10.23.09

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , October 23, 2009

High School Youth Convention is Sunday

B y D eacon James N. Dunbar

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Hundreds of students from high schools across the Fall River Diocese will gather Sunday at Bishop Stang High School for the annual High School Youth Convention.

“The convention, to be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., is open to all students in grades nine through 12, and they will be hearing from keynote speaker Steve Angrisano,” said Crystal Lynn Medeiros, assistant director of the diocese’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

There will be a lunch, and Bishop George W. Coleman

will be the celebrant of the closing Mass.

Middle schoolers in grades six through eight are invited to attend either of two Junior High School Rallies, which will also have Angrisano giving the principal address.

One rally will be held October 26 at Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Another rally will be held October 27 at the Pope John Paul II High School in Hyannis, also from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The theme of the convention Turn to page 18

Area pilgrims reflect on St. Damien’s canonization

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

FALL RIVER — While a local celebration was held in Wareham to commemorate the elevation of Blessed Damien of Molokai to sainthood, a group of faithful pilgrims from the Fall River Diocese was blessed to have attended the actual canonization October 11 in Rome.

Organized by Father William Petrie, SSCC, provincial of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Fairhaven, the group consisted of laypeople and fellow Sacred Hearts Fathers, who joined Bishop George W. Coleman and other priests from the diocese in witnessing the canonization of Father Damien and four others first-hand by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

All the Fall River pilgrims joined together for a Mass of

Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Coleman at the tomb of St. Peter October 13.

“Father Petrie invited me to be the principal celebrant of the Mass for the pilgrims from the Fairhaven area, which was a great privilege for me,” Bishop Coleman said. “It was an opportunity to give thanks to God for the canonization of Father Damien, and to pray to him that through his intercession God may grant the Church of Fall River many blessings.”

Bishop Coleman described the entire pilgrimage as a “moving experience” and added it was a special blessing to be able to attend the canonization of Father Damien of Molokai, whose life and example have greatly influenced the members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus Turn to page 13

HERALDS OF LIFE — Members of St. Kilian’s Parish in New Bedford, together with their pastor Father Hugo Cardenas (seated, second person from left), pray in Attleboro on October 17 as part of the 40 Days For Life Campaign.

Forty Days vigil teaches value of life

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

ATTLEBORO — Praying for the end of abortion is for many a family affair, and those who bring their children to the vigil outside an abortion clinic say that lessons in Christian charity

and the value of human life are learned there.

Locals who pray at Angel Park in Attleboro, across the street from the Four Women clinic, are participating in the nation-wide 40 Days for Life campaign, held from September 23 to Novem-

ber 1. The campaign is built on a foundation of prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil and takes a Christlike approach to women entering abortion clinics.

The first 40 Days For Life was conducted in College Station, Turn to page 15

MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY — Catholic faithful recite the rosary as part of a Twilight Rosary service on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary at the Rosary Walk on the grounds of Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton. (Photo courtesy of Holy Cross Family Ministries)

Local faithful are part of rosary resurgence at Father Peyton Center B y D ave Jolivet, Editor

NORTH EASTON — For many years, Catholics faithfully prayed the rosary — as individuals and as a family. Also, for many years, the tradition of reciting the rosary was on the wane, particularly from the 1960s through the end of the second millennium. But there is resurgence in Catholic faithful utilizing this powerful

prayer.

One doesn’t have to go far to find proof of this resurgence. Congregation of Holy Cross Father Leo Polselli, chaplain of the Father Peyton Center on the grounds of Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton, recently told The Anchor that the number of rosary requests received at Turn to page 18

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News From the Vatican

October 23, 2009

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has established a special structure for Anglicans who want to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while preserving aspects of their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage, said U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada.

The cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said a new apostolic constitution would establish “personal ordinariates” — similar to dioceses — to oversee the pastoral care of those who want to bring elements of their Anglican identity into the Catholic Church with them.

Anglican priests who are married may be ordained Catholic priests, but married Anglican bishops will not be able to be ordained as Catholic bishops in keeping with the long-standing Catholic and Orthodox tradition of ordaining only unmarried clergy as bishops, Cardinal Levada said.

The cardinal announced the new arrangement at a press conference October 20 at the Vatican. He said the pope’s apostolic constitution and norms for implementing it were undergoing final revisions and would be published in a couple of weeks.

In establishing the new jurisdictions, Pope Benedict is responding to “many requests” submitted by individual Anglicans and by Anglican groups — including “20 to 30 bishops” — asking to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, the cardinal said.

At the same time, Cardinal Levada said the new provision does not weaken the commitment of the Vatican to promoting Christian unity, but is a recognition that many Anglicans share the Catholic faith and that Anglicans have a spiritual and liturgical life worth preserving.

“It has always been the principal aim — the principal aim — to achieve the full, visible unity” of the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion, the cardinal said.

But given recent changes within many Anglican provinces with the ordination of women priests and bishops and the acceptance of homosexuality in some areas, the prospect of full unity “seemed to recede,” he said.

The Church recognizes and welcomes those Anglicans who fully share the Catholic faith, agree with the Catholic view that only men can be ordained priests and recognize the role of the bishop of Rome — the pope — as the sign and guarantor of Church unity, he said.

At a press conference in London October 20, Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, head of the Anglican Communion, and Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of

In 1980 the Vatican made a special pastoral provision for members of the Episcopal Church, the U.S. province of the Anglican Communion, who wanted to become Catholic after the Episcopalians began ordaining women priests.

The provision included permission for entire parishes of former Episcopalians to use elements of their liturgy in the Catholic Mass.

Archbishop Di Noia said only a handful of parishes took advantage of that special permission, and in 2003 the Vatican approved “The Book of Divine Worship” for their liturgical use.

But he said many of those now seeking communion with Rome wanted a stronger affirmation of their Anglican heritage and a guarantee that it would continue to have a place in the Catholic Church, which is why the pope ordered the establishment of personal ordinariates.

The number of ordinariates and their headquarters will be determined by the number of Anglicans seeking full communion, Cardinal Levada said. The head of each ordinariate will be a former Anglican clergyman, who will not necessarily be ordained a Catholic bishop.

New priests for the ordinariates will study in seminaries with other Catholic seminarians, but an ordinariate can “establish a house of formation to address the particular needs of formation in the Anglican patrimony,” Cardinal Levada said.

In general, married Anglican priests and bishops who become Catholic will be ordained Catholic priests, as will married Anglican seminarians, he said.

But an unmarried man ordained a Catholic priest will not be permitted to marry, and the pope’s apostolic constitution will state a clear preference for a celibate clergy, Archbishop Di Noia said.

Cardinal Levada told reporters that he realizes “for some people it seems to be a problem” that the Vatican is allowing married former Anglicans to be ordained Catholic priests, but will not allow Catholic priests who have left to marry to return to ministry.

“They are two different circumstances,” the cardinal said.

Respecting “the authenticity of the call to service” of Anglican clergy who were married when they came to the decision to become Catholic is different from the case of “a Catholic who knowingly commits to a celibate priesthood and then decides for different reasons to leave the priesthood for married life.”

“I do not think it is an insurmountable problem,” Cardinal Levada said, adding that the Church needs to educate Catholics that the dispensation for former Anglican clergy is an exception and that the Church continues to uphold the virtue of celibacy.

Pope establishes structure for Anglicans uniting with Rome

WALL OF FAME — Tapestries depicting five new saints hang from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica as pilgrims arrive for a Mass of canonization led by Pope Benedict XVI inside the basilica at the Vatican October 11. Depicted in the tapestries are St. Rafael Arnaiz Baron, St. Francisco Coll Guitart, St. Zygmunt Felinski, St. Damien de Veuster and St. Jeanne Jugan. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Synod official highlights growth of Africa Church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Statistics released during the October Synod of Bishops for Africa illustrate significant growth among African Catholics and point toward a hopeful future for the continent, according to a leading Vatican official.

The numbers indicate growth in the Catholic population, the number of Church-run organizations providing health and education services, and even in the number of African martyrs, said Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary-general for the Synod of Bishops, in a report read to the synod’s first general assembly.

The number of African Catholics increased by more than 62 million people from 1994, the year in which the first African synod was held, to the end of 2007. The rate of growth among Catholics during that period, about 60 percent, was almost twice as high as the rate of growth among the general population in Africa, which was about 33 percent.

The Church in Africa saw a rise in the number of bishops, priests, deacons, people in consecrated life and laypeople. The number of priests increased by 49 percent, seminarians by 44 percent and lay missionaries by 94 percent.

Archbishop Eterovic referred to this recent growth as “many gifts bestowed on the Church in Africa,” and thanked God for “the great dynamism witnessed in the statistics.”

He lauded 521 pastoral workers who gave their lives in Africa

The Anchor

from 1994 to 2008. These African martyrs include 248 victims of the 1994 Rwandan conflict and 40 seminarians murdered in Burundi in 1997.

“Undoubtedly, the pastors of the particular parishes will recognize candidates for canonization, not only to increase the number of African saints but also to obtain more intercessors in heaven,” Archbishop Eterovic said.

The statement also called attention to an increase in the number of Africa’s charitable, medical and educational organizations.

There are 53 Caritas programs and 42 justice and peace commissions that offer the African population a wide variety of services in the areas of economic justice, peace-building and human development.

At the end of 2007, there were 16,178 pastoral health care institutions on the African continent.

They include hospitals, orphanages, rehabilitation centers, clinics, marriage-counseling centers, houses for the elderly and disabled, and multiple centers that respond to different needs.

African Catholic schools serve more than 19 million students, ranging from preschool to high school. Higher institutions of learning have more than 54,000 students; approximately 11,000 of those students are enrolled in ecclesiastical studies.

Archbishop Eterovic said the data on these organizations was a “laudable, important testimony to many Christians, above all to Catholics who work tirelessly.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 53, No. 40

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England and Wales, issued a joint statement saying the new provisions are a recognition of “the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition.”

“Without the dialogues of the past 40 years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured,” the two leaders said.

Cardinal Levada told reporters he met personally October 19 with Archbishop Williams, who had been told about the new arrangement a month earlier.

In a letter to top Anglican leaders, Archbishop Williams said, “In the light of recent discussions with senior officials in the Vatican, I can say that this new possibility is in no sense at all intended to undermine existing relations between our two communions or to be an act of proselytism or aggression. It is described as simply a response to specific inquiries from certain Anglican groups and individuals wishing to find their future within the Roman Catholic Church.”

“For those who wish to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church in the near future, this announcement will clarify possible options, and we wish them God’s strength and guidance in their discernment,” the Anglican leader said.

Cardinal Levada also said Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, had been informed about the pope’s decision.

Asked October 15 about the possible entrance of groups of former Anglicans into the Catholic Church, Cardinal Kasper said, “We are not fishing in the Anglican lake; proselytism is not the policy of the Catholic Church. But if there are people who, obeying their consciences, want to become Catholic, we cannot shut the door.”

U.S. Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and former undersecretary of the doctrinal congregation, spoke at the press conference with Cardinal Levada.

“We have been praying for unity for 40 years. We find now that the prayers we have had are being answered in a way that we did not anticipate. So the Holy Spirit is at work here and the Holy See cannot not respond,” the archbishop said.

Archbishop Di Noia said, “The ecumenical movement has changed. There has been a tremendous shift” in the prospects for full, complete union.

Many Anglicans already consider themselves to be Catholic, Archbishop Di Noia said, and the pope’s new initiative will make “explicit the bond that is already implicit.”

October 23, 2009

The International Church

Honduran bishops hope talks bring peaceful remedy to economic crisis

By Catholic News Service

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — One day after the start of talks in the Honduran political crisis, the country’s Catholic bishops appealed for calm and called for a “just and peaceful” solution.

“We cannot continue in uncertainty, personal and social tension, and economic breakdown,” the bishops said in a statement last weekend. “The people of Honduras have placed great hope in this national dialogue, and those hopes cannot be frustrated, because it would lead to great disillusionment and increased personal and social tension.”

The Honduran bishops, who issued their statement after their regular meeting, called for a “respectful and understanding atmosphere of dialogue,” because “any form of violence, in word or deed, would be harmful and would ... lead to the loss of credibility of whoever provokes it.”

Honduras has been sunk in political conflict since June 28, when the military deposed and deported President Manuel Zelaya. Although the Organization of American States and most

other governments called for Zelaya to be reinstated, the de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, has resisted. The standoff has taken a toll on the Honduran economy, as countries have refused to recognize the de facto government and have suspended aid.

The bishops said the talks now under way should “not be reduced to a conflict-resolution technique, but must have an ethical dimension.” Those involved “have a serious responsibility before God and society, which they must not forget or underestimate,” they wrote.

The bishops said a political agreement will not be “the complete solution to the serious problems afflicting Honduras, but at least it would put the country in an appropriate position to address them.”

An agreement mediated in July by former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias calls for Zelaya to be reinstated and elections, in which he would not be a candidate, to be held in November, with the new president taking office in January.

Zelaya slipped back into the country in late September and

took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy, amid clashes between police and his supporters. Micheletti subsequently declared a state of emergency and shut down several pro-Zelaya broadcasters, but legislators and other politicians have been reluctant to support the suspension of basic rights, such as freedom of assembly, especially with general elections scheduled for late November.

Pressure from inside and outside the country finally forced Micheletti to agree to talks, which began as October began.

Until the recent statement, the Honduran bishops’ conference had remained silent since Zelaya’s return, despite threats against a Jesuit-run radio station and its director, Jesuit Father Ismael Moreno.

On September 30, however, Caritas Honduras issued a strong statement opposing the state of emergency, calling it “disproportionate in its imposition of illegitimate force and an obstacle to dialogue, because it violates basic human rights, such as freedom of expression, assembly, association and movement, and (constitutional) guarantees.”

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New Zealanders sending icon of St. Damien to Hawaii

By Gavin Abraham Catholic News Service

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — New Zealand Catholics are sending an icon of one of the Church’s newest saints to the church in Hawaii.

