli recalled how Pope people,” Iasilli said. cobaleno “was a visit that the She recalled how the pope Holy Father left a secret, truly Francis told them that “he prays a secret. No one knew,” Iasilli for peace every day between the told them that Rome must rebuild itself “from the periphersaid, revealing that the pope nations.”

Several individuals apies. Only in this way is a city had asked his driver to stop at the town’s address while on his proached the pope asking for able to start over. If we exclude prayers, including a man who the poor, we exclude God.” way to the parish.

Iasilli also spoke about the She noted that when the had hurt his hand. When he pope arrived he couldn’t find asked for prayers for his heal- recent Vatican initiative to inthe shanties, and had to call ing, the pope took his hand clude showers for the homeless the parish priest for additional “and prayed at length” for his in the bathrooms of St. Peter’s Square. directions. Once he arrived, the recovery.

There was also a former Calling the move a model pope was greeted by a mainly Latin American group, as they mercenary who had fought in of “revolution,” she said that Afghanistan that asked the the act serves as a sign that “it’s live closest to the entrance.

Francis greeted the group in pope to forgive him for his sins possible for everyone if it’s posSpanish, asking how many of and for “not having loved.” He sible for the Vatican and for the them spoke his language. His bowed before the pope, who pope.”

“The city and the way we live question was met with a re- blessed him.

Pope Francis also offered his should be rethought and also sounding “todos!” meaning “all blessing to a woman who asked how we should live with more of us!”

In addition to Latin Ameri- forgiveness for having “greatly solidarity,” she said.

To live with the poor “is a cans, the shantytown is also sinned.” The pope, Iasilli noted, inhabited by Ukrainians, Ro- “told her that we’re all sinners. great joy. This I can bear witness manians, Poles, Eritreans and She repeated it and he blessed to. Being a friend to the poor brings joy. It’s a great joy to be Russians. Of these, the Ukrai- her.”

Many also asked for prayers with the poor.” nians and Romanians “are the

P

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February 20, 2015

The importance of Marriage and families

T

menta) advises the Church he Church is once to find a way to journey with again asking us to do people from where they are: some soul searching, most “People need to be accepted in specifically when it comes to the concrete circumstances of Marriage and families. Back in October of 2014 the Synod life. We need to know how to support them in their searchof Bishops met for two weeks ing and to encourage them to discuss the Pastoral Chalin their hunger for God and lenges of the Family in the their wish to feel really part Context of Evangelization. of the Church, also those who They listened to testimony have experienced failure or from representatives of families, and discussed the input from a MacKenzie Long, winner of last year’s Pro-Life oratory contest, broad consultation stands with Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., after Massachuof clergy and laity setts Citizens for Life’s recent assembly. (Photo courtesy Edward from around the Boylan) world. The result of this listening is that the synod will once

By Claire McManus again meet this year in October and will draft a strategy to

By Christine M. Williams MCFL, said of assembly at- address the deep concerns of find themselves in a variety of Anchor Correspondent tendees listening to Long, the family. situations.”

NORTH DART- “They were very impressed The questions that will help The family is important; MOUTH, — “The change with his reasoning about abor- we all know this. It is the the synod Fathers prepare lies in all of us, the teens and tion and his presentation.” for the 2015 synod are now primary unit of community Long credits his parents in the world and is central to children of my generation,” being disseminated among MacKenzie Long said, ad- and his Catholic education the mission of evangelization. the dioceses of the world. dressing a Pro-Life crowd. The with teaching him the value As the Church has watched They hope to get as much of young man, a senior at Bishop of every human life and sup- succeeding generations of a response from the People Stang High School in North porting him in defending the families drift away, someof God as is possible. The Dartmouth, Mass., spoke at unborn. underlying premise is that one (Pope Francis) finally is Every January a group of asking if there is something the Massachusetts Citizens there are many examples of for Life’s annual Assembly for students head to the March the Church should be doing families in the world that live Life at Faneuil Hall in Boston for Life in Washington D.C. differently? Once again the out the ideal of Marriage, This year, Long was one of Vatican is seeking our input January 26. demonstrated by their loving He urged young people nearly 100 students in atten- on how the Church can help commitment, longevity, and to reach out to millions of dance. He told The Anchor families grow in faith. Pope openness to life. Most of these people through social media that he was impressed by the Francis means business, for people may never have heard and other tools with the truth “sheer magnitude” of the hun- the questions come with the of the Church’s documents on dreds of thousands of people admonishment, “Do not reabout abortion.

Marriage and family that have “Each year about 1.2 mil- gathering in support of the spond with doctrine!” been promulgated throughout lion babies are aborted, each unborn. centuries and papacies. People One of the great insights “It was amazing to view,” that came from the 2014 year about 7,322 children are do not need to read Caritas adopted and there are roughly he said. “There were people synod is that “the desire to in Veritate to know that love 500,000 people waiting to everywhere on every corner, form a family is planted by is the foundation on which adopt a child. These numbers every inch.” life is built. They do not have the Creator in the heart of Bishop Stang has many every person, especially among to read Instrumentum Laboris need to change,” he said. “It may take us some time, but we other opportunities for stu- young people, including those to know that it is within the can do it. The facts are there, dents to support life. The in family situations which do family that one first experiand the people are ready. So Pro-Life Club travels to the not correspond to the Chrisences the common good. let’s change the law one heart State House in Boston to tian vision.” What a remarkThese documents reflect the lobby legislators. Members able statement, for it reverses at a time.” reality of human experience; Long’s speech won MC- organize a silent protest day the process of evangelization they don’t dictate it.

