12.11.98

t eanco VOL. 42, NO. 48 • Friday, December 11, 1998

FALL RIVER, MASS.

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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSEn"S CAPE COD & THE ISLANl:S

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Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year

Catholic Social Services gears up for Christmas ~

The diocesan agency plans to assist 3,000 needy families during the Christmas season with dinners and gifts for the children.

By JAMES N. DUNBAR

FALL RIVER - More than 2,000 needy families will enjoy a Christmas dinner and toys and gifts for their children this year because of the charity of thousands of donors and the efforts of the diocese's Catholic Social Services.

"Last year, between Christmas and the New Year, we provided dinner for 849 families.

This year we will service 2,000 at Christmas and close to 1,000 from then until the New Year with baskets of food," reported Arlene A. McNamee, director of Catholic Social Services. "And we do toys as well."

PREPARATIONS - Lucia Vieira, a housing counselor "We realize that at the diocese's Catholic Social Services office, exhibits a the numbers are gopantry laden with foodstuffs that along with turkeys will help ing up," said fill 3,000 Christmas holiday baskets to be distributed to the McNamee. "In 1997 at Thanksgivarea's needy in coming weeks. ing we provided

500 families with dinners. This year we did and bring that gift in. We have a group of 1,024." volunteers that will help us collect, wrap and The food and toys will not duplicate what distribute the gifts," said McNamee. is being provided by other agencies. "We The CSS Christmas update comes on the check with other agencies that are providing heels of a report from SmartMoney magato the needy on the holidays to make sure we zine, a monthly published by The Wall Street are not double-serving anyone," she said Journal, that Catholic Charities agencies are She explained that it is money from Catho- the nation's top-notch human services charilic Charities that allows the CSS staff to be . ties.

The leading publication of personal busiable to do the job.

"But the actual things we get are really ness and finance evaluated the nation's top supplied by many individuals. Some people 100 largest charities. It scored them on how give us the extra money for this extra kind of much they spend on programs and effort. It is not something we can anticipate fundraising and the amount the organization in our budget. We've been off the mark for keeps in savings rather than spends on prothe last two years because the demand has grams.

In aggregate figures covering the latest been so high."

When CSS sends out a call for donations, three years of date, according to McNamee, "we get a tremendous response," McNamee the magazine reports that Catholic Charities agencies across the United States spent 90.9 reported. " It is overwhelming to see the number of percent of their expenditures on programs. people that came through with food, turkeys The agencies spend just 7.6 percent of puband money. The Christmas effort is being lic donations on fundraising and they saved done this year through various parishes. We only 1.9 percent of their annual revenue.

This far surpasses the magazine's recomasked them to put up Giving Trees to determine who the needy people are and what mended guidelines that charities spend at their specific needs are. In some churches least 75 percent oftheir income on programs the cards placed on the trees will identify and not more than a third of donations on older children who need clothes. In others fund-raising activities.

"We at Catholic Social Services don't do the cards on the trees indicate clothes needed by younger children or are for toys. Chari- fundraising," McNamee explained. "We rely table parishioners who take a card from the on Catholic Charities, which is our fund-raistree then know what kind of gift to purchase Tum to page 12 - CSS

New Lectionary makes its appearance during Advent ~

New edition is said to open up the treasures ofthe Bible more lavishly.

By JAMES N. DUNBAR

TAUNTON - Some new words and phrases will begin to catch the well-attuned ear of many adult Catholics when they hear Scriptures read and the Gospel proclaimed .at

Mass.

Beginning with the observance of the First Sunday of Advent, Catholic churches in the United States were permitted to use the first volume of the newJranslation of the Lectionary for Mass.

Every Sunday and on feast days and holy days, Catholics hear scriptural passages proclaimed by priests, deacons and lectors from the Lectionary. The book, often carried by lectors in the procession to the altar, contains Old Testament and New Testament readings, psalms and Gospels.

This new version was approved by the National Council of Catholic Bishops in June 1992, and confirmed by the Vatican'S Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in October 1997.

While use of the latest version is allowed for current use, it will not become mandatory until Volume II, which contains Scripture texts to be read at weekday Masses, is confirmed by Rome, said Father JonPaul Gallant, director of the Diocesan Office ofWorship. Translation of that volume was allowed for submission to Rome by the NCCB last June.

However, the new "Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers" used as a teaching tool or guide in many parishes, contains the revised translation.

Since the Church's earliest days, the Word of God has been part of its worship liturgy, and the Lectionary, since it contains holy Scripture, is considered the inspired Word of God. The new edition of the Lectionary is actually the third approved for the Church in the United States since Vatican Council II convened in the 1960s, Father Gallant explained. The first edition came into use on Nov. 29, 1971 and was based on the 1970 translation-....,.from the Latin of the "New American Bible."

But 16 years later a second edition was published, which incorporated Scriptures reflecting the advance in biblical study by theologians and Scripture scholars.

The new edition offers additional cycles of readings for some solemnities and additional options for Masses for various needs and occasions have been introduced. An extensive introduction provides theological and practical background on the edi.tion.

The new edition had not been without debate.

Editorials in several newspapers of Catholic dioceses in America in recent

years have suggested that the new Lectionary is the result of efforts "from the top down," and offered data from a professional survey of Catholic Americans showing that the overwhelming majority of Catholics in the pews sensed no need for new liturgical translations.

The new Lectionary strives for maximum possible fidelity to the biblical text, says the NCCB. When that text is not gender specific, the Turn to page JJ - Lectionary

......

The Anchor will not be printed during Christmas week, but will return to your door by New Year's Day, January 1, 1999.

The Anchor office, however, will be open for business December 21-23 and 28-30.

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THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

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efore the devastating civil war, Sister Theya looked after street childr:en in the city of Butare, Rwanda. Now, she is helping to bring separated families back together and to find new homes for children left orphans

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Joseph Abdallah Anthony Amaral Robert Bonneau Frank P. Botelho George Botelho Irene C. Capeto Mary Carvalho Thomas J. Daley Vincent F. Diaferio Walter J. Eaton Danielle Ehlen Dorothy Fillion Paul Fillion Theodore Fillion',· Adaline Franco Antone Franco Maria Franco MariaQa Franco Annelle Hagerman Viola Holt Arthur J. McGough Robert Meagher Adeline Occhiuti Raymond E. Parise Edward Pimental Ralph Sasso Joseph C. Saulino

Reverend Monsignor John J. Oliveira, V.E. 106 Illinois Street· New Bedford, MA 02745 Attention: Column No. 101 ANCH. 12/11/98

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Stiles and David Trull :for their support of local Scouting programs.

Also recognized at the dinner was Francis O. Quinn, a past council president and Silver B,~aver recipient. Quinn, who recen\ly celebrated his 100th birthday, wall instrumentai in raising money for the purchase of Camp Cachalot in 1945.

Harney served at the first Camp Cachalot staff in 1946 and has been on many faculties for Boy Scout and explorer leadership training throughout New England. He is active with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and Holy Name Church in New Bedford. . Langfield has been involved . with the St. Thomas.More Cub pack and troop for over 10 years. He has served in many positions on the Massasoit District Committee and the Council Advancement and Camping Committee. He is on the H.M.S. Bounty board of directors and has served as the Massasoit District chairman for over three years.

The James E. West Fellowship Award was presented to The Paul and Elaine Chervinsky Charitable Foundation, John Paradise, Allan

Daily Readings Dec. 14 Nm 24:2-7,15-17a; Ps 25:4b-5ab,6-7bc, 8-9; Mt 21 ::~3-27 Dec. 15 Zep 3:1-2,9-13 Ps 34:2-3,6-7, '17-19,23 Mt 21 :28·3~~ Dec. 16 Is 45:6b-8, 18,21 b-25; Ps 85:9ab-":14; Lk 7:18b-2::, Dec. 17 Gn 49:2,8-10; Ps 72:3-4,7-8,17 Mt 1:1-17 Dec. 18 Jer 23:5-8; I:>s 72: 1, 12-13,18-19; Mt 1:18-24 Dec. 19 Jgs 13:2-7,N-25a; Ps 71 :3-4a,!5-6ab, 16-17; Lk 1:15-25 Dec. 20 Is 7:10-14; Ps 24: 1-3,4ab,5-6; Rom 1: 1-7 Mt 1:18-,24

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Postage Paid at Fall River. Mass. Published weekly except for the first two weeks in July am the week after Chrisnnas at 887 Highland Averwe. Fall River. Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press of the Diocese ofFall River. Sullicription price by mail, postpaid $14.00 per year.

Postmasters send address changes to The AJihor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River. MA (J],ID.

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®bttuartr6 Sister Pauline Frezal,

SSC~C

FALL RIVER - Sacred Hearts From 1923 to 1940 ~,he taught Sister Pauline Frezal, 97, of 491 at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven, Hood St., died Dec. 3 in and from 1940 to 1945 she taught at Saint Anne's Hospital after a brief illness.

Sacred Hearts AcadBorn Virginie Marie emy for Boys. She Frezal in Lozere, was principal at St. ,France, a daughter of Joseph School from the late Pierre and 1945 until .her retireLeonie (Gerbal) Frezal, ment in 1975. she entered the CongreShe leaves a sisgation of the Sacred ter, Berthe Durand of Hearts in November Viroflay, France; a 1923 in Mende, France. brother, Roger She made her religious Frezal of Paris, profession Aug. 3, 1920 France; and nieces in Picpus, France. and nephews.

Sister Frezal came to SISTER PAULINE Her funeral Mass Fairhaven in 1920 to FREZAL was celebrared Monteach at Sacred Hearts day in St. Joseph School and returned to Paris in Church, Fairhaven. Internlent was in April 1923, for her final vows.

St. Mary's Cemetery, New Bedford.

Prayer~,

In Y our ('"

PleaseiJray for the following . priests dt,\ing the coming week \ \ NECROLOGY \ '.

D~cember 14

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1970, Rev. Msgr. John 1. H~yes, Pastor, Holy~Nan1e, New Bedford \\ ~~-. , ~D~c~~;erlS 1942, Rev. Mortime.r.Down'ing, Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Hyan~

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Deceipber 19

1988, Permanent Deacon Eugen'e L. Orosz \,

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December 20 1953, Rev. Manuel S. Travassos, ~a~tor, Espirito Santo, Fall River

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Saint Anne's Hospital gratefully acknowledges contributions to the Tribute Fund during October."

Through your generosity, our mission of "Caring for Our Community" is profoundly enhanced.

IN MEMORY OF:

stories like

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WESTPORT - The Moby Dick Council, Boy Scouts of America conducted its annual recognition dinner and Silver Beaver Court of Honor at White's of Westport recently. Fall River Mayor Edward Lambert was speaker.

More than one hundred people were in attendance to pay tribute to the four individuals receiving the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor a Scout council can bestow for commitment to Scouting and the betterment of the commu. nity.

Recognized for their dedication to youth were Manuel I. Bagaco and Arthur G. Caesar of Westport, Lawrence A. Harney, Jr. of NewBedford and William H. Langfield, Jr. of Somerset.

Bagaco has served as a Scoutmaster and on numerous council and district committees. He currently serves as the Cachalot District chairman and is a member of the council's founders circle.

Caesar will soon celebrate his 50th anniversary in the Boy Scouts o(America and has served as a Scoutmaster for many years. He has coached Little League and hockey for 20 years and serves as a bugler for the Vietnam Veterans honor' guard.

