07.15.11

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , July 15, 2011

License plates help women in crisis

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — After just one year the Massachusetts Choose Life license plates have raised $87,732 for causes that save lives.

The funds will grow significantly when drivers renew their registrations on their Choose Life plates. The second time around, there is no $20 manufacturing fee for each vanity plate.

The Choose Life plate, one of 18 Massachusetts plates that benefit charities, features a mother cradling her infant and the words “Choose Life.” The cost of the plates is $90 every two years. The first $50 is the normal registry charge, and after the first year, the entire remaining $40 will fund alternatives to abortions.

The first Choose Life license plates were introduced in Flor-

ida 11 years ago. When Merry Nordeen heard about them, she thought, “That’s a great idea. I want that for my car.” But no one in Massachusetts was working to bring the plates to the Commonwealth. So Nordeen decided to give it a try. She started a corporation, secured non-profit status and began collecting registrations.

There are 24 states that offer the plates, which have raised about $14 million nationally. In four more states, they have been approved but are not yet available. Efforts continue in 16 states, and in just six there is no effort underway.

Deacon Bob Connor, who was ordained this spring and serves at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lancaster, said he was convinced to promote the plates when he saw Turn to page 14

Young Catholic women invited to vocation awareness retreat

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

WAREHAM — Contrary to what the current culture promotes, Paula Wilk, director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry at St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham, believes, “God is out there and is calling young women to religious vocations.” To help young Catholic women hear the call above the din of a secular society, Wilk, along with Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity Sister Catherine Lamb, have formulated a “Called By Name Retreat For Young Women.”

The event will take place at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham, August 5 through 7.

Wilk told The Anchor the hope is that the

three-day retreat will give young women an awareness of God’s presence in the world and in their lives. “Unless they’re raised in a strong Catholic environment, young people are constantly exposed to things contrary to Church teachings,” she said. “Without help they can fall victim to music, TV shows and movies that send the wrong messages. We want to provide an environment where they can listen to God and find out what real happiness is.”

Wilk, who previously worked with promoting vocations in the Boston Archdiocese, was prompted to this action by helping out on the Quo Vadis Days for young men, sponsored by the diocesan Vocation Office. “I’ve helped preTurn to page 11

Singing the praises for special needs children

touched the hearts of many, his heart remains connected to his EAST SANDWICH — In- family and his faith.

“I was very lucky to be internationally acclaimed Irish volved in music tenor Mark Forrest through the school,” will return to Corsaid Forrest, of his pus Christi Parish Catholic education in East Sandwich on and his performing July 16 at 7:30 p.m. in school producfor a night of euchations that often saw ristic adoration. professionals workForrest has pering alongside the formed for the late students. “It was Blessed Pope John quite a cool endeavPaul II and Blessed or.”

Mother Teresa, enM ark Forrest When Forrest tertained the masses was 17 years old, he on Broadway, and went on a concert tour across recorded numerous albums the United States after signing with notable singers of different genres of music. But while a recording contract with WBA Turn to page 19 Forrest’s voice may have B y B ecky Aubut A nchor Staff

VOCATION VACATION — Participants in the diocesan-sponsored Quo Vadis Days 2011, the second annual vocational discernment retreat for young men ages 14-18, prepare to embark on a Rosary walk deep into the woods along the grounds at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

Teen-age boys attend second Quo Vadis camp

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

WAREHAM — Nineteen young men from across the diocese gathered at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham last week for the second annual Quo Vadis Days experience. The four-day event, held July 5-8, is the continuation of an effort started by the diocesan Vocation Office last year

to help young men discern their vocation in life and perhaps answer a special calling to serve God as priests.

According to Father Karl Bissinger, director of Vocations and Seminarians for the diocese, he was pleasantly surprised with the turnout for this second annual camp.

“At first we thought we wouldn’t have as many this

year, but we have about the same number and a little more than half are repeaters from last year,” Father Bissinger said.

“There are some who enjoyed it enough last year that they decided to come back.”

Quo Vadis Days — which takes its name from the Latin phrase meaning “where are you going?” — consists of a team Turn to page 15

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News From the Vatican

July 15, 2011

Church-run schools need public financial support, Vatican envoy says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A Vatican official praised Churchrun schools as valuable components of modern education, saying they deserve public financial support and must not be muzzled on moral issues.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, addressing a recent U.N. meeting in Geneva, said educational systems work best when they include participation by parents and various elements of civil society, including religious organizations.

In order for that to work, he said, “public financial resources must be made available in order to assure fairness” for those promoting alternative educational programs.

In carrying out its educational role, the state “should respect the choices that parents make for their children and avoid attempts at ideological indoctrination,” Archbishop Tomasi said. He cited the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which defends the freedom of parents to choose nonpublic schools and ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

“And this includes the right to make moral judgments on moral issues,” the archbishop said.

He said religious organizations are often better positioned to provide education to the most vulnerable children and families, including those in remote or rural areas, those with special needs or drop-outs.

Archbishop Tomasi noted that the Catholic Church has about 200,000 primary and secondary schools located in every continent, with about 58 million students and 3.5 million teachers.

“While protecting their identity, these schools welcome students from every ethnic and religious background and socioeconomic class,” he said.

Catholic schools teach children how to make “free, reasoned and value-based decisions,” the archbishop said.

It’s not enough for schools to convey technical information, he added. The goal of education must include formation of the person and transmission of values like personal and social responsibility, a work ethic and a sense of solidarity with others.”

Archbishop Tomasi, the Vatican’s representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva, was speaking at a session on global education sponsored by the U.N. Economic and Social Council.

He noted that although the number of children without access to primary education is dropping, about 68 million children remain out of school.

If current trends hold, he said, the international community will not be able to meet the goal of universal primary education by 2015.

He said educational levels are directly tied to poverty levels.

Another key factor is war and civil strife; some 28 million children not attending school live in countries affected by conflict, he said.

papal press — Pope Benedict XVI looks over a computer monitor during a visit to the offices of L’Osservatore Romano at the Vatican recently. The pope made the visit to mark the 150th anniversary of the Vatican newspaper. The paper’s inaugural issue was published July 1, 1861. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)

Church is called to be God’s gift at the service of humanity, says pope

VATICAN CITY (Zenit. org) — The Church isn’t a philanthropical organization, but it is capable of making the world a more human place because it opens its sails “to the breath of the Holy Spirit,” says Benedict XVI. The pope made this observation when he received in audience a group of several thousand pilgrims from the southern Italian Diocese of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti.

The diocese is having a local synod, and the Holy Father spoke of this occasion as an opportunity to experience the Church as a pilgrim people.

“This signifies recognizing that the Church does not possess in herself a life-giving principle, but depends on Christ, of Whom she is the sign and effective instrument,” he said. “In the relationship with the Lord Jesus she finds her own most profound identity: to be gift of God to humanity, prolonging the presence and work of salvation of the Son of God through the Holy Spirit.

In this context we understand that the Church is essentially a mystery of love at the service of humanity in view of its sanctification.”

Citing the Second Vatican Council, the pontiff said that the Word of God “has really created a people, a community; it has created a common joy, a common pilgrimage toward the Lord.”

The Church isn’t a fruit of human organizational skills, he said, “but finds its source and its real meaning in the communion of love of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: This eternal love is the source from which the Church springs.”

The unity and diversity of the Trinity is its model, molding the Church “as a mystery of communion,” he added.

The Bishop of Rome said that any failure to keep sight of this vertical dimension of the Church would alter its identity and make life poorer.

“It is important to stress that the Church is not a social, philanthropic organization, as so many others are: She is the community of God, the community that believes, that loves, that adores the Lord Jesus and opens her ‘sails’ to the

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breath of the Holy Spirit, and because of this, she is a community capable of evangelizing and humanizing,” he said.

Benedict XVI spoke of men and women of today who need to encounter God. He reflected on God’s call to “make it understood that it is good to live as man,” noting the “complex attitudes” that mark the present moment in history: “Withdrawal into oneself, narcissism, desire to possess and to consume, feelings and affections bereft of responsibility.”

The pope said that behind all this is “a negation of the transcendent dimension of man and of the fundamental relationship with God” and he said that in such a context, the Christian community must “promote sound and demanding journeys of faith.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 55, No. 28

Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service

Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas 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.

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July 15, 2011

3

The International Church

In ‘moving ceremony,’ Sudan hands over independence to the South

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) — The flag of South Sudan was raised as the Sudanese flag was lowered at the July 9 ceremony in Juba to mark the new Republic of South Sudan’s independence.

“It was a graceful assertion of independence, without demeaning Sudan and its president,” said Dan Griffin, adviser on Sudan to the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services. He spoke with Catholic News Service by telephone from Juba, South Sudan’s capital.

Sudanese President Omar alBashir was guest of honor at the July 9 ceremony that marked the culmination of a January independence vote in which nearly 99 percent of the residents voted to secede.

The nine-hour ceremony took place at the mausoleum of the late rebel leader John Garang, who died six months after signing the 2005 peace deal that ended Africa’s longest-running conflict.

“It was a very moving ceremony,” said Steve Hilbert, Africa policy adviser to the U.S. bishops’ Office of International Justice and Peace, noting that

“people were crying — for joy and probably also in sorrow for those who didn’t live to see this day happen.”

At least two million people were killed in Sudan’s last civil war, fought from 1983 to 2005.

Soldiers and traditional dance troupes paraded, then the speaker of the southern parliament read the independence proclamation, and South Sudan President Salva Kiir took the oath of office.

World leaders at the ceremony included U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, attended as part of the U.S. presidential delegation.

Bashir called for good neighborly relations and said gains could be secured by maintaining joint economic and trade interests, reported Reuters, the British news agency.

“A lot of people came a long way to be in Juba for this day of independence,” Griffin said, noting that many people walked for days from other parts of

South Sudan to join in the capital’s celebrations.

In the town of Nzara, 20 miles from South Sudan’s border with Congo, people gathered in a “peaceful and happy atmosphere” at the new government offices to see the flag raised, said Comboni Sister Giovanna Calabria, an Italian working in the town.

Sister Giovanna, who worked for 13 years in northern Uganda before moving to Nzara nine years ago, joined in the town’s celebrations with three other Comboni Sisters who run a school, hospital and AIDS community. The fifth member of their community had to stay at the hospital “in case of emergencies,” she told Catholic News Service in a recent telephone interview from Nzara.

The town’s population of between 1,000 and 2,000 people, joined by “many others who came from faraway villages,” gathered into prayer groups the previous night, “asking the Lord for a peaceful new country,” Sister Giovanna said.

“Everyone brought food to share, and the sharing was a symbol of unity and cooperation,”

Ethicists back proposed EU ban on patents for technology using embryos

LONDON (CNS) — Twentyfive ethicists and lawyers from 11 European countries have stated their support for a proposed ban on patenting technologies derived from experiments on human embryos.

In a recent letter to the journal Nature, the group argued that commercial interests alone were not sufficient to decide European policy.

The group was led by David Jones, director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford — formerly the Linacre Centre, a bioethics institute serving the Catholic Church in Great Britain and Ireland.

Signatories sought to express their opinion in the face of pressure put on the European Court of Justice to allow such patenting in spite of the opinion of Judge Yves Bot, one of its eight advocate generals, that it should be forbidden.

The advocate general recommended that European law should not allow inventions derived from human embryos to be patented “for industrial or commercial purposes.” He argued that patents were not allowed on the human body “at the various stages of its formation and development,” including the embryonic stage.

He gave his opinion during a case brought by the environmental group Greenpeace, which is challenging a patent filed by scientists in Germany. A legally binding decision is expected to be issued by the court this summer.

Stem-cell scientists have objected to Bot’s opinion, however, and 13 of them argued in a letter to Nature that biotechnological companies “must have patent protection” or “European discoveries could be translated into applications elsewhere.”

They wrote that “innovative companies must have patent protection as an incentive to become active in Europe.”

“The advocate general’s opinion, therefore, represents a blow to years of effort to derive biomedical applications from embryonic stem cells in areas such as drug development and cellreplacement therapy,” the scientists said in their letter.

The 25 ethicists and lawyers, mostly from Catholic institutes, responded to the intervention of the scientists by urging the European court to “uphold the standard prescribed by the law.”

Their letter says: “There will often be some commercial risk whenever Europe defends a more rigorous standard than is

defended elsewhere.

“This risk is not itself an argument against upholding the standard prescribed by law,” they wrote. “Without judgment in this case the resolution of patent law is and ought to be more than a question of European commercial interest.”

In an email to Catholic News Service, Jones said the forthcoming court ruling was “directly relevant” to the United States.

“It affects U.S. companies working in embryonic stem cells who seek European patents on their technologies,” he wrote.

“This debate is closely parallel to debates in the U.S. about federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and patenting of embryonic stem-cell technologies — and in particular whether a prohibition on commercialization of the embryo extends to stem-cell technologies,” he said in his email.

Jones added: “If the court decides the embryonic stem-cell technologies are not patentable, then this makes these technologies less commercially attractive ... and sets a precedent for ProLifers in the U.S. to get the same respect for the embryo in the U.S. as is recognized in Europe.

It also shows that the issue has not gone away.”

she said, noting that the prayers continued throughout the night.

Bishop John H. Ricard, retired bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla., concelebrated a July 10 Thanksgiving Mass in St. Teresa’s Cathedral, Juba.

“There was a magnificent display of unity” at the Mass, attended by more than 1,000 people, said Bishop Ricard, who traveled to Juba to represent the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace at the independence celebrations.

