03.16.07

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FRIDAY, MARCH

DIOCESE OF FALL RivER

Immigration raid divided migrant parents, children

By DEACON JAMES

N. DUNBAR

NEW BEDFORD-In the wake of the raid by u.s. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on a SouthEnd manufacturing plantearly March 6, resulting in the chaotic detaining - and scattering - of 361 illegal immigrants, Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James parish hall has become a rallying place of hope and assistance, as well as a centerfor developing news and an all-purpose command post.

The hall was filled to capacity again last Sunday and Monday, as it has been every day in the aftennath ofthe raid that finds 96 including 26 women and eight men - immigrant mothers and some fathers - still detainedeitheratFortDevensinAyer or the Bristol County House ofCorrection inNew Bedford; another 116 flown to out-of-statefacilities orprisons in Albuquerque, N.M., El Paso, Texas, and 90 more taken to Harlingen, Texas.

The majority ofthose being held

are Guatemalans, Mexicans and Hondurans, with a few Brazilians and some Portuguese and Salvadorans.

Many of them are members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish reported pastor Father Richard D. Wilson, who opened his parish hall within an hour after the immigration sweep for use of immigrants and relatives and children, as well as immigration officials, representatives of the Department ofEmployment Security, and various community agencies and legislators.

On Monday, Father Wilson also set up an emergency centerfor food, clothing, diapers and formula at the former St. Hedwig's Church and the Guadalupan Sisters Convent at 2 Acushnet Avenue.

Although an estimated 59 of those arrested, mostly women who were seamstresses at the raidedplant, have subsequently been released and allowed back to New Bedford for Tum to page 18 - Agencies

Bishop Coleman asks diocesan faithful to reach out and help NEW BEDFORD - Upon his return to the Fall River Diocese March 8, from a two-day vocations conference, Bishop George W. Coleman met and prayed with families impacted by the immigration raid, at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church, and issued the following statement:.

'The raid on the Michael Bianco Inc., factory ... and the subsequent separation offamilies brings to mind the words of Pope Benedict XVI, written this past October, when he spoke about the experience ofJesus, Mary and Joseph fleeing into Egypt.

'In this misfortune experienced by the Holy Family of Nazareth, obliged to take refuge in Egypt, we

can catch a glimpse of the painful condition in which all migrants live, especially refugees, exiles, evacuees.... We can take a quick look at the difficulties that every migrant family lives through, the hardships and humiliations, the deprivation and fragility of millions and millions of migrants, refugees and internally displaced people. The Family of Nazareth reflects the image of God safeguardedin the heart ofevery human family, even if disfigured and weakened by emigration.'

The sadness experienced in these families this week, especially in those who suffered the separation ofmothers from their infant children, calls Tum to page 18 - Help

16,2007

Falmouth couple's love of children makes Pro-Life award a perfect fit

By DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR

2005 Angels in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on AdopFALMOUTH When people hear tion Institute.

The John Cardinal how Jim and Maureen Remillard brought up four children and courageously O'Connor Pro-Life Award given annually by the Fall visited the international adoption well to draw four River Diocese since 2002, memorializes the cardinal, more into their family, they always want to know more. a vigorous defender of human life, who died in 2000 It still creates amazement at Christ the King Parish at the age of 80. in Mashpee where The one teachparishioners see ing of the Church the couple and that defined his their two Koreanministry was the born daughters, an ~ .. ( sanctity of life ... at Ethiopian brother any age and at any and sister, and one ~ stage. He was best or more of the four known for his stand young adult .J. against abortion.

Remillard birth ,.

He participated in "\. " children trooping "'L°o /.\." th~fannual Rihght ~o in for Mass. .,. ofT LI e Marc In Washington, D.C., So when I re- _~;~'• .-4.:'~ cently asked and formed a reliMaureen why she THE REMILLARD FAMILY OF FALMOUTH gious community, and Jim, apthe Sisters of Life, proaching their late 40s in the mid-1990s, decided to who are dedicated to protecting the sacredness of all extend their family, she said, "Jim comes from a fam- human life.

"The criteria for the recipients of this award is based ily of 12, including an adopted sister, and I too longed for a large family and so adoption was our way at our on their dedication, devotion and their living the truths age not just to have other children, but offer a home to set forth in the writing of Pope John Paul II's Encycli, cal Letter, "The Gospel of Truth," said Marian those truly in need."

Tum to page 15 - Life So it's easy to see why the Remillards received the

Bishop Coleman will present the award March 26 at the annual Diocesan Pro-Life Mass at 11 a.m. in S1. Julie Billiart Church in North Dartmouth.

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Couples to appeal SJC decision to dismiss parentalliights lawsuit

By GAIL BESSE ANCHOR CORRESPONDENT

LEXINGTON - National attention has increased on a case involving parental rights being trumped by public school policies since a federal judge February 23 dismissed a lawsuit brought by two Lexington

couples.

The case highlights how gay activists have made inroads within some Massachusetts public schools, even before the state Supreme Judicial Court paved the way in 2004 for "same-sex marriage" licenses.

David and Tonia Parker and

FIGHTING FOR PARENTAL RIGHTS - David Parker and his lawyers approach reporters and TV cameras at the February 7 hearing in Boston on his federal civil rights lawsuit. From left: Robert Sinsheimer, Jeffrey Denner, David Parker, Neil Tassel. (l?hoto courtesy MassResistance.org.)

Joseph and Robin Worthlin filed a constitutional lawsuit in 2006 against Lexington Public School officials. The Christian parents objected that their kindergarten and second-grade children were exposed without the parents' prior knowledge to books designed to mainstream same-sex unions.

They argued that because the children were so young, this amounted to indoctrination; it deprived the parents of their right to present this sensitive issue within the framework of their moral beliefs at an age-appropriate time.

Their request for prior notice to opt their children out of future discussions was denied by school officials, who later garnered support in their defense from the ACLU, national gay advocacy groups, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

First District Court Judge Mark Wolf dismissed the parents' Tum to page 14 - Rights

$ NEWS

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FROM THE VATICAN ~

MARCH

16, 2007

Vatican official says Catholics must repent for not sharing good news

By CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY - Catholics, and especially Catholic communicators, must ask forgiveness for the times they have failed to share God's love and compassion, said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley.

"Certainly, it is necessary to identify the evils in society and warn people against them, but our major effort should be in proclaiming the knowledge and love of our me.rciful savior, Jesus Christ," said the archbishop, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

The archbishop made his remarks in a March 5 homily during the opening Mass of the council's annual plenary session at the Vatican.

Referring to the day's Lenten readings, Archbishop Foley asked council members to examine the ways they have failed to use modem media to spread the good news as well as ways they may have contributed to a public view of the church as a body that speaks mainly to condemn.

The archbishop said Pope Benedict XVI "has justly counseled

us not to be seen as always saying 'no,' but to reflect - and to be seen to reflect - in our use of the media the mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ."

The good news and the good deeds undertaken by the Church out of love for God and for other people need to be shared every bit as much as the Church warnings about evil, he said.

The media are used successfully "to sell soap and automobiles and clothing and vacation experiences," he said.

But Christians, "who have the responsibility to proclaim the most important message in the history of the human race, have often lacked the imagination and the dedication to use the media well in making known the good news of Jesus Christ," the archbishop said.

Archbishop Foley prayed that Christian communicators would renew their commitment not only to share the good news of Christ through their programs and' publications, "but may we also be perceived as being loving and merciful, following his example and, indeed, his mandate."

Pope says Church hierarchy was willed by God to ensure unity in faith VATICAN CITY (CNS)- The hierarchical structure ofthe Catholic Church was willed by God to ensure unity in faith, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The Church "is not a place of confusion or anarchy where each person can do what he wants at the moment," the pope said March 7 at his weekly general audience.

The pope's speech marked the beginning of a new series of audience talks on the "apostolic fathers," the first and second generation of Church leaders after the 1\velve Apostles.

Pope Benedict began the series by focusing on St. Clement, the bishop of Rome at the end of the first century, and on his letter to the Christian community in Corinth.

St. Clement wrote the letter to address ''the serious problems" the Corinthians were experiencing, the pope said. "In fact, the priests ofthe community had been deposed by some young challengers," he said.

Exhorting the Corinthians "to reconcile in peace, renew their faith and affinn the tradition that they had recently received from Apostles," St. Clement's letter "is the first exercise of the primacy of Rome after the death of St. Peter," the pope said.

Pope Benedict said the letter is particularly important because it demonstrates that "the concern of the church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the other

churches," was an idea accepted as far back at the first century.

In the letter, St. Clement "calls the faithful to humility and fraternal love, two values essential for being church," he said, but he also "reminds them that the Lord himself established where and by whom he wanted liturgical services to be performed."

Explaining that each member of the community has a specific role, the pope said, St. Clement emphasizes that "the distinction between laity and hierarchy does not signify opposition in any way," but simply affirms that within the community different people have different roles. ''The Church, he teaches us, is not a place of confusion or anarchy where each person can do what he wants at the moment. Each person in this organism ... exercises his ministry according to the vocation he or she has received," Pope Benedict said.

St. Clement also made the concept of apostolic succession explicit, the pope said, by affirming that God sent his Son, who chose the Apostles, who chose the next generation of community leaders so that "everything proceeds in an orderly fashion according to the will of God." The Church is not a place to exercise "our thoughts and ideas, because it is first of all a gift of God and not our creation," he said.

ATTE~TIVE AUDIENCE - Pope Benedict XVI, seen through the doorway in a traditionally separate and private chapel, attends a prayer and meditation session on the final day of a Lenten retreat for the p~pe and ~a.tican officials at the Vatican March 3. The retreat was led by retired Italian Cardinal Giacomo Blffl, seen at left. (CNS photolL'Osservatore Romano via Catholic Press Photo)

Jesuit says psychology needed to discern 'deep-seated' homosexuality

By JOHN THAVIS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE ROME - A leading canon law expert said that in applying the Vatican's directive against admission of homosexuals to the priesthood, seminary authorities should make use ofpsychological sciences to distinguish between "deep-seated" and transitory homosexual tendencies.

Jesuit Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University and an adviser to several important Vatican agencies, said the use of psychology was a complex but necessary means of establishing the true nature of homosexual traits.

Psychological evaluations alone can never substitute for the informed decisions of bishops and seminary authorities, but such testing must be taken into serious consideration, Father Ghirlanda said.

He made his comments in the March 4 issue of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, whose contents are reviewed by the Vatican prior to publication.

In 2005, the Vatican issued an instruction saying the Church cannot allow ordination of men who are active homosexuals or who have "deepseated homosexual tendencies." The norms do not rule out ordination for men who have experienced transitory homosexual tendencies or episodes, as long as they have been overcome for at least three years.

The wording of the document prompted much debate about the nature of the homosexual inclination and the ability of Church authorities to distinguish between permanent and transitory tendencies.

In his article, Father Ghirlanda said it was clear that bishops and

seminary superiors should make use ofone or more psychological experts when there is a question about homosexuality in a candidate.

The purpose is not simply to weed out those with homosexual inclinations but, in the case of transitory tendencies, to help the candidate overcome them, he said.

"In fact, the range of situations between deep-seated homosexual tendencies and transitory homosexual tendencies is as great as the number of individual cases. What may at first seem deep-seated could turn out to be conquerable with therapy," he said.

The priesthood candidate has a moral duty to comply with psychological testing and eventual therapy in such cases, he said.

But such testing or therapy cannot be imposed on a candidate, and requires his pribr, informed and explicit consent, he said.

The results of such psychological consultations should not be communicated to seminary superiors without the candidate's written permission, he said.

Father Ghirlanda said this pre-

$ The Anchor

sents seminary superiors with a delicate task: They cannot use psychological testing to intimidate priesthood candidates, but they should consider refu~al to comply as an element in their decision about seminary acceptance.

When there are doubts about suit- . ability of a candidate, Church law makes it clear that he should not be admitted to the seminary, he said.

Father Ghirlanda said similar evaluations may also be needed for heterosexual candidates to the seminary. A heterosexual who is lacking in "psycho-affective and religious maturity" should also be excluded from the priesthood, he said.

The difference, he said, is that it is more difficult for a person with deep-seated homosexual tendencies to reach such maturity.

The Congregation for Catholic Education (of Seminaries and Institutes of Study) has been working for several years on guidelines for the use of psychological sciences in the admission and formation of candidates for the priesthood. Sources said the document was still in the preparation stages.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

Vol. 51, No. 11 Memlx:r. Catholic fuss Association, Catholic Newij Service

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Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 - FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchomews.org. Subscription price by mall, postpaid $14.00 per year.

Send address changes to P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call or use email address PUBUSHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Roger J. Landry fatherrogerlandry@anchomews.org EDITOR David B. Jollvet davejollvet@anchornews.org NEWS EDITOR Deacon James N. Dunbar jlmdunbar@anchornews.org REPORTER Mike Gordon mlkegordon@anchomews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org Send Leners to the Editor to: fatherrogeriandry@anchomews.org .POSTMASTERS send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

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MARCH

tt THE CHURCH IN THEU.5.

16, 2007

Thousands urged to embrace 'God's transforming light'

By ELLIE HIDALGO CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The transfonnational power of God's light in individual lives, communities and the world was the theme weaving through scores of workshops, inspiring music, films and multicultural liturgies at the 40th anriiversary gathering of the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim.

March 1 was an all-day youth event that kicked off the March 2-4 congress. ''We come today ready to stand' afresh in God's light," said Sister Edith Prendergast, a Religious Sister ofCharity who is director ofthe Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Religious Education office. ''Much like in a theater as the play begins, the house lights are dimmed and a very strong light is centered onstage calling all attention. to one central focus. Today the spotlight is on God, who is light," she said during the opening rite and welcome.

The theme of"Stand in the Light" was carried throughout the congress, which broke previous attendance records, topping more than 40,000 participants, including nearly 15,500 youths and young people for Youth Day. Attendees came not just from California but from around the U.S. and several other countries.

Father Bryan Massingale, a Marquette University theology professor and the March 3 keynote

speaker, challenged participants to down to present-day generations, said practice Jesus' Gospel message of the bishop. ''wild inclusivity." ''Know why you are here, why God There are innumerable ways hu- has brought you here," said Bishop man beings justify "excluding, and Soto, encouraging the faithful to pray hating and ostracizing each other:' he like Christ. "Jesus began the prayerand said. But all of society's divisions, he now it is ours:' he added. added, "mean absolutely nothing to A couple thousand congress participants gathered in a convention God." 'The shocking, scandalous, out- ballroom March 4 to hear the Rev. rageous thing about Jesus," said Fa- Jim Wallis, a preacher and social acther Massingale, is that "Jesus ate tivist, speak on "How Might Spiriwith anyone. This man welcomes sin- tual Revival Cause Change?" Rev. ners and eats with them in the name Wallis, an evangelical Christian and a self-described convert to Catholic of God." Jesus' vision often feels "too big social teaching, described politics for us," continued the priest, who spe- today as "broken."

At the closing liturgy March 4, cializes in moral theology with a focus on racialjustice. '11's too demand- where Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of ing for us. His light, we're standing 'Los Angeles presided, Los Angeles in - but sometimes his light is too Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala bright. It's too intense, so we have to noted in his homily that standing in dim the light, dumb it down, tame the God's light allows the faithful to feel vision, explain it away, ignore it and "secure and confident in God's steadfastness:' But it also can "disturb and make Jesus safe."

And yet, Jesus' vision "always shake us so that we are set on fire to manages to break 'through:' he said. do what is right and what is just."

The Gospels also portray Jesus as ''We will live out the light of God a man of action and of prayer, noted Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto of Orange in his homily during the March 4 morning liturgy. It is often in times of prayer, like during the Transfiguration, that the "glory of Jesus was revealed," he said.

Just as Peter, James and John may have wondered why they were chosen to be present at the Transfiguration, the question has been passed

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when we go home and we try to be a voice for the voiceless arid promote the dignity ofevery human being and human rights at every occasion and every environment, when we reject in our lives and in our world every

fonn ofviolence, war, destruction and abuse:' said Bishop Zavala. ''When we come home and care for God's creation and reject the banning ofGod's creation:' he added, ''we will continue to stand in the light."

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DIOCESAN TRIBUNAL FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS Decree of Citatibn Since his present domicile is un· known, in accord with the lprovision of Canon 1509.1, we hereby" cite Robert E. Stott to appear in person before the Tribunal of the Diocese of Fall River (887 Highland Avenue in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts) on March 30, 2007 at 10:30 AM to giye his testi· mony regarding the question: IS THE STROUp·STOTT MARRIAGE NUll ACCORDING TO CHURCH LAW? Anyone who has knowledge of the domicile of Robert E. Stott is hereby required to inform him of this citation.

Given at the offices of the Diocesan Tribunal in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts on March' 9,2007.

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DIOCESAN TRIBUNAL FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS Decree of Citation Since his present domicile is unknown, in accord with the provision of Canon 1509.1, we hereby cite Paul M. Vieira to appear in person before the Tribunal of the Diocese of Fall River 1887 Highland Avenue in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts) on March 30, 2007 at 2:30 PM to give his testimony regarding the question: IS THE HENRIQUES·VIEIRA MARRIAGE NULL ACCORDING TO CHURCH LAW? Anyone who has knowledge of the domicile of Paul M. Vieira is hereby required to inform him of this citation. .

