12 09 16

Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

Friday, December 9, 2016

A group of volunteers gather inside the conference room at the offices of Catholic Social Services on Bay Street in Fall River on a Sunday afternoon to begin sorting the toys and clothes that will be gifted to families throughout the diocese as part of the annual Gift of Giving Program. Story on page three. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza) The Anchor - December 9, 2016

1

Schools, students to benefit from revamped scholarship fund’s banner year With fund-raising dinner, summer gala and endowment gifts amount could exceed $5 million

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

FALL RIVER — The St. Mary’s Education Fund was inaugurated in the Diocese of Fall River in 1991, with the intention of providing need-based scholarships to families of students who couldn’t otherwise afford a quality Catholic education.

The fund had its start with the closing of the St. Mary’s Orphanage in New Bedford, with assets from the sale transferred to create the St. Mary’s Education Fund.

Throughout the years, donors were sometimes confused about the fund’s name, and in 2015, with Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.’s recommendation for a name change, the fund became the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education — FACE. There’s an adage that claims, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but that doesn’t mean things can’t be tweaked along the way.

2

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

With that in mind, along with a name change, the bishop and James A. Campbell, diocesan director of Development, whose office is responsible for the FACE operations, saw the need to revamp the fund and breathe new life into it.

“We recognized the need to revitalize the board of directors, bring in new members and revamp the whole

structure,” Bishop da Cunha told The Anchor.

“The bishop has been very proactive in his approach to Catholic eduction in the diocese,” said Campbell. “We have recruited new people for the board, and the bishop instituted a new Task Force on Schools to come up with directions to ensure the successful future of diocesan

schools.”

With the completion of the recent Fall Dinner to benefit FACE, its 2016 fund-raising totals reached $2,752,000, and news recently came into the Development Office of a gift to FACE from the estate of a recently-deceased member of the diocese that could exceed $2.2 million, bringing this year’s total to more than $5 million.

“This is incredible news,” Campbell told The Anchor. “Such an extremely generous gift will go a very long way to assisting families to send their children to our outstanding Catholic schools.

“Earlier this year, we received another extremely generous donation from the Carney Family Foundation of $1 million, asking FACE to match the contribution. Also, FACE received a $1.1 million endowment from another recently-deceased faithful member of the diocese.”

“The name change and the Turn to page 22

CSS gift program provides toys, clothing to families

up the (Giving) Trees for them.”

Having been involved with the program pretty gift-wrap an abundance of at the same Bay Street much since its inception,

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff donations — from toys to location — McNamee Frias recalled starting on kensouza@anchornews.org clothing to winter jackets said the donations come Slade Street, at the former FALL RIVER — For — for CSS’ annual Gift of in from various parishes Diocesan Department of many, it was just another Giving Program. and Catholic schools with Social Services building, Sunday afternoon — a And to watch a little “Giving Trees” and even where they worked out of group of like-minded Patri- football via the flat-screen a few non-diocesan sites a much smaller conference ots fans gathered together, TV on the far wall that had such as the New Bedford room. gazing at the TV to watch just recently been tuned Country Club and a public “I think we had nine Tom Brady and his bunch into the game thanks to a preschool. parishes that first year,” she handily secure another couple of amateur techies “This group just comes,” said. “Then we went from win over the Los Angeles and a borrowed antenna. she said of the members there to St. Patrick’s ConRams.

“We’re Patriots fans, so who were busy organizing vent next door just before But this group of more this is really a sacrifice for toys by age group and gath- it was demolished. Then than a dozen volunteers us,” joked Arlene McNaering clothing by sizes for we went to the Donovan had another reason for mee, CEO of Catholic distribution. “They get the House before it was conhuddling inside the back Social Services. calendar of when we’ll be verted into housing. We conference rooms of the Adding that the Gift of here and they just show up.” also worked in the school Catholic Social Services’ Giving Program has been In addition to the group building (across the street main office on Bay Street a staple of CSS for the scurrying around inside from St. Mary’s Cathedral) in Fall River. They were all past 19 years now — 13 CSS, McNamee said there for a couple of years in one there to sort, categorize and of which have been spent were another four truck drivers out picking up the collected donations from all corners of the diocese to deliver them to Fall River for sorting and wrapping.

This process will continue Monday through Thursday during the week and every Sunday until December 18, according to a detailed calendar supplied to volunteers.

“Next Sunday will be enormous,” McNamee said.

“We’ve all been working together for a long time — it’s more like a reunion for us.”

According to Mary Lou Frias, the longtime coordinator of the Gift of Giving Program, their purpose is to help facilitate the charitable effort with the various parishes and groups within the Fall River Diocese.

“We can give them support to any degree,” Frias said. “We can give them the names of families, we can give them request forms, we Gerri Hanson, right, hands board games to Mary Lou can give them labels, and Frias, coordinator of CSS’ Gift of Giving Program, as the we can give them the gift two prepare for a larger group of volunteers scheduled tags pre-made — which to come help sort and wrap the various gifts that will be is mostly what we do. In distributed to needy families throughout the Fall River a couple of situations, we actually go in and even set Diocese this Christmas. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

of the classrooms. And now we’ve been here for the last 13 years.”

Over the years, the program has continued to expand and the number of volunteers has increased — but so has the need.

“Sometimes the poverty seems to move the project,” Frias said. “When we were at the St. Patrick’s Convent, the floors were dirt in the basement where we worked. Some of the men who worked for CSS would have to lay down tarps because if anything dropped on the floor and got dirty, we couldn’t give it away.

So we went from a pretty meager space to this.”

Frias said in those early days it was easy for her Turn to page 21

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

3

FAIRHAVEN — Father Stanley J. Kolasa, SS.CC., a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts-United States Province, passed away December 2, at Damien Residence in Fairhaven surrounded by his SS.CC. family. An integral part of the community, Father Stan was a member of the first provincial government following the merger of the U.S. East and Hawaii Provinces in 2011, and served as vicar provincial until last month when his illness forced him to resign from that position.

Father Stan, who celebrated his 74th birthday on October 20, was born to Stanley and Anna (Pandolfo) Kolasa in Brooklyn N.Y. in 1942.

Predeceased by his parents and his only brother, Father Stan leaves no surviving relatives, but always considered all his parishioners as his family wherever he was.

He entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in 1963 in Wareham at the age of 20. Professing his first vows on Aug. 22, 1964, he was ordained a priest on April 3, 1970 at St. Mary’s Church in Fairhaven.

Following studies at Sa-

4

Father Stanley J. Kolasa, SS.CC., dies at 74 cred Hearts Seminary in Washington, D.C., Father Stan was assigned to teach at St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minn., in 1971.

In 1972 he was assigned as parochial vicar at Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham for two years, prior to entering Notre Dame University for further graduate studies.

Returning to Cape Cod, he served as parochial vicar at Holy Trinity in West Harwich for four years, before being assigned as pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Mattapoisett from 1984 to 1988.

In 1988, Father Stan traveled to the Bahamas where he became pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Nassau for two years before becoming pastor of the Catholic Communities in the SS.CC. Mission on the Island of Abaco, where he served the people there for 12 years. Recalling that as one of his most special assignments, he often reflected on how much love the Bahamian people gave, not only to him, but to his mother Anna, who lived with him there for a short time before her death.

Returning to Massachusetts, he was assigned as pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in New

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

Bedford. He remained there for six years until he was made director of the Sacred Hearts Spirituality Center in Wareham in 2008, a position in which he continued to serve until his death.

Father Stan wore many hats during his life in the Sacred Hearts Communi-

ty. An eloquent preacher, he was often called upon for parish celebrations and retreats and was sought after amongst the Sacred Hearts provinces worldwide to be their retreat master. In addition to his responsibilities as director of the Retreat Center, he also served as preNovitiate director and as Development director for the United States Province for several years.

An avid and accomplished artist, Father Stan’s paintings now represent another part of his legacy,

gracing the walls not only of the Retreat Center but in the homes of so many friends and admirers. He loved painting, loved the SS.CC. community, loved being a priest, and loved the Church but most of all he loved God and strove to live his life exemplifying that in his love for others.

Burial in the Sacred Hearts Cemetery in Fairhaven will take place at a later date.

Funeral arrangements were being made through Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Homes in New Bedford.

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held December 10-11 in the Diocese of Fall River. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office, the parish-based appeal benefits nearly 33,000 senior Catholic Sisters, Brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack adequate retirement savings.

The Diocese of Fall River contributed $156,103.15 to the last collection. Women and men religious who serve or have served in the diocese but whose communities are based elsewhere may benefit from the Retirement Fund for Religious.

Catholic bishops of the United States initiated the collection in 1988 to address the significant lack of retirement funding among U.S. religious communities. Proceeds help underwrite retirement and health-care expenses.

Nearly 95 percent of donations directly support senior religious and their communities.

The appeal raised $30.7 million in 2015, the sixth highest total in its history.

As a result, the NRRO distributed $25 million to 401 religious congregations. These funds supplement the day-to-day care of elderly religious and help their congregations implement long-range retirement strategies.

Throughout the year, additional funding is allocated for congregations with the greatest needs.

“We are humbled by the love and support that Catholics across the nation share with our senior religious,” said Sister Stephanie Still, a member of the Sisters of the Presentation and newly-appointed NRRO executive director.

The retirement-funding deficit is rooted in low salaries and changing demographics. Traditionally, Catholic Sisters, Brothers and religious order priests — known collectively as women and men religious — worked for small stipends. As a result, many religious communities lack adequate retirement

savings. At the same time, elderly religious are living longer and now outnumber younger, wage-earning religious. Among communities providing data to the NRRO, 68 percent have a median age of 70 or above. The income of those engaged in compensated ministry cannot keep pace with the growing cost of eldercare.

In addition to providing financial support for immediate needs, proceeds from the annual appeal underwrite educational initiatives in retirement planning and eldercare delivery. Workshops, webinars and print resources, for example, address topics ranging from propertyplanning to caring for members with dementia.

“Our mission is to help religious communities meet current eldercare needs while preparing for the ones to come,” said Sister Stephanie. “We remain grateful for all those who support these efforts.”

