09.21.18

Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Faithful from the New Bedford area process with a statue of Our Lady of Good Voyage through the streets of the Whaling City on September 16. The annual feast celebration began at Our Lady’s Chapel.

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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Diocesan priests gather for convocation in Mansfield Sexual abuse crisis dominates discussions, prayer

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

MANSFIELD — About 100 priests from the Fall River Diocese gathered with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Mansfield for a priests’ convocation on September 4-6. Typically held every three years, the convocation has supplanted what was once an annual retreat and gathering of the presbyterate to discuss mutual diocesan and pastoral issues and to share in prayer and brotherhood.

In light of recent revelations of sexual abuse crimes committed by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons in the Pennsylvania area and the news about former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and his subsequent removal from public ministry, the format of this year’s convocation was changed at the 11th hour to provide an opportunity for discussion and reflection on the situation.

Most of the priests not only welcomed the change, but encouraged it.

“The focus was changed within the last couple of weeks,” said Father David Frederici, pastor of St. George Parish in Westport, and one of convocation organizers. “I think many priests have appreciated the fact that the bishop didn’t see this (convocation) as ‘business as usual’ and he’s really taking his role seriously to minister to his priests, which is one of the functions of the bishop that often gets forgotten.”

“I’m quite grateful to our bishop for hearing his priests calling for that change, because this is exactly what we need to be talking about right now,” agreed Father Chris Peschel, parochial administrator of St. John the Evangelist and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Attleboro.

“It’s been good to hear that a lot of the guys share some of the same concerns and insights and things that we feel really need to be addressed in the Church and in the diocese,” said Father Kevin Cook, 2

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pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk. “A lot of priests have that awareness of how much it’s been a struggle for the people, too.”

“It’s always good to be together as brother priests and to be together with our bishop,” agreed Father Thomas Washburn, OFM, pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Buzzards Bay. “And certainly, in these times with everything that’s

ample time for prayer and reflection, including daily Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and lauds and vespers.

On Tuesday the convocation began, appropriately enough, by having all the priests renew their ordination vows.

“I think the crisis is a reminder to all of us to recommit to the most important things, and we did that as a group on the first day when we

Priests from the Fall River Diocese gathered with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., for a convocation at The Holiday Inn in Mansfield on September 4-6. Held every three years, this year’s convocation gave the presbyterate a chance to discuss the recent sexual abuse cases and pray for the Church. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

going on, it’s really important to come together to support one another, pray for each other, and to pray for the Church and all the people that we serve. There’s a nice, supportive spirit here.”

“I think there was a little bit of nervousness beforehand, and some were thinking that we were just going to be reiterating the same policies and procedures,” Father Frederici told The Anchor. “But this (meeting) has really been about listening and the bishop has not only listened but shared himself, too. That’s been helpful. And really this is just the beginning of where we need to go as a presbyterate.”

The three-day convocation agenda was dominated by group discussions and question-andanswer periods, but also provided

renewed our ordination promises together,” said Father Jack Schrader, parochial vicar at St. Mary and Sacred Heart parishes in North Attleboro and St. Mark’s Parish in Attleboro Falls. “That’s one way as a diocese, as priests, and as brothers for us to come together right away and recommit ourselves to what God is calling us to do.”

During the Wednesday Liturgy, Bishop da Cunha addressed the prevailing topic of the convocation by drawing parallels to that morning’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 3:2 in his homily.

“As I read these words of St. Paul, three words came to mind; and the first is honesty,” Bishop da Cunha said. “I think St. Paul was being very honest with the Corinthians. He wasn’t pulling any

punches, he wasn’t sugar-coating it.

I think people respected him and liked him even more for his honesty.

“The second word I thought of was humility. If we want to be honest with somebody, and if we want to call someone to be accountable and to change, we have to be humble in doing that. If we want to correct somebody arrogantly, we’re not going to get much accomplished.

Humility — Jesus speaks so much about that, and we need it in our Church today more than ever.

“And the third word is accountability. We all were born, raised, educated, formed and live in a culture where if we can avoid accountability, we will. And that has created so many problems. Unless we honestly and humbly accept the fact that we need to be held accountable to each other, to the Church, to our people, to the laity, we’re never going to have credibility and we’re never going to be trusted anymore.”

While many Catholics have been understandably upset and even angered by this latest round of clerical sexual abuse and the delayed response from Church leaders, just as many parishioners in the Fall River Diocese have remained supportive of their parish priests.

“The parishioners have been very supportive, even when we told them that we were coming on this convocation and what issues would be discussed, it was kind of nice to hear: ‘Oh, we’re going to have a holy hour for you and all the priests of the diocese,’” said Father Michael Racine, pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet. “It’s nice to know that we’re being prayed for every day. That’s very supportive.

I’ve found from the very beginning when all of this was coming back out, people have been praying for us and they’ve been praying for a resolution. That’s very heartening.”

“While people often focus their anger on the institution and all this sort of stuff, locally they seem to love their priests and their parish Turn to page 20

Annual Red Mass set for September 29 at Cathedral in Fall River Five to receive St. Thomas More Award

By John E. Kearns Jr. Diocesan Director of Communications

FALL RIVER — Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate the annual Red Mass in the Fall River Diocese at 4 p.m., Saturday, September 29, in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River.

A long-standing tradition in the Church, the

Judge Daniel J. O’Shea

Red Mass is celebrated each year in the diocese to invoke God’s guidance and strength on those who work to promote justice in the legal system.

Judges, attorneys and others working in the justice system throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands are invited to attend.

At the conclusion of the Mass, in keeping with a tradition unique to the Fall River Diocese, Bishop da Cunha will present the St. Thomas More Award to members of the area legal community in recognition of dedicated service.

Selected for the honors this year are, as distinguished jurist, Judge Daniel J. O’Shea, First Justice, Attleboro District Court; as distinguished attorney, Stephen F. Kiley, Massachusetts Department of Men-

tal Health, Taunton Office; as distinguished court employee, Faith Shannon, Judicial Regional Secretary, Barnstable District Court; as distinguished recipient of the ecumenical award, Attorney Scott W. Lang, of Lang, Xifaras, and Bullard, New Bedford; and as distinguished recipient of the Joseph P. Harrington Founder’s Award, Attorney Robert Surprenant, of Surprenant and Beneski., P.C., New Bedford.

The Red Mass is so named because of the color of the vestments worn during the Liturgy, which is the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Who will be invoked upon those in attendance.

Its roots date back to 13thcentury Europe, and it is widely celebrated in dioceses throughout the U.S. The St. Thomas More

Attorney Stephen F. Kiley

Awards are named for St. Thomas More, a 16thcentury English layman and lawyer martyred for opposition to the divorce of King Henry VIII and for refusing to renounce papal authority.

Award recipients were nominated for the recognition by the Red Mass planning committee from across the diocese, headed by New Bedford attorney Michael J.

Harrington.

O’Shea was appointed to the District Court in 2005 and has served in his current post in Attleboro

Faith Shannon

District Court since 2010.

A member of several committees that work to improve the operation of the court, he is currently chairman of the District Court Case Flow Management Committee. He served for the past several years as a Judicial Mentor in the Trial Court’s judicial mentoring program.

Prior to his coming to District Court, he was Senior Judge for the state’s Department of Industrial Accidents, where he had administrative and supervisory authority over the department’s Administrative Judges, Reviewing Board Judges and its Division of Dispute Resolution.

Earlier in his career he worked as a staff attorney for Commonwealth Energy System (now known as Eversource) and as claims supervisor for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.

O’Shea is a graduate of New England Law School in Boston.

Married, he and his wife, Donna, are the parents of three adult children.

O’Shea is a parishioner of Holy Cross Parish in Easton.

Kiley is assistant general counsel for the state’s Department of Mental Health.

As such, he represents the agency in guardianship and

Attorney Scott W. Lang

civil commitment cases, reviews statutes and regulations, conducts in-service trainings and provides other legal assistance as necessary. He has been with the department since 1997.

He maintained a general practice of law for 12 years before that, concentrating in criminal defense, mental

Attorney Robert Surprenant

health and probate and real estate law.

For many years, he also taught part-time at area colleges.

A certified official in the Massachusetts Track and Field Officials Association and USA Track and Field, Kiley has volunteered his service in that capacity for many years at the Special Olympics and Bay State Games, Southeast/Coastal Region.

He is an active member of his parish, St. Louis de France, Swansea, serving on its Catholic Charities Committee and formerly on its Finance Committee.

He holds a law degree from New England School of Law, Boston.

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40 Days for Life campaign to begin 11th year of bringing hope to end the scourge of abortion

less killing of infants in the womb everywhere, including in Attleboro, which is home to the only remainATTLEBORO — ing facility in the Diocese Since 2001, the month of September has conjured up of Fall River that performs abortion: Four Women memories of the evils that man can perpetrate against Clinic at 150 Emory fellow human beings, with Street.

“40 Days for Life is a the terrorist attacks of 9/11 peaceful, highly-focused, that year. non-denominational iniBut in 2008 a group of tiative that focuses on 40 faithful diocesan Cathodays of prayer and fasting, lics began taking part in peaceful vigil at abora world-wide movement tion faknown as “40 Days for cilities, and Life” ; a mobilization of grassroots human beings with the educational purpose of praying and outreach,” fasting to end the scourge said Ron of abortion. It’s become a Larose, ray of sunshine, hope and encouragement, not meant coordinato overshadow the horrors tor of the local campaign.

“The 40-day time frame of 2001, but to give witis drawn from examples ness to the good mankind can do to and for its broth- throughout Biblical history. We pray that these ers and sisters. efforts will help mark the On September 26, 40 beginning of the end of Days for Life Attleboro abortion in Attleboro.” will begin its 11th year “40 Days for Life has of joining countless other generated proven lifePro-Life advocates across the world to end the sense- saving results since its beginning in 2004 in Bryan/College Station, Texas,” said Shawn Carney, national president of 40 Days for Life. “During 22 previous coordinated campaigns, 769 communities have participated in this

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

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effort. More than 750,000 people — representing some 19,000 churches — have committed to pray and fast. And we know of at least 14,643 unborn children whose lives were spared from abortion during 40 Days for Life campaigns.”

Locally, the prayers and fasting efforts have made a mark on the abortion killing machine. “We know 40 Days for Life has

made a difference in our local area,” Larose told The Anchor. “Our volunteers have made extraordinary sacrifices to expose the abortion industry and to protect children and their mothers from abortion.

Here are just a few of the positive results of previous Attleboro campaigns: — 12 babies saved from abortion; — more than 30 churches and other faithbased organizations participate, and; — more than 200 volunteers have contributed 500 hours of service to the community.”

Larose also told The Anchor that the local campaign is seeking individuals to volunteer. “Please take the time to sign up for vigil time in the public rightof-way outside the clinic in Attleboro, on our website at www.40daysforlife.com/ attleboro,” he said. “All prayer vigil participants are asked to sign a statement of peace, pledging to conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner at all times.” Vigil

hours during the 40 days, ending on November 4, are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Participants are asked to gather in the public Angell Park across the street from the clinic complex entrance. Parking is available on any of the side streets abutting the park and the clinic complex.

The national 40 Days for Life website (40daysforlife. com) explains how the campaign began: “In 1998, Planned Parenthood opened an abortion center in Bryan/ College Station. People of faith rallied against it, but in time the office was built and Planned Parenthood opened.

“Each year, the goal of ending abortion in the Brazos Valley seemed to slip further away. But four members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life realized they needed to ask God how He would have them end abortion in their community. So in 2004, they gathered around an old wooden table for an hour of prayer.