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in Brazil 1996, Rev. John A. Janson, OFM;Missionary , , , \ SAINT ANNE'S HOSPITAL 795 Middle Street Fall River, MA 02721 (508) 674-5741 Member Caritas Christi Health Care System "As of November 30, 1998

PRIESTS CURRENTLY SERVING December December December December December December December

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Rev. Rev. Rev. Rev. :. Rev. Rev. Rev.

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Timot~)r

Goldrick John A. ,Gomes Peter N.Graziano ~ames F. Greene Francis Grogan, CSC Thomas Halko"ic, CSC Brian J. Harrington '5

Pope names head of diplomatic school as papal nuncio to U.S.

By CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SEFlVlCE

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II has named the head of the Vatican's

diplomatic training school to be the new nuncio to the United States.

The appointment ofColombian Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, presidentsince 1993 ofthe Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, which trains Vaticlmdiplomats, was announced Dec. 7 at the Vatican.

In Washington, the 69-year-old archbishop will succeed ArchbishopAgostino Cacciavillan, who was named Nov. 5 to be the new president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, which oversees Vatican investments.

Archbishop Montalvo, who will celebrate his 69th birthday in January, has broad experience as a diplomat in countries tom by violence and where Churchstate tensions were high.

From Latin America to North Africa, then on to Eastern Europe, Archbishop Montalvo promoted dialogue to end civil conflicts and urged recognition of the rights of the Catholic Church.

As head of the Pontifical EcclesiasticalAcademy, the oldest diplomatic school

in the world, Archbishop Montalvo directed not only its sludents' training in diplomacy and protocol, but also their ongoing spiritual (-ormation.

The archbishop gained international attention as a Vatican diplomat in 1982 when Pope John Paul appointed him assistant mediator in Argentina and Chile's dispute over the Beagle Channel.

Ordained to the priesthood in 1953, his service in theVatican diplomatic corps began in 1957. He worked in Vatican embassies in Bolivia, Argentina and EI Salvador.

Called to the Vatican's Secretariat of State in 1964, he spent the next 10 years dealing with matters related to the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.At that time, Catholics in many East European countries were living under strict restrictions imposed by communistgavernrnents.

Named an archbishop by Pope Paul VI in 1974, he was appointed nuncio to Honduras and Nicaragua Both countries were under military rule at the time, and Catholic Church personnel often were accused of inciting civil unrest with their support of the poor, their calls for justice and their defense of human rights.

WASHINGTON -Bishop James been named coadjutor to Bishop John R. McGann of Rockville Centre, N.Y. The appointment was announced in Washington Dec. 7 by Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, apostolic pro-nuncio to the United States.

Under Church law, a coadjutor automatically succeeds a bishop when the bishop retires or dies. Bishops are required to submit thl~ir retirement when they reach age 75; Bishop McGann turned 74 on Dec. 2.

Bishop McHugh, 66, is a native of Orange, N.J., who has served as bishop of Camden since 1989.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre has more than three times the Catholic population of the Diocese of Camden. It has 1.4 million Catholics compared to the 415,000 Catholics in Camden.

Bishop McHugh currently is a consultor to the Pontifical Council on the Family. He previously has served as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and as an adviser to the Holy See's Mission to the United Nations.

He has spent the majority of his life in the New Jersey area. Born in

Orange on Jan. 3, 1932, he graduated from local Catholic schools and Seton Hall University. He studied for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, N.J., and was ordained for the Newark Archdiocese on May 25, 1957.

After serving parish assignments in Newark and Fort Lee, N.J., the then-Father McHugh went to work for the U.S. Catholic Conference in Washington in ]966. Be was named director of the Division for Family Life in 1967 and staff director of the bishops' Office for Pro-Life Activities in 1975.

He left the bishops' conference staff in 1978 and went to Rome, where he did advanced theological studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, receiving a doctorate in sacred theology in 1981.

He also has studied sociology at Fordham University' and The Catholic University of America.

He returned to New Jersey, where he served as Newark archdiocesan vicar for the parish and the family and as national director of the Diocesan Development Project for Natural Family Planning. He was named an auxiliary bishop of Newark in 1987.

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By LYNNE WElL CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY -A Vatican official who travels the world to help implement church teachings on social justice has been named a bishop.

The Vatican announced Dec. 5 that Pope John Paul II had designated Msgr.

Diarmuid Martin, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to be head ofthe titular see ofGlendalough, a onetime diocese in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Bishop-designate Martin was born in the Irish capital, Dublin, in 1945. Ordained apriest at age 24, he studied moral theology at apontifical university in Rome, then retumed to the Dublin Archdiocese to become assistant pastor of a parish.

In 1977 he was assigned a position on the Pontifical Council for the Family, and seven years later he was nominated

undersecretary of the justice and peace council. He became secretary of that council in 1994.

The 20-member justice and peace council helps articulate the Church's social doctrine and apply it to contemporary issues such as the arms trade, human rights, labor, economic embargoes, poverty and peace.

In addition to his duties there, Bishop-designate Martin participates in the activities of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and the pontifical councils for the laity, for the family, for migrants and travelers, as well as "Cor Unum," the pontifical council thatcoordinates charitable activities worldwide.

The bishop-designate also is on the council of the Pontifical Academy ofSocial Sciences and is a member of the Vatican committee organizing events for the year 2000.

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His Excellency, the Most Reverend Sean O'Malley, O.EM. Cap., Bishop of Fall River, has announced the fOllowing appointments: Rev. Christopher Stanibula, from Parochial Vicar, Saint Julie Billiart Parish, to Chaplain, Saint Anne's Hospital, Fall River, with residence at Saint Anne's Parish, Fall River.

Rev. Joseph Mauritzen, from Chaplain, Saint Anne's Hospital, Fall River, to Chaplain, Falmouth Hospital, Falmouth, with residence at Saint Patrick's Parish, Falmouth.

Effective December 28, 1998

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Diocese of Fall River -

Pope names Msgr. Martin, a socialjustice official, a bishop

In 1989,Archbishop Montalvo was named pro-nuncio to Algeria and Thnisia and apostolic delegate in Libya, predominantly Muslim countries with small Catholic communities.

After his service in North Africa, he was named pro-nuncio to Yugoslavia in 1986. Even when the Vatican established diplomatic relations with the newly independent nations of Croatia, Slov~nia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Archbishop Montalvo remained the Vatican ambassador to the Belgrade government He was given the added task of serving as nuncio to Belarus in 1993 and, two weeks later, was given a third job: head ofthe diplomatic academy.

Archbishop Montalvo's duties were reduced slightly in 1994, when another nuncio to Belarus was named. Archbishop Montalvo continued as ambassador to Yugoslavia until 1996.

Born Jan. 27, 1930, in Bogota, the archbishop speaks Spanish, French, English, Italian and German.

Camden bishop is named Rockvill~ Centre coadjutor T. McHugh of Camden, N.J., has

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THE ANCHOR - Diocese 'of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 11, '1998

the living word

the moorin8-A hopeful beginning The Church has always taught that each and every person has a right to work. In the words of Vatican II, "It is the duty of society according to the circumstances prevailing in it to help its citizens find opportunities for adequate employment."

Too often in discussions concerning work opportunities we forget that the human being is the source, center, and purpose of all' socioeconomics. In-house fighting over position and power simply forgets the person and it causes a decline in the social status of the weak and contempt for the poor.

Such a mind-set exists in our own midst. The multi-level debate that has developed over the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and N(!ntucket Steamship Authority' has been reduced to a turf war in which human needs have been ignored. A self-righteous and even dictatorial attitude has developed within the thinking of the Authority. Seen from a narrow point of view, the issue of the common good is being ignored. The common good, as we know, has reference to the life of all, not just a few. As such it should always be oriented toward the progress of persons. Those who exercise public authority should be of service to others, especially in cases of proven need.

The recent announcement that a new ferry terminal will be built in New Bedford is indeed welcome. Service from this historic port to the islands will not only benefit the New Bedford job market but also relieve the horrendous traffic jams that plague both the Falmouth and Hyannis areas. State and federal grants assure construction of the 'new facility.

The only cloud on the horizon came from the office of the Steamship Authority.

Its response was negative, pessimis~ic and insular, doing nothing more than echoing prophecies of doom and gloom.

The islands were a bucolic wonderland, but they have allowed themselves to become floating Disneylands. For the last twenty years record amounts of growth and building have been allowed, resulting in greatly increased needs for services. The efforts to make Nantucket and the Vineyard into playgrounds for the rich and famous have backfired with regard to longtime residents who have to pay the same prices as the wealthy.

But the Steamship Authority is avoiding reality. Container cargo methods have vastly improved and new facilities will have to be constructed and vessels designed if people are to be well served. There is a real need f9r new vision and new direction. If the present Steamship Authority refuses to move in this direction and remains entrenched in the past, it is time for a new state agency to replace an outmoded mentality.

Both the federal and state governments are willing to invest in the future, as evidenced by the coming construction of the New Bedford terminal. Now it's time for the Steamship Authority to join forces with those agencies to better serve all the people, not just the few., The operation has become too big for small-mindedness. To sound shrill alarms is to deafen the truth..Government and its agencies are in place to serve the good of all. If agencies fail to do this, they should be replaced. _

The Editor

the.ancholS)

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Published weekly by' The Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River 887 Highland Avenue P.O. BOX 7 , Fall River. MA 02720 Fall River, MA 02722-0007 Telephone 508-675-7151 FAX (508) 675-7048 Send address changes to P.O. Box 7 .ocean telephone number above

EDITOR Rev. John F. Moore

GENERAL MANAGER Rosemary Dussault

NEWS EDITOR James N. Dunbar :ii

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TWO BOYS HOLD HANDS AS THEY SKATE ON AN ICE RINK AT THE NATHAN PHILIPS SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.

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"Let Y()I~.Jr heart be glad in ithe days of your youth." ,Ecclesiastes 11:9

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passively absorbing the ne\lvs

By FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

Although we have been extremely generous in aiding Latin Americans ravaged by Hurricane Mitch, bolstering the economies of nations in financial crisis, creating programs that'protect the poor, the elderly and our youth,' and endeavoring to stop the proliferation of nuclear bombs and chemical warfare, most people aren't feeling good about our country these days. The reason is obvious.

During much of 1998 we were bombarded with reports about lying, perjury, unethical procedures, betrayals and partisan tactics in our nation's capital. When we add to this the recently televised assistedsuicide on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes," is it any wonder that many feel the nation is becoming another Gomorrah?

Ironically, the United States is on the verge of making medical and technological breakthroughs unmatched by any progress experienced in civilization's history. But what is this compared to losing society's very'soul?

Pope John Paul II was prophetic wrong and why. What moral prinin warning that we are becoming a ciples have been broken? Wh~lt virculture of death. Not only is the tues are lacking? What do we lmow preservation of human life less val- from our spirituality about cuhvatued, but so is respect for the reputa- ing virtue? How do we ensuw that tion and dignity of the person. But the'same things don't happen he also focused positively on the ~gain? culture of life we can construct.

Instead, of simply listenir.:g to What might we do to stem the commentators and functioning as slide? ' passive recipients of information, One possible suggestion is to we need to ponder in an active way stop watching and reading the the moral principles that are at news. But this is unrealistic. Most stake in our 'nation's current s::tuaof us can't live without the news of 'tion. This is a time to refocus on our world, just as we can't live with- moral values and the ways to apply out food. And too, this would leave them. us with our'heads in the sand. The . What does th'e' new catecbsm problems will continue whether or teach us about lying, adultery and not we are willing to hear about b~trayal? What makes a person culthem, ., pable, and what mitigates culpabilAnd it is a problem, I agree, but ity? How should we respond reit is a fact that we find ourselves in sponsibly to the faults of otht:rs? a tell-it-all era.

