04.16.99 by The Anchor

VOL. 43, NO. 16 â&#x20AC;˘ Friday, April 16, 1999

FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COO & THE ISLANDS

FALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly â&#x20AC;˘ $14 Per Year

Social justice speakers urge Catholics to take the lead ~

That parishioners are key to wonderful theological basis for social justice teaching of the Church. We are a community serving all the people in need in traditions of jubilee years such as the one of faith, called to preach the Gospel, chose earmarked for the upcoming new millennium. life, to serve the least of among us and to around them is the He said the release of slaves and prisoners, build the Kingdom of God." message of The message is not centered in any ena return of ancestral lands and a spirit of recent conference. changing unjust structures in society cyclical or bishop's document but is in Jesus' By JAMES N. DUNBAR

NEW BEDFORD- Hoping to spark renewed efforts in the social justice ministry, a daylong conference, "Lighting A Holy Fire," drew nearly 150 people to hear nationally renowned speakers at a conference on service and social justice and participate in workshops last Saturday. The

JOHN

L. CARR

event was co-sponsored by Catholic Social Services and Saint Anne's Hospital. Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, who greeted the gathering at Days Inn, said there is a

have always been part of such celebrations. "They are strong reminders that we are stewards of creation." Keynote speakers were John L. Carr, secretary of the Department of Social Development and World Peace of the United States Catholic Conference, and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y., who is vicar for Human Services. Bishop Sul1ivan is a former professional baseball player in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. Carr made it clear that the social justice mission is not just for the bishops or set at the level of the hierarchy of the Church. "It is not just for a few, but is at the roots of the parish and is the responsibility of everyone. What brings us together is not some political program or ideological agenda, but the Word of God in the

in need and parish is the key because it is where the Church and its mission lives, and where the people of God reach out to those in need." also issued the reminder He ~"'" that we are stewards of t. \ creation, of everyone I"~ " - , around us and that the , world is ever changing. "Most of our world problems cannot be solved by politics or technology... bu.t by the

own words when commenting on the prophet Isaiah in St. Luke's Gospel: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives, new sight to the blind and to set the downtrodden free." Those words hit us hard when we realize that a quarter of America's preschoolers are growing up poor, said Carr, and in a world where 35,000 children each day die of hunger and its consequences. "And how about communities where so many sisters and brothers are enslaved by discrimination, dependency or addiction; where materialism and the thirst for power and pressure can blind us to the dignity of the people around us? And how can we set them free when joblessness and self-destructive behavior rule whole neighborhoods?" "These questions are for every parishioner, and it is time we recommit to this old mission," Carr asserted. "Our social AUXILIARY BISHOP JOSEPH M. SULLIVAN justice heritage is integral to our faith as Catholics. These social parish and by our life at home, creating a dimensions of our faith are not optional. They greater sense of justice." Bishop Sullivan urged Catholics to take are an essential part of what it is to be CathoTum to page 13 - Justice lic. We have to be Jesus reaching out to those

Brazda: Dante's 'Inferno' with angels of mercy By JOHNTHAVIS CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

BRAZDA, Macedonia - On the edge of a sprawling refugee camp in northern Macedonia, things were coming unraveled. A man suffering from Down syndrome was trying to figure out how to put on a disposable diaper before it was too late. Beside him, an emotionally disturbed boy rolled in the dirt. In the tent next door, six elderly men and women lay on mattresses and called out in faint voices for help. In front of them, a schizophrenic man suddenly moved into a performance of strange poses and gestures.

Pro-Life Reminder The Fall River Diocese's Pro-Life Convention set for Saturday, April 24 at Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, will host Helen M. Alvare, a director in the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the National Council of Catholic Bishops, as keynote speaker. The theme of the convocation, which opens at 8:30 a.m., is: ''To Reverence and Honor the Dignity of Human Life," For more information call the Pro-Life Apostolate in Dartmouth at 9972290.

Then a four-year-old boy appeared, crying and bedraggled, separated from his family. Nearby, a woman wandered aimlessly, asking about her missing daughters. This single small patch of the Brazda refugee camp, where some 20,000 Kosovars landed in early April, looked like something out of Dante's "Inferno," Except that there were angels of mercy, too. Within minutes, the Down syndrome man, diaper in place, and the disturbed boy were sitting calmly, being spoon-fed by a young Kosovar volunteer, Albjona Blakaj. Another volunteer, Ilir Latifi, spoke to the bedridden elderly, one by one, and made sure someone brought a carton of milk or carried them to the bathroom. And thanks to a "lost-child" messenger, an excited woman from Kosovo soon approached the area and was reunited with her lost little boy. She smiled and cried and hugged him; he burst into tears. These emotional payoffs are few and far between in Brazda, a tent city that sprang up overnight after more than 100,000 ethnic Albanian refugees poured down the valley from Pristina, capital of Kosovo, and crossed over into Macedonia, a country that has its own ethnic tensions and is leery of gaining more. NATO set up the Brazda camp to help absorb a massive refugee population trapped near the border without food,

water or proper hygiene. The camp has functioned well, but in mid-April, NATO troops will leave Brazda, turning over security to Macedonian police and management of the facility to Catholic Relief Services. As CRS coordinated macro-issues like food distribution, Tum to page 13 - Brazda

WHITE TENTS dot the landscape over the Brazda refugee camp in Macedonia. (CNS photo from Reuters)

THEANCHOR-DioceseofFalIRiver~Fri.,AprilI6,1999 ,

Priest celebrates 50th anniversary provide Masses in Portuguese. He was ordained by Bishop James L. Connolly onJune'l1, 1949.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Father Daniel L. J.=<'reitas, 74, retired pastor of St. John of God Parish in Somerset and former director of the Fall River Catholic Charities Appeal was recently recognized for his 50th year of priesthood at St. James Cathedral, Fla. He was recognized by Bishop Norbert M, Dorsey d~ring the celebration of the Chrism Mass during Holy Week. The Azores native has assisted at Ascension Church in Melborne, is active in its St. Vincent de .Paul Society and helps

Norris H. Tripp SHEET METAL

FATHER FREITAS

......

-'-"

..•

. '--..'

----

,- ',--'

...

- .-

;;

-.........., ._---

Parlslies to host screenings "

FALL RIVER - Area residents are invited to receive free health screenings and information during a health fair" Sunday, April 18, 2-5 p.m., sponsored by Saint Anne's Hospital in collaboration with St. Anne's and St. Louis' parishes and St. John's/ St. Stephen's Episcopal Partnership. The healthcare screenings, to be performed by members of the Healthcare MinistrylParish Nurse Program, will take place at the participating churches. Free ongoing shuttle transportation will be available between the sites. The schedule for the day's ac-

tivities is as follows: - St. Louis Church, Bradford Avenue: registration, pulse and weight and information about nutrition and osteoporosis; St. Anne's Church parking lot, corner of South Main and Middle streets: mammograms for insured and uninsured or underinsured women who are Massachusetts residents, through Saint Anne's Hospital's mobile mammography , van. Mammograms require an advance appointment by calling 675-5686; - Saint Anne's Hospital lobby, 795 Middle Street: cho-

lesterol, diabetes and ,prostate cancer health screenings and educational materials; information about the hospital's geropsychiatric program and Center for Children and Families; - St. John's/St. Stephen's 'Partnership, 711 Middle St.: blood pressure screening, information about dangerous inhalants, heart disease, smoking cessation and refreshments.

The fair is open to all area residents. For more information, call Sister Carol Mello, coordinator, Parish Nurse Program, at 674-5600, ext. 2060.

J. TESER, Prop. RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL 253 Cedar St., New Bedford 993-3222

COWNS CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS

33 Swindells Street Fall River, MA 02723

Saint Anne's Hospital gratefully acknowledges contributions to the Tribute Fund during March." Through your generosity, our mission of "Caring for Our Community" is profoundly enhanced.

