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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , August 30, 2013

Eight decades of tradition alive and well in Fairhaven

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

Editor’s note: Last week The Anchor brought you the history of the feast of Our Lady of Angels, held annually in Fairhaven but started more than 500 years ago in Água de Pau. This week The Anchor talks to some of those who volunteer year-afteryear to keep the feast and tradition alive in Fairhaven.

FAIRHAVEN — The sun had begun to set, causing the streets of Fairhaven to fall into shadow, but even as the bright daylight began to dim, it didn’t deter the volunteers as club members of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Association con-

tinued their duties to erect flags and other decorations for the upcoming feast of Our Lady of Angels.

“We’re the smallest, big feast around,” said Ed Cabral, president of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Association.

Now in its 83rd year, the annual feast is known for its music, delicious mix of Portuguese and American food and capping off the three-day event with a feast Mass at St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven followed by a procession highlighted by bands, organizations marching together and carrying multiple blessed statues, including the Turn to page 15

Candidates for the Permanent Diaconate recently attended a week-long retreat at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham led by Father Andrew Johnson. This is the final step before the men are ordained as permanent deacons in October. This is the eighth class for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Fall River. The men began formation for the Permanent Diaconate nearly five years ago.

After a year of discernment and aspirancy, they began a four-year formal program of spiritual, theological and pastoral formation.

Former Coyle High School classmates mark 50 years as C.S.C. Brothers

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor

Ed Cabral (left) overlooks the erecting of flags that line part of the procession route and connects St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven to the feast grounds. More than three-dozen volunteers work to get the feast grounds ready, many working nights and weekends, in the weeks leading up to the annual feast. (Photo by Becky Aubut)

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — As teen-agers in the late 1950s and early ’60s, Harold Hathaway and David Andrews were classmates at Coyle High School in Taunton. Since then one has traveled from coast to coast in the U.S., and the other has visited and worked in Africa, Bangladesh and Chile — both as Brothers of Holy Cross.

This year the pair reunited as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their profession as Brothers.

“There were some Holy Cross Brothers who taught at Turn to page 18

Renewing their religious vows at a ceremony at Valatie, N.Y., were Holy Cross Brothers David Andrews, third from right, and Harold Hathaway, far right. Both men, classmates at Coyle High School in Taunton, were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their profession as Brothers.

Local Catholic schools invest in future, reap greater enrollment numbers

Fall River Diocese utilizes proactive approach for dealing with closed churches

FALL RIVER — Many Catholic school students returning to classrooms in the Diocese of Fall River this week found big changes. Some are also encountering new faces as their schools experience increased enrollment.

Pope John Paul II High School and St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School in Hyannis, which merged into one school over this past summer, have seen a rise in enrollment at both the high and middle school levels. Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Griffin called the decision to combine the schools a proactive effort that will merge resources and strengthen the school.

At Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, there is new turf on the athletic field and the building has undergone a major renovation. Near the city’s center, St. John the Evangelist School has added a building expansion. Coyle & Cassidy High

FALL RIVER — In last week’s Anchor, the feature about St. Hedwig’s Church in New Bedford being turned into a shelter contained a paragraph that quite possibly could have led readers to believe that the Diocese of Fall River has many vacant churches that aren’t being used and are simply lying dormant. The paragraph stated, “Despite the increasing number of closed and vacant churches in the diocese ... churches don’t always lend themselves to such uses [transformed into useful structures].”

The diocesan Chancery Office quickly disputed that notion providing statistics to prove that is far from reality. Since 1987, 30 churches across the diocese were closed.

Of those 30, only four remain vacant. The other 26 buildings have either been sold, are in the process of being sold, or have been razed with a significant number of the

By Christine Williams — Anchor Correspondent

Turn to page 13

By Dave Jolivet — Anchor Editor

Turn to page 13

News From the Vatican

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August 30, 2013

Pope calls for anti-human trafficking meeting at Vatican

Vatican City (CNA) — At Pope Francis’ request, Vatican experts will gather this upcoming November with the aim of better tackling the growing scourge of human trafficking.

“We must be grateful to Pope Francis for having identified one of the most important social dramas of our time and that he has had enough trust in our Catholic institutions to ask us to arrange this working group,” said Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

The bishop’s academy along with the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations will meet to discuss a Vatican action plan to help combat what is often referred to as the modern slave trade.

“Trafficking in human beings is a terrible offense against human dignity and a grave violation of fundamental human rights,” Bishop Sánchez Sorondo told Vatican Radio. “In this century, it acts as a catalyst in the creation of criminal assets.”

The group will meet at the Vatican City’s Casina Pio IV, home of

the Pontifical Academy of Science and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Bishop Sánchez Sorondo observed that the United Nations has begun to be aware of this growing crime “only in 2000,” together with the effects of globalization.

“The alarming increase in the trade in human beings is one of the pressing economic, social and political risks associated with the process of globalization,” he said.

“It’s a serious threat to the security of individual nations and a question of international justice.”

A 2012 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on human trafficking says around 20.9 million victims are forced into labor globally. Each year, about two million people are victims of sex trafficking, 60 percent of whom are girls. The practice is not limited to poor and underdeveloped areas, but extends to all world regions.

“Some observers argue that, in a few years, trafficking in persons will exceed the trafficking of drugs and arms, making it the most lucrative criminal activity in the world,” the bishop warned.

Vatican orders slight change in text for Baptism

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To emphasize that the Sacrament of Baptism formally brings a person into the Church of God and not just into a local Christian community, the Vatican has ordered a slight change of wording in the Baptismal rite.

At the beginning of the rite, instead of saying, “the Christian community welcomes you with great joy,” the officiating minister will say, “the Church of God welcomes you with great joy.”

“Baptism is the Sacrament of faith in which people are incorporated into the one Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him,” said the decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Signed by Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, congregation prefect, and Archbishop Arthur Roche, congregation secretary, the decree said the change to the wording in Latin and all local languages was approved January 28 by Pope Benedict XVI; the pope resigned a month later.

The new wording, the decree said, better emphasizes Catholic

doctrine that through Baptism a person is incorporated into the Universal Church and not just into a parish.

Although the rest of the formula remains the same, by beginning with an affirmation of the entire Church welcoming the one about to be Baptized, the minister also makes clear that the Sacrament is being administered in the name of the Church and not just in the name of the local community.

Before the change, the approved English text read: “The Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of His cross.”

The decree said the change was to have gone into effect in the Latin text March 31.

Msgr. Rick Hilgartner, executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the bishops were due to have a preliminary draft translation of the Rite of Baptism of Children next year, so he believed the change would simply be incorporated in the revised edition as it is approved and published.

People in St. Peter’s Square look on as Pope Francis leads the Angelus from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Giampiero Sposito, Reuters)

Major appointments awaited after cardinals’ October meeting

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Despite rumors about the supposedly imminent appointment of a new Secretary of State, Pope Francis will not be making any major appointments before October, Vatican insiders maintain.

“Pope Francis is not in a hurry to appoint a new Secretary of State, and he could also decide to keep Bertone at his post until he will turn 80,” a source familiar with the Vatican Secretariat of State who asked for anonymity recently told CNA. On October 1-3, the “Gang of Eight” group of cardinals on reforming the Roman Curia will meet, and the source disavowed any changes to the secretariat of state before that assembly.

In fact, pressure for the replacement of Cardinal Bertone as Secretary of State began long before Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.

Despite critics, innuendos and accusations, Benedict XVI always wanted to keep Cardinal Bertone at his post, stating publicly several times his trust in his prime collaborator.

During the pre-conclave meeting in March, cardinals highlighted several criticisms of the secretariat of state, and asked for more collegiality.

Pope Francis responded to the cardinals’ suggestions and requests by appointing on April 13 the group of eight cardinals to advise him about a possible curia reform.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., of Boston, one of the group’s members, signaled in a March 4 interview with CNA that the pre-conclave meetings helped the cardinals to discuss “the Church’s gov-

erning body.”

A curial reform is needed to improve the relationships among the various departments of the Church’s central governing body and the Universal Church, he added.

The appointment of this group of cardinals raised expectation for a curial reform and encouraged speculations about a new Secretary of State to be appointed soon.

It had been strongly rumored that Pope Francis would have made public the appointment of the new Secretary of State on June 29, and since it did not occur it is now rumored that Cardinal Bertone will have to step down in September.

In fact, the anonymous source said in conversation that “Pope Francis does not seem to want to make any major decision before the October 1-3 meeting of the group of cardinals. And even after that meeting, he could decide to keep Bertone at his post.”

“Pope Francis does not want give the impression of repudiating Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate,” the source asserted.

On the one hand, “getting rid of Cardinal Bertone in the midst of a long-term campaign against him could be seen as an evidence of Bertone’s wrongdoing, and so also as evidence of Benedict XVI’s incompetence in choosing his collaborators.”

On the other hand, keeping Cardinal Bertone at his post would not even damage Pope Francis’ image, as the secretariat of state has been exerting less influence during his pontificate.

According to the Vaticanista Sandro Magister, “the State

Secretariat continues its routine work, but much more at work is another secretariat, miniscule but highly active, which in direct service to the pope attends to the matters that he wants to resolve himself, without any interference whatsoever.”

It is also possible that the importance of the secretariat of state will be diminished after the curial reform.

In fact, a possible reform of the Roman Curia has been much discussed during recent years.

A monsignor working in a pontifical council who asked for anonymity told CNA that a draft of such a reform was sketched out in 2005, shortly before Blessed John Paul II’s death.

That draft had suggested creating a committee composed of the prefects of Congregations and some trusted cardinals charged with managing the Church. This committee would take over the first set of duties currently carried out by the secretariat of state.

Thus, the state secretariat would only deal with the relations with states, not Church governance.

Ultimately, the governance of the Holy See would be run by a sort of pyramid structure: on the top, the management committee, a sort of council of cardinals; then the Congregations; and the Pontifical Council, which would become a sort of department in the ministries.

This sketch, the source maintains, “has been quietly proposed” to Pope Francis, and, with some modifications, “can be one of the proposal to be discussed by the group of eight cardinals.”

August 30, 2013

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The International Church

Visit The Anchor online at www.anchornews.org Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

Families displaced by flooding occupy a church serving as an evacuation center in Quezon City, Philippines, recently. Hundreds of thousands of people in metro Manila and surrounding areas have been affected by heavy monsoon rains and flooding. (CNS photo/ Al Falcon, Reuters)

Teams find thousands of flooded-out Filipinos at parishes, centers

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Teams of relief workers visited evacuation centers and Catholic parishes-turned-shelters across a wide area of the Philippine capital as they began assessing the needs of thousands of people who fled homes inundated by floodwaters.

Since August 19, about 300,000 people have been displaced since around Manila, according to government reports.

The death toll August 21 remained at eight, the government reported.

“The flood is quite expansive. It’s very similar to last year’s floods. It’s very severe,” said Joe Curry, country representative for the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services, who visited five evacuation centers August 21.

“We expect a long period of the people staying in the evacuation centers,” he said.

The flooding was caused by days of seasonal monsoon rains and an offshore typhoon. While waters began receding late August 20 in some sections of the densely populated city, Curry said some people could be in the evacuation centers for weeks.

“Conditions in evacuation centers are very poor. It’s congested everywhere. In two of the schools, I think the average number of people is 80 per classroom.

People are sleeping in chairs just to make space,” Curry said.

“Next to one parish hall, it’s just open air; 600 people are sleeping on a basketball court,” he added.

Another CRS team visited eight evacuation centers, finding similar conditions, Curry said.

Despite their predicament, Curry found the people to be taking their situation in stride.

“There’s a lot of perseverance, I think, a quiet perseverance,” he said. “People are just very resilient. They just take these kinds of

shock and they move on and keep going. There are very few complaints. They try and do the best with what they have.”

Curry said CRS planned to coordinate the delivery of aid with Caritas Philippines and begin distributing sleeping mats, blankets and hygiene products.

Earlier, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila appealed for unity to meet the challenges of the disaster, which affected more than 500,000 people, reported the Catholic news portal ucanews.com.

“In this time of crisis, I’m appealing to everyone, let us help one another in little or big ways to lessen the pain of those who have suffered from this bad weather,” Cardinal Tagle said in a radio broadcast.

“I hope this scourge of Mother Nature will result in deep cooperation among our people to ease the pain of those who may have lost their loved ones, their properties, homes,” the cardinal said.

On August 20, the government reported that more than half of Manila was under water, and people made their way through chest-high water to evacuation centers.

Southern Manila was most affected, Curry said.

“The poorest people live in the flood-prone areas. In one area along the river, 12,000 were evacuated. Last year it was the same thing. Those families were displaced for several weeks,” he said.

The flooding follows the August 17 collision of a ferry boat and a cargo ship in the waters off the Philippine central island of Cebu in which at least 50 people died.

Both ships were carrying a combined 800 passengers and crew, authorities said. The ferry sank quickly in about 150 feet of water and the cargo ship was

damaged, according to official reports.

About 750 people were rescued while an additional 68 remained missing August 19, according to authorities. Rescuers suspended the search for survivors because of high seas caused by the same storm that swamped Manila.

In a telegram to Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu City, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, said Pope Francis was saddened by the “tragic loss of life” in the accident.

