Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, July 9, 2021
On June 22, 15 candidates currently in formation for the permanent diaconate were installed as Readers by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., at Holy Trinity Church in Fall River. Back row, from left: Scott Taveira, Shawn Seybert, John O’Brien, Americo Miranda, Bishop da Cunha, James Adams, Tyrone Gonsalves, Jeremias Carraras, and Deacon Frank Lucca, co-director of the diocesan Permanent Diaconate Office. Front row: Leonard Guyette, Joseph Martinho, Thomas Martin, David Roderick, David Gaspar, Richard Fish, David Laird, and Philip Koch. (Story on page two).
Celebrating 30 years of assisting Catholic school students, FACE welcomes the season with two summer events By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
FALMOUTH — The diocesan Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) has two special summer events coming up quickly. One, a summer staple on Cape Cod, and the other with all the earmarks of becoming another long-standing tradition — The FACE Summer Gala and FACE’s involvement with the prestigious Falmouth Road Race. For decades, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River, from pre-school
through high school, have been providing myriad students a quality education, all grounded in the faith and the teachings of Christ.
In 1991, the diocese took a big step to assist families that found educational costs too prohibitive. With the sale of the St. Mary’s Orphanage building in New Bedford, the diocese founded the St. Mary’s Fund, a separately incorporated entity, to assist families with need-based scholarships. This allowed more families to provide their children with an excellent education and a solid The desire was, and still core of respect, values and is, that every family should discipline. In 2015, the St. Mary’s have the opportunity to send their child/children to Fund changed its name to a Catholic school. the Foundation to Ad-
vance Catholic Education (FACE), continuing and adding to the fine work done by the fund for the prior 24 years.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of “a mission dedicated to educational access”; that mis8 Turn to page seven
July 9, 2021 †
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Diocesan Office of Faith Formation making plans for the annual diocesan Catholic Youth Day By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
MARTHA’S VINEYARD — The diocesan Office of Faith Formation has announced that the annual Catholic Youth Day will take place on August 14 on the beautiful island of Martha’s Vineyard. The diocesan youth day celebration is a continuation of the Catholic Church’s annual World Youth Day, and is held on the off years from when the International World Youth Day takes place. The next international event will take place some time in 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. This year’s diocesan Catholic Youth Day will take place in Oak Bluffs, and will feature hundreds of diocesan youth joining with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. on the island for a day of prayer, fellowship, food, and fun. The event is free to all partici-
pants, including the ferry trip to and from the island. Bishop da Cunha will celebrate Mass with the youth and there will also be the opportunity for attendees to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and there will be time for Eucharistic Adoration. There will also be live Sacred music and speakers. The gathering will also enjoy lunch and have the opportunity to visit area shops. Additionally, there will be games and other activities. Attendees will gather from various areas at the Woods Hole Steamship Authority Ferry between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Youth should be back in Woods Hole at 8 p.m. for the return bus ride. Registration for the day is through local parishes. Contact David Carvalho, senior director, Diocesan Faith Formation Office, at dcarvalho@dioc-fr.org with questions or for more information.
Bishop installs 15 candidates as Readers
FALL RIVER —Fifteen candidates who are currently studying for the Fall River Permanent Diaconate were installed as
Readers by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., on June 22, at Holy Trinity Church in Fall River. Assisting Bishop da
Cunha was Father Robert A. Oliveira, co- director of the Permanent Diaconate Program, and Deacon Frank R. Lucca, co-di-
The Anchor website is up and fully functional again. Please visit us at www.anchornews.org 2
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rector of the Permanent Diaconate. The Ministry of Reader is the first of two ministries which candidates must receive and exercise as part of their preparation for ordination as permanent deacon. These candidates are the 10th class for the Permanent Diaconate of the Diocese of Fall River and have been in the formation program for two years. They will continue in two more years of academic and pastoral formation before ordination as deacons. The new Readers are; James “Gus” Adams, St. Anthony Parish, East Falmouth; Jeremias Carranza, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James, New Bedford; Richard Fish Jr., Christ the King Parish, Mashpee.
David Gaspar, St. Francis of Assisi Parish; Swansea, Tyrone Gonsalves, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Leonard Guyette, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Philip Koch, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Orleans; David Laird, Christ the King Parish, Mashpee; Thomas Martin, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Joseph Martino, St. John Neumann Parish, East Freetown. Americo Miranda, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Westport; John O’ Brien, St. Mary’s Parish, Mansfield; David Roderick, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Shawn Seybert, St. Theresa Child of Jesus Parish, Attleboro; and Scott Taveira, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, New Bedford.
