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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

SVdP Society to present Restorative Justice through Catholic teaching

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff beckyaubut@anchornews.org

ATTLEBORO — The Voice of the Poor Committee for Social Justice, part of the Attleboro district council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, will be sponsoring “Making Criminal Justice Really Work: Catholic Restorative Justice and the Vincentian Re-entry Organizing Project,” on November 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro.

Benito Vega, the Massachusetts state coordinator for the Vincentian Re-entry Organizing Project, and Tom Dwyer, chairman of the National St. Vincent de Paul Voice of the Poor Committee, will offer personal stories and highlight Catholic social teaching on restorative criminal justice.

Dwyer became chairman of the National SVdP Voice of the Poor Committee in August and has embraced his larger role in promoting advocacy of the poor at all levels, from local, state and nationally.

“I knew partially what I was getting into,” said Dwyer. “It’s a volunteer role that can certainly be a full-time job through the various things to do, but there are a lot of great people who I’m working with. My role is to coordinate the work of the eight different regions and their leaders, and it’s also to work with a number of outside agencies on matters that affect the poor.”

He is also helping to update SVdP position papers; position papers state where the society stands and its focus on certain issues including poverty, immigration, self-sufficient wages and healthcare by referencing Catholic social teaching and keeping in mind the dignity of the people involved: “Some of those are out-of-date,” said Dwyer, “so we’re trying to work through and update as we go along.”

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F riday , November 6, 2015

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to hear Your call to ‘Come and See’

Father Jay Mello speaks at the Quo Vadis Retreat this past summer, providing an opportunity for young men to take the time to discern what God is asking of them. Seated at right is Father Kevin Cook, diocesan director of Vocations and Seminarians.

A call to be holy: Living out God’s plan for us

By Father Kevin A. Cook Diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians and Pastor of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton ast Sunday, November 1, we celebrated the solemnity of All Saints Day. On this great solemnity we remembered not only all our brothers and sisters in the faith who have been canonized by the Church, but all those who know the glory of God in Heaven. There are so many incredible things for us to learn from how they lived their lives, not only in the extraordinary graced moments in their lives, but also in their daily ordinary events.

We can learn from the virtues they lived, and their response to the graces God poured upon them. The

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saints were ordinary men and women, boys and girls. One thing is clear, that though they may have struggled at times, even at times had fallen into sin, they died in the state of grace doing the Will of God. It is the Will of God that all of us, beginning from our Baptism, live out our one vocation: the call to be saints. This is our primary vocation that we have all received from God. He calls us to be holy since we are sons and daughters of God. To live this out we need the necessary graces from God, and God promises us He will give the graces that will be sufficient for us.

In the midst of this one calling to be saints, God Turn to page 13

High school celebrates past, present and future during Memorial Mass

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., center, greeted some of the Jesuits and Brothers of Christian Instruction who have staffed Bishop Connolly High School over the past 50 years during a Golden Memorial Mass held at the school on All Soul’s Day. Pictured with the bishop, from left, are Father Donald MacMillan, S.J.; Father Paul M. Sullivan, S.J.; Brother Walter Zwierchowski, F.I.C.; Father Charles J. Dunn, S.J.; Brother Daniel Caron, F.I.C.; and Brother Roger Millette, F.I.C. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org FALL RIVER — On All Souls’ Day, students, faculty, staff and supporters of Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River gathered inside the Msgr. Prevost Auditorium for a special Golden Memorial Mass to remember not only the deceased members of the Connolly community, but also those who are still living and have contributed to the ongoing 50-year legacy of the Catholic institution.

Calling the occasion “a way to give thanks for this wonderful school that is here serving the young people in

our area,” Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., who served as principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass, noted the presence of several members of the Jesuit community and the Brothers of Christian Instruction, both of which staffed the school over its half-century history.

“We want to give thanks to God and to those who have worked so hard to establish this school and to support it and keep it for 50 years and, hopefully, for years to come,” Bishop da Cunha said. “We want to thank those who have given their lives, their talents, their gifts, their energy to (Bishop Turn to page 19

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November 6, 2015 News From the Vatican Strength in adversity: When families are everything

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church has long defended the family as the basic unit of society and as a “school of humanity.” The family as a bastion of love and protection in times of war and disaster is a reality, not a pious platitude, said two members of the Synod of Bishops.

Ukrainian Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of Kiev-Halych and head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, saw the reality as a youth when Ukraine was under the Soviet Union’s communist rule and he sees it today as hundreds of thousands of people are displaced by the fighting in his country’s

Eastern region.

Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila said he sees it every time an earthquake or typhoon hits his country and also in the relationships of refugees forced to flee violence.

Archbishop Shevchuk and Cardinal Tagle participated in the Synod of Bishops on the family October 4-25.

“Ukraine today is going through the experience of war,” the archbishop told Catholic News Service. Especially at times when political and social structures are weak and “ideologies are crashing, family remains the last fortress, the last hope, the last protection of

human dignity.”

“In this period of adversity,” he said, the family “is becoming stronger and manifesting its true identity.”

The United Nations estimates more than 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting in the East, he said, but only about 400,000 of them are receiving assistance from international humanitarian organizations, the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian religious or volunteer organizations. The remaining 1.1 million people are being taken care of by their extended families.

Those extended families are Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim,

An internally displaced Ukrainian family stands in line as they wait for humanitarian aid at a distribution center in Kiev, Ukraine, recently. The family as a bastion of love and protection in times of war and disaster is a reality, not a pious platitude, said two members of the Synod of Bishops. (CNS photo/Roman Pilipey, EPA)

Jewish, Protestant and nonbelievers. The phenomenon is not religious, Archbishop Shevchuk said; it simply demonstrates that families remain the foundation of a society’s existence even when the bigger units of society fail. What is more, the family shows itself to be “an outstanding source of solidarity.”

Cardinal Tagle, who also serves as president of Caritas Internationalis, witnessed the strength of families when he took a quick break from his duties at the synod and traveled to Greece’s border with Macedonia to visit Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees heading toward northern Europe. According to a staff member of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, about 30 percent of the people crossing the border each day were children, most of whom were traveling with their parents.

Standing in the Idomeni refugee transit camp after handing out bags of food to refugees, Cardinal Tagle said the synod was not just about Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried or attitudes toward homosexual people — “although those are really important issues” — but also about how war, migration and poverty are testing families and tearing some apart.

Watching young parents get off buses with their children, standing in line for food, water and clothing, it is obvious how war impacts families and how families resist, he said.

“People are risking their

lives for their families,” Cardinal Tagle said. They are setting off on foot to reach refugee camps, crossing seas in rickety boats, getting on trains and hoping that the next border will still be open.

At the transit center, he said, “I was shocked by what I saw: the loneliness, the fear, the tiredness. And you see people coming with one bag, a backpack, the clothes on their back.

You see that their only wealth is their family. They would do everything, everything for their families.”

At the end of the synod, participants published an appeal for peace throughout the Middle East, in Ukraine and in African countries suffering ongoing conflict. The fighting, they said, impacts increasing numbers of families and aggravates humanitarian crises.

In their final report to Pope Francis, synod members also showed their special concern for families fleeing violence, especially Christian families fleeing “violent religious persecution,” which has launched a mass exodus from some countries, most notably Syria and Iraq.

But despite real threats and challenges, the synod said, families continue “to find the courage to face the inadequacy and absence” of institutions meant to protect them. Church and society must recognize “the strength of the family,” which “resides essentially in its capacity to love and to teach love. No matter how wounded a family may be, love always helps it grow,” the synod report said.

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November 6, 2015

SVdP Society to present Restorative Justice program at La Salette continued from page one

Dwyer is also helping put out action alerts and bulletins to members to contact federal legislators and ask them to support various bills the group thinks will benefit the poor, like supplemental nutrition program or a bill on criminal justice reform, unemployment benefits, or immigration reform; “A whole variety of things that are being debated at the national level,” said Dwyer.

“We try to monitor those activities. We work with USCCB and with Catholic Charities U.S.A., and a number of interfaith groups.

“It’s hard to tell what kind of an impact we are having, but what we’re doing is raising awareness and getting the faith-based word out, and I think that’s what’s critically important.

We’re raising awareness among our own Vincentians and getting the word out in general to congressmen and senators that these things matter. I think it has an impact; someone has to be speaking on behalf of the poor.”

Locally, the SVdP Voice of the Poor Committee has had some success with a number of families living in hotels in the Attleboro area.

Soon they hope to work with families and help break the cycle of poverty once and for all through the “Getting Ahead” program. Vincentian parish conferences are currently working to try to identify families who could benefit from an intensive review of the circumstances of their life of poverty, how it came to be, what it means, how it affects them and how do they eventually move out of it.

“It examines everything from living environment to personal relationships,” said Dwyer, “economic situations to the community role, to barriers they’re facing — either systematic barriers or personal barriers — and there’s a facilitator who takes them through a 16-week program, a couple of hours each week, and they investigate all these circumstances of their life with the intent of moving themselves beyond that, and identifying what they need to do whether it be job training or more educational opportunities,

transportation or budgeting issues.

“I think one of the things we’re looking at is trying to devise and approach in the coming election cycle the question of poverty as a major issue at all levels of the election process — federal, state and local level. With Pope Francis’ visit and the emphasis he put on reaching out to the poor and the marginalized, we’re looking to make that an issue at the races at all the levels.”

Poverty often begets criminal behavior as children are raised in an unstable environment, such as the childhood of Vega, who then embarked on a criminal lifestyle until he chose to go straight. Even then, his past cast a long shadow on his going forward, and Vega — along with Dwyer –— has been active in doing presentations throughout the area to raise awareness of the difficulties ex-offenders face when trying to turn his or her life around.

Dwyer cited the pope’s recent visit to the United States that included a visit to a prison in Philadelphia; repeated editorials in the Boston Globe for the need for change; and the fact that the president has been the issue: “[There’s] a broad, bipartisan support for change,” said Dwyer, “so it’s very timely in that respect. People realize the criminal justice system is not working effectively and is costly, so they’re looking for alternative approaches and we think the model that the bishops have talked about, the basic principles should guide our public discussion. That’s what the presentation will do.”

Diana Reeves, chairman of the Voice of the Poor Committee for Social Justice of the Attleboro district for St. Vincent de Paul, has said that being part of the committee has been “exciting and rewarding,” as she has seen the committee make inroads and raise awareness over the years.

“We’ve been a liaison between legislative action and what they are doing, and what we see of the needs from the people we serve, and a conduit to bring awareness to the people in the parishes and in the

towns we serve,” she said.

Last year the group worked on trying to promote the passage of a bill to provide a safety net for homeless youth between the ages of 18 and 24 by placing a mannequin around town: “That was an eye-opening experience for all of us,” said Reeves. “People were surprised we weren’t trying to get money, but trying to get them to understand and sign a petition. As a result of that happening, that bill did pass and that was very rewarding.”

