06.05.09

The Anchor Diocese of Fall River

F riday , June 5, 2009

Year for Priests will express Church’s love for her clergy

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

Catholic Church, of which there have been EAST SANDWICH — Shortly before legions, have prevented the sifting of Satan Christ’s arrest, torture and execution on the through faith, sacrifice and a great love for cross, he told Peter, the rock of the Church, God and all his children. But they could not and cannot succeed without “Satan has asked to sift the help and prayers of the you as wheat. But I have people whom they so resoprayed for you, Simon, lutely serve. that your faith may not fail.

It is with this in mind And when you have turned the Pope Benedict XVI reback, strengthen your cently announced a special brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

“Year for Priests,” beginFrom the very beginning June 19, the feast of ning of the Church, Peter the Sacred Heart of Jesus and his fellow Apostles, and World Day of Prayer the first priests, were chalfor the Sanctification of lenged with many obstaPriests, and ending June cles to prevent them from 19, 2010. It’s no coincispreading the Good News. dence this special season Over the past 2,000 coincides with the 150th years, Satan has been tryanniversary of the death ing to sift the ordained as of the holy Cure d’Ars, St. wheat, initiating scandals John Vianney, whom the and other evils to bring the St. John Vianney Holy Father said was “a Church to her knees. The Image courtesy of catholic.org true example of a pastor at most recent of these have been the clergy sex-abuse scandals. Yet the service of Christ’s flock.”

Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney was a when Christ named Peter the rock, he also promised of his Church, “the gates of Ha- young Frenchman who struggled a great deal with his studies in the seminary, pardes will not overpower it” (Mt. 16:18).

The good and faithful priests of the Turn to page 18

Efforts of St. Vincent de Paul groups increase during economic downturn

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

FALL RIVER — As economic woes continue to impact everyday life for countless families throughout the Fall River Diocese, local chapters of the St. Vincent de Paul Society are seeing a sharp increase in demand for its charitable efforts.

Recently, the St. Vincent de Paul chapters from a group of parishes in Somerset banded together to help 31 families that

were forced to temporarily relocate to the Super 8 Motel last fall.

“Many were homeless because they were living in apartments that were either condemned or foreclosed on, so they had to leave with very little,” said Claire Stevens, a parishioner from St. Patrick’s in Somerset. “They were only allowed to bring one plastic bag per person and the motel would only allow cooking with a microwave.”

Turn to page 14

Rev. Mr. David C. Deston Jr.

Rev. Mr. Peter J. Fournier

By Deacon James N. Dunbar

long road, a long time coming,” he added. “I also look forward to my first Mass and my family is excited too.”

For Deacon Fournier the days before ordination are busy ones, “but the excitement is very high … and growing for me and for my family — and after at least a third of my life waiting for this it is difficult to remain calm,” he said during a sit-down interview at The Anchor.

Since his ordination to the diaconate in 2007, Deacon Deston, 32, the son of David Deston and Donna (Marshall) Deston of Fall River, has been ministering at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth.

A 1994 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, he graduated from UMass-Dartmouth in 1998 with a degree in history and a minor in political science. He worked as a substitute teacher at Henry Lord Middle School in Fall River before entering the seminary in August 1999.

Turn to page 18

Two to be ordained priests on June 13

FALL RIVER — Two young men of the Fall River Diocese will be ordained priests June 13 by Bishop George W. Coleman in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption at an 11 a.m. Mass.

Transitional Deacons David Craig Deston Jr., a native of Fall River, and Peter J. Fournier of Attleboro will answer the call to be ordained priests of the Diocese of Fall River, a vocation each of them has nurtured for much of their lives.

During interviews last week, each deacon talked about how excited he is to become a priest and enter into parish service and ministry.

“I’m very excited and to be candid, a little impatient to begin the work of a priest in our diocese,” said Deacon Deston during a telephone interview.

“Now that everything seems to be falling in place, I still can’t relax, and I’m ready to be ordained … and it’s been a

Parental rights advocates score victory — for now

By Gail Besse Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — In a victory for parental rights and religious freedom, all money earmarked for homosexual programs in public schools has been eliminated in the fiscal 2010 state budget to date.

But pro-family advocates warn that several line items remain vulnerable. As the budget moves through Conference Committee, “unspecified” tax dollars could still be funneled into programs aimed at normalizing homosexuality to children.

That committee will reconcile differences between House and Senate versions

of the budget and present it to Gov. Deval In response to the shortfall, lawmakers Patrick before July 1. Members can only not only slashed the $850,000 that the hochange line items on which the two chammosexual lobby wanted, but also some probers differ. posals supported by the state’s four bishDrastically ops through the n a positive note,” said Pap, Massachusetts reduced tax a proposal to increase tax- Catholic Conrevenues — an unprecedented payer funding of abortion and con- ference. Those $3.1 billion deproposals were traception was also defeated. cline from 2008 to help prevent — are forecast homelessness; for next year by the Massachusetts Taxpaygive rental assistance; extend emergency ers Foundation. Its president Michael Widaid to the elderly, disabled and children; mer recently called the situation “the worst and support Dismas House for prisoner fiscal crisis in the state’s history.” rehabilitation, according to Daniel Avila,

“O

MCC associate director for policy and research.

Still in the budget is $4.8 million for “comprehensive family planning services,” a windfall for Planned Parenthood and one item that the Massachusetts Family Institute and the Coalition for Marriage and Family would like to see eliminated completely.

May 28 email alerts from these two groups — and a third from the State Family Policy Council of the national Family Research Council — urge people to contact Conference Committee members: Turn to page 15

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News From the Vatican

June 5, 2009

Pope says simplicity, sobriety, sacrifice aren’t just for monks

By Sarah Delaney Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The principles of poverty, chastity and sacrifice for the good of the community, which are characteristic of monastic life, are valid for all Christians, Pope Benedict XVI said.

During his weekly general audience May 27 in St. Peter’s Square, the pope used the example of the Byzantine monk St. Theodore the Studite to explain how the virtues that monks and nuns strive for should be emulated by all in everyday life.

St. Theodore, who was born in 759, emphasized the ideals of “renunciation of private property, freedom from material things, sobriety (and) simplicity,” the pope told the crowd of about 14,000 people. “This extreme form is valid for monks, but the spirit is valid for everyone,” he said.

St. Theodore, who was born to a noble family and entered the monastery at age 22, led the opposition to the Iconoclastic movement that called for the destruction of religious images deemed to promote idolatry.

In founding his own monastery later, he was instrumental

in bringing back the ideals espoused by monks “who make a commitment to live the truth of the Church with greater rigor and intensity in order to give a sign to all Christians,” the pope said.

“Only by learning to renounce material things, practicing austerity and simplicity can there be a more just society and can the great poverty in the world be overcome,” he said.

The “radical direction” of monks shows the way for others, he said.

The monastery itself and the sacrifice of the individual for the good of the community can be seen as a metaphor for what all Christians are called to do, he said, warning that the faithful should oppose “the primacy of individual will that destroys the fabric of society.”

The pope also praised St. Theodore’s promotion of “philergia,” or love of work, as “a way to find God.” St. Theodore’s conviction that the monastery’s earnings should be shared with the poor was an example that “we can all learn that the fruits of our work should be for the benefit of all,” the pope said.

Archbishop retires amid reports many of his priests are not celibate

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of a 54-year-old archbishop from the Central African Republic following an investigation into priests of his diocese who live more or less openly with women and the children they have fathered.

The Vatican announced that Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo, 54, of Bangui had resigned under the terms of Canon 401.2 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that “a diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office.”

Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican

EasternTelevision

press office, said Archbishop Pomodimo resigned because of “insurmountable difficulties in running the diocese.”

The news agency Africa News had reported that Archbishop Pomodimo and several priests in his archdiocese would be sanctioned “for adopting a moral attitude which is not always in conformity with their commitments to follow Christ in chastity, poverty and obedience.”

The agency said Guinean Archbishop Robert Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, had visited the Central African Republic and “concluded that many local priests have official homes, children and have accumulated private properties.”

Archbishop Sarah told Catholic News Service that he had traveled to the Bangui Archdiocese, but could not comment further.

MINISTERIAL VISIT — Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is seen during Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Alessia Pierdomenico, Reuters)

To teach, Church must show it believes people can learn, pope says

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The first step in promoting the holistic religious, moral and intellectual education of Catholics must be to demonstrate faith in people and in their ability to reason and to love, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“No one is excluded from the obligation to care for their own growth and that of others,” the pope said in a speech to the annual meeting of the Italian bishops’ conference.

The task of educating people to know right from wrong and act accordingly, to learn about their faith, and to use their intellectual abilities for the good of their families and communities is essential today, the pope told the bishops, meeting at the Vatican.

As a three-year special focus on youth ministry draws to an end in Italy’s 217 dioceses, it is time “to verify the educational process under way” and to find new ways to help Italy’s young people mature, he said.

“The difficulty of forming authentic Christians” is almost indistinguishable from “the difficulty of helping men and women become responsible and mature,” he said.

The Church needs “authoritative educators whom the new generations can look to with trust” and who offer their own

lives as examples of what they are trying to teach, Pope Benedict said.

“At a time when there is a strong fascination with relativistic and nihilistic understandings of life and the very legitimacy of education is placed in doubt, the first contribution we can make is to testify to our trust in life and in the human person, his reason and his ability to love,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict said an important area where the bishops seem to be making progress is in promoting “a widespread mentality in favor of life in every aspect and at every moment, with particular attention to life marked by conditions of great fragility and precariousness.”

Concretely, he said, Italians

— and especially Italian Catholics — demonstrate their ability to love through their acts of volunteerism and charity.

Pope Benedict praised the Italian bishops for launching their Loan for Hope project, a fund that will guarantee the small loans participating banks make to families with at least three children or who have a family member with a serious illness or disability and whose primary source of income was a job lost in the current economic crisis.

Italian parishes took up special collections May 31 in an effort to raise the more than $40 million the bishops have promised the fund will have.

Pope Benedict said the new project is “an eloquent testimony of sharing one another’s burdens.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 53, No. 22

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PUBLISHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Roger J. Landry fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org NEWS EDITOR Deacon James N. Dunbar jimdunbar@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase m arychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza kensouza@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org

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June 5, 2009

The International Church

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Irish religious orders do not want to renegotiate 2002 abuse deal

By Cian Molloy Catholic News Service

DUBLIN, Ireland — The 18 Irish religious congregations implicated in the abuse of children in their care say they do not wish to renegotiate a controversial deal in which they received indemnity from being sued by victims in exchange for contributing to a victim’s compensation fund.

The deal made as one of the final acts of an outgoing government in 2002 has proved increasingly controversial, partly because the overall compensation paid out has increased by hundreds of millions of euros, so that the religious orders are only paying about 10 percent of the compensation paid to victims of decades of abuse.

“Rather than reopening the terms of the agreement reached with government in 2002, we reiterate our commitment to working with those who suffered enormously while in our care.

We must find the best and most appropriate ways of directly assisting them. We will meet again in the coming days to explore the detail of our responses,” said a statement issued May 25.

Following a May 26 Irish Cabinet meeting to discuss the recommendations made by an independent investigation into the abuse of children in residential care, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen called on the orders to

provide “a substantial additional contribution” to compensating victims and said he would like to discuss the matter with the orders concerned.

On May 27, the Sisters of Mercy were the first order to in-

that. The deal is closed; the deal was made in good faith. Let us leave it to one side.”

If the orders increased their contribution to the compensation fund, Sister O’Connor asked: “What would happen to that

TAINTED HISTORY — Boys operate laundry machines at the Artane Industrial School in Dublin, Ireland, in this undated photo contained in a 2,600-page report released May 20 by the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse. The report states that both physical and sexual abuse occurred at the school, which was run by the Christian Brothers from 1870 to 1969 and had up to 830 male students.

(CNS photo/Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse)

dicate that they would meet with Cowen. Earlier, the Christian Brothers and the Oblate Fathers indicated that they would provide more resources toward making restitution to abuse survivors but, in statements released by the two orders, neither indicated a will-

Franciscan chapter meeting in Assisi to elect superior

ROME (CNS) — To coincide with the 800th anniversary of their founding, representatives of the almost 15,000 Franciscans of the Order of Friars Minor will gather in Assisi to elect a superior and plan for their future.

The 152 delegates to the Franciscan general chapter are meeting until June 20 in the city of St. Francis’ birth. They will celebrate the order’s 800th anniversary June 9.

Father Jose Rodriguez Carballo, elected minister general of the Franciscans in 2003, is eligible for a second six-year term when delegates hold elections June 4.

“But ours is an unpredictable order,” Father Francesco Patton, secretary of the chapter, told reporters during a May 22 press conference. Two of Father Carballo’s predecessors were elected to two terms; two were not, he said.

Father Carballo told reporters the delegates will look at how well the order has met the priorities set in 2003 for deepening spirituality, improving fraternal life and living as poor among the poor and in solidarity with all those in need.

ingness to renegotiate the 2002 deal made with the government.

Speaking on Ireland’s RTE Radio May 26, Ursuline Sister Marianne O’Connor, director general of the Conference of Religious of Ireland, said the

Second, he said, they will try to find new ways to meet the challenge of being missionaries in the modern world.

Father Mirko A. Sellitto, head of the order’s press office, said video of the main liturgical celebrations of the chapter meeting will be posted on the video-sharing Website YouTube, and some of the talks and interviews with delegates will be packaged as podcasts that can be downloaded from iTunes.

Father Carballo told reporters, “Even if numerically our order is diminishing, that does not mean we are not opening new mission,” including ones in Sudan and Myanmar.

In 1930, the Franciscan Friars Minor numbered 22,000, said Father Francesco Bravi. As of Dec. 31, 2008, the number had declined to 14,724.

However, he said, like many of the Church’s oldest religious orders, the Franciscans are growing in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, holding steady in Latin America, and declining in Western Europe and North America.

decision by the 18 congregations was “a way of looking at things somewhat differently. They are determined that they will meet all responsibilities. They want to deal directly with the former residents. They want to look at new and creative ways of doing

money? It would go just to reimburse the government, it would not find its way directly to the former residents, who are the people that the 18 congregations want to directly help.”

Under the terms of the 2002 deal, the 18 religious congrega-

tions that ran government schools where abuse occurred over decades agreed to pay 128 million euros ($179 million). That included 41.1 million euros in cash, 10 million euros for counseling services and 76.8 million euros from the transfer of real estate to the government.

