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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., welcomes 11 new candidates for the permanent diaconate.

Evan Timbo gives the thumbs-up on his way to graduation from Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton last week.

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Eleven men were admitted to candidacy for the permanent diaconate of the Diocese of Fall River at a recent Mass at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in New Bedford. Front from left: Father Robert A. Oliveira, pastor; candidates Matthew Sweeney, Paul Spearin, Antonio Pimental, Bishop da Cunha; candidates Keith Caldwell, George Hults, and Gerald McCarthy; and Deacon Frank Lucca. Back row: candidates Richard Bisson, Kevin Gingras, Timothy Ramey, Gary Donahue, and David Harum; and Msgr. John J. Oliveira, diocesan director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate. (Photo by Barbara Anne Foley)

New pastors say appointments provide ‘stability’ for parishioners

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — For the four newly-appointed, first-time pastors in the Fall River Diocese, the recent title change may not have a great impact on how they continue to serve their parishioners, but it certainly will provide a sense of continuity and stability for the parish itself.

“I don’t see a huge change with the exception of stability for both me and the people of Father Octavio the parish,” Cortez said Father Jay Mello, who was named pastor of St. Michael 2

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and St. Joseph parishes in Fall River on April 12. “There is much ambiguity with the title parochial administrator and I think it leaves people concerned as to what that means for the parish. The title of pastor comes with particular Father Michael rights and Fitzpatrick responsibilities that an administrator doesn’t have — in particular, the concept of stability of office.”

“Functionally, there’s really no difference between being a parochial administrator and a pastor,” said Father Michael Fitzpatrick, who was appointed pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis,

effective April 25. “But it’s good for the parish — what it does is it lends a sense of stability and peace to a parish that has felt kind of up in the air.”

Without a designated pastor in place, Father Fitzpatrick said, parishioners tend to “get a little bit nervous” and “wonder what’s going to happen to our parish.”

“Stability is crucial to pastoral planning,” agreed Father Dariusz Kalinowski, who became pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport Father Dariusz on April 25.

Kalinowski “Now I can think about the future and ask myself and my

parish council where do we see our parish in five or 10 years. Many people do not understand that an administrator is a temporary position, and being able to say that I am a pastor now does make a difference.

The sense of confidence and stability is Father Jay Mello very important in any position of leadership and it only comes with time.”

Father Octavio Cortez, I.V.E., sees his new role as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford as one of “unifier.”

“Given that this is a (parish) that is multi-cultural, with multicharisms and multi-traditions, I Turn to page 19

Campus ministry getting students ready to ‘Embark’ on college

to help students transition from living home to living away, and also being responNORTH DARTsible to find their own way MOUTH — First-year of staying connected to the freshmen heading to college Catholic faith. this fall can “Embark” early “It helps them through on their college experithe talks that are given ence by attending a free, how you can maintain this overnight program August lifestyle on any campus, not 9-10 at the Sacred Hearts just on a Catholic campus Retreat Center in Wareham. but on a secular campus,” The “Embark” retreat is a said Deacon Frank Lucca, gathering that will provide a Catholic campus minan opportunity for incomister. “Some students like ing, first-year students to to connect before they get meet the Fall River diocesan somewhere. Some students ministry team, and to meet have difficulty transitioning. other students heading to I know my own daughter college in the fall. Every did, so by coming to somestudent will have a chance thing with upperclassmen as First-year freshmen heading to college this fall can “Embark” early into their college to explore and reflect with experience by attending a free, overnight program August 9-10 at Sacred Hearts Retreat well as students from their Center in Wareham. The “Embark” retreat is a gathering that will provide an opportuothers as he or she prepares school, they have a leg up nity for incoming, first-year students to meet the Fall River diocesan ministry team, and to transition from high on things before they even to meet other students heading to college in the fall. Pictured are students attending school to college. get there.” last year’s retreat.

Three years ago Father The 24-hour retreat is David Frederici, director of easy to fit into a student’s Campus Ministry at UMass schedule, and the Campus flourish during those college nect to those campus minees offered their own voices Dartmouth, was searching Ministry team knows it’s years. istries as well,” said Father on his or her experience of for a way to reach out to important to get connected “We hope to get some Frederici. “It helps with the attending an Embark retreat incoming freshmen because to those students before UMass kids in there or from transition and helps build through their feedback “if you don’t tie into them they become lost in the the community colleges, relationships with those given to the Campus Minby the second or third week college experience, and alor from Mass Maritime or kids coming to UMass.” istry staff after the retreat: in September, it’s very diflow those connections with Wheaton, and then what Though their last names “I got to relate to other ficult because they’re conother faith-filled students to we’ll do is help them conhave been omitted, attendTurn to page 21 nected to all these different groups,” he said.

The idea behind the retreat is twofold — connect college students to campus ministry, whether it is at UMass or another campus, and connect to each other.

Technology is still a reHis Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da source for students to stay Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has anconnected, but, “this group nounced the following transfers: is much more individual,” said Father Frederici. “You Reverend David C. Deston, Parochial Vicar of see them texting but they’re Saint John the Evangelist Parish and Saint Vincent nurturing relationships with de Paul Parish, Attleboro to Parochial Administrator, people they know. It’s their Saint Anne Parish, Fall River way of communicating; the key here when you have Reverend Christopher Stanibula, Parochial Adall that stuff out there [like ministrator, Saint Anne Parish, Fall River to Parosocial media], but fundachial Vicar of Saint John the Evangelist Parish and mentally it’s relational to get Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Attleboro them connected.”

The methodology of the retreat is in the name, Effective: July 1, 2016 “Embark.” It is designed

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff beckyaubut@anchornews.org

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

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Called By Name retreat offers teen girls peace and contemplation

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

DIGHTON — In what promises to be a busy summer for the Diocese of Fall River Vocations Office, a day of reflection for girls ages 14-18 is just one of several opportunities for young men and women from the diocese to take some time away from what can be ultra-busy schedules and breathe in some muchneeded time for reflection and camaraderie.

“Called By Name — Martha or Mary ... Or, Both?” will be offered on July 16 on the serene grounds of the Dominican Sisters Convent in Dighton.

“Called By Name is a vocation promotion initiative that invites girls 14-18 years old to consider their particular calling which stems from the common calling through Baptism, to which all are invited to respond in a variety of ways — Marriage, single life or consecrated life,” Dominican Sister Paulina Hurtado, diocesan Episcopal representative for Religious and associate director of Vocations, told The Anchor.

“This is a great opportunity for teen girls, to gather and experience a day of engaging faith-

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based activities, talks, prayer, and group discussion which promote an awareness of God and everyone’s call to holiness. The girls are led to realize that discovering one’s vocation and living it out is the best way to a happy, holy, and full life. Gradually, a curiosity about God’s plan for their life is developed and the seeking of their vocation begins.”

Katelyn Belmore attended a Called By Name day of recollection and told The Anchor, “I learned a lot the last time and had fun. I think what they are doing for us is very awesome. I really hope they keep doing it in the future. It feels really welcoming there and it’s a wonderful experience to be there. I liked it so much that I would really like to do an overnight reflection. Thank you for doing this for everyone.”

Christine C. Smith is a director of Faith Formation and youth ministry at a parish in the diocese.

Smith extolled the benefits and blessings of a Called By Name day of reflection: “As a mother of two teen-age daughters, I am very thankful that they have the opportunity to experience these retreats for young girls. It provides them

with a chance to see their world from a different perspective while trying to understand what it means to be a child of God. Through fun activities, they are able to come together with other young girls and share their thoughts and experiences in a faith-filled environment. This gives them the chance to listen to how God is speaking to them in their own personal life, while also providing them with the encouragement to respond to God’s call.

“After experiencing a retreat for girls, my daughters and the teenagers I work with are able to bring their experience into the world. It has enabled them to see God and listen for His calling a little easier in the culture they live in.”

Smith continued, “Having experienced God in such a visible way through activities and people, helps them to reflect on how God is working in their own lives, and trying to understand what it means to be a child of God becomes more meaningful. In a secular world, they need these opportunities for their foundation, so they can hear and respond to the vocation God is calling them too.”

Sonja Morin was an attendee at another day

of reflection sponsored by the Vocations Office at the Dominican convent. “God blesses us in so many beautiful, and sometimes unexpected ways,” she said. “Sometimes it is in small, subtle ways. I was blessed in several ways, and prominent among them was an day-long retreat for teen girls in Dighton.”

She said they had the opportunity to “ponder these questions: ‘What does God have for you?

What is His plan for you?

How are you going to live your true identity as God’s daughter?’ We were also able to talk about these questions together as a group, sharing our answers with everyone else.

“When I entered

the convent that bright Saturday morning, I had no idea how much of an impact it would make on me. Looking back on the day, I can thank God for all the people involved in this retreat, and hope that there will be more events like this in the future to help encourage the youth of our diocese to become who God created them to be and experience the beauty and wonder of Catholicism.”

The day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the cost is $7 (cash only) at the door. The deadline for registration is July 11.

For more information, or to register contact Sister Paulina at 508-496-2022 or email sr.paulina@diocfr.org.

