Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, July 8, 2022
Father Edward A. Murphy, chaplain of the St. Anne’s Preservation Society, carries the Monstrance with the Holy Eucharist during the recent St. Anne’s Shrine Eucharistic Procession in Fall River.
Bishop revels in the joy of a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ at the Vatican
bishop told The Anchor. “He was a model, an inspiration, and all of Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org his teachings and everything that I learned about him was affirmed FALL RIVER — May 15, 2022 when he was canonized.” was a day that will forever live in The bishop was the mind and heart of impressed by all the Fall River Bishop Edgar people he could see from M. da Cunha, S.D.V. On his vantage point in St. that day, the founder Peter’s Square during the of the order in which ceremony. “It was said the bishop is a member, there were 50,000 people Father Justin Russolilthere, but I think there lo, was made a saint by were much more. This Pope Francis, along with was a once in a lifetime nine other pious souls. experience to be with “All my life, Father Justin St. Justin Russolillo such a large crowd, that was a father figure to included many bishops, me and the others at the priests, deacons and lay people. Vocationary, where men study to become priests in that order,” the 8 Turn to page two By Dave Jolivet
Prayer vigils like this outside Four Women, Inc. in Attleboro, have occurred often in the diocese over the last half century as a result of the United States Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973 legalizing abortion in this country. On June 24, SCOTUS overturned that decision.
Diocesan Pro-Life advocates respond to reversal of Roe v. Wade By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., shares a meditation at a vigil service in Rome on the eve prior to the canonization of St. Justin Russolillo, the founder of the Society of Divine Vocations, the order to which he belongs.
FALL RIVER — The Supreme Court of the United States legalized abortion in this country in January of 1973. Since that time, women and men of every nationality, ethnicity and religion, including many in the Diocese of Fall River, have worked diligently to save the lives children and care for their mothers in need. On June 24, Pro-Life advocates saw the fruits of their labor achieved when SCOTUS reversed the nearly 50-year-old decision.
Predictably, reaction from Pro-Life advocates across the diocese has been one of relief, thanks and a strengthened belief in the power of prayer, all while knowing the battle is far from won. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., said shortly after the decision was announced, the “Supreme Court decision will save the lives of millions of children who otherwise would never see the light of day or experience the warmth of a loving family. “As Catholics, we stand with the teaching of the Catholic July 8, 82022 Turn †to page three
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Bishop revels in canonization of his order’s founder continued from page one
And there were many from our order who were there.” Bishop da Cunha was the first-ever Vocationist priest to be ordained a bishop. Since then another, Bishop José Ionilton Lisboa de Oliveira of Brazil, has joined that rank. “I met with him and many other Vocationist priests while there and it was very nice to sit and talk and share memories,” the bishop added. “I was asked to lead a prayer vigil for Father Justin on the eve of the canonization,” Bishop da Cunha told The Anchor. “They wanted the service done in four languages and they felt I could handle that. I led the service and shared reflections on St. Justin’s life.” Shortly after the bishop attended the canonization, he was asked to preach at a Thanksgiving Mass for St. Justin’s canonization, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J., the archdiocese in which Bishop da Cunha used to serve as a priest and auxiliary bishop. In his homily, the bishop told the congregation, “Justin Russolillo did not become a saint on May 15. He was a saint before he died. In his case, it took only 67 years for the Church to conclude that he is truly a saint. “The canonization is not for the saints but for us. It is an opportunity for us to have the assurance that we can count on his intercession, and that it is safe to imitate him. It is also important for us to know that imitating him will lead us to holiness also. “This occasion should rekindle in each of us that desire to draw even closer 2
to the source and origin of St. Justin’s holiness, that is, the Holy Trinity. God who chose him, loved him, called him, anointed him and sent him to spend his entire life in service to vocations. St. Justin was aware that it is the Ministers of God who help to form saints, through a life that then takes flight in search of Divine Union. St. Justin believed in this and that is why he became a cultivator of holiness, a missionary of Divine Union, and an apostle of vocations.” Bishop da Cunha told The Anchor that St. Justin’s canonization was a huge step for the Society of Divine Vocations. “It gives the order credibility, visibility and acknowledgment,” he said. “Everything that he did, that he taught, has become credible and has more meaning, not that it didn’t before, but it provides more visibility. “I think this will lead to more vocations in the order.” While in Rome, the bishop stayed at the Generalate House with members of the Vocationists. “Everyone was on cloud nine. I, myself, was so happy to have such a connection to St. Justin, and to the other Vocationists who were there. It is such a treasure I will always remember. It’s almost indescribable.” In his May 13 Anchor editorial about St. Justin, Father Roger J. Landry, interim executive editor, said, “Blessed Justin is the founder of the Society of Divine Vocations, the religious congregation to which Bishop Edgar da Cunha belongs, as well as of the Sisters of Divine Vocations, a secular
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institute called the Apostles of Universal Sanctification. He could therefore be called the spiritual father of the spiritual father of Catholics in the Diocese of Fall River.” Justin Russolillo was born in Pianura, Italy, a suburb of Naples, to Luigi and Giuseppina Russolillo. He was the third of 10 children. The young Justin had great interest in the Catholic faith early on, eagerly learning about the lives of the saints and what they had to offer. At the tender age of 10, shortly after his Confirmation, Justin wanted to enter the minor seminary, but his large family didn’t have the resources to afford the request. The family sought the assistance of a wealthy local who was know to be a generous man, but he refused to help, saying, “If you have no money to pay for seminary, let him become a shoemaker.” Astonished, yet undaunted, Justin’s mother said to him, “Do not be afraid, your mother will make sure you go to the seminary, even at the cost of pawning her own eyes.” In time a family member assisted and Justin went to seminary, but with a new attitude: one of zeal for young men who would face similar obstacles on their way to seminary. While in seminary, Justin asked his family if they would allow their home to take in young boys and girls who felt they may have a vocational calling. After his ordination to the priesthood, Father Justin opened his first Vocationary at the rectory where he was ministering,
Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on May 15 for the canonization of St. Justin Russolillo and nine others. (CNA photo) where 13 young men felt a calling but couldn’t afford seminary. A place of prayer and study, the Vocationary was used by Father Justin to teach and guide the young men. He later opened Vocationaries for those who had temporarily left religious life, or who needed some type of rehabilitation. It is said he saved more than 300 vocations. The Society of Divine Vocations received diocesan approval in 1927 and was recognized by the Vatican as a congregation in 1947. Father Justin died in 1955, and the Society is now in 16 countries. In a May Blog, Bishop da Cunha shared, “The first miracle, which led to Father Justin’s beatification, came from curing a woman from
New Jersey, Ida Meloro, of cancer. She was a member of my former parish, and I knew her personally. The second miracle needed for his canonization involved a seminarian, Jean Emile Rasolfo, who was in formation with the Vocationist Fathers. He fell terminally ill with a neurological disease for which doctors had no cure. While the young man lay in his hospital bed on life support, a relic of then Blessed Justin was placed on his pillow, while many people prayed both at his bedside and beyond. He made a miraculous recovery and was not only present at Sunday’s canonization Mass but was able to participate, chosen to carry one of the 10 bowls of incense, each representing one of the new saints.”
