Diocese of Fall River, Mass.
F riday , August 14, 2015
For more than 70 years, Sister Gertrude has carved out her legacy By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff
FALL RIVER — This past May, Sister Gertrude Gaudette, O.P., celebrated 70 years of being a Sister of the Dominicans of St. Catherine of Siena. A true “renaissance” nun, her innate do-it-yourself attitude coupled with an amazing artistic flare can been seen in the pieces of her artwork in permanent residence throughout the Fall River Diocese, including schools, parishes and the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro. The youngest of five children, and currently the last of her siblings still grac-
ing the earth, Sister Gaudette has been a resident at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River for the last two years. She is of a generation who can remember using an outhouse on a regular basis at her childhood home on a farm in Rochester, and is a child of the Great Depression. Her creative side was showcased in her love of music, and a project she worked on before she was a teen-ager. Sister Gaudette was 12 years old when she, along with Ernest Labadie, built a log cabin clubhouse on the farm property that was enjoyed by youngsters durTurn to page 18
Students for Life America recently organized rallies in 64 cities, including Boston, calling for investigations and defunding of Planned Parenthood. These are some of those who gathered for the Boston rally. (Photo courtesy of Boston Rescuer)
Area Catholics urge investigation, defunding in wake of Planned Parenthood scandal By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent
At 93 years old, Sister Gertrude Gaudette, O.P., may not be spending much time creating pieces of artwork, but reminders of her amazing talent decorate the walls in her room at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River. Her niece Louise DesRoches visits her aunt regularly, and is also the proud owner of a number of “Aunt Gert’s” works of art. (Photo by Becky Aubut)
BOSTON — The pleas of Massachusetts Catholics fell on deaf legislative ears last week. Members of the faithful from across the Commonwealth called for taxpayer dollars to be allocated away from Planned Parenthood. On August 4, a federal bill with that aim failed to garner enough votes; both United States senators from the state voted against it. A few hours later, the Center for Medical Progress released the fifth in a series of undercover videos showing high-level PP employees pricing fetal organs over lunch. Believing that they were speaking with biotech researchers, the employees’
discussions were casual, cavalier and, at times, off color. The videos have spurred several corporations and three states — Alabama, Louisiana and New Hampshire — to rescind funds from PP; a total of 12 states, including Massachusetts, launched investigations. After a week-long review, Attorney General Maura Healey cleared the PP League of Massachusetts of any wrongdoing, adding that the organization does not have a fetal tissue donation program. The sale of human body parts is a federal crime. PP officials at the national level have denied illegal activity, saying Turn to page 14
Holy Cross Father Hugh W. Cleary named national director at Holy Cross Family Ministries Special
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The Anchor
EASTON — Father Hugh W. Cleary, C.S.C., has been named national director of Holy Cross Family Ministries, the Catholic organization devoted to family prayer, especially the Rosary. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Holy Cross Family Ministries and was superior general of the Congregation of Holy Cross, which sponsors the ministry founded by Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton. As national director, Father Cleary is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day pastoral outreach efforts of Holy Cross Family Ministry within the United States, which includes promoting and supporting the Spiritual well-being of the family by making the Rosary widely known and using media to help families pray. “I am delighted Father Hugh is joining
our team. He’ll be an essential member of our leadership,” said Father Willy Raymond, C.S.C., President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, who leads and guides the mission in 17 countries. Father Willy went on to say, “Families that Father Hugh has ministered to often tell me how much they benefit from his prayerful and peaceful countenance. He is a joy to be with and to work with.” Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton was one of the most influential American Catholic priests of the 20th century. A candidate for sainthood, he encouraged millions of people to pray the Rosary daily through massive Rosary Rallies and the use of modern media, including radio, television, films and billboards.
Father Cleary actually met Father Peyton in 1964 as a first-year seminarian; and while superior general, he presented the Cause of Father Peyton to the Vatican to begin the process that, God willing, will culminate in Father Peyton’s canonization. “I had the chance to meet Father Peyton more than 50 years ago,” Father Cleary said. “Even then, he was considered something of a living saint. I have a strong belief that the mission of Father Peyton and Holy Cross Family Ministries are essential to help families pray.” Father Hugh brings a wealth of academic, pastoral and administrative experience to this position. As Provincial for the former Eastern Province of Priests and Brothers, Father Hugh was the chairman
of the Corporate Members Board and the Board of Directors. Father Hugh began his ministry as associate pastor at Holy Cross Parish in Easton. He then was pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, a parish in inner-city Brooklyn, N.Y. He served as novice director for the Congregation of Holy Cross at their Novitiate in Colorado. He was also superior of the Eastern Province of Priests from 1994 to 1998 and he served as superior general from 1998 to 2010. He was the director of Campus Ministry at Stonehill College in Easton. Most recently Father Cleary was the chaplain at the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, N.Y. Father Cleary received his Ph.D. and MA in formative Spirituality from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He also received a master’s in counseling psychology from Loyola University in ChiTurn to page 14
News From the Vatican
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August 14, 2015
To welcome refugees is a witness of the Resurrection, pope says
Vatican City (CNA) — On the first anniversary of the arrival of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Pope Francis sent a letter thanking the country for welcoming thousands forced to flee their homes, and urged the international community not to remain indifferent. “Many times I have wanted to give voice to the atrocious, inhumane and inexplicable persecution of those who in many parts of the world — and especially among Christians — are victims of fanaticism and intolerance, often under the eyes and silence of all,” the pope said in his recent letter. “They are the martyrs of today, humiliated and discriminated against because of their fidelity to the Gospel.” Addressed to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem S.B. Fouwad Toual, and the Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan S.E. Maroun Lahham, the letter was sent on the occasion of the first anniversary of the arrival of Iraqi refugees in Jordan Aug. 8, 2014. With ISIS forces beginning a major offensive in June 2014, more than 2.5 million refugees — many of them Christian — fled from Mosul and the Nineveh Plan, either to neighboring countries or to Erbil and other cities in the Kurdish area. In honor of the anniversary the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, Bishop Nunzio Galantino, traveled to Jordan August 6-7, where
he participated in various meetings and events. Among them were several visits refugee centers, the Vatican announced. Pope Francis took the bishop’s trip as an occasion to renew his appeal for solidarity and for a Church “that doesn’t forget or abandon her children, exiled for their faith.” The pope voiced his gratitude to Jordan and the many other countries for refusing to look the other way when refugees began to arrive. “You announce the Resurrection of Christ with the sharing of their pain and the fraternal help which provides aid to the hundreds of thousands of refugees; with your stooping down into their suffering, which risks suffocating hope; with your fraternal service, which also risks many dark moments of existence,” he told them. On the other hand, Francis stressed that “public opinion” can always be more attentive and quick to participate in helping to end the global persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. He renewed his frequently repeated appeal for the international community to “not remain mute and inactive in front of such unacceptable crimes.” Such crimes, he said, evoke an alarming concern for the most essential human rights and impede the richness of peaceful cohabitation among peoples, cultures and different faith practices.
Young people react as Pope Francis arrives to lead his weekly audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Giampiero Sposito, Reuters)
Pope designates September 1 as World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation
VATICAN CITY (CNS) sentation June 18 of Pope ation, Pope Francis said, will — Like their Orthodox Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato be a time for individuals and brothers and sisters, Catho- Si’,” had suggested there that communities to “reaffirm lics formally will mark Sep- all Christians join in prayer their personal vocation to tember 1 as the World Day September 1. be stewards of creation, to of Prayer for the Care of “This would mark a step thank God for the wonderCreation, Pope Francis has toward further closeness ful handiwork which He has decided. among them,” he had said. entrusted to our care, and The day of prayer, to implore His help the pope said, will uoting his encyclical, he said, “liv- for the protection give individuals and ing our vocation to be protectors of Creation as well communities an opof God’s handiwork is essential to a life of as His pardon for portunity to implore the sins committed God’s help in pro- virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary against the world in tecting Creation and aspect of our Christian experience.” which we live.” an opportunity to The pope asked ask God’s forgiveCardinal Koch to Pope Francis said Chris- consult with and work with ness “for sins committed against the world in which tians want to make their the Catholic Church’s ecuspecial contribution to safe- menical partners and the we live.” Pope Francis announced guarding Creation, but to do World Council of Churches his decision to add the annu- that they must rediscover the to make sure the prayer day Pope creates exarchate for al prayer day to the Catholic Spiritual foundations of their becomes a sign of Christians’ calendar in a letter to Cardi- approach to earthly realities, commitment to work toSyro-Malabar Catholics in Canada nal Peter Turkson, president beginning with an acknowl- gether to safeguard creation When the Syro-Malabar VATICAN CITY (CNS) of the Pontifical Council edgment that “the life of the “in order to be more credible — Pope Francis has estab- Eparchy of St. Thomas the for Justice and Peace, and to Spirit is not dissociated from and effective.” lished an apostolic exarchate, Apostle was created in Chi- Cardinal Kurt Koch, presi- the body or from nature,” but He entrusted to the Ponthe precursor to a diocese, for cago in 2001, St. John Paul lived in communion with all dent of the Pontifical Countifical Council for Justice and Syro-Malabar Catholics in II entrusted to the bishop worldly realities. cil for Promoting Christian Peace the task of working Canada and has named their also the pastoral care of the The ecological crisis, he Unity. with Catholic bishops’ concurrent Toronto-based chap- Church’s members in Canasaid, is a summons “to a The text of the letter, datferences and environmental lain, Father Jose Kalluvelil, da. profound Spiritual convered August 6, was released by organizations to publicize Bishop-designate Kala bishop and head of the exsion” and to a way of life that the Vatican August 10. and coordinate the specifics luvelil, 59, was born in Thotarchate. clearly shows they are bePope Francis said he was of the celebration. Announcing the appoint- tuva, India, and ordained to lievers. “I invoke upon this iniment, the Vatican said about the priesthood in 1984. Af- instituting the prayer day for Quoting his encyclical, he tiative the intercession of 9,000 faithful of the India- ter working in parishes and Catholics because he shares based Syro-Malabar Catholic schools in the Eparchy of Pal- the concern of Ecumenical said, “living our vocation to Mary, mother of God, and of Church live in Canada. They ghat, India, he became direc- Patriarch Bartholomew of be protectors of God’s hand- St. Francis of Assisi, whose are served by 15 priests, three tor of catechesis and earned Constantinople, who initiat- iwork is essential to a life of “Canticle of the Creatures” of whom belong to religious a doctorate in catechetical ed a similar prayer day for the virtue; it is not an optional inspires so many men and theology from the Pontifical Orthodox Church in 1989. or a secondary aspect of our women of goodwill to live orders. The new exarchate will be Salesian University in Rome. Metropolitan John of Per- Christian experience.” in praise of the Creator and based in Mississauga, Ontar- He has ministered in Canada gamon, who represented the The annual World Day of with respect for creation,” he since 2013. io, near Toronto. patriarch at the public pre- Prayer for the Care of Cre- said.
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August 14, 2015
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The International Church good help and they will continue doing that, and I assure you this, concern has been a light, to see that there is an end to the tunnel,” Archbishop Jeanbart said. At the 133rd Supreme Convention for the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson unveiled a new portal on the Knights’ website, christiansatrisk.org, where Americans can go to donate to help Christians in the Middle East. The Knights will also reimburse all administration costs, so 100 percent of the donated funds will go to those in need.
The Knights of Columbus also plan on selling wooden crosses made from the olive trees in Bethlehem as another way to fund raise for the cause, and they plan on increasing awareness efforts through television commercials and through local parish education, he said. “What is their only crime? To believe in the One Who said 2,000 years ago, ‘love thy neighbor,’” Anderson said of Christians in the Middle East. “The blood of these martyrs cries out to Heaven for justice, and to you and me for help.”
