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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , November 14, 2014

Massachusetts voters approve earned sick time referendum

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

Fifteen years ago last week, the former Provincial House at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro was destroyed in an early morning fire on Nov. 5, 1999, claiming the life of Father Michael O’Brien, OFM, Cap., a visiting priest from Wales. (Anchor file photo)

Remembering La Salette’s tragic loss 15 years later

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

ATTLEBORO — During this month of November when the faithful are asked to remember all the souls in purgatory who have passed on, the closeknit La Salette Shrine community in Attleboro is offering a special prayer for the soul of a dear, departed priest who lost his life in a tragic fire on the shrine grounds 15 years ago.

Capuchin Father Michael O’Brien, a visiting priest from Wales who was staying at the former Provincial House on

WAREHAM — The Sacred Hearts Retreat and Spirituality Center in Wareham recently hosted a weekend Charis Seekers’ Retreat, a Jesuit ministry for young adults in their 20s and 30s that strives to

Turn to page 14

the shrine property, was killed when the building was destroyed in a tragic fire in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, 1999.

A memorial blog posting has been set up via La Salette’s website asking people to remember Father O’Brien in their prayers and as a tribute to the centuryold stone structure — more commonly known as “The Castle” — that once graced the western portion of the Attleboro shrine property.

An email sent from the shrine on the 15th anniversary of the devastation read, Turn to page 18

Charis Seekers’ Retreat building UMD’s campus ministry roots

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

BOSTON — On Election Day, 60 percent of Massachusetts voters extended the right to earn sick time to all wage earners in the state. Those workers will soon be able to accrue one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. The law, a result of the voters’ approval of Question 4, will take effect on July 1, 2015.

Lewis Finfer, director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, said the new law will allow almost one million workers to take care of themselves and their families.

“It’s about fairness,” Finfer said.

“We’re taught in our faith tradition to put our faith values out into the

world, and I think this very much affirmed people’s values about the dignity of people.”

Many faith-based groups supported the measure, including more than 20 Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Fall River that collected signatures for the ballot measure.

A statement from United Interfaith Action of Fall River and New Bedford said, “No parent in Massachusetts will be forced to choose between going to work to put food on the table and staying home to take care of a sick child. No worker will risk losing their job because they need to see a doctor.”

The four bishops of Massachusetts

help individuals to see the grace of the Catholic faith in his or her life. Each retreat offers young adults the opportunities to find grace in the faith through talks, prayer and reflection.

“Seekers is for a young person looking Turn to page 15

Students who attended the recent Seekers’ Retreat sponsored by the UMass Dartmouth Campus Ministry, brought forth their prayers during the closing service

Members of the Men of St. Bernard’s group from the Assonet parish, volunteered to build a ramp for an area handicapped individual last Saturday. The group, established this past summer, invites members as soon as they make their Confirmation. (Photo

by Kenneth J. Souza)

New Assonet men’s group ramps things up to help someone in need

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor

ASSONET — There is a group of men from St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet who, last weekend decided to ramp things up a bit.

The Men of St. Bernard’s is a fledgling parish organization that took flight only this past summer. One of the founders, Mike Faria, a former Grand Knight of the parish’s Knights of Columbus Council, told The Anchor that he and some other Knights were concerned about the fouryear span between when a young man makes his Confirmation and age 18 when he can become a member of the Knights.

“We wanted these young men to have something to be a part of right after they

make their Confirmation,” Faria said.

“Since the parish has no youth group, and the Knights are a few years off, we asked our pastor, Father Mike Racine, if we could establish a new group for men from post-Confirmation age on. He was on board right away.

“Almost immediately, we had a core group of 30 individuals, including several teens who had recently been confirmed.”

The group meets monthly and the mission is to provide an organization for men of the parish, committed to the collective Spiritual growth and support of the parish.

“Mike Faria and some others approached me with this idea and I gave my Turn to page 18

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News From the Vatican

November 14, 2014

Pope: Don’t be afraid of critics; seek out, share Gospel with sinners

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God isn’t afraid of getting His hands dirty, being inconvenienced or even scorned because He will do whatever it takes to save everyone from sin, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

“A true priest, a true Christian, has this zeal inside that no one should be lost. And for this reason they aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. They’re not afraid,” he said during a morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives.

“They go where they must, they risk their life, risk their reputation, risk losing their comforts, their social status, even losing their ecclesiastical career, too. But they are a good pastor, and Christians must be this way, too,” he said, according to Vatican Radio.

The pope’s homily focused on the day’s Gospel reading from St. Luke (15:1-10), in which Jesus explains to the scandalized Pharisees and scribes why He welcomes and eats with sinners.

“It was a real scandal back then” for anyone to associate with such sinners, the pope said. “Imagine if there had been newspapers back then!” he said, implying there would have been many shocking headlines.

But with His parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus explains why He came: “To go and search for those who were distanced from the Lord,” Pope Francis said.

“God is not a businessman,” who is making sure any effort brings in high returns; “God is a Father and He goes all out, all the way to save” even just one person, the pope said, “This is God’s love.”

“He doesn’t stop halfway on the path of Salvation, as if to say, ‘I did everything. It’s their problem.’

He always goes, He heads out, He comes down.”

The scribes and Pharisees, on the other hand, “go halfway.

They care about having the balance sheet of profits and losses be more or less in their favor,” so the thought of losing a few sheep

doesn’t bother them in the least as long as they can say “I earned a lot” in the end.

The pope said, “It’s sad” when priests and Christians today only go “halfway” in sharing God’s love and Salvation.

“It’s sad, the priest who opens the door of the Church and stays put, waiting. It’s sad, the Christian who doesn’t feel deep down, in his heart, the need, the necessity to go and tell others the Lord is good,” the pope said.

“How much perversion there is in the heart of those who believe themselves righteous, like these scribes, the Pharisees. Oh, they don’t want to get their hands dirty with sinners,” he said.

“A priest must have God’s heart and go all the way” because he wants no one to be lost, the pope said. Lay Christians must do the same.

“It’s so easy to condemn others,” the pope said, “but it is not Christian, you know? It is not what children of God do. The children of God go all out, give their lives for others, like Jesus did. They cannot be at ease, taking care of themselves and their comfort, their reputation,” he said.

Good priests and lay people “go out, always heading out, going out of themselves, heading towards God, in prayer, in adoration, heading out toward others to bring them the message of Salvation.”

This attitude means that good priests and lay people also know what tenderness and joy are, the pope said. They know the tenderness of “putting the lost sheep over their shoulders and bringing it back to the others” and the joy “that comes from God, that joy that comes from the heart of the Father Who goes to save!”

“Do not be afraid of people being critical of you for going to look for brothers and sisters who are distanced from the Lord,” he said. “Let’s ask for this grace for each one of us and for our mother, the Holy Church.”

Cooks from the southern Italian region of Basilicata prepare to pose for a group photo after attending Pope Francis’ general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

At the heart of the annulment process: Justice, Salvation of souls, pope says

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Pope Francis recently gave a brief address to canonists, discussing the grave importance of justice in the process of Marriage annulment, and the Salvation of souls above all — which is always found in justice.

“In the Extraordinary Synod there was talk about procedures, processes, and there was a preoccupation with streamlining the procedures, in the interest of justice,” the Roman Pontiff said in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

“Justice, because decisions must be just, and because there must be justice for the people who are waiting.”

The pope lamented “how many wait for years without a judgement,” suggesting that this is against justice.

He was speaking to participants in a course at the Roman Rota concerning the dispensation of Marriages which are “ratum et non consummatum”— ratified, but unconsummated.

A Marriage that is ratified and consummated “can be dissolved by no human power and by no cause, except death,” (Canon 1141), while a nonconsummated Marriage can be dispensed from, for a just cause, by the Roman Pontiff.

The Roman Rota is one of three tribunals in the Roman curia; it is the court of higher instance, usually at the appellate stage, with the purpose of safeguarding rights within the

Church.

The dean of the Roman Rota, Father Pio Pinto, also chairs a commission established August 27 to study reform of the annulment process.

Pope Francis referred to this commission in his address, noting it is “to prepare diverse possibilities” in the interest of justice and charity.

“A path of justice, and also of charity, because there are so many people who need a word from the Church about their marital situation, be it a yes or a no, because this is just.”

The procedure of annulment is at times “so long and so weighty” that “people give up,” he said.

He recounted, as an example, the regional tribunal at the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, where he was archbishop from 1998 until 2013.

The Buenos Aires tribunal “had, I do not remember for sure, but I believe, 15 dioceses in the first instance; I believe the furthest was 240 kilometers (150 miles) away. You can’t do it, it is impossible to imagine that simple, common people can go to the tribunal: they would need to go on a trip, missing days of work, and also the days’ wages.”

In the face of uncertainty, Pope Francis said, “Mother Church must judge and say, ‘Yes, it is true, your Marriage is null’ or ‘No, your Marriage is valid.’ But she must make a judgement, and tell them, so

that it is possible to go forward without this doubt, this darkness in the soul.”

He then turned to the matter of treating the annulment process like business — something he warned strongly against.

“It’s also needed to be very attentive that the procedures are not within the framework of business: and I don’t speak of strange things,” he observed, noting how scandals have arisen due to this very topic.

“I had to dismiss a person from a tribunal some time ago, who said, ‘Give me $10,000 and I’ll take care of both processes: the civil and the ecclesiastical.’”

“Please, not this!” Pope Francis begged.

He recalled how during the synod the question of the cost of annulments was discussed.

He then stated that “when you attach economic interests to Spiritual interests, it is not of God!” “Mother Church has so much generosity to be able to do justice freely, freely as we have been justified by Jesus Christ. This point is important: separate these two things.”

Pope Francis concluded, thanking the participants for coming to the Rota’s course.

“You have to study and to proceed looking always for the Salvation of souls, which is not necessarily found outside of justice; indeed, it is with justice.”

November 14, 2014

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The International Church

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, left, then-prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature, leaves a session of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family at the Vatican recently. The Vatican announced November 8 that Pope Francis has removed Cardinal Burke as head of the Vatican’s highest court. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope removes Cardinal Burke from Vatican post

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis removed U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, 66, as head of the Vatican’s highest court and named him to a largely ceremonial post for a chivalric religious order.

Cardinal Burke, formerly prefect of the Apostolic Signature, will now serve as cardinal patron of the Knights and Dames of Malta, the Vatican announced November 8.

The move had been widely expected since an Italian journalist reported it in September, and the cardinal himself confirmed it to reporters the following month.

It is highly unusual for a pope to remove an official of Cardinal Burke’s stature and age without assigning him comparable responsibilities elsewhere. By Church law, cardinals in the Vatican must offer to resign at 75, but often continue in office for several more years. As usual when announcing personnel changes other than retirements for reasons of age, the Vatican did not give a reason for the cardinal’s reassignment.

A prominent devotee of the traditional Liturgy and outspoken defender of traditional doctrine on controversial moral issues, Cardinal Burke had appeared increasingly out of step with the current pontificate.

In December 2013, Pope Francis did not reappoint him to his position on the Congregation for Bishops, which advises the pope on episcopal appointments.

The cardinal expressed frustration, in a February 2014 article in the Vatican newspaper, that many Americans thought Pope Francis intended to change Catholic teaching on certain “critical moral issues of our time,” including abortion and same-sex marriage, because of the pope’s stated belief that “it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

Insisting that the pope had “clearly affirmed the Church’s moral teaching, in accord with her unbroken tradition,” Cardinal Burke blamed perceptions to the contrary on “false praise” of Pope Francis by “persons whose hearts are hardened against the truth.”

After Pope Francis invited German Cardinal Walter Kasper to address a meeting of the world’s cardinals in February, Cardinal Burke emerged as a leading opponent of Cardinal Kasper’s proposal to make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion.

Cardinal Burke also warned that efforts to streamline the Marriage annulment process — the mandate of a commission that the pope established in August — should not undermine the process’ rigor.

During the October 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family, Cardinal Burke was one of the most vocal critics of a midterm report that used remarkably conciliatory language toward people with ways of life contrary to Catholic teaching, including those in same-sex unions and other nonmarital relationships. The day the

report was released, the cardinal told an American reporter that a statement from Pope Francis reaffirming traditional doctrine on those matters was “long overdue.”

Cardinal Burke made the news again late in October when he told a Spanish journalist that many Catholics “feel a bit of seasickness, because it seems to them that the ship of the Church has lost its compass. The cause of this disorientation must be put aside.

