Eleven diocesan seminarians gear up for another year of classes By Dave Jolivet Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, August 20, 2021
Young diocesan faithful enjoy Martha’s Vineyard with their peers for Youth Day on August 14. Other photos on page two. (Photo by Deacon Alan Thadeu)
Bishop da Cunha, S.D.V., presented the Al Makkay Sr. Award to Margaret Keras, of St. John Paul II School in Hyannis, at the recent FACE Summer Gala. Story on page eight.
Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
SOUTH DARTMOUTH — While most of us are trying to find ways to keep cool during the dog days of August, 11 men, each in various stages of their priestly study and formation, are preparing to head back to class and working at parish assignments across the Diocese of Fall River. Each Deacon Matt of the Laird 11 are studying and gaining parish experience to eventually become priests for the diocese. Four of the men, all entering fourth Theology at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton shortly, will attend school in the fall during the week and work at parishes on weekends. Deacon Matt Laird, 28, is a Sandwich resident,
who along with his mom, Kathleen, dad, David and two younger sisters are parishioners of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. Kathleen also works at the parish. Deacon Laird spent this past summer interning at St. John the Baptist and Our Lady of Grace Deacon Bill parishes O’Donnell in Westport. He attended St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School in Hyannis and went on to St. John Paul II High School, also in Hyannis. Besides his family, both schools made a big impact on his faith life, as did a trip to the then-diocesan mission in Guaimaca, Honduras. Deacon Laird went to Holy Cross College in Worcester, earning a degree in biology. Deacon Bill O’Donnell, 41, hails from Har-
wich, where he, his mom, Patty, dad, William, and a younger brother and sister, were parishioners at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich. Sadly, his dad passed away in 2015. While attending Harwich High School, he attended an ECHO retreat on the Cape that left a lasting impact on him. He is still involved with the program. He also attended Stonehill College, graduating with Deacon Gregory a BA in Quenneville marketing. During the upcoming academic year, he will assist at Holy Family Parish in East Taunton on weekends. Deacon Gregory Quenneville, 36, grew up in South Attleboro, a parishioner of St. Theresa’s Parish there. His family, mom, Elizabeth, dad, Donald and two sisters, have 8 Turn to page three
Area Holy Union Sisters gather for first time in two years Sisters meet to celebrate Mass and recognize jubilarians
By Kenneth J. Gustin Special to The Anchor
WARWICK, R.I. — The area Holy Union Sisters gathered again for their annual Assembly for the first time in two years in Warwick, R.I., during the last week of July. One of the highlights of the Assembly was the Jubilee Liturgy. Jubilarians
from both 2020 and 2021 were honored and celebrated by Sisters, associates, and clergy, including several Sisters via Zoom. The 2020 jubilarians included: Sisters Laurette DeChamplain (80th), Antoinette Ouellette (75th), Jean Carpinelli (70th), Lorraine Boisvert (70th), Roberta 8 Turn to page nine
From left: Fall River Associate Colette Fortin with Sister Kathleen Corrigan, SUSC, of the Catholic Community of Somerset and Swansea, celebrating 25 years of religious life, and Sister Barbara Kirkman, (61 years) SUSC of Prosper at Fall River enjoyed the recent Holy Union Sisters assembly and Liturgy. Sister Barbara ministered in health care in the Fall River Diocese for many20, years. August 2021 † 1
Above, Oscar A. Rivera Jr., the new Director of Youth Ministry for the diocese was the Master of Ceremonies for the annual diocesan Youth Day on Martha’s Vineyard on August 14. At left, top, young people attend a talk by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., and below, attendees enjoy the ferry ride over to the island. (Photos by John E. Kearns Jr., top left photo by Deacon Alan Thadeu)
The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) celebrates 30 years of scholarships for need-based families
FALL RIVER — Since the opening of the first Catholic school in the Diocese of Fall River, it has been a goal to make Catholic schools accessible to all families who wish to provide a Catholic education for their children. It was to this end that in 1991, the Diocese of Fall River established the St. Mary’s Education Fund using the proceeds from the sale of the St. Mary’s building in New Bedford. The fund was established as a separately incorporated entity in order to provide annual “needs based” scholarships enabling elementary school students to attend the Catholic schools within the diocese. In 2015, the St. Mary’s Education Fund changed its name to the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) and in 2019, the management of FACE changed to the Catholic Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, the fundraising organization for the Diocese 2
of Fall River. Thirty years later, the demand for financial assistance continues to grow as demographics have changed, the cost of living has increased, and a worldwide pandemic has completely changed the conversation on education. The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education continues to raise funds to ensure students are able to attend their local Catholic elementary school. In fact, for the 2021-22 school year, FACE is on target to provide $1,425,000 in scholarships to more than 900 students. “I meet with every family who is interested in our school and want all families to know about the tremendous help FACE offers our schools,” says David Flanagan, principal of Holy Name School in Fall River. “The pandemic continues to challenge the delivery of education and we want all families to know that there is a robust tuition
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assistance program for the Diocese of Fall River. We encourage you to contact your local Catholic school BEFORE you assume the affordability of the education. So many of my families were pleasantly surprised that they can afford Catholic education with the assistance of FACE.” “Our children have been supported by FACE for years, and we could not be happier to have them in a Catholic school,” indicated Lisa DaPonte, whose children attend St. James-St. John School in New Bedford. “We want the combination of the loving, faith-based environment with the rigorous academics that public educational options cannot provide. While it is a sacrifice to pay tuition, we see it as an investment in our children’s future that has no price tag.” According to Miriam Sherman, CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, “Since 1991, FACE has provided
over $17 million in needs based scholarships for students in our diocese. There are so many families who want to provide their children with a Catholic education but need some assistance with the cost of tuition. These families value the education — especially during the pandemic — and are committed to paying what they can afford and we are blessed that so many donors are committed to supporting FACE in order to fill the gap.” The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education wants to meet the challenges of serving more culturally and economically diverse populations, while addressing the sustained increase in the demand for financial assistance for families striving to send their children to diocesan schools. For more information about the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education, please go to www. face-dfr.org.