FL’s Pro-Life oratory contest for children killed by abor- and asks, what can we see The Church is asking in March of last year, and tion where they dress in black, within Marriage that already important questions, and he competed at the national do not speak and carry a sign reflects God’s grace? The 2014 the answers may be written level. Anne Fox, president of on the parchment of family Turn to page 18 synod’s final report (Linealife: “What is being done to demonstrate the greatness and beauty of the gift of indissolubility so as to prompt a desire to live it and strengthen it Turn to page 18 more and more?” Ask the elderly man who visits his wife in the Alzheimer’s unit of a nursing home what indissolubility means. Or interview one of the couples that come to the Anniversary Mass to have their 60-year marriage blessed by the bishop. The Church asks, “What Marriage and

Stang students address MCFL Assembly for Life

The Great Commission

family values can be seen to be realized in the life of young people and married couples?”

Ask this of the couple whose spouse has been laid off and they tighten their belts and make adjustments so that they can feed their children, pay their mortgage, and weather the storm that is blowing through their Marriage.

The task before the Church is not teaching about Marriage and family, but journeying with families from where they are to where God wants them to go. This is where the practical solutions need to be focused. “How is the teaching from Scripture utilized in pastoral activity on behalf of families?

How can people be helped to understand that a relationship with God can assist couples in overcoming the inherent weaknesses in Marriage?”

The synod is asking that the Church think outside the box and find creative ways to reveal to our families what God has already written on their hearts. After all is studied and discussed, the Church may discover that the solution is simpler than they thought. We have been throwing doctrine and canons at the problems for years, perhaps now it is time to unearth the potential of the Church’s beautiful tradition of prayer. “The Book of Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers” reveals that the Church always knew that life is complex. The Book of Prayers gathers up the mess and places it into the light of God’s mercy. Here is where we can begin to show families that the Church is there for the entire journey.

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

Individuals who would like to share input can visit http:// goo.gl/forms/Tsmebnz2K8 and then submit the form. The responses go directly to Claire McManus and are anonymous.

Responses must be submitted by March 13.

For the link to the report from the 2014 Synod on Family which is the source of these questions, visit http://www. vatican.va/roman_curia/ synod/documents/rc_synod_ doc_20141018_relatio-synodifamilia_en.html.

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February 20, 2015

FALL RIVER — Father Richard R. Gendreau, 73, of Fall River, passed away on February 13 at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River.

He was born in Fall River, the son of the late Pete and Blanche (Proulx) Gendreau.

Richard was a graduate of Msgr. Prevost High School class of 1959. In 1963, he earned his bachelor’s degree in French from Stonehill College. Richard entered St. John’s Seminary and earned another bachelor’s degree in Theology and a master’s de-

Father Richard R. Gendreau dies at age 73

gree in Divinity. He continued his education at Boston College and earned another master’s degree in Psychology.

Father Gendreau was ordained by Bishop Connolly in St. Mary’s Cathedral in 1969. He was a priest at the former St. Michael’s Church in Swansea from 1969-1986, St. Louis de France from 1973-1981, then served at UMass Dartmouth as a chaplain from 1981-1986. While at UMass Dartmouth he also was affiliated at St. James Church in New Bedford

and St. George’s in Westport. From 1986 to 1993, Father Gendreau served as the pastor at St. Stephen’s in Attleboro and then at St. Jo-

Our readers respond

Something to think about Kudos to Dave Jolivet for his outstanding article, “I guess our treasure lies in the size and weight of a football.”

Any chance of getting it into any secular papers, in the sports section perhaps? And this leads me to my next point — connected, of course to football and, in particular to the Super Bowl. Nationwide Insurance ran a very provocative, if that’s the right word, commercial to dramatize, as stated by an executive, “The top cause of death among children is preventable injuries around the home.” Actually, statistics prove that the top cause of death among children is abortion, unfortunately nobody offers the preborn child insurance or even legal protection (you know, like the bald eagle, etc.). As a matter of fact, more people die as a result of abortion than diseases such as cancer or heart, etc. To quote Pope Francis from his book “Speaks to Our Hearts, Words of Challenge and Hope.”

“All too often as we know from experience, people do not choose life; they do not accept the ‘Gospel of Life’ but let themselves be led by ideologies and ways of thinking that block life, that do not respect life, because they are dictated by selfishness, self-interest, profit, power, and pleasure and not by love.” Something to think about.

Betty Kelley Mashpee An asset to The Anchor A column I always look forward to reading in The Anchor is “Making Sense Out of

Bioethics” by Father Tad Pacholczyk. The content, which is often complex and sometimes controversial, is always presented in a clear and balanced form. Importantly, especially in today’s journalism, concepts and theories are consistently supported by facts and professional citations.