Visit retiredreligious.org to learn more.

Annual collection supports eldercare needs of religious communities

later dubbed the names for the three other sets of Rosary mysteries: the Joyful, Glorious, and Luminous, to be used on the proper days.

WSAR general manager Ric Oliveira said the English Rosary will air daily at 4:40 a.m.

Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River records the Rosary at radio station WSAR’s Somerset studio. Joining the bishop were staff members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea, its pastor, Father Michael Ciryak, members of the parish prayer group and John E. Kearns Jr., diocesan director of Communications. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

Fall River area radio station to begin airing daily Rosary on feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

SOMERSET — It seems very fitting that a local radio station will begin airing the daily Rosary on December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Radio station WSAR, AM 1480 will air the Rosary daily with the corresponding mysteries for each day.

The station, and its sister station WHTB, AM 1400, are owned by brothers James and Robert Karam. WHTB already airs the Rosary in

Portuguese each day.

“The Karam Brothers are very supportive of Bishop da Cunha, and wanted an English version to air each day as well,” John E. Kearns Jr., diocesan director of Communications told The Anchor. “They invited Bishop da Cunha to come into the studio to record it.”

Joining the bishop in the recording of the daily Rosary was Kearns, Father Michael A. Ciryak, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea, members of his office staff and members of the parish prayer group, including parishioners from

St. Francis, St. Bernard’s in Assonet, Holy Name in Fall River, and Holy Family in East Taunton.

“It was a real honor to be asked to be a part of this and an honor to be able to pray with the bishop and these good people,” Father Ciryak told The Anchor.

Since it was a Friday when the group met at the studio, the Sorrowful Mysteries were recited in their entirety. Bishop da Cunha

WSAR’s listening range covers a wide swath of the Fall River area with its 5,000-watt twin radio towers. The station can also be heard online via live stream.

For more information about WSAR visit its website at wsar.com.

Father Michael A. Ciryak, center, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea, along with members of his parish staff and prayer group were part of the taping of the Rosary that will air daily on WSAR, AM 1480 each day beginning December 12. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

5

Anchor Editorial

Facing death in December

Death is difficult to confront. When it comes around times of great joy, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, an added burden is given to the survivors. Our Christian faith helps us to “not mourn like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thes 4:13). Instead, our mourning makes us mindful of the blessing these deceased people were to us while alive, while we continue to show our love for them by our offerings of prayers and sacrifices for the repose of their souls. We continue to be united to them through the Eucharist, whether they are in Heaven or purgatory (which, as St. John Paul II taught during the summer of 1999, are not places, but are states of being in relationship with God after earthly death).

St. Ambrose, whose feast we celebrated this week on December 7 (this year it was the 75th anniversary of the deaths of thousands of Americans at Pearl Harbor), wrote about his sorrow on the death of his brother, Satyrus. He referred to the quote from St. Paul in the first paragraph of this editorial and wrote, “Not all weeping proceeds from unbelief or weakness. Not only grief has tears, joy also has tears of its own. [The] friends [of Old Testament figures] made a great mourning when the patriarchs were buried. Tears, then, are marks of devotion, not producers of grief. I confess, then, that I too wept, but the Lord also wept. He wept for one not related [Lazarus] to Him, I for my brother. He wept for all in weeping for one, I will weep for you in all, my brother.”

Addressing his brother (in prayer, since he was dead), Ambrose wrote, “Before we were inseparable in the body, now we are undivided in affection; for you remain with me, and ever wilt remain.” This saint knew that he was even closer to his brother now than when that man walked the earth.

This saint explained why death is actually a blessing, since without it we would be laboring forever on this earth (like Bill Murray’s character in the movie, “Groundhog Day”). “God did not decree death from the beginning; He prescribed it as a remedy. Human life, because of sin began to experience the burden of wretchedness in unremitting labor and unbearable sorrow. There had to be a limit to its evils; death had to restore what life had forfeited. Without the assistance of grace, immortality is more of a burden than a blessing.”

Still, experiencing death at this time of year is a cross, especially for people who have to bury their own children. Our hearts go out to them — through our prayers, prayers which should then help us see how we can be of assistance to these people, so that they do not feel abandoned by the community (as often happens, since out of fear of saying “the wrong thing,” we just fail to communicate with them at all).

As you can read on page four, Father Stanley Kolasa, SS.CC., had his funeral this week. At it, his confrere, Father Thomas McElroy, SS.CC., said, “We celebrate Jesus Christ as reflected in our lives. People must be able to look at us and see God’s love. We may be the only sign people have of that love.” Father McElroy challenged the overflowing church OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

Vol. 60, No. 25

Member: Catholic Press Association, Catholic News Service Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses.

Send address changes to 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA, call or use email address

PUBLISHER - Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase marychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org REPORTER Rebecca Aubut beckyaubut@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org

PoStmaSters send address changes to The Anchor, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720.

THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020) Periodical Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass.

6

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

to heed Jesus’s “command to love,” that it be “seen through you and me.

Jesus’ love requires hard work and requires patience.”

Father McElroy said that he did not need to reread Father Stan’s obituary, but said, “Stan was a great witness in his life to the love of Jesus. We are asked to be witnesses to the Lord. [It] is not an easy thing to live in a world that denies everything He stood for.”

This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, named for the first word in Latin of the Entrance Antiphon (“Rejoice in the Lord always” [Phil 4:4]). Father Stan was an artist. Last month we celebrated the funeral of a fellow artist, Sister Gertrude Gaudette, O.P. Her art continues to bring joy to thousands of people who head out to La Salette Shrine during this time of the annual festival of lights.

On Nov. 27, 2013, Pope Francis dedicated a general audience to the topic of death. He said, “Death affects us all, and it questions us in a profound way, especially when it touches us closely, or when it takes the little ones, the defenseless in such a way that it seems ‘scandalous.’ I have always been struck by the question: why do children suffer? Why do children die?” The pope did not offer an answer to that question, since only God can answer it.

He did warn of a “concept of death” which “is typical of atheistic thought, which interprets life as a random existence in the world and as a journey toward nothingness. But there is also a practical atheism, which consists in living for one’s own interests alone and living only for earthly things.” As we approach Christmas, that practical atheism is a great temptation for us.

The pope then asked, “What is the Christian meaning of death? If we look at the most painful moments of our lives, when we have lost a loved one — our parents, a brother, a sister, a spouse, a child, a friend — we realize that even amid the tragedy of loss, even when torn by separation, the conviction arises in the heart that everything cannot be over, that the good given and received has not been pointless. This thirst for life found its true and reliable answer in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ Resurrection does not only give us the certainty of life after death, it also illumines the very mystery of the death of each one of us.”

The pope reminded us of “Jesus’ invitation to be ever ready, watchful, knowing that life in this world is given to us also in order to prepare us for the afterlife, for life with the Heavenly Father. And for this there is a sure path: preparing oneself well for death, staying close to Jesus. And how do we stay close to Jesus? Through prayer, in the Sacraments and also in the exercise of charity. Let us remember that He is present in the weakest and the most needy. The one who practices mercy does not fear death. And why does he not fear it? Because he looks death in the face in the wounds of his brothers and sisters, and he overcomes it with the love of Jesus Christ.”

Daily Readings Dec. 10 — Dec. 23

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Dec. 10, Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Mt 17:9a.

10-13. Sun. Dec. 11, Third Sunday of Advent, Is 35:1-6a,10; Ps 146:6-10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11. Mon. Dec. 12, Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a;12:1-6a,10ab; Lk 1:26-38 or 1:39-47. Tues. Dec. 13, Zep 3:12,9-13; Mt 21:28-32. Wed. Dec. 14, Is 45:6b-8,18,21b-25; Lk 7:18b23. Thurs. Dec. 15, Is 54:1-10; Lk 7:24-30. Fri. Dec. 16, Is 56:13a,6-8; Jn 5:33-36.

Sat. Dec. 17, Gn 49:2,8-10; Mt 1:1-17. Sun. Dec. 18, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24. Mon. Dec. 19, Jgs 13:2-7,24-25a; Lk 1:5-25. Tues. Dec. 20, Is 7:10-14; Lk 1:2638. Wed. Dec. 21, Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Lk 1:39-45. Thurs.

Dec. 22, 1 Sm 1:24-28;Lk 1:46-56. Fri. Dec. 23, Mal 3:1-4,23-24; Lk 1:57-66.

W

ith martyrs, Christians are always faced with a moral paradox, for martyrs are signs of contradiction not only to the people and culture that executed them but also to the Church that venerates them. On the one hand, Christians certainly mourn their deaths and lament what led to them, but on the other we celebrate their heroic faith and the good that God brings out of the evil they endured. Martyrdom is simultaneously shameful and glorious, the martyrs’ blood both a waste and the seed of future Christians.

We are living in a new age of martyrs. More Christians have been killed because of their faith in the past century than in the previous 19 centuries combined.

When we look at what happened in Armenia, Mexico, Spain, and Cambodia, in the Nazi concentration camps and in communist countries in the former Soviet bloc, Asia and Cuba, and what’s happening now in parts of the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and India, the body count is so staggering that many simply cannot believe it. And even if people escape torture, death and imprisonment, many others suffer various levels of persecution, a type of dry or white martyrdom in which the sacrifice is supremely costly.

For this new age of crimson, there is a need for models, through whose heroism the rest

The first American priest martyr — because, the priest of us learn how to live insisted, that there was and die for the Good no “St. Stanley.” Well, as Shepherd Who died to of next year, Stanley will give us life to the full, and through Whose ex- be a moniker capable of ample we can grasp how passing the muster of even the most meticuto love others with the lous monsignors! greatest love of all.