Diocese responds to SCOTUS reversal of Roe v. Wade continued from page one
Church that has always upheld the dignity of life and spoken out against abortion at all stages of pregnancy. The Church’s opposition comes not only from its teaching on the sanctity of life from the moment of conception, but also from a moral imperative that transcends any religious doctrine: Developing life is human life and as such deserves the protection of the law.” Irina DeLucca, the director of the diocesan office of Family and Life, part of the Secretariat for the New Evangelization, and who works with Project Rachel, told The Anchor, “The most awaited news has finally arrived. Roe v. Wade is definitively overturned. Praise God! “Our ongoing efforts to build a culture of life cannot stop. We still have a lot do! We must continue to reach out to women that are considering having an abortion, and it is our mission to walk with them as they experience feelings of fear, doubts, and despair during their unplanned pregnancy. “Our Catholic Church offers an integrated outreach to women and men hurting from past abortions, called Project Rachel,” with which DeLucca has worked. “Project Rachel is a ministry of the Catholic Church in United States to those who have been involved in abortion. Is a diocesan-based network of specially trained priests (for sacramental reconciliation), religious, counselors, and laypersons who provide a team response of care for those suffering in the aftermath of abortion (USCCB).” Through the years, Father Jay Mello, pastor of St. Michael and St. Joseph parishes in Fall River,
has attended many of the March For Life events in Washington, D.C. each year, bringing with him dozens of young people who shared the Pro-Life commitment. “The recent SCOTUS decision overturning Roe v. Wade was a moment that many of us have been praying for and working towards for many years,” he told The Anchor. “It is a great victory for the ProLife movement and those who have worked tirelessly to proclaim the dignity of each person, especially the most vulnerable, the unborn. “It is also, however, a moment in which we have the opportunity and responsibility to double down in building the culture of life and helping those who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy. It is not a moment for merely celebrating a legal victory, for this decision, as we have all seen, continues to divide our nation. It is a moment for us to re-commit ourselves humbly and passionately to building a more loving and caring society. It is a moment in which we must recognize that our work is not just about changing laws, but about changing hearts. Perhaps more than ever, we must now truly show the world that we are Pro-Life, pro-child, pro-woman, and pro-father.” Marian Desrosiers, the Director of Catholic Mission and Identity for the Diocese of Fall River, was director of the diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate for nearly 30 years. She spent countless hours and days bringing the message of a culture life to young people and adults across the diocese. “The overturning of Roe vs. Wade after 50 years of Federal protected
abortion was miraculous news,” she told The Anchor. “I was never really sure it would be overturned in my lifetime, so what a blessing and gift from God to witness this historic, correct and heroic Supreme Court decision. It occurred on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose heart expresses love for all mankind! The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the following day, was the first full day of no Federal legalized abortion in the United States. “Also, Friday June 24, was Nellie Grey’s birthday, the founder and leader of the National March for Life. Nellie passed away in August of 2012. She orchestrated and led the March for Life in D.C. for 42 years. No coincidences with God, what a birthday gift for Nellie! Our diocesan adults and youth joined the March for 26 years and will join again this year. They are witnesses for all of us in the public square, our heartfelt thanks.” Ron Larose, director of the Attleboro 40 Days for Life, has been involved with the Pro-Life fight for decades in the diocese. He has coordinated and taken part in many prayer
vigils in Angell Park in Attleboro, across from the only remaining active abortion facility in the diocese, Four Women, Inc. He told The Anchor, “The Dobbs decision is a great victory for our Constitution and removes the legal barriers to enact Pro-Life legislation at the state level. Grassroots organizations like 40 Days for Life are very well prepared to take advantage of this momentous event. Our foundational principles of prayer and fasting has resulted in a great victory for the Pro-Life movement. This ruling allows the voices of the majority of Americans to be heard.” Despite the reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, it doesn’t mean the end of abortion in this country. Each state will enact its own laws regarding the issue. “I recognize, sadly, that in Massachusetts where abortion is already codified into state law, the Dobbs decision will have little impact,” the bishop said in his statement. “We must continue our efforts to defend the right to life for unborn children through advocacy and prayer. “At the same time, we must also redouble our commitment to providing material and emotional
support to expectant mothers who face a difficult or unintended pregnancy and those who find it difficult to care for their children after they are born. The Diocese of Fall River has a Pro-Life Apostolate whose mission is to provide support, assistance, and accompaniment to expectant mothers. “As a society rooted in Christian and family values, we must also advocate for both federal and state laws that ensure that no mother or family lacks the basic resources needed to care for their children.” Father Mello told The Anchor, “As a society rooted in Christian and family values, we must also advocate for both federal and state laws that ensure that no mother or family lacks the basic resources needed to care for their children. “My hope and my prayer is that all men and women of good will, regardless of their faith tradition — or even if they have no faith — will work together to create a society where human life is respected in all stages and in every condition, especially the most defenseless and vulnerable among us.” Desrosiers, too, shared tempered optimism. “Our work is just beginning. 8 Turn to page seven
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Pope Francis pens letter on liturgy after Traditionis custodes
Vatican City (CNA) — Pope Francis published a letter on the liturgy June 29, nearly one year after he issued the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. In the 15-page apostolic letter, Desiderio Desideravi, the pope said he wanted “to invite the whole Church to rediscover, to safeguard, and to live the truth and power of the Christian celebration.” “I want the beauty of the Christian celebration and its necessary consequences for the life of the Church not to be spoiled by a superficial and foreshortened understanding of its value or, worse yet, by its being exploited in service of some ideological vision, no matter what the hue,” he said in the document, published on June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The title of the letter is taken from the Latin text of Luke 22:15: “Desiderio desideravi hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum, antequam patiar” — In English, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
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Pope Francis said, after writing a letter to bishops to accompany Traditionis custodes, he wished to address all Catholics with some reflections on liturgical formation, the theological importance of the Mass, and acceptance of the liturgical documents of the Second Vatican Council. “We owe to the Council — and to the liturgical movement that preceded it — the rediscovery of a theological understanding of the Liturgy and of its importance in the life of the Church,” Francis said. “Let us abandon our polemics to listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Let us safeguard our communion. Let us continue to be astonished at the beauty of the Liturgy,” he urged. He said the principles stated in Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vatican II’s constitution on the sacred liturgy, have been fundamental for the reform of the liturgy and continue to be fundamental for the promotion of its “full, conscious, active, and fruitful celebration.” “The non-acceptance of the liturgical reform, as
