09.09.05 by The Anchor

VOL. 49, NO. 34 • Friday, September 9, 2005

FALL RIVER, MASS.

Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year

A Woman's Concern pregnancy health center set to open By MIKE GORDON ANCHOR STAFF

FALL RIVER - A Woman's Concern, a center providing pregnancy health services for women of the Greater Fall River area, will be officially dedicated and hold an open house September 17 at 6 p.m. Ceremonies will be held at the Union United Methodist Church, 400 Highland Avenue and the open house will be held at the new location, 384 Highland Avenue at 7 p.m. Bishop George W. Coleman will be on hand to give a reflection on the Gospel of Life. The bishop said he is "excited and hopeful about the opening of

the new center. It is my hope that this inter-faith collaborative effort will provide women experiencing crisis pregnancies the help they need to the building of a true culture of life here in the community." The non-profit center will offer a range of medical and counseling services to hundreds of women who face unplanned pregnanCies including pregnancy testing, diagnostic ultrasound, parenting classes and counseling so women can make a healthy choice about their pregnancy. All services are free of charge. The Reverend John Ensor, of Tum to page 16 - Center

A YOUNG refugee from Louisiana gets some rest with his new furry friend at St. Peter Claver Parish in Houston, a designated American Red Cross shelter. (CNS photo by Erik Noriega, Texas Catholic Herald)

Pastors may take .a collection for relief of hurricane victims By DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR AND CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

FALL RIVER - Bishop George W. Coleman has authorized pastors of parishes in the Fall River diocese to take up a collection for hurricane relief in affected Southern states, with funds going to Catholic Chari-

ties USA: The collections may be held on either of the weekends of September 4, 11 and 18, with returns to the Chancery Office no later than September28. In his message to priests, Bishop Coleman said, 'The utter devasta-

tion and destruction by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts ofAorida grows worse by the day. We have only to watch the news and our hearts go out to the people of this area. It will be months and years before the area Tum to page eight - Hurricane

Diocese, St. Francis Corporation outline agreement regarding Cape high school

THIS GRAND old home in the Highlands of Fall River will house A Women's Concern pregnancy health center. Bishop George W. Coleman will attend the opening ceremonies on September 17. (AnchorlGordon photo)

HYANNIS - Sharing a strong desire for the establishment of a Catholic high school on Cape Cod, the Fall River diocese and the S1. Francis Xavier High School Corporation have been meeting during the past months to consider how such a school could come to realization at the former Grade Five School build-

ing on High School Road in Hyannis. These discussions have been fruitful: A memorandum of understanding regarding the acquisition of the building and the initial planning for the creation of a high school at the site has been drawn-up and signed by representatives of both entities.

Its terms stipulate that the S1. Francis Corporation will be responsible for raising all of the funding necessary for the purchase and renovation of the building, which combined is estimated to be $10 million. On August 12, the S1. Francis Corporation acquired the building Tum to page two - School

Diocese's Catholic parishes mobilize voters for 2005 elections By JAMES MCGUNCHEY SPECIAL TO THE ANCHOR

FALL RIVER - The 2005 Massachusetts municipal elections are considered "off-year" elections -less important compared to the 2004 Presidential campaign. Nonetheless, nine diocesan parishes - four in Fall River, four in New Bedford, and one in Taunton - are conducting "get-out-thevote" campaigns this year with the same intensity as during last November's election. In both the primary and final ele<;tions, the parishes will send nearly 30,000 reminder postcards - one to each and every parishi9ner who is registered to vote. Timely reminders from the pulpit and notices in the weekly parish bulletin are necessary to ensure parishioners are heeding the call. But to make a difference in the no-

holds-barred political arena and to guaran- Santo and S1. Anne's in Fall River, and S1. tee that elected officials are mindful of the Anthony's in Taunton, have a strong, devoting strength of the parish, stronger tools cades-long, history ofpromoting citizenship are sometimes required. and voter registration. No one knew, howIf the past is any indication, in Fall River ever, exactly how politically powerful these and New Bedford, parishes really these get-out-the"l h C h" d' . were. vote efforts will n teat O,IC tra Itlon, respon- This lack of inreach 20 percent of sible citizenship is a virtue; partici- formation had a all voters or one in pation in the political process is a price. On the down every five of a~l moral obligation."_ U.S. Conference side, without a fear votes cast. That. IS of Catholic Bishops. of ~ ~~ter backlash, the measurable mpolibclans could rationalize ignoring fluence ofthese parishes alone and that is the foundation of the parish issues because many parishioners building political influence. As the vener- were immigrants and had not become U.S. able Massachusetts politician, Thomas P. citizens. These leaders could direct scarce ''TIp'' O'Neal Jr. once said "all politics is public resources to other, more active, conlocal." stituencies. On the positive side, however, Parishes like Santo Christo, Espirito more perceptive politicians understood that

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there still remained a large number of parishioners who were eligible to vote. In 2000, the Santo Christo pastor Father Gastao Oliviera and a committee of parish volunteers became one of the fIrst parishes to join the Portuguese American Citizenship Project, a non-partisan campaign to promote citizenship and civic participation in the immigrant community. One of the initial steps taken was to identify the registered voters in the parish by linking the parish membership list with the Fall River voter registration and voter participation data. The parish committee discovered that the voter registration rate was 41 percent - significantly less than the U.S. voter registration rate of 66 percent of the voting age population. But 41 percent of a very large Tum to page 12 - Elections

Friday, September 9, 2005 cil of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will attend a Mass September. 12 at 7 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church for. the intention of the canonization of Blessed Frederic Ozanam and in memory of deceased members. It's regular monthly meeting will follow in the parish hall.

Communion and Liberation group to present lecture series in New Bedford the reasonability of faith. The lectures follow a path Msgr. Giussani presented to his students during his years as a high school teacher and university professor. Father Michael Carvill, a priest of the Fraternity of St. Charles Borremeo and pastor of St. Joseph's Parish inAttleboro, will present the lectures. Theywill be held at St. Mary's Parish Center on 106 Illinois Street in New Bedford from 7-8:30 p.m. on the following Monday evenings this fall: . September 26- The- Religious Sense, at the 'core of our being; October 3 - The Method of .the Religious Sense - reality as a' sign and the discovery of reason; October. 17 - The Religious , Sense, religions, and the hypothesis of revelation; October 24'-:" At the Origin of - the Christian Claim; November 7 - The Christian, a new being in the world· There is no cost for the seminar, but a free-will offering will be collected at the end of each session, Refreshments will be served. The lectures are open to everyone. For more information, please contact Bob Sampson at 508-995-6235 or Amy Hurteau at 508-995-6798.

NEW BEDFORD - The Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation will present a series of five lectures titled, "From the Religious Sense to Christianity," on the fundamental works of Msgr. Luigi Giussani. . Msgr. Giussani founded Communion and Liberation in 1954 among four high school students. The movement can now be found in more than 70 countries around the world. The seminar will be an exploration of the religious questions that face humanity today, and:?f

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PRACTICE THE DEVOTION OF THE FIRST SATURDAYS, AS REQUESTED BY OUR LADY OF FATIMA

On December 10, 1925, Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia (seer of Fatima) and spoke these words: "Announce in my name that I promise to assist at the hour ofdeath with the graces

necessary for the salvation oftheir souls,all those who on the first Saturday of five consecutive months shall: 1. Go to confession; 2. Receive Holy Communion; 3. Recite the Rosary (5 decades); and 4. Keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the 15 mysteries ofthe Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me." In a spirit of reparation, the above conditions are each to be preceded by the.words: "In reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." Confessions may be made during 8 days before or after the first Saturday, and Holy Communion may be received at either the morning or evening Mass on the first Saturday.

Publicity chairmen are asked to submit news items for this column to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, 02722. Name of city or town should be in.eluded, as well as full dates of . all activities. DEADLINE IS NOON ON FRIDAYS. Events published must be of interest and open to our general readership. We do not carry notices of fU'nd-raising activities, which maybe advertised at our regiiIar rates, obtainable from our busin~ office at 508·675-7151. ATTLEBORO - The National Shrine..of Our -Lady of La Salette will host the 51st annual Catholic Family Pilgrimage Day on September 11 begilJning with recitation of the rosary at 11 :30 a.m. Mass will be-celebrated at 12:10.p.m. by Bishop Emeritus Louis E. Gelineau of Providence, R.I. ' On September 15 at 7:36 p.m. the Shrine will begin a series celebrating theYear of the Eucharist. The first evening will be on "Communion With the Lord and Church," by La Salette Father Ronald Beauchemin, superior of the Attleboro La Salette commu-

nity. The Shrine will host its annual feast on September .16-19 marking the anniversary of the appearance of Mary to two shepherd children in La Salette, France in 1846. Events are scheduled for each day. For more information call 508-222-5410. BREWSTER - Beginning today, the Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish will offer "Come Walk With Me," a six-session program for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. It will be held from 7 to 8:30

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NORTH EASTON - The program "Recovery and Prayer: Reflecting' on the Serenity of Prayer" will be held Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street. It will consist of talks, guided meditations and a viewing of "The Haunted Heart," a video based on the suffering of Christ and the experience of divine and human love. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508-238-4095.

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. - A Day'With'Mary will be held September 24 beginning at 7:50 a.m. at St. Joseph's Parish, 391 High Street. It will include a slide presentation, procession, crowning ceremony, the celebration of Mass and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. For more information ca1l401-723-5427. FALL RIVER - The Massachusetts Citizens for. Life is sponsoring the annual Respect Life Walk to Aid Mothers and Children, on October 2. at 1 p.m. at the Boston Common. Buses will be leaving the Fall River diocese from Immaculate Conception Parish on County Street at 11 :30 a.m. A second pick-up will be at the Taunton Galleria Park-and-Ride at 11 :45 a.m. To reserve seats or for more information call Dot Nicolau at 508-674-8695 by Sep- . tember28.

NORTH EASTON - The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows will be celebrated September 15 beginning with the rosary at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph's Chapel, 500Washington Street. It will include public adoration of the Eucharist and Mass will be celebrated at noon. Our Lady of Sorrows is the patroness of the priests and Brothers of the CQngregation of the Holy Cross. For more information c~ 508-238-4095.

FALMOUTH - St. Patrick's Church Council of Catholic Women will hold a membership tea on September 18 at 3 p.m. in the church hall. New members are welcome.

ONSET -:- Internationally accJaimed recording artist Tatiana will perform "I Do Believe: The Story of Christ," October 15 at "7 p.m. at St. Mary St¥ of the Sea Chapel. For more information call 508-759-7777 or visit the Web at: www.cameronproductions.org.

NORTH DARTMOUTH The Diocesa!1 Divorced-Sepa~ rated Support Group will meet September 12 from 7-9 p.m. at the Family Life Center, 500 Slocum Road. Guest speaker Andy Morgan will address the topic "Get-· ting Your X in Focus.'~ Refreshmentswill follow. For more information call Bob Menard at 508673-2997.

WEST HARWICH":'" On September 15, the feast of Our Lady. of Sorrows, Deacon Vincent Walsh will give a presentation on Pope Benedict XVI at 7:30 p.m. in Damien Hall at Holy Trinity Parish. It will begin with praise and worship through song. For more information call 508398-1139.

NORTH EASTON - Members of the Taunton District Coun-

School

Continued from page one

from the Town ofBamstable for $3 million. The acquisition was made possible in large measure due to the extraordinary 'generosity of Osterville resident Frank Ward, who personally pledged $2 million to the project. It is the expressed hope of both the diocese and the St. Francis Corporation that the school be ready to welcome its first freshman class in September 2006. In order for this' to happen, though, the St. Francis Corporation will need to secure $5 million in cash and pledges by December 1 of this year to provide adequate time for necessary repairs and other renovations to be completed in and around the property. If this goal is not reached, the opening ofthe school will be pushed ahead'one year, to September 2007. , The St. Francis Corporation will tum the school project over to the

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Fall River diocese when 80 percent of the total $10 million has been raised in cash and/or pledges, yet remain responsible for acquiring the balance of the funding. The Cape high school will be named in memory of the late Pope John Paul IT. During the fund-raising phase, officials from the diocesan Education Department will have input into renovation plans and will oversee cuniculum development and the hiring of staff. Once the St. Francis Xavier Corporation successfully carries out the terms of the agreement, Pope John Paul IT High School \\jll become part of the network of diocesan schools. It has long been the dream of many to offer Catholic secondary education on Cape Cod and the diocese looks forward to the day when' the Pope John Paul IT High School will provide this.

