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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , June 13, 2014

Diocesan Pastoral Council devoted to ‘Church, diocesan and parish life’

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor

Kneeling before his brother priests after they each participated in the Laying on of Hands, newly-ordained Father Christopher M. Peschel receives the Prayer of Ordination from Bishop George W. Coleman, rear center, during Father Peschel’s presbyteral ordination Mass celebrated last weekend inside the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

Father Rita retires from pastoral ministry, 12 other priests reassigned

hood as I retire,” Father Rita said, noting that most of his retired brother priests SEEKONK — Although he’s just living there remain active. “I’ll continue shy of 70, the typical retirement age for to do Sacramental ministry and help diocesan priests, Father Thomas L. Rita with Masses — but the administrative has been given Bishop George W. Cole- angle of being a pastor will be lifted.”

Taking over for Father Rita at the man’s blessing to retire from his pastoSeekonk parish will be ral duties at Our Lady Father Daniel W. Lacroix, Queen of Martyrs Parish who has been reassigned in Seekonk. from his previous pastoral “I am looking forward duties at St. Francis Xavito it — it’s time,” Father er Parish in Hyannis.

Rita recently told The An“He’s looking forward chor. “Some years ago I to coming here after the thought I would just go on plethora of responsibiliand on, but I guess Mothties he’s had in Barnstable er Nature tells us otherand Hyannis,” Father wise and this is God’s will.

Rita said. “He’s looking I’ve had two back surgerforward to coming to a ies within a year, and that smaller parish.” really slowed me up.”

Father Rita said it’s Effective June 25, Fabittersweet having to ther Rita will be moving Father Thomas L. Rita leave Our Lady Queen of into the Cardinal MeMartyrs Parish, which he deiros Residence for retired priests, located on the campus of helped found in 2010.

“I was here before to prepare for the Bishop Connolly High School in Fall merger of the former St. Stephen’s with River.

“I’m not going to give up the priestTurn to page 15

FALL RIVER — In 2012 Bishop George W. Coleman, in accordance with Canon 511 of the Code of Canon Law that states, “In each diocese, so far as pastoral circumstances suggest, a pastoral council is to be established. Its function, under the authority of the bishop, is to study and weigh those matters which concern the pastoral works of the diocese and to propose practical conclusions concerning them,” assembled the current Diocesan Pastoral Council, which became effective Dec. 1, 2012.

Since then, the 19-member council has worked diligently with and for diocesan priests and parishes making recommendations to enliven and enrich parish life and to assist Bishop Coleman in fulfilling the pastoral

needs of the diocese.

“Over the last 18 months, the Diocesan Parish Council has been very active in fulfilling its obligations,” Father Michael K. McManus, diocesan Moderator of the Curia and Ex Off icio member of the DPC told The Anchor. “This is a great group of people who are very involved and very concerned about Church, diocesan and parish life.”

Just recently, the DPC took part in a joint meeting with the diocesan Presbyteral Council, another of the three consulting bodies of the bishop (the other is the College of Consultors). It was the first known collaborative meeting of the two groups.

Father James H. Morse, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese, facilitated the meeting that took place Turn to page 18

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

Diocese to honor Bishop Coleman July 22

FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River will recognize Bishop George W. Coleman’s 50th anniversary as a priest and his 11 years of dedicated service as bishop of the diocese at a special Mass and reception on July 22. Because of space constraints, admission to the 3 p.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral and the reception immediately following at White’s of Westport is by invitation only.

There will be, however, a public reception at White’s later that evening. Times and details will appear in a future edition of The Anchor.

Father James H. Morse, right, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese, recently facilitated the first-ever meeting of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council. (Photo by John E. Kearns Jr.)

March for Marriage leads into Fortnight for Freedom

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

FALL RIVER — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage has been asking area parishes to help support the upcoming March for Marriage (www.MarriageMarch.org) in Washington, D.C. on June 19.

Taking place two days before the annual Fortnight for Freedom, this year’s

march has several organizations collaborating to sponsor and celebrate as participants give witness to the unique meaning of Marriage as the union of one man and one woman at a time when the religious liberties and conscience rights of those who promote and defend Marriage are increasingly threatened.

Complementing the bishops’ Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty (www.usccb.org/life-marriageTurn to page 14

News From the Vatican

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June 13, 2014

Salvo D’Acquisto: The pope’s example of virtue in policemen

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — During a recent meeting with the Carabinieri, Italy’s national policemilitary corps, Pope Francis referred to Salvo D’Acquisto, a fellow Carabiniere who gave his life to save 22 others during World War II. “Dear Carabinieri, your mission is expressed in service to others and requires you daily to live up to the trust and esteem which the people place in you,” Pope Francis said at St. Peter’s Square. “This requires constant availability, patience, a spirit of sacrifice and a sense of duty.”

“I think of the servant of God Salvo D’Acquisto who, 23 years old, here near Rome, at Palidoro, spontaneously offered his young existence to save the life of innocent person from Nazi brutality.

D’Acquisto is a national hero of Italy, having been posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor. He was born in Naples in 1920, the eldest of eight children, and he volunteered in 1939 to join the Carabinieri.

The next year, shortly after the beginning of World War II, he left for Libya. Although he suffered a leg wound, he remained with his division until he contracted malaria.

In 1942 he returned to Italy, attended officer school, and graduated as a vice-sergeant.

He was then assigned to an outpost in Torrimpietra, not far from Rome.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was overthrown July 25, 1943, and the new Italian government — headed by General Pietro Badoglio — signed an armistice with the Allies September 3, which was made public September 8.

German troops then remaining in Italy took efforts to take control of the territory, and an SS division camped near Torre di Palidoro, within the jurisdiction of D’Acquisto’s Torrimpietra station.

An explosion took place September 22 when the SS were inspecting boxes of abandoned weapons; one was killed, and two more were wounded.

The German commander blamed the explosion on local Italians, and rounded up at random 22 locals the next day, demanding the assistance of the Carabinieri.

All of the arrested declared they were innocent. Asked to

name of those in charge of the explosion, D’Acquisto reiterated that there could not be anyone responsible, because the explosion was accidental, and so all the local residents had to be considered innocent.

Wanda Baglioni, an eyewitness to the incident, explained that the Germans separated D’Acquisto from the arrested while these latter were under interrogation, and “even though he had been beaten up and sometimes even beaten by his guards, he kept a calm and dignified countenance.”

After the interrogation, the arrested people and D’Acquisto were transferred outside of the town and were given spades with which to dig a common grave in the vicinity of the Tower of Palidoro.

They were all to be executed by firing squad for the explosion which had killed a German soldier.

Angelo Amodio, one of those who were arrested, has said that “at the very last moment, against all odds, we were all released, with the exception of Salvo D’Acquisto.”

“We were already resigned to our destiny when D’Acquisto talked with a German official through an interpreter. We do not know what D’Acquisto said.”

D’Acquisto had “confessed” to causing the explosion, saving the lives of the 22 others.

Amodio saw D’Acquisto shot, and heard him yell “Viva l’Italia!” before his corpse fell to the ground.

His body is kept in Naples’ parish of Santa Chiara.

St. John Paul II has also referred to D’Acquisto as a model for the Carabinieri.

At a Feb. 26, 2001 meeting with the Carabinieri of Lazio, he said their history “shows that the heights of holiness can be reached in the faithful and generous fulfilment of the duties of one’s state. I am thinking here of your colleague, Sergeant Salvo D’Acquisto, awarded a gold medal for military valour, whose cause of beatification is under way.”

In 1983, Archbishop Gaetano Bonicelli, then of Italy’s military ordinariate, opened the cause for D’Acquisto’s canonization. The investigation was concluded in 1991, and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints awaits a miracle through his intercession so as to advance his cause.

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead a weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)

Pope: The Church is not a rental house, but a home

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis focused a recent daily homily on Jesus’ prayer for the unity of His disciples, cautioning that there are many in the Church who call themselves Catholic, but are only half committed.

There are some groups that “rent the Church, but do not claim it as their home” the pope observed during a recent daily Mass, stating that the Church “is not a house to rent” but rather “is a home to live in.”

Centering his reflections on Jesus’ prayer in John’s Gospel that “all might be one,” the Roman pontiff explained that there are many people who appear to have “one foot inside” the Church and one foot out, so that they can have “the possibility of being in both places” at once.

Drawing attention to the different mentalities that fuel this attitude, the Bishop of Rome noted that one group is what he called the “uniformists.”

“Uniformity, rigidity — these are hard. They do not have the freedom that the Holy Spirit gives” he said, adding that “they confuse the Gospel that Jesus preached with their doctrine of equality.”

“Christ never wanted His Church to be so rigid — never — and such as these, because of their attitude, do not enter the Church. They call themselves Christians, Catholics, but their attitude drives them away from the Church.”

Bringing to mind a second group, Pope Francis explained that there are “alternativists” in the Church who remain

attached to their own ideas and refuse to conform their own minds to the mind of the Church. “(They) enter the Church, but with this idea, with that ideology, and so their membership in the Church is partial” he observed, saying that “they have one foot out of the Church. The Church is not their home, not their own, either. They rent the Church at some point.

“Such as these have been with us from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel: think of the Gnostics, whom the Apostle John beats so roundly, right? ‘We are — yes, yes — we are Catholics, but with these ideas — alternatives.’ They do not share that feeling of belonging to the Church.”

Going on, the Roman pontiff noted that there is a third group who refuses to fully embrace the Church, which he termed the “exploitationists” that “seek the benefits and go to church, but for personal benefit.”

“The businessmen. We know them well,” he said, explaining that this group has also been around since the beginning of the Church, and can be seen in the figures of Simon Magus, or Ananias and Sapphira.

Observing how these people “took advantage of the Church for their own profit,” the pope stated that “we see them in the parish or diocesan community, too, in religious congregations, among some benefactors of the Church — many, eh?”

“They strut their stuff as benefactors of the Church, and

at the end, behind the table, they do their business. These, too, do not feel the Church as a mother, as their own.”

Pope Francis then went on to describe how there is “a great diversity of people and gifts of the Spirit” within the Church, adding that the Lord tells us that “if you would enter the Church, do so out of love” in order “to give all your heart, and not to do business for profit.”

Admitting that to do this is not easy because “the temptations are many,” the pontiff explained that we must trust in the Holy Spirit, Who is the only One Who can accomplish this “unity in diversity, freedom, generosity.”

“We are all different — we are not the same, thank God” he said, otherwise “Things would be hellish.”

He then called attention to the importance of being docile to the Holy Spirit, noting that this docility “is the virtue that will save us from being rigid, from being alternativists or exploitationists — or businessmen in the Church: being docile to the Holy Spirit.”

Bringing his homily to a close, Pope Francis prayed that the Lord “send us the Holy Spirit and may the Spirit make this harmony in our communities: parish communities, diocesan communities, the communities of the (ecclesial) movements.

“Let it be the Spirit Who achieves this harmony, for, as one of the Fathers of the Church said: the Spirit Himself is harmony.”

June 13, 2014

The International Church U.K. moves a step closer to allowing three-parent babies

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) — Great Britain moved a step closer to becoming the first country in the world to legalize technologies that would lead to the creation of “designer babies” after a state regulatory agency declared that controversial procedures were not “unsafe.”

The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority said in a report recently published that it had seen no evidence to suggest that two mitochondrial replacement techniques were dangerous.

British politicians earlier complained to Jeremy Hunt, secretary of state for health, that the creation of so-called “genetically modified” children from the genetic material of three or more parents may carry unforeseen consequences that will harm generations to come.

However, Peter Braude, a member of the HFEA review panel, said in a statement that the

technologies offered “great hope” to children with inherited mitochondrial disorders.

He said that three years of research by the panel would possibly result in “a shining example of evidenced-based regulation.”

The report by the regulator comes four months after the British government published draft regulations for the use of maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer procedures to prevent mothers from passing on serious mitochondrial diseases to their children.

Neither of the techniques has been carried out on humans around the world and they remain illegal in the U.K., but research has been conducted on animals. The technologies also are prohibited by the European Union, are opposed by the United Nations, and have under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which stated earlier

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the request to retire of the following: Rev. Thomas L. Rita, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish, Seekonk Rev. Horace J. Travassos, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Westport Effective: June 25, 2014 Rev. James Ferry, Espirito Santo Parish, Fall River Effective: July 1, 2014 His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has announced the following appointments: Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, Pastor, Saint Anthony Parish, East Falmouth Rev. Gerard A. Hebert, Pastor, Saint Jude the Apostle Parish, Taunton Rev. Mark R. Hession, Pastor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Seekonk Rev. John P. Kelleher, Pastor, Saint Joan of Arc Parish, Orleans Rev. Daniel W. Lacroix, Pastor, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish, Seekonk Rev. Michael K. McManus, Pastor, Saint Mary Parish, Mansfield, while remaining Moderator of the Curia Rev. John J. Perry, Pastor, Our Lady of Victory Parish, Centerville and Pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Osterville Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick, Administrator, Saint Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis Rev. Darius Kalinowski, Administrator, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Westport Effective: June 25, 2014 Rev. Maurice O. Gauvin, Pastor, Espirito Santo Parish, Fall River Rev. Stephen B. Salvador, Pastor, Saint George Parish, Westport Rev. Christopher Stanibula, Administrator, Saint Anne Parish, Fall River Effective: July 1, 2014

this year that the “full spectrum of risks has yet to be identified.”