We have the constant tradition of the Church, the teachings, the Liturgy, morals. The catechism does not change.”

A former archbishop of St. Louis, Cardinal Burke was named

by Pope Benedict XVI to lead the Apostolic Signature in June 2008.

At the time of his dismissal, he was the highest-ranking U.S. bishop at the Vatican. That distinction now belongs to Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The new head of the Apostolic Signature is French Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, formerly secretary for relations with states, the Vatican’s equivalent of a foreign minister.

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Very Reverend Phil Negley, M.S., Provincial Superior of the Missionaries of La Salette, and has made the following appointments:

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL

Rev. William Kaliyadan, M.S., Pastor at Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has announced the following appointments:

Rev. John A. Raposo, Pastor, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, New Bedford

Rev. Raymond Vaillancourt, M.S., Senior Priest in residence at Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster

Rev. Jay Mello, Parochial Administrator, St. Michael and St. Joseph Parishes, Fall River

Effective: January 9, 2015

Effective January 12, 2015

November 14, 2014 The Church in the U.S. Tampa Catholics play role in funding construction of new church in Cuba

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — A CubanAmerican priest helping lead a drive for what may be the first new Catholic church to be erected in Cuba in nearly six decades said his project signals new hope for Church expansion in Cuba.

A parish twinning-style relationship between the people of St. Lawrence Parish in Tampa, which historically has been a Cuban-American community, and a small but burgeoning Catholic community within the Pinar del Rio province in western Cuba, has resulted in official land use and construction permissions for a modest church to be erected in the town of Sandino.

To be named Sacred Heart, the mostly colonial-style church with a free-standing bell tower will seat from 200 to 250 people and serve several nearby townships near Sandino, with its population of 9,000.

Sandino is associated with a Cuban university medical program, Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina, which drew international students, many of whom were Catholics from the Americas. For several decades, these students desired to have a Catholic church nearby, according to Father Ramon Hernandez, who serves at St. Lawrence Parish and is a native of the region.

“It took a long time to create a (legal) means to give the church a license for building, and to give the land officially, but the Cuban government gave the permits in February,” said Father Hernandez, whose efforts in Florida helped raise half of the projected $90,000 needed for the new church, reportedly including a $5,000 contribution from Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg.

In September, a Cuban the foundation will be poured Cuba, forming relationships along the way. priest, Father Cirilo Castro, in March of next year.

Although the percentage of “It is the first time the who will be pastor of Sacred Heart and who leads two oth- government and the Cuban Catholics who attend church er existing parishes in the re- Constitution recognized the in Cuba is still not considered gion, presided over the public church request and that has robust compared with the rest blessing of the property and opened the door to other re- of Latin America, the estimated 300 Catholic parthe church cornerstone.

He helped lobby the Cuuba, which has slowly begun ishes serving all of Cuba ban government for the to officially recognize Church is insufficient, the priest necessary building per- activities there since Fidel Castro’s said.

Second- and thirdmission.

1959 Cuban Revolution, had not generation CubanFather Castro and permitted new church-building Americans in Tampa are Bishop Jorge Serpa Perez of Pinar del Rio have projects until now, although several looking to the future and visited Tampa several expansion and renovation projects are open to helping the times to help strengthen also are now in the works for San- local Church back home, Father Fernandez said, bonds with the Catholics in Tampa and to bolster tiago and Havana, according to Fa- noting that “Tampa is totally different in that parish collections for the ther Hernandez. even people who are not project.

The donated funds are quests,” Father Hernandez open to establishing (trade) transferred through the ap- told Catholic News Service. relations with Cuba underostolic nuncio to the United He has heard that “other di- stand the Church is indepenStates and through Vatican oceses are looking for that dent and the only hope for eschannels in Cuba to assist the (openness) for repairs and re- tablishing a relationship with church building project, Fa- modeling of active churches.” new generations in Cuba.”

The two visits to Cuba of Father Hernandez and ther Hernandez said, adding St. Pope John Paul II in 1998 that he hopes the balance of a past director of Catholic the costs will be covered by Charities in St. Petersburg and retired Pope Benedict collections scheduled for the were instrumental in foster- XVI in 2012 also helped ease ing a charitable relationship tensions between the Church coming spring.

Cubans on the island are with Caritas Cuba during the and Cuba. The opening of responsible for the church de- 2000s, bringing needed medi- a new seminary complex in sign and construction, which cal supplies from Florida to Havana in 2010 was the first will include adjacent spaces for parish ministries and charitable programs for the elderly.

Catholics there also frequently meet in private homes.

Arlington, Va. First Things.

Cuba, which has slowly The lecture itself did not begun to officially recognize (CNA/EWTN News) — The Church activities there since newspaper USA Today has discuss the synod, but on the Fidel Castro’s 1959 Cuban corrected an erroneous re- role of religious believers in Revolution, had not permitted port that claimed Archbishop modern America.

Archbishop Chaput’s comnew church-building projects Charles Chaput criticized the until now, although several ex- recent extraordinary Synod on ments about media coverage pansion and renovation proj- the Family, rather than mis- of the synod came in response ects also are now in the works leading media coverage of the to an attendee’s question about the synod. for Santiago and Havana, ac- event.

A correction to a USA Today “To get your information cording to Father Hernandez.

The new Sacred Heart story said that the November from the press is a mistake Church, which could be com- 2 article erroneously reported because they don’t know well pleted in two years, would be that Philadelphia’s Archbishop enough how to understand it the first fully new church con- Chaput said October’s synod so they can tell people what happened,” the archbishop structed in Cuba under the caused “confusion.”

“The story did not include said. “I don’t think the press communist regime. It is hoped that Chaput said he believed deliberately distorts, they just confusion stemmed from news don’t have any background to reports on the conference, not be able to evaluate things. In the conference itself,” the USA some cases they’re certainly Today correction read. the enemy and they want to The newspaper story, titled distort the Church.”

“Pope Francis agitates conser“Now, having said all that, vative U.S. Catholics,” sug- I was very disturbed by what gested that the archbishop happened. I think confusion was among those Catholics for is of the devil, and I think the whom Francis’ papacy “seems public image that came across to be infuriating, worrying or was of confusion. Now, I don’t just plain puzzling.” think that was the real thing Archbishop Chaput’s origi- there.” nal comments came after he The archbishop said the delivered an October 20 lec- Church has a “clear position” ture in New York City hosted on matters of Marriage and by the interreligious journal Holy Communion, a topic of

C

major church-building project in 40 years. In the early years after Fidel Castro became president, the government confiscated Church properties of all sorts to use for other purposes.

Father Tom Morgan, pastor at Tampa’s St. Lawrence Parish, was interested in fostering a parish twinning relationship in Cuba, which later led to the Sacred Heart twinning project, which Father Hernandez said has drawn financial support in the amounts of $100 and $200 from parishioners.

Still, lack of basic freedoms and new economic hardship in Cuba are a cause of ongoing concern among the U.S.based Cuban exile community, and it is believed that 2014 has seen a spike in Cuban rafter activity as Cubans steadily attempt the sometimes fatal clandestine journey in makeshift vessels toward neighboring borders.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Miami has reported a spike in Cuban rafters intercepted this year over the previous year, many of them found floating on flimsy rubber tubes.

USA Today corrects inaccurate report on Archbishop Chaput, synod

discussion at the synod.

Archbishop Chaput said, “I’m not fundamentally worried because I believe the Holy Spirit guides the Church.”

Other reports that have been called “misleading” appeared in Religion News Service and in the National Catholic Reporter-hosted blog “Distinctly Catholic,” authored by Michael Sean Winters.

Religion News Service’s October 21 story was originally titled “Archbishop Chaput Blasts Vatican Debate on Family, says ‘Confusion is of the Devil.’” The title was later changed to “Archbishop Chaput ‘disturbed’ by Synod Debate, Says ‘Confusion is of the Devil.’”

Kenneth Gavin, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said the Religion News Service headlines for its report inaccurately presented the archbishop as critical of the Vatican, when he was in fact criticizing “those who used the draft report from the synod out of context to reinforce their own opinions and agendas.”

November 14, 2014

The Church in the U.S.

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Pope appoints Wisconsin bishop to head statewide Diocese of Boise

Members of the Catholic Women’s Association of Baltimore, who are originally from Cameroon, Africa, laugh with Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori at the end of a recent Mass celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Founded Nov. 6, 1789, the Diocese of Baltimore was the first established in the United States. (CNS photo/Christopher Gunty, Catholic Review)

Senator: Even in new Congress, some policies can get bipartisan backing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — Less than a day after a stinging defeat that saw her party lose control of the Senate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, could still find policy priorities she thinks she can work jointly with Republicans when they take control of the Senate in 2015.

Among them are subjects that have eluded a search for common ground in past years, including trade, hunger and climate change.

She spoke at the recent conference “Faith, Food and the Environment: The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader” at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The gathering was sponsored by a dozen groups, including Catholic Rural Life, the university and several of its departments, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and several state Farmers Unions.

Klobuchar, Minnesota’s senior senator, said she had stayed up until 3 a.m. the night before talking to reporters about the upcoming change of command in the Senate, but noted that in between interviews, she had spoken by phone to six Republican senators identifying policy priorities on which both parties can work jointly.

Calling her remarks “my first policy speech since the midterm elections,” Klobuchar, a Catholic, pointed to one past joint success: “We were able to pull off the farm bill, which was an amazing feat. But there’s so much that can be done internationally.”

She recalled Norman Borlaug, a World Food Prize winner from more than 40 years ago who helped precipitate India’s “green revolution” by developing more nutritious and hardier hybrids of staple crops, like rice, to feed the subcontinent’s burgeoning population.

But people need to be “working to produce twice as much food to feed nine billion people by 2050,” Klobuchar said.

Even while acknowledging the world’s needs, “we still see hunger at home,” she added.

She pointed to work on the farm bill that cut allocations for home heating yet maintained Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding “in a strong way.”

On climate change, Klobuchar said the United States passed up three opportunities already this century to make a dent in the issue.

The first was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Congress “could have done more in building a grid run by renewable energy,” instead of remaining dependent on oil imported from countries hostile to the United States and its interests.

A second missed opportunity by Congress was in not mandating a “national renewable electricity standard,” she said, adding that 30 percent of Minnesota’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

The third failure was in not enacting “cap and trade.” Such a regulatory system sets a limit, or a “cap,” on what pollutants companies can emit, and companies that easily meet the

limit can sell, or “trade,” unused “credits” to those companies that are struggling to comply.

“No one really understood what it was,” Klobuchar said, and “we ended up with nothing.”

On the trade front, U.S. policy in Africa should be oriented to helping the continent feed its own people rather that continuous dependence on food aid from wealthier nations, Klobuchar said.

She spoke of a visit she made to Ethiopia and other African nations in August with three other female senators. They went to a plant that made baby food, but the product was unappetizing. General Mills was enlisted in the cause, and with the food company’s help, the baby food plant was soon making baby food that was not only tastier but more nutritious.

Klobuchar also spoke of her conversation with a woman who is considered a leader in her village because she took it upon herself to improve maternal health in the town.

The woman is a widow with three young children. She has to walk an hour and a half each day to fetch clean water, and she has “a few rows of crops” she tends, according to Klobuchar, who nonetheless held her up as a standard for her fellow members of Congress, often criticized for legislation-paralyzing gridlock.

When Klobuchar asked the woman what challenges she faced, she said the woman replied, “I have no challenges because I’m a leader.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael P. Driscoll of Boise, Idaho, and appointed Bishop Peter F. Christensen of Superior, Wis., to succeed him.

Bishop Driscoll, who has headed the statewide diocese since 1999, is 75, the age at which bishops are required by canon law to turn in their resignation to the pope.

Bishop Christensen, 61, has headed the Diocese of Superior since 2007.

The changes were announced in Washington by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Christensen will be installed in Boise at a Mass December 17 in St. John Cathedral. Until then, Bishop Driscoll will continue to oversee the daily governance of the diocese.

“This is a wonderful and diverse state with beautiful mountains and prairies, deserts, rivers and green valleys,” the Wisconsin bishop said at a news conference at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Boise.

“Yet nothing reveals the love of God for this community more than the good works and faithfulness of His people,” he continued. “I look forward to seeing the beauty of Creation through the holiness and love of Idaho Catholics, and hope that you see God’s love reflected in me in the same way.”

Bishop Driscoll applauded the pope’s choice for Idaho’s new bishop, saying he was “thrilled with the selection of Bishop Christensen.”