Among those calling on the religious orders to renegotiate the deal with the government were Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish bishops’ conference, and Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Writing in The Irish Times May 25, before representatives of religious congregations met to discuss their next actions, Archbishop Martin told them, “The facts are now clear, and you have to take notice and make some new gesture of recognition.

A report released May 20 by the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse said a climate of fear created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment permeated most of Ireland’s residential care institutions for children and all those run for boys.

Before the end of the summer, Archbishop Martin said, another independent commission report is to be published detailing how allegations of abuse by Dublin archdiocesan priests were handled by Church and civil authorities.

Session II ~ June 17 - July 29, 2009 Wednesdays 6:00-9:00 pm (2 credits ~ elective) Theology of the Body, Prof. Angela Franks The Basic Truths of the Catholic Church, Rev. Paul E. Ritt Introduction to the Theology of the Holy Spirit,

Prof. Anthony Keaty

4

The Church in the U.S.

June 5, 2009

Pro-Life leaders, groups condemn murder of Kansas abortion doctor

WASHINGTON (CNS) — ProLife advocates universally condemned the May 31 murder of a Kansas abortion doctor, with officials from several U.S. right-to-life groups saying such extreme acts only hurt the Pro-Life cause.

“We condemn this lawless act of violence,” said Charmaine Yoest, president of the Americans United for Life. “The foundational right to life that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone. Whoever is responsible for this reprehensible violence must be brought to justice under the law.”

Dr. George Tiller, 67, of Wichita, Kan., was fatally shot while serving as an usher at the city’s Formation Lutheran Church during morning services, according to The Associated Press.

A suspect in the shooting, identified as Scott Roeder, 51, was being held without bail on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault, the AP reported June 1.

In 1996, a 38-year-old man with the same name was charged in Topeka, Kan., with criminal use of explosives for having bomb components in his car trunk and sentenced to 24 months of probation, the AP reported. However, the conviction was overturned on appeal the next year after a higher court said evidence against him was seized by law enforcement officers during an illegal search of his car, the AP reported.

Tiller — whose clinic is one of just a few in the nation where abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy — had been a target of abortion opponents since the 1970s. He was shot in both arms by a protester in 1993 and his clinic was bombed in 1985.

Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed profound regret upon learning of Tiller’s shooting death.

“Our bishops’ conference and all its members have repeatedly and publicly denounced all forms of violence in our society, including abortion as well as the misguided resort to violence by anyone opposed to abortion,” Cardinal Rigali said in a June 1 statement.

“Such killing is the opposite of everything we stand for, and everything we want our culture to stand for: respect for the life of each and every human being from its beginning to its natural end. We pray for Dr. Tiller and his family,” he said.

“The Pro-Life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life,” said David N. O’Steen, executive director of the National Right to Life Committee, the largest Pro-Life group in the U.S. “The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.”

Members of the president’s faith-based advisory council, who are among those working for common ground on abortion, also con-

demned Tiller’s murder. Such acts of violence are an affront to faith and “offend us all,” said Katie Paris, a spokeswoman for Faith in Public Life, an organization with a representative on the council.

President Barack Obama, who supports legal abortion, also expressed his dismay at the shooting death of the abortion doctor and said such violence wouldn’t be tolerated.

“I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services,” Obama said in a statement released May 31. “However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.”

At least one abortion opponent condemned what Tiller did while condemning the act that took his life.

“I believe George Tiller was one of the most evil men on the planet; every bit as vile as the Nazi war criminals who were hunted down, tried and sentenced after they participated in the ‘legal’ murder of the Jews that fell into their hands,” said Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, who was also arrested by federal agents during a 1991 protest in front of Tiller’s office.

“But even Mr. Tiller — like other murderers — deserved a trial of his peers, and a legal execution, not vigilante justice,” he added.

The murder will most likely tarnish the image of anti-abortion activists and hurt the credibility of advocates who use peaceful means to bring about an end to legal abortion in the U.S., Terry said. “His killing presents us a severe challenge.”

Catholic bishops in Kansas and neighboring Colorado quickly condemned the murder, stating that although they vigorously oppose abortion, violence against those who perform the procedures is counterproductive and contrary to Catholic teaching.

“Many Catholics have over the years engaged in peaceful protest outside of Dr. Tiller’s clinic, praying for an end to abortion, and especially late-term abortions. I have on occasion joined them for this purpose,” said Bishop Michael O. Jackels of Wichita.

“This position and hope cannot, however, serve as a justification for committing other sins and crimes, like the willful destruction of property and, even worse, murder,” he said.

Bishop Jackels and the bishops who lead the three other Catholic dioceses in Kansas extended their condolences to Tiller’s family. They said they were praying for the slain doctor’s soul and said the fact that the shooting occurred in a church only adds to the horror of the crime.

Other condemnations of the murder came from Catholics United, Students for Life of America, Priests for Life, Religious Leaders Seeking Common Ground on Abortion, the Pope John Paul II Bioethics Commission, Maryland Right to Life and Cleveland Right to Life.

DEMONSTRATION — Same-sex activists rally in Hollywood in response to the hearing that California’s Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage in San Francisco. The high court May 26 ruled that the ban, known as Proposition 8 and approved by the state’s voters last fall, is constitutional. (CNS photo/Mario Anzuoni, Reuters)

Bishop praises court for affirming voters’ right to define marriage

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Speaking on behalf of his fellow Catholic bishops in California, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton praised the California Supreme Court for upholding the voters’ affirmation of marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but expressed disappointment that the court permitted an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples to remain legally married.

The May 26 ruling of the high court upheld the constitutionality of the state’s Proposition 8 declaring that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,” but said the voters’ decision could not be applied retroactively to those who married before the initiative was passed.

Bishop Blaire said he and his fellow bishops “are strongly committed to protecting the dignity and worth of every human person” and supported “the intent of law to provide equal protection for all.”

“However, such purpose does not have to trump the natural and traditional definition of marriage between a man and a woman,” he added in a late May statement.

“The law has found other ways to regulate civil unions without destroying the traditional understanding of marriage.

“We believe — as do the majority of Californians — that marriage between a man and a woman is foundational to our culture and crucial for human perpetuity,” Bishop Blaire said.

In a Nov. 4, 2008, vote, 52 percent of the state’s electorate approved Proposition 8.

In its 136-page majority deci-

sion, the court said its role was not to determine whether Proposition 8 “is wise or sound as a matter of policy or whether we, as individuals, believe it should be part of the California Constitution” but to determine “the scope of the right of the people, under the provisions of the California Constitution, to change or alter the state constitution itself through the initiative process.”

On that question, the opinion written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George concluded that “Proposition 8 constitutes a permissible constitutional amendment” rather than “an impermissible constitutional revision” and “does not violate the separation of powers doctrine.”

The majority decision drew immediate praise from the Campaign to Protect Marriage, a coalition that had included the state’s Catholic bishops and other Catholic groups.

“We are extremely pleased that the Supreme Court has acknowledged the right of voters to define marriage in the California Constitution,” said Andrew Pugno, the coalition’s general counsel. “The voters have decided this issue and their views should be respected.”

But organizations that had opposed Proposition 8 said they would work to repeal the measure through a ballot initiative in 2010.

Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of Dignity USA, an unofficial support organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, said it was “tragic for everyone in California that discriminatory language has been allowed to stand in the state’s constitution.”

“We call for the elimination of language that limits civil marriage to opposite-sex couples,” she added. “Dignity USA pledges to continue its work to educate people about the importance of marriage equality, and will continue to offer spiritual and emotional support to gays and lesbians and our families in the face of this temporary loss.”

All but one of the court’s seven justices concurred in the majority decision, and all seven agreed that the ban on same-sex marriages could not be applied retroactively.

The only dissenter, Associate Justice Carlos R. Moreno, said the majority opinion “places at risk the state constitutional rights of all disfavored minorities” and “weakens the status of our state constitution as a bulwark of fundamental rights for minorities protected from the will of the majority.”

The California Supreme Court had ruled May 15, 2008, that the domestic partnerships recognized by the state were an inadequate substitute for marriage and that civil marriage could not be denied to same-sex couples.

When the decision took effect a month later, thousands of couples from within and outside California took out marriage licenses and were married. Then came the November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont and Maine; New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has said he will sign legislation passed by the Legislature there if additional protections for religious organizations are approved.

The Church in the U.S.

June 5, 2009

5

Obama nominates New York Latina to Supreme Court

By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has nominated federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court; if she is confirmed, the New York native of Puerto Rican descent would become the first Hispanic to serve on the high court.

Obama announced his choice of Sotomayor, 54, at a brief event at the White House May 26. If confirmed by the Senate, she would join the court when the next term opens in October, replacing retiring Justice David Souter.

At the White House announcement, Sotomayor described herself as “an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.”

Sotomayor has been a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1998, nominated to that post by President Bill Clinton. Before that she spent six years as a U.S. District Court judge in New York, nominated to that position by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. She also served as an assistant New York County district attorney and worked in private practice.

She was joined at the White House by her mother, Celina Sotomayor; her mother’s husband, Omar Lopez; her brother, Juan Sotomayor, a New York physician, and his wife and children.

In announcing his choice, Obama called Sotomayor “an inspiring woman,” who “has never forgotten where she began,” describing her childhood in a housing project in New York’s South Bronx section, where she was born in 1954. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. Obama noted that Sotomayor’s mother

had been in the Army during World War II, beginning a family tradition of public service and high aspirations. Sotomayor’s father, a factory worker who had only a third-grade education and spoke little English, died when she was nine.

That left her mother often working two jobs to be able to afford to send her two chil-

journal.

Although some critics of Obama were quick to decry Sotomayor as “a liberal activist,” her judicial record does not reflect that approach on issues including religious liberty and restrictions on federal funds being used for abortion.

For instance, in a 2002 case challenging

SUPREME COURT NOMINEE — Federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor visits with students at her alma mater, Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx section of New York, in this undated handout photo released by the White House. U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Sotomayor to the Supreme Court; if she is confirmed, the New York native of Puerto Rican descent would become the first Hispanic to serve on the high court. (CNS photo/White House handout via Reuters)

dren to Cardinal Spellman Catholic School, Obama said.

They had “the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood,” he said.

Her success in high school led to a scholarship to Princeton University, where she graduated at the top of her class, and Yale Law School, where she was editor of the law

Polish Fest

ENTIRELY UNDER TENTS

“Summertime”

the Mexico City policy, Sotomayor upheld the government’s right to prohibit the use of U.S. foreign aid funds in overseas family planning programs that provide or refer for abortions.

“The Supreme Court has made clear that the government is free to favor the anti-abortion position over the pro-choice position,

and can do so with public funds,” she wrote in a decision on the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy v. Bush. Obama reversed that policy shortly after taking office in January.

In a case in which a rabbi was denied permission to display a menorah in a city park, Sotomayor in 1993 struck down the city regulation barring the display, saying it discriminated against religious free speech.

In other cases she has upheld the rights of a Muslim prisoner to participate in an Islamic religious feast and of followers of Santeria to wear prayer beads under their clothing.

Anthony Picarello, general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was still studying Sotomayor’s judicial rulings, but that, “on first blush, her religious freedom decisions are encouraging. But there are other fundamental, court-driven issues — especially abortion and marriage — where we’ll need to take a closer look at the record.”

A notice on the Website of Cardinal Spellman said she graduated from the New York archdiocesan school in 1972 and had come back as guest speaker for career day two years ago.

Sotomayor married in 1976 while attending Princeton but has been divorced since 1983. She has no children.

She has been described on background by the White House as someone who was “raised as Catholic and attends church for family and other important events.”

She would become the sixth Catholic on the current court, joining Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

Confirmation hearings will be held in the Senate this summer.

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6

The Anchor Triple reparation

Since abortion doctor George Tiller was murdered on Sunday during a worship service at Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, the reaction of the vast majority of people on both sides of the abortion debate has been swift and total condemnation.

The U.S. bishops were among the first to denounce the evil of his assassination. Cardinal Justin Rigali, speaking on behalf of the U.S. bishops, declared, “Our bishops’ conference and all its members have repeatedly and publicly denounced all forms of violence in our society, including abortion as well as the misguided resort to violence by anyone opposed to abortion. Such killing is the opposite of everything we stand for, and everything we want our culture to stand for: respect for the life of each and every human being from its beginning to its natural end. We pray for Dr. Tiller and his family.”

The bishops of Kansas were likewise unambiguous in describing the evil of Tiller’s vigilante execution. “We unequivocally condemn the murder of Dr. George Tiller,” they wrote in a joint statement. “The Catholic Church believes that every human life is sacred. The murder of a human being is the gravest of crimes and is an intrinsic evil. Such an act of violence against human life is a contradiction of the most fundamental principle of the Pro-Life movement. The fact that this attack occurred in a church, a place of prayer and worship, only adds to the horror of this terrible crime. We prayerfully commend Dr. George Tiller to the mercy of God and we pray for comfort and consolation for his family and friends.”

The bishops’ thoughts were echoed by Pro-Life leaders across the country, where almost in unison they did the same three things: condemned the wickedness of the slaying in itself, described how it was a betrayal of the most fundamental Pro-Life principle, and offered prayers for Tiller and his family. A culture of life, they insisted, cannot be advanced by murder. The evil of his murder, they stressed, is not diminished in any way by the amount of blood Tiller had shed in almost four decades of work as an abortionist. The end never justifies the means.

In all of the comments given in the immediate aftermath of Tiller’s death, however, something important was missing. Part of the explanation for its absence might be the nature of press statements which, in order to be printed in full, must be brief. A more likely reason would seem to be that many people, including Christians, have lost a supernatural perspective when responding to evils like this. It’s not enough to condemn the action. It’s not enough to commit to praying for those involved. A Christian must also do reparation.

Before anything else, what happened on Sunday in Reformation Lutheran Church is an offense to God, whose Son, however wayward, was slain. The fact that it occurred in a place and at a time dedicated to the worship of God only adds to the sacrilege. Just as God had put a mark on Cain after he had murdered his brother Abel to prevent his being slain, so God had given George Tiller an indelible mark in baptism and, regardless of whether Tiller had lived in conformity with his baptismal graces, Tiller’s murder was an action not merely against a Kansas abortionist, his family and church community, but against his Father in heaven. For this, we must beg God for mercy not just toward Tiller and his assassin but toward all of us.

