Diocese of Fall River, Mass.
Friday, September 22, 2017
The feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage, a longtime tradition honoring the patroness of those who make their living at sea, was celebrated with a Mass at Our Lady’s Chapel in downtown New Bedford and a candlelight procession through the streets of the city’s historic district on September 16. Carrying a statue of the Blessed Mother bearing the Christ Child in one hand and an anchor in the other, participants prayed the Rosary along the route and sang songs to honor Our Lady. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza) The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Catholic nurses from across the country to descend on Cape Cod for first-ever summit
By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org
SOUTH YARMOUTH — Columbus Day weekend is the last hurrah for the tourist season on picturesque Cape Cod. Joining this year’s cast of visitors will be Catholic nurses from across the country, as they gather at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth for the annual National Association of Catholic Nurses, U.S.A. summit/conference. Running from October 6-8, this year’s gathering is titled, “Catholic Nurses Ministering in the Spirit of Francis.” But this is no ordinary conference. This will be the first-ever summit of Catholic nurses to be held in the United States. “The major difference is that a summit gathers nurses, healthcare workers, EMTs, and first-responders to not only share ideas, but to put in place a plan of action on these ideas,” said Marylee Meehan MA, RN, of the Fall River Diocese, president emeritus of the International Committee of Catholic Nurses and Medico-Social Assistants (CICIAMS); past president NACN- USA; appointed to the Pontifical Council of Healthcare Workers by Pope Benedict XVI; CICIAMS president; emeritus status assigned by Pope Francis. “The summit is more complex,” Meehan told The Anchor. “There will be presentations in the morning, but the big difference is that there will be Task Force Groups to meet each afternoon to discuss the morning topics. “The Task Force Groups have pre-assigned leaders for the group process, pre-assigned content experts for each group, a recorder, a summarizer, and pre-assigned group membership based on registration data. Each group will have a priest or religious at the table. It is very structured and the whole idea is to come up with concrete plans of action for some of the problems modern-day nurses face in the secular world.” 2
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
Meehan stressed that while the registration for Catholic nurses has closed, all nurses, Catholic or not, and healthcare workers, firstresponders, EMTs, and police and fire personnel are very welcome to attend. “In fact, I contacted Cape Cod Hospital and talked to its president and extended an invitation to all healthcare personnel. “I also extended an invitation
lunch to save money.” According to the summit brochure, “The 2017 NACN-USA Summit/Conference explores leading healthcare issues dominating current national debates including: drugs pre-birth to pre-death, veteran suicide, proposed protection/ prevention solutions, and their inherent moral challenges for Catholic nurses. The program is designed
to the local police and fire departments and their personnel, and for them to tell their friends. I’m very excited that we have opened this up to everyone. “We need to have a plan of action in place by the time the summit is finished, and we need other people’s input from the healthcare field. “And, we have just received a papal blessing from the Vatican for this event. “I feel this is what God is calling us to do. The line from the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ resonates — ‘Thy Will be done.’” Meehan added that some attendees are coming for some but not all of the sessions: “That’s great too. We tried to make this affordable for everyone to come at least one day, even to the point where attendees can brown-bag their
to equip nurses to lead needed efforts within their organizations. During the summit/conference, the collective knowledge and leadership talent present from nursing practice, education, research, and policy will inform, analyze, collaborate, network and propose actions plans for NACN-USA members.” The summit/conference will focus on the NACN’s mission presented on its website at nacnusa.org: “The National Association of Catholic Nurses, U.S.A. gives nurses of different backgrounds, but with the same Roman Catholic values, the opportunity to promote moral principles within the Catholic context in nursing and stimulate desire for professional development. This approach to Roman Catholic doctrine focuses on educational programs, Spiritual nourishment, patient advocacy,
and integration of faith and health. As we continue to share our faith and values with each other, and with other healthcare providers, we simultaneously reach outward to the larger Church and also our communities, as we offer support to those in need.” Catholic nurses uphold the mission of supporting those in need, and the summit will address several pressing issues faced by nurses today, including drugs pre-birth to pre-death, the dramatically rising veterans’ suicide rate, and the truth about Reiki and Yoga. Attendees will share their faith and values with other healthcare workers, family, clergy and religious. The conference will give those in attendance the opportunity to dialogue and come up with concrete plans of action and the tools to provide care in the secular world. In addition to the aforementioned goals, the summit hopes to provide nurses with new ways to “impact advances in patient advocacy,” and deepen their Catholic conscious “to act on moral and ethical issues which conflict with secular society.” Meehan also told The Anchor that the Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Nurses had the idea to contact President Donald Trump. “President Trump has said he has a goal to eliminate the opioid addiction epidemic in this country,” she said. “We put together what we would like to say to the president and forwarded it to the National Association of Catholic Nurses’ president, Diana L. Ruzicka, RN, MSN. “She used our recommendations and prepared a letter sent to the president advising him that the opioid epidemic is one of our topics of discussion and will have a plan of action established. She told the president that a report of the plan will be sent to him. “President Nixon said during his presidency that he wanted to Turn to page 13
Massachusetts Catholic bishops urge Congress: ‘Act on DACA’
They are known as “Dreamers.” However, their dreams have fast become a nightmare. Last week President Trump terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program established five years ago by the Obama Administration. The president’s decision puts at risk for deportation the lives of approximately 19,000 Massachusetts residents and another 780,000 individuals across the country. Each of these young individuals faces a traumatic and frightening future. The DACA program has clearly been successful since its inception in 2012. It has given young undocumented children an opportunity to enjoy
the freedoms of America that we, as a society, too often take for granted. They are able to thrive in the classroom, play in our parks, volunteer for the needy and ultimately grow and mature as young adults. These children and young adults are innocent of any wrongdoing. They should not be punished for living in the United States of America. They have no other country to call home. They are our current students. They are our high school and college graduates. They are service workers and professionals. They are productive members of our society. In short, they are supporting themselves and their families and have become an in-
tegral part of the melting pot we call America. Today, there remains hope that the protections provided by DACA can be saved. In apparent recognition of the chaos that the elimination of the program will cause, President Trump has given the United States Congress six months to pass a bill and work with his administration to ultimately codify many of the DACA protections into law. Congress cannot be silent on this issue. Congress must act now. The American spirit is resilient and alive. Consider how many citizens, young and old, rich and poor, have come together recently in heroic efforts to aid millions of our fellow Americans in the
southern states as they face the toll of dealing with catastrophic natural disasters. In that same American spirit, we, the four Catholic bishops of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, urge Congress to also come together, to support the dreamers in their time of need, not to abandon them resulting in irreparable harm to thousands of families. Members of Congress must put political differences aside and
work on a bi-partisan effort to re-establish those protections for so many that have been eliminated thus renewing their American dream. This letter was signed by the four Catholic bishops in Massachusetts: Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap. of the Boston Archdiocese; Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester; Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of Springfield; and Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. of Fall River.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Marian presentation at Stonehill College to close out Fatima centennial
By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org
EASTON — As the centennial observance of the 1917 apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima draws to a close, a special Marian presentation is being planned for October 7 at Stonehill College in Easton. Sponsored by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate — one of the orders ministering in the Fall River Diocese at Our Lady’s Chapel in New Bedford — the day-long program entitled “The Promise and Our Part in the Plan” is designed as a follow-up to “The Warning and Our Plan for Peace” event previously held on May 13 in Bloomington, Ind. “The two events — May 13 and October 7 — are intended as ‘bookends’ of the centennial of the Fatima apparitions, and while each is independent and integral, they were designed to be complementary,” explained Friar John Mary, F.I., one of the Franciscan Friars of
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the Immaculate serving Our Lady’s Chapel and the program director for its companion radio station, Radio CorMariae. “The earlier event focused on the prophetic aspect of Our Lady’s warning to humanity to ‘stop offending God,’ or incur catastrophic consequences, while presenting the solution that Our Lady offered: her ‘peace plan from Heaven,’” he said. “The October event, as the title indicates, focuses more on the promised triumph of the Immaculate Heart and again brings attention to the practical program of Spiritual life given in the Fatima message: the means by which each of the faithful can personally help bring about real and lasting Christian peace.” A full-day Marian evangelization event, “The Promise and Our Part in the Plan” will focus on the integral message of Fatima — Our Lady’s invitation to live the Gospel today. It can best be described as a review and pastoral interpretation of the Fatima message that the Blessed Mother first imparted to three Portuguese shepherd children in the tiny village of Fatima a century ago. The program will offer instruction regarding the promised “Triumph of the
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
Immaculate Heart” and Our Lady’s “Peace Plan” — which can be hastened or delayed according to the faithfulness of our response to her requests. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions and the prodigious “Miracle of the Sun,” the day will commence at 8 a.m. and run through 5 p.m. in the Martin Auditorium at Stonehill College. Activities will include the celebration of Holy Mass and four talks given by prominent Marian evangelists — Father Elias Mills, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisc.; Msgr. Arthur Calkins, member of the Pontifical International Marian Academy; Father Bill Casey, member of the Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy; and Steve Dawson, author and founder of St. Paul Street Evangelization. Father Mills will discuss “Consecration: The Heart of the Message,” during which he will explain how consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is at the heart of the Fatima message, as Heaven’s program for the Salvation of souls and the catalyst for world peace. Author of the best-selling work, “Totus Tuus: Pope John Paul II’s Program of Marian Consecration and Entrustment,” Msgr. Calkins will present “The Role of St. Joseph in the Church since 1917.” He will focus on the prophetic dimension of the apparition of St. Joseph to the Fatima seers on Oct. 13, 1917, during the famous “Miracle of the Sun” event. His talk will also examine two recent approved apparitions of St. Joseph. “I believe that Fatima really does bear the imprint
of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, even if obviously if we think readily of Mary’s Immaculate Heart because of the way she revealed herself at Fatima,” Msgr. Calkins said during his presentation in May. “If the call was great 100 years ago, I think it is much greater today.” A frequent guest on EWTN, Father Casey will discuss “The Rosary: The Invincible Weapon,” during which he will reflect on the victory of the Holy Rosary and argue that by taking up our Rosary, the impossible becomes possible. “My brothers and sisters, you must know that we are living in historic times for the Church and for the whole world,” Father Casey said in May. “In October of this year, we’re going to observe the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s final apparition and the ‘Miracle of the Sun.’ We’re going to observe the 100th anniversary of Red October — the start of the communist revolution in Russia, the spread of organized militant atheism all over the world, which in the past century has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 90 million people worldwide.” A revert to the Catholic faith, Dawson will focus on “Practical Evangelization with Our Lady of Fatima” and will discuss ways to evangelize and catechize using the Fatima message as an example of the many principles of Christian doctrine. After the Spirituallychallenging events of the day, participants will conclude the Fatima centennial with a more relaxing evening program of dinner and entertainment, from 6 to 9 p.m., situated in Stonehill
College’s beautiful Pettit Atrium. The optional social hour from 5 to 6 p.m. will also offer a chance to mingle with speakers and other guests before sitting down to a served dinner, followed by dessert, coffee, and inspiring music for the soul. Evening performances will include a unique “Musical Celebration of Mary” featuring Catholic country artist Randy Albright and three classically-trained sisters collectively known as The Cloutier Trio. A veteran Nashville performer and songwriter who has been called “the Johnny Cash of Catholic Music,” Randy Albright’s songs have been performed by legendary country artists like Vince Gill, Alabama, Faith Hill, and Alan Jackson. He now devotes his time and talent to writing and singing songs for the greater glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in service to the Church. Albright is best known for his song “Mary Said Yes” and his well-known ProLife video “Let Me Live,” both of which have been presented on EWTN and Catholic radio and performed at Pro-Life gatherings around the country. Having been adopted into a Polish-American Catholic family after his unwed mother gave him up for adoption, Albright wanted to be raised Catholic. “Because I grew up with a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and being told that I was adopted through St. Ann’s Orphanage, I always saw the Blessed Virgin as my Heavenly mother and St. Ann as my Heavenly grandmother,” Albright said in an interview. Turn to page 24
Pro-Life nurse battles back against ‘culture of death’