What responsibility do we bea .if There is an old saying, "If you the good things that occur in socican't beat them, join them." I be- ety are overlooked in favor of negalieve that when this is interpreted tive events? properly, it is one way to turn our As distasteful as society's "atmotroubled times around. ' sphere" may be these days, it does The way to join current events encourage. us to turn our attention is to learn everything there is to to our moral values and the role we know about them in order to un- can play in creating a more positive derstand exactly what has gone atmosphere within our culture.

Retired nun becomes the darling of crowd at speedway

By E. LYNN ASCOLI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

THEANCHOR- Diocese of Fall River- Fri., Dec. II, 1998

5

She said that since she and Sister Fraga have been in the audience, there has not been a serious accident at the ' speedway.

There have been a few crashes, though.

"That's when I pray the most," Sister Amaral said. "Holy

PROVIDENCE, R.r. - At age 72, Sister Hortense Amaral has become the darling of the crowd at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, Mass., just east of Providence.

Sister Amaral, a Sister of St. Dorothy, is called "Sister Amy, the Flying Nun" by speedway officials, and fans often see her being driven on a lap around the track.

So well-known is she that her tour around the track is accompanied by calls of "Sister Amaral, SisterAmaral" and spontaneous applause.

Three years ago she and another member of her order, Sister Mary Paula Fraga from Our Lady of Mount Cannel in Seekonk, were in- MM a r y j" SISTER MARY HORTENSE Amaral, a Sister vited by track owner and president ot her o' f S D .

God show 0 t. orothy from Warren, RI., sometimes gets Irene Venditti to attend the races.

Sister Amaral wa!. delighted to you; power a cOlJrtesy ride around the track at Seekonk accept the offer and has since be- in this hour," Speedway in Massachusetts. When she attends come a season ticket-holder, attend- beco~es her races every week during the summer, Sister ing the races every Saturday dur- re~ratn, she Amaral prays for the drivers. (eNS photo by Mering racing season. saId. cury Photos) Most of the time the two s.isters sit quietly, making rosaries and praying that none of the drivers gets hurt.

Sister Amaral told The Providence Visitor, newspaper of the Providence 1600-household Catholic stewardship Diocese, that they distribute the roparish implementing Year I of a three-year saries to all the drivers and anyone else who wants one. She sees their Pastoral Plan seeks parttime music efforts as a way ot" spreading devodirector for choir/cantor development at tion to the Blessed Mother. four weekend liturgies, funerals, Occasionally the nuns are invited to enter the pits, sit in one of weddings, other prayer of the Church. the cars and parade around the 20 hours/week. Collaborative style track. Sister Fraga declines, but Sissalaried staff position. ter Amaral readily accepts the opOrgan required, organ and piano preferred. portunity.

Noting that she is the 12th child Please send inquiries by mail to MD and youngest girl in a family of 13 Search, 41 Harding Road, Fairhaven, MA - eight of them boys - she admitted to always being a "tomboy," 02719 or FAX 508-992-0685.

Sister Amaral said she enjoys riding in a variety of cars that use the speedway, antique cars and souped-up midget racers alike, and waves to crowds on both sides of the arena, "like the president," Sister Amaral retired about three years ago. She professed her vows 54 years ago, and taught school for 46 years.

But she is hardly inactive. Besides lending her supportive pres347 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 ence at the race trm:k, Sister Amaral is also a eucharistic minister, visiting the homebound and elderly in nursing homes and at Rhode Island Hospital. She st.i11 teaches CCD at St. Elizabeth Church in Bristol, where she taught for 26 of her 46 An ideal gift from Santa is our popular years in the classroom.

"They give me the tough kids, $10,000 Term to Age 25 Policy for children the ones who have a little trouble and young adults. The total premium cost concentrating," she said. "They know that I can ha.ndle them. When is $28.00 per year. At age 25, the policy can the children find out that I go to be converted to permanent insurance withthe races, they tell me, 'Sister, you're out evidence of insurability. cool.' All of my children pass," Her retirement has allowed her ~------------------, to spend a great deal of time drivREQUEST FOR INSURANCE INFORMATION ing herself. In her 1985 Volkswagen, she has a reputation Name: for having a heavy foot on the gas pedal.

Address: Sister' Amaral admits she flies "low to the ground," but considers it a necessary part of getting to where she needs to be.

Telephone No.: In spite of her speedy arrivals and departures, she said, she has Children's Birthdates: _ never received a speeding ticket but has come close a few times.

Mail to: Catholic Association of Foresters Sister Amaral said she is look347 Commonwealth Avenue ing forward to the next racing season at Seekonk Speedway, where, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 L __ ~ ~ she says, "speed is the name of the reI. (617) 536-8221 or 1-800-282-2263 game" and ear-shattering noise levels don't faze her. .

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6

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. II, 1998,

The perfect gift I was already hearing people complain about how they dreaded shopping for Christmas gifts when Robert Grant, a fine writer I met not long ago, sent me a book.

The title grabbed me. It was "The Perfect Gift" (Blue Mantle Press), a children's book by Gregory Scott Sparrow, a man familiar to me as the author of "Blessed Among Women: Encounters with Mary and Her Message" (Cro.wn).

That title, "The Perfect Gift," By raised all kinds of questions, starting with, What is the perfect gift, and how would you know when you had found it? And in a soul-searching way, Does one really care about getting a perfect

gift for another, or has Christmas gift-giving descended into a sterile task of simply buying something to fulfill an obligation?

The Bottom Line Antoinette Bosco

I found the book charming. It revolves around Andrew, 9 years old, a bit of a loner

Give Christmas a thumbs-up Christmas is a family feast. We celebrate ness. Would that we could end negativity the birth of a baby, not just any child, but the and treat one another with dignity and respect, even when we disagree; even when we coming of our God. And not just to any family, but Jesus came are angry or critical of our neighbor's behavto an unwed 13- or l4-year-old girl in a stable. ior.

One might say a very marginal and' unlikely Let us give the gift of self at family. What an incredible message from our Christmastime. In addition to the presents we share, let us offer one another a small God! God must have meant us to know how special and sacred family was.

If he came to the least and most minimal family imaginable, and in so doing made that family remembered as the Holy Family, what does that say about all families? , The family is an older institution With Dr. James & than the Church. Family is in and of itself holy. Creation is shared within Mary Kenny the family, not just between man and woman, but with God as well.

When Jesus was asked to describe God, kindness to express in a more personal way he used family terms: a Father and a Son. the love that God has for us: a kind word; a The Spirit has been described by theologians touch on the arm; a smile; notidng a hairdo as the embodiment of the love that exists or clothes; a favor; tucking into bed with a between Father and Son, parent and child. story and a blessing.

The family is the basic unit of society, Good intentions often fail to become perhaps the last and only intimate harbor of good deeds. To truly succeed at the gift of personal relationships in an often anony- personal kindness, reflect on it, and schedmous and alienated society. Positive personal ule it. relationships are otherwise known as love.

Think who you will see at Christmastime.

Thanksgiving is a day set aside for grati- Imagine yourself offering an extra bit of no-' tude, but Christmas is truly a celebration of tice or attention (a thumbs-upper) to those love. persons. Check on yourself that night. Re-The love of a mother for a child. quire of yourself at least five thumbs-uppers.

-The love of a Creator who makes him. Too small a thing, you object? Not really. self vulnerable.

Great love begins in small ways, like the baby -The love of a good man who will some- in Bethlehem. day give his life.

A present is only a substitute or a promLet us love one another as our Creator has ise. The actual expression of love, however loved us. We need to see our neighbor's needs small, is its incarnation. Happy Christmas! and pain as our own. Isn't that why we give Reader questions on family living and gifts at Christmas? To symbolize the giving child care to be answered in print are inof ourselves. vited. Address questions: The Kennys; 81.

In its most elemental sense, love means Joseph's College; 219 W. Harrison; being kind. No more nastiness and mean- . Rensselaer, Ind. 47978.

Family .Talk

after his parents' divorce, not sure anymore what is important. One night shortly before Christmas he is visited by a mysterious boy his own age. He. wants him to stay, but the boy cannot. He can only return, he says~ when Andrew has given "the perfect gift."

As I read, I was rooting for Andrew to find the answer to that baffling task. Arid I felt his confusion as he wondered how he, who was so imperfect; could find the perfect gift for each one on his Christmas list. ~The story is truly a magical journey, ending in joy as Andrew comes up with simple gifts that reflect each person's deepest needs.

He discovers that this is, indeed, the perfect gift because it is given only to make another person happy. Beautiful!

I have always felt that one of the special things about Christmas is that it gets us to focus on gifts and their meaning. Giving a gift is a way we become connected to each other and show that we care for others. We're actually imitating God's benevolence when we give a gift for no other reason than to express ,love and friendship.

t

No Christmas story on Christmas ?

Q. My question concerns the different Gospels read at Masses on Christmas.

Why is the true Christmas Gospel read only at midnight Mass? .

It is so anti-climactic to go to Mass Christmas morning, and there's barely a word mentioned about the reason we're even there. I don't think it's fair that when we attend a later Mass we cannot listen to the words of Christ's birth.

Whose decision is this, and can anything be done about it? (North Carolina)

someone with a big stick?

Figure skating. You can spot it right off.

People with 15 spotlights on them wearing odd costuming and skating backward on a huge rink with no net in sight.

Even the lingo is creeping into the vernacular -like telling your teen-ager, "I'll give you a 4.9 on facts, but a perfect 6 on creativity."

I'd like to think it's the National ....

Basketball Association's fault because the NBA strike has left so much television open to Zamboni World.

However, the other evening the light came on. This whole phenomenon is a plan. A conspiracy. A program was called "Ice Wars," which sounded great, but had nothing to do with war, hockey or even blowing things up. It was scheduled at the same time as Monday Night Football.

I made the mistake of channel surfing during a timeout, and my wife spotted Philippe Candeloro taking his shirt off in the crowd while he was "skating his program." (Note: "Skating his program" is ice-skating slang for "strutting his stuff.")

back to ancient times. Celebrations in Rome of the feast of the Lord's Nativity, beginning somewhere around the year 300, imitated somewhat the custom in Jerusalem of a midnight Mass in Bethlehem and a morning Mass on Calvary.

At least by the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604), the pope (later other clergy) c.elebrated Christmas with three Masses. Midnight Mass took place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the major basilica in Christendom in honor of the mother

Questions and Answers

A. First, a bit of background for this question may be helpful. People who attend the same Christmas Mass each year may not be aware that three entirely different Masses are provided in the church's liturgy for the Nativity of Our Lord.

By Father The first is at midnight; it is ofJohn J. Dietzen ten called the "main" Christmas Mass, since the Gospel passage tells - - - - - - - - - - - - of the birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-14). of Jesus.

From there people marched toward the The Gospel for the second Mass, officially at dawn, is the story of the shepherds Roman Forum, to the church of St. hearing the good news and coming to Anastasia, a martyr of the Byzantine Church, for Mass around daybreak. (This was,' it Bethlehem (Lk 2: 15-20).

I suspect your concern centers mostly on seems, a courtesy to the large community of the Gospel for the third Mass, later in the Byzantine Catholics living nearby at the morning, the prologue to the Gospel Ac- . time.)

