08.21.2020

Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, August 21, 2020

From left, Father Martin L. Buote, Manuel P. Ferreira, and Roger D. LeDuc, priests of the Fall River Diocese, are celebrating 60 of priestly ministry this year. They are among 12 diocesan priests marking significant anniversaries this year.

Above, student leaders at St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis meet to prepare and review safety protocols for the opening of school. Below, Below, students at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet are welcomed on the first day of school.

It’s safety first for diocese as school openings draw near

Twelve diocesan priests celebrate significant anniversaries in 2020

Father Marc P. Tremblay celebrates his 40th anniversary and Father John M. Sullivan marks davejolivet@anchornews.org 30 years of priestly ministry.

Five priests have reached the 25-year mileFALL RIVER — The year, 2020, the fallout stone this year: Fathers Joseph Blyskosz, Marek from the Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on normal everyday events such as wed- Chmurski, Michael O’Hearn, Michael S. Racine dings, graduations, birthdays and even funerals. and Christopher Stanibula.

In the past, The Anchor has made every But it hasn’t stopped these events from taking attempt to note such extraordinary occasions place, albeit in altered and unusual fashions. with more in-depth coverage, such as anniTwelve priests in the Diocese of Fall Rivversary Mass celebrations, special events and er are marking significant anniversaries this dinners, and the like. But, as mentioned before, unusual year, and despite more subdued and what were once large gatherings are now more remote celebrations, the milestones are notetoned down to adhere to state guidelines reworthy, important, joyous and remarkable garding social distancing and safety protocols. nonetheless.

Also, The Anchor routinely reached out in Celebrating an incredible 60 years as a Catholic priest are Fathers Martin Buote, Man- the past to priests celebrating significant anniversaries for comments and thoughts, but with uel Ferreira, and Roger LeDuc. Marking one-half century as priests are Fa- the passing or our dear colleague, Ken Souza, thers James R. McLellan, and Thomas L. Rita.

8 Turn to page eight

By Dave Jolivet Editor

FALL RIVER — On July 8, 2020, the Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Office announced that the elementary schools anticipated being able to fully re-open in person for the fall of 2020. During the ensuing weeks, public school districts made their announcements with the overall majority of districts deciding on a remote-only start that may evolve into a hybrid program. These announcements have produced an enormous amount of discussion as to how schools should open this fall.

The Catholic Schools Office made the St. Mary’s Parish in Dartmouth Saint Vincent’s Services holds The Fall River Diocese has decision to re-open elementary schools for Fall released its annual State of the is hosting an online Bible modified annual Motorcycle 2020 using the guidance set forth by the Massa- Diocese of Fall River Report on study/discussion session for Run to benefit the school during 8 Turn to page nine

its Website. The financial reports appear on page three.

women.

Page 10.

the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 21,16.

2020 † Page

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Diocese of Fall River † State of Diocese Report Released on Web STATE OF DIOCESE REPORT IS RELEASED ON WEB With its intent to provide parishioners and benefactors with a better understanding of how their support enables the mission of the Catholic Church in Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, the Fall River Diocese has published a State of the Fall River Diocese Report, 2014-2019.

The report offers a look at the many ministries, services and offices of the Fall River Diocese including their mission, some historical perspective and notable recent accomplishments, along with information from the most recent diocesan annual financial audit, and more. Its three sections center on mission, administration and finance.

“Unlike the previous Chancery Operations report … this document is designed to share a much broader perspective of the objectives, goals, challenges, and finances for the many ministries in our diocese,” wrote Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in his letter of introduction to the report.

“I am hopeful that providing the financials, along with more context, gives all of you a better understanding of how our diocese is benefiting from your generosity.”

The State of the Fall River Diocese Report is available on the diocesan website, www.fallriverdiocese.org. Audited financial statements from that report are published on page three of this issue.

Kevin R. Kiley, who is the Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer for the Fall River Diocese, explained that the State of the Diocese Report helps to celebrate the five-year anniversary of Bishop da Cunha’s installation as Bishop of the Diocese last year.

Kiley states in the report, “There have been many accomplishments since then; many are celebrated in these pages to help give you added perspective with regard to the mission as well as the administrative and financial aspects of the organization.”

The first-ever audit of the Diocese of Fall River Chancery Operations was done in 2017. The most recent audit, for the period ended on June 30, 2019, was completed earlier this year by the international audit firm of Grant Thornton LLP, and its statements and reports are already available on the diocesan website.

This State of the Diocese Report continues the “path” begun by diocesan financial leadership with that initial audit in 2017, Bishop da Cunha explained, and follows recommendations from a volunteer commission of parishioners that met last year to consider ways to improve diocesan governance.

“As I mentioned in my pastoral letter (Reflections on Five Years — Continuing the Mission, March 2020), one of the essential tasks of a bishop is governing the diocese in such a way as to promote the whole mission of the Church,” said the bishop. “He has to be a good steward of the resources in a diocese.”

In closing his letter in the report, Bishop da Cunha offers his gratitude for the time, talent and treasure already offered by so many and recognizes that there is still much to do.

He writes, “I pray we continue Christ’s mission together for the future of our Diocese and our Church.”

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† August 21, 2020

Diocese of Fall River † 2019 Audited Financial Statement

Anchor improves subscription services; announces slight price increase

FALL RIVER — In a major effort to improve The Anchor’s subscription methods and renewal notifications, we have undergone a significant upgrade to our subscriber database. We will now allow all subscribers, new and existing, to pay online via credit card or PayPal as well as via traditional mail-in check.

Renewal notices will be mailed shortly for those whose expiration dates have passed, we will continue subscriptions for a short time during this initial process.

To renew your subscription please visit www.fallriverdiocese. org/renew or to request a new subscription please visit www. fallriverdiocese.org/subscribe. The new address to mail in payments is

The Anchor, P.O. Box 318, Congers, N.Y. 10920. To submit an address or name change please continue to email subscriptions@anchornews. org, or call 508-675-7151.

Due to increasing postal and handling costs, The Anchor is increasing the subscription amount from $25 per year to $29, with a two-year subscription adjusting from $46 to $52 effective on your next renewal date, and immediately for new subscriptions.

Despite the increase, this still translates to slightly more than $1 per issue.

If you have any questions about the new subscription service or any other Anchor-related issues, please call 508-675-7151 or email davejolivet@anchornews.org.

August 21, 2020 †

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Discipleship “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” Mt 28:16-20. he end of the Gospel of Matthew is the beginning of the Church’s lifelong mission to make disciples out of everyone in the world.

This Gospel passage is the foundation of this column, The Great Commission, and I have spent the better part of 14 years reflecting personally on what this means. This will also be my last column, as I retire from the diocese this month and begin a new ministry to families of children with autism. Much of what I learned about discipleship came from observing disciples in action.

Following Jesus is a mixture of Spiritual practices that make up the whole of who we are. We are called to love, pray, to have faith, and to serve through justice and charity.

Christian Spirituality is an emulsion in which all of the elements become part of a new whole. A rich and fervent prayer life transforms us into people who love, give, and fight for justice.

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Discipleship is not taught in a classroom or learned from a book; it is a lifelong process of mixing these elements until none fall out when we settle.