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Friday, September 9, 2005

Memorial Mass honors native son, Texas Bishop Joseph P. Delaney FALL RIVER - A memorial Mass for the late Bishop Joseph P. Delaney of Fort Worth, Texas, a native of this city who never forgot his roots, was celebrated August 29 in St. Mary's Cathedral with former fellow priests, classmates, friends and family in attendD"ce. Bishop George W. Coleman was the principal celebrant and homilist, with 10 other priests concelebrating the Mass for Bishop Delaney, who died at the age of7! on July 12 in Fort Worth, where he had been bishop for nearly 24 years. At the Mass here were several Sisters of the Holy Union of Sacred Hearts; classmates of Bishop Delaney from Sacred Heart School in Fall River and Coyle-Cassidy High School in Taunton; as well as friends and neighbors from Sacred Heart Parish, where the late bishop grew up. The family was represented by the late bishop's cousin, Mrs. Marilyn Delaney Dube, and her husband Leo R. Dube Sr. of Swansea, and their son, Leo R. Dube Jr., of Dartmouth. "Although he (Bishop Delaney) had been severely disabled by the effects of surgery and treatment for pancreatic cancer, his death was sudden; and all the more traumatic coming the day before the ordina. tion of the new coadjutor bishop, (Bishop Kevin Vann), who then became his successor rather than his helper," Bishop Coleman recalled in his homily. While Bishop Delaney left instructions that the homilist at his funeral Mass was to preach on the Scriptures and not on him, "but as we come here today those who knew him can't help remembering - a classmate at Sacred Heart School, a neighbor, a fellow seminarian, a brother priest, a neighboring curate, a classmate or later a religion teacher at Coyle High EDICTAL CITATION DIOCESAN TRIBUNAL FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS Since his present domicile is unknown, in accord with the provision of Canon 1509.1, we hereby cite Glen A. Jeffrey to appear personally before the Tribunal of the Oiocese of Fall River (887 High· land Avenue, Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts) on September 23, 2005 at'2:30 p.m., to give his testimony regarding the question:

School," Bishop Coleman noted. "In that remembrance there are lessons as well ... about the call to discipleship in the universal Church. Taking a theme from the Sunday Gospel in which Jesus spells out that his disciples must take up their cross and follow him and his plan for them, Bishop Coleman cited Bishop Delaney as "such a disciple, one open to God's plan. A plan that led him in his min-

or activities which suffer from a shortage of clergy." While Bishop Delaney's commitment to his new flock was firm and soon made permanent, "Nonetheless he treasured the people and the places so familiar to him here. He said you could have a sailboat on the Gulf in South Texas, but there was no place to sail to. There was no Cuttyhunk, no Menemsha, no Hadley's Harbor off the Texas coast." When Bishop Delaney visited Fall River for his 50th anniversary of gradation from Coyle High School, he eagerly visited Provincetown and Cape Cod. He was disappointed that

istry from Fall River to Brownsville, (Texas), and then to Fort Worth. God's plan for him involved suffering from various medical problems in spite of the fact that he never carried an extra pound, and that he loved to run and to ski." Bishop Coleman cited a passage from Vatican Council II's Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests that priests "should show themselves willing and ready ... to exercise their ministry in other regions, missions

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Anyone who has knowledge of the domicile of Glen A. Jeffrey is hereby required to inform him of this citation. Given at the offices of the Oiocesan Tribunal in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachu· setts on September 2, 2005. (Rev.) Paul F. Robinson, O. Cann., J.C.O. Judicial Vicar

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he could not attend the Fall River diocese's 100th anniversary in 2004, Bishop Coleman said. "In the Gospel of John (17:24-26), just read, Jesus recalls his disciples' gifts from the Father and he prays, 'I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.' Our prayer today is that Joseph Patrick Delaney, son, brother, bishop, disciple, may be among those disciples rejoicing as they behold the glory of the Lord," Bishop Coleman said, concluding his homily.

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Friday. September 9, 2005

T HE LANDING Let's Roll Again The response to the terrorist attacks of September-.11th - the fourth anniversary of which we mark this weekend - has provided the standard by which we are able to evaluate the response to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Four years ago, overwhelmed as we were by the sens~ of evil and the scenes of destruction and death, we were at the same tIme buoyed by the sense of goodness and scenes of heroism in so many of our fellow citizens. _ As tens of thousands were running from the Twin Towers, brave firemen, policemen and chaplains were running in. Husbands and dads and boyfriends flying above central Pennsylvania gave their lives to protect others on the ground. The first instinct of so many was to ask, "How can I help?;" as, within hours of the attack, ordinary New Yorkers stood in line for hours' to give blood, and doctors and nurses sprinted for miles to trauma units in case they might be needed. Political leaders, moreover, did what they were elected to do lead - and did so under immense pressure with grit, courage, mag-nanimity and grace. In the midst of the dusty darkness of one of the worst days in American history, the rays of light from the best of Americans began to radiate. There have certainly bee!Mixamples of self-sacrificing bravery in the Bayou as ordinary citizens converted their boats into modern versions of Noah's ark and rescue personnel have made helicopter extrications look easy. But at least initially, the contrasts between 2005 New Orleans and 2001 New York have been more striking than the comparisons. Moral evil is always worse than physical evil. What has been tougher to handle than the natural disaster wrought by a category five hurricane has been the man-made disaster effected by commis~ions and omissions we witnessed during the first week of the ongoing tragedy. Rather than bringing out the best in people, we've seen the catastrophe bring out the worst in many: armed gangs shooting at innocent bystanders and Medivac helicopters; women being physically violated and'killed; policemen abandoning their duty to protect and serve; politicians engaging in the blame game rather than overcoming differences and working together as leaders to solve an urgent crisis urgently. Rather than "How can I help?,~' many have seemed to ask, "How can I profit?" The spirit of self-giving sacrifice and leadership that so marked the Big Apple four years ago needs to be brought to the Big Easy and its environs, because the rebuilding project will need to be much more extensive and long-term. None of us should duck the hard questions that need to be asked and the hard work that needs to be done. There is a serious moral problem that goes well beyond race or class that needs to be confronted. Citizens, moreover, must hold politicians and themselves accountable for failing adequately to prepare and to respond: And all of us must work together to heal our self-inflicted black eye by proving ourselves to be the Good Samaritan of our Gulf Region neighbors rather than bandits who prey on them or passers-by who ignore them. There's plenty of opportunity to do so. Bishop Coleman has authorized every parish to take up a special second collection to help out the charitable work of the Church in the affected dioceses. Many have already done so and parishioners have responded with great generosity. There are also several thousand evacuees in our own diocese, and Governor Mitt Romney has put out a clear call for th~ types of help needed in Bourne, especially in terms of volunteer personnel. In addition to their material needs, their spiritual needs also will need to be attended to. While the beginning of our response clearly could have been better, the buzzer has not yet sounded. Our finest hour may. not 路have been the first, but there's still time. The words of Todd Beamer given four years ago this weekend continue to echo and to challenge: "Are you guys ready? Let's roll!"

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OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

Published weekly except for two weeks in July and the \I\I~ek after Chi'istmas by the Catholic Press ofthe Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 - FAX 508-675-7048, E-mail: theanchor@anchomews.org. Subscription price by man, poslpaid $14.00 per year. , Send address changes to P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call (~ruse E-mail ,address Member: Catholic Press Association, New England Press Association. Catholic NewsSetvice PUBLISHER路 Bishop George W. Coleman EXECUTNE EDITOR Father Roger J. Landry fatherrogerlandry@anchomews.org EDITOR David B. Jollvel daveJollvet@anchomews.org NEWS EDITOR Deacon James N. Dunbar Jimdunbar@al1chomewt:org REPORTER Michael Gordon mlkegordon@anchomews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchomews.org

Send Letters to the Editor to: theanchor@anchomews.org POSTMASTERS Send-address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box. 7. faIl Riv~. MA 02722. THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020) Periodical Postage Paid at FaIl River, Mass.

the living word

NEW ORLEANS ARCHBISHOP ALFRED

HUGHES TALKS WITH BERTHA MYLES AFfER SUNDAY

MAss AT ST. JOSEPH CATHEDRAL IN BATON ROUGE, LA.,

SEJYfEMBER

MYLES, ALSO A NEW

ORLEANS RESIDENT, WAS AMONG THOSE ATIENDING THE SERVICE WHO HAD BEEN DISPLACED BY HURRICANE KATRINA -AND SUBSEQUENT FLOODING. (CNS PHOTO BY PAUL HARING)

"My COMFORT:IN MY SUFFERING IS TIDS: YOUR PROMISE PRESERVES MY LIFE" PSALM 119:50.

Surprised by Christ young people they interviewed As part of his opening could not even find the words remarks at the recent World to express the profound admiraYouth Day celebration in tion and love they felt for their Cologne, Germany, Pope new Holy Father. Instead of the Benedict XVI told the crowds "subdued" and "reserved" of young-people: "Open wide - . respons~ that the. reporters your hearts to God! Let expected to find in the young yourselves be surprised by Christ!" The Holy Father spoke people, there was only exhilarathese words from a boat on the tUm and thrill at the prospect of Rhine to the thousands of being with the pope. As one young people who stood along the banks of the river to see and hear him. The beautiful scene was reminiscent of the one described in the Gospel, when Our By Father David Lord also addressed the A.-Pignato crowds from his position on St. Peter's boat, on the lake in Galilee (Lk 5:3). who attended the World Youth Surprise was certainly the Day celebrations, and watched sentiment of many of the media the media coverage at the end . of each day, I was sad to see correspondents who covered - how the world still struggles to the event. They were quite frank about their assumption understand the appeal of the that most of the young people Catholic faith and the Church, due to the world's failure to would be disappointed to be celebrating World Youth Day understand Christ. with Pope Benedict, rather than It was evident that many with Pope John Paul II. Some figures in the media were of the reporters even suggested surprised that there was any to their interviewees that it faith left in Christ and his must be difficult to relate to Church. They were surprised this new Pope whose style and that more than one million mannerisms are so different young people would put l;IP from those of the spiritual and with the messy inconvenience charismatic giant, who was his and long, frustrating delays in predecessor. order to celebrate holy Mass But surprise was the reaction with the leader of their Church. of these reporters, when the They were baffled by the fact

Putting Into the Deep

that so many young people would be so exCited about their faith and so willing to show it. Yet, this. surprise felt by the media was most likely not what Pope Benedict had in mind. The surprise that the Holy Father was referring to takes place at a deeper level, in the hearts of believers. It happens when we realize that what Jesus says is actually true. Even faithful Christians can be influenced by the secular world to be a little skeptical about some of the promises of Christ. For example, he promised that if we try to save our lives, we will lose them, but if we lose our lives for his sake, we will find them (Mt 16:25). He promised that the yoke of following him is easy, and the burden of obeying him is light.(Mt 11 :30). These and other promises of Christ are sometimes hard to believe. It's only when we put into the deep by ,trusting Christ and trying to live as he taught us, that we discover his words are actually true. And it is then that we are surprised by Christ - surprised to find the more abundant life he promised us, and surprised to discover that the world is wrong to be skeptical of him. Anyone who has given Christ this chance knows that it is a pleasant surprise, indeed.

