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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , June 6, 2014

Christopher Peschel to be ordained a priest tomorrow: An end and a beginning

to be able to offer myself for Confession regularly. That’s the Sacrament we have for reconFALL RIVER — For Deacon Christopher ciling people and I think that the priest, among M.J. Peschel, tomorrow’s presbyteral ordina- his roles, is a reconciler. If he’s a true shepherd tion represents the “end goal” of a more than for the people, he’s going to want to keep people in the fold and keep them reconciled and seven-year vocational journey.

“It still hasn’t even hit me that I’m done with not let the sheep go astray or wander.”

Expressing great relief and school,” Deacon Peschel recentexcitement as he prepares to ly told The Anchor. “It’s been a take that all-important final huge chunk of my life. I’ve had step, Deacon Peschel said it’s ups and downs, for sure. The been a long and, at times, chalconstant, I think, was that there lenging road. was always that great prize that “My first three years (in was desired after, and I kept my seminary) were at St. Charles eyes fixed on that. I didn’t sweat Borromeo down in Philadelthe small stuff when I had a bad phia,” he said. “I was the only day.” one from the diocese down Bishop George W. Coleman there and my family was 300 will ordain Deacon Peschel as miles away, so it was a new exa priest for the Fall River Dioperience for me. To be honest, I cese tomorrow during a Mass didn’t always find it hospitable celebrated at 11 a.m. inside St. down there, so that was one of Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

Having served the diocese Deacon Christopher Peschel the most challenging times for me.” as a transitional deacon since With the help and support January, Deacon Peschel is filled with great anticipation at the prospect of be- of two key priests, Deacon Peschel said he was able to overcome these challenges and complete ginning his priestly ministry.

“I’m definitely looking forward to celebrat- his first three years of studies in Philadelphia. ing Mass on a daily basis,” he said. “And I hope Turn to page 14

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

Scores of faithful process through the streets of New Bedford with the Blessed Sacrament last year. The annual tradition is held in the Whaling City on the feast of Corpus Christi when “Jesus goes out to those who do not come to Him.” (Photo courtesy of Father Mathias M. Sasko, FFI)

Corpus Christi processions are Sacred, special, peaceful

By Linda Andrade Rodrigues Anchor Correspondent

NEW BEDFORD — Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, is the day in the Liturgical Year when the Church takes Jesus out to the people.

“For one in such a lofty position to stoop so low is a marvel that is staggering,” said St. Francis of Assisi. “What sublime humility and humble sublimity, that the Lord of the Universe, the Divine Son of God, should so humble Himself as to hide under the appearance of bread for our Salvation!”

Celebrated on the first Sunday after the feast of the Trinity, the feast of the Blessed Sacrament was established in 1246

by Bishop Robert de Thorte of Liege, France, and was extended to the Universal Church by Pope Urban in 1264. St. John Paul II took the traditional procession of the Eucharist out from St. Peter’s Square and brought it to the people, and Pope Emeritus

Benedict XVI and Pope Francis followed in his footsteps.

“Eucharist is the great mystery that takes place at every Mass, and this is the summit of our faith,” explained Father Edward A. Murphy, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford. “The Church is asking us to go out with Jesus in the monstrance to the streets and reminds us that Jesus goes out to those who do not come to Him.” Two Corpus Christi processions — beginning at 2 p.m., June 22, rain or shine — will unite the north and south end parishes of New Bedford in the devotion.

The Franciscan Friars, Sisters and Tertiaries of the Immaculate will lead the south end Corpus Christi procession, stepping off from Our Lady’s Chapel (600 Pleasant Street). They will take a circuitous route to Our Lady of Purgatory Church (11 Franklin Street), St. Lawrence Martyr Church (560 County Street) Turn to page 15

June 27, 2014

‘Encircle the world in prayer’

(Anchor graphic)

Tireless volunteer is 97 years old and still going strong

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

FALL RIVER — The Apostle Paul noted that those who waste their time in idleness or in a non-productive manner are easily led into sin, but when he said, “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies” (2 Thes 3:11), he was not talking about 97-year-old Fall River native Yvette Mancini.

“I’m a person who doesn’t want to be idle,” said Mancini.

While working and raising a family, Mancini said she dabbled in some volunteer work, even in Florida, where she and her husband lived for 20 years. It was when her husband suffered a masTurn to page 15

Fall River native Yvette Mancini was recently awarded the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service. The 97-year-old stays busy by volunteering and stays active at her parish, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Fall River.

HCFM part of worldwide Rosary day for priests

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor

NORTH EASTON — On the feast of the Sacred Heart, June 27, also the feast day of the priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Holy Cross Family Ministries and its mission offices will take part in the fifth annual Global

Rosary Relay for Priests. All are invited to participate in praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary at the Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street, North Easton, on that day beginning at 11:15 a.m.

HCFM will be joining with 84 other shrines in 46 coun-

tries around the world in a 24hour span to pray the Rosary to support priests worldwide.

On its website, Family Rosary, a part of HCFM, asks the faithful to “unite with others as we encircle the world in prayer.”

The event is coordinated by Turn to page 18

News From the Vatican

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June 6, 2014

Vatican has named two bishops being investigated for abuse

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis told reporters May 26 that “three bishops are under investigation” for misdeeds related to the sexual abuse of minors and that “one has already been condemned and his penalty is being studied.”

The pope’s statement during the news conference aboard his flight from Israel back to Italy came after he was asked what he would do if a bishop did not observe Church norms regarding a moral, and often legal, obligation to report allegations of sexual abuse against a member of the clergy.

While condemning the abuse of children as “an ugly crime” and affirming a policy of “zero tolerance” for abusers, Pope Francis did not clarify whether the three bishops he mentioned were under investigation for their handling of abuse allegations or because they themselves were accused of abuse.

Previously, the Vatican had acknowledged formally investigations against two bishops: — In April the Congregation for Bishops sent Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna of Malta to Scotland to collect testimony in a case against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the former archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, who resigned in 2013 after admitting to sexual misconduct.

— In early May testimony before a U.N. committee, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi confirmed earlier Vatican statements that Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the former nuncio to the Dominican Republic, is the subject of a canonical investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as well as a criminal investigation by the Vatican police and court.

Archbishop Wesolowski was removed from his position last August after he was accused of paying for sex with boys in the Dominican Republic.

As for the third bishop, the bishops’ conference of Chile published a statement in early February saying that Bishop Cristian Contreras Molina of San Felipe had asked the Vatican to open an investigation into “serious allegations” made against him. Chilean media had reported that the doctrinal congregation sent investigators to the diocese to study allegations involving the sexual abuse of minors.

Although victims’ advocates and others have called for Vatican action against Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., there is no indication that a Vatican investigation is under way. The bishop was convicted by a local circuit court in 2012 of one count of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Pope Francis meets priests, men and women religious and seminarians in the Church of All Nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Supporting their vocation he told them their presence in the Holy Land was very important and the Church was grateful to them. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives in St. Peter’s Square to lead a recent weekly general audience. (CNS photo/Claudio Peri, EPA)

Peace isn’t mass-produced but handcrafted by ordinary people, Pope Francis says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis called on the world’s Christians to pray with him for peace in the Middle East, help convince governments to come to the aid of refugees and pray for Christian unity.

While peace is a gift from God, it is also built out of the dayto-day handiwork of individuals: true “artisans of peace,” who are capable of crafting fraternity and reconciliation with people of all cultures and religions, he said during a recent general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Reviewing his May 24-26 trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, the pope told the tens of thousands of people in the square that his visit to the Holy Land, “that blessed land,” was a great gift of grace for the Church and himself.

He said he had gone to “bring a word of hope, but I received one in return, too,” meeting people who still hope “against hope,” enduring much suffering, “like those who fled their own country because of conflict,” or facing discrimination and persecution “because of their faith in Christ.”

“During the pilgrimage,” he said, “I encouraged authorities to continue efforts to diffuse the tensions in the Middle East region, above all in martyred Syria, as well as to continue to seek a fair solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

That is why, he said, he invited Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — “both men of peace and builders of peace — to come to the Vatican to pray together with me for peace.”

As the people in the square applauded, the pope told them, “Please, I ask all of you not to abandon us; pray hard so that the Lord gives us peace in that

blessed land. I am counting on your prayers — pray hard, and a lot, so that peace may come.”

“There are no industries of peace” — outside, super-entities that can magically mass-produce a world free of conflict — the pope told the crowd. “No,” peace “is created day-by-day, handcrafted” by individuals whose hearts are open to God’s gift of peace.

“That’s why I urged Christians to let themselves be anointed” by the Holy Spirit, so they may always be “ever more capable of gestures of humility, fraternity and reconciliation” in their interactions with people of different cultures and religions.

During his trip, he said, he encouraged everyone to work for peace. “Each time I did it as a pilgrim, in the name of God and mankind, carrying in my heart great compassion for the children” of the Holy Land, which “has lived with war for too long and has the right to finally know days of peace.”

The pope said he was truly “struck by the generosity of the Jordanian people for welcoming refugees.” He said he thanked the country’s leaders and people for their humanitarian efforts, “which merit and require constant support from the international community.”

He asked that God bless not only the refugees, but those who come to their aid, and he called on people to “ask all international bodies to help” Jordan in its efforts.

Despite the importance of fostering peace in the Middle East, the pope said the main aim of his trip was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic encounter between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras.

“That prophetic gesture” marked a “milestone” in what has been “an arduous, but promising journey toward unity for all Christians,” Pope Francis said.

Meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople — a “beloved brother in Christ” — was “the high point” of the visit, the pope said.

Together with leaders of other Christian communities, they held an ecumenical prayer service at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher — the site of Jesus’ burial and Resurrection. The event was seen as historic since the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian communities normally observe strict separation when they worship in the church.

Just as that Sacred place echoed the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, the pope said, “We also sensed all the bitterness and suffering of the divisions that still exist among Christ’s disciples.”

Such divisions are “truly harmful,” especially when evident at the very spot where Jesus’ Resurrection was proclaimed.

During the celebration, the pope said, “We heard loud and clear the voice of the Risen Good Shepherd Who wants all His sheep to be of one flock.”

Pope Francis said that, “as popes before me have done, I ask forgiveness for what we have done to foster these divisions and I asked the Holy Spirit to help us heal the wounds that we inflicted on our other brothers and sisters.

We are all brothers and sisters in Christ,” he said.

The pope had special words of thanks for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, responsible for preserving the sites commemorating the birth, death and Resurrection of Jesus, as well as welcoming pilgrims and helping those in need.

June 6, 2014

The International Church

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew kisses Pope Francis as they meet outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem during the pope’s recent visit to the Holy Land. (CNS photo/ Nir Elias, Reuters)

Pope’s historic prayer deeply moves Jerusalem bishop Jerusalem, Israel (CNA/EWTN News) — The auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem described the recent prayer shared between Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew I as a moving event, predicting future blessings from the encounter.

“Really, it was moving. It was very moving and emotional,” Bishop William Shomali of Jerusalem told CNA, explaining that he had never witnessed anything like it before.

“The humility of the pope, the friendship which was born between the pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople, the atmosphere, the nature of people present of the Holy Sepulcher. It was historical in all ways.”

Bishop Shomali, who was present during the communal prayer at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher May 25 during the pope’s trip to the Holy Land, said that the importance of that moment in terms of unity amongst the varying rites was never doubted.

“The fruits are unpredictable — we don’t know what it will result in,” he said. “But at least something will come out of it,” the bishop added, noting that one concrete hope is “that the unification of the Calendar of the Easter should be an immediate result of this.”

Sunday’s meeting between the pope and the patriarch marks the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Paul VI and the then-Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem on Jan. 6, 1964.

Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew wished to commemorate the historical encounter again in Jerusalem,

thus pushing to foster the ecumenical path toward the unity of Christians.

Housing the tomb of Christ and the site of His crucifixion, the Holy Sepulcher has been a source of conflict among varying Christian denominations, including Roman Catholics, Orthodox and Armenians, as to who claimed property rights over the holy sites.

These rights are currently under negotiation between the Vatican and the State of Israel.

Implemented during the 17th and 18th centuries in order to relieve tensions surrounding ownership, a “status quo” currently dictates the times and durations of events and Liturgies among the varying rites, as well as how they are practiced, whether sung or read.

Also under negotiation is a more lenient policy allowing Christians to worship in the Cenacle, which they traditionally believe to be the site of the Last Supper and where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His Resurrection and where the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost.

Observing the importance of how Pope Francis was able to celebrate Mass there during his three-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Bishop Shomali explained that “in some occasions yes,” the Christians can hold Mass, but it is not common and “you have to ask for permission.”

“Normally, only visits are allowed to this place because it is a place which is contested and claimed by Israelis and Muslims” he noted.

“Muslims consider it to be a mosque,” while “Israelis say ‘this is the Tomb of David

area compound’ and that ‘it was ours after 1948.’ So really the Vatican doesn’t want sovereignty over it,” the bishop explained. “They only want sometimes during the day to have the possibility of holding prayers.”

“But this Mass today is exceptional,” he said, referencing Pope Francis’ Eucharistic celebration there on May 26.

“It’s not part of the normal sequence of events for the daily basic use of the Cenacle.”

Voicing his hopes for the outcome of the negotiations, which Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See Dr. Zion Evrony stated could conclude this summer, Bishop Shomali said that “we hope that the Vatican will be able to have more usage.”