Likewise they said Last Friday, Pope because he was a farmer, Francis proposed such he often didn’t have a hero for Catholics in the United States and Guatemala, recognizing the Putting Into martyrdom of Father Stanley the Deep Rother, a priest of the ArchBy Father Roger J. Landry diocese of Oklahoma City who was assassinated in his rectory in a Gua- much time for books and consequently temalan village on July struggled as a seminary 28, 1981. student particularly He’s an incredible because the classes were witness to Christian courage and priestly love in Latin and he was not whose beatification will a linguist. Similar to St. John Vianney, the take place sometime in patron saint of priests the coming year. who was booted from While I was in semithe seminary because he nary, a classmate of couldn’t even understand mine was assigned to the Latin questions that the parish of Okarche, were asked him, after six Okla., where Father Stan was born and grew years of college and major seminary studies Stan up and where his dad, was asked to withdraw brother and several of his family members still from Assumption Seminary in San Antonio. But lived. My friend would his bishop didn’t give up bring Mr. Rother Holy on him. He transferred Communion. They told him to Mount St. Mary’s him some incredible Seminary in Emmitsstories about Father burg, Md. — where I Stan that cannot but proudly attended for a make him all the more year — from which he endearing. graduated and was orOn the day he was dained in 1963. baptized at Holy TrinHe served five years in ity Church in 1935, they told my friend that parishes around Oklahoma before volunteerthe famously imperiing for the Mission ous German pastor at in the Archdiocese of the time, Msgr. Zenon Steuber, refused to bap- Oklahoma City staffed for the Tz’utujil people tize him “Stanley Franin the rural highlands of cis” — christening him rather “Francis Stanley” southwest Guatemala.

It’s seemed on paper an unhappy pairing due to his poor reputation with foreign languages, but with passion and application he set himself to learn Spanish and the indigenous Tz’utujil language, eventually not only celebrating Mass in it but translating the entire New Testament into it and learning it well enough he could teach the locals how to read and write.

His parishioners, who couldn’t take easily to the name Stanley, united themselves with Msgr.

Zenon, however, in calling him “Padré Francisco.” He built a school, a small hospital, and a radio station through which people could be taught grammar and math.

Around 1980, extremist elements in the Guatemalan army during Guatemala’s 36-year-long civil war started to use force and intimidation against some of the indigenous people and those who defended their rights.

They destroyed the radio station and killed its director. His catechists and parishioners began to disappear and were later found dead, their bodies showing signs of torture. In January 1981, once his name was put on a death list because of his opposition to the presence of the military in the region, he was pressured by friends, family and his bishop to leave for a time lest he become the next victim.

He returned to Oklahoma. His family members say, however, that even though he was on the farm he loved and grew up on, his attention and heart were with the people whom he had served for 13 years who desperately needed a shepherd, surrounded by so many fierce wolves.

A shepherd, he stressed, cannot run at the first sign of danger. After three months, he asked the permission of his bishop to return, and despite his and others’ remonstrations, “Padré Francisco” arrived back in Santiago Atitlán.

Three months later, masked gunmen broke into his rectory and, after a struggle, shot him twice in the head. He was 46 — my age — one of 10 priests murdered in Guatemala that year.

His body was flown back to Oklahoma City for the funeral and burial in his hometown, but the Tz’utujil parishioners begged that his heart be removed and sent back where it always was, with them, to be buried under the altar of the Church where he had served. There one finds a plaque sculpted in his honor, showing Christ carrying His cross, giving the details of his life and death, and finishing in Spanish, “There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends.”

His friends will never forget that heroic love and neither should we.

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

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

7

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

8

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

2016 Marian Medal Award Winners

Name Parish City/Town

Attleboro Deanery Julie Benedetti St. Theresa of the Child Jesus South Attleboro Clara Charron St. John the Evangelist Attleboro Christine Duquette St. Mark’s Attleboro Falls Kathy Harum St. Vincent de Paul Attleboro Diana Humphrey Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seekonk Francine L. Leary St. Mary’s North Attleboro Daniel A. Nolin Sacred Heart North Attleboro Paul Rego Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Seekonk Charles M. Spath St. Mary’s Mansfield Cape Cod/Islands Deanery Kathleen Blais St. Margaret’s Buzzards Bay Maria de Los Angeles Calle St. Francis Xavier Hyannis Roberta Dwyer St. John the Evangelist Pocasset David A. Feindel St. Mary-Our Lady of the Isle Nantucket Mary Jane Gallerani Corpus Christi East Sandwich Ann Graham Our Lady of Victory Centerville Jane Greene Our Lady of the Cape Brewster Cathleen Henrique St. Peter Apostle Provincetown Barbara Klapproth St. Joan of Arc Orleans Raymond McSweeney Holy Trinity West Harwich Bethel Norcross Holy Redeemer Chatham Margaret Penicaud Good Shepherd Vineyard Haven Beaulah E. Perry Our Lady of the Assumption Osterville Janis Plaue Our Lady of Lourdes Wellfleet Joseph C. Powers Christ the King Mashpee Daniel Regan St. Elizabeth Seton North Falmouth Barbara A. Whelan St. Pius X South Yarmouth James H. Wilson St. Anthony’s East Falmouth Alice Zylinski St. Patrick’s Falmouth Fall River Deanery Daniel Alexander Our Lady of Grace Westport Artemesia Anderson St. Joseph Fall River Michael F. Arruda Holy Trinity Fall River Maria Eduarda Barbosa St. Michael’s Fall River Mary Carol Bouchard Good Shepherd Fall River Fatima Branco St. Anthony of Padua Fall River Joseph M. Brillo St. Patrick’s Somerset Alda Brum Santo Christo Fall River William J. Conforti St. Thomas More Somerset Josephine Correia St. John of God Somerset Madeleine Grace St. Mary’s Cathedral Fall River John Kostka St. Stanislaus Fall River Maurice Levesque St. Anne’s Fall River Claudette Martin St. Dominic’s Swansea José A. Medeiros Espirito Santo Fall River Douglas Michaud St. Bernard’s Assonet Janice Noiseux St. John the Baptist Westport Carol Oliveira St. Bernadette Fall River Christine Patota St. Francis of Assisi Swansea Dale Souza Holy Name Fall River Pauline Teixeira St. Louis de France Swansea Albert Trahan St. George’s Westport New Bedford Deanery Theresa Arruda St. Rita Marion Mary Balestracci St. Francis Assisi New Bedford Eduardo Baptista Our Lady of the Assumption New Bedford David Beaulieu St. Mary’s New Bedford Mary Cardoza St. Francis Xavier Acushnet Robert Comeau St. Julie Billiart North Dartmouth Barbara Connulty St. Mary’s South Dartmouth Michael Dean Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus New Bedford Nelson J. De Frias Our Lady of Mount Carmel New Bedford John R. Duff St. Anthony’s Mattapoisett Krystyna Dzieciolowski Our Lady of Perpetual Help New Bedford Ronald Lacasse St. Joseph’s Fairhaven Emile J. Lacoste St. Mary’s Fairhaven Patricia LaFrance St. Joseph-St. Therese New Bedford Pablo Lopez Our Lady of Guadalupe New Bedford Michael J. Murray Our Lady of Fatima New Bedford Teresa Ouellette St. Lawrence New Bedford Antonio M. Pacheco Immaculate Conception New Bedford Alice Rocheleau St. Anthony of Padua New Bedford Stella Sylvester St. Patrick’s Wareham Richard Troland St. John Neumann East Freetown Taunton Deanery Katherine Carpenter St. Ann’s Raynham Robert Crossman St. Andrew the Apostle Taunton Grace DiSanto St. Mary’s Taunton Paul Giorgio Holy Cross South Easton Raymond A. Medeiros Holy Family East Taunton Sandra Raible Annunciation of the Lord Taunton John Rego St. Anthony’s Taunton Yvonne Richardson St. Jude the Apostle Taunton Theresa Rivet St. Nicholas of Myra North Dighton Maria Tedesco Immaculate Conception North Easton

When to call the Liturgy police Tuesday 6 December 2016 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — St. Nicholas Day ’m scrupulous about keeping the season of Advent. At any church I pastor, you will find no poinsettia before it’s time — no Nativity scene, no Christmas tree, no wreath, no carol singing.

No, no, no. Advent isn’t Christmas.

But I’m leading a double life. I secretly celebrate Christmas all year. Along with the late Avery Cardinal Dulles, I believe that the Incarnation is cause for neverending celebration.

Every year I publicly avoid all things Christmas until after the Fourth Sunday of Advent, as any good Liturgist would do. There is no trace of Christmas in the Sanctuary, mind you, but it’s quite another matter in my personal living space.

Back in early November, I happened to be in Mike’s Craft Store.

Christmas was the farthest thing from my mind. As I made my way to the checkout, I happened to walk down the Christmas merchandise aisle. “Tsk!” I muttered to myself, “It’s not even Thanksgiving!” (Or “Thanksgathering” as some are now calling the holiday). And then, quite unexpectedly, I beheld a vision of loveliness. Among the rows of fake trees, there was one that glistened gloriously in the LED lighting; one that stood out among all the rest. It was the usual run-of-the-mill fake green tree, but this stunning specimen was flocked with fake white snow. I uttered an ancient

I

prayer of exorcism: “Lead cently to the counter to me not into temptation! pay for the tree.

Away with thee, vile Father Cambra lugged tannenbaum.” And then the loot out of the store.

I rushed from the store I drove the getaway car. and back to the safety of The black op was sucthe rectory. Phew!

That was close.

The Ship’s Log But the specter Reflections of a of the sparkling tree haunted my Parish Priest thoughts. What

By Father Tim if it was no lonGoldrick ger on sale when I returned? What if I waited until cessful.

Christmas Eve only to Now I had another find that particular model problem: where to stash had sold-out? What if the the booty? I decided to display sample was the only store it in my personal one? It wasn’t even Thanks- space. giving and I was already Oh. Wait. Father obsessed with thoughts of a Francis Wallace comes Christmas tree. St. Nicho- into my sitting room las, deliver me! several times a day to Yes, dear readers, I chat. What if he noticed must confess. I sucthe Christmas tree carton cumbed to temptation in my room so early? He — something that hasn’t would be scandalized by happened since 1962, I my flippant disregard of think it was. standard Advent operatEarly next morning, ing procedures. It would after celebrating Mass, ruin his 95th Advent.