“During that hour of prayer, they found themselves drawn to the timeframe of 40 days — a time-frame God consistently uses throughout Salvation history to transform His people.

“As that hour of prayer progressed, the four individuals felt themselves called to launch a 40day campaign of prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a constant peaceful vigil to end abortion. They also vowed that even if no one else would

join them, together they would cover the entire 40day, 960-hour, around-theclock vigil.

“Finally, they gave their new project a name: 40 Days for Life.

“The campaign results exceeded all expectations.

In less than six weeks, more than 1,000 new volunteers helped ensure all 960 hours of the vigil were covered. A grassroots, door-to-door effort reached more than 25,000 households. The campaign made local, state and national news. And the local abortion rate dropped by 28 percent.”

“Since the inaugural 40 Days for Life campaign began in Texas, volunteers have taken part in 5,605 local campaigns encompassing 50 countries. In addition, 177 abortion workers have quit their jobs and 96 abortion centers have closed.”

The results have been astounding, and the website continues: “By the grace of God, 40 Days for Life has achieved a stunning track record of life-saving results since launching in 2007 and rapidly becoming a worldwide movement.”

Larose also told The Anchor of several Pro-Life activities occurring in or near the Diocese of Fall River, and strongly urged folks to attend any or all if they are able.

On September 23 there will be a kick-off prayer service hosted by the Boston campaign at the Betania II Center, 154 Summer Street in Medway.

The event begins at 4 p.m. with a Mass celebrated by Father Michael McNamara. The guest speaker at 5 p.m. is 40 Days for Turn to page 11

FACE forges ahead with new director, fund-raising plans a dedicated executive director who can give it the full attention it deserves.

“I think now with my position, it’s going to be more visibly its own entity,” Duxbury said. “We’re going to have our own fund-raising opportunities, which we’ve had before, but now we’ll have our own marketing activities, our own voice, our own communications. That type of thing will definitely be specific to FACE. I couldn’t imagine trying to do Catholic Charities and FACE at the same time.

Just the allocations process alone is a big, big job — much less trying to figure out how to continue the

that kind of thing.

“I had taken a job with a former employer, and it BOURNE — It’s clear just wasn’t working out. I that Sandi M. Duxbury, had actually applied to the who recently became diocese before I took that the first-ever executive job. So, as soon as this opdirector of the diocesan portunity came up, I just Foundation to Advance knew it was the right time Catholic Education, has a to make a career change.” passion and appreciation For Duxbury, one of for Catholic schools. her primary tasks is to let The product of a Midpeople know about FACE western Catholic educaand some of the scholtion herself, Duxbury’s arship opportunities it two daughters also attendprovides. ed St. Margaret’s Regional “Money can be the School in Buzzards Bay biggest impediment and graduated from Bish(to attending Catholic op Stang High School in school) and there are so North Dartmouth. many families out there “It was so important that don’t even think they to me that when my first would qualify for any type daughter was of financial e are in the process of revamping the aid,” Duxborn, she was FACE website and we hope that will bury said. just 10 weeks be launched by the end of September to mid-Oc- “So I guess old when I registered her tober. That will be very active in terms of events if there’s one for Kinderand media. I’m featuring different stories from message I garten; and different schools, that type of thing. The URL is want to get my second the same, but it’s going to look completely differ- out, it is you daughter, ent and will provide a lot more information for don’t know she was 10 until you apfamilies in terms of what FACE is and what the months old ply and you before I regis- scholarships are and how to go about applying for won’t get any tered her, but them.” scholarship we wanted to if you don’t make sure that they were all fund-raising portion of it apply. So it’s worthwhile set,” Duxbury recently told and just other structural to apply.”

The Anchor. “So that’s how and operational issues. So While applications are important it was to me to I think this is a step in the processed through the make sure they got a good right direction.”

FACTS tuition manCatholic education and A resident of Bourne agement online system, they both did.” who attends St. John the FACE even assists by Previously run under Evangelist Parish in Pocovering half of the $30 the auspices of the Devel- casset, Duxbury decided to application fee. opment Office by former take on her new role after “So it’s just $15 to apdirector James A. Campa 25-year career in health ply and you really have bell, who also oversaw the care marketing and medi- nothing to lose, to deterannual Catholic Charities cal devices. mine whether or not you Appeal, FACE provides “My background is acqualify for something,” she need-based scholarships tually in health care,” she said. “So I would highly for students from kindersaid. “I spent about five encourage parents to go garten through grade eight years at a large radiology through the process. They to attend Catholic schools practice in Rhode Island. do need to be registered in the Fall River Diocese.

I’ve worked in marketing at one of the Catholic And while FACE has of medical devices, in paschools in order to apply, always been its own fund- tient education and physi- so I would find a school raising entity, it will now cian education, clinical that fits your needs and greatly benefit from having studies, sales force support, then figure out how the

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

“W

finances can be worked out later — and FACE certainly plays a big part in that.”

FACE has a general scholarship fund, but also more specific awards like the Hope and Opportunity initiative through the Carney Family that provides scholarships for students who are deemed to be below Title I poverty levels in Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River.

There’s also a scholarship for students living on Cape Cod. “There’s a variety of

different scholarships that are available based upon financial need, and we have an allocations committee that goes through each of the applications and determines what kind of scholarship we’re able to offer,” Duxbury said.

“It’s been very rewarding.

I mean, I’ve already talked to a lot of families myself and it’s been just amazing to see the gratitude and appreciation these parents have to make sure that their kids can stay in Catholic schools.”

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Anchor Editorial

Holy Hour of reparation and healing

This past week, during a meeting of the Presbyteral Council (a representative body of the priests, who meet with the bishop periodically throughout the year to share their impressions on the state of the diocese and for the bishop to be able to consult with them about serious matters of the governance of the diocese), it was decided that Holy Hours of Reparation and Healing would be held throughout the diocese on Friday, October 5 at 7 p.m. This was in response to the current crisis in the Church due to revelations of sexual abuse and ecclesiastical cover-ups.

In the Holy Hour, we will gather before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, exposed on the altar. He is the One Who made reparation for our sins on the cross, He is the One Who can bring healing.

The devil is very pleased with the current situation — because he hates everyone and he loves to see people suffer and because the Church is supposed to be the Sacrament of Salvation in our world (but these revelations make it very difficult for people to believe that).

In his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy), in No. 14, St. John Paul II wrote, “[A] generous requirement of forgiveness does not cancel out the objective requirements of justice.

Properly understood, justice constitutes, so to speak, the goal of forgiveness. In no passage of the Gospel message does forgiveness, or mercy as its source, mean indulgence towards evil, towards scandals, towards injury or insult. In any case, reparation for evil and scandal, compensation for injury, and satisfaction for insult are conditions for forgiveness.” The sinners themselves are to make reparation, but we can all do so (just as the innocent Jesus did).

In 1899 Pope Leo XIII consecrated the human race to the Divine Heart of Jesus. In a letter marking the centennial of that act, St. John Paul wrote, “The words of Leo XIII still ring true: ‘We must have recourse to Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We have gone astray and we must return to the right path; darkness has overshadowed our minds, and the gloom must be dispelled by the light of truth; death has seized upon us, and we must lay hold of life’ (Annum sacrum, p. 78). Is this not the program of the Second Vatican Council and of my own pontificate?”

He then quoted from Vatican II’s document Gaudium et Spes, No. 10, “The imbalances under which the modern world labors are linked with that more basic imbalance rooted in the human heart.” We are OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

Vol. 62, No. 19

Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $25.00 per year, for U.S. addresses.

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PUBLISHER - Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org

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The Anchor - September 21, 2018

in this crisis because of the imbalances in the hearts of these clerics — the abusers and the enablers. The former had an imbalance regarding how to respectfully treat other people, the latter had an imbalance regarding what was truly best for the Church.

In 2000, when he was beatifying Francisco and Jacinta Marto at Fatima, St. John Paul preached, “According to the Divine plan, ‘a woman clothed with the sun’ (Rv 12: 1) came down from Heaven to this earth to visit the privileged children of the Father. She speaks to them with a mother’s voice and heart: she asks them to offer themselves as victims of reparation, saying that she was ready to lead them safely to God. And behold, they see a light shining from her maternal hands which penetrates them inwardly, so that they feel immersed in God just as —- they explain — a person sees himself in a mirror.

“Later Francisco, one of the three privileged children, exclaimed: ‘We were burning in that light which is God and we were not consumed. What is God like? It is impossible to say. In fact we will never be able to tell people.’ God: a light that burns without consuming.

Moses had the same experience when he saw God in the burning bush; he heard God say that He was concerned about the slavery of His people and had decided to deliver them through him: ‘I will be with you’ (cf. Ex 3: 2-12). Those who welcome this presence become the dwelling-place and, consequently, a ‘burning bush’ of the Most High.”

Like the innocent children of Fatima, we are called to come into the presence of God, to be a dwelling place for Him, and to help bring His message of healing into our wounded world. We will pray for all who have been harmed by this current crisis — the victims of sexual abuse and all the members of the Church, who have been scandalized by the behavior of men of God. This Holy Hour will be led by Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River. All are welcome to attend it, but to make it more convenient for people throughout the diocese, it will also be offered at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee, St. Mary’s Parish in New Bedford, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Attleboro, St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham and St. Mary-Our Lady of the Isle Parish on Nantucket. In all of these churches, the Holy Hour will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 5.

Daily Readings Sept. 22 – Oct. 5

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Sept. 22, 1 Cor 15:33-37,42-49; Ps 56:10-14; Lk 8:4-15. Sun. Sept. 23, Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Wis 2:12,1720; Ps 54:3-4,5,6-8; Jas 3:16—4:3; Mk 9:30-37. Mon. Sept. 24, Prv 3:27-34; Ps 15:2-5; Lk 8:16-18. Tues. Sept. 25, Prv 21:1-6,10-13; Ps 119:1,27,30,34-35,44; Lk 8:19-21. Wed. Sept. 26, Prv 30:5-9; Ps 119:29,72,89,101,104,163; Lk 9:1-6.

Thurs. Sept. 27, Eccl 1:2-11; Ps 90:3-6,12-14,17; Lk 9:7-9. Fri. Sept. 28, Eccl 3:1-11; Ps 144:1b,2abc,3-4; Lk 9:18-22.

Sat. Sept. 29, Dn 7:9-10,13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a; Ps 138:1-5; Jn 1:47-51. Sun. Sept. 30, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nm 11:25-29; Ps 19:8,10,1214; Jas 5:1-6; Mk 9:38-43,45,47-48. Mon. Oct. 1, Jb 1:6-22; Ps 17:1-3,6-7; Lk 9:46-50. Tues. Oct. 2, Jb 3:1-3,11-17,20-23; Ps 88:2-8; Mt 18:1-5, 10. Oct. 3, Jb 9:1-12,14-16; Ps 88:10-15; Lk 9:57-62. Thurs. Oct. 4, Jb 19:21-27; Ps 27:79,13-14; Lk 10:1-12. Fri. Oct. 5, Jb 38:1,12-21; 40:3-5; Ps 139:1-3,7-10,13-14; Lk 10:13-16.

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Spiritual paternity, anger, lying and vulnerable adults

n the last two weeks there have been ongoing developments in the clergy scandals that erupted with the revelation of the sexual abuse committed by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, widened with the publication of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation of sexual abuse of minors, and mushroomed further with the publication of testimonies by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former Apostolic nuncio to the United States.

On September 12, the Holy See Press Office announced that, after meeting with his cardinal advisory board, Pope Francis had decided to convene the presidents of national episcopal conferences five months from now to discuss the prevention of “the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.” The following day, the bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, W.V., resigned under plausible suspicion of the sexual harassment of adults, and in the Vatican, the leadership of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, together with Cardinal Sean O’Malley, met with Pope Francis to discuss the crisis, without announcing any concrete outcomes.