678-5201

JEFFREY E. SULLIVAN FUNERAL HOME 550 Locust Street Fall River, Mass.

~~~~

Rose E. Sullivan William J. Sullivan Margaret M. Sullivan

_N.~'S

OSP~W1 .

TRIB~

672·2391

~U~b~\

LEMIEUX

HEATING, INC.

IN MEMORY OF: Marilyn Audet Raymond C. Banville George Botelho Lorraine Boulay Frank Campagna Jeannette Chaunt Ernest Coury Emilio Dispirito Raymond A. Dumont WalterJ. Eaton Dr. Ramsis G. Elias Lydia Falandys Dorothy Fillion Paul Fillion Adaline Franco Maria Franco Albert R. Gauthier Edward Harrington Francis J. Lenehan Arthur J. McGough Baltazar Machado Edward C. Michno Helen Moniz Raymond E. Parise Louis Passero Frances Santos Joseph C. Saulino Angelina Semine Katherine Sicillia Gail Squillace Mary O. Sullivan Helen M. Tremblay Lloyd Underwood

Sales and Service for Domestic and Industrial Oil Burners

995-1631 2283 ACUSHNET AVENUE NEW BEDFORD

Chilean cardinal known for charity, meditation dies SANTIAGO, Chile eCNS) -Retired Chilean Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, archbishop of Santiago during the military coup that brought Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power, died April 9 in this capital city. Cardinal Silva, 91, who had been in a deep comma since April 6, died in a Salesian community in Santiago, where he lived since his retirement as archbishop of Santiago in 1983. Chilean President Eduardo Frei declared five days of national mourning to honor the cardinal. His death leaves 155 members in the College of Cardinals, of whom 113 are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a papal conclave. Named archbishop of Santiago in May 1961, he was made a cardinal by Pope John XXIII in March 1962.

Daily Readings

Montie Plumbing & Heating Co.

April 19

Over 35 Years of Satisfied Services Reg. Master Plumber 7023 JOSEPH RAPOSA, JR.

April 20

432 JEFFERSON STREET FALL RIVER 675·7496

EasternTelevision

April 21

Sales And Service

April 22

Fall River's Largest Display of TVs April 23

ZENITH • SONY 1196 BEDFORD ST. FALL RIVER 673-9721

April 24 April 25

•

SAINT ANNE'S HOSPITAL 795 Middle Street Fall River,MA 02721 (508) 674-5741 Member Caritas Christi Health Care System

OUR LADY'S RELIGIOUS STORE Mon. - Sat. 10:00 - 5:30 PM

GIFTS CARDS BOOKS

673-4262 "As of March, 1999

936 So. Main St., Fall River

Acts 6:8-15; Ps119:2324,26-27,2930; In 6:22-29 Acts 7:51-8: 1a; Ps 31: 3cd-4,6ab, 7b,8a,17, 21ab; In 6: 30-35 Acts 8: 1b-8; Ps 66: 1-3a,47a; In 6:35-40 Acts 8:26-40; . Ps 66:8-9,1617,20;Jn 6:44-51 Acts 9:1-20; Ps117:1-2; In 6:52-59 Acts 9:31-42; Ps116:12-17; In 6:60-69 Acts 2:14a, 36-41 ; Ps 23: 1-6; 1Pt2: 20b-25; In 10:1-10

FEAST DAY GREETING - Bishop Sean P. O'Malley OFM, Cap., greets parishioners of Holy Rosary Parish, Fall River, with Father Mark R. Hession as they celebrated the feast of St. Joseph.

In Your Prayers Please pray for the following priests during the coming week NECROLOGY April 19 1975, Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Duart, Pastor, St. Peter the Apostle, Provincetown . 1990, Rev. Daniel E. Carey, Chaplain, Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River

\''''\ '

. \ April 20 . '1954, Rev. Edward E Coyle, S.S., St. Mary Seminary, Baltimore, Md. \ \ 1970, Rev. James E.f>iReilly, Pastor Emeritus, Mt. Carmel, Seekonk \\\ "'\

. \ April 2~~'/ 1910, Rev. James L. Smitq,\rastor,_Sacted Heart, Taunton 1954, Rev. Thomas F:,....Fitige~ald;-Pastor, St. Mary, Nantucket .-~\\ ~. Aptil25 1?40;::'Rev:-John J. Wade, As!#tant, Sacred Heart, Fall River 1955, Rev. Raymond J. Lynqh\ Chaplain, Catholic Memorial Home, Fall

R;,e<

PRIESTS CURREN\fLY SERVING

11I11111111111111111111111111

THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-mO) Periodical Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass. Published weekly except for the first two weeks in July ani the week after Chrisnnas at 887 Highland Averwe, Fall River, Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press ofthe Diocese ofFall River. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $14.00 per year. Postmasters send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA fJ27'l2.

April April April April April April April

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Rev. Rev. Rev. Rev. Rev. Rev. Rev.

Gerald T. Shovelton William \'1. Shovelton Sebasti~fl\M. Slesinski, OFM Conv. Msgr. Joqn J. Smith Jose M. Sousa . Christopher Stanibula John J. Ste~kem

TIffiANCHOR-Diocese ofFall River-Fri.,April 16, 1999 I

FERTILIZER & TREATMENT Programs Custom Tailored ForVour Lawn

I I I I I

Weed, Insect & Disease Control (Pesticide FREE Programs Available)

• • • •

Dethatchlng· Slice Seeding Aeration • Soli Testing Season Long Grub Control Lawn Renovation

Fall River

NEED A GOOD PlUMBER? For your home or business.

John C.

LINDO&SON Plumbing & Heating Est. 1920

Lie. 10786

: (508) 678-5571 I I I

'W1~ilFllMalziyTIDIii3dLaMs" I..icensed& Certified i1 Turfby Dept. aFood &Agi:ulure

~UIIYlnSU'ed

Environmentally Responsible Lawn Care

"The Experienced Plumbing People" Providing a Full Line of Plumbing & Heating Services

The former chaplain of the city's Fire Department is memorialized.

NEW BEDFORD-Bolstered by an outpouring of support from parochial school children and parishioners of St. Lawrence Martyr Church, the New Bedford City Council last week voted unanimously to name the city's central fire station in memory of the late Father Thomas E. O'Dea. Dedication ceremonies are expected later this year. Father O'Dea, who died in January at age 64 following a heart attack, served as associate pastor at St. Lawrence's on County Street for nearly 28 years. He was appointed chaplain of the New Bedford Fire Department in 1963 and served for 36 years. The central fIre station is located at 868 Pleasant Street in the city's downtown. It is one of nine fire stations in the city and the fIrst to bear someone's name. The other stations are identified by number. "We are grateful to the City Council for endorsing such a wonderful honor for a humble man," said Cecilia Felix, principal of the Holy FamilyHoly Name Grammar School in New Bedford, where Father O'Dea served

as director since the early 1970s. "Father O'Dea was a spiritual leader for many people, the flfefighters, victims offife, parishioners, school children and their families and the poor," she added. Students from Holy Family-Holy Name lobbied the City Council to name a fife station for the late priest. They wrote moving letters and drew pictures in support of the idea. At the invitation of City Council President Jane L. Gonsalves, about 40 of the students attended a council meeting at which their work was on

FATHER O'DEA

display. ''Father O'Dea loved the New Bedford Fire Pepartment and cheris.hed his role as its chaplain," said City Councilor Steven C. Sharek, who made the proposal to name the station for FatherO'Dea. "He was proud ofthe work done by our city flfefIghters. Naming a station in his memory is a fitting tribute to the man and to the flfefighters with whom he served." Councilor George Rogers, chairman of the Special City Council Committee on Memorials and Dedications, surveyed parishioners of St. Lawrence's about their preferences for honoring Father O'Dea. Virtually every parishioner who responded wanted the Council to name a fife station in his memory, it was reported. Father O'Dea displayed his great love for fIrefIghting and the job of chaplain, said Sharek. He was known to sprinkle his homilies with tips about fire safety or the latest news from the Fire Department. He was often called out to fifes in the middle of the night, to help persons burned out of their homes or to lend spiritual comfort to those who lost family members in fifes. . Following Father O'Dea's death, St. Lawrence Church remembered him with a display in the church vestibule. It includes his picture, his fIrefIghter's helmet and his boots.

Diocese will send representatives to New England Men's Conference NEW BEDFORD - Representatives from the Fall River Diocese will participate in the New England Catholic Men's Conference to be held Saturday, April 24, at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell. The convocation's theme is ''Raised to Greatness in Christ," and will challenge Catholic men from five states in New England to be "Sons of the Father," said Msgr. Thomas 1. Harrington, secretary of the Spiritual Formation and tht? Apostolates for the diocese.

Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston will be principal celebrant of the conference's Mass. Speakers include fonner Boston College and New England Patriots' player Mike Ruth, and Kevin Lynch of Cincinnati, founder of the nationally-known Catholic Men's Fellowship. Keynote speaker will beAuxiliary Bishop John R. McNamara of the Boston Archdiocese, who served as a military chaplain in Vietnam. A group of men from

Provincetown, organized by Chester Cook, a permanent deacon, will be among those traveling a great distance to take part in the conference, Msgr. Harrington reported. An exhibit b5' the Diocese of Fall River will be set up by Men of the Sacred Hearts, chaired by Donald St. Gelais ofAcushnet. Seats are still available on abus which will leave from Holy Name Parish Center, New Bedford, on Saturday,April 24, at 7 am. Men wishing to reserve a seat can call Msgr. Harrington at 992-3184.

UmsrlAN APosrOLIC

PRO-UFER

HB.PER

ADVISOR

TRUE

~ Walsh

RfSTORER

HOLY

MEDICATOR

ONE

ANn-ABORrJONJST

Pharmacy

CAREGIVER

LovtNG

INSTRUcroR

INFALUBLE

SPECIALIST

CHARrrABLE

THERAPEUTIST

11lI. . . . ~ .........GIIIlalllle\Hllld....

202 Rock St. Fall RIver

679-1300

St. Francis, Medford, MA New & Refinished Wood Carved Door

EGAN'S

I I I I I I I I I I

L ':L~I~ .1.W~S~ ~M~S~ .J

1999 KICKOFF of the Catholic Charities Appeal in the Taunton/Attleboro Deanery was held April 8 at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, and included this parish family from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Seekonk. From left, Ruth Santos, Maureen McCloskey, parochial vicar Father Paul C. Fedak, pastor Father George E. Harrison and Emily Medeiros review diocesan guidelines. Other regional kickoffs for the Appeal were also held this week. (Photo by John E. Keams, Jr.)

New Bedford fire station ,nanted for Father O'Dea

Church Restorations

120 Slade Ferry Ave.- Somerset, MA 02726 1-800-235-0003 - Fax (508) 673-4268 WWW.EGANCHURCHSUPPLY.COM EMAIL: egans@edgenet.net·

Painting - Pews, Kneelers & Refinishings

'THEANCHdR-DiOceseofFallRiver~Fri.,AprilI6, 1999

the moorin&-,

the living word

.rhe new' poor Poverty in America has always been a subliminal issue. The more affluent we become the more we want to sweep the poor .under the carpet. The less we see and hear of them the better off we think we are as a hard~working, industrious people. Poverty "and capitalism are natural enemies. a co~ntry wl)ere. tpe work ethic is considered the salvation of people, little care has been developed for those who cannot wor~. This should come as no shocking revelation given the pragmatic religiou~ convictions of our founding fathers. Mter all,in our early days as a nation, it was preached and legislated that God showered his blessings on those who worked -iriaccord with the Puritan "ethic that-permeated our social order. Those who 'did not meet the standard and for solid reasons could ,not find employment were considered lazy louts not deserving of God~s blessings. The concept was that work, ~oney and salvation promote American culture. As a result, the poor were treated with tokenism. Cities..and towns built "poor houses" to accommodate them. Society women formed social organizations that often did little to assist the poor but increased the meinbers' own egos. For 200 years this nation has struggled with poverty as some kind of Original Sin ingrained in the souls of those who sought help through public relief. The poor became a drag on tax rolls. They were to be viewed as a liability at City, town and government meetings. In truth, as members of the community, we have never really come to grips with the issue of poverty in the United States. With this in mind it is easy to understand why we are "so slow in reacting to the needs of the new poor. Who are they? they are our neighbors and our friends. In most cases they are senior citizens. ' They often cannot afford to live in a bullish market. Their Social Security benefits no longer meet basic needs. Greater still, they often are sick and suffering and have been abandoned by healthcare coverage and services. Managed care has driven them to long lines at free clinics. They can no longer afford life-supporting prescriptions for remedial drugs. In a recent study it was estimated that more than 30 million seniors in this country h~lVe sought emergency food assistance. This figure belies the fact that many more of America's senior citizens do not have sufficient income to pay for an adequa~ diet. We have a real hunger and nutrition problem which other industrial nations don't have," especially those in the proverbial first world. In short, we are failing to meet the needs of our aging population. Much of our attitude is inherent. However, most of it is inexcusable' given our abundance. With the Dow Jones over 10,000; the wealth of mercantile America and the available luxuries of life, there should be no new poor in the land. Sad to say, much of the fault does not rest solely on our inherited psychological rejection of the poor but on the failure of our local, state and national governments to address the issue with sincerity. We daily view the suffering people of Kosovo yet we do not even give a glimpse' to our own poor here at home. We have earmarked billions of dollars for defense ,and war, while we give little to hungry Americans in need of food and medical assistance. Something is askew. . No American citizen should face the fmancial dilemma of having to choose whether to pay for rent or food or medicine. These are choices that no citizen of our land should be forced to meet, above all, our senior citizens. Most of them have worked too hard in their day to pay such a heavy price to live as worthy human beings.

. .....路 L

'. , ...

-...

The Editor

the anchOfCS)

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Published weekly by The Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River 887 Highland Avenue, P.O, BOX 7 Fall River, MA 02720 Fall River, MA 02722-0007 .. Telephone 508-675-7151 FAX (508) 675-7048 Send address changes to P.O, Box 7 or call telephone nu.mber above EDITOR Rev. John F. Moore

GENERAL MANAGER Rosemary Dussault

NEWS EDITOR James N. Dunbar ;iii!l!LO!&拢!i "

(eNS photo from Reuters)

A CATHOLIC PRIEST PRAyS IN FRONT OF A MAKESHIFT SHRINE THAT READS, "PRAY FORPEACE IN KOSOVO," AT A CAMP FOR KOSOVAR REFUGEES IN KUKES, ALBANIA. POPE JOHN PAUL II MADE SEVERAL PLEAS FOR PEACE IN YUGOSLAVIA DURING SERVICES IN ROME.

"LORD HEAR MY PRAYER; LET MY CRY COME TO YOU." PSALM 102:2

Bei~g

old-fashioned.has advantages

By FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

