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t eanc 0 VOL. 39, NO. 14
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Friday, ~pril 7,1995
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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State's bishops urge legislators to reject "Death with Dignity" bill
POPE JOHN PAUL II leads the 1994 Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum. This year's procession will be broadcast live from 3: 15 to 4:30 p.m. April 14. (CNS/ Mari photo)
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Bi~hop
The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts have sent a statement to members of the Joint Legislative Judiciary Committee expressing their opposition to House Bill 3173, "An Act to Allow Death with Dignity." It follows: ST ATEMENT TO THE JOINT LEGISL.ATIVE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE We write at this time to voice strong opposition to House Bill 3173 entitled" An Act to Allow Death with Dignity." We have decided to take this step because we fear that some of you, like so many others, could be misled by the euphemistic title given to the Bill and thus fail to miss its basic thrust. It must be made clear that its primary purpose is to permit physicians to assist terminally ill patients in acts of suicide. As religious leaders of a faith community, our objection to this Bill is rooted in several elements of biblical teaching: (I) that human life is a gift from God, who alone has absolute ownership over it; (2) that human beings have the obligation to nourish, care and protect
it; (3) that the Decalogue, which is binding on all human beings, forbids the direct taking of innocent human life be this done by oneself or by another. We also stand in opposition to this Bill as citizens of the Commonwealth. History has shown that once a society allows one individual to take the life of another based on their private standards of what constitutes a life worth living, even when there is mutual agreement, there can be no safe or sure way to contain its possible consequences. Killing, as one author puts it, is "a contagious disease." Human experience demonstrates that once it is legalized there is no way to delimit its arbitrary use and spiraling application. One has only to reflect on the Nazi Experiment and on a government report recently released from the Netherlands that more than half of the patients who died as a result of physician assisted suicide did so without informed consent. We are, of course, keenly sensitive to the fact that advances in medical technology are capable of
prolonging the dying process often far beyond what is reasonable. We also understand why this has led many people to fear that they will not be allowed to die with the dignity befitting a human being. The spectre of extreme pain and agony haunts many persons. Today, however, there are many means of palliative care available which will reduce pain in a licit manner. The Pope's encyclical reminds us that euthanasia is "false mercy" which in effect "kills the person whose suffering we cannot bear." (EV 66). In addition, we recognize that many health care professionals live in fear of being sued even when they legitimately remove treatment which offers no reasonable hope of benefit to the patient or becomes excessively burdensome. The legislation proposed by House Bill 3173 does not offer a legitimate solution to these problems. It seriously confuses the issues and renders them more problematic. Physician assisted suicide may provide what some would call "a quick fix" but what it proposes in Turn to Page 13
Robert Mulvee installed as Providence coadjutor
By James N. Dunbar PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS)More than 1,500 people filled Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral March 27 to celebrate Bishop Robert E. M ulvee's arrival as the new coadjutor bishop of Providence. Bishop Mulvec, 65, a look-alike for Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, has been a bishop since 1977 and had been bishop of Wilmington, Del., since 1985. In Providence he will assist Bishop Louis E. Gelineau, 66, who has been head of the Providence diocese since 1972. As coadjutor, Bishop Mulvee has automatic right of succession in the event of Bishop Gelineau's transfer, retirement or death. The Providence diocese, which covers the state of Rhode Island, is just one-fifth the area of the Wilmington diocese, but has more than four times as many Catholics. With nearly 650,000 Catholics in a total population of a little more than a million, Rhode Island has the highest percentage of Catholics in the nation. Four cardinals and 37 archbishops and bishops were among those present for the Mass and welcoming ceremonies. Bishop Mulvee was principal celebrant. In his homily he stressed the Second Vatican Council teaching that not bishops alone, but priests, religious and lay people "must cooperate in a common undertak-
ing with one heart, the saving mission of the church." He said that during a trip to Calcutta he asked Mother Teresa what advice she had for him as a bishop. Her answer, he said, was: "Bishop, stay out of God's way. Let God do the leading, especially if you don't know where the road is going." "It is very sound advice," he said. ' He noted that in the history of his former diocese, Wilmington, there have been two coadjutors: "The first one dropped dead after six months. The other succeeded to the see but only after the bishop turned 85. "So I suppose Bishop Gelineau's coat-of-arms, 'Rejoice in Hope,' might probably be mine," he joked. "He's probably Sitting there saying, 'The last time,they gave me an angel. Lord knows what they gave me this time,''' he added. Former Providence Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth A. Angell, bishop of Burlington, Vt., since 1992, was among those at the installation. Joking about the former auxiliary's more imposing physique, he said: "I want to publicly admit that Bishop Angell is a bigger man than I am. Not much 'rejoice in hope' there." Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin of Hartford, Conn. - whose ecclesiastical province includes the
Providence diocese - said he and Bishop M ulvee look so much alike that once at a convention Bishop Mulvee was ushered into a limousine that was meant for him, and he had to take a bus.
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"Later 'Bishop M ulvee told me, 'Thanks, Dan, for the use of your car,' " he said. Among those at the ceremonies were Cardinals Bernard F. Law of Boston, William H. Keeler of Bal-
timore, Anthony J. Bevilacqua of Philadelphia and James A. Hickey of Washington. Bishop Sean O'Malley headed a delegation of diocesan administrators in attendance.
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STUDENTS OF St. Patrick's School, Providence, greet Bishops Robert E. Mulvee (nearer camera) and Louis E. Gelineau. Note Bishop Mulvee's resemblance to former Fall River Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. (CNS/ Huntington photo)
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The Anchor Friday, April 7, 1995
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ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL Bishop Sean P. O'Malley will celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, with Deacons Michael Racine as narrator, Michael O'Hearn as Christ, and Antonio Lopez as other persons. EDDY BRAULT
Franco-Americans honor Eddy Brault Eddy Brault, whose fund raising endeavors have been a major source of support for Blessed Sacrament Church, Fall River, has been named Franco-American of the Year by The Franco-American Civic League. A Mass will be celebrated in his honor 11:30 a.m. April 23 at Blessed Sacrament, followed by a 1 p.m. banquet in the church hall, site of many of the parties he has organized over the years. Brault's dedication to worthy causes, combined with a knack for drawing a crowd with entertainers such as the Dick Pilar Orchestra arid Charlie Prowse, have been a boon for his parish and for other beneficiaries, including Saint Anne's Hospital, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop Home, the former St. Mathieu's parish and the rebuilding effort at Notre Dame parish. As always, though, "My church comes first," says Brault. Serving as president for¡ many years of Blessed Sacrament's Townsend Hill Men's Club before it disbanded, he then devoted himself to organizing church functions, including dinner-dances, "Polka Masses," a 20/20 Club and trips to such destinations as New York, Las Vegas and Montreal. He is also a regular collector at the 4 p.m. Saturday Mass-except when on one of those trips, of course. He is a Marian Medal recipient. One of 17 children born in Fall River to the late Joseph and the late Marie (Desmarais) Brault, he credits sisters Alma and Irene with assisting him with his efforts supporting Blessed Sacrament. He grew up in the parish and attended its school, retaining fond memories of his favorite teachers, Sisters of St. Joseph Emma Guenette and Mathilde Joseph Bessette, who moved from grade to grade along with his class. "They helped me so much," Brault recalls, explaining that they gave him special attention because he was hard of hearing. "I hope they are proud of me for the work that I have done over the years to help various parishes and worthy causes." After graduation Brault worked for 46 years at the Bourne Mill, starting as a sweeper at 35 cents an hour and progressing to the spool room. Then he worked as a cable specialist at Raytheon in Portsmouth, RI, from 1970 until his 1987 retirement.
At the Chrism Mass 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, Bishop O'Malley will be celebrant with Deacon Michael Racine as liturgical deacon, Permanent Deacoris Robert LeMay and Richard Murphy as bearers of the Oil of the Sick; Permanent Deacons Bruce Bonneau and Thomas Souza, Oil of Catechumens; Deacons Michael Racine and Michael O'Hearn, Oil of Chrism. The office of Tenebrae will be recited 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, with Bishop O'Malley as celebrant and Father Vincent R. Nagle as homilist. Bishop O'Malley will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper 7 p.m. April 13. Liturgical deacon, Mark Chmurski; deacon chaplains Joseph Blyskosz (Christ), Christopher Stanibula (other persons). On Good Friday, April 14, the Celebration of the Lord's Passion will be held at 3 p.m. with celebrant Rev. Msgr. George W. Coleman, VG; liturgical deacon Michael O'Hearn (narrator); and deacon chaplains Joseph Blyskosz (Christ) and Christopher Stanibula (other persons). . The Easter Vigil will be celebrated 7 p.m. Saturday, April 15, by Bishop O'Malley; liturgical deacon Michael Racine; deacon chaplains Joseph Blyskosz and Mark Chmurski. Easter Mass 10 a.m. April 16, telecast 11:30 a.m. on WLNE, Channel 6, with Bishop O'Malley as celebrant, liturgical deacon Michael O'Hearn; deacon chaplains Antonio Lopez and Christopher Stanibula. Concelebrants for Holy Week services will be Rev. Msgr. George W. Coleman, VG, and Rev. Horace Travassos, Cathedral rector. Master of ceremonies will be Rev. Msgr. John J. Oliveira.
Breast cancer is topic of open house, exhibit at Saint Anne'5 An open house will be held 5 to 7 p.m. today at Saint Anne's Hospital, Fall River, in conjunction with the hospital's display of the 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Brault says that his devotion to the church was strengthened early in his life. "When I was in my teens," he recalled, "the family doctor told my parents and myself that I wouldn't see my 21st birthday. I prayed a lot, as did my family, and I promised that if I survived I would devote all my spare time to helping my church and other worthy causes." Brault will celebrate his 71 st birthday in June. He has kept his promise. Heading the committee for the Franco-American Civic League banquet are president Jean-Louis Clapin, general chairman Atty. Dennis Poole, and co-chairmen Normand Ouelette and Lucienne J. Dionne.
photographic exhibit "Face to Face: Facing Breast Cancer Together," depicting Massachusetts women whose lives haye been affected by breast cancer. The open house will include speakers and a tour of the newly-renovated radiation treatment room in the Hudner Oncology Center. The exhibit, funded in part by the Arts Council of the City of Boston, was developed by the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, which works to prevent, combat and ultimately cure this disease which threatens the life of one in eight women in the state. "Face to Face" was unveiled Sept. 12,1993, at the Coalition's third annual march and rally and has since been displayed at various sites in Massachusetts. This year's march and rally will be May 21, beginning at II a.m. at Copley Square Park in Boston. For information call the Coalition office at (617) 423-M BCC or 800-649-MBCC.
FROM LEFT, Mrs. Claudette Armstrong, DCCW convention chair, Very Rev. Francis L. Mahoney, diocesan c:ouncil moderator, and Mrs. Bella Nogueira, DCCW president, discuss convention plans.
DCCW convention set for May 13 The annual convention of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will take place Saturday, May 13, at St. John of God parish center, Somerset. Registration and a coffee hour are scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. and a business meeting will open the program 'at 8:30 a.m. The convention theme, "The Many Faces of Mary," will be the topic of keynote speaker Father George Greenway, moderator for the Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. The morning session will also include comments from Bishop
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Sean P. O'Malley, guest of honor. The bishop will be principa:: celebrant of the convention Mass at 10:50 a.m. After the Mass" new diocesan officers will be installed and the annual Our Lady of Good Counsel Award will be presented to a woman from each of the five council districts outstanding for support of the DCCW on thl: parish, district and diocesan levds. Following a luncheon break, the afternoon program will include living tableaux carrying out the convention theme by means of depictions of various Marian apparitions.
boost black pride
NEW ORLEANS (CNS) Xavier University, the only historically black Catholic college in the United States, is taking steps, with federal help, to boost the esteem of African-American men. Its first step was a recent "African-American Males Collaborative" which drew 130 community leaders. During the forum, Cathy Harris, who directs a group of mentors for African-American youths called Each One Save One, remarked on the violence sweeping the New Orleans area. Of. the city's 421 murders - the highest per capita rate in the nation - 89 percent of the victims were black. To combat the pervasive drug culture, Ms. Harris said the African-American community must e,mphasize positive male role models. "I was at an anti-drug seminar a few years ago and someone asked how we can end this problem," she said. "One man got up and said, 'It's not rocket science. This is a free enterprise system driven by supply and demand. Cut off the demand and the supply will disappear.''' African-American children "are in despair with no hope of getting out of their present circumstances," Mrs. Harris said. "We all need to think back to a time when we first were loved, honored, nurtured and made to feel special. It was ail adult who did that." Xavier is one of 16 historically black colleges sharing in. a three year, $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is one of three that will conduct national research projects. Antoine Garibaldi, Xavier vice president of academic affairs, and Loren J. Blanchard, assistant professor of education, will investigate academic performance, com-
pile statistics on suspension~; and expulsions and review conflict resolution techniques used in the Orleans Parish public school sY:item.