Similar scandals in Germany, Holland, Chile, Australia and Honduras have also grabbed headlines.

Many people continue to raise legitimate questions, lingering and new. As in previous columns, I will do my best to answer some of them.

What does the phrase “vulnerable adults” mean and is this a step in the right direction?

The phrase doesn’t exist in canon law or in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Young People, but does exist in the sexual abuse policies in various dioceses. It refers to those with physical or mental impairments who are incapable of defending themselves, giving consent, or reporting abuse suffered. It’s a

restriction to “vulnerable phrase that encompasses, for adults” seems designed to example, those with Down Syndrome, patients in a coma, evade discussion of the much larger problem of unchastity dementia patients in group among the clergy with men or facilities, etc. women. Some in the Church To use the phrase is an evidently want to avoid that acknowledgement that the topic at all costs. One reason sexual abuse crisis does not concern merely attacks against is because it would admit what the facts show: the vast minors. This is obviously a step in the right direction. But majority of cases of the sexual it’s a very small one. There are abuse of minors concern homosexual attacks on teen-age at least three concerns with boys, and, as we see clearly in the phrase. the case of former Cardinal First, it limits the “vulnerMcCarrick, such abuse often able” to a very small segment of adults. The word derives from the Latin vulnus, which means Putting Into “wound.” Vulnerable means someone capathe Deep ble of being hurt. But who doesn’t fall into

By Father this category? Anyone Roger J. Landry who has known adult victims of sexual harassment and abuse recogniz- and unsurprisingly is found together with same-sex sines how deeply wounded they ning with adults. have been. Those who have Another reason is because been victimized by priests are some bishops recognize that often even more so because addressing clerical unchastity of the Spiritual abuse that is like attacking a hornet’s accompanies the physical or sexual. The phrase “vulnerable nest. They foresee a rebellion on the part of their clergy adults” should not stop with who self-identity, secretly or those with serious mental or physical disabilities but should openly, as gay, or fear seeming to scapegoat all priests with include everyone. same-sex attractions, includSecond, by circumscribing the term “vulnerable adults” to ing those who are chaste, or being labeled “homophobic” those who are incapacitated, by those who obstinately there’s a shift of responsibilrefuse to admit the same-sex ity toward victims who are prevalence of the clerical not impaired. The phrase, sexual abuse of minors or of as used, implies a desire to priestly unchastity with adults. protect those incapable of They know that if they pursue defending themselves, but this path they’ll probably end excludes adults capable of giving consent, fighting back, up losing some percentage of their presbyterate at a time or reporting things on their when bishops are struggling own. This is a first, surely unto keep parishes open. This intentional, step on the path toward “blaming the victims.” response is understandable, but unsatisfactory.

In fighting sexual abuse by Failure to address the larger clergy, the emphasis, however, should not be primarily on the context of the sexual abuse capacities of the victim but on of minors would be to repeat the inadequacies of the U.S. the sinful desires and actions bishops’ response in Dallas of the priest. It should not be in 2002, which partially led on the qualities of the object to the problems we’re facing of abuse but rather on the in 2018. The context of the abusing subject. sexual abuse of minors by Third, the reason for the

clergy is the problem of generally tolerated unchastity in the clergy and in the Church, a de facto “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in which sexual infidelity just worsens quantitatively and qualitatively. The Church needs to have the courage to call — and demand — its clergy to live by the Ten Commandments and their priestly promises. Any attempt to duck the problem as if it will just disappear on its own is foolish. The Church shouldn’t tolerate priests sexually wounding anyone.

Why do so many leaders in the Church not seem to be angry?

A friend of mine told me last week, “What makes me most angry is that some bishops don’t seem angry at all!” He named various Church leaders and said that they appear to be making statements written by lawyers and public relations consultations that they deliver without any evident conviction behind the words. They express “shame,” “regret,” and “sorrow,” but few express the holy anger that would engender confidence that they’re going to persevere in fighting to eradicate the problem.

The lack of anger flows, I think, from a lack of sufficient horror at what has been done against the victims, their families, God and the Church. This lack of horror comes in turn, I believe, from having been so accustomed to sin that they are no longer shocked at the destruction sin wreaks. Confronted with scandals, even with things like the Pennsylvania report, they peruse it without weeping, vomiting, or holy indignation. Habituation to the evil of sin originates in a lack of adequate, true love for God, for others, even for perpetrators who could go to hell for what they do to others. And that lack of love comes from a failure to identify themselves enough with God, with His

call to holiness, with His passionate summons to have His shepherds defend the flock entrusted to them against rapacious wolves. It flows ultimately, I think, from a lack of Spiritual fatherhood and genuinely fatherly love.

Most fathers I know, including dads who struggle to live up to many of their duties, would immediately risk their life to protect their children from assailants. Most grown men would similarly give their lives to protect other people’s children from attackers. The only dads I can fathom who wouldn’t, would be abusers themselves.

In a talk in 2004 on the scandals, an elderly man asked what I would do if I returned that night to the rectory and found another priest attacking a child. I asked permission from the man asking the question to respond honestly, even if my reply might scandalize him. When he consented, I said, using a string of totally unpriestly expletives, that I would free the victim, pummel the abuser, drag him down to the police station myself by his most sensitive body parts, and then call my bishop to explain what had happened and what he must do.

There was silence. Then applause. Then a sustained standing ovation. Once the applause abated, I asked the man if he would in turn answer a question for me and he assented. I asked whether, when his kids were still young, if he had returned home and discovered that his live-in brother was in the act of abusing his kids, wouldn’t he have done the same thing? The man replied, “I reckon I would have.” That’s what dads do.

This, for me, has always summed up the central issue in episcopal malfeasance with regard to the abuse crisis. Many bishops just don’t behave like Spiritual fathers in defending their Spiritual Turn to page nine

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Say it ain’t so

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here have been recent calls for Pope Francis (and Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., for that matter) to resign for supposedly knowing about ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s past sexual abuse of young males and not doing anything to keep him from power and influence in the Church.

Earlier this summer the pope accepted McCarrick’s resignation as a cardinal, but an archbishop who formerly held high-ranking positions in the Vatican says the pope knew about McCarrick’s awful behavior years ago and yet treated him as a trusted adviser.

These are serious allegations. The pope has so far refused to confirm or deny them. Instead, the pope has said that the memo of accusation written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former papal nuncio to the United States, “speaks for itself, and you are capable enough as journalists to draw your own conclusions.” That memo includes the statement that Archbishop Vigano personally during a face-to-face meeting five years ago informed Pope Francis of McCarrick’s sordid past.

Now it is possible that

Pope Francis is doing as the king as supreme head St. Gerard Majella did of the Church in Engone time during the mid- land: Qui tacet consentire 1700s when he was falsely videtur. “Silence betokens accused by a woman of consent.” In other words, sexual immorality. Gerard the pope’s silence in the remained silent and didn’t face of serious accusation defend himself. Only can be construed as an months later, after he had admission of guilt. been suspended by his Which is it? While religious order, did St. Gerard’s true character become Judge clear, when the woman on her For own recanted Yourself her tall tale and

By Dwight Duncan admitted that the allegations against him were false. St. Gerard’s religious superior, St. Alphonsus many have suspicions, de Liguori, founder of most of us don’t really the Redemptorists, asked know. him why he did not deny And how will we it at the time. St. Gerard know? Cardinal Daniel answered, “How could I, DiNardo, president of the my father? Does not the U.S. Conference of Cathrule forbid me to excuse olic Bishops, and others myself and to bear in with authority, have asked silence whatever mortithe pope to answer the fications are imposed by questions about what he the Superior?” And so St. knew about McCarrick Gerard is the patron of and when he knew it. those unjustly accused.

Now, as a matter of But it is also possible canon law — which is to draw another inference sometimes the point of from the pope’s silence, this column, since I am a one summed up in the canon-law lawyer, for betlegal maxim that my ter or worse — the pope patron St. Thomas More doesn’t have to answer the tried to use in defense of question. Canon 1404 of his own silence at his trial the Code of Canon Law for treason in 1535 for says Prima Sedes a nemine refusing to acknowledge iudicatur. That is: “The

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

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The Anchor - September 21, 2018

First See [meaning the pope, of course] is judged by no one.” There is no higher legal authority on earth in the Catholic Church to whom the pope has to answer. Of course, the pope has to answer to God and to Jesus Christ, Who is Truth incarnate. The pope’s personal moral authority and credibility may indeed be at stake, but there is no human legal process he is subject to. There is no impeachment mechanism in our hierarchical Church.

There is also no one with subpoena power over the Bishop of Rome who can force him to answer questions. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are ultimately in charge, even if the day of reckoning is postponed to the particular judgment at death and then the general judgment at the Second Coming. That is the point of the parable of the wheat and the weeds, after all.

But should Pope Francis answer the questions?

Given the widespread consternation and confusion this matter is causing in the Church, among members high and low, east and west, the answer is yes. St. Gerard Majella’s silence affected only himself. Likewise, St. Thomas More. Pope Francis, as head of the universal Church, owes the faithful clarity on important matters. Indeed, the pope seemed to predict a time in the future when he would answer the questions during his non-answer on August 27: “When some time passes and you have

drawn your conclusions, I may speak.”

In the interim, we should withhold judgment until the facts are known — but politely remind the pope regularly that we are waiting for his answers. A bit like the Servant of God Dorothy Day, who reportedly would sign her letters to bishops, “Your angry and obedient servant, Dorothy.”

I love Pope Francis and Cardinal Sean. They have done a lot of good, in these and other areas, even if mixed with mistakes in governance.

Cardinal Sean has already denied knowledge of McCarrick’s misdeeds; I believe him.

As to Pope Francis: please say it ain’t so. But even if Archbishop Vigano’s charges are proven true, I think I would prefer that the pope stay in office, learn from his grievous error of judgment, and try with renewed vigor to address this awful problem of clerical sexual abuse and episcopal cover-up.

Let us pray for a true and just resolution to this crisis in our Church founded on Christ and His teachings and Sacraments, effective means of holiness in spite of everything some priests and bishops and the rest of us do to bring scandal. And let us pray above all for those who have suffered abuse at the hands of Churchmen. May Mary, Mother of the Church, protect all of us.

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

We’re in this together

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he “universal priesthood,” although misunderstood by non-Catholic Christians, has always undergirded the Church’s understanding of the right worship of God. Indeed, it was our first pope who wrote: “Come to Him, a living stone, [and] let yourselves be built into a Spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer Spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pt 2:4-5). We know that the greatest sacrifice that we can offer is the Body and Blood of Christ on the altar in Holy Mass, and yet it is the Eucharist itself that reveals the essential difference between the two kinds of priests: those who are ordained, and the common priests, known as the lay faithful.

What exactly are we doing at Mass? We are giving honor and glory to the One, true God, Who revealed Himself to us as a communion of love. Since God the Son took flesh so that we might be redeemed and restored after our rebellion, the ritual sacrifice that is offered on every Catholic altar is in keeping with the memorial that He established. While an ordained priest is required to confect the Eucharist, it is incumbent on all present to offer themselves on the altar as well: their virtues, their Spiritual gifts, and their very lives. Jesus is truly made present with the words and right intention of the priest, but the laity — by bringing the matter of the sacrifice to the hands of the priest — offer their prayers and sufferings, indeed, all that is to be made whole through the Eucharistic sacrifice, which then rises like incense to God the Father.