St. Teresa of Calcutta gave us a simple formula to understand discipleship. “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is love, the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.”

Love is the foundation, the prime directive given to us by Jesus. “This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). This is not the love found in Hallmark cards, but a radical love that challenges us to go beyond our comfort zone and enter into the lives of people we find to be most unlovable.

The vulnerable and unloved are safe in the hands of our Church because of its many members who have found the path to discipleship.

They discovered this radical love through prayer, which propelled them to serve.

Service leads to justice, because we can’t continue to bandage wounds without looking for a way to stop the bleeding.

Justice is not as easy.

Doing justice is hard work, takes time and determina-

tion, and requires intestinal fortitude to withstand the political backlash that is inevitable.

Social justice is the means by which we build a society that seeks to stop the bleeding. Social justice is sometimes confused with the economic theory called socialism, but this is

people to nurture the basic global brothers and sisters. units of society. StandWhen a disaster happens ing up for human rights in one part of the world, is a theme that crosses the shock waves must hit geographic and political us in our own homes. This boundaries and impels us is a much easier concept to to fight for the people who grasp since the world has are denied those things that shared the impact of the are basic to human digniCoronavirus pandemic. ty. The preferential option The final theme, care for for the poor is a theme God’s creation, is not just a that can be traced mandate to keep our world way back into our habitable, but a another way Judeo-Christian to fight for the dignity of foundation. This the human person. We may concept, and the not recognize the impact of following themes, climate change on our garrequires a political dens, but the poor around solution that may the world suffer from its make us uncomeffect. Climate change leads fortable. We all to drought, which sends far from the way in which recognize the need to give thousands of refugees on the Church lives out Jesus’ charitably to the poor, but the move to find food. Care mission. If prayer leads Catholic social teaching for God’s creation is not a to love, and love leads to calls us to do more. We debate between politicians service, then social justice is must look at economic and scientists, but a carrion the guide by which we build systems that unjustly favor cry to bring relief to the our action. The Catholic a small percentage of socipoor.

Church has organized this ety, or that leaves behind Disciples are not just action into seven themes to a race or class of people. the people we see in leadhelp us to align society so This is also true for the next ership of our parishes or that each person is treated theme: the dignity of work diocese. They are more with dignity. and the rights of workers. likely to be found out in the Respect for life and the If our economy breaks the world, doing the work of Jebelief in the dignity of the back of the few and keeps sus with great humility and human person tops the list them mired in poverty then without notice. These are and gives us a lens through we must stand up for their the people who are leaven which we must judge our right to a just wage and for society, building justice, thoughts and action. The healthy working conditions. one action at a time. I look call to strengthen families, The sixth theme is forward to standing beside community and participaliving in solidarity with our them in my retirement. tion is a theme that brings us face to face with eco† Diocese of Fall River † nomics, policy, and laws OFFICIAL that make it difficult for Appointments His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointment:

Susan Mazzarella, M.A., L.S.W., Director of the Guild for the Blind of the Diocese of Fall River while remaining Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services of Fall River, Inc. Effective: August 14, 2020 4

† August 21, 2020

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n the early days of the pandemic, there was a viral expansion of advertisements and recommendations on my social media accounts about “The Chosen,” a 2019 drama series about the life of Jesus. Many contained hype about The “Chosen’s” being the highest crowd-funded TV series of film project of all time, about how it has been seen by more than 20 million, in 50 languages, across 180 countries. My general aversion to fads and herd behavior, however, won the day.

Two other things gave me pause. The word that the series was “based” on the Gospels but gave lots of extra-Biblical, imaginative “background,” made me wonder what the series would do for my blood pressure. I am always interested in visual depictions of the life of Jesus, but when Biblical accounts are mixed with fictional interpolations and extrapolations, I’ve found that most of these additions annoy rather than aid.

Moreover, Catholic theological training in general forms us to wait prudently until something is over before giving general reviews, since something that starts out with much promise could end up being a hook for something harmful at the end.

This is part of the wisdom in the way the Church handles claims of private revelations, for example. And so I would normally hesitate writing an article after only one season of a projected eight.

But once public worship resumed, the volume of Mass-goers asking me for my opinion on the series, multiplied by questions from various penitents and Spiritual directees, pushed me over the edge. I had to watch it, at least to flag any potential concerns. Some vacation time in August gave me the opportunity.

I was very pleased overall by the eight episodes of the series’ first season and found most of it to be a very helpful and beautiful visual med-

itation on the life of Jesus.

The figure of Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, is manly, cheerful and attractive, someone the strength of whose personality would be able to get very down-to-earth people to leave everything to follow him.

Playing Jesus may be the most difficult acting assignment there is, not only because most Christians already have strong impressions about Him they are vigorously prepared to defend, but also because no human being can possibly depict the Divine dimension of the hypostatic union. Roumie approaches that challenge in the only adequate way, through prayer before and during filming. “I always ask that it’s not my voice or my personality that comes through but that of the Lord’s,” he said in an interview. He’s also praying after the series, using his new status as an icon of Jesus to lead others in prayer, using YouTube to pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and a Novena to St. Joseph with viewers as well as to speak about the Eucharist.

Throughout the first season, Nicodemus is given a much larger role than the Gospels accord him, which is an interesting choice on the part of creator, director and co-writer Dallas Jenkins, a fervent Evangelical. I found Jenkins’ inventions with regard to Nicodemus, however, credible. They allow viewers to see Jesus from the perspective of a member of the Sanhedrin, with the typical questions a scholar and lover of the law of Moses would pose toward the Spiritual fulfillment Jesus was bringing.

Nicodemus is also a “seeker,” someone making a sincere attempt to discover the truth, as many today are. He has been called throughout the centuries the “reluctant disciple,” someone who comes to Jesus “by night,” who out of

The chosen cowardice and pusillanimity keeps his faith hidden, who gives oblique defenses of Jesus when colleagues in the Sanhedrin turned on Him, and who surfaced as a believer only after Jesus’ crucifixion. His character reveals that the essence of Christianity is not knowing Jesus or believing in Him but faithfully following and imitating Him. Many will relate to Nicodemus’ struggles to do so.

The first eight episodes also develop the figures of Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Matthew. Peter is shown as a struggling fisherman, a stubborn and strong leader, impulsive and action-oriented,

proud but capable of humbling himself. The Gospels imply that he was married — he had a mother-in-law — but say nothing about his wife or Marriage, leading some to question whether he was a widower and others to speculate that Jesus may have broken his wife’s heart in summoning Peter to leave everything to follow Him. I very much like the way that Jenkins presents Mrs. Simon bar Jonah: someone whose faith in God, her expectation of the Messiah, and her love for her husband led her to rejoice when Jesus saw the good in her husband and called him to be at His side.

Her fiat to Peter’s vocation and mission, setting him free to serve the Bridegroom, is heartwarming.

There is a heavy focus on the vocation of Mary Magdalene. She is discretely shown at the beginning of the series as a prostitute and very plainly as a possessed woman whom typical exorcisms cannot liberate, until she meets Jesus, Who frees

her. “I was one way and now I’m completely different,” she says later. “And the thing that happened in between was Him.” Toward her Jesus shows a chaste confidence and she in turn seems to help the Apostles relate to Jesus as a person rather than just a projection of their Messianic hopes. I don’t care for how, prior to Jesus’ exorcising her, she is referred to as “Lilith,” which imports a lot of unnecessary baggage from Jewish demonology and modern radical feminism that unfortunately won’t impede further neo-gnostic concoctions about her. If anyone deserves a more sober, Biblically-tighter portrayal, it’s she.