Recently Voice of the Poor reps attended a rally in support of restorative justice issues through the “Jobs Not Jails” initiative, attended the hearings for the neighborhood safety bill, and personally visited the legislators in the Attleboro area to ask for their support of the legislation; “It was a three-prong effort to make a difference legislatively,” Reeves said.

“We try to keep our eyes and ears open on legislation that is impacting the people we serve,” Reeves added.

As an ex-offender, Benito and others will offer their personal stories at the presentation at La Salette, and describe their efforts to reform their lives in a system stacked against them, while Dwyer will highlight Catholic social teaching on restorative criminal justice.

The presentation is free, no pre-registration is required, and will take place in the presentation hall in Welcome Center of the shrine.

“We hope that, first of all, people become aware of the difficulty ex-offenders have trying to return to society, and also the impact that things such as poverty and homelessness, a lack of family structure, have had on people going to prison,” said Dwyer.

Vega had a difficult home life and upbringing, and it’s a vicious cycle, added Dwyer: “We hope that when people come and hear the personal stories, they will see [the ex-offenders] as human, not intrinsically evil or bad people — just people who have gone astray with very understandable reasons.”

For additional information, contact: VOP@ svdpattleboro.org.

November 6, 2015 The Church in the U.S. Catholic agencies have long-forged relationships with new House speaker

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WASHINGTON (CNS) — With his election as speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Paul Ryan may have taken the most difficult job in American politics.

The Wisconsin Republican is faced with keeping his party’s conference unified as he takes a position that places him third in line for the presidency. He has vowed to change business-asusual in the House by building broad consensus for legislation and pledged to eschew last-minute, closed-door deals.

In accepting the position after his election October 29, Ryan said he wanted to get the House working again for the American people who work hard every day but continue to slip backward economically and see little hope from their elected representatives because they see “chaos” in the House.

“Let’s be frank. The House is broken. We’re not solving problems. We’re adding to them, and I’m not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores.

We are wiping the slate clean,” he said from the speaker’s podium.

Ryan’s leadership skills will be tested as he faces the prospect of having to corral the House Freedom Caucus, a group of about 40 conservative representatives who loathe any compromise with Democrats and President Barack Obama.

Observers from Catholic agencies who have worked with the former House budget committee chairman call him intelligent and ready for the task.

They credit his two-plus decades of experience on Capitol Hill and his expertise in how the government works, including the budget process. They said he appears to want to solve the problems facing the country, especially the needs of 46.5 million Americans living in poverty.

“Regardless of what position he’s in, we want to continue to

work with him because he’s a policymaker who cares about this (poverty) issue,” said Brian Corbin, senior vice president for membership relations at Catholic Charities USA. Bill O’Keefe, vice president for government relations and advocacy at Catholic Relief Services, said the agency also is looking forward to working with Ryan in his new position “to make sure that critical poverty-focused programs are not sacrificed in the battles in Washington.”

While Ryan is not one to wear his Catholic faith on his sleeve, several observers noted that he understands Catholic social teaching and comprehends the guiding principles of subsidiarity and solidarity.

“You can use the language of the Church and immediately engage in conversation with him,” said Jayd Henricks, executive director of the Office of Government Relations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Ryan also is said to have cemented his relationship with some members of the U.S. Church hierarchy and counts as close advisers Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who is former archbishop of Milwaukee, and Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison, Wis., 40 miles northwest of his home parish, St. John Vianney, in Janesville.

Catholic observers also credit Ryan, a nine-term veteran of the House, for his Pro-Life votes on abortion and his support for the U.S. Church’s stance on religious liberty.

Catholic Charities maintains what Corbin described as a good working relationship with Ryan.

In March 2014, Ryan visited a Catholic Charities program in Racine, Wis., in his district, where he met clients who had been teamed with a case manager and learned how they were on the way to self-sufficiency. He later convened a House budget

committee hearing on alternatives to addressing poverty and invited a Catholic Charities director from Fort Worth, Texas, to testify.

Later that summer, he highlighted case management services in his proposal to tackle poverty, which he called Expanding Opportunity in America. It

Newly-elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan, R-Wis., raises his hand and places the other on a Bible as he is sworn in. (CNS photo/Gary Cameron, Reuters)

encompassed a series of measures he believes will reduce poverty. At the time he said it was meant to jump-start a nationwide discussion on poverty, which has yet to occur.

While not an ideal proposal in the minds of some advocates for the country’s poor, observers said it shows that Ryan is willing to adapt his thinking when he encounters new information.

Corbin said Catholic Charities continues to advocate for funding intensive case management in the campaign to end poverty. Corbin told Catholic News Service that Ryan maintained in meetings with agency officials that “government is the rearguard and social service agencies are the vanguard” when it comes to serving poor and struggling people.

“He really wants to talk about poverty and different solutions,”

Corbin explained. “That’s really good to have someone at the policy level who wants to spend the time to see what really works.”

While Ryan’s interest in poverty has been lauded, it also has raised some concerns among advocates because his budget proposals have called for deep cuts in vital social services, including those aiding poor people, children and the elderly.

In the past, two committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops went on the record expressing concern for deep spending cuts in programs such as the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, housing subsidies, Medicaid and Medicare in letters to Congress. The concern ran so deep that in 2011, the USCCB convened the Circle of Protection, an umbrella organization of faith-based allies vowing to protect funding for social services and international developmental aid.

Still, Henricks told CNS he has found Ryan willing to think in new ways to approach the country’s problems.

“While at times we may have challenged the priorities he and the Republican conference may have identified, I will say he (is) still trying to think creatively about how to address poverty. We may not have always been on the same page (on the budget), but I would say he has a real desire to address poverty in a real way,” Henricks said.

“A fair characterization of Ryan is that he’s willing, he welcomes thinking outside the box,” Henricks continued. “He’s not somebody who is just tied to current structures. That’s one of the reasons he’s an attractive pick for speaker because regardless of where you are politically he is one who is willing to entertain many new ideas.”

There have been more vocal challengers to Ryan’s policies. Sister Simone Campbell, executive

director of Network, the Catholic social justice lobby, has publicly sparred with the congressman on host of issues.

While crediting Ryan for holding the hearing on poverty, Sister Simone, a member of the Sisters of Social Service, said the new speaker has spoken of the social services safety net as a “hammock.”

“We’re trying to get him to see it’s not a hammock and that people are working hard,” she told CNS. “He continues to see that people working, in poverty are there because they’re lazy.”

However, Ryan faces other trials, Sister Simone added.

“The challenge is going to be he thinks he knows everything Catholic,” she said. “And he doesn’t understand really what subsidiarity is about in that he thinks subsidiarity is about individualism. He doesn’t understand it’s the group working together at various levels to reach the common good.”

She also expects that Ryan will be confronted by “individualists” in the Republican conference who want to greatly reduce the role of government no matter the social cost.

What’s certain is that Ryan did not seek the position with its supposed prestige. One advocate, who asked not to be named, suggested he was “taking one for the team” in a time of tumult in the Republican conference. The advocate said the party must show that it can govern given while they hold majorities in both houses of Congress.

With a budget deal now passed and the debt ceiling raised until March 2017, Ryan is starting with a clean slate primarily because of the work of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the outgoing speaker.

Whether Ryan will be as influential on key pieces of legislation as he was as chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and then this year as he began to rewrite tax policy as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means is not likely to be seen between now and the 2016 election.

The same holds for immigration reform — a major goal of the U.S. bishops — as Ryan is reported to have agreed not to bring any bill on the issue to a vote as long as Obama is in office.

But if Ryan can change the tone coming from the Republican-controlled House, it may signal to voters that more can be accomplished beginning in 2017 no matter who wins the coveted White House.

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November 6, 2015

Vocations workshop looks at meeting Hispanic Catholics’ pastoral needs

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CNS) — As Jesus called His disciples in many ways, vocation directors and seminary faculty must walk with candidates and students to understand and meet their individual needs as they discern their call to priesthood, according to the bishop of Orlando, Fla. Diocesan policies and seminary practices should accommodate varying expressions of prayer and cultural celebrations, particularly in the diverse and growing Hispanic Catholic community, said Bishop John G. Noonan.

He addressed the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors Hispanic workshop October 29 at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.

He said Hispanics comprise 42 percent of the Catholic population in the United States, and more than 50 percent of Catholics under 35, but only 15 percent of seminary students. “What are we doing wrong?” he asked.

Bishop Noonan said differences among Hispanic cultures should be recognized by the Church, and vocation directors should point to the example of Pope Francis as a Spanish-speak-

ing priest and leader.

The Irish-born bishop described his own bilingual education at two seminaries in the Archdiocese of Miami as a cultural eye-opener. The student bodies included Cuban immigrants and non-Hispanics. He said the joyful, physical, noisy Liturgies and celebrations “were kind of extraordinary for an Anglo. We never express our feelings in Ireland,” he quipped.

“People clapped at Mass, people swayed, people talked. It was all foreign to me. I embraced it and thoroughly enjoyed it,” Bishop Noonan said.

He drew on personal experience as an immigrant seminarian, longtime rector of his seminary alma mater and his nine-year tenure as director of priestly life and ministry for the Archdiocese of Miami to encourage vocation directors to accompany candidates on their journey of discernment and development.

Bishop Noonan said it’s not necessary to speak the language or know the culture, but priests must care for their people, reach out and welcome them. Pastors at primarily Anglo parishes that celebrate a single weekend Mass in Spanish need to understand

the Hispanics “are not just using the church, it’s their parish, too,” he said.

“Food, music, and folkloric dancing are important to a culture and they tear down barriers,” Bishop Noonan said.

“The experience of our faith is so limited sometimes that we don’t understand what it is to celebrate multiculturalism,” he said.

Vocation directors and seminary faculty must spend time getting to know candidates and develop appreciation and respect for every student. “Each has a story to tell. You need to know as much about them as you can to set them up for success,” Bishop Noonan said.

“Don’t let laws, rules and regulations overcome you,” he said. Learning disabilities and a weak educational background are surmountable obstacles that can be addressed in houses of formation and mitigated with support throughout the seminary years.

“We need to walk with our young men and understand what they need. We need to give them the hope that it’s important to let Christ into their life,” he said.

“Don’t give up!”

The two-day workshop included representatives from 15

Scandal at the Vatican — two arrests made after leak of confidential docs

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Two former members of a Vatican commission have been arrested on charges of stealing and leaking information in connection with two soon-to-be released books alleged to contain confidential information surrounding Pope Francis’ pontificate.

Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda and Francesca Chaouqui were taken into custody after being questioned on Saturday and Sunday by the Vatican Gendarmerie, according to a recent statement released by the Holy See Press Office.