East Freetown Circle of Life Ministry hits ground running a year after being derailed by pandemic By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
EAST FREETOWN — Nothing ever gets done in this world by waiting for someone else to do it. Keeping with that philosophy, a handful of faithful from St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown decided to venture into new waters and develop a parish Pro-Life group, not with a limited agenda, but with a Pro-Life perspective in all aspects of life. Becoming active in several 40 Days For Life campaigns, some St. John Neumann parishioners, including Colette Costa, gave much thought to creating a Pro-Life ministry in their parish. The thought process led to action, which then led to the spawning of the Circle of Life Ministry (CLM) in the fall of 2019. “The beginning of Circle of Life Ministry (CLM) actually started in our Sojourner evangelization group,” Costa told The Anchor. “At the time our leader was Lenny LeBeau who is a very Pro-Life advocate. He spoke about abortion and the fight to end abortions
often. A few of us from that group decided to take part in the 40 Days For Life campaign and began praying outside the Four Women’s health center abortion clinic at 150 Emory Street in Attleboro, on Saturday mornings. “Karen Howard then spoke to our pastor, Father Gregory Mathias, about starting a Pro-Life group in the parish. “An email was sent out to see if there was interest. I did email Father Greg and was asked if I would lead the group. I told him I had never done anything like that in my life and it was way out of my comfort range. Long story short, this group took on a life of its own.” “The Circle of Life Ministry was conceived primarily to keep the serious Pro-Life issues in the consciousness of parishioners,” Father Mathias told The Anchor. “The primary task is to alert people to the ongoing threats to the unborn in the forms of radical legislation in our state and at the federal level. The ministry is also concerned with issues concerning Catholic bioethics, and the pope’s call to
care for the planet God has given us as our home.” In the fall of 2019, unknowingly the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic which would basically shut down the world in a few months, the group started meeting. “We came up with an agenda of what we would like to do,” explained Costa. “We also had two showings of ‘Unplanned,’ the movie about Abby Johnson [a former clinic director at a Planned Parenthood location, who became a Pro-Life advocate after witnessing an abortion]. We continued participating in 40 Days For Life, Lenten and fall campaigns; and the USCCB program ‘Walking With Moms In Need,’ a program where the bishops encourage women with an unplanned or difficult pregnancy to turn to the churches first instead of the abortion clinics.” “I really think our CLM could serve as a model for other parishes who want to begin a Pro-Life ministry, for our group is concerned with abortion and Project Rachel, and so much more,”
A table in the narthex at St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown provides parishioners with information about the Circle of Life Ministry’s monthly activities and more. Howard told The Anchor. demic. “From the beginning we But prior to the shutwanted to cover a number of down, the group hosted an life issues, from abortion to information table on foster euthanasia to helping moms care and adoption resourcin need or crisis, to legislaes. “We made some good tive action, to general biocontacts with state and local ethics education, adoption foster care and adoption and foster care, taking care agencies,” Howard told The of the planet as envisioned Anchor. “Though we got in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, all the necessary permisthe death penalty and prayer sions for representatives to and witness.” man those tables, with the After a brief period of pandemic still in force, we activities, CLM had to shut decided just to offer the info down because of the pan8 Turn to page 14
† Diocese of Fall River † OFFICIAL Appointments
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Reverend Michael Reardon, S.D.V., Quasi-Provincial of the Society of Divine Vocations, USA Province, and has made the following appointment: Reverend Patrick I. Nwachukwu, S.D.V., Parochial Vicar of Saint Patrick Parish in Wareham Effective: July 1, 2021 July 9, 2021 †
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Challenging the establishment on childhood gender transitions
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23-year-old woman named Keira Bell recently brought a pivotal lawsuit against the National Health Services Gender Identity Development Clinic in London, better known as the Tavistock Clinic. Keira experienced significant personal harm from puberty blockers, testosterone and an operation to remove her breasts. She claims the medical staff at the clinic failed to challenge her seriously about her decision as a teenager to transition to a male. In a landmark ruling delivered in December 2020, a British court upheld her claim that she’d been rushed through gender reassignment without proper safeguards. Keira represents the leading edge of a new class of young people struggling with gender dysphoria who, as they become adults, are starting to push back against various “gender affirmation” interventions perpetrated against them, even, in some cases, seeking legal recourse and financial redress. As these intrepid individuals challenge the status quo, they are becoming known as “trans-desisters” or “detransitioners.” When Keira was 16
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and struggling with gender dysphoria, she was referred to the Tavistock Clinic and was almost immediately launched down the medical path. After three one-hour long visits to the medical facility, she was prescribed puberty blockers, powerful drugs that delay the development of signs of puberty. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, she stated that there hadn’t been adequate investigation or therapy prior to that stage. “I should have been challenged on the proposals or the claims that I was making for myself,” she said. ”I think that would have made a big difference.” Later she was prescribed the male hormone testosterone, to help her develop male features like a beard, moustache and a deep voice. A few years later she underwent a mastectomy. ”Initially I felt very relieved and happy about things, but I think as the years go on, you start to feel less and less enthusiastic or even happy about things.”
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“You can continue to dig yourself deeper into this hole or you can choose to come out of it and have the weight lifted off your shoulders.” She stopped taking the cross-sex hormones at age 22 and says she has come to accept being female now. She remains upset,
however, about what had happened to her over the last decade. “I was allowed to run with this idea that I had, almost like a fantasy, as a teenager.... and it has affected me in the long run as an adult.” Vulnerable young people, caught up in the pressure of the moment, have too easily been drawn into life-altering pathways involving medications and scalpels with their frequently irreversible effects. Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and complex surgeries can all lead to permanent damage, even the destruction of a young person’s reproductive organs and fertility. Now in her early 20s, Keira soberly observes,
“I’m very young. I’ve only just stepped into adulthood and I have to deal with this kind of burden or radical difference.” Parents have a serious obligation to protect their children from the gender-reassignment industry, which profits handsomely from the lucrative, long term hormone prescriptions and the multiple complex surgeries. When parents give consent for cross-sex interventions on their children, they will often do so under pressure from clinicians and professional societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Keira and other detransitioners insist that extended waiting periods, with appropriate questioning and challenging of young people, need to occur as part of a good psychotherapeutic response to claims of gender dysphoria. The AAP, meanwhile, strongly discourages such approaches, telling pediatric primary care providers, in an official statement, “to be a reliable source of validation, support, and reassurance,” and exclusively to pursue “affirmation-based approaches” for children’s mental health services, including pharmacological and surgical interventions. As James Cantor, Director of the Toronto Sexuality Centre, noted in a critical review of the AAP statement, “Although almost all clinics and professional associations in the world use what’s called the watchful wait-
ing approach to helping gender-diverse children, the AAP statement instead rejected that consensus, endorsing gender affirmation as the only acceptable approach.” The available studies reveal, moreover, that the majority of pre-adolescent children who present as “trans” eventually revert to the identity that accords with their biological sex. Those studies indicate at least 67 percent of gender diverse children cease wanting to transition by puberty as long as ”gender affirmation” approaches are not pursued or advocated. Keira sums up her experience this way: “I look back with a lot of sadness. There was nothing wrong with my body. I was just lost and without proper support. Transition gave me the facility to hide from myself even more than before. It was a temporary fix.” These first-hand testimonies from brave and outspoken detransitioners like Keira Bell should prompt us to listen closely to their stories and beware of “affirmation-based approaches” that often cloak the betrayal of our gender-confused youth. Anchor columnist Father Pacholczyk, earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org and www.fathertad.com.