After 57 years, Kiwi priests’ ministry in Antarctica ends
Christchurch, New Zealand (CNA/EWTN News) — New Zealand’s Diocese Christians from Japan and around the world joined together in a march to the Catholic Memorial Cathe- of Christchurch has operated dral for World Peace in Hiroshima, Japan, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the an Antarctic Ministry at McMurdo Station, the largest U.S. dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city. (CNS photo/Paul Jeffrey) community in Antarctica, since November 1957. But a declining numbers of churchgoers has brought the program to an end. “There is a gradual decrease Philadelphia, Pa. “This is a clear case of perse- dreds of thousands of refugees. in religiosity, there is also a de“Help them to stay and help crease in the number of people (CNA/EWTN News) — cution,” he added. Catholic archbishops from Iraq “They’re being denied visas the society there,” he said. “The working at McMurdo Station and Syria said recently that while others who have par- first thing they need is peace. and the South Pole and budget while they hope to help their ticipated (in the violence) or at Help us to get peace, and then cuts so all of these factors have the people will be happy stay- led to the decision that only one people stay in the Middle East, least were silent can go.” chaplain is necessary,” Father they also believe those trying Ideally, Archbishops Warda ing in Syria.” Archbishop Warda said one Dan Doyle, who coordinates to leave are being unjustly dis- and Jeanbart would like their criminated against when apply- people to stay and help rebuild of the most important things the diocese’s Antarctic ministry, ing for United States visas. the Christian populations in Americans can do is to speak told Radio New Zealand. McMurdo Station is a U.S. According to federal data, the Middle East, where Chris- out about the violence being research center on Ross Island, since October 2014, 906 Mus- tians have lived since the first done to Christians in the Midwhich has some 1,000 residents lim refugees from Syria were decades after Jesus’ death. But dle East. during summers and is operated “All the statements (by U.S. granted U.S. visas, while only they also know they cannot ask by the National Science Foun28 of Syria’s estimated 700,000 people to stay in the dangerous government and media) have dation. displaced Christians were given conditions when they choose to not condemned strongly what Peter West, a National damage it is doing,” he said. the same. Even when account- leave. “What they are saying is just Science Foundation spokesing for population percentages “We would like our people (Christians account for 10 per- to stay, we would like (that), but ‘This is not the true Islam. This man, told the BBC, “There are cent of the religious makeup emigration is a personal deci- is violating the picture of Islam.’ Catholic chaplains available of Syria), the numbers of visas sion; we cannot encourage, but The issue for them is the im- through the U.S. military, so granted seems widely dispro- we cannot stop it,” Archbishop age of Islam, but none of these it’s not as if practicing Cathstatements speak about the vic- olics will not be able to avail portional. Warda said. Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Iraq alone has seen a massive tims, about what has been done themselves of services and a Warda of Erbil and Melkite emigration of Christians. The to the victims, they are not even Catholic priest. But this parArchbishop Jean-Clément Christian population has plum- mentioned. And that is one of ticular program we cannot acJeanbart of Aleppo spoke at a meted to 300,000, down from the questions our people have.” commodate any longer.” The first New Zealander “Please remember this: this recent press conference at the about 1.5 million before the priest to serve at McMurdo was Knights of Columbus 2015 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the is part of your heritage, this Father Ronald O’Gorman, who Convention in Philadelphia country. Within the last year, is part of being an American. assisted a U.S. Navy chaplain in about the situation for Chris- tens of thousands of Christians Please speak for the persecuted 1957. Since then, the diocese tians in the Middle East. in Mosul and Bakhdida were around the world, especially for They said that while they do forced to flee, pay exorbitant the Christians today,” he added. The archbishops also praised not believe the discrimination fines, or die at the hands of the against giving Christians visas Islamic State. Many have left the relief efforts provided by goes all the way to the top of the country, while the remain- the Knights of Columbus, who America’s administration, their ing Christians relocated to Er- so far have donated $3 million to relief efforts for Christians in people have noticed the injus- bil, in Iraqi Kurdistan. tice. Archbishop Jeanbart said the Middle East and who an“Our people are asking these it would be less expensive for nounced an expansion of those questions: how come we apply Americans in the long run to efforts this coming year. “The Knights of Columbus for the American visa and are help Christians maintain their denied?” Archbishop Warda presence in the Middle East, have been bringing very much said. than it would be to accept hun- supplies, they are giving us a
If you won’t help our people stay, help them leave — Catholic bishops from the Middle East
has managed to assist in providing priests for the station’s summer, from October to February. The priests serving at McMurdo have been based at the interreligious Chapel of the Snows. When McMurdo station was being built, there was not originally a plan to build a church. However, while working on other buildings, volunteers collected extra lumber and supplies to build the chapel, and its construction was completed even before the rest of the base was finished. The original Chapel of the Snows burned down in 1978, and was replaced with a new temporary chapel. The current chapel was dedicated in 1989. Father Doyle explained that at its heyday, McMurdo Station would be home to 2,000 people during the summer. He also added that improved communications technology has helped residents to feel less isolated while working in Antarctica. McMurdo Station will continue to be served by chaplains for the U.S. military, and other Catholic chapels remain elsewhere in Antarctica. Argentina has several chapels at its bases, including one dedicated to Our Lady of Lujan at Marambio Base. There are also several Eastern Orthodox chapels located in Antarctica.
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The Church in the U.S.
August 14, 2015
Knights of Columbus convention opens with ‘Life and Liberty’ as theme PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — Approximately 2,000 members of the Knights of Columbus from around the country and abroad gathered recently at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia to open the Catholic fraternal organization’s 133rd Supreme Convention. The theme for the threeday convention was “Endowed by Their Creator with Life and Liberty,” paraphrasing the famous words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the same city 239 years ago. The choice of words also played into a theme that would be echoed over the course of the convention — a new initiative of the Knights to raise awareness and funds for persecuted Christians in the Middle East. The convention opened with due pomp and circumstance, including a procession by more a hundred prelates — 11 cardinals, 98 archbishops and bishops, and another hundred or so priests. They concelebrated Mass with Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. Because Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul would not be large enough for the congregation, the Knights did the next best thing: put up a backdrop behind the altar in the convention hall that depicted the facade of the cathedral, incorporating in its center an image of the Holy Family. That touch also was appropriate because “family” could be called a secondary theme of the convention. This was very clear in the homily given by Archbishop Chaput, who used the opportunity to promote the upcoming World Meeting of Families in that same convention center September 22-25, followed by the visit of Pope Francis September 26-27. “It’s a joy to welcome you here to Philadelphia for this first chapter in the World Meeting of Families,” he quipped. The chosen readings for the Mass — from Chapter 12 of the Book of Numbers and from Chapter 14 of the Gospel of St. Matthew — both refer to the family, as Archbishop Chaput explained. The first, which speaks of
the jealousy of Miriam and Aaron toward Moses, focuses on the failings of the human family. The Gospel reading about how Peter’s doubt almost made him sink when he tried to walk on water toward Jesus, applies to the Church as family. “We are called to love and serve one another and to see the gifts and talents of our family members as gifts from God that can enrich us all,” the archbishop commented on the first reading. As for the Gospel, he compared the reading to the boat of Peter when Christ calmed the storm. “We can be confident and comforted that Jesus will not abandon His Church,” the archbishop said. After the Mass, Archbishop Chaput inaugurated this year’s Holy Family Prayer Program with the distribution of framed images of the Holy Family, which the Knights’ state deputies will take home to their jurisdictions to be used at prayer Liturgies. The program was begun in 1979, he explained, and since that time 17 million people have participated in more than 147,000 prayer services. The framed images, which were blessed by Pope Francis, depict the same image as was on the altar backdrop. They are copies of a 17th-century etching by Giovanni Batista based on a 16th-century painting. While most lay convention-goers were clearly senior members of their local branches of the Knights with many accompanied by their spouse, there also were a fair number of younger members who gave credence to the Knights as a family organization. For example, Maj. Peter Thayer, in the dress uniform of an Army paratrooper from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, attended with his wife, Melinda, and the couple’s six children, ages 10 to 18 months — Kathryn, Reese, Emily, Evelyn, Kyra and Kilian, the youngest. Thayer was invited to the convention to serve in an honor guard, he explained. As to why he is a Knight of Columbus, “I initially joined for the insurance,” he said, “but the fraternity really drew me in and I’ve been involved ever since.”
Dominican Sister Malia Dominica Wong is the vocations coordinator for the Diocese of Honolulu. To promote the Church’s Year of Consecrated Life, she has created a “traveling presentation” about religious life that she aims to bring to all the parishes, mission churches and schools in the Hawaiian Islands. (CNS photo/Darlene Dela Cruz, Hawaii Catholic Herald)
Think the human person is nothing special? Think again, says archbishop
Kansas City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Too many social trends treat the human person as nothing Sacred, but Catholic Pro-Life efforts are part of an effort to change that, Los Angeles’ Archbishop Jose Gomez said recently. “Everything we do is rooted in the truth of the Gospel. The beautiful truth that every human life matters — because every human life is Sacred and created by the loving plan of God,” the archbishop said in his keynote speech at the National Diocesan Pro-Life Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Kan. “We are living in a culture that is deeply confused and conflicted about the meaning of Creation and the meaning of human life,” he said. “And so we find ourselves more and more indifferent to the cruelty and injustice that we see all around us.” He noted such grave crimes against human life as widespread abortion, experimentation with human embryos, and the euthanasia of the elderly and the sick. “In a society without God, the human person becomes ‘nothing special,’ nothing Sacred. The value of a human life is judged according to whether it is ‘productive’ or ‘efficient,’” he said. “Without God we don’t know who we are, or where we come from, or what we are here for.” However, it is not enough to criticize “the cruelty of this culture.” “Our challenge as Christians is to change and convert this culture!” Archbishop Gomez continued. Transforming the culture means “turning it from the darkness of death to the light of life.” “We have to call our society once more to rediscover the sanctity, the dignity and the tran-
scendent destiny of the human person, who is created in the image of the Creator.” Archbishop Gomez said the task for the Church is to seek how to “live and love and work and create,” and how to raise families and carry out the Christian mission “in a culture that has no need for God and has no tolerance for people who believe in God.” He credited God’s grace for a Pro-Life victory in California, when the state legislature withdrew a bill to legalize assisted suicide. He also credited the victory to a coalition of doctors and health care professionals, advocates for the disabled, advocates for the poor, and African-American and immigrant community leaders. “It’s a temporary victory, for sure. We expect to see the measure come back in January or later next year in a ballot proposition. But for now it is stopped,” he said. He explained that assisted suicide had “dangerous implications” for the poor and those without adequate health care access. “It is no secret that there was big money and powerful interests behind this legislation, and nobody thought we could win,” he continued. “But that what’s encouraging to me. Despite the odds and all the political pressure, we were still able to engage legislators on this complicated issue and help them to see our concerns.” Archbishop Gomez also denounced the injustice of racial discrimination, unemployment, homelessness, environmental pollution, bad prison conditions, and the death penalty. He particularly noted injustices related to immigration, such
as family detention, deportation, and deaths in the desert of people trying to enter the U.S. However, he said that these issues are not all equal. “The fundamental injustice in our society is the killing of innocent unborn life through abortion and the killing of the sick and defenseless through euthanasia and assisted suicide,” he said. “If the child in the womb has no right to be born, if the sick and the old have no right to be taken care of — then there is no solid foundation to defend anyone’s human rights.” The archbishop drew on the examples of several Catholics, including Blessed Junipero Serra, a California missionary who opposed capital punishment for Native Americans who had tortured and killed one of his friends, a fellow missionary, in an attack on the San Diego mission in 1775. “Let the murderer live so he can be saved, which is the purpose of our coming here and the reason for forgiving him,” the priest said in a letter to Spanish authorities. Archbishop Gomez noted the life of Servant of God Dorothy Day, who “personally knew the tragedy of abortion and also the despair that leads people to try suicide.” “But she also discovered the power of God’s tender mercies — which can heal every wound and bring new life out of sin and death,” the archbishop said. In strong words, she characterized abortion as genocide against the poor and minorities. She also performed works of love and mercy. She encouraged people: “Make room for children, don’t do away with them.”
5 The Church in the U.S. Milwaukee Archdiocese reaches $21 million settlement with abuse survivors August 14, 2015
MILWAUKEE (CNS) — The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has reached a $21 million settlement with abuse survivors, according to a recent announcement. The settlement is part of an agreement on a reorganization plan reached by the archdiocese and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which has sought compensation for victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Chief Judge Susan V. Kelley of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin now must rule on the organization plan. It will be submitted to her August 24, with a ruling expected in early November. The agreement comes more than four years and eight months after the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That action followed failed mediation with 15 abuse victims/survivors in which the archdiocese had offered a settlement of $4.6 million.
According to the agreement, 330 abuse survivors will share $21 million. The amount for each will be determined by a courtappointed claims administrator who will evaluate claims in two of the four classes of abuse survivors listed in the plan, and make recommendations to the committee as to final compensation. The four classes include 579 claims filed in Chapter 11. The first class includes 223 abuse survivors whose claims were against “an Archdiocese of Milwaukee priest with a previous substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor,” according to information provided by the archdiocese. The second class is comprised of 107 claims involving abuse by a religious order priest, Brother, Sister or lay employee who experienced the abuse at an archdiocesan parish, school or institution where the abuser worked. Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, explained why those claims were included,
Half of church fires in the last 20 years were set on purpose
Washington D.C. (CNA) — Fifty-one percent of the reported fire incidents at U.S. houses of worship between 1996 and 2015 were determined to be caused by arson, according to a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center. Church fires are investigated and classified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as accidental, bombing, arson, threat or undetermined. Statistics show that just over half of the approximately 4,700 fires reported at houses of worship between 1996 and 2015 were ruled intentional. There has been little change in the percentage of church fires caused by arson over the years, Pew says. However, there have been decreases in overall numbers of church fires, as well as numbers of intentional church
fires. “Between 1996 and 2000, an average of 191 intentional fires were reported each year, accounting for 52 percent of all church fires,” the Pew analysis reads. “That average dropped to 74 intentional fires per year between 2010 and 2014, or 48 percent of all church fires.” In the first half of this year, 29 out of 79 reported fires at houses of worship have been ruled acts of arson. On August 2, there were two reports of bomb explosions at churches in Las Cruces, N.M. In 1996, a congressional report found that black churches in the South were disproportionately targeted for church arson. That same year, President Bill Clinton signed the Church Arson Prevention Act and established the National Church Arson Task Force to fight these incidents.
even though they did not involve archdiocesan priests. “To get a settlement, we compromised. We thought because this abuse occurred at an archdiocesan parish, school or institution where the abuser was working, we felt that was a compromise that was just,” he said. The 92 claimants in the third class are those whose claims against the archdiocese are not substantiated or could not be substantiated, or where abuse occurred by someone at a nonarchdiocesan organization. “The creditors’ committee — and that’s an important distinction — is setting aside money to say to them, ‘We will give to them a small amount of money, $2,000 each, at our choice, out of the settlement,’” Topczewski said, noting it is a set amount not subject to review by the claims administrator. The fourth class is comprised of 157 claimants whose claims were either disallowed or dismissed or whose claims are not for sexual abuse or do not identify the abuser. This group also includes claims filed by 84 individuals who had previously received a financial settlement from the archdiocese. None in this class receive payment. Part of the compensation for victims/survivors will come from insurance settlements totaling $11 million, including $7.4 million from Lloyd’s of London and $2.3 million from OneBeacon Insurance Group. The archdiocesan Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust “will volun-
tarily lend us $3 million — the same as they were going to do in the original plan (of reorganization),” Topczewski said. Funds in the trust are earmarked for cemetery maintenance to provide perpetual care for the archdiocesan cemeteries that cover 1,000 acres of land where more than 500,000 people are interred. Attorneys for the victims/ survivors had argued the funds should be used to compensate victims. The trust will reimburse the archdiocese $5 million for perpetual care that covers the last five years. The trust will contribute another $8 million “to settle all pending litigation to bring closure to the cemetery trust issue,” according to information provided by the archdiocese. The market value of the cemetery trust has been listed as high as $65 million, providing it with the resources to continue providing the perpetual care for which people paid. One of the concerns regularly mentioned by the court, attorneys and public throughout the proceedings was the cost of the Chapter 11 process. More than $12 million has been paid to attorneys and other professionals, while another $6.5 million has been accrued but not paid. As part of the agreement, additional legal fees have been capped at $1.25 million. Topczewski said, “Abuse survivors will receive more money than will be paid out in professional fees, which was important
to abuse survivors and it was important to us, too.” From the outset, Archbishop Listecki insisted any plan of reorganization had to include a therapy fund. That $500,000 fund, made possible by contributions from parishes, will provide abuse survivors with access to therapy and counseling for as long as they need it. Other key provisions of the agreement include: — All Archdiocese of Milwaukee parishes, schools and institutions will receive a legal and binding release protecting them from future lawsuits relating to abuse claims that were filed or could have been filed in the Chapter 11 proceeding. — Archdiocesan offices will remain at the Cousins Center in the city of St. Francis. According to Topczewski, “It is not on market. Part of the plan was to stay here. Economically, there is no reason for us to move.” — Once the plan is approved, the cemetery trust will voluntarily withdraw its request asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the March 9 decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said there was no First Amendment protection in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings for the cemetery trust. Attorneys for the archdiocese had argued that to use cemetery monies to compensate abuse victims would violate Archbishop Listecki’s religious freedom rights as the trustee for the cemetery fund. “We have a new day,” Topczewski said.