By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — If you had asked Nancy Valko, R.N., back in the 1970s if the legalization of abortion in the U.S. would gradually lead to acceptance of things like physician-assisted suicide, she would have balked at the notion. “I always tell people, I was one of the skeptics,” Valko recently told The Anchor. “I remember people saying it would lead to an increasing acceptance of euthanasia, and at the time I was in my 20s and I was a trauma nurse, so I thought that seemed kind of extreme.” But having encountered many difficult situations in her personal and professional life that would eventually convince her otherwise, Valko confessed she had her “road to Damascus moment in 1982,” which led to her becoming a staunch and vocal advocate for the Pro-Life movement. “I’ve dealt with a lot of personal and professional losses, and there have even been times when I’ve had to put my job on the line,” Valko said. “I’ve almost been fired from a job for refusing to do something which was basically like a self-euthanasia. I kind of run the whole gamut from abortion to assisted suicide.” For nearly 40 years now, the St. Louis, Mo.-based nurse has dedicated herself to the Respect Life movement and in 2015 the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recognized her valiant efforts by giving her the prestigious “People of Life” award. As the current spokesperson for the National Association of Pro-Life Nurses, Valko will be coming to the Fall River Diocese to present “Fighting Back: One Nurse’s Battle with the Culture of Death,” during two sessions
on September 23. The first will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Name Parish Center, 850 Pearce Street in Fall River, sponsored by the Holy Name Respect Life Committee and the Greater Fall River Chapter of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Then from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. she will offer the same program in the parish center of Corpus Christi Church in East Sandwich. “I gave a similar talk at Georgetown University, when I was asked to speak at the Cardinal O’Connor Life Conference,” Valko said. “A lot of people don’t know the history. I’ve been involved in this for decades, so I try to explain how it went from abortion to assisted suicide to self-euthanasia.” Valko speaks from personal experience, recounting “true stories” about members of her own family. “I once had a priest I was debating tell me: ‘Don’t you ever tell those stories again. Talking about your mother, and your daughter, and your patients,’” Valko recalled. “And without thinking, I just blurted out: ‘Isn’t that the way Christ taught? With parables to illuminate a principle? And some of His stories were hypothetical, but mine are all true.’ And (the priest) got so mad.” Valko has shared many of these deeply personal stories on her weekly online blog, including her own struggle with facing end-of-life issues with her mother. “I had a mom with Alzheimer’s and we didn’t kill her,” Valko said, bluntly. “She also had terminal cancer. For some reason, I think this was all God’s plan in my life. I’ve worked with some of the most difficult cases imaginable and, like I said, I’ve never been tempted to kill anybody.” One of the most painful and tragic experiences that
Valko faced was in dealing with the suicide of her 30-year-old daughter Marie in 2009. “It was a 16-year struggle when she first got in trouble with drugs and alcohol — for 16 years she was in and out of rehab,” Valko said. “She was just a fantastic girl and a mechanical engineer — very bright. But it got bad. She would do well for a while. Then she had a daughter out of wedlock who she released for adoption because the
Nancy Valko, RN
father was a drug addict and she didn’t want any problems with visitation — she didn’t trust the court systems. “She would get suicidal and she would tell me: ‘Mom, I feel like a burden on the whole family.’ She told me she had gone on the Internet and went to the assisted suicide website and she wound up reading the book ‘Final Exit’ by Derek Humphry. When she died, we thought it was an overdose and it wasn’t. I don’t give the technique for a lot of different reasons, but the detective told me the medical examiner said something kind of funny about your daughter — he said the way she died was textbook ‘final exit.’ And I found out later that she did use a technique he espouses (in the book). I was just shocked. I had no idea until then.” Since that time, Valko has made it her mission to inform people about the dangers associated with physicianassisted suicide and to make sure such procedures are not
legally sanctioned. “Once we explain how dangerous this law is — there’s no protection against coercion, and family members do not need to be notified — they’ll realize how scary it is,” Valko said. “I’ve worked with so many suicidal people (and I know) it’s so important to have families involved.” Noting that new physician-assisted suicide bills are up for consideration in her state each year, Valko has pledged to keep hammering home the dangers of going down this slippery slope. “One of the big things I want to talk about is what the laws actually say about physician-assisted suicide,” she said. “Most people don’t know. It gives total immunity — civil, criminal and disciplinary — to doctors involved and to the other medical professionals, too. No other medical intervention is like this. No other doctor has total immunity from malpractice. All they have to do is claim ‘good faith’ compliance.” Valko is also disappointed that national suicide organizations won’t address the issues with self-euthanasia. “We have two standards and, amazingly, the suicide prevention organizations do not want to touch assisted suicide, and that’s a real shame,” she said. “It’s like they want to be the association for the prevention of some suicides.” As a registered nurse, Valko is also concerned with protecting conscientious objectors in her profession who refuse to participate in abortions or assisted suicides. “I’m not only for conscience rights, I’m also for whistle-blower protections, which we don’t have,” she said. “I think you have to have both of them together. Hospital groups are extremely influential and I have seen people harassed out of a job — they weren’t termi-
nated, they were just harassed until they left. That’s another tactic that they use. And with nurses, the hospital is not going to back you up.” Valko said the nursing guidelines currently in place don’t even allow them to make any “judgmental comments” to the person under their care or anyone taking care of them. “They’re always pushing the limit and in Canada they are doing lethal injections now in Quebec,” Valko said. “I have friends in Canada who sent me the articles that (reported) the second largest province in Canada is starting to make up lethal injection kits because they had talked to people in Holland and they said: ‘The pill overdoses don’t always work, so we’re just going to go ahead and do lethal injections.’ And they’ve made these kits up for every doctor in the province.” In anticipation of her talks in this diocese, Valko said she tries to make her presentations “as simple as possible” so that attendees can be better informed about the growing “culture of death” in the U.S. “I don’t get into everything, I just want them to see what the progression was (and that) people weren’t making the right decisions,” she said. “It’s really kind of scary the things people will do. People need to know how we’re being manipulated — and my daughter is the collateral damage.” “Fighting Back: One Nurse’s Battle with the Culture of Death,” will take place on September 23 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Name Parish, 850 Pearce Street in Fall River, and from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church in East Sandwich. For more information, call Barbara Wenc 774-263-4117. For weekly updates, visit Nancy Valko’s blog at https:// nancyvalko.com.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Anchor Editorial
Asking for help from holy men
Facing this page, Father Landry has a column about Blessed Stanley Rother, whose beatification ceremony will be held tomorrow (Saturday) in Oklahoma. Thirty years before Blessed Stanley died in Guatemala, the Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun died as a prisoner of war of the Communist Chinese Army during the Korean War. Both holy priests would be good people to whom we should be offering intercessory prayers during this time of crisis. We could be praying, asking their intercession, for a peaceful and just resolution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula, that nuclear (or other) weapons not be used and that the people of North Korea be freed of the oppression under which they eke out their existence. The prayer for the beatification and canonization of Father Kapaun twice mentions peace. We can all pray it: “Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war, Your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun, spent himself in total service to You on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea, until his death at the hands of his captors. We now ask You, Lord Jesus, if it be Your will, to make known to all the world the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun and the glory of his complete sacrifice for You by signs of miracles and peace. In Your name, Lord, we ask, for You are the source of peace, the strength of our service to others, and our final hope. Amen.” With the strife in St. Louis, Mo. during these days, these two midwestern priests (Blessed Stanley being from Oklahoma, Father Kapaun from Kansas) would be good intercessors to invoke to ask God to help us have more racial harmony and respect for one another’s dignity in this country. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis appealed for calm last Friday, after a former police officer was acquitted in the death of an African-American man. He wrote, “If we want peace and justice, we must come together as a community through prayer, mutual understanding, and forgiveness. While acknowledging the hurt and anger, we must not fuel the fires of hatred and division. We must ask God for peace in our own hearts and share it with those around us. Violence does not lead to peace and justice — they are opposing forces and cannot coexist. I implore each of you to choose peace! Reject the false and empty hope that violence will solve problems. Violence only creates more violence. We must work together for a better, stronger, safer community, one founded upon respect for each other, and one in which we see our neighbor as another self.” While concerned about the possibility of war abroad and the internal strife at home, our eyes (in part, literally via the computer and the television) are turned towards harsh weather. When this editorial was being written, Puerto Rico was anticipating being hit by Hurricane Maria, with much worse damage from what was sustained from Hurricane Irma. Bishop Ruben GonzalezMedina of Ponce wrote to his flock on Monday, encouraging them to take the advice of civil authorities to be prepared (and to evacuate, if needed) and to help elderly and sick people in need. He ended by telling them, “Above all, promote an environment of peace and of trust in God.” The Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands was also under threat from Hurricane Maria. It had sustained much worse damage than Puerto Rico OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org
Vol. 61, No. 16
Member: Catholic Press Association 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 $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses. Send address changes to 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA, call or use email address
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 REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org
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The Anchor - September 22, 2017
had from Irma. On the St. Thomas diocesan website on Tuesday, the home page had these petitions to viewers: “During this very active hurricane season, please remember us and those in other locations in your prayers. You are invited to join us in saying the Hurricane Season Prayer. On Monday September 18, the U. S. Virgin Islands were placed under a Hurricane Warning due to Hurricane Maria. Please continue to remember us in your prayers. Kindly remember the United States Virgin Islands in your prayers after the passing by of Hurricane Irma.” The prayer which the Caribbean diocese mentioned is as follows: “God, our Father, all the elements of nature obey Your command. Keep us safe from the danger of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters. May we be secure in Your protection and always feel the presence of Your love as You turn our fears into praise of Your goodness. Bless our families and bring peace to all nations. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.” In the Caribbean neighborhood we also find Colombia (where Pope Francis recently visited, lauding the recent peace agreement and urging all involved to give up grudges from the past) and Venezuela (which is torn by civil strife, as the government tends more and more towards totalitarianism). In Cartagena, Colombia on September 10, Pope Francis addressed both countries: “I assure all of you of my prayers for each of the countries of Latin America, and in a special way for neighboring Venezuela. I express my closeness to all the sons and daughters of that beloved nation, as well as to all those who have found a place of welcome here in Colombia. From this city, known as the seat of human rights, I appeal for the rejection of all violence in political life and for a solution to the current grave crisis, which affects everyone, particularly the poorest and most disadvantaged of society. May the Most Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for the world’s needs and for every one of her children.” We need to pray for the solidification of the peace process in Colombia and for a conversion of the forces of division in Venezuela. Part of the Venezuelan government’s policy of trying to distract its population from their lack of food is by threatening to have a war with Colombia (while Colombia welcomes Venezuelan refugees). While in Cartagena, Pope Francis visited the tomb of another holy priest, St. Peter Claver, who was the “slave of the slaves” during the Spanish colonial era. The Holy Father said of him, “St. Peter Claver was austere and charitable to the point of heroism. After consoling hundreds of thousands of people in their loneliness, he died without honors and was not remembered, having spent the last four years of his life in sickness and confined to his cell which was in a terrible state of neglect. This was how the world paid him, yet God paid him in another way.” The Church affirms this weekend that God also repaid Blessed Stanley in a different way than the world did — and if a miracle happens through his intercession, we will be able to say with assurance that the same thing happened to Father Kapaun. May we imitate the virtues of these holy men and ask their intercession to aid all those threatened by natural or man-made disasters.
Daily Readings Sept. 23 – October 6
Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Sept. 23, 1 Tm 6:13-16; Ps 100:1-5; Lk 8:4-15. Sat. Sept. 24, Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 55:6-9; Ps 145:2-3,8-9,17-18; Phil 1:20c-24,27a; Mt 20:1-16a. Mon. Sept. 25, Ezr 1:16; Ps 126:1-6; Lk 8:16-18. Tues. Sept. 26, Ezr 6:7-8,12b,14-20; Ps 122:1-5; Lk 8:19-21. Wed. Sept. 27, Ezr 9:5-9; (Ps)Tb 13:2,3-4,7-8; Lk 9:1-6. Thurs. Sept. 28, Hg 1:1-8; Ps 149:1-6,9; Lk 9:7-9. Fri. Sept. 29, Dn 7:9-10,13-14 or Rv 12:7-12a; Ps 138:1-5; Jn 1:47-51. Sat. Sept. 30, Zec 2:5-9,14-15a; (Ps)Jer 31:10-13; Lk 9:43b-45. Sun. Oct. 1, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ez 18:25-28; Ps 25:4-9; Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5; Mt 21:28-32. Mon. Oct. 2, Zec 8:1-8; Ps 102:2,16-23; Mt 18:1-5,10. Tues. Oct. 3, Zec 8:20-23; Ps 87:1-7; Lk 9:51-56. Wed. Oct. 4, Neh 2:1-8; Ps 137:1-6; Lk 9:57-62. Thurs. Oct. 5, Neh 8:1-4a,5-6,7b-12; Ps 19:8-11; Lk 10:1-12. Fri. Oct. 6, Bar 1:15-22; Ps 79:1-5,8-9; Lk 10:13-16.