“More hours of prayer, in the early morning before the pilgrims start to come so no one will be ‘hurt’ by these two hours.”

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The Church in the U.S.

June 6, 2014

Parish reaches out to community after ‘horrific night of violence’

ISLA VISTA, Calif.

(CNS) — The pastor of St. Mary’s University Parish in Isla Vista celebrated a recent evening Mass for the victims left dead and those injured in a young man’s killing spree May 23.

In a posting on the parish’s website, Father John Love said, “May God bless the deceased with light and peace and bring comfort to their families.”

Father Love offered the parish church as a crisis center where people could seek counseling to deal with the tragedy that left six people dead and 13 wounded.

According to news reports, a 22-year-old identified as Elliot Rodger went on a murderous rampage around 9:30 p.m. May 23 in Isla Vista next to the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Police said Rodger later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot

wound to the head after a shootout with police.

Before the shooting, Rodger stabbed and killed three university students with whom he shared an apartment.

The Associated Press quoted Sheriff Bill Brown at a news conference the evening of the killing as describing the situation as a “chaotic, rapidly unfolding convoluted incident” that involved multiple crime scenes.

Police said Rodger went from one location to another and opened fire on random people and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement before he crashed his BMW. Brown said the suspect had more than 400 rounds of unspent ammunition in his car.

In a lengthy manifesto the killer had emailed to his parents and a few others before he started his night of violence claimed that being rejected by a girl in middle school had ultimately led him to such rage and taking other people’s lives.

“I started to hate all girls because of this,” he wrote. “I saw them as mean, cruel and heartless creatures that took pleasure from my suffering.”

Father John Love, pastor of St. Mark’s University Parish in Isla Vista, Calif., blesses a poster for Katie Cooper at a recent memorial service in the Isla Vista neighborhood of Santa Barbara, Calif. The service remembered those killed in a shooting spree the evening of May 23. Father Love also offered the parish church as a place where people dealing with the tragedy could seek counseling. (CNS photo/ Lucy Nicholson, Reuters)

Natural family planners cautious about new fertility monitoring apps

WASHINGTON (CNS) — As new fertility monitoring apps such as Clue and Glow make news, specialists in natural family planning caution that any technological application is only as good as the expertise behind it and the comfort level of its users.

“The caveat with any app is: Who designed it? Is it a real NFP educator?” said Theresa Notare, assistant director of natural family planning in the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Is there concrete, clear information folded into the app?”

Notare acknowledged that she does not have personal experience with new smartphone apps such as Glow, marketed by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and aimed primarily at those trying to achieve pregnancy, and Clue, which helps women monitor various physical symptoms to avoid pregnancy or become pregnant.

John Kippley, president of Natural Family Planning International, based in Cincinnati, said apps can be “a waste of money” unless they educate couples about the science behind the measurements.

“But if they can get people oriented toward natural family planning, then they can be worthwhile,” he added.

Natural family planning involves the monitoring of certain physical signs and symptoms such as basal body temperature and cervical mucus to help a woman track the fertile and infertile phases of her menstrual cycle.

It requires couples to abstain from sex during the woman’s fertile days and is the only method of avoiding pregnancy supported by the Catholic Church.

But Ida Tin, the developer of Clue, said her ultimate goal is “to replace the birth control pill, or at least give an alternative” to the use of hormonal birth control, which the Church opposes.

Clue adds self-measurements of such categories as sex drive, mood, pain levels and skin problems to its algorithm that determines fertile days.

Although they may not be getting the national media coverage given to Glow and Clue, several fertility apps with ties to Catholic universities or to the Couple to Couple League, a natural family planning organization with Catholic roots, are on the market now or will be soon. These include: — MUFertility, developed by the Marquette University College of Nursing Institute for Natural Family Planning and used in connection with the Clearblue Easy fertility monitor, which measures hormonal levels in the urine to determine fertility.

— iCycleBeads, which uses the “standard days method” of family planning and originated at the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University in Washington.

— CycleProGo, offered by the Couple to Couple League in Cincinnati, “allows couples to chart electronically, record symptoms, confirm their fertility status, and share charts with their teacher or friends,” the organization’s website says. Charts and data can be accessed from multiple devices, so husband and wife can both be involved in charting. CycleProGo can also be used to determine peak fertility as an aid to achieving pregnancy.

Among the other apps currently offered for sale or for free are Woman Calendar, iCh-

artMe, myNFP, MeFertil, NFP Manager:Sympto, FemiCycle, iOvulation, Nurtur, FemCal: Period and Ovulation Calendar, My Cycles and iFertility Log. Prices range up to about $9.99 although some many offer additional services or notifications for an additional fee.

Kippley, who helped found the Couple to Couple League in 1974 but split with the organization in 2003, said the danger in relying on an app for natural family planning is that it may overestimate the number of fertile days, requiring couples to abstain from sex for longer than necessary.

Only couples who understand the scientific basis behind the natural family planning method they are using will be fully successful in their efforts to avoid or achieve pregnancy, he added.

Notare said that as a couple first begins to use natural family planning, it is especially important that an NFP educator be available to answer their questions so such access should be built in to every app.

“It’s the way of the current generation of young adults” to want information available on their smartphones and laptops, she said, adding that a distance learning course in natural family planning is in the works.

Richard Fehring of Marquette University hopes that his MUFertility app will be on the market by June 1 and said it will offer more research-based science than the new apps do.

Some 6,000 women have been charting their menstrual cycles on the Marquette site for years and “there is a lot of research behind our method,” he said. “Glow doesn’t have that kind of research behind it.”

June 6, 2014

The Church in the U.S.

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Legal challenge to abortion drug mandate draws allies

Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M., far left, and Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, center left, stand outside with other clergymen after celebrating the “Mission for Migrants” Mass at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington recently. Later that day the bishops had a series of meetings scheduled with members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to encourage the House to vote on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Pentecost marks ‘life-changing power of God’s presence,’ cardinal says

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Church’s celebration of Pentecost highlights the “lifechanging power of God’s presence” believers receive through the Holy Spirit, said Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl.

Although the feast, celebrated June 8, doesn’t look as it did in the Apostles’ time — with the roar of wind and tongues of fire — the cardinal said it serves as a reminder of the outpouring of God’s Spirit long ago and continuously.

“The Holy Spirit comes regularly” and is “active in the Church today,” he said.

In a recent interview with Catholic News Service, the cardinal discussed the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit — wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord — which have been the focus of recent audience talks by Pope Francis.

The cardinal said these gifts, outlined by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, are “manifestations of the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives.”

Simply put, he said they are meant to “help us through each day — to draw closer to the Lord.”

“As the Church prepares to celebrate Pentecost, we recognize that we have these gifts,” he added.

He described the gift of wisdom as “seeing things through the eyes of God.” “Wisdom is usually associated with the elderly — with the seniors — people who have lived through life and experienced not only facts but how

they come together and relate us to God.” Knowledge, he said, is “being able with our mind to grasp and hold what God says to us through revelation in the Word of God.” He noted that believers hear the Word of God not just with their ears but their hearts.

“That’s why prayer is such an important part of the Christian experience of the Holy Spirit,” he said, noting the significance of spending quiet time prayerfully reading Scripture and “letting God’s Spirit fill us with the meaning of those Words.”

He said counsel, another gift, helps believers “find our way through situations.”

“It is the quiet voice of the Spirit speaking to us to say: ‘This is what you should be doing; this is the better way to act; this is the right way.’”

In a recent audience talk, Pope Francis similarly noted that counsel comes through prayer.

“We have to give room to the Holy Spirit so that He can counsel us. And giving Him room means praying, praying that He come and always help us.”

“Prayer is very important,” he said, and “never forget to pray, never!”

The pope stressed that prayer can take place anywhere because “nobody can tell when we are praying on the bus, on the road, we pray in silence, with the heart.”

He also urged the crowd not to just recite prayers they know from childhood but to use their own words to ask for specific

direction and guidance.

Cardinal Wuerl said he tells young people at Confirmation: “The Church is going to give you everything you’ll ever need to make your way through life staying close to God. You have to use the gifts.”

And this message is not just for youths.

The cardinal pointed out that the Church today is in a “moment of a new Pentecost.”

“We need to present our faith in a way that’s fresh and new; that’s what new Pentecost is all about.”

He said the local and Universal Church is tapping into gifts of the Holy Spirit through special gatherings or synods. For the past two years, the Archdiocese of Washington has been preparing for a synod which is concluding this Pentecost. The synod has been evaluating where various ministries have been successful and where more work is needed as the archdiocese celebrates its 75th anniversary.

He said the local synod, much like the October 5-19 extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican, has involved a process of prayer, reflection and listening.

He said the impetus behind the archdiocesan synod process has been to determine “if we really are being the best Church we are supposed to be.”

The synod on the family, similarly, is a way for the Church to understand how people are living the faith which in turn, he said, should “bring about a new commitment to live it.”

Washington D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) — Foes of federal rules requiring free insurance coverage of abortion-causing drugs and devices have filed legal briefs in support of a lawsuit representing dozens of Southern Baptist and other Christian organizations.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. and other Southern Baptist leaders said in an amicus brief that the HHS mandate “imposes a substantial burden” on the free exercise of religion.

It forces Southern Baptist individuals or ministries into “an impossible choice” requiring them “to either violate conscience or the law,” the brief states.

Their amicus brief explained that Southern Baptists and other Christians “cannot distribute abortion-inducing drugs and devices either directly or indirectly” without violating their faith.

The Department of Health and Human Services mandate requires most U.S. employers to provide insurance coverage for some abortion drugs, sterilization and contraception. Many Christian organizations do not qualify for the narrow exemption from the mandate, despite their religious and moral objections to providing the coverage.

Other briefs were filed or supported by the National Association of Evangelicals, Prison Fellowship, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Christian Medical Association, the Christian Legal Society, the American Center for Law and Justice, Concerned Women for America, Americans United for Life, and Women Speak for Themselves.

They are backing a religious freedom class action lawsuit filed on behalf of GuideStone Financial Services, the benefits arm of the Southern Baptist Convention; the Georgia-based Truett-McConnell College; and Reaching

Souls International, an Oklahoma-based Christian ministry that cares for orphans in Africa and trains pastors in Africa, India, and Cuba.

The lawsuit challenges the HHS mandate requiring employers to provide insurance coverage for drugs that can cause abortions; the suit represents more than 180 ministries.

“The government wants to force small non-profit ministries like Reaching Souls and Truett-McConnell to change their health plan in a way that violates their consciences — or pay crushing penalties,” Adèle Keim, legal counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said.

“These ministries — and hundreds others like them — have chosen GuideStone because they want health benefits that reflect their deeply-held Christian beliefs,” said Keim, who is also counsel for GuideStone.

The lawsuit won a preliminary injunction against the mandate in December 2013. The federal government has appealed the case to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

While some houses of worship and religious nonprofits have gained an exemption or accommodation from the mandate, forprofit businesses are still required to pay for all objectionable products and procedures.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue an important religious freedom ruling in late June involving Hobby Lobby, a craft store company owned by a Christian family with objections to providing abortion-causing drugs.

Many Catholic organizations, including dioceses, religious orders, and colleges, have filed suits against the mandate. They additionally object to mandatory coverage of contraception and sterilization. More than 90 suits have been filed over the mandate, representing more than 300 plaintiffs.

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June 6, 2014

Anchor Editorial

Praying for married couples

On Monday Pope Francis celebrated Mass with several married couples, who had come to the St. Martha’s House (the guest house where the pope lives) to begin their day with him. The Holy Father in his homily spoke about “the three pillars of spousal relationship in the Christian vision of things,” according to Vatican Radio. They are “fidelity, perseverance and fruitfulness.”

Jesus is the model for these ways of loving, the pope told his congregation and he spoke of the “three loves of Jesus,” which are His love for God the Father, His love for the Blessed Mother, and His love for the Church. The pontiff joyfully said, “Jesus married the Church for love,” seeing that His bride (us) is “beautiful, holy, a sinner; He loves her all the same.”

The pope encouraged the married couples to imitate Jesus’ fidelity and perseverance. He then spoke about Jesus’ fruitfulness, noting that His love “makes the Church fruitful,” bringing many souls to membership through Baptism.

Discussing the physical fruitfulness of Marriage, Pope Francis first spoke about the difficulties couples have when “fertility can sometimes be put to the test when the children do not arrive, or are sick.” He encouraged them in those straits to look to Jesus and rely on His fertility that He has with His Church. In other words, He was calling upon them to trust in Christ and unite their crosses to His, from which have come countless fruits for the Church.

The Holy Father then spoke about the anti-fertility mentality which is common in our world, criticizing “[t]hese Marriages, in which the spouses do not want children, in which the spouses want to remain without fertility.” He then mentioned something which he has frequently attacked, the so-called “culture of well-being,” which was common in the West before the economic collapse of 2008, a culture which claimed that people could “have it all.”

“This culture of well-being from 10 years ago convinced us: It’s better not to have children! It’s better! You can go explore the world, go on vacation, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be care-free — it might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or is this not? Have you seen it? Then, in the end this Marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness. It is not fruitful, it does not do what Jesus does with His Church: He makes His Church fruitful.”

The lack of openness to life, which Pope Francis critiqued, is rooted in a lack of faith in the providence of God. In his encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis said at No. 52 about Marriage, “This union is born of their (the husband and wife’s) love, as a sign and presence of God’s Own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and loving plan.

Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith.