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August 14, 2015
Anchor Editorial
Indifference
This Tuesday, Pope Francis announced the theme that his message for the 49th World Day of Peace will have: “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace.” In a communiqué, the Holy See noted that “Indifference in regard to the scourges of our time is one of the fundamental causes of the lack of peace. Today, indifference is often linked to various forms of individualism which cause isolation, ignorance, selfishness and, therefore, lack of interest and commitment. Increase of information does not mean per se an increase of attention to the problems, if it is not accompanied by solidarity-based openness of conscience. To this end, it is essential the contribution that can [be] provide[d] — besides [by] the family — [by] educators, teachers, people of culture, media practitioners, intellectuals and artists. Indifference can be won only responding together to this challenge.” As noted above, people can be very aware of injustices and tragedies happening near and far and still be indifferent to them. The extreme case, oft cited, is of those Germans who said after World War II, “Trains? What trains?” Unfortunately (both for the bodily lives of the victims of violence and for the souls of the indifferent), this type of indifference continues to be rampant today in our country and throughout the world. Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau, Alaska wrote this past March 8 in the Juneau Eagle, “Indifference to our neighbor is a real temptation in our society and is possibly at the root of many hearts. We need to be challenged by others so we do not grow indifferent. Within the Christian tradition, we look to those ‘others’ as the prophets, the Apostles, the faithful disciples and saints who have gone before us, and we listen to them crying out with the message of love that challenges our consciences.” In May, 150 Christian students were killed at a university in Kenya. Bishop Anthhoy Muheria of Kitui, Kenya, complained about the world’s indifference to this attack: “They only address something if they are directly affected. If the victims had been exchange students from the United States, I think the international reaction would have been a lot different.” We also have the indifference in our own country to the millions of
abortions and now the well-known market in fetal body parts. Genevieve Kineke on page nine and Father Tad on page 13 address very well how we got to this point of depravity and the ethical issues which remain. Are we to be like the 1940s Germans in reaction to this? Pope Francis wants to link the theme of indifference to the World Day of Peace because peace does not come from nowhere. It comes from people ceasing to be indifferent about the suffering of others. The Holy See’s notice continued, “Peace is to be worked at: it is not something that one gains without efforts, without conversion of mind and heart, without a sense of creativity and positive engagement in discussion. Such an action must urgently have recourse to build a sense of responsibility and awareness about the serious problems and challenges afflicting our time, such as, fundamentalism, intolerance and massacres, persecutions on account of faith and ethnicity, disregard for freedom and the destruction of the rights of entire peoples, the exploitation of human beings submitted even to the different forms of slavery, corruption and organized crime, war and the plight of refugees and forcibly displaced persons.” Looking back to last January 1’s message, the Holy See urged everyone: “A field in which peace can be constructed, day by day, overcoming indifference is that of the forms of slavery in the world today, to which was dedicated the message for the World Day of Peace 2015, ‘No Longer Slaves But Brothers.’ We must pursue this commitment, with increased awareness and collaboration.” In that message Pope Francis spoke about the physical slavery that millions of people are still suffering in today’s world, plus the Spiritual slavery that even billions of people allow themselves to endure. “Peace is possible where the rights of every human being are recognized and respected, heard and known, according to freedom and justice,” the communiqué continued. “The message for 2016 aims to be a starting point for all people of good will, particularly those who work in the education, media, culture, each one acting according to their possibilities and according to their best aspirations to build together a more conscious and merciful, and, therefore, more free and fair world.”
Pope Francis’ Angelus of August 9 Dear brothers and sisters, good day! In this Sunday continues the reading of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, where Jesus, having accomplished the great miracle of the loaves, explaining to people the meaning of the “sign” ( Jn 6:41-51). As He had done earlier with the Samaritan woman, starting from the experience of thirst and the sign of water, Jesus
begins here with the experience of hunger and the sign of bread, so as to reveal Himself and invite [others] to believe in Him. The people look for Him, the people listen, because they have remained enthusiastic about the miracle — they wanted to make Him king! — but when Jesus said that the true Bread, given by God, is Himself, many are shocked, OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER
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they do not understand, and begin to murmur among themselves: “About Him,” they said, “do we not know His father and mother? How, then, can He say: ‘I have come down from Heaven?’” ( Jn 6:42). And they begin to murmur. Then Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless drawn by the Father Who sent Me,” and adds: “The one who believes has eternal life” (6:44, 47). This Word of the Lord amazes us, and it makes us think. It introduces us into the dynamics of faith, which is a relationship: the relationship between human beings — all of us — and the Person of Jesus, where the Father plays a decisive role, and naturally also the Holy Spirit — that is implied here. It is not enough to meet Jesus to believe in Him, it’s not enough to just read the Bible, the Gospel — this is important, but not enough! It is not enough even to witness a miracle, such as the multiplication of the loaves. So
many people have been in close contact with Jesus and have not believed; they’ve even despised and condemned Him. And I wonder: why is this? Were they not attracted by the Father? No, this happened because their hearts were closed to the action of the Spirit of God. And if you have a closed heart, faith does not enter. God the Father always draws us to Jesus: [it is up to us] to open our hearts or close them. Instead the faith, which is like a seed in my heart, blossoms when we let ourselves be “drawn” by the Father to Jesus, and “we go to Him” with an open heart, without prejudices; then we recognize in His face the face of God and in His words the Word of God, because the Holy Spirit has made us get into this relationship of love and of life between Jesus and God the Father. And there we receive the gift, the gift of faith. So, with this attitude of faith, we can understand also
the meaning of the “Bread of Life” that Jesus gives us, and that He put it this way: “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world” ( Jn 6:51). In Jesus, in His “flesh” — that is, in His concrete humanity — is present all the love of God, which is the Holy Spirit. Those who allow themselves to be attracted by this love for Jesus, go with faith, and receive from Him life, eternal life. One who has lived this experience in an exemplary manner is the Virgin of Nazareth, Mary: the first human person who believed in God by accepting the Flesh of Jesus. We learn from you, our Mother, the joy and gratitude for the gift of faith. A gift that is not “private,” a gift that is not private property but a gift to be shared is a gift “for the life of the world!
August 14, 2015
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n the Gospel, Jesus commented on the connection between the “tree” of one’s heart and the “fruit” of deeds. “A good tree,” He said, “does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:43-45). Jesus’ words about the cause-and-effect relationship between our thoughts, actions and character no doubt are part of the background for a famous aphorism often repeated by Blessed Mother Teresa: “Plant a thought and reap a word; plant a word and reap an action; plant an action and reap a habit; plant a habit and reap a character; plant a character and reap a destiny.” Within the context of these articles on a Catholic plan of life — the series of practices meant to form us toward holiness — it is therefore important to consider the types of thoughts that should be planted in order to reap in turn good words, deeds, virtues and a Heavenly destiny. Such thoughts of the heart — thoughts that express our deepest desires — are part of the class of practices in the plan of life, like study, work, and order, that are meant to
Anchor Columnist The acts of the heart that lead to holiness
be done “continuously,” in of “bad days.” If we have a contrast to those done at dis- vivid awareness that God is crete daily, weekly, monthly at our side, it’s much harder or yearly frequencies. to succumb to the temptaToday we can focus on tion to choose against Him seven of the most important in sin. The desert fathers of them. talked about the pivotal The first three would be Spiritual principle of “anamacts of faith, hope and love. nesis,” literally “unforgetting,” These are short prayers in or remembering God. Acts of which we turn to God in the midst of the day and place our Putting Into trust in Him, renew our desire for what the Deep He wishes to do in us, and reiterate our By Father love for Him in such Roger J. Landry a way that we begin to live increasingly by faith, seeking the things that are above, and the Presence of God help us with the passion for God and to do so. others that we see in Christ And “unforgetting God” and in the saints. Many leads us to recall that we are prayer books contain clasHis beloved children. To live sic formulations of the acts as a Christian is to live conof faith, hope and love, but sciously as a beloved son or we can also pray in our own daughter of God, modeled on words in which we reiterate Jesus’ Sonship and assisted by to God our faith, hope and the Holy Spirit Who helps love and ask Him to increase us to cry out, “Abba, Father!” them. Everything changes in life Those acts all flow easily when we live aware that we into what are called acts of are loved as much as God the Presence of God, when loves us. The Christian life is we recall that God is with grounded in Divine filiation. us seeking to help, save and The last two thoughts of sanctify us and to strengthen the heart are acts of thanksus as His instruments to giving and of atonement. help, save and sanctify others. To be a Christian is to Everything in life changes be grateful for all God has when we are aware that God- given, but often we can with-us is actually with us, imitate the Israelites in risen from the dead, helping the desert mumbling even us to live with the character- over miraculous food from istically Christian newness of life. Knowing that Jesus is with us, loving us, fills us with joy even in the midst
Pope Francis to speak from lectern Lincoln used for Gettysburg Address
PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — As lecterns go, it is strictly utilitarian, a simple walnut stand with none of the ornamentation commonly found in mid-19th-century furnishings. Yet it has a distinguished past and is about to have a distinguished future. At a recent news conference at the Union League of Philadelphia, Robert Ciaruffoli, president of the World Meeting of Families, announced that Pope Francis, during his September 26 speech at Independence Hall while in Philadelphia for the families’ meeting, will use the lectern that was most famously used
by President Abraham Lincoln when he gave his Gettysburg Address. The lectern, which is privately owned, is on long-term loan to the Union League as part of its Abraham Lincoln Foundation exhibit. The league, a private club, was founded in 1862 specifically to support Lincoln’s policies. “We are honored and grateful for the generosity of the Abraham Lincoln Foundation in offering to the Holy Father the opportunity to speak from the lectern from which Abraham Lincoln delivered probably the most important American speech,” Ciaruffoli said.
Heaven. Real joy comes from counting our blessings, even the cruciform ones, and turning with gratitude to God Who never ceases to bless us. “In all circumstances give thanks,” St. Paul tells us, “for this is the Will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18). Especially before bed, we should thank God for the gift and gifts of the day. But even though God never ceases to bless us, many times we and others do not correspond to His graces. That’s why acts of atonement are likewise necessary, in which we express our sorrow and do reparation for our sins and the sins of the world. When we hear of crimes and atrocities — daily staples in the news — our first response ought to be to
7 turn to God, to say, “Sorry, Lord!” for the sins of His children against each other and against Him, and beg His mercy. To be a Christian is regularly to say, “Forgive us our trespasses” and to seek to atone for them, entering more fully into the expiation Christ brought to the world (Col 1:24). The more we sow these seven acts of faith, hope, love, awareness of God’s presence, Divine filiation, thanksgiving and atonement, the more we will reap words, actions, habits and character that are genuinely Christian and the more firmly we will be set on the path toward holiness, happiness and Heaven to which the plan of life is meant to direct us. Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.
Are you going to see the pope? FALL RIVER — In late September, Pope Francis will be visiting the United States and making stops in New York City and Philadelphia. If you are making plans to be there to see him, The Anchor would love to hear about your experience to include in our coverage of the event. A member of The Anchor staff will be present in Philadelphia for the Holy Father’s
visit for the World Meeting of the Families, but that’s just one set of eyes making note of this historic trip. Please send your story to BeckyAubut@anchornews. org. Please include your full name, your parish, phone number; why you decided to make the trip and what you experienced while you were there. (Submissions may be edited for size and content.)
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n J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” the main characters receive a special kind of food named lembas bread to sustain them in the journey they are called to make. Unlike normal food, even a small amount of this special bread can sustain them for a long time and give them the strength to overcome the challenges they will face on the way. Tolkien, a devoted Catholic, didn’t come up with the idea for this special bread out of thin air. It is an allusion to the Eucharist. Of course, the Blessed Sacrament is not bread, yet it is nourishment nonetheless. Our Lord tells His listeners in this week’s Gospel, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you do not have life within you.”