The greatest liberties, however, are taken with the story of Matthew the publican. Jenkins presumes that ancient tax collectors needed to be detailed-oriented mathematical geniuses rather than low-level corrupt mafiosi and therefore portrays Matthew anachronistically with Asperger’s. While the attempt toward inclusion is admirable, it really doesn’t fit other aspects of the Biblical account, especially Matthew’s being the king of the sinners capable of hosting a party full of his ilk, not to mention someone chosen not just to write a Gospel but to be sent out into the crowds among wolves to proclaim it. His conversion story, nevertheless, is moving and highlights not only how Jesus summoned the outcasts but how following Jesus meant giving up much to gain much more.

As a whole, through these vocational portrayals and others, the series brings to the fore the personal aspect of the call of Jesus and the response human beings must make. Jenkins certainly delivers on his goal to portray Jesus “through the eyes of those who met Him,” and through that perspective viewers can sense that they are meant, too, to be among

“the chosen.”

I have liked very much the visual meditations on Jesus’ miracles. The wedding feast of Cana is very well-developed and among the most moving things I’ve ever seen on screen. After viewing the healings of the paralyzed man and of a leper, one may never read or hear those Biblical accounts the same way again.

The miracle of the miraculous draught of fish has Peter catching fish strangely near the shore rather than after having “put out into the deep,” but nevertheless clearly reveals Jesus’ overwhelming generosity. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law shows Jesus’ routine personal concern.

I also appreciate the way “The Chosen” has handled Biblical flashbacks, whether to Jesus’ early days — like the finding in the temple — or to Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus, from Abraham, Moses and the prophets, all of which give a much richer context to the visual Gospel narrative, especially for those who have greater familiarity with the Bible.

The second season of this series of Scriptural visual art is set to start filming in September. It will feature greater development of the Apostles James, John and Nathaniel and will continue examining how the disciples respond to Jesus’ miracles as well as how the Pharisees and scribes begin to organize in opposition to Jesus.

For those who haven’t seen it, it is available for free on YouTube or on The Chosen App. Production is funded fundamentally by viewers who, moved by what they’ve seen, desiring to see more and wanting others to see it, are contributing via crowd funding about $10 million per season.

With many, I’m looking forward to the second and subsequent seasons.

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

August 21, 2020 †

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Editorial

Saint Pius X

Today (August 21st) we celebrate the memorial of St. Pius X, the pope who established the Diocese of Fall River. We are grateful to God for this gift and we ask St. Pius to intercede for us before God, that we might carry out God’s Will and bear the good fruit that Christ intended us to bear here in this corner of His vineyard.

“The lust of lucre has done much to make the minds of men so barbarous,” St. Pius wrote in Lacrimbili Statu 2 (“Deplorable condition,” a papal encyclical criticizing the treatment of indigenous people in South America). Our founder here discussed how greed and horrific cruelty led to such unchristian treatment of human beings by people who claimed to be Catholic. He cited writings of his predecessors to call for social justice.

In Singulari Quadam 2, St. Pius wrote, “All Catholics have a Sacred and inviolable duty, both in private and public life, to obey and firmly adhere to and fearlessly profess the principles of Christian truth enunciated by the teaching office of the Catholic Church. In particular we mean those principles which Our Predecessor has most wisely laid down in the encyclical letter Rerum Novarum.”

Later in Singulari, at #5, he added, “We do not deny that Catholics, in their efforts to improve the workers’ living conditions, more equitable distribution of wages, and other justified advantages, have a right, provided they exercise due caution, to collaborate with non-Catholics for the common good.” This is something good to reflect upon as Labor Day approaches.

St. Pius X is well known for lowering the age of First Holy Communion. He put this into effect via the decree Quam Singulari. In it, he first summarized the history of the reception of Holy Communion by children. “The Catholic Church took care even from the beginning to bring the little ones to Christ through Eucharistic Communion, which was administered even to nursing infants. This, as was prescribed in almost all ancient Ritual books, was done at Baptism until the 13th century, and this custom prevailed in some places even later. It is still found in the Greek and Oriental Churches. But to remove the danger that infants might eject the Consecrated Host, the custom obtained from the beginning of administering the Eucharist to them under the species of wine only. Infants, however, not only at the time of Baptism, but also frequently thereafter were admitted to the Sacred repast. In some churches it was the custom to give the Eucharist to the children immediately after the clergy; in others, the small fragments which remained after the Communion of the adults were given to the children.

“This practice later died out in the Latin Church, and children were not permitted to approach the Holy Table until they had come to the use of reason and had some knowledge of this august Sacrament.”

He then discussed how over time a dispute erupted about different “ages OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 64, No. 17

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† August 21, 2020

of reason” for Confession and Holy Communion (with an earlier one for the former and a much later one for the latter, demanding a deep theological understanding of the Eucharist).

St. Pius saw this delay “caus[ing] many evils. It happened that children in their innocence were forced away from the embrace of Christ and deprived of the food of their interior life; and from this it also happened that in their youth, destitute of this strong help, surrounded by so many temptations, they lost their innocence and fell into vicious habits even before tasting of the Sacred Mysteries. And even if a thorough instruction and a careful Sacramental Confession should precede Holy Communion, which does not everywhere occur, still the loss of first innocence is always to be deplored and might have been avoided by reception of the Eucharist in more tender years.”

Of course, this holy pope did not think that Our Lord in the Eucharist works magic. He justly demanded that parents and catechists prepare well the children in their care to understand Holy Communion according to their abilities, to know that they needed to approach the Precious Body of Christ in a state of grace and recognizing that it is not bread we eat, but Our Lord Himself.

St. Pius condemned “Jansenists who contended that the Most Holy Eucharist is a reward rather than a remedy for human frailty” and quoted the Council of Trent, which called the Eucharist “An antidote whereby we may be freed from daily faults and be preserved from mortal sins.”

St. Pius’ goal was to “restore all things in Christ” (Eph 1:10). He discussed this at length in the encyclical E Supremi. Writing at the beginning of the barbaric 20th century (in 1903), he saw great evil. “We were terrified beyond all else by the disastrous state of human society today. For who can fail to see that society is at the present time, more than in any past age, suffering from a terrible and deep-rooted malady which, developing every day and eating into its inmost being, is dragging it to destruction? You understand, Venerable Brethren, what this disease is — apostasy from God. We must hasten to find a remedy for this great evil” (#3).

He then suggests the cure: “May God, ‘Who is rich in mercy’ (Eph 2:4), benignly speed this restoration of the human race in Jesus Christ. And let us ‘in the spirit of humility’ (Dan 3:39), with continuous and urgent prayer ask this of Him through the merits of Jesus Christ. Let us turn, too, to the most powerful intercession of the Divine Mother — by the public recitation of the Rosary in all churches; with the further exhortation that as intercessors with God appeal be also made to the most pure Spouse of Mary, the Patron of the Catholic Church, and the holy Princes of the Apostles, Peter and Paul.” May we take the cure and truly live.

