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The Anchor Diocese of Fall River

F riday , October 12, 2012

Fall River area Men’s First Friday Club begins 65th year B y Kenneth J. Souza A nchor Staff

FALL RIVER — For more than six decades now, the members of the Fall River area Men’s First Friday Club have come together on the first Friday of the month for worship and fellowship. Believed to be the longest continuously running First Friday Club in the United States, the local group just began its 65th year earlier this month with a Mass celebrated in the chapel of St. Mary’s Cathedral, followed by a dinner and speaker program in the school building across the street. “Until recently we had been meeting at Good Shepherd Parish in Fall River, but the new pastor assigned there, Father Andrew Johnson, is already celebrating three Masses on Friday and could not accommodate our meetings,” said Daryl Gonyon, coordinator for the club. “We decided to look for another location that was central to the city and we decided on having it at Our Lady’s Chapel of St. Mary’s Cathedral,” Go-

nyon added. “It’s a nice location and right across the street we’ve had functions over the years at the school, so that’s where we’re going to have our dinners, to be catered by White’s of Westport. In my opinion, we’ve got the best caterer with the best reputation in the area for our new location. I think it’s a blessing that we’ll be meeting at the cathedral now — there’s something magical and spiritual about being there.” Formed in 1947, the Men’s First Friday Club is a group of Catholic men who continue to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the First Friday tradition. During that first year, a little-known, newly-ordained priest addressed the club speaking about Our Lady of Fatima. That priest was Father Humberto Medeiros, later to become Cardinal Medeiros, the brother of now deceased lifelong club member Manuel Medeiros. Also in 1947, Dr. Michael Walsh, director of Education for the State of Rhode Island, spoke on “The Power of Catholic Example and the Turn to page 18

Musicians, retreats and ministries: Events at La Salette to offer a wide variety By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

NORTH ATTLEBORO — For the first time the Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference will be gathering at Our Lady of La Salette Shrine October 18-21; it’s the first conference for Hispanic pastoral musicians in the New England area. The conference will feature keynote presentations, workshops on vocal techniques, guitar, piano, choir conducting, music ministry with youth and young adults, Liturgy, music samples, prayer, testimonials and more. Silvio Cuellar, the coordinator of Hispanic programs for the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Providence, R.I., who will be bringing his extensive music talents as a guitarist, vocalist and composer of liturgical music to the event, said the gathering has been a long time in coming. “We are hoping to attract all different backgrounds. There are going to be a wide variety of opportunities,” said Cuellar of the many well-known participants coming to the conference. “They are obviously

amazingly talented. They are people who have dedicated their life to ministry and are very professional and inspiring in what they do.” Included in the list of contributors to the event is Peter Kolar, a senor editor of “Hispanic Music and Publications” for World Library Publications. Kolar oversees the development of the Hispanic Liturgy resources, music and recordings produced by WLP. In addition to his solo CD “Variations,” which has earned widespread acclaim of his masterful arrangement of sacred hymns, Kolar was also commissioned in 2004 to write the theme song for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, one of the largest annual gatherings of Catholics in the world. “He is one of the most brilliant pianists I have ever seen,” said Cuellar of Kolar. “He’s very good in teaching people on how to use the piano and play with a Hispanic flavor.” Turn to page 15

double header — Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, left, celebrated a Mass at St. Anthony of the Desert Church in Fall River last week to help mark the parish’s 100th anniversary and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of pastor Chorbishop Joseph F. Kaddo’s priesthood, second from left. With them are Bishop Mansour’s parents Amal and George Mansour. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

Bishop of Brooklyn Eparchy marks Fall River parish’s centennial

Bishop Gregory Mansour also acknowledges Chorbishop Joseph Kaddo’s 40th anniversary By Dave Jolivet, Editor

FALL RIVER — Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn celebrated a Mass last Sunday at St. Anthony of the Desert Church to join pastor, Chorbishop Joseph F. Kaddo, and the parishioners in marking the parish’s 100th anniversary. The Brooklyn Eparchy, similar to a diocese, consists of 16 states on the eastern U.S. coast, including all of New England. “The purpose of my visit was two-fold,” Bishop Mansour told The Anchor. One was the 100th anniversary celebration. “The other was to celebrate Chorbishop Kaddo’s 40th anniversary of his priesthood. I’ve known him all of my 30 years as a priest. Chor-

bishop Kaddo is a priest’s priest. He believes in the priesthood and he takes the time to be close to priests. That’s a beautiful quality.” Bishop Mansour also mentioned that in late 2003, during a six-month period between his announcement as bishop and his predecessor’s departure, “Chorbishop Kaddo had the world on his shoulders. He was selected to shepherd the Brooklyn Eparchy in that interim. It was a great responsibility. It takes its toll. He had a great reputation. That’s why he was selected.” Chorbishop Kaddo isn’t the only subject of great respect in the Maronite Catholic community in the U.S. “Fall River has a reputation as one of the most engaging parTurn to page 18

Parishes called to welcome those with mental illness

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — When Deacon Tom Lambert’s wife went to the hospital for open heart surgery, friends brought unsolicited meals to the family’s door. “For three or four weeks, every day at six o’clock, the bell would ring and a different family would bring us dinner,” he said. Those neighbors and fellow parishioners were responding to a need. But a different diagnosis some years later garnered no response. “When our daughter was diagnosed with mental illness, no one came to the door,” he said. That was 25 years ago, and Deacon Lambert, who co-chairs the National Catholic

Partnership on Disability’s Council on Mental Illness, said that awareness is essential in combatting the stigma associated with a disease of the mind. This week, October 7-13, is National Mental Illness Awareness Week. In the United States, severe or persistent mental illness affects one in 17 Americans. The mental illness disability rate has more than doubled since the 1980s and increased six-fold since the 1950s. There are clinicians and researchers who believe the increase has been influenced by external factors. Some theorize that it is affected by a widening of the criteria for mental illness, which used to be thought of as Turn to page 14


News From the Vatican

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October 12, 2012

Christ, not priest or faithful, is at center of the Liturgy, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A Liturgy is not Christian if Christ is not the center of the celebration, Pope Benedict XVI said. “The conviction must grow in us every day that the Liturgy is not ‘our’ or ‘my’ doing, but is God’s acting in us and with us,” he said. The pope spoke to an estimated 20,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for a weekly general audience. The talk was the latest focusing on the Liturgy in the pope’s series on the subject of prayer. During the audience, Pope Benedict did not mention the Italian protester, Marcello Di Finizio, who had recently climbed onto the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and remained there the next day to protest the economic policies of Italy and Europe. In his catechesis, the pope said, “If in the celebration (of Mass) the centrality of Christ does not emerge, we won’t have Christian Liturgy, totally dependent on the Lord,” Who supports it with His presence. It’s not the action of the individual — whether the priest or one of the faithful — or the group gathered in the pews “that celebrates the Liturgy, but it is primarily the action of God through the Church, which has its own history, rich tradition and creativity.” “This universality and fundamental openness, which is characteristic of the whole Liturgy,

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is one of the reasons it cannot be created or modified by the individual community or by experts, but must be faithful to the forms of the universal Church,” he said. The faithful fully experience the Church in the Liturgy, which is “the act in which we believe God enters into our reality and we can meet Him and can touch Him. He comes to us and we are enlightened by Him,” the pope said. For that reason, when people focus attention only on trying to make the Liturgy more “attractive, interesting or beautiful, we risk forgetting the essential: The Liturgy is celebrated for God and not for ourselves. It is His work,” he said. God is the subject of the Liturgy and all the faithful must open themselves up to Him and let themselves be guided by Him and His Body, the Church, he added. “Christians rediscover their true identity in Christ” and that is why prayer needs always to be looking toward Christ, speaking to Him and listening to Him. After his main talk, the pope greeted students of the Pontifical North American College who were to be ordained deacons by Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J. The pope told the more than 40 ordinands, “Always be faithful heralds of the Gospel and generous witness to the love of Christ.” OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 56, No. 39

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Published weekly except for two weeks in the summer and the week after Christmas 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 P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA, call or use email address

PUBLISHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@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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holy father at holy house — Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leaves after celebrating Mass outside the Sanctuary of the Holy House in Loreto, Italy, recently. The small house inside the basilica is traditionally venerated as the house of Mary, miraculously transplanted from the Holy Land. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary

LORETO, Italy (CNS) — Loreto with several petitions. man, suffering and dying to reDuring a visit to the Shrine “I wish to entrust to the Most deem humanity. of Our Lady of Loreto, Pope Holy Mother of God all the difAt a time when the world is Benedict XVI formally entrust- ficulties affecting our world as struggling with a global finaned to Mary the world Synod of it seeks serenity and peace,” the cial crisis and crises in many Bishops and the Year of Faith. pope said. spheres of social life, he said, The pope was marking the He prayed for Mary’s inter- “the Incarnation of the Son of 50th anniversary of Blessed cession in responding to the God speaks to us of how imporJohn XXIII’s visit to the Mar- “problems of the many fami- tant man is to God, and God to ian shrine, about 175 miles lies who look anxiously to the man.” northwest of Rome, Without God and when he entrusted to without faith-inspired wish to entrust to the Most Holy Mary’s care the Secvalues, he said, “man Mother of God all the difficul- ultimately ond Vatican Council, chooses ties affecting our world as it seeks seren- selfishness over soliwhich began Oct. 11, 1962. ity and peace,” the pope said. darity and love, mate“Fifty years on, rial things over values, having been called by having over being. We Divine providence to must return to God so succeed that unforgettable pope future” and for young people that man may return to being to the See of Peter, I, too, have just starting to build their adult man.” come on pilgrimage to entrust lives. Pope Benedict told the to the Mother of God two imThe pope prayed for the crowd that with faith, “even portant ecclesial initiatives: the poor, lonely and suffering who in difficult times or moments Year of Faith,” which began are “awaiting signs or decisions of crisis, there is always a hoOctober 11 and the Synod of of solidarity and love.” rizon of hope: The IncarnaBishops, which opened on OcAnd, finally, he returned to tion tells us that we are never tober 7. the Year of Faith and the synod alone, that God has come to About 10,000 people gath- on New Evangelization, say- humanity and that He accomered in the square outside the ing, “I also wish to place in the panies us.” Loreto shrine for the pope’s hands of the Mother of God this United in faith, he said, all morning Mass. Most of the special time of grace for the men and women become brothpilgrims stood in the shadow Church, now opening up before ers and sisters, caring for and of the shrine, protected from us.” supporting one another. the sun shining in a clear blue With the famous conical Often today, he said, people sky. statue of Our Lady of Loreto think making a faith commitAt the end of his homily, Pope near the altar, Pope Benedict’s ment means giving up their Benedict turned to Our Lady of homily focused on Mary as the freedom, when in reality God best possible example of fol- liberates people from the selflowing God’s will and bringing ishness and thirst for power Christ to the world. that can consume them and “She placed her entire being harm others. at the disposal of God’s will, Just as God wanted Mary to becoming the ‘place’ of His agree to carry His Son, “God presence, a ‘place’ of dwelling asks for mankind’s ‘yes.’ He for the Son of God,” the pope has created a free partner in said. dialogue, one from whom He When Blessed John visited requests a reply in complete Loreto 50 years ago, the pope liberty.” said, he told people that the aim Pope Benedict traveled to of the Second Vatican Council and from Loreto by helicopter. was to spread throughout the After the Mass, he remained for world the benefits and bless- lunch and a rest before returnings of God having become ing to the Vatican.

“I


October 12, 2012

The International Church

reduced to rubble — Church pews are seen amid rubble in the destroyed Sacred Heart Church after the 2010 earthquake in the Turgeau neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, rebuilding to prevent future disasters is more costly and time-consuming than the methods many have used for years. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Hurricane season: Church as first responder in Latin America, Caribbean

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CNS) — On the little islands that make up the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, there is not much in the way of protection from the annual wrath of the Atlantic hurricane season. Every year from hurricane season’s start on June 1 until the end of peak months — August through October — the islands are like sitting ducks. It’s a threat that Marcia Boxhill-Haywood, regional coordinator for Caritas Antilles, confronts with meager tools: a $40,000 emergency fund, a small staff that mans a warehouse in St. Lucia and a handful of volunteers. Responding to hurricanes “goes right to the heart of what the Church does because storms don’t just destroy buildings, they really destroy families and communities,” Boxhill-Haywood said. “In these emergencies, the Church caters to everyone that’s in need, not just Catholics. We serve all denominations.” Catholic dioceses across the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico are on the front line during hurricane season. They shelter residents during storms and serve as first responders after they have passed, handing out food, water and medicine and helping residents rebuild their lives. Yet, preparing for the potential damage to Church buildings and the financial strain of feeding mouths and housing displaced residents remains a challenge. With funds in short supply, Catholic leaders said they coordinate more closely with governments and other institutions and rely on volunteers and neighboring dioceses to fill gaps. “It’s difficult because there is a lack of resources and a lack of staff,” Boxhill-Haywood said.

“Putting funds into preparation for hurricanes is not on the front burner.” The Caribbean basin is in the midst of an extended period of increased hurricane activity that began in 1995 and can last for several decades, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Through September of this year, the Atlantic had produced 14 named storms, eight of which were hurricanes with only one being a major storm — Category three or greater. Yet 68 deaths were attributed to the storms and damages totaled more than $2 billion. Climatologists predict the situation will only worsen. “The majority (of climate models) show an increase in high category hurricanes and a decided increase in hurricane-related rainfall, a source of flooding in the region,” Kerry A. Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Catholic News Service in an email. The region woke up to the reality of an increasingly volatile hurricane season in 1998, when Hurricane Mitch lingered over much of Central America for nearly a week, dropping unprecedented amounts of rain that set off major flooding, killing thousands and causing billions in damage. By the time the storm turned back toward the Gulf of Mexico, eventually striking Florida, it had caused nearly 11,000 deaths. Church leaders said the region has made strides since Mitch in preparing for disastrous hurricanes and tropical storms. However, in Central America, where the majority is poor, dioceses often find themselves short-

handed when a disaster strikes. Deep in Nicaragua’s Mosquito Coast, Bishop Paul Schmitz Simon, “OFM Cap., a classmate of Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, worries about the effects of hurricanes every year. Yet, his diocese, roughly 60,000 square kilometers — nearly twice the size of the state of Maryland — has no money set aside for the next storm. “We don’t have the resources to put some money away for a hurricane,” he told CNS. “We rely on other organizations and on our relationship with the government.”