“He is a man of energy and prayer and love for the Church, and will find in Idaho a community of committed and faithful Catholics willing to serve and follow him in the years ahead. I am also very grateful to Pope Francis for

granting my request for retirement,” Bishop Driscoll said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time serving the people and the Catholic Church of Idaho.”

Bishop Christensen was born Dec. 24, 1952, in Pasadena, Calif.. He studied at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Calif., at the University of Montana in Missoula, at St. John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.

He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis May 25, 1985.

His first assignment was as associate pastor of St. Olaf Parish in Minneapolis. After four years there, he became Spiritual director and counselor at St. John Vianney Seminary, serving in that capacity from 1989 to 1992, followed by a seven-year tenure as rector of the seminary. He was pastor of the Nativity of Our Lord Parish in St. Paul from 1999 to 2007.

In June 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Superior. His episcopal ordination and installation was in September of that year.

Bishop Driscoll was born Aug. 8, 1939, in Long Beach, Calif. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles May 1, 1965, and ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange, Calif., March 6, 1990.

St. John Paul II appointed him bishop of Boise City Jan. 19, 1999.

The Boise Diocese has a Catholic population of close to 176,000, which is 11 percent of the total population of the state of about 1.6 million people.

The Superior Diocese covers close to 16,000 square miles; out of a total population of 437,000, about 73,000 people, or roughly 17 percent, are Catholic.

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November 14, 2014

Anchor Editorial

Remembering the souls in purgatory

We continue to make our way through the month of November, in which we pray, together with all the saints in Heaven, for God’s mercy upon the souls in purgatory. A few weeks ago, on All Souls Day (November 2, which this year in the Fall River Diocese was a White All Souls Day, unlike the ones we used to know), Pope Francis encouraged the crowd in St. Peter’s Square to pray for the dead and to not be selective about for whom we are to pray: “Today we are called to remember everyone, even those whom no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many ‘little ones’ of the world, crushed by hunger and poverty; we remember the anonymous who rest in the communal ossuary [i.e., people who are buried in common graves, either due to poverty or due to being the victims of war]. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they were Christian; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left us during the past year.”

The Holy Father then gave the ecclesial context of our praying for the dead: “Church tradition has always urged prayer for the deceased, in particular by offering the Eucharistic celebration for them: it is the best Spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to those who are the most forsaken. The foundation of prayer in suffrage lies in the communion of the Mystical Body. As the Second Vatican Council repeats, ‘Fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead’ (Lumen Gentium, n. 50).”

In the previous paragraph of Lumen Gentium (The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), No. 49, the council fathers, together with Blessed Paul VI, taught, “Until the Lord shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with Him and death being destroyed, all things are subject to Him, some of His disciples are exiles on earth, some having died are purified, and others are in glory beholding ‘clearly God Himself Triune and One, as He is’; but all in various ways and degrees are in communion in the same charity of God and neighbor and all sing the same hymn of glory to Our God. For all who are in Christ, having His Spirit, form one Church and cleave together in Him. Therefore the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who have gone to sleep in the peace of Christ is not in the least weakened or interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the perpetual faith of the Church, is strengthened by communication of Spiritual goods.” In other words, the council was describing the union which the Church Triumphant (in Heaven), the Church Militant (on earth) and the Church Penitent (in purgatory) enjoy through their communion in Christ, which is experienced most strongly on earth in the Mass.

On November 2, Pope Francis quoted a Passionist priest, Father Antonio Rungi, and prayed to God, “Look upon us with mercy, born of the tenderness of Your heart, and help us to walk in the ways of complete purification. Let none of Your children be lost in the eternal fire, where there can be no repentance. We entrust to You, O Lord, the souls of our beloved dead, of those who have died without the comfort of the Sacraments, or who have not had an opportunity to repent, even at the end of their lives.”

The Holy Father closed his Angelus remarks by urging his listeners to turn to the Blessed Mother. “May she, the Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayer in suffrage for the souls of the dead. They are close to us!”

On Aug. 4, 1999, St. John Paul II gave a speech about purgatory at his weekly general audience (the previous two weeks he had spoken about Heaven and hell).

He said, “For those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God, but still imperfectly, the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of ‘Purgatory’ (cf. ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church,’ n. 1030-1032). In sacred Scripture, we can grasp certain elements that help us to understand the meaning of this doctrine, even if it is not formally described. They express the belief that we cannot approach God without undergoing some kind of purification.”

Later in his talk, the sainted pontiff explained that purification: “Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected.

Purification must be complete, and indeed this is precisely what is meant by the Church’s teaching on purgatory. The term does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence. Those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ Who removes from them the remnants of imperfection” (cf.

Ecumenical Council of Florence, Decretum pro Graecis: DS 1304; Ecumenical Council of Trent, Decretum de iustificatione: DS 1580; Decretum de purgatorio: DS 1820).

In 1981, St. John Paul visited the hometown of St. John XXIII. While reading off a list of his predecessor’s accomplishments, the Polish pontiff noted that the Italian one had “constant remembrance of souls in purgatory” in his daily prayer.

St. John Chrysostom, one of the ancient Fathers of the Church, urged us to pray for the souls in purgatory. “Let us help and commemorate them. If [the souls of ] Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and offer our prayers for them.” If we don’t hesitate to help them right now, they will not hesitate to help us when our time comes.

Pope Francis’ Angelus address of November 9 Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today the Liturgy recalls the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of Rome, that tradition defines as “the mother of all Churches of “Urbe et Orbe”[the City and the World]. The word “mother” refers not only to the Sacred edifice of the basilica, but to the work of the Holy Spirit that is manifested in this building,

bearing fruit through the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, in all the communities that remain in unity with the Church which it presides over. This unity presents the nature of a universal family, and as there is a mother in a family, so does the venerated Cathedral of Lateran become a “mother” to the churches of all the communities of the Catholic world.

With this feast, therefore, we OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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profess, in the unity of the faith, the bond of communion that all the local Churches, spread throughout the earth, has with the Church of Rome and with its bishop, the Successor to Peter.

Every time we celebrate the dedication of a Church, one essential truth is recalled: the material temple made of bricks is a sign of the Church alive and active in history. Namely, it is that “Spiritual temple,” as the Apostle Peter says, of which Christ Himself is “the Living Stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God” (1 Pt 2:4-8). By virtue of Baptism, every Christian, as St. Paul reminds us, is part of “God’s building” (1 Cor 3:9). As a matter of fact, it becomes the Church of God! The Spiritual building, the Church community of men sanctified by the Blood of Christ and by the Spirit of the Risen Lord, asks each one of us to be consistent with the gift of faith and to fulfill a

path of Christian witness.

And it is not easy, we all know, the consistency in life between faith and witness; but we should go forward and have daily consistency in our lives.

This is a Christian! Not so much for what he says, but for what he does, for the way in which he acts. This coherence, which gives us life, is a grace of the Holy Spirit that we should ask for.

The Church, in the beginning of its life and mission in the world, was nothing more than a community established to confess the faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Redeemer of mankind, a faith that works through charity. They go together!

Even today, the Church is called to be in the world a community that, rooted in Christ through Baptism, professes the faith in Him with humility and courage, while bearing witness to this in charity. Institutional elements, structures and pastoral organizations must be arranged

to this fundamental purpose; to this essential aim: to give witness to faith through charity.

Charity is precisely the expression of faith and faith is also the explanation and the foundation of charity!

Today’s feast invites us to reflect on the communion of all the Churches, that is of this Christian community. By analogy it motivates us to strive so that humanity can overcome the barriers of hostility and indifference, to build bridges of understanding and dialogue, to make the whole world a family of people reconciled with each other, fraternal and harmonious.

The Church herself is a sign and an anticipation of this new humanity, when it lives and spreads the Gospel with her witness, a message of hope and reconciliation for all mankind.

Let us invoke the intercession of the Most Blessed Mary, so that she may help us become like her, a “house of God,” a living temple of His love.

Anchor Columnist True pastoral care for those with same-sex attractions

November 14, 2014

D

uring the recent Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization, there was a great deal of attention given in the media to statements with regard to the Church’s outreach toward those with same-sex attractions.

In the much-flawed, and ultimately much-corrected, interim report, the authors asked, “Are we capable of welcoming [those with same-sex attractions], guaranteeing them a fraternal space in our communities?

Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and Matrimony?”

There is obviously a need to make sure everyone feels welcome in the Catholic Church. It’s key to note that those with same-sex attractions are often quite sensitive to not feeling welcomed, since many have experienced a lifetime of rejection and often feel judged or condemned by the Church rather than loved, viewed more as wearing a scarlet letter indicating their sexual orientation rather than wearing the indelible mark of their Baptism.

The draft report’s question of whether we could “accept” and “value” their

sexual orientation without and family,” and stating that compromising doctrine on “men and women with a the family and Marriage, homosexual tendency ought however, was one of the to be received with respect worst examples of theoand sensitivity” and “every logical sloppiness in synod sign of unjust discrimination history. in their regard should be It’s one thing to accept avoided.” and value someone with an There was no mention, orientation; it’s quite somehowever, of genuine pastoral thing else to accept and value an orientation itself that Divine revelation Putting Into and Church teaching the Deep have always emphatically taught draws

By Father someone to sinful Roger J. Landry behavior.

And while it is certainly possible to accept even those who are care for those with same-sex engaging in sinful same-sex attractions, especially those activity without compromis- who are engaging in a gay ing doctrine on “family and lifestyle.

Matrimony,” the real quesThose with same-sex tion is whether it is possible attractions deserve the full for them to feel accepted proclamation of the Cathowithout the Church’s comlic faith, the truth entrusted promising Scriptural and

by Christ to the Church to Church teaching on the sin- make us free and lead us to fulness of same-sex actions.

Salvation. That truth inIn the final version of the volves proclaiming that Jesus Synod Report, the paragraph loves them, embraces them, — which ended up not bedied for them, and wants ing approved by the synod to accompany them on the — was wholly rewritten, path to holiness. But it also blandly documenting that involves announcing that “some families have memif someone is involved in a bers who have a homosexual lifestyle incompatible with tendency,” that there’s “abso- the Gospel that that same lutely no grounds for conloving Jesus is calling them sidering homosexual unions to conversion. to be in any way similar or It’s not enough merely even remotely analogous to “welcome” people. The to God’s plan for Marriage Church aspires to embrace

everyone with the warmth of a brother and sister, but also has the duty to call everyone, with the humility of a fellow prodigal, fully to welcome Jesus and His saving teaching.

Christian love is not a shallow, sentimental hospitality. Particularly for those ensconced in a gay lifestyle — which is a way of life built on rejecting several basic truths of anthropology, sexual morality, Marriage, Scriptural inspiration, and magisterial authority — the Church’s charity must always be bound to the compassionate, clear and compelling presentation of the fullness of the truth that alone can set them free.

The stakes of the Church’s failure to carry out this service to the truth are eschatologically huge, not only for those presently involved in a gay lifestyle, but also for the conscience formation of all in the Church and society.

The model for the Church’s pastoral care is found in the apostolate called Courage, founded in 1980 by New York Cardinal Terrence Cooke and Father John Harvey, which is dedicated to helping those with same sex attractions live chastely — through prayer and dedication, genuine Christian friendship and fellowship, mutual support and

good example.

It’s clear that next year’s synod could profit much from inviting Father Paul Check, the executive director of Courage, to share the insights of Courage’s many years of experiencing helping those with same-sex attractions live according to the Gospel.

I am happy to say I have been associated with Courage (www.couragerc.org) since the beginning of my priesthood and have seen the joy of those who respond to the Church’s authentic pastoral care to help them live as faithful Catholics rather than according to the fallen principles of the sexual revolution.

Not only do we need more Courage chapters in every diocese, but the whole Church needs to have the courage and charity to become a world-wide Courage chapter to accompany those with same-sex attractions (and everyone else) on the moral path that leads to life.

Anything short of this is not worthy of the Church founded by Christ to lead us to holiness.

Anything short of this full proclamation of the Gospel of chastity is not true pastoral care.

Anchor columnist Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River. fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

USCCB president emphasizes bishops’ role of serving family of Church

BALTIMORE (CNS) — Acknowledging that families come with complications, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reminded his fellow bishops November 10 that their role is to accompany their family of the Church through their fears and concerns.

“Evangelizing means witnessing to our hope in Jesus,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., in opening the USCCB’s annual fall general assembly in Baltimore. It was his first address as conference president.