Preparing for the inaugural World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly
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any countries have special days to honor grandparents. Some choose fixed days: Poland celebrates on January 21 (grandmothers) and 22 (grandfathers); The Netherlands, June 4; Brazil, Portugal and Spain on July 26; Mexico on August 28; Italy on October 2; and Russia on October 28. Others choose specific Sundays: The United States, together with Bangladesh, Estonia and the Philippines, on the second Sunday of September; France, the first Sunday of March; Taiwan, the last Sunday of August; Japan, the third Sunday of September; The United Kingdom, the first Sunday of October; Hong Kong, Germany and Pakistan, the second Sunday of October; Australia, the last Sunday of October; South Sudan, the Second Sunday of November; and Singapore, the Fourth Sunday of November. But the vast majority of the world’s 197 countries don’t have a day to honor our parents’ parents. The United Nations, which has 190 different international days, does not have one for grandparents. That’s why it’s highly significant, not just within the Catholic Church, but within the global community, that Pope Francis has established the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday of July. With Catholics present in almost every country, the commemoration should be a leaven making fitting appreciation for grandparents rise across the globe. The first observance will take place July 25 this year. In his message in preparation for the day, Pope Francis said he was moved to establish it not just because of the importance of grandparents and the elderly, a theme on which he has often spoken, but particularly because of the neglect and isolation so many grandparents and seniors
experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions, nursing home policies and fear for their safety prevented their being visited and embraced by their loved ones. He hopes that on this day, grandchildren will visit their grandparents, perhaps even sharing with them a copy of his letter, and that parish families will have special Masses thanking God for the gift of grandparents, praying for them, and entrusting to Him those who have died, particularly during the pandemic. To incentivize the day, he has permitted the granting of a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, for all those who participate in Liturgical celebrations observing it, those who unite themselves Spiritually to those celebrations if they are unable to leave their homes, and those who visit, in person or virtually, their grandparents or elderly brothers and sisters in need. The choice of the fourth Sunday of July is transparently to connect it, as closely as possible, to the July 26 feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. This link to Jesus’ family tree and to Salvation history suggests that everyone’s genealogy and personal prehistory is part of the providential plan of God. Pope Francis, in his message, was summoning grandparents to recognize and be renewed in their Sacred calling to be guardians of the connection between their family’s history and Salvation history and to pass on to younger generations a clear awareness of their place in the bigger picture. Speaking as an elder himself, he asked grandparents and seniors, “What is our vocation today, at our age?” It is “to preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young, and to care for the little ones.”
He called grandparents and seniors to be a living memory. “Keeping memory alive and sharing it with others,” he stated, “is a true mission for every elderly person.” Memory, he added, is “the foundation of life” and grandparents have a key role in establishing their grandkids securely not only in firm familial roots and stories but also in the history of the faith. The young normally look toward the present and the future and are prone to neglect the past; grandparents are prophets who bring the wisdom and experience of the past to guide the now and not yet. The vocation of grand-
parents, he added, is linked to their vocation as apostles. Just like the Lord “never, ever goes into retirement,” he stated, “there is no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel and handing down traditions to your grandchildren.” He was surprised, he said, that at 76, he was elected the Successor of St. Peter, and in the last eight years, he hasn’t slowed down in trying to live and teach the faith. Citing the Biblical figures of Abraham, Moses, Tobit, Eleazar, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, Anna and Nicodemus, all of whose major contributions to Salvation history took place when they were advanced in years, he urged them to see themselves as still very important laborers in the Lord’s vineyard (Mt 20:1-16). Even if physically they may not be as vigorous, he reminded them that their prayer is a “very precious resource,” something that can protect and help the world, perhaps even more “than the frenetic activity of many others.”
While calling upon grandparents and seniors to recognize how important their mission is in the Church and society and to keep loving, like Christ, until the end, the pope was also encouraging grandchildren, children and the young to receive with gratitude the generous giving of their elders. “The future of the world,” he said, “depends on this covenant between young and old.” Normally elders long for that Sacred bond, while the young can be focused so much on looking ahead that they can take for granted, often until it’s too late, the treasure being offered. The official flower for Grandparents’ Day in the USA is, appropriately, the forget-menot. The Holy Father is hoping by this new World Day to have grandparents and grandchildren renew that covenant and mutually strengthen each other through that bond. In my years as a priest, I have witnessed — as almost every priest does — the crucial importance of grandparents in the transmission of the faith and the culture that flows from it. I have also repeatedly seen first hand the suffering of grandparents when their children and grandchildren do not receive that gift and practice the faith. In my conversations with wayward teens and young adults, often one of the most effective apologetics is not getting them to appreciate the love of God and seek to love Him back, but getting them to appreciate the love of their grandmother or grandfather and to recognize that the greatest way to love them back and make them happy would be to make the mature choice to return with them to Mass. Appreciating their grandparents’ faith as constitutive of what has made them who they are is frequently a means by which more maturely to make it their own. Growing up, in the midst
of a happy childhood, I lacked the presence of grandparents, three of whom died when I was an infant and the fourth of whom lived in Florida and I only saw him a handful of times before he died when I was a teen. I was lucky to have many great-aunts and –uncles who were, to some degree, surrogate grandparents. But I have rejoiced to see my own parents make the transition from mom and dad to mémère and pépere for my nieces and nephews and several other kids who have spontaneously related to them by those beautiful and significant titles. Surveys have shown that 72 percent of seniors think that being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life, 90 percent enjoy talking about their grandchildren to everyone, and 63 percent confess they do a better job caring for their grandchildren than they cared for their own. Like so many other grandparents, with more time on their hands than they ever did as parents, my parents love spending time with their grandchildren, teaching them, praying with them, playing with them, giving them encouragement and unconditional love, listening to their stories, attending their games, concerts and academic milestones. They are the ultimate good cops, leading by positive example. And they love watching their kids grow as parents simultaneous with the maturation of the grandchildren. The world is so much better because of the way they and so many other grandparents live out their vocation. Together with Pope Francis and the whole Church, we celebrate them, thank them, commit to spend time with them, recommit to the covenant of love with them, and pray for them. Anchor columnist Father Roger Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.