August 14, 2015
Food for the soul
Life within you — the the life of our soul? What life of the soul. Howare we feeding it? In our ever, if we think about it second reading, St. Paul a little bit, can’t it seem a reminds us that there is little strange to talk about always the danger of givfeeding our soul? Leaving ing it the wrong kind of aside actual soul food (the health effects of which, at least for Homily of the Week the body, are questionable), can’t we Twentieth Sunday sometimes live with in Ordinary Time the notion that our By Father soul just is — that, Riley J. Williams so long as we live, we have life within us? Yet life is so much more than a simple food: “Do not get drunk biological reality. We must on wine, in which lies realize that life is so much debauchery, but be filled more than that. with the Spirit.” The interior life — the How selective are we life of the soul — is even on what we take into our more truly life than the souls? Does what we read life of the body, because and watch on the televialthough one day life will sion and view on the comdepart from our bodies, puter really feed the life our souls will live forever. within us that our Lord What care, then, are we gives us, or is it just Spiritaking to sustain and grow tual junk food: offering a
moment’s pleasure, but in the end leaving us weaker and malnourished — empty inside? In a world where caring for your nutritional needs is more and more popular, with a new diet being proposed seemingly every week, do we take the same care, not simply to keep from what is Spiritually unhealthy, but also to seek out the nourishment our souls really need? Of all the different ways we can do this — such as through good Spiritual reading and watching the quality programs offered on Catholic television channels, the role of the Eucharist is preeminent. Here we receive Jesus Himself — life itself ! And so, we can reflect, how do we prepare ourselves for this meal? Do we reflect
on the areas where we need special nourishment and strength, and offer them to the Lord? Do we receive Him with an openness for the journey He is calling us to walk — even if the final destination is still unknown to us? After receiving, do we take time — even just a few minutes — to reflect on what we have received, and commit ourselves anew to living the life of a follower of Christ — the only true life? Our bodies cannot live without the right kind of food, and our souls are no different. As we continue on the journey of our life, may we always take care to nourish ourselves, body and soul, with the food that feeds us for true life. Father Williams is a parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich.
Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Aug. 15, Rv 11:19a,12:1-6a,10ab; Ps 45:10-12,16; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56. Sun. Aug. 16, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Prv 9:1-6; Ps 34:2-7; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:51-58. Mon. Aug. 17, Jgs 2:11-19; Ps 106:34-37,39-40,43ab,44; Mt 19:16-22. Tues. Aug. 18, Jgs 6:11-24a; Ps 85:9,11-14; Mt 19:23-30. Wed. Aug. 12, Dt 34:1-12; Ps 66:1-3a,5,8,16-17; Mt 18:15-20. Thurs. Aug. 13, Jos 3:7-10a,11,13-17; Ps 114:1-6; Mt 18:21–19:1. Fri. Aug. 14, Jos 24:1-13; Ps 136:1-3,16-18,21-22,24; Mt 19:3-12.
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his past weekend my wife and I were privileged to accompany Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., on a visit to Nantucket. He celebrated the Mass and visited with parishioners after the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass in town and the 8:45 Sunday morning Mass in the chapel in ’Sconset. On both occasions the bishop preached on John’s well-known Gospel account of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. I was struck, however, by the bishop’s reference to what he called “the small miracle of sharing.” In John’s account the ability to feed 5,000 people is preceded by St. Andrew telling Jesus about a young boy who possesses five loaves of bread and two fish. The bishop focused on the fact that this young boy readily shared what he had. If he had acted in a self-centered manner and kept the food for himself the larger miracle of feeding the masses would not be possible. It occurred to me that we often overlook the small
The small miracle of sharing miracles of sharing that allow have begun because of a small decision to care and act. for so much of the greater How many small miracles good to happen. We are most of sharing are we witness often in the position of the to each day? In our schools, young boy, asked to contribute in some small way that, in the extra attention a teacher faith, we hope leads to a larger accomplishment. Over the remainder of the weekend I was mindful of relatively small acts By James A. of either kindness Campbell or generosity that I could imagine as part of God’s plan for building the Kingdom. A very pays to a student may yield dividends for years to come. generous couple hosted the Can the greatest scientific or bishop for dinner that night. artistic advances be traced What may come from the back to the encouragement of many conversations that ensued? On Cape Cod the night a mentor who may have faded from view but left an indelible before, two people talked to impression? me about the need to estabWhen a priest or deacon is lish a men’s shelter to address called to a hospital bed in the homelessness and reintegramiddle of the night, does that tion from prison. Their conact of selfless love engender cern for a vulnerable and at risk population was admirable an inspirational response from and I wonder how many lives the patient or their loved ones? they will impact if their efDoes the simple act of a forts succeed? Over time will they feed 5,000? More? It will parent teaching their children
It’s What We Do
to care for the needs of others start a process that can lead to a deeper examination of societal iniquities? If we teach our young boys and young girls to willingly give their food, or their time, or some of their allowances, can that portend a larger miracle through Divine intervention? Those small miracles of sharing are all around us. It may be a teacher or coach or peer. They may have offered extra help, encouragement or simply a kindness. They all qualify as small miracles of sharing if we are attuned to them. In the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken” he concludes: “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” If the small step to the
road less taken does indeed make all the difference, then the small acts of kindness and compassion, the small miracles that we witness or practice can do wondrous things. I think this is why the institutions of the Church are so important. Every year we graduate hundreds of young people who have learned that their Catholicism compels them to act on behalf of their brothers and sisters, the family of God. Whether it is economic and environmental justice, as Pope Francis has recently emphasized, or local issues around poverty, we are teaching our children and adults to look upon each circumstance as an occasion to care, to love and to contribute. Feeding 5,000 on five loaves and two fish is awesome. Teaching generations to care and having the heart to try is miraculous. Anchor columnist James Campbell is director of the diocesan Development Office/ Catholic Charities Appeal/ FACE.
August 14, 2015
Wednesday 12 August 2015 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — IBM introduces the first personal computer (1981) ou know me, dear readers. I’m just a curmudgeonly old priest living in a high-tech world. I was sitting on a stool at Angelino’s Sub Shop, waiting for take-out. I was surrounded by other customers, all of them senior citizens. Some were texting; some were yakking on their smart phones; some were pecking at their laptop keyboards. “Humph!” thought I. “What is the world coming to?” Back at the rectory, munching on my Thanksgiving toasted turkey sandwich, I opened my computer. I noticed an additional Internet connection on the screen. It was the brand-new Wi-Fi service just installed at the old age home next-door. “Humph!” I muttered out-loud. “What is the world coming to?” This is not ageism, dear readers. The AARP awarded me an official membership card more than a decade ago. I’m a certified old fogey. I’ve earned the right to think old thoughts. Humph. I remember when technology began to intrude on my life. It came in the form of an official letter from the
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ost Americans are pondering the darker side of Planned Parenthood. The dark side has always been known: it was founded by Margaret Sanger to eliminate the poor and people of color through contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The darker side is that the industry has evidently managed to piggyback a chop shop on top of the wanton destruction — selling body parts to augment its profits. Admittedly, the country is split: some find it deplorable, some find it tediously boring. How the numbers fall out on either side is debatable, but it’s important to recognize that not everyone is appalled. Now why would that be? In the years immediately following the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, Pro-Life advocates spent long hours crafting arguments to prove that the so-called “clump of cells” was actually a baby, and that each “product of conception” constituted a human life. Through fetal models, scientific arguments, and grisly photographs, they
Anchor Columnists Humph! Now you can make copChancery Office (sent via the ies of your parish bulletin United States Postal Service). on your own super-duper, It was therein decreed that all multi-function, high-speed parishes were henceforth to photocopier. They have more have these new-fangled fax bells and whistles than a space machines. module. I hesitate to press Remember fax machines? I suppose the rectory in which I any of the buttons, fearing the machine will go into selfnow live has one around here destruct mode. Humph! As far someplace. Who uses a fax machine anymore — just companies selling replacement windows The Ship’s Log and travel agencies Reflections of a hoping to book your Parish Priest next trip to the Holy Land? Fax machines By Father Tim are technological Goldrick dinosaurs. Humph! The chancery now sends monthly as I’m concerned, technology missives in the form of email should have stopped with the attachments. These memoinvention of the mimeograph randa can be more than 30 pages long. Besides, emails are machine, with its clumsy wax stencils, thick black ink, and themselves going the way of the dodo bird. Humph! Young smelly blue correction fluid. Back in the day, even mimpeople send text messages eograph machines had their these days, not emails. problems. Once I was running Keeping my thumb (litoff the parish bulletin when erally) on the pulse of the the machine went haywire. It culture, I often communicate began turning at break-neck by texting. I’ve discovered, speed and soaking the pages though, that when “autocorin ink. The pages flew through rect” presumes to change the the air. The pasty ink caused words I mistype into inapsome pages to stick to the propriate vocabulary, I can walls. Eventually, I had the inadvertently cuss at little old ladies. Humph! Don’t even get presence of mind to pull the plug. No harm done. Well, exme started on that tool of the cept some of the bulletin pages devil called “predictive text.”
had imprinted themselves in reverse on the wallpaper. Humph! I suppose you can still read them on the wallpaper if you use a mirror. Maybe we should go back to the old days when the pastor just read weekly announcements aloud from his spiral-bound notebook. Speaking of the old days (in technology, that would be the day before yesterday) remember telephone answering machines? Now, those were annoying. Most people just hung up. The first time in my ministry I encountered one of these was when my tech-savvy pastor installed a landline dedicated to reciting the Mass schedule in a continuous loop. People liked it. It would ring off the hook (figuratively). I always had trouble making that tape recording. I wanted it to be informational but engaging. I decided to follow the example of other recordings I had heard. Big companies, after all, must be experts in this sort of thing. My recording went like this: “Welcome. You have reached Our Lady Queen of Chaos Catholic Church. Your call is important to us. All of
9 our priests are currently busy serving other parishioners. Please stay on the line and the first available priest will take your call in the order in which it was received. Have a nice day and thank you for calling” (Cue Gregorian chant). Unfortunately, my first caller was a member of the diocesan Priest Personnel Board. Father Dick Chretien left me a message: “Goldrick! How many priests do you have assigned there anyway? I thought you were alone.” He was right. I changed the recording. Then there’s that social media Facebook thing-a-ma-jig. I thought I was being groovy when I signed up. I eventually realized that the experience of being on Facebook is similar (I would imagine) to being stoned to death with popcorn. Who are all these strangers and why do I care what they had for lunch or where in the world they are vacationing? Humph! I deleted my Facebook account. In these days of rapid technological development, dear readers, try as I might, it’s practically impossible to stay current. Humph! Anchor columnist Father Tim Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.
A hazardous construct have been encouraged — by pressed the issue that polite sothe culture and by women — to ciety would rather ignore: to end pursue sexual intimacy without a life in the womb was akin to murder, and their “silent screams” commitment, without openness to life, and without further should haunt us as long as the obligations. In this insidious unborn were legally shredded way, men have lost an essential under the guise of choice. Over the decades, Pro-Life arguments were strengthened by advances in ultrasound technology and the viability of younger and younger babies, and yet contrary forces By Genevieve Kineke were at work — selling a “liberated” lifestyle of consequence-free dimension of their vocation: to sex. Whereas previously, sexual protect and provide for those intimacy was reserved for Marentrusted to their care. Furtherriage (because of the probability more, they have been taught that of it succeeding in its natural reproductive freedom is strictly end — new life!) now fertility a woman’s issue (admittedly, a could be set aside. Restraint and relief to many!) and that men are discipline gave way to myopic to be engaged in the outcomes indulgence, and public schools only at the express invitation of linked arms with the entertainthe woman. Fatherhood is no ment industry to trumpet the longer integral to manhood, but news to our young: sex was for an option subject to the whims of bodily pleasure, full stop. women — no wonder then that Two generations of men
The Feminine Genius
men have neglected so many of the virtues attached to it. If there’s one thing feminists clearly despise, it’s patriarchy — the institution by which the strongest care for the weakest, and in which family welfare is entrusted to the guidance of fathers. Through caricature, ridicule, and distortion, patriarchy has been linked to all that is evil in the world, and women will have none of it. Having successfully wrested control of their lives from men, and marginalized men from monumental decisions concerning the family, women have charged ahead, believing that their independence will bring about freedom and happiness. And yet despite how they railed at the previous construct, how many women now suffer from objectification, utilitarianism, disparagement, and abandonment — not to mention the impoverishment of single mothers and their living offspring?
There should be no surprise, then, that the children that they refuse to mother will be objectified as well, with a higher premium on their parts than their personhood, for their mothers had already succumbed to that lie. Every week, thousands of these women find themselves at clinics, dealing with the fallout of their “liberation” — and allowing Moloch to turn a profit by their choice. With every meaningful relationship severed from its purpose, with men Spiritually castrated by bitter women, it only stands to reason that their children’s inheritance is sterile and loveless — and without fathers to protest, the mothers hand over their flesh to the beast. Perhaps we should rethink patriarchy, and the proper concern at its core, because the feminist alternative has proven a suffocating embrace. Anchor columnist Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.” She blogs at feminine-genius. typepad.com.
