The Anchor Diocese of Fall River
F riday , November 23, 2012
Catholic Relief Services president to address diocesan priests, laity By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff
NORTH DARTMOUTH — In contemplating the Year of Faith and the New Evangelization, Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, cautioned against letting the call to renew our faith become an empty promise. “I think we need to look at our faith as the biggest gift we have,” Woo told The Anchor. “Think about the most important gift that you’ve ever received … maybe an heirloom from your grandmother or something that your parents left you. Think about the qualities that define them and how they became a part of you. These are the things we cherish.” Woo went on to say that when we truly cherish something our devotion to it goes beyond mere lip service. It has to entail a degree of dedication and action. “When you cherish something, you want it to play an active role in your
life,” she said. “It becomes a part of Love Lead,” is open to all. you and how you engage other people, Appointed to head CRS in January how you raise your children, how you 2012 — taking over for the retiring Ken approach life. And I think during this Hackett after his serving the organization Year of Faith we need to cherish our for 18 years — Woo added that Cathofaith as this incredibly important and lics during this Year of Faith also need to great gift we’ve rethink about proclaiming ceived from God — their faith by word and to know Him and to deed. trust in Him and to “It may be through know that He is in us. overt acts of kindness We need to cherish it and compassion to enough to activate it other people,” she said. and live it everyday.” “For me, I need to have Woo will be bringsomething that is more ing that message to the active than just the pasFall River Diocese as sive idea of renewing part of a special Year of our faith. We need to Faith lecture slated for reclaim that faith, know November 28 beginning it and deeply cherish it. at 1:30 p.m. at St. Julie I love the word ‘renew,’ Billiart Parish in North don’t get me wrong. Dartmouth. Her preBut I don’t want a verb sentation, entitled “Let that doesn’t have enDr. Carolyn Y. Woo
ergy to it.” Based in Baltimore, Md., Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the National Catholic Welfare Conference (the predecessor to today’s United States Catholic Conference of Bishops) to serve survivors of World War II in Europe. Since then it has expanded to reach more than 100 million people in nearly 100 countries on five continents. “Next year we’ll celebrate 70 years,” Woo said. “It was started by the USCCB and its original mission was to take refugees out of Europe; it was originally a war relief effort. But our work today is really international.” With a footprint that extends from 90 to 100 countries worldwide, Woo said today CRS is involved in any type of “humanitarian service that is needed on behalf of the Catholic Church in the United States.” “Our mission is not so much pastoral Turn to page 18
Normal rhythm returns following dogs-priest reunion
By Dave Jolivet, Editor
LIVING LEGACY — Virginia “Ginny” Dexter (pictured here in 2010 with Leonard, her husband of 47 years) started making and donating gingerbread houses more than 20 years ago as a way of teaching her children the lesson it’s better to give than to receive. Though she passed away in June, Dexter’s legacy lives on through her children, who continue to organize the event.
A mom’s legacy lives on
By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff
FALMOUTH — On November 24 at the Pocasset Community Building, the annual tradition of building gingerbread homes to be donated, along with non-perishable food items, to area shelters and other organizations will take on a more special meaning this year. Though she passed the torch
of organizing the event to her children a few years ago, Virginia “Ginny” Dexter, whose desire to teach her five children the true meaning of giving spawned the annual gathering, continued to be part of the volunteer efforts until she passed away earlier this year. Even though she is gone, Dexter’s message is still heard loud and Turn to page 14
NEW BEDFORD — It didn’t take Father Craig A. Pregana long to learn what most dog-owners already know: that canines are not pets, they are family. And it’s not easy when family is separated. While pastor of the Fall River Diocese’s mission in Guaimaca, Honduras, Father Pregana’s path crossed with those of two Rottweilers, and for the trio, things have never been the same. “While I was in Guaimaca, I felt I needed company in the rectory where I lived alone, and also felt the need for a bit of security,” Father Pregana told The Anchor. “In Guaimaca, when one calls the police, they don’t arrive as soon as possible as they do in the United States. “I wanted to get a Black Labrador, but there were none in the area. Someone in one of the local barrios had a Rottweiler puppy and I accepted it.” Father Pregana named the new arrival Olimpia, after the football (soccer) team located in Tegucigalpa. Soon after, another Rottweiler became available in the Honduran capital, and that’s when Tiago entered the mix. “I named the male Tiago,” Father Pregana explained. “My nephew Jamison suggested I name the dog after him and Tiago is Spanish for James.”
Father Pregana never owned a dog before, but quickly learned how loyal they are and how quickly they bond with the “Alpha Dog.” “They are not attack dogs, or mean,” he continued. “In fact they went to obedience school in Tegucigalpa. But they also are very protective of me. “One night we had a terrible
thunderstorm, and Olimpia was barking very much. She wouldn’t stop. I thought it was because of the storm, and that a large branch had fallen in the yard. It turned out that someone had broken into the rectory downstairs.” Father Pregana told The Anchor that life in the rectory with Turn to page 18
family portrait — Father Craig A. Pregana, center, was recently reunited with the family he left in Guaimaca, Honduras; Olimpia, left, and Tiago. The dogs are now at home at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford.
News From the Vatican
2
November 23, 2012
Pope says all Christians must face together challenge of secularization
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Sharing an obligation to spread the Good News of salvation in Christ, all Christian communities are challenged by the fact that many people today do not think they need God, Pope Benedict XVI said. “The spiritual poverty of many of our contemporaries, who no longer perceive the absence of God in their lives as a privation, represents a challenge for all Christians,” the pope said recently at a meeting with members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Pope Benedict said authentic ecumenical prayer, dialogue and cooperation cannot ignore “the crisis of faith that vast regions of the planet are experiencing,” nor can Christians ignore signs that many modern people still feel a need for some kind of spirituality. Efforts to reunite all Christians are an essential part of the New Evangelization, the pope said. Responding to the obligation to share the Gospel and to heal a divided Christianity, he said, every Christian must “return to the essential, to the heart of our faith, giving the world a witness of the living God, that is, a God Who knows us and loves us and in Whose gaze we live; a God Who awaits the response of our love in our everyday lives.”
Pope Benedict said the theological dialogues the Catholic Church is engaged in with other churches and Christian communities are important means of keeping the ecumenical focus on finding unity in the faith and not simply on trying to find ways to get along better. “Even when one cannot see in the immediate future a possibility for the re-establishment of full communion,” he said, the dialogues “allow us to become aware not only of resistance and obstacles, but also of the richness of experiences, spirituality and theological reflections that can become a stimulus for an ever deeper witness.” The pope said Jesus’ prayer that His disciples be one so the world would believe means that Christians cannot accept dividing differences as something normal. “It is full communion in faith, Sacraments and ministry that will make the present and active power of God concretely visible in the world,” he said. Opening the council’s plenary meeting, Cardinal Kurt Koch, council president, told members that the division within Christianity “damages its credibility in proclaiming the Gospel.” What is at stake, he said, is the credibility of Christianity as a whole and its ability to speak to modern men and women and to
influence the way they live and act. “The ecumenical process of overcoming the division of the Church cannot help but have a consequence on the relationship modern secular culture has with religion in general and with Christianity in particular,” Cardinal Koch said. Unfortunately, today, new Christian divisions are arising on the basis of differing approaches to moral and ethical questions, particularly regarding the safeguarding of human life from conception to death, he said. The new differences are leading to a “profound change” in the ecumenical landscape where Christians see how much unites them doctrinally while they witness deepening divisions in the area of ethics. “If the churches and Christian communities are not able to speak with one voice in the face of the great ethical problems of our age, that will harm Christian ecumenism and the credibility of the New Evangelization,” he said. At the same time, Cardinal Koch said, the loss of Christian credibility in the social sphere means that one of the major voices proclaiming and defending human dignity is becoming easier and easier to silence, which places all human beings at risk.
“Where God is eliminated from social life, there is also a strong risk that human dignity will be trampled,” he said, pointing to the example of the “mass exterminations” carried out by the Nazis and the Soviets. “The symptoms of this danger are tangible in our societies,” Cardinal Koch said. “In particular, one sees a strong loss of respect for life at the end and the beginning of its existence, directly tied to the disappearance of an awareness of God in the public sphere.” The cardinal cited an Austrian theologian who wrote that in modern Europe, laws give greater protection to objects than to human beings and that one should wish for the good fortune of “coming into the world as a car.” Ukrainian Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, a member of the council, told Catholic News Service that under Soviet control, most of the churches in Ukraine had no public voice and no way publicly to defend human dignity, which was under attack by the Soviet authorities. With the independence of Ukraine 20 years ago, he said, the churches “could manifest our Christian identity in a social and public way.” As the Soviet Union was falling apart, he said, Ukrainians
turned to the churches for guidance and hope. Unfortunately, he said, the divisions within Christianity — particularly within Ukraine’s Orthodox community — were deepening at the same time and “undermined their credibility.” Today in Ukraine, he said, the leaders of all the Christian churches join forces frequently to comment on issues of concern to the nation as a whole; “when they make their statements together, their voice is very strong.” While the churches are not united structurally or sacramentally, “we are united in action, especially on moral values, on family, defending the dignity of human life,” he said. Archbishop Shevchuk called for the “rediscovery of the religious roots of morality,” a task that has an ecumenical dimension because it begins with professing the belief that each human being was created in God’s image and that the dignity of human life was fully revealed in Christ’s becoming human. The archbishop said while secularization places challenges before the Church, the real danger is “the secularization of the Church” itself, which begins very concretely with Church members living and acting as if they aren’t Church members.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Church must educate people about the dangers and exploitation that go with life on the streets, said participants at a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers. Along with a commitment to educating young people, the participants also called for the re-education of men’s views of and attitudes toward women “as a means of safeguarding the dignity of women, young girls and children.” The recommendations were made at a meeting focused on the pastoral care of people who
live or work on the road or on the streets of Africa. The meeting was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, September 11-15. The Vatican recently released the conference’s final document. The conference covered how the Church can provide pastoral care and assistance to truck drivers, homeless people, prostitutes and street children. The final document called for the introduction of awareness programs in Catholic schools to further educate young people of the dangers of life on the streets. Special attention must be given to the “integral formation of
the youth with human and professional competence in order that they may live with responsibility toward themselves and society at large,” the final document said. The conference encouraged establishing “places of worship at bus and train stations, with a ministry of presence and coun-
seling.” In addition, the conference encouraged the use of mobile chaplains and lay ministers to spread the Word of God on the streets. Other recommendations included: seminary and religious formation programs to prepare future priests and religious to work on the streets of Africa; and
lobbying African governments to enforce law and order so as to protect the lives of innocent women and children. Conference participants said the Church’s mission is to evangelize, educate and liberate people “through spiritual renewal and human promotion in the spirit of Gospel values.”
Conference promotes Church outreach to people on the streets
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brotherly love — Pope Benedict XVI, accompanied by his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, left, attended a concert by the Sistine Chapel Choir in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
November 23, 2012
The International Church
a port in a storm — Comboni Sister Azezet Kidane, known as Sister Aziza, walks with a child in front of the African Refugee Development Center’s shelter in Tel Aviv, Israel, recently. The shelter for single mothers and pregnant women has been helping Eritrean women fleeing to Israel through Egypt. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill)
Comboni nun works to help Eritreans who were tortured, raped en route to Israel
TEL AVIV, Israel (CNS) — Comboni Sister Azezet Kidane is fluent in Amharic, Tigrit, Arabic and Sudanese dialects, so she was a natural choice when a shelter for African refugees needed help. It was only after the nun, known as Sister Aziza, began conducting interviews with Eritrean refugees that she realized the people she was talking to had been tortured. “It is a horror story what is happening,” she told Catholic News Service from the African Refugee Development Center’s shelter for single mothers and pregnant women in a low-income neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Shahar Shoham, director of migrants and statusless people at Physicians for Human Rights Is-
rael, said the first clue that something was happening in the Sinai Peninsula was the condition in which refugees arrived at their clinic in Tel Aviv. “They told us of torture and rape and we saw the scars of their torture. People who were shot by the Egyptian forces at the border started coming to our clinic,” said Shoham. “Sister Aziza is a blessing for us. People feel comfortable opening up to her,” she said. “The torture continues even now. As we are speaking it is happening.” In two-and-a-half years, Sister Aziza has taken testimony from some 1,500 refugees. As the Eritrean nun taps on the doors of the rooms, women greet her with hugs and kisses; a young girl runs
after her to clutch her hand as they walk down the street together. “I can’t say all of the people I’ve interviewed have been kidnapped and tortured, but most of them have been,” she said as she sat underneath the shade of a tree in a dusty lot next to the women’s shelter. “Sometimes the victims can’t even recount what happened to them and when you know what happened you can’t repeat it, it is shameful that a human being could do such a thing.” Many of the women who arrive at the shelter are pregnant from rape. Eritreans leave their country to escape poverty and forced military service for the authoritarian regime. In October, a delegation from
Lagos, Nigeria (CNA) — After his parish in southern Nigeria was desecrated on November 4, Msgr. Obiora F. Ike called on his parishioners to observe a week of prayer and penance. “Msgr. Ike has called for seven days of prayer, fasting, penance and reparation for the Christian faithful and for the conversion of these perpetrators,” according to a statement on his website. Around 2 a.m. on November 4, attackers entered St. Leo the Great parish in Enugu, vandalizing the building and destroying infrastructure and sacred items. Everything in the church was destroyed: the altar, sacred vessels, musical equipment, seats, the pulpit, statues, religious images, and the entire microphone system. The destruction included “the Blessed Sacrament that was desecrated,” according to Msgr. Ike’s statement. By 4 a.m. security agents ar-
rived at the parish and assessed the damage. According to Msgr. Ike, the damage done totals around $63,500. Sunday Mass at the parish was held outside “under the heavy sunshine.” Msgr. Ike’s sermon that day encouraged the congregation to “remain steadfast in their faith despite all the persecution, religious intolerance and fanaticism.” He also urged them to remain dedicated in prayer and forgive the perpetrators. A cached version of the parish website features prayers for peace, for Nigeria in distress, and against bribery and corruption in Nigeria. Father Paulinus I. Ogara, a priest of the Diocese of Enugu, told The Sun of Lagos that the attackers tagged the wall of the church with graffiti “warning against the worship of idols.” The reference to idolatry led to speculation on the Nigerian forum “Nairaland” that the attack
was perpetrated either by Protestant or Pentecostal Christians, or “it’s the Boko Haram in disguise? Maybe they want to set the Christians against themselves by making it look like it was done by other Christian faithful.” According to an Associated Press count, the Islamist group has been responsible for more than 690 killings this year alone. The attack on St. Leo’s follows an assault two weeks ago on Seat of Wisdom, another parish in Enugu, according to The Sun. Bishop Callistus V. Onaga of Enugu has called on Christians “to be alert and defend their faith and continue the struggle against all odds,” Msgr. Ike said. Enugu is located in the Christian-dominated south of Nigeria. Violence against Christians in the country is usually committed in the north, where the population is primarily Muslim. In 2006, the population of the Enugu diocese was 60 percent Catholic.