What makes the column most valuable is that it is always written in a readable style; therefore, difficult content is readily accessible to those not formally trained in science, ethics or theology.

Such writing is a definite asset to The Anchor. Congratulations and thank you to Father Tad. John L. Darretta, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Mass Communication Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.

seph in North Dighton until 1994. He returned to St. Michael’s in Swansea until 2003, and then back to St. Louis de France until his retirement in 2012.

Father Gendreau served on the Interfaith and Priest Council for the diocese. He also served on the board for The United Way. Father Gendreau was active with the youth council in Swansea, the Senior Elder Council in Swansea, and Catholic Charities.

Survivors are a brother: Roger A. Gendreau and his wife Joyce of Swansea; two nephews: Brian Gendreau and his wife Melissa of Warren, R.I.; Patrick Gendreau and his wife Anne of Tiverton, R.I.; two great nieces: Victoria and Brianna; a great nephew: Corey; his cousins who shared the family home: Michael Gendreau of Florida; Ronald Gendreau of Connecticut; Mark Gendreau of Westport; Claude Gendreau of Tiverton, R.I.; along with many other cousins. He was the cousin of the late Dennis and Conrad

Gendreau.

Calling hours will be held tonight from 4-8 p.m. in St. Louis de France Church, 56 Buffington Street, Swansea, with a Prayer Vigil being held at 7 p.m.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m., celebrated by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in St. Louis de France Church, 56 Buffington Street, Swansea. Relatives and friends are invited to attend, burial to follow in Notre Dame Cemetery, Fall River.

All arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Hathaway Community Home for Funerals, 900 Buffington Street, Somerset.

Memorial donations in Father Gendreau’s memory can be made to St. Louis de France Church, 56 Buffington Street, Swansea, Mass.

02777.

resenting chastity, one was red — representing martyrdom. He accepted them both and the boy was transformed.

He entered seminary, and in 1917 he formed the “Militia Immaculata.”

Taking the name Maximilian, he sacrificed everything to work in obedience to God’s will and in union with Mary — transforming hearts and minds throughout Poland and Japan.

His hard work and obedience to God’s will meant that he became a target for those intent on spreading evil. In 1941, he was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. There, he volunteered to take the place of a prisoner who had been condemned to death by starvation and died a martyr of charity on Aug. 14, 1941.

“He was totally devoted to the Blessed Mother,” said Stebbins. “The readings aren’t boring, and they’re something you want to think about. A lot of questions come up, and one that comes up a lot is, ‘What is the Immaculate Conception?’ and Maximilian goes into that a great deal and so does John Paul II. That’s sort of a mystery and that’s what people will discuss.

“Mary is a mother and she stayed with Jesus to the end. You go to your mother when you need something; it’s her motherhood — her loving, pure, beauti-

ful motherhood of Jesus — that she brings to us and you begin to feel.”

Every Saturday morning after Mass, the parish will host an informal gathering of participants, past and new, said Stebbins: “It’s not obligatory but we share when we come; we ask questions, and a lot of the people who are there will be mentors because we’ve done it before. Our goal is to build up a militia of Mary.”

The readings and meditations will “make you think and draw you closer to Mary, and [see] how close she is to Jesus and how close she is to us,” she added.

Each 33-day consecration ends on a Blessed Mother’s feast day. The full schedule for the four times the parish will host the 33-Day Consecration is: February 20 and ends on March 25 (feast of the Annunciation); July 13 — August 15 (feast of the Assumption); September 4 — October 7 (feast of Our Lady of the Rosary); and November 9 — December 12 (feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe).

Stebbins encourages others to bring the consecration retreat to other parishes, but anyone can come and participate at Corpus Christi Parish. “They are welcome. We would love to have anyone join us who wants to,” she said.

For more information, Stebbins can be reached at 508-8338432.

Cape Cod parish launches Consecration Retreat to Blessed Mother continued from page one

stands for Marians of the Immaculate Conception, and he has stated in past interviews he chose to become a priest in an order that has a special emphasis and devotion to Mary.

During a difficult time, Father Gaitley said he was experiencing a “Spiritual dryness and Spiritual distance from Mary” and while giving a talk, he asked those in attendance to pray for him. Weeks later, Father Gaitley awoke with the idea for the book and felt reconnected to the Blessed Mother.

Father Gaitley stated he chose Working together the “morning glory” as part of We would like to thank our the title because he felt “it best customers, the community, captures what Marian consecraand Anchor readers for their tion is all about — a new way of amazing response to Plante life in Christ. The act of conseJewelers’ recent “Give a Gift” crating oneself to Jesus through event to benefit St. Vincent’s Mary marks the beginning of a Home. gloriously new day, a new dawn, As a result of your compasa brand new journey. It’s a fresh sion and generosity, together start and it changes everything.” we donated a total of more Stebbins is particularly drawn than $3,900 worth of clothto Maximilian Kolbe, a saint ing and toys for the children who dedicated his life to bringand youths served by St. Vining the whole world to God cent’s. Many of the donors through Christ under the guidsaid, “We saw it in The Anance of Mary Immaculate. chor.”