I clandestinely changed Then I would have that, from my clerical garb too, on my conscience. I into civilian clothes. I covered the carton with a had made up my mind. It blanket. That should take would be a covert operacare of it, thought I. But tion. I didn’t want some it didn’t. parishioner to recognize I’m pretty sure I heard their pastor dragging a the unassembled tree Christmas tree into the asking me questions from rectory before Thanksthe box. “Where will I giving. The town gossips be displayed this year? would have a field day.

When will you set me I recruited an acup? Why am I still in complice — Father Ray the box?” Wouldn’t you Cambra — for my deviknow, of all the trees in ous plan. We snuck off all the world I would get to get the tree. We paced a talking Christmas tree. nonchalantly up and I ignored it, sat down at down the aisle, with our my desk, and went about hands clasped behind our reading the latest chanbacks, whistling “Amazcery memorandum (all 69 ing Grace” softly and pages). looking up at the ceilAnd there it was on ing. Then, in a flash, I page 17 — the annual scooped up one of those Advent reminder from “take this to the cashier” the Office of Divine cards and strolled innoWorship. The regulations

are decades old, but lest we forget: The Christmas season begins on the evening of December 24 with the celebration of first Vespers. Christmas hymns during Advent are inappropriate. Liturgical music should be restrained and reflective. During the celebration of Holy Mass (even at so-called “children’s Liturgies”) costumes, theater props, puppets, and tableaux are never permitted under any circumstances.

Christmas pageants can be scheduled outside of Mass, but never during Advent. Ideally, symbols of the Christmas season should not be used in church decorations until Christmas Eve. My thoughts exactly!

But you know in your heart when the time has come. It was time. I have defiantly set up my Christmas tree. Please don’t report me to the Liturgy police.

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

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

9

Society needs priests ‘enamored’ with the Gospel, Pope Francis says

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — In his message for the 2017 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis focused on the need to be “missionary disciples” who first fall in love with God, and are then propelled into action, zealously spreading the Good News they have heard.

“The People of God need to be guided by pastors whose lives are spent in service to the Gospel,” the pope said in his message, published November 30.

He asked parish communities, associations and various prayer groups within the Church not to get discouraged by an apparent lack of vocations, but to continue praying fervently “that the Lord will send workers to His harvest.”

“May He give us priests enamored of the Gospel, close to all their brothers and sisters, living signs of God’s merciful love,” he said.

Set to be celebrated May 7, 2017, the 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations will take place on the fourth Sunday of Easter and will hold the theme: “Led by the Spirit for mission.”

While Pope Francis’ previous messages for the event have focused on the frequent summons he makes for the Church to “go out” of ourselves in order to hear the Lord and the importance of the ecclesial community as the place where God’s vocational call is born, this year will focus on another topic often promoted by the pope: mission.

In his message, the pope noted how those who are drawn by God’s voice and choose to follow Jesus “soon discover within themselves an irrepressible desire to bring the Good News to their brothers and sisters” through proclamation and charitable service.

As disciples, “we do not receive the gift of God’s love for our personal consolation, nor are we called to promote ourselves, or a business concern,” he said. “We are simply men and women touched and transformed by the joy of God’s love, who cannot keep this experience just to ourselves.”

10

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

Commitment to the mission isn’t some sort of “decoration” added to the Christian life, but is rather “an essential element of faith itself,” he said, stressing that we must overcome our own feelings of inadequacy “and not yield to pessimism, which merely turns us into passive spectators of a dreary and monotonous life.”

“There is no room for fear! God Himself comes to cleanse our unclean lips and equip us for the mission,” the pope continued, explaining that all Christians, but priests and consecrated in particular, are “bearers of Christ.”

Priests, he said, are asked to “go

T

anointed by the Spirit, and to go out to our brothers and sisters in order to proclaim the Word and to be for them a means of Salvation.”

Pointing to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the pope stressed that we are never alone on our journey, but that Christ is at our side every step of the way.

Life’s questions and challenges can “make us feel bewildered, inadequate and hopeless,” and the Christian mission at times appears to be “mere utopian illusion” beyond our reach, he said. However, if we contemplate on Jesus on the road to Emmaus, we see a true “Liturgy of the street.”

he seed of God’s Kingdom, “however tiny, unseen and at times insignif icant, silently continues to grow, thanks to God’s tireless activity,” he said, explaining that our f irst reason for conf idence in God is that He surpasses our every expectation and “constantly surprises us by His generosity.” forth from the Sacred precincts of the temple” with renewed enthusiasm in order to “let God’s tender love overflow for the sake of humanity.”

“The Church needs such priests: serenely confident because they have discovered the true treasure, anxious to go out and joyfully to make it known to all,” he said.

When it comes to a Christian understanding of mission, Pope Francis said we can understand it by looking at three scenes from the Gospel: the launch of Jesus’ mission at the synagogue in Nazareth, the journey He makes with the disciples from Emmaus after His Resurrection, and the parable of the sower and the seed.

Turning to the first scene, the pope noted to be a missionary disciple “means to share actively in the mission of Christ.”

Just as Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth said He had been “anointed” by the Spirit to bring Good News to the poor, and that He had been “sent” to proclaim the release of captives and to heal the oppressed, “this is also our mission,” Pope Francis said. “To be

“We see that, at every step of the way, Jesus is at our side! The two disciples, overwhelmed by the scandal of the cross, return home on the path of defeat. Their hearts are broken,” the pope said, but noted that instead of judging them, Jesus walks beside them.

“Instead of raising a wall, He opens a breach” and gradually transforms their discouragement into hope, he said, explaining that the same goes for a Christian, who never carries their burdens alone, but who even amid difficulty knows that Jesus is by their side.

On the parable of the sower and the seed, Pope Francis said it’s important to look at the passage to understand from the Gospel itself what Christian proclamation should look like.

Even with the best intentions in mind, Christians can at times “indulge in a certain hunger for power, proselytism or intolerant fanaticism.” However, the Gospel, he said, tells us to reject “the idolatry of power and success, undue concern for structures,” and an anxiety “that has more to do with the spirit of conquest than that of

service.”

The seed of God’s Kingdom, “however tiny, unseen and at times insignificant, silently continues to grow, thanks to God’s tireless activity,” he said, explaining that our first reason for confidence in God is that He surpasses our every expectation and “constantly surprises us by His generosity.”

The pope then pointed to the importance of maintaining a life of prayer, stressing that “there can be no promotion of vocations or Christian mission apart from constant contemplative prayer,” above all in Scripture by forming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

“I wish heartily to encourage this kind of profound friendship with the Lord, above all for the sake of imploring from on high new vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life,” he said, and urged parishes and Church institutions to continue praying for vocations.

Despite a general sense throughout the world that faith “is listless or reduced to mere ‘duties to discharge,’” young people want to discover “the perennial attraction of Jesus, to be challenged by His Words and actions, and to cherish the ideal that He holds out of a life that is fully human, happy to spend itself in love,” he said.

Pope Francis closed his message by entrusting youth to the intercession of Mary, who “had the courage to embrace this ideal.”

He asked through her prayers, “we be granted that same openness of heart, that same readiness to respond, ‘Here I am’ to the Lord’s call, and that same joy in setting out, like her, to proclaim Him to the whole world.”

Vocations is a theme Pope Francis is likely to delve into in a deeper way over the next two years, since it will form the heart of the discussion for the next Synod of Bishops. Announced October 6, the theme for the next Ordinary Synod, scheduled to take place in October 2018, will discuss “Young People, the Faith and the Discernment of Vocation.”

A

ny sustained exposure to our secular media will show that the celebration of Christmas has little to do with Christ and everything to do with madcap escapades, debauched revelry, and wretched over consumption of just about every fleshly delight.

Admittedly, these excesses were ever with us, but I think the difference now is that the debased view of the holiday is no longer lapping at the fringes of our culture but proudly ensconced center stage.

To be honest, though, there is a certain measure of peace in accepting the reality that the wider culture is no longer Christian, despite sundry leftovers on the calendar, in the vocabulary, and on the menu. In that regard, the best philosophy may be to approach the coming holidays in a single-minded, quietly subversive way — like the earliest Christians in ancient Rome, like the secret Christians in 17th-century Asia, like the embattled Christians swept into hostile kingdoms and oppressive empires throughout the ages. Imagine! We have the extraordinary privilege of joining their religious struggle — but without prisons, shackles, or tortuous deaths.

Let’s not grumble over what people should do, or how things ought to be done. Whatever we wish on a personal level, we can do — praise God for that freedom! We have our customs, the tenets of our faith, and traditions

A counter-cultural Christmas

without ceasing for God’s great blessinherited from every corner of the ings on those we cherish. The faith is a globe. We have a Spiritual course of proposal, an offer, a gift. We must live study at our fingertips: the long and it that way so that it radiates as such cumbersome months pregnancy, the to those who vicariousness have yet to of well-laid The see what we plans run have discovamok, and Feminine ered: that life holding fast Genius has a purpose, to a proma trajectory ise made by

By Genevieve Kineke culminating One entirely in union with trustworthy the One Who set all things in place.

— isn’t that the essence of Christmas?

So when the culture shouts, we In keeping with this time of waitwhisper; when mammon crushes ing, Advent should be marked by silence, reflection, and probing prayer souls, we revive them, when the lost seek shelter, we offer direction; when — what exactly was that promchaos reigns, we offer stability, for as ise? How did the story go? Have the Cistercian motto says, the cross I understood the details properly?

Perhaps in our meditation, we could is the still point in a turning world. begin with how much faith we put in that promise. Does it matter? Does it penetrate daily life? Does it mitigate the sorrows and add depth to our joys? What activities will add to that understanding, and what will distract and diffuse? How can I arrange my schedule so that my faith can be nourished?

Granted, it is one thing to accept the irreligiosity of the wider world, but when our own loved ones reject this marvelous promise, it is painful — but what is to be done? The same thing that all men and women of faith have done throughout the ages: we live the truth with joy, and pray

That promise to which we cling relies on wood, first a cradle, then a cross — both heavily veiled in a distracted world, but radiating hope for the humble of heart.