The HFEA report allows the British government to move forward on creating a legal framework on the techniques later this year.

Pro-Life parliamentarians criticized the HFEA report.

“Given the safety concerns which have been raised, the unresolved ethical questions, and a practice which runs contrary to international consensus, it would be prudent for the U.K. to wait at least until these issues have been resolved before being stampeded into a decision which has such far reaching consequences,” Lord Alton of Liverpool, a Catholic member of Parliament, said in a statement.

“This ranks alongside our earlier unwise decision to fly in the face of the concerns expressed about the creation of animal-human hybrid embryos, subsequently shown to be without scientific merit and ethically flawed,” he added.

Fiona Bruce, a Conservative Party Member of Parliament, said in a statement that Britain risked “isolating itself from the rest of the world.”

“Many MPs are gravely worried about the safety of these proposals, the fact that they have not be properly tested, and the very real risk that they could open the door to designer babies,” she said.

The government argues the technologies, which utilize in vitro fertilization, are necessary to create between five and 10 healthy babies a year for couples who might pass on mitochondrial diseases.

Mitochondria are the biological power packs that give energy to nearly every cell of the body.

Genetic defects can leave the cells starved of energy, causing muscle weakness, blindness, heart failure and death in the most extreme cases. It is estimated that defective mitochondria affect one in every 6,500 babies in the U.K. annually.

The maternal spindle transfer technique involves the extraction of the genetic material from a mother’s egg, which is then inserted into a donor egg in which the maternal spindle has been removed and discarded. The reconstituted egg then is fertilized by the father’s sperm before implantation in the mother. The procedure is known as “threeparent IVF.” The second technique, pronuclear transfer, involves up to four parents. Potential parents would go through the procedure for in

vitro fertilization with the embryo from the parents seeking a child to be combined with parts of a donor embryo. The process requires that both embryos be

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destroyed while the mother’s embryo is effectively cloned and repackaged before the cells begin to multiply and grow into a baby.

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The Church in the U.S.

June 13, 2014

Blasphemy laws present in nearly one-quarter of world’s countries

Washington D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) — Laws punishing acts of blasphemy or apostasy against certain religions are present in almost one-fourth of the world’s countries, said a U.S– based religious research group.

“Apostasy and blasphemy may seem to many like artifacts of history. But in dozens of countries around the world, laws against apostasy and blasphemy remain even today,” said the Pew Research Center in a recent blog post.

The organization found “that as of 2012, nearly a quarter of the world’s countries and territories” had antiblasphemy laws or policies, and 11 percent of countries had “laws or policies penalizing apostasy.” Consequences for changing faiths or criticizing a religion ranged from fines to the death penalty.

Pew examined data in its 2014 Religious Freedom Report, as well as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2014 report.

The research showed antiblasphemy laws across the world and on every populated continent, with some of the most severe legislation enacted in Pakistan.

Such laws are also on the books in Michigan and Massachusetts, although they are not enforced in these states.

One example in which antiblasphemy laws were used came in the North African country of Mauritania, where anti-slavery activists were imprisoned “after publicly burning religious texts to denounce what the activists viewed as support for slavery in

Islamic commentary and jurisprudence.”

While apostasy laws were found to be less common overall — only 21 countries had anti-apostasy legislation on the books — these laws were present in “more than half the countries in the Middle EastNorth Africa region,” Pew said.

These laws against leaving a certain faith often have strict consequences, with punishments as severe as death, in some cases, or the loss of citizenship, such as in the Maldives, where “all citizens are required to be Muslim.”

Apostasy laws have drawn attention in recent weeks in connection with Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, a 27-year-old woman who has been sentenced to death in Sudan.

Ibrahim is recognized as Muslim under Sudanese law because her father was Muslim, despite the fact that her father abandoned the family when she was six years old, and she was raised as a Christian by her Ethiopian Orthodox mother.

Ibrahim was arrested in August 2013; a Khartoum court convicted her May 15 of apostasy from Islam, and adultery, on the grounds that marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men is not recognized.

She recently gave birth to the couple’s second child while in prison. Reports indicate that she will be allowed to nurse her baby for several months before her death sentence is carried out. Meanwhile, international attention and pressure is growing on Sudan to release her and her children.

A Santa Barbara County Sheriff Deputy stands by a display showing 22-year-old Elliot Rodger and models of the weapons he used in a killing rampage May 23 that left six people dead and 13 people wounded in Isla Vista, Calif., a neighboring community of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Rodger then took his own life. One college president in an interview with Catholic News Service said public opinion on guns must change to stop campus shootings. (CNS photo/Michael Nelson, EPA)

World financial system built as ‘new idolatry,’ cardinal tells forum

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The world financial system “has been built as a new idolatry,” charged Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at a recent forum in Washington sponsored by The Catholic University of America’s Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies.

During his keynote address, Cardinal Rodriguez issued a ringing endorsement of the Church’s competency to critique economic systems.

Some of the Church’s critics ask, “What is the hierarchy of the Church doing in the economy? They know nothing about the economy,” Cardinal Rodriguez said in his remarks at the forum, “Erroneous Autonomy: The Catholic Case Against Libertarianism.”

The Church knows about the economy because “we know about the human being,” the cardinal said. “The human being was not made for the economy, but the economy was made for the human being.” Pastors “smell like the sheep,” he added, borrowing a phrase from Pope Francis, and said libertarians and economists could benefit by being closer to the people.

Cardinal Rodriguez was introduced by Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. Trumka, a Catholic, described during the introduction his father and grandfather’s life in a coal mining company town. Workers were paid in scrip redeemable only at the “company store,” he said. His dad and granddad were clubbed by the “coal and iron police” as they were chased up the steps of the Catholic church in town — the only parcel of land

not owned by the company — for trying to start a union, until the parish pastor, crucifix in his hands, stepped between his parishioners and the police, declaring, “This is sanctuary.”

Upon hearing these travails, Cardinal Rodriguez said to Trumka, “I thought you were describing the mining situation in my country in the 1900s.”

Libertarian philosophy over federal budget discussions is “really distorting the debate,” said the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, the Christian citizens’ anti-hunger lobby whose headquarters, a few blocks from the Capitol, hosted the forum.

Bread for the World is a member of the Circle of Protection, as is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The “circle” is an alliance of faith-based organizations that has been pushing Congress this decade to spare the poor from the brunt of budget cuts.

However, in the fiscal year 2015 budget proposed by the House Budget Committee chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, RWis., programs benefiting lowincome Americans would be on the receiving end of 69 percent of the budget cuts, according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Ryan, a Catholic, had once been an ardent follower of libertarian philosopher and author Ayn Rand, although in 2012 he rejected Rand’s philosophy as atheistic.

But Ryan has since come under criticism from some Catholic academics for misstating Catholic social teaching when issuing federal budget proposals.

Libertarians argue for maxi-

mum individual autonomy and freedom of choice, emphasizing political freedom, voluntary association and the primacy of individual judgment.

While dialogue between Catholics and libertarians should not be ruled out, it can be “difficult,” said Meghan Clark, an assistant professor of theology and religious studies at St. John’s University in New York, “because you don’t share the same vocabulary.”

While libertarians may say they embrace the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which holds that decisions are best made by the smallest or least centralized competent authority, they are silent on the subject, Cardinal Rodriguez said, “when it comes to banks and corporations.”

“Many of the libertarians do not read the social doctrine of the Church,” he added, “but now they are trembling before the book of Piketty,” a reference to French economist Thomas Piketty, whose 700-page book, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” examining wealth inequality around the world, has become a surprise best-seller.

“Adam Smith (the author of “The Wealth of Nations”) never thought of this” when he came up with his “invisible hand” theory of the economy, Cardinal Rodriguez said. “The invisible hand has become (a) thief. That is the problem. The hand has become so invisible it started stealing everything, corruption.”

Despite the ills of the current system, Cardinal Rodriguez said political action may help change it. “Politics is often regarded as a dirty game,” he said. “Who else but committed Christians can clean it up?”

The Church in the U.S. Hundreds of Catholic employers win exemption from HHS mandate

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June 13, 2014

Oklahoma City, Okla. help Catholic employers provide com(CNA/EWTN News) — A federal prehensive health care that is consistent court has ruled that the Catholic Ben- with Catholic ethics. efits Association and its hundreds of The Department of Health and Huemployer members are exempt from a man Services mandate requires emfederal mandate requiring coverage of ployers to provide insurance coverage contraceptives and abortifacient drugs. of sterilization and contraception, in“We are grateful for the ruling, but cluding some drugs that can cause early continue to pray that our leaders recog- abortions. nize that Catholics, whether bishops or Widespread complaints led to a sebusinessmen, cannot in good conscience ries of changes in the mandate into its provide insurance that covers drugs and current finalized form. A religious exprocedures that undermine the dignity emption to the mandate does exist, but of the human person and the sanctity of it applies primarily to houses of worhuman life,” Archbishop Paul Coakley ship and their affiliated organizations. of Oklahoma City, the benefit associaReligious employers that do not tion’s vice-president, said recently. qualify for the exemption are instead “Religious freedom entails more offered an “accommodation” by the govthan the right to worship and any con- ernment, under which employees autotrary legislation must be opposed,” he matically receive contraceptive coverage added. from the objectArchbishop e are grateful for the ing groups’ health William Lori ruling, but continue to insurance issuers. of Baltimore, These provipray that our leaders recognize sions have conthe association’s president, also that Catholics, whether bishops tinued to draw welcomed the de- or businessmen, cannot in good criticism and lecision. conscience provide insurance that gal complaints “We formed covers drugs and procedures that from hundreds the Catholic Benof individuals undermine the dignity of the hu- and organizaefits Association to support Cath- man person and the sanctity of tions who argue olic employers in human life.” that their right providing quality, to exercise their cost-competitive, religious beliefs morally compliant health care benefits freely is being violated by the requirefor their employees,” he said. “Yester- ments. day’s decision makes this a reality.”

In addition, neither the exemption On June 4, the U.S. District Court nor the accommodation applies to infor the Western District of Oklahoma dividuals with religious or moral objecruled that the more than 450 employer tions who own for-profit businesses. members of the benefits association are The recent federal ruling on the class exempt from the mandate. The ruling action lawsuit recognized that the benenjoined the U.S. government and its efits association could represent all its agents from attempting to enforce the individual members without their exmandate against the association’s mem- plicit participation because its members bers. are “so uniform in their beliefs.”

The benefits association’s general The named participants in the lawcounsel, Martin Nussbaum, said the suit include the Archdiocese of Oklaruling is “especially gratifying” because homa City, Catholic Charities of Oklathe lawsuit is the only challenge to the homa City, Inc., Archbishop Lori and HHS mandate that includes Catholic- the Archdiocese of Baltimore. owned for-profit businesses and other Archbishop Coakley said that the non-exempt organizations like colleges, U.S. government has already “effectively Catholic Charities and healthcare in- granted exemptions from the mandate stitutions in addition to houses of wor- to various employers whose plans cover ship. more than 130 million employees.”

The benefits association’s employ“We’re simply seeking the same exers include 23 Catholic archdio- emption for Catholic employers who ceses and dioceses and almost 2,000 have religious objections to the unjust parishes in addition to non-profits requirements of the mandate.” and Catholic-owned for-profit busiAccording to the Becket Fund for nesses. Its membership is also open Religious Liberty, the mandate has to Catholic religious congregations, prompted some 100 lawsuits from more Catholic medical facilities, and Cath- than 300 plaintiffs, including non-profolic universities. its, for-profits, Catholic and non-CathThe Catholic Benefits Association olic organizations, and individual states. formed a subsidy, the Catholic Insur- So far, court decisions have predomiance Company, to allow Catholic em- nantly favored the objecting groups. ployers to exercise their faith in what A significant Supreme Court case health care coverage they provide to involving the legal challenge filed by their employees. The association also craft store giant Hobby Lobby is exarranges health provider networks to pected to be decided later this month.

“W

U.S. World War II veteran Bob Thomas, 88, of Connecticut, who served with the 87th Division, known as the “Golden Acorn,” visits the American War cemetery in Collevillesur-Mer, France, recently. World leaders attended ceremonies in Normandy June 6, marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied beach landings on D-Day. (CNS photo/Regis Duvignau, Reuters)

FEMA takes on child migrants ‘crisis’; address root causes, bishop says

WASHINGTON (CNS) — There are so many children and young teens from Central America trying to get into the United States on their own that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been asked to deal with the situation as a crisis.

While he called the administration’s action a “good first step,” the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration said the problem of extremely vulnerable children must be addressed at its roots: particularly the violence in the children’s home countries.

Obama Administration officials recently told reporters in a briefing that 47,017 children traveling with-

out parents or a legal guardian had been caught at the southwestern border since October 1, representing a 92 percent increase over the same period in the previous year. In 2011, the total for the fiscal year was about 6,560 unaccompanied minors caught at the border.