Seventh annual Quo Vadis Days invites young men to think, relax and enjoy

others who have realized in their lives, the joy that can only come from a relationMEDWAY — About ship with Christ. The retreat an hour north of Fall River, is sponsored by the Fall and just about the same River diocesan Vocations distance from the peaceful, Office. yet rugged New HampThe five-day retreat is a shire mountains, lies an time of recreation, fellowarea where countless men, ship, prayer and discussion women, girls and boys have to help young men listen for found tranquility and time the sometimes quiet whisto actually think amidst the per of God calling them mind clutter of everyday life. to come to know and serve Betania II Retreat Center Him in a particular way. in Medway will be the site Sharing in the Eucharist of the seventh annual Quo at Mass, spending time with Vadis Days retreat for young the Blessed Sacrament in men ages 14-18 from July Adoration, and praying the 5-9, allowing them time Liturgy of the Hours and and opportunity to reflect the Rosary are but a few of and interact with peers, the moments that make up priests, seminarians and the retreat.

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

But, just as Jesus wasn’t one-dimensional in His earthly ministry, so too isn’t Quo Vadis Days. There is also time for hiking in the mountains; swimming; flag football, the real football, soccer; and ultimate Frisbee.

Juan Carlos Munoz, originally from Colombia, a seminarian from the Diocese of Fall River, who will be entering his third year of Theology at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, and who is currently assigned to Holy Name Parish in Fall River for the summer, was part of last year’s Quo Vadis team and will again be this year.

“I was so touched by the young men who attended last year,” Munoz told The Anchor. “They had such energy and a love for God, and a commitment to God, viewing Him with reverence and respect and seriousness.”

Munoz continued, “It’s important for young men to experience something like this because some don’t receive information about God from the outside world. It’s an opportunity for them to think more — not just about the priesthood, but about married life or other vocations and having God as part of their lives.

“It’s also a time for fun and bonding. Some come with reservations. I, too, came with some reservations — they are young, I am old; they play football

(American) and I have no idea what that’s about; and I am from another country.

But through the hiking, and fun and prayer, a unity is built during the five days.”

Another seminarian, Ryan Healy, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Parish in North Attleboro, and attending Our Lady of Providence Seminary in North Providence, R.I., was on Quo Vadis teams in 2013 and 2015. He told The Anchor, “The week-long retreat is something that I have always looked forward to and has given me great hope for future vocations in the diocese. The vocation crisis can often be very disheartening but meeting the many retreatants who are open to doing the Lord’s will, instills great hope in me. It offers a chance for the seminarians to meet and talk with guys who are considering a vocation from our own home diocese, making it even more special.”

Like Munoz, Healy noticed a transformation in some of the candidates over the course of the retreat. “I did often notice a change in some of the young men who were there for their first time. The talks from the priests and seminarians as well as Mass and times of prayer gave them new reflections and considerations as to what God was calling them to do with their lives and whether they’d be open to the priesthood.

“They always had a lot

of fun playing sports and games as they got to know all of the guys on the retreat as the week progressed.

Leaving the retreat, many are prepared to go and live their faith more devoutly at home and discern their vocation after the very inspirational week.”

The five-day encounter also includes prayer and discussion and talks from priests and seminarians, providing Spiritual guidance and fraternity.

One former candidate, Joe Cavanaugh, participated in the Quo Vadis Days more than once. “Quo Vadis helped me to grow and get a better understanding about my faith and I was able to make friends with other young men from the diocese,” he told The Anchor. “I have been on this retreat the past three years and would recommend this trip to others because it provides an opportunity to pray and have fun. Some of my favorite moments were hiking Mount Monadnock and playing soccer with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.” Turn to page 21

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., enjoys a soccer match at a past Quo Vadis Days retreat for young men. This year’s five-day retreat will take place July 5-9 at Betania II Retreat Center in Medway. The five days are a good opportunity for young men ages 14-18 to escape the busyness of life and have time to think, pray, share and have fun in a relaxed atmosphere. (Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Fall River Vocations Office) The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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Anchor Editorial

Comfort the sorrowful

The last Spiritual Work of Mercy that we will consider in this series of editorials is that of comforting the sorrowful.

Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. described this work on that archdiocese’s website (adw.org): “Of all the Spiritual Works of Mercy, comforting the sorrowful requires the greatest patience, sensitivity, and also silence. This is because sorrow (or grief ) often has a life and logic of its own; often it must be allowed to run its course. Sometimes there is not a lot a person can say or do when grief is present. Grief is something we can rarely get around; we must simply go through it. Thus, comforting or consoling the sorrowful and grieving people in our life often involves a kind of silent and understanding accompaniment more so than words or actions. To listen and give understanding attention often provides the greatest value.”

What the monsignor wrote calls to mind the Jewish custom of “sitting shiva.” Wikipedia explains it: “It is customary for the mourners to sit on low stools, or even the floor, symbolic of the emotional reality of being ‘brought low’ by the grief. Typically, mourners do not return to work until the end of the week of mourning. It is considered a great mitzvah (literally ‘commandment’ but usually interpreted as ‘good deed’) of kindness and compassion to pay a home visit (make or pay a shiva call) to the mourners. Traditionally, no greetings are exchanged and visitors wait for the mourners to initiate conversation, or remain silent if the mourners do not do so, out of respect for their bereavement.”

In a way, we Catholics do this at the wake, but this Work of Mercy reminds us that mourners continue to need comfort after their loved ones have been buried.

Msgr. Pope added, “St. Augustine once observed that sighs and tears in prayer often accomplish more than words. And so it is that when people are sorrowful, their grief and tears are their prayer and we do well to honor that, rather than to say, ‘Don’t be sad’ or ‘Cheer up.’ A largely silent and respectful silence can be a way of honoring grief and signaling a true camaraderie.”

On May 5, Pope Francis presided at a prayer vigil “to dry the tears” (this was the official name of the ceremony) in St. Peter’s Square, as part of the Year of Mercy. Towards the beginning of his speech, the Holy Father prayed that the Holy Spirit might “enlighten our minds to find the right words capable of bringing comfort.”

The pontiff then spoke from the point of view of someone full of sorrow: “At times of sadness, suffering and sickness, amid the anguish of persecution and grief, everyone looks for a word of consolation. We OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

Vol. 60, No.13

Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses.

Send address changes to P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call or use email address

PUBLISHER - Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org

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sense a powerful need for someone to be close and feel compassion for us. We look around us with uncertainty, trying to see if we can find someone who really understands our pain. Our mind is full of questions but answers do not come.”

Jesus Himself is the model of how we are to approach the sorrowful with compassion, Pope Francis noted. “In our pain, we are not alone. Jesus, too, knows what it means to weep for the loss of a loved one. In one of the most moving pages of the Gospel, Jesus sees Mary [of Bethany] weeping for the death of her brother Lazarus. Nor can He hold back tears. He was deeply moved and began to weep (cf. Jn 11:33-35). The evangelist John, in describing this, wanted to show how much Jesus shared in the sadness and grief of His friends. Jesus’ tears have unsettled many theologians over the centuries, but even more they have bathed so many souls and been a balm to so much hurt.

“The tears of Jesus serve as an antidote to my indifference before the suffering of my brothers and sisters. His tears teach me to make my own the pain of others, to share in the discouragement and sufferings of those experiencing painful situations. Jesus’ tears cannot go without a response on the part of those who believe in Him. As He consoles, so we too are called to console,” Pope Francis reminded the crowd.

We cannot do this on our own. Thanks be to God, the Divine Physician is ready to help, as always. “Prayer is the true medicine for our suffering,” the pope said. “In prayer, we too can feel God’s presence.

The tenderness of His gaze comforts us; the power of His Word supports us and gives us hope. The love of God, poured into our hearts, allows us to say that when we love, nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from those we have loved. The power of love turns suffering into the certainty of Christ’s victory, and our own victory in union with Him, and into the hope that one day we will once more be together and will forever contemplate the face of the Trinity Blessed, the eternal wellspring of life and love.

“At the foot of every cross, the Mother of Jesus is always there.

With her mantle, she wipes away our tears. With her outstretched hand, she helps us to rise up and she accompanies us along the path of hope.”

Given the mourning that surrounds us (on the national and international level, but also on the personal level, since people continue to die every day in our cities and towns), we need to ask God to help us imitate His example of love for the sorrowful and then live it out, bringing them comfort.

Daily Readings June 25 — July 8

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. June 25, Lam 2:2,10-14,18-19; Ps 74:1b-7,20-21; Mt 8:5-17. Sun. June 26, Thirteeth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 Kgs 19:16b,1921; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-11; Gal 5:1,13-18; Lk 9:51-62. Mon. June 27, Am 2:6-10,1316; Ps 50:16bc-23; Mt 8:18-22. Tues. June 28, Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12; Ps 5:4b-8; Mt 8:23-27. Wed. June 29, Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8,17-18; Mt 16:13-19.

Thurs. June 30, Am 7:10-17; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 9:1-8. Fri. July 1, Am 8:4-6,9-12; Ps 119:2,10,20,30,40,131; Mt 9:9-13.

Sat. July 2, Am 9:11-15; Ps 85:9ab and 10-14; Mt 9:14-17. Sun. July 3, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 66:10-14c; Ps 66:1-7,16,20; Gal 6:14-18; Lk 10:1-12,17-20 or 10:1-9. Mon. July 4, Hos 2:16,17b-18,21-22; Ps 145:2-9; Mt 9:18-26. Tues. July 5, Hos 8:4-7,11-13; Ps 115:3-6,7ab-8,9-10; Mt 9:32-38.