In 1894, St. Maximilian The holidays are a difficult Kolbe was born to a poor Poltime for these children, who ish farming family and given are away from their families. the name Raymond.

He was Your gifts provided them with a difficult and exasperating a bit of happiness and hope. child until Mary appeared to Thank you! him one day holding two crowns Pierre and Nancy Plante in her hands. She offered them Swansea to him: one was white — rep-

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February 20, 2015

Jesus’ parables sow seeds of the Kingdom

Editor’s note: This monthly 12-part series called “He Spoke in Parables” from Little Rock Scripture Study presents the stories Jesus told to invite listeners into the wonder that is the Kingdom of God. In these stories and images Jesus invites us, too, to f ind our way into the heart of God.

By Clifford Yeary Associate Director, Little Rock Scripture Study ll four of our canonical Gospels consistently present Jesus as a Teacher to Whom large crowds listened intently. But it is in Matthew, Mark and Luke (these are the Synoptic Gospels, so-called because of their many similarities) that we encounter Jesus as a Storyteller extraordinaire. People flocked to hear Him describe God’s exceeding generosity toward sinners of all stripes through stories in the form of parables.

Jesus’ parables are a special type of story-telling. They employ readily available images from local daily life, but in the briefest manner possible they also upset commonly held understandings of how God relates to the world and the people God calls His own.

The parable of “The Sower and the Seed” introduces Jesus’ use of parables in each of the Synoptic Gospels.

Though they each explain the parable in slightly different ways, the interpretation each evangelist gives it does not set precise limits on how the parable is to be interpreted. Parables, by their very nature, are meant to provoke an internal dialog with anyone who hears one.

There is an intriguing, dynamic power in each of Jesus’ parables. Because Jesus doesn’t tell the crowds how

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20), the familiar image (at to interpret His parables, we know that their special power the time) of a farmer casting seeds on ground in hopes lay in the way they would of an eventual harvest prodraw those who heard them vokes the interest of those to ponder the many poswho hear it through sevsibilities for understanding them. The many possibilities eral vivid images. First, the might each, in their own way, sower casts his seeds on all lead listeners, past and present, closer to welcoming the Kingdom of God they were intended He Spoke to proclaim. in Parables The classical definition of a parable was provided

by C.H. Dodd, a prominent Biblical scholar from the last century. types of ground, rocky, weed infested, even on a path, as A parable is a “metaphor or well as on fertile soil. Barbara simile drawn from nature Reid, another noted parable or common life, arresting scholar, says this probably the hearer by its strangewasn’t the way things were ness and leaving the mind done by a knowledgeable in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it farmer, even 2,000 years ago.

A farmer would know that into active thought.” Or, to it was a waste of precious paraphrase Mary Ann Getty seed to throw it on a path, or Sullivan, a parable describes rocky, shallow soil or among something new or unknown by comparing it to something growth-choking weeds.

The parable’s account of familiar, but adding a special twist that is intended to draw so much of the misplaced seed never reaching maturity an active response from the would not have surprised Jehearer once they grasp the sus’ crowds. But that some of parable’s possibilities.

In the parable of the sower the seed would produce grain 30, 60 or even a hundredand the seed (see Mk 4:1-

fold, would have been almost unimaginable. Reid says that the most farmers of the time and place could hope for was a tenfold harvest.

In each Gospel in which this parable occurs (Mt 13:123; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:4-15) the disciples ask Jesus why He teaches in parables, and His answer seems to say that it is so the crowds won’t understand Him. But probing Jesus’ response more deeply, we can see that Jesus is saying that by using parables, those who don’t take them to heart can have their excuse by claiming not to understand it. They are like the unproductive places in which the seed is sometimes cast.

The parable itself, however, belies any notion that Jesus didn’t want them to understand His teaching.

If we are to take Jesus as the Sower in the parable and His teaching as the seeds He sows, then, unlike farmers of the day, Jesus freely offers His teaching to everyone, whether or not they attempt to take it to heart. But if they do, the

results will be nothing short of miraculous.

The best way to seek understanding of Jesus’ parables is to examine our hearts. What kind of soil are we providing the many seeds God daily sows upon it? If we listen to the parables carefully, pondering what they might be saying to us personally, they just might produce a harvest of 30, 60 or even a hundred fold.

Study Questions — What are the special features of a parable?

— If you have a favorite Gospel parable, which is it and what makes it your favorite?

— How do you understand the parable of “the Sower and the Seed ” (see Mt 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:4-15)?

— What can a person do to prepare fertile soil in their hearts for the sower’s seed?

This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic Jan. 24, 2015.

Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved.

This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.

See more at: http://www. dolr.org.

16

Youth Pages

School spirit and team effort made Catholic Schools Week physical education activity fun for all at All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford. Here grades three and four work together with classmates to play parachute games.

This is a group photo of a recent Confirmation retreat at Cathedral Camp for St. Anthony Parish in Mattapoisett and St. Rita Parish in Marion. The retreat was given by Sister Marianna Sylvester; Confirmation coordinators Kathy Sites, Michael Sites and Natalie Taber; catechists Christyn Guillote, Emma Maloney, Maureen Costa; and Matt Grossing.