Friday, September 9, 2005

Guardians of the Gospel The Gospel stories offer us hope that bring the female women, and we discussed how rich accounts of Jesus' respect, followers of Christ to both the we came to faith. As the conversaadmiration, and ministry to foot of the Cross and to the tomb. tion unfolded, I found myself in God entrusts humanity in particuwomen of his day. Jesus crosses the sacred space of memories and cultural boundaries to embrace all lar to woman. Jesus, God's son, mystery, hopes and joys, trials and of humanity. These accounts have through his words, deeds, and tragedies as mother and daughter "every woman" pass before our conversations, transforms the recounted the powerful presence eyes: the woman with the flow of position of the women of his day of God, faith, prayer and devotion blood is healed physically, and and enables them to become in their family history. I discovJesus liberates her to ered I was hearing the -----------r-~::_-voice of five generations return to her faith community (Lk 8:43-48). of women "echoing" the For the widow of Naim, faith to others. Jesus is moved with pity Marion Carrier is the and concerned for her director of Religious economic and socially Education at Good desperate situation, and Shepherd Parish in Fall By Lisa M. Gulino brings her only son back River. In this story of five to life (Lk 7: 11-17). generations of Gospel Jesus' friends and guardians, Marion is the "guardians of the Gospel mesconfidants included Mary and third generation. Her daughter sage" cf. John Paul II, "Dignity Martha, with whom he conversed Deborah is the Youth Minister and Vocation of Women." A about the truths of revelation and and confirmation coordinator for faith, the mysteries of life, death, guardian of the Gospel message is the parishes of Good Shepherd and Holy Trinity in Fall River. and resurrection. His conversation one who, by word, deed and action, continues to hand on, Christin Jezak, Deb's daughter with these beloved friends is one of the most important conversaand founder of the Immaculate echo, in fact to evangelize and catechize 'others in the ways and tions recorded in the Gospels. Art Ministry Theatre Troupe, teachings of the faith. In Christ's public life we see resides at Good Shepherd and has I was sharing one evening with "missioned" throughout the him revealing his heart and his message to women. His teachings my friends and colleagues, diocese for various events. I aSked, "Who had the greatest Deborah Jezakand her mother are met with a deep response of Marion Carrier, about this series impact on your faith?" Each faith, one which involves mind, of articles. One conversation led pointed to their respective heart, will, and emotions. It is the to another, as it often does with grandmothers. They readily admit feminine qualities of strength and

...

The Church

....

and the Dignity of Women

A different storm surge Take a good look at the U.S. Flag - red, white and blue. No black though. I wonder if that's purely coincidental, or if that played a part in the atrocities of aid sent, or sent late, to New Orleans. The sights, sounds, smells and stories emanating from the Deep

My View From the Stands By Dave Jolivet South for the last two weeks have been horrific. And most of them will remain with me and others for a long time to come. But there is one story I just can't let go. The terrible tale originated on CNN when a news anchor received a phone call from a woman trapped in the New Orleans Ritz Carlton with 300 other guests. She told of sub-par living conditions in the 527-room five-star hotel. She asked for help to evacuate her and her fellow refugees. The next time I heard her voice, which sounded like a white person, was from BaltimoreWashington International Airport in Maryland. She thanked CNN for making their plight known. Because of the on-air exposure, a caravan of nearly 20 buses arrived under the cloak of darkness to rescue these well-to-do refugees. Yet all the while the poor and mostly black population of the

Superdome and the Convention Center continued to live in squalor, crime and hunger waiting for a simple bottle of water. The women told CNN the horrid tale of having to wade four blocks to the Westin Hotel in polluted water to meet the buses. She mentioned that some doctors with the group "commandeered" some antibiotics from a local store to prevent diseases. Funny, when the poor blacks of New Orleans broke into stores, regardless of the reason, they were called looters. Maybe it's just me, but 300 people living in conditions with nearly 500 broken toilets, is far better than 20,000 people living with a handful of broken toilets. And 300 people living in conditions with nearly 500 luxury beds is a bit better than 20,000 people with no beds. The early relief efforts were nothing short of racist and. classist. '1 was almost ashamed of being white until I realized most white people consider all people brothers and sisters in the Lord. Unfortunately, some that don't were some who headed up relief efforts. There are those who say that it .wasn't classism and racism, but that 80 percent ofNew Orleans is black. But I would bet my bottom dollar that if the Big Easy was 80 percent white, middle to upper class, the relief efforts would have been no

where near the disaster it has been. To all the blacks who are suffering and homeless, our thoughts, prayers, and donations are with you. To all the racist, classist folks in this country, just remember: no ancestors ofours were natives to this land of the free. Oh yeah, there are Native Americans - but they're not treated so well either, are they? Comments are welcome at dave;olivet@anchornews.org.

that the combined devotions, lived faith and embodiment of the Gospel truths of each woman mirrored some aspect of faith, hope and love. , Mariana Pereira, Marion's grandmother, taught the prayers to her and Deb in Portuguese. Deb recalls, "My great-grandmother's faith was lived out by way of devotion. I was intrigued every , time I saw her pray her rosary." Both Marion and Deb recalled that Mariana's face would light up as she talked about her faith. She opened the door to her family whenever they needed a listening heart, counsel or simply a person to cry. with. Deb laughs recalling, "Each person seemed to leave with a plate offood in hand." Louise Lizotte, Marion's mother is a great woman of faith and prayer. Christin recalls that she "leamed about the saints from her, usually by flipping through religious catalogues." Marion and Deb recall that Louise declared St. Therese to be ''the patron saint of the whole family." Christin attributes her own devotion to the Little Flower to this greatgrandmother. Deb reflects, "I was touched by my grandmother's dedication to intercessory prayers .for family and neighbors. Often people would seek my grandmother out and ask her prayers." Handing on family faith stories is important and "it reminds us that God is present in our lives and takes care of us," states Deborah. Marion attributes this as a key grace which sustained her and her family through the personal tragedy oflosing their son at the age of six. Marion shares, "This tragedy is what brought me to my ministry. Being rooted in faith, yet struggling to make sense of this tragedy, my husband felt the need to share the faith, so he became a catechist. I followed shortly thereafter.

Working with children, helping to form them in faith, gave me the grace to work through this." Deb shared that she became a catechist at the invitation of her mom. "And Christin," I asked, "how did she get involved with ministry?" Immediately, both women held their arms in the cradle position and in unison, said, "She grew up in the Church, and always assisted in one capacity or another." Christin is away at Vtllanova doing graduate work in theater. Her ministry flows from her love of the arts. Christin and her troupe of students and young adults masterfully produce plays, dramatic presentations of the rosary, and Holy Hours. As prayer is the center of their work they have coined the term "prayformance." "Our actors get into character by praying, applying the Ignatian way of meditation," she reflects. "Art is to lead us to discover the tille, the good and the beautiful. In some.aspects it has moved away from its noble task. My hope is that through the prayformance, we can make a positive impact on our contemporary culture." Through this one family, these five generations, faith has been passed on, accepted, and lived. Like concentric-circles, the faith moved from family, to parish, to diocese to world at large. Truly we have powerful guardians of the Gospel message in our own midst. This is part two ofa series presenting women who actively and effectively work in union with the dignity oftheir vocation as woman and to manifest the "feminine genius" with their comer ofthe world. Lisa M. Gulino is director of Adult Education for the Diocese ofFall River, and is assistant director ofthe Rite ofChristian Initiationfor Adults.

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The Source ana Summit of the Church's Life &Mission Deepen your own experience with the Blessed Sacrament at this once·in·a·lifetime event. The weekend will include inspiring liturgies, prayer hours, and Eucharistic Adoration. Hear from nationally acclaimed presenters,* inCluding Archbishop Daniel DiNardo, Bishop Robert McManus, Dr. Doris Donnelly, Fr. Michael Himes, Fr. J. Michael Joncas. Ms. Elizabeth Nguyen, Fr. John Oliveira, . Fr. William Reiser, and Mr. Rob Surette, who will enrich your lives as they reflect on the Eucharist. For more information and aregistration form, visit www.worcesterdiocese.org or call50S-79S-0417 today. DIOCESE OF WORCESTER 49 Elm Street. Worcester, MA 01609 •Presenters are subject 10 change.

Special Youth Gathering on Friday evening (10128) at the Cathedral.

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. To forgive is to begin to h'eal Along with death and taxes, a guarantee in this life is human discord. It is an . unfortunate effect of our imperfect human nature. God, in his infinite wisdom, however, has called us to forgive one another when we have been hurt. To be honest, that is often easier said than done. We hear in the first reading of this weekend's Mass from the Book of Sirach: "Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet . the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord's vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor's injustice. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse

hold onto hurt in the form of mercy to another like himresentment, we allow the self, can he seek pardon for wounds to continue to fester his own sins?" and thus allow ourselves to We are called to be continue hurting. people who forgive, so forgiveness always ought to be given because it is the Homily of the Week right thing to do. XXIV Sunday in Forgiveness, it is helpful to rememOrdinary Time ber, is not simply an By Fr. William M. end in itself, Rodrigues though. Forgiveness can also be looked at from perspective The Lord, we know, does of the one who offers not wish us to live with forgiveness. resentments in our hearts Forgiveness is not an end that prevent us from living in itself because it truly has a with the peace in our hearts positive effect on the person that he wishes us to enjoy. who forgives. Forgiveness is After all, it is that peace that grace which allows the which he has won for us hurt we carry with us to through the death and begin to heal. For when we

Friday, September 9, 2005

resurrection of Christ. . In Matthew's Gospel, St. Peter asks: "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus' response is just as . pertinent to us today: "I say to you, not seven times but 77 times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants." In this parable, a servant who has had his debt forgiven fails to offer the same forgiveness to a fellow servant, "who owed a much smaller amount." Jesus concludes the . parable with the exhortation

to forgive "your brother from your heart." Today we are invited to' tum to the Lord in prayer and look into our own hearts. Are there resentments that we have yet to overcome? Are there people in our lives whom we have yet to forgive from our hearts? Are we ready to trust that, with God's grace, longfestering hurts can begin to be healed? As the saying goes, "to err is human, but to forgive is divine."

Father William M. Rodrigues is a priest ofthe Fall River diocese serving as director of the Hispanic Ministry on Cape Cod and as part-time chaplain at St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford.

Calling.'tomind our sins almighty God...." As a gesture After the Sign of the Cross and greeting comes the Penitenof humility, we strike our breast tial Rite. The Bible always urges at the words, "through my own repentance as a prelude to fault." This is the only time in worship. We therefore acknowlthe English translation of the edge our unworthiness to Mass when we speak in the first approach the all-holy God, person "I" rather than as part of a "we." How appropriate, since while at the same time'placing our trust in his boundless mercy. The priest invites the congregation to . examine their consciences by calling to mind their sins. Recalling our sins is By Fr. Thomas M. Kocik hard to do without pausing for a moment. We ,need a period of silence to remember - and sin builds barriers not only repent of- the bad things we between the individual and God did and the good things we but also between the individual neglected to do. I remember and other people. For good celebrating Mass and hearing, reason, then, we ask the loving after only five seconds of intercession of the whole silence, a woman in the front Communion of Saints which is pew whisper impatiently, the Church: "I ask blessed Mary "What's he waiting for?" Maybe ever-Virgin, all the'angels and she was hard of hearing and saints, and you, my brothers and didn't hear me say, "Let us call sisters, to pray for me to the to mind our sins." Or perhaps Lord our God." she was one of the many who, The priest then prays for the ,pardon of his own sins and the having been schooled in the gospel of self-acceptance, sins of all present: "May cannot think of anything to be almighty God have mercy on sorry about. The sense of sin, us...." However, this prayer the sense that there is another does not substitute for the order of authority by which we sacrament of penance, which is are judged -these haven't been necessary for the forgiveness of totally lost, but they have been mortal sins. eroded. And that's a dangerous The Penitential Rite conthing. The Gospels tell us that cludes with a humble and physical and emotional health is hopeful prayer called the Kyrie not the be-all and end-all of eleison, Greek for "Lord, have existence. As Jesus might say mercy." Together with the today, it is better to enter heaven accompanying invocation with a guilt complex than to Christe eleison, Christ, have enter the other place brimming mercy, these are the only Greek . with self-assertiveness. phrases now found in the After a moment of silence, Roman rite of the Mass. the priest and people together On Sundays, the Penitential pray the Confiteor: "I confess to Rite may be replaced with the '

Loving and Living the Mass

, Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water. This recalls our .baptism, when we died with Christ and rose with him to the new life of grace. All the sacraments receive their power from the Passion of Christ; the blood and water that flowed from his pierced side on the cross symbolize the Church's two chief sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist. Christ's sacrifice is the source of all grace and holiness, and nothing in the Mass is unrelated to it. It has been said that we Christians are an "Alleluia people," because at the heart of our faith is Easter and we know our story will end in resurrection. That's true, provided we live acc~)fding to

Daily Readings Sept 11

Sept 12 Sept 13 Sept 14

Sept 15

Sept 16 Sept 17

Sir 27:30-28:9; Ps 103:1-4,9-12; Rom 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35 1 Tm 2:1-8; Ps 28:2,7-9; Lk 7:110 1 Tm 3:1-13; Ps 101:1-3,5-6; Lk 7:11-17 Nm 21 :4b-9; Ps 78: 1-2,34-38; Phil 2:6-11; In 3:13-17 1 Tm 4:12-16; Ps 111:7-10; In 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 1 Tm 6:2c-12; Ps49:6-10,17,20; Lk'8:1-3 1 Tm 6:13-16; Ps 100:1-5;,Lk 8:4-15

the law of love in obedience to the Lord. Yet how often we ' prefer our will to his. This is why, before we sing "Alleluia," we cry out, "Lord, have mercy." -'

Father Kocik, an author of two books, one on the liturgy, is chaplain at Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River, and resides at St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset.