Given at the offices of the Diocesan Tribunal in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts on March 9, 2007.

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(Rev.) Paul F. RobinSon, O. Cann., J.C.D. Judicial Vicar

(Rev.) Paul F. Robinson, O. Cann., J.C.D. Judicial Vicar

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(Mrs.) Denise D. Berube Ecclesiastical Notary

(Mrs.) Denise D. Berube Ecclesiastical Notary

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ONE BREAD, ONE BODY - Teens receive the Eucharist from Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles during a late morning liturgy March 1 preceding the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, Calif. The all-day event, whose theme was "Live Out Love," kicked off the March 2-4 congress and drew nearly 15,500 teenagers and young adults. (CNS photo/R.W. Dellinger, The Tidings)

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has announced the following appointments: Reverend Karl C. Bissinger, Assistant Director of Vocations.

Reverend Kevin A. Cook, Assistant Director of Vocations for Recruitment.

Effective March 21, 2007

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Bill would make Vermont second state allowing assisted suicide MONTPELIER, Vt (CNS) - FatherJay C. Haskin agrees withVennont Gov. James Douglas that Vermont should become an "e-state." Butunlike the governor's "e" for electronic, Father Haskin's "e" stands for ethical. ''Vermont is in a unique position to lead the nation in becoming an estate-an ethical state,"FatherHaskin said at a Vermont Senate Health and Welfare Committee public hearing on physician-assisted suicide at the Statehouse in Montpelier in late February.

The bill would allow physicians to assist in the death ofterminally ill patients. ''Vermont should be known for the highest ethical standards and promote the dignity and sanctity of life," Father Haskin said in opposing the measure. ''Vermont should not be known as a d-state where death by suicide is sanctioned and permitted."

On March 1 the House Human Services Committee voted seven to four in favor of the bill. Now its Judiciary Committee must consider it, and it must go through the Senate. The governor has said he does not support the legislation.

It would make Vermont the second state in the country, after Oregon, to allow someone who is terminally ill and has a prognosis of six months or less to live to ask a physician for a prescription that would end his orher life.

The patient would need two doctors to agree and would have to receive counseling. The bill would require that the medication be administered by the patient, not the doctor.

At the packed hearing opponents of the bill spoke of the sanctity of life and the good that can come from the dying process. ''For almost 40 years I have assisted numerous peoplein the preparationfor their death," said Father Haskin, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Colchester. ''This is an important time to achieve wholeness, peace within

and peace with loved ones. So much good can be accomplished during these days."

Supporters of the bill say it allows for "death with dignity," but opponents, like Father Haskin, see it as sanctioned suicide. "For persons of faith, their last act on earth should never be an affront to their maker by the violation of God's Fifth Commandment: Thou shall not kill- thyself," he said.

Both those for and against the bill had to register to speak at the hearing, held in the larger House chamber to accommodate the crowd. Burlington Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, along with several priests and deacons, attended the hearing as an observer and witness to life.

In a statement released to The ~r足 mont Catlwlic Tribune, newspaper of the Burlington Diocese, Bishop Matano said all life is precious - the newborn child, the old and the frail, the weak and the suffering, the ill and the infirmed, the distraught and the sorrowful. '~ we care for the child so must we care for all persons in the vast spectrum of life," the bishop said in the statement, which was also sent to,all Vermont parishes for the weekend of March 10-11.

Bishop Matano asked if the people of Vermont want to be identified as a "death state" where life is terminated at its beginning and at any stage thereafter. ,''Will the magnificent landscape of this state, which echoes life from its majestic mountains to its powerful waterways, be rendered lifeless by a society in which human lives are threatened from conception until natural death?" he asked.

'Wl11 a state that so vigorously opposes the death penalty and the tragedies of war undermine its stand for life by taking the lives ofthe most vulnerable among us?" he added.

Importance of Religion

SOLDIERS FOR CHRIST - Father Lee Yokum, a lieutenant colonel, blesses five soldiers as they complete the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in Baghdad, Iraq. From left, the soldiers are Pvt. Timothy Moffitt of Rockdale, Md.; Sgt. Maj. Cali Johnson of Richmond Hill, Ga.; Spc. Walter Martius of St. Paul, Minn.; Spc. Elizabeth Garcia of Chicago; and Spc. Luis Crespo of Puerto Rico.

The soldiers completed the 21-week RCIA program; which was led primarily by lay Catholic. instructors in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team; 3rd Infantry Division. (CNS ~hoto by Spc. Ben Brody)

Thousands prepare to enter Church at Easter WASHINGlON (CNS)- In dio- first Communion as children or were ceses across the country at the begin- not confirmed.

Catechumens will receive bapning of Lent, tens of thousands of American.s began the final stages of tism, confirmation and first Euchatheir journey toward baptism or en- rist at the Easter Vigil. Candidates will tering into full communion with the enter full communion with the Church by receiving confirmation Catholic Church at Easter.

Jamie Swan of Maryville, Mo., is and first Eucharist.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of taking it a couple ofsteps further. Not only will she receive baptism, con- Adults spells out the formation ofcatfirmation and first Communion at the echumens and the steps of their Easter Vigil in St. Gregory Parish, but preparation for the three sacraments she and her fiance, Michael Casteel, of initiation. For candidates, because are preparing to receive the sacrament they are already baptized, the proof matrimony there a few months gram offormation and preparation is later. And Swan, the new second- . distinct, although there are often pargrade teacher at the parish school, is allels with the RCIA and member~ making her preparations for first of both groups often meet together Communion along with her pupils, in their parish formation programs.

In many places candidates outwho will receive the sacrament later numbered catechumens. Some diothis spring.

Swan is one of the catechumens ceses hold separate liturgies for canand candidates in the Diocese ofKan- didates and catechumens, often a day sas City-St. Joseph, Mo., who partici- or week apart, to help emphasize that pated in the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion February 25 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in St. Joseph.

CHICAGO (CNS) - A declin1\vo other liturgies for candidates ing number of vowed religious in the and catechumens were celebrated the hallways or fewer crucifixes on the day before at the Cathedral ofthe Imwalls do not make Catlfolic hospimaculate Conception in Kansas City. tals any less Catholic, as long as they In all, the diocese has 580 people precontinue their mission to serve the paring to be baptized or to enter into least among us, according to panelfull communion with the church this ists at a conference in Chicago. spring.

Three leaders in Catholic health For catechumens, people not yet baptized, the final part of the journey care and ethics discussed "Cathobegan with a Rite of Election on or lic Health Care as Mission" Febru:nearthe first Sunday ofLent. Forcan- . ary 28 to open a tltree-day conferdidates, who are already baptized ence on "Catholic Health Care EthChristians, the start ofLent meant par- ics: The Tradition and Contempoticipating in a Call to Continuing rary Culture" at Loyola University Conversion. Many candidates were Chicago in suburban Maywood. raised in a different faith. Some were With health care "a multibillion;baptized Catholic but never received dollar business," some might won-

the process of a baptized person entering into full communion with the Church is not the same thing as the RCIA. The RCIA was established in the Church in 1972 specifically as a modem revival of the catechurnenate in the early Church, a period of time combining formation and ritual through which non-Christians were prepared for their sacramental initiation into the Church.

Since 1993, when the Official Catholic Directory began recording separate statistics on adult baptisms and entries into full communion in the church in the United States and U.S. territories, the combined total of adults welcomed into the Church has generally been running in the range of 154,000 to 162,000 a year. There were three above-average years: about 171,000 each year in 1999 and 2000, and more than 178,000 in 2001.

Panelists discuss what makes health care Catholic der "if we look a whole lot different than for-profit hospitals," said BrianYanofchick, senior vice president for mission services at the Catholic Health Association. "But we still offer a lot of services that others don't want to touch these days" because they are not profitable, he added. , "Caring for the poor is an integral part of what we do, but it creates a lot of struggles," said Patricia Cassidy, senior vice president for system development and strategy at Loyola University Health System. ''The burden is on us to make sure we give people an opportunity to understand what we are about."

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Priest, related to British royalty moves closer to canonization

By SIMON CALDWELL CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE LONDON - The British royal family could soon have first saint after the Catholic Church took a step forward in the canonization process of a priest relateci to Princes William and Harry.

An inquiry into the possible .sainthood of Father Ignatius Spencer was sent to the Congregation for I' Saints' Causes March 1 after an exhaustive 12-year investigation by British Catholic officials.

A tribunal in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, England, cohcluded recently that there was nqthing in either the work or 22 volumes of writings by Father Spencer to suggested he did not live a life oÂŁI heroic virtue.

The first step in the canonization process is the decla~ation of a person's heroic virtues then beatification. In general, the Church must confirm two miracles through the intercession of the sainthood candidate before canoJization.

"The next stage is to hope and pray for a miracle that can be attributed to the inteJcession of Ignatius," said Passionist Father Ben Lodge, the postulator of the cause from Kent, England, in an interview with Catholic News Service March 2.

Father Spencer is r~lated to the princes through their mother, Princess Diana of Wales.

Born in Admiralty House in 1799, he was the great~great-great­ uncle of Princess Di~a and was also the great-uncle of former British Prime MinistJr Winston Churchill.

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SOMBER VISIT - Members of a German bishops' conference delegation visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem March 2. (eNS photo/Oleg Popov, Reuters) ,

Jews react strongly to remarks

by German bishops in West Bank

By MICHAEL LAWTON CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

COLOGNE, Germany - Re, marles made by German bishops during a recent visit to the West Bank have caused a storm ofreaction from Jewish leaders in Germany. , The Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Israeli Embassy responded angrily to comments by Bishop Gregor Hanke of Eichstaett, who compared the situation of Palestinians in Ramallah with that of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto in Poland during World War II. For his part, Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg described the IsraelPalestinian situation as "almost racism."

The bishops were on a weeklong pilgrimage, which ended March 4 with a visit to Ramallah and Bethlehem in the West Bank. The bishops toured Israel and met with Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, and local bishops and priests. They also visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.

According to news reports, Bishop Hanke said: "In the morning (we saw) pictures of the inhumane Warsaw ghetto atYad Vashem, in the evening we travel to the ghetto in Ramallah. You can only hit the roof."

Bishop Mixa also referred to Ramallah, which is bound on one side by the Israeli security barrier, as a "ghettolike ~ituation."

Bishop Hanke later distanced himself from his comments aI)d said in a statement that "comparisons between the events of the 'Holocaust and the current situatIon in Palestine are not acceptable and were not intended."

He said he had expressed his personal feelings, and that the immediate impression of the situation in Ramallah had been "harrowing."

Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Central Council ofJews in Germany, said Bishop Hanke had "either demonstrated an.alarming lack ofknow1- ' edge about history, or he was trying to make the Holocaust victims and the children into the guilty parties and tum himself into their therapist."

"It is particularly disappointing that the trip which had otherwise exceeded expectations should end with such lapses of judgment," she said.

"The words of Cardinal (Karl) Lehmann (president of the bishops' conference) at Yad Vashem were convincing and an expression of growing understanding and trust between Jews and Catholic Christians. I can't believe that this should all now be called into question."

The Israeli ambassador in Berlin, Shimon Stein, said that anyone who made such compansons had "either forgotten everything, learned nothing or failed morally." He accused the bishops of"demonizing one side

and operating with double standards" because they had concerned t.hemselves with tire Palestinians' suffering, but not with that of the Israelis who had suffered from Palestinians'terrorism. of Yad Avner Shalev,, chairman 'I Vashem Holocaust Memorial, said in a letter to Cardinal Lehmann that such comparisons "serve to diminish the memory of victims of the Holocaust and mollify the consciences of those who seek to lessen European responsibility for Nazi crimes."

In a response to Shalev, Cardinal Lehmann referred to the words he wrote in the memorial's book: ''Nobody who wishes to be free of the memory of the Holocaust can ever be free." he added that all the bish- , ops defend "Israel's right to exist and defend itself."

Cardinal Lehmann said he understood the "feelings of affront and . protest" in reaction to Bishop Hanke's remarks. He said he regretted the "discordant note ... at the end of the trip which many in the Holy Land experienced as injecting renewed hope."

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Father Spencer grew up at the family home in Althorp, where Princess Diana was buried after she was killed in a Paris car crash in August 1997.

But he turned his back on a life of immense wealth and comfort when he converted to Catholicism - a move which shocked his contemporaries. He joined the newly formed Passionists, changed his name from George to Ignatius, and worked for the conversion of England to the Catholic faith until his death in 1864.

"He was also heroic in following his vow of poverty," he said.

"He gave up being a member of one of the wealthiest families in the country in which he had a massive income and ended up going out to Ireland to work with the victims of the potato famine," said Father Lodge.

Father Lodge said Father Spencer was about 150 years ahead of his time in his commitment to the "unity in truth" of all Christians, a theme later embraced by the Second Vatican Council. Father Spencer's greatest achievement was "preparing the ground" for the ecumenical movement of the late 20th century, Father Lodge added.

Father Spencer's other great love was cricket, a sport which he described as "my mania," and he often organized matches among seminarians while he was the dean of St. Mary's Seminary in Oscott.

Father Spencer's body is entombed in St. Anne's Church in St. Helens alongside Blessed Dominic Barberi, an Italian Passionist priest beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1963.

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6 Remember, 0 America!

After God had liberated the Jews from pharoah's clutches, he reminded them repeatedly, "Remember, 0 Israel, that you were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore, I command you ... you shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien ... for you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." He ordered them, moreover, notjust not to harm them, but to do good to them, like leaving food for their survival (see Exod22:2l, 23:19, Deut24:l7-2l). God never wanted the Israelites, once they had crossed into the Promised Land, to forget what it felt like to be a stranger in a foreign country with no rights, no stability, even at times no food, clothing or housing. He wanted them to treat others with the same care for which they once longed.

Now is the time when our country needs to hear God thunder, "Remember, 0 America!" We need to recall our own history and that most of our families were once indigent in other lands - due to famine, plagues, religious persecution or poverty - and that God blessed our families with the opportunity to come to this land full of promise. We should "not wrong or oppress a resident alien," because all of us are immigrants or descendents of immigrants and all of us should therefore have the "heart of an alien." If we would not have wanted our families ripped apart and hardworking members of them treated as criminals and deported for no other reason than a lack of proper paperwork and a colored card, then neither should we stand aside when that is being done to the newest wave of those who have come to our hallowed shores seeking a better life.

Jesus declared in no uncertain terms that when he comes to judge the living and the dead, he will separate us into two groups. To those saved on his right, he will say, ''I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Those condemned on his left will hear, "I was a stranger and you gave me no welcome."

Both groups will ask him when they encountered him as a stranger; he will reply that whatever we did, or failed to do, to the least of his brothers and sisters, we did, or failed to do, to him (Mt 25:31-46).

Today, in New Bedford and elsewhere, Christ is disguised as a Guatamalan, Salvadoran, Mexican, Portuguese or Brazilian "stranger" waiting for welcome, sympathy and concrete assistance. Jesus promised to take our response personally. May our response be worthy of him and worthy of our nation's history.

HPV vaccine bill needs study Responding to editors' requests not move forward. Some health pr0for a regular sampling of current fessionals question the long-term recommentary from around the Catho- sults ofthe drug studies, which tested lic press, here is an editorial titled 17,000 girls and women aged 16-26, "HPV vaccine bill needs study," but only 1,000 girls aged nine-15.

According to Dr. Bernadine which appeared in the March 3 issue of The Florida Catholic news- Healy, columnist for U.S. News & papers. Itwas written by Christopher World Report, the newness of the Gunty, associate publisher. vaccine gives some doctors pause.

"If your friends jumped off a ''We have no proof that the vaccine bridge, would you do it, tooT will reduce cancerofthe cervix, only Isn't that what your mother asked that it reduces abnormal cells that you when you were young and you show up on Pap smears - which in wanted to do something that "every- most young women clear up on their one else is doing"? Right now, the own."

Florida Legislature is about to jump Florida's bishops object to the off a bridge, partly because "every- vaccine mandate because, among one else is doing it," butjust like our other reasons, parents would have to moms warned us when we were opt out of inclusion in the program, young, that doesn't mean it's a good rather than opt in. There is also some concern, especially among conseridea.

The "bridge" in this case is a bill vative groups, that those who receive requiring that all 11- and l2-year- the vaccine at such an early age olds be vaccinated againstthe human might think it is a license to have papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually casual sex, especially since the vactransmitted disease that causes an . cine doesn't protect against all canestimated 70 percentofcases ofcer- cers and offers no protection at all vical cancer. Texas' governor started againstHIV/AIDSormanyother the controversy with an executive or- "sexually transmitted diseases. Abstiderrequiring such a vaccine program nence is the best course of action. in his state and since then, about 20 While the vaccine can be a good state legislatures have lined up to option, it ought to be an option, not make a similar leap. a mandate.