“As pastors, we accompany so many families who face their own fears and concerns and who yearn to experience the love of Jesus in and through His loving family — the Church,” he said.

“Together, brothers, we seek to walk with these families and to build their confidence in faith.”

Archbishop Kurtz framed his remarks around a conversation he had recently with Italian journalist Paolo

Rodari, who has a brother with Down syndrome. Archbishop Kurtz for many years was responsible for the care of his late brother, who also had Down syndrome.

The two discussed how they learned to communicate with their brothers through the things that were important to their siblings — film and books — and that they otherwise could be difficult to understand.

“Paolo has learned to understand Giovanni, because they’re family,” Archbishop Kurtz said, continuing the metaphor as an example of what the bishops are called to do — “walk with our brothers and sisters, helping them grow closer to Jesus through His mercy.”

He noted that Pope Francis has said the Church is “a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.”

Archbishop Kurtz spoke about

the recently-concluded Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, saying it resulted in positive steps to “witness to the beauty of Church teachings on Marriage,” to “deepen the way we accompany those struggling with the many challenges families face today,” and encourage married couples to “have confidence in their ability to faithfully live the Gospel of the family.”

He said the bishops “must especially seek out those who suffer under the weight of the difficulties of seeking to come closer to Christ,” quoting Pope Francis’ call to approach the coming year before the synod work continues as “joyful messengers of challenging proposals, guardians of the goodness and beauty which shine forth in a life of fidelity to the Gospel.”

The archbishop commented about some of his experiences over the last year as USCCB president — such as visiting the Philippines with Catholic

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Relief Services to see the relief work after Typhoon Haiyan, and the conference’s work on issues such as religious freedom and respect for life.

“We all strive to be faithful pastors, so we know what this looks like,” he said. “Think of the home visits we’ve all done in parishes. When I’d come to someone’s home, I wouldn’t start by telling them how I’d rearrange their furniture. In the same way, I wouldn’t begin by giving them a list of rules to follow.

“Instead, I’d first spend time with them, trying to appreciate the good that I saw in their hearts. I’d acknowledge that, like them, I was in the process of conversion toward greater holiness,” the archbishop said. “I would then invite them to follow Christ and I’d offer to accompany them as we, together, follow the Gospel invitation to turn from sin and journey along the way. Such an approach isn’t in opposition to Church teachings; it’s an affirmation of them.”

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“T

o one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one — to each according to his ability” (Mt 25:15).

In the Biblical sense the talents referred to in this week’s Gospel are a huge amount of money. They don’t refer to a personal gift or ability, like the ability to carry a tune, or the instinct for making good stock market investments, or the knack of building things from scratch.

A talent was a large amount; it was the equivalent of 6,000 denarii and each denarius was a day’s wage for a worker. So, one talent was the equivalent of 15 to 16 years’ wages.

Furthermore, a talent could be gauged as a measure of weight — the weight of a soldier’s pack (something between 75 to 100 pounds). In the parable each talent would be the number of coins used to add up to that weight.

November 14, 2014

‘Come, share your Master’s joy!’

So, the master, who could First of all the “worthy be seen as an image for God wife” of the first reading, was very wealthy, very generfrom the Book of Proverbs: ous, and very trusting. He left “Her value is far beyond his servants with a total of pearls” because she develops about eight million dollars in her gifts and talents and our present money. Note that devotes her life to the benefit he gives each of them a quantity commensurate with their ability.

Homily of the Week This opens up for Thirty-third Sunday us a perspective on in Ordinary Time God Who is a God of abundance, Who

By Father is not only generous Marcel H. Bouchard with His gifts to us, but also magnanimous.

We know how the servants of her family, the poor and entrusted with these huge the needy, and not her selfamounts dealt with the interest. abundant generosity of their Then there are the first master. How do we respond two servants in the parable: to the abundant generosity of each of them doubled the our God? amount with which he was In our readings this week entrusted. we have three examples of We have one example how to handle the “talents” of how not to handle such or gifts with which we have abundant gifts: The third serbeen entrusted by God: vant buried it (not an uncom-

mon practice in those days) and did nothing with it for his master, others, or himself.

This all reminds us of the principles of stewardship: We are called to receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them generously, and return them to God with increase.

We start by being faithful, that is, by having a trust that our God is a God of abundance. His wealth has no limits and there are no limits to what He shares with us. He has given us life and gave His Son to redeem that life. He has made us “children of the light and children of the day,” as St. Paul teaches in the second reading, from his First Letter to the Thessalonians.

The next step in our response is to risk — to risk giving or sharing our gifts and

talents with the conviction that their use will multiply and strengthen them, rather than deplete or lessen them.

Each time we give some of our time or our talent, each time we share some of our resources with others, we are multiplying what the Lord has provided to and for us.

For the servants in the Gospel parable the reward came when they returned what they had been given with increase. Our choosing trust over fear, good over evil, disciplined work over laziness will lead to the reward of fullness of life. This is our work in building the Kingdom until Christ comes again — when the God of great abundance will proclaim what the master did in the Gospel parable: “Come, share your Master’s joy!”

Father Bouchard is pastor of St. Mary,Our Lady of the Isle Parish on Nantucket.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Nov. 15, 3 Jn 5-8; Ps 112:1-6; Lk 18:1-8. Sun. Nov. 16, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Prv 31:10-13,19-20,3031; Ps 128:1-5; 1 Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15,19-21. Mon. Nov. 17, Rv 1:1-4;2:1-5; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 18:35-43. Tues. Nov. 18, Rv 3:1-6, 14-22; Ps 15:25; Lk 19:1-10. Wed. Nov. 19, Rv 4:1-11; Ps 150:1b-6; Lk 19:11-28. Thurs. Nov. 20, Rv 5:1-10; Ps 149:1b-6a,9b; Lk 19:41-44. Fri. Nov. 21, Rv 10:8-11; Ps 119:14,24,72,103,111,131; Lk 19:45-48.

W

e had enjoyed a simple lunch of chicken, potato, and mixed vegetables topped off by a strawberry in chocolate pudding dessert created by my brother priest, Father Pankras Kareng SS.CC., from Indonesia. Sometime later I noticed that he had disappeared. So concerned that he might have wandered off and gotten into some kind of mischief, I went outside and looked around but he was nowhere in sight. Then I walked to the rear of the house and called out, “Are you up there?” Immediately a voice came from the direction of the avocado tree which called back,

Up a tree in Kalaupapa

Father Pankras is one of “Yes I am!” Sure enough, when I approached the tree, I sensed our Indonesian brother priests currently serving in Rome as some movement at the very a counselor to our superior top of the tree and there he was like a mountain lion, snatching some large-sized avocados.

I held my breath while he moved from tree limb to tree limb fearing that he might

By Father slip, fall, and break Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. his — avocados. Yet there was no real need for concern because, general. He had come to visit barefoot as he was, he moved about like a big puma and soon Kalaupapa in order to walk in the footsteps of St. Damien had dropped two bags worth and St. Marianne, to experiof avocados into my waiting ence their spirit — and to take paws.

Moon Over Molokai

along two bags of avocados.

Earlier that day we had visited the former settlement in Kalawao and celebrated Mass at St. Damien’s altar in St. Philomena Church.

On the way back to Kalaupapa Town we climbed the short trail to the Kauhako crater.

It may indeed be a short trail but by the time we had reached the lip of the crater, I was short of breath while the Indonesian “puma” hardly broke a sweat. Of course this climb is part of the pilgrimage. At this point let me compliment Richard Miller on

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. installation DVD now available The September 24 Mass of Installation of the Most Rev. Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., as eighth Bishop of Fall River is now available on DVD from the Diocesan Office of Communications. Cost of the DVD is $25 and includes postage cost.

To order one, please send a check in that amount payable to the Office of Communications to this address: Diocesan Office of Communications, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Mass. 02722.

Kindly note Installation Mass DVD on the memo line of the check.

the beautiful restoration work he has done on the graves and tombs at Kauhako crater. The view of his work made the climb even more fulfilling.

That evening Father Pankras had the happy experience of joining us in our church hall for the celebration of Meli Watanuki’s birthday. Earlier that same week Clare, who was in the process of organizing this party, asked me if I had a key for the hall kitchen. I said, “No!” Like St. Peter, Meli is the keeper of that particular key and we wished to surprise her with her party. So we were in a bit of a quandary so to speak; up a tree if you will. So it was decided that a screen be removed from the kitchen door and entry accessed that way. Evidently I’m not the only one who enters through windows in this settlement!

Meli was absolutely surprised by her party and we all enjoyed the food and good time. That’s how it is here in Kalaupapa.

Sometimes we may find ourselves in a bit of a quandary (or up a tree), but we always end up on terra firma.

Aloha.

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

Anchor Columnists And now, my dear people, let’s all break into small groups

November 14, 2014

Tuesday 11 November 2014 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Armistice Day ack in the day, there were nowhere near as many parish meetings. A priest could count on one hand the number of church group meetings he had to attend in a month. Among these might be the Women’s Guild, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Sacred Heart Society, the Knights of Columbus, the altar boys, the Legion of Mary, the Catholic Youth Organization, and the Daughters of Isabella.

These meetings would be divided (although not equally) between the three or four priests assigned to the parish.

Some automatically belonged to the junior curate, some to the senior curate, and one or two to the pastor. Those days are gone. Now a priest’s life (like everyone else’s) is inundated with an endless stream of meetings. As to the question of whether more meetings means greater results, the jury is still out but I think not necessarily.

I’ve attended many church meetings over the years. I’ve noticed that the names and faces change, but the dynamics tend to remain the same.

B

P

icture, if you will, an average (old fashioned!) household anywhere in the western world. The parents work hard to provide the necessities, the children are expected to help with chores and upkeep — and even financially when they are old enough. The father sets an example of industry and paternal concern; the mother — whether employed outside the home or not — is pressed not only with many arduous responsibilities therein, but also with the emotional stability and overall welfare of her husband and children.

She reads their faces, ponders their future, and prays without ceasing. And when some go astray — as many are wont to do — she agonizes over what pernicious influence crept into the home, and perhaps what she and her husband could have done differently.

Surely, despite the most careful of arrangements, free will has its way and every family endures its share of trials and shocks — such is

officially ended.

A sure way to sabotage Now let’s look at some of your own meeting is to fail to publish an agenda in advance. the cast of characters you may encounter at a church meetBut then, what good is an ing. agenda if you don’t follow it?

— The Grenade LaunchI’ve also learned that a er. This is the person who will meeting must begin on time. remain quiet until just before People naturally want to chat the meeting is about to end with their friends and neighbors. Consequently, there is always a premeeting — or several The Ship’s Log simultaneously. Don’t Reflections of a let the pre-meetings Parish Priest interfere with your start time.

By Father Tim Then there are those Goldrick who are chronically late for everything. If and then throw a bomb on you hang around waiting for the table. By that I mean, an this one or that one to show unexpected and controversial up, the group’s level of frussubject sure to catch everyone tration will increase. Perhaps the person will never show up by surprise.

— The Constant Comat all. No, begin when you say menter. This is the one who you are going to begin. An tries to dominate the converhour-long meeting is plenty sation by rattling on about long enough.

I also believe that a church everything under the sun — no matter what the discussion meeting should have an endat the table. ing time established before — The Silent Type. This is the meeting even begins. the opposite of the Constant Otherwise you are dooming Commenter. No one (during the group for an eternity (or the meeting at least) will ever so it will seem). Set a time to know what he or she is thinkend the meeting. Be a sticking. After the meeting, his or ler. By the way, there is also her thoughts will fire-up the usually a “parking lot confergossip network. ence” after the meeting has

— The Soap Boxer. This is the person who obsesses about a single topic and will introduce and reintroduce the matter at every opportunity.

— My Way or the Highway People. Frank Sinatra may have done it his way, but this is the one who will stomp out if he or she doesn’t get the desired results.

— The Whatever.

This is the one who never seems to have an opinion on anything, one way or the other.

— The Reconciler.

This is the person who tries to build consensus by determining what it is that everyone at the table can live with and what not.

The process takes longer than simply voting, but it works better in the long run. There are no clear winners but there are no losers either. I try to be a Reconciler.

— The Jokester. This is the man or woman who, when sensing mounting tension, will introduce some levity to calm things down and get back to the business at hand. I also tend to be The Jokester.

— The Pleasers and the Chronically Displeased.

