12.10.21

Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, December 10, 2021

Well-known speaker and defender of God’s existence, Father Robert J. Spitzer, spoke before nearly 600 students and adults at Bishop Connelly High School in Fall River on November 18.

Students, adults embrace message delivered by Father Robert Spitzer

This presepio, a traditional Azorean Nativity scene, has been on display at the Casa da Saudade (the Portuguese library branch of the New Bedford Free Public Library) since 2004. It was a gift from Robert Medeiros. This will be part of the Tradições de Natal Portuguesas, Portuguese Christmas Traditions, display at the main New Bedford site from now until Jan. 7, 2022.

Area man keeps Portuguese Christmas traditions alive with inspirational display

By Dave Jolivet Editor

davejolivet@anchornews.org

NEW BEDFORD — Perhaps the simplest, most beautiful and meaningful Christmas displays are not loud, busy scenes with secularized Santas and elves and skating penguins.

More accurately, it’s the down-home, from-theheart scenes from childhood; a childhood not tainted by consumerism

and expensive gifts. The act of keeping ethnic traditions alive is priceless, and for a Dartmouth man, it’s an act he shares with others each Christmas season.

Frank Camara doesn’t keep his heart-warming Christmas memories and displays to himself, he shares them with anyone who will take the time to visit the Casa da Saudade (the Portuguese library branch of the New Bedford

Free Public Library). From now until Jan. 7, 2022, Camara’s display of Christ Child statues will join Robert Medeiros’ charming Azorean Nativity scene that has been at the library since 2004 when Medeiros donated it.

Camara told The Anchor that he is a collector of antique religious art and the Christ Child statues are a large part of that.

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FALL RIVER — Bishop Connolly High School hosted this much anticipated event on November 18, and the attendee turn out did not disappoint. Approximately 600 people responded to the opportunity to see Father Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., in person, as he is wellknown from TV appearances on EWTN’s “Father Spitzer’s Universe,” The History Channel’s “God and The Universe,” a multiple part PBS series “Closer to the Truth,” and the “Hugh Hewitt Show.”

Bishop Edgar M. da

Cunha, S.D.V., opened the event welcoming all to the Diocese of Fall River, and reminded everyone that the Liturgical calendar would soon be changing to the season of Advent, a time of expectation, a time of hope, and a time for the preparation of the coming of Our Lord Jesus. Moreover, Bishop da Cunha succinctly described current secular views that assume there is nothing after this life, we do not have a soul, nor is there even the existence of God, all of which affect 8 Turn to page nine

Bishop da Cunha awards Marian Medals to 70 diocesan faithful at cathedral ceremony. Page 11.

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At left, top and bottom, are scenes from a traditional Azorean Nativity scene at the New Bedford Free Public Library, donated by Robert Medeiros.

Above and at right are samples of the Christ Child statue collection of Frank Camara, a parishioner of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth. The statues are also on display with the Nativity until Jan. 7, 2022 at the New Bedford Free Public Library.

Dartmouth parishioner shares his Portuguese traditions, faith continued from page one

Work continues on the 2022 Diocesan Directory scheduled to be published early 2022.

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“I asked the Casa da Saudade if they would be interested in doing an exhibit of Christ child statues,” Camara told The Anchor. “The statues were used in many Portuguese homes as the main Nativity scene as the Christ Child is the most important part of Christmas. The library said yes so I started displaying the Christ Child statues along with Robert Medeiros’ traditional Azorean Nativity scene called a presepio.”

Not even the pandemic could prevent the public display of the presepio and the statues. “Due to COVID last year it [the scene] was on loan to the

UMass CVPA in downtown New Bedford and on display in one of their windows for the community to enjoy,” added Camara.

With a return to some sense of normalcy this Advent and Christmas seasons, more people will be able to view the traditions up close. “This year the library decided the Nativity would be displayed at the main library third floor to give more people a better opportunity for viewing.

The Christ Child statues will have a small exhibit at the Casa da Saudade to keep up with the tradition,” said Camara, a parishioner of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth, along with his

wife and two sons.

Camara said that the presepio and Christ Child statues have also been on display at the Falmouth Museum. “I have also had an exhibit of my Sacred art statues at the New Bedford Free Public Library in downtown New Bedford.” Clearly a man who is proud of faith and his heritage — and not afraid to show it.

The presepio and Christ Child statues will be on display at the Casa da Saudade, 613 Pleasant Street, New Bedford from now until Jan. 7, 2022. For more information, contact dferreira@sailsinc.org or call 508-991-6218.

Taunton parish starts St. Andrew’s Novena to prepare for Christmas TAUNTON — November 30 was the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Andrew was the very first disciple called by Our Lord, and he is the one who got his brother, St. Peter, to become Jesus’ disciple too.

We all know how the rest turned out.

The feast of St. Andrew marked the end of the Liturgical year and the beginning of a new year with the start of Advent. In fact, the Sunday that falls nearest to St. Andrew’s feast day on November 30 is always the first Sunday of Advent.

There are many popular traditions associated with St. Andrew’s feast day, especially in those countries that have him as their patron saint, Scotland and Russia.

But the most popular St. Andrew’s feast day tradition is for everyone, and that

is the tradition to begin a Christmas Novena prayer on St. Andrew’s feast day.

It’s called the St. Andrew Christmas Novena, or more simply, The Christmas Novena, and it’s a wonderful way to enter into the Advent season that is marked by a time of anticipation, penance, and prayer.

While the origins of this prayer are unknown, it is more than 100 years old at least and may have come from Ireland.

If the St. Andrew Novena was prayed as a traditional nine-day Novena, it would end on the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. However, this Novena prayer is actually traditionally prayed much longer than nine days — it is prayed through all four weeks of Advent.

It is piously believed

that whoever recites the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer 15 times each day from the feast of St. Andrew until Christmas Eve will obtain the favor requested.

It’s not easy to pray this Novena 15 times a day for 25 days, but for those able to, this prayer will undoubtedly leave your heart well-prepared to welcome the coming of Christ. The beauty and sweetness of this prayer will unfold for you through its daily recitation, allowing you to

meditate more fully on the profound mystery of the Incarnation.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Prayer is an essential part of Advent. Reciting this special Novena prayer each day is a simple yet beautiful way to celebrate the Spiritual significance of the Advent season and to experience a deeper conversion to Jesus.

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena is commonly found in many Advent prayer books which are also loaded with many other beautiful prayers and traditions for this time of year.

