10.29.21

Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, October 29, 2021

Missionaries of La Salette in North America elect Cape Cod pastor new leader BREWSTER — Father William V. Kaliyadan, M.S., pastor of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster, was elected to be the provincial superior of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette of the North American Province of Mary Mother of Americas. He is the first Indian-born American (and first foreign-born) to be elected provincial. The election was held in the provincial chapter of meetings in Orlando, Fla., from October 11-15. Father Roland Nadeau, M.S., and Father Ronald Foshage, M.S. were elected as his vicar and second councilor, respectively.

Father Kaliyadan was born in

a large Catholic family in Puliparambu (Trichur District), Kerala, India, on May 29, 1965. After his high school studies, he pursued his dream to become a priest by joining the Diocesan Seminary in Irinjalakuda, Kerala, and completed philosophy in the Major Seminary in Alwaye, Kerala.

Studying philosophy as a young seminarian, he learned of the La Salette Missionaries. He was drawn to the charism of reconciliation and discerned joining the Missionaries of La Salette in the Philippines. He completed his Theological studies in the 8 Turn to page three

Teachers at St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet are called to a vocation as they develop the whole child — mind, body and soul.

Here, students and teachers take part in an outdoor prayer service.

Diocesan schools have recently launched the DID YOU KNOW campaign which highlights the quality of Catholic school teachers and will communicate often misunderstood attributes of a Catholic education. Story on page two.

Earlier this month, Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton held an October Rosary Festival that featured a candlelight procession, and children were given flower pedals to spread over the processing statue of Our Lady. The event concluded with cider and donuts for families and all guests. (Photo courtesy of 2021 Holy Cross Family Ministries)

Bishop opens diocesan phase of Synod in Mass at cathedral FALL RIVER — Over the October 9-10 weekend, Pope Francis launched for the Church worldwide the journey towards the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops with its theme of “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission.” It will include consultation in three phases, diocesan, national and continental, and will culminate in an October 2023 assembly in Rome.

At the request of the Holy Father and in union with bishops around the world, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., opened the diocesan phase of the Synod in the Fall River Diocese on October 17 in the context of the 10:30 a.m. Mass in St. Mary’s Cathedral. The bishop celebrated a special votive Mass of the Holy Spirit Whose guidance and inspiration was sought for a fruitful synodal experience and outcome.

The term synod is derived from Greek and means a “coming together.” In the context of this 16th Synod of Bishops, it can be generally understood as referring to a process of discernment,

with the help of the Holy Spirit, involving clergy, religious and laity, according to the gifts and experiences each brings.

Toward that end, all parishes in the Fall River Diocese were encouraged to also offer the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit at October 16-17 weekend Masses to unite all clergy and lay faithful with the bishop in this Synod process and to underscore the critical importance of widespread participation in it.

Pope Francis has invited the entire Church to reflect on communion, participation, and mission as necessary elements in fostering an overall synodal Church. It is to begin with broad consultations on the diocesan level through which all members can gather to listen and share on how the Church “journeys together” in proclaiming the Gospel. Synod preparatory documents suggest these consultations take place through a variety of ways including parish meetings, regional sessions, gatherings of ministries and

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Diocesan Catholic schools launch DID DID YOU KNOW campaign FALL RIVER — When Mrs. Kut was searching for a new school for her son who has an IEP and learning differences, she never thought of enrolling her child into a Catholic school. Through a friend, Mrs. Kut heard that St. Stanislaus School in Fall River offers a very strong program for students with learning differences and experienced firsthand the benefits of combining a Catholic school environment with supports for students with learning needs. Subsequently, Mrs. Kut enrolled her child at St. Stanislaus School for the 2021-22 school year and has been extremely pleased with her son’s progress.

Unfortunately, misconceptions

about Catholic education often prevent families from exploring a Catholic school as a viable option for their children. As a result,

communicate current and relevant attributes of Catholic education that typically are misunderstood by the general public.

The DID YOU KNOW campaign also highlights the quality of Catholic school teachers. The vast majority Catholic school teachers are certified by the state of Massachusetts (or the equivalent) with an average of 10 years of teaching experience. Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Fall River must meet extensive hiring standards as they are charged with guiding the minds and souls of children. the Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Office is proud to launch the DID YOU KNOW campaign.

The purpose of the campaign is to

The ability for Catholic schools to provide state-of-the-art special education programs has been a recent programmatic addition and, although 90 percent of the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River provide special education supports, most families are still unaware of this option. “Our schools have made huge investments financially to fully commit to serving students with learning differences,” said Daniel S. Roy, diocesan Superintendent of Catholic schools.

“The many hours of professional development are transforming our schools where students can thrive, achieve and succeed even though they may have learning differences.”

The DID YOU KNOW campaign also highlights the quality of Catholic school teachers. The vast

majority Catholic school teachers are certified by the state of Massachusetts (or the equivalent) with an average of 10 years of teaching experience. Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Fall River must meet extensive hiring standards as they are charged with guiding the minds and souls of children.

“When I review a candidate for a teaching position, academic credentials are important. However, it is even more important to ask ‘Does this candidate treat the role of teacher as a job or as a vocation?’” indicated Michelle Russo, principal of St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet. “I meet with so many families who are amazed at the quality and tenure of our teachers and tell me that their child has thrived because of the deep commitment our teachers have to ensuring their students are equipped with the knowledge and skills they will need for college and beyond.”

Assistant Superintendent Denise Peixoto, concurred: “As a diocese, our principals definitely know the importance of teaching as a vocation, not a job. Our schools are dedicated to educating the whole person, mind, body and soul; which requires our educators to uphold this philosophy in their everyday actions with students and families. No other school system 8 Turn to page four

The annual diocesan Procession and Mass for Peace was held on October 11 in Fall River. Faithful processed from St. Anne’s Church to St. Mary’s Cathedral, where Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., celebrated Mass.

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Bishop ordains new priest for Sacred Hearts order

FAIRHAVEN — On October 16, Brother William Gural, SS.CC., was ordained to the presbyterate

by Bishop Edgar de Cunha S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River. Supported by family, the Congregation and the parishes where he has

served, Bill, as he is familiarly known, a convert to Catholicism and having completed studies in Fiji, was immediately assigned to serve in Sacred Heart Church, Edinburgh, Texas, with Father Manoj Nayak, SS.CC.

Father William Gural, SS.CC., is surrounded by members of his order, Bishop da Cunha, and diocesan priests, following his ordination to the priesthood on October 16 at St. Joseph’s Church in Fairhaven.

Father Gural is to the bishop’s immediate left.

The Provincial, Father Lane Akiona, shared the news of his first assignment, during the festive lunch which followed the ordination at St. Joseph’s Church, Fairhaven.

The bishop, who comes from Brazil, participated in all aspects of the celebration and spoke warmly of the contribution which the Congregation has made to the diocese over the 100plus years the Sacred Hearts have served here.

The following day is a date that will be remembered for a long time. The drama of the death of Father Chris Keahi SS.CC., was playing out in Honolulu while Father Gural celebrated his first Mass, also at St. Joseph’s.

In a recent blog, Bishop da Cunha wrote, “I was honored to ordain Brother William (Bill) S. Gural, SS.CC., to the priesthood

for service in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

“Father Gural did his pastoral year and diaconate ministry at St. Joseph’s Parish in Fairhaven, where his ordination took place.

The Sacred Hearts community has a long and strong presence in the Diocese of Fall River, especially in Fairhaven. Their priests staff both St. Joseph and St. Mary parishes in the town, as well as Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in New Bedford.

“Many of the faithful attended the ordination along with 26 priests, three deacons, Sacred Hearts Brothers and Sisters, and Fathers Lane Akiona, SS.CC., and Robert Charlton, SS.CC., provincial superior and vicar provincial, respectively, of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts USA Province.

“During my homily, I reminded Brother Bill, as I do all the men I am privileged to ordain, that they are there because God called them to this vocation. The priesthood is not a career or professional choice they make for their lives. Rather, it is a response to God who did not call them because they were perfect or even could become perfect, but because He saw enough goodness and generosity in the depths of hearts to make them His servant to shepherd His people.

Father Gural was featured in an interview in the September 17 and October 1 Anchors by Father David Lupo, SS.CC., pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven.

In it, then-Brother William explained his conversion to Catholicism and his discernment process to become a priest.

Cape Cod pastor elected Provincial of La Salette province continued from page one

Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, Philippines. He was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 22, 1994, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

Father Kaliyadan began his ministry as a parochial vicar and was appointed to St. Matthew Parish in San Mateo, Isabela, Philippines. It was a large parish with 30,000 families with a school population of 1,300.