Vincent Bolt, Sudan country representative for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, the official aid agency of

the English and Welsh bishops, said there was “a great feeling of Church family solidarity” at the thanksgiving Mass.

The worldwide Catholic community’s prayers for peace in the region “are very much appreciated by the Church here,” Bolt said in a telephone interview from Juba.

Hilbert said there were about 30 people of Sudanese descent on his flight from the United States.

“There were children with U.S. accents coming for the first time” to South Sudan “to be there when the dream of generations was realized,” he said

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has announced the following appointments: Summer Assignment Rev. Riley J. Williams, St. Mary Parish, Mansfield Effective July 13, 2011 Rev. David C. Frederici, Chaplain, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and Assistant Chaplain, St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford, with residence at St. Julie Billiart Parish, North Dartmouth.

Rev. John P. Kelleher, OSB, Parochial Vicar, St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, North Falmouth, and St. John the Evangelist Parish, Pocasset.

Effective, July 27, 2011

St. John the Baptist

Parish Fair

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RAFFLE DRAWINGS WILL BE HELD AT NOON DONATIONS OF ALL TYPES ARE STILL BEING ACCEPTED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 508-636-2251

4

The Church in the U.S.

July 15, 2011

Massachusetts diocese mourns loss of priest who committed suicide

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

(CNS) — Many Catholics in the Springfield Diocese mourned the loss of Father Paul J. Archambault, a 42-year-old priest who was found dead July 3 at the rectory of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield.

Springfield police confirmed that the priest, a chaplain at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and a part-time parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Hampden, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“We are all diminished by the tragic death of Father Paul Archambault. He was a good and pastoral priest, a caring chaplain and a devout man,” said Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell in a statement.

“Yet he was not immune to illness,” he added. “Most of us realize that physical illness can be fatal; we sometimes forget that the same is true of illnesses that have no physical cause but wrack the spirit still.”

He prayed that God would bring the priest “safely home, rewarding all the good he accomplished and relieving the burdens he found unbearable.”

Bishop McDonnell was scheduled to celebrate a funeral Mass for Father Archambault at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Northampton, to be followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery there.

Mark E. Dupont, diocesan spokesman, said Father Archambault celebrated 4 p.m. Mass July 2 at St. Mary Church in Hampden and was later called to Baystate Medical Center’s emergency department to minister to a Catholic patient. He was last seen leaving the hospital at 6:45 p.m.

“We know that he had been

quite busy performing his priestly duties throughout the holiday weekend, which was very typical as he was a very dedicated and devout young priest,” said Dupont.

Father Archambault was scheduled to celebrate Mass at St. Mary’s again July 3. When he didn’t show up, friends and family members became concerned and started a search.

“Throughout the day Sunday, with assistance from Springfield police, calls were made to anyone who might have had contact with Father Archambault. Later, in the afternoon, based on some information that had been received, another search of the rectory was conducted and his body was discovered,” Dupont said.

George D’Astous, Father Archambault’s cousin, said his family is devastated. “Father Paul was a people’s priest,” D’Astous told the diocesan news website, www.iobserve. org.

The priest graduated from St. John’s Seminary in Brighton in 2000 and was ordained in the Diocese of Springfield in 2005.

For the last several years he led a eucharistic Rosary procession through the streets of Northampton, where he grew up. The priest was also very involved in the diocesan ProLife efforts. He took part in prayer vigils for life and was often seen praying in front of the Planned Parenthood League of Springfield.

Robin Sheehan, who knew Father Archambault through the Pro-Life community and the Rosary procession, said he gave many Catholics the courage to witness for Christ.

“He was so consistent. He didn’t mince his words. That’s what I saw in him,” said Sheehan.

good golfing habits — Mother Joseph Caroline tries her hand at putting as Sister Therese watches during the Little Sisters of the Poor fourth annual “Swing Fore the Sisters” golf outing at Cavaliers Country Club in Newark, Del., recently. (CNS photo/The Dialog, Don Blake)

Bishop Aquila urges Sacrament of Confirmation before First Eucharist

Mundelein, Ill. (CNA) — Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo in a recent lecture examined the Sacrament of Confirmation and explained his reasons for believing children should receive it before First Eucharist.

“One can speak of the many effects of Confirmation and the impact it makes upon one’s life, but it is always important to remember that the divine person of the Holy Spirit is received in Confirmation,” he said in remarks at the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. “We need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, every day, every hour, every minute and every second to live a life that gives glory to the Father as Jesus glorified the Father.”

The bishop explained that he had initially favored the view that Confirmation was a “Sacrament of maturity” that should be reserved to high school students only. However, his view changed after further studies, work with the Sacraments of Initiation and experience with young children who were confirmed when they entered the Church.

Placing Confirmation after First Communion “only muddied the primacy of the Eucharist as the completion of initiation into the Church and the life-long nourishment of the relationship established with the Trinity and the Church in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation,” the bishop said.

In an August 2002 pastoral letter, Bishop Aquila instructed that after children receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in second grade, they should receive Confirmation and First Eucharist in the third grade during the same Mass.

The bishop’s remarks surveyed the history the Sacrament. Origi-

nally, Confirmation was part of a “continuous rite of initiation” leading up to the reception of the Holy Eucharist. This is still the practice in the Eastern Catholic Churches.

After the fifth century, Bishop Aquila said, it became difficult in the West for a bishop to travel to all parishes to baptize and confirm all at once and so the administration of the Sacraments became separated.

The custom of receiving First Communion as a second grader and later receiving Confirmation in middle or high school is “a recent practice of the Church” and the Second Vatican council had called for a revision of the rite of Confirmation.

Turning to the present administration of the Sacrament, Bishop Aquila questioned whether the common placement of Confirmation in late adolescence treats it as “a reward, or worse, as something earned or deserved for attendance and work in a parish catechetical program.”

“Should the fear of not receiving a Sacrament ever be used as a means to keep a young person involved in the life of the Church?

Should the gift and strengthening of the Holy Spirit be denied young persons in their most formative years?” he asked.

Bishop Aquila also wondered whether the special attention and length of preparation given to Confirmation makes many perceive it to be more important than Baptism and the Eucharist.

The view that Confirmation is a way for young people to make a personal commitment to their faith “distorts” the Sacrament, he said.

“Confirmation is not marked by a choice to believe or not believe in the Catholic faith. Rather as disciples we are chosen by God to re-

ceive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit generously bestowed

by God, and we are called to cooperate with that grace,” he explained.

Confirmation confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that is ordered to “the life of worship,” the bishop said while summarizing Catholic thought. It helps the person achieve a “more perfect integration” into the Body of Christ. This helps us understand how Confirmation is ordered to the Eucharist.

In this light, it appears “odd” to have someone participate in the eucharistic life of the Church if he or she has not received “the seal of the Holy Spirit which perfects the personal bond with the community.”

While some have said that maturity is necessary for the Sacrament, the bishop said that children can be mature spiritually.

“If they are mature enough to receive the Eucharist, the crown of the Sacraments, are they not mature enough to receive a Sacrament that is ordered to it?” he asked.

“I have found the third-graders to be most receptive to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their childlike trust and wonder is beautiful to behold. Many times their ability to see the truth and have complete trust in God is strikingly better than our own. It allows for a deeper receptivity of the graces of the Sacrament.”

By contrast, too many young adults have regressed spiritually into a state of indifference or despondence towards God. He suggested that restoring the order of the Sacraments of Initiation will aid the local community in forming effective catechesis which acknowledges growth in faith as a life-long process.

July 15, 2011

The Church in the U.S.

5

Catholic-Reformed common agreement on Baptism clears last hurdle

center of controversy — Father John A. Corapi gives a talk at the Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University in St. Louis in this May 1, 2010 file photo. Father Corapi, a popular author and preacher, has been accused by his order of sexual and financial wrongdoing and of misleading followers with false statements. The regional priest servant for Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity released the statement dated July 5. It called on Father Corapi to return to the order’s regional office in Robstown, Texas. (CNS photo/ Patrick Novecosky)

Order accuses Father Corapi of sexual, financial wrongdoing, falsehoods

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Father John A. Corapi was involved in “years of cohabitation” with a former prostitute, repeated abuse of alcohol and drugs and “serious violation” of his promise of poverty, according to a fact-finding team appointed by his religious order.

Father Corapi, who recently announced he would leave the priesthood because he could not get a “fair hearing” on misconduct allegations against him, has been ordered by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity to return to live at the order’s regional headquarters in Robstown, Texas, and to dismiss a lawsuit against the woman whose accusations prompted the investigation.

“Catholics should understand that (the order) does not consider Father John Corapi as fit for ministry,” said a July 5 news release from Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest servant for the order, commonly known as SOLT. Although Father Corapi’s ministry “has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics,” the news release said, he is “now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations.”

“It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight,” it added.

There was no immediate response to the announcement from Father Corapi.

The order said its threemember fact-finding team

had gathered information “from Father Corapi’s emails, various witnesses and public sources” and had concluded that the priest: — “Did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute.”

— “Repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs.”

— “Has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana.”

— “Holds legal title to more than $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of this society.”

Although he did not name them, Father Sheehan said the fact-finding team was made up of a priest specializing in canon law, a psychiatrist and a lawyer, each of whom has a national reputation and “substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues.”

Two of the three were members of religious orders, and the third was a layperson. Two were men and one was a woman, he said.

As the team was carrying out its work, Father Corapi filed a civil suit against his principal accuser and then offered $100,000 for her silence, the news release said. Other key witnesses who “may have negotiated contracts ... that

precluded them from speaking” with the team declined to answer its questions or provide documents, it said.

When the fact-finding team asked Father Corapi to dismiss the lawsuit and release individuals from their contractual obligations to remain silent, “he refused to do so and, through his canonical advocate, stated, ‘It is not possible for Father Corapi to answer the commission’s questions at this time,’” the news release added.

Father Corapi, 64, announced June 17 — two days before the 20th anniversary of his priestly ordination — in a YouTube video and blog posting that he would leave the priesthood.

“For 20 years I did my best to guard and feed the sheep,” he said in the blog posting.

“Now, based on a totally unsubstantiated, undocumented allegation from a demonstrably troubled person I was thrown out like yesterday’s garbage. I accept that. Perhaps I deserve that.”

Father Corapi had been highly visible for several years as a speaker and preacher, including a program on the Eternal Word Television Network.

EWTN took his show off its schedule shortly after his suspension, saying it would not knowingly put on the air a priest whose faculties had been suspended.

The SOLT news release said Father Sheehan would not be available for further comment because of the order’s general chapter July 5-23.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — With a recent vote by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, a common agreement on Baptism by the U.S. Catholic Church and four Protestant church communities cleared its final hurdle.

The “Common Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Baptism,” approved by the U.S. Catholic bishops last November, was ratified by the governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in June 2009 and the Reformed Church in America and Christian Reformed Church in North America this June.

With the agreement, drawn up

by Catholic and Reformed scholars during the seventh round of the Catholic-Reformed Dialogue in the USA, Baptisms performed in any of the five churches will be recognized by the others, as long as flowing water and the proper formula of “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” is used and documented.

Calling Baptism “the sacramental gateway into the Christian life,” the agreement says Baptism “is to be conferred only once, because those who are baptized are decisively incorporated into the Body of Christ.”

While other bishops’ conferences around the world have entered into similar agreements with Protestant communities in their regions, the document is unprecedented for the U.S. Catholic Church.

When the agreement was approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops November 16 in Baltimore by a 204-11 vote, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta called it “a milestone on

the ecumenical journey” and said it would “allow Catholic ministers to presume that Baptisms performed in these communities are ‘true Baptism’ as understood in Catholic doctrine and law.”

“The presentation of a baptismal certificate by Reformed Christians who wish to come into full communion with the Catholic Church, or to marry a Catholic, assures Catholic ministers that the Baptism performed by a Reformed minister involved the use of flowing water and the biblical invocation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” added the archbishop, who chairs the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

During debate on the agreement at the United Church of Christ General Synod in Tampa, Fla., Karen Georgia Thompson, minister of ecumenical and interfaith relations, called it “another place of new beginning in our ecumenical work.”

The agreement drew the support of 92.8 percent of the delegates voting on it, although some noted during the debate that local pastors and parents will still have the option of choosing words other than “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to be used during Baptism, according to a news report from the United Church of Christ.

Some expressed concern that the wording was not “inclusive language that welcomes all and includes all,” the news report said.

The agreement on Baptism concluded the seventh round of talks between the Catholic and Reformed churches, who have been in dialogue since 1965.

6

The Anchor The precondition for genuine love

For the last two weeks, we’ve been examining some of the larger issues that have been raised by the controversy over a Mass at St. Cecilia’s in Boston to welcome those who celebrate gay pride. We’ve mentioned that those with same-sex attractions deserve and need the full and authentic pastoral care on the part of the Church. Those who are “gay” — meaning those who celebrate sexual activity and culture based on same-sex attractions — are in even greater need of the full teaching of the Catholic Church, since in addition to the normal need for pastoral accompaniment and assistance in resisting ordinary moral temptations, they also are vulnerable to severe attacks against the faith, considering that gay orthodoxy involves the rejection of biblical and magisterial teaching on sexual morality, marriage, and the authority of Scripture and the Church in general.