Nigerian Catholics respond to attack with prayer and fasting
the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Committee on Migration visited Egypt and reported that Eritrean refugees were being apprehended by Sudanese enforcement authorities while en route to Egypt. The authorities turn the refugees over to members of the Rashaida tribal clan, who sell them to Bedouin tribesman in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. A statement by Kevin Appleby, director of migration policy for the USCCB, said some 700 refugees were in captivity in the Sinai in mid-October. The refugees are subject to systematic rape and torture, he said. Egyptian and Israeli authorities are aware of the kidnapping rings but still the practice continues, he said. He urged the U.S. government to work with Egypt to identify the “torture houses,” rescue the refugees and consider them for “expedited resettlement.” He also said the U.S. should also encourage Israel to “uphold its responsibility as a signatory of the 1951 refugee convention and halt the practice of denying entry to refugees and deporting them to dangerous situations.” Physicians for Human Rights Israel reports that some 7,000 of Eritrean refugees have been held for ransom and tortured and raped at the hands of their Bedouin kidnappers. Another 4,000 people have died en route to Israel, either as a result of being smuggled, tortured, or shot by the Egyptian soldiers following a shoot-to-kill policy, the agency said. Israel is building a fence along its 150-mile southern border, cutting off the refugees’ escape from the Sinai into Israel. In March, Israel began building a new detention center in the south of the country; initially, the center will hold 8,000 people. At the Tel Aviv shelter, two Eritrean women — one visibly pregnant — sit at a metal tray set with coffee cups and grinder in front of the open door of their
3 sparsely furnished room. A blueand-green checked kitchen towel protects the last of their traditional round ambasha sweet bread from flies. The women offer visiting journalists a slice of ambasha, but they decline to be interviewed or photographed. The refugees are tired of journalists and being interviewed, Sister Aziza said. They see no concrete results from all the interviews they have given. “How many journalists, how many videos have been done but the world is silent,” said Sister Aziza, who was named a 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero by the U.S. State Department for her work exposing the situation. “Nothing changes, nothing gets better for them. It is only getting worse. They are disappointed with all the efforts.” Through Caritas Italy funding the Comboni Sisters have helped the women open a nursery for the young babies at the shelter so the mothers can work. In a separate basket-weaving workshop, women use their traditional skills to create colorful cloth baskets they sell. Sister Aziza’s phone number, which is passed around by word of mouth, is available 24 hours a day to refugees, human rights workers, diplomats and Israeli government agencies. The Israeli Prison Authority often contacts her for advice about underage refugees. The work of listening to the refugees’ stories is difficult, she said, and all she can do is be there for them to listen and then listen some more. Just a few days earlier she had gone on a 10-day retreat with a silent order near Jerusalem in order to gather her strength together to continue the work, she said. “Without prayer, I could not do this work,” she said. “I want people of the world to break the silence, but only God will be able to change the hearts of the people.”
The Church in the U.S.
4
November 23, 2012
New Evangelization calls all Catholics to share faith, says cardinal
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Church’s New Evangelization and its call to share the faith is the responsibility of all Catholics, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. “It’s our moment it’s our turn to share in this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, this new Pentecost,” he said. That sense of a “new Pentecost” unfolding in the Church, he said, was shared by the 250 bishops from around the world who participated in the world Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization convened by Pope Benedict XVI October 7-28. Cardinal Wuerl was appointed by the pope to serve as the relator of the synod, summarizing and reporting on the bishops’ suggestions and recommendations. In that role he introduced the synod’s work October 8 with a global overview of the challenge of evangelization today, and laid out the values that he said must be the foundation of the Church’s outreach. After his return to Washington, he gave an overview of the synod. On the first day of the U.S. bishops’ annual fall general assembly in Baltimore, a couple of the U.S. bishops who were synod delegates gave a brief report to the body of bishops. In a recent talk at the Catholic Information Center in downtown Washington, he gave an over-
view of the synod. Just as the first disciples were called by Jesus to be His witnesses, Cardinal Wuerl said, today’s Catholics must be witnesses to the Good News and help others encounter the risen Christ in a world where many have not heard the Gospel or have drifted away or grown lukewarm in their faith. The challenges that the early Church faced in bringing Christ to an indifferent or even hostile culture mirror those of our times, he said. “We have to inspire others with the witness of our own faith, by our own lives,” the cardinal said. Pope Benedict’s call to Catholics to take up the work of the New Evangelization is a key priority of his papacy, Cardinal Wuerl noted. “Who’s involved in the New Evangelization? The answer is, every one of us.” Bishops at the synod emphasized the central role of families in sharing the faith, the cardinal said. “It begins in families. The task of telling the story of Jesus, of passing it on begins in every family.” Young people have a key role in the New Evangelization, Cardinal Wuerl added. Many young Catholics, he said, realize there’s more to life than what the secular world offers. Cardinal Wuerl said the synod also underscored how people
This Message Sponsored by the Following Business Concern in the Diocese of Fall River Gilbert C. Oliveira Insurance Agency
must remain connected to the Church and its teachings as they deepen their own faith, grow in confidence in its truth, and share that truth with others. Bishops at the synod also emphasized that the New Evangelization must unfold at parishes, where people encounter Jesus sacramentally and hear the Word of God proclaimed. The synod “was positive, united and pastoral,” the cardinal said, and emphasized a practical, not a theoretical, approach for Catholics to take up that call. “We were there to talk about how to renew the face of the earth, to proclaim again that Jesus Christ is Lord, and invite people into that personal encounter” with Christ, he said. The cardinal said that Pope Benedict in his opening homily for the synod emphasized three elements of the New Evangelization. “The first element is recognizing the need for renewal of our own personal faith,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “You can’t participate in sharing something if it has not been renewed and revived in your own heart.” Prayer and studying Scripture, the cardinal said, are critically important to that personal
renewal of faith. “That’s how we learn of the presence of God in our lives.” With the renewal of faith comes a confidence in the truth of its message, which is the second element of the New Evangelization, the cardinal said. Recent generations of Catholics had poor catechesis, and many don’t understand what the Church teaches and lack confidence in what they believe, said the cardinal, who has encouraged Catholics to use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” as a sure guide for the Church’s authentic teaching. The third element, the cardinal noted, “is the willingness to share the faith. That’s probably where we’re the shyest. We Catholics tend to be reluctant evangelists. We’re so reluctant, even with friends, to talk about the important things. Young people are much more open to talking about the place of the Lord in our lives.” Especially in the face of today’s challenges — an ever-growing secularization of society, materialism and individualism, to name a few — today’s Catholics are called to pass on the faith, he said, so that people
come to know and love Jesus Who was crucified, rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church. On the opening day of the U.S. bishops’ annual fall general assembly November 12-15 in Baltimore, two archbishops who were U.S. delegates to the synod gave a brief report on the proceedings. Archbishops Gustavo GarciaSiller of San Antonio and Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles cited the presence of Pope Benedict at many sessions — and for considerable lengths of time — as a highlight. “The New Evangelization continues to be the task of communicating that experience to the people who have never met Christ (as well as) those who have heard of Jesus Christ but have never experienced Him as Living Water,” Archbishop Garcia-Siller said. He added the New Evangelization calls for “the locus of the parish as a unit of faith, where movements, and all pastoral endeavors, should meet.” Archbishop Gomez quipped that with the strict five-minute time limit given for synod speakers, “every time I come close to a microphone, I get really nervous.”
CCHD provides $500,000 grant to aid Hurricane Sandy victims
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Victims of Hurricane Sandy along the East Coast are getting an added boost in their recovery under a $500,000 grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The special grant will support “people coming together to reorganize the fabric of their communities,” Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif., chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, said in a recent statement released during the bishops’ an-
nual fall general assembly. The infusion of funds is designed to help “build a resilient support system for those most vulnerable to natural calamities, the poor,” he said. The subcommittee also introduced a national strategic grant program to address poverty-related issues. Bishop Soto described the initiative as an “innovative approach to poverty” that will complement CCHD’s existing program that supports community-based organizations. More than $2 million was approved by the committee to ad-
dress systemic causes of poverty and empower local communities to implement lasting solutions to the challenges they face. The new grant program is one of a series of actions developed under CCHD’s “review and renewal” in 2010 to empower low income communities. The effort will fund projects that focus on poverty and risk factors affecting family life and human dignity. CCHD officials are looking to fund proposals that “bring a holistic, pastoral approach” in addressing economic and psychosocial factors in family life. “Before our eyes today immigrants are exploited, the criminal justice system sucks our youth into its steely and broken logic, labor is weakened, families are torn apart by poverty and children bear the consequences, women without hope are tempted to abortion, homes are foreclosed, pensions robbed, the poor are denied access to credit and our natural resources are exploited. This is real poverty,” Bishop Soto said in explaining why the subcommittee established the new grant program. Under a timeline established by the CCHD staff, the first national strategic grants are expected to be announced in June.
The Church in the U.S. Bishops agree on need for better preaching, more penance
November 23, 2012
BALTIMORE (CNS) — During their annual fall general assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops voted down a document on the troubled U.S. economy, passed documents on penance and better preaching, and approved a reorganization of their Communications Department. On the assembly’s opening day, the bishops discussed the nation’s troubled economy and what their response to it should be, but a day later their proposed document, “The Hope of the Gospel in Difficult Times: A Pastoral Message on Work, Poverty and the Economy,” did not gain the two-thirds vote required for passage. When it was introduced November 12, some bishops criticized the document for being too long to be practical and for failing to include a variety of points and historical references. On the assembly’s second day, the bishops approved their first new document in 30 years on preaching. The document, “Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily,” encourages preachers to connect the Sunday homily with people’s daily lives. The document was prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, chaired by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis. When he introduced the document, the archbishop said preaching must be done “more
effectively in the context of the New Evangelization. Our people hunger for better preaching, preaching that would help them rediscover their faith.” The bishops also overwhelmingly approved — in a 236-1 vote — an exhortation encouraging Catholics to take advantage of the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation. The text was prepared by the bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, chaired by Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wis. The exhortation, to be made available in pamphlet form, will aim to ease the fears of Catholics who have not gone to Confession for some time. It will be made public in time to allow for dioceses to prepare for Lent 2013. The bishops also approved expanding the memorial for Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, a German-born Redemptorist priest who ministered throughout antebellum-era America for more than 20 years. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Ala., noted that Blessed Seelos ministered at a time when “immigrants were not welcomed well in many circumstances,” which he said has contemporary significance. The bishops approved a reorganization of their Communications Department that would include hiring a director of public affairs who would work to unify messages on the activities and stances of the USCCB — not
individual dioceses or bishops — and better carry out Church campaigns related to New Evangelization, according to Cardinal Dolan. Cardinal Dolan said the USCCB’s communications effort must take advantage of new communications technologies. The cost of hiring a public affairs director and support staff and other services is estimated at $400,000 annually, according to the supporting document. The plan calls for a reorganization of the Communications Department, which includes a media relations office, customer and client relations, creative services, which is responsible for online and video messages, and Catholic News Service. The bishops were also urged to broaden their support for their national collections. In a November 13 report, they heard that a decline in diocesan participation in these collections since 2009 has resulted in a loss of $8.7 million to Catholic programs that benefit from the collection. Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas, chairman of the Committee on National Collections, described the collections as “an important mechanism for mobilizing collective action in the Church universal and a way for all the faithful to participate in solidarity with the rest of the Church.” The bishops were initially scheduled to consider a document titled “Contemporary Chal-
Baltimore, Md. (CNA/ EWTN News) — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved a plan to draft an amended edition of the English-language Liturgy of the Hours for use in the United States. The conference’s Committee on Divine Worship, headed by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans, had recommended the action in light of new liturgical texts, including the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, the revised Grail Psalms and biblical canticles, and revision work begun by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy. The vote at the general assembly of bishops’ November 13 morning session in Baltimore involved only the Latin Rite bishops, who passed the proposal by 189 to 41, with one abstention. The preliminary vote means the Committee on Divine Worship will begin translation and editing. It will present a full draft to the conference when its work is completed. If approved, the draft would be submitted to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments for approval. The Liturgy of the Hours is a set of daily prayers that priests and religious are obliged to pray. Many lay Catholics also pray this Liturgy, which incorporates psalms, hymns and readings from Scripture and the Church fathers. The day’s prayers are set according to the Church calendar. The U.S. bishops’ conference will decide which elements of the new Liturgy of the Hours edition to replace or retranslate, except for the non-biblical readings of the Office of Readings which will remain in their current form. The new edition will include changes in light of the new edition of the Roman Missal. Hymns will use English translations of Latin hymns provided by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, which will also be consulted on translations of several regularly used prayers. The new edition’s psalms will come from the Revised Grail Psalter, translated by the Benedictines at Conception Abbey in Missouri. Canticles from the Old Testament,
the New Testament and the Gospel may use the current translation, an updated translation from the New American Bible, or new translations from Conception Abbey. Biblical readings will be adjusted according to approved texts. The current edition of the Liturgy of the Hours was published in 1975 and 1976 with a 1992 supplement.
U.S. bishops approve revisions to Liturgy of the Hours
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DECEMBER 1st & 2nd
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lenges and Opportunities for the Exercise of the Teaching Ministry of the Diocesan Bishop,” developed by the Committee on Doctrine. The document urged bishops to take advantage of new technologies — social media, blogging and cell phone technology — to respond and explain Church teaching when it is portrayed inaccurately, particularly by theologians. Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, committee chairman, decided to withdraw the document in favor of a more comprehensive statement in line with the bishops’ new communication plan and the ongoing work throughout the USCCB related to the New Evangelization. The bishops agreed in a voice vote to the appointment of a working group — made up of the committee chairmen for doctrine, evangelization and catechesis, and canonical affairs and Church governance — to draft the document. The bishops voted for a strategic plan that will guide the USCCB’s work for the next four years, a “road map” to shape conference programs and activities to strengthen the faith of Catholics and help them actively live out their faith. During the first year, the focus will be on faith and activities closely tied to the Year of Faith. In 2014 and 2015, initiatives will strengthen parish life and worship. The final year calls for Catholics to be witnesses to the wider world. The bishops also approved a 2013 budget of $220.4 million and agreed to add a national collection for the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. The budget for 2013 represents a 1.3 percent increase from 2012. The new collection for the military archdiocese would begin in 2013. Under the plan, it would be taken voluntarily in parishes every three years.