We must do acts of penance and reparation to seek in some way to remedy the evil done also against God. We likewise need to do reparation for the few who are taking quiet or public pleasure in Tiller’s death. In the blogosphere, there have been some who have been saying that “Tiller the Killer” had it coming: just as Jesus said that he who lives by the sword will die by the sword, so it was fitting that one who made quite a profitable living by killing other human beings himself was killed by another human being. There have even been some commentators who have suggested that Tiller had gotten off easy: under the law of an eye for an eye, a rather instantaneous death by bullet was merciful compared to what “should have happened to him,” namely undergoing what he himself had done to half-delivered babies in his Wichita clinic.

This is all evil talk. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus responded to this type of logic: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ [and] … ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:38-48).

Christians, in short, are called to a higher standard, higher than non-Christians, namely the standard of the love that God has. In accordance with these standards, there were many Pro-Life Christians who for decades had been praying that Dr. George Tiller would become another Dr. Bernard Nathanson, repent of his sins against life and become active in the ProLife movement. They never forgot that George Tiller’s life, too, was sacred and precious, that he, too, was loved by God, and that they were called to love him as passionately as they hated the sins against life he was perpetrating. These people are now justly mourning Dr. Tiller’s death alongside the deaths of the unborn.

Finally, there is also need for Christians to do reparation for Dr. Tiller’s and other abortionists’ many offenses against God through the grisly destruction of innocent human life.

Even among the abortionists in our country, Tiller was notorious for his willingness to go beyond what all but two others in the country could stomach doing, and abort viable children in the third trimester. He not only did it, but was unabashed in his support for the practice. None of this, of course, provides the least justification for someone’s taking his life, but it provides plenty of justification for us to do copious reparation.

In this month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in which we focus on Jesus’ sacred humanity and are called by him to do reparation for all sins of indifference to his love, let us ask him for the grace to persevere in prayer and penance for all sins of indifference and sacrilege against those whose human nature is made in his image and likeness and whose humanity he indeed made sacred through his Incarnation.

June 5, 2009

Heroic men in red

I have always had a great devotion to the mar- took it upon himself to behead Joseph and burn tyrs and for this reason, June has always been a his body rather than have him be burned alive. special month. We begin the month with the meThe day of Joseph’s martyrdom, Lwanga and morials of Saints Justin, Marcellinus and Peter the other catechumens among the pages were and Boniface and finish it celebrating the heroic baptized. King Mwanga had made it known that deaths of Irenaeus, Peter and Paul and the first he was intending to put to death all the Christians martyrs of the Church of Rome. In between we in his court and they wanted to make sure that they mark Barnabas, John Fisher and Thomas More as were baptized by water and the Holy Spirit before well as commemorate the birth of the great mar- they were baptized in blood. Lwanga took the tyr St. John the Baptist.

Christian name Charles.

Ever since the clergy sexual abuse scandals Several months later, after the king returned came to light in 2002, however, I have grown in from a fishing trip and saw one of the routine great devotion to the late 19th-century Ugandan objects of his sordid desire receiving catechetical martyrs we celebrate on June 3. Saints Joseph instruction, he summoned the catechist, St. Denis Mkasa, Charles Lwanga, and their 20 compan- Ssebuggwawo, put a spear through his chest and ions, all killed between the ages of 14-25, gave then had his executioners hack him to pieces. The their blood not only in testimony to their fidelity following day, the king, fuming, assembled all to Christ but in explicit condemnation of the evil the pages and demanded that they make a choice of the sexual abuse of minors. between God and him, between prayer and the Since the time I re-read the story of their predator, between life and death. martyrdom in 2002, I have prayed to them as “Let all those who do not pray stay here by intercessors to help all Catholics in our coun- my side,” he said, waving to his right, and “those try — bishops, priests and laypeople — imitate who pray” he told to stand by the fence at his left. their courage, fidelity to Christ, and total refusal Charles Lwanga and a group of 26 Christian pagto allow sexual sins to be perpetrated against the es, 16 Catholics and 10 Anglicans, headed toward young. the fence. He asked them whether they intended When the White Fathers arrived in Buganda, to remain Christians. “Until death!,” they replied. the southern part “Then put them to of what is now death!,” Mwanga Uganda, in 1879, responded, senthey found the tencing them to local King Mtesa be burnt alive in hospitable to outNamugongo, a side influence in village 37 miles the hope of imaway.

By Father proving his perThey began Roger J. Landry sonal and national the death march, situation. Mtesa which they turned had already welinto a religious comed in Anglican missionaries a few years ear- procession with hymns, prayers and expressions lier. Because he liked the Christian teaching on of joy. This was in the sharpest contrast to the the afterlife, he even allowed the missionaries to brutality of their “chaperones,” who beat them evangelize the members of his court. so fiercely that three of them died along the way.

One of his young pages was Mukasa Balikud- Once in Namugongo, they were forced to watch dembe, who rose in prominence at the palace af- for days as the pyre awaiting them grew and beter he courageously saved Prince Mwanga’s life came increasingly intense. by capturing and killing with his bare hands a The executioners decided to kill Charles venomous snake threatening him. For three years, Lwanga first, in the hope that after his death, othMukasa received a very thorough catechumenate ers might abandon the faith. To increase his sufferat the palace from the White Fathers before being ings, he was placed in a reed mat and fire was set baptized in 1882 with the name of Joseph. first to his feet so that these would be charred to After the White Fathers needed to go into the bone before the flames would reach the other exile for a couple of years because the dying parts of his body. In the midst of his suffering, king feared outside influences, Joseph Mukasa Charles said to his executioner, “You are burning became the de facto catechist for the converts me, but it is as if you are pouring water over my and hundreds of catechumens. When the priests body,” a reference to the sweet solace of his bapreturned after Mtesa’s death in 1884, they saw tism, the foretaste of his imminent new birth. that Joseph Mukasa had helped the new converts After he was dead, the others remained steadbring family members to the Lord, renounce fast and entered the pyre. One young page said to slavery, polygamy and other practices against the a priest present who was mourning the death of Gospel, and dedicate themselves heroically to so many young Christians, “Why be sad? What I serving those in need. suffer now is little compared with the eternal hapOnce Prince Mwanga had succeeded his fa- piness you have taught me to look forward to!” ther, Joseph Mukasa became his majordomo, the They died on June 3, which was fittingly Ascentop assistant in charge of the king’s palace and sion Thursday. court. To be head of the pages, Joseph appointed It’s no surprise that, on the foundation of their a young catechumen, Lwanga. What both men heroic faith, the Church has continued to grow soon discovered, however, was that King Mwan- in Uganda. Since their martyrdom, Catholics in ga was homosexually-attracted to the teen-age Uganda have grown from a few hundred to almost boys and solicitous to have them brought into his 12 million Catholics out of a total population of private company. Through various means, Joseph 26 million. and Lwanga successfully and repeatedly conAll of these martyrs could have easily chosen spired to thwart the king’s designs, but the king another path. They were among the few chosen drew increasingly frustrated. ones in the king’s service. Joseph Mukasa and After King Mwanga had an Anglican mis- Charles Lwanga could have simply looked the sionary bishop murdered, Joseph went into his other way when King Mwanga was going after presence and reproved him for the murder as the pages, become even more powerful in the well as for his perverse attraction to the boys in kingdom, and saved their lives. The young boys his service. Even though it was technically the could have chosen to give in to the king’s depramajordomo’s traditional responsibility to correct vations as a means to satisfy worldly ambition, the king, Mwanga would have nothing of it. His provide for their families and survive. None did. anger boiled against Joseph and his fellow Chris- Even though Christianity was less than a decade tians whom he knew were training the boys to old in their kingdom, they had already gotten what resist his advances. Under the pretext of Joseph’s it was about, and they were willing to die rather disloyalty for putting the commands of another than to sin, to be killed rather than to allow sinful king, “The God of the Christians,” over his own, predation to happen to the young and innocent, to King Mwanga sentenced him to be burned alive. be burned alive rather than to betray the faith in the To the executioner who was having trouble least in order to keep their lives. carrying out his orders against the majordomo, In canonizing them, the Church has exalted Joseph said, “A Christian who gives his life for them as models not just for Catholics in Africa, God has no reason to fear death. Tell Mwanga but in Ireland, America and across the globe. that he has condemned me unjustly, but I forgive Father Landry is pastor of St. Anthony of him with all my heart.” After that, the executioner Padua Parish in New Bedford.

Putting Into the Deep

E

St. Paul and the Trinity

God is infinite. ach of us, whether we Jesus reveals the reality of realize it or not, learned the One God in Three Persons about the Trinity when we learned to make the Sign of the to us. He spoke of himself as Cross, to bless ourselves “in the the only Son of God, and of God as his Father. He promised name of the Father, and of the to send to those who believe in Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

In a similar way, when St. Paul speaks about God, he never Living the uses the word “Trinity,” which is a word you Pauline Year will find nowhere else in the Bible either.

By Father It took the Church Karl C. Bissinger literally centuries to understand, develop, and define the doctrine him his Holy Spirit, the gift of of the Trinity. This happened the Father, which is also God largely through a process of himself. trial and error, or more preSt. Paul says nothing so cisely, through a process of clear in his writings about correcting mistaken notions as the Trinity as Jesus’ words in they emerged over the years.

John’s Gospel: “Whoever has Nevertheless, the Trinity seen me has seen the Father. always remains a mystery we humans will never fully under- Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in stand. Even if we live forever,

I

7

The Anchor

June 5, 2009

me?” (Jn 14:9-10). “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of Truth.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you” (Jn 14:16-17a,18,20).

Here we see the three distinct Persons of the Trinity, each with a unique relationship to the other two, each sharing a reciprocal love for the others, yet always united as one God, inseparable from each other. Where one divine Person is, there also are the other two with him.

In any case, we must admit that St. Paul does speak of the God of Israel in terms of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of several of his letters, the

A sore sight for eyes

t’s getting more and more Red Sox Nation owes a great does anyone else wonder if he difficult to watch. It’s like deal to Big Papi. He put on quite dons a new pair each game?) watching a video of one of Elvis’ a show for the past five years.

My gut feeling is that Big Papi last concerts. It’s like driving past He deserves our respect and our should sit for a week or two. Send a junk yard and catching a glimpse patience. him down to Florida to work on of a ’67 Volkswagon Beetle slowly I don’t think we’ve seen the his swing and forget about having corroding into an oxidized to carry this team. heap. It’s like watching I truly feel that if he the profile of the Old would do that, we’d see Man of the Mountain in the big guy rise like the Franconia Notch, N.H. Phoenix. melt into oblivion like Big Papi will be back the Wicked Witch of the — with a vengeance

By Dave Jolivet West. And it’s like watch— evoking memories ing me try to softly land a of Elvis in the ’50s, a 40-yard nine-iron shot on Beetle in its prime, and to the green. last of Ortiz hammering a mamthe Young Man of the Mountain None of these are pretty sights moth blast to cap a comeback win — all sights to behold. But when in the least. for the Home Towne Team. It’s he does return to form, I still won’t That’s what it’s been like for not time for the scrap heap for Da- expect my nine-iron shots to travel Red Sox fans to watch Big Papi vid — how we would miss the big anywhere else but 50 yards over David Ortiz at the plate for the last guy spitting into his batting gloves the green. Some things are simply two months. between each pitch. (By the way, lost causes.

There was a time when there was a buzz in the stands when From award-winning memoirist Richard J. Ward, Papi simply stood in the on deck this trilogy of inspirational books: circle. The anticipation of another heroic at bat electrified the Grampas Are For All Seasons (5th printing) stadium.

“A book of timeless quality, a classic of its genre Now there seems to be a deafand a perfect gift for fathers of all ages.” eningly silent collective “oh no,” wafting above Fenway Park.

Big Papi is struggling. Not only The Fragrance of Heliotrope: is he not producing, his at-bats are The Presence of Cecillia almost pathetic sights.

“A beautiful tribute to an outstanding woman, wife, He’s not old and obese like Elmother, accomplished professional, who nobly battled vis the elder. He’s not rusting away diabetes for 42 years.” Writer’s Digest like an old VW. He’s not falling apart piece by piece like the mountain man. But he’s not the Big Papi My Last Dungarees (forthcoming) we all know, love and expect.

“Ward’s compelling narrative illustrates how service Tito Francona has been very pato the greater community that extends literally to the tient with the big guy, as he should further reaches of the globe can provide intellectual, be. He’s given him an occasional material and spiritual rewards to which most of us aspire.” day off; and he’s moved him down - Prof. Richard J. Larschan, University of Massachusetts in the batting order, all with the Available at local book stores, Amazon.com, & other internet sources, same results — a swing like my or direct from Authorhouse: 1.888.280.7715 40-yard nine-iron shot — ugly.

My View From the Stands

Apostle uses a form of greeting that alludes to the Persons of the Trinity. The clearest and fullest instance of this wording, however, comes at the end of the Second Letter to the Corinthians: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2Cor 13:13). All three Persons are there.

We may note that St. Paul often refers to the Father simply as “God.” At the beginning of the same letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle makes clear that he is speaking of the Father: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement” (2Cor 1:3). Furthermore, by calling Jesus “Lord,” Paul is recognizing the divinity of the Son. Jesus is God and deserves this title (Cf. also Col 1:3).

St. Paul elaborates on the relation between the Father and the Son by means of the socalled “Christological Hymns,” which appear in his letters.

Whether these are poetic works that the Apostle himself wrote or whether he learned them from the early Christian community, Paul incorporates them into his own writing and uses them to do effective teaching.

We can read and meditate on these on our own: Col 1:15-20; Eph 1:3-10; Phil 2:6-11.

Instead of giving a complete portrait of the inner workings or the inter-relationships among the three divine Persons of the Trinity, St. Paul tends to point out their outward missions. Instead of focusing on the internal life of the

Godhead, he describes their presence in our world and within us. In a few short lines, the Apostle is able to give us a great summary: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are [his] children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out ‘Abba! Father!’ So, you are no longer a slave, but a son or daughter, and if a son or daughter then also an heir, through God” (cf. Gal 4:4-7).

In this way, the Spirit makes us adopted children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Christ and coheirs with the Son (cf. Rom 8:17,23,29). In fact, we become “Temples of the Spirit” (cf. 1Cor 6:19). For, St. Paul assures us that the Spirit dwells in us (cf. Rom 8:9).

