04.10.98

teanc 0 VOL. 42, NO. 15 _ Friday, April 10, 1998

FALL RIVER, MASS.

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Bishop O'Malley'sEaster message Dearly beloved in Christ,

reMit (JI//' ff~1 ~ 10 h rlJPrIl

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ith these words sung at the Easter Vigil, the Church joyfully acclaims our new life in Christ Jesus and his victory, won for us, over the darkness of sin and death.

For the 40 days of Lent, we have walked. with the Lord and meditated on his life, his passion, and his death. Today, we stand as witnesses to the glory of his resurrection and the promise of new life.

Easter, like the beautiful season of spring, is a time of hope and new life.

As the spring flowers emerge from the darkness of the winter soil, so, too, do we emerge from the darkness of sin and death and bask in the light of Christ's resurrection. We warmly welcome bur new members of the faith who have been fully initiated into the life of the Church by the Easter sacraments, and' we thank them for the witness they give to us. United with them by the waters of baptism, we all become sharers in the Paschal Mystery. Reborn in the waters of baptism, we have put on Christ. .

Our Lenten journey was a time of renewal and reconciliation, a season of grace, as we opened our lives to the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to remold and reshape us in the image of Christ. Now, during the Easter season, our journey of faith continues, challenging us to live our faith in the risen Lord with a renewed sense of dedication, commitment and zeal.

In a homily attributed to the Church Father Pseudo-Chrysostom, we are reminded that the beginning of our new life"...is the moment when Christ has been sacrificed for us. Knowing this, we should strive to possess the principle of the new life and never tum back to the old...."

The 40 days of Easter lead us to the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord. Christ returns to his heavenly Father promising to send us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be with us always. We then begin a novena in preparation for the solemnity of Pentecost, the commemoration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church; in essence, the birthday of the Church.

This year, a year devoted to the Holy Spirit in preparation for the new millennium, we, as a diocese, will commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in a special Liturgy at St. Mary's Cathedral on the Vigil of Pentecost, Saturday, May 30, at 7 p.m.

As the apostles and the Blessed Mother gathered together, so we will assemble in prayerful anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our diocesan family. I invite all in the diocese to this eucharistic celebration in joyful thanksgiving to the Lord for the fulfillment of his promise.

To all of you, the clergy, religious and devoted lay men and women who together make up the Fall River Diocese, I offer my prayers Tum to page J 1 ~ Easter

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Apr. 10, 1998 .2 ---------------,.,-....,.-,....--,....---::-...."....---

I

(@btluartpa Normand H. Boule

FALL RIVER-Normand H. Boule, 90, founder and owner of the Boule Funeral Home, died April 6 at the Catholic Memorial Home here. He was the husband of Juliette (Letendre) Boule and the brother of Father Roland B. Boule, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese.

Born here, the son of the late Honre and Anna (Rivard) Boule, he graduated from Providence College in 1930 and from the New England Institute of Anatomy and Sanitary Science in 1944. He opened his funeral home with his brother in 1945.

He was the founding and 10th president of Fall River's Richelieu Club for Franco-Americans and a charter member and vice president of the Serra Club; and was active in the Fall River Association for Retarded Citizens, the Arthur Lapierre Chorale and .the Fall River Music Club..

Boule was a member and past president of the Fall River Funeral Directors' Assn., and served on the board of directors of Lafayette Bank: and St. Anne's Credit Union for 43 years, also chairing its credit committee. He wa~ a former Fall River Fire Commissioner and was the Franco-American Civic League's 1992 Man of the Year.

Active in St. Anne Parish here, of which he was a member most of his life, he belonged to its Holy Name Society, choir, seniors citizens' club and parish board of education. He was also a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Besides his wife and brother he leaves a son, Jean N. Boule of Westport; four daughters, Murielle Curry of Silver Springs, Md., Denise Moline of Reston, Va., Michelle Boule of Acton and Constance Boule of this city; two sisters, Jeannette Sequin of Fairhaven and Lucille Plante of this city; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. ..

The Liturgy of the Word and final commendation were held this morning at St. Anne Church by Father Boule. He will celebrate a memorial Mass for his brother on April 13 at 10 a.m., in St. Anne Church.

Msgr. Gilbey, former Cambridge'chaplain

Pro- Life Apos:tolate" announ'ces ,essay contest winners The following student essays were selected as winners in the Diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate's annual essay contest. Students were asked to reflect on the topic "A World Without Roe v. Wade;' and four essays were selected as finalists, in the categories of grades 6-8 and 9-12.

The first place essay for grades 6-8 was written by Jessica Belanger of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, New Bedford. 'She is in eighth grade. It reads: "Can someone tell me the difference between murdering a newborn child and murdering a fetus? A fetus is a living being and deserves the same right to live as you and I. The right to abort an unborn child began in 1973, when a woman fought for the legal right to have an abortion. She won and the Supreme Court decided that a woman's right to do what she wants with her body is more important than her unborn child's right to live. Legalizing abortion has shown how selfish and immoral people have become.

The Roe vs. Wade decision reversed would not eliminate abortions, because abortions have been per-

By Catholic News Service LONDON - Tributes have been paid to one of England's oldest and most eccentric Catholic priests, who died at the age of 96.

Msgr. Alfred Newman Gilbey, former chaplain of Cambridge University, died March 26. He had been described as a character from the novels of Evelyn Waugh, a "living. fossil" and an "ambassador from the past."

Cardinal George Basil Hume of Westminster, London, recalled how in his youth Msgr. Gilbey had made a strong impression on.him. .

"I first sat at Msgr. Gilbey's feet at the age of 15'when he preached a school retreat, and ever since that time, I have known that he was an exceptionally holy priest. Charity and courtesy in every situation characterized his pastoral activities. Msgr. Gilbey was a great priest," said Cardinal Hume.

Msgr.. Gilbey's influence sprang from his period as chaplain to students·at' Cambridge University, one of Britain'S premier academic institutions. For more than 30 years, from 1932 to 1965, he ministered to the needs of Catholic students and converts.

Habitually dressed in gaiters and even on occasions a top hat, he was a firm opponent of change. He celebrated Mass daily in the Tridentine rite, with permission from his bishop.

He was born in Essex, in the southeast of England, in 1901; the son of a prosperous wine merchant, and was educated by the Jesujts at Beaumont School, before studying at Cambridge University. He studied for the priesthood at the Beda College, Rome, and was ordainedin the chapel of his family's country home in Essex.

After serving as a university chaplain he took up residence in The Traveller's Club in London's exclusive Pall Mall ..:.- a gentlemen's club where he converted an attic room into a small oratory.

DR. MILDRED F. In an obituary in the'London newspaper The Independent, Gerard Noel, a former editor of the Catholic Herald, concluded: "Alfred Gilbey was a man of Jefferson, one of the foreregular and moderate habils; of elegance and charm; of wit and wisdom; of most pro-life leaders in the precision and contentment; of holiness and spiritual contentment. He was nation, will be the guest probably more widely loved than any Catholic priest of modern times." speaker at the April 19 meet-

Saint Anne Hospital offers scholarships FALL RIVER-For the sixth year, the medical staff at Saint Anne Hospi~ tal is seeking applicants' from the greater Fall River area for the Dr. Victor A. Palumbo Memorial S c h o l a r s h i p . " .

Dr. Palumbo practiced obstetrics and gynecology in this city for more than 38 years and in his memory the medical staff provides two $1,000 scholarships to local students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees in the healthcare field. .

To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria: - be a resident of the greater Fall River area including Assonet, Berkley, .

Dighton, Fall River, Freetown, Rehoboth, Swansea, Somerset or Westport in Massachusetts, as well as Tiverton and Little Compton in Rhode Island; - be enrolled in, or about to enter a degree program in nursing, allied health . or other healthcare professions at an accredited college or university. Prefer· ence will be given to those who are, or will be enrolled in a southeastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island college or university; .

- be a graduating senior or currently enrolled college student; , - have completed the scholarship application; .

- be able to use the award during the 1998-'1999 academic year.

Saint Anne's medical staff may invite applicants for an interview prior to the final selection. Deadline for submitting applications is April 17 at 4 p.m.

Applications must be returned to Victor A. Palumbo MD Scholarship Fund, Saint Anne's Hospital Medical Staff Office, 795 Middle St., Fall River, MA 02721-1798.

For more information call the Medical Staff Office at (508) 674-5600, ext 2002.

ing of the Greater Fall River Chapter of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. The progral'D will begin at 1 p.m., in SSt Peter and Paul Parish Hall in the basement of the Churchschool building at 240 Dover St., Fall River. Jefferson was the first black female graduate of Harvard Medical School and served as a general surgeon at the former Boston University Medical Center. A staunch defender of human rights, she was the first president of-the National Right to Life Committee and a founding member of the MCFL and the Value of Life Committee. She currently is MCFL's vice president of communications. For more information call Beatrice Martins at 678-3351 or Mrna O'Connor at 674-3711.

Legalized abortions, especially partial birth abortions send teenagers mixed messages. Explain to me what the moral difference is between partial birth abortions and leaving newborns in the toilet. What makes soci- ' ety outraged to find a newborn in a toilet, when doctors peiform partial birth abortions every day?

Turn to page 1 J - EsSCIY winners

formed long before 1973, but the number of abortions performed would decrease- considerably. It also wouldn't be used as a form of birth control like it is used today. The fetus would not be thought of as a thing which gives science free licenses to use fetus parts in cosmetics or harvest premature births for scientific research.

WINNING ESSAYWRITERSI Four students wen~ recently selected winners in the Diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate's essay contest entitled "A World Without Roe V. Wade." They were congratulated by Bishop O'Malley, Marian Desrosiers, assistant in the Pro-Life Office and Father StElphen A. Fernand.es, director of the Pro-Life Apostolate. They were chosen from several hundred entries and each rElceived a $100 savings bond. They are (left front) eighth grader Anthony Pacheco, SS. Peter and Paul School; tenth grader Timothy Zajac, Bishop Stang; eighth grader Jessica Belanger, Our Lady of Fatima Parish; and ninth grader Jocelyn Lally, Bishop Stang. (Anchor/Gordon photo)

In Y our

Praye)~S

Please pray for the following priests during the coming week NECROLOGY April 11 1914, Rev. John F. Downey, Pastor, Corpus Christi, Sandwich April 12 1909, Rev. John Tobin, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River 1996, Rev. Msgr. 'Alfred J. Gendreau 1997, Rev. Edward P, Doyle, OP . \ \.

April 14 , 1977, Rev. Cosmas Chaloner, SS.CC.• St. Francis Xavier, Acushnet 1935, Rev. Louis N. ~e'quoy, Pastor, Sacred Heart, North Ati:leboro \

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.

\ \ April 15 _ 1908, Rev. Christopher G.l:Iughe's, D.O., Recto~<::ath:ctral, Fa.\l'River \ \. ~ , \ April 16 /--- ./~ 1928, Rev. Arthur E. Langldis"on-sickleilYe', Denver, CO i 995, Rev. Norman F. Lord, C:5:5p., Hemet, Calif..

1996, Rev. John.W:P~gnam\ \ .. ~~-. .\ \ April 18 1935;Rev. Hugh B. Harrold, ~as~or, St·. Mary, Mansfield 1956, Rt. Rev. John F. McKeon,P.R., Pastor, St. Lawrence, N(:w Bedford' , \ \ 1984, Rev. Joao Vieira'Resendes~\R\tired I?astor, Espirito Santo, Fall ' . \ \ ' River . \ ~ '1985, Rev. Wilfred C. Boulanger, l'1.$., LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro 1992, Rev. George E. Amaral, Retired,Pastor, St. Anthony, Taunton /

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PRIESTS CURRENTLY SERVING . \ \ April April April April April April April

11 12 13

14 15 16 17

Rev. Richard R.\Gendreau . \ Very Rev. Gilles Genest, MS \ ' .