In Your Prayers Please pray for the following priests during the coming weeks Sept. 12 1962, Rev. John J. Galvin;\STD, Assistant, SS. Peter and Paul, '. \ \ Fall River 1986, Most Rev. James L. C\0'nnolly, Fourth.~ishop of Fall River, 1951-70 \\ 1995, Rev. John R. FoIster, PaStor;StA:::ciuis de France, Swansea ///.j

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(.:..------ Sep!r 13 1949, Rev. Charles A.1. DonovaA, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton \ \ 2003, Rev. Isadore Kowalski, O~ Conv., Our Lady's Haven, Farrhaven \~ . ' Sept. 14\ 1982, Rev. Stanislaus J. Ryczek, USA etired Chaplain, Fonner Pastor Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New\Bedford. Sept. IS 1934, Rev. Henry J. Musse1y, Pastor, St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River 1958, Rev. Brendan McNally, S.1., Holy Cross College, Worcester .1969, Rev. John J. Casey, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton Sept. 16 1925, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Jean A. Prevost, P.A., P.R., Pastor, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River . Sept. 17 1954, Rev. Thomas F. McNulty, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford 1983, Cardinal Humberto Sousa Medeiros, Archbishop of Boston, 1970-83, Pastor of St. Michael, Fall River 1960 -1966 1991, Rev. Felix Lesnek, SS.Cc., Fonner Associate Pastor, St. Joseph, Fairhaven. Sept. IS 1945, Rev. Luke Golla, SS.Cc., Seminary of Sacred Heart, Wareham 1964, ~t. Rev. Msgr. Edmund 1. Ward, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Fall River

Friday, September 9, 2005

Doing flip flops Late summer, 2005 - Port of New Orleans - Height of Hurricane Season I try to keep up with the news, but these days I can hardly stand it. I can only absorb the news in little bits and pieces. The news from the Gulf Coast is just too terrible. Cities wiped out. People dead and dying. Hospitals overwhelmed. Traumatized children separated from their families. Frantic parents searching for their children. The sick slowly suffocating as their oxygen supply runs out. Rescue workers shot at. Looting and rape; mayhem and chaos. I read the most horrendous statement posted on the Internet the other day. Someone was mouthing-off: 'The Preside~t of the United States ordered those

people to evacuate. They didn't obey. Let them suffer the consequences." Give me a break! I bet this is some Christian who scrupulously

keeps all the rules. People can say almost anything on the Internet, but the best remedy for ignorance is still silence. Christian living means more than following rules. Rules exist to show the way. Rules do not guarantee a compassionate heart. Someone can observe all the rules all the time and still fail to love. Simply put, when

we love someone, the needs of the other become as important as our own. The Lord says: "I will hold you responsible for each other...." In any natural disaster, anywhere and always, it's the weakest and the poorest that suffer most. Rescue workers are now finding " the sick and infirm never even made it to the shelters. They were too weak to leave their homes. The more ablebodied poor were able to walk to the shelters. Possessions they don't care much about, but they don't want to leave their loved ones behind. The very poor don't have cars. And if they do, they have no gas to put in the tank. And if they do, they have nowhere to go anyway. The poor just don't hop their million-dollar yachts and sail

Cleats for life All of our kids have played need some spiritual cleats or a prayer are both a part of our soccer. They love the game! I, little Christian grabbing and Catholic heritage. Try them. holding power, so every on the other hand, am only 4. Cultivate in your family a passing herd doesn't trample beginning to understand it. At love of holy Scripture. Read their faith. the start of our first soccer Bible stories to the kids from What might these spi~itual season, years back, I had no birth, and give them their own, cleats look like? What types of age-appropriate Bibles. Attend clue what type of equipment things will ground children the kids really needed to play. Bible study groups. deeply in their faith in Jesus Fortunately, the town recre5. Love your spouse. Love Christ? I'm sure there are ational department issued shin your neighbor. Hold your many different things. Those guards and tube socks, but tongue. Show with your that spring to my mind are when the kids suggested their actions, as well as your words, need for soccer cleats that Jesus is the Lord of (like their teammates), _---------~r-~_::-- your life. I was pretty sure the 6. Give the kids role "need" was really a models in the faith. faddish extra, like Teach them about the sweatbands, only more saints of long ago and expensive. Each kid missionaries of today. Put up posters of already had a perfectly Catholic heroes in their good pair of tennis By Heidi Bratton shoes, and these rooms right next to the . seemed good enough to sports heroes and formational type experiences me for running after a large movie stars! You might even that will leave positive impres- take one or two of the secular ball on a flat field. sions in their mind about the posters down to make room. Boy, was I wrong! During 7. Do good deeds in the the opening few minutes of her abundant joy in and blessings of the Christian life. Here are a name of Jesus. Get the whole first "real" soccer game our just few ideas: family involved in a neighborespecially enthusiastic six1. Make going to Mass as hood missions project. Finanyear-old daughter and her natural and desirable as breathcially support missionaries. teammates looked like a herd of wildebeest stampeding after ing air. Don't make attendance a By visualizing each of question mark or a battleground these ideas as a single prong this little checkered ball that every Sunday. Just go, and go on the bottom of a pair of had a mind of its own. Unforspiritual cleats, you will see joyfully. And, go expecting tunately, every time my poor some gift of grace or underthat the more prongs the cleats daughter tried to make a quick have and the stronger each tum or to stop, her feet slid out standing from the Lord because he wants to give it to you. prong is, the less your kids will from under her, and the herd 2. Fill your home with good slip and slide on the soccer trampled her. It was clear that Christian media and music. Let field of life. Spiritual cleats are her flat-bottomed tennis shoes not faddish extras for Catholic it be contemporary Christian weren't going to cut it. She kids; they are proper equiprock music when the kids are needed to have a little more teens. Attend Christian rock ment for the game. grabbing and holding power Heidi Bratton is the atagainst the other players or she concerts together. Watch home mother offive children. Christian movies. Read wasn't going to survive the She is the author and photogChristian periodicals and season in one piece. So, the rapher of 11 Christian newspapers. first thing mom learned about children's books and one 3. Pray yourself. Pray with soccer was that cleats are not your kids. Pray for others. Pray trade book on mothering faddish extras. called "Making Peace with for healing, for forgiveness, Properly equipping kids to Motherhood and Creating a and in thanksgiving. Try walk the Catholic walk is not Better You." Heidi and her different styles of prayer; unlike properly equipping husband, John, make their perhaps the rosary, perhaps them for a soccer game. home and grow their faith in extemporaneous prayer. Against a stampede of the Charismatic and contemplative Falmouth. worldly ideas and people, kids

.....

Home Grown Faith

away or fly their private jets to Aspen or Bali. The poor we will always have with us. Why? The poor can't go away even if they wanted to. There is good news, too. Offers of help are coming in . from around the world. Charitable organizations across the land have mobilized - including Catholic Charities, one of the most efficient of them all. The military is on the scene. There are heroic individual acts, many of which will remain forever untold. Our parish Website was inaccessible for a few days. The Internet provider is headquartered in downtown New Orleans. Following the hurricane, this company was one of the few channels of communication still operative. They used their personnel and equipment for emergency assistance. You don't see this sort of need or this level of altruism every day. Let the parish Website wait. There are more important things right now. What is the answer? Psychiatrist Karl Menninger once said: "Love is the medicine for the sickness of the world." Hard to argue with that one, but why is love so easy to talk about and so difficult to do? There are different kinds of love but in English, only one word. There's romantic love. There's friendship and affection. Then there's the highest form of love - spiritual love. Christian love is not an emotion but a decision - an act of the will - deliberately and freely implemented for the good of another. This is the kind of love the hurricane victims need right now.

What can our parishes do to help? Well, the Lord also says: "If two of you agree on something for which to pray, it will be granted." So, first of all, let's pray for the victims of the hurricane. We might also send emergency funds. This, too, we will do. Bishop George W. Coleman has authorized such a collection. It will be distributed to the most needy through Catholic Charities USA. Before we actually pass the basket here, we will have a basket out for two weeks to receive donations. Anything else a country parish can do for the evacuees from the "Big Easy"? We've designated a portion of the proceeds of the Parish Harvest Festival to those with greater needs. To give is to give thanks. We also thought outside the box - flip flops. Many of the refugees fled their homes barefoot or lost their shoes in the mud. There are so many overwhelming needs - far beyond our parish resources. But even if we can't do great things, we can at least do some thing. Flip flops we can handle. We can do flip flops. So we're planning to fill the Texas stadiums with them, our compliments. The sin would be for us to do nothing'. Lord, break our hearts - our hearts of stone - that we may learn to love. Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Bernard Parish, Assonet. Comments are welcome at StBernardAssonet@aol.com. Previous columns are Online at www.StBernardAssonet.org.

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For further information you may contact: Margaret .Oliverio @ 781-762-2029 (home) or 781-344-2073 (rectory)

Is Hurricane

Friday, September 9, 2005

"" Continued from page one

Mississippi, reported that St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Long Beach, Miss., in the Biloxi diocese, was destroyed in the hurricane. The parish was founded in 1903. Spring Hill College, a Jesuit school in Mobile, sustained moderate damage in the hurricane as opposed to light damage suffered from last year's Hurricane Ivan. The electricity was still out, but they hoped to have it back on before the end of the Labor Day weekend. In fact, students were told to forgo the Labor Day holiday as classes were to begin Labor Day morning All bishops in the hurricane-affected region had b~en accounted for. In the days after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Diocese of Biloxi, Miss., contact among diocesan officials was still spotty, according to diocesan comptroller Tammy DiLorenzo. "I have not seen anyone. I have been in touch with Bishop Thomas J. Rodi of Biloxi, but not directly, but he set up something before we got out of town. We're relaying messages through there," said DiLorenzo, who was taking refuge with her family at her sister's home in Fairhope, Ala. But what concerns DiLorenzo most is the damage sustained by churches in the Biloxi diocese. Looking at aerial pictures of various buildings in the diocese Army. ~atholic Charities was just of that had been posted on Websites, one of several organizations pro- she said St. Thomas Church in viding assistance to victims ofHur- Long Beach appeared to have sufricane Katrina, which slammed fered extensive damage. While St. into the Gulf Coast east of New Michael Church in Biloxi is "still Orleans and left what authorities there," DiLorenzo said, it suffered there said in unofficial estimates . "very significant roof damage. I feel very confident that with the were more than 2,000 dead. Pope Benedict XVI expressed storm surge and everything, there his spiritual closeness and con- is probably pretty much nothing cern for all those affected by the left in that one." St. Paul in Pass . hurricane and he offered special Christian "is probably washed out prayers for those engaged in re- also," she added. "All the parishes right along lief efforts. In a telegram sent by the. the (Gulf) coast were extremely Vatican's secretary of state, Car- heavily damaged, if not a total dinal Angelo Sodano, the pope loss" she said Bishop Rocti had earlier said said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic consequences of the re- one-fifth of the diocese's churches and one-third of its schools may. cent hurricane." CNN and The Sun Herald, a have been destroyed by the hurridaily newspaper serving South cane. and its people will return to normal, if it ever will happen." He said that Catholic Charities USA will be coordinating the efforts of Catholics throughout the country in providing help where it can do the most good. "It will focus on long-term recovery efforts needed over the next three-to-five years to rebuild these communities and help people get back on their feet, emotionally and financially. Thank you for all your help." Bishop Coleman's statement follows the call of Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who on August 30 called on all 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States to participate in a national collection for. hurricane relief with donations going to Catholic Charities USA. "Catholic Charities USA has a professional and well-developed system of reviewing the needs and providing help where it can accomplish the most good," Bishop Skylstad, who heads the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., said. For now, Catholic Charities USA is accepting only monetary donations. "People are without homes or places to put food, clothing, blankets and other relief supplies right now," explained Maj. Dalton Cunningham, who is coordinating relief efforts of the Salvation

