Participants in last year’s Memorial Service for Aborted Children. This year’s event will be September 10 at St. Mary’s Cemetery in North Attleborough. The Knights of Columbus placed a headstone there to memorialized the Unborn. 8 Turn to page three
September 2, 2022 D iocese of f all R ive R , M ass . † f R i D ay , s epte M be R 2, 2022
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH
Memorial Service for Aborted Children at St. Mary’s Cemetery September 10
Each day in Catholic schools across the Diocese of Fall River, thousands of children receive a values, and faith-based education in high-quality envi ronments dedicated to helping them reach their Jane and Cassandra Robin were part of TEAM FACE that ran in the 50th annual Falmouth Road Race on August 21. The FACE runners raised more than $12,000 to provide need-based scholarships to dioce san schools.
— On Saturday, September 10, Pro-Life Amer icans throughout the country will gath er at memorial sites dedicated in their honor for the 10th annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children. Prayer services will be held at these sites to commemorate the more than 60 million children who have lost their lives to legal abortion since 1973, and to re mind society of the humanity of the unborn child. All are invited to attend this important memorial service in the community.Theservice will be September 10 from 9-10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Towne Street, North Attleborough. Throughout the month of September, Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Attleboro is holding an Abor tion Recovery Bible Study called, Surren dering the Secret, this September. In this redemptive community those suffering from a past abortion will have the oppor tunity to find healing, forgiveness and peace, and learn how to forgive themselves. For more information about the Sep tember 10 prayer day, contact Kathy Hill at Kathyfinnhill@yahoo.com.Tofindoutmoreaboutthe Bible Study, contact Director@ahprc.org or 508-455-0425 for details. All inquires are Theconfidential.websitefor National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children is nationaldayofremembrance.org
FALMOUTH — Con gratulations went out to the TEAM FACE run ners for completing the Falmouth Road Race and for participating in the Numbers for Non-Prof its. PersonedparticipatrunnersFACEships.scholarforthanraisedrunnersThemore$12,000FACETEAMhad10thatintheInraceon August 21 and the At-Home Edition which took place from AugustFACE7-14.provides needbased scholarships to chil dren across the diocese — Attleboro to Mansfield, Cape Cod to Acushnet, Team FACE runs 50th Falmouth Road Race New Bedford and Fall River to Taunton. The Foundation to Advance Catholic Educa tion will also benefit from a second collection at Sep tember 10 and 11 Masses across the diocese.The Car ney lection.secondthroughforinupwillFoundationCharitableFamilymatchto$50,000donationsFACEthiscol
On Monday, Septem ber 5, the Church will celebrate the 25th anni versary of the death and birth into eternal life of St. Teresa of Calcutta, foundress of the Missionaries of Charity, and without doubt one of the greatest and most compelling saints of modern times. A 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner for her care for the poor (since poverty often leads to class conflict that can erupt in violence), this petite Albanian became one of the world’s great rescuethetocourageouslypeacemakers,interveningbringacease-fireduring1982siegeofBeirutto37trappedchildren, as well as regularly visiting war zones and sites of natural or man-made disasters to bring what soldiers and diplomats seldom can: love. She also boldly identi fied before the UN General Assembly, President Clinton, graduating Harvard students and many other audiences what the greatest destroyer of peace in the world is: the intentional, often legal, fre quently industrial, killing of human beings in the womb through abortion.
In 1999, in an extensive Gallup poll, she was voted the most widely admired per son of the 20th century, far outdistancing Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein, St. John Paul II, Mahatma Ghan di, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill and scores of other famous leaders.
September 2, 2022
Saint
To a world afflicted by the separation of faith from life, to a Church plagued by a fissure between those who prioritize true worship and doctrine and those who give precedence to community and social justice, she pro phetically incarnated the intrinsic unity between love of God and love of neighbor. She was clear where that synthesis came from: living a truly Eucharistic life. Recog nizing, adoring, loving and receiving Jesus under the appearances of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist propelled her to recognize, love, welcome and care for Him under even the most distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor. In the Last Supper, Jesus not only gave us His Body and Body and told us to “do this in memory of Me,” but He also washed the feet of His apostles as an example so that just as He had done, they so should do. To live a Eucharistic life means to be transformed within by Jesus in such a way that we begin to offer our body, blood, sweat, tears, callouses, energy, time, all we have and are for those for whom Jesus died. As the Church in the United States enters more deeply into the Eucharistic Revival, the silver jubilee of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s transitus to eternity provides a great opportunity to focus on this connection between adoring and receiving the Eucharistic Lord and loving others as He has loved us. Mother Teresa’s whole life shows how the Eucharist is meant to make every believer a missionary of charity. “The Eucharist and the poor are inseparable,” she said. “This is not anything new for the Church, for we can clearly see it in the Gospels. The One who said, ‘This is My body’ is the same One who said, ‘I was hungry and you gave Me to eat’” (cf. Mt 26:26; 25:35). The same purity of heart that enabled her to see and adore Jesus in the Eucharist helped her to perceive Him in others. She compared the work of the Missionaries of Char ity to that of Our Lady, who after conceiving Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Annunciation