Rev. Timothy J.\Goldrick Rev. John A. Gomes Rev. Peter N. Gra~i~no Rev. James F. Greene Rev. Francis Grogan, ~SC

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Catholic Men's conference expected to draw thousands nal Law and the bishops of New England that the conference was formed.

Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., will lead a delegation from the Fall River Diocese and join Cardinal Law at the conference.

Bishop O'Malley recently offered his endorsement of the project.

"I am encouraging the members of the Diocese of Fall River to support, by their attendance and by their prayers, the New England Catholic Men's Conference," Bishop O'Malley said.

"With great interest, I have followed the plans and preparations which have been developed for what promises to be a memorable experience for godly men who are willing to accept the challenge to rediscover and deepen their lives of faith within our Catholic Church. I urge our pastors in this diocese to promote this conference and I encourage the Catholic men

Local Sisters celebrate jubilees HOLYOKE - Seven Sisters of St. Joseph, including two from the Fall River Diocese, will celebrate golden jubilees at Mont Marie on May 3. Sister Thomas Gertrude Bowen (Margaret Bowen) who lives in Attleboro, taught elemen-

Daily Readings Apr.13 Apr. 14 Apr.15 Apr. 16 Apr.17 Apr. 18 Apr.19

Acts 2:14,22-33; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-11; Mt 28:8-15 Acts 2:36-41 ; Ps 33:4-5,18-20,22; In 20:11-18 Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105: 1-4,6-9; Lk 24:13-35 Acts 3: 11-26; Ps 8: 2,5-9; Lk 24:35-48 Acts 4:1·12; Ps 118: 1-2,4,22-27; Jn21:1-14 Acts 4: 13-21 ; Ps 118:1,14-21; Mk 16:9-15 Acts 5:12-16; Ps 118:2-4,13-15, 22-24; Rv 1:9-11 a, 12-13,17-19; In 20:19-31

tary and high school students in Cathedral Grammar and High Schools, Springfield; Our Lady of the Valley, Uxbridge; and Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro.

She entered the congregation from St. Augustine Parish, Millville.

Also celebrating 50 years of service is Yvette LeClair, Sister Marguerite Cecile, of Fall River. She is a Montessori teacher at Montessori School of the Angels. She has taught at St. Jean Baptiste, St. Matthew and St. Joseph Montessori Schools in Fall River; St. Therese, New Bedford; and St. Michael and St. Louis de France, Swansea. She entered the congregation from St. Joseph Parish, New Bedford. The celebration will include a 2:30 p.m.

Liturgy followed by a reception.

of the diocese to plan to participate in the day's activities."

Speakers will include Father Marc Montminy, founder of the Men of St. Joseph Ministry in New Hampshire; Bowie Kuhn, former basebalI commissioner; Rene Keida, a permanent deacon from the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn.; and Jim Berlucchi, executive director of Legatus. Nationally-known Catholic musician John PoIce will lead the music.

Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington, diocesan secretary for Spiritual Development/Apostolates, said that "last fall we had the wake-up call meeting. This conference is an obvious first development in fostering the renewal of their faith commitment by Catholic men, not just those from our own diocese, but from throughout New England.

"We've been encouraged by the emergence in our area of monthly spiritual gatherings of Catholic men. The meetings are starting to attract some attention," he added.

Bus transportation is available.

For reservations, calI Msgr.

Harrington at (508) 992-3184 or "Bud" Miller at (508) 678-2828.

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NEW BEDFORD-Catholic men from across New England and from all walks of life are making plans to attend the April i8 New England Catholic Men's Conference at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell.

According to conference planners, men will attend not only from the Fall River Diocese, but from Boston, Worcester and Newton in Massachusetts; Providence, R.I.; Bridgeport and Norwich, Conn.; Portland, Maine; Manchester, N.H. and Burlington, Vt. The conference, the theme of which is "Raised to Greatness in Christ: The Challenge of Being a Catholic Man," will include prayer, song, dynamic speakers, fellowship, the opportunity for the sacrament of penance, and the celebration of Mass at the close of the day by Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of Boston.

It was at the initiative of Cardi-

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BLESSING THE OILS-Bishop Sean P. O'Malley OFM, Cap., blesses the holy oils during Holy Week's Chrism Mass last Tuesday at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Fall River. The oils will be used for baptisms, confirmations, anointing of the sick and ordinations throughout the diocese. The bishop also blessed the gathering priests who renewed their commitment to priestly service. He charged them to be a gift of peace to all people. (Anchor/Gordon photo)

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THE Af'fCHOR - Diocese' of Fall.River -;-"' Fri., Apr. 10, 1998 . - --.... .\

the living word

themoorin~ ALLELUIA!

More and more Easter is becoming a commercial celebration. In our usual American attempt to be all things to all people, THE RISEN CHRIST we have reduced various religious celebrations to the secular IS DEPICTED IN THIS level. Thanksgiving is the all-American feast for everyone.

PAINTING FROM A Christmas is a feast of lights, bringing a common denominator to a specifically religious celebration. Christ is to many merely PANELOFA a candle to decorate a window. It should therefore come as no RETABLO AT THE surprise that Easter is separated from Holy Week and regarded .as a nebuloils rite of spring. We have made it a day for chocoNATIONAL GALLERY late bunnies and egg hunts so that all American children may IN BUDAPEST. share non-offensive rituals.

CATHOLICS AROUND Much ofthe deletion of religious meaning from our festivals, . THE WORLD WILL especially Easter, should not be blamed on our nation's pagan tendencies but on our churches themselves. First and foremost, BE CELEBRATING the overwhelming desire of many Christian denominations to THE RESURRECTION be relevant to the social order has diluted their original theological principles. Those who have sought to be mainstream OF CHRIST ON have too often thrown the baby out with the bath water. Ethical EASTER SUNDAY, and moral values have been watered down and rituals have deAPRIL 12. scended to the level of a circus for the sake of attracting a crowd.

From dedicating head tables to conducting "clown services," Christ and the Church are too often viewed as little more than "The Lord has an entertainment ex.perience.

In a world where so many are searching for so much, it would been raised! be well if the Church began to reflect on its' true mission of bringing Christ to all nations. One way' of doing this would It is true!" simply be the honest proclamation that Easter is the greatest of all Christian celebrations, going far beyond beach gatherings to Luke 24:34 see a sunrise. For believers the Resurrection is the supernatural event of all time and they should proclaim fo all the world the wonderful meaning of the Easter Triduum. .

Easter is a celebration ofthree days and far more than a mere reenactment of specific historic events. So often, even in wellintentioned churches, rituals become plays and the real script is lost in a whirl of theatrical productions. Priests, preachers and teachers have the obligation of presenting Holy Week in a truly Christ-centered manner:' If it is not the risen Lord who caUs us â&#x20AC;˘ together on Good Friday, our celebration is not Christian. From the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday, the Christian world should be celebrating the one Lord, once dead but now alive in eternal glory. .

Why do so many so-called Christians refuse to preach the message and let themselves be caught up in the commercialism of chickens and rabbits? Why can't Christians view Easter as one continuous liturgy, a festival in honor of the God who raised Jesus from the dead? Why can't we sing an "Alleluia" of faith

By NANCY HARTNAGEL that is full and complete?

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE If the Christian world truly wants to hand on the Word, it WASHINGTON -A should make every effort to answer these questions and to preach reported second miracle the truth of the risen Christ regardless of social ridicule and attributed to the interceslack of acceptance. If we fail in this, Easter will continue to be sion of Blessed Katharine a secular celebration, with Mickey Mouse and Goofy becoming Drexel is under review in more real than Christ and Disneyworld continuing to replace Rome, according to the Philadelphia priest who the Holy Land. is vice postulator of her Let's try our very best this year to turn things around. Yes, sainthood cause. let's have the egg hunts and games but let's also tell everyone Father Alexander J. why we celebrate Easter, why it should change the world and Palmieri, also chancellor why we need truth and honesty restored to our land. The Easter and vicar for religious of Triduum is the cornerstone of our faith. If we truly begin to live the Philadelphia Archthat faith, we will have a very real reason for singing ALLE- diocese, said this case, like the one already conLUIA! The Editor firmed as a miracle, is a

â&#x20AC;˘

,.:

CNS pho:o by John Pole

Blessed Katharine Drexel's C~luse proceeding in Rome

theancho~

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Published weekly by The Catholic Press 01 the Diocese 01 Fail River 887 Highland 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 Rev. John F. Moore

GENERAL MANAGER Rosemary Dussault ~

LEA"RV

~ESS -

NEWS EDITOR James N. Dunbar

FALL RIVER

cure of deafness.

If one of two independent physicians appointed by the postulator in Rome affirms the case as' miracle, he said, it moves to the five-person medical board of the Congregation for Sainthood Causes.

"Together, they give a decision about whether this case can be explained by medical means," he said April 2 in a phone interview with Catholic News Service.

He said the final steps

a

would be reviews by two theological consultants and by all 30 cardinals and bishops who are members

of the congregation.

If the cure is affirmed a miracle throughout the process, Father Palmieri !:aid, the postulator - Jesuit Father Paolo Molinari, who is postulator for 80 causes - "petitions the Holy Father for the approval for canonization."

Father Palmieri said he believe:s the canonization of Blessed Katharine would be a strong sif;n today for racial harmony.

Blessed Katharine was born in 1858 and inherited a Philadelphia investment banking fortune. Sh,~ founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891, using her wealth to found schools and missions for Native Americans and African-Americans.

She died in 1955 at the age of96. In 1964, her reBLESSED MOTHER Katharine Drexel is de- ligious community petitioned for the opening of picted in this new memorial window at the Sa- her sainthood cause. She silica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate was beatified in 1988, Conception in Washington. She was born in 1858 after the first of the two in Philadelphia and spent her adult life serving necessary miracles attribblack and Native American communities. (CNS! uted to her intercession Wiechec photo) was confi.rmed.

Cardinal says Clinton Communion against Church law â&#x20AC;˘

He called the situation in which the president received the Eucharist in South Africa, "a teachable moment."

By TRACY

EARLY

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

NEW YORK - Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York said the South African priest who gave Communion to President Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton was "legally and doctrinally wrong," according to Church law.

In a homily during Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on AprilS, the cardinal said his comments had nothing to do with "the person of the president or his wife or any of the allegations concerning any alleged behavior."

He did not criticize the Clintons

for receiving Communion at a Catholic Mass. But he said that "the action taken by the priest in South Africa, however well-intentioned, was legally and doctrinally wrong in the eyes of Church law and Church doctrine."

The White House said Clinton has no regrets about taking Communion from the priest.

At his daily briefing, press secretary Michael McCurry told reporters April 6 that aides who arranged Clinton's March 29 visit to the church were assured that baptized Christians could share in Communion, and that Clinton "acted on that guidance."

In his homily the cardinal noted that he had received many le~ters from "Catholics perplexed by the reports that a South African priest gave Holy Communion to the president of the United States and his wife."

"I share their perplexity," he said.

On March 29, during the president's trip to Africa, the Clintons

ILetter to the Editor I Souveni:r for nun planned

Editor, I am writing on behalf of Sister Mary Frances Doherty R.S.M. (formerly Sister Mary Baptista) who taught for 58 years in the Fall River Diocese mostly in New Bedford, Fall River and Attleboro.