Depicting St. Damien de Veuster, the icon will be given to Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu in November on behalf of Bishop Patrick J. Dunn of Auckland. St. Damien dedicated his life to those afflicted with leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, in Molokai, Hawaii.

The icon was on display the evening of October 11 as 150 people gathered to remember the life and legacy of a man being canonized half a world away the same day.

The event included a screening of “Molokai — The Story of Father Damien,” hosted by the NZ Catholic, New Zealand’s national Catholic newspaper. Because of the time difference, the film finished shortly before the start of the canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for St.

Damien and SS. Jeanne Jugan, Zygmunt Felinski, Francisco Coll Guitart and Rafael Arnaiz Baron.

Created locally by artist Jenny Trolove of the Studio of John the Baptist, the icon was blessed prior to the screening by Msgr. Bernard Kiely, administrator of Auckland’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

It will be delivered by Dennis Augustine, the NZ Catholic’s advertising and promotions manager, when he visits Hawaii.

Prior to the film Msgr.

Kiely spoke of his own devotion to the new saint after first hearing Father Damien’s story when he was in grade school.

He urged New Zealanders to embrace St. Damien as “a saint of the Pacific.”

Few people canonized by the Church have ties to the South Pacific, he said, and cited St. Peter Chanel, who was martyred in the 19th century on the small island of Futuna in the French territory of Wallis and Futuna, as one of the select group.

October 23, 2009 The Church in the U.S. USCCB officials say problems remain in committee-passed health bill

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By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Echoing an earlier letter to members of Congress from three bishops, officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed disappointment that the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of health reform legislation without resolving problems related to abortion funding, conscience rights, affordability and legal immigrants.

The health reform plan proposed by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., called America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009, passed the Finance Committee October 13 in a 14 to nine vote, becoming the fifth version to be approved by a congressional committee this year.

The USCCB officials repeated the bishops’ statement in an early October letter that they would be forced to oppose the final health care reform bill if it does not resolve problems in several key areas.

Specifically, they all said the final plan must include policies against abortion funding and in support of conscience rights; make health care “affordable and available to the poor and vulnerable”; and meet the needs of legal immigrants and their families.

The letter was signed by Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, who chair the USCCB committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pro-Life Activities and Migration, respectively.

Kathy Saile, director of the USCCB Of-

fice of Domestic Social Development, said after the committee vote that she remained hopeful that “problematic provisions” in the various health reform proposals, particularly the Baucus bill, “can be worked out.”

“But time is running short and if the provisions are not fixed, the bishops have been clear that they will have no choice but to op-

of health reform to “reduce significantly the number of uninsured.”

“As passed out of the Finance Committee, millions of legal immigrants and their families would be left outside the system, dependent on emergency rooms for their primary care,” he added.

Richard Doerflinger, associate director of

pose a final bill,” she added.

“The stated purpose of pursuing health care reform was to provide those without health care coverage access to quality and affordable health care,” Saile said. “There is real doubt that this bill will achieve that goal.”

Kevin Appleby, USCCB director of migration and refugee policy, said the Baucus bill also “falls well short” of the stated goal

the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said none of the committee-passed health reform plans “is consistent with long-standing and widely supported federal policies on abortion and conscience rights.”

“Contrary to recent misleading comments from some sources, this (Baucus bill) and other health care reform bills appropriate their own funds outside the scope of the an-

nual Labor/HHS appropriations bills, and so are not covered by the Hyde amendment that prevents those bills from funding abortion coverage,” he added. “This legislation needs its own provision against such funding.”

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said at press briefings October 7 and 9 that “there’s a law that precludes the use of federal funds for abortion that isn’t going to be changed in these health care bills.”

Although he did not name it, Gibbs apparently was referring to the Hyde amendment.

Enacted into law in various forms since 1976 as an amendment to appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services, it prohibits federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the mother’s life.

But the Hyde amendment must be passed each year and does not cover spending outside the purview of HHS. Pro-Life organizations and individuals have said that, without specific wording prohibiting it, health care legislation could open the door to use of taxpayer money for abortions.

In the House, an amendment introduced

by Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., and approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee includes a ban on the use of public money to pay for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.

Praising the Senate Finance Committee’s action, President Barack Obama made no reference to abortion but said there are “still significant details and disagreements to be worked out over the next several weeks.”

October 23, 2009

The Church in the U.S.

EWTN’s Mother Angelica, Deacon Steltemeier receive papal honors

IRONDALE, Ala. — Pope Benedict XVI has awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross to Mother Mary Angelica, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, chairman of EWTN’s board of governors, for distinguished service to the Church.

The cross, whose name is Latin for “for the Church and the pope,” is the highest papal honor that can be conferred on religious and laypeople.

Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham presented the awards October 4 in a brief ceremony following Benediction at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville.

“By giving awards, the Church is not saying people or institutions are perfect, but we are saying that Mother Angelica, through this network, has made a significant contribution to the new evangelization heralded and promoted by recent popes,” Bishop Baker said in his homily. “Mother Angelica’s effort has been at the vanguard of the new evangelization and has had a great impact on our world.”

The bishop said Deacon Steltemeier had “perpetuated this global Catholic apostolate as chairman of the board, and until recently, as chief executive officer.”

“He is still helping EWTN carry out its mission to join with the Holy Father and the magisterium in sharing the light of the faith in every possible part of the world,” he added.

Michael P. Warsaw, EWTN president and CEO, said the honor “acknowledges the tremendous faith, hard work and incredible sacrifices that each of them has made throughout the years in founding and building up the network.”

It also is “a clear sign of the importance of the network’s mission for the Church and the pope,” Warsaw added in a statement.

Mother Angelica, an 86-yearold member of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale in 1961 and began EWTN in 1981 in a garage on the monastery property. The network now is available in more than 150 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories.

Deacon Steltemeier, 80, was an attorney in Nashville, Tenn., who left his law practice to join Mother Angelica with her fledging television network. He served many years as EWTN’s president.

Because of ill health, Mother Angelica received the award in her private quarters rather than at the public ceremony.

Global poverty initiative reaches more than 250,000 U.S. Catholics

By Catholic News Service

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ruary 2009 in response to Pope As of mid-September, the WASHINGTON — More Benedict XVI’s 2009 message USCCB and CRS said, more than than 250,000 Catholics have for the World Day of Peace, ti- 250,000 Catholics — in parishes, been reached through the Catho- tled “Fighting Poverty to Build in schools and universities, and in communities of men and women lics Confront Global Poverty ini- Peace.”

Through his encyclical, “Car- religious — have been connecttiative, a joint effort by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops itas in Veritate” (“Charity in ed to grass-roots efforts to raise and Catholic Relief Services to Truth”), the pope reiterated his awareness of global poverty.

Participants in the initiative address the root causes of global plea for richer nations to stand are involved in social netpoverty through education working, presentations and and advocacy. prayers, and many have sent In less than seven months, messages to and visited with the initiative has reached one their elected officials on legquarter of its goal to mobilize islative measures to fight a million Catholics, accordglobal poverty. ing to a recent announceThe USCCB and CRS ment from the USCCB and said grass-roots advocacy CRS, the U.S. bishops’ overby Catholics who objected seas relief and development to cuts in the 2010 State agency.

Foreign Operations ApproThe initiative calls on priations bill helped protect Catholics to learn about and funding for anti-poverty inishare the stories of those struggling to rise above ex- NO WAY TO LIVE — A homeless child tiatives.

“This is a great example of treme poverty, to pray for the stands in front of a pot and a make-shift hut in late March in Nosybe, Madagascar. world’s poorest people and The U.S. Bishops and Catholic Relief Ser- how our advocacy work bento approach policymakers on vices say their Catholics Confront Global efits those we serve overseas the issue as advocates for the Poverty initiative has reached more than while at the same time providpoor worldwide.

250,000 Catholics. (CNS photo/Siphiwe ing opportunities for Catholics to act on their faith and join the “The global financial Sibeko, Reuters) work of CRS,” Hackett said. crisis is having a devastatThe initiative asks Cathoing impact on people here and the poor around the world, with people living in poverty and lics to take action on issues such and the progress that has been take action, especially in light of as improving and increasing U.S. international assistance; strengthmade could be wiped out for the global financial crisis.

“Through support for eco- ening international peacekeeping decades to come,” Ken Hackett, CRS president, said in a state- nomically poor countries by and peace-building initiatives; ment. “In a world where an es- means of financial plans inspired reforming global trade and agtimated 1.4 billion people live in by solidarity ... not only can true riculture policies; ensuring that extreme poverty, the message of economic growth be generated, poorer countries’ natural rethe Church is clear. As Catholics, but a contribution can be made sources are used in ways that we are called to help our brothers toward sustaining the productive protect the environment; promotcapacities of rich countries that ing comprehensive immigration and sisters in need.”

Catholics Confront Global risk being compromised by the reform; and addressing global Poverty was launched in Feb- crisis,” he said in the encyclical. climate change.

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The Anchor

Holding the president and the reformers accountable

Last week we mentioned the increasingly firm statements of the leaders of the U.S. bishops that unless President Barack Obama actually makes good on his September 9 promise to the American people that “under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions and federal conscience laws will remain in place,” the bishops would have “no choice” but to “oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

Members of the media took these statements to White House press spokesman Robert Gibbs, asking whether the Administration planned to weigh in on a federal abortion funding ban, especially after various congressional committees have rejected Pro-Life amendments to do exactly this. Gibbs responded by twice taking issue with the bishops’ assertions that none of the five health care reforms bills presently being advanced in Congress have met President Obama’s promise to bar the use of federal dollars for abortion.

On October 14, he said at his daily press conference, “There’s a law that precludes the use of federal funds for abortion. That isn’t going to be changed in these health care bills.” Two days later, asked whether the president will call on Congress explicitly to prohibit abortion funding, he replied, “There may be a legal interpretation that has been lost here, but there’s a fairly clear federal law prohibiting the use of federal money for abortion. I think it is — again, it’s exceedingly clear in the law.”

It’s Gibbs who himself is lost in his legal interpretation. In his comments, he was referring to the Hyde Amendment, claiming that its existence ensures that no abortions will be funded by any of the health care reforms. But this is just political subterfuge, as was pointed out in an October 16 press release entitled “Federal Abortion Funding: What Some People Want To ‘Hyde’ From You,” by Susan Gibbs (no relation to the presidential spokesman), who is the assistant director for education and outreach of the U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-life Activities.

“Contrary to Mr. Gibbs’ assertion,” she stated, “it is ‘exceedingly clear’ that the Hyde Amendment does not apply to any of the health care reform bills.” Then she presented, in very intelligible language, a brief history of the Hyde Amendment and why it’s irrelevant to the present health care reform debate.

“Between 1973 and 1976, courts interpreted broadly-worded language on health benefits in the Medicaid statute to include abortion. Taxpayers were forced to pay for the abortion deaths of about 300,000 children annually. In 1976 the Hyde Amendment was passed, as a rider to the annual Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill. Hyde prevents federal funding of elective abortions and of health benefits packages that include such abortions. But it is not permanent law, and it applies only to funds appropriated under the annual HHS bill, not to funds appropriated under other statutes. So specific prohibitions on abortion funding have been written into laws governing other federal programs, such as federal employee health benefits, foreign aid, and military hospitals. An explicit prohibition must also be included in the final health care reform bill to avert a huge expansion of federal abortion funding. Without it, and notwithstanding their strong support for health care reform, the bishops will have no choice but to oppose the final bill vigorously.”

She stated that we are “approaching the 11th hour” and urged Catholics to contact their Senators and Representatives immediately to state their opposition to expanded federal abortion funding. Catholics can do so easily online by visiting to www.nchla.org and, with two simple clicks, send a clear message to those who are supposed to be representing them in Washington.

Around the same time, Dr. Louis Breschi, the president of the Catholic Medical Association, released a more wide-ranging critique of the proposed legislation on Capitol Hill. He charged that, as presently written, the proposed pieces of legislation not only threaten the dignity of human life but the dignity of human freedom through an obvious violation of the principle of subsidiarity.

Speaking on behalf of the Catholics doctors, nurses and other medical personnel in the CMA, he said, “We believe we are facing a crisis, not only in health care financing and delivery, but in the health care reform process itself. As is often noted, the word “crisis” can mean either danger or opportunity.

The United States has the opportunity (and obligation) to craft effective, ethical responses to the crisis in health care financing and delivery. But there also exists a real danger that misguided legislation could make our current problems even worse. This is a critical time for Catholics to work together to formulate solutions based upon authentic moral, social, and economic principles.”

He described in length what he saw as the crisis in the health care reform process. “Bills passed out of committees in the House and Senate this summer rely heavily on the federal government to dictate solutions. They empower a small group of unelected government bureaucrats and committees to determine the composition and cost of health insurance policies, the reimbursement of providers, the approval of treatments, etc. We think this government-controlled approach is flawed in principle and ineffective, if not dangerous, in practice. This approach clearly violates the principle of subsidiarity.”

He specifically and respectfully called on “all Catholics and Catholic organizations to place a greater emphasis on respecting the principle of subsidiarity across the spectrum of issues in health care financing and delivery” during the ongoing legislative debates. His call can be taken as a reminder to some Church leaders that even if President Obama is faithful to his yet-unfulfilled promise to ensure that consciences of health care workers are protected and no federal monies be used for abortion, even if spiraling costs are controlled and truly universal coverage is achieved, the end result will still be contrary to Catholic principles and an overall loss if the mechanism for achieving these goals is one that violates the principle of subsidiarity.

As we mentioned in our October 2 editorial, quoting the bishops of the two Kansas Cities, subsidiarity is “the principle by which we respect the inherent dignity and freedom of the individual by never doing for others what they can do for themselves and thus enabling individuals to have the most possible discretion in the affairs of their lives.” To violate subsidiarity is to violate human dignity and freedom.