The officials said most come from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which have dramatic gang violence problems. In a recent memorandum to federal agency heads, President Barack Obama called the influx an “urgent humanitarian situation requiring a unified and coordinated federal response.”

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June 13, 2014

Anchor Editorial

Obvious child

A recent Boston Globe headline exclaimed, “‘Obvious Child’ brings Slate to town.”

Unfortunately, “Obvious Child” is a movie in which a child in the womb is killed so that young adults, who are living with less responsibility than many a child, can continue to go about their selfish lives.

The online magazine Slate panned the original version of this movie (it came out as a “short” back in 2009), which stars the actress Jenny Slate, a Milton native (this does get confusing). Slate magazine’s commentator, Abigail Pilgrim (could there be a more appropriate name?), entitled her review “I’d Take ‘Juno’ Over Jenny Slate’s Anti-‘Juno’ Any Day.” Pilgrim contrasted the characters of the movies “Juno” and “Knocked Up” with those in “Obvious Child.” About the earlier two movies, she wrote, “I can’t help wanting a little hope and redemption in my entertainment (not to mention real life). That’s why the plots of all of the recent pregnant-mama films resonate: Selfish, naive young people get pregnant and decide to stop living entirely for themselves and take responsibility for their actions. And we cheer for them, because we want their fictional careless escapades to be redeemed by some warm-hearted selflessness.”

In “Obvious Child” the “child” in question, according to the promoters of the movie, is the main character, Donna, played by Jenny Slate, not the child soon to be destroyed in her womb. Pilgrim’s review quotes the character of Donna’s mother, who has just been told over the phone that her daughter will have an abortion. The mother (the grandmother of the child to be killed) says, “Well, you know, that’s probably the best thing to do. You’re so young. You have your whole life ahead of you.” Then Pilgrim adds, “Except, from what I can tell, Donna is a self-absorbed partier in her late 20s or early 30s, prone to one-night stands and brainless conversations with her best gal pal. If I had to flash-forward to a Donna in 20 years, I feel like I’d imagine her living the same old self-absorbed way, only with more wrinkles. All of which is to say, a little dose of reality might do her some serious good.”

Pro-abortion writers have embraced “Obvious Child,” praising it for taking away any guilt people might feel about having an abortion. Dame Magazine’s Jennifer Keishin Armstrong wrote, “humor is how we normalize issues, how we make them our own.

To laugh about the world is to acknowledge it, to accept it, to say it’s going to be OK. Donna’s going to be OK after her abortion; she is still going to laugh and cry and love and work and fight. That’s what makes ‘Obvious Child’ a revolutionary film.”

The makers of “Juno,” “Knocked Up,” and “Downton Abbey” (which recently featured a storyline in which a character considered an abortion, while her aunt urged her not to do so. The mother in question went to have it and then had second thoughts in the sadness of the “clinic” and decided to give birth to her child) are not conservative Catholics, but they have the instinctual understanding that abortion is not a big joke. It is the violent ending of a human life and the choice to have one does impact all those involved in making (or forcing) the decision.

The “regularization” of abortion is being attempted on various fronts. Last August 30 the New York Times ran a wedding announcement which praised an abortion that the couple had together during their courtship. The couple in question were NBA player Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat, and his wife, Faith Rein.

The Times reported, “Their first challenge took place when she became pregnant.

It was her junior and his senior year, and he had begun training for the NBA draft.

Despite the pregnancy, she was busy with track meets and helping him complete homework. The timing was bad. ‘I am not a huge fan of abortion, but we both had sports careers, plus we could not financially handle a baby,” said Mr. Haslem, noting how he struggled with supporting Kedonis, the son he had in high school, who is now 14 and who lives with his mother (a woman other than Rein). “‘Udonis appreciated that I was willing to have an abortion,’ Ms. Rein said. ‘I found him caring, supportive, nurturing and all over me to be sure I was OK. I saw another side of him during that difficult time and fell deeply in love. He had a big heart and was the whole package.’”

What a sad mentality. Lauren Enriquez of Live Action News blogged about this abortion, “Oh, don’t fail to notice: one of the reasons the couple felt it necessary to abort their child is because Rein was busy helping Haslem with his homework. No wonder Udonis was ‘appreciative’ of Faith’s willingness to abort their first child together. Does anyone else smell bro-choice in that sentiment? Once again, abortion boosts men’s liberation, and one is hard-pressed to see how it helps women. In keeping with established New York Times norms, the article brushes on as if the abortion were not just a nonissue, but actually as if the success of their future relationship and eventual Marriage may be — at least in part — attributed to the freely chosen death of their first child.”

Doug Barry of the online magazine Jezebel (think of the queen from the Bible’s First book of Kings somehow changed from villainess to heroine) praised the Times and its coverage of this couple’s abortion. “These are things that happen, to couples and single women who just aren’t ready to sacrifice their futures to the altar of devoted parenthood. It’s just a thing that is, and the New York Times openly discussing abortion like this doesn’t make abortion seem like any more or less of a difficult, private decision. It simply shows that it is a decision, to be considered or ignored or made or nearly made by people based on their own priorities and not some imaginary standard of adulthood imposed by pious, anti-choice finger-waggers.”

Cosmopolitan magazine praised the basketball player and his wife for being “brave.”

Cassy Fiano of Live Action News replied, “There’s nothing brave about this. Bravery would have been keeping the baby, despite knowing that it would be hard, or giving the child up for adoption. Abortion is the easy way out. And calling a couple brave for talking about how they killed their unborn child — conceived through no fault of his or her own, but through the couple’s own actions — purely because the pregnancy was inconvenient is disgusting. That’s not something that should be applauded or cheered.

And pro-aborts know it. It’s why they so often trot out sad, sad stories of women whose children have incurable diseases, or were raped. People who choose to abort their children just out of convenience don’t give anyone the warm-and-fuzzies, despite what pro-aborts want you to think.”

We in the Church try to not be merely “finger-waggers,” but people with outstretched hands, ready to help people who are in a difficult situation due to a pregnancy.

Our Catholic Charities Appeal, which is ongoing at the moment, helps in so many ways people in need (and not just the media’s stereotype of the Church only caring about the baby up unto birth, but throughout people’s lives). We urge you to take the money you could have wasted on this movie and put it towards helping mothers and children in need. That would be the “obvious” choice.

Pope Francis’ address of June 8 Dear brothers and sisters, hello!

The feast of Pentecost commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered in the cenacle. Like Easter, it is an event that occurred on a Jewish feast, and leads to a surprising end. The book of the Acts of the Apostles describes the signs and fruits of that extraordinary occasion: the forceful wind, the tongues of fire; fear vanishes

and courage takes its place; their tongues are loosened and everyone understands the proclamation. Where God’s Spirit is, everything is reborn and transfigured.

The event of Pentecost marks the birth of the Church and its public manifestation. Two things strike us and one of them is that the Church surprises and upsets.

A basic element in Pentecost is surprise. Our God is a God Who OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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surprises. We know this. No one expected anything more from Jesus’ disciples. After Jesus’ death they were a small, insignificant group of defeated orphans of their Master. But an unexpected event occurs that causes wonder. The people are disconcerted because each one heard the disciples speak in his own language, telling of the great works of God (cf. Acts 2:67, 11). The Church that is born at Pentecost is a community that awakens wonder because, with the power that comes from God, she announces a new message — Christ’s Resurrection — with a new language, the universal language of love. A new announcement: Christ is alive, He is risen; a new language: the language of love. The disciples are invested with power from above and speak with courage — a few minutes before they were all cowards, but now they speak with courage and boldness, with the freedom of the Holy Spirit.

The Church is called always to

be like this: to be able to surprise by proclaiming to everyone that Jesus the Christ has defeated death, that God’s arms are always open, that His patience is always there to care for us, to heal us, to forgive us. It is precisely because of this mission that the Risen Jesus sent His Spirit to the Church. Attention: if the Church is alive, she must always surprise. It is proper to the living Church to surprise. A Church that does not have the capacity to surprise is a weak, sick, dying Church that must be revived.

Some in Jerusalem would have preferred that Jesus’ disciples, hindered by their fear, stay shut up at home so as not to upset things.

Today, too, many want Christians to be like this. But the Risen Lord pushes them out into the world: “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). The Church of Pentecost is a Church that does not resign herself to being innocuous. No, she does not resign herself to this! She does not want to be just a decoration. She is a Church

that does not hesitate to go out to meet people to proclaim the message that she has been given, even if that message disturbs or upsets consciences, even if this message leads, perhaps, to problems and at times also to martyrdom. She is born one and universal, with a precise identity, but open, a Church that embraces the world but does not capture it; she leaves it free.

Her embrace is like the colonnade of this piazza: the two arms open to welcome, but they do not close to detain. We Christians are free, and the Church wants us to be free!

We turn now to the Virgin Mary, who, on that morning of Pentecost was in the cenacle, and the mother was with her children.

In her the power of the Holy Spirit truly accomplished “great things” (Lk 1:49). She herself said so. May she, Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Church, obtain by her intercession a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God upon the Church and the world.

June 13, 2014

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Anchor Columnist The lead singer of the New Evangelization

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ince the end of March, when Ursuline Sister Cristina Scuccia first appeared as a contestant on the Italian version of “The Voice,” I’ve been asked several hundred times what I thought of this diminutive, 25-year-old habited religious singing cover tunes from pop stars Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper as well as others taken from iconic American films.

As her fame has grown via social media over the course of the 10-week competition — the YouTube video of her initial performance has been seen more than 50 million times — I began to see my Facebook newsfeed explode with shared articles and videos the morning after every performance. It was clear that large numbers of my Facebook friends were following every note of Italy’s “Singing Nun.” I happened to be in Rome last week leading a pilgrimage of American seminarians and I decided to have some fun with the Suor Cristina phenomenon.

So I started asking all the Italians I met — taxi drivers, airline stewardesses, sacristans in basilicas, fellow travelers on public buses, security guards, waiters, those waiting in line with me, kids goofing around in piazzas, as well as Italian priests and religious — whether they thought Suor Cristina was going to win on June 5.

I expected someone to say, thing she did on “The Voice.”

“Who?,” but it never came.

There have been many CathoAnd none responded with a lic commentators who have exsimple “si” or “no.” They all repressed doubts about whether sponded with well thought-out it was appropriate for a woman opinions — the vast majorreligious to be singing pop ity of them enthusiastic and songs on a secular television positive — about her infectious show. They feared that, rather personality, her tremendous than evangelizing, she would voice, and her chances at vicbe exploited for entertainment. tory.

They even feared she might Stopping by a newsstand lose her vocation. the day after she triumphed, I saw her smile gracing the front Putting Into page of most of the the Deep papers, with several of them carrying her iconic championship

By Father pose: when photogRoger J. Landry raphers asked her to raise the trophy above her head, she grabbed hold of the crucifix around her But she and the Ursuline neck, lifted it high and said, sisters who were her constant “Here is my trophy!” companions always seemed That certainly compleclear about the purpose of mented what she said during her involvement. “The idea of her short victory speech. She participating is born from the thanked God and expressed invitation of Pope Francis to her “dream” to have everyone go out, to go to the outskirts, “recite the Our Father toto go around announcing the gether,” if possible, “holding word of God,” she said on hands,” because “I want Jesus air following her first perforto enter into this.” And so on mance. “Having a gift, I am live television she led a studio putting this gift at the service full of people, a nation full of of all.” viewers and even the YouTube Pope Francis has said that watching world in the prayer the New Evangelization Jesus taught us. involves imitating Jesus’ apFor me, that provided a dra- proach with the two disciples matic exclamation point and on the road to Emmaus, enterinterpretative key on everying into their conversation and

journey with the light of faith and helping them to see that the reasons why they’re abandoning Jerusalem and what it represents contains within the reasons for their return.

By her participation in “The Voice,” Suor Cristina is attempting to meet the young people in the music they listen to with the light of her Christian faith — and to show them that what they’re yearning for, she’s found. She took modern love songs and sang them to God, pointing upward to the Love of her life at all the appropriate moments. “The Voice” was her contemporary “Song of Songs.”

She was reaching out with music to meet the multitudes who are where she once was.

After her Confirmation, she wandered from the faith. All she cared about, she said, was becoming a famous singer and dancer. She sang in a band and was even engaged to be married. But as a joke she tried out for the lead role in a musical about the foundress of the Ursulines of the Holy Family.

“Playing the character every night,” she said, “I realized that my life was changing. I asked questions of myself that before would have never even crossed my mind.” She ended up realizing God was calling

her to himself. She broke off the engagement and became a postulant at 20.

Sent to Brazil for her novitiate, she saw the power of music to touch the hearts of young people and help them to learn to pray and praise God. Her order didn’t bury her talent but developed it for God’s glory, allowing her to continue to take lessons at one of their performance academies while she leads the singing at Mass in Milan, where she also helps run a university residence, teaches catechism and works at a kindergarten.