These are classic. No matter

The Church is the key

fidelity are actually outmoded life, and so it has been over and myopic — that there are the millennia. For the most part, when the essentials are in other ways to spend their time, other ways to express place, the children thrive, the their love. The families around parents share a sense of duty and satisfaction, and the wider them are disintegrating; the mass media is delighting in culture is strengthened by the individualism and experimenloyal bonds within the famitation; and the children are lies on which it rests.

Now, for the sake of the thought experiment, imagine kicking out the supports one by one. The father’s industry is beset by myriad inducements,

By Genevieve Kineke from sports to gambling, from belittling of fatherhood to temptations of the flesh. The mother, drifting from the core values that sustain healthy societies. likewise, is told that her Such are the centrifugal attentive motherhood is not forces at work today, alonly oppressive unpaid labor, though from the trenches, but a waste of her real talents it is quite difficult to assess that remain untapped. The children are offered entertain- the larger picture — all we see are the troubling details ments that introduce vice, that cause confusion and undermine respect for their doubt. The opening lines of parents, and discourage them from exercising prudence and St. John Paul II’s apostolic self-control. The whole family exhortation on the family outlined the dangers even 33 is broadsided by suggestions years ago: “The family in the that their hard work and

The Feminine Genius

modern world, as much as and perhaps more than any other institution, has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture.

Many families are living this situation in fidelity to those values that constitute the foundation of the institution of the family. Others have become uncertain and bewildered over their role or even doubtful and almost unaware of the ultimate meaning and truth of conjugal and family life” (Familiaris Consortio).

Just because the current cultural trajectory is off-course and the proper human bonds are quickly unraveling doesn’t mean that the outcome is inevitable — in any given family or country. But the course correction must be deliberate and firm, based on a supernatural view of the situation. It requires prayer, sacrifice, study, and an “evangelical discernment” that understands what

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what you say, The Pleaser will voice absolute agreement. For the Chronically Displeased, nothing you say is ever worthwhile. Everything you suggest is doomed to failure because “I’ve been around a long time and we’ve never done it that way and it won’t work. Period.”

Neither is helpful in the long run.

— He (or She) Who Doesn’t Get It and Never Will. This one is self-explanatory.

And on it goes. What to do? One has to learn to deal with it, I suppose.

Maybe those Japanese architects are onto something by creating the presentation style called PetchaKuncha. You are allowed to show an audience 20 images to make your point (whatever it is) but you can only speak for exactly 20 seconds on each image. Thus you have about seven minutes to make your point and sit down.

You know me, dear readers, I like to keep my thumb on the pulse of modern culture.

Maybe I’ll try PetchaKuncha at the next church meeting, but maybe not.

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

needs saving and why.

All of this, ultimately, is in the hands of God, Who is only too happy to help those who cry out to Him. He has given us the tools — beginning with the Sacramentality of the bonds that require Divine assistance in this fallen world. We cannot fight this battle alone: our Marriages cannot thrive without grace, our children unbaptized and unconfirmed cannot withstand the lies, and our daily lives cannot flourish in a truly healthy way without the Mass.

It begins with the Church, it is sustained by the Church, and it ends with the Church — whose own identity is founded on the nuptial union with the Bridegroom Who laid down His life for her and her children. Such is the essence of family love that we need to live here and now, and to defend with all our mortal strength.

Anchor columnist Mrs. Kineke lives in Rhode Island, and can be found online at feminine-genius.com.

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November 14, 2014

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@anchornews.org

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November 14, 2014

Visit us online at www.anchornews.org

Father Henry S. Arruda, seated, second from right, a retired priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and the diocesan director of the Portuguese Prayer and Charismatic Groups, led a contingent from the diocese to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal National Service Committee’s recent conference in Pittsburgh. Below, Father Arruda (on the left) joins with the other concelebrants at a Mass in praising the Lord.

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

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November 14, 2014

Pope will visit Shroud of Turin, commemorate birth of St. John Bosco VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will visit the Shroud of Turin during its public display in Turin’s cathedral April 19-June 24, 2015, as well as commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco.

“I am happy to announce that, God willing, on June 21, I will go on pilgrimage to Turin to venerate the Holy Shroud and to honor St. John Bosco on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth,” the pope announced at the end of a recent general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The rare public exhibition of the shroud is part of a yearlong celebration of the saint, founder of the Salesians, who worked in Turin, dedicating his life to helping and educating young people at a time of economic and social difficulties caused by industrialization in the second half of the 19th century.

“The pope comes as a pilgrim of faith and of love,” Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin, papal custodian of the Shroud of Turin, told reporters at a news conference at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the shroud during its last public exhibition in 2010, as did St. John Paul II in 1998, in 1980 and in 1978, before being elected pope.

“Like his predecessors, Pope Francis, too, confirms that devotion to the shroud that millions and millions of pilgrims recognize as a sign of the mystery of the passion and death of the Lord, thereby renewing faith in Him and finding strength in that hope that springs from the Passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord,” the archbishop said.

According to tradition, the

14-foot-by-four-foot linen cloth is the burial shroud of Jesus. The shroud has a fulllength photonegative image of a man, front and back, bearing signs of wounds that correspond to the Gospel accounts of the torture Jesus endured in His Passion and death.

The Church has never officially ruled on the shroud’s authenticity, saying judgments about its age and origin belonged to scientific investigation. Scientists have debated its authenticity for decades, and studies have led to conflicting results.

The archbishop and other organizers of the exhibition told reporters they expect at least one million people from all over the world to visit during the two-month-long public exposition.

While visits to the display in the city’s cathedral will be free, reservations are mandatory in order to regulate the massive flow of visitors that is expected, organizers said.

Reservations will be made only online on the official site: www.sindone.org.

In addition to special services and accommodations for those who are sick or infirm, and initiatives tailored for young people, organizers are planning moments of study and prayer, and the availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a number of languages.

All donations made by pilgrims during the event will be earmarked for a Hospice for the terminally ill, officials announced. People may make donations not only in the traditional containers inside the cathedral, but also by sending a text message to a dedicated number that was yet to be announced.

The animated artistry of characters Aunt Cass and Hiro Hamada star in a scene from the movie “Big Hero 6.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Disney)

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Catholic News Service.

“Before I Go to Sleep” (Clarius) The cherished amnesia plot gets dusted off for this thriller, which fans of the genre should enjoy, although it offers only one big twist. Writer-director Rowan Joffe’s adaptation of S.J. Watson’s novel recounts the story of an assault victim (Nicole Kidman) whose memory erases nightly.

As she works with a psychologist (Mark Strong) to recover her past, she recalls her own extramarital affair as well as the one her husband carried on with her best friend (Anne-Marie Duff ).

Yet now her spouse (Colin Firth) seems so kindly and attentive.

Occasional physical violence, an adultery theme, fleeting rear nudity, a few instances of profanity and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Big Hero 6” (Disney) Colorfully set in a fictional city that blends elements of San Francisco and Tokyo, this action-packed 3-D animated adventure, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, is loosely based on a Marvel Comics series. A teen-age inventor (voice of Ryan Potter) uncovers the evil conspiracy that took the life of his older brother (voice of Daniel Henney). To fight the

bad guys, he assembles a team made up of his personal robot (voice of Scott Adsit) and a quartet of fellow nerds (voices of Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, and T.J. Miller). Christening themselves with the phrase of the title, the aspiring superheroes set out to save the day. Noisy smash-bang sequences may be too intense for younger viewers. But the movie’s calmer moments offer good lessons in friendship, self-sacrifice, and resisting temptation.

Preceding the film is “Feast,” a charming animated short directed by Patrick Osborne. It offers a dog’s-eye view of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness, one meal at a time — and is acceptable for all ages. Mildly scary sequences, references to puberty, some slightly edgy humor. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

“Interstellar” (Paramount) Ambitious but flawed drama in which a crew of astronauts (led by Matthew McConaughey) uses a wormhole to speed their travel to a selection of distant planets they hope might offer refuge to the whole human race, which is facing worldwide starvation back on

a dystopian, dustbowl-plagued version of Earth. The bond between McConaughey’s character and his daughter (Mackenzie Foy in youth, Jessica Chastain as an adult) is tested by his long absence, while that uniting the professor (Michael Caine) supervising the program to his daughter (Anne Hathaway), the mission’s science officer, is subject to other strains. Director and co-writer Christopher Nolan’s sprawling space epic is visually dazzling. His film also has most of its values in good order as it weighs familial ties against the sacrifices necessary to advance the common welfare and ponders the place of love within a worldview shaped by quantum mechanics and Darwinian evolution. But unnatural situations involving the relativity of time and other environmental factors create a distance from ordinary reality that blunts the impact of the movie’s human element. Additionally, a subplot involving frozen embryos calls for moral discernment. Ethical issues, some bloodless violence, a handful of profanities, occasional crude and crass language.

The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned.

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, November 16, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Freddie Babiczuk, pastor of St. John of God Parish in Somerset

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November 14, 2014

Brittany Maynard’s suicide: A free choice or an expectation?

Denver, Colo. (CNA/ EWTN News) — By now, the world recognizes Brittany Maynard as the media darling of right-to-die advocacy.

After receiving a grim prognosis of six months to live due to an aggressive brain tumor, Maynard and her husband relocated to Oregon in order to take advantage of the Death with Dignity law, which legalized physician-assisted suicide in the state.

Compassion and Choices, an advocacy group for right-to-die causes, latched on to Maynard’s youth and beauty after she approached them, asking how she could advocate for rights to assisted suicide for other people.

They produced a video featuring Brittany and her family, complete with soothing music and beautiful photos, in which she calmly explains her situation and choice to die on November 1.

She’s been hailed as heroic, a brave woman who looked terminal illness in the face and ended her life on her own terms.

As writer Lisa Miller put it in a recent article for New York Magazine: “She has risen to the status of a martyr-saint.”

“On my Facebook feed and on Twitter, in articles passed around friend-to-friend, I’ve watched Maynard be called courageous, inspirational, an angel; she is resting with the stars, her admirers say.”

But the circumstances of her death have several experts and others questioning: exactly how free was Brittany in her decision, with a major advocacy group packaging her image and story for their own purposes? “(Compassion and Choices) might have in some way encouraged her or helped her, to make it a much more public event, in order to pressure the society to have the laws change,” said Rev. Dr. Joseph Tham, the dean of bioethics with the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome.

“I wouldn’t say they exploited her, but in some way there must have been some kind of push in that direction,” he said. “These groups are active in terms of finding people who are vulnerable in some way, and in making the case public to push an agenda.”

Andrea Virdis, doctor of philosophy and doctor of research in bioethics at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, said the first video released by Maynard seemed like a marketing ploy.

“The choice of Brittany was represented through a video which was tailored in a specific way. Watching this video, there was a notion of a sort of pro-

found serenity, as if the choice of death had to be encouraged and praised,” he observed.

“The video was almost a model for claiming this choice, in order to advance the request that these choices (of assisted suicide) may be carried forward also in states where the legislation still does not consent it.”

A second video was released by Maynard as her November 1 date drew closer. In the raw and heartwrenching clip, Maynard reconsiders her decision, or at least the timing of it.

“I still feel good enough, and I still have enough joy, and I still laugh and smile with my friends and family enough that it doesn’t seem like the right time,” Maynard said. “But it will come, because I feel myself getting sicker.

It’s happening each week.”

November 1 came and went, and the news came out November 2 — Maynard had ended her life as originally planned.

Dr. Julie Masters, who teaches a course called Death and Dying at the University of NebraskaLincoln, said in an interview before Maynard’s death that when her class discusses physicianassisted suicide, she asks her students to consider whether it truly is a free choice.

“The question I posed to the students: is this a choice, or is it an expectation?” she said.

With names like “Death with Dignity,” right-to-die laws often claim that they offer patients more dignity by giving them an out when it comes to intense and debilitating suffering. The idea of dignity, however, begs the question of what gives life value, Masters said.

“That’s the challenge of the concept of a slippery slope, and when you move to the position of physician-assisted suicide, to euthanasia, who do you expect to end their lives because they no longer seem to be worthy or of value?” she said. “Then I think we have a huge problem because then we fail to see the value of life, the value of that life.”

Virdis echoed this concern saying that the meaning of dignity in society has become more and more about what people can have and can offer, rather than who they are.

“According to this idea, a life dignified to be lived is a life with given conditions (such) as feeling well, being happy, being sufficiently wealthy, being healthy, being healthy, being autonomous in choices, in daily life” he said. “(But) if we look into the real meaning of ‘dignity,’ we become

aware that dignity is much more than something you can possess or not,” he continued. “everybody — whether he is healthy or sick, he is rich or poor, he is autonomous or dependent on others — has the value of life. And dignity is the value that characterize life itself, it is acknowledging that life is a value in itself, and it is not bound to other values.”