Finally, the procession wound to the Bacording to John (l: 1-18). While theologically one of the most magnificent passages' silica of St. Peter for a late morning Mass. .Some of this history is a little fogge:d by in the New Testament, it contains no narrative connection with the birth of Jesus, which time, and details changed over the years. most people naturally look for on that feast. But the pattern of three Masses continued.

Obviously, at least theoretically, people Reasons for these multiple liturgies go participating in these processions, induding the clergy, were present for all three Masses. It made sense, therefore, to :lave three different Scripture and prayer tl~xtS. "Whoa, Channel Master," barked my wife. The later dawn and morning Masses built, "Back up the push-button surfboard and as it were, on what everyone had heard and prayed earlier in the day. lemme see that again. That was Philippe Equally obvious, that supposition has skating his program." . not been valid for centuries and certainly is "Probably just a commercial," I tried.

"Hah," she snapped, yanking the remote out not true today. The whole sequenc,~ is 'of my hand. Two clicks backward, and there clearly unrelated to the necessary Mass were Philippe and his cronies (Victor Petrenko, schedules in most parishes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. With few exceptions, people now participate in one Mass, determined of course by other Christmas plans and custom~; in their families. Whenever they come, as you indicate, they understandably desire to hear, and be spiritually fed by, the Gospel story of the Nativity.

Since the choice from these texts is flexBy Dan Morris ible, a large number of parishes (ma~lbe most) opt to use the Scriptures of midnight Mass, with its story of Mary and Joseph and Surya Bonaly, et al) taking part in a staged Our Lord's birth, at all Christmas Masses, regardless of time. "athletic" competition against a U.S. "team."

This certainly makes it easier for everyIce Wars was to skating what the Skins game is to golf, only they'd never schedule the Skins one, children particularly, to connect their game at the same time as Monday Night Foot- liturgical worship with the Christmas celball, for heaven's sake. Unless the conspiracy ebrations and reflections occurring in their homes. has roots deeper than we can imagine.

A distinct threat路to televised football It's one of those things that happens so gradually you don't even notice until one day, kapoomer, it has happened, and you didn't really see it coming.

I'm not talking about a minor thing here like ear hair, men, but a major thing: the distinct threat to televised football from, and this is the incredible part, figure skating.

If you don't believe me, ask your wife (if you happen to be a woman, ask yourself) to name her three favorite skaters.

Brian Boitano, Tara Lapinski and Rudy Galindo will pop out. Maybe Kristi Yamaguchi.

Ask them who Bret Favre is, or Steve Young, or Warren Moon. Four out of five think Favre is a perfume, Young is an actor and Moon is a pop singer. , . More proof? You probably know who these skaters are too.

Then your wife says, "Isn't it terrible all the things that poor Oksana Baiul has gone through since she came to the United States?"

And you know what she's talking about.

Have you noticed while you are channel grazing you keep stumbling across ice rinks, and no one is wearing f90tball gear or hitting

It's never been a mystery to me that Christmas is a time for gift-giving. It is, after all, the season to remember again that God touched us with marvelous benevolence in a tangible way in the person of Jesus, What we have to watch out for i:s falling into the trap of thinking that we're giving gifts when we're only exchanging merchandise. I've often heard people say that the gift they gave wasn't appreciated or t:lat they expected one in return.

When gifts are spoken of in terms of obligations, strings attached or gratitul~e, they really aren't gifts at all. The minute a condition accompanies an offering, it becomes a barter, a bribe or an obligation, not a gift.

This kind of giving is only an exchange of a thing that does nothing to form a bond between two people. .

On Dec. 25, I wonder how many gifts will be given to make someone feel better, happy, special, beautiful or enhanced in some way - delivered out of the same motivation as God's in giving us Jesus.

I'm grateful to Sparrow for his hook. It spurred me to think about perfect gifts.

I pray that all our gifts, given and received, this Christmas will be acts of love, adding to the store of goodness in our lives, and thus, tei the world.

------------r--::::::-::---,..

The offbeat world of Uncle Dan

-------------b!':..llll

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. II, 1998

7

Church unearthed in Jordan may be world's oldest ~

Archeologists from North Carolina State University make the discovery.

By JOHN STRANGE CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

RALEIGH, N.C. (CNS) - Beneath the sands of the modern city o(Aqaba, Jordan, lies the ruined

Thomas Parker, history professor at N.C. State, said that the first "circumstantial evidence" indicated that this was an early Christian church, but "the evidence now seems pervasive."

The church was a "monumental building," Parker said, complete with a nearby cemetery. Found among the ruins were several examples of fine pottery, an incense burner, whole oil lamps usually

buildings," Parker said, and was oriented toward the east, according to tradition. They found a clear entry hall, two side aisles, space where the altar would have stood and a crypt.

Not much is known about the church, but history says that Aila had a bishop named Peter, as he is reflected in the records of the Council of Nicea in the year 325.

Parker does not know' exactly when the church was built, but he does say that it was probably built in the late third or early fourth century, maybe around 300, based on dating the coins and glass samples found on the site. He is anxious to

find the building's cornerstone when he returns to the site in 2000.

However, he does know that the church met a "catastrophic end" on May 19, 363, when a major earthquake collapsed the roof and set the building afire.

Today, Parker believes it is the "oldest structure in the world built as a church."

Parker stressed that the site is more important than simply being the "world's oldest." If the archeological findings are correct, the Aila church was used for less than a century, and then buried in sand, never touched until 1998. Ancient churches that survived into mod-

ern times were added upon, changed, renovated. The Aila church has rested for centuries, "largely intact."

Parker and his students began brushing away the sands covering Aila in 1994, finding domestic and industrial complexes, and small artifacts over the years. They probed deeper into the church ruins just this past summer, not far from Aqaba's beaches.

Parker would not discuss his personal religious beliefs or affiliation, but, he said, "you can't work on a find like this and not be moved by the faith of the people who worshiped in this church."

THOMAS PARKER (front) stands at the site in Jordan where he believes he has discovered the oldest Christian church. The archeologist and his team from North Carolina State University have been excavating in the area since 1994.

(CNS photo from Heuters) ancient city of Aila.

A team of archeologists - students and faculty - from North Carolina State University probed the sands, and discovered what is believed to be the oldest known Christian church.

found in church chandeliers, a tile identifying the city a$ Aila, and, in the grave of a centurion there was a corpse and a half-inch portion of a corroded bronze cross.

The overall plan of the building "clearly conforms to later Christian

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8

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

Archbishop gathers his deacons to discuss new Vatican documents

By FLORENCE L. HERMAN

basic catechesis. "It would ,be an aspirancy program," Swiler said.

After the first year, a competency NEW ORLEANS :- The very fact that two Vatican congregations exam would have to be passed behave issued documents on the min- fore the candidate continued in the istry of the permanent deacon "is program. "Over the next three years, witness to the important position of the candidate would spend 1,000 the permanent diaconate in the hours in formation, as the Vatican document says," he Church," said Archsaid. bishop Francis B. Another change Schulte 'of New Orwould, be setting the leans. maximum age for The archbishop candidates coming, made his .remarks at into the program at the beginning of an 60, Swiler said. afternoon gathering The new Vatican of the permanent deadocuments place. cons of the Archdiodeacons in the maincese of New Orleans stream of the Church, to discuss the docuSwiler said, noting ments issued by the that in past years, no Vatican CongregaVatican congregation for Catholic Edution claimed the cation and the Condiaconate. gregation for the "Now the CongreClergy "Basic ARCHBISHOP gation for the Clergy Norms for the FormaSCHULTE is saying 'they're tion of Permanent Deacons" and "Directory for the ours.' They've taken the lead in placMinistry and Life ofPermanent Dea- ing the permanent diaconate in the forefront of the Church." cons."

Archbishop Schulte said the The recent gathering was thought to be the first in the country between documents place the permanent a bishop and his permanent deacons diaconate not only in the mainstream of the Church but iI'! an order to discuss the documents. ''We already have a directory for in ministry. bishops, a directory for priests, and "We cannot afford Lone Rangers now we have a directory for perma- in ministry," he said. "You are nent deacons," the archbishop said. blessed in your marriages and you James Swiler, a deacon who di- are blessed in your fraternity. Your rects the Permanent Diaconate Of- ministry has to be carried on in a fice of the archdiocese, said the new, community setting." .

The archbishop called the deadocuments were the result of the world's bishops' 1994 plenary ses- cons' attention to the section on parish ministry, which details many of sion on the permanent diaconate.

The proposed "National Direc- the functions that are reserved to a tory for the Formation, Ministry and permanent deacon should a priest Life of Permanent Deacons in the not be available.

United States" will for the first time "Looking at the Catholic Life: set 'competency standards, said 2000 process in our archdiocese, we Swiler, adding that this would be a have to look at the options we have," key shift in the program. he said. "We have to be sure that our It also proposes changes in the people are' served in word, worship discernment and formation pro-' and ministry. We have to look at how cesses. Formation would go to a five- we use our resources' to do it. The year period, with the first year that permanent deacons and their spouses of discernment and education in are a gift to our archdiocese."

CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

Bishop scores inaction on school choice

By Lou BALDWIN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PHILADELPHIA - Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua of Philadel~ phia has expressed disappointment over the Pennsylvania Legislature's failure to act on proposed schoolchoice legislation before it closed its current session. ''I am distressed that our lawmakers have failed to provide children and their parents with the fundamental right to freely choose their education," the cardinal said.

"School choice is a concept that is growing both in need and popularity," he added. "Our state lawmakers have missed a golden opportunity to make a stand for what many firmly believe is a matter of justice."

The proposed bill would have granted tuition vouchers to parents

in 19 selected counties. The basic voucher, which could be used at non public schools, would have been for $350 in kindergarten, $700 in elementary school and $1,000 in high school.

The voucher would have been

Capuchin friar's sainthood cause doing well, says vice. postulat()r ~

would be next, bringing the title

The cause for Father "blessed" and permitting public devotion. .

So/anus Casey Before this can occur, said inspires those working Brother Wollenweber, a miracuon its preparation. lous healing that cannot be attribBy MICHELLE AGIUS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

DETROIT - The sainthood cause of Venerable Solanus Casey, a Capuchin friar, is doing quite well, according to Capuchin Brother Leo Wollenweber, vice postulator of the cause for 24 years.

"Those ,of us who have been working on the cause are very much inspired by Father Solanus, by his faith, the hope he gives to people, ,also his kindness and his charity toward the sick and poor," Brother Wollenweber told The Michigan Catholic, newspaper of the Detroit Archdiocese.

"He is a wonderful example for people today," he added.

The cause began after Father Casey's death in 1957, at age 86.

For almost half his priestly life, he had been the porter at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit, where thousands of people experienced his humility and kindness.

In recognition of his heroic virtue, the Capuchin was declared "venerable" in 1995. Beatification

uted to medical intervention must be authenticated.

However, he cited a reported cure from 1996 'that occurred in the Detroit Archdiocese and is now under investigation in Rome. "We had to gather some more information for the postulator general," Capuchin Father Paolino Rossi, he said.

Father Rossi is preparing the documentation for the Vatican's Congregation for Sainthood Causes. "Hopefully it will be ready soon," the brother added.

A final step, canonization, would require a second' authenticated miracle. , Father Casey was born in 1870, the sixth of 16 children ofIrish immigrants in Wisconsin. At 17, he left the family farm and worked variously as a lumberjack, prison guard and streetcar motorman: He had entered the Milwaukee archdiocesan seminary. But, after having difficulty with courses taught in German and Latin, he joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Detroit in 1896.

However, he had more academic difficulty and was ordained in 1904 as a simplex priest, without faculties for preaching or hearing confessions.