Central to the Church’s full and authentic pastoral care of those with same-sex attractions is the assistance to live a chaste life. When mention is made of this call to chastity, some in the gay movement shriek with exasperated incredulity, as if chastity were a death sentence to a loveless life or, worse, some type of medieval castration ceremony executed in subterranean Vatican dungeons. Chastity, however, is the precondition for any real love.

The reason why chastity is often looked at as a curse rather than a cure is because it is not truly understood, lived or preached. Even among clergy, religious and catechists, chastity is often confused with continence (abstinence from sexual activity) or celibacy (the state of being unmarried). When the “Catechism” emphasizes that “all Christ’s faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states of life,” and that “married people are called to live conjugal chastity,” many married couples are left scratching their heads, wondering how they can be both “chaste” and start a family. The reason for the confusion likely stems from the fact that when the term “chastity” is most often heard, it’s employed in the context of the sexual education of teenagers (who are called to continence in chastity) or in the description of the promises or vows professed by priests and religious (who are called to celibate continence in chastity). The confusion points to the urgency and importance for all in the Church to understand what chastity is and how all the baptized — married couples, singles, priests, religious, those with same-sex attractions and opposite-sex attractions — are called to it no matter what their state of life.

Pope John Paul II, prior to and during his papacy, has given the greatest articulation of the virtue of chastity. In his 1960 work, “Love and Responsibility,” he said that chastity is the moral habit that raises one’s attractions to another to the dignity of the person as a whole. There is a temptation — which we see in lust in general and in pornography in particular — to “reduce” another to the values of the body or, more specifically, to the erogenous zones. There is, moreover, the further temptation to “use” another — either intentionally in one’s mind or physically through their body — for one’s own sensual or emotional gratification; many people in our culture consensually use each other sexually in this way. But this mutual utilitarianism is not love, but the opposite of love. Harmonious egoisms don’t lead to the formation of a loving “we,” but just even-more-isolated-egos. Love always seeks the true good of the other for the other’s sake. When a person loves genuinely, he is willing to sacrifice his pleasure or even his life for the one loved.

Chastity makes this possible, because it is the virtue that trains a person’s vision as well as his will to keep his attraction to the other person up to the level of the person’s true good.

In his papal catecheses on “Human Love in the Divine Plan,” popularly called the Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II went even further in his teaching on chastity. He said that the virtue of chastity isn’t so much bound to the virtue of temperance — the virtue that helps us to master our appetites rather than be mastered by them — as to the virtue of piety.

Piety is the virtue that helps us to revere others according to their true dignity, according to the image of God in them. St. Paul wrote to husbands and wives, “Be subordinate to each other out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21), calling them to recognize and revere Christ in each other and mutually lay down their lives for each other out of love for the Lord who dwells in the other. Linked to piety, chastity helps us to see the other as sacred and to treat the other with true reverence.

Pope John Paul II’s insights help us better to see why all of us in the Church, no matter what our state of life, are called to chastity. Husbands and wives, for example, are called to chastity in their marriage, which means that they reverence the other as a sacred gift, see the other as created in God’s image and fully accept the paternal meaning of a man’s masculinity or the maternal meaning of the woman’s femininity, and raise their attractions to the level of their spouse’s genuine good (including, obviously, the good of the soul). Love is meant to be holy, not horny. Lusting after each other — what Jesus called “adultery in the heart” — is a desecration of the other in one’s intentions. Sexual practices that treat one’s spouse as an actor in a pornographic film are totally inconsistent with the love one’s spouse deserves. The use of contraception, which makes sexual pleasure — rather than true openness to God, to the other, and to the life-giving potential of love — the goal of spousal sexual union, corrodes rather than makes love.

Likewise all those who are unmarried are called to chastity. Seeking the other’s true good, accepting the other in his or her totality, and reverencing God in the other are inconsistent with all sexual sins. Pornography abstracts a person’s sexual values from the person’s overall good.

Fornication takes advantage of another to whom one has not made a total commitment for one’s pleasure. Same-sex activity rejects the meaning of the masculinity or femininity and the natural ordering toward the gift of life. When there’s no real openness to God and to life, when the others are treated as a sexual object rather than a sacred subject, when there’s no commitment to the total person and good of the other — whether in same-sex or opposite-sex sexual relations — there’s no real love.

Can those with same-sex attractions truly love each other? Absolutely. But they’re called to love each other chastely in order to love each other at all. They can — and are called to have — Christian love (agape) toward each other, a willingness to sacrifice themselves and even their pleasures for the other’s true good. They’re called to have genuine love of friendship (philia) toward each other, becoming a second self. But they need to ensure that their sexual attractions toward each other (eros) do not damage the one they love by opposing or destroying the love of agape and philia. For this they need chastity.

Why is this message of chastity so seldom heard? Why do those with same-sex attractions feel singled out for “punishment” when chastity is mentioned? The reason is because the vast majority of those in the Church do not adequately understand or live it — and consequently don’t want to preach it. Certain priests don’t want to preach the message because either they’re not living chastely themselves or they experience chastity as a deprivation from which they want to spare others. Many lay people are reluctant to call those with same-sex attractions to chastity because they’re not practicing it either and don’t want to be hypocritical in calling others to live what they themselves aren’t living. Others, misunderstanding chastity, think that it leads only a “loveless life” but that the virtue that makes any true love — an integration of philia, agape and eros — possible. But if we’re ever going to help individuals discover a love that saves and leads to true and lasting happiness, we need to rediscover and repropose with enthusiasm the virtue of chastity.

There is a group called Courage, founded in 1980 by New York Cardinal Terrence Cooke and Father John Harvey, which is dedicated to helping those with same-sex attractions live chastely — through prayer and dedication, genuine Christian friendship and fellowship, mutual support and good example. Not only do we need more Courage chapters, but the whole Church needs to become a Courage chapter to help those with same-sex attractions — and everyone else — purify and raise erotic attractions to the level of their loved one’s true good out of reverence for God and the image of God in others.

I

July 15, 2011

Our citizenship is in heaven

Father’s house, the heavenly Jerusalem, was once told that each year during paradise: ‘No eye has seen, nor ear heard, Easter our late Holy Father, Blessed nor the heart of man conceived, what God Pope John Paul II, would have the third book of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” read to has prepared for those who love Him’” (CCC 1027). him. I don’t remember who told me that I once asked a holy priest if he ever or even if it is true, but regardless, what wondered what Heaven was like. His a wonderful spiritual tradition to practice response has always stuck with me. He during the days that we celebrate our Lord’s rising from the dead and ascending began by first making it clear that he was more concerned about getting there than into Heaven.

Probably best known for the first of the what it will be like. But he went on to say that in our current human condition, three books, the “Inferno,” the “Divine scarred by sinful tendencies, it is imposComedy,” written by Dante Alighieri in sible to comprehend. In his explanation the early part of the 14th century, traces to me, he was not only talking about the Dante’s decent into hell (Part 1, Inferno), reality of Heaven, but also touching upon his ascent through purgatory, (Part 2, the concept of purgatory.

Purgatorio) and finally his entrance into While “Purgatory” is not properly the heavenly realm of paradise, (Part 3, speaking one of the “Last Things” that I Paradiso). have reflected upon in the last couple of It is this great literary work in addition weeks — because it is a temporary state to so many other pieces of art, such as the — it is very much a part of the Church’s scene of final judgment found in the Sistheological explanation of the afterlife. tine Chapel, from which many of us have Many anti-Catholic cynics criticize the developed our own personal understandconcept of puring of what gatory because the afterlife is the term is like. These are Putting Into never used in merely artistic the Bible, but expressions the Deep the “Cateand not dogchism” clearly matic truths, and beautihowever.

By Father fully explains For example, Jay Mello why it makes whether or not perfect sense. the devil has “All who die in God’s grace and friendhorns and a pitchfork in hell or if we will ship, but still imperfectly purified, are see chubby cherubs playing harps while indeed assured of their eternal salvation; walking on clouds in Heaven are up for debate, the reality of the existence of devils but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to and angels is another matter. enter the joy of Heaven” (CCC 1031).

Unlike the first two books of the The main point is this: Would Heaven “Divine Comedy,” which focus on the really be entirely perfect if we were still author’s assignment of certain historical plagued with sinful tendencies of selfishfigures to different levels of hell or purgatory, (a judgment the Church never makes, ness, lust and pride? Heaven is standing before God with an undivided heart, withbecause we can never grasp the depths out any other impure or imperfect desire or of God’s mercy), the final book is a more thought. Purgatory is where we are puritheologically reliable account.

Whereas the Church has never declared fied of these sinful tendencies so that we can enter the Kingdom of God perfectly. anyone to be in hell, even the most evil of Purgatory is not a state of everlasting sinners — Dante lists Brutus, Cassius and punishment like hell, but one in which we Judas Iscariot as the three worst — the are made clean of any stain of sin. The Church does infallibly declare that there are certain people in Heaven; we call them, image of gold being purified in the furnace is perhaps helpful. The fire is not one that “saints.” In the Paradiso, Dante describes damages or hurts the object, but removes his encounter with the great saints that he all impurities from it. This is what happens meets in the heavenly kingdom. to the souls in purgatory: they are in a state So much of what we think of Heaven of final purification before entrance into has been shaped by literature, art and cinthe heavenly kingdom. ema. Some of this might be very advantaThe main point is this: our citizenship geous in that it inspires us to think of what is Heaven! God created us to be with Him God has prepared for those who love Him. Sometimes, however, these images can mis- forever. We are reminded of this at funeral Masses when we hear the words of our lead us into thinking and believing someLord: thing that is inaccurate. For example, have “Do not let your hearts be troubled. you ever heard a song or watched a movie You have faith in God; have faith also in that gives the impression that we become Me. In My Father’s house there are many angels when we die? This would be incordwelling places. If there were not, would rect; angels are different beings altogether.

I have told you that I am going to prepare Art, literature and music not only inspire us, but also evoke certain questions a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and from us. What will Heaven be like? Will take you to Myself, so that where I am you we see our loved ones who have gone also may be. Where I am going you know before us? What will it feel like? Again, the way. Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we like so many other existential questions, do not know where You are going; how we cannot give a detailed description of can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, the heavenly kingdom.

‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.

The “Catechism” addresses this point: “This mystery of blessed communion with No one comes to the Father except through God and all who are in Christ is beyond all Me. If you know Me, then you will also know My Father’” (John 15:1-7). understanding and description. Scripture Father Mello is a parochial vicar at St. speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth. wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the

July 15, 2011

Q1: I am a religion teacher at a primary school in the United States. Right now we are learning about the Sacraments, particularly about the Eucharist. My students (ages 10 to 11) have asked me many times why the “wine” is not offered to children, even when they are serving at the altar as acolytes.

I assume that the prohibition to drink alcohol in the United States until you are an adult has to do with it, but as my son once told a friend who is a priest, it is not wine — it is the Blood of Christ. Is there any rule or policy regarding distributing the Precious Blood to children, other than the same pastoral reason for which it is not distributed to the whole congregation, for the sake of time? — B.L., Key Biscayne, Fla. Q2: In our own church, at busy Masses we have the habit of having one extraordinary minister going down to the back of the church in order to distribute Communion. Personally I would much prefer to see Communion distributed from the step of the sanctuary. I was wondering if the rubrics have any guidelines on the matter. I find distribution at the rear of the church leads to a big crowd of people clustering around the minister and making reception of Communion look a bit of a mess. — J. McE., Dundalk,

O

ur series is coming to a close but before we conclude, there is something important to remember in your continuing appreciation of our friend G.K. Chesterton, the practical mystic.

His gift for paradox allows him to highlight something strange about our faith: our dogmas are perhaps the only dogmas that escape being dogmatic. They are the only light that are also a darkness (as St. John of the Cross taught us).

Chesterton expresses himself in paradox because he knows that paradoxes beset us. He knows that paradoxes beset us because they refine us and prevent us from leaning to heavily into a truth on only one side of it.

One might remember from the movie “Apollo 13” that when a space shuttle tries to re-enter the atmosphere, it must do so through a narrow point of entry within the Earth’s gravitational field. If the pilot misses by even just a hair, he will bounce off it and ricochet into a vast emptiness of space.

Many have ceded to the temptation to reduce the “Chestertonian” worldview to some

7

The Anchor

Precious Blood for young children

Communion under both kinds Ireland under the form of intinction in A: Unless there are specific which a corner of the host is diocesan policies, I know of no dipped in the chalice and placed general rule excluding children directly upon the tongue. This from receiving the Precious allows them to gradually become Blood. Certainly in most Eastaccustomed to the taste as well as ern Churches, which always administer Communion under both obtaining the spiritual benefit of species, even very small children receiving both species. receive the Eucharist in this manner. Many of these churches distribute the two species together, directly to the mouth, using a special spoon.

By Father Although I am unEdward McNamara aware if the question has been legally tested in the United States, I doubt It has the added advantage of that there are serious legal conintroducing them to the possibilcerns regarding distribution of ity of receiving the host on the the Precious Blood to children.

If the U.S. Supreme Court can tongue in places where receiving on the hand has not only been justify admitting the use of an permitted but has become the illegal hallucinogen to a specific only option explained to young group in the name of religious children. freedom, then a few drops of Regarding the manner of what is apparently an alcoholic distributing Communion, No. beverage is unlikely to muster a 160 of the General Instruction of challenge. the Roman Missal (U.S. version) Of more concern is the possays: sibility of an adverse reflex “The priest then takes the reaction to wine on the part of paten or ciborium and goes to the young children unused to its communicants, who, as a rule, strong taste, especially when the approach in a procession. most common form of distribu“The faithful are not permitted tion is directly from the chalice.