July 9, 2021 †
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Editorial Lack of recognition This past Sunday, before he headed out to the hospital to prepare for an operation (you can read about this on page 10 of this Anchor), Pope Francis offered a commentary on the lack of faith of the people of Nazareth when Jesus came home to visit (Mk 6:1-6). After setting the scene, Pope Francis paraphrased the questions that were in the minds of the Nazarenes. “Where does He get all this wisdom? But, isn’t He the Son of the carpenter and Mary, that is, of our neighbors that we know so well?” (cf. vv. 1-3). The pope then pointed out that Jesus’ response was to cite a saying which had already become part of the common parlance by His time: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (v. 4). About the people of Nazareth, the Holy Father said, “We could say they knew Jesus, but they did not recognize Him. There is a difference between knowing and recognizing. In essence, this difference makes us understand that we can know various things about a person, form an idea, rely on what others say about that person, we might perhaps meet that person every now and then in the neighborhood; but all that is not enough. This is a knowledge, I would say ordinary, superficial, that does not recognize the uniqueness of the person. We all run this risk: we think we know so much about a person, even worse, we use labels and close the person within our own prejudices. Jesus’ fellow villagers knew Him for 30 years in the same way and they thought they knew everything!” The pope termed their approach to Jesus as one of “distrust … in reality, they never realized Who Jesus truly was. They remained at the exterior level and refused what was new about Jesus.” The pontiff then discussed “the true crux of the problem” for us today: “when we allow the convenience of habit and the dictatorship of prejudice to have the upper hand, it is difficult to open ourselves to what is new and allow ourselves to be amazed. It often happens in life that we seek from our experiences and even from people only what conforms to our own ideas and ways of thinking so as never to have to make an effort to change. And this can even happen with God, and even to us believers, to us who think we know Jesus, that we already know so much about Him and that it is enough to repeat the same things as always. And this is not enough with God. But without openness to what is new and, above all — listen well — openness to God’s surprises, without amazement, faith becomes a tiring litany that slowly dies out and becomes a habit, a social habit.” Pope Francis then spoke about “what is amazement? Amazement happens when we meet God. We read in the Gospel: many times the people OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 65, No. 14
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Published biweekly except for one week in autumn by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720, Tel. 508-675-7151; FAX 508-675-7048; email: davejolivet@anchornews.org. To subscribe to The Anchor online visit https://www.fallriverdiocese.org/subscribe Subscription price by mail, prepaid $29.00 per year for U.S. addresses. Please send address changes to The Anchor, PO Box 318, Congers, NY 10920, call or use email address.
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who encountered Jesus and recognized Him felt amazed. And we, by encountering God, must follow this path: to feel amazement. It is like the guarantee certificate that the encounter is true and not habitual.” The pope then offered a reason as to why the Nazarenes didn’t recognize Jesus. “In a few words, we can say that they did not accept the scandal of the Incarnation. They did not know this mystery of the Incarnation. [T]hey thought it was scandalous that the immensity of God should be revealed in the smallness of our flesh, that the Son of God should be the son of a carpenter, that the Divine should be hidden in the human, that God should inhabit a face, the words, the gestures of a simple man. This is the scandal: the Incarnation of God, His concreteness, His ‘daily life.’ And God became concrete in a man, Jesus of Nazareth, He became a companion on the way, He made himself one of us. ‘You are one of us,’ we can say to Jesus. What a beautiful prayer! It is because One of us understands us, accompanies us, forgives us, loves us so much. In reality, an abstract, distant god is more comfortable, one that doesn’t get himself involved in situations and who accepts a faith that is far from life, from problems, from society. Or we would even like to believe in a ‘special effects’ god who does only exceptional things and always provokes strong emotions. Instead, brothers and sisters, God incarnated Himself: God is humble, God is tender, God is hidden, He draws near to us, living the normality of our daily life.” The pope warned that we can fall into the sin of the Nazarenes. “We risk that when He passes by, we will not recognize Him. I repeat that beautiful phrase from St. Augustine: ‘I am afraid of God, of the Lord, when He passes by.’ But, Augustine, why are you afraid? ‘I am afraid of not recognizing Him.’ I am afraid that when the Lord passes by: Timeo Dominum transeuntem. We do not recognize Him, we are scandalized by Him.” To resist this temptation we should ask for the help of the Blessed Mother. “Let us ask the Madonna, who welcomed the mystery of God in her daily life in Nazareth, for eyes and hearts free of prejudices and to have eyes open to be amazed [by the] Lord that He might meet you! And when we encounter the Lord there is this amazement. We meet Him in the normal: eyes open to God’s surprises, at His humble and hidden presence in daily life.” At the end of this talk in St. Peter’s Square, after praying the Angelus with the crowd and giving some “shout outs” to pilgrim groups, the pope said, “And please do not forget to pray for me.” May we do so, asking God to help him (and us) always recognize when Christ is passing by.
Daily Readings † July 17 - July 30
Sat. July 17, Ex 12:37-42; Ps 136:1,23-24,10-15; Mt 12:14-21. Sun. July 18, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jer 23:1-6; Ps 23:1-6; Eph 2:13-18; Mk 6:3034. Mon. July 19, Ex 14:5-18; (Ps) Ex 15:1bc-6; Mt 12:38-42. Tue. July 20, Ex 14:21—15:1; (Ps) Ex 15:8-10 ,12,17; Mt 12: 46-50. Wed. July 21, Ex 16:1-5,9-15; Ps 78:18-19,23-28; Mt 13:1-9. Thu. July 22, Sg 3:1-4a or 2 Cor 5:14-17; Ps 63:2-6,8-9; Jn 20:1-2,11-18. Fri. July 23, Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 13:18-23. Sat. July 24, Ex 24:3-8; Ps 50:1b-2,5-6,14-15; Mt 13:24-30. Sun. July 25, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2 Kgs 4:42-44; Ps 145:10-11,15-18; Eph 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15. Mon. July 26, Ex 32:15-24,30-34; Ps 106:19-23; Mt 13:31-35. Tue. July 27, Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9,28; Ps 103:6-13; Mt 13:36-43. Wed. July 28, Ex 34:29-35; Ps 99:5-7,9; Mt 13:44-46. Thu. July 29, Ex 40:16-21,34-38; Ps 84:3-6a,8a,11; Jn 11:1927 or Lk 10:38-42. Fri. July 30, Lv 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34b-37; Ps 81:3-6,10-11b; Mt 13:54-58.