Father Casey worked in several parishes in New York, and was appointed to St. Bonave:r1ture in 1924. Because of his concern for the poor during the Great Depression, he established a soup kitchen that carries on today.

Brother Wollenweber, who lived with Father Casey for seven years in Detroit, said there was something special about him. "We hew that he was helping a lot of people in wonderful ways," he said. And when he died, "we certainly felt he was a saint and that continues."

He said successive archbishops of Detroit have supported the cause, one of 29 U.S. sainthooc: causes currently open. Also, some: 40,000 people from all over the world visit St. Bonaventure each year to learn more about Father Casey in a museum devoted to his life.

"People are very inten:sted in him," Brother Wollenweh~r said.

"Those who didn't know him read his life and they're impressed.

People are moved to ask fo:: his intercessions. Many people come to pray at the tomb asking for healing."

Oklahoma father, son explore ordained ministry. togeth~r

By JENNIFER LEIRER CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

LAWTON, Okla. - A dream they first had in 1993 is halfway to becoming reality for Peter and Paolo Dulcamara.

The father and son duo, who attend Holy Family Church in Lawton, first considered the idea of ordained ffiinistry five years ago.

After three years of study and training, Peter, along with 11 other men, was ordained a deacon re~ cently by Archbishop Eusebius 1.

Beltran of Oklahoma City.

Paolo, meanwhile, is studying to become a priest of the Oklahoma City Archdio<:;ese. He began his first year of theology at St. Charles ,Borromeo Seminary in Pennsylvania this fall, moving from Conception Seminary College in Missouri.

"I was reading something about being' a deacon," said Peter of the moment that led to his decision to become a deacon.

"I h d th h a never oug t about it before. Then I talked to Father Marvin Leven who

John Metzinger, then vocations director in the Oklahoma City Archdiocese. , "I feel very blessed," said Carol Dulcamara of her deacon husband and soon-to-be-ordained son. "Our conversations at home are fun. I know l can always go to them for clarification of Churc:h issues." ."For myselfI knew there was no other .church than, the Catholic Church," Peter told the Sooner Catholic, Oklahoma City'S archdiocesan newspaper. "I had to start listening again."

Paolo, the couple's youngest child, was born in 1966. Because of a dispute with a priest, he was never baptized as an infant.

"In January 1993 my mom talked me into going to Mass one Sunday," Paolo recalled. " I was so amazed with the Mass. I was so blown away."

Almost half of the Oklahoma City seminarians are conVf:rts or men who have returned to the church, according to Paolo.

Of his seminary experience, Paolo said, "There's a lo~ more to being educated than the fact:;. You learn what kind of person to bl~. You never hear of virtue (in secular society) anymore."

'To others considering thejr vocation, Peter suggests, "The most important thing is to listen and be open to God's call."

doubled for low-income families and for those in "academically bank- " rupt" school districts, including the said, 'Well, go back and districts covering the cities of Phila- pray about it.' It must have delphia and Chester. In the latter been the Holy Spirit. It was case, the voucher would have been one of those things I equal to the total per-pupil public couldn't get out of my 路 sc h00 I expendIture in those districts. mind."

Paolo recalled that "for Other provisions of the proposed legislation would have subsidized a while I was Baptist and the transfer of students to out-of-dis- thought about being a Baptrict public schools. tist minister." But then he PAOLO (left) and Peter Dulcamara pose with Carol Dulcamara The Legislature is expected to became a Catholic and said at their home in Lawton, Okla. The son and father began pursuing once again consider the school- he talked to the choice issue after it reconvenes for Franciscans, among others, ordained ministry in the Catholic Church about five years ago; (CNS the 1999-2000 term. and eventually saw Father photo by Jennifer Leirer, Sooner Catholic)

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

9

Church credibility helps it aid Mitch victims, archbishop says

By TRACY

EARL.Y

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

NEW YORK - The trust that the people of Honduras have in the Church has enabled it to fill a key role in helping victims ofHurricane Mitch, the archbishop of the country's capital city said during a visit to New York.

Archbishop Oscar A. Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa said extensive cor-

ruption left the government's emergency committee "without any credibility." But, he said, "the poorest approach the Church when they suffer."

Recognizing these realities, the government has asked the country's churches, Catholic and Protestant, to operate shelters for the massive numbers made homeless by the hurricane, he said.

But shelter residents will be

Parish 'angels' make a merry Christmas for retired nuns

By EUZABETH A. BRUNS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE CARMEL, Ind. - Christmas came a little early this year for 60 retired Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Actually, it's come early for the sisters for the last eight years, due to the help of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioners Theresa Darling, Nancy Luter and a bunch of elves from the parish.

They organize a program called "Be A Christmas Angel" that expresses appreciation to the five Sisters of Notre Dame who serve Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The program also sends gift baskets to 60 retired nuns residing in Toledo, Ohio.

Recently the volunteers and parishioners gathered at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel convent for conversation and appetizers with the sisters.

"The sisters give all year to others," said Darling. "This is the time of year where we can let them sit back and let us give to them."

"The sisters look forward to this every year ... they look forward to the surprise," said Sister Marie Clarine Young, school principal.

"They are happy that there are

people who still care for them."

One of the nuns, Sister Alman Rose Langenderfer, has served Our Lady of Mount Carmel for three years, but earlier served at the Lial Convent as superior for six years.

"The retired sisters appreciate the personalized bag and are very grateful for the gift&," she said.

"Some of them don't have many relatives anymore so they love the surprise of it all."

The gift baskets fQr the retired sisters contain things from necessities to treats. Darling and Luter estimate they spend approximately $1,800 on the sisters each year.

This year, some of the gifts include clocks, calendars, toothpaste, large-print books, compact discs, candles, gum, greeting cards, stationary, thank you cards, gloves, body wash, soap, toothbrushes and hard candy.

"Stamps are a great gift that the sisters use often," said Luter. "We spent $400 alone on stamps." Most of the money was donated by families of the parish.

Along with the gift baskets and special gifts for the five nuns who serve Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the group also buys fresh flowers for the chapel.

moved out after one month to keep them from developing the passive mentality sometimes found among people who become permanent refugees, Archbishop Rodriguez said.

Archbishop Rodriguez, who came to New York Nov. 27, said his trip was planned before the hurricane. "I decided not to cancel," he said. "It was a good opportunity to thank the Archdiocese of New York, which was among the first to send help."

He also said Cardinal Bernard F. Law of Boston had gone to Honduras with aid and accompanied him on visits to areas of need.

Archbishop Rodriguez flew to Boston later to express thanks for

the help of the archdiocese and to bless another planeload of aid Cardinal Law was sending the next day.

Archbishop Rodriguez said help had also been received from the Church in other areas, including Spain, Germany and Italy.

Catholic Relief Services was "present from the very first moment," he said.

Although Nicaragua and other areas of Central America suffered damage, Honduras was hit the hardest, Archbishop Rodriguez said. Some 7,000 Hondurans are known dead, and another 8,000 are missing, he said. But he said no priests or religious were killed.

Archbishop Rodriguez reiterated his appeals even before the hurricane for the cancellation of his nation's debt. Now, with the devastation of the country, including heavy damage to its banana and coffee industries and to its bridges and other elements of the infrastructure, debt repayment will be an impossible burden, he said.

The archbishop also appealed for the United States to grant legal status to illegal immigrants from Honduras so they would not be pressured to return to a devastated country or, if they needed to make brief visits to help their families, would be able to resume their life in the United States.

Communicate: Health!

We care for you.

Mind, Body, and Soul.

Support Groups'

Community Programs

The following support groups will be held in December. All support groups are free and open to the public. For a complete listing, please call Saint Anne's Public Relations Department at 508-235-5056.

The follOWing programs are free and held at Saint Anne's Hospital unless otherwise noted.

For information, call the numbers listed.

DECEMBER 2-23: "Surviving the Holidays" A support group for cancer patients and their families 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Facilitators: Mary Peterson, L1CSW, and Catherine Mendoza, RN I"'

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The Oncology Center 480 Hawthorn St., Dartmouth 508-979-5858, ext. 1043 DECEMBER 2-16: "Seasons路 A support group for women with advanced breast cancer 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon Facilitators: Lisa Yanku, L1CSW, and Linda Pestana

DECEMBER 13: Senior Sunday Luncheon: "Pain Management" 12:00 noon Speaker: Allison Gorski, MD, chief of anesthesiology, and director, The Pain Management Center at Saint Anne's Hospital Room 134, Clemence Hall $4.00 per person Pre-registration required 508-67~5741,ext.2635

DECEMBER 23: "Living Well" radio program, WSAR radio (1480 AM) 3:004:00 p.m.

"The Mind-Body Connection for the Holidays路 Guest: Wendy Merriman, RN, assistant coordinator, Congregational Health Ministry/ Parish Nurse Program, Saint Anne's Hospital

Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne's Hospital 508-675-5688

"Ask the Pharmacist路 Guest: James Nightingale, PharmD, pharmacy supervisor, Saint Anne's Hospital

DECEMBER 18: "People Addressing Cancer Together" (PACT) A support group for all adults with an active cancer diagnosis 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Facilitator: Mark Theodore, MA, LSW

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Saint Anne's Hospital SOME OF the estimated 7,000 people, including actor Martin Sheen (second from left), who joined a protest Nov. 22 at the U.S. Army School of the Americas hold crosses bearing the names of people believed to have been killed under orders of Latin American graduates of the training program at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.(CNS photo by Bob Roller} .

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10 , THE AN~HOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

.

Fri., Dec. ·11 ~ 1998 .

Songwriter's new· album explores the significance of water in liturgy

By CYNTHIA G. SMITH CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE KINGSTON, R.I. - For veteran liturgical music songwriter and music director Tom Kendzia, the past 20 years he has spent working with parishes around the country have been personally rewarding, but also have brought him a good deal of recognition.

Still more notice may come with his newest album of religious music, titled "Lead Us to the Water."

Kendzia said he hopes the title of his 12th album will draw attention to the powerful significance and symbolism water has in the liturgy. He cited baptism as one example.

"My intent was to let the music give the liturgy a sense of movement and my challenge was to create music that would enable believers to know that it is possible to live the Gospel," he said in an interview with The Providence Visitor, diocesan newspaper.

Music director at Christ the King Parish in Kingston for the last 13 years, Kendzia said he is "a songwriter first."

The new disc is the result of six years of work. Three of its songs are litanies and can be used in the context of a Mass.

He said the responses on the album reflect petitions for assistance.

The phrases "wash us, " "heal us," "lead us," "guide us" and "lift us" are used in some of the' songs in a way that will "help remind us that God is the one to make changes in NEW YORK (CNS) - The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting.

"Celebrity" (Miramax) Flat series of seriocomic sketches about a small-time New York writer (Kenneth Branagh) whose work bringshim into thecircle of the rich and famous but, instead ofthesecontacts furthering his career, he gets lost in a series of sexual affairs while his ex-wife (Judy Davis) remarries and finds happiness as a TV celebrity.