Promising love forever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the One we love. Faith also helps us to grasp in all its depth and richness the begetting of children, as a sign of the love of the Creator Who entrusts us with the mystery of a new person. So it was that Sarah (Abraham’s wife), by faith, became a mother, for she trusted in God’s fidelity to His promise” (cf. Heb 11:11).

The Holy Father’s message, for married couples and for everyone, was that we should embrace God’s plan for our lives, instead of our own plans made without any reference to Him. God will not give us all the details. He did not inform Mary at the Annunciation of all that she would have to endure as Jesus’ mother, but in faith she said yes to God’s plan. We are saved by our faith in God. We do not know exactly where He will lead us, but we ask the Holy Spirit to help us trust in the Father’s plan.

Back on January 10, Pope Francis said, “The man or woman with faith trusts God. They trust. Trusting leads us to hope. As the confession of faith leads us to the adoration and praise of God, trust in God leads us to an attitude of hope.

There are many Christians with a watered down hope, [a] weak hope [because they lack the] strength and courage to trust in the Lord.”

In many talks the Holy Father has used examples of people of faith that he has known, often married couples. We pray for all married couples and for those preparing for Marriage that God help them to have faith in God and in each other, so that their love might be faithful, fruitful and persevering.

Pope Francis’ address of June 1 This is the Holy Father’s address before the recitation of the Angelus to the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square on June 1: Dear brothers and sisters, hello.

Today in Italy and in other countries the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven is being celebrated, 40 days after Easter. The Acts of the Apostles recounts this episode, Jesus’ final departure from His disciples and from this world (cf. Acts 1:2, 9). Matthew’s Gospel, on the other hand, reports Jesus’ mandate to His disciples: the invitation to go, to leave and announce His message of Salvation to all peoples (cf. Mt 28:16-20). “Go,”

or better “leave” becomes the key word for today’s feast: Jesus leaves to go to the Father and commands His disciples to leave to go out to the world.

Jesus leaves, He ascends into Heaven, that is, He returns to the Father from Whom He had been sent into the world. He has completed His work, so He returns to the Father. But this is not a separation because He remains with us forever under a new form. With His ascension the Risen Lord draws the gaze of the Apostles — and our gaze — to the heights of Heaven to show us that the Father is the Goal of our journey.

He Himself said that He would OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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be leaving to prepare a place for us in Heaven. Nevertheless, Jesus remains present and active in the vicissitudes of human history with the power and the gifts of His Spirit. He is near to each one of us, even if we do not see Him with our eyes. He is there!

He accompanies us, He leads us, He takes us by the hand and lifts us up when we have fallen. The Risen Jesus is near to Christians who are persecuted and discriminated against. He is near to every man and woman who suffers. He is near to all of us, even today He is here with us in the piazza. The Lord is with us! Do you believe this? So, let us say it together: the Lord is with us!

Jesus, when He returns to Heaven, brings the Father a gift.

What is the gift? His wounds.

His Body is very beautiful, without bruises, without the wounds of the flagellation, but the wounds [in His hands, feet, side, and head] remain. When He returns to the Father He shows Him the wounds and says to Him: “Look, Father, this is the price of the forgiveness that You give.” When the Father looks at Jesus’ wounds He always forgives us, not because we are good but because Jesus has paid for us. Looking at Jesus’ wounds, the Father becomes more

merciful. This is the great work of Jesus in Heaven today: showing the Father the price of forgiveness, His wounds. This is beautiful and it moves us not to have fear of asking forgiveness. The Father always forgives because He looks at the wounds of Jesus, looks at our sin and forgives it.

But Jesus is also present through the Church, which He sent to extend His mission. Jesus’ last word to His disciples is the command to leave: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). It is a precise mandate, it is not optional! The Christian community is a community that is “going out, departing.”

Even more, the Church is born in “going out.” And you will say to me: But what about the cloistered communities? Yes, they too, because they are always “going out” with prayer, with their heart open to the world, to the horizons of God. And the elderly and sick?

They too, with prayer and union with the wounds of Jesus.

To His missionary disciples Jesus says: “I am with you always even to the end of the world” (Mt 28:20). By themselves, without Jesus, we cannot do anything! In the apostolate our own strength, our own resources, our own structures, even if they are necessary, are not

enough. Without the presence of the Lord and the power of His Spirit, our work, even if it is wellorganized, is ineffective. And thus we go out to people to tell them Who Jesus is.

And together with Jesus, Mary our Mother accompanies us. She is already in the House of the Father, she is the Queen of the World and so we invoke her now.

But like Jesus, she is with us, she walks with us, she is the Mother of our hope.

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by work of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary ...

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy Word.

Hail Mary ...

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary ...

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Anchor Columnists Pope Francis’ path of ecumenism, dialogue and peace

June 6, 2014

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uring Pope Francis’ May 24-26 pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he was accompanied not only by several of his chief collaborators in the Vatican but also by Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Imam Omar Abboud, both of Argentina. It was the first time in time in the history of papal pilgrimages that Jewish and Muslim clergy were part of an official Vatican delegation. That was already a powerful gesture.

But Skorka and Abboud were more than token representatives of their respective religious traditions. They are also Francis’ friends. Skorka, the former head of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary in Buenos Aires, collaborated with Cardinal Bergoglio on a television series and coauthored a book of religious conversations entitled “On Heaven and Earth.” Abboud was the secretary-general of the Islamic Center of Argentina with whom Cardinal Bergoglio had worked on various projects and outreaches.

The fact that the two of them were part of the delegation — and especially their spontaneous, iconic embrace at the Western Wall — made visible Pope Francis’ particular approach to interreligious dialogue: to show that people of different religions not only can coexist peacefully but truly become friends through a process of encounter,

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dialogue, growth in mutual undialogue is not, in other words, derstanding and walking ahead principally a conversation but a together. That is an approach journey. It takes place, he said he’s hoping those in the Holy last May, within a dynamic Land, and in fact all people of “culture of encounter, a culture the world, will learn to take. of friendship, a culture in which In the introduction to we find brothers and sisters, his published conversations within which we can also speak with Skorka, the future Pope with those who think differFrancis commented that in ently, as well as those who hold interreligious dialogue we can other beliefs, who do not have sometimes focus too much on the same faith.” what separates rather than what unites. “At times,” he said, “we are Putting Into better able to identify the Deep ourselves as builders of walls than as builders of bridges.” Even

By Father though we may know Roger J. Landry the other superficially and have polite conversations, “There is an absence of dialogue,” because Those same principles are in dialogue is “born from a replay in terms of trying to heal spectful attitude toward the oth- the great schism between Cather person, from a conviction that olic and Orthodox Christians the other person has something as well as in trying to bridge the good to say. One must know political divide between Israelis how to lower the defenses, to and Palestinians that prevents open the doors of one’s home peace in the Holy Land of and to offer warmth.” peace.

Interreligious dialogue does With regard to ecumenism not require compromising one’s between Christians in the East religious identity by pretending and the West, Francis said on differences don’t exist or matter. May 28 that he and Orthodox It’s also not about finding the Ecumenical Patriarch Barlowest common denominatholomew journeyed to encountor between faiths. It’s about ter each other in Jerusalem to “walking the path of respect discuss Christian unity, but notand affection, walking in the ed that “unity is brought about presence of God and striving along a path. Unity is a journey. to be faultless.” Interreligious We can never achieve unity in a

theological congress,” but rather through “walking together in life, praying together, working together in the many areas we can, helping each other.”

“We are all brothers in Christ,” Pope Francis said, “and Patriarch Bartholomew and I are friends, brothers, and we shared with each other the will to walk together, to do all we can praying together, working together for God’s flock, seeking peace, guarding creation, so many things that we have in common. As brothers we must go forward.”

After the pilgrimage they announced that they would be leading their churches in a common journey toward a 2025 encounter in Nicaea — now Iznik, Turkey — to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council when Christians in East and West convened to denounce the Arian heresy that denied Jesus’ Divinity. Now is a time for all Christians to learn from our fourth-century ancestors how to come together and walk together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis is also seeking to get people journeying together politically. During his separate official appearances with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli

7

President Shimon Peres, he invited them to join him in the Vatican to pray for peace.

Happily both accepted and that encounter of prayer will take place on Sunday.

They may not be praying “together” in the sense of making the same precise petitions, in the same language, with the same understanding of what the “peace” they’re seeking means concretely. They will, however, be in the same room, praying at the same time, praying for God to give them and their peoples the wisdom and strength to walk together on the path of peace.

It’s a huge opportunity and truly historic event. It may not lead immediately to a Christian-Jewish-Muslim embrace like we saw with a pope, rabbi and imam at the Western Wall, but it hopefully will lead to a time in which walls of division can be torn down.

All of us should unite ourselves to their prayer this Pentecost Sunday, asking the Holy Spirit to come down upon them and to rain down His fruit of unity not only upon their prayer in the Vatican but upon the same city of Jerusalem on which He descended that first Pentecost.

Anchor columnist Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River. fatherlandry@catholicpreaching. com.

God posted on my wall today, but He does every day

od posted on my Facebook wall this morning at 3:30 a.m. Usually, I shut off the sound on my smart phone during the nighttime hours because that seems to be the prime time for advertisers to spew their spam (and I love Spam, but not spam, if you get my drift).

But God’s alerts know no boundaries. He posted the sound of birds, seemingly scores of them, chattering in anticipation of the approaching sunrise that would occur at 5:12 a.m. that day.

But we all know that the darkness of the nighttime sky loses its oomph much before official sunrise.

Anyway, the birds were in full voice, and since I now sleep with the window open, I was totally engulfed in the concerto. I “Liked” the post.

God next posted on my wall when I arose two-and-a-half hours after His first post. He posted a picture of Igor still half asleep beside my bed, with her

coffee in the morning when I’m tail wagging at half speed in home. I tell my family it’s because hopes of a belly rub. She got one that transformed the half-hearted I don’t want to wake them, but it’s really because I’m too lazy. tail-wag into helicopter mode. I When I arrived about 6:30 “Liked” the post.

God posted again when I turned on the shower and felt the soothing hot water pelting my face, bringing me out of my half sleep. If I had a tail, it would have

By Dave Jolivet been in helicopter mode.

I “Liked” the post.

God’s next post was a.m., I was greeted with the when I was in my car on the aroma of brewing coffee, and a way to work. I know we’re not smile from Mary Chase, which supposed to be distracted by is an everyday occurrence (as our smart phones while driving, opposed to the driver’s smile a but God’s posts, as I mentioned bit earlier). The java was ready earlier, know no boundaries. and hot, and that first gulp was a A good Samaritan in another vehicle waved me through an in- delight. I “Liked” the post.

The next post from the Good tersection; not only that, but did Lord was almost a rerun of the so with a smile. What? People 3:30 a.m. encounter. I opened don’t do that. But this one did. I the window in my office to let “Liked” the post. in the fresh air and the pollen. I My office was the location tried to delete the pollen, but that of God’s next post. I don’t make

My View From the Stands

didn’t work. Almost immediately, I was serenaded by other birds. I know some people are annoyed with the chirp-chirp-chirping of our feathered friends, but God knows that’s music to my ears. My text alert is a chirping bird, and my phone ring is the sound of sea gulls and waves crashing on the beach. In fact, just yesterday, I was taking a walk at lunch time through a nearby park. The sun was shining and the grass was plush. I then heard the sound of sea gulls and thought to myself what a beautiful scene — until I heard waves crashing. Waves don’t crash on President Avenue in Fall River.

It was my cell phone ringing.

Oooops.

But I digress — I enjoyed the birds keeping me company that day. I “Liked” the post.

It’s still early in the day as I put together this column, but I keep getting alerts of posts from

God, and if today is anything like every other day, He’ll keep sending quaint little posts, just to let me know He’s around. And hopefully, I’ll be grateful and aware enough to realize that and continue to “Like” them.

If not, He may “poke” me or better yet, give me a wallop upside the head to gain my attention.

I think God’s into Facebook, and He really likes it when we “Like” it.

Dave Jolivet can be reached at davejolivet@anchornews.org.

Who knows, he may “Like” it.

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June 6, 2014

Prepared for mission

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hen were you Confirmed? The significance of this Sacrament seems to sometimes get lost amidst all of our other Sacramental commemorations. We all know the importance of our Baptism; First Communion is always a time for celebration, and woe to the husband who forgets the date of his wedding.

Yet how often do we remember, much less actually mark the occasion, of that day when we were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit — the day when we became living temples of God? A few years ago, when I was getting my Sacramental certificates together in preparation for entering the seminary, I jotted the dates down in my daily prayer book.

And so, every April 9, I remember the day in 1999 when Msgr. Henry

Munroe made the sign of of Pentecost: “Then the cross on my forehead there appeared to them with Sacred Chrism, tongues as of fire, which sealing me with the gift parted and came to rest of the Holy Spirit. on each one of them.

The meaning of this And they were all filled gift, which is still unfolding for me, became more clear Homily of the Week this past April, Pentecost when I found Sunday myself sitting next

By Father to Msgr. Munroe, Riley Williams now as a brother priest, at the dinner following the Chrism Mass durwith the Holy Spirit and ing Holy Week. As we began to speak in differwere talking, it suddenly ent tongues, as the Spirit struck me how, just 15 enabled them to proyears to the day earlier, claim.” he had Confirmed me.