So it is with this in mind that we must counter any call to leave the Church, despite

the shocking unworthiness all its members. Mature of some of her ordained reflection recalls that many ministers. Having seen that sacrifices have been made the common priesthood and over the centuries for the the ordained priesthood, building up of this Spiritual while essentially different, body — one from which are both ordered to Christ, we each benefit in innuit becomes obvious that each depends on the other. The The ordained priests Feminine are certainly “at the service” of the laity Genius (“CCC,” 1547), but

By Genevieve Kineke their holiness and efficacy are always profoundly affected by the fidelity of those they merable ways, and that the serve, and our abandonment responsibility now falls to us of Christ in this trial would to assure the right worship be deeply unworthy of His of God in our turn. This tremendous gift of self. requires serious reflection The Church as a whole about the ways in which we is a mystical body whose have failed to support our health and well-being affect priests in prayer, how we

Father Landry’s column continued from page seven

sons and daughters. What’s so black and white to most dads and moms is somehow, inexplicably complicated for some prelates. I think the fundamental reason is that many are tempted to look at the world as CEOs who say their prayers rather than as true Spiritual dads.

I also think that this is the reason why there is a crisis of unchastity among many clergy. If a priest looks at others with the eyes of a Spiritual father, sexual relations with anyone is Spiritually incestuous. And only the most perverted are ever attracted to incest. The crisis of fidelity begins, in other words, with a crisis in identity. Good Spiritual dads not only don’t abuse their children but become ferocious in protecting their children from those who try.

They also justly become white hot furious whenever anyone hurts their kids or looks the other way.

The renewal of the Church begins with the renewal of Spiritual fatherhood among

the clergy.

Aren’t bishops lying?

At a conversation with journalist friends, a few brought up how dispirited they are that some very prominent bishops seem to have been lying about what they knew or didn’t know.

Bishops who have a reputation for being uber-competent, highly-connected, micromanagers seemed to be the only priests in their dioceses unaware of the rumors, for example, against former Cardinal McCarrick.

If these bishops had, in their denials, admitted minimally that they absolutely should have known what they apparently didn’t know, if they had shown that they felt stupid, naive and betrayed, their denials, my friends said, may have been credible. But their denials feature none of that, they said, but seemed to mimic the implausible disavowals of politicians caught in scandal. “My teenage son lies better about his dog-eaten homework,” one

have dodged the difficult teachings so that we may conform to the wider world in comfort and Spiritual laziness, and how we may have allowed our “sacrifice of praise” to be lukewarm and morally indifferent.

Nothing can justify the egregious actions of some members of the Church hierarchy, and transparent honesty is essential in order to restore trust, but neither can anything justify any sort of lay righteousness that ignores our own failure to live out the demands of the Gospel and our own resistance over recent decades to sound teaching.

There is no guarantee that any local church will endure — most early Biblical communities are mere archeological ruins today.

What will indicate where our children worship is as much our responsibility as it is that of our priests — more so on most counts. The ball is in our court, and amidst the calls for reform and repentance must come the common priest’s embrace of his baptismal call. With prayer and sincere attention to the right worship of God, we will right the Barque of Peter so that our descendents may be proud.

Anchor columnist Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.”

She blogs at feminine-genius. typepad.com.

said. “They can’t even lie with conviction,” another added.

Christ calls His Church to be truthful, to say “yes” when we mean “yes” and “no” when we mean “no,” telling us everything else comes from the devil (Mt 5:37). Lying is not a sin of weakness, but calculation. It can happen to men of the cloth when some get so used to “mental reservations” that partially obscure truth that those mental reservations can expand until there’s basically no truth left.

It’s incalculably destructive when men of God get the reputation for speaking like the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44). The suspicion that some bishops aren’t telling the truth is clearly a principal cause in the lack of trust the Church is now facing.

“A bishop can do no greater disservice to his flock than to lie,” a priest friend wrote back in 2002. “Lying is immeasurably more destructive than scandal given by sexual turpitude, jobbery, or peculation. Any lie, regardless

of gravity or occasion, gives his hearers reason to believe that the Apostles lied about Christ and that the Church is lying when she claims to be a reliable transmitter of Divine teaching. If a bishop, a successor of the Apostles, has lied to me about what he knew about a priest before re-assigning him, why should I believe that he is telling me the truth when he says that Christ rose from the dead, or that it is God’s will that I refrain from sex outside Marriage?”

This is one of the reasons why for the future of the Church bishops and priests demonstrate total transparency and verifiable truthfulness. To be icons of Christ the truth incarnate. Otherwise no one will believe anything clergy say, including the Gospel.

I’ll continue to try to take up further questions in upcoming columns.

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

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Living in Christ’s peace

et me begin with a quote from Henri Nouwen, a friend of mine and a giant of Spirituality from the last century.

He writes, “The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not healing, not curing — that is a friend who cares.”

I’d like to be that kind of friend for you and for the entire Church community today. We all need to be able to tolerate not knowing as much as we want to about the terrible ongoing crisis of sexual abuse and cover-ups in our Church. We know it is far too early in the process for any forgiveness. And it seems infinitely distant to talk of healing. And so most of us sit quietly and wait for someone to do something.

And all we get are more words of apology and darkness. T.S. Eliot wrote of something similar in “East Coker”: “I said to my soul, be

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still, and wait without hope.

“For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, “For love would be love of the wrong thing; yet there is faith.

“But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

“Wait without thought, for you are not yet ready for thought: “So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”

There is plenty of darkness going around the Church these days. And yet today’s Liturgy presents a scene of one of the notable healing stories in the Gospels. It is far too early for a healing process in our own Church crisis, but perhaps we can glimpse even a tiny bit of a yet long-away goal, a hope for the future, a dream even.

The Gospels are full of miracle stories, healing stories. Today we have one that is unique

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

to St. Mark, and one of only two stories in Mark’s Gospel that are unique to all the Gospels. In both of these Marcan healings, Jesus “gets dirty” performing the healing.

Healing comes not just through Jesus’ words or prayer or thoughts.

Healing is rendered by spit or dirt. Jesus is not afraid of getting messy,

Guest Columnist

By Father John A. Loftus, SJ

dark, even dirty to heal.

(The other healing is in Mark’s eighth chapter and is usually known as the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. There Jesus puts mud on the man’s eyes twice before the man can see rightly.)

To be deaf and have a speech impediment was to have more than just a physical handicap. His speech impediment and hearing loss would have

done two other things as well. He would have been excluded from the community of Israel because his physical disease made it quite clear that he must have been a sinner as well. Sinners were always shunned. This was their world; this was Jesus’ world.

So in His healing gesture, Jesus does two other things as well.

He forgives the man his sin, and He includes him again in the community. In fact, this is a hallmark of just about all of Jesus’ healing ministry.

Think of some of the other healings. The lepers who come to Jesus are told to present themselves to the priests and then be reinstated within the walls of the city. Think of the insane man who watches his demons rush into pigs and run over the cliff. He, too, becomes again a “normal Israelite.” We could go on with many others.

Jesus never gets angry towards sinners, “the strange,” the outcasts or the marginalized. He only gets angry at those who think they are already righteous by their own doing. And He has harsh words for them indeed.

Forgiveness and inclusion are at the heart of Jesus’ whole ministry.

But there is one more quality to all the healing stories in the Gospels.

There is always a mellowness, a tenderness, a compassion that characterizes Jesus’ whole demeanor.

As He walks through the world He is always “gentle and humble of heart,” as foreshadowed by Isaiah and Psalm 146. His pres-

ence alone brings peace.

If we want Jesus as a model of healing, a goal for us to remember as we wait, there are at least three things to bear in mind: 1. Jesus always forgives first. Forgiving is what God does best, He says; 2. He always seeks to include everybody back into the community. But the marginalized, the outsiders, the excluded (for whatever reason) have a priority; 3. He does it all with a gentleness and peace that were infectious.

Let me repeat that we are far, far away from any considerations of forgiveness or healing in our present scandal. There have been serious crimes committed and perhaps even broader conspiracies to cover them up on the part of superiors and bishops. The law must take its course as it has already begun. But perhaps we can keep in mind the ultimate goal for a Christian.

Remember what healing looked like for Jesus.

And in the meantime, our own work is not done.

Let me close with another passage from Father Nouwen.

“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say at least words of healing? Could I let go of my anger and resentment?

Did I forgive someone?

Did I love someone?

These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits here in this world and in the life to come.”

Let’s all try to live in Christ’s peace!

Father Loftus, SJ, preached this homily at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich.

We need to listen

the channel and other and to love neighbor if we “talking heads” will be say- don’t listen to either? A ing something quite to the Church that doesn’t listen contrary. To whom does is a contradiction. one listen? Whom do you Listening is a skill. Like believe? Who is speaking any skill, it’s learned by the truth? Pundit Stephen constant practice. I once Colbert invented the had a dog named Lolo. word “truthiness” to describe the presenThe Ship’s Log tation of a perReflections of a sonal opinion as the Parish Priest honest-to-goodness truth (while meanBy Father Tim while disregarding Goldrick all evidence, logic, and facts). I suspect we’re being buried under a Lolo, in my opinion, was big heap of truthiness. loco. He came to me from I see it in politics and Barcelona. Lolo refused to business. I believe it’s called listen to my simplest com“spin” in the trade. “Spin,” mands. It took me a while in this sense, is a biased in- to figure out the problem. terpretation of reality with It wasn’t that Lolo refused all the intents and purposes to listen. The problem was of persuading the general he knew basic commands public in one direction or in Spanish, not in English. another. “Spin” is nothing I do not speak Spanish. more than propaganda. It’s !Que lástima! been around forever.

There are obstacles to What about the the skill of listening. The Church? Is the Church first is the presumption listening? Well, the Church that there’s nothing to hear. has to listen, no ifs, ands If you have concluded you or buts about it. “The first already know it all, you duty of love is to listen,” can be sure that you don’t. observed Paul Tillich, Being satisfied with the the German-American way things look or seem on existential philosopher the surface is an obstacle. and Lutheran theologian.

I once had a pastor who People who fail to love will would say, “Tim, I know also fail to listen. People you inside and out.” If who love will always listen. we ate at a restaurant, for How can we possibly keep example, he would play a the Lord’s Great Comlittle game of predicting mandment to love God what I was about to order from the menu. I would, 40 Days for Life begins 11th campaign of course, order something continued from page four completely different. You Life president and CEO, de Paul Church, 71 Linden know me, dear readers.

Shawn Carney. There is Street, Attleboro.

People are not always no charge for the event.

The annual Abundant predictable. Things are not Refreshments will follow.

Hope Celebrate Life always what they seem. To The Attleboro 40 Days Fund-raising Dinner will know the truth, we need for Life will kick off with take place on September to look more closely and a prayer service on Sep27 at 6 p.m. at Lake Pearl listen more attentively. This tember 28 at Angell Park Luciano’s in Wrentham. is the way we learn who at 8 a.m. followed by a 9 Visit www.ahprc.org for people really are and what a.m. Mass at St. Vincent more information. is actually happening.

Saturday 15 September 2018 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. n the opening scene of that irreverent British film from 1979, “Life of Brian,” the Monty Python comedy troupe presents the main character, a fictional Brian of Nazareth, standing in a small cluster of people on the periphery of the crowd during the Sermon on the Mount.

They’re having a problem.

The problem is that their little group is so far back in the crowd they can hardly hear what is being said. They strain to listen.

“What was that? Blessed are the cheese makers?

Cheese makers? What’s so special about cheese makers?”

It seems to me that there’s a lot of this sort of thing going around these days. Some mishear. Some misspeak. Others aren’t even listening any more.