Eleven diocesan seminarians gear up for fall classes continued from page one
been very supportive of his decision to enter seminary. Deacon Quenneville attended Attleboro High School and went on to Massasoit Community College in Brockton, earning a degree in psychology. He received his master’s in social work from UMass. Before his entering seminary, he was a social worker working at the Veterans Administration in Brockton. His summer days were spent at St. Mary’s Parish in South Dartmouth. Deacon Quenneville said that working as a counselor with people helped him realize the great joy of helping and supDeacon Larry porting all kinds Valliere of men, women and children, leading him to enter seminary. “My time in the seminary has been overwhelmingly positive,” he told The Anchor. “I have enjoyed the opportunity to study Catholic Theology in detail
to come to understand more deeply the teachings of the Church in order to be able to bring the faith to others. The years of seminary formation provide the opportunity to come to know Our Lord personally through prayer. It is this aspect that is most important in preparing to serve the Church as a priest Brian Conners and is what I have been most grateful for as a seminarian. “This summer I have been serving as a transitional deacon at St. Mary’s in South Dartmouth. I will continue this assignment throughout the coming academic year. My time has been spent preaching at Mass, preparing parents to have their children baptized, and baptizing children. I have also brought Holy Communion to the homebound. I have gained a greater appreciation for the importance of preparing parents to have their
† Diocese of Fall River † OFFICIAL Appointments
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointment: Reverend Matthew G. Gill, Chaplain of Our Lady of Lourdes School in Taunton, while remaining Administrator of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton and Minister to the Hispanic Community of Taunton. Effective: August 18, 2021
This summer was spent at St. Francis Xavier Parchildren baptized. This ish in Acushnet. He and provides a great opportuDeacon Laird are musicians nity to provide catechesis and part of the band, Vation this Sacrament as well can III. as discussing with parents Four of the diocesan what it truly means to raise seminarians are entering a child in the faith.” third Theology at ImmacuDeacon Laurent Vallate Conception Seminary liere, 39, is originally from in South Warwick, R.I., but later, Orange, with his mom, Maureen N.J. They and dad, Laurent, became are: Brian parishioners of St. StanisConnors, laus Parish in Fall River. John GaHe attended Toll Gate rabedian, High School in Warwick Chris and went on to earn a bach- Hughes John Garabedian elor’s degree in Religious and Thiastudies go Menezes Santos. from Brian Connors comes Fairfield from a family of his mom, UniverJanice, dad, Michael, and sity in two brothers. In his 20s he Fairfield, entered the Catholic faith, Conn. receiving the Sacraments of Deacon Initiation. He is a parishioValliere ner of Holy Family Parish Christopher took a in East Taunton. He has Hughes teaching attended a number of faithposition at Bishop Stang filled retreats and routinely High School in North Dart- helped out at his parish. mouth, and it was there he During his formation, had the growing sense that Connors has served at Our he was being called to enter Lady of Grace Parish in seminary. Westport, and this summer “I frequently reminded at the Cathedral of St. Mary my students that your octhe Assumption in Fall cupation is not your vocaRiver. tion,” he told The Anchor. Christopher Hughes is “Too many times people from Sandwich where he is try to fit their vocation a parishioner of Christ the around their occupation, King Parish in Mashpee, as instead of first saying ‘yes’ are his mom, Joanna, dad, to God, and then finding an Daniel, and his brother and occupation that is complesister. mentary to their vocation. With God’s grace, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, I finally decided to practice what I taught. It has been a longer journey for me, but now that I am an ordained deacon, I have the peace that I had been seeking for all of those years.”
He attended St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis, and was involved in many activities there. In his home parish, Hughes has been an altar server, lector, special minister of Holy Communion, sacristan, taught in the Faith Formation program, was on the parish council and was involved in youth ministry. He has also been involved with diocesan retreat programs on the Cape. The last few summers he has assisted at St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown, Christ the King Parish in Mashpee, and most recently, this summer at St. Thiago Menezes Francis Santos Xavier Parish in Acushnet. John Garabedian was raised in Mansfield, and is a parishioner of St. Mary’s Parish there with his mother, Claire, father John, and two sisters. 8 Turn to page 11
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‘Anima Christi’ Christi’ Legacy Society initiated in diocese FALL RIVER — “I never felt home until I joined Christ the King Parish,” shared parishioner and legacy gift donor Stella Citrano. “When it came time to prepare a will, I knew it was important to help the diocese foster Spiritual growth among all its flock. What better way to honor my relationship with my parish by choice than to help them continue their fellowship with a gift.” Mr. and Mrs. Boutin,
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parishioners at St. Ann’s in Raynham, express a similar sentiment about their intention to make a planned gift: “As we have been able to, we’ve increased our weekly gifts over time for our parish as well as our annual pledges to the diocese through the Catholic Appeal. We have also arranged through our will to bequeath a donation to St. Ann’s Church in Raynham to be used to continue the good works within our community
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that drew us to appreciate this parish. We are not wealthy individuals. We give what we can when we can. It’s simply that we feel our faith has been important to us over the years and would like to see it continue for generations to come.” The “Anima Christi” Legacy Society exists to help parishioners across the Diocese of Fall River make a planned gift to the ministry of their choosing and recognize
this extraordinary act. “It has been humbling to hear from donors such as Stella and the Boutins about their stories and their reasons for leaving such a generous, beautiful, and thoughtful gift to the Diocese of Fall River, its ministries, and parishes,” shared Miriam Finn Sherman, CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts (CFSEMA). CFSEMA is coordinating the “Anima Christi” Legacy Society for the diocese, serving as a one-stop-shop for donors, the presbyterate, and any diocesan entity receiving a planned gift. Sherman continued, “Part of launching the ‘Anima Christi’ Legacy Society is also about educating the diocese’s donors and parishioners about the many avenues avail-
able to make a gift, as well as the benefits that may be available in doing so.” For example, an IRA can be taxed up to 70 percent if passed on to heirs, but there is no tax when it is used to make a charitable gift. A life insurance policy can be donated and the donor receives an income tax deduction equal to the cash surrender value of the policy. Giving appreciated stock can also be beneficial. Donors receive an immediate income tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer and do not need to pay capital gains tax on the transfer when the stock is sold. These many avenues, and more, are available for making a gift today as well as for the future. Bishop da Cunha will celebrate the first “Anima Christi” Legacy Society Induction Mass on October 30 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. The Mass will formally welcome new members into the Society, as well as induct members posthumously, and will be followed by a reception with Bishop da Cunha. For those inspired by the Soul of Christ to leave a legacy of faith, more information about becoming a member of the “Anima Christi” Legacy Society can be found by visiting https://www. catholicfoundationsema. org/anima-christi-legacysociety/, emailing info@ catholicfoundationsema. org, or calling Director of Major Gifts and Grants, Shawna Erickson, at 508658-2661.
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here are many virtues that Christian piety has predicated of St. Joseph that, especially during this Year of St. Joseph, Catholics are called to ponder more deeply and imitate more closely. Joseph is just, faithful, obedient, humble, prayerful, silent, charitable, hardworking, provident, protective, courageous, zealous, prudent, patient, loyal and simple. One of the most important of his virtues for our time in history, however, the one that the Church features during the litany of “Divine Praises” we proclaim during Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, is that Joseph is “most chaste,” a title given only to him and to Our Lady. It’s a translation of the Latin castissimus, a superlative that can be rendered “most,” “very” or “supremely” chaste. Against any temptation to minimize the virtue, St. Joseph inspires us to become maximally chaste. We’re living at a time in which probably no part of Catholic faith and life is as caricatured, contradicted, criticized, condemned, calumniated and contravened as Catholic teaching about chastity. Many outside the Church, and even some inside, look at the Church’s teaching as something as outdated as Victorian clothing, as the path to repression rather than love, as training ground for prudes not saints. The sexual revolutionaries who trumpet the right to sex with whomever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want, and however we want, the culture that has contributed to the epidemic of broken hearts, Marriages and families, sexually transmitted diseases, sex crimes and abuse, human trafficking, prostitution and pornography, sexual addictions, teen-age pregnancies and abortions, claims that chastity is against our biology, by shackling a natural urge; it’s against our rational nature, by restraining our freedom; it’s part of the
Imitating St. Joseph̕ s most timely virtue “Bad News” instead of Good. Contrary to what many mistakenly believe, the Church’s teaching on chastity is not a type of asbestos with which to suffocate the most passionate of human experiences. It’s a wisdom that seeks to help those flames not destroy what God wants the sexual urge to lead to: real love, so that we might genuinely love others as Christ has loved us. Rather than negative and prudish, the Church couldn’t have a more exalted appreciation for human love and the chastity that makes it possible. In the midst of this widespread misunderstanding and mockery of the Church’s teachings on human sexuality, not to mention the mounting misery that has come from its rejection, there is added urgency for the Church to help Catholics and non-Catholics alike to recapture, treasure and protect the truth and beauty of chaste human love. The Year of St. Joseph is a special time during which all the faithful can better learn, and to learn to live, the call of God with regard to chastity. The stakes are enormous. St. Paul, immediately after giving the ancient Christians in Thessalonika the summary of our Christian vocation, “This is the will of God, your Sanctification,” tells them immediately, as an explicitation of that summons, to “abstain from porneia” a Greek term that refers to all sexual sin and is generally translated as unchastity. Since holiness is the full flourishing of love in a human person, one cannot truly love unless one is chaste. Chastity is indispensable for us to become fully human, holy and eternally happy. The Gospel of Chastity, therefore, is an essential part of the Church’s mission for the Salvation and Sanctification of the human race. To act on this summons,