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his September 23, in Oklahoma City, something historic and holy will be happening. Father Stanley Rother, the first native-born American priest martyr, will be beatified. In recent years, devil worshippers have held black masses as public relations stunts in Oklahoma City in order to offend Catholic believers and the God we adore. Now Catholics will be convening in far greater numbers to celebrate the triumph over evil shown in Father Stan’s participation in Jesus’ laying down His life for His friends, something that meant to strengthen us as believers and help us give God, like Father Rother (ROW-ther), the most pleasing worship of all. I am very happy that I will be able to be present, to share the joy of the Church of Oklahoma, the Church of Guatemala, and the Church triumphant as the one known as Padre A’Plas in the Tz’utujil language of Santiago Atitlán — “Father Francisco,” after his middle name, because they couldn’t pronounce “Stanley” — officially becomes “blessed.” This is the second beatification to be held on U.S. soil. The first was three years ago when Blessed Teresa Demjanovich was raised to the altars at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J. The third will take place in two months, when Father Solanus Casey is beatified in Detroit. Even as the Church in our country faces many challenges as we seek faithfully to live out our mission of evangelization, Sanctification and charity at a time of increasing secularization and social fragmentation, these beatifications — and the 99 causes of canonization in the pipeline for those holy men
Blessed Stanley Francisco ‘Aplas’ Rother
and women with U.S. ties — lengthy fastings, levitations, stigmata, humanly unbearare a palpable reminder to able sufferings, extraordinary us that God’s grace is never lacking, His gift of interces- feats and gifts. Father Rother, on the other hand, was a sors never exhausted, and hard-working farmer, from His call for us to be holy as a salt-of-the-earth family, He is holy never expired. who knew far more about The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has secured carpentry, tractors, seeds and soil than he did about the Cox Convention Center, which fits 14,000 people, so that basiPutting Into cally everyone who wants to come can the Deep come to celebrate. It’s a beautiful gesture, By Father one that will be reRoger J. Landry warded by Catholics from across the state interior locutions or the hisand beyond. EWTN will tory of theological disputes. broadcast the Mass live at 11 a.m. Eastern time, so that He was a good steward of the gifts God gave him faithful across the country and like a farmer, cultivated can share in the graces. those talents, putting them And there are many resources available by which at the service of his people in Guatemala, repairing people can get to know the plumbing, building and better the new Beatus. I grounds of the church and would recommend that rectory, erecting a school, a people visit the website small hospital, and a radio www.stanleyrother.org, station, training the locals in where one, in addition to better farming techniques, reading a short biography and history of his cause, can through digging a well, installing its pump, and irorder the official biography rigating the fields, driving of his life, “No Greater,” bulldozers, stopping only for a book of his letters back home to Oklahoma entitled, Mass, prayer and teaching catechists. As Oklahoma “Cannot Run,” and Father City Archbishop Paul CoakHenri Nouwen’s Spiritual ley said about him, his “were commentary on his life and not necessarily the kinds death, “Love in a Fearful Land.” Perhaps the simplest of talents one would have identified as those of a future way to prepare for his saint, but he used those gifts beatification is to watch an that God gave him faithfully excellent 28-minute PBS video on his life, “Oklahoma and generously and allowed the Lord to lead him.” In Martyr,” easily available on that, he’s a model for all. the Internet. In the last few Second, he overcame days, I have been inspired by setbacks in following the all of these sources. Lord. He could never quite What’s special about Father Rother? Why should learn Latin, which was essential for seminarians in the all of us get to know him? 1950s and early 60s. Much I find several things about like St. John Vianney who him particularly endearing. was three times booted from First, he’s anything but the seminary because he spectacular. Some saints have had extraordinary gifts couldn’t master the language, Rother was similarly disinimitable by most, like missed from Assumption prophecies, reading souls,
Seminary in San Antonio when it became clear that it wasn’t really going to improve. But a priest mentor and his bishop intervened, knowing his goodness, and arranged for him to finish at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., which now rejoices to have a beatus from the class of 1963. Little did his professors in San Antonio foresee that as a missionary Father Rother would not only, through hard work and grace, master Spanish but also translate the Bible into the Mayan dialect Tz’utujil, learn how to share the faith with them in those languages and become, when necessary, a language instructor! Third, he’s a model of humble manly courage and paternal priestly love for his people. Around 1980, extremist elements in the Guatemalan army during Guatemala’s 36-year-long civil war started to use force and intimidation against some of the indigenous people and those who defended their rights. His catechists and parishioners began to disappear and were later found dead, their bodies tortured. They destroyed the radio station he founded to teach the locals math and languages and killed its director. In January 1981, once his name was put on a death list because of his opposition to the presence of the military in the region, he was pressured by friends, family and his bishop to leave for a time lest he become the next victim. He returned to Oklahoma, but his attention and heart were with the people whom he had served for 13 years who desperately needed a shepherd, surrounded by so many fierce wolves. As he repeated in various letters, a
shepherd cannot run when his people need him. After three months, at the age of 46, he asked the permission of his bishop to return, and despite his family’s and others’ remonstrations, he did. Three months later, masked gunmen broke into his rectory at midnight, and, after he resisted their attempts to kidnap him, they shot him twice in the head. He was one of 10 priests murdered in Guatemala that year. If he had not returned to Santiago Atitlan, he could have been an 82 year-old priest celebrating Mass at one of the parishes in Oklahoma City this weekend. Instead, Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, 50 bishops from around the world, hundreds of priests and about 13,000 others will come to downtown Oklahoma City to celebrate Mass in honor of him, thanking God for his life, work, faith and supreme witness. Tomorrow would be a good time for all of us to lift to God the official prayer for his canonization as we ask God to grant miracles through his intercession: “O God, Fount of all holiness, make us each walk worthily in our vocation, through the intercession of Your saints, on whom You bestowed a great variety of graces on earth. Having graced Your Church with the life and ministry of Your missionary priest Stanley Rother, by his intercession grant that this humble flock may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone. Grant that Your Church may proclaim him a saint serving in Your presence and interceding for us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.” Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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e live in a world of so much turmoil and confusion, a time when people are searching for others to blame for their woes. It is easier to find the fault in others in the hopes of diminishing our own faults and insecurities. Yet Jesus is asking us to forgive, to move on, and to do so over and over again, to truly love one another. Too often we find ourselves in the predicament of the first servant in Matthew’s Gospel (18:21-35), asking for mercy, begging for forgiveness, and our humility in the moment, brings about the reprieve from the unwanted outcome or punishment. However, in many cases, after being forgiven of our transgressions, we quickly hold onto the anger, and refuse to forgive another.
Do unto others …
must remember that it is The Father so readnot just that this life or that ily forgives us, and Jesus is reminding us, that we are to life matters, but that “we all matter,” and our actions and do the same for our fellow ability to forgive can make a man. We are to offer limitdifference. less forgiveness, and to acThe Gospel reminds cept the forgiveness of othus that we are to not only ers. In doing so, we choose to imitate the immense love forgive “seven times but and mercy that God has for 70 times seven times.” The us. When we choose not to forgive another, we erect a wall In the Palm between us and our of His Hands loving Father. The greatest By Rose Mary Commandment Saraiva given to us is to “love one another, as Jesus loves us.” In light of person standing in front what we see happening in of us is no different than our world, sadly, so many we are, no less deserving, have chosen to respond in and someone to be seen as vengeful, angered ways. Inan equal, worthy of being stead of seeing the brother forgiven and loved. Yes, it or sister standing before us, seems easier to hold onto a we search for differences grudge, and in many cases to justify our actions. We these grudges can take on a life of their own. Yet, like the servant in the Gospel, these grudges become our
torturers, holding us prisoner, until we finally repay our debt or succumb to it. Forgiveness offers us peace of mind, releases us from our anger, and allows us to live life more fully. Forgiveness simply means to let go of what binds us, like the master with the servant, who forgave him his debt even though it was a substantial amount. When we forgive, and respond with love, care and compassion, we fulfill the Commandment to love one another. We begin to see each other as brothers and sisters, as fellow human beings. When we choose to recognize that person in front of us as a child of God, we no longer see skin color, religious beliefs or race, but rather the beauty of God’s diversity. In doing so, we acknowledge that we are all created in the image of
Annual peace procession, Mass is October 9
FALL RIVER — The annual procession and Mass for Peace will take place on October 9. All parish groups should congregate in the area of St. Anne’s Church by 5:30 p.m. The tradition of bringing banners, flags, etc. is encouraged. The use of busses to transport parishioners is encouraged. The bus driver should be instructed to drop off passengers at St. Anne’s Church then proceed to the cathedral schoolyard located at the comer of Rodman Street and Second Street where parking will be available. Those coming by private car should park their cars as close to St. Mary’s Cathedral as possible. People in wheel chairs, handicapped or disabled 8
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
persons should proceed directly to the cathedral where a special area will be designated for them. All participants should bring their own candles. All priests are invited to concelebrate and deacons are most welcome. They are asked to bring an alb and white stole. Men are needed to assist in carrying the statue of Our Lady in the procession. Please select men from your parish for this service. On the day of the procession these men should report to St. Anne’s Church by 5:30 p.m. It would be appropriate for participants to wear a special robe, badge, or distinctive insignia that would set them apart in the procession.
the Creator, and therefore deserving of dignity and respect, of love and mercy. Ultimately, the decision to forgive others is fully in our control, and what we do with it, dictates how we live. However, to forgive is to let love in, and as we are reminded in Corinthians (13:4, 5), it “does not keep account of injury,” but is rather an unselfish and unconditional love. Forgiveness does not mean we condone the offense or act as if it never happened, rather we allow ourselves to not be consumed by it. When we offer up forgiveness or accept the forgiveness of others we let go of the anger and rage. Psychologists often recommend “mustering up genuine compassion for those who have wronged us, instead of allowing bitterness and anger to eat away at us” (“Psychology Today,” 2017).So why should we learn to forgive, because it can calm us, improve our overall health, increase our happiness (Proverbs and Matthew), and most importantly, when we forgive others we open ourselves to receiving God’s forgiveness of our own sins. When we are wronged or we have wronged another, we should quickly forgive or ask for forgiveness, rather than let it become larger than life. We should approach it with empathy and a supportive nature, keeping in mind that we are all humans, and every one of us is prone to mistakes. We are reminded that we are “to do unto others, as we would want done onto us,” and just as we would want to be forgiven, so too must we forgive. Anchor columnist Rose Mary Saraiva is Events Coordinator and Bereavement Ministry for the diocesan Office of Faith Formation. rsaraiva@dfrcs.com.