Everybody has something to say, but nobody is listening to what anyone is saying. Is it just me, dear readers, or is this a big problem in our times? “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest,” sang those New York City troubadours Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

I watch the so-called “talking heads” on the evening news broadcasts. Turn

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I remember, decades ago, meeting with a distraught man in the rectory office.

As I listened intently to his issues, I happened to look down at my wristwatch.

It was just a habit. I really didn’t give a hoot what time it was. “I see you don’t have time for me,” said the man. I haven’t worn a wristwatch since.

There are other obstacles to listening.

If someone should come to me and ask me to listen, and instead I immediately begin to give advice, I am not listening.

I’m not doing what I was asked to do. If I tell someone he or she shouldn’t think and feel the way they do, I am not listening. I’m denigrating their

experience. If I get busy in my mind formulating a solution while the person is still speaking, I am not listening. I’m trying to categorize the presenting problem into some slot or other. I’ve learned that when someone asks me to listen, then that’s what I need to do.

In this age of incivility, fake news, scandal, and spin, the Church (you and I) is called upon first to love as God loves, then to listen, and finally to act with wisdom, justice and mercy. As Church, the first service we owe to others is listening to them. Listening flows from love.

Know what I’m saying?

Anchor columnist Father Tim Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

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Faithful gather in North Attleboro to remember children lost to abortion

NORTH ATTLEBORO — Twenty-six people, including Fathers Jack Schrader and Phil Davignon (see above photo), attended the recent National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children at St. Mary’s Cemetery in North Attleboro September 8, joining 178 other vigils across the country, including nine in Massachusetts. The support of these two priests for this National Day of Remembrance over the past four years has been a blessing to many.

Jim Riley represented the Knights of Columbus in full regalia. The Knights sponsored the headstone for the Holy Innocents in St. Mary’s

Cemetery in North Attleboro.

The flower ceremony was very powerful and sweet as each person laid down hearts and prayers in a simple rose on the headstone for all those millions of babies lost to abortion. The names of 30 babies of local families named by their mothers, fathers and grandfathers, several of whom were in attendance at the service, were read aloud.

Two courageous and beautiful women read love letters to their sons whom they had each lost to abortion. All present appreciated them for sharing their hearts and for witnessing their strong trust in God’s forgiveness and healing.

Anchor renewal and price changes

FALL RIVER — The Anchor has announced a few changes of which current subscribers should be made aware.

At the renewal date for each subscriber, the annual cost for The Anchor will become $25. The Anchor is also offering its readers the option to renew for two years at $45.

The date in which the subscription will expire will be listed in each edition above the name and address of the subscriber on page 24.

Subscribers are encouraged to renew their subscription by that date by sending a check or money order 12

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

for $25 made payable to The Anchor, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720. Subscribers may also renew via PayPal by visiting The Anchor website at anchornews.org and pressing the “Subscribe” button and following the on-screen directions. We cannot accept credit card payments by phone.

If a payment isn’t received within 30 days of the expiration date, The Anchor will send out one reminder notice.

A sample of the new mailing labels appears in today’s edition on page 24.

Diocesan faithful to take part in national Rosary Coast to Coast Rally October 7

NEW BEDFORD — On October 7, faithful from the Diocese of Fall River will join fellow Catholics in a Rosary Coast to Coast Rally to “ask God through the

Blessed Lady to protect our families, communities, country and our Church.

The local events are sponsored by the Institute of the Incarnate

Wild is the wind “The wind is wild tonight, there’s battle in the air.

“The wind is from the west and it seems to come from Clare.” hese lines from poetess Emily Lawless speak of the eve of the Battle of Fontenoy (May 11, 1745) when the charge of the Irish Brigade turned back the English forces in the battle with the French. It speaks to the anticipation of a fierce battle with an old foe.

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Moon Over Molokai

By Father Patrick Killilea, SS.CC.

Last week, while we did not anticipate a bloody battle with an old foe, we did anticipate a battle with the elements and braced ourselves for an onslaught from the winds and rains of Hurricane Lane. By Wednesday the grocery store’s picture windows were all boarded up and we were informed that the store would be closed on Thursday and Friday. Also the post office and the administration office would be closed, the planes would not fly and the trail would not be open for visitors. We were ready for battle.

While in the Bahamas in the 1990s, I had escaped any damage from the hurricanes that frequently hit those islands. However, I figured that luck would run out on me sooner or later. So I was

prepared to take cover in a closet, or the bathroom tub, or under the house with my five cats.

Still Thursday came and passed, then Friday and, while the storm continued to batter the Big Island with winds and torrential rains and later Maui, we here in Kalaupapa experienced winds like our welcome trade winds, and rain that fell softly like it does on Irish fields so frequently, giving nourishment to the grasses and plants. It would certainly seem that our two saints, Damien and Marianne, were working round the clock to protect us from harm and destruction. For this we are most grateful to the Lord.

I believe it was Johnny Mathis, back in the 1950s, who gave us the love song “Wild is the Wind,” later to be sung by David Bowie and others. Over the centuries there have been sailors, songsters and poets who have given praise to the winds and at times cursed their presence or absence. Here in Kalaupapa we praise the Lord for our cooling trade winds and we thank the Lord that our recent winds have not been too wild.

Aloha.

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

Word, the Franciscan At press time there are Friars of the Immaculate, two local rallies schedRadio CorMariae, and the uled: at Fort Tabor, 1000 Knights of Columbus.

Rodney French Boulevard in New Bedford, from 3:30-5:30 p.m., and at Swift Neck Beach in Wareham, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The national rally begins at 4 p.m.

The events are free and all are welcome.

Any additional rallies will be announced in the October 5 Anchor.

For more information on the New Bedford rally, contact Olga Valadao at 508-509-1017, or olggie1960@hotmail.com; and the Wareham contact is Andy and Blanca Browne at 508-2958952.

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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FACE forges ahead with new director, fund-raising plans continued from page five

Since officially taking over the reins July 16, Duxbury has hit the ground running and has been working to raise awareness of FACE through in-person events and an increased online presence. She recently set up a new Facebook page (www.facebook. com/FACEhelpskids) that has been sent to all the diocesan schools and she’s in the process of revamping and updating the organization’s website

14

(www.face-dfr.org).

“Social media is a big part of what people read and listen to and pay attention to today, so we revamped the FACE Facebook page, and we sent it out to all the schools so hopefully all the schools are liking us and we can make a lot of connections there,” she said. “We’ll post all types of events, possibilities for donations and other types of things and communications on Facebook. And

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

then we are in the process of revamping the FACE website and we hope that will be launched by the

Chris Lowney

end of September to midOctober. That will be very active in terms of events and media. I’m featuring different stories from different schools, that type of thing. The URL is the same, but it’s going to look completely different and will provide a lot more information for families in terms of what FACE is and what the scholarships are and how to go about applying for them.”

If that weren’t enough, Duxbury is also preparing for FACE’s biggest annual fund-raiser, the Fall Scholarship Dinner, which will be held on Tuesday, October 30 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at White’s of Westport. This year’s keynote speaker will be Chris Lowney, a renowned author and leadership consultant.

“I think he has an interesting background and I think he’s entertaining, too,” Duxbury said. “His background — going from Jesuit seminarian to financier on Wall Street — is quite the career path. But I think he’ll bring some interesting observations and thoughts on leadership.

One of his books is actually on the required reading list for the U.S. Marine Corps.”

During this year’s dinner, FACE will also be honoring Dr. Jean MacCormack, former chancellor of UMass Dartmouth, with the Timothy J. Cotter Award.

“I think she brought a lot of growth to the school, a lot of visibility,” Duxbury said. “I think she helped develop the law school there as well.

So she’s been very instrumental in the growth of UMass Dartmouth and has played a very integral role in education in general in this area.”

Duxbury hopes the Fall Scholarship Dinner will

not only bring in additional funds to help provide more scholarships for Catholic school students, but also raise awareness of the increasing need for these endowments.

“I hope we can help more students, because definitely right now the need outweighs the resources we have, it really does,” she said. “We would love to have more people donate to that particular fund so that we can expand the number of students that want to come to Catholic schools but just don’t really have the means. There are many people out there, as I said before, that really don’t even give it a thought because they just think they can’t afford it. So we need to expand our communication efforts and education.”

Having provided about 900 scholarship awards to students for the current school year, Duxbury aspires to top 1,000 recipients next year.

“I’m just very excited to have this opportunity,” she said. “I’ve always been passionate about Catholic education even before I thought of making it a career. Like I said, the people I’ve spoken to already told me the difference that FACE and the diocese have made in their lives.

It’s just amazing that these families will do anything to try to keep their kids in Catholic schools. So we want to do as much as we can to help keep these kids there and to expand it to more kids because I think everyone should have the opportunity for this wonderful education.”

For more information about FACE, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Fall Scholarship Dinner, visit www.face-dfr.org or call 508-675-1311.

Watch the Ordination to Priesthood Online

The 2018 Fall River Diocese Ordination to Priesthood is available for viewing on the video-sharing website YouTube. Visit the diocesan website at www.fallriverdiocese.org and click on the Ordination to Priesthood image on the home page to access the video. The ordination took place on June 9 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

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

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

September 30 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Maurice O. Gauvin, pastor of Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River.

Five to receive St. Thomas More Award September 29 continued from page three

A resident of Somerset, he is married to Janel Lafond Paquin and has a stepdaughter and two grandchildren.

Shannon began her work in the Trial Court in 1998 in the Wareham District Court clerk’s office. In March 2005, she was named to her present post as regional assistant for District Court Region I, helping Administrative Justice Kathryn E. Hand manage its day-to-day operation. Region 1 encompasses nine District Court divisions located within the Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes Nantucket and Plymouth Counties that are staffed by 24 judges.

Prior to her employment with the court, she and her husband Francis (Frank) A. Shannon Jr., were co-owners and operators of R.W. Thorson, a long-established leather tanner.

Shannon resides in Onset and attends St. Margaret Parish in Buzzards Bay. She has two step-children.

Lang has practiced law for more than 40 years, most of them as a partner in the New Bedford-based firm of Lang, Xifaras and Bullard, providing representation in a range of areas such as personal injury, workers’ compensation, labor and employment law, discrimination and civil rights.

His legal career has also included service as an Assistant District Attorney for Bristol County for 12 years and as an arbitrator with Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation, Inc. for six.

From 2006 to 2012, he served three terms as Mayor of the City of New Bedford.

He was for many years an adjunct professor at the University of Massachu-

setts Dartmouth, teaching courses in political science and labor law. He continues to be a frequent panel participant in labor and employment-related seminars for professional associations.

Over the years, he has been recognized for his civic engagement and public service, including receiving an honorary degree from Bristol Community College and the Distinguished Service Award from Bridgewater State University, both in 2012.

Lang, who is a native of New York, earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. He is married to Marguerite “Gig” Lang, and they are the parents of three children.

Surprenant began a private practice of law in the Greater New Bedford area in 1975. In 2003, he founded the firm of Surprenant and Beneski, P.C., to specialize in elder law.

He has written and lectured frequently on elder law issues. With the practice now carried on by his daughter and son, Surprenant serves as a counsel to the firm.

Earlier in his career, Surprenant served as assistant clerk of the Bristol County

Superior Court and as an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the latter capacity, he directed the consumer protection office for Southeastern Massachusetts.

In 1993, he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Fall River Diocese and served in that capacity at St. John Neumann Parish, East Freetown; St. Anthony Parish, Mattapoisett; and Holy Name Parish, Fall River.

In addition, he and his wife, Diane (Poyant), were engaged in prison ministry in the area for some 11 years.