A statue of St. Andrew in St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Taunton.

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New cures from embryonic stem cells?

recent article in the New York Times by Gina Kolata chronicles the remarkable story of a patient who for many years suffered from type 1 diabetes. After receiving a newly-developed form of embryonic stem-cell infusion, he became able to live insulin-free, apparently cured of his blood sugar imbalances.

It was largely a matter of time, funding and elbow grease before cures of this kind would start to appear. That makes it urgent for us, as a society, to confront and address the ethical questions arising in the wake of these up and coming therapies.

We can formulate the ethical question this way: Is it wrong to develop treatments that rely on the direct destruction of fellow human beings who are in their embryonic stages?

It should go without saying that it is always wrong to take the life

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of one human being to harvest body parts, even to save the life of another human being. Such medicine is fundamentally exploitative and immoral, and ought to be summarily rejected.

Many people are beginning to ask, however, whether receiving a treatment for diabetes developed from embryonic stem cells is really that different from getting vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine developed using abortion-derived cell lines?

The two cases are, in fact, quite different.

When it comes to abortion-derived cell lines and their use in developing some of the COVID-19 vaccines, the wrong that was committed involved taking somatic cells (not stem cells), such as kidney cells or retinal cells, from an aborted fetus and working them up in order to prepare a special “cell line” for use in research or vaccine development.

The abortion, it should be noted, as wrong as it was in itself, was not performed in order to obtain

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research material, and the evil of this “corpse raiding” was compounded by not having obtained valid informed consent.

What makes embryonic stem cell-based therapies ethically worse is that a very young human being, still in his or her embryonic stage of

procures cells and tissues from the individual he has just directly and purposefully killed; in the other case, the researcher shows up at the morgue or the abortion clinic following the death, and procures cells or tissues from the individual’s body (with the death having occurred at the hands of others and the researcher afterwards profiting from the resultant cadaver).

This latter case would not raise ethical concerns existence, is being tarat all if researchers were geted and intentionally to derive the needed killed in order to obtain cells from a miscarriage the desired stem cells that instead of a direct aborstand at the center of that tion. If an unborn baby medical treatment. girl, for example, were Why, then, would it to die of natural causes, be morally allowable to her parents could validly receive a vaccine prepared grant informed consent using abortion-derived for the use of tissues and cell lines, but morally cells from her body, in unacceptable to receive a effect donating her body diabetes treatment deto science. veloped from embryonic These kinds of disstem cells? tinctions are important, Because the type of because receiving a diamoral offense and its betes treatment produced gravity are different in with embryonic stem cells kind and degree. Directly signals a willingness on killing someone to obtain our part to tolerate the their cells for treatment killing of younger human is different in kind and beings in order to beneworse than the wrongfit others who are older. doing involved in taking Meanwhile, receiving a cells from a corpse, even COVID-19 vaccine profrom a young human duced using abortion-dewhose life was unjustly rived cell lines does not ended for an unrelated indicate a willingness on reason. It is always wrong our part to tolerate killing to steal, even from a cafor research (since the daver. But it’s much worse killing was not done for to kill in order to take. research, but for some In one case the reother unrelated motive), searcher himself becomes and instead indicates a the executioner who willingness to tolerate

cells and tissues that were unethically taken from a corpse.

Should we always avoid using therapies that are produced using embryonic stem cells taken from young humans who were killed in order to obtain the cells? Yes, such therapies are unethical because killing one human being for the purpose of healing another crosses a fundamental moral line.

But the fact that the question is being raised reminds us of the slippery ethical slope that arises whenever we try to use parts of human beings derived from abortions: legally permitting abortion only makes the confusion worse. Hence, there is an urgent need to encourage the use of alternative, non-embryo-derived cell sources by researchers, including cells derived from miscarriages, adult stem cells, or embryonic-type alternatives such as induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be obtained by genetically manipulating adult human skin cells. These approaches open a path forward in the direction of ethical research and medical therapies.

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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An extraordinary and unforgettable start to Advent

dvent is about a twofold triple dynamism: Christ comes to us in “history, mystery and majesty,” and we go out to meet Him respectively in Bethlehem, in the Sacraments, prayer and daily life, and as He comes again — so that, transformed by the encounter, we will better follow and journey with Him. I gained new perspectives on this double three-fold Spiritual movement by beginning the Liturgical season on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, landing as Advent wreaths were being lit for vigil Masses on the first Sunday of Advent and returning a week later.

It was my 12th time to the Holy Land, but it was unlike any other.

My fellow pilgrims from the Leonine Forum — a program to form young adults in Catholic social teaching to help them live fully-integrated lives of faith, presently in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, where I am the chaplain — arrived just before Israel implemented a travel ban out of fear of the omicron strain of the Coronavirus. We were, therefore, among only a few pilgrim groups in the country, and seemed to have many of the Sacred sites, and even a much-used hotel in Jerusalem, all to ourselves.

It gave us the time, prayerfully and without haste, to enter into the longing of the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah, to retrace the pivotal steps of that Messiah when at last He came, and to cultivate the virtues necessary for embracing Him on His return, reorienting life as a communal pilgrimage toward the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Insofar as, because of the pandemic, it’s been much harder for Christians to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I’d like to share some of the fruits of our traveling retreat.

To help us meet Jesus “in history,” we were able to retrace His steps by journeying to Nazareth, where, through Mary’s fiat to the Archangel

Gabriel’s news, the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.

We visited Ein Karem, where Mary and Jesus growing within her went to care for Saints Elizabeth, Zechariah and John the Baptist, before the voice of the one crying out in the desert had enunciated his first syllable.

We followed the angels, the shepherds and wise men to Bethlehem, where we were able to anticipate Christmas with Mass in a cave at Shepherds’ Field and then recapitulate their short, transformative route to another cave, the Grotto of the Nativity, to adore Jesus in the place where He was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

We journeyed to a tense Temple Mount, where Jesus was presented on His 40th day among the prayers and praises of Simeon and Anna, where at 12 He was “lost and found” doing God the Father’s business, and where He later drove out money changers and animal sellers and taught under the malevolent eyes of those seeking to kill Him. We spent a peaceful afternoon in Nazareth, where, surrounded by Mary and Joseph, Jesus lived His hidden life and teaches us still about how our family life and work are meant to be part of the redemption. It was particularly poignant, at the end of the Year of St. Joseph, to examine how this “just man” teaches us how to relate to Jesus and to the Blessed Mother.