a new, expanding world,.but when' we look closer we find that we Although they worked hard, our hardly are being stretched. grandparents' pace oflife was much Another old-fashioned tradition slower than ours tends to be - one that might be worth recapturing reason being they used their legs with summer coming is gardening. and feet much more than people do DO,we really need the perfect lawn today to get to school, the grocery, that looks like all the other lawns church or the bus stop. Walking was in the neighborhood? How about a way of life for them. using some of it to plant vegTrue, modern life doesn't easily etables? And once they are ready lend itself to' walking. The dis- for harvest, why not can them? tances we routinely travel are . More important than homegreater, and neighborhood side- grown vegetables for their own sake walks are less safe. This, however, is the fact that plan'ting: and canshould not deter us from looking at ning are manual arts that ,are good all the driving we do and asking for the soul. whether there are times we could I remember as a young boy helpwalK rather than drive. ing my grandmother make homeOld-fashioned walking gets us made ravioli. We would roll ricotta, outdoors and increases opportuni- parsley and Romano cheese into ties for making human contact. little balls, place them on a big IjIave a few other old-fashioned sheet of dough, cover them with ideas in mind at the moment. more dough and cut them into For example, as wonderful as our squares. When they were cooked improved automobiles, spacious. and topped with our home-grown homes and computers are, modern tomatoes they were a gourmet treat. living tends to make life imperEqually important to the process sonal. Our cars box us in, our TV of making ravioli were the stories rooms wall us off and our comput- Grandma told us during those creers lock us up for hours on end. ative moments. For some unknown , . We tell ourselves that.we live in reason, when our.kitchen was fIlled CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

with the aroma of garlic and simmering tomatoes in wine, our conversation came alive. Many an intriguing family tradition was passed on to us in those moments together. I have one more memory in mind about old-fashioned ways of doing things. At meal time when I was a child, we sat as a family at the kitchen table, said our prayers and enjoyed each other's company without interruptions. Television didn't exist: nor can I remember phone calls during those meals. I often wonder what would happen today if families took the phone off the hook, shut off the television and just enjoyed each other's company during meals. No doubt there would be complaints that this is old-fashioned, which it is. But it is also an excellent means for restoting the art of the family dinner. These happy' recollections lead me to suggest that, instead of buying the latest book on how to improve life, young people seek out their elders to learn about a few rich, old-fashioned and ordinary activities that filled their lives with peace' and ~.njoyment. .

••••

Saint Anne's Hospital, WSAR team for eighth annual health fair ~

Event on April 21 at White's Restaurant offers exhibits, health screenings, giveaways, food and entertainment. .

FALL RIVER - Families looking for fun, informative and free activities during the spring school vacation break can enjoy health screenings for all ages, back massages, children's activities, snacks, and a chance to win a getaway weekend for two at the eighth annual "Communicate: Health!" health fair at White's Restaurant on Wednesday, April 21, 1-4 p.m. The fair, sponsored by Saint

Anne's Hospital and 1480 WSAR Radio, will offer more than 50 exhibits featuring health screenings, interactive activities for adults and children, and lots of giveaways, fr~e food and product samples and entertainment. Admission is free. Some of the events sponsored by the. hospital and other area organizations will include: free screenings in blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, vision, hearing, prostate cancer, and posture and spine evaluations; - mammograms for insured, uninsured and uriderinsured women over 40. Mammograms require an advance appointment by calling 675-5686; - activities for children such

as finger-painting, growth charting, face-painting, "Rehab Jeopardy," balloon animals, snapshots, "Math Counts" and "Test Your Touch Sense" games; - interactive activities for adults including test surgical skills, biofeedback and relaxation, back massages, pain relieve, diabetes education and products and understanding your child's development; health insurance information offering talks with a hospital financial specialist who can help obtain health insurance; healthcare advice from members of Saint Anne's Hospital's professional staff including registered nurses, rehabilitation spe-

•••••••

••

THEANCHOR-DioceseofFalIRiver-Fri.,Apri116,1999

cialists, dietitians, pharmacists, pediatricians and oncologists; and elder care and physical fitness representatives; - giveaways, prizes, free food and product samples including a getaway weekend for two, tickets to the Pawtucket Red Sox and

Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, gift certificates and health-related gifts. For more information call Saint Anne's Hospital's Public Relations Department at 3255056 'or 1480 WSAR at 6789727.

LIGHTHOUSE

Make The Way allhe Cross

CHRIS11ANBOOKSlORE • Cards • B i b l e s . • Music • Rosaries • Gifts

••a

Tel. (508) 997-1165 Mon.• Sat 9:30 am - 5:00 pm 88-A STATE HIGHWAY (Rt.6) • NO. DARTMOUTH Arm" From Srnng H.S. NaJ Door IiJ BUI1lJnlWJOli Rt.lIiJIWWU

It HOrnet

Fr~~~iscans

Fr. Robert Lynch O.F.M.

P.O. Box 23 Boston, MA02112.Q023

ILetters to the Editor, Editor:

I write in response to the letter of FatherThomas Kocik (that appeared in) The Anchoron April 9, 1999, regarding the liturgical reform and the Vatican Councilii. I do so with misgivings, for responding in print to Father Kocik might lead to a dialogue in print which I do not think is productive. Hence, this will be my unique response in print, and I do this only because as the director of the Office of Divine Worship here in the diocese, I may share some of the blame for the "Philistinism" which obviously upsets Father Kocik. To set the record straight, the first document of the Vatican Council II dealt with the reform of the Liturgy ("Sacrosanctum Concilium," 4 December 1963). In this document the general norms for the reform were given. Among them was that the regulation of the Liturgy rested on the authority of the pope and as determined in law, the bishop and groups of bishops and that no person, not even a priest may "add, remove or change anything in the Liturgy on his own authority" (#22).The first post-Conciliar document ("Motu Proprio"on the Sacred Liturgy, 25 January 1964), was issued by Pope Paul VI as to how the reform was to continue. In it he established what is now the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the fact that National Conferences of Catholic Bishops would share in the liturgical authority of the .Holy See. The second post-Conciliar document ("InterOecumenici,"26 September 1964), was an instruction on the "proper implementation of 'The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy:" In this document one will read: ''The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people" (Chapter\/, #90). Finally, the 13th postConciliar document (''The General Instruction of the Roman Missal;' 26 March 1970), which contains' detailed instructions regarding how, when and where Mass is celebrated strengthens the reform tradition .of Vatican II by saying that the altar should "ordinarily" allow for Mass facing the people (#261). In this question of the altar placement and other questions he raised, I would encourageFather Kocik to heed the words of our current Holy Father, John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter on the 25th anniversary of ''The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy" in the chapter called the "Future of the Renewar': 'We are not in the same situation as obtained in 1963: a generation of priests and of faithful which has not known the liturgical books prior to the reform now acts with responsibility in the Church and society. One cannot therefore continue to speak of change as it was spoken at the time of the Constitution's publication; rather one has to speak of an everdeeper grasp of the Liturgy of the Church, celebrated ac- . cording to the current books and lived above all as a reality in the spiritual orde~' (#14). Father Jon-Paul Gallant, S.L.L. . . Director

Editor:

On February 8, the Bristol County Savings Foundation presented a grant of $6,000 to the Taunton District of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This grant will be used to enhance the operations of the SVDP Center located on Kilton Street in Taunton. Presenting the grant on behalf of the Foundation were Michele Fortier and Board Members Marjorie Largey and William Gloekler, Accepting for the SVDP were Roland Ducharme, district president; and Center Director Richard Vincent. The Center works to address the needs of families and individuals in the Greater Taunton community by providing food, clothing, furniture, household items and financial support. The Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation seeks to assist local area; non-profit organizations through funding grants directed toward organizations' capital projects. Michael J. Reilly, secretary, Taunton District Council

Editor:

'~'.

It is regrettable that some Catholic churches have to close. But, instead of bewailing the situation, we should be showing'our compassion for our devoted priests who have to deal with people who criticize and blame those in authority. There are not enough priests. What is causing this problem and what can we do to remedy it? Vocations usually come from families with faith, families who give good example to the young people around them. How many families today do not attend Sunday Mass? Many come only on special occasions. Where is the faith there and will vocations be fostered in such environments? The picture is not a pretty one. My advice is to seek out Jesus. If you have been away from the Church and the sacraments, please come back and remain faithful. And let us all get on our knees and pray for vocations to the priesthood. Alice Beaulieu . New Bedford Letters are welcome but the editor reserves the right to condense or edit, if deemed necessary. All letters must be typed, signed and include a home or business address (only the city is used in print). Letters do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of The Anchor.

Uttle Flower Tours & Travel Join us on a spiritualjoumey to the year 2000 JUNE 28 - JULy 5, 1999 8-DAY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES Price from Boston - $1,569.00 Double

JULY 14-22, 1999 9-DAY PILGRIMAGE TO FATIMA, PONTEVEDRA, BRAGA, COIMBRA & SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELLO for the HOLY YEAR Spiritual Director, Rev. George Almeida Price from Boston - $1,699.00 Double AUGUST 17-24, 1999 8-DAY PILGRIMAGE TO IRELAND visiting DUBLIN, CLONMACNOISE & KNOCK 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPARITION OF KNOCK Price from Boston - $1,499.00 Double LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE ON PILGRIMAGES FOR THE YEAR 2000 JUNE 22 - JULY 2, 2000 12-DAY PILGRIMAGE TO GERMANY & AUSTRIA including OBERAMMERGAU for the Passionplay 2000 & MARIAZELL oldest place of pilgrimage to Our Lady in central Europe Spiritual Director, Rev. Joseph Tito Price from New York - $2,469.00 Double OCTOBER 14-27,2000 14-DAY PILGRIMAGE TO FRANCE & ITALY PARIS, LOURDES, TURIN for a special showing of the Shroud, ASSISI and ROME for the Holy Year Spiritual Director, Rev. George Almeida Price from New York - $2,499.00 Double For additional information call Susan: Toll Free: 1-888-THERESE (1-888-843-7373) Or on the Cape call Arden: 1-508-432-4057 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.littleflowertours.com E-mail: littleflower@earthlink.net

lHEANCHOR-DioceseofFaliRiver-Fri.,AprilI6,1999

Legacy of a young cancer victim When I got a package recently from Al Oickle, I opened it w.ith anticipation. Memories came flooding. back of years when we worked together at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. I also recalled the last time I had heard from Oickle, after his lovely wife Irene died of colon cancer in 1994. As I opened the package, I remembered how much we all had in common 20 years ago. We were Catholics, writers a,nd parents of big families - I 'with By seven children, the Oikles with eight. Our values were parallel: Be good, do good and do the best we could for our children. The package contained a letter and a book. Tears came quickly when I read my friend's letter. His son Matthew Scott had died of colon cancer July 14, 1998, at age 40. I only met the son twice, but I remembered a handsome, tall, respectful young man. The book, "Raw Courage

New, Growth," contained poems this young man wrote in the last few years of his life. The title came from the book's last poem "A Flash Fire: There Is an After-

The Bottom Line Antoinette Bosco

life." The poem is proof of his tremendous creative, literary talent. Scott Oickle was known in the Cape Cod area where he lived as a performing poet who often did readings in coffee houses. The poem speaks of his soul's journey, after being told he was dying. It is a journey he made "with sadness, love, rage and

fear," his 'father said, adding that "he Afterlife," Oickle explained that his son reached for growth even as 'pain wore described a "vision of searing flames, new growth and, following that, an afterhim down." That reach for growth is evident in the life - not for him alone but for everyincredible poems that document a one he loved." I felt a real power in these poems, tellstruggle with a cancer the poet knew was bringing his life to an end. The struggle ing it like it is when one is suddenly dywas particularly devastating for a man 'ing. AI Oiclde consulted his family, and with so much to live for, who knew he'd they. all concurred that the poems could be leaving his wife Janell and their two give people, including professionals, a children. He wrote of being plunged into , better understanding of the ordeal of the a "cancer daze," of relentless physical dying experience. They published the pain, of being "so scared," of "raging" book to be given to patients, families and against God, of "finding peace," and fi- clinicians. Already, the Cancer Fund of nally, acceptance - "raw courage new America has offered to make free distribution to 3..000 hospices throughout the growth." His father explained, "The 47 poems nation. Oickle said his son's legacy was an in this book fairly cover the emotional 'range of Scott's terminal trip. He ac- admonition "to live our lives with courcepted the aphorism that our courage is age, despite our fears, and to grow, alnot demonstrated by lack of fear but by ways to grow." He said, "Scott's story is facing challenges despite our fear.... He how faith and love prevailed over the reached out for growth even as pain wore most trying of circumstances." AI Oickle can be contacted at Box him down." In the poem, "A Flash Fire: There Is an 69, Everett, Mass. 02149.

When the parish fund-raiser is out of hand How to know if a' fund-raiser has gotten out of hand: , - The promotional mailers have pictures of Ed McMahon and Dick Clark on them. -The chairperson has personalized license plates that read "Der Fuhrer." -Twelve hours of motivational tapes are required for all subcommittee members. - Prime parish parking places are being reserved and colored-coded for the fund-raising committee. - Rumors have started that instead of nice little engraved nameplates on a plaque, life-size statues. of major donors

are being ordered. - A 70-foot banner that asks "How Close to Our Goal Are We?" is hanging from the cross on the parish steeple. - A VisalMasterCard has been issued with a picture of the parish and pastor on it. - The religious education classes are being used to stuff envelopes and lick stamps. -The choir leader has been forced to write lyrics for a fund-raising anthem to the tune of "Saints Go Marchin' In," which has become the Sunday Mass recessional song. - Locals have started referring to the

parish as First Church of the Open Checkbook. .

day bulletin. - IRS brochures on charitable giving r------------1r-::::;:~-I start showing up in pew racks. - During end-zone TV shots of NFL games you see people jumping around with large placards with the parish name, address and phone number. Actually, there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned fund-raisBy Dan Morris . ing campaign to stir up a parish. Comments are welcome. Write Uncle Dan at 6363 - Regis and Kathy mention it. Christie Ave. No. 222, Emeryville, Ca-The latest interest rates for second lif. 94608; or e-mail: mortgages are highlighted in the Sun- cnsuncle@yahoo.com.