When asked the day after her victory whether she might not renew her vows and instead embark on a musical career, she replied, “Absolutely not! I have no intention to go back on the gift the Lord has given me,” adding, “To make a record I would never give up the greatest love of my life: God.” In a world that idolizes celebrities and especially famous singers, Suor Cristina is a witness that there’s something far more important.

Let’s pray many others will learn how to sing with her the beautiful melody she intones not just with her powerful lungs but with her whole life.

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

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Being a good Christian demands concrete action and deeds, Pope Francis said.

And, he said, the “how-to” manual is found in the Beatitudes and the Last Judgment, which spells out the consequences awaiting those who fail to help others in need.

Jesus offers a guide to life that is “so simple, but very difficult,” the pope said during a recent early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

It’s difficult because Christianity is “a hands-on religion; it isn’t for thinking about, it’s for putting into practice, to do it,” he said in his homily, according to a report by Vatican Radio.

The pope focused his homily on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew in which Jesus teaches the Beatitudes, which begin, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

The Beatitudes are the “pro-

gram” and “the identity card” they’re not there, he said. righteousness, who fight for jusfor every Christian, outlining a Jesus also says, “Blessed are tice, the pope said. step-by-step guide to being “a the meek in this world that, Jesus never said, “Blessed are good Christian,” he said. from the beginning, is a world those who wreak revenge,” but Jesus’ teaching goes “very of war, a world where people rather, blessed are the merciful, much against the tide” of a everywhere fight, where there for they will be shown mercy. worldly culture, he said, in which is hatred everywhere,” the pope Those who forgive, undermonetary wealth, superficial joy said. stand the mistakes others have and personal satisfacthe pope said, hose who forgive, understand the made, tion are the measures underlining how mistakes others have made, the pope “we are all part of an of happiness and sucsaid, underlining how “we are all part of an army of people who cess.

But “blessed are army of people who have been forgiven. We have been forgiven. the poor in spirit, for have all been forgiven.”

We have all been fortheirs is the kinggiven.” dom of Heaven,” he He said blessed are said, and “blessed are they who Jesus, however, wants people the clean of heart, those who mourn, for they will be com- to be meek, even if everyone have “a simple heart” and a heart forted.” that “knows to love with purity,” “will think that I’m a dolt.”

People who face reality and The world has become all for they will see God. life’s big and small difficulties about “business” and deal-makToday, it’s all too common will mourn in their hearts, but ing while “so many people suf- to be “makers of war or at least they will also find consolation in fer” from so many injustices. makers of misunderstanding,” Jesus, the pope said.

Even though “it’s very easy the pope said. Instead, blessed Most of the world, on the to slip into corrupt cabals” and are the peacemakers. other hand, “doesn’t want to cry, fall into the “daily politics of Gossip and backstabbing are it prefers to ignore painful situa- ‘do ut des,’” the give-and-take of another form of warmongering, tions and cover them up” or just exchanging favors, blessed are he said. turn the other way and pretend those who hunger and thirst for “These people who gossip

do not make peace, they are enemies of peace. They are not blessed.”

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, he said, as theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Pope Francis said the Beatitudes are “the program of life that Jesus offers us.”

He said, “If we want something more, Jesus also gives us other instructions” in the “Judgment of the Nations” in later chapters of St. Matthew’s Gospel.

People should remember the “protocol by which we will be judged” — by what everyone has done or didn’t do for the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the ill and the imprisoned, he said.

He asked that people find the time to read the Beatitudes and the final judgment “once, twice, three times.”

By following these two teachings, “you can live a holy Christian life,” the pope said.

Christianity is hands-on action, not school of thought, pope says

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June 13, 2014

We believe more than we know

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or God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” ( Jn 3:17).

The reality of the Holy Trinity — our God Who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is a mystery of our faith. It is a mystery that we can pray about, think about, and grapple with — and not completely understand as human beings. The Trinity is part of the richness that envelopes our Catholic identity.

We have a God Who has chosen to be involved in the depths of human history. God has made covenants with us. God has helped us through terrible life situations. God has rejoiced with us in joyous times. God has always known how difficult the path of life can be at times for us. He walked that way with us in giving us His Son as our Savior.

Jesus knows our humanfurther in support of doing ity very well through the the Father’s Will through humanity of the disciples. us. He told His disciples The disciples experienced that part of the process of God’s grace in knowing His departure would be Jesus intimately. While to give them the enduring they knew Jesus intimately, they also were confused Homily of the Week

by His teaching Trinity and they quarreled among themselves Sunday about the direction

By Father Chris Jesus’ life should Santangelo, SS.CC. take. Jesus consistently spoke the truth that He was always with the Father, and help and support of the the Father was always with Holy Spirit. As we read Him. later in John’s Gospel: “If When Jesus realized that you love Me you will keep He was moving toward My Commandments. And the cross, He taught His I will ask the Father, and disciples in earnest what it He will give you another would take to continue His Advocate to be with you life’s mission. Jesus did not always, the Spirit of truth” only tell them, “I’m going ( Jn 14:15-16). to be crucified. You will The Holy Trinity is a see Me no more. And so I mystery that has been recommission you to spread vealed to us though Christ this Good News near 2,000 years ago and ratiand far.” Jesus goes a step fied through the Spiritual

witness of the members of Vatican II. “In His goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will by which through Christ, the Word made Flesh, man has access to the Father in the Holy Spirit and comes to share in the Divine nature.

Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God out of the abundance of His love, speaks to men as friends and lives among them, so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself ” (Dei Verbum, 2. 1965).

Jesus’ revelation to the world is 2,000 years old; the wisdom of Vatican II is 50 years old. The truth remains that God desires to be a part of our human lives. We don’t deserve this intimacy with God, nor can we earn

it. God desires this union with humanity so that we can trust in the reality that “Whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” ( Jn 14:12).

May we each feel blessed in the mystery of the Holy Trinity and do our part today to continue the work of the Lord. We can rejoice in the reality that we have a God Who never intends to condemn us, but rather to save each of us through the name and ongoing action of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father Santangelo is a member of the U.S. Province of the Sacred Hearts Congregation. He has been a priest since 1999. He is completing a term of service as Vocation Director, and will soon be assigned as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Edinburg, Texas.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. June 14, 1 Kgs 19:19-21; Ps 16:1-2a,5,7-10; Mt 5:33-37. Sun. June 15, Trinity Sunday, Ex 34:4b-6,8-9; (Ps) Dn 3:52-55; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18. Mon. June 16, 1 Kgs 21:1-16; Ps 5:2-3b,4b-7; Mt 5:38-42. Tues. June 17, 1 Kgs 21:17-29; Ps 51:3-6b,11,16; Mt 5:43-48. Wed. June 18, 2 Kgs 2:1,6-14; Ps 31:20-21,24; Mt 6:1-6,16-18. Thurs. June 19, Sir 48:1-14; Ps 97:1-7; Mt 6:7-15. Fri. June 20, 2 Kgs 11:1-4,9-18,20; Ps 132:1114,17-18; Mt 6:19-23.

Anyone can follow Mother Teresa’s footsteps, priest says

Denver, Colo. (CNA/ EWTN News) — One legacy of the life of Blessed Mother Teresa is that anyone can follow her example as a “missionary of charity,” said the postulator of her cause for canonization Father Brian Kolodiejchuk.

“Everyone has the mission to be a carrier of God’s love, a missionary of charity,” the Canadian priest said at a recent presentation held at St. Joseph’s Church in Denver, Colo.

“The highest thing to which we human beings aspire is, of

course, love,” he added, explaining how Blessed Mother Teresa lived that aspiration.

Father Kolodiejchuk is a priest in the Missionaries of Charity and since 1999 has been the postulator for Mother Teresa’s cause for beatification and canonization. He also edited and provided commentary for a collection of her private letters. His appearance was sponsored by Christ in the City, a Denver-based outreach program that ministers to the poor and marginalized.

Mother was a “practical woman,” he reflected, and thus knew that love had to be expressed concretely. “Love is not merely a feeling, but is always expressed in very concrete, tangible action. Mother used to use the phrase ‘love in living action.’”

“Which means love that was made very concrete, very practical,” Father Kolodiejchuk said.

This practicality was expressed in Mother’s “business card” that she handed out, which outlined the steps for love to take effect: “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”

Prayer, explained Father Kolodiejchuk, brings two graces, “a clean heart and a deepening of faith.” Thus like the sixth Beatitude, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God,” the prayerful will see God in others and be able to truly love them by serving them.

He added that Mother Teresa experienced a profound encounter with God as Father

through prayer, and thus “having experienced God’s love, Mother Teresa’s entire life was an endeavor and an attempt to return love for love.”

She saw Jesus in others, expressed in a meditation she wrote from the hospital: “Jesus is the hungry to be fed; the thirsty to be satiated; the naked to be clothed; the homeless to be taken in; the sick to be healed; the lonely to be loved; the unwanted to be wanted; the leper to wash His wounds; the beggar to give Him a smile; the little one to embrace Him.” However, people need not go to the slums of Calcutta to put love into practice, Father Kolodiejchuk added. “In fact, it is often those with whom we live who are most in need,” he stated.

The priest quoted Blessed Mother Teresa when she said: “How can we love Jesus in the world today? By loving Him in my husband, my wife, my children, my brothers and sisters, my parents, my neighbors, the poor.”

“People are hungry for the Word of God, for love,” Blessed Mother Teresa continued. “Do

we really know our poor? Right here. Maybe the poor are in our own family, for love begins at home. Do we know them?”

Such “ordinary” acts of charity can become extraordinary if done with much love. Again, Father Kolodiejchuk quoted Mother Teresa, “Love is not measured by how much we do.

Love is measured by how much love we put in it, how much it is hurting us in loving.” He added that thus, “even the most trivial things become important if they are a means of expressing love.”

Father Kolodiejchuk recounted one time when he was asked by an interviewer if Mother Teresa was “happy.”

He replied that “she was one of the happiest people on earth, even though we know of her great suffering, especially her interior suffering.” This was because of her living the “law of the gift,” as St. Pope John Paul II wrote, of “being by giving oneself.”

“If we are focused on God and neighbor, focused outside of ourself, then the fruit of that is our fulfillment and happiness,” he said.

June 13, 2014

Friday 13 June 2014 — Falmouth Dog Park — the day variously believed to be lucky or unlucky don’t understand the brouhaha over Friday the 13th. Any folklorist knows Friday the 13th is actually considered lucky, not unlucky, in some cultures. This day, however, can be a psychological trigger for those who suffer from paraskavedekatriphobia — fear of Friday the 13th.

This is not to be confused with triskaidekaphobia or fear of the number 13 itself.

Anthropologically, the “bad luck” appears to be based on a combination of two ancient superstitions — an “unlucky” number (13) and an “unlucky” day of the week (Friday). It’s estimated that between 17 million and 21 million Americans suffer from paraskavedekatriphobia.

Psychiatrists will be delighted to know I have discovered a simple cure for paraskavedekatriphobia. Short of abandoning the Gregorian calendar entirely and living by the Julian or even the Mayan calendar, just pick up and move to Greece or, if you prefer, to a Spanish-speaking country. In these places, it’s Tuesday the 13th not Friday

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his past weekend being that of the ordination of my good friend, now Father Christopher Peschel, I see it only fitting to write on the subject of vocations.

While I have so much to say about last Saturday’s service, the more I reflect on what I was able to witness that day, the more I realize that no matter our vocation, the goal is the same: to recognize that God is calling us to serve and to love. Whether we find ourselves leading the single life, taking matrimonial vows, or following the call to the priesthood, we are asked to do so much more than what so often meets the eye.

This realization comes on the heels of witnessing what some would call some pretty powerful stuff on Saturday.

Having only been to one ordination previous to this, and at that I was much younger, I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t remember the order of things, what exactly the ritual looked like, and how

Anchor Columnists You lucky dog the 13th that’s considered to do. Providing food is quite unlucky. You can then fearanother matter. Dog food is a lessly go your merry way on very big thing.

Friday the 13th. And there’s According to market realways Italy, where Friday the search referenced recently in 17th (not the 13th) is unlucky. the Wall Street Journal, sales of Unfortunately, it would only pet food in the United States be a four-day respite. last year totaled an estimated The whole thing is giving me a headache, dear readers. Or maybe The Ship’s Log my headache is the Reflections of a result of the workmen Parish Priest who, at this very moment, are banging away

By Father Tim repairing the leaky recGoldrick tory roof. Nevertheless, Father Peter John will be pleased when it no longer $21 billion. Lady Luck smiles rains in his bedroom. upon the pet food industry.