it’s essential to know what chastity is. Even among clergy, religious, consecrated and catechists, chastity is regularly confused with continence (abstinence from sexual activity) or celibacy (the state of being unmarried). When the “Catechism” emphasizes that “all Christ’s faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states of life,” and that “married people are called to live conjugal chastity,” many married couples are left scratching their heads, wondering how they can be both “chaste” and start a family. The reason for the confusion likely stems from the fact that when the
term “chastity” is often used, it’s employed in the context of the sexual education of teen-agers (who are called to continence in chastity) or in the description of the promises or vows professed by priests and religious (who are called to celibate continence in chastity). The confusion points to the urgency and importance for all in the Church to understand what chastity is and how all the baptized — married couples, singles, priests, consecrated, those with same-sex attractions and opposite-sex attractions — are called to it. The first step in the Church’s teaching on chastity is found in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.” The “Catechism” describes chastity as a vocation, a gift from God, and a grace but at the same time it talks about it as the “fruit of Spiritual effort” that includes the “apprenticeship in self-mastery” so that the person “governs his passions and finds peace” rather than letting himself be “dominated
by them.” It’s linked fundamentally to the virtue of temperance or self-control. This self-mastery is a “long and exacting work,” it goes on to say: “One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life.” But the end is a “successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and Spiritual being.” Chastity, therefore, is a “school of the gift of the person that leads to a Spiritual communion,” based on Christ’s chastity, which is at the basis of all friendship, not to mention other relationships. But that look at chastity as the temperate integration of the sexual urge never struck St. John Paul II as adequate. The sexual urge is meant, he wrote in various pre-papal essays, to lead us ecstatically out of ourselves to communion with others and God, to recognize that we are not self-sufficient. Moderating the sexual urge is not the main point; we need to orient it appropriately so that it actually brings about communion rather than destroys it. Chastity is not linked fundamentally to temperance, he wrote in his 1960 work, “Love and Responsibility,” but rather to love. In contrast to lust, which “reduces” another person to the values of the body or erogenous zones and which “uses” others for their own emotional or physical gratification, chastity is the moral habit that raises one’s attractions to and interactions with another to that person’s whole dignity, body and soul. In his papal catecheses on “Human Love in the Divine Plan,” popularly called the Theology of the Body, St. John Paul II taught that the virtue of chastity is likewise bound to the virtues of purity and piety. Purity impacts our vision: “Blessed are the pure of heart,” Jesus taught, “for they shall see God.” Purity allows us to
see God in others, to recognize a reflection of the image of God. Piety is the habit that helps us, once we’ve remembered or recognized that no other person is a “mere mortal” and to treat that person according to the image of the Divine Giver in them. Linked to piety, chastity helps us to see and treat the other as a Sacred subject instead of a sexual object. Chastity, therefore, is connected to all four virtues — self-control, love, purity and piety. It’s what helps us keep our romantic love (eros) capable of the love of friendship (philia) and true Christian self-sacrificial love (agape). Living chastely does not relegate people to a “loveless life” but makes true love possible, through the integration of eros consistent with philia and agape. St. Joseph shows us this type of chaste love to a maximal degree. Contrary to some Christian art that depicts him looking the age of Mary’s great grandfather, Joseph was certainly young enough to journey through the desert twice and to be a tekton (“construction worker,” far more than carpenter), one of the most physically demanding of ancient professions. Yet even though he was young and manly and lived with the most attractively virtuous woman of all time, he kept his love for her “most chaste,” seeing God within her during her pregnancy and beyond and reverencing her with pure love. He is the model of a Christian gentleman who regulates and channels his love for his wife according to that woman’s vocation and overall good, rather than his own desires and needs. That is why Christians in every age bless him before the Eucharistic Son of God he raised, recognizing that the most fitting form of praise is imitation. Anchor columnist Father Roger Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.
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Editorial Afghanistan and Haiti On the feast of the Assumption, Pope Francis addressed the crowd assembled in St. Peter’s Square after they had prayed together the Angelus. “I join in the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan. I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace so that the clamor of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue. Only thus can the battered population of that country — men, women, elderly and children — return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect. “In the past few hours, a strong earthquake occurred in Haiti, provoking numerous deaths, wounding many, and causing extensive material damage. I want to express my closeness to the dear people hard hit by the earthquake. While I lift up my prayer to the Lord for the victims, I extend my word of encouragement to the survivors, hoping that the interest of the international community to help might move toward them. May the solidarity of all alleviate the consequences of the tragedy! Let us pray together to the Madonna for Haiti. Hail Mary….” Two horrific tragedies occurred on the same day — the earthquake in Haiti and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The Holy Father reminds us that Christians are called to be in solidarity with those who are suffering. Almost a year ago, on Sept. 2, 2020, Pope Francis gave a general audience explaining what solidarity is and how it is related to “the virtue of faith. As a human family we have our common origin in God; we live in a common home, the garden-planet, the earth where God placed us; and we have a common destination in Christ. But when we forget all this, our interdependence becomes dependence of some on others — we lose this harmony of interdependence and solidarity — increasing inequality and marginalization; the social fabric is weakened and the environment deteriorates.” The pontiff then explained that solidarity and interdependence aren’t the same thing. “The principle of solidarity is now more necessary than ever, as St. John Paul II taught (cf. Sollicitudo rei socialis, 38-40). In an interconnected world, we experience what it means to live in the same ‘global village’; this expression is beautiful. [E]verything is interconnected, but we do not always transform this interdependence into solidarity. There is a long journey between interdependence and solidarity. The selfishness — of individuals, nations and of groups with power — and ideological rigidities instead sustain ‘structures of sin’ (ibid., 36).” Pope Francis then explained what solidarity is, for a Christian. “‘It refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity.’ Much more! ‘It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few’ (Evangelii gaudium, 188). This is what ‘solidarity’ means. It is not merely a question of helping others — it is good to do so, but it is more than that — it is a matter of justice (cf. “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” 1938-1949). Interdependence, to be in solidarity and to bear fruit, needs strong roots in humanity and in nature, created by God; it needs respect for faces and for the land.” The pope then described what he called the “Babel syndrome,” in which “there is no solidarity.” He shared a medieval account of the construction of the Tower of OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 65, No. 17
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Babel. “When a man fell — they were slaves — and died, no one said anything, or at best, ‘Poor thing, he made a mistake and he fell.’ Instead, if a brick fell, everyone complained. And if someone was to blame, he was punished. Why? Because a brick was costly to make, to prepare, to fire. It took time and work to produce a brick. A brick was worth more than a human life. Let us each, think about what happens today. Unfortunately, something like this can happen nowadays too.” What Pope Francis said last year sounds very timely given the indifference of some to the suffering of the people under collapsed buildings in Haiti or under Taliban persecution in Afghanistan (to say nothing of the rarely mentioned suffering of people in North Korea, Yemen, Syria, in our own country, etc.). The pope pointed a way out of this indifference — following the Holy Spirit. “Pentecost is diametrically opposite to Babel (cf. Acts 2:1-3). The Spirit creates unity in diversity; He creates harmony. In the account of the Tower of Babel, there was no harmony; only pressing forward in order to earn. There, people were simply instruments, mere ‘manpower,’ but here, in Pentecost, each one of us is an instrument, but a community instrument that participates fully in building up the community. “With Pentecost, God makes Himself present and inspires the faith of the community united in diversity and in solidarity. A diversity in solidarity possesses ‘antibodies’ that ensure that the singularity of each person — which is a gift, unique and unrepeatable — does not become sick with individualism, with selfishness. Diversity in solidarity also possesses antibodies that heal social structures and processes that have degenerated into systems of injustice, systems of oppression (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 192). Therefore, solidarity today is the road to take towards a post-pandemic world, towards the healing of our interpersonal and social ills. There is no other way. Either we go forward on the path of solidarity, or things will worsen. I want to repeat this: one does not emerge from a crisis the same as before. The pandemic is a crisis. We emerge from a crisis either better or worse than before. It is up to us to choose. And solidarity is, indeed, a way of coming out of the crisis better, not with superficial changes, with a fresh coat of paint so everything looks fine. No. Better! “In the midst of crises, a solidarity guided by faith enables us to translate the love of God in our globalized culture, not by building towers or walls — and how many walls are being built today! — that divide, but then collapse, but by interweaving communities and sustaining processes of growth that are truly human and solid. And to do this, solidarity helps.” The pope then challenged his listeners: “I would like to ask a question: do I think of the needs of others? Everyone, answer in your heart.” Our hearts should spend some time with the Sacred Heart of Jesus in prayer and solidarity with the suffering people of Haiti and Afghanistan, offering up our prayers and sacrifices for the repose of the souls of the dead and for the healing and protection of the living. Our prayer should also lead us to see what actions we can make to help, be it political action, be it donating what we can to charities which are “on the ground,” such as Catholic Relief Services. We never know when we will be the ones in need.