We traveled to the Jordan River, where we were able to hear the voice of an adult John the Baptist calling us to make straight the paths of the Lord — which the Church ponders every Second and Third Sundays of Advent — and where, at the end of centuries of waiting for the Messiah, the camel-attired locust-and-honey-eater was able to point out Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the

world and Whose sandals he was unworthy to untie.

We crossed into the extensive desert where Jesus prayed for 40 days and nights and was tempted.

We visited Cana, the site of His first miracle and the elevation of Marriage to a Sacrament; traversed Jericho, where Jesus healed Bartimaeus and summoned Zacchaeus from the tree; took a ride on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water and calmed various storms, and from whose shores He called several Apostles from their nets to become fishers of men; visited Capernaum, the location of Jesus’ raising Jairus’ daughter,

calling of St. Matthew, proclaiming Himself as the Bread of Life, healing Peter’s motherin-law, a paralytic lowered on the stretcher, a hemorrhaging woman, a man with the withered hand, a possessed man, and so many who met Him at the door of St. Peter’s house.

We likewise visited the places where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, gave Peter his name and the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, hiked and was transfigured among Moses and Elijah, multiplied five loaves and two fish, and, after the Resurrection, cooked breakfast for the disciples and restored Peter to the essence of his vocation of loving, feeding and protecting the Good Shepherd’s sheep and lambs.

Finally we retraced Jesus’ footsteps in and around Jerusalem, visiting the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, examining His weeping over Jerusalem for its failure to recognize in Him its messianic visitation, following on foot Jesus’ route on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good

Friday, not just listening to the Gospel accounts, but trying to enter, at least a little, into some of the physical exertions He Himself would have endured, as He walked, or was dragged, from place to place.

The Holy Land is traditionally called the “Fifth Gospel,” where one is able to do more than a “lectio divina” or meditation on the Word of God. We can do a “visio” or “habitatio divina,” seeing and entering into the Biblical scenes in which we become eyewitnesses of what happened millennia ago and, not just with our imagination but various senses, enter them.

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land is also an enhanced way to meet Christ “in mystery,” the traditional way the Church has referred to meeting Jesus in the Sacraments, prayer and in daily life.

We prayed in the Upper Room, where the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Holy Orders, Penance, and Confirmation were all instituted.

We celebrated Christmas Day on December 1 in a cave where shepherds watched their flocks by night and there adored on the altar the One they went in haste to see.

We climbed Mount Tabor (in vertiginous van rides) to enter into the holy cloud where Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah and God the Father spoke, telling Peter, James and John and all of us to listen to Jesus, especially to what He taught about His Passion, death and Resurrection and our summons to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. And we had the awesome privilege three days in a row — because there were so few pilgrims in Jerusalem — to celebrate Easter Mass within the edicule built over the tomb of Jesus in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, placing the Risen Body of the Lord back into the empty tomb and then have that same Lord Eucharis-

tically enter each of us.

Because of such mind-blowingly grace-filled opportunities, I’ve always found that meeting Christ in mystery is much easier in the Holy Land.

The Holy Land is also a great place to prepare to meet Christ in majesty.

Ranging through the sights of the Messiah’s first coming, in general, is excellent preparation for the reality of His second, but we also were able to enter into the holy longing of the Jewish people in the lives of Saints Joachim and Anne, Zechariah, Elizabeth and John, whose homes we visited; see the remnants of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and behold the Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon), both of which are associated with the Biblical accounts of Christ’s return; and pray at the traditional site of Jesus’ ascension and ponder how He will one day return from where He went so that, by God’s mercy, He might bring us with Him to the place He has gone to prepare.

Mostly, however, we were able to prepare for Christ’s second coming by entering into the reality of how every earthly pilgrimage is a chapter in the book-long pilgrimage of earthly life.

Making the steep 20mile climb from Jericho to Jerusalem, we prayed the 15 Psalms of Ascent, which Jews for 2,500 years have prayed in preparation for entering the holy city. There is an obvious application to the way we pray with joy and desire for the ascent to the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Church is, as we pray in Eucharistic Prayer III a “pilgrim Church on earth,” and together we seek to make that trek to the house of the Lord.

It was, in summary, an extraordinary and unforgettable start to Advent.

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

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Editorial Doing something beautiful for God

This past Sunday Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., bestowed the Marian Medal on 70 parishioners from across the diocese. In his homily at the celebration of Vespers (Evening Prayer), after he had given each recipient their medal, the bishop spoke about how the assigned reading for vespers, St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:4-9, was “a happy coincidence.” The bishop said that the reading expressed well the gratitude he had for these volunteers and he quoted a different translation of St. Paul’s words: “Everyone should know how unselfish you are.”

The bishop ordered the recipients: “Be contagious and spread like a good virus.” He described Advent as a time of year in which God turns “our world upside down. Only in our encounter with our own weaknesses and brokenness will we discover that God is with us always and that we are not alone and that only God can fulfill our longings. We can be Advent people, to turn our world upside down.”

Bishop da Cunha reminded the congregation that Advent affirms “our confidence and our hope in a world that can be different.” Earlier the bishop described the world as it is right now. “We live in a very difficult and challenging time, [marked by] secularism. When we remove God from our society, we become more self-centered.”

In the face of that gloom, the bishop said that he was “so encouraged by the goodness, faith and generosity of people like you.” He said that at the root of evil is “selfishness. Where there is love, there is no room for selfishness. Where there is selfishness, there is no room for love. Your kindness has shown light into this darkness.”

On Monday Pope Francis met with a group of young people in Athens and also spoke with them in dealing with the darkness of this world. “There are times when, faced with misunderstanding or the difficulties of life, with loneliness or disappointment, doubt can come knocking on the door of our heart. We can think: ‘Maybe something is wrong with me. I think I may have made a mess of things.’ That, my friends, is a temptation! A temptation to be rejected. The devil sows this doubt in our hearts in order to make us gloomy and depressed.

What should we do? What can we do when that kind of doubt becomes stifling and persistent, when we lose confidence and no longer even know where to begin? We need to go back to the starting point. What is that starting point?”