Missionary disciples
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ach year as we cycle through another start of the catechetical year, the U.S. Bishops Conference gathers parishes around a common theme. This year we are asked to promote the theme: “Living as Missionary Disciples.” Being a missionary evokes images of exotic travels into the outermost regions of the world, carrying the cross and Scripture as we bravely face peril for the sake of the Gospel. We are not being asked to go much further than our backyards in this missionary endeavor; but we are asked to be a disciple, a much more difficult assignment. Discipleship and membership do not go hand in hand. We have heard plenty of people publicly proclaim that they are members of the Catholic Church, only to follow this with their own interpretation of what this means. And it isn’t as simple as activating the cliché, “What would Jesus do?” whenever faced with a life decision. Disciple-
ship requires full buy-in poor will be blessed in the to the paradoxical logic of Kingdom, but the rich have the Kingdom of God. The already been taken care of weekday Masses during this and will receive nothing. year have given us a crash The hungry will be filled in course in discipleship as the Kingdom, but the satispresented by the Gospel of fied will not receive more. Luke. Luke’s audience was a lot like the people sitting beside us in church. The Great Some were destiCommission tute, others very well off, and then By Claire McManus in between were all the property owners who would be considered The weeping will laugh, middle class. Unlike his but those who are laughsynoptic partners, Mark ing now will weep. The and Matthew, Luke was people who are slandered writing to an audience and persecuted because of of Gentiles caught up in their discipleship will be a Greek world that was rewarded, while the ones not familiar with the Old who society praises will get Testament mores on econo honor in the Kingdom. nomic justice, welcoming Like the people hearing the stranger and feeding Luke in the first century of the poor. Many of Luke’s the Christian movement, audience were wealthy we have our own struggle members of a Greek society overcoming our ingrained that looked down on the cultural attitudes in order poor. Imagine what it must to embrace the upsidedown have been like to hear Jesus’ perspective of the KingBeatitudes and woes in the dom of God. The logic of Sermon on the Plain. The the Golden Rule is eas-
Our readers respond It is my belief that Catholic morality means living out the faith that we possess. Our works of charity must give credence to the words “God is love” (1 John 14-16). It is evident that the world needs to experience this integrity through Catholics who are willing to stand against abortion. For this reason, Pope Benedict called attention to “the scandal given by Catholics who promote an alleged right to abortion” (“That Nothing May Be Lost,” Rev. Paul Scalia, Ignatius Press 2017, p. 48). Personally speaking, I never want to present false
Catholicism to others by not working tirelessly to defend the unborn. That is why I support the Renew Mass. Taxpayer Funded Initiative, which is slated to run from August to November 2017. Furthermore, I gratefully look to our bishops for insight, guidance, and leadership that ultimately enables all Catholics residing in Massachusetts to be part of faith communities renewing the world and saving babies. De Colores. Deborah A. Furtado New Bedford EXECUTIVE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for
your letter. We here at The Anchor have been encouraging people, both via the print edition and via our website (www.anchornews. org, where you can get up to the minute notices about what is happening between print editions), to participate in the signature drives against taxpayer funding of abortion and against physician-assisted suicide. I hope that all who are able (registered Massachusetts voters) will sign these petitions and when these issues appear on the ballot that the voters approve them and they become law. May God continue to help you as you witness to the dignity of human life.
ily embraced by even the most secular of individuals, but the standard of the Kingdom goes far beyond this. Rather than “do onto others as you would have done onto you,” we are told to do onto others as God would. We might be tempted to dismiss this as Gospel hyperbole, but discipleship is that hard, and not open to interpretation. As Bishop Donald Hying once said, “An intentional disciple is a Catholic maximalist, not asking what the minimum is that must be done in order to be saved, but rather asking what can be done for the sake of the Kingdom of God.” Even though Luke’s Gospel was a beacon of hope for the poor, it is said that he was really the evangelist for the rich. The people to whom he wrote had already accepted Jesus Christ, but they needed to hear that it will go well for them at the end: “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.” The denunciation of the rich was not so much about their personal portfolio as it was the idolatry of pursuing wealth above all
else. It was calling the rich to go beyond simply offering charity, but to change the structures in society that keep the poor in their marginalized place. Fortunately for us, the Catholic Church has enshrined Kingdom logic in her social teaching. As Archbishop Daniel Flores explains, “Church teaching regarding the obligations of society to insure a just wage for laborers, educational opportunities for children, and most of all, suitable living conditions for families, have all basically been about applying the Gospel to the emerging complexities of the economic life of the modern age. Without this kind of faithful application of the Gospel to the conditions of the world, the faith would become a mere museumpiece for the historically curious.” No matter where we stand in our ideologies, whether religious, political or philosophical, we are all called to follow the notso-common sense of the Kingdom of God. When all of this starts to make sense to us, then we know we are disciples, and out we go on our mission. Anchor columnist Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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The October apparition of Our Lady of Fatima Editor’s note: This guest column by Grace Small, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Attleboro and a high school teacher, is the ninth and final installment in a ninepart series on the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. he Apparition on the 13th of October was the sixth apparition of Our Lady. It was the most anticipated Marian apparition by believers and skeptics. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the miracle of the sun, we should reflect on what the children saw and what the rest of the people experienced. Sister Lucia recounts in her memoirs, “Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words,” the events of that miraculous day: “We left home quite early, expecting that we would be delayed along the way. Masses of people thronged the roads. The rain fell in torrents. My mother, her heart torn with uncertainty as to what was going to happen, and fearing it would be the last day of my life, wanted to accompany me. “On the way, the scenes of the previous month, still more numerous and moving, were repeated. Not even the muddy roads could prevent these people from kneeling in the most humble and suppliant of attitudes. We reached the holmoak in the Cova da Iria. Once there, moved by an interior impulse, I asked the people to shut their umbrellas and say the Rosary. A little later, we saw the flash of light, and then Our Lady appeared on the holmoak. “‘What do you want of me?’ ‘I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.’ ‘I have many things to ask you: the cure of some sick persons, the
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three children witnessed the conversion of sinners, and apparitions of the Holy Famother things’ ‘Some yes, but not others. They must amend ily, Our Lady of Sorrows with Our Lord and Our Lady of their lives and ask forgiveCarmel, the crowds of 70,000 ness for their sins.’ Looking people experienced a differvery sad, Our Lady said: ent miraculous phenomenon. ‘Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is Eyewitness accounts stated that an immense multitude already so much offended.’ “Then, opening her hands, turned toward the sun, which she made them reflect on the appeared free from clouds and in its zenith. Soaked in sun, and as she ascended, the water from the rains which reflection of her own light fell until the apparition, the continued to be projected reports of various sources saw on the sun itself. Here, Your Excellency, is the reason why I cried out to the people to look at the sun. My Living Our aim was not to call Lady’s Message their attention to the sun, because I By Grace Small was not even aware of their presence. I was moved to do so under the guidance the “miracle of the sun” as a of an interior impulse. swirling disc which appeared “After Our Lady had disappeared into the immense to break free from the heavens and hurl itself down to distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the earth until it recessed back into the sky, leaving the peoChild Jesus and Our Lady ple completely dry. O Seculo, a robed in white with a blue pro-government, anti-clerical mantle, beside the sun. St. Lisbon paper reported the Joseph and the Child Jesus following: appeared to bless the world, “At one o’clock in the afterfor they traced the Sign of noon, midday by the sun, the the Cross with their hands. rain stopped. The sky, pearly When, a little later, this apgrey in color, illuminated the parition disappeared, I saw vast arid landscape with a Our Lord and Our Lady; it seemed to me that it was Our strange light. The sun had a transparent gauzy veil so that Lady of Dolours. Our Lord the eyes could easily be fixed appeared to bless the world upon it. The grey mother-ofin the same manner as St. Joseph had done. This appari- pearl tone turned into a sheet of silver which broke up as tion also vanished, and I saw the clouds were torn apart Our Lady once more, this time resembling Our Lady of and the silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy grey light, Carmel.” was seen to whirl and turn in For Jacinta and Francisco this would be their last public the circle of broken clouds. A cry went up from every visit from Our Lady. Lucia mouth and people fell on would receive a seventh visit their knees on the muddy of Our Lady at the Cova in ground. 1920 where Our Blessed “The light turned a beauMother urged her to give tiful blue, as if it had come herself to the service of God as a religious Sister. It is inter- through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, and esting to note that while the
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands. The blue faded slowly, and then the light seemed to pass through yellow glass. Yellow stains fell against white handkerchiefs, against the dark skirts of the women. They were repeated on the trees, on the stones and on the serra. People wept and prayed with uncovered heads, in the presence of a miracle they had awaited. The seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they.” Ti Marto, father of Jacinta and Francisco, reported the following: “The sun turned everything to different colors — yellow, blue and white. Then it shook and trembled. It looked like a wheel of fire that was going to fall on the people. They began to cry out, ‘We shall all be killed’ Others called to Our Lady to save them. They recited Acts of Contrition. One woman began to confess her sins aloud, advertising that she had done this and that. When at last the sun stopped leaping and moving, we all breathed our relief. We were still alive, and the miracle which the children had foretold, had been seen by everyone.” It is interesting to note that the children did not witness the “miracle of the sun” as the thousands had, rather they saw the visions in the sun as Sister Lucia reported above. Only the children saw the apparition of the Holy Family, Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lord and finally Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For the purposes of this article on the October apparition, I would also like to offer a reflection on the significance of the three apparitions that the children witnessed. First, the appearance of the
Holy Family is reflective of the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. As we pray these mysteries and consider the life of Jesus within the Holy Family, we reflect upon the good of the Christian family. We see in the Mystery of the Annunciation the call to motherhood, the mission of the angel, the virtue of humility in one’s openness to the gift of life and the indissolubility of Marriage and chastity according to one’s state in life in the chaste espousal of St. Joseph and Our Lady. We also meditate on the call of God to His bride, the Church, in the person of Mary, mother of the Church, to a fruitful spousal fidelity with the “Son of the Most High” which bears fruit at the foot of the cross as the Precious Blood is “shed for many for the remission of sins.” In the Mystery of the Visitation we meditate on the joyful call to mission by proclaiming the Word and by serving our neighbor. We reflect on our call to praise and thanksgiving in the Canticle of Zachariah and the Magnificat of Our Lady, because there is joy in being made a Christian by Baptism and thereby a messenger of the Gospel and a servant of the Lord. In the mystery of the Nativity, we contemplate the joy of Spiritual and actual poverty which depends on Divine providence, openness to God’s gift of life in welcoming the child who is created in God’s image and likeness, our neighbor and the alien as welcoming Christ with a spirit of gratitude, giving glory to God in the Holy Eucharist, Who enables us to become people of peace by doing the will of the Father. In the Mystery of the Presentation we contemplate the virtue and purity of obedience and the necesContinued on page 14
Friday 22 September 2017 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Autumnal equinox (It’s officially fall) oday’s column, dear readers, is brought to you by the word “windfall.” Can you say “windfall”? If you live in Acushnet, what immediately comes to mind when you hear the word “windfall” is the ripe fruit that falls from the trees in autumn. The succulent fruit is yours to enjoy without the bothersome task of picking it. Acushnet is a farm-friendly community. The name “Acushnet” comes from the Wampanoag cushnea, meaning “peaceful resting place near water.” I grew up on the Acushnet River, albeit on the New Bedford side. It wasn’t peaceful. The New Bedford side was dominated by the Acushnet Saw Mill, the Acushnet Process Company (manufacturer of Titleist golf balls), and a long row of textile mills. The Acushnet side is, on the other hand, apple and peach orchard country. The social event of the year in Acushnet is the Apple/Peach Festival. It’s a harvest celebration. It’s always the first weekend following Labor Day. Always. If you live in Falmouth, though, when you hear “windfall,” a grocery store comes to mind: Windfall Market. Neither a supermarket nor a convenience store, it’s an upscale farm-style market, bakery, butcher shop and flower shop on the harbor.