Daily Readings † August 28 - September 10
Sat. Aug. 28, 1 Thes 4:9-11; Ps 98:1,7-9; Mt 25:14-30. Sun. Aug. 29, Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Dt 4:1-2,6-8; Ps 15:2-5; Jas 1:1718,21b-22,27; Mk 7:1-8,14-15,21-23. Mon. Aug. 30, 1 Thes 4:13-18; Ps 96:1,3-5,11-13; Lk 4:16-30. Tue. Aug. 31, Thes 5:1-6,9-11; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; Lk 4:31-37. Wed. Sept. 1, Col 1:1-8; Ps 52:10-11; Lk 4:38-44. Thu. Sept. 2, Col 1:9-14; Ps 98:2-6; Lk 5:1-11. Fri. Sept. 3, Col 1:15-20; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 5:33-39. Sat. Sept. 4, Col 1:21-23; Ps 54:3-4,6,8; Lk 6:1-5. Sun. Sept. 5, Is 35:4-7a; Ps 146:7-10; Jas 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37. Mon. Sept. 6, Col 1:24—2:3; Ps 62:6-7,9; Lk 6:6-11. Tue. Sept. 7, Col 2:6-15; Ps 145:1b-2,8-11; Lk 6:12-19. Wed. Sept. 8, Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6abc; Mt 1:1-16,18-23 or 1:18-23. Thu. Sept. 9, Col 3:12-17; Ps 150:1b-6; Lk 6:27-38. Fri. Sept. 10, 1 Tm 1:1-2,1214; Ps 16:1b-2a ,5,7-8,11; Lk 6:39-42.
The Blessed Sacrament and St. Joseph — Behold our hope in these perilous times!
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he title of this article was the exclamation of the Bishop Peter Athanasius Pichenot of Tarbes on the occasion of the decree of Blessed Pius IX declaring St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church. The following is a meditation based on Bishop Pichenot’s Pastoral Instruction in 1872. The bishop recalled the great consolation the faithful have in the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Blessed Sacrament. However, due to St. Joseph being ordained by God to be Mary’s chaste spouse, “for what God has united, man must not divide,” they hold together the Lord Jesus in common not only in their time on earth, but also in their close Spiritual presence to the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Although we must always give primary honor to Mary, the Mother of God, and her union with the Incarnate Word made Flesh, the bishop brings to the focus of our attention the special place St. Joseph enjoys with the Blessed Sacrament as the Lord’s true foster father and guardian on earth. This year of St. Joseph brings us an opportunity to consider once again three aspects of St. Joseph’s union with the Blessed Sacrament based on three points made in the bishop’s Pastoral Instruction. First we are indebted to St. Joseph for the Wheat of the Elect, Jesus the Bread of Life; secondly our happiness in receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion in some degree surpasses that of St. Joseph himself; and thirdly, his example teaches us how we are to prepare to receive Holy Communion worthily and fruitfully. We are indebted to St. Joseph for protecting the Wheat of the Elect, Jesus the Bread of Life whom we adore and receive in Holy Communion. The Person Whose Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity we receive in Holy Communion is the Body born of the Virgin Mary, of which the Church sings, “Hail true Body, born of the Virgin Mary.” This Sacred Body had been conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit and formed in the chaste womb of Mary who had already been betrothed to Joseph. Therefore, Joseph already had certain rights over the Infant Jesus. St. Joseph as
the true foster-father protected the Son of God as His most watchful guardian. At the peril of his life, St. Joseph protected the Infant Jesus from the cruel tyrant who sought to kill Him. Herod’s jealousy of the newborn King brought him to command a cruel persecution “to mow down in the bud the august Wheat that was growing in the virgin soil of Mary’s womb.” Therefore St. Joseph obeyed the angel who told him, “Rise up, take with thee the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt” (Mt 2:13). “Watch over Him, protect Him from harm, for He is our only hope. One day He will feed the entire world with His Own Body and Blood. Had the storm of persecution beaten down this young ear of wheat, today we would not have the Sacred Bread which gives eternal life.” Just as Joseph in Egypt guarded the granaries during the years of plenty for the Egyptian subjects and the sons of Jacob in the years of famine, so also St. Joseph in Nazareth guarded and hid Him Who on the eve of His death “opened His tabernacles and said to both Jew and Gentile, ‘Take, eat, this is My Body, drink, all of you, of this; for this is My Blood’” (Mt 26:26-28). “My flesh is real food, My blood is real drink” (Jn 6:56). We are indebted to St. Joseph for having guarded the Infant Jesus and His Virgin Mother. He is fittingly titled Guardian of the Redeemer and therefore also, by extension, Protector of the Universal Church as we are members of Christ’s mystical body. In these perilous times it is important to spend time as often as we can before Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. In this Year of St. Joseph, we can take comfort in coming before the Blessed Sacrament in union with the heart of St. Joseph in humble Adoration, thanksgiving and compassion for our Eucharistic Lord, Who is truly present in all the Tabernacles of the world, but is much ignored and
forgotten by those whom He has called by a special love through the Sacrament of Baptism. In the spirit of Our Lady of Fatima we can trust that St. Joseph would also exhort us to Eucharistic Reparation to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for the “outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences” He receives by ungrateful souls. St. Joseph’s silence, like Our Lady’s and Our Lord’s in the Blessed Sacrament does not mean that they are not present but rather where Jesus
truly is, so are the souls of the those in beatitude. He who adored the holy Face of Jesus while on earth is surely present with Mary Immaculate and the Blessed Sacrament because the Holy Family is always united in eternal love. We must awaken ourselves to the reality that when we approach the altar, we are approaching the altar of the elect of those chosen by God to know, love and serve Him. St. Joseph can help us approach the Son of God with his virtues. We have no need to envy St. Joseph, for although he adored the Infant Christ lying in the manger and gazed in wonder as the shepherds 8 Turn to page 13
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FACE celebrates the Annual Summer Gala in-person
FALMOUTH — The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) Summer Gala to support student scholarships was back in-person on August 5 at the Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth. This marks the 30th year of FACE (formerly known as the St. Mary’s Education Fund) providing scholarships to students and families in need throughout the diocese. FACE has raised millions of dollars in scholarship aid for Catholic school students in need throughout the Diocese of Fall River since it began. Last year, FACE awarded scholarships to almost 1,000 students totaling more than $1.4 million. And, almost $17 million over the last 30 years. The master of ceremonies, Billy Costa, welcomed guests for an evening of inspiration and hope, followed by the invocation led by FACE board member, Father George Bellenoit. The FACE Summer
Gala Committee, led by Chair Elizabeth O’Brien, a current parent at St. John Paul II School, worked together for months to plan an exciting event to raise visibility and support for FACE and the importance of scholarship support. A special in-person thank you was extended to last year’s FACE Un-Gala cochairs, Pat and Jim Gonet, parishioners at St. John the Evangelist in Pocasset. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., presented the 2021 Al Makkay Sr. Friend of Catholic Education Award to a dedicated and well-loved member of the Catholic school community, Margaret Keras, who has served as business manager at St. John Paul II School since 2013. St. John Paul II School President, Chris Keavy said, “Margaret embodies dedication, selflessness, and service to others in her daily work and makes St. John Paul II School a better place. Business managers do a lot
more than keep the books and Margaret Keras is an unsung hero for all she contributes. Bravo!” Bishop da Cunha also had the unique opportunity to recognize last year’s Al Makkay Award recipient in-person. Sandro Correa, facilities director at St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth, received his award during the FACE Un-Gala. Correa plays a critical role in keeping the school safe for students and staff, especially throughout this last year. Guests enjoyed amazing food stations and a lively program including a Live Auction and a Fund a Mission while reconnecting and enjoying each other’s
company, all while supporting a great cause. This year’s FACE Summer Gala raised almost $170,000 for Catholic school students in need in the Diocese of Fall River. These scholarships are
made possible thanks to all of the sponsors and donors who made the commitment to continue to support FACE even throughout this challenging year. Special thanks go out to all the generous donors.