“He assures all affected of his closeness in prayer and commends the victims to the loving mercy of Almighty God,” the cardinal’s message said. “The Holy Father invokes Divine strength and comfort upon the grieving families, the injured and those involved in the rescue efforts.”

His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Reverend Johnathan Hurrell, ss.cc., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, United States Province, and has made the following appointment: Rev. Alphonsus McHugh, ss.cc., Chaplain, Sacred Heart Nursing Home in New Bedford.

Effective July 31, 2013

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

His Excellency, the Most Reverend George W. Coleman, Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Very Reverend Primo P. Piscitello, OFM., Minister Provincial of the Franciscan Friars, Immaculate Conception Province, and has made the following appointments: Rev. Bruce Czapla, OFM, Pastor, St. Margaret’s Church, Buzzards Bay. Rev. Richard Donovan, OFM, Parochial Vicar, St. Margaret’s Church, Buzzards Bay. Effective September 16, 2013

August 30, 2013 The Church in the U.S. Community’s love for Mary draws young woman to religious life

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Boston (CNA/EWTN News) — On the recent feast of the Assumption, a young U.S. woman became a novice with a traditional religious order after she saw its devotion to Mary and counter-cultural witness to Christ.

Taking the name Sister Marie-Celine, Erin Kelly joined the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an order in Massachusetts that focuses on Marian devotion according to St. Louis de Montfort.

“The Sisters and Brothers were the ones, by their teaching and example, with the help of God’s grace, who inspired me to try the religious life,” Sister Marie-Celine told CNA. “Seeing religious in full habits, living a life so contrary to today’s world — a life of dedication to God and His work, of selfless love — is such a beautiful and refreshing thing unknown to most. I wanted to be a part of that.”

The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart are a community of religious Brothers and Sisters for whom the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, especially “True devotion to Mary,” make “up the essence of life,” Sister Marie-Bernard, a leader

in the community, told CNA. “We renew the consecration daily, and the 33 days of readings for Total Consecration yearly,” she explained.

“Everything about ourselves and our work is given

the world after graduating” and slowly started to “drown out the idea of religious life.”

She “greatly enjoyed work and travel,” “the power of independence,” and she “quickly became involved in the world

with God.” Sister Marie-Celine’s profession as a novice on August 15 followed her completion of a six-month postulancy. She will be a novice for two years before taking temporary vows,

Sister Marie-Celine receives her habit at her profession as a novice, August 15. (Photo courtesy of Community of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

to Jesus through Mary — in all we do, our life is a prayer.”

Sister Marie-Celine reflected on God’s call in her life, saying that while she had “considered the possibility of dedicating my life to God” throughout high school, she “quickly became involved in

after graduating” and slowly started to “drown out the idea of religious life.”

“Yet,” she explained, “in the midst of my worldly experience, a solitary thought constantly pricked my mind which I could not evade — ‘what am I doing with my life?’ Aside from learning life lessons, I was wasting time. I wasn’t satisfied with the superficial happiness and unrest the world gave me, and the idea of a vocation started to resurface.”

Sister Marie-Celine started to look into different convents across the country, but realized that “what I was looking for had been right in front of me — a community living a life of total consecration to Jesus through Mary.”

She had attended first through 12th grade at the order’s Immaculate Heart of Mary School, and said that “I firmly believe that it was Divine providence which placed me in their care.”

Reflecting on her formation by the community, Sister Marie-Celine said that “in their daily actions, I saw their work was not merely routine — it was supernaturalized.

They were doing things for God alone.”

“That is what I lacked in the world, a supernatural motive, a striving for eternal life

which last three years. At that time, she will be able to make final profession with the community.

During the Mass of Profession, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart also received a new postulant, Clair Sonnier, who was “drawn to the Slaves because of their traditional religious life,” and their devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass.

Sonnier became familiar with the community through one of their apostolates, a summer camp for girls. The profession was received on the feast of the Assumption because of the community’s Marian focus.

Sister Marie-Bernard explained that it was selected “because it was the fulfillment of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s life,” being re-united with Christ body and soul in Heaven — “something we all desire, especially as consecrated religious (and) Brides of Christ.”

Along with Marian devotion in the tradition of St. Louis de Montfort’s consecration, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart are devoted to the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite — the Mass as it was celebrated in 1962, prior to the Second Vatican Council.

The extraordinary form Mass is the “pulse” of the community’s life and apostolates,

“with its beautiful richness in tradition and Liturgy,” Sister Marie-Bernard explained.

She cited the “reverence and sacredness” of its prayer and rites as something that “draws souls to Christ,” which is “what our world needs now, more than ever.”

The spirituality of the traditional Latin Mass forms the community’s charism for evangelization. Sister Marie-Bernard said “the Slaves’ main purpose and goal is to bring souls to Jesus through Mary, evangelizing through their publications, school, catechism classes and summer youth programs.”

The community of Sisters includes 14 professed, two novices, and one postulant. There are four professed Brothers, and one novice.

Members add a fourth vow, to promote the doctrine of the Church, to the traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The community is a refounding of an order originally founded by Father Leonard Feeney. In 1976 Brother Hugh MacIsaac re-founded the community, located in the Diocese of Worcester.

In 2002, Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, then the Bishop of Worcester, “regularized” the community in his diocese, and his successor, Bishop Robert J. McManus, has on three occasions celebrated Confirmations at the chapel of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart.

Sister Marie-Celine recounted that since having joined the community six months ago, she has experienced the peace that Christ promised His disciples during His farewell discourse in the Gospel of John.

“Leaving the world was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. Having the privilege of daily (traditional) Latin Mass, availability of the Sacraments, and the companionship of the community as a religious, has been the greatest grace of my life.”

While saying she “wouldn’t do it justice” were she to try to relate her interior feelings about her vocation, she said the following quote from St. Augustine’s “Confessions” “beautifully gathers the sentiments I find hard to express.”

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”

5 The Church in the U.S. Doctor-ethicist sees ongoing efforts to weaken conscience protections

August 30, 2013

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Fine print contained in the Affordable Care Act has weakened conscience protections for physicians who oppose abortion, sterilization or other medical practices on religious or moral grounds, a doctor and ethicist told the American Academy of Fertility Care Professionals.

Dr. John Brehany, executive director and ethicist of the Catholic Medical Association, said with the passage of the new health care law, commonly called Obamacare, “the federal government is posing real threats to faithful health care professionals.”

“While Obamacare itself does have a couple of conscience-protection provisions built in, the fact is, if you look at the big picture, which are the old federal laws and what was achieved from 1973 to 2004, we are now missing some important protections, and we are now vague on how these old laws will carry forward into the future,” Brehany said recently during told the academy’s annual gathering in New Orleans.

One such old law is the Church amendment of 1973, for example, to shield individual and institutional health care providers from forced involvement in abortion or sterilization.

“While there are those old federal protections that go way back, Obamacare actually mud-

the move to rescind, with most from discrimination if they had dies the picture,” he said.

Brehany said in Decem- saying the 2008 rule “unaccept- moral or religious objections to ber 2008, just before President ably impacted patient rights participating in “several kinds George W. Bush left office, the and restricted access to health of health care,” such as trainDepartment of Health and Hu- care and conflicted with federal ing in abortion procedures, man Services wrote new regu- law, state law and other guide- performing abortions or surgilations to implement existing lines addressing informed con- cal sterilizations or prescribing artificial contraceptives. federal laws “to give teeth and sent,” HHS said.

Nearly 187,000 comments According to Brehany, the some guidance and enforcenew HHS rules indicate ment provisions that had never been done before.” he point is, if you look there is full conscience protection only for mediThe regulations required at trends in federal law cal professionals who “obcompliance by professional medical societies, Brehany and this administration, they are ject to performing aborweakening or certainly muddy- tion — period. That’s it. said.

“One of the first things ing the waters of having clear and It doesn’t say, facilitating, the Obama Administra- certain protections for rights of helping, paying for. It says performing abortions, petion said was ‘we’re reconscience.” riod. This is a strategic atscinding that,’” Brehany tack on religious freedom.” said. “It took them two “The point is, if you look years to do it, and they just said they were modifying it. In opposed the proposal, express- at trends in federal law and this between, they passed Obam- ing the conviction that “health administration, they are weakacare in March 2010, and they care workers should not be re- ening or certainly muddying didn’t clarify what they were quired to perform procedures the waters of having clear and that violate their religious or certain protections for rights of doing until February 2011.”

On Feb. 18, 2011, the Obama moral convictions” or that re- conscience,” Brehany said.

Other threats to conscience Administration announced a scission “would violate the First partial rescission of the Bush Amendment religious freedom protection for physicians have Administration’s regulation pro- rights of providers or the tenets come from doctors themselves, tecting the conscience rights of or the Hippocratic Oath, and he said. Dr. Julie Cantor, writhealth care workers. HHS said would impact the ethical integ- ing in the New England Journal parts of the 2008 regulation had rity of the medical profession.” of Medicine in 2009, said “con“While the department science is a burden that belongs “caused confusion and could be carefully considered these com- to the individual professional; taken as overly broad.”

The 41-page final rule is- ments, we do not specifically patients should not have to sued that day summarized and address them because this par- shoulder it.”

Cantor wrote that because responded to the major themes tial rescission does not alter of the more than 300,000 com- or affect the existing federal patients rely on doctors for ments received by HHS during health care provider conscience their health care, they should a lengthy public-comment pe- protections,” the HHS final expect them to be “neutral arbiters.” riod on its proposed rescission. rule said.

Under the previous rules, “Federal laws may make More than 97,000 individuals and organizations supported physicians had been protected room for the rights of con-

“T

Parishioners recite the Lord’s Prayer during Mass at St. Mary of the Isle Church in Long Beach, N.Y., on the feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Mass marked the first Liturgy in the church since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The parish celebrated services in its auditorium while the church was being restored. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic)

science, but health care providers ... should cast off the cloak of conscience when patients’ needs demand it,” Cantor wrote.

Dr. R. Alta Charo of the University of WisconsinMadison suggested in 2007 that medical societies could deal with “refusing physicians” by enforcing their own ethical standards and, “in this way, lay the groundwork both for individual health care providers to see their way clear to serving patients even in ways that violate their own preferences and beliefs as well as to assist courts in determining the customary and standard practice in medical malpractice cases based on refusal of service or medical abandonment.”

Brehany said the recent delays in enforcing some provisions of Obamacare have created a cloud over the nation’s health care system.

“Some have suggested that the plan all along was that Obamacare would fail and there would be such a mess — who’s paying the hospital? who’s paying the doctor? what’s a patient entitled to? — that only the federal government could quickly step in and say, ‘Here’s the rules,’” Brehany said.

“This has created incredible confusion, incredible expense and a lot of anxiety, and that’s a very bad thing, and it’s wrong,” he said.

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August 30, 2013

Anchor Editorial

A labor of love

This past Monday at daily Mass we heard St. Paul tell the Thessalonian Christians, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope” (1 Thes 1:2-3). As we celebrate Labor Day this weekend, traditionally the close of “summer” and the beginning of a new school year, we at The Anchor also give thanks to God for the many people throughout our diocese who lovingly labor to carry out the will of God, moved by the love that they have experienced from God and sustained in their dark days by the hope that only God can give.

Throughout this edition there are examples of how people live out these three virtues of faith, hope and love. On the page facing this one you can read Father Landry’s column, reminding us of our duty to have “warming hearts,” which can help accompany people out of their personal darkness, while below Claire McManus uses an analogy of a rich benefactor rebuilding our homes for free and then turning them back over to us gratis to explain how God redeems us. She closes by quoting Thomas Merton, who said that we can’t respond to this great gift with a perfunctory “thank you”; rather our gratitude needs to be lived out in loving service of God and neighbor.

Claire also makes reference to the question which we heard posed to Jesus last Sunday, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” She interpreted that question as possibly coming from someone who was wondering if they were already saved or “out in the cold.”

Pope Francis also spoke recently about that question, as you can read below this editorial. He also used the image of a house, saying that in Jesus’ usage of the term “narrow door” Christ was evoking in His listeners the warm image of one’s home.

As we labor to enter that narrow gate, we need to be mindful of what Father Nagle reminds us on page eight — that Christ turned upside down the old notions of who is invited to a banquet. In His lifetime, Christ was invited to some banquets which really were traps, while at other times He was criticized for dining with certain people. He ended His earthly life with a meal in which He was the main course, something which He repeated in the first supper of His resurrected life (at Emmaus).

As we approach the altar to receive Jesus at this very same banquet, we ask Him to help us to have the humility to go forth from the church in such a way so as to labor in His vineyard in a manner which will help bring in a big harvest.

Genevieve Kineke on page nine speaks to us about how St. Monica planted seeds of faith in the souls of the members of her family; seeds which were nourished by the droplets of her tears and by her trusting prayers to God for them. She endured in hope and was given the great gift of seeing her prayers answered.