The Vatican office of the Promoter of Justice on Monday confirmed the arrests of the Spanish official and the Italian PR woman who had both previously served on the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA), Msgr. Balda as secretary and Chaouqui as a member.

The arrests come ahead of the publication of two books reportedly containing leaked information from the Vatican, one having been written by the

same journalist connected with the Vatileaks scandal under Benedict XVI’s pontificate.

Entitled “Avarice: The Papers that Reveal Wealth, Scandals and Secrets in the Church of Francis” and “Via Crucis,” the books were written by Italian journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi, respectively.

Nuzzi obtained notoriety in 2012 through his connection with the leaking of confidential letters and memos from the previous pope, culminating with his publication of the stolen material in his book: “His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI.” The Vatican’s statement stressed the publication of illegally obtained confidential information constitutes a “serious betrayal of trust” which the pope has placed on certain individuals. With regard to the authors of the books, it added that the Prosecutor’s Office is looking into the possibility of taking legal and penal measures against those involved.

The Vatican’s press statement said Chaouqui, 33, was released after spending one night in jail

in exchange for her cooperation with investigations. Meanwhile, the position of Spanish prelate Msgr. Balda, 54, is still being examined by the Promoter of Justice.

The study commission COSEA was established in July 2013 by Pope Francis as part of his plan to reform the Vatican’s finances. It was dissolved after completing its mandate.

dioceses and will be repeated in Florida, California and Texas, according to Rosemary C. Sullivan, executive director of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors.

Sullivan said her organization was tasked by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations to help dioceses increase the number of Hispanic seminarians by 25 percent over three years.

The workshop is the beginning of a much-needed conversation to help vocation directors improve their outreach to Hispanic youth, she said. “The mission for now is to tell Anglo vocation directors, ‘You can do this. You can reach out to these young people,’” Sullivan said.

“The best advice is to be present and know who the leaders are.”

The small number of seminarians relative to the Hispanic presence in the Church “symbolizes a void. Are there young men in the Hispanic community who have a calling and don’t know how to internalize it or pray with that?”

Sullivan asked. “The role of the vocation director is to be open

to the movement of the Holy Spirit.”

Father Jorge Torres, vocation director for the Orlando Diocese, said the workshop would “remind priests that the charism is within them” and their missionary hearts will be moved by Jesus to go out of their comfort zone and meet people on the fringes.

“This is not going to be harder that when Christianity came to the Americas,” he said.

During the workshop, the Cross of the Encuentros was displayed in the seminary chapel.

The five-foot-tall wooden cross symbolizes the journey of faith of Latino Catholics in the United States and was blessed by Pope Francis in Philadelphia.

Encuentro is a three-year ecclesial process convened by the Catholic bishops of the U.S. It includes missionary activity, consultation, leadership development and pastoral discernment and will culminate in the Fifth National Encuentro on Hispanic ministry in 2017. The cross will be venerated in parishes, dioceses and episcopal regions throughout the country during local Encuentro processes.

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November 6, 2015

Anchor Editorial

Vocations Awareness Week

As we come to a close to this week in which the Church invites us to be more aware of our own vocations and our duty to help the young in discerning God’s call in their lives, we are reminded of Christ’s repeated admonition to His Apostles: “Do not be afraid.”

In human terms it would make sense to be afraid. When we think about what Jesus Himself suffered and what He promised His followers they (we) would endure, how can we not be afraid?

But Jesus promised that He would always be with us to help us — and He is, directly present to us in our prayer, and indirectly present in the countless good people who surround us (who are Christ serving us when we are helped by them, and are Christ being served by us when we assist them).

These good people are living out their vocations, which Father Cook delineates in his article beginning on page one and Father Landry (on the page facing this one) notes that all of these vocations, lived correctly, lead to holiness. These good people are being the Face of Christ, that Face for which we long (cf. Psalm 26).

Pope Francis on March 3, 2014 preached about vocations during his daily Mass at St. Martha’s House, where he lives. He was speaking about the Gospel account of the rich young man, who is initially enthused about following Jesus, but then leaves when Jesus invites him to give up everything and follow Him. The pope spoke about young people who “in their hearts feel this call to draw near to Jesus; who are enthusiastic, who are not afraid to go to Jesus, who are not embarrassed to kneel before Him.” He said that many young people feel called by Jesus, but they do not ultimately follow Jesus because “their hearts are filled with something else, and because they are not courageous enough to empty them, they turn back [and] their joy is turned to sadness.”

Pope Francis said that “there is something standing in their way stopping them.” He did not say what that something was. It probably is different things for different people. We ourselves can look into our own hearts and recognize those things which stop us from being generous in responding to Our Lord’s love.

The Holy Father then spoke about our own prayer for vocations. He said, “When we ask the Lord to send vocations to proclaim the Gospel, He sends them.”

However, he noted that naysayers will object, “Father, things in the world are going so badly: there are no vocations to be a Sister, there are no priestly vocations, we are going to end in ruin!”

The pope rejected that negativity, saying, “There are many vocations.” Then, answering a rhetorical question in his own thoughts, he said that if they are so numerous “why do we need to ask the Lord to send them? We need to pray that the hearts of these young people might be emptied: emptied of other interests, emptied of other loves, that their hearts might become free.” This, he said, is the true “prayer for vocations: Lord, send us Sisters, send us priests; defend them from the idolatry of vanity, from the idolatry of pride, from the idolatry of power, from the idolatry of money. Our prayer helps to prepare their hearts to closely follow the Lord.”

The pope said that we should pray for young people, “Lord, help these young people to be free and not to be slaves [so that] they might have a heart only for You.” Later that month, on March 31, 2014, the pope spoke with Salesians, members of a religious order that primarily works with youth. He told them, “The vocational dimension here is fundamental. Sometimes a vocation to the consecrated life is confused with a choice of volunteer work, and this distorted view is not good for institutes (religious orders). Next year — 2015 — which has been dedicated to the consecrated life, will be a favorable occasion to present its beauty to young people. Partial visions should always be avoided so as not to arouse vocational responses that are frail and based on weak motives. Apostolic vocations are ordinarily the result of good youth ministry. Caring for vocations requires specific attention: first prayer, then activities, personalized programs, courage in making the proposal, guidance and family involvement. The vocational geography has changed and is changing, and consequently more demanding formation, guidance and discernment is needed.”

What he told the Salesians is true for everyone — to promote vocations we need cooperation between families and other arms of the Church (such as youth ministry); we need to not do a “bait and switch” with young people, but show them what a given vocation truly entails; we need prayer and programming to help bring about responses. We all can be involved in this at home and at the parish.

Let us ask the Harvest Master to help ourselves work in the vineyard and to help us find fellow workers to bring in a good harvest of souls. There is a cornucopia of blessings out there; we just need Spiritual vision to find it.

Pope Francis’ Angelus message of November 1 In today’s celebration, the feast of All Saints, we feel particularly alive the reality of the communion of saints, our big family, made up of all members of the Church, those who are still pilgrims on earth, and those — immensely more — who already have left it and have gone to Heaven. We are all united, and this is called “communion of saints,” that is the community of all the baptized.

In the Liturgy, the book of Revelation recalls an essential characteristic of the saints and says it this way: they are people who belong totally to God. It presents them like an immense multitude

of “the elect,” dressed in white and marked by the “seal of God” (see 7:2-4, 9-14). Through this last detail, with allegorical language it is emphasized that the saints belong to God fully and exclusively, they are His property. And what does it means to carry the seal of God in one’s life and on one’s person? The Apostle John also tells us this: it means that in Jesus Christ we have become truly children of God (cf.

1 Jn 3:1-3).

Are we aware of this great gift?

We are all children of God! Do we remember that in Baptism we have received the “seal” of our Heavenly Father and that we become His OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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children? To put it in a simple way: we carry God’s last name, our family name is God, because we are children of God. Here lies the root of the vocation to holiness! And the saints whom we remember today are those who have lived in the grace of their Baptism, they have preserved intact the “seal” behaving as children of God, trying to be like Jesus; and now they have reached the goal, because finally “they see God as He is.”

A second characteristic proper to the saints is that they are examples to imitate. We pay attention not only to those canonized, but also to the holy, so to speak, “those from next door,” who, with the grace of God, strove to practice the Gospel in the ordinariness of their lives. Of these saints we have also met some of them; perhaps we have had someone in the family or among friends and acquaintances [who fits this category]. We must be grateful to them, and above all we must be grateful to God Who has given them to us, Who has put them close to us, as living examples and as a contagious way of living and of dying in fidelity to the Lord Jesus and His Gospel. How many good people we have met and known, and we say: “But this person is a saint!” We say this, it comes spontaneously. These are the saints

next door, non-canonized but who live with us.

Imitating their gestures of love and mercy is a little of how [we can] perpetuate their presence in this world. And indeed those evangelical gestures are the only ones which resist the destruction of death: an act of tenderness, generosity, and a time spent listening, a visit, a kind word, a smile. In our eyes, these gestures may seem insignificant, but in the eyes of God are they eternal, because love and compassion are stronger than death.

May the Virgin Mary, Queen of All Saints, help us to trust more in the grace of God, to walk with momentum on the path of holiness. To our mother we entrust our daily commitment, and we pray for our deceased loved ones, in the intimate hope of finding ourselves one day all together in the glorious communion of Heaven.

The painful episodes which in recent days have tightened the delicate situation in the Central African Republic have aroused great concern in my mind. I appeal to the parties involved to put an end to this cycle of violence. I am Spiritually close to the Comboni Fathers of the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Bangui, which is receiving large numbers of refugees. I express my solidarity with

the Church, with other religious denominations and with the entire Central African nation, that is so harshly tested while it makes every effort to overcome divisions and return to the path of peace. To express the closeness of the entire Church in praying for that nation which is so afflicted and tormented and to urge all Central Africans to be more so witnesses of compassion and reconciliation, on Sunday, November 29, I intend to open the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Bangui, during an apostolic journey that I hope to accomplish in that nation.

Yesterday, in Frascati, was beatified Mother Teresa Casini, founder of the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Woman contemplative and missionary, has made her life an offering of prayer and concrete charity in support of the priests. We thank the Lord for her testimony.

This afternoon I will go to the Verano Cemetery, where we will celebrate Mass for the souls of the dead. Visiting the main cemetery of Rome, I join Spiritually with those these days who go to pray at the graves of their loved ones, all over the world.

I wish you all peace and serenity in the Spiritual company of the saints.

November 6, 2015

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e begin this month of November not merely by celebrating all the saints but pondering the universal call to holiness. The fundamental reason why we’re alive is to become saints and help others along the path of holiness. St. Paul tells us with translucent clarity: “This is God’s Will for you: your Sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3), and November is the month we focus on saying to God, “Thy Will be done!”