Bishop Schmitz’s approach underscores the reality in which many dioceses find themselves: Short on cash to devote to hurricane preparedness, they count on other institutions and volunteers. It’s a system Bishop Schmitz has honed since Hurricane Joan hit the coast as a powerful category four storm Oct. 22, 1998. It killed 148 people before leaving the Central American country as a weakened tropical storm. Bishop Schmitz said the region is about 50 percent better prepared today than it was when Hurricane Joan hit. Despite the lessons learned, in 2007 Hurricane Felix destroyed homes and flooded farmland. It destroyed most of the rural coastal town of Puerto Cabezas. “I would like to say that we learned from it,” Bishop Schmitz said. “We started building from concrete block and using building methods that can withstand hurricanes.” Constructing buildings to sustain the impact of hurricanes, however, is more costly and time consuming than the methods many have used for years. In Haiti, a program to reconstruct Church buildings destroyed by the January 2010 earthquake only recently doled out its first grants. The Partnership for Church Reconstruction in Haiti process requires new buildings to meet modern standards, designed to withstand earthquakes and hurricanes. Rebuilding “intelligently and safely” is of the utmost importance, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami said near the conclusion of a conference on re-

3 building Haiti. It was a lesson Father Sean Doggett on the small Caribbean island of Grenada learned firsthand. On Sept. 7, 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit the island as a Category three storm, damaging 95 percent of buildings in some areas. “In the parish where I am, there was not a house without a roof that needed at least to be repaired. Two of the (four) churches needed to be totally demolished and rebuilt, and a third needed a new roof,” said Father Doggett of the Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Beaulieu, Grenada. The storm was devastating, but help quickly poured in from the government, international donors and, more immediately, from neighboring islands. Father Doggett said volunteers were key links in properly distributing aid. “I can boast that for the first month or two, the Church was much better at distributing (aid) than the government or other groups,” thanks in part to the volunteer network, he said. Today, the parish and island are far better prepared to withstand and respond to a hurricane, Father Doggett said. “There is generally much more awareness of hurricanes and more information on how to prepare,” he said. In terms of construction, “there was a lot of consideration put into the standards after Ivan,” he said. “The new standards require things like the use of hurricane straps and reinforcements for all buildings, from the smallest on up.”


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The Church in the U.S.

October 12, 2012

Liturgy is ‘where everything comes together’ for Catholics, says priest

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Liturgy sometimes suffers from being too wordy, according to a liturgical expert who says the celebration of the Mass would benefit from fewer hymns and more silence. “Part of taking part (in Liturgy) is listening, silence and being awestruck at what is going on,” Msgr. Kevin Irwin said in a talk on the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. “That is what makes Liturgy tremendous and mysterious.” Often, the Liturgy is celebrated without enough emphasis on transcendence and “the amazing grace of God,” Msgr. Irwin said. The priest is former dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America and currently holds the Walter J. Schmitz chairman of liturgical studies at the school. He spoke at the university’s symposium on “Reform and Renewal: Vatican II After 50 Years.” The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, also known as “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” emphasized that the Liturgy should build the full, conscious and active participation of the faithful. For Msgr. Irwin, “Participation is not a sop to extroverts.” “There is an earthiness to our Liturgy,” he said, noting its use of elements of creation such as water, light and darkness, as well as manufactured items such as bread, wine and chrism. Emphasizing the role of such signs helps to provide an encounter with God’s action, he said. “Sometimes, I think we have forsaken that for much more wordiness than the Roman rite deserves.” Msgr. Irwin recalled writing in a 1994 book, “‘Hymns should not be used in the celebration of the Eucharist.’ More than once I’ve had to put on my

bulletproof vest to defend that statement.” Hymns are part of the Liturgy of the Hours, but not the Eucharist, he said. They are a carry over from American Protestantism. “Roman Catholics do antiphons and psalms.” He recalled living two and a half years at St. Anselm’s Monastery in the mid-1980s. “All we sang at the Eucharist were verses of antiphons and psalms. We never carried a hymnal into church; we knew them by heart.” The Psalter ought to take deep root in people’s minds and hearts, he said. Then less attention is paid to the words and more to what the words are meant to do — “to draw us into the mystery of God.” The overuse of hymns also adds to the wordiness of the Mass, he said. Msgr. Irwin, who is a priest of the New York Archdiocese, also maintained that too much emphasis in the Liturgy is placed on a remembrance of the past and not enough on our final destination. “Liturgy is not dramatizing the events of first-century Palestine. Liturgy is the threshold of the future.” He quoted a line from a song from the Weston Fathers: “Oh Lord, at length when Sacraments cease.” “That’s the point: They’re supposed to cease and cede to the Second Coming and living with God forever,” he said. Msgr. Irwin said one of the most neglected sections of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy are its five sections calling for liturgical education. The lack of such education “is one of the most egregious deficiencies” in implementing the teachings of Vatican II, he said. In celebrating the Liturgy, Catholics ought to be more careful than in doing anything else, he said. “It’s where everything comes together.”

fine fit — Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia places a miter on the head of Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of Erie, Pa., during his installation Mass as Erie’s new bishop at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie recently. (CNS photo/Tim Rohrbach, courtesy Diocese of Erie)

Catholic media urged to help Church find best way to use new media

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (CNS) — The new culture of communication requires that Catholic media rethink their approach, the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications told a Fort Wayne audience gathered to celebrate the centennial of Our Sunday Visitor. Archbishop Claudio Celli spoke about the Catholic Church’s focus on New Evangelization and addressed new media and the communications revolution that has created a vast cultural transformation in the past 25 years, as well as the place Catholic communications must have in the digital world. “We must not think of it as a ‘virtual’ space which is somehow less important than the real world,” Archbishop Celli said. “If the Church is not present in this space, if the Good News is not proclaimed ‘digitally,’” he continued, “then we risk abandoning the many people for whom this is where they ‘live’: This is the forum in which they get their news and information, form and express their opinions, ask questions and engage in debate.” Another challenge, he said, “is to achieve the types of transformation in our communication style that will make our digital presence effective.” Archbishop Celli spoke at a recent dinner that followed a special Mass of thanksgiving and rededication at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, celebrated by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who is the chairman of the board of directors of Our Sunday Visitor, based in Huntington, which is in the diocese. Earlier in the day, the bishop opened a symposium at the Grand Wayne Center that drew Our Sunday Visitor staff and board members, area laity and priests, and bishops from the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese and around the nation. The day’s events were part of a celebration marking the 100th year of the founding of Our Sunday Visi-

tor by Archbishop John F. Noll. In his remarks at the dinner, Archbishop Celli said he is “convinced that a particular task for Catholic media is that of helping the Church to find a language appropriate to the new media environment created by the technologies and the social networks.” He added, “The most effective forms of digital discourse are those that engage people individually, that seek to respond to their specific questions and that attempt to dialogue.” “We need to be more attentive to our vocabulary. Much of our religious and ecclesial language is unintelligible even to believers. Many of our religious icons and symbols need to be explained for our contemporaries,” he added. He pointed out that no one needed a degree in theology to understand the writings of Archbishop Noll. One of the critical motives for the foundation of Our Sunday Visitor, the Vatican official noted, was a desire to defend the Church from unjust attacks. “As Catholics, we need never hesitate to express ourselves forcibly, to correct error and condemn injustices, but we must always speak the truth in love,” he said. Moderated by Msgr. Owen Campion, associate publisher of Our Sunday Visitor and editor of The Priest, the symposium featured talks by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, attorney Helen Alvare and author Scott Hahn. The cardinal spoke of the challenges between scientism and fundamentalism and called for the need for a new Catholic apologetics. When dialoging with others, the cardinal encouraged a loving, humble and respectful response, even toward enemies of the Catholic Church. Alvare, associate professor of law at George Mason University School of Law, followed the cardinal with her talk on “Women, the

Federal Government and Religious Freedom.” She focused on government threats to religious freedom, such as the federal health care law’s contraceptive mandate. She said she was confident seeking recourse through the U.S. courts and the Constitution would ultimately protect religious freedom from current threats. “Now is a moment in time to have this conversation,” she said. Hahn, who is a professor of theology and Scripture at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, spoke on the “Bible, Eucharist and the New Evangelization.” He said evangelization should be based in the Eucharist and added that Catholics proclaim a eucharistic Christ. “The Church evangelizes every time we celebrate the Eucharist,” he said. Retired Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend was among those who gathered for the anniversary celebration. “It was an honor to be closely involved with Our Sunday Visitor for 25 years as chairman of the board of directors,” he told Today’s Catholic, the diocesan newspaper. “It was a learning experience, and I was especially enlightened by the men and women who served with me on the board. OSV has been an instrument of truth and a great blessing for the Church and for the diocese.” One thing essential to the priesthood “is to celebrate the Eucharist and to provide the Sacraments to people,” said Msgr. Campion, who was master of ceremonies for the anniversary celebration. “The other,” he said, “is to proclaim the Word of the Lord and to apply the lessons of the Gospel to individuals and to situations in current life. Being at Our Sunday Visitor for 20 years has given me the opportunity to do this in a way that only the facilities of a national Catholic publication can provide.”


October 12, 2012

The Church in the World

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Pope’s former butler found guilty; sentenced to 18 months in prison

the good doctor — A sign in Spanish saying “Almodovar del Campo, the birthplace of St. John of Avila, congratulates its doctor,” is seen before the opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican October 7. During the Mass, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the 16-century Spanish saint as the 34th doctor of the Church. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Prelate urges financial, grass-roots support for traditional Marriage

BALTIMORE (CNS) — Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori and other religious leaders recently asked supporters of traditional Marriage to join efforts to overturn Maryland’s new law legalizing same-sex marriage. More than 200 people attended an invitation-only event at St. Mary’s Seminary. The group included representatives from Christian, Muslim and Mormon communities, as well as written support from the Orthodox Jewish community, who were observing Yom Kippur. Church leaders urged those in attendance to take their “feet to the street” and “get souls to the polls” to vote “no” on Question 6, the Maryland ballot referendum that seeks to legalize same-sex marriage. Archbishop Lori hosted the event as chairman of the Maryland Catholic Conference, the bishops’

public policy arm. It was sponsored by the Maryland Marriage Alliance. The Catholic conference is a coalition partner of the alliance. The conference’s executive director, Mary Ellen Russell, and alliance chairman Derek McCoy also spoke at the event, as did the Rev. John Jenkins, pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden; the Rev. Frank Reid, pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Baltimore; and Martin Johnson, a leader in the Maple Ridge Bruderhof Community near Ulster Park, N.Y. In Maryland, state lawmakers in February passed a measure to allow same-sex marriage in the state and it was signed into law in March by Gov. Martin O’Malley. Under its provisions, same-sex couples would be permitted to marry beginning Jan. 1, 2013. Opponents of the law collected enough signatures to

DOUGLASTON, N.Y. (CNS) — Parish vitality depends on competent, professionally-trained catechetical leaders, according to a new charter by New York state’s Catholic bishops. “The Catechetical Leader in the Third Millennium” document was launched September 27 at a meeting of the New York state bishops and diocesan directors of Religious Education. More than 400 pastors, religious educators and 22 bishops participated in the daylong event, which was held at the Immaculate Conception Center in the Douglaston section of Queens. In a letter convening the meeting, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York wrote: “The very vitality of our parishes is dependent on the quality of the catechesis we offer, not just to the children and youth, but also to adults, many of whom have a sketchy understanding of the faith and are in danger of slipping away, taking their children

and the future of parish life with them.” The charter outlines the priority that the state’s bishops, pastors, pastoral managers and parish catechetical leaders should give to handing on the faith in these challenging times, according to Cardinal Dolan. “It underscores the role of catechesis at the heart of evangelization and the crucial importance of professionally prepared catechetical leaders of children, youth and adults.” Cardinal Dolan said the document reflects deep concern about the diminishing number of professionally prepared catechetical leaders and the consequent detrimental effect on parish catechetical programs. “We all wish that in each parish, Faith Formation could receive all the support it deserves. In reality, it is one of many activities competing for the shrinking resources of a parish,” he said.

Handing on faith must be priority for all in Church, says new charter

put the issue on the ballot for the November 6 election, so Maryland voters will decide if the law takes effect. Same-sex marriage is on the ballot in three other states as well. In Washington, a referendum seeking to overturn that state’s samesex marriage law is on the ballot. In Minnesota, voters will decide whether to pass a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In Maine, voters will decide on an initiative on same-sex marriage, three years after a referendum overturned a law passed by the Legislature. Archbishop Lori in his remarks noted that the Bible opens and closes with images of Marriage — Adam and Eve in Genesis and the Book of Revelation’s wedding feast of the lamb. “The union of man and woman is not only good for the couple, but for the entire community of believers and for humanity, because Marriage serves as a model and as a reference point for all that God calls humanity to be,” Archbishop Lori said. The Catholic Church and other faith traditions value Marriage as a unique relationship reserved for one man and one woman because it can create children and it raises them in relationship with their biological mothers and fathers, Archbishop Lori said. “You can be for traditional Marriage and be a loving person — someone who wants what is best for society, what is best for families, and what is best for children,” he said. Also attending the event were Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Del., which includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore; Baltimore Auxiliary Bishops Denis J. Madden and Mitchell T. Rozanski; and Auxiliary Bishops Martin D. Holley and Barry C. Knestout of Washington. The Washington Archdiocese includes some Maryland counties.