As I sit here amidst the Back in the day when Tranchaos, trying my best to write sit was an animal athlete, he this column, my greyhound ate whatever his handlers put Transit is snoozing peacefully before him. Working greybeside me. He’s a lucky dog. hounds eat twice a day, always Come to think of it, every day simultaneously and always at is lucky for a dog. As long as exactly the same time. I have the animal has food, water, and often been in the greyhound a comfy place to stretch out, kennels when meals were the dog hasn’t a care in the being prepared and served. world — even on Friday the The dogs eat from stainless 13th. This is the reason there steel bowls attached to the has never been a single diaginside of their crates. The nosed case of canine paraskafood is prepared in massive vedekatriphobia anywhere in bowls. The menu varies, but the world. the mainstay is always dried Putting out a bowl of fresh kibble (the least expensive). To water and leaving an old blan- this is added whatever food is ket on the floor are easy things available from the local super-

markets. When the freshness dates passes, some thoughtful stores donate the food to the kennels. It’s perfectly good food. Owners of a greyhound that is bringing in $10,000 a year would never feed the dog something that would make it sick. Whatever it happens to be, the dogs scoff it up. Prudence dictates some foods (cabbage, for example) are best avoided in “the stew.”

Now that Transit has retired from his career in professional sports, he has gradually evolved into an epicurean. He gave up generic kibble long ago and turned to kibble with chicken and lamb flavors. Once he discovered canned food, he turned up his nose at kibbles forever. Now Transit has even gone beyond the premiumpriced French cuisine pullet et riz to “Ultra Holistic Superfood.” I am not making this up.

As in almost anything else, there is an exception. Greyhound Justin is still perfectly content with generic kibbles.

His palate is not as sophisticated. Occasionally, Justin will take a breather from scoffing down his kibbles and tempo-

This precious life the ordination would come to fruition at the cathedral. But alas, I didn’t need to worry, as I followed along with the order of the Mass and the Rite of Ordination in our handy-dandy booklets.

And it was during the actual rite that I noticed something happening. There were tears in my eyes. Yes, the Election of the Candidate and homily were wonderful, as was the Promise of the Elect and of course the Litany of Supplication. However, it was the moments when Chris was not alone, the moments when the priests who had come from far and wide to share in this day with him surrounded him, which truly struck me. How beautiful to watch as they each lay their hands on his head to invoke the Holy Spirit in prayer over him. And perhaps the most touching moment, personally speaking, was witnessing each of his brother priests

greet Chris with the sign of peace. From my view in the choir loft of the Cathedral of St. Mary’s, I watched as each of the ordained made their

Radiate Your Faith

By Renee Bernier way to the newest member of their brotherhood, grasping his shoulders and hugging him. From my view, nothing looked more like a family than at that moment. Today I cannot help but think of how much love was circulating around Chris in those minutes. How affirming to know that you are wanted, you are chosen, and you are loved.

These men so greatly adore him, so greatly appreciate him, and in these gestures it was more than evident.

This leads me to believe

that entering into the priesthood — being surrounded by so much love, being called to witness and accept that love and through that, share it with others — is an example of something we each are called to do in our own ways.

I think about the day that I will be a parent, and how I will want for my son or daughter the very experience of true love that Chris was able to experience on Saturday. Be it through the Rite of Ordination, a Marriage, or a journey through the single life, I will want my children to know what it feels like to love and be loved completely.

Saturday I was shown what that looks like. I discovered what it was to be accepted and loved for exactly who you are and who you are called to be.

There are responsibilities in any of the walks of life I just mentioned. Each role comes with its own challenges, expectations, tasks — but

9 rarily wander off. Transit will seize the opportunity; leave his own gourmet food, sneak over to Justin’s bowl, and wolf down the kibble. In less than a minute Justin is back at his bowl to find that in his absence the kibbles have somehow disappeared. By then, Transit has returned to his own dish, pretending he has no idea what happened to the kibbles.

Sometimes, Father Peter John and I feed our two dogs separately. This has its own problems. When I’m feeding Transit, Justin will rush over and complain to me that he has been cruelly abandoned by his master and has not eaten in days. I feed Justin, too. Actually, Father Peter John had fed him just moments before.

I can hear Justin snickering at me, but I fall for it every time.

I fear Transit will soon consider me his personal chef — preparing entrees with the freshest all-natural ingredients; whipping up tasty delights appropriate to his breed, age, activity level, and general health for the very finest canine dining experience.

Even on Friday the 13th, Transit is one lucky dog.

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

they also come with successes, happiness, and joys. Watching the rite on Saturday showed me that with the support of those around you, those who welcome you with open arms into their life — and in Chris’ case, their shared vocation — then you will never be alone and will always be buoyed by a love that is so present I pray that Father Chris sees all of those successes and more, and knows that Christ is with him on the journey when the challenges arise. He’s taught me that life is precious and that we must do with it what we are called. Through this we’ll find the happiness we are meant to experience and the drive to serve that we are called to. Congratulations Father Chris! We are so blessed to have priests like you, who dedicate their lives to Christ and all His good works.

Anchor columnist Renee Bernier is a Stonehill College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

10

By Christine M. Willams Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — This year, the Massachusetts Citizens for Life’s annual Walk to Aid Mothers and Children will be back in Boston and held June 29.

The baby leading the way will be 16-month-old Ryleigh, voted this year’s Walk Baby. She and

June 13, 2014

MCFL Walk back in Boston June 29

her family are parishioners at St. Anne’s Parish in Shrewsbury.

Ryleigh’s mother, Courtney Mayo-Silvani, said she has always been Pro-Life, but having children strengthened her convictions. She was particularly moved when viewing ultrasound images of each of her children.

“You see that little miracle,”

she said. “Somebody not wanting to give that little life a chance is just so sad. Even if they can’t care for the child themselves, there’s somebody out there that would love that child.”

Mayo-Silvani said she experienced complications during her pregnancy with Ryleigh that made the baby’s survival uncer-

tain. Thinking about her baby heading the walk gives her “the chills.”

“She’s such a cheerful, happy baby, and it’s such a happy, hopeful charity that I just feel that it’s meant to be,” she said, adding that she and her husband feel blessed to have Ryleigh.

Mayo-Silvani also feels

blessed because she recently had successful surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. Last October, she went in for a scan of her collar bone, but a paperwork mistake caused technicians to perform a brain scan. As a result, they discovered the tumor early.

Mayo-Silvani attributes the mix-up to God. “It’s a miracle,” she said, adding that the treatment for the brain tumor spurred the entry into the Walk Baby contest.

“We were going through a rough time. We wanted something to look forward to,” she said.

Every year, a strong contingent of Catholics from the Diocese of Fall River looks forward to attending MCFL’s walk, according to MCFL president Anne Fox. “The Fall River delegation is always quite large and enthusiastic, and we’re always delighted to have them,” she said.

Registration for the 28th walk will take place on Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand, near Tremont Street, at 1:30 p.m.

The walk, which will benefit 27 Pro-Life organizations, will start at 2:30 p.m.

Historically, the walk has been held in October, but last year MCFL decided to schedule it for the spring in order to have it at a different time of year than the October fund-raising banquet. The change in the time of year prompted a change in venue. It was held at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro.

Fox praised the shrine staff for their hospitality, and many participants reported to her that they loved the location. Others felt strongly that the walk should be held in the Commonwealth’s capital. After taking in everyone’s feedback, MCFL decided to move the walk back to Boston and hold it the last Sunday in June.

Turn to page 14

11

June 13, 2014

Pope tells presidents only God can bring peace to Holy Land

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis welcomed the presidents of Israel and Palestine to the Vatican last Sunday evening for an unprecedented meeting of prayer, the “Invocation for Peace.”

Joined by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the three leaders prayed for peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.

“I am profoundly grateful to you for accepting my invitation to come here and to join in imploring from God the gift of peace. It is my hope that this meeting will mark the beginning of a new journey where we seek the things that unite, so as to overcome the things that divide,” said Pope Francis in the Vatican gardens.

The pope had issued the invitations on his recent trip to the Holy Land in late May. The presidents quickly accepted the invitation.

Presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas arrived separately to meet with Pope Francis individually in the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse. The three eventually met and were joined by the Patriarch of Constantinople, before proceeding to the Vatican gardens for an “Invocation for Peace.”

The evening’s prayer was divided into three parts, following the chronological ordering of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religious communities. Prayers were offered in Hebrew, English, Italian, and Arabic, praising God for Creation, asking pardon for sin, and requesting the gift of peace.

Selections included several psalms, a prayer from the Jewish Day of Atonement service, a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, and several Islamic prayers.

After the prayers, Pope Francis, Israeli President Shimon Peres, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas each spoke briefly about the need for peace.

“This meeting of prayer for peace in the Holy Land, in the Middle East and in the entire world is accompanied by the prayers of countless people of different cultures, nations, languages and religions: they have prayed for this meeting and even now they are united with us in the same supplication,” said Pope Francis.

“It is a meeting which responds to the fervent desire of all who long for peace and dream of a world in which men and women can live as brothers and sisters and no longer as adversaries and enemies.”

The pontiff then cautioned

that “peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare.”

History reveals that peace cannot come merely through human strength, noted the pope. “That is why we are here, because we know and we believe that we need the help of God. We do not renounce our responsibilities, but we do call upon God in an act of supreme responsibility before our consciences and before our peoples.”

Pope Francis encouraged those present to “break the spiral of hatred and violence” with the word “brother.” We must “lift our eyes to Heaven and acknowledge one another as children of One Father,” he said.

Israeli President Shimon Peres then made a heart-felt appeal for peace, saying, “I come to call for peace between nations.”

He, too, acknowledged that “peace does not come easy.” Even if peace “seems distant,” the Israeli president continued, “We must pursue it to bring it close.”

“We are commanded to pursue peace,” he emphasized.

Peres expressed his belief that “if we pursue peace with determination, with faith, we will reach it.”

He recalled that in his life, he had seen peace and warfare. He would never forget the devastation caused by war.

“We owe it to our children,” to seek peace, stressed Peres.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke in the words of a prayer, beseeching the Lord “on behalf of my people, the people of Palestine — Muslims, Christians, and Samaritans — who are craving for a just peace, dignified living, and liberty.”

“Grant, O Lord, our region and its people security, safety and stability. Save our blessed city Jerusalem; the first Kiblah, the second Holy mosque, the third of the two Holy Mosques, and the city of blessings and peace with all that surround it,” Abbas prayed.

The Muslim political leader affirmed, “reconciliation and peace, O Lord, are our goal.”

He prayed that God would “make Palestine and Jerusalem in particular a secure land for all the believers, and a place for prayer and worship for the followers of the three monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and for all those wishing to visit it as is stated in the Holy Koran.”

The evening closed with a handshake of peace amongst the leaders, and the planting of an olive tree, symbolic of the desire for peace on behalf of each of the religious communities.

Pope Francis, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attend an invocation for peace in the Vatican Gardens June 8. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

12

June 13, 2014

Bishop wows Georgia Catholics at baseball charity night

Savannah, Ga. (CNA) — It’s the first time the Savannah Sand Gnats have seen a standing ovation after the first pitch.

That’s probably because Gregory J. Hartmayer, Franciscan bishop of Savannah, threw it in front of more than 1,500 Catholics in attendance for a charity night at Grayson Stadium for a recent Sand Gnats vs. the Asheville Tourists game.

Barbara King, director of communications for the diocese, said the bishop had a combination of practice and experience on his side.

“He practiced on Tuesday with the Benedictine Military School baseball team, who won state baseball championship this year,” King told CNA. “He also played some baseball in his youth, so he did a good job both at practice and at the game.”

The Savannah Diocese part-

nered with the Sand Gnats to host a Catholic charity night during the game. King said the diocese bought 1,500 tickets to distribute to Catholics in the parishes, but even more turned up for the event.

More than 2,000 pounds of food were collected at the game for the Savannah Social Apostolate, an outreach of the Diocese of Savannah that serves the poor and the homeless.

“The Sand Gnats said it was the largest charity night they’ve ever had,” King said.

The diocese got the idea for the baseball charity event from a few other dioceses in the region. This year was the first year the Diocese of Savannah tried such an event.

“It was terrific night and a great way to get the Catholic community together for a good cause,” King said. “We’ll definitely do this again next year.”

Agata Trzebuchowska stars in a scene from the movie “Ida.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Music Box Films)

CNS Movie Capsules

Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., of Savannah, Ga., throws out the first pitch at Grayson Stadium. (Photo by Sarah E. Dixon/The Southern Cross)

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, June 15, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Richard M. Roy, pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth

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

“Chef ” (Open Road) A mouthwatering comedydrama about one man’s obsession with food and family written and directed by Jon Favreau, who also plays the title role.

Though a successful chef at a trendy California restaurant, Favreau’s character is frustrated by having to prepare the same dishes, over and over, as demanded by his boss (Dustin Hoffman). After an ill-advised confrontation with an influential critic and blogger (Oliver Platt) costs him his job, his exwife (Sofia Vergara) invites him to tag along on a trip to Miami where he got his start in the kitchen. There he’s offered the opportunity to take charge of a rundown food truck as a way to reinvent himself and reignite his passion for cooking. His altered lifestyle also gives him the chance to reconnect with his young son (Emjay Anthony).