Holiness, we know, is first God’s gift. It’s the perfection of charity, a participation in God’s Own holiness and life, something we can’t achieve on our own. God, however, always provides the means for us to respond to His call. He draws us to Himself, strengthens us and makes holiness possible through prayer, the Sacraments, the opportunities He provides for loving Him and others, even through the sufferings we endure and the forgiveness we have to extend.

At the same time, however, God makes holiness the result of our choice. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that to get to Heaven, to become like God, we have to will it. We need to receive on good, faithful soil the graces God implants and respond with determination through the thorns, stones

Anchor Columnist The universal call to Spiritual heroism

and other obstacles that arise. like God is holy, the Church This involves the persevering exists to help people become decision to stake our life on heroic in their daily living of what God teaches and offers: the faith. to seek first His Kingdom, His When the early Church Will, and His glory; to build prepared adults for Baptism, our life on the rock of what this was clear. The goal of He reveals; to deny ourselves, the catechumenate was not pick up our cross and follow merely to impart the truths Him along the path of the of the faith, the art of prayer, Beatitudes; to cross the road with Him as Good Samaritans Putting Into loving our neighbor and even our enemies the Deep as He has loved us; to love Him with not

By Father just some but all our Roger J. Landry mind, heart, soul and strength; to find in Him the pearl of great price, the importance of the Sacraserving Him rather than mam- ments and the habit of Chrismon, divesting ourselves of our tian charity: the goal was to attachment to material things help form in catechumens the and giving them to others; to intrepid faith that would keep eat His Flesh and drink His them true to Christ and conBlood worthily and live our fident in His promises under life yoked in communion with persecution and martyrdom.

Him; in short to save our life To prepare people for by losing it with Him and for martyrdom is still the purpose Him. of the Church and the goal of This requires ordinary Spir- all her formation today, even itual heroism. The first step if the martyrdom for which on the road to canonization is we’re preparing kids and adults the conclusion by the Church is more commonly in the West as that someone lived the the “white” or “dry” martyrvirtues, especially faith, hope dom of giving witness to the and charity, to a heroic degree. faith when others will mock Insofar as the Church exists us for it, forgiving others not to help people to respond to just once but “70 times seven God’s gift and become holy times,” remaining faithful to God and spouses even under the strongest of temptations or Pope: God feels compassion for when the spouse isn’t similarly everyone, sent His Son to heal humanity faithful, and choosing Christ VATICAN CITY (CNS) like a courthouse clerk who over Barabbas under the mul— God has compassion for ev- reads out the sentence and tiplicity of disguises Barabbas eryone, which is why He sent says: ‘Acquitted for insufficient assumes in daily life.

There’s an opposing school His only Son to heal and renew evidence.’” of formation and thought, From His very own heart, God humanity, Pope Francis said in a forgives because that is where He suggested last year in an homily. interview in Commonweal by a There is a difference between holds the person, he said.

He sent Jesus in order to senior Churchman who’s been compassion and pity, he said at a recent Mass in the chapel of his bring the Good News, “to free trying to water down Jesus’ those who feel oppressed,” he teachings on the sin of adulresidence.

“I can feel pity for a dog that is said, to put Himself in each per- tery and get Pope Francis and dying,” he said, but compassion, son’s situation, “freeing us of our the Synod of Bishops to agree especially God’s compassion, is a sins, of our evil and to carry us.” with him.

“Heroism is not for the “This is what a priest does,” whole different thing. It is putaverage Christian,” this prelate ting oneself in the other’s place the pope said.

Like Jesus, a priest is moved stressed. “with the Father’s heart.”

In other words, “average That is why God sent His and becomes involved in the Christians” — meaning most lives of the people, he said. only Son to live and dwell among Christians — are not called “How many times — and humanity — to be close to them to holiness because they’re then we have to go and confess and their problems, he said. incapable of it.

Even with “Jesus healed people, but — do we criticize those priests, He was not a ‘shaman.’ No. He the ones who are not interested God’s grace, they’re Spiritually healed people as a sign, as a sign in what is happening in their incompetent to do anything of God’s compassion, to save congregation, who are not con- valiant or hard. Even not breaking the Commandments them, to bring the lost sheep cerned?” is too challenging. Jesus’ words, “No, that is not a good priest. back” to the fold, the pope said. properly understood, “Be perA good priest is the one who God puts His heart into it, fect as your Father is perfect,” becomes involved” in all the into each and “every one of us. don’t apply. And so under the “human problems” out there, he And when God forgives, He title of “mercy,” there’s the forgives like a father and not said.

condescending, pessimistic and indulgent attempt to soften the demands of faith for them rather than to help them, patiently and perseveringly, to receive from God in prayer, the Sacraments and the Word of God, the strength they need to live the faith, especially when it’s hard.

Good teachers recognize that not every student will be a Rhodes Scholar but nevertheless try to help every student achieve all his or her potential. Drill sergeants grasp that not every 18-year-old recruit will become a Ranger or Seal, but nevertheless knows that each of them can become a great hero and trains them accordingly, pushing them to do much more than they might originally have thought them themselves capable. Great coaches take ordinary kids who in other circumstances might deem themselves losers and try to form in them the heart of a champion, regardless of whether they actually achieve the dream of winning a championship.

When we look at what Jesus did with the Apostles, we see the mission of the Church in every age. He didn’t start with rabbinical students or geniuses among the Pharisees and scribes. He didn’t even start with “average” Jews. He began with relative nobodies, from obscure places, with thick accents and occasionally thick skulls, men who struggled to understand His message and live what He taught, men who would in weakness all abandon Him when He was arrested, but 11 of the 12 of whom would come back and, strengthened by His grace, would heroically bring the Gospel to the ends of the known world. And God did the same with women. Who, according to worldly criteria, were Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala and Mary of Bethany?

Jesus still calls in every age the “foolish of the world to shame the wise, the weak of the world to shame the strong, the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something” (1 Cor 1:27-28). He calls them to heroism and through them shows everyone that such Spiritual heroism is possible.

7 And that’s one of the greatest beauties of the Christian vocation. Ordinary, average people can become, in eternity, among the greatest who have ever lived.

The conversion of St. Augustine — someone who was great in the eyes of the world — happened when, after years of giving into lust, an African named Pontitian told him and Alipius his friend about two ordinary men who had been suddenly and wholeheartedly turned to God’s service through reading the life of St. Anthony of the Desert.

Ashamed that, despite all his talents, he had been such a Spiritual chicken up until then, Augustine exclaimed to Alipius, “What are we doing, letting the unlearned seize Heaven by force while we with all our learning remain behind, cowardly and heartless, wallowing in our sins?” That’s when his tears overwhelmed him, he ran out into the garden, heard God mysteriously calling him to take and read the Scriptures and fell upon the passage that would challenge him, heroically, to leave sin behind once and for all and put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 13:13-14).

The month of November is a time in which all of us, in response to God’s grace, learn how to choose Heaven — and the holiness that leads to Heaven — with courage, perseverance and strength. It’s the time to remember that by our Baptism we’re called to Spiritual heroism and to rejoice that God has provided and always will bestow the means.

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

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esus sacrificed His Own life as an offering for our sins. Through His death and Resurrection, we have been given an opportunity for eternal life. Now, He is asking us to offer our lives for His mission of Salvation. This weekend’s readings give us an image of this offering.

Although the widow from Zarephath from the first reading possesses only a small amount of flour and oil, Elijah urges her to share it with him. He quotes the words of God: “The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” She believes and her supplies are unending.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives a teaching on being

November 6, 2015

Seek a generous heart

generous in love. He warns ing in their total gift of His disciples against acting self, but they also make us like the Pharisees in their squirm. They gave all they need for glory. Jesus tells had. What will they live them to observe the poor on? We may never be asked widow, who gave two small to give everything we own copper coins worth about away, but our spirit needs a cent, for the sake of her faith. Unlike the others who had Homily of the Week given out of their Thirty-second Sunday in surplus, the widow Ordinary Time gave everything she

By Deacon had.

Leo W. Racine These two widows are inspiring in their total gift of self. They remind us of to be willing to give whatthe elderly and widowed ever the Lord asks of us. of our churches. They are The second reading faithful to the seemingly tells us of the generosity small things of the Church, of God. He provided an but in essence they are the eternal high priest, Christ backbone of the faith comJesus, Who died for the munity today. total remission of sin, once The widows are inspirfor all.

Jesus empowers us to move beyond our selfish interests. This is the reason why we have men who sacrifice their life to perpetuate Christ’s priesthood for the sake of the Kingdom. Our total self-sacrifice to God is to obey His Commandments, attend weekly Sunday Mass, frequent the Sacrament of Confession and contribute to the well-being of the Church. He vows, in return to supply the graces which will enable us to serve Him and His Kingdom.

The widows reflected the total love of Christ, Who sacrificed Himself for the sake of His people. Now, He is asking us for great

faith and great generosity.

He is asking us to serve without counting the cost of our time of leisure or our embarrassment to invite our unchurched family members and neighbors to return to the Lord and to contribute generously in faith.

Accustomed to depending upon ourselves and taking precautions to make sure our futures are secure, we should question how much we should give.

Let us ask the Lord for a generous heart that sees beyond our own needs and reaches out in love to others, trusting the Lord to take care of us.

Deacon Racine is a retired deacon and a parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Nov. 7, Rom 16:3-9,16,22-27; Ps 145:2-5,10-11; Lk 16:9-15. Sun. Nov. 8, Thirty-Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, 1 Kgs 17:10-16; Ps 146:7-10; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44. Mon. 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.

Tues. Nov. 10, Wis 2:23–3:9; Ps 34:2-3,16-19; Lk 17:7-10. Wed. Nov. 11, Wis 6:1-11; Ps 82:3-4,6-7; Lk 17:11-19. Thurs. Nov. 12, Wis 7:22b–8:1; Ps 119:89-91,130,135,175; Lk 17:20-25. Fri. Nov. 13, Wis 13:1-9; Ps 19:2-5b; Lk 17:26-37.

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had the privilege last week to attend the International Catholic Stewardship Conference in Chicago. People representing schools, parishes and whole dioceses came together to share best practices and deliver a message of hope, affirmation and tangible success in the ministry of raising funds and charting a course for the future. The overall tone of the gathering was one of optimism, joy and positive results due to hard work, cooperation and a sense of shared responsibility for the future of the institutions we hold dear.

I was struck by the success stories from areas of the country where Catholics are few and far between.

Rural Minnesota, Alaska and Wyoming have thriving dioceses that seem to supplant their challenges of sparse populations spread over vast territories with eager volunteer and clerical leadership that focuses on the missions at hand and not the logistical or financial hardships they must contend with.