went with haste to serve her elderly cousin Elizabeth, whom the Archangel Gabriel had told her was IButmyself.nothingandmidstIftheYour“OneSheasneededcircumstances,thearduousandincreasingvictimssoulslongings“TheseShedesirethanyoungmissionaryreligiousforshemunionsheinher,HimlikebecomesoHimselfsoJesusHolyForhastemust,spiritualTeresanion“Everypregnant.HolyCommufillsuswithJesus,”St.ofCalcuttasaidtoherdaughters,“andwewithOurLady,gointogiveHimtoothers.her,itwasonherfirstCommuniondaythatcameintoherlife,andforallofus,also.HemadetheBreadofLifethatwe,too,likeMary,fullofJesus.Wetoo,her,beinhastetogivetoothers.Wetoo,likeserveothers.”ShetoldherarchbishopCalcuttathatfromthetimemadeherfirstHolyComatfive-and-a-half,sensedwithinagreatlovesouls,onethatledhertolifeandtobecomeatobringJesustopeopleinIndia.Ratherabate,thatEucharisticforsoulsjustgrew.toldherspiritualsisters,desirestosatiatetheofOurLordforofthepoor—forpureofHislove—goonwitheveryMassHolyCommunion.”InordertocarryouttheworkofcaringforpoorestinoftenmiserablesheknewshetheEucharisticJesusher“onethingnecessary.”beggedthearchbishop,thingIrequestofyou,Grace,istogiveusallspiritualhelpweneed.wehaveourLordintheofus,withdailyMassHolyCommunion,IfearfortheSistersnorHewilllookafterus.withoutHimIcannotbe.amhelpless.”TheEucharistiswhat perpetually gave her and her fellow missionaries strength. “People ask,” she confessed, “Where do the Sisters get the joy and the energy to do what they are doing?” She replied, “The Eucharist.” At the 1976 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia, she elaborated on that source of power: “To be able to live this life, … we need our life to be woven with the Eucharist. That’s why we begin our day with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. With Him, we go entersciouslySisters,wrotesacrificemaketicauthenticvigorThatforward.”self-givingflowsfromEucharisspirituality.“Toourlivesatrueoflove,”shetoherfellow“wewillconandactivelyintothespiritof the Eucharistic sacrifice and offer ourselves with Christ to be broken and given to the poorest of the poor, … so that they may have life and may have it in abundance.” St. Teresa of Calcutta’s life, work and missionary travels were not just to try to provoke a revolution of chari ty in one person at a time, but to foster the genuine Eucha ristic revival that would lead to an overflow of love. She spoke often of the transformative power of the Mass, but, especially among faithful Catholics, she tried to get them to upgrade their Eu charistic spirituality through Eucharistic adoration. In a talk in Los Angeles, she encouraged Catholics in the United States to spend more time praying before Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, saying, “People ask me: ‘What will convert America and save the world?’ My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacra ment in holy hours of prayer.” She spoke of the bene fits: “Nowhere on earth are we more welcomed or loved than by Jesus in Eucharist. When you look at the cru cifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now. This is why we need Perpetual Eu charistic Adoration in every parish throughout the entire world.”She expanded: “Perpetual adoration is the most beauti ful thing you could ever think of doing. … Imagine for a moment that we are living in Jesus’ time and He has invited us to visit with Him and spend some quiet time getting to know Him better. Being aware who He was, we would be humbled and honored by such an invita tion. The good news is that Jesus is here with us today — body, blood, soul and divin ity — in the Holy Eucharist. Although Jesus comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine, His presence is as real to us now as He was flesh-and-blood-real to His disciples when He walked this earth. He can perform miracles, heal us, teach us, and love us. We can talk to Him and He can speak to us.” She summarized, “The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth.”Aswe mark her 25th anniversary, a short span of time during which we’ve already celebrated her beatifi cation and sanctification, we grasp that at the root of her holiness was her reception and adoration of Him who is holy, holy, holy. Through her intercession, we ask the God who sanctified her to fill us with similar Eucharistic amazement and piety, so that like her we might live a truly Eucharist life by which the burning love of God in us overflows into ardent love of neighbor. Father Landry is Interim Executive Editor. His email address is catholicpreaching.com.fatherlandry@ life of Teresa of Calcutta
The Eucharistic
Very Reverend John M. Schrader, V.F. — New Bedford Deanery
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointments: Deans Very Reverend Timothy P. Reis, V.F. — Attleboro Deanery
Effective: September 1, 2022
Deacon Christopher R. Paul, Deacon at the Catholic Community of Central Fall River (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, Good Shepherd Parish and Saint Stanislaus Parish) while remaining Director of Adult and Child Discipleship, Secretariat for the New Evangelization.
To find out more and how to give to the second collection watch the video at videos/734499469/3f6bac48c3vimeo.com/manage/
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the recommendation of the Very Reverend Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., Provincial Superior of the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, and has made the following appointment: Reverend James R. Mattaliano, S.J., Parochial Vicar of St. Pius Tenth Parish in South Yarmouth
† Diocese of fall RiveR † aofficialppointments God-given potential. If you would like to support TEAM FACE, you can do so through September 30 by visiting www.FACE-dfr.org.
September 2, 2022
Very Reverend Neil F. Wack, C.S.C., V.F. — Taunton Deanery
continued from page one
Reverend Monsignor Stephen J. Avila, V.F. — Cape Cod Deanery
Very Reverend Riley J. Williams, V.F. — Fall River Deanery
aofficialppointments
TEAM FACE runs in 50th Falmouth Road Race
Above, David Laird, Kara Russell and Jim Bouchard, part of TEAM FACE, prepare to run in the 50th annual Falmouth Road Race, helping to raise funds for needbased scholarships at schools in the Diocese of Fall River. At left, Sara Seals, also a TEAM FACE member, displays the medal she received for having run the race.