When commercials began apMerck, the drug company that makes the only approved vaccine for pearing on television last year showHPV, Gardasil, has apparently ing women talking about how to prebacked off. That's after it was re- vent cervical cancer, it looked like a vealed that the same day Texas Gov. simple educational campaign, but Rick Perry's chief of staff met with you could tell there was mOre to it the governor's budget director and than that - and sure enough, the three members of his office for a campaign was linked to the release briefing about HPV vaccine for chil- of Gardasil and encouraged women dren, Merck and Co.'s political ac- to tell the young women in their lives tion committee made a $5,000 con- to get this ''wonderful'' new vaccine. tribution to the governor's campaign Let's tell our Legislature to slow fund.. down. Just bec"ause "everybody's But that doesn't mean the bill may doing it" doesn't make it right

The Anchor

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MARCH

16, 2007

the living word

SEVENTH-GRADER JONATHAN VINAGRE AND EIGHTH-GRADER JUSTYN WALKER FROM HOLY FAMILY-

PRo-LIFE INFORMATION FOLLOWING A THE DIOCESAN PRo-LIFE AroSTOLATE SPONSORED THE VISIT wmCH"

HOLY NAME SCHOOL, NEW BEDFORD, LOOK TIlROUGH PRESENTATION AT THEIR SCHOOL.

INCLUDED WITNESS TALKS BY BISHOP STANG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. (PHOTO BY MIKE GORDON) ''YOU FORMED MY INMOST !lEING; YOU KNIT ME IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB" (PSALMS

139:13).

The higher Gospel In May, 1994, following one of "signifies not only the presence of his many hospital stays, Pope John suffering in the Gospel, as one of the themes of the Good News, but Paul II delivered his weekly Sunday Angelus address, and he also as the revelation of the salvific power and salvific used some words to which many paid special attention. Reflecting significance of suffering in on his recent ailments, the Holy Christ's messianic mission and, Father told the crowds, "I have subsequently, in the mission and understood that I have to lead vocation of the Church" (No. 25).

The problem is that many, Christ's Church into this third millennium by prayer, by various including some of our own programs, but I have seen that this is not enough: she . - - - - - - - - - - - must be led by suffering .... The pope has to be attacked. The pope has to suffer, so that every family may see that there is, I would say, a higher Gospel: the Gospel of suffering, by which the future is prepared" (May political figures, speaking as self29, 1994). During these days of Lent, when we prepare to celebrate proclaimed theologians and our Lord's passion, these words of experts in scriptural interpretathe late Holy Father offer us matter tion, would have us believe that for serious reflection. the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires only love for the poor Contrary to the dishonest interpretation of some, who and a promise not to judge others. accused the Holy Father of The requirements of respecting proposing a gospel other than and the Commandments of God, avoiding sin and defending the better than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what the pope was saying truth are often overlooked or is that there is a higher, or deeper, " minimized, by a very limited level of living the Gospel of reading of the Gospel. In the same Christ, and that is the way of way, the Gospel requirement of redemptive suffering. bearing suffering after the example of Christ is also freThis was not a new idea of the quently missing in sound-bite Holy Father. Ten years before, in his 1984 Apostolic Letter Salvifici summaries of what it means to follow Christ.

Doloris, the pope wrote about the As Pope John Paul II ex"Gospel of Suffering." He plained, "Christ did not conceal explained that "the Redeemer from his listeners the need for himself wrote this Gospel, above suffering. He said very clearly: 'If all by his own suffering accepted in love" (No. 25): "The Gospel of any man would come after me ... let him take up his cross daily'" suffering," wrote the Holy Father,

(No. 25, quoting Lk 9:23).

According to the Holy Father, the "first chapter" of the Gospel of suffering is "a special call to courage and fortitude," with the assurance given by the Lord's Resurrection of "the victorious power of suffering" (No. 25).

Through an interior conversion and encounter with Christ, who suffered for us, those who suffer in this life come to understand their suffering as a vocation from Christ, who says, "'Follow me!

Come! Take part through" your suffering in this work of saving the world, a salvation achieved through my suffering!

Through my cross!'"

(No. 26). As the Holy Father explained, ''Those who share in the sufferings of Christ preserve in their own sufferings a very special particle of the infinite treasure of the world's redemption, and can share this treasure with others" (No. 27).

Any honest reading of the Gospel simply cannot avoid the clear words of Christ: "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27). Putting into the deep of our faith requires heeding this call to accept our own sufferings and unite them to the sufferings of Christ that redeemed the world. If we wish to put into the deep with Christ, we must be willing to live "the higher Gospel" of redemptive suffering.

Father Pignato is chaplain at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth and is secretary to Bishop George lv. Coleman.

$ The Anchor $ With Joseph, you can be sure

MARCH

16, 2007

Everyone is Irish tomorrow thanks to good old St. Patrick.

But what about Monday? Is everyone a daddy? Hardly. Even some fathers aren't daddies. Maybe that's why St. Joseph's Day seems so low-keyed compared with his greenclad counterpart.

St. Joseph, to me at least, is one of the most underrated members of the communion of saints.

Yet, this gentle man was one of the most important figures in the story of our salvation.

And what do some folks use him for? They bury a statue or a medal of his likeness to assist

them in selling a home.

What?

They've taken the stepfather <:>f the greatest figure in history

and turned him into a good luck charm.

I love St. Joseph. My youngest son's middle name is in his honor and I've named my guardian angel Joseph. Why?

Surely not for luck.

The most important job a married man has is to be a good . father and husband, and St. Joseph was the epitome of both.

Before he took Mary as his wife, he opted to divorce her quietly as not to bring shame to her, and when told to embrace his new child, he did so as if it were his own.

He protected our Blessed Mother and our Blessed Brother.

He raised the young Jesus most likely teaching him the skills of his trade, and teaching him the skills of loving others.

Do you feel lucky?

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow.

For many it is a day to wear green, to eat traditional Irish food, to drink "green beer" or many other festive libations. It is a day when even those who are not at all Irish, may feel "a little bit Irish."

There may be talk of "luck:' of shamrocks and four leaf clovers and of the "luck of the Irish."

Everyone wants to be lucky. Everyone likes to win the raftle, the jackpot, the prize. Everyone likes to feel that somehow they are being smiled upon, that good things will come their way, that luck is on their side.

But the question is... ''Do you feel lucky?"

These words were made famous

by Clint Eastwood when he said them with a sneer to a helpless outlaw, a man who looked.down the barrel of a gun waiting for his fate.

But for us they can be contemplated in a completely different way. It can be a more positive question.

"Do we feel lucky?"

Do we feel lucky that Jesus Christ is in our lives? Do we feel lucky that we have been blessed with a faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity and that through this faith, precious gifts of love and eternal life can be ours?

Jesus never really spoke about luck. He said many things about the good.things that his Father in heaven would give to us if we followed his will, but he never used the word luck. He said many things about the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth who would bring special grace to our lives, but he did not say that we would be lucky.

I wonder if mor~ people would listen to Jesus' words if he added the word luck to his message, if he blended the concept of "being lucky" and winning in this world

with his most powerful sermons.

Let's take the Beatitudes.

What impact would his words have if he said them like this?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall be lucky.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted by a jackpot at Foxwoods.

Blessed are the meek, for they

shall inherit large sums of money.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied by winning the lottery. the merciful, for Blessed they will be shown what stocks to invest in.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see dollar signs in their bank accounts.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called by Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes with great news.

But Jesus could never say these words, could never speak this way because he was talking about a completely different kind of luck, a completely different reward- a luck that .was not of this world. It was not that Jesus did not have a concept of what it means to be lucky but rather that.he was speaking about an outcome that goes far beyond "luck:' an assurance that the love of God can bring, that the grace of the Holy. Spirit can bring. He was speaking about the Kingdom of God, a "pearl of great price" that can only be known by knowing and believing in Jesus Christ.

During the season of Lent we reflect upon our journey of faith.

are

We reflect upon our sinfulness, and that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Like the character in the Clint Eastwood movie who stared down a barrel of a gun, we are all faced with our mortality, although we may not know when death will occur.

And so we might ask ourselves," Do we feel lucky?"

Have we embraced Jesus'Christ and IDs message in such a way that we feel blessed and assured that we are being smiled upon with the joy of knowing Jesus Christ, the grace of the Holy Spirit and with the love of God and etemallife?

For Jesus is the "pearl of great price."

Jesus is the true wonder of it all.

Greta is an author and illustrator. She and her husband George, with their children are members of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee.

I If Joseph had raised Jesus in I' today's day and age, you can be sure he'd be driving to ice hockey rinks at five o'clock in the morning to watch J~sus glide across the ice with wobbly I ankles., You can be sure he'd feel his young son's pain with each bump and bruise obtained.

You can be sure Joseph would be there when Jesus aWoke in the middle of the night with a frightening dream or a I!stomach flu. il You can be sure JosFPh would feel the hurt when a classmate of Jesus would for no good reason, turn against his one time friend.

You can be sure tha~ Joseph would rub the aching feet of his wife after she spent thb day chasing after her energetic son and maintaining the hOuse all at the same time.

I You can be sure Joseph would wrap Mary in his arm~ when she would fear what the roture held for her baby boy.

I You can be sure he;d stay up at night worrying if he's doing a good enough job as a dad and a I' husband.

You can be sure herd find the

time and money to take Jesus to an occasional Red Sox game and then treat him to an ice cream after another disappointing loss.

You can be sure they'd watch the home town teams together on TV. You can be sure that Joseph would tease Jesus and playfully annoy his beloved sl'0use because he enjoys having fun with them: You can be sure he'd be there to help with homework or science projects even after a long day's work in the wood shop.

You can be sure he'd give each of his customers the best product he could at a fair price.

You can be sure of all of that because that's the type of man he was all those years ago.

And his thanks? Pushing up daisies to help sell a house.

If I had my way, I'd uproot every buried St. Joseph, clean them up and find a prominent spot for each - as a reminder of what it means to be a good father, husband and Christian.

Because St. Joseph was all that, and more.

You can be sure.

davejolivet@anchornews.org

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MARCH

16, 2007

'I'm sorry' One of the first things we learn is to tell others "I'm sorry" when we've hurt them by our actions. Sometimes we are told to apologize when we didn't mean to hurt another or didn't realize that we had.

When we think of this we realize that we are all t?ngaged in reconciliation in our daily lives.

We apologize to our parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, etc. What happens when we apologize? We accept responsibility for our actions, seek to correct the wrong. We seek to move forward in the relationship. There are times when we get stressed out when we recognize that we've done something wrong and know we must apologize.

What will the person's reaction be? Have I lost a

friend? I'm such an idiot. And unconditional God's love and what happens most of the time? mercy are. Human thinking The relationship becomes justifies the older brother's objections. In the parable of the stronger.

So it is with the sacrament of Prodigal Son, the younger reconciliation. We accept responsibility, seek to correct the wrong, and roily of the Wee move forward in our Fourth Sunday relationship. In fact, our ~ I t relationship with God " ',- ~.In-I!oen becomes stronger.

In an earlier chapter in Luke, we hear Peter tell Jesus, "Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man." I think brother had taken advantage of that sentiment is very common. the father's love and generosity.

We are so embarrassed or He had turned his back on his disappointed in ourselves, we family and had deeply hurt those are afraid of being told that "uh who love him. Certainly oh, you have done the sin that forgiving the younger son is a God doesn't forgive." good thing, but, the view of the The Gospel this week gives older son, and I suspect most of us an example of just how us, is there should be some

~.

conditions on his return. The father teaches his older son, and us, just how great forgiveness is meant to be. The young son's desire to return to his family is a sign of his heart and mind being open to changing his ways. All God's graces need is an opening. Not only do the readings this week reassure us of God's mercy and forgiveness, we are also challenged to be forgiving to others as God is to us.

St. Paul reminds us that we are "ambassadors of Christ."

This implies more than simply belonging to a group of people called "Christians." As ambassadors we continue the mission of the Lord, proclaiming his Gospel and sharing his love with

others, unconditionally. We as ambassadors are confident that when one opens their heart to God's love, it begins a transformation that is deeper and more profound than any we can force or create ourselves.

The depth of God's love for each of us is beyond what we can imagine. When we sin, we tum from God, we beak our relationship with him. Reconciliation is an opportunity to reconnect ourselves to God and his love. His love is unconditional. When we seek reconciliation with God it isn't important what the sin was - it is important that we have a contrite heart and are open to his graces.

Father Frederici is chaplain at Cape Cod Hospital and in residence at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat,March 17, Hos 6:1-6; Ps 51:3-4,18-21b; Lk 18:9-14. Sun, March 18, Fourth Sunday of Lent, Jos 5:9a,IO-12; Ps 34:2-7; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15:1-3,11-32. Mon, March 19, Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary, 2 Sm 7:4-5a,12-14a,16; Ps 89:2-5,27,29; Rom 4:13,16-18,22; Mt 1:16,18-21,24aor Lk 2:41-51a. 'fues, March 20, Ez 47:1-9,12; Ps 46:2-3,5-6,8-9; In 5:1-16. Wed, MarCh 21, Is 49:8-15; Ps 145:8-9,13c-14,17-18; In 5:17-30. Thurs, March 22, Ex 32:7-14; Ps 106:19-23; In 5:31-47. Fri, March 23, Wis 2:1a,12-22; Ps 34:17-21,23; In 7:1-2,10,25-30.

Pope, Catholic media workers strategize on how to best use new media

By CINDY WOODEN CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY- Thkingadvantage of new media to spread the Gospel, the Catholic Church also has an obligation to point out areas where the media has a harmful effect, especially on children, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The pope called on media operators ''to safeguard the common good,

to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the farnilY:' Meeting March 9 with members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pope Benedict spoke of the benefits of greater access to quality entertainment, information and educational opportunities through the media

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But he also expressed concern to finding a real experience of the about the "increasing concentration" Church, Sister Zoebelein said, the ofthe media in the hands ofa few mul- Vatican's Internet office is running a tinational conglomerates and said that trial e-learning site. ''much of what is transmitted in vari"Perhaps the biggest reason for ous forms to the homes of millions of choosing e-Iearning is that young families around the world is destruc- adults today live and learn on the Internet more than any other particutive."

Strategies for using new technol- lar place;' she told the council. ogy to communicate the Gospel mesThe topic chosen for the first course sage and for counteracting the nega- was the meaning of suffering, using tive impact of the media dominated Pope John Paul II's 1984 apostolic letthe council's March 5-9 meeting. ter along with "photos, music, images, U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley, questions and additional reflections;' council president, told members that she said. the Church must fulfill its responsiBut unlike most Internet courses, bility to share with all people ''the mes- theVatican proposal includes regularly sage of their origin in God, their des- scheduled face-to-face meetings of tiny with him in heaven and their re- participants. ''The anonymity of the Internet demption in Jesus Christ."

The problem, he said, is that the must at some point lead to the desire message of salvation "must compete and opportunity for an actual human with thousands of other messages - . encounter," Sister Zoebelein said.

The hope, she said, is to use the messages that perhaps appear immediately more appealing or more tempt- ''virtual'' community created through ing." the Internet ''to nourish the actual comU.S. Sister Judith Zoebelein, a munity" and a desire to participate in Franciscan Sisterofthe Eucharist who parish life. works in the Vatican's Intemet office, Irish Archbishop Diannuid Martin said the Church must expand its pres- of Dublin said diocesan newspapers ence on the Internet. But it must do so and contact with religion reporters in a way that helps lead people from a from secular newspapers continue to ''virtual'' experience offaith and com- be important ways for the Church to munity to a personal encounter with get its message out and "on the public the Lord and participation in a parish, record." she said.

But because newspaper readership The Vatican's Website has helped is shrinking, he suggested the Church people who were already part ofa real invest in professionally organized focommunity connect in a virtual com- cus groups to study how much of the munity with the Vatican, accessing Church's message is being heard and documents and even sending email by whom..

Archbishop George H. Niederauer greetings to the pope, she said.

The next step must be using the of San Francisco told the council that Internet to reach those who are not part "one size does not fit all" when comof any concrete community, she said. municating in the modem world; the In an attempt to ensure that an Church needs specific projects aimed Internet search ofthings Catholic leads at the young, the elderly, active Catho-

lics, the alienated and those who are indifferent.

And, he said, the council should act as a clearinghouse for the best Church communications practices.

Bishops from Africa, Asia and Latin America urged the council not to assume their people have the same kind of media access that people in Europe and North America have.

Radio is hugely important in Africa; the Internet is dominating the media scene in much of Asia; and Latin America still has a stable television audience.

Tony Spence, director and editor in chiefofCatholic News Service, also encouraged the council to support research on what is being done and what is working.

He told the council that a recent survey demonstrated that adult Catholics in the United States have access to Catholic media and use it on a regular basis, although there is much room for improvement.

And while the Internet "gives new opportunities for a tried-and-true medium such as print to reach new audiences;' it is not without its problems, particularly because "good scholarship and good journalism can be eclipsed by punditry and misinformation disguised as an authentic voice in the Church:' Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director ofthe Vatican press office and Vatican television center, outlined several communications priorities, including efforts "to make the pope's thoughts and the position of the Church known in the Muslim and Arab-speaking world."

He also suggested the Vatican form a small group of consultants to help it evaluate the mountain of requests wanting to interview the pope.