The overall focus of the conference was the chal-

National viewpoint lenge to “walk in the footsteps of Pope Francis” that is, to be bold, open, joyful and humble as we live our lives as servants of the Lord.

Of course, the most tangible benefit of attending such a gathering is the sharing of factual data and experiences that have proven to be successful.

It was heartening to know that the challenges we face here in our diocese are not unique or insurmountable. Some facts: American Catholics comprise the largest single faith group in the United States, (66.6 million). That represents 22 percent of the nation’s population and that number has grown over the last three decades. On average Catholic households donate more than $560 each to charitable causes and to the Church.

Catholic communities have changed over time to reflect the broader demographic changes in our country. Two decades ago, 13 percent of American

Catholics were foreign born.

Today, that has risen to more than 33 percent. One in five Asians is Catholic, as are three million AfricanAmericans. A third of Catholics are Hispanic in origin but only three percent of priests are Hispanic and only 25 percent of parishes have a Mass in Spanish.

It’s What We Do

By James A. Campbell

The implications of these demographic changes have to be addressed in terms of current and future viability.

Many parishes have shown that diversity need not be a barrier to successful fund raising. This message must be shared throughout the country and particularized for each diocese. Importantly, there is a need for new ways to engage more Catholics and new and more powerful messages that ties participation in Catholic

community to financial support. Even in the heavily Catholic northeast, there is a need to tie the work of the Church to the well-being of the larger community by documenting the Catholic outreach, and therefore attracting financial support to the actions of the Church from those who may not be Catholic.

In addition to overall issues affecting the Church, the conference had tremendous data to share on the health of our Catholic schools. As is the case across the nation, the student population is now more diverse. One in five Catholic school students is from a racial minority and another 15 percent are Hispanic/ Latino. These portions are twice what they were in 1970. Nationwide, Catholic schools enroll a third of minority students who use private education. On average 17 percent of students are not Catholic, in some schools that figure rises to 25 percent. Both trends will also change the nature

of Catholic school alumni.

Just as in the pews, cultural awareness will be critical to alumni outreach.

Across the country funding for Catholic schools is a growing challenge.

Tuition in parish-based elementary schools covers about 68 percent of costs.

The equivalent portion for Catholic high schools is 81 percent. Costs and tuitions have risen dramatically in part because of the complete change in the teacher cohort from primarily religious to overwhelmingly lay.

It was heartening to learn that our issues are shared by many thoughtful and concerned leaders in other dioceses. The way forward requires prayer, focus, an intense command of the applicable data and the engagement of lay and clerical leaders with a spirit of cooperation and mutual dedication to our mission. They are doing it in Wyoming! Surely we can do it here.

Anchor columnist James Campbell is director of the diocesan Development Off ice/Catholic Charities Appeal/Foundation to Advance Catholic Education.

November 6, 2015

Sunday 1 November 2015 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Daylight Savings Time ends t was a dark and stormy night, perfect for sleeping. I lay awake, tossing and turning. There was too much on my mind (namely, the parish bills). In the darkness, I heard a whimper. It was greyhound Justin. I pretended to be asleep. Justin, getting no results, began a series of short, high-pitched yelps. Then he switched tactics and began nudging the edge of my mattress with his nose. I knew resistance was futile. “What is it, boy?

Did little Timmy fall in the well again?” Justin was not amused. Whatever he wanted, he wanted it now.

I dragged myself out of bed. I flung open the rectory door. The wind and rain rushed in. “Out? Out? Want to go out?” Finally, Justin spoke. “Are you for real?” he asked. “What idiot would want to go out in this ungodly weather?” I shut the door. “Well, what exactly is it you want? Speak plainly, for Heaven’s sake. Forget this woof, woof, nudge, nudge business,” I said with some annoyance. “Oh, you humans! Sometimes I wonder why we call you dog’s best

I

“I

nto the Breach” is the marvelous letter written by Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted to Catholic men (found at intothebreach. net), shot through with martial imagery as he alerts them to be more aware of the battle for the family, which they are charged to protect. He is not exaggerating the threats, given that fatherhood and motherhood — and sexual identity itself — have been under siege for many decades now, and moral chaos has followed.

The bishop cites alarming statistics that document the decline of the Church in America, showing that the number of those attending Holy Mass and receiving lifegiving Sacraments — including Holy Matrimony — is plummeting. It is the word “Matrimony” that should concern us here. While dictionaries define that word as simply “the state of being married,” one can easily see that its root is in the word,

Anchor Columnists The empty cookie jar

“seamless garment.” friend. Obviously, this is my Many parishes have ‘I-want-a-treat’ routine. Let been struggling financially me be perfectly clear. Fetch for decades. This I know me a doggie cookie!”

I trudged into the kitchen well. Over the years, I have and reached behind the spice pastored seven parishes. All rack for the jar of Pup-Sala- of them were in financial straits. I have never once mi, his favorite. He prefers been in a parish that had Pup-Salami to bacon-flavored Begging Bits.

But, alas, the jar was empty. I had failed to The Ship’s Log run down to the PetReflections of a Rite store to restock Parish Priest my supplies. Justin knew it was bound to

By Father Tim happen, and so it did.

Goldrick We priests have recently found oura savings account, or even selves in a similar situation, dear readers. The bishop and a “rainy day fund” for that diocesan staff members have matter.

The diocese has been, in informed us that the cookie a certain sense, subsidizjar is empty. Just like Justin, we all knew it would one day ing such parishes. This has included low-interest loans happen. And so it has. made to the parish by the Individual parishes are diocese. It has also included not entities distinct from “unofficial” subsidies to pay the Diocese of Fall River. insurances and clergy/lay We sink or swim together. benefits for those parishes In the Catholic ecclesiastiunable to cover the costs. cal structure, a local Church Combine this with deis not a single parish but a community of parishes under clining church attendance, the leadership of a bishop. A crumpling structures, rising Catholic parish cannot oper- costs, and years of low-interest banking and no-interest ate without being part of a diocese and a diocese cannot investment rates. All this has exhausted the diocese’s operate without its parishes. financial resources.

We are part of a whole. It The administration of the is, to use a Biblical phrase, a

diocese has, for some time, had no source of revenue.

Designated national and diocesan collections must go (legally and morally) to the designated causes. This includes the Catholic Charities Appeal, which must go to diocesan-run charitable ministries and agencies, not to chancery administration.

Other than that, diocesan administration funds are also used to manage Church real estate; clergy needs; diocesan employees’ benefits and insurances; diocesan archives; engineering, architectural, and construction consultations; and legal counsel. This applies not only to parishes, but Catholic schools and other diocesan entities as well.

I’ve been around long enough to remember the Cathedraticum. In our diocese, it was based on those monies collected at the door of parish churches. This was commonly called “seat money.”

It was 25 cents for each adult (even if you chose not to take a seat). Seat money was based on the Protestant custom of “pew rent.” Are you old enough to remember “seat money?” Did you know

9 that a portion of the seat money went towards the administration of the diocese?

Those were simpler days.

They say our diocese was the last one in the nation to abolish seat money. Bishop Daniel A. Cronin expressed his reservations. Without seat money, how was the diocesan administration to be funded? One wag suggested that churches install meters in their parking lots. The bishop was not amused by my attempt at a joke, but you know me, dear readers.

How do other dioceses in the United States fund administration? Ninety percent of them have been using some form of parish assessment for decades. Our new assessment system is graduated, based on a parish’s ordinary income. Poor parishes pay less; wealthy parishes pay more — sounds fair.

So, here I stand in the kitchen. While I’m up, I think I’ll have a nice cup of warm milk in my favorite mug. My mug reads, “Keep calm and carry on.” Yes, I will. We all will.

Is there any other option when the cookie jar is empty?

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

Into the breach: The gift of children mater (Latin for “mother”).

Despite the conventional wisdom that Marriage is simply a lifestyle choice and how those who opt to enter it is irrelevant, the fact is that naturally and supernaturally speaking, Marriage is primarily ordered to children.

The Second Vatican Council echoed the ancient teaching, noting: “Children are the supreme gift of Marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. True married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of Marriage, are directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, Who through them will increase and enrich His family from day to day” (Gaudium et Spes, 50).

Increase and enrich. That is what we are called to do

— and a man and woman’s burning desire to embrace each other is the inborn drive to do what God intended from the start. The primary goal is to increase, and the family setting

is intended to enrich all its members — but primarily the children. It’s so simple, and yet most young people shy away from this truth as though it’s an obstacle to happiness. The irony is that when we avoid God’s Will for our lives, we reject the happiness that comes with it — and for what? Our own short-sighted ill-conceived ideas that attempt an end-run around a fundamental truth.

Amidst the chaos in

the wider culture about all the different ideas on what Marriage is, or should be, or isn’t, or used to be, the Marriage Reality Movement (found at takebackmarriage. org) has shifted the discussion in a very refreshing way — a way that reflects more closely the primary purpose of the institution. Rather than beginning with the husband and wife — who often spend an inordinate amount of time naval-gazing about all the choices open to them — MRM begins with the child and his dignity. When we think about it, not only were we all once children, but consider the stunning fact that Marriage is the only institution that firmly ties a child to his biological parents.

If a young woman’s search for a spouse is understood as choosing her children’s father, would that change the way

she looks for him? The venues she’s using? The criteria she holds in her heart? And for the parents of sons, will an emphasis on their future fatherhood change the way they are being raised? Bishop Olmsted implores all men to embrace their call: “If you do not embrace the spousal and fatherly vocation God has planned for you, you will be stuck in the impotence of the ‘seed’ that refuses to die and refuses to give life. Don’t settle for this half-life! The question for every man is not, ‘Am I called to be a father?’ but rather, ‘What kind of father am I called to be?’” We all have a stake in the response — none more so than the next generation. Fatherhood is neither optional nor an obstacle, but the answer. Women need to embrace that fact.

Anchor columnist Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.”

She blogs at feminine-genius. typepad.com.

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November 6, 2015

Parishioners and friends of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River recently journeyed to the Berkshires with parochial vicar Father James Fitzpatrick. The group toured the Norman Rockwell Museum, dined at the Red Lion Inn for lunch, then went to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, where they prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. on the feast of St. John Paul II, who canonized St. Faustina who introduced the Church to the Chaplet.

November 6, 2015

11 To subscribe to The Anchor, or give it as a gift, contact Mary Chase at 508-675-7151 or Email marychase@anchornews.org

The Knights of Columbus Father Hogan Council No. 14236 recently beautified Dartmouth’s veterans memorials. They assisted with roughly 14 sites throughout town. Aided by rakes, mulch, weed whackers and a readiness to get on their hands and knees and clean stone statues, members worked hard and enjoyed the opportunity to help. More than a dozen members from the Knights council participated in the maintenance and beautification project. “What an honor it is for our council to serve our veterans, remember their sacrifice and support our community,” Chris Pereira, head of the council said. He added, “This is something we plan on doing a couple of times a year moving forward.” Deputy Grand Knight of the council, Sean Jackman, spearheaded the project. He said, “A lot of these vets are from World War I. Their families are gone. We want to respect their memory and make sure the memorials look presentable.” The Knights of Columbus Father Hogan Council serve the Dartmouth parishes of St. Julie’s and St. Mary’s. From left: Sean Jackman, Pedro Castanheira, Tom Pereira and Pat Curran.