Wed. July 6, Hos 10:1-3,7-8,12; Ps 105:2-7; Mt 10:1-7. Thurs. July 7, Hos 11:14,8c-9; Ps 80:2ac,3b,15-16; Mt 10:7-15. Fri. July 8, Hos 14:2-10; Ps 51:3-4,89,12-14,17; Mt 10:16-23.

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ne of the persistent, mostly under-theradar controversies within this extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy has been whether mercy involves a call to profound conversion or is simply an indulgence giving sinners a green light to continue sinning with the tacit, benevolent acquiescence of the Church.

Throughout this year, I’ve met priests and faithful who have expressed opposition to the Jubilee for precisely that reason, objecting to the ideas of those who seem to treat “mercy” as enabling rather than eliminating the very behavior that mercy, after repentance, is meant to absolve.

Pope Francis has been clear that mercy is for “sinners” — those who recognize they’ve fallen and need God’s forgiveness — and not for the “corrupt,” those who have become so hardened in their sin that they treat vice as virtue. He has repeatedly and fiercely called the corrupt to conversion precisely so that they might receive mercy.

Despite that work, however, the idea continues that mercy basically means giving the alcoholic a sixpack, letting the thief keep his loot, awarding the plagiarist an A, and applauding the Marriage-breaking adulterer as honorable.

That’s because, I think, many have confused being merciful with being amiable, soft, and nonjudgmental about everything, including behavior that is clearly objectionable.

To insist that something is sinful — and therefore Spiritually toxic — is to be mean, the logic goes. To suggest that there might a better way to live one’s life is to be a hater.

This is far from what God reveals about mercy.

When St. Paul speaks

Strong and truthful enough to be merciful?

about the gifts of the Holy structive criticism, or even telling the truth. In the Spirit (Gal 5:22-3), he age of affirmation, saying specifies two words that often seem like synonyms, something that might hurt the feelings or offend the normally translated as sensibilities of a supersen“kindness” and “goodness.” Even though closely sitive neighbor is received as verbal sadism. Failure to related, there’s an imporaccept and agree publicly tant contrast in the Greek with anything that person St. Paul employs that is relevant to this discussion.

Putting Into Chrestotes is the first word and is the Deep normally translated as kindness, goodBy Father ness, or sweetness.

Roger J. Landry It generally refers to the way Jesus treated cares about is considered the sinful woman who condemnable aggression. anointed His feet.

We could examine the The second word is agathosune, and while nor- situation on college cammally translated goodness, puses, where today many students refuse even to generosity, or benignity, allow highly accomplished the Greek term denotes a speakers with whom they goodness that can give a disagree on campus befraternal correction, recause they cannot fathom buke and discipline. Jesus being in the same zip code showed this agathosune with those whose ideas when He cleansed the dispute their own. temple area of those who We could look at what were exploiting the poor, happens to those who opwhen He reproached the pose any elements of the scribes and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, and on LGBT cultural and politiseveral occasions corrected cal agenda; or who defend the institution of Marriage Peter and the Apostles. as it’s always been underThose filled with the Holy Spirit, those who are stood up until recent times; or even those who think merciful as God is mercithat there is a distinction ful, will feature chrestotes between same-sex attracand agathosune. They’ll be tions and same-sex activsweet and good, like the father in the parable of the ity: how they’re treated as hateful pariahs who not Prodigal Son who doesn’t only ought be punished await his son with a whip with losing homes and but with open arms. But businesses but who should they’ll also be capable of be held ultimately responchallenging people to live sible for the wicked terrorthe truth and leave sin behind, courageous enough ist atrocity in Orlando.

The cultural shamto risk rejection and even ing and bullying directed their life to try to save a against those who don’t, sibling from harm or selfand out of conscience inflicted damage. can’t get with the zeitgeist One of the problems is making the exercise of today is many don’t think that mercy or goodness — mercy in truth much more courageous, almost boras described by the fruit of the Spirit agathosune — dering already on social, academic, and cultural ever involves tough love, martyrdom. Are people, kind admonition, con-

especially Christians, still strong and truthful enough to be merciful under these circumstances?

The area in which there’s the most urgent need for mercy featuring chrestotes and agathosune is the present transgender delirium our society is confronting.

If there’s anyone who deserves our compassion it’s those who believe themselves to be transgender. To deem oneself to be a man trapped in a woman’s body or vice versa is a dysphoria no one would ever covet.

I’ve had occasion over my priesthood to meet with a half-dozen transgender men and women who have come to see me because of my work with Courage, which helps those with same-sex attractions live chastely as faithful Catholics. They didn’t know where else in the Church to turn. I sought to help them with their immediate struggles, answered their questions about the faith, defended some of them against the shame and pressure their family members were putting on them for things obviously beyond their control, assisted them to get solid psychological accompaniment, talked them out of getting gender reassignment surgery, and tried to help them to grasp that they were not freaks but beloved children of God for whom the Lord would die on Calvary 1,000 times over 1,000 times worse, and Who will always accompany them on what may continue to be a steep way of the cross.

At the same time, I could never in conscience exercise the false mercy of “pretending” with regard to the psychological, meta-

physical, and moral issues involved, in order somehow to help them “feel better.” It’s not charitable when everyone humors the emperor by not mentioning he has no clothes. It likewise fails to respect the dignity of a person when everyone pretends that the emperor is an empress.

Even though he sincerely may feel like one, he’s not and never will be. And we do no one a service by pretending that fantasy is reality. That’s not merciful.

It’s deceitful, because life is not a game of makebelieve.

Beyond all the issues dealing with bathrooms, pronouns, surgeries, athletic competitions, psychological and medical manuals and more, we have the pressing matter of whether we, individually and as a society, are going treat people with true or false compassion, with real or fake love, with sacrificial pity trying to help them get help or conspiratorial negligence playing along as if we really believe everything is absolutely fine and healthy.

The truth is part of mercy. Chrestotes and agathosune are a package deal if we’re living, thinking and acting according to the Holy Spirit. But are we courageous enough to allow the Spirit of truth to use us to give the prophetic, truly merciful witness our age demands?

Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

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n rare occasions, babies can be born with ambiguous genitalia, and parents and physicians may be uncertain about whether a newborn is a little boy or a little girl. While testing for sex chromosomes is invariably part of figuring out these cases, the genetics alone may not always tell the whole story.

Both genes and physiological factors like hormonal conditions in the womb can contribute to our primary and secondary sex characteristics and, unsurprisingly, disorders in our genes or our in utero hormonal milieu can contribute to deflecting the development of our maleness or femaleness.

For the most part, our genetic sex (XX female or XY male) serves as the best guide to the true sex of an individual, though in rare situations, even the sex chromosomes themselves can have anomalies.

For example, when somebody is born with Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY ) they develop not only as a male due to the presence of the Y chromosome and its testosterone-producing influence, but also as a “feminized” male because of the influences of the additional X chromosome.

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Seeing through the intersex confusion When strong hormonal tity residing somewhere influences are at play, as between male and female. in another disorder called This kind of explanation is Congenital Androgenital untenable.

Syndrome, a genetically Human beings, along normal XX female can with most other members have increased testosterof the animal kingdom, one production by her are marked by an ineradiadrenal glands, resulting cable sexual “dimorphism,” in the development of ex- or “two-forms,” namely, ternal male-like genitalia, male and female. When even though she also has problems arise in the deovaries, a vagina, and a uterus.

Making Sense While the term “intersex” is someOut of times used to Bioethics describe situations

By Father Tad where an individual Pacholczyk has non-standard genital anatomy, it typically has a broader range of meanvelopment of one of these ings. Some have argued forms, this does not make that a person has to be for a new “third form,” or born with both ovarian worse, for an infinite specand testicular tissue to trum of different sexual count as being intersex, forms. but “intersex” is an impreInstead, intersex situcise term that can describe ations represent cases in a range of situations in which a person is either which a person is born male or female, but has with an internal reproduc- confounding physiologitive anatomy or an extercal factors that make them nal sexual anatomy that appear or feel as if they is not in accord with the were of the opposite sex, typical expectations for or maybe even both sexes. femaleness or maleness.

In other words, the unSometimes the suggesderlying sex remains, even tion is made that intersex though the psychology individuals are, in fact, or gender they experineither male nor female, ence may be discordant. but fluid, malleable or “bi- Put another way, intersex sexual,” with sexual idenindividuals may be “drawn

away” from their intrinsic male or female sexual constitution by various anatomical differences in their bodies, and by opposing interior physiological drives and forces.

This can be further complicated because of strong cultural forces that contribute to the confusion by sanctioning a paradigm of complete malleability in human sexual behaviors that militates against an understanding of sex-based “hardwiring.”

Even though it may not be popular to affirm the fact, people suffer from sexual development disorders in much the same way that they suffer from other kinds of developmental disorders, whether of the cardiac/ circulatory system, of the nervous/intellectual system or others. No one, of course, should be subjected to bias or mistreatment due to a bodily disorder they may have been born with, but in treating such persons, we always strive to return their cardiac or intellectual functions to their proper baseline, rather than inventing a new abnormal as the norm and defining that as a

“treatment,” as some are tempted to do with sexual development disorders.