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Celtic wisdom for dummies 16 March 2007 - Port-OCall: Armagh, Northern Ireland - Eve of the Feast of St. Patrick Call it an ethnic weakness.

Tomorrow I'll devour heaping helpings of Chef Jeff's corned beef. (Jeff has an Italian surname.)

Maybe I'll wear green shoelaces. One St. Patrick Day, they served us seminarians green beer. They used too much food coloring. We had gre 7n lips all week. I don't drink green beer, but I do have Irish in me: on one side, the McGoldricks of Counties Roscommon and Lietrum, Clan of O'Rourke; on the other side, the Thompsons and Revells, County Waterford.

Here I stand in St. Patrick

Cathedral, Armagh, in the Province of Ulster. Like Rome and Fall River, Armagh is built on hills. St. Patrick Cathedral occupies one of them. On a

nearby hill is yet another St. Patrick Cathedral. One is Catholic, the other Anglican; believe it or not.

The Catholic Church existed in Ireland (Eire) before St. Patrick's arrival. Eire was never conquered by Caesar's armies.

Consequently, the church in Eire didn't use the Roman administrative model of dioceses. It was structured around scattered monastic communities. A bishop who bore the aristocratic title Patricus ("The Patrician") came to introduce centralized church administration.

Pope Celestine did send a missionary bishop to Eire in 431 but his name is recorded as "Palladius." Nobody really knows what became of Palladius. Maybe St. Patrick is Palladius; believe it or not.

When Celtic tribes migrated to Eire from somewhere near the Black Sea, they found the country already occupied. The indigenous people were smaller

Living single and celibate in God's service This is the third in a series of columns on Catholic vocations, and what parents can do to help .children discern their vocation.

Last week I introduced the idea that as Catholics we are all members of the Body of Christ, the Catholic Vocational Village, and discussed the lay vocation of marriage and family life.

In our village there are two other vocational states: remaining single and celibate, and entering consecrated life. In these two categories there is some overlap, but here I will consider members who are not ordained and who have professed vows of a religious order.

Those who have this vocation can be as different as night and day. Some members have official names like cOllSecrated virgins and hermits, yes, these still exist. Some have official duties like those within personal prelatures and the permanent diaconate for those who are not yet married. Members without official names include missionaries who remain single in order to serve God in ways or locations where they could not also care for a family, men and women who struggle with samesex attraction, but who choose to live a chaste life, and adult children who remain unmarried in order to care for their parents or other relatives.

Because this is not my particular vocation, I asked Jean Revil, a friend who has been called to this vocation, to share what it is like. Revil is a lay missionary who ministers at the Dartmouth House of Corrections, gives retreats and talks

around the diocese, is the campus minister at Bishop Stang High School, and is an Oblate of St. Benedict. She shares these insights, "I do consider my single lifestyle to be my vocation. I've always had a great need for quiet and time apart ... maybe that comes from growing up with eight people in a house with one bathroom. I think when I was a child, I just

assumed that I woula one day grow up, fall in love, marry, and have children. As I became more mature, 1began to realize that I just didn't feel called to. marriage and parenting. By the timel was 30 or so, I was very sure that being a single woman gave me the things I needed plus a great deal of freedom to serve others in ways I might not have been able or willing to if! were married or had children. The vocation of the single life is definitely not for everyone. A,lot of people think that loneliness would be the biggest drawback ... but that's not it at all! Being alone does not equal being lonely. Loneliness is a human condition regardless of your state in life. Probably the biggest drawback is finances.

Rent or mortgage expenses are the same if one person or. three people are in the house. But being single means one income.

The greatest benefit for me is the freedom ... not freedom to

do whatever I want for me, but the freedom to be more available to others."

The Apostle Paul lived a single, celibate life. He enjoyed his vocation so much that he strongly recommended that everyone consider such a life.

Holy Scripture and Catholic Tradition both support singleness as a calling and a gift from God, offered to some people in order to build up the Body of Christ.

So, how can we parents encourage our children to consider whether God maybe calling them to the single and celibate life?

The fitst thing We can do is to teach them to live chaste lives as teens and young adults, Teaching.our children self-discipline in the face of sexual temptation When ther are young giyes them the freedom to consider the vocation of Ii single celibate; it also prepares them to live all other Catholic vocationS, where there' is Ilever,a place fQf self-centered sexualitY. We can demystify this vocation for our children by including single and celibate members of the Catholic Village . in our family life. We Can let adult children know that both God and we value them and their work intheitcurrent state' of singleness, instead of pressuring them about getting married or becoming a-pro~ fessed religious.

Next week, we will take a look at the li:ves of professed religious women.

Heidi and her husband raise their five children in Falmouth. homegrownfaith@yahoo.com.

in stature. They dwelt in forest encampments. They wore green as camouflage. The original inhabitants eventually lost the land to the Celts andsubsequently grabbed their pots of gold and went underground.

These leprechauns are never far away. Follow the rainbow. Their encampment mounds still dot the Irish landscape. Irish call them "faerie raths."

Why did Patrick use a shamrock to explain the sacred Truth of the Trinity? He knew what people said: legrechauns used a cloverleaf to discern fact from fable. Leprechauns may be Wee and Gentle Folk but beware !I of their shenanigans;, They are also tricksters; belieye it or not.

Patrick had been born and raised in that part of!lthe Celtic world that used the new Roman II system of dioceses. He had also spent time as a yout~ in Eire, a servant tending his master's II sheep. He escaped. He returned as bishop with the t~sk of, well, tending the Master's' sheep.

Why did St. Patr~ck choose Armagh as his episc'opal seat?

One of the seven hills of Armagh was occupi~d by Navan Fort (Emain Mach.) Navan Fort was the earliest political, cultural, and spiritual capitol of II Ulster. It was the ancient seat of the king of Ulster and his royal court of poets and scholars. The High King occasionally came from Tara to Navan ,Fort.

Conversely, each prbvincial king kept a residence at Tara. The I kings feasted on salinon, venison, fowl and p'rime rib.

Kings never ate the lowly corned beef of the very poor.

From his cathedral, St. Patrick could see Navan Fort and the kings could see the cathedral. When the kings lit their ceremonial fires, St. Patrick kindled his Easter fire.

There would be a mighty contest between them. In 664, King Oswy of Northumbria called a synod at Witby and sided with the diocesan modell! of governance. St. Patrick won in the I end.

I I'm reading a bQok on Celtic II

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wisdom for dummies. Seems the kings of Eire surrounded themselves with the best and the brightest. They drew their counselors from those acclaimed for wisdom. There were three types of wisdom - wisdom from the past, wisdom in the present and wisdom from the future. There were consequently three types of wisdom-keepers.

The bards dealt with things past. They were not entertainers but conduits of Divine Wisdom.

These were the creative types.

Most were into poetry and music. They told the stories of the ancestors. They were teachers, speakers and wordsmiths. The bards remembered past events and recounted them. We would call them artists, historians, genealogists, and journalists.

Those gifted with the wisdom of the present were the intellectuals and administrators - the "thinkers." These were the scientists, lawyers, physicians, psychologists and philosophers.

They often gave spiritual counsel one-on-one as anamchairde (soul-friends.)

Lastly there were those who could predict which way the proverbial wind would likely blow. These were mystic dreamers and visionaries futurists. They were the intuitive types.

All wisdom-keepers had what the Irish call "The Gift." Some were stronger in one area, some in another. Few were gifted in all three ways. Irish call such a person samildanach (scholar of many talents). St. Patrick was a samildanach. He was a poet, an administrator, and a visionary.

Nobody can say he/she has "The Gift." Somebody else has to. say so. This week, tell a priest of his giftedness - even if he's Polish, Hispanic, French, Portuguese, or something else.

Everyone's "Irish" tomorrow; believe it or not.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Bernard Parish, Assonet.

StBernardAssonet@aol.com.

Previous columns are available at www.StBernardAssonet.org.

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North Attleboro woman supplies 'weapons' to combat-evil worldwide

Chaplain says people must keep up support for troops in Iraq

FRANKFORT, Ill. (CNS) - Support She retired seven years ago after working as a medical secretary/ from people in the U.S. is important to the NORTH ATTLEBORO - People allover the world are thankful ,assistant for a doctor in Cumberland, R.I., for 13 years. She is a gradunation's troops who are serving in Iraq and for the work of Anita Abdou, a parishioner at St. Mary of the Irn- ate of a secretary school in Boston and worked for several years as an must continue, especially for soldiers "in maculate Conception Parish. Thanks to her efforts as coordinator of FBI typist in Boston before the birth of her first child. "My two sisters, harm's way," a military chaplain told a conits Rosary Society, nearly 5,000 rosaries are sent out each year to brother and I attended Blessed Sacrament Church and faith was algregation in the Diocese of Joliet.

Father John Hannigan, a priest ofthe Chibelievers around the globe. ways an important part of my family's life. I pray the rosary often and cago Archdiocese, has been has been on Those receiving rosaries include adults and children from Haiti, always did when I was younger too. We grew up listening to Cardinal Uganda, New Guinea, Central Africa, .-~-----------------, Richard 1. Cushing speak about it and the leave from active duty since January, but India and the Philippines. They are derosary became close to my heart." before that he had been stationed in Iraq since the early days of the war. livered to men and women in prison as It is no wonder then that Abdou bewell as service men and women fighting came involved in the Rosary Society. ''RoHe would travel every day in convoys with American soldiers along desert roads, in Iraq. They are also taken up by first A'l.cll1jrPer,~oll oftile Week saries are not hard to make," she asserted. dodging bullets and roadside bombs with his Communion and confirmation classes.

"But it takes a lot ofhands to get all these The 65-year-old Abdou has been prorosaries done. We're thankful for all those comrades while evading rocket-propelled grenades.

I gram coordinator since 2005 and is that are involved and we hope to get more The priest's mission was to boost the , happy to be involved in such a positive involved in the society."

I project.

The group has a list of those in need i spiritual drive of the infantry Marines sta''It's nice to be able to make a differof rosaries and are contacted if more are I tioned within a 30,000-square-mile region stretching across Baghdad and Fallujah to ence," she declared. "It's great to bring a needed. Some of the 12 society memdevotion to the Blessed Mother to others bers also make rosaries at home. Fund- I the borders of Syria and Jordan.

The U.S. Navy commander who is a Maand help spread the Catholic faith to ing for supplies and postage comes from I people all over the world." parishioner's donations and the rine Corps chaplain relied on donations from The Rosary Society began at the parWomen's Guild. people stateside - including members of St. Anthony Parish in Frankfort - to secure ish in 1994 and twice monthly the group "It is something I look forward to. rosaries, Bibles, medals and other religious gathers in the parish center to string the People have sent us letters and they all items for the troops. colored beads and crosses. They make say similar things - we are so happy to He paid a visit to the parish in mid-Febreceive the rosaries. A letter arrived from rosaries of many bright colors and Abdou ruary to express his thanks. says children tend to like those best. The Father Processus Mutungi in Bokoba, Members of the parish's Knights of Corosary makers are in the process of comTanzani. He expressed thanks for the rolumbus donated $2,000 to help provide the ing up with a non-reflective rosary for saries and wrote, 'The rosary is still the troops in Iraq with spiritual items, said Bill soldiers out in the field. weapon against evil in these difficult Mech, a member of the council. ''Making these rosaries is a way to put times that we are living.'"

In an interview with the Catholic Exone's faith into practice," said Abdou.

Abdou also thought that was true and "We always begin our meetings with ,\_- 2 said the letters and thanks the society replorer, Joliet's diocesan newspaper, Mech said the Knights learned that Mary Becker, prayer and everyone enjoys being a part ceives is motivation to keep doing what a member of Infant Jesus of Prague Parish of this group. It's really wonderful and they do. "I hope our work continues to in nearby Flossmoor, was in close contact we have a fun time together."

Mike Gordon photo grow and we continue to get donations," with Father Hannigan, helping him garner Abdou and her husband Louis have she said. Father Costa blesses the rosafunds to pay for such items. lived in North Attleboro for 30 years and DECADES OF DEVOTION - Anita Abdou displays ries at weekend Masses and they are sent have been parishioners at St. Mary's for some of the many rosaries she helps make and out in packages of 60. In a typical month ' So the Knights approached her and ofas long. They will celebrate their 38th send around the world. they send out 600. fered to donate money for the effort, Mech said. year of marriage in September and have "Anita is a very active and faithful In the meantime, youngsters from St. three adult children, Peter, David and Nicole. When she is not mak- member of St. Mary's," said Father Costa. "She is always willing Jude Parish in New Lenox made corded roing rosaries or employing her husband to help bring them down to and generous in her giving of self." saries for the troops, said Becker, who also the post office, they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.

Abdou also attends First Friday adoration each month at the parattended the Mass in Frankfort.

Born in Jamaica Plain, Abdou was surprised upon being named a ish and has been doing so for 10 years.

Students of Noonan Elementary Acad, Person of the Week for The Anchor. "It's an honor," she said as we sat "It's open 7 a.m. to midnight:j.Ild I usually go from 6-7 p.m. It's a emy, a private Catholic school in Mokena, in her dining room. She showed me the many rosaries they are pre- good time to reflect and pray and think about what's going on in your also wrote letters to the soldiers. Becker sent paring to send out. life. It brings you closer to God." She is also a member of its Women's the items to Father Hannigan who distrib''I! keeps me busy," she added, "but now that I'm retired I can do Guild. "We wrap presents at Christmas and bring in guest speakers, uted them to the troops, she said. more for the Church." and it's been a place where I've developed a lot of friendships. It's a Ordained in 1976, Father Hannigan That includes bringing nice outlet," said Abdou. served as an associate pastor at three parthe Eucharist to several AsIleft,Abdouencour- : ishes in the Chicago Archdiocese before homebound parishioners aged me to come to the robeginning his career as a military chaplain each week and assisting as sary society some time and in 1990. an extraordinary minister state9, ''We're always lookFather Hannigan explained that military of holy Communion at ing for new helpers." chaplains are responsible for strengthening Mass. "I have been doing If you'd like to be a part the morale of ,the troops and are stationed that for four years now ' of the Rosary Society, it across battle lines. and I enjoy the visits. It meets from 1-3 p.m. on the Enemy forces understand the positive imalso helps our pastor Fasecond and fourth pact chaplains have on the lives of the solther Dave Costa."

Wednesday ofeach month diers, he said, so chaplains are targets along Abdou路 became inin the parish center. They with combat commanders, communication volved in visiting the are always looking for new officers and physicians. homebound several years hands to help their cause.

He noted that there are 75 percent fewer ago when former pastor The Anchor encourFather James Fitzpatrick ages readers to nominate Catholic priest chaplains than Protestant sought volunteers to make othersforthe Person ofthe , chaplains serving the Marines. Those numWeek - who and why? bers are similar in the other branches of the visits. "When you share Submit nominations at our military, he said. conversation with those email address: "We are winning in Iraq. We're making you visit you realize how . theani:JulI'@an headway. Those aren't just empty words. very grateful they are for ROSARY RALLY - Children in India eagerly reach for rosaries supplied or write to The Anchor, the company. It's been re- through the efforts of Anita Abdou from St. Mary's Parish in North Attleboro. P.O. Box 7, FallRiver, MA The American public needs to hear that. warding for me," she said. (Photo courtesy of Anita Abdou) 02722.

And, the Iraqi people really appreciate our presence there," he said.

By MIKE GORDON, ANCHOR STAFF

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treat;' declared Lucca ''It's aphenomenal experience for all involved."

Noone said that the young people II attending these retreat weekends are ''the future of the Church." She was a student at Bishop Connolly High school when she attended YES! ReI' treat in 1995 and has stayed involved in the program during sdbsequent years. 'The,sacramental focus is great and it helped me understand the sacraments in my own life. Students Who participate leave on Sunday happier and closer to God. I can't say enough about thejob the staffand ~ucca have done through the years." .

FatherJeffrey Cabral will celebrate a 4 p.m. Mass at St. Julie Billiart Parish this Sunday to mark the anniverI' sary ofYES !Retreat. He attended the very first retreat and was a senior in high school at the time. ''I was unsure of my fu~ at that YESIINDEED -

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point in time, but the Yes! Retreat helped put things into perspective. I'm very happy and honored to be a part of this celebration. They gave a lot to me."

Young people who attend YES! Retreat are changed in many ways. ''We hope they develop a closer relationship with God and a better understanding of themselves and their Catholic faith," concluded Lucca. ''YES! Retreat is an affirmation ofthe yes they made at confirmation."

To mark the anniversary, the YES! Retreat board is inviting all past team members and candidates to an anniversary liturgy to be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. Julie Billiart Parish. For more information on YES! Retreat visit the Website: www.fallriveryouthministry.org/ yes/htm. Retreats are held in the spring and fall.

Participants of a recent Yes! Retreat work on a group project.

Yes! Retreat celebrating 15 years of making a difference

By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF

SWANSEA - YES! Retreat has been helping bring young people closer to Jesus for 15 years and one of its founders, Frank Lucca, took time recently to look back on its history.