An implied nonmarital relationship, drug use, occasional profane and crude language, some mildly adult humor. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Ida” (Music Box) Starkly beautiful minimal-

ist masterpiece set in 1962 that adroitly navigates two horrific eras of Polish history. On the eve of taking her vows, an 18-yearold novice nun (Agata Trzebuchowska), who has lived in her convent since being left there as an infant, is instructed by her mother superior (Halina Skoczynska) to visit her only living relative, an aunt (Agata Kulesza) she has never met. This gruff, hard-drinking atheist — a former Stalinist state prosecutor — curtly informs the girl that she was born Jewish and that her parents died in the Holocaust. To help her learn more, the two set off on a road trip during which director and co-writer Pawel Pawlikowski subtly explores a range of religious and historical contradictions. Subtitles. Implied nonmarital sexual activity, a suicide, fleeting crass language.

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Maleficent” (Disney) Live-action feminist retelling of the Disney version of “Sleeping Beauty” which casts the villainess of that 1959 animated feature — here played

by Angelina Jolie — in a more positive light. Betrayed by the future king (Sharlto Copley) of

the human realm that borders the enchanted territory she protects, the initially good fairy of the title — portrayed in youth

by Isobelle Molloy — turns bitter and vengeful. She eventually exacts retribution by cursing the sovereign’s infant daughter to fall into an endless slumber on the day before her 16th birthday — a trance from which only “true love’s kiss” will be able to awaken the lass. As the child (Elle Fanning) grows up, however, her innocent goodness melts the evildoer’s heart. So much so, that — aided by the shape-shifting crow (Sam Riley) who serves as her assistant and scout — the repentant villainess strives to thwart the fulfillment of her own malediction. Though it can be viewed as an honorable conversion story warning against ambition and the thirst for revenge, director Robert Stromberg 3-D fantasy startlingly subverts its source material in a way that registers as vaguely anti-male and anti-marriage.

It also has enough dark imagery and bloodless battling to frighten the smallest moviegoers. Some harsh action violence.

The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

13

June 13, 2014

S

unday is Father’s Day, although I much prefer the expression Dad’s Day since Jesus told us in the Bible not to call anyone on earth “father,” because there is One Father, Who is in Heaven.

And not wanting to step on God’s toes, I like to be called dad. I know I’m taking this to extremes, but that’s what neurotics do.

On dad’s day, the best gifts to give and receive, in my humble opinion, are simple, and personal. That’s why, to this day, I always give my dad, who’s 92, a Dad’s Day card with an edge to it; something that’s a little nasty or sassy.

Why? Because he loves them and it makes him laugh, and to me, there’s nothing better than seeing that.

Through the years, my own children have acquired the same weird sense of humor. I can always count on getting a card from each of them that “puts me in my place,” so to speak. For me, the nastier and more insulting the better.

They can’t wait for me to open it, and I can’t wait to see it. That’s the bond between a Jolivet dad and his kiddies.

When they were younger, it were the hand-made cards that brought the most joy — and laughs — although the laughs weren’t always intended.

Like the time Emilie game me a card with Francine from “Arthur” on it calling me the best dad in the “hole” world. I still have that in my office today.

Being a dad is gift enough All of my kids proudly handed over hand-made cards that were refrigerator-worthy (the outside, not the inside).

Another of Emilie’s still has a prominent spot in my Anchor office (see photo). It’s an

By Dave Jolivet origami ghost with her signature. Nothing says Happy Dad’s Day like an origami ghost!

There’s nothing like Dad’s Day to highlight just how much your children have grown, and how proud you are of them.

Emilie just completed her freshman year at UMass Dartmouth as a graphic design major. Take a look at the origami ghost and tell me she would have a career as an artist! But her last semester earned her a 3.94 GPA, with 3.75 GPA for the year. I’ve also included another of her artwork, from this year. This one made it to our living room wall, not the fridge (see other photo — you should be able to tell the difference).

My oldest daughter Lauren was just proposed to at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World, by her high school sweetie, Steve. And Ben has had several plays he’s written that have recently been performed in R.I., Louisiana, and California.

I often wonder what DJoe would have given me through the years, yet I have a distinct feeling he’s had a hand in helping out his sibs keep their old man in check. I also wonder what type of kid he would be, but based on his sibs, he would be OK. I’m just a dad concerned about his children, but I know DJoe is just fine.

Four great kids is enough of a Dad’s Day gift for anyone.

As I mentioned earlier though, my full-grown children are eager to hand me a card that will make me laugh, but they also include a nice gift for their old man, which is entirely unnecessary, yet completely appreciated.

I guess I sometimes take the gift of

My View From the Stands

dad-hood for granted, and it’s times like Dad’s Day that I’m reminded just how fortunate a man I am.

I may take the gift for granted, but I never take my children for granted. I’ve seen with my own eyes how someone can be here one day, and not the next.

There have been some tough times being a dad, but I can honestly say that

the good times overshadow the bad times, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

Denise and I have not had the luxuries others of our generation have had: the cruises, the fancy cars, the beautiful homes in the country, but that was a choice we made a long time ago.

I love being a dad, and I’ve loved every stage it’s taken me through. I don’t miss the diaper days, only because of the diapers, but it’s been a fun ride with a great group of kids. Being a dad is gift enough on Dad’s Day. Dave Jolivet can be contacted at davejolivet@anchornews.org.

Fiorentina’s coach Vincenzo Montella, third from left, presents a gift to Pope Francis during a special audience with soccer teams Fiorentina and Napoli at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters)

14

June 13, 2014

March for Marriage leads into Fortnight for Freedom continued from page one

liberty), the USCCB stated the March for Marriage will be an important means to promote and defend Marriage for the good of our culture, to pray for our federal and state governments, and to stand in solidarity with the people of good will. Seeing Marriage amendments being struck down throughout the United States, stated the bishops, supporting the March comes at critical time for Marriage in our country.

Guest speakers for the March include the former governor of Arkansas and nationally syndicated TV and radio host, Mike Huckabee; the chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone; the president of the National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown; and New York Senator (D-Bronx), minster and president of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, Rev. Ruben Diaz.

The USCCB also launched a new DVD, “El Matrimonio: Hecho para el amor y la vida,” (“Marriage: Made for Love and Life”) a Spanish DVD (with optional English subtitles) that is part of the “Marriage: Unique for a Reason” series, an initiative of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. “El Matrimonio” is a film that invites viewers into a compelling story about a faithful Marriage of 50 years and a young man and woman skeptical of Marriage. Materials are available online at www.

MarriageUniqueforaReason. org and additional hard copies are available for purchase through www.usccbpublishing. org.

This year’s Fortnight to Freedom (www.usccb.org/ issues-and-action/religiousliberty/fortnight-for-freedom) will take place from June 21 to July 4, a time when the Catholic Church Liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power — St. Thomas More, St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul and the first martyrs of the Church of Rome. The theme of this year’s Fortnight, “Freedom to Serve,” will focus on the freedom to serve the poor and vulnerable in accord with human dignity

and the Church’s teachings.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke in 2012 about his worry that religious liberty in the United States was being weakened, and he called religious liberty the “most cherished of American freedoms.”

The USCCB cited examples to show the various attempts to limit the freedom of religion in the U.S., such as the HHS mandate for sterilization, contraception and abortioninducing drugs; the Catholic foster care and adoption services in Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and the State of Illinois, whose local Catholic Charities have been driven out of the business of providing adoption or foster care services because those Charities refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples; and state immigration laws, where several states have passed laws that forbid what they deem as “harboring” of undocumented immigrants and what the Church deems Christian charity and pastoral care to these immigrants.

Parishes in the Fall River Diocese are encouraged to include the special prayer written by the U.S. bishops in Masses during the Fortnight.

Father Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River, took a moment during a recent trip to Rome to reflect on the what his parish will be doing for the Fortnight.

“In the Gospel, Jesus continuously calls us to vigilance and perseverance and we need those virtues especially with regard to protecting religious freedom,” said Father Landry, via email. “Even though the Constitution enshrines freedom of religion, these rights have been getting ignored by many politicians and gutted by inventive, judicial reinterpretations. The U.S. bishops are encouraging all Catholics not to let down their guard with regard to this most precious gift and right.”

During the Fortnight, special Masses will be celebrated in Baltimore, Md., on June 21, and in Washington D.C. on July 4. For times, please check your local TV listings.

St. Bernadette’s Parish will celebrate the launch of the Fortnight by hosting an all-night Eucharistic Adoration from June 20-21, with a special Mass on June 21 at 8

p.m. Along with distributing prepared materials by the U.S. bishops and encouraging parishioners to act on them, St. Bernadette’s Parish will celebrate a special Eucharistic Holy Hour with reflection at 7 p.m. on June 26.

“The theme this year is on ‘Freedom to Serve’ because recent incursions against religious freedom have taken away from the Church the freedom to serve in some areas and may threaten the Church’s continued ministry in all our social services,” said Father Landry, on this year’s theme. “Certain state laws have forced Catholic social service agencies out of helping with adoptions because it requires the Church to place children in homes that may not be for the children’s ultimate good. The interpretation of federal laws, like the Affordable Care Act, is trying to force Catholic agencies to underwrite contraception, sterilizations and chemical abortions or pay outrageous and crippling fines.

“Certain secularists in government and in the courts are trying to box Catholics into a corner: in order to follow our conscience and the Lord’s command to love and serve our neighbor, especially those most in need, we need to violate our conscience by cooperating in what we know is evil by funding immoral practices.

In this Fortnight, we pray for God’s help, to strengthen us as a Church to resist these pressures. We pray for our legislators and court officials. And we ponder our role as Catholic citizens, called by Jesus to be courageous salt, light and leaven in our country.”

MCFL walk back in Boston June 29 continued from page 11

“People come and, obviously, they are raising money for the beneficiary groups. That’s the main thing,” said Fox, adding that another aspect of the walk is the opportunity to give ProLife witness. Many participants expressed a desire to give that witness near the Massachusetts Statehouse.

Fox said the walk gives ProLifers the opportunity to raise money for some fantastic charities — groups that are in the trenches for the Pro-Life cause every day. Many are crisis pregnancy centers. Other groups include homes for pregnant women, the Pro-Life offices in each Massachusetts diocese and Project Rachel, which supports women recovering from abortion.

Even if an individual cannot attend the walk, they have the

opportunity to donate to the benefit organizations through the walk’s website, http:// respectlifewalk.org/.

“We all want to do something to help women keep their babies,” Fox said.

Matt Hanafin, MCFL’s director of outreach, said that the website contains information on each beneficiary organization and describes in detail the “fantastic work” those groups do — often on a shoestring budget.

“It’s very important for people to realize that a lot of these organizations, ourselves included, receive no state funds at all,” he said. “We do depend on outside donations from the generous people in the state, and that’s really why we started this walk.

We understood that there were much-needed funds for all these organizations.”

List of the beneficiary organizations Massachusetts Citizens for Life A Woman’s Concern Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resources Birthright of Framingham Birthright of HudsonMarlboro Birthright of New Bedford Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center First Concern Pregnancy Resource Center Friends of the Unborn Fund For The Unborn — Archdiocese of Boston Heartbeat Pregnancy Resource Center New Women’s Center, Springfield Northern Berkshire Pregnancy Support Center Operation Rescue — Bos-

This week in 50 years ago — The Catholic Boys Day Camp announced plans to open a new camp for boys with special needs.

This would be a pilot program to operate for three weeks during the summer at the Westport camp.

25 years ago — Eileen George, a wife and mother of eight who for 20 years conducted a ministry to priests, led a healing service at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro.

The service included a Mass celebrated by Father André “Pat” Patenaude, M.S., who also directed the music ministry.

ton Pregnancy Care Center of Merrimack Valley Pregnancy Help — Archdiocese of Boston Pro-Life Office — Archdiocese of Boston Pro-Life Office — Diocese of Fall River Pro-Life Office — Diocese of Worcester Problem Pregnancy of Athol Problem Pregnancy of Worcester Project Rachel — Boston Project Rachel — Fall River Project Rachel — Worcester Spring House Springfield Pregnancy Care Center St. Mary’s Center for Women & Children

Diocesan history

10 years ago — Bishop George W. Coleman blessed and dedicated the new Our Lady of Lourdes Mausoleum at Notre Dame Cemetery in Fall River. Following a 10 a.m. Mass at the old mausoleum, the bishop, clergy and faithful processed to the new building that provides a greater seating capacity than its predecessor.

One year ago — Bishop George W. Coleman presided over the 65th anniversary Mass of the Fall River area First Friday Club at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Fall River.

15

June 13, 2014

Father Rita to retire; 12 other priests reassigned continued from page one

the former St. Mary’s parishes,” Father Rita said. “I was also pastor here back in 1987 through 1993 — it was my first parish.

Bishop Daniel A. Cronin had appointed me pastor then. In between I had a bunch of years on Cape Cod and over at St. Mark’s in Attleboro Falls.”

A native of New Bedford, Father Rita was ordained a priest on May 1, 1970. He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield, St. Anthony’s Parish in East Falmouth, St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth, and St. Mary’s Parish in Taunton.

He was first named pastor of the former St. Mary’s Parish in Seekonk in 1987, and later served as pastor for Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville, Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich, and St. Mark’s Parish in Attleboro Falls before coming back to Seekonk in 2008.

Father Rita served as director of St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River, and from 1982 to 1986 he also directed the former St. Mary’s Home in New Bedford.