Just as most people would never seek to reform the educational system by taking away the ability of parents to make choices about whether to home-school their children or send them to private schools, or by reducing the authority of principals, superintendents, school boards, and state departments of education in order to give control over pencil acquisitions and homework assignments to someone in the District of Columbia, so it would be a similar violation of the principle of subsidiarity to shift so much health care decision-making to the nation’s capital — unless, of course, all other means at levels closer to us had been shown to be inadequate to, but incapable of, the task. That has yet to be proven, because other reforms of what’s broken have not yet been tried.

“Experience indicates,” Breschi continues, “that medical decisions are best made within the personal context of the individual patient-physician relationship rather than within some remote, impersonal, and bureaucratic agency, whether governmental or corporate. We are convinced that if this important principle of Catholic social teaching is not correctly upheld, then short-term measures to defend the right to life and respect for conscience will ultimately fail and the patient-physician relationship will be irreparably compromised.”

He advised patience and real study to make sure that all such reforms are actually changes for the better. “We must ensure that well-intentioned efforts to bring about ‘change’ are not exploited to create a federally controlled system that promises health care for all, but creates an oppressive bureaucracy hostile to human life and to the integrity of the patient-physician relationship. It would be better to forgo long-needed changes in health care financing and delivery in the short-term if these would lead to a longterm, systemic policy regime that is inimical to respect for life, religious freedom, and the goods served by the principle of subsidiarity. Rather than accept such an outcome, we should take the time required to implement reform measures that are sound in both principled and practical terms.”

October 23, 2009

Praying people into the confessional

A few weeks ago, when I began this minise- tion. When a parishioner asked him how more ries on St. John Vianney as a confessor, I asked effectively to pray for sinners, the patron saint why so many men and women from throughout of priests responded with a list of things that France made enormous sacrifices to get to the seem to have an autobiographical tone to them. barely accessible hamlet of Ars to go to con- “One can offer himself as a victim for eight to fession. I replied at the time with the words of 15 days for the conversion of sinners. One can one of the several hundred thousand reconciled suffer cold, heat, deprive oneself of looking at sinners who had made such a pilgrimage: they something, go visit someone who would apprecame to Ars because there was something truly ciate it, make a novena, attend daily Mass for this special about the confessor. They believed they intention in places where it is possible. Not only were encountering “God in a man,” someone would one contribute to God’s glory by this holy whose radiant holiness gave them a glimpse of practice [of praying for sinners], but one would the irresistible beauty of God’s merciful love. obtain an abundance of grace.”

That explanation is no doubt true from the To a brother priest who complained that his subjective perspective of many of the penitents. efforts to get his people to return to the sacraBut I don’t think it’s an exhaustive explanation. ment of penance through his ministry in the While only God knows all the reasons why St. pulpit had so far borne little fruit, St. John VianJohn Vianney’s confessional was teeming while ney replied, with a response that likely featured so many other confessionals in France were much self-revelation, “You have preached, you vacant, it seems plausible that the fundamental have prayed, but have you fasted? Have you reason was that God himself was drawing them taken the discipline [a self-imposed penitential there. I like to think, moreover, that one of the scourging]? Have you slept on the floor? So long reasons God was moving his sons and daughters as you have done none of these things, you have to confess to this simple priest in a tiny village no right to complain.” was because St. John Vianney “earned” and “deWhenever someone he met refused to repent, served” them far more than other priests. the Curé of Ars redoubled his prayers and penGod, who cannot be outdone in generos- ances for that person’s conversion. He would, ity, seemed to moreover, do reward the con“preventative” stant prayers prayer and penand heroic sacriance prior to the fices of St. John scheduled deVianney for the bauched dances conversion of (the vogues) to others. Just as beg God’s grace

By Father no other confesto help people Roger J. Landry sor in history has falling in sin. He heard so many would also do confessions for post-confessionso many years as the Curé of Ars, so probably al prayer and sacrifice for reconciled sinners, no other priest prayed and sacrificed as much for giving them easier penances and doing the rest the conversion necessary to bring sinners to the himself, so that no one would be afraid to return confessional. to the sacrament of God’s mercy because of the As I’ve noted in previous columns, when the fear of a harsh penance. future patron saint of priests arrived in Ars, the He prayed so much and so insistently prepractice of the faith was quite weak. His confes- cisely because he was convinced that the conversional was, for the most part, dormant. Rather sion of some from the state of mortal sin to grace than deter or discourage him, this absence of was a true miracle that only God can work. “A fidelity on the part of others spurred him on. great miracle is needed to raise a poor soul in that He would spend most of the night in his church state,” he taught in one of his catechism lessons. alone with the Lord, begging, “O my God, grant “Yes, a greater miracle than what the Lord did to me the conversion of my parish! I consent to suf- raise Lazarus!” To resuscitate a dead body pales, fer whatever you wish for as long as I live.” He he thought, to resurrecting a soul from death; evwould fast and do other types of bodily penance ery absolution is in fact a resurrection, when God in prayerful reparation to God for the sins others the Father says to his prodigal son, “My son was were not confessing. He would wait patiently in dead and has come back to life again.” St. John his confessional, praying for those who should Vianney never lost the wonder of being God’s be on the other side, but who, for one reason or instrument for these most important miracles. another, had not yet come to conversion. He did When his fame began to grow through his bethis for a decade before there was a steady flow ing the instrument for some miraculous bodily of penitents. cures, he downplayed their significance, saying Even after he began to be overwhelmed by that the “body is so very little” and adding, “It is the number of penitents, however, he kept pray- a beautiful thought, my children, that we have a ing and doing sacrifices for the conversion of oth- sacrament that heals the wounds of our soul!” ers. While in most matters he was reticent about St. John Vianney’s existence, like Christ’s his own interior life, in terms of his praying for before him, became one great prayer for the sinners, he was very open, because he wanted to miracle of the conversion of sinners. “I am only enlist others in the effort to imitate him in pray- content,” he said, “when I’m praying for sining for those in need of God’s mercy. ners.” One of the reasons for this was that he “I can’t stop praying for poor sinners who knew, by what seems to be a divine intimation, are on the road to hell,” he once said. “If they that such prayer pleased God immensely. “The come to die in that state, they will be lost for all good God has made me see,” he said to one of eternity. What a pity! We have to pray for sin- his friends, “how much he loves that I pray for ners!” He said that praying for sinners was the poor sinners. … I don’t know if it were really a “most beautiful and useful of prayers” because voice I heard or a dream, but, whatever it was, “the just are on the way to heaven, the souls of it woke me up and told me that to save a soul in purgatory are sure to enter there, but the poor the state of sin is more pleasing to God than all sinners” will be lost forever. He said that all sacrifices. For that reason, I do all my resoludevotions are good but “there is no better one” tions for penance.” than such prayer for sinners.

His heroic praying for sinners was the prehis“What souls we can convert by our prayers,” tory for so many of the miracles of conversion he said on another occasion. Paraphrasing the that took place in his confessional. His confesLord’s words to the prophet Ezekiel, he added, sional had the longest continuous lines in Church “The one who saves a soul from hell saves this history because he prayed more than anyone in soul and his own as well.” He passed these truths history that people would get in that line of salon to all who would listen, because he knew that vation. one did not have to be a priest absolving sins in His example is an inspiration to all priests God’s name in the confessional to save sinners; and faithful to imitate him in this prayer. The

by God’s design, one could also do so through same Lord who was pleased to answer his perseprayer. vering pleas so lavishly stands ready to respond When he talked about praying for sinners, to ours. he wasn’t describing merely a short invocation, Father Landry is pastor of St. Anthony’s but a serious program of persistent supplica- Parish in New Bedford.

Putting Into the Deep

October 23, 2009

I

smile when I think about the story of how I became a priest.

When I celebrated my 25th anniversary to the priesthood in 1993, I was stationed at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Olean, N.Y., and, of course, we had a party. One of my friends from the old neighborhood gave me a card. On the front of the card was the image of Superman flying to somewhere. When I opened the card, my friend had written, “I guess you really did become Superman.”

I smiled because she remembered my jumping off roofs in the old neighborhood, dressed in my own version of a Superman outfit, including the famous cape that was probably an old towel from our bathroom. I was 10 or 11 years old at the time.

There was nothing about me that would cause people to remark, “Oh, Larry will someday be a priest.” I do not come from the typical Catholic family: you know, mom and dad bringing the kids to church on Sunday.

That didn’t happen. Fortunately, however, I was able to go to a Catholic high school staffed by the Holy Cross Fathers in

W

hat does it mean to be Church? This is one of the essential questions that we need to ask these days when the number of worshipping Catholics seems to decline right before our eyes. It isn’t easy to define Church. I have proposed this task to generations of adolescent youth preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. Their answers were usually mired in the immediate, right before their eyes, reality of buildings and stuff.

But we need something larger than what we can see. To get them to think beyond the world of material matter, we played the “Church Auction Game.”

To play, the youth were invited to brainstorm words that come to mind when they think of Church. Some words represented the tangible, while others were the ethereal representations of their faith. Each word was treated with equanimity, written down and hung on the board.

And so, “candle” hung beside “spirit” and “priest” beside “hymns.”

Using play money as their currency, the teams of neophyte theologians had to buy words with which to create a winning definition of Church. You can imagine the competition for the big three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; while words like candle,

7

The Anchor

It is all grace

Lackawanna, N.Y., just south of knew I was home.

“Grateful to God” would not Buffalo. The association with begin to express how I feel tothose priests changed my life. day about that event. It was the I was the classic introvert in most important day of my life. high school, nervous and shy, That does sound a bit dramatic, and didn’t stand out in any way. but honestly, I can’t imagine It was probably by my junior year that I started thinking to myself, “What Year For Priests would it be like to be Vocational Reflection one those guys?’”

Those guys were my teachers and since

By Father Lawrence they were priests, they came to my parish on A. Jerge, CSC the weekends to celebrate Mass. I loved the doing anything else than being idea of the priest/teacher, and a priest in the Congregation of because they were such good Holy Cross. role models and seemed happy, I was ordained at Holy Cross I was naturally drawn to want to Fathers Seminary (now Holy be one of them. They hung out Cross Center at Stonehill Colafter school and were at the athlege) on June 1, 1968. What a letic games and the dances and I time that was.

Just shy of two thought they were the greatest. months earlier, Martin Luther How I got accepted into the King Jr. was assassinated and seminary is another story, trust just six days after my ordination, me, but I entered Stonehill Robert Kennedy was as well.

College in September 1959 as a postulant in the Congregation of The changes that were occurring in the Church since the Second Holy Cross. I was 17 years old Vatican Council were in full and had never been away from Buffalo in my entire life. When I bloom. We were the first class to celebrate Mass in English. It entered the doors at Holy Cross was a strange time — exciting Fathers Seminary, however, I

and challenging, too.

What do I love about the priesthood?

People, helping others, the opportunities to serve in a very unique way and so much more.

I never dreamed I would be able to minister in so many different places and in so many different ways when I was ordained but the opportunities presented to me have also helped me to grow as a person. I have been inspired by others’ stories and have been astounded by the trust that people put in priests.

In addition, the Congregation of Holy Cross has afforded me opportunities that have enriched my life and challenged me at the same time. I’ve taught in high schools and colleges, preached the Word, tried to be a good listener, presided at Eucharist, baptized, forgiven sins, confirmed at the Easter Vigil, and anointed the sick and dying. In short, I have been given incredible opportunities to minister as a priest. Who has a better life than we priests do?

And I am very grateful that

What does it mean to be Church?

holy water, and pew remained the necessary steps to form a unclaimed and worthless on the pastoral council that understood board. It didn’t take long for its responsibility to serve the the kids to get the point: Church is much more than the things we carry.

Still, it is so tempting to put our faith into that which we can see, smell, hear and touch.

Conceptual images, such

By Claire McManus as People of God, Body of Christ, or Temple of the Holy Spirit are hard to wrap pastoral needs of the parish, not our arms around, much less our just the temporal. Together they minds. Once in a while the true planned a time for all members meaning of Church comes to of the parish family to come life; incarnated in the parishioforward to discern the most ners who walk through the door. pressing needs they face. The St. Michael Parish in Fall invitation to come to an eveRiver experienced the miracle ning of discernment went out that is embodied in the essence to everyone. The evening was of “Church.” This is a parish well planned, from table setting on a pilgrimage. Like many of to grouping by native language; our parishes, it has had to face every detail was considered and the tough question: what does rehearsed. All of this attention to it mean to be Church? Their detail left plenty of room for the pilgrimage has been a journey Holy Spirit to blow through the from disillusionment to recondoor. The result was profound. ciliation, and on into the endless More than 200 people came possibility of renewal. These together to live Church the way People of God are fully emChrist intended. bracing what it means to be the No discussion, no plan for the Body of Christ. future, nothing began until the The process of becoming Spirit was brought into the proChurch takes time, patience, cess. Veni, Sancte Spritus. Ideas fortitude, and servant leaderflowed, in Portuguese and Engship. St. Michael Parish has all lish; the Holy Spirit translated. of these qualities. Their pasBy the time the evening ended, a tor, Father Ed Correia, took group of individuals were being

The Great Commission

the Body of Christ.

The miracle of becoming Church is not in the details of new programs, new personnel, or new buildings. It is in the coming together to welcome Christ into our hearts.

This is the starting point for anything in the parish that will be life-giving.

“Being Church” is a continuous action. It is not a “back then we did this,” or “maybe later we can do that.” It is a right now we are here, and

I love what I do because there are so many people in this world who unfortunately don’t love what they do. I can’t imagine anything other than being a priest.

The priesthood today, as most priests will acknowledge, is and has always been challenging. That is classic understatement. In my 41 years of priesthood, I have enjoyed the challenges for the most part.

The world and Church today are very different from the world and the Church of the 50s and 60s that I experienced as a young person.

When people ask me why I became a priest, I just smile, realizing that I really had very little to do with it. It is all grace.