Effective: September 1, 2022 † Diocese of fall RiveR † aofficialppointments
Reverend Michael S. Racine, Associate Chaplain of St. Teresa of Calcutta School of New Bedford, while remaining Pastor of St. Law rence Martyr Parish and Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in New Bedford, Parochial Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Bedford, and Chaplain of the Fall River and New Bedford Fire Departments
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointments:
Effective: September 1, 2022 † Diocese of fall RiveR †
The priests added to the “Credibly Accused” list are Father John A. Gomes, a retired priest of the diocese, and Father Michael Kuhn who, while a priest incar dinated in the Diocese of Fall River, is a member of the Virginia-based Youth Apostles Institute. As such, he has ministered outside the Diocese of Fall River sinceThe2004.addition of their names to the list follows determinations of credibil ity in separate, unrelated allegations of violations of the diocese’s policies for the protection of minors made against each priest.
Pope Francis becomes first pope in more than 700 years to open the Holy Door in L’Aquila comes closest to the resur rection. Forgiveness is pass ing from death to life, from the experience of anguish and guilt to that of freedom and joy. May this church always be a place where we can be reconciled, and expe rience that grace that puts us back on our feet and gives us another chance,” he said. Pope Francis began the day trip at 7:50 a.m. traveling by helicopter from the Vat ican to L’Aquila. He visited the city’s cathedral, which is still being rebuilt after it was badly damaged during a 2009 earthquake in which more than 300 people died. The pope wore a hard hat while touring the recon struction area of the dam aged church. He spoke to family members of earth quake victims in the town square in front of the cathe dral, where local prisoners were also present in the crowd. People cheered and waved Vatican flags as Pope Francis greeted them from a wheelchair.PopeFrancis said: “First of all I thank you for your witness of faith: despite the pain and loss, which belong to our faith as pilgrims, you have fixed your gaze on Christ, crucified and risen, who with His love redeemed the nonsense of pain and death.”“And Jesus has placed you back in the arms of the Father, who does not let a tear fall in vain, not even one, but gathers them all in His merciful heart,” he added.After speaking to the families of the victims, Pope Francis traveled in the pope mobile to L’Aquila’s Basilica of Santa Maria di Collem aggio, where he celebrated an outdoor Mass, recited the Angelus, and opened the HolyInDoor.hisbrief Angelus message, the pope offered a prayer for the people of Pakistan, where recent flash floods have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced thousands more.
Pope Francis also asked for the intercession of the Virgin Mary to obtain “for giveness and peace for the whole world,” mentioning Ukraine and all other places suffering from war. During his visit to L’Aquila, the pope said that he wanted the central Italian city to become a “capital of forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.”“Thisishow peace is built through forgiveness received and given,” he said. L’Aquila is the burial place of Pope Celestine V, who led the Catholic Church for just five months before his resignation on Dec. 13, 1294. The pope, who was canonized in 1313, is buried in L’Aquila’s Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio. In his homily in L’Aquila, Pope Francis praised Pope Celestine V for his humility and Mentioningcourage.
Diocese announces updates to lists of accused clergy
Assignment histories for Fathers Gomes and Kuhn are provided with in the list of “Credibly Accused” clergy on the diocesan website (fallriv erdiocese.org) along with complete information on the diocesan response to the sexual abuse crisis. The diocese is also add ing at this time to its list of “Publicly Accused” priests the name of Father Adrian Donachie, OFM, who was a priest of the Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province. The diocese has been noti fied that Father Donachie, who died in 1979, is on the Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province list of friars with abuse,ularlydifficultlistincludedofhisDonachieallegations.substantiatedBecauseFatherservedsomeofministryintheDioceseFallRiver,hisnameisonthediocesanof“PubliclyAccused.”“Iknowthatthisisforallofus,particthevictimsofclergybutitismysincere
L’AQUILA, Italy (CNA) — Pope Francis became the first pope in 728 years to open the Holy Door of a 13th-century basilica in L’Aquila, Italy on August 28. During a visit to the Italian city located about 70 miles northeast of Rome, the pope participated in a cen turies-old tradition, the Ce lestinian Forgiveness, known in Italian as the Perdonanza Celestiniana The opening of the Holy Door marked a key moment in the annual celebration es tablished by Pope Celestine V in“For1294.centuries L’Aquila has kept alive the gift that Pope Celestine V left it. It is the privilege of reminding everyone that with mercy, and only with it, the life of every man and woman can be lived with joy,” Pope Fran cis said in his homily during Mass at L’Aquila’s Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio. “To be forgiven is to ex perience here and now what
September 2, 2022
FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River has recently announced the ad dition of the names of two priests to its list of “Credi bly Accused” clergy posted on the diocesan website and of one religious order priest to its list of “Publicly Accused” clergy.
Dante Alighieri’s description of Celestine as the man of “the great refusal,” Pope Francis underlined that Celestine should not be remembered as a man of “no” — for re signing the papacy — but as a man of “yes.” Pope Francis said: “Indeed, there is no other way to accomplish God’s will than by assuming the strength of the humble, there is no other way. Precisely be cause they are so, the humble appear weak and losers in the eyes of men, but in reali ty they are the true winners, for they are the only ones who trust completely in the Lord and know his will.” At the end of the Mass, the crowd prayed the Litany of Saints and watched as Pope Francis made history when he opened the basili ca’s Holy AccordingDoor.to Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of L’Aq uila, Pope Francis is the first pope to open the Holy Door in 728 years. 8 Turn to page nine
The case of Father Gomes involves an incident of alleged sexual abuse of a minor that took place decades ago. A recent re view of diocesan files from that period prompted the diocese to further investi gate the allegation and the diocese was able to obtain a positive identification. The case of Father Kuhn involves incidents of alleged verbal communications of an explicit sexual nature with minors. Father Kuhn denies these allegations. Before making any determination in these cases, the diocese followed its protocols including: suspending both priests from ministry; notifying civil authorities; conducting its own investigations; and bringing the cases to the Ministerial Review Board. The Ministerial Review Board serves as an inde pendent and consultative body to advise the bishop on alleged misconduct by clergy.After reviewing all of the facts and receiving the recommendations of the Ministerial Review Board in each case, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., deter mined that the allegations are credible and informed the priests that they would not be returning to minis try. The restrictions, which continue, include prohibi tion from exercising any public ministry including the celebration of public Mass or of other sacra ments. They also may not provide spiritual direction, wear clerical attire, or pres ent themselves as priests. The diocese has in formed leadership of the Youth Apostles Institute of the determination in Father Kuhn’s case to continue his restriction from priestly ministry. The diocese has also informed the dioces es where Father Kuhn has ministered, where he is likewise prohibited from exercising priestly ministry.