What is the first thing My own reflection on the disciples did after rewhere the Holy Spirit ceiving the Holy Spirit? has brought me these They went out on mislast 15 years is just one sion — they immediately example of the role of set to the work of bringthe Spirit in the lives ing others to know about of each of us: the Spirit God. The Holy Spirit is prepares us for mission. a gift for believers, a gift Our first reading this that calls us to bring othweek describes the event ers to share in what has

been given to us.

So, how do we do this?

The sequence for today’s feast, written some 800 years ago and which may be read or sung before the Gospel today, offers some indications. It invokes the Holy Spirit as the “Father of the poor.” Charity to those in need is one of the most characteristic features of the Christian life, yet are we always conscious that in doing this work, we are doing the work of the Holy Spirit? That the way in which we serve the poor should not only seek to supply their physical needs, but spiritual as well?

We then call on the Holy Spirit to “heal our wounds, our strength renew.” Where are we called to bring healing into the lives of others- or even to

accept into our own lives the grace of forgiveness?

Where are we called to encourage someone who may be feeling down, or visit someone who may be feeling sick to strengthen their own spirit? When we ask the Holy Spirit to “guide the steps that go astray,” shouldn’t we also pray on where we might be called to live the truth in charity in our own lives?

At the end of the sequence, the reason for all of this is shown: that the Holy Spirit is ultimately the One to lead us to the happiness that only God can offer, as we ask that on the faithful, the Lord would “Give them Your Salvation; give them joys that never end. Amen.

Alleluia!”

Father Riley Williams is a parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. June 7, Acts 28:16-20,30-31; Ps 11:4-5,7; Jn 21:20-25. Sun. June 8, Pentecost Sunday, Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1,24,29-31,34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23. Mon. June 9 1 Kgs 17:1-6; Ps 121:1b-8; Mt 5:1-12. Tues. June 10, 1 Kgs 17:7-16; Ps 4:2-5,7b-8; Mt 5:13-16. Wed. June 11, Acts 11:21b-26;13:1-3; Ps 98:1-6; Mt 5:17-19. Thurs. June 12, 1 Kgs 18:41-46; Ps 65:10-13; Mt 5:20-26. Fri. June 13, 1 Kgs 19:9a,11-16; Ps 27:7-9c,1314; Mt 5:27-32.

Celli: Church must embrace digital world to spread Good News, Gospel

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CNS) — The Catholic Church must establish a presence in the digital world of communications or risk being at the margins of people’s lives, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

“If the Church is not present and does not share the Good News of God’s love for all people in this world, then we risk becoming marginal to the lives of many and are failing our mission to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli told more than 250 people at the Brooklyn Diocese’s annual celebration of World Communications Day. The recent event was organized by the DeSales Media Group, the parent company of The Tablet, the diocesan newspaper.

Many dioceses marked World Communications Day June 1. This year’s theme was “Communication at the ser-

vice of an authentic culture of encounter.”

Before the archbishop’s keynote address, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Msgr.

Kieran Harrington, president of DeSales, presented Archbishop Celli with the group’s St. Francis de Sales Award.

Archbishop Celli was honored for being instrumental in starting Pope Benedict XVI’s Twitter account (@Pontifex), now handled by Pope Francis.

He also oversaw the creation of the Pope App, which allows followers to receive updates regarding important papal events.

Archbishop Celli said that so much has changed in the field of technology in the last decade, and he encouraged Church leaders and media organizations to reflect on these changes and to develop appropriate forms of engagement with the target audience.

In what Pope Benedict has called the “digital revolution,” Archbishop Celli said that

it’s easy to focus solely on the technological developments themselves, such as smartphones and all modern forms of social media.

“The truth is that the most significant change is not technological but cultural,” he said.

“The real challenge is to appreciate how much is changing in the ways people, especially young people, are gathering information, are being educated, are expressing themselves and are forming relationships and communities.”

He echoed Pope Benedict’s words from 2012 in that “new technologies are not only changing the way we communicate but communication itself.”

Moreover, he said he is reluctant to use the term “new media,” since these forms of technology have become the norm around the globe, especially in developing countries.

“To talk of new media is to date oneself and to risk failing to appreciate the ordinariness

in the lives of so many,” the archbishop said.

The Church’s goal, Archbishop Celli said, is to embrace this new culture of modern communication, which has become ingrained in the daily lives of people everywhere, especially young people.

He challenged Church media organizations to produce engaging content that sparks conversation.

While words and text are still important, he said, multimedia content — including images, video, music and gestures — can be much more effective in conveying the message of a particular medium.

Photos and videos especially garner the most attention on social media websites, and the Church must use these platforms to its advantage, he added.

The Church also must recognize that some of its vocabulary might be problematic for its contemporaries, he said, urging those in media to

rediscover simple words and metaphors with the goal of capturing the attention of a broader audience.

New forms of technology can be effective for the Church in spreading its mission, Archbishop Celli said, but the Church’s presence in the digital age can only work if “we are authentic witness to our faith.”

The religious media must concentrate their efforts on how to become an evangelizing presence in this new technological world.

Bombarding an audience with information should not be the goal, he said, rather media must prompt audiences to take an active role in the content and have an opportunity to explore an issue further.

That desire for more content keeps them coming back for more, Archbishop Celli said.

The digital world must be “an environment rich in humanity — a network not of wires but of people,” he said.

June 6, 2014

Friday 6 June 2014 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — National Donut Day ere’s something you don’t know about me, dear readers. Some people read cards. I read cars. It’s a skill anyone can acquire. All you have to do is look and see.

From a distance, you can often identify the make of the car.

Back in my youth, it was easier to tell one car from another.

Cars had obvious styling differences in those days. Now cars all look alike, at least to me. At any rate, if you can determine it’s a luxury car ahead of you, approach with caution.

Studies have shown that drivers of luxury cars, big SUVs, and chromed-out pickup trucks (that are cleaner than pickup trucks have the right to be) tend to take more chances.

Unfortunately I am not making this up. It’s a proven scientific fact. Drivers of these types of cars are most likely to ignore pedestrians in crosswalks, fail to signal a lane change, and dash out ahead of other cars at intersections — among other dangerous driving habits. Of the top 10 cars most likely to get a traffic ticket, number one

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pring can be a bittersweet time for an educator.

Students have begun to find and share their God-given talents.

As St. Paul says, “It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put His hand on you for something special” (1 Thes 1:4). Yet, as wonderful as it is to share this time with students, one must step back as it is time for them to leave. This year, I often started class with a song followed by a discussion of verses that spoke to us about God. In keeping with that tradition, this column is my send-off delivered through lines from some hymns and rap songs.

This weekend is Pentecost Sunday where we will together reflect upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One of these gifts is wisdom. The essence of wisdom is simply allowing the Holy Spirit to direct you where God wishes you to travel.

Hearing God’s call begins with recognizing that things in this world sometimes are just not right. As Tupac says in “Changes,” “It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes. You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do.” Next part is recognizing

Anchor Columnists Isn’t Falmouth nice? is a Mercedes-Benz model vehicle. These are very infor(Mercedes-Benz models are mative. There’s one bumper also numbers six and nine). sticker that reads, “If you can Number two is a Hummer. read this, you’re driving too The second thing I notice as close!” Sometimes I’m tempted I get closer to a car is the color to tailgate just so that I can of the license plate. If it’s an read the stickers on the car out-of-state plate, that driver in front of me. The best place is less likely to be aware of the quirks of local driving. I would be the The Ship’s Log same if I were drivReflections of a ing in a neighborhood Parish Priest unfamiliar to me. It’s to be expected. You should

By Father Tim have seen me driving Goldrick through an Irish village or on the high mountain roads of Madeira. to read stickers, I have found, You can tell absolutely is waiting in a queue at the nothing about a person from service window of Dippin’ the color of the car itself. Color Donuts. is a matter of taste — a perFrom a car’s stickers, you sonal preference. It’s an urban can tell a lot about the owner myth that operators of bright — how he or she has voted or red or yellow cars drive faster will vote in local and national and are more reckless than elections; what pets and breeds other drivers. The truth is that they favor; how many children grey cars get more speeding there are in the family; what tickets in proportion to their sports teams they support; numbers. Beware of late-model what sports they play; what grey luxury cars with out-ofbeaches and recycling stations state plates. they frequent; where the kids Lastly, when I get close go to school (and sometimes enough to a car, I can read the their academic rating); what various stickers posted on the organizations they belong to;

what kind of work they do; and occasionally what religion they practice. It amazes me that with all the concern these days about safeguarding personal information, all you need to do is read the automobile.

Let me give you an example.

I was waiting in line at the Dippin’ Donuts window. The vehicle in front of me was an older model van. This told me the driver probably had a family and was, no doubt, a safe driver. Some of the bumper stickers were local, which meant the driver knew enough to watch for bicycles approaching from the right as he left Dippin’ Donuts. They can come whizzing up on you and there’s a large bush blocking your vision. The license plate frame told me the owner once attended the Coast Guard Academy and, by deduction, that he had graduated. A government-issued parking sticker told me he was still in the Coast Guard. I knew the driver was Pro-Life due to the special-order “Respect Life” plate. I also knew that the driver was a brother

Wisdom for the road God goes before you and with who had a different set of rules and thus can lead the way for us. you always.

Don’t let yourself get frusAs Lecrae says in “Rebel,” “Jesus was a rebel, and He lived His life trated when the route seems by a different set of rules.” Father long. The verse, “You shall John Dear clarifies the definition wander far in safety though you do not know the way,” is of rebel, describing Jesus as “the revolutionary face of the God of there for a reason. What we often perceive as wandering non-violence.”

The song “Here I am Lord” directs our attenWrestling with God tion to answering this Holding on for call. God asks, “I the Lord … have heard my His blessing people cry. Who will bear My light to them?”

By Dr. Helen Flavin Taking the time to know one’s talents and the limits of one’s expertise are really important life experiallow one to discern that place or situation where one can enjoy ences. Those lessons allow us to effectively accomplish our true making a difference. Then one’s heart can joyfully respond, “Here ministry. Hear the next verse, I am Lord. I will go Lord, if You “You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will underlead me. I will hold Your people stand.” One day you realize that in my heart.” you have gone further and done Every journey has obstacles. more than you ever could have To mankind some obstacles imagined possible. That purcan seem insurmountable. Take poseful wandering was driven heart and remember, “For with by the Holy Spirit and prepared God nothing is impossible” (Lk you for success with the unique 1:37). Listen to the physical challenge where God asked you challenge from the words of the song “Be Not Afraid,” “You shall to serve Him. At times we will struggle and cross the barren desert, but you lose. We may forge ahead only shall not die of thirst.” Why?

to have to backtrack. We will each feel doubt and despair. We will make mistakes and even turn our back on God. What to do when we find ourselves alone? Surprisingly, these are the times we will feel closest to God. In the song “Forgiveness,” tobyMac says, “No matter how lost you are; no matter how hurt you are; no matter how wrong you are; no matter who you are; you’re not that far, you’re not too far from forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness.” God’s answer, from the hymn “You Are Mine,” “I will come to you in the silence. I will lift you up from all your fear. Do not be afraid, I am with you.”

This cycle of struggle, choosing to learn from it and allowing ourselves to be renewed by God is the secret to a peaceful, joyous and child-like soul. Jesus describes such souls as ready to receive the gift of Heaven.

This life approach allows us to view the gift of each day as does DMX. In the song, “Ready to Meet Him,” he says, “I thank You Lord for today, and I will pray for tomorrow. I thank You Lord for the love of my life and

9 Knight of Columbus. That would mean he was a Catholic gentleman. I knew this because of the sticker “Keep Christ in Christmas,” a slogan campaign of the Knights. There was another sticker, “Isn’t Falmouth nice?” That meant there was a one-in-three chance the man was a parishioner. I might have learned more, but a detached arm reached out of the window, handed him his coffee and donut, and off he went.

“Isn’t Falmouth nice?” isn’t a motto I would personally choose for the town. It would be better suited for, say, that place they call Oz, but I must agree it reflects our way of thinking.

Astronomical summer doesn’t begin in the Northern Hemisphere until 6:51 a.m., EDT, on 21 June. But on Cape Cod, we live in our own time zone. Summer began for us on the Memorial Day weekend.

Just look at all the out-ofstate cars. And to our summer guests we bid warm welcome and ask the eternal question, “Isn’t Falmouth nice?”

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

a friend.” Whatever the day brings, we each are promised, as described in the hymn “On Eagle’s Wings,” “God will make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of His hand.” When the day brings a challenge, we may feel more like the bowed man depicted in Lorenzo Quinn’s sculpture “The Hand of God.” Other days we may feel like the newborn sleeping peacefully in God’s hands. Amazingly, no matter where or how far from home the Holy Spirit has directed us, each of us has and will always rest secure in the palm of God’s hands.

[Note: please include the qualifier “clean” in any Internet search for rap songs or lyrics.]

Anchor columnist Helen Flavin is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer born and raised in Fall River. She is a member of St. Bernadette’s Parish and received her Ph.D. in neurochemistry from Boston College and teaches in the Chemistry Department at Rhode Island College. She is also a science instructor at Bishop Connolly High School. She can be reached at biochemwz@ hotmail.com.