HOUSES DAMAGED by Hurricane Katrina are surrounded by debris in New Orleans..(CNS photo from Reuters)

FATHER KARL C. Bissinger, right, is in the midst of a 10-week vocation mission across the Diocese of Fall River. With Father Bissinger following his ordination Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral on July 9, are, from left: his parents, Andrew and Therese Bissinger, and Bishop George W. Coleman. (AnchoriJolivet photo)

Newly-ordained priest goes on 10-week vocation mission By DAVE JOLIVET ANCHOR EDITOR

NORTH DARTMOUTH _ Fresh from the joyful experience of his ordination to the priesthood on July 9, Father Karl C. Bissinger is in the midst of a whirlwind tour across the diocese. At the invitation of Bishop George W. Coleman and Father Edward W. Correia, director of the diocesan Vocation Office, Father Bissinger is speaking at weekend Masses about his call to the priesthood and extending an. invita.ti.on to you~g men and !heIr farmhes t? conSIder a vocation as an optiO~ for the future. . .Shortly be!ore my July ordlnatlO~, the b~shop and Father C~rrela asked If! would consider thIS assi~n~ent for the summer," ~ather Blss~nger ~old ~he Anchor m a recent mtervlew. I was surprised by. the i~~itati~n and I prayed on It, reallzmg this was an important ~s.sion to ?e"on.':, Father Blssmger Said yes and very quickly had a list of parishes he would visit, beginning in late July right through the end of September. '.' "The Vocation Office and the bishop agreed that having someone newly-ordained to bring the vocation message to our parishes would have some benefits," said Father Correia. "It's important for our young people to see a young priest who's full of zeal, energy and happiness. It sends a very good message." Father Bissinger said he agreed with the energy and happiness, but "I'm not so sure about the young part." In his mid-30s when he was ordained this summer, Father Bissinger tells his story each weekend. "I offer my story not just to

young people, but to families as well," he said. "It was from my family that my vocation was started." He grew up in St Joseph's Parish in Fall River and was greatly influenced by his parents and by Father Paul F. McCarrick, then pastor at St. Joseph's. The young priest recalls being very active in his parish as a youngster. "I was in eighth or ninth grade when I started to form an identity for myself and my Catholic faith was very much a part of that. "My CCD teacher at the time, Holy Union Sister Eugenia Mar- . garet Ready, now at Sacred Heart Parish in Fall River, also made a great impact on me." Father Bissinger also tells his listeners that he sensed a possible calling to the priesthood,but "kept. pushing it aside, not taking it all that seriously." "I went to college and then entered the U.S. Navy," he told The Anchor. "I first explored the calling of the Navy, but all that time, a priestly vocation still was in the back of my mind." . Following his discharge he went.back to school, aU the while still feeling the Lord tugging at his heartstrings. "The Lord didn't hit me over the head with a calling," said Father Bissinger. "It was more of a gentle tugging. But it was persistent." After a few years of having "cold feet," he entered the seminary with the help of Father Craig A. Pregana, then director of the diocesan Vocation Office. "When I speak to the people at the Masses on weekends, I try to plant a seed by telling them what I went through," he said. "On this mission, I consider myself a 'recruiter.' God does the calling, and . he works from within. ........... "

, " •• " .. ~ • "

"I also try to let the young people and their families know that they should try to listen to what the.Holy Spirit is trying to say to them. Don't ignore God's call. This grace from God deserves some attention." He also lets his listeners know that a calling from God doesn't have to be answered "right away." "I tell them it took me a while. It was a process of listening and prayer." What makes Father Bissinger's .story and message so credible is the obvious joy he has in his priestly vocation. At his ordination in July, Father Bissinger's countenance during the entire Mass was one of extreme joy and peace. That genuineness is an asset to the message he brings to people on Saturdays and Sundays. "It's wonderful' to see a younger priest so enthusiastic about his ministry," said Msgr. Stephen J. Avila, pastor ofSt. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown, after Father Bissinger spent a weekend there recently. "He was very well received by the people here. His personal witness was a message from the heart." "It's great to be a priest," Father Bissinger said in his Anchor interview. "I am very happy with my experience as a priest. This is what God called me to do and I love celebrating Mass and hearing confessions. "I try to let young people know that they don't have to be holy to have a calling. Let God make you holy.." "I'm so grateful to Father Bissinger for taking on this mission," said Father Correia. "It's wonderful that this young energetic priest has said yes, and it's a Tum to page 16 - Mission '"'O -'

tAO

Friday, September 9, 2005

PAINFUL MEMORIES ...... A trail of smoke pours from the World Trade Center towers after being struck by hijacked commercial airplanes in New York Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 people perished in the attack. Sunday marks the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. (CNS file photo from Reuters)

Special Masses, services, will mark 9/11 's fourth anniversary >

Congregation of Holy Cross will remember its Father Francis Grogan, who was aboard one of the jets that crashed into Manhattan's former Trade Center. By MIKE GORDON AND DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR ANCHOR STAFF

FALL RIVER - Memories of lives cut short and loved ones lost still haunt many as America next week marks the fourth anniversary of Al Qaeda's aerial attack on two New York skyscrapers and the Pentagon in Washington. Here in the Fall River diocese, grieving Catholics hurried to their parish churches on the morning of Sept. 11,2001 to pray after reports began to pour in of the horror and chaos as four passenger jets were hijacked by terrorists, two of the planes crashed into the World Trade Centers 1\vin Towers in Manhattan, N.Y., which subsequently collapsed. Within minutes, suicidal terrorists had crashed another commercial airliner into the Pentagon in Washington,D.C. Still later, another plane was crashed near Pittsburgh. The numbers of those killed aboard the planes and those on the ground totaled 2,985. 1\vo of the commercial jets were hijacked at Logan Airport in Boston, and among the passengers were several parishioners or kin of parishioners in the Fall River diocese. Across the diocese next week, Masses will be celebrated, rosaries recited, time spent in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and special prayers said in remembrance of those who died in the only serious attack on America's home soil since Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941.

The initial report of those dead included Holy Cross Father Francis Grogan, 76, former superior of the congregation's Mission House in North Dartmouth, who was well known in the diocese. Others who died in the attacks had ties to parishes in Taunton, Wellfleet, North Attleboro, Westport, and Martha's Vmeyard. Deacon David P. Akin ofSt Pius X Parish, South Yannouth was one of many fire chaplains who traveled to New York City in the aftermath of September II. He said for those who were there, it is something they think about often. ''We had a lot offirefighters from Massachusetts who went down to New York City to help and it had a strong emotional impact. They still think about it a lot. It was like being in a war zone and it's something that affected me greatly. It's a day that we should not forget. Those fire and policemen gave their lives to save some 40,000 others." Akin worked with widows of firefighters who were lost at the site and said it was difficult. ''We brought the widows over by boat to view the destruction and prayed with them at the site. Although it was tough for them to see the destruction, it began the healing process." While there, he also worked at the site in search for bodies and in the morgue helping with the process of identification. "It too was very difficult work," he said. ''We did a lot of praying." Akin visited New York City firehouses with a retired city fireman to offer support and listen to fireman who needed someone to talk to. He said there were many who had feelings ofguilt because their friends had died but they were spared. The deacon's current duties include being a member of the Cape and Islands Critical Incident Stress Management team, which offers as-

sistance and support when called. He is also chaplain at the Yannouth Police Department Asked whether he wornes about anotherS~temberllh~peningin

this country, Deacon Akin said "absolutely. Right now our country is stretched thin and our economy is fragile."

Father David C. Frederici, in residence at Our Lady ofVictory Church, Centerville, is chaplain of the Barnstable Police Department. Although he was not a ch~lain on 9/ II, he said it brought him to his post. "I had a conversation with tlle local police and fire departments following the events of September 11 and I wanted to help out and make a difference." Father Frederici, who is also the full-time chaplain at Cape Cod Hospital, said the attacks on America had "a huge impact on our police and firemen. It affected all of them," he said. "Our officers have a reminder of that every day because we have to post an officer at the Hyannis Municipal Airport. What helps them is the knowledge that 9111 opened all our eyes to the risk that the men and women ofour police and fire departments put themselves in everyday for all Americans." Father Frederici reported 96 p<)lice officers have died in the line of fire in the United States, to date, this year, and that impacts all police officers because each one thinks they might be next ''It's a difficultjob and there is a lot of risk." He is happy to support them anyway he can. Sometimes he rides with them in their cruisers in order to be there to talk or listen. Talk might be about sports. Or it can turn to difficulties the officer might be having in his personal life. "I get dressed up in a bulletproof vest when I go out with them and that rerninds me of the dangers they go through. The officers have such

courage to do what they do. Responding to the unknown; firemen rushing into a fire; policemen responding to calls where there might be a weapon. Even if that plane that crashed into the towers had crashed because of a malfunction, they would have still rushed in." He recalled that the terrorists' attacks happened two months after his ordination and people were in shock and looking for answers. "I was feeling the same thing," he said. "It taught me how to minister." He said that the events ofthat day brought home to many families the dangers that are involved with having a loved one work as a member of the police or fire departments. "Being a policeman or fireman puts a lot of stress on families." ''We try to make a difference," said Father Frederici. "Police officers see people at their worst and must be reminded that they are appreciated and are making a difference in the community." Here's how the diocese will remember 9/11: At Holy Rosary Parish in Taunton, Father David Stopyra, OFM Conv., said "We'll be offering prayers during the Mass on September 11. There will be prayers for the families as well as those who died." Father Stopyra recalls hearing the reports on the radio. ''I couldn't believe what was happening. It was an unreal day. Churches were filled that weekend; but it seems we're back to normal. It's a day people too easily forget." . At Holy Ghost Parish in Attleboro, Father John A. Raposo said the 8 a.m. Mass on the anniversary will be dedicated to the families and the victims of 9/11. Father Michael Carvill said St. Joseph Parish in Attleboro remembered the 9/11 victims with a special bulletin cover that included a prayer for them. The victims and families will be also remembered at Mass that day during the prayer of the faithful. Pastoral planning committees of several parishes coordinated a single liturgy commemorating the anniversary with a rosary for peace and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, New Bedford from 3-4 p.m. Parishes involved are: St. JosephSt. Therese, St. Mary's, Our Lady of Fatima, all in New Bedford; and St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet and St.

John Neumann in East Freetown. Father David Costa of Sacred Heart Parish in North Attleboro said they will be remembering victims including Lynn Catherine, Goodchild, 25, who was a member of St. Mark's Parish in Attleboro Falls during the weekend Masses. She was a passenger on Flight 176 out of Boston, which was crashed into one of the 1\vin Towers. Boy Scout Scott McGuire, ofSt. Marks Parish, Attleboro, has raised $15,00:> for his Eagle Project, which will erect a monument to victims of 9/11 in that town on September 11 at2p.m. McGuire is a freshman at Bishop Feehan High School, and is a member ofTroop 33 ofSacred Heart Parish there. At St. Joan of Arc Parish in Orleans, Father Richard M. Roy said his parish is co-sponsoring an Ecumenical Service on 9/11 at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans at the comer of Monument Road and Route 28. Father Marcel H. Bouchard of Corpus ChristiParish,EastSandwich, said parishioners will mark the anniversary with a special prayer at all Masses the 9/11 weekend. Special intercessions will be included and the closing hymn will beg for God's blessing on United States. The two Masses that Sunday will conclude with a brief commemoration at the flagpole, weather permitting. It will include a hymn, a prayer and the first verse of the National Anthem. Across the diocese, many will be remembering Father Grogan. Although he went into semi-retirement in 1997, Father Grogan had assisted at several parishes on shortterm assignments. He had served for sixth months at St. Stanislaus Parish in Fall River filling in for Father Robert Kaszynski while he was on sabbatical. He celebrated Mass every Friday morning at Holy Family Parish in Taunton. And he said Mass regularly at St. Patrick's Parish in Somerset. In 1998, Father Grogan became superior of the Mission House community in North Dartmouth. He was aboard United Airlines Flight 75, preparing to visit his sister in California, when it was hijacked. He was slated to take up a new assignment as chaplain at St. Joseph's Center, the Holy Cross Brothers' retirement community in Valitie, N.Y.

INVESTIGATORS COMB a field near Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a coordinated terrorist attack on the United States Sept. 11, 2001. Forty-four people, including four hijackers, died instantly in the crash. (CNS photo from Reuters)

Friday, September 9, 2005

(C~~ ~',()vii,e ICall[)~Ulllle~ NEW YORK (CNS) - The .following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting ofthe U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops.