The Holy Father then began with the ancient culture and asked the young people, “Do you know the starting point for all philosophy, but also for art, culture and science? All that began with a spark, a realization, captured in the magnificent word: thaumàzein. It began with wonder, with amazement. Philosophy emerged from the sense of wonder about things that exist, about our own lives, about the harmony of nature all around us, and about the mystery of life itself. Wonder, amazement, is the beginning not only of philosophy, but also of our faith. Frequently the Gospel tells us that when people encountered Jesus, they were amazed. In the encounter with God, amazement is always present, OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 65, No. 24

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for it is the beginning of dialogue with God. And the reason is because faith is not primarily about a list of things to believe and rules to follow. In the deepest sense, faith is not an idea or a system of morality, but a reality, a beautiful truth that does not depend on us and that leaves us amazed: we are God’s beloved children! This is what faith is in its deepest sense: we are God’s beloved children!”

Then the pope spoke about when we fall into sin or despair God’s mercy. “[God] never abandons us. If we stand before a mirror, we may not see ourselves the way we would like, because we are too concerned with the things we don’t like. But if we stand before God, the perspective changes. We cannot help but be amazed that, for all our sins and failings, for Him we are, and always will be, His beloved children. So, instead of starting the day by looking in the mirror, why not open your bedroom window and focus on everything beautiful that exists, on the beauty that you see all around you? Go out of yourself.

“Dear young people, think about this: if nature is beautiful in our eyes, in God’s eye each of you is infinitely more beautiful! Scripture says: ‘He has wondrously made us’ (cf. Ps 139:14). In God’s eyes we are a wonder. Allow yourself to be caught up in that wonder.”

Then the pope gave the sinners amongst us (which would be everyone) hope.

“When you feel sorrow for something you have done, you should feel another kind of wonder: the wonder of forgiveness. I want to be clear about this: God always forgives. We can grow tired of asking for forgiveness, but He always forgives. In that wonder of forgiveness, we rediscover the Father’s loving face and peace of heart. He gives us a new beginning and He pours out His love in an embrace that lifts us up, dispels the evil we have done, restores the irrepressible beauty that is within us as His beloved children, and enables it to shine forth.”

Since he was in Greece, Pope Francis referred to one of the most famous characters in ancient literature, Odysseus (from Homer’s “The Odyssey”). “Like Odysseus on his voyage home, in the course of this life, which is an adventure-filled journey to the Father’s House, you, too, will come across sirens. In mythology, the sirens by their songs enchanted sailors and made them crash against the rocks. Today’s sirens want to charm you with seductive and insistent messages that focus on easy gains, the false needs of consumerism, the cult of physical wellness, of entertainment at all costs. All these are like fireworks: they flare up for a moment, but then turn to smoke in the air. I understand, they are not easy to resist. Do you remember how Odysseus did it, threatened by the sirens? He had himself tied to the ship’s mast. Another ancient figure, Orpheus, teaches us a better way. He sang a more beautiful melody than that of the sirens, and thus reduced them to silence. That is why it is important to cherish the wonder, the amazement, the beauty of faith! We are Christians not out of duty, but out of beauty. And precisely because we want to cherish that beauty, we have to say no to anything that would mar it. The joy of the Gospel, the wonder of Jesus, makes our sacrifices and struggles fade into the background.”

Daily Readings † December 18 - December 31

Sat. Dec. 18, Jer 23:5-8; Mt 1:18-25. Sun. Dec. 19, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45. Mon. Dec. 20, Is 7:1014; Lk 1:26-38. Tue. Dec. 21, Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a; Lk 1:39-45. Wed. Dec. 22, 1 Sm 1:24-28; Lk 1:46-56. Thu. Dec. 23, Mal 3:1-4,23-24; Lk 1:57-66. Fri. Dec. 24, 2 Sm 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16; Lk 1:67-79.

Sat. Dec. 25, The Nativity of the Lord, Vigil: Is 62:1-5; Ps 89:4-5,16-17,27,29; Acts 13:16-17,22-25; Mt 1:1-25 or Mt 1:18-25. During the Night: Is 9:1-6; Ps 96:1-3,11-13; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14. Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 97:1,6,11-12; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20. Day: Is 52:7-10; Ps 98:1-6; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18 or Jn 1:1-5,9-14. Sun. Dec. 26, The Holy Family, Sir 3:2-6,12-14; Ps 128:1-5; Col 3:12-17 or Col 3:1217; Lk 2:41-52. Mon. Dec. 27, 1 Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97:1-2,5-6,11-12; Jn 20:1a,2-8. Tue. Dec. 28, 1 Jn 1:5—2:2; Ps 124:2-5,7b-8; Mt 2:13-18. Wed. Dec. 29, 1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96:1-3,5b-6; Lk 2:22-35. Thu. Dec. 30, 1 Jn 2:12-17; Ps 96:7-10; Lk 2:36-40.

Fri. Dec. 31, 1 Jn 2:18-21; Ps 96:1-2,11-13; Jn 1:1-18.

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— Carmel Terrace in Framingham, offering Assisted Living, Independent

Living, and Respite Care.

— D’Youville Life and Wellness Community in Lowell, offering Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory/Dementia Care, Post-Acute Care, Long-Term Care, Rehabilitation, and Hospice.

— Marian Manor in South Boston, offering Post-Acute Care, LongTerm Care, Rehabilitation, and Respite Care.

As Carmelite System communities, a strong faith is woven into the fabric of our services, team, and campus. All residents have the assurance of being honored, treated, respected, and cared for. With our history in senior care, you can count on us to provide personalized services and care customized to your or your loved one’s individual needs. Likewise, with our foundation in the Church, we celebrate faith-based senior care and welcome residents of all

religious backgrounds. The Carmelite System does not discriminate pursuant to the federal Fair Housing Act. Visit www.carmelitesystem.

org/faith-based-seniorliving-communities to learn more about faithbased our communities and locations.

On December 3, St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet celebrated its patron with a Mass.

Here, a few of the students and Father Ryan Healy are pictured after Mass with a statue of St. Francis and some fortune cookies to be given to the classes in honor of St. Francis’ mission to Asia.

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Echo Graduate Services program apprentices share their stories The Echo Graduate Service program is a twoyear program through the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. Post-undergraduate students commit to two years of full-time parish ministry in one of 16 partner dioceses, while earning a master’s in Theology, at reduced cost to the parish to which they are assigned. The Diocese of Fall River recently began such a partnership for the next two years. This article is the last of three, depicting the stories of the Echo apprentices working within

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our diocese.