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June 6, 2014

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@anchornews.org

Priests celebrating significant anniversaries of their ordination this year were recognized during the Chrism Mass celebrated earlier this year at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. Posing in front of Bishop George W. Coleman, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary this year, from left: Father Michael M. Camara (25 years); Father Bruce Czapala, O.F.M. (25 years); Father Charles L. Wallen, C.S.C. (60 years); Father John Kelleher (25 years); Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington (50 years); Father Craig A. Pregana (25 years); Father Joseph F. Viveiros (40 years); and Father Stephen B. Salvador (40 years); and Father William M. Costello (40 years). (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

11

June 6, 2014

Committee upholds vote to have school on Good Friday

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

MATTAPOISETT — Despite the presence of several vocal residents who were adamantly opposed to removing Good Friday as a day off from the 2015 school calendar, the members of the joint Old Rochester Regional District School Committee and Massachusetts School Superintendency Union No. 55 voted to uphold its previous decision to treat Apr. 3, 2015 as a regular school day.

“The calendar stays as it was voted at our last meeting, with Good Friday being a day of school,” announced co-chairman Sharon Hartley after the vote was tallied and the motion to reconsider was narrowly defeated, five-to-four.

The ORR District School Committee — which sets policy for all of the public schools in the tri-towns of Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester — had voted at its last meeting on March 27 to approve a 20142015 academic calendar that made Good Friday a normal school day, eradicating years of tradition that always dictated the Friday before Easter to be a day off.

In lieu of Good Friday — the day on which Catholics and Christians commemorate the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ — the committee instead opted to make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which had traditionally been a half-day, a full vacation day.

That didn’t sit well with many

residents in the three towns, who felt that Good Friday is Sacred and should be observed as such.

A petition drive, spearheaded

by Margaret McGee of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Rochester, was soon circulating in each of the towns after that last meeting, resulting in some 650 signatures asking the committee to reconsider its decision to hold classes on Good Friday.

“I know that everyone I spoke to who signed my petition, they’re keeping their kids home, so they’re going to find out eventually that people aren’t going to show up,” McGee told The Anchor shortly after the meeting Monday night. “It’s so upsetting to me, because they’re insinuating it’s all about education, but they can take any day of the year and make it a regular school day. Maybe they should have school on Patriots Day and teach the kids what it’s all about.”

During more than an hour of debate — which at times became emotional and a bit heated — between committee members and the residents present, the pros and cons of observing a decidedly religious holiday in a secular school system were raised.

Some, like Joseph Napoli of St. Rita’s Parish in Marion, supported McGee’s assertion that Good Friday should remain a day off.

Napoli, who himself served on the ORR School Committee back in the 1980s, said they

tried to have classes on Good Friday once before.

“The community was up in arms and they let us know about it,” Napoli said. “More

than two-thirds of the teachers didn’t show up, and a like number of students didn’t show, so education didn’t take place that day. We hired substitute teach-

ers to babysit at a considerable amount of money. I don’t think we need to repeat that.”

But others, like Isabel Gomes Turn to page 13

The Diocesan Health Facilities recently awarded the 2014 Educational Scholarship for continuing education to one staff member from each of the homes or programs, as well as one manager from within the system. The staff scholarships, each in the amount of $2,500, were awarded to, from left: Khadidiatou Ndaw, CNA, Madonna Manor, North Attleboro; Christina Jones, LPN, Marian Manor, Taunton; Jessica Kingsley, LPN, Our Lady’s Haven, Fairhaven; DHFO Executive Director Msgr. Edmund J. Fitzgerald; Meghan Ouellette, LPN, Sacred Heart Home; and (not pictured) Iesha Collins, LPN, Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River. The Management Scholarship in the amount of $2,500 was awarded to Halina Malec, far right, director of Pastoral Care, Madonna Manor, North Attleboro.

12

June 6, 2014

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following is a capsule review of a movie recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“A Million Ways to Die in the West” (Universal) Coarse humor and a draggedout story line unsaddle this comedy aimed at satirizing the glorification of the Old West.

Director and co-writer Seth Macfarlane stars as a struggling sheep farmer whose miserable life amid the many dangers of the frontier is made still worse when his selfish girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) dumps him in favor of a prosperous merchant (Neil Patrick Harris). His spirits are revived when a beautiful stranger (Charlize Theron) comes to town and befriends him. But their budding romance spells

trouble since — unbeknownst to him — the newcomer is unhappily married to the most dangerous gunslinger (Liam Neeson) in the territory. The script, on which Macfarlane collaborated with Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, establishes positive themes about self-confidence and the need to resist violent machismo. Yet these are mixed with a frivolous treatment of narcotics, a faulty view of marital fidelity and a good deal of irreverent humor — some of it at the expense of a courting couple (Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman) whose religiously inspired chastity in regard to each other is rendered ridiculous by the fact that Silverman’s character is a prostitute. Much gory violence, a satirical treatment of faith, scenes of nonmarital sexual activity, some of it aberrant, an adulterous kiss, rear male nudity, drug use, extreme scatological humor, about a dozen uses of profanity, pervasive rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, June 8, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Jeffrey Cabral, Judicial Vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal Office

Visit The Anchor online at http://www.anchornews.org

The film “Camino” follows five pilgrims hiking from southern France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The trek takes about 30 days. Santiago de Compostela is a famous Catholic pilgrimage site because the remains of what were believed to be those of St. James were discovered there. (CNS photo/courtesy CaminoDocumentary.org)

Spain’s ‘Camino’: Walking it takes a month, making a film, five years WASHINGTON (CNS) — The famed 500-mile “Camino” trek from southern France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, takes pilgrims about a month or a bit more, depending on the pace, the pilgrim’s fitness, any hurts sustained along the way, sightseeing and the like.

But bringing a film about the Camino to viewers took filmmaker Lydia Smith five years.

Smith did her filming in the spring of 2009 on a shoestring budget of $30,000.

Since then, she’s racked up $150,000 in debt for all of the editing, postproduction and publicity needs surrounding her documentary, “Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago.”

She thought she had a deal with PBS to air her film in late 2011, but that would have required $85,000 in what Smith called “airing fees” that she didn’t have.

As it is, Smith rented a bus that’s taken her from coast to coast, starting in Portland, Ore., and working its way east.

Her hope is to raise enough money in each city she stops along the way to pay for the costs of screening a film in the next city on the itinerary. In New York City, it’s going to cost $9,000 to rent one screen for one week to show “Walking the Camino” when it debuts today.

Smith, in a question-andanswer presentation after a

May 22 preview in Washington where all three screens at a D.C. Cineplex were showing “Walking the Camino,” said she had walked the Camino herself in 2008.

When she went back a year later, she filmed a large number of pilgrims making the trek. “Some of them you love, some of them not so much. But when you see them in Santiago at the end, you love them again,” Smith said.

She filmed more wayfarers than the 84-minute documentary could accommodate, and would otherwise have been on the cutting-room floor. But in today’s media environment “now they’re called the bonus pilgrims,” Smith said, referring to a separate DVD she offers for sale with walkers and images not in the movie.

When Smith “made the Camino,” in the parlance of those who have gone on the journey, she did so as a pilgrim, not as an advance scout for making a documentary sometime in the future. In fact, she added, she resisted that idea. “It was so Sacred to me,” she said.

Others voiced their concerns that so many would see “Walking the Camino” that it would be overrun with Americans. “Americans can be some of the worst people,” Smith admitted, “but they make some of the nicest pilgrims.”

It turned out that when she

was convinced to make the movie, she found out someone else was making his own film about the Camino: Emilio Estevez, directing his father, Martin Sheen, in the feature film “The Way,” which was released in 2011.

“We were both looking for financing,” Smith said. “They got the funding. I didn’t.”

Smith, however, made a stop in Washington in February 2011 as Sheen and Estevez came to Georgetown University for a promotional preview of “The Way.” They were there even in the middle of son and brother Charlie Sheen’s very public split from his television hit “Two and a Half Men” — and pretty much everything else, for that matter.

Santiago de Compostela has been a pilgrimage site for the past 1,200 years when what are believed to be the remains of St. James were discovered there. Some go even farther, about 80 miles to an ocean town called Finisterre, which means “end of the earth,” as people in those times believed the world ended at that spot.

Smith chose the pilgrims who made the final cut of “Walking the Camino” for their geographic diversity: American, Canadian, Portuguese, French, and a Brazilian-Briton. Though it wasn’t a prerequisite, all finished the journey; about 20 percent of the many thousands who set out each year don’t, according to Smith.

13

June 6, 2014

Committee upholds vote to have school on Good Friday continued from page 11

McCann of Rochester, who identified herself as a Catholic familiar with canon law, said Good Friday is neither a “holy day of obligation” nor a “holy day of observance” in the Liturgical calendar.

“In canon law, Good Friday is pretty much treated like Ash Wednesday,” McCann said.

“The only thing that is required of a Christian is abstinence, which is mostly to not eat meat as a source of penance, and to fast. And children under the age of 18 are excused from that. So it is not a day of obligation. And if we start behaving that way with regards to Good Friday, what happens to Ash Wednesday? What happens to all of Holy Week? What happens to all the other days that by canon law are not obligatory? I feel as a school committee, this needs to be about the school calendar.”

Christine Marcoloni, a representative on the school committee from Marion, wanted to know if any data had been gathered about the potential absentee rate for faculty and students since they voted to have school on Good Friday back in March.

“I’m just wondering if we’ve had any feedback that’s new from the (school) principals?”

Marcoloni asked. “As an educator, that’s my primary concern.

I’m concerned about coverage for our building. I know how difficult it is to get quality substitutes in our building in the springtime under normal circumstances.”

According to ORR School Superintendent Doug White, he had spoken with the presidents of the various teachers’ unions and “they felt that those who wanted to take the day off as a personal day for religious reasons would do that and they didn’t see this as necessarily impacting the overall education of the schools,” he said.

But Kevin Brogioli, principal of ORR Junior High School, and Mike Devoll, principal of ORR High School, said through informal polls they estimated that about 25 percent of the faculty would not work on Good Friday and opt to take it as a personal day.

“We just did an anonymous poll, it wasn’t something they had to identify themselves for,” Devoll said.

Shaun Walsh of Marion dismissed this hypothetical data in favor of hard numbers that he collected from the superintendent’s office. Although he couldn’t get information about

the 1980s-era Good Friday debacle, he did offer some more recent figures.

“The superintendent’s office is required by law to only keep data for seven years, so I asked if they could dig up data for the last five years,” Walsh said. “The average absentee rate across the district (for the last five years) was 4.6 percent. The average absentee rate for the day before Thanksgiving is over double that — it’s 9.6 percent. And this past year is was closer to 18 percent, so we had a lot of kids out that day.”

Walsh also contacted the school superintendent in nearby Bourne, which has been treating Good Friday as a regular school day “for 12 to 13 years now,” he said.

“He told me that one single teacher and two parent-professionals requested Good Friday off and they were given it as a personal day off,” Walsh said.

“So I would put more stock in what has been the actual experience of other school districts in terms of staff absenteeism, than an informal survey of staff members here, because I don’t think 25 percent of our staff is going to do that to our students — I really don’t.”

If there’s strength in numbers, countered Steve Burke of Rochester, then the school committee should be heeding the large contingent of residents present at the meeting and the 650 others who signed the petition being presented to them.

“Data talks,” Burke said. “If you have 650 signatures here, you have a critical mass — you have a pretty good sample size.

That cannot be discounted.

You’re discounting the people in this room if you do that. I appreciate your analytical rigor, but I too am an analyst. You have two principals here who took a poll.

I think you need to go back to the drawing board, grab your principals and get some more data before you make this decision. I don’t care what decision you make, but make it based on valid data.”

Noting that there are roughly 15,000 residents in the three towns, school committee cochairman Sharon Hartley said the 650 signatures represent “only about five percent of that 15,000.”

“And we have no way of knowing if the people on that list are actually citizens of the three towns, or if they have children here, we just don’t know,”

she added.

“The (signatures) are real, but they never even looked at them,” McGee said. “I had everyone print their name and address and sign it. I wouldn’t bring something to them that was dishonest — that’s not how I am.

But they sort of dismissed (the petition).”

In the end, it seemed like there might be light at the end of the tunnel when school committee member James Higgins of Mattapoisett and superintendent Doug White suggested the committee needed to gather more accurate data about faculty and student absentee rates before making a final decision.

“I don’t think we should necessarily change traditions for our community,” Higgins said. “All data aside, there was no driving factor to change the calendar to remove Good Friday other than some people’s opinions that we shouldn’t observe religious holidays. My personal opinion is that we traditionally had Good Friday off, and I’m in support of voting to keep it that way.”

“The night we voted on that calendar, that calendar never got back to the people that we talked about — the school councils, the faculty, and others who have a voice in our calendars,” White added. “We decided that was going to be the calendar moving forward and I’ve since heard from many individuals about looking at the data to make good decisions.

I’m not sure you have the quality of data to make the kind of decision that I’d want you to make as a school committee. I cannot sit here and honestly tell you what that day is going to look like; I can’t tell you I know we’re going to have a teacher in every classroom and I know we’re going to have students here (on Good Friday).”

Although she was disappointed the vote didn’t go her way, McGee doesn’t have any regrets about speaking out.

“I was talking to my son and he said: ‘At least one thing you did was you exposed to the whole community how you felt and you gave them the opportunity to speak their minds,’” she said.

“I think the Holy Spirit inspired me to do this,” McGee added. “Sometimes you have to be the hands or feet or voice of Christ. I don’t understand how people can look at this as an ordinary day — they can pick any day and they pick this one for their education?”