In her column, Miller said that the idea of dignity without the ugliness and suffering that usually accompanies death, is a fairly new idea, sprung from Western society and detached from the all-toooften reality of most people’s last moments.

“Jesus, bleeding, cried out in agony and loneliness on the cross, and the earliest Christians loved their martyrs burnt, starving, or torn apart and chewed,” she wrote, “but in the secular West, dignity has come to mean a kind of existential modesty, a wish not to be seen at one’s worst, at a moment when one might not have the wherewithal to retrieve an appropriate fig leaf for the indecent business that is death.”

While Brittany’s image and story — coupled with Compassion and Choice’s publicity — have helped gained traction for right-to-die laws, society has not always been so receptive to the idea.

For years, the movement advocating for physician-assisted suicide went by the less-than pleasant sounding “Hemlock Society.”

In the 1960s, the first right-to-die bill was proposed, and shot down, in Florida. It wasn’t until 1997 that Oregon became the first state to implement a Death with Dignity law, and so far only four other states have followed suit.

Miller speculates that this increasing acceptance of the idea of physician-assisted suicide stems from a desire to somehow “sanitize” death, which until recently had been understood to be a process naturally involving ugliness and suffering.

“Please don’t think I have anything to say about Maynard’s decision to end her life, because I don’t,” she wrote. “I’m talking about a nation’s knee-jerk reverence for a young woman we never knew, a tidal wave of empathic grieving that allows us to dwell on the tragic injustice of untimely death while evading the grosser realities of death itself, which in the usual course of events involves shame, ugliness, and suffering.”

Masters said that in her experience, people who choose assisted suicide are responding out of fear, which could be helped if Hospice

and palliative care were made to be more viable options, especially in the long-term.

“It’s about fear. Be not afraid — 365 times we are told,” she said, referring to the Biblical phrase. “But people are afraid because they have examples in their mind of other people who have died a hard death, and it is helping them to see that death can be a gift, and it can be approached in a comforting way.”

When people who are not terminally-ill consider suicide, it is typically because they see it as their only option, the only way out, she said.

“What happens is people lose sight, they get this tunnel vision, and they only see one option that’s suicide,” she said. That’s why it is so important for the terminally-ill, who often can have suicidal thoughts, to be shown that suicide does not have to be their only choice.

“And that is why we have these beautiful Hospice and palliative care homes,” she said. “There is more than one option. You have

more options, you have more.”

Miller said that while she doesn’t believe that there is necessarily a right way to die, or that things were better in earlier times, she does think society has come to an unrealistic point of idealizing death as something peaceful, serene, and neatly squared away.

“I am saying that there’s something overly sanitized in our devotion to Maynard now,” she wrote. “‘Look, she was so beautiful and, poof, now she’s gone.’”

Masters said because Maynard’s case has been made so public, religious leaders should take the opportunity to talk about end of life decisions with their flock, as that is who people most often turn to with questions regarding those choices.

“I hope for clergy, for rabbis, for ministers, for priests, for monsignors, to start the dialogue within a place of worship,” she said. “Because people look to their religious leaders, their clergy, to guide them, and this is an opportunity to get that conversation going. What is the right thing to do?”

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November 14, 2014

Catholics must be heard in public square, says German cardinal

WASHINGTON (CNS) — He also stressed the US- in health care, he said, noting In a U.S. visit, Cardinal Gerhard CCB has “an important role that the doctrinal congregation Muller, prefect of the Congre- to play giving voice to Ameri- recently responded to a “dubigation for the Doctrine of the ca’s conscience,” which he said um,” or formal question, by the Faith, told officials at the U.S. was demonstrated in the con- USCCB concerning Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops ference’s promotion of Fort- health institutions and associanot to lose sight “that the voice night for Freedom — a period tions that include non-Catholic of the Catholic Church must be of prayer and fasting to raise member institutions.

The congregation’s response, heard in the public square.” awareness of challenges to relihe said, begins with a “Otherwise we risk on SS. Costhat our democracies ardinal Muller stressed that reflection mas and Damian, “two are reduced to a vocab“even more to the point, what physicians who, in ulary of truth, which is we do is a proclamation of that Gospel,” their care for the sick, exclusively pragmatic and positivist,” he said which is why, he said, “Catholic health offered prophetic witrecently at the US- care institutions must express the heal- ness to their faith in Jesus.”

CCB headquarters in ing ministry of Christ and the invio- Christ The cardinal said reWashington.

He also told staff lable dignity of each and every human flecting on the example members and direc- person created in the image and likeness of the two saints is a good way to look at why tors: “You are not bu- of God.” the Church is involved reaucrats but disciples! in what it does, such as You are engaged in a providing health care, education noble, often hidden ministry of gious liberty. service.”

“I merely want to encourage or charity work.

“Of course, it is because the The cardinal noted that even you by sharpening the sense of though conference employees irony that it is often religious love of Christ impels us,” he might experience frustration leaders which call a so-called answered, adding, “We do what while engaged in “behind the ‘secular democracy’ back to its we do because of our faith in the scenes work,” they should rec- founding principles,” he said, Lord and His saving Gospel.”

Cardinal Muller stressed ognize that their “service to the adding that “It is not healthy for apostolic ministry of the bish- a supposedly free society built that “even more to the point, ops is invaluable” and their work on firm values and virtues to what we do is a proclamation helps “apply the teachings of the overlook the role of conscience of that Gospel,” which is why, Universal Church to the local or to fail to offer it appropriate he said, “Catholic health care institutions must express the situation, equipping the bishops protections.” with the resources they need to Cardinal Muller said that healing ministry of Christ and be effective pastors.” he was united with USCCB the inviolable dignity of each officials “in a and every human person crecertain sup- ated in the image and likeness port role” since of God.” “No matter how good or conference employees sup- noble the founding motivaport the U.S. tions for other hospitals and bishops and his institutions may be, they are work supports not meant as an expression of the ministry of Gospel fidelity. There must be something qualitatively differthe pope.

He said that ent in the experience of care at a Pope Francis Catholic institution.”

He also said the same motioften emphasizes in his vation must be behind Catholic morning Mass schools. “There are a host of good homilies the reasons for society to want to theme that “the educate its young people. But we Church is a teach as Jesus did, and our educommunity of cational mission springs from the faith and not heart of the Church and theresimply a non- fore in fidelity to the Church.”

He stressed that the emphagovernmental sis on proclaiming the Gospel organization.”

That under- needs to be at the heart of all standing, the Church ministries.

“We defend the unborn, and cardinal said, should provide welcome the immigrant, and the “motivation promote affordable housing for and context” for the poor, and decry violence, the USCCB’s all that we do is an expression of our faith in Christ and His work.

This is par- Church,” he said.

“The challenge is making our ticularly reflected in the initiatives and programs perChurch’s role ceptible as such.”

C

Mass. voters approve earned sick time continued from page one

supported the law, deeming it “reasonable and fair.” The law limits the amount of sick time to 40 hours per year and requires employees to work 90 days before using their first sick day. The sick time will be paid at companies with more than 11 employees, but small businesses need only provide unpaid leave.

James F. Driscoll, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy arm for the four bishops of the Commonwealth, said, “This is a benefit that is very much needed and deserved,” adding that the measure’s 20-point margin of victory shows that citizens from all over the state agreed.

Voters rejected Question 3, another ballot measure supported by the bishops, which would have overturned the 2011 casino law. Driscoll said that the bishops are “disappointed.”

“The results of the election show the influence that a lot of money can have on a particular issue. In this case, there were at least three casinos that poured millions of dollars into the campaign, and that’s a tough battle to fight,” he said.

In a statement after the election, Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said, “One can’t help but think that casino industry money loaded the dice on this election. The polls showed a near tie in early September but a $14 million TV ad campaign

by Wynn Resorts, Penn National Gaming and MGM Resorts convinced the electorate that there was gold at the end of their illusionary rainbow.”

With less funding than the casino lobby, the “Yes on 3” campaign spent three years working to get the measure

before voters. They made two petition attempts, two signature drives and fought legal battles just to get the question on the ballot.

John Ribeiro, chairman of “Yes on 3” said, “We overcame a lot of obstacles that were placed in our way,” adding that the group would continue to “attack different aspects of the law.”

Supporters of a different ballot question also have plans for continued action.

Massachusetts Citizens for Life will be filing a bill in January that would require all abortion clinics in the state to be licensed and inspected.

Currently, there are at least 15 unlicensed facilities in the state.

In preparation for that bill, MCFL filed a non-binding ballot question that instructs local state representatives to vote for the bill to be filed in January. The question passed in all 11 districts where it appeared on ballots. Those districts were the 6th, 7th, 8th Bristol (Fall River, Freetown), 12th Hampden (Wilbraham, Springfield), 4th, 5th, 12th Norfolk (Braintree, Weymouth, Norwood), 5th Plymouth (Rockland, Norwell, Hanover) and 3rd, 4th, 16th Worcester (Fitchburg, Leominster, city of Worcester).

In eight of those districts, more than 70 percent of voters approved the measure.

Patricia Stewart, executive director of MCFL, said the wide-spread approval shows that inspecting abortion clinics is “common sense.”

“In waging the battle against abortion, we have to remember that there are two lives to protect: that of the unborn child and his or her mother. This victory is the first step toward a new law that will protect the life of these women,” she said.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. installation Mass on cable TV The Mass of Installation of Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., recorded September 24 in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Fall River, is airing on several cable television public access channels in the Fall River Diocese.

As of press time, the an-

nounced schedule is as follows: — North Attleboro, Comcast channel 15 or Verizon channel 24, November 21 at 12:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.; November 24 and December 1 at 12 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and December 3 at 3 a.m., 2 and 10 p.m.

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November 14, 2014

Charis Seekers’ Retreat building UMD campus ministry roots continued from page one

and trying to figure out where they’re going or [for those who] may not have a strong background in faith,” explained Deacon Frank Lucca, campus minister at UMass Dartmouth. “So when you’re looking at the Seekers’ retreat, we look at knowing ourselves, naming what’s important, prayer, suffering, healing and our deepest desires. Those are the topics we cover there.”

Licensed through the Charis ministries, the Diocese of Fall River Campus Ministry organized the Seeker’s retreat, the second one held in the diocese. Each Seekers’ retreat has a team guiding those attending the retreat; for the second Seekers’ retreat, the team was made up of three college-age students, one 20-something and one 30-something team member.

Deacon Lucca credited the first Seekers’ retreat as helping build not only a peer ministry at UMass Dartmouth, but as being the foundation for choosing the team that helped lead during the second Seekers’ retreat.

For 20-year-old Nakita Guerrouxo, a sophomore at Rhode Island College in Providence, her experience during the first Seekers’ retreat saw her happily attending the second Seekers’ retreat as a team member to share her story with attendees.

“I actually did not grow up Catholic; I grew up kind of without a religion, really,” said the Somerset native. “I went to Bishop Stang High School, and I found my love of Catholicism and decided that I wanted to become Catholic.”

Guerrouxo’s love of the Catholic faith was initiated by Bishop Stang and its teachers, “but I think once I was introduced to it, just how real it felt and how much it made sense, just really drew me in,” she said. “Just learning about Jesus and His immense love for us; it just clicked into place.”

She had gone on retreats in high school, mainly in-school retreats, but heard about the Seekers’ retreat from the director of Campus Ministry at Bishop Stang, Amanda Tarantelli, who told Guerrouxo about the retreat and wondered if she’d be interested in it: “I thought about how in college it’s really hard to connect with my Catholicism,” said Guerrouxo, “so I wanted to be a part of it and find a little community.”

While at the first Seekers’ retreat, Guerrouxo admitted she was nervous because she didn’t know anyone and didn’t know what to expect “but I just kind of surrendered myself,” she said, and found a renewed strength and

confidence in her religion and also within herself.

“I found a tremendous family through UMass,” she said, “and I keep in contact with them on a weekly basis.”

When asked to be on team for the second Seekers’ retreat, there was no hesitation on her part: “It was a no-brainer,” said Guerrouxo, who shared the story of her journey to becoming a Catholic.

“Other than the fact that I love to talk about my religion, they’re a family to me. Seekers really helped me find my niche.”