It is also more likely that children to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves could drop the chalice. and, still less, to hand them from This difficulty can be remone to another. The norm for edied by initiating children to

Liturgical Q&A

reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel.

Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

“When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.”

The expression “as a rule” means that this is the best option.

But it does not exclude other possibilities if logistical difficulties make it impractical for all to approach the presbytery or sanctuary in a reasonable lapse of time.

However, other solutions should always ensure a dignified approach to Communion and the possibility of making a suitable act of reverence including kneeling in those countries where the bishops’ conferences have

The paradoxes of faith and life

rather simple axioms. One of and can never be in error about the more popular reductions is anything; if we believe this we to say that Chesterton knows will surely be disappointed. that all the world’s religions The point is that it is custoare wrong and Catholicism is dian of a truth expressed not right. Commonly, there can in “facts” or “concepts” but be a charitable amendment, in an unmediated reality that conceding that other religions aren’t exactly wrong but partial. It is certainly true that A Twitch other religions are partial, but to assert Upon a Thread that Catholicism is not also partial is the point

By Jennifer Pierce at which we ricochet off into that vastness of space from which we may not return. That theoldefies language. The Church ogy and religion themselves is the custodian — the only are partial and by their natures custodian — of things that are limited is a fact that we can essentially unknowable and thank Catholic theology for mysterious, namely the Euteaching us. We know Chescharist and our fallen natures, terton agrees here, because, which are like shapes and misswe have a mutual friend by the ing pieces drawn to each other. name of St. Thomas Aquinas, These mysteries require both who taught that we do not have our reason and our faith, both perfect knowledge but rather practicality and mysticism. It an imperfect knowledge; or, is this very delicate thread that as another mutual friend St. the Church tugs upon in order Paul described it, we see, but to bring us home, the quality through a mirror, darkly. of which is itself mysterious; The point is not that Cait reaches to the heavens as tholicism is the absolute truth surely as it grows into the earth

and becomes as unrelenting as iron even as it dissolves into a dew and from there to a vapor.

In order (partially) to understand this slippery paradox, we have to return to a much earlier essay of Chesterton’s entitled “A Defence of Rash Vows.” Years before he himself confirmed his loyalty to the Church, Chesterton here describes the wildly irrational nature of the vow as it appears from the outside. The point is not that one vows to do the possible, probable or the likely; for such things no vow is necessary. With a vow, our loyalty is demanded of us because it is understood from the outset that all manner of forces will beset us to require, usually in the name of reason, that we forsake it. The point is not that the vow will never lead to disappointment by trust being placed in human institutions that are perfect and never in error; the point is the vow of loyalty and obedience itself binds us and ensures that the Eucharist, the remission of sins, the Anointing of the

not specified another habitual form of reception (as is the case of Italy and most other countries). Going to the back of the church, as our reader has noticed, can lead to disorganization. This makes it easier for hosts to fall and for people with evil intentions to steal a sacred host.

Therefore, in conclusion, it is best that all communicants approach the presbytery area to receive Communion, even from several ministers. If this is not practically possible, then I would suggest using side altars as suitable distribution points. If there are no suitable side altars, then I suggest setting up temporary fixed spots for distributing the Eucharist at which the minister of Holy Communion remains in place while the faithful approach him or her.

If possible, this place could be slightly elevated above the floor so as to make administration easier for the minister and facilitate the possibility of kneeling to those faithful who choose to do so.

Father Edward McNamara is a Legionary of Christ and professor of Liturgy at Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. His column appears weekly at zenit.org. Send questions to liturgy@zenit.org. Put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field. Text should include initials, city and state.

Sick, the bond of Matrimony, the Holy Orders of the priest, and the Baptism of infants will contain the promises of Christ.

Without that obedience and loyalty, Christ has no earthly home and, therefore, we find no home either.

For Chesterton, the Reformation was key to his formation, and understanding it from the standpoint of “irrational” vows broken (either to the Church or in the case of the Henrican revolution, a marriage), it leads to nothing stable or lasting to which to tether our souls. As fallen people prone to sin and brokenness, if we allow fad, fashion, or personal conscience understood as opinion to replace what was meant to be a divine authority on earth, moral entropy prevails. We will always define our moral axioms down to the easiest things, the most flexible, the most simple to achieve — forgetting, of course, that the path is not meant to be easy to follow.

Jennifer is a parishioner of Corpus Christi in East Sandwich, where she lives with her husband Jim and three children.

8

T

he deep mysteries of the Kingdom of God are presented to us in this week’s Gospel selection from Matthew. Our divine Savior, from the depths of His own divine genius, taught us about it, using similes: the Kingdom of God is like a man who sows seeds; the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed; the Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with wheat until the whole batch leavened.

God’s Kingdom is one of the deep mysteries of our faith.

Some years ago, then-Bishop of Fall River Sean O’Malley spoke at a Confirmation Mass.

During his homily, he shared his insight about mysteries.

“The mysteries of our faith,” he said, “are not meant to be understood but pondered.” I’ve

July 15, 2011

The Anchor

Pondering the mysteries of God

never forgotten that wisdom come,” in the Lord’s Prayer. and insight.

We want to participate in the In the story of the Annunfullness of that kingdom, a ciation, when the angel came kingdom promised to believto Mary announcing that she ers. For it is a mystery as well had been chosen to be the mother of God, Luke tells us, “She Homily of the Week was deeply troubled Sixteenth Sunday and pondered what his in Ordinary Time words meant.”

Pondering the

By Father mysteries of God in Hugh J. McCullough our lives is, I think, just another word for prayer. We, like Mary, ponder the mysteries of God’s as a promise. presence in our lives.

Today’s parables about the Being part of the Kingdom kingdom clearly reveal that of God on earth is one of the the fullness of His kingdom on most ponderable mysteries earth is far from being perplaced before us. Jesus prayed fected. Sin, evil, cruelty, and for and urged on the Kingdom darkness are still with us. And of God coming upon us when God’s kingdom on earth, our He prayed, “Thy Kingdom Church, is composed of weeds

as well as wheat, sinners as well as saints, darkness as well as light. So what can we take to heart today from this Gospel teaching of Jesus? And how do we ponder its lesson? The promise of the kingdom is our greatest source of hope. Interestingly enough, the Gospels record that the only person Jesus personally promised the kingdom to was a dying criminal on Good Friday. Perhaps it was the only words of hope that man ever heard.

By virtue of our Baptism, we have already been initiated into the kingdom on earth, our Church, and at that moment, we were given the gift of faith, the gift of

believing in Christ and the eternal truths of His Gospel.

Each of us is called, like Mary, to ponder the depths of these mysteries in our hearts.

And in spite of the weeds that grow up among the wheat — wars, cruelty, sin, and selfishness of every kind — we know that the kingdom will be brought to its perfection only at the end of the ages, when we’ll hear the words of Psalm 86 ring true, “Lord, You are good and forgiving.” Then, we’ll have no need to understand the mysteries of God, for they will be made very clear to us as we see that Mystery face-to-face.

Father McCullough is pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Provincetown and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Wellfleet.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. July 16, Ex 12:37-42; Ps 136:1,10-15,23-24; Mt 12:14-21. Sun. July 17, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Wis 12:13,16-19; Ps 86:5-6,910,15-16; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30. Mon. July 18, Ex 14:5-18; (Ps) Ex 15:1-6; Mt 12:38-42. Tues. July 19, Ex 14:21-15:1; (Ps) Ex 15:8-10,12,17; Mt 12:46-50. Wed. July 20, Ex 16:1-5,9-15; Ps 78:18-19,23-28; Mt 13:1-9. Thu. July 21, Ex 19:1-2,9-11,16-20b; (Ps) Dn 3:52-56; Mt 13:10-17. Fri. July 22, Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8-11; Jn 20:1-2,11-18.

Sat. July 23, Ex 24:3-8; Ps 50:1-2,5-6,14-15; Mt 13:24-30. Sun. July 24, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 Kgs 3:5,7-12; Ps 119:57,72,76-77,127-130; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52 or 13:44-46. Mon. July 25, feast of St. James the Apostle, 2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1-6; Mt 20:20-28. Tues. July 26, Ex 33:7-11;34:5b-9,28; Ps 103:6-13; Mt 13:36-43.

Wed. July 27, Ex 34:29-35; Ps 99:5-7,9; Mt 13:44-46. Thu. July 28, Ex 40:16-21,34-38; Ps 84:3-6,8-11; Mt 13:47-53. Fri. July 29, Lv 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34b-37; Ps 81:3-6,1011; Jn 11:19-27 or Lk 10:38-42. Sat. July 30, Lv 25:1,8-17; Ps 67:2-3,5,7-8; Mt 14:1-12. Sun. July 31, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 55:1-3; Ps 145:8-9,15-18; Rom 8:35,37-39; Mt 14:13-21. Mon. Aug. 1, Nm 11:4b-15; Ps 81:12-17; Mt 14:22-36. Tues. Aug. 2, Nm 12:1-13; Ps 51:3-7,12-13; Mt 14:22-36 or Mt 15:1-2,10-14. Wed. Aug. 3, Nm 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29a,34-35; Ps 106:6-7,13-14,21-23; Mt 15:21-28. Thu. Aug. 4, Nm 20:1-13; Ps 95:1-2,6-9; Mt 16:13-23. Fri., Aug. 5, Dt 4:32-40; Ps 77:12-16,21; Mt 16:24-28.

W

hatever its other accomplishments, Henry Kissinger’s new book, “On China,” ought to cause serious reconsideration of that now-familiar refrain, “China-isthe-lead-country-of-the-future.”

Kissinger’s analysis of Chinese history has been criticized, as has his reticence about evils like the massacres at Tiananmen Square.

But his conclusion — that China’s future depends on the resolution of the conflict between those of its leaders who want to maintain totalitarian political control at all costs and those who want to complete the country’s remarkable economic development with a genuine opening toward democratic governance — strikes me as a fair summary

China-watching in the Vatican

advantage to the Catholic Church of the situation. And it should in quickly closing a diplomatic give no comfort to the China-isdeal with the Peoples Republic of inevitably-Number-One crowd.

China, ruled as it is today, and for A country that conflicted about three reasons. its political future is an unlikely contender for world supremacy.

The current division with the Chinese political leadership will also be of interest to the Holy See. In Rome, some Vatican

By George Weigel diplomats have long advocated a fast march toward full diplomatic relations 1. The current regime cannot with the Beijing government; othbe trusted to keep its word. For ers have urged a more measured approach, which has been the path some time, a modus vivendi was chosen by John Paul II and Bene- in place between the Vatican and dict XVI. The latter seem to me to Beijing on the appointment of bishops. It was never codified, have the better of the argument. but everyone knew the basic Indeed, it is not easy to see any rules of the road: no bishops are to be ordained without the tacit approval of the Holy See. The regime brazenly broke that working agreement late last year, going so far as to drag one elderly Chinese bishop by his hair to an illicit Episcopal ordination. There

The Catholic Difference

is no reason to think that formal diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the PRC will resolve this bottom-line issue of the Church’s independence to control its own life; that issue has to be resolved before any diplomatic deals are concluded.

2. Diplomatic relations with Beijing means the Vatican’s severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Taiwan is the first Chinese democracy in history; the Catholic Church has made clear for three decades now that, under modern conditions, democracy is morally superior to other forms of governance, most certainly including totalitarianism. For the Holy See to throw a Chinese democracy over the side while embracing Chinese totalitarians would raise grave questions about the Church’s commitments to human rights and democracy. The struggle that Kissinger describes over China’s future must be farther along the road toward a resolution in favor of the reformers before diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China make sense — not least because that kind of resolution could render the Taiwan issue moot.

3. Diplomatic relations with Beijing under current circumstances could well impede the

Church’s evangelical mission in the China of the future. There is serious persecution of Christians in China. Yet, if and when China finally opens itself fully to the world, China is likely to become the greatest field of Christian mission since the Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere in the 16th century. If the Catholic Church is seen as an ally of the old regime in the period immediately after the old regime falls, the Church’s missionary efforts are going to be seriously compromised. Evangelical Protestants and Mormons, who are gearing up for major missionary efforts in China when that becomes possible, don’t have to worry about such linkages being drawn. The Catholic Church should not put itself at a disadvantage in the missionary China of the future by its diplomatic actions today.

The Catholic Church is 2,000 years old; the current Chinese regime took power in 1949. The Church can afford to wait. Keeping the pressure on, especially about religious freedom and the free appointment of bishops, is more important now than a nunciature and a Vatican ambassador in Beijing.

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

Wednesday 13 July 2011 — at home in Dighton — “Gruntled” Workers Day (www.wellcat.com) ccording to a survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center, the most satisfying job in America is “clergyperson.” Clergy are a full seven points ahead of other occupations on the Top Ten list. These include firefighter, physical therapist, writer, special education teacher, classroom teacher, school administrator, artist, psychologist, and financial adviser. Are you surprised, dear readers?

If these are the most satisfying jobs in the country, I may be a candidate for the “Happiest Man

A

A

Happiness is ... in America” award. First, I’m a priest. But wait, there’s more. I also administer a Religious Education program. I write a weekly

column. I serve as a fire chaplain and I have an artistic bent. Forget physical therapist and financial consultant, though. Oh well, nobody’s perfect — certainly not me. I would be pleased just to come in third.