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August 14, 2015
The stars put on a show for free
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Pluto (that has always been a n 1962, Gerry Goffin and planet in my opinion) blew me Carole King wrote the classic hit, “Up on the Roof,” re- away. The Mars rover consiscorded by The Drifters and later tently sends images from the red planet to us on the third James Taylor. The line I’d like to key on is, “At night the stars put rock from the sun. Only last week, one such image revealed a on a show for free.” I have always been fascinated woman-like figure in the photo. I suppose one can find anyby space, “The Final Frontier,” so eloquently voiced by Captain thing one wants looking at such pictures, just like seeing what Kirk, aka, William Shatner. As a pup, I would write to the you want in cloud formations, but to me, it’s great fun scanning NASA astronauts at Cape Canaveral, changed to Cape Kennedy, changed back to Cape Canaveral. My heroes would actually write By Dave Jolivet back and send an autographed photo of themthe images. selves in full space regalia, holdAlso recently, we space cadets ing their helmets. And it wasn’t a phony stamped-on signature, it were treated to remarkable photos of the dark side of the was the real thing. moon as it passed by Earth from I can’t remember who they were, and I truly wish I had kept a camera one million miles away. And just this week the stars them. “put on a show for free,” during On July 20, 1969, my dad and the Perseid meteor shower. I watched in awe on a blackI truly believe there is inteland-white TV the night Neil ligent life out there, and the way Armstrong placed the first human foot on the moon while ut- mankind treats one another, it tering the famous, if not garbled, wouldn’t take much intelligence “That’s one small step for a man, for these creatures to be smarter than Earthlings. one giant leap for mankind.” I hope some day contact is I’m still a big fan of the far made with some of God’s creaout — space-wise that is. tures from another galaxy; and Just recently photographs of not the way Hollywood portrays such an encounter as an apocalyptic battle. There’s a lot going on up and out there and I, for one, can’t get enough of each new discovery. That’s God’s country so you know it’s full of mystery and wonder. Take a look up at the night sky once in a while. You may not see any Hollywood special effects, but you will see marvelous things that spark the imagination and make you ponder the universe. davejolivet@anchornews.org
My View From the Stands
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August 14, 2015
Voices that care
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perform lots of service work stopped in my tracks for St. Francis Church in the as this blood-curdling course of a week. Its week of scream came from the direcservice is highlighted by the tion of the church hall (what annual concert on Thursday we believe to have been the evening followed by a delichurch St. Damien had built cious meal. In the course of for the township of Kalauthe week the choir members papa). I retraced my steps to the hall fearing that I might find someone out cold on the floor and that I might have to administer artificial respiration to one of the By Father choir ladies working in Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. the kitchen. Thanks be to God I soon learned that my services would wash and clean the inside and not be needed, at least medioutside of St. Francis Church cally, since the cause of that as well as my residence. Inalmighty scream had been deed they did such a good job a large rodent of the rattus on the walls of my room that family. It had propelled itself their brightness made it diffifrom behind some kitchen cult for me to get to sleep that equipment in the general direction of one of the ladies, night. These men and women certainly live out that song of whose name I will not menthe early 1990s, “Voices That tion here. Care.” This scream would be one On Saturday morning of the high notes of the week these voices took a break and it was followed a few from singing and washing to minutes later by a chorus of watch the unloading of our voices from the choir when annual barge which delivers the culprit reappeared momuch of our yearly supplies to mentarily. This choir from Damien’s Landing. This time St. John Vianney Church in around I missed the “ChristKailua on Oahu has come to mas in July” spectacle as I Kalaupapa faithfully in midaccompanied Bishop Larry July each year to provide us and his pilgrimage for Mass with beautiful music and to
Moon Over Molokai
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at St. Philomena in Kalawao. It must have been a hectic morning on the pier since the barge was preparing to leave by the time I arrived back in Kalaupapa at about 12:15 p.m. I hope it did not leave behind any more members of the rattus family. There are many ways that voices that care take on flesh in our world. We were reminded of this on Sunday when a group of young medical students from Honolulu, led by our own Dr. Kalani Brady, joined us for Mass. It was great to have them with us, joining us in singing, and reminding us of all those great young people who are dedicating themselves to the caring ministry in the medical field and elsewhere. It was truly inspirational. It was in the spirit of SS. Damien and Marianne. They are indeed voices that care. Aloha. Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Parish in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
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August 14, 2015
Syriac bishop will be beatified on the 100th anniversary of his martyrdom Diyarbakir, Turkey, (CNA/EWTN News) — Pope Francis has approved a decree recognizing the martyrdom of Flavien-Michel Malké, a Syriac Catholic bishop who was killed amid the Ottoman Empire’s genocide against its Christian minorities. He will be beatified August 29 — the 100th anniversary of his martyrdom — during a Liturgy celebrated by the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch at the convent of Our Lady of Deliverance in Lebanon. “In these painful times experienced by Christians, especially the Syriac communities in Iraq and Syria, the news of the beatification of one of their
martyrs, will surely bring encouragement and consolation,” read a statement of the Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch. Malké was the bishop of Gazireh (modern-day Cizre). A persecution of Christians in the Ottoman Empire began in April 1915, now known as the Armenian Genocide. In June 1915, he returned to the city. When urged to withdraw to a safer location, he replied, “Even my blood I will shed for my sheep.” With four priests and another bishop, he was arrested and imprisoned. Bishop Malké refused to convert to Islam, and on Aug. 29, 1915 he was martyred. Animated characters Shaun, Slip and Bitzer appear in “Shaun the Sheep Movie.” For a brief review of
Catholic converts enjoy Evensong continued from page 20
Roman Missal. This is what is known as ‘The Anglican Use.’ The Pastoral Provision for Anglicans at http://www. pastoralprovision.org/ under the Most Rev. Kevin Vann, Bishop of Orange, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter at http://usordinariate. org/ under the direction of the Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, and the Anglican Use Society
at http://anglicanuse.org/ under the direction of Stephen Cavanaugh, who was also at the service, coordinate and support the Anglican Use in the Catholic Church in this country. For more information, and to express interest in future Anglican Use services in the Falmouth area, please contact David Burt at 774-255-1906.
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, August 16 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Maurice O. Gauvin, pastor of Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River
this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Lionsgate)
CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service. “Fantastic Four” (Fox) Glum origin story, drawn from the Marvel Comics series, recounts how a quartet of youthful science enthusiasts — Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Toby Kebbell — working under the sponsorship of a wealthy research institute (represented by Reg E. Cathey), develops a machine capable of transporting people to a previously unknown dimension. But a hurried, unauthorized visit there by the three lads, undertaken to forestall others from stealing the limelight, has unexpected and ambiguous consequences — for them, for Mara’s character and for a tag-along ( Jamie Bell). Director and co-writer Josh Trank’s reboot of a chronicle that stretches back, in print, to 1961 shows subtlety in its treatment of the group’s unsought superpowers. Yet the misfortunes that accompany these gifts become mildly miserable for the audience, while a hamhanded critique of the military-industrial complex does
little to lighten the mood. Parents of the teens at whom the film is squarely aimed will want to be aware of late scenes featuring some harsh bloodletting, forays into mayhem that make this doubtful fare even for older adolescents. Brief gory violence, glimpses of partial nudity, at least one use of profanity, a handful of crude terms, an obscene gesture. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. “Shaun the Sheep Movie” (Lionsgate) Co-writers and -directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzak use stop-action clay animation to craft an endearing feature about the madcap adventures of a wooly English flock. Unfolding without dialogue, yet filled with puns, the film follows the eponymous young ram (voice of Justin Fletcher) as he persuades his barnyard buddies to take a day off from the monotonous routine enforced on them by a myopic and clueless farmer and his trusty sheepdog (both voiced by John Sparkes). Predictably, things go awry, with the human and sheep worlds colliding to comic effect — and with the wicked ways of an animal warden (voice of Omid Djalili) further complicating matters. Despite some questionable jokes, these entertaining and inventive goings-on make suitable viewing for most of the family. Some rude bathroom
humor and vague innuendo. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. “The Vatican Tapes” (Lionsgate) In this low-budget exorcism flick, a young woman (Olivia Taylor Dudley) possessed by the antichrist himself wreaks havoc on her family — Dougray Scott plays her gruff, devout dad — and on the clergymen (Michael Pena, Djimon Hounsou and Peter Andersson) trying to assist her. Though its lurid title attempts to mask bad plotting and wooden characters, director Mark Neveldine’s horror exercise is less bloody and more reverent than many of its counterparts. Still, his exploitative tactics in working in archival news footage of recent popes — and imagining the existence of a secret Vatican archive documenting the Church’s unending fight with Satan — will not sit well with Catholic viewers. Some mildly gory violence, occult themes, a sloppy portrayal of Catholicism, fleeting uses of profanity and of rough language. The Catholic News Service classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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August 14, 2015
Consenting to the unconscionable
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n recent years, scientists in industry and academia have come to rely on freshly-obtained human tissue specimens for certain types of research and experimentation. Sometimes these tissues and organs can be obtained after routine surgeries like gall bladder removal from adults or foreskin removal during the circumcision of newborns. The use of such tissues and organs can be morally acceptable if the patient (or the parents of the newborn) provide informed consent. The use of cells and tissues from fetuses can also be morally acceptable when those cells are obtained from a natural miscarriage, and the parents provide consent. This would be equivalent to consenting to an organ donation from their deceased child. Recently, however, a phenomenon has come to light that involves the partnering of biomedical researchers with abortionists, for the purpose of securing a reliable supply of human tissues and organs. In these cases, parental consent (usually from the mother) may be sought prior to using the aborted child’s remains. Researchers claim this consent is necessary to enable the ethical use of the
outcry when it came to the cells or tissues. This procemore offensive act of termidural detail is frequently denating the life of the unborn scribed in the section called child itself. As one commen“Materials and Methods” tator observed, “Maybe it is found in scientific research not enough to be outraged at papers, as, for example, in this February 2015 article on abortion on its face because, I don’t know, killing is somebrain research in the journal Science: “Human fetal brain Making Sense tissue was obtained from the [clinic], folOut of lowing elective pregBioethics nancy termination and informed written By Father Tad maternal consents, Pacholczyk and with approval of the local University how worse if body parts are Hospital Ethical Review sold.” Committees.” Despite this inconsistency, Planned Parenthood, the it is nonetheless clear that largest provider of aborthe use of tissues and organs tions in the United States, from direct abortions raises also seeks maternal consent significant moral concerns, prior to procuring fetal body even if the mother’s signature parts from direct abortions, may have been sought and as chronicled by the Center obtained. for Medical Progress in their Typically when we serve bombshell 2015 video exposé as a proxy for someone and in which the sales of fetal give consent on their behalf, heart, lungs, brain and liver we act simply as their agent were discussed and negotiand provide an affirmation of ated. their original wishes (“yes, he The strong public outcry told me he wanted to donate that followed these revhis kidneys”). Alternatively, if elations of harvesting fetal we do not know the wishes of organs was understandable the deceased patient, we do on the one hand, yet difficult our best to make a reasonable to explain on the other, since decision based on the specifthere hadn’t been a parallel
ics of their situation, using a “best interest” standard (“based on my friendship with him and concern for him, I think he really would have wanted to donate his kidneys”). When we serve as a proxy decision maker for a fetus, an infant, or a deceased child prior to the age of reason, it is incumbent on us to make a “best interest” decision on their behalf. The assumption is that as we cared for them in life, and had their best interests in mind while they were living, we can continue to exercise that “best interest” decisionmaking capacity later when they are deceased. But if the mother of an aborted child were to sign the dotted line granting permission to utilize fetal cells and organs, that consent would necessarily be void, because she would have already categorically demonstrated that she does not have the best interests of her child in mind, having arranged for the taking of that child’s life. From the ethical point of view, she has disqualified herself from being able to give valid informed consent on behalf of her now-deceased child.
In the absence of proper informed consent, taking organs or tissues from the corpse would represent a further violation of the integrity of the child’s body and constitute a failure to respect the remains of the dead. Thus, the tissues and organs of the directly aborted child should not be utilized for research, transplantation or the development of therapies, but instead should be given a proper and respectful burial. In the final analysis, maternal consent cannot provide moral clearance for researchers to utilize fetal remains from direct abortions in their research. Such permission from the mother is not, objectively speaking, an authentic form of consent but is rather a type of “sham consent” that secures the veneer of legitimacy for what is ultimately an unconscionable research practice. 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
seem like an outdated exercise. Sadly, it is not.” He cited the nuclear threats of Russia over Ukraine and Russia’s announcement in June that it is boosting its nuclear arsenal by putting 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles into service. He said those developments have lent fuel to hawks in the U.S. Congress, who in turn want to modernize the U.S. arsenal, replacing old weapons systems they claim are obsolete. Such an attitude likely reflects changing public opinion in the U.S., he said, noting that opinion polls show declining support for reducing nuclear arsenals. That means the U.S. bishops, who have for decades argued for reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons, have major work ahead, he said. “The task of the U.S. bishops is to convince the majority of Americans that they need to support the vision of a world without nuclear weapons. They need to believe that
such a goal is possible,” he said. But the bishops cannot go it alone and have often partnered with others with similar interests in peace, he explained. “Happily, our partners in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament are not confined to just the religious community in the United States. There are scientists, politicians, business and military leaders, academics, and civil society activists who have joined this effort,” he said. Yet the bishop warned that the struggle against nuclear weapons in the U.S. has encountered difficulties of late in Washington’s hot political climate. Given what he called the “increased political polarization within our Congress,” all signs indicate the road to authentic disarmament will be long and difficult, but Bishop Cantu pledged that the U.S. bishops will continue “to fight the good fight to eliminate nuclear weapons.”