If our misguided culture serves to bring this saving truth back into focus, so much the better; and as we proceed confidently in this light, I believe firmly that we will actually discover myriad quiet souls strewn all about us. For in all actuality, we’re not alone — there are countless others who cling to the same promise, and soon we’ll band together in full-throated joy, singing the age-old hymns to the Infant King.

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

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

11

Thirty men and women, representing 20 parishes from across the Diocese of Fall River were confirmed December 3 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. Many were in attendance to witness the Sacrament being bestowed on those who completed all the requirements for receiving adult Confirmation, including family members, godparents, sponsors, parishioners and friends. Here Bishop da Cunha is pictured with many of the candidates. (Photo courtesy of Renee Bernier, assistant to the director of the diocesan Office of Faith Formation)

S

Dancing with the stars In Kalaupapa

he was dressed in a magnificent Native American costume topped off by the colorful feathered head adornment of a proud chieftain of her tribe.

Joined by another similarly attired chieftain and other colorfully dressed participants, she danced the most original tribal dance I have ever witnessed. It was part Native American, part Hawaiian, part Samoan, part South Pacific, and God only knows whatever else. She had everyone in the hall in fits of laughter (or pain). It was no wonder then that Jasmine (better known as 12

Jazz) was given the prize don a Halloween costume this year but rather as the “Funniest” at this year’s Halloween party at wore an autographed shirt of Hawaiian comeMcVeigh Hall.

Jazz is one of our devoted chefs who cook for our Moon Over resident patients at the Kalaupapa Molokai Care Home. She

By Father also moonlights Patrick Killilea, SS.CC. as a musician. She typifies the dynamic spirit of our dian, Frank De Lima, I Kalaupapa workers who was asked to be a judge not only do their jobs for the contest (what a and fulfill their duties but also try to the best of joke!) as was “Bishop” Meli Watanuki. After their abilities to lift the spirits of our residents by some deliberations, while entertaining in their own the audience quieted special and unique ways. down, we called on Tiare who works in the adSince I myself did not

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

ministration office as the “Scariest.” In truth her facial mask would have scared the devil himself.

Then, after some further deliberation, we hailed Zianna who oversees our settlement store as the most “Original.” It was well-deserved.

This annual fun night was sponsored by our local Congregational Church which provides not only a delicious dinner but also generous prizes (No, I did not get one).

For many years past our dearly departed friend, Edwin “Pali” Lelepali

ran the whole evening celebration. Now we miss him very much but his jovial spirit lives on in our midst and we will never forget his goodnatured antics. Noticing that it was time for a sober judge to go home, I left the party at a reasonably early hour this night while the celebration continued for some until midnight. It was appropriate to celebrate with fellow workers and to dance with the stars — under the Kalaupapa stars. Aloha.

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

W

ith the election of Donald Trump as president, we have experienced the greatest political upset in American history.

The pundits, the polls, and the media all got it wrong; and with the surprising election of a man with neither a political nor military background, the American people have elected someone who lost the popular vote but handily won the electoral vote for President of the United States. We are obviously a divided and politically-polarized country — not an easy job for anyone to lead in the spirit of e pluribus unum.

It is not surprising, then, that many of us are upset at this amazing upset. Some are frightened; some apparently feel empowered now to openly express various forms of racial, ethnic, political and religious bigotry — all of which is upsetting.

I did not vote for either of the major candidates, thinking them both to be somewhat deficient in requisite moral character. I wrote in a friend of mine, a former law student, who met the constitutional age requirement (35) and is quite honest, but who obviously had no chance of being elected. That being said, I hope I was wrong about the president-elect, and that he really can succeed in making America great again, whatever that actually means.

At the same time, I have many family members, students and friends who are NeverTrumpers, and they say things like “not my president — not now, not ever.” I also have friends who were avid Trump supporters, but they don’t need consolation at this moment of their victory. I happen to be one of those who loves the musical “Hamilton,” but also love our new vicepresident-elect Mike Pence.

One’s Christian view of politics I am heartened when I see bind up the nation’s wounds, the president-elect trying to care for him who shall to behave himself (relatively have borne the battle and for speaking), and meeting with his widow and his orphan, political opponents like Mitt Romney.

Judge Some thoughts: This is just politics.

For You win some; you Yourself lose some. Get used

By Dwight Duncan to it. The problem for many is that they invest a religious fervor into their politics, and, unlike what the Bible warns against, put their faith in princes.

Recently, in welcoming a new batch of cardinals to the Church, Pope Francis had some interesting things to say, which are salutary for our present predicament: “My enemy is someone I must love. God only has sons and daughters. We are the ones who build walls [says the chief bridge-builder, or Pontifex Maximus], build barriers and label people. God’s love has the flavor of fidelity towards everyone, for it is a visceral love, a parental love that never abandons us, even when we go astray.

We live in a time in which polarization and exclusion are burgeoning and considered the only way to resolve conflicts. Little by little, our differences turn into symptoms of hostility, threats and violence.” And this is true of both sides of our national debate. Indeed, both sides have their extremists and crazies.

As Abraham Lincoln, our greatest of presidents in my humble opinion, said in his magnificent second inaugural, just as our greatest civil and culture war was winding to a close and shortly before he was assassinated by one of the crazies: “With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to

to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

The challenges of the present day are great. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom or virtue. With mutual goodwill, a lot of good can be accomplished for our

beloved country and world.

Or, as the Wall Street Journal more modestly advised, at least “have a Thanksgiving dinner without a family blowup: Learn to listen; don’t interrupt.”

Anchor columnist Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

13

We must make it feel like Christmas

A

t this time, more than power and money mongers.

Not too much different 2,000 years ago, a than today. young, pregnant Mary and In our own country, we her loving husband Joseph, were making the arduous trek see daily images of racism, across terrain that was neither murder, protests, selfishness, entitlement, and greed. So, level, nor easy to travel.

It was roughly an 80-mile journey they My View were on in weather From that could change like New England’s. It the Stands was cold at night and

By Dave Jolivet often rainy during the day. And there was always a threat from too, does the rest of the world. wild animals, and worse yet, Add to that my own wild human marauders. personal struggles and there The world, too, was in really isn’t much for me to disarray. Israel was under the “hope” for this Advent. crushing rule of the Roman So I thought, until I was Empire. Hunger and poverty retaught a lesson by a group were everywhere; as were

14

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

of puppets and a few human actors in Brian Henson’s brilliant “A Muppet Christmas Carol.”

We all know the Dickens’ classic and the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge. But it’s good to see it performed again — whatever the rendition.

In any production, for me anyway, the Muppets are real, and in the movie, they bring alive how mankind should treat each other. Ironic in a way.

The closing song, “When love is found, it feels like Christmas,” written by the underrated Paul Williams, is such a heartwarming scene. It restored the hope of Advent for me. I offer it here for you with my hopes for this world and our future.

It’s in the singing of a street corner choir; it’s going home and getting warm by the fire; it’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.

A cup of kindness that we share with another; a sweet reunion with a friend or a brother; in all the places you find love, it feels like Christmas.

It is the season of the heart.

A special time of caring, the ways of love made clear. It is the season of the Spirit, the message, if we hear it, is make it last all year.

It’s in the giving of a gift to another; a pair of mittens that were made by your mother. It’s all the ways that we show love, that feels like Christmas.

A part of childhood we’ll always remember; it is the summer of the soul in December, yes, when you do your best for love, it feels like Christmas It is the season of the heart.

A special time of caring, the ways of love made clear. It is the season of the Spirit, the message, if we hear it, is make it last all year.

It’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas. davejolivet@anchornews.org.

M

God loves you and so do I

y heart is a bit heavy this Christmas. A good friend of mine Sister Claire recently passed home to God after faithfully serving Our Lord for 67 years as a religious. Her mantra was “God loves you and so do I.” I wished to share some experiences of God’s waves of change crafted from the ripples from Claire’s many, small kindnesses. I hoped this would allow each of us insight to recognize each opportunity we have to share God’s love. Seek-

ing to be and encouraging served to call forth the others to live new ways of best from within those being conduits for God’s with whom she interactlove can be the gift we ed. Claire had wished to each choose to give Jesus this Christmas.

Wrestling with God As I walked Holding on for beside Sister Claire in friendHis blessing ship, I saw how she loved God in

By Dr. Helen J. Flavin prayer and worship, but also in each and every person she daily visit her good friend met. I began to see also Sister Marion who rethat somehow her loving sided in a nearby nursing kindness made an indihome. She had petitioned vidual connection that her order to live outside the religious community in a low-income housing project. Claire assisted a visiting priest to bring Mass to the building once each week. The other times of the week Sister Claire walked among the residents there. When I asked her why, she responded quietly that these were the people who really needed to know and feel God’s love.

I did not have eyes to see what she saw. Truthfully, each time I visited, I thanked God when I December 11, 11:00 a.m. turned the dead bolt. I remember once this huge, angry man blocked my way. I knew I was at his mercy and I feared he had none to give. He grew Celebrant is Father Christopher M. calm as he said, “You visit Peschel, parochial vicar at St. Pius X with Sister Claire. She is Parish in South Yarmouth a good person. I will take care of both Sister Claire and you.” I realized that he had been transformed

by Sister Claire sharing December 18, 11:00 a.m.

God’s love with him. For him, he had gently offered the best of what he had to give: strength and protection.

Celebrant is Father Richard E. Degagne, That incident changed pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish the course of my life. I in Easton mentioned it to Claire who smiled and said, “God can write straight with crooked lines.” I

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6

wondered what that really meant. After much reflection, I realized that I truly wished to be able to see people and events through God’s eyes instead of my worldly ones. I can laugh at this now, but I promised God I’d work on it.

Actually, I had to learn to choose to stop doing. That is the beginning of being in the present tense with God. As it went against who I was taught to be in serving God, I resisted this change. It took pneumonia to stop me. One day I opened my door to find groceries and a smiling Sister Claire. She told me simply to rest in God’s hands. The next step was learning self-patience. To do this, the Holy Spirit guided Claire to bring forth from me something I was sure I could not do.

She taught me to knit.