Writer-directorWoody Allen's spoofing of the empty glitter surrounding real and fictional celebrities is only occasionally amusing and his comic treatment ofthe neurotic writer's inability to resist his sexual urges comes across as hollow and rather sad, with the end result labored and hardly·worth the effort. Numerous sexual situations, some gross sexual humor, a scene of domestic violence, frequent rough language and occasional profanity. The U.S. Catholic Conferenceclassification isA-IV-adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association ofAmerica rating is R- restricted. ''Elizabeth'' (Gramercy) Historic~ dramatization of the political intrigues and religious conflicts besetting England as the Protestant Eliza- . beth succeeds her half-sister, the Catholic Mary, to the throne, then comes to rely on the sinister Walsingham to break the power of the Catholic nobles and other potential enemies to her reign, after which Elizabeth rules in her own right as the Virgin Queen. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, the picture turns a complex and confusing period of history into a series of highly dramatic tableaus focusing on Elizabeth's development as a royal feminist, though the result never

'Little: Voice' would have been fine without the profanity and nudity ~ Good story and fine

performances marred by the usual Hollywood sleaze.

nally"found his ticket to the big time. she can profit from· it.

Horrocks is another knockout.

Leading Mom on, and charming L.v., Ray has his say and ma- Here is a character deeply affected nipulates L.V. into auditioning at a by the loss of her father and gross local club owned by sleazy Mr. Boo mistreatment by her mother, to the (Jim Broadbent). L.V. has a rare tal- point where she is nearing a psyent, all right, but no desire to ever chotic break with reality. H(:r art, however, and her newfound rdationship leave her room again.

This also presents problems for with a similar gentle person will have timid phone installer Billy (Ewan profoundly healing effects.

Caine is no slouch either in makMacGregor), who fancies L.v. almost as much as the homing pigeons he ing his showy Ray Say character a dotes on. Ray glibly persuades L.v. to man with a plan whom the audience perform to a sell-out crowd, as a one- can enjoy as a scoundrel,. but who time-only tribute to her father, imper- lets his dark side emerge in a very . sonating the singers he so adored. This public display of rage.

Unfortunately, some of the chartime, attired in a sequined gown and imagining her dad in the audience, . acters can get shrill and lise gutter L.v. belts out Shirley Bassey, purrs like language to excess, so one must enMarilyn Monroe and revives Judy dure a bit of ear abuse to appreciate Garland and Marlene Dietrich to the credible story at the movie's core.

The film is based on Jim standing ovations.

Confident he can get her back on Cartwright's London stage play stage the next night to be heard by 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice," London's top music agent, Ray un- which also starred Horrocks in the derestimates how clingy Morn will title role. It is likely to remain the be in trying to possess him - and signature performance of h,~r career. how far from mousy his little songDue to fleeting violence, an imbird can be when pushed to the limit. plied affair, brief nudity, some proBlethyn's portrayal is scorching fanity and recurring rough language, and unforgettable. As a mother she's the U.S. Catholic Conference claspositively monstrous to her fragile sification is A-III - adults. The daughter, never for a moment show- Motion Picture Associa.tion of ing the slightest tenderness unless America rating is R - restricted.

our lives," Kendzia said.

Another song, "Out of Darkness," was written for the Easter Vigil or

By GERRI PARE Christmas, to serve as a reminder the CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE two events are linked. Based on the NEW YORK - "Little Voice" imagery of the paschal candle, the (Miramax) is a small story whose song focuses on the transition from characters come vividly to life . darkness to light. . thanks to the script's sharply drawn Kendzia said he hopes "it will characterizations and some wellhelp people to know that the prom- crafted performances. ises made by Jesus Christ are true."

Set in a working-class seaside While most of his music is writ- town in northern England, part of ten to accompany specific liturgi- the story takes place in the apartcal elements and highlight their ment above Hoff's Record Store. importance, Kendzia said another Since her husband, Mr. Hoff, died, goal is to excite people about their. Mom (Brenda Blethyn) has been on a ·boozy crusade to snare another faith.

"I am writing music not for my- man, any man, paying scant attenself, but for the whole community tion to her grown, silent daughter which I serve," he said. After work- (Jane Horrocks), nicknamed L.v. for 'ing many years in Church music her seldom-heard little voice.

In fact, shy L. V. stays in her room ministry, he found the key to sucplaying her father's favorite chanteuses cess in the pairing of two very different types of music - pop and over and over until she can duplicate their vocal styles to perfection. classical. .

One night Mom lures third-rate Though he admits the pairing of talent scout Ray Say (Michael the two styles may' seem unusual, Caine) home, But once he hears L.v. they greatly complement each other. . warbling upstairs he knows he's fl"Pop offers' the rhythm and chord structure, while classical offers the dynamics and 'color,''' he said.

Kendzia's choir at Christ the King has 50 voices and is often invited to IJerform in the area. He said "Mary Higgins Clark has fashioned . children may be added to the choir

By JOSEPH R. THOMAS a Christmas gift for all her readers." in the future.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE Those readers are legion. Most of her Besides his work in religious Reading Mary Higgins Clark books have sol<:\ extremely well, not music, Kendzia works as a producer for other artists. He also gives pri- sometimes is like thumbing through so much because they are pulsating vate guitar and piano lessons and a magazine in a doctor's office - it nail-biters as because the protagofills time and there's no great sense nists are generally wholesome types works as a consultant for other parof loss when you have to put it down. and Clark never caters to prurient inishes wanting to either start or imSo it is with "All Through the Night" terest. No one need ever be ashamed prove their music ministry.

(Simon & Schuster), her 17th novel being caught with one of her books - novella, really, for it only runs 150- nearby. probes beneath the surface of events or "All Through the Night" is set in motivations. Intense period violence in- plus pages - a feel-good tale being Manhattan's Upper West Side. There, cluding religious persecutions, torture promoted as a suspense story.

A suspense story it is not, how- shortly before Christmas, Lenny and executions, sexual situations and brief nudity. The U.S. Catholic Confer- ever. It's more a Christmas fairy tale, Centino, a small-time hood, makes ence classification is A- and after a couple of chapters even off with a valuable historic chalice IV - adults, with res- the sleepiest reader is aware that a from St. Clement's Church just as a ervations. The Motion Happy Ending is in the offing, al- distraught 18-year-old, Sondra Lewis, Picture Association of though the· details, clever enough in an aspiring musician, is depositing a the plotting, take a little time to newborn in a stroller on the steps of America rating is R restricted. emerge and a diversionary subplot the rectory with instructions on adop"Ringmaster" intrudes. tion and a supply of formula.

(Artisan) . Still, as the dust jacket proclaims, Lenny, of course, winds up with Tawdry tale of two the baby, swiping the sets of dim characters stroller to cover his getwho bring their away, although he's not tangled sexual problems to the TV talk immediately aware that it show hosted by master of insincerities has an occupant.· The Jerry Springer, with the results predictchild's presence is discovably featuring scenes of sex and vioered when Lenny arrives lence on and off the show. Directed by at his aunt's house where Neil Abramson, this low-budget promo he bunks from time to for the TV talk show is a tedious exertime. He cons his aunt into cise in sexual exploitation and human thinking the baby is his, manipulation. Numerous sexual encoun. although ·it is but hours ters, some nudity, physical and verbal old. violence, much rough language and ocNow skip ahead seven casional profanity. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is 0 - moryears. Another Christmas ally offensive. The Motion Picture Asseason, this one with sociation of America rating is R - resnowfall, has descended stricted. on St. Clement's. A Christ"Shattered Image" (Lions Gate) mas pageant is being preViolently surreal tale in which a pared by 72-year-old Siswealthy bride (Anne Parillaud) on her' ter Cordelia and 29-yearhoneymoon can't decide whether her old Sister Maeve, a former husband (William Baldwin) is plotting cop who still maintains to kill her or whether she's actually a some ties with the boys in professional hit woman and he's her next the precinct and who target. Though director Raul Ruiz wraps helps Sister Cordelia with the dreamlike groceedings in an atmoher after-school childsphere of sinister mystery, the result is A LATIN VERSION of the popular Dr. care program and her minsimply a tawdry potboiler littered with lurid scenes of real or imagined mur- Seuss favorite "How the Grinch Stole istry to the neighborhood ders. Recurring violence, sexual encoun- Christmas" is available this year. It con- elderly.

Assisting with the pagters with nudity and some rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference tains a Latin vocabulary to help learners eant are Alvirah Meehan, a one-time cleaning classification is 0 - morally offensive. of the ancient language. (CNS photo)

~ew

flick.s

Mary Higgins Clark's latest is a pleasant, undemanding gift woman turned sleuth and newspaper columnist since she and her husband, Willy, a retired plumber and brother to Sister Cordelia, hit the jal;kpot in the New York State lottery. A twinkling 7-year-old named Stellina (Star) is to portray the Virgin Mary and Willy is to play the theme song, "All Through the Night," which just happens to be a favorite of ~:ondra's as well.

However, the principals, except for Stellina, are distracted by the concerns of a parishioner about to be defrauded out of a home she intends to turn over to the nuns for their after-school program because they are being evicted from the quarters they are using. Troublin~; too is the appearance of. a stranger, a nervous young woman who no wand then is seen outside St. Clement's or at Mass but always disappears before kindly old Msgr. Tom Ferris, the pastor, can get a chance to I:alk to her.

Clark's faithful readers, of c:ourse, will not be surprised that it is Alvirah who successfully makes contact with the woman, nor that the past, which the reader has long since suspected, surfaces over a pot of tea while Willy is off doing good deeds at Cordelia's behest. The reason such readers will not be surprised is that Alvirah and Willy are among Clark's favorite characters and Alvirah has alwavs had a way of getting to the bottc,m of things since becoming a gadabout and columnist.

If this particular conceit asks that you not be too fussy about details - Clark is not known for burdening anyone with more information than they need to know - 01' that you not look for those descriptive passages that add flesh to characterization, why it seems like a small enough price to pay for a hol.iday bauble. aaubles, of course, often do not endure beyond the season. "All Through the Night" isn't likely to be an exception, but if you've run out of giving ideas it makes for a: pleasant enough gift.

Lectionary

Continued from page one

new Lectionary is not gender specific. When the text is gender specific, the new version is gender specific. While certain tools are appro-

But the changes sometimes reflect alteration in the "horizontal" language, the use of what used to be a male-dominant word: "men."

As a result, the only time a maledominant word or phrase would be used is when it is true to what scholars feel the original Scripture writer wanted to present.

Because English has no word equivalent to the Greek plural '''anthrQPoi'' that could mean men or women, the traditional translaLIVING WORD - Father Stephen J. Avila, tion has always been "men" when secretary to Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, looks the language reat some of the changes in the new Lectionary ferred to humanauthorized for dioceses in the United States, ity - men and which started to be used in many parishes women.

This new veras Advent began. sion has anthropoi priate to achieve such inclusivity used more inclusively 81 times. (for example, the words "whoever," The 1986 Revised New Testa"the one," "anyone," etc...) other ment of the NAB replaced the word tools (for example, change of per- "man" by a more generic term 152 son and number) change the meanMontie Plumbing ing of the biblical text.

The new Lectionary never & Heating Co. changes the biblical text in order to Over 35 Years make it more inclusive, the NCCB of Satisfied SerVices asserted.

Reg. Master Plumber 7023 In actuality, there is little change JOSEPH RAPOSA, JR. in the "vertical" language, the way the relationship of mankind and 432 JEFFERSON STREET God is presented.

FALL RIVER 675·7496

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OBERAMMERGAU, ~ GERMANY

times and the committee responsible for the new version re-examined those changes. and decided to retain them.

In a few instances, the word "man" was retained, despite ambiguities, because no adequate equivalent could be found which sufficiently conveyed the multiple meanings of this word, the NCCB said in an explanatory 1997 newsletter.

Father Gallant said the new edition makes understanding the texts' much easier. "For instance, the word 'holocausts' was changed to 'burnt offerings' to reflect what the Scripture writer meant. It differentiates between that and the meaning of 'Holocausts' that refers to what the Jewish people suffered." .