Daily Readings † August 29 - September 11

Sat. Aug. 29, 1 Cor 1:26-31; Ps 33:12-13,18-9,20-21; Mk 6:17-29. Sun. Aug. 30, Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jer 20:7-9; Ps 63:2-6,8-9; Rom 12:12; Mt 16:21-27. Mon. Aug. 31, 1 Cor 2:1-5; Ps 119:97-102; Lk 4:16-30. Tue. Sept. 1, 1 Cor 2:10b-16; Ps 145:8-14; Lk 4:31-37. Wed. Sept. 2, 1 Cor 3:1-9; Ps 33:12-15,20-21; Lk 4:38-44. Thu. Sept. 3, 1 Cor 3:18-23; Ps 24:1bc-2,3-4ab,5-6; Lk 5:1-11. Fri. Sept. 4, 1 Cor 4:1-5; Ps 37:3-6,27-28,39-40; Lk 5:33-39.

Sat. Sept. 5 1 Cor 4:6b-15; Ps 145:17-21; Lk 6:1-5. Sun. Sept. 6, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ez 33:7-9; Ps 95 1-2,6-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:1520. Mon. Sept. 7, 1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-6,7,12; Lk 6:6-11. Tue. Sept. 8, Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16,18-23 or 1:18-23. Wed. Sept. 9, 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:11-12,14-17; Lk 6:20-26. Thu. Sept. 10, 1 Cor 8:1b-7,11-13; Ps 139:1b-3,13-14b,23-24; Lk 6:27-38. Fri. Sept. 11, 1 Cor 9:16-19,22b-27; Ps 84:3-6,8,12; Lk 6:39-42.

Newman Catholic Ministry announces virtual, in-person programs for fall semester DARTMOUTH — Newman Catholic Ministry serves colleges and universities in the Fall River Diocese by providing pastoral services, programs of faith enrichment and instruction, and opportunities for college students to gather for prayer and camaraderie.

Also referred to as campus ministry, its formal mission on its Website reads in part: “to help students, faculty and staff of institutions of higher education within the diocese to form a Catholic community on campus, to live and learn the Catholic faith and put faith into action through service to others.”

The Newman Catholic Ministry team is led by Father David Frederici, who is director of campus ministry for the Fall River Diocese, and Deacon Frank Lucca, who is a campus minister.

Newman Catholic Ministry has announced its schedule of programs for college students for the fall. Given the ongoing pandemic, the need for social distancing and capacity limits within indoor spaces, most of the programs will be offered online via Zoom.

Sundays at 7 p.m., September 20-October 18: The Jesus Retreat — Who Do You Say That I Am? This is a five-part retreat to take place over

Zoom offering college students to listen to their peers talk about faith, relationships, and where

opportunity for students to gather online to explore the Catholic faith in a safe, non-judging

at St. Mary’s Parish Center in South Dartmouth, where sufficient space is available to allow for

Jesus fits in as friend, healer, and role model.

Mondays at 7 p.m., beginning September 14: Why Believe?

This is an online apologetics course from the Augustine Institute to be offered via Zoom to prepare participants to respond to inquiries and challenges from others who are curious about their faith or who do not believe.

Tuesdays at 7 p.m., beginning September 15: Alpha Alpha offers the

atmosphere. The Alpha program is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eight weeks.

Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation.

Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., beginning September 3: Newman Night Come, participate in Mass, enjoy a pasta dinner, and be informed and/or inspired by a different program that follows each week. Newman Night will take place

social distancing.

These programs are open to students attending any of the colleges/ universities located in the Fall River Diocese either in-person or remotely as well as to any college-age student who is taking the

semester off in light of the pandemic and remaining at home.

In addition, Father Frederici and Deacon Lucca remind any student, faculty member or staff person from an area college that each of them is available for anyone seeking Spiritual direction or guidance.

For more information on these programs or other resources for college students or to reach either Father Frederici or Deacon Lucca, please visit www. newmancatholicministry. org for contact information.

August 21, 2020 †

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Diocesan priests celebrate anniversaries in 2020 continued from page one

that task is not possible this year with a dozen priests involved. Yet, we would be remiss not to note each man’s achievement is this publication.

Sixty years Marking six decades of being a priest for the Fall River Diocese is Father Martin L. Buote. Father Buote was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop James L Connolly, the

O’Connell Minor Seminary, each for one year.

From there he went to St. John’s Seminary in Brighton. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Boston College.

Father Buote has faith-

Camp Fire Girls; and as co-director of the Taunton area CYO. He also taught math at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River and has written numerous guest columns for The Anchor over the years. He now spends his retirement in Wareham.

Also celebrating 60 years as a priest is Father

from 1948-51.

He then attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

He ministered in a number of diocesan parishes prior to retirement: St. Elizabeth’s in Fall River; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. John the Baptist and Immaculate Conception, all in New Bedford, and St. Anthony in Taunton.

Father Ferreira also served as a notary and advocate for the Diocesan Tribunal. He was a member of the Diocesan Board of Education, and served as Dean of the New Bedford Deanery. He also was Taunton area director of the Catholic Charities

Father Marc P. Tremblay

Father James R. McLellan fourth bishop of the Diocese of Fall River, on Jan. 30, 1960 in St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River. Father Buote, the son of John and Margaret (Martin) Buote, was born in Fall River in 1933 and attended Pottersville Elementary School and Somerset High School, both in Somerset.

fully served at a number of parishes across the diocese, including Immaculate Conception in Taunton and North Easton, St. Joseph in Fall River and North

Father John M. Sullivan

Father Thomas L. Rita He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the School of St. Philip Neri and Cardinal 8

Dighton, St. Mary in Mansfield, St. Thomas More in Somerset, St. Joan of Arc in Orleans, St. Michael in Swansea, and St. Anne in New Bedford.

Father Buote was devoted to the youth of the diocese, serving as the diocesan director and as a chaplain for the Boy Scouts; assistant director for the Girl Scouts and

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Father Joseph Blyskosz high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served aboard the U.S.S. Midway

Father Michael P. O’Hearn in Swansea.

Father LeDuc also held several diocesan assignments. He was an advocate for the Diocesan Tribunal, area director for the Catholic Charities Appeal, a moderator of the New Bedford area Boy Scouts, director of the New Bedford Diocesan Council of Catholic

Father Michael S. Racine Manuel P. Ferreira. Father Ferreira was ordained as a diocesan priest by Bishop Connolly on April 2, 1960 at the cathedral.

He was born in Provincetown to John and Genevieve (Santos) Ferreira on Jan. 24, 1930. He attended grammar and high school in Provincetown. After

Baltimore.

His diocesan parish assignments included his native St. Joseph Parish in New Bedford, Sacred Heart Parish in North Attleboro, St. George in Westport, and St. Louis de France Parish

Father Marek Chmurski Appeal and was chaplain to American Legion Post 1 in New Bedford, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Prince Henry Society.

Father Ferreira lives at the Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River.

The third member of the 60-year club is Father Roger D. LeDuc. Father LeDuc was ordained with Father Ferreira on April 2, 1960 by Bishop Connolly.