While being a pastor and director of the La Salette School, Father Kaliyadan also completed a master’s in guidance and counseling at the University of La Salette in Santiago, Philippines.

In 1998, Father Kaliyadan arrived in the U.S. and began his ministry at the National Shrine of

Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro. After a year, he became associate pastor at Our Lady of the Cape in Brewster. While assigned to the parish, Father Kaliyadan began using his days off to pursue a doctorate in Marriage and Family Counseling at the Andover Newton Theological School, Boston, and earned the doctorate from the oldest theological school in the country.

Father Kaliyadan was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon, N.H. in 2006. He revitalized and grew the parish community with a “Catholics Can Come Home” program, bereavement program, and youth ministry.

Through his creativity, he made the parish more open and diverse.

Chapters numerous times tor, professional counselor, In 2015, Father around the world. ministries in three different Kaliyadan was assigned to As provincial supericountries, his exposure to minister at Our Lady of the or, Father Kaliyadan will the worldwide mission of Cape Parish in Brewster oversee the Region of the La Salette, all these along as its pastor. He is a comMissionaries of La Salette with his education, wisdom, passionate pastor, leader, in Argentina and Bolivia and intelligence will be an and administrator who for the next three years. The asset to the administration has reached the poor and wide-ranging experiences of the Province of Mary, needy in the parish and of Father Kaliyadan as pasMother of Americas. beyond. The parish has an outreach program to Haiti and supports daily lunch and education program for more than 3000 students in five schools.

Father Kaliyadan was elected to serve the Missionaries of La Salette in the North American Province in 2013 as councilor and in 2018 as vicar provincial.

His ministry to the Congregation of the Missionaries La Salette Father William Kaliyadan, center, pastor of of La Salette has taken him Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster, was recently to Council of the Congrega- elected provincial superior of the Missionaries of Our tion meetings and General Lady of La Salette of the North American Province.

October 29, 2021 †

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Tapestry

or some time upon receiving Holy Communion, I have tried to focus on three things for which I am deeply grateful: the Divine plan, the Blood of Christ, and Our Lady’s fiat. Each requires a moment to unpack and savor, beginning with this entire project we know as Creation. I try to thank God the Father for His remarkable plan — which is beyond all understanding. At times I feel as if I’m hanging on for dear life, wishing its twists and turns might allow it to unfold differently, but I know all will come aright — eventually. And what a marvel is Jesus’ own gift, His total oblation for love of me. He wants nothing more than for me to embrace that gift with both hands so that I

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might be joined with Him here on earth leading to an eternity of bliss, which far outweighs its cost — both His suffering and my own.

And both the plan and the price hinged on Mary’s response to the Divine invitation; her fiat gave flesh to the Son, allowing the worthy sacrifice for Salvation, and the abiding presence on each altar.

More recently, though, I’ve added a fourth item for contemplation, which gives room for the Holy Spirit and acknowledges the mundane realities that have made my reception of the Sacraments possible. Between that Annunciation so long ago and each Holy Mass in the present have been countless lives of faith that brought the message forward. Over two millennium, there have been so many unknown people who have welcomed the Holy Spirit and worn themselves out for the Gospel, and I must give thanks

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for them as well. Just as every bishop has a genealogy — the long succession of men laying hands on men, who have in turn ordained others — every Christian has a genealogy. The dif-

ference is that ours is not nearly as crisp or well-documented!

It might help to imagine this genealogy-of-sorts as a [very!] long bolt of fabric, stretching from Pentecost to our own doorstep. If we picture a plain weave, like the long and sturdy long fibers that create linen, we can distinguish its warp and weft. These are made of myriad prayers and sacrifices of countless people throughout the ages, as well as the institutions and cultural touchstones that nourished them over the centuries, everything from carved pulpits and beloved schools to unassuming hedgerows and quiet sewing circles. Confessionals were scattered from cathedrals to cots, and the God Who takes flesh over marble altars never shunned a battlefield or tear-stained pillow. For all the portions of this fabric that are threadbare, patched, or ripped, there are others embellished with beautiful stitches — lovely colors, interesting patterns, and inspired images. No two sections are alike!

To be sure, the mystery of grace is an extraordinary thing — with some chapters in any person’s life being more deeply rooted in faith than others.

Indeed, for all those who found God late in life, there are others who knew Him once and yet drifted from His abiding love. Thus, there are many within our own genealogy in both camps — each life a kaleidoscope of good and poor choices, meaning that the very Gospel for which we give thanks came through the hands of those who may still need our prayers.

Indeed, the threads linking the generations are often delicate and loosely woven — secure in the mind of God, yet awaiting the collaboration of future generations to tighten them into sturdier stuff.

This is simply another way of looking at the entire mystical body, the People

of God — which includes those in Heaven, those in purgatory, and those of us privileged to live at this time and embrace all the rest. The privilege we have of worshiping the living God has come through the prayers and actions of others, who now look to us to pray the needy into abundant life, and to lean on their abundance in our own need. Once we have this image firmly in mind, we’ll know how to embellish our piece of this marvelous tapestry so that those who follow will understand the Divine plan as an opportunity for creative, life-giving love. After giving thanks for those who came before, we can ask for guidance in how best to embellish our piece of this marvelous tapestry, given the gifts and challenges at hand.

Anchor columnist Genevieve Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.” She blogs at feminine-genius. typepad.com.

DID YOU KNOW campaign launched continued from page two

does this better than Catholic schools.”

The messages surrounding the DID YOU KNOW campaign will be available on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, the Catholic Schools Office website, and through email to diocesan and non-diocesan constituencies.

For more information about the Catholic Schools Alliance, please go to www. catholicschoolsalliance. org/did-you-know.

The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents

and clergy joined in partnership to educate the children of the Diocese of Fall River in Catholic faith and values.

Diocesan schools have a demanding educational culture that helps students from across the academic spectrum reach their God-given potential.

With an emphasis on service and respect for the dignity of every person, the schools prepare students to meet the challenges of today’s diverse world and become meaningful contributors to society.

O

n October 16, the New York Times ran an article on how the Archdiocese of Catania, Sicily, had prohibited godparents or sponsors for the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation for the next three years.

“Entitled In the Land of the Godfather Comes a Ban on Them,” Jason Horowitz’ article described how Archbishop Salvatore Gristina, after having consulted with his priests and the lay people on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, had, beginning October 1, suspended godparents. He did so, he decreed, because the office had largely lost its religious context and had not only become a “sort of formal fulfillment or social custom in which the dimension of the faith is rarely visible,” but also because the “complex and irregular family situation of so many persons proposed to fulfill this duty has made the question more delicate.”

That was a diplomatic way of saying that many of those nominated to serve as Godparents were unqualified, not simply because they were not practicing the Catholic faith, but because the role of godfather and godmother were frequently being manipulated

by Mafiosi to solidify bonds of loyalty.

The Archdiocese of Catania, Sicily’s second largest city and the place of the martyrdom of St. Agatha, is not the only diocese to take such action. The Sicilian diocese of Mazara del Vallo will implement a similar ban in January The Diocese of Acireale had made godparents optional and required that all those nominated for the office swear that they’re believers and not members of the Mafia. The Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria, on the Italian mainland opposite Catania, has been lobbying Pope Francis since 2014 to put a 10-year ban on godparents throughout the ecclesiastical province.

Part of the issue is unique to the mafia-infested culture of southern Italy and Sicily,

Godparents as guides to holiness where the role of godfather can be less inspired by canon law than by Francis Ford Coppola’s depiction of Michael Corleone.

But the other part of the issue transcends Sicily and Calabria. Many of those proposed as godparents in dioceses throughout the world don’t come close to meeting the criteria defined in the Church’s Code of Canon Law: that they have to lead “a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on” and thereby help the person baptized or confirmed “to lead a Christian life in keeping with Baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it” (874.3 and 872).

The ban was put in place to try to catalyze a conversion of the general culture with regard to godparents. As the vicar general of Catania said in an interview, “We hope that things will change, and whoever is about to become of a godfather or a godmother will really do so because they intend to be a witness to the journey of faith.”

As we approach All Saints Day, it’s fitting for us to remember the function and importance of godparents in raising kids in the fullness of the Catholic faith. Their role is to help their godchildren become the saints Baptism calls them to be and to lead them faithfully on the pilgrimage to the Heavenly Jerusalem.