In Japan, U.S. bishop says USCCB will push for nuclear disarmament
HIROSHIMA, Japan (CNS) — For a long minute on a sunny morning, silence fell over the memorial park that commemorates the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing of the city. A gong sounded repeatedly as local residents and visitors from around the world stopped to remember a similarly sunny morning 70 years ago when a fireball ripped apart the skies. Among the visitors to Hiroshima was Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, N.M. It was the bishop’s first visit to Japan, and he said he was moved by what he saw and heard from Japanese Catholics, who have been adamant in demanding an end to nuclear weapons. “It’s important for an American delegation to be here with the Japanese in this moment, because we celebrate the efforts they have made for peace, and we stand in solidarity with them. They are part of a Church that around
the world has spoken against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, a message that here is directed particularly at the United States,” Bishop Cantu told Catholic News Service. “So although our countries were enemies 70 years ago, we have become allies in this effort. We do, however, recognize that there’s movement in Japan toward building up their military capabilities again. We caution against that, and we stand with the bishops of Japan in opposing that,” he said. Bishop Cantu, who serves as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said that as a U.S. citizen, he arrived in Hiroshima with a sense of “sorrow and repentance.” He also traveled to Nagasaki, the second Japanese city on which the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb, for similar ceremonies several days later. “The Japanese bishops have much to teach us. I was heartened to read their statement from earlier this year in which,
on behalf of all Japanese, they repented for the harm they did to people of the region (in the wars). That attitude allows us to start moving forward,” he said. Following a Mass that marked the bombing’s anniversary at the Catholic Memorial Cathedral for World Peace, Bishop Cantu spoke to the congregation about the work that U.S. bishops are doing to ensure that the world will experience no more Hiroshimas. The bishop said that since the end of the Cold War in 1991, Americans think little about nuclear weapons and the threat they pose. The recent agreement negotiated by the several countries with Iran “puts nuclear weapons in the forefront of political debate after years of being an afterthought in the minds of most Americans,” he said. For many of his generation, Bishop Cantu said, “the return to a serious discussion of nuclear disarmament may
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Father Cleary named national director continued from page one
cago, as well as his masters in theology from the University of Notre Dame. He graduated from Stonehill College in Easton with a bachelor’s in English literature. In his new role, Father Cleary is currently working closely with the ministry’s leadership in a strategic planning process to best identify ways to serve today’s contemporary Catholic families. The ministry recently commissioned research on the Catholic family that it is reviewing and utilizing it in their strategic planning process. The leadership knows this data will also be of significant assistance to other organizations that serve families in the U.S. To that end, Holy Cross Family Ministries has commissioned CARA to develop the four Special Reports that Holy
Cross Family Ministries will share with other organizations. For copies of these reports: www. HCFM.org/FamilyResearch. In the spirit of its founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, Holy Cross Family Ministries serves Jesus Christ and His Church by promoting and supporting the Spiritual well-being of the family. Faithful to Mary, the Mother of God, Family Rosary encourages family prayer, especially the Rosary. Holy Cross Family Ministries, through prayer events and media, reaches out to families to fulfill the founder’s vision that “the family that prays together stays together.” For more information, call 800-299-7729 or visit www. HCFM.org.
Area Catholics urge investigation of Planned Parenthood scandal continued from page one
that the employees were merely discussing the “reasonable payments” for the “transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control or storage of human fetal tissue” allowed by federal law. In the August 4 video, director of Research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Melissa Farrell suggests that higher payments for higher quality fetal body parts can be accomplished by claiming such specimens required “additional time, cost, administrative burden.” At one point she quips, “It’s all just a matter of line items.” Several videos feature PP employees discussing how to manipulate the abortion procedure in order to preserve more fetal organs, which is also illegal. In one, the employee admits to abortionists performing illegal partial-birth abortions for that purpose. David Daleiden, head of the undercover video project, said in a statement, “Anyone who watches these videos knows that Planned Parenthood is engaged in barbaric practices and human rights abuses that must end. There is no reason for an organization that uses illegal abortion methods to sell baby parts and commit such atrocities against humanity to still receive more than $500 million each year
from taxpayers.” The Senate measure needed 60 votes but received only 53. Voting mostly followed party lines with two Democrats and two Republicans breaking ranks (though Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted no so that the bill can be brought up again later). The Senate’s two independents also voted it down. McConnell argued that funds currently going to PP should be reallocated to community health centers that “provide more comprehensive health services” and have a greater number of locations. He noted that 21 million Americans are served by such centers while only 2.7 visit Planned Parenthood annually. Prior to the Senate vote, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference sent out a letter from Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM. Cap., urging support of the bill, along with Massachusetts senators’ contact information. Cardinal O’Malley, chairman of the Pro-Life committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the callousness PP shows toward women and their unborn children is shocking to many Americans. In a statement, he called abortion “a direct attack on human life in its most vulnerable condition” and criticized fetal organ harvesting, adding that
“Both actions fail to respect the humanity and dignity of human life.” Anne Fox, a Catholic and president of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, said that the undercover videos put a spotlight on the gruesome nature of abortion. “We have been given the opportunity to show the humanity of the unborn and the inhumanity of abortion,” she said. Agatha Bodwell of Sandwich, head of Catholic Citizenship, agreed, “The truth about this organization is finally seeing the light of day.” On July 28, Students for Life America organized rallies in 64 cities, including Boston, calling for investigations and defunding of PP. They noted that previous undercover videos have caught PP employees covering up the sexual abuse of minors and teaching sex traffickers how to continue breaking the law. Scott Schaeffer-Duffy of Catholic Worker in Worcester said to the Boston crowd, “It isn’t easy to love the unseen child in the womb.” He added that failure to do so can lead to devaluing, then dehumanizing and finally demonizing them. Once that happens, it becomes easier to violate their right to life and even exploit them for profit.
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August 14, 2015
How one skeptical scientist came to believe the Shroud of Turin Rome, Italy (CNA/EWTN News) — The Shroud of Turin has different meanings for many people: some see it as an object of veneration, others a forgery, still others a medieval curiosity. For one Jewish scientist, however, the evidence has led him to see it as a meeting point between science and faith. “The shroud challenges (many people’s core beliefs) because there’s a strong implication that there is something beyond the basic science going on here,” Barrie Schwortz, one of the leading scientific experts on the Shroud of Turin, told CNA. Admitting that he did not know whether there was something beyond science at play, he added: “That’s not what convinced me: it was the science that convinced me.” The Shroud of Turin is among the most well-known relics believed to be connected with Christ’s Passion. Venerated for centuries by Christians as the burial shroud of Jesus, it has been subject to intense scientific study to ascertain its authenticity, and the origins of the image. The image on the 14-feet-long, three-and-a-half-feet-wide cloth is stained with the postmortem image of a man — front and back — who has been brutally tortured and crucified.
Schwortz, now a retired technical photographer and frequent lecturer on the shroud, was a member of the 1978 Shroud of Turin Research Project which brought prestigious scientists together to examine the ancient artifact. As a non-practicing Jew at the time, he was hesitant to be part of the team and skeptical as to the shroud’s authenticity — presuming it was nothing more than an elaborate painting. Nonetheless, he was intrigued by the scientific questions raised by the image. Despite his reservations, Schwortz recounts being persuaded to remain on the project by a fellow scientist on the team — a NASA imaging specialist, and a Catholic –— who jokingly told him: “You don’t think God wouldn’t want one of His chosen people on our team?” And Schwortz soon encountered one of the great mysteries of the image that still entrances its examiners to this day. He explained that a specific instrument used for the project was designed for evaluating xrays, which allowed the lights and darks of an image to be vertically stretched into space, based on the lights and darks proportionately. For a normal photograph, the result would be a distorted image: with the shroud, however,
the natural, 3-D relief of a human form came through. This means “there’s a correlation between image density — lights and darks on the image — and cloth to body distance.” “The only way that can happen is by some interaction between cloth and body,” he said. “It can’t be projected. It’s not a photograph — photographs don’t have that kind of information, artworks don’t.” This evidence led him to believe that the image on the shroud was produced in a way that exceeds the capacities even of modern technology. “There’s no way a medieval forger would have had the knowledge to create something like this, and to do so with a method that we can’t figure out today — the most image-oriented era of human history.” “Think about it: in your pocket, you have a camera, and a computer, connected to each other in one little device,” he said. “The shroud has become one of the most studied artifacts in human history itself, and modern science doesn’t have an explanation for how those chemical and physical properties can be made.” While the image on the Shroud of Turin was the most convincing evidence for him, he said it was only a fraction of all
the scientific data which points to it being real. “Really, it’s an accumulation of thousands of little tiny bits of evidence that, when put together, are overwhelming in favor of its authenticity.” Despite the evidence, many skeptics question the evidence without having seen the facts. For this reason, Schwortz launched the website www.shroud.com, which serves as a resource for the scientific data on the Shroud. Nonetheless, he said, there are many who still question the evidence, many believing it is nothing more than an elaborate medieval painting. “I think the reason skeptics deny the science is, if they accept any of that, their core beliefs have been dramatically challenged, and they would have to go back and reconfigure who they are and what they believe in,” he said. “It’s much easier to reject it out of hand, and not worry about it. That way they don’t have to confront their own beliefs.” “I think some people would rather ignore it than be challenged.” Schwortz emphasized that the science points to the shroud being the burial cloth belonging to a man, buried according to the Jewish tradition after having been crucified in a way consistent with
the Gospel. However, he said it is not proof of the Resurrection — and this is where faith comes in. “It’s a pre-resurrection image, because if it were a post-resurrection image, it would be a living man — not a dead man,” he said, adding that science is unable to test for the sort of images that would be produced by a human body rising from the dead. “The shroud is a test of faith, not a test of science. There comes a point with the shroud where the science stops, and people have to decide for themselves.” “The answer to faith isn’t going to be a piece of cloth. But, perhaps, the answer to faith is in the eyes and hearts of those who look upon it.” When it comes to testifying to this meeting point between faith and science, Schwortz is in a unique position: he has never converted to Christianity, but remains a practicing Jew. And this, he says, makes his witness as a scientist all the more credible. “I think I serve God better this way, in my involvement in the shroud, by being the last person in the world people would expect to be lecturing on what is, effectively, the ultimate Christian relic.” “I think God in His infinite wisdom knew better than I did, and He put me there for a reason.”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In one thick volume, Vatican offices and departments tell their own stories. The 2014 edition of the “Activity of the Holy See,” released in July, runs more than 1,600 pages. Some offices submitted exhaustive reports, including every guest they hosted and every meeting their staff attended. Others provided more of a generic overview of their main tasks. Some indications of life inside the mini-state, which is also the headquarters of the worldwide Catholic Church, include facts such as: — The Vatican pharmacy employed seven religious and 53 lay people in 2014. — During the year, one or more steps were completed in studying possible miracles for 58 separate sainthood causes. The steps are: validation by the local diocese; study by a board of Vatican physicians; study by a board of theologians; and a vote by cardinals and bishops who are members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. The last step is a decree signed by the pope — that happened only in 17 cases. — During the 2013-14 aca-
demic year, 1,086 scholars from 54 countries received permission to do research in the Vatican Secret Archives. An average of 76.2 scholars a day accessed the Vatican Library. — The Vatican gendarmes and other employees of the Vatican Security and Civil Protection Services numbered 194 — all lay people. — 611 people had Vatican citizenship, of whom 78 were “most eminent cardinals” and 108 were members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. — The Philatelic and Numismatic Office issued 20 series of stamps, focusing on everything from the canonizations of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II to musical instruments (two stamps featuring organs). The office also published a special commemorative stamp celebrating the 125th anniversary of Charlie Chaplin’s birth. — Close to 500 journalists were permanently accredited at the Vatican and another 4,126 temporary passes were issued by the Vatican press office to other media people — particularly for the canonizations of the two popes. — For about 3,000 Church
workers assigned new positions around the world, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2013-2014 was asked to issue a “nulla osta,” signifying there is no obstacle based on their positions on matters of Church doctrine. “In 40 cases, the nulla osta was denied, offering ample motivations. In 19 cases, there was a dialogue that resolved the existing problems.” — The doctrinal congregation also dismissed 38 priests and bishops from the clerical state in 2014, most in relations to the sexual abuse of minors. — Each day personnel are assigned to ensure all the roads, paths, gardens and woods within the Vatican walls are clean, “paying particular attention to the path used for the Holy Father’s afternoon walk.” — Vatican gendarmes wrote 93 tickets for parking or moving violations. — Through the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum,” the Vatican’s charity promotion and coordination office, Pope Francis gave more than $612,000 to emergency disaster relief efforts around the world and more than $1.6 million to human promotion
and development projects. — For the Church’s missionary territories, Pope Francis created two new dioceses and 48 new bishops. Elsewhere in the world, the pope established two new Latin-rite dioceses and created 116 new Latin-rite bishops. He transferred more than 140 Latinrite bishops to new dioceses and accepted the resignations of 124 other Latin-rite bishops, the vast majority of whom reached or surpassed the retirement age of 75. — The number of Catholic schools in the world increased, as did the number of students. From primary school to university, the Catholic Church and its organizations run more than 210,000 educational institutions with a total of close to 58 million students. — For the 2014-2015 academic year, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity gave 45 Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox students full scholarships and another 20 students partial scholarships to finish their studies. In addition, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue provided scholarships to a Muslim student from Nigeria, a Muslim student from Kazakhstan and a Buddhist student from
Myanmar. — In July 2014, each of Pope Francis’ daily tweets in Spanish were retweeted an average of 11,000 times; in the same month, the mini-messages sent out on his English Twitter account were retweeted an average of 8,200 times. A study called “Twiplomacy” has defined Pope Francis as the most influential world leader on the social network based on how many of his “followers” retweet his messages. — The Vatican fire department responded to 466 emergency calls: Five were for small fires, 96 were in response to alarms going off and 82 were for stuck elevators. — The Vatican Mosaic Studio, which creates mosaic reproductions of famous paintings or classical mosaics — mostly with religious themes — added to its repertoire Mary Cassatt’s “Children Playing on the Beach.” — In St. Peter’s Basilica 282 babies were baptized during the year; 183 others were baptized in the smaller St. Anne’s Church. — The worker’s health office of Vatican City State reported Vatican employees suffered 162 injuries on the job.