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When people in these parts no use for a set of 12 silversay “windfall,” they mean the plated flatware settings commarket. plete with a red velvet-lined These are localized meanwooden chest. I gave it to my ings of the word “windfall,” mother. but the term is generally used Even so, I couldn’t help to mean sudden financial but fantasize about what I gain. You get hit upside the head with a ton of money instead The Ship’s Log of an over-ripe peach. Reflections of a Most people would Parish Priest prefer the former. By Father Tim The nation was Goldrick recently abuzz over a windfall. A 53-yearold woman by the name of Mavis Wanczyk of would do with a windfall of Chicopee, won the $758.7 $758.7 million. I don’t know million Powerball jackpot. but I suspect I’m not the only Hers was a one in 292.2 mil- one in the nation with such lion chance. It was historically whimsical daydreams. the largest prize ever won by I, too, would take the a single-buyer lottery ticket. lump sum — the immediate I watched Ms. Wanczyk of payout — not the 29-year Chicopee accepting her prize annuity. In 29 years I will be money on TV. Ms. Wanczyk 100 years old. That would, took a lump sum of $480.5 dear readers, be the best-case million — a “windfall” by any scenario. There is a worsedefinition. case scenario, but let’s not go There were other big win- there. And who knows what ners as well. Who knew? Six will happen with long-term tickets won $2 million apiece, investments over an enand 34 more were worth tire generation? Who even $1 million each. Nobody knows if the Lottery Compaid attention to these other mission will still have the winners. $46 million is petty wherewithal to pay me. No. cash when compared to Ms. I’d want the money and I’d Wanczyk’s jackpot. want it now. I’m not a fan of games of Ms. Wanczyk, when asked chance, lotteries, or raffles. her immediate plans, said In fact, I’ve never purchased she had quit her job and was a lottery ticket or visited a promptly going home to bed. casino in my life. I did once, Well, if I won $758.7 milhowever, win a church raffle lion, I wouldn’t quit my job. I at the annual penny sale at don’t really have a job. I have Immaculate Conception a vocation. I may or may not Church in Taunton. I had take an afternoon nap after
winning the jackpot, but I would definitely keep a low profile — not that my profile is high to begin with. There are no paparazzi lurking in the bushes outside my residence. That’s just fine with me. If I won, I would politely decline assistance from cues of solicitous lawyers, financial advisors, investors, and consultants. I would bypass longforgotten classmates, casual acquaintances, “charity” scams, and distant relatives. I wouldn’t splurge and buy a house. I’ve never owned a house and don’t need one now. I wouldn’t buy a car, either. I haven’t owned a car in decades. I lease them. I might visit my sister Mary in Denver for a few days, but that’s about it. No, dear readers, I would
simply give away my millions. I would distribute the jackpot to struggling parishes. I don’t mean those whose time has come and gone or those needing tectonic reconfiguration but rather those strategic parishes willing and able to do invaluable ministry that are drowning in decades of debt. You can’t grow a Church without the necessary human and financial resources. I’d set up a foundation for this purpose. If I won. This foundation would be poor business strategy on my part, but a parish is a community of faith and not a business. First I will need to buy a Powerball ticket. Not going to happen. No ticket, no windfall. Well, it was a nice thought anyway. Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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ithout getting into much detail, the past several months for me have been episodes from Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Two quotes from friends just about sum it all up: “If it weren’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have any,” and “Your family is the human embodiment of Houston [just after it was slammed by Hurricane Harvey].” I’m not sharing this to complain. Quite the contrary. Over the past few columns, several Anchor columnists, including me, have lamented the sickening state of affairs across the globe, but particularly in this country — man’s inhumanity to man. It’s here where I would like to give human beings a pat on the back for
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The Anchor - September 22, 2017
There are still Christs out there a change because not all are racists, before the onslaught. bigots, homophobes, left or right wing I’ve watched these remarkable souls radicals, fascists, cop-haters, etc. at work, doing what they do best, and During my series of unfortunate what they love most — helping their events family members whom are brothers and sisters in need. most dear Some are to me face Catholic, My View very difficult some are battles. Christian. From During Some are the Stands these numbing Jews, and By Dave Jolivet times so many others Muswonderful lim. Some are human beings even agnostic. have stepped up and made such a dif- Some are black, some white, Asian, ference in their lives and mine. Hispanic — you name it. Yet they My Godsends are in the healthcare have many things in common, includfield and Hospice. ing a genuine concern and love for All have been a source of comfort, the people with whom they treat and strength, hope, encouragement and those close to them. loving care. None were known to me As so many of you know, being the caretaker for more than one can be extremely taxing on the mind, body and soul. And, as many of you know, you can’t always count on the people around you for help or understanding. Simple words cannot convey what this array of folks with different beliefs
and lifestyles have meant to me. They have eased the physical pains of my peeps who are experiencing their own trials. They have provided physical and mental therapy, always with a pleasant demeanor and countenance. Some have provided me with counsel and comfort, giving me the opportunity to release some of my fears, frustrations, worries and pain. Yes, mankind does scare me. But those are the examples shown by the media. It’s when you encounter real human beings in real settings not seen by the masses, that you realize Christ does live in others, regardless of the labels we put on them. My problems are still there, and when life gives you lemons you don’t always have to make lemonade. Lemons are great at seasoning fish and chicken and beverages. Lemons can be lemons. But with the right recipes, they’re wonderful. Thank God for the ingredients who have complemented the lemons in my life, as Christ surely did and does. davejolivet@anchornews.org.
Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., center, recently met with the Diocese of Fall River’s current group of seminarians, including six new candidates. From left: Brian Connors (new), Gregory Quenneville, Deacon Daniel Nunes, Ryan Healy, Deacon Matthew Gill, Steven Booth, Chris Hughes (new), Lucas DaCosta (new), the bishop, Richard Condido (new), Matthew Laird, John Garabedian (new), William O’Donnell, Frank Fagundes, Peter Scheffer (new), and Deacon Juan Carlos Muñoz.
First-ever national Catholic nurses summit to be held on Cape continued from page two
eliminate the drug problem in the United States, and that was a long time ago. It has become so much worse now. In fact we’re finding children of opioid addicts are committing suicide because of their parents’ addiction. This has to stop.” Appropriately enough, the conference will open each day with Mass at St. Pius X Church. Another Mass will also be celebrated on the Saturday by Fall River Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., at 5:30 p.m. The opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available throughout the weekend as well, as will daily recitation of the Rosary. Scheduled presenters include: Meehan, Father Kazimierz Chwalik from the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge; Maria Arvonio MA, RN, NACNUSA northeast regional
representative, CICIAMS United Nations NGO, N.Y. delegate; Father Daniel Cambra, MIC, director of the Marian Evangelization Team and the Holy Souls Sodality in Stockbridge; Dr. Marie Hilliard, JCL, PhD, RN (retired colonel U.S. Army Reserve), director of Bioethics and Policy, National Catholic Bioethics Center, president elect, NACN-USA, CICIAMS, chairperson Bioethics Committee; and Sister Callista Roy, PhD, FAAN, voted Living Legend in Nursing in 2007 by the American Academy of Nursing. Several Blue Ribbon Panels with Q&A sessions will take place, with follow up by the task force groups. Topics include: Drugs prebirth to pre-death; veteran suicide; and pain/stress management — issues and solutions.
The summit/conference will not be all work and no play. The event takes place during Yarmouth’s Seaside Festival Weekend. Family members will be able to enjoy the festival parade, musical entertainment, kayak and canoe races, sand sculpture contest, pieeating contest, fireworks, a craft fair, and rides. Also slated is an “attendee entertainment” evening when “each state is expected to participate.” The call is to “bring you talent, instruments, dance shoes, costumes, and laughter.” The weekend promises to be filled with proactive plans to address key issues facing healthcare workers in the U.S. “The NACN president said, ‘Nurses care and they act,’” Meehan told The Anchor. “That’s what we’re coming together for.” To register, or for information, visit nacn-usa.org. The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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The October apparition of Our Lady continued from page 10
sity to conform our wills to Christ’s lest He become for us a sign of contradiction. In the Mystery of the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple we meditate on the Church as the new Israel and new Jerusalem where the Christ Child is found. It is in the Church where Christ reconciles us to the Father in the Sacrament of Confession that we may share in a holy communion of love with Him Who is “my Lord and my God” as expressed by Thomas the Apostle in the sight of the Risen Lord and in “my God and my All” as expressed by the seraphic St. Francis. The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary are reflected by the apparition of Our Lord with Our Lady of Sorrows. Here we may reflect on how Mary, the archetype of the Church, teaches us how to accompany our crucified Savior in our sorrowful pilgrimage of life filled with pains and sufferings. By meditating on the Agony of Jesus we recognize the need for contrition for our sins, at the Scourging at the Pillar the need to do Penance and to mortify our bodies and our senses of touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing. With Penance, we make reparation for sins of the flesh in gluttony, sexual immorality, luxury and sensuality, which cause many souls to go to hell. In the Crowning with Thorns we meditate on the need for charity in our thoughts. How good it is to always think well of others, rather than condemn others by our criticism and rash judgments. Rather we should pray and make sacrifices for them instead, remembering Our Lord’s words, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” In the Carrying of the Cross, we meditate on the need for each of us to embrace the gift of the cross daily, even 14
as Our Lord and Our Lady did before us, because as Our Lord said, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mk 8:34). In the Mystery of the Crucifixion, we contemplate Our Lord with Our Lady of Sorrows at the foot of the cross. We meditate on how much Jesus and Mary love us that they gave us everything they hold most dear, their very lives, their united sorrowful and pierced hearts — the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of Christ shed for our Salvation, for each personally, as re-presented to us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in an unbloody manner. Here is where we must rest, in personal and communal thanksgiving for the call to co-redemption in union with Mary which Jesus extends to us with His words, “Woman, behold thy son” and “Behold thy Mother.” In the summit of His love, Our Lord cries, “I thirst.” It is a thirst for the Salvation of souls and for a legion of souls, of co-redeemers formed as sons of Mary, who will continue to offer His sorrowful Passion through the holy sacrifice for the conversion of sinners, even as the children of Fatima did as if they were some Carthusian monks. The apparition of Our Lady of Mount Carmel reflects the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. First we meditate on the call to faith with the Resurrection of Our Lord and faith in our own rising if we believe in Him and remain faithful to the end. We meditate on the call to hope in Our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven from whence we hope that He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We meditate and pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit through Mary, Mediatrix
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
of all Graces, to come upon us as Pentecost came upon the early Church so that we may see the good and do it. We meditate on Our Lady who “full of grace” from her Immaculate Conception increased in grace and merit as the most perfect disciple of Christ, who was fittingly assumed into Heaven body and soul. Finally, we meditate on the crowning glory of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth and pray for the virtue of holy perseverance. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the triumphant Queen Mother of Our Lord who promises Salvation to those who devoutly pray and wear her Brown Scapular. The appearance of Our Lady of Mount Carmel should remind us of the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament who in a contest with the prophets of Baal invited them to sacrifice a bull to their gods while the prophet Elijah would sacrifice a bull to the Lord God as the only true God. The false prophets called upon their false gods but to no avail. The prophet Elijah however after pouring buckets of water upon his bull called upon the Lord God and God sent fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice, proving that He alone is the Lord, the true and only God. Those who followed Baal were destroyed. Like the days of the prophet Elijah, the Church is passing and will continue to pass through her passion. The apostasy has been set in motion, as we see so many clergy religious and laity falling away from the true Catholic faith handed down to us from the Apostles. Those who remain faithful to the Lord God in the Catholic Church will be persecuted but must necessarily go through this fire in order to enter the Heavenly Jerusalem. Those who seek their heaven on this earth will follow the spirit of the antichrist and fall away
from the true Catholic faith, seeking those who tickle their ears with compromise and entertainment, instead of the Gospel message of repentance of sin and Reconciliation through Christ Our Savior. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the mother of God carrying her Son, Our Lord and Redeemer as on a throne of mercy. Consecration to Mary and wearing the Brown Scapular is a sign of our belonging to Mary and our desire to live under her mantle in the Church and under her maternal influence. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” speaks of this coming trial: “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the ‘mystery of iniquity’ in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of His Messiah come in the flesh. “The antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgement. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the Kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the ‘intrinsically perverse’ political form of a secular messianism. “The Church will enter the glory of the Kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in His death and Resurrection. The Kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive
ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause His Bride to come down from Heaven. God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgement after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world” (CCC 675-677). Our Lady revealed herself on this last public apparition as Our Lady of the Rosary. She came to bring us a warning but also a message of hope because it is by means of devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart that the Mother of God will triumph over the spirit of antichrist that is in the world and is assailing the Church from all sides. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is practiced by living a life of grace. This means keeping the God’s Commandments, attending Sunday Mass, praying the Holy Rosary daily, doing all in the Spirit of a sacrifice lovingly offered for the conversion of sinners, keeping the First Five Saturdays in reparation for sins against the Mother of God and Marian consecration through devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is acknowledging God is already much offended and that we must not sin anymore but rather console the hearts of Jesus and Mary and make reparation as these children did! There are many methods of making a Marian Consecration, the most popular is the “33 Days to Morning Glory. “The more traditional method is the “True Devotion to Mary,” by St. Louis Marie de Montfort. Both are means of preparation for consecration to Our Blessed Mother for all who are serious about their Salvation. Through these means we can find healing, Sanctification and cooperate with Jesus and Mary in the Salvation of souls. Sister Lucia herself became a Carmelite nun, an Continued on page 23
Stonehill College announces major changes to academic structure and campus
EASTON — Stonehill College has announced a major academic reorganization designed to further enhance the college’s strengths and better position it to connect students with emerging career opportunities. The 69-year-old Catholic college recently reorganized its academic program into the School of Arts and Sciences and the Leo J. Meehan School of Business. “This shift will mark a
new era for the college as it leverages its strengths to attract and retain first-
class faculty, develop and strengthen course options, and expand our diverse
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 September 24, 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Richard M. Roy, pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth
October 1, 11:00 a.m. Respect Life Sunday Celebrant is Father Kevin A. Cook, pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton
the sciences. By 2009, it had invested $33 million in the Shields Science Center,
schools will help us to do just that.” “Rooted in the vision Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the College always strives to prepare useful citizens for society, while doing our utmost to prepare citizens for Heaven,” he added. For nearly 70 years, which has transformed the Stonehill graduates have Denning, C.S.C. long made a lasting impact Along with this academic sciences at Stonehill and seen more graduates enter in law and government, edreorganization, the college high demand fields such as ucation, arts and humanities, is investing more than $50 biotech research, health sci- in STEM fields, and in cormillion in new facilities, ences and chemistry. porate and nonprofit work. with construction of an Having followed the The School of Arts and Sciacademic and welcome trends and responded to the ences brings together core center on which work has interests of students and disciplines and departments already started. In spring their families, faculty, alumni to provide a comprehensive 2018, the college will also education that prepares each break ground on a School of and friends, the college is now turning its attention individual student for lives Business building. to strengthening an already of leadership as critical and Located on the main strong business program. A creative thinkers in their quad, these two new buildstate-of-the-art space, the chosen field. Complementings will transform the academic heart of Stonehill’s Meehan School of Business ing investing in the sciences, will do for business what the the school will be headquarcampus. Shields Science Center has tered in the new academic In just six years, the coldone for the sciences at the and welcome center with lege, which was founded by college. modern, technology-driven the Congregation of Holy As the college has bolclassrooms, a world-class Cross in 1948, will celstered the sciences and is lecture hall and collaborative ebrate its 75th anniversary. now in the process of doing workspaces for students and This upcoming milestone likewise for business, it is faculty. presents an opportunity to critical to understand that About the Leo J. Meehan reflect on the school’s chala Stonehill education rests School of Business lenges and successes, and on a liberal arts foundation, Encompassing acto ensure that it enters the which is why the college is counting, finance, internanext quarter century ready currently building a deditional business, economics, to thrive in a constantly cated $18 million academic healthcare administration, shifting higher-education and welcome center. management, and marketmarketplace. The reorga“We believe that all ing, the Meehan School of nization accomplishes that goal, ensuring that Stonehill students, including those in Business will bolster Stonethe sciences and business hill’s already robust business will adapt successfully in the decades to come. Given benefit from a firm ground- programs through courses that keep students ahead of the trends in demographics, ing in the liberal arts,” said Father Denning. “Literature, a rapidly changing economy technology, higher educaphilosophy, religious studies, with an expansive portfolio tion itself, and in the gloethics, history, the arts, and of internships, externships, balization of the economy, the social sciences are and study-abroad opportunities, Stonehill recognizes that will remain vital and vibrant and new, additional opchange is imperative for at the college. We must portunities for experiential continued progress. This is not the first major adapt and evolve if we are to learning and scholarship. continue educating capable This investment in the investment in 21st century and talented graduates who college wouldn’t be postechnology and facilities. contribute positively to their sible without the support In 2004, the college saw a growing need to strengthen communities. Our two new Turn to page 24 portfolio of innovative programming,” said Stonehill President Father John
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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I
For and About Our Church Youth We cannot help but be joyful!