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also a superficial understanding of it, distracts us from the obligation of finding responses to the question that I come back to repeating: how can we grow in our capacity to live in full the liturgical action? How do we continue to let ourselves be amazed at what happens in the celebration under our very eyes?” he said. “We are in need of a serious and dynamic liturgical formation,” he underlined, noting that “it would be trivial to read the tensions, unfortunately present around the celebration, as a simple divergence between different tastes concerning a particular ritual form.” The problem, the pope said, is primarily ecclesiological: “I do not see how it is possible to say that one recognizes the validity of the Council — though it amazes me that a Catholic might presume not to do so — and at the same time not accept the liturgical reform born out of Sacrosanctum Concilium.” This is why he felt the need to issue Traditionis custodes, to affirm the liturgical books promul-
gated by popes Paul VI and John Paul II after the Second Vatican Council as “the unique expression of the lex orandi [the law of prayer] of the Roman Rite,” he said. In the letter, Pope Francis called for liturgical formation beyond the academic environment to be accessible to all Catholics, in order to revive a sense of wonder at the mystery of the sacrifice of the Mass. “The full extent of our formation is our conformation to Christ,” he explained. “I repeat: it does not have to do with an abstract mental process, but with becoming Him. This is the purpose for which the Spirit is given, whose action is always and only to confect the Body of Christ.” The pope also spoke about the importance of an ars celebrandi, the “art of celebrating” the Mass. “Let us be clear here: every aspect of the celebration must be carefully tended to (space, time, gestures, words, objects, vestments, song, music…) and every rubric must be observed,” he said. “Such attention would be enough to prevent robbing from the assembly what is owed to it; namely, the Paschal Mystery celebrated according to the ritual that the Church sets down.” “But,” he continued, “even if the quality and the proper action of the celebration were guaranteed, that would not be enough to make our participation full.” Liturgical formation must teach people how to read and understand symbols, he said, referencing the writing of Romano Guardini, a 20th-century German Catholic priest and intellectual. “The task is not easy because modern man has
become illiterate, no longer able to read symbols; it is almost as if their existence is not even suspected,” Pope Francis said. Pope Francis said he has noticed that a Catholic community’s manner of living the celebration of the Mass is conditioned by the way the pastor celebrates it, and when the manner of celebration is inadequate, the “common root” is “a heightened personalism of the celebrating style which at times expresses a poorly concealed mania to be the center of attention.” “Often this becomes more evident when our celebrations are transmitted over the air or online, something not always opportune and that needs further reflection,” he noted. “Be sure you understand me: these are not the most widespread behaviors, but still, not infrequently assemblies suffer from being thus abused.” “The action of the celebration” of the Mass, he said, “is the place in which, by means of memorial, the Paschal Mystery is made present so that the baptized, through their participation, can experience it in their own lives.” “Without this understanding, the celebration easily falls into a preoccupation with the exterior (more or less refined) or into a concern only for rubrics (more or less rigid),” he said. “Christian faith is either an encounter with Him alive, or it does not exist,” he said. “Liturgy guarantees for us the possibility of such an encounter. For us a vague memory of the Last Supper would do no good. We need to be present at that Supper, to be able to hear His voice, to eat His Body and to drink His Blood. We need Him.”
An important Papal contribution to the Eucharistic Revival
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en days after the Church in the United States began the three-year national Eucharistic Revival on June 19, Pope Francis gave a major contribution to it, in his apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, dedicated to the liturgical formation of the people of God. One of the most important parts of the Revival is to help make the celebration of the Mass the practical source, summit, root and center of the life of the Church and of individual believers. For that to occur, the Church’s theology of the liturgy must be assimilated, prayed and lived. That’s what Pope Francis tried to do in his June 29 letter, giving “some prompts or cues for reflections that can aid in the contemplation of the beauty and truth of Christian celebration,” and inviting us “to rediscover, to safeguard, and to live [its] truth and power.” Fifteen years ago, in his apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict called for a “mystagogical catechesis” and “education in Eucharistic faith” so that the faithful could “be helped to make their interior dispositions correspond to their gestures and words,” and the hopes of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council toward the faithful’s full, active, conscious, fruitful and devout participation in the Mass could be fulfilled. What Pope Benedict called for — and in a sense had previously tried to sketch in his pre-papal book, “The Spirit of the Liturgy” — Pope Francis has in fact provided in this eloquent, down-to-earth and beautiful letter. Pope Francis’ liturgical catechesis begins with Jesus’ “burning,” and “infinite” yearning to bring everyone into communion with Him through eating His Body and drinking His Blood. At the beginning of the Last Supper, Jesus told the Apostles, “I
have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Lk 22:15) and that desire, the pope says, precedes our attendance at Mass and every pious reception of Him. Pope Francis zealously calls on the Church to work “so that all can be seated at the Supper of the sacrifice of the Lamb and live from Him.” He urges us not to “allow ourselves even a moment of rest, knowing that still not everyone has received an invitation to this Supper or that others have forgotten it or have got lost along the way in the twists and turns of human living.” The Mass is the means, Pope Francis continues, for us concretely to encounter Jesus Christ, to receive His incarnate love, to enter into the power of His Paschal Mystery and together with Him give full, pleasing and perfect worship of God the Father. The problem today is that many people attend Mass without consciously encountering Christ, without an awareness of what is taking place. That’s why, he says, there are enormous stakes in the Church’s getting the liturgy right and forming others to appreciate it, enter into it, and live it. The Holy Father credits the Second Vatican Council and the liturgical movement that preceded it with reawakening a fuller “theological understanding of the Liturgy” and its role in the life of the Church. He underlines that “it is not an accident” that Vatican II “began with reflection on the liturgy” because, as St. Paul VI said during the Council, “the liturgy is the first source of divine communion in which God shares His own life with us, … the first school of the spiritual life, [and] … the first gift we must make to the Christian people.” Everything must begin with the worship God.