While a newborn’s “intrinsic maleness” or “intrinsic femaleness” may be difficult to assess in certain more complicated intersex cases, the point remains that there is an “intrinsic” or “underlying” sexual constitution that we must do our best to recognize, respect, and act in accord with. We must carefully acknowledge, nurture and accept our given embodied sexual nature as male or female.

Willfully denying or acting against that given nature will constitute little more than a prescription for disillusionment and dishonesty.

Pope Benedict, in a December 2013 address, echoed these concerns when he mentioned the errors found in various new philosophies where “sex is no longer a given element of nature, that man has to accept and personally make sense of.”

To live in an ordered way, with an ordered masculinity or femininity, is certainly one of the great challenges of our time, and we can only undertake this important task by insisting on the correspondence of our minds to reality — especially to the deeply-inscribed reality of our unique embodiment as male or female.

Anchor columnist Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org

Summer gala on Cape Cod to support Catholic schools scholarship fund MASHPEE — Once again, supporters of Catholic education are invited to enjoy a summer evening on Cape Cod replete with food and festivities while at the same time help Catholic school students in the Fall River Diocese.

The 19th annual Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, Inc., Summer Gala will take place July 15, at the Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee.

Proceeds from the evening benefit FACE, which provides need-based scholar-

ships to children attending Catholic schools on Cape Cod and throughout southeastern Massachusetts.

Osterville residents Richard and Marilyn Colman are serving as co-chairs for this year’s gala and with their committee are planning an evening of delicious food, music and merriment.

Beginning with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception, the festivities will include a

multi-course dinner, silent and live auctions with fantastic prizes, and entertainment by Frank Zarba Music of Boston.

In his letter of invitation to the Summer Gala, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., notes the ongoing challenge to maintain Catholic schools and to

provide a quality Catholic education to thousands of children amid rising costs and changing demographics.

“The continued increased cost of education and dwindling enrollment make our mission more difficult, while the need to be of service and our desire to continue our mission of educating future generations has not diminished,” wrote the bishop.

Because of the generos-

ity of supporters of FACE, the Fall River Diocese “has been able to provide scholarships to many children who would otherwise not be able to attend a Catholic school,” Bishop da Cunha explained, adding that, “the need continues to grow.”

The FACE Summer Gala offers a great opportunity to help support Catholic education in the Fall River Diocese. For details, including ticket information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jane Robin at 508-759-3566.

The sorry state of our politics

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eaching Constitutional Law for more than 25 years can be hazardous to your (mental) health. The reason is that our U.S. Constitution articulates a certain vision of how our country should be run: the rule of law, separation of branches of government, limits on government powers, and the importance of individual rights like freedom of speech and religion, all of which our founders and framers thought would ensure a unified nation in the midst of racial, ethnic and religious diversity, e pluribus unum. That, at any rate, is the theory.

The actual practice can be quite another thing.

We know, for instance, that the Constitution did not prevent the national nightmare of the Civil War over slavery and states rights 150 years ago, nor the social turmoil over the Civil Rights movement 50 years ago which finally sought to vindicate the guarantees of the post-Civil War amendments to the Constitution of freedom and

students use whatever civil equality, including bathroom they choose, voting rights for blacks. male or female, according Nor did it prevent the to their preferred gender internment of Japaneseidentity. The legal basis Americans during the for this is a highly controSecond World War, nor verted reading of the civil the slaughter of millions rights laws, which would of unborn children under Roe v. Wade and Planned make having to use your biologically-determined Parenthood v. Casey. For every constitutional success like Brown Judge v. Board of Education that ended For segregation in the Yourself public schools,

By Dwight Duncan there’s a constitutional disaster like Dred Scott that helped bring on the Civil gender’s bathroom a form of discrimination on the War. Congress is supposed to basis of sex.

I just watched HBO’s legislate, and the presimovie on President Lyndent is supposed to see that the laws be faithfully don Johnson’s first year in executed. Lately, however, office, “All the Way,” this Congress has been unable past weekend. Yes, LBJ was the ultimate political or unwilling to legislate wheeler-dealer, workon socially divisive subing hard to pass the Civil jects like immigration reform, and the president Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination has been all too willing on the basis of race in to rule by executive orplaces of public accomder and administrative modation. He cajoled, regulation. And so we threatened, and horsehave the recent executive traded to get the votes decree ordering public he needed in Congress. schools nationwide to let

This is the kind of work that needs to be done with Congress, in our free system of government, to get legislation passed by consensus. President Obama does not do this, and so has underlings draw up executive orders, to legislate by decree. The social division just increases.

Another recent example is the HHS contraceptive mandate, with its ungenerous accommodation for religious freedom for religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor. Just recently, the Supreme Court returned these cases by unanimous vote to the lower courts, asking them to explore the possibilities of compromise while vacating the lower court decisions against the religious parties, noting that the government fines were inappropriate. Once again, unilateral executive action by the Obama Administration was deemed problematic.

While this is a healthy

reminder that our government is supposed to be a government of laws and not of personalities, the pending presidential campaign does not give much prospect of relief in the coming president.

Both parties are fiercely divided over their leading candidates, who have very high negative ratings from the public. They seem entrenched in ideology, with little of the political skills of negotiation and give-and-take that have characterized our most successful presidents and our constitutional system at its best.

While it is salutary as Christians to be reminded that our Salvation ultimately does not come from politicians, it is still important to recognize that politics is an important and necessary way of serving the common good.

Our present outlook and choices seem all-too-grim.

Anchor columnist Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

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For Pope Francis, the Catholic laity can transform the world

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — The Church should always value the transformative power of faith-filled laity who are willing to serve the Gospel, Pope Francis said recently.

“We need well-formed lay people, animated by a sincere and clear faith, whose life has been touched by the personal and merciful love of Christ Jesus,” the pope told a recent plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

“We need lay people who take risks, who get their hands dirty, who are not afraid of making mistakes, who go forward. We need lay people with a vision of the future, not confined to the little things of life.”

He added that the Church needs

lay people who “dare to dream.”

Pope Francis said many lay people would willingly and generously serve the Gospel if they were involved and valued by pastors and Church institutions.

This is part of all Christians’ baptismal vocation, he said.

“Baptism makes each one of the lay faithful a missionary disciple of the Lord, salt of the earth, light of the world, and leaven that transforms reality from within,” remarked the pope.

The Second Vatican Council’s mandate aimed to encourage the laity to be increasingly involved in the evangelizing mission of the Church, Pope Francis said, adding that this is not a “delegation” from the Church’s hierarchy.

Rather, the lay apostolate is “par-

ticipation in the Salvific mission of the Church” destined by God Himself by virtue of Christians’ Baptism and Confirmation.

He said the Church must be aware of being “the house of the Father where the doors are always wide open to each person, with his or her weary life.”

The Church must be “permanently outgoing” and “an evangelizing community that knows how to take the initiative without fear, to reach out to others, to seek out those who are distant and to reach out to crossroads, to invite in the excluded.”

Pope Francis encouraged those present to look to the distant parts of the world and to the many families in difficulty and in need of mercy.

He reflected on the lay associations that have had a long history as well as the many movements and new communities that have shown great missionary zeal. He said the Pontifical Council for the Laity has observed and assisted

these developments, which include an increased role for women in the Church and the institution of World Youth Days.

For Pope Francis, World Youth Days are a “providential gesture” from St. John Paul II and a tool for evangelization of young generations.

He reflected on the history of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which was established under Blessed Paul VI more than 50 years ago.

It currently is the subject of curial reform efforts and is set to be suppressed, along with the Pontifical Council for the Family, in September, and replaced with a Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life.

Nevertheless, he encouraged the pontifical council to “look anew with hope for the future.”

“Much remains to be done, broadening horizons and accepting the new challenges that reality presents to us,” the Roman Pontiff said.

Pope Francis gives a child a hug at a Jubilee audience in St. Peter’s Square on June 18. (CNA photo)

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The Anchor - June 24, 2016

First dog Friday 24 June 2016 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — summer days grow shorter ress coverage surrounding the presidential election seems to have run out of discussion topics. For the benefit of floundering pundits everywhere, I will now helpfully suggest a new talking point: Who will be the nation’s next first dog?

The incumbent is “Bo,” a Portuguese water dog.

Donald Trump’s dog “Spinee” is an old yellow Labrador retriever.

Hillary Clinton has three dogs: a geriatric Lab named “Seamus,” a toy poodle mix called “Tally,” and a mutt named “Maisie.”

Bernie Sanders doesn’t own a dog. Enough said.

Richard Nixon had a dog named “Checkers.”

Lyndon Johnson had a beagle named, “Beagle.”

Theodore Roosevelt had a pet badger. Benjamin Harrison kept a goat named, “Old Whiskers.”

William Taft had a pet cow named, “Pauline Wayne.” “Billy” was Calvin Coolidge’s pygmy hippo.

Andrew Jackson kept a parrot named “Pol” who somehow learned to curse and then proceeded to swear profusely at the president’s state funeral.

Sometimes the White House can be a real zoo.

My presidential pet favorites are two greyhounds, “Le Beau” — James Buchanan’s dog and “Grim,” who belonged to Rutherford B. Hayes.