Born in New Bedford, he is the son of Lionel and Jeanne (Charest) LeDuc. He attended St. Joseph’s School in New Bedford.

He attended College de l’Assumption in Quebec, Canada, and later went to St. John’s Seminary in

Father Christopher Stanibula Women, and chaplain of the New Bedford DCCW, Club Richelieu, L’Union Ste. Jean Baptiste, and was on the Diocesan School Task Force.

Father LeDuc resides in Oakhurst, Calif.

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It’s safety first as schools set to reopen for fall continued from page one

chusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Health. DESE guidelines are very clear about the use of masks, social distancing, hand-washing, PPE and many other aspects of opening schools safely. The Diocese of Fall River Catholic schools are following DESE guidelines as part of their re-opening plans in addition to offering the option of a robust remote learning program for any family who has health concerns.

Most recently, Gov. Charlie Baker released a color-coded chart that illustrates the average daily cases per 100,000 residents by town. The DESE Commissioner released guidance on how school districts should use this color-coded chart to help choose the best option for the district’s return to school model. The ensuing conflict between in-person schooling versus remote and hybrid programs has intensified and is very evident

by the large increase in inquiries of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River.

According to Daniel Roy, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, “There is a huge demand from families to be able to send their children back to school — in-person and five days a week. It is evident that the public school districts have encountered many challenges with this process and we are fortunate to have the flexibility to change platforms easily. While we anticipate a full in-person return to school this fall, guidance seems to change frequently and we are monitoring all DESE activity closely.”

Denise Peixoto, assistant superintendent of Catholic schools, added, “The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP) fully endorsed DESE’s July return to school plans and ‘shares the goal of bringing most students in the Common-

wealth back to in-person learning this fall while minimizing the risk to students, the school staff, and their families’.” MCAAP also recognizes that there are significant negative consequences that prolonged school closures have on the educational, emotional and social well-being of children.

“Our school leaders are very confident in their ability to bring students back into their buildings, safely,” commented Sandi Drummey, assistant superintendent of Catholic schools. “We feel strongly that kids need to get back to school for academic, Spiritual, social and emotional reasons, and we will do everything we can to make this happen for our students.” Similarly,

the Diocese of Worcester recently announced that their schools will return to in-person learning five days a week, despite challenges from local school districts.

Finally, every communication about school openings has included the caveat that all school openings are subject to changes in DESE guidelines or orders from Governor Baker’s office.

This year’s “back to school” will be unprecedented from all others in very recent history. The Diocese of Fall River Catholic schools are excited to welcome students and teachers back, and look forward to working with families to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and family members.

St. Mary’s Dartmouth to offer Alpha series DARTMOUTH — If one is a “new“ to Christianity, or are a seasoned Christian wanting to brush up on the basics, Alpha as a great way to get connected and grow.

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone is welcome.

Alpha is an opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed, non-threatening manner. Alpha is enjoyed as much by those who have never set foot in a church, as it is by the regular church-goer. No matter one’s background, whether investigating Christianity for the first time or revisiting the faith, all are certain to benefit from Alpha.

Alpha will begin on September 16 at 6:30 p.m. This Alpha will be held online via ZOOM. Each Alpha begins with a short talk followed by discussion. Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic, and simply discuss it in a small group. There’s no obligation to say anything. And there’s nothing one can’t say. It’s an opportunity to hear from others and contribute one's own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment.

There is no pressure and no charge. For more information visit the Website at stmarysdartmouth.org/alpha.html.

For any questions about Alpha, email info@stmarysdartmouth.org.

August 21, 2020 †

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egend says that “Trees are the record keepers of the earth.

They are busy gathering information and holding volumes of wisdom and knowledge. Branches layer themselves with information and their leaves capture your words and actions as you walk by them.”

It is also written that “the banyan tree represents a time of going within and becoming self-aware through reflection, meditation, silence and a quieting of one’s mind. In the stillness of our awareness, we can begin to hear the voice of our soul’s calling.”

It should be no surprise then that on the morning of August 11, we, the Kalaupapa Community,

Beneath the banyan tree

gathered in the shelter of the banyan tree on Staff Row to listen to our great administer Ken, and to be updated on our situation in regard to the pandemic.

Some of us were seated in socially-distanced chairs, some sat on the grass, while others stood in the background or leaned against their vehicles. Then Ken appeared before us with folder in hand, like Moses back down from the mountain. He stood on the grassy knoll in front of us and we knew he was about to give us the business as well as the latest COVID-19 directives. It was like a replay of “The

Ten Commandments” without the presence of the golden calf or the camera crew.

facial shields. In answer to a posed question, he said that no testing is possible here in Kalaupapa and that trust in us by him is essential and vital. We may visit Topside Molokai and return here to work, but if we go to Oahu, we will be required to quarantine for 14 The main thrust of Ken’s days on our return here to speech was on the practice Kalaupapa. of wearing our masks and The annual barge is due observing social distancing. on August 22 and plans are He said that it is possiin progress to do the unble that some of us could loading and loading safely, actually have the virus but not have any symptoms. He emphasized that wearing a mask is more important than social distancing and also more effective than

since we will have workers here from outside the settlement. Erika and Leanna also spoke in regard to Barge Day. Emily and Glauco are currently conducting census-taking in Kalaupapa and encouraged us residents to sign up. I have already done so — lest I get evicted. All of this took place in the course of an hour in the shade and the shelter of the wise old banyan tree. Aloha.

Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.

Dartmouth parish to offer online Bible study/discussion sessions for women

DARTMOUTH — St. Mary’s Parish in Dartmouth has recently announced it is offering a new series of Bible study/ discussion sessions for women.

“Walking with Purpose” would like to help women enjoy a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ, nurtured through personal Bible study and small group discussions created just for women.

“Walking with Purpose” will meet on Tuesdays beginning September 16 at 6:30 p.m. with “Welcome to Opening Your Heart: The Starting Point.” The 22-session Bible study will take participants on an exciting journey closer to the heart of God. “Opening Your Heart” is an incredibly effective guide to deep, lasting transformation of the heart and all partici10

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pants new to “Walking with Purpose” are encouraged to begin here, regardless of previous experience with Bible study.

Join us as we explore the core questions that we need to wrestle with if we want to experience all that God has for us.

• How can I conquer my fears?

• What is the role of the Holy Spirit in my life?

• What does the Eucharist have to do with my friendship with Christ?

• What are the limits of Christ’s forgiveness?

• Why and how should I pray?

• What is the role of suffering in my life?

• What challenges will I face in my efforts to follow Jesus more closely?

Visit stmarysdartmouth. org for more information and/or to register.

8 Continued from page eight

Fifty Years Two diocesan priests are marking one-half century of priestly ministry this year. Marking his 50th year since ordination is Father James R. McLellan, who was born in Wayland to Frank and Emily (Mulligan) McLellan.

He attended Wayland High school and went on to Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.

He was ordained on May 1, 1970 by Bishop Connolly at the cathedral.

His parish assignments were: St. Mary’s in Taunton, St. James in New Bedford, Our Lady of the Assumption in Osterville, Our Lady of Victory in Centerville, St. Pius X in South Yarmouth, St. Augustine’s in Vineyard Haven and St. Joseph’s in Dighton.