My growth in being still with God continued as Claire and I found, completed and framed many religious puzzles. The first of these was Jesus knocking on the doorway to the heart (the door has no outside handle). Any time I need a reminder of the importance of patience with myself and others, as well as the difference that makes in our world, I need only glance at the framed puzzle.

The final step was learning to recognize and choosing to be attentive to God’s gentle whisper to my heart. That voice is what serves to guide one’s actions in service to Our Lord. Claire shepherded me in growth in this with showing me how to let the Holy Spirit guide me in writing a prayer reflec-

tion for Morning Prayer for the high school.

God’s gentle whisper guided me to begin to look past the surface to the potential that lays within the person.

Though she never explained, that focus on listening to God and that gift of vision is what I believe allowed Claire to connect instantly and so deeply with others.

Anyone who was upset or feeling down got a smile from Claire. Claire would always listen. Claire always thanked people. Her thank you was a sincere message of gratitude for someone who touched her life. It was remarkable to see the positive difference that message made in the life of the recipient.

In some ways, dementia delivered Claire to a child-like state. Yet, there was an unquenchable joy and love that radiated forth even more strongly.

Her smile could instantly banish all worldly worries. This was true whether the person deeply knew or had just met Claire.

For some years now Claire and I have assisted a child at Christmas. Tonight, there is a little boy going to bed in his fleece, superhero PJs after having played outside all day in his blue winter coat.

Stay warm, healthy, happy and safe young man.

Grow to be the wonderful man God created you to be. Each night, that little whisper you hear as you go to sleep is Claire’s, “God loves you and so do I.” Anchor columnist Helen Flavin is a Catholic scientist, educator and writer and a member of St. Bernadette’s Parish in Fall River. biochemwz@ hotmail.com.

The Anchor - December 9, 2016 15

H

appy Advent everyone! I sit here typing this from the San Jose airport after an amazing weekend at the National Conference of Catholic Youth Ministry. It was such a fantastic way to experience Advent! The theme of the conference was “Connect in Christ” and it was exactly that kind of experience.

I knew going into the conference that I would have a chance to sit back and hear amazing keynote speakers, inspirational workshops, and all the praise and worship music that my little heart desired.

Every bit of that turned out to be true. I got to start my morning with 30 minutes of music and prayer, then listen to a great keynote speaker and then head off to workshops of my choosing. During my down time, I had the chance to go the prayer room and the exhibit hall.

This was my first time in California, my first time

For and About Our Church Youth With eyes of grace flying alone, and my first time traveling to a conference alone. It was such a great opportunity for me to be out there on my own and take the time for myself to go with my flow.

Everybody who lives a life a faith needs to take that time to refuel their faith. You cannot give what you do not have and if you are not connected to Christ you certainly cannot give Christ!

So as I said, going into the conference I was excited about all the great experiences that NCCYM had planned for me. What was just as gracefilled were those moments that were not planned out for me! When I arrived at the San Jose airport, I had no idea how I was getting to my hotel. I asked the information desk and a nice woman named Kat overheard me and told me she was heading to the conference and to follow

her. We traveled together for the next 45 minutes and I got to know about her life, her ministry and her joys and struggles. She was kind and compassionate and without any food we broke bread together.

When we switched from

Be Not Afraid

By Amanda Tarantelli

the bus to the train, we quickly spotted another group of youth ministers heading to the conference (Youth Ministers are easy to spot! They are usually the loud, happy friendly ones in a group where most strangers sit quietly). On the train I met another incredible man. His ministry he said was to go around and tell people that they were amazing. I got to witness this first-hand. As a bunch of ministers sat around

sharing our stories a college kid got stuck in a seat in the middle of us. This man turns to him and asks him his name and where he’s from and then what he is studying. They have a quick conversation and then the man says to him, “You’re amazing. If no one has told you that I just wanted you to know that.

And I’m sorry if anyone has hurt you because you are amazing and loved

by God.” Wow! The change in this college kid was instantaneous! It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It also made me check myself. I was quite content sharing my faith with people who were quite content sharing their faith with people. I wouldn’t have reached out to this guy and that is a sad commentary on me but it was such an awe-inspiring moment to witness.

After the second night of the conference, I had

A Thanksgiving luncheon with turkey and all the fixings for grandparents of St. Stanislaus School children, as well as for seniors from the parish and Good Shepherd Parish in Fall River, was recently held at the F sall River school. Poems, songs and a short play were performed by the students of the various grades.

16

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

planned a dinner with two of my closest friends from high school who currently live in California. Hearing that I was not going to be able to see much of the city in my time there, I was surprised with an impromptu trip to San Francisco to see the Golden Gate Bridge!

As I stood overlooking this beautiful sight, I was reminded of something I had heard in a workshop that day. The presenter said that we as people of faith see the world differently than everyone else. He said that the process of life’s journey is contextualized in a prayerful, Sacramental community.

We see the world through the eyes of grace. It was in that moment, looking down on the Golden Gate Bridge from the overlook, with my arms around two people I have lived more of my life with than without, that this thought smacked me in face!

Everything we see should be seen through the eyes of grace! That is what we should be using this season of Advent for; to retrain our hearts to see the world through the lens of grace. I pray that all of us recognize the birth of Christ in all those unexpected moments in life!

Those are the moments that will help us to see bits of the future that God has planned for us! God bless and have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a diehard sports fan, and resides in East Providence, R.I. atarantelli@bishopstang. org.

For and About Our Church Youth

Kevin Deion directs the children’s choir at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Pius X Parish in South Yarmouth.

First-grade students in the Religious Education program at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich took part in a lesson plan about Thanksgiving, making Thanksgiving helper aprons and decorated them for use on Thanksgiving.

Students in kindergarten and grade seven at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford worked together on a Thanksgiving project.

Second-grade students at St. Michael School in Fall River are learning about graphing with the help of Mrs. Madeira.

Kindergarten students at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford culminated their unit on the Pilgrims and Native Americans with a delicious turkey lunch. The children dressed in costumes and enjoyed sharing a Thanksgiving feast with each other. Pictured are: Naliyah, Amaya, Veronica, Wyatt, Anna, Sophie, and Lucas.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth.

If schools, parish Religious Education programs, or homeschoolers have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@anchornews.org The Anchor - December 9, 2016

17

For and About Our Church Youth

Bishop Connolly vice principal Kelly Rezendes and principal Christopher Myron gathered with freshman class and L.E.A.P. representatives recently elected to serve on Connolly’s Student Council for the 2016-2017 school year. Front, from left: Rachel Cabral, L.E.A.P. representative; Julia Tripp, class representative; Carley Medeiros, president; and Sonja Morin, secretary. Back: Thomas Johnston, class representative; Jamison DeFaria, class representative; Jack Viveiros, class representative, Richard McGee, vice president; and Colin Lawrence, treasurer.

Members of American Heritage Girls Troop MA3712 delivered blankets they made for babies, along with flower pens for moms, to Abundant Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Attleboro.

Student Food Pantry volunteers from Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton helped distribute more than 80 Thanksgiving baskets to area residents.

Kindergarten students at Holy Name School in Fall River had some fun looking for “fall” words around the room and then on their papers. They had to color the apples next to the words to match the ones on the wall.

Under the direction of Sister Mary Dumond, fifth-grade religion teacher and Margaret Keenan, St. John’s Religious Education director, the fifthgraders at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro packed 300 loaves of bread which were given out at the Thanksgiving Eve Mass at St. John’s Church. The fifth-graders from the school and the Religious Education program participated in all facets of the Mass. Shown are the SJE School fifthgraders with Christine Healy, Margaret Keenan and Sister Mary.

18

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

Vatican weighs in on power, limits of artificial intelligence

Vatican City, (CNA/EWTN News) — The Vatican recently hosted a high-level discussion in the world of science, gathering experts to discuss the progress, benefits and limits of advances in artificial intelligence.

A new conference at the Vatican drew experts in various fields of science and technology for a twoday dialogue on the “Power and Limits of Artificial Intelligence,” hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences.

Among the scheduled speakers were several prestigious scientists, including Stephen Hawkins, a prominent British professor at the University of Cambridge and a self-proclaimed atheist, as well as a number of major tech heads such as Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, and Yann LeCun of Facebook.

The event was hosted at the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV, the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy for Sciences, which is headed by its chancellor, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo.

Werner Arber, a Protestant and president of the academy who works in the field of evolutionary biology, said that while artificial intelligence isn’t his specific area, it’s important for the Vatican entity to have a voice in the discussion, since their task is “to follow all actual developments in the field of natural sciences” in order to stimulate further research.

As far as the discussion on artificial intelligence is concerned, Arber said it’s important to understand current developments, which include increasing dialogue as to whether research done on natural sciences can then be applied

Part of Hassabis’ work involves the science of “making machines smarter,” and trying to build learning systems that allow computer systems to learn directly from data and experience

company’s work is currently effecting Google is through little things such as how to organize photos and recognize what’s in them, as well as the way a person’s phone speaks to them and the

the Church’s involvement a great way “to start talking about and debating” how artificial intelligence “will affect society and how we can best use it to benefit all of the society.”

Stanislas Dehaene, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the College de France and a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, was also present at the gathering, and spoke to participants on day two about “What is consciousness, and could machines have it?”

Dehaene told CNA/ EWTN News that “enormous progress” has been made in terms of understanding the brain, and in part thanks to these advancements, great steps have also been taken in modeling neuro-networks Pope Francis meets with famed atheist Stephen Hawking at a recent scientific confer- which eventually lead “to superb artificial intelligence ence at the Vatican. (L’Osservatore Romano photo) systems.”

With a lot of research in order to eventually figure optimization of energy that currently being done on traditionally done. HowGoogle’s data centers use. consciousness, Dehaene said ever, he cautioned that there out tasks on their own.

In comments to CNA, Hassabis said he thinks a true “science of consciouswould be some “socialit’s “really interesting” to see ness” has developed to the scientific implications,” since he noted how he has esTurn to page 20 the wider Catholic comthis could eventually lead to tablished an ethics board at the company to ensure that munity taking an interest less work for people.

This is “an ethical aspect, things don’t get out of hand in the discussion, and called while research is moving do we want that or not?” forward.