Vatican City (CNA and they would take him back to his CNS) — Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s Vatican apartment under house arformer butler, has been sentenced rest. The defense has three days to to 18 months in prison after being inform the court if it intends to apfound guilty of stealing confiden- peal. tial Vatican papers — but it is likely “It’s a good sentence, a balanced that the 46-year-old Italian will re- sentence,” she told reporters. She ceive a pardon from Pope Benedict said she and Gabriele had made no XVI. decision about the appeal. Eyewitnesses said that Gabriele In its sentence, the court did not sat impassively as Judge Giuseppe order a restriction of Vatican jobs Dalla Torre handed down the sen- Gabriele could hold in the future; tence. The three-year prison sen- it did, however, order him to pay tence was reduced to 18 months court costs. due to “mitigating circumstances,” In his closing arguments, Nicola including Gabriele’s lack of previ- Picardi, the Vatican City prosecuous convictions, years of service tor, reminded the court that durand admission of wrongdoing. ing the interrogations before the Following the verdict, Vatican indictment and trial, Gabriele had spokesman Father Federico Lom- said he passed on only photocopbardi said the ies and never repossibility of a aolo Gabriele moved original papal pardon for documents, but worked in the the testimony Gabriele was now “very con- Papal Household under of Msgr. Georg crete and very both Pope John Paul II Ganswein, the likely.” and Pope Benedict XVI. pope’s personal In his final secretary, and six address to the He was one of very few police officers court Gabriele individuals who had proved he had, in told the panel of daily access to the pope. fact, taken origithree judges “I Within the close-knit nals. do not feel like The prosecuI’m a thief,” add- family atmosphere of the tor also told the ing that he “acted Papal Apartment, Ga- court that Gabrionly out of vis- briele was affectionately ele was fascinatceral love for the nicknamed “Paoletto” ed by secret serChurch of Christ vice operations and for its visible or “little Paul.” and thought the head on earth.” Holy Spirit sent He said that he him as an agent had acted alone and without ac- to help the pope. Picardi also said complices. Gabriele believed “the pope was During the week-long trial, the not sufficiently informed” about judges had heard how Gabriele Vatican scandals and careerism, stole copies of confidential docu- and he told investigators he hoped ments from the Papal Apartments. to help bring those problems to These included personal correspon- light. dence between Pope Benedict and Picardi said that while it is difvarious cardinals along with en- ficult to believe that one person crypted communications from pa- collected all the stolen documents pal ambassadors across the world. alone, Gabriele claimed he acted Some of the papers were marked in on his own, and the investigation German “to be destroyed” and were found no proof of other accomwritten in the pope’s handwriting. plices — other than, perhaps, the The butler’s Vatican apartment Vatican computer expert, who is was searched by police officers on facing charges of aiding and abetMay 23, following the publication ting Gabriele. of several confidential letters in Gabriele’s lawyer, Arru, told the Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi’s court that while what Gabriele did book “Your Holiness.” In total, of- was “illicit,” he was not guilty of ficers removed 82 crates of mate- theft since all he did was photocopy rial from the Gabriele family home, documents and not steal them. She including approximately 1,000 in- said she believed the police who criminating documents. testified to finding originals were Paolo Gabriele worked in the wrong; they simply didn’t recogPapal Household under both Pope nize the fact that color photocopies John Paul II and Pope Benedict could look like originals. XVI. He was one of very few indiIn addition, she said, Gabriele viduals who had daily access to the reaped no benefit from photocopypope. Within the close-knit fam- ing the documents. ily atmosphere of the Papal ApartArru urged the judges to considment, Gabriele was affectionately er Gabriele’s motives for acting and nicknamed “Paoletto” or “little to impose only a minimal sentence. Paul.” He is married and has three “He felt forced (to act) by the evil children. he saw” around him at the Vatican, His lawyer, Cristiana Arru, said Arru said.

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The Anchor Valuable time with our Eucharistic Lord

This Tuesday in Egypt a criminal court prosecutor from the ancient city of Alexandria, where St. Mark the Evangelist is considered the founder of Christianity in that locale, “broke into the church of the St. Mary in Rashid at 4 p.m. and demolished a great part of its altar. They came to the church with front loaders. He had no demolition order,” reported the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA). This was not a Catholic church, but a former Greek Orthodox church, which had been purchased by the Coptic Orthodox Church. The church dates back to the ninth century. The town of Rashid is 40 miles east of Alexandria. AINA reported that the pastor, “Father Maximos of St. Mary’s Church said that he rushed to the police station with Father Luke Asaad and their lawyer to try to bring the police to help. In the police station the prosecutor and his two sons threatened to kill the two priests and their lawyer. A police report was filed regarding those threats. ‘We stayed at the police station for over six hours with the police begging prosecutor Kamel and his two sons not to demolish the church,’ said Father Maximos, ‘in spite of them not having a demolition order.’” The prosecutor had in the past tried to purchase the property, but was unsuccessful, so decided to take the law in his own hands. Because he was a prosecutor, the police were reluctant to take legal action against him, according to the wire service. What is the relevance of this happening in Egypt for us Catholics here in Southeastern Massachusetts? One thing is the fact that we, too, face people in positions of political power who believe that they can dictate to the Church what she must do, even when according to the United States Constitution they do not really have this authority. The controversy about the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations requiring religious employers to provide abortifacient and sterilization coverage through employee health insurance plans is just the most recent and egregious example of government overstepping its bounds in regards to the inner working of religions. President Harry S. Truman spoke about the origin of law in our society. “The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws was given to Moses on the Mount,” he said. “If we don’t have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the state.” In this push-and-pull between the federal government and the Catholic Church (which has been aided by many Protestants and Jews), the state is claiming that there is a new right to have one’s employer pay for services which result in the destruction of human life. As Truman said, the government is claiming to be the arbiter of rights, while our founders said that rights were something which we had, “endowed by our Creator.” On the local level, the situation in Egypt might also bring to mind the occasional need which the Church faces of having to demolish a house of worship. This is not a decision that is taken lightly and is not done out of a hostile motive, as was done in the altar desecration in Alexandria. Due to the decreased level of religious practice in this part of the country, the Church can no longer afford to maintain open buildings that once were full of people, but now have rather small congregations which cannot financially support their present structures. In many cases the diocese has covered the bills of these parishes for years or decades, paying the insurance companies, covering the pension costs, etc. However, no diocese has an infinite amount of money from which it can provide for small parishes (and the Vatican certainly does not have money to maintain parishes in relatively rich countries like the United States. What extra money it does have goes to the Church in the Third World). Nonetheless, civil political leaders feel the need to interfere in the inner workings of the Church in these matters. The state does have a right to require permits, hold public meetings, or even raise money (although the Americans for Civil Liberties Union would object to any government money going towards a church building, which is why such non-religious ends as maintaining historically significant church buildings such as the First Baptist Church in New Bedford [due to its historical significance of being on the city seal of New Bedford and being the place where Robert’s Rules of Order were formulated] or the First Parish Unitarian in Quincy [where two presidents are buried] require years of negotiations, to make sure that it not appear that the government is establishing a state religion). The individual members of the government are free to let their voices be heard in internal church discussions, just as individual Christians are free to let their voices be heard in the public square. The state cannot interfere in the decision-making process of the Catholic Church regarding pastoral planning. Attempts have been made to do so, both in Massachusetts (after the Archdiocese of Boston closed several parishes, when Catholics in the legislature tried to make the attorney general the final arbiter on church and school closings. Thankfully, Protestant and Jewish politicians saved the Catholic Church from that proposed law) and in Connecticut (where the legislature attempted to remove control of parishes from diocesan bishops and transfer them to local lay trustees — again, members of other religions came to the defense of the Catholic Church, pointing out that the state had no authority to determine the institutional structure of Catholicism). What should be done? On the local level, what needs to happen is people need to attend Mass. That is the primary remedy for the current crisis that we face. If we celebrated every Sunday with our Eucharistic Lord, He would give us the energy we need to be able to bring other people to encounter Him in Word and Sacrament. He would give us the strength we need to face challenges to our freedom of religion. He would unite us spiritually to our fellow Christians throughout the world who face much greater struggles than we do. We would know that we are One Body with them, united in Christ’s love. No other plan will work without coming to the Lord and offering up our lives to Him, Who gave His life for us. Before His Body on the altar, we will pray to the Heavenly Father, “Thy will be done.”

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October 12, 2012

Focusing on the faith by which we believe

esterday, the Church began the necessarily be a Year of Faith. Something Year of Faith. more is needed. The context of this holy year is rather There’s a classic distinction about faith clear: It began four days into the Synod on that goes back to St. Augustine in the fifth the New Evangelization and the Transcentury. He distinguished the fides qua mission of the Faith, a three-week “mini from the fides quae. Even though there’s Vatican Council” of representatives from only one letter’s worth of difference, there the Church all over the world with Pope is a great difference in meaning in the Benedict, because of the crucial connecLatin expressions that denote, respectively, tion between faith and evangelization. “the faith by which things are believed” The New Evangelization — the reand the “faith that is believed.” The fides proposal of the Gospel to those who have qua refers to the act of entrustment we been baptized but who either no longer make to God; the fides quae refers to the believe the Catholic faith or who are not content we believe on the basis of that living in accordance with it — is argutrust in God Who reveals it. Every act of ably Pope Benedict’s biggest priority, faith is a belief in something (fides quae) the reason for which several conclaveon the basis of a trust in someone (fides participating cardinals said they elected qua). him. There is a real danger that, without a The real goal of a year dedicated to profound revitalization of faith, many parts increasing our faith ought to be focused of Europe on account of secularization and on both the fides qua and the fides quae. Muslim immigrant birth rates might go the If we’re going to give priority to one of way of various countries in Northern Afthe two, however, I believe that priority rica, and lose the presence of the Christian should be given to the fides qua, which I faith altogether. think is the greater crisis today. Pope Benedict called this synod to There is certainly an issue of religious focus the attenilliteracy that tion of the unineeds to be versal Church remedied on the need for by a greater a New Evangeknowledge of lization. He’s the content of formed a new the faith, but I department in think that that’s By Father the Vatican Cunot the princiria specifically Roger J. Landry ple reason why to promote the we need a New New EvangeEvangelization lization. And he has been preaching and prepared for by a Year of Faith. The main teaching about the need for it ever since he issue is a lack of trust in God and therefore was elected. in His teachings. While it’s clear that many But the New Evangelization is not an don’t know the “why” behind the “what” effort a pope can single-handedly achieve. of the content of the Christian faith, I think It’s not something that can be accomin most circumstances, they do know the plished by a synod or even by the con“that.” certed effort of zealous bishops, or priests, Many who know, for example, that or religious. It is an effort that requires all Jesus and the Church speak very forcefully hands on deck in Peter’s barque. about the meaning of Marriage as an indisAnd that’s why there’s a need for a soluble union of one man and one woman Year of Faith, because we can’t pass on from the beginning, that He speaks about the faith to others unless we understand it forgiving 70 times seven, that He eagerly and are living it. We can only give what desires to eat the Passover of the Eucharist we have. The Year of Faith is precisely with us at least each Sunday, and that He about the internal evangelization of those established the Sacrament of Penance on in the Church before attempting external Easter Sunday evening, still nevertheless evangelization of those who have stopped deliberately decide to divorce and recoming to Church. It’s a chance to asmarry, to support husbandless or wifeless similate the faith more deeply so that they pseudomarriages, to hold grudges and seek in turn, more capably, more naturally and revenge, to put work, sports, sleep and so more supernaturally, can transmit that faith many other things above Sunday Mass, to others and to avoid the Sacrament of Penance With regard to the need for those in the for years. The deep reason for this is not Church first to be evangelized before being ignorance, but the failure to connect these capable to carry out the New Evangelizatruths of faith to their trust in Jesus and tion, it’s important for us to ponder someto grasp that to believe in Jesus means to thing that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of believe in what He said and did, includDublin, Ireland, said in 2010 with regard ing what He did in founding a Church and to the state of the Church on the Emerald sending the Holy Spirit to guide it to all Isle. He said that Ireland was probably the truth and to prevent it from erring with most catechized country on earth, but the regard to what we need to believe (faith) least evangelized: basically everyone has and do (morals) to please God and enter studied and can regurgitate the doctrines into His life. of the Catholic faith, but many know them Therefore, I think the real goal for the only at a superficial level, at the level of Year of Faith is to collaborate with the trivia. Many have never believed them, Holy Spirit to fortify the fides qua so that understood them and lived by them with we and others may have a stronger hunger the principle of faith. to know and to live the fides quae. This is I bring his observation up because one the type of trust St. Peter had when, after of the dangers we face as we begin this a fishless night on the Sea of Galilee, he Year of Faith — a danger to which I think put out into the deep again and lowered his many dioceses and even some Vatican nets for a catch. departments have succumbed — is to look To buttress the fides qua is one of the at this Year of Faith fundamentally as a reasons why in Pope Benedict’s letter “The “Year of Catechesis” in which the “CatGate of Faith” launching the Year of Faith, echism of the Catholic Church” and the he spent so much time talking about the documents of the Second Vatican Council heroes of faith, those who show us what can be studied on the respective 20th and faith looks like. 50th anniversaries. In an age of wideWe’re all called to be able to be looked spread religious illiteracy in the United at as real icons of fides qua as, over this States due to a few decades of insufficient year, we grow in the ability to credible catechetical formation of young people, teachers of the fides quae to a world and this is a great temptation. But Archbishop Church in need of both. Martin’s thoughts help us to recognize that Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernaeven a superb Catechetical Year would not dette Parish in Fall River.