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Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., USCCB treasurer, said the 2013 budget includes a surplus totaling more than $749,000. He also told the bishops that there was a projected surplus of $250,000 for 2014, meaning there was no need to seek an increase in the annual diocesan assessment for USCCB operations. In his presidential address to open the assembly, Cardinal Dolan told the bishops they cannot engage culture, dialogue with others or confront challenges unless they first recognize their own sins and experience the grace of repentance. The cardinal also said the Sacrament of Penance was something the USCCB planned to stress for all Catholics yearround with reflections on reembracing Friday as a day of penance, including the possible reinstitution of abstinence on all Fridays. The bishops’ assembly, which opened nearly a week after Election Day, included discussions about religious liberty, Marriage and immigration. In a statement issued November 13, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, as chair of the migration committee chair, urged President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to work together on a bipartisan immigration reform bill. He also encouraged people to make their voices heard in support of an immigration system “which upholds the rule of law, preserves family unity and protects the human rights and dignity of the person.” During a news conference just after the statement was released, several bishops underscored their support for immigration reform. The bishops’ assembly, which opened nearly a week after Election Day, also included discussions about religious liberty and Marriage.
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The Anchor Immigration reform after the election
Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles spoke (on page four of this edition of The Anchor) about the anxiety he felt going to a microphone, due to the strict five-minute time limit imposed on speakers at the recent Synod of Bishops meeting on the New Evangelization held at the Vatican in October. However, that anxiety does not seem reflected in speaking out on difficult subjects. He urges his listeners to be intrepid in their defense of human life from conception to natural death. Back during the Fortnight for Freedom, around July 4, when we were praying to be freed from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mandate requiring religious institutions to fund abortifacients and contraception, Archbishop Gomez said, “The greatest threat to our freedom of religion doesn’t come from our government or from forces in our secular society. The greatest threat we face comes from our own lack of faith and our own lack of courage. We need to love God more and more!” In other words, he was reminding us Catholics of our responsibility to be counter-cultural, to truly trust in God and defend the human lives that have been created in God’s image and likeness. Because we Catholics (and other Christians, although the members of some denominations are much better than we are in defending human life) often fail to do so, we are in the present situation. Since Archbishop Gomez has true Pro-Life bona fides, he can speak on other issues with a clear conscience that he is not somehow accidentally promoting politicians who support the culture of death. He is just being a consistent Catholic, promoting human dignity in all spheres of existence. Last week at the meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Gomez issued a challenge. “In light of the unprecedented bipartisan support for comprehensive immigration reform expressed during the last week, I call upon President Obama and congressional leadership to work together to enact bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform in 2013. I am heartened by the recent public statements of the leaders of both political parties supporting the consideration of comprehensive immigration reform in the new Congress. I urge the president and Congress to seize the moment and begin the challenging process of fashioning a bipartisan agreement. For decades, the U.S. Catholic bishops have advocated for a just and humane reform of our nation’s immigration system. We have witnessed the family separation, exploitation, and the loss of life caused by the current system. Millions of persons remain in the shadows, without legal protection and marginalized from society. As a moral matter, this suffering must end. I invite our fellow Catholics and others of good will to make their voices heard in support of this important issue. I encourage our elected officials to work toward the creation of a system which upholds the rule of law, preserves family unity, and protects the human rights and dignity of the person.” Here at The Anchor we know that supporting what Archbishop Gomez said above will not be popular. Some people are very angry at the Hispanic electorate for voting to re-elect President Obama and they feel that Hispanics should not be “rewarded” by “giving” them immigration reform. However, for one thing, those who voted were not the undocumented immigrants, but American citizens (many of whom were born in Puerto Rico and now live on the mainland, and so can vote [if someone from Massachusetts or another state moved to Puerto Rico and changed their voting address to there, that person would not be able to vote for president]). Some people have expressed anger that supposedly the churches (Catholic and Pentecostal) had not done enough to encourage Hispanics to vote according to the “non-negotiable” issues having to do with life and Marriage. Each priest would have to examine his own conscience on that. However, the negative tone which some Hispanics felt from some Republicans made it harder to convince them to ignore their feelings and realize that human lives were at stake in the election. Some Republicans seem to have used the famous “Etch-a-sketch” after the election and are now coming out in favor of immigration reform, so as to save their party from demographic oblivion. Cynicism goes both ways, since many people believe that the Democratic Party did nothing to foster immigration reform when it held both houses of Congress and the presidency for two years (2009 and 2010) and only this summer began to work on the issue, so as to scare Hispanics about a future under a Republican president. The channel Univision challenged the president about this in an interview earlier in the fall. Whether politicians are coming out for immigration reform because they really believe in it or because they just want to try to gain a few votes in the next election is irrelevant to us Catholics (the same is true for us on other issues. If a candidate is Pro-Life, we don’t care why. We are just grateful to have an ally. The other side does the same thing. That’s politics). On page three we have an article about the work of Comboni Sister Azezet Kidane with refugees from Eritrea who now live in Israel. It is heartbreaking to read about how the people were oppressed in Eritrea, then tortured and attacked while crossing through Sudan and Egypt, then face the construction of a fence on the Israel-Egypt border on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula. One could easily change Eritrea for Guatemala (or many other lands “south of the border”), Egypt for Mexico and Israel for the United States. A common denominator is the presence of the Catholic Church serving as an agent of love and mercy. If we can understand the plight of these people in Africa, how can we not understand the plight of our fellow Americans? Blessed John Paul II stressed that we are “one America.” As Catholics we are supposed to be one in the Lord. How can we not love these brothers and sisters in Christ? In his message for the World Day of Migration (which is observed by the Church annually during the week after the feast of the Epiphany, when we recall Jesus, Mary and Joseph on their flight into Egypt to escape King Herod the Great) in 1996, Blessed John Paul wrote, “The Church considers the problem of illegal migrants from the standpoint of Christ, Who died to gather together the dispersed children of God (cf. Jn 11:52), to rehabilitate the marginalized and to bring close those who are distant, in order to integrate all within a communion that is not based on ethnic, cultural or social membership, but on the common desire to accept God’s Word and to seek justice. ‘God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him’ (Acts 10:34-35).” The Catholic Church is not for “open borders,” since each country does have a right to control its reality. However, the pope added, “Due to the considerable proportions reached by the illegal migrant phenomenon, legislation in all the countries involved should be brought into harmony, also for a more equitable distribution of the burdens of a balanced solution.” He noted that the problem will not be solved until the precarious situations in the countries of origin are resolved. Since the United States (its government and companies from the U.S.) has so much influence in Latin America, we cannot just build a fence and think that everything will be fine, ignoring the suffering on the other side of the fence. Blessed John Paul issued us a challenge. “In the Church no one is a stranger, and the Church is not foreign to anyone, anywhere. As a sacrament of unity and thus a sign and a binding force for the whole human race, the Church is the place where illegal immigrants are also recognized and accepted as brothers and sisters. It is the task of the various dioceses actively to ensure that these people, who are obliged to live outside the safety net of civil society, may find a sense of brotherhood in the Christian community.” May we live this out at Mass and in our advocacy with our politicians.
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November 23, 2012
The narrow door to salvation
uring the month of November, which happy; Jesus says we need to be poor in spirit begins with All Saints’ Day and the and treasure God’s Kingdom. The world says Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, we need to be laughing and having a good Catholics are called to meditate on the last time; Jesus says we need to be so sensitive we things, death, judgment, Heaven and hell. mourn over other’s misfortune and sins. The This is something that Catholics are doing world says we need to be strong and pulverize far less of today, not only because of a phobia whoever gets in our way; Jesus says we need of death, but also because many no longer to be meek, merciful and peacemakers. The think death and hell are relevant. Most people world says happiness demands having all our think, rather, that everyone gets to Heaven — sexual fantasies fulfilled and living like Hugh except perhaps serial killers, public smokers Hefner; Jesus says blessed are the pure in and those who gulp soft drinks larger than 16 heart. The world insists we need to be popular ounces in New York City. and respected by everyone; Jesus says we’ll But this is a very dangerous error — in fact be blessed when we’re reviled, persecuted, a heresy, universalism — that carries with it calumniated and killed on His behalf. How potentially the most serious of eschatological many are really walking with Jesus on the consequences. narrow road of the Beatitudes, and how many Jesus once was asked how many would be are on the very easy boulevard leading away saved. He didn’t respond by giving a number from Him? or even a relative percentage, because He Likewise, how many Catholics seriously hadn’t come to die on the cross to satisfy our agonize to meet Jesus in the Sacraments He’s curiosities. He replied by answering not how founded? Are there more Catholics coming to many would be saved but how to be saved: Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obliga“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for tion or not? Regularly receiving His mercy many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not in the Sacrament of Penance or not? Passionbe able” (Lk ately spreading 13:24). the Gospel in The word response to the translated as Sacrament of “strive” is the Confirmation or Greek word to not? How many “agonize.” To are agonizing to get to Heaven, remain on the By Father in other words, moral path of Roger J. Landry we need to the Commandagonize, like ments that Jesus Jesus did in the said leads to life Garden of Gethsemane, to conform our will versus how many are regularly, unrepentantly to the Father’s. We need to work harder than and mortally breaking one or more of them? an undrafted free agent gives everything he’s When we consider these relative trends got in Patriots’ training camp to make the cut. and note how many times Jesus in the Gospel The width of the narrow door to Heaven is the preached about the judgment and about hell, span of a needle’s eye, the girth of the cross, does it make any sense at all that many presomething that is anything but easy to pass sume that the final exam of life is an easy-A through. and almost everyone goes to Heaven? Jesus told us that many will seek to enter One of the most common things people through the narrow door but not make it. They say today after someone has died is that the will be left outside the door, pleading, “We ate deceased is “now in a better place,” regardless and drank in Your presence and You taught in of the way the person lived or died. Those our streets,” and remembering, ‘Did we not who say such things normally mean well, but prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons they have no grounds whatsoever for making in Your name, and do many miracles in Your such a statement. Jesus told us emphatically name.” Jesus says that God will then reply, “I not to judge and to leave all the judging to never knew you” (Lk 13:25-27; Mt 7:21-23). Him. This certainly means, most people Jesus is emphasizing that it’s not enough recognize, not to judge people to be in hell, to have heard Him speak. It’s not sufficient because no matter how wicked their deeds to have eaten and drunk with Him, even the may have been — and Jesus clearly wants us Holy Eucharist. It’s not adequate to proclaim to judge deeds like murder, adultery, and lying the Gospel in His name, do exorcisms or even to be evil — we cannot see the person’s heart work miracles. After all, Judas Iscariot did and soul. all of these things, but he never really knew But Jesus is also saying that we cannot Who Jesus was. We need to enter into intimate judge someone to be in Heaven, because no friendship and communion with Him. We matter how good a person’s external deeds need to follow Him not just on the outside, seemed to be, we likewise can’t see the heart but on the inside. We need to become His true and soul. The only exceptions to this would be friend. a baptized infant and a canonized saint, someJesus never answered the question of how one whose presence in Heaven God certifies, many would be saved, but He did give us so to speak, by the working of miracles that a snapshot of how many are heading in the God alone can do in response to prayers made direction of Heaven and how many on the through that deceased person’s intercession. path to hell. After stressing the need to enter So we can certainly hope that someone through the narrow door, He added, “For the who has died is in a better place — namely in door is wide and the road is easy that leads the best place of all, with God in Heaven — to destruction and those who enter by it are but we can’t judge a person to be there and we many. And the door is narrow and the road is shouldn’t say it. Not only is it possible that we hard that leads to life, and those who find it are could be dead wrong, but we just contribute to few” (Mt 7:13-14). the universalist heresy that all roads — includThis is not necessarily a picture of the way ing the broad, easy road to perdition — end everything ends up — because the whole mis- up in the same place. And we make it less sion of the Church is to try to rescue people likely that people on perdition alley will agofrom the broad, easy, congested “highway nize to convert and to follow Jesus along the to hell” and lead them to the narrow, uphill, only path that we can be sure leads to life. way of the cross that leads to life — but it is a God loves us and indeed wants all to be striking image, given to us by Jesus Himself, saved, but we need to love Him back and work about the way the vast majority of people are out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil trending. 2:12). November is a month to remember this A quick glance at the practice of the Beati- central truth and recommit ourselves to what tudes, the Sacraments, and the Ten Command- it takes to pass through the narrow door that ments shows us why Jesus’ point is as valid leads to life. May God help us all! today as two millennia ago. Father Landry is Pastor of St. Bernadette The world says we need to be rich to be Parish in Fall River.
Putting Into the Deep
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n this article, we will consider the next person to knock at our “Door of Faith” — Jesus Christ. Throughout the year, we can consider images of Jesus during His life — how He was born, how He traveled through the countryside teaching and healing, how He was beaten and killed, and how He was resurrected from the dead. However, this weekend, we will celebrate Jesus as King of Heaven and Earth. This feast, in the Pre-Conciliar calendar, was meant to remind people, especially earthly rulers, that Jesus is the only true King. After the Second Vatican Council, when the feast was moved to the last weekend in November, the theme transitioned from Jesus as earthly ruler to Jesus as Divine Judge. As Pope Benedict has called for a mutual enrichment between the two rites, the two themes of the feast of Christ the King can direct us to open our doors of faith to Jesus.