Love in a time of heartache
September 2, 2022
As He journeyed to the cross, he walked by the women who were visibly upset. He stopped, amidst His own pain and heartache, to comfort the women. He shows us that thatwithstillpain,ourmiddleevenarewhenevenwehurt,intheofownwearemadeheartsarecalled to love.
The Bible reminds us of this. In Proverbs we read, “A friend loves at all times.” (Prov 17:17). All is the important word in this pas sage. We are not just made to love in good times or in easy times, but in all times. I have come to under stand that loving someone, doing good for someone, helps to heal our own hearts. St. Paul reminds us that “Love bears all things, believes all things,hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7).
Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cran ston, R.I. She can be reached at atarantelli@bishopstang.org.
A s you read this, I will have just rescued a new dog. Our Jacoby, a 13-year-old basset, passed away about a month and a half ago. Even typing that makes my heart ache all over again. Our nine-year-old dog has been so de pressed since her brother passed away that we did not want to wait much longer to adopt again be cause we were worried about her heart.As I took out Jacoby’s leash to get it ready for Cosmo (our new dog-named after Cosmo the space dog from “Guardians of the Galaxy,” for all my fellow Mar vel fans!), I felt the pain in my heart renewed. It was a pain that reminded me that I did not feel ready to love again. Sometimes though, for the betterment of another, we are called to love even when it hurts. Christ reminds us of this.
Scripture never tells us that love is easy. It has to bear, hope,seeandbrokennessourbeyondwedoWhenandbelieveendure.weallthis,lookownstarttothereis healing in Authorhurt.H.C. Paye once wrote, “I’d rather love a million times and have my heart broken every time than hold a permanently empty heart forever.” Having love in our hearts also means carrying pain in our hearts. This is what makes love so worthLovingit.someone or something so much that the pain of their ab sence reminds us that we need to keep loving and filling our heart. Love in a time of heartache is just love. There will always be some thing that we miss, or long for, or hurt from, all because we first loved.
Insofar as there are many today not only following the descending paths LaBeouf trod prior to his conversion, but also many who admire his work and are dumbfounded by his con version, it’s good for the Church to know what drew him and might draw others.
As we give God thanks for LaBeouf’s conversion and pray for his continued growth in the virtues of Catholic life, we similarly pray that his conversion might bring many others to the Catholic faith as well as help everyone in the Church to recognize the enduring attraction of the faith and the practices that make that beauty shine.
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On August 25, Bishop Robert Barron released a video interview with actor Shia LaBeouf, in which LaBeouf not only announced his conversion to the Catholic faith but rivetingly de scribed the steps of what he calls his “salvific journey.” LaBeouf has appeared in 40 movies, four television films, 77 episodes for various shows, and three video games. Winner of multiple acting awards, the 36-year-old is most famous for his leading role as Sam Witwicky in the “ Transformers” series. But astride the fame, he has lived a troubled life. He appeared nude in 10 movies, with most featuring graphic sex scenes, an indication of his loss of shame and self-worth. He battled with alcohol addiction, plagiarized a script, was charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal trespass, public intoxication, obstruction, battery, and theft, and was accused by one girlfriend of physical abuse and by another of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. In the interview with Bishop Barron, LaBeouf confessed, “My life was on fire. I was walking out of hell. … I didn’t want to be an actor anymore and my life was a complete mess.
Published biweekly except for one week in autumn by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 , Tel. 508-675-7151 ; FAX 508-675-7048 ; email: davejolivet@anchornews.org
Fourth, he was moved by the fact that great converts preceded him. He spoke of the im pact of St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi, but mainly of Capuchin Brother Jim Townsend, a conman who murdered his pregnant wife and spent 20 years in prison, but converted and ended up spending 39 years as a Capuchin. He “gave me permission as a sinner,” LaBeouf said, and if after all Townsend had done, such a man could live by faith, there was hope for him, too.
September 2, 2022
PUBLISHER – Most ReveRend edgaR M. da Cunha, s.d.v., d.d. Vol. 66, No. 18www.anchornews.org
Over the course of several months, this intense study, LaBeouf said, “stops being prep for a movie and starts being something that feels beyond all of that.” He began to feel an overwhelm ing urge to “let go” and “surrender for real” to God, which he did with courage and zeal. He later expressed wonder at the way, when he was at rock bottom, his ego led him to jump at the possibility of a movie role focused on Padre Pio. “It was like somebody tricked me into it,” he said. Now he worships that Trickster.