Putting Into the Deep


October 12, 2012

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Talking Americans down from the assisted-suicide ledge

everal states are considering legislative measures to let physicians prescribe (but not administer) a lethal dose of a toxic drug to their patients, thereby assisting their patients to commit suicide. This is known as physician-assisted suicide. Advocates of this practice assure us that this can be a good choice for someone who is dying, or who wants to die. If physician-assisted suicide really represents a “good choice,” we need to ask: why should only physicians be able to participate? Why should only physicians be allowed to undermine public trust of their profession through these kinds of death-dealing activities? Why not include police, for example? If a sick person expresses a wish to die, the police could be notified, and an officer would arrive bearing a suitable firearm. He would load it with bullets, cock the gun, and place it on the bedside stand of the sick patient. After giving instruction on the best way to angle the barrel, the officer would depart, and the patient could then pick the device up and shoot himself — “policeassisted suicide.” Besides physician-assisted suicide and police-assisted suicide, “military-assisted suicide” could be offered as well. Members of the armed

forces would bring in a bridges have signs encouragstandard-issue hand grenade ing suicidal individuals to upon request, explaining seek help rather than jump. to the sick patient how to Suicide hotlines are open 24 remove the pin properly and hours a day because we seek how to place the device so as to achieve the most Making Sense rapid, painless Out of and destructive death. Bioethics The assistedBy Father Tad suicide paradigm Pacholczyk would readily admit other creative approaches as well — society could sanction “assisted to prevent as many deaths as drownings” where lifeguards we can. We treat as heroes could be asked to assist those who walk along bridgthose wishing to die by es or climb tall buildings and providing them millstones to try to talk people down. take them to the bottom of Commentator Greg Pfundlakes and oceans. stein stresses how this sound But if a lifeguard helped and consistent cultural mespeople drown, would you sage is flatly contradicted want him watching your when we allow physicians family at the beach? to prescribe lethal drugs so It is troubling how many people can kill themselves individuals fail to grasp the — it is like replacing the radical absurdity of allowing suicide intervention signs on physician-assisted suicide. bridges with signs that state, Suicide is no joking matter. “Ask your physician if jumpRegardless of how it traning is right for you.” Simply spires, it is a catastrophe put, such jumping is never a for those who end their own “good thing,” and it is only lives, for their loved ones our own foolhardiness that left behind, and for society lets us feign it could be, more broadly. whether physician-assisted Some people may decide or otherwise. that their lives are no longer I remember reading a letworth living, but our society ter to the editor in the local has always recognized that paper of a small town many decision to be a tragedy and years ago. The woman wrote a mistake; that’s why high about the death of her grand-

parents — well-educated, intelligent and seemingly in control of their faculties — who had tragically committed suicide together by drinking a deadly substance. They were elderly and struggling with various ailments. Her first-hand perspective was unflinching: “It took me years to forgive my grandparents after they committed suicide. I was so angry at what they had done to me and my family. I felt betrayed. I felt nauseated. At some fundamental level I just couldn’t believe it had really happened, and I couldn’t believe that they didn’t reach out to us for help. I thought the pain would never go away. The idea that suicide could ever be a good thing is a total crock and a lie. It leaves behind deep scars and immeasurable pain on the part of family and friends. We don’t have the right to take our own lives because we didn’t give ourselves life.” I’m reminded of the words of the mayor of one of our great cities, who declared:

“The crime rate isn’t so bad if you just don’t count the murders.” Assisted suicide, similarly, isn’t so bad if you just don’t count the victims: the many broken individuals, broken families, and broken hearts. A friend of mine in Canada has struggled with multiple sclerosis for many years. He often speaks out against assisted suicide. Recently, he sent me a picture of himself taken with his smiling grandchildren, one sitting on each arm of his wheelchair. Below the picture he wrote, “If I had opted for assisted suicide back in the mid1980s when I first developed MS, and it seemed life as I knew it was over, look what I would have missed. I had no idea that one day I would be head over heels in love with grandchildren! Never give up on life.” Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org.

Revised and updated ...

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he young man in the Gospel of Mark threw himself at the feet of Jesus and asked Him, “What am I to do to inherit eternal life?” and one of the most vivid stories in the Gospels began. Jesus quoted the Commandments which were the basis of the decent life to the young man who said that he had kept them all. In effect, the young man was saying, “I never in my life did anyone any harm.” That was perfectly true, but the real question was, “What good had he done?” Respectability, on the one hand consists in not doing things; Christianity on the other hand consists in doing things. That is precisely where this young man — like so many of us — fell short. So Jesus confronted him with a challenge. Stop

October 12, 2012

The Anchor

What is in our bucket?

looking at yourself and all draw water. When the that you have, and spend it bucket came up, it was all on others. That is what filled with nuggets of it will take to find true precious gold, but the happiness in time and in gold could not quench eternity. As we know, the his thirst, and the monk man could not do so. It may be respectable never to take Homily of the Week away from someTwenty-eighth Sunday one. He may never have stolen from nor in Ordinary Time defrauded anyone, By Deacon but neither had he Adelbert F. Malloy been positively and sacrificially generous. In reality, Jesus emptied the gold out onto was posing a basic and the sand. Again he lowessential question — “How ered the bucket and this much do you want real time it came up filled with Christianity?” The young fine silver. But the silver man’s answer was, “I want could not quench his thirst it — but I don’t want it and he flung it away with bad enough to give away disdain. For a moment, he all that I have.” prayed to God, the Giver There is a story about of all good gifts, and he a desert monk who was lowered the bucket a third thirsty, and lowered the time. When he drew up the bucket into his well to bucket this time, it was

brimming with cool sweet water, and the monk drank with gratitude. The monk realized that the thirst of his heart could never be satisfied with anything less than God Himself. No power, pleasure or possession can quench our thirst completely either. Only the Supreme Gift which is God Himself can fully satisfy us. While we may drop our buckets into many wells seeking contentment and happiness, the great St. Augustine says that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. We will always be judged by two standards — how we got our possessions and how we use them. Will we use them as if we had undisputed possession of them,

or remembering that we only hold them in stewardship from God? Pope Benedict XVI declared that a “Year of Faith began on October 11 and will conclude on Nov. 24, 2013. The Year of Faith is a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei 6). This is a perfect time for each of us to take stock of our relationship with God and strengthen it for our good and the good of others. When we lower our bucket into the well let us pray that God will give us a bucket of cool sweet water to quench the thirst of our hearts. A thirst that can only be quenched by a closer more dynamic relationship with our Heavenly Father. Deacon Malloy serves at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Oct. 13, Gal 3:22-29; Ps 105:2-7; Lk 11:27-28. Sun. Oct. 14, Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90:12-17; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27. Mon. Oct. 15, Gal 4:22-24,26-27,31—5:1; Ps 113:1-7; Lk 11:29-32. Tues. Oct. 16, Gal 5:1-6; Ps 119:41,4345,47-48; Lk 11:37-41. Wed. Oct. 17, Gal 5:18-25; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:42-46. Thurs. Oct. 18, 2 Tm 4:10-17b; Ps 145:10-13ab,17-18; Lk 10:1-9. Fri. Oct. 19, Eph 1:11-14; Ps 33:1-2,4-5,12-13; Lk 12:1-7.

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he Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, the most important Catholic event since the 16th-century Council of Trent, was solemnly opened by Pope John XXIII 50 years ago, on Oct. 11, 1962. Commentators ever since have taken that date as the beginning of the Catholic Church’s engagement with modern society and culture. In fact, however, the Church’s grappling with modernity began 84 years earlier, with the election of Pope Leo XIII on March 3, 1878. That date marks the beginning of the transition from the Catholicism of the Counter-Reformation to the Catholicism of the New Evangelization. And in that process of transition, Vatican II played a

Vatican II’s golden anniversary

crucial, accelerating role. early, reforming-years-pontifiVatican II is sometimes cate of Pius XII: the most-cited imagined to be an example of source (after the Bible) in the ecclesiastical parthenogenesis: the council just happened, absent significant antecedents, in a decisive rupture with the past. That, too, is a misconception. Leo XIII By George Weigel paved the way to Vatican II by initiating his reform of the Church’s philosophical and theological documents of Vatican II. No Leo life, by sponsoring Catholic bib- XIII, no Liturgical Movement, lical and historical studies, and no Catholic Action, no revival by defining the basic principles of Thomistic philosophy, no of Catholic social doctrine. The rediscovery of the importance of Leonine reform was intensified history for theology, no Pius XII by the Catholic intellectual and — no Vatican II. liturgical renaissance of the midJohn XXIII intended the 20th century, which shaped the council to be a new experience of Pentecost for the Church, so that Catholicism could more effectively proclaim the message of God’s mercy and love. Yes, the council opened the Church’s windows to the modern world. But the council also challenged the modern world to open its own windows (and doors, and skylights) in order to rediscover the world of transcendent Truth and Love — the world of the supernatural, which is the really real world. The growing end of early 21st-century Catholicism is found in local churches that

The Catholic Difference

have embraced the council’s evangelical intention and the council’s teaching in full. Those who have done so have found a new understanding of Word and Sacrament, the twin pillars of Catholic life, and a new passion for evangelism. It took a while. Vatican II was like no other ecumenical council in history, in that it did not provide authoritative keys for its own interpretation: the council fathers wrote no creed, condemned no heresy, legislated no new canons, defined no dogmas. Thus the decade and a half after the council ended on Dec. 8, 1965, was a bit of a free-for-all, as varying interpretations of the council (including appeals to an amorphous “spirit of Vatican II” that seems to have more in common with low-church Protestantism than with Catholicism) contended with each other in what amounted to an ecclesiastical civil war. Providence raised up two men of genius — John Paul II and Benedict XVI, both men of the council — to give Vatican II an authoritative interpretation. Their teaching, carried throughout the world by an unprecedented series of papal

pilgrimages, has given the Church the truth about the council — although some Catholics seem a bit slow to get the message. Moreover, in summoning the world Church to the great jubilee of 2000, John Paul II gave Catholicism the Pentecostal experience for which John XXIII had hoped, thus preparing the world Church to enter the third millennium with great missionary energy: to “put out into the deep,” as John Paul II put it, of the New Evangelization. And that, finally, is Vatican II’s message to every Catholic. Vatican II did not displace the Church’s tradition. Vatican II did not create do-it-yourselfCatholicism. Vatican II, which accelerated the great historical evolution of Catholicism from a Church of institutional maintenance to a Church of evangelical mission in a genuine and Spirit-led development of self-understanding, taught Catholics that they enter mission territory every day. The degree to which each of us brings the Gospel to others is the degree to which we understand Vatican II at its golden anniversary. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.


October 12, 2012

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

Woman from diocese to receive Pro-Life award

FALL RIVER — Dorothy Nicolau of the former Immaculate Conception Parish in Fall River will be honored at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life’s annual dinner to be held at Lantana in Randolph on October 19. Nicolau will receive the Fall River Chapter Service Award in recognition for her many years helping and promoting the ProLife cause.

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The Anchor Dorothy Nicolau has been a staunch Pro-Life advocate for many years and the Greater Fall River Chapter of MCFL is stronger and more effective due to her role. Nicolau served as the organization’s secretary and her reports were always timely and clear to enable the chapter to manage its commitments. In addition, she was always a member who would make the sacrifice to travel to Washington D.C. each year to let

the government know that Roe vs. Wade was a bad decision. Nicolau was always there whenever there was work to do. For many years she helped decorate a Pro-Life float for the Fall River Celebrates America parade. She and her granddaughter would come to help set up the float the day ahead, ride the float and be sure to stay until the float was dismantled. She continues to help coordinate the distribution of the roses for the annual MCFL

Beware the benign

tion laws.” ost of the country Before dissecting the has heard of the deproblem, it is important to cision by one public school separate the two issues ensystem in Rhode Island to compassed in the complaint. amend its policy towards Two problems arose years “gendered” activities for its ago with the original concept students. Cranston hosts the — the father-daughter dance. typical middle school events The first stemmed from the — father-daughter dances rising divorce rates, wherein and mother-son sports outfewer girls could participate ings — which facilitate family and community bonding. Such lighthearted group activities provide memories and photo-ops for posterity during this otherwise awkward By Genevieve Kineke phase for parents and pre-teens, and have created a rite of paswith their own fathers. Thus sage in the process. the first shift led to a form Last year, a single mother of “ladies’ choice,” by which wrote to the Cranston school a girl could ask her stepdepartment to express her father, older brother, uncle, frustration with the local “Me or grandfather. As the traand My Guy Dinner Dance,” ditional family deteriorated which would be inaccessible even further, her choice was to her daughter, who had no widened to include any man, male adult to invite. The loleading to the “me and my cal chapters of the American guy” concept which exists Civil Liberties Union and the today. Yet, as we see, some National Organization for girls still aren’t able to invite Women defended the mother, a man for various reasons. saying that any event that At this point we should stop was not entirely inclusive and lament how tragic it is was unacceptable. that any girl should grow up A letter co-signed by the devoid of male support or state heads of the ACLU and affirmation — thus risking NOW posits: “While federal serious pathologies, not to law prohibiting sex discrimimention lifelong heartache. nation in education, known The second shift stemmed as Title IX, contains an exemption for ‘father-daughter’ from the standard “Me too!” response that often takes and ‘mother-son’ activities, place, sending mothers it emphasized that ‘if such scrambling for activities to activities are provided for share with their sons, lest the the students of one sex, opboys notice that their sisters portunities for reasonably got an extra night out. Since comparable activities shall few boys have an interest be provided for the students in dancing (especially with of the other sex.’ A dance for their mothers!) they were girls and a baseball game for coaxed out of the house with boys particularly in light of sports — and a mirror event the stereotypes they embody, was born. are not, we submit, ‘reasonAs important as it is to ably comparable activities.’ wonder how mothers and To the contrary, these stereofathers each impact the fortypes at their core undermine mation of their children, the the goal of anti-discrimina-

The Feminine Genius

prevailing question in this story concerns the inaccurate rendering of what constitutes a stereotype. It is certainly true that not all girls like to dance, and not all boys like to watch sports, but if we cannot arrange entertainment around general cultural constructs — music, dancing, sports, shared meals, corsages, shiny shoes, and traditional courtship — then we will succumb to anarchy, which will be far worse than the occasional “exclusive” event. While single parents and so-called stereotypes are two distinct phenomena, they are not unrelated. The more fragmented that families become, the less children are supported by strong male and female role models, which is a significant factor in gender confusion and the wider deconstruction threatening the existing culture. The letter above continues: “We realize that some may view these types of gender-based events as benign. But sex-discrimination and stereotyping are no small matter.” In this, the writers are entirely correct. Decisions concerning such matters are very important, and for that reason they need to be properly argued — and free of androgynous reasoning and envy. One truism states, “Hard cases make bad law,” and in this light the center of family life must hold firm. If such “hard cases” succeed in dictating to the wider community, which hopes to leave some sort of culture to the next generation, then there will be no culture left to inherit. Mrs. Kineke lives in East Greenwich, R.I. and can be found online at femininegenius.com.

Rose Drive. Annually the chapter to Help Mothers with Children. orders between 5,000 and 7,000 The past two years have been very successful, with roses so her assistance the bus being sold out in sorting, packageach time. She also ing and delivering the provided publicity to flowers is a big help. newspapers, sending As part of her all the letters to the advocacy and as a pastors for their bulmember of the former letin announcements, Immaculate Concepand she took calls for tion Parish, Nicolau the rider reservations. always coordinated Keynote speaker any Pro-Life activifor the October 19 ties of the chapter to D orothy dinner, themed “Deensure that her parish N icolau fending Life from took part. Conception to Natural For the last few Death,” will be Mary Anne Glenyears Nicolau has not been able don, professor at Harvard Law to attend MCFL meetings, but she School and former ambassador to still single-handedly manages the the Vatican. full responsibility of coordinating For tickets or more informaa bus from Fall River and Taunton tion, call 617-242-4199. to support the state MCFL Walk

a new year — Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich recently launched the Year of Faith with a group of enthusiastic young people joined by Pastor Father George Harrison, Father Michael Fitzpatrick and YOF Parish Coordinator John DellaMorte. “Reclaim the Fire!” will be the parish theme for the year which opened October 10, with the usual Wednesday evening Confessions. Father Edward A. Murphy then celebrated Mass followed by prayers for healing and Benediction. Parishioners gathered for coffee and dessert in St. Theresa Hall afterward.