Presidential pets pale in comparison to those of Queen Elizabeth II. She keeps thoroughbred horses, of course, but she is extremely fond of dogs

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one of them. Justin came to me by default.

Justin loved to be stroked. He would just stand there staring at me.

“You are not my dog,” I would protest. “Your cousin Transit is my dog, not you.” Then I would pat Justin for as long as he wanted. I never did adopt Justin. He adopted me.

In April, I noticed Justin was limping. The vet took an X-ray. “Not good.

Justin has osteosarcoma.

He has about a month to live. Maybe two.”

Justin could no longer negotiate the stairs. I would hold his collar so that he wouldn’t fall. Even that eventually became too much for him. In the end, he couldn’t even stand without significant pain.

His last meal was a slice of linguica pizza. His time had come. It was a sad day.

He was 66 in human years, according to the latest calculation of experts, but after retiring from professional sports, he lived a very good life. OK, maybe just a little pampered.

Now there is only Transit. He is 93 in human years. Transit has been with me for a very long time. He The late Transit the greyhound has, though, never been the alpha dog. Now he is enjoying “first dog” status. More jets, and helicopters — all were required. Her Majgiving up the attempt and power to him. the while attended by a esty was not amused. A spending a few nights I don’t think I’ll get anbevy of footmen. sign was forthwith posted sleeping in a place preother dog. Maybe a parrot.

These dogs have their on the door of Balmoral pared for him downstairs.

Oh wait. That didn’t work out own rooms. Each animal Castle, “Beware of the Eventually he would make very well for President Ansleeps in a wicker bed dogs.” another try and, lo and drew Jackson. Never mind.

— raised off the floor by At the age of 90, the behold, make it. This hapNOTE: Transit the order of Her Royal Majqueen still enjoys her pened several times. Then, esty so that the dogs are corgis, but there are only one day, pain got the best of greyhound died of old kept out of drafts. They two left – “Holly” and him and he gave up entirely. age after this column was submitted. Transit eat two gourmet meals a “Willow.” The others are It was a sad day. enjoyed “first dog” status day, prepared by the royal buried in the royal pet Fortunately, there were for two weeks. Sic transit chefs. They even have an cemetery (complete with still two dogs in the recgloria mundi. on-call animal psycholocommemorative plaques tory, greyhounds Transit Anchor columnist gist to deal with behavand headstones) at her and Justin. Technically, Father Goldrick is pastor ioral issues.

Sandringham estate in Justin was not my dog.

Shocking, I know, but Norfolk.

He did have two previous of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth. sometimes there can be The rectory is certainly adopters, but I was not — especially corgis. Over behavioral problems in the years, she has owned Buckingham Palace.

30 of them.

In 1954, one corgi bit Princess Elizabeth, on the Royal Clockwinder. the occasion of her 18th In 1968, another bit the birthday, was given a corgi. She named The Ship’s Log her “Susan.” SuReflections of a san became the Parish Priest progenitrix of all palace corgis over

By Father Tim the years.

Goldrick The royal corgis are pampered. They roam freely throughout postman. Still another the palaces, manor houses, bit a London policeman. and castles of the queen.

In 1991, during a royal They travel in chauffeurrumble of 10 corgis, one driven limousines, private dog bit the queen. Stitches

not the White House, nor is it Buckingham Palace, but we have had our share of somewhat less pampered pets over the years.

The queen is down to two dogs. I am down to one.

Maximillian Rufus, Father Cambra’s German mastiff, died of osteosarcoma at the end of December.

In his final weeks, he was no longer able to follow his master around the house.

He would pace at the foot of the stairs until finally

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Tarsha Sousa and Joshua Ugaz recently celebrated their graduation from high school with St. Vincent’s Home Special Education administrator Russell Cron, top left, and John Weldon, St. Vincent’s executive director. At right, Chapter 441 of Catholic Financial Life vice president, Lynette Ouellette; president, Normand Ouellette; treasurer, Doris Michaud; and St. Vincent’s director of Development, Melissa Dick display some of the donations to the yarn collection for the home.

St. Vincent’s Home celebrates two high school graduates; Westport parish completes yarn drive for children there

FALL RIVER — St. Vincent’s Home announced the graduation of two high school students from St. Vincent’s School programs. Tarsha Sousa attended St. Vincent’s high school while Joshua Ugaz received services from St. Vincent’s and attended Durfee High School.

The graduates, their families and the St. Vincent’s community are extremely proud of their accomplishments. “We are particularly proud of Tarsha for graduating one year early with honors and Joshua who is pursuing entrance into college,” said Russell Cron, M. Ed., St. Vincent’s Special Education administrator.

The graduates and guests were recognized with a ceremony in the home’s chapel with an Invocation

by Father John Watterson.

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The Anchor - June 24, 2016

Graduation addresses were given by Cron; executive director John T. Weldon; Special Education aide June Corchado; and Life Skills Services coordinator Rachele Foley.

Chapter 441 of Catholic Financial Life and parishioners of St. George’s Church in Westport, held their annual yarn collection during the month of May, donating more than 50 large bags and 12 boxes/ bins of assorted yarn, knitted squares, crochet needles and knitting needles to St. Vincent’s for volunteers to make afghans for the children of St. Vincent’s.

Chapter president Normand Ouellette, vice president Lynette Ouellette, and treasurer Doris Michaud organized the collection which lasted throughout

the month of May. An announcement was posted in St. George’s Parish bulletin as well as The Fall River Herald News and The Anchor. Collection boxes were set up inside the entrance to the church, and the public also dropped off yarn donations at St. Vincent’s in Fall River.

Volunteer Connie Arruda has been hard at work hand-knitting and crocheting afghans with the donated yarn for the children and youth of St. Vincent’s. To date, more than 350 afghans have been made by Arruda and a team of dedicated volunteers. The handmade afghans provide the children with the gift of caring and a sense of security, keeping them safe and warm and giving them hope for a brighter future.

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Charity and gratitude amidst the chaos and mayhem

he month of June is a particularly busy period for the Development Office of the diocese. The Catholic Charities Appeal closes at the end of the month and there is always a flurry of activity meant to support our pastors and their staffs as they continue to advocate on behalf of the services and ministries that will be funded for the next fiscal year based on the final results. In addition, the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, is engaged in final allocation decisions for the 19 elementary and middle schools in the diocese.

This requires a careful review of more than 1,000 applications that parents have submitted

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requesting some financial assistance from the diocese to help them afford the cost of a Catholic education. This year, all those tasks have been conducted within a backdrop of tragedy, carnage and mindless violence that can easily shake one’s faith.

Permit me please to offer some thoughts on the juxtaposition of countless acts of generosity and expressions of gratitude for a Church that cares for those in need and the random cruelty and misfortune that have assaulted our senses over the past two weeks.

In no particular order, the slaughter of 49

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

victims in an Orlando nightclub, the tragic death of a little boy at Disney World, and the vituperative nature of our political process has cast a huge pall over my psyche.

It’s What We Do

By Jim Campbell

Every day we are reminded that misfortune and calamity can threaten to discourage a loving Godcentered ethic in favor of cynicism, paranoia, fear and self-centeredness. So, what’s the solution?

The antidote, it seems to me, is to remain aware that our faith is resilient, good overcomes evil and each of us has the ability to reflect God’s mercy onto our fellow citizens.

The immediate impact of the nighttime slaughter in Orlando was an overwhelming outpouring of potential blood donors anxious to help.

The devastated family from Nebraska has been

enveloped with sympathy and condolences for their bewildering loss. Closer to home I am reminded of the extraordinary acts of generosity demonstrated across all economic strata for Catholic Charities and the enormous gratitude expressed by many parents for the financial help we are able to provide through FACE. One family from the Cape sent a card with a picture of their three children holding diplomas. It was a note of thanks but also a profound reminder to me that these efforts have human faces and consequences.

The world is full of hate. The cure is love.

Sounds simple and maybe simplistic. But I think the more we focus on the small acts and examples of selfless love that we either experience or encounter, the better chance we have to conquer the morbid with the magnificent, the dismal with the daring and the evil with the enlightened.

I would like to con-

clude this last column before the close of the 2016 fiscal year with a prayer that has always inspired me to recount my blessings and refocus my energies. It was written by then-Father General of the Society of Jesus, Pedro Arrupe, S.J. When events conspire to deflate or defeat us, our faith teaches us to pray: Fall in Love Nothing is more practical than f inding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, f inal way.

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.

Anchor columnist James Campbell is director of the diocesan Development Off ice/Catholic Charities Appeal/Foundation to Advance Catholic Education.

Pro-Life Boot Camp is July 15-17

EASTON — The fight for true freedom — the real daily battle of the ProLifer; the real daily battle of the Christian. A fight that present day culture and Christianity can, in a sense, find some common ground in. After all, Christianity is a message of freedom and liberation. We even see this in the New Testament, where St. Paul declares: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!” and, “For freedom Christ has set us free!”

This joyful message will be the focus of this year’s Pro-Life Boot Camp held

at Stonehill College from July 15-17.

High-schoolers and college students will gather to explore the Christian truths of liberty communicated through a variety of handson workshops and activities, challenging the minds and the hearts of the future Pro-Life generation.