. "The Transporter 2" (20th Century Fox) Violence-drenched follow-up to the 2002 action film which finds dapper but lethal driver-forhire Frank Martin (Jason Statham) playing chauffeur for the young son of a wealthy Miami family, before shifting gears into bone-breaking mode when the boy is kidnapped as part of a plot to spread a deadly virus. Despite slick direction by Louis Leterrier and a charismatic turn by Statham, the high-octane sequel follows the original's lead in its procession of stylized mayhem which, though admittedly impressive, is as ridiculous as it is excessive. Pervasive consequence-free violence, disrespect for law officers, an implied sexual encounter, fleeting partial rear nudity, an instance of rough language and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is 0 - morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

, "Underclassman" (Miramax) Lightweight action comedy set in Los Angeles about an impetuous, but streetwise, rookie cop (Nick Cannon) assigned to

pose undercover as a student at a silver.-spoon academy in order to investigate the murder of a student who uncovers a ring of car thieves and drug dealers operating qn <::ampus. Clumsily directed , by Marcos Siega, the formulaic fish-out-of-water film aspires to be a hIgh-school version of "Beverly Hills Cop," but Cannon lacks Eddie Murphy's comic charm and much of the flat script's humor relies on racial stereotyping. Recurring action violence, teen-age drinking, drug content, sexual references and innuendo and brief potty humor, as well as sporadic crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PGROBERT REDFORD and Morgan Freeman star in a scene from the movie "An Unfin 13' - parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be in- ished Life." (eNS photo from Miramax) , appropriate for children under 13.

"Undiscovered" (Lions Gate) Contrived romance about a love-shy model (Pell James) who - to pursue a career in acting relocates from New York to' Los Angeles, where she meets an aspiring singer-songwriter (Steven Strait) with whom she had a fleeting flirtation back East, and tries to jump-start his career, while she - having sworn off dating musicians - resists the pull of their attraction. Despite an unvarnished "indie" look and appealing young cast, director Meiert Avis' middling meditation on love and fame is weighed down by its predictable, cliche-laden script. An implied sexual encounter as well as some sexually suggestive situations, brief drug content and scattered crude language. The USCCB Offic~ for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III - adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 - parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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eNS movie review - 'An Uriflnis'hed Life'

NEW YORK'(CNS) - You as the bear roams the town, causing ralysis. might suspect something amiss with great consternation. Einar wants to Lopez - in a smallish part - i a movie that's been sitting on the shoot him, but local sheriff Crane well-cast and believable as a guilt shelf for two years, but if you pass (Josh Lucas) stops him in the nick - ridden woman on the run, while th up "An Unfinished Life" (Miramax) of time and sees to it that the bear is versatile Lewis could not be mo you'll be missing one of2005's best. captured and put in the care of the different from the veddy British This is a totally captivating tale local zoo owner. Soames, an obsessed suitor of anFar from despising the bear, other stripe, that he played in the reofforgiveness and rebirth in its story of an embittered Wyoming rancher Mitch worries about the bear's well- cent BBC ''Forsyte Saga" Manheim named Einar Gilkyson (Robert being, and demands that Einar feed is terrific as the good-hearted waitRedford), who takes care of ranch the now-caged bear. With Griffat his ress who copes better than Einar with hand Mitch (Morgan Freeman), side, Einar dutifully complies. the loss of a child (her daughter badly mauled by a bear. Mitch's instinct to show the bear drowned, we learn). Lucas plays his share ofbad guys, , Einar reluctantly gives shelter to mercy is a powerful, if obvious, his son's widow, Jean (Jennifer 'metaphor. but here he's allowed to play one of Jean, meanwhile, officially re- the good ones. Gardner is refreshLopez), who shows up unexpectedly with the ll-year-old granddaughter, ports her situation to Crane, in case ingly down-ta-earth, and even the Griff (Becca Gardner), he never Gary should show up again, and be- grizzly - Bart IT in real life - acknew he had. They are fleeing the fore long, motivated in part by Jean's quits himself well. (The bear, symabuse of Jean's violent boyfriend, intense sense of loneliness - espe- bolizes, none too subtly, those parts Gary (Damian Lewis). cially in light of Einar's ofour past ofwhich we must let go.) Written by Mark Spragg and VIf- unwelcoming coldness- they comLush location scenery and paintginia Korus Spragg, the film features mence an affair. Griff is angry about erly photography (by Oliver top-level acting all around, but with their liaison, as her mother has had Stapleton) are other pluses in this Redford outstanding. This is a ca- a pattern ofhooking up with disrepu- evocative and beautifully redemptive reer peak for him. He completely taole men. But this will prove dif- slice of Western Americana. inhabits his ornery, grizzled man's- ferent, as Crane shows himself a Despite profanity, rough language man characterwho-after the death decent man. and ureligious remarks (mostly courof his beloved son - shuts himself The pacing is leisurely, but the tesy of Redford's salty but basically down to life. His dialogue is liber- underlying threat ofGary's reappear- honorable character), some brief ally sprinkled with profanity, so you ance and the omnipresent bear episodes of domestic violence and know he'll eventually soften under wreaking more havoc add a good implied premarital sex, the film is Griff's openhearted and liberating measure of suspense. uplifting entertainmentfor adults and presence. Director Lasse Hallstrom's film, mature adolescents. The USCCB He's not particularly religious, though not devoid ofcliches, vividly Office for Film & Broadcasting clasinsisting, for instance, that anyone conveys its positive message about sification is A-ill - adults. The who comes to his door be treated healing, letting go ofthe past and liv- Motion Picture Association of well, unless "it's some guy selling ing life to the fullest despite tragedy. America rating is PG-13 - parents God," which he gruffly dismisses Though the life of Einar's son is re- are strongly cautioned. Some matewith an expletive. But in every other ferred to as ''unfinished,'' the title rial may be inappropriate for chilrespect, he's an honorable man. also reflects Einar's emotional pa- dren under 13. In addition to his ministrations to Mitch, he defends Nina (Camryn Manheim), the local diner's waitress, from the predations of three drunken louts. Einar - who talks to his son MONTREAL (CNS) - Betty Peter from the Basilica of St. Paul graveside every day - blames Jean Freeman of Montreal was drawn Outside the Walls, part of the for his son's death (she had been to "St. Peter and the Vatican: The decorations commissioned during driving, and lost control of the car). Legacy ofthe Popes," an exhibi- the time of Pope St. Leo the Great. Mitch - another splendid Free- tion of some 300 Vatican treaTreasures from the Vatican man portrayal- spends most ofhis sures at the Basilica de Notre from the time of St. Peter, the flfst time in his shack, calling on Einar to Dame, by her respect for the late pope, to Pope John Paul II, who give him morphine shots when the Pope John Paul II, whom she had died in April, were collected fo pain gets bad. The brotherly bond seen when he visited Montreal in the exhibition that runs until Sep between the two men is admirable, 1984. , tember 1'8 in the restored crypt 0 and so profound that young Griff at But what she found most im- the 175-year-old basilica. The ex one point mistakenly thinks they must pressive was not the bronze cast hibition will move to San Anto be gay, much to their amusement. of his hand, but a fifth-century nio in October and Milwaukee i Mitch's assailant plays a big part mosaic fragment depicting St. February 2006....

Montreal exhibit showcases Church treasures unseen even at Vatican

the

Friday, September 9, 2005

ancholS>

Vatican says pope-schismatic bishop meeting based on wish for unity By CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY - The desire to take concrete steps toward reconciliation and unity underlined a closed-door meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the head of a schismatic priestly society, said the .Vatican's chief papal spokesman. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, head of the Vatican press office, confirmed in a written press release that the pope met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The meeting, held at Bishop Fellay's request, took place "in a climate oflove for the Church" and was marked by "the desire to reach perfect communion," Navarro-Valls wrote. Although both sides were "aware of the difficulties, the will to proceed forward step by step and in a rea-

sonable time frame was demonstrated," the Vatican spokesman said in a text released by the Vatican. Bishop Fellay said the 35-minute encounter with the pope resulted in "a consensus as to proceeding by stages in the resolution ofproblems." However, he added in a later communique published on the society's Website that the society was praying "that the Holy Father might find the strength to put an end to the crisis in the Church by 'restoring all things in Christ. '" Bishop Fellay is one offour bishops ordained against papal orders by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988. The bishop is the current head of the Switzerlandbased Society of St. Pius X, which was founded by Archbishop Lefebvre after he broke with Rome. Archbishop Lefebvre, who died in 1991, rejected the liturgical reforms and concepts ofreligious free-

SCHISMATIC BISHOP Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, smiles as he arrives at his residence in Albano, Italy, south of Rome, after a 35-minute meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo August 29. (CNS photo from Reu"ters)

dom and ecumenism as formulated by the Second Vatican Council. Pope John Paul n set up a Vatican commission, "Ecclesia Dei, " in 1988 to offer pastoral care to Archbishop Lefebvre's former followers. The commission's head, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, is in charge ofkeeping a channel ofcommunication open with current leaders ofthe Lefebvrite group. The cardinal was present at the recent meeting' Navarro-Valls said. Bishop Fellay said in his written statementthat the meeting with Pope Benedict "took place in an atmosphere of calm" and that they "broached the serious difficulties, already known, in a spirit of great love for the Church." 'The audience was an opportunity for the society to manifest that it has always been attached - and always will be - to the Holy See, eternal Rome," he said. Cardinal Mario Francesco Pompedda, the retired head of the Vatican's highest court, said until the . group "submits itself to the legitimate authority of the pope and recognizes the resolutions adopted by the Second Vatican Council as doctrinal acts. of renewal and openness of the Church to the world," there could be no .''full communion with the Lefebvrites." "If they accept these points, the Mass in Latin will no longer be a problem, also because Pope John Paul n had already allowed it," the . cardinal said in an interview published AugUst 30 by the Italian daily, lil Repubblica. . Cardinal Pompedda said he. would not call the August 29 meeting a sign of "a new atmosphere" between the two sides, but the prevailing mood could "undoubtedly open up to the hope that the society

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Friday, September 16 EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT In honor of the Year of the Eucharist 1:00 - 6:00 p.m.

6:30 p.m. MASS Presider & Homilist - Fr. Frederick Flaherty. M.S. Church

7:30 p.m. TALK ON LA SALETTE Speaker Fr. Donald Paradis. M.S.

Saturday, September 17 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Haitian Pilgrimage

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4:30 p.m. MASS Presider & Homilist - Fr. Frederick Flaherty. M.S. Church

Sunday, September 18 2:00 p.m. MASS - Presider and Homilist Bishop Emeritus Louis E. Gelineau - Outdoor Chapel (in case of rain, Church)

MULTI-ETHNIC EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION WITH ROSARY Immediately after Mass

7:00 p.m. CONCERT There will be no 12:10 p.m. Mass and no Confessions

Monday, September 19 159th Anniversary of Mary's Apparition at La Salette. France

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT In honor of the Year of the Eucharist 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Mass In honor of the 5th Anniversary of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette Church . Presider & Homilist -路Fr. Donald Paradis. M.S. Church

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three bishops and Archbishop Lefebvre and to authorize, without restrictions, all Catholic priests to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, the rite replaced in 1969 with publication of the new Roman Missal. 'These are two preconditions which we cannotdissociate from any further doctrinal discussion," he said. Though Bishop Fellay said ''the issue ofthe Mass is not all" the group is concerned with, he added, "we must begin with somethingconcrete."