had the privilege of being part of the delegation from the Diocese of Fall River that participated in the Convocation of Catholic Leaders last July in Orlando, Fla. The overall purpose of the convocation was to help dioceses from around the country to meet Pope Francis’ challenge to that we be a Church of “missionary disciples.” Missionary disciple may be a new term, but the concept is as old as the Church. It refers to Christians living out their Baptismal call. The Second Vatican Coun-
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cil taught that the “Church tion. But we continue to by nature is missionary” live what we celebrate (Ad gentes, No. 2). This throughout the rest of our call to missionary disciple- week. What we celebrate ship isn’t a narrow call to is Christ’s victory on the those sent to the far reaches of the world as missionaries. Rather, it is the broadest possible description of the By Father Christian life. David C. Frederici Yes, we take time in individual prayer and Faith Formation, but we also cross, our adoption by God gather as a family of Faith as His beloved children for Mass and other Sacand the gift of Salvation raments and moments offered to us. It allows us of prayer and socializato live in joy, even in our times of trial, because we know that if we are faithful to God, there is nothing in the world that can separate us from Him (Rom 8:35). Joy is our most effective tool in the evangelization of the world. Evangelization is a word that makes most Catholics squirm. We think of the fundamentalists angrily screaming Scripture verses at people, threatening them with damnation. We think of the televangelists who seem to preach a gospel of wealth and not love. However, there is nothing more Catholic than the
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
Be Not Afraid
true meaning of evangelization. Evangelization comes from the Greek word, euangelion, meaning good news. Evangelization (in the Catholic sense) is sharing Good News, the Good News of God’s love and desire for us, the Good News that with this love comes great mercy and forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. This Good News is shared by living joyfully. St. Paul teaches that we evangelize the Gospel most effectively when we “put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Col 3:12). Pope Francis in his Letter “The Joy of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium) stresses that “an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come from a funeral” (EG No. 10). Many link being a faithful Christian to being serious 24/7 and deplete of joy. There is nothing further from the truth! When we remember what Christ has done for us and what He offers us, we cannot
help but be joyful! To help one another to live such joy, let us work together to make sure that our gathering at the table of the Lord is one of joy. My challenge to each of us is this: when we arrive for Mass or when others sit near us, let us acknowledge them with a smile. Let us make use of the invitation at the beginning of Mass to verbally greet those sitting near us. Believe it or not, such a simple act (smiling to others and greeting others) is the greatest preparation for what we are about to do: celebrate the Eucharist with our family of faith. Let us then bring that spirit of joy with us to school and work, to our homes and neighborhoods. When others observe us living joyfully, it will attract their attention and provide the opportunity for us to invite them to see where our joy comes from. Anchor columnist Father Frederici is pastor of St. George’s Parish in Westport and diocesan director of Campus Ministry and Chaplain at UMass Dartmouth and Bristol Community College.
Getting to know our diocesan Catholic schools This continues a series of articles about the Catholic schools that make up the Diocese of Fall River. This edition focuses on schools in the New Bedford Deanery. Future editions will cover the Fall River, Taunton and Attleboro deaneries.
Bishop Stang High School year off to great start
By Zoelle Morrissey, Class of 2020 Well, it is with a bittersweet heart I say that the school year has begun. Summer fun (and hopefully summer heat) is gone and now it’s back to tight schedules, waking up at six o’clock, and homework. Although I love summer as much as anyone, I must say that I am happy for the regularity that comes with school, and sophomore year at Bishop Stang High School also seems very promising, academically and beyond. Every year at Stang is challenging and engaging, and this year, so far, is no exception. I personally have had two tests, with more coming every week! However, these tests were not only taken confidently thanks to the diligent review that my teachers’ provided, but also, the topics were all subjects I’ve enjoyed learning about. For example, in English, we just started reading “The Great Gatsby” and have dived into 1920s life. In history, we are learning about the culture of the first British colo-
nies in America. And in Latin, we just finished learning about the life and death of Julius Caesar, and are starting to translate his writings.
All Saints Catholic School is an academically-focused, Spirituallyalive community of saints-in-training, living out the ASCS motto as expressed in our school prayer: “We live each day at All Saints Catholic School under the mantle of Mary, Our Mother, with the guidance of St. Joseph, and the example of St. Therese. We pray that the witness of Our Lady and the saints will show us how to live our faith in action, that we may become more like Jesus. “Through the intercession of the Communion of the Saints may we strive to be saints!” ASCS students are challenged to be “Saints in Training,” faithful to God’s call to be students, family members and community members. Our Early Childhood Program includes separate classes for three and four year olds and kindergar-
ten, with a second four-year-old class added this year. Our youngest students explore learning and faith through play, music and exploration in small classes. Grades one through four are encouraged to de-
This means that students earn a lot of college credit while enrolled at Stang. There are also numerous ways for students to participate in the performing arts, like the fall play and spring musical, a cappella, instrumental ensemble, and Open Mic Night. Keeping ourselves focused in the classroom while participating in a large variety of co-curricular activities is the goal of every Stang student I know. We have big shoes to fill when we look at most graduates: the Class of 2017 earned more than $23 million in college scholarships and grants to an impressive list of schools. The college application process is well underway for seniors. My older brother, Zan, for examBishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth recently welcomed the ple, an accomplished musician from Class of 2021 and all new transfer students at an Orientation Night. Peer the Class of 2018, is applying for a Mentors, specially-trained current Bishop Stang students, were on hand to scholarship to the Berklee College of support the transition for students and parents. Music in Boston. My personal goal is to study journalism and politiAs you can see, these are some very cal science at Brown University in new this year. More than 92 percent compelling topics, and our teachers Providence. of Stang AP students have earned seamlessly integrate technology into college mastery scores or higher on Stang is also developing an educathe learning process. Turn to page 19 their exams in the past three years! This is consistent for the rest of the students, I’m sure, as Stang now offers 13 Advanced Placement courses, including AP art which is
We are one — We are All Saints
velop as independent and cooperative learners, while middle school students in grades five through eight grow in depth of knowledge and responsibility as they embrace a challenging curriculum supported
by technology. In addition to academics, students enjoy weekly physical education classes, with a music and movement class tailored specifically for early childhood students. There are also weekly art, Spanish, and music classes. Our music program includes percussion, musical teamwork playing hand bells, the recorder, and vocal music. In addition to the ASCS Choir, private string or piano lessons are available on site, taught by professional musicians. School days begin with prayer and a morning meeting, focused on Spiritual, social and emotional growth, developing interpersonal skills and supporting academic success. Throughout the day faculty assists students to strive for academic Ambassadors of All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford extend open arms excellence. The day ends with many to welcome students, staff, family and friends to their warm environment. Turn to page 19 The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Getting to know our diocesan Catholic schools St. Joseph School: Faith, values, excellence
munion, lector and leads the administrative assisWhen we think of a the Art and Environment tant in the parish office director of Advancement, Ministry. She is also we often think active in the Adoraof someone tion, Community, whose sole job Theology, and Service it is to build Program and has the school’s recently served as a funding base. member of the retreat But at St. Joteam. It was there her seph School in now principal became Fairhaven, we her “retreat sister” and have a family got to see her heart member who and character. sees more than So when former just fund raispastor Father Robert ing. Charlton, and prinTracy Travcipal, Faith Piazza ers, the newlylooked to create the appointed new position, they director of naturally thought of AdvanceTracy and her backment, has been Tracy Travers, director of Advancement at St. ground with the parinvolved with Joseph School in Fairhaven. ish and school. St. Joseph Par“My children both ish since she attended St. Joe’s so my heart married there 31 years ago. for the last three years. In has always been here. ServAn active parishioner since addition, she is a special Minister of Holy Comthen, Tracy has served as Turn to page 19
Holy Family-Holy Name: Discovery, experiments, and research Dreaming is something that is important in the life of the students, teachers, administrators, families and the entire community at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford. It has been a dream for a few years to develop, enhance and design a new science lab for the students. Albert Einstein once said,
“We cannot get to where we dream of being tomorrow unless we change our thinking today.” These words of the master mind of a great human being who knew what it was to dream, describes the reality of a few people at HFHN who wanted to improve the academic lessons in science for the students.