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The Anchor

October 12, 2012

Cardinal Wuerl: Synod strives to turn back ‘tsunami of secularism’

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At the Synod of Bishops, which opened October 7 with a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Square, some 250 prelates from around the world are meeting for three weeks to talk and pray about the New Evangelization. Long after the bishops have expressed their diverse views, Pope Benedict XVI will have the last word in an authoritative document

of reflections called a post-synodal apostolic exhortation. In the meantime, none of the participants has a better overview of the Vatican gathering, or of the questions it will examine, than Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. As the synod’s relator, Cardinal Wuerl has reviewed preliminary suggestions from bishops’ conferences around the world and synthesized them in a speech he delivered

in Latin at the first working session October 8. The cardinal addressed the assembly again 10 days later, once more in Latin, to summarize hundreds of speeches by his fellow bishops. Initiated by Blessed John Paul II and eagerly embraced by his successor, the New Evangelization is a project aimed at reviving Catholic faith in increasingly secular societies, especially the wealthiest Western nations. For Cardinal Wuerl, it is also an opportunity to fulfill the goal for which Blessed John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council: a faithful presentation of Catholic teachings in a way “attractive to a very rapidly changing culture.” It’s no mere coincidence, the cardinal said, that the synod overlaps with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the council which Pope Benedict had designated as the beginning of a special Year of Faith. Like Vatican II, the cardinal said, the synod will emphasize continuity with the Church’s ancient traditions. “There is a continuum of Catholic faith going all the way back to the Creed, going all the way back to the Apostles,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “That continuum is where we find the articulation of our faith.” Although Vatican II was faithful to the Church’s traditional doctrines, the cardinal said, implementation of the council’s teachings in the 1960s and 1970s coincided with a “current of secularism sweeping the Western world,” especially Europe. “It’s almost as if a tsunami of secularism washed across Western Europe and, when it receded, it took with it all of those foundational concepts: family, Marriage, right and wrong, common good, objective order,” he said.

In Europe and beyond, the cardinal said, that secular wave accompanied a loosening of standards in Catholic Religious Education. “Somehow we were to be catechizing without content,” the cardinal said, describing what he called a widespread attitude at the time. “Somehow there was supposed to be communicated some experience, some idea that God loves us, we love God, but it wasn’t rooted in the Creed. “As our Holy Father has pointed out so many times,” the cardinal said, “if you are not proclaiming the Christ that the Church knows and lives, then you could be proclaiming a Christ that you’ve created.” The cost of poor catechesis, Cardinal Wuerl said, was a “diminished allegiance from two generations” of Catholics. A key part of the Church’s response to that development was the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” whose compilation was overseen by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger when the future pope was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In another non-coincidence, the 20th anniversary of the “Catechism’s” publication was also celebrated October 11. The cardinal said the “Catechism” has been the basis for dramatic improvement in Religious Education over the last two decades, especially in the United States. When he and other U.S. bishops

met with Pope Benedict earlier this year during their “ad limina” visits, Cardinal Wuerl said he was happy to report the sound state of Catholic education at the elementary and secondary school levels. “And at the level of the colleges?” the pope replied, with a smile and what the cardinal describes as a “twinkle in his eye.” The Church in America has a “long way to go” to bring Catholic higher education back into harmony with Church teaching, the cardinal said, and an essential part of that effort is restoring the “institutional identity” of Catholic colleges and universities. Effective evangelization, he explained, requires that “we speak out of our own identity as members of the Church, as Catholics, as people who hold dear the Creed, who worship at the table of the Eucharist, and who simply know Christ is with us.” Despite the setbacks of earlier decades, he said he draws hope from the growing interest among youth in the teachings of the Church. “We have a whole new group of young people coming along,” the cardinal said, “and they’re saying, ‘this secular world isn’t answering my questions.’ “There is a lot of good happening,” he added. “We just have to find ways of tapping into it and inviting those young people to look to Christ for an answer.”

give him a hand — People watch as Pope Benedict XVI leaves after visiting Loreto, Italy, recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Turn to page 15


October 12, 2012

The Anchor

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Newark archbishop ordains deacons from NAC in Rome

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J., recently ordained 33 men from the Pontifical North American College to the diaconate in St. Peter’s Basilica. Hundreds of family members, friends and students filled the pews at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s as they watched the joy-filled Liturgy rich in symbolic tradition. Those attending the Mass included U.S. Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem and a former rector of the U.S. seminary in Rome; a number of U.S. bishops; and John McCarthy, who has been named Australia’s ambassador to the Vatican. Two of the new deacons studying at the college are Australians and were ordained for the Archdiocese of Sydney. The 31 Americans were ordained for 29 different dioceses across the United States. The men processed into the basilica to the sounds of the “Laudate Dominum” (“Praise the Lord”). Archbishop Myers, a former student at the college and chairman of its board of governors, delivered the homily. He recalled being in Rome during the last sessions of the Second Vatican Council, which, he said, put renewed emphasis on the Word of God, which the new deacons will be called upon to preach and explain. “We Catholics did not always value the Word of God as we should have. The Second Vatican Council and the authentic renewal to which the Holy Spirit called the Church changed that,” he said. Those who are called to serve the Church as ordained ministers are part of “a great office” whose limits are set “by our failure to love as Jesus loved,” he said. “Who we are and what we have become is like a ‘sounding board’ against which the Word of God reverberates. We must always remember that it is God’s Word and not our own,” he said. The reality of being human means being “limited, weak and sinful,” and therefore, the Church’s ministers must remember they are dependent on God’s help for fulfilling their mission. They must stay “in contact with the living and public proclamation of the Church,” he said. That kind of contact with the living presence of the Lord, with the Church’s living faith and traditions, “purifies and corrects” the minister’s experience, he said. As God’s servants are personally transformed, so too will those they serve. During the ceremony, the deacon candidates made the promises of celibacy, prayer, and obedience. All the new deacons are preparing for ordination to the priesthood. Several family members in the pews wiped tears from their eyes when the candidates went one by one to the archbishop, knelt before him and placed their hands between the hands of the archbishop during their promise of obedience. The men then prostrated themselves on the floor, in a sign of humility and prayer, as the congregation knelt and sang the Litany of the Saints. After the men were ordained deacons, they put on a deacon’s stole and vestment called the dalmatic. The ordination Mass was held on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the college’s deacon class of 2012. In his homily, Archbishop Myers said the way St. Francis lived his life “helped the Word come alive in people’s hearts and minds and lives.” He said what St. Francis said then is “timeless and appropriate for each of us today: ‘Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.’”

great occasion — Deacons from the Pontifical North American College were recently ordained in St. Peter’s Basilica. (CNS/EWTN News photo)


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October 12, 2012

The Anchor

Religious orders say social media use spurs more interest in vocations

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Several religious congregations and organizations are taking advantage of social media to “introduce” individuals discerning a call to a vocation and the seminary, convent or monastery that fits them. With more than 1,400 likes on Facebook, the National Religious Vocation Conference takes full advantage of social networking, through its Vision Vocation Guide and other outlets. At VocationMatch.com, also operated by the Chicago-based conference, a brief questionnaire tells “discerners” — those considering a commitment to religious life — what their seminary, convent or monastery matches are. People post questions daily about their life circumstances, inquiring about what resources could help them find the right vocation fit, and Vision connects them with the congregation that matches their interests. Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of the Vision Vocation Guide, said social media has brought the organization to a place greater than it could have been 15 years ago. “As the community’s use of social networking has increased, so have inquiries. They have quadrupled since we started having a presence online,” she told Catholic News Service. Vision is primarily a social networking site that attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year. Seventy-five percent of those are new visitors and 5,000 fill out profiles to find their vocational match, according to Vision’s tracking records. Prior to its launch as an online social network, 150,000 copies of the Vision guide were printed, which resulted in 600 inquiries mailed in by readers. Trinitarian Brother Josh Warshak of Baltimore credited Vision with giving him the information he needed in deciding what type of religious life was for him, and he would recommend it to any “discerner.” “I tell people Vision is kind of like eHarmony for those who have a religious vocation, it matches up your personality with the order that fits you best,” he said. Before finding Vision, Brother Josh was focused on becoming a priest but didn’t have access to much advice about the topic. “Vision showed me that there are so many other things,” he said, which led him to his community, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. Brother Josh, who is 25, said his Trinitarian vocations director, at 30 years old, was younger than most in that position and was extremely plugged in to social media. Brother Josh kept up on the order’s blog and communicated

regularly with the director during his discernment process via Facebook and email. Brother Josh said this is something that religious communities need to embrace. “My generation and younger, we grew up with technology being so integrated in our daily lives. It’s how we connect,” he said. The Congregation of Holy Cross — which founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and operates the seminary programs for its U.S. province there — is using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and blogs to promote its retreat weekends and increase general awareness of the congregation on the Internet. The congregation has 55 men in formation, its largest number since 1999. A news release said the province’s vocations program is “among the healthiest” for U.S. Catholic religious orders. Next spring three Holy Cross seminarians will be ordained priests; two are in the process for being ordained in 2014; and up to six could be ordained in 2015. “The personal interaction still comes first,” Father James T. Gallagher, Holy Cross vocations director, said in a statement. “Our social media outlets are just tools we use to help make Holy Cross known, share discernment tips, and help deepen a man’s prayer life.” Father Gallagher said in an interview with CNS that having a place in social media is a presence he wants. “That’s where young people are finding their news and information and connecting with friends. We want to have a presence they can find there,” he said. One of the largest, youngest and fastest growing orders in the U.S. is the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville, Tenn. With 284 Sisters in the congregation and 95 women in formation, the Sisters are considering getting a Facebook page. Dominican Sister Peter Marie said Facebook could be used as a tool to help spread information about the congregation and the Gospel. “The possibility of creating a Facebook page for our congregation comes from a desire to respond to the Holy Father’s call for the New Evangelization. We would hope to make resources available to catechists, teachers, families, home-school parents, and young people discerning a religious vocation,” she said. Whether to enter religious life is a private, personal decision for many, but Sister Peter Marie, Father Gallagher and Tuohy agree social media does not substitute for face-to-face interaction with a priest or woman religious.

face to face — Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace star in a scene from the movie “Taken 2.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsule below. (CNS photo/Fox)

CNS Movie Capsule NEW YORK (CNS) — The following is a capsule review of a movie recently reviewed by Catholic News Service. “Taken 2” (Fox) A retired CIA agent (Liam

Neeson) returns to the rampage when the father (Rade Sherbedgia) of the villain he dispatched in the first installment of this violent franchise seeks revenge with a kidnapping plot targeting the operative, his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) and their teen daughter (Maggie Grace). Though the perfunctory setup includes a nod or two in the direction of family togetherness and hints at a possible reconciliation for the divorced couple, mayhem for its own sake seems to be the driving principle

behind director Olivier Megaton’s otherwise largely pointless shoot-em-up. Frequent, sometimes gory violence, including beatings and torture, brief premarital sensuality, at least one use of profanity, occasional crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is AIII — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Digital dilemma: Church needs to show how Gospel is best search result

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Having a Catholic presence online isn’t enough for effective evangelization, the Vatican said. The Church must develop “a new way of thinking” in order to find ways that engage and help people meet Christ, it said. The Pontifical Council for Social Communications recently announced that Pope Benedict XVI had chosen “Social Networks: Portals of Truth and Faith; New Spaces for Evangelization” as the theme for World Communications Day 2013. The pope chose the theme in the context of the Year of Faith and amid fresh calls for launching a New Evangelization. The digital environment represents new missionary terrain, given that “technology has emerged as part of the fabric of connectivity of human experiences,” including how people build relationships and seek knowledge, the social communications council said. Therefore the Church needs to ask: Can technology and digital environments “help men and women meet Christ in faith?” the announcement said. “It is not enough to find an adequate language, but rather, it is necessary to learn how to present the Gospel as the answer to that basic human yearning for meaning and faith, which has already

found expression online,” it said. The new approach will require a new way of thinking because “it is not simply a question of how to use the Internet as

a means of evangelization, but instead, (one) of how to evangelize in a context where the lives of people find expression also in the digital arena,” the council said.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, October 14, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Karl C. Bissinger, Secretary to Bishop George W. Coleman and Diocesan Director of the Vocations Office


October 12, 2012

The Anchor

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Archbishop says ‘Ex Corde’ affirmed higher education’s Church role

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — It has been more than 12 years since Blessed John Paul II promulgated “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” an apostolic constitution that clarified the relationship between the diocesan bishop and the Catholic colleges and universities within his diocese. While the 1990 document is known best for the Latin word “mandatum,” which required Catholics teaching theology at a Catholic college or university to seek a “mandate” to do so from the local bishop, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond recently told an audience at Loyola University New Orleans that the document overwhelmingly affirmed the essential role of Catholic higher education as “a ministry of the Church.” “(John Paul II) makes it very clear that Catholic colleges and universities are indeed a ministry of the Church, and they form, in many ways, the heart of the Church,” Archbishop Aymond said in his talk, “Catholic Education: The Gifts and Challenges in 2012 and Beyond.” In launching the Presidential