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November 6, 2015

Give daily Mass a try

A

t this point in time the visit of Pope Francis to the United States is history. He has returned to the Vatican. He has concluded the Synod on the Family and will be departing soon on another papal voyage.

There are many memories of Pope Francis’ visit.

The Anchor published some of the impressions of those who had the occasion to be present at one of the sites of his visit. There are many souvenirs that have been sold, memorabilia purchased, photos shared and keepsakes treasured.

His many discourses have been published, reflected upon, prayed about and recorded for future use. Many photos have been seen, in the public forum and personally by those who were able to be present at one of the sites of his visit. Those who were fortunate enough to shake his hand or share a personal word also have photos that serve as a memorial of that historic and special moment.

Those who met him in

from the Vatican and local a public way may have a Rosary he gave them to use priests and deacons flawin prayer and to treasure for lessly executed their duties in such a manner that it all the years to come. went very well.

All was well-organized Months of preparation and synchronized by the for the booklets to be used, Vatican, the United States the vestments to be worn government, and the archand the logistics for the dioceses that welcomed seating and Communion him. The nunciature in Washington and the nunciature for Living the United Nations played their part the in the success of Faith his visit. Needless

By Msgr. to say the police, John J. Oliveira firemen, emergency personnel and many others also contribstations were needed. They uted their time and talent are to be commended for in assisting in the historic their wonderful work. visit of Pope Francis to the One of our teachers from United States.

All Saints Catholic School, Of all the venues that hosted the Holy Father, the sponsored by St. Mary’s Parish, attended the 7 p.m. ones that most impressed Mass at St. Mary’s on the me were the Masses. The Sunday following the papal Masses took a lot of planvisit. At the end of the ning. Not only were the Mass I welcomed her pubtexts of the Mass to be licly and told her I regretchosen, but also the readings, the music, the readers, ted I could not produce the crowd that she had experithe distribution of Communion, concelebrants, etc. enced the week before, but that it was the same Mass.

The masters of ceremonies

I had that same feeling as I celebrated the evening Mass the same day the pope had celebrated it in Philadelphia. It was the same readings, the same Mass and Christ was present.

Mass is the same regardless of the place, the time, the size of the congregation. The music, or lack of it, the flowers, or lack of them, do not change the nature of the Mass.

Mass on Sunday is a gathering of the faithful. Many people in church can make it more uncomfortable for some to pray. At times parents who come to Mass with their children may feel self-conscious if the children make a noise. I am always pleased to hear a child cry in church. It signifies that the parents decided to have the child.

It means they are bringing them to church to introduce them in the proper living of the faith. It also demonstrates that I and

others still have the gift of hearing.

Some Catholics will attest that attendance at daily Mass can be more prayerful.

The congregation is smaller, there are usually no time constraints and, in most parishes, the daily Mass communicants form a little community. They pray for and care for each other. This is much easier to do with smaller numbers.

Perhaps you might consider going to daily Mass during the week. Even if you cannot go every day, one or two days a week can make a difference in your prayer life. While each Mass is the same and has the same effects, you may find the quieter atmosphere more conducive to prayer.

Give it a try.

Since November is the month dedicated to the remembrance of the souls in purgatory it might be a good time to begin attendance at daily Mass.

You might want to choose a day each week to go to morning Mass and pray for the deceased, especially the deceased of your family. You will notice a difference in your life, a good one.

Anchor columnist Msgr.

Oliveira is pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in New Bedford and director of the diocesan Propagation of the Faith and Permanent Diaconate offices.

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November 6, 2015

A call to be holy: Living out God’s plan for us continued from page one

calls us to particular vocations so we can live the call to holiness in the greatest way.

By responding to our vocations we will find the greatest path to happiness and holiness in this life and forever in Heaven. These vocations are particular states in life: priesthood, diaconate, religious and consecrated life, Marriage, and the generous single state in Christ. Each one is unique and absolutely essential, yet none stands alone. Each impacts, strengthens, and learns from the other. The Lord calls us in particular ways so as to build up the Kingdom of God and that through each vocation others may discover and live their vocation. When certain vocations are not being responded to, gradually all the other vocations suffer. As a diocese we need to give greater attention in our prayer, foster vocations, and grow in our understanding of how crucial each calling from God is.

Most of the faithful are called to sanctity through Marriage. This calling is essential for the life of the Church. As a Sacrament, a baptized man and baptized woman are united as one, married in the Lord, and they receive particular graces to lead each other and their children to Christ, and through the Sacrament Christ brings them deeper into a union with one another. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians that the model for married couples is Christ and His bride the Church. Through the Sacrament they enter into Christ’s fidelity and are called to manifest that fidelity to one another and to their children, even in the face of the cross.

Through chaste love, they discover the gift that the other is and are to help lead each other closer to God, bearing crosses of the other, and offering every aspect of their life together to Christ, especially through the Eucharist. Today we see more not responding to the Lord and are choosing to not live the commitment in Christ and to another through Marriage, but limit their love on their own terms.

The call to Marriage is the vocation we are all most attracted to on a natural level.

But the Lord also calls some to make a radical sacrifice of that intimate human relationship in Marriage so as to give their whole life to Him and His

Church. It is a supernatural call of love for the whole Church as a priest, a religious in consecrated life, or in a generous single state for Christ. But those called to these vocations must have the same type of heart as a person called to Marriage. If one is not attracted to being married or wanting to raise children, then one will most likely not be happy as a religious or priest because it requires that same disposition of a heart willing to give all for another. Because these vocations are more radical, we do need to bring them more to our attention and encourage those whom we think the Lord may be calling to listen to a possible call, and for those who are responding to encourage and support them.

Some men are called by the Lord to give their lives by becoming priests and deacons.

Through Holy Orders priests continue the mission of Christ and it enables them to exercise a Sacred power in the name of Christ for the service of the people of God. Through Holy Orders the ordained become conformed to Christ in a unique way so as to serve all the faithful that they may live out fully their call to discipleship. The bishop is the one who receives through Holy Orders the fullness of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, but the priest and deacon also receive Holy Orders, sharing in the ministerial priesthood of Christ but in different degrees. The deacon is called to be conformed to Christ the Servant and not only teach and help administer the Sacraments, but to be especially mindful of the poor. The priest can in a very particular way offer the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation for the faithful so they may grow in the grace of Christ. For the faithful who are facing serious illness and danger of death, the priest brings them through the Anointing of the Sick the mercy and power of Christ. All the faithful share in Jesus’ royal priesthood through Baptism, and it is the role of the ministerial priesthood to help activate the royal priesthood of the faithful by giving daily the Sacraments, of teaching faithfully, humbly, lovingly, and courageously the truths of the fullness of the faith, of praying faithfully each day for all the faithful especially through the Liturgy of

the Hours, and sanctifying the other duties entrusted to them as a shepherds of the faithful.

The vocation that is considered the highest calling is that of men and women who are called to religious and consecrated life. Making promises of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, they become witnesses to the rest of the faithful of the love we are called to in Heaven.

They are called to be separate from the world (whereas the clergy, married, and single state are called to be in the world but not of the world), living a particular charism for the sake of the Church and the world.

Most religious live in community and through community life they help each other grow more Christ-like, knowing at times living in community has its many challenges.

Lastly there are some called to the vocation to a generous single life in Christ. This may be one of the harder vocations to discern because it often goes misunderstood.

This vocation does not mean one is called to be a bachelor or bachelorette, but that Christ is calling a person to remain single, dedicating their whole life to Him and His Church in the midst of the world. It is not a calling of a person who just doesn’t want to get married, but they sense the Lord is calling them to embrace the celibate life, a life of total generosity and giving all at the

service of the Church, but also knows through prayer they are not called to become a religious or priest. Some discern the calling in prayer and belong to a certain community or Personal Prelature, but “some are placed in this state because of particular circumstances not always of their choosing” (CCC 1658). Those in this state must work with the Church as to how best live this state in their lives and how to live it with great generosity of heart. A great example of this vocation was Jan Tyranowski, a single layman whose example of faith and friendship had a profound impact on the life of Karol Wojtyla (the future Pope St. John Paul II). In the last hundred years of the Church this vocation has been brought more to light and still is one in need of greater understanding.

Each vocation deserves prayer and respect. The uniqueness of each must be recognized, and how all help the other live their vocation. Each vocation is able to reach souls in ways the other vocations cannot. Furthermore, as we see someone live out his or her vocation joyfully, it helps us understand how to live out our vocation better. For example a priest is called to be a Spiritual father, and many times he learns to be a Spiritual father from the faithful fathers in his parish who live a Spirit of sacrifice and self-giving. Married couples learn not only from other married couples, but also they can be inspired by those who live faithfully and heroical-

ly their promises to the Lord in religious life or the priesthood.

Another example is a priest who learns how to live a Spirit of detachment when he tries to live materially in imitation of a father of a large poor family (which can be a challenge when there are many temptations to a comfortable life-style). As a priest, I know I have learned so much about what a priest’s heart should be not only from brother priests and good theology books, but from so many examples from family members and parishioners I have been blessed to serve over the years.

We are facing many challenges today in the Church and society, and perhaps one of the greatest challenges is helping each other listen to the Lord’s call, supporting it, and living it. The Gospels bring many examples of vocations to light.

Some we see the Lord calls and they respond with immediacy (like the Apostles) and others the Lord calls but they don’t respond with generosity of heart (the rich young man who goes away sad). Jesus tells us the harvest is great and the laborers are few, so pray the Master of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest. So as we remember our calling, we pray to the Lord to send us many more laborers from within our parishes and diocese. Like the Apostle Phillip did with the future Apostle Nathanael, may we lead others to Christ so they may hear His calling to come follow Him so as to build up the Kingdom of God.

Supply is nearly sold out!

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November 6, 2015

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, November 8, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Robert J. Powell, parochial administrator of St. Lawrence Martyr Parish in New Bedford

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November 6, 2015

P

From the ‘pond’ to the ‘ocean,’ and back again: Consecrated virginity lived in the world

eople sometimes wonder about the Spirituality that marks my journey as a consecrated virgin living in the world. I describe my life metaphorically as undulating between a “quiet pond” and the tumultuous “ocean.”

Each day begins at the “pond.”