Pieces of the whole:Yearbook recounts life inside Vatican walls
August 14, 2015 Youth Pages What’s Pope Francis’ biggest challenge? Finding true peace, he tells youth
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Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis recently told a group of youth that the greatest challenge in his vocation so far has been finding true peace, and encouraged them to learn how to discern between this peace and the one offered by the devil. “I would say finding peace in the Lord. That peace that only Jesus can give, in work and chores” the pope said in response to the question, posed by one of the youth he met with in audience that day. “The key is finding that peace which means that the Lord is with you and helps you,” he said. Francis then stressed the importance of knowing how to tell the difference between peace from God, and the false peace offered by the devil. True peace, he said, always comes from Jesus, and is sometimes “wrapped” in the cross, while the other, false peace that only makes you “kind of happy” comes from the devil. “We have to ask for this grace to distinguish, to know true peace,” the pope said, explaining that while on the outside we might think everything is OK and that we’re doing good, “way down inside is the devil.” “The devil always destroys. He tells you this is the way and then leaves you alone,” he continued, adding that the devil is “a poor payer; he always rips you off.” A sign of this peace, Francis said, is joy, because true joy is something that only Jesus can give. The challenge for both them and himself “is to find
the peace of Jesus, also in difficult moments, to find Jesus’ peace and to recognize that peace which has make-up on it,” the pope said. He made his comments during an audience with more than 1,500 members of the International Eucharistic Youth Movement. They were meeting in Rome from August 4-10 in honor of the 100th anniversary of their founding in 1915. The theme for the gathering is “Joy be with you.” Six of the youth present,
erate another,” he said, and pointed to the Rohingya as an example. Rohingya people are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group largely from the Rakhine state of Burma, in west Myanmar. Since clashes began in 2012 between the state’s Buddhist community and the longoppressed Rohingya Muslim minority, more than 100,000 Rohingya’s have fled Myanmar by sea, according to the U.N. In order to escape forced segregation from the rest of
be resolved. He said that dialogue is the best resolution to the great social problems of today, and pointed to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East as an example of when one culture doesn’t respect the identity or faith of another. Pope Francis recently wrote a letter to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem S.B. Fouwad Toual for the recent anniversary of the first arrival of Iraqi refugees in Jordan. In his letter, the pope
Pope Francis poses for a selfie during a special audience with members of the Eucharistic Youth Movement in Paul VI hall at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)
from Italy, Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan, and France got to meet the pope personally and ask him questions on things that affect their daily life. Among the topics discussed were tensions and conflicts within families and society, the discernment between true and false peace, signs of hope in the world and deepening one’s relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist. In his response to the question on conflict, Pope Francis noted how there are many conflicts present in the world, and said that we should neither be afraid of them nor seek them out. Some conflicts, he said, can be good and help us to understand differences. One problem with the world’s current conflicts is that “one culture doesn’t tol-
the population inside rural ghettos, many of the Rohingya — who are not recognized by the government as a legitimate ethnic group or as citizens or Myanmar — have made the perilous journey at sea in hopes of evading persecution. In May Pope Francis spoke out after a number of Rohingya people — estimated to be in the thousands — were stranded at sea in boats with dwindling supplies while Southeastern nations such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia refused to take them in. This, he told the youth, “is called killing. It’s true. If I have a conflict with you and I kill you, its war.” Conflict is normal when so many different cultures exist in one country, the pope observed, but emphasized that there must be mutual respect in order for these conflicts to
thanked Jordan for welcoming the refugees, saying their actions bear witness to Christ’s resurrection. He also noted how these refugees are “victims of fanaticism and intolerance, often under the eyes and silence of all,” and called on the international community to step up their efforts in putting an end to the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. In his speech to the youth, Francis said that even if you disagree with another culture’s practice, “Respect. Look for the good in it. Respect. In this way, conflicts are resolved with respect for the identity of others. Conflicts are resolved with dialogue.” Another question posed to the pope was if he sees true signs of joy in amid the problems of the 21st century. Pope Francis responded
by saying that the signs are there, and that one of them is seeing so many youth gathered together who believe that Jesus is truly in the Eucharist. He also pointed to the family, noting that right now there are many strong tensions between generations. Often when we speak of generations, parents and children come to mind, but grandparents are frequently left out, Francis observed. “Grandparents are the great forgotten of this time,” he said, and encouraged the youth to speak to their grandparents, who are sources of wisdom due to the memory they have of life, tensions, conflicts and faith. “Always when you meet your grandparents you find a surprise. They are patient, they know how to listen — don’t forget grandparents, understand?” The last question the pope answered, posed by a youth named Maradona, was what he would say to young people so that they might discover the depth of the Eucharist. Francis immediately turned to the Last Supper, where Jesus gave us His Body and Blood for our Salvation. “The memory of Jesus is there. The memory of the gesture of Jesus Who then went to the Mount of Olives to start His Passion,” which is a personal act of love for each individual, he said. The pope stressed that Mass is not a ritual or a ceremony like what we see in the military or cultural celebration. Instead, going to Mass means going to Calvary with Jesus, where He gave His life for us, the pope said. In order to deepen in the mystery of the Eucharist, Francis suggested remembering St. Paul’s invitation to “remember Jesus Christ. When they are there at the table, He is giving His life for me. And so you deepen in the mystery.” Pope Francis concluded by saying that although “we are at war” and there are so many conflicts, there are also many good and beautiful things, such as the hidden everyday saints among the people of God. “God is present and there are so many reasons to be joyful. Take courage and go forward!” he finished.
August 14, 2015
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hat makes you the person that you are? What do you need to do the make you the person you want to be become? They say actions speak louder than words, and I believe that. But, when you have something to say, say it. Don’t leave it unsaid, especially if it’s the truth you want to speak. I remember as a child how bashful I felt to say what was on my mind, mostly because of what I thought people would think of what I say! In hindsight, how foolish I was. I would wait until others spoke before voicing my own opinion, and, many times, would keep my thoughts and words to myself altogether. It was a difficult way to learn about life and live it. Eventually I overcame my fear of speaking and sharing my own opinions. If what you want to share is well thought out and comes from the heart there’s no need to be afraid — speak up and you will be heard. As an adult I now realize how foolish I was in my youth. If only I had heeded Paul’s words: “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish
Youth Pages Leave nothing unsaid
Who is sending a love letter to the things” (1 Cor 13:11). world.” Your own words must speak Remember Jeremiah when the love and truth — this is what the Lord called for help during Israel’s world needs to hear from you. lowest point in their history? JerLeave nothing unsaid that does emiah, a young man, felt very overgood for others. When was the last whelmed: “‘Ah, Lord God!’ I said, time you told your parents you loved ‘I do not know how to speak. I am them? And you, parents, when was too young!’ But the Lord answered the last time me, do not you spoke say, ‘I am too your love to young.’ To your children whomever and to each I send you, other? When you shall go; was the last whatever I By Ozzie Pacheco time you had command a heart-toyou, you shall heart converspeak. Do not sation with your brother, sister or be afraid of them, for I am with you friend? When was the last time you to deliver you’” ( Jer 1:6-7). reached out to those marginalized Words matter! Your own words by society and offered them a simple matter a great deal and can have a greeting? When was the last time positive impact on your life and the you spoke to God and listened for life of others. Don’t remain silent. His response? Never remain silent! Allow the “The Youth Catechism of the power of the Holy Spirit to work Catholic Church,” #506, asks us: “Is through you to say the things that prayer not just a sort of conversation matter most! And when you do with yourself ?” It goes on to anspeak, be humble. Remember what Mother Teresa once said, “I’m a little swer it in this way: “The distinctive pencil in the hand of a writing God, feature about prayer is precisely that
Be Not Afraid
17 one goes from Me to You, from selfcenteredness to radical openness. Someone who is really praying can experience the fact that God speaks — and that often He does not speak as we expect and would like.” What exactly does this mean? That precisely a prayerful life is the first step to speaking the truth without fear. Converse with yourself in prayer and you will often experience that you will come out of a prayer different from the way you went in. But, sometimes it is necessary to keep quiet and listen. For it is only then you will be able to hear God speaking — the answer to your prayers. So, collect your thoughts and think twice before speaking them. Use your words for good! The good that encourages and affirms those you love; the words that put trust in the person that otherwise has lost all hope in the world and people; the words that become the reality of kindness and caring, trust and love. God bless! Anchor columnist Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.
College students bring support for Clean Power Plan to Congress
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Getting the food service at St. Xavier University to change from plastic to biodegradable cups doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal. But for Guadalupe Avila, a senior at the Sisters of Mercy-sponsored school in Chicago, it showed that she and her fellow members of Students for Social Justice can make a difference when it comes to the earth’s environmental future. Now she’s ready to tackle Congress. Avila, 21, was one of about 20 students from schools affiliated with the Mercy Sisters who were spending several days in Washington learning about the final rules under President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan and the little-known federally administered Green Climate Fund that supports local environmental initiatives. The students were in the U.S. Capitol learning about the Clean Power Plan from representatives of the Catholic Climate Covenant, the Franciscan Action Network, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Avila said she journeyed to Washington a few weeks before the start of fall classes because she wanted to become involved in actions to protect the environment and that visiting the offices of members of Congress to urge them to support the Clean Power Plan was one way to do that. “I want the future to stay cleaner, healthier, just not have our younger generation see a world where everything is just dirty and unfathomable,” Avila said.
Another student, Jillian Rubino, 19, reach across all communities, especially federal policy at New York-based WE a junior at Carlow University in Pitts- those where low-income and people of ACT for Environmental Justice, said that working for environmental justice burgh, is majoring in chemistry and color live. “The principal that Pope Francis involves “amplifying the voices of the is president of the campus chapter of is weaving people who are not most integrated,” the American e’re looking at recycling, how throughout into society and political processes. Chemical Sohis papacy is “Environmental justice is not sepaciety. The group we can change the disposal of has made a chemicals and the disposal of waste on our that realities rated from the faith community or the are more im- moral need to act. Everyone deserves a push into green campus and how people are addressing is- portant than voice no matter what our zip code or inchemistry, focusing on en- sues like water usage, power usage,” Ru- ideas,” Lonnie come level,” she said. Ellis, associThe Clean Power Plan requires that vironmental bino told Catholic News Service. ate director of states reduce greenhouse gas emissions practices on the Catholic Climate Covenant told from power plants by 32 percent from a campus. “We’re looking at recycling, how we the group. “We see that in ‘Evangelii decade ago by 2030 from a decade ago. can change the disposal of chemicals Gaudium’ (‘The Joy of the Gospel’) and It includes requirements that local comand the disposal of waste on our campus the encyclical. It is the way he goes out munities are part of the process for deand how people are addressing issues to reach out to people. He’s not stuck in veloping plans to meet the requirement. “We must make sure states keep eqlike water usage, power usage,” Rubino dogmatic ways of operating.” Much of the discussion focused on uity in implementing the plan,” Whitetold Catholic News Service. Rubino also planned to bring stories the importance of achieving environ- Newsome told the students. “We must make sure the solutions are not detriabout the impact of the mining practice mental justice for all people. Jalonne White-Newsome, director of mental to our communities.” of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas on the lives of farmers and their neighbors around her hometown of Belle Vernon, Penn., southeast of Pittsburgh. She said The Anchor is always people are concerned about the induspleased to run news and photrial nature of fracking and the potential to contaminate water supplies and detos about our diocesan youth. If stroy forests. schools, parish Religious EduIt was the Clean Power Plan and its relationship to the calls to care for crecation programs, home-schoolation made by Pope Francis in his encyclical “Laudato Si’ on Care for Our ers or vacation Bible schools Common Home” the students were eahave newsworthy stories and ger to learn about. A panel of activists invited the stuphotos they would like to share dents to include moral arguments in with our readers, send them to: support of the Clean Power Plan during visits to congressional offices, and to schools@anchornews.org stress that environmental justice must
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In 1979, Sister Gertrude Gaudette, O.P., spent hundreds of hours on a hand-carved wooden relief map of the Fall River Diocese, including photographs of all parish churches, which was presented to Bishop Daniel A. Cronin as a gift from her religious community, the Dominicans of St. Catherine of Siena. (Anchor file photo)
Sister carves out a legacy for more than 70 years continued from page one
ing that time. According to an article published shortly after it was built, the idea was to build a clubhouse on the edge of the farm that could host sleep-overs (for the boys only); it was 20-by12-feet with three bunks on one side and a couch on the other, and was used only by “members” of the club that included the Gaudette siblings. A hurricane would later take it away, but the log house holds fond memories for Sister Gaudette as she shared many stories with The Anchor. She attended St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet, graduating right as the Great Depression hit the nation. Through the encouragement of a Dominican Sister, she attended Dominican Academy in Fall River, graduating from the boarding school in 1941. By 1946, she had entered the Dominican Sisters, taking the name Sister Louis Bertrand after her father and St. Louis Bertrand. A local paper quoted her in 1985 about her choice to enter religious life: “The generosity of the Sisters had a tremendous impact on my life as a teen-ager. In my eagerness to repay their kindness, I attempted projects of which I knew next to nothing and, to my surprise, succeeded. I began to realize that Spiritual life is not apart from the rest of ex-
istence but an important dimension of everything one does. I will never know why God chose such an ordinary person to live this witness called religious life, but I do know that I have found a mysterious richness here which is probably the reason I stay with a community that struggles to survive.” She majored in art at Regis College, and then earned a master’s degree in fine arts at Catholic University. She taught second and fifth grade at Dominican Academy, then transferred to the Dominican Academy High School to teach social studies and religion for more than 20 years. In 1971, Sister Gaudette taught art at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, but resigned in 1982 to channel and share her artistic side with an even larger group when she took over the Creativity Center run by the Dominican Sisters. Sister Gaudette also spent time honing her wood-carving skills when during the mid1960s, she took a 15-week carving course at the Burns Tool Co. in Fall River, and then would later go on to study in the world-renowned French Canadian wood carver’s village, St. Jean-Port-Joli. Humbled and reserved when talking about what she’s experienced throughout her decades of
to receive that honor. When the convent closed in 2002, her Creativity Center moved with her to The Landmark Senior Living Community of Fall River. While many of her students followed her, she also picked up new students from among the residents. During her time there, her works were continually celebrated. The Landmark provided an opportunity for Sister Gaudette’s students to display their nearly 100 works of art, including oil and watercolor paintings, as well as wood carvings, created by 39 students. Her own works were featured at the 90th anniversary celebration of the League of FrancoAmericans, based in New Bedford, where she was recognized for her wood carvings of the coat-of-arms for the five bishops as well as the centennial logo for the Diocese of Fall River. Throughout the years, she has won numerous awards for her carvings, including “Best of Show.” She has also been featured in the newsletter of the New England Woodcarvers, Spirit of Wood, which referred to her as one of the groups “finest members.” In an issue of Windows on Hope, the news magazine of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, an article focused on the “Artist as Preacher.” In it, Sister Gaudette explained her passion for woodcarving: “God gave me talents, and I feel His pleasure when I use them and share them with my students. My reverence for wood dates back to the Great Depression, when the family was forced to move to the country, where beautiful, tall pine trees surrounded us. My long affection and friendship with trees is one of my finest experiences. Carvers and sculptors enjoy giving the tree a new lease on life. It’s a wonderful feeling to give new life to a block of wood. I think my students feel it, too, as they chip away and enjoy the grain, texture, and strength, and discover that, as William Penn said, ‘Wood is
a substance with a soul.’” Sister Gaudette didn’t just work on projects for her religious community and diocese, she also had many side projects she worked on for friends and family. When Janice Bonner joined Sister Gaudette’s Creativity Class in 1979, she brought to Sister Gaudette’s attention a doll house she had been working on at home. The women worked on it together and crafted a detailed doll house that Bonner treasured for years. It had 3,000 shingles individually sanded, a real oil painting of a ship hung over the fireplace, and the bathroom included a pull-chain toilet. The doll house had a removable back wall, and a complete electrical system. Paying homage to their Catholic faith, the women made sure each bed had a crucifix on the wall behind it. Sister Gaudette left the Landmark and moved to Catholic Memorial Home in 2013. Her bookshelves are filled with albums stuffed with photos and newspaper clippings of her accomplishments. On her walls are some of her favorite pieces of work, including a cross made with wood from her childhood farm with dried out grape vines weaving its way upwards. Sister Gaudette said the Scripture, John 15:5, inspired the piece: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Her niece Louise DesRoches said many family members all have pieces of Aunt Gert’s work, including Christmas ornaments that she made for them every year. She even made a handcarved, family tree that traced both sides of her family, said DesRoches. “She could fix an elevator, built altars, a log cabin; there’s a statue [she made] of three little children and Our Lady at St. Francis School,” said DesRoches. “We are lucky to have her. Not everyone has a talented person [in their family].”