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14

June 6, 2014

Bishop Coleman to ordain Deacon Peschel to priesthood tomorrow

I think he’s calling people back to the confessional, too, continued from page one because the reality is the difDeacon Peschel is proud had been to as a seminarian,” ference between a practicing The first was Father Peter Stravinskas, who is an editor that Bishop Bevard will not he said. “That was a great Catholic and a non-practicing with Newman House Press only be attending the ordi- event and I was there with Catholic is one Confession. I nation Mass tomorrow, but (fellow seminarians) Jack also see the Sacrament as being based in New Jersey.

“Father Stravinskas lived he will also be preaching the Schrader and Eric Queenan integral to reconciling people just across the river in New homily during his first Mass, at the time. We had the op- to the Church and bringing Jersey (and) a priest of this to be celebrated on Sunday at portunity to attend a Mass those who have lapsed in their diocese knew him well and 1 p.m. at his home parish of one of the mornings with faith back into the fold.”

A parishioner of Anhooked us up, because I didn’t Annunciation of the Lord in Pope Benedict that was just for seminarians. It was still nunciation of the Lord Parknow anyone in Philadelphia,” Taunton.

“We’ve kept in touch and a crowd, but it was much ish in Taunton, Deacon Deacon Peschel said. “Father Stravinskas became like a I’ve actually been down to the smaller. I remember being Peschel graduated from Xavespiritual father to me. He was islands to visit him twice,” he maybe five or 10 feet away rian Brothers High School in tremendously helpful during said. “When I received the from the Holy Father as he Westwood and St. Charles my time there and we kept up date for ordination last sum- came in for that Mass and it Borromeo Seminary, Overa good friendship, even after I mer, I gave him a call and was really breathtaking. That brook in Wynnewood, Pa., beasked if he’d be willing to come was one of the high points for fore returning to study at St. returned to Boston.”

John’s Seminary in Brighton As a gesture of appreciation, up to Fall River to preach the me during my formation.”

During his time in semi- in 2010.

Deacon Peschel has asked Fa- first Mass. And he said: ‘It’s Since the summer of 2013, ther Stravinskas to vest him on the books.’ So he’s coming nary, Deacon Peschel said during his ordination Mass and is going to be spending he developed a great interest he has been serving at St. John the whole weekend up here. I in studying the Sacraments the Evangelist Parish in Attomorrow.

The second priest instru- appreciate his being here very and he became particularly tleboro, and Deacon Peschel’s fascinated with the Sacra- previous assignments have mental during Deacon Pe- much.”

“I wouldn’t be here today ment of Confession, which is included stints at St. Pius X schel’s time at St. Charles Borromeo was his then-spiritual if they didn’t talk me through the subject of an in-progress Parish in South Yarmouth and director — a former pastor of some of the things going on, thesis for his second master’s St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham. He also studied Portuthe Archdiocese of Philadel- that’s why I invited Bishop degree.

“There was an interview guese Language and Culture phia who has since become Bevard and Father Stravinthe bishop of St. Thomas in skas up for these Masses,” that Pope Benedict gave back at UMass Dartmouth and the Virgin Islands: Bishop Deacon Peschel added. “There a few years ago to confessors Spanish Language in Puebla, were many times where I just and spiritual directors when Mexico.

Herbert A. Bevard.

He is a fourth degree mem“When I was in Philly, one wanted to throw the towel they were gathered in Rome,” of the only reasons they would in and call it quits, but when Deacon Peschel said. “He said ber of the St. Paul’s Council let us out of the seminary was challenges arise, you’ve got to that the New Evangelization No. 12252 Knights of Columto go see our spiritual direc- keep good, solid, open com- is going to begin in the Con- bus in Taunton.

Deacon Peschel earned a tors,” Deacon Peschel said. “So munication with priest advi- fessional. I found those to be not only haunting words, but bachelor’s degree in philosoI had just about every Friday sors — your spiritual director, a real challenge to priests — phy from St. Charles Borroafternoon free, and I’d drive for sure.”

While Deacon Peschel especially someone like me, meo Seminary, and recently from the seminary over to North Philadelphia and meet may have faced some difficult who’s being ordained in the received a master’s degree in with Bishop Bevard and then times during the past seven midst of this New Evangeliza- divinity from St. John’s Seminary. he’d take me on tours of dif- years, there have been many tion.”

Deacon Peschel said Pope He is the son of Bruce Peferent parts of the city. That’s highlights, too — not least of how I got to know the city, which was the opportunity to Francis has similarly stressed schel and Linda (Ferreira) by spending time in his pas- attend World Youth Day in the importance of Confession Forte and he has three youngby publicly confessing himself. er brothers, all of whom will senger’s seat and getting to Madrid, Spain in 2011.

“There was a famous picture be attending the ordination “It had been six years since know some of the history and different cultures down there. I had been to World Youth of him kneeling down at the Mass.

“I had a few aunts who It helped put things at ease at Day and it was the first and confessional,” he said. “Withonly World Youth Day that I out him explicitly saying it, didn’t attend my diaconal orthe end of the day.” dination, because they live farther away,” he said. “But my aunt from Virginia, who’s been tremendously helpful to me, and another aunt who lives down in Florida will be 50 years ago — The first retreat for 10 years ago — Members of the REattending. My family is very the deaf and hard-of-hearing was held NEW Group at St. John the Evangehappy. I hope everyone will be at St. William’s Parish in Fall River. The list Parish in Attleboro put their faith able to come.” two-night retreat was arranged by Fainto action by working at the Food and With Bishop Coleman’s ther James A. McCarthy, diocesan direcFriends Soup Kitchen, sponsored by the impending retirement, the notor of the Apostolate to the Deaf.

Attleboro Council of Churches. tion that Deacon Peschel may very well be the last priest he 25 years ago — Bishop Daniel A. One year ago — The pastor and paordains is not lost on him.

Cronin sadly announced the closing of rishioners of Holy Cross Parish gath“I’ve appreciated Bishop St. Mathieu’s Parish in Fall River, citing ered after Mass to bless and dedicate the Coleman’s fatherly presence,” the reality of declining vocations and the new “Respect Life” garden and statue on he said.

“He’s a consummate dwindling number of parishioners as the the grounds of the South Easton parish. gentleman.

In the encounters reason.

I’ve had with him — either in meetings or in the Sacristy of the cathedral before Mass — that’s the immediate impression that I get.”

This week in

Diocesan history

Deacon Peschel said he and Bishop Coleman also share a mutual appreciation for academics and Catholic education.

And the two have even had opportunities to bond over their interest in classical music and a non-Church related hobby.

“We’ve talked a little bit about one of my hobbies, railroading, which is also an interest of his,” Deacon Peschel said. “We’ve talked about the old train lines that used to come from Providence, R.I. into Fall River and used to run down the Cape. We’ve been able to chitchat about those things on a lighter note.

“He’s also a great connoisseur of classical music. I have some interest in music myself — I play the organ and know a few of the composers — but I was impressed that whenever we were in the car and something would come on the radio, he’d immediately know the composer and the work before it even popped up on the screen.”

Given Deacon Peschel’s fondness for Catholic schools and his 20 years of Catholic education, it’s not surprising that he hopes to be involved with a parish that has an active parochial school.

“Although I don’t yet know where I’ll be assigned, I’m praying that I go somewhere that has a school,” he said. “I realize the importance of the presence of a priest in Catholic schools and I’d really like to be a part of that. I think it’s helpful because when you get to know the students, you get to know their parents and you really get to know some of the younger families (in the parish). You establish friendships to a certain degree, and I think it’s very helpful for a priest to have solid married friends that are bringing up families in today’s world.”

“I’m looking forward to starting my ministry here in the diocese as a priest,” he added. “As soon as I walk out the doors of the cathedral (tomorrow), I’ll be a priest of this diocese and it’s a go.”

Deacon Christopher M.J. Peschel will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop George W. Coleman tomorrow during a Mass celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

Deacon Peschel’s first Mass will be celebrated on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Taunton.

15

June 6, 2014

Tireless volunteer is 97 years old and still going strong continued from page one

sive stroke and landed in Hospice care that Mancini began to embrace her calling; “After he was gone, they were asking for volunteers for Hospice and I called them,” said Mancini, who initially was told that perhaps being newly-widowed would make being a Hospice volunteer emotionally difficult and she was discouraged from volunteering, but Mancini immediately answered, “I can cope with it very well and I want to help.”

For the next six years, Mancini not only worked alongside Hospice volunteers, she began to reach out to her parish, the community of St. Paul’s Parish in Leesburg, Fla., and formed a club, Catholics Without Partners, that helped those widowed find support with fellow Catholics. Soon she branched out and began running tours for the club, working with a travel agency in Florida to take trips, eventually offering to organize trips for members of the entire parish.

She also added volunteering for the parish’s bereavement ministry, calling families who had suffered a loss and helping them choose prayers, music and planning a collation in the church, if the family wanted it; “I would make all the arrangements,” said Mancini.

Eleven years ago, with the encouragement of one of her sons, she returned to Fall River and took up residence at Borden Place East; “My whole family is in Fall River; we have five generations in the Fall River area,” said Mancini, who has two sons,

four grandchildren, 11 greatgrandchildren and five greatgreat grandchildren. “My son said you’re getting along in years and if you got sick, I couldn’t go to help you, so why don’t you come back?”

Upon her return to Fall River, Mancini said her son was worried “that because I was so involved in everything [in Florida] that I would be bored when I got here, but just the opposite happened.”

Being only a block from the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Mancini quickly established herself as a greeter during the 10 o’clock Mass.

She also became involved at her residence, where she continues to run an exercise class for the residents (even doing a brief stint teaching hula dancing for a small group of women), is a member of the Borden East Tenants Council and is a board member of the Council on Aging in Fall River.

She is also treasurer of St. Mary’s Seniors Tour group, meeting once a month to plan tours and take trips. She became a lector at St. Mary’s until the step leading to the lectern became a little tricky for her to navigate; “I was getting a little leery. Father [Paul] Bernier used to hold me when I went down the steps, but it got to be a little dangerous for me, so I stopped being a lector, but I’m still a greeter,” she said, adding as a fun fact that Father Bernier is her cousin.

Mancini fondly recalls her trip to the Holy Land in 2006,

“When she started saying all those things, I was sitting between my son and his wife and I putting her front and center to realized, that’s me! They’re talksee the late St. Pope John Paul ing about me!” said Mancini, II ride by in his popemobile; whose son and wife admitted “What a thrill. I stood up in my they had known for a few days. chair and took a picture of him,” Then Mancini was given her she said. “I was never as involved due on April 7 with a big celewith the Church as I am now. bration that included being given I think that my feelings about the key to the city of Fall River Christ have increased because of by mayor Will Flanagan and a all the work that I do. I went to declaration by the mayor that church, took Communion, did April 7 is “Yvette Mancini Day.” everything a Catholic did, but “I lead a very, very full life,” I didn’t feel as deeply about my said Mancini. religion as I do now.”

Some of Mancini’s work It was her role as a board helps not just individuals, but member and member of the the group itself. The exercise planning and services commit- class she teaches at the Sheptee of Bristol Elder Services in herd’s Center in Fall River, a Fall River that drew nationwide network of community-based attention to Mancini. Bristol organizations and congregaElder Services had nominated tions whose common mission Mancini for an award given by is to empower older adults to be Home Instead Senior Care, a of service to their peers, helps global home care provider that raise funds for the center; “The presents an annual award rec- 94 hours I put in each year helps ognizing older Americans at them get benefits when they ask the state and national level who for grants,” said Mancini. positively affect his or her comMancini has been a cancer munity through volunteering 15 survivor for the past 20 years or more hours each month. after being diagnosed with During a fund-raising con- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and cert that raised $13,000 for the has participated in the annual Bristol Elder Services’ emer- American Cancer Society’s gency fund, Mancini discovered Relay for Life — four years in a secret that her family already Florida and for the past 11 while knew — she was the winner. As living in Fall River; “I’m always she sat with her family, Man- the oldest so sometimes I’m the cini listened as Nancy Munson, one who releases the doves or CEO of Bristol Elder Services, cuts the ribbon,” she said. began to talk about the winner Her participation in the Ms. of the Home Instead Senior Senior Sweetheart Pageant of Care network’s Salute to Senior America — “Well, that is my Service award, listing off a long priority,” joked Mancini — has list of volunteer works that the seen her be a contestant and run winner had been doing, and the pageant as an administrasuddenly it dawned on Mancini tor’s assistant to the president, who Munson was talking about. though she has reduced her du-

ties to being a consultant after training someone to run the pageant last year. “Now I do everything on the phone,” said Mancini.

Her own family has taken up volunteering, said Mancini. Her son and his wife travel to Honduras every year with a group from Westport, and her son does double-duty by taking an additional trip to take an inventory of what needs to be done during the group’s annual trip, often staying for weeks to help do repair work at a Honduran school.

“They are very much involved in charity work,” said Mancini. “All my grandchildren and great-grandchildren are all social workers. They’re all giving back to the public.”

Even with all the flurry of attention from the media after her award was given, Mancini said her life hasn’t change much — though she joked that politicians now want her to appear alongside them — and she keeps herself fit and active by going three-times a week to water aerobic classes at the YMCA. “They all say you’re amazing. You are my role model,” said Mancini, who said she tries to remain humble. “All I say is thank you because I don’t want to sound like I’m showing off.

I try to show that I’m proud of what I’m doing but all I ever say is thank you. I try not to brag about it, and it’s only because of my age. I’m sure there are other people who do what I do but probably not at my age. I don’t do it alone because what I do, I could never do alone. All these good things that I do, I have help.”