“I closed St. Mary’s Home and merged it with St. Vincent’s,” Father Rita said. “I was there for eight-and-a-half years. Then Bishop Cronin felt I needed some more pastoral experience before I became a pastor, so I went back to parish work.”

For many years Father Rita was diocesan director of ProLife programs, was assistant director of the Diocesan Office of Social Services, directed the Attleboro area CYO, was chaplain to the Knights of Columbus, and served as a judge in the Diocesan Tribunal.

“Two weeks before he gave me permission to retire, the bishop reappointed me to the Diocesan Tribunal as a judge,” Father Rita said. “I’ve been doing Tribunal work for 40 years.

Most of those years I’ve been a judge for matrimonial cases. I love and I’m going to continue to do that work. I might even go into the (Tribunal) office.

Normally I would just do the work from wherever I’ve been stationed.”

Despite having donned many hats during his 44 years of diocesan ministry, Father Rita said the highlight of his priesthood has been serving as a pastor.

“Pastoral work has always been my favorite,” he said. “Preparing people to receive the Sacraments has been a joy and celebrating Holy Mass is the

greatest privilege any man could ever want. To know that people are being fed by the Lord in what I’m doing — and in spite of who I am — is very consoling. I just hope I live up to the expectations that people have placed upon me as a priest.”

Among his proudest accomplishments, Father Rita ranked the building of a perpetual adoration chapel while he was pastor at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich high on the list.

“I was asked by former Bishop Sean P. O’Malley to go to Harwich to build a permanent chapel for perpetual adoration at Holy Trinity Parish,” he said. “It’s still going strong with adorers 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. It’s quite lovely. That would be something visible that I’m most proud of.”

A 1962 graduate of the former Holy Family High School in New Bedford, Father Rita said he always knew he wanted to become a priest.

“It was always in the back of my mind as a young boy,” he said. “My parents — whether they took me seriously or not — they certainly encouraged (my vocation). My grandparents on my father’s side lived next door to us and they were very religious. They were daily communicants. Often times I’d go to church with them and then as time went on I started going to morning Mass even when I was in seventh and eighth grade.

I was pretty much sure during high school that that’s what I wanted and I followed up right after high school and went to seminary college.”

One of four boys, Father Rita said two of his brothers have since passed away, but now that he’s retiring he plans on spending more time with his older brother, John.

“I’m going to hang out with my family on Long Pond near Cathedral Camp (in East Freetown),” he said. “We have a couple of houses out there — my brother has one and I have a smaller one that we originally owned. I’ll avail myself of that.

We spent so many years out there and his kids were raised there and it’s wonderful. We’re a close-knit family and always have been. We were four boys and my mother always told us to stick together, no matter what happens.”

Adding that he also enjoys “the camaraderie of being with my brother priests,” Father Rita is equally looking forward to

spending time with his fellow retirees at the Cardinal Medeiros Residence.

“I wouldn’t say I was a social butterfly, but I enjoy being with (priests) and joking with them,” he said. “Until my recent back surgery, I would often invite priests over to the rectory on Sundays to have lunch because a lot of the rectories don’t have cooks anymore. I think it’s important for priests to get together.”

Father Rita said having a facility like the Cardinal Medeiros Residence is a great blessing and benefit to retiring priests and the diocese.

“In the diocese we’re fortunate that we have a retirement facility and we encourage the guys to go there, and they, in turn, supply parishes and pastors with priests who can celebrate Mass and assist,” he said.

“We’re not farmed out to some country residence where you can’t get into town. It’s much more accommodating for our diocese.”

In addition to Father Lacroix being appointed pastor of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Seekonk, Bishop George W. Coleman also recently announced the appointments of: — Msgr. Stephen J. Avila as pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in East Falmouth; — Father Gerard A. Hebert as pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton; — Father Mark R. Hession as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk; — Father John P. Kelleher as pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Orleans; — Father Michael K. McManus as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Mansfield, while remaining Moderator of the Curia; — Father John J. Perry as pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville and pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville; — Father Michael Fitzpatrick as administrator of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis; — Father Darius Kalinowski as administrator of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport; — Father Maurice O. Gauvin as pastor of Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River; — Father Stephen B. Salvador as pastor of St. George Parish in Westport; and — Father Christopher Stanibula as administrator of St. Anne Parish in Fall River.

Pope encourages priests, bishops to keep their love for Jesus alive

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Celebrating an early morning Mass with a congregation made up of priests and bishops, Pope Francis said they regularly need to ask themselves if they love Jesus as much as when they first encountered Him, and whether ministry, not administration, is still their priority.

“This is the question I ask myself, my brother bishops and priests: ‘How is your love today?’

This is what Jesus asks” in the Gospel of John (21:15-19), the pope said at the recent Mass in the chapel of his residence.

“Am I in love like I was the first day? Or have work and worries led me to concentrate on other things and forget love a bit?” the pope asked, according to a summary in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus asks Peter the question three times, the pope said, and although Peter is hurt that Jesus seems to doubt his sincerity, Jesus uses the repetition “to take him back to that first afternoon” when Peter and his brother first met Jesus and recognized Him as Messiah.

Pope Francis said that since he began inviting Rome parishes to send small groups of people to his morning Mass, many of those chosen have been couples celebrating 50 or 60 years of Mar-

riage. Chatting with them after Mass, he said, he always asks how they did it. They all admit to having fights, but one couple — the husband and wife — told the pope, “We’re in love like we were the first day.”

Anyone who has made a lifelong commitment motivated by love should “never forget their first love. Never,” the pope said.

A priest, he said, must have a daily conversation with Jesus and, before all other obligations, must be the pastor he was ordained to be.

A priest can nourish his flock by teaching philosophy or theology or the fathers of the early Church, he said, as long as nourishing others is the point “because the Lord has called us for this.

And the hands of the bishop were placed on our heads to be pastors.”

In addition to asking themselves regularly about their relationship with Jesus, priests and bishops also must examine their consciences about the focus of their ministry, he said. “Am I a pastor or an employee in this NGO called the Church?”

Pope Francis ended his homily with a prayer that priests and bishops always would remember that Jesus is their first love, that they were ordained for service and that their only concern should be to follow the Lord.

Madrid, Spain (CNA/ EWTN News) — The first successor of St. Josemaria Escriva as leader of Opus Dei, Bishop Alvaro del Portillo, will be beatified September 27 in Madrid at a ceremony that is expected to bring together nearly 100,000 faithful.

The prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato, will preside at the beatification. Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid will concelebrate, along with the current prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarria.

The spokesperson of the organization committee for the beatification, Teresa Sabada, and the vice postulator of the cause, Father Jose Carlos Martin de la Hoz, outlined numerous details about the event.

Sabada said 100,000 people from more than 50 countries are expected to attend the beatification. In addition, 3,000 families have opened their homes to welcome those traveling to Madrid from abroad, and 2,000 young people have already signed up to work as volunteers for the event.

Father Martin de la Hoz said

thousands of people wish to come to Madrid for the bishop’s beatification “to express thanks for his example and for the pastoral dedication of this man of peace and communion.”

“Alvaro del Portillo motivated many lay people to embody the Gospel in social initiatives that today serve the poorest of the poor.”

On September 28, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at the same site presided by Bishop Echevarria.

Father Martin de la Hoz said Bishop Alvaro del Portillo “was a pastor who helped thousands to discover their vocations to holiness in the Church. As the first success of St. Josemaria and the first prelate of Opus Dei, he carried out evangelization though personal contact with all kinds of people in the five continents.”

He thanked the Holy See, the Bishops’ Conference of Spain and the Archdiocese of Madrid for collaborating in the preparations for the beatification. He thanked the religious institutions, ecclesial movements and parishes that “are collaborating and participating in this beatification.

Opus Dei prelate beatification expected to draw 100,000 attendees

16

Youth Pages

David Stringham, alum and parent of a former student of St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro, professional numismatist and a member of the Attleboro Elks, recently donated dictionaries to the third-graders of SJE.

June 13, 2014

Students from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently participated in Pennies for Patients and the first-graders won the Olive Garden pasta party.

The eighth-grade class at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro recently took part in the school’s annual field day. The outgoing students put together the field day for the other students of the school, as a way of bidding their younger schoolmates goodbye. They planned games and fun for the school students. Parent volunteers cooked a lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers and the event was hosted at the North Attleboro YMCA. Four students from St. Joseph’s School in Fairhaven were recently selected to have their curious questions published in the “2014 Curiosity Challenge Book” sponsored by the Cambridge Science Festival. Judges from MIT and the Cambridge Science Festival received more than 3,000 entries from schools throughout the state.

Winners and their families were invited to attend an awards ceremony at MIT, and were each presented with a copy of the book, along with a certificate and other prizes. From left: Angolina Cross, grade six; Avery Clough, grade two; Ava Costa, grade three; and Nicole Squizzero, grade eight.

Students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades one through three were given the opportunity to attend Holy Name School’s “Family Reading Night.” Here, students at the Fall River school were mesmerized by David Mello from the Fall River Public library as he spoke to the students as a pirate. The students who attended dressed as pirates or were given special “pirate items” to wear when they arrived.

Students in the First Communion class at St. Patrick’s Parish in Somerset honored the Blessed Mother the day after their First Communion by crowning her with flowers. Here Andrea Cadorette crowns the Blessed Mother while parents and parishioners participate.

June 13, 2014

I

have relayed to my parishioners that this June is clearly “Catholic Month.”

Think about it for a moment.

The first Sunday of June, the seventh Sunday of Easter, the Gospel takes us to the Upper Room. This past week was Pentecost, this weekend the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, followed by the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The last Sunday of June is June 29, the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul, the first pope and the greatest evangelizer in our Church’s history. Everything about our identity as Christians may be found in these five Sundays of June, hence, “Catholic Month.”

Remember Grover from “Sesame Street”? He teaches an important lesson for us as Catholics on why and how we do what we do (As you can see, I have never been accused of being the intellectual one among my brothers!). The sketch that always comes to my mind when I think back to those days is the explana-

Youth Pages ‘Catholic Month’ beyond our sight, beyond our tion of far and near. He would understanding. It is a struggle come right up to the camera in that we attempt to then live and say “near!” and then run (or whatever it is that Muppets life without God. The celebrations of this do) across the room and yell month address this. God is not back, “far!” We quickly get the point.

It is a concept that we learned even before Grover taught us. A toddler may not know what the words “near” or “far” mean, but you

By Father better believe they David C. Frederici have an understanding of it! They want mommy and daddy near. At a Baptism at Mass when I was far, He is near. He has made His dwelling among us and first ordained, I called up the parents and the newborn from continues to dwell within each the first row. The older brother, of us and His Church. Why does God dwell among us? maybe two years old, did not Simply, to love us and through like the fact that his parents that love to empower us and were so far away. In our lives guide us. we want our loved ones near.

We are drawn into the We don’t like it when they mystery of God, to become a are far from us. Likewise with friend of God, to be intimately God, we want Him near.

I think the greatest struggle bound to Him. We don’t go we have in life is thinking that into the world by ourselves.

We are not alone when faced God is far. He is out there with difficult problems or somewhere, beyond our reach,

Be Not Afraid

tasks we have to deal with. The Scriptures challenge us to open our eyes, to remind ourselves of His love and presence and to seek His help. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” tells us that through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the mission of Christ becomes the mission of the Church, of all of us (CCC#730).

It is the working of the Holy Spirit within us that motivates us to seek forgiveness, to restore us to friendship with God, to be true to ourselves, that we may then become instruments of this God in drawing others to Him, letting those we interact with know that God, the Creator of the universe, of our world and all that is good, is indeed near us.

When we are in a seemingly permanent state of stress, angry, frustrated, annoyed, etc., we are not living in union with God. In those times it is all about us, we are seeking to live life on

17 our own and eventually even for ourselves. Peace and happiness cannot be secured by working more hours, spending more money, etc. It only comes when we are able to walk with God in our daily lives, the good days and the bad days. That is the example St. Peter and St. Paul taught us through their words and the example of their lives.

Their belief and their way of life were inseparable.

This union of belief and action happens when we take the time to connect with the Lord daily, when we are nourished with the Eucharist weekly (or more), when we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to allow Him to remove the clutter from our hearts.

We are then tuned into Him and are able to live our days knowing He is near.

Anchor columnist Father Frederici is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pocasset and diocesan director of Campus Ministry and Chaplain at UMass Dartmouth and Cape Cod Community College.

Reject mediocrity, pope encourages young pilgrims

Third-grade students from St. Michael School in Fall River recently received the opportunity of getting a tour of one of the city’s police cruisers as part of the safety sessions the FRPD provided for the third- and fourth-grade students.

St. Mary’s School in Taunton was recently selected for the 2014 Best of Taunton Award in the Elementary Schools category by the Taunton Award Program that honors the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Taunton area. Displaying the award are, from left, students: Kassidy Griffin, Daniel Leet, Kaitlin Eisnor, Ryan Belski, Mia Hannah, and Mark Orszulak

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis recently made a phone call to a group of young Italians who were on pilgrimage, encouraging them to embrace hope in God and reject mediocrity.