The central question, Pope Francis says, is how do we learn to pray and live the liturgy? What formation is needed so that we may conform ourselves to Christ and abide in communion with Him? He describes several “starting points,” so that the fruits of the Conciliar liturgical reforms will be accessible. First, we must understand and live the liturgy as properly centered on God and divine self-giving. This, the pope
says, is the antidote for the neo-Gnostic spiritual poison of egocentric emotivism as well as for the neo-Pelagian toxin of self-centered activism. Second, the liturgy must lead us, through the beauty of the celebration, to the “beauty of the truth.” This is far from ritual aestheticism, or even a “greater interiority” or “sense of mystery,” but rather leads us to amazement at God’s saving plan through Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, and ultimately to the astonished encounter with, and adoration of, Christ in the liturgy. Third, there is a need for a proper “art of celebrating” the Mass by both priest and people. Priests must recognize that they are called to be a “particular presence of the risen Lord,” allowing the faithful, through the priest’s gestures and words, to sense the burning desire of Jesus to give Himself with them. For that reason, the priest must receive continuous liturgical formation so that through the Mass he may truly evangelize, teach and set proper example. Such an art of celebrating obviously involves, Pope Francis stresses, fidelity to the rubrics of the Mass lest the faithful be “robbed” of what
they are owed. The Holy Father underlines, however, that the faithful must also recognize that it is the Church, and not the priest alone, who celebrates the liturgy in communion with Christ. Hence they must be helped to acquire the “discipline” of the Holy Spirit that not only forms their feelings, attitudes and liturgical behaviors but conforms them to Christ. For this to happen, fourth, the faithful must be helped to rediscover the meaning of “symbolic action” in an age in which many are “illiterate” with regard to understanding the meaning of the symbols and have therefore lost the ability to “relate religiously as fully human beings.” This recovered literacy must be both intellectual and experiential. Finally, Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of liturgical silence, which gives the Holy Spirit room to act so that He may help the faithful receive God’s word, grace and Eucharistic self-gift, rather than look at liturgical as primarily a human action. The one controversial part of the letter concerns Pope Francis’ words about the celebration of the Latin Mass according to the pre-conciliar liturgical books. The Holy Father candidly admits, “I do not see how it is possible to say that one recognizes the validity of the [Second Vatican] Council … and at the same time not accept the liturgical reform born out of Sacramentum Concilium,” Vatican II’s liturgical constitution. That’s why, he insists, “we cannot go back to that ritual form that the Council Fathers … felt the need to reform” — a reform, he said, whose fidelity to the Council Saints Paul VI and John Paul II “guaranteed” through approving the liturgical books. For that reason, the Holy Father says, he published
his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes last July. Most supporters and attendees of the pre-Conciliar form of the Latin Mass, however, would say that they, just like Pope-emeritus Benedict, absolutely accept the validity of the Council and its liturgical reforms but object to the post-Conciliar liturgical abuses, craziness and iconoclasm that took place supposedly in the name and spirit of the Council, what Pope Francis himself calls “imaginative — sometimes wild — creativity.” Such changes, which were neither approved by the Council or by Paul VI and John Paul II, are, they assert, a total betrayal of the Council’s vision and seem to be a far bigger threat to its liturgical reform than love for the pre-Conciliar liturgy. Most who attend the traditional Latin Mass say they do so out of desire for consistent liturgical reverence and fitting Eucharistic piety — not because they reject the Council and its authentic liturgical reforms, but only the false and foolish mutations pretending to have the Council’s mandate. The faithful attached to the traditional Latin Mass have, moreover, often shown themselves to be far more aware of Jesus’ passionate desire to celebrate the Passover with us, and far more deeply formed in the liturgical virtues Pope Francis mentions he would like to see in every Catholic, than those who have been schooled by the sadly uneven, average and occasionally “wild” celebration of the reformed liturgy. Most should therefore be considered and treated as allies, rather than misunderstood and suspected as opponents, of the pope’s timely and prayerful push toward true and fitting worship and toward the Church’s full Eucharistic revitalization. Father Landry is Interim Executive Editor. fatherlandry@catholicpreaching.com.
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Editorial Welcome to the post-Roe America
We now live in a post-Roe America. Thanks to the June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson decision by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, abortion-on-demand is no longer the law of the land. The date of the decision was not lost on Catholic observers. Most years, June 24 is the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, when the Church ponders the one who, even in St. Elizabeth’s womb, was already pointing out and leaping for joy at the presence of God-in-the-womb. On that day, Catholics listen to prophetic words about how the Lord knits us together and knows us by name in our mother’s womb. We also hear the question made at John’s birth, “What, then, will this child be?,” a wondrous query pointing back to John’s conception by God’s grace and for a divine mission. Every year on the anniversary of Dobbs, Catholics will therefore be able to deepen their understanding of God’s role in the conception of every child, His care for the child’s growth, His knowing each by name, and the future for which He has given each child life. This year, however, by a rare coincidence that happened for the first time since 1960 and will happen only twice more this century, June 24 was the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which, as a feast of the Lord Jesus, takes precedence over the celebration over the birth of His precursor. The Sacred Heart is a celebration of how the Son of God took on our humanity and had a human heart that began beating early in pregnancy in Mary’s immaculate womb, a heart full of mercy for the human race, and a heart that is wounded by ingratitude, indifference, irreverence, coldness, sacrilege, and scorn. In His earthly life, Jesus emphasized that He identified with the “least” of His brothers and sisters, saying that whatever we do to the littlest ones made in His image, we do to Him (Mt. 25:31-46), and that whoever receives a little child in His name receives Him (Mk 9:37). Abortion, therefore, is always at a deep spiritual level an Herodian attack on Holy Innocents in the place of Jesus Himself and with which He identifies personally. Therefore, there was special fittingness to the fact that, on the Solemnity of Jesus’ Sacred Heart, the legal warrant for the desecration of the least of Jesus’ brethren — more than 63 million baby boys and girls in the United States alone since Roe — would not only be overturned but exposed as a judicial disgrace on the magnitude of Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson. Justice Samuel Alito’s seismic opinion for the Supreme Court majority demolished a half-century’s worth of pseudo-scientific inventions, half-truths, embarrassing legal arguments and illogic that have been used to justify abortion, defend Roe and destroy human life since 1973. In its place, Alito not only returned abortion decisions to the states, to state legislators and to the citizens who elect them. Many scholars argue he also laid the legal foundations for a later determination that — based on the now obvious scientific fact of the humanity of the child in the womb and Constitutional principles that rights, like the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as described in the Declaration of Independence, cannot be taken away without due process — can be used to overturn all laws permitting abortion. In the interim, however, the battleground for the defense of human life has been returned to the democratic process, which will have mixed results. Abortion will be legally or practically impossible in many states while in others it will be permitted, OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 66, No. 14
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celebrated, and even publicly paid for during all nine months of pregnancy. Those who have been active in the fight over abortion on either side will remain active as they seek to persuade their fellow citizens and elected representatives of the wisdom of their respective cause. The vast majority of U.S. citizens, however, who perhaps have had opinions on abortion but who for the most part remained spectators while unlimited access abortion was the legal law of the land, will now have far greater responsibility. Polls show that this majority is conflicted on abortion, desiring abortion to remain legal in extreme circumstances while supporting abortion restrictions in many ordinary ones. While the legislative compromises flowing from that present state of voter conflict will take different forms in different states, there will be an opportunity for supporters and opponents of abortion to make the cases on the respective principles of their causes. While such public debate will involve lots of patient work, Pro-Lifers should be hopeful that conscientious citizens, once they admit the humanity of the human being growing in the womb, will recognize that those who are bigger, older and more politically connected should not have the ability to take the life of those who are smaller, younger, and totally vulnerable. In most states, there will hopefully be joint efforts to address the pressure points that lead women to choose abortion, like dramatically-expanded care for pregnant women, improved access to ultrasounds (which dramatically decrease abortion rates), long-term public support for families as a common good, help for women who would opt to give their children up for adoption as well as reform of the costs and procedures for those couples desiring to adopt. In blue states, where despite sizable percentages of Catholics there are radically permissive abortion policies already on the books, there will be a patient uphill climb. ProLife Catholic leaders, parishioners and citizens will now necessarily have to be clearer about how it’s not possible to be a good disciple of Jesus Christ and vote to support the legal destruction of those made in His image. There is a need for conversion and the Church must preach that message lovingly, patiently, prayerfully, humbly, courageously, clearly and perseveringly, since having, supporting or facilitating abortions is a moral decision on which we will be judged, on which millions of lives are at stake and on which the future of humanity depends. Even if the struggle is long, the Dobbs decision after 49 years of prayer, work, advocacy and care is a clearly a reason for hope. For her Pro-Life witness, the Church will suffer. Groups like Jane’s Revenge, Ruth Sent Us and others have vandalized churches and pregnancy help centers and threatened to unleash continued rage. It shouldn’t surprise us that those enveloped in the darkness of the culture of death will try to damage and destroy. But we can pray that such infernal opposition will be a cause of awakening and conversion for those who call themselves pro-choice Catholics. If kids don’t necessarily agree with the decision of their father or mother, but others who disagree with the parents try to burn their house down, normally that should lead to rallying around the family and re-examining the character and aims of the arsonists. The Church’s Pro-Life witness and leadership may be costly, but saving lives, lives whom God has knit and for whom Jesus died, is worth it. And in the end, life wins.