In the early Church, especially during the age of persecutions, godparents (called at the time sponsors, presenters, guardians, and faith-swearers as well) were faithful Christians who would vouch for the faith of adults presenting themselves to the bishop for Baptism and who would assume the responsibility of accompanying them in their preparation for, and life after, Baptism. In the preparation of children for Baptism, godparents would, on behalf of the charges, reject Satan and make the profession of faith, taking

responsibility — as “co-parents” — to raise the children in the faith.

Over the course of the centuries, the qualifications were codified. Today one must in general be Catholic, at least 16, not the child’s mother or father, have received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confession, Confirmation and Communion, live by the faith, and not be excommunicated or under other canonical penalties.

One godparent or sponsor is required “insofar as possible,” but there may be two of different sexes for Baptism. The responsibility to raise children should tragedy strike both parents has never been an official

part of the role of godparents, but may be stipulated legally by parents in wills.

Because godparents are not an honorary title but an ecclesiastical office with important responsibilities, priests have the duty to verify that they’re qualified. While in most places, the situation will not be nearly as extreme as what happens in Sicily or Calabria, many priests would share the assessment of their Italian counterparts that one of the more frustrating parts of their job is having to deal with manifestly unfit and unrepentant candidates for the office.

Often those asked to be godparents haven’t practiced the faith for years. Some never attend Mass, others marry outside the Church, cohabitate, participate in same-sex or transgender lifestyles, or engage in professions incompatible with the faith, like working for Planned Parenthood, as drug dealers or prostitutes.

When they are nominated and present themselves to priests looking for “sponsor certificates” — attestations that

they are Catholics qualified to serve as godparents — honest priests can’t give them. Most priests will use the occasion to try to lead the person gently to conversion, to regularize the situations incompatible with the life of faith, and to help them develop the habits expected of all good Catholics, so that, as soon as possible, they might be worthy to receive a certificate and fulfill the office.

Many, however, with an air of entitlement, refuse such accompaniment, preferring to define the role and its qualifications on their own terms rather than the Church’s. They become indignant that a priest mendaciously give the equivalent of a letter of recommendation attesting that the person is a practicing, exemplary and fully initiated Catholic. No matter how meek the priest’s invitation to metanoia, they feel judged and deemed wanting. Sometimes they will hunt for priests who have a reputation of giving out such sponsor certificates to anyone who asks, no matter the consequences to the child, the potential scandal to others, or the eschatological risk of the millstone Jesus promises for those who lead the young astray (Mt 18:6). Such pastoral malpractice normally causes only greater confusion and deprives the child — often in situations of greater need — of a valuable tutor in the ways of faith.

There are, of course, happier situations when parents, wanting the best for their kids in the ways of faith, ask fervent Catholics with firm faith, who are eager to fulfill the responsibilities associated with the office, who humbly ask for advice about how to be the best of godparents.

In addition to the obvious stuff about living the faith with integrity, praying for their godchildren each day and remaining involved in their life, I suggest a few things.

First, I urge them to get a good photo of the Baptism,

frame it and try to get it in their godchild’s room, so that the child may more easily and regularly remember the most important day of his or her life.

Second, I encourage them, if they’re going to get an annual gift for their godchild, to do so not on Christmas or on the child’s birthday but on the anniversary of the Baptism, so that, as the child grows, the child will remember the date and look forward to it. I urge them to try to celebrate that anniversary in a special way, taking the child out for ice cream or a meal, perhaps spending a few minutes watching a video of the Baptism, lighting anew the baptismal candle received and praying, and blessing oneself with holy water saved from the ceremony.

Third, I ask them to make a particular commitment to accompany the child up close when the child hits the teen-age and college years and may be tempted to rebel against faithful parents or go the way of the crowds in terms of Mass, faith and morals. That is such a critical juncture in a person’s life when the young need guidance more than 16-year-olds need to be shown how to drive.

Jesus affirms that the greatest in His Kingdom are those who live by His Commandments and teaches others to do the same (Mt 5:19). Godparents have the opportunity to become truly great in this way.

As we prepare to celebrate All Saints Day, and ponder not just those who have been canonized but those whom Pope Francis beautifully calls the “saints next door,” it is a time to pray that God reward our godparents living or deceased, to recommit ourselves to the sanctification of our godchildren wherever they are in their journey, and to ask the Lord to renew the understanding and faithful practice of this important office in the Church.

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

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Editorial Reformation Day 2021

In the U.S., October 31 is most known as Halloween, but in many other places around the world it is known as Reformation Day, since on that date in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

In recent decades the weeks around Reformation Day have often been times of ecumenical contact amongst Christians, especially between Catholics and Lutherans. Back in 1999 on Reformation Day the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation issued a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, in which both denominations affirmed that we believe that we are saved by faith in Christ — that we don’t earn our Salvation, but that it is a gift God gives us. As Jesus said several times in the Gospels, “Your faith has saved you.”

The Catholic and Lutheran leadership also affirmed that faith has to be put into action. If our faith is not reflected at all in our actions, it is not really faith.

This past Monday Pope Francis addressed a group of ecumenical pilgrims which had come to the Vatican. He told them, “It is with joy that I greet all of you who have made the pilgrimage to Rome under the motto ‘Better all together,’ ‘Besser alle zusammen.’ Some of you were already with us five years ago on the ecumenical pilgrimage ‘with Luther to the Pope,’ ‘Mit Luther zum Papst,’ but today a number of new faces have joined us.”

The Holy Father thanked “from the bottom of my heart” Lutheran Bishop Freidrich Kramer who accompanied the group and noted that they had serenaded him “with a joint song. Singing connects. In the choir no one stands alone: it is important to listen to the others. I would like the Church to be ready to listen. We are in the process of learning this as part of the synodal process.”

In saying this, the pope was reminding Catholic participants of the process we had begun earlier this month.

He continued, “Listen also to the melody of God in your life; the melody that the Lord has composed in your life. Do not only open your ears, open your hearts. If you sing with an open heart, you are already touching, perhaps without realizing it, the mystery of God. This mystery is love, the love that in Jesus Christ finds its splendid, full and unique sound. Always remain attentive to God’s melody in your life. Then many voices will join to form one song. This is also where ecumenism happens, in Germany and in many other parts of the world.”

Back in 2016, when the “with Luther to the Pope” group came to Rome, Pope Francis addressed them on October 13. “I am very happy to meet you on the occasion of your ecumenical pilgrimage which began in the land of Luther, Germany, and ended here at the See of the Bishop of Rome. I extend a cordial greeting to the bishops who have accompanied you, and I thank you for supporting this wonderful initiative.

“We give thanks to God because today we, Lutherans and Catholics, are walking on the road that leads from conflict to communion. We have already OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 65, No. 21

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journeyed together on an important part of the path. Along the way we experience mixed feelings: grief in the division that still exists between us, but also joy in the fraternity already found. Your enthusiastic presence in such great numbers is a clear sign of this fraternity, and we are filled with hope that it will continue to increase mutual understanding.

“The Apostle Paul tells us that, by virtue of our Baptism, we all form the one Body of Christ. The different members, in fact, form one body. This is why we belong to each other and when one suffers, everyone suffers, when one rejoices, all rejoice (cf. 1 Cor 12:12, 26). Let us continue with confidence on our ecumenical journey, because we know that, beyond the many open questions that still separate us, we are already united. What unites us is much more than what divides us!”

The pope then spoke about the trip he made in late October 2016 to Lund, Sweden. There he met with the Lutheran World Federation, to “commemorate, after five centuries, the beginning of Luther’s reformation, and thank the Lord for 50 years of official dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics.” He noted that “an essential part of this commemoration” was to “direct our gaze towards the future, with a view to a common Christian witness in the world today, which so thirsts for God and His mercy. The witness that the world expects from us is mainly that of making visible the mercy that God has for us, through service to the poor, the sick, those who have left their homeland in order to seek a better future for themselves and for loved ones. In being at the service to those most in need, we have the experience of already being united: it is the mercy of God that unites us.”

The bishops of the United States, in a video (https://youtu.be/znyEsvbrM8k) hosted by Bishop Robert Barron, present a similar message to what Pope Francis said in 2016 — that our witness to Christ through acts of charity, especially those done as a community, are what can speak to the souls of modern men and women who don’t think that they need religion, especially our religion. It is worth your while to watch this video and pray about what it says.