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may tru.ly take those steps" that would let its members be reinstated into the Church. In a July interview with DICI, the press agency of the Society of St.. Pius X, Bishop Fellay said there were two preconditions for extended talks with the Vatican. When asked in the July interview what he would request in a meeting with Pope Benedict, he said he would ask the pope to lift the excommunication against himself, the other

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Friday, September 9, 2005

Elections

Continued from page one

number is still a big number. The pari3h committee found there were 2,129 registered voters in its parish community - the largest collection of registered voters in the city. Even more impressive, when the voting patterns of these parishioners are studied, the committee discovered also that these parishioners vote at a significantly higher rate than the city over all. For example, in the November 2003 City election, Santo Christo parishioners exceeded the city turnout by more than 20 percent. In 2004, Santo Christo accounted for four percent of all registered voters in the city but seven percent of all votes cast in the September State primary elections. This high voter turnout is not a

become convinced of the commitment to continue to mobilize their members for .each election, the natural question for a political official to the parish is "What do you want." To answer this question, two parishes, St. Michael's in Fall River and Mount Carmel in New Bedford, are planning to organize their own Candidates' Night in October for contenders for city office. Parish committees are formulating questions to put before the candidates so that parishioners are better informed on who they are choosing. . The Catholic Church in its Faithful Citizenship Campaign outlines specifically the rules which must be followed is establishing anon-partisan forum. Es-

IIIIIBBRS AIID

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2,129

.EXPECTED VOTER TURNOUT IN 2005 NEW BEDFORD CITY ELECTIONS

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In the November 2003 Fall River city election, Santo Christo Parish exceeded the city voter turnout by more than 20 percent. recent event but a continuing pattern over the past 10 elections dating back to the Presidential election of 2000. ADDING UP THE VOTING STRENGTH In the four participating parishes in New Bedford - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Anthony of Padua, St. John the Baptist, and Immaculate Conception - similar results have been discovered. . Taken together, the collective voting strength ofthe four parishes becomes evident. Although these four parishes together account for 14 percent of 'all New Bedford voters, in actual numbers of votes cast, it is expected that they will account for over 20 percent of all votes cast or one in every five votes for both the primary and final 2005 City elections. WHAT DOES TillS' STRENGTH MEAN? Once the voting strength of a parish is confmned with hard data and candidates for political office

sentially, the plan in Fall River and New Bedford is to allow the candidates a brief time to state t;heir qualifications. The parish committee will then pose a series of questions to each participant on local concel1)s which have been drawn from the parishioners themselves - questions relating to issues ranging from security in the local schools to the snow removal in the neighborhoods. Odete Amarelo, a member of the parish committee at St. Michael's Parish in Fall River, said preliminary steps to holding a candidate's night there, are alTeady in place. The forum will be held October 6 at 7 p.m., in the parish hall. Amarelo said one of the first steps was to mail a questionnaire to candidates for mayor and the city council asking their opinion on the proposed Weaver Cove Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Fall River. She said the results of that questionnaire will be made available only after the. preliminary

SANTO CHRISTO PARISH VOTER TURNOUT OVER LAST 10 ELECTIONS

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Santo'Christo Parish, Fall River, exceeded the Fall River voter turnout in the last 10 elections held in the city. Source: The Portuguese American Citiz~nship Project evaluation of 2004 eleclions

EXPECTED TURNOUT VanNG OCT 2005 PREUMINARY ELECTlON

MEMBERS AND FAMILY REGlSlERED TO VOlE

.TURNOUT IN 2003 CITY PRIMARY

MOUNT CARMEL

2,723

31.PERCENT

42 PERCENT

IMMACULATE CONCEPTlON.

2,100

27 PERCENT

44 PERCENT

STJOHNS

29 PERCENT

44 PERCENT

STANTHONY

943

33 PERCENT

48 PERCENT

TOTAL CHURCHES

7,022

30 PERCENT

2,085

EXPECTED TURNOUT IN VOTlNG IN NOV

TURNOUT IN 2003 MUNICIPAL ELECTlON

44 PERCENT ...J.:.JUr

2005 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Âť

3,116 .

Source: The Portuguese American Citizenship Project

tions but they have an immense inelections set for September 13. ''There are a series of questions fluence on the quality of life queswe have put together for the can- tion. That is why participation in didates in the municipal election local elections is as. important in and we will be making them many respects as participation in state and national elections. known soon," Amarelo reported. A Candidates' Night encourIn New Bedford, the dramatic ages informed involvement by par- increase of violent crime in the ish voters and promotes awareness streets and in the schools is reby local officials of issues impact- flected every day in the local paing the parish community. The par- pers. In Fall River, the safety of the ish is prohibited from enoorsing proposed Weaver Cove Liquefied any candidate: Nonetheless, any . Natural Gas Project is hotly decandidate with any hope of win- bated. These issues are of vital conning the votes of the individual pa- cern to the individual members of rishioners will.have to shape his' the parish community. and, by defi., or her campaign to meet the de- nition, should be of concern to the

measure the voter turnout for their parishioners and, based on these results, begin planning for the 2006 State elections. To be successful and to yield concrete results, a get-out-thevote must be sustained. If a grassroots campaign is a one-time effort limited to Presidential elections, the effect will be severely limited. Occasional voter mobilization movements have not worked in the past and cannot reasonably be expected to be very fruitful in the future. Our political system is constructed to address the concerns of

COMPARISON OF EXPECTED PARISH AND CITY VOTER TURNOUT IN 2005 NEW BEDFORD CITY ELECTIONS

REGISTERED TO VOTE

TURNOUT IN 2003 CITY PRIMARY

. TOTAL CHURCHES

7,022

30 PERCENT

NEW BEDFORD TOTAL

49,292

20 PERCENT

FOUR PARISHES AS PERCENT OF NEW BEDFORD TOTAL

14 PERCENT

EXPECTED TURNOUT VOTlNG OCT 2005 PREUMINARY ELECTION

TURNOUT IN 2003 MUNICIPAL ELECTlON

EXPECTED TURNOUT IN VOTlNG IN NOV 2005 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

2,085

44 PERCENT

3,116

9,957

31 PERCENT

15,083

21 PERCENT

Source: The Portuguese American Citizenship Project

mands raised at the meeting. WHAT IS AT STAKE The Catholic Church's position on the right to life has become centered on the important debate in our society over matters relating to birth and death. Somewhat lost in this heated debate, however, is the question of the quality of life in between these two bookends of our earthly existence - that is the right to live. City governments have little or no impact on the nation-wide debate over the life and death ques-

parish leaders. Parishioners need answers to these and other concerns for them to make an informed decision on whom to vote for. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? The commitment of these parishes does not end with the November City elections. On the contrary, these efforts to promote civic participation are part of an ongoing process. Once the November elections are completed, the parishes will

groups who are persistent in their demands and back these demands up with their presence at the polls. The nine parishes in Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton actively participating in the City elections ensure that they will have a say in the formulation of public policy at the most basic level.

James McGlinchey is coordinator of (he Portuguese American Citizenship Project, which is a no,:,-partisan initiative to promote citizenship and civic participation.

Friday, September 9, 2005

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Rehnquist left a legacy of landmark rulings WASHINGTON (CNS) - The September 3 death of ChiefJustice William H. Rehnquist at the age of 80 left a legacy of landmark decisions and a tightly run courtroom. But it also leaves the Supreme Court with two vacancies after II years of stability. He died at his home in Virginia just under a year after the court announced he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His body was to lie in repose in the Supreme Court until his funeral Wednesday at St. Matthew Catholic Cathedral. Two days after the death of Rehnquist, President George W. Bush announced that he was nominating Federal Appeal Courts Judge John G. Roberts, 50, to become the new chief. In July Bush had nominated Roberts to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. His decision to make Roberts his nominee for chiefjustice means there remains a vacancy for an associate justice. Confinnation hearings for Roberts were to begin sometime after Rehnquist's funeral on Wednesday. The current court's longest-serving member, Rehnquist frrstjoined the court in 1972 on the same day as Justice Lewis Powell, the last time there were two vacancies at once. Rehnquist was elevated to chiefjustice by President Ronald W. Reagan in 1986, upon the retirement of Justice Warren Burger. Rehnquist was praised by abortion opponents for his votes dissenting from the1973 Roe v. Wade decision and later to overturn that ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, and for declaring in another case that "life begins at conception." He also wrote opinions supporting government-funded programs that included s~dents at religious schools and opposing laws to permit assisted suicide.

Rehnquist, a native of Milwaukee, diedjust over three weeks short of his 81st birthday, October 1. Though Rehnquist was Lutheran, his family requested the use of the cathedral because of its size, according to the Archdiocese ofWashington. The recently renovated cathedral seats 2,000. Rehnquist served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in North Africa during World War U. Upon his return, he attended Stanford University, where he eamed bachelor's and master's degrees as well as a law degree. One of his 1952 classmates at Stanford's law school later was to join him on the Supreme Court as Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. On July I she announced her plans to resign from the court as soon as her replacement has been confirmed. Rehnquist was named to the court after working in private practice in Phoenix for 16 years and serving as an assistant U.S. attorney general from 1969 to 1972. He was the last remaining member of the court who ruled in Roe v. Wade. In that much-debated landmark decision, a seven to two majority of the court agreed that the 14th Amendment protecting privacy rights precluded states from prohibiting abortions. In his dissent, Rehnquist disagreed with the majority's fmding that abortion is a protected right, as well as their conclusion that the right to abortion was so universally accepted "in the traditions and conscience of our people as to be ranked as fundamental." In 1992, Rehnquist was among

a minority of four justices who would have overturned Roe, using a case challenging Pennsylvania's abortion restrictions. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, he wrote the minority opinion in the same case

that would have abandoned Roe, arguing. that time had proven how "outlandish" the 1973' ruling had been. "When it becomes clear that a prior constitutional interpretation is unsound we are obliged to re-examine the question," Rehnquist wrote. Beginning with the 1972 Furman v. Georgia case, a five-four ruling that found most federal and state death penalty laws to be "arbitrary and capricious," Rehnquist consistently upheld capital punishment statutes and their application. Here are other cases covered in which Rehnquist's opinion prevailed or in which he was in a narrow majority: - in 1993, he wrote for a sixthree majority that evidence of innocence is not necessarily a reason to stop an execution; - he wrote the 1991 five-four majority opinion fmding that the federal government's ban on abortion counseling in a family planning program does not violate either freespeech'rights or a woman's right to have an abortion. In Madsen v. Aware Woman Center in 1994, Rehnquist wrote the eight-one ruling that said it is constitutional to prohibit protesters within 36 feet of an abortion clinic; - writing for the court in a fivefour ruling, Rehnquist in 1990 said the state of Missouri's interests in protecting and preserving human life superseded the wishes ofNancy Cruzan's family to have food and hydration removed from the woman in a persistent vegetative state; - he wrote for a unanimous court in 1967 that upheld New York and Washington bans on assisted suicide. He also wrote a six-three majority opinion in 1976 that said General Electric could refuse to include maternity leave under disability coverage;

USCCB official lauds FDA ruling on emergency contraception pill WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to keep Plan B, an abortifacient emergency contraceptive also known as the morning-after pill, as a prescription-only drug was called "welcome news" by a U.S. bishops' Pro-Life official. Barr Laboratories, the maker of Plan B, had petitioned the FDA to let the drug be sold over the counter, often referred to by its initials, OTC. "It is welcome news that the FDA seems to be taking seriously concerns about the impact on adolescents ofmaking Plan B - 'emergency contraceptives' - available over the counter," said a recent statement from Gail Quinn, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. "It seems clearer by the minute that the only ones who would benefit from OTC sales of this drug are Barr Laboratories and others who may profit from its large-scale marketing," Quinn said. "Recent studies in California and

Scotland had clear results; pregnancy and abortion rates were no different among women with immediate access to ECs (emergency contraceptives) and a control group who had to request a prescription from a doctor," she added. "Clearly claims ofECs' benefits to women are overstated at best, while their potentially lethal risk to human life at its earliest stages remains a grave concern," Quinn said. In announcing the decision, FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford said the FDA had to wrestle with, among other things, whether the prescription and OTC versions of the same drug could be marketed in a single package, whether age could be used as the only criterion to sell a drug over the counter, and how an age restriction would be enforced. 'These are profound regulatory decisions that cutto the heart ofour work," Crawford said. . He said that until the 1980s, the FDA made all medications either

prescription-only or OTC-only. The change .in the 1980s, he added, came when "there was a meaningful difference in the way the two products are used." The Plan B issue, Crawford said, is "whether we can have the same molecule exist as both a prescription and over-the-counter product for the same indication," or use.

- writing for a seven-two majority in 2004, he said state-funded college scholarship programs do not have to include students who are pursuing careers in religious ministry; - in a five-four decision in 2002, Rehnquist upheld Cleveland's school voucher program, which includes religious schools; - he also wrote a five-four decision in 1993 th!lt said public

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Friday, September 9, 2005

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CONNOR, JAMIE and Kim Kogut are all smiles as they arrive for the first day of class at St. John the Evangelist School, Attleboro, which opened its doors on August 29.