Daily Readings † July 9 — July 22
Sat. July 9, Is 6:1-8; Ps 93:1-2,5; Mt 10:24-33. Sun. July 10, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Dt 30:10-14; Ps 69:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37 or Ps 19:8-11; Col 1:15-20; Lk 10:25-37. Mon. July 11, Is 1:10-17; Ps 50:8-9,16b17, 21,23; Mt 10:34—11:1. Tue. July 12, Is 7:1-9; Ps 48:2-8; Mt 11:20-24. Wed. July 13, Is 10:5-7,13b-16; Ps 94:5-10,14-15; Mt 11:25-27. Thu. July 15, Is 26:7-9,12,16-19; Ps 102:13-14ab,15-21; Mt 11:28-30. Fri. July 15, Is 38:1-6,21-22,7-8; (Ps) Is 38:10-12,16; Mt 12:1-8. Sat. July 16, Mi 2:1-5; Ps 10:1-4,7-8,14; Mt 12:14-21. Sun. July 17, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Gn 18:1-10a; Ps 15:2-5; Col 1:24-28; Lk 10: 38-42. Mon. July 18, Mi 6:1-4,6-8; Ps 50:5-6,8-9,16b-17,21,23; Mt 12:38-42. Tue. July 19, Mi 7:14-15,18-20; Ps 85:2-8; Mt 12:46-50. Wed. July 20, Jer 1:1,4-10; Ps 71:1-4a,5-6b,15,17; Mt 13:1-9. Thu. July 21, Jer 2:1-3,7-8,12-13; Ps 36:67b,8-11; Mt 13:10-17. Fri. July 22, Sg 3:1-4a or 2 Cor 5:14-17; Ps 63:2-6,89; Jn 20:1-2,11-18.
Diocese reacts to SCOTUS reversal continued from page three
Here in Massachusetts we have some of the most liberal abortion laws in the country; immediately including the following executive: immediately after the Supreme Court ruling was announced, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order to protect access for all women — regardless of state of residence — to reproductive health care services in Massachusetts. “We need to double our prayers, assistance and our mission to women, men and the unborn here in Massachusetts.” DeLucca added, “As we transition to the new post Roe time, we are called to a new season regarding how to continue building a culture of life. I am referring to the wounds that Roe v. Wade had created throughout these years; one in every three women has had an abortion, and a similar number of men and family members have been involved. Now is the time for all of us to come together making sure that everyone that has been involved on abortion to have a profound encounter with the mercy of Christ. “Grief in the aftermath of abortion is normal. It is a grief of a mother who has lost a child in a traumatic and unnatural fashion. Every woman exhibits her own unique cluster of grief symptoms. Our Diocesan Family and Respect Office with Project Rachel offers an integrated approach to healing after an abortion. We have a confidential phone line available in English, Spanish and Portuguese for everyone that has been impacted by abortion: Project Rachel diocesan confidential phone line: 508-997-3300.”
Visit the Diocese of Fall River website at: fallriverdiocese.org July 8, 2022 †
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t was 4:30 a.m. as I stepped out onto the back porch and looked skyward. There it was, clearly visible to the naked eye and moving rapidly in my direction from the western sky, the International Space Station. Its sight took me back to that night in my freshman year in St. Joseph’s secondary school when we, in our pajamas, stuck our heads out the dormitory windows in order to catch a glimpse of the Russian Sputnik as it passed by overhead. Now, as the space station swiftly moved past my range of vision, Bailey and Titus, my longest serving mouseketeers, brought me back to earth as they showed up at my feet. I fed them their breakfast and returned to my
Down to earth
cozy bed. The five younger felines of my seven would have to wait on the front porch until that jarring alarm clock brought me back to earth again at 5 a.m. Life in Kalaupapa is pretty simple. There is very little star gazing, though the sky itself often offers spectacular views on a cloudless full moon night. Residents put in their full day of work, then retire for the evening. It is quiet by sundown except the occasional barking of a dog
and the frequent barking of the Axis deer who venture into close proximity of the homes and leave their calling cards on the front lawns. No longer do we have the bar, so we do not have to worry about after-hour fist fights — not that that was ever an issue here! Like all communities, we miss the community get-togethers we enjoyed prior to the advent of COVID. Our sole get-togethers have been our monthly community meetings, which have now moved indoor from the beloved banyan tree. This month’s meeting highlighted the need to be prepared for any natural disaster that might
Father Damian Marie Day, O.P., (baptized Joseph Michael Day), son of Liz and Fred Day of Rehoboth, a 2015 graduate and Valedictorian of Providence College, was ordained a Roman Catholic priest with the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers) on May 21, at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, O.P. Above, Father Day elevates the Sacred Host at the consecration of his First Mass of Thanksgiving, surrounded by brother priests at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Seekonk. On right, Father Day with his proud parents. 8
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happen, such as a tsunami, hurricane or devastating fire. Ken, our man from Michigan, on request from yours truly, outlined again the guidelines for visitors to Kalaupapa. These should be family or friends of the patients and the workers. We thank Jessica Sanchez for negotiating a deal with the current owners of Love’s Bakery for our weekly allotment of bread. While Jesus did say, “Not on bread alone does man live,” most everybody would like to be able to make a sandwich, be that peanut butter and jelly or tuna fish. We are a down to earth community and so bread for us is like manna from heaven. Aloha. Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
Diocese submits report on findings for Synod on Synodality ipated in at least one of these synod consultations offered mostly through parishes in a variety of FALL RIVER —The formats: in-person and Diocese of Fall River has virtual as well as through submitted to the U.S. surveys and questionConference of Catholic naires, both online and Bishops its report for printed. Synod outreach the Synod on Synodality, was multi-lingual. Beyond providing a summary of key themes and takeaways parishes, diocesan consultations also took place at from local consultative outreach earlier this year. and with other entities inThe diocesan submission cluding local universities, spiritual and community will become part of a groups, and interfaith/ comprehensive national ecumenical coalitions report prepared for the to facilitate widespread XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of participation in the synod process. Bishops at the Vatican in The input and re2023. sponses from the consulThe Report is tations were forwarded available in its entirety in individual reports and on the diocesan website, from these submissions fallriverdiocese.org. Last fall, Pope Francis the diocesan revitalization committee assembled opened the multi-year, last year by Bishop Edmulti-phased Synod of gar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishops with a theme of synthesized the one, final synodality itself, “For a synodal Church: commu- Diocese of Fall River Synod on Synodality Report, nion, participation and limited by instruction to mission.” Its intent is to no more than 10 pages. provide for the Church “I am grateful for the worldwide a process of opportunity the Holy praying, listening, diaFather presented to the logue, and discernment Church for all of us to which will culminate in participate in the synodal the 2023 Assembly. process,” said diocesan Its first phase was to feature broad consultation Vicar General Father David C. Frederici, who on the diocesan/parish served as the point perlevel through which all son for the synod in the members of the Church and even former members diocese. “A special thanks to were invited to gather to listen and to share on how so many in our diocese who were involved in the the Church “journeys process, from those who together” to carry out its served on the revitalizasacred mission of protion committee, to our claiming the Gospel and Parish Ambassadors who making disciples. From January through gave much of their time with the two diocesan April of this year, almost 5,000 persons in the Dio- gatherings as well as the planning and implemencese of Fall River particBy John E. Kearns Jr. Diocesan Director of Communications
tation of the synodal process that took place in the parishes. Of course, all of those who participated in person, via Zoom or through surveys. “As Bishop da Cunha stated in his recent pastoral letter, the Church 8 Turn to page 14
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Fifteen candidates currently preparing for the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Fall River were installed as Acolytes by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., on June 21: Front, left to right: Scott Taveira, Joseph Martino, Richard Fish, David Laird, David Roderick, Thomas Martin, and Shawn Seybert. Back, left to right: Philip Koch, Tyrone Gonsalves, Father Bob Oliveira, co-director, Office of the Permanent Diaconate; John O’Brien, Americo Miranda, the bishop, David Gaspar, Leonard Guyette, Deacon Frank Lucca, co-director, Office of the Permanent Diaconate; Jeremias Carranza, and James Adams.