Yesterday (Thursday) we “celebrated” the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. He did not see in his lifetime all of the conversions that he would have wanted to (such as of Herod and Herodias), but he labored always trusting in God. The Baptist was killed for his critique of the immorality of the Herodians (something which has often resulted in some Christians losing their heads, as they try to help other people not lose their souls). God’s teaching on sexual morality is very important, but it is also tied to His other teachings about the dignity of the human person (see Archbishop Gomez’ speech on Dorothy Day on page 14, for example), since they are all tied into one human being, made in the image and likeness of God. For Labor Day weekend the bishops of the United States have issued a statement (through the office of Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Bishop of Stockton, Calif.), which stated, “Labor Day is an opportunity to take stock of the ways workers are honored and respected. Earlier this year, Pope Francis pointed out, ‘Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation.’ Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, underemployment, unjust wages, wage theft, abuse, and exploitation.”

Bishop Blaire quoted Pope Emeritus Benedict’s warning about “the systemic increase of social inequality,” and then asked, “Is it possible that this is happening here in the United States? In many places, wealth and basic needs are separated by only a few blocks or subway stops. We only have to look under bridges and in alley ways. The words from Gaudium et Spes (no. 63) from the Second Vatican Council of 50 years ago seem to be just as true today: ‘While an immense number of people still lack the absolute necessities of life, some, even in less advanced areas, live in luxury or squander wealth.’ How can it be said that persons honor one another when such ‘extravagance and wretchedness exist side by side’?”

Our responses to those questions must begin with prayer, but then must result in action, in a labor of love for our neighbors, created in God’s image. Thus we will show that we are truly grateful for all that Jesus has done for us.

Pope Francis’ weekly Angelus address and prayer Dear brothers and sisters, hello!

Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on the topic of Salvation.

Jesus going up from Galilee to the city of Jerusalem and along the way someone — the evangelist Luke says — comes up to Him and asks Him: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

(Lk 13:23). Jesus does not answer the question directly. It is not important to know how many will be saved, rather, it is important to know the way to Salvation. This is how Jesus responds to the question: “Try to enter by the narrow door, because many will try to enter but

will not succeed” (Lk 13:24).

What does Jesus wish to say?

What is the door by which we should enter? And why does Jesus talk about a narrow door?

The image of the door appears various times in the Gospel and reminds us of the door of a house, of the domestic hearth, where we find security, love, warmth. Jesus tells us that there is a door that permits us to enter into God’s family, in the warmth of the house of God, into communion with Him. This door is Jesus Himself (cf.

Jn 10:9). He is the door. He is the way of Salvation. He leads us to the Father. And the door OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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that is Jesus is never closed, this door is never closed; it is always open and to everyone, without distinction, without exclusions, without privileges, because, as you know, Jesus does not exclude anyone. One might try to tell me: “But, Father, surely I am excluded, because I am a great sinner: I have done ugly things, many ugly things in my life.” No, you are not excluded!

Precisely because of this you are preferred, because Jesus prefers the sinner, always, to forgive him. Jesus is always waiting for you, to embrace you, to forgive you. Do not be afraid: He is waiting for you. Wake up, take heart to enter His door. Everyone is invited to enter by this door, to enter the door of faith, to enter into His life, and to let Him enter our life, so that He transform it, renew it, give us complete and lasting joy.

Today we pass by many doors that invite us to enter, promising a happiness that we then realize lasts only an instant, that exhausts itself and has no future. But I ask you: What door do we wish to enter? And who do we want to let in through the door of our life? I want to say firmly: let us

not be afraid to enter the door of faith in Jesus, to let Him enter more and more into our life, to leave behind our egoism, our closedness, our indifference to others, so that Jesus illuminates our life with a light that never goes out. It is not fireworks, it is not a flash! No, it is a tranquil light that lasts forever and gives us peace. This is the light that we encounter if we enter the door of Jesus.

Of course, Jesus is the narrow door, not because it is a place of torture. No, that is not the reason! It is because He asks us to open up our heart to Him, to recognize ourselves as sinners in need of Salvation, of His forgiveness, of His love, of having the humility to welcome His mercy and be renewed by Him. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that being Christians is not having a “label!” I ask you: Are you only Christians by label or are you Christians in truth?

Each one answer for himself !

Never be Christians by label!

Christians in truth and of the heart. Be Christians and witness to the faith in prayer, in works of charity, in promoting justice, in doing good. Our whole life must pass through

the narrow door that is Christ.

We ask the Virgin Mary, the door of Heaven, to help us to enter the door of faith, to let her Son transform our existence as He transformed hers to bring everyone the joy of the Gospel.

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy Word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

August 30, 2013

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n his trip to Brazil for World Youth Day, Pope Francis was doing far more than energizing Latin American Catholics and young people from around the world enthusiastically to embrace and live the Catholic faith. He was modeling the way the Church needs to carry out the New Evangelization.

In a remarkable half-hour interview with Brazil’s O Globo Television Network, Pope Francis was asked why he believed so many Brazilian Catholics have been leaving the Church either for Pentecostal groups or abandoning Christianity altogether.

His words apply to every country experiencing a hemorrhaging of practicing Catholics precipitating a need for a New Evangelization.

“For me,” he said in Spanish, “the fundamental thing is the closeness of the Church. The Church is a mother and neither you nor I are familiar with mothers who relate to their children by correspondence. A mother shows affection, embraces, kisses, and loves. When the Church, occupied by so many things neglects this closeness and communicates only with documents, she’s like a mother who communicates with her children only by letter.”

In many places, he suggested, bishops have written pastoral letters and pastors beautiful bulletin columns for their people, but they haven’t left their offices to go to the peripheries where people are and embrace them and their

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oup kitchens, clothing drops, food pantries; our parishes abound with charitable outreach. Charitable giving, compassionate service, and corporal works of mercy are quintessentially Catholic. We know that these actions are necessary components of true discipleship, but are we aware of how necessary they are to our salvation.

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Some poor soul watching Jesus pass by with His disciples must have wondered if he was on the inside or out in the cold. Jesus responded with the unsettling thought that some of us will knock on the door of salvation and will be unrecognized.

Jesus was letting the complacent know that even though they may have been first to receive salvation from God, they will be last when entering the Kingdom if they fail to use this gift to alleviate the suffering of others. He said this many times in many ways, speaking through good Samaritans, merciful fathers, hemorrhaging women, lepers, and beggars. It would be better to ask, “Now that

Anchor Columnists Accompanying people back to Jerusalem

7

the same day he gave the televiproblems, show them love and affection and accompaniment up sion interview, he deepened his analysis of the causes of people close. abandoning the Church and also Perhaps this happens because sketched the solution. their dioceses and parishes are All of us in the Church, he geographically enormous. Perhaps it’s because these shepherds stressed, needed to ponder very deeply and emulate Jesus on the are too introverted and timid.

Road to Emmaus.

Regardless, Pope Francis is saying that this is one of the chief reasons for the ecclesiastical exodus.

Putting Into Catholics haven’t been experiencing enough the the Deep proximity of the Church.

When a PentecosBy Father tal preacher opens up a Roger J. Landry storefront Church in their neighborhood and knocks at their homes to pray In Emmaus, Jesus encounwith them, people are undertered two dejected disciples standably drawn by a version of abandoning Jerusalem. They had Christianity near to them. placed their hopes in Jesus only In other places Catholics, to be scandalized and humiliated convinced that the Church

by His crucifixion. their mother is distant, cold and Jesus met them on the road disconnected from their daily life, leading downward from Jerujust stop practicing Christianity salem and entered into their altogether.

Pope Francis’ main objective in conversation concerning recent Brazil was to show this “maternal events. He didn’t halt them in their tracks and command them closeness” of the Church. He to turn around at the risk of their went out into the crowds, kissed eternal salvation. Rather, He achundreds of babies, embraced companied them, trying to shed young people who ran up to light on what they had observed him, and journeyed into the shantytowns and even individual and what they had obviously missed. homes. In short he incarnated He made their hearts burn as and modeled the affectionate, He spoke to them on the way, personal love of a mother. such that they begged Him to When Pope Francis spoke to stay with them longer. When the Brazilian bishops and all the He celebrated the Eucharist for other prelates present in Rio on

them in their home, they recognized Him, and with enthusiasm ran out into the darkness up the mountain to Jerusalem to share the news of Risen Jesus with others.

Pope Francis declared that today multitudes are wandering on roads away from everything “Jerusalem” signifies, namely, “Scripture, catechesis, Sacraments, community, friendship with the Lord, Mary and the Apostles.” They had placed their hopes in the Christ the Church was offering, only to discover disappointment.

“Perhaps,” the pope specified, “the Church appeared too weak, perhaps too distant from their needs, perhaps too poor to respond to their concerns, perhaps too cold, perhaps too caught up with itself, perhaps a prisoner of its own rigid formulas, perhaps the world seems to have made the Church a relic of the past, unfit for new questions, perhaps the Church could speak to people in their infancy but not to those come of age.”

Regardless, vast hordes are walking away into the night, seeking someone or something else in which to place their hopes.

The pope says that the Church must be capable, like Christ, of “going forth into their night, meeting them on their way, [and] entering into their conversation.”

The Church has to do more

than walk at their side and listen to them, he stressed. The Church must be able “to make sense of the ‘night’ contained in the flight of so many of our brothers and sisters from Jerusalem” and realize that “the reasons why people leave also contain reasons why they can eventually return.”

More than anything, he underlined, the Church, like Jesus, needs to be capable of “warming hearts,” of addressing the “disappointments present in their hearts” and show how they are paradoxically part of the redemption.

“Are we still a Church capable of warming hearts?,” Pope Francis queried, challenging the bishops and the whole Church.

Warming hearts is a precondition to leading people wandering in the night of disappointment and brokenness back to Jerusalem.

For Pope Francis, the road to Rio was the Road to Emmaus.

With great maternal tenderness, Christ’s vicar went to warm hearts, to accompany pilgrims along the way, so that, in rediscovering Christ and the brilliance of His light, they might run to Jerusalem and tell everyone that Christ is more alive than ever.

Let’s enter into that same Emmaus journey.

Anchor columnist Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River. His email address is fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

we are saved, what more must we because we are so grateful for a second chance that we do not do to earn it?” want to let this gift slip away Millennia of deep thinkers from us again. This is redemphave wrestled with the question: “Christ redeems, and in tion, “If Jesus came to redeem Christ, Christians restore.” all of humanity, why should we Restoration is personal and have to do anything to earn our communal. As we grow closer salvation?” To get at the solution to this age-old puzzle a pastor from Baltimore used an analogy from our present reality in his book, “Rebuilt.” Father Michael White explained to his parishioners that redemption is

By Claire McManus like owning a house, but because of bad personal financial decisions, or a to God through prayer, the first collapse in the world’s economy, part of us to be transformed is we default on the mortgage and our eyesight; we see the world our home is taken from us by and one another through God’s foreclosure. Now suppose that eyes. When this happens to us we the new owners of our home can’t help but want to straighten didn’t care enough about the up the world to make it the way house to maintain it, and let it God wants it to be. Service is an fall into ruin. A benefactor who essential dimension of discipleknows and loves us then buys the house and hands it back over ship, and therefore a necessary element of parish life. to us, gratis. But now the work Throughout our diocese we begins, for we will spend the rest have living witnesses of individuof our lives fixing up this house

als rebuilding their redeemed houses. Our fellow parishioners visit prisons to bring the mercy of God to the spiritually destitute. They form support groups for the bereaved or the addicted.

Countless others visit the sick and homebound, or serve meals to the elderly. Service transcends ideology and age group, uniting us to a mission that has a single purpose. But there are two fronts to the mission bequeathed to us by Christ. While charity is personal, immediate and necessary, it is only one part of our mission to restore society. The real challenge to our restoration project is taking on the unjust systems in our society that prevent individuals from experiencing self-sufficiency and dignity.

Our mission is not limited to the inside of our Church, but extends beyond the walls and into the world. The Catholic Church stands at the front line doing battle for a just society, and we are called to take action even

within the narrow confines of our own parish. Problems such as poverty and poor educational opportunities are more than simple economic issues. These problems eat away at the soul and degrade the individual. These societal ills are best addressed at the most local level, which is known as subsidiarity. Some of the parishes in our diocese have joined their voices with other faith-based organizations to take action at the local level to help alleviate inequality in their community.

Service is not an obligation, nor is it a box to check as a pre-condition for reception of a Sacrament.

Service is an act of love, a show of gratitude for the gift of salvation given to us gratuitously. Thomas Merton wrote, “Gratitude is more than a mental exercise, more than a formula of words. We cannot be satisfied to make a mental note of things which God has done for us and then perfunctorily thank Him for favors received.” Service is our “thank You” to God. Anchor columnist Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation.

Service: An act of love, a show of gratitude

The Great Commission

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he readings for Mass on the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time use words like “humility,” “the just rejoice and exult before God,” “Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant,” “take the lower place,” and “do not invite your friends who can repay you.” These words and phrases help us to look at ourselves, to see who we are, and to see how we are living our lives.

As I look at myself I see that I am a human being, a man, a Catholic priest, an American, an administrator, a counselor, a spiritual director — you can add your own identification words.

The first reading is asking us to look at ourselves honestly, truthfully — with humility — not seeing yourself as better or worse but just as we are — with our gifts and talents, flaws and problems and then ask for the Grace to show that image and

August 30, 2013

Who we are, and what we are called to do likeness of God that we using the parable of the have been created with.