Committee member Janet Daley, with Jack MacKinnon and daughter Julie Houle, and Mike Daley at the recent FACE Summer Gala in Falmouth.
TEAM FACE runs Falmouth Road Race
FALMOUTH — Congratulations go out to the TEAM FACE runners for completing the Falmouth Road Race and for participating for the first time in the Numbers for Non-Profits. It was a success for all runners raising a total of more than $12,600 for FACE scholarships. Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D, par-
ticipated as part of TEAM FACE. He combined two of his passions — enjoying the outdoors and advocating for Catholic education. “As bishop in the Diocese of Fall River, I have seen first-hand the financial need many of our students and families ex-
perience. We want all families who desire a Catholic education to have the opportunity to be part of our Catholic school community!” There is still time to donate and support TEAM FACE through September 30. Visit the TEAM FACE link or use the QR code to learn more and make a donation! www.face-dfr. org/asics-2021-falmouthroad-race.
Member of TEAM FACE who ran in the recent Falmouth Road Race to raise money for the Foundation to Advance Catholic Education were, clockwise, from top left: Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.; Jim Bouchard; Joe Harrington; Cass and Jane Robin; Dan Roy; and Sara Seals. 8
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Father Carlos Suarez from St. James & Immaculate Conception in Stoughton, sits with Msgr. John Perry from Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of Assumption on Cape Cod and Sister Eileen Lavin, SUSC of Prosper at Fall River, who is celebrating 66 years of religious life.
and incarcerated prisoners in New England and New York City, and others. Finally, a new ministry is on offer to all who are open to embracing it: A Holy Union Podcast, tentatively named, “Called to Be…”. While still in its planning phase, this effort seeks to create recorded discussions between and among as many Sisters as possible about a wide variety of topics which align with their founding directives from their con-
stitutions, “Our call is to be at the heart of the world, revealing God’s love.” Once the recordings are complete they will be published on a regular basis on all the major podcast platforms and can be listened to by the general public. These recordings will be preserved in the archives for future generations. Kenneth J. Gustin is director of Mission Advancement & Communications for the Holy Union Sisters in Milton.
St. Anne’s Shrine announces healing Masses FALL RIVER — Father Edward A. Murphy, chaplain of St. Anne Shrine, has announced the Fall 2021 schedule for his Healing Mass ministry at St. Anne Shrine of Fall River. All Masses begin at 6:30 p.m. and are preceded at 6 p.m. with the recitation of the Holy Rosary and access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The dates for this healing ministry are as follows:
23;
Thursday, September
Thursday, October 28 (The closing Mass for the annual Novena to St. Jude); Thursday, November 18; Thursday, December 16; Thursday, January 27, 2022. For more information, please contact the shrine office at 508-678-1510, or email the shrine at info@ st-annes-shrine.org
Sisters Jean Carpinelli, SUSC of Prosper at Fall River; Patricia Griffith, SUSC, of Holbrook, N.Y.; and Hannah Collins, SUSC of New York City. These sisters are now retired, having ministered in New York, New England, and Maryland.
Holy Union Sisters finally able to gather for assembly, Liturgy continued from page one
Desjardins (70th), Rita Theresa Goulet (70th), Mary Jean Audette (65th) (RIP), Ann Boland (65th), Patricia Deasy (65th), Ann Kernan (65th), Eileen Lavin (65th), Beatrice Rogers (65th), Theresa Horvath (60th), Yvette Ladurantaye (60th), Alice Michael (60th), and Marie Baldi (50th). The 2021 Jubilarians were: Sisters Rita Beaudoin (75th), Marie Pauline Collette (75th), Beatrice
Gerard (75th) (RIP), Louise Gabrielle Bourget (70th), Hannah Collins (70th), Mary Ellen Donohue (70th), Patricia Mulryan (70th), Therese Theroux (70th), Barbara Walsh (70th), Gretchen Marlatt (65th), Eileen Davey (60th), Christine Lacroix (60th), and Kathleen Corrigan (25th). The congregation continues to be involved with initiatives and ministries such as Water with
Blessings (bringing drinkable water to major parts of the world where it is unavailable); efforts to end Human Trafficking via its work with the United Nations and UNANIMA International; supporting communities of Sisters in Haiti and Cameroon with food centers, clinics, and schools; teaching English as a second language to adults and children; providing assistance to immigrants; counseling troubled youth; August 20, 2021 †
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Eleven diocesan seminarians gear up for fall classes
continued from page three He attended Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, where he regularly attended daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Confession. He was also a baseball player at Bridgewater. His faith life was also strengthened when he and his family visited the Vatican and various holy sites in Rome. His summer assignments have included at St. Anthony Parish in Falmouth, Our Lady of Grace Parish in Westport, and this summer at Holy Name Parish in Fall River. Garabedian told The Anchor, “My time at seminary thus far has been very fruitful. God is forming my heart and increasing my joy and desire to become a priest despite the ups and downs of daily life. It has been an excellent opportunity to learn about my faith and grow through interesting classes, enjoyable pastoral experiences, Spiritual direction, and holy friendships. “This past summer, I had the privilege of being assigned at Holy Name Parish with Father Jay Maddock and Father Daniel Nunes, where I had a positive experience of serving the lovely parish community. I did some things like serving at daily Mass, giving weekly reflections, making Communion calls, and helping out at the local food pantry. I also have been blessed to have some time to catch up with friends and family and am picking up the game of golf. “I look forward to this upcoming semester, particularly Candidacy and,
God-willing, ordination to the diaconate next spring.” Thiago Menezes Santos was born in Aracaju, Brazil, where his family, father, Sergio, mom, Laura, and sister still live. His family has always nurtured his faith life and while in Brazil, after his First Communion in 2006, he joined The Missionary Childhood, a group that helps young people minister to their peers. At the same time, it awakened a calling within him to enter seminary. Before that move, he was a catechist and an altar server in his parish in Brazil. He also served there in childhood ministry and was a member of the parish youth group. Santos studied philosBrian Bangs ophy at Our Lady of Conception Major Seminary in Aracaju for three years. It was there where he met Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., who encouraged Santos to think about serving as a priest in the U.S., particularly in the Diocese of Fall River. Since coming to the diocese, Santos has served at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River, and most recently at the Taunton Catholic North collaborative, made up of St. Jude, St. Anthony and St. Mary’s parishes in Taunton. Entering Second Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J., Bryan Bangs
is a very active member of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, along with his mother, Joanne, dad, Robert, a sister and two brothers. A recipient of the Diocese of Fall River’s Pope Pius X Award, he taught in the parish Faith Formation program and was a member of the youth group there. He also twice participated in the Quo Vadis Days retreat sponsored annually by the diocesan Vocation Office. Lucas daCosta He briefly entered the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary order in Powell, Wyo., but didn’t feel that was his calling, but his desire to become a priest didn’t ebb. With continued support from many people, Bangs entered seminary, after graduating from Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. Bangs has assisted at Santo Christo Parish in Fall River, and this past summer he served at St. Louis de France Parish in Swansea and St. Patrick’s Parish in Somerset. Lucas daCosta grew up in New Bedford, and with his mother, Fatima, father, Daniel, and sister, he is a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet. Always active in his parish, daCosta had a strong yearning to increase his faith life at an early age. He holds the Eucharist, Adoration, Confession and