Centennial Guest Series that cel- the role of Catholic higher educa- served as chairman of the board ebrates the 100th anniversary of tion often have been overlooked. of the National Catholic EducaLoyola University New Orleans, He said “Ex Corde Eccle- tional Association, said Catholic Archbishop Aymond said the siae” lauded Catholic colleges education must do more than “mandatum” is rooted in Canon and universities as places where simply prepare students for a pro812, which requires any Catholic “the Church does its thinking and fession. who teaches theology “The mission of the he mission of the Catholic col- Catholic college or uniin a Catholic institution to have a license or aplege or university is for students versity is for students proval to teach from the to gain knowledge and become wise and to gain knowledge and competent ecclesiastibecome wise and learn cal authority — the lo- learn how to become disciples of the Lord how to become disciples Jesus and to be prepared to enter a life of the Lord Jesus and to cal bishop. “What that really whereby they can truly live out their vo- be prepared to enter a means is that the bishop cation, their mission, and make moral life whereby they can sends forth that person truly live out their vocaand shares with him and spiritual choices,” he said. tion, their mission, and or her the ministry of make moral and spiriteaching,” Archbishop tual choices,” he said. Aymond said. research” and as institutions that Archbishop Aymond touched The document “invites bish- respect academic freedom. on the pastoral implications of ops and theologians to dialogue,” “Being the academician that “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” for Cathohe said, and offers the opportu- he was, John Paul says knowl- lic colleges in four areas: nity for theology professors “to edge in all areas should always — Governance: The Catholic make a commitment, either in lead us to faith questions, and a university “must be a place of writing or verbally, to always re- mature faith would hunger for learning that conveys in ‘subtle main faithful to Church teaching more knowledge,” Archbishop and direct’ ways an openness to as a theologian of the Church.” Aymond said. “He says there God. The Catholic university is Archbishop Aymond said it must be a mutual dialogue be- called by its very nature to have was “unfortunate” that so much tween faith and reason.” a relationship with the local attention has been given to the The archbishop, who was rec- Church. John Paul II says, spemandate while other elements of tor of Notre Dame Seminary in cifically, with the bishop.” the document strongly supporting New Orleans for 14 years and “In the mission statement, as well as in recruitment and advertisements, we should never be ashamed to say we are a Catholic institution and that we are connected to the mission and minisAccording to the Annual Sum- tor, feeding tube or chemotherapy try of Christ through the Catholic mary of Vital Statistics, 2.4 million concurrent with Hospice care. Church,” he said. Americans died in 2009, the latest Baker said his division’s main — Faculty: Catholic instituyear for which figures are avail- goal is to instill in every staff tions should help faculty memable. More than 21,000 of them member at St. Jude an understand- bers with convocations, days of were between the ages of one and ing of “integrated palliative care” prayer and continuing education 19, but the leading causes of death that benefits each patient from the to “grow personally in knowlwere accidents and homicide. moment he or she arrives at the edge and in faith so that they can Dr. Justin N. Baker, chief of the hospital and extends back to their understand the Catholic charism Division of Quality of Life and homes for the 60 percent who re- of the university.” Palliative Care at St. Jude Chil- turn there. — Course of studies: The goal dren’s Research Hospital in MemAs early as the registration pro- of the curriculum “is not simphis, Tenn., said palliative care and cess, the child’s pain level is as- ply to have people graduate but Hospice for children usually takes sessed and comfort care begins as to teach them how to live, teach place over a much longer period needed, Baker said. An hour later, them how to make important dethan that provided for adult pa- the patient’s pain level is re-evalutients. ated and further efforts are made to “In the adult world, the length ease his or her pain. of time on those services is quite Only about one-fifth of new small and the mortality rate is patients are referred directly to high,” he told CNS in a telephone Baker’s division for a consultainterview. “In pediatrics, there tion, he said. The rest receive palis much more care of those with liative care through their primary complex chronic conditions,” care team. which are “significant and lifeBaker said a “massive part of threatening.” our job” is providing phone conAlthough these younger pa- sultations and coordinated care tients do have a high mortality for St. Jude patients who have rerate, they are much more likely turned to their homes. than adults to be alive a year after “They may have access to phetheir initial consultation with the nomenal resources or just a tiny palliative care specialists, Baker little Podunk hospice,” he said. said. But the continued ties to St. Jude In addition, he said, while adult “puts a lot of parents’ minds at patients tend to stop receiving ex- ease,” Baker added. traordinary care when they enter “It’s a very scary time when Hospice, pediatric patients “fre- they think of leaving the safety net quently will require significant in- of this place,” he said. “We’re able terventions even during end-of-life to say, ‘St. Jude is going there with care.” That may include a ventila- you.’”

“T

Not ‘little adults’: Pediatric palliative care different in many ways

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Except for sharing a name, palliative care and Hospice for children has little to do with providing the same services for adult patients. “Children aren’t little adults, and caring for them is different,” says Barbara Roberts, executive director of Providence TrinityCare Hospice Foundation, which runs TrinityKids Care, the only pediatric Hospice program in Los Angeles and Orange counties. “Often adults are at the end of a long and wonderful life, and doctors know what that progression looks like,” Roberts said. “But a child might have something incredibly serious that has to be reviewed and treated and (he or she) may still be growing. It’s really challenging for anyone’s expertise.” In addition to the medical challenges, there are myriad of emotional consequences to a child’s illness that must be dealt with, she said. “No matter who is on Hospice, the entire family needs support,” she said. “A healthy sibling might wonder, ‘Did I do something?’ ‘Am I going to get sick next?’ We spend a lot of time really helping the whole family, with a particular focus on the siblings.” Only a tiny percentage of the younger population can benefit from palliative care.

cisions,” he said. In theological education, Archbishop Aymond said Catholic colleges should require every student to take at least an introduction to philosophy and theology. “Even if they don’t necessarily believe in what they are being taught, it’s an opportunity to be exposed to the Scriptures, spirituality and the teaching of our Church,” he said. He would rather see courses in theology begin with “a basic course in Christianity and in the very basic teachings of the Church and in the Scriptures” than a course on world religions. “Many Catholic students, through no fault of their own, do not know what Church teaching is,” he said. “Others may know Church teaching and have been turned off by it or chosen to reject it. Theological education offers the opportunity to dialogue, ask questions, express doubts, disagreement and even rejection of Church teaching — all of this in order to come to a better understanding of what those teachings might be. “In a Catholic college or university, a student should not lose his or her faith but explore it and gain knowledge.” — Care for students: “Our service to our students is to help them pause — to pause long enough during their years of study to know themselves better to know that they can in some way grasp and experience God’s unconditional and personal love for them,” he said. “In our ‘outcomes assessment,’ have we prepared people just to graduate, or have we prepared people to know their gifts and given them the opportunity to grow in faith and choose a profession that is matched to their gifts, where they can make a lasting contribution to the world?”


The Anchor

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O

A great old thyme

ne of the great benefits of working for The Anchor has been the opportunity to meet some great people. People who are warm, generous, genuine, and happy. I’ve had the privilege to meet Sister Briege McKenna, Ivan Dragicevic, Father Michael Scanlon, and I’ve even done some writing for Irish singer Dana. But the people in the Fall River Diocese are pretty special too. Last weekend I went to St. Anthony of the Desert Maronite Parish in Fall River to take a picture of Bishop Gregory Man-

My View From the Stands By Dave Jolivet

sour of the Brooklyn Eparchy. I had been to the parish before, and I love it there. The church is beautiful and the chapel is so peaceful. Over the years, I’ve grown to become friends with the pastor, Chorbishop Joseph Kaddo, so I knew an assignment there wouldn’t be a job, it would be a pleasure. The people of St. Anthony’s have always been a delight. The place was a beehive of activity with the bishop’s visit to celebrate the parish’s 100th and Chorbishop Kaddo’s 40th anniversaries. I sat in the dining area waiting for my photo op. It’s a warm, cozy living room/dining room area, and I was quite comfortable. While there, I was approached by priests, chorbishops, and monsignors from all over, who came for the festivities. Each gave me a warm greeting, and I felt more and more at home. Chorbishop Kaddo came whizzing by and I received my usual heartfelt greeting from him. He introduced me to Bishop Mansour. I felt I knew him already, having interviewed him by phone earlier in the week. He too, gave me a warm greeting. It didn’t surprise me. Everyone in

the parish is like that. Despite the busyness of that Sunday morning, Chorbishop Kaddo, knowing my penchant for Lebanese foods, set me up with some of the delectables to take home with me. He asked the wonderful women who were working in the kitchen to wrap up some meat pies, spinach pies, and some to-die-for manakish. Oh, the aroma of thyme and allspice and cinnamon! I could live just on the fragrance ... but it’s much better consumed. Chorbishop Kaddo told me I could freeze what I didn’t use. I told him they wouldn’t last that long. While I was still waiting, one of the lovely ladies asked me if I wanted sweet bread as well. Not that I had a choice. She asked if I had children. Knowing I had Emilie and her beau Danny at home, two 17-year-olds, I nodded in the affirmative. She piled on more. Bishop Mansour’s dad, George, sat with me and we had a delightful chat. Once again, I was made to feel at home. I did earn my keep for all this warmth, though. Bishop Mansour left to the garage area to retrieve his vestments. While I was there alone, I heard a knock. I thought nothing of it. A few moments later it was there again. I walked over to the source, opened it and there was the main celebrant for the upcoming Mass, locked in the garage. With a big smile, he thanked me. I told him, “That’s why I’m here.” “Thank God,” he responded. There were so many little things that happened that morning, but to me they were so big. All the warmth, the generosity, the genuineness, and the joy — that’s what being a Christian is all about. Not to mention the food. The savoriness of thyme still lingers in my noggin. I’ll never again indulge in Lebanese food without thinking about the great people at St. Anthony of the Desert Parish.

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

October 12, 2012

Council’s hope Bible would become ‘food for the soul’ being realized

OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) — Sam Cooper, an eight-year veteran of Bible study at his Midwestern parish says he has found “a new depth to my faith as we incorporate Scripture into our lives.” Cooper and his wife, Paula, have taken part in Bible study in their parish and have found that “sacred Scripture tends to find us where we are on our faith journey and speaks to our current needs or situations.” Like so many others, Sam Cooper’s faith has deepened and grown through his participation in these groups. Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council, the hopes the council fathers expressed in “Dei Verbum,” that the Bible become “food for the soul” is being realized. Today thousands of Catholics like the Coopers meet regularly for prayer and instruction on the Bible in parishes and diocesan centers all over the country. The groups range in size from five gathered in a living room to 200 in a school gym. Most groups meet for weeks to discuss a particular book or author of the Bible. Homework, discussions and sharing of materials are part of what goes on during these meetings. In Bible study classes at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Omaha, Neb., the church is doing what was set forth in “Dei Verbum” by “providing the nour-

ishment of the Scriptures for the people of God, to enlighten their minds, strengthen their wills and set men’s hearts on fire with the love of God.” “I have what I call ‘aha’ moments during my weekly preparation for our meetings,” said one participant. “Bible study provides a structure for me and a sense of commitment to reading and praying the Scriptures.” Many participants in Bible groups say their study of Scripture has brought them closer to Jesus and helped them to have greater awareness of God’s presence in history and in daily life. “I find myself listening more closely to the readings at Mass and better understanding the meaning of the readings,” one participant said. In most parishes, leaders who facilitate Bible study courses are trained by a diocesan office or through media presentations provided by publishers of Bible study materials. One facilitator said that the work of the Holy Spirit in her parish group is evident and seen in greater participation in Mass, in returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in faith-sharing at meetings and in a deeper sense of community. A young man who thought

Bible study would be boring discovered his parish’s group by talking to a friend. “I’ve found that the Scriptures are like a cushion to fall on when things don’t go my way. Knowing more about the Bible has helped me to feel closer to God and to the people I study with,” he said. In the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, or “Dei Verbum,” the council fathers encouraged all the Christian faithful to “put themselves in touch with the sacred text itself, whether it be through the Liturgy or through devotional reading or through instructions.” To assist parishes, Catholic publishers — with the guidance of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — have provided a rich variety of resources and strategies for parish Bible study. The practice of praying with the Scriptures has increased over the years, including in the use of the “lectio divina,” a meditative reflection on the Scriptures, which is becoming a more commonly used practice at retreats, parish days of reflection and in apostolic groups. As the council’s document on sacred Scripture proclaimed nearly 50 years ago, the Catholic faithful are discovering that “in the sacred books, the Father Who is in Heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them.”

Parishes called to welcome those with mental illness continued from page one

chronic and irreversible conditions. Others attribute the rate increase in part to the requirement of a diagnosis before pharmaceutical and insurance companies will dispense treatment. Unfortunately, treatment plans have long ignored a patient’s spiritual needs, said Sister Nancy Kehoe, RSCJ, a clinical psychologist and member of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. She authored the book “Wrestling With Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness.” When she began working with people who are mentally ill 30 years ago, no one wanted to address faith issues. Mental health professionals did not have the training to know what to do when a patient spoke about spirituality. “It was really unheard of in 1981 to have anyone suggest that it would be worthwhile to have a conversation with people with serious mental illness about religion because up until then, it was really just seen as part of their symptoms or a defense,” she said. “Either people pathologized it or they ignored it.” Contrary to the prevailing belief that faith was a part of a patient’s

mental illness, Sister Nancy soon discovered that it was often part of their strength. She started a group for people who wanted to talk about mental illness and religion. The group meets monthly at St. Paul Parish in Cambridge. When someone struggles with a severe mental illness, they often feel isolated. Their behaviors may put others at a distance, and they may have difficulty holding a job, keeping relationships and living on their own. Deacon Lambert said that many people at Sunday Mass privately struggle with mental illness and the vast majority are managing their illness well. “Nobody’s going to come up and say, ‘Well, I have schizophrenia, but I go to work every day, I hold a job, I have a marriage.’ But I guarantee there’s a lot of people who are in that situation,” he said. As “people of compassion and justice,” Catholics need to create safe havens for people to talk about their mental illness and allow their faith to be part of their healing. Something as simple as a prayer intention at Mass during Mental Illness Awareness Week may spark hope.

He said of his family’s reaction to his daughter’s diagnosis, “We relied very heavily on our faith. It was crucial in getting us through that. Through prayer and turning things over to the Lord, saying we’re going to deal with this situation with the strength and hope that comes from God and our faith. That’s really what got us through, quite honestly. It’s as simple as that.” Father Rodney Thibault, director of the Diocese of Fall River’s Pastoral Care of the Sick, said that his work in hospital ministry has brought him in frequent contact with people whose mental illnesses have put them in the psychiatric ward, often because they are battling suicidal thoughts. “I have found that people really do reach out, and they seek the presence of God in their lives in a moment like that. Usually, it’s to find that inner peace,” he said. “They know that Jesus is the One Who is the King of peace.” For specific ways your parish can reach out to its members struggling with mental illness, visit the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities website at http://ncpd. org/.