According to the survey, the

typical clergyperson leads a congregation in worship, provides moral guidance, and participates in community outreach. The average annual income of a clergyperson is $42,248 (I bet the remuneration of Catholic priests brought the averages down considerably). He or she works 52.5 hours per week.

As a general rule, a feeling of career contentment comes with higher income. People earning under $15,000 a year tend to be the most dissatisfied. People earning more than $50,000 a year report higher levels of satisfaction. The glaring exception is the clergyperson. This proves once again

A book of Homegrown Faith

lthough it is said that we are living in a post-Christian era, much of the Christian narrative is still part of our common vernacular. If asked, most Americans would not only know who Noah, Moses, and Jesus were, but would also be able to connect them with the correct storyline; the ark, the Ten Commandments, and the Cross. This is good, because knowledge of the Christian narrative is vital to taking the next, most important step in life which is not only knowing the story of Christianity, but knowing the author of the story, God himself.

As a Catholic parent, one of my greatest joys has been accompanying my six children on their journeys of faith, recounting the Christian story to them and introducing them to its author. Like guide posts along a path the first four Catholic Sacraments — Baptism, first Confession, first Communion, and Confirmation — have been invaluable bench marks for my husband and me in knowing when and what to teach our children about God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and about spiritual matters like prayer and about holy people like the saints.

Of course simultaneously parenting a toddler, three teen-agers, and two 20-somethings, which we are currently doing, can cause all these stories and bench marks to telescope together, sometimes making me feel as if I live in a time-lapse movie! Literally speaking, I can be reading a Bible story to my toddler at bedtime one minute, and then fast-forward to discussing the finer points of St. Augustine’s just war theory with one of my young adults the

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July 15, 2011

next minute. “How did they grow up so fast?” is not just a rhetorical question for my husband and me as we actively parent children ages three to 21 years old!

One of the most useful things I’ve learned from so many years of teaching the Catholic faith to my children is that they are never too young, nor too old to benefit from a good story, and neither am I. Borrowing from Jesus’ way of using everyday symbolic images

to illustrate eternal, spiritual truth, I developed the habit early on in my parenting of making simple spiritual observations about the world and relaying them to my children through entertaining stories. Contemporary parables, if you will. It was this habit that evolved into my writing and photo-illustrating children’s books, into my speaking at retreats and conferences, and even into writing this column, “Homegrown Faith,” about Catholic family life.

Now, at the urging of many dear readers, I am overjoyed to announce that a book based on this column, “Homegrown Faith; Nurturing Your Catholic Family,” is being published by Servant Books! Not only that, but the book carries with it endorsements from a whole host of holy Catholic men and women.

People like Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, and Bishop George W. Coleman of Fall River; Father Roger J.

Landry, executive editor of the Catholic newspaper The Anchor; Danielle Bean, author and editorial director of Faith and Family magazine; and Lisa Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com, just to name a few.

To everyone who encouraged me over the years to put this column into book form, thank you! How sweet it is to have a book that was homegrown in the Diocese of Fall River! The book includes 52 columns; those about teaching teen-agers to drive, learning life lessons from caterpillars and hurricanes, and doing mission work in Honduras. It also includes reflection questions after each column, which will help individuals and groups dig a little deeper into the spiritual component of each story.

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, prolific author and EWTN TV host of “Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms” kindly summarized the book, writing, “Heidi Bratton shows us how to grow spiritually throughout the Church year right in the ordinariness of our family days together with the extraordinary moments we experience as Catholic parents. This down-to-earth witty author gives unambiguous instructions for planting seeds of faith which will bloom in our children’s hearts forever.”

“Homegrown Faith, Nurturing Your Catholic Family” will be released on August 15 and is now available for pre-orders on www. amazon.com.

Heidi is an author, photographer, and full-time mother of six. To contact her, email homegrownfaith@gmail.com

that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.

So, why are we so happy?

Let me guess. Firstly, we work directly with people. We try to be there for them, including at the most critical times in their lives. Next, we are highly trained for the work we do. The formal education of a parish priest takes eight years. We are, one might say, specialists in our field. The physical demands are relatively low compared to other jobs in the lower income bracket. Our work environment, for the most part, is pleasant. We also tend to be generally well-respected by the community at large. These perks, according to the experts, add up to a high level of job satisfaction and a general sense of happiness and well-being among clergy.

People will always complain about their jobs and others will always complain about the job that you’re doing. Complaining has become a national past time.

No matter what profession you’re in, some will be quick to point out that they don’t like something you’ve said or done — or worse, that they don’t like you.

Positive feedback, in any profession, is rare. Folks presume you know you’re appreciated, so there’s no need to speak words of encouragement. It’s an error into which I myself sometimes fall.

I’m reminded of one of the Twelve Apostles. His name was “Joseph” but his friends all called him “Barnabas.” The nickname means “Son of Encouragement.”

He must have been a master in the art of the compliment. I bet he made a lot of people happy in his day.

Every priest has parishioners who might be called Sons and Daughters of Encouragement.

Every so often, a priest will receive a comment, phone call or note from one of them. Nobody goes fishing for compliments, but when these come they’re always

much-appreciated. It may come after a homily. “Father, I felt as though you were speaking directly to me today.” Even if you don’t remember what you said, it touched somebody. Encouragement can come in the form of a carefully chosen greeting card.

(I even get a card on Groundhog Day.) I especially like hand-written letters and notes. I keep them in a scrapbook.

Reviewing my scrapbook, I notice that, over the years, notes and letters are often generated by occasion of illness and death.

There’s something about death and dying that causes people to be especially appreciative of the presence of a priest.

I was recently called to the bedside of a young mother who had suddenly experienced a life-threatening medical incident. The neurosurgeon could not detect brain activity. When the mobile phone call came in, I was working in the yard.

Dressed in muddy jeans, I rushed to her bedside. In the presence of her family, I administered the Sacrament of the Sick. It was an intimate moment, simultaneously sad and faith-filled. I may have looked like a bum, but nobody complained. I was there, and that’s what mattered.

The Gospel message is not so much in the words as it is in the presence. It comes as no surprise to me that priests are happy.

Addendum: As I was putting the finishing touches on this column, my phone rang again.

An elderly woman whom I had never met was dying at home, some miles away. A parishioner gave the family my phone number. I was able to be there in the blink of an eye (and in uniform).

It’s very satisfying to be needed as a priest.

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

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By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

SOMERSET — When Shelagh Taylor joined St. Thomas More Parish in Somerset when she was 10 years old after moving from another town, she had no idea that as an adult, she would become a staple in the parish community.

“Religion has been a big part of my life,” said Taylor. “For my father, being Catholic was very important.”

Mass was a weekly event throughout her childhood. After graduating from college and becoming a teacher in the Somerset school system, an introduction to the newest pastor at St. Thomas More had Taylor taking on a new role at the parish.

“Right away he recruited me for catechism,” said Taylor.

Soon she became an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and then a lector.

“I love being a lector. I love reading the Scripture,” said Taylor. “I practice it at home and I love reading it.”

She also became part of the funeral ministry at her parish. Two or three adults attend a funeral and assist as an altar server or greeter.

“I’ve been trained in that ministry now. I feel I just wanted to give back,” said Taylor. “I think that it’s important. There are so many people now who are not practicing their faith and they come back for a funeral and they’re not sure exactly what needs to be done.”

The funeral ministry is designed to make those attending more at ease, let them know where things are in the church, and members have even done readings during the service, said Taylor.

“You’re there to comfort them and also help them,” she said. “You’re another voice when the organist is playing the music. I just think it’s important. When you’re there at a Baptism, everyone is there; everyone loves a Baptism. People have forgotten that it’s important that there are protocols for the dead.”

Taylor collects a prayer card after each service she attends and honors the dead in her own special way.

“I take those cards on Holy Thursday for adora-

From father to daughter tion and pray for the dead,” she said. “I will usually read the prayer or Scripture on the back of the card.”

One of Taylor’s most challenging roles in the parish is her being a member of the Parish Pastoral Council. One of 12 members, with an equal split between men and women combined with a diverse

Anchor Person of the Week — Shelagh Taylor. age and background selection offers the parish many supportive voices within its ranks.

“These are people who are willing to come forward and speak,” said Taylor. “If people are not

July 15, 2011

part of the stewardship, the Church is not going to stay the way they remember it or feel it should go. It’s not that the teachings of Christ are going to change, it’s just so important that people are willing.”

With summer attendance down, Taylor appreciates families who take the time to gather the children and attend.

“I know that people are busy but they need to take that hour, once a week, and just shut that cell phone off and go in and sit down,” she said. “It’s a time when you can sit down and relax. You’ve got time to sit and rejuvenate yourself for the week. It gives you that time to reflect. It’s really important that you come as a family, and sit together as a family.”

She added, “It’s hard because our lives are busy.

People remember God when it’s a tragedy; again, back to the funeral. It’s like, ‘We have to start going back to church.’”

Her role as a teacher often has her seeing her students from her school at her parish; her presence is so consistent at the church that a little boy was in awe, telling her that every time he went, no matter when, she was always there.

“I go every week,” she said, of what she told him. Taylor chuckles, saying she sees other students at church who work hard to make sure that she sees them. “I’m reading and I’ve got them waving to me. I have to wave back because they’ll keep waving. People will start giggling or turn around to see who I’m waving to; most people know I’m a teacher.”

Currently Taylor is the coordinator for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults ministry program at her parish. RCIA is the process through which interested adults and older children are gradually introduced to the Roman Catholic faith and way of life, and Taylor said that being part of the program has been one of her most rewarding experiences.

“To listen to these young women who I have been working with, they are so interested in coming to church,” said Taylor. “They have been looking for something. When they came into the church building — this was it. Many of them don’t come knocking on the rectory door, they sit with the congregation and watch people, interact with people.”

Taylor said she wishes more people would remember how kind God has been, that He looks out for everyone regardless of what they think of Him. “People don’t realize; they only see the bad part,” said Taylor. “They see all the horrible things that happened, but you know what? That happens everywhere, not just in the Catholic Church. Of course, it’s been sensationalized more here, and I’ve had people tell me that that’s why they’re not going. I say to them, ‘You weren’t even affected by that.

That didn’t even happen to you.’”

Taylor’s daughter has followed in her mother’s footsteps. She was an altar server, is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a lector and has taught Faith Formation classes.

“It’s so nice to see,” said Taylor. “It is like a legacy. I always say to her that this is a gift that my father, who has since passed away, gave to me. I look upon it like that. My father didn’t leave me money but he left me my religion.”

To submit a Person of the Week nominee, send an email with information to fatherrogerlandry@ anchornews.org

Young women invited to vocation awareness retreat continued from page one

pare food for the men’s retreats and felt this may be a good idea for our young women as well,” said Wilk. She approached Sister Lamb, who works in the home-bound ministry at St. Patrick’s, and since then the two have worked on making the weekend a reality.

They presented their idea to Mercy Sister Catherine Donovan, director of the diocesan Office for Religious, and she was all for it. “This is part of our universal call to holiness,” Sister Donovan told The Anchor. “It’s all about planting the seed.”

Sister Donovan said that women’s religious orders used to go out recruiting potential candidates, but sometimes the numbers don’t allow them to.

“I attended Mount St. Mary’s High School in Fall River when I was a girl,” she said. “And when I was a novitiate, I went back to my school to talk to the students there about religious life. There aren’t enough Sisters to do that now.”

The “Called By Name” weekend is geared for high schooland college-aged women said Wilk. “Girls are still being called,” she said. “We just have to help them hear that call.”

Wilk said her parish sponsored a mission to Philadelphia last year that brought young men and women to spend time at the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity motherhouse. “The young people really got to see what it was like to live in a religious community.

They were impressed. In fact one young woman said to me, ‘It was nice to be around community living. I think I might like to be a Sister.’”

Wilk said that was just another seed planted in her mind that helped this weekend come about. “I’ve always held promoting vocations very dear to my heart,” Wilk added.

Sister Lamb and Wilk, along with Sister Mary Kay McDon-

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July 15, 2011

ald, MSBT, assembled the nuts and bolts of the weekend, that begins on the Friday evening at 7 p.m. and concludes on the Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

“We’ll have talks on women’s religious vocations from guest Sisters,” said Wilk.

“We’ll also have a talk on the vocation of marriage, and how Catholic parents should be open to and discuss the call to a religious vocation with their young daughters and sons.”

The retreatants will also hear about the various religious communities and what their charisms focus on and the varieties of community life.

Wilk pointed out that she has invited several young college peer minsters to be a part of the

weekend. “Young people can relate more closely to people their own age,” said Wilk. “The young women have a lot to offer and I find that there’s more success when younger people are involved.”

The weekend also offers fun activities and “plenty of food.”

There will be Masses on Saturday and Sunday, celebrated

by Sacred Hearts Father Stan Kolasa and St. Patrick’s pastor John Sullivan, respectively.

Wilk said she and Sisters Lamb and Donovan have been spreading the word about the weekend in parish bulletins, through parish Religious Education programs, and through the Office of Faith Formation.

Sister Donovan told The An-

chor that the diocesan Office for Religious is not a vocation office, but “part of our ministry is to promote vocations.”

Pope Benedict has said, “If consecrated life is of benefit to the whole Church, something that concerns us all, then pastoral care that seeks to promote vocations to the consecrated life must also be a duty felt by all: bishops, priests, religious and lay people.”

Wilk said she has received positive feedback from some of the young women she’s invited.

“They’re seriously thinking about it,” she said.

“This is an invitation to

look at vocations,” said Wilk.