My name is Madeleine Vuyk and I am one of three of the first ever Echo apprentices to serve in Massachusetts. When I was little I wanted to be an ice skating secret agent. As I grew up, those plans changed significantly. And yet, regardless of the many moving parts, the most consistent thing in my life has always been my faith. I grew up in a strong Catholic family and was always regularly involved in the youth ministry programs of my parish and schools. My entire childhood and early adolescence

† December 10, 2021

— from the friends I kept to the dreams I had — was shaped by my faith. Looking back, my life has been inextricably formed by the ministry of Faith Formation. It even led me to serve as a full-time missionary and later a director of Youth Ministry. It only seems fitting that I then ended up here as an Echo apprentice.

When I was a missionary in Haiti, I fell in love with the culture and one of my favorite things was the way that the community I lived with would thank God by saying “mesi Bondye mesi” after everything

— good or bad. It means “Thank You, God, thank You,” and it quickly became the catchphrase of our community. However, if you ever ask my friends if I have a catchphrase of my own, they will likely tell you “all is gift.”

I say this all the time partly because I have been so abundantly blessed, but also because I genuinely believe that everything God allows to happen in our life has a gift in it, a reason for joy and gratitude. My time with Echo has already been such a gift full of so many reasons to shout “mesi Bondye mesi.” It has certainly had it’s challenging moments and I know there will be more to come, but it has also been a wonderful blessing.

For starters, your warm welcome has certainly helped offset the already freezing cold weather (if this is fall, this Texas gal is not ready for a Massachusetts winter!) and has made me even more excited about becoming a member of your community. Of all the wonderful things that initially attracted me to this program, I was most excited about the community aspect. Serving as the director of Youth Ministry at my parish back home was such a joy, but it was challenging to do alone. I had just finished a year as a full-time missionary with Life Teen and moved into my first apartment by myself less than two months before the Coronavirus brought the whole world to a screeching halt. The shift from living in an intentional community of dozens to a community of just me, myself, and I was enough to give me whiplash. There was a lot of beautiful growth that happened in that space, but I quickly realized that the mission of a life in ministry is one that should not be attempted alone. I remem-

ber being struck in prayer

by Christ’s example in the Gospels where, when sending out His disciples, He would regularly send them out without extra clothing or food but never without at least one friend. I loved having my own space to care for and enjoy, but, like Mother Teresa says, “If you live alone, whose feet will you wash?” Being a part of the Echo program has allowed me to return to doing ministry from the place of a foot-washer. It has also challenged me to humbly allow my own feet to be washed at the same time.

After the incredible miracles, growth, and deep joy of my mission year, it was hard to trust that the best was still yet to come, that God had bigger and better plans to reveal. It wasn’t until grad school started cropping up in my prayers almost incessantly that I finally caved and completed the application to Echo with Notre Dame, if only to get Jesus to back off about it already. I had considered the program in the past (and even started the application once before), but this time I had a profound peace and excitement about it. While I know that I will never be done learning everything there is to know about our Catholic faith, I knew that I wanted to spend more time intentionally devoted to learning more as a student again. The Lord always has been so good to me — I can’t wait to see what He has in store here in Fall River.

I know life in ministry to be a joyful, maddening, and sanctifying mission field at times and certainly not one for the faint of heart and yet, despite the challenges, I know without a doubt that all truly is a gift.

Knights’ film, ‘St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father’ now available online at no cost

The newest Knights of Columbus documentary film, “St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father,” was available at no cost at kofc. org/stjoseph as of December 8,

to coincide with the end of the special Year of St. Joseph.

The film premiered on ABC affiliates across the U.S. this fall and received glowing

reviews.

A Providential renewal has come upon the Church with respect to understanding and praying to St. Joseph. To help the faithful in continuing their devotion to St. Joseph, the Knights of Columbus is offering its newest film, “St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father,” for all to watch — at no cost.

Since its launch, the film has received raving reviews and is rich in inspiring testimonials, including these powerful words from Most Rev. James Wall,

Bishop of Gallup, N.M., “If you have a devotion to St. Joseph, strengthen that devotion. If you don’t, you should have one.”

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly added, “The example of St. Joseph teaches us that we really find ourselves when we live for others.”

Visit kofc.org/stjoseph to watch the film or learn more.

Know someone who could benefit from joining the order?

Visit or share kofc.org/joinus for details.

Father Spitzer message captivates large audience continued from page one the younger generation’s decision to leave religion at the alarming young age of 13 years old — confirmed by recent PEW surveys. But even with these challenges, Bishop da Cunha acknowledged the hope that was shown by the large crowd, hope that there is a desire to learn the truth and understand why the secular world tries to cover up the truth and hope that there is a trusted resource to reference for other questions about our souls, true happiness, and the purpose of suffering.

Daniel S. Roy, superintendent of Catholic Schools, introduced Father Robert J. Spitzer, to a resounding applause.

Opening with some statistics about scientists in general, Father Spitzer reported that 51 percent of scientists believe in God, 88 percent of medical doctors are religious, and 73 percent of medical doctors believe in miracles. Most surprising, the trend is that almost 66 percent of younger medical doctors believe in God or a Spiritual being, contrary to popular belief that the scientific community is heading in the direction of atheism.

The purpose of these metrics was to “debunk” the belief that scientists are not religious and that science and religion are not compatible.

Father Spitzer transitioned to the changes in theories about the universe as a result of the work done by Father George Lemaître in 1929, which opened the door for the concept of the universe “having a beginning”. His theory is that the universe likely started off as a small entity and continued to expand to what it is today — and continues to expand. Father Lemaître’s work was transformational, and today, is widely accepted across the scientific community. Eventually, even Einstein agreed that Lemaître’s theory was the “most creative and satisfying explanation of universal Creation that I have heard.”

Moving onto the scientific process, Father Spitzer clearly articulated two cautions in using the scientific process in an attempt to disprove God. First, God is beyond our universe, and therefore, cannot be disproved using the scientific method — which analyzes data from only within our universe.

Two, science is an inductive discipline where generalizations are made. This means that scientific knowledge is conditional and therefore, subject to change, and it is reasonable to believe that a new discovery always has the potential to change what is thought to be 8 Turn to page 14 December 10, 2021 †

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Fall River man named United Interfaith Action Shining Star

BOSTON — A native of the Dominican Republic who came to Fall River as a young adult, Felix Gonzalez has been involved with United Interfaith Action (UIA) for 13 years and a board member for the past two years.

A leader in the Hispanic Community Ministry at St. Mary’s Cathedral of Fall River, Felix has led many UIA Community Action Meetings over the years with public officials around the issues of education, youth, and job development, and he helped to cochair UIA’s first public actions on Zoom and to offer simultaneous interpretation remotely. He cares most passionately for immigration justice issues, through his own lived experiences.