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The Anchor
November 23, 2012
When the King comes knocking
Jesus Christ the King, arrayed — His humility and His ability in fine linens and gold crown, to see our hearts as they truly continually humbles Himself to are — were made very clear come be with us. While earthly to me on Election Day. I am rulers usually come to our doors trying to take (especially taxes!), Jesus comes to give us something. He comes to give us the grace of faith, that special grace By Father to answer His call to William Sylvia be with Him. He also gives us the strength and courage to live out that faith in our world. not referring to the candidates, As King, Jesus also has the but to Question 2 on the Masresponsibility to judge us when sachusetts ballot. Question 2 we approach Him after death. He would have allowed citizens of measures our hearts and weighs this Commonwealth to comour consciences to see if we really mit physician-assisted suicide. have God dwelling in us — that Thank God it was struck down. sanctifying grace that will allow However, Pro-Lifers and all us to see God face to face. I imag- Christians should count this as a ine the scales tip for every person, small win. The ballot tally was their deeds, good and bad, bal51 percent against the bill, 49 anced by their hardness of heart percent for the bill passing. The that developed because of sin. fact that the margin was so small These two aspects of Jesus tells me two things about the
Living Our Year of Faith
people of Massachusetts: there are a lot of people who are in pain or are affected by someone in pain; and these people, either sick or bystander, do not know how to deal with this pain. I fear the people of Massachusetts are so ill-equipped for suffering that they will oppose Jesus as King, throwing away His gifts of humility and mercy. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” reminds us that faith will be tested (CCC 164). The ideal of Heaven is marred by the reality of an earth so torn apart by the effects of original sin. We see God only dimly now, but hope to see Him clearly when we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The “Catechism” recommends that during this time of trial, we look to witnesses of faith (CCC 165), such as Moses or Mary. Certainly we can look to the example of Pope John Paul II or
even Cardinal Bernadin as contemporary models. Seeing how they modeled their faith on that of Jesus Christ the King, a faith based on humility and mercy, we can be strengthened knowing that suffering and pain can be a time of great grace, a time for building faith. We as citizens of Massachusetts can learn from faith how to deal with pain. So, how do we prepare to receive Jesus Christ, our King, when He comes to our “door of faith”? We pray for those who are constantly suffering because of illness. We can visit the sick or elderly in nursing homes. We can reflect on how our faith helps us get through the tough times of our lives and share those experiences with those whose faith is faltering. And, ultimately, we can prepare ourselves by receiving the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Father William Sylvia is technical assistant at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis.
Abundant Hope celebrates with evening of laughter
By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent
ATTLEBORO — Mike Williams does not take himself or the Pro-Life cause too seriously. An anti-abortion comedian on satellite radio, he makes light of grave issues. “We need to learn to laugh. We need to lighten up,” he said. “The Bible says a merry heart does good like a medicine. Laughter is good for the soul.” Williams spoke at the third annual Celebrate Life Fundraising Dinner for Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Attleboro, which opened 20 months ago. The event was held at La Salette Shrine. Williams recounted stories about what he called “the stupidity of the world.” He contrasted the recent decisions by boards of education in 21 states to ban games of dodge ball and tag in school with his own childhood playing with lawn darts. Quickly bored with the proper use of lawn darts, one day he and his cousins improvised. “Twelve lawn darts. Six cousins. Do the math: one for each hand. We formed a circle, and at the count of three, we would throw them as hard and as high as we could — straight up in the air — and run around in a circle, experiencing the grace and mercy of God in our lives,” he said. Williams took a lawn dart
to the shoulder and was instructed by his father to, “Pull it out, and walk it off.” Now, parents and educators worry about comparably harmless children’s games. Williams urged his audience to thank God when they are able to comprehend how ridiculous the world can be. Taking such frustrations lightly reduces stress. “How could our lives be different if we could learn to laugh in the middle of the mess?” he asked. Turning the jokes on himself several times during the evening, Williams explained the choice of him as the speaker with the quip, “I’m who you could afford.” He urged those gathered to give more this year in order to get “somebody good” at next year’s banquet. Williams has spent the last 11 years speaking at similar events and currently does about 70 banquets a year. He said pregnancy resource centers fundamentally change local Pro-Life communities all over the country. In Evansville, Ind., three abortion clinics have closed since the resource center came to town. Once women facing crisis pregnancies found support, the clinics went out of business. He called the millions lost to abortion in the U.S. a tragedy. For just $3 a day, one abortion-minded mother will get the support she needs to
choose life for her child. Crisis pregnancy centers must receive the donations necessary to help these women so that lives can be saved in every political climate, he said. “Nothing compares to this. It’s our country. It’s on our watch. And I don’t want to stand before the Father one day having done nothing,” he said. Williams, himself adopted, adopted a son through a pregnancy resource center. Melissa Hathaway, Abundant Hope’s director for the last nine months, also has personal reasons for supporting pregnancy resource centers. She was once a single mother who found herself pregnant for the third time after being raped by a boyfriend. At the dinner, she shared her story and received a standing ovation. In the Abundant Hope office, Hathaway often incorporates her own experiences when counseling women. She wants them to understand that she faced a similar situation and, in keeping her daughter, made the best decision of her life. “All life is precious and valuable,” she said. Abundant Hope serves an average of 35 women each month. They provide baby food, clothing and free pregnancy tests. They offer mothers support groups and postabortion counseling. In the coming year, the center’s staff would like to add
to the 26 hours per week the office is currently open. They want to offer a women’s mentoring program and a men’s support group. They hope to become a medical facility and offer free ultrasounds to pregnant women. They are in need
of ongoing financial support. For a center that opened less than two years ago, they have accomplished much and have high hopes for the future. Hathaway said of the center’s expansions, “God’s doing it slowly, but it’s happening.”
Revised and updated ...
2012-2013 Diocese of Fall River Catholic Directory ... NOW SHIPPING !! Published by The Anchor Publishing Company P.O. Box 7, Fall River, Massachusetts 02722 Please ship _____ directories x $18 each, including shipping and handling. Total Enclosed $_____ NAME ____________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________ CITY _____________________ STATE _______ ZIP _____ Please make checks payable to “Anchor Publishing” For more information, email theanchor@anchonews.org, call 508-675-7151, or order online at www.anchornews.org
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t seems strange that we should celebrate a feast day called “Christ the King” for a Man Who clearly asked not to be considered a king, nor to be worshipped, but only followed. Jesus insists in the Gospel that He is not a king, at least in the way we commonly understand kingship. In a sense, the only one, at least at some level, who understands Jesus’ kingship and kingdom, is Pilate, if only by contrast. Pilate clearly knew what it meant to be a king, as well as the obligations of its subjects in it. Jesus had no interest in such a world, nor was He about to give it any attention. This is why Pilate finds no guilt in Him. In the Gospel the exchange between Jesus and Pilate ends with Jesus explaining that He is to testify to the truth and that those who belong to that truth listen
November 23, 2012
The Anchor
Living right now what matters forever
to His voice. Jesus’ voice Loyal subjects in this is best expressed in the Kingdom are people who Sermon on the Mount, can let go of the need for which is the only sermon self-justification, and the Jesus ever gave, and a need to be right. Instead, short one at that. In it, they enter into a process He describes the essence of self-emptying by letof the Kingdom of God and the qualities of the subjects Homily of the Week who live in that Feast of Kingdom. It was a Christ the King radical departure By Deacon from business as Bruce J. Bonneau usual; it created values for a new world order, and it became the blueprint for ting go of their kingdoms those who would follow and by making a more God’s dream for us. spacious place for God’s. The last line in this The subjects are gentle passage, although omitted in their response to those from this week’s Goswho mourn, who are bropel, is Pilate’s question, ken and who are in pain. “What is truth?” The truth They are those who are of God’s Kingdom is not engaged in lives of simabout outward authority, plicity, not in complicated power, and prestige, but and sophisticated lives the power of the indwellproposed by kings and ing presence of God kingdoms that quickly known in the Person of and easily sell preferenJesus and His followers. tial desires as love.
It seems those who are able to at least glimpse the Kingdom and its King, are those who see with their hearts. A basic principle in Franciscan spirituality is that you can only really know that which you first love. You can only know the truth if you first fall in love with the truth. For us, the truth is not an idea or a system, it is the Person of Jesus. When we see with that truth in our hearts, we see the world and everything in it quite differently. We see that people are in fact good, that certain things do matter, and that life has meaning. Perhaps that is the answer to Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” Today, if we were to ask where is God’s Kingdom, more often than not, we would look to the
future. The Kingdom of God is not meant to be an evacuation plan for the future, and although incomplete, it is for those who can hear His Words and follow them now. Followers of Christ the King realize that you do not get into His Kingdom; you can only be in His Kingdom. Christ our King teaches us that His Kingdom is living right now what matters forever. And what matters forever are the places where love is freely given and freely received. It is as simple and as difficult as that. Deacon Bonneau serves at St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven; is the assistant director of Adult Evangelization and Spirituality for the diocesan Faith Formation Office; and works with the diocesan Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Nov. 24, Rv 11:4-12; Ps 144:1-2,9-10; Lk 20:27-40. Sun. Nov. 25, Feast of Christ the King, Dn 7:13-14; Ps 93:12,5; Rv 1:5-8; Jn 18:33b-37. Mon. Nov. 26, Rv 14:1-3,4b-5; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 21:1-4. Tues. Nov. 27, Rv 14:14-19; Ps 96:10-13; Lk 21:5-11. Wed. Nov. 28, Rv 15:1-4; Ps 98:1-3,7-9; Lk 21:12-19. Thurs. Nov. 29, Rv 18:1-2,21-23;19:1-3,9a; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 21:20-28. Fri. Nov. 30, Rom 10:9-18; Ps 19:2-5; Mt 4:18-22.
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ighteenth-century British Jacobites wistfully toasted “the king over the water,” referring to exiled King James II, his successors, and the Jacobite hope for a Stuart restoration to the throne of the United Kingdom. Throughout the pontificate of John Paul II, the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Carlo Maria Martini, S.J., was a kind of “king over the water” for Catholics of the portside persuasion — the pope who should-have-been and might-yet-be. That never happened (although the progressives at the conclave of 2005 implausibly ran Cardinal Martini, then ill with Parkinson’s disease, in a failed attempt to block the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger). But longing for the lost cause continued. Thus the day after his death this past September, Italy’s leading newspaper, Milan’s Corriere della Sera, published an interview with Cardinal Martini, conducted a few weeks before his death; evidently, the archbishop-emeritus
200 years behind what?
put an embargo on the intercourage?” view, such that it could only be To which one wants to reply, published after he died. with all respect, “Two hundred In the interview (immediate- years behind what?” A western ly dubbed his “spiritual testaculture that has lost its grasp ment” by his admirers), Caron the deep truths of the human dinal Martini described the Church in Europe and America as “tired,” and asked, “Where among us are the heroes from whom we can draw inspiration?” The burning “coals” of the By George Weigel Church, Martini continued, were hidden under piles of ashes; indeed, there is “so much ash on top condition? A culture that celeof the coals that I am often brates the imperial autonomous assailed by a sense of powerself? A culture that detaches lessness. How can the coals sex from love and responsibilbe freed from the ashes so as ity? A culture that breeds a to reinvigorate the flame of politics of immediate gratifilove?” The cardinal went on to cation and inter-generational propose, quite rightly, that true irresponsibility, of the sort that reform in the Church is always has paralyzed public policy in reform inspired by Word and Italy and elsewhere? “Why in Sacrament. But then, at the the world,” to repeat the late end of the interview, came the cardinal’s question, would the money-quote: “The Church is Church want to catch up with 200 years behind. Why in the that? world does it not rouse itself? As for the question, “Where Are we afraid? Fear instead of are the heroes?” Cardinal
The Catholic Difference
Martini seemed unaware of, or puzzled by, or perhaps even unhappy with, the heroic witness of the man who created him cardinal after naming him successor to St. Ambrose in Italy’s most prestigious see: John Paul II, whose faith and courage continue to inspire the liveliest parts of the Catholic world in Europe and America (John Paul, for his part, gave Martini’s commentary on the First Letter of Peter to the cardinals gathered for the pope’s silver jubilee in 2003, as an appendix to a replica of the Bodmer Papyrus copy of the “first encyclical”). Nor was John Paul alone as an exemplar of Christian heroism during the Martini years in Milan: years in which, to take but two examples, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko became the martyr-priest of Solidarity and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta completed her singular witness to the “flame of love” the cardinal thought buried under ashes.