Arber said, noting that huArtificial intelligence “is man beings have a unique a very powerful technolthinking and problemsolving capacity, and “it’s not ogy,” he said, explaining that good” if this gets pushed too while he believes technologies in and of themselves far to the side.

It’s a “very important task are neutral, “it depends on what you end up using that of our human life, so we technology for.” have to be careful to pre“So I think as a society serve our duties,” he said.

Also present at the meet- we need to think very carefully about the ethical use ing was Demis Hassabis, of technologies, and as one CEO of British artificial intelligence company Deep- of the developers of this kind of artificial intelligence Mind, founded in 2010 technology we want to be and acquired by Google in at the forefront of thinking 2014. He spoke on the first day of the conference about how to use it responsibly for the good of everyone in the the possibility of moving forward “Towards Artificial world,” he said.

One of the ways his General Intelligence.” to the field of machinery and robotics.

Part of the debate, he said, has been whether or not machines could eventually take on some of the work human beings have

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

19

Vatican weighs in on artificial intelligence continued from page 19

point that what happens to the brain when it becomes aware of a piece of information is now known “to such a point that it can be modeled.”

“So the question is could it be put in computers?” he said, explaining that this is currently being studied. He said he personally doesn’t know yet whether there is a limit to the possibilities for artificial intelligence, or what it would be.

However, he stressed that “it’s very important” to consider how further advances in artificial intelligence “will modify society, how far can it go and what are the consequences for all of us, for our jobs in particular,” he said.

Part of the discussion that needs to take place, Dehaene said, is “how to put ethical controls in the

20

machines so they respect the laws and they respect even the moral laws” that guide human decisions.

“That is an extremely important goal that has not been achieved yet,” he said, adding that while he personally doesn’t have a problem with a machine making ethical judgments similar to that of a human being, the question “is how to get there” and how to make sure “we don’t create a system that is full of machines that don’t look like humans, that don’t share our intuitions of what should be a better world.”

Another major tech head present for the conference was Professor Yann LeCun, Director of Artificial Intelligence Research at Facebook.

What they try to do at Facebook is to “push the

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

state of the arts to make machines more intelligent,” LeCun told CNA. The reason for this, he said, is that people are increasingly interacting through machines.

Artificial intelligence “would be a crucial key technology to facilitate communication between people,” he said, since the company’s main focus “is connecting people and we think that artificial intelligence has a big role to play there.”

Giving an example, LeCun noted that every day Facebook users upload around one billion photos and that each of them are recognized, and artificial intelligence systems then monitor the content of the photo in order to show users more images they might be interested in, or filter those they might object to.

“It also enables the visually impaired to get a textual description of the image that they can’t see,” he said, “so that is very useful.”

In terms of how this technology might transform the way we live, LeCun said that within the next few years or even decades, “there will be transformative applications” of artificial intelligence visible and accessible to everyone.

Self-driving cars, the ability to call a car from your smartphone instead of owning one, no parking lots and safer transportation are all things that LeCun said he can see on the horizon, with medical advances being another area of rapid growth.

“There are already prototype systems that have been demonstrated to be better than human radiologists at picking out cancerous tumors,” he said, explaining that this alongside a “host of other applications” are

going to make “a big difference.”

When it comes to the ethics of the discussion, LeCun noted that there are short-term and long-term concerns, such as “are robots gonna take over the world?”

“Frankly these are questions that we are not worried about right now because we just don’t have the technology that’s anywhere near the kind of power that’s required. So these are philosophical discussions but not immediate problems,” he said.

However, short-term debate points include how to make the artificial intel-

ligence systems that already exist safer and more reliable.

LeCun noted that he has helped set up a discussion forum called “Partnership for AI” that was co-founded

by Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM in order to facilitate discussion on the best ways to deploy artificial intelligence.

Both ethical and technical questions are brought up, he said, noting that since it’s a public forum, anyone from different fields such as academia, the government, social scientists and ethicists are able to participate and offer their contributions.

That time St. JPII changed Fidel Castro’s mind about Christmas

Havana, Cuba (Church Pop via CNA) — After Fidel Castro gained power in Cuba in 1959, he spent the next decade slowly imposing socialism on the country, including state atheism.

In 1960, several Cuban Catholic bishops signed a letter re-affirming the Church’s long-standing rejection of communism and called for Catholics to reject it. In response, his government confiscated Catholic property and arrested Catholics. Then, in 1969, he banned the celebration of Christmas.

This ban on the celebration of one of the Church’s holy days lasted for nearly three decades until 1998, when St. John Paul II successfully convinced him to remove the ban. Joaquín Navarro-Valls, John Paul II’s spokesman in the 1990s, recently shared the amazing story with Vatican Insider.

“I explained to him [Castro] that now that the date of [ John Paul II’s] visit was set — for 21 January 1998 — it would be interesting if it were a great suc-

cess,” Navarro-Valls shared. “‘Cuba needs to surprise the world,’ I told him. Fidel agreed.”

“So I added something about the surprises the pope was expecting. I asked Castro for Christmas, which was just around the corner, to be celebrated as an official holiday for the first time since the start of the Revolution.”

Here’s how Castro responded, according to Navarro-Valls: “He said it would be very difficult as Christmas fell right in the middle of the sugar cane harvesting season. To which I responded: ‘But the Holy Father would like to be able to publicly thank you for this gesture once he lands in Havana.’

“After a long discussion, Castro finally said yes, although he did add: ‘But it could be for this year only.’

All I said was: ‘Great, the pope will be grateful to you for this. And as for next year, we’ll see.’

“As we know, to this day, Christmas is still celebrated as a public holiday in Cuba.”

CSS gift program provides toys, clothing for families continued from page three

to get anxious that things “wouldn’t work out right,” but she always had faith that God and her fellow volunteers would provide.

“Every Christmas seems to have its own story,” she said. “One year at St. Mary’s we were short size 14, and then somebody knocked on the door and a young person came up to me and said: ‘My boss said to bring you these.’ We hadn’t asked anybody but we received six Hefty bags filled with brand-new, sized 14 jeans. Something like that just gives you a chill up your spine. Every year there seems to be a story like that.”

Noting that many parishes and diocesan groups do their own charitable drives around Christmas — and some like St. Mary’s in South Dartmouth even collect donations year-round — Frias said CSS is only looking to support those that don’t have something already in place.

“People sometimes apologize to us, but we’re just a mechanism for giving, we’re not trying to take over what they’re doing,” she said. “We’re just looking to augment; if they don’t have a place for (items) to go, we can help. Because the social workers here during the year know when people (come) from one of the permanent shelters who have transitioned out, they have nothing. They have a Hefty bag and that’s it.

All of their worldly possessions are in one bag.”

That’s why a big component of the CSS program also concentrates on new clothing of all styles and sizes. Inside the middle of three large meeting

rooms at the Bay Street facility, volunteer Gerri Hanson has bundled outfits by size and matching pairs, often bundling them with elastics to keep them together.

“We managed to organize everything,” Hanson said. “Two worked on one side, and two worked on the other side. Once we had that done, then we went and did the coats.

When the coats were done, the other two (volunteers) stayed here and we each took a toy room. In between, I went and straightened out the other room.”

“With toys, you don’t have to worry about size, but with clothes you have to be organized,” Frias added.

Now in her fifth year as a CSS volunteer, Hanson admits she does “a little bit of everything” and the experience has been “very rewarding.”

For her, one of the most uplifting things has been to see a family who benefitted from the program several years earlier coming back to volunteer, now that they have permanently established themselves.

“They are raising their families and they bring back their kids to volunteer,” Hanson said. “It’s a way of giving back for the help they received. It says a lot that some families would want to come back and help out.”

Volunteer Cathy Edington, a 17-year veteran of the Gift of Giving Program, said this is what Christmas is all about.

“This is Christmas to me,” she said. “It’s not Christmas until I come here and start volunteering and wrapping gifts. It all started with my kids

and their CCD class and now this year we’ve got a whole new group of CCD kids coming to help from my parish, so it continues.”

Admitting that she considers herself “very blessed,” Edington feels it’s important to somehow “pay it forward.”

“You can’t take it with you,” she said. “I think we all should be doing it, and we certainly don’t do enough of it during the year, so this is a way to put in not just the money, but also the time. For me, the time is always very hard to find, given our work schedule. Even though it’s the craziest time of the year, it’s still important to find the time to fit it in. It’s a busy time, but it’s all good — we’ll sleep in January.”

First-time volunteers Al and Elaine Bento from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea said they’ve volunteered with many similar charities, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and they decided to get involved after seeing a notice in their parish bulletin.

“We’ve got a large family but we’re fortunate we have enough to provide for their needs,” Elaine said. “There are many people out there who are struggling and they just can’t do it. So it’s wonderful to have places like this that do it for them.

I’ve always thought if you’re fortunate enough to get what you need, then the overflow should go to those who don’t have it.”

For Dennis Canulla, a CSS employee and parishioner at Holy Name Parish in Fall River, the concept of the program is

simple.

“People who don’t know you take these ornaments off the (Giving Trees) and go out and buy a gift for you, and we give children a merry Christmas,” he said. “They’ll never see or meet these people, and that’s what makes it beautiful. I don’t know how we do it some years, but that’s the grace of God right there.”

Although she’s been designated as the coordinator for the Gift of Giving Program, Frias credits the contributions of her devoted volunteers for keeping it alive for nearly

20 years now.

“I’d say there are hundreds of volunteers by the time we’re done,” Frias said. “No one really owns it, CSS just hosts it; but it really has taken on a life of its own. People bring bikes and they bring whatever their participation level is and they own it. For me, that’s the best part. Seeing how it just keeps going. I like to think it’s like a pendulum and once you start it, it keeps moving.”

For more information about CSS’ Gift of Giving Program or to volunteer, call 508-878-7588.