...

The offbeat

world of

Uncle Dan

.Saint Anne's Hospital announces new affiliation 'with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute By MIKE GORDON

for Saint Anne's, who has helped bring its original community outreach oncology clinic to the area's FALL RIVER - Michael W. Metzler, president of only comprehensive hospital~based cancer care proSaint Anne's Hospital, Fall River, announced Wednesgram, also praised the affiliation. day that Saint Anne's and the Dana-Farber Cancer "We're realIy honored to have this opportunity," said Hellwig. "It will help us in the goal of providing Institute of Boston have entered into an exclusive the best treatment possible for patients." agreement in order to strengthen' their clinical and One of those patients is Dartmouth native Kristine academic affiliation and provide the best care posSimon who was a bone marrow transplant recipient in sible for patients. 1998. She spoke at the hospital's press conference. The agreement names Saint Anne's as Dana"I was very honored to come here today and speak Farber's exclusive hospital affiliate in the Greater Fall River area and Dana-Farber as the exclusive tertiary to' you. I feel I've realIy received the best treatment oncology affiliate for Saint Anne's building on a long and my experience has been very positive," she said. standing collaboration in oncology care. The mother of six and second grade teacher was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of bone mar"We hope that it will optimize care for patients row, in December of 1997 but after successful treatand make follow up easier," said Dr. George Canellos, director of network development at Dana~Farber. "Coment plans to teach again this fall. Simop was emotional when she spoke at the press ordinated care is in the best interest of the patients," conference and was a strong supporter of the relationhe added. ship between Saint Anne's and Dana-Farber. "As a Through the agreement, patients will have more schoolteacher, I know how important colIaboration is. access to new treatments, coordinated management I realIy felt at home here in the oncology center and of oncology services and multidisciplinary consultamy medical team was like a medical family," said Simon. tion and expertise for the treatment of rare diseases "I felt very confident with the treatment I received." and other procedures such as bone marrow transplanThe Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne's protation. It will also increase access for physicians and' vides both medical and radiation treatment, an acstaff to Dana-Farber's educational programs, case conferences and provide opportunities for participation . credited cancer registry, a fulI range of professional and community programs and a wide range of supin investigative clinical protocols. port services. Its staff of 11 medical and radiation Metzler said he is very pleased with the affiliation oncologists and dozens of allied professionals serve and it will be positive for patients. "It's a chance for a 1,800 new cancer patients each year. better outcome for patients and we're very proud of Most recently, in 1998, the hospital introduced the colIaboration. It's a joy for me to be the leader of . the area's only radioactive prostate seed implant a hospital that can offer so much to people." therapy program. Since 1994, additional radiation Saint Anne's first began offering cancer care in and support services have been offered by staff at the 1976 and its oncology services have had steady Oncology Center, ajoint service of Saint Anne's Hosgrowth over the years. This affiliation will strengthen pital, Southcoast Hospitals Group and the Joint Cenits ability to serve patients in the region. ter for Radiation Therapy in North Dartmouth. Dr. Richard HelIwig, director of medical oncology ANCHOR STAFF

"MASKS & MIRRORS: TRANSFORMING WOUNDEDNESS" A WORKSHOP ON CHILDHOOD TRAUMA/SEXUAL ABUSE

Saturday, April 17 - 9:30-4:00 - Theater' Roberta Nobelman & Jacqueline Sitte $25 Donation - Call for CEU information

COFFEE HOUSE: SPIRIT Saturday, April 17 - 6:30 p.m. Cafeteria/Donation

PORTUGUESE HE~LlNG SERVICE Sunday,' April 18 - 2:00 p.m. Fr. Manuel Pereira Portuguese Confessions: Saturday, 'Apri/17, 2-4 p.m. '

GRIEF EDUCATION PROGRAM Monday, April 19 - 6:30 p.m. "When to Make Changes" Thursday, April 22. - 1:00 p.m. "Depression & Loneliness" Counseling Center $10 Donation per session

•

•••

••••••••••••••••

•

Prayer as a family value Dear Dr. Kenny: Whatever hapThe rosary is a much misunderpened to prayer? Why don't you stood prayel Some have comsuggest in your column that people . plained that it's boring. That's bepray more? I remember Father cause they try to give meaning to Peyton saying: "The family that each word. Better to let the repetiprays together, stays together." I tions lull one into calm, and focus think that prayer is the No.1 fam- on the mysteries. ily value. (Missouri) Prayer is talking to God. InforYou are right. Prayer is a family mal prayer is nothing more than value, one that should be taught in the home. Wise parents will teach their children to pray always, to make a prayer of their everyday Ii ves. How can this be done? Don't people have With Dr. James & other important tasks? . Mary Kenny Prayer is communication with God and, as communication, admits of many possibilities. Communica- speaking with Goo in our own words. tion literally means "union with." Prayer is seeing and responding To attempt to stay in constant union to the God in others. The controversy between prayer with God is not that difficult with and good works is a false'one. If we the right mindset. In another sense, God underlies truly believe that God is present in observable reality, beyond the ev- each of us, in all of creation, then eryday obvious, outside time and whatever we do, we do to Jesus. If space. Prayer bridges that gap, re- only we can recognize it, communiminds us of the reality beyond what cating with one another is commuwe see and hear. nicating with God. Prayer comes in at least five variAdmiring and enjoying the many works of God is another form of eties. Formal prayer is the one most of prayer. I like to do this when I run a us consider when we think of prayer. country road. What ajoy to see God in his handiwork. In the corn and The Our Father, the rosary.

Family Talk

beans. The clouds. The sun. To feel his breath in the wind. To sense his fragrance in the road flowers. Too often people think only of prayers of petition, asking God for our wants and needs. What a sad way to limit communication with our Creator. The best prayers are ones of friendship and love, not asking for anything. My favorite way to pray is to put myself in God's presence. I imagine a Godly scene. I review what it looks like, sounds like, tastes like, smells like, feels like. Then I take joy in being close to God. God can be found everywhere, in all our experiences, in the very air we breathe. Early in my life I felt God's presence in the person of my father. As a small boy, I recall riding home in the car alone with my father. It was dark and raining. But I felt so safe and happy. I didn't want to say anything that might alter the mood. I was just glad to be there. To this day, I recreate that mood by recalling the passing headlights, the sound of windshield wipers, the fresh smell of rain, the feel of the car upholstery, the taste of happiness. Practicing the presence of God is quite simple, and a wonderful way to pray always. Yes, prayer is a family value.

Questions by one who mourns ' Q. I recently lost my wife of 37 years. She suffered seven months before God decided she suffered enough. My question is, how can people in heaven be so happy if they can see how miserable those left behind are? People tell me my wife is preparing a "place" for me in heaven. If there is no marriage in heaven it wouldn't seem she is preparing a place. And if she can ~ee me, she must know I am not happy and can never le happy again without her. So how can she be really happy? Maybe her memory of those left behind mLst be wiped out completely to be happy. Am I wrong? (Massachusetts) . A. As I' m sure you realize, the sadness and pain you feel over the loss of your wife's presence is shared by millions of others who have experienced the death of a spouse or close friend. Some of that hurt not even time can heal. Remembering a few truths, however, can bring us some peace and wisdom when things like this happen. From the very limited vision we enjoy in this earthly life, some realities easily appear to be incompatible. Intense suffering and happiness are two of them. How can you or your wife be happy, you ask, when you are so miserable? The answer, when we are able to receive it, is that things will look infinitely different when we eventually view them with the eyes of God, with the eyes of eternity, which is the way your wife sees them now. Suffering - bodily, emotional and spiritual- does fit into God's loving plan of creation and salvation. If there were no other proof, we have Jesus Christ's life and death and resurrection to assure us of that truth. We know from the Gospels that the Father was intimately present to Jesus always, including in the midst of his suffering. Yet he did not take that suffering away. In his knowledge of what makes us, his human creatures, come to human fullness and goodness, he knew that suffering has an intimate and essential role, even for his Son. Perhaps it all comes down to being humble enough to acknowledge the possibility that some important realities of human existence simply lie beyond our comprehension in this life, the life your wife now comprehends in a way once impossible for her. Like her, you and the rest of us will then, I believe, know much more clearly and certainly that without suffering we would never know what we can become, and we would never know the greatness of God. As the Father was with Jesus in his times of trial, so

she is with you in the Communion of Saints, supporting you, even in some mysterious way hurting with you. She is also brilliantly aware, however, that in spite of all our doubts and fears, it will all fit together when we together see all things as they really are. It is true, of course, that there is no married life in heaven, obviously not in the reproductive dimension we experience here. However, several decades ago Pope

Questions and Answers By Father John J. Dietzen Pius XII had some enlightening and consoling words to say about that. Speaking to married couples, he noted that, while marriage itself may not continue in heaven, married love will continue. What does that mean? First of all, part of heaven will be our conscious intimacy and communion with those who were dear to us here on earth. Beyond that, however, is the fact that our personalities, our ways of loving and being, which we will each carry into eternity, are molded greaf.ly by the people with whom we have shared this life and how we have shared it. You are a significantly different person than you would have been had you not married and a different person than if you had married someone other than the woman you did. In other words, your love for her and hers for you has its effects in both of you that, in all their goodness, will never end. As St. Paul. reminded us in his letter to the Corinthians (l Cor 2:9), our minds and hearts can absorb so little of what God has prepared for those who love him. These years without your wife are a wonderful, if painful, opportunity to grow and mature in that faith. A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about receivilllg and ministering the holy Eucharist is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, III. 61651. Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address, or e-mail: iidietzen@aoI.com.

•

••

•••••••••••

••

•

•••

THEANCHOR-DioceseofFalIRiver-Fri.,AprilI6,1999

I Patronize our advertisers STATUES

CAPE COD ""' NATIONAL MORTGAGE

By NATALIE • Inside & Outside • Churches & Homes • Restoration and Painting any size Call FOR INFORMATION (508) 824-6823 Leave Message

Eucharistic Holy ..... Hour and devotions to Our Lady of LaSaiette and Divine Mercy are held every ~ednesday evening at 1: I 5 p.m.

in the People's Chapel at LaSalette Shrine ...9 41 Park St•• Attlebor~

Low, low rates starting at

63A%* No points, no closing costs 1st, 2nd, 3rd MORTGAGES Purchase or Refinance Improvement & Repair Debt Consolidation Credit Card Pay Offs Home Equity Loans Commercial Loans 2nd Homes Tuition Self Employed No Income Verfication Poor Credit· No Credit Pay Off Liens & Attachments Foreclosure· Bankruptcy Application taken on phone No application fee. Fast service. Call Now· We Can Helpl

508-945-0060 ""

Free application on Intemet http://www.ccnm.com MB#1161 'APR 8.375, 30 yr $10k min.

MAILING SERVICES

PRINTING

LEARY PRESS 234 SECOND STREET· FALL RIVER, MA TELEPHONE (508) 679-5262

FAX (508) 673-1545

.~·_--_ . ·~;%:;t.j~)(~lf~.~~ ~j.:;J?¥¢I~ri};' - ~."~.,- -.~;

')lcSt" an exc,Wange.!stua~p'rJf'om Scandinavia, ~ufope, South, America:~'or Asia.{Tpey,n....have their own ,spending . . . '.:'. money;andjnsurance.1)ley have:iptere~t ill.Sports, readmg, arts, music::~ird.~omputers. ' ' . ' ..;. Call AlSE'1-800-SIBLING or visit web at http://www:Siblihg.org ,. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE·

a non-prp.fit tax exempt educational foundation

May Offerings at Barat Spirituality Centre Barat Spirituality Centre, located at 434 Sippewissett Road in Falmouth and sponsored by the Religious and Associates of the Society of the Sacred Heart, will be offering the following programs during the month of May.

Weekend Retreat Jesus, the Human Face of God Friday evening, May 14 - Sunday noon, May 16 A weekend retreat (limited space for overnights) on developing our

spiritual Life by learning more about Jesus. For as Augustine said: "Ifyou would discover GOO, then go by the way ofthe Hwnan One. " Presenter: Justine Lyons RSCJ Cost $150 overnights· $50 by day

Three American Saints Sunday afternoon, May 2, 3:00-5:00 A brief study of the lives of three American women of the 17th century, Anne Hutchinson, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Dyer, which may help us to understand or redefine sanctity . Presenter: Hilda Carey RSCJ • Cost $10

The Holy Spirit, Giver of Life Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 3:00-5:00 An afternoon of prayer centered on the Holy Spirit who takes us deeply into the mystery of God. Presenter: Justine Lyons RSCJ • Cost $10

To register, contact (by a week before the offering): Barat Spirituality Centre 434 Sippewissett Rd.• Falmouth, Ma. 02450 508-540-6179

TIIEANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri.,April 16,1999

Connecticut Bishops issue statement on receiving Holy Communion· By CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