I can only be grateful to God for this gift and pray that I will continue to be grateful for the rest of my life.

Who knows what challenges lay ahead for the Church in the next 10 or 20 years? It will surely be challenging and exciting as it has been for my entire life as a Holy Cross priest.

Father Jerge is parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in South Easton.

we are still becoming what we will be. Being Church with and for one another makes all the stuff that we thought was Church fade into the background.

What does it mean to be Church? Two hundred people, two languages, one Spirit in Christ-this is the winning formula to begin “being” Church.

Through him, with him, and in him, a people gather around the altar for Eucharist; being Church.

Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation.

8

T

he story of Bartimaeus is the journey of Christian discipleship each of us must follow, a story of the response to the call of Jesus. Bartimaeus was blind, impoverished and sitting on the side of the road. He is the model of those who are spiritually blind and whose lives lack direction, sidetracked on the road to salvation.

He reached out for healing, showing himself to be a believer, although not yet a disciple, with the words, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” Bartimaeus vocally recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Bystanders rebuked him but Jesus did not.

This is the first time in Mark’s Gospel that someone, other than demons or disciples, identified him and was not admonished to remain silent. The Messianic secret was out. Jesus seems to validate his identity to all by performing a public

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

‘Master, I want to see’

miracle. us from reaching out to Christ The liturgical year is comby saying grace in public before ing to a conclusion and in a few meals, seeking the sacrament of weeks we will see Christ the reconciliation or affirming the King enthroned in eternal glory, sanctity of life from conception a feast we are invited to attend. to natural death?

Jesus seems to be telling us that, having experienced Advent, ChristHomily of the Week mas, Lent, Calvary, the Thirtieth Sunday Resurrection and most in Ordinary Time of Ordinary Time, we have the information we

By Deacon need to identify him, to Karl Buder believe in him, to come to know him, to love him and follow where he leads us. That’s the example Christ called him, specificalBartimaeus presents to us, a ly, but he used others as intermemodel of discipleship. diaries. How often the Lord acts He was not deterred when Jethrough others. We must always sus did not immediately respond be awake and alert to God’s to him. He persisted, though bymovement in our lives through standers thought him a nuisance. those around us. We must also He knew the Lord. Do we allow be aware of God’s desire to the negative opinions of the move others through us. bystanders in our lives to prevent In a very significant detail,

he immediately responded to Christ’s call by throwing aside his cloak, which was his only material possession of any value. Yet, he jettisoned it, lest it hinder, even for a moment, his way to the Lord. Bartimaeus showed us that the poorest among us, in a material sense, can be the richest in faith, in what really matters, because they are not impeded by the allure of this world.

Christ asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Do you want alms, something of this world, or do you want more? Always, Jesus gives us a choice. Bartimaeus’ response echoes through Christian history. “Master, I want to see!” His plea has many meanings. “Master, I want the darkness removed from my life. I want to see with the eyes of faith.

I want to see you for all eternity. I

want to see the way to reach you, the path that you have set out for me to follow.” The poor “see” with such clarity.

Jesus grants his request. His faith has saved him. Bartimaeus is given another choice after the miracle; he can go his own way or he can choose the path of discipleship and follow the Lord.

He chooses the latter. His life now has purpose and direction because of his faith and discipleship.

The very next verses of Mark’s Gospel find Jesus approaching Jerusalem and the cross. We don’t know what happens to Bartimaeus but we have confidence that, in his exemplary discipleship, he will follow wherever Christ leads him.

Deacon Buder lives with his wife, Lynn, on Martha’s Vineyard and serves at Good Shepherd Parish. The older of his two adult sons is a seminarian.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Oct. 24, Rom 8:1-11; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 13:1-9. Sun. Oct. 25, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126:1-6; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52. Mon. Oct. 26, Rom 8:12-17; Ps 68:2,4,6-7,20-21; Lk 13:10-17. Tues. Oct. 27, Rom 8:18-25; Ps 126:1-6; Lk 13:18-21. Wed. Oct. 28, feast of Simon and Jude, Apostles, Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19:2-5; :Lk 6:12-16. Thur. Oct. 29, Rom 8:1b-39; Ps 109:21-22,26-27, 30-31: Lk 13:31-35. Fri. Oct. 30, Rom 9:1-5; Ps 147:12-15,19-20; Lk 14:1-6.

T

he Thirty Years War looms large in the contemporary secularist imagination. There, it’s simply taken for granted that religious fanaticism laid waste to Europe between 1618 and 1648, and that the carnage only stopped when the exhausted powers of the day agreed to the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the wars of religion by adopting the principle of cuius regio eius religio — the prince’s religion would determine the religion of the principality. More subtle secularists find in cuius regio eius religio one root of modern statecraft, from which religious

Another black legend, down the chute

ideas and religiously informed 8,000,000 people — which is moral judgments are to be rigor- truly dreadful, even by 20thously excluded. century European standards of That’s the way it was, and mass slaughter. True, Wilson that’s the lesson to be learned, right? Well, no, actually.

Or so writes Peter Wilson in “The Thirty Years War: Europe’s Tragedy” (Belknap/

By George Weigel Harvard). As Professor Wilson’s subtitle suggests, the Thirty Years War was indeed a horrible writes, the Thirty Years War business. When it was finally began as a religiously-inspired over, the Holy Roman Empire of civil war within the Hapsburg the Hapsburgs had lost 20 perlands. But it became an intercent of its population — some national affair and a historic disaster when Sweden’s Gustavus Adophus, waging war behind a facade of Lutheran piety, saw his geopolitical chances and took ‘em. (That Richelieu and the Catholic French sided with the Lutheran Swedes in order to cut their Catholic Hapsburg rivals down to size nicely illustrates Lord Birkenhead’s comment in “Chariots of Fire:” “The Frogs aren’t a terribly principled lot...”).

Wilson’s challenge to conventional secularist wisdom lies in his summary judgment: this grisly business had far less to do with theological arguments over justification by faith than it did with dynastic ambition, greed, political incompetence, and a ruthless lack of morals among early practitioners of that foreign policy “realism” on which

The Catholic Difference

certain parties in Washington, D.C., pride themselves today. In short, the Thirty Years War was about politics detached from ethics, not about religion detached from reason.

If that’s true — and Professor Wilson makes a strong case — adjustments ought to be made in the Standard Version of the modern history of church-and-state.

Recent scholarship has demonstrated that Stalin, master of a hyper-secularist regime in Soviet Russia, killed more people on a slow afternoon than the dread Inquisition consigned to death in a decade. Now Peter Wilson demonstrates that the Thirty Years War (proportionally, a slaughter three times greater than World War II) was primarily a matter of unbridled politics, not maniacal religion. These two readjustments in historical understanding demonstrate, across a span of three and a half centuries, that the modern nationstate has been more deadly than the Church by orders of magnitude. That, in turn, ought to be an arrow in the rhetorical quiver of those Europeans and Americans who continue to argue, against secularist bigotry, that religiously informed moral argument has a legitimate place in the public square of 21st century democracies.

Then there’s cuius regio eius religio, which the Standard Ver-

sion typically posits as a step toward the institutional separation of church and state and the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. Poles taught me years ago that precisely the opposite was the case: for Poles, whose lands did not experience the European wars of religion, regard the Westphalian imposition of religious faith by state edict as the world’s first systematic experiment in totalitarianism — the coercion of consciences by a public authority that claimed control over the innermost sanctuaries of the human spirit.

Thus if we are looking for deeper and sturdier roots of religious freedom in Europe, we might look elsewhere: to the Polish theologian and canonist Pawel Wlodkowic, who argued at the 15th century Council of Constance against the forced conversion of pagans; or to the 17th century Polish king, Zygmunt August, who declined the invitation of his countrymen to resolve their religious squabbles by stating that he was not “the king of your consciences.”

In the light of Peter Wilson’s book, perhaps some intrepid soul will raise these points in the Christophobic European Parliament. The reaction would be instructive.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

In fourteen-hundred-ninety-two, Sal Zarco sailed the ocean blue

12 October 2009 — Three There was no testing done on any Mile River — Columbus Day Portuguese men, but why would (observed) there be? h, wait. Is it Zarco or According to my friend, the Columbus who “sailed scholar Dr. Manuel L. Da Silva, the ocean blue”? I spent Columbus Day studying the theory that they are one and the same.

Reflections of a Scientists in Italy, Parish Priest Spain, and France have tested the DNA of 477

By Father Tim men from those respective Goldrick counties, each claiming to be a descendant of Christopher Columbus. Not one even if we overlook the voyage of them had a chromosome in to southeastern Massachusetts in common with Columbus. None 1472 by João Vaz Corte Real, of them was his descendant. the Portuguese still get bragging

O

The Ship’s Log

A

9

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

rights for “discovering America.”

Christopher Columbus was Portuguese, he says.

There was a Mrs. Columbus.

She was born Felipa Moniz, daughter of a governor of the Portuguese colony on the island of Madeira and a relative of the king of Portugal. Admiral and Mrs. Columbus settled in Madeira and there their son Diego was born.

Mother and son were unquestionably aristocratic Portuguese. Was the husband? I have visited what people there say is the family home. I don’t think it is. It’s too humble for the admiral

A vintage home-brewed brood

able to help their children grow t Pizzeria Uno the staff strong in their faith. Secondly, chipped in together to they see it as a way to know buy all 12 Milligan kids icetheir children really well so they cream sundaes simply because can guide them effectively. “If they didn’t spill or throw food you’re going to prune a tree,” all over the place. “Mom, people FJ reasons, “you’ve got to have like us,” observed Molly her clear what kind of tree you’re 11-year-old. They get this kind of pruning.” All those hours spent positive affirmation often. Someteaching her children is an optitimes people offer to help pay mum way for Germaine to know for their bills. Once the waitress each of her children in his or her of a fancy hotel restaurant got individuality. teary eyed when the kids served FJ steps in to help “when the themselves peacefully without dam breaks.” By high school age trashing the breakfast buffet. the kids are supposed to be well Their remarkable behavior enough prepared to follow the comes from the style of educaSeton Home School lesson plans tion that FJ and Germaine have on their own. Germaine helps opted for. For the Milligans, “the gift of self-control” is a fundamental. “You cannot Lavishly expect your kids to be able to overcome the trials and Generous setbacks of life,” they say, Love “if they’re completely controlled by their passions.”

By Joan Kingsland They’re looking to build character and self-mastery in their children. So they out just a little with the math, the work at knowing each one of English and the papers. their children profoundly in Their eldest two, Joe and order to bring them to a healthy Caitlin, are proof that the Milself-knowledge. But they don’t ligan educational plan is working stop there. Dad and mom also so far. As freshmen at Wyoming help their kids strategize about Catholic College this year, both how to overcome their faults and of them made the Dean’s list. difficulties and then encourage They’ve told their parents that them to implement their plans.

College was easier than they The long-term goal is for expected. That’s due to the good their children to be well-rounded study habits they built at home, adults who are prepared generincluding the capacity to set ously to fulfill God’s will, whatschedules and keep deadlines. ever their vocation in life. It’s a Another proof of their high tall order that keeps the Milligan academic achievement is their parents on the ball from morning National Merit Scholarships. to night.

Joe wrote his award winning They opted to home-school essay on “Lord of the Rings,” their children after prayerful disand Caitlin did hers on the book cernment that this is what God “Dracula,” by Bram Stoker. wanted them to do. Germaine Formal classroom style studsays: “Some people remark to ies are definitely not the only us that they wouldn’t be able to opportunities for the Milligan do it, so they don’t. We see it in children to grow in character and another way. Since God desires to develop the wide range of all it for us, we go full steam ahead, their potential. They have many counting on his help.” other opportunities for enriching They value home-schooling themselves. For one, they particifor two reasons. First, they’re

pate in a choir which functions as a youth group.

In the area of sports Kristen, Erin, Sean and Paul play on the home-schooling basketball team.

This year the girls’ team won the district championship in the Catholic schools league.

Piano lessons are made available for those who seem inclined.

Drawing and painting is also encouraged if anyone shows a particular interest or disposition. Caitlin got hooked when she won free art lessons in a drawing contest. She went on to make a notable showing, three years in a row, in the patriotic art contest sponsored by the Veteran of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary. Thousands of entries are received on the national level.

Caitlin’s best was first in the state and third in the country.

FJ and Germaine want to make books and materials available for their children to be able to flourish in whatever they’re drawn to. Books take the place of what would likely be television time for other families.

The Milligans want their children to be able to navigate the world and all of its attractions.

That means filtering out images that wouldn’t be helpful, but it doesn’t entail separating their children entirely from what’s going on. “We want to be there at their side when they’re being exposed to the negative influences of society so we can help them sort it all out,” Germaine says. “It’s not about keeping them from falling, but rather helping them stand back up again, interpret what happened and decide what they’ll do in the future to improve.”

Joan Kingsland, a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi, teaches theology at Mater Ecclesiae College in Greenville, R.I.

and his family.

Pope Alexander VI may have left behind a clue. Two of his papal documents preserved in the Vatican Library mention Christopher Columbus. The papal bulls, dated May 1493, are written in Latin, but when the pope gets to the name of Christopher Columbus, he switches from Latin to old-style Portuguese. Was the pope having a “senior moment”?

Was he slipping into his native tongue? No, the pope’s native tongue was Spanish. Was the pope not good at remembering names?

Even so, he probably had a bevy of monsignors whispering forgotten names in his ear. Did Pope Alexander VI know something about Columbus we don’t?

We have the coded sign of Christopher Columbus, written in his own hand — : xpoferens./ Columbus encased his sign with marks on either side. Was his pen dripping ink? The punctuations form what is known in Egyptology as a cartouche. The cartouche surrounds the name to protect the named person from evil. Who else besides the ancient Egyptians used the cartouche?

The Portuguese explorers who were members of the Order of the Cross of Christ used double colons as a cartouche.