La Salette Shrine offers wide variety of upcoming events continued from page one

Demaris Thillet, a native of Puerto Rico, is a consultant for the Cantos del Pueblo de Dios, the Spanish language hymnal from WLP and will bring her vocal gifts to the conference. Pedro Rubalcava, a nationally-known clinician and performer in various musical styles, will also be participating. Additional participants include Jaime Cortez, Diego Correa, Alberto Coppo, Norma Garcia and many others. The musicians, said Cuellar, embrace their vocation to “enrich Liturgies and inspire people with the music. We want to encourage everybody to participate. This is going to be a great opportunity for all in the diocese.” Paula D’Arcy will be offering a retreat at La Salette from October 16-18 based on her ministries founded after the loss of her husband and daughter in a drunk driving accident. Only 27 years old at the time and three months pregnant, she survived unharmed. After the birth of her second daughter, D’Arcy embarked on the long process of healing. Since that time she has authored nine books, worked as a therapist in private practice and established a retreat and speaking ministry. In 2001 she started the Red Bird Foundation, which supports the growth and spiritual development of those in need. Falmouth resident Peggy Patenaude knew of D’Arcy through her books and heard her speak a year ago during a visit by D’Arcy to the Cape. “I was very impressed with her,” said Patenaude. “I decided to see if I could do a whole weekend retreat, so I booked it at La Salette.” The question at the heart of the Red Bird Foundation is, “Who is life bringing to our door today and are we able to help?” On her

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The Anchor

October 12, 2012

website, D’Arcy states that many individuals use different means to find the answer, from retreats to counseling to one-on-one conversations with each other. “Our work has grown to the international level, yet its hallmark remains the fact that we weigh evenly the meaning and effect of a large conference held in a convention center or a small circle meeting in a halfway house or jail,” reads the website. “We light the candles wherever and however we can. A single human heart is of the highest value. The true work we support is love. As we are able, we hold open a door.” “It’s going to be good,” said Patenaude of D’Arcy’s upcoming retreat. “She’s just very authentic and has a wonderful ability to connect her own story with everybody else’s story. She’s just very down-to-earth, humorous and has grown a lot through the tragedy of losing her family. You can just see how she has grown and integrated her experiences.” After hearing her speak last year, Patenaude hopes that those who attend will pull from the presentation whatever “that individual needs. I think she’s that kind of speaker, that you’re going to get what you need from her. I think there’s challenge, compassion; I just think she’s able to connect to a deeper meaning. She’s a very spiritual person and her relationship with God is im-

portant. I hope they will be uplifted and receive whatever they need. I do trust that will happen. She’s just a powerful speaker.” Patenaude is no stranger to headlining retreats. Since 2002 she has brought her “Taking Time Out” ministry to various retreat houses in the area. When Father Cyriac Mattathilanickal, director of La Salette Retreat Center, asked her if she’d be willing to start a program, Patenaude didn’t hesitate. Her series called “Spirituality for Everyday Living” is already underway, and her next installment called “Autumn Reflections,” focused on the theme of letting go, transitioning and change, will be held October 23 from 10-12:30 p.m. at La Salette. Patenaude said she applies her years of Religious Education and pastoral ministry to her retreats, and has been doing retreat work since 1975, “mostly with kids but I’ve gotten older,” she said, laughing, “so my audience has gotten older.” For a full list of participants for the East Coast Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference go to www.amphe.org; to read about D’Arcy, go to www. redbirdfoundation.com; to attend one of Patenaude’s retreats, go to www.timeoutretreats.com; to view the entire calendar of upcoming events at La Salette, go to www.lasalette-shrine.org/ retreat_house.

Pope authorizes granting of indulgences for Year of Faith events

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Catholics who participate in events connected with the 2012-2013 Year of Faith can receive a special indulgence, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI authorized the granting of a plenary, or full, indulgence in order to highlight the Year of Faith and encourage the “reading, or rather, the pious meditation on” the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” a recent decree said. The decree, which the Vatican released October 5, was signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, head of the Vatican tribunal that deals with indulgences and with matters related to the Sacrament of Penance. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. The plenary indulgence is being offered to pilgrims who visit sacred shrines, to Catholics who participate in local events connected to the Year of Faith, and to those who may be too ill or otherwise prevented from physical participation. It can be granted on behalf of the individual petitioner or on behalf of departed souls. The decree said conditions for the special Year of Faith indulgence include the normal requirements set by the Church for all plenary indulgences: that the person goes to

Confession, receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the pope. The decree explained in detail some specific requirements for the plenary indulgence: — Those visiting basilicas, cathedrals, catacombs or other sacred sites in the form of a pilgrimage must participate in a Liturgy, “or at least pause for an appropriate time in prayer and with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, where appropriate, of the Holy Apostles or patron saints.” — Catholic faithful in any local church can obtain the indulgence by attending three sermons at parish missions or three lectures on Vatican II or the “Catechism”; attending Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours on days designated by the local bishop for the Year of Faith; or visiting the place where they were baptized to renew baptismal vows. — Catholics who attend Mass celebrated by a bishop on the Year of Faith’s last day, the feast of Christ the King, will also receive the indulgence, as will those impeded by sickness or other serious cause from attending the Mass, as long as they are truly repentant and pray while listening to the bishop bestow the indulgence via television or radio.

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This week in 50 years ago — Ground-breaking ceremonies were held for the elementary school to be built for Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Taunton, with Bishop James L. Connolly officiating at the blessing of the ground and turning over the first spade of earth. 25 years ago — More than 500 catechists gathered at Bishop Stang High School, North Dartmouth, to attend the annual diocesan Religious Education convention. Highlights of the gathering, coordinated by the diocesan Department of Education, were a Mass celebrated by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin.

Diocesan history

10 years ago — Father Thomas L. Rita, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich, extended an invitation to attend the dedication and blessing of the parish’s new chapel of perpetual adoration. Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., was principal celebrant of a dedication Mass followed by the blessing ceremony. One year ago — Five diocesan health care professionals completed a year-long course administered by the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, and became certified under the National Catholic Health Care Ethics Program.

This Message Sponsored by the Following Business Concern in the Diocese of Fall River Gilbert C. Oliveira Insurance Agency


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Youth Pages

A+ Teacher — Marine science and bioethics instructor James Remillard is congratulated by students upon learning that he was named one of six New England teachers to earn the 2012 Harvard Club Excellence in Teaching Award from the Harvard Club of Boston. Teachers selected for this award are recognized for their ability to inspire curiosity and excellence among their students. He was recently recognized at a breakfast at the Harvard Club.

cool customers — At St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro the Buddy Program teaches kids to respect and care for each other. This program provides interactive activities between grades kindergarten and seven, and eight and one, and the Service Program for grades eight and seven whereby students give back to SJE. Shown here are seventh-graders Kyle Araujo, Shannon Barkan and Ronan Devlin with their buddies Connor Cembor, Sophia Collins and Aidan Cronin. They got together, drew pictures of each other and then enjoyed a popsicle.

October 12, 2012

it’s in the bag — Recently, the St. Mary-Sacred Heart School’s fourth-grade classes had a getting to know you Brown Paper Bag Project. Each student had to fill a brown paper bag with items that might give the other students and the teachers clues to the likes and hobbies of each student in the class. The other students tried to guess who each person is when the items were pulled out of the bag. Here are Tommy Whalen and Lucas Gribbin with some of their items.

taking the cake — All Saints Catholic School students gathered recently to wish Msgr. John J. Oliveira a happy 70th birthday. Faculty, students and parents surprised Msgr. Oliveira by attending the 8 a.m. St. Mary’s Parish Mass in New Bedford to join him in prayer on this special occasion. After the students sang “Happy Birthday” in Chinese, they presented him with spiritual bouquets and cards made by the students and a special cake which he was happy to share.

on the air — Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro has a new communications studio as a result of a grant awarded by Comcast last year. Students will have the opportunity to learn the technical operations of a studio, as well as program planning and design. Here, Brandon Boisclair, Antonio Taylor, and Sue Kiley, Feehan’s technology integration coordinator, demonstrate broadcast production in Feehan’s new communications studio.

continuing a tradition — In its 11th year, the Timothy J. Cotter Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $50,000 to students attending Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. Given in memory of Timothy J. Cotter, president of Bank Five from 1983 to 1998, who believed very much in Catholic education, having been educated through the parochial school system himself; he felt a huge obligation to want to help others. Pictured with Mrs. Cotter are the winners, from left: Brandon Cordeiro, William Medeiros, Cotter, Jack Schnurr and Hannah Lopes.


Youth Pages

October 12, 2012

A

Struggles

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sk yourself this question: “Do I tend to avoid situations where I know I will struggle?” When we make a decision, usually we are aware of or anticipate the outcome of that decision. Or at least we should. Struggles, or hardships, sometimes force us to seek someone to blame. But all too often, we act in ways to get us back into a state of normalcy, a comfort zone, without learning anything from our struggles. Yes, struggles can be good, if we look for the good that can come out of them. For example, is something holding you back from trying out for your high school football team? Lack of confidence? Your thinking you don’t have the athletic skills needed? Not knowing what others will say about you? The fact that you may be thinking about these struggles is exactly what’s needed to break your fear and overcome these habits. Life may hand you great difficulties that you feel unready for, things that seem too burdensome to handle. But look at

it this way; no matter the strug- prioritize all that’s important, gle, no matter the card you’re first, you’ll see there’s always dealt, there will always be an room for the little things that opportunity to achieve and a life sends your way. chance to grow again. When Second, struggles help reveal you can’t see the bright future who you really are. When your that lies after your hardships back is up against the wall and and struggles, look to God, you feel the pressure building, your family, a trusted friend, or what’s going to come out of you? member of your parish. In doing so you will not be destroyed by adversity. “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but By Ozzie Pacheco not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8-9). Struggles, I believe, help us Will it be a bad attitude, anger, to achieve three things. First, bitterness, or all of these? Or will our struggles help us to focus it be a can-do attitude, a reason what’s really important in surance you can overcome this our lives. Remember the “jar trial, a focus on the good that can and friends” story I shared with come from all of this? You see, you sometime back? It had to without knowing what’s on your do with priorities. Are you foinside, what makes you “You,” cused on your priorities and are you cannot begin to work on they in order? If you fill your your weaknesses and turn them jar with sand, there will be no into strengths. more room for the other imThird, struggles help you to portant things in your life, like realize that you are part of a God, family and friends. If you team, a life team. We all need

each other. Don’t be afraid to let someone else lift your spirit and always encourage someone who is struggling. When I find myself in a struggle and think “Why me?” I am reminded of the necessity of my struggle. It’s the fulfillment of what’s meant to be. Just like my favorite story about struggles. Read on and know God’s plan for us is good. A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly. So he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the

BALTIMORE (CNS) — When Towana Bowers-Scott looks at Anthony Newman, she doesn’t see a youthful do-gooder spending his second post-college year doing a year of service for a Catholic organization. The 30-year-old Baltimore high school dropout sees a tireless tutor determined to help her pass her GED high-school equivalency exam. “He don’t give up on us,” Bowers-Scott said, following a tutoring session with Newman at the McElderry Park Community Resource Center in an east Baltimore neighborhood littered with boarded-up houses and all of the markings of extreme poverty. “When we need him, even for extra work, he’s here,” she said. “When we don’t understand something, he makes us take our time. Not him taking his time. He makes us take our time to get it done right.” Nearly 400 other young adults recently began a year of service with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers through an AmeriCorps program to serve impoverished communities throughout the U.S. and abroad. During a September orientation for several new mission workers at the Baltimore province center of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the magnitude of their undertaking

was laid out for them. Leaders of the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps Program told the incoming mission workers they are foot soldiers on the ground empowering the poor and “helping people help themselves.” “Teach them what they need to know for life,” Notre Dame Sister Katherine Corr told the young mission workers as they prepared to begin their year of service. “You know, they’ve got to know their arithmetic. But, they also have to know they are important. They’re special. They need to count on us for caring about them.” Kaitlin Walker, 22, of Birmingham, Ala., has taken Sister Katherine’s words about caring very seriously, as she began her year of service through the program at the Washington Middle School for Girls, a Catholic school in the nation’s capital for underprivileged girls. “My biggest goal for the year and the biggest impact I’d hope to make is to build really good relationships with the students here,” said Walker, as she awaited the arrival of her afternoon study group. “I think that is the best way to get children interested in learning, is to really be interested in them learning.” The petite redhead, who graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., last

who participate in the Notre Dame Mission VolunteersAmeriCorps Program are new college graduates, who want to spend a year helping underserved communities, much like the Peace Corps, said Sister Katherine, affectionately called “Sissy” by the mission workers. She is also the program’s director. Mission workers who have given the 18-year-old program a year of service in the past have said the experience encouraged them to continue serving their communities when they returned to “civilian life,” she told the new recruits during that orientation. Newman was so inspired by his first year of service that he

Be Not Afraid

butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly. God bless! Ozzie Pacheco is Faith Formation director at Santo Christo Parish, Fall River.

Catholic group enlists young adults to help people ‘lift themselves up’ May, not only looks very different from her students — she is white and the adolescents she mentors are predominantly black — her middle-class socioeconomic background also sets her apart from those she helps at the school. But Walker said she is comfortable with people from all ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. She was introduced to community service as a child, having grown up in a family that considers volunteer work a household obligation. “My mom was (an AmeriCorps) Vista in the 1980s, so she kind of gave me the idea,” she told Catholic News Service. “I never really thought of any other options. I was always going to do an AmeriCorps year. It was just (a question of) where was I going to do it and with what organization.” The mission workers are engaged in a variety of programs that provide one-on-one and small group instruction in and outside of classrooms to schoolaged children and adults. Some of them are teaching in after-school enrichment programs for underprivileged students, leading mentor programs for children with incarcerated parents, instructing English as a second language classes, as well as job readiness courses. Most of the young people

decided he wanted to enlist for a second year. “For as far as my program came, I saw the potential for it to go further, which is why I decided to sign on for a second year,” the 23-year-old from Charlestown, W.Va., said of the GED tutoring program he runs. “I really feel like it’s my baby, so I wanted to set it up well enough so that someone else can pick it up when I’m gone and keep it going even stronger.” Newman didn’t have a lot of service experience growing up and said his time as a mission volunteer has changed his outlook about his role in society. “I think I’ll always be involved with helping people wherever I live in the future.”