Taunton Distrilct sets procession For the first time, Taunton District of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will sponsor a Procession of Banners, to be held at 7:30 p.m. April 20 at St. Jacques Church on Whittenton Street, Taun,ton, and to be followed by an ice cream social. Mrs. Corey Adrenada, Taunton District president and a native of the Philippines, is chairing the 'program, with Mrs. Adele Roseas cochair. She said that in her CDuntry banners are very popular and frequently used at religious, school and civic celebrations. Hence came the idea for each parish guild in the district to provide a banner for the procession. Many guilds are making new banners, w,hile several will display those traditionally uSf:d in their parishes. At the April 20 event, a guild officer from each parish will carry her group's banner and they will be placed in a designated area of the church to be blessed at a Mass which will have Taunton District moderator Rev. Thomas Mo:rrissey as principal celebrant, joi ned by area clergy as concelebra nts. Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington will be homilist. Participating parish guilds will be, from Taunton, St. Paul's, Holy Rosary, Holy Family, Immacuhite Conception, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Anthony's, St. Jacques', St. Mary's and St. Joseph's; from Dighton, St. Joseph's and St. Peter's; and from Raynham, St. Ann's. Easton will be represented by the Daughters of Isabella.
POPE JOHN PAUL II signs "Evangelium Vitae" at the Vatican. (eNS/ Reuters photo)
Evangelium Vitae seen most memorable encyclical With Catholic News Service stories WASHINGTON(Cl\'S)- Pope John Paul II's II th encyclical could become the most memorable of his pontificate. Bishop Sean O'Malley calls "Evangelium Vitae, "The Gospel of Life," a gift to the Church. In a statement, hl: continues: "The 20th century has been the most violent century in the history of humanity. M ore people have been murdered during this century than in all previous history. Added to the millions killed in the World Wars, and the Holocaust, Korea, Vietnam, Rwanda, the Gulag are the millions who perish at the hands of abortionists. "It is no wonder that, as we close the 20th century, our social engineers are poised to exterminate the elderly and infirm. The Holy Father is not dealing in euphemism as he speaks of a culture of death. He. offers an antidote. "As always, Pope John Paul II casts a clinical eye on our modern· world and calls us back to sanity, decency and common sense. This magnificent papal dOI:ument is the single most authoritative pronouncement of a pope on thl: incomparable worth of the human person and the inviolability of human life, especially life at its most vulnerable stages, the beginning and the end. "The Holy Father speaks of the life issues in the context of a democracy and pluralistic society and points out the fallacy of those who would pervert democracy by viola ting the most basic right of all. "This letter, The Gospel of Life, along with the new Catechism and Splendor of Truth lIlre three very timely documents and should have the widest possible circulation among the faithful as we prepare for the complexities of the 21 st century." "Strongest Expression Ever" The new encyclical contains what several observers have called the strongest expression ever of church teaching against capital punishment: It says cases of justifiable use of it are "very rare, if not practically nonexistent.'" The new encyclical includes three formal statements of church teach-
ing against the taking of innocent life: . - " By the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his successors, and in communion with the bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral." - "By the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his successors, in communion with the bishops -;- who on various' occasions have condemned abortion and who ... albeit dispersed throughout the world, have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine - I ,declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being." - "Taking into account [previously stated) distinctions, in harmony with the magisterium of my predecessors and in communion with the bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person." The pope framed his encyclical within a broader framework of the Gospel call to honor and protect the sacredness of human life at every phase and in every aspect. Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, who has long championed the "consistent ethic of life" approach in the United States, praised Pope John Paul for his use of that approach in the encyclical. While the encyclical itself did not employ explicit language of infallibility in expressing its teachings, at a Vatican press conference introducing it, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said the teachings are plainly authoritative and deserve obedience. "I n the face of this text, one cannot seek refuge in formalistic discussions about what, when and where, and on what authority, all this is being taught," said Cardinal Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The pope's call for consistency between the moral law and civil
law provoked some of the strongest initial reactions to the encyclical. "One of the specific characteristics of present-day attacks on human life ... consists in the trend to demand a legal justification for them, as if they were rights which the state, at least under certain conditions, must acknowledge as belonging to citizens," he said. "There is a n,eed to recover the basic elements of a vision of the relationship between civil law and moral law.... Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize," he said. "Democracy," he commented, "cannot be idolized to the point of making it a substitute for morality or a panacea for immorality." An immoral law cannot command obediencl:, he said, and those who object morally to laws authorizing abortion or euthanasia have "a grave and dear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection." On a pastoral note the pope acknowledged the difficult circumstances that can bring a woman
THE ANCHOR -
Diocese of Fall River -
Fri., April 7, 1995
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the moorina-,
the living word
Violent Days
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Scenes ofterror around the globe all too often are treated as . just another television program. But the recent violence in Tokyo, far from being simply an isolated case of fanaticism, . should be seen as the beginning of a world onslaught. Those who study terrorism feel that such chemical attacks will occur in this country and that the horror of the World Trade Center carnage in Manhattan could seem minuscule in comparison to what may lie in the future. The experts are taking nothing for granted; all reports indicate that the CIA, the FBI and similar organizations are fearful of what could ta.ke place. Accepting terrorism as part of our current social order, they think we have experienced only the tip of the iceberg. An almost impossible task in this regard is identification of the multitude of terrorist organizations: some political coverups, others parading as social reformers. However, there is no doubt that religious fanatics are the most to be feared. Small sects that believe they possess the ultimate secrets of life often center on a charismatic individual able to control his or her followers. Such was the case with David Koresh's Branch Davidians. But perhaps the religious fanatics most to be feared are the Islamic terrorists. Their rise is one of the greatest threats we face, not only in the Middle East but in this country, as indicated by the bombing of the World Trade Center, which was probably a precursor of difficulties to come.. When religion is a coverup for fanaticism, people die. This is the crux of the present horror which bids fair to become a quicksand engulfing ~he entire world. eNS/ Reulers pholo One reason fanatic sects are multiplying lies with our antispiritual age. Those who join cults feel they can help reform POPE JOHN PAUL II PARTICIPATES IN PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION THROUGH such a social order, but too often a well-meaning candidate, ST. PETER'S SQUARE AT THE VATI~AN once immersed in the life of a cult, comes to qelieve that the world is the enemy and that non-believers must be eliminated "A great multitude tI~~t was ~ome to the festival day, when they had heard in order to purify the system. Then he or she is led to believe that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went that God himself demands vengeance and violent acts are the forth to meet him." John 12:12-13 means of achieving salvation. This is not a fairy-tale script. It is the all too real scenario of many groups lurking in the darkness of religious extremism. If it is true that this age is moving away from acceptance of a WASHINGTON(CNS)- u.s. sion through personalized, caring ciency, comfort," but those values spiritual purpose for life, the resulting vacuum will all too often be filled by zealots. Movements which begin as legitimate health care has' changed so dra- service that combines competence' pose threats to the qualil:y and matically that Catholic hospitals may compassion, but "there is a integrity of health care, he ;;aid. attempts to fill avoid often fall prey to the very evil they are find it no longer possible to fulfill and gap between institutional purpose Another factor that challenges attempting to forestall. How many in our own faith family fled their mission, says Jesuit theolo- and aim, and personal conviction Catholic health care is the Amerithe so-called instituti'onal church to seek their own self- gian' Father Richard A. McCor- and involvement." . can cultural denial of mortality, he He said a key problem facing renewal? How many have tried to blend faith and secularism in mick. noted. Especially challenging today, he health care is "depersonalization." their quest for a more comfortable God? How many who have As symptoms of a refusal to face said, are the market forces that He cited three main fa'ctors behind 'up to mortality, he cited ove ruse of set out to reform the Church have simply become cultists? have made health care "a competi- it: an increasing reliance on techintensive care units; "prolonged It is imperative in such an insecure age to be firmly rooted in tive minefield" and driven hospi- nology in every aspect of health maintenance of patients in a perfaith. An aid to this is refusal to become entrapped by the cult tals into an economic atmosphere care; growing costs and cost con- sistent vegetative state"; and opintainment demands; and "multipli- ion polls indicating that ,~ vast of self. People need a faith foundation based on peace, not "of almost panic." He argued that the U.S. health cation of public entities" - attorviolence. In these days when fear seems to rule our lives, the majority of Americans belif've if a care culture has become so deper- neys, c'ourts and legislatures ...:... treatment can save a life it !:hould faithful must declare that religious cultism is unacceptable. sonalized, secularized, tech nolo- determining how health care is be used and covered by insurance Our church has long been the voice of peace, consistently gized and market-driven that the administered. regardless of cost. reason for the existence of Cathopreaching hope, not despair. Peace is, of course, more than the These "rather impersonal" facHe said another challenge to lic hospitals - "to be Jesus' love tors affecting or determining treat. absence of war or violence. It is what Isaiah termed "the effect effective health care is a changing other in the health care setfor the ment challenge a fundamental conof righteousness." We must always remember that it cannot be understanding of disease. It was ting" - has become "practically viction in the health care profession, once considered "an identifiable obtained where there are hatred and suspicion and we must dysfunctional." "that patient-management decidegenerative or inflammatory proteach that it is the fruit of love - for love goes far beyond mere Father McCormick,long a lead- sions must be tailor-made to the cess" but now is evolving to mean justice. ing U.S. figure in questions. of individual," Father McCormick
Ethicist sees Catholic hospitals in crisis
The Editor
the
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER . Published weekly by The Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River 887 H.ighland Avenue P.O. BOX 7 Fall River, MA 02722-0007 Fall River, MA 02720 Telephone 508-675-7151 FAX (508) 675-7048 Send address changes to P.O. Box 7 or call telephone number above
EDITOR
GENERAL MANAGER
Rev. John F. Moore
Rosemary Dussault ~
Leary
Prp.~s -
Fall RIver
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medical ethics, is the John A. O'Brien professor of Christian Ethics at the University of Notre Dam·e. His talk, "The Catholic Hospital: Mission Impossible?" was the Spring 1995 Jesuit Tradition and Medicine Lecture at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington .. He described the problem, without suggesting where solutions might lie, telling Catholic News Service that the question of solutions "is another lecture" w4ich he hasn't written yet. He said Catholic health care institutions "have beautiful mission statements" reflecting a vision of carrying out Jesus' healing mis-
said: He said those factors also contribute to 'the "secularization" of health care - "the divorce of the profession from those values, that culture, that make health care a human service." Preoccupation with competition, finances, government controls and liability questions distract from the "holistic. human care" that should guide medicine, he said. "Once the profession is secularized," he added, "physicians will begin to make secularized judgments. One such is that the physician is free to treat or not treat AIDS patients." "In the United States top cultural priorities are technology, effi-
any deviation from complett~ mental, physical and social well· being. "For instance"," he said, "a good deal of surgery is being performed to enlarge breasts, to shrink buttocks, to tuck tummies, to remove wrinkles - in brief, to conform to someone's notion of the attractive .... At some point, then, thi:; question arises: Who is sick - the individual or society?" On top of all the other pre:;sures facing hospitals, he said, is a basic shift away from inpatient care. Although hundreds of hospitals have closed over the past 15 years, those that remain "average 65 percent occupancy," he said. "N ow 75 percent of all surgery is done on an outpatient basis, vs. 21 percent in 1984," he noted.