“We’re not looking for young women to sign up for a community right away, but we want to provide them with information and the process of looking into religious life. Some may feel a calling and others may want information. We hope to give them something to think about.

“The invitation is to leave your cares and worries behind.

Come retreat with us.”

The weekend cost is $32, including meals. For more information, contact Paula Wilk at 774-283-0441 or email stpatricksre@yahoo.com

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July 15, 2011

Revised and updated ...

2011-2012 Diocese of Fall River Catholic Directory ... shipping August 2011 Published by The Anchor Publishing Company P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Massachusetts 02722 Please ship _____ directories x $18 each, including shipping and handling. Total Enclosed $_____ NAME ____________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________ CITY _____________________ STATE _______ ZIP _____ Please make checks payable to “Anchor Publishing” For more information, email theanchor@anchonews.org, call 508-675-7151, or order online at www.anchornews.org

united in priestly joy — Father Riley J. Williams, right, who was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Fall River last week at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River, is greeted by former Fall River bishop and now retired Archbishop of Hartford Daniel A. Cronin, left, and Bishop George W. Coleman, who officiated at the ordination. Archbishop Cronin, a longtime friend of the Williams Family, was invited to attend the ordination. (Photo by John E. Kearns Jr.)

July 15, 2011

P

‘Gay genes,’ sexual attractions, and the call to chastity

eople often surmise that same-sex attraction is inborn, and that homosexuals are “naturally gay” or “born that way.” They suppose that if God made them that way then it must not be a sin to act on their sexual desires. The possibility of a “gay gene” is sometimes offered as a further defense, suggesting that the condition, and its associated behavior, are inevitable and inescapable. One commentator summarized it this way: “Asking someone to stop being homosexual would therefore be equivalent to asking an Asian person to stop being Asian or a left-handed person to stop being left-handed.”

Even if a hypothetical “gay gene” were ever found, all it would likely determine, similar to most genes governing behavior, would be a genetic predisposition towards a particular sexual preference.

This would be something very different from the genetic determinism or “hard-wiring” of, say, eye color or blood type. Multiple twin studies have already demonstrated that only about a third of the identical twins of those with same-sex attractions also experience same-sex attractions; whereas if sexual attractions were determined strictly by genes, those with identical

T

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The Anchor genes would be expected to how we choose to act in the have identical attractions. face of those inclinations.

Even if we have genes that Sherif Gergis summarizes predispose us towards certhis idea in a recent article: tain behaviors, we still have “We do not pretend to know a space of freedom within the genesis of same-sex atourselves, and do not have traction, but we consider it to engage in those behavultimately irrelevant to this iors. Our genes may impel us debate. On this point, we strongly in certain behavioral agree with same-sex mardirections, but they can’t compel us.

This reminds us of one of the fundamental truths about our human nature — namely, that we

By Father Tad are not creatures of sexual necessity. We Pacholczyk are not compelled to act on our inclinations and urges, but are always free to act otherriage advocate Professor John wise, even directly against Corvino: ‘The fact is that the grain of those inclinathere are plenty of genetitions. In fact, to be truly free cally influenced traits that as a human means to have are nevertheless undesirthe strength to act against able. Alcoholism may have a ourselves, so that we do not genetic basis, but it doesn’t live in bondage to our own follow that alcoholics ought inner impulses and drives, a to drink excessively. Some key consideration that distinpeople may have a genetic guishes us from the animals. predisposition to violence, Human freedom involves the but they have no more right mastery of those drives by to attack their neighbors than redirecting them and orderanyone else. Persons with ing them to higher goals. So such tendencies cannot say while we cannot in any way ‘God made me this way’ as be held responsible for inan excuse for acting on their born inclinations, we certaindispositions.’” ly can be held responsible for Even though God did make

Making Sense Out of Bioethics

New meaning to ‘Big Papi’

hey are the two of the I don’t think I’m alone feeling most difficult words to say this way. At least I hope I’m not. together. They total only seven That’s what makes last Friday’s letters and one apostrophe, but episode at Fenway Park in Boston they’re tougher to blurt than recitsuch a great story. ing the Declaration of IndepenAfter getting brushed back by dence ... backwards.

I’m sorry.

I dare say that most of us have had moments when we have said or done something, as a gut reaction, that we have regretted shortly afterBy Dave Jolivet wards.

It’s easy to lose one’s cool in the heat of the moment. It’s humbling and embar- three inside pitches against the rassing to express remorse for Baltimore Orioles, Red Sox slugpopping one’s cork. ger David “Big Papi” Ortiz hit a Feeling sorry comes naturally. fly ball to centerfield. On his way Inside we feel the shame of our to first base, Papi made an unexwords and actions, and being con- pected and uncharacteristic left trite is genuine. But oh, to express turn to charge the pitcher’s mound, it in words! where the Baltimore hurler was For me, those the three little this time hurling insults. syllables often come out like a After a few sweeping right line from Ralph Kramden on “The hooks that thankfully never conHoneymooners” ... “I’m, I’m, nected, the benches and bullpens mmm, hamana, hamana, sorry!” emptied. A few pushes, shoves and Especially after all those times salty comments were exchanged, I’ve spoken without thinking, I and order was restored. should be more adept and eloDon’t get the wrong idea — quent. Not. that’s not the good part.

My View From the Stands

Big Papi’s meltdown was totally un-Papi. Usually Shrek-like in his demeanor, David lost his cool ... and regretted it afterwards.

I’m sure many athletes have found themselves in the same situation ... blowing a gasket and feeling remorse later on. But how many actually say those two agonizing words? I can’t think of that many.

The following morning in the Boston Herald, Papi is quoted as saying, “I haven’t had a fight since I was in kindergarten. That’s not what the fans want to see.

That’s not part of my personality.”

But that wasn’t enough for him.

He continued, “I didn’t feel good about how that thing happened.

I apologize to everyone for the situation. I have a lot of friends on that ballclub. I’m not happy about it. That’s not what people come to see.”

Everyone loses his or her cool once in a while. It’s only natural.

We’re human. We’re imperfect.

It’s what happens afterward that measures the size of person. Last Friday, David Ortiz gave new meaning to the name “Big Papi.”

each of us in a certain way, it is clear there are other factors that have influence over our personal constitution and inclinations as well, including actual sin and original sin. It is not difficult for us to see, through the turmoil of our own disordered inclinations, how our human condition, our general biology, our psychological depths, and even our DNA, seem to be subject to a fundamental fallenness.

It would not be unexpected or surprising, then, if we eventually discovered predisposing factors (genes, hormones, developmental cues, etc.) that give rise to heterosexual or homosexual inclinations. What is of real moral relevance to the discussion, however, is the universal call to chastity, irrespective of genes and hormones.

Chastity refers to the successful integration of sexuality within the person, and all men and women are called to live chastely in keeping with their particular states of life.

Some will do so by professing a life of consecrated virginity or consecrated celibacy.

Married people will do so by living conjugal chastity, in

the exclusive and lifelong gift of husband and wife to each other, avoiding the unchastity of contraceptive sex, and sharing the marital embrace in openness to new life. Professor Robert George speaks of “marriage as a union that takes its distinctive character from being founded, unlike other friendships, on bodily unity of the kind that sometimes generates new life.”

Those who are single will practice chastity in continence, steering away from fornication, masturbation, and pornographic pursuits.

Those who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex are similarly called to chastity in continence. By refraining from sexual activity with members of the same sex, and engaging in an apprenticeship of self-mastery, they come to acquire, like all who pursue lives of chastity, an abiding inner freedom and peace.

Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did postdoctoral 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

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Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, July 17, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Andrew Johnson, OCSO, chaplain at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, July 24, 11:00 a.m.

July 15, 2011

License plates help women in crisis continued from page one

the kind of money they raised in other states.

Because the money goes to great causes, he said of having a Choose Life plate, “It’s significantly different than simply buying a bumper sticker and putting it on your car.”

When he began to get the word out about the plates, he found that many people did not believe Massachusetts would ever have a ProLife plate.

Deacon Connor asserted that plastering the Pro-Life message on cars is that much more important here because it is a way to give people hope. Mothers considering abortion are at a vulnerable point in their lives. They need help, and they need people to stand up and tell them that they do not have to

buckle to the pressures of society that say abortion is their best alternative.

Mark Conrad ­— former president of A Woman’s Concern, a group of pregnancy resource centers — said that women facing an unplanned pregnancy who are given all the options are more likely to keep their babies.

“Women who are fully informed choose life,” said Conrad, who is also a Choose Life board member.

Deacon Connor said that the plate also gives hope to people who are already Pro-Life. When a state is as liberal as Massachusetts, a positive message about life is encouraging.

“It’s tough to keep going. It’s tough to keep up the good fight be-

Celebrant is Father Timothy J. Goldrick, pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, July 31, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Barry W. Wall, retired priest of the Fall River Diocese and diocesan archivist

This week in 50 years ago — St. Casimir’s and St. Hedwig’s parishes in New Bedford were in the midst of building new churches. At St. Casimir’s, construction was planned for completion by the end of the year, while St. Hedwig’s was expected to be completed within the month.

25 years ago — In a moving service at the Fall River motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, leadership passed from prioress-general Sister Barbara A. McCarthy to her successor, Sister Elizabeth Menard.

cause sometimes you just feel so outnumbered,” he added.

Nordeen said that the plates almost did not make it on the Commonwealth’s highways. She spent years promoting the plates and gathering checks. Then, she had to re-gather checks that had expired because too much time had passed. Only 18 months before the plates came on the road last July, Nordeen considered quitting the campaign.

“My husband and I talked about it, we prayed about it, and I said that we were going to try this one more time,” she said.

“If we do it one more time, we’re going to give it all we can, but we’re going to put in God’s hands,” she told her husband. “If we put it in God’s hands, we’ll know whether or not it’s meant to be.”

From then on Nordeen had many positive responses and new people came together to make the Choose Life plates possible. She stressed, “It wasn’t just me who did this.” Many people helped with the legwork and offered prayers, Rosaries and hours in adoration.

“It’s been a wonderful spiritual experience,” she said.

People who have the plate on their cars report honking and waving to others who also have plates.

They say that they receive inquiries about what the plates mean and how to acquire one. A simple trip to the registry or even renewing your registration online is all it takes.

A total of 3,000 plates need to be sold in the first two years in order for a $100,000 security bond to be returned to an anonymous donor. With only one year remaining, there are 2,052 on the road, and another 500 have been paid for but not picked up from the registry.

For more information about the Choose Life plates, visit www. machoose-life.org

Diocesan history 10 years ago — As plans for the construction of a new church for Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich moved forward, parishioners began a spiritual bouquet to pray for the success of the project. It began, appropriately enough, on the feast of Corpus Christi.

One year ago — The members of the Youth Group at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet — and their devoted parents — constructed a prize-winning parade float themed “Real presence of Christ” that appeared in Acushnet’s 150th anniversary parade and the annual Blessed Sacrament Feast parade in New Bedford.

July 15, 2011

Teen-age boys attend Quo Vadis camp continued from page one

of priests, seminarians and adult advisors who provide guidance and advice to help high schoolaged young men deepen their faith and better discern what God is calling them to do.

“We’ve tried to build up a relationship with these kids, so they’ll want to come back,” Father Bissinger said. “In addition to Quo Vadis Days last year, we tried to schedule other events during the year to continue it, so it just wouldn’t be a once-a-year summer camp. It’s important to keep these relationships going, so maybe it’s not so hard for them to imagine making a commitment to the diocese once they get to know us.”

Aimed at young men ages 14 to 18 from the Fall River Diocese, the original Quo Vadis Days was cofounded by Father John Cihak of Portland, Ore. and Father William Dillard of San Diego, Calif., in the summer of 2000. Twenty-two young men attended the first camp and the idea has since spread to several dioceses in the United States.

While there is no commitment or guarantee that eligible attendees will return for successive retreats, Father Kevin A. Cook, associate director of Vocations and Seminarians for the diocese, said he’s pleased to see more than half of last year’s group return.

“It’s only our second year, but I think we’re seeing some strong bonds being formed here,” Father Cook said. “There’s always a different dynamic between the various personalities. I know some of the guys have found this as a means to help them in discerning their vocations. It’s a good opportunity to talk about how the Lord may be calling them. There’s an openness and a willingness to discuss in an environment like this that they won’t find anywhere else. It’s also good to know as a teen-age boy that other guys your age are taking their faith seriously.”

On the second day of the retreat participants, priests and seminarians assembled within the confines of the small chapel near the entrance to the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center to listen to Father Roger J. Landry, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford and executive editor of The Anchor, discuss how Blessed Pope John Paul II’s great affection for youth was not only an earmark of his papacy but a central theme of his entire ministry.

Citing the former pontiff’s mantra of “Be not afraid,” Father Landry said it requires courage and dedication to answer Christ’s calling.

“Jesus wants to establish a

15

The Anchor friendship with you,” Father Landry said, quoting from John 15:15: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

While a good portion of the retreat consists of similar inspirational talks, prayer and meditation, there’s also plenty of time allotted for socializing and fun activities like swimming, hiking and outdoor cookouts.

“I really enjoy the night games: we play ultimate Frisbee, manhunt, soccer and football,” said Kyle Sirois of Notre Dame Parish, Fall River, who returned for Quo Vadis Days 2011. “It’s always good to see a priest running around playing soccer.”