Sister Frances is currently living independently at the Sisters of Mercy operated Mount St. Rita Health Center in Cumberland, R.1. and will be celebrating her 90th birthday in May. We know that she would love to receive letters from friends and former students whose lives she has touched over 72 years in God's service. We will be making a memory booklet and ask that your letters be on one side of 8% x 11 paper, include your name (maiden name where appropriate) and address, where and when Sistertaught you and a current photo of you and your family. Sister's memory is probably better than yours, so don't worry about exact dates.

She continues to be an inspiration to all who know her. Please send your letters to the address below by April 15 and we thank you in advance on behalf of Sister Frances.

The Doherty Family 35 Eleanor St. Dartmouth, MA 02747

Weekly General Audience "Message Pope John Paul II Dear brothers and sisters, In these days of Holy Week, the church reflects on and celebrates the central events of the histor(,J of solvation: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

At tomorrow's Chrism Moss, when priests gather around their bishop, the oils for the anointing of the sick and for catechumens are blessed, and chrism is consecrated.

On Holy Thursda(,J evening, we celebrate the Moss of the Lost Supper, commemorating the institution of the Eucharist. Afterword, the church invites us to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, to meditate on this eKtraordinary m(,Jstery of divine love.

At the Good Frida(,J liturgy, we reflect on the passion of the Lord.

The cross is the source of life and symbol of hope for all those who welcome this m(,Jster(,J into their lives.

During the solemn Easter Vigil, we proclaim the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, and the church rejoices as she goes forth to meet her Risen Lord.

Let us open our hearts to follow Christ in his passion and death, in order to enter with him into the joy of the resurrection.

I eKtend a worm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this audience, especially those from the Philippines and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke the blessings of Almighty God. To all of you, a happy Easter!

attended Mass at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto. There, Father Mohlomi Makobane, citing the Directory on Ecumenism of the Southern African bishops as authorization, gave Communion to the Clintons.

The president is a Southern Baptist; Mrs. Clinton is a United Methodist.

Speaking particularly ofthe president, the secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments said: "Since this is a person who is not a Catholic, he cannot be admitted to eucharistic Communion. This is a canonical norm ... and therefore no bishops' conference can advance a different rule."

Cardinal O'Connor quoted that statement, and went on to comment that the Code of Canon Law allowed non-Catholics to receive Communion in the Catholic Church only in cases of "grave necessity," such as the absence of any church of their own denomination in the area.

Even then, he added, the person receiving must share the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. "Holy Communion is neither to be received nor given merely as an act of courtesy or a spiritual gesture," he said.

Calling the situation produced by the incident in South Africa "a teachable moment," Cardinal O'Connor also included a caution for Catholics.

They, too, are forbidden "to receive this Holy Mystery ... unless we are in the state of grace," he said.

Cardinal O'Connor said he had

met the previous Sunday with a group of 400 Catholics who could not receive Communion because they had invalid marriages, and some of the letters about the Clintons receiving Communion had come from such Catholics.

"My heart goes out to them," he said. "I understand how an event such as that in South Africa could scandalize and pain them."

He said some people "undoubtedly believe that if one has enough prestige or money, anything goes, just as some believe that with enough prestige or money one has no trouble in having an invalid marriage validated."

He added, "Neither belief is rooted in reality, but in my judgment, priests, bishops, the Church herself, must avoid every action which might be perceived to give credibility to such beliefs."

6

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

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Easter: When love conquers despair Then follows an affirmation in sheer poetry. "But you are he who took me out.of the womb; you made me trust while on my mother's breasts. I was cast upon you from birth. From my mother's womb, you have been my God." The psalm swells in acknowledging the good-

I do a lot of work with hurting people. I hope to share with them what I have learned from pain: if we don't stay stuck in the darkness, pain can give us a new and valuable blueprint for living, one we never could have imagined. .

Not long ago, a woman grieving the sudden death of a small child challenged rile for what she called my "optimism." She said s~e had lost her faith. In justification she said she' believed Jesus also had given up on God as he suffered on the I cross. She referred to Jesus' lament: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" She asked, "Where was God's answer?" She insisted thatJesus died in despair because God did not respond.

It wasn't the first time I hadl heard people struggle with those words. I myselflsometimes had repeated them in the despairing moments of my life. . ,Because those words so burned in my soul and seemed to be a cry of despair, I desperately sought to understand what was going on lin Jesus' mind when he uttered that wrenching lament. One day I found out. ' I took courses in religious studies at Oxford a I few years back. One of my teachers was Dr. Tom Wright, a noted New Testament sqholar and now dean of the cathedral in Litchfielq, England. He said these words of Jesus are misinterpreted as a ' sign of despair.

They are the first sentence of Psalm 22. Although the psalm begins with this cry, it ends with an affirmation not only of hope but of thi coming of the kingdom of the Lord. It was an eye+opener for me.

We should read this psalm often, certainly during Lent. The beginning can move u~ to tears. "Why are you so far from helping me, and Ifrom the words of my groaning? ... I am a worm :and no man; a reproach of men and despised by ~he people. All those who see me ridicule me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him."

The Bottom Line

By Antoinette Bosco

ness of God and ends with a prophecy of how God's goodness will be made known to all fr:ture generations. .

One thing we know is that Jesus was a scholar and a teacher. He certainly knew chapter and verse of the Old Testament. When he spoke the first words of Psalm 22: he knew what he was doing.

He was not disclosing despair, but r2.ther the opposite. It is too bad that we jump to conclusions, hearing only the "forsaken" words and not the rest of the psalm that he must have b~:en whispering to himself.

Certainly what was to come was astounding. For it would be by Jesus' life - transformed and remaining ever in this world beginning that first Easter morning - that the Lord always would be known.

I think the words of South African Bishop Desmond Tutu are another affirmation of the great Psalm 22: "Easter means hope prevails over despair. Easter say.s to us that despite everything to the contrary, his will and love for us will prevail."

That was the truth Jesus wanted us to grasp: Easter is the victory over all darkness.

Techniques ifor handling chronic p~Lin Dear Dr. Kenny: I am in almost constant pain following an auto accident two years ago. The doctors say they can't explain it, ~nd there's not much more they can do. I've taken Darvocet, Vicodin and other pain medications without much relief. I'm afraid of becoqting addicted.

Can you suggest any mental techniques which might help? (New York) Chronic pain can become central to life and spoil everything else. You are right in pur~uing every avenue of relief. You must learn a way to live with it or you will have no life at all. ; First, don't let anyone tell you that you are exaggerating or that your pain is in your head. Sometimes professionals say this because, they can't find a tangible cause. You are the only qne who knows how yol,l feel. If you are in pain, tllen you are in pain.

Your mind runs the show. As the central control, your brain may be your best asset in dealing with the pain. Your brain knows how to heal your body. Here are four ways to get to ~our brain, four mental techniques which have prQven helpful to many.

Distraction is the simplest appn;>ach. Get your hands and feet busy. Do something" Have some favorite activities re~dy in advance, like crafting, walking, baking, aerobic dancing, filling in your photo album, jigsaw puzzles, etc. When the pain coines, instead of dwelling on your suffering, get busy. : . Dissociation is a wa.y Native Americans used to deal with pain in their puberty ri~es and vision quests. Remove yourself from yourself. Disown the pain by mentally going outside yourself.

The spirit mind can leave the body mind behind.

Leave your body. Observe yourselflsuffering from above or from a distance. Let yo~r body suffer alone.

Disintegration is another mental protocol you can try. Imagine yourself disintegrating, piece by piece, coming apart. Picture yourself floating in outer space, with your body dissolving, atom by

atom, as you melt into your surroundings.

Let the debris of pain fall out, be washed away.

As you are taken apart, feel yourself drained and cleansed of pain. Then let yourself flow back to-

Family Talk With Dr. James & Mary Kenny gether, but without the heavy dirty oily pain.

Cente~ing prayer is the fourth technique. When I was a child I remember the question in the religion book, "Where is God?" And the beautiful answer: "God is everywhere. He is in the very air you breathe.".

Let your breathing heal you. With each breath in, you fill your lungs not simply with oxygen and fresh air but with your Creator's loving and healing concern for you. With each breath out, you are letting go, not just of carbon dioxide but of all impurities, including pain.

There is power in nature, the power to heal. You are breathing in God's elixir of life. You are breathing out the bad stuff. Letting go of pain.

The above techniques or meditations are all quite simple and can be learned by a child. They don't work like magic, and they may not work 100 percent. But with practice they can work very well.

Telling yourself that it doesn't hurt ()r that you . are not in pain won't work. Your min~, however, can deal effectively with pain, provided that you send the right images and pictures.

Use all your senses to reflect on the images suggested here. And don't be discouraged. Stay with it.

Reader questions on family living and child care to be answered in print are invited. Address questions: The Kennys; St. joseph's College; 219 W. Harrison; Rensselaer, Ind. 47978. ,,:

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Salvation for those who don't know/Christ Q. Eight of us gather each week to read and discuss the Bible. One member recently quoted John 14:6 (Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life") and Acts 4: 12 ("There is no salvation through anyone else" than Jesus) as proving no one gets to heaven except through Jesus.

What would you sa)'? We find it hard to believe that so many of God's good people will never enjoy eternity with him. (Wisconsin) A. Catholic teaching, and all Christian tradition, agrees totally wit,h those words, of course. We believe that Jesus is the Lord of the world and of all history, that the Father has revealed to us all he can reveal in the person of Jesus and that all salvation is in and through him.

That is, however, not at all the same as saying that one is saved only through a personal, conscious and explicit faith in Jesus as savior.

The New Testament itself tells us otherwise. The first Letter to Timothy echoes other statements of our Lord and the apostles when it says God "wills everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth," and that this happens through the one mediator, "Christ Jesus, himself human" (1 Tm 1:4-5).

On the other hand, as Paul tells us often and in many ways, salvation is impossible without faith.

If both of those statements are true, then there must be other ways to faith, through Christ, but without explicit, conscious faith in him.

To put it another way, if faith is a pure, unmerited gift of God and God's will is that all people be saved through faith, then he must have other ways of bringing human beings to faith and salvation, ways we do not know.

Pope John Paul II, in his remarkable book "Crossing the Threshold of Hope," notes that "God the Creator wants to save all humankind in Jesus Christ."

This salvation, however, is not worked out in neat patterns knowable and clear to us.

Speaking especially of the non-Christian religions

and cultures of the Far East, the pope declares that Christ came into the world also for all these peoples, and redeemed them all.

Yet, our Lord "has his own ways of reaching them" he said. "Many accept him, and many more have an implicit faith in him" (Pages 81-83).

HE IS RISE.N -

ALLEUIA

Questions and Answers

By Father John J. DietZen in saying this, the pope embraces the many good people you mention, the vast majority of the human race who, even to this day, know almost nothing of Jesus or the Gospels.

It is of these the Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks. "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, mo~ed by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation:' (No. 847).

In other words, God's grace is guiding and saving those who sincerely and conscientiously live good lives but who have, for whatever rea'mn, honestly never seen faith in Jesus Christ as a personal religious obligation.

A free brochure on ecumenism, including questions on intercomm'union and other ways of sharing worship with people of other faiths, is available by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, Ill. 61651.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address.

'· 0

How tQ name my grandchildr.en· If you are about to name your unborn child Vanessa, Ashley, Taylor or Benjamin, stop.

So is everyone else.

I mention this because our daughter and son-inlaw have done a strange, cunning and dangerous thing. They have'vowed not to tell anyone what names they might be considering for their unborn child, especially relatives who are their mothers and fathers.