Jesus as challenger and consoler Luke 19:28-40 Isaiah 50:4-9 Philippians 2:fj-ll Luke 22:1-23:56 The readings for Passion (or Palm) Sunday begin the celebration of the Paschal mystery with a moving presentation of the Lukan Jesus who comes to Jerusalem as a humble Messiah offering the peace of God's reign. When he is rejected by the religious authorities, Jesus bravely embraces death in fulfillment of his destiny as the Messiah who must suffer in order to enter his heavenly glory. On this Passion Sunday Jesus both challenges us with the cost of Christian discipleship and consoles us with the assurance of God's loving forgiveness. In the Palm Gospel, Luke's version of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem continues several themes that have dominated his gospel. This is the completion of Jesus' long journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:44) in which he has instructed his. disciples on God's merciful forgiveness as a way of salvation 0p'~n to all and has repeatedly warned them of his own impending rejection by the religious authorities ill Jerusalem. The response to Jc:sus has been divided. Social and moral outcasts have received his healing miracles and teachings as th~: "the mighty works" of God. The self-righteous, powerful and rich (often symbolized by the Pharisees) have rejected him as a threat to their narrowly
Daily Readings April 10: Is 42:1-7; Ps 27:1-3,13-14; In 12:1-11 April 11: Is 49:1-6; Ps 71:1-6,15,17; In 13:21-33, 36-38. Mass of Chrism: Is 61:1-3a,6,8b-9; Ps89:21-22, 25,27; Rv 1:5-8; Lk 4:16-21 April 12: Is 50:4-9a; Ps 69: 8-10,21-22,31,,33-34; Mt 26:14-25 April 13: Ex 12:1-8,11-14; Ps 116:12-13,15-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26; In 13:1-15 April 14: Is !i2:13-53:12; Ps 31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25; Heb 4:14-16;5:]'-9; In 18:119:42 April 15: (1) Gn 1:1-2:2 or 1:1,26-3la; Ps 104:1-2,5-6, 10,12-14,24-35 or Ps 33:47,12-13,20-22(2) Gn 22:1180r22:1-2,9a,10-13,15-18; Ps 16:5,8-11 (3) Ex 14:1515:1; Ex 15:1-6,17-18 (4) Is 54:5-14; Ps 3():2,4-6,11-13 (5) Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-6 (6) Bar 3:9-15~32-4:4; Ps 19:811 (7) Ez 36:16-17a,18-28; Ps 42:3',5; 43:3-4 or Is 12:26 or Ps 51:12..15,18-19 (8) Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2,1617,22-23 (9) Lit 24:1-12 April 16: Acts 10:34a,3743; Ps 118:1-2,16-17,22-23; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; In 20:1-9 or Lk :Z4:1-12 or Lk 24:13-35
By DR. PATRICK V. REID defined and self-serving understanding of God's ways (see 7:3652). This division continues in Jesus' climactic entrance into Jerusalem. He enters the city as the peaceful, humble Messiah spoken of in the Book of Zechariah (9:9) by riding a donkey, rather than the horse ridden by a warrior Messiah. As such, he is received joyfully by the whole multitude of disciples in the words of Ps 118:25: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord" to which Luke adds, in words reminiscent of the angels' greeting to the humble shepherds on the hills of Bethlehem, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest" (see Lk 2: 14). The Pharisees, on the other hand, ask Jesus to rebuke his disciples for acclaiming him as the Messiah, but Jesus retorts that if they were silent, the very stones (of the temple) would cry out. Jesus, as the Messiah who offers God's peace, has come to his city only to be rejected by its leaders. Already in the entry into Jerusalem, Luke anticipates both the rejection and death of Jesus as well as the ultimate triumph of God's plan over its opponents. The first reading is the third socalled servant song from Second Isaiah which gives an autobiographical report ofthi!> prophet's tireless commitment to speaking a rousing word to "the weary" exiles who think that their Lord is powerless to save them from their Babylonian captdrs. Because of his confidence that the Lord is his help, the prophet. like Jesus in the Garden scene in Luke's passion narrative, has had the courage not to turn back from his wearisome task, even though it involves suffering and rejection. Paul's magnificent hymn to the self-emptying Christ in Philippians 2 continues the imagery of God's victory over sin through humble service. In the context of exhorting the Philippians to giv~
up selfish and petty jealousy (2: IS), Paul urges them to adopt the attitude of Christ whose humility ex'tended even to death on the cross. In the Gospel of the Mass, Luke relates the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and the following Last Supper. At the sUPlJer, Jesus tells the disciples that the one among them who will betray him is seated at the table. Immediately they begin arguing over the identity of the betrayer and also over who is the greatest among them. An exasperated Jesus has to teach them that they are not to act like worldly kings who exercise lordship but like servants who wait on table, and ultimately like Jesus himself who is among them as one who serves (22: 19-27). Only after they have continued with Jesus in his trials will they eat and drink at his table in the kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (22:28-30). Luke's garden scene (22:31-62) stresses both Jesus submission to his Father's will and the way the disciples are to respond in similar times of trial. He warns the apostles that they are about to enter an hour of crisis when he will be, like the suffering servant in Isaiah (see Is. 53: 12), "reckoned with the transgressors." In such crisis, Jesus' actions in the garden should serve
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Diocese of Fall River -
.as their example. They are taught to pray that they may have the strength to do the Father's will and not enter into temptation (22:3946), and, if they are illegally seized as criminals, they are not to respond with vengeance, but follow the lead of Jesus who healed the ear of the slave of the high priest (22:
47-53).
Fri., April 7, 1995
Luke's handling of Peter's denial reminds the disciples that a lapse of courage in such a trial need not be an occasion for despair. In fortelling Simon's threefold denial, Jesus assures Peter that he has already prayed for him that his faith not fail and that he will be able to turn again and strengthen his brethren (22:31-34).
SaJJivan)s Est. 1962
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FATHER PAT . In Concert April 8 1988, Rev. Alvin Matthews, OFM, Retired, Our Lady's Chapel, New Bedford April 9 1919, Rev. Cornelius McSweeney, Pastor, Immaculate' Conception, Fall River 1965, Rev. Edward F. Dowling, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River April 10 1944, Rev. John P. Doyle, Pastor, St. William, Fall River April 11 1914, Rev. John F. Downey, Pastor, Corpus Christi, Sandwich April 12 1909, Rev. John Tobin, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River April 14 1977, Rev. Cosmas Chaloner, SS.CC., St. Francis Xavier, Acushnet 1935, Rev. Louis N. Dequoy, Pastor, Sacred Heart, North Attleboro 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020). Second Class Postage Paid at Fall River, ·Mass. Published weekly except the week of July 4 and the week after Christmas at 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $11.00 per year. Postmasters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722. .
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NOS FALAMOS PORTUGUES
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Diocese of Fall Rlver:"- Fri., April 7, 1995
On'a warm, sunny day, Aug. 12, 1989, Donna Berger,'her husband Gerry and their three children were in a rented car in Florida, stopped along the' side of the highway checking a map. Suddenly a tractor-trailor truck weighing 63,860 pounds went off the road and crashed into their car. The driver probably had fallen asleep. The car became a mass of flames. Gerry and the children, Dawn, 8, Stephen, 6, and Michael 3, were killed. Donna was critically burned - and emotionally devastated. In several conversations with her, I discovered how beautiful a person can become after unbelievable tragedy. She is living proof of this. The first thing that strikes you is the courage of this woman, now 42, who in one terrible instant "lost my ,whole life," she says. She no longer had her husband, her children or l:ven her work as a nurse anesthetist, since she couldn't use her extremely burned hands for a long time. She had to wear a face mask and gloves during the early stages of recovery.
IIJI'~"""" .; . ",.'\ . ........
A valiant woman
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What she did have was her faith as a Catholic, and she says today that if there is anything worse that could happen to her, it would be to have no faith. "We have to always trust that God will provide for us in meeting our challenges. We have to say, 'Thy will, not mine be done.' That was something I had to learn," she says. After the crash, her husband's best friend, John, was there, along with her family, to help with the burials and other necessary tasks. John was particularly moved to help this woman, who needed so much kindness and care. Their relationship became a beautiful love story, and they were married Nov. 3, 1990. ' The next chapter is even more remarkable. On June 2, the Bergers became parents of twins, Meredith and Christian. John has a 14-yearold daughter from a former marriage. Donna again has three children. Theydon't take the place of Dawn, Stephen, and Michat;l. But they have given Donna new joy and
F oster parenting PSALM SCROLL: Israel Antiquities Authority curator' Ruth Peled displays an ancient scroll of the biblical Book of Psalms. The 2,OOO-year-old scroll found in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea recently went on public exhibit for the first ,time in Jerusalem. (eNS/ Reuters photo)
The role of government By Msgr. George G. Higgins During the current debate in the Congress over the role of government - federal, state 'and local -much has been said, at least in certain Catholic circles, about the . principle of subsidiarity. The classic definition of this principle is found in Pius Xl's 1931 encyclical "Quadragesimo Anno": "Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right" order to assume to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. "For every social activity ought of its very nature to furnish help to the members of the body social, and never destroy and absorb them." Some Ca,tholic commentators have argued that, according to this' principle, that government is best which governs least. ,That's not what the principle of subsidiarity means. On the contrary, the principle of subsidiarity means that, while government should not arbitrarily usurp the role of individuals or voluntary organizations in social and economic life, neither should it hesitate to adopt such programs as are required by the common good and are beyond the competence of individual citizens or groups of citizens. We Catholics justifiably pride qurselves on having helped to keep alive the notion of subsidiarity,
but if we are going to be faithful to the spirit as well as the Jetter of Catholic social teaching, we must be equally alive to the importance and indispensability of governmental action in the- social and economic order. Take the case of poverty, for example. There is much that individual citizens and groups of citizens can do to resolve this problem, but they cannot'do it alone. The government will have to play its part. The principle of subsidiarity, properly understood, does not prohibit the government from meeting this pressing challenge. On the contrary, it obliges the government to supplement the necessarily limited programs of voluntary organizations in the field of social welfare and social reform. It is important to emphasize at this point in time that the resources of voluntary organizations churches, for example - are necessarily limited. To hear some of our politicians talk, one would think that the churches have access to a kind of Fort Knox from which they can indefinitely draw funds to make up for a shortfall caused by the abolition of long-standing government programs. This is a dangerous illusion, as a number of our bishops have already publicly stated in reacting to some of the recent cutbacks decreed by the Congress.
II
STEWARDSHIP.... A WAY OF LIFE
II
Dear Dr. Kenny: My wife and I would like to become foster parents, but we have heard news stories about plans to raise unwanted and abused children in institutions or group homes. Also we were worried that we might become too attached to the children and then have to give them up. - Chicago Foster part;nts wUI always' be needed becaLse a family is still the best place, to raise children. Orphanages don't make sense, not for most children and not for the state. While there maY'1?e some very good institutions and some very bad families, the family generally has many advantages over institutions. Some children', such as runaways and delinquents, may be too tough for all but the most exceptional foster homes. Still, a family has many advantages. Families are personal. Relationships are direct, with "middle
Warming tootsies would have saved my wife and lone of our earliest sPats. I take you back more than 20 years to our second or third week of marriage. As Ilay on my side three-quarters asleep, my young bride playfully placed her ice cold feet square in the middle of my back. She thought it was cute. I thought she was trying to shock me to death and collect the life insurance. After leaping from bed fn a rather athletic move, I accused her of sitting on the refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes, dangling her feet in the ice cube tray before the attack. She claimed not. She claimed she just wanted to be cozy. It took several years before I believed her fully. I would periodi-
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probably helped her find the peace she radiates. She now reflects on why she was struck by such painful eve:nts and believes "I do have a me~;sage to bring to people. We need to face the challenges put before us by life and not turn away, but work with them. We want the easy mad, but if we meet our challenges, we can get beyond them and come out a stronger person.:' While her pain at the 101:s of the family she so loved will never really go away, Donna knows they are with God. "We're all moving to that point, the next life. Some get there faster than others," ~he said with a tear and a smile. Truly, Donna Berger is a valiant woman.
By
management." Families are small. Dr. JAMES & And families are not-for-profit. If you become a foster parent, you will join the ranks of some MARY beautiful people. You will have the opportunity to work with troubled KENNY youngsters. And you will be tested. Love isn't always easy. Nor is it always returned. Often parent-ehild love is not returned directly at all, Life is-full of comings and goings. but rather: passed on to' the next " Our'paths cross briefly, we-have a generation or to society; small "window" of opportu nity to As foster parents, it will be your form a relationship, and then we privilege to help disadvantaged are separated. and abused children turn their Your task as foster parents will lives around. In the process, you to make the most of tha t brief be may be yourself abused, accused, opportunity. You may nol even stolen from, taken advantage of. get to see the good result. But I The children may take out on you truly believe that every good and some of t'he anger they feel for the caring act 'makes a difference. way they have been treated earlier. In rare situations you will make Will you become too attached? the difference that changes a life, Perhaps. Even though yo'u know that encourages a young person from the start that a child will only along'one path rather than another. be with you for a specified and But whether the change is great or possibly short time. But isn't that small, you will some day share true of all relationships and of life with your spouse a harvest oi' love. itself?
Post-vow cold feet Secret' to a Lasting Marriage, No. 37: "Warm your feet before you climb into bed" is the sage advice of Bill and Monica Dodds in their book, "The Joy of Marriage."
By
cally check the ice cubes for footprints before going to bed. I slowly learned what the rest of the world seemed to know but did not bother to inform me: Women have inborn stores of freon and can at will bring 'the temperature
Fasting discussed v ATICAN CITY (CNS) - Religious fasting can have an environmental impact by helping believers learn the proper use of material goods, said Cardinal Francis Arinze. In his annual letter to the world's Muslims at the close of Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting, Cardinal Arinze said fasting helps people move closer to God and ,to each other. "The person who grows closer to God by this very fact becomes more attentive to human beings, privileged creatures of the merciful and compassionate God," said the cardinal. .
By DAN MORRIS
of their hands, nose, feet and knees to within two degrees of free,:ing. They view men as human heating pads, hot-water bottles that snore, bed warmers with arms. I looked for reference to this in the U.S. bishops' recent pas'~oral letter on marriage and family life, but couldn't find any, unless it was implicit in the section where they say men should be more willing to 'be vulnerable. Don't tell her I told you so, but I have come to adore my spouse's icy little feet. And I don't at all mind being a bed warmer with arms. As a matter of fact, I think Secret No. 37 should read: "Warm your feet and your heart before you climb into bed."
LaSalette Holy Week services listed
Believing in the Big Bang •
Q. According to Stephen Hawkings' "A Brief History of Time," the Catholic Church has declared that its teaching does not conflict with the Big Bang fheory of creation. That means billlions of years may have passed. Yet, at our Christmas celebration, the priest said that only a few thousand years have passed since the creation of the world. Can you clear up this confusion in the church's position? (New Jersey) A. None of the teachings of the Catholic Church conflict with the Big Bang theory of the origin of the physical universe. We believe that this material cosmos - all the galaxies and universes of universes, the existence of which are revl:aled by astronomical and other sciences - came into existence by the personally willed action of an uncreated Creator we call God. According to the Big Bang theory, all of material creation began with an infinitesimal particle of matter and energy, with a density we might call nearly infinite. The intensity of energy within this particle caused it to explode and expand into the material cosmos which now exists. Evidence for the universe havi~g its.origin something along these hnes IS enormous, though it obviously can never be absolutely conclusive. As I said, nothing in our faith prevents our believing that God could very well have created the universe in this manner. In fact, certain aspects of this theory seem to point to the existence of a Creator more clearly than some scientists are comfortable with. Certainly, the existence of this creation, with all its mind-blowing combinations of order and randomness; of plan and arrangement, from the smallest particle to the farthest space, alongside an almost fluky indeterminateness that makes the unexpected happen all the time - that all this might have begun with one tiny, dense particle can point us perhaps more than anything else to the incomprehensible "size" and beauty of the God we believe in. Of course, if one is a Bible fundamentalist, believing that everything in the Scr:iptures, beginning with the Genesis story of creation, is literal historical fact, all the above would be rejected out of hand. In the 17th century, an Irish bishop, James Ussher, added up all the figures in Genesis and concluded that the world was created in 4004 B.C. Later, a Dr. John Lightfoot of Cambridge University claimed to prove that the exact moment of the creation of Adam was "October 23, 4004 B.C., at 9 o'clock in the morning." There are people, I suppose, who still believe those sorts of things; Catholics are welcome to do so if they ca.n figure out how to do it intelligently. But such thl:ories have no basis in, and certainly are not required by, Catholic dogma or teaching.