Father McLellan served as chaplain at Cape Cod Community College.

He now resides at Cardinal Medeiros Residence in Fall River.

Along with Father McLellan, Father Thomas L. Rita was ordained on May 1, 1970 by Bishop Connolly. He was born to Louis and Veronica (Earley) Rita in New Bedford.

He attended Holy Family High School in the Whaling City and later St. Mary’s Seminary in Kentucky and St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

He served in several diocesan parishes, including: St. Mary’s in Mansfield, St. Anthony’s in East Falmouth, Holy Name in New Bedford, St. Mary in South Dartmouth, St. Mary in Taunton, Our Lady of the Assumption in Osterville, St. Mark’s in Attleboro Falls and St. Mary’s in Seekonk.

He was director of the St. Mary’s Home in New

Bedford and St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River.

Other diocesan appointments include: director of the diocesan Catholic Social Services, the diocesan Pro-Life Coordinator and director of the Respect Life Program, director of the Attleboro and Cape Cod CYOs, assistant director of the Attleboro area Marriage Preparation, director of the Attleboro area and Cape Cod area Catholic Charities Appeal, and as a judge in the Diocesan Tribunal.

Father Rita also wrote a series of columns for The Anchor on the Year For Priests, titled: “Vocational Reflection.”

Forty Years Celebrating 40 years as a priest this year is Father Marc P. Tremblay. Father Tremblay was appropriately enough born on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1953. He is the son of Roger and Pauline (Ouellette) Tremblay.

He attended St. Anne School in Fall River and from there went to B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River.

He attended UMass Dartmouth in North Dartmouth and went on to St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

Father Tremblay was ordained a priest of the Fall River Diocese by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin at St. Mary’s Cathedral on June 21, 1980.

His diocesan parish assignments include St. John the Evangelist in Attleboro, Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in Fall River, St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham, St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown, St. Patrick’s Parish in Somerset, St. Mary’s in Norton, and Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich where he is currently pastor.

He also served as Cemetery Director of St. Patrick Cemetery in Somerset,

and has served as a Fire Department chaplain in several communities.

Thirty Years Marking 30 years since his ordination in 1990 is Father John M. Sullivan.

Father Sullivan is a native of Fall River, the son of Charles and Lois (Fullerton) Sullivan.

He attended Freetown Elementary School and Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville. From there he attended UMass Dartmouth in North Dartmouth and subsequently entered St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

He was ordained by Bishop Cronin on June 2 of 1990 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Diocesan parishes in which he served are St. Thomas More in Somerset, St. Joseph Parish in Attleboro, St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, St. Lawrence Parish in New Bedford, St. Patrick’s in Wareham, and Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham, where he is now pastor.

Diocesan assignments include: chaplain Sturdy Hospital in Attleboro; chaplain St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford; chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Council 330 in North Attleboro; and chaplain of the Attleboro Serra Club.

Twenty-Five Years Five diocesan priests are celebrating the quarter-century mark of priestly ministry in the Diocese of Fall River. All five were ordained as priests for the Diocese of Fall River in the same ordination Mass in 1995.

Father Joseph Blyskosz was born in Wlodawa, Poland on May 4, 1968 to Jan and Stanislawa (Wawryszuk) Blyskosz.

His elementary school years were spent in Rozanka, Poland, and he went to high school in his native Wlodawa.

He attended seminary at the Seminary of Oblates of Blessed Virgin Mary in Obra, Poland, and SS. Cyril and Methodius in Orchard Lake, Mich.

He was ordained by Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM. Cap. on June 10, 1995 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

In 2001, Father Blyskosz was assigned to the diocesan mission in Guaimaca in the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

He is currently awaiting assignment.

Father Marek Chmurski was born to Jan and Cecylia (Drozka) Chmurski in Domaniewice, Poland.

He attended grammar school in Domaniewice, Poland and high school in Lodz, Poland.

He entered the seminary in Lodz and later attended SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Michigan. He later attended a clinical pastoral education program at Providence, R.I. He was ordained by Bishop O’Malley at the cathedral on June 10, 1995.

Father Chmurski has ministered at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, St Anthony’s Parish in Taunton, St. Lawrence in New Bedford, Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich, Immaculate Conception Parish in North Easton, and is the current pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Buzzards Bay. Father Michael P. O’Hearn is a Fall River native, born to Harold and Margaret (Mackey) O’Hearn.

He attended grammar school at Sacred Heart School in Fall River and later attended B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River.

From there he attended Wadhams Hall Seminary

College in Ogdensburg, N.Y. and Holy Apostles Seminary in Connecticut.

He, too, was ordained on June 10, 1995 by Bishop O’Malley at the cathedral.

Father O’Hearn was appointed to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Attleboro and from there went to the three Martha’s Vineyard churches, St. Augustine, St. Elizabeth and Sacred Heart. He has also ministered at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich, St. Joseph Parish in Taunton and was chaplain at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton. He has also served as chaplain to nursing homes in Fall River and Somerset.

Father O’Hearn is the current chaplain at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River.

The third member of the ordination class of 1995 born in Poland is Father Krzysztof (Christopher) Stanibula.

Father Stanibula was born in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland, the son of Czestaw and Janina (Darmochwal) Stanibula.

He attended grammar school in Rachanie, Poland and technical high school in Lubycza Kroilewska, Poland.

He studied theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Michigan.

He was ordained on June 10, 1995 by Bishop O’Malley at St. Mary's Cathedral.

His diocesan assignments have been at St. John the Baptist in New Bedford, St. Julie Billiart in North Dartmouth, St. Mary’s Parish in Taunton, St. Stanislaus Parish and St. Anne’s Parish in Fall River, St. John the Evangelist and 8 Turn to page 13

August 21, 2020 †

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eing a disciple of Jesus unequivocally means that we must forgive those who sin against us. We know “what” we are called to do, but not always clear on “how” we should go about doing it.

On August 12, the Gospel of the day from Matthew contains a very clear answer to this question: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

“If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector” (Mt 18:1517).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us not to judge others and to

F ocus on C hurch Y outh Our call to reconcile with others

forgive endlessly. In this passage, however, Jesus provides practical instructions on how to approach reconciliation among our brothers and sisters. Rather than approach difficult conversations with anger or self-righteousness, we must face them with humility, patience and clarity of purpose. Is our purpose reconciliation and solidarity, or do simply want to feel better or obtain our “pound of flesh?” If our purpose is not solidarity, then unity within the Church will suffer and we will not attract people to Jesus and His Gospel.

There is no doubt in my mind that people today are guilty of the same issues faced by those in the time of Jesus and the early Church. I know that I am! We would prefer to discuss our relationship issues with anyone other than the person who has

Saint Vincent’s Services holds Back to School supply drive FALL RIVER — Saint Vincent’s Services is holding a Back to School Supplies Drive.

Needed items include: backpacks (one color, no design), lunch bags, 5 x 7 journals, non-recordable MP3 players, three- and five-page notebooks, earbuds, single folders, pencil cases (zipper pouches preferred), binder tab separators, three-ring binders (1.5-2 inch), pencils, black 12

and blue markers, white board markers, highlighters, note cards, colored pencils, and markers.