For all his brilliance, Cardinal Martini, like many on the Catholic left, never seemed to grasp that the secular culture with which Vatican II hoped to open a dialogue was not the secular culture that emerged in Europe in the aftermath of the upheavals of 1968. The new secularism was not open to the possibility of transcendent truth, as the secularism of, say, Albert Camus had been. The new secularism was embittered, aggressive and narrowminded. It was not so much interested in dialogue as in cultural hegemony. And it is now firmly committed to driving the Catholic Church out of public life throughout the western world. There is no need to lament being “behind” that. The Catholic challenge is to get ahead of that soul-withering ideology, and convert those in thrall to it by example and persuasive argument. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
November 23, 2012
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Distinguishing fact from fiction about Catholicism
s the Catholic Church really 1) opposed to science, 2) indifferent to people’s freedom and happiness, 3) misogynistic, 4) fixated on contraception, 5) homophobic, 6) without a rational basis for opposing same-sex marriage, and 7) in denial about the connection between priestly celibacy and pedophilia? Of course, if any of these claims were true, one would be hardpressed to continue being a faithful Catholic. And, indeed, judging from the fallingaway of many of our Catholic brothers and sisters over the past decade, these popular legends about Catholicism have acquired some trac-
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The Anchor tion. Fortunately, my brilliant “Kaczor loves his enemy” — friend, philosophy professor Patrick Coffin. Indeed, one Christopher Kaczor of Loyola of the hallmarks of this short Marymount University, has book is that Chris Kaczor, written a powerful book disin the finest scholastic tradisecting these myths. Just published by Ignatius Press, “The Seven Big Myths about the Catholic Church” lives up to its book blurbs: “Essential Reading By Dwight Duncan for the New Evangelization”—Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles; “Full of clarity tion, honestly examines the and charity” — Peter Kreeft; claims of those who attack “Not only an engaging read, the Church and is thoughtful but a splendid conversational and considerate, even loving, resource” — J. Budziszewski; in his treatment of them. At a
Judge For Yourself
Setting sail for Pleasure Island
cal capital was spent on just lmost two 2,000 such a project. Moreover, the years ago, the Roman bill that eventually passed historian Livy assessed the bulldozed the rights of situation in Rome by noting, any who disagreed with its “We can bear neither our vices inherent immoral mandates. nor the remedies.” This comThe Democratic National ment was highlighted recently Convention made clear its on the blog of a well-known unwavering support for aborpriest, who saw similarities tion on demand, tax-payer between the decline of Rome funded contraceptives, and and the current state of affairs same-sex marriage — and in the United States. Was he overreacting? Many conservative pundits have been wringing their hands since the election over polling samples, computer programs By Genevieve Kineke that misread voting trends, the priorities of the Romney campaign, its ranks have grown. What the third debate strategy, the political advisors have had to timing of Hurricane Sandy, come to grips with is the fact and what the media hid about that there are simply more Benghazi. For all their intenDemocrats than Republicans sity, I think their energies are — not your grandfather’s misdirected — they are reparty, mind you, but today’s duced to rearranging the deck party that has locked its arms chairs on a sinking ship. This around a host of ethically wasn’t about campaign strateindefensible positions. gies; it was about the moral Furthermore, the prior fiber of America. claim that no states had apPresident Obama hid nothproved same-sex marriage ing about his moral proclivities ballot initiatives no longer in the presidential campaign. holds. Despite a previously Despite what voters may or unbroken line of successes in may not have read into the 30 states, we witnessed three Democrat candidate of 2008, states approving the “right” for this year the incumbent openly same-sex couples to attempt embraced Planned Parenthood, matrimony — including MarySandra Fluke, rapper Jay-Z, a land, which was specifically host of Hollywood stars and founded in the 17th century to television personalities — provide a haven for England’s even as urgent issues loomed persecuted Roman Catholic concerning the economy and minority. international affairs. He reFrom persecution to marminded us that it was about his ginalization to mainstream own daughters, and the world — even beyond the Free he wanted them to inherit. State, today’s Catholics were From the outset, he had indistinguishable from the rest promised a health care of the population, supportbill, and enormous politi-
The Feminine Genius
ing a host of morally repugnant stances that would have shocked even the most Deist founding fathers. What was the alternative? President Obama made contraception the centerpiece of his campaign, trying to scare women into believing that his opponent would limit their reproductive options. That led Governor Romney to promise: “Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives”; which underlines the new normal — along with promiscuity, cohabitation, crumbling marriages, and the hook-up culture that flows from it. Behold the modern world! Pope John Paul II wisely wrote in Evangelium Vitae, “We get the public officials we deserve. Their virtue — or lack thereof — is a judgment not only on them, but on us,” and this reflects the freedom God allows His beloved children. St. Paul remarked: “although they knew God they did not accord Him glory as God or give Him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise they became fools. Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies” (Rom 1:21-24). Despite the lack of virtue currently on display, Christians should never despair. The next column will be full of sweetness and light — promise! Mrs. Kineke can be found online at feminine-genius. com.
time when the Obama Administration has all but declared war on the Catholic Church through its HHS contraceptive mandate, Kaczor’s work betrays not a trace of odium theologicum (theological hatred, the vituperative character of much theological controversy throughout history). Taking my cue from Boston College’s famous apologist Peter Kreeft, who calls the chapter on contraception a “masterpiece,” “the most simple, commonsensical, winsome, and persuasive I have ever seen,” let us examine that chapter: Kaczor asks, “Why in the world would anyone, for any reason, view contraception as problematic, let alone morally wrong?” He begins by asking whether fertility is a curse or a blessing, considering procreation from the threefold perspective of erotic love, friendship, and eternal happiness in Heaven. In that regard, he thinks it important to distinguish between mere sexual attraction and erotic love. “One major difference is that those who are merely attracted wish for sexual union, but those who are in love yearn for sexual union and a lot more. “There is also an exclusivity to erotic love that is not shared by sexual attraction. Those who are in love yearn for the beloved alone. Although use of contraception makes perfect sense in terms of mere sexual attraction, contraception actually undermines, rather than accords with, the nature of erotic love. Erotic love — by its very
nature — is a drive toward deeper unity with the beloved, and children are a wonderful manifestation of the unity between husband and wife.” What about the relationship between having children and marital friendship? Kaczor argues that “when children are in a Marriage, the husband and wife have an extra incentive to work things out, to forgive each other, and to reconcile, despite their disagreements and differences.” Children also entail more shared activity of husband and wife. Furthermore, “whatever ups and downs come in the child’s life, and there are many of both, the husband and wife share them together.” Raising children together also gives a married couple plenty of occasions to practice virtue and live for others. Finally, and most importantly, “children actually help parents receive the most important good of all — eternal happiness.” Children help parents to live the Commandments and to follow the teachings of Jesus. “Every parent literally fulfills the tasks listed by Jesus. When children are hungry, we give them something to eat. When children are thirsty, we give them something to drink.” Of course, I have no more than sketched the outline of Kaczor’s superb chapter on contraception. Get his book as a timely antidote to the anti-Catholic stereotypes that pervade popular culture and that, if unchecked, will chill and eventually corrode our faith and our path to Heaven. Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.
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t’s Black Friday. This is the day when you go shopping for all the great deals, and then, when you come home, you check all your limbs to make sure they’re still there and that no one ripped one off in the process of pawing at a “blue-light” special. Frankly, I find Black Friday disgusting. Not for the fact that folks are trying to save a few bucks. That much I admire. It’s the reason people are trying to save a buck. If getting up while the sun is still asleep to head to the public markets and trample over others to get the best deal is in celebration of the birth of our Savior, then we’re missing the point of why Mary and Joseph endured
The Anchor
November 23, 2012
Generations and worlds apart
the long, cold journey that culmi- possible — a right she takes very nated with the birth of the Baby seriously. Jesus. Unfortunately, Denise is one Black Friday and Bethlehem of those early-risers, but not are generations and worlds apart. I can’t remember ever risking life and limb to venture to the malls on this special day. My Black Friday routine usually consists of rising a By Dave Jolivet little later than usual, and heading for the refrigerator to pick at the leftover turkey. During the course of the for the reason one may think. day, I nearly wear down a path The poor thing is employed in to the ice box for leftovers. And the retail business, and she has Igor is never far behind. to work. So before the moon Emilie exercises her right as and sun exchange places in the a teen-ager to sleep as late as autumn sky, Denise gets up to prepare for her day. She collects my old ice hockey helmet and pads and heads to work. I send her on her way with a sleepy good-bye and good luck, and drift back to sleep with visions of turkey, gravy and pumpkin pie in my head. I need my rest because of the busy day I
My View From the Stands
have ahead of me, for in addition to my snack attacks, the day is filled with college football as well. I must admit there have been times in the past when we have tried to fill Christmas morning with as many “good” things for our kiddies as we could. And those are the Christmases that have been the most stressful. In the old days, we struggled to make ends meet, and Christmases were simple ... and fun. Like opening up a few simple gifts and watching Igor adeptly open her batch of $1 chew toys. It was the joy of being together as a family, in the warm glow of the tree lights and laughing as the kids would open the usual gag gifts that have become a Jolivet tradition. Throughout the year, I make mental notes of what my children say and file those conversations away to be used against them on Christmas morning. They love it, usually. Later on, when we were still struggling to make ends meet, we fell into the trap of keeping up with the Joneses. We bought gifts we really shouldn’t, or couldn’t afford. It was those times when I would get up on Christmas morning and feel more guilty than joyful. I lost the meaning of the Holy Family’s journey, and I was helping others to do the same. Lately, as we continue to struggle to make ends meet, our Christmases have become more
like Thanksgivings. A time to be with family and friends and break bread together, and laugh together, and enjoy what life has to offer, not what mega-marts have to offer. I don’t see Black Friday ever ceasing to exist in this country, but what I do see on the way out is the Holy Family and what they stand for. Not just every December 25, but all year long. Christmas is being replaced with “holiday” more and more each year. The Baby Jesus is overshadowed by elves. Santa Claus is no longer a descendant of St. Nicholas. Now he’s the big, jolly guy who pushes $40,000 vehicles to “put under the tree.” Thanksgiving was yesterday, and there were no presents to wrap or unwrap. Just food, family, friends, and maybe a little football. Christmas is a month away, and our goal is to keep it as close to that Thanksgiving feel as possible. It’s entirely up to us. It’s Black Friday today, and my thoughts are with Denise, hoping she’ll come home in one piece. I have leftovers on which to nibble, and football to watch. And at day’s end, the only body parts I’ll have to check on are my fingers to make sure I didn’t overdo it carving off slices of turkey all day long. We won’t pick up any great deals today, and come Christmas morning that will be just fine with us. I love this time of year, especially when less is more.
Benedict XVI’s final book on Jesus coming out next week
Colorado Springs, Colo. (CNA/EWTN News) — Pope Benedict’s latest book on Christ, which focuses on His infancy, was published in the United States November 21. Image Books, a division of Random House, published the work’s English translation in both the United States and Canada. The book is titled “Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives,” and marks the third and final volume in Pope Benedict’s series on Christ. It focuses on Jesus’ infancy and early life. Pope Benedict focuses on the hope which the Child Jesus represented for characters as diverse as Mary, Joseph, the magi and Simeon. The first volume in the series, “Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration,” was published as a hardcover in English in 2007 by Doubleday and in paperback
in 2008 by Ignatius Press. In the introduction of his first book the pope explained that it was in “no way an exercise of the magisterium,” but rather an “expression of his personal search for the face of the Lord.” In the work, the pope explored the majority of Christ’s public ministry, including His Baptism by John the Baptist, the Sermon on the Mount, the meaning of the parables, the calling of the Twelve Apostles, the Confession of Peter and the Transfiguration. In the second work in the series, “Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week,” Pope Benedict examined Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem, His suffering and death, His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into Heaven. Published in English by Ignatius Press in 2011, “Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week,” made its way to the New York Times Best Seller List shortly after being released.
Consistory to expand variety in College of Cardinals
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Shortly after announcing he was creating six new cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI said he was doing so to show that “the Church is a Church of all peoples, (and) speaks in all languages.” The six new “princes of the Church” hail from six different countries in North America, Latin America, Africa and Asia, and represent both the Latin-rite of the Catholic Church as well as two of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Inducting them into the College of Cardinals, Pope Benedict will bring up to 120 the number of cardinal-electors — those under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. With the exception of the Catholic newspaper Avvenire, the headlines in Italian newspapers the morning after Pope Benedict announced the new cardinals all pointed out the absence of new Italian or new European cardinals. Painting the pope’s move as drastic and trying to make sense of it, Il Foglio and several other papers jumped to the conclusion that the pope deliberately excluded Italians because of the “VatiLeaks” scandal. The scandal saw the publication of private Vatican and papal correspondence, much of it painting a picture of careerism and corruption in the Vatican, mostly involving Italian curial officials and bishops. Il Foglio’s headline was: “A consistory to lead the Church out of its Roman misgovernance.” The new cardinals will make up only five percent of the electors in the College of Cardinals, but they shift the continental balance, even if just slightly. The percentage of European electors will drop from almost 55 percent to just over 51 percent; the figure contrasts sharply with the fact that, according to Vatican statistics, less than 24 percent of the world’s Catholics live in Europe. The new consistory will bring the percentage of Asian electors from seven percent to nine percent. Catholics in Asia account for just over 10 percent of the worldwide Catholic population. Naming two prelates in their 50s to the college also will lower the average age of the cardinal-electors; as of November 16 the electors’ average age was just over 72. The six new cardinals slated to receive their red hats and cardinal rings are: U.S. Archbishop James M. Harvey, 63, prefect of the papal household; Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, 72; Indian Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Nigerian Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, 68; Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez
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The Anchor
November 23, 2012
of Bogota, 70; and Philippine Archbishop Luis Tagle of Manila, 55. When Pope Benedict created 22 cardinals in February, 16 of them were Europeans. Obviously, the pope does not make his choice based on geography first of all. Most of the cardinals hold positions that by Vatican norms or by ancient tradition are held by cardinals. Given the large number of Italians heading Vatican offices and the numerous Italian archdioceses traditionally led by cardinals, the Italians would have a numerically powerful bloc of votes in a conclave to elect a new pope. In fact, after the consistory is over and the six new cardinals are welcomed into the group, the Italians still will have 28 voters, 20 of whom were created cardinals by Pope Benedict. With the exception of Europe, no single continent has the number of electors Italy has; Latin America comes closest with 21 electors. But sometimes those who should be cardinals are kept in an archbishop’s magenta for a while; the most obvious example of that is Archbishop Gerhard L. Muller, who was named prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in July. Vatican norms — and the practical responsibilities of a job that involves doctrinal oversight of Vatican offices headed by cardinals — dictate that the prefect be a cardinal.
He’ll just have to wait a bit. Of the 120 electors who will be part of the college, 40 of them work in or have retired from positions in the Roman Curia. The other 80 are archbishops who head dioceses or patriarchs and major archbishops who head Eastern churches. Cardinal-designate Rai, the Maronite patriarch, will bring to 21 the number of cardinal-electors who entered the priesthood and ministered as members of religious orders. The Salesians top the list with four cardinals — three of them, including Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state — work in the Roman Curia. The group of electors also includes three Franciscans and two Jesuits. A greater variety of nations, languages, spiritual and liturgical traditions in the College of Cardinals obviously means a more “catholic” group of participants in the cardinals’ most solemn responsibility:
electing a new pope. But the variety also has a very real impact on the Roman Curia because each cardinal becomes a member of one
or more Vatican congregations or councils, bringing his experience to bear on decisions that impact the universal Church.