'Tve seen the positive impact it has on young people through the years and we hope it continues-for many more:' said Lucca YES! Retreat is a post confirmation retreat program sponsored by the Diocesan Office for Youth andYoung Adult Ministry. It is a mixture of faith study centeredon the sacraments, talks and social activities that allows attendees to leam and grow in their faith together. It's a weekend filled with prayer and fun. In its 15 years, there have been 22 retreats and more than 650 candidates have participated.

According to a YES! Retreat description, ''It provides young people, who are seeking a closer relationship with God, with an opportunity to encounter him through the sharing of sacraments, fellowship, a study of themselves and their relationships with others in community and finally a closer relationship with Jesus Christ."

Lucca has been involved in the pr0gram since it's inception and said, ''I hear and see how excited young people are to be at aYES! Retreat. I've seen many lifelong friendships develop. It brings an awareness ofone's faith and that it's OK to be an active follower of Christ sharing with others his love and message."

The retreats are action-based and the idea is that young people will take the knowledge and experience they have back to their parishes and more young people will get involved. ''I wrote the program and developed it and have been pleased with its progress through these years said Lucca ''We have a board that makes

changes as needed, but the core of it has remained the same. ''It's been successful because of the great people involved. They have been very dedicated to it."

The idea for the retreat came from a request. 'There was a need to do a retreat for young people looking for a closer relationship with God, specifically those coming out of the Chris-' tian Leadership Institute and one that . would help make an impact on parish youth groups:' he said.

The original program was put together by Lucca, Mary Golden, Lisa Kelly and Chris Coons and since its inception it has 'been centered on the sacraments. Lucca is directing YES! Retreat No. 23 this weekend at the Family Life Center in North Dartmouth. There are 30 candidates participating and five adults and five young adults will be on team to give witness talks and help facilitate the weekend. Long-time YES! Retreat team member Mary Noone will codirect. Team members meet for five formation sessions prior to a YES! Retreat weekend. Previously it was held at Cathedral Camp in East Freetown. ''I'm excited to return as director:' asserted Lucca ''We never change the main part ofthe program, but with the team itself, participants and the influence of the Holy Spirit it is always unique."

The board ofdirectors Luccachairs includes: Elena Sardinha, Anne Andrade, Chad D'Adamo, Deacon Mike Guy, Diane Zine, Chris Creighton, Andrea Guy, Stephanie Morgado, David Carvalho and Crystal Medeiros. ''It should be a nice experience and 1'mlooking forward to having it at the Family Life Center and being on board as a co-director," said Noone. "One of the most exciting things for us is that we're at full c~jlCity: It makes a big

impact on young people and it's great to see so many enthusiastic about their faith."

Oaire M. McManus, diocesan director ofFaith Formation, praised the program and thought the idea ofbuilding upon the commitment young people have made at confirmation to be an important one. .. ''WithYES! Retreat, the diocese is providing an evangelical tool in a youth ministry program that builds on what young people have been leamTHE CLOCK IS TICKING - Young people celebrate the SOO-day ing in their parish:' said McManus. countdown to World youth Day 2008 outside St. Mary's Cathedral '''That's important." in Sydney, Australia, March 2. Mark Vaile, deputy prime minister of She went on to say, 'They are do- Australia, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney and Auxiliary Bishop ing a great job withYES! Retreat and Anthony Fisher of SYdney, all at center, participated in the celebrawe're delighted with the program. It's tion. (CNS photo/Darilir Govorcin, Catholic Weekly Sydney) quite an accomplishment to be celebrating 15 years and is a great exOpen House· February 24 ample of how laity collaboratively lOa.~· to 2 p.rn. works with the catechetical offices of the diocese."

Lucca is not surprised at the success ofthe program. ''I saw something good in the original program and I am glad to see it celebrating IS years." He is thankful for the "many years ofsupport oftheYouth Ministry Office:' and added he hopes to always be involved mtUl1\'S rua;" ttl' ~".;:, txl\'i:~'y~~~t'lll~UK.~:."IlW:il...a~hlO 'It.w in it. tlt':'IL'llt:n h,,,,, '" lL.i!v;~ l'} 'l:~ \~y-::'!.t~;s ~£'ii~Jd<ctflHt':;swi\u.iJ":''0 X~t.li':;cl) The structure of YES! Retreat int'~li S\.'f~~ \\~ t\b.~ tJ~\,-~;':}'~ ~ Qe~'t2~~'«)tr.Itit."7"/~fli.""", cludes 10 talks over the course of the IL-dlt\.~ c..ocl Ii ~ ~ c..'b ~~~~ ~ l\\w~i1i..-!l~tltL'Wfti:ii.'-'1l. ~TtIlni':':1.

Ol!\tI3';I\t'itiltl,1O ~~J~~~t'ft!Jt'!J~~'t:l~~ik!itita.t:JJJ'Ii~cl ~~ weekend. Team members share their IlktiO tB bll\..i1~ retreat stories with the group and topics touch upon all the sacraments. One . :.... \ adult and young adult team will speak l' l ~.j,<~J;" j\~t~';"~,~1 A \ ", ~""""'4"1\"h..i+.'.y" .~.,.,.t on baptism and self-image another will I \ speak about the Eucharist and comt \,Ii;' '-~,' ,~.h~1.~,~, .".\.,.,;1\': munity. Mass will be celebrated on ,. Wl.·.i.., \ -ih Saturday night by Father Thomas E. I l' ~ '......h.. ".1h ~,;,),.l Costa.

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Activities on the retreat include a variety ofice breakers and team building projects. Family and friends also help out by submitting letters and small gifts for the candidates who re- ' ceive them during a special part ofthe weekend ''We're very happy with YES! Re.<""

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LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY - Tabu, Kal Penn and Jacinda Barrett star in a scene from the movie ''The Namesake." For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules on this page. (CNS photo/ .Fox Searchlight)

NEW YORK (CNS) - The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"The Namesake" (Fox Searchlight) Superb, beautifully acted overthe-years saga about Indian newlyweds (Tabu and Irrfan Khan) who emigrate to New York to start their life, and the joys and vicissitudes which follow, including the son (Kal Penn) who grows away from them. Director Mira Nair's adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's acclaimed novel holds your interest right up to its two-hankie conclusion, and though there are a few uses of the "s" word, and some low-keyed bedroom scenes with brief rear nudity in one of them, this is highly recommendable for upper teens and up, for its poignant affirmation of family, respect for one's parents, and embracing one's heritage with pride. Partially subtitled. A few crude wor4s, brief teenage drug use, brief sexual encounters - a couple without nudity, one a premarital

MARCH situation with rear nudity - adultery, fleeting images of dead and injured after a train wreck. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Ultimate Gift" (Fox Faith) Modern-day parable about a self-absorbed young man (Drew Fuller) who, to inherit his tycoon grandfather's (James Garner) fortune, must first accomplish a series of tasks intended to teach him sig: nificant life lessons. His learning curve is accelerated by a plucky, terminally ill girl (Abigail Breslin) and her single mom (Ali Hillis), whose gift of friendship provides the catalyst for his eventual transformation. Director Michael O. Sajbel's heartfelt adaptation of Jim . Stovall's novel avoids excessive sentimentality as it imparts positive messages about gratitude, forgiveness, family and altruism that overcome its uneven script and some average performances. Mature thematic elements, some brief violence apd a few instances of crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is An - adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG - parental guidimce suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

16, 2007

"300" (Warner Bros.)

Noisy, testosterone-charged telling of the legendary battle between ancient Sparta's meager 300 soldiers led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) against the vast Persian army headed by the fearsome Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), while Sparta's queen (Lena Headey) futilely attempts to sway a corrupt politician (Dominic West) to bolster her husband's troops. With Frank Miller's graphic novel as a springboard, director and co-writer Zack Snyder takes a highly stylized approach - most of the film is shot in sepia tones, with the impossibly buffed soldiers facing off against digitalized weapons, creatures, and seemingly thousands of Persians soon grows tiresome, though the pervasive battlefield violence is somewhat tempered by the often artful cinematography. Much slowmotion fighting with bloodshed, impalings, and decapitations, an adulterous episode with an implied rough sexual encounter, brief upper female and rear nudity, innuendo, some exotic dancing with a lesbian kiss during a brief orgy sequence, skimpy male attire throughout. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R - restricted.

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

DVD/video reviews NEW YORK (CNS) - The following are capsule reviews ofnew and recent DVD and video releases from the Office for FtIm & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops.

"Crossover" (2006) Urban drama about lifelong Detroit friends Cruise and Tech - a collegebound basketball prodigy (Wesley Jonathan) with med-school ambitions and a high-school dropout (Anthony Mackie) with dreams of his own who enter an underground "streetball" tournament run by a smooth-talking promoter (Wayne Brady) to dethrone the league's Cocky star player (phillip Champion), jeopardizing Cruise's promising future. Written and directed

by Preston A. Whitmore n, the film is commendable in its endorsement of education and integrity over money and fame, but, some energetic hoop sequences aside, the effort is weighed down by a trite, tired and predictable script. Some sexual content, including a subplot involving an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, lewd dance and cheerleading moves, suggestive wardrobe, sporadic crude language and humor and an instance of profanity.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcastingclassification isA-ID - adults.

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) ''Gandhi'' (25th Anniversary Edition) (1982) Superb portrait of India's great .-

political and spiritual leader comes to daughter. The film represents a laidlife in Ben Kingsley's authoritative, yet back change of pace for both Crowe sensitive performance. Director Rich- and director Ridley Scott, but though ardAttenborough's epic-sCale produc- old-fashioned romantic comedy is all tion re-creates Gandhi's life and times, too rare, the often lame humor and especially his use of nonviolence and workaday script, adapted from Peter hunger strikes to bring together the Mayle's book, make for indifferent diverse peoples of India and unify . viewing. Frequent conversational them as a nation. Though its scenes of expletives and some profanity, a violence are not for children, the nongraphic premarital encounter, movie's vision ofjustice and peace is some crass humor and innuendo. The for everyone else, especially young USCCB Office for Film & Broadcastpeople. Attenborough provides a fea- ing classification is A-ID - adults. ture-length informative commentary (20th Century Fox Home Entertainon this splendid two-disc, anamOlphic ment) set, while the packed second disc con"A Man for All Seasons" (Special Edition) (1966) tains nine well-produced featurettes, Engrossing drama ofthe last seven interviews with Attenborough and Kingsley, the latter discussing the role years in the life of Sir Thomas More, that made him a star, and vintage news- lord chancellor under Henry vm who reel footage. The USCCB Office for met a martyr's death rather than comFilm & Broadcasting classification is promise his conscience during a peA-IT - adults and adolescents. (Sony riod ofreligious turmoil. Robert Bolt's Pictures Home Entertainment) script is masterfully directed by Fred Zinnemann, with a standout perfor"A Good Year" (2006) Picturesque, leisurely paced com- mance by Paul Scofield in the title 路edy about a career-driven British bond role, among other notable perfortrader (Russell Crowe) who inherits a mances from a uniformly fine cast. dilapidated chateau and vineyard in The historical dramatization France where as a child he had spent achieves an authentic hurnan dimentime with his raffish uncle (Albert sion that makes its 16th-century Finney). He decides to sell the prop- events more accessible and its issues erty, only to fall for the charms of the more universal. Profoundly enterlocale and a pretty cafe owner(Marion taining but perhaps heavy going for Cottilard), while a young American .children. The handsome anamorphic (Abbie Cornish) shows up and an- DVD features a good 18-minute nounces she's the uncle's illegitimate featurette on More, though no other

extras. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I - general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G - general audiences. All ages admitted (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). ''The Prestige" (2006) Convoluted thriller about rival magicians (Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman) in Victorian England who stop at nothing to sabotage (and steal the trade secrets of) the other after the accidental death of the latter's wife during a theatrical stunt. Director Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel is, thanks to the self-serving characters, more unpleasant than intriguing and all the

double-dealing grows tiresome, despite the flair of the two leads and the estimable support of Michael Caine as a retired conjurer and Scarlett Johansson as the romantic love interest ofboth. Some violence, including drownings, a suicide and a hanging, and some crass words. The goodlooking anamorphic DVD includes a multipart feature entitled "The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan," featuring a lengthy interview, plus a stills gallery showcasing the film's period visuals. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-IT - adults and adolescents. (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, March 18 at 11:00 a.m.

Scheduled celebrant is

Father Kevin J. Harrington, pastor of 51. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Bedford

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Popular preacher will take year off from !traveling ,

By PATRICIA KASTEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

APPLETON, Wis, - The popular preacher Father John Corapi, well-known to audiences of the Eternal Word Television Network and Relevant Radio, has been traveling the country since his 1991 ordination by Pope John Paul IT. But he is quitting the travel later this year to take a year off and stay home in Montana. But he is not retiring, he told a group of 1,400 people at St. Pius X Church in Appleton Despite rumors to the contrary and speculation about his successor, "I will definitely say that I'm not absolutely finished with traveling. Somebody's going to see me somewhere' again before too long," he told an enthusiastic audience.

Father Corapi, a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, was in Appleton in early February.

In an interview with The Compass, newspaper of the Diocese of Green Bay, he noted how his 2007 senes of talks differs from those in the past. While he has usually spoken on one topic - ranging from the catechism to the Eucharist - now tie is letting the audience choose the topics.

While some speakers shy away from question-and-answer sessions, Father Corapi relishes them, considering ,them "a very fruitful way" to conduct seminars. For every question asked, he said, he knows there are many other people listening who were afraid to ask the same question.

In 16 years he has heard hundreds of questions, he said, and 95 percent of them fall into the same three qr four categories: liturgical questions, moral issues about what to do in tough situations, the scandals that have surfaced in the

Church in the last fiv~ years, and Church teachings and questions arising from the Second Vatican Council.

While many in his audience - and he readily admits that he is invited to speak by a particular type of audience would see many t~ings from Vatican IT as mistakes, he pre-

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fers to call them "misinterpretations."

He rerniJds his audiences that Vatican IT was a good thing.

"It was a: great blessing; it was the Holy Spirit at work in the Church; Sometimes people attribute negative things (to the council) and you have to clarify that," he said.

Father C'orapi, who himself has a history of both success and failureifrom gaining millions of dollars in real estate to being penniless, homeless and addicted to cocaine, has two I approaches to such questions. If someone asks a question about something such as limbo or the existence of purgatory, he gives th~m the basics of Church teaching.

For the lJ.arder questions, like moral issues and or what to do when a child wants to get married in a park instead of a church, the' answers are not quite as clear or easy.

"You try to give them some guidance to make their own decisions," the priest said. "I basically tell them, 'You don't want to give scandal, but you don't want to not love your children.'"

Many of the questions he hears will no doubt appear in one of the books he intends to work on in his year or so off the road: "100 Most Commonly Asked Questions" for CathoI: lics.

Besides several books, Father Corapi will work on some new TV series - he did five new shows in 2006 - several radio projects and add to his Website, www.fathercorapi.com.

He wiq wrap up 2007 - he has speaking engagements planned though August - by letting people ask questions.

"A queStion is a sign of intelligence," he said. "It's a sign you want to know something."

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WILL STAY BUSY - Father John Corapi, a noted speaker and author, speaks during a 2006 conference in Schererville, Ind. (CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Northwest Indiana Catholic)

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Study finds one-fourth of Catholics reading their dio~esan newspaper

By JERRY FILTEAU CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE WASHINGTON - One-fourth of U.S. Catholics contacted in a national survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate had read their diocesan newspaper at least once in the previous six 'months.

By contrast, only one percent of the Catholics surveyed had tuned in to a diocesan radio station in the same six-month period and only two percent had watched diocesan television in that time, it said. Most dioceses do not have radio or TV stations.

Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they had read one or more national Catholic publications within the previous six months.

Twenty-eight percent said they had watched a religious or spiritual TV program in that period, 28 percent said they had read a religious

or spiritual magazine or newspaper, 12 percent said they had listened to a religious or spiritual radio program and 11 percent said they had visited a religious or spiritual Website.

Older Catholics and those who attended Mass more frequently were more likely to read their diocesan newspaper and other Catholic publications and were more likely to tune in to TV or radio programs of a religious or spiritual nature. o Of the 25 percent of Catholics who said they had read their diocesan newspaper within the previous six months, nearly half said they typically read it weekly or several times a month. About one-fourth read it once a month and the rest more rarely.

CARA said that at the time of the study 43 percent of U.S. Catholics lived in dioceses with weekly newspapers; 31 percent in dioceses

Diocesan Newspaper Readership In the last six months have you read your diocesan newspaper?

Once a week Few times a month Once a month Few times a year

31% 15% 23% 27%

Sotuce: Center lor Applied Researd1 in tile Apostalate 02007 CNS

with biweekly papers; 17 percent in dioceses with monthly or bimonthly publications; the remainder in dioceses with no publication or a publication that appears less than 12 times a year.

CARA is a nonprofit Catholic research agency based at Georgetown University. For its study it surveyed a sample of 1,260 self-identified Catholics who were 18 or older to measure their media use and their awareness of the U.S. bishops' Catholic Communication Campaign.

The study, commissioned by the Departrnent of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was completed in 2006 but the 76-page report, "Catholic Media Use in the United States," was only released March 6 of this year.