All the Greater New Bedford Catholic schools recently sent their seventh- and eighth-graders to compete in the Catholic Schools Challenge which has been hosted each year since 2010 by Bishop Stang High School as a part of Catholic Schools Week events. Students compete in a variety of activities including the creation of a school flag, trivia quiz bowl, improv and various game show activities as well as basketball for a combined score. Pictured above are the very proud seventh- and eighth-graders of St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet who were this year’s champions holding their plaque as they presented it to the SFX student body upon their return from the competition.

February 20, 2015 A Catholic homeschooler, Camden Tuffile, has advanced to the Regional Finals in Boston, for the National History Bee in April where she will have a chance to compete in the Nationals. Tuffile is a lector, cantor, and sings in the choir at Holy Family Church in East Taunton. She has always loved to read. She taught herself how to read when she was three-and-ahalf by memorizing books.

By five years old, she had read all the Catechism books up to second grade and received her First Communion when she was six years old. Her parents report that she was always trying to model after “The Little Flower.” She made altars in her room and started leading the family Rosary at four years old. As she got older, she continued her love of reading and reads the lives of the saints over and over. Esther, Psalms, and Revelations are her favorite books of the Bible.

Fifth-grade students who were second- and third-place winners in the elementary science fair at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven display their awards.

Students at Espirito Santo School learn how to sew during their after-school sewing club. The club meets twice per month under the guidance of Julie Carreiro and Catherine Hague. Students sew squares together to make blankets with many of the materials donated by KG Craft. The items sewn by the students will be donated to Marie’s Place in Fall River.​

February 20, 2015

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Youth Pages Enter the journey

nd the journey begins that depends on our relaagain. Welcome to tionship with God and not Lent. How wonderful it is to being afraid to be gentle in be reminded that God loves this world. Gentleness is and forgives us no matseen in a person’s character. ter what, and that we, the And that character is the Church, are in this together. person we are in the Lord.

Know and live the symbolThis makes us precious in ism of the ashes that you the sight of God. received this week and may Lent is not a time to stand this marking with a cross idle. It is a time for action. made of ashes on your foreIf you see something that head remind each and every- is wrong will you just stand one of us of our mortality, the strength we need to be contrite, and the gentleness to accept conversion.

God created us so that we may realize

By Ozzie Pacheco His life in us, the gift of grace. This Lenten journey will help us to know that. back and do nothing? If no What are you doing over one challenges a wrongdoing these 40 days of Lent that it’s like telling the world it’s will give you the strength acceptable. It takes guts, it to act justly, the courage to takes great strength to stand love tenderly and the faith up and be counted. Just as to walk humbly with God? violent behavior is a coverI asked this question to a up for fear, so is our silence. class of sixth graders recently If we know something is and the responses were what wrong, we need to speak up one would expect: give up and take action. Doing nothcandy, give up soda, give up ing is the same as agreeing snacks, spend less time on with the evil around us, and, my iPhone, playing video therefore, is like becoming a games, and, help my parents part of it. around the house. To sixth To be gentle means to be graders those are some big humble, and so filled with sacrifices. It takes a strong love and compassion, that will to carry this through to we simply couldn’t harm the end. Whatever you’ve de- anyone or anything. It takes cided to do during Lent will great strength to be like you see it through to Easter this. Every one of us has and make it count? the potential to be like this.

Lent is a test of our Whether we want to admit it Spiritual strength and our or not, this kind of commitpatience. “Nothing is so ment and gentle strength is strong as gentleness, nothing what it really takes to be the so gentle as real strength,” Body of Christ, the Church. said St. Francis de Sales.

And if some of us are thinkDuring this time of year I’m ing and saying to ourselves, reminded of these words of “I know this is true, but this St. Francis in the hope that isn’t for me,” then what is I will live my Lent with this journey you are on all gentleness and the patience about? Isn’t it to lead us to to serve others in the hope the Kingdom of God? that their lives will be made It’s time to stand up and better. But, I’ve also learned be counted. It’s time to sepaan important lesson — I rate ourselves from the ways realize that my real strength of the world, and dare to lies in knowing that I have be different, dare to be like changed.

Christ, outwardly and inAll of us need to change. wardly. It’s easy to go along The world needs to change. with the world. Not only are Sometimes it’s impressed we being called to be imitaupon us that strength in our tors of Jesus Christ, we are world is used for violence. also to present ourselves in Instead of using what we such a way that others can be have to help and comfort imitators of us, and thus be those around us we use it imitators of Christ. And this for personal gain. There is takes great strength. no gentleness in that kind So, during this Lent, we of strength. How we change have a choice to make: Are

Be Not Afraid

we going to be part of this world or part of the Kingdom of God? I offer this Lenten prayer as we begin to make this choice: Lord, strengthen us on our journey so that we look past the doubts and fears which tempt us to abandon our Lenten efforts to live justly as God ’s people. You created us from the dust of the earth and breathed Your own life into our very being. You recreated us in Christ through the waters of Baptism so that we might share as a people Your fullness of life. May our fasting strengthen us to seek Your justice; may our prayer lead us to become makers of peace; may our sharing quicken the seeds of Your reign, present in all human hearts, and growing in mystery, as we await with joyful anticipation the Resurrection of Jesus Your Son. Amen.