By FATHER JOHN DIETZEN . Many Catholic parishes, ours IOcluded, proclaim the ancient martyrology announcement of the birth of the Savior as a solemn introduction to the Christmas liturgy. I suspect that's what your priest was doing. This proclamation, in several sentences situating the birth of Jesus in human history, has been in use many hundreds of years, and makes no pretence at scientific accuracy. It is, however, a wonderful and moving statement of the incarnation, when the Son of God embraced this material creation of his and took on our human flesh and nature. A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about annulments is available by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Church, 704 N. Main St., Bloomington, III. 61701. Questions for this column should be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address.
American Creed "Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream chiefly rooted. in the American Dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal.' "-Martin Luther King Jr.
The following are programs and services to bl~ offered at LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro, for Holy Week. The sacrament of reconciliation will be available I to 4 p.m. April 9; 2 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. April 10 through 14; and I to 4 p.m . April 15. No confessions on Easter Sunday, April 16. AprilS Margaret Anderson, a New York City actress, will perform the onew9f1an play "Remember Me," portraying Rhoda, a servant who prepares the Upper Room for the Last Supper, 6:30 p.m., Chapel. April 10 The Northern Rhode Island ARC PlaYI:rs and ARC Singers will perform the play"The Rose of Gethsemane," about a man's encounter with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, 7:30 p.m., Shrine cafeteria. April 12 Service of Tenebrae, led by Father Fern Cassista, 7:30 p.m., Chapel. April 13 Holy Thursday Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper, celebrated by Father Richard Delisle, 7 p.m. April 14 Spanish Way of the Cross 10 a.m. English Way ofthe Cross, led by Brother David Dumaine and LaSalette Youth Group, 12: 10 p.m. Solemn Celebration of the Lord's Passion and Death, led by Father Andre Patenaude, 3 p.m. Passion play, "Because He Loved Us," performed by youth from Salem, N H, 6:30 p.m. April 15 Easter Vigil with principal celebrant Father Ernest Corriveau 8 p.m. Youth Retreat Teens may'participate in any or all of three day retreat sessions, "Teens Living the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus," 6:30 to 9:3Q p.m. April 13 and 10 a.m. t04 p.m. April 14 and IS. Led by Brother David Dumaineand members of the LaSalette Youth Group, it will explore what Holy Week was like for the disciples of Jesus and will incorporate drama, music and real-life experiences. Information: 222-5410.
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Mayor seeks fees PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS)Providence College and St. Joseph's Hospital are taking a waitand-see approach to a proposal by Mayor Vincent A. Cianci to charge them for fire runs as part of a plan to balance his municipal budget. Last year when Cianci faced a sim-
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DR. 'JOSE A.L. MONTEIRO
DR. RICHARD E. CAESAR
Saint Anne's announces medical staff appointments Dr. Richard 'E. Caesar and Dr. Jose A.L. Monteiro have been appointed to the medical staff at Saint Anne's H o,spital, Fall River. Dr. Caesar, a pediatric urologist, graduated from the University of South Florida School of Medicine in Tampa, Florida. In 1992, he completed a residency in urology at Boston University and undertook a pediatric urology fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. He has numerous research projects and publications to his credit. He is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, Massachusetts Medical Society, and the American Association of Clinical Urologists. Recently he joined the practice of Urology Inc., 235 Hanover Street, Fall River, and the Truesdale Clinic, 1030 President Avenue, Fall River. Dr. Monteiro, a board certified internist, received his general medical education in Lisbon, Portugal; at Woodhull Medical Health
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CNS)Msgr. Martin A. Piasecki, 103, thought to be the oldest U. S. priest, was buried March 27 from Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in Jersey City. Ordained in 1919, he had been a pri~st of the Newark archdiocese for more than 75 years. At age 96, he was made a monsignor by ;Pope John Paulll and joked that he: had been allowed to live this long. so a Polish pope could bestow this honor. More than 60 priests concelebrated the funeral Mass, for which Newark Archbishop Theodo::e E. McCarrick was principal celebrant. 80m in Paterson, Msgr. Piasecki attended Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Mich., which educates priesthood candidates of Polish extraction. He, served at Our Lady of Czestochowa as a curate before becoming its pastor from 1948 to 1968. "Msgr. Piasecki had a great love for people, particularly children," said his lifelong friend, Msgr. WaIter J. Gorski, at the funeral homily. "Before it was the style, he would stand outside the church every Sunday to greet the parishioners. Everyone was made to feel welcome. He showed great love for the priesthood, regularly inviting priests, seminarians to visit the rectory."
Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. and St. Vincent's Hospital, Worcester. His native language is Portuguese and he is fluent in English and French. He holds membership in the Portuguese Medical Association, Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, Massachusetts Medical·, Society ~nd the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. He is approved as a primary care physician by health plans including PilWASHINGTON (CNS) grim, United Health Plan, HMO Mercy Sister Lourdes Sheehan, Blue, Tufts and Medicaid. secretary of education for the U.S. He will 'provide nursing home bishops since 1990, will leave her services at South pointe Rehabilipost July I to direct the Alliance tation and Nursing Home, Clifton for Catholic Education teacher Geriatrics, Sara Brayton Nursing corps program. Home and Catholic Memorial The Alliance for Catholic EduHome and is an internist at Cardi- cation, based at the University of ology Associates of Fall River, 829 Notre Dame, began last year under South Main Street. the direction of Notre Dame, the U.S. Catholic Conference and the Cowards National Catholic Educational As"To sin by silence when they sociation. It trains and places Cat hshould protest makes cowards out olic college graduates as teachers of men." - Abraham Lincoln in understaffed schools.
Teacher corps director namedl
~H
I I
I,
FIRST LADY Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea cuddle children at ~1.is., sionaries of Charity orphanage in New Delhi, India. They spent abou,t at} hour Jast week visiting the three-room center where over 150 children are sheltered. At -right is Sister Priscilla. (CNS/ Reuters photo) -
ST. LOUIS, FR
Iteering pOintl PUBLICITY CHAIRMEN are asked to submit news Items for this column to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, 02722. Name of city or town should be Included, as well as full dotes of allactlvItles. Please send news of future rather than past events. Due to limited space and also because notlclls of strictly parish affairs normally appear. In a parish's own bullelln, we are forced to limit Items to events of general Interest. Also, we do not normally corry notices of fundralslng activities, which may be advertised at our regular roles, obtainable from The Anchor business office, telephone (508)675-7151. On Steering Points Items, FR Indicates Fall River; NB Indicates New Bedford.
O.L. CAPE, BREWSTER Regional Ultreya meeting 7:30 tonight, parish center.
ST. JOSEPH, NB 7th annual pro-life novena continues Saturdays following 8 a.m. Mass except Holy Saturday. April 15, when it will follow an II a.m. prayer service.
SS. PETER & PAUL, Fit All welcome at talk by Father Mark Hession on health care proxy arrangements and on the Church stand on euthanasia, 7 p. m. Tuesday, April25, Father Coady Center.
ST. DOMINIC, SWANSEA All welcome to Lenten concert 7 p..m. :'pril9 in church. The program will IlIclude Gospel readings and traditional and contemporary sacred music by parish choirs, induding the hand bell choir.
CATHEDRAL, FR All welcome at 10 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass, to be celebrated by' Bishop Scan O'Malley and telecast at 11:30 a.m. Easter Sunday on Channel 6.
All welcome at intercessory prayer service 7 p.m. each Monday.
ST. MARY, FAIRHAVEN All welcome at Living Stations of the Cross presented by youth group 7 to 9 p.m. April 9.
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, HYANNIS
ST. JULIE, N. DARTMOUTH
Recollection afternoon 3 to 5 p. m. April 10, with confessions heard from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and at 5 p.m. by a priest of Opus Dei.
All welcome at anointing service 7 tonight.
CATHEDRAL RENEWAL CENTER, E. FREETOWN
CORPUS CHRISTI, E. SANDWICH
Youth Ministry Services YES retreat: today through Sunday.
All welcome at charismatic prayer meeting8 p.m. each Monday, parish center. Participants asked to bring a Bible.
Classical Lenten contact by NicoI~i Lomov., Moscow Conservatory plano SOlOIst, 4 p.m. April 9.
Support group for children ages 5 through 7 who have lost a family member through death in the past three years will be held in Bradford Russell Bldg., 62 Centre St., Fairhaven, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays May 2 through June 6. Information: Sue Vincent, tel. 999-3400.
Recollection afternoon 3 to 5 p. m. April 10, with confessions heard from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and'at5 p.m. by a priest of Opus Dei.
BIRTHRIGHT, FALMOUTH A training session for volunteers is being held 7 p.m. Thursdays through April 20; information: Kathy, 540-0805.
ST. MARY, N. ATTLEBORO Parish mission: "His Last Days" musical passion play 7 to 8 p.m. April 10; Father John Sullivan on "Co~version of the Heart" 7 p.m. AprIl II; Father Robert A. Oliveira on "Behold the Passionate Face of God" 7 p.m. April 12. Good Friday Stations of the Cross 3 p.m., Passion service and communion 7 p.m.
A VISIT 'TO IRELAND . . . ~
An Invitation to Join.
"Friends of St. John - Attleboro" for a trip to Ireland September 17th - 24th $1350.00 Includes air fare, hotels, most meals, escorted tour bus, sightseeing andlmuch more.
For more information or to receive a printed itinerary please call Mary Martin at
Diocese of Fall River -
CORPUS CHRISTI, E. SANDWICH All welcome at charismatic prayer meeting 8 p.m. each Monday, parish center. Participants asked to bring a Bible.
LA SALETTE SHRINE, ATTLEBORO
O.L. CAPE, BR EWSTER Regional Ultreya meeting 7:30 tonight, parish center.
LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE • • • • •
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RESTORER MEDICATOR ANTI-ABORTIONIST CAREGIVER INSTRUCTOR
~ Walsh Pharmacy THOMAS PASTERNAK
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202 Rock St. Fall River
679-1300
508-226-5770 or Bristol Travel 508 -222-4601
~----HOLY
WEEK SCHEDULEF"'-----------,
4:30 p.m.
.Palm Sunday Vig;1 Palm Sunday of the Passion
9
Women's guild will sponsor a "Lenten Journey" Way of the Cross 7 p.m. April II.
LEMIEUX
CHRISTIAN
Fri., April 7, 1995
ST. PATRICK, SOMERSET
Holy Hour with Marian devotions follows 6:30 p.m. novena Mass each Wednesday.
ST.STEPHEN,ATTLEBORO
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT, FAIRHAVEN
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, HYANNIS .
THE ANCHOR -
8:00 a.m. bi-lingual (Polish/English) 10:15 a.m. Assembly in school auditorium with blessing of palms; Solemn procession; Eucharist of the Passion
4:00 p.m. Living Way of the Cross (open to the public)
Holy Thursday
7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord's SupperlWashing of Feet 8:30 p.m. Adoration at Altar of Repose 11:00 p.m. Night Prayer and conclusion to public adoration
Good Friday
8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer with homily 12:00 p.m. Office of Readings and Mid-day Prayer 3:00 p.m. Polish 'Gorzkie Zale' (meditation on the Passion); Homily in Polish; Chaplet of Divine Mercy 7 :00 p.m. Solemn Liturgy of Passion and Death of the Lord with procession of the dead body of Christ to the Tomb
Holy Saturday
8:30 il.m. 10:30 a.m. 2:001>.m. 7 :00 p.m.
Easter Sunday
7 :00 a.m. Traditional Mass of Resurrection • Polish Liturgy 9:00 a.m. . Easter Resurrection • English Liturgy 1~:30 il.m. Solemn family Eucharist of Easter 6:30 p.m. Solemn Evening Prayer of Easter with Easter Carols and Sharing of Baptismal Water
Morning Prayer Mid-day Prayer and Blessing of Easter food Blessing of Easter food Solemn Vigil of Easter
Wesolego Alleluja!!!