CARA conducted the survey for the study in the fall of 2005 through Knowledge Networks, which has assembled a large national sample of households.

The study found that slightly more than half those surveyed subscribe to a secular daily newspaper (44 percent) or buy one daily or almost every day (nine percent).

Twenty-three percent said they buy the daily paper occasionally or !1P to once a week, and 23 percent said they never buy it.

Older respondents were more likely than younger ones to read the local daily paper and their diocesan paper.

The differences were more striking when readership was compared with Mass attendance. Of those who attended Mass once a week or more, 57 percent said they had read the diocesan paper within the pre-

vious six months. Tha, dropped to 41 percent among those who attend I' Mass less than weekly but at least monthly, and to se~en percent among those who atten? Mass a few times a year or less. ., Five percent of alltespondents said they read a diocesan newspa-

per from another diocese in addition to or instead of their own.

Internet use for religious or spiritual purposes was not high in any single category, but among the 11 percent who said they went on the Web for such resources, it appeared many used it several ways.

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I 14 Rights

$ .The Anchor $ Tell," in Bay Windows, a Boston gay advocacy newspaper.

Some Massachusetts communities have similar practices. In one controversy publicized last fall, Emer O'Shea of Newton did finally remove her daughter from public school. The child's thirdgrade class learned about transvestites and transsexuals from a former board member of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a group "committed to raising awareness of and combating homophobia in the schools."

"These kinds of problems are somewhat inevitable, given what the court in Massachusetts has done on 'gay marriage,'" said Professor Dwight Duncan of Southern New England School of Law in North Dartmouth. Parents should work to defend marriage and push for a stronger parental notification law, he said.

State-funded school advocacy programs got a boost from the Massachusetts Legislature when"it quadrupled the 2007 budget to nearly $2 million for "outreach to" and "support and safety of gay and lesbian students." Lawmakers also created a permanent Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth, which has since independently added Bisexual and Transgender to its title, according to Mass Resistance.

Introducing transgenderism" and homosexuality in the classroom is the goal of a newly formed educators' coalition called the Massachusetts LGBT Early Childhood Education Initiative, Bay Windows reported.

The coalition formed in Cambridge last June after Wheelock College first offered "Making Room in the Circle: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families in Early Childhood Settings" ages three to five. The course "challenges institutionalized oppression and heterosexual privilege."

Another "tool kit for gender identity activism in schools" available is "Beyond the Binary," a publication of the Gay Straight Alliance Network aimed at "transgender youth."

"Some parents are afraid to speak up," concluded Jed Snyder, pastor of Countryside Bible Chapel in Lexington and a supporter of the Parkers and Worthlins. "They hope to debrief their children at home."

Gail Besse is a Massachusettsfreelance writer.

She can be contacted at gailbesse@comcast.net.

Cardinal honored for immigration work WASHINGTON (CNS) - Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony was honored for his commitment to immigrants with the Public Service Award from the National Council of La Raza March 6.

In a ceremony during the organization's annual Capital Awards gala in Washington, Cardinal Mahony and two members ofCongress, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and

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16, 2007

4; The Anchor news briefs

Continued from page one

suit, which has already cost them $250,000 in legal fees. Wolf ruled the school was promoting "diversity" and not teaching sex education. He further said that if parents disagreed with the curriculum, they could remove their children from public school pr elect a different school board.

Public reaction was swift.

A Boston Globe editorial applauded: "The decision Wolf issued yesterday is based on earlier court findings that parents do not have a constitutional right to dictate what their children are taught in the public schools."

Brian Camenker of the Waltham-based parents' rights group Mass Resistance called Wolf's ruling "every parent's nightmare."

"We've received a lot of support from many people of different faiths," Tonia Parker said in a phone interview. A Baptist church in Texas adopted both them and the schoolchildren of Massachusetts in prayer.

Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in his online blog March 2, encouraged the couples to pursue their appeal, which was filed February 28. He wrote: "The disturbing part of this affair is that it underscores how, by redefining marriage in Massachusetts, people's religious rights are going to be challenged by the state. I think that people were very naIve saying that we can change the definition of marriage and it will not have any repercussions and will not affect anyone else's marriage or society as a whole."

Asked to comment, Lexington Town Counsel Kevin Batt said, "The school system has never meant any disrespect for religious views of parents, but does need to create at atmosphere of tolerance of diversity for children from all kinds of families."

David Parker said he has "never been motivated to bring down anyone's dignity." However, he said, "It's a fundamental and sacred right of parents to be the primary directors of their children's moral education." He thinks that point has been eroded incrementally. "It's been a slow process where the boundary has crept over the years."

Seven years ago Lexington brought in Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender :'diversity trainers" to show teachers how to integrate gay-friendly topics, according to a June 2006 article, "Show and

MARCH

Faith leaders, parents urge Congress to expand children's health care WASHINGTON - Jesuit Father John Baumann came to Washington from Oakland, Calif., in early March to tell members of Congress that "children are a gift from God and they deserve the blessing of good health." And he was not alone. Hundreds of clergy and parents from across the country were on Capitol Hill March 7 for a Faith and Families Summit organized by the PICO National Network, the community organizing network that Father Baumann founded 35 years ago.

The Jesuit is executive director of the Oakland-based PICO, which began as the Pacific Institute for Community Organizations but changed its name in 2004 to People Improving Communities through Organizing. The interfaith network now includes more than 1,000 congregations from 50 denominations or faith traditions, representing an estimated one million people in 17 states. About half of the members are Catholics, the priest said.

Extension Magazine marks centenary with great cover art of past CHICAGO - For 100 years Extension Magazine, monthly publication of the Catholic Church Extension Society, has entered the homes of Catholics, many of whom sent in donations to help the Church's home missions. For those old enough to remember, many of Extension's covers in the 1940s and '50s, painted by some of the leading artists in the heyday of magazine illustration, were celebrations of Catholic Americana done in a style reminiscent of the Norman Rockwell classics that graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. To mark its centenary year, the magazine is reproducing some of the best of those mid-century covers. Extension Magazine started reproducing the selected classic covers with its January 2006 issue and is continuing up to its April 2007 issue, when the centenary year ends.

More federal funding urged for umbilical cord-blood collection WASHINGTON - Lack of federal funding could jeopardize therapeutic advances made in using umbilical cord blood for curing diseases, said Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. Doerflinger told Catholic News Service that the bishops supported the 2005 law which authorized funds for collecting and storing cord blood and for the establishment of a National Cord Blood Inventory which would enable doctors to match patients with compatible donors through a centralized computer data bank.

Although the 2005 law authorizes $15 million per year from 2007 through 2010, Congress has to approve the funding each year. For fiscal year 2008, which begins in October, the Bush administration budget proposes only $2 million in funding. "We were active in supporting the underlying legislation and we are in favor of full funding," Doerflinger said March 7 after attending a briefing organized by Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ., the main sponsor of the 2005 law. Smith called on his congressional colleagues to approve the $15 million permitted by law.

Pennsylvania is latest state to approve 'Choose Life' Ucense plates PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania has become the latest state to approve the use of a "Choose Life" specialty license plate. The plates were approved last November and became available for purchase in January. The cost per plate is $40. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation receives $20, and the other $20 is an annual membership fee in Pennsylvania Choose Life. Every year, when people renew their registration, they will receive a reminder from the Pro-Life organization to renew their annual $20 membership. Pennsylvania Choose Life will administer the funds it collects, using the money to support women in crisis pregnancies. Money collected in each county is to go to "crisis pregnancy centers located in those counties," said Mary Wurtz, the organization's administrator.

U.N. women's group's work not yet complete, Vatican nuncio says UNITED NATIONS - While lauding the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for adopting resolutions on ending female genital mutilation and addressing forced and early marriage, its work is not complete until it also addresses "the important issues of prenatal sex selection, infanticide and son preference," said Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer to the U.N. "The practice of sex selective abortions is not a new practice. The international community has raised this issue during the major conference on women.

Even recent reports by the U.N. secretary-general have continued to raise this as an issue of concern that must be addressed," said Archbishop Migliore in a March 7 statement. "Despite its importance, the Commission on the Status of Women has remained silent on prenatal sex selection, infanticide and son preference;' he added, saying "the time has come" for the commission "to break the silence on these important issues." In a separate March 7 address during a U.N. debate on the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, Archbishop Migliore touted the use of microfinance, the practice of lending small amounts of money to women to start businesses.

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$

The Anchor

4;

'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' spring flower show at CMH runs from March 21-30 FALL RIVER - The annual spring flower show at Catholic Memorial Home, 2446 Highland Avenue, will run from March 21 through March 30. Visiting hours for the show themed "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," are 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

This year's show celebrates the arrival of spring and combines the beauty of flowers with the magic of an American classic - "The Wizard of Oz." Join Dorothy and her friends - the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz. Let your spirits be lifted as these beloved characters travel to the Emerald City looking for the all-powerful Wizard - all this while spnng unfolds before your eyes.

"Rainbows, lollipops and ribbons of color create a

Life

magical world - the world of OZ. This year's show is especially important to theActivities and Grounds department staffs, as they have developed more programs for residents to express their creative and artistic skills and talents, resulting in residents creating and designing some of the scenery for the show.

All are invited to join in the celebration of this fourth !J.11I1ual spring spectacular '" and remember what the good witch said: "Click your heels three times and say, 'There's no place like home.'"

For more information contact Mary Jean Storino, Therapeutic Activities Director at Catholic Memorial Home or call 508-679-0011.

Continued from page one

FRIENDS OF OUR ~DV - Active and auxiliary members of the Desrosiers, director of the Pro-Life of Hopedale to Ethiopia and Addis not helping her decide.

Diocesan Legion of lVIary gathered at their annual ceremony to re"I realized, as my husband reApostolate.

Ababa - one of the poorest counnew their dedication to our Lady as they continue to work for the "Maureen and J ames tries in the world - in April 2004 minded me, that we can only grow good of souls, at St. ~ary's Cathedral on March 4. Bishop George Remillard were selected this year to adopt five-year-old orphan closer to the Father by making W. Coleman presided at the ceremony. Guest speaker was Father because of their service to the Surafel, now named Nathan, these difficult risky decisions of Philip Hamel, pastor Qf New Bedford's St. Joseph-St. Therese ParGospel of Life. Also their lives whose parents died of AIDS, our own free will." Each week she ish and spiritual director of that parish's Legion of Mary praesidium. portray a genuine celebration of while Jim cared for the children and Jim listened intently to the lit- (Photo by Eric Rodrigues) urgy at Mass ~d to the sermons. the Gospel of Life in the extraor- already at home, is intriguing.

I dinary ability of their family to That two, white, fair-haired "Christ's message was clear adopt children and to offer them and unaccompanied women and consistent: Love one another; unconditionally the fullness of would successfully venture into a take care of one another; and their family life and their love," destitute, disease-wracked coun- hadn't God already sent two anDesrosiers added. try with a high crime rate and little gels from Korea?"

NORTH DARTMOUTH - The known and recognized as "GodThe Remillard's courageous security, to save - and adopt and Their doubts faded, In January communities of the qommunion with-us." When a person encounters and undeterred efforts to build a save a child shows the protecting 2004 the couple submitted their and Liberation Movement from the and adheres to Christ present among family, at great cost and personal power of God. application for SUFafe1.

Fall River Diocese will be sponsor- us, there is a movement of converstruggle and sacrifice has the So is another risky April 2004 "Still I prayed for an angel to ing a book presentation of "The sion and witness which tends to .--...., appear before me. Was I be- Journey to Truth is an Experience" leave its mark on the environment makings of a classic.

In a story, "Adopting A n - . ing truly faithful or simply by Msgr. Luigi Giussatu. This pre- in which that person lives. CommunPro-LIfe essay winners to foolish?" Maureen recalled. sentation will take place March 22, ion and Liberation is now present in gels," written in December 2004, Maureen wrote: "AIreceive awards at Mass As in every great story, at St. Julie Billiart Parish Hall, 494 more than 70 countries around the Slocum Road. Presenters will be Dr. world, and was recognized by the though we had already been NORTH DARTMOUTH _ The winning there is a happy ending. blessed with four birth chil"And now my angel ap- John Sbrega, presiderlt of Bristol Pontifical Council of the Laity as a essays in the recent Pro-Life contest will be read pears to me each day with c Community College, Claire universal association of the Chrisdren of our own we had reand their authors will receive awards from his (three) sister-angels," McManus, director of faith Forma- tian faithful of pontifical right in alized that God's plan for us Bishop George W. Coleman on Monday, March said Maureen. "For Surafel tion for the Diocese of Fall River, 1982. was to continue to grow our 26, during an 11 a.m., Mass in St. Julie Billiart in Amharic means 'Sera- and Father Michael drvill, pastor family. We believed our minSbrega is also a member of the Church in North Dartmouth. phim' who were the angels of St. Joseph Parish in Attleboro. New Bedford Workforce Investistry was to provide a home, There will also be the presentation of the and to be parents to children John Cardinal O'Connor annual Pro-Life award that appeared to Isaiah hov- The presentation is free of charge, ment Board and the Bristol Workforce Investment Board. He is who had lost, or never had, a Lto- Jim and Maureen Remillard of Falmouth. ering above the throne of and all are invited to ~ttend.

-.I family of their own."

God." "The Journey to Truth Is an Ex- involved with the New Bedford In November 1996, Along with Maureen, an perience" is a translation of Msgr. Youth Council, and is a member of through the adoption agency Wide trip to Ethiopia to adopt Selem on-call maternity nurse at Giussani's early w9rks on the the board of directors for the Fall Horizons for Children, the Surafel's 12-year-old sister, who, Falmouth Hospital, the characters Christian experience, 'written from River Chamber of Commerce, and Remillards adopted five-month- Maureen said, "I knew I could not in this marvelous non fictional . 1959-64. It begins wi~ a guide on the United Way board of directors. old Kaitlin In Yung from Korea, leave behind." story include her husband Jim, an how to live the ChristiiID life within McManus' diocesan duties enand in October 1999 adopted 10But as a maternity and emer- information systems manager for the Student Youth community, fol- compass the offices of Religious month-old Meghan Jee Soo, also gency room n.urse, Maureen re- Associates of Cape Cod in lowed by a call to base one's rela- Education, Adult Education and from Korea. called "My mind swam with con- Falmouth, and who teaches Reli- tionship with Christ oy. the example Evangelization, and Youth and Since they were in their late . flict and uncertainty. Was it wise gious Education at Christ the set by the Apostles and other fig- Young Adult Ministry. She also is 40s, "We recognized that adopt- tobringablackchildofunknown King; their son Ryan, 25, a U.S. ures in the New Ii Testament. the director of Religious Education ing another infant might not be in heritage and history into our al- Marine stationed in Tunisia; Giussani concludes by outlining the and High School YoutJ'l Ministry for the best interest of the child as the ready hectic, chaotic family?" He Colin, 23, a senior at St. Anselm's movement's mission and the possi- St. Christine's Parish in Marshfield, child approached adolescence," spoke Amharic, but no English. College in Manchester, N.H.; bility for community, charity, and and has been active in coaching Maureen explained.

This boy (Surafel) was apparently Erin, 19, who attends Curry Col- communion in the Christian life. basketball and soccer for the youth And because many countries born while his mother was suffer- lege; and Ian, 14, wh~ attends The essence of the charism of of Marshfield. had restrictions based on the age ing from AIDS. "What if this child Heritage Christian Academy in Communion and' Liberation, Father Carvill is a priest of the of the parents and the number of was himself affected with HIV? Falmouth. founded by Msgr. Gidssani in 1954 Fraternity of St. Charles Borremeo.

Also, Kaitlin, 10, and Meghan among high school students in The Fraternity was founded in 1985 children already in the family, the What if my children, exposed to couple's decision to adopt an this child became infected with eight, who also attend Heritage the Milan, Italy, is the almouncement and was born of the charism of CL's I older child was solidified.

HIV or some other exotic African Academy; Selem, 16, who will that God became man and is still founder, Msgr. Luigi Giussani and The quest led to Ethiopia, disease or parasite?" enter Bishop Stang High School our companion through our com- is built upon the pillars of common where, because of poverty and Maureen and Jim looked for in North Dartmouth, next year; munion with him and with one an- life and mission. Father Carvill predisease, many older children were guidance:" ... at least some small and Nathan Surafel, who is eight, other in the Church. I viously served as chaplain at sign that this was what God and continues studies in his first without parents.

This communion is the source of UMass-Dartmouth, and currently The story of the trek by wanted us to do," She became ir- formal school years also at Heri- true freedom, from which comes the assists as chaplain at Sturdy MemoMaureen and her sister Jill Shedd ritated and frustrated with God for tage Christian Academy. missionary passion ,that Jesus be rial Hospital in Attleboro.

Communion and Liberation Movement to sponsor book presentation March 22

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YOUTH PAGES ,

MARCH

16, 2007

Connolly freshman awarded Prevost Alumni scholarship

ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE - Officers of Bishop Feehan's French Honor Society pose with gloves given by an anonymous donor for the Attleboro school's Mitten Tree Service Project. From left: Amanda Barile, Huy Nguyen, Dan Clarke and Emily O'Sullivan.