Keegan LaRue, a sophomore at UMass Dartmouth and attendee of the first Seekers’ retreat, was also a team member for the second Seekers, and said her experience during the first Seekers’ retreat was “a very positive one” and that her time on the retreat allowed her “to take a step back and look at which road we’re on at the moment.”

LaRue said her second time attending the retreat, this time as one of the team leaders, “was definitely a different experience compared to simply being on the retreat,” she said. “Last year, the talks and questions presented to me made me think about myself, but left me without really thinking too hard, since I wasn’t the one who was in any of these situations.

Being on the team was much more influential on my thoughts, since I was able to see the talks and reflections from a different point of view; instead of being the one attending the retreat, I was doing my best at giving examples to others, rather than the other way around.”

Each Seekers’ retreat offers five talks, each roughly 30-40 minutes; longer than youth retreats, said Deacon Lucca, adding that after each talk there’s an hour of personal reflection, a “Sacred silence” where individuals are given reflection questions, and he or she goes off alone, and later discusses in small groups.

Deacon Lucca cited that the Church is doing a great job with the youth, and there are resources available for older adults, but the young adults just out of high school and moving their way into adulthood are often left to find their own faith connections: “We do an OK job with the youth with Yes! and CLI, but when students go off to college, they’re a group of young people who have a hard time connecting,” he said. “This [retreat] is allowing young adults to look at enhancing their faith in different ways.”

Guerrouxo agreed with Deacon Lucca, stating that the young adult demographic needs these

types of retreats and resources to stay connected to their faith at a time of flux. In high school, religion is a part of daily life, she said, especially if one is attending a Catholic high school, “but when you get to college, you’re kind of on your own — partly because, maybe, people are scared to admit they’re Catholic. I feel it’s harder, but not impossible, to find resources. You have to search. I feel that retreats like this are important because for me, it helped me to find my Spiritual community that I did not have in college.”

As a resident assistant in her dorm building at Rhode Island College, Guerrouxo said after the Seekers’ retreat, “I brought a piece of that [retreat] back to my campus, which doesn’t have its own campus ministry. A lot of the residents who have been active in their faith in high school — I live in a freshmen dorm — the freshmen who were active but now feel lost, now come to me and talk to me about it. I’m known as the religious RA, and it’s nice to have that reputation because I can be open and honest about my faith.”

That’s the kind of results that Deacon Lucca, along with the UMass Dartmouth Catholic chaplain, Father David Frederici, wants to keep fostering through campus ministries, including retreats. They have built up on online resource: www.

UMassCatholics.com, and will continue to schedule retreats catering to the young adult demographic, including an upcoming retreat entitled, “The Jesus Retreat — Who do you say that I am?” to be held in February 2015 at the Sacred Hearts Retreat House in Wareham.

The Jesus Retreat is a sequel of sorts to the Seekers’ retreat, though it can also be appreciated as a stand-alone retreat as well, said Deacon Lucca: “The Jesus Retreat is designed to expose the candidates more to illuminate the reality of Who Jesus is — those topics are like: Jesus is my invitation; Jesus is my mercy; Jesus is my mystery; Jesus is my Lord and God. One [retreat] isn’t a precursor for the other, but the Jesus Retreat will be at a different level.”

The idea is to continue to build a strong campus ministry resource to keep young adults connected, especially while attending college, said Deacon Lucca.

For any young adult on the fence about attending a retreat, Guerrouxo said, “Just do it,” adding that it was a wonderful experience for her.

LaRue added: “My advice to anyone considering a retreat is to

simply give it a chance. There’s no harm in spending a weekend away from your normal life and taking a chance to breath in a different air.

I

Whether it ends up being right or not for anyone is something can only be truly discovered by attending one personally.”

It takes more than simply good intentions

t’s no secret that autumn is my favorite season. Every season has its good and bad, but for me the scales of pros and cons tips towards the pros in fall.

First of all, it’s when football season is in overload mode.

College, professional, high school, Pop Warner — you name it, they play it.

Secondly, it’s also no secret that I’m not a proponent of hot weather. Give me chilly mornings, cool afternoons, color-splashed woodlands, and watching others rake leaves, and I’m in my glory.

But, as is the case with

My View From the Stands

By Dave Jolivet

mostly everything I enjoy in life, my pleasures are, by and large, unintentionally selfish.

You see, when I take pleasures in the simple things in life, I’m assuming that everyone has access or exposure to the simple things in life.

When I get a thrill from seeing my breath in the air when taking Igor out in the morning, I’m not really thinking of my countless brothers and sisters who actually had to sleep, or try to sleep, in those very same conditions all night long.

When I’m lazing back on my couch with a drink and a snack watching athletes knock themselves silly on a gridiron, I’m not really thinking about my brothers and sisters who would give anything to “eat the crumbs that fall from my plate,” to paraphrase Matthew’s Gospel.

And when I feel a chill in the house and I go to bump up the thermostat a degree or two, I’m not really thinking about my brothers and sisters who may actually have a home, but no means to pay to heat it.

I’m directing the next phase of this column to people like myself who every year tell themselves, “I’m going to collect all the overcoats, sweaters, sweatshirts and shoes I no

longer wear and donate them to a local parish program for the poor,” and yet never do.

I’m calling myself out on this and vowing publicly that this is the year I do it.

I have things that have spent more than one fall and winter in a closet, that could have helped someone somewhere.

And I feel absolutely disgusted by that.

I’m going to make this the best autumn/winter of my life by actually getting off my couch and into my closets and drawers and making a difference in some of my brothers’ and sisters’ lives. I’m going to give them the coat off my back without having to give them the coat off my back.

Within the next few weeks The Anchor will most likely run some stories on local food banks and clothing drives for Thanksgiving, as well as running some public service announcements about the same subject matters.

This is the year I’m going to do it — put my good intentions into practice. And I’m asking my brothers and sisters like me to do the same.

There are a plethora of faithful across our great diocese who do this on a consistent basis, and I applaud them for that.

I’ve always wanted to be like them, but for one lame reason or another, never followed through. I’m sorry. This year I will.

It’s fine to collect gently used clothing of our children to pass on to relatives with children a few years younger than our own. But truth be told, many of them don’t need the items as much as the homeless, poor, hungry, and destitute.

In actuality, these people are in fact relatives — in the big old family of God. I’m going to enjoy this fall and winter as I usually do, but I think I’ll enjoy it a bit more after I transform my good intentions into even better actions.

It’s about time I did, don’t you think?

Dave Jolivet can be contacted at davejolivet@anchornews.org.

16

Youth Pages

The eighth-graders in the Service Committee at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro collected children’s slightly-used or new Halloween costumes to be donated to families in need. Shown are members Victoria Rego, Meaghan Lancaster, Samantha Pearlstein and Ava Smith. More than two dozen costumes were distributed to the children.

November 14, 2014

Some of the pre-kindergarten students at St. Michael School in Fall River recently listened to student council nominees’ speeches.

Members of the Glee Club at St. Joseph’s School in Fairhaven pose for a photograph after singing at a recent school Mass.

Students from St. James-St. John School in New Bedford were recently awarded prizes from the book fair as the top-selling students for the school’s Cookie Fund-raiser.

The fifth-grade students at Holy Name School in Fall River recently worked in teams of four to calculate the average bounce height for different types of bouncing balls, such as basketballs, tennis balls, golf balls and baseballs. After developing a hypothesis on which type of ball bounces highest, the students worked together to gather data. The students used various math procedures during the bouncing ball experiment, i.e. measuring the height of the bounce, calculating and averaging the bounce height for each ball, and lastly, graphing their data on a bar graph.

November 14, 2014

I

had a completely different idea in mind for this article, but as we all know, our plans are not always God’s plans. You know the kind of week where on Monday it feels like it should be at least Wednesday and then when you find out it is still only Monday — yup, it has been one of those weeks. I kept getting this picture in my head of a really full plate that is ready to just overflow. There could be two reasons for this. The first is that I’m in the middle of a weight-loss challenge and so food is always on my mind. The other, and probably more accurate reason, is because I just feel like I am trying to do too much right now.

I know I am not the first person to be trying to juggle many things so I think many people can relate to that overwhelming feeling. Going back to the food analogy; it’s like looking at the heaping plate, a plate full of spaghetti with lots of meatballs and sauce, and you not only have to carry that plate across the room, but you are also wearing a new, white shirt. One wrong move, one wrong step, and you can say goodbye to dinner and your outfit.

Youth Pages We all could use a larger plate

I was reading an article recently about that “my plate is too full” feeling that we get and this article had a great perspective. The article poses the question, is our plate too full or is our plate too small? When I read this in the beginning of the article, I was initially angry. I remember thinking, “You want to tell a person who is overwhelmed that it’s because they need a bigger plate

By Amanda so they can do more? You are Tarantelli absolutely insane.” Thankfully I continued to read on. The article mentions that it is not because we need to do more, but that if we had a bigger plate, we would have more room for God. I loved this way of looking at my stress. I know that God is so much bigger than anything that can be thrown at me, and I would be one of the first people to tell others that God is so much bigger, but it is very hard for me

Be Not Afraid

Nearly 300 grandparents of the class of 2018 recently attended Bishop Feehan High School (Attleboro) annual Grandparents’ Day where they were recognized for the fundamentally important role they play in their grandchildren’s lives. Grandparents received a gift from the school, shared lunch, presentations, and campus tours led by their grandchildren. Josephine Phillips’ smile says it all as she embraces her granddaughter, Juliana Phillips.

The Bishop Connolly Golf Team recently welcomed its new coach, Lowell Metivier, center. As a 1992 graduate of Connolly, Coach Metivier is passionate, not only about golf, but about the school and its programs.

to always trust in Him. It has nothing to do with me thinking God is not powerful enough to handle everything; it is completely about my need to control everything. This thought that my plate is not too full, but rather it is too small because I need to make room for God, makes that plate look so much more manageable.

This thought about the larger plate also led me to another thought. When you place two equal amounts of food on two different size plates, the amount on the smaller plate looks like it is less than the other plate. It is all about a change of perspective. If we change our perspective on the stress in our life, it will seem less daunting. The more manageable the stress appears to be, the easier it is to give it all up to God. The last thing this made me think of was when you get a plate of food at a restaurant (pretty sure I’m hungry).

Usually the server brings you the plate on a tray. Even if the plate is over

17 flowing with food, you are safe from dropping it because you’ve supported it with something bigger. This is the story of our worries and stress. There may be things on plate that we cannot control. There may be situations in our lives that we cannot change on our own, but if we place them on God’s shoulders, then if we spill a little bit, He has it under control. He manages to contain it and not let it make a mess of everything.

At some point, we will all either have said yes to too many things or we will have so many complications happening in our life that it seems like there is no way we can handle it all on our own. I pray that we all can come to the knowledge that we never have to do it alone.

I pray that not only do we not have to handle it all on our own but that it will come out so much greater if we let God take control. So when your plate seems too full — get a bigger plate!

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.org.

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

Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth recently conducted its annual prospective student open house. Hundreds of families were in attendance. Current students, teachers and staff were available to demonstrate how Bishop Stang is an excellent choice for a high school education. The day included presentations that highlighted the academic programs; tours which included the newly-renovated Academic Resource Center and classroom activities; demos of the iPad initiative and how technology is integrated for an interactive learning experience; and an opportunity to meet and learn about athletic and co-curricular activities.

18

November 14, 2014

New Assonet men’s club ramps up efforts continued from page one

blessing right away,” Father Racine told The Anchor. “It’s a nice group that is parish-oriented that wants to do social, Spiritual and communal outreach. It’s worked out well. There is a variety of men and young men, and it’s great to have the young people with us. Our last meeting was one of reflection, business and socializing.”

Last weekend was the group’s first official project. Knowing of an elderly gentleman in New Bedford who was in dire need of a handicap ramp for his home, the group became involved. On Saturday, several members of the Men of St. Bernard’s made the trek to the Whaling City to install a ramp to open up new opportunities for the gentleman.

“We had absolutely no money, but one of our members had a contact at a local lumber yard and was able to set up an account for us to pay the debt back within 30 days,” added Faria. “That’s why on the same day as the project, we held our first fund-raiser, strictly to raise money for the lumber used in the project.”

The fund-raiser was a meat pie supper at St. Bernard’s parish hall that evening. In another stroke of good fortune, one of the group’s member is a former culinary arts teacher, and he baked the meat pies.

“When we started the group, we didn’t want it to be about money,” Faria told The Anchor.

“It was to have a group for post-

Confirmation young men and up to gather together to assist the parish and build up our faith.”

“The group is not out to fill its treasury,” added Father Racine.