I hasten to point out this unborn child is also my unborn grandchild, and thus is someone to whose name I should be privy.

Not that I would try to influence our daughter and son-in-law's decision making.

Nor would I again say things like, "Oh, really? I guess I could get used to that name over time."

For the record, I am not against unconventional names like Thunder, Dove, Rainbow, Evergreen or Gimmee-a-spinal. At the same time, I have a weakness for the tradition of naming one's ehild after a favorite aunt, uncle, priest, nun or grandparent.

Granted, some of these folks might have names our culture views as comical-like BiIly Bob, Eunice, Ethel or Earl.

And truth is, it could be awkward naming a granddaughter after her Uncle Adolph.

I suspect their vow of silence stems from all the advance meddling that came from our daughter's inlaws. In my and my wife's very presence they were pushing lists of family names that did not remotely compare to our list.

Like I've told the young couple many times, I thought naming their firstborn son Campbell was quite unique - and full of marketing potential.

It did, however, take me a couple weeks to find a label for him (no pun intended). I liked - Bull (as in Camm-Bull). This has come to mean so much to Bull's parents that they have asked me to use the nickname only when no one else is around, including Campbell, so that it will remain just my very own special pet name. How thoughtful.

Daughter and SIL say they don't want to have to put up with a whole bunch of bickering and secondguessing and hurt feelings.

"Don't worry," I assured them, "he or she is your child. You have the right and responsibility to name her or him any name you judge appropriate, keeping

THEANCHOR-DioceseofFaiIRiver-Fri.,Apr.IO,1998

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508-255-4004. in mind that the latest studies say a child's well-being and future can be largely impacted by his or her name."

"So," daughter asked, "you're saying if we want a saintly child with loads of earning potential we should Lid~ name him Jesus 235 north Front Street· new Bedford Rockefeller?"

"Maybe," I admitted, "although every time he got a vaccination people would be 12: 00 asking, 'Who shot 'JR'?"

The conclusion of the nOVend will tdke pldce on Sunddll. April 19, 1998 She turned to dt the U: 00 d. m. mdSS. her husband.

IDe invite dnd encourdge pdrishioners. friends dnd dll who have deootion to the Divine "Don't even mercll to ioin us for this novena. Conducted bll the Conventual Franciscdn Friars. think about breaking our voW of silence."

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Bishop says the dying wan1t . relief from pain, not death

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

Reconciling conflicts seen' as" role ofm'issionaries "As Christians, we should have'

By CINDY WO,ODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE more to offer in the field of recon-. ciliation" than secular peace negoROME - Christian mi,ssionar- tiators do, 'Father Starken said. ies have an opportunity and obli"Forgiveness is the antidote to gation to promote reconciliation in violence and the necessary step in situations of conflict, said the bringing about new and just relaformer director of Caritas in con- tionships," he said. "Forgiveness is flict-tom Sierra Leone. essential for reconciliation and The changing face of war and must be central in our work for ' conflict - increasingly a matter peace.", ofcivil war with ethnic or religious Out of respect for the victims of violence and oppression, the differences fueling the disputes has made reconciliation as impor- priest said, missionaries must be careful not to tant as diplomacy for bringing " seem like they : "If sustainable peace is are asking the peace, said Irish Holy Ghost Fato 'beach'ieved in situa- victims to "forther Brian tions where mistrust, fear give and forget." and hatred have festered· "Remember- , Starken.

Fat her for a long time, then new' ing is essential Starken, who approaches to resolving for true forgive~ worked in Sierra conflict have to be found," ness," he said.

Leone from 1975 Father Siar~en said, Church workers to 1997, spoke should first help March 31 at a the perpetrators symposium sponsored by the joint of violence come to a recognition, justice and peace commission of of the evil of their action and seek the international unions of superi- forgiveness from their victims. ors of men's and women's reli- Only then should the victims be gious orders. asked to share their experience of "If sustainable peace is to be 'suffering evil and seek ways to achieved in situations where mis- forgive the ones who harmedtPem. trust, fear and hatred have fester,ed If the Church was seen to be on for a long time, then new ap- the side of the victims in a conflict proaches to resolving conflict have and in solidarity with the sufferto be found," 'Father Starken told . ing people, then its role in postabout 120 men and women reli- conflict reconciliation can be pow,erful, Father Starken said. gious at the meeting.

Reconciliation is an essential, "It is at the local community long-term effort to build peaceful level that reconciliation has to be coexistence in communities tom lived out, and it is there that the by tension, prejudice and overt Church's presence should have the violence, he said. greatest impact," he said.

•

By JUDITH BANDY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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DUBUQUE, Iowa - To fight against assisted suicide, we must work to stop needless suffering for the sick and dying, said Bishop John R. McGann of Rockvill,e Centre, N.Y.~ during a symposium on health care ethics; . Bishop McGann was the keY7 note speaker for a March 25-27 symposium celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Bioethics Research Center at Loras College, a Dubuque Catholic college.

"In the face of serious illness; it is natural to struggle with grief,

By CINDY ~OODE~, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE anger and self-doubt," said the VATICAN CITY - The third international reunion of priests in prepabishop, "but we, niu'st recognize that people who ask for help to rati~>n for the year 2000 will take place in Mexico City in early July.

Every diocese in the world should try to send at least one prit:st to the commit suicide are almost always really longing for something else; July' 7-1:2 meeting, said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the not death but relief from' physical Vatican Congregation for Clergy, sponsor of the event.

The cardinal, said the gathering, which will be held at the Basilica of pain, depression and the social Lady of Guadalupe, is not designed as a tourism opportunity fer priests, pain caused by isolation." but as an occasion for them to reflect on the meaning of their priesthood, Medical professionals report disdover the brotherhood of their vocation, appreciate the universality of that virtually all terminally ill pa~hurch and renew their commitment to evangelization. .the tients could have their pain adThe first international reunion of priests sponsored by the congregaequately controlled with medicatio~ was held in 1996 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. In tions such as morphine that keep 199?, thousands of priests from around the world gathered in Ivory Coast the patient a",<ak~, ,ill~rt;and rea- for ~e meeting~ 0··' • sonably free from pain. Yet studIn addition to a $125 registration fee,each participant is asked to send ie~ report that onlyabout 50 perat IJast $40 as a contribution to a fund to help priests from impoverished cent of those patients are receiv- di0geses attend the gathering. ing adequate pain management.

The deadline for registration is April 30. Priests from North and South "We Americans have struggled Artierica should register with the Organizing Committee, Third Internafor over 200 years to build our so- tiorJal Reunion of Priests, Guty Cardenas 93, Colonia Guadalupe Inn, ciety on ideals and traditions that 01d20 Mexico, D.E The fax number is 011-525-662-1338.

Dioceses ,asked to sen~l priests to Mexico gathering i

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Needless suffering seen as reason why some opt for death, says New York's ,Bishop McGann.

call IUS to care for one another. But sonal relationship, is und,~rmined today voices are being raised that at its root."

As Catholics, "we reject the probote suicide rather than extreme that claims for ourselves hop~," he said. the role of God and the extreme ~ishop McGann added that sonie people see assisted suicide that denies our fundamental godsimply as an option that improves liness," he said, explaining that thelnation's health care by add- the first extreme can lead to an ing a choice to end-of-life deci- effort to control all aspects of dysiolls,but he sees it as letting U.S. ing - even to intentionally society and its ~ealth care system ca!lsed death, as in assi~:ted suireplace better care for the dying cide or euthanasia.

He said' the second extreme is wit~a quicker death.

The bishop said that when the one that can lead to abandoned life 10f the person who is weak is , dying ~ sometimes taking the p~t into the hap9s of one who is form of too much treatment and strqng in society, "the sense of technology, where the patient is justice is .lost and mutual trust, the endlessly subjected to medical interventions. bast~ of every ~uthentic interper-

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Former minister, a convert, takes poor under his wing •

Calling himself thE~ "Lord's delivery mtm," retiree gives fulltime service to the needy.

By

MARY ANN WYAND

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVice:

INDIANAPOLIS - "I'm the Lord's delivery man," said Lucious Newsom as he steered a van stocked with food into a low-income Indianapolis housing complex.

"I deliver food to the poor for Jesus," explained Newsom, a member of Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish, in an interview with The Criterion, newspaper of the Indianapolis Archdiocese.

"It's as simple as that," he continued. "Jesus is awesome, believe me.

I never dreamed I would come to this town and stay here this long, feeding the poor. But when God calls you, you'd better answer."

The former Baptist minister from Memphis and Chattanooga, Tenn., has devoted his retirement years to fulltime service to the poor.

He said every week, food and cash donations to a ministry known as Food Link enable him to feed about 2,000 hungry people who live in impoverished areas of Indianapolis in a nearby rural community known as the 'The Holler.'"

Newsom, cofounder and coordinator of Food Link, was among seven archdiocesan Catholics recognized by .

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein earlier this year with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross, a papal honor given

for service to the Church.

The award is an honor Newsom insists on sharing with the people of St. Luke, Nativity, St. Barnabas, St. Gabriel and St. Monica parishes, who support the Food Link ministry with donations and volunteer help, "Jesus said, 'The poor will always be with you,''' Newsom said, "and this is the great part about that Scripture passage, 'Whatsoever you do to the least of them, you do also to me.'

That's what I like about the Catholic Church. Catholic people serv~ Jesus.

You can't serve him just by going to Mass. You've got to help people, too."

Newsom carries a Bible when he . sets out on his seven-day-a-week Food Link ministry, and he depends on prayer to help him through difficult situations. ' His days begin at 6 a.m. and don't end until midnight, after he secures temporary lodging for homeless and battered people he finds on the street.

"I call Mass my 'filling station' because that's where I go to get filled up to pray, hear God's Word and get the Eucharist," he said. "Then I can come out and serve God. During the week I stop by one church or another to pray. I've always got somebody I've got to pray for."

On a recent day Newsom was finishing the first of many food pickups by 8:30 a.m. at a grocery store, where the donations included fruit, vegetables and day-old bread. His smile widened when the bakery manager gave him an outdated cake, just in time fQr a 90year-old woman's birthday. ' Next he checked the meat ,counter

and found marked~down hamburger that he planned to buy with money donated by members of St. Barnabas Parish, one of about five that support Food Link.

As he calculated how much discounted meat he could buy, a store manager handed him a large box filled with free hamburger.

"The Lord always provides," Newsom said, grinning. "Now I can use the St. Barnabas money to help people pay their utility bills."

Outside the store's loading dock, Newsom carefully put his groceries in a brand-new-looking lO-year-old van, donated by a local automobile dealer for use by Food Link.

Newsom noted that in his eight years of making deliveries, he accumulated more than 200,000 miles each on three other donated vehicles.

He drove each one until it was "worn out and ready for retirement."

"Prayer sustains me," Newsom said. "I pray, and the Lord takes care of me. He doesn't let anything happen to me, even in the bad parts of the city.

I go to some of the most dangerous neighborhoods and know some of the worst kinds of people in the city, but the Lord takes care of me."

Newsom sees Christ in every person he meets, and is evangelizing one person at a time.

Take for example the young mother who was working as a prostitute to support her drug habit until he found her on a street corner and prayed with her.

Now he stops by her house every week to drop off food for her family . .. ('" .

T Q 1111 0ur

llzappy

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provide for themselves, somebody's got to help them. So I bring food and talk to people about God and show them a better way."

'THE ANCHOR -

Diocese' of Fall River -

Reviewed by Mary Kenny Catholic News Service

Fri.;Apr. 10, 1998

nized, particularly if the reader is looking for straightforward biography. This is more like reading someone's journal or diary. However,

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

Ptepare yourself for a most unusual book about saints.