Marianne McGlynn, science teacher at HFHN, is an incredible, resourceful teacher, who has created thought-provoking, innovative lesson plans, with sometimes few resources. She knows what it is to get into the minds of her students, and give them the best of the best, so they can learn the most out of each lesson. McGlynn shared that this new science lab is a dream she has had for a while. When McGlynn was asked what her dream is for this lab she commented, “in order to bring to life the most significant topics in science, it is best to have the newest equipment, so the students will be able to calculate and review the Turn to page 20
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The Anchor - September 22, 2017
St. Francis Xavier School: Celebrating what is good, true, and beautiful
St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet has so much to be grateful for as we open our doors for the 252preschoolthree through grade eight students and their families who will be joining us for the 2017-2018 school year. We look forward to the adventures of a new aca-
demic year together! This summer our new parish administrator, Father Riley W illiams, jumped right into the fold with our families. Father Williams made it a priority to have a strong daily presence at the school for our students, and will also Turn to page 20
St. James-St. John: To learn, to grow, to lead Welcome to St. JamesSt. John School. We are a preschool through eighth grade elementary school with a current student population of 230. Our hopes for this school are of educating in the Spirit of Christ through the expectations of excellence as a Catholic school governed by the pastors with the
help of the principal and overseen by our parents. In early 2012 we were accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. SJSJ’s existence and purpose is to communicate the teaching of God’s message, to encourage daily prayer, and to develop the Turn to page 23
All Saints Catholic School, New Bedford continued from page 17
opportunities for activities, such as explorers, choir, performing arts, art, sports, track, Chinese language and STEM Lego Program. Afterschool assistance and homework time is also provided. Extended care is available before school beginning at 6:30 a.m. and after school until 5:30 p.m., with a gated playground for younger students and new hopscotch and foursquare courts. Lives of the saints are explored at our school midday prayer gatherings and made present with a patron saint for each class. The living witness of the saints is evident in the life of the school. Community outreach projects are supported by students and families throughout the year, often as student initiatives of the ASCS National Junior Honor Society and Student Council. ASCS supports “Diapers and Things” year round, donating items needed by young families. Older students model positive witness to younger students and team with them for some activities, sharing the joy of Catholic life. Our Student Ambassadors and Parent Ambassadors share enthusiasm, school pride and experiential knowledge at school events and with prospective new families. We begin each year gathering families and staff at our meet and greet. Hallowed Halls brings family costumed fun with indoor trick-or-treating. On All Saints Day, we celebrate with the Communion of the Saints at Mass and enjoy a day of saint activities. At Christmas we share our joy in pageant and the music of the season. Catholic Schools Week includes an open house spotlighting
student work and the science fair, where our students have gone on to compete at state and national levels. Our annual talent show showcases many, often hidden, talents of our students. Each April ASCS parents and friends enjoy an evening out with dinner at our “Funny4Fund$” comedy night. The spring musical and spring arts festival open house showcase student talents, while our Track Club competes annually in the Greater New Bedford Catholic Schools Track Meet. All of this leads up to our end of year celebrations and grade eight graduation, gathering families to celebrate the many accomplishments of their students. All Saints Catholic School was formed in 2010 and is located in the north end of New Bedford. St. Mary’s pastor and school director, Father Daniel Lacroix, together with principal, Susan Massoud, and a dedicated school staff, continue to build upon the dynamic parish and school relationship begun by founding pastor, Msgr. John Oliveira. We Are One — We Are All Saints! We strive every day to be sure that everyone who comes to our school –— whether as a student, a staff member, a parent/guardian, or a visitor — feels they are part of something special. Together we accomplish our mission to provide quality Catholic education in a safe environment where Jesus Christ is the Model for the Spiritual, academic, and personal growth of each unique student. Together we one in Christ, and because of His love, we have the opportunity to become saints in our families, among our friends and in the community.
Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth continued from page 17
tion program for students with learning differences. Further helping to create a better learning environment, is the renovation of the biology and chemistry labs, which will allow students to enjoy the beautiful new spaces for years to come! In addition, the athletics at Stang seem to be off to an auspicious start, especially with new athletic director and varsity football coach, Dennis Golden. Stang has more than 26 varsity programs that spread over three seasons. Later this school year the school will launch a fund-raising effort to renovate the school’s athletic fields and locker rooms. Stang’s Athletics Hall of Fame inauguration takes place on October 21 at White’s of Westport, hon-
oring teams, coaches, and individual athletes, including the 1964 football team, the 1983 field hockey team, and the beloved coaches, the late John O’Brien and Theresa Dougall. Finally, Stang’s theme for this year is, “Care for God’s Creation,” inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, an encyclical calling the Church and the rest of the world to acknowledge the seriousness of our commitment to respect for the environment. Bishop Stang is “participating in activities and projects to demonstrate our responsibility for one another and all of God’s Creation,” said president/principal Peter Shaughnessy. There have been several advances in the building to further this theme, such as upgraded
heating systems that use less energy and make the school more comfortable for students and faculty, as well as LED lighting throughout all of Stang. Teachers are also making a difference in class by using less paper. Every day, teachers remind me and my classmates to recycle and turn in assignments electronically versus on paper. It’s truly impressive to see the whole school helping take care of the Earth wherever they can. So, of course no one likes to wake up early when you feel like you could actually sleep for days on end. But it certainly helps when you know that your day is going to be full of challenging classes, competitive sports, and Earth-saving Catholics at Bishop Stang!
St. Joseph School, Fairhaven continued from page 18
ing on the PTO and accreditation committee was a great experience and helped prepare me for my new role.” In addition to fund raising, Travers’ primary functions include marketing, publicity and increasing enrollment. She plans to continue the fund-raising events that have become traditional at St. Joseph’s, but will evaluate their effectiveness. “Together with the PTO and parent volunteers, I know we can meet and exceed our financial goals.” In order to increase the school’s visibility, the school now has a new, modernized logo in an updated foyer that will welcome all students and parents. In addition, our new pastor, Father Stephen Banjare, will work with the office of Advancement in order to unite the two entities. “We are a parish
school and therefore the parish and school should work together to support our young people’s education,” he said. A few of the projects planned include a new user-friendly website and app, and family nights where the parents join their children in various activities to create a sense of community. The director of Advancement is primarily a person who should be involved in creating relationships with those who give their time, talent and treasure to the school for the benefit of its students. When our director of Advancement is actively building relationships in the community, she is also building love and family. Who better to accomplish this, than a member of our St. Joseph Parish and School family for the job?
St. Joseph School is a Catholic learning community devoted to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and dedicated to providing a quality Spiritual and academic education based on faith, values, and excellence that meets the needs of our students and their families. The school offers a two-, three- or five-full-day pre-school program, a full week — full day pre-kindergarten, and a full day kindergarten program with a strong reading, math and social emotional curriculum. In addition St. Joseph has a hot breakfast and lunch managed by Chartwells, before and after school care, art, music, technology, Spanish, and physical education. The school is proud of its small class sizes and safe and caring environment.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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St. Francis Xavier School, Acushnet continued from page 18
teach Latin to our seventh- and eighth-graders beginning this fall. He was welcomed with open arms by the preschool through grade six students who were a part of our “Summer Fun at S t. Francis Program”which was in its fourth year this past July, offering students three weeks of an affordable, academic, active, and faith-filled opportunity to build memories with school friends. There were many adventures as a part of the program this summer, including a visit from the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance that brought a life-sized inflatable replica of a humpback whale for students to explore as a part of hands-on learning which tied so well to the story of Jonah in the Holy Bible. We were busily preparing our facility all summer for the arrival for our families
with some building improvements and classroom renovations. Most notably, our computer lab transformation into a STEM learning lab is now officially completed and our students will be able to take full advantage of this school improvement this fall. It is through the generosity of our 2017 Call of the Heart Donors that a new floor, all new furniture, 15 Chromebooks and a Sharp Aquos Board 70-inch monitor have all been successfully installed. Students will utilize the new space to its fullest potential to collaborate, experiment and investigate concepts in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Our middle school students were the hands and feet of Christ this summer as they completed their summer service requirementsthroughout the
community. Local churches, food pantries, nursing homes, non-profit organizations, and emergency personnel service members benefitted directly from these acts of service. We are so very proud of all our middle school students and their creative example of what it really means to embrace the call to be the light of Christ to all we meet, but most especially those in great need! We see the gift of a solid Catholic education at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet, and the lasting ways that the students and alumni of our school contribute to the strength and development of the local community. We want our current students to feel the hope of that broader community of support who once walked these halls and believe in our mission. That is why this year, with the help of our
School Planning Board members, we are also launching our Vision 2022 campaign in preparation for the school’s 100th anniversary. It is an opportunity to engage our alumni and community supporters to contribute to capital needs through their time, talent, and treasure. Together we will build upon the strong foundation St. Francis Xavier School has provided for so many generations. With our Catholic faith as our anchor, we are inviting all our families as a part of this year’s school theme to walk side-by-side with Pope St. John Paul II. He will be inspiring us each month through his words and actions to come closer to Christ and find joy in learning and living out our faith more fully. We kick-off the school year with his inspiring words: “Lifewith Christ
is a wonderful adventure!” The adventure of the 2017-2018 school year will include monthly quotes, songs, service opportunities, Liturgical year celebrations, and family Faith Formation opportunities that are sure to enrich the lives of our students, parents, and faculty. With grateful hearts we open our doors to celebrate our community of support and all these accomplishments on November 5 following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. We are inviting our current families, all parishioners, and Call of the Heart donors to join us, meet our students, tour the facility to see the fruits of their generosity, and share in our gratitude for St. Francis Xavier School and its mission to learn about Jesus Christ, His Holy Catholic Church, and all that is good, true, and beautiful!
functionality of the school, in generating many profound donations, in carrying within her heart the Spiritual and academic well-being of all students. Her witness to Catholic education is outstanding, as she each and every day dedicates her life to making sure all families who want to provide their children with a Catholic education are given this opportunity. Felix stated when asked about her role in the school shared, “My love and concern for all the students, teachers, staff and families lives deep within my heart. The school is my second home, it is important to make sure that we constantly find ways to improve the academic life, so we can always strive to
live the academic standards needed for the students to succeed. I am most grateful to the parents and donors who are committed to raise funds for the science lab.” The science lab would not be complete if it was not named after someone who was an extraordinary fan and outspoken advocate for Catholic education. After careful reflection, the decision was made to name the lab the Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington Science Lab. Msgr. Harrington, throughout his life, supported Catholic education, and especially cared for the students at HFHN, as it was in his childhood neighborhood. Thanks to so many, HFHN will make the changes needed today, for a better tomorrow.
Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford continued from page 18
most precise data in experiments and record their outcomes.” The group of parents who have been hard at work to raise funds for the school are excited to be part of this new development in the school. In May they organized the Spring Fling fund-raiser and this coming November, they will offer another fund-raiser to support the work of the science lab. Plans and images of the proposed science lab were created and donated by Patrick Grime, a local designer and HFHN alumni, who, through architectural representation, has expressed his support of the school’s forward thinking science program. He stated, “I had zero reservations 20
when I was approached about helping bring the science lab to life. If I can help realize the dreams of the very school that helped make my dreams a reality, then that’s what I intend to do. “The faculty and the students deserve to be surrounded by the tools and recourses they need to succeed well into the 21st century.” HFHN is an innercity school that has in the forefront the best interest of its students, by means of nurturing their faith, living the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want them to treat you and constantly striving to obtain a standard of being a school of excellence. The school received its 10-year reac-
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
creditation last October. When McGlynn was asked to compile a wish list for her science room she never thought that it would develop into a science lab. Before the beginning of this school year she was surprised to hear from HFHN principal, Cecilia Felix, that a science sink was being delivered to the school. Felix heard from a person who desired to give a donation to the school, and asked if there was something that the school could use. It didn’t take too long for McGlynn and Felix to agree on this generous gift. When one thinks of HFHN, it is impossible over these last 27 years not to think of Felix. She is so instrumental in the
‘That Man is You!’ inspires Upper Cape men to authentic Catholic masculinity
EAST SANDWICH — For the second year in a row, men from Upper Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts will gather this fall for “That Man is You,” a nationallyacclaimed program that encourages and inspires authentic Catholic masculinity in the modern world. TMIY combines scientific research with the teachings of the Catholic Church to develop the vision of a man fully alive and able to better address the pressures and temptations that men face in today’s culture. “We enacted the TMIY program last year to promote the opportunity for men to gather together to support one another and to be enriched in their Godgiven mission as leaders in their families, workplaces and communities,” said Father George Harrison, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich where the TMIY weekly meetings are held. Last year, more than 80 men committed to the program. Based on their positive experience, they were eager to continue TMIY for another year. Each week, TMIY offers breakfast and a brief video on a relevant and timely topic such as managing money, honesty in the workplace or raising children, followed by small group discussion. Discussions end promptly at 7:30 a.m. to allow time for the men to get to work or other obligations. “The TMIY program is fantastic! It draws from Scripture and current statistics and helps to put into perspective everything that is going on in the world around us,” said TMIY organizer and Sandwich resident, Tom Falkowski.