Fifteen men installed as Acolytes by Bishop da Cunha FALL RIVER — Fifteen candidates currently preparing for the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Fall River were installed as Acolytes by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., on June 21, in Holy Trinity Church in Fall River. The Ministry of Acolyte is the second of two ministries that candidates receive and exercise as part of their preparation for ordination as a permanent deacon. Assisting Bishop da Cunha
was Father Robert A. Oliveira and Deacon Frank R. Lucca, who are co-directors of the Permanent Diaconate program in the diocese. The candidates are the tenth class for the Permanent Diaconate in the history of the Diocese of Fall River and have been in the formation program for four years. They will continue with one more year of academic, pastoral, human and spiritual formation before their ordination as deacons.
Those installed as Acolytes were: James “Gus” Adams, St. Anthony Parish, East Falmouth; Jeremias Carranza, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James, New Bedford; Richard Fish Jr., Christ the King Parish, Mashpee; David Gaspar, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Swansea; Tyrone Gonsalves, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Leonard Guyette, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; and Philip Koch, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Orleans.
David Laird, Christ the King Parish, Mashpee; Thomas Martin, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Joseph Martino, St. John Neumann Parish, East Freetown; Americo Miranda, Our Lady of Grace Parish, Westport; John O’ Brien, St. Mary’s Parish, Mansfield; David Roderick, Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich; Shawn Seybert, St. Theresa Child of Jesus Parish, Attleboro; and Scott Taveira, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, New Bedford.
To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or waynepowers@ anchornews.org 10
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hree of my children are now parents, and they are to varying degrees intrigued with the Montessori philosophy of child rearing. While I didn’t have the patience (or bandwidth!) to research and implement it when we began our family, I commend them for looking into a method so highly esteemed. As a doting granny I can now appreciate what it provides to little ones beginning their lives of discovery, and as a Catholic I see tremendous wisdom at the heart of the construct. A key to the methodology is “freedom of choice,” which contrary to appearances doesn’t give the child total independence in exercising his will. Rather, it orchestrates his freedom of movement within a carefully circumscribed environment, so that his options are worthy of consideration. It begins with simple things: Would you like to wear the blue shirt or the red shirt, eat cereal or yogurt, or read or play in the sandbox? Thus, when the child enters the classroom he is somewhat familiar with his own agency, and can move at his own pace from math manipulatives in one corner of the room to mapping exercises in another. Eventually, as child-initiated projects mesh with instructor-initiated outlines, the scope of his education reflects a healthy philosophy perme-
The classroom writ large ated with a sense of order, and a rich camaraderie has been brewing among students of all ages. This education construct came to mind as so many of us (with moist eyes!) absorbed the news that the horror of Roe was finally behind us. While it’s certainly not the end of abortion in our lifetime, nor is it yet, in the words of ex-Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnson, “unthinkable,” the Dobbs opinion will make abortion considerably less available as an option to an unwanted pregnancy, especially in the states that have legislation in place to protect the unborn. To revisit Maria Montessori’s construct, the larger environment in which we all live has been recalibrated. We have before us an opportunity to propose freedom of choice in its proper sense: the ability to consider ethical choices and to choose that which best serves the common good — the mother, the father, the child, and the community. In a joint statement, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore commended the decades of hard work by Pro-Life advocates that included prayer, sacrifice, and advocacy on behalf of the truth about the rights
of the unborn. They noted that they have “worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and
to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families.” From the simplicity of the classroom to the complexity of the public square, the same principle remains in place. Choices are still available, but only those which will truly allow nascent life to flourish. As the “Catechism” teaches, “There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse
of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin’” (CCC, 1733, referencing Romans 6:17). Admittedly there is widespread confusion about the nature of freedom, and when a nation founded on such a premise goes astray, the weakest will bear the brunt until we achieve the essential course correction — or perish! Sacred Scripture is clear on this point. While the Dobbs decision protects some of the innocent, we now must do what we can to guard the rest. Forbearance
in the face of demonic fury is key, as we show that we want all people to come to know the God whose image they bear. Freeing those who are immersed in lies has long been our task, and it must continue. Ultimately, to reduce us all to wayward children struggling against the parameters of a healthy philosophy isn’t out of order, for what Maria Montessori prescribed for the classroom is a perfect microcosm of God’s loving order. Anchor columnist Genevieve Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman.” She blogs at feminine-genius. typepad.com.