Kingdom of God. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus used this and other Jesus is invited to a dinner parables because they conparty. At first glance this tained obvious truths and seems to be a nice invitation, but Jesus was being set up. The Homily of the Week Pharisee who invited Twenty-second Sunday Jesus was trying to in Ordinary Time get Jesus to do or say something wrong to

By Father use against Jesus. In Michael Nagle Jesus’ culture, only people of equal social rank ate together and the only people who not so obvious truths and were invited to a party like they helped people to think this party were those who about the real message, to could and would invite you understand it, to live it. to their house for dinner.

Jesus reminded His host And everyone was looking and the other guests that at everyone else — seeing true honor does not come whose sitting where, who from others, does not come came in first — who was from receiving an invitaspeaking to whom. Jesus is tion to a fancy dinner party, very critical of this behavbut true honor comes from ior and tells them they are God Who has promised to worried about all the wrong reward those who look for things and He did this by opportunities to help others

in need rather than look only on social status or rank or the economic ability to return a favor.

This is what Jesus did and as His disciples we need to imitate Him, to allow Him to help us to make good choices, to embrace those He embraced, to include those He included, to advocate for those He advocated for.

Will this be easy to do? Of course not! At times it will be very difficult and cause problems and disagreements and alienations and we might even feel persecuted as Jesus was.

What will this get us?

Well if we have to ask that question, the answer is that it will get us eternal life.

If we really understand who we are, Who Jesus is, and who we are called to

be, then we know that the answer is that we already have everything because we are God’s people and God is our God — and that’s what it’s all about.

May our reflection on these readings this week help us to experience the presence and love of God in our midst, better understand who we really are, what we are called to do and then to live our lives that way.

As the letter to the Hebrews reminds us, we have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and God the Judge of all and Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Living in that presence fills us, empowers us and sends us forth to welcome others into God’s Kingdom. Let’s go and invite them.

Father Nagle is pastor of Good Shepherd Parish on Martha’s Vineyard.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. August 31, 1 Thes 4:9-11; Ps 98:1,7-9; Mt 25:14-30. Sun. Sept. 1, Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sir 3:1718,20,28-29; Ps 68:4-7,10-11; Heb 12:18-19,22-24a; Lk 14:1,7-14. Mon. Sept. 2, 1 Thes 4:13-18; Ps 96:1,3-5,11-13; Lk 4:16-30. Tues. Sept. 3, 1 Thes 5:1-6,9-11; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; Lk 4:31-37. Wed. Sept. 4, Col 1:1-8; Ps 52:10-11; Lk 4:38-44. Thurs. Sept. 5, Col 1:9-14; Ps 98:2-6; Lk 5:1-11. Fri. Sept. 6, Col 1:15-20; Ps 100:1-5; Lk 5:33-39.

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he village of Pasierbiec is in the south of Poland, about 30 miles from the old royal capital of Krakow.

Its church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, is full of votum gifts testifying to favors received through the intercession of the basilica’s namesake (The church itself reminds me of a comment Pope John Paul II’s secretary, now-Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, once made when we were looking at a photo album of new churches in Nowa Huta, the mill-town built by Polish communists outside Krakow: “Troppo [Too much] Corbusier.”).

Outside the church, the priests and people of Pasierbiec have done something quite remarkable, however: they’ve recently constructed a stunning, contemporary Via Crucis, in which figures from modern Polish Catholic history are “inserted” into the traditional Stations of the Cross. The bronzes themselves are well-done, but what is particularly striking about the Pasierbiec Via Crucis is the idea that animates these

Living inside the Bible young Poles were catechized sculptures — the idea that during holiday camping trips. we can, and should, imagine At the eighth station, ourselves living inside the Biblical story. Or, if you prefer, where Jesus traditionally meets the women of Jerusathe Pasierbiec Via Crucis is a lem, he now meets Stanislawa powerful invitation to look at the world around us, including Leszczynska and Stefania recent history, through lenses grounded by Biblical faith.

Some examples of this optic at work at Pasierbiec: In the depiction of

By George Weigel the fifth station, it is Blessed John Paul II, not Simon of Cyrene, Lacka, prisoners who rescued who helps Jesus carry the children born in the Auscross.

At the sixth station, Blessed chwitz concentration camp.

At the ninth station, the Jerzy Popieluszko, the martyrthird fall, the priest compriest of Solidarity, relieves Jesus of some of the weight of forting the Lord is Blessed the cross while Veronica wipes Roman Sitka, rector of the local seminary in Tarnow and the Holy Face; the message a concentration camp prisoner Father Jerzy preached dur(like several thousand Polish ing martial law in Poland — “Overcome evil with good” — priests).

At the 10th station, is inscribed on the cross.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, At the seventh station, the primate of Poland during the second fall, the Lord is supfirst 33 years of communist ported by Father Franciszek rule, holds the clothes being Blachnicki, founder of the stripped from Jesus — an imOasis youth movement in age that evokes memories of which tens of thousands of

The Catholic Difference

the cardinal being stripped of his freedom and his dignity during three years of house arrest.

Viewed close-up, the soldiers nailing Jesus to the cross are obviously Roman; from a distance, their helmets are eerily reminiscent of the familiar SS helmets of World War II. And at the 14th station, two contemporary Polish martyrs witness the entombment of the Crucified One: Father Jan Czuba, martyred in the Congo, and Father Zbigniew Strzalkowski, martyred in Peru.

The dedication of this shrine, which reflects a thoroughly contemporary Biblical faith, was led by the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who once told me that German martyrs, not German theologians, would be the foundation on which Christianity in 21stcentury Germany would be rebuilt after the horrors of the 20th century. Meisner’s presence at the dedication

was a powerful sign of the German-Polish reconciliation sought by Wyszynski and Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, at the end of the Second Vatican Council; it also bore embodied the German prelate’s conviction that Tertullian’s second-century insight remains true, 18 centuries later: sanguis martyrum semen christianorum [the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church].

The post-modern world is a wilderness of mirrors in which nothing is stable: even maleness and femaleness, two “givens” throughout recorded human history, are now regarded as “cultural constructs” to be altered at will. Reason alone seems unable to offer a powerful antidote to a postmod culture of unreality. To see the world around us from “inside” the Biblical story of the human condition can be a reality-check. It’s one our culture and society badly need these days.

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

August 30, 2013

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t. Monica is always on the near horizon for Catholic mothers, because the heartfelt prayers she offered on behalf of her wayward son, Augustine, were instrumental in his conversion. I must confess, though, that my admiration was limited by my narrow understanding of her life.

I saw her less as a wellrounded Christian and more as a bedraggled [obsessed?] woman pulling herself from pillar to post, weeping and lamenting her son’s errors.

Any compassion I had for her (poor dear!) was due to the fact that she had no historical precedent no St. Monica — that would have given her the confidence we now have that God indeed listens to the earnest prayers of mothers.

How wrong I was! The delightful, highly readable book, “St. Monica and the Power of Persistent Prayer”

by Mike Aquilina and Mark W. Sullivan, fills in the details that I would have discovered had I only read the works of St. Augustine — details which highlight the wide ranging virtues of that fine woman. The first third of the book gives an

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ednesday, August 28, marked the 50th anniversary of the famous 1963 March on Washington, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the hundreds of thousands of people assembled on the National Mall. It is an iconic moment in American history, poised as it was on the eve of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

President John F. Kennedy, our first Catholic president, had tried to discourage the March, sensing possible trouble. I was 12 years old at the time, with only dim memories of what was going on, though I grew up in the Washington suburbs of Rockville, Md. I think my mother wanted to go down to the March, but my father discouraged it, as she had her hands full with their

Anchor Columnists There was more to St. Monica than tears with our errant children. So account of her life, which many of us wring our hands shows her to be a well-cateand wonder what is the right chized Christian, a prudent thing to do, which is overly wife and mother, and a wise simplistic. There are a range friend to many. She was of family dynamics and faithful to the Mass, attentive to the feasts and fasts of personalities which have to be considered, and responses her local church, and cognican change if we set our own zant of the various heresies that were fracturing the Mystical Body at the time.

Interestingly, although Augustine picked up pernicious ideas while away at school, she had more

By Genevieve Kineke to deal with than the simple need for him to return to the egos and initial ideas aside.

Church. “When he returned The rest of the book is home to Thagaste, Augustine had a girlfriend, a son, a her- devoted to a series of essays which illustrate more of esy problem, and an ego the Monica’s wisdom, with each size of Africa.” She also had chapter reflecting insights other children at home who from the authors’ own famwould be influenced by his ily — for within every home toxic ideas. “The girlfriend there is the perpetual need and the grandson Monica for mercy, forgiveness, and could deal with. It was the forbearance if souls are to heresy and the ego that led persevere along their jourher to throw [him] out of ney to God. Moreover, it the house.” helps enormously to have How modern this sounds witnesses of heroic sanctity to contemporary ears — nearby, so that each person and how gratifying that she eventually changed her mind, can see the truth of God’s love enfleshed: which shows us that there What attracted Augusis no singular way to deal

The Feminine Genius

tine about his mother’s way of salvation — Jesus’ way of salvation — was that it brought lasting serenity here on earth, even in the midst of great trials. That’s what He wanted. It’s what everybody wants.

So much for the bedraggled, tear-stained wretch I’d imagined!

Augustine revealed that although he acted badly, he never forgot the example of his mother, her words, and her instructions over the years. Indeed, although through immaturity he often acted out more rebelliously when she did speak up, he had internalized her standards, which never left him.

Finally, the authors’ overarching point is how Monica’s protracted quest to bring her son into the fullness of the faith purified her and her intentions. She was always a beacon of strength to her local Church, a source of kindness and almsgiving to those nearby, and a woman of patience and compassion — but these qualities deepened and matured in her as she awaited the answer

We had a dream

brood of what would become Washington in early 1932 to ask for government relief 13 children. I do wish I had from the Depression. On been there. their way to Washington The invocation was from western Pennsylvania, delivered by our Catholic the marchers passed through archbishop of Washington, Gettysburg, whose battle Patrick A. O’Boyle, who incidentally administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to me around that time.

He was the first resident archbishop of Washington, D.C., and would soon beBy Dwight G. Duncan come a cardinal. One of the first things he had done upon we just commemorated the becoming archbishop was to desegregate Catholic parish- 150th anniversary of. Faes and hospitals and schools, ther Cox wrote at the time: “The men in the long, tired fully five years before the column behind me [are] landmark Brown v. Board of fighting a different kind of Education.

I discovered when I was in war. Theirs is a war that has Pittsburgh earlier this month only just begun — a struggle to free civilization from the that the March on Washington had a Depression-era curse of poverty and unemployment, a battle that will precedent. Pittsburgh pastor end in final victory when Father James Cox had led a march of 25,000 unemployed every man has a job that will permit him not only to exist, workers and veterans on

Judge For Yourself

but to enjoy a real American standard of living.”

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was fighting a similar war, beginning with the injustice of racial segregation. He had a dream of an America where “one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” “Today,” noted Joshua Muravchik, who was present at the 1963 March, “the only substantial body of opinion that would deny King’s dream that his children ‘not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,’ consists in supporters of

9 to her primary prayer. God’s Yes is often delayed because persistence itself teaches many valuable lessons, and tenacity can be the vehicle of abundant graces.

Monica’s prayers were indeed instrumental in Augustine’s path to God, but conversely his waywardness refined her faith, perfected her confidence, and led to the culminating event of their life together: a joint mystical experience in which they were encompassed by the very wisdom of God. Each was brought to that pinnacle in the only way possible — through ardent prayer, copious tears, and fervent love.

“May St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, accompany us with their prayers and draw us ever closer to the Lord” (Pope Benedict XVI), and this book provides an excellent tool to reveal those two precious souls to us.

“St. Monica and the Power of Persistent Prayer” by Mike Aquilina and Mark W. Sullivan (with an introduction

by Lisa Hendey) is available through Our Sunday Visitor.

Mrs. Kineke can be found online at feminine-genius.com.

racial preferences for minorities.”

We have indeed come a long way in this country towards racial equality and social justice. We still have a ways to go, of course. But we would do well to remember that the success of the Civil Rights Movement was largely due to its religious inspiration: “When we allow freedom to ring — when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last, Great God A-mighty, we are free at last.’”

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

10

August 30, 2013

Fear of Egyptian violence does not interfere with nuns’ hospital work

CAIRO (CNS) — It was lunchtime at Cairo’s Italian Hospital, and some of the nuns who reside there were watching state television’s latest announcements on Egypt’s “war on terror,” the expression used by the country’s military and its supporters to describe the nationwide crackdown on Islamists.

“It is the first time I am afraid to go out, really afraid,” said Italian Comboni Sister Pina De Angelis, who has been in Egypt for 28 years.

The Egyptian army’s takeover in early July and its ensuing pursuit of people it claims are Muslim militants have led to deadly clashes throughout the country, including within ear-reach of the century-old hospital where Sister Pina and six other nuns from five different Catholic orders live and work.

But fears of what is outside the hospital gates — including a spike in attacks on the country’s Christian institutions — appeared to interfere little with the Sisters’ chores inside the historic medical facility built by Egypt’s one-time vibrant Italian community.

Turning from the news on TV, Sister Pina reported that, as usual, she got up at crack of dawn and was often not in bed till well after midnight, in her role as coordinator for the hospital’s other six nuns who serve as nurses alongside a much larger medical staff made up of mostly Muslims.