“I especially appreciate the camaraderie and the opportunity to talk with other like-minded men who recognize the importance of acting as men to try to make a difference in society.” “It’s really great to see guys from all walks of life — carpenters, construction workers, lawyers and everything in between — all with the common goal of trying to be a better
man,” said Plymouth resident John Pinzino. “TMIY changes the way you look at people, your Marriage, your work and life. I really missed the weekly meetings over the summer and I am ready to get started again this fall.” The program is for Catholic men looking for a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction and help dealing with the many
pressures and struggles of daily life. The fall session of TMIY begins today at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich. There is still time to register and experience the benefits of this remarkable program which runs through the fall.
Breakfast begins at 5:45 a.m. and the program runs from 6:15-7:30 a.m. Any man over age 21 is invited to participate in this dynamic, and life-changing program. Register at TMIY.org or call for more information at 774-3130681.
In Your Prayers Please Please pray pray for for these these priests priests during during the the coming coming weeks 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
Men take part in a “That Man Is You!” session at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich. The new fall session begins today and there is still plenty of time to register.
Sept. 25 Rev. Robert J. Woodley, S.J. Missionary, Taunton, New Bedford, Fall River, 1857 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, 2008 Rev. Clement E. Dufour, 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., 2012 Sept. 30 Rev. John J. Griffin, Pastor, St. Paul, Taunton, 1963 Rev. George Taraska, OFM Conv., Parochial Vicar, Holy Rosary, Taunton, 1993 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 Msgr. 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 Oct. 6 Rev. Stephen B. Magill, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1916 Rev. Roland Brodeur, Uniondale, N.Y., 1987
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Around the Diocese St. John Neumann Parish, 157 Middleboro Road in East Freetown, will host a “Joy of the Gospel” Taizé Service on Sunday, September 24 beginning at 7 p.m. All are welcome. St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road in North Dartmouth, will host its annual Septemberfest on Sunday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature a variety of activities including the Toe Jam Puppet Band and Vinny the Bubble Guy. Be sure to come hungry, as there will be food from Oxford Creamery, Del’s Lemonade, and more. Christ the King Parish in Mashpee will host a parish mission entitled “Being the Good News in a World of Bad News,” presented by Deacon Greg Kandra on Monday, September 25 through Wednesday, September 27. Morning sessions will include Mass and instruction from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and evening sessions will be from 7 to 8 p.m., with social to follow in the parish hall. At a time when everything is relative, and “alternative news” and “fake news” dominate the national discussion, the mission will focus on how Catholics can live out the Gospel message and bear witness to the Good News. Beginning September 26, the Fall River Area Bereavement Group will meet every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. and for seven weeks at the Catholic Education Center, 423 Highland Avenue in Fall River. For more information, contact Rose Mary Saraiva at the Office of Faith Formation at 508-678-2828, extension 27, or email rsaraiva@ dfrcs.org or rosemarysaraiva@gmail.com. The Fall River Area Men’s First Friday Club will meet on Friday, October 6 at St. Joseph Church on North Main Street in Fall River. The celebration of Mass begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. The Mass celebrant will be Father Jay Mello. Following Mass, members will gather in the church hall for a hot meal prepared by White’s of Westport. Following the meal there will be a guest presentation by Deacon Paul Levesque on Our Lady of Fatima. New members are always welcome. For more information call Norm Valiquette at 508-672-8174. Annunciation of the Lord Parish, 31 First Street in Taunton, will be celebrating the centennial of Our Lady of Fatima on Friday and Saturday, October 6-7. On Friday, there will be Mass at 8 a.m. followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. At 7 p.m. there will be a Holy Hour and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. On Saturday, the feast of the Holy Rosary, Masses will be at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. in English. The feast Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. in Portuguese. Father James Ferry, retired pastor of Espirito Santo Parish in Fall River will be the celebrant. Deacon José H. Medina of St. Anthony’s Parish in Taunton will be the homilist. Following the Mass, there will be a candlelight procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. All are invited welcome. A Day of Recollection, “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength,” will be held on Saturday, October 7, at the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, 3012 Elm Street in Dighton, beginning with registration at 9:30 a.m. and coffee. The conference begins at 10 a.m. and will include reflections on joy, Eucharistic Adoration and conclude with Mass at 4 p.m. To register, call Donna Costa, M.A., at 774-644-5878 or email streetsofgold531@p. Early registration is encouraged due to limited seating. The event is free and lunch is included. 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 22, 2017
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 — Beginning September 14, 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 in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17. ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly time of Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street. Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday. East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower). EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m. FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow. FALL RIVER — 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. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday. FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel. FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory. 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. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass. NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration 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. 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.
St. James-St. John School, New Bedford
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order consecrated to Our God by loving and serving Lady of Mount Carmel. Simacademic and Spiritual ilarly, every Catholic is called their neighbors. growth of each child. We by Our Blessed Mother to As a faculty, it is our strive to provide a school wear her Brown Scapular, climate which is cognizant Spiritual mission to guide a Sacramental which many of the needs of children to our students to want to know and love God deeply. popes and saints have worn be successful. as a sign of their special We want them to be witWe set forth the chaldevotion and consecration nesses to our faith by willlenge to develop in each to Mary. It is a way we can child an awareness of God, ingly living by the Gosconsecrate ourselves setting pel. In this way, they will an identity of self-worth, venture into society armed us apart for God’s Sacred and the concern for the with compassion, hope for purposes. needs of others. We, as a Every Catholic should be the future, and respect for family, strive to teach as consecrated to Mary and live the unique dignity of every Jesus did — with love and as her true children. Our Lady compassion for one anoth- individual. of Fatima, on Oct. 13, 1917, The mission of SJSJ is er. The SJSJ family strives held the Brown Scapular in to live as a Christian com- to provide a safe, Catholic her hand, making the three educational environment munity. This involves the child seers, Lucy, Jacinta and rooted in Gospel values. growth and development Our students achieve their Francisco, understand that of each person concerned: full potential academically she wants all of us to wear the faculty, the student, the Scapular. In a 1936 letter, and Spiritually through and his/her family. shared learning experiences written at Pontevedra, Sister This growth and develLucia quotes Our Lord as in social justice, morality, opment, while rooted in saying that He wants devoand faith. St. James-St. our duty to Jesus and our tion to His mother’s ImmacuCatholic faith, is dedicated John School promotes late Heart alongside devotion to enabling our students to mutual respect, positive self-esteem, and individual to His Own Sacred Heart. become adept scholars of So consecration to Mary, as responsibility. language arts, mathemata means of giving her greater We look upon the future ics, and science. SJSJ, filled honor and love, is God’s will of SJSJ with great pride. with God’s unconditional for us, and in no way detracts We are very proud of our love, educates young perfrom His Own glory. dedicated teachers, parsons to take responsibility On Pentecost, the Spiritual ents, parishes, pastors and for their lives. Students descendants of Elijah and his students who make SJSJ a learn to contribute their followers came down from wonderful Catholic school. creative skills and critical Mount Carmel. These were As I begin my 11th year as thinking to the lifelong the first to accept the message process of personal growth principal, I pray each day to develop a loving, caring for all our teachers, students, of Christianity and were Bapand families. I am excited to tized by the Apostles. When, community. at last, they were presented serve in this parish school. SJSJ enrolls students to Our Lady, and heard the from diverse ethnic and so- This summer we have been sweet words from her lips, they very busy cleaning, paintcioeconomic backgrounds were overcome with a sense ing and preparing the — a rich cultural mix classrooms for change. I am of majesty and Sanctity which to generate strong selfthey never forgot. Accompapleased to announce that esteem, broaden relational this summer we replaced the nied by a multitude of angels, skills, instill a spirit of the Blessed Virgin appeared tiles in our middle school justice, and nurture comto St. Simon Stock, one of the passion for others in need. classrooms and purchased new computers for all of our hermits, holding in her hands The school nurtures these the Scapular of the Order, and teachers. This was possible qualities in the students said: “This shall be to you and with the assistance from through a strong network to all Carmelites a privilege of peers, teachers, adminis- both of our parishes: Our trators, parents, family, and Lady of Mount Carmel and that anyone who dies clothed in this [Scapular] shall not sufcommunity members. SJSJ Our Lady of Guadalupe at fer eternal fire.”The Scapular St. James. encourages and stimulates represents Our Lady’s protecWe invite you to learn students to become people tion and her care for us. She more about our school strong of body, keen of promised to St. Simon Stock: community at www. mind, and pure of heart “It shall be a sign of Salvation, sjsjschool.com. seeking to love and serve continued from page 18
a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” What a great privilege to be clothed in the mantel or the Brown Scapular of our Blessed Mother! What a great promise! Can you afford to neglect such an easy means to your Salvation? Our Lord instructed those who asked for healing to do very simple things, like washing in the water and showing themselves to the priest. When they did so, they were cleansed of their leprosy but only one returned in gratitude. In a similar fashion, Our Lord sends His mother in our times to warn us and to tell us to pray the Holy Rosary and wear the Brown Scapular, very simple things which anyone can do. Let us turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dwelling under the mantel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and follow Our Lord along the way of the cross
until we are safely greeted by our Immaculate Mother into Paradise — the goal of our pilgrim journey. By so doing we will be fulfilling the command of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29). How easy it is to be yoked to Jesus under the Brown Scapular of Mary so as to allow our Celestial parents to bring us to Heaven to live in an eternal bond of love with the Blessed Trinity and the Communion of Saints in the Church Triumphant. Let us remember that for those who follow Our Lady of Fatima’s peace plan from Heaven and make her Immaculate Heart their refuge, Our Lady promised, “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” Let us hasten to make Our Lady’s promise a reality for us and the whole world! Ave Maria!
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
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Marian presentation to close centennial continued from page four
The three homeschooled sisters that comprise The Cloutier Trio — Maude, 14; Mara, 12; and Marianne, nine — will add a touch of classical culture to the evening with a performance of inspired chamber music pieces from the masters. All those who attend “The Promise and Our Part in the Plan” will have the opportunity to earn the Fatima plenary indulgence as approved by Pope Francis,
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while fulfilling First Saturday devotions with Rosary, Eucharistic Benediction and Confessions. Tickets are now available for the day session, including lunch ($49); evening program, including dinner ($59); and discounted fullday tickets for just $89 and can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets. com/event/3052076. For more event details, visit www.livingfatima.com/ october7.
The Anchor - September 22, 2017
Stonehill College announces major changes continued from page 15
of Stonehill alumnus and trustee Leo Meehan, the president and CEO of the W.B. Mason Company, for whom the building and school will be named. On June 2, 2017, Meehan and his W.B. Mason partners, John Greene and Steven Greene, made a $10 million commitment towards the construction of the school. “This new academic structure is a critical step that will enhance our already strong reputation in the market, allowing us to enroll the best and brightest students and hire and retain top-notch faculty,” said Father Denning, “Together, these new schools will build upon our success — ensuring that the college is continuing to prepare students to be innovative thinkers who lead with compassion, while caring for one another within our community and beyond.”
“We are also deeply grateful to Leo Meehan for his extraordinarily generous $10 million contribution to the college and our School of Business,” continued Father Denning. “Thanks also to the support of so many dedicated alumni and friends, we are able to invest in our campus and build state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance student learning. Dean of the Meehan School of Business, Debra Salvucci, said the new building and reinforced emphasis on the best in business education answers a growing interest from Stonehill students in pursuing careers in business, healthcare, and economics. “The Leo J. Meehan School of Business brings together programs with already robust foundations and proven records of success — I am excited to guide that transition and lead us
forward,” said Salvucci. “We are prepared to take advantage of our first-class facility, world-class technology and modern, adaptive classrooms to offer real-world training for our students.” Dean of the School of Arts and Science, Peter Ubertaccio, said that with all of the liberal arts and science programs now under one banner, the college is able to more comprehensively steward the development of students and ensure they graduate prepared to excel in the workforce and to contribute to their community. “With the School of Arts and Sciences, we are poised to recommit ourselves to academic and intellectual rigor, faculty development, and innovative pedagogies that challenge our students and prepare them to solve problems under real-world pressures,” said Ubertaccio. Stonehill is a selective Catholic college located near Boston on a beautiful 384-acre campus in Easton. With a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, the college engages 2,500 students in 80-plus rigorous academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and pre-professional fields. The Stonehill community helps students to develop the knowledge, skills, and character to meet their professional goals and to live lives of purpose and integrity.