FACE ushers in busy summer continued from page one
sion being to ensure that “no child is denied attending a Catholic school in the Diocese of Fall River due to financial hardship.” In 1997, the St. Mary’s Fund committee established the inaugural summertime Gala, and it has since become Cape Cod’s largest source of funding for FACE. After the pandemic forced last year’s event to be a virtual affair, this year, the 24th edition of the Gala is back to normal and will take place on August 5 at the Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth. The Gala always provides a great evening of wonderful foods, entertainment and prizes, and
this year will be no different. Hosting again for another year is the Emmy Award-winning radio and
television personality, Billy Costa, best known in this area for co-hosting “Dining Playbook,” on NESN. Costa is a longtime supporter of Catholic education. The event chairperson for the 2021 event is Elizabeth O’Brien, Esq., a parent of a student at
St. John Paul II School — Preparatory Division in Hyannis. In 2017, FACE established the Al Makkay Sr. Award, given in honor and memoriam for the life of service embodied by Makkay, to recognize outstanding contributions by a teacher or staff member in the Catholic Schools of Cape Cod. Makkay, an icon on Cape Cod, a selfmade success story who owned two radio stations on the Cape, was a staunch supporter of Catholic education and of the St. Mary’s Fund/ FACE. He also funded the building of a school in Guaimaca, Honduras, at the mission there that was then run by the Diocese of Fall River. This year’s
recipient has not yet been announced. The Summer Gala will begin at 6 p.m., including cocktails and a dinner. Attendees will be able to participate in an exclusive gift raffle, a wine wall, a live auction and Fund-a-Mission. All great fun while raising critical scholarship dollars for students in need. For more information, to purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or make a donation scan the code with your mobile device, or visit www. FACEsummergala.org.
Team FACE is in Falmouth Road Race While not quite a diocesan summer tradition, yet, FACE will be involved with the prestigious Falmouth Road Race, itself a longstanding Cape Cod tradition, for the second year in a row. Last year FACE volunteer, Cassandra Robin, participated and raised $3,600 for FACE in the first Falmouth Road Race Home Edition. This year, taking part in the Numbers for NonProfits for the first time will be Team FACE. Those running in the race for Team FACE will be Bishop da Cunha; Jim Bouchard, a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea; Joe Harrington, 8 Turn to page nine
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Annual Provincetown Blessing of the Fleet continues amid restrictions FALMOUTH — Due to the pandemic the annual celebration of the Blessing of the Fleet in Provincetown was again subdued this year. There was no procession and no parade of boats this year. Following a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Peter’s Church, the pastor, Father Hugh McCullough went down to McMillan Pier, where he climbed aboard the harbormaster’s boat to motor around the docks to bless the boats. Next year is the 75th anniversary of the Blessing of the Fleet and the organizers are looking forward to a big celebration marking the special anniversary.
Father Hugh McCullough blesses a kayaker who rowed up to the boat from which the blessings were given.
Above, Loki gets a blessing from Father McCullough; below Michael Packard, the commercial lobster diver who only weeks earlier ended up in the mouth of a humpback whale, eagerly accepts a blessing from Father McCullough. (Photos by Deacon Alan Thadeu)
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FACE ushers in busy summer continued from page seven
of the diocesan Finance Office and a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in North Easton; Sean Kane, principal of Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro; Jane Robin, development associate for the diocesan Catholic Foundation, and Team FACE captain; Dan Roy, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Fall River; and Sara Seals, music teacher at Bishop Feehan High School. The seven-mile (11k) scenic seaside race, established in 1973, draws Olympic runners, participants from all over the world, and area recreational runners. This year it will be run on August 15 at 9 a.m. For more information, or to support the six diocesan entrants and assist FACE in helping raise much-needed funds for need-based scholarships to diocesan Catholic schools, visit www.face-dfr.org/asics2021-falmouth-road-race, or scan the code below.
Visit the diocesan website at fallriverdiocese.org and visit The Anchor site at anchornews.org July 9, 2021 †
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Pope Francis to spend week recovering in hospital after intestinal surgery VATICAN CITY (CNA) — Pope Francis is expected to spend the next week in hospital as he recovers from intestinal surgery, according to the Vatican. “His Holiness Pope Francis is in good general condition, alert and breathing spontaneously,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists on July 5. The pope underwent a surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on July 4 to relieve stricture of the colon caused by diverticulitis. The surgery lasted for about three hours and included a hemicolectomy,
which is the removal of the left part of the colon. The procedure was carried out under general anesthesia. Dr. Sergio Alfieri performed the surgery with the assistance of nine other physicians. Colonic stricture, also called stenosis, is a condition in which part of the large intestine becomes narrower than usual. It can become dangerous if it is too narrow to let food safely pass through. Diverticulitis, a common condition that involves the formation of small bulges or sacs on the
wall of the colon, can cause the stricture. Recovery from diverticulitis surgery typically includes a hospital stay of up to a week and at least another two weeks of limited activity. As of July 5, there are no major events scheduled on Pope Francis’ public calendar for the upcoming weeks. The pope traditionally suspends his general audiences during July. At the age of 84, Pope Francis has only had one other operation during his eight years as pope. He last underwent an operation in
2019, for cataracts. Earlier this year, the pope was forced to miss several public events due to a recurrence of the sciatic pain that struck him at the end of 2020. Francis has suffered from the painful condition for several years. After his personal physician died from complications related to COVID-19 in January, Pope Francis appointed internalist Roberto Bernabei as his doctor. Bernabei is a specialist in aging and director of the
School of Specialization in Geriatrics at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. He was present in the surgical suite during the pope’s intestinal surgery in Gemelli hospital. The Catholic hospital and medical school has treated other popes and Catholic figures, including St. John Paul II after he was shot in an assassination attempt and St. Teresa of Calcutta, who was treated in the clinic’s cardiology department.
The Christ the King Catholic Women’s Club in Mashpee, recently awarded four scholarship to area high school seniors. From left: Nicholas Reilly; Teaghan Herren; pastor, Father Edward Healey; Gina Daggert; and Lydia Fitton-Alves.