SAINT STANISLAUS CHURCH. ROCKLAND STREET • FALL RIVER
AdYocate for disabled says 8ociaf' Security policies encourage dependency WASHINGTON (CNS) - A leading Catholic advocate for the disabled returned Social Security disability checks totaling thousands of dollars to a Senate committee in March to protest policies which she said promote "stagnation and dependency." Mary Jane Owen, executive director of the National Catholic Office for Persons _with Disabilities since 1991, made the dramatic gesture in an appearance before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which is considering Social Security reform. Ms. Owen, who is blind, partially hearing and uses a wheelchair, said the monthly checks had been piling up on a shelf since November 1989, when she asked the Social Security Administration to stop sending them. The checks continued into mid-1994. The 42 checks that she gave to the committee totaled $16,020. U ncashed Social Security checks worth another $4,000 have been misplaced, she said. Ms. Owen told the committee that her own experience with the Social Security Administration illustrated well "the frustrations of people with disabilities as they attempt to move from roles of stagnation and dependency toward productive living following the development of assorted physiological glitches." In an interview with Catholic News Service, she said her appearance before the committee was emotional, as she looked back to 1986 when she lost hearing in her right ear and balance problems forced her to begin using a wheelchair. There were times back then when she feared that "I might end up being a bag lady," she said. After arguing with officials who considered her "too old and too disabled to be rehabilitated," Ms. Owen was admitted to the National Rehabilitation Hospital for treat-ment. During her hospital stay, she was "encouraged to leave" her post as congressional liaison for the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. "But I didn't want to stop being productive, and I'm a stubborn woman," Ms. Owen told CNS. So when she was discharged from the hospital, she drew up a business
II
Marital status affects health care for elderly
MARY JANE OWEN, left, executive director of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities, at a Spiritual Connections conference last spring in Fall River. (Hickey photo) plan to work as a consultant in the field of disability policies and programs. - Although she would have been able to implement the plan and become self-sufficient with a $5,000 loan or grant to upgrade her business equipment, no such money was to be found within the federal system. The only assistance offered was a monthly Social Security disability insurance check, which carried with it a requirement that she avoid "engaging in substantial gainful activity" to remain eligible for the aid. Slowly she regained lier strength and began building up a consulting business that sometimes only brought in $50 or $100 a month. Every two weeks or so, a Social Securi~y Administration worker would call to assure that she was not performing "substantial gainful activity," she said. "I could only have the money ifI would cease to try and do anything," Ms. Owen said. Eventually she told Social Security officials to stop the payments, telling them, ''I'm never going to stop trying [to be productive]. I would rather beg on the streets than deal with you people." "I didn't want anything limiting
my ability to be absolutely productive," she said. "Nobody living in the United States should be consigned to live in a dependent role if they don't want to." The Senate Special Committee on Aging is so far looking only at the past in its study of the Social Security system, but when it looks to the future, Ms. Owen has some ideas she hopes the committee will consider. Most disabled people "need onetime rehabilitation services to get a leg up in the world," she said. Contributions to social services should be seen as "deposits in a ban~, that we can路 buy down when it is needed for a one-time investment in ourselves." Ms. Owen doesn't think Social Security disability payments should be "a lifetime commitment." Rather, she said, they should provide a way for the disabled to "get back into living interactively in the community." Her hopes for the committee's work came at the end of her testimony. -"I pray your deliberations relative to Social Security reform lead to expansion of opportunities rather than continued restriction of our God-given potential," she said.
BULLETIN BOARD
Eldercare Locator What do you do when an older person you care about requires ,. assistance to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle? Where do you begin to look for resources that provide services for our senior population? It's difficult to know where to turn - especially in a crisis situation and especially if you are a long distance caregiver. But, now there is an easy way to get this information through the Eldercare Locator. The Eldercare Locator is a toll free, nationwide, director assistance service that helps older people and caregivers locate community resources for seniors. With the Eldercare Locator, callers are provided with state and local information to help find services that enable older persons to remain independent in their own homes or
that give caregivers a well-deserved break. The Eldercare Locator provides callers with information on how to locate a wide variety of services like meals, home care, transportation, housing alternatives, home repair, recreation, social activities, legal and other community services. Established in 1991, the Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is administrated by the National Association of Area Agencies on Agingand the National Association of State U-nits on Aging. For assistance call 1-800-6771116. Coastline Elderly Services The Community Nurse Association of Fairhaven, Inc. (CNA) announces the receipt of three grant
II
awards from Coastline Elderly Services. The three programs established with the funding will provide mental health services and support for elderly residents of Greater New Bedford. "In recent years," states Jean Muldoon Mastey, CN A assistant ad ministrator, "health care professionals have become increasingly aware that depression is not a part of the aging process and that elders peed emotional support and high selfesteem as much as younger people." The Coastline grants will allow CN A to expand its mental health -services through three innovative progams: I) "In the Mood':' 2) Elders Counseling Other Elders (ECOE); and 3) Serving Elders' Emotional Needs (SEEN). Successfully piloted in 1994, "In the Mood"provides an opportunity for elders to meet for five weekly ~roup sessions to share
WASHINGTON, D.C. -President Bill Clinton's commitment to better health care for everyone is threatened by a decreasing marital commitment in elderly Americans. One of the largest government health expenditures is the federal assistance for aging citizens placed in nursing homes. Yet the amount of this outflow of federal dollars is dramatically affected by the marital status of the elderly and their children according to researchers from Hunter College in New York City and the University of Massachusetts. According to research from Brandeis University, aging Americans are more likely to be placed in nursing homes if they have no spouse or if their children are divorced. Early in this century the death of a spouse led to more elderly being alone; late in the century separation and divorce is more -often the cause. The divorce of children, particularly daughters. has also caused a dr-amatic increase in nursing home admissions. Traditionally'a married daughter. w~o is a homemaker
or ~ho only works part-time, has cared for aging parent!:. But with the high divorce rate. those same daughters are often working fulltime and caring for their own.children as single parents. Married sons have not picked up the slack. The health care problems of elderly singles not onl:{ involves increased confinement to a nursing home. These senior citizens are more likely to be depressed than the married elderly. They have more financial difficulties, lowering health care access. Their nutrition tends to be poorer I:han their married peers. Of special significance for cost-containment reasons is research that shows thaI: divorced elderly tend to recover from illnesses more slowly, and ue hospitalized twice as often as the married elderly. If President Clinton and the health care task force do not consider these social realities. they will underestimate the ability of the government to increase health in the elderly and the costs involved. National Institute of Healthcare Research
Sa'cred Heart Home earns high marks Sacred Heart Nursing Home, New Bedford, has earned accreditation with commendation from the J oint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This is the highest level of accreditation awarded by the Joint Commission, recognizing a "grid score"of 90 percent or better; Sacred Heart Horne achieved a score of 100 percent. The Joint Commission. ded- . icated to improving the quality of the- nation's health care through voluntary accreditation. conducted an on-site survey of Sacred -Heart Home in February. "Receiving accreditation with commendation is a significant achievement. one that recognizes exemplary performance by Sacred Heart Nursing Home," said Dennis S. O'Leary. M D, Joint- Commission president. "The organization should be commended for its commitment. to providing quality care to the people of the community." ideas and concerns. The meetings are held in activity rooms of desig-nated housing authority residences, but Ms. Mastey noted, "The support groups are not limited to residents of the complexes. All elders in the community are weIcome to join." Groups will be offered at New Bedford Hotel, Tripp Towers, and Boa Vista in New Bedford. Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Acushnet elder housing complexes will each have one discus'sion group, and two groups will be open to Dartmouth residents. For additional information or a schedule of meetings, readers may call Community Nurse at 995-5309. Through grant funding for an elder peer counseling program called EeOE, CNA will match trained volunteer counselors with elders who need understanding and encouragement in coping with losses or changes associated with growing older. An eight-week
"Sacred Heart has enjoyed continual accreditation with the Joint Commission since 1975," !;aid Sister Blandine d'Amours, administrator. "Everyone here at Sacred Heart goes above and beyond their duties on a day-to-day hasis to ensure that our residents receive the best possible health cue. Receiving accreditation with commendation is an acknowledgement of our accomplishments." Said medical director Edward D. Mackler. M D, "I am, of :ourse, proud to be associated with a facility whose dedication to excellence translates into such deep :aring, compassion and concern for its residents."
training program is being offered to a maximum of twenty volunteer counselors age 55 years or older. During home visits, gradua-tes of the training program will help other elders solve personal problem!: such as isolation, loneliness, and la.ck of purpose. Those interested in becoming volunteer counselors are en.:ouraged to call 992-6278 to requc'st an application. With the third grant award, Community Nurse will establish SEEN - a program proxiding free in-home psychiatric nursing assessments to elders age 60 and over who do not fit into the Medicare requirements of eligibility for路 in-home psychiatric treatment. SEEN will serve 80 to 100 elders in Greater New Bedford, acting as a psychiatric nursing liaison between the elders and the mental he,alth care network. For additional information, call Jane Simmons, RN, CN A intake coordinator, 992-6:!78.
Catholics greet' "Priest" with ,'aried reactions With eNS reports "Priest," a British film that deals with the struggle of a priest with his vocation after realizing that he is homosexual, has stirred a variety of reactions in the Catholic community. They range from the anger of William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, that the film's original U.S. release date was set for Good Friday to the announcement by Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, that it will seek withdrawal of the film, now scheduled for release April 19, and the ouster of Walt Disney Co. chief executive officer and president Michael Eisner. Disney owns Miramax, the studio distributing "Priest." The league will ask its supporters to cancel subscriptions to the Disney TV channelllnd to boycott Disney-licensed merchandise, Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It has also planned a $250,000 TV advertising campaign against the
fi'lm. By contrast, the media relations office of the U.S. Catholic Conference, the civic-religious arm of the U.S. Catholic bishops, issued a relatively moderate statement on "Priest." Quoting the USCC Office of Film and Broadcasting, which provides reviews of new films for use in Catholic magazines and diocesan newspapers, it noted: "The biggest problem 'Priest' presents.. .is that viewers may see it as being generally repn~sentative of the Catholic clergy rather than a tortured example of an abnormal situation." The complete USCC review, written by Henry Herx and distributed by Catholic News Service, follows. Provocative, nawed Probing the struggle between religious ideals and human frailties is the provocative but seriously flawed British drama, "Priest" (Miramax). It takes a decided I" unsentimental, at times morally jarring, journey into the troubled heart and mind of a Catholic priest assigned to a working-class parish in the north of England. It is not an easy journey and many will prefer to pass it up since it is less concerned with what a good priest should be than with the pain and difficulty for some in trying to achieve it. The obstacle confronting the movie's young curate, Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache), is that as convinced as he is of his vocation to the priesthood and its requirement of celibacy, he is drawn to occasional homosexual encounters. As a priest, then:fore, he is obviously livinga lie and, though the movie sympathizes with the pain of his unresolved conflict, it objectively depicts his double life as selfdeception and damaging. Clearly such a· subject is anything but casual entertainment and some may find it disturbing even to consider. Father Greg's interior torment is played out in" story which turns on his hearing the confession of a 14-year-old schoolgirl who reveals that she is being sexually abused by her father. But slie refuses to give the priest permission to talk to her mother or the authorities. . Bound by the seal of confession
and frustrated in his attempts to help the child, Father Greg prays in despair for Christ to do something to save the girl. This is the most deeply spiritual moment in the movie as the scene cross-cuts to the mother's discovery of her husband in bed with their daughter. The prayer in a way has been answered, but t.he mother can't forgive the priest. for not acting on what he knew. With the mother's chastisement ringing in his ears, Father Greg visits a homosexual friend, the two are arrested, the case becomes public and the bishop tells the priest to leave the diocese. Father Greg goes off to a distant country parish to mull his future, but his pastor, Father Matthew Thomas (Tom Wilkinson), shows up and persuades him to return to the parish to say Mass together. When he appears at the altar, half the congregation walks out and, at Communion, those who have remained line up to receive from Father Matthew. Seeing Father Greg standing painfully alone, the girl whom he had tried to help finally comes forward to receive the host from him and the two embrace in tears. Ending with this ambiguous but emotionally satisfying scene of reconciliation, the movie resolves nothing and is open to various interpretations. Some will find the experience deepening their understanding of the difficulties of a celibate life and more compassionate in judging those who fail. Others will dismiss it as unedifying, if not patently offensive in attempting to treat such a subject. To such viewers, "Priest" will not be provocative but simply a provocation. While there may be disagreement among Catholics about this, any movie which treats the Catholic faith as seriously as this one does can hardly be said to be antiCatholic, let alone irreligious. In creating this fictional Catholic parish, scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern is clearly not interested in the model of an ideal priest but in the human drama of someone struggling to attain it. As a veteran' writer of British TV drama - and ~'Priest" is a BBC production -+- McGovern's problem dramatic~lly was to find
a way to give this specialized Catholic subject some universal appeal. This he achieves by making the priest characters become the good little guys against the big bad institution. It's an old formula but it works reasonably well here, though mainly dependent on stereotypes, such as the social-Gospel pastor who shares his bed with the housekeep.er, the mean-spirited bishop and the dour country priest. While most of the drama is on the heavy sidl:, earnest if not somber, McGovern gives it some 'pacing by dropping in some humor, usually ribald or pointed at church bureaucracy. What director Antonia Bird provides is a credible picture of the loneliness eating away at the tormented curate in the midst of the various activities of a busy parish. Among the Haws in this treatment of Catholic life, however, is its failure to reflect on the conc'ept of sin and the consolation of confession. While it does much better in conveying such Christian virtues as love, compassion and reconciliation, its notion of spirituality is largely superficial. and related mostly to the form of liturgy and religious practices. . . The biggest problem "Priest" presents, however, is that viewers may see it as being generally representative of the Catholic clergy , rather than a tortured example of an abnormal situation. Catholic audiences know better, though that doesn't make the movie any less painful and distressing. Also, undoubtedly, many will find the depiction of the same-sex physical relationship offensive. Because of its serious treatment of a very tro~bling subject, depictions of homosexual acts and occasional crude language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV - adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R . - restricted.