If you or someone you know is interested in attending this awesome weekend college get-away, email pla@plrachel.com or check out the Facebook page: Fall River Diocese Pro-Life Boot Camp for more information on registration.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 June 26, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father André Patenaude, M.S., Superior at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, Attleboro

July 3, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father André Patenaude, M.S., Superior at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, Attleboro

Applicants sought for superintendent of schools Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. announced the search has begun to hire a new superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools. Interested parties should visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org, click on the “About Us” menu choice, then select the “Employment Opportunities” option. Once on that page, select “Click here for job description and details,” on the Superintendent of Schools job opening.

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Mercy from the stranger

think, sometimes, that tech. year-long celebraWhat I have noticed tions of certain events can during this Year of Mercy is lose their luster during the that the sources of mercy of course of 365 days. which I’ve experienced have I think back to 1976 come, to a great degree, when the good old U.S. from strangers. And I’ve of A. was celebrating its also sensed a disturbing bicentennial. Things were lack of mercy has come pretty revved up around from those whom we would Memorial Day that year, as expect the total opposite. well as during the Fourth of One of the greatest exJuly week. But other than amples of mercy which has that, folks grew tired, or simply My View lost interest in our country’s 200th From birthday. the Stands Last December,

By Dave Jolivet Pope Francis called for a Year of Mercy, encouraging his sheep to try to live God’s affected me is the outstandmercy in all that we do and ing support of friends of all whom we meet. this fine publication, The It’s hard to believe that Anchor. the Year of Mercy is already As most know by now, half done, and I do believe the parishes, because of that some have lost a little the financial crunch felt by bit of the zeal with which most of us, could no longer they began the Year of support the mainstay that Mercy. I know I sometimes has appeared in mailboxes forget good Pope Francis’ across the Diocese of Fall rallying call for mercy. And River for 59 years.

I’m willing to bet others To help keep this paper have, do and will as the last alive and kicking and showsix months of the jubilee ing up in mailboxes from progress. the Attleboros through It’s not a bad thing, more Cape Cod and the Islands than it’s a human thing. and beyond, The Anchor We human beings, by and asked for the help of those large, seem to have a short whom the publication has attention span. That’s why informed, entertained and we have appointment inspired all these many calendars, iPads, smart years. And I must tell phones, and a plethora of you that the response was other devices, instruments heartwarming to say the and methods of reminding very least. us of what we need to do, We have received donaand when. It’s like writing tions from diocesan faithful a note to one’s self on one’s too numerous to menpalm, but only more high tion individually. We have

received $5 and $10 checks from seniors on fixed incomes; larger amounts from generous readers who realize how much they have been blessed in life; from priests and Sisters; and from various religious ministries.

Believe me when I tell you that every single dollar we have received via donation was greatly needed, and more so appreciated.

As we switched subscription methods, the patience of our readers has been outstanding, and the glitches we’ve encountered have not shaken our faithful readers.

I would like to say here and now a great big thank you to all of you who have shown mercy to The Anchor in its greatest time of need.

And a simple thank you isn’t nearly enough, but it’s all I can extend at this time.

And, just as importantly, I cannot count how many wonderful folks have told me via email or on the phone that The Anchor is in their prayers. There’s no price that can be placed on that.

We still have a long road to hoe, but we’re still at it.

To those who have given $1 or $500 or more, please be assured of my prayers and gratitude — truly mercy in action — a Sacred lesson that could be learned by others. davejolivet@anchornews. org.

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Youth Pages Thy will be done

have been listening to K-Love again lately, just trying to get my mind and heart in the right place.

There is a new song on the radio entitled, “Thy Will”

by Hilary Scott (formally of Lady Antebellum) and it really has struck me recently. That is a simple phrase that most of us probably pray on daily basis, and at bare minimum, every Sunday at church. For those of us who grew up Catholic, the Our Father is probably something we have known since we were little and now just pray without thinking about it.

This prayer is one of the core prayers of our faith but

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like the Hail Mary and the Glory Be, and even more so the Sign of the Cross, I think we sometimes say and do not really pray it. We rush through the words because it’s a part of the Mass or to get our “prayer time” in for the day. This prayer deserves so much more time and thought.

When the disciples did not know the words to pray, Jesus said to use these words. These are the words Christ gave us to use to pray. These are the words, He Himself prayed.

These are the words that we need to remember are not

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just to be recited.

When we start the “Our Father,” we start by reminding ourselves that we are one family in Christ. Not my father but our Father.

Be Not Afraid

By Amanda Tarantelli

We were created in a community of love for one another.

Then we pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.” His name is holy. How many times do we just throw the Lord’s

name around not even remembering how Sacred it truly is? We use His name like it is any other name.

When God first spoke His name to Moses in the burning bush, the Jewish people would not speak or even write it out because they did not feel worthy enough and that every time they used His name outside of prayer that it was in vain. Now that is awe and respect for the name of God! “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” Such a beautiful line but I think it is the hardest line in the whole prayer. The first part we are not only praying for Christ to come again but we are also praying for God’s Kingdom to be with us now, right here in our everyday life. We are praying for His purpose and design for our life to be taking place right now. Then, we ask for His will to be done.

This is the line of the prayer that I am struggling the most with right now. I want His will for me but I want it in my time and I want unlimited understanding of it. I want to know why things happen the way they do, now and not someday. I want my will and His will to be the same only if that means He will conform to my will. In the song, “Thy Will” she sings that she needs to remember that He is God and that she is not. That’s what the “Lord’s Prayer” reminds us of, that we are not God and we need to let Him work in us.

“Give us this day, our daily bread.” We are asking God to nourish us physically and Spiritually. We are asking Him to sustain

us in our human bodies but also to fill our hearts, minds and souls through His Word and through the Eucharist. This desire to be filled by God requires our work too, though. We need to pray more, to go to church frequently and to read Scripture.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those whose trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”

We are praying for God’s mercy not only in the times that we have failed to love Him properly, but also that His mercy penetrates our hearts so that we can forgive those who do not love us the way that they are called to. Then once we are forgiven, we do not want to offend God again and so we beg Him for the ability to be preserved from those things that tempt us and ultimately save us from all that will damage our relationship with Him. These are the words that our Lord gave us when we do not know how to pray to the Father. This was a reminder to us of what is most important to us as Christians. We are called to love and respect God, ourselves and our family in God, and to pray for His will and His mercy so that we can love as He has loved us.

All that in a prayer we have been praying since we were five years old! Man, the Lord knows what He is doing!

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. arantelli@bishopstang.org.

Youth Pages

Students from St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet roast marshmallows at a recent school event.

The kindergarten students at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford celebrated the end of their religion program by participating in the annual Religion Bee.

The youth group from the parishes of Good Shepherd and St. Stanislaus recently prayed in front of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet.

Eighteen boys and girls and one woman recently received the Eucharist for the first time at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Swansea. Here, the boys and girls, the Faith Formation coordinator, second-grade catechists, altar servers and pastor Father Michael A. Ciryak gathered for a group photo.

Pre-kindergarten students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton proudly displayed their shape pizzas they created.

Preschool students from St. Mary’s School in Mansfield recently added fitness to their spring field trip at they walked to the Mansfield Public Library for a few hours of reading and a tour of the library.

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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Youth Pages

The Class of 1966 from Bishop Cassidy and Monsignor Coyle attended Coyle and Cassidy’s (Taunton) Class of 2016 Baccalaureate Mass where they were presented with “Golden Diplomas” on this, their jubilee year as Warrior graduates.

Third- and fourth-grade students from St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro received a history lesson about Attleboro from Carleton Legg, director of the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum. Legg presented “History to Go!” a school-age program sponsored by the AAIM and the Attleboro Cultural Council.

Students got to hold Wampanoag Native American tools along with other local artifacts. Students also had the opportunity to become “manufacturers” of their very own key chain souvenir.

Shown here is Legg helping Caroline DeMarco while Ella Nagle and Addison Collins wait their turn.

Meteorologist Tony Petrarca from Channel 12 recently visited grades one and four at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford.

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The Anchor - June 24, 2016

The Debate Team from Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth had a very successful season, under the direction of Tom Kennedy. At the league awards ceremony they earned 17 awards for the season. In the novice division individual speaker awards went to Matt Russo, Joe Russo, Andy Gutierrez, Christina Andrade, Ebele Okafor, and Kenny MacKenzie. In the varsity division Liam Kidd took the fourth-place affirmative speaker award, while Mitch Harney and Nick Viveiros placed 10th and third respectively for negative speaker awards. Special congratulations went to Patty Alzaibak, who won the award for top varsity negative speaker this season.

Pre-k student Samuel Lubold and kindergartner Amalia DaPonte, members of the green team, took part in the recent annual St. Michael School Field Day at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River.

The Bishop Feehan High School (Attleboro) girls lacrosse team was recognized by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association as a finalist for the 2016 MIAA Community Service Award in the team category in recognition of the outstanding efforts displayed by the team to make a positive difference in their school and community.

New pastors provide ‘stability’ for parishioners continued from page two

see that as one of my most important roles as pastor,” Father Cortez said. “I know for sure that this will entail more responsibility for me in the important task of making the best decisions for the good of the parish, but at the same time I know this will give me more freedom to bring forward many ideas that I have always hoped one day I would be able to put into practice.”