And, if the Spirit lives in us, so does the Father and the Son. From what St. Paul teaches us, we can clearly see that we have an intimate relationship with the Holy Trinity through faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The smallest infant receives this very gift at baptism. One needs not earn a degree in theology for God to reside in his or her heart. Along with Carlo Carretto, we could conclude, “The Trinity becomes a reality in us as the guest of the soul.

Why go on searching for God beyond the stars when he is so close to us, within us?”

Father Bissinger is vocation director of the Diocese of Fall River and secretary to Bishop George W. Coleman.

8

The Anchor

“G

o, and make disciples of all nations.

Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The mystery of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A mystery we may not comprehend until we enter the kingdom. We who live in these latter days, after the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have been blessed to know that Jesus Christ walked the earth as one of us, a historical person.

To us has been revealed that the Messiah, the anointed one, is none other than God’s only son.

He walked among us humbly, the child of a carpenter, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and forgiving sinners. He told us to follow after him, but he never asked us to do anything he had not done himself.

Speaking of the last judgment, Jesus told us the righteous would be heirs with him and inherit the kingdom. St. Paul reaffirms in today’s second reading from Romans 8 that we are children of God through

Too good to be true

adoption, and heirs as well, with very Body and Blood in the holy Christ.

Eucharist to strengthen us for the Through Jesus we come to journey. To help us understand know the Father and the Holy that mystery, he foreshadowed it Spirit. with the miracle of feeding more Jesus told us: “The Father than 5,000 people with five is in me and I am in the Father, loaves of bread and two pieces and he who sees me sees the of fish, and then had 12 baskets Father and he who knows me left over. Jesus, who fed 5,000, knows the Father.” It is through Jesus’ loving acts and words that we Homily of the Week come to know the great Holy Trinity love that God our Father Sunday has for us, something that those who lived

By Deacon before Jesus Christ could Robert L. Surprenant not imagine.

On Easter Sunday night Jesus said to the disciples in the locked room, feeds his Body and Blood to “As the Father has sent me, so people throughout the world.

I send you.” Then he breathed While the Holy Trinity reon them and said, “Receive the mains a mystery to us, through Holy Spirit.” The same Holy Jesus Christ we come to know Spirit you and I received at the Father and the Holy Spirit. baptism and confirmation; the To us is extended the peace Holy Spirit who leads us and of Christ on earth, and the inviempowers us as we seek to lead tation to eternal life with God in a Christian life, following after heaven, together with all of the Jesus. But that was not enough grace necessary to attain it. We for Jesus who also gave us his have been blessed with so much

that sometimes it may seem too good to be true. Is there anything worth risking the kingdom for, such as temporary riches, power or pleasure?

The Psalm tells us that the length of our days is 70 years or 80 if we are fortunate. As appealing as something may be to us, is it worth the risk of eternal life with God? Moses correctly told his people in today’s first reading, you must now know and fix in your hearts, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and the earth below. You must keep his statutes and Commandments that you, and your children after you, may prosper. How often do we take for granted, or even forget the many ways God has blessed us, that we prosper. We can “fix in our hearts” the many ways we have been blessed by giving thanks at the start of each day for the specific blessings we’ve received.

Our life experiences teach us we cannot keep God’s statutes

and Commandments perfectly on our own. We each need the gift of the sacraments to lead a Christlike life, particularly the holy Eucharist. We are strengthened, we are empowered, by the Body and Blood of Christ. And we need the sacrament of reconciliation for those times when we have fallen short of the mark, to receive forgiveness for our sins and the grace to go and sin no more.

Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of Pentecost: when Jesus breathed his Holy Spirit upon the disciples, and sent them forth to proclaim the Good News, and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, rejoicing in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, looking forward with joy to that day when we will be united face to face with our God in the kingdom of heaven.

Deacon Surprenant is assigned to St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown.

He and his wife, Diane, are parents of six children and 13 grandchildren.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. June 6, Tb 12:1,5-15,20; (Ps) Tb 13:2,6-8; Mk 12:38-44. Sun. June 7, Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity, Dt 4:32-34,39-40; Ps 33:4-6,9,18-20,22; Rom 8:14-17; Mt 28:16-20. Mon. June 8, 2 Cor 1:1-7; Ps 34:2-9; Mt 5:1-12. Tues. June 9, 2 Cor 1:18-20; Ps 119:129-133, 135; Mt 5:13-16. Wed. June 10, 2 Cor 3:4-11; Ps 99:5-9; Mt 5:17-19. Thu. June 11, Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Ps 98:1-6; Mt 5:30-26. Fri. June 12, 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 116:10-11,15-18; Mt 5:27-32.

T

June 1979 — The nine days of John Paul II

hirty years ago this week, the Bishop of Rome returned to Poland for the first time since his recent election to the papacy. America’s premier Cold War historian, John Lewis Gaddis of Yale, is not ambiguous in his judgment of what happened next: “When John Paul II kissed the ground at the Warsaw airport on June 2, 1979, he began the process by which communism in Poland — and ultimately everywhere — would come to an end.” Professor Gaddis is right: the Nine Days of John Paul II, June 2-10, 1979,

were an epic moment on which not exist. Rather, he spoke over, the history of the 20th century around, and beyond the regime pivoted, and in a more humane directly to the people of Poland, direction. not about what the world usually What did John Paul talk about during the nine days? He didn’t talk about politics; indeed, beyond the ritual exchanges of formalities with government

By George Weigel officials at the arrival ceremony in Warsaw on June 2 and the departure ceremony from Cracow on understands as power, but about June 10, the pope acted as if the people power — the power of Polish communist regime did culture and spiritual identity.

“You are not who ‘they’ say you are,” the pope proposed, in a number of variations on the same theme; “let me remind you who you really are.”

During the nine days of June 1979, John Paul II gave back to his people their history, their culture, and their identity. In doing so, he gave Poles spiritual tools of resistance that communism could not match. And he did all that by reminding his people that “Poland” began with its 10th century baptism — with its incorporation into the Christian world. That reminder created a moral revolution that eventually brought down the communist god that failed. For on June 4, 1989, Solidarity swept the first reasonably free elections in post-war Polish

The Catholic Difference

history and set in motion an unstoppable chain of events across east central Europe. The Iron Curtain collapsed in Poland, five months before the Berlin Wall fell in Germany.

What can we learn from the nine days, three decades later? Several important things, I’d suggest.

The first thing the nine days and the subsequent Solidarity revolution teach us is that history doesn’t work through politics and economics alone. The power of the human spirit can ignite world-historical change.

The second lesson from the nine days is that tradition can be as powerful a force for dramatic social and political change as a revolutionary rupture with the past. “Revolution,” in the Solidarity experience, meant the recovery of lost values and cultural truths and their creative re-application to new situations. Tradition, according to an old theological maxim, is the living faith of the dead — a lively faith that can move history forward rather than dragging it backwards.

The third thing we ought to learn from the nine days and what followed in Poland is that moral conviction can be the lever once sought by Archimedes — the lever with which

to move the world. There is nothing more potent in history, for good or ill, than ideas. The history of the 20th century prior to 1979 had been unspeakably bloody because of the power of false ideas and lies. The Solidarity revolution proved that the opposite could also be true, with its insistence on truth-telling amidst the communist culture of prevarication (or, as one famous slogan of the day had it, “For Poland to be Poland, 2+2 must always = 4”).

The fourth thing we learn from the Nine Days and the moral revolution they ignited is that “public life” and “politics,” “civil society” and “politics” are not the same. Rather, the health of politics depends on the moral health of civil society.

And the fifth thing we learn about from the nine days of John Paul II is what the pope later came to call “the subjectivity of society.” Free associations of men and women who are citizens, not subjects, are where democrats are made, for it’s in those free associations that we learn the habits of heart and mind that make it possible for us to be selfgoverning.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

Let the chips fall where they may

The grounds crew has preSaturday 30 May 2009 — pared the playing field. This out standing in the field — the involves marking out a grid.

Dighton Cow Chip Festival ontrary to popular opin- Squares on the grid are sold ion, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Remember my telling you how Reflections of a some Las Vegas churchParish Priest es accept casino chips in the collection basket?

By Father Tim This is one practice I Goldrick fervently hope stays in Vegas. We have no casinos in Dighton, but we have in advance. The event raises thousands of dollars for charity. chips. Ours are “cow chips.”

When everything is just right, I wouldn’t want to find a cow the All-Stars are led over from chip in the collection basket. the Bristol County AgriculYes, dear readers, it’s time tural High School, located once again for Dighton’s big just around the corner. The sporting event, the 21st annual contestants are three carefully Cow Chip Festival. Townsfolk selected bovine beauties, AKA wait all year for this. On the cows. appointed day, town officials, These animal athletes have families, senior citizens and trained strenuously for the visitors from around the world gather in the field behind Town championship event. Training consists of scoffing lunch imHall.

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The Anchor

June 5, 2009

The Ship’s Log

mediately prior to the contest.

The cows are then rushed onto the playing field while the entire town stands around waiting for nature to take its course. It’s as actionpacked as any televised golf tournament. Once the ruminants assume their positions, the crowd falls silent, speaking only in whispers so as not to startle the concentration of the cows. Some time may pass before an announcement is heard over the public address system, “Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls — we have a cow flap!” The crowd roars, unable to contain its enthusiasm any longer.

The honorable judges scurry onto the field with their measuring tapes. These are no run-of-the-mill referees, but important town officials and well-known local personali-

The strength behind the smile

paths of her native place, which s another Marian month she trod alongside her Son and draws to a close, we can his disciples, who heard the look back at May breakfasts and familiar parables of rocky soil Mary altars, rosary devotions and roadside villains. How far and the crowning of Our Lady, removed are the sunny songs of each offered by those who know earnest children from the proud the benefits of drawing nearer sophistry flung at the teacher to the Mother of God. Included from Galilee, or the jeers of in this busy month are the first those hostile to the notion of Communions which draw great turning the other cheek. numbers of baptized Catholics Most of all, isn’t the dedicatback to into parishes that many have abandoned at some point for various reasons. Squeezed into long-familiar pews, they look about with equally long memories, often balancing their childBy Genevieve Kineke hood recollections with their own justification for wandering away. ed shifting of beads which recall Surely, the pretty dresses and epic struggles between light and veils and songs about flowers dark a consolation to both the are sentimental touches dear Mary and her faithful children? to children and old ladies. Can As each mystery unfolded in Mary handle more than the lispher very life, Our Lady relied ing prayers of little ones or the for strength on her singular ancient sighs of those ready for relationship with the Holy Spirit, heaven? Can she really know of for she walked by faith herself the grave concerns of hard-workin uncharted territory amidst ing adults in the prime of staking those who were unsure of both their claim on this world? landscape and true destination.

For those who cleave to the Although many dismiss those Church in all seasons, such very beads as a distracting or questions are astonishing. Deuseless talisman, they neglect spite the crowns of fresh flowers the standing invitation to graft placed delicately on demure contemporary concerns onto the statues, the faithful know that sturdy tree under which Mary Our Lady knew hardship in her stood as the culmination of her pilgrimage to God. The stark hope in Christ. chill of the Nativity far from the The Church holds the fervent comforts of home was only one hope that these familiar hymns stop on her long journey from and childhood recollections the Annunciation forward. will winnow their way into The dewy petals offered now the soul and draw out its best are far removed from the dusty

The Feminine Genius

inclinations. What was taught in childhood — whether through the witness of pious grandparents, or the fidelity of faithful priests, or the comforts of homes built on love — is grounded in the truth of God’s abiding grace which is sufficient to prevail over every trial imaginable.

Trust in those affections and the deeper reality they bear.

For those whose childhoods exhibited more shortcomings than strengths, it may be harder to get past the aches and disappointments, but the truth about love remains. Although mother-love may look merely sentimental and its essential bridge to fatherhood a perilous construct, the reality cannot be eradicated by these family tragedies.

This Mary knows. Such disappointments began with the fall, from which we all suffer.

Although untouched by original sin, her sorrows are comprised of ours and compounded when we neglect to ask for her intercession.

Sweet songs and flowers should never mask the strength behind the smile. Mary met sin head-on so that her children might be spared. The heart of the Church is sacrificial love and blood poured out, which should never be confused with sentimental trifles.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman “(Servant Books). She can be found online at www. feminine-genius.com.

ties. While the crowd holds its breath, anxiously awaiting a decision, the officials precisely measure the grid to ascertain in which square the “cow flap” has flopped. The stakes are high. If the first cow chip should happen to fall (mostly) in your square, you win the grand prize of $500. This prize would come in handy in today’s economy. I’m unsure as to whether or not one is expected to pay taxes on cow flaps. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. Everything else seems taxable these days.

The grand prize is only the beginning. There are still two more cows on the field. The deposit of the second cow is worth $300. The contribution of the third cow is worth $200.

No one would ever turn up his or her nose at this and leave before the final play is made.

A couple of years ago, the event took an unusual turn. One of the cow contestants, after giving it her best shot, had to be taken from the field. Sports injury? No. She had gone into labor. Everything worked out in the end. The calf was delivered in the privacy of the barn.

This year, there was another complication. One of the experienced Cow Chip judges, Nancy Goulart, is a member of the Board of Selectmen and a parishioner here at St. Nicholas. She was scheduled to be installed as a member of the Parish Finance Council at 4 p.m., the vigil of Pentecost, but would the cows perform on time? Nancy had to do her civic duty and wait until the cows came home. It was a schedule conflict between church and state unforeseen in Constitutional Law. Our parish community planned to use the full ritual of the vigil of Pentecost with all the options available. Contribut-

ing to this decision was the fact that members of the first Parish Finance Council and the first Parish Pastoral Council would be commissioned that day.

In our diocese, the pastor appoints the Parish Finance Council. Parishioners determine most of the Parish Pastoral Council members.

There are a few appointees and ex officio members. Parishioners here nominated more than 100 people for the Parish Pastoral Council. In a process of choice and chance, nominees who were unable or unwilling to attend the two preliminary meetings withdrew. This combination of faith and fate has a long history in the Church. The Apostles chose a replacement for Judas by first praying and then drawing straws.

Information night narrowed the field to some 30 “survivors.” At discernment night, the remaining candidates spent little over an hour in prayer.

After three rounds of sharing, the candidates themselves had discerned who among them would be my Pastoral Councilors. The group gathered for the prayer of the laying on of hands around those chosen. The Holy Spirit had spoken.