In another instance, the word "sear" which means an amount of flour was actually changed to "a measure of flour." Also, Father Gallant pointed out, when the word "brothers" truly meant more than just males in the text, the new Lectionary now presents it as "brothers and sisters."

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

BISHOP O'MALLEY is pictured following a Mass he said for seminarians at the Chapel of the North American College in Rome during a recent visit. With him are Father Maurice O. Gauvin, Rev. Mr. Roger Landry, Father Stephen J. Avila, Rodney Thibault, Gerard O'Connor, David Pignato and Father Craig A. Pregana, director of vocations for the diocese.

Not pictured is Rev. Mr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk who was leading evening prayer for the seminary community.

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THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

Planners told World/Youth Day will be a Holy Year high p,oint ~

Thousands of U. S. young people expected to be ainong 1.;5 million to mingle in Ro'!"'e.

By

CATHOLIC· NEWS SERVICE

ROCCA DI PAPA, Italy- With an estimated 1.5 milfion young peop,le expected 'in Rome in August 2000, the Vatican sees World.

Youth Day as one of the high points of the Holy Year, participants in a planning meeting were told, The international youth gathering, which usually is held every two

huge event in a city ~llready having difficulty coping with traffic jams and tourist ac<;ommodations were not downplayed by Vatican planne'rs, McCorl:! said." . "They are rigllt to be concerned about, ho.usilJg-.and tr.ansportation for aIL these .people," .he said, "but we were, too, when we organized Denver," the site of the 1993 World Youth Day. McCord said efforts were being made to host hundreds of thousands of teens in the hundreds of houses of religious. orders in the city, in colleges, seminaries, schools and private homes.

years, is expected to be the largest single ~vent on the Vatican's year 2000 calendar.

About 200 people, representing 58 national bishops' conferences and 45 Catholic movements and _associations, met at Rocca di' Papa Dec. 4-7 to discuss plans for the youth gathering.

At least '20,000 young people from the United States are expected to travel to Rome for' the AiJg. 1520 celebration, said Richard McCord, director of the U.S. bishops' office for family, laity, women and youth. _..' ' "We had 13,000 young people go

LaSalette Center for Christian Living Attleboro, MA 02703·0965

Dec. 31-Jan. 2 New Year's Retreat Jan. 8-10 Yoga & Meditation Jan. 12 An Evening with St. Ignatius of Loyola Jan. 15-17 Women's Retreat Jan. 22-24 Winter Stillness Weekend Retreat For more information, please call or write Retreat Secretary

508-222-8530

Consecration to the Divine Will ' Oh adorable and Divine Will, behold me here before the immensity ofYour Light, that Your eternal goodness may open to me the doors and make me enter into It to form my life all in You, Divine Will. Therefore, oh adorable Will, prostrate before Your Light, I, the least of all creatures, put myself into the little group of the sons and daughters. ofYour Supreme FIAT. Prostrate in my nothingness, I invoke Your Light and beg that it cloth~ me and eclipse all that does not pertain to You, Divine Will. It will be my Life, the center of my intelligence, the enrapturer of my heart. and of my whole being. I do not want the human will to have life in this heart any longer. I will cast it away from me and thus form the ne'Y Eden of Peace, of happiness and of love. With It I shall be always happy. I shall have a singular strength and a holiness that sanctifies all things and conducts them to God. Here prostrate, I invoke the help of the Most Holy Trinity that They permit me to live in the cloister of the Divine Will and thus retum in me the first order of creation, just as the creature was created.

Heavenly Mother, Sovereign and Queen of the Divine Fiat, take my hand and introduce me into the Light of the Divine Will. You will be my guide, my most tender Mother, and will teach me to live in and to maintain myself in the order and the bounds o~ the Divine Will. Heavenly Mother, I consecrate my whole bemg to Your Immaculate Heart. You will teach me the doctrine of the Divine Will and I will listen' most attentively to .

Your lessons. You will coverme with Your mantle so that the infernal serpent dare not penetrate into this sacred Eden to'en- . tice me and make me fall into the maze of the human will.

Heart of my greatest Good, Jesus, You give me Your flames that they may bum me, consume me, and feed me to form in me the Life of the Divine Will.

Saint Joseph, you will be my-protector, the guardian of my h~art, and will keep the keys of my will in your hands. You will keep my heart jealously and shall never give it to me again, that . I may be sure of never leaving the Will of God. .'

My guardian Angel, guard me; defend me; help me in everything so that my Eden may flourish and be the instrumentthat draws all men into the Kingdom pf the Divine Will. Amen.

will

( In Honor of Luisa Piccarreta 1865-1947 Child of the Divine Will)

Tw'o couples from Fall River Dioc4?se

invested in ancient/Equestrian Orlier SPRINGFIELD -1\vo couples from the Fall River Diocese were repently invested as Knights and Ladies of The Equestrian Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

They are: Sir Richard and Lady Phyllis 1. Peckham of Hyannis and Sir John A., and Lady Rosemary S. Tierney. of New Bedford.

They were among 14 priests and 40 laypersons invested by Bishop Thomas L. Dupre, bishop of Springfield, at a solemn Mass in St. Michael's Cathedral. The investiture was preceded by a memorial Mass for deceased members and a Nov. 6 vigil service for new members.

The Order is an ancient one of knighthood dating back to its founding by Godfrey de Bouillon in 1099 for the first crusade. Its name derives from the Basilica of The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where members were knighted in the early years. In later times, national divisions were established in various countries and were fur-

ther subdivided into lieutenancies.

Members of the Fall River Diocese belong to the Northern Lieutenancy of the United States.

The mission of the Order is religious and charitable. Members work to maintain a Christian presen'ce in the Holy Land through

prayer and financial support of its churches, convents, seminaries, schools .and orphanages. They aid in fostering general int,;:rest in the Holy Land and support of the Christian community. They further exemplify Catholic values and commitments in their daily lives.

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CSS' Continuedfrom page one

ing agency. We receive 85 percent of our funding from it. So, the SmartMoney story is talking about agencies like CSS. It is the mission that is important, that Catholic Charities allows agencies like ours to provide for all those folks not covered by other agencies. We fill in the holes - for the homeless, those who are hungry - services typically that you can't find the money for anywhere else."

McNamee asserted that Catholic Charities/Catholic Social Ser, vices are the iargest providers of social services in America.

"I am certainly pleased that Catholic Charities has been shown to be an organization where people do get the 'most bang for your donated buck/" said McNamee. "We at CSS are not top heavy administratively, to say the least. More than 95 percent of our money goes directly into services. No one else provides that level of access."

Catholic Charities USA is the nation's largest private network of people helping people. Its 1,400 local agencies and institutions provide services ac~oss the country to more than 10 million people in need each year, regardless of religious, ethnic, racial, or social background.

. A CATHOLIC cathedral is silhouetted against MI~xico's Popocatepetl volcano as a 'column of ash and steam billows from its core Nov. 27. Mexican officials said populations near 'the volc~no in·t~e southern state of Puebla were not in any danger trom the recent activity but were put on alert. (eNS photo from Reuters)

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

Vatican welcomes news that Cuba will reinstate Christmas

13

HOLY LAND

"!~~2~~~~~,,

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thorities' gesture and "expresses its profound confidence that the CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE T~R QUMRAN road to Cuba's openness to the JERUSALEM JERICHO (All inclusive, double occupancy) world will produce new motives VATICAN CITY - The VatiBETHANY MT. OF BEATITUDES 12 Days can welcomed a Cuban announcefor joy, unity and hope for the NAZARETH CAPERNAUM ment reinstating Christmas as a Cuban people."

BETHLEHEM SEA OF GALILEE February 28 - March 11, 1999 holiday nearly 30 years after the In a Dec. 1 message signed by Under the spiritual direction of their press director, Orlando celebration was suspended.

Rev. Fred Babiczuk, Pastor - St. Patrick's Church, Fall River "In the Holy Mar que z Price includes round trip airfare, first class accommodations in See, this an- .....- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , Hidalgo,theCuTiberius & Jerusalem, buffet breakfast & dinner daily, visits to ALL nouncement was Cuba's Communist Party broke the news on the ban bishops said Christian sites, daily Mass, all taxes and gratuities. received with sat- front page of its daily paper, Granma, Dec. 1. It recom- "although ChrisONLY A FEW SPACES AVAILABLE! isfaction," Vatican tians in Cuba For further information and color brochure, please call Eliesa at s p 0 k e sma n mended that ''from this year on," Dec. 25 would be a' never ceased to CARMEL TOURS - 978-977-3062 celebrate this Joaquin Navarro- permanent holiday in Cuba.

Valls reported. event, re-estabThe spokesman said the Cuban remained a working day, though lishing the Christmas holiday is an declaration "responds to a precise celebrations of the arrival of the act rendering justice to our Christian-centered culture. desire of the people and of the new year resumed.

Cuban Church" and added that it The Granma announcement re"It recognizes the purest reli"will not pass unobserved by the instating the Christian holiday said gious sentiments of Cubans and responsib~lity. international community." . its abolition "was hot inspired by reaffirms our authentic traditions, Cuba's Communist Party any anti-religious spirit," and that above all our family ones," the broke the news on the front page mechanization had reduced the need message continued. "It also an- .

A Geriatric Care Manageroffers assistance to of its daily paper, Granma. Dec. for manpower during the harvest. swers a request of the Holy Fa1. It recommended that "from this Cuba's bishops sl;lid the Church ther, Pope John Paul II, of the older people and their families making healthcare and year on," Dec. 25 would be a per- in their country "appreCiates" and Cuban bishops and, "Yithout doubt related arrangements. Our Geriatric Care Manager can "highly values" the Cuban au- of other Christian churches, and manent holiday in Cuba. answer questions, arrange in-home help and act as a link all those who share our feelings."

Cuban President Fidel Castro to families who live out of the area. Crisis intervention cleared the way for. legal Christand assistance for people who work outside of the home mas celebrations last December, while caring for aging loved ones are also available.

40 days before Pope John Paul II's Jan. 21-25 pastoral visit. At the time, Castro announced that For m01'e information, please Our Ladys he would make an "exception" and cal1 508-999-4561 and speak to: . Haven allow observances of the holiday, Deborah Osuch, RNC, M.A. but he did not say for how long.

The pope had requested the Sponsored by Our Lac!Y's Haven step during Castro's November 1996 visit to the Vatican.

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Christmas celebrations were banned in Cuba in 1969 - officials explained that workers were needed in the fields to meet demand for the sugar cane harvest.

The following New Year's holiday also was canceled. In subsequent years, Christmas in Cuba

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14

THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec. 11, 1998

I~===================.

BISHOP CONNOLLY students Jason Silva, Julie Ribeiro and Dan Boardman prepare boxes of food donations for local agencies such as Catholic Social Services, St. Vincent's Home and the Office of AIDS Ministry, that distributeld them for thanksgiving. Connolly 'students and faculty provided food and turkeys to many families, making its annlJlal food drive a success. " GIVING THANKS - Children in the religious education program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, ~ew Bedford, celebrate T~anksgiving during Mass. The children presented canned goods they collected to the St. Vincent de Paul Society for distribution to needy families.

NEW OFFICERS - The sophomore class at Bishop Stang High School recently held elections for class officers. They are (from left): Ned Carney, president; Zach Baumgart, treasurer; Josh Bonneau, vice president; and Teresa Flynn, secretary.