While a resident of Freetown, he was active in town government serving as a member of its Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, and Finance Committee of which he was chairman.

Surprenant is a graduate of Boston College Law School.

He and his wife currently live in Fairhaven. They have six children and 19 grandchildren.

All are welcome at the Red Mass. A reception and dinner will follow for which a ticket is required. For information, please contact Atty. Harrington at 508994-5900.

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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For and About Our Church Youth The enigma of youth ministry Special to The Anchor

By Marilyn Lariviere Youth StreetReach Coordinator After reading Claire McManus’ excellent article about Youth Ministry in the August 24 Anchor, I felt compelled to share a few thoughts about this topic as well. While working as a Youth Minister at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pocasset for 16 years, we had the requisite number of ski trips, Vacation Bible Schools, haunted houses, and pizza parties, which were all great community builders.

But these young people in 2007 created a program called Youth StreetReach which is still going on today. We had taken the youth to Boston to CityReach, run by Ecclesia Ministries, a program which allows young people to interact and provide hospitality, food, and clothing for the homeless. This had a deep impact on all the participants, and when we had a program run by The Housing Assistance Corporation at one of our meetings, three young women and one young man approached me and said they wanted to create CityReach on Cape Cod. This was their idea, their vision, and essentially their project. I believe that is key to Youth Ministry. Too often adults create programs that they think kids want and/or need but the kids are not invested and we wonder why they don’t come.

We began Youth StreetReach at the Federated Church in Hyannis working with the NOAH Shelter (now St. Joseph’s), CHAMP Homes, the Cape Cod Council of Churches, Church Women United, and the Federated Church of Hyannis.

Together we created an outline that is still used today for young people to come together on a Friday night, hear speakers from the homeless community, and take a walk around Hyannis with “tour guides” showing from a distance where homeless people have lived and died. Return16

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

ing to the church Fellowship Hall for discussion, prayer, and pizza, sleeping on the floor with adult chaperones and getting up at 6 a.m. to create breakfast for homeless and low-income friends is a powerful way to truly live the Gospel of Matthew 25.

We ended that first event with a circle where the volunteers could share their insights.

We had one homeless man who stayed as well. I will never forget his words, with tears in his eyes, he said, “You young people are wonderful. You don’t know how much this means to us. When

will you be back?” And that is when we knew we had created a ministry that would endure.

The starfish has become our symbol, with the story of the young man throwing dying starfish back into the ocean. When an adult asks why he was doing that since there were thousands and it couldn’t make a difference, he responded, “It made a difference to this one.” That is what we continue to share with the young people, the fact that we can make a difference — one at a time. We have bright blue Tshirts with the starfish logo and we give out small starfish charms at the conclusion of each event to the volunteers as a sign that are called to continue to make a difference.

Over the years we realized that we should not be limited to “Catholic” groups or even “church” groups. The young people have friends who are not part of any church for whatever reason, but they came and continue to come and we became “church” in the manner that Jesus led His disciples to be “Church.”

We have had National Honor

The young people who began this ministry are now adults with own careers. Sadly, Christopher Golden of Sandwich who helped to begin the journey died at age 28 of Glioblastoma. We recently held a “Thanksgiving Celebration” for those who have helped support the program over the years. One of the highlights was the presentation of the Christopher Golden 110 percent Award given to Robert Anderson. This award will be a way to recognize contributions of youth and to keep alive the memory of Chris and all that he and his family have done for Youth StreetReach.

His mother Deb Golden has been part of this journey from its inception.

At our celebration we reached out to the three young women who made this happen. Sofie Kline sent greetings from Arizona, Liz Laprade of Bourne was called us to do. That makes so able to attend and share her own much more sense than learning thoughts as well as what Kelsey rules of how we should live.

Collett Camire had sent from Youth StreetReach provides Virginia. catechesis in a way that will Although I couldn’t be there touch one’s heart. with them, I wanted to let all of We have a retired minister who them know how proud I am of decided that our regular menu them and this program. Youth of egg casseroles, fruit, breakfast StreetReach began as a dream breads, and pancakes could also that a handful of teen-agers had use eggs. So he and his wife and to replicate a program we had friends have begun to cook eggs experienced in Boston. We knew to order for the past two years. that Cape Cod had a homeThe church he now attends has less population that was mostly no youth group, but he comes invisible at the time, and that faithfully and now wears an there were also a lot of kids our apron that says “Egg Man” and age who wanted to make a difhis buddy wears one that says ference in the world but didn’t “Muffin Man.” When they first know how. We saw StreetReach cooked eggs, one guest said in tears, “I can’t remember how long as an opportunity to address both issues, and to begin to bridge it has been since someone asked the gap between the privileged me how I wanted something and the struggling. My favorite cooked.”

Four years ago St. John Paul II thing about StreetReach is that High School decided they would it empowers youth to do something about the injustices they like to have their own breakfast see. When I was helping plan on a weekday. Knowing that the very first overnight at age 16, homeless people will eat anytime, we now have breakfast on a I was adamant that teen-agers be involved at every step of the weekday in December thanks to these students who take the time planning. I continued to insist from school to do this.

Turn to page 17 Societies, baseball teams, hockey teams, and just families who want to help. But we always end with a time of prayer in a circle where everyone shares how the face of Christ has become visible to them in our guests.

This has been a key part of what we do because it is a time for the youth and adults to share the miracles they have seen and been part of throughout the day.

I truly believe that we need to provide the experience of living Gospel message and then take the time to process and explain that we are living out what Jesus

For and About Our Church Youth The enigma of youth ministry continued from page 16

that youth stay involved when I left Cape Cod to go to college, and nothing makes me happier than knowing that young people continue to be at the helm of StreetReach to this day. I could not have dreamed that this little idea would have blossomed into what it is now; a program that has continued to serve the Cape’s most vulnerable citizens for 10-plus years, all while forging a deeper sense of community and service. When I was starting and participating in Youth StreetReach, I was inspired and driven

by Matthew 25: “For I was hungry and you gave Me food.” Now as I reflect back on StreetReach and all that it taught me about who I was and who I wanted to be, I am reminded by the words in 1 Timothy: “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity.” May you all continue to be an example and lead by your actions. What you are doing here is important and it matters.

History of Youth StreetReach Youth StreetReach is a program of the Cape Cod Council of Churches.

Youth StreetReach Mission Statement: “To integrate education, worship, and outreach in order to make youth more aware of injustice and to respect the dignity of all people, especially the lonely, lost, and disenfranchised.”

The program goals are: — To bring together youth and adults from different faith communities to explore the issue of homelessness on Cape Cod and to help them develop a passion for living out the message of the prophets and the Gospel in the world; ­— To empower formerly homeless and homeless individuals to use their gifts and talents in a positive way through sharing their stories; — To help dispel the stereotypes identified with homeless

individuals by spending time and sharing a meal together; — To look at the root causes of homelessness and vision action to prevent it; — To provide food and clothing to the homeless; and — To have fun through praying and working together.

Youth StreetReach began in September of 2007 as a response to a request from the Housing Assistance Corporation to provide a program to help youth understand the issue of homelessness on Cape Cod. It is loosely based on the CityReach Program in Boston sponsored by Ecclesia Ministries. Youth from St. John the Evangelist Parish had participated in CityReach with Youth Minister Marilyn Lariviere and wanted to replicate it on Cape Cod. It began with an overnight gathering of youth and adults meeting homeless and formerly homeless individuals, touring areas where homeless have camped out, visiting shelters, and listening to stories.

After the guests left, the youth spend time processing, sharing, watching a movie about the issue, and sleeping on the floor in the Federated Church of Hyannis.

This led to the next day when 75-100 homeless folk arrived for breakfast and an opportunity to pick up donated clothing. It was so successful that a Youth StreetReach Council was formed and now eight events are held annually, including a cookout at Sea Street Beach. We call our group a council rather than a board of directors since we feel that is a more inclusive term.

It includes youth and formerly homeless individuals to provide a balance.

Our mission statement was written by Kelsey Collett, one of our teen-age founders. (She is now a social worker in Richmond, Va.) It articulates what we believe, that youth learn best when service, education, and Spirituality work together.

The kindergarten class at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford read the story called “Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom,” by Bill Martin Jr. Then students took turns making their own Chicka Chicka palm tree with alphabet letters dancing up and down. Using clay is always a big treat.

Pictured are Jacob and Sofia.

Father Craig A. Pregana, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford, welcomed the students at St. James-St. John School, also in New Bedford, by celebrating Mass for them.

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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A

s I was leaving the Reflection Room at UMass Dartmouth after Adoration Wednesday evening, I looked up and saw a small poster that we had placed there several years ago. I recalled that during orientation that year, our Catholic Campus Ministry office sponsored a tabletop in the campus center. The purpose was to help get the message out that we have a Catholic Campus Ministry on campus and that we provide opportunities on campus for students to celebrate the Sacraments, learn more about the Catholic faith, put faith into practice through service and engaging the culture.

I specifically recall that at one point during the day, a freshman stopped by the booth to inquire about what we had available on campus. After speaking to her for a few minutes, she thanked us, and as she walked off, turned to us and said, “This year, I’m gonna get my Catholic on!”

With that one phrase, she helped us shape sort of a slogan that we’ve used on campus, that says, “UMass Dartmouth, Get Your Catholic On!” Now what does that mean to be Catholic?

A “definition” of what it means to be Catholic might be that our faith is at the heart of who we are; the values, practices and norms of the Catholic faith have become intertwined with our sense of self-identity. This identity becomes a compass for our life, helping us make choices and put our faith into action. To get your Catholic on means doing what

For and About Our Church Youth Get your Catholic on! we do because of who we are. We’re Catholic. We’re Christians. Followers of Jesus Christ. Getting Your Catholic On means doing, serving, caring, community, going to Mass, learning about the faith, praying, receiving the Sacraments. It means doing what we do because of who we are — Catholics!

Are we getting our Catholic on?

Is our faith

By Deacon the center of Frank Lucca who we are? I guess we can only answer that for ourselves, but I know that I have met many people in my life that get their Catholic on every day. I don’t mean that they are radicals or conservatives or diehards.

I mean, rather, that I see in them God’s love present and moving outward from their hearts. I see in them evidence of their relationship with God governing their actions, character and values. Simply put, they walk the talk. They let out what so many have trapped inside.

As Catholics we are not called to a “me-God” relationship alone. We are called to an apostolic life. We are called to serve others. We are called to bring Christ to all others.

The world is a crazy and scary place. And it is getting crazier and scarier by the second. So, what can we do about it? What can one Catholic do? Well first of all, we can get off our butts and get out there and make a difference. Each of us lives or works in a particular

Be Not Afraid

environment. We come into contact with those in these particular environments. The areas might be our college, our school or workplace, our family or town. Think! How can you help change that environment toward Christ? By getting your Catholic on, what might happen in that environment?

Others will see you and how you act and perhaps will want what you have. You only need to bring Christ to one person at a time. Like a spark in a fireplace, that can start a roaring fire, your actions can help make your environments more Christ-like. You only need to be the spark. Yes, you can do that!

But we need to get to work. We can’t just throw up our hands and say it’s crazy out there. If we only dwell on the current negative situations that surround us, we may very well give up. But let’s not give up, let’s look around and see where we can make a difference and then make a difference!

Let’s work together, young and old, to embrace the fullness of our Catholic identity at a time when

many are wondering what it means to be Catholic. Let’s share with each other the various beliefs, traditions, and practices that externally mark one a Catholic that we may “discover the richness and deeper meaning of our own Catholic identity in today’s world.” Let’s get our Catholic on!