“I grew up in a very

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humble neighborhood in the Dominican capital (Cristo Rey, Santo Domingo). That is why at an early age I got involved in the popular struggle to represent those who have no voice and who are ignored by the great domes of society,” said Felix. “Upon arriving in the United States in search of providing better opportunities for my family, I noticed that the differences were very marked also in this developed country.”

The Shining Star Award is presented annually by the Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN) to seven leaders representing each affiliate in their statewide network.

“Felix is a gentle, inviting soul who others instinctively follow,” said Janine

† December 10, 2021

Carreiro-Young, MCAN executive director. “He’s clear, honest and full of love. Felix is absolutely a shining star and a gifted ambassador for our statewide work in Southeastern Massachusetts.”

Felix’s longterm commitment to the work of UIA is rooted in his faith.

“The idea of belonging to an organization where the center, the pillar of it, is faith, filled me with great satisfaction and desire to continue the struggle that began in my country of origin during my youth. We have been involved in many actions related to immigration, education, drug abuse, minimum wage rise, driver license for undocumented, etc. I’m glad and proud to be a member of UIA and I’ll

Felix Gonzalez, right, from Fall River, was recently awarded the United Interfaith Action Shining Star.

With him are, from left, his son Paul; Sarah Quinones, a UIA leader and family friend; and his daughter Amy. (Photo © Karen Elliott Greisdorf) continue looking forward to keep providing support and fighting for social justice, equity, racism and equality.”

At this time, UIA also celebrates the hiring of a new Fall River Community

Organizer, Alejandra Riasco. Alejandra moved to Fall River from Columbia 14 years ago and is active with her family in St. Mary’s Cathedral. Most recently 8 Turn to page 15

Bishop da Cunha updates diocesan faithful on USCCB’s fall assembly In a blog on the Fall River Diocese website (fallriverdiocese.org) dated December 1, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., updated diocesan

tion provided during the week and learning about the new Eucharistic and youth projects — both are very exciting, and I’m encouraged to watch them

opment; Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth; and Migration. The bishops elected will serve for one year as treasurer-elect or chairman-elect before

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at a session of its annual fall assembly in Baltimore, Md., last month. faithful on his attending the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) annual fall assembly, held in November in Baltimore, Md. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, Md. It was good that we could gather again as a conference and brother bishops to spend a few days together. New this year, a morning of prayer reflection the day before the official start of the meeting’s business. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz did a remarkable job offering the morning reflection, and this definitely set a prayerful tone for the rest of the week. Additionally, I very much enjoyed the opportunity for Adora-

develop and to be a part of them.

The General Assembly put forth an incredibly busy agenda, and the Conference of Bishops accomplished a great deal in our short time together. Some of the items addressed and approved include: Inscription of St. Teresa of Calcutta in the U.S. Proper Calendar.

This means St. Teresa of Calcutta’s feast day of September 5 is now on the Proper Calendar (also known as the Liturgical Calendar) for the Dioceses of the United States as an optional memorial.

Election of a treasurer-elect for the conference, as well as chairmen-elect of five conference committees: Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations; Divine Worship; Domestic Justice and Human Devel-

beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the 2022 Fall General Assembly. There was also the election of board members for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the election of a new USCCB general secretary.

Consultation and approval to advance the causes of beatification and canonization for Servant of God Charlene Marie Richard, Servant of God Auguste Robert Pelafigue, and Servant of God Joseph Dutton. I was particularly taken by the life of Charlene, a young girl from Louisiana, who died in 1959 at the age of 12 from acute lymphatic leukemia.

Although her life was short, it was impactful; her biography sums it up beautifully, “Though the illness was painful, she remained cheerful, meek-

ly accepted her fate, and offered up her suffering to God.” The document, The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, was developed by the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishops approved it during the General Meeting and authorized it for publication. The document can be found on the USCCB website, usccb.org. There is also a free two-hour online course, presented

by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, on the Eucharistic Revival Project and new document.

A major highlight of our time together came in discussions of the Eucharistic Revival initiative and approval of a national Eucharistic Congress in July 2024, in Indianapolis, Ind. The congress is part

another, place themselves in each other’s situations, dialogue in large and small group settings, and contemplate matters of faith and life from intra-cultural and intercultural perspectives. A cumulation of these virtual meetings will be a national in-person event June 2326, 2022, called Journeying Together Encounter in Chicago. I am pleased to offer my prayers for the upcoming gathering and am encouraged by the potential outcomes of this initiative.

To read Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez’s full presentation to the USCCB General Assembly regarding Journeying Together, visit the bishop’s blog at fallriverdiocese.org for the link.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Cath-

of a three-year revival initiative planned by the Conference of Bishops, with excitement on igniting and renewing devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Over the last 18 months, Journeying Together has virtually brought together thousands of young adults and ministry leaders, accompanied by dozens of Catholic bishops. These virtual meetings have been a time of learning to listen to one

olic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, provided an update on Walking with Moms in Need. The project, run by the USCCB, encourages Catholics to support and “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in difficult situations. The initiative is opening eyes, making a real difference, and providing resources to empower parishes to utilize their gifts to help mothers in need.

December 10, 2021 †

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T he C hurch

I

Y outh & Y oung A dults

To all the Cindy Lou Whos

have written in the past about how I am a self-proclaimed Grinch.

In the Jim Carey version, the Grinch says “4:00, wallow in self-pity. 4:30, stare into the abyss. 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one.

5:30, jazzercize; 6:30, dinner with me. I can’t cancel that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing. I’m booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9, I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness.”

This I understand (OK, so I won’t be jazzercising). I love Jesus and I love Advent but having some much loss, leaves me feeling down around Christmas. The Grinch never disliked Christmas because he did not get the gift he wanted. It was never because he did not get the slice of roast beast.

It was never even because he hated the Whos. It was

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and

because he felt alone.

I know I am not the only one who feels Grinchy around Christmas. For many people, the holidays are “the most wonderful time of the year.” However, for some people, they are difficult.

We need to try to be like Cindy Lou Who. Cindy Lou said, “No one should be alone on Christmas.”

We need to try to reach out to those who struggle this time of year and invite them into the celebrations. Or as the Grinch told Cindy Lou, “Saving you, is that what you think I was doing? Wrong-o. I merely noticed that you’re improperly packaged, my dear.” Some of us during the holiday are just improperly packaged.