Corpus Christi processions are Sacred, special, peaceful continued from page one

and the Missionaries of Charity Convent (566 County Street) They will return to the chapel for final prayers and hymns. After the final Benediction, the friars will host a reception.

Beginning at St. Anthony of Padua Church (1359 Acushnet Avenue) and accompanied by band music, the north end Corpus Christi procession will travel to St. Kilian Church (306 Ashley Boulevard) and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church (136 Earle Street) before heading back to St. Anthony’s.

“At St. Kilian’s and Immaculate Conception, we will have Benediction on outdoor altars and conclude with the final Benediction outside of St. Anthony’s,” Father Murphy said.

Members of Church organizations and sodalities from

throughout the parishes of the Diocese of Fall River will join the processions. While processing reverently, participants will profess their faith by praying the Rosary and singing Eucharistic and Marian hymns; and children dressed as angels will strew flower petals in front of the Blessed Sacrament, a European custom.

“This is a great way of expressing our faith in the true presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,” said Franciscan Father Maximilian Warnisher of Our Lady’s Chapel. “We can strengthen our faith, and whatever problems we have He can resolve as well.”

The Franciscans have held the Corpus Christi procession for 20 years, and Father Warnisher has participated in all of them except the first, which occurred the year

before he was ordained. During the years he was assigned to the Connecticut friary, he made the trip to New Bedford to take part in the procession.

“We see the people kneel down in the street,” he said. “One girl who was going down (to kneel) pushed her parents down with her — a beautiful thing.”

A parishioner of St. Francis Xavier Church in Acushnet, Mary Cardoza said that her congregation participates in the procession every year.

“St. Francis Xavier has a big showing, and each year it seems to get bigger,” she said. “When we walk by, we see the people just stop whatever they are doing and do the sign of the cross. It is a powerful thing and such a witness to the city.”

Edwin Aldorando is the

youth group coordinator at St. Kilian’s Parish and has served as an adorer at Our Lady’s Chapel, along with his wife and son, for the past five years.

“St. Kilian’s is committed to the Corpus Christi procession, and we have involved our youth group,” he said.

Processing behind St. Kilian’s Parish banner, they will wear light blue T-shirts with the words “St. Kilian’s Youth Group, New Bedford, Mass.,” on the front and an image of the Blessed Sacrament on the back. They will be joined by other parishioners, many of whom will pray in Spanish.

“It’s great to see more parishes are open to exposing the Blessed Sacrament, and that has a lot to do with the Franciscans having 24-hour exposure of the Blessed Sacrament and the Corpus

Christi procession,” said Aldorando. “That’s the way Christ is changing the City of New Bedford.”

During the processions, people stop their cars and come out of their houses as Jesus passes by. Many bless themselves and kneel.

“It’s something very Sacred, special and peaceful as we walk through the streets with Jesus in the monstrance,” said Father Murphy. “We’re so blessed to live in a place and time where we can freely do this. I would encourage as many people as possible to participate in the beautiful processions.”

For more information about the perpetual Eucharistic Adoration program at Our Lady’s Chapel, stop by and speak to one of the friars or call 508-996-8274.

Youth Pages

16

The third-grade class from St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro dressed in 1800s attire for a recent visit to the Little Red School House in Cranston, R.I.

June 6, 2014

Pre-kindergarten students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton released their butterflies after learning all about the life cycle of a butterfly.

St. Michael’s Parish First Communion students made bread at their recent retreat.

Fifth-grade students at Holy Name School in Fall River recently dissected owl pellets as part of a study of ecosystems.

Second-grader Kaelyn Smith from St. Joseph’s School in Fairhaven was enveloped in a super-sized bubble as Keith Michael Johnson provided a dazzling performance there recently.

First-grade students at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently attempted to make healthy choices by trying oatmeal.

Eight All Saints Catholic School students were inducted as new members of the All Saints Catholic School Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society, joining the 11 current members at the New Bedford school.

Pastor Father Richard D. Wilson gives his best eagle impression during a recent activity at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro.

Behind Father Wilson is the school mascot, Johnny the Eagle.

June 6, 2014

D

uring orientation last year at UMass Dartmouth, our Campus Ministry office sponsored a tabletop in the campus center. The purpose was to help get the message out that we have a Catholic Campus Ministry on campus and that we provide opportunities on campus for students to celebrate the Sacraments, learn more about the Catholic faith, and put faith into practice through service and engaging the culture.

At one point during the day, a freshman stopped by the booth to inquire about what we had available on campus.

After speaking to her for a few minutes, she thanked us, and as she walked off, turned and said, “This year, I’m gonna get my Catholic on!”

With that one phrase, she helped us shape sort of a slogan that we’ve been using on campus, that says, “UMass Dartmouth, Get Your Catholic On!” Now what does that mean to be Catholic?

A “definition” of what it means to be Catholic might be “that our faith is at the heart of

Youth Pages Get your Catholic on! who we are; the values, practices and norms of the Catholic faith have become intertwined with our sense of self-identity. This identity becomes a compass for our life, helping us make choices and put our faith into action. To get your Catholic on means doing what we do because of who we are.

We’re Catholic. We’re Christians. Followers of Jesus Christ. Getting your Catholic on means doing, serving, caring, community, going to Mass, learning about the faith, praying, and receiving the Sacraments. It means doing what we do because of who we are — Catholics!

Are we getting our Catholic on? Is our faith the center of who we are? I guess we can only answer that for ourselves; but I know that I have met many people in my life who get their Catholic on every day. I don’t mean that they are radicals or conservatives or diehards. I mean, rather, that I see in them God’s love present and moving outward

from their hearts. I see in them evidence of their relationship with God governing their actions, character and values. Simply put, they walk the talk. They let out what so many have trapped inside. As

Be Not Afraid

By Deacon Frank Lucca Catholics we are not called to a “me-God” relationship alone.

We are called to an apostolic life. We are called to serve others. We are called to bring Christ to all others.

The world is a crazy and scary place. And it is getting crazier and scarier by the second. So what can we do about it? What can one Catholic do? Well first of all, we can get off our butts and get out there and make a difference.

Each of us lives or works in a limited area. We come into contact with those in these particular environments. The areas might be our college, our school or workplace, our family or town. Think! How can you help change that environment toward Christ? By getting your Catholic on, what might happen in that environment? Others will see you and how you act and perhaps will want what you have. You only need to bring Christ to one person at a time.

Like a spark in a fireplace, that can start a roaring fire, your actions can help make your environments more Christ-like.

You only need to be the spark.

Yes, you can do that!

But we need to get to work.

We can’t just throw up our hands and say it’s crazy out there.

If we only dwell on the current world situation, we may very well give up. But let’s not give up, let’s look around and see where we can make a difference and then make a difference!

To the millions of young people gathered to be with him at the last World Youth Day, Pope Francis offered three simple ideas: “Go, do not be afraid, and serve.” He told them that Christ’s proclamation is entrusted to them so that it may resound with fresh power.

The Church needs you, he said, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you. Do not be afraid, he repeated, Jesus never leaves you alone! And finally: serve. Just as St. Paul made himself a slave to all, the pope explained: “Evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God; it is overcoming our selfishness; it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren as Jesus did.”

If you follow these three ideas, Pope Francis concluded, you will experience the joy of faith. So: “Go home and do not be afraid to be generous with

17 Christ. He is counting on you!

The Church is counting on you!

The pope is counting on you!”

Let’s work together, young and old, to embrace the fullness of our Catholic identity at a time when many are wondering what it means to be Catholic.

Let’s share with each other the various beliefs, traditions, and practices that externally mark one a Catholic that we may “discover the richness and deeper meaning of our own Catholic identity in today’s world.” Let’s get our Catholic on!

From a World Youth Day prayer, please keep these words in mind as you go about your day. “We believe in the Church, the people of God, who bring this faith to life through word and deed. This is our Catholic faith. This is who we are.

And we are proud to profess it through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.”

Perhaps, we can let the UMass Dartmouth slogan be our challenge today. Young people of the Diocese of Fall River, get your Catholic on!

Frank Lucca is a permanent deacon in the diocese of Fall River, a youth minister at St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea, and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth. He is married to his wife of 35 years, Kristine, and a father of two daughters and their husbands and a three-month-old grandson. Comments, ideas or suggestions? Please email him at DeaconFrankLucca@comcast. net.

‘You can make a better world,’ pope tells disadvantaged children

The Bishop Stang High School (North Dartmouth) varsity sailing team took first place in the recent Figawi Invitational. The 43rd annual Figawi Race Weekend is recognized as a top sailing event not only on the east coast but is known nationally and internationally.

Figawi Race Weekend kicks off the Cape Cod and Nantucket summer season. Sailors from several states, 240-plus boats (including 30 power boats) and more than 3,000 sailors and visitors, as well as locals, attend this event. The regatta hosts the Figawi Invitational where high school sailing teams from across the Cape and Islands are brought to Nantucket by Figawi Inc. to compete for the coveted Figawi Jr. Trophy. The races take place off the docks of Nantucket Boat Basin. The kids race in double handed, one design boats called 420s. From left: junior Caroline Downey; George Bassett, director of the Nantucket boat basin; Jon Pope, Stang sailing coach; and senior Chloe Kelleher.

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — The “Ode to Joy” rang out from a teen-aged orchestra as Pope Francis entered a room packed with 400 Italian school children from disadvantaged homes. They waved and cheered as the pope spoke to them in simple terms about the importance of light and love in a dark world.

The meeting was the second of its kind, a collaboration between the Pontifical Council for Culture and Trenitalia, the Italian train company which sponsored the children’s ride from Naples to Rome.

Pope Francis’ encounter with the school children, who came from Naples as well as outlying areas of Rome, was marked by a joyful informality as he continued his simple question and

answer style.

One little boy presented him with the gift of a clay pot containing dirt from the catacombs in Naples; a young girl brought him a plant.

The pope used these objects in his simple catechesis, noting that the earth came from a place of darkness, but the plant grows in the light.

“The darkness is for the light,” he explained. “When it is nighttime, it’s completely dark. But we wait for morning, when the light begins. What is more important — this is the question

— the darkness, or the light?”

“The light!” his young audience replied enthusiastically.

“The light. Inside of ourselves, always. Because the light gives us joy, gives us hope. And do all of us have that possibility to find the light?”

When the children replied, “yes!” he explained, “because in the light there are good things, and in the light you can do what you told me when you have given me the plant: the fruits help us to make a world that is…”

“Better!” the children finished for him.

Send school and Faith Formation news to: schools@anchornews.org

18

June 6, 2014

HCFM to take part in annual Global Rosary Relay for Priests continued from page one

worldpriest.com, a not-forprofit organization established in 2003 in conjunction with St. John Paul II’s announcing a new World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Pope Benedict XVI designated that the day of prayer for priests would be held each year on the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Worldpriest.com was founded by Marion Mulhall, a successful Irish business entrepreneur, who was so touched during a 1994 weekend retreat that she devoted all her energies to support priests worldwide and encourage vocations to the priesthood.

On the worldpriest.com website, it explains, “The annual Global Rosary Relay idea is a simple one: in that each of the 85 participating shrines prays a particular mystery of the Rosary at a particular half hour on the day in thanksgiving to God for our priests and to implore the protection and loving care of Our Lady, mother of all priests, for all her priestly sons. With the coming of midnight on the 27th of June 2014, the entire world, by then, will have been encircled in prayer for our priests on this the annual Rosary Relay Day.” Just last week Pope Francis offered a blessing for the Global Rosary Relay through the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin: “The Holy Father asks you to convey his cordial greetings to all taking part in the ‘24-Hour Rosary Relay for Priests’ and to assure them of his spiritual closeness. He prays that our Blessed Mother may always guide and protect priests who are consecrated to the joyful and indispensable mission of proclaiming the Gospel and offering God’s people, through the celebration of the Sacraments, the closeness, the word and the strength of Christ (cf. Evangelii Gaudium,121).

With great affection and appreciation for priests, His Holiness commends them and those joining in this event to the loving intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, and willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and peace.”

“To have Pope Francis joining us with a world at prayer, I am overwhelmed with this fantastic news,” Mulhall told The Anchor.

“Praying for priests has had the blessings of three popes.”

For the second consecutive

year, Family Rosary International of Holy Cross Family Ministries is heavily involved in the world-wide event. “This is such a powerful idea to get people all over the world to pray for priests,” Holy Cross Father James Phalan, director of Family Rosary International told The Anchor. “This is our second year taking part, and we already have many of our international missions involved this year.” He added, “I met Marion a few years back, and she is a woman truly devoted to the priesthood.”

Working with Father Phalan on the Rosary Relay is Susan Wallace, director of External Relations with HCFM. “We expect all of our offices will participate,” Wallace told The Anchor, “but we know for sure right now that Brazil, Ghana, Uganda, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, France, Mexico, Ireland, and of course the U.S. are involved.”

The North Easton session at the Father Peyton Center will be led by Holy Cross Father Leo Polselli. During the Rosary there participants will contemplate the five Joyful Mysteries: The Annunciation; The Visitation; The Birth of the Lord; The Presentation; and The Finding in the Temple.

“All are welcome to come and pray the Rosary for all priests, and following the Rosary, Father Leo will celebrate Mass,” added Father Phalan.

“The feast of the Sacred Heart is also the feast day of the priests of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, so this means a lot to us to take part in this event.”