I pray the Liturgy of the Hours and make a Holy Hour, listening to the Lord: I enter within, realizing that He will once again journey within me throughout the day, revealing His Will. That Will includes Christ’s desire for a life of greater self-knowledge, surrender and ever-increasing dying to self through union with Him. He intends to share all His attributes with me. What a great act of mercy and grace! What faith I need to believe this — in pursuing this vital union with Him, it truly is no longer I; it becomes “we” who breathe, walk, pray, and work together.

At times this union has ebbed and flowed in my human frailty. I have always desired an espousal to someone who would strongly challenge me, and in my consecration I more than met my match! Yet, He has persistently drawn me closer. We receive according to our faith and He incessantly challenges us to greater depths. For this I am so grateful.

Following my precious time at the pond, I have but a short walk over to the ocean. The boardwalk is well marked and well traveled, leading from the pond to the ocean shoreline. The busyness of our days resembles the “ocean.” Waves swell and crash on the shore, glistening peaks and foam rush in with the tides. So many bright distractions appear: opalescent shells, stones of various colors and shapes. So many delightful people come to chatter; joggers, beachcombers, families, children, and strangers, mingle as their dogs scamper about. Many wonders inhabit this vibrant, engaging, bustling place.

My days can likewise be hectic —

joy, satisfaction that things go well at rely first on the “pond,” (the quiet of work, ministry, and prayer. contemplation), to ready me for the Yet oceans can become brutal with challenges and busyness of work and the change activity — to of weather; prepare for events in the great my life have adventure of sometimes the “ocean” left me bewith all its wildered. In energetic

By Elizabeth Lee such times, I demands. think of the Through it poem, “Footall, He is prints in the Sand.” I knew that I within, as I move across the boardwas not walking alone; the Lord was walk, in the divinizing ebb and flow carrying me. Years later, I perceive between “pond” and “ocean.” more: He is within me; I can be transformed in His Will. We are not two, but He calls me to oneness. I know how right St. Paul was when he exclaimed, “I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith” (Gal 2:20).

When distressed, I do understand this. The frailties of my human condition move me to surrender to the Divine Will more deeply.

When inner trials and exterior challenges weigh heavy, I return from the seashore. I feel the breeze at my back nudging me toward the inward “pond,” where the hunger for His presence is rekindled. Prayer balances me, living in His Will keeps me focused, and He holds me in a tranquil embrace. I share with Him the pleas of the many from my day along the shoreline. As swans swim by and butterflies alight, the peaceful beauty rekindles my yearning for more faith. Seeing reflections of clouds and trees in the water, I look within and ask to be a reflection of Mary who lived fully the inner life of God. I reflect within the heart of Christ so that Christ may deepen and divinize this union.

I have come to a deeper awareness that He is always within me in the stillness of the “pond” and in the stronger motions of the “ocean,” and while I need both in my life, I

Guest Columnist

Elizabeth Lee was consecrated to the Order of Virgins in 1995 under Canon 604 of the Code of Canon Law by Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap. She is a graduate of Roger Williams University and works as a media manager at the National Catholic Bioethics Center. She has served as secretary of the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins and has been a guest on the North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation television network and featured on ABC’s “Nightline” discussing the vocation of consecrated virginity.

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Youth Pages

November 6, 2015

The seventh- and eighth-graders from St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro recently visited the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston, where they participated in their Senator in Training Program. The students learned about the history of the Senate, participated in activities related to the bill-building process and saw a replica of Senator Kennedy’s office. According to Christine Noreck, SJE history teacher, “They were also involved in the Today’s Vote Program which took place in an exact replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber. The students became Senators themselves, heard speeches, made speeches, and voted on the Democracy Restoration Act of 2015 — a bill which would restore the federal voting rights of persons when released from incarceration.”

American Heritage Girls Troop MA3712 made chocolate pops to hand out at its recent Grandparent and Godparent Luncheon at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk. The luncheon was the project of Patriot Macy Oliveira who spent 15 hours planning and organizing the luncheon in order to receive her Dolly Madison Level Award. From left: Ireland Larkin, Abi Eckerson, Lilya Fournier, assistant Explorer leader Paula Burbank, Avy Conti and Siera Larkin.

Sister Therese Maria of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light recently shared her vocation story and the gift of religious life to the St. Mary’s Life Teen group in South Dartmouth. To invite the Sisters to speak at a diocesan parish or to learn more about the Maronite Servants, call 508996-1753 or visit maroniteservants.org.

Third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders from Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton, recently traveled to the cathedral in Boston to celebrate Worldwide Adoration Day with students from all over Massachusetts.

A S.T.E.M. activity was recently completed with fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Cholette, from St. Joseph School in Fairhaven.

The students used straws, newspaper, and two feet of tape to design and build a freestanding structure.

St. Margaret’s School in Buzzards Bay recently inducted the first members into its newly-formed chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. They include (top row left) Sarah LoPiccolo, Emily O’Brien, Georgia Bressette, Madisyn Burek, and Heather Gauvin. Front row: Melanie Campanini, Jacqueline Morrison, Laura Gay, Aidan MacDougall, Lily Traver, and Roarke Bronstrom.

Students from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford recently enjoyed a book fair.

November 6, 2015

I

t has been a long three months since I have last written for The Anchor. On August 1 my 38-year-old brother passed away suddenly. He is my only sibling and we just lost my dad two years ago. The Anchor has been kind enough to give me time off from writing, but I felt it was time that I start bringing my life back to normal.

That is the funny thing about grief.

At some point during the grieving process you have to decide that you need to go back to living. At some point you need to decide for yourself what your life is going to look like and go on living that life. I do not want my first column back to be a completely depressing one but I have learned a little about grief in the last few months and I thought I would share it. What I have learned has come from my own experience and may not be true for others, so I can only share what I know. And that is the important note about grief: it is unique to each person. There is no set formula. There is no quick fix. There is no magic potion.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a wellknown psychiatrist who theorized about the five stages of grieving, once wrote, “The reality is you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild around the loss you have suffered.

You will be whole again but you will never be the same again. Nor should you be the same. Nor should you want

Youth Pages At a loss for words to.” People will tell you that “time heals all wounds” and I may have been one of those people. It’s not true. We should stop telling people that. Time does not “heal” wounds. Time goes on and you learn to live with wounds. I’ve discovered that grieving is like when you have a pebble in your shoe and you are too lazy to take the pebble out. You move it around your

By Amanda shoe until it is Tarantelli not causing you as much pain and you can continue to walk around with it. It is always there with you and, at times that can seem completely unexpected, it will shift and cause pain and you will once again have to figure out how to move it so you can continue moving forward.

I have learned that the times you expect to be difficult will be, but it is the times that you do not expect that are actually worse. If you love someone who is dealing with grief, just be there for this person and give them space all at the same time. Confusing right? I have learned that I do not know what to expect therefore I cannot always articulate what I need, so please be patient. A person grieving may seem like they cannot make up their mind but it is simply because there are so many things going on in their head that they

Be Not Afraid

The Mock Trial Team at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River represented its school at the annual Red Mass offered at St. Mary’s Cathedral for members of the legal profession throughout the Fall River Diocese. Gathered at the event reception were, from left: Christopher Belmore; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, who invited the team to attend; Mock Trial Team coach and BCHS history teacher George dos Santos; Mock Trial Team assistant coach Amy Marques, a UMASS Law student; team captains Samantha DaRocha and Jessica Jensen; Grant Mooney; and Clement Ojo, fourth-year LEAP.

The Bishop Stang Class of 1965 recently celebrated its 50th reunion with a Memorial Mass in the Chapel of the Annunciation at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth.

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are just trying to make sense of it all.

Bear with them.

I have learned that the first month is actually easier than you think it will be. If you think someone is “doing OK” after a significant loss, wait until the second month to check on them again. The first month is when everyone is around, checking in on you, bringing you food, and sending you cards. It is the second month when the calls slow down, the cards stop and everyone else’s life goes back to normal, that the grief becomes real, becomes physical. Check in on people during the second month. They need to know they are not alone and not forgotten.

I have learned that as month three rolls around, you want to start being “you” again but you still have to figure out who “you” are now. And although the desire to be “you” is there, the mo-

tivation has not quite caught up with it. My hope is that month four brings about that motivation.

Most importantly, I have learned that, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say” is exactly what we should say. There is no one who will know exactly what you are going through. There is no one set of words that will make everything OK. And the one thing that we need, no one can give us. But I promise you, the prayers that were said for me have been more beneficial than anything else that was spoken. I know that it has been prayers that have sustained me thus far and will continue to do so. Thank you for all the prayers that have been prayed and all those that will continue to be. And if you have a sibling still living, call them and tell them you love them. It is something you will never regret.

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. She can be reached at atarantelli@ bishopstang.com.

Bishop Feehan High School (Attleboro) senior Olivia Phillips was named a semifinalist in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program. Phillips now has an opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $432 million that will be offered next spring. With Phillips is principal Sean Kane.

Sophomore Ryan Bobola is pictured with Principal Kathy St. Laurent holding his Award of Excellence for representing Coyle & Cassidy High School, Taunton, at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders.

Students from St. Michael School in Fall River recently worked on art sculptures.

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November 6, 2015

Around the Diocese St. Anthony of Padua Parish, 48 Sixteenth Street in Fall River, will be holding its Annual Turkey Shoot on November 14 at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. Buy your raffle tickets at the door and win a Thanksgiving turkey and lots of other prizes. Come be part of the fun!

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Seekonk will host its annual holiday fair on November 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on November 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the church hall on Coyle Drive (off Route 152) in Seekonk. The event will feature super raffles including an Apple gift card, HDTV, scratch tickets, “Kim’s Special Raffles,” and the famous “Baskets Galore.” There will also be jewelry, hand-knit items, Christmas gifts, adult and kids instant wins, toys, home-baked goods, fudge, and much more. Louise’s Cafe will be serving goodies all day.

The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will meet on November 14 at St. George’s Parish in Westport. Coffee and light refreshments will be served at 9 a.m. Michelle Galvao will be the featured speaker at 9:30 a.m. She will discuss options for considering the services of a nursing home for a family member, including what you need to know before admitting someone. She is also willing to do a Health Care Proxy free-of-charge for interested individuals. A short meeting will follow the presentation. For more information, call 508-674-7036.

The Diocese of Fall River’s Office of Faith Formation is hosting its annual Ministry Convention on November 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Taunton. This year’s convention is themed “The Church as Field Hospital” and is open to anyone in parish ministry. General sessions led by renowned speakers such as John Spencer, S.J., and Ernie Collamati will delve deeper into the theme. Workshops will be offered on various topics, along with offerings in Spanish as well. The Holiday Inn is offering a discounted room rate for anyone wishing to stay overnight. To register or for more information, visit www. fallriverfaithformation.org.