In addition to coordinating the nurses, corresponding with institutions outside the hospital, organizing medical assistance for Egypt’s Catholic clergy as well as for the occasional sick Italian tourist, Sister Pina said she also served as just plain friend to those in need.

“Sometimes (Muslim) patients look for me and want to talk. One older man, a dialysis patient, always asks to see me, and if he doesn’t find me, the next time he sees me he asks ‘Why didn’t you look for me?’”

Sister Pina recently told Catholic News Service.

She was seated with other nun colleagues at a dining room table inside the house where they all reside on the hospital’s grounds, just a few steps away from a tiny Catholic church.

“In Egypt, you have to understand that the regular Muslims respect us,” said Egyptian Sister Elizabeth Azim, one of

the other nuns seated at the table. She works as a nurse in the hospital’s surgical ward.

Sister Elizabeth lamented the recent increase in attacks on Christian sites across the country, including one on a school in southern Egypt run by her order, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In that attack, she said, a Muslim woman accompanied three of the school’s nuns to the safety of her home.

“I am telling you, (Egyptian) Muslims love us,” said Sister Elizabeth, who was born in Assiut, in Egypt’s South. “What is happening is not the work of Muslims, it is terrorists.”

Egypt has long witnessed strife between the country’s Muslim majority and its Christian minority, which represents as much as 15 percent of the country’s more than 82 million people.

But human rights groups observe a general state of violence spurred by the military’s July 3 overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, after mass protests against him, and the subsequent forced removal of thousands of Morsi supporters from two protest camps in Cairo August 14.

The violence has included attacks on government and security facilities, as well on the homes, churches and other institutions belonging to Christians whose religious leaders — among them Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II — have openly backed the army.

The effect of the surrounding violence on the Italian Hospital, said the nuns, had so far been limited.

“Some of the hospital employees, Muslims and Christians, have to leave work early” to get home before the recently imposed nationwide nighttime curfew, said Sister Pina.

And the tension outside has also led to heated political debate inside the hospital among some hospital staffers, said Sister Tabissa, a member of the Little Sisters of Jesus who works in the intensive care unit.

She recounted what happened recently when the attacks on Christians were brought up as a topic in a hospital hallway.

“God doesn’t approve that brothers hurt each other,” she quoted a Muslim colleague as interjecting.

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August 30, 2013

Tragic loss doesn’t hinder Taunton native from pursuing her dreams are,” she said.

“My parents owned a small grocery WAREHAM — It was 1973 when store,” Doherty said of her late mother 13-year-old Sarah Doherty’s world was and father, Jane and Jake Doherty. “We all worked at the store. Most of my sibcompletely turned upside down.

That was the night the Taunton native lings still live in the area and I go back and Taunton Catholic Middle School every year to visit with them.”

It was being a part of that large, admitstudent lost her leg in an accident involvtedly “competitive” family that Doherty ing a drunk driver.

“It was the evening before a track thinks helped inspire her through her meet, I was heading to my friend’s house,” traumatic loss. She credits her father, in Doherty told The Anchor. “My sister was particular, with being a key role model already there and we were going to have a for her over the years.

“He was active until the day he died,” sleep-over. It was absolutely tragic when she said. “He was at the Holiday Inn I think back on it.”

For the young teen-ager who was al- in Taunton everyday doing step aeroways active and athletic, it was a sudden bics, swimming, weight lifting — you life change to which she quickly learned name it. They even put a bench out with to adapt with the help and encourage- his name on it and he was 86 when he passed away. I think living a good and ment of her family and friends.

“They didn’t make any accommoda- full life is all the inspiration you need.”

While Doherty relied heavily on tions for my disability,” Doherty said. “I think they just wanted me to figure out her family and friends to support her how to adapt. It really toughened me up through difficult times, she said she also and made me not expect special treat- found great solace and comfort in the power of prayer to “guide me through ment.”

In fact to this day Doherty says when major turning points in my life.”

“I believe that the spiritual side and she sees someone looking at her, it doesn’t even register that it might be because of the prayer side of my life have given me the most strength,” Doherty said. “That’s her missing limb.

“I forget I have one leg sometimes and what I’m going to talk about through do mistake people staring at me for hav- specific examples. When I go beyond my comfort zone and face my fears ing a bad hair day,” she said.

Doherty, who currently lives and and allow my spirit to be supported by works in Vancouver, Canada, will be re- something greater, that’s what gets me turning to the Fall River Diocese to share through the tough times.”

At 53 years old, Doherty has cersome of these important life lessons during a mini-retreat entitled “The Power of tainly accomplished some amazing feats Prayer in Healing” to be held at the Sa- since that 1973 accident. She was the cred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham first woman amputee to climb Mount Rainier in Washington — on crutches on September 25 beginning at 10 a.m.

Having grown up in Taunton as a she designed, no less — and in 1985 she member of a large Irish-Catholic fam- became the first amputee to summit the ily — she’s one of nine siblings and has highest mountain in North America: an identical twin sister — Doherty is ex- the 6,194-meter Mount McKinley in cited about returning to where “my roots Alaska.

Doherty also climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and in 2004 she took a month to make the 791-kilometer (490-mile) trek along the El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) — a pilgrimage from the foothills of the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, where the remains of St. James the Apostle are buried.

“I walked between 22 and 27 kilometers (about 13 to 16 miles) a day — and that’s a long day,” she said. “It Former Taunton native Sarah Doherty, just takes you to anan amputee who lost her leg to a drunk other level of endurdriver when she was 13, developed a tool ance. It can be very, called SideStix that she field tested on the very hard.” renowned El Camino de Santiago (Way of Noting that the El St. James) pilgrimage walk in northern Camino is very much Spain. Doherty will be discussing “The a “spiritual journey,” Power of Prayer in Healing” during a mini-retreat at the Sacred Hearts Retreat Doherty said it’s also a

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

Center in Wareham on September 25.

Turn to page 18

12

August 30, 2013

‘Norman Rockwell of HarleyDavidson’ paints for pope Golden, Colo. (CNA) — There was an unusual meeting at the Vatican this summer when thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts rumbled into Rome for Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary celebrations in Europe.

Four days of reveling in and around the Eternal City kicked off when brass from the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer had a chance to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Among members of the select group was Golden, Colo., artist David Uhl. Uhl, well-known for his talent in capturing motorcycle culture with a timeless Norman-Rockwell-style of painting, was asked to make an exclusive piece to present to Pope Francis.

This image was then used for a special Vatican postcard.

“I was humbled by the opportunity,” he told the Denver Catholic Register during a conversation at his Golden studio.

Uhl, 51, part of the Harley-Davidson organization since becoming their first licensed oil painter in 1998, received the request just a month before the event.

“The Vatican wants to commission a piece of art with us … so come up with something,” he said, relaying the gist of the phone call.

Putting other projects on the back burner, he began work on it immediately. “I wanted to use a motorcycle that’s historic so you can’t really place the piece,” said Uhl, who has access to the Motor Company’s entire photo archive for inspiration. “It could be 50s, late 40s, 70s; who knows, it’s timeless.”

He settled on a 1948 HarleyDavidson FL panhead, and then came up with the concept of a group of clergy coming upon the bike while walking through a wide open St. Peter’s Square. “(One of them) broke off from the gang to look at the bike,” he said.

The story was simple; the canvas was complicated. “You’ve got a cobblestone road, a (bike) with a really complex grouping of chrome, and then you’ve got St. Peter’s Basilica with a thousand sculptures,” he said. “How do I get all this in the same piece and keep it so your focal point doesn’t get lost?”

Not only did he successfully manage the busyness, he did it in about a week, following more than two weeks of back and forth with Vatican officials.

Three weeks later, Uhl, with his wife and their two children, headed to Italy.

Following a regular weekly Wednesday audience, Pope Fran-

cis took a short trip in the popemobile from St. Peter’s Square to a neighboring courtyard where Uhl and the rest of the Harley contingency waited. Others presented the pontiff with a leather Freedom jacket and two classic motorcycles, then Uhl was up.

What does one say when giving the pope a piece of art? “‘I’m humbled by this opportunity,’ ‘I can’t believe I’m actually here,’ ‘thank you so much,’” Uhl vaguely recalled his own words and mentioned that the pope, while smiling, was quiet.

“We were told he wouldn’t speak, that he understands English, but doesn’t speak it very well.”

Though he didn’t say a word, it was clear to Uhl and rest of the group that Pope Francis was pleased with the painting as evidenced by his double-take before leaving.

“He turned back around and looked at the painting and nodded,” Uhl shared. “Man, he loved it! I felt great about that, especially with all the art he’s seen.

“Everyone came out of that meeting 10 feet high.”

Pope Francis is a warm and radiant person, he said, and he considered the meeting a pivotal moment in his faith journey.

“For me, it’s crazy full circle,” said Uhl, the sixth of seven children raised in a devoutly Catholic family. “I went to Jesuit high school and he’s a Jesuit, and now I’m looking back at the things I was doing in high school.”

After attending St. John’s Jesuit High School in Maumee, Ohio, Uhl sought out other faiths, studying as many religions as he could get his hands on: Buddhism, Hinduism and Shamanism, among others.

“I was born with an intense curiosity,” he said. “I’ve always been that way.” That journey ultimately brought him back where he started.

“I left a lot of that because I wasn’t capable of understanding it,” he said. “Now in the context of other religions and the kernel of truth they have, it’s brought me back to the Catholic faith.

“It’s a massive foundation, and the older I get the more I draw on it.”

While much of his work in the past decade-plus has been related to mechanical subjects, he hopes to paint more “from life” in the future.“ I just want to be the best conduit I can be for God as it comes through my fingers,” he said.

“There’s nothing better than seeing something that’s holy and putting it on a canvas.”

For more about Uhl, visit www.uhlstudios.com.

Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin star in a scene from the movie “Blue Jasmine.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Sony Pictures Classic)

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“Blue Jasmine” (Sony Classics) Writer-director Woody Allen presents a variation on Tennessee Williams’ classic play “A Streetcar Named Desire” in this depressing tale of a Park Avenue socialite (Cate Blanchett in a bravura performance) fallen on hard times. She’s lost everything due to her philandering husband’s (Alec Baldwin) Ponzi-like fraud which has not only destroyed the fortunes of his investors, but landed him in jail and her on the street.

Delusional and demented, she finds shelter in the San Francisco home of her sister (Sally Hawkins). There, as she slowly descends into madness, she upends the lives of everyone around her, casting out her sibling’s mechanic boyfriend (Bobby Cannavale) while trying to snare a wealthy diplomat (Peter Sarsgaard) as a potential husband. Cohabitation, implied nonmarital sexual activity, an adultery theme, much profane and crude 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.

“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (Screen Gems) After her mother (Lena Headey) disappears in mysterious circumstances, a Brooklyn teen (Lily Collins) discovers that she is part of a race of half-human, half-angel spiritual warriors. Aided by her mortal best friend (Robert Sheehan) and three newfound allies of her own kind ( Jamie Campbell Bower, Jemima West and Kevin Zegers) she sets off in pursuit of the powerful Grail-like vessel that Mom had been secretly guarding for years, recovery of which she hopes will lead to their reunion. While the heroine of director Harald Zwart’s derivative fantasy adventure — adapted from the first in a series of best-sellers by Cassandra

Clare — is certainly on the side of goodness, a number of elements make her story completely unsuitable for young viewers.

They include not only a higher volume of mayhem than is usual for the genre, but storylines that stray into territory many parents will find inappropriate.

Constant intense but mostly bloodless violence, a potentially confusing treatment of religion, occult and other mature themes, including homosexuality and incest, a transvestite character, at least one use of profanity. 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.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, September 1, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Kevin A. Cook, Pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton

13

August 30, 2013

Local Catholic schools reap greater enrollment numbers continued from page one

School in Taunton saw three major projects this summer — a new science lab, fitness center and expanded facilities.

These are just a few signs of the growth of Catholic schools in the diocese, according to Griffin. Also a promising sign, out of 23 schools, 11 showed growth in the number of students from the 2011-2012 to the 2012-2013 academic year. Griffin added that he expects that trend to continue this year, though the final numbers will not be reported until October.

In the United States, Catholic school enrollment has declined at a rate of 25 percent since 2000.

Griffin said decreased enrollment has affected the diocese too and attributed most of the difficulties in recent years to the poor economy.

In an area where economic pressures are often a concern, like Fall River, school enrollment is actually up from five years ago by five percent. Individual schools like Holy Trinity and St. Stanislaus have seen greater increases with 14 percent and 25 percent increased enrollment, respectively.

On Cape Cod, the economic downturn coincided with demographic shifts that hit that region’s Catholic schools particularly hard. Since 2000, the number of school-aged children in the area has declined by about 15 percent, Griffin said. Breaking

I

even, like St. Margaret School in Buzzards Bay, is itself a substantial accomplishment. For the most part, schools on the Cape have held their own and are doing well.

Griffin added that he has great hope for the future of Catholic schools. The economy has improved, and many area schools are investing in their own futures.

Griffin attributed success at many Catholic schools to their commitment to a quality academic program, strengthening of their Catholic identity and commitment to the long-term.

Almost all diocesan schools have added preschool programs that attract and then retain a large number of students. Many have also enhanced their marketing efforts.