"The Big One" (Miramax) "Virtuous Magic" is not a historical, factual account of the Thin video documentary recordlives of saints. Rather the book ing the mischievous adventures of attempts to explore the meancorporate critiC Michael Moore as ing of these holy women for us he crosses the country promoting I today. his book, "Downsize This!," while The saints chosen for this doing media interviews, giving book are often nontraditional. talks and visiting laid-off workers Missing are such popular favorwhile trying to meet with corporaites as Therese of Lisieux, or tion heads, though he gets nowhere even Mary, the mother of Jesus. with the only one (Nike's Phil Authors Sara Maitland and Knight) willing to listen to him. It Wendy Mulford chose women is written, produced and directed by who somehow impressed them Moore, a one-man band beating the Skjaerstad) becomes unwittingly - "a comer of her grabbed drum for social justice, though his involved with a suicidal woman hold of a comer of me," they impish tactics of provocation grow (Andrine Saether) who is relucexplain. In addition to traditional saints such as Teresa of tiresome along "the way. Some i tantly holding stolen money for a Avila, Clare ofAssisi and Rose mean-spirited humor about nuns i criminal acquaintance. Director Pal of Lima, their choices include 'and sporadic rough language. The Sletaune finds quirky romance in nontraditional, many U.S. Catholic Conference classifi- this wry Norwegian tale of aliennoncanonized saints: Mary cation is A- III - adults. The Mo- ated urban workers whose glum Fisher, early missionary of the tion Picture Association ofAmerica lives offer little hope of human fulSociety of Friends (Quakers); rating is PG-13 - parents are fillment. Subtitles. Brief violence, Jean Donovan and the nuns strongly cautioned that some ma- I full nudity, occasional profanity and murdered in EI Salvador; Dorterial may be inappropriate for chil- an instance of rough language. The othy Day; and many more.

U.S. Catholic Conference classifidren under 13.

The saints in this book are alike in once the reader adjusts, the style alcation is A- III - adults. Not rated several ways: first, they are all women lows the mind to flow freely, to muse . . by the Motion Picture Association, "The Butcher Boy" (Warner because, the authors suggest, women over a m~ditation or a poem, to savor .of America. .

Bros.) "have had their meanings more con- a quote, to respond with personalfeelsistently distorted and their lives more ings. This is truly a book for meditaDarkly disturbing tale of a 1960s "Meet the,Deedles" (Disney) consistently obscured." In addition, tion and prayer.

Irish lad (Eamonn Owens) veering the saints chosen touched the authors Not every saint will be to every into murderous madness following Sophomoric comedy in which in some way, helped the authors find reader's taste. No matter. Browse: his mother's suicide, the death of 'dopey twin brothers (Paul Walker meaning in their own personal lives, Choose. Read a page here, a poem his alcoholic father (Stephen Rea) , and Steve Van Wormer) save exhibited the courage to go into them- there. Reread a favorite several times. and what. he perceives as his only I Yellowstqne National Park from selves, and said a sure and joyful Skip others entirely. This is a book for bedtime reading, for spiritual read- friend's betrayal. Director Neil Jor- being undermined' by prairie dog "yes" to the call of God.. ing, a book to be savored slowly. da~ captures the ~out~:s psychic tunnels. Directed by Steve Boyum, Style too is unique in this book of Ours is not an age which reveres pam as well as the ~n~blhty of fa~颅 the vacuous enterprise offers a diswomen saints. Gone is the factual, heroes and heroines. Yet, say the au-. Ily, cl~rgy or, profeSSionals to redl.- jointed series of skits alternatil1g historical or legendary story of the life. Instead each saint is presented in thors, saints can be "spiritual re- " rect hiS volatile rage ?efore tragedy between dumb-and-dumber routwo ways. The right-hand or "recto" sources." This book offers the reader results. Some gory. VIOlence, sexual路 tines, toilet gags and life-threatenpage presents cominentu'ries, texts, alook at saints from all ages of Chris- .' 'situaiions~ inter-mittent profanity i'ng stunts.' Mindless comic vioand recurring rough language. The ' lence, sexual innuendo,crude lanbackground information, anything of tianity in a fresh new way. interest in documenting the saint's Mary Kenny is co-author of the U.S. Catholic Conferencedassifi- guage and gross humor. The U.S. life. The left-hand or "verso" page Catholic News Service "Family Talk" 'cation is A-IV - adults, with res- Catholic Conference classification contains writings by the authors in column. ervations. The Motion Picture As- is A-III - adults. The Motion Picresponse to the saint's life: poems, ture Association of America rating At your bookstore or order prepaid sociation of America rating is R stories, quotations, imaginative . from The Continuum Group, 370 restricted. ' is PG - parental guidance sugmonologues.

Lexington Ave., Suite 1700, New gested.

At first the style seems disorga-, York, NY 10017-6503.

"Junk Mail" (Lions Gate) "Mercury Rising" (Universal) Offbeat black comedy in which Lackluster thriller in which a a grungy Oslo mailman (Robert

flick

BOOK

REVIEW

"Staircase" Inorethan ~ ju~t a movie for actress

By MARK PATTISON, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

~,

renegade FBI agent (Bruce Willis) goes on the run with a 9-year-old autistic boy (Miko Hughes) targeted for death after i.nadvertently breaking into a top st:cret government computer file. Di rector Harold Becker's glossy action film is elaborately but unconvincingly plotted, resulting in a routine formula chase film. Recurring violence, intermittent profanity and some rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III adults. The Motion PictureAssociation of America rating is R - restricted.

"The Proposition" (Polygram) Melodramatic clunker set in 1935 Boston where a wealthy Catholic couple hire a young man (Neil Patrick Harris) to impregnate the wife (Madeleine ;~towe) since the husband (William Hurt) is sterile, with wildly disastrous results including the couple's parish priest (Kenneth Branagh) becoming romantically inv<;>lved with the wife as well. Directed by Lesli Linka G.!atter, the talented cast is left hopelessly adrift in"a badly scripted tearjerker that never achieves a shred of credibility. Superficial treatment of moral is~.ues, discreet sexual encounters and an off-screen murder. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association ofAmerica rating is R - restricte:d.

"Mrs. Dalloway's" success rests on actress Redgrave

WASHINGTON - Catholic-educated actress Diane Ladd said the Easter . Sunday CBS-TV movie in which she stars, "The Staircase," is more than just a movie. ."It is a true story," she said. ," The story revolves around a spiral staircase built for the chapel of a Sisters

By Henry Herx ~ofLoretto convent in Santa Fe, N.M., in the 19th century. Ladd plays a nun Catholic News Service , who needs encouragement from her mother superior (Barbara Hershey) rather NEW YORK - Offering an enthan criticism.

In building the actual chapel more than a century ago, the builders gave the gaging and largely successful adsisters a choir loft but forgot to put in a staircase. The .;lrchitecture of the aptation of Virginia Woolf's 1925 building wouldn't permit them to merely add one on, either. novel is "Mrs. Dalloway" (First "All the nuns are praying and praYing to God for help," she added. The Look). help comes unexpectedly in the form, of a man known only as Joad, who built The story centers on the rever, a spiral staircase without nails and without a center support - "a contradic- ies of the middle-aged title charaction to logic," Ladd said. ter (Vanessa Redgrave) as she According to a review by Henry Herx, director of the U.S. Catholic Con- spends the day preparing for a din.ference Office for Film and Broadcasting, most members of the family will ner party in 1923 London. find "The Staircase" "a simple story of faith and prayer rewarded, though the Her thoughts return to her youthtreatment tries to avoid the pitfalls of sentimentality by making the mother ful romance with an impatient gosuperior an irascible character and mixing in some gory violence." getter (Alan Cox) whose insistence "The nub of the story, however, is the staircase and, miraculous or not, it is she put her talents to use in a career a thing of beauty," Herx said.

There is a subplot in which Hershey's character, Mother Madalyn, tells after their marriage is so unsettling Joad that on the way from Kentucky to New Mexico two nuns were killed and she opts for a more conventional she was raped by the Apaches, which Herx said may make the movie inappro- life as the wife of a rising politician.

Also in her thoughts is her close priate for young children.

Sister of Loretto Patricia Jean Maniqn, in a March 31 statement from the friendship with a spirited young Loretto motherhouse in Nerinx, Ky., said the movie "unfortunately places the ,woman (Lena Headey) which, in central conflict on the fiction of Indians having raped and killed nuns on the retrospect, had lesbian implications.

Intercut with Mrs. Dalloway's journey west to Santa Fe. That and the portrayed bitterness of the mother thoughts as she bustles about presuperior only add to misconceptions about Anglo-Native relations." .

"The Staircase," Sister Manion added, "may be interesting television, but paring for her annual party is the it is not history." story of a World War I shell-shock

victim (Rupert Graves) who commits suicide late in the day.

The news of his suicide darKens the mood of the dinner guests momentarily, though it fills Mrs. ,Dalloway with gloom which is dispelled towards the end of the evening as she reaches a sort of reconciliation with the choices she has made with her life.

Directe~ by Marleen Gorris from Eileen Atkins' screenplay, the movie moves brilliantly from the present to Mrs. Dalloway's recollection of the past, using two different sets of characters to make it work.

The dual perspective allows viewers to contemplate the fears of ~he youthful Clarissa (Natascha McElhone) which led her to choose an unfulfilling life as Mrs. Dalloway. .

While all of this is elegantly portrayed, the work's feminist angle is buried in a myriad of details of the $tuffy world of English manners I

and social divisions.

To this is added the sense of loss in World War I and indications things will never be a~; they were.

The movie's succe:ss relies on Redgrave's performance as a woman of complacent: superficiality who's troubled by errant thoughts of what migbt have been.

Its re-creation of pre- and postwar British society makes a fascinating background to the insular world inhabited by Mrs. Dalloway and her friends, which some may find too claustrophobic for comfort.

Those willing to involve themselves in the proceedings will find it worth the effort.

Because of wartimt: violence, a suicide, sexual innuendo and brief nudity, the U.S. Catholic Conference Classification ,is A-III adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rati ng is PG-13 parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Essay winners What supporting evidence proves that life begins only after passing the birth canal? Laws are not always morally right. Some laws are passed to serve the selfish needs of society.

If the decision of Roe v. Wade was reversed, hundreds of babies would be living today and more children would be available for adoption. A society that condones abortion is a society of barbaric people."

The secondplace essayfor grades 6-8 was written by Anthony Pacheco of SSt Peter and Paul School, Fall River. He is also in the eighth grade.

Thirty-seven million?

"If the case of Roe v. Wade had never happened, abortions would probably still be illegal. I think that people would look at life with more value and not like something you can just throwaway like a giga pet or an old pair of shoes.

Nowadays, because of abortions being legal, some people think life is cheap and that women have the right to decide who survives and who doesn't. Women actually decide by themselves whether to kill another human being for stupid reasons such as inconvenience. Mother Teresa said, "It is a great poverty to decide that a child must die that you might live as you wish." If Roe v. Wade hadn't made abortion legal in the United States, people would think more of life and maybe women would think before getting pregnant and most importantly, think more carefully about abortions. After all, instead of abortions, there is the alternative of adoption.

If it weren't for Roe v. Wade, the United States ofAmerica loday would have almost 37 million more people.