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T he C hurch and Y outh & Y oung A dults Caution: Construction zone
s a school teacher, I always look forward to summer vacation but probably never as much as this summer. This school year felt like three years in one to so many of us. With masks and social distancing at the beginning of the year, then masks but no social distancing, then neither for the end of the year, it has been exhausting. Usually I jump into summer break thinking, “What can I do this summer?” But this year, I am trying to take Jesus’ words, “Come to Me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” to heart. So I am currently sitting in a lovely, little cafe sipping a chai
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and eating a sandwich, typing on my iPad. One of the reasons I am sitting here is because my house is under construction. We are building a bathroom in our basement and converting our three-seasons room into a deck. Construction is good for my house. When we took down the walls of the three-seasons room, we found that the wood underneath had rotted. Building the bathroom in the basement got us moving on clearing out the old broken tiles and clearing out some clutter we did not need. The needed construction in my house has led me to think about how helpful it can be to have construction in our lives. Just like my house, some things need to be ripped away while other parts
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need a brand new start. Science-fiction writer Dannye Williamsen wrote, “Your life is always under construction. It is your job to learn how to untangle
the threads and weave a tapestry that matches your desires.” I know that when I pull down certain walls in my life, the wood underneath is certainly rotted. There are things that I hold on to, hidden in the darkest corners of my heart and mind, that need to be tossed out and built fresh. There are hurts from my past that I continue to let affect me and, if you rip back the walls of my smile, you will see some rotten wood. And what does rotten wood do? It continues to rot until it can no longer support anything, and everything collapses. If that rotted wood is replaced by healthy wood,
while it might take some time, in the end the structure is stronger and able to withstand more storms. St. Paul reminds us, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rm 12:2). God is calling us to transform and reconstruct those things in our life that are rotted by the things of the world and renew them according to His will. The new bathroom in my basement is being built from scratch. It is currently an empty corner ready for something to make it useful. I know that not only are there areas in my life that need to be torn down and rebuilt, but there are also areas that just need to be built up. I am a self-proclaimed book nerd. I love to read books that let me escape into them. I do not read for educational purposes. As a part of planning for our freshman retreat in November, we ask the team
to do something to ready their hearts and minds. Either add some sort of prayer or practice or sacrifice something that will remind them to pray for the retreat. This year I decided to read three faith-based books. As a theology teacher, by the end of the year, I just need to shut down. I know, however, that I could use this time to build up my prayer life. As we start this Eucharistic Revival, I decided to start with “With Burning Hearts,” by Henri Nouwen, in hope that I continue to fall more in love with the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The famous author Anonymous once wrote, “My life is constantly under construction. There’s always something to improve.” We are all a work in progress, so we need to learn to be patient with ourselves and all those around us. We know from driving down the highway that construction can be time-consuming and frustrating but when it is completed, it is a smoother ride to our destination. If we are mindful that we are all a work in progress then we can hopefully be more patient with ourselves and others. Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. She can be reached at atarantelli@bishopstang.org.
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A great nation begins to come to its senses
his past weekend in Houston, I had the opportunity to speak at a religious liberty conference about transgender issues, homosexuality and contraception. The conference happened to open on the same day that the Dobbs decision overturning Roe vs. Wade was released by the Supreme Court. There was a noticeable “buzz” in the air because of the Court’s decision. Whenever a speaker would mention the ruling, spontaneous applause would erupt from the audience. Young and middle-aged conference attendees, most of whom had grown up with Roe vs. Wade, couldn’t recall a time in their lives when abortion-on-demand had not been legal in all states. There was a strong sentiment that because of the decision, we had reached a turning point as a society, with an onerous weight finally being lifted from the conscience of the nation.
Abortion-on-demand was the law of our land for nearly a half-century, ending the lives of more than 63 million vulnerable unborn humans. Because of judicial brute force for five decades, the moral sense and reasoning ability of many citizens was weakened, with many Americans growing accustomed to the ongoing practice. A number of other nations also legalized abortion, following our troublesome lead. This historic reversal by the Supreme Court has myriad implications. People are stirring again and beginning to ponder their longstanding complacency. Many are starting to ask how a country professing “liberty and justice for all” could enshrine killing on such a colossal scale. Other nations are re-examining their policies. The jolt from the court’s decision is also
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, July 10 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father David A. Pignato, V.P., Pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth
Sunday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Paul E. Canuel, a retired priest of the Fall River Diocese
prompting questions about the enormous sums of American taxpayer money that have been funneled into the coffers of the abortion industry. We stand at a pivotal moment, a moment of reawakening, dialogue,
conversion and renewal. This historic Dobbs decision has also sent shock waves through the abortion industry as it suddenly realizes that its profitable enterprise of death is facing an existential threat in many states. Its forces are certain to intensify the relentless misinformation campaigns that have misled people for decades, relying on support from corporate America, Hollywood, and the media. Those same forces have already shown that they will not hesitate to gin up noisy, and sometimes violent, protests around the country. With the Court’s decision, a first and important first step has taken place. What Dobbs did, as noted on the first page of the deci-
sion, was to leave abortion policy “to the people and their elected representatives.” Now that the Court has assumed a neutral position on the issue, and state or federal legislatures can enact measures to protect moms and their unborn children at any stage of pregnancy, the door has finally been opened to protect human life by revamping and strengthening state and local laws. As new legal initiatives made possible by Dobbs begin appearing on state legislative dockets, Americans will have an opportunity to mount a full-court press to bring abortion to an end in their home states. Bold legislators, courageous governors and informed voters will need to work together. Steven Mosher of the Population Research Institute offers some helpful recommendations: “In states that do not yet ban abortion, we must work with Pro-Life state legislators to protect all human lives. Where a complete ban is not possible, we must advocate for Heartbeat legislation, that will prevent
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Espirito Santo Church in Fall River
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 17 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from St. Anthony Church in Taunton
all abortions after six weeks, understanding that this is only a way station on the way to a complete ban. At the local level, talk to your city councilman or county supervisor about making the place where you live a sanctuary for the unborn. Outlawing abortion within city or county limits is possible even in hostile states like New York or California if you happen to live in the more socially conservative parts of these states. Even closer to home, support your local crisis pregnancy centers, whose services will now be more in demand than ever before from young women who have nowhere else to turn. Volunteer if you can, donate if you can’t.” The years of dedicated work that have gone into educating people about the harsh realities surrounding abortion, setting up crisis pregnancy centers, drafting Pro-Life legislation and electing Pro-Life candidates, has created critical momentum for definitively enacting Pro-Life laws and securing the human rights of unborn children around the country, state-by-state, instead of having such initiatives almost continually enjoined by courts. We should all have a renewed sense of hope and determination as a great nation once again comes to its senses in the face of abortion’s longstanding injustice and violence. Anchor columnist Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www. ncbcenter.org and www. fathertad.com.
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Diocese submits report on Synod on Synodality continued from page nine
is about journeying together, walking with one another as we seek to grow in faith and love of the Lord and to live as His disciples in our communities and homes. The report shares where the people of our diocese are in this journey. It shares the joys and disappointments, and the successes and struggles being experienced by people in
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our diocese. All of this helps us to better understand how we can better support one another as a Church and continue to walk with one another more effectively as we seek to live our lives as Christian disciples.” Two sections provide the essence of the Report. The first of these, “Journeying Together Today,” centers positively on the
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ways in which parishes and communities in the diocese are already proclaiming the Gospel together: the Mass, existing ministries, small groups, and communal gatherings, and service and outreach efforts. The other key area is “Challenges, Observations & Needs,” which summarizes points and areas that emerged consistently from the consultation sessions calling for greater attention to strengthen collective efforts to share the Gospel and build community. Among these are focusing on engagement with young people; deepening understanding of the need to be completely rooted in Christ; improving communication and in-person connection, especially after COVID; becoming more welcoming with a focus on specific populations in the Church; expanding opportunities for catechesis and formation for all ages and communities; ensuring transparency at all levels; and more administrative support for priests to enable them to focus on spiritual and pastoral responsibilities. Father Frederici points out it is important to keep in mind that “the synodal process is not a one-anddone event. Rather, Pope Francis is calling us to incorporate synodality into the everyday life of the Church. The current process is helping us to learn how to do that and I look forward to the results from the coming Synod of Bishops.”