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November 23, 2012
The Anchor
Bishop Gendron: St. Kateri Mass began healing of Canadian divisions
Montreal, Canada (CNA) — Canadians from the country’s First Nations and those of European descent took an important step toward reconciliation when they gathered recently at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal to give thanks for the canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. “I think the grace of the canonization for the natives, as well as for the other people in Canada, is a grace of reconciliation,” Bishop Lionel Gendron of the Diocese of St. JeanLongueuil told Catholic News Agency. Bishop Gendron was the main celebrant and homilist for the Mass that drew 2,500 people to the Oratory, and he was “impressed by the presence of the native people from all over Canada.” “I thought the participation would be mainly from the Mohawk nation,” he said, “but I’ve seen people coming from British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.” Several more Canadian bishops concelebrated the Mass, among them were Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau; Archbishop Christian Lepine of Montreal; Bishop Jacques Berthelet, emeritus of St. Jean-Longueuil; and Bishop Louis Dicaire, auxiliary of St. Jean-Longueuil. In addition, representatives from the First Nations of Canada, the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council, and Kahnawake — the Canadian community where St. Kateri settled — participated in the Mass. “As with St. Kateri, let us be guided in all events by the Spirit … so that our lives may become a love story with Jesus,” Bishop Gendron said in his homily. Bishop Gendron said the canonization was an important step in the process of reconciliation between the First Nations of Canada and Canadians of European descent. “I would say that we’ve been on a path of curing the past, and trying to walk towards reconciliation. And often, I would say many Ca-
nadians, or Quebecers, or the people of the diocese here are not quite aware of that. And I would say the Natives are very sensitive to these questions.” “My impression, in all I’ve seen in the last weeks, is that we are becoming more aware that we have something to do. We have to walk towards one another and to walk together towards reconciliation.” St. Kateri was canonized October 21 by Pope Benedict at St. Peter’s Square, along with six other people. Some 1,500 Canadian pilgrims traveled to Rome for the Mass of canonization. St. Kateri was born in what is now upstate New York in 1656. Her father was a Mohawk chief, and her mother was an Algonquin who was raised Catholic. She was orphaned at age four by a smallpox epidemic that left her with poor eyesight and a badlyscarred face. After encountering several Jesuit priests, St. Kateri was baptized, despite objections from her family. Her conversion caused her tribe to disown her, so St. Kateri fled to Canada, where she devoted herself to prayer and the Blessed Sacrament. She died in 1680 at Kahnawake, a Mohawk settlement south of Montreal. She died saying “Jesus, I love you.” After she passed away, her face was healed of its pockmarks. Her relics are located in a shrine at Kahnawake. “Her face became radiant, and often it has been interpreted as her face would have found its original beauty. I think we Canadians and Quebecers, and also the First Nations, we all come with scars,” Bishop Gendron reflected. “I think that in the love of Jesus, as St. Kateri was, and through the intercession of Kateri, these scars may be cured. So this is my hope in these days, and I’m trying as bishop of St. Jean-Longueuil to share this hope with my people, with the Mohawks here in the diocese, as well as those who do not belong to the First Nations.”
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deep in thought — Actor Daniel Day-Lewis portrays U.S. president Abraham Lincoln in a scene from the movie “Lincoln.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS/ DreamWorks)
CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service. “Lincoln” (DreamWorks) Daniel Day-Lewis’ bravura performance in the title role is the highlight — but by no means the only asset — of director Steven Spielberg’s splendid historical drama. The plot focuses on the Civil War president’s passionate yet wily struggle, during the closing days of that conflict, to steer a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery through Congress. Aided by his secretary of state, William Seward (David Strathairn), but distracted by his troubled personal life — Sally Field plays his famously high-strung wife Mary — Lincoln uses rhetoric to win over his hesitant Cabinet and patronage to woo his opponents. The trajectory of the tale is, by its nature, uplifting, while Lincoln’s multifaceted personality — which encompassed idealism, political shrewdness, melancholy, humor and even a few endearing foibles — is vividly illuminated in Tony Kushner’s screenplay. The educational value and moral import of the film may make it acceptable for older adolescents. Intense but mostly bloodless battlefield violence, a scene involving severed limbs, cohabitation, about a dozen uses of profanity, racial slurs, a couple of rough terms, 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. “Skyfall” (Columbia) A rousing return for British Agent 007 and a muchneeded injection of vitality into the 50-year-old James Bond film franchise, this 23rd outing for the iconic spy is directed by Sam Mendes. Bond (Daniel Craig) and a field operative (Naomie Harris) are on the trail of a villain (Javier Bardem) who has stolen a computer disc containing the identities of every secret agent in the world. The sleazy megalomaniac uses the data to terrorize London and exact revenge on veteran counter-intelligence chief M (Judi Dench), who is also con-
tending with the threat posed by a government rival (Ralph Fiennes) who seeks her job. Though the violence quotient is undeniably high, Mendes’ film is thoughtful and character-driven, raising issues of loss, responsibility, patriotism and loyalty amid the battle of good vs. evil. Scenes of intense action violence and torture, implied nonmarital sexual activity, mild sensuality and innuendo, some profane and rough 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 25, 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father John M. Sullivan, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham.
November 23, 2012
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The Anchor
U.S. bishops, Catholic bloggers discuss how tweets, blogs help evangelize
BALTIMORE (CNS) — A group of U.S. bishops and Catholic bloggers discussed — and tweeted about — how to use social media to spread the Gospel message during a November 11 session prior to the start of the U.S. bishops’ annual general assembly in Baltimore. In the nearly three-hour session, the group of two dozen bishops and even more bloggers talked about the challenges in keeping up with the all-pervasive social media but also acknowledged the absolute necessity of doing so in order to reach people and connect them more deeply with their faith — or put simply: to evangelize. In question-and-answer sessions, a panel discussion and in small groups, the bloggers repeatedly urged the bishops to use social media tools at their disposal such as blogs and Twitter or Facebook accounts as a means to communicate a living faith in the modern world. “(Archbishop) Fulton Sheen
would give his right arm to have the tools we have today,” said Brandon Vogt, a 26-year-old Catholic blogger and author of the 2011 book “The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists and Bishops Who Tweet.” Archbishop Sheen, who was declared venerable this year, was known for his preaching on television and radio in the 1950s. Rocco Palmo, author of the popular Catholic blog “Whispers in the Loggia,” urged bishops to recognize that they have something unique to bring to the broad social media table. He gave the example of Bishop Alexander K. Sample of Marquette, Mich., who kicked off the Year of Faith by traveling more than 1,000 miles across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to visit parishes and tweeted about the trip along the way. “That’s something you bring that can’t be replicated,” Palmo said, noting that people can relate to bishops when they share their
experience and also feel close to them. “Your job as guarantors of the faith is to make sure the message has integrity and resonates with people.” If the bishops had any doubt about the number of people, Catholics in particular, who use social media, a new study by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, confirmed that there is indeed a big audience out there, and that audience wants material that is relevant and also entertaining. Mark Gray, director of Catholic polls and a research associate at CARA, gave the bishops and bloggers highlights of the study, “Catholic New Media Use in the United States, 2012” commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Communications. The survey, of 1,047 Catholics from September 10-18, showed that 62 percent of adult U.S. Catholics, representing an estimated 36.2 million people, have a profile on Facebook; 58 percent
Washington D.C. (CNA) — An organization of Catholic donors has chosen Alexia K. Kelley, an Obama policy advisor with connections to abortion-supporting politicians and a controversial advocacy group, as its new president and CEO. “Alexia has a distinguished record of leadership and service in the Church, the nonprofit world and government,” said William F. Raskob, chairman of the board of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities. In a November 14 statement announcing Kelley’s appointment, he praised her “strong commitment to her faith” and “keen understanding of the broad scope of the nation’s religious and charitable organizations.” Kelley will be succeeding the organization’s president of more than 30 years, Dr. Francis J. Butler, who retired several months ago. Leaders of the group — which consists of private donors and foundations that engage in Catholic philanthropy — applauded her for the expansive network and vast amount of experience she brings with her into the position. For the past three years, Kelley has worked closely with key members of the Obama Administration. In 2009, she was appointed
by President Barack Obama as director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for the Department of Health and Human Services. During the past year, she has worked as senior policy advisor at the White House office for faith-based partnerships. Kelley, who holds a master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School, had previously worked for several years at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, an anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. She later co-founded and served as the executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a social justice advocacy organization. The group — which has since closed its office and shifted its presence to the Internet — was criticized by numerous bishops for causing confusion about the priority of moral issues by downplaying the importance of fundamental concerns like abortion, while giving heavy weight to issues such as the environment. Kelly was a religious advisor for the 2004 presidential campaign of Catholic senator John Kerry, whose support for abortion raised controversy. She also advocated heavily for the confirmation of proabortion Catholic Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to her steadfast support for abortion, Sebelius is controversial for her key role in issuing the federal contraception mandate that requires employers — including religious schools, hospitals and charitable organizations — to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and drugs that can cause an early abortion. That mandate been denounced by bishops in every U.S. diocese and is currently the subject of more than 30 religious liberty lawsuits. Catholic service organizations have warned that they may be forced to close their doors rather than violate their consciences and follow the mandate’s demands, which would result in great harm to the needy people they serve. Although she had ties at that time to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, Kelley’s position does not appear to have been formally connected to the mandate. Taking on her new position, Kelley said that she looks forward to “making a positive impact in society, particularly through serving the most vulnerable.” Kelley and Raskob were unavailable for comment on November 15 and 16.
Catholic donor group picks controversial Obama policy advisor as new head
of Catholics age 30 and under share content such as pictures, articles and comments at least once a week on social media; and nearly a third of all surveyed said they would like their pastors and bishops to blog. An immediate takeaway from the survey was that the sheer number of Catholics online cannot be ignored. Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Communications, said the CARA report “suggests many opportunities for the Church to engage with those who live on the ‘digital continent,’” described by Pope Benedict XVI and urged bishops and Catholic laity to approach this online world as missionaries. The bishop read a letter to the session’s participants from Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, which similarly described the online mission field. “In this context, the role of the laity becomes ever more central,” the archbishop said in his letter, noting that the “voices of the many Catholics who are present in blogs, social networks and other digital forums are reaching people who might not otherwise encounter the message of Jesus.” Archbishop Celli also said he was pleased that the gathering of bloggers and bishops was described as a dialogue, pointing out that the conversational form of communication is a key part of the “new environment” of online communication and media. Some of the bishops at the meeting expressed a hesitancy to jump into the online social media world, noting that it could take a lot of time and that there can be a lack of civility in many online discussions and comments. In a small group discussion,
one bishop said he was overwhelmed by the concept of tweeting even a few times a day. Sister Anne Flanagan, a Daughter of St. Paul who writes “Nun Blog,” assured him that it wasn’t that hard, noting that just during the group discussion she had already tweeted 10 times. The Sister, who has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter, said she sees the value of making connections with people and drawing people into the Church. Other bloggers emphasized that the online world is a key place to reach young people. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., took that idea a step further by encouraging young bloggers to help the Church in this work, suggesting that they call their pastor or bishop and offer to help. Bloggers in turn advised bishops to talk about the faith — in quick and entertaining ways — by linking faith to current events or even discussing movies in blogs or video reflections. The bloggers, many of whom live tweeted the session, not only showed how it can be done, but highlighted its urgency. Palmo also stressed that participants in Catholic social media should be aware of reflecting the changing personality of the Church, particularly the Hispanic and Asian communities. “Otherwise, we are just talking to ourselves,” he said. Mary DeTurris Poust, former contributor to Our Sunday Visitor’s “Daily Take” blog and the author of her own blog, “Not Strictly Spiritual,” put it this way: “Facebook is the new parish hall” where people meet and look for spiritual guidance and connections. “If they don’t find it in our virtual walls, they will find it elsewhere,” she said.
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A mom’s legacy of giving lives on continued from page one
clear; it’s better to give than to receive. One Christmas, more than 20 years ago, Dexter told her children that while they would still receive gifts, there would be less under the tree; “We were like, what?” recalled Christine Tavares, Dexter’s daughter. “We still got a few gifts but we didn’t get a whole bunch of stuff; she wanted to show to us that these things aren’t that important and that giving to other people was more important.” The money “saved” went into purchasing ingredients to make gingerbread houses. Already a staple in the Dexter household — “You could smell
gingerbread forever” during Christmas, said Tavares — Dexter decided to gather family and friends to not only build many gingerbread houses, but donate them to area shelters along with a good collection of non-perishable food items. After burning out mixers because the dough was so thick, the project soon found a home at Tavares’ place of employment at North Falmouth Elementary School, where the heavy-duty mixers can make enough dough for 10 houses at a time. The dough is then bagged and brought to St. John’s Parish Center in Pocasset to be sectioned off and baked. Dur-
ing the first day, stations are laid out as people volunteer to cut out their homes, with extra dough going towards additional pieces like trees, gingerbread people and reindeer. Having that extra dough often gets those creative juices flowing, said Tavares. “We’ve had people make some that look like it has a swimming pool, or it looks like a football game. It’s amazing,” said Tavares. “We’ve been doing this for so long and every year I’m amazed. We do 25 houses and they’re never the same year to year.” The houses are assembled the following week, always the
MAKING MOM PROUD — The five Dexter children, above, help keep their mother’s memory alive each year by helping organize the annual gathering of volunteers, who bring canned goods when they come to help make gingerbread houses, and then oversee the schedule as volunteers drive to donate the houses and gathered canned goods to area shelters and other organizations. Bottom photo: They may be some of the youngest volunteers, but that doesn’t stop the next generation of Dexters from keeping the memory of their grandmother and her generous nature alive every year during the annual gingerbread house and food basket donation event.
November 23, 2012 Saturday after Thanksgiving at the Pocasset Community Building. After adding an additional shelter this year, a total of seven shelters will be the recipients of one unique and edible creation, and a few boxes of non-perishable goods from the volunteers, who not only donate their time to create the houses but also bring a minimum of six canned goods when they arrive. Volunteers then deliver the gingerbread houses the same day they are assembled along with the food items. “The feeling you get when you walk out is unbelievable,” said Tavares of delivering the houses, adding that bringing in a gingerbread house puts a special stamp on the volunteer efforts. “They’re in awe that somebody would do that for them. They really are appreciative of the creativity of the gingerbread houses. We could walk into a shelter and give them boxes of food, but when you walk in with a gingerbread house, it’s like, ‘Somebody made this for me?’ That’s the difference. Then the rest of the gingerbread houses go to hospitals, nursing homes and other shelters. It’s amazing every year when you walk in; they’re so excited.” Sometimes mishaps do happen; some gingerbread houses have needed to be fixed after its car ride while, though rare, others have been a complete loss. A few extra houses are always made in case of a complete loss but “we also try to make sure somebody extra gets a house,” said Tavares. “If we know of someone who is sick, then they’ll get a house. One year my daughter’s daycare provider at the time, her husband died. We made sure we had an extra and she got one. If we know somebody who could use it, we make sure that those people who need some cheering will get some.” Sometimes the childrenvolunteers are reluctant to give up his or her gingerbread house once they are finished. When that happens, Tavares echoes her mother’s sentiments when she explains to the children the true nature of the gathering. “The kids always want to take them home and we tell them that they’re making them for someone else,” said Tavares, who encourages the children to go on the deliveries to see the recipients’ reactions. “We tell them that there’s somebody out there who needs it more than you do. You made this beautiful creation and now you’re going to share it with somebody who doesn’t have as much. You put all this love and time into this,
and now we’re going to pass that on to someone who doesn’t have that.” Ann Culley, who works with Tavares, has been volunteering with her husband and her son for the past five years. It’s a lot of fun creating gingerbread houses, she said, adding one year her family made a log cabin using pretzels. Being around such friendly people and seeing the array of styles in the gingerbread houses not only brightens her day, said Culley, she hopes the houses brighten someone’s Christmas even more. Culley also appreciates all the hard work that Tavares and her siblings put into it each year. “I see it all the time in Chrissy,” said Culley. “She’s a very giving person and really the other family members we’ve met are just wonderful people. I think, quite honestly, I wish more families would do something along these lines, not doing gingerbread houses but more giving as a family.” When the siblings became responsible for the event, Tavares said her sister admitted it was a huge undertaking. The siblings reached out to area stores, asking for donations. Any money left over goes towards purchasing additional non-perishable food items. Due to the help from area stores and the generous donation of equipment and space by the school and parish, Tavares and her siblings have been able to keep their mother’s legacy going each year. Tavares doesn’t think about the number of people she’s touched, or the number of volunteers she’s inspired to come out and help; all Tavares thinks about is her late-mother who passed away in June. “This is all my mom,” said Tavares, who began to tear up. “She started this beautiful thing that we’re just continuing on for her. I don’t think of it as something we’re all doing, I just think it’s all just her through us. It’s just her working through us. We’re just taking what she started and continuing through, to teach people what we were taught, and to make people happy and to lighten up their holiday season by bringing them something special. It’s what all five of us try to do.” Donations for food items can be dropped off at the Pocasset Community Building until noon tomorrow. After that, donations will be accepted at Onset Computer, 470 MacArthur Boulevard in Bourne, in care of Carol Ellis, Tavares’ sister. If you’d like to reach either sister directly, you can call Tavares at 508-2748638 or Ellis at 508-566-1769.