The bishops also said that: - persons who have not been baptized, including catechumens and those in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, should not receive Communion; - no one who prefers the practice of receiving Communion on the tongue should be obliged to receive in the hand; - when entering or leaving a church, Latin-rite Catholics should genuflect before the tabernacle, while Easternrite Catholics usually bow, ~, make the sign of the cross or H\ :,""":--. even prostrate themselves in Ii, ~O;;~erb~~;~e~~g~~~ep~~~ ing may not receive penitential seasons. Hartford Auxiliary teaches." " ~ ~,'I:';',_tl,;!' "q~' Bishop Peter A. Rosazza Only those who "accept .'., V ~; / ~:.. "'I;~t.said the statement arose and believe what the Catho-..", > ' ..... -... ";I' ~.~ from a discussion among lic Church teaches in general,,~ ,LC!: the bishops about "the and specifically about the Eu~ ., " ;~' '~ charist" can receive Com:.. ~ • Eucharist in general, how munion in a Catholic ~~~~~':'~·~_~_~~~m~.~ ~~~~~"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ important it is, and, how, according to The church, they said. New York Times, so many This would include all people do not believe in Catholics, whether of the the presence of Christ in Latin rite or Eastern rites, ,-[_v_'...<;~,.;::':.--_ _.....:--:. ,_-:........-:........:.--_ and members of the OrthoPOPE JOHN Paul II holds up the host at the consecration during Mass at the Trans World Dome in the Eucharist." The idea to issue a dox churches and the Pol- St. Louis. (CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec) , statement clarifying the ish National Catholic Lord to eat a full meal or drink truths about the Eucharist, Church "if they spontane- holy Communion," they said. Communion. The Connecticut bishops "During the past 50 years, a significant quantity of alco- and about who can'receive it, ously request it and are properly disposed," the bishops also reminded Catholics of the Catholic Church has miti- holic beverages before re- came from Bishop Basil H. their obligation to "go to con- gated this obligation of theeu- ceiving him," they added. 'Losten of the Ukrainian Diosaid. 'cese of Stamford, who had started to prepare such a statement. One of the biggest reasons for the statement is to reiterate that what is received at ~~:"". ~, . holy Communion is truly the body and blood of Jesus " Christ. "It's not a symbol, it's the •• t " body, blood, and divinity of ~'..... our Lord Jesus Christ - 'it's not something that makes us think of the body and blood, but it really is the body and blood," Bishop Rosazza said. Another reason for the statement, he said, is to make it clear that not everyone may receive holy Communion. "Any priest can tell you, that at a wedding or funeral, just about everyone gets up to receive," Bishop Rosazza said. In addition to Bishops Losten and Rosazza, the bishops of Connecticut are Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin of Hartford, Bishops Edward M. Egan of Bridgeport and Daniel A. Hart of Norwich, FRANCISCAN FATHER James,McCurry celebrates the Eucharist at Spigot ~eak in ,Antarctica in February. The priest and Auxiliary Bishop Christie A. Macaluso of Hartford. from M~s~a9,hus~tt~. h.a(~~Je.PJate(;t Ma.l?svQnJ~!!J.;~'Len cQDtir'!ents:.lG~§"p'1]2!Q_~Ou~~_~~ ti~gh ~~!~~~L .' HARTFORD, Conn. Concerned about apparent misconceptions and lack of information about the Eucharist among Catholics and otherSt the Connecticut Catholic bishops have issued a formal statement on receiving holy Communion. "We know that no one is truly worthy to receive this sacrament of the body, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ," said the six bishops of Connecticut in their statement. "However, we must be correctly prepared and disposed

charistic fast because of the conditions under which we live, particularly in urban societies," they said. "In permitting this lighter discipline, however, the Church continues to urge us to accept a greater personal responsibility, specifically to prepare adequately by, fasting. . "It would be inconsis,'{~ tent and 'to disrespectful .: ",,- to the

However, "Catholics and Protestants have serious disagreements on the teachings about the holy Eucharist and 'for this reason eucharistic intercommunion with these bodies is not possible for the Catholic Church,'" they added, quoting the "Catechism of the ,Catholic Church." Belief in the real presence of Christ in the eucharistic bread and wine is essential, the bishops said. "This is a fundamental teaching of the Catholic faith; anyone who does not believe this teach-

IL'-j-qltr'='r~Fl)

"Show my power throughyoti that my name may be proclaimed throughout the earth." ,.Romans9:17

, ' '.'1" ," "

TIffiANCHOR-DioceseofFallRiver-Fri.,ApriI16,1999

Catholics help stop death penalty in Massachusetts BvTANVA CONNOR CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WORCESTER, Mass. - The success of the campaign to keep the death penalty out of Massachusetts led local Catholics to rejoice - and to pledge to continue their efforts. ''A big thank-you to all people for any effort they made;' said Rachelle Comtois, director of the Worcester diocesan Office of Social Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, following the 80-73 House vote March 29. She mentioned the bishops, those who joined the prayer campaign initiated by her office, those who testified and those who changed their votes. From the beginning ofFebruary until the vote was taken, dozens of individuals and groups had been praying the "Prayer to Abolish the Death Penalty," composed by Sister Helen

Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of As proposed by Cellucci, who is Medaille. 'Catholic, the legislation would have "It really took a grass-roots effort;' provided for lethal injection of those Comtois said to prevent reinstatement found guilty of 16 types of murder, of the death including sepenalty in rial killings, "It really took a grass-roots Massachumurder comsetts. "It re- effort,"Comtois said to prevent mitted in ally took reinstatement ofthe death pen1 front of a more than a alty in Massachusetts. "It reallx child, and the few voices to killing of a make this took more than a few voices to police ofmake this difference." difference:' ficer. She said Cardinal MassachuBernard F. setts Gov. Paul Cellucci and his team Law of Boston had led an unprecsay the will of the people has not yet edented delegation of clergy from been heard. . many faiths in testifying against the "But I don't agree with that;' she death penalty before the Joint Comsaid, adding that far more people are mittee on Criminal Justice. The comagainst the death penalty than is im- mittee then sent the bill to the House mediately apparent. floor without approval.

Military archbishop urges chaplains to pray for peace WASHINGTON (CNS) - Only its results firsthand last August in prayer can bring about the Easter Croatia. Though just-war principles peace of Christ that "is poignantly should be used in judging any remissing on the international scene," sponse to the atrocities of Iraq and said the head of the U.S. Archdiocese Kosovo, he said, these principles are not always as conclusive as desired, for the Military Services. In a statement, Archbishop Edwin "leaving considerable room for F. O'Brien urged U.S. Catholic chap- judgments of conscience drawing lains worldwide "to exhort and to lead from many facts and circumstances." our people in newer and more intense However, Archbishop O'Brien expressions ofprayer for peace, espe- said, there are troublesome quescially now when many of your very tions about the specific objectives lives are at stake." of the current military strikes and The archbishop's statement whether the overall results are pro"Let There Be Peace ... Let There Be portionate to the good sought.· Telling the chaplains he knew Prayer" - was prompted by the ongoing crisis in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. It of"no sure answers;' the archbishop was sent to all active-duty and reserve said his observations were intended Catholic chaplains in U.S. service to help "sort out the conflicting branches and Veterans Affairs hospi- strands in the political-militarymoral fabric" and "refine the contals. In his statement, Archbishop sciences of those in uniform" who O'Brien noted that U.S. leadership was must carry out legitimate military intervening abroad "with massive mili- . directives. He said he was especially contary power" for the second time in three months. Iraq and Kosovo may be cerned that members of the U.S. world's apart politically, he said, but Armed Forces not feel insecure or "each has suffered enormously" be- discouraged. As reasons for his concause of its own leadership. cern, he cited a growing isolationThe archbishop condemned "eth- ism in the United States, diminishnic cleansing" and said he had seen ing confidence in U.S. leadership,

MILITARY ARCHBISHOP Edwin F. O'Brien (second from left) prays with others at a mass grave in Croatia last year. (CNS photo courtesy Archbis~op.o'Br~~IJL ___ . ,,_, .. __._._

and little national concern for the toll that growing U.S. military commitments are taking on military personnel and their families. Archbishop O'Brien said he shared the pride ofchaplains in associating with the military community. Rather than material self-fulfillment, he said, U.S. military personnel and their families "offer a unique and much needed witness to a set of values whose extinction would spell the end ofAmerica's true strength." He also suggested increasing: individual and communal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, instruction in Catholic social teaching, and material sacrifices to aid the victims of armed conflict and ethnic cleansing. "Since reconciliation must begin in the heart;' he said, "let us make the connection between God's forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others as the foundation block oflasting peace." He advised chaplains to be available for confessions at set times each week.

But the issue will not go away, Comtois told the Catholic Free Press, newspaper of the Worcester Diocese. 'They've already said it's corning back in 2001;' which is the next time the House can take up this death penalty bill as a separate piece of legislation. Comtois said heroffice will continue to work against the death penalty, writing to governors on behalf of individu-

a1s scheduled for execution, and, she hopes, giving consistent lifeethic workshops about the death penalty, abortion and physician-assisted suicide. Daniel Avila, associate director for public policy for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the Church's statewide office for public policy, said the conference was "pleased and heartened" by the House vote.

PORTUGAL Father Joe Viveiros St. Dominic Parish, Swansea, MA

July 10-23, 1999 14 Days 12 Nights TOUR FEATURES

$2,395 pp/dbl

BONUS SIGHTSEEING

• Round trip air from Boston • Half day tour of Lake Sete Cidades • 1st Class hotels for 12 nights Ponta Delgada • 24 included meals consisting of: • Full day tour to Furnas - Ponta • 11 buffet breakfasts Delgada • 10 dinners at hotel PLUS • Tours to NazarelAlcobacalBatalhal • Dining plan: I farewell Obidos dinner and 3 lunches at a • Tours to CoimbralAveiro popular restaurant • Half day Porta city tour • Touring by private, air conditioned motorcoach • Full day tour to Minho • Professional tour director • Half day tour to Lisbon • Sightseeing as indicated including • Full day tour to Evora with lunch local guide and all entrance fees • Full day tour to QueluzlMafral • All transfers and baggage handling SintralCascaiss • Travel bag, one per person • Luggage tags and document holder • Hotel taxes and service charges

Also ... CATHOLIC SHRINES OF MONTREAL & QUEBEC

Spiritual Director: Rey. Gerald Forest· La Salette Shrine - Attleboro, :\IA $359. pp/dbl • 5 Days - 4 Nights - June 17-21, '99

ALL STAR TRAVEL 1200 Fall River Ave.· Seekonk, MA 02771

1-800-649-3390 or (508) 336-3090

~ANCHOR~DioeeseofFal!River---:Fri.,ApriI 16, 1999

Author says reading poetry gives children thirst for knowledge By PETER FINNEY JR. CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

gifts that any parent or teacher could give to a child. "Toys, video games become wont, outgrown and,oh, the cost," Hopkins said. "I never thought I would live to see the day that children's books were a lot cheaper than video games. "Poetry will linger with children forever and ever," he added. "It is adults who must bring poetry to children. Poetry is magical, mystical, whimsical. Children will revel in poetic imagery." Adults can fal1 into the trap of dissecting a child's poem into submission. He said he saw a teacher's edition that accompanied his poem, "This Tooth," about a second-grader who had lost a tooth.

NEW ORLEANS - Esteemed author and poet Lee Bennett Hopkins has a simple "philosophy" about how students and teachers should view poetry, the literary genre that usualIy invites overanalysis, mental paralysis and migraine headaches. "Read it and shut up!" Hopkins said to roars of laughter from educators April 7 at the 96th annual convention of the National Catholic Educational Association in New Orleans. , Pausing, Hopkins added, "Then go on to math." ., Young children, in particular, need to read and absorb poetry because it touches their "It is adults who must bring deepest poetry to children. Poetry is emotions, satisfies their magical, mystical, whimsical. insatiable Children VYill revel in poetic curiosity and imagery." gives them a - Lee Bennett Hopkins thirst for Author & poet knowledge, Hopkins said. "I believe in poetry," Hopkins said. "More can be said in eight or 10 or 12 lines than sometimes hundreds of pages of prose can convey. These words can bring shivers down the spine." Hopkins has written more than 50 books, including the critically acclaimed "Been To Yesterdays" (1995) that won the Christopher Book Award. It is an autobiographical work that describes how he as a struggling l4-year-old eighth grader in Newark, N.J., whose father had left the family, was inspired to write by his teacher. "I was the kind of student whom you would all pray that I would get the flu," Hopkins told the educators. "During fire dril1s, the teachers urged me to stay in my seat. I thought the alphabet started with C-minus. But I fell madly in love with Miss Ethel Kite McLaughlin, and it was OK to be a writer. It's amazing what one teacher could do." Hopkins said the gift of poetry is one of the most lasting and special

Annual national TV-Turnoff Week slated for April 22-28 ~

Turning off the tube has more benefits than burdens. . By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON -The fifth annual National TV-Turnoff Week takes place April 22-28. Sponsored by TV-Free America, the week is part of a broader effort to get Americans to cut down on the amount of TV they watch. To buttress its argument, TVFree America cites a number of statistics: the' average American watches 3 hours and 46 minutes of TVa day; - about 66 percent ofAmericans watch TV while eating dinner; - American kids spend about

1,500 hours a year wa.tching TV, compared to 900 hours a year in school. They also spend 1,680 minutes a week watching TV, compared to 38.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with their parents; - the average child sees 8,000 murders on TV before finishing grade school. . TV-Free America also offers an organizer's kit that focuses on TVTurnoff Week, a book called "365 TV-Free Activities" for children ages 5-12, plus bumper stickers, posters and T-shirts by popular greeting card artist Sandra Boynton.

For information, write to TVFree America, 1611 Connecticut Ave. Nlf, No. 3A, Washington, DC 20009, or call (202) 887-0436.

DREW BARRYMORE and David Arquette star in "Never Been Kissed." The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 - parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo from Twentieth Century Fox)

Drew's all goo in 'Never Been Kissed' By GERRI PARE

years and the cruel humiliation she promgoers. suffered on prom night. Comic exaggerations are overWorse, she can't write a story if done to diminishing effect, such as no one talks to her, and even when Josie's extreme nerdiness and abthe smart kids (led by winsome surd attire. Situations are poorly Leelee Sobieski) accept her they - contrived to extract cheap laughs, are too bland to make good copy. the worst being when Josie's newsHer impatient boss (John C. Reilly) paper colleague, nympho Anita suggests she do an expose on her (Molly Shannon), shows up at handsome English teacher school and is mistaken for a visit(Michael Vartan) as a lecher, but ing sex education lecturer. Unfazed, Josie knows he's nothing of the she proceeds to praise casual sex while. having students ,place kind. , Enter Josie's"popular brother condoms'on bananas. . . (David Arquette), who deliberately The romanticized ending on the enrolls in the school and convinces baseball field is the final contrivthe cool crowd Josie is one of them. ance to make the audience sigh, but Suddenly anointed a "babe," elated if they never saw this clinker it Josie finds herself crowned prom would have never been missed. queen - and facing an immediate ,Because of implied affairs, sex test of her character. references, a sex-education scene Raja Gosnell's direction is dull, involving condoms and oc~asional the plot predictable and the pacing profanity, the U.S. CatholIc Conlethargic. ference classification is A-III The movie actually has a posi- adults. The Motion Picture Assotive message to preach about re- ciation of America rating is PG-13 specting individuality, but unfor- - parents are strongly cautioned tunately preach is the operati ve that some material may be inapproword as Josie woodenly lectures the priate for children under 13.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