Donations can be dropped off at Saint Vincent’s Services, 2425 Highland Avenue in Fall River, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on the drive, contact info@ SaintVincents.org or call Jenny Mello Reis at 508679-8511.

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wronged us. It is an easier path to vent or gossip to a third party than to actually address the matter with the person involved. Easier still it is to do nothing, not because we have forgiven,

but because we decide to simply write someone off.

Moreover, are we prepared to listen in humility if one of our brothers or sisters approaches us? Are we ready to ask for forgiveness and attempt to see things from a perspective other than our own? Even when we don’t completely agree with another’s interpretation of a situation, could we have handled things better or will our pride win out?

Without question, before approaching someone, it may be wise to seek confidential counsel from a trusted friend. After all, what we may believe is a sin against us may in fact be no sin at all! What we might take as a great offense may actually be an unintended slight that is better left unaddressed.

Just because we experience hurt feelings or a bruised ego doesn’t mean that someone has sinned against us. Discernment, prudence and prayer are critical to making this important distinction.

While we should avoid the extreme of feeling that we have the right to address every perceived offense against us, we also should avoid neglecting the relationship. If we walk away from the person, rather than toward them in love, the relationship is harmed, stops growing and starts to die from neglect.

Unity, whether in our families, in our community, or in the Church is harmed. Causing disunity within the Church, even from neglect or willful exclusion, is a sin against our very nature as the Body of Christ.

It is important that we not focus exclusively on the first part of the passage quoted above. The practical “how-to” guidance from Jesus is connected to the beautiful message about unity that brings the passage to a close: “Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them

by My Heavenly Father.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:1920).

When we forgive, face the difficulties of our relationships, and are reconciled with one another, our prayer becomes powerful in the sight of our Heavenly Father. As Catholics, ours in not an individualistic faith. Rather, our

faith is communitarian in nature. Our personal relationship with God is essential to have and nurture, but it is incomplete if not connected also to our relationships with our brothers and sisters.

For American Catholics, formed by a national ethos that values individual rights above all, this can be especially challenging.

And yet our faith tells us that we are all made in the image of the Triune God Who is a family of perfect love. Our faith tells us that by receiving the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, we enter a communion of love with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and become God’s instrument of Salvation for the world.

Living this teaching in our daily lives is much easier said than done. I for one am acutely aware of how often I have failed in this regard. Falling short, however, is a feature of being human, of being Catholic. With God’s grace, we can look squarely at our shortcomings and our gifts, allow God to transform us, and then live as we are called.

Anchor columnist Peter Shaughnessy is president/principal of Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth.

He resides in Fairhaven with his wife, Anabela Vasconcelos Shaughnessy (Class of ’94), and their four children: Luke (Class of ’24), Emilia (Class of ’25), Dominic (Class of ’27) and Clare (Class of ’30).

8 Continued from page 11

St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Attleboro, and St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth where he is a parochial vicar and is chaplain at St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis.

Father Stanibula has also ministered at Saint Anne’s and Charlton Memorial hospitals in Fall River and at Sturdy Memo-

rial Hospital in Taunton.

In his free time he earned a doctorate of philosophy from the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, writing a dissertation on Christian formation and human development.

Father Michael S. Racine is a New Bedford native, the son of Donald and Barbara (Rock) Racine. He was born on July 11, 1964

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, August 23 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Santo Christo Church in Fall River

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass

on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, August 30 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from St. Anthony Church in Taunton

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, August 23 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Thomas C. Lopes, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese

Sunday, August 30 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father James M. Fitzpatrick, Pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet

and attended Sacred Heart School, J.A. Parker School and Keith Junior High School in New Bedford. He attended Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, also in the Whaling City.

He went to college at Bristol Community College in Fall River and UMass Dartmouth in North Dartmouth.

Father Racine attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and Holy Apostles Seminary in Connecticut.

He was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Fall River on June 10, 1995

by Bishop O’Malley at the cathedral.

Father Racine has ministered at Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in Fall River, Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth, and as pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet. Currently he is the pastor of the Whaling City Catholic Community comprised of Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Lawrence Martyr parishes and is in charge of Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford.

Father Racine has served as chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, and chaplain of the Moby Dick Council of the Boy Scouts.

He has also served as chaplain of the Fall River Fire Department and is currently the chaplain of the New Bedford Fire Department.

Editor’s note: Please note that some of the files from which The Anchor gathered this information may have some gaps, and consequently, some assignments or ministries may have been omitted or are incorrect. The Anchor apologizes for any such occurrences.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks:

Aug. 29 Rev. Joseph DeVillandre, D.D., Founder, Sacred Heart, North Attleboro, 1921 Msgr. William H. Harrington, Retired Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1975 Aug. 30 Rev. Frederick Meyers, SS.CC., Former Pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption, New Bedford, 2008 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, Former Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 2008 Sept. 1 Rev. Paul Robinson, O. Carm., Former Diocesan Judicial Vicar, 2018 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 Sept. 7 Very Rev. James E. McMahon, V. F. Pastor, Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs, 1966 Rev. Raymond Pelletier, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1984 Sept. 8 Rev. Thomas Sheehan, Founder, Holy Trinity, Harwich Center, 1868 Sept. 9 Rev. Thomas Halkovic, C.S.C., Campus Ministry, Stonehill College, North Easton, 2017 Sept. 10 Rev. Hugo Dylla, Pastor, St. Stanislaus, Fall River, 1966 Rt. Rev. Felix S. Childs, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1969 Sept. 11 Rev. Joachim Shults, SS.CC., Our Lady of Assumption, New Bedford, 1987 Rev. Cyril Augustyn, OFM Conv., Pastor, Holy Rosary, Taunton, 1997 Rev. Francis E. Grogan, C.S.C., Superior, Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, 2001 Rev. Martin Grena, Retired Missionary, 2004 Rev. Terence F. Keenan, Retired, Former Pastor, St. Mary, South Dartmouth 2010

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Tragedies in human medical experimentation

etween 1932 and 1972, a series of highly unethical medical studies were performed on a group of 400 African-Americans by doctors from the U.S. Public Health Service.

Officially referred to as the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, the research protocol enrolled 399 impoverished sharecroppers from Macon County, Alabama, all of whom had syphilis, and a control group of 201 others who were free of the disease.

The 399 were never told that they had syphilis or that their condition was sexually-transmitted, but only that they had “bad blood.“ The study began at a time when no effective treatments for syphilis existed, but as penicillin became the standard of care during the mid-1940s, the infected men were not offered the new drug; in fact, it was withheld from them during the next 25 years, to enable researchers to track the progression of their disease.

The outcry that followed the public revelation of these unethical research methods, described in an investigative report in the Washington Star, resulted in the study finally being shut down.

By then, there had already been widespread devastation, with 28 participants having died from syphilis, 100 more having perished from related complications, and the subjects’ having transmitted the disease to at least 14

40 spouses and 19 of their children.

In May, 1997 President Clinton issued a public apology to the victims and their families, stating, “The United States government did something that was wrong — deeply, profoundly, morally wrong.” Many afterward questioned how such ethically offensive research could have continued unabated for so many decades.