A friend of mine is one of those people who loves Christmas and it hurt her

† December 10, 2021

heart that I do not feel that joy around the season.

Four years ago she decided to start a “second Christmas” for me to

“make my heart grow three sizes.” Over the last three years we have done a variety of activities (and have roped in some of our ordained friends). We always start with breakfast which includes wearing matching tee T-shirts. Then it is off on some adventure. We have been to the beach (yes in the winter), we have cruised around in the car, we have gone to a park and zoo and fed the animals, we watched Christmas movies while we ate homemade cookies, and

we celebrated Mass in my living room (while both my dogs were present). It has become something I look forward to every year.

It has become the way that I most see Christ in Christmas.

At the end of the Grinch, the Narrator says “Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we.” As we head into this third week of Advent, the rose week, the week of joy, it is a reminder to us to get excited for the arrival of Christ and to see Him in our loved ones. But it is also a chance for us to be that Cindy Lou Who to those in our lives who cannot see the Christ-

mas spirit. We know that Christmas will still come “without ribbons, it comes without tags. It comes without packages, boxes, or bags” but what it does need is love. God is love and that was what was born on Christmas day!

So from this Grinch in conversion to all the Grinches and Cindy Lou Whos out there — Merry Christmas! May you see and feel all the joy and love that Christ brings.

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.

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or waynepowers@anchornews.org

Bishop presents Marian Medals FALL RIVER — On December 3 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., awarded the Marian Medal to 70 laypersons from parishes throughout diocese The award recognizes members of diocesan parishes for dedicated service to the Church. Recipients are nominated by their pastor.

The medals were blessed and presented in the context

of Evening Prayer of the Church and Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Made of sterling silver, the Marian Medal is embossed with a Miraculous Medal on one side and the diocesan coat-of-arms on the other.

The video of the 2021 Marian Medal Awards Ceremony has been posted on the diocesan website at fallriverdiocese.org

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, December 12 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from Santo Christo Church in Fall River

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass

on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, December 19 at 7 p.m.

Broadcast from St. Francis Xavier Church in East Providence

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, December 12 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father John Santone, C.S.C., Parochial Vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Easton

Sunday, December 19 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Craig A. Pregana, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Attleboro

2021 Marian Medal Recipients Attleboro Deanery St. Theresa of the Child Jesus South Attleboro Manuel E. Desourdy St. John the Evangelist Attleboro Malte A. Ebeling St. Mary Mansfield Charles E. Hopkins Jr. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Seekonk Judith A. Hurley St. Mary Norton David J. Iagatta Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Seekonk Linda Nason St. Vincent de Paul Attleboro James Spratt Transfiguration of the Lord North Attleborough Mrs. Manju Yoder Cape Cod Deanery St. Mary/Our Lady of the Isle Nantucket John F. Bangs Jr. St. Peter the Apostle Provincetown Patricia Benatti Corpus Christi East Sandwich Linda Bunker St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family East Falmouth Elda Carvalho Our Lady of Lourdes Wellfleet Lucile Cashin Holy Redeemer Chatham Janet Holden Holy Trinity West Harwich Brian Kennedy Christ the King Mashpee Michael Kondracki St. Margaret’s Buzzards Bay Cheryl Lagace Good Shepherd Vineyard Haven Nancy E. Nevin St. John the Evangelist Pocasset Joseph Prioli St. Pius X South Yarmouth Judith M. Sullivan Our Lady of the Assumption Osterville Frank Sullivan St. Joan of Arc Orleans Doris Toohill Our Lady of Victory Centerville Eleanor Ubaldini Fall River Deanery St. Dominic Swansea Alfred Paul Arruda Espirito Santo Fall River Pedro Botelho St. John of God Somerset Robert Correia St. Thomas More Somerset Carol Costa St. Bernard Assonet Village Linda DeMarco St. Michael Fall River Filomena Furtado Holy Trinity Fall River Brenda Gagnon St. Joseph Fall River Constance Lavoie Holy Name Fall River Michael Leary St. Patrick Somerset William Mathieu St. Anthony of Padua Fall River Manuel B. Medeiros Our Lady of Grace Westport Mary Michaud St. Stanislaus Fall River Karen Plichta St. Louis de France Swansea Darlene Richards St. John the Baptist Westport Marshall Ronco Good Shepherd Fall River Alan Silvia St. Mary’s Cathedral Fall River Angela Stankiewicz St. Francis of Assisi Swansea Kathleen Ann Sullivan St. George’s Westport Linda Trahan Santo Christo Fall River Liberal Viveiros New Bedford Deanery Our Lady of Guadalupe @ St. James New Bedford Susanne Auger St. Mary Fairhaven Joseph Booth Holy Name Sacred Heart of Jesus New Bedford Donald Buckley St. Julie Billiart Dartmouth Paul Cabral St. Rita of Cascia Marion Robert Cattel Our Lady of Mount Carmel New Bedford Lucy de Oliveira St. Joseph Fairhaven Peter Deterra St. Anthony Mattapoisett Jeanne Eagle St. John Neumann East Freetown George Gagnon St. Francis of Assisi New Bedford Diana Henry St. Lawrence Martyr New Bedford Yvonne Houtman St. Mary Dartmouth Annemarie Kerney Immaculate Conception New Bedford Celia A. Pires Our Lady of the Assumption New Bedford Arlindo A. Rodrigues St. Francis Xavier Acushnet Diane C. Sleight St. Patrick’s Wareham Theresa Tripp St. Gabriel the Archangel St. New Bedford Richard Wisniewski Taunton Deanery Holy Cross Easton Alex Alfieri St. Nicholas of Myra North Dighton Ruth Andrade Annunciation of the Lord Taunton Paul Botelho St. Andrew the Apostle Taunton Catherine Cahoon St. Jude the Apostle Taunton Judy Corliss St. Ann Raynham Charleen Dahlin St. Anthony Taunton Martha Feliciano St. Mary Taunton Hipolita ”Polly” Flores Holy Family East Taunton Carol Murphy Immaculate Conception Easton David Lee Switzer

December 10, 2021 †

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Father Spitzer well received by students, adults continued from page nine

scientific fact.

Father Spitzer then took the audience through a journey of differing speculations of how the universe may have been created, and the common theme among these theories is that they all require a beginning.

One of the most captivating topics that points to the existence of God is the “fine-tuning” that is required for life to exist — one such condition being the low entropy state of our universe at the Big Bang.