Again, back in 2016, Pope Francis then addressed the young members of the pilgrimage. “I encourage you to be witnesses of mercy. While theologians carry on the dialogue in the doctrinal field, keep looking persistently for opportunities to encounter one another, to know each other better, to pray together and offer help to each other and to all those who are in need. Thus, free from prejudice and trusting only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaiming peace and reconciliation, you will be the true protagonists of a new season of this journey which, with God’s help, will lead to full communion. I assure you of my prayers — and you, please pray for me, for I need your prayers so much. Thank you!”

As we pass through Reformation Day this weekend, let us pray for our fellow Christians and ask the Holy Spirit how we can better work for unity, so that our witness to Christ might speak more to the hearts of all.

Daily Readings † November 6 - November 19

Sat. Nov. 6, Rom 16:3-9,16,22-27; Ps 145:2-5,10-11; Lk 16:9-15. Sun. Nov. 7, Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 Kgs 17:10-16; Ps 146:7-10; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44 or Mk 12:41-44. Mon. Nov. 8, Wis 1:1-7; Ps 139:1-10; Lk 17:1-6. Tue. Nov. 9, Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12; Ps 46:2-3,5-6,8-9; 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17; Jn 2:13-22. Wed. Nov. 10, Wis 6:1-11; Ps 82:3-4,6-7; Lk 17:11-19. Thu. Nov. 11, Wis 7:22b—8:1; Ps 119:89-91,130,135,175; Lk 17:20-25. Fri. Nov. 12, Wis 13:19; Ps 19:2-5b; Lk 17:26-37.

Sat. Nov. 13, Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9; Ps 105:2-3,36-37,42-43; Lk 18:1-8. Sun. Nov. 14, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Dn 12:1-3; Ps 16:5,8-11; Heb 10:11-14,18; Mk 13:24-32. Mon. Nov. 15, 1 Mc 1:10-15,41-43,54-57,62-63; Ps 119:53,61,134,150,155,158; Lk 18:35-43. Tue. Nov. 16, 2 Mc 6:18-31; Ps 3:2-7; Lk 19:1-10. Wed. Nov. 17, 2 Mc 7:1,20-31; Ps 17:1bcd,5-6,8b,15; Lk 19:11-28.

Thu. Nov. 18, 1 Mc 2:15-29; Ps 50:1b-2,5-6,14-15; Lk 19:41-44. Fri. Nov. 19, 1 Mc 4:36-37,52-59; (Ps) 1 Chr 29:10bcd,11-12; Lk 19:45-48.

St. Joseph, powerful intercessor for the Holy Souls in purgatory

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ovember has traditionally been the month to pray for the dead, particularly for the holy souls in purgatory. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” states that “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal Salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven.” The state of purgatory is real and certain texts of Scripture refer to purgatory as a “cleansing fire.” In this article we will learn how our prayers to St. Joseph are indispensable for their deliverance and our sure way of preventing or shortening our own stay in purgatory.

The Church refers to the souls in purgatory as the Church Suffering. In the economy of Salvation, the Church Militant, those of us who are living and carrying our cross daily, fighting the good fight of faith as soldiers for Christ, can intercede by our prayers, sacrifices and most especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to alleviate the sufferings of the holy souls in purgatory and obtain their release. Although their final destination is Heaven after this period of purification, the holy souls can no longer do anything for themselves to alleviate their own sufferings in that place of “cleansing fire.” The holy souls depend on our charity to pray for them for their prompt release from purgatory to their final destination in Heaven, since only the pure of heart can see God. Having recourse to St. Joseph, Patron of the Dying and Patron of a Holy Death, through prayers and Masses offered in his honor, can obtain for the holy souls release from that place of intense suffering to come purified into the presence of God.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” affirms “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (CCC 1032).

This fact is affirmed by the “Catechism” makes clear that not everyone goes directly to Heaven.

The blood martyrs of the faith, given the grace as we are given at Baptism to die for the faith, do go straight to Heaven. Whether we are called to a red, blood martyrdom or a white martyrdom of acceptance of our daily suffering in our conformity with Christ, we should all be striving for Heaven as our destination for we have no resting place here below.

We do this by keeping the Commandments, embracing our daily crosses in union with the cross of Christ and exercising the Christian virtues. In death, if at our judgment we have not been found worthy of going directly to Heaven, we will still be glad to go to purgatory because it is temporary and we know we will ultimately attain Heaven, rejoicing that we have escaped hell forever.

However, the tremendous suffering still awaiting us in purgatory for our purification should make us desire to make greater acts of penance and prayer to God for ourselves and in charity for the holy souls of those who have gone before us so as to mitigate our punishment still due for sins forgiven but not fully expiated in this life.

Therefore, it is very important not to canonize our family members and friends upon their death, but rather offer Holy Masses for them

in case they are judged to go to purgatory for a time at the judgment of God. How unhappy we should be to find ourselves in purgatory and not have anyone pray for us because they have assumed that we are in Heaven. A true devotion of St. Joseph will rid us of this foolish presumption for ourselves and others. By having recourse to St. Joseph, the Patron of a Holy Death, and by offering him special prayers and acts of devotion we help secure for ourselves the grace of a holy death. When we invoke St. Joseph’s intercession for

the souls in purgatory, we obtain for them his special help and powerful intercession given him by God as the foster father of Christ Our Lord and Judge.

According to Rev. Donald Calloway, MIC, in his book “Consecration to St. Joseph,” devotion to St. Joseph as a powerful intercessor for the holy souls in purgatory is an unknown treasure in the Church’s devotional life.

A 19th-century religious in Paris, France, Blessed Mary of Providence, was given a special charism to help the souls in purgatory with her devotion to St. Joseph. The Lord helped her establish a religious congregation, The Helpers of the Souls in Purgatory, dedicated to this purpose which Blessed Mary placed under the patronage of St. Joseph. The saintly Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney, came to know of it and was delighted with this charism. He personally gave the congregation his entire

support, often sending Blessed Mary letters with Spiritual counsel and advice. Another French religious, Servant of God Sister Mary Martha Chambon once was spoken to by St. Joseph himself, who assured her that all who were devoted to him in life would continue to receive his intercession after death. St. Joseph told her, “If the soul who prayed to me still has debts to pay to the Sovereign Judge, I shall ask for grace on its behalf.” God listens to St. Joseph’s requests and nothing is refused him because of his great dignity and mission on behalf of the Church Militant and Church Suffering.

Aside from honoring St. Joseph during the month of March, another traditional way in which the Church has honored St. Joseph has been to offer Wednesdays to St. Joseph with special prayers and to assist at Holy Mass on Wednesday in his honor. In the past priests would offer a votive Mass in honor of St. Joseph if they were not prevented by an obligatory feast.

It would be encouraging to see many priests and faithful return to this practice. Another religious, St. Gertrude, was given a prayer to release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is prayed. We can easily make this short prayer a daily devotion to release the holy souls. We can ask St. Joseph to intercede for us with such prayers to God. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Finally, another practice is to enroll oneself in the Pious Union of St. Joseph. At the encouragement of St. Pope Pius X, St. Luigi Guanella initiated an apostolate whose members offer daily prayer for the suffering and the dying. It soon became an international association of intercession for the suffering and dying.

If one is interested in enrollment in the Pious Union, the United States headquarters of the Pious Union of St. Joseph is in Grass Lake, Mich.

Here is a beautiful prayer to St. Joseph for a Soul in Purgatory and for our own deliverance should we find ourselves in purgatory at the end of our earthly pilgrimage. Let us go to Joseph, now while we have time, and secure for ourselves and the Church Suffering, his consolation and prompt deliverance from purgatory.

Prayer to St. Joseph for a Soul in Purgatory St. Joseph, reigning in Heaven with Jesus and Mary, intercede for the souls in purgatory. Hear our prayers for family, friends, parishioners, and clergy who have served you and lived out their faith in our parish family.

Please turn Your gaze to the soul who is most forgotten in purgatory. From the Mist of Mercy let this holy soul journey into Heaven to see the face of God to be reunited with family and friends and to praise the Holy Trinity in the company of all the saints.

St. Joseph, when it is my time to give my soul to God, I beg for your blessing and pray to you to be prompt in delivering me from purgatory so that I can see you, Jesus and Mary face to face. Amen.

Small and her husband Bill have made their solemn profession as Third Order Franciscans of the Immaculate, through the Franciscans of the Immaculate in New Bedford.