“This was such a great experience last year,” said Jonathan F. Hamel of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet. “Talking to the seminarians was great, they talked a lot about their own experiences; and the priests gave a lot of inspirational talks last year so I thought I’d come back.”

“Just the friendliness of all the seminarians, the priests and the other participants made me want to come back,” Sirois agreed. “If anyone is thinking about attending next year, I’d recommend it. Even if they’re not thinking about becoming a priest at all, it’s a good experience to get out, get closer to God, and make

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some new friends.”

First-time Quo Vadis attendee Giovanni Alves of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford, said his pastor, Father Landry, recommended he attend and he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I didn’t know much about Quo Vadis at all before I came, and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” he said, “but so far, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve already made some new friends and I’m looking forward to our mountain hiking trip tomorrow.”

Another Quo Vadis newbie, Kenny Viera, said he heard such great things about last year’s retreat from his fellow parishioners at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet that he immediately signed up.

“So far, I’ve had a great time and I’m already thinking about coming back next year,” he said.

Just before enjoying an evening meal of grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs courtesy of seminarians Jason Brilhante and Chris Peschel, the group embarked on something Father Cook dubbed the “Vietnam Walk” — a tradition that began with last year’s inaugural Quo Vadis Days.

It entails the group praying the Rosary while walking along a path deep into the woods — a jungle-like trail that inspired the Vietnam comparison.

“The main thing is to help

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these guys grow in their faith and help them look at the crucial questions about desiring God’s will,” Father Cook said. “Most

of these guys will become married men and fathers, but it’s important to plant the seeds at an early age.”

Our Lady of the Assumption Church 76 Wianno Avenue, Osterville, MA 02655 Sat., 6 August 2010• 508-428-2011

SELECTION OF VENUES FOR 2011: Saturday, 3, Sep St. Francis Xavier Church, Acushnet, MA Saturday, 1, Oct Corpus Christi Church, East Sandwich, MA Saturday, 5 Nov St. Lawrence Church, Brookline, MA Saturday, 3 Dec St. Brendan Church, Bellingham, MA

Youth Pages

16

July 15, 2011

St. Bernard’s Knights of Columbus award scholarships

ASSONET — St. Bernard’s Knights of Columbus, Cross of Christ Council in Assonet, recently held a dinner for its scholarship recipients. The Scholarship Committee raised funds through its annual dinner dance, raffle and silent auction held at Whites of Westport.

It also chaperoned one of the monthly middle school dances at St. Bernard’s. Total funds raised for this year were $5,100. This year’s fund-raisers brought in the most money that they had ever raised, and all of it was dispersed to the students.

Several members of the Knights graciously helped to serve the savory Chinese food from Big Wong Restaurant in Taunton. For dessert, the recipients and their families indulged in cake and coffee. A general

engine company — Students at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro recently got the ride of their lives. Aidan Killough, Makenzie Killough, Julia Listro, and Olivia Sirard were picked up from St. John’s, and were driven home by Firefighter Roger Mercier. An engine and ladder fire truck showed up to escort the children home, however, while at St. John’s the engine truck had to leave for duty. Makenzie sat up front with the firefighter, Aidan sat in the jump seat, and Olivia and Julia sat in the back seat. As the fire truck turned the corner to their street, they blared the horns and turned on the lights. The Killough Family were the winning bidders for the ride from the annual St. John’s Dinner Auction held last November. They shared the ride with the Listro and Sirard families, since the prior year, the Killough children got to share a ride home in a police cruiser, an auction win from the Listro and Sirard families.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth.

If schools or parish Religious Education programs, have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to:

atmosphere of celebration and congeniality could be felt.

After dinner Bill Morin, the co-chairman of the committee, announced the names of the students who received the scholarships. Father Michael Racine, pastor, and Grand Knight, Tony Branco, shook their hands to congratulate them.

This year the applications from the 15 college students and three Catholic high school students were highly admirable.

This resulted in the committee awarding all 18 applicants a scholarship of $275. Certificates of achievement and checks will be distributed in August.

This year’s high school recipients were: Alexa Cahill attending Bishop Connolly; Corey Andrade and Matt Houghton both attending Coyle and Cassidy.

This year’s college recipients were: Ryan Bernard entering Stonehill College; Emma Bernard entering Springfield College; Sam Bernard attending Boston University; Nolan Bernier entering Johnson & Wales University; Alyssa Correia attending Quinnipiac; Stephanie Couitt attending Bridgewater State University; Stephen Couitt entering Worcester Poly Tech; Meghan Earle attending Framingham University; Kara Fortier entering Quinnipiac, Nick Houghton entering Worcester Poly Tech; Taylor Kelly entering Framingham State University; Peter Martin attending Syracuse University; Molly McCabe attending Stonehill College; Zachary McGowan attending Tufts University; and David Morin attending Johnson & Wales University.

the bright stuff — Recent scholarship winners at St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet included, back row from left: Taylor Kelly, pastor Father Michael Racine, David Morin, Bill Morin, Tony Branco, and Meghan Earle. Front from left: Kara Fortier, Zachary McGowan, Emma Bernard, Ryan Bernard, Matt Houghton, Corey Andrade, Alexa Cahill, Molly McCabe, and Stephanie Couitt.

schools@anchornews.org

Send us your summer youth program photos!

We’d love to run them. schools@anchornews.org

a way with words — The Debate Team from Holy Trinity School in Fall River recently took first place in the first-ever middle school debate competition held at Bishop Connolly High School. The team members are Samantha Chicca, Eric Ganzarski, Jeffry Pires and Rebecca Faris. The children were coached by students on the Bishop Connolly High School Debate Team.

Youth Pages

July 15, 2011

L

17

Relax, enjoy, but don’t forget God

ike most people, I look forward to the summer months to relax and enjoy all that the warm weather has to offer. From tending to my gardens to taking family trips, I absorb each and every moment as a way of enjoying my favorite time of year and thanking God for the many blessings He gives me… outdoors. After all, that’s what vacation is all about. You work hard throughout the year, do your best for your family, friends, community and for yourself and then you rest. I think I deserve that. And so do you.

But don’t forget the one person you should praise and thank for all these blessings.

Jesus wants us to work hard at everything we do, strive for the greater good, be successful and love as He loves us. Then, we can relax, enjoy and take comfort when He tells us, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

What is this “rest” that the Lord talks about? I’m sure there

are many ways you can interpret to see that. But when classes that, but the one that stands out finish it seems like Mass attenfor me is the “rest” he gives me dance does also. How sad to see at His banquet table. that. No one wants us to enjoy When I go to Mass there is a our vacations more than the peace that comes over me that Lord. But let these vacations be I cannot, and have not, experifrom your labors and burdens, enced anywhere else. For a time not from the Lord. Take Him I could not understand why that was. But as I grew in my faith, I realized that this peace came about simply because I am in the presence of the Lord, the true presence of Jesus

By Ozzie Pacheco revealed in the Eucharist — his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

This is truly the peace that Jesus with you. See Him and meet gives and the world cannot. Yet Him at Mass. in a world always seeking peace Isn’t it true that sometimes I am saddened that our churches you try to find any excuse not remain much less than full, to go to Mass? The real quesespecially now during the sumtion here is why do you look mer vacation months. Where is for a reason not to attend? I’ve everybody? heard many responses, from Working in ministry I know “It’s boring” to “I get nothing all too well that when Faith out of Mass.” At every Mass, we Formation classes are in session, have two choices: We can “go the church is packed, sometimes through the motions,” reciting standing room only. What a joy the prayers but remaining dis-

tant from God. Or we can have a life-changing encounter with God. Jesus wants much more than just our attendance. He wants our experience of the Liturgy to be every day. Isn’t that how we live the Mass everyday?

Isn’t that what the final words of the Mass mean, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord”?

Whether you faithfully and regularly attend Mass, or only when Faith Formation classes are in session, or on occasion, an examination of your heart will help you to understand why you should always attend Mass. I share the following with you, taken from Leo Zanchettin’s book, “Taking It Personally: How Your Catholic Faith Can Transform You.” If possible, try to get to church a few minutes before Mass starts to prepare your heart for all that God intends to give you during the Liturgy. Take some time to ponder the following questions and to settle your heart in God’s presence.

1. Can I look upon the Mass as a lavish banquet that God has prepared for me and for everyone else in church?

2. What thoughts or attitudes might keep me from lifting up my heart to God during Mass?

Can I recognize the spiritual battle in which the evil one wants to rob me of my sense of God’s presence?

3. Am I ready — to the best of my ability — to worship the Lord with my whole heart during Mass?

4. Can I see the people around me as part of God’s family?

Remember, if you’re away from home on vacation, do your best and find a church in the area. Go meet Jesus! Yes, the same Jesus you thought you left behind back home. He’s there, always one step ahead of you. So enjoy your vacation, relax in the sun or shade, but don’t forget God — He’s not forgotten you!

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

ST. LOUIS (CNS) — St. Louis Catholic elementary schools have reached out to assist educators in Joplin.

Principals and teachers donated textbooks, library books, teacher resource materials and other items for St. Mary’s School and other schools in Joplin destroyed by a tornado in May. More than 300 boxes of materials were collected.

“My heart goes out to the people of Joplin,” said Ann Davis, principal of St. Gabriel the Archangel School, who was cleaning up at the end of the school year when she thought of the idea to help the Joplin schools. “As a former teacher and knowing what I’ve heard of St. Mary’s School — that there’s nothing left — I knew that they have to start from square one.”

It’s no secret that classroom teachers buy supplies with their own money, everything from materials for bulletin boards to extra workbooks. The effort is intended to show the teachers much-needed support. Some teachers may have had both their homes and workplaces hit, Davis noted.

A storage closet at St. Gabriel had a reading series that was about five years old. The school had tried to sell the textbooks to a buy-back textbook company and was unable to do so.

“It was in good shape, pretty much like brand new, and I thought the Joplin schools could use it,” Davis told the St. Louis Review, newspaper of the St. Louis Archdiocese.

She contacted the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau to see if it needed books for the schools.

The answer was a resounding “yes.” Davis sent an email to all the Catholic elementary school in the St. Louis Archdiocese requesting help for materials to be donated.

The donated materials include science, reading, math and social

open, and asked them to drop off whatever they have,” she said.

A truck was recently packed by parishioners, school families and students from St. Gabriel. Staff members of the school and parents took the items to the diocesan

of order in August,” Davis said.

“It will be hard enough for those kids. They need to go back to a classroom that looks like a classroom.”

According to information posted on the Springfield-Cape Girardeau

for those “who need to replace so many things.”

Catholic Charities said the process of recovery for the families and the community will take several years but it remains “committed for the long term.”

“Our goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of those affected by the tornado,” the agency said in a statement. “The generous contribution to this effort has allowed us to meet families’ immediate needs and plan for the long-term recovery process.”

In the St. Louis Archdiocese, employees at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis County have contributed $44,455 to the Missouri Hospital Association’s Hospital Employee Relief Organization fund’s efforts to assist health care colleagues affected by the recent tornadoes in Joplin and the St. Louis area. The medical center administration added a $5,000 donation.

Sharon Schmitt, a physical therapist assistant in St. Anthony’s Home Care, raised more than $400 June 5 by hosting a lemonade stand at her own house, with help from her daughter, Caity, and one of Caity’s high school classmates and one of her friends.

“It’s not a ton of money, but I hope the workers know we are thinking of them; we hope this helps in some small way,” Sharon Schmitt said.

More information about how to help tornado victims in Joplin can be found in a section titled “Joplin disaster relief” on the website of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, http://ccsomo.org

Be Not Afraid

Catholic schools in St. Louis reach out to help educators in Joplin

TORNADO ASSISTANCE — Ray Karasek hands a box of school supplies to John Catanzaro as helpers load a truck headed to Joplin, Mo., recently. Both men are parishioners at St. Gabriel the Archangel in St. Louis. The Catholic school organized other St. Louis Catholic elementary schools to assist St. Mary’s School in Joplin, which was damaged in a tornado in late May. (CNS photo/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review)

studies texts, library books, teacher resource materials and more.

“We’ve received science equipment, playground equipment, construction paper, dictionaries,” Davis added, naming some of the items.

Donations have been received from across the St. Louis Archdiocese. “We kept our garage door

Catholic schools office in Springfield. Assistance also came from AJ Adhesives, which donated boxes; the Sinclair Ford dealership, which donated a truck; and SchoolReach, which covered fuel costs.

“My mind is still spinning on what ways we can help those teachers get their classrooms started and find some semblance

diocesan website, the needs of more than 2,500 households have been met through Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. Donations from across the country have enabled the agency to hand out about $31,000 in gift cards.

But many needs remain unmet, to meet, it said, noting that cash donations “afford the most flexibility

18

The Anchor

Merger of Congregation of Holy Cross provinces called historic ‘union’

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) — A merger of the two U.S. provinces of the Congregation of Holy Cross “is a union and an act of God,” said Father David T. Tyson, provincial superior.

The congregation’s Eastern and Indiana provinces officially came together July 1, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The merger was approved at the congregation’s general chapter meeting in Rome in the summer of 2010. In December the two provinces chose the date it would take effect.

“Holy Cross has trusted in God’s divine providence from the beginning. Today with this union, He continues to bless us,” Father Tyson said in a statement.

“With more than 100 seminarians, we are now more than 500 strong,” he said. “We are men of different ages, cultures, and ministries, but we are united in the common mission of Holy Cross: to make God known, loved and served.”

The new province’s administrative offices will be located in Notre Dame.