a devotion to Our Lady near and dear to his heart. After high school, he traveled to Portugal to work on his Portuguese. After that daCosta attended four years at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence, R.I., and also studied at Providence College there. His first summer assignment was this year at Santo Christo Parish in Fall River. “During my four years of minor seminary in Providence, I have been blessed to be around great holy priests who have exemplified the virtues which all priests should live by and who have served as great role models,” he told The Anchor. “I have been able to participate in various Shayne Dias pastoral opportunities which have strengthened my love for the ministerial works of the Church and for the people of God. “This summer I was lucky enough to be assigned to Santo Christo Church in Fall River where I was warmly welcomed into their beautiful community. In my time there, I was able to learn about parish life and was immersed in Portuguese ministry, which is very close to my heart. I am very excited to start at St. John’s Seminary in the fall, where I will be studying Theology. I am very excited for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of our faith, learn about ministry and continue the formation of
my own Spiritual life with the help of such a great institution.” Shayne Dias is entering his senior year of college seminary. He lives in Westport with his father Victor, mother, Dina and a sister. His dad is from Angola and his mom is a native of Sao Miguel in the Azores. As a result of those heritages, Dias is fluent in Portuguese. He attended Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River and also studied at Rhode Island College in Kingstown, R.I. He has been very active in his parish of Santo Christo in Fall River. He has assisted at a soup kitchen, has been a youth group leader, and did volunteer work in a nursing home. As he discerns a vocation to the priesthood, Dias said in his biography on the diocesan Vocation Office website that he finds strength in helping marginalized people to have a better life, and what excites him most about the thought of becoming a priest is bringing the Sacraments to God’s people. Dias spent this past summer working and took a college course. A prayer for vocations O God, Who wish all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of Your truth: send, we beg You, laborers into Your harvest, and grant them grace to speak Your Word with all boldness; so that Your Word may spread and be glorified, and all nations may know You, the only God, and Him Whom You have sent, Jesus Christ Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen. USCCB
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T he C hurch
R
and
Y outh & Y oung A dults
Rekindling a spark
ecent Liturgical readings call our attention in a powerful way to the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. We simply can’t account for what it means to be a follower of Jesus apart from the gift He gives us of Himself in the Eucharist. It has always been so since the origin of the Church. Jesus, the Lamb of God, gave Himself in love on the cross for the Salvation of the world. Jesus, the Bread of Life, continues to give Himself to us, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, through the gift of the Eucharist. By receiving the gift of the Body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ in the world. And yet, belief in the Eucharist as the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is in a dangerous place. According to a 2019 Pew research study, only one-third of Catholics believe in the Real Presence
of Jesus in the Eucharist. While I sincerely hope this statistic is somehow mistaken, this contradiction between identity and belief is startling and troubling at the same time. The statistic has become well-known among Catholic thinkers and leaders, and the U.S. bishops are planning ways to spur a revival of faith in the Eucharist. While we pray for our shepherds to inspire and lead, we all must play our role to spark a revival of Eucharistic devotion and belief in our parishes and schools. Every Catholic has the responsibility to seize this moment, witness to our Eucharistic faith and call people back to a newly-inspired faith. We can start with good catechesis among Catholics regarding both Scripture and Tradition regarding the Eucharist. Knowing and
reflecting on the passages in the Gospels and New Testament regarding the Eucharist are critical, and so too is understanding the Eucharist in the life of the early Church. In the sub-Apostolic period, for instance, various divisions and deviations of Christianity (see Gnosticism) imme-
diately began to emerge. It was the Eucharist, celebrated and shared in a community founded by the Apostles among those who believed in the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, which distinguished and unified our early ancestors in faith. It was also the Eucharist that ensured the canon of
Students from St. John Paul II School and St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School, both in Hyannis, were greeters at the recent FACE Summer Gala in Falmouth. 12
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Scripture. The practice of Adoration is another great starting point to spark a renewal of faith. In my home parish of St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet we are blessed to have Perpetual Adoration in a beautiful Adoration chapel. Many have attributed transformations in their lives to re-discovering Jesus in the Eucharist during Adoration. I know that spending time with Jesus during Adoration has helped me to become a better Christian and gave me solace during challenging times. Faith can not be forced, it always involves an invitation. While prudence and compassion must always guide our actions, actively inviting those who have lapsed in Mass attendance back to the Eucharist is another important approach. We can’t just expect people to come back without an invitation. And when they come back, will they find both reverence and community? For too long, Masses have been characterized by banality, lack of participation and weak preaching. People long for community and are finding it in other areas of their lives, so finding a humble, united and welcoming community with the appropriate support in place are other key factors. The Second Vatican Council referred to the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life; our lives as Catholics must then reflect this reality. Perhaps the very best
way to draw people back to belief in the Eucharist is to be a people who clearly reflects the light of Christ in the world. To be Christ’s body for the world is to be a compassionate, merciful and healing presence. If our lives contradict Christ’s loving compassion, others will not be drawn to the Eucharist. If our lives reflect glaring contradictions to the Gospel through an embrace of materialism, consumerism and disrespect for human life at any stage, belief in the Eucharist will wane. If we are apathetic towards the suffering of others and social injustice, others will unlikely hear the invitation of faith. If we ignore the poor and those on the margins or are engaged in relationships which contradict what God has revealed about Marriage and sexuality, we will be responsible for the further erosion of belief. Conversely, if we are people of courage and faith, love and compassion, and justice and truth, we may yet spark a revival of belief. If we are truly consistent in our calling and not given to ideologies that foster power and division,we may yet reclaim this generation in the name of Jesus Christ and the great gift of the Blessed Sacrament. Anchor columnist Peter Shaughnessy is president/ principal of Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth. He resides in Fairhaven with his wife, Anabela Vasconcelos Shaughnessy (Class of ’94), and their four children: Luke (Class of ’24), Emilia (Class of ’25), Dominic (Class of ’27) and Clare (Class of ’30).