being a nun in the diocese, Sister Gaudette talked about how one of her first projects was rebuilding the altar at the chapel at the Dominican Sisters convent. She also dove headfirst into helping maintain and renovate Dominican Academy during her years there, installing windows, erecting walls, attaching blackboards and bulletin boards, and building platforms for teachers’ desks. While working at the academy and offering classes at the Creativity Center, she continued to work on personal projects for the Fall River Diocese. Many of the signs on diocesan buildings are her designs and she carved the coat of arms for five bishops, including Bishops Cronin, Sean P. O’Malley, OFM. Cap., and George W. Coleman as well as Bishop Louis E. Gelineau of Providence. R.I. When Bishop O’Malley became archbishop of Boston, his half-finished coat of arms was abandoned. Later she contacted his successor who gladly accepted the gift after she added his personal scroll to the bottom. Her summers from 19812007 were spent in a garage behind the La Salette Shrine designing and painting murals, and creating displays and huge billboards, including seven billboards that were eight-feet-by16-feet for the 30th anniversary of the Shrine’s Christmas Illuminations. The “alphabet books” that surround the Rosary pond are still there as generations of families continue to visit the shrine on an annual basis. She also added photographer for The Anchor to her list of credentials. In 1994, she received the Fall River Herald News Golden Sister Gertrude has shared her guiding hand at her art classes at Apple Award for a second time, Bishop Stang High School, the Creativity Center run at the Dominibecoming only one of two people can Academy, and The Landmark in Fall River. (Anchor file photo)
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Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17. ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday. East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower). EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m. FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow. Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m. FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday. FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel. FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory. Falmouth — For July and August St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to noon Benediction at St. Thomas Chapel, Falmouth Heights. MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m. MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass. NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance. NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession. NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time. NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m. NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street. ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m. The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass. OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. SEEKONK — Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549. Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass. Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m. WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church. NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274. SEEKONK — Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549. WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.
Sister Dorothy Cotterell (Stephen Dolores), SUSC
FALL RIVER — Sister Dorothy Cotterell (Sister Stephen Dolores), SUSC, died at Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River on July 19 at the age of 92. A native of Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late James and Mary (Ryan) Cotterell. In addition to her Holy Union Sisters, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews survive her. Her sisters, Mary V. Cotterell Mohler and Leontine Cotterell Whiting and brothers John and Ryan Cotterell predeceased her. Sister Dorothy entered the Holy Union Sisters in Fall River in 1941 and pronounced her final vows on Aug. 22, 1949. She received a bachelor of arts degree from Manhattan College, a master of arts degree from Villanova University and a master of Divinity degree from Andover-Newton Theological School. Sister Dorothy’s early ministries included teaching and administration in elementary schools staffed by the Holy Union Sisters in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. She was superior and principal of the former Immaculate Conception School, Taunton and headed the guidance department at the former Sacred Hearts Academy, Fall River. She was director of novices for the Fall River Province of the Holy Union Sisters. In 1976 she became chaplain and supervised clinical pastoral education students at the former Union-Truesdale Hospital. Sister Dorothy was associate di-
In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Aug. 15 Rev. Charles W. Cullen, Founder, Holy Family, East Taunton, 1926 Aug. 17 Rev. Cornelius O’Connor, Former Pastor, Holy Trinity, Harwich Center, 1882 Rev. Msgr. Maurice Souza, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony, East Falmouth, 1996 Aug. 18 Rev. Msgr. William H. Dolan, Retired Pastor, Holy Family, East Taunton, 1977 Aug. 20 Rev. Bernard H. Unsworth, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, New Bedford, 1982 Rev. Thomas Cantwell, SSJ., Retired, St. Joseph’s Seminary, Washington, D.C., 1983 Aug. 21 Most Rev. Lawrence S. McMahon, Bishop of Hartford, Former Pastor, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1893
rector of Clinical Pastoral Education at interfaith Health Care Ministries in Providence, R.I. for 20 years and was a nationally-certified supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education. She also trained as a Spiritual director and was an active member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. From 19851992 she served on the national board of that organization’s Commission on Certification and Accreditation. In 1997 she began part-time ministry as a pastoral counselor and supervised chaplaincy students at St. Anne Hospital, Fall
River and Hospice chaplains at Caritas Hospital, Norwood and the Visiting Nurses’ Association in Fall River. While residing at Edgewood Apartments in Westport, she prepared and led memorial services for deceased residents. She retired and joined the Holy Union Community at The Landmark, Fall River in 2013. When her health declined she moved to Catholic Memorial Home in January 2015. Her funeral took place at Catholic Memorial Home. Burial was at St. Patrick Cemetery, Fall River. Funeral arrangements were by Waring-Sullivan Funeral Home, Fall River. Donations in her memory may be made to the Holy Union Sisters’ Mission Advancement Office, P.O. Box 410, Milton, Mass., 02186-0006.
Around the Diocese The Diocesan Health Facilities will be hosting its Eighth Annual Golf Classic to benefit the more than 900 adults serviced in its skilled nursing and rehab care facilities and community programs on August 24 at the LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville. Participation opportunities include corporate sponsorships, golf foursomes, prize donations for raffles and advertising on tee signs and in the event program book. For additional information on the various levels of participation, a member of the golf committee will be happy to assist when you call the Diocesan Health Facilities Office at 508-679-8154. Printable registration forms are also available at www.dhfo.org. On August 28 from 5 to 7 p.m., St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in North Falmouth will host a lobster roll supper with clam chowder catered by Shuckers, with corn and watermelon by Jack in the Beanstalk for $20. Kids meals will include macaroni and cheese, hot dog, corn, melon and juice for $5. Tickets are limited and will be on sale after the weekend Masses during August. For more information call Dan at 508-548-0386. A Healing Mass and Blessing with St. André’s Relic and Anointing with St. Joseph Oil will be held at St. Joseph Chapel, 500 Washington Street, at Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton on September 13 with Rosary at 1:30 p.m. and Mass at 2 p.m. All are welcome to join either or both. St. André was known as the “Miracle Man of Montrèal” for his intercession in healing thousands of the faithful at the St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal. More than two million people visit his shrine each year. St. André’s relic will be available for blessing and veneration. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508-238-4095, x. 2027 or visit www. familyrosary.org/events. The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster is offering a six-week bereavement support program called “Come Walk With Me” that will begin September 10 and run through October 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The program meets for six weeks at the parish center and is designed for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one within the past year. Pre-registration is required and there is a $10 charge for materials. For more information, contact Happy Whitman at 508-385-3252, Mary Morley at 508-385-8942 or Joan Merz at 508-385-9265. It’s not too late to register for quality Catholic Education at its best! Registration is open for the 2015-2016 academic year at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford and is ongoing and they welcome new students in its Preschools for three- and four-year-olds, kindergarten and grades one to eight. Call 508-993-3547 and ask for Linda Boswell to learn more about the school and to schedule a tour, or visit www.hfhn.org. Retrouvaille is a Christian Peer Ministry sponsored by the Catholic Church for married couples who are experiencing difficulties in their Marriage. If you are considering separation or divorce, Retrouvaille can help! The next Retrouvaille Marriage renewal weekend will be held September 11-13. To register for the weekend or for more information, call 1-800-470-2230 or visit www.helpourmarriage.com.
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August 14, 2015
Episcopalian Converts to the Catholic Church celebrate Evensong in East Falmouth
EAST FALMOUTH — Choral Evensong according to the Anglican Use was held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, East Falmouth at 5 p.m. on August 2. This service was open to everyone and was well attended. The Schola Cantorum of Falmouth under the direction of Pat Harcourt sang the “Magnificat” and Nunc dimittis and two motets a capella. The Schola of The Congregation of St. Athanasius in Boston and the congregation sang the psalm and the hymns accompanied by
organist James S. Reedy who also played a prelude and a postlude for the service. The officiant and preacher at the service was the Rev. Richard S. Bradford, Anglican Use Chaplain of the Archdiocese of Boston and Pastor of the Congregation of St. Athanasius in Brookline. Father Bradford was joined in the Sanctuary by Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, Deacon Patrick Mahoney and some visiting priests of the diocese. Oliver Muldoon, of Falmouth, a member of the Schola Cantorum of Falmouth,
was instrumental in organizing this service. Also helping organize it was C. David Burt, also a former Episcopal priest and a Falmouth resident. He has been active in Father Bradford’s congregation in Boston and is Secretary of the Anglican Use Society. Ever since the Oxford Movement in England the Catholic Church has received a trickle of converts from Anglicanism. More recently since Anglicans started ordaining women to the ministry, numerous clergy and laity have followed in the footsteps of such lights as Newman, Knox, and Chesterton to make the transition to the
Catholic Church. Now, due to the serious problems in the Anglican Communion concerning homosexuality, what was once a trickle has the potential to become a steady flow. Along with some of his parishioners from All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Ashmont, Father Bradford, formed the Congregation of St. Athanasius and was received into the Catholic Church in 1998. The Second Vatican Council envisioned a way whereby Christian groups could return to full communion with Rome while retaining the positive elements of their Liturgical
and cultural patrimony. Since 1980, nearly 100 married Episcopalian clergymen have been ordained to the Catholic priesthood in the United States, and some Episcopal congregations have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining their “Anglican” style of worship. “The Book of Divine Worship,” first published in 2003, contains those Liturgical elements approved for use in such congregations, drawing from the 1928 and 1979 versions of “The Book of Common Prayer” and from the English translation of the Turn to page 12
During its fifth-year of the celebration of the feast of the Holy Ghost at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River, Father Maurice Gauvin and Deacon Peter Cote spent more than 30 minutes after the Mass allowing residents and family who attended the Mass the chance to receive a blessing. Above, a resident of the home receives his blessing. Below, left, Father Gauvin blesses seven-year-old Isabella Rebello while Deacon Peter Cote holds the crown over her head. The tradition of the crown started with St. Elizabeth of Portugal in the 1200s, who decided to humble the kingdom by finding the poorest man in the country and crown him king for the day. He would literally wear a crown and sit on the throne and a banquet would be given in his honor. Two hundred years later when the Portuguese populated the Azorean Islands, they carried this tradition with them turning the royal crown into the ballooned crown now known as the Holy Ghost Crown. Rebello is the symbolic queen of the feast. Below, right, retired priest Father Jose dos Santos gives the Eucharist during the celebration of the feast of the Holy Ghost, a tradition that proclaims the faith of the Portuguese and their devotion to the Holy Ghost. (Photos by Becky Aubut)