Mashpee Catholic Women’s Club presents scholarships to teens MASHPEE — The Christ the King Catholic Women’s Club presented the 2021 Scholarship Awards to four outstanding graduating high school seniors on June 27 at the 10:30 Mass. The awards were presented by co-presidents Gail Reilly and Jeanne Dennis. The four scholarship recipients were Gina Daggert, Lydia Fitton-Alves, Teaghan Herren and Nicholas Reilly. All four recipients are not only outstanding students but additionally contributed to many varied parish activities throughout their school years. Gina Daggert grad10
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uated from Falmouth High School and will be attending the University of Connecticut majoring in biology. Lydia Fitton-Alves is a graduate of St. John Paul High School, Hyannis, and will be attending Merrimack College majoring in criminology. Teaghan Herren will be attending Stonehill College with a major in biology and graduated from Sandwich High School. Nicholas Reilly is a graduate of Sturgis High School, Hyannis, and will be attending Boston College majoring in biology studying Molecular and Cellular Biology.
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appy Summer! We are blessed that the pandemic has been on the downturn. Bishop da Cunha has lifted the dispensation from attending Mass. Around our country things appear to be gradually returning to normal. Accordingly, we are welcoming the return to a normal worship experience in church. Why do we need to come back? I often hear friends and family say things like “I don’t need the church to pray. I have a personal relationship with Jesus. I can pray at home.” Or “Organized religions are all corrupt. I have my own beliefs.” And even better, “I don’t need somebody telling me what to do.” Some of these thoughts are not bad. You can and should have a personal relationship with Jesus. You can and should pray outside the church. Nobody likes being told what to do. So, concerning our Catholic faith, “What’s in it for me?” It seems like a long time ago, but starting in 1963, the Second Vatican Council made some needed changes to reform the Church to better fit with modern times. As a result of the Council, the celebration of the Mass was changed from Latin to the language of the local people. The Catholic Church opened dialogue and relations with other Christian faiths. The Church now saw itself as a missionary agent challenged to engage with the forces of the modern world. The Council made worship more understandable and approachable by the faithful people of God. The Council, called Vatican-II for short, explained that the Mass is the “source and summit” of our Cath-
Why we need to return olic faith. It called for our “full, conscious and active participation.” Before Vatican-II, the Mass was mostly something people observed. After Vatican II, we consider the Mass no longer as something we observe but as something we do. At Mass we have the Word (Holy Scripture) and we have the Sacrament (Eucharist). We pray. We sing because Mass is a celebration and we sing at celebrations. We celebrate the Paschal Mystery. That is a fancy term for the life, death, Resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Jesus ascended into Heaven to send the Holy Spirit to us so that we ourselves may ascend to Heaven through the Holy Spirit. The Paschal Mystery is the heart of our faith. Jesus is present in both the Word and the Eucharist. We often use the term “Real Presence.” Jesuit Father Roc O’Connor explained what the real presence of Christ might feel like. He offered a Latin phrase, “Quidquid recipitur,” which means, “Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the one receiving.” We meet Christ in the Mass according to the manner of our own receiving. There is one Paschal Mystery but Christ offers many ways for us to encounter Him. The Word and the Eucharist were not intended to be something we watch. They were meant to be something we do. If we passively sit and watch the Mass we have not discovered the manner with which Christ uniquely comes to us individually. Each of us will have our own manner of receiving. Christ will be revealed at our own level
through our own experience. All we have to do is participate and expect to be surprised. This is the perfect comeback to someone who says, “I worship God in my own way.” Of course you
do! Each time you come to Mass, Christ offers you a unique and personalized encounter with our Triune God. You will receive the graces of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a custom crafted style according to your own manner of receiving. God already knows what you want and need. You respond in your own
way. All you have to do is participate and expect to be surprised. Ite Missa Est After the final blessing, the deacon or priest dismisses the people with the words, “The Mass is ended. Go in peace.” Formerly, in Latin, that expression was, “Ite Missa Est.” The word “Mass” comes from this expression. “Missa” is related to the word “missio” which means “mission.” The expression, “Ite Missa Est,” means “Go. You have been sent.” This implies that the ending of the Mass is just the beginning of our mission to bring the Good News of the Gospel and the fruits of the Eucharist to the world. Don’t overlook that we are also bringing ourselves to serve others as members of the Body of Christ and as
role models of our faith. What can I do? In February 2001, Bob Zsyskowski wrote an article for “U.S. Catholic.” It was mostly about priests who preside at Mass and what makes an effective presider at Liturgy. In this article, he mentioned the other part of Liturgy: What does good Liturgy ask of those in the pew? Here is his list. Prepare mentally. As you arrive at the church or worship space, recall why you are gathering in a community with others. Be present. Put aside life’s distractions and concerns and give your attention to the words and the actions of the ritual. Listen. Think about what the words of the rite mean. Respond noticeably. Let the presider see your reactions. Participate in the 8 Turn to page 12
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T he C hurch
I
was once again touched by a story that was recently shared in an article I read. This story as an example of the effect that one person can have in service to God’s people, and I think it applies to all of us. A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned. The boy walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean. The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, “I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day. Surely such an industrious and kindhearted
and
boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time. Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?” The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, “It matters to that one.” I often write and preach about the call to service as I believe it is so important to our calling as Christians. Over the years, I have come to learn through living the Cursillo method, that our faith life must be built on at least three strong legs — like a tripod. The first leg is PRAYER. The next is STUDY. The final leg is ACTION. If one leg of the tripod is not strong the tripod cannot stand effectively. So it is with us. Unless we pray, study (and learn about Christ and our faith) and put that faith into
Y outh & Y oung A dults
It matters
ACTION we will not have a balanced faith life. In James 2:14,17,18b, James writes, “My brothers, what good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one, has it? So it is with the faith that does nothing in practice. It is thoroughly lifeless.”