Father Jay Mello hopes to draw upon his “wide range of assignments” prior to coming to St. Michael’s and St. Joseph’s to shepherd his two Fall River parishes.

Since being ordained on July 7, 2007, Father Mello continued his studies for two years in Rome before his first assignment as chaplain at Bishop Stang High School while serving as parochial vicar at St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth.

In 2010 he was assigned to St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth and a year later he was appointed assistant Vocations director for the Fall River Diocese.

In 2012 he was named parochial vicar of St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield, before being assigned to serve as parochial administrator at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in New Bedford in 2014.

He has been serving as parochial administrator of St. Michael’s and St. Joseph’s parishes since January 2015.

“In addition to parish work, I also had responsibilities in high schools, grade schools, the Vocations Office, and hospitals,” Father Mello told The Anchor. “The wide range of opportunities, and the differences in communi-

ties — from Cape Cod to New Bedford to Mansfield — has helped me see there is no ‘one size fits all’ vision for a parish. Each parish is unique and has its own history and personalities. So I have learned to learn about the community before coming up with a pastoral plan.”

Father Michael Fitzpatrick said he hopes to foster a greater sense of collaboration among the different communities that make up St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, thereby bringing together the Brazilian, Hispanic and Englishspeaking cultures.

“There’s a lot of natural divides that can be circumvented — and need to be — but it takes a lot of effort on the part of a lot of people,” Father Fitzpatrick told The Anchor. “That’s not always so easy to do.

But there’s a lot of goodwill and I think it’s going pretty well.”

One of the first steps in that direction, as restructured by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., according to Father Fitzpatrick, is ministering to the Brazilian community as members of the parish and no longer treating them as a separate “apostolate.”

“One of the other transitions that’s happened is Father Paulo Barbosa has been transferred here as parochial vicar to serve the Brazilian parishioners,” Father Fitzpatrick said. “So there’s a natural connection to the parish that all of that will facilitate — that’s all going very well and this will help, for sure.”

After his ordination on Oct. 11, 2003, Father Fitzpatrick’s first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield, while serv-

ing as chaplain for Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro.

In 2008, he was appointed chaplain at UMass Dartmouth and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, while in residence at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Parish rectory in New Bedford.

He next served as parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich for three years before a brief stint at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Orleans.

He first came to St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis two years ago to serve as parochial administrator.

Since his ordination on June 26, 1999, Father Dariusz Kalinowski has had several parish assignments over the last 17 years.

“Every parish assignment I have had has added to my experience in celebrating the Sacraments and dealing with people and thus made me more confident in everything I do,” Father Kalinowski told The Anchor.

He first served as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield for six years before being appointed parochial vicar at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville in 2005.

He subsequently served as parochial vicar at St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk before being appointed parochial administrator of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport in 2014.

“As a parochial vicar, you do not need to worry about finances, paying bills and making sure that everything is taken care of and runs properly,” Father Ka-

linowski said. “I have seen all my pastors dealing with those issues but you do not really pay much attention to it until you, yourself have to do it.”

In contrast to his fellow first-time appointees, Mexican-born Father Octavio Cortez, I.V.E., has had a much different path to becoming pastor.

Since his ordination on June 8, 2012, Father Cortez has been mainly involved “with seminary formation work,” and served for four years at his order’s High School Seminary in Mankato, Minn. before coming to the Fall River Diocese to serve as parochial administrator for the former St. Kilian’s Parish in New Bedford.

When that parish was merged with St. Anthony of Padua last year, Father Cortez was appointed parochial vicar to serve the thriving Hispanic community there, until his recently-announced appointment as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, which becomes effective June 29.

“My experience is mostly related to working with seminary formation,” Father Cortez told The Anchor. “During that time, nevertheless, I was able to experience the joy and hope of knowing that God continues to send vocations to His Church. I think this positive experience will help me in my new responsibilities, especially in working with the youth.

Part of my focus will be to find ways to engage the youth in our parish life.”

With all four pastors either already ensconced in their new roles or about to begin the next chapter in their ministry, they remain equally joyful and optimistic about the future of their parish and the Church in

the diocese.

“Being able to be with people in the critical moments of their lives and connect it to their faith is central to what we do,” Father Mello said. “I am most looking forward to bringing renewal to the parish by restoring the sense of the Sacred. I believe that a beautiful Liturgy and celebration of the Sacraments is the real way in which we bring renewal to the Church and the faith.”

Father Fitzpatrick looks forward to bringing together the Brazilian, Hispanic and Englishspeaking communities in his parish.

“The Brazilians and the Hispanics are the ones with the youth, so the collaboration between them and the integration with the traditional American community and vice versa is a great collaboration,” he said.

Father Kalinowski said that getting people more involved in the life of the parish beyond once-a-week Mass attendance is going be his top priority.

“Many parishes will survive today only by the sacrifice of many volunteers,” he said. “In many parishes devotions have almost disappeared. My biggest challenge is to make people more involved in the parish outside of (just) attending Mass.”

“I have a great desire to reignite the faith of the people of this parish and the surrounding area,” agreed Father Cortez. “I know there is a very important Catholic heritage in this city and diocese, and there is a great potential. I’d like to see this church filled to the last pew once again with faithful followers of Christ.

With the prayers and support of all the people I know we will be able to reach that goal.”

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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Important piece of former New Bedford parish finds home in Dartmouth

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

SOUTH DARTMOUTH — When Father Rodney E. Thibault, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth, learned that the beautiful Rodgers pipe organ inside the former St. John the Baptist Church in New Bedford had fallen into disrepair and was likely to be auctioned off, he thought the instrument might be worth salvaging for his church.

“In my parish we really didn’t have a good organ and I knew that Father (Henry) Arruda had spent a considerable amount of money in the early ’90s when he was pastor there, installing this Rodgers organ, which was both pipe and digitized,” Father Thibault recently told The Anchor.

Father Thibault thought not only would the organ be an ideal replacement for the tired old instrument at St. Mary’s, but it also could serve as an important memento from St. John the Baptist Parish, whose former parishioners had found a new home in Dartmouth.

“I actually have a lot of people who lived in Dartmouth but were parishioners of St. John the Baptist — there was a great allegiance to St. John’s — and when St. John’s closed they started coming to Mass at St. Mary’s,” Father Thibault said. “So I thought it would be a good way to bring about a sense of healing.”

With that in mind, Father Thibault reached out to his fellow pastor, Father Jack Oliveira at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in New Bedford, which now owned all the property from the suppressed parish, and with the blessing of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., offered to 20

purchase the instrument.

“The bishop endorsed the idea, but I didn’t want to use parish money because we’re saving to renovate the church,” Father Thibault said. “But I was able to get a significant amount of grant money from parishioners who belong to a charitable organization that saves and restores musical instruments that have fallen into disrepair. They were really the impetus for making this project happen.”

Having received the green light and with the necessary funds secured, Father Thibault, Father Oliveira, and associates from Marshall and Ogletree, an organ restoration and repair company based in Needham, went to St. John the Baptist Church last October to assess the organ.

“It was really in bad shape,” Father Thibault said. “I was basically told that we had to gut it — and we did.”

Having sat unused since the church closed in late 2012, Father Thibault said the lack of maintenance and severe temperature changes also took a toll on the organ’s veneer.

“Because of the extremes in the church — there wasn’t any heat or air conditioning for some time — there was extreme humidity and extreme cold so the wood was just totally destroyed,” Father Thibault said. “Rebuilding the guts or the innards of the organ was not the difficult part; the difficult part, believe it or not, was restoring the woodwork. The wood was all warped and it had to be totally redone. It’s not a brand-new instrument, but for all practical purposes, it is.”

Work began in earnest last fall to restore and res-

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

urrect the Rodgers organ.

Father Thibault regretted they were unable to take the elaborate bank of pipes that were once connected to the instrument because “St. Mary’s is a little too small for pipes of that magnitude.”

When Marshall and Ogletree completed the meticulous restoration project last month, the instrument was finally installed in the choir loft of St. Mary’s Church and Father Thibault immediately prepared for a formal blessing and dedication ceremony.

It was during this special Liturgy that the pastor received validation that his efforts had not been in vain.

“We blessed the organ at Mass with a great amount of fanfare — we had trumpets and violins,” Father Thibault said. “And a former parishioner of St. John the Baptist Parish came over to me — an older woman of Portuguese descent — and she said to me with tears in her eyes: ‘My heart has been healed, because a piece of St. John’s lives.’

“I thought that was beautiful and people have been so happy that we decided to restore it. It might not be the whole church, but it is a piece of something that lived inside the church. Anything that dwells in the church building is alive for us — ecclesiologically-speaking and theologically-speaking.

It might just be an organ, it might be just an instrument, but it gives greater praise to God.” Since the newly-restored Rodgers organ made its debut at St. Mary’s Parish just after Memorial Day, Father Thibault said it has really “heightened our Liturgical experience.”

“There’s a sense of awe now when I’m walking down the aisle for Mass —

Associates from Marshall and Ogletree, an organ restoration company based in Needham, install the refurbished Rodgers organ from the former St. John the Baptist Church in New Bedford in its new home at St. Mary’s Church in South Dartmouth. (Photo courtesy of Father Rodney Thibault)

I feel it,” Father Thibault said. “It doesn’t sound like it used to sound. To me, there was this void before.