FALL RIVER - Alyssa Oliveira, a freshman at Bishop Connolly High School, is the recipient of a $1,250 renewable scholarship from the Msgr.

Prevost High Alumni Association for the current academic year.

All told, five students are receiving Prevost scholarships amounting to $5,250.

Oliveira, the daughter of Paul and Carol Ann Oliveira, is a graduate of Notre Dame School in Fall River. She is in the honors program at Connolly and a member of the varsity basketball and soccer teams.

Prevost scholarships are awarded to relatives of alumni of the all-boys school which graduated classes from 1938 to 1972.

Financial aid awards are restricted to students entering a Catholic high school anywhere.

Oliveira's grandfather, Roger

Guerette, is a member of the Class of 1950.

The Oliveira Family includes two other children, Kelsey and Kyle. Paul and Carol are active supporters of the parish and regularly work BINGO socials.

ALYSSA OLIVEIRA

A COMMUNION OF SAINTS - Second- and fourth-graders at Holy Name School, Fall River, get ready to give reports on various saints to their peers in the school's auditorium. Each dressed as a saint and shared information on her or his life.

WELL EDUCATED - Senior Katherine Rosario of Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth, receives congratulations from Academic Principal Mary Ann Miskel, upon being named a scholar finalist by the College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Program.

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SOME OF NEW BEDFORD'S FINEST - These'first-graders at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in New Bedford get to see what its like aboard a fire truck during a recent field trip to Station No.6.

Students visited with firefighters and learned about fire safety. From left: Isabella Andrade, Kaitlyn Duarte, Gillian Long and Alexis Medina.

GO WITH THE FLOW - Fourth-graders Colleen O'Dwyer and Matthew Mello from Espirito Santo School in Fall River prepare a poster for a project they have been working on about inventions.

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MARCH

'YOUTH 路.PAGES

16, 2007

Failing to learn

By CHARLIE MARTIN - CATHoLIc NEWS SERVICE II

SNACKS HEADED FOR IRAQ - Alyssa Verde, Mitch Kositzky and J.T. Rotcoff, members of the Junior High Youth Group at Holy Spirit Parish in Winfield Township, Ind., fill mailing boxes March 3 with items for military personnel serving in Iraq. (CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Northwest Indiana Catholic)

Youths say care packages give troops a little bit of home WINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ind. (CNS) - Sgt., 1st Class Gary Kinney called it "efficiency in action" - an assembly line of junior high youths from Holy Spirit Parish preparing care packages for military personnel serving in Iraq.

For the third consecutive year the junior high youth group prepared packages containing food, reading materials and toiletries for military personnel.

Kinney, a member of the National Guard who served one year in Iraq with the 113th Engineering Battalion, addressed the parish

youths before they prepared more than 50 packages for mailing. "I know what it's like to be overseas," said Kinney, noting that those packages from home "definitely meant a lot to us."

Some of the three dozen parish youths who gathered March 3 at the church in Winfield Township filled out mailing forms; others wrote letters that went inside the packages; and the largest group filled packages with magazines, canned goods, tissues and wipes, socks, beef jerky, hard candy, gum, fruit snacks and powdered drink mixes.

LEAVE THE PIECES You're not sure that you love me But you're not sure enough to let me go Baby it ain't fair you know to just keep me hangin' 'round You say you don't wanna hurt me Don't wanna see my tears So why are you still standing here just watchin ' me drown Refrain: And it's all right, yeah I'll befine Don't worry' about this heart ofmine Just take your love and hit the road There's nothing you do or say You're gonQa break my heart anyway So just leave the pieces when you go Now you can drag out the heartache Or baby you make it quick Really get it over with and just let me move on Don't concern yourself with this mess you left for me I can clean it up you see just as long as you're gone (Repeat refrain.)

You're not making up your mind It's killing me wasting time I need so much more than that Yeah (Repeat refrain.)

Yeah Leave the pieces when you go Sung by Michelle Branch and The Wreckers .

Copyright 2006 by Maverick

What a different sound! I question might guide her to name the needs that are imporhad no idea I was listering to Michelle Branch until,the radio tant to her in a relationship.

DJ told me so. Branch has "When I began to feel reinvented her musicalII" career uncomfortable with his behavby teaming up with N~shville ior toward me, what did I do?" songwriter Jessica Harp to Did she clearly say that certain form the Wreckers. B~anch's ways of acting were not new pop/country soun,d is acceptable or did she avoid this reminiscent of groups,llike the so as not to cause conflict?

Dixie Chicks. Just out is "What were the enjoyable "Leave the Pieces," the title parts of the relationship?" Most song off the Wreckers' debut relationsh~ps meet some needs disc. for each person. It is helpful to The song is an anthem to recognize what was good even leaving a less-than-satisfying when a relationship ends relationship. The girl in the poorly. song tells her now ex-boy"What lessons do I most friend: "Don't worry about this want to remember for future heart of mine, just take your involvements?" All of us learn love and hit the road." Why as we go. Our lives include their relationship is ending so mistakes that become lessons poorly is not revealedl~ but for us. The only real mistake is clearly the girl wants 'Out. She to fail to learn. tells the other person:'i "You're As she explores these gonna break my heart anyway, questions, she will recognize so just leave the piecds when . significant "pieces" of who she is. you go."

She may have made a Gaining clarity ab6ut her own well-being means listening mistake by getting involved in to her feelings. Appafently, she this relationship, but healing has decided she will hot accept awaits her. As she moves on, they way this guy treats her. she will possess the most .

Her resolve is commendable. important gift: herself! And she She will need to draw upon it in needs to know that God walks the days ahead. One place to with her.

'I ' start is to explore what led her Your comments are very into this relationship~ She can helpful and appreciated. learn more about herself by Please address: Charlie asking: ': Martin, 712.5 W 200 S, "As I started to d~te this guy, Rockport, IN 47635, or email: what was I looking f~r?"

This chmartin@swindiana.net.

I II

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Searching As some of you路read this, 35 of your teen peers and nine adults are living the YES! Retreat at the Family Life Center in North Dartmouth. A YES! Retreat in March is a wonderful experience as the weather is often changing enough that we get some wanner, sunnier days. It is also Lent and that gives us all an opportunity to consider where we are in our relationship with God and with others. "Springtime" in the relationship with our God and others is what the YES! Retreat is all about.

During the three days of the retreat, members of the team share, what we call, ourYES! stories. The purpose of these YES f stories is to help the teen candidates recognize that we all have highs and lows in our relationships with God and with each other, but that with the grace of God and the support of each other, we can say YES! to all that God calls us to be and do. In saying YES! we are then called to bring our God to others through our actions and our words.

As I write this article, I am in the process of reading these YES! stories that the team will share on the weekend These are very personal stories of life, faith, perseverance and love that will help frame the discussions on the weekend.

During the team preparation for Yes! the directors assign these talks to the team. While the content of the talks is structured content, what the team members brings to the talk with their personal witness is what makes the talk the talk. I believe very strongly that the directors have very'little to do with the actual choice of who gives what talk. I believe that the Holy Spirit influences the directors in a way that the right talk always seems to go to the right person. In the 15 years ofYES ! Retreats, I can't recall a time when' the person given a talk wasn't the right person to give the talk.

When the talks were assigned last month, I recall watching the team as they anticipated which talk they would receive. I've been in that situation many times as many of you may have. I remember sitting at many a team meeting praying that I Nor get a particular talk and sure as day, that's always the talk I got.

Sometimes I even tried to trick God by praying to get the talk I didn't want - sort of a spiritual reverse psychology - but that never worked either. I soon learned to just

shut up and wait.

As we assigned the talks, a few of the team groaned and we learned later that they had received the very talk that they didn't want to give.

What a surprise. God does have a sense of humor. It seems that when we receive a talk that we don't want,

it is and should be an opportunity for personal growth as we sometimes have to dig very deeply into ourselves to be able to share a difficult time in our lives. This can be very painful. Sometimes we would rather not confront these issues or demons in our lives and we surely don't want to share them with 40 other people. But with prayer and support we are able to tackle this and more often than not, we are able to share that in a very powerful way with the team and candidates on the weekend As I read these talks I am

astounded at what many of the team has been through. My life looks like a walk in the park compared to what many of them have been through.

My faith has never been tested as seriously as theirs has. Jam encouraged and grateful, however, that they have been abl~ to tum to I' .

God and to others and have been able to ~ in faith and love and have shrvived. I am so grateful that God has been there in their lives and has . helped them get through these difficult times. I am even more grateful that they are willing to share their story with the candidates. It is in that sharing many of the candidates will be deeply touched.

Many candidates will feel that particular talk is ~ especially toward them. In the end I believe and have experienced!the fact that every word and action on a particular weekend is said or done for the benefit of someone elk on the weekend And sometiines what we say or do turns out to be for ourselves. I believe that the Holy Spirit is there on the weekend, stirring things up and settling things down.

As we continue on this Lenten journey, perhaps we can take some 'I

time to look deeply into ourselves to confront those things that keep us from seeing God clearly. Perhaps we can attempt to write the YES! stories on our heart that we really don't want to look at or tell. I encourage you to search out and tum to others in faith to get the support that we all need to get through life. You don't need to be on a retreat to get support.

Thrn to your parents, teachers, youth ministers, priests and other adults.

Realize that there is nothing that God and you together can't get through.

I know that I will have the awesome privilege of spending three days with 42 people this weekend I know that we will all grow in faith. I know that we will experience a little bit of heaven where we will experience the unconditional love of our God and each other. I also know that on Monday, we will all be back in our very difficult world albeit better equipped to make it tlirough thanks to the sharing of each other's YES! stories.

Frank Lucca is a youth minister at St Dominic's Parish in Swansea and choir and a director oftire YES! Retreat and tire director oftire Christian Leodership Institute. He is a husband and afather oftwo girls.

I 18 Agencies

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''humanitarian reasons" because they were determined to be the sole support of a child or children, the whereabouts of 62 more is still being determined.

All are expected to appear before an immigration court within days, likely for the beginning ofdeportation proceedings.

On Monday, the first court appearance for some of the detained immigrants was slated to be held in the Federal immigration court ~ Boston, reported Father Marc Fallon, a caseworker for CSS. He was to drive a 15passenger van carrying families ofthe detainees to the hearing.

But the biggest concern from the local community has not only been of families torn apart, but of the hurt to children, many of them placed in limbo in the aftennath of the raid that swept up their parents. Some youngsters returned home from day care and school to find parents missing.

According to the Department of Social Services, there reportedly are 13 children with sole caretakers in Texas. 1\vo of another 13 children unaccounted for include a 16-year-old and an infant only 18-months-old.

Most are U.S. citizens because they were born here. The DSS also reports some children needing special medications. One also needed a feeding tube, reportedly a seven-month-old baby hospitalized and for pneumonia ~d dehydration after being without is mother for two days. Landlords have taken in children whose parents are detained and some missing. Reports of no food and need for diapers also were coming in.

Because many families were split by with parentS held in detention, the outcome caused a ''humanitarian crisis:' advocacy workers told the media It found Church and local advocacy groups as well as relatives and landlords pitching in.

It was reported Monday that Congress will probe the sweep by federal agents and New Bedford police on the three-story factory that houses Michael Bianco Inc., a manufacturer of military back packs and protective gear with nearly $100 million in governmentcontracts. It employs approximately 500 workers. It is still operating.

An investigation by the inspector general ofHomeland Security has also been asked.

Although the owner and managers were taken into custody and charged with allegations of intentionally exploiting the government by recruiting and hiring illegal aliens without authorization to work, and exploiting the work force with low-paying jobs and deplorable working conditions, the plant remains in operation.

An alleged provider of fraudulent identification documents including counterfeit green cards and Social Security cards was also arrested.

What the sweep also revealed were yester-century "sweatshop" conditions where workers were docked 15 min-

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The Anchor

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MARCH

16,2007

were unfolding, Massachusetts Gov. In a blog, Cardinal Sean P. assistance of inspectors from the DeDeval Patrick, who earlier had called O'Malley expressed concern for the partment ofDefense, the Social SecuContinued from page one for no more moving ofthe immigrant undocumented workers caught up in rity Administration, the Postal Service utes pay for every minute late or leav- detainees out of state, visited the hall the raid and held in facilities far from and the Massachusetts Insurance ing early; fined Jor talking - and and spent an hour listening to the im- Massachusetts as well as the welfare Fraud Bureau. sometimes fired; and fined $20 for migrant families stories. He called the of their children separated from them Allegedly the raid follows 11 spending more than two minutes in the raid "a human tragedy" and lamented by great distances. months of investigation that found at restroom - which were limited to one that immigration polices have "I have appealed to Sen. Edward least one undercover agent posing as roll of toilet tissue for an entire day, ''touched people very hard."

Kennedy and the head ofimmigration an illegal Mexican immigrant, hired which ran out in 40 minutes While he also complained of lack services to see what can be done ... as such, and working on the job, us''We first wanted to hear from con- of cooperation and communication so those families will not be sepa- ing a counterfeit green card. cerned relatives of those detained in from federal authorities, the latter have rated," he wrote.

Arraigned March 7 before U.S. the sweep so that attorneys present denied those allegations.

'This event underscores the great Magistrate Judge Leo Sorokin in Boscould determine who they were in orChurch officials too are deeply con- need we have for immigration reform ton, were: Michael Bianco Inc. owner der to assist them legally," FatherWJ.1- cerned and involved. in the U.S. In many areas of the coun- Francesco Insolia, 50, of Pembroke; son told The Anchor. ''We were also 'The Church never supports dis- try we do not have enough workers to plant manager Dilia Costa, 55 ofNew very concerned and wanted to find out obeying the law and those who break perform certain types of labor. Our Bedford; payroll manager' Ana where the children involved were ... it -like those who seek to hire only economy is dependent upon immi- Figueroa, 40, also of New Bedford; if they had been left with a father or a illegal immigrants and those who pro- grants. It is, therefore, important that and office manager Gloria Melo, 41, landlord. "We spent time with the vided false identification cards - and people be allowed to immigrate in an of Fall River. people. We celebrated Mass at 7 p.m., they should be prosecuted," asserted orderly and legal way so that they will They were charged with conspiron the day of the raid and we stayed Father John 1. Oliveira, pastor of Our have the protections that all workers ing to encourage or induce illegal open until about 11 p.m:' Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in the have. In that way, their human rights aliens to reside in the United States and The following day people were Whaling City. will be safeguarded." conspiring to hire illegal aliens. coming and going all day:' he noted. ''But what's important here is that The cardinal also said the New Insolia, Costa and Melo were reA press conference was held at 2 p.m. the Church's stance supports caring for Bedford situation was compounded by leased in their own recognizance. in the church hall. people hurting ... and seeing them the factory owner using the money Figueroa was released on a $25,000 ''We asked the government officials treated fairly, normally, with due pro- from a huge govemment contract ''to unsecured bond. Their probable cause to be morejustand we heard testimony cess and their human rights respected run a sweatshop in which the workers hearing is scheduled for March 26. from relatives and friends" ofthose cle- ... and for family unification. To say were treated very poorly."

They face a maximum sentence of tained, he said. "One man said that these illegal immigrants have no rights "In the past there has been too six months in prison and a $3,000 fine overall he was appreciative to the is wrong," he said. 'The Church also much exploitation ofworkers who are for each illegal immigrant they hired; people of the United States for how teaches that once here and no matter allowed to be in the country when it is as well as 10 years in prison or a he has been treated. But he added, 'If how they gothere, they must be treated convenient for us and then are often $250,000 fine if found guilty of conyou want me to leave, just give me with human dignity and respect:' he exploited orexpelled when it becomes spiracy to encourage illegal aliens to back my wife and I'll go.''' added. inconvenient. That is not a way to treat reside in the U.s.

Father WJ.1son said, 'The man was "If, as alleged, these workers were people. We are hoping that the U.S. Luis Torres, 45, of New Bedford, the father of an infant who needed his actually penalized for going to the Congress will approve comprehensive was charged with the knowing transfer mother present. He was in the process bathroom during their working hours and fair legislation that will take into offraudulent identification documents. of getting legal papers:' ... then it's a whole new issue, a labor account the needs for security and the He is being held in custody without bail . He said his Masses last Sunday, issue, which the Church is also very protection of workers' rights." pending arraignment. He faces a maxi''were more crowded than ever. He strong on, that the work place enviImmigration officials are report- mum sentence of 15 years in prison and talked ofjustice and peace ''takenfrom rooment should also respect human edly investigating the case with the a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Pope John Paul II's message from rights," Father Oliveira stated.

World Day of Peace in 1997." . Most of the 300 rounded up were Following Mass, people met with women - sewing machine operators, Continued from page one Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John saidAtty. Ondine Sniffen, a lawyer for F. Kerry, along with Congressman the Catholic Social Services office in for a response from the heart. Some with which immigrants are stricken are WJ.1liam Delahunt and Barney Frank. Fall River, who was called to the scene. people say that those people who have yet another reaso~ for coming gener'They didn't give speeches, but 'Those women who did not have responded to this humanitarian crisis ously to their aid.'