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

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A dinner hosted by Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro recently honored several local eighth-graders who received incoming one-year (principal) and four-year (presidential) scholarships based on exam scores and community service. Front row from left: Thomas O’Brien, Gretyl Giles, Jamie Folwell, and Catherine Carey. Back row: Matthew Correia, Emma Hartman, Elizabeth Lambert, Megan McFarland, William Giguere, and Evan Sharples.

Soloist Brianna DuPont covers Michael Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean” during the Bishop Connolly Chorus’ opening number at the high school’s recent Fine Arts Night. Directed by visual and performing arts teacher Chris J. Silva, the program featured iconic ’80s pop and rock songs by the Fall River school’s chorus students, as well as a selection of scenes written and performed by students in Connolly’s Theater and Honors Theatrical Performance courses. A gallery of art projects by students in Connolly’s Art courses was on display in the school’s BayCoast Bank Atrium.

Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth recently announced freshman Jeffry McDougal was selected to receive the Youth Spirit Award sponsored by Wareham’s Boys and Girls Club.

McDougal was applauded for his strong commitment to service and helping others. Last year, he organized and implemented a successful service project called Spring Greening at Wareham Middle School in which more than 900 articles of quality new and gently used clothing were collected, sorted and delivered to Cradle to Crayons.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth. If schools or parish Religious Education programs have stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@ anchornews.org.

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February 20, 2015

Exposition of Sacred relics coming to two diocesan parishes continued from page one

saints) in a way that we’re not with Christ.”

In his role as an official “curate of relics” and one of only a handful of Church-sanctioned relic authenticators in North America, Father Martins has a deeper and even more meaningful connection with the saints than most.

For nearly 20 years now, the Companions of the Cross priest has been gathering Sacred relics and has amassed an impressive collection that includes extraordinarily large pieces of the True Cross and a swatch of fabric from the veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary, among others.

“Those are certainly the most popular relics in the collection,” he said.

Father Martins will be bringing his impressive “Treasures of the Church” collection to the diocese for two expositions — the first at Holy Family Parish in East Taunton on February 24 at 7 p.m., and then on February 25 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River.

Having collected relics of all kinds since 1997, Father Martins views “Treasures of the Church” as a unique opportunity for evangelization and something far more than a “traveling museum” display.

“It’s basically having the Church go outdoors, and I knew that’s what needed to happen from the beginning,” Father Martins said of his ministry. “I knew that the Church needed to make a point of contact with the world in new ways. When I read that St. John Paul II was proposing the New Evangelization, it really resonated with me. It was very congruent with my own thinking.”

What’s even more amazing about Father Martins’ deep devotion and undeniable faith is that this educated historian and researcher converted to Catholicism in 1996 after being a professed atheist.

“I began collecting relics one

year after that,” he said. “The long and the short of it is this is a ministry that I never foresaw, but God did. He led me into it in a sense that He made relics almost literally fall into my lap.

I didn’t know why this was happening; but I did know, from the outset, that it was an extraordinarily rare thing to gain just one relic. They were coming in from all over the world in the beginning, and it was a function of being at the right place at the right time — there was never anything planned.”

Likening himself to something akin to a Catholic archeologist — a would-be Indiana Jones in a Roman collar instead of the telltale fedora — Father Martins has also become one of the leading experts in authenticating holy relics and one of the select few who repairs the Sacred antiquities and their delicate reliquaries.

“That’s another dimension of the ministry that doesn’t have anything to do with the exposition of relics, per se, but it’s an important function for the Church that I fulfill, because you just can’t go to anybody and have them do a repair or have them identify a relic,” he said. “I’m virtually the only known one in North America who does repairs. There are others who have a license — I know three of them — but they don’t do repairs because they are functioning as parish priests. I need several months’ turnaround time, depending upon what needs to be repaired.”

Although he doesn’t have a parochial assignment, this native of Ontario, Canada keeps busy not only with relics, but also with running a Catholic chaplaincy at one of the largest universities in the Great White North.

But his relic ministry and authentication work have become “really overwhelming.”

“I can usually make an assessment in about 10 seconds,” he said. “I can tell you: ‘Yes, this is

authentic or this is not.’ People are always amazed and ask: ‘How are you able to know just by looking at it? You must be seeing the Holy Spirit.’ Well, I’m not seeing the Holy Spirit. What I see is a piece of work that I can identify as having come from a certain hand, meaning made by a very specific, historical person. I can see his or her marks or their signature on it.”

Just as a trained art historian can identify a painting by the famed artist Monet, Father Martins said he can, likewise, tell if a relic was created by a legitimate, Church-approved source.

“They can tell because Monet has his signatures and it’s very, very difficult — virtually impossible — to learn the subtleties of those signatures,” he said.

Having given countless relics his seal of approval, Father Martins said the authentication process doesn’t require any further blessing from the Holy See or endorsement from the Vatican.