We now have a Parish Pastoral Council. It’s onwards and upwards. Let the chips fall where they may.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.

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The Anchor

June 5, 2009

Lessons of love in the little things

By Michael Pare Anchor Correspondent

“I have changed my way of looking at things after having known her,” she said. “She just WAREHAM — If it is Sunday morning, spends all of her time being helpful to peothen Claire Gordon is up early and on her way ple.” to St. Anthony’s, the small mission church on Tripp marvels at Gordon’s commitment and Gault Road in West Wareham that is among the unassuming way in which she approaches the many ministries of St. Patrick’s Parish. her work.

Gordon is the Sunday morning sacristan.

“She does everything in a quiet way,” said She unlocks the doors. If it is winter, she is Tripp. “When something needs to be done, she there early to turn on the heat. She cares for just does it. She takes great care in everything the linens and holy garments. She makes sure that she does.” the candles have not burned too low and their But there must be more to it than that, Tripp holders are properly polished. is asked. How in fact, could one woman’s “Not many people devotion to her parwant to go to Mass an ish change her way of hour early to turn the looking at things? heat on and then stay “She spends all of late,” said Father Arher time being helpful nold R. Medeiros, pasto people,” said Tripp. tor of St. Patrick’s. “I “She is always giving. appreciate that.”

Whenever I am talkGordon also serves ing to her, she is doing as an extraordinary something for me.” minister of holy ComAnd that’s it. Tripp munion and has helped sees in Gordon a beauto coordinate parish tiful selflessness. And flea markets. If there is so do others. So by her a funeral to be held at simple acts, Gordon is St. Anthony’s, Gordon in her own way acting is always there to make as an evangelist for her sure everything is in its faith. She is inspiring proper order. She is a others. member of the CathoGordon is asked to lic Charities Appeal consider all of this. And Parish Committee. she does. That brings She does all of this us back to that special without fanfare. She person in her life who does it without any extaught her that beautipectation or desire for ful lesson of doing for recognition. She does ANCHOR PERSON OF THE WEEK — Claire others. It brings Gorit because it is a quiet Gordon. don back to her childway to give to others. hood and the example Doing for others, her mother Ida always living one’s faith, rather than talking about it, was to her and her five siblings, raising them that is a lesson someone very special taught as a single mother.

Gordon many years ago … but more on that “She raised six children by herself and she later. always gave to people and did for people …

A native of Onset Village, Gordon is 80. She and for us,” said Gordon. “We never went withand her husband Colin raised three children in out.”

Wareham and now enjoy the fact that their five It was a lesson that took deep root in Gordon. grandchildren live on their street. Family is Somehow, her mother made it work. There was important to the Gordons. always a warm meal. There were always clean “It is a simple life,” she said. “And I say we clothes ... even when times were tough. And yet, live in ‘God’s country’ because we’re always the children learned another lesson from their cool in the summer.” mother. They learned that it was also important Both Claire and Colin worked for New to care about others. The lessons they heard at England Telephone, she retiring in 1986, he in Mass on Sunday mornings, they saw in practice 1985. every day of the week.

Gordon’s dedication to her parish does not “That’s all I can hope that my grandchildren strike her as especially noteworthy. But you get from me,” said Gordon. talk to Father Medeiros and others, and you Thinking back now, after all these years, get the sense that the way in which she lives Gordon realizes the most profound lesson her her faith leaves a profound impression on mother delivered was illustrated through the those who bare witness to it. Father Medeiros little things. The warm meals each evening considers her a wonderful example for others. were more than meals. The ironing was more “She has been instrumental in so many of than ironing. They were necessary acts, yes. the things that we do,” he said.

But each time they were carried out, they carHer dedication has not gone unnoticed by ried with them a message. fellow parishioners, as well.

“We knew that she loved us,” said Gordon.

Theresa Tripp, for example, has been active And now Gordon delivers those same lessons at St. Anthony’s for 30 years, volunteering as a in the simple way that she lives her faith. sacristan and giving of her time for the parish.

To nominate a Person of the Week, send an For the past decade she has had the opportu- email message to FatherRogerLandry@Annity to witness Gordon’s devotion up close. chorNews.org.

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The Anchor

June 5, 2009

Family Ministries’ Rosary Fest is tomorrow

NORTH EASTON — “The family that prays together stays together.” Servant of God Congregation of Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton’s famous motto is ever so true. Faithful are urged to make time in their family’s busy schedule and join in on a fun, prayerful outdoor celebration at the Family Rosary Fest tomorrow.

With a Living Rosary, praise

and worship music and inspiring talks everyone in the family will enjoy the afternoon at the stadium at Stonehill College in North Easton from 1 to 4 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. It is being promoted

by Holy Cross Family Ministries as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Father Peyton.

Families from all over New

England are encouraged to participate in this multi-cultural,

multi-lingual event which will include several witness talks, including a keynote on “Returning to the Rosary,” by Bishop George W. Coleman, and a talk by Gerrie Stadelmann, recent survivor of the attack in Mumbai, India, where she and her husband prayed the rosary waiting for assistance to arrive.

Other speakers include Father George Harrison, pastor of

Holy Name Parish in Fall River; Bishop Yves-Marie Pean, CSC, from Gonaive Haiti; Silveria Furtado from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New Bedford; and Father John Phalen, CSC, President of Holy Cross Family Ministries.

For more information on the “Family Rosary Fest,” go online to www.HCFM.org or call 508238-4095 or 800-299-7729.

Catholic combines faith, high-tech savvy to invent new Bible format

WASHINGTON (CNS) — One of the oldest and most read books in the world now has a new, high-tech look. And it weighs only five grams, or one-hundredth of a pound.

“God on the Go” is a USB flash drive containing the complete Bible in the “New Revised Standard Version” or the “New Testament of the New American Bible.” It is currently available only for PCs but a Maccompatible version is expected out this summer.

Inventor Mark Mastroianni, a member of St. Edna Parish in Arlington Heights, Ill., said in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service that the idea for “God on the Go” came to him in prayer when he was asking God how he could bring together his Catholic faith and his background in technology and product development.

“Why not combine the Bible with commonly used and readily accessible technological platforms?” he recalled thinking. After months of research and talks with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which holds the U.S. copyright on the New American Bible, “God on the Go” was born.

Mastroianni was pleased to learn that the device also offers the ecologically aware a “green” alternative to the printed Bible, since the thin pages of most Bibles require the use of a specialty ink that is “very toxic to users and in the manufacturing process.”

“God on the Go” also has special appeal for the millennial gen-

eration, no longer used to reading the printed word and instead accustomed to getting all their information in front of a computer screen, he said.

The USB flash drive offers a number of advantages over a hefty version of the printed Bible, Mastroianni said. It can be carried around on a key chain, and because the Bible only takes up 10 percent of the space on the flash drive, the

THE GOSPEL IN A FLASH — This is the “God on the Go” USB flash drive containing the complete Bible in the New Revised Standard Version or the New Testament of the New American Bible. (CNS photo illustration/Bob Roller)

user can add his or her own photos, songs or important documents to carry along with the Bible.

It also includes a verse/subject index, allows users to bookmark favorite passages and can take users directly to the daily New American Bible readings on the USCCB Website.

Mastroianni worked with Dominican Father Jordan J. Kelly,

director of the Office of Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Chicago, on the project “almost from day one” and pilot tested “God on the Go” with a group of students at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights during the fall semester of 2008.

The “feature that got the greatest response” from the 200 sophomores who tested it, according to Mastroianni, was a “mini-concordance” which gives users the ability to scroll through a list of feelings and to be linked to a Bible passage relevant to that emotion.

“I never thought the Bible could be this cool,” he reported one student as saying.

Through www.4Marks.com, a Catholic social networking site, users of “God on the Go” also can trade their lists of favorite Bible passages with their friends.

The device can also be customized for group sales to parishes, schools and universities, Mastroianni said. “The face of the physical drive can be etched” with a name or logo, he added.

Mastroianni hopes to have the full New American Bible available on a “God on the Go” device by sometime next year, pending the U.S. bishops’ and Vatican approval of a new translation of the Old Testament.

“God on the Go” is available through Acta Publications, www. actapublications.com, and at bookstores. For more information, go to www.WordofGodToGo.com.

Immaculée Ilibagiza

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The Anchor

June 5, 2009

Book says young women attracted to orders whose members wear habits

By Roxanne King Catholic News Service DENVER — While the last 40 years have seen an overall drop in the numbers of women entering religious life, a new book released by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious says orders that are more visibly countercultural seem to be flourishing.

The council represents the superiors of more than 100 religious communities of Sisters whose members wear an identifiable religious habit. A canonically approved organization founded in 1992 to promote religious life in the United States, the council notes that the average age of its member communities’ Sisters is under 35.

The book, titled “The Foun dations of Religious Life: Revisiting the Vision” and published

by Ave Maria Press, is a project of the council. It explores why the orders represented by the council are gaining numbers and how they are living out the vision of consecrated life described by the Second Vatican Council.

The book, released May 16, consists of essays written by six religious Sisters representing five orders. The topics they address are: religious consecration, the spousal bond, the threefold response to vows, communion in community, and mission.

The Washington-based council is one of the two major organizations representing heads of women’s religious orders in the U.S. The other is the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

“We wanted to write something that says, ‘This is who we are and why we live this way,’” said Sister Prudence Allen, a Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, Mich., who wrote the book’s chapter on community life.

The other authors are: Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, a founding member of the Sisters of Life; Sister Mary Elizabeth Wusinich, also a Sister of Life; Sister Paula Jean Miller, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist; Sister Mary Dominic Pitts, a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tenn.; and Sister M. Maximilia

Um, a Sister of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George.

The introduction and conclusion were written by two canon lawyers, Sister Mary Judith O’Brien, formerly of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, and Sister Mary Nika Schaumber. They are Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich.

“The book seeks to answer the question of why religious institutes are needed in today’s society,” Sister Allen told the Denver Catholic Register, newspaper of the Denver Archdiocese.

“We’re hoping everyone will read it and love it,” she added with a laugh.

Sister Allen is a professor of philosophy at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver and author of the multivolume work “The Concept of Woman.”

Other religious Sisters of the Denver Archdiocese who belong to the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious joined Sister Allen’s interview with the Denver Catholic Register to discuss their enthusiasm for the book.

Young women want to be challenged to live the religious life, said Nashville Dominican Sister Mary Gertrude, principal of St. Vincent de Paul School in Denver. The Nashville Dominicans are among the orders experiencing the greatest success attracting new vocations, according to news reports.

“It’s very much a radical call to live and give yourself completely to Christ,” she said.

“There is a real identify to who we are and what we are about.”

“We want to put religious life in front of young women today,” said Mother Paul Magyar, superior of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who operate Mullen Home for the Aged in Denver.

She said the new book also should affirm existing vocations.

“I think it will help to strengthen the religious vocation that is already there,” she added. The book shows that “we are faithful and happy in our vocation.”

QUITE THE QUARTET — Animated characters are pictured in a scene from the animated movie “Up.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Disney)

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

“Dance Flick” (Paramount) Flat-footed genre satire with a minimal plot about the unlikely romance between a would-be ballerina (Shoshana Bush) and a street dancer (Damon Wayans, Jr.). Stumbles far outnumber leaps in director and co-writer Damien Dante Wayans’ rambling sendup, and a few of the gags are patently vulgar. Much sexual and some scatological humor, one use of the F-word, frequent crude and crass language, and occasional comic violence.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate

for children under 13.

“Drag Me to Hell” (Universal) Intentionally over-the-top horror tale in which a Los Angeles loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed to death and damnation by a woman (Lorna Raver) on whose home her bank is foreclosing and, with the reluctant support of her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long), enlists the aid of a fortuneteller (Dileep Rao) in her increasingly frantic efforts to undo the spell. Gross-out sight gags abound in director and cowriter Sam Raimi’s canny shockfest, but bloodletting is generally minimal and the occult elements, like the dubious premise that one person can consign another to Hades, need not be taken seriously. Some hand-to-hand violence, a premarital situation, a couple of uses of profanity and of the S-word, and a few crass terms.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is AIII — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Up” (Disney/Pixar) Off we go into the wild blue yonder — literally — with this instant classic, the story of Carl Frederickson (voice of Ed Asner), a grumpy septuagenarian

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father David M. Andrade, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Fall River

who decides to get away from it all by relocating his home to South America with the help of thousands of colorful balloons.

Joined by an earnest eight-yearold stowaway named Russell (Jordan Nagai), a gigantic squawking bird, and a “talking” dog, Carl finds the adventure of a lifetime as the ragtag group battles evil in the Venezuelan jungle. This touching fable from director/cowriter Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”) offers lessons for young and old on love and loss, marriage, friendship, and perseverance in a gorgeously rendered, very amusing and highly entertaining film. Some serious thematic material and a few scenes of intense peril may disturb small children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested.

DIOCESAN TRIBUNAL FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS Decree of Citation Since his present domicile is unknown,inaccordwiththeprovision of Canon 1509.1, we hereby cite Wayne R. Gutierrez to appear in person before the Tribunal of theDioceseofFallRiver(887Highland Avenue in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts) on June 19, 2009 at 2:30 PM to give his testimonyregardingthequestion: ISTHEREAL-GUTIERREZMARRIAGE NULLACCORDINGTOCHURCHLAW? Anyone who has knowledge of thedomicileofWayne R. Gutierrez isherebyrequiredtoinformhimof this citation.

Given at the offices of the Diocesan Tribunal in Fall River, Bristol County,MassachusettsonMay 29, 2009.

(Rev.)PaulF.Robinson,O.Carm., J.C.D. Judicial Vicar (Mrs.) Denise D. Berube Ecclesiastical Notary

June 5, 2009

The Anchor news briefs Bishop Lori: Connecticut officials trying to limit Church’s freedoms BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CNS) — Saying its First Amendment rights are being violated, the Diocese of Bridgeport is seeking a court order to stop state officials from what it calls “an unconstitutional application of state lobbying laws” to Church activities. Diocesan lawyers filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Hartford May 29 asking that a decision by the Connecticut Office of State Ethics determining the Bridgeport Diocese was subject to laws governing lobbying organizations be overturned. The decision stems from the diocese’s involvement in organizing a March 11 rally at the Connecticut Capitol in Hartford to oppose a bill that would have given laypeople financial control of their parishes.