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November 23, 2012
Dorothy Day sainthood cause finds strong support from bishops Baltimore, Md. (CNA/ EWTN News) — The U.S. bishops heartily approved the advancement of the cause for canonization of Dorothy Day, a 20th-century Catholic convert, pacifist and advocate for the poor. “I’m more convinced than ever she’s a saint for our time,” said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York in a recent press conference. He explained that before her conversion, Day led an immoral life that included a pregnancy out of wedlock and an abortion. “Her life, of course, like Saul on the road to Damascus, was radically changed when she became introduced to Jesus Christ and His Church,” Cardinal Dolan explained. After her conversion, Day “became an Apostle — an icon —of everything wrong with what she did before and of everything right about the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life,” he said. The cardinal described Day as “a living, breathing, colorful, lovable, embracing, warm woman who exemplifies what’s best in Catholic life” and shows the Church’s commitment to the dignity of human life and social justice. Baptized in the Episcopal Church, Day lived her early
years as a journalist as she toyed onizations requires the diocesan Day is currently considered a with communist ideas, attempted bishop promoting a canoniza- “Servant of God,” a title desigsuicide and had an abortion. tion cause to receive the consent nated by the Vatican to indicate After a profound conversion, of his regional body of bishops that it has no objections to her she co-founded the Catholic before moving forward. As the cause for canonization progressWorker Movement and ing. started soup kitchens, The bishops strongly farm communities and approved the advancea Catholic newspaper. ment of Day’s cause in She dedicated her a voice vote. Discussion life to aiding and adduring the meeting invocating for the poor, cluded several bishops releading a life charactercounting their experiences ized by voluntary povmeeting Day or attending erty, works of mercy her funeral. and Scripture. Cardinal Theodore E. Day promoted paciMcCarrick, archbishop fism and was a staunch emeritus of Washington, defender of human D.C., said that Day’s life dignity. She also supwould be an inspiration to ported distributism, an “people that are hard to get economic system largeat,” such as those living on ly developed by G. K. the streets, struggling with Chesterton as a “third drug abuse or coping with way” between capitala past abortion. ism and socialism, re“All these folks whose lying upon widespread lives we need to touch in property ownership some special way — she rather than ownership was one of them,” the carprimarily by the state dinal said. or by a small number of all in a day’s work — Dorothy Day in the He called the cause for very wealthy individu- late 1940s. (Photo Courtesy of the Marquette canonization “a tremenals. dous opportunity” to reach University Archives) The U.S. bishops out to these individuals, participated in a contelling them that they can sultation on Day’s sainthood archbishop of New York, where not only re-enter society and cause on November 13, the sec- Day lived out the latter part of the Church, but that they can be ond day of their annual fall gen- her life and died in 1980, Car- saints. eral assembly in Baltimore. dinal Dolan is overseeing the Day’s firm “commitment to Church law regarding can- cause. the social Gospel of the Church
and her love for the poor are things that resonate with our young people,” added Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston. He explained that after years of pain and spiritual searching, Day “found the solution for all the problems of life in Jesus Christ,” making her “a magnificent model for our time.” Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago commented that the Church needs “pacifists as witness to the Kingdom of Heaven not being carried away by violence, even as we recognize there are just wars because governments must defend their citizens.” He compared this dynamic to that of Marriage, explaining that while most people are called to marry, the faithful need examples of those who live celibately to remind them that there will be no Marriage in the Kingdom of Heaven. “Her solution to the injustices of capitalism was the works of mercy,” the cardinal added, noting Day’s criticism of what she saw as the inherent totalitarianism of states. “And as we struggle at this opportune moment to try to show how we are losing our freedoms in the name of individual rights, Dorothy Day is a very, very good woman to have on our side,” he said.
Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — Recently, the Pontifical Council for Health Care addressed the problem of abortion and other practices against Church teaching at some Catholic hospitals around the world. The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, said the November 15-17 gathering in Rome discussed “the serious challenge of preserving the identity of Catholic hospitals.” He criticized the “political pressure” levied against Catholic hospitals in some countries to force them to provide abortions in violation of Church teaching. Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, a member of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, told CNA that the issue is especially troubling, given that from the Church’s perspective, “human life is inviolable from conception to natural death.” “If the head obstetrician is not Pro-Life and family care is not offered, either abortions are performed there or patients are referred to other places to obtain them,” he said. “This is terrible, but it hap-
pens. I think mothers should always be given the best care, so that nobody manipulates them into abortion.” On abortions allegedly taking place at hospitals linked to the Catholic Church in Catalonia in Spain, Simon Castellvi said the Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach “tells me that there are no abortions at the San Pablo Hospital. So right now, I can’t do anything more.” On October 5, Catholic News Agency’s South American affiliate ACI Prensa posted a video that showed that abortions are taking place at the hospital despite the repeated denials by Cardinal Martinez Sistach. The video featured a doctor recommending a pregnant woman be tested to see if her unborn child had Down’s Syndrome, which she could use to justify obtaining an abortion. Asked if an abortion could be obtained at the hospital, the doctor told the woman that while “at this hospital we don’t terminate pregnancies unless it is an extremely grave problem,” she could obtain an abortion “if it was somewhere else besides here.”
guidance and a lack of concrete decisions on what do” about this problem at Catholic hospitals, he added. Nearly 600 experts from around the world attended the international conference. According to data from the Holy See, there are some 120,000 Catholic health care institutions in the world.
Vatican addresses abortions in Catholic hospitals Father Custodio Ballester, the pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Barcelona and one of the first to denounce the Catholic hospitals in Catalonia that are providing or recommending abortions, said, “The Church’s credibility is on the line” with the conference on Catholic hospitals. “We’ll see if they just stick
to the principles, which are sufficiently clear, or if they apply them, especially here in Barcelona,” he said. Father Ballester said the hospitals in question are under fire as well for “genetic experimentation, embryo selection for eugenics, abortion pills that some Church leaders think are safe.” “In Rome there is an excess of
This week in
Diocesan history
10 years ago — As the Diocese of Fall River readied to celebrate the anniversary of its first century of faith commitment in 2004, a new logo was unveiled, designed by Dominican Sister Gertrude Gaudette. The logo showed the vast expanse of the diocese, its heraldic shield and the dates 25 years ago — Bishop Daniel A. 1904-2004. Cronin concelebrated a Mass with Father One year ago — Doris Kearns GoodPierre Lachance, prior of the Dominican win, the Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential community in Fall River, and Father Richbiographer and historian, was the featured ard Guimond, Dominican provincial supespeaker at the St. Mary’s Education Fund rior, marking the Dominicans’ 100 years of Fall Dinner held at White’s Restaurant in community presence at St. Anne’s Parish in Westport. Fall River. 50 years ago — The Diocese of Fall River launched its annual Thanksgiving Clothing Drive to assist needy throughout the world. The hope was to surpass the 233,000 pounds collected the year before, valued at $332,510.
Youth Pages
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November 23, 2012
the answer is blowing in the wind — The fourth-grade students from Holy Name School in Fall River displayed the wind socks they made after learning about wind speed and direction in science class. remembering the saints at all saints — Observing All Saints’ Day as a day-long celebration has become a tradition at All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford. The day began with students learning more about classroom patron saints through multimedia presentations, while final preparations were made for the first All Saints Walk-a-Thon and Saint Team Challenges with their prayer partners. Challenges included a “Rosary Relay” to construct a large Rosary. The entire school joined together for Mass with the parishioners of St. Mary’s Church. Students processed in with pictures of the school’s saints, and served as readers and altar servers.
that’s show biz — Students of St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro recently took part in their annual school talent show. Fifty-two students performed in 26 different acts. Performances included dancing, singing, piano, guitar playing, skits, acrobatics, karate, and yo-yoing. A free-will offering was taken and donated to benefit the Missionaries in Haiti. Shown here is a dance/acrobatic combination performed by Camdyn Asselin and Ryleigh Asselin holding Taylor DeMond’s legs with Bridget Sutula, Jillian Bouillard, Eliana Dafulas and Autumn Perry in the back row.
easy as ABC — Students in grade six at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford created a Phoenician Alphabet Tablet out of clay with their teacher Mr. Malloy.
close encounter — Middle school students at St. Mary’s School in Mansfield celebrated All Saints’ Day by visiting a collection of relics set up by a generous parishioner. Many saints were represented, particularly St. Bernadette, to whom Mary appeared at Lourdes. This was truly a unique opportunity to see original photos and items used by many of the saints the students have studied over the years.
a grand day — More than 240 grandparents recently attended Bishop Feehan High School’s annual Grandparent’s Day at the Attleboro school. Each year, the grandparents of the freshmen class and their grandchildren are invited to a welcome presentation, luncheon and tour of the campus. Here, Samantha Geer is lucky to be surrounded by all four of her grandparents, from left: Jim and Sally Geer, Samantha, Bob and Shirley Ledoux.
Youth Pages
November 23, 2012
W
e just celebrated the holiday of Thanksgiving here in the United States, an occasion that for many involves football, family and lots of food. Whenever human beings celebrate, it tends to involve at least two of those: family and food. Even our family of faith utilizes these, including our celebration of the Eucharist. Eucharist is a word that means thanksgiving. We are a Eucharistic people, that is, a people of thanksgiving. This means that everything that we are about, that we do, is in thanksgiving to God. Have you read President Lincoln’s proclamation establishing Thanksgiving? Let’s reflect on that for a moment. The nation was in the midst of the Civil War, a war that killed two percent of the nation’s population. To put that into a current day perspective, do you know someone who is a junior or senior in high school? High school juniors and seniors make up two percent of the American population. A bit overwhelming, isn’t it?
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Living as people of thanksgiving
Yet, in the midst of this naprevailed everywhere extional tragedy, at a point when cept in the theatre of military the outcome of the war was not conflict; while that theatre has known, Lincoln calls upon the been greatly contracted by the country to set aside a day to advancing armies and navies of give thanks to God: the Union. “The year that is drawing “Needful diversions of towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that By Father we are prone to forget David C. Frederici the Source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that wealth and of strength from the they cannot fail to penetrate fields of peaceful industry to the and soften even the heart which national defense have not arrestis habitually insensible to the ed the plough, the shuttle or the ever watchful providence of ship; the axe has enlarged the Almighty God. In the midst of a borders of our settlements, and civil war of unequaled magnithe mines, as well of iron and tude and severity, which has coal as of the precious metals, sometimes seemed to foreign have yielded even more abunstates to invite and to provoke dantly than heretofore. Poputheir aggression, peace has lation has steadily increased, been preserved with all nations, notwithstanding the waste that order has been maintained, has been made in the camp, the the laws have been respected siege and the battle-field; and and obeyed, and harmony has the country, rejoicing in the
Be Not Afraid
consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, Who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly
due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union” (Presidential Proclamation of Thanksgiving, Oct. 3, 1863). In the midst of such a crisis, the president was able to list the things that the country should be thankful. The challenge of this civic holiday for us who are a people of thanksgiving is simple: do we take the time the thank God for all we have, for all God has gifted to us including His love and faith, even in our times of crisis? Father Frederici is Chaplain at UMass-Dartmouth.
Pope tells young to welcome Christ’s embrace, share His love VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When young Catholics from around the world gather in Rio de Janeiro in July, they will be under the gaze of the city’s famous statue of Christ with outstretched arms, a reminder of His desire to embrace all people, Pope Benedict XVI said. In his message for World Youth Day 2013, the pope asked young people to welcome Christ’s embrace and share with others the joy of being loved by Him. In preparation for the international youth gathering July 23-28, Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to “reread your personal history,” looking at how the faith was passed down to them from previous generations. The pope also asked them not to wait to begin the task of sharing their Christian faith with others. “We are links in a great chain of men and women who have transmitted the truth of the faith and who depend on us to pass it on to others,” he said in the message released November 16 by the Vatican. The theme of World Youth Day 2013 is: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” “This mandate should resound powerfully in your hearts,” the pope told young people.
In fact, he said, the heart has a major role to play in bringing them closer to Christ, motivating them to share His Gospel and determining the words and actions they should use in approaching others. “Many young people today seriously question whether life is something good and have a hard time finding their way,” the pope said. Faith helps people see that “every human life is priceless, because each of us is the fruit of God’s love,” he said. “God loves everyone, even those who have fallen away from Him or disregard Him.” Pope Benedict asked young Catholics to reach out with love to their questioning or
doubting peers, helping them find the hope and meaning faith brings. As the Catholics most impacted by globalization and new technology, Pope Benedict said, young people need a special awareness and have special responsibilities in those areas. “We are passing through a very particular period of history,” he told them. “Technical advances have given us unprecedented possibilities for interaction between peoples and nations. But the globalization of these relationships will be positive and help the world to grow in humanity only if it is founded on love rather than on materialism.”