In the final analysis, the Tuskegee syphilis experiments relied upon a defective theory of ethics, still popular today, known as “utilitarianism.” Utilitarianism seeks to determine right from wrong by focusing on a calculation of consequences (and so is sometimes also called “consequentialism”), asserting that the best ethical choice is the one that produces "the greatest good for the greatest number" and maximizes “usefulness.”

For the Tuskegee experiments, the usefulness was the knowledge gained through studying the progression of syphilis in human patients, including what consequences (like blindness, insanity) typically can be expected to occur, at what stages, etc.

This basic medical knowledge could end up serving the interests of thousands or millions of other individuals in the future, it was asserted, even as doctors overlooked the litany of sufferings and harms

† August 21, 2020

inflicted on an unfortunate few.

A utilitarian approach to justifying scientific research on humans usually implies that we need to “balance” the value of new scientific discoveries against the dignity of human experimental subjects. In this view, the two represent “competing values,” and in a world with no moral

absolutes, some individuals may emphasize one set of values, while others will give more weight to another. Compromise can then open up a “middle” solution, allowing for some experimentation on humans to be carried out for the good of research, even if it might at times be harmful, debilitating or lethal to its subjects.

In any real world setting, this means that those who are most vulnerable — the poor, the weak, the disenfranchised and the sick — become rife for exploitation whenever particular research goals are declared worthy of pursuit.

This utilitarian approach to “balancing values” provides a highly flawed ethical framework that has been used to justify other immoral biomedical research projects like the German medical experiments on prisoners

during the Second World War, human embryonic stem-cell research, and other forms of exploitative human experimentation.

In each of these, researchers have been motivated by good goals like learning about disease, developing treatments, and helping others. Finding treatments and making progress against disease is clearly very praiseworthy. But a good end cannot justify an immoral means. That is where the need for a non-utilitarian ethical understanding becomes paramount. Maintaining immovable negative ethical norms against the abuse of research subjects is key, including norms like: “Do no harm,” “do not kill,” “always secure informed consent,” etc.

The rights of patients to these protections should not be taken as values to be balanced against the goals of research. This risks sweeping away the vital interests of human subjects in a tide of appeals to societal utility or medical progress. The negative norm, which requires that one should never harm,

exploit or destroy human life in the pursuit of laudable research goals, can only be fulfilled in one way: by refusing to violate the norm.

These kinds of negative norms serve the essential role of setting fixed and clear boundaries for ethically acceptable research, strict limits on the pursuit of even the most worthwhile of scientific goals. This helps assure that humans, who are endowed with an absolute value and a unique dignity in themselves, are appropriately protected from any forms of utilitarian reckoning.

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

M

uch like my boss and friend, Father Rich Wilson (his Taunton and Fall River names), I like to use song lyrics in my columns. Not to show how well-versed I am, but because I love music and as my Facebook quote reads, “Music is the lifeblood of existence.”

Wow, I haven't digressed (in a column) for a while now. Feels good.

Anyway, back to my story. In 2005, Don McLean (of “American Pie” fame) penned the brilliant “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” an homage of sorts to Dutch art legend Vincent van Gogh. One line in that song particularly stands out, among so many beautiful ones: “This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.”

Whenever I hear that line I can’t help but think of my dad, good old Larry.

Not so much that he was too good for this world, although that debate could be staged. No, I think of Larry when, as a young man of 21 years old, he left everything that he knew and loved, especially his private fishing hole, the forbidden North Watuppa Pond in Fall River, to enlist in the U.S. Navy just months after our nation was pulled into a world war.

Similar to 9/11 and the assassinations of JFK and MLK, and more recently, the inhumane killing of George Floyd, the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December of 1941 changed everything. In a way, like the year 2020 has.

Larry, who had to wear Navy uniforms that were too big for him because they couldn’t find any small enough, went from hiding from game wardens on the

Larry and van Gogh placid North Watuppa to the living hell of the South Pacific Ocean at the beginning of WWII. Despite being surrounded by bombs, bullets, torpedoes, and depth charges, Larry never lost who he was — a man of compassion and sensitivity. He helped nurse his wounded shipmates when there wasn’t a nurse to be found. He told me how he fed them like babies with little spoonfuls of soup.

He told me of his destroyer sinking an enemy submarine, watching it rise to the surface one final time before dragging the entire crew to a cold, dark ocean grave. He told me how he grieved for the men on board and what they were going through.

He didn’t say the enemy on board, he said the men — men like himself who were only doing what they were told.

He told me (as I’ve mentioned to my brother on Hawaii, Father Ukulele in Molokai) how his and other U.S. ships would use the leper colony as target practice, peppering the tiny island with shells of destruction. He told me how his heart broke for those on

the island.

The war did a tune on my dad; physically and psychologically. He fell flat on his back on the hard steel of the ship’s deck; his body was damaged by the extreme climate changes when his ship sailed from the steamy South Pacific to frigid Alaska to help clear some enemy-inhabited islands in the Aleutians.

He refused to go for MRIs because it reminded him of the men in the submarine.

Leave it to Larry to find some oases amidst the carnage and death of war. When on shore leave in Washington state he would go to a friend’s house on a tranquil lake to fish or paddle a canoe to help forget his harsh reality. This while some of his shipmates headed for the nearest bar.

When on leave amidst the small islands of the South Pacific, his shipmates could find him helping the island natives prepare a seafood feast.

I take Don McLean’s

lyrics and alter just one word when it comes to Larry: War was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

I write this because this month marks the 75th anniversary of the ending of the war in the South Pacific.

I know Larry was upset with the horrific bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, again something over which he had no control.

He never spoke of the ending of the war and what he felt, but I often wonder what sense of relief came over the then 24-yearold kid from a half a world away.

A positive note through his war years was that he received his honorable discharge and arrived back home on Smithies Street in Fall River on Christmas Eve 1945 — a complete surprise to his parents.

I don't know if Larry came back the same person — if I were a betting man, I would say no. I would say he came back with a greater love for life. I would say that he didn’t become hardened or bitter from losing nearly four years in his early 20s.

If he did, it never showed. Even in the late stages of his life when

dementia was robbing us of the man, he didn’t complain or rue the fact that for four years, he saw, heard, smelled and felt things no one ever should.

It wasn’t until his dementia became firmly entrenched in that once beautiful mind, that he spoke of his Navy days. But even through the scourge of dementia, his compassion and sensitivity shone through (more than could be said about his reaction to being in a home!).

When 2020 makes me feel sad because of all the plans that have been canceled and the places we can’t go to any longer, I sometimes think of Larry, the young man in throes of war, and things don’t seem so bad.

I had a grandfather Larry who survived the Spanish Flu and WWI, and a dad Larry who survived WWII. I think I can handle not going on vacation or going out to eat, and social distancing and wearing a mask.

Larry’s (dad’s) 99th birthday was this week. War was never meant for someone as beautiful as him, but life was, because we need more people like him in the world. Miss you. davejolivet@anchornews. org.

August 21, 2020 †

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Saint Vincent’s Services annual Motorcycle Run on August 16 helped support the financial strain associated with the needs presented by COVID-19, such as maintaining staffing ratios, the equipment needed to support telehealth options in the clinic, the increased demand for cleaning supplies and Personal Protection Equipment.

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† August 21, 2020