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

Dec. 10 Rev. Thomas C. Briscoe, Former Pastor, St. Anne, Fall River, 1918 Rev. Andrew S.P. Baj, Former Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Bedford, 1971 Rev. Leonard M. Mullaney, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony’s, Mattapoisett, 2014 Dec. 11 Rev. Edward L. Killigrew, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford, 1959 Dec. 12 Rev. Paul F. McCarrick, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1996 Dec. 13 Rev. Reginald Theriault, O.P., St. Anne, Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1972 Rev. Adrien L. Francoeur, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1991 Dec. 14 Rev. Msgr. John J. Hayes, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford, 1970 Rev. Edward J. Burns, Retired Pastor, St. Mark’s, Attleboro Falls, 2015 Dec. 15 Rev. Mortimer Downing, Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis, 1942 Rev. John F. O’Keefe, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River, 1955 Dec. 19 Permanent Deacon Eugene L. Orosz, 1988 Permanent Deacon Maurice Lavalle, 2007 Rev. Gabriel (William) Healy, SS.CC., Damien Residence, Fairhaven, 2015 Dec. 20 Rev. Manuel S. Travassos, Pastor, Espirito Santo, Fall River, 1953 Rev. John A. Janson, OFM, Missionary in Brazil, 1996 Dec. 21 Rev. Henri J. Charest, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1968 Rev. Manuel M. Resendes, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes,Taunton, 1985 Rev. Laureano C. dos Reis, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River, 1989 Dec. 22 Rev. Adriano Moniz, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Angels, Fall River, 1964 Rev. Armand P. Paradis, S.J., Psychologist, San Francisco, Calif., 1991 Dec. 23 Rev. Owen J. Kiernan, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1901 Rev. Charles P. Trainor, SS, St. Edward Seminary, Seattle, Wash., 1947 Rev. Msgr. John A. Silvia, Retired Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1970 Rev. William E. Collard, Retired Pastor, St. Theresa, New Bedford, 1986

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

21

Schools, students to benefit from FACE’s banner year continued from page two

revamping of the whole structure seem to have borne good results,” the bishop added. “Now we have an active board, we have new members and we have seen a very successful year in 2016.

With the generosity of many of our benefactors we have been able to give hundreds of scholarships to children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend our Catholic schools. These fund-raisers and gifts from generous benefactors, help to keep some of our schools open and serving the Catholic population of our diocese.”

Campbell echoed the bishop’s optimism, telling The Anchor that 2016 was a good beginning for the “turnaround for FACE.” “The goal is to raise awareness of the benefits of a Catholic education and to

22

make it more accessible.”

He noted that changes to some schools are necessary to enhance them and boost enrollment. “We need to continuously improve our schools,” he added.

Campbell had kudos for Bishop da Cunha’s involvement in the education process since he was installed more than two years ago.

“He is not working so hard at improving our education system for any reason other than he is doing it for the greater good,” Campbell told The Anchor. “I admire the serious methodological way he is approaching issues, and that is going to attract more supporters and leaders.”

The very first St. Mary’s Fund Scholarship Dinner took place at White’s of Westport in November of 1995. Leading the charge

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

for the inaugural fund-raiser were then-Fall River Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap.; diocesan director of Education, the late Father Richard W. Beaulieu; with the now-retired Msgr. John F. Moore as master of ceremonies. The dinner chairman was Thomas J. Flatley, assisted by Patrick Carney.

The event raised $110,000. In 2016 the Fall Dinner and Summer Gala have tripled and doubled that amount respectively.

“All the members of the FACE board and staff from the Office of Development have worked very hard this year to make it a very successful year,” said Bishop da Cunha. “For this I am very grateful to all of them.

I am also grateful to all the members of the Task Force on Schools for their many hours of hard work evaluating our schools and making recommendations on how to strengthen them for the future. We will all be better in the future because of the talents and generosity of so many people who have joined us and embraced this mission of Catholic education. God bless them all.”

“We realize the sacrifices that parents make to send their children to Catholic schools,” said Campbell, “and we also know the great sacrifices made by those who donate to FACE. We are grateful to all of them and will continue to work to make a quality Catholic education more accessible.”

The bishop added, “Our Catholic schools are here not only providing a quality education to many of our children, they are also serving the future of our Church and our communities. No other learning institutions provide the faith-based quality education as Catholic schools do. Our mis-

sion is indispensable to our Church and to society. All of us will benefit from the good that we do today to make our schools remain solid and

vibrant for the future.”

To learn more about the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, visit face-dfr. org, or call 508-675-1311.

Around the Diocese Holy Name School, 850 Pearce Street in Fall River, is running a donations drive as part of its Leaders in Training program on December 13 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the school to collect items for Gifts to Give, an organization that helps poor families throughout southeastern Massachusetts. They are seeking gently-used items: clothing (adult and children); shoes (adult and children); baby clothes; housewares; books; school and art supplies; toys, puzzles and games. You can also drop-off donations at the school prior to December 13, or contact Dorothy Mahoney-Pacheco at 401-556-9729 or dmahoneypacheco@gmail.com to make other arrangements.

A Healing Mass will be celebrated December 15 at St. Andrew the Apostle Church, 19 Kilmer Avenue in Taunton, beginning at 6 p.m. with recitation of the Holy Rosary and will include the Sacrament of Confession. Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude with healing prayers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. For more information email standrewtaunton@comcast.net or call 508-824-5577.

Auditions for the Laurel Tree Players’ production of “Forbidden Broadway” will take place on December 17 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at Holy Family-Holy Name School, 91 Summer Street in New Bedford (use North Street entrance). Those interested should prepare one song from any Broadway show and should bring a copy of the sheet music to the auditions. Anyone high school age or older may audition.

The production will be presented March 24-26, 2017 and rehearsals begin in January with days and times to be determined. For more information, call Maurice Ouellette at 508-997-7804.

Holy Family-Holy Name School will host its 2016 Christmas Pageant on December 18 beginning at 3 p.m. at St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 565 County Street in New Bedford. Come and celebrate the birth of Jesus in song and tableau. A freewill donation and a canned good for the needy will be taken at the door and all are welcome to celebrate the true meaning of the season!

Bishop Connolly High School students from the French, Spanish and Portuguese Language Honor Societies are now collecting used coats, jackets, sweaters and sweatshirts, as well as blankets, to pass along to those in need in the greater Fall River area. Clean items in good condition may be brought to Bishop Connolly High School, 373 Elsbree Street in Fall River, Room 102. Donations will be accepted through January 10, 2017. For more information, call 508-676-1071 or visit www.bishopconnolly.com.

St. John the Baptist Church, 945 Main Road in Westport, in collaboration with St. George and Our Lady of Grace parishes, will be hosting Sung Vespers on Sundays beginning at 7 p.m. Plan to set aside some special time during Advent to help prepare Spiritually for Christmas.

Homilists will include Father Leonard Hindsley, St. John the Baptist Parish (December 11); Father Dariusz Kalinowski, Our Lady of Grace Parish (December 18). Bring your family and friends, even nonCatholics — all are welcome!

Join Holy Cross Family Ministries every Friday throughout Advent to pray for families and give yourself the gift of prayer, silence and inspiring music. Talented and gifted musicians will provide classical and contemporary music for the service of prayer, Benediction, and the Chaplet of Divine Praises in the chapel of the Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street in Easton from 3 to 4 p.m. every Friday during Advent. For more information call Holy Cross Family Ministries at 508-239-4095. All are welcome.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, send the information by email to kensouza@anchornews.org

Three ways to obtain an indulgence for the 100-year Fatima anniversary

Fatima, Portugal (CNA/EWTN News) — For the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Pope Francis has decided to grant a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the entire anniversary year, which began Nov. 27, 2016, and will end Nov. 26, 2017.

The rector of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal, André Pereira, explained to CNA that the plenary indulgence can be obtained during the entire Jubilee Year. There are three ways of obtaining the indulgence, detailed in a statement on the shrine’s website.

To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions: go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

1. Make a pilgrimage to the shrine.

The first way is for “the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin.”

In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed, and invoke the Mother of God. 2. Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

The second way applies to “the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary.”

Regarding this second way, the rector of the Fatima Shrine told CNA that the visit to the statue of the Virgin, “does not

necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal,” but can be done anywhere in the world.

Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.

3. The elderly and infirm.

The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around.

These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must Spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.

They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”

A subscription to The Anchor would make a thoughtful gift this Christmas for a loved one or a friend. It’s a gift that provides a Spiritual uplift and keeps Catholics connected to our beloved Church — locally and beyond.

One-year subscription — $20 Name: Address: City:

State:

Zip:

if given as a gift, the card should read: From: Street:

City/State:

Enclose check or money order and mail to: The Anchor, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02722

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

23

Scouts bring the peace of Bethlehem to south coast

EAST FREETOWN — Since 1986 a child, typically from Upper Austria (the birth place of “Silent Night”), has traveled to Bethlehem to light a lantern from a flame burning at the Star of Nativity Church in the cave that marks the place of birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

The child then flies with the flame in a special lantern to Vienna and during a holy Mass the flame is shared with children delegates throughout Austria and Europe who then transport the flame across Europe. Canadian Scouts brought this

24

The Anchor - December 9, 2016

tradition to North America in 2001.

Last year Scouts from Troop 333 in East Freetown obtained the flame of the Peace Light in New Hampshire and distributed it locally but in 2016 they traveled to JFK Airport in New York immediately after Thanksgiving to receive their own flame upon its arrival from Austria.

The flame will be distributed at the conclusion of the 4 p.m. Mass at St. John Neumann Church December 10.

Individuals, churches or organizations who wish to obtain the light that day

should bring a small kerosene lantern which may be safely transported. Small candles will also be available which, even after being extinguished, are said to now be “suffused” with the Peace Light and may later be relighted at home.

Senior patrol leader Jack Dompierre stated, “We gladly pass on the light as a sign of our enthusiasm of spreading the tidings of peace. It begins with peace within our own selves and our families which, hopefully, becomes peace in the world.

Everyone who came to our distribution last year went away with a profound sense of wonder and awe that they actually held a candle burning with the flame from the place where Jesus was born.”

Organizations and churches who wish to obtain their own Peace Light prior to December 10 should contact Michael McCormack, chairman of the Fall River Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting at Michael@ FallRiverScouting.org or 508-998-1218.