The letters include the Chi Rho, XPO, Greek for Christ Our Savior, and the word “ferens,” Latin for “ferryman.” It could be the name “Christopher” or “Christ Bearer.” XPO could also be translated as savior and ferens could be an abbreviated form of the Portuguese name “Fernandes.”

The symbol can be read “Christopher,” “Christo Fernandes” or “Salvador Fernandes.”

The “s” at the end of the symbolic mark is unusual. In all cases, it has a tail reaching upward. A slip of the pen? Perhaps. A Jewish scholar sees it as a Hebrew letter, an inverted lamed. What does this hidden lamed mean in Hebrew?

It means “colon.” How does one pronounce “colon” in Hebrew?

Zarco. We can read “Christofõm Colon” in old-style Portuguese or “Christopher Columbus” in Latin.

Alternatively, it reads Salvador

Fernandes Zarco.

Christopher Columbus also used a monogram of three entwined letters, SFZ. Does that stand for Salvador Fernandes Zarco?

It was common practice in the Age of European Exploration to name places in honor of those in your country of origin. During his four voyages, Columbus named more than 40 locations on his maps of the Caribbean and Central America. Every one of those 40 names Columbus (or Salvador Fernandes) gave these newly discovered sites is Portuguese.

He named his first landfall “San Salvador.” Was it named after the Savior or after himself, Salvador?

He named the largest island in the Caribbean “Cuba.” There is an ancient village in Portugal named Cuba. Coincidence?

We know Columbus was well educated, multi-lingual, and politically well connected. We also know he began letters to his son Diego with a traditional Jewish blessing in Hebrew. This seems odd. Was his family Jewish in custom?

Let’s put it all together in The Big Question: Was there ever a 15th-century Portuguese Catholic named Salvador Fernandes Zarco, born in the village of Cuba, a member of the Order of the Cross of Christ, with Sephardic Jewish ancestry? The answer is yes. His maternal grandfather, first cousin of the king and knight of Prince Henry the Navigator, discovered, lived, governed at Porto Santo (Madeira), died, and was buried in Madeira.

Is Christopher Columbus and Salvador Fernandes the same person? Was Christopher Columbus actually a Portuguese aristocrat? The jury is still out.

All that’s left to adjudicate the case is genetic testing on the mortal remains of the kings of Portugal. Ladies and gentlemen, what is your verdict?

In historical research, you never know what (or whom) you’re going to dig up.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.

10

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

Her actions speak ‘loud and clear’

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

helping out the Church. She is an icon of the type of NEW BEDFORD — Actions speak louder than lay Catholic leadership and stewardship to which God words is an adage that Delia Lafrance instilled in her calls all of us by our baptism and confirmation.”

Levesque admits that her many parish responsibilieight children many years ago. One of her daughters, Sue Levesque, a parishioner of St. Anthony’s Parish in ties keep her quite busy, but for her it’s a labor of love.

New Bedford for nearly 35 years, lives her mother’s “I enjoy reading, but most times I fall asleep after just a message every day. Levesque wears many hats at her few pages,” she quipped. It’s no wonder.

“Often times people Whaling City parish, and think they don’t have time she doesn’t consider any of to help out, but even if it’s her responsibilities work, just one hour a month, it’s a rather they are an opportugreat help to the parish,” she nity “to give back to God continued. “I think people for all the blessings he has have time no matter what. given to me,” she told The Sometimes they just have to Anchor. be asked.”

“Mom was always there Another of Levesque’s to help anyone,” she conprojects is the Shaw’s, Stop tinued. “If someone needed and Shop, and Trucchi’s gloves, mom would be sure food card fund-raising projto spread the word. With ect, which allows parishioeight children, she wasn’t ners to buy gift cards to the wealthy, but she made sure food chains and give up to when people needed help, five percent of the proceeds she would find the means to the parish, without costto do so. As children we ing a penny more on growould often go to the store ceries. Getting people to for elderly neighbors who change the way they think couldn’t get out. It was our about helping out their parway of helping.” ish takes time, but she’s Levesque has carried that tradition of helping into her ANCHOR PERSON OF THE WEEK — Sue seeing signs of the transition. adult life. At St. Anthony’s Levesque. (Photo by Ken Souza) “I think people don’t she is involved with the parish bazaar, balancing the books for Bingo, is a lector, realize that it’s not costing them anything that they an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, a mem- wouldn’t be spending on groceries anyway — and the ber of the parish Pastoral and Finance councils, and parish benefits as well.”

Despite the fact that her children are now grown and belongs to the parish women’s group, St. Anthony’s on their own, Levesque continues her mother’s philosLadies Together.

Levesque’s parish involvement ophy of helping others — well past those early youth began when her son, now 39, and group days.

“To me being Catholic doesn’t just mean going to daughter, now 37, were students at St. Anthony’s School. “Back then Mass one hour a week,” explained Levesque. “Being Father Richard E. Degagne was ad- Catholic is a way of life. And the benefits are there. ministrator here and wanted to start You get to meet some very nice people along the a youth group,” said Levesque. “He way, and you definitely feel like you belong to the asked my husband Robert and me parish community. The parish is a group of families and another couple, the Medeiroses, that is a family. I feel it’s not just the job of the parif we would be adult advisors.” They ish priest, parish secretary and the janitor to carry on did and that was just the beginning the day-to-day workings of the parish. The family can help too.” of Levesque’s “giving back.”

“I pray regularly for more Sue Levesques,” mused “I have a decent job and a good family, so giving back to the parish Father Landry. “If cloning weren’t immoral, I’d probis the right thing to do,” she said. ably try to replicate her. If this parish, if any parish, “Everyone has a talent, and mine is had 10 people as committed, competent and compreworking with numbers and practical hensively Catholic as Sue Levesque, then there would stuff. I enjoy what I do in the par- be little the parish couldn’t accomplish for the glory of God and the good of others.” ish.”

Most times actions do speak louder than words.

“Sue Levesque is not just my right hand but my left hand and my Ever since Sue Levesque as a child “heard” her mother, two feet as well,” said pastor Fa- she’s carried on that “conversation.” Her actions speak ther Roger J. Landry. “She not only “loud and clear.”

To nominate a Person of the Week, send an email dedicates so much time but so much God-given organizational talent to message to FatherRogerLandry@AnchorNews.org.

11

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

Vatican invites the sick and suffering to help priests through prayer

B y Gustavo Solis C atholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry invited the sick and suffering of the world to help the Church through prayer and by offering up their suffering during the Year for Priests.

The president of the council, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, encouraged the sick and suffering to pray for an increase in priestly vocations and for priests who are sick and afflicted.

“I invite you, sick brothers and sisters, to unceasingly address your prayers and the offering up of your sufferings to the Lord for the holiness of your priests,” Archbishop

Zimowski said in a letter released October 14 at the Vatican. He said the prayers would help priests “perform the ministry that is entrusted to them by Christ.”

He also asked the sick to pray for the beatification and canonization of Pope John Paul II. The late pope founded the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry in February 1985. The council will celebrate its 25th anniversary during the Year for Priests.

Archbishop Zimowski explained the role priests take on when serving the sick, saying that “a priest at the bedside of a sick person represents Christ himself, the divine physician, who is not

indifferent to the fate of those who suffer.”

He reminded the sick and suffering of special plenary indulgences they can obtain this year by praying for priests.

Citing a Vatican decree, the archbishop said that “indulgences will be granted

to the elderly, the sick and those who are confined to their homes who, with a mind detached from sin and the intention of fulfilling the three usual conditions (confession, Communion and prayer), recite prayers for the sanctification of priests and offer the illnesses of their lives to

God.” The special indulgences are also offered “to all the faithful every time they recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” to ask “that priests be preserved in purity and holiness of life,” he said.

12

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

New movie on Fatima apparition to be released

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Based on the memoirs of Sister Maria Lucia de Jesus, and thousands of independent eyewitness accounts, “The 13th Day” is a dramatic retelling of the supernatural experiences of three shepherd children nearly a century ago. The events depicted in the film transpired between May 13, 1917 and Oct. 13, 1917 in the Cova da Iria (Cove of Irene) region of Fatima, Portugal.

“The 13th Day” is the first major motion picture by directors Ian and Dominic Higgins.

The filmmakers tell an accurate, relevant and artistic story about the Blessed Mother’s appearances to Lucia Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Over six months, Our Lady gave incredible prophecies and warnings to the children that included a harrowing vision of hell, the timing of World War II, the spread of communism and the attempted assassination of a pope, who later was revealed to be Pope John Paul II. Stylistically beautiful and

technically innovative, the film uses state-of-the-art digital effects to create stunning images of the visions and the final miracle that have never before been fully realized on screen. Shot on location in Portugal and England, the film has a cast of hundreds to recreate the scenes of the 70,000 strong crowds of witnesses, with three young Portuguese actors playing the iconic roles of Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta.

Says Anthony Ryan, director of marketing for Ignatius Press, the North American distributor of the film, “‘The 13th Day’ is an antidote film for our time. It is a reminder that a thin veil exists between our world and the next. The message of Fatima is a relevant wake-up call to a culture torn apart by abortion, war, and injustice. Every Catholic, perhaps every person, should see this film.”

It will be available on DVD December 1, 2009.

For more information about “The 13th Day,” visit the website at www.the13thdaymovie.com.

QUALITY TIME WITH OUR MOTHER — From left, Francisco (Vitor Machado), Jacinta (Ana-Sofia Vilas Boas), Lucia (Filipa Fernandes) in a scene from “The 13th Day,” a new film about the Fatima apparitions.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, October 25 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Edward Correia, pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Fall River

WILD-EYED — Actor Max Records as Max looks at James Gandolfini in character as Carol in a scene from the movie “Where the Wild Things Are.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Warner Bros.)

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Couples Retreat” (Universal/Relativity) Mostly dull, sexually wayward comedy in which a suburban couple (Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) on the verge of divorce convince a group of their friends (most prominently Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman) to join them at a South Pacific resort whose founder (Jean Reno) specializes in marriage therapy. While Peter Billingsley’s directorial debut ultimately affirms marital fidelity, viewers have to endure waves of constantly suggestive, occasionally smutty humor and a tide of New Age psychobabble — an obviously inadequate substitute for faith as a basis for lifelong commitment — before reaching that safe shore. Strong sexual content, including brief but aberrant adulterous activity, fleeting nongraphic sexual activity within marriage, a flash of rear nudity, many sexually themed jokes, and some crude and much crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“No Impact Man” (Oscilloscope) Thought-provoking documentary charting a yearlong experiment by a New York City couple,

author Colin Beavan and his journalist wife, Michelle Conlin, during which they gradually give up every aspect of their lifestyle that could cause a negative environmental effect, a formidable list of sacrifices that eventually includes all motorized transport, even elevators, all food not grown locally, disposable diapers for their toddler daughter, air conditioning, heating and electric lights. While their undertaking obviously carries conscientiousness to an extreme unlikely to be imitated by many, as captured by filmmakers Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein, the pioneering experience does have its potentially inspiring rewards in the form of increased exercise, improved diet and intensified family life, though the incidental portrait of a real-life marriage mixes mutual commitment with sometimes misguided reproductive values.

Some rough and crude language, a half-dozen crass terms and birth control references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults.

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

“Toy Story” (1995) (Disney) Toys come to life when humans aren’t looking in this animated fantasy about the rivalry between a cowboy doll (voiced by Tom Hanks) and a flashy plastic spaceman (voiced by Tim Allen) whose subsequent misadventures teach them a lesson in friendship.

Director John Lasseter makes good use of computer animation in a slim but imaginative tale featuring the frantic antics of mischievous playthings, though little ones may be frightened by some scenes of a nasty child who enjoys destroying toys. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

“Toy Story 2” (1999) (Disney) The animated adventures of

toys that come to life when humans aren’t looking continues as cowboy Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) is stolen by a greedy toy collector (voice of Wayne Knight), sending Woody’s toy buddies, led by Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), to a breathless rescue. Briskly directed by John Lasseter with even better animation, the lively cartoon sequel is a little less original but zippy action scenes and gentle humor should amuse small fry.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

“Where the Wild Things Are” (Warner Bros.)

Intriguing though melancholy fantasy in which a rambunctious young boy (Max Records) quarrels with his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) and runs away from home, eventually sailing to the island abode of the Wild Things, a close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants (voiced, most prominently, by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose) whose personalities reflect various aspects of the youth’s real-life experiences and of his unsettled psychological state.

While objectionable elements are minimal, director and cowriter Spike Jonze’s subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic 1963 children’s book — which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation — far from being a film for kids, is instead a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of childhood.

Also shown in Imax. Occasional menace and a few mild oaths.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested.

Some material may not be suitable for children.

Pilgrims reflect on St. Damien canonization continued from page one

and Mary.

“Many of us had joined the Sacred Hearts community after reading about Father Damien’s life years ago,” said Father Tom McElroy, SSCC, pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Fairhaven, who also went on the pilgrimage. “Many of our brothers and sisters came to their vocation through Father Damien, so the opportunity to attend his raising to the altar of sainthood was a great joy for all of us.”

“The canonization event went beyond expectation,” agreed Father Petrie. “It was raining early that day and a decision was made to have the canonization inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Only about 10,000 were admitted … so another 100,000 of us were in St. Peter’s Square, watching the events inside on large screens. I think it would have been a little more solemn having all the cardinals and bishops around the altar set up outside, but watching everything as it happened inside beautiful St. Peter’s was the next best thing. The pope came out after the ceremony and spoke about each saint, then went into his Angelus message and blessed everyone. Everyone was of the same opinion that it was a wonderful, spiritual renewal.”

Father Barry W. Wall, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese, was blessed to attend both Father Damien’s beatification in Belgium in 1995 and his recent canonization in Rome, and noted how devotion to St. Damien drew pilgrims from all parts of the world.

“It was truly an international celebration because Father Damien’s influences have spread around the world — very much through the Sacred Hearts community, which is in the Far East, the United States, Latin America and Europe,” Father Wall said. “It shows the universality of the Church.”