“I am their approval — I’m their point of contact,” he said.

“So for relics that I sanction, if you will, I will provide a certificate of authenticity, which is the ecclesial term for it, and they can be encased in any altar or housed in any church, which are the two highest forms of veneration.

Those are the ones that are the most restricted.”

Among the more than 150 items included in the “Treasures of the Church” exposition are rare first-class relics — physical remnants of the saint (usually bone particles or hair) — from St. Peter and the majority of Jesus’ Apostles; St. Patrick; St. Therese of Lisieux; St. Anthony of Padua; St. Francis of Assisi; St. John Vianney; St. Maria Goretti; St. Vincent de Paul; St. Anne; St. Augustine; St. Bernadette; St. Dominic; and even the recentlycanonized St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. André Bessette.

“What I do is I give a presentation first,” Father Martins said.

“The point of the presentation is to share the Word. I talk about relics, about what they are … and I read some Scriptural passages.

It’s very much a charismatic presentation that presents the basic Gospel message.

“What underlies that is this: I guarantee everyone will have an experience of the Holy Spirit that evening. If they give God their heart and they invite Him into their heart that night, they will experience God in a way unlike they ever have before. I go on record with that guarantee and in 18 years I’ve never had anyone

come back to me to make a warranty claim.”

Attendees are not only allowed to view the relics up close but are encouraged to touch and venerate them, Father Martins said.

“I train people to identify which saint is calling them,” he added. “I tell them: ‘Look, these saints have come a long way to meet you. There are an awful lot of them here, and there’s going to be one who reaches out to you.’

So I train them how to hear that message.”

These unique interactions have resulted in thousands of healing accounts that have been reported back to Father Martins over the years.

And these physical healings ultimately lead to faith healings as well.

“This is the model that Jesus chose when He ministered to people — first, He healed your faith,” Father Martins said. “He sat them down first, usually in large groups, and He taught them. Once the Word had been

preached, then He offered healing. It was when that faith was healed that He could remove whatever was afflicting them.

Otherwise, you’re just offering someone a charm, right? If He didn’t give them the experience of God, the love of the Father, the power of the Holy Spirit, and His own personal love for them, then they would go away still defective.”

Father Martins has heard miraculous stories of people being cured from cancer, from heart disease, from arthritis, from osteoporosis, from skin afflictions, even a young child who had a severe learning disability that was healed.

“I have to take their word for it, but these are people who have nothing to gain by telling me about it,” he said.

For more information about the Treasures of the Church exposition and Father Carlos Martins’ ministry, you can check out his website at www. treasuresofthechurch.com.

Stang student addresses MCFL assembly continued from page 13

that says, “I’m silent for those who are silenced by abortion.”

In the spring, they hand every student a cupcake with a card that reads, “Happy Birthday because everyone deserves a birthday.”

Long and his classmate, senior Theresa Gallagher, serve as the club’s co-presidents.

Gallagher, one of 14 children, said her family has always been open about their Pro-Life values. She has been involved in many Pro-Life activities at her school and spoke about the preeminence of the life issues.

“Life is absolutely fundamental, and our society needs to protect it, so if there’s anything I want to fight for, it’s the right to life,” she said.

She added that the crowd at the March for Life, which she attended this year, represents the millions of people across the country, many of them young people, who support life.

“It opens your eyes to I’m not alone in the Pro-Life movement,” she said. “You have that feeling of solidarity.”

Amanda Tarantelli, the campus minister at Bishop Stang who advises the ProLife Club, said that the school takes students to the march because experiencing the crowd walking and praying together energizes them.

“I think it helps to reignite your own fire and passion for

that cause because you realize that we can make a difference,” she said.

Tarantelli has attended the march with students for eight of her 10 years at Bishop Stang. She said that the Lord is present at the march: “You can definitely feel the graces of God working on everybody who’s there.”

Tarantelli said that another important function of the school’s Pro-Life Club is to teach students to articulate their beliefs. The school has participated in state government lobby days so that students can learn how to address politicians and hopefully effect change now and later on in life.

“It’s not just about saying you’re Pro-Life. It’s about fighting for Pro-Life causes,” she said.

Tarantelli was the first to encourage Long to compete in MCFL’s oratory contest last year. She called him a “great speaker” who communicates his “great passion.” She said he did an excellent job at this year’s assembly.

“He commands attention when he speaks. He’s so confident in who he is as a presenter that you’re drawn into listening to him,” she said. “To hear from not only a young person but from a young man about our need to end abortion, I really think stood out to the crowd.”

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February 20, 2015

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

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

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

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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

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

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

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

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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

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

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

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

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

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

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

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

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

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

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

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

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

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

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

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

ILEAP to host information session on new immigration policies February 23

MARTHA’S VINEYARD — Catholic Social Services of the Fall River Diocese will host an information session, “President Obama’s New Immigration Policies,” on February 23 at 6 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, 34 North Summer Street in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard.

The session helps answer questions such as: Who qualifies for this program?

How will this program help me? How can I apply? When can I apply? Is it safe to apply?