11
THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., April?, 1995
scheme of things is why the stigThe first episode begins with the mata appear on particular indi- betrothal of Joseph and Mary and viduals. recounts the early years of Christ's Just as interesting is the history public ministry as he performed of stigmatics - 300 have been cer- miracles and taught through partified - starting with St. Francis ables. The second segment conof Assisi, with a segment devoted tinues the Gospel account with to the remarkable 20th-century Jesus gathering his disciples, healItalian stigmatic, Padre Pio. ing the sick and preaching repenThe program contrasts believ- tance and good works. ers' views with those of rationalThe miniseries concludes with ists, who claim the unconscious the events of Holy Week, the sufmind simply wishes for the wounds fering, death and resurrection of although they are hard pressed to Jesus and the assurance given his explain how that makes them ap- followers: "Don't be afraid. I am pear and bleed. with you every day to the end of Although it may be short on time." new insights about the stigmata, Directed by Franco ZeffireIIi on the program is probably accurate an epic scale, its production values in claiming that this inexplicable are opulent even on the small occurrence is of great interest to .screen. The period detail and hismany Christians. toric background create a realistic "Jesus of Nazareth," April 10, setting that enhances the drama's nand 13, Family cable. Making credibility. appropriate Holy Week viewing is The result has a spiritual dimena rebroadcast of the 1977 TV pro- sion that is uncommon in most duction "Jesus of Nazareth." It such works. The substance of the will air in three parts Monday and film, without any fudging of the Wednesday, April 10 and 12,8-10 issue, is that Christ is the son of p.m. each night, and Thursday, God who performed miracles, died April 13, 8-10:30 p.m. on cable's for our sins and rose from the Family Channel. dead.
JEFFREY E. SULLIVAN
COLLINS CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.
FUNERAL HOME 550 Locust Street Fall River, Mass. Rose E. Sullivan William J. Sullivan Margl\fCt M. Sullivan
GENERAL CONTRACTORS 55 Highland Avenue Fall River. MA 02720
678·5201
672·2391
TV programs listed for Holy Week
The extraordinary phenomenon of the stigmata is explored in "Wounds oUhe Cross: Miracle or Myth?," airing Good Friday, April 14, 9-10 p.m. on the A&E cable channel. "Investigat.ive Reports" host Bill Kurtis takes viewers to England, Ireland and Scotland to profile three stigmatics who discovered spontaneous lesions appearing on hands, feet and side, similar to the wounds Christ suffered on the cross. The Scotsman is dismayed by the painful condition which has weakened him to the point of needing a feeding tube. In Ireland, a woman whose forehead also bears the marks of the crown of thorns believes her stigmata prefigure a general "chastisement" by God of the populace in the near future. An English deacon of a Celtic church, on whose forehead a cross appeared, n:lates how she suddenly began using her unaccustomed left hand to compulsively paint religious figures and write spiritual texts, which she neither understands nor can explain. The program is fascinating, but BRITISH actor Linus the point is made that the Catholic Church is cautious in its approach Roache plays Father Greg Pil- . to claims of stigmatism. kington in "Priest." (eNS/ As one priest remarks, what is Miramax photo) really being sought in the larger
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Caring for Those Who Can't Care for Themselves Providing free shelter and care to incurable cancer patients in our seven modem nursing homes. Many who enter our community have no prior nursing experience, but share a great compassion and delight at being able to help the suffering. • We seek women who are full of love for Christ, and desire to join a religious congregation with a strong spiritual and community life. 1'~e IDomnnnncillnn Sn§~eIl'5 o~ Dllawibome Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer Inleresled in knowing moiYJ! Contact:
Sr. Marie Edward, RosaI)' Hill Home, 600 l.indaAl"enue, lIa~1home NY 10532· Tel: 914-769-4794 or smd lbe roupoll befou' ami li'e uul contact JVU.
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Shririe' 'staffs must stress'spirifual, Vatican meeting of officials told
THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., April 7,'1995
VATICAN CITY (CNS) Priests and staff members at Catholic shrines throughout the world are working to safeguard the spiritual character of pilgrimages. Ensuring adequate transportation and accommodations may end up being the smaller hurdles connected to Catholic pilgrimages celebrating the year 2000. Avoiding tourist traps and trinkets along the pathways to the world's most celebrated Christian sites may be impossible, but shrine officials want to help pilgrims see, their journeys primarily as spiritual quests and not treasure hunts. "It is necessary to say, and to say again, that a pilgrimage must not be considered an archeological marathon or a biblical safari," Florent Arnaud ofJerusalem's Notre Dame Center told a Vatican meeting of shrine and sanctuary officials. The dangers seem greatest at the major pilgrimage destinations of Rome and Jerusalem, where historical and artistic monuments and masterpieces draw as many sightseers as seekers of insight. "We must prepare pastoral workers who are competent, who know路 that a pilgrimage is not a tourist trek but a m9ment of prayer and spiritual renewal," said Scalabrinian Father Silvano Tomasi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers. Priests at shrines and sanctuarTHE STATUE of Mary said to have shed tears of blood. ies "must be able to respond to the personal, religious or family-related (CNS/ Reuters photo) problems these people bring, especially because many of those who visit shrines are not people who go , to Mass every Sunday," he -told Vatican Radio. .. Participants in the Vatican meeting came from 13 countries, each ROME (CNS) - A once-skep- uid. Some were to determine if it with their own shrines and expetical Italian bishop now believes a was human blood. The results have rience of pilgrimages. miracle is possible in the case of a , not been made public, but news Shrines must b~ "genuine chan" Marian statue that eyewitnesses reports citing unnamed sources nels of renewed evangelization, said shed tears of blood. said the tests showed that the liq- enabling us and the people to Bishop Girolamo Grillo of Civ- uid was human blood. deeply experience God, return to itavecchia-Tarquinia said he has The statue was given to the established a theological commis- Fabio Gregori Jamily of Civitasion to investigate the case after vecchia by their parish priest, who growing evidence that something brought it from Medjugorje, BosniaDAYTON, Ohio (CNS) - In, extraordinary happened. Herzegovina, where alleged MarX-rays uncovered no evidence ian apparitions have been taking stamp-collecting circles, a rare 1943 Hungarian postage stamp is as that any device had been placed place since 1981. inside the statue to secrete liquid, Eyewitnesses said the crying desirable as a winning Powerball ticket. he said at a March 23 news confer- began Feb. 2. ence in Rome. It depicts a painting of a statue The Civitavecchia case is the The possibility of a trick "does most publicized of at least eight of Mary, but the mother of God is not exist," he said. statues said to have cried since the literally doing a handstand. Printed More than 40 witnesses, many start of 1995. It also has under- upside down and then recalled by. of them "highly qualified," have gone the most rigorous scientific Hungarian postal authorities who testified that they saw the tears testing and official church scrutiny. belatedly realized the mistake,the fall, he added. On March I, Bishop Grillo pre- stamp is worth between $20,000 The bishop first expressed strong sented his findings to Cardinal and $40,000. There are perhaps doubts when a family in Civita- Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vat- three or four in the world. vecchia reported in February that ican Congregation for the DocIt's one stamp of Mary you the statue in their backyard had trine of the Faith. won't find in the Marian Library shed the tears. Cardinal Ratzinger, at a March on the University of Dayton cam"I have changed or events have 22 Marian congress> in Loreto, pus. changed," he said in admitting the Italy, said miracles are possible The library, which has the world's possibility of a supernatural event. but urged caution because faith largest collection of printed mate"Many doubts remain," he said, must be based on deeper roots. rial on Mary, has the complete welcoming further tests on the Miracles can reawaken a sense stamp collection from 1920 through statue.' "I do not know if the of the supernatural but are not the 1991 - minus very 'few. That's church will succeed in eliminating culmination of faith, he said. thanks to a recent gift of approxi, all of them." The cardinal said believers mately 2,500 Marian stamps from "Often the church says it has no should not be disturbed if an unMarianist 'Brother Eugene Claret, information in favor of a super- explained event turns out not to be 80, an avid stamp collector in Frinatural explanation, but that also supernatural. bourg, Switzerland. there is nothing to say it did not happen," he said. The nearly 9,000 Marian stamps The statue probably cried about cover the Annun'ciation to the 14 times over a four-day period, he Assumption, from Argentina to. said. The bishop added that he was Zimbabwe. There's something for giving an update of the situation, everyone, from U.S. painter Roy not a final judgment. Lichtenstein's colorful 1981 modernistic Holy Family in the desert, On Feb., 28, Bishop Grillo reto elaborate renderings of baroque ceived a medical report of tests paintings from Yugoslavia. The taken of the crimson-colored liq,-,
Weeping statue possible miracle, says bishop
ian shrine, said Father Edgardo Juan Trucco, president of the Latin American Confederation of Shrines. Traditional devotions, the longing for miracles and other aspects of what is called popular religiosity should not be destwyed, but should be a starting plac~ for spir.itual growth, said Father Tomasi. "We cannot cut off our legs in order to walk toward the future," he said. "We must use these religious traditions, which for the most part are healthy, and build on them." "It would appear that an increasing focus of shrine and pilgrimage ministry is to bridge the gap between the rationa.I expression of faith and the popillar piety of the people,'" said Carmelite Father Matthias J. Des Lauriers, president' of the U.S. National Association for the Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate. In many ways, pastoral workers at the more than 200 U.S. Catholic shrines will have an ea!:ier time maintaining a spiritual foclls among pilgrims simply because most of the shrines are not touri~.t attractions, Father Tomasi said. "I would say pilgrimages in the WASHINGTON (CNS) - The' United States take on two characU.S. bishops and church youth teristics: one is the fec:ling of leaders have launched an anti-, belonging to a group with a comviolence initiative targeting Catho- mon faith and vision of life; the lic teen-agers. Titled "To Stand other is strictly spiritual--people Against Violence," it is a com- are going to the shrines to pray, bined effort by the National Fed- attend Mass and receive the saceration for Catholic Youth Minis- raments," he said. try and the bishops' Secretariat for "Increasing numbers a:re movFamily, Laity, Women and Youth. ing toward shrines in the United Plans for 1995 include parish and States as places of hospitality, diocesan gatherings of youths to praye'r, reconciliation, hea:ting and discuss and strategize against vio- renewal," Father Des Lauriers, 'Ience; a celebration of peacemak- director of the National S.r.rine of ing during the Oct. 28-29 U.S. Our Lady of Mount Carmel in observance of World Youth Day; Middletown, N.Y., told the Vatiand meetings of bishops and high can meeting. school students at the second Na"Shrines are countercultural tional Youth Congress Nov. 16-18 places in an increasingly secular in Minneapolis. and materialistic society," :'te said. daily life with a changed heart and draw others to experience the same so' that together and in communion with the church, we may journey toward the heavenly Jerusalem," said Msgr. Roberto Espenilla, representing the Philippines. In some countries, such as Poland, a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine is part and parcel of being a Catholic in much the same way as a pilgrimage to Mecca is part of being a Muslim. Every year some 4 million pilgrims - 200,000 of them traveling on foot - visit the shrine of Our Lady of Jasna Gora at Czestochowa, Poland, said Father Jan Pach. Every Polish diocese and almost every Catholic organization has an annual pilgrimage to the shrine. In most cases, the pilgrims meet weekly for months ahead of time to prepare themselv.es for their "moving retreat," he said. In Latin America, the tradition of pilgrimage is especially strong among the poorest and those who are sick. Their destination, often reached on foot, is usually a Mar-
Anti-violence plan
Forget Powerball-library wants rare Marian starnp book value of the collection is $32,000. Some of its highlights: - Virtually every Christmas stamp of Mary ever printed. - Stamps from 180 countries, numbering 5,400. - Stamps from 328 famous painters, including a series of paintings or sketches of the Madonna by German master Albrecht Durer, totaling 2,300. CHRISTMAS
1990
0
;ANTIGUA
;& BARBUDA
60 c,
SHE'S NOT standing on her head, but' this is one of nearly 9,000 stamps depicting Mary in the collection of the Marian Library of the University of Dayton. (CNS / Burgess photo)
-:- Five hundred first-day commemorative post cards. - The oldest, a 1920 Hungarian stamp of Mary. --- Among the most valuable, an eight-stamp Spanish series, "Montserrat,"at $1 ,200 and a 1932 Hungarian stamp, "Patromi Hungariae," worth $850. - A postmark logo of Mary used in Greece during Worl,d War
II. - A collection from the lJ nited Arab Emirates, a Moslem nation, and a 1967 Portuguese stamp comomemorating the 50th anniversary of Marian,apparitions at Fatima. "Practicallya'il the stamp; have been donated to the library," said Marianist Father Johann Roten, director of the International Marian Research Institute and a !:tamp aficionado. "Most of the stamps were issued around Chrisolmastime." How does the priest know the Marian Library has virtually a complete set? Last year he shi,pped the library's unorganized c,)llection to Brother Claret in Switzerland, who organized it into 18 binders, inventoried it "and completed it with his own stamps," Father Roten said. Outside the elusive, expe:llsive HungarialJ stamp and a few :from the 1990s, "he knew he had the complete set."
THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., April?, 1995
13
Most memorable encyclical
AID FOR AFRICA: This woman in the Congo planted and harvested rice, an example of a successful grassroots assistance project in Africa, where 20 million people are at risk of starvation. As Congress threatens to slash self-help development assistance for Africa, which now costs about $3 per American family a year, churches nationwide are writing to Congress in support of such aid through Bread for the World's" Africa: Crisis to Opportunity" Offering of Letters campaign. For information contact Bread for the World, 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910; tel. l-800-82-BREAD; fax (301) 608-2401. (U.N. World Food Program photo)
Continued from Page Three to the "painful and even shattering decision" to have an abortion. He urged women who have had an abortion not to lose hope but to "try rather to understand what has happened and face it honestly.... The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the sacrament of reconciliation." The new encyclical reaffirmed church teaching against artificial contraception in the context of defending the church against arguments that it actually promotes abortion by its firm stand against contraception. On the contrary, the pope argued, the "negative values inherent in the 'contraceptive mentality'" contribute to abortion by making it appear as an acceptable alternative "to failed contraception." Cardirial William H. Keeler of Baltimore, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, led U.S. bishops in urging a wide reading of the encyclical among those of other faiths as well as among Catholics.
"I see in it a natural basis for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue," he said.
Suspect arrested VALENCIA, Spain (CNS) Spanish police have arrested a man wanted in Italy for the murder of a crime-fighting priest. Spanish police apprehended Gi useppe Quadrano, a 41-year-old Italian, in the eastern port city of Valencia. Quadrano is suspected of shooting to death 36-year-old Father Giuseppe Diana in March 1994 in a town near the Italian port city of Naples, where the Camorra crime organization has its base. Italian news reports of the arrest said that Quadrano was a Camorra boss and killed Father Diana because the priest refused to celebrate a funeral Mass for a member of Quadrano's crime gang. Father Diana also had been active fighting organized crime in Casal di Principe, where he was a parish priest.
"Death· with Dignity" bill Continued from Page One actuality is seriously flawed and ethically intolerable. In articulating our strong oppo-
sition to the legalization of physician assisted suicide, we do not intend to deny or minimize the existence of the problems menti-
Area R.eligious Broadcasting The following television and radio programs originate in the diocesan viewing and listening area. Their listings normally do not vary from week to week. They will be presented in the Anchor periodically and will renect any changes that may be made. Please clip and retain for reference. The rosary is recited by Bishop OnTV Each Sunday, 8:00a.m WLNE, Sean O'Malley in Portuguese Channel 6. Dioces;an Television weekday mornings at 5: 15 a.m. Mass, also broad'cast on radio and weekends at 5:45 a.m. and in English every night following the station 87.9 FM. II :00 news (approximately 11:06 Portuguese Ma!ISeS from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, p.m.) on WHTB, 1400 AM, Fall New Bedford: 7 p.m. each Sun- River. "Quince Minutos de Musica y day on television Channel 20. "Vivendo a Nossa Fe" (Portu- Quince Minutos de Mensaje" guese), 9:30 p.m. Saturdays Fall (Spanish), with Father Kevin Harrington, pastor of St. JoRiver/New Bedfo~rd Channel 20; 2 p.m. Sundays Fall River Chan- seph's parish, Attleboro, 8:30 p.m. each Sunday on WJFD, nell3. Mass 9:30 a.m. Monday to 97.3 FM. Charismatic programs with Friday, WFXT, Channel 25. Father John Randall are aired "Rejoice and Hope" 6:30 a.m. from I :00 to 1:30 a. m. Monday alternate Sundays, Channel 10, through Friday on station WRIB, features Providenl;e Bishop Louis 1220 AM, Providence. Other Gelineau. Catholic programs run daily at The Stations of the Cross are 7:00 and 9: 15 a. m. and 1:30 p. m. telecast at lOa. m. each Friday·on Mass is broadcast at I p.m. Fall River cable c:hannel 13. Sunday. Faith and Values channel, Programs of Catholic interest (formerly VISN / ACTS), an interare broadcast at the following faith national cable TV network, times on station WROL Boston, is offered at various times on 950 AM: Monday through Fricable channels in Attleboro, day 9, 9: 15, 9:45 a.m.; Tuesday Barnstable, Cha.tham, Dennis, and Thursday II :00 a.m.; WedHarwich, Rehoboth and Yarnesday 6:30 p.m.; Saturday 6:30 mouth. Consult local listings. and 8:00-10:30 a.m.; Sunday 7:00 EWTN can be viewed in most and 10:30 a.m.; 12 noon-3:00 parts of the diocese on various p.m. channels. Consult local listings. "In Season & O~t of Season" On Radio with Father Tom Dilorenzo, 3 "The Americall1 Catholic," 5:45 and II: 15 a.m.; 9:45 p.m. station a.m. Sundays, WPXC, 102.9 FM, WEZE, 1260 AM. Hyannis. A Polish-language Mass is St. Jude Novena, 6:45 a.m. heard from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Sundays, WHTIJ, 1400 AM Fall every Sunday on station WICE, 550 AM. River. The rosary is broadcast at 5:45 "Talking Religion" with Sister Mary Hennessl:y, a rabbi and a.m. Monday through Saturday rotating Protestant ministers, 6:05 on WPlM Plymouth, 1390 AM, a.m. Sundays, WRKO, 680 AM. 99.1 FM.
oned above. However, we are convinced thilt there are other more efficacious and ethical means of approaching a solution. We would suggest four: (I) public education on the fact that there is a legitimate distinction bf:tween "taking the life of the patient" and "permitting the patients to die"; (2) public education on the fact that life support sy~tems may be discontinued when they no longer offer reasonable hope of benefit or become excessively burdensome; (3) urging health care professionals to acquaint themselves with the contemporary advances made in the areas of pain management and proper diagnosis of depression; (4) provide much more publicity and funding for hospice institutions and hospice home care which help patients "to live while dying." Finally, we note that the United States District Court in Oregon has recently issued a temporary restraining order against the implementation of the ref~rendum, passed there last November, which legalized physician assisted suicide. That has been done in the light of many questions about its possible violation of some serious federal and constitutional claims. In light of these considerations, we are convinced that the only proper course for the legislature to follow is to reject this proposed legislation as contrary to the good of persons and contrary to the common good of this Commonwealth. We are confident that the legislators, in their commitment to the good of the people of this State, will concur in this judgment and act accordingly. tHis Eminence, Bernard Cardinal Law Archbishop of Boston tMost Reverend Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap Bishop of Fall River tMost Reverend Daniel Rf:illy Bishop of Worcester tMost Reverend Thomas Dupre Diocesan Administrator Springfield
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I.===========~~~_I Bishop Connolly High
At a "-Turn of the Century Fair" at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School, North Attleboro, Billy Smith (left) and Brendan Poirier perform a JIaudeville A ct, while. below, eighth grade passengers look forlorn on the deck of the sinking Titanic (clockwise from left: Lyndsey Aubin, , Irene Choberka, Lauren Noone, Erin Prefontaine, Blake Sigman). The students, in Mary Ellen Smith's history class, recently completed a unit on the years 1890-1920, which involved displays and exhibits on such topics as the Statue ofLiberty, Ellis Island, the Panama Canal and the Newport Mansions.
St. Mary-Sacred Heart' NORTH ATTLEBORO -Baptism was a recent study topic for first and third grade classes. The firstgraders created a bulletin, board and wrote a book about their own baptisms, while Father Richard Degagne led third-graders in a baptism re-creation in the chapel. . Teeth and potatoes were also popular topics recently. Karen Smith visited grade 4 with X-rays and teeth molds to enhance their study of dental care, while third-graders, discussing ~he importance of fluoride, performed an experiment with hard-boiled eggs, vinegar and fluoride rinse. Second-graders learned about potatoes as a healthful food, while firllt-graders practiced "potato math," weigh-, ing, estimating, measuring and sorting them. They also wrote creative stories answering "What would you do with a sack of potatoes?," Among Lenten projects: eighth-graders are collecting school supplies for children in Haiti; they also prepared personal meditations read aloud as they led Stations 'of, the Cross March 10. Sixth-graders have been doing good deeds for one another and reflecting on how they convert their weaknesses into strengths. They painted a mural using biblical images of death and resurrection. New horizons: seventh-graders created a mural illustrating Latin America and compiled a booklet of news articles on the region. Fourth-graders studied the Southwestern cities. Kindergarteners made a clay model of the Emerald Isle for St. Patrick's Day and served green Jell-o. ' Fifth-graders achieved stardom when WPRI-TV channel 12 visited their classroom fOf a DARE class presented by Sergeant Daniel Coyle, named North Attleboro-Plainville Rotary"Person of the Year." Danny Cafarelli was interviewed by Channel 12's Jack Byrne and the class appeared on the II o'clock news. , Third-graders are eagerly anticipating their mail: they wrote letters to companies listed in the book Free Stuff for Kids, and the goods should be arriving soon!
A ccreditation announcements The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., has announced that it has granted initial institutional accreditation to SS. Peter and Paul School, Fall River. Granted "candidate for accreditation" status were Holy Family-Holy Name and St. Mary's'schools, New Bedford, and St. Jean Baptiste School, Fall'River.
FALL RIVER - Richard Sisson of Portsmouth, RI, starting center for the Bishop Connolly Cougars EAC Champion basketball team, was named the male winner 'of the 1995 Dave Cowens Award. He was selected by the local board of high school referees from a field of senior nominees from 20 area high schools. Basketball ability and personal profile beyond basketball are the criteria for the award. "I didn't have a speech prepared," said Sisson, Connolly's all-time leading scorer. "I didn't think I was going to win it. .. It'll be nice to put in the trophy 路case. Anyone could have won it." ' As the Cougar captain, Sisson became the team's alltime leading scorer and rebounder. Connolly's basketball cheerleaders took fifth place at the State Competition in Wilbraham. Squad members were: Paulina Pacheco (captain), Lisa Almeida, Carly Christiansen, Stacey Covel, Heather Forand, Jill Landry, Jenny Lynn, Kellie O'Connell, Angela Pacheco, Patty Rego, ChHstina Rodrigues, Christina Teixeira and Jocelyn Valcourt. The Connolly Lacrosse Team 'dominated Landmark in 'the season opener to come away with a 4-1 victory. Goalie Mark Reedenauer shut down the opposition with defensive help from Miguel Soares, Mike Morse and Matt Horan. . Jim Galloway, Pat Meffert and Craig Bettencourt provided the offense. . Junior Jason Gleghorn of Dartmouth placed third in tke'Region III Science Fair for his project .. L(ft + Inge. nuity --.:.- Drag Yields Tomorroll' 50 Space Shuttle. .. He is now qualified to compete .at the State Science Fair on .April 28-29 a,t the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His project focuses on the development of a new space shuttle that would take off like an airplane, rather than like a rocket. Connolly Artists Display Works Several Connolly students have won awards in the Sesond Annual Open Juried High School Art Exhibition held by the Greater Fall River-Art Association. 28 Connolly students participated, with awards going to: Dan Mello, second place photo award; Lili Ibara, third place photo award; and Hayley Capodilupo, second place drawing award. Honorable mentions went to Grady Gauthier, Jane Torphy, Katherine Lamontagne and Michael Cwikla. Earth Day Celebration Planned Bishop Connolly will stage its annual Earth Day Celebration 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 10. The day's'theme, from the movie "The Lion King," is "The Circle of Life." Students have prepared various projects targeting global environmental concerns. ,The day-long event will include guest speakers from all , over New England, h~nds-on l;xhibits, videos and slide presentations geared to a variety of age groups. Local Catholic and area public school students have been invited to attend and, for the first time, an invitation has been extended to the community to take part in the festivities. "I t is Bishop Connolly's hope that by welcoming others to this event a greater appreciation for our environment will grow within the greater Fall Riyer area," said Rebecca Hancock, senior coordinator for "The Circle of Life." I
Bishop 'Feehan High ATTLEBORO - Honorary' Distinguished Alumni Awards were given recently to Sister Enda Costello, RSM, and to Bernard and Rolande Poirier,. The Poiriers sent all 15 of their children to Feehan. Their daughter Veneta Rainville, a Sister of Mercy Associate, gave the , opening prayer at the ceremony. She was a student of Sister Costello:s as a Feehan junior. An Alumni Humanitarian Award was given posthumously to Patricia McDonagh, daughter of Ed and Kathy McDonagh, who died recently of cancer. Also a former student of Sister Costello, Ms. McDonagh had allowed treatment with experimental drugs.in hopes of advancing medical progress.
St. John the Evangelist ATTLEBORO - Tournament MVP Ryan Ebeling scored 24 points as St. John's defeate<;l St. Margaret's of Rumford, RI, 60-53, for the senior boys' title in the 15th annual St. John's basketball tournament. St. John's used a 25-point first quarter to gain control and assume a lead they would never relinquish. Nick McNamee and Mike McNally added 12 points for St. John's and were named with Ebeling to the all-tournament team.
Preparing for a scienceJair to be held next week at Our Lady of Lourdes School,' TauntOff, are Pam Lawrence and K athleeti Chaves; below, Daryl JIieira putsfinishing touches on a display depicting causes of air pollution.