Joan Longden, a parishioner of St. Joseph’s in Fairhaven who joined the pilgrimage to Rome, agreed that Father Damien has touched many lives. “It was a wonderful experience to attend the canonization, and I think it really made me more aware about how Father Damien had impacted so many people in our own area and throughout the world,” she said.

Longden, who has always had a devotion to St. Damien, said she received a special grace during the trip when she met a woman from Ireland purely by chance.

“Members of our group were all wearing Blessed

13

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

Damien T-shirts and a woman came over to me and saw the shirt,” Longden said. “She told me ‘I have had an authentic miracle from Blessed Damien that has been documented.’ She proceeded to tell us she was a woman from Dublin, Ireland named Mary C. Gahan. She had something wrong with her hip and someone gave her a leaflet of Blessed Damien and she put it on her hip and within a matter of hours she had a healing. So I figured this was my little spiritual blessing from St. Damien.”

Father Wall noted how another miracle attributed to St. Damien had a direct connection to the Fall River Diocese.

During his pilgrimage to the canonization, Father Wall said he first learned about a woman who was cured of cancer after receiving a Blessed Damien prayer card from a Fall River priest.

“I was very interested and moved by the fact that it was one of the priests from the Fall River Diocese — the late Father Frederick J. Meyers, SSCC, who had been a pastor in Acushnet and Wellfleet — who first gave her the holy card with the prayer of Blessed Damien and advised her to say the prayer everyday,” Father Wall said. “Having known Father Meyers, I thought it was a very moving aspect of the whole thing.”

For Mary Ellen Grace, a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church in Norton, the opportunity to attend the canonization with her sister was a double blessing.

“I’ve had a devotion to Father Damien from the time I was a small a child … so to be there in person to witness the canonization was just absolutely wonderful,” Grace said. “My sister and I were also pleased to find out that Blessed Jeanne Jugan, founder of the Little Sisters of the Poor, was being canonized the same day. Our grandmother was actually a Little Sister of the Poor, but she was sent home before she made her final vows because of a bad heart condition. I guess they were able to be a little more picky back in those days.”

Father McElroy summed up the weekend pilgrimage as a “gathering of communities.”

“We had men and women from 29 provinces from around the world gathering together,” he said. “Then it just came to a big crescendo on the day of the canonization itself. There were probably 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square.”

P

Health care worthy of the name

the Poor, dedicated to caring resident Obama and done with legalistic parsing by for needy elderly, reminds us Congress seem to be Ivy League educated lawyers of that. So too is the canonizaquite busy these days tryin high places. But apparently tion of St. Damien of Molokai, ing to reform our health care not. who worked in Hawaii with system. Any reform worth Maybe I’m missing somebothering about, though, needs thing, but I thought health care abandoned lepers until he died of leprosy himself. His statue to improve the current situawas about curing people, or is now in the U.S. Capitol in tion. “Change we can believe at least caring for them and Washington, in Statuary Hall. in,” as opposed to just any old trying to make them comfortI once heard Blessed Mother change (or change for its own able. Killing does not seem to Teresa of Calcutta speak at sake), should advance the goals be part of this goal, however the U.S. Capitol. She said that of health care and not betray much Planned Parenthood and abortion was the greatest threat them. the Hemlock Society would to world peace.

Recently, the U.S. Maybe it’s time bishops, through the for Obama to earn his national bishops conNobel Peace Prize, as ference, wrote to the Mother Teresa earned U.S. Senate and House hers. Admittedly, govof Representatives to ernment cannot provide express disappointment

By Dwight Duncan the love that the saints that the current bills can, but neither should working through Conit make health care gress, most notably the Senate’s Baucus bill recently like us to think it is. In addition more expensive and selective, under the guise of reforming it approved by the Senate Fito including abortion, the bills and expanding it. nance Committee, fail to make currently under consideration Health care worthy of the the grade. would pressure doctors to limit name does not throw anyone One issue is abortion. Curhealth care to older patients. under the bus. As the bishops rent federal law, through the The bishops are right to insist also noted in their letter to Hyde Amendment, refuses to that the plan “exclude manCongress, “Reform should use taxpayer funds to pay for dated coverage for abortion, make quality health care afelective abortions. President and incorporate long-standing fordable and accessible to Obama said September 9 that policies against abortion fundeveryone, particularly those “no federal dollars will be ing and in favor of conscience who are vulnerable and those used to fund abortions” under rights.” Health care should be who live at or near the poverty the health care reform. As the worthy of the name. level.” bishops’ letter dated October Whether you’re an unborn Dwight Duncan is a profes8 says, “No one should be rechild, or doddering invalid, you sor at Southern New England quired to pay for or participate need health care just as everySchool of Law in North Dartin abortions. It is essential that one else does. The recent canmouth. He holds degrees in civil the legislation clearly apply to onization of St. Jeanne Jugan, and canon law. this new program long-standing founder of the Little Sisters of and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No P.O. Box 22, 39 North Moodus Rd. Moodus, CT 06469 . 860-873-1581 current bill meets this test.”

Website: www.myfathershouse.com Email: sbsheldon@sbcglobal.net Indeed, Senator Orrin Hatch Saturday November 7, 2009 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM proposed amendments in Optional Mass at 8:30 AM & 5:00 PM committee to the Baucus bill.

A Special Day of Retreat The first of these amendments for Knights of Columbus & Friends would prohibit federal funds with from subsidizing health plans Fr. Bill McCarthy, M.S.A., Retreat Director, that cover elective abortions, Faithful Friar, Old Saybrook Assembly #1757 and and the second would deny Father John Grace O.S.A., Guest Speaker funds to any governmental Director of Chaplain Programs and Development agency that takes action against K of C Supreme Office & Faithful Friar, Ct. District SUN. OCT. 25 - SONDRA ABRAMS returns to My Father’s a health care entity which does 7:00 PM House for Talk & Healing Service. not provide or refer women * EVERY 1ST SUNDAY Catholic 12-STEP Healing Program with Fr. Bill for abortions. They were both (after the 1:30 Mass) & his team. Each Meeting will include teaching, voted down 13-10, on a strictly 3:00-4:30 PM sharing & prayers for Healing; open to everyone partisan basis. The Democrats

(not just AA).

seem to be working in lock EVERY WEEKLY HOLY SPIRIT BREAKFAST with Mass * step with the Administration to THURSDAY at 11:30 and continuing the study of St. Paul with the 10:00 AM - 2 PM encyclicals of Pope Benedict XVI includes lunch. defeat meaningful conscience protection for both taxpayers * EVERY 1ST MONTHLY DISCIPLESHIP/PATRICIAN THURSDAY Meeting - MEN & WOMEN. Why not join us this and health care workers.

7:00-9:00 PM month?

Turns out that the federal * EVERY 2ND ST. MONICA’S PRAYER GROUP to pray for our funds will not directly pay for THURSDAY children, family, and loved ones before the abortions, but they will sub7:30-8:30 PM Blessed Sacrament. sidize private plans that pay * EVERY 3RD HEALING MASS with Fr. Bill McCarthy and for abortions. So when Obama THURSDAY team, see our Website for exact date and says “no federal dollars will 6:30 PM further details. be used to fund abortions,” * EVERY 4TH PRAYER CENACLE with OUR LADY, QUEEN OF that depends on your definiTUESDAY the HOME — using the book of Our Lady’s Message 7:00 PM of Mercy to the World. tion of what “will be” will be. I thought that when Bill Check out our website at www.myfathershouse.com for upcoming Parish Missions Clinton left office, we were Call us to have your family reunion here. Lodging & meals available.

Judge For Yourself

My Father’s House

14

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

Red Mass set for November 1 at cathedral Five to be recognized with St. Thomas More Award

By John E. Kearns Jr. Special to The Anchor

FALL RIVER — Judges, attorneys, and others working in the justice system are invited to the annual Red Mass to be hosted by the Fall River Diocese at 3 p.m., Sunday, November 1, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River.

A long-standing tradition in the Church, the Red Mass is celebrated each year by the diocese to invoke God’s guidance and strength on those who work to provide justice in the legal system.

Bishop George W. Coleman will be principal celebrant of the Mass.

Homilist will be Holy Cross Father Mark T. Cregan, the president of Stonehill College in North Easton and a practicing attorney. Before coming to Stonehill, while leading a large parish in the Bronx, N.Y., he also maintained a law office serving low-income clients.

Music at the Mass will be led by the Stonehill College Chorale.

In keeping with a special tradition in this diocese, the Red Mass will include the presentation of the St. Thomas More Awards to recognize members of the legal community for dedicated service.

Selected for the honor this year are, as distinguished jurist, Judge Elizabeth O’Neill LaStaiti, First Justice of the Bristol County Probate and Family Court; as distinguished attorneys Daniel Del Vecchio of North Attleboro, and Brian Foley of Dartmouth; as distinguished court employee, Antoinette “Toni” Carvalho of Raynham, Deputy Assistant Register, Bristol County Probate and Family Court; and as distinguished recipient of the ecumenical award, Attorney Penelope Psomos of Barnstable.

Recipients were nominated for the award by a committee of judges, attorneys, court personnel, and priests from across the diocese, led by New Bedford attorney Joseph P. Harrington.

The award is a three-inch circular bronze medallion bearing the image of St. Thomas More, the 16th-century

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English lay attorney and martyr for whom it is named.

All are welcome at the Red Mass. A reception and dinner will follow for which a ticket is required. For information, contact Atty. Harrington at 508-996-6765.

Judge Elizabeth O’Neill LaStaiti became first justice, Trial Court of Massachusetts-Probate and Family Court, Bristol Division, in 1994. She had been an associate justice in that court since her appointment to the bench in 1988.

Prior to that she was in private practice in New Bedford for many years, during which time she served as assistant town counsel for Dartmouth and participated in the Bar Advocate Program, representing indigent defendants.

As a judge, she has been active in the International Judicial Exchange program and has been honored by the Massachusetts Judges Conference with its Judicial Excellence Award.

She has through the years devotJudge Elizabeth ed a considerable amount of time O’Neill LaStaiti serving numerous community institutions and organizations. Currently, she is a trustee of Southcoast Health System, Inc., and of the Southern New England School of Law. In the past, she has been chairman of the St. Luke’s Hospital Board of Trustees; former president and director of the Schwartz Rehabilitation Center, New Bedford and of New Bedford Child and Family Service; and a former director of the Y.M.C.A., New Bedford, and the Southeastern Mass. Legal Assistance Corporation. She was an organizer and incorporator of the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center.

O’Neill LaStaiti earned her law degree from Boston College Law School, graduating first in her class.

She is a member of St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth, where she resides with her husband the Rev. Dr. Edward R. Dufresne. Together they have five children.

Attorney Daniel Del Vecchio has been a lawyer for more than 40 years and maintains a private practice in North Attleboro, where he handles civil and criminal law matters. For 10 years, he was the legal advisor and staff attorney to the Bristol County Bar Advocates, the county-based organization of private attorneys Atty. Daniel who represent clients who Del Vecchio are unable to afford the

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services of an attorney. He has been an assistant district attorney and District Court coordinator of nine district courts for Bristol and Barnstable counties.

Through the years, he has served in leadership positions in state and local bar associations and has been active in community efforts in North Attleboro. He is a past recipient of the Massachusetts Bar Association Community Service Award.

Del Vecchio is a graduate of the New England School of Law in Boston.

Married for 54 years, he and his wife Anne have one daughter and two sons. He attends St. Mary’s Church in North Attleboro.

Attorney Brian Foley began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Bristol County District Attorney’s office, remaining there for three years and earning recognition in 1993 as the “Prosecutor of the Year”

by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

He established a private practice of law in New Bedford in 1994 and over the next 14 years represented a diverse group of clients in criminal and personal injury litigation.

In 2008, he returned to the Bristol County DA’s office to serve as an assistant district attorney in the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

Atty. Brian Foley earned his law degree from Foley the New England School of Law. He and his wife Jennifer have twin sons.

Antoinette Carvalho started at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court 25 years ago and worked her way up to her current post as deputy assistant register. Her responsibilities cover a range of administrative duties essential to the daily operations of the Probate Department.

What has characterized her work over the years is the helpful and courteous support she has provided to all involved in probate matters, court staff and general public alike.

Carvalho is a graduate of Bristol Community College in Fall River.

She is married to Dennis CarvalAntoinette ho, and they are parents of two sons Carvalho and grandparents of three.

She is a parishioner of St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham.

Attorney Penelope Psomos has maintained a law practice in Barnstable since 1997, specializing in probate matters and criminal law. For more than a decade, she has worked as an appointee of the court to protect the rights and interests of minor children, the incapacitated, and wards of the state in probate cases. Also acting on behalf of the court, she has worked to resolve complex estate and trust disputes; been a commissioner on insolvent estates; and served as a military attorney to protect the interests of anyone who may be in the service. As a Barnstable County Bar Advocate, she has Atty. Penelope Psomos represented indigent clients.

In 2007, she was honored by the Barnstable Probate Court for her pro bono work.

Psomos earned her law degree from the Southern New England School of Law in Dartmouth.

She has resided on Cape Cod for nearly 30 years and is a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Centerville. She has one daughter.

October 23, 2009

T

15

The Anchor

Is it jolly good or wicked good?

old U.S.A. defeating England in echnically, Sunday’s the Revolutionary War, and the Patriots’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a home Buccaneers represent the marauding pirates who terrorized the game for the Bucs. Yet, the game British Navy from its own shores, will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

I’m still trying to figure out the logic of the NFL playing one regular season game in jolly old England, but since they’re financially solvent, and I still try

By Dave Jolivet to solve my finances, I’ll defer to their wisdom.

What intrigues me down past the Iberian Peninsula. most about Sunday’s game is for Perhaps the British fans have whom will the Brits be rooting?

Both teams arouse ugly memories repressed those memories and will root for one of the two teams for the storied United Kingdom. for any number of reasons.