The Church maintained that such a law would have been contrary to canon law. “The lobbying law of Connecticut is being used to limit free speech, to limit assembly, to limit freedom of religion,” Bishop William E. Lori said in announcing the lawsuit in a video posted on the diocesan Website. In a May 30 letter to Catholics across the diocese, Bishop Lori said that the state’s announcement came as a “shock” and that the Church in Bridgeport had no choice but to act to protect its constitutional rights.

Laypeople must share responsibility for Church, pope tells delegates ROME (CNS) — Laypeople are called not simply to help their priests run their parishes, but to share fully in the responsibility of building up the Church, Pope Benedict XVI told delegates to the annual convention of the Diocese of Rome. “This will require a change of mentality, especially regarding laypeople — to move from considering them to be the clergy’s collaborators to recognizing them as truly sharing responsibility for the existence and action of the Church,” the pope said during an evening talk at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The pope’s speech about the identity of the Church and the role of its members launched a three-day meeting by diocesan delegates to assess pastoral services and come up with ideas for strengthening the participation of Catholics in the life of their parishes and the diocese. The first step, the pope said, should be to improve education efforts so that people would understand what the Second Vatican Council meant when it described the Church as “the people of God” and the “body of Christ.”

Vatican offers new look at King Henry VIII’s marital breakdown VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A meticulous restoration and reproduction of a precious document from the Vatican Secret Archives brings new attention to one of the most complicated annulments in history — that of King Henry VIII and his queen, Catherine of Aragon. The document, a letter written in 1530 by members of England’s House of Lords, other nobility and members of the clergy, urged Pope Clement VII to annul the royal marriage because it had not produced a male heir and warned that, with no clear succession, England could be plunged into chaos and bloodshed. Pope Clement, as history shows, did not grant the annulment, and the ensuing rift with King Henry led to the establishment of the Church of England. During a press conference in May, Bishop Sergio Pagano, prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives, gave reporters a rare opportunity to see the restored parchment bearing the letter to the pope signed by 84 nobles and clergy and weighed down with more than six pounds of wax from the seals notarizing each signature.

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The Anchor

Catholic theologian Miguel Diaz nominated for Vatican ambassador

By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has nominated prominent Catholic theologian Miguel Diaz to become ambassador to the Vatican.

In a statement issued late May 27, the White House announced Diaz’s nomination, along with nominees for ambassadors to the United Kingdom, France, Japan, India and several other countries.

Diaz, 45, is a professor of theology at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, both in Collegeville, Minn. He is a board member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and former president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States.

His wife, Marian, is an adjunct instructor at St. Benedict and St. John’s.

Diaz served as a member of Obama’s Catholic advisory team during the campaign and was a regular campaign spokesman on Obama’s behalf, particularly in the Spanish-language press.

“I am very honored, grateful, and humbled that President Obama has nominated me to serve as ambassador to the Holy See,” said Diaz in a statement forwarded to Catholic News Service by the university. “If confirmed by the U.S. Senate I will continue the work of my predecessors and build upon 25 years of formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See. I wish to be a bridge between our nation and the Holy See.” A native of Havana, Diaz was praised as “a leading Hispanic theologian in the United States,” by Benedictine Abbot John Klassen, chancellor of St. John’s University.

In a comment emailed to CNS, Abbot Klassen said Diaz “is a skilled Trinitarian theologian who is passionate both as a teacher and a scholar. He is a strong pro-

ponent of the necessity of the Church to become deeply and broadly multicultural, to recognize and appreciate the role that culture plays in a living faith.”

Diaz would be the first Hispanic to represent the United States at the Vatican. Like several of Obama’s other prominent nominees — including Judge Sonia Sotomayor, nominated to the Supreme Court — Diaz comes from humble beginnings. His father worked as a waiter and his mother did data entry work, and their son was the first member of the family to attend college.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, called Diaz “an excellent choice because he knows very well the United States and because of his background in the Catholic Church.”

Latin Americans “should be very proud,” he told CNS during a symposium at The Catholic University of America that the archbishop was attending. Coincidentally, the topic of the daylong event was the history of U.S.-Vatican diplomatic relations.

In an interview with CNS during inaugural festivities in January, Diaz said he thought “the presidency of Barack Obama represents a new opportunity for all of us” for racial healing.

Diaz said Obama was “committed to working” with people who defend “life in the womb” and deeply respects people who hold positions he does not agree with.

The announcement of the nomination capped months of speculation about who Obama would select to represent him at the Vatican. In early April the Vatican press spokesman took the unusual step of shooting down persistent rumors that the Vatican had rejected several potential nominees, including Caroline Kennedy, supposedly because they support legal abortion.

“Wherever we can, we should advance

life at all stages,” Diaz said in January.

One White House source described Diaz as “clearly Pro-Life” and said the decision to select a respected theologian instead of a big fund-raiser or political mover and shaker is an indication “of how seriously the administration is taking the relationship with the Vatican.”

Diaz would fill the vacancy created by the departure of Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon, who was named ambassador in 2007 and left the post in January.

His Senate confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled. It was not known if it would come before Obama’s trip in early July to Rome, during which the president is expected to meet with Pope Benedict XVI. The statement from St John’s University noted that Diaz earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Fla., and his master’s and doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He previously taught at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.; St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla.; the University of Dayton in Ohio; and Notre Dame. The statement said he is fluent in Italian, Spanish and French.

The St. John’s statement said Diaz’s academic interests — besides his focus on the Trinity — also include theological anthropology and Latino/Latina theologies.

His published materials include the book “On Being Human: U.S. Hispanic and Rahnerian Perspectives” (Orbis Books, 2002), for which he received the Hispanic Theological Initiative’s 2002 Book of the Year award from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also is co-editor of the book, “From the Heart of Our People: Latino/a Explorations in Catholic Systematic Theology” (Orbis Books, 1999).

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The Anchor

Charitable efforts increase during economic downturn continued from page one

Through the combined efforts of several area St. Vincent de Paul Societies, the families were supplied with food, treated to homecooked meals at local parishes, and even provided with donated toys to give to their children at Christmas.

Stevens explained how they first learned about the situation when the motel contacted the diocesan Catholic Social Services office which, in turn, put a call out to Msgr. Edmund J. Fitzgerald, pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Somerset. Msgr. Fitzgerald then informed Diane McDonald, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in his parish, of the displaced families’ plight. McDonald recruited Stevens, a parishioner at St. Patrick’s Parish in Somerset, to assist knowing she had previously helped homeless families living at the Capri Motel in Dartmouth.

“We started going over to the Super 8 Motel and reached out to many local parishes,” Stevens said, noting they received monetary and personnel assistance from St. Vincent de Paul chapters at St. Thomas More Parish and St. John of God Parish in Somerset, and St. Louis de France Parish, St. Dominic’s Parish, and Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Swansea.

They also received a $3,500 grant from the national St. Vincent de Paul Society, administered through the St. Thomas More Parish affiliate, to assist the displaced families.

“The support from all the local St. Vincent de Paul Societies has just been outstanding,” she said. “We’ve had donations of all sorts. We’re now down to one family at the motel. Transitional assistance has moved many of the families into other shelters with more structured living arrangements.”

Charitable efforts like this are keeping St. Vincent de Paul conferences throughout the diocese busy these days.

While parish affiliates are mostly known for operating local soup kitchens, clothing drives and food pantries, St. Vincent de Paul Society Fall River district president Fred Ramos said they are involved in much more.

“We also help people who fall behind on their rent, to pay their utilities, or assist with other ailments,” Ramos said. “We recently used some of the money we raised to purchase a lift chair for a client.”

Ramos said one of their biggest fund-raisers last year was a benefit walk-a-thon held at Bristol Community College which added $19,600 to their coffers.

They’ll be holding another one this year on September 26 at BCC to replenish those funds.

“Right now we’re down to about $10,000 from last year that we’ll be distributing through September,” Ramos said. “What we’d like to do is surpass last year’s total.”

All of the money raised for the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be used to support parish soup kitchens, food pantries and other charitable efforts such as the summer program at Cathedral Camp in East Freetown.

“We’re recruiting children right now for the summer camp program,” said Dolores Ferro, district president for the St. Vincent de Paul Societies in the New Bedford area.

“We help support the Solanus Casey Food Pantry in New Bedford and also help people who are having difficulty paying their rent, utilities or who need furniture,” she added. “Basically anything that is needed, especially for families who are coming here

from third world countries with nothing.”

Like most areas in the diocese, Attleboro has a St. Vincent de Paul conference for each of the 12 parishes within its deanery.

“We have about 465 volunteers in the Attleboro area and we are now running five food pantries,” said Irene Frechette, special projects coordinator for the Attleboro district. “The requests for food over the past year have at least doubled or tripled, so we’re very busy.”

To emphasize how the economic climate has put an increased demand on their services, Frechette noted that between July 2008 and April 2009 they received more than 337 calls for assistance — whereas they received 336 calls in total over the previous 12 months.

“People are losing their jobs, their hours are being cut, and they are just having trouble keeping up because they were living hand-tomouth to begin with,” she said.

With an estimated 257 members working in the 11 St. Vincent de Paul conferences in the Taunton area, district president Richard Silvia estimated they have helped 4,326 families with food, electric, rent, gas, shelter, clothing and medication needs over the past year.

“As Vincentians, we follow in the footsteps of our founder, Frederic Ozanam, always keeping in mind that the person we are helping could be any one of us at anytime and to give thanks for what we have,” Silvia said.

“We’re blessed by God because we have the ability and the caring that comes from him to reach out to these people,” Stevens added, “but we can’t do it by ourselves.”

To help or get help, contact Catholic Social Services at 508674-4681, or any of the five St. Vincent de Paul chapters: Attleboro: 508-222-8059; Cape Cod: 774-392-1672; Fall River: 508679-5682; New Bedford: 508-9936677; Taunton: 508-823-6676.

June 5, 2009

U.S. seminarians finish second in Clericus Cup soccer tourney

ROME (CNS) — Dreams of glory for the Pontifical North American College soccer team were vanquished with a single corner kick to their goal in the final duel for the Clericus Cup tournament trophy.

The NAC Martyrs, the team fielded by the U.S. bishops’ seminary in Rome, finished the season with a respectable second place after going undefeated into the final match May 23 against a team from the Neocatechumenal Way’s Redemptoris Mater seminary.

The loss did not discourage the North American College rector, Msgr. James F. Checchio. “They’re winners,” he said after the game.

“They’re great men; they played hard and they keep improving.”

The important thing, he said, “is that they are coming together in unity and a spirit of cooperation, with brothers from other countries.”

The Clericus Cup tournament for priests and seminarians studying in Rome was established in 2006 and first played in 2007; it now involves 386 seminarians and religious from 69 countries.

Martyrs’ coach and goalie Gannon Jones said the loss was disappointing, “but I’m definitely pleased at our playing this year. This is the only game we lost, and only by one point. Our defense was very good.”

The key is “to put your good sportsmanship to Christ,” he said, because “winning is everything only if you win God.” Despite the heat and the high stakes for the title of champions, tempers appeared to be kept under control. A jab here and kick there, or a foul, didn’t set off the players as they might in match in a conventional league.

The blue “sin” card, an innovation of Clericus Cup play that signifies a timeout for “reflection” for any player who gets a little overheated, was not employed during the final match.

Hundreds of fans from both seminaries took shelter from the blazing sun under the covered stands on a hilltop soccer field that gave a unique, level view of the dome of

the nearby St. Peter’s Basilica.

To inaugurate the game, “Red Mat” players and supporters sang “Alma Redemptoris Mater,” while Martyrs’ fans sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” accompanied by a trumpeter.

Msgr. Checchio estimated that about half of the 208 seminarians at the North American College had come out to cheer on their red and blue team. An extremely enthusiastic fan club, they stamped their feet, pounded the roof, shouted “NAC, NAC, NAC ...” to the tune of “Barbara Ann” and “Yes, we can! Yes, we can!” or admonished the referee with taunting chants.

Three fans in full Captain America, King Kong and Elvis garb pranced about at halftime.

Bob Mucci, a fourth-year seminarian from Brooklyn, N.Y., said he followed the team from the beginning of the Clericus Cup and said the North American team members “have only gotten better every year.

Next year they’ll have to win.”

The Martyrs had hoped to win the leading scorer title with their Brazilian forward John Kalevski, who went into the game with 11 goals for the season. But he didn’t get the chance to surpass Edouard Sinayobye of the College of St. Paul, who finished the season with 12 goals.

Kalevski, who is studying for the Basilian order, wanted to play soccer, and because his house did not field a team he joined the Martyrs.

Center back Victor Ingalls, a first-year student from Montgomery, Ala., said after the game that not winning the cup “is a disappointment, but it’s a joy to be able to be in Rome and have all teams with the same goal — the joy in Christ.”

Winning is not the point, he said. “We’re all here to glorify the Lord.” Games are friendly, he said, because many of the men are friends. “I know a lot of the players on Red Mat because we were at the Gregorian (a pontifical university) together.”

Claudio Starile, one of the referees for the Catholic sporting association that organizes the Clericus Cup, said that officiating at one of this league’s games is “like being on holiday” compared to a conventional match. “There is a big difference in behavior,” he said. “Here there is a real desire to play: In other matches there is more of a desire to be aggressive.”

Coach Jones said he got his team out twice a week for practice.

Of course, prayer is part of their game plan.

“We pray before and after a game — to not get injured and to enjoy it,” Jones said. “We pray to express ourselves, using the gifts that God gave us.”

June 5, 2009

Pope John Paul’s beatification delayed, Italian press reports

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The beatification of Pope John Paul II may be delayed as the Vatican seeks more documentation regarding his almost 27 years as pope, Italian newspapers reported in late May. According to the newspaper La Stampa, the chief holdup regards hundreds of letters he wrote before and after his election to Wanda Poltawska, a longtime friend and adviser to the pope.

Meanwhile, the newspaper Il Giornale, reported that a commission of theologians meeting in mid-May decided the information contained in the official “positio,” or position paper, was not complete enough. In particular, the newspaper cited the fact that Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state under Pope John Paul, and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, his deputy at the time, had not given testimony in the case.

Neither newspaper quoted any of the commission members by name nor included comments from current officials of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office, said June 1 there would be no official comment from the Vatican while the process was under way.