YOUTH LEADERS from St. Mary's Parish, North Attleboro, helped facilitate a Summer Happening Program last month at the parish. They organized arts and crafts, music, movies and games for elementary school-aged children. The week had the theme: "Summertime With the Saints." :;X;;:~~F:I

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BROTHER HAROLD Hathaway, left, president of Coyle and Cassidy High School, Taunton, welcomes Seniors Spencer Machado, Nathan Whittaker, Melissa Abreau, and Katie Sousa, along with Principal Mary Pat Tranter. The school began the year with a record enrollment of more than 800 students representing 40 towns.

I I

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MEAGAN AND Aaron Sousa prepare to attend their first day of lessons at Espirito Santo School, Fall River. Below, students and parents gather for a recent family fun day and car wash on sc~ool grounds.

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FIFTH-GRADERS from St. Mary's Primary School, Taunton, give a tour to incoming families during a recent welcome breakfast.

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Friday, September 9, 2005

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Louisiana diocese opens schools to students evacuated by hurricane Bv MARK PATTISON CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

POPE BENEDICT XVI, shown greeting children during his recent v~cation in-the northern Italian Alps, said in a recent general audience that children are gifts from God. (CNS file photo from L'Osservatore Romano)

Pope, 路at audience, says children are gifts from. God VATICAN CITY (CNS)Children are gifts from God, and they offer joy and support for parents and society, Pope Benedict XVI said in a recent weekly general audience. Nations with declining birthrates are missing "the freshness, the energy, the future" brought by children, he added. In the recent audience in St. Peter's Square, the pope reflected on Psalm 127, which celebrates the Lord's gift of children "who are seen as a blessing and a grace" and as a source of support for parents in their old age. The pope flew by helicopter from his papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, 20 miles away, to hold his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square to accommodate the

large number of pilgrims in attendance. Some 11,000 people gathered in the square to hear the pope and receive his blessing. "Whatever we do or undertake can only bear fruit if it has God's blessing," he said. "A strong society is, of course, built out of the labor of its members, but it also needs the blessing and support of God who, unfortunately, is instead often excluded or ignored," said the pope. A person's efforts also need divine grace in order to be fruitful, he said. "The peaceful and faithful relinquishment of our freedom to God renders our activity to be solidly based and capable of long-lasting fruit," he said.

WASHINGTON - Children from the hurricane-ravaged Archdiocese of New Orleans have already started attending classes at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Shreveport, La., which was untouched by Hurricane Katrina. "Our sister schools in southern Louisiana are in this devastating situation," said Ursuline Sister Carol Shively, director of the Shreveport diocese's education office. "We have four Catholic schools in Shreveport and three Catholic schools in Monroe. We have space in most of them." The first students had come with their parents to stay with relatives and friends after having evacuated from the New Orleans, Houma-Thibodaux and Baton Rouge areas in advance of the hurricane, which hit the Gulf Coast August 29. Classes started that day in the Shreveport diocese. Others have since arrived at shelters in the Shreveport area, which is in the northwest comer of the state. Shreveport offers three Catholic elementary schools and one high school; Monroe has two elementary schools and a combined junior and senior high school. "You are welcome to attend school here just as you would in your home schools," Sister Shively said in a memo to parents who are staying in shelters. "All students will be expected to fully participate in the spiritual life, academic life and social life of the schools. Academic performance will be documented," she added. "Textbooks and school

supplies will be made available as soon as possible. Cafeteria costs ... will be processed with the completion of all necessary paperwork. "We will make every effort we can to accommodate you," the memo said. "We are, indeed, blessed that we can 'reach out' in this manner." "We are in an unusual situation," Sister Shively told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from Shreveport. "Louisiana has so many Catholic schools, and so many of our students want to go to Catholic schools." Notices about the availability of Catholic education, in the diocese were sent to each parish in the diocese in the expectation that families would find a Catholic church for spiritual comfort after evading the hurricane.

Shreveport and the surrounding area were untouched by Katrina. "We're in the northwest quadrant" of the state, Sister Shively said. "We didn't even get rain." In the Archdiocese of Miami, where Hurricane Katrina first struck August 25, all Catholic schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties that had been closed due to the hurricane reopened August 31. At Spring Hill College, a Jesuit school in Mobile, Ala., cleanup was under way. Power, was restored to the campus August 30, although not all areas of Mobile have had their power turned back on. Spring Hill said it would open September 1 to faculty and staff only, and would open to students on September 4, with classes starting on Labor Day, September 5.

AN AERIAL view taken shows the devastation caused by high winds and heavy flooding in greater New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina ripped into the U.S. Gulf Coast area August 29. (CN.S photo from Reuters)

Thoughts as school gets underway Bv KASE JOHNSTUN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE I was conducting a quick Google search - my Internet mode of scouring for needed information. I typed "back to school" into the search box, hoping to find loads of information about teens going back to school and issues that come up that first day or within that first month when everything is new, confusing and even a little scary at times. I found nothing until close to the 20th "page" of sites. What I did find were articles for kids going back to school and a million backto-school shopping pages, including articles on which stocks to buy to cash in on the current purchasing patterns of teens. Typical. But searching and searching I stumbled upon YouthNoise.com and liked this site. While I don't advocate everything I found, there is a lot of good stuff there. The site encourages teens to

take stock of their world and to change "everyone loves getting new pens and things for the better by making their binders, but some kids can't afford voices heard. Check it out, but, like all them." So it urged teens to "buy some things on the Internet, use discretion. extra supplies and donate them through This site really seems to be on the right your church or school. Or when you track in many ways, pushing toward check-out at stores like Office Depot, changing the world to request that five percent make it a better place. gets donated to your While on this Website school of choice." I found a ''Top 10" list Next the list urged that I liked: the Top 10 teens, rather than walkin,g things to do before going through the doors of the back to school. No. 10 Age school and beginning to . and No. Nine urged teens I":;;;;=~:" complain, to "think of to read at least one more ways to make your book on their summer reading lists and to school better." Getting a haircut came next on the list, see a summer movie. along with a recommendation that those Next was to "clean out your closet" with long hair donate their tresses to and "take the clothes, shoes and acc:esso"Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids to help ries you don't wear anymore to your kids with cancer." local Good Will or Salvation Army" The list's third point was a recommencenter. No. Seven was to "brush up on current dation that tet!ns think about where they stand on standardized testing and teen events," and No. Six was to purchase drinking. school supplies. This point noted that

Coming of

No. Two urged teens to learn about volunteer opportunities that could help meet their school's service requirement. Finally, the top thing to do before going back to school was to "trust yourself." As the list put it, "only you know who you are, what you believe and what you stand for." It urged teens to stand by their decisions on "drugs, alcohol, sex, smoking and violence" and to "know how to get out of risky situations before you get into them!" So many of these 10 points shout "Give!" I like that. And that final point - "trust yourself' - really nails it. Know what you think going in. Bring your Christian values with you and defend them. You don't have to yell at the top of your lungs "I'm Catholic and proud of it," because your actions will make the noise for you. Defend what you believe in simply by refusing to cave in to peer pressure, by standing up for others and avoiding situations you shouldn't be in anyway.

_.~

116

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Mission

Friday, September 9, 2005

Continued from page eight

powerful way to foster future vocations. Father Bissinger will complete his "tour" with visits to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Seekonk this weekend, followed by con~ secutive weekends at Immaculate Conception Parish in North Easton and St. Patrick's Parish in Falmouth. He we also visit some Catholic schools across the diocese, including Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. "The students in our schools will have a wonderful opportunity to hear a joyful invitation from

Father Bissinger," added ,Father Correia. "I've really enjoyed this mission," said Father Bissinger. "The only drawback was that I couldn't spend too much time at St. Julie Billiart Parish, where I was assigned following ordination. "I got to know the daily Mass people, but not those attending the weekend Masses there." Following Father Bissinger's summer of 10 parishes in 10 weeks, he will return to Rome for a year· to complete studies for his licentiate in Biblical Theology.

Be our guest as we celebrate National Assisted Living Week!! Discover why Whaler's Cove is the premier Independent and Assisted Living Community on the Southcoast , Harpist Skye Hulburt will be featured at a reception with a candlelight atmosphere September 14th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Hers d'oeuves and refreshments will be served in our magnificent Great Room. Make plans to attend our Open House on September 17th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Marc Deschenes, a one-man band. Refreshments will be served. For more information on 'these events, or other activities planried , during National Assisted Living Week, stop in or call: '

Whaler's Cove Independent & Assisted Living 114 Riverside Ave. . New Bedford, MA 02746 508-997-2880

To reserve a copy, send the coupon below, along with a

check for $14 payable to Anchor Publishing to: Anchor Publishing, P.O. Sox 7, Fall River, MA 02722. Price includes postage. (Scheduled release date is late-Septembet')

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This message sponsored by the following business concern in the Fall River diocese GILBERT C. OLIVEIRA INSURANCE AGENCY

VOLUNTEER KEVIN Tanguay works with Daryl Breda, director of the Fall RiverA Women's Concern, and volunteer Heather Tombly to put finishing touches on the facility. It will officially open on September 17 and provide a variety of services to pregnant women. (Anchor! Goroonphmo) ,

Center

. Continued from page one

the Park Street Church in Boston is president of the program and has been involved since it began in 1993. This is the sixth A Women's Concern in the state of Massachusetts. They are currently in Boston, Revere, Brookline, Hyannis and Beverly. "I'm looking forward to seeing the community at large come out and dedicate this work to the glory of God and the Gospel of life," Rev. Ensor said. ''The dedication reflects about a year and a half of planning and hard work," he said. He went on to say that A Woman's Concern has received support from the Diocese of Fall River as well as many of the area's churches including the evangelical and Baptist communities. According to a brochure, A Woman's Concern is a ministry of the Christian Community dedicated to the dignity of women, the sanctity of human life, the irreplaceable value of fatherhood, the soundness of sexual purity and marriage, the transforming power of neighborly love and the supremacy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "This dedication and open house is the culmination of a great deal of work by many people. I'm pleased that we're ready to go to work and we have a large number of volunteers ready to be trained. We just want to be helping people," Rev. Ensor added. The facility will employ a fulltime director in Daryl Breda and a part-time counselor. There will also be a medical doctor available as needed and dozens of volunt~ers are ready to help out. They

may begin at a slow pace, but once help couples raise a child." The Fall River diocese is inword gets around Rev. Ensor exvolved from a supportive perspecpects it to get busy. In A Women's Concern tive and Martins thanked Marian Hyannis, they have given 80 ul- Desrosiers, director of the dioctrasounds this year already. The esan Pro-Life Apostolate, for number in 2004, the site's first helping to let people know about year, was 40. The clergyman said A Women's Concern. Breda is happy about the upthey are ready to add people as coming dedication. "I'm very exnecessary. Bea Martins is no stranger to cited that we're about to open. We helping people, serving as the have eight pastors coming to the Catholic Citizenship coordinator dedication and we've had a lot of for the diocese and also as a mem- volunteers coming forward to ber of the steering committee of help out. We've received great A Woman's Concern. She is look- support from the Christian community from many denominaing forward to the dedication. "I'm excited about this place tions. This place is going to help because it will help a lot of a lot of people," declared Breda. Rev. Ensor said that they are people," said Martins. "We'll have a center here to assist with serving the needs of Greater Fall many things including the impor- River because they were contance of fatherhood and the trans- cerned about the entire region of forming power of neighborhood the Southcoast and they were inlove where a community of dif- vited by a host of area churches. ferent faiths reach out to help a Rev. Ensor would like to see couple in raising a child by pro- more such facilities opening up viding resources." across the state in the near future, One way might be helping a but said the need for people to'be mother or father find a job or involved to sustain it is great. transportation to ajob. It might be They have 100 people that are parenting classes or resources like pledging a dollar a day to support diapers or clothing for the baby. the Fall River site, but they hope "It's a miracle when the phone to get that number up to 300 evenrings and those things are pro- tually. vided," said Martins. ''To see a women struggling, If a women is dealing with an but going forward after all the unwanted pregnancy the site of- tears and fears is very rewarding," fers help and information on he said. ''The difference it makes adoption and the hope is that in the babies saved and the lives women will see that there is some- transformed is great. Young place else to go besides an abor- women learn to trust in God and tion clinic. they see the genuine care of the "It's very important to have a Christian community. We will place like this for women and we help them through their crisis to need to reach out even more," said choose life. It's satisfying and the Martins. "It's important that we : right thing to do."