The Patriots represent the good

My View From the Stands

Forty Days vigil teaches value of life

But according to my own twisted logic, there are two reasons the Pats should be the crowd favorite. First of all, we are called “New England,” maintaining a connection with our British heritage.

Secondly, I did some research. According to a list drawn from Wikipedia, I counted 138 towns and cities that are common to England and Mass. And those are just the ones I recognized. It will be like playing in the Bay State.

Alas, though, there are major differences. Our favorite pork munchie is chourico — theirs is blood pudding. The Brits will

continued from page one

Texas in 2004. Communities in 45 states have followed suit, and the group in Attleboro began its first campaign in the fall last year.

This fall is the third campaign in Attleboro, and every day there is someone standing vigil from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On a cold Saturday morning, October 17, Paul and Lori Thomsen of Mansfield gathered with their four children at Angel Park, located between divided state highway Route 118. Paul said that he and his wife want their children to know that life begins at conception and to stand up for that truth.

“I can’t think of a better thing for them to be doing on a Saturday morning,” he said. “This issue needs immediate concern.

Babies die here.”

Lori explained that their children understand life in the womb and as a family they have encountered the pain of the loss of that life when she had a miscarriage.

Their oldest child, Sarah, who is 16, said, “It’s disgusting the way people will save trees and not babies.”

She added that she has read books about abortion and that her experience of praying outside the clinic has caused her to be interested in becoming a midwife.

The Thomsens, who attend Heritage Christian Church in North Dighton, said that the vigil is also an opportunity to show their children the Gospel value of responding to persecution with love.

While many of the people who drive by the vigil encourage those gathered, a few honk and make obscene hand gestures.

“Just tell him to have a nice day,” Aline Laferriere said as a man drove by and made an obscene gesture.

Laferriere, a parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New

Bedford, said she participates in 40 Days For Life for the people driving by who need to get the message that life has value. She added that she would like to see more people speak out on behalf of unborn children.

Edwin Aldarondo of St. Kilian Parish in New Bedford agreed, “I think today people seem to be shy about it.”

“We are so caught up with war and praying for peace, but the biggest crime and the biggest holocaust is happening on our own soil,” he said of abortion.

Once every 40 Days campaign Aldarondo drives a bus full of people from his parish to pray outside the Attleboro clinic.

Each 40 Days attracts more participants from St. Kilian’s and everywhere.

According to Steve Marcotte, one of the campaign’s co-coordinators, the third 40 Days has attracted the most people so far.

“The campaign continues to build. The momentum keeps growing,” he said.

Organizers from St. Kilian’s especially encourage young people from their catechism classes to pray at the vigil. The experience gives them the chance to put their faith into action, Aldarondo said.

Olga Valadao, a religious education teacher at St. Kilian’s, said that hopefully they will be reminded of what they learn if they or anyone they know ever faces a crisis pregnancy.

“I am sure it will be a source of strength for them,” she said.

Ervin Ramos, a representative from the parish’s Hispanic community, said that sometimes parents need strength to stand up against abortion. He and his wife were advised to get an abortion when their daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Fortunately, they were strong in their convictions, he said.

“We told the doctors we would accept her,” he said. As it turned out the doctors were wrong and their daughter, now eight years old, was born without the condition.

Present at the vigil every Saturday morning are men from the Mount Carmel Men’s Group.

They quietly pray the rosary and hold a large sign that reads, “Pray to end abortion.” Once a month during the 40 Days they hold their monthly meeting outside the abortion clinic and pray the rosary together.

“This gives us an opportunity to stand up publicly for what we believe in,” said Marty Doyle.

Lloyd Simpson agreed, “People know we’re here, which means we’re making a difference, which is why I want to be here.”

For more information, visit www.40daysforlife.com/ attleboro.

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be tailgating with bangers and mash — the Yanks party with brautwurst and kielbasa.

The U.K. folks put milk in their tea — we put coffee syrup in our milk.

Englanders love Lee Ho Fook’s Chinese food (a la Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”) and we prefer Fall River’s Oriental Chow Mein Noodle Co. — due to reopen in November folks!!!!!!

Their footballs are round.

Ours are, well, football-shaped. A touchdown in England is what a

757 does at Heathrow Airport, for us it’s six points.

And our neighbors across the pond say “jolly good,” when great things happen. New Englanders say “wicked good,” an oxymoron for the Brits I’m sure.

No matter what plays out Sunday it should be fun to watch, sans the snow.

I just hope we don’t wear the old “Pat Patriot” helmets. It looks like something the “Red Coats” would have seen looking at them down the barrel of a musket at Bunker Hill. Wicked bad.

16

Youth Pages

STEADY ON THEIR FEET — Pictured are some of the 14 Holy Name School, Fall River, students who participated in the recent St. Vincent de Paul’s Walk for the Poor at Bristol Community College.

October 23, 2009

HAVE MERCY — Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, celebrated its first school-wide Mass of the year and honored the Sisters of Mercy who originally staffed Bishop Feehan 48 years ago. The Sisters of Mercy pose in front of Feehan’s newly constructed Mercy Hall, named in their honor. From left, Sisters Rosmarie Rocha, Margaret Heaney, Kathleen Farley, Barbara Cote, Mercy Associate Margaret Boucher, Sisters Zita Foley, Michaela Deloia, Regina Coughlin, Pauline Goodall, Audrey Blake, Rose Angela McLellan, Carolanne Theroux, Mercy Associate Anne Meloni, Sister Pat Harrington, and Mercy Associate Anne Carroll.

IT’S IN THE BAG — Fourth-graders at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School, North Attleboro, recently completed a “Brown Paper Bag Project” to welcome new students and help the teacher get acquainted with the class. The students decorated brown paper grocery bags and filled them with five to seven items of their choice that represented the individual and his or her interests. Here Courtney McCarron shares the significance of the objects from her “brown bag” once the class guessed whose it was.

HISTORIC OCCASION — It was a special day for Sacred Hearts Sister Muriel Lebeau, as students at Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford gathered in prayer to celebrate the canonization of Father Damien of Molokai, who was a member of the same religious community. Students processed to Hawaiian music, listened to the story of his life and sang songs honoring the life of Father Damien. A student dressed as the newly-ordained saint blessed Sister Muriel and she asked St. Damien’s intercession for the entire school community.

SEE, IT’S NOT SO BAD — St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro was visited by the Children’s Hospital Blood Mobile recently.

Members of the school and parish community donated a total of 34 pints to the hospital’s blood bank. Pictured is Laurie Margetta, who has two children at St. John’s, second-grade student Jillian, and Jakob, who is in third grade.

AT YOUR SERVICE — Members of St. Mary’s School’s Christian Service Club gather after school to celebrate the completion of one month of service to the New Bedford school. Student’s in grades six, seven and eight perform service in the classrooms before school, during lunch recess and after school. Students give of their free time and commit to helping others at least three times a week.

Youth Pages

October 23, 2009

P

ope John Paul II invited young people from around the world to join with him in Rome on Palm Sunday, 1985, to observe the United Nations’ International Year of Youth. As a result of that event, the Holy Father initiated World Youth Day. This weekend (October 25) we celebrate World Youth Day in our diocese. It is a day to celebrate young people in all their diversity and goodness. It is often echoed, but sometimes not realized by all, that YOU are the Church of today and tomorrow. YOU are the leaders now and for the future. On this special day we celebrate YOU and we affirm all that YOU are. We invite YOU to use YOUR gifts and talents in service to the Church and the world. We challenge YOU and support YOU in bringing Christ to others. We especially thank God for each and every one of YOU. On Sunday, young people from throughout the diocese will gather at Bishop Stang High School for the Diocesan Youth Convention.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Hope on the Living God” (1 Tim 4:10). This is a fitting theme for such times. Pope Benedict XVI states in his 2009

17

It’s all about you

unwary.” message to young people, How do we help our young “Youth is a special time of hope people move from hopelessness because it looks to the future with to hope? We need to help them a whole range of expectations.” “set their hope on the living God!” However, it is no secret, however, that with the difficult times we are That starts with an encounter, an living, there is a crisis of hope and encounter with the living God. that crisis of hope according to the latest reports is most likely to affect your generation more than any previous generation.

Pope Benedict continues, “In socio-cultural environments with few

By Frank Lucca certainties, values or firm points of reference, youth find themselves facing difficulties that seem In Sunday’s Gospel reading we beyond their strength. My dear hear of Bartimaeus, the blind man. young friends, I have in mind so many of your contemporaries who Bartimaeus, encountered Jesus on the road outside of Jericho. have been wounded by life. They As Jesus passed by, Bartimaeus often suffer from personal imshouted out to him. Jesus called maturity caused by dysfunctional him to himself and asked Barfamily situations, by permissive timaeus what he wanted. Bartiand libertarian elements in their maeus replied, “to see.” Jesus told education, and by difficult and traumatic experience. For some — him, “Go your way; your faith unfortunately a significant number has saved you.” Immediately he — the almost unavoidable way out received his sight and followed him on the way. involves an alienating escape into Might we say that Bartimaeus dangerous and violent behavior, dependence on drugs and alcohol, led a hopeless life? He lived each day begging and trying to survive. and many other such traps for the The others in his city looked down upon him. Remember, in those times, those who had physical or psychological ailments were thought to be that way due to either their own sin or their parent’s sins. He was at the bottom

Be Not Afraid

MAINTAINING TRADITION — Fred “Skip” Crossman presents Coyle and Cassidy High School President Dr. Mary Pat Tranter with the final installment of Frank Rose’s generous donation to Coyle and Cassidy High School. Rose, a life-long resident of Taunton, graduated in 1942 from Monsignor Coyle High School.

Having benefited from the school’s generosity while he was a student, he wanted to continue the Coyle & Cassidy legacy of assisting those in need of financial assistance. Crossman and Rose were friends for more than 35 years. Both involved in finance and accounting, they struck up a friendship that continued long after they stopped working together. Rose passed away in 2006.

ON EAGLES’ WINGS — Thomas Flaherty, 18, of Centerville became an Eagle Scout Sunday at ceremonies at Our Lady of Victory Church. Thomas, who is very active in Scouting and at school had to earn at least 21 merit badges, serve as a leader in his troop and complete a major community service project to achieve the award. Flaherty organized and directed a project at Bass River Rod and Gun Club public water area, clearing brush, removing debris and widening a nature trail, allowing for a spacious picnic area.

rung of society. But where he lacked eyes that could provide sight, he made up for with the eyes of faith. “Master, I want to see.”

Once healed, Bartimaeus followed Jesus.

Just as Jesus encountered Bartimaeus, “Jesus also wants to encounter each one of you, my dear young people,” Pope Benedict continues. “Indeed, even before we desire it, such an encounter is desired

by Jesus Christ. But perhaps some of you might ask me: How can I meet him today? Or rather, in what way does he approach me? The Church teaches us that the desire to encounter the Lord is already a fruit of his grace.

When we express our faith in prayer, we find him even in times of darkness because he offers himself to us. Persevering prayer opens the heart to receive him, as St. Augustine explains: ‘Our Lord and God … wants our desire to be exercised in prayer, thus enabling us to grasp what he is preparing to give.’ Prayer is the gift of the Spirit that makes us men and women of hope, and our prayer keeps the world open to God.” So the challenge is to pray. To be open to that encounter with Jesus which he so wants from each and every one of us and then to act by following him and bringing the knowledge of him to others.

To quote Pope Benedict’s final

challenge in his World Youth Day letter to YOU, “Make Christ known, among your own age group and beyond, to those who are in search of ‘the great hope’ that would give meaning to their lives. If Jesus has become your hope, communicate this to others with your joy and your spiritual, apostolic and social engagement.

Let Christ dwell within you, and having placed all your faith and trust in him, spread this hope around you.”

As we celebrate World Youth Day this weekend, let us keep our young people in our prayers. Here is my prayer: “God of Faith and Truth, we ask your blessing upon our young people. May they come to know and share the wonder and awe that is within them as they grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Bless their openness and enthusiasm, strengthen and support the many good works they do. Challenge and provoke them along their journey of faith as You guide them to understand their true calling in this world. In all these things, we ask your blessing upon them this day.”

Frank Lucca is a youth minister at St. Dominic Parish in Swansea. He is chair and a director of the YES! Retreat and the current director of the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI). He is a husband and a father of two daughters. He can be reached at stdominicyouthministry@ comcast.net.

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The Anchor

Local faithful are part of rosary resurgence at Father Peyton Center continued from page one

the center has increased 40 percent from this time last year.

“We used to receive about 10,000 requests for rosaries each week,” Father Polselli said, “but recently, those numbers have grown to 45,000.

This is so very exciting for all of us here at the Father Peyton Center. It’s gotten to the point where what used to take four to six weeks to send out the rosaries has now expanded to 10 to 12 weeks because of the volume. We’re asking for patience from the faithful as we work hard to meet their requests.”

Surely the Blessed Mother must be smiling upon her children as they come back to her special prayer — as is Servant of God Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton, the famed “Rosary Priest.” As most people know, Father Peyton was the priest who coined the phrases, “The family that prays together, stays together,” and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.”

This year Holy Cross Family Ministries, founded by Father Peyton, is recognizing the centennial of the rosary priest’s birth. This fact, coupled with the Month of the Holy Rosary, in October, probably has much to do with the amazing increase in rosary requests.

Father Polselli said that several rosary-themed activities were highlighted this month, with a few more scheduled in the upcoming weeks.

“On the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we held a special Twilight Rosary event on our beautiful Rosary Walk,” said Father Polselli. “Nearly 70 people attended, which is a very good turnout.” The Rosary Walk, which commemorates Holy Cross Fathers Tom Feeley, a former Anchor contributor, and John Murphy, connects Holy Cross Family Ministries

with My Brother’s Keeper, a ministry of volunteers whose mission is to provide furniture, household items and food to those in need, free of charge.