NEWYORK - Constantly cropping up are teen-targeted tales tied to the senior prom and the latest, "Never Been Kissed" (20th Century Fox), is far from the greatest. Taking a career step backward, Drew Barrymore is dually dreadful in a role requiring her to play a rookie reporter posing undercover as a high school student. She is incred~bly inept at i.nhabiting ~ither persona. Slowly 'but surely, the movie sinks under a sticky mess of sappy sentiment occasioned by bogus emotions. Set in Chicago, Barrymore is frumpy 25-year-old copy editor Josie, assigned her first reporter's job to write about teen life from the inside by posing as a high school senior. During her first day at school, her ridiculous outfit immediately tags her as a loser. Rejected by the in crowd she is supposed to infiltrate, Josie starts having flashbacks to her own miserable high school

lover (Gregoire Colin). Director Erick Zonca's astute character study contrasts one woman's tentative maturing with her friend's destructive lack of self-esteem. Subtitles. A suicide, a har.sh sexual encounter, brief substance abuse, intermittent nudity and an instance of profanity. The U.S. Catholic Conference c1ilssification is A-III - adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R - restricted.

film ldeview By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE NEW YORK - The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for'Film and Broadcasting.

"Go" (Columbia)

"The Dreamlife of Angels" (Sony Ciassics)

Smirky comedy divides its time between a small-time drug deal gone awry with near deadly consequences and a gamblingjaunt to Las Vegas by four pals also culminating in violence. Director Doug Liman's mindless comedy takes a benign view of drug abuse and treats

Somber French drama in which the friendship of two impoverished young females is jeopardized when one (Elodie Bouchez) tries to force the other (Natacha Regnier) to recognize she is only being used and demeaned by a callous rich r -

.~,...

â&#x20AC;˘

'":'

dealing as a lucrative lark as long as no one actually dies. Recreational drug use, a menage a trois, some nudity, brief instances of violence, grand larceny, occasional profanity and much rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference c1assifica.tion is 0 - morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R - restricted.

Movies Online Can't remember how a receni film was classified by the USCC? Want to know whether to let the kids go see it? Now you can look film reviews up on America Online. Once you're connected to AOL, just use the keyword CNS to go to Catholic News Service's online site, then look for movie reviews.

•

••

" ' "

" " , . . , . , . " . . .

•

Iteering pOintl ATILEBORO - The musical group Spirit will perfonn at the La Salette Shrine's Coffee House tonight at 6:30 p.m. Those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for a local food pantry. All welcome. For more information call 222-5410. A healing service, conducted in Portuguese, will be held on April 18 at 2 p.m. at the Shrine. It will be led by Father Manuel Pereira and include Mass, music and the opportunity for people to be prayed over and anointed individually. Confessions, also conducted in Portuguese, will be held on April 17 from 2-4 p.m. All welcome.

the Mystery," a prayer service of healing and remembrance for all those affected by AIDS will be held on April 18 at 2 p.m. at St. Anne's Hospital Chapel, 795 Middle St. It is sponsored by the Diocesan Office ofAIDS Ministry. For more information call 674-5600 ext. 2295. All welcome. MANSFlELD- If you or aloved one needs extra prayers or would like to join the Prayer Chain ofSt. Mary's Church, call Rita Roah at 339-4483 or Marilyn Healy at 339-2668.

MASHPEE - A program entitled "Nurturing Yourself During Pregnancy" will be held on April 17 ATTLEBORO - 12th annual . and May 15 from 10-11 a.m. at Christ Pro-Life Living Rosary and Mass, the King Parish. All welcome. For sponsored by the Massachusetts more infonnation call 420-2445. State Council of the Knights of Columbus, will be held on May 8 at the NEW BEDFORD - The HyaLa Salette Shrine. It will begin with a cinth Daughters ofIsabella will hold rosary at 2:30 p.m. and end with Mass a business meeting on April 20 at 7 at 4:30 p.m. Bishop Daniel Hart of p.m. in the CCD Center ofHoly Name Norwich, Conn. will be principal cel- Parish. It will be followed by a video ebrant. All welcome. of Irish step dancers entitled "River Dance." For more information call CENTERVILLE - The Cape Cecelia Weaver at 993-2388. Cod Widowed Support Group will hold its next meeting on April 28 NORTH DARTMOUTH - "In from I:30-3 p.m. at Our Lady ofVic- Tough Times, Trust and Lean on tory Parish. For more infonnation call God," will be the topic of the next Dorothy Callahan at (617) 267-5258. Separated - Divorced Support Group held on April 26 from 7-9 p.m. at the FALL RIVER - The Fall River Diocesan Family Life Center, 500 Diocesan Council of Catholic Slocum Rd. All welcome. Women, District One, will hold its installation on April 22 at 7 p.m. at NORTH DARTMOUTH-The St. George's Parish, Westport. All wel- Diocesan Young Adult Ministry Ofcome. For more infonnation call 678- fice is sponsoring an evening of re2727. flection for young adults in their 20s and 30~ on April 17 from 6-9:30 p.m. FALl- RIVER - "Embracing at St. Julie's Parish. It will include

•

r • ,

•

• ,

• •

•

prayer, presentations, discussion and social time. For registration information call Bud Miller at 678-2828.

rharz'ni. .. Our QefjJonS'e

kJur

SOMERSET- A prayer service for vocations will be held on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas More Parish. All welcome. For more information call 673-7831. SOUTH DARTMOUTH - The 46th annual Diocesan Convention of the Fall River Council of Catholic Women will be held on May 8 at St. Mary's Parish Center where Bishop O'Malley will be the guest of honor. All welcome. For registration information call Ann Borges at 994-7319 or Diana Lane at 285-4116.

DILI,EastTimor-EaStTimorese Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo escaped injury when a machete-wielding mob of pro-Indonesia militia attacked vehicles in his convoy. The April 11 incident occurred after he celebrated Mass in Liquica at the site where at least 25 people were massacred by militia April 6. The convoy attack came one day afterBishop Belo called offpeace talks aimed at ending the worsening violence in the region, pending a proper investigation into the massacre in Liquica. A British Broadcasting Corp. report said the attack on the bishop's convoy suggests that Bishop Belo is no longer regarded as neutral. According to news reports, Bishop Belo's vehicle was allowed to pass, but cars carrying journalists, nuns, priests and humanitarian workers behind the bishop's white Toyota had logs thrown that blocked their passageway. The vehicles were also pelted with stones, and passengers were threatened. Bishop Belo, apostolic administrator of Dili and co-winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, arrived at the Liquica church the morning of April II under heavy police escort, only to

find the building deserted. "It is the first time no one is here for Mass. It is the first time; this is tragic," the bishop t 0 I d BISHOP CARLOS Agence FILIPE XIMENES BILO France Presse before people slowly began to enter the church as its bells were rung repeatedly. Eventually, 500 to 600 people gathered inside for Mass. During his homily,.Bishop Belo said: "Jesus suffered, but accepted everything. We have to be like Jesus. We have suffered but we have the faith that we will build a new Liquica. We have to build life again, we have to help each other, to be free to go to the church whenever we want to go, without fear," he said. In an interview with Fides, the news agency of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,

SOUTH YARMOUTH - A Separated-Divorced Catholics Support Group will hold its next meeting on April 25 at 7 p.m. at the St. Pius X Parish Life Center. Psychologist William Gutowski will speak on the topic "Avoiding and Escaping Psychological Traps: Some Guides to Reflection and Mood Management." All welcome. For more information call 255-0170.

94¢ of every

WEST HARWICH "Christsong," a musical expression of the life of Christ, including mime, dance, drama and original composition will be held on April 22 at 7: 15 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish. All welcome. For more infonnation call 4324000.

(j)o{{ar contributed last year went directly to the agencies and apostolates funded by the Catholic

lOur Cift CJMillielp... The Elderly· The Infirmed • The Sick & Disabled· The Children· The Isolated· The Homeless· The Hungry· The Emotionally Troubled

1)oe.f YOUr eYhbloyer have a Matchih.g 61ft ?rograYh? Your gift could double or even triple! Contact your company's personnel office for the proper forms. JUST CALL THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES OFFICE AT 508·676-3200 IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE

This Message Sponsored by the Following Business Concerns in the Diocese of Fall River

WESTPORT - The Somerset! Swansea Ultreya of the Fall River Cursillo Movement will join with the St. Helena's Ultreyaand the Westport Ultreya for a regional Ultreya on May 2 at 7 p.m. at St. George's Parish. The witness' speaker is Barbara Britto. Mass with be celebrated by Father Michael Racine. All welcome. For more infonnation call Claire Stevens at 678-3831.

Bishop Belo said he had transferred two of the Liquica parish priests to his residence in Dili because they were in shock. 'They told me they tried to stop the militia from shooting at the people, but they were led by force away from the church, and then the massacre began," Bishop Belo said. The bishop said he believes witnesses in Liquica who say the army loaded at least three trucks with bodies and took them away from the church. The escalating violence has called into question the planned UN.-balloting in July in East Timor. If the Indonesia-offered autonomy package were rejected by East Timorese, as expected, the vote would pave the way for the region'~ long-sought independence. However, the United Nations warned April 9 that it could not organize a balloton the future ofEastTimgr unless violence stopped in the fonner Portuguese colony. Indonesia invaded East Timor, a predominantly Catholic former Portuguese colony, in 1975 and unilaterally annexed .it the following year. Neither the Vatican nor the United Nations has recognized the annexation, and most countries still view Portugal as territorial administrator.

Czj{- }v[a~ef It ?tIl ?offi6le.

You make a one-time contribution. OR, as an increasing number of donors are doing, you may pledge. AND you won't be billed until July! SO, PLEDGE NOW, PAY LATER! OR, to make giving even easier, use your MasterCard or Visa. Pledges may also be paid quarterly or semi-annually. YOUR GIFT IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

GILBERT C. OLIVEIRA INSURANCE AGENCY GLOBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY • FEITELBERG INSURANCE AGENCY WALSH PHARMACY· DURO FINISHING CORPORATION

Meet Moses... leader, catechist and father

East TilTIorese Bishop Belo escapes injury in convoy attack By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

to the NeeJS' ofotherS'.

Moses is a leader among his people, the Masai tribe of Tanzania, Africa. Each day he travels on foot or by bicycle some 15 or 20 miles simply to tell people about Jesus. Moses with his wife and child: Moses and others like him are vital to the future of our faith; catechists step in when full-time religion teachers can't be found. And someone must be doing something right - in the last 10 years the number of Catholic Masai in the diocese has quadrupled. Please, won't you join Moses in sharing the "Good News?" The Society for the PROPA.GATION OF THE FAITH .. .all of us committed to the worldwide mission ofJesus Reverend Monsignor John J. Oliveira, V.E. 106 Illinois Street • New Bedford, MA 02745 Attention: Column ANCH.4/16/99

$100

0 $50

0 $25

0 $10

$t:....._ _

(other)

Name--------------------Address

City

State

Zip - - - -

Please remember The Societyfor the Propagation ofthe Faith when writing orchangingyour Will.

lHEANCHOR-DioceseofFalIRiver-Fri.,April 16, 1999

Catholic priest in eastern India foils attempt on his life r

RANCHI,India(CNS) -ACatholie priest foiled an apparent attempt on his life, but the incident has spread .alarm in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. The local bishop, Bishop Joseph Minj of Simdega, said the Church could not rule out anti-Christian groups' involvement in the incident, since some of them have threatened priests and nuns working in the diocese, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand,

Father Ajit Singh, pastor of Bhitbuna Parish, said a strange sound woke him at 11 :30 p.m. and as he opened the door three men entered the room, pushing him inside. As. the intruders pointed a pistol to his chest, the priest snatched it, and the men struggled with him. He said the commotion alerted the night watchman and the catechist, who raised an alarm. Their cry brought villagers rushing to the. church, and the intruders fled, escaping into the dark.

'~Ay ~~

wiN' Au done on .

eome'

in . greaD~"

Consecration to the Divine 'Will Oh adorable and Divine Will, behold me here before the immensity ofYour Light, that Your eternal goodness 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 myselfinto the little group of the sons and daughters of Your Supreme' FIAT. Pros-' trate in my nothingness, I invoke Your Light and that it clotl)e me and eclipse all that does Qat. pertain to You, Divine Will. It will ,be'my Life, the cen,tei' ,of iritelligen9~,. the enrapturer of my heart and of my whole being. I do not want the human will to have life inthis heart any longer. I will cast it away from me and, thus foim the new Eden of-Peace, of happi.., ness 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 cloisterofthe Divine Will and thus return iIi 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 consecratemy 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, youwill.be my protector, the guardian of my heart, and will keep the keys of my will in your hands. You will , ~eep 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. , , .

beg

( In Honor of Luisa Piccarreta 1865"1947 Child ofthe Divine Will)

•

if'

•

','

•

..".,....,'...,.

.,..,..,

Australian,bishops to discuss use of third rite ,of reconciliation