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All of these lessons were integrated, ninth, in St. Pio, whom LaBeouf came to know as “one of the most respected, beloved saints who ever graced the earth.” To immerse oneself in his life in the midst of his fellow Capuchins, trying to imitate the way he celebrated Mass, prayed, sought and dispensed God’s mercy, dealt with suffering and rejection, prayed from dawn to dusk, manly challenged others to holiness, and lived his Capuchin vocation with immense faith, hope and charity, has been for LaBeouf a tremendous school that, likewise, “saved my life.”
It was at that point that director Abel Ferrara, who was participating with him in a virtual self-help group, asked him, in view of a movie he was preparing to film, whether he had ever heard of Padre Pio. He hadn’t — and because by his point he was “nuclear” and no one wanted to work with him, he thought Ferrara’s question was his “chance to get back on the hustle.” To prepare for the role, he needed to learn about the Catholic faith and about the Capuchin order to which St. Pio belonged. He drove to San Lorenzo Seminary in Santa Ynez, Calif., where he met and was befriended by the Capuchins. As an “immersive” actor who tries to submerge himself in the life of the characters he portrays, he also needed help learning how to say the traditional Latin Mass, which was the center of St. Pio’s life. That took him to Christ the King Church in Oakland. So that he would have a better systematic grasp of the Catholic faith, the Capuchins also arranged for him to be catechized by a religious Sister.
Fifth, he had to be taught how to pray. Prior, praying felt like “memorizing someone else’s words.” But when a Capuchin brother and Bishop Barron explained how to handle quiet and pass from silence to loving thoughts and loving deeds, everything began to click.
LaBeouf was, first, drawn by the way that the Catholic life is “full immersion.” It’s involves reason, will and feelings. As an actor, he ironically hates anything that feels like acting — his bar mitzvah at 13 felt, he said, like acting — and he refused to fake a Padre Pio accent. He sought integrity and, to his surprise, discovered it in Catholic life. Second, he hungered for a sense of connection and found it with the Capuchins. Their welcoming, down-to-earth, sincere fraternity — not to mention their laughter, ice cream and cats — drew him.
Sixth, he longed to meet a masculine Jesus. “My opinion of Christ at this point,” he said, “felt almost like I was reading about a Buddhist, a very soft, fragile, all loving, all listening [man] with no ferocity, no romance.” That impression was reinforced by the “art that I had seen,” which featured “very soft, more feminized” depictions of Jesus. Reading the Gospel, with the guidance of the strong paternal influence of a Capuchin, he came to understand the difference between weakness and meekness, and to grasp how meekness, like Jesus showed throughout his life, is a summit of strength.
I’d hurt a lot of people.” News had come out that “I’ve been abusive to women and have been shooting dogs and I’ve been willingly giving women STDs. It’s disgusting, it’s depraved, and my mother is embarrassed beyond all imagination.” It brought him to contemplate suicide. “I had a gun on the table. … I didn’t want to be alive anymore. … [There was] shame like I had never experienced before, the kind of shame where you forget how to breathe.”
Third, he was captivated by the Mass, especially the traditional Latin Mass, which he need ed to learn — and immerse himself in — for the movie. For him, pretending to celebrate it and attending it made him feel that “a secret” was being shared with him. It enveloped him with a sense of the reality of God and the sacred. His first experiences of the Mass in English were, he lamented, as if someone was “trying to sell me on an idea,” where the preaching was not fit for the dignity of what the Mass is, but rather was an invitation “to let your hair down right before you’re asking me to fully believe that we’re about to walk through the death of Christ.” When he discovered he had been clandestinely baptized by an uncle and the Capuchins allowed him to begin receiving Holy Communion, he said he could almost feel the physical effect and regener ation of entering into Christ’s death and resurrection.
EDITOR FatheR RiChaRd d. Wilson INTERIM EXECUTIVE EDITOR FatheR RogeR J. landRy - fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.orgADVERTISING Wayne R. PoWeRs waynepowers@anchornews.org
Seventh, he needed to discover a “purpose” in life, what Catholics would ordinarily call a vocation. A Capuchin taught him that discernment happens through discovering the talents God has given you and determining how you can use them to help others. LaBeouf thought his sole talent was “bleeding in front of people,” something featured in several of his films. He eventually grasped how appropriate that skill set was in depicting the modern world’s most famousEighth,stigmatist!hehad to learn the redemptive meaning of suffering. He thought that the suffer ing he had borne and caused until then was “pointless.” A Capuchin helped him to see how “suffering is actually a gift” — a realization that led LaBeouf even to thank the woman who had accused him of sexual abuse, who he said “saved his life,” through the shame he had to endure as a result of her accusations and the pain he had caused.
Daily Readings † September 3 — September 16 Sat. Sept. 3, 1 Cor 4:6b-15; Ps 145:17-21; Lk 6:1-5. Sun. Sept. 4, Twen ty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Wis 9:13-18b; Ps 90:3-6,12-17; Phlm 9-10,12-17; Lk 14:25-33. Mon. Sept. 5, 1 Cor 5:1-8; Ps 5:5-7,12; Lk 6:611. Tue. Sept. 6, 1 Cor 6:1-11; Ps 149:1b-6a,9b; Lk 6:12-19. Wed. Sept. 7, 1 Cor 7:25-31; Ps 45:11-12,14-17; Lk 6:20-26. Thu. Sept. 8, Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16,18-23 or 1:18-23. Fri. Sept. 9,1 Cor 9:16-19,22b-27; Ps 84:3-6,12; Lk 6:39-42. Sat. Sept. 10, 1 Cor 10:14-22; Ps 116:12-13,17-18; Lk 6:43-49. Sun. Sept. 11, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ex 32:7-11,13-14; Ps 51:3-4,12-13,17,19; 1 Tm 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32 or 15:1-10. Mon. Sept. 12, 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33; Ps 40:7-10,17; Lk 7:1-10. Tue. Sept. 13, 1 Cor 12:12-14,27-31a; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 7:11-17. Wed. Sept. 14, Nm 21:4b-9; Ps 78:1b-2,34-38; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17. Thu. Sept. 15, 1 Cor 15:1-11; Ps 118:1b-2,16ab-17,28; Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35. Fri. Sept. 16, 1 Cor 15:12-20; Ps 17:1bcd,6-7,8b,15; Lk 8:1-3.