After delivering the needed goods, the volunteers provide the recipients with a crucifix, reminding them, “We’re just the delivery people. This is the person who sent you the furniture.”

“At the Twilight Rosary, we wanted to focus on Our Lady of the Rosary, the Year for Priests, the work of My Brother’s Keeper, and people’s personal intentions,” said Father Polselli. “As part of our Year for Priests focus, we remembered five beloved Holy Cross priests: Fathers Peyton, Feeley, Murphy, Tom Lawton, and Richard Sullivan.” Prior to each of the five Glorious Mysteries of the rosary recited that evening, Father Polselli and Jim Orcutt offered a brief biographical sketch of one of the priests.

Father Polselli offered reflections on Fathers Peyton and Feeley, and Orcutt, who along with his wife Terry founded My Brother’s Keeper, spoke on the lives of Fathers Murphy, Lawton and Sullivan. “We also read a rosary meditation from Father Peyton before each mystery,” added Father Polselli.

Local vocalist and songwriter Anne Di Santo lead the participants in song.

“It was a very satisfying evening of prayer and meditation,” said Father Polselli.

The Rosary Walk will be the site of another event scheduled for All Soul’s Day on November 2 at 11:15 a.m. “We’ll pray the Joyful Mysteries on that day, as we walk from pillar to pillar, representing the 20 mysteries of the rosary. This will be followed by a Mass at the Father Peyton Center.”

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Members of the Mayan Community from St. Kilian’s Parish in New Bedford gathered last weekend at the center for a morning of prayer and meditation, in preparation for this weekend’s celebration in New Bedford of the one-year anniversary of its community, said Father Polselli.

In remembrance of Father Peyton’s 100th anniversary, the center hosts a holy hour on the ninth of each month, featuring praying the rosary with a recording of the rosary priest, followed by prayerful meditation.

The Month of the Holy Rosary may be nearly over, but devotion to Our Lady’s special prayer, and remembrance of the priest who spread that prayer world-wide continues every day at Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton.

For more information on events and the Father Peyton Center, visit www.hcfm.org or call 1-800-299-7729.

High School Youth Convention is Sunday continued from page one

and the rallies is “We have set our hope on the living God.” Taken from 1 Tim 4:10, it is the same theme Pope Benedict XVI has set for the 2009 World Day Youth Celebrations, reportedly to be held in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

The cost for the High School Convention is $20 per person.

Although there is no cost for middle schoolers attending the rallies, a $5 donation per person is asked to help send them to various diocesan, regional and national programs.

Medeiros said the costs “are traditionally met by the students or their parishes, or by the schools themselves.”

Angrisano, who is married and hails from Colorado, is recognized as one of the most dynamic and effective communicators with parish groups, youths, families and religious educators in the Church today.

As a musician, composer and storyteller, he has shared his music and message with thousands of people in more than 200 dioceses across the United States. He has been featured at major conferences across the world, including the National Catholic Youth Conference, Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, and World Youth Days in Denver, Paris, Rome, Toronto and Germany.

October 23, 2009

Auxiliary bishop appointed in Providence Diocese

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has named Msgr. Robert C. Evans, a Providence, R.I. diocesan priest, to be auxiliary bishop of that diocese.

The changes were announced in Washington October 15 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop-elect Evans was born Sept. 2, 1947, in Moultrie, Ga., and ordained a priest for the Providence Diocese in 1973 in Rome.

He has had several assignments as assistant pastor and for the last two years has been pastor of St. Philip Church in Greenville, R.I. But he has held a number of posts in the diocese: secretary to the bishop and vice chancellor, 198387; vice chancellor and tribunal

judge, 1989-91; and chancellor and director of the Office for Priests’ Personnel, 1991-2001.

From 2001 to 2005 he was director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Following that he was secretary at the apostolic nunciature in Washington until 2007.

He attended Seminary High School and Seminary College of Our Lady of Providence in Warwick, R.I. He continued his education in Rome and holds a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and a licentiate in canon law from the Gregorian.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Hoping to reverse what they call “a disturbing trend” toward viewing marriage as “a mostly private matter” with personal satisfaction as its only goal, the U.S. Catholic bishops will debate and vote on a 57-page pastoral letter on marriage at their November 16-19 meeting in Baltimore.

The letter, is called “Marriage: Life and Love in the Divine Plan.”

“The vision of married life and love that we have presented in this pastoral letter is meant to be a foundation and reference point for the many works of evangelization, catechesis, pastoral care, education and advocacy carried on in our dioceses, parishes, schools, agencies, movements and programs,” says the document’s closing section, called a “commitment to ministry.”

The letter cites four “fundamental challenges to the nature and purpose of marriage” — contraception, same-sex unions, easy divorce and cohabitation.

Calling both contraception and cohabitation “intrinsically evil,” the bishops say that although couples who use contraception “may think that they are doing nothing harmful to their marriages,” they are in reality causing many negative consequences, both personal and societal.

The document encourages the use of natural family planning, which the bishops say promotes “an attitude of respect and wonder ... and fosters the true intimacy that only such respect can bring.”

The bishops, who also were to consider a separate document on reproductive technologies, say technology such as in-vitro fertilization and cloning can degrade human life by making it “something produced or manufactured in various ways.”

“Children begin to seem less and less as gifts received in a personal communion of self-giving, and increasingly as a lifestyle choice, a

commodity to which all consumers are entitled,” the draft says.

Children can be similarly harmed by cohabitation and divorce, the bishops say, citing “the findings of the social sciences ... that the best environment for raising children is a stable home provided by the marriage of their parents.”

“Marriage,” the letter adds, “is the foundation for the family, where children learn the values and virtues that will make good Christians as well as good citizens.”

The bishops acknowledge that divorce “may be the only solution to a morally unacceptable situation,” such as when “the safety of a spouse and children is at risk,” and pledge their support and assistance to those in such situations.

They encourage “those for whom divorce seemed the only recourse” to make frequent use of the sacraments, especially penance and the Eucharist. Even Catholics who have remarried civilly after a divorce should “participate in parish life and attend the Sunday Eucharist, even though they cannot ordinarily receive holy Communion,” they say.

The moves to legally recognize same-sex unions pose “a multifaceted threat to the very fabric of society, striking at the source from which society and culture come and which they are meant to serve,” the bishops say.

Some of the strongest statements in the document are directed against those who live together without marriage.

“To have sexual intercourse outside the covenant of marriage is gravely immoral because it communicates physically the gift of oneself to another when, at the same time, one is not willing or able to make a total and permanent commitment,” the draft says.

Cohabitation does not improve the likelihood that a couple will have a stable marriage and can even diminish the possibility, it adds.

Marriage not just a private matter, bishops say in proposed pastoral

The Anchor

19

The Anchor

October 23, 2009

news briefs

Wilmington Diocese files for bankruptcy reorganization WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) — Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington announced October 18 that the diocese has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in order “to provide the fairest possible treatment of all victims of sexual abuse by priests of our diocese. This is a painful decision, one that I had hoped and prayed I would never have to make,” he said in a statement. “However, after careful consideration and after consultation with my close advisers and counselors, I believe we have no other choice.” He said that, given the diocese’s “finite resources,” the bankruptcy filing offers “the best opportunity” to compensate abuse victims.

“Our hope is that Chapter 11 proceedings will enable us to fairly compensate all victims through a single process established by the bankruptcy court,” he said. The bishop explained that the diocese was engaged in negotiations regarding eight cases that were to go to trial October 19, but the parties could not reach a settlement. “Our concern throughout the negotiations was that too large a settlement with these eight victims would leave us with inadequate resources to fairly compensate” other claimants, numbering 133, he said.

Archbishop urges judges, lawmakers to protect future of human family ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNS) — Alaskan judicial and political leaders attending the recent Red Mass at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage were urged to protect the future of the human family. At the special Mass, celebrated annually in many U.S. cities, the Church asks God’s guidance for those in the work of adjudicating and governing. This year the Red Mass coincided with the Catholic Church’s yearly celebration of Respect Life Sunday. The principal celebrant, Anchorage Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, delivered a homily on marriage, the complementarity of man and woman, and the “wondrous gift of procreating human life.” Leaders, lawmakers and judges, he said, must work to protect those blessings — for the good of all humankind. U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland, Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Frank Murkowski, who is Alaska’s former governor and a former U.S. senator, were in the congregation for the archdiocese’s second annual Red Mass. About a dozen local attorneys also attended.

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese

ACUSHNET — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays end with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays end with Benediction at 2:45 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 following the 11 a.m. Mass until 7:45 a.m. on the First Saturday of the month, concluding with Benediction and Mass.

BUZZARDS BAY — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place First Fridays at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration. Refreshments follow.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has eucharistic adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on the first Sunday of the month from noon to 4 p.m.

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.

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.

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 508336-5549.

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 at the church 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 following the 8 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 5 p.m. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed at 4:45 p.m.; on the third Friday of the month from 1 p.m. to Benediction at 5 p.m.; and for the Year For Priests, the second Thursday of the month from 1 p.m. to Benediction at 5 p.m.

TAUNTON — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord Church, 31 First Street, immediately following the 8 a.m.

Mass and continues throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., concluding with recitation of the rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

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

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street, holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. 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.

Correction In the October 9 Anchor edition story on the Boston Walk For Life, the state director of the Mass. National Organization of Women was misidentified as Christina Lenoles. The correct name is Christina Knowles.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Oct. 27 Rev. Francisco L. Jorge, Assistant, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford, 1918 Rev. Edmond L. Dickinson, Assistant, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1967 Rev. Joseph F. O’Donnell, Retired Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1990 Oct. 28 Rev. Alfred E. Coulombe, Pastor, St. George, Westport, 1923 Rev. Stanislaus Kozikowski, OFM Conv., Pastor, St. Hedwig, New Bedford, 1956 Oct. 30 Msgr. Robert L. Stanton, Retired Pastor, St. Paul, Taunton, 1992 Rev. Denis Sughrue, C.S.C., Director of Postulancy, Holy Cross Novitiate, North Dartmouth, 2002 Nov. 1 Rev. William H. McNamara, Retired Pastor, St. Mary, Mansfield, 1924 Rev. Louis N. Blanchet, Assistant, St. Jean Baptiste, Fall River, 1927 Rt. Rev. Msgr. John F. Ferraz, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 1944 Rt. Rev. Msgr. George F. Cain, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1953 Rev. William E. Farland, Pastor, St. Joseph, Taunton, 1987 Rev. William F. Gartland, C.S.C. Stonehill College, North Easton, 1988 Rev. John F. Sullivan, SS.CC., Retired Pastor Holy Trinity, West Harwich, 1994 Rev. Manuel T. Faria, Retired, Catholic Memorial Home, 1999

Around the Diocese 10/24

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Second Street, Fall River, will hold a harvest bazaar tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the parish hall.

10/24

COURAGE, a welcoming support group for Catholics wounded by same-sex attraction who gather to seek God’s wisdom, mercy and love, will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. For location information, call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.

10/24

The fourth annual harvest craft fair will be held at St. Anthony’s Parish, 126 School Street, Taunton, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information call 774-226-5537.

10/24

St. George Parish in Westport is hosting a Day of Recollection for Women focusing on mid-life, tomorrow at the parish center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Facilitator of the event is Terri Cesarz, MA, a graduate of Salve Regina University Holistic Counseling Program. The day includes sharing, prayer, reflection and celebrating the mid-life journey. To reserve a spot, call Jeannine Lapriore at 508-679-8860.

10/25

A benefit dinner for 88.5 FM, Radio Cor Mariae, a 24-hour Catholic radio station operated by the Franciscans in New Bedford, will be held Sunday at the Hawthorne Country Club, Dartmouth, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. For more information call Maggie Sweeney at 508-748-3015 or visit www.radiocormariae.com.

10/25

Sacred Heart Parish, Pine and Seabury streets, Fall River, will hold a Chopstick Auction Sunday at 1 p.m. Food will be available after 11:15 a.m. and there will be more than 100 prizes and special raffles. Proceeds will benefit the upkeep and heating of the church.

10/25

SS. Peter and Paul Parish at Holy Cross Church, 47 Pulaski Street, Fall River, will hold a holy hour for vocations Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m. Please join parish seminarian John Pietruska in praying for vocations to the priesthood. For information, call 508-676-8463.

10/26

Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street, West Harwich, will host a parish mission October 26-29 at 9 a.m. (with Mass) and 7 p.m. (no Mass) each day with Father Kenan Peters, a Passionist priest. Father Peters will also speak about the mission at all the Masses on the weekend of October 24-25. For more information call the Holy Trinity Parish office at 508-432-4000 or email htchurch@comcast.net.

10/29

Nadav Tamir, the consul general at the Consulate General of Israel to New England, will speak at St. Anne’s Church, Fall River, in the Shrine on October 29 at 3 p.m. His topic will be “Israel and Its Place in Today’s World.” His appearance is reflective of the Catholic Church’s great concern for peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors.

11/1

St. Mary’s Catholic School, 330 Pratt Street, Mansfield, will be hosting its annual open house November 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. Tours will be conducted throughout the afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Information sessions will take place in the gymnasium at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. All prospective students and their families are welcome to attend. For information visit the school Website at www.stmarymansschool.org or call 508-339-4800.

11/1

The Dominican Academy alumnae breakfast brunch will be held November 1 beginning with a Mass celebration at St. Anne’s Church, South Main Street, Fall River at 10 a.m. Brunch will follow immediately after Mass at McGovern’s Restaurant, Shove Street, Fall River.

Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the Mass for the food pantry. Reservations can be made by calling 508-674-8387.

11/2

On Day of All Souls, November 2, Holy Cross Family Ministries will conduct a meditative Walk of Remembrance calling to mind deceased loved ones while praying the rosary on the Father FeeleyFather Murphy outdoor Rosary Walk. Mass will follow at noon at the chapel in the Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington St., North Easton. For more information call 508-238-4095. www.HCFM.org.

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The Anchor

October 23, 2009