From a World Youth Day prayer, please keep these words in mind as you go about your day: “We believe in the Church, the people of God, who brings this faith to life through both word and deed. This is our Catholic faith. This is who we are. And we are proud to profess it through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.”

Perhaps, we can let that UMass Dartmouth slogan be our challenge today. Young people of the Diocese of Fall River, Get your Catholic On! Anchor columnist Frank Lucca is a deacon in the diocese of Fall River, a youthminister at St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea and St. George’s Parish in Westport, and a campus minister at UMass Dartmouth. He is married to his wife of 40 years, Kristine, and the father of two daughters and their husbands, and three grandsons. So blessed!

Comments, ideas or suggestions? Please email him to DeaconFrankLucca@comcast.net.

Youth groups from Good Shepherd and St. Anthony of Padua parishes in Fall Holy Name School in Fall River recently held elections for school officers River recently attended a New Revolution soccer game at Gillette Stadium in for the upcoming school year.

Foxboro.

18 The Anchor - September 21, 2018

Our readers respond High contradiction I was shocked to read a letter from a Ms. Laliberte that was printed in a recent edition. First, because, why for the first time in a long time a reader’s letter was printed and second, and more importantly, why this one?

Why was a letter attempting to justify an individual’s political views by using a false definition of Catholic free-will which then led into a definition of the Democratic Party playbook? Was this to attempt to justify the beliefs of thousands of New England Catholics who have rationalized their religion’s tenets in favor of their allegiance to the Democratic Party? In this reader’s view, the subject’s letter represents intellectual contradiction in its highest form.

R F Tobin Orleans Good needed in our lives I feel I have to respond to a reader’s response in the August 10 edition of The Anchor. I watch Fox News because they show both sides, Democrat and Republican. What I like the most is that Fox News shows our President Trump wherever he goes and they show his full speeches. I hear what President Trump says loud and clear, but when I turn to other news stations I find they do not show where Trump goes. They do not show Trump’s full speeches and usually none of it. I hear what they say about the speech though and it is unbelievable how they twist what he says and make it as negative as possible. It is unfortunate if Catholics, Christians or God-fearing people only

listen to certain stations or read certain newspapers so that they are not getting all the facts, and definitely not getting the truth.

At Fatima, Our Lady said that it will seem like the devil has won and just as he is about to mount his throne, the victory will be snatched away from him. Rather than one great victory it looks like it’s going to be a series of victories. I saw one of these victories when Donald Trump won the election and became our president. Ex-President Obama had tried to do all he could to get rid of God and even persecute Christians. One such example is the Little Sisters of the Poor who were told they had to carry insurance that offered abortion coverage even if this was against the Catholic Sisters’ beliefs. Obama also did not like our Constitution and was trying to change everything he could. Hillary was going to continue what Obama started.

I voted for Trump because he brought God back into our lives and he was bringing the Constitution back to where our forefathers wrote it in the first place. Trump was right in saying he wanted to make America great again. Having God in our lives is very important to me. Jesus said to follow Him. Hillary Clinton herself said she wanted to change the deep-rooted beliefs of Christians. She did not want God in our lives either because it clashed with her beliefs and her agendas. I believe that God allowed Trump to win and for Hillary to be defeated because of this.

Everyone was stunned to see that Trump won, even Trump himself. Trump called Hillary “crooked Hillary” because of all the things she did and which to this day has not been addressed and justice has not been served. Democrats have gone to great lengths to cover things up.

Hillary did terrible things to make sure Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race and I believe she with her co-conspirators were doing things to make sure she won the presidential election. This is why she and others were in shock when Trump won. However she did not count on God’s intervention.

What most people do not realize is that the real battle going on is between God and the devil, the good spirits versus the bad spirits. How do we handle hate? How do we handle bad spirits? Out of love we pray for our enemies.

Love must increase and hate decrease. Hate makes the bad spirits increase and love makes the bad spirits decrease. It is good to pray for wisdom and discernment asking God to help us see the truth.

Ann C. Levasseur Taunton Answers needed I have spent the greater part of my life in the ProLife movement protecting the born and the unborn and I feel that I have a voice to speak to the unconscionable damage inflicted on our children, in the past and the present, by Roman Catholic clergy (priests, bishops and cardinals). Prayer and reparation go a long way but until full disclosure is made, there will be no healing.

We the laity are suffering. We are saddened and sickened. But we need to have a voice — not through another council or committee of bishops, but through the faithful laity who will expose without fear the damage that has been done to the victims and to the Church.

No more cover-ups.

No more concessions to homosexual men who have hidden within the confines of our seminaries.

No more Cardinal McCarricks who have risen through the ranks and been protected by other bishops who are equally culpable.

We the laity need answers and we respectfully request that answers be given. No more obfuscation! No more equivocation! We deserve more and will monitor these investigations and hopefully find healing when the perpetrations have been revealed and sanctioned.

We are the faithful and we believe that the Church will survive this horror because God promised to be with us always.

Doris Toohill Orleans Beg for God’s mercy In recent weeks, our Catholic Liturgy has focused on an essential teaching of our faith, that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass by a duly ordained priest, is miraculously transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, truly God and man.

During this same period, our newspapers, including The Anchor, have reported yet another horrific chapter of the sex abuse scandal involving Catholic

priests, this time extending up the hierarchical ladder to a cardinal and far beyond the American boundaries. Since 2002, public disclosers have shocked us.

How could these evil incidents happen and on such a wide scale? We know that the Sacrament of Holy Orders instills in a priest an indelible mark, originating with the Apostles and passed on to him through the laying of hands by bishops in an unbroken line since the time of Christ enabling him to consecrate the Eucharist. That Sacrament also opens a flow of special graces promoting his Sanctification. At every Mass he holds the Almighty God-Man Jesus in his hands and consumes Him, another source of holiness.

I submit this priest who then engages in repetitive mortal sin without repenting has lost his faith in the Real Presence in contradiction of the dogmas of our faith, or, he is possessed of the devil. In either event, they are acts of the devil and the consequences to the victims of the abuse and to the Mystical Body of Christ are devastating.

More than two generations of youth have been lost, many predating the public disclosures because of the scandal was already well known even though not in the news. Many of those fallen away Catholics conflated the meaning of “Church” with the evildoers.

Which leads to another egregious evil, the cover-up by our ecclesiastical leaders who failed to recognize the work of Continued on page 20

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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Our readers respond

Continued from page 19

Diocesan priests gather for convocation continued from page two

community,” Father Washburn agreed. “So, I think we’ve all expressed the same sentiment that we are so grateful for our flocks, our people and the support they have given us. There are really good people here.”

“We need prayers from the people, because we are all the Church,” said Father Michael O’Hearn, chaplain at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River. “It’s us — the people and the priests together. It’s not us and them.”

Given the current 24hour news cycle and instant access to social media, FaFROM THE EXECUther Frederici said he’s seen TIVE EDITOR: As I an equal amount of positive mentioned in the previous edition, this will be the end and negative comments over the past two weeks. of political letters for now, Support for our Church “Social media being what Another Church crisis. but letters regarding the crisis in the Church are still it is, part of it is just allowIt is not the first, it will ing people to vent some welcome. The editor renot be the last. A greater serves the right to condense of their anger,” he said. cleansing will come, and or edit for clarity if deemed “We’re all human beings the Church will be better necessary. Letters should be and sometimes we just need and stronger. Only God to express our anger and typed, and include name, knows why we are gomove on. But most people address, and telephone ing through this, but just that fact that He knows is number. Letters do not nec- have been great and they comforting. Jesus Himself essarily reflect the editorial recognize that this isn’t just a Catholic problem or a views of The Anchor. chose rascals, Peter and Church problem, we have a Letters should be sent Judas, for example. One serious issue in our society to: The Anchor, Letters to honored Him, one bethat needs to be addressed.” the Editor, 887 Highland trayed Him. In his capacity as director Avenue, Fall River, Mass.

And so it continues to of Vocations and Seminar02720, or emailed to this day. Some of Jesus’ fatherwilson@anchornews. ians for the diocese, Father own disciples left Him Kevin Cook said the reorg. after the Last Supper, for cent revelations could raise some concerns for the 15 Fall River parish to host Blue Mass for area young men currently studypolice, fire personnel and first responders ing for the priesthood, but he’s confident that they all FALL RIVER — For the second year a “Blue Mass” “seem strong about their will be celebrated at St. Michael’s Church, 189 Esvocations.” sex Street in Fall River, on September 28 at 7 p.m. The “A lot of them are very Mass, which recognizes the difficult and important work young, so some of them of police, fire department personnel and first responders, may not have dealt with it will be held on the vigil of St. Michael, the patron saint back in 2003,” Father Cook of all those in law enforcement. said. “But I think for most All those in the Fall River Police Department, and of the seminarians, they just surrounding towns and cities, are invited to attend, along want the truth, they want with all fire department personnel and first responders. transparency, and they want There will be prayers for their safety as well as showing to be able to trust. We have gratitude to them for their work. There will be a reception to address it and I think the in the parish hall following the Mass. Mass is at 7 p.m.

Church really needs to be the devil. I wonder if they believe that the devil is real. Thus those who left the Mystical Body have good cause for their disaffection. Faithful Catholics are dwindling in number and are becoming a remnant. The works of Satan pervade our culture. The wrath of God may come upon us.

It is time for the whole Catholic Church to beg for God’s mercy. We, including the entire hierarchy, should follow the examples of the people of Nineveh in the Book of Jonah!

Raymond V. Picard Fall River

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reasons various and sundry, just as good people today will do the same. However, and it is a major comforting however, others will not only keep the faith, but will fight to cleanse it and protect it as they have the courage and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to do so. God’s Will be done, and God bless our faithful Church, consisting of all levels of clergy and laity.

We are many, and we will prevail.

Daryl Gonyon Fall River

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

cleansed of these types of things. It may affect vocations if they find friends or family members aren’t being initially supportive because of all the negative news, but I think for those who really have a sense of God’s calling, they have an awareness that they’re going to face some real challenges — and they’re embracing it. I really think they have a greater sense of what it means to say ‘yes’ to the Lord.”

“In the conversations I’ve had with our seminarians, the consensus is they want to be part of the solution, they don’t want to perpetuate the problem,” agreed

Father Chris Peschel. “I remember that was a question my own father asked me when I entered the seminary in 2007, because it was only a handful of years after what we endured in 2002 and 2003. He asked me if I was sure this is what I wanted to do. And I told him I wanted to be part of the solution. When you love the Church that much, you don’t want to perpetuate the suffering that’s going on.

And I think there’s a good number of us here at this convocation who just really want to get at the root of the problem and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Sept. 23 Rev. Antoine Charest, SM, Former Assistant, St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River, 2001 Sept. 24 Rev. Joseph E.C. Bourque, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River, 1955 Sept. 25 Rev. Robert J. Woodley, S.J. Missionary, Taunton, New Bedford, Fall River, 1857 Permanent Deacon Robert B. Raymond, 2007 Sept. 26 Rev. John J. Donahue, Assistant, St. William, Fall River, 1944 Rev. Flavius Gamache, SMM, Former Pastor, St. Peter, Dighton, 1996 Rev. John C. Martins, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River, 2008 Rev. Clement E. Dufour, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 2009 Sept. 27 Rev. John W. Greene, S.J., Former Teacher at Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, 1991 Sept. 29 Rev. J.A. Payan, Founder, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1899 Rev. Roman Chwaliszewski, O.F.M. Conv., Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Bedford, 2012 Sept. 30 Rev. John J. Griffin, Pastor, St. Paul, Taunton, 1963 Rev. George Taraska, OFM Conv., Parochial Vicar, Holy Rosary, Taunton, 1993 Permanent Deacon Paul G. Metilly, 2013 Oct. 1 Most. Rev. William O. Brady, S.T.D., Archbishop of St. Paul, 1961 Oct. 2 Rev. Joseph E. Sutula, Pastor, St. Casimir, New Bedford, 1961 Rev. Rene R. Levesque, Pastor, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River, 1999 Rev. Stanislaus T. Sypek, 2011 Oct. 3 Rev. Msgr. Arthur G. Considine, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, South Dartmouth, 1991 Oct. 5 Rev. Jean D. Pare, O.P., Assistant Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 1999

Darien, Ill. — The Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, Order of Carmelites, mourns the death of the Father Paul Robinson, O. Carm., who died at the age of 77 on September 2.