The Blessed Sacrament and St. Joseph continued from page seven
and Magi approached the newborn King with glad tidings, we have the grace of receiving Our Eucharistic Lord on the altar wrapped in the Eucharistic species and we too, like the three kings, can offer Him our charity, our prayer and our penance. We can infer from their life together in Nazareth that St. Joseph often held the Christ Child with
tenderness and love, carried Him in his arms, sat Him on his knee, pressed Him to his heart and covered Him with chaste kisses and heartfelt tears. When we are in Church can we see ourselves as in Nazareth or as Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple among the priests and doctors? The bishop encourages us, “But more than that, you
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, August 22 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from St. Anthony Church in Taunton
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, August 29 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Santo Christo Church in Fall River
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, August 22 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Jason Brilhante, Administrator of St. John of God Parish in Somerset
Sunday, August 29 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Bradley J. Metz, C.S.C., Pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Easton
can do more than hold the Son of God in your arms; it is yours to possess Him, within you, within the very depths of your soul. Thus has He found a way of uniting Himself more intimately with you than with His foster father. St. Joseph never communicated. In this respect you are more fortunate than he.” We can be eternally grateful for having received Holy Communion only once in our lives, but how many times have we received Him out of routine and duty than and with love and devotion? Perhaps this has to do with the lack of adequate preparation we make for Holy Mass. Like St. Joseph we must approach the Blessed Sacrament with faith. Just as St. Joseph believed the word of the angel and believed the mystery of the Incarnation and that the Babe of Bethlehem was the Son of God, so, too, we must believe simply on the Word of God, that when the priests speaks the words of Consecration over the bread and the wine, they truly become the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of Our Lord simply because He is God and He has ordained to come down by the words of Consecration of the priest transubstantiate the substance of bread and wine into His very Own Body and Blood. He is God and He commands of His Apostles, the first priests, “Do this in memory of Me.” This is not an ordinary “relationship” among equals but rather Jesus is a Divine Person, the Son of God, Who calls us to Adoration, discipleship and faith in following Him. This is the substance of our relationship for He says, “If You love Me, you will keep My Commandments” (Jn 14:15). Ours must be to believe God with the words of St. Thomas Aquinas: “I
believe all the Son of God has spoken, than truth’s own word there is no truer token.” Jesus Himself testifies, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). We must also receive the Blessed Sacrament with purity of heart. St. Joseph was chaste, pure and innocent and therefore Jesus was pleased to be held by Him. We must beg St. Joseph the favor of this great virtue and beg him to put the demon to flight because only the pure of heart can receive Holy Communion worthily and ultimately see God. Finally, we must receive the Lord with recollection and try to keep Him in our hearts by meditation, Spiritual reading, and silence even as we work instead of giving in to distractions. As Joseph worked alongside Jesus, he was ever ready to listen to His Word and receive His graces. We all need to work, but we many times allow ourselves to become willingly distracted by the work and the environment in which we are surrounded and lose the presence of God. Time spent in Adoration before the Lord and in union with the Spiritual presence of Our Lady and St. Joseph will rouse our faith, purity and recollection aside from giving us the powerful intercession of our loving Holy Family to which we belong. We must learn to live this risen life so we may join the life of the blessed for all eternity in Heaven. Bishop
Pichenot closes his Pastoral Instruction with a beautiful insight, “St. Joseph was the good and faithful servant of the Gospel, who the master placed at the head of the house to give to each his measure of Wheat at the proper time.” May we, in this year of St. Joseph, begin a sincere commitment to Adore the Blessed Sacrament exposed in many Churches in our diocese and enclosed in our Tabernacles. We are called to become more conscious of Jesus in our midst and meditate more on the life of St. Joseph with the Lord. If we do so, we will find Him Who is our comfort, strength and “our hope in these perilous times” in the Blessed Sacrament. When you go to the Adoration chapel or before the Tabernacle, “Go to Joseph” and ask him to give you the grace to adore Jesus together with him and then pray for our diocesan family that we may all return with fervor and love to our Eucharistic life in the Father’s house. Small and her husband Bill are parishioners of St. Mary Church in Providence, R.I., and have made their solemn profession as Third Order Franciscans of the Immaculate, through the Franciscans of the Immaculate in New Bedford. They have both earned a Certificate in Catechetical Studies through TINE, The Institute for the New Evangelization of the Archdiocese of Boston.
As of press time, TCI Press, the printer of The Anchor, was experiencing a major problem with the mail delivery system. Consequently, this edition may be delayed. If your paper arrived late, please know everything is being done to get the paper out as quickly as possible. August 20, 2021 †
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I
t had been a pleasant day so far here in Kalaupapa. The sun was shining and the breezes blowing. I had just walked into the kitchen to get a drink of nice cold Kalaupapa mountain water. It was then that it hit me all of a sudden, perhaps prompted by that cold refreshing water, an expression from my younger days, “Who flung dung?” woke up my slumbering thoughts. Then I discovered by way of Google that there is a book on that subject written by Ben Redlich. The main character is Furley the monkey who is also having a pleasant day until someone throws dung at him.
There is something foul in the air
He is naturally upset — and who wouldn’t be? So, he goes on a rampage in search of the culprit who had flung dung at him. Little does he know that the offender is closer to him than he imagined. Now you are probably surprised that I would write a piece on such a topic, seeing that I am a 77-year-old priest in “good standing” — at least so far. However, remember that I grew up on a farm and so am a son of a farmer. All of this brings me to the fact that in our world today there is far too much dung flinging. This can take the form of words or
actions. It happens on a local level and on a national level. Take for example the situation of the vaccination versus the COVID,
and the mandate versus the free will of the individual. A lot of dung is flying here. Then there is the situation on our southern border, which seems totally out of control. We have elected officials calling for de-funding of the police and now the streets of our
Sister Mary Louise Graziano, SNDdeN
WORCESTER — Sister Mary Louise Graziano, SNDdeN, formerly Sister Julie Peter, age 82, died on July 26 at Notre Dame Healthcare in Worcester. Born in Malden. Sister Mary Lou was
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the daughter of the late William and Ruth (O’Neil) Graziano. She ministered in education in Worcester, East Boston, South Boston, Lawrence, Wakefield and Salem, N.H. She was also the manager for the
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Shelter for the Homeless in Lawrence. Sister Mary Lou is survived by her brother, Father Peter N. Graziano of Winthrop; the Sisters of SNDdeN; as well as many cousins. She was predeceased by her infant sister, Mary. Donations in Sister Mary Lou’s memory may be made to The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 351 Broadway, Everett, Mass., 02149. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. John the Evangelist Church, Winthrop on August 2. Interment at Belle Isle Cemetery in Winthrop. Arrangements were by Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home.