The free information and advice will be provided by lawyers and advocates of Catholic Social Services of Fall River, Inc. — Immigration Legal Advocacy & Education Program (ILEAP).

The program will help individuals avoid scams and help them get the facts from experienced immigration professionals.

Individuals who speak Spanish and Portuguese will be available.

For information email: spisha@cssdioc.org or call 508-674-4681.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Feb. 21 Rev. Msgr. Luiz G. Mendonca, PA, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Mournt Carmel, New Bedford, 1997 Feb. 22 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Jovite Chagnon, Founder, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1954 Feb. 24 Rev. Edward F. McIsaac, Retired Chaplain, Rose Hawthorn Lathrop Home, 2002 Feb. 25 Rev. Leo J. Ferreira, V.G., Pastor, St. Mary, Brownsville, Texas, 1988 Rev. William T. Babbitt, Assistant, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1998 Feb. 27 Rev. Philip Gillick, Founder, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1874 Rev. Joseph N. Hamel, Founder, St. Theresa, New Bedford, 1956 Rev. John G. Carroll, Retired Pastor, St. Margaret, Buzzards Bay, 1995 Rev. Roland B. Boule, Retired Pastor, St. Anne, New Bedford, 2005

Around the Diocese

On the weekend of February 21-22, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk will be blessed to have the nationally-recognized Capuchin Franciscan, Father Simeon Gallagher, who’ll preach his invitation to join together for the next few days in a wonderful parish mission. “A Spirituality of Relationships” will continue Monday-Thursday, February 23-26, in the mornings (briefly after Mass), but more fully each evening. Please plan to join them for these inspirational experiences during their Lenten journey.

For more information call 508-336-5549, extension 103.

On February 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., join renowned author and philosopher Peter Kreeft in two talks on “The Culture Wars” and “The New Evangelization.” The day will also feature Allison Gingras, host of Catholic 24/7. Tickets are $25 per person and lunch will be provided. The event will be held at St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road in Dartmouth. Seating is limited and expected to sell out quickly.

Visit http://proclaim2015.brownpapertickets.com/ for tickets and to register online or call 508-996-8274 for more information. This event is presented by Radio CorMariae, 88.5 FM in New Bedford (www.wpmw.org).

A Mass of Healing will be celebrated on March 2 at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church, 230 South Main Street in Centerville in the Msgr. Perry Parish Center. The Mass is sponsored by Our Lady of Victory Catholic Cancer Support Group. The February Meeting was cancelled due to a snowstorm, but the speaker, Tom Duffy, has graciously agreed to return for the March meeting. He is an auxiliary member of the Knights of Malta and had the privilege of travelling to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes several times. He will share his slides and recollections of the healing process he witnessed on these pilgrimages and will be collecting petitions from anyone who would like to send them to Lourdes. He will also have Holy Water available from the Shrine. For more information contact Geri Medeiros at 508-362-6909.

The Women’s Guild of St. John Neumann Parish will sponsor an Attic Treasure Sale on March 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parish hall, 157 Middleboro Road in East Freetown.

A continental breakfast and hot homemade lunch will be served and the hall is wheelchair-accessible. Admission is free and all are welcome. Take the Chace Road exit off Route 140. For more information call 508-763-2569.

Renew your faith and rekindle the Spirit with Holy Cross Landings. If you have been away from the Church for a while, Holy Cross Parish, 225 Purchase Street in Easton, is inviting you back by joining them on eight consecutive Mondays beginning March 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. The program is friendly and supportive and is not parish-specific. For details or more information, contact Harold Smith at 508-2381899 or visit www.holycrosseaston.org.

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February 20, 2015

Dartmouth Knights host Third Degree ceremony

A Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults formation day was held recently at Holy Cross Parish in Easton. There were 60 participants representing 22 parishes. Father Richard Degagne was the presenter for the day. At right, Anne Marie Burke, an RCIA team member from Immaculate Conception Parish in North Easton, leads a panel discussion on the role of sponsors and godparents in the RCIA process.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — The Knights of Columbus Father Hogan Council No. 14236 of Dartmouth recently hosted a Third Degree Ceremony at St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth. The third degree exemplifies the core principle of fraternity in the order. There were more than 20 candidates who attended and became full-fledged Knights of Columbus. Among the local Knights who received their third degree were Ray Ferreira, Paul Couto, Dave Denny, Joe Machado, Fernando Da Silva and Bill Phillips.

While the Knights participate in many local activities, they also have national and international partnerships. Locally, it’s programs like Food for Families and Coats for Kids. Nationally and internationally it’s programs like the Special Olympics and Global Wheelchair Mission. The newest third degree Knights will participate on many levels with programs like these.

The Knights of Columbus is a Roman Catholic fraternal service organization with approximately 16,000 councils and 1.9 million members in the United States. There are also roughly 200 councils on college campuses as well. The Knights participate in many charitable events and work with a variety of nonprofit groups to support the community.

The Knights of Columbus stand for four core principles which are charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. The Knights donated more than $175 million dollars to charity and volunteered more than 75 million hours last year.

The Knights of Columbus Father Hogan Council serves the parishes of St. Julie and St. Mary’s in South Dartmouth.

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