Pope Francis in a homily spoke on faith and service when he said, “In the Gospel, immediately following His words on the power of faith, Jesus speaks of service. Faith and service cannot be separated; on the contrary, they are intimately linked, interwoven with each other. When faith is interwoven with service, the heart remains open and youthful, and it expands in the process of doing good. Thus faith, as Jesus tells us in the Gospel, becomes powerful and accomplishes
marvelous deeds. If faith follows this path, it matures and grows in strength, but only when it is joined to service.” So often we may not always put our faith into action to make a difference in the family, community or the world that we live in. As in the Legend of the Starfish, we, like the young man, are faced with the impossible task of making the world right for so many of our brothers and sisters. It seems overwhelming and, to be honest, it may well be impossible. There are so many facing difficult times today. Where do we start? What I love about this story is that even though we may not be able to be there for everyone in every situation, when we act on behalf of another, it matters. We can start with just one person and to that one person it matters. When we feed the hungry person —it matters. When we talk to the kid in school who is not the most popular—it matters. If we volunteer in a food
kitchen or visit shut-ins—it matters. If we spend some time listening to an elderly person. You got it —it matters! There are millions of opportunities to serve and make a difference in your church, your school or your community. The comforting thought that the Legend of the Starfish offers is that we only have to begin with one — then another and another. However, it all begins with one. Don’t underestimate that, however small your action might be, that it makes a difference to someone. I know that I can make the difference in the life of one person and so can you. If each of us took that opportunity, imagine the effect we could have on our world! It Matters. Anchor columnist Frank Lucca is a deacon in the Diocese of Fall River assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Dartmouth and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth. He is married to his wife of 43 years, Kristine, and the father of two daughters and their husbands, and five grandsons! So blessed!
Why we need to return continued from page 11
responses and the songs. Make your own the prayer the presider is offering. Let the Liturgy do the work. Realize that Liturgy is meant to move you. Give the presider feedback. Comments are welcomed not just on the homily but on his other skills as well. Affirmation is appreciated, but so are constructive criticism and 12
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questions. During the Mass we experience Christ in four ways. He is present in the Scripture. He is present in the Eucharist. He is present in the priest. He is present in all of us. He is there in our midst. Next time you are at Mass consider changing your role from being an observer to being an active participant. Try it and see
what happens. Be open to receive in your own way. Don’t give up. After all, Christ never gives up on us. Expect the unexpected. Expect to be surprised. “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Rick Swenton is a parishioner at St. Pius the Tenth Church in South Yarmouth. He resides with his wife, Gail, in South Dennis.
T
Icons in an untouched world
o be blunt, very few Catholics consistently observe their obligation to attend Sunday Mass, and although that number has been in steady decline in recent decades, the COVID catastrophe has made matters far worse. Poor catechesis is much at fault, but when combined with the dark
moral shift in popular culture, those who take the Church and her teaching seriously find themselves increasingly isolated. In all honesty, the Church’s influence has consistently waxed and waned over the centuries; indeed Our Lord warned us that we would often be called to walk our narrow path amidst confu-
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 11 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Providence
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass
on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Immaculate Conception Church in New Bedford
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, July 11 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Anthony V. Szakaly, C.S.C., Director of Campus Ministry and Alumni Minister, Stonehill College, Easton
Sunday, May July 21 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Andrew Johnson, Parochial Vicar at Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich
sion and hostility, so there is little that is exceptional about our situation. Whatever discouragement may tinge our view of the status quo should be offset by the recognition that most of our dearest saints have walked in rubble. So what do we do? The “Catechism” is clear about our obligation to worship. “The celebration of Sunday observes the moral Commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship ‘as a sign of His universal beneficence to all.’ Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people” (“CCC,” 2176). The embedded quote from St. Thomas Aquinas points to the reason for this obligation—not that it is imposed as a harsh edict, but that it is fitting for rational creatures to thank so good a God. Along with the call to express gratitude, there is the matter of Salvation, for our thanks must recognize the great gift Jesus offered in shedding His Blood on our behalf. Salvation is meaningless unless we consider the nature of the gift — and the horror from which it preserves us! Those who reject the “fire and brimstone” attitude of past generations had a valid point, but in treading gently around the wages of sin, we’ve neglected to
consider the risks we take in abandoning the faith. The wonder of God’s love and profound depth of His mercy still require a response — specifically, they must be claimed to take effect. To this end, the “Cate-
nagging, for the beauty inherent in our faith is that supernatural truths can envelope concrete actions, and a Sacramental vision can guide the most mundane events. To this end, might I suggest pondering the nature of the Church as mother, and the ways in which she gathers her beloved children, nudges and nourishes them, guards and guides them towards the light of life. What chism” continues: “Particthe Sacraments do within ipation in the communal her embrace is what womcelebration of the Sunday en are called to radiate Eucharist is a testimony wherever they are, gently of belonging and of being reminding those around faithful to Christ and to them of another way to His Church. The faithful live. For a more thorough give witness by this to their explanation and helpful communion in faith and illustrations of how to live charity. Together they testhis iconic vocation, my tify to God’s holiness and book, “The Authentic Caththeir hope of Salvation. olic Woman,” is available in They strengthen one anmany formats with a study other under the guidance guide as well. of the Holy Spirit” (“CCC,” The problem is quite 2182). large and certainly beyond Certainly, on the inour human strength, which stitutional level, it falls to tells us that only God’s the hierarchy to pray over grace can begin to solve the best way to clarify this it. But those aware of the foundational teaching of long trajectory of Church the Church, but on the history also know that in personal level, the task every age it falls to the of women is clear. Every most unlikely of people to woman — no matter her carry the truth to the next age or state of life — is a generation. In this age, as living, loving icon of the the Council Fathers taught, very Church that safe“it falls to women to save guards the means of Salmankind from falling,” and vation for all of mankind. thus for the time being, we If those we love, and those may be the only Church with whom we interact our neighbor sees. on a daily basis are unAnchor columnist churched, it is incumbent Genevieve Kineke is the on us to make that mystical author of “The Authentic reality present to them. Catholic Woman.” She This can be done without blogs at feminine-genius. preaching and without typepad.com. July 9, 2021 †
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East Freetown Circle of Life Ministry resumes full slate continued from page three