Coyle-Cassidy High TAUNTON - Coyle and 'Cassidy took home several trophies and is home of the state's slowest bike rider as the "Physics Warriors" triumphed in the 1995 Physics Olympics held recently at UMass-Boston. Coyle and Cassidy won the kinetic sculpture event with its two entries. The requirements were to design a piece that would be aesthetically attractive 'and that would move continuously for at least two minutes. The motion had to be repeatable as many times asjudges chose to run it. A piece designed and sculpted by junior Dave Schmeer of West Bridgewater used the principle of the magnetic pendulum to move a large, white hand made of :paper mache that dangled over a grey and white speckled coffer. The other winning piece, designed by juniors Melissa Simas and Catherine Couture of Taunton and Alana Cordeiro of Bridgewater, was a waterwheel set into a beautifully decorated rock formation. Junior Ryan Crandall of Raynham set the record for the day in the slow bike event; which challenged participants to ride a dirt bike on a one-meter wide track for a distance of two meters in the longest time. Crandall's time, 34 second's, was the slowest of all the compet.itors , from nine high schools in the state. The CC team finished in fourth place. The CC Physics Warriors placed second in the balloon event, for which students were required to determine how much of a given substance (when attached to the ballon) would allow the helium-filled balloon to rise 12 feet ill the most time. Other CC team members were Peter Fletcher, Justin Frye, James Hammond, Tom McGarry and Mike Pnviti. Winter All Stars . Six of Coyle-Cassidy's st.udent-athletes were named to the 1995 Eastern Athletic Conference all star team for the winter season. Leading the way from the Eastern Massachusetts Division III hockey championship team are seniors Kyle Jacques of Lakeville, Jon Goodreau of Middleboro (offense) and Joe Hunt of Taunton (defense). Junior Eric Ferris of Taunton. the league's top scorer for the second consecutive season with a 27 points per game average. was named a basketball all star. . Junior Kern Nwosu of Bridgewater was the EAC's top 55-meter runner whilejunior Christine Ensko was selected as the league's top sprinter. The Boston Globe named 'hockey coach,Joe ~'uinll as the Division III Coach of the Year a'nd put Jacques on its second team sq'uard as a scholastic'all star. :Jacques was named an all star by the Boston Herald as well.
By Charlie Maron
IN THE HOUSE OF STONE AND LIGHT o Mount KaHas Uncover me Come my restoration Wash my body clean I've been walking Along a crooked path When: the walls- have fallen And broken me in half I'm teiling you I will not rest Till I lay down my head I'm gonna go In the house of stone and light I shaJII not cry For the blind man I leave behind When I go In the house of stone and light In th.: house of stone and light Holy l.ady Show me my soul Tell me of that place Whel'e I must surely go Old man waiting At the gates for me Give me the wisdom Give me the key Let me in beneath my skin In the house of stone and light It's been too long My spirit's be,en at war Havllsupai shaman Let me be reborn And I will embrace The sun upon my face Come the day I awake the child inside In the'house olstone and light And when I go I will op-op-open my eyes In the house of stone and light I will see you In the house of stone and light I'm looking in beneath my skin In the house of stone and light Written and sung by Martin Page (c) 1994 by EMI Virgin Music Inc./Martin Page Music Inc.
PERHAPS 1995 is pop music's year to sing about dwellings. Amy Grant already has given us "House of Love." Now, Martin Page has a chart hit called "In the 1·louse of Stone and Light." The song is unusual for the Top 40. However, in both his musical sound and intriguing
message, Page is winning lots of fans. The song reminds me of a lyrical poem in its blending of a variety of images, many of which are unfamiliar to most of us. Apparently, the person in the song seeks a type of spiritual awakening. He hopes to find this awaken-
ing "in the house of stone and light." There he will find guides that will "show me my soul" and provide him with the key to wisdom. Some of the song's images incline me to think that Page is influenced by Native American culture. Whatever his sources, how to grow spiritually is an important question for all of us. God invites us to turn our lives into a spiritual journey. Our experienc(:s often teach us about spiritual reality. Learning for us is not limited to any certain age or period in our lives. In fact, teens are at a good time of life for investigating the spiritual dimensions of themselves. How can we do this? How do we find this "house of stone and light" that Page mentions? Most likely, the song's image is a metaphor for occasions when we are moved to look for enduring truth. Consequently, there are many avenues open to spiritual growth in teens' lives. I want to mention one that I have experienced personally. During my t.ime in youth ministry, I was privileged to work on many weekend retreats. for teens. Thes(: retreats were fun, meaningful and sure pathways to spiritual awakening. Two such programs are "The Search for Christian Maturity" and "Teens Encounter Christ." Through these experiences, I witnessed how teens could discover their own style of spirituality and initiate beneficial changes in their lives. Besides these programs, many parishes and high schools offer their own retreats. If you have an opportunity to attend a youth retreat, I encourage you to take a chance on discovering something new and valuable for your life. Sure, this will mean missing out on your regular weekend activities. But what you gain will give you a new perspective on yours~lf and your life. Perhaps we never will visit Page's "Mount Kailas" or walk with a "Havasupai shaman," or enter into a "house of stone and light." But we can be assured that God will help us find our spiritual path if we genuinely seek it. Open yourself up to the opportunities available to you. Your comments welcomed by Charlie Martin, RR 3, Box 182, Rockport, IN 47635.
THE ANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri., April 7, 1995
By Amy Welborn Christy missed the first two weeks ofthe school year last fall. She was in the hospital, havil'\g her body's nutrients replenished, first intravenously, then with SQlid food. Christy was anorexic. Maggie went through the same thing. Both girls seemed to have every~ thing going for them: bright academic futures and unique creative talents. Christy is a gifted artist and Maggie is a dancer, but that wasn't enough for either girl to feel satisfied with herself. As Maggie's mother said, "She just couldn't believe she wasn't fat," even as she dropped below 90 pounds. Sad cases, aren't they? But if you think about it, these extreme examples are rooted in an obsession a lot of us share: weight. One common New Year's resolution is to lose weight. One of the more disturbing studies of the past few years showed the concern with weight filtering down to children as young as 9! There's nothing wrong, of course, with wanting to be healthier and in. better shape physically. But almost every day in school I overhear student conversations that have weight as their main theme: "I've got to look good in my prom dress, so I'm going to starve myself for the next month." "I hate myself! I'm so fat!" If your weight concerns you, try to step back and be objective for a minute. Ask yourself a serious question: Does it really matter how much you weigh? If it affects your health, the answer is yes, but otherwise we might have to admit that perhaps it doesn't matter that much. First, who decides what "overweight" means, anyway? In today's culture, the "waif' look may be in, but int.he 19th century anyone who looked like supermodel Kate Moss, for example, would be sent to her family in the country so they
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could fatten her up with some substantial food and bring some color into her cheeks with hard work and exercise. The standards of what is "beautiful" and "attractive" are relative - different cultures hold up different character traits as attractive. Unfortunately, with the pervasiveness of the media in our lives, we're seduced into equating these arbitrary standards with character traits that are of real, lasting value. OK, so you're 5-feet-4-inches and you weigh 140 pounds instead of the 120 or even 110 you think you "should" weigh. So what? Do you let your weight define you? I hope not. What's more important is your kindness, your' sensitivity, your intelligence and your honesty. Above all, don't hate yourself -love yourself for all your wonderful qualities that make you who you are. There are even more serious reasons for refusing to be concerned with the weight issue. Within a global context, that concern is not only ridiculous, but it verges on the immoral. Americans seem to be preoccupied with how much they eat. We purposely try to limit what we eat in order to be thinner. Think of trying to explain that mindset to a Somalian child. That puts everything into perspective, doesn't it? The teen years are the time we really set out to forge our unique identities. To do this, we often feel the need to break free from the expectations that authority and institutions put on us, all for the sake of "being ourselves." If you want to be yourself and you resent other people trying to dictate who you should be, you don't have to look further than the pages of your favorite fashion magazine. If you want to break loose, break loose from that prison of obsession with weight and appearance, and appreciate yourself for who you really are.
IRS relief for charitable donors
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MEMBERS OF Coyle-Cassidy High School Spanish Honor Society, Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Chapter, attended a March 24 memorial service for the archbishop, celebrated in Spanish by Bishop Sean O'Malley at St. Mary's Cathedral. Archbishop Romero was assassinated in EI Salvador March 24, 1980. (Breen photo)
Taxpayers who made contributions of $250 or mor.e to charities during 1994 are being relieved from the requirement that before they file their 1994 returns they obtain adequate written acknowledgements from the charities. In a March 22 notice the IRS said that taxpayers can still claim deductions for charitable contributions of $250 or more on their 1994 returns if they make a good faith effort on or before Oct. 16, 1995, to obtain the required written acknowledgement from the charity. One example of a good faith effort would be sending a letter to the charity requesting the acknowledgement. "Congress changed the law. in 1993 to require taxpayers makmg
charitable contributions of $250 or more to obtain written acknowledgements from the charities for these contributions. This law requires that an acknowledgement be obtained before filing an income tax return or by the due date of the return, including extensions, whichever is earlier. The acknowledgement must also state whether or not the taxpayer received anything in return for the contribution," said Francine Crowley, Boston IRS District Director. Taxpayers who do not itemize are not affected by this announcement. Taxpayers who have already filed their 1994 retur~s and wish to take advantage of thiS relief should file an ame.nded return using Form 1040X.
Holy Week Prayer~ Donations Urgently Ne~ded
, Sister Pleads for Struggling Indian Mission School Spedal to The Anchor
THOREAU, NM - As Catholics around the globe prepare for Easter, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur is pleading for urgently-needed help for a struggling Indian Mission'schooL Sr, Natalie Bussiere, S.N.D., is a native of Massachusetts who says she lost her heart two years ago to the Indian childrenattending Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Academy where she serves as elementary principal. Her heartfelt goal, Sr. Natalie says, is thatofmaking quality Catholic education a reality for American Indian children in her care. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Academy was started more than a decade ago by St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School Founder Very Rev. Douglils A. McNeill when he realized the Indian children in the Mission's CCD
classes didn't have even the most basic reading and writing skills. Today over 300 children, most of them Native American, join Sr. Natalie in her prayers to keep their school from closing. Sr. Natalie cites statistics that command her commitment to the Indian boys and girls attending BlessedKaten Tekakwitha Academy:
side with a nearly 50-member strong corps of dedicated lay missionaries. Most of the missionaries serve as teachers, but some also help carry out other work of the Mission. ) The work ofother lay missionaries includes bringing both food and water to aging Navajos living in poverty in remote areas ofthe barren Reservation which has been often compared to an emerging "Third World" nation. Many *55% o/theNavajopopulation . dwellings have dirt·floors and no runcannot read or write/ ning water or electricity. *The suicide rate among New lay missionaries often ask, Navajo teenagers is ten times "Sister, is this AmericaZ" higherthan/ortheiragegroup Trusting in God, Sr. Natalie prays for urgently-needed help. in the u.s. population atlarge.. Gifts made to St. Bonaventure InSr. Natalie is not alone in her dian Mission and School are taxcommitment to all'those who look deductible. The school also qualito St. Bonaventure Mission for hope fies for "Matching Gifts." of a better life. She works side-by-
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: DearAnchor Reader,
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I'm turning to youfor help. I pray you willjoin me in partnership ofprayer, love and concern. My very serious concern is theplight ofstruggling families and ofaging FirstAmericans here on the Eastern Navajo Reservation...andthe fitture ofour' Mission school's boys andgirls. I cannot turn my backon despair bred by nearThird- Worldpoverty, so I'm asldngfor yourprayers... andyour help. I cannot turn my back on starvation and malnutrition} so I'm askingfor yourprayers...andyour help. I cannot turn my back on a generation ofAmerican Indian boys andgirls I see as being condemnedto lives ofhopelessness without an educationJ so I'm turning to youfor yourprayers...andfor your help.
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In ChristJs Lovefor His Forgotte~
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Sr. Natalie Bussiere, S.N.D.
• • P.S.I'II rememberyou andyour needs in myprayers and: atMass duringLent and the Easter season. •
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Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Academy Elementary Principal Sr. Natalie Bussiere,SND, and a group of BKTA students are pictured with the "Miracle Van" that many friends helped St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School earn through Campbell's Labels for Education Program. St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, which operates BKTA is now collecting labels for a second "Miracle Van." CUp aodMaU Today
Here's my emergency Holy Week/Easter gift of love of $, Please pray for my special intentions
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) Please check here ifyou would like to receive an autographed hardbound copy ofTo~y Hillerman's book, Sac~ Clowns} which is dedicated to the lay missionaries serving at SI. Bonaventure Indian Mission and Schoo~ as a token ofappreciation for your gift of$200 or more. You will be enrolled as a member ofSI. Bonaventure Mission's 1995 GoodShepherd Club for whom Mass is offered on the 15th ofeach month.
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) Please check here ifyou would like to receive a beautifulrosary hand-strung with reconstituted turquoise nuggets andsilver-platedbeads as a token ofappreciationfor your gift 01$100 or more. You will be enrolled as a member ofSI. Bonaventure Mission's 1995 GoodShepherd Club for whom Mass is offeredon the 15thofeach month. .
) Please check here ifyou would like to receive a sterling silver cros~ set with turquoise, made by our localIndian artisan~ as a 10ken ofappre.~. ~iation for your gift of$35 or more. It is a uniquepiece of jewelryyou will wear -or give - with pride. (
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. Send to:
·Emergency Help from The Anchor Readers \~ St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School V - E a s t e r n Navajo Reservation, P.O. Box 610, Thoreau, NM 87323~0610
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9529 AOW 012