EDITOR;PRODUCTION MGR. david B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.orgEXECUTIVE
Lessons from the conversion of shia LaBeouf Editorial
There’s much we can learn from his conversion story, especially the elements God used to lead him from a self-described infernal life, from being “really good at attacking Catholicism be cause it made me feel superior” to being humble enough to repent, believe in and live the Gospel.
Ship Ahoy! a gasoline supply to last us for the next 12 months. By 11:15 a.m. the barge had emptied its trea sures and now began the task of loading the scrap metal and wood as well as old vehicles and other equipment destined for recycling. In the meantime, some of the workers enjoyed lunch and a few laughs in the shade of the tent provided by Steady Eddie, our invaluable electrician. Eddie always gets a charge out of providing such conveniences for the community.Bargeday no longer provides the Kalaupapa community with the same degree of excitement it once did. The community itself is smaller and the number of resident patients is current ly five. The other six live in Honolulu. Still, barge day is very important to us because it brings us our annual supply of gasoline, not to forget cases of Heineken and Corona. It also brings replacement cars, vans and trucks as well as heavy ma chinery.By3 p.m. all that was going aboard was aboard and the bridge from barge to dock was removed. The lead tug, with an assist from a second tug, pulled the laden barge away from the pier and out into the open waters. It was “Aloha to Kalaupapa for 2022 and see you in 2023.” Aloha. Anchor columnist, Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
It was 7:30 a.m. as it arrived at the outer fringes of the inner harbor. By 8 a.m. it was being nudged closer to the pier by two tugboats and at 8:30 a.m. it had nestled close to the dock. Then at 9 a.m. the action be gan for real. It had been one of the earliest dockings of the Young Bros. barge during my 10 years here in Kalaupapa. As I sat on my front porch, the crew were unload ing empty shipping contain ers off the barge. Old friend Lionel from the Big Island stopped by to say hello and told me that these containers would be filled with metal and wood scraps before going back on the barge. Then came an assortment of other much needed goods and supplies. Meantime the tankers had been unloading their oil gold,
September 2, 2022
Anchor columnist Dr. Helen J. Flavin, Ph.D., is a Catholic scien tist, educator and writer.
Please visit The Anchor website www.anchornews.orgat
Teresa is someone experienced rising in faith from that proverbial dusty road. Twenty years into her ministry with the Sisters of Loreto, Mother Teresa left to begin what eventually became the Missionaries of Charity. Not as widely known as her Nobel Peace Prize were her private spiritual struggles. Through it all, Mother Teresa lived, spoke, and wrote about the discipleship that follows Jesus to the end. Mother Teresa spoke of diffi culties as gifts. Her idea was that it was easier to accept a gift than take a problem. After accepting the gift, one can focus upon the challenge. In addition, Mother Teresa said, “Even Almighty God cannot fill what is already full. We must be empty if we want God to fill us with His fullness.” That is to fill us with His Eachlove. time we arise from that dusty road, we have the freedom and responsibility to go explore new paths. It seems Jesus’ words about continuing despite “hating one’s own life” are really a reminder that the call to continued disciple ship will emerge even within suf fering’s aftermath. For each of us, there will be life changing events as well as everyday opportunities to move past all we believe defines us. Stay focused upon Our Lord. Faithfully and confidently step out of your comfort zone. To use the analogy of the “Sower of the Seed” parable, dis cipleship is a call chosen within a world where weeds (events, pain, and suffering) continually attempt to disrupt the fruitful yield. Grow through or past the weeds. Follow Mother Teresa’s example. Simply find a new way to bring God’s love to others.
September 2, 2022 Ihave always struggled with Jesus’ words that if one comes to Him without hating one’s own life, that person cannot be a dis ciple (Lk 14: 25-33). Each year, instead of that verse, I have reflect ed upon the other aspects of the passage including: the prudence to plan and complete a tower; honest analysis and willingness to admit mistakes or defeat; and renouncing possessions. Having fallen victim to a malevolent hacker it seems apt this year to wrestle with the “hating one’s life” verse. This year seems to be my Oh Moment year for understanding the connection between hating one’s life and discipleship. I had always visualized hating one’s life as someone having been victim ized to the loss of personal dignity.