Father Phalan will be leading the Rosary that day at the parish church in Lourdes, France. “We’ll be at the birthplace of St. Bernadette,” he said. “Lourdes is such a holy place. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. The peace one feels there is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Everyone I know who has been there has been healed — some physically, others spiritually, emotionally, or mentally.”

The Lourdes Rosary will be prayed at 7 a.m. EST (1 p.m. in Lourdes and 11.00 GMT — Generally EDT is GMT minus four hours — see schedule on this page).

Father Phalan will be in Lourdes from June 22 through the end of September at the Family Rosary Center there.

“We’ll be sharing multi-media events, praying, teaching people how to mediate on the mysteries of the Rosary, and running a hospitality center,” he said. “We’ll also have priests there for counseling, and we’ll be hearing witnesses of experiences people have had while there. If anyone is at Lourdes this summer, please come by and see us, we’d love to have you.”

Father Phalan mentioned that, while it would be powerful to have everyone in the world praying the Rosary at the same time, that’s not logistically possible. “But the way worldpriest.com has it set up, faithful across the globe will be praying for priests for 24 continuous hours. And that’s powerful as well.”

In a telephone interview from Ireland, Mulhall told The Anchor, “It’s a huge blessing and a great joy to have Holy Cross Family Ministries involved with the relay. Particularly because of Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, whose mission was to bring the Rosary to the ends of the earth.

“In the last couple of years I’ve become good friends with Father James Phalan and Susan Wallace, and it was a relationship that was so automatic. I’m sure Father Peyton is watching us and guiding us.”

Mulhall further said that she plans on being on Our Lady’s Island in Wexford, Ireland on the day of the Rosary Relay. “My dad passed away there about four months ago, and I was brought into the world there,” she said. “And at just one day old, Father Peyton blessed me there.”

Mulhall said the relay has grown steadily since the first one. “For our first relay, we had 25 shrines involved across the world. For this one we have 85 shrines in 46 countries. This is definitely the inspiration of Our Lady. It’s her Rosary, and it’s for her priests.”

Even if faithful in the Diocese of Fall River are not able to join in at the Father Peyton Center in North Easton, they are encouraged to pray a Rosary on June 27 and become part of the world-wide effort to support the priesthood and encourage vocations.

For more information on the fifth annual Global Rosary Relay for Priests visit worldpriest. com or hcfm.org and click on events.

June 27, 2014

‘Encircle the world in prayer’ GMT

Country

00.00 Siberia 00.30 China 01.00 Australia 01.00 Australia 01.00 India 01.30 New Zealand 01.30 New Zealand 02.00 Singapore 02.30 Brunei 02.45 Vietnam 03.00 Philippines

03.30 Philippines 04.00 Philippines 04.30 Sri Lanka 05.00 India 05.30 Malta 06.00 UAE 06.30 Lebanon 07.00 Nazareth 07.30 S. Africa 08.00 Rwanda 08.15 Slovenia 08.30 Austria 08.45 Romania 09.00 Italy 09.15 Italy 09.15 Italy

09.30 Poland 10.00 Poland 10.30 Italy

10.45 Ukraine 11.00 France 11.30 France 12.00 Spain 12.30 Belgium 13.00 Portugal 13.15 Germany 13.30 USA 13.45 Ireland 13.45 England

14.00 Africa 14.15 Germany 14.30 Germany 15.00 Switzerland 15.30 USA 15.30 Portugal 15.30 USA

15.30 USA 16.00 Gibraltar 16.30 USA

16.45 Vatican 17.00 England 17.00 Lithuania 17.30 Croatia 17.45 Slovakia 18.00 Hungary 18.30 Wales 19.00 Ireland 19.15 USA

19.30 Scotland 20.00 Cayman Is. 20.30 Brazil 21.00 Argentina 21.30 Argentina 21.45 USA

22.00 Mexico 22.15 Canada

22.30 USA

23.00 USA 23.30 USA 23.45 USA 24.00 USA

Shrine (Rosary Mystery)

Our Lady of Magadan (J) Private Prayer Groups (G) Basilica of Our Lady of Victories, Melbourne (J) Our Lady of Lourdes, (Brisbane) (S) Mt. Carmel Provincial House, Kerala (L) The Shrine of Mary, Pukekaraka Otaki (J) Carmelite Monastery, Aukland (S) Cathedral of Good Shepherd (G) Church of Our Lady’s Assumption (L) Our Lady of La Vang (J) The National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Manila, Quezon City (S) Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Manila (G) Our Lady of Manaoag (L) Shrine of Our Lady of Matara (J) Shrine of Our Lady of Health, Velankanni (S) Our Lady of Mellieha (G) The Church of St. Mary, Dubai (L) Our Lady of Lebanon, Harissa (J) International Center of Mary of Nazareth (S) Shrine of Our Lady of Ngome (G) Shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho, (L) Shrine of Our Lady of Brezje (J) Mariazell Basilica (S) Shrine of Our Lady of Csiksomlyo (G) Holy House of Loreto (L) Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome (J) Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria in Cagliari, Sardinia (J) Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen (S) Shrine of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa (G) Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii (L) Our Lady of Zarvanyzia (J) The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (S) Our Lady of La Salette (G) Shrine of Our Lady of The Pillar (L) Shrine of Our Lady of Banneaux (J) Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Sameiro (S) Cologne Cathedral (G) EWTN Television Network, Alabama (L) National Shrine of Our Lady of Knock (J) National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (S) Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Enugu Nigeria (G) The Adoration Chapel, Alotting (L) Shrine of Our Lady of Birkenstein (J) Shrine of Our Lady of Einsiedeln (S) Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle (G) Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (L) The National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, N.J. (J) Holy Cross Family Ministries, Easton, Mass. (J) Shrine of Our Lady of Europe (S) Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, Orlando (G) Universal Church Prayer - for Pope Francis (L) Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (J) Shrine of Our Lady of the Gates of the Dawn (J) Shrine of Marija-Bistrica (S) Our Lady of Levoca (G) Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapocs (L) Shrine of Our Lady of Cardigan (J) Our Lady’s Island, Wexford (S) The National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows - The Grotto in Portland, Ore. (S) Carfin National Marian Shrine (G) Stella Maris Church, (L) Basilica of National Shrine of Our Lady, Aparecida (J) La Basilica Nacional Nuestra Senora Lujan (S) Notre Dame d’Itatì (G) Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. (L) Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (J) Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City (J) National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Stockbridge, Mass. (S) Our Lady Star of the Sea, Staten Island, N.Y. (G) Monastery of Our Lady of the Desert, N.M. (L) Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, L.A. (J) Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, Wisc. (S)

GMT - Greenwich Mean Time (Generally EDT is GMT minus four hours) (Shrines known at press time) Mysteries: (S) - Sorrowful; (J) - Joyful; (G) - Glorious; (L) - Luminous

19

June 6, 2014

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic 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 Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

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. Please use the side entrance.

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.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

SOUTH YARMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Pius X Parish, 5 Barbara Street, on Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., from March 13 to April 10. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be offered at this time.

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.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Lugarde F. Baris, mother of Father Bernard Baris, M.S.

Pawtucket — Lugarde F. (Auclair) Baris, 94, passed away peacefully May 22. She was the beloved wife of the late Rene G. Baris.

A lifelong resident of Pawtucket, she was a daughter of the late Joseph and Alphonsine (Verville) Auclair. Lugarde was a life-long communicant of St. Cecilia Church and a longtime volunteer at La Salette Shrine, Attleboro.

Lugarde leaves a son, Father Bernard Baris, M.S., pastor of Our Lady of the Cape Parish, Brewster; two daughters, Paulette Baris of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Jeannine Baris of Pawtucket, R.I.; seven grandchildren, Jon, Justin, Jason Neely, Jennifer Rhames, Brian, Brandon and Renee Provost and a greatgranddaughter, Lucy Neely.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated May 28 at St. Cecilia Church in Pawtucket, followed by burial at Notre Dame Cemetery.

Memorial gifts to Together with Haiti, c/o Our Lady of the Cape Parish, P.O. Box 1799, Brewster, Mass., 02631 will be appreciated. William W. Tripp Funeral Home, 1008 Newport Avenue, Pawtucket, R.I. was in charge of the arrangements.

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, C.S.C., Stonehill College, 2004 Rev. Roland Bousquet, Pastor, St. Theresa, New Bedford, 2010

Around the Diocese The Fall River Area Men’s First Friday Club will meet on June 6 at the Chapel of St. Mary’s Cathedral, 327 Second Street in Fall River. Following the 6 p.m. Mass celebrated by Father Karl Bissinger, a hot meal catered by White’s of Westport will be served in the school hall across the street. The guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Robert P. Lawrence, pastor emeritus of the First Congregational Church in Fall River, who will bring a replica of the Titanic and give a special presentation about the Titanic. The Mass is open to the public. Guest men interested in joining for dinner should contact Norman Valiquette at 508-672-8174.

The Holy Trinity Charismatic Prayer Group will be hosting Deacon Stephen Minninger as its speaker on June 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Damien Hall, Route 28 in West Harwich to celebrate Pentecost. Deacon Minninger serves at Holy Trinity Parish and Cape Cod Hospital. A social will be held after the meeting. For more information call Jane Jannell at 508-430-0014.

The Franciscans of Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street in New Bedford, will hold the Corpus Christi Procession for the south end parishes on June 22 at 2 p.m. Come join the procession to witness the truth of the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The four Benediction stations are Our Lady of Purgatory Church, St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Missionaries of Charity Convent and Our Lady’s Chapel. After final Benediction, the friars will host a reception. For more information, call 508-996-8274.

The parishioners of St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford, will hold the Corpus Christi Procession for the north end parishes on June 22 at 2 p.m. On the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, they will begin at St. Anthony’s with Benediction then process outside with the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by band music. They will travel to St. Kilian Church and Immaculate Conception Church before heading back to St. Anthony’s. Join them as they bring Jesus to the streets of New Bedford. For more information, visit saintanthonynewbedford.com.

An Italian Mass will be celebrated at St. Thomas the Apostle Chapel, Falmouth Heights Road in Falmouth (a mission of St. Patrick’s Parish), on June 22 at 4 p.m.

Father Tad Pacholczyk will celebrate the Mass.

The Fall River area Bereavement Group of the Fall River Diocese meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. through June 24 at St. Joseph Parish, 1335 North Main Street in Fall River. For more information, contact Rose Mary Saraiva at the Office of Faith Formation at 508-678-2828, extension 27, or email rmsaraiva@dfrcec. com.

Father Matt Malone, S.J., editor-in-chief of America magazine, will kickoff the Summer Catholic Reflections Series at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on June 26. Father Malone will discuss “The First Year of Pope Francis” beginning at 7 p.m. The 2014 series is sponsored by Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville, St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth, and Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. For directions or more information visit www.christthekingparish.com.

Massachusetts Citizens for Life is sponsoring the Respect Life Walk to Aid Mothers and Children. The annual walk-a-thon to raise funds to support mothers and children in crisis situations is scheduled for June 29 at 2:30 p.m. from the Boston Commons. The Greater Fall River MCFL Chapter is sponsoring a bus to bring local walkers to the Boston Commons. No need to worry about parking or the Boston traffic. Round trip fare is only $5 for adults, $2 for 18 and under. Children five and under are free. The central pick-up location is at Good Shepherd Parish on South Main Street in Fall River. Departure time will be at 12:30 p.m. There will be a second pick-up at the Taunton Galleria Park and Ride at approximately 12:45 p.m. To reserve seats or for more information call Bea Martins at 508-678-3351

by June 25.

20

June 6, 2014

Palestinian, Israeli leaders to pray with pope at Vatican Sunday

Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News) — An encounter among Pope Francis, the Palestinian president, and

the Israeli president at the Vatican to pray for peace in the Holy Land has been set for Sunday.

“The encounter to pray for peace, to which the Holy Father Francis has invited the president of Israel, Shimon Peres, and of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, will take place Sunday in the afternoon at the Vatican,” the Holy See press office announced. “This date has been accepted by both parties.”

At the close of his Mass said in Bethlehem May 25, Pope Francis invited the two leaders to the Vatican for the meeting: “I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer.”

“In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace I wish to invite you, president Mahmoud Abbas, together with president Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace.”

He continued, “All of us want peace.

Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers.”

“All of us — especially those placed at the service of their respective peoples — have the duty to become instruments and artisans of peace, especially by our prayers. Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant torment. The men and women of these lands, and of the entire world, all of them, ask us to bring before God their fervent hopes for peace.”

Both presidents accepted the invitation the same day; Peres’ office stated that “We welcome Pope Francis’ invitation to the Vatican. President Peres has supported and will continue to support all avenues to bring about peace.”

Pope Francis’ invitation was issued on

the second day of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where his addresses focused heavily on the theme of peace.

Speaking to Abbas and other Palestinian officials that day, he lamented the “protracted conflict which has inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal.”

“For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual security.”

“The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two states to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders,” he said, adding that peace “must resolutely be pursued, even if each side has to make certain sacrifices.”

Meeting with Peres May 26, Pope Francis said that “peacemaking demands first and foremost respect for the dignity and freedom of every human person, which Jews, Christians and Muslims alike believe to be created by God and destined to eternal life. This shared conviction enables us resolutely to pursue peaceful solutions to every controversy and conflict.”

“Here I renew my plea that all parties avoid initiatives and actions which contradict their stated determination to reach a true agreement and that they tirelessly work for peace, with decisiveness and tenacity.”

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@ anchornews.org