“Love is the only thing that can fill hearts and bring people together,” he said. While asking the young to bring their Christian values to their social media networks and other online activities, he also cautioned them to use the media wisely. “Be aware of the hidden dangers they contain, especially the risk of addiction, of confusing the real world with the virtual, and of replacing direct and personal encounters and dialogue with Internet contacts,” he said. Pope Benedict also told the young people that the responsibility to share the faith flows from their Baptism into the Church, is sustained by prayer,
nourished by receiving the Eucharist, purified through Confession and strengthened by Confirmation. “If you are to remain firm in professing the Christian faith wherever you are sent, you need the Church,” he said. “No one can bear witness to the Gospel alone.” The full text of the pope’s message in English is available at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_ father/benedict_xvi/messages/ youth/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ mes_20121018_youth_en.html. The text in Spanish can be found at: http://www.vatican. va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/ messages/youth/documents/ hf_ben-xvi_mes_20121018_ youth_sp.html.
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November 23, 2012
CRS officer to visit Diocese of Fall River continued from page one
faithful companions — Olimpia and Tiago are back home with Father Craig A. Pregana, following a two-month separation and a 2,000-mile journey from Guaimaca to New Bedford. The dogs were with Father Pregana when he was pastor of the Diocese of Fall River’s mission in Honduras, and have now settled in nicely at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in the Whaling City.
Normal rhythm returns following dogs-priest reunion continued from page one
his new family quickly developed a rhythm. “I was home a lot,” he said. “I would celebrate Mass, then come home, have supper, and spend time in the living room, and for Olimpia and Tiago that became the routine. They would even let me know when it was time for bed.” Father Pregana never thought he would have to leave his new family behind, but when the diocese’s mission responsibilities in Guaimaca changed, it was time for the pastor to return to become pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford. “I never made plans for this,” he said. “I made arrangements to leave the dogs with the new pastor. But he never really took to them. And I missed them terribly. In the two months I was in New Bedford, I felt like something was missing. I didn’t know dogs could affect people that way.” Circumstances were leaning in the direction of Olimpia and Tia-
go making the trek north to New Bedford. “There was a lot of paper work to get done,” said Father Pregana. “There was paperwork with the Honduran government and to make sure the dogs were properly vaccinated. I worked with a company in Honduras called ‘Happy Pet.’ They specialize in pet relocation and they did most of the paperwork along with folks at Delta Airlines, who were great. “The dogs didn’t have to be quarantined because they were registered and had the proper vaccines. The young people of my former parish in Guaimaca were great as well. They walked and fed the dogs, and also brought them to the airport in San Pedro.” Olimpia and Tiago had to be crated for the flight from San Pedro to Atlanta. There was an overnight stay in Atlanta, where the staff there walked and fed the dogs. The next day, it was on to Logan Airport in Boston. After a two-month separation, Father Pregana and his dogs were
a bit skeptical — George Provencal, left, gets cozy with Tiago, while Arthur Pregana, father of Father Craig Pregana, looks on with slight apprehension at the rectory at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford. Tiago and Olimpia, another Rottweiler, now call the New Bedford parish home after a trip from Guaimaca, Honduras.
reunited in Boston. “I rented a van to go pick them up,” he said. “When the dogs saw me, they were thrilled, and so was I. As soon as Olimpia was out of her crate, she hopped in the van and wouldn’t come out. There was no way she was going in that crate again. Tiago, too, made his home in the van. They were home. It didn’t matter where they were at that moment. They were with me and they were home.” Olimpia and Tiago were registered with the City of New Bedford after their arrival, and are now citizens of the Whaling City. Father Pregana also said the dogs understand commands in Spanish and English. “I wanted them to understand the visitors as well as the Spanish day to day,” while in Guaimaca. “If you consider dog talk, they are trilingual.” “They are at home now,” added Father Pregana. “They’re marching to the beat of the rhythm of the rectory. And sometimes they set the rhythm themselves. And how fitting is it that Tiago is at St. James Church?” “Dogs are great companions for priests who live alone. Not every priest would enjoy this, but they are great companions. And they don’t care if your homily is no good. They love you unconditionally.” Before Olimpia and Tiago found their way into Father Pregana’s heart, the priest never knew what to expect. Little did he know that he would find the need to ship them 2,000-plus miles to keep them as a family. This Thanksgiving, he had much for which to be thankful. Spending the day with his mom, dad and family, and sharing it in the U.S. with his extended family of Olimpia and Tiago. Sounds doggone good.
work, but to bring assistance and humanitarian relief,” she said. “We enter into countries and we leave countries as determined by the need, the security situation and programming. “Our motto is: ‘We help based on need, not on the basis of creed.’” While about one-third of CRS’ work is concentrated on emergency relief — efforts such as helping those afflicted with HIV and AIDS, battling hunger in Africa, starvation in South Sudan, or a cholera epidemic in Sierra Leone — they also dedicate the bulk of their resources to development. “Beyond emergency situations, we work on livelihood projects so that people have a way to make a living,” Woo said. “We go from food distribution to food security, which is a big project. For example, we help people develop the resilience to withstand a future drought. We also do a lot of agro-enterprise work, helping to link small and generally very poor farmers into a system where they have a way to sell their products at good margins. We look to create sustainable solutions so people can better their lives.” Prior to becoming president of CRS, Woo served as the dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame since 1997. She also served on the CRS board of directors from 2004 to 2010. In January she became the seventh chief executive of CRS since the agency’s founding. “Dr. Woo is a woman of deep faith with a strong commitment to the mission of the Church,” said Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., chairman of the CRS board of directors, upon her appointment. “She brings exceptional abilities and gifts to the task of serving the poor around the world in the name of Catholics throughout the United States.” “Moving into an area where I didn’t have any expertise was a little challenging,” Woo admitted. “I was a CRS board member, but I was new to international development, so to enter into a completely new sector, there was much to learn. But what got me through was the fact that CRS has such great people working for it and they all have great experience. I also think it’s a privilege to serve the poor and it’s a privilege that we have to earn. To serve the poor you have to give it your very best.” Born and raised in Hong Kong, Woo was educated by the Maryknoll Sisters of Ossining and immigrated to the United States to attend college
at Purdue University, where she received her B.S., M.S.I.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Prior to assuming the deanship of the Mendoza College of Business, Woo also served as associate executive vice president for academic affairs at Purdue University. She joined Purdue as assistant professor in 1981, became full professor in 1991 and directed the professional master’s programs in the Krannert School of Management from 1993 to 1995. Her teaching and research interests include corporate and competitive strategy, entrepreneurship, management of innovation and change, and organizational systems. During her six-year tenure on the CRS board, she made several trips overseas to visit the agency’s programs and staff, including Banda Aceh, Indonesia, shortly after the Indian Ocean tsunami; and to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Although her professional background was essentially rooted in education, Woo saw the opportunity to lead CRS as a natural extension of her faith. “Our faith is about living the Gospel message and making it real for people,” she said. “There’s a Scripture phrase (from the Book of James) that says faith without works is dead. So our work is really to animate faith — to allow our faith to come to life in the way that we live out the promises of God through us, so that His promises are real and we play a role in making them real for other people who have so little.” During her November 28 presentation, Woo hopes to first educate the people and priests of the Fall River Diocese about the good work being done by CRS across the globe and then to let them know that “it’s not enough just to want to do good.” “We have to do it with unbelievable excellence and innovation,” she said. “There’s a level of discipline, excellence and a certain complexity and innovation involved in getting this work done.” The message couldn’t be more timely or appropriate during this Year of Faith. “We need to live our faith, but I think we also have to be a point of inspiration for other people,” Woo said. “So much has happened in our society that sometimes people get a bit jaded. They lose trust and get a bit skeptical and cynical. But I think adults can learn a lot from the example of other people and I think our work, which is really to put the Gospel message into action, can be inspiring to others. It is an antidote to cynicism.”
November 23, 2012
Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese
Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17. 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, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass. East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower). East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church. EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m. FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow. Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m. FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the chapel. FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel. FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory. Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass. NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and Confessions offered during the evening. Please use the side entrance. NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession. NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time. NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m. OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. SEEKONK — Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508336-5549. 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. Expostition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m. WAREHAM — Every First Friday, Eucharistic Adoration takes place from 8:30 a.m. through Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Morning prayer is prayed at 9; the Angelus at noon; the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 p.m.; and Evening Prayer at 5 p.m. WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716. WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No Adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.
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The Anchor Sister Ann Mildred Brown, OP
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. — Sister Ann Mildred Brown, O.P. of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, Ossining, N.Y., died November 3 at the Wartburg in Mount Vernon, N.Y. She was 94 years of age. The daughter of the late Ernest Lebrun (Brown) and Josephine Duquette Brown, she was born Oct. 18, 1918 in Plattsburgh, N.Y. She entered the novitiate of the Dominican Sisters of Fall River, on Feb. 2, 1937, made her First Profession Aug. 20, 1938 and Final Profession Aug. 20, 1941. Sister Ann Mildred taught at Dominican Academy in Fall River from 1939-47 in the elementary school, and from 1953-58 and 1966-71 in the high school. She taught at St. Peter’s elementary and high school in Plattsburgh, from 1947-53 and from 1959-66. From 1958-59, she taught Religious Education in Chateauguay, N.Y. From 1971-76, she taught at Bishop Gerrard High School in Fall River. From 1976-78, she taught at Mount Assumption High School in Plattsburgh. From 1980-87, she worked in pastoral care at Morton Hospital in Taunton. From 1987-90, she was a library assistant at Bristol Community College in Fall River. From 1990-95, she served in congregation administration and as archivist for the Dominican Sisters in Fall River. In 1996, she moved to Plattsburgh, and in
In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Nov. 24 Msgr. Daniel F. Shalloo, Retired Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1991 Nov. 25 Rev. Philias Jalbert, Pastor, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1946 Rev. Dennis Spykers, SS.CC., Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes, Wellfleet, 1971 Nov. 26 Rev. James R. Burns, P.R., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1945 Rev. Charles Porada, OFM, 2000 Nov. 27 Rt. Rev. Patrick E. McGee, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1948 Nov. 28 Rev. Adrien A. Gauthier, Pastor, St. Roch, Fall River, 1959 Nov. 29 Rev. Thomas H. Shahan, Former Pastor, St. Mary, Taunton, 1902 Rev. Francis A. McCarthy, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset, 1965 Nov. 30 Rev, William J. McCoomb, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, North Easton, 1895
2003 she moved to Newburgh Center of Hope. She resided at the Wartburg in Mount Vernon since 2009. She is survived by a sister, Gladys Champagne, of North Port, Fla., and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by 11 siblings. A Mass of Christian Burial
was celebrated November 9 at Ossining Center of Hope. She was buried at the Sisters’ cemetery at Mariandale in Ossining. Donations in Sister Ann’s memory can be made to The Dominican Sisters of Hope Development Office, 299 Highland Avenue, Ossining, N.Y., 105622327.
Around the Diocese 11/24
Our Lady of Grace Parish, 569 Sanford Road in Westport, will host its 26th annual Christmas Bazaar tomorrow and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Santa will arrive at 11 a.m. both days, so be sure to bring your camera. The event will include more than 35 craft tables with live music from Pat Cordeiro and Judy Souza, introducing the Our Lady of Grace Youth Choir, from noon to 2 p.m. There will also be a kitchen serving delicious food. For more information call 508-672-6900.
11/28
The Pro-Life Prayer Groups of Holy Redeemer and Holy Trinity parishes are hosting a holy hour November 28 following the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity Church, Route 28, West Harwich. There will be Rosary and Pro-Life prayers as well as Benediction. All are invited to attend and pray for an end to abortion.
12/1
The placement exam for Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth is scheduled for either December 1 or December 8 beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 11:30 a.m. There is no pre-registration, and the testing fee is $20 payable the morning of the exam. The 10 students who take the placement exam at Bishop Stang and receive the highest scores will receive $1,000 each toward their freshman year tuition. The five students who take the placement exam at Bishop Stang and receive the highest scores on the exam will receive free new textbooks for their freshman year at Bishop Stang. For more information call 508-9965602 extension 424.
12/1
A Day with Mary will be held December 1 at St. George Church, 12 Highland Avenue in Westport from 8 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. It will include a video presentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother, with Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for Reconciliation. There is a bookstore available during breaks. Please bring a bag lunch. For more information call 508-996-8274.
12/1
The Catholic Women’s Club of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee will sponsor its annual Christmas Bazaar on December 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held in the parish hall adjacent to the church located on Jobs Fishing Road at the Mashpee Commons. Featured will be a raffle table, jewelry table, bakery and treats table, white elephant table, children’s shopping room, boutique and exquisite crafts, original holiday green arrangements, face painting and games for children, and the Holly Café.
12/9
The annual Deacon Joseph Stanley Mass of Hope and Remembrance for bereaved parents who have experienced the loss of a child in pregnancy, infancy, sudden death, illness, accident, murder or suicide will be held on December 9 at 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville. Refreshments will be served in the parish center immediately following the Mass. Please bring the whole family to share the memory. It will be a spiritual Christmas gift to your child and yourselves. All are welcome. For more information contact jeanmarie. fraser@gmail.com or the parish office at 508-775-5744.
12/13
On December 13 legal staff from Catholic Social Services will assist with the N400 Application for Naturalization and provide information about the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen. The Naturalization Workshop will be held at the offices of Catholic Social Services, 261 South Street in Hyannis. For more information contact Alanna Keane at 508-674-4681 or email akeane@cssdioc. org.
2/9
The St. Nicholas Of Myra Knights Of Columbus’ annual Valentine’s Craft Fair will be held at St. Nicholas of Myra Parish, 499 Spring Street, North Dighton, on February 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Forty-plus crafters will be on hand including a roll-up table, famous food cafe and lots of fun. For more information contact Brian Brown at 774-217-0390 or bbrown@simcona.com.
1/13
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk is sponsoring its 12th trip to the Honduran Mission. A group of 10-15 volunteers will travel to Guaimaca, Honduras from January 13-21. For information contact Pam Potenza at pgp624@hotmail.com or 508-472-4242. Doctors, nurses, dentists, carpenters are especially needed, but all are welcome.
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The Anchor
November 23, 2012