Pope appoints officers for 'October's European synod VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope iliary Bishop Vincent Nichols of John Paul IT tapped Church leaders Westminster, England. from across the continent to lead ~he Pope John Paul named Cardinal Synod of Bishops for Europe, sched- Dionigi Tettamanzi of Genoa, Italy, uled Oct. 1-23 at the Vatican. as president of the committee that will The Vatican statement said Pope formulate the synod's final message. John Paul chose as the three synod The vice president of that committee presidents Cardinal Franciszek will be Archbishop Audrys Backis of Macharski of Krakow, Poland; Cardi- Vilnius, Lithuania. . nal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, GerArchbishop Istvan Seregely of many; and French Cardinal Paul Eger, Hungary, and Bishop Josef Poupard, president of the Pontifical , Homeyer of Hildesheim, Germany, Council for Culture. were named president and vice presiCardinal Antonio Rouco Varela of dent of the committee for information, Madrid, Spain, was named recording The gathering will be the last in a secretary, while there were to be two series of regional synods called by special secretaries: Archbishop Jozef Pope John Paul to prepare for the year , Zycinski of Lublin, Poland, and Aux- 2000.

•

It involves general absolution without individual confession.

Church's teaching on the three rites of reconciliation and possible canonical sanctions for disobedience of Church teaching and regulations. Australian media reported in By DAVID KEHOE March that a few Australian dioCATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE ceses would continue to offer the general absolution in the lead up PERTH, Australia - The use of to Easter, when the Vatican had said the third rite of reconciliation in misuse of the rite in Australia was the eastern states of Australia and to be "eliminated." the upheaval and protest surroundAr.chbishop Hickey ing its widespread use also said that there w~s was to be a key issue "little doubt" that there at an Australian bishwould be "much discusops' meeting in sion" among the 43 AusSydney, 'said Archtralian bishops at the bishop Barry Hickey meeting "about the reof Perth. cent document called Archbishop 'Statement of ConcluHickey said in a colsions' issued jointly by umn in The Record, Rome and a representaweekly newspaper of tion of Australian bishthe Perth Archdioops after the recent cese, in early April . that the use of the Synod of Oceania, on certain aspects of third rite of reconciliChurch life in Australia." ation in "many dioUse of the third rite ceses in the eastern in Australia was one of states" would "cer. 'many issues raised in tainly be discussed at the conference," April the Statement of Con5-15. clusions issued Dec. 14. The third rite is the The statement outlined use of generalabsolu- ' a "crisis of faith" in the tion with no indiCatholic Church in vidual confession. Australia that had led The Church require~ to "d,eclini,ng Mass atCatholics who' retendance, theological ceive general absolu,dissent, moral confution ..tqeither have- ''; sion, and ci,ther probconfess~d.mortal sins lems. The statement said individually or to have the intention of in a culture where there is doubt about the abildoing so ,as soon as ity to know the truth .there is an opportunity. and where toferance is , ARCHBISHOP BARRY HICKEY (eNS photo, by Peter ,"Since 1976 the one ofthe most deeply Rosengren, The Record) r.ite has been used Ii\:>held values, people erally at Christmas can become indifferent and Easter, especially in hundreds Catholics who have contacted the t.o the truth as taught by the of parishes in thqse d~oceses," Arch- Vatican's Congregation for Divine Church, or they accept "any opinbishop Hickey said. "Its restriction Worship and the Sacraments about ion or activity as long as it does to the exceptional cases laid down the sacrament of penance have re- not impact adversely on other in canon law haS caused wide- cei ved letters setting out the people." spread upheaval and some protest. It will certainly be discussed at the conference." In general, discuss,ions during Australian bishops' meetings are closed to the press and public. .Archbishop Hickey, chairman of the Australian ,bishops' liturgy committee, asked Catholics to pray that God would guide the deliberations of the bishops. Since mid-March, Australian

"Pope to ,canoni~e,Italian nu~, tw()priest~f()llllders of or<l.ers "By CINDY WOODEN CATHOL.:IC NEWS SERVICE'

yATICMlCITY-:-PopeJohnPaul II's mid-April canonizations of two priests whq founded religious orders and of an Italian nun will bring to 283 , the saints he has proclaimed in his 20,year pontificate. ' During the April 1'8 Mass in St. Peter's Square, the pope is scheduled to canonize Blessed Marcellin Champagnat, the French founder of the Marist Brothers; Blessed Giovanni Calabria, the Italian founder of the ~oqr Servants of Divine Providence; and Blessed Agpstina Livia Pietrantoni, an Italian Sister of Ch~ i~.

The founder of the, Marist Brothers was born in 1789, the ninth 000 children of a miller. Two others who. wt:reat the seminary with him in Lyons, Franc,e, have been canonized: St. John Vianney, declared a saint in 1925, and St. PeterChanel, canonized in 1954,

Father Champagnat was one of the "The order now has'270 me~bers, most seminarians working toward the foun- of whom work in Italy and South dation of the Marist Fatherswith their America with poor ~hildren and with classmate, Jean Claude Colin, whose the aged. Fathe~ Calabria also formed beatification process is under,way. a women's branch of the Poor SerColin founded the Marist Fathers in vants of Divine Providence. The third person scheduled to be 1816, and in 1817 Father Champagnat founded the Marist Brothers, a branch canonized is Blessed Pietrantoni, who ofteaching brothers for the new order. was born in 1864, the second of 11 He died in 1840 and was beatified in children. From the age of seven until she was 11, she worked carrying 1955. , Blessed Calabria was born in 1873 gravel on a road construction project and, in high school, ~e organized to help feed her brothers and sisters. charitable care for the sick and aged. She entered the Sisters of Chari~ in After ordination, he was appointed 1886 and became a nurse at Rome's confessor at the semjniuy in Verona, Holy Spmt Hospital, Just two blocks but also continue<,! caring for the sick, 'from'the Vatican.. Although she had contracted tuthe poor and the lonely, especially bercu!osis, she aSked 'to be ill lowed . .c\1iJ1lIley sweepers anel soldiers. , In 1907 hefounded a home for or- to continue working in the hospital. phaned and abandoned boys, giving In 1894, at the age of 30, a mentally them an education and technical skills ill patient with a police record for as well as food and shelter. In the same violent crimes slit her throat and year, he also formed the Congrega- stabbed he(repeatedly with a knife. tion of the Poor Servants of Divine She died in th,e hallway of the hospiProvidence for priests and brothers. tal.

THEANCHOR-Di<JOOiCofFalIRiver-Fri.,April 16,1999

Justice

AN ETHNIC Albanian man carrying two children enters Montenegro from Kosovo. He was among a group of refugees hiding in a forest since NATO began its attacks in Yugoslavia two weeks earlier. (eNS photo'from Reuters)

Actor donates $250,000 to CRS for Kosovo r~fugees ~

Paul Newman boosts humanitarian aid to thousands in Balkans. By CATHOLIC News SeRvice

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, actor and creator of Newman's Own food product line, has donated $250,000 to Catholic Relief Services to assist refugees and others suffering from the current" crisis in the Balkans. Newman presented the $250,000 check recently at Newman's Own headquarters in Westport to Gerald Stanton, major gifts officer for CRS. "It is our hope that giving this donation to the Kosovo refugees

will be part of the business community's effort to al1eviate the plight of these unfortunate people," Newman said. Newman's Own distributes all its after-tax profits to educational and charitable organizations and has given away $100 million to more than 1,000 charities since its founding in 1982. Its product line includes salad dressings, pasta sauces, salsas, popcorn, lemonade, ice cream and steak sauce. Louise Wilmot, CRS deputy executive. director, thanked Newman in a statement "for his recognition of the situation facing the Kosovo refugees and his compassion in reaching out to help those in need."

CRS, based in Baltimore, is the main partner for the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in distributing food and other aid to the refugee population in Albania and Macedonia and those displaced in Montenegro. The agency is providing daily assistance to 10,000 refugees in Macedonia alone. In Albania, CRS is arranging host families for refugees and running a refugee information center. CRS, which has been working in the Balkans since 1992, also has donated an additional $600,000 to fund relief efforts in the Balkans, of which $100,000 will.help those in need in Serbia.

Moral pulpit: Actions on Kosovo illustrate role' of modern p()pe By JOHNTHAVIS News SeRVice

CATHOUC

VATICAN CITY - More than half a century ago, when millions of Jews and others were rounded up and sent to death camps by Nazi leaders, Pope Pius XII relied on discreet diplomacy and behind-the-scenes humanitarian gestures to help ease the plight of targeted populations. In recent weeks, as fighting in Kosovo unleashed scenes of mass suffering reminiscent of the Holocaust, Pope John Paul II has assumed a far more public and outspoken role - in keeping with the highly visible profile of the modern papacy. As the Kosovo crisis exploded in late March, the pope summoned ambassadors to press a peace agenda, sent an envoy to Yugoslavia and appealed directly to the warring parties for a cease-fire. He discussed the refugee crisis with U.N. experts and sent his own representative to the camps with a financial contribution and advice for Church-run relief operations. In an Easter message broadcast around the world, he appealed for an end to "destruction, deportations

and deaths" and asked Yugoslav President Siobodan Milosevic' to allow a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to the hundreds of thousands of Kosovars amassed in makeshift camps. It was too early to tell whether any of the pope's moves would prove effective, but one thing was certain: He could not be accused of silence or inaction. Pope John Paul expressed his sense of moral outrage, and it was hard to imagine him doing otherwise. At the close of the 20th century, the public role of the papacy has changed, and one big reason is that the Polish-born pontiff has used his office as a moral pulpit on issues of war, peace and human rights. His representatives, too, work .less in diplomatic back-channels and more in open international forums. As a participant in meetings of U.N. agencies, the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe and other institutions, the Vatican has gained a voice in global affairs and uses it often. Kosovo was the latest example. Faced with what many are calling

Europe's worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, the pope has challenged leaders on all sides to rethink their positions and get back' to the bargaining table. But months before the Kosovo drama unfolded, the pope and his aides were actively engaged in promoting serious negotiations and were well ahead of the curve in recognizing the potential cost of the conflict's escalation to civilians. The pope and his aides had earlier condemned ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, including suspected massacres, and urged prompt prosecution of crimes against humanity there. Since NATO air strikes began, the Vatican has gone to great lengths to publicize its diplomatic moves, issuing press statements with nearly every step. The impression is that the Vatican wartts the world to know that when it came to the fate of civilians in this conflict - especially the Kosovar refugees, a predominantly Muslim people with few ties to the Catholic Church - this pope spoke out and acted.

Continued/rom page aile

the lead in social ministry rather than waiting for the hierarchy to show the way. "Jesus told us to let our good works shine so that they can praise our heavenly Father. But first, we need to bring the issues to the table, to learn as at a seminar, to learn of our experience first. Life experience will show us ways to apply the Church's teachings, and it is up to us to take the initiative." But the action, he says,. must be, like politics,.at thelocal level, the parish leveL Although Catholic social teaching is anchored in Scripture and Tradition it is one of the best kept mysteries of the Faith, and many don't know about it or hear it preached frequently. "Not many connect the social truths with their lives as Christians," Bishop Sullivan noted. "We have so much substance, and yet we're so poor in marketing." He added: "But it is more important that you live social justice and reflect upon it rather than pass a test about it. Knowing it is not enough. It must reflect our own prayer life." Quoting poetry that offered an alternative vision of the way that

Brazda

the world and life can be, Bishop Sullivan noted that we have to look at how Jesus looked at the world and how we relate to one another. , "Our baptism calls us to be part of the ministry of Christ ... to realize th~ wonder and dignity of the human person .. , created in the image and likeness of God. The mission," said Bishop Sullivan, "is to serve those who are not served ... those ,in greatest need. Justice is embraced by love, it is not the other way around." In a final reminder, Bishop Sullivan quoted Pope Paul VI who said: '''Charity's minimal demand is justice.''' Other speakers and presenters at workshops included Gerald D' Avolio, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference; Kristi Schulenberg of the National Office of Parish Social Ministry, Alexandria, Va.; Rosa Maria Sanchez, executive director, National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, California; and Josephine Sayward, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, Bristol County Chapter, Dartmouth.

Continued/rom page one

toilet construction and refugee registration, a small team from the International Catholic Migration Commission, known as ICMC, focused on the Brazda camp's most vulnerable: the elderly, physically disabled and emotionally disturbed, all of them unaccompanied.' . Latifi has his own trauma to deal with, too. He said he left Pristina on the advice of his family, who thought that as a young male his life would be in danger from Serb soldiers. He was put on a train '~ust like in 'Schindler's List, ", he said, and was dumped at the southern Yugoslav border with thousands of others. Then he spent four days at the infamous makeshift camp at Blace, in a section of no-man's land between Yugoslavia and Macedonia. He said the camp, without water, food and hy-

giene, was simply a "catastrophe" for the estimated 40,000 people there. Nearby, ICMC's Davor Gazivoda listened to another desperate case: Eight days earlier in Blace, 53-yearold Useni Batia had become separated from her daughters, aged seven and 15. The older girl was taking the younger one to find a doctor when Macedonian police broke up the camp and ordered refugees to board buses and trucks. The mother has tacked a missing-person message to a wooden wall at the camp's entrance. , Although most of the refugees said they were determined to return soon to Kosovo, the relief organizations were thinking long-term. Already, OXFAM was making test drillings for a permanent well to be built when the local stream dries up in the summer.

Cardinal O'Connor urges pro-lifers not to be discouraged

YONKERS, N.Y. (CNS) - Cardinal John l J. O'Connor of New York warned April 10 that the greatest danger facing the pro-life movement was the tendency of some to feel discouraged. When peopl~ ~trugg~e against aQortion year after ye¥ without success, he said,and see' ~estrengthof the forces again~t them, they ask, "Is defeat inevita.ble? ... Inthe long run are we getting anywhere?" He ~~d h~c~~s\l.r~~~"cuH~~e of death" eventually would "disappear asth9ughitl1ad.n~ver.Q~n,"but ilcknowledgel:I current developmentscall giv~ rise.to discouragement. "It is teal," he said.

' .• ' ...• c;.,; ··.~";ir',