Between 1973 and 1997, there were almost 37 million abortions in the U.S. In those 37 million human beings who were killed through abortions, there is a great chance that maybe there would have been a doctor or scientist who might have discovered the cure for cancer, global warming, the cure for AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Also in those 37 million, there would have been some more great leaders and more great people who could have probably made a big difference in America today. There could have been someone who would bring about world peace or someone who could bring an end to terrorism. There would be more priests and nuns, of which we now have a shortage, and there would be more great teachers, song writers, singers, athletes, carpenters, fathers, mothers, and of course, more children. Let's face it, if those 37 million abortions had not happened, there would be more of everyone to make the world a much better place. After all, it is "People that make the world go around." Abortions can only help in putting an end to the world."

The first place essay for grades 9-12 was written by Timothy Zajac of Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth. He is in grade 10.

"Many times in a person's life, the phrases "what if' and "maybe" come up while in the process of pondering about certain situations. What could have, or should have been, play large roles in the way we think and act in future situations. There are always things that have happened to us that we wish had come out differently. We often dream about how good it could have been if this problem had not

Continued from page two

arisen, or if that misfortune had happened to somebody else. This can definitely be applied to the plight of abortion. What if abortion was never legalized and the Supreme Court voted down Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973? In twenty-five years, what differences would there be in our nation and in our world? What would have stayed the same? There would be many things different in the United States today if there were no legal abortions taking place.

An obvious result of abortion remaining an illegal practice would be that many more people would be here living. Many members of my generation were victims of abortion, and as a result there are fewer teenagers in America and the world. Without abortion being an option, many women would refrain from premarital sex due to the fear of getting pregnant. If unwed people could not choose abortion, their outlook on having sexual intercourse butside marriage would be drastically different.

If the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of protecting life, it is possible that the nation's outlook on capital punishment would change. Lawmakers might value human life more and not rush to sign into law the murdering of other human beings, regardless of the crime they have committed. Suppose other countries followed the Supreme Court's lead and made abortion illegal in their respective countries. Maybe there would be fewer conflicts involving human rights around the world. Perhaps more people would realize how precious life is and want to adopt more babies.

In all the elections in the past twentyfive years abortion would not be an issue. Thus, many elected officials might have never taken office due to the fact they supported "choice" instead of life. Possibly, more qualified and humane politicians would take the same positions and focus their efforts to building a culture of life instead of death.

The world would be a much better place to live in today without the presence of legal abortion. However, what if abortion had been legalized in 1963 or 1953? Maybe the world would be an even worse place to inhabit. The possibilities are virtually endless. One thing is for sure though; everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for us in the big picture.

We all fit into the scheme of things.

Reality must be more irrtportant than what could have been (because it is not). Things are the way they are.

Ttterefore, we must work every day to end abortion so that in another twenty-five years people can ponder, 'What if abortion were never made illegal again?'"

Second place in the grade 9-12 category went to Jocelyn Lally, a freshman from Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth. ''The immediate and most obvious effect of "A World Without Roe v.

Wade" would be that abortion in the United States would be illegal, causing more births in our ~ociety and a larger population. Many other things would happen as a result of this though. Some of those things include a high respect for human life and a greater number of people living on our Earth.

Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the U.S. Since January 22, 1973, a mother can abort her baby from conception until birth. The only restriction is that abortion in the third trimester can occur only when necessary for the "preservation of Ii fe or health" of the mother.

The Supreme Court gave only a vague definition of "health" which included psychological and emotional reasons as well as physical. Essentially, the Supreme Court allowed mothers to abort their babies anytime during their pregnancy for almost any reason.

To me, abortion is wrong and there is JiO reason that can be offered to justify it. In fact, without the Roe v.

Wade decision, I think that the world would be a better place to live. By aborting a child, a human life is denied the chance to live a life on earth and. make it a better place. Who's to say that we aren't currently aborting another Mother Teresa or that tomorrow the mother of another Albert Einstein will decide to have an abortion. When a mother aborts her baby, she doesn't know what that child could have done with his or her life and what lives he or she could have touched.

The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 was the beginning of what many call the "slippery slope effect," When one first begins ajourney down a slippery slope, the first step is the most important. It is a decision to tread on a dangerous path. Once this decision is made, a series of them arise, each one a little more dangerous. Soon after this, there is no turning back.

One is so far down the hill that it is an impossible journey back. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court took their first step down the slippery slope. Other decisions, such as rein. stating the death penalty, have followed, forcing us further down the hill. Unless we rethink our decision now, we will one day realize that we are too far down the slope to go back.

In a world without Roe v. Wade, the first step down the slippery slope would not have happened.

Since the legalization of abortion, I believe that respect for human life has faded. If mothers can legally kill their babies, what stops us from killing anyone we choose? Now that mothers are able to kill their babies for virtually any reason, this makes people think maybe human lives aren't very important or valuable.

This isn't true, as I hope many people realize. Abortion allows humans to legally hold the fate of another's life in their hands. Every life is a gift from God and humans do not hold the right to have power over anyone else. We are not able to judge who lives and who dies, but we think we can. Roe v. Wade proves this. As I have previously stated, abortion is wrong and there is no excuse to justify its practice."

Easter

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

11

'Cfhe %asl 0/ Cf)ioine Cjrferc!J·I"-J;;'........~ will be celebrated at

CORPUS CHRISTI PARISH CENTER on c5unda!J. 9lpril 19th at 2:45 pm eucharislic 9ldoralion • CJ)ioine Wercy Chaplet c;Readin!J.5: <]31 %uslinas CJ)iary • <J3enediclion

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l1eadership Opportunities in eatholic Schools 01 the Diocese 01 iaU RiDer The Catholic Education Office is seeking talented, wellqualified leaders for Catholic school principal positions in the 1998-99 school year.

The applicant must be: • a committed and practicing Catholic, • an enthusiastic supporter of Catholic Schools, • a seasoned teacher with experience in Catholic Schools, • the holder of appropriate academic credentials and leadership qualities.

Send a letter ofinterest, a current resume and references

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Continued from page one and blessings during this Easter season. May our lives, glistening with the Easter waters, shine with the love of God in every word and deed, as we bear witness to Jesus Christ, our savior and risen Lord ..

Through a life of fraternal love, prayer and service to the sick, poor, dying and unwanted.

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12

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

Dutch bishop spends day, night on the street â&#x20AC;˘

own country that "sacr-ifices hu-

about life on the street was its empWith the aid of TV, the tiness - the endless walking, walk- manity on the altar of more and incognito prelate ing, walking - and how people just more wealth."

"By talking about this in Hol'live from one cup of coffee to the ' brought the plight of land, we are addressing the probnext," the bishop said.

"These Amsterdams homeless people move among thousands of lem throughout the world," he to national attention. others who are going in and out of noted.

shops and r~staurants, museums and churches: And they are not alCATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE lowed to be part of that."

ROME -:- Bishop Martinus P.M. Bishop Muskens said the most Muskens of Breda, Netherlands, is recent studies show there are 30,000 by far not your typical homeless homeless in the Netherlands, 8,000 man. But after spending 24 hours on of whom are age 20 or younger. He the streets of Amsterdam, he ,came noted that, as in other European to the conclusion that no one is. ' countries, mass homelessness is a Now he is trying to c'all the relatively new phenomenon.

Dutch public's attention, and that "We as a society don't quite of the world, to the needs of the know how to deal with it yet," he homeless. explained.''The society is becoming The bishop described his day more individuaJistic, more conand night among the down an4 out sumption-oriented,with more holi4ay time an~ an increasing i:listance in a telephone interview April 1.

On the prompting of a Dutch~ - b~tween rich and poor people. We Catholic television station, whose . do not take time to I)otice those who crew followed him at a distance, he do not make it." went incognito Feb: 24. It was the Asked which changes in ecofinal day of Amsterdam's Carnival nomi9 or social policy could allecelebrations, and he did not return viate the problem, Bishop Muskens to his robes and his office until the replied: "I have to restrain myself next afternoon -Ash Wednesday. from advising politicians. They "I wanted to make a statement -have enough officials in their ofabout those who cOl!ld not iake part fices to make new laws if they want. in the festivities, and about theob- It is the church's role in Holland to servation qf Lent," he said. ' warn against this trend."

"The thing that struck me most -, The bishop said it is not o~ly his

By LYNNE WElL

-:.

"

'-I

Consecration to'the Divine Will. ". . '

Oh adorable and Divine Will, behold me hen~ hefore the im: mensity ofYour Light, that Your eternafgoodness may open to me the doors and make me enter into It to form my life all in : You, Divine Will. Therefore, oh adorable Will, prostrate before Your Light, I, the least of all creatures, put myself into the little group of the sons and daughters ofYour Supreme FIAT. Prostrate in my nothingness, I invoke Your Light and beg that it ' clothe me and eclipse all that does not pertain to You, Divine Will. It will be my Life, the center of my intelligence, the enrapturer of my heart and of my whole being. I do not want the human will to have life in this heart any longer. I will cast it away from me and thus form the new Eden of Peace, of happiness and of love. With It I shall be always happy. I shall have a singular strength and a holiness that sanctifies all things and conducts them to God. Here prostrate, I invoke the help of the Most Holy Trinity that They permit me to live in the cloister of the Divine Will and thus return in me the first order of creation, just as the creature was created.

Heavenly Mother, Sovereign and Queen of the Divine Fiat, take my hand and introduce me into the Light of the Divine Will. You will be my guide, my most tender Mother, and will teach me to live in and to maintain myself in the order and the bounds of the Divine Will. Heavenly Mother, I consecrate my whole being to Your Immaculate Heart. You will teach me the doctrine of the Divine Will and I will listen most attentively to Your lessons. You will cover me with Your mantle so that the infernal serpent dare not penetrate into this sacred Eden to entice me' and make me fall into the maze of the human will.

Heart of my greatest Good, Jesus, You will give me Your flames that they may bum me, consume me, and feed me to form in me the Life of the Divine Will.

Saint Joseph, you will be my protector, the guardian of my heart, and will keep the keys of my will in your hands. You will keep my heart jealously and shall never give it to me again, that I may be sure of never leaving the Will of God. My guardian Angel, guard me; defend me; help me in everything so that my Eden may flourish and be the instrument that draws all men into the Kingdom of the Divine Will. Amen.

( In Honor of Luisa Piccarreta 1865-1947 Child of the Divine Will)

He said this was why, even at age 62, he did not hesitate to take up the challenge posed to him by the television producers to sleep on the sidewalk, roam around in the company of only one man who knew his identity and spend hours on end among some of society's most abject outcasts. _ The bishop said hI< was surprised to learn, among other things, that

the "small minority" of homeless in Amsterdam who do not use drugs or alcohol try to keep their distance from those who do. ''They want their sleeping places to be separate from those of the users," he said. "They think the users only bring trouble."

He also was taken aback by the number of people whom he considered "intellectuals."

"These are people who are educated and intelligent," he added.

"Some have been living outside for years. But others have encountered some sudden hard times, and they are ashamed to turn to their relatives or to social ser-vices for help."

After relating his findings to media in the Netherlands ar,d the airing of a television special by the crew that proposed the experience, Bishop Muskens said, "the response has been enthusiastic."

Letters and phone call~i continue to pour in, he said, some from potential donors and volun'~eers who were moved by what they saw and heard - perhaps for the first time.

"You don't pierce people's heads by just talking about :in idea," Bishop Muskens concluded. "You have to do something dramatic to make an impact. We have to warn the people - look here, just next door, here there are prob:lems."

Poland's married Ukrainian priests to leave "

â&#x20AC;˘

Pope says they dOn't meet required LatinEastern-rite norm of celibaQY and tells them to return to the Ukraine.

By CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY - Invoking a standard norm of celibacy for Latinand Eastern-rite priests in Poland, the Vatican has said married Ukrainian priests ministering to their faithful in Poland must return to Ukraine. -' !". , "The pastoral activity in Poland of a few married priests" iscreating problems, said a March letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary' of state, to Arch'bishop Joief Kowalczuk, the nuncio in Poland.

"The married priests who prt?sently work in Poland must reenter their dioceses of origin in Ukraine," said the letter, which was made available to Catholic News Service in Rome.

Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian-rite Catholic officials in Ukraine and Poland expressed surprise about the letter, not the least because it assumes that all the married Ukrainian-rite priests in Poland are from Ukraine.

A priest in the Ukrainian Archdiocese of Przemysl-Warsaw, Poland, said that in addition to four married priests from across the border, the archdiocese has five married priests who were born in Poland and were ordained for the archdiocese by Przemysl Archbishop Ivan Martyniak.

In addition to the nine married priests, the 35,000 faithful of the ar.chdiocese are served by 30 celibate priests.

Cardinal Sodano said Poland's Ukrainian-rite church is not permitted to have married priests. He said the two Ukrainian-rite bishops in Poland "cannot unilaterally modify the practice in use, according to which the Greek Catholic priests in Poland must also maintain the discipline of celibacy."

Any change in practice, the cardinal said, would have to be dis-

cussed with Poland's Latin-rite bishops and approved by the Vatican.

Cardinal Sodano said that if there are not enough celibate Ukrainian priests to serve the Eastern-rite faithful 'in Poland, celibate Latinrite priests could be trained and given permission to celebrate the liturgy in both the Latin and Ukrainian rites.

Respecting the centcries-Iong tradition of the Ukrainian church, Vatican rules allow married men to be ordained to the Ea:;tern-rite priesthood in Ukraine. .

A small percentage o~; the married men ordained for Ukrainian dioceses were born outside Ukraine and minister in Poland, the United States and Canada.

, European synod will key, on evangelization

By LYNNE WElL CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATiCAN CITY - Overcoming the errors of the past and promot. ing eva'ngelization were among the main priorities of an outline for an . upcoming European Synod of Bishops. !The document, released at the Vatican, was to be used as a framew6rk for the second special Synod of Bishops for Europe. The first su¢h gathering of bishops from throughout Europe was held i;i1 December 1991. Pope John Paul II called for the second gathering during a visit to Germany in June 1996.

A statement accompanying the outline said the synod was 'to be held in 1999. Dates for the synod were not announced.

In a preface to the 50-page document, Cardinal Jan P. Schotte, head of :the office that has been coordinating a series of regional synods at th~ Vatican, noted that it was "certainly an exceptional event" that two sy~ods devoted to Europe were being held in the same decade. ,The cardinal said "extensive consultation could not be accomplished" within the church in time for the 1991 European synod, which came on the heels of cataclysmic political and social change in Central and Eastern Europe. .The synod outline examined at length the changes wrought in Europe by the Cold War's end, starting with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. '''The events of 1989, initially having received an immediat.e and enthusiastic response, gave the impression that in one stroke many social, cultural and spiritual crises were resolved," it said. "In reality, these events only opened a door unexpectedly on a vast area where different peoples found themselves unexpectedly in possession of agt:-old prerogatives which had been repressed for a long time. These saDe people alsb found themselves in a process of pursuing paths of their own choosing." :These events promoted the spread of materialism, agnostic:ism, "religious subjectivism" and "relativistic individualism," already prevalent in other parts of Europe, the document said.

It later added that the regaining of basic individual freedom in regions previously under totalitarian rule has not been supported "by a sOl.Jnd attitude of how to exercise (freedom)." As a result, it continued, "sqme people look to the past with a certain nostalgia and attempt or desire to return to it."

'The document called the growth of religious sects and new spiritual movements "a challenge to the church" in Europe that "points to the fact that people are in search of a 'savior.'"

A series of questions was offered to bishops' conference:;, departments of the Roman Curia and other agencies expected to n:view the document and respond to it.

I

Iteering pOintl Publicity Chairmen are asked to submit news items for this column to The Anchor, )~O. Box 7, FaJl River, 02722. Name of city or town should be includled, as well as full dates of all activities.

DEADLINE IS NOON ON MONDAYS. Events published must be of interest and open to our genera) readership. We do not normally carry notices of fundraising activities, which may be advertised at our regular rates, obtainable from our business office at (508) 6757151.

ATTLEBORO - Easter weekend services begin at La Salette Shrine with an Easter Vigil liturgy on April II at 7 p.m. Father Ernest Corriveau will be the cl~lebrant and homilist and people are invited to bring a bell to add to the joyful noise.

Easter Sunday, April 12, begins with a sunrise service with Mass at 6 a.m. at the outdoor tomb. The shrine's annual Easter egg hunt will be held at 2 p.m. Call 222-5410 for more information.

Singer and composer John Polce will be at the shrine on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of song, witness and prayer. Members of the shrine's prayer community will be on hand for any individuals who wish to be prayed over at the end of the evening. All are welc:ome.

EAST FREETOWl"i1 - The Fall River Diocesan Courage Group will host a day of recollection for members of the international Courage apostolate at Cathedral Camp April 25. Sessions will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with Mass at 2:30 p.m. Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington will collaborate with Father John F. Randall in guiding the day of recollection. For information call Msgr. Harrington at 992-3184.

A Men's Pentecost Retreat, presented by the Men of St. Joseph and featuring prayer, reflection and fellowship, will be held at Cathedral Camp May 29-31.

Themed "Refiner's Fire: God's Call to Ordinary Men to be Cleansed, Healed and Strengthened by the Holy Spirit," it will include Mass and Catholic instruction. All single and married men of the diocese are welcome. Call Bud Miller at 678-2828 for registration information.

FAIRHAVEN - Sl. Joseph's Church announces that it will be open all day today, Good Friday, for private devotions and eighth grade students from St. Joseph's School will perform a live Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. An Easter Vigil Mass will be held on April II at 7:30 p.m. and Masses on Easter Sunday will be held at 8, 9:30 and II a.m.

FALL RIVER - The Catholic Campus Ministry Office at Bristol Community College (BCe) is sponsoring a lecture entitled "Church Annulments: What? Why? How?" by Father Jose Sousa, formerly of the Diocesan Marriage Tlibunal. The lecture will take place on April 29 at 7 p.m. in the Commonwealth College Center (parking lot 12) 'at BCC, Elsbree Street. All are welcome. For more information call Sister Annette Bibeau at 678-2811 ext. 2247.

FALL RIVER - The Fall River Diocesan Counci Iof Catholic Women District I will next meet at St. Anthony of Padua Hall April 16 at 7:30

p.m. Guest speaker, Jane Wilcox will lecture on the topic "Surrender to God's Love in Time of Crisis." All are welcome and affiliates are asked to bring two dozen pastries. For more information call Lucille Raposa at 679-1586.

food banks in the community. Please place a food donation by your mailbox and your letter carrier will pick it up and deliver it to the food bank.

Catholic Social Services has benefited greatly through this community wide annual food drive and hopes that all can help. For more information call Catholic Social Services at 997-7337.

Science, faith nourish each other, says scientist-priest DE PERE, Wis. - Science can nourish our Christian faith, and our faith can deepen our understanding of what science reveals to us, said a Vatican scientist.

Humans have various sources of truth and they cannot be in direct contradiction to 'each other if properly understood, Jesuit Father William Stoeger told an audience at St. Norbert College in De Pere.

These sources of truth include science, revelation, tradition, religion, art and our own experiences, said Father Stoeger, a staff scientist at the Vatican Observatory Research Group in Tucson, Ariz.

As an example of how science can nourish faith, Father Stoeger cited the Hubbel Telescope that beams pictures of our universe to earth. Evidence shows there are 100 billion galaxies, each containing 100 billion stars - just in our universe, he said.

As overwhelming as that may sound, "God is bigger than that, but deeply involved in our lives as he showed with the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit," Father Stoeger said.

Science also has shown that humans are deeply connected to the universe. "We are products of the universe," he said. "We are children of God because God created us through the dynamism of the universe. Everything in our bodies we share with the rest of the universe.

"Without the stars, there would be no oxygen, carbon, iron or other minerals that make up our bodies.

Science also has shown us that we share the nucleic acids, DNA, genetic code and chemistry in our bodies with all living things," Father Stoeger said.

That reality "should give us a deeper appreciation of the Incarnation because by God becoming man through Jesus, God lifts us up and becomes one with us and all of creation to which we are connected," he said.

God should not be viewed as a tinkerer who enters creation only long enough to fix things when they go wrong, the Jesuit said."God is always operating in reality, in relationships."

God is there when people experience pain and death and suffering, he said.

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Apr. 10. 1998

13

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NEW BEDFORD - The Sisters of Mercy in the Fall River Diocese will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the arrival of the nuns here at a 2 p.m. Mass April 19 at St. Lawrence Church, 110 Summer Street. A luncheon will follow at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth.

FALL RIVER - A Pro-Life program organized by the Greater Fall River Chapter of Massachusetts Citizens For Life will be held at SS. Peter and Paul Parish Hall, 240 Dover Street, on April 19 at 1 p.m. Dr. NORTH DARTMOUTH - A Mildred Jefferson will be guest , Divorced and Separated Support speaker. All are welcome.

Group will hold an open meeting on April 27 at th~ Family Life Center, FALL RIVER - Saint Anne's 500 Slocum Road from 7-9 p.m. All Hospital is in need of Eucharistic are welcome.

Ministers to assist with the administration of Holy Communion. If you NORTH DARTMOUTH are interested in being trained to be- Retrouvaille, a program to help heal come a hospital Eucharistic Minister and renew troubled marriages, will be please call St. Anne Church at 674- held April 17-19. It offers a chance 5651 orthe hospital at 674-5741 and to rediscover oneself and one's spouse ask for the Pastoral Care Department. and a loving relationship in marriage.

For more information call 1-800-470HYANNIS - A support group for 2230 or the Diocesan Office of Famparents \lnd families of gay and les- ily Ministry at 999-6420. bian children will meet from 7-8:30 p.m. April 13 in the Catholic Social . RAYNHAM - The Diocesan Services Building, 221 South, Street. StewardShip Committee will hold a It meets on the second Monday of worKshop at 7 p.m. April 28 at the each month and newcomers are al- P!1rish center of St. Ann Church, 660 ways welcome to this safe and confi- North Main Street (route 104). It will dential atmosphere. focus on the training of witness speakers to assist in parish stewardship proMASHPEE - A young adult grams and provide information for prayer group for singie and married those parishes beginning to explore persons ages 20-30 meets on the first the concept of stewardship. For regand third Wednesday of each month istrati'on information call Father in the chapel of Christ the King Par- Marcel Bouchard at 888-0209. ish at 7:30 p.JR. For l'90re informa" tion call Heather Kirby at 548-2364.

SOMERSET - A prayer service for vocations will be held at St. ThoNEW BEDFORD - The Na- mas More Parish on April 23 at 7:30 tional Association of Letter Carriers, p.m. All are welcome ,to join in an in conjunction with the U.S. Postal evening of prayer and song before the Service and the local United Way, will Blessed Sacrament, followed by be collecting nonperishable food Benediction. Refreshments will be items on May 9 for distribution to the provided.

By TONY STALEY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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Send resume to: Ca.i;holic Schoo1 O££ice :1 Ca.~hed.ra.l.Squ..a.re Pro"Vide:n..ce, R I 0 2 9 0 3

GOOD FRIDAY - APRIL 10 3:00 p.m. The Lord's Passion 7:00 p.m. Passion Play HOLY SATURDAY - APRIL 11 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Father Ernest Corriveau

EASTER SUNDAY - APRIL 12 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Service & Mass Father Richard Delisle Cafeteria open for breakfast after Mass

2:00 p.m. Easter Celebration for Children Father Richard Delisle No Confessions Easter Sunday

GRIEF EDUCATION PROGRAM Monda¥, April 13 - 6:30 p.m.