Attention parents and grandparents: Come hear ways you can draw your family closer to God and to teach your children to live what you believe. On November 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Holy Name Parish in Fall River, guest speakers John and Paula Wilk will share the importance of faith and family especially in our culture today. All are welcome to join them for an informative evening that will bless you.

A Healing Mass will be celebrated on November 19 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford. The Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include Benediction and healing prayers. At 5:15 there will be a holy hour including the Rosary.

For directions or more information visit www.saintanthonynewbedford.com or call 508-993-1691.

All are invited to pray the new Culture of Life Chaplet on November 19 at 1 p.m. in St. Jude’s Chapel of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. Recitation is on ordinary Rosary beads and will include a brief meditation preceding each of the five decades.

St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Quaker Road in North Falmouth, will host its Christmas Fair on November 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring coffee and donuts, a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. serving lobster rolls, clam chowder and more, a country store featuring Christmas decorations including dried flower arrangements and wreaths, antiques and collectibles, jewelry, handmade items including beautiful knitwear, baked goods, books and raffles with many prizes including a trip to Bermuda leaving from Boston.

St. Jude the Apostle Parish will be having its annual Penny Sale at the church hall, 249 Whittenton Street in Taunton, on November 21 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. In addition to three regular series, there will be specials, roll-ups, refreshments, a raffle on 15 turkey dinner baskets, and a money raffle with $1,000 as the first prize.

Donald Pelletier was former diocesan principal, teacher

OCALA, Fla. — Donald A. Pelletier, 71, of South Easton, passed away October 19 at his sister’s home in Ocala, Fla. Born in New Bedford, he was a son of the late Albert and Irene (LaPointe) Pelletier.

Pelletier was a Holy Cross Brother for 25 years. He had a long, successful and rewarding career as a teacher for 49 years, retiring this past June. He taught all over the world and touched the lives of many. He was the principal of St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet for 10 years and retired from Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton.

Known for his outgoing persona, Pelletier was a wonderful vocalist, enjoyed the theater and watching sports, especially Notre Dame and the New England Patriots. He loved the company of his dog, Wally.

His family includes a sister, Doris Spooner and a brother, Raymond E. Pelletier both of Ocala, Fla.; four nieces and nephews; eight great nieces and nephews; and one great-great nephew.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated October 31 at Holy Cross Church in South Easton.

Donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn.

38105.

Rock Funeral Home in New Bedford was in charge of the arrangements.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks 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 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

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ASSONET — Beginning September 14, St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly time of Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel.

A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday following the 7 a.m. Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m.

The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

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

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m.

Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~ East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

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November 6, 2015

High school celebrates past, present and future at Mass continued from page one

Connolly) and many of them are no longer with us. But some of them are still here, and some have come to celebrate with us today and we are grateful to see some of the priests and Brothers who were part of this school community from its very beginning.

They have come to give thanks to God with us together, for the blessings of so many people who have come before us.”

“What is represented here today is Bishop Connolly’s past, present, and future,” added E. Christopher Myron, president and principal of the school. “We have representatives from the Jesuits, the Brothers of Christian Instruction and, as you heard earlier, a great number of them have passed who have given their lives and shared their gifts to strengthen the youngsters of our community. And our future is here: it is our students.”

The Mass also served to kickoff a yearlong jubilee celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bishop Connolly High School, which was founded by its namesake, Bishop James L. Connolly, in 1966.

“Almost 50 years ago, Bishop James L. Connolly invited the Society of Jesus — the Jesuits — to staff our school,” Myron explained. “But God had other plans. There was another great school in the area: Msgr. Prevost High School, a strong private high school staffed by the Brothers of Christian Instruction (that was) ready to put a new addition on. But there was a tragic fire and they could not afford to (maintain) the school or keep it open.

“So they were invited, as well, to come in 1969 to staff the school. Two different groups of extraordinary individuals came together not because they wanted to, but because it was God’s plan. They provided this community and the students who have been coming here with two very important things: first, the understanding of service to others — to not only be hearers but also doers of the Word.

And it went without saying that they were going to offer academic excellence, which they did.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jesuit community, Father Donald A. MacMillan, S.J., said it was a pleasure to be back at Bishop Connolly High School and that he was “having all sorts of déjà vu experiences.”

“I was here back in the 1980s as the academic vice principal and Brother Roger Millette and I shared a lot of the responsibilities of (running) the school,” Father MacMillan said. “Then I went away and came back as chaplain and director of the community service program, so I was here about seven years altogether. We had a lot of fun here.”

According to Father MacMillan, from 1966 through 1995 there were

100 members of the Jesuit community who served at Bishop Connolly High School at various times.

“Earlier, I read the names of 33 who have passed away,” Father MacMillan said. “Others are still ministering here, there and everywhere. Some of them wanted to come today, but they couldn’t because of other commitments, but they all send their greetings, fond wishes and blessings.”

Admitting that he left Connolly “with a heavy heart,” Father MacMillan would subsequently get a position at Boston College — one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the U.S. — but he took away an important lesson from his time in Fall River.

“It’s something a lot of the Jesuits have taken away from here — it’s the Latin phrase that comes from Bishop Connolly’s coat of arms which is: ‘Not only hearers, but also doers of the Word,’” Father MacMillan said. “That is a very strong statement and foundation to stand on. To know God’s Word, to love everyone, and to share that love with everybody — not just keep it for yourself. So if you recall that from time to time in your own mind, it will help you get to that final banquet that we’re all going to — that table in Heaven.”

Brother Daniel Caron, F.I.C., who taught at Bishop Connolly for many years, recalled how his order first came to Fall River in 1927 — well before the high school was ever founded.

“We administered and staffed the Msgr. Prevost High School on Eastern Avenue in Fall River,” Brother Daniel said. “It was the high school for Notre Dame Parish. But a calamity in late May 1968 changed all that with the fire. The day after the fire, Father Charles Dunn, S.J., who was the Jesuit director-superior, invited the Prevost staff and the Brothers to come and finish out the year at Bishop Connolly.

It would have been for a few weeks at most.

“Those few weeks expanded into 44 years of cooperation between the Brothers and the Jesuits here at Bishop Connolly High School. For us, the Brothers, it has been a privilege and an honor to teach at this school and we pray that God will bless Connolly much into the future.”

The notion of remembering those from our past — the living and the dead — was a theme that also permeated Bishop da Cunha’s All Souls’ Day homily.

“Today is a day to remember them all and to pray for them and to give thanks to God for what they were to us and what they meant to us,” Bishop da Cunha said. “There is a tradition in Mexico where they believe that people die three times. They die, first, when their body stops, when they stop breathing and their brain stops working. But then they die a second time,

when they are buried and when they are placed in the earth and you know you’re never going to see them in that body again.

“But then they say the third time is when there is no one left to remember them. When there is no one remembering them anymore — that’s another death they go through. Well, I hope our relatives, friends, and benefactors will not die that third death.”

While death may not seem like the best subject for a celebration, Bishop da Cunha noted how it’s important to consider because “it gives us more ap-

preciation for life, and it gives us more appreciation for other people.”

“Some people say they are afraid to die. But, you know what? Some people are also afraid to live,” he added. “They are afraid to live the fullness of life and to invest all that God gave them to be an instrument of change in the world.

“May our celebration here today renew and strengthen our hope for the future — not only for eternal life, but to live the fullness of life here in this world and together make this world a better place for us and for those who come after us.”

20

I

went to a play last weekend, one for which I had no idea what to expect. The title and the characters were Biblical, from the Old Testament. The story is very-well known, but this author didn’t take the conventional route in bringing the audience on a journey back thousands of years.

To some, the play may have seemed irreverent or even sacrilegious. But knowing the playwright personally, I know what his thought process is, and that is to make others think, and not just absorb.

During the play God makes Himself heard and seen to the antagonists and protagonists, although His identity is not immediately detected. He took on the guise of a traveler, Whom a character graciously takes in.

The character doesn’t believe in God, and “The Traveler” eventually engages him in conversation about the Almighty.

The doubting character tells The Traveler he doesn’t believe in God because of all the suffering going on in the world. He doesn’t understand how sacrificing a lamb, or goat, or bird can bring atonement for one’s sins, especially sins he didn’t commit. He asks why God would want people to destroy parts of a world God created.

He asks why God would create be-

November 6, 2015

I saw it in His eyes last weekend

ings who only suffer in their lifetimes.

The Traveler listens intently, compassionately, and sympathetically. He tells his host that people suffer partly because they have a mind of their own — they make choices that are not always for their own good.

The Traveler even admits to his friend, whose eyes are now opening to Who his guest truly is, that maybe He made a mistake giving mankind the ability to make choices.

By Dave Jolivet I interpreted that as meaning God loves us so much that He does not want to see us suffer, but in essence, because man has the ability to make choices, there is nothing He can really do about the consequences.

I know there are some out there that will view that as sacrilege, but seeing the performance live in a small, intimate theatre brought to life what the written word couldn’t.

“God” was literally within arm’s reach of me. I studied His face and body language throughout the play.

God came alive for me in that actor; in the dialogue; in His countenance.

My View From the Stands

The final scene was an incredibly powerful and moving few moments. A tragic death occurs and the character who befriended The Traveler holds the dying person in his arms and pleads with Him to save the victim.

The pleas were heartfelt, sob-filled lamentations to God — for Him to step in and prevent what only God could prevent.

God was right on my side during the final scene. He watched with compassion and sorrow as the moments unfolded. He didn’t say a word in response.

I was brought to tears by the cries for mercy that went unheeded. I, too, have asked God for help, and still do, when in dire straits, only to feel that He is not listening. I live what was playing out before me.

Then I looked into God’s eyes. They were tear-filled. God was heart-broken that what was happening couldn’t be undone, no matter how much He wished it could be.

That’s when it struck me. God’s eyes are tear-filled when my cries for mercy, for peace, for “just a little break,” seem

to go unheeded. It struck me that God does not want to see us suffer. I’ve heard that a million times, but it took the tears in an actor’s eyes to open up mine.

I left that theater still not knowing why God allows suffering and pain and death. I left that theater with my own problems still front and center. But I left that theater remembering that God loves us and feels our pain and knows our weaknesses and understands our fears.

I’ve mentioned before in prior columns of my love-hate relationship with the Almighty. How I do get angry with Him, not only for my woes, but for those of the whole world. I’ve also mentioned that I have apologized for my bursts of anger as many times as they’ve occurred.

A priest friend once told me that if you’re angry with God, it only means that you have a relationship with Him. I don’t like suffering. I don’t like to suffer; I don’t like to see loved ones suffer; I don’t like to see people I don’t love suffer. But, along with death and taxes, suffering is a way of life for us all.

But there is comfort knowing that God feels the very same way. I know He does. I saw it in His eyes last weekend. davejolivet@anchornews.org.