La Stampa published an in-

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terview with Poltawska June 1 in which she said she met Father Karol Wojtyla, the future pope, in 1950 when she was looking for a confessor and spiritual director to guide her in the long process of recovering from her internment as a political prisoner in the Nazis’ Ravensbruck concentration camp, where medical experiments were performed on prisoners.

Along with her husband and, often with their children, “we shared interests, important moments, spirituality and that love for nature that we experienced camping in the mountains of southern Poland and even in the golden cage that was (the papal villa at) Castel Gandolfo,” after his election as pope in 1978, she said.

“From the first time I met him I knew he would become a saint,” Poltawska said. “His holiness was evident, he radiated an interior light that was impossible to hide.”

Poltawska said she has a “suitcase full of his letters,” written over the course of 55 years.

“I cannot tell you how many I gave to the beatification cause,” because she took an oath of secrecy regarding the cause, she said. “I did not destroy any of them. I selected some and decided to publish them in Poland, even though some people did not agree,” she said.

Parental rights advocates score victory — for now continued from page one

Representatives Vinny deMacedo, Charles Murphy and Barbara L’Italien and Senators Mike Knapik, Stephen Brewer and Steven Panagiotakos.

The message: “Hold the line on funding for non-essential programs, including funding for antifamily political agendas targeting youth, such as programs promoted

by Planned Parenthood and the Gay and Lesbian Youth Commission.”

Specifically, the groups urge reduced funding for line items 70100005 (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) and 4590-0250 (Department of Public Health), which subsidize programs “geared specifically towards gay and lesbian youth that propagandize youngsters into flirting with dangerous sexual behavior.”

The alert states: “Though these programs sound innocuous, they are not. They are the primary venue for special interest groups to get their political agenda into the schools, overriding the constitutional rights of parents.”

Another pro-family activist group, Waltham-based MassResistance.org, is also lobbying against these funding these two items plus earmarks for “suicide and violence prevention outreach to gay and lesbian youth” in line item 4513-1130 (Department of Public Health.)

Its May 26 email alert notes: “‘Suicide and violence prevention’ is a cynical and dishonest codeword for homosexual programs in schools.” The group credits grassroots lobbying with getting all tax dollars previously given to the controversial Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth eliminated.

“This is big,” the report states.

“People across the state stepped up and took action. It’s the first time in nearly 20 years that the homosexual lobby is cut out of all ear-

marked money.”

The Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth promotes clubs, school assemblies, programs and curriculum aimed at mainstreaming the active homosexual lifestyle.

It is not accountable to oversight and must by law include a member of the Boston chapter of GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network), a well-funded national activist group.

Rep. Robert Hargraves of Groton has filed a bill to repeal the commission. That bill — H 145 entitled “An act protecting children and parents” — is in the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Catholic Citizenship also plans to alert members to contact conference committeemen “to ensure that Catholic priorities be included” in the final budget proposal, according to Victor Pap, executive director the grassroots organization that encourages civic activism.

“On a positive note,” said Pap, a proposal to increase taxpayer funding of abortion and contraception was also defeated.

Planned Parenthood had sought to increase funding for these “services” from $4.8 million to $5 million. It’s this line item — 4513-1000

— that MFI, the Coalition and the FRC want eliminated entirely.

After both chambers of the Legislature approve the Conference Committee budget, the governor has 10 days to review it. He may approve or veto the entire budget, or veto or reduce particular line items or sections, but may not add anything.

The House and Senate may vote to override the governor’s vetoes by a two-thirds roll-call vote in each chamber.

The governor is expected to come out with a revised version of his own budget since revenues have dropped about $1.5 billion since he issued his first version, according to Evelyn Reilly, MFI director of public policy.

The final versions of both the House and Senate budgets can be found on the legislature’s home page, mass.gov/legis. The House version is HB4101 and the Senate’s is SB2060.

To receive email alerts on the budget process, contact info@ mafamily.org or info@coalitionformarriage.org. Catholic Citizenship’s Website is Catholic-citizenship.org; MCC’s Website is Macathconf.org and its phone number is 866-367-0558.

Rev. Msgr. John J. Oliveira, V.E. 106 Illinois St., New Bedford, MA 02745

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Youth Pages

June 5, 2009

HIGH REGARDS — The Coyle and Cassidy community recently gathered for its annual Honors Night. The evening culminated with the awarding of the Coyle and Cassidy Man and Woman of the Year Awards. Louise Scanlon presented the Joseph Scanlon Memorial Scholarships to this year’s Man and Woman of the Year, John Paul Sullivan and Kathryn Bolduc. The awards are reserved for one male and one female senior who best exemplify all that it means to be a Coyle and Cassidy student. From left: Sullivan, who will be attending Bryant University in the fall; Scanlon; and Bolduc, who will be attending Bridgewater State in the fall.

THEY DON’T CARE IF THEY EVER GET BACK — During the first-ever night baseball game at John Paul II High School in Hyannis, the loudspeakers blared “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” The traditional Crackerjacks were distributed to the crowd in honor of the occasion. From left, Matthew Laird, Cassie VanKleef, and Emily Fenuccio.

ONLINE DOGMA — Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield, looks on as the Class of 2009 from St. Mary’s School participated in the Diocesan Religion test.

GOING MOBILE — In accordance with the Diocesan Social Studies assessment policy, the students at Holy Name School in Fall River demonstrated their knowledge of Social Studies concepts in a variety of ways. Here, third-grade students display mobiles they created.

DEVELOPING HIS SKILLS — Sean Lamoureux, a photography teacher at Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth and alum of the class of ’04, received the Society Under 25 Gold Medal Award for his print titled, “MO1 2007, Archival Pigment Print,” from The Royal Photographic Society in London. A second print by Lamoureux titled, “MO2 2008, Archival Pigment Print,” was also chosen as a winner in the contest. Lamoureux received his award at the Allen & Overy LLP’s in London, England.

June 5, 2009

K

ids today are experts at testing the limits of their parents’ love for them. To parents, it’s no longer shocking that their children try to get away with a fast one. However, kids are sometimes surprised to learn that there is no limit to their mother’s and father’s love for them. All parents ask for in return is that same love and to obey some simple rules.

“More rules” — I know that thought just came to your mind. If you’re under 18, the law defines you as a minor.

Many things afforded adults 18 and over, you must get permission for; other things you just cannot get until you reach adulthood. Is that really a bad thing? Or is it more of an inconvenience? Either way, you could make your parents’ efforts to protect you more difficult and challenging. After all, they’re only upholding the promises they made at your baptism: rejecting sin, so as to give you a life in freedom as a child of God, and, believing in

Youth Pages Parental consent

God and in his Church, so as ficult to overcome, let alone to give you the hope of a life a physical one. How many of everlasting. your friends have regretted Parental consent is not getting a tattoo? Be careful meant in any way to hurt you about acting on emotion — it or limit your freedoms. Movie could scar you far longer than ratings, PG-13, NC-17, R, you might imagine. for example, are not meant A couple of years ago, my to prevent you from watching those movies, but simply to make you aware that certain content may have an adverse psychological affect on you or

By Ozzie Pacheco contradict your moral values. Having an open mind and the Spirit of right judgment should keep son, David, brought up the your moral values intact. Your idea of living on his own. parents can help here. After He was beginning his third all, they must accompany you year of college and felt that it if you’re under that age rating. was time for him to learn to How about body piercing or be independent. This wasn’t tattooing? Laws do exist that living at a college dorm or require minors to get parental college housing. He wanted consent before modifying their his own apartment here in the bodies. This isn’t a limitation city. My wife and I listened. of your freedom. It’s simply Mind you, back then he was a matter of understanding already no longer a minor, exactly what you are doing. but an adult. He didn’t have An emotional scar is very difto tell us anything — as far

Be Not Afraid

National spelling bee sees increase in Catholic school representation

By Carmen Blanco Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — For most people, the word “fackeltanz” has minimal significance.

For Anamika Veeramani, however, it was this word meaning a celebratory dance performed in Germany at royal weddings that eliminated Anamika from the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington May 27 and 28.

Anamika, 13, is a seventhgrader at Incarnate Word Academy in Cleveland. She was the only competitor educated at a Catholic school to advance to the championship finals, beating out 282 other competitors.

Despite her hectic schedule of taking private lessons in violin, Indian classical music, dance and golf, she somehow made time to study for the bee. It was her first appearance in a national competition.

This year’s spelling bee saw a record-breaking number of 293 participants as well as an increase in the number of competitors who attend parochial schools. This year, 24 participants were from parochial schools, nearly a two percent increase from last year.

St. John’s Catholic School in Hollywood, Md., was represented last year by Michael Dugan, 12, and was once again represented this year, by 12-year-old seventh-grader Jacqueline Smedley.

A number of competitors from Catholic schools made their appearance at the national spelling bee for

a second time this year including Joshua Ursua, 14, Quinn Meyer, 14 and George Jose, 13.

Joshua, who attended St. Joseph School in Shreveport, La., is a pianist and violinist who aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon. Quinn, who attended Mazzuchelli Catholic Middle School in Dubuque, Iowa, sang in his school’s choir. George, also a member of the choir at his school, St. Joseph’s in Wapakoneta, Ohio, is an altar server.

Tino Delamerced, 13, is a seventh-grader from Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, a private Catholic school, and a nationally ranked chess player who was one of two semifinalists representing Catholic schools. Anamika was the other.

Delamerced incorrectly spelled the word “clotrimazole” and did not advance to the finals. Anamika breezed through the semifinals with ease, earning a spot in the finals.

There, she correctly spelled “Anasazi,” “simnel,” “arrhostia” and “Neufchatel.” It was in the fifth round of the finals, with only six other competitors standing in her way to the grand prize, that Anamika came face to face with her 10-letter enemy.

“Fackeltanz.” A clear voice, belonging to Jacques Bailly, official word pronouncer and former champion, broke the silence in the grand ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel with his enunciation of the German word. Bright lights beamed down onto Anamika as the audience ea-

gerly awaited her response.

“I knew I didn’t know it because I hadn’t studied any German words,” Anamika told Catholic News Service in a phone interview May 29. “So I guessed and knew that I’d be lucky if I moved on to the next round.”

Anamika misspelled the word as she had predicted, saying, “I wasn’t angry with myself for not knowing it. It would’ve been worse if I had known it and then gotten it wrong.”

The spelling bee consisted of three preliminary rounds. The first part of the preliminary round consisted of a computer test that required participants to spell 50 words using a computer keyboard.

Only 25 of these words were scored but they were not told which ones these were.

The second and third preliminary rounds involved each contestant spelling one word on stage, earning three points for each correct answer. A total of 31 points was possible in the preliminary round and only 50 competitors moved on to the semifinals.

In the semifinal and final rounds, spellers were eliminated when they misspelled a word.

Kavya Shivashankar, 13, from Olathe, Kan., ultimately became the winner of the spelling bee.

Anamika finished in a threeway tie for fifth place. She hopes to compete again next year and gave next year’s competitors this advice: “Work as hard as you can but always remember to have fun.”

as the law is concerned. As parents we were grateful that he sought our consent. However, we quickly learned that David’s argument was based largely on emotion and not on the hard facts about living on one’s own. He was missing the bigger picture.

He wasn’t thinking outside the box. David came back down to reality once he began to realize the expense, alone, involved in being on your own.

Counsel and discernment, talking and listening, and lots of prayer have helped David understand that life is good at home. And when the time is ready for him to be on his own, he’ll know it, for it won’t be based solely on a passing emotional high, but on the love he has learned over the years from his parents, family and friends.

So, don’t be hasty in trying to understand your parents’ love for you simply as an

17 emotion — it is not. That love is a gift. St. Paul tells us so in Corinthians 1: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails.”

So you see, love is much more than an emotion. True love is a gift, a decision to sacrifice for the good of another.

Your parents’ love for you is nothing short of a miracle and a sacrifice. Keeping them involved in your life makes their love for you real and honors them as parents. St. John tells us that “God is love.” Indeed, God is not an emotion. God is real. God is real love.

God bless.

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

iPOPE — An image of Pope Benedict XVI is seen on a new Vatican Website as displayed on an Apple iPod touch in Rome. The new Website www.pope2you.net, features iPhone and Facebook applications aimed at reaching younger generations. (CNS photo/ Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)

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The Anchor

June 5, 2009

Two men to be ordained June 13

‘Year for Priests’ will express Church’s love for her clergy

He completed his studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and in 2006 received a master’s degree in Divinity and a master’s degree in Church history.

Deacon Peter Fournier, 28, who hails from Attleboro, grew up in Holy Ghost Parish, but later become a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist. He is the son of Permanent Deacon Paul F. Fournier and Florence Fournier. His deacon father, who serves at St. Joseph’s Parish in Attleboro, vested him in the deacon’s traditional garb of stole and dalmatic at his diaconal ordination on January 31 this year.

Following studies at the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and the North American College in Rome, he completed his theological studies at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton this year.

“I’ve had an awesome time ministering as a deacon at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton, baptizing children, preaching and being involved in getting people ready for marriage, all in preparation for the priesthood, and now comes the big step,” Deacon Fournier stated.

He related that the idea of becoming a priest began when he was in elementary school but increased gradually when he was junior in Attleboro High School.

ticularly Latin. He eventually succeeded in his studies to become a priest, and it eventually became clear his spiritual virtues far exceed his intellectual.

After founding an orphanage in Ars, he instructed the children in catechism. His catechetical instructions became very popular. He soon became renowned as a great confessor, and people worldwide came to him for the sacrament of reconciliation. During the last 10 years of his life, St. John Vianney spent 16 to 18 hours a day in the confessional.

He was esteemed as a model priest by Pope Pius X and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

Bishop George W. Coleman has asked Father Marcel H. Bouchard, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, to coordinate diocesan activities for the Year for Priests.

“When the Holy Father announced the Year for Priests, it was a very pleasant surprise,” Father Bouchard told The Anchor. “The Church lives through the efforts of her priests, and it’s very encouraging that the Church is taking this time to highlight the work of the priest serving the Church and her people. At this time, we need all the positive reinforcement we can get.”

In his announcing the Year for Priests, the pope said, “The centrality of Christ brings with it the correct appreciation of the ministerial priesthood, without which there would be neither the Eucharist, nor even the mission nor the Church herself. God is the only treasure which ultimately people desire to find in a priest.”