"Grieving with Hope"

Thursday, April 16 -

1:00 p.m.

"Making Changes" Counseling Center - $10 Donation

JOHN POLCE: BETHANY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - 7:30 p.m.

Shrine Chapel -

Good-will offering

WORKSHOP: BECOMING AN OUTRAGEOUS OLDER WOMAN Ruth Harriet Jacobs, Ph.D.

Saturday, April 18 Theater -

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Pre-registration

.--_.

14

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

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Fine arts flying at Feehan ATTLEBORO-Forty Bishop Feehan High School Art students with their department chair, Brenda Loiselle, recently toured the ~etropoli­ tan Museum of Art in New York City. They worked on several related' assignments prior to their trip and will follow up with a pictorial essay of their observations. ' Under the direction of language department chair Diane Crane, Latin students spent a day at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts where they exa111ined early Greco-Roman artifacts and toured several Roman galleries.

During Holy Week twenty"five students playing character roles in the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ con'ducted, a living stations of the cross. They were directed by cam- ' " pus minister Carla Tirrell and ac~ i---_.....,.-~-___._,.--",. companied by music a,nd narration from profes~ional recqrcli!1g artist Jon Polce. " " The Campus Ministry ,department has sponsored a daily missjqn collection to help build a Catholic school in Nigeria, Africa and to date" students have contributed over $1000 to the project.

Junior Erin Anderson, an aspirSTUDENTS AT Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sqhool, New Bedford, have been working ing Olympic hopeful for the year hard rehearsing.for their upcoming musical, "Godspell," a rendition of the Gospel of S1:. Mat2002, placed second at the recent National Women's Skiing Champithew, and will give performances on April 18 at 6:30 p.m. and April, 19 at 2 p.m. Pietured onships in the upright aerial compefront, from left, Adam DeFrias, Philip Alcaidinho, Catherine Alcaidinho and Andrea Mo,reira. tition at Sunday River, Maine. , Back row: Joshua Almeida, Christopher Gouveia, Christopher Aguiar, Catarina Avelar, Ryan Three Bishop Feehan students Alcaidinho and Kristy Alcaidinho. swept honors in the recent New Moon Art Festival conducted by the Attleboro Area Arts Council. Senior BISHOP FEEHAN High Sarah Rando captured first place, and sophomores Austin Applegate School Spanish teacher Joan and Alyre Mac Lure placed second Drobnis was recently named and third respectively. the recipient of the 1998 MarAt the recent super bowl banquet tin Fierro Award of Excelhonoring the 1998 state football lence. A Feeha'n teacher for champions, football coach Gary 18 years, Drobnis moderates Doherty announced that the captains the Spanish National Honor for next year's team will be juniors David Nigelli, Brett Svendsen and Society which has been working with the S1. Joseph's food John Traversi.

The girls' varsity track team won cellar. The award honors a its inaugural meet at the newly con- moderator whose efforts and structed McGrath Stadium Com- achievements make a posiplex, beating Dartmouth 87 to 57. tive difference in and outside The boys' baseball team rode the of school. pitching and hitting of senior David Grof to beat Middleboro 10-9 in their opening day game. Sophomore catcher Kyle Bolger cracked a three-run homer and senior Mike Cataldo went 4-4 to aid the Feehan victory.

Debate team moderator Anne Meloni announced the following results from the team's recent competition: Junior Luke Connolly. and freshmen Kevin Sullivan and Rajeev Chaudry each won his, negative round match. In the novice affirmative round, freshmen Shannon Leary and Alex Green won two matches, while sophomores Jim Teal and Colin Whooten defeated one opponent. _ In the varsity division, senior Tasha Buzzell and junior Lindsey E,lIis FIRST GRADERS from Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford pet a baby lamb defeated their negative team opponents and in the affirmative round, brought into the school by local farm owners Susan and John Teal. Many students learned juniors Jen Esmond and Pam God~oe were also successful. Junior Matt about lambs and life on a farm during the Teals'visi1. Students pictured (from left to right) are Ward and senior Jon Salomon also won their match.

Amanda Medeiros, Elizabeth,DeSousa, Elise Ouellette and Steffanie Rock.

Students experience courtroom firsthand FAIRHAVEN-Students from Stanley Moszczenski's eighth grade social studies class at St. Joseph's School took a recent field trip to the WORK OF, ART! First Fourth District Court in, Wareham where they experienced firsthand how 'grade teacher Louise St. our legal system works. ' ' Michel of S1. Joseph School Students visited the juvenile, sman claims and adult court divisions in New Bedford is proud to and senior'probation office(Don 1'!ielson explained many aspects of the wear the "handiwork" of her system, escorting them through, ,the probation offices, record vaults and the subterranean lockup of prisoners, Eighth grader Jessica Oliveira sat students. Students made a alone in a small holding cell to experience the isolation of prison life and fabric-paint handprint with students agreed that th'is experience alone was enough to deter people their names for her denim from ,committing crimes. dress. The teacher said it's a Judge Rosemary Minehan addressed students and explained the role great way for her to rememof the district court and her ascendancy to a judgeship from her early ber her class and that she career as a prosecutor. 'She fielded questions from students and they obhas gotten many compliserved her 'and staff members handle a number of criminal and civil issues. Moszczenski, who also works as an attorney in Marion, said that ments on it. students were excited about the trip, finding it fascinating but scary and much different from what they expected.

THE ANCHOR -

Our Rock and Role The emotional and spiritual costs of abortion

By CHARLIE

MARTIN

Brick Six a.m. day after Christmas I throw some clothes On in the dark.

The smell of cold Car seat is freezing.

The world is sleeping.

I am numb.

Up the stairs to her apartment.

She is balled up on the couch.

Her mom and dad Went down to Charlotte.

They're not home To find us out.

And we drive.

Now that I have found someone I'm feeling more alone Than I ever have before.

Refrain: She's a brick, And I'm drowning slowly.

Off the coast, And I'm headed nowhere.

She's a brick, And I'm drowning slowly.

They call her name at 7:30.

I pace around the parking lot.

Then I walk down To bUy her flowers And sell some gifts that I got.

Can't you see It's not me you're dying for?

Now she's feeling more alone Than she ever has before.

(Repeat refrain) As the weeks went by It showed that she was not fine.

They told me, son, , It's time to tell the truth.

She broke down, And I broke down 'Cause I was tired of lying.

Driving home to her apartment For the moment we are alone.

She's alone.

I'm alone.

Now I know it.

(Repeat refrain) Written by B. Folds/D. Jessee Sung by Ben Folds Five Copyright (c) 1997

by Sony Music Entertainment Inc. BEN FOLDS Five's chart hit "Brick" may be an account of the emotional turmoil a young couple feels as a result of an abortion.

Both individuals in the song feel isolated and hurt. The guy in the song is "numb" as he drives to his girlfriend's apartment.

There "she is balled up on the

couch." The girl's "mom and dad went down t.o Charlotte," so "they're not home to find us out."

As they "drive" - to the abortion clinic, I presume - the guy realizes, "Now that I have found someone, I'm feeling more alone than I ever have before."

The song suggests to me that the decision to have an abortion was costly to each individual's emotional and spiritual health. In the song's words, "as the weeks went by, it showed'that she was not fine." In fact, "she broke down, and I broke down, 'cause I was tired of lying." . Guilt and deception can leave anyone emotionally broken.

Even their caring about each other does not get them through the trauma that they feel: "She's alone, I'm alone, now I know it."

The song does not tell how they got past the pain or if they did. What it does reveal is the suffering caused by 'the decision.

Unfortunately some teens do get pregnant. The changes brought on by a pregnancy are very difficult for teens to face.

The church teaches that abortion is not the answer. In such situations I frequently recommend adoption. Conception has little to do with being a parent.

What a child needs is for his or her parents to have the commitment, life direction and financial resources to provide a safe and stable home. Teens are not prepared to provide such an environment.

I find a topic in this song that sometimes is not spoken about when abortion is discussed: the effects of the abortion on the " couple 'irvolved. I know from my : counseling work that the effects of choosing an abortion linger far beyond the actual act. They are another reason to avoid abortion.

Beyond what I have already said, I want to assure any teen reading this columl) who has had an abortion that God's will for you is not judgment but healing: Don't leave yourself in the isolation and loneliness that the song describes.

Seek the professional contacts that can help you find this healing. Ask God to guide you to individuals who will walk with you through your pain.

Your comments are always, welcome. Please address: Charlie Martin, 7125 W 200S, Rockport, Ind. 47635.

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Apr. 10, 1998

15

Alarming facts of "educational" video games

By CHRISTOPHER

CARSTENS

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Video games have become a common part of life for most teens.

Parents worry as their kids pa~s hours with a joy stick clutched tightly between their fingers, Recently I got curious about the impact of all that alien zapping and video puzzle-solving. Having reviewed about 40 articles from recent medical and scientific literature, I'm sorry to tell you that the news isn't good.

First, lots of time is spent on those games. About 90 percent of the seventh- and eighth-grade boys, and two-thirds of the girls surveyed played video games at least one hour a week, with many investing much more time than that.

Kids will tell you these games are educational, and that you can learn useful problem-solving skills from Nintendo. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Only one study showed any useful learning from a video game.

Diabetic kids who played a specifi. cally constructed game teaching skills for managing diet and medication actually learned how to take better care of themselves.

Unfortunately, there's not a shred of evidence that the games most teens really play teach any useful skills. No matter what you want your mom to think, teens play the shoot-ern-up games most of the time.

In a study of games junior high kids prefer, only 2 percent of the games they named as favorites were "educational." More than 50 percent of the preferred games wer~ clearly violent. So much for educational content.

Here's the next argument: "Even if it isn't one of those 'educational games,' you learn a lot about solving problems and hunting for clues."

Maybe. I could only find one study that came close to answering this question. In this study, researchers looked at kids who played a lot of vide'o games and those who didn't, comparing their problemsolving.

It turns out that heavy game players were no more likely to come up with the correct answer than the non-players. They got the same wrong answers, only faster.

Video games have somejnterest-

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ing physical effects. While playing ,games, teen-agers show increased blood pressure and heart rate. The metabolism speeds up - that is, the

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body starts processing food faster.

Those are the same things your body does under stress or when you have a mild buzz on from too many cups of coffee. A growing number of researchers think that little bitty high may be a little bit addictive, and there's some evidence that kids who are "heavy players" have a hard time cutting down - they need their video game fix daily.

For some kids, the games are downright dangerous. Several studies report that kids who are already prone to epilepsy sometimes have seizures while playing the videos.

Nobody is saying that your Sega system will give you epilepsy if you don't already have the tendency.

Still, there's reason for concern.

Finally, there's the big bad medical problem. International research shows that American kids are fatter, slower and weaker than kids the same age in other developed countries.

Playing video games doesn't make you fat or slow - but sitting on your couch does. While your video character is swinging through the jungle, slaying monsters and gathering prizes - the real you is sitting around doing nothing.

That's the troublesome loss.

Video games suck time out of your life and turn it into hot air. The best research shows that you get nothing in return, nothing at all.

It doesn't seem like a good deal to me.

..

I

---:

Your comments are welcome.

Please address: Christopher Carstens, c/o Catholic News Ser- ' vice, 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017.

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33 Swindells,Street Fall River, MA 02723

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. ~ 16.

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