Regina Haney of the National Catholic Educational Association said that better marketing has been a key to increased enrollment across the country.

As the organization’s executive director of the Department of Boards and Councils, she said that schools have become savvier, using data-driven branding and engaging the entire school community when reaching out. Catholic schools have also worked to increase the quality of the education they offer, while at the same time making sure it is enhanced with Gospel values.

Then, they can show that Catho-

lic education is a wise investment.

Griffin added that Catholic school tuition remains a hurdle for many families.

“It’s clear that our families want Catholic education, but finances are the single-most challenging obstacle,” he said.

Individual schools are seeking new ways to meet that challenge by increasing fund-raising efforts and tapping alumni, local businesses and other generous benefactors. Those investors understand the “tremendous value Catholic education provides,” not just to young people but to the whole of society and the Universal Church. Griffin said they see the worth of investing in these schools.

The Diocese of Fall River continues to support the affordability of Catholic schools through St. Mary’s Fund. Last year alone, the diocese gave nearly 700 students more than $520,000.

Griffin’s office offers more support. They help schools develop “first-rate academic programs,” facilitate staff development and collaborate with school leaders to develop policies that will guide all diocesan schools to a strong future, he said.

“Our schools are very hopeful places. There’s a great spirit of optimism,” he said, adding that many of them need only continue on the same path in order to “thrive for years to come.”

Not part of my summer plans

haven’t written about the Boston Red Sox in quite some time. I suppose I’m overdue.

Actually, the last time the Sox invaded this print space was in the February 22 edition in a column titled: “OK, I think we’re done here.”

The column dealt with our weekly snowstorms last winter, and how spring training in Florida was just the antidote for the winter blues.

In the column I expressed excitement for the upcoming Red Sox season. Not because I had high hopes, but quite the contrary.

“This year there are no great hopes or expectations, at least for me. I can honestly say, I don’t know half the roster this year, and I have no idea what the opening day lineup will look like. Yet I really don’t mind.

“This spring reminds me of the days of my youth. Sure, I fantasized about the Red Sox winning the World Series every

year, but the main source of my excitement was baseball. The game,” I wrote.

I continued saying I wouldn’t have to sit at the edge of my seat during Sox-Yankees games, or watch with one eye covered as

My View From the Stands

By Dave Jolivet

the Orioles rolled into, through, and out of Fenway Park, or have to delve into the morning sports pages to check who did what the night before ... and how that impacted the Sox. I added, “I’m not worried about Yankee games ... or Blue Jays games ... or Orioles games ... or Rays games, because I’m pretty sure we’ll be looking up at them in the AL East standings most of the season.”

Leave it to the Red Sox to foul up a bad season. It’s clear that my prognostication skills are the same as they ever were — nil.

The Sox have been at or near the top of the AL East for most of the season. That wasn’t part of my summer plans.

I wanted to enjoy this season ... but nooooo. The Sox had to go and get themselves in a pennant race (a push for the playoffs for you younger baseball fans).

Now I have to scoreboard watch, sit at the edge of my seat during Yankee games, and worry about the O’s and Rays. Drat.

What goes around comes around, and now I find myself longing for the weekly snowstorms (I also mentioned in that column I am a winter guy), so I don’t have to worry about the Red Sox — just the Bruins and Patriots. There’s just no pleasing some people — is there?

Annual diocesan Day For Religious set for September 7

DIGHTON — The Diocese of Fall River’s annual Day For Religious will take place on September 7 at the Provincialate of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in Dighton.

Bishop George W. Coleman will preside at a Liturgy at the chapel there and later join the religious for dinner.

Religious celebrating anniversaries of 75, 70 and 65 years will be honored at the event.

This year’s speaker is Dominican Father Peter Batts.

Father Batts was born in Virginia and graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1971 with a degree in philosophy and history. He received a master’s degree in library science from Columbia University and Church history from Harvard University. He worked briefly as a librarian at Howard University in Washington, D.C. before entering the Dominican Order in 1975.

Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1981 in Providence, R.I., Father Batts served at St. Dominic’s Parish in Youngstown, Ohio for four years before leaving to teach theology at Providence College until 1989.

He served as campus minis-

ter at the University of Virginia and then as director of the Dominican Seminary Library in Washington, D.C. Father Batts attained a doctorate in Church history from the University of Ottawa in 1999. He served several years at St. Dominic’s Parish in Washington and was elected to be the prior of the Dominican Community at Sacred Heart Church in Jersey City, N.J., while serving as pastor there.

He also served in parish ministry in Greenwich Village, N.Y. In 2006, Father Batts joined the faculty at Providence College where he continues to teach in the Department of Theology.

Father Peter Batts, O.P.

Diocese takes proactive approach continued from page one

properties having been sold.

It’s clear from these statistics, that the Diocese of Fall River has taken a proactive approach to ensure that the former church buildings aren’t simply left to remain empty, but rather are put to good use, sold to others who can do the same, or taken down for safety reasons.

This is a list of the churches and the actions that have been taken by the diocese since 1987: Attleboro Deanery St. Stephen’s — taken down St. Joseph’s — under Purchase and Sale Agreement St. Mary, Norton — taken down (the old church) Taunton Deanery Our Lady of Lourdes — taken down Immaculate Conception Church — taken down St. Peter’s, Dighton — sold St. Paul’s — under Purchase and Sale Agreement Fall River Deanery St. Mathieu’s — taken down Our Lady of the Angels — vacant St. William’s — taken down

St. Elizabeth’s — taken down St. Louis — taken down St. Michael’s, Swansea — sold Blessed Sacrament — taken down Our Lady of Health — taken down Immaculate Conception — vacant New Bedford Deanery Sacred Heart, Fairhaven — taken down St. Boniface — sold Sacred Heart — taken down St. Theresa — sold St. Casimir’s — sold St. Anne’s — sold St. Hedwig’s — under Purchase and Sale Agreement St. John the Baptist — vacant Cape Cod Deanery Corpus Christi Church — sold (the old church) Our Lady of Lourdes, Wellfleet — sold (the old church) Our Lady of Perpetual Help, North Truro — sold Our Lady Queen of All Saints, Popponesset — sold Sacred Heart, Truro — sold Eastham Mission Church — vacant.

14

August 30, 2013

Dorothy Day teaches us about the human person, archbishop says farm communities and a Archbishop Gomez wrote was based on a talk given at Catholic newspaper. Spend- that “these beautiful words the Napa Institute Confering much of her time in New give us a place to begin think- ence earlier in the month. He York, she dedicated her life ing about the foundations of said that the push for sameto aiding and advocatsex marriage and the acing for the poor, leading ceptance of homosexual a life characterized by acts and transgenderism voluntary poverty, works are based on a “basic of mercy and Scripture. confusion.”

At their annual con“We have no idea any ference in November more in our society of 2012, the U.S. bishops what ‘human nature’ is heartily approved the or what it means to be a advancement of her human person. And this cause for canonization. is rooted in our loss of In his recent column, the sense of God in our Archbishop Gomez said society.” that Day’s understandHe then pointed to ing of the human person Dorothy Day, whose was rooted in a realizacause for canonization is tion that each person is open. Her understandcreated by God. ing of herself as a perHe quoted her sayson created by God in ing that “a most wonHis image, is the underderful sense of the glory standing that has been of being a child of God lost in Western culture, swept over me. So joythe loss of which has ous a sense of my own Dorothy Day in the late 1940s. (CNA photo lead to the “culture wars” importance that I have courtesy of the Marquette University Ar- we are now in. chives) reflected on it since. I Because Day saw would pray that (you) herself as a child crehave it, and grow in it. This Christian ‘anthropology,’ by ated by God, she realized sense of (our) importance as which I mean of our vision of that “the human life has a … sons of God, divinized by the human person.”

God-given make-up — we His coming.”

The archbishop’s column are created as unity of body and soul, and who we are is crucially related to our sexuality, to whether we are made male or female.”

Western society has “al50 years ago — The Diocese of Fall Riv10 years ago — The parish family at Esmost totally rejected” this er announced that the first Cursillo retreat pirito Santo Parish in Fall River wound up understanding of the human in the diocese would take place at the La two years celebrating its 100th anniversary person, Archbishop Gomez Salette Retreat House. Cursillo is Spanish in with a Mass celebrated by Bishop George W. wrote, leading to an “extreme origin and its full title is Cursillos de CristianColeman followed by a banquet. individualism” where “people idad, “Little courses in Christianity.” It’s a three-day program of intensive prayer, study, believe they have the abilOne year ago — Massachusetts Governor discussion and community living directed by ity to ‘create’ and ‘re-create’ Deval Patrick recognized the Centro Comunipriests and lay people. tario de Trabajadores (the Community Worker themselves, especially in the Center) of New Bedford for its leadership in areas of their sexuality.”

25 years ago — Bishop Daniel A. Crothe successful Reform Employment Agency By not seeing human life nin was the principal celebrant at a Mass Legislation campaign conducted by more as a “given,” created as a “gift dedicating a new church extension and Rethan 40 community groups and labor orgafrom God,” post-modern culligious Education Center at St. Bernard’s nizations. CCT is supported by the Catholic ture has regarded it as “a kind Church in Assonet. The extension of the Campaign for Human Development of the church allowed for 144 more people. of ‘raw material’ which they USCCB under the auspices of Catholic Socan modify and re-fashion cial Services. according to their own desires and their own sense of meaning and purposes.”

The forgetfulness that hu-

Los Angeles (CNA) — In light of the modern crisis of misunderstanding the human person, American social activist Dorothy Day is a model for viewing humanity correctly, says Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles.

After her conversion to the Catholic faith, the 20th century advocate for the poor went on “to lead a transfigured life, in the image of Jesus Christ,” the archbishop wrote in a column for The Tidings.

“She became our country’s most radical witness to Christ’s love for the poor and His call for us to be instruments of His peace and justice. She criticized, like a prophet, America’s failures to live up to its high ideals.”

Baptized in the Episcopal Church, Day lived her early years as a journalist as she toyed with communist ideas, attempted suicide and had an abortion.

After a profound conversion, she co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement and started soup kitchens,

This week in

diocesan history

manity is created by God is rooted in a forgetfulness that God even exists, wrote the archbishop. “When we forget our Creator, we forget what creation means.”

“We lose the sense of our own meaning as His creatures. That’s what’s happening in our society. If God is not our Father, then we are not brothers and sisters and we have no responsibility for one another.”

Without an acknowledgement of God, Western culture, formerly Christian, has slid toward relativism, which includes a “disintegration” of the idea of the human person.

In the face of this, Archbishop Gomez has begun to see “that the New Evangelization must include a new proclamation of our beautiful Catholic vision for the human person.”

“The men and women of our times need to hear they are the glory of God, created and destined for the vision of God. They need to know that they are God’s image and that everyone they meet is God’s image, too.”

The New Evangelization must teach people that persons have reason, and meaning to their lives, and that no one’s life is “trivial.”

“Our task in this moment is to restore this appreciation of the Sacred image of the human person,” wrote Archbishop Gomez. “We need to bring this truth into our homes and neighborhoods and churches.”

Because every human person is created by God as a person, a being with reason and will, they have a nature and a purpose, and that, Archbishop Gomez wrote, must be shared in the New Evangelization.

The God-given purpose of human life, he reflected is “holiness,” and “to live as God’s image in the world.”

“So we need to help our neighbors to see that all our lives are not our project but God’s project. We are God’s works of art. Each one of us.”

“I’m convinced that this truth about the Sacred image and destiny of the human person is a key to the New Evangelization,” concluded Archbishop Gomez.

“We need to make this truth the substance of our preaching, our Religious Education, our work for justice.”

15

August 30, 2013

Fairhaven tradition alive and well after more than eight decades continued from page one

statue of the Blessed Virgin.

“As a kid we used to watch the procession at the top of the street and then we’d come over here [to the feast grounds]; my aunts, uncles and grandparents and it was like a homecoming,” said club treasurer, Gilbert Couto, who grew up a few streets away from where the feast is held. In 1981, he decided to become a club member and has been there ever since.

That is the common thread many of the club members have with each other; growing up and attending the feast with their family, with many of the parents and grandparents having been members of the club long before the current members were born. When the door-to-door fund-raising efforts were underway in the mid-1920s to sculpt a statue of the Blessed Virgin, the original paperwork listing the donors’ names is still stored at the clubhouse “and both of my grandparents are on it,” said Couto.

Cabral’s father came from Água de Pau on the island of São Miguel, Açores, and has been a club member for more

than 30 years, serving in various positions on the board. He remembers coming to the feast growing up, and his wife and four children are now involved in helping during the event.

It’s that sense of tradition, family and faith that continues to sustain the feast every year.

The feast has grown in popularity, seeing between 8,000 to 10,000 people come and enjoy themselves. Even the number of volunteers has grown, initially led by the “dirty dozen,” joked Cabral, now “it’s three dozen.”

And it continues to stay in the family, said Dianne Faria, Cabral’s sister and financial secretary to the club, who said that the feast brings the same people back year after year.

“It’s family and seeing people that you haven’t seen in a long time,” she said, saying she still has fond memories of watching her father participate in one of the marching bands that play during the procession.

“This is all I’ve known.”