RECOGNIZED - The Taunton Area Committee on Disability Awareness recently held its annual poster contest and Coyle and Cassidy students Tim Croteau and James Anderson finished first and third among area high school students.

The theme for this year was "Opening poors to Ability."

APPRECIATION - Cathy LaCroix, principal of St. Mary's School, New Bedford, was surprised by the student body with a bouquet of balloons and flowers on principal appreciation day. She also received a photo collage of all the students, faculty and staff.

SENIOR Catherine Servant of Bishop Feehan High SGhool is the 1998 Daughters of the American Revolution Award winner. The award is given annually to a senior who best exemplifies outstanding qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. Feehan Principal George A. Milot congratulates Servant.

THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri.,. Dec. 11, 1998

Our Rock and Role Christmas for a full year

By CHARLIE

MARTIN

Don't Save It All for Christmas Day Don't get so bUsy that you miss Giving just a little kiss To the ones you love.

Don't even wait a little while To give them just a little smile.

A little is enough.

How many people are crying?

People are dying.

How many people are asking for love?

Refrain: So don't save it all For Chi'istma3 "Day. Find a way To give a little love every day.

Don't save it all For Christmas Day. Find your way.

'Cause tiolidays have come and gone But love lives on.

Love...

How could you wait anothpr minute.?

A hug is warmer when you're.in it.

And baby th~1's a fact.

And saying ~'I I )v~ you" Is always beUp.r.

Seasons, reasons, They don't matter.

So don't hold back.

How many people in this world, How many people are praying for love?

(Repeat refl'ain,) Let all the children know Everywhere that they go Their whole life long Let them know love.

(Repeat refrain.)

Written by Peter Zizzo, Ric Wake, Celine Dian Sung by Celine Dian Copyright (c) 1998 by Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc. WHAT DO you want for Christmas?

The celebration of Christmas is about giving and receiving. What if the present you gave was also the best gift that you received?

The above song hints that this is possible. "Don't Save It All for Christmas" is off Celine Dion's new seasonal disc "These Are Special

Times:' Dion challenges us to give what in turn will be our best preseflt: the gift of our caring.

This theme frequently is found in Christmas music.

Dion reminds us that Christmas may be a special day, but its real meaning and power come in how it affects our living during the rest of the year.

In her words, "Find a way

to give a little love every day.... 'Cause holidays have come and gone, but love lives on.... Seasons, reasons, they don't matter, so don't hold back." , So, how can you show that remembering the birth of Jesus changes the way you freely give and receive love?

Obviously, I don't know your answer. However, I do realize this: How you respond will change you! As a teen, your¡ view of what is important, your 'choice of what you do with you'r time, your sense of 'God's presence, even just how you feel about being yourself - all of this and more will change because of your choice to give and receive love.

If you want this Christmas to be more than a nice day, make a plan. Dion suggests that you start with "the ones you love." Her advice is, "Don't even wait a little while to give them just a little smile." What difference would it make in your home or your school if you resolved to wear this positive attitude? What if you smiled more, complained less and paused to say "th",nk you"?

As for others, what if you practiced a weekly "kindness day"? One day a week you would try to be more observant. You would set aside your own concerns and notice ways to be helpful to others. .

These are ways to follow Dion's advice so that you "don't save it all for Christmas." Consider them or formulate your own creative plan. Your decision, no matter what its form, is likely to bring you mo(e than you give. This is just the nature of love.

So, do consider what you want for Christmas, but also make the commitment to keep the giving-receiving cycle going for all of the coming year.

Your comments are always welcome, Please address: Charlie Martin, 7125 W 200S, Rockport, Ind, 47635.

15

Discussing your faith with fundamentalist friends By

AMY WELBORN

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

interpretation.

You might respond that there are many ways to express truth there's fact (as in history or sci-

In my last column, I gave a few pointers for addressing questions you might be asked by friends who don't believe in God. Now I want 'to talk about discussing your Catholic faith with friends in fundamentalist Christian communities. But remember: The purpose of such a discussion is not to attack the other person or to be â&#x20AC;˘ ABOUT YOUTH mean. It is risky to think that you need to win any argument about ence), but there's also poetry, short religious beliefs.

First, a definition. A "funda- stodes, sayings, songs, not to speak mentalist" Christian is someone offigures ofspeech like metaphors.

God uses all these means of exwho, among other things, believes in a literal interpretation of the pression and more in the Bible, for Bible. To fundamentalists, to say the Bible is made up of lots of difthat the Bible is the word of God ferent kinds of books using difis to say that every word in it is ferent literary forms. Human betrue ina literal way. ings don't just speak in cold hard Fundamentalists' problems with facts - and actually, when you the Catholic Church are likely to think abo\lt it, when we talk about be both general and specific. Some the most important things of all, may point to elements of the things like love, a bare factual Catholic faith - the pope or ven-, statement can't capture what we're eration of Mary - and tell you' trying to say; we need more. t\1at these aren't in the Bible so Finally, ask your friend (always Catholics aren't really Christians. nicely, of course) about the origins But is it logical to say that the of his or her religious denominaBible is the only resource for our tion. Why was this denomination faith? No, and for one simple rea- started? Isn't the answer that someson: The Church came before the one or a group of people disagreed books of the New Testament. with the way the Bible was being Think about it. The Church interpreted in their church and then started at Pentecost, around the split off to form their own?

So even literalists dabble in "inyear 33. Scholars think the first book of the Christian Scriptures terpreting" God's word.

Also, you might wonder, didn't was Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians, probably written Jesus say that the bread and wine around 51, with the Gospel of at the Last Supper were his body and blood, and if so, why do funMark soon after.

So the point is that our Christian damentalists tend to reject the idea faith has its roots in both Scripture of the real presence? Why are these and the Church or tradition. There's words of the Bible not taken literno Bible without the Church to pro- ally by your friend? duce it and interpret it.

So there you have it - just a The whole matter of "interpre- few fundamentals about converstation" brings me to the next gen- ing with fundamentalists. But always keep in mind, you're not there eral point.

Some fundamentalist friends to attack. The purpose of your dismight try to tell you that the only cussion is to help yeur friend unvalid way for a Christian to un- derstand .he Catholic faith. Which derstand the Bible is a literal way, of course, is kind of tricky unless word-far-word, without human you understand it yourself, right?

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THE ANCHOR -

Diocese of Fall River -

Fri., Dec.

II, 1998

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BREWSTER - A Christmas Cantata will be held Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. in Our Lady of the Cape Church, route 6A. The choir, led by Joyce O'Neil ,and accompanied by organ.ist BecketSenchur, will perform Christmas hymns of many lands. All welcome. For more information call Kay Hooley at 398-9215.

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CENTERVILLE ~ ''The Call to Family, Community and Participation" will be the theme of the monthly meeting of Pax Christi - Cape Cod on Dec. 21 from 7:30.p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church. .All welcome.

46 Oak Grove Ave., Fall River orcall ...

508-675-7426·· 67 4~0709

FAIRHAVEN - Saint Mary's Parish will hold an Advent prayer service on Dec. 20 from ~9 p.m. Take time out of .your busy holiday season to relax, enjoy and remember the true meaning of Christmas. All'welcome.

THE lDEA:L CHRI·STMASGI'FT

FALL ·RIVER·- St. Vincent's Home will light its Memorial Tree on Dec. 12 following a special Mass at 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

For information on how you can honor the memory ofa loved one through this annual tradition call Karin Dejesus at 679-8511.

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The ANCHOR • 'P.O. Box 7 • :Fall River, ,MA 02722

FALL RIVER - A Charismatic Healing Mass will beheld on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in Holy Name Church.

Benediction and healing prayers will follow Mass and confessions will be available. All welcome. For more information call ,679,6732.

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NEW BEDFORD - The students of Holy Family - Holy Name School invite you to celebrate the birth of our Lord in song and tableau on Dec. 20 beginning at 3 p.m. in St. Lawrence Martyr ,Church, 1'10 Summer Street. Those attending are asked to bring a canned good for the needy.

For more information 'call Cecilia Felix at 993-3547.

to focus .on ,Catholic Social Services

-:--_ _ _

NEW BED,FORD - The social mission·of the Catholic Church will be the topic.of a conference April 1O,8:30a.m.3 p.m., at Day's Inn, Hathaway Road.

Co-sponsored by Catholic Social Services, of-the Fall River Diocese.and Saint Anne's Hospital, the conference will offer'workshops, on advocacy, elqerly issues, parish social ministry and concerns of.the Hispanic community.

Speakers will include Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Sullivan of New York and John Carr, U.S. Catholic Conference secretary for Social Development and World Peace.

1998 MflRI·A:" MEDA,'L CERE.MOrtY ON VHS 'VI:DEO .(fiSSEnE FOR YOUR ~HOMEVIEWI"G & FAMILY VIDEO SCRAPBOOK!, To order your copy,.please'fill out the form 'below.andieturn:it withyour'payment to:

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For information,contact Trinitarian Sister Catherine Francis at Catholic Social Services, P.O. Box M, South Station,FallRiver, MA 02724 or call (508) 674-4681.

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SEEKONK - An eVI~ning of prayer and reflection on the meaning of the millennium and God, the Father of Mercy, will be held on Dec. I? from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. All welcome.

SOMERSET - St. Patrick's Parish will .be presenting its annual Christmas pageant on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

All welcome.

SOUTH YARMOUTH .- Enjoy a.time of prayer and reflecticn on the millennium theme of :God, the Father .of Mercy, Dec. 15 prior to the 9 a.m.

Mass at St. Pius X Parish. Presented

by Lisa M. Gulino. All welcome.

'SOUTHYARMOUTH--ASeparated - Divorced Catholics Support Group will meet on Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Pius X Parish Ufe Cen·ter. This Christmas gathering win include a Yankee Swap. Thosl: attending are asked to bring a desse,rt or finger food. For more informa~on call Father Richard M. Roy at 255-0170.

SWANSEA - The Saints and Singers Chorus will present a program entitled "Celebrate the .Season" on Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. in Our Lady of Fatima Church. All welcoml:.

SWANSEA - The Somerset!

Swansea Ultreya of the Fall River Cursillo Movement will hold a special Christmas Family Litu.rgy on Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. at St. Michael's Church. Father Richard Gendreau will be celebrant. All welcome. For more information call Claire ,stevens at 678-3831.

TAUNTON - The St. Jacques Choir presents "An Afternoon of Christmas Music" on Dec. 20 at 2 ,p.m. in St. Jacques Church. PJl welcome. For more information call Frank Wilhelm, choir director, at 6789649 or the church rectory at 8247794.

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NEW BEDFORD - A Eucharis,tic Day of Adoration,' reparation and prayer for vocations to priestly and religious 'life will be 'held on Dec. 17 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.

The Most Blessed Sacrament :.will be exposed after the 7:30 a.m. Mass until 4 p.m. when a second Mass will conclude the day. All welcome.

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NEW ·BEDFORD - The next meeti~g of the Hyacinth "Daughters of Isabella is scheduled for Dec. 15 and will be preceded by a dinner at 6:30 p.rn. in the Holy Name Church hall. Gifts will:be accepted for Mar:ket Ministry.

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HYANNIS - A support group for parents, families and friends of gays and ·lesbians will next meet on Dec. 14. from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Catholic Social Services Building. The group meets on the second Monday of each month to offer support in a safe and confidential setting where members can share experiences and concerns.

New members welcome. For more information call 771-6771.

Hands Youth Ministry Production, "Good News," will be pre~:ented on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Old RochesterRegional Junior High School. All welcome.

FALL RIVER, MA FAX (508)673-1545