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth. If schools or parish Religious Education programs, have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@anchornews. org


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The Anchor

October 12, 2012

Fall River area Men’s First Friday Club turns 65

Brooklyn bishop celebrates pastor, parish

Rosary.” In 1949, the club had one of its most prominent speakers, Father James Keller, founder of the Christophers. Because of the crowd of people interested in Father Keller and his message, an estimated 500 people met at the former Hotel Mellon in downtown Fall River. Other noteworthy guest speakers over the years have included Bishop James L. Connolly, Bishop Daniel Cronin, Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, Bishop George W. Coleman, Bristol Community College President John Sbrega, and sports figures such as Boston Red Sox players Walt Dropo, Russ Gibson, Dick Radatz and Jerry Remy. “Speakers have been a major reason why we continue to have people attend our monthly meetings,” Gonyon said. “But another reason we are the longest continuous running First Friday Club in the U.S. is the simplicity of our meetings. We begin with a Mass at 6 p.m., followed by a hot meal, then a top-notch guest speaker. We are often home by 8 p.m. Where else can a man go out before 6 p.m. and be home by 8 p.m.?” From 1947 to 1961, the club was an activity of the Knights of Columbus, Council 86. During that time Msgr. Felix Childs was the group’s chief recruiter of speakers and new members and was considered the club’s first true “spiritual father.” “Msgr. Childs was the chaplain of the Knights and he decided to be the chaplain of the First Friday Club,” Gonyon said. “After a few years, we broke away from the Knights, with their encouragement and blessing, to become our own independent group. This way we wouldn’t be tied to any one parish. That’s been our exis-

ishes in the country,” Bishop Gregory continued. “They are viewed as good for the whole Maronite Church.” He shared a story about St. Anthony’s Parish. “Years ago my predecessor had a great need to pay for a Maronite seminary that was going under. He called upon the faithful at St. Anthony’s; Chorbishop Monte Ferris, his family and the parishioners. They responded generously, creating the Order of St. Sharbel.” The order provides financial assistance toward educating the seminarians of the Brooklyn Eparchy as well as the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. This assistance includes tuition as well as all operating costs of the seminary. St. Anthony’s Parish began in 1911 in a cottage on Jenks Street in Fall River. The first Lebanese families arrived in the city in the early 1900s. They worshiped in Aramaic, but the Catholic Mass in the area was then celebrated in Latin. Feeling like outsiders in their own faith, the Lebanese community established a church in the Eastern Rite. A second church building was built in the city’s Flint section at Quequechan and Alden streets in 1930. A fire heavily damaged the church in 1971. Within a few years construction began on a new house of worship on the corner of North Eastern Avenue and Locust Street. In October 1975, the modern brick building was blessed and dedicated and has since been the home for worship and socializing for the Catholic Maronite community in

continued from page one

tence for the last 60 years.” In those fledgling years, Gonyon noted that members of the club would first attend Mass at their own churches and then meet for the dinner and social gathering at a central location. Before meeting at Good Shepherd Parish for the past seven years, the group’s longtime home base was Sacred Heart Parish in Fall River. But Gonyon is pleased that the club will now be meeting at St. Mary’s Cathedral. “I’m looking forward to this new year in a lot of respects,” he said. “I’m very optimistic that numbers are going to increase this year with our new location and new caterer. I’m telling you, there are no complainers like old men. But we’ve got a lot of positive aspects to this year’s club.” In addition to the new location and caterer, Gonyon said the club is starting its anniversary year with a new chaplain as well. “Father Karl Bissinger has agreed to be our chaplain and he will be joining us for meetings when he can,” Gonyon said. “We understand that his first priority is, of course, serving as Bishop Coleman’s secretary, but he’ll be with us when he can. He might also be able to celebrate Masses for us and we have other priests on standby to fill in as needed.” Noting that Father Bissinger’s dad is also a club member, Gonyon said Father Bissinger has also been tapped as an upcoming speaker to give a witness talk about his vocation. “I’ve asked him to tell us what it was about his upbringing that led him to become a priest and what it’s like to be the secretary to the bishop,” he said. “That should be a big night. We’re opening that up to special guests.” Although attendance can vary from month to month, Gonyon said there are generally about 35 men who come on a regular basis to the meetings during the club’s nine-month year, from October through June. While club membership is

limited to men, Gonyon said they occasionally invite women to special programs that might be of interest to them as well. “Because women are special, we treat them as special guests for special occasions,” Gonyon said. “When we have a female speaker — and we have them frequently — we open it up for women to attend that evening. At our most recent meeting, the guest was coming to discuss how to make Rosaries. Well, that’s not a topic with male-only interest, so we decided to invite women as our special guests. We’re opening the club up this year so as to, in taking a phrase from Pope John Paul II, ‘open wide the gates.’” With no dues or major fundraising activities, Gonyon said the club sustains itself through the nominal fees charged for the monthly gatherings — most of which covers the cost of the hot meal that is served. “We are an independent group,” he said. “We don’t do anything that would be disruptive to or controversial against the Church, but we’re not considered a parish group, because that would tie us into specific responsibilities. We need to maintain a certain degree of independence and we’ve been able to do that for 65 years.” As a proud member of the Men’s First Friday Club for the last 32 years, Gonyon said it’s been blessing to have such a spiritual support group in his life. “I can’t explain what it is to this day, but I went to a meeting at Sacred Heart Church in Fall River one Friday evening and all of my anxiety just melted away,” he said. “I could feel a dramatic and sudden peace come over me. I said: ‘Thank God I belong to a group that brings this type of spirituality.’ That, to me, is my main reason for going.” New members are always welcome, and Gonyon said the club is a unique and fruitful experience that Catholic men should consider. “It’s a great group of men honoring Christ in the best way they can,” he said. “We get together for good company and good friendship in a comfortable environment. For me, it’s a very special group.” For more information about the Fall River Area Men’s First Friday Club, contact Daryl Gonyon at 508672-4822 or club president Norman Valiquette at 508672-8174.

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the greater Fall River area. Of the more than three million Maronite Catholics across the world, two million are in the U.S. The Rite is thriving and growing in the U.S. “I will be coming back to St. Anthony’s again in December,” said Bishop Mansour. “It will be for the vows of one of our two new Sisters in the newly-founded Maronite Servants of Christ the Light order. She is from Australia. The two Sisters taking vows this year are a good beginning for the order. They are a great asset.” Bishop Mansour reflected on Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to Lebanon. “This was tremendously important,” he said. “It’s sad that it got such little coverage in the secular press. I’d like to thank The Anchor for the great coverage it gave the visit. It was amazing to have Muslims and Christians together at nearly every venue of the pope’s trip. “From youth groups to politicians, Pope Benedict was with them all. In fact in his visit to the Parliament all the political parties were present. It was a prophetic experience of peace on Earth. It flies in the face of those who say it’s not possible.” Bishop Mansour added that the impact of the pope’s visit was felt “beyond Lebanon. All of the Middle East shared in the joy of that visit. His words were so very helpful for the hope and vision for all the Middle East.” The evening before last Sunday’s celebration Mass, Bishop Mansour attended a private gathering for clergy acknowledging Chorbishop Kaddo’s anniversary.

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October 12, 2012

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. 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 — St. Joseph Church holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Adoration Chapel located at the (south) side entrance at 208 South Main Street, Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ATTLEBORO — St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish, 18 Baltic Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday following the 7 a.m. Mass until 4 p.m. 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, first Fridays after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass. 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 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. 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 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. 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 — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m. FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel. 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 until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory. Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. HYANNIS — A Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration will take place each First Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 347 South Street, beginning immediately after the 12:10 p.m. Mass and ending with adoration at 4 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 takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. 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 every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time. NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration 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. OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has 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 Tuesdays 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. Expostition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m. WAREHAM — Every First Friday, Eucharistic Adoration takes place from 8:30 a.m. through Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer is prayed at 9; the Angelus at noon; the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.; and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m. 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 from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716. WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

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The Anchor Australian laywoman was a pioneer for Catholic women at the Vatican

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Rosemary Goldie was a historic figure for the Church in many ways. With her 1966 appointment as undersecretary of the Council for the Laity, she became the first woman to hold a senior management position in the Roman Curia. Even before that, she was one of the first women appointed to attend the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI eventually named a total of 23 women, 10 of them members of religious orders, as official observers at the council’s last two sessions in 1964 and 1965. The observers attended the council’s plenary meetings as silent witnesses. But they took an active part in the preparation of “Gaudium et Spes,” the council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, and of the council’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity. During the working group’s deliberations on the apostolate draft decree, Goldie argued for distinguishing various fields of the apostolate, such as the family, associations and Church communities. According to Adriana

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Oct. 13 Rev. David I. Walsh, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1999 Rev. James J. Doyle, C.S.C., Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, 2002 Rev. J. Marc Hebert, Holy Cross Residence, North Dartmouth, C.S.C., 2006 Oct. 14 Rev. Dennis M. Lowney, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1918 Rev. Msgr. Edward B. Booth, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1972 Rev. Frederick G. Furey, SS.CC. Former Pastor, Our Lady of Assumption, New Bedford, 1999 Rev. Andre P. Jussaume, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 2003 Oct. 15 Rev. Msgr. Raymond T. Considine, PA, Retired Pastor, St. William, Fall River, 1996 Oct. 16 Rev. Raymond M. Drouin, O.P., Former Pastor, St. Anne, Fall River, 1987 Oct. 17 Rev. Gerald E. Lachance, M.Afr., 1984 Oct. 19 Rev. Manuel A. Silvia, Pastor, Santo Christo, Fall River, 1928

Valerio in her 2012 book, “Mothers of the Council,” Goldie believed breaking the apostolates into categories was necessary to develop a spirituality adapted to lay Catholics’ different lifestyles and needs. Her goal was to have laymen and laywomen be recognized as mature and responsible adults who could carry out the same tasks and

hold the same responsibilities, Valerio wrote. Goldie didn’t want women to be seen or treated as a separate “issue,” as if they were somehow marginalized from society, or to have their concerns seen as of significance only to themselves, the author wrote in “Mothers of the Council.” Goldie died in 2010 at the age of 94.

Around the Diocese 10/13

There will be a Rosary Crusade at Peg Noonan Park, Main Street, Falmouth tomorrow beginning at noon. It is part of the rallies across the country occurring at noon in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. Everyone is welcome to come and pray the Rosary for peace and for our country. For more information call 508-540-3827.

10/13

Holy Name Parish is pleased to announce it will be hosting its annual Harvest Festival tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (yard sales begins at 9 a.m.) on the school grounds facing President Avenue in Fall River. The festival offers free admission and everyone is welcome. The day will be filled with great local food, family fun and activities for children and adults.

10/13

Bishop George W. Coleman will be celebrating Mass tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady’s Chapel in downtown New Bedford to commemorate the 10th anniversary of perpetual adoration at the chapel. All are welcome.

10/14

Sacred Heart Parish, corner of Pine and Seabury streets in Fall River, will hold its annual chopstick auction Sunday. There will be more than $1,500 in prizes available and also special raffles and a $500 grand prize raffle. Food will also be available. Doors open at 11 a.m. The auctions starts at 1 p.m.

10/16 10/16

Courage, a support group for people wounded by same-sex attraction, will meet October 16 at 10 a.m. For location and information, call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.

A retreat titled “Your Own Heart and Soul,” will be facilitated by internationally-known speaker/writer Paula D’Arcy on October 16-18 at the La Salette Retreat Center in Attleboro. For information contact Peggy Patenaude at 508-548-9149 or timeoutretreats@ comcast.net.

10/17

Father Roger Landry’s videotaped talk on “A Matter of Life and Death: Defeating Doctor-Prescribed Suicide” will be presented at Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich, October 17 at 7 p.m. Learn why this dangerous bill, No. 2 on the November ballot, must be voted down. Copies of the DVD are available to be shown in other parishes/churches by calling 508-833-8432. It will also be appearing on local cable stations on Cape Cod. If you are interested in having this (and other videos from the Family Life Alliance,) shown on your local cable station each month please contact Pat at the above number for information. There is no charge and refreshments will be available. A presentation of the Cape Cod Family Life Alliance.

10/18

A healing Mass will be held October 18 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, at 6:30 p.m., including Benediction and healing prayers. There will be a holy hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. including Rosary. For location information visit www. stanthonyofpaduanewbedford.com or call 508-993-1691.

10/19

October 19 a German three-piece band, beverages and specialty foods will highlight an “Oktoberfest” event, sponsored by the St. Elizabeth Seton Men’s Club of North Falmouth. Following complimentary social hour from 5 to 6 p.m, Chef Paul will prepare fall greens with rye and pumpernickel breads with Wiener Schnitzel, roasted Bratwurst, Rot Koln (braised red cabbage) and warm German potato and bacon casserole. Tickets are on sale weekdays at the rectory or Saturday and Sunday at the church. For reservations call Chairman Bob Huber at 508540-5482.

10/20

The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Nurses is sponsoring a seminar, “Life’s Choices and Rights: A Seminar on the Ethics of End of Life Care and Physician-Assisted Suicide,” October 20 at White’s Restaurant in Westport from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The speakers will be ethicist Peter J. Cataldo, Ph.D.; and lawyer Henry C. Luthin. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided. Five nursing contact hours will be awarded for this program. For information call 508-678-2373.

10/21

Bishop Connolly High School, 373 Elsbree Street, Fall River, will have an Open House on October 21 at 1 p.m. The placement exam is scheduled on December 1 at 8 a.m. For more information, call 508-676-1071, extension 333.

11/3

St. Anthony of Padua Parish, 1359 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford, invites all to its annual Holiday Bazaar on November 3 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and November 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bazaar will feature a variety of craft booths, a full course dinner menu, baked goods, raffles, Chinese auction, and penny sale. Admission is free and all are welcome. Please enter using the Nye Street door of the church.

11/3

On November 3, at 10 a.m., Dr. Mary Pat Tranter, Ph.D., will offer a free presentation on “The Catholic Perspective on End-ofLife Issues” at Holy Cross Parish, 225 Purchase Street in South Easton. Dr. Tranter will discuss Catholic and non-Catholic views on physicianassisted suicide and the proposed “Death with Dignity” Act on the November ballot. The event will be followed by a Q&A session and a complimentary luncheon and will conclude around 1 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, call 508-238-2235 or email info@holycrosseaston.org.


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The Anchor

October 12, 2012

incredible insects — A priest sprinkles holy water on butterflies during the blessing of the animals in Manila, Philippines. The blessing coincided with the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. (CNS photo/Romeo Ranoco, Reuters)

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