Siblings Jean Rose Canastra, club secretary, and her brother Jeffrey, vice president of the

club, were also knee-deep in preparations. Jean Rose said the feast offers Portuguese communities in the surrounding towns and cities an opportunity “to support us; a lot of Portuguese like to support other feasts so we get people from Fall River, New Bedford and other areas,” she said.

The annual feast may be the busiest time for the members of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Association, but it isn’t the only event they sponsor and organize. The club gives out scholarships to local students, Christmas baskets during Christmas time and will donate money to local pantries.

The money raised by the feast is divvied up into three parts, with a third going to St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven, a third going back into the club and a third given away to local charities.

“We do a lot of good for a lot of people,” said Couto.

The only struggle the organizers have is finding a different bilingual priest every year to celebrate the Mass. “We can’t keep going to the same well for

the same priests,” said Cabral, “but we’ve been fortunate.”

From the food to the auction to the procession, not much has changed over the more than eight decades the feast has been running, and that’s a testament unto itself, said Couto.

“They say there’s two kinds of people — those who are Portuguese and those who wish they were Portuguese,” said Couto, eliciting laughter from those in the group.

He added, “You could take someone from the first few years, when this feast first started, and could put them out here now and except for the clothing, they’d be comfortable; we’re talking their language, the food is the same, the activities have not changed.”

The feast of Our Lady of Angels begins on Jesse Street in Fairhaven on August 31 and goes until September 2. Saturday: grounds open at 5 p.m., opening ceremonies at 6 p.m., followed by a concert featuring Our Lady of Light Band of Fall River, and music by Edge Band.

Sunday: grounds open at 12 p.m.; auction held throughout the day; 2-6 p.m., music by The Relics; 8 p.m. to midnight, music by Eratoxica.

Monday: feast Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven, celebrated by Father Jeffrey Cabral; procession at 1 p.m., followed by an auction; 6-10 p.m. music by Pro-Mix and comedy show by The Portuguese Kids.

Be sure to visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

ATTENTION CLERGY, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, FAITH FORMATION PERSONNEL, VENDORS AND ANYONE WHO NEEDS TO KNOW THE WHO’S AND WHERE’S OF THE FALL RIVER DIOCESE! THE NEW IMPROVED 2013-2014 DIOCESAN CATHOLIC DIRECTORY HAS ARRIVED AND IS HOT OFF THE PRESSES.

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16

Youth Pages

August 30, 2013

A total of 188 incoming freshmen attended Bishop Feehan High School’s annual Academic Academy this summer for one of two week-long sessions designed to ready students for the transition to Feehan. Students who attended had an opportunity to learn the ropes of their new campus in Attleboro, brush up on math, technology and writing skills, and learned essential “survival” skills like how to study and take notes, set goals, stay organized and stay motivated. Students socialized during group activities and learned about the history and traditions of Bishop Feehan High School. As a part of two separate service projects, students also put together 100 bags of school supplies to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Store in Attleboro, and six bags of groceries to donate to families serviced by the Arc of Bristol County. Beautiful weather permitted the week one students to gather for a group photo outside.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth. If schools or parish Religious Education programs, have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@ anchornews.org

The recent eighth annual St. Vincent’s Home Motorcycle Run raised more than $21,000 to benefit children, youth, and families. The 50-mile Motorcycle Run began in Fall River with an escort from the Fall River Police Department as well as additional support at key intersections from the Dartmouth Police Department Traffic Division and the New Bedford Police Department. Volunteer Road Guards from the Wicked Wild Weekend Warriors provided additional safety support throughout the route.

New to the fund-raiser this year was the Bikers Against Child Abuse that was well-represented with 18 motorcycles. The title sponsor was Preferred Concrete of East Freetown with a shiny new concrete truck prominently displayed for all to see.

Youth Pages

August 30, 2013

17

Online university ‘reignites enthusiasm’ for faith, says its president ANNANDALE, Va. (CNS) — Catholic Distance University’s programs “reignite a passion for being Catholic,” said Marianne Evans Mount, president of the online university, based in Hamilton.

“Many Catholics have advanced degrees in their professional fields, but they’re operating at a third-grade level when it comes to their faith,” she said, adding that the university provides “an education that is textured, deep and transformational.”

Students from all 50 states and 60 countries have earned degrees from Catholic Distance University or taken its courses and seminars.

It was founded Aug. 22, 1983, as the Catholic Home Study Institute, educating exclusively through distance education using correspondence courses to educate the laity.

The university has evolved into a nationally-accredited, U.S. Department of Education-recognized institution of higher education. It offers three degree programs: a master’s in theology, a bachelor’s degreecompletion program in theology, and an associate’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in Catholic studies.

“Our reach is worldwide,” Mount said. “For example, we are working with a religious community of Sisters in Nigeria and we’ve just completed a

Students find the school pilot project with the Archdio- and catechetical formation to appealing because they can fit the laity. cese of Dublin.”

“Our diocesan partners see coursework into a busy lifestyle.

Arlington Bishop Paul S. “I can drive an hour north or Loverde, chairman of the board us as experts in online Faith of trustees, said the university Formation, encouraging and an hour south to find a Catholic is “committed to handing on supporting continuing educa- college, but why would I do that the authentic teachings of the tion for busy Catholics working if I can take a CDU class in my Church, the Catholic intellec- in the world, for parents, and own home?” Barlow said. “The tual tradition, and our rich cul- those who assume leadership professors are excellent, and I tural heritage as Catholics” and roles in parishes and dioceses,” like that the teaching focuses not just on the what, but on the “reaches people at all stages of Mount said. life and circumstances he professors are excellent, and why. This is very helpful to me when I am in at their convenience.”

I like that the teaching focuses front of high school stuClose to a thousand students are enrolled in not just on the what, but on the why. This dents discussing somecourses and seminars. is very helpful to me when I am in front of thing in the news that Classes range from ba- high school students discussing something they think is cool but is sic introductory courses in the news that they think is cool but is totally against our beliefs as Catholics.” in the Bible, the “Cattotally against our beliefs as Catholics.”

The school’s typical echism of the Catholic student works full-time Church,” canon law, George Barlow of Bingham- or has a life that is home-cenChurch history and Catholic theology to classes that reintro- ton, N.Y., is one such student. tered caring for young children duce students to the time when After serving in the Army from or elderly parents. The average 1973 to 1975, Barlow earned age is 45.

Jesus walked the earth.

The common thread in Courses and seminars also an associate’s degree at Broome include catechetical classes to Community College in 1978, the curriculum is the online fulfill continuing education followed by a career as a city campus — www.cdu.edu — requirements for volunteer police officer. At the time of and course rooms connected catechists at parishes and em- his retirement in 2006, he was through the Internet. Students ployees of Catholic dioceses. the Confirmation instructor for choose the format and length Students include deacons as two Catholic churches in his of study. Online group courses are similar to what is offered well as young men and women community.

“I saw Dr. Mount on at traditional universities with in formation for religious life who lack a background in fun- EWTN, and she was talking classes beginning in Septemabout a new class on the revised ber, January and May. During damental theology.

The school partners with the Catholic catechism,” he said. the 12 weeks of instruction, Brooklyn, N.Y., Grand Rapids, “At that moment, I said, ‘Sign students log into their course rooms at their own convenience Mich., Toledo, Ohio, and Ar- me up.’”

Barlow is now three courses to complete assignments. lington dioceses, the IndianapCourses are interactive and olis Archdiocese and the U.S. shy of earning a catechetical diArchdiocese for the Military ploma from Catholic Distance the professor posts questions and answers in a discussion area Services to provide education University.

that can be viewed by all. Many courses come with audio and graphics, and online materials are available 24/7.

Three-week online interactive seminars offer intense learning over a short period of time. Online on-demand independent study courses allow students to enroll at any time of the year and work at their own pace with automated testing under a course instructor’s direction.

“Our faith is under attack in the secular culture; Catholics who live their faith are sometimes portrayed as simple, uninformed or even irrational,” Mount said. “A lot of Catholics who lack a rational understanding at an adult level for the teachings of the Church end up walking away from the faith.

“Others who do not continue to nourish their faith and deepen their knowledge gradually begin to struggle with the demands of the moral teachings of the Church.

Rather than becoming evangelizers of the culture, as (Blessed) John Paul II challenged us, we become evangelized by the culture.”

Catholic Distance University “reignites enthusiasm for being Catholic and turns armchair Catholics into true and fearless apostles,” Mount added. “That’s something worth being excited about.”

Denver, Colo. (CNA/ EWTN News) — Twenty years after the 1993 World Youth Day was held in Denver, the archdiocese has been abundantly blessed with much spiritual fruit, said Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila.

“It’s just a tremendous grace, and one can only lift up one’s heart in gratitude for the graces that the Lord has poured forth upon the archdiocese since the visit of John Paul II here,” Archbishop Aquila told CNA at a recent celebration of the 20th anniversary of the event.

Some 1,800 people gathered at the John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization — home to St. John Vianney Theological Seminary and the archdiocesan chancery — for a Mass commemorating the visit of the pope and more than 750,000 pilgrims for 1993’s World Youth Day in Denver.

“I have seen tremendous growth here,” said the archbishop, who in 1993 was a priest of the archdiocese, and became its bishop in 2012.

“Since World Youth Day, the fruit that we have seen born are the two new seminaries, Redemptoris Mater and St. John Vianney … we’ve seen the blessing of ecclesial movements moving here: the Neo-Catechumenal Way, the Christian Life Movement, Communion and Liberation, and so many others.”

He also mentioned the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, the Augustine Institute, ENDOW, Christ in the City homeless ministry and Centro San Juan Diego Hispanic family and pastoral care center as among the “incredible” fruits of Blessed John Paul II’s 1993 visit.

“They continue to increase, they continue to grow. We see more and more of our faithful and our young people having a real desire to come to know and encounter Jesus Christ.”

While saying Mass at the gathering, Archbishop Aquila delivered a homily reflecting that “in our humility, we can only lift up our hearts and recognize the

relevant as the cultures of life and of death encounter each other in the U.S. “This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel,” he said, quoting the former pope. “Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern ‘metropolis.’”

“T

On anniversary, Denver’s World Youth Day called a ‘blessing’ blessings that the Lord has bestowed so generously upon us.”

Noting the day’s feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, he said that by her “yes” to the will of God the Father, Mary “trusted and surrendered herself completely” to Him. “We too are called to the same faith, to put our trust and confidence in all of the promises that have been given to us by our God,” Archbishop Aquila taught.

“My beloved brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters, the greatest hunger of Blessed John Paul II, the greatest hunger of Pope Emeritus Benedict, and the greatest hunger of Pope Francis, is the greatest hunger of Mary: that our hearts, aflame with the fire of love, constantly long for the Father and for union with the Father.”

Archbishop Aquila instructed those attending Mass to pray that they encounter Christ “ever more intimately;” that they receive a heart like Mary’s, “more receptive” to God; and for an increase

in love.

“Let us also lift up our hearts in gratitude to the Father for the gift of World Youth Day 1993 and all the fruit it has borne in the New Evangelization,” he added.

The archbishop closed by citing the words of Blessed John Paul II at Denver’s World Youth Day, which he said are especially

Father Jeff Cabral, before he became a priest, waits with friends from Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport, for the plane to take them to Denver for WYD in 1993. (Photo courtesy of Father Cabral)

18

August 30, 2013

Former Coyle High School classmates mark 50 years as Brothers continued from page one

Coyle when I was there who really made an impression on me,” Brother Harold told The Anchor. “They were joyous about their teaching profession and they cared about the students they taught. There was also a joy in their prayer life and life as religious, and I thought, ‘Well maybe I can enjoy that too.’”

Brother David also experienced the joy of the Brothers at Coyle. “Their example and their interest in the students helped me to want to become a Holy Cross Brother as well,” he told The Anchor. “I washed dishes for them every morning and saw them up close and personal.”

While Brothers Harold and David credit the Holy Cross Brothers at Coyle for providing them with a fine example, both men said their faith foundations were first laid at home with family.

“My faith goes back to my grandparents and parents,” said Brother Harold. “My maternal grandmother was Portuguese and very religious.

There were times when my mother, who was also very religious, couldn’t take my two brothers and me to Mass, so my grandmother and grandfather would take us. On my dad’s side, his mother used to iron the linens for the priests in her parish, so I was exposed to great lives of faith.

“When I told my parents of my desire to enter religious life my mom was very supportive. My dad was skeptical.

He thought I should be doing something else with my life, but eventually he came around and supported me too.”

Brother David grew up in rural Southeastern Mass. in a family of 10 children. “It was easy to see the spiritual in the natural, and family life gave plenty of opportunities for acts of charity and of generosity: baby-sitting, cleaning the yard, collecting eggs, and chopping wood,” he said. “When it came time for me to enter religious

life, my family encouraged it, advocated for it, and supported it.”

Brothers Harold and David entered Congregation of Holy Cross novitiate, with Harold going to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and David going to Stonehill University in Easton. In 1964 both made their religious profession.

After his profession, Brother David taught for 10 years in schools staffed by the Congregation of Holy Cross. “I loved every minute of it,” he said.