October 29, 2021 †

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The GAME ON: Field Renovation Campaign will renovate Bishop Stang High School’s athletic fields

A mother keeps prayerful watch on her child during the recent Rosary Festival held at Holy Cross Family Ministries in Easton. (Photo courtesy of 2021 Holy Cross Family Ministries)

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DARTMOUTH — Bishop Stang’s iconic chapel image of Christ is a window into the school’s soul, and what happens on the athletic fields offers a view into the school’s heart. Athletics at Bishop Stang builds on the mission to teach commitment, character, integrity, and community. With a rich history of educating the whole child, Bishop Stang upholds that sports help prepare students for life by fostering teamwork, health, and wellbeing. For this reason, the school is excited to announce the GAME ON: Field Campaign for Bishop Stang.

The GAME ON field renovation includes installing artificial turf to enhance the experience for student‐athletes and the wider community experience at “Spartan Village.”

The upgrade of the Hugh Carney Stadium, Stanley Stankiewicz Baseball Field, Bishop Stang’s softball field, and the entire field complex will ensure the athletics facilities match the caliber of Stang’s academics. In addition, it will reconfigure access to accommodate fans with new seating, establish walking paths, and create a new, single-gated entryway.

The turf field will allow for increased year‐round athletics use and greater school‐wide and community use. Teams that play on the fields include football, both the girls and

boys soccer teams, as well as baseball and softball teams. The field hockey and lacrosse teams use the fields for evening games as well as post‐season play.

President/Principal Peter Shaughnessy commented, “This project will allow our Spartan student athletes to have a top‐notch facility in which to compete.

Athletics at Bishop Stang play a major role in educating the whole person, and this renovation will only strengthen that tradition.

We are forever thankful to the donors and friends who helped us accomplish this goal and we look forward to forging new partnerships as fund raising continues.”

The GAME ON: Field Campaign for Bishop Stang has raised nearly $1.6 million towards the overall goal of $2.1 million required to complete the project. Alumnus Jim Black ’69 leads the Steering Committee which has reached out to families, alumni, friends, foundations, and the broader community. Support from the Steering Committee, including lead gifts from Jim Black ’69 and Mark and Marcia Ferreira P’23, has been critical to the success of the fund-raising efforts thus far. GAME ON has also received the generous support of foundations and banks, including the Carney Family Charitable Foundation, BayCoast

Bank, the Thomas A. Rodgers Jr. Family Foundation, and the Yawkey Foundation. The GAME ON Committee will continue to fund raise until achieving its goal.

Bishop Stang looks forward to recognizing all those who support the project at the new gated entranceway to the complex.

R.A.D. Sports, from Rockland, which specializes in the construction of high‐quality athletic and recreation facilities, is doing the work. Founded in 1994, R.A.D. has completed more than 450 projects in 25 years and established itself as one of the industry’s most trusted and successful athletic and recreation facility contractors.

Parent Peter Clark ’92 P’22 shared, “As a parent, I am committed to Bishop Stang for the promise to provide my child with the framework to succeed in life. For my son, playing on a team at Stang has been an important part of that development. Students deserve to practice and compete on state‐of‐ the‐art fields which reflect the same excellence as the experience taking place inside the school walls.”

The turf installation should be complete and playable by the end of October 2021. Work will continue into next summer to complete the installation of the remaining improvements in the design.

Bishop Stang asks that anyone interested in being a part of this transformative project and contributing to the GAME ON campaign please visit our website at BishopStang.org/ GAMEON or contact Jennifer Golden at 508‐996‐5602 x430.

DCCW to meet November 13 WESTPORT — The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will meet on Saturday, November 13, at Our Lady of Grace Parish Center, 569 Sanford Road, Westport, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Members have been requested to bring items for the homeless: clothing, personal items, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, etc.

New members will be welcomed. Light refreshments will be served. Please join them.

For further information contact Maddy at 508-672-6900.

North Dighton parish hosts craft fair

NORTH DIGHTON — St. Nicholas of Myra Women’s Guild is sponsoring a Holiday Craft Fair on November 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street, North Dighton.

There will be a roll-up table, bake table, and many crafters. Homemade soup and sandwiches will be sold from the kitchen.

For further information, call Liz Mullaney at 508-212-0375.

Divorced, Separated support group to meet in Somerset

SOMERSET — St. Patrick’s Parish Ministry to the Divorced, Separated Support Group meetings are on the third Sunday of the month at St. Patrick’s parish hall, 82 High Street, Wareham, from 4-5:30 p.m.

The mission of this ministry is to provide compassionate Christian support in a confidential non-judgmental forum and to use the experience of others to address the pain, suffering and anger that comes from separation and divorce by relying on the tenets of our faith. All are welcome. For more information, contact us at Ministryfordivorced@gmail.com or call the parish office 508-295-2411.

On October 11, the new parish of St. Gabriel the Archangel was established by the diocese, encompassing the former parishes of Our Lady of Fatima, St. Joseph-St. Therese, and St. Mary in New Bedford. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at each of the former parishes the weekend before. Sacred items were brought by representatives of each church to the altar at the new parish. From St. Joseph-St. Therese the Processional Cross and Monstrance; from Our Lady of Fatima, a Silver Crown and Scepter, as well as the First and Final Baptismal Registers; and from St. Mary a set of Rosary beads and a Stations of the Cross Chalice. (Photo by Deacon Joseph P. Harrington)

Father David Lupo, SS.CC., pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven, celebrated the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at a Mass and reception at the parish on October 17, two days prior to his anniversary date.

October 29, 2021 †

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Bishop opens diocesan phase of Synod continued from page one

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., addresses the congregation at a recent Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral opening the diocesan phase of the worldwide 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. (Photo by Deacon Alan Thadeu)

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apostolates, and special outreach to groups who have become distant from the Church.

In the Fall River Diocese these meetings will take place between December 2021 and February 2022, and specific information will be forthcoming in November as details are finalized.

A Diocesan Synod Planning Committee is in place developing models for these consultations and resources to support them. It is headed up by Father David Frederici, the Vicar for Pastoral Services, working closely with David Carvalho, the Secretary for the New Evangelization in the diocese.

In his recent pastoral letter, “Journeying Together: With Jesus on the Path of Faith and Hope,” Bishop da Cunha wrote of this synod as “a powerful call to the entire Church” It is “an invitation to everyone … to be heard.”

The bishop point-

ed out in his letter that participation in the diocesan phase of the synodal process ties in well with overall efforts to bring a renewed focus on evangelization in the Fall River Diocese.

“This takes,” the bishop wrote, “all of God’s people working together, ordained clergy and lay faithful, all embracing both their universal and specific vocations.”

Reflections and feedback gathered throughout the diocesan synodal phase will be synthesized into a report and forwarded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to become part of a comprehensive national report.

Ultimately, these national reports from the Church around the world will assist bishops and other participants who will meet at the General Assembly of the Synod in 2023 to formulate recommendations for consideration by Pope Francis.

For Maryknoll, integral human ecology is the New Face of Contemporary Mission

By Father Gene Toland, M.M. The other day while walking one of the bike paths in Eastham, I stopped and greeted a redwinged black bird perched in the low brush with a “Good morning! How we doing today?” Immediately from behind me a voice of a fellow walker who mistook to whom I was greeting responded, “I’m fine, and you?” I turned and gave a thumbs up and smile, and we went happily on our separate ways. The black bird as well. If I had explained to the fellow walker that my greeting fauna and trees is part of my usual daily routine, he might have smiled humoring the old man. What he might not have known was that in fact I was living out my baptismal and Maryknoll vocation as a missionary disciple of Jesus in recognizing, respecting and caring for God’s presence in all of the web of life of which we are all part.

Over the years since the founding of the Maryknoll movement in 1911, we have defined our mission in variety of ways depending on the evolution of Catholic teaching on mission, and the reality of the world at a particular time. Mission was saving pagan babies, converting people to the way of Jesus, bringing the Good News of Jesus to the poor and those on the margins, warding off the influence of budding communism, promoting holistic human and social development, and working for social justice as an integral dimension of

evangelization.

So it is no surprise that this year at the Maryknoll Society Chapter, (a type of constitutional convention) as the delegates from around the world engaged in a six-year “tune up” on how we are living our mission mandate in response to the challenges of our world today, and setting priorities for the next six years, they set a major direction stating that: “Living and preaching an integral human ecology is the new face of contemporary mission.”

From now on, Maryknoll seeks to integrate the care of Creation in all that we are and all that we do.

It was a strong call for the leadership and membership of the society to listen to, identify with and respond to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor, echoing the words of Pope Francis in his letter Laudato Si!, The Care of Our Common Home, and affirming the scientific conclusion that climate change is real and presents an existential threat to God’s gift of all life on earth, our common home.