The oh moment: Emptiness to exploration life’s work is nothing compared to the pain of repeatedly having to accept the choice of former friends who desert you in your time of need. Debating what (if anything) to contribute to the conversation, I turned my head back to the table. A second new friend immediately met my eyes. Her eyes held com recognizedmyreturnedsmile,quickshrugshoulderherstanding.andpassionunderAtsmallandhalf-peacetoheart.II was in the presence of one of God’s conduits of love. A Rabbi once urged students to study God’s words to the point of them being etched deeply onto their hearts. The Rabbi said, “When your heart breaks, either in joy or grief, God’s holy words will fall inside your heart.” I now under stand the phrase “hating one’s own life” to include the post-emptiness decision point. After heartbreak, God reaches out in love. A disciple answers that call. In some ways, the initial loss is akin to being knocked to the ground. There is a loneliness in the loss of all that is/was familiar. Whether one chose to relinquish or whether the loss was involun tary, human nature is to go on the defensive as one sits on that dusty road. Eventually, one must gather the courage to arise from that dusty road to continue forward. One must search out and then walk a new path. The Franciscan Spiritual poet Jacopone of Todi expressed the hope of that moment of aris ing when he said, “You are (Mother)mustersoul]wingsyouredbynourishednotcreatthings,body’s[thetoothrealmsfly.”Saint
God is love. We are asked to love our neighbor and to love ourselves. How on earth might that paralyz ing nothingness be a positive value for discipleship?Astheysay,framing a question leaves one open to searching for an answer. Surprisingly, my first inkling came when a new friend and former college professor said, “I’d die if I ever lost everything I’d ever written.” To her, the situation was hypothetical. Her words were dramatic. In truth, the challenge to a traumatic life event isn’t the loss. It is found in each moment living past the event. To me, the pain of losing one’s
September 2, 2022
Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: Sept. 3 Rev. Thomas J. McGee, D.D., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1912 Sept. 4 Rev. Joseph P. Tallon, Pastor, St. Mary, New Bedford, 1864 Rev. John J. Maguire, Founder, St. Peter the Apostle, Province town, 1894 Sept. 5 Rev. Napoleon, A. Messier, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1948 Sept. 6 Rev. Manuel Ferreira, Retired, Former Pastor, St. Anthony, Taunton, 2020 Sept. 7
Very Rev. James E. McMahon, V. F., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs, 1966 Rev. Raymond Pelletier, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1984 Sept. 8 Rev. Thomas Sheehan, Founder, Holy Trinity, Harwich Center, 1868 Sept. 9 Rev. Thomas Halkovic, C.S.C., Campus Minister, Stonehill Col lege, 2017 Sept. 10 Rev. Hugo Dylla, Pastor, St. Stanislaus, Fall River, 1966, Rt. Rev. Felix S. Childs, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1969 Sept. 11 Rev. Joachim Shults, SS.CC., Our Lady of Assumption, New Bedford, 1987 Rev. Cyril Augustyn, OFM Conv., Pastor, Holy Rosary, Taunton, Rev.1997Francis E. Grogan, C.S.C., Superior, Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, 2001 Rev. Martin Grena, Retired Missionary, 2004 Rev. Terence F. Keenan, Retired, Former Pastor, St. Mary, South Dartmouth, 2010 Sept. 12
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, September 11 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fall River Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, September 4 at 11:00 a.m.
To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or waynepowers@ anchornews.org
Celebrant is Father Jeffrey Cabral, J.C.L., Pastor of Santo Christo Parish in Fall River Sunday, September 11 at 11:00 a.m.
Diocese announces updates to accused priests lists continued from page four
Celebrant is Father Christopher M. Peschel, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in BedfordNew Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, September 4 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence hope that the addition of these priests will support healing for anyone who has suffered because of their actions,” said Bishop da Cunha. “I offer my deepest apologies to them and to theirFallfamilies.”RiverDiocesan pol icies state that an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is determined to be credible when it has a “semblance of truth” under canon law, using a standard of proof approximating probable cause, and when it con forms to the definition of sexual abuse of a minor as outlined in those policies. In the case of a credible finding, both diocesan pol icies and the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People require that an offending cleric be prohib ited from ministry and his faculties withdrawn. The Diocese of Fall Riv er encourages anyone with concerns regarding the conduct of any priest, staff or volunteer affiliated with the diocese to contact Caro lyn Shipp, the diocesan Di rector of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance at 508-985-6508 or by email at cshipp@dioc-fr.org.(confidentialAssistanceEnvironmentShipp,pleasetheseofasabusetoofferstheAssistancecshipp@dioc-fr.org.ThroughitsVictimOutreach,DioceseofFallRiversupportiveservicesvictimsofclergysexualandtheirfamilies,wellastomembersparishesimpactedbycases.Forassistance,contactCarolyntheDirectorofSafeandVictimat508-985-6508voicemail)or
Rev. John J. Galvin, STD, Assistant, SS. Peter and Paul, Fall River, Most1962Rev. James L. Connolly, Sc.H D, Fourth Bishop of Fall River, 1951-70, 1986 Rev. John R. Folster, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 1995 Sept. 13 Rev. Antonio Felisbesto Diaz, 1866 Rev. Charles A.J. Donovan, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1949 Rev. Isadore Kowalski, OFM Conv., Our Lady’s Haven, Fairhaven, 2003 Sept. 14 Rev. Stanislaus J. Ryczek, USA Retired Chaplain, Former Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Bedford, 1982 Sept. 15 Rev. Henry J. Mussely, Pastor, St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River, 1934 Rev. Brendan McNally, S.J., Holy Cross College, Worcester, 1958 Rev. John J. Casey, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1969 Sept. 16 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Jean A. Prevost, P.A., P.R., Pastor, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1925 In Your Prayers
September 2, 2022
FALL RIVER — Michael J. Tremblay, 59, of Fall River, passed away on August 21 after fighting a long coura geous battle against can cer. He passed peacefully at home, with his loving wife Beverly M. Tremblay (Soares) by his side. In addition, Michael is survived by his mother-inlaw Dolores Soares, sisterin-law Brenda Soares of Fall River, Linda Adeduji, her husband Ola and their chil dren of Swansea; his broth ers Father Marc P. Tremblay, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich; John G. Tremblay of Fall River, and Sgt. Paul R. Tremblay and his wife Theresa of War wick R.I.; his sisters: Celeste J. Duclos of Warwick R.I. and her partner Berry, and Suzanne M. Franco and her husband Fran of Anaheim Hills Calif. He is also sur vived by a niece and several nephews.Michael was preced ed by his parents Roger J. and Pauline (Ouellette) Tremblay, his father-in-law Victorino Soares Jr., his brother Carl Tremblay, and his nephew Joel Franco. A life-long resident of the city Fall River, Michael was a communicant of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Michael was an avid music fan, listening to and collecting an extensive music library. He was a car penter, and enjoyed working with his hands both at his job at Horner Millwork and at home. He created various wood-working pieces and carvings.Atrue New England fan you would often find Mi chael relaxing and enjoying his day watching a Red Sox or Patriots game. During the warmer months Michael enjoyed creating and tend ing to his vegetable garden. Michael also enjoyed inter acting with his 21-year-old cockatiel Josie. Michael enjoyed spending time with his family.Married more than 35 years, Bev and Mike loved to spend their time trav eling together, dining out, and listening to live music whenever possible. He was a proud uncle to his niece and nephew, Moriah and Levi. He was grateful he had the chance to watch them grow and learn. Even throughout his final days they brought joy to his life. A loving husband, brother, uncle, and friend, Michael will be forever remembered for his love of life, his fight ing spirit, and his compas sion and grace bestowed on everyone who touched his life. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated August 27 at Holy Trinity Church, Fall River. Burial followed at Notre Dame Cemetery.Please consider a donation to Southcoast VNA. theirSouthcoasttoThenurse-association/donate/southcoast.org/visiting-https://www.familywouldlikethankthestafffromVNAforallofcareandsupport.