Father Robinson was born to William Leo Robinson and Cornelia Frances (Tarasiewicz) Robinson on May 27, 1941, in Boston.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Robinson and his Carmelite brothers.

He began pre-novitiate at Mount Carmel College in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, in 1959, entered the Carmelite Novitiate in New Baltimore, Penn., in 1961 and professed simple vows to the Carmelites in the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary on Aug. 29, 1962, taking the religious name of Scott. After receiving his B.A. in philosophy from St. Bonaventure University, Olean, N.Y., in 1965 he went on to earn a degree in theology from Whitefriars, Washington, D.C., in 1968. Father Robinson made his solemn profession with the Carmelites on Jan. 30, 1967 and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1967.

Continuing his education, he received a degree in library science from Catholic University of America, in French from Middlebury College, Spanish from San Joaquin Delta College, and a JCL in Canon Law from Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas in Rome, Italy, on June 14, 1989.

Father Robinson began his ministerial service in 1968 as faculty at DeSales High School in Louisville, Ky., and continued to serve in education at Mount Camel Prep Seminary in Niagara Falls, Ontario, from 1970 to 1974 and Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz., from 1974

Father Paul Robinson, O. Carm.

to 1975. In 1976, Father Robinson went to the St. Thérèse Chapel, “The Chapel in the Mall,” where he served as staff for two years before returning to education, serving as a teacher at Joliet Catholic High School in Joliet, Ill., from 1978 to 1979. From 1979 to 1987 he served as associate pastor consecutively at St. Gertrude Parish in Stockton, Calif., St. Ann Catholic Church in Lodi, Calif., and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Houston, Texas. From 1986 to 1987 he also served as

Marriage Tribunal Advocate for the Diocese of Joliet, Ill. For many years Father Robinson served at the Fall River diocesan tribunal first

as assistant judicial vicar and then as judicial vicar.

In his final years of ministerial service, Father Robinson served as Provincial Representative on the International Carmelite Committee, staff at the Carmelite Institute, and Canonist for the PCM Province and the Fall River Diocese Tribunal Office.

In 2014, Father Robinson retired and moved back to his home town of Easthampton. He was admitted to Cooley Dickenson Hos-

pital on August 22, where he remained until his death.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of the Valley Church, Easthampton, on September 7. He was buried in his family plot in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Easthampton.

For further information on the Reverend Paul Robinson, O. Carm., or the Order of Carmelites, contact Carmelite Media at 630-971-0724 or visit the Carmelite website at www. carmelnet.org.

Rachel M. Buder, mother of Deacon Karl Buder

MASHPEE — Rachel M. Buder, age 90, of Mashpee, was born in Putnam, Conn., the third of eight children born to Edward and Antoinette Bourgeois.

She passed away on September 8 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, surrounded by her family after a courageous, 10-year battle with lung cancer.

She is survived by her son, Deacon Karl G. Buder and his wife Lynn of Vineyard Haven, two grandsons, Alexander G. Buder II and his wife Kelsey, of San Diego, Calif., and Hans D. Buder and his wife Meghan of Carmel, Calif., and one great grandson, Elliott J. Buder, of San Diego; two sisters, Elaine Belsey of California, Cecile Bourgeois of Rhode Island and two brothers, Henry Bourgeois of Connecticut and David Bourgeois of Georgia and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, three siblings and her husband of 54 years, Alexander G. Buder I. Rachel was employed until her retirement by the State of Connecticut as a

nurse in an inpatient facility for special needs adults.

She drove and lived independently until recently, when she moved to live with her family on Martha’s Vineyard.

Her pride and joy was her home and her yard and gardens, which she maintained in a meticulous manner. Rare was the day when she didn’t have a home project in motion. Within six weeks of her death, she was working to repair a concrete apron in her driveway.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on September 17 by Father Michael Nagle, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish on Martha’s Vineyard, who is a friend of the Buder family. Burial will be at a later date at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne beside her husband.

Donations in her honor may be made to Marianapolis Preparatory School, Chase Road, Thompson, Conn., which her son and several family members attended.

Visit The Anchor online at http:www.anchornews.org

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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Around the Diocese St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road in North Dartmouth, will host Septemberfest on Sunday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The family fun event will include food, entertainment, crafters, games, raffles and more! Rain date will be Sunday, September 30.

For more information, visit www.saintjulies. org/sep.

The Council of Catholic Women at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport will host a Huge Indoor Yard Sale in the parish center, 569 Sandford Road in Westport, on Saturday, September 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, September 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be available on Saturday, with the kitchen open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come shop, have lunch, and go home with treasures. There’s ample parking. For more information, call the parish office at 508-674-6271.

A one-day silent retreat entitled “Autumn Day of Silence with the Masters” will be held on Saturday, September 29 from 9:30 am. to 3:30 p.m. at the camp house and property of St. John Neumann Parish, 157 Middleboro Road in East Freetown. Come spend a day taking in the teachings of St. Gregory of Nyssa, a fourth-century Cappadocian Father, theologian and mystic who explored the mysteries of the Sacred Trinity. Bring a bag lunch and beverages will be provided. For more information, contact Karen Howard at klhoward@aol.com or 508-947-0193.

First Friday Eucharistic Adoration will be held at St. Andrew the Apostle Church, 19 Kilmer Avenue in Taunton, on Friday, October 5 beginning at 9 a.m. There will be Eucharist Adoration all day and prayers and benediction at 5:15 p.m., concluding at 6 p.m. All are welcome.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish will host its Holiday Fair in the church hall, Coyle Drive in Seekonk, on Friday, November 2 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring food, raffles, and baskets galore! All are welcome.

St. Mary’s Parish, 106 Illinois Street in New Bedford, is having a Holiday Fair on Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. All are welcome.

For more information, call the rectory at 508-995-3593.

St. Anthony of Padua Church on Bedford Street in Fall River will host a recitation of the Holy Rosary and Litany with the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Monday evening at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, call the rectory at 508-673-2402.

A Divine Mercy Cenacle group meets every Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 306 South Street in Somerset. Meetings are held in the parish center, except for holidays. Meetings include formation on the Divine Mercy message from the “Diary of St. Faustina,” readings from the Bible and “Cathechism of the Catholic Church,” and praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. All are welcome.

For more information call 508-646-1019 or 508-672-1523.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, send the information by email to kensouza@anchornews.org

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The Anchor - September 21, 2018

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ASSONET — St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John the Evangelist Church, North Main Street, Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every First Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending at 5 p.m.

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

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

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of Padua Church, on the corner of Bedford and Sixteenth streets, has Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by music and prayer every first Wednesday of the month from 6-7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursdays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Friday at 8 a.m.

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

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

FALL RIVER — St. Joseph’s Church has a Holy Hour every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m., with Benediction at 6:45 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Michael’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday following the 7 a.m. Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

HYANNIS — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, 347 South Street, Hyannis, has Eucharistic Adoration from noon to 3 p.m., daily Monday through Friday.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Each First Friday Mass ends with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration continues until Benediction at 5 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration is held every Thursday, with Confessions, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church. Please use the side entrance.

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

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

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

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

NORTH EASTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Immaculate Conception Church Chapel on the first Wednesday of the month beginning after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, until 6:40 p.m. Those wishing to make a monthly commitment can sign up on the parish website at www.icceaston.org or call the parish office at 508-238-3232.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m. The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 5 p.m.

Taunton — St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Taunton will host Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 9 a.m.

Mass and the St. Jude Novena, until 11:30, ending with Benediction. It will take place at Holy Rosary Chapel during the summer months.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church takes place 9 a.m. Thursday through 7 p.m. Friday. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~

East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes.

All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

T

houghts and comments on the latest Church sex abuse scandals can be found throughout this week’s edition of The Anchor and beyond.

Our priests, our good and faithful priests who are taking the brunt of the hatred, disappointment, disillusionment, and scorn of a weary public. It’s not right that they should suffer and be looked upon as guilty by the simple fact they wear a Roman Catholic collar.

Those of us in the pews know this. But what many of us also know is that with each new wave of atrocities it feels as though a stake is driven deeper and deeper into our hearts.

I’ve seen folks get up and walk out of Mass when something is said that hits them the wrong way. That, too, I understand.

Speaking for myself, it hurts that this is happening again, and on such a large scale — larger, it seems, than the last tsunami.

I’m not going to leave the Church. I’m not one of those “rats leaving a sinking ship.” And truthfully there are myriad other Catholics who are remaining steadfast in their faith, however shaken that faith may get sometimes.

It hurts to know that

They’re not ‘victims,’ they’re God’s children there are those out there even begin to imagine the who knowingly used the open wounds of those who guise of a Spiritual leader have been abused by a soto defile and degrade othcalled person of God. ers — and didn’t care in the Some will never recover. least.

Some will turn to drugs, But despite these hurts, alcohol or other addictions and they are deep, what to shut out the pain. And bothers me most are the real sufferers in this Spiritual holoMy View caust.

From They’re known the Stands as “victims.” Oftentimes they don’t

By Dave Jolivet have faces or names.

Sometimes they’re even thought of as people out to make a buck off the Church. These are not “victims.” They are human beings, God’s children.

While they’re all lumped together as a number and called “victims” by the media, what is forgotten, by everyone at times, is that they are suffering. They are suffering the loss of innocence. They are suffering with memories that will haunt them for a lifetime, physically and mentally.

They have been and will continue to be unable to maintain a close relationship with anyone.

They live in shame through no fault of their own.

I know people who have been sexually abused, not by clergy, but the scars never completely heal. And I can’t

instead, their lives become worse, more confusing, more discouraging, much more hopeless.

Some will give up the fight and put an end to their misery.

These are the “victims” we hear about once in a while in the media.

We all know changes must occur, and we all know that doesn’t come through spoken

words, but action.

As Catholics, we’re all hurting, clergy and laity alike. We need each other’s support, but we can never, ever forget our sisters and brothers who had life snatched from them. We can never forget our brothers and sisters who will never live as we get to live.

They must remain in our daily prayers until each of us draws our last breath.

It’s the least we can do. davejolivet@anchornews.org.

The Anchor - September 21, 2018

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Anchor expiration date EXAMPLE

FALL RIVER — New mailing labels (right) were recently initiated on all Anchor publications, along with the notice of a $25 subscription amount beginning at renewal time. Below is a sample of the label that shows when the subscription expires allowing readers to renew to keep their subscriptions active. If no payment is received within 30 days of the expiration date, The Anchor will send one reminder notice at a later date. We cannot accept credit card payments by phone.

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To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@ anchornews.org

A subscription to The Anchor would make a wonderful gift for a loved one, a friend, or yourself. It’s a publication that provides a Spiritual uplift and keeps Catholics connected to our Church — locally and beyond.

One-year subscription — $25 Two-year subscription — $45 Name: Address: City:

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if given as a gift, the card should read: From: Street:

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Enclose check or money order and mail to: The Anchor, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720

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The Anchor - September 21, 2018