The statement continued: “Our Christian faith and our love for the poor compel us to respond to the cry of the earth, its people, and its creatures. Ecological sin means ignoring our interconnectedness and interrelationship with the earth, with fellow human beings and with future generations. Our response must be both personal and communal. It must result in concrete action in and with the communities where we

live and serve. We share Pope Francis’ alarm of a global ‘climate emergency,’ warning of the disastrous effects of global warming and stating that a failure to act quickly to reduce greenhouse gases would be a ‘brutal act of injustice towards the poor and future generations.’”

In connecting the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, Pope Francis presents an integral human ecology as the new face for contemporary mission, which recognizes that all Creation is interrelated and that our good stewardship is a Christian imperative.

We don’t just inhabit the earth, but we are of the earth. When the earth suffers exploitation, we all ultimately suffer, but this is most evident in those who are impoverished and living on the margins of society. Our very existence and Salvation depend on taking seriously our responsibility to promote integral ecology.

Maryknoll’s commitment echoes that of the bishops of Massachusetts in their statement on climate change: “In our home state of Massachusetts, we are blessed with inspiring natural beauty from the seashore on the east coast to the majestic mountain vistas in the west — with rolling hills, vibrant communities and rich farmlands throughout the state.

We call on all Catholics and others of faith in Massachusetts to reflect on this natural beauty — this gift from God. To protect and sustain this gift we must

act now within our faith institutions and throughout the state to take substantial, meaningful steps to protect our environmental and provide relief from the impact of toxic pollution and climate change to protect the health and safety of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in our society.” (1) The challenges of a changing climate are particularly daunting for an area encompassing the Fall River Diocese. Among industries of this region already affected are weather-dependent activities such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Before our eyes in each season we see the constant erosion of public beaches, costly storm damage of homes and businesses, habitat loss, pollution of waterways, ponds and water systems from land runoff, etc. With sea level rise there is greater potential for increased frequency and intensity of storms that threaten coastal salt marshes, barrier beaches, and floodplains as well as the habitat for many species that sustain the fishing and shellfish and tourist industries giving employment for so many families in the region.

Living a lifestyle of integral ecology means making an ecological conversion in our personal and family lives, and the pastoral priorities in our parishes. It means living this refocused Christian vocation as pro-active citizens, educators, and business people to do what we can to restore ecological

justice to the planet.

To truly hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, we must open the doors of our hearts and minds and be willing to hear the painful moaning of Jesus on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” in the degradation of Creation and its impact on the most vulnerable among us. As Christians, we are called by our baptismal vocation to identify with Christ in the poor, and all Creation and join in God’s mission to realize concretely the new life of resurrection for all of creation.

On May 24, 2020, Pope Francis declared the year of Laudato Si!. From this initiative, a seven-year concrete action project was launched with seven major goals: 1.) response to the cry of the earth; 2.) response to the cry of the poor; 3.) ecological economics; 4.) the adoption of a simple lifestyle; 5.) ecological education; 6.) ecological Spirituality; 7.) community commitment. This initiative is called the Laudato Si! Action Platform and can be accessed at: www.

LaudatoSiActionPlatform. org.

So if you pass me on the trail conversing with a chipmunk, chickadee, or pitch pine, join in as we share with Creation our joyful vocation as missionary disciples to the world round us.

(1) https://www. csoboston.org/news/15506/ bishops-statement-climatechange.

Father Toland is a retired Maryknoll Father living on Cape Cod.

October 29, 2021 †

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Father Robert J. Spitzer — Known for his debate with Stephen Hawking; to present scientific evidence of the existence of God in Fall River appearance FALL RIVER — Successive PEW surveys have shown that the number of people actively associating with a religion is on a steep decline and, in particular, the young are the most vulnerable. In 2019, 44 percent of those in the 18-29 age range selected “none” as their religious affiliation — which is up from 23 percent in 2006. Research also shows that the greatest reason for this decline in religion results from secular myths misstating the facts.

Father Spitzer has dedicated almost 20 years to reversing this decline by presenting scientific evidence that thwarts all secular myths — including those regarding the existence of God, our soul, and Jesus’ Divinity.

The Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Alliance is pleased to announce that Father Spitzer will present “The Scientific Evidence of the Existence of God”.

DATE: Thursday, November 18; TIME: 7-8:30 p.m.;

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an additional opportunity for understanding and clarity.”

Bishop Edgar da Cunha, Bishop of Fall River, is very supportive of Father Spitzer’s efforts and welcomes all parishioners and

Father Robert J. Spitzer will speak at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River on November 18. students in Faith Formation classes to attend this very extraordinary event.

“We are thrilled that Father Spitzer is here to deliver this much-needed message in person. A lot has changed over the past 18 months

since the beginning of the pandemic, and Father Spitzer’s message is more important now than ever before. Whether you are 13 or 63, Father Spitzer resonates with everyone who desires a better understanding of God.” Daniel S. Roy, diocesan Superintendent of Catholic schools, added, “The research and evidence that Father Spitzer has put into the creation of the Credible Catholic modules are exactly what our students need.

We are piloting the Credible Catholic modules into five of our Catholic schools this year, and hope to have the program installed into all 19 schools within another year or so. This is exactly what our teachers need to support their students’ questions or address the misinformation they hear from the Internet. The overwhelmingly positive results by students after reviewing the modules cannot be ignored.”

Father Spitzer is a world-renowned Jesuit

priest and philosopher of ontology and science in addition to being the former President of Gonzaga University. Father Spitzer is probably best known for debating Stephen Hawking on the “Larry King Live Show,” as well as many other TV appearances. An accomplished writer, he has written and published 10 books on faith, science, philosophy, and ethical leadership, as well as numerous scholarly articles in scientific journals. His modules can be found at www.CredibleCatholic.com and are freely available for download.

For more information about Father Spitzer’s event, please go to www. catholicschoolsalliance.org/ father-spitzer.

Father Spitzer holds a Ph.D. from Catholic University of America. Father Spitzer is the founder and president of the Magis Center, and he currently appears weekly on EWTN in “Father Spitzer’s Universe.”

Passing the baton in Kalaupapa

have lost a step or two since my high school running days — 60 years, but I still enjoy watching track and field on television. I particularly like to watch the relay races where the first runner takes a stick (baton), takes off like a bat out of hell, passes the baton to a team mate, who in turn passes it on to another team mate, who passes it on to a fourth, who sprints to an exciting finish, baton in hand. This is no easy feat as disaster can happen in an exchange and the baton is dropped.

During my years (nineplus) here in Kalaupapa, 12

LOCATION: Bishop Connolly Auditorium; 373 Elsbree Street, Fall River; COST: FREE RSVP: info@catholicsa. org “It is so alarming to hear that the average age for when a child decides against religion is 13 years old. Most parents or teachers are not equipped to answer questions from their children when they ask about myths learned either from their friends or the Internet. So I created modules to act as a companion to the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church,’ designed specifically for middle school through high school students,” indicated Father Spitzer. “It gives me great pleasure to help address challenges facing students when it comes to the formation of their faith.

My favorite part of these lectures is the Q&A where I have been asked everything — and the ability to have an informal dialogue provides

I have experienced some passing of the baton in terms of leadership roles.

The position of administrator of the Board of Health passed from Mark Miller, who retired to Oregon, to Kenneth Seamon.

Ken now holds the baton. The post of superintendent of the National Historic Park passed from “Too Tall” Steve Prokop to young and pretty Erica Stein Espanola.

She served until this past springtime when she decided to end her term. Two young boys can be a hand-

† October 29, 2021

ful and the Pali trail takes its toll on the knees.

So it was that yesterday

afternoon in the shade of the great banyan tree, Nancy Holman was introduced by Ken as our new National Historic Park superintendent. Nancy originally hails from Colorado and has served in many regions of

the U,S. mainland. Introduced also was the new head nurse of the Kalaupapa nursing department, Veronica “Ronnie” Mitchell. She took over from John Callaway who moved on earlier this year.

We wish Nancy and Ronnie a hearty welcome to our community.

Personally, I never ran as part of a relay team in my school days because I run more like a horse than a hound and enjoyed both the mile and cross country.

Still, I enjoyed watching our relay teams practicing the

passing of the baton with skill and smoothness. I can still picture them on the senior field. It has helped me in my ministry as the baton of responsibility was passed on to me. I learned that, if I fumbled the exchange, I had to recover and keep on keeping on.