Michael J. Tremblay, brother of Father Marc Tremblay
game was in December, I witnessed the dire cir cumstances of many, many brothers and sisters — on the trek there and back. And I made a vow to myself to not forget the drawn, lifeless faces that touched and broke my heart. But there were two individu als who are always at the forefront of my recollec tions — they were a young man and woman, or boy and girl would be more accurate. I wrote about them, and others in a column called “Christmas scenes off the beaten path,” for the Christmas Eve Anchor in 2021.Iwrote, “ There were Christmas andlongandably,wouldthemwasWasoffamilyesimagineatananddressedgirl,seeingfranklythem.barelytheirhomes.byAllblaringeverywheredecorationsandcarolsfromloudspeakers.ofthiswentunnoticedthepoorsoulswithoutIwouldlookintoeyesandtherewasasparkoflifein“Iremember,andcannotforget,ayoungboyandintheirmid-teens,intatteredclotheshuddledtogetherinoutdoorwaitingareaonestation.Icouldn’twhatcircumstancledthemthere.Wasitproblemsorlackafamily?Wasitdrugs?itmentalissues?Itgut-wrenchingtoseeknowingmydaycontinuecomfortasitdoeseveryday,theirswouldbeoneexistenceofmiserypain.“It’sthedichotomyof financially when I’m able, and bring them to God’s altar each Mass. But this football season, I know I’ll be thinking of the boy and girl at the train station in Newark, N.J. and sending an extra prayer for them I know that as long as I can keep a cognitive thought in my head, I will be rooting for that young girl and boy who spent last Christmas off the beaten path. Praying that the two modern-day ghosts of Christmas past encounter enough reformed Ebenezer Scrooges to make a differ ence in their lives — and the lives of countless other drawn, tired and lifeless faces across the world. davejolivet@anchornews.org
I’ll continue to pray for the poor, help them
September 2, 2022
I love the months of August and Septem ber, partly because around this area, that’s the best time for beach weather. And allow me to digress for a moment. (I think this sets a personal record for digressing in my column in it’s 21 years of existence, af ter just one sentence — and this is a digression within a digression!) The water temperatures are those of which the body gets over the initial shock within the first minute — but, alas, I cannot go in the water for a few more weeks; the result of two surgeries to remove pre-cancerous moles. So folks, wear that sunscreen! Thanks for indulging in my veering off the initial path. I loves these months also because this is the beginning of college foot ball season. But, fear not non sports fans, this isn’t a sports column, so hang in there.Iwas a spectator at the last regular season college football game last year when I attended my second Army-Navy classic match up. It was held in East Rutherford, N.J. And as many of you may know from my column about it in December, I made a solo trip down to the N.Y.-N.J. area aboard Amtrak. I found myself thinking about that trip often over the past several months. It wasn’t because it was a great game and a thrill to be there, although it cer tainly was Wheneverboth.I travel via bus or train I always, with no exceptions, encoun ter homeless men and women in and around the terminals. And since the the Christmas scenes and the scenes of hopelessness that stays with me now. And sometime between then and now I realized that the Christ Child and Holy Family were not too far removed from their environment on the first Christmas. In fact, I be lieved I saw what I saw to help me realize that the Child came for people such as these.”Since then, I have kept those two children in my prayers and brought them to God’s altar during the Prayer of the Faithful each week.In a way, the two haunt me, like ghosts of Christ mas past. I wonder what has become of them. I wonder if they are even alive anymore. I hope that something happened that changed their lives and set them on the right path. What haunts me is that I will never know —in this lifetime at least.Iknow that God is love, and Jesus is the man ifestation of that love made human, but there is a quote from Christ that I never liked. It was when in Mat thew 26:6 a woman pours expensive perfumed oil on Jesus’ head and others said it was a waste and the oil could have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus re plied, “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.” I wish He was wrong, but He isn’t. And it’s up to us to do our part for them.
Two modern-day ghosts of Christmas past
September 2, 2022 To advertise in The Anchor , contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 waynepowers@anchornews.orgor