“I then ran a retreat center in upstate New York.” Returning to the love of his rural roots, Brother David became involved in rural ministry and “food policy for the Church at the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, and then began working internationally with the United Nations,” with whom he has worked on local and global levels.

For more than 30 years he has worked on sustainable development, food and water issues, and public policy. He was part of the Northeast Task Force on Food and Farm Policy; began a ministry of working with farmers and environmentalists; ministered at the U.N. in New York City and in Rome at the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

He has attended the last three World Trade Organization meetings, World Food Summits, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Brother David was a senior advisor to the president of the 63rd General Assembly of the United Nations under the presidency of Miguel D’Escoto.

He currently is a senior representative for Food & Water Watch, “An organization that works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced,” he said. “My work with them includes working with the faith community. And now I am working in Rome as the

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only American on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.’s Committee on World Food Security. I am on the coordinating and finance committees.”

Brother Harold’s vocation led him down the educational path. He received degrees from St. Edward’s University, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Boston College.

He also studied at LoyolaMarymount University, Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, and Fairfield University.

Through the years, Brother Harold has taught biological sciences and religion at the high school level, and secondary education at the college level.

He has served as a CEO, principal, assistant principal (director of students [discipline]), and has been a development director; strategic planner; oversaw successful capital campaigns; worked in marketing; student recruitment and retention; alumni relations; and other capacities.

In 2003, Brother Harold returned to his roots as the first-ever president of Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton until 2007. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Stonehill College in Easton.

He currently works in accounts payable at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, Ind. “The last 50 years have been a grand adventure,” Brother David told The Anchor. “I’ve learned that ‘yes’ has many levels and unknown directions as one goes forward and to be open to the unexpected and unknown. God is present in all.

Trust God. I love the work I’m doing; I’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s meaningful in a moral sense: working for the planet and for the poor.”

“If it were not for the continual loving and forgiving Grace of God, and the support of family, fellow Holy Cross religious and friends, former faculty or administrators, students and parents, I would surely not be celebrating my 50th year of vowed religious life,” said Brother Harold. “It is with hope that I look forward to deepening my relationship with the Lord and assisting my religious community in its ministerial needs and the needs of the local Church.”

Tragic loss doesn’t hinder Taunton woman continued from page 11

time for personal reflection and a chance to get away from “the grind of life.”

“It’s an opportunity to take the time to sort through the things in life that are most important and then going back and being more clear about your next steps,” she added. “I learned a lot about who I am and what I need to do for the future. I think everyone, over time, starts to ask those questions like ‘Why am I here? What’s important?’”

For Doherty, it was also the ideal testing ground for the prototype of what would become SideStix, a new dampen-shock system forearm crutch she designed and developed with her business partner, Kerith Perreur-Lloyd.

“I knew I was getting older and I needed something to support my joints, so I started looking into putting a dampenshock system into the crutches,” Doherty said. “I didn’t plan on going into business — I just wanted to apply something that was already designed in a field that was working. So I put a bicycle seat post shock from a mountain bike into a forearm crutch and that was my first prototype.”

The month-long pilgrimage in northern Spain not only helped Doherty reconnect with her spiritual self, but also helped her work the kinks out of the forearm crutch design.

“We found the mountain bike post was not adequate because when you walk on crutches, you’re always offloading, which means you’re putting weight on the crutch at an angle, and the bicycle seat post was designed to load vertically — just straight down,” she explained. “So because of that design, it wasn’t working and it stuck a lot and vibrated.

I had to use olive oil quite a bit on the El Camino walk because it was (the only thing) readily available.”

Doherty and Perreur-Lloyd went back to the drawing board and designed their own shockabsorption forearm crutch system with a detachment that could be used for long-term walking — the device now marketed as SideStix.

“Every year we’re doubling our sales and I’m thankful people are getting to use (our product),” Doherty said. “Right now we only have a forearm crutch and we’re looking to create more working devices in the future that can support people

bio-mechanically so they can be comfortable and promote fitness.”

Doherty and Perreur-Lloyd incorporated the SideStix business three years ago during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She also works as an occupational therapist while remaining the devoted mother of three.

It’s clear that Doherty has learned to turn an otherwise tragic event from 40 years ago into a catalyst for innovation.

“I feel like I’ve always been waiting for this moment — you know the song by The Beatles, ‘Blackbird’? I feel like that,” she said. “It’s interesting, but I’ve always felt there were major turning points in my life and a big part of that has always been prayer.”

Retreat facilitator Peggy Patenaude, who has known Doherty for years, said she has a unique and powerful story to tell.

“She is a role model for anyone going through tough times because she inspires her audience with her inner strength, wisdom and authenticity,” Patenaude said. “She is a living example of the power of a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Listening to (her) speak is a gift you give yourself.”

When asked if she thinks God put certain obstacles in her path because He knew she could overcome them, Doherty took a different viewpoint.

“To be honest, I don’t think God gives us those challenges,” she said. “Sometimes it’s random bad luck. But what I think God can do is give you the strength to make the choices to find meaning in that hardship, to find meaning from the loss. And that can make your life better, because I really do believe life can be hard and you can strengthen your spirit through (those) challenges.

“What I’m hoping to do with this (mini-retreat) is to pass along how prayer can strengthen your inner spirit to handle whatever you need to handle. I’m going to give specific examples of what I call ‘a-ha’ moments — those things in everyone’s life that they don’t recognize until it challenges them.”

For more information about the mini-retreat, visit www. timeoutretreats.com or call 508548-9149.

For more information about Sarah Doherty or SideStix, visit www.sarahdoherty.com or www.sidestix.com.

19

August 30, 2013

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 9 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.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m.

Mass.

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

East 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.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

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

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

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

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

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has 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. Expostition 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 — Every First Friday, Eucharistic Adoration takes place from 8:30 a.m. through Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer is prayed at 9; the Angelus at noon; the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.; and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

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

Canadian nun: Egyptian Muslims protected church buildings after threats

CAIRO (CNS) — Church- front of the church and the de- lilah,” said Sister Darlene, using es and other Christian proper- velopment center all night, and the Arabic for “God is compasties around Egypt had already we had no problems, Alhamdu- sionate.” been looted, so when Catholics in Berba were tipped off that their southern village could be next, they acted fast. They and St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street in Attleboro, will host a other Christian leaders got on Service of Prayer and Reflection on September 6. This service will begin at 7 p.m. in the church, followed by light refreshments and their phones and called their fellowship in the parish hall. The Service of Prayer and ReflecMuslim friends, neighbors tion, to which all are invited, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, and colleagues who all had the will incorporate Scripture readings, reflections, and music. Parents same message: “They were told, who are grieving the loss of their child before birth are especially encouraged to attend, as well as family members and friends. Direc‘Don’t be afraid, we will guard tions can be found at www.stvincentattleboro.org or by calling 508-226-1115. your churches,’ and that is what happened,” said Sister Darlene The Council of Catholic Women at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport will host its annual yard sale on September 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days Demong, a Canadian member in the parish center on Sanford Road in Westport. The event will be held, rain of the Congregation of Notre or shine, and coffee and pastry will be available. For more information call 508Dame de Sion who has worked 672-6900. and lived in Egypt since 1978.

St. Mark’s Parish, 105 Stanley Street in Attleboro Falls, will host its annual fair She was in Berba at the time on September 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will include a variety of activities, the warning came August 16. music and food, with DJ Nate Adams providing lively music throughout the day.

Come enjoy the food, outdoor games and booths, raffles and prizes. St. Mark’s When she and two other Sisters fair is a traditional “end of summer” ritual. left the parish convent to stay with village families, “groups of A Day with Mary will be held on September 7 at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 125 Main Street in Acushnet, from 7:50 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. It will include a video pre(Muslim) village men showed sentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother with Mass and up to guard it” Sister Darlene adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. There will be an opportunity for Recontold Catholic News Service. ciliation and a bookstore will be available. Please bring a bag lunch. For more The men positioned themselves information call 508-996-8274. in front of the Catholic church The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster is offering a and its development center, as six-week Bereavement Support Program called “Come Walk With Me” that well as in front of Berba’s other begins September 12 and runs through October 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each night. The program meets in the parish center and is designed for people who Christian facilities, Sister Darhave experienced the loss of a loved one within the past year. For more inforlene said from the order’s Cairo mation or to pre-register call 508-385-3252 or 508-394-0616. residence.

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street in Fall River, She was set to fly from will host its annual parish breakfast on September 15 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Egypt to Jerusalem with a novthe parish hall. Join them for a delicious breakfast including eggs, bacon, sauice August 23 on a previously sage, hash browns, pancakes, French toast, pastry, fruit cup, orange juice, tea and coffee. Tickets can be purchased after all Masses or by calling the rectory scheduled trip. “The day went at 508-673-2833. by peacefully and we returned home about 6 p.m., but the men A healing Mass and blessing with St. André’s Relic and anointing with St. Joseph Oil will be held at St. Joseph Chapel at Holy Cross Family Ministries on stayed outside our house and in

Around the Diocese

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Aug. 31 Msgr. Armando A. Annunziato, Pastor, St. Mary, Mansfield, 1993 Rev. Thomas M. Landry, O.P., Former Pastor, St. Anne, Fall River, 1996 Sept. 1 Rev. Jorge J. de Sousa, Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 1985 Rev. James F. Lyons, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 2008 Sept. 3 Rev. Thomas J. McGee, D.D., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1912 Sept. 4 Rev. Joseph P. Tallon, Pastor, St. Mary, New Bedford, 1864 Rev. John J. Maguire, Founder, St. Peter the Apostle, Provincetown, 1894 Sept. 5 Rev. Napoleon, A. Messier, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1948

Sunday, September 15 with Rosary at 1 p.m. and Mass at 2 p.m. Come for either or both. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508238-4095 or visit www.FamilyRosary.org/Events. The Father Peyton Center — St. Joseph Chapel — 500 Washington St., Easton, 02356.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk and American Heritage Troop MA 3712 are co-sponsoring a presentation of Father Robert Barron’s “Catholicism” series on five Sundays, beginning September 22 and running through November 3. The series will be screened from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and again from 6 to 8:30 p.m. each day. Admission is free.

The series will be shown in the upper parish center, 1040 Taunton Avenue in Seekonk. For more information call 508-336-8608.

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August 30, 2013

Critics bash ‘dimwitted’ attack on Archbishop Chaput

Philadelphia (CNA) — An essay claiming that Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia was put in a “right-wing funk” by Pope Francis’ popularity

“completely misunderstood” the archbishop, his defenders say.

Two Catholic writers have strongly criticized an August 17 National Catholic Reporter opin-

ion essay by University of St. Thomas School of Law Professor Charles J. Reid Jr. Reid used Archbishop Chaput’s July 23 interview with

National Catholic Reporter correspondent John L. Allen Jr. to argue that the archbishop is worried by “the sudden interest in the new pope from unfamiliar quarters,” like non-practicing Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians.

The opinion essay accompanied a cartoon depicting an archbishop with little resemblance to Archbishop Chaput. The cartoon archbishop was shown under a rain cloud and appeared to be depressed by a chart of Pope Francis’ growing popularity.

Sharply responding to the piece on the “First Thoughts” blog of First Things magazine on August 21, Matthew J. Frank wrote that the archbishop’s interview with Allen instead showed him to be “unequivocally delighted with Pope Francis.”

“Literally his first comment on the Holy Father is, ‘Thanks be to God that the Lord has given us a pope with such universal appeal to so many people.’”

Patrick Brennan, a blogger at the Catholic law blog Mirror of Justice, weighed in an August 20 piece that Reid’s essay was “an unjust portrayal of an exemplary bishop” whose summary did not resemble what the archbishop actually said.

In his essay, Reid goes on to suggest in his essay that Archbishop Chaput’s comments that these people would prefer a Church without “strict norms and ideas about the moral life and about doctrine” sounded like the older brother from the parable of the prodigal son, who was resentful on the return of his wayward brother.

Reid cited the archbishop’s

description of contemporary culture as “pagan,” arguing that this description was a bar to evangelization. He also blamed “right wing” Catholicism for failing to reach the marginalized and sinners.

Frank countered that Reid “completely misunderstood” the archbishop, who does not believe that the pope is less concerned about the moral life and about doctrine.

Archbishop Chaput’s references to the “right wing of the Church” did not include the archbishop himself, Frank noted.

Rather, this referred to “people on the fringe” such as those drawn to the breakaway Society of St. Pius X. “This is not a faction with which Chaput identifies himself, and it strikes me as either very dimwitted or very willfully biased for Reid to understand Chaput that way,” Frank said.

“This misunderstanding feeds every other thing Reid gets wrong. It’s why he thinks — and this mistake is truly bizarre — that Chaput somehow rejects people being drawn to the Church anew

by Francis’s ministry.”

Brennan noted that Archbishop Chaput “decisively” countered any disaffection with Pope Francis, citing the archbishop’s own words about the pope: “I think he’s a truly Catholic man in every sense of the word.”

Frank rejected the idea that Catholic leaders like Archbishop Chaput had kept people away from the faith, noting that these leaders are “a large part of the reason” that he had returned to the Catholic faith and his wife had converted.

A statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha is seen on one of the two restored bronze doors at the main entrance of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York following their recent installation. The installation marked a major milestone in the $177 million restoration of the cathedral. The three-year project began in 2012. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)