Besides the University of Notre Dame, the province’s ministries include the University of Portland, Ore.; King’s College in WilkesBarre, Pa; and Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. It operates 13 parishes in the U.S. and two in Mexico, and has an outreach to the poor through Andre House in Phoenix and St. Andre Bessette ParishDowntown Chapel in Portland.

Other ministries include Ave Maria Press in Notre Dame and Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton., which was founded

by Father Patrick Peyton, who was known as “the Rosary priest” and is a candidate for sainthood.

The province’s Holy Cross Mission Center, located on the grounds of the University of Notre Dame, supports the work of its missions in other countries including Chile, Peru, Mexico, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Bangladesh.

July 15, 2011

Around the Diocese 7/15

St. John of God Parish in Somerset will hold its annual feast today through Sunday, featuring booths, games, music, and great Portuguese food. The hours today and tomorrow are 5:30 to 11 p.m., and Sunday is 3 to 11 p.m. The annual parish procession will take place Sunday at 3 p.m.

7/16

Internationally acclaimed Irish Tenor Mark Forrest will return to Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich, tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for a Eucharistic Night of Prayer. This unique hour-and-a-half program includes eucharistic adoration, music, meditations, and quiet time in prayer. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to reflect and draw closer to Our Lord. For more information contact Maureen O’Brien at 508-888-2740.

7/17

Mark Forrest, acclaimed Irish tenor whose melodic voice has filled concert halls and cathedrals from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican, will perform a concert at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, North Falmouth, Sunday at 7 p.m. Forrest has sung inspirational hymns for luminaries such as Blessed Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa. His soothing Broadway melodies have entertained award-winning performers. For tickets or more information call Pat Stone at 508-563-7770.

7/23

Courage, a welcoming support group for Catholics wounded by same-sex attraction who gather to seek God’s wisdom, mercy and love, will next meet on July 23 at 7 p.m.

For location information call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.

7/27

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held in New England on July 27-29. The weekend is designed to help couples rekindle the excitement of falling in love and put the fireworks back into their marriage. For more information call 1-800-710-WWME (9963) or visit www.wwme.org.

8/6

A Day with Mary will take place August 6 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Our Lady of Assumption Parish, 76 Wianno Avenue, Osterville. It will include a video instruction, a procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother along with Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and an opportunity for Reconciliation. There is a bookstore available during breaks. For information call 774-328-8394.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks July 16 Rev. Bernard Percot, O.P., Founder, St. Dominic, Swansea, 1937 Rev. Matthew F. Sullivan, SS.CC. Retired Chaplain, Bristol County House of Correction, Former Pastor, St. Mary, Fairhaven, 2002

July 17 Rev. William J. Smith, Pastor, St. Jacques, Taunton, 1960 Rev. Edmond Rego, Assistant, Espirito Santo, Fall River, 1981 Rev. Ernest N. Bessette, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1997 July 18 Rev. Adalbert Szklanny, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River, 1968 Rev. Lionel G. Doraisi, SSS., 1984 Rev. Joseph M. Quinn, C.S.C., 2007 July 19 Most Rev. Daniel F. Feehan, D.D., Second Bishop of Fall River, 1907-34, 1934 Rev. Francis M. Coady, Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1975 Msgr. Joseph R. Pannoni, Retired Pastor, Holy Rosary, Fall River, 1992 July 20 Rev. Joao Medeiros, Retired Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 1983

8/6

July 22 Rev. Francis L. Mahoney, Retired Pastor, Holy Name Fall River, 2007

8/8

July 23 Rev. Patrick F. Doyle, Founder, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1893 Rev. George B. McNamee, Founder, Holy Name, Fall River, 1938

Father Roger J. Landry will lead a comprehensive introduction to Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body on August 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, East Taunton. To register email imagodeihfp@gmail.com or call 508-538-1TOB (1862).

The third speaker in the Summer Catholic Reflections series will be Dr. Sandra Keating, who will present “The Road Toward Understanding Relations Between Catholics and Muslims 10 Years After 9/11” on August 8 beginning at 7 p.m. in the parish hall of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. Keating is an associate professor of Theology at Providence College and the author of “What Catholics Should Know about Islam.” The series is sponsored

by St. Anthony’s Parish, East Falmouth; Our Lady of Victory Parish, Centerville; and Christ the King Parish, Mashpee. All the talks in the series are available in video form on the Christ the King Parish webpage at www.christthekingparish.com.

8/11

The Divorced and Separated Support Group sponsored by the diocesan Family Ministry Office will conclude its video series on “Marriage Breakdown” with a showing of “Outreach” on August 11 beginning at 7 p.m. Group discussion will follow. The group meets in the parish center of St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth. Parking is available to the left of the church.

For more information call 508-678-2828, 508-993-0589 or 508-673-2997.

Archbishop Chacour to speak in Nantucket

NANTUCKET — Archbishop Elias Chacour, a world-renowned priest, peacemaker, and author will speak on July 26 at 5 p.m. at St. Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Church on Federal Street.

Archbishop Chacour was born in 1939 in the village of Biram in the Upper Galilee in Palestine, to a Palestinian Christian family. At age eight, he experienced the tragedy of his people when he and his whole village were evicted, in the Jewish War of Independence. He became a refugee in his own country.

In 1965, he was ordained a Melkite Catholic priest and was assigned to a parish in the small village of Ibillin in Galilee. He founded a kindergarten in 1970, followed by a library, community center, el-

ementary school, and high school.

Three thousand students from age three to 18 now attend these highlyrated schools, coming from a 50mile radius of Ibillin.

He has written two books available in English, “Blood Brothers” and “We Belong to the Land: the Story of a Palestinian Israeli who Lives for Peace and Reconciliation.” Both will be available for signing.

A free-will offering will be received to support the peace-building work of Archbishop Chacour.

For more information about this event or Archbishop Chacour contact Bob Sawyer at 336499-5310 or pilgrims@triad. rr.com, or see the website at www. pilgrimsofibillin.org

July 25 Rev. Michael J. Cooke, Pastor, St. Patrick, Fall River, 1913 Rev. Raymond R. Mahoney, SS.CC., Former Pastor, Our Lady of Assumption, New Bedford, 1984 July 26 Rev. Msgr. Alfred J.E. Bonneau, P.R., Retired Pastor, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1974 July 27 Rev. Damien Veary, SS.CC., Former Pastor, St. Anthony, Mattapoisett, 1981 July 29 Rev. Mathias McCabe, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1913 Rev. Charles P. Trainor, S.S., St. Edward Seminary, Seattle, Washington, 1947 July 30 Rev. Francis Kiernan, Pastor Sandwich, New Bedford, Wareham, 1838 July 31 Rev. Daniel Hearne, Pastor, St. Mary, Taunton, 1865 Rev. Hugh J. Munro, Chaplain, Marian Manor, Taunton, 2003 Aug. 5 Rev. Martin J. Fox, Founder, St. Paul, Taunton, 1917 Rev. Thomas A. Kelly, Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1934

July 15, 2011

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays end with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays end with Benediction at 2:45 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph Church holds eucharistic adoration in the Adoration Chapel located at the (south) side entrance at 208 South Main Street, Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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 following the 11 a.m. Mass until 7:45 a.m. on the First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and Mass. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

East Freetown — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

East Sandwich — Eucharistic adoration takes place at the Corpus Christi Parish Adoration Chapel, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Also, 24-hour eucharistic adoration takes place on the First Friday of every month with Benediction at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.

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, following the 8 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

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

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic adoration on Mondays following the 8:00 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Notre Dame Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has eucharistic adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel.

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 until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

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

HYANNIS — A Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration will take place each First Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 347 South Street, beginning immediately after the 12:10 p.m. Mass and ending with adoration at 4 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.

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.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

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

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and every Friday from noon to 5 p.m., with Benediction at 5 p.m.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has 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.

WAREHAM — Adoration with opportunities for private and formal prayer is offered on the First Friday of each month from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, High Street. The Prayer Schedule is as follows: 7:30 a.m. the Rosary; 8 a.m.

Mass; 8:30 a.m. exposition and Morning Prayer; 12 p.m. the Angelus; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet; 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer; 7 p.m. Sacrament of Confession; 8 p.m.

Benediction.

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 from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

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The Anchor

Mark Forrest: Irish tenor singing praises for special needs kids continued from page one

Records to record his first album; an album of traditional Irish songs that combined his voice with the melodic sounds of the Palestrina Boys Choir of Dublin.

“It was a beautiful experience; the number one boys choir in Ireland being a part of that,” recalled Forrest. “It was quite profound and the tonalities were quite beautiful. If you’ve ever attended a Mass with the boys choir, it’s a very unique sound and very pure.”

When he returned from tour, Forrest shelved his recording career in lieu of an education, accepting a full scholarship to Catholic University of Ireland where he earned an undergraduate degree in musical theater and graduate degree in liturgical music, the latter degree being more meaningful after a youth spent embracing the liturgies during Mass.

“Liturgical music was always close to my heart,” said Forrest. “It brought people closer to Christ, no question.

I had great experiences with the liturgical music in my high school.”

He continued to record albums, spent four years on Broadway and was living his dream until tragedy struck — his son John Patrick was born with a rare metabolic disease.

“The first two years of John Patrick’s life, we found it very hard just to keep him alive,” said Forrest. Now 16 years old, John Patrick’s progressive disease has him blind and confined to a wheelchair.

When Forrest’s son Francesco was born, he was diagnosed in utero with a severe heart defect and passed away only days after his birth.

“I was devastated because I didn’t expect this. We could relate to the metabolic disease because at the time it was only our first child,” said Forrest.

“It’s quite devastating when a young couple start off in life with their dreams and a family with a garden and a white picket fence, or whatever their dream may be, and all of a sudden it changes overnight because you have a special needs child.”

He continued, “My relationship definitely deepened with Christ as a result of those difficult times. We spent so much time in hospitals with special needs families and with people who had been diagnosed with difficult situations. I don’t know how they get through it without faith; it is the only thing that can get you through it.”

Forrest poured his energies into transforming his anguish into a laudable achievement by launching The Faith and Family Foundation in 1999 to support and encourage individuals and families with special needs.

“The foundation provides over 2,200 therapeutic riding scholarships for special needs children,” said Forrest of the therapy that helps work a special needs child’s whole body, mind and soul.

To honor the memory of his late son, Francesco’s Closet was established to provide special needs children with the loan of free adaptive equipment.

“We have approximately $200,000 worth of special needs medical equipment for our lending library that goes out to families who can’t afford equipment,” said Forrest, adding many people are unaware of how expensive much-needed equipment like wheelchairs, seating systems, walking apparatuses, and other items can be to already overburdened families.

“Last year a parent just got back from Iraq and was running a marathon in Tennessee.

Their child was 10 years old and hadn’t seen his dad for a while. He was autistic and he was in a stroller,” said Forrest.

The young boy expressed his desire to be in the marathon with his father, but his stroller was not compatible with running for extended periods over difficult terrain.

“They contacted us and in the course of five days we purchased a stroller that was a running stroller for special needs children, an $1,800 piece of equipment that we overnighted to the family,” said Forrest. “On a DVD there is a shot of this kid coming around the corner with his dad, and the whole family watching. The parents were just ecstatic. It’s these types of moments, to do something like that; it’s one story that sticks out of my mind, to see the joy of a child.”

In the past six months alone the foundation has raised almost $6 million dollars, with most of those funds going towards the historic Virginia property Wheatland Farms; 30 acres that will be transformed into a type of resort for special needs children and their families. Forrest envisions music and art centers, a hair salon and additional activity centers including recreational water sports on the 10-acre lake, all

designed with special needs children in mind.

“A lot of parents with special needs kids don’t want to bring the kids to places because they are constantly apologizing for the noise the kids are making in the wheelchair or whatever the situation might be,” said Forrest, “so this particular facility that we’re building is a state-of-the-art resort for those with special needs.”

And Forrest’s focus is not just on the special needs child but also on the whole family. A coffee shop and separate area for siblings is also part of his plans and a recent movie night held on the property saw entire families coming together to watch a movie.

Forrest works to find a balance between his singing, his family and the Foundation.

Limiting his work schedule to only a few days a week, he tries to maintain that schedule to be there for his eight boys, including two other sons diagnosed with the same debilitating metabolic disorder. It’s not about performing on Broadway now, it’s about helping people connect with Christ; as evidenced by the almost 80 nights of eucharistic adoration and prayer that Forrest brings to parishes all across the country.

“The night of prayer is a eucharistic holy hour that is done in the dark. It’s a very spiritual evening. It’s definitely something that I absolutely love,” he said. “It’s a meditation evening where people can bring their difficulties, whether it’s the loss of a child or family relationship trouble; whatever that difficulty may be, it’s putting it in front of Christ. It’s not about me; it’s about creating an environment for people to experience Christ.”

Forrest’s long-term goal is to make Wheatland Farms a model to be duplicated throughout the nation. Until then, he is working hard to connect with families and their children; “That’s a big driving force for me,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it’s positive. And you’re hanging out with people who are positive, and you’re making a difference and that’s what our team really believes in — making a difference. It’s a huge amount of work but it’s so worth it when you see the smiles on these kids’ faces.”

For information on Forrest and his foundation, or to make a donation, visit www. faithandfamilyfoundation.org

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The Anchor

July 15, 2011

Vacation Time

Please note that The Anchor will not publish July 22 and 29. It will return to your mailbox on August 5. The office will be closed from July 16 through July 24.

Photo by Emilie Jolivet

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