Please visit The Anchor website at www.anchornews.org
In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: July 10 Rev. Pie Marie Berard, O.P., Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1938 Rev. Maurice E. Parent, Assistant, St. Michael, Swansea, 1972 Rev. John E. Morris, M.M., Retired Maryknoll Missioner, Former Assistant, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1987 Rev. Theodore M. Morin, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1987 Rev. Edward Keeney, SS.CC., 2004 July 12 Most Rev. Joseph P. Delaney, Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas, 2005 July 13 Rev. Arthur P. Deneault, M.S., La Salette Father, 1979 July 14 Rev. Nicholas Fett, SS.CC., Pastor, St. Boniface, New Bedford, 1938 Rev. Edmund J. Neenan, Assistant, Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs, 1949 Rev. Vincent F. Diaferio, Pastor, Holy Rosary, Fall River, 1998 July 15 Rev. Fernando A. Veiga, C.M., 1993 July 16 Rev. Bernard Percot, O.P., Founder, St. Dominic, Swansea, 1937 Rev. Matthew F. Sullivan, SS.CC. Retired Chaplain, Bristol County House of Correction, Former Pastor, St. Mary, Fairhaven, 2002 July 17 Rev. William J. Smith, Pastor, St. Jacques, Taunton, 1960 Rev. Edmond Rego, Assistant, Espirito Santo, Fall River, 1981 Rev. Ernest N. Bessette, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1997 Rev. Thomas Paris, M.S., 2005 July 18 Rev. Adalbert Szklanny, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River, 1968 Rev. Lionel G. Doraisi, SSS., 1984 Rev. Msgr. Joseph M. Quinn, C.S.C., 2007 July 19 Most Rev. Daniel F. Feehan, D.D., Second Bishop of Fall River, 1934 Rev. Francis M. Coady, Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River, 1975 Msgr. Joseph R. Pannoni, Retired Pastor, Holy Rosary, Fall River, 1992 July 20 Rev. Joao Medeiros, Retired Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 1983 July 22 Rev. Francis L. Mahoney, Retired Pastor, Holy Name Fall River, 2007
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never know what the final layout of each Anchor edition will be until a day or two before press day. So, when the smoke cleared on this edition, I was amused by the fact that there is a picture of Bishop da Cunha recently blessing the fleet in Provincetown. All good New Englanders, especially those living on or relatively near the coast, have had their share of boat rides in their lifetime. While never having been a boat-owner or an avid sailor, I, too, am not a total landlubber. My dad, Larry, and my brother, Paul, were and still are boat owners, and love fishing. As a young pup, I did share an enthusiasm for angling, but as I grew older, that part of my DNA morphed. Truth be told, I’m a sucker for animals of every type: four-legged, winged, in the sea, or amphibious. The first time I ever had to take a fish I had caught off the hook was the last time I took a fish I had caught off the hook. I know it isn’t cruel when folks fish to eat what they catch, but I still feel too sorry for the scaly things. I remember making a drawing at St. Anne’s School in Fall River, when the nun asked us to illustrate an event that happened to us that summer. I drew a picture of Larry, Paul and me in a boat, with me catching a turtle of all things! I caught a turtle on a hook! And, in my artwork, the three of us were smiling. Looking back, I’m devastated that I hooked a turtle. Anyway, I digress. Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve had a digression in a column. I haven’t lost my touch, if I do say so myself. There, another one. See?
Missing the boats
Anyway, I did grow to dislike hooking anything that had eyes that came out of a pond, lake, river or ocean. I did enjoy my time with Larry and Paul, but, on a good day when the Red Sox were playing a day game (they used to do that often back in the 60s — another digression), I would bring my small Philco transistor radio, with an ear phone (single ear back then), as not to spook the fish. I would sit back on Stafford Pond in Tiverton, R.I. and listen to my beloved Sox. It was the best of both worlds: Larry and Paul doing what they loved, and me also. We used to go to Larry’s (not my dad) Boat Rentals on Stafford Road (before my dad and brother got their own boats and outboard motors), bring a lunch and spend a morn-
ing and afternoon floating around the pond. As I mentioned, Larry and Paul never lost that love of fishing, but eventually I started playing baseball
instead of just listening to it, so my trips with them became fewer. But I still have those good memories. I never lost, however, the enjoyment of being on a boat. I would love going on boat rides with uncles who had a flare for speed, and I loved the spray of salt water and the wind distorting my facial features on the excursion. In later years, after I met the love of my life, Denise,
we would occasionally take the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard. And years after that, Denise’s brother married a girl from Nantucket, and we would venture there on the ferry as well. While I liked taking the fast ferry to get more time on the island, I preferred the ride on the regular boat, only because it gave more time on Nantucket Sound. Once while there, I went fishing (well, I held a pole) with my brother-in-law and some of his chums (pun intended). The boat was slightly overloaded and the water was becoming disturbingly close to the gunwale trim, but we made it back to shore without swamping. One of the few times the boating experience wasn’t warm and fuzzy. Denise and I have made boat trips through
Mount Hope Bay (absolutely breathtaking), and while in Vancouver, B.C., Denise, her sister and I took a three-hour cruise (hold the Gilligan references) through the pristine waters of Burrard Inlet. Later in that trip, Denise and I took a speed-boat trip on a fjord, Howe Sound, surrounded by snow-capped mountains in July, incredible-colored waters, bald eagles and seals galore. I am not a cruise ship guy, so I’ll pass on those. I chuckle to think that if I were a lad today out fishing with my dad, I’d probably bring a laptop and watch the Sox as we floated along Stafford Pond. Larry often looked at me as a youngster, shake his head, and jokingly say (I think), “Where did I go wrong?” I thank God it was only a little Philco. davejolivet@anchornews. org
Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., blesses one of the many vessels that turned out for the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Provincetown on June 25. (Photo by Deacon Alan Thadeu) July 8, 2022 †
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United States bishops release statement on SCOTUS decision WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to the Supreme Court of the United States issuing its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities issued the following statement: “This is an historic day in
O
abortion; we pray for their healing, and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love. “Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life. Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and
ur hearts are also with every woman and man who has suffered grievously from abortion; we pray for their healing, and we pledge our continued compassion and support. As a Church, we need to serve those who face difficult pregnancies and surround them with love. the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions and prayers. For nearly 50 years, America has enforced an unjust law that has permitted some to decide whether others can live or die; this policy has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of pre-born children, generations that were denied the right to even be born. “America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life. We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision. We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us. “Our first thoughts are with the little ones whose lives have been taken since 1973. We mourn their loss, and we entrust their souls to God, who loved them from before all ages and who will love them for all eternity. Our hearts are also with every woman and man who has suffered grievously from 16
† July 8, 2022
persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families. We share their joy today and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that is good in our democracy, and the Pro-Life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history. “Now is the time to begin the work of building a post-Roe America. It is a time for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love. “As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue our service to God’s great plan of love for the human person, and to work with our fellow citizens to fulfill America’s promise to guarantee the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”
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