cities are havens for criminals to prey on the weak, the elderly and the innocent. Who is to blame? Who flung dung? Afghanistan is has been taken over by the Taliban, opening the gate for possible outrageous actions. Who is responsible? Who flung dung? It is quiet here in Kalaupapa this weekend as it usually is. It is a haven for those weary from work
or from the news of the world. Sheltered though we are, we can not isolate ourselves completely from what happens in the outside world. Whether we are still in the springtime of life, or in the autumn season, we must live as a supportive community and never have to hear the spoken words, “Who flung dung?” Aloha. Anchor columnist, Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
In Your Prayers
Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: Aug. 28 Rev. Edward Callens, SS.CC., 2006 Rev. Thomas L. Campbell, C.S.C., 2012 Aug. 29 Rev. Joseph DeVillandre, D.D., Founder, Sacred Heart, North Attleboro, 1921 Msgr. William H. Harrington, Retired Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1975 Rev. William Dillon, SS.CC., 1993 Aug. 30 Rev. Frederick Meyers, SS.CC., Former Pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption, New Bedford, 2008 Aug. 31 Msgr. Armando A. Annunziato, Pastor, St. Mary, Mansfield, 1993 Rev. Thomas M. Landry, O.P., Former Pastor, St. Anne, Fall River, 1996 Sept. 1 Rev. Jorge J. de Sousa, Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 1985 Rev. James F. Lyons, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 2008 Sept. 2 Rev. Paul O. Robinson, O.Carm., Former Diocesan Judicial Vicar, 2018 Sept. 3 Rev. Thomas J. McGee, D.D., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1912 Sept. 4 Rev. Joseph P. Tallon, Pastor, St. Mary, New Bedford, 1864 Rev. John J. Maguire, Founder, St. Peter the Apostle, Provincetown, 1894 Sept. 5 Rev. Napoleon, A. Messier, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1948 Sept. 7 Very Rev. James E. McMahon, V. F. Pastor , Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs, 1966 Rev. Raymond Pelletier, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1984 Sept. 8 Rev. Thomas Sheehan, Founder, Holy Trinity, Harwich Center, 1868 Sept. 9 Rev. Thomas Halkovic, C.S.C., Campus Minister, Stonehill College, 2017 Sept. 10 Rev. Hugo Dylla, Pastor, St. Stanislaus, Fall River, 1966, Rt. Rev. Felix S. Childs, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Fall River, 1969
M
y dad doesn’t count his birthdays anymore. He did at one time, but four years ago, he moved on to bigger and better things, at age 96. But I still count them and today, August 20, is Larry’s 100th birthday. I don’t think anything short of this milestone has touched my emotions as much since he left us. In the larger scheme of things, he was on the Earth for but a few seconds, as are we all. But what a few seconds his nearly century of life was. He was born to far from well-to-do parents, but they were rich with the simple things. Larry was born in Fall River on Barnes Street. Fittingly enough, without my even knowing where he was born at the time, Denise and I and the three kids rented an apartment on Barnes Street in the early 90s. Larry’s mom, my mémère, Laura, died of TB at age 33, when dad was six, and his baby sister, Connie, was three or four. He did remember her though, often speaking of her in his final days battling the cruel dementia disease. In the
A meteor of a dad
hallway at Catholic Memorial Home was a painting of a young mom hanging clothes with two young children nearby — a boy and girl. Larry could see it from his bed and often told me that was his mom, Connie and him. As a boy, Larry didn’t have much of a childhood. He spent much of his time helping at home, in the garden, delivering papers, delivering ice, working on an apple farm, a turkey farm and when he had time, attended school — never finishing eighth grade. Add to that the chore of bringing his dad his lunch pail at a nearby factory every day. His childhood did allow him time to roam the forbidden grounds of the North Watuppa, making it his personal playground, all while monitoring the game wardens. He fished there and picked berries. Larry’s young adult life didn’t get any easier — largely because of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941,
drawing the U.S. into an already worldwide conflict. Instead of waiting to get drafted, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, gambling on a term as long as the war lasted rather than a six-year hitch. It saved
him two years. Half of his time in the South Pacific was aboard the U.S.S. Meade, a destroyer built to protect its sister ships, particularly the mammoth battleships. At CMH, he often told me harrowing tales of sea battles, and also tending to his wounded shipmates, “feeding them with a spoon, like babies.” After Larry died, I was going through his things and found a small three-inch-bytwo-inch book that was his diary at sea. The entry that stands out most to me, and
Larry through the years: Top from left: as a tot with his younger sister; a student at Prevost; aboard the U.S.S. Meade in WWII; relaxing after the war; at Denise and my wedding; last picture of him and me together in 2015 at Catholic Memorial Home.
still brings a tear to my eye simply says: “All hell broke loose today.” I will never know that feeling. No one should, but thousands have and still do. Larry not only had compassion for his shipmates, but also for the Japanese soldiers, who were in the same situation as he and his mates: pawns in a deadly game run by politicians. He often spoke of his ship sinking a Japanese submarine. As he watched the vessel rise vertically to the surface, then do a 180-degree dive into the sea, he imagined what the men inside were going through. It haunted him forever. Larry survived, and made a surprise return to his boyhood home on Smithies Street in Fall River, where his dad, step-mom and brother and sisters were, on Christmas Eve, 1946. After the war, Larry continued to help around the home and also worked, when he eventually met Millie and married, having my brother Paul and me four years later. I have warm memories of him as a dad: Saturday evening walks to Arlan’s on Plymouth Avenue, just he and I; fishing and crabbing (although I found that boring — sports were my thing); and ice skating. Mom and dad also took my brother and me on numerous road trips all over New England and beyond. Larry would spend hours planning each trip. When Denise and I got married, he helped us out as much as he could. He helped everyone out as much as he could. Refinishing furniture, repairing broken appliances, giving rides to doctors. Never did he throw anything away without trying to fix it first. Must have been that Depression Era syndrome. If someone needed something, Larry was there. A lasting memory I have is of him and I standing on a
hill at Notre Dame Cemetery in a driving rainstorm, choosing a plot to bury my son, his grandson, Davey. He was a mild-mannered man, but stern. The only time I ever saw him blow a gasket is when I blew a gasket on my old Plymouth Fury III station wagon — by not checking the oil. Oh boy! When he retired he was always busy in his basement workshop, in his or a neighbor’s garden, traveling with Millie. He even took a job as a caretaker of a local Synagogue. They loved the little Catholic boy! As he aged, his body and his mind failed him often, and I did everything I could for him. The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree. He spent nearly six years in the dementia ward at CMH, with good days and bad days. I can’t count the times I took that elevator ride down, alone, just crying. It’s ironic that Holy Union Sister Barbara Kirkman is on page one of this edition — she was a bastion of support for me and Larry during the final years, months and days. Thank you, Sister. When he peacefully went to sleep, he had full military honors at the National Cemetery in Bourne, and when “Taps” was played, there was a flyover of choppers from Otis AFB. Our host said it was a coincidence. I don’t think so. He was one of the last of the WWII survivors still around. I believe that was planned. Facebook recently had a post that asked, “What thing did your dad best teach you?” The answer was simple: “How to be a dad.” The Earth carries reminders of meteors that crashed into its surface thousands of years ago. Larry, too, left a mark on this Earth that can never be eroded, erased or forgotten. In that regard, Larry was a meteor of a man, and my dad. Happy 100th Loridas “Larry” Jolivet. davejolivet@anchornews.org
August 20, 2021 †
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Hispanic youth, parents invigorated by the Heroic Examples of Young Saints of our Time By Sister Paulina Hurtado, O.P. Diocesan Hispanic Ministry
adult group were moved and encouraged by the 15-year-old Italian Millennial Saint, Carlo Acutis, beatified Oct. 10, 2020, by Pope Francis. Carlo was a leader, a friendly and talented person who was always there for everyone: for homework or for advice for his classmates and for the poor. He had special love and daily devotion for the Eucharist and the Rosary. His legacy is also his
missionary spirit by means of the Internet. He is considered Patron of the Internet. To be always close to Jesus was the program of his life. He also loved playing soccer and made life pleasant for those around him. His parents were perplexed by his interests and devotion and especially his mother, who continues to be a great advocate of the Catholic faith and of the Church, about which she
learned because of her son. The day closed with the Eucharist, presided by Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., followed by food treats and conversation. For more information on the diocesan Hispanic ministry, contact Sr.Paulina@dioc-fr.org; like on Facebook Comunidad Hispana de la Diócesis de Fall River; or visit https://www.fallriverdiocese.org/
ATTLEBORO — Youth in the Hispanic Community of the Diocese of Fall River gathered on August 7, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette to resume in-person events and to celebrate the blessings of family and friends. Young people of all ages from pre-school and kindergarten to Confirmation, young-adult and young adult parents, congregated and reflected on the heroic elements experienced during the long year of the COVID-19 restrictions. In doing so they were introduced to saints of their age by means of video, song and reflection in break-out-groups. A first group from K to fourth grade started with the young Jesus, in the Holy Family of Mary and Joseph. As He was growing up, He was learning about the society of his time. He became the friend of children and of families around Him, and even at a young age He became active in teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem, as He would do later in His mission as the recognized Messiah of God. A second group of fifth- to seventh-graders was introduced to the 13-year-old Mexican Saint, José Sánchez del Río, canonized by Pope Francis on Oct. 16, 2016. He was killed in the war against followers of Christ the King. He was a martyr, compassionate with the suffering of the loyal army of other martyrs for the Catholic Faith and for the love of Christ the King: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”. Lastly, the groups of Confirmation and young-adult, as well as the Scenes from the recent Hispanic Young Saints of our Time event at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro. 16
† August 20, 2021