The members of the Catholic rather met in circles ofpeople and chat- a valid green card - or had a false are 'bleeding hearts' people who have ted with them to find out how they one - were restrained with nylon flex no respect for law and order. And yet, Church, along with other people of might help," the pastor said. cuffs. Approximately 200 women was not Christ the original 'bleeding good will, who have responded to this Delahunt blasted immigration of- were bused to Fort Devens in Ayer for heart?' Did he not love us sinners who crisis in New Bedford by reaching out to help with legal assi~tance, care for ficials for inhuman actions during the questioning and face deportation hear- broke the laws of God? The Church urges respect for minor children, counseling, food and raid. ings within a month, unfortunately 'This was a debacle. There was with rio legal remedy at hand;' she told civil laws, as Christ said, 'Give to clothing, have this perspective about Caesar what is Caesar's, give to God the living situations here and in the absolutely no reason for this raid to be The Anchor. conducted in this fashion," Delahunt Because reportedly some fathers what is God's.' Since the earliest home countries ofthese immigrants. I said. Kennedy, Kerry and Frank - who were also illegal immigrants times the Church has taught that we pray that all of us might deepen our agreed, saying it essence that it was "a - were also detained "indeed makes have a responsibility to obey legiti- understanding of this reality as we bungled operation" and "heavy it very difficult for these families," said mate authority, but it has also taught work together both to find short term that not all human laws are Just, and solutions to this crisis and long term handed."

Sniffen. ''We'll keep trying."

Teams were moving food and supHelena Marques, executive direc- that respect for the inalienable dig- solutions to the socio-economic conplies - including donated diapers tor ofthe ImmigrantsAssistance Cen- nity of the human person should al- ditions which have made our brothers into the former St. Hedwig's Church ter in New Bedford, went to the scene ways take precedence over any other and sisters feel compelled to come to New Bedford.

Hall adjacent to the Guadalupe Sis- after calls by affected workers' fami- duties.

I have invited pastors in the Fall In 1996, confronting the growing ters' Convent atAcushnetAvenue and lies.

Division Street on Monday morning. ''People were fleeing the factory situation of illegal immigration River Diocese to consider taking a "We need our (Our Lady of and running down to the beach. Many throughout the world, Pope John Paul collection at weekend Masses to help .II wrote, 'In the search for a solution those families affected by the raid.

Guadalupe) hall for parish uses," Fa- were frightened and crying:' ther WJ.1son explained. ''But agencies While she worried about those to the problem of migration in gen- Proceeds will be used to provide monsuch as the CSS and Department of taken away, "Our immediate and main eral and illegal migrants in particular, etary support for rental payments, Employment Security and the Mas- . concern was for the children," said the attitude of the host society has an which in most cases will not be sachusetts Immigration and Refugee Marques. Although her agency assists important role to play. In this perspec- unaffordable because of lack of inAssistance Coalition and other local only legal, pennanent aliens with food tive, it is very important that public come. Disbursements will be made advocacy groups will all be at St. and clothes, the fact that many of the opinion be properly informed about through our Catholic Social Services Hedwig's and the convent from 9 am. women taken into custody had chil- the true situation in the migrant's coun- office:' to 4 p.m., daily to assist those affected dren in day care centers and schools try of origin, about the tragedies inDonations nuzy be sent to the Diby the raid;' Father WJ.1son reported. caused concerns about who would volving them and the possible risks of ocesan Chancery Office, P.O. Box returning. The poverty and misfortune 2577, Fall River, MA 02722.

Last Saturday, even as the stories care for the children.

Help

MARCH

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16, 2007

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ATTLEBORO - A Divine Mercy holy hour is held each Wednesday following the 6:30 p.m. celebration of Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed during the holy hour.

For more information call 508-2225410.

NEW BEDFORD - Perpetual eucharistic adoration is held at Our Lady's Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street. For more information call 508-888-7751.

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;LectureslPresentations L

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ATTLEBORO - A Bible study on the Gospel of John is ongoing at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette. It meets in the Reconciliation Chapel each Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon through May 26. For more information call 508-222-5410.

CENTERVILLE - The Stations of the Cross will be prayed Friday evenings during Lent at Our Lady ofVictory Parish, 230 South Main Street. All are invited to join as members of its various faith community groups lead this evening of prayer. For information call 508-775-5744.

FALL RIVER - A contemporary Stations ofthe Cross, sponsored by the Notre Dame de Lourdes Women's Guild, will be held March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at NotreDame Church, 529 Eastern Avenue. For more information call 508-679-1991.

FALL RIVER - The seminar, Catholic Healthcare Givers: Making a Difference Through Creed, Code and Ceremony, sponsored by the Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, will be held March 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Saint Anne's Hospital.

Morning refreshments and lunch is provided. Five nursing contact hours will be awarded for this program. For registration call 508-678-2373

[Miscellaneous

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FALL RIVER - In observance of St. Patrick's Day, a prelude concert ofIrish hymns and folk tunes will be presented at St. Mary's Cathedral beginning at 3:30 prior to the 4 p.m. Mass tomorrow. Kathleen Brennan, harpist and Julie Hetu, flutist will also participate in the music during Mass. All are invited.

FALL RIVER - The Catholic television program "Good News For Life," sponsored by the Communications Department of the diocese, will present the next part in its Christian's Ask Series, "What is the Importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the Human Being," March 21 at 9:30 p.m. on the Portuguese Channel.

FALL RIVER - District I of the Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold a meeting on March 22 at 7 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish Hall.

Election of officers will take place.

MASHPEE - The Third Order of Carmelites of St. John ofthe Cross will meet Sunday following the 10 a.m.

Mass at Christ the King Parish. It includes study and prayer. For more information call Dottie Cawley at 508477-2798.

NEW BEDFORD - The Daughters oflsabella will meet March 20 at 7 p.m. at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. For more information

FALL RIVER -

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ATfLEBORO - Pro-Life advocates picket and offer prayers on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:309 a.m. at "4 Women's Clinic," at the corner of Park and Emory streets, where abortions take place on those days. Participants are needed to pray and picket to help save the lives ofunborn children.

EAST TAUNTON - The second annual Respect Life Conference will be held March 31 beginning at 8 a.m. at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue. Guest speakers include Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk and Linda Thayer.

It will conclude at 3:30 p.m. with a prayer service. For information call 508-8232044.

HYANNIS - The Cape Cod Pro-Life Group welcomes volunteers to pray the rosary on Wednesday mornings at 10 am. in front of the abortion clinic located at 68 Camp Street.

IRetreats NORTH DARTMOUTH - A Retrouvaille Weekend, offering help to couples experiencing trouble in their marriage, will be held March 23-25. It will focus on rebuilding marriage through better communication, listening and understanding.

For more information call 800-4702230 or the Office of Family Ministry at 508-999-6420 or visit the Website: www.retrouvaille.org.

ISocial E-vents

Father James

A. McCarthy, 88, a retired priest of

call 508-990-7595.

IPnrLife A~!Vitie~

19

Father James A. McCarthy, 88; former pastor of Falmouth parish

Around the Diocese ~ --."" c.,.. rE~ch;ri~ti~Adorati~~'

The Anchor ~

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FALL RIVER - SS. Peter and Paul School will host its third annual Benefit Brunch and Auction March 25, at White's ofWestport. It will be held from noon to 4 p.m., with a brunch buffet served from noon to 1 p.m.

The event will feature live and silent auctions, and a children's Chinese auction. For information call 508672-7258.

the Fall River Diocese and fonner pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Falmouth, died March 5 at the Catholic Memorial Home where he resided.

Born in Taunton, the son of the late Timothy J., and Mabel (Smith) McCarthy, he was a native of St. Mary's Parish, attended St. Mary's Grammar School and Msgr. Coyle High School in Taunton followed by attendance of one year each at Holy Cross College in Worcester and St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vt. He prepared for the priesthood at the University of Ottawa and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Md., and was ordained a priest on Feb. 24,1945 in St. Mary's Cathedral by Bishop James E. Cassidy.

He was a parochial vicar at St. James in New Bedford, Our Lady of the Isle in Nantucket, Holy Family in East Taunton, and Holy Name

FALL RIVER - John Perry, husband of Marie C. (Carvalho) Perry, and father of Father John J. Perry, pastor of St. Jacques and Immaculate Conception parishes in Taunton, died March 6, at home.

Born in Fall River, the son of the late John and the lat~ Mary S. (Souza) Perry, he had been a lifelong city resident, and was edu-

NORTH DARTMOUTH - Project Rachel, a ministry ofhealing and reconciliation for post-abortion women and men is available in the diocese. If you are hurting from an abortion experience and want help call 508-997-3300. All calls are confidential.

NORTH DARTMOUTH - The Diocesan Divorced-Separated Support Group will meet March 28 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center, 500 Slocum Road. It will include a presentation of the video, "Surviving Divorce."

Refreshments will be available. For information call 508-965-2919.

A.

MCâ&#x201A;ŹARTHY

-St. Patrick in Falmouth, where he served for 12 years until he retired June 28, 1989.

At various times he served as di-

cated in local schools. Before retiring in 1989, he had been a firefighter for the City of:Fall River for 27 years. He was also the owner and operator of Perry Barrel Co. and JMP Trucking, both in Fall River. .

Mr. Perry was a U.S. Army veteran and had served in Iceland. He was a member of St. Joseph Parish in Fall River, and was also a member of the Fall River R09 and Gun Club and the High Hill Fox and Coon Club.

Surviving in addition to his wife of 51 years and his priest son, are two other sons, Michael L. Perry of Somerset and Robert J. Perry of Assonet; a daughter, Nancy M. Blythe of Fall River; and six grandchildren.

His funeral Mass was celebrated March 9 in St. Joseph Church in Fall River. Burial was in St. Patrick's Cemetery.

The Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute in Fall River was in charge of arrangements.

SERVICE... By caringfamily and service-fami(v professionals

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~ illlillY:

Waring - Sullivan-

NEW BEDFORD - A Variety Show is in the works for May 5 at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. Entertainers are needed. For information call 508-985-9976

ISupport Groups

FATHER JAMES

ocesan director of the Deaf Apostolate and in several capacities on the diocesan Marriage Tribunal.

He also conducted a question and answer column in The Anchor.

In his retirement he assisted weekends at Corpus Christi Parish in Sandwich, and St. Theresa's Parish in Sagamore Father McCarthy had also served on the Falmouth Council on Aging and the Falmouth Hospital Board.

He leaves his sister-in-law, Mary Noonan McCarthy of Delaware; nieces, nephews, and grandnephews.

He was the brother of the late Edward F. McCarthy.

Bishop George W. Coleman was principal celebrant at Father McCarthy's funeral Mass March 10 in St. Patrick's Church in Falmouth.

Burial was in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Falmouth.

The Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Falmouth was in charge of arrangements.

John Perry, 78; father of Father John J. Perry

HYANNIS - Acclaimed folk artist Livingston Taylor will perform a concert to benefit Pope John Paul II High School onApri127 at 8 p.m. in the school auditorium on 120 High School Road.

For information call 508-862-6336 or visit popejohnpaulhighschool.org.

SOMERSET - St. John of God Parish Women's Guild will host its 36th annual Fashion Show presented by Dress Bam, Deb and Robert's House of Formals on March 28 at 6 p.rn. atVenus de Milo Restaurant, Swansea For information call 508-674-0246 or 508-678-5513.

and St. William parishes in Fall River. He was pastor at St. Dominic in Swansea, the founding pastor of St. John in Pocasset, and pastor at

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_!!! Your P~~y_~!S Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks March 20 Rev. Francis A. Mrozinski, Pastor, St. Hedwig, New Bedford, 1951 March 22 Rev. Joseph A. Martins, Assistant, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1940

Rev. James T. Keefe, SS.CC., Chaplain. U.S. Anny, 2003 March 23 Rev. James F. Kelley, USN Ret. Archdiocese of Anchorage, Fonner Assistant, St. Mary's Mansfield, 2002 March 24 Rev. John J. Murphy, CSC, Retired Pastor, Holy Cross, Easton, 2004 March 25 Rev. John J. Brennan, SS.CC. Retired Founder, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 1991

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SET TO SPEAK - Atty. Philip Moran, left, is the keynote speaker at th~ Fall Rive.r DCCW's annual convention in Taunton on May 5. With Moran IS FOX News personality Bill O'Reilly.

Fall River DCCW convention set for May 5 in Taunton TAUNTON - The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold its annual convention May 5 at St. Anthony's Church, 126 School Street. The theme for this year's event is "Because My Mother Said Yes." Bishop George W. Coleman will celebrate Mass for the attendees. The keynote speaker will be Atty. Philip Moran of Salem, a founding director and former president of Mass. Citizens for Life.

Moran is a graduate of the College of Holy Cross and Suffolk University. His affiliations include the Salem Conservation Committee and the National Right to Life Committee.

He is currently the director and president of the Pro-Life Legal Defense Fund and is the general counsel for the Catholic Alliance and is a member of the Pastoral Council for the Archdiocese of Boston.

Some of his many honors include "Who's Who in American Law," "Who's Who in the East," and Who's Who in the World," the

Ignatius O'Connor Award, the Gold Medal of St. Patrick, and the Family Faith and Freedom Award.

He was inducted into the Knights of Malta by Cardinal John O'Connor.

Coffee and registration will run from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m.

A business meeting will run conducted, and the Our Lady of Good Counsel ~wards will be given to unsung heroes from various guilds.

Mass will be celebrated at 11 :30 a.m., followed by a luncheon.

In the afternoon, several students from Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River will share reflections of their participation at the Pro-Life March in Washington, D.C. this past January.

Women from across the diocese are welcome to attend. For information, contact President Maureen Papineau at 508-2384824, or chairmen Adrienne Lemieux at 508-824-9395 or Emma Andrade at 508-822-0189.

DCCW guild presidents also have registration forms.

~AI~TS

OF THE DAY- A statue of St. Patrick holding a shamrock is seen inside St. Patrick's Church In. Victor, N.Y.. Legend says h~ us~d the shamrock to describe the Trinity to those he sought to convert.

HIS feas! day IS March 17. At nght IS a statue of St. Joseph holding the baby Jesus inside St. Peter ChaneI Church In Roswell, Ga. The feast of St. Joseph is celebrated March 19. (CNS photos)

CRS collection set for March 17-18 in Fall River Diocese FALL RIVER - The Catholic Relief Services collection, which funds five Catholic social ministry agencies nationally and internationally, is planned for March 17-18 in parishes across the Diocese of Fall River and the nation.

The agencies sponsor programs involving emergency relief, refugee resettlement, immigration, peacemaking, pastoral care and advocacy for justice projects.

Dates ofthe Lenten collection were announced March 5 in a joint statement by the U.S. bishops' Department of Communications and CRS. The statement said Catholics were being asked to see "Jesus in disguise" in the faces of the poor and hungry helped through the Church's interna-

tional social ministry. It said that more than 850 million people around the world are chronically hungry and that 15 million children die of hunger every year.

The agencies that receive money from the collection are: - Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc" which provides legal and support services to Catholic programs working in the U.S. with poor immigrants and people fleeing persecution or civil unrest; -CRS, the U.S. bishops' international aid and development organization, which provides assistance to people in 99 countries or territories; - Migration and'Refugee Services, the U.S. bishops' agency providing services to immigrants, refu-

gees, migrant workers, victims ofhuman trafficking and people on the move; - Social Development and World Peace, the department ofthe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that advocates on behalf of the Church on domestic and foreign public policy issues; - The Holy Father's Relief Fund, which assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.

In 2006, U.S. Catholics contributed $16 million to the collection, an 11 percent increase over 2005.

The collection was formerly known as the American Bishops' Overseas Appeal and has been held annually for more than 60 years.

Springfield vocation director to lead Fall River mission FALL RIVER - Father Gary , evening and the Father Dailey's Dailey, vocation director of the missi~n homily will be given within Springfield Diocese, will lead a city- the context of the Mass.

Born in Adams in 1959, Father wide mission from March 26 through March 29 at four Fall River parishes. Dailey has been a priest for 22 years Themed "In the Desert with and was instrumental in constructJesus, a Call to Conversion," the ing a perpetual adoration chapel mission begins at 7 p.m. on March with nearly 400 adorers. Dedicated 26 at Holy Name Parish, 709 in July of 2000, the chapel is still going strong.

Hanover Street.

He has been the vocation direcOn March 27 the mission shifts to Holy Trinity Parish, 951 Stafford tor for the Diocese of Springfield Road; March 28 at Good Shepherd since 2004, having served on the Parish, 1598 South Main Street; and Vocation Advisory Board for five March 28 at St. Anthony of the years prior to that.

Father Dailey was also a threeDesert Parish, 300 North Eastern Avenue. All sessions begin at 7 p.m. year member of the Diocese of and confessions will be heard on Springfield Personnel Board and March 28 at St. Anthony of the was director of Men's Ministry. He also served as chaplain of the Desert Church at 6 p.m.

Mass will be celebrated each Springfield Fire Department.

HERE COME THE BRIDES - A colorful display of wedding photos adorn St. Margaret's Church in Buzzards Bay at a recent Mass and reception celebrating the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage.

The event was well attended with couples honored by pastor Franciscan Father Francis de Sales and members of the Knights of Columbus.