Now we have this magnificent instrument. And another parishioner said to me this past weekend: ‘I noticed more people are singing now.’ I thought it was just me!”

Noting that it would likely cost upwards of $125,000 to purchase and install a comparable new organ, Father Thibault said he was happy they were able to do the project “at a relatively reasonable price.”

But even more important than getting a quality instrument that will elevate Mass celebrations at St. Mary’s Church without exhausting parish funds, Father Thibault keeps

coming back to the comments of that one former St. John the Baptist parishioner upon hearing the Rodgers organ resonate inside its new home for the first time.

“That area of the diocese needed a little bit of healing and I think this small gesture helped,” he said. “One person said it, and that’s all I needed to hear — this did bring some closure to some people. Yes, people are still going to drive by the church and they are still going to feel badly about it closing. But I’m happy that we were able to keep a piece of that history alive, and I know that it also brought some healing to people, and that’s a wonderful thing.”

Campus ministry preparing students to ‘Embark’ on college

Quo Vadis Days retreat is July 5-9

people and I was comforting to hear and see that I was not alone and other people were in the same boat as me. I developed a better understanding of how to get through college and keep my faith with me as well,” said Shauna.

“This retreat helped me to feel more comfortable going to college and living my faith while there,” said Sara.

“Many teens ignore and neglect the need for assistance during the Spiritual transition to college. This retreat comes at the perfect time in my life when I need to reconnect and strengthen my relationship with God before college. I couldn’t have asked to be with better people,” said Victoria.

“This retreat really answered all my questions about college and made me closer to God in my transition,” said Dan. When students make a decision to attend college, expectations are high for each student. However, once they have arrived, students get challenged intellectually and sometimes morally in values, and in that questioning, they come up with an erroneous assumption.

“They make a decision early on, often within the first few weeks, that this college isn’t for me, or that college, period, isn’t for me,” said Father Frederici.

It can be pretty intense getting settled at a college, said Father Frederici, “They’ll do a lot of activities, but eventually it will get down to the nitty-gritty, and the kids may not realize they’ve made the biggest transition in their life, most of them. Not only has their daily routine changed, their living situation for many of them have changed. It takes awhile and it can get overwhelming; it really tests their coping skills.”

Healy highly recommends the retreat to young men who are looking to the future. “This retreat is of immense importance for our diocese since it effectively reaches many young men and encourages them to answer a call to the priesthood.

The Vocations Office has the great responsibility of empowering young men in our diocese whom God is calling to lead the Church, with the Quo Vadis retreat being a large part of this outreach. It is also very important for the participants in that it allows high-schoolers to meet other like-minded teens, to share fraternity, and to know that they are not alone in considering a religious vocation.”

“Some candidates are

continued from page three

That’s where being connected to faith can help shine a light during one of the most difficult times in a young adult’s life, said Father Frederici; “Even if kids are going out of state or out of the diocese, we can introduce this ministry to them in the hopes of helping them stay connected to Church and to God.”

The Campus Ministry will be covering the costs of the retreat, so it is free to attend. For more information, call 508-999-8872, email Deacon Flucca at flucca@ umassd.edu, Father Frederici at FrDavid@ FallRiverCampusMinistry. com, or register at www.

FallRiverCampusMinistry. com.

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

continued from page five

thinking about the priesthood, and the retreat gives them time to think more about it,” said Munoz.

“But others may be leaning toward married life and raising a family. We are not there to tell them what to do, but to help them think more deeply about it, and to realize how important it is to have God as a part of their lives no matter what.

People are so busy, that God often gets put out of the picture. Everyone is called

by God in their own way.

We are just trying to help them keep God in their lives, their futures and their homes.”

For more information about attending this year’s Quo Vadis Days contact Father Kevin Cook at 508824-5707 or email frcook@ holyfamilytaunton.org.

June 28 Rev. Thomas C. Gunning, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1947 Rev. Patrick Tarrant, 2015 June 30 Rev. Simon Pease, SS.CC., Administrator, Sacred Hearts, Fairhaven, 1952 Rev. Alphonse M. Reniere, O.P., Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1961 July 1 Rev. Fernando A. Veiga, CM, Vincentian Mission House, Fall River, 1993 July 2 Rev. Gerard A. Boisvert, Assistant, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1967 Rev. Maurice H. Lamontagne, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Grace, Westport, 1996 Rev. James T. Donohue, C.S.C., 2006 July 3 Rev. Thomas P. Doherty, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford, 1942 July 4 Rev. James A. Coyle, S.T.L., Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Pierre E. Lachance, O.P., St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 2006 July 5 Rev. J.F. LaBonte, Retired Assistant, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1943 Rev. Edward P. Versailles, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1985 July 6 Rev. Edmond Francis, SS.CC., Pastor, St. Mary, Fairhaven, 1963 Rev. Paul J. Price SS.CC., 2006 July 7 Rev. James E. Lynch, Founder, St. Joan of Arc, Orleans, 1965 July 8 Rev. Edward Murphy, Pastor, St. Mary, Fall River, 1887 Msgr. Patrick J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth, 1995

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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Around the Diocese The Feast of St. John the Baptist will be celebrated on June 24 beginning at 8:30 a.m. with the raising of the Canadian Flag at the New Bedford City Hall. It will be followed by Mass at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 121 Mount Pleasant Street in New Bedford. At 10:30 a.m. at FrancoAmerican Veterans’ Square, there will be a Le Regiment Bourbonnais honor guard, followed by a banquet at the Century House in Acushnet, with a choice of French meat pie or chicken pie. For tickets or more information, contact Jeanine at 508-992-6583 or Ray at 508-995-3792.

The Annual Summer Fair to benefit charities will be held at Our Lady of the Cape Parish, 486 Stony Brook Road in Brewster, on June 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This “Whale of a Fair” features a barbecue, ice cream and popcorn sales, old-fashioned bake sales, and a fabulous silent auction. Tables will be filled with jewelry, household items, gifts, theme baskets, art, books, tools, children’s games, crafts and more. Admission is free. For more information call 508-385-3252.

At 3:30 p.m. on June 26, Brandon Santini will perform an organ recital for the “Music at St. Anthony’s” program at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford. Santini will be joined by soloist Celia Gomes, a soprano from Bristol, R.I. The event is a fund-raiser for the renovation of St. Anthony’s great pipe organ, a 100-year-old Casavant Frère’s instrument. Freewill donations will be collected during the event, and patrons are encouraged to “Adopt an Organ Part” to help the effort. For more information, visit www. musicatsaintanthonys.org or call Gisele Pappas at 508-264-8010.

Called By Name, a day of reflection for girls ages 14-18, will be held on July 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dominican Sisters Convent, 3012 Elm Street in Dighton. Sponsored by the Fall River Diocese Vocations Office, this day-long program will help young women discover their gifts through interactive activities. It will include a nature walk and picnic lunch, time for quiet prayer and reflection, and will explore how to learn to use God-given gifts. Those interested are asked to RSVP by July 11 to Sister Paulina Hurtado, O.P., at sr.paulina@dioc-fr. org or by calling 909-496-2022.

St. Patrick’s Prayer Group invites all to attend a seven-week Life in the Spirit Seminar, to be held at St. Patrick’s Church, 82 High Street in Wareham, on Thursday evenings from July 14 to August 25. Each meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. The Rosary will be prayed at 6:45 p.m. The purpose of a Life in the Spirit Seminar is to help those who attend make a renewed commitment to the Lord, allowing them to experience a fuller life in the Spirit. The seminar will consist of praise and worship music, talks and witnesses given by others who have previously attended a Life in the Spirit seminar, small group discussions, and prayer. Please sign up by calling 508-295-6650 or by sending an email to stpatricksprayergroup@yahoo.com.

The Cancer Support Group at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville will be cancelling its July meeting and Mass of Healing because it falls on July 4 this year. The next Mass of the Healing will be on August 1. The Cancer Support Group still sponsors a meeting on the third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. which offers an informal discussion opportunity for members who would prefer a smaller group. For more information contact Geri Medeiros at 508-362-6909.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, send the information by email to kensouza@ anchornews.org

Visit the newly-designed Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

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The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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.

ASSONET — Beginning September 14, St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 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 time of Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street.

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, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

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 — S t . M a r y ’s C h u r c h , M a i n S t . , h a s E u c h a r i s t i c A d o r a t i o n e v e r y Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m.

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 7 a.m.

Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

HYANNIS — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, 347 South Street, Hyannis, has Eucharistic Adoration from noon to 3 p.m., daily Monday through Friday.

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 Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 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.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m. The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass.

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.

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 takes place 9 a.m. Thursday through 7 p.m.

Friday. 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.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., was a recent guest on Fall River Chamber of Commerce Radio. To listen to the podcast of Bishop da Cunha’s interview on the June 8 edition of the Fall River Chamber of Commerce’s Voice of Business program on WSAR Radio, visit fallriverdiocese.org and click on “Read More” under the photo of the bishop at the station. You will be taken to the wsar.com link and click on The Voice of Business — Wednesday 6/8/16. (Photo by John E. Kearns Jr.)

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

The Anchor - June 24, 2016

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The Anchor - June 24, 2016