It is admirable to be a member of the relay team and to run the race. It is more important to be in tune with team mates and to carry the baton to victory. Aloha.

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

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recently watched a compelling video prepared by a group called “Heartbeat International.”

They provide women, who regret having taken an abortion pill, the chance to reverse their decision through a treatment involving progesterone. The protocol, though not yet officially “peer-reviewed,” appears to work well if the woman doesn’t wait too long, and the video includes pictures and rescue dates of many beautiful babies who have been saved this way.

What also caught my attention were the stories of several nurses working at Heartbeat International.

“I wanted to help out in a meaningful way,” one of them, named Amanda, said. “I was very excited to hear about abortion-pill reversal for the first time. I thought: God just brought that in front of me, and I think that’s what I’m meant to do.”

She went on to share a

Decisions of consequence follow-up from two mothers whom she had recently assisted.

“They sent me pictures on WhatsApp after they had their babies. I’m so thankful for their courage and their bravery.

They talked about how much they love their babies and I’m just so happy for them. I’m just so grateful God gave me that opportunity to speak with both of them.

“I’ve never had this kind of fulfillment in any previous nursing job that I’ve had — that feeling of Yes! — I’m making a difference in someone’s life, a difference in eternity.”

Every child saved this way is someone who now enjoys the opportunity to grow up, go to school, get married, have kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. It clearly makes an incalculable difference for that child, as well as for untold others.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, October 31 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Robert A. Oliveira, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Fall River

Sunday, November 7 at 11:00 a.m.

An “eternal difference.”

Each of us would like for our lives and our work to “make a difference,” and especially to make a lasting, impactful, and eternal difference.

It should come as no small consolation to understand that whenever we make deliberate moral choices for the good or turn away from what is wrong, we are already starting to make those “eternal differences.” Through such decisions of consequence, we align our own will with God’s, and contribute, in His wisdom, to rectifying the many patterns of sin around and within us.

Such decisions enable us to collaborate with His all-encompassing redemptive plan.

In the field of bioethics, these “decisions of consequence” arise with great regularity. When one of our ethicists at The National Catholic Bioethics Cen-

ter, for example, helps a husband and wife to understand the moral problems surrounding in vitro fertilization, not only can this help them avoid the tragedy of trapping their young offspring in “frozen orphanages,” but it can also help them reflect on deeper questions like, “What does our infertility really mean?” and “How does God want us to be fruitful?” This can lead them to consider new paths of grace, like reaching out to kids in the community who are parentless, through mentoring programs such as Big Brother/Big Sister, or through pursuing the generous path of foster parenting and adoption.

Such generosity is another “decision of consequence” where we stand to make an eternal difference.

Our “decisions of consequence” need not be great or lofty gestures; they can be quite simple. I recall a true story first relayed by John W. Schlatter in 1993, that has circulated widely since.

Bill was walking home after his junior high school classes, his arms full of books and other items from his

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, October 31 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass Celebrant is Father Kevin A. Cook, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk.

on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, November 7 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from St. Anthony Church in Taunton

locker. At a certain point, everything spilled out of his arms, and another boy named Mark witnessed it and came over to help him pick it up off the ground, making some friendly small talk. The two of them decided to spend part of the afternoon together, playing games and goofing off. In succeeding weeks and months, they became friends.

Years later, Bill was reminiscing with Mark, and he brought up the day they first met. ”Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” he asked. “I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide.

But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more: you saved my life.”

In a sense, each day for us involves a walk along the threshold of eternity, through small and not-sosmall gestures, even though we may not always see the full implications of each of our decisions. Each day we have a chance to make beautiful, potentially life-saving and indeed eternal “decisions of consequence.”

Anchor columnist Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

See www.ncbcenter.org and www.fathertad.com.

October 29, 2021 †

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Father Lawrence E. Pratt HYANNIS — Father Lawrence E. Pratt, 84, of Dennis Port, passed away on Thursday, October 7, at Cape Cod Hospital. He was born in Lynn to Everett and Agnes (Reilly) Pratt on Jan. 14, 1937.

He graduated from St. Mary’s in Lynn, and went onto earn a degree from Cardinal O’Connell in Jamaica Plain. Father Pratt furthered his education and studied at St. John’s

Seminary in Brighton from where he was ordained to the priesthood by Richard Cardinal Cushing on Feb. 2, 1962.

Later in life he received his master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago in

Religious Education. Father Pratt served on several Archdiocesan Committees.

Father Pratt is survived by numerous cousins and dear friend Father Robert P. Soucy of Dennis Port.

Incardinated in the Archdiocese of Boston, Father Pratt assisted at several parishes in the Cape Cod area for many years.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on

Deacon Dennis G. O’Connell EAST SANDWICH — Deacon Dennis G. O’Connell of Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich, passed away on October 2 after a brief battle with cancer. He was the devoted son and caretaker to his mother, Beryl (Borden) O’Connell of East Sandwich, brother of Terry O’Connell (and his wife Amanda) of Sandwich, brother Kevin (and wife Susan) of Winslow, Maine. Dennis is predeceased by his father, Paul J. O’Connell.

Deacon O’Connell held a special place in the hearts of his nieces and nephews: Kelly Darmon (husband Chris) and Katelynn Gallagher (husband Eddie), both of East Sandwich; Shane, Cory and Brennah O’Connell all of Winslow, Maine. The youngest generation of “great nieces and nephews” were true apples of his eye: Kolbie, Kyla, and Brody Darmon, Ty Creighton, Bridget, Terry, Eddie, Kelly and Isabel Gallagher.

Deacon O’Connell attended Sandwich Public Schools and Tabor Academy. He would go on to receive his B.S. from Bryant College in 1979. Outgoing and caring, Deacon O’Connell formed lifelong friendships from Sandwich and Bryant. The highlight of his time at Bryant College was when he won “Big Man on Campus,” and came back home to Sandwich with a three-foot tall trophy which was proudly displayed next to his brothers’ smaller, athletic trophies.

Deacon O’Connell had a successful career as a CPA, and often assisted 14

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his many friends, and local businesses in filing their taxes. Dennis believed strongly in giving back to others. He spent years as a cantor at Corpus Christi, a volunteer for the Special Olympics, and coordinator for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. His passion was for his Morgan horses. Deacon O’Connell thoroughly enjoyed his time with his horses, and with his friends at Legacy Stable.

Of all that Deacon O’Connell accomplished, he was most proud of his title as Reverend Deacon.

“Deacon Denny” was ordained

by Bishop Sean O’Malley on May 18, 2002. He proudly served the parishioners of Corpus Christi Parish since that day. Deacon Denny was frequently sought out by his Sandwich friends, and his family to provide services. Deacon Denny gracefully eulogized loved ones, married his nieces, many cousins, and baptized more than can be counted.

Deacon Denny’s strong faith allowed him to accept his fate, and to gracefully and peacefully be called to eternal life.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Corpus Christi Parish on October 8. Burial was at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Sandwich. Donations in Deacon O’Connell’s memory may be made to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Corpus Christi Parish, P.O. Box 668, East Sandwich, Mass., 02537.

To leave online thoughts and condolences, visit www. nickersonbournefuneralhome.com.

October 13 at St. Pius X Church, South Yarmouth.

Burial followed at Riverside Cemetery in Saugus.

Memorials in Father Lawrence E. Pratts name can be made to the Clergy

Health and Retirement, 66 Brooks Dr. Braintree, Mass., 02184.

Arrangements under the direction of Chapman Funerals & Cremations, Yarmouth.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: Nov. 6 Rev. Patrick S. McGee, Founder, St. Mary, Hebronville, 1933 Rev. Joseph Oliveira, Retired, Former Pastor Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton, 1999 Nov. 7 Rev. J. Edmond Tremblay, Retired Chaplain, Sacred Heart Home, New Bedford, 1985 Nov. 8 Rev. Pacifique L. Emond, OFM, Retreat Master, Writer, Montreal, Canada, 1984 Permanent Deacon Donald Joslin, 2012 Nov. 10 Rev. Msgr. Henry T. Munroe, P.A., Retired, Former Pastor, Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, 2017 Nov. 11 Rev. A. Gomez da Silva Neves, Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1910 Rev. Richard Sullivan, C.S.C., President, Stonehill College, Easton, 2005 Nov. 12 Rev. James H. Looby, Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1924 Rev. Bernard Boylan, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1925 Nov. 13 Rev. Louis J. Deady, Founder, St. Louis, Fall River, 1924 Rev. William H. O’Reilly, Retired Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1992 Rev. Clarence J. d’Entremont, Retired Chaplain , Our Lady’s Haven, Fairhaven, 1998 Nov. 14 Rev. Francis J. Duffy, Founder, St. Mary, South Dartmouth, 1940 Rev. William A. Galvin, JCD, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1977 Permanent Deacon John H. Schondek, 2001 Nov. 15 Rev. Thomas F. LaRoche, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1939 Rev. Daniel E. Doran, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1943 Permanent Deacon Richard M. Dresser, 2016 Nov.16 Rev. John Brady, Former Pastor, Sandwich, New Bedford, Wareham, 1856 Nov. 17 Rev. Henry R. Canuel, Former Pastor, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1980 Nov. 18 Rev. William Beston, C.S.C., Chaplain, Paul Dever School, 2004 Nov. 19 Rev. Msgr. Lester L. Hull, Retired Pastor, St. Mary-Our Lady of the Isle, Nantucket, 1982 Rev. Philodore H. Lemay, M.S., La Salette Provincial House, Attleboro, 1990

O

nce every five years or so, Denise and I scrape up enough to take a nice escape trip, to refresh the mind and body.