. ,,'.'

",",1 ,

D~~pe.#1ty,f9~ ~aysCath9U~ ,needw ~e ~pro-guilty Ii~e'

NEWiPJ.W.EANS (C~S)

The Catholic ~hurc;h'suneqU1vocal s~~nificant 1997 revisi9qi<:>rm,~ "Catechism,of the Satholic,Church, challenges all Ca~\?lic.~l()l:>~"pro-guilty life~'as w~I1 as "pr9~innocen~ life;' Sister iH~lellpreje~n toldCatlloIi.c educators April 8. "As educators, you arel:>~W,qllin&;to,~eajQu:rney;' Sister Prejean said a~ address to ~~,.iiN"af+<:>Vab~il~o~ic,.I§clucational,Associatibn's 96th annual conventibnin N~ orleans.,"It's a'journey of heart, a joUrney of faith, a journey: out of vengeance and into the preservation of life." --"7

oppositiQH~J~;thedeath,penalty,expr~ssedin

.... -

lHEANCHOR":"-DioceseofFallRiver-Fri.,April16,1999

I~========================I .St. Margaret's, <,

).-

'. - i

,i .

.. -

---~

Buzzards Bay

SECOND GRADERS from Mary Raux's class at St. Margaret Regional School, Buzzard's Bay, prepare before performing their puppet show at the school's recent art show. Below, third graders Alex Salerno, Jade Santos and Colby O'Neil of Joseph Salerno's class take part in the show's rain forest display. The show featured student art work, authored and illustrated tales and many fun activities.

SPECIAL VISIT - First, second and third graders at St. Mary's School, New Bedford, were recently visited by three Mass. Maritime Cadets who. spoke about traveling on the Mass. Maritime ship, The Empire State.They brought in sand and coral samples for students to examine and also showed a video about various ports of call. ,

SSe James and John, New Bedford

.SEVENTH GRADERS at SS. James and John School, New Bedford, construct Aqua Terra Columns in their life science class. They' have b~~n s~udying . the delicate balance between land- and wate'rbased ecosystems.

STUDENTS-WILLIAM Stylos and Jessica Miranda celebrate Dental He'alth -Month with parent Kathy , Mills. Milis' program focused on deptal hygiene. .

-,_,?-

READING ROOM - Fourth graders in Angela Newell's class at Espirito Santo School, Fall River, enjoy its new library room. The schaal has also added more books to its . library and many students are taking advantage of the expanded collection and space.

.. 1HEANQIOR-DioceseofFalIRiver-Fri.,April16,1999

Top basketball player earns rave reviews on court, in life By CAROLYN HUGHoES CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

METUCHEN, N.J. -Jason Williams reads a letter from one of his many young fans. "Could you please send me anything you've worn, maybe an old practice shirt? I play basketball, too, and I would love to be as good as you are someday;' the fan writes. The 6-foot-2 All-American point guard, a senior at St. Joseph Catholic High School in Metuchen, smiles at the request and marvels at the attention he's getting. Williams, 17, has been named to the first team of Parade magazine's All-America High School Boys Basketball Team; was named the McDonald's national player of the year following that high school All-Star game, which was shown on the ESPN cable channel; has been a guest on 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show"; and, on April 7, met President Clinton at the White House. Williams admits all this has changed his life somewhat, but it doesn't appear to have changed him or the solid foundation on which he stands. He admits right up front that this foundation is built on his family, faith, school and friends. He is grateful for the direction and support in "keeping my priorities straight" given by his parents, Althea and David, from whom he learned much about love. His parents did not hesitate to raise a cousin who lost both parents, and he considers Jackie his "sister." Williams discovered his love and talent for basketball when he started playing in the fourth grade at Sacred Heart School, the grade school at his parish church in Plainfield. Even then the game came easily for him. "I was always a decent player, but basketball was something I had to work at every single day;' Williams told The Catholic Spirit, Metuchen's diocesan newspaper. That self-discipline is paying off. Bound for Duke University in the fall, Williams plans to study psychology, business or pre-me.d, even if the National Basketball Association comes calling before he v·aduates.

Williams credits the Sacred Heart Brothers' high academic expectations - and support - for helping him bring a 2.0 grade point average at the time he entered St. Joseph to)!..32 GPA. Being part of the St. Joseph community".andworshipping at Sacred Heart have contributed to a wisdom that is Clearly beyond his y~s. "In order to get, you have to give a lot. I go to church every Sunday. SOJAAtimes you sit there and say,'Std, are you really anyth~g?' Sometimes I there? Ai"e you liste . doubted that I et,lanythin~ all that practice

JASON WILLIAMS takes a shot during a gam~.

(eNS photo from the Catholic Spirit)

•

and studying," Williams said. "But I started to realize that'I have a great family, people who reatly care about me and I am alive! God's given back to much and not just in these ways, but in the way I feel inside when I do things for other people?" he explained. His parents' generosity has rubbed off on their son. Jason enjoys helping out in a local soup kitchen and haS worked for several years with children with cerebral palsy. Also, when he was recently chosen by the NBA's New Jersey Nets as "player of the month," WiJliams donated a large portion of the Nets tickets he received to students at his grade school ahnamater. "And in do go to the NBA, I will come back to St. Joe's too;' he added. He plans to give one of his high school All-Star game jersey's to St. Joseph School, as the school's first student honored with an invitation to play. "I think lowe basketball a lot because it's given me the strength to prove myself in school and do exceptionally at it;' he said. A member of the National Spanish Honor Society and president of the high school chess club as well, Williams finds many similarities between chess and basketball and life. "You have to think about your strategies and poise. You have to know how to approach life in a certain way;' he explained. And about Williams' play on the court, Mark Taylor, his coach at St. Joseph, said: "He does it all. He can shoot. He can penetrate. He can defend. He dunks. He rebounds. He is acomplete player. His biggest strength is that he is good at every aspect of the game." Taylor said he believes that "great players have a tendency of coming right to the top" and that Williams is one of thosealthough theteen-ager would be the last to say that. This is no feigned humility, said school athletic director John Kohutanycz. "I can't say enough about Jason," he raved. "He doesn't want to be treated differently than anybody else and he means it."

Is belief in God out of date? By AMY WELBORN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Do only stupid people believe in God? Or is itjust those who aren't strong enough to deal with life on their own and who make up the notion of a supreme being that they use as a crutch to deal with suffering and to explain the unknown? Either way - dumb or weak and needy - it seems you've sunk to some lower level of humanity if you believe in God, according to sOJn~ people. I'm sure you've encountered them. Maybe it's a classmate who has the universe completely figured out, with no room for God, anywhere. Perhaps you've heard teachers describe belief in God as an outdated cultural phenomenon embraced by peoples who had to come up with an explanation for where the sun went every night. And maybe you wonder sometimes. A lot of things ancient peoples blamed on God, we can explain now. Science helps us see a lot. But has science ever detected God? People over on the other side of the Atlantic, in a place called Kosovo, have caused each other immeasurable suffering, partly over religious issues. Maybe it's true that science has made God obsolete, and those who persist do so just because they can't deal with life or need a cover to justify getting what they want. News flash: The friends and selfproclaimed wise ones who say that everything we've leamed about the universe has put us in a state beyond God need to pick up the science section of the newspaper and read the latest. God is back. Have you ever heard someone way older than you say, 'The more I learn, the less I know"? One day, a long time from now, you'll discover the truth of that for yourself, and if you take a quick look into what's happening on the frontiers of science, you'll see that scientists are having to admit that too. In a recent article, Gregg Easterbrook of a magazine called The

Our Rock

New Republic wrote how modem sci-

ence, far from explaining God away, constantly is running up against questions that could be answered by the existence of God just as well, if not better, than any other answer. Most of the issues tum around two

.or~~:ll Coming 1111/'II1II,1.1'11 of

Age ~~~~~~'l

FOR YOUTH • ABOUT YOUTH

points: How did it all get started, and why does it all worle so well? One theory now taught at some big schools suggests that "the entire universe popped out of a point with no content and no dimension, essentially expanding instantaneously to cosmic size." Sounds like a miracle which could only be caused by a higher force, and Easterbrook says a lot of scientists agree. Did you know that science still can't answer that question of exactly how life began? And that the chances of "structures as complex as the 6-billionunit strand of human DNA" arising from chance are pretty improbable, making God as reasonable - yes, reasonable - an explanation as any other? Some people say kids don't care about stuff like this, and your world basically revolves around thinking about sex and complaining about your parents, but I disagree. I know you care because I've heard you marvel at the universe and obsess about where God (and you!) fit into it all. I've listened to you doubt God because it's been suggested to you that only the intellectually feeble believe. Well, it's not true. When you look at the whole picture honestly and with an open mind, wouldn't the intelligent person admit that there are just as many sound reasons to believe as not to believe - if not more?

and Role Handling confusion By CHARLIE MARTIN· CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

How Do I Deal? Every day I wake up To another day gone by, Nothing but the open book And a never-ending why. Anything can happen But nothing ever does. I try to change, It's kind of strange, But it's the same as it ever was. °

Refrain 1: How do I deal with you? How do I deal with me? I don't know even know myself, What it is you want from me.

Refrain 2: How do I know what is real? I don't even trust myself, What it is I feel. How do I deal? Every night in the dark I lie awake in bed. How am I supposed to dream With all the static in my head? Going in all directions, And I need some relief. What can I do? The way I feel, I am on my knees,

JENNIFER LOVE Hewitt sings in "How Do I Deal?" of a life that at the moment is a maze of confusion over her relationship with her boyfriend. She's not sure how to "deal with you," or "with me," or "with us." She tells her boyfriend, "I don't even know myself what it is that you want from me." She says, "I don't even trust myself, what it is I feel." All she can do is express her frustration with a question, "How do I deal?" I assume that this question refers to the whole mess that her life now appears to be. Probably, she moved too fast in this relationship. She might want to back off from the relationship and consider these questions: I. What does she want, not just in this relationship but, more important, for this time in her life? Relationships need to fit into the larger scope of what is significant in one's life. Rather the building a life around a relationship, I would encourage her to think about her overall goals and what steps she can take to attain them. This process is especially helpful if you are a teen or just out of high school. The song shows that this young woman is not ready for the demands of a committed relationship. 2. What is going wrong with the communication in this relationship? She is not sure what the guy even wants from her. However, if she recognizes that she is not ready for a committed relationship, it might be better just to end

And I grit my teeth. Repeat Refrain 1. How do I deal with us? Why do I have to choose? Everybody's telling me What I have to do. Repeat Refrain 2. Repeat Refrain 1. Repeat Refrain 2. Repeat: How do I deal? Written by Dillon O'Brien, Phil Roy, BobThiele Jr. ; Sung by Jennifer Love Hewitt; Copyright (c) 1998 by 143 Records andWEA Intemationallnc.

....

the relationship. 3. Even if better communication were to reveal that both of them want this relationship, is she prepared for the commitment involved? How many other guys has she ever gone out with? During high school and the young-adult years, one learns valuable lessons from going out without getting serious with anyone individual. 4. How have she and her boyfriend dealt with conflicts? If they have had almost none, this relationship is most likely an infatuation. Genuine love invites us to become more of the person that God created us to be. Thus, one's individuality occasionally will clash with what the other person wants. Facing conflicts directly and in a caring way is a measure of a healthy relationship. Infatuations are normal; just be sure to recognize them for what they arc. 5. And finally, do her parents and close friends, the people who know her best, say that she is a better person because of this relationship? Those who care enough to tell the truth are likely to SeC what we don't or won't. Their assessment can be a real guide for how to deal with what is going on in a relationship. Reflecting on these questions can be the start of what you want your life to become, in or out of a relationship. Ask God to assist you in making he:llthy choices about what life can hold for you.

THEANCHOR-Diocese of Fall River-Fri.,April 16, 1999

-'.\ - ,.,-~ -;-t-.

":.,

fORCED fROM THEIR-HOMES,

flEE1NG fOR SAFET·Y, .. THEY LEAVf--EVERYTHINGBEHIND. )EXCEPT HOPE.

III III

. "0

...

ltl

'0 o III III

os 'l!iile WOist humanitarian disaster in

lEQJlll'ope

surace Worr~d1

Wal1' ~~.

Refugee children

f~<?m Kosovo

The crisis in Kosovo is a matter of social justice. A matter of R'QMlTiTilalll'il d1ogll'iloiky. A mtillik\t<eli' og ll1eed, 610f( ~1i'<e~d1. And the victims of this conflict are in desperate need of our help.. Catholic Relief Services is on the ground, working throughout the Kosovo region. AlI1rd1' as the mOVeIJ'il'illell'il1e of refugees increases,. Catholic. Relief Services's workers in refugee camps are facing critical sholl'tages og food and suppl.ies. What can you do to help? Pray for those without shelter. Pray for those who are struggling. AOd give.

"-_.

More than 90% of all support will go directly to those who need it most. To support the effods o.f Catholic Relief Services, please send your contribution with the coupon below or

call 1-8.00-285-6367'•.

Please rush my emergency donation. . ~ For Credit Card Donations: r------------------~---------~, I' 0 $25 0 $00 0 $-100 0 $500: Other $. . . .. I 0 VISA 0 Master.Card Amount $ . I.

I. I I I: I. I

Name._~-.,...,.--~~_-----_------

(please print)

1 Expiration Date j Signature

Address

City

~.' Credit Card Number

State

Zip

Please print name as it appears on your card

Send credit card contribution or check payable to: CATHOLIC RELIEF SE~VICES, Dept. AMA, P.O. Box 17090,.Baltimore, MD. 21203-7090 Your gift is tax-dE;!ductible to the fullest. extent allowed by law. Thank you: and may God bless you. For more information or to make a donation by credit card, call Catholic Relief S~rvices at 1-800-285-6367.

~ 99"CATHOLIC RELIEf SERVICES .

... _---------------------------I

939:~::

The

offi~ial

overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community.

I I 1,II .

I' I