without person-to-person contact. Some people did pick up information — we have a lot of young families in our parish.” Eventually, earlier this year, there appeared a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and the group, when possible and following all of the pandemic protocols, started to meet again. There is a core group of five with another nine or 10 who meet when they’re able. “We got back to work with the projects we had already initiated,” said Costa. “In January we had a diaper and wipes collection for two weekends.” The parish response was very generous. “We were able to make donations to a few women’s health centers — Abundant Hope in Attleboro, Your
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Options in Fall River, and Birthright in Taunton and New Bedford” Costa continued. “This is when I learned Birthright in New Bedford had to close. “I started volunteering at the Taunton Birthright and have been trying to help Birthright in New Bedford find a place to re-open. Ann Tremblay, who has been involved in Birthright for many years, and I have been working and have been unsuccessful.” “Colette has been working tirelessly trying to locate a space in the New Bedford Area to house Birthright of New Bedford since they lost their office space this year,” added Howard. “That is a dire need, but as of yet, there is no space available.” Howard has made several
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contacts, including emails, with no responses. If any reader knows of a possible space for Birthright of New Bedford, they are encouraged to contact Colette at ccosta15@comcast.net. Since many things have opened up again, including weekend Masses, the group has already had several activities and have more planned. Members of the group participated in the 40 Days For Life campaign during this past Lent. “One of the highlights there, was on the last Saturday, the priests from the New Bedford chapel said Mass at the park where we prayed and witness to life near the Attleboro abortion clinic and then had a procession with the Eucharist praying for life, right across from that clinic,” said Howard. In May, CLM hosted a poster contest for children, teaching them the basics of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, and taking care of the planet. CLM members sold roses at all Masses on Mother’s Day weekend, with the proceeds going for the benefit of pregnancy clinics. Each month the group selects a column written by Anchor columnist and bioethicist, Father Tad Pacholczyk. The group makes copies of the columns and leaves them in the church narthex. The month’s topic is announced in the Sunday bulletin. The group has a table set up in the narthex with a poster board that lists the calendar and members, next to a table with hand-outs like Father Tad’s article. Costa, Howard and the CLM members like the concept of being proactive in all areas of Pro-Life, not just certain aspects. “It is more like Cardinal
[Joseph] Bernadin’s ‘seamless garment’ idea. Not everyone in the group is involved in every activity either,” said Howard. “If one wants to work on ‘x’ for instance, one could actually go out and find a few more folks who wanted to help with ‘x’. That has given us some more flexibility and an opportunity to involve more parishioners.” It’s not always easy to start a new project and then
maintain it — especially when it’s interrupted by a year-long pandemic. But if one wants something bad enough, one will work even harder to achieve it. The faithful members of the Circle of Life Ministry at St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown, want to promote a culture of life very badly, and it shows — and countless individuals will benefit from that tenacity.
In Your Prayers
Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: 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 Rev. Thomas Paris, M.S., 2005 July 18 Rev. Adalbert Szklanny, Assistant ,St. Patrick, Fall River, 1968 Rev. Lionel G. Doraisi, SSS., 1984 Rev. Msgr. 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 July 22 Rev. Francis L. Mahoney, Retired Pastor, Holy Name Fall River, 2007 July 23 Rev. Patrick F. Doyle, Founder, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1893 Rev. George B. McNamee, Founder Holy Name, Fall River, 1938 Rev. Roger J. Levesque, Founding Pastor of St. Joseph-St. Therese, New Bedford, 2018 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 Rev. Luciano J. Pereira, Retired, Former Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 2019 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 Permanent Deacon James Meloni, 2011 Rev. Eugene, V. LaPlante, A.A., 2019 July 29 Rev. Mathias McCabe, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1913 Rev. Charles P. Trainor, S.S., St. Edward Seminary, Seattle, Wash. 1947 July 30 Rev. Francis Kiernan, Pastor Sandwich, New Bedford, Wareham, 1838
Remembering Father Santa
A
couple of weeks ago marked the fourth anniversary of the passing of one of my best friends, and my golf partner, Msgr. Tom Harrington. Everyone knew Msgr. Harrington. He was such a dynamic and lovable character, who loved his God and God’s people. More than once, as chaplain of the Fall River Fire Department, he would leave the comfort of his bed in the middle of the night to respond to a fire scene to assist anyway he could. There is one iconic photo of him taken by an area newspaper photographer, of Msgr. T leaning out the second floor window of a burning building to escape the heat and smoke. That photo tells his whole story — as man, as a priest, and as a human being. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but Msgr. Tom became a friend of my family through the years. We would offer him a ride home from a Sunday Mass after he wasn’t
able to drive any longer because of his failing sight. My daughters got know him during those times, and they very much enjoyed the Masses he celebrated. They dubbed him Father Santa Claus, because of his genuine jolly nature. But my favorite memories of him are his coming into my Anchor office to talk sports, and of course the hours we spent together on the links. The golf course was a great escape for both of us and we both eagerly looked forward to our next venture on (and around) the fairways and greens (and sand and water). We would briefly talk religion, and then dive headlong into sports and our golf game. He was a pistol. I know I’ve mentioned this before as well, but it’s such a great memory. I would line up a putt, and he would ask, “Are
La Patience (It took over 500 years to develop the Catholic Rosary!) “Joyful took a Sorrowful turn, But Glorious did She return. For 500 years we pon-
dered these, Then along came a Polish breeze. The wind of change now you know, Has now taken on a Luminous glow!” Daryl Gonyon, Fall River
you sure it’s going to break that way?” I was certain it would, until he played that head game.
We always played for an ice coffee après golf, so it was important to win. I remember I marked my ball on the green with a medal of St. Kateri Tekakwitha I carried in my pocket. He got the biggest kick out of that. “Are you
marking with a holy medal?” he queried, and said I would do anything to win. I would have to watch the path of his ball when he teed off because his eyesight was limited. It would have been so easy to tell him it was in the woods or water, but who would do that to Father Santa? Despite his poor eyesight, he insisted on driving the golf cart. Again, who can say no to Father Santa? Great memories out there, but the last time we went out together was a sad time. We hadn’t even played nine holes yet, but I knew he
was struggling. He was out of breath and very fatigued. I told him we should call it a day, and his response was “But I don’t want to spoil the day for you.” Typical Msgr. Tom response — caring for someone other than himself. We never golfed again, and the next golf season, he passed away. But I still have on my office wall, the only selfie he was ever in — him and me on the links. I miss you, Tommy. The whole world misses you. But my life is so much more fulfilled having had you in it. The next time we meet, I owe you an iced coffee. davejolivet@anchornews.org.
Work has commenced on the 2021-22 Diocesan Directory scheduled to be published this October. There are a limited number of 2020 editions still available. The books contain some outdated information, but much of it is accurate. We are offering this book for $15 (includes shipping). Mail to: The Anchor 887 Highland Avenue Fall River, Mass. 02720
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