“It wants to undertake projects to make life better for others, not for the recognition, but for what we’re called to do — be servants of Christ.”

“The main goal was to include the youth of our parish,” Faria told The Anchor. “We have a 19-year-old college freshman, Mark Mello, who has taken on the responsibility of becoming the group’s youth director.

We would like to eventually see enough young men join the group that a new youth group can spawn from this.”

While some of the members of the Men of St. Bernard’s are Knights, it is not affiliated with the organization.

“We’re not in competition with the Knights,” said Faria, who himself is still a Knight.

“We are a group that can work together with the Knights, and other parish groups to help support the pastor, parish and parishioners.

“It is great to have a postConfirmation organization to provide the male youth of our parish an opportunity to remain involved in their Church.”

“This is a group of men with gifts and talents that can help the parish and others,” said Father Racine. “This will work out well.

There’s a lot of good out there.”

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The Post Office charges The Anchor 70 cents for notification of a subscriber’s change of address. Please help us reduce these expenses by notifying us immediately when you plan to move.

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Remembering La Salette’s tragic loss 15 years later continued from page one

in part: “Nov. 5, 2014 brings to our hearts the memory of that tragic night back in 1999 — the terrible fiery flames destroying a life and a lifelong facility of peace and rest to many whom had passed through those awesome doors of our peace-filled Castle.

“Let us all remember the soul of Father Michael O’Brien and all souls in this month of the Holy Souls.”

The email then provided a link to the following blog page: http://nationalshrineofourladyoflasalette.blogspot. com/2014/11/rememberingour-great-loss-on-november. html The memorial tribute offers photos of the conflagration and its aftermath, a link to a YouTube video of local TV coverage, and several newspaper articles, including front-page coverage from the Nov. 12, 1999 edition of The Anchor entitled, “Priest killed in La Salette fire.”

According to The Anchor report, Father O’Brien, 43, was trapped inside his third-floor bedroom when the quickspreading fire broke out shortly after 4 a.m. He had been on sabbatical since October 10 and was staying at the provincial headquarters that once served as a seminary for the La Salette priests.

An estimated 25 others who had occupied the building at the time of the blaze survived.

Father André Patenaude — La Salette’s famed “singing priest,” better known as “Father Pat” — was one person who called The Castle his home for more than a decade. He recalled running out of the burning building that night in press reports.

“I heard someone scream, ‘Fire!’ When I got out of my room, I smelled smoke,” he told one newspaper. “I just can’t believe the whole thing is gone.

It’s just devastating.”

Looking back on that night 15 years ago, Father Pat recently shared his thoughts with The Anchor.

“I never thought I would ever see this impressive building tragically and slowly burn from room to room, including my own,” he said. “I managed to exit the building with the clothes on my back, leaving behind a favorite guitar of mine.

The whole devastating event has left a heavy feeling in my heart ever since. Something just seems to be missing on the spot

where The Castle on the hill once occupied. Nothing could ever replace the spirit that once enveloped that historic structure.”

According to La Salette business manager Richard Eyman in the 1999 Anchor article, despite the severe damage caused by the fire, amazingly the Blessed Sacrament inside the chapel’s Tabernacle was not harmed and was retrieved.

“When we went inside the chapel after the fire, remarkably, the Sanctuary lamp was still burning,” Eyman was quoted as saying.

“I prayed that God would protect the Tabernacle where the Most Blessed Sacrament was present,” said Fatima Bigda, current secretary to the shrine directors. “I believe it was this Tabernacle that saved the chapel with Our Lady’s help. Actually, the interior of The Castle’s chapel survived with just smoke damage! That’s a miracle!”

In fact, a wood-carved statue of Our Lady of La Salette that was once inside The Castle’s chapel survived unscathed and is now prominently displayed inside the shrine’s main church, on the left side of the altar on the way into the Reconciliation Chapel, according to Bigda.

“We now only have ashes as a reminder of this tragedy and the beautiful miracles of Our Lady’s presence through her statues,” she said.

The Castle actually predated the Missionaries of La Salette’s arrival in Attleboro in 1942, when they purchased the large piece of property consisting of mostly wetlands off Route 118.

The 300,000-square-foot stone structure was built in 1903 and once had been the Attleboro Springs Sanitarium, then later was the Solomon Sanitarium — a place of rest, retreat and healing.

Initially used as a seminary for the La Salette order, it was later used primarily for retreats, extended sabbaticals, youth out-

ings and other shrine events.

The Castle also housed a school and served as the Missionaries of La Salette’s provincial office, housing all of its records, library and archives.

“We are grateful for everyone who helped us during this tragedy,” Bigda said. “We really were so blessed with so many memories of the La Salette Castle.”

As if heeding Christ’s Words that He “make all things new,” the Missionaries of La Salette and their landmark Attleboro shrine have managed to not only survive but thrive in the years following the 1999 tragedy.

A new $2.5 million shrine church, which began construction a year before the blaze, was completed shortly thereafter; and in 2007 a new visitor’s center including a 600-seat auditorium was added to the complex.

Renovations continue to enhance the 135-acre shrine property and it remains a popular destination this time of year for its annual Christmas lights display, which first began in 1953.

While the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette is best known as an iconic destination for worshippers who come to see the annual Christmas display from Thanksgiving weekend through New Years, it has also become a key venue for events and programs throughout the year that help them renew their religious faith.

In a statement released by then-Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., in the Nov. 12, 1999 edition of The Anchor, he said: “Though the landmark Provincial House is gone, let us remember that the true beauty of the La Salette Shrine is not in the buildings, but rather in the presence of God one finds there and the hope He rekindles.”

Even 15 years later, it would seem that God remains everpresent within the confines of La Salette Shrine and its community.

The majestic “Castle” on the grounds of La Salette Shrine was lost to a massive fire 15 years ago. Capuchin Father Michael O’Brien, a visiting priest from Wales who was staying at the former Provincial House on the shrine property, was killed in the blaze. (Anchor file photo)

19

November 14, 2014

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.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 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 Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church on N. Main St. 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 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

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 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 7 to 8 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.

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.

Hilda Oliveira, mother of Father Robert Oliveira

FALL RIVER — Hilda (Botelho) Oliveira, age 95 of Fall River, passed away October 31 at Saint Anne’s Hospital.

The family would like to thank Dr. Old and the staff of Saint Anne’s Hospital, Dr. Abraham and the staff at the Catholic Memorial Home.

She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur A. Oliveira and the daughter of the late José and Guilhermina (Garcia) Botelho.

Prior to retiring, Hilda worked in the needle trade as a sewing machine operator and was a former union representative for Amalgamated.

She is survived by her two children: Elizabeth Mello of Swansea and Father Robert Oliveira, pastor of Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, New Bedford; two grandchildren: Sharron Mello and Raymond Mello. She was predeceased by her siblings.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in the SS. Margaret and Mary Chapel of Catholic Memorial Home on November 3. Interment was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Fall River. Donations in her memory may be made to the Catholic Memorial Activities Fund.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks 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 1924, Rev. James H. Looby, Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton 1925, Rev. Bernard Boylan, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River Nov. 13 Rev. Louis J. Deady, Founder, St. Louis, Fall River, 1924 Rev. William H. O’Reilly, Retired Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1992 Rev. Clarence J. d’Entremont, Retired Chaplain , Our Lady’s Haven, Fairhaven, 1998 Nov. 14 Rev. Francis J. Duffy, Founder, St. Mary, South Dartmouth, 1940 Rev. William A. Galvin, JCD, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1977 Deacon John H. Schondek, 2001

Around the Diocese

St. Theresa’s Parish, 18 Baltic Street (Route 1) in South Attleboro, will host a “Christmas in the Village” Bazaar today from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event will have food — including meat pies, homemade fudge and bakery items — along with raffles, games of chance, a country store, and penny social.

A lunch and film screening of the new release “Family Dinner” will be held on November 17 following the noon Mass in the cafeteria at the Father Peyton Center in Easton. Join them for a free warm lunch while watching this 28-minute video. This modern and entertaining drama is about learning the nature of true love and the selfless service of Christ’s love to call us to share in the institution of the Eucharist. This Holy Cross Family Ministries event is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.

FamilyRosary.org/events or call 508-238-4095.

The Respect Life Ministry at The Christ the King Parish will be hosting a prayer service entitled, “Could you ... watch (pray) one hour with Me?” Mt 26:40. All are invited to join in prayer for “Building a New Culture of Life” November 20 at 1 p.m. in St. Jude’s Chapel in Mashpee. Prayers will consist of the four mysteries of the Rosary with brief meditations on each.

The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will convene on November 22 at St. Bernard’s Church, 32 South Main Street in Assonet. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. by Father Michael Racine, pastor and DCCW Spiritual Advisor, followed by refreshments and a meeting. New members are encouraged to attend and all are welcome. For more information, call 508672-6900.

St. Jude the Apostle Parish will be having its annual Penny Sale in the parish hall at 249 Whittenton Street in Taunton on November 22 at 6 p.m. — doors open at 5 p.m. In addition to three regular series, there will be specials, rollups, refreshments, a raffle on 15 turkey dinner baskets, and a money raffle with $500 as the first prize.

A Christmas Fair will be held at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Quaker Road in North Falmouth, on November 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring coffee and donuts and a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. serving lobster rolls, clam chowder, turkey salad sandwiches and more. Visit the 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.

Good Shepherd Parish, 1598 South Main Street in Fall River, will host its Annual Turkey Shoot on November 22 with the kitchen opening at 5 p.m. and drawings beginning at 6 p.m. There will be tables with turkeys, vegetables, potatoes and all the fixings — you could win to cook the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. The evening will also include a mini penny sale. Items on the kitchen menu include linguiça, chow mein and meatball sandwiches, clam chowder, stuffed cabbage kale soup and much more. Admission and coffee are free! For more information call 508-678-7412 or visit www.gsfallriver.com.

A Country Christmas Bazaar, presented by Corpus Christi Parish, 324 Quaker Meetinghouse Road in Sandwich, will take place November 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come and see the many wonderful handmade creations by our crafters, the aroma of our homemade baked treats, and enjoy a delicious lunch at our café, take a chance at our Noella raffle and our handmade quilt raffle, and stop by to see many of your favorite vendors. This spectacular event will be taking place at the parish center including classrooms.

St. Anthony of the Desert Parish, 300 North Eastern Avenue in Fall River, will hold its annual Food Festival and Craft Show on November 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come and enjoy great Lebanese foods such as kibee, tabouli, stuffed grape leaves and more. Experience Lebanese pastries, mamoul, baklava, apricot cookies plus more homebaked treats. Shop the local crafters who come back every year with special gift items for the holidays. A special this year is a coat sale: there will be a limited amount of name-brand coats (irregulars) at great prices. So come by, enjoy a great lunch or take out, and do your holiday shopping at the same time.

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November 14, 2014

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Father Michael Racine led walkers in prayer as they prepared for the recent eighth annual “Walk for the Poor” around Kennedy Park in Fall River, sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In past years, amounts ranging from $10,000 to $16,000 have been raised to purchase food for area poor. Walkers came from parishes, or conferences, in the Fall River District.

Church reaches out to parishioners as lava threatens community

HONOLULU (CNS) — As a river of molten rock sits poised to intrude on the sleepy rural town of Pahoa on the island of Hawaii, or the Big Island, it is bringing members of Sacred Heart Parish closer together, even as it threatens to divide them permanently. Besides the dramatic and tragic loss of homes and livelihoods,

another major effect of a lava flow is the separation and isolation of communities as major roads are covered over and made impassable.

When this occurs, residents will be denied ready access to jobs, medical care and other services, schools, retail establishments — and church. As of press time, none of this had

happened yet. Any major disaster continues to remain “imminent.” The flow, unpredictable and capricious, after traveling nearly 13.5 miles and more than 125 days, has stalled just yards from a major road and residential homes.

However, breakout flows farther back indicate the lava is still coming. The present flow began June 27 from the Puu Oo vent of Kilauea Crater, which has been erupting nonstop for 31 years. The 2,100-degree liquid rock, when moving, averages five to 10 yards an hour. Sacred Heart Parish secretary Bernice Walker, who calls herself a Pahoa “lifer,” grew up in neighboring Kalapana, a coastal area Kilauea covered nearly 25 years ago. So she knows the finality of a lava flow. “There is a lot of uncertainty for sure and that is the biggest worry,” Walker said of the present threat. “So far it’s stressful and worrisome. But we are in it together.”