Because of the year that never was, that was delayed for the last two years, but during the recent break in production of The Anchor, she and I, and her sister hoped aboard a jet and soared to southeastern Florida for that escape.

Since it’s not something we can do every year, these excursions are very special, and never leave us disappointed. This trip was no exception.

Except for having to wear a mask for a couple of hours in the airport and three more on the flight, the ride was awesome. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that a craft weighing about 800,000 pounds can lift off the ground and stay aloft for

NEW BEDFORD — A St. Lawrence Church 200th anniversary Mass and reception will take place Sunday, November 21. Celebration will begin with 11:30 a.m. Mass at St. Lawrence Martyr Church with a reception to follow at 1:30 p.m. at The Century House, 107 South Main Street, Acushnet.

The cost for a ticket is $40 for adults, $16 for children ages four to 10.

The buffet menu is: Smothered Tenderloin Steak Tips/ Lemon Herb Breast of Chicken/ Baked Stuffed Scrod/ Red Bliss Roasted

Dining with the pelicans

hours and hours. I don’t want to know the physics involved, it’s just fun to do.

It seems whenever we take that twice a decade vacation, the weather here is lousy; raw, damp, and gray. And whenever we land at our designated location, the weather is balmy and inviting. Nothing tells me that I am not in Fall River anymore than the sight of palm trees.

I’m glad we don’t have them up here because it makes their appearance all the more enjoyable.

We quickly slipped into a do-nothing mode upon arrival. Phones, emails, and worries were quickly and easily put on the back burner for six days.

It didn’t take long for us to feel welcome at our first dinner there at the hotel. The first person to

Potatoes/ Rice Pilaf Sautéed Vegetable Medley/ Tossed Garden Salad/ Assorted Rolls/ Hors D’oeurves/ assorted pastry or ice cream/ coffee and tea.

There are only 175 tickets available for sale due to the room size at The Century House. Tickets will be sold at all Masses and at the parish offices at St. Lawrence Martyr, 508-9924251. Office Hours: M-F 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, calls only. Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 508992-3184. Office Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

greet us turned out to be a transplanted Massachusetts resident from Truro.

He immediately became our friend for the week, us visiting him several times

during our stay — not just for the wonderful food and drink, but for his warm and humor-filled company.

We also met another couple from Massachusetts at the pool, as well as a wonderful couple from Pittsburgh. Each encounter provided pleasant company and good times.

It’s funny, many of the people we meet are so quick to smile and converse, while others won’t even look you in the eye. To me, the latter are missing out on the joys of life.

As delightful as all our human encounters were, for me, my favorite part of the week was the time I spent in the Atlantic Ocean, directly across the boulevard from our room. Our home for the week faced east, so we were greeted with spectacular sunrises each morning. The only thing between us and the continent of Africa was the

incredible waters a stone’s throw from “home.”

It’s fitting that since we traveled aboard a big metal bird to get there, that it was the local water birds who befriended us.

One day while relaxing in the crystal clear waters, I was slowing being approached and ultimately surrounded by a flock of pelicans.

It was early morning, so I was in their breakfast nook.

Frequently, one would lift off and dive 10-feet from me snagging breakfast that was rapidly gulped down its pouch. I felt like one of them. My only concern was that they would mistake my hands or fingers as fish and make a bee-line for them.

But I guess I underestimate their intelligence. The local seafood is far more tasty that I am.

And each morning, when our beach time was done, we would walk up the beach to go to the pool

(tough life) and we were escorted by a plethora of seagulls, that literally walked in front of us, as if leading us back. When we reached the sidewalk, they returned to doing whatever it is seagulls do all day, when not escorting humans.

The sun, the sea, the pool, the food, the drink, the people and the wildlife combined to make this getaway very cathartic.

At week’s end, it was time to go home. As pleasant the stay was, it’s always nice to get back home again. The memories still soothe the soul and make the transition back to normalcy much easier. My only regret is that I didn’t get contact info from the people we met. It would have been nice to stay in touch. And the pelicans and gulls? Well, they’re not that into social media anyway.

I’m just thankful to have met them. davejolivet@anchornews. org.

Work continues on the 2022 Diocesan Directory scheduled to be published late this fall.

We will notify readers, in The Anchor, when the book goes to print.

October 29, 2021 †

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Please support the TV Mass Donate online at www.GiveCentral.org/FRTVMass Or mail your check payable to: Diocese of Fall River – TV Mass, 450 Highland Ave. Fall River, MA 02720

Historic Fall River Area First Friday Club makes post-pandemic return

FALL RIVER — Hosted by Knights of Columbus at St. Anthony of the Desert Parish in Fall River, the Fall River Area First Friday Club, the longest running First Friday Club in the U.S., is going to be starting up on November 5, following a lengthy period of no meetings due to our two-year Pandemic. The first meeting is at St. Anthony of the Desert, 300 North Eastern Ave, Fall River. Adoration and Confessions are from 5- 6 p,m. with Mass at 6 p.m., followed by a meal and a guest speaker.

This month’s meal is a pasta dinner with meatballs, salad and desert. Good will offering for the meal. Jean Revil is our guest speaker. RSVP by November 1.

Email: kofc12380@gmail.com; St. Anthony’s rectory: 508-672-7653.

The club is a group of Catholic men and women that continue to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the First Friday tradition.

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Recently deceased Clem Dowling is credited with being the driving force that created this club in 1947. From 1947-1961 the club was an activity of the Knights of Columbus, Council 86. Now 60 years later it is again Hosted by the Knights of Columbus. It is important to note that by tradition, no matter what parish hosted, the evening always ended each year with a Mass at St. Anthony of the Desert.

Msgr. Felix Childs was the chief recruiter of new members from approximately 1947-1963. He was certainly the club’s true “Spiritual Father.”

The reason it is the longest continuous running First Friday Club in the U.S. is the simplicity of the meetings; beginning with a Mass at 6 p.m., followed by a hot meal, then a top notch guest speaker. Attendees are often home by 8 p.m. Where else can one go

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out before 6 p.m. and be home by 8 p.m.?

It has been blessed with great speakers, such as newly-ordained Humberto Medeiros in 1947, later to become Cardinal Medeiros, and in 1949 Father James Keller, founder of the Christopher’s.

When Father James Keller spoke in 1949 the club had to meet in the Hotel Mellon for the need of space. About 500 men attended that event.

Past speakers include bishops such as Bishop Jeremiah Minihan, James Connolly, Daniel Cronin, Sean O’Malley (later to become Cardinal O’Malley), Louis Gelineau, Chorbishop Norman Ferris, George Coleman, and Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. Bristol Community College President John Sbrega was a recent guest speaker, as was Ronald Correia, Northeastern states vice president of the Saint Vincent de

Paul Society and the Diocese of Fall River President of the Society; Richard Lafrance, CEO of Lafrance Hospitality, a national hospitality enterprise; Rev. Robert Lawrence; and Bishop da Cunha were the most recent speakers.

Sports figures such as Boston Red Sox players Walt Dropo, Russ Gibson, Dick Radatz, Jerry Remy and retired professional baseball umpire Jim Duffy have been guest speakers.

Public figures have included state representatives, a state senator, mayors, several school superintendents, and former Ambassador William Porter.

Two former school superintendents are active members: Jim Gibney and Joe Martins. Robert Nagle, another school superintendent, was club president in the 1980s. Norman Valiquette has been the longest serving president of the First Friday Club.