In a letter to all Catholic priests, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, told his brother priests, “The Church is proud of her priests wherever they may be found.” He added that priests are important “not for what they do but also for who they are.” Cardinal Hummes continued by saying that this is a time for the Church to say to its priests and “all the faithful and to wider society by means of mass media, that it is proud of its priests, loves them, honors them, admires them and that it recognizes with gratitude their pastoral work and the witness of their life.”

For some Catholics, the clergy sex-abuse scandal was a cause to skeptically view the Church and her priests. But what many fail to realize is that the scandal involved a very small percentage of the thousands of priests across the globe. Priests have unfairly been lumped into the “guilt by association” mentality of those who don’t understand the Church or who fail to listen to all sides of

continued from page one

“I regularly attended get-togethers with those discerning a vocation led by Father Craig A. Pregana, when he was director of the Vocations Office for the diocese. I continued thinking about it, prayed much about it and finally came to the decision to go for it … to see if it was for me,” he added.

He also pointed to the experience of knowing holy and cordial priests who demonstrated they were happy in their priesthood.

At his June 13 presbyteral ordination, Rev. Mr. Deston will receive the priest’s vestments of stole and chasuble from Father George C. Bellenoit, pastor of St. Pius X Parish on Cape Cod. He will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m., in St. Thomas More Church in Somerset, his home parish. The homilist will be Father Edward Correia, pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Fall River, where Deacon Deston had ministered prior to the diaconate.

Rev. Mr. Fournier will receive vestments at his ordination from Father Steven B. Salvador, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Fall River. He will celebrate his first Mass also on June 14, at 2 p.m. in St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton. The homilist will be Father Michael Medas, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, a friend of Deacon Fournier since seminary days.

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the story.

“The overwhelming majority of priests are people of great personal integrity, dedicated to the sacred ministry; men of prayer and of pastoral charity, who invest their entire existence in the fulfillment of their vocation and mission, often through great personal sacrifice, but always with an authentic love towards Jesus Christ, the Church and the people, in solidarity with the poor and the suffering,” said Cardinal Hummes.

“There are many who have distanced themselves from the Church in light of the scandals,” said Father Bouchard. “But this year will hopefully provide people the opportunity to think of who a priest is to them and what he does. Perhaps this can help us clarify for the laity the role a priest plays in a Catholic family.

Our work doesn’t stop after Sunday Mass each weekend.”

Father Bouchard will be working very closely with Father Mark R. Hession, diocesan director of Continuing Education and Formation of the Clergy, and pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville.

“Father Hession and I will work closely to formulate events throughout the year,” said Father Bouchard. “But the whole idea is not to mark special events, but rather to highlight just how special the day-to-day role of a priest is already.”

For many of the faithful, it’s easy to take for granted the holiness, self-sacrifice, and serviceoriented nature of a priest. “Sometimes we can be taken for granted, and none of us are by any means perfect, but what we do is important for the spiritual welfare of the flock and the Year for Priests will hopefully focus on that,” said Father Bouchard.

“Another of my hopes for this year is that the faithful and the priests will recall the need for prayer in our lives,” he added.

“There are many in the Diocese of Fall River who already pray for priests, but we need more to join in. That will truly help our priests to do what the Lord wants us to do. Personally speaking, I know that I have a wonderful priesthood because of the efforts of those praying for me and my own prayers.”

Father Bouchard noted that several events for diocesan priests were already planned prior to the Year for Priests announcement, such as a retreat with Stigmatine Father Joseph Henchey, a spiritual director for priests, in November; the convocation for priests in December; the days of recollection in Advent and Lent; and the annual holy hour for vocations

in the spring. “It’s a good sign that these things are happening this year,” said Father Bouchard.

“Now we can use the context of the Year for Priests in these events, and help us reinforce one another in our priesthood.” Father Bouchard also mentioned the fact that, shortly before the Year for Priests kicks off on June 19, Bishop Coleman will ordain two new priests for the Diocese of Fall River. “It would have been terrible if there were no ordinations this year,” said Father Bouchard.

“God is watching over us.”

Catholic priests across the globe face many challenges to their mission, but Father Bouchard hoped, “Maybe we can all grow in understanding of these challenges; the sex-abuse scandals and the leaner ranks of clergy, and together overcome these obstacles.”

Father John A. Gomes, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth, is marking his 40th year as a priest this year. “I highly appreciate the Holy Father establishing the Year for Priests,” said Father Gomes. “We’ve gone through many difficult times over the last several years.

The priesthood gets a good deal of negative media, so it’s gratifying to be acknowledged and gratifying to my priesthood that my parishes have been very supportive of me.”

The heart of the priests’ spirituality is “the Eucharist,” said Cardinal Hummes. That is something that wouldn’t be available without the Church’s priests. He encouraged the Catholic community “to pray, to reflect, to celebrate, and justly to give honor to their priests.”

All Catholics have their favorite priests, and those whom they don’t look upon kindly. That is a matter of personal tastes. Yet, regardless of one’s opinion of a priest, the important fact remains that without these dedicated men of God, Catholic faithful would all be in dire spiritual straits.

The Year for Priests is a wonderful opportunity for the laity to gain a greater appreciation and respect for these men; and will also provide the chance to pray for and with those who accepted God’s call to serve him, the Church, and her faithful.

“God will undoubtedly bless with great love this undertaking; and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Clergy, will pray for each of you, dear priests,” Cardinal Hummes told priests in his letter.

Beginning June 19, The Anchor will begin running a series written by priests of the Fall River Diocese on the fruits of their individual priesthood.

June 5, 2009

Sister Mary N. Doherty RSM; served in Fall River Diocese

Around the Diocese Eucharistic Adoration: Eucharistic Adoration ACUSHNET — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mondays end with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays end with Benediction at 2:45 p.m.

BUZZARDS BAY — Eucharist adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place First Fridays at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place at St. JosephSt. Therese Church, 51 Duncan Street, Mondays following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until 1:30 p.m. For more information call 508-995-2354.

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

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

TAUNTON — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord Church, 31 First Street, immediately following the 8 a.m.

Mass and continues throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., concluding with recitation of the rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

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

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street, holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous:

ATTLEBORO — The annual procession and Mass in honor of the Holy Spirit will take place Sunday at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street. The procession will begin at 10 a.m. from 54 Cypress Road and the Mass will be celebrated at the church at 11 a.m. Traditional free “sopas” will be served in the church hall following Mass.

ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph’s Parish, 208 South Main Street, will host a free presentation June 12 at 7 p.m. of Paul Claudel’s “The Tidings Brought to Mary.” Following the play, there will be a discussion led by Father Peter Cameron of Magnificat, Professor Paul Gondreau of Providence College, and Father Carvill of St. Joseph’s. For more information, call 508-995-6235 or email nb@crossroadsculturalcenter.org.

FALL RIVER — To conclude the Year of St. Paul, a Bible study series on the Acts of the Apostles will be held Wednesdays at Holy Trinity Parish, 951 Stafford Road.

The sessions continue June 17 and June 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the school library.

FALL RIVER — A Day with Mary will take place tomorrow from 7:50 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, 15 Thomas Street. It will include video, instruction, devotion, a procession and crowning of Mary, Mass, an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, rosary, enrollment in the brown scapular, and investiture in the Miraculous Medal.

For more information, call 508-984-1823.

FALL RIVER — A first Friday Mass will be held today at 12:05 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 327 Second Street, followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and ending with Benediction at 1 p.m.

FALL RIVER — The Fall River area men’s First Friday Club will meet today at the Parish of the Good Shepherd, 1598 South Main Street. Following the 6 p.m. Mass celebrated by Father Freddie Babiczuk, a hot meal will be served in the church hall, followed by guest speaker, Register of Deeds Bernard J. McDonald. Call 508-6728174 for more information.

FALL RIVER — A Healing Mass will be celebrated at St. Anne’s Church, 818 Middle Street, on June 18 at 6:30 p.m. Rosary will precede at 6 p.m. with Benediction and healing prayers after the Mass.

MARTHA’S VINEYARD — Good Shepherd Parish, 55 School Street, Oak Bluffs, will host a “Social and Speaker” tonight at 7 in the parish center. Marjorie Milanese, spiritual director and retreat leader, will present “Where Are You, God?” A discussion and social will follow and all are welcome.

MANSFIELD — An all-night adoration in honor of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary will take place at St. Mary’s Parish, Route 106, June 19 beginning with Mass at 7 p.m. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will take place at 7:15 a.m. June 20, with Mass following at 7:30 a.m. This event will kick off the Year for Priests.

NEW BEDFORD — A Holy Hour is held every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. at St. Kilian’s Church, 306 Ashley Boulevard.

NEW BEDFORD — A solemn procession celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi will be held on June 14 at 2:30 p.m. from Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street.

The procession will travel to three churches — Our Lady of Purgatory Church, St. Lawrence Church and back to Our Lady’s Chapel. Benediction will be held at each church. A potluck supper will end the celebration. For more information call 508-996-8274.

WALTHAM — The Northeast Catholic Family Conference will take place June 28 at St. Mary’s in Waltham, beginning at 1 p.m. The conference offers prayer, music and workshops for adults, children and teens. Cardinal O’Malley will celebrate Mass and join participants for a cookout. For more info or to register, go to www. schoolofnazareth.org or contact Father Michael Harrington at mharrington@rcab. org.

Pro-Life ATTLEBORO — Concerned faithful are needed to pray the rosary outside Four Women, Inc., an abortion clinic at 150 Emory Street, Thursdays from 3-4 p.m., or 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m. For information call 508-238-5743.

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CUMBERLAND, R.I. — Mercy Sister Mary Nathan Doherty, 81, a retired educator and administrator, died May 24 at Mount St. Rita Health Center.

Born Frances Isabel Doherty in East Providence, she was the daughter of the late Louis F. and Sarah Isabel (Robinson) Doherty, and was the stepdaughter of the late Florence Doherty.

A 1945 graduate of St. Mary Academy-Bay View, she entered the Sisters of Mercy on Sept. 8, 1945 and professed her vows on Aug. 16, 1951.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the former Catholic Teachers College in Providence and a master’s

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks

June 8 Rev. John S. Czerwonka, Assistant, St. Stanislaus, Fall River, 1961 June 9 Rev. Timothy J. Calnen, Pastor, St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1945 Rev. Joseph S. Larue, Pastor, Sacred Heart, North Attleboro, 1966 June 10 Rev. William H. Curley, Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1915 Rev. George A. Meade, Chaplain, St. Mary’s Home, New Bedford, 1949 June 11 Rev. Msgr. Augusto L. Furtado, Retired Pastor, St. John of God, Somerset, 1973 Rev. Richard J. Wolf, S.J., Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, 1986 June 12 Rev. Thomas H. Taylor, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1966 June 13 Rev. Edward F. Donahue, S.J., Boston College High School, Dorchester, 1974 Rev. Henry F. Bourgeois, CSC, 2004 June 14 Rev. Msgr. George E. Sullivan, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1980 Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Cournoyer, Retired Pastor, St. Michael, Swansea, 1982 Rev. James H. Coughlin, S.J., Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn., 1992 Rev. Justin J. Quinn, Chaplain, Madonna Manor, North Attleboro, Former Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1996

degree from Rhode Island College.

During her 48 years of ministry in the Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts she served as principal of St. John Baptist School in New Bedford from Mercy Sister 1966-68; and Mary Nathan at Holy FamiDoherty ly/Holy Name School, also in New Bedford, from 1973-75 and from 1978-1989.

She retired in 1996.

Besides her religious family, the Sisters of Mercy, she leaves a sister, Hope McDowell of Warwick, R.I.; and nieces and nephews.

She was the sister of the late James W. Doherty and L. Carol Saunders.

Her Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated May 27 in Mount St. Rita Chapel in Cumberland. Burial was in St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston.

The Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals in New Bedford was in charge of arrangements.

ROME — Brother Yannick Houssay, FIC, superior general of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, announced the appointment of the new administrative team for the American Notre Dame Province: Brother Jerome Lessard as provincial superior for a six-year term and Brother Guy Roddy as assistant provincial for a three-year term.

Brother Lessard is completing his 14th year as academic advisor at the School for Professional Studies at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. In his new post, he will take up residence at the Brothers’ motherhouse in Alfred, Maine.

Brother Roddy will continue to serve as local superior of the Brothers’ community and adjunct theology professor at the university.

Brother Daniel Caron in Fall River, Mass. is completing his second term as provincial superior and will undertake a new ministry after the transition which will take place the third week of July during the Brothers’ annual week-long gathering at their motherhouse.

The Brothers of Christian Instruction serve in the dioceses of Fall River, Ogdensburg, N.Y., Portland, Maine, and Youngstown, Ohio.

New Brothers of Christian Instruction administrative team announced

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June 5, 2009

Vatican announces papal trip to Czech Republic in September

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Czech Republic in late September, participating in the nation’s September 28 observance of the feast of St. Wenceslaus, a 10th-century Czech prince and martyr.

During the September 26-28 trip, the pope will visit Prague, Brno and Stara Boleslav, the town where St. Wenceslaus was murdered by his brother in 935 to protest his embrace of Christianity, the Vatican announced May 30.

The announcement was published as Pope Benedict was meeting Czech President Vaclav Klaus in the papal library.

The pope and president discussed the situation in the Czech Republic, “looking in particular at some questions related to relations with the Catholic Church, as well as to the future of Europe, taking into account the importance of its

cultural, spiritual and Christian patrimony,” the Vatican said.

Church-state relations in the Czech Republic have been tense over demands for the restitution of Catholic properties confiscated under communist rule.

In March, the Czech Supreme Court confirmed state ownership of Prague’s historic St. Vitus Cathedral after a 17-year legal battle by the Church.

After his audience with the pope, Klaus told Vatican Radio he was pleasantly surprised by “how the pope follows the situation in our country. Our meeting was not just an exchange of pleasantries, but we spoke in a very concrete way.”

“As regard preparations for the pope’s visit, I must say they already are in an advanced phase.

We are happy the pope will be visiting us because he will bring a clear message for everyone,” Klaus told Vatican Radio.

MUSIC AND A MEAL — The Catholic Woman’s Club of New Bedford recently held its annual Bishop’s Night at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. Members enjoyed a dinner and listened to David Arruda on keyboard. From left: officers Helen Stager, Father Karl C. Bissinger, Miriam McCoy, Fern Ferreira, Bishop George W. Coleman, Lynne Kuczewski, Leonora Carreiro, Father John M. Sullivan, and Mary Mitchell.