“Don’t let yourselves be discouraged by failure or anxiousness that wants to remove your dreams, that wants to close you into its dark mentality rather than letting you fly in the light of hope. Please, do not fall into mediocrity, into that mediocrity that lowers and makes us gray, for life is not gray, life is for betting on grand ideas and for great things,” he said in a phone call to the participants of the 36th annual pilgrimage from Macerata to Loreto, Italy.

The basilica in Loreto is believed to contain the “holy house” where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at the annunciation.

The pope said that he was pleased to be with the young pilgrims “virtually,” the Holy See Press Office reported. He asked especially for their prayers for the recent meeting of prayer at the Vatican with the presidents of Israel and Palestine and the Orthodox Christian Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. “I ask you please, unite

yourselves to us and ask God, through the intercession of the Madonna of Loreto, to make resound in that land in a new way, the song of the angels, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace to mankind,’” the pope added.

Pope Francis also expressed his joy at the theme chosen for the pilgrimage, “God is the Lord of surprises,” saying, “This is true!”

“For this reason, don’t be afraid to dream of a more just world; to ask, to seek, and to enhance,” he stressed.

“You know that faith is not an inheritance that we receive from others, faith is not a product that one buys, but is a response of love that we give freely and we build daily with patience, through success and failure.”

The pope encouraged the young people to trust in God’s goodness, urging, “don’t be afraid to throw yourselves into

the arms of God.” He emphasized that they should not give into the temptation to be negative, but rather choose to be joyful in faith.

“Negativity is contagious but positivity is also contagious; desperation is contagious, but joy is also contagious: don’t follow negative people but continue to radiate light and hope around you! And know that hope does not deceive, it never deceives!”

Finally, Pope Francis reminded the pilgrims that “nothing is lost with God, but without Him, everything is lost.” He stressed that they should open their hearts to God, because with faith “your eyes will see His life and His miracles.”

The pontiff concluded by asking for prayers: “Tonight, praying for peace in Loreto, close to the Madonna, don’t forget to also say a prayer for me, I need it!”

Send school and Religious Education news to: schools@anchornews.org

18

June 13, 2014

Diocesan Pastoral Council devoted to Church, diocesan, parish life continued from page one

at St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth. The purpose of the meeting was to “share and process information of ways the Pastoral Council could assist the parish priests in improving the vitality of parish life,” said Father McManus.

The first meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Presbyteral Council was a great success,” Father Morse told The Anchor. “The planning team that put the agenda together did an excellent job. They were clear and focused on the purpose of the meeting namely, to share and process information of ways the Diocesan Pastoral Council could assist the parish priests in improving the vitality of parish life. They also identified three concrete desired outcomes by which they could measure the meeting’s success. These were all communicated to the participants before they arrived. So everyone was focused and ready to work. A critical skill in any working meeting is the ability of the participants to listen to one another. Among jazz musicians they refer to this as having ‘big ears’ so they can connect their response to the music of the rest of the group and together create music greater than the sum of all their individual talents. The listening was respectful, responsive and critical.”

The request to have the two groups grew out of the discussions that arose in the several meetings the DPC has held over the last yearand-a-half.

Prior to the recent joint meeting, the DPC comprised a list to be discussed when they got together: characteristics of a vibrant parish and obstacles to a vibrant parish.

During the meeting the councils selected three priorities from each of the categories to be worked on in the future by a sub-committee comprised of members from each council.

“I was very pleased when Bishop Coleman agreed to get the DPC and the Presbyteral Council together as a group,” Diane Morris, a parishioner of St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth, and a DPC member told The Anchor. “It is a good first step in trying to see what the priests’ perspectives on the issues are

and to see how we, as lay people, can work with and help priests to perhaps change our image into a more positive and inviting image. When we did meet, it was again a productive and insightful discussion. I look forward to future discussions. We know the process will be ongoing but it’s encouraging to know that there are lay people and ordained who care enough to fight for our Church!”

Other topics were discussed as well and most attendees found the session very fruitful.

“Our Diocesan Pastoral Council is a very determined group,” added Father McManus.

When Bishop Coleman addressed the need for a new Diocesan Pastoral Council in 2012, potential candidates had to have certain qualities to be considered.

Some of the qualities included that the candidate be an active member of the parish who regularly worships, and if married, in a Marriage recognized by the Catholic Church; have more than a basic understanding of the faith; have an appreciation of the diocesan Church; be open to new approaches to parish configuration; have a deep understanding and appreciation for the Eucharist and its centrality in the life of the Church; have a sense of ecclesiology; realize the importance of evangelizing families, including those who have a minimal understanding and/or connection to the faith, lapsed Catholics, and those who have been lured by other denominations; recognize the need to do all one can to energize the parish and worship opportunities; and have a Spiritual life, seeking daily to deepen one’s relationship with God. Names of candidates for the council were submitted to a consultative group comprised of priests and lay people for consideration.

The hope was to put together a diverse group, a mix of ages, experiences, and backgrounds of faithful from across the five diocesan deaneries.

The current Diocesan Pastoral Council approved

by Bishop Coleman is comprised of, from the Attleboro Deanery: Margaret Keenan from St. John the Evange-

list Parish in Attleboro, and Richard Palanza from St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield.

From the Taunton Deanery: Kathleen Graziano from St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Taunton, and Peter Marshall from St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham.

From the Fall River Deanery: Nicholas Christ, Holy Name Parish, Fall River; Breda McCarty, St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset; Kathleen St. Laurent, St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset; and Philip Silvia Jr., Holy Name Parish, Fall River.

From the New Bedford Deanery: Debora Brum, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, New Bedford (representing the Portuguese community); Norma Colon, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James, New Bedford (representing the Hispanic community); and Barbara Parnell, St. Julie Billiart Parish, North Dartmouth. (There is currently one vacancy in the New Bedford Deanery contingent because of an illness.)

From the Cape Cod Deanery: John Dellamorte, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Diane Morris, St. Pius X Parish, South Yarmouth; and Brian Wall, Holy Trinity Parish, West Harwich.

Representing the diaconate community is Deacon Frank Fantasia from Christ the King Parish in Mashpee.

Bishop Coleman is the Ex Off icio president; and Ex Off icio members include Father McManus; diocesan Vicar General Father Gregory Mathias, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown; and Msgr.

Edmund Fitzgerald, former chairman of the Presbyteral Council, and pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Somerset.

“The Diocesan Pastoral Council is a wonderfully diverse group of people who have generously devoted themselves to an extended reflection on the vitality of parishes,” Father Mathias told The Anchor. “It didn’t take long for us to arrive at this topic — maybe two or three meetings — because I think we recognize that this is where the Church is encountered by the majority of people, and the culture in which we are now living has proven to be a sharp challenge to the most common expressions of

parish life.”

The group meets every two or three months at regional sites to prevent members from having a long commute each time. So far meetings have occurred at St. Julie Billiart in North Dartmouth, St. John Neumann in East Freetown, and Corpus Christi in East Sandwich.

During their time together the DPC has selected a few sources from which to garner ideas and guidance. One of which was the book “Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter,” by Father Michael White and Tom Corcoran. According to the book’s website, “Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Father Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.”

“Most of our conversations have been guided by some of the reflections of Father Michael White and Mr. Tom Corcoran in their book ‘Rebuilt,’” added Father Mathias.

“The key issue identified in that volume was the need to challenge the consciousness of ordinary, active Catholics such that they see themselves, not as consumers of what the parish has to offer, but co-workers tasked with responsibility for the parish mission of drawing others to Christ. Concretely, such responsibility takes many forms, from simply being hospitable to newcomers, to participating in a variety of parish ministries of service and evangelization. I suppose this consciousness could be summed up by certain questions pastors and parishioners ask themselves: ‘Do we really believe that our faith is essential for every person?

If so, how can we better invite, share and bear witness to it? How can I better do this as an individual person and how can we as a parish family?’ The pluralism which is so characteristic of our secular culture has had the bad side effect of weakening the sense that the way of Christ that we profess and in which we believe, is ‘the Way,’ rather than just one way among many other possible ways. If we are convinced that it is

‘the Way’ then we will want to proclaim it boldly and unambiguously. This represents a significant shift in the current consciousness.”

Another reference material for the council is a pastoral letter by Bishop David Ricken from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wis., titled, “Parishes: Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive.”

The DPC is meant to reflect the entire portion of the people of God who constitute the diocese. “I feel that the council is very important for our parishes,” Norma Colon of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James in New Bedford told The Anchor. “We learn from each other’s opinions or suggestions; what is working right for the parishes and how we can improve our weaknesses.

It is very interesting to share the ideas with others. I said yes [to becoming a member of the DPC] because I love and enjoy so much from the bottom of my heart to serve my Church. It has been a beautiful experience to be part of this council.”

“When my pastor, Father George Bellenoit, asked if I would be on the DPC I had to give it a lot of thought,” added Morris. “I agreed to become a member because I felt I was fairly representative of an age group that is slowly drifting away from the Church and that perhaps I could add some insight (mid50s with two grown, married children). I have truly enjoyed our meetings as we have very robust discussions regarding what we as a group have identified as some of the obstacles that the Church faces today.”

The council works with priests and parish pastoral councils, making recommendations and exchanging ideas, but it only has a consultative vote, and the practical conclusions of the DPC are not binding. Canon 514 states the diocesan bishop alone, “has the right to make public the matters dealt with in the council.”

“Bishop Coleman, when he was pastor at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich relied on a very vibrant parish council there,” said Father McManus.

Similar to those productive meetings with his parish council, Bishop Coleman also thinks highly of the work and dedication of the current Diocesan Pastoral Council.

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June 13, 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.

Pope remembers ‘heavy sacrifice’ of Allied forces on D-Day

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — People must continue to recognize the sacrifice of the Allied soldiers who liberated Europe from “Nazi barbarism,” but also should not forget the German soldiers “dragged into this drama,” Pope Francis said.

The pope believes “present generations should express their full recognition to all those who made such a heavy sacrifice,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, in a message commemorating the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy.

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

The cardinal’s D-Day message was sent to Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris and Bishop Jean Claude Boulanger of Bayeux-Lisieux, who were marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the liberation of France. The bishops blessed a commemorative bell, naming it after St. Edith Stein, a co-patron of Europe, who was killed in a Nazi death camp.

Cardinal Parolin said Pope

Francis hoped the commemoration would “remind us that excluding God from the lives of people and society cannot but bring death and suffering.”

“May European nations find in the Gospel of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the roots of their history and the source of inspiration for forging bonds that are always fraternal and marked by solidarity,” the pope prayed.

Around the Diocese The Holy Trinity Charismatic Prayer Group will be hosting Deacon Stephen Mininniger 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.

June 21 Rev. Owen F. Clarke, Former Assistant, St. Mary, Fall River, 1918 Rev. Desire V. Delemarre, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River, 1926 Rev. George A. Meade, Chaplain, St. Mary’s Home, New Bedford, 1948 Rev. Francis D. Callahan, Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 1949 Rev. Clement Killgoar, SS.CC., Pastor, St. Anthony, Mattapoisett, 1964 Rev. David A. O’Brien, Retired Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1976

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.

June 22 Rev. Alexander Zichello, Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi, New Bedford, 1977

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.

June 23 Rev. Finbarr B. McAloon, SS.CC.,Retired Pastor, Holy Trinity, West Harwich, 1980 Rev. George Wichland, CSSR, St. Wenceslaus Church, Baltimore, Md., 1992

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.

June 24 Rev. Bernard F. McCahill, Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1907

A special celebration of the profession of Father Flavio Gillo and other La Salette seminarians will be held during the 12:10 p.m. Mass on July 27 at La Salette Shrine, 947 Park Street in Attleboro, in the shrine church. Together, let us invoke Our Lady and the Holy Spirit to bless and enrich their lives in her service in “Making Her Message Known” throughout the world. Thank you for your esteemed presence and prayers.

June 25 Rev. Msgr. Louis A. Marchand, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1941 Rev. Raymond J. Hamel, Chaplain, St. Joseph Orphanage, Fall River, 1960

The 36th annual Summer Fair to benefit Our Lady of the Cape Parish, 468 Stony Brook Road in Brewster, will be held June 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the parish center. New this year: bountiful baskets and fun activities for children. Browse through jewelry, attic treasures, collectibles, crafts, books, toys, art work, tools and more.

There will also be a cash raffle and silent auction, delicious baked goods, café snacks, outdoor barbecue and ice cream treats.

June 26 Rev. William Moran, Former Pastor, St. Peter, Sandwich, 1891 Rev. Charles P. Gaboury, Former Pastor, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1931 Rev. Msgr. Albert Berube, Retried Pastor, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1973 June 27 Rev. John Corry, Founder, St. Mary, Taunton; Founder, St. Mary, Fall River, 1863 Rev. Dario Raposo, Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton, 1933 Rev. Msgr. Thomas F. Walsh, Retired Pasto , St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro, 1980 Rev. Msgr. Bernard J. Fenton, USA Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, North Dighton, 1984 Rev. George F. Almeida, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Fatima, Swansea, 2012

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.

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June 13, 2014