Roger Penrose calculated that the odds against having just that one necessary condition to support life are one in 10 to the 10 to the 123rd power — in essence, a number so big that “if it were written out in 10-point font, the solar

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system could not hold the paper it was written on.” Or as Father Spitzer pointed out, “It’s the same odds as a monkey typing the entire corpus of Shakespeare by random tapping in a single try.” In other words, the fact that life exists is not an accident and is as though the creation of the universe was specific for the creation of life.

The question and answer session was very well received by all in attendance and likely could have continued for another hour.

After grouping questions by topic, Father Spitzer provided explanations to questions such as, “When I was 12, I nearly drowned and heard a voice calling to me. Who was the voice?” The ability for Father Spitzer to address

† December 10, 2021

questions in a very detailed way contributed to the overall success of this event.

Attendees had an opportunity to provide feedback about the event via a card or an online survey.

Adults as well as students were able to rate Father Spitzer’s presentation as well as provide comments about how the topic matter may or may not have influenced their opinions about God and faith. One middle school student indicated, “[Father Spitzer] brought up many good examples of how incredible the formation of life is, and it has changed and explained some of my thoughts.” A high school student commented, “I realized how God created this Universe suitable for us to live in.

Science can’t just be science (somebody had to have created it). That is God!” Positive feedback was not only from students in the audience, but from adults as well. “His talk, especially the information on ‘fine tuning,’ provided more strength to my belief and the ability to talk to others about evidence for a Divine Creator.” Overall, Father Spitzer continues to draw a broad audience of supporters, and with the success of the November 18 event, there may be future opportunities to bring Father Spitzer back to the Diocese of Fall River.

To watch a recording of Father Spitzer’s November 18th presentation, please go to www. catholicschoolsalliance. org/father-spitzer.

There are seven Essential Modules Father Spitzer has prepared for middle and high school classrooms. A beta test survey at a California high school (2017) showed 97

percent of the students stated, the seven Essential Modules improved, or greatly improved, their faith. A 2020 beta test

showed the same statistics.

His modules can be found at www.CredibleCatholic. com and are freely available for download.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: Dec. 19 Permanent Deacon Eugene L. Orosz, 1988 Permanent Deacon Maurice LaValle, 2007 Rev. Gabriel (William) Healy, SS.CC., 2015 Dec. 20 Rev. Manuel S. Travassos, Pastor, Espirito Santo, Fall River, 1953 Rev. John A. Janson, OFM, Missionary in Brazil, 1996 Rev. William J. Heffron, SS.CC., 2017 Dec. 21 Rev. Henri J. Charest, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1968 Rev. Manuel M. Resendes, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes,Taunton, 1985 Rev. Laureano C. dos Reis, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua, Fall River, 1989 Dec. 22 Rev. Adriano Moniz, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Angels, Fall River, 1964 Rev. Armand P. Paradis, S.J., Psychologist, San Francisco, Calif., 1991 Dec. 23 Rev. Owen J. Kiernan, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1901 Rev. Charles P. Trainor, SS, St. Edward Seminary, Seattle, Wash., 1947 Rev. Msgr. John A. Silvia, Retired Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1970 Rev. William E. Collard, Retired Pastor, St Theresa, New Bedford, 1986 Dec. 24 Rev. James K. Beaven, Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1886 Rev. Timothy J. Duff, Assistant, St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1914 Dec. 25 Permanent Deacon Nicholas M. CaraDonna, 2015 Dec. 27 Rev. Thomas J. Stapleton, Pastor, Corpus Christi, Sandwich, 1956 Rev. Msgr. Armand Levasseur, Retired Pastor, St. Anne, New Bedford, 1970 Rev. Manuel Andrade, Former Pastor, Our Lady of Health, Fall River, 1995 Dec. 28 Rev. Charles R. Smith, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Edward J. Sharpe, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset, 1987 Rev. Clement Paquet, O.P., Assistant, St. Anne, Fall River, 1987 Dec. 29, Rev. Rafeal Flammia, SS.CC., Retired Pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption, New Bedford, 1993 Rev. James B. Mannis, C.S.C., 2007 Rev. James F. Boyle, C.S.C., 2010 Rev. Robert J. Kruse, C.S.C., 2015 Rev. Kevin J. Harrington, Retired Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New Bedford, 2020 Dec. 30 Rev. Thomas C. Mayhew, Pastor, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Seekonk, 1991 Rev. Robert C. Donovan, Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Pocasset, 2016

W

hen I was lad, I was just a wee thing (actually right through college). Always, like in the tradition of my dad, the smallest in the class; the smallest on the team; the smallest in the human race, I started believing.

(Today, I am not a wee thing, but my growth spurt was around my waist, not vertically.)

Just because I was small, didn’t mean I was meek. To tell the truth, I was bit of terror. Back in those days there was a cartoon in the paper (in the days when I would look forward to the daily hometown paper for the comics — I got my sports news from the Boston papers) called “Dennis the Menace.” It later became a TV show. I wasn’t as much a menace as I was a hurricane.

I was Dennis and the whole world was my “Good ole Mr. Wilson.” You see, I had tendency to

I had tinsel duty break or ruin things. Not intentionally, mind you, but break and ruin I did. My brother was very good with his hands and became very accomplished as a carpenter, cabinet maker, house builder, etc. (he got that from Larry).As good as he was at putting things together, I was as good at tearing them apart. Still the case today.

As a child I ruined a five-foot long, mahogany coffee table by sliding across it and my belt buckle left “tire tracks” across the entire surface. Larry and Millie were not happy. It took my dad hours to strip and re-stain the darn thing.

While playing baseball in the

Fall River man is UIA Shining Star continued from page 10

she has been an Outreach Supervisor with Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction helping to oversee community education and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine among a diverse community in Fall River. In Alejandra’s new role with UIA, she will continue to build relationships across the city and develop grassroots leaders to put their faith into action for economic and racial justice in Fall

River.

United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts is a multi-faith, multi-ethnic non-profit working collaboratively on issues to promote racial and economic justice through prophetic, faith-rooted community organizing. We advocate at the state level as Massachusetts Communities Action Network and at the national level as Faith in Action.

St. Anne’s Little League, I would break at least a half-dozen bats each season (that’s when ballplayers used real wooden bats). That was lot. My dad would take the bats, glue them, put a screw in them, and tape them. I never went without my own bats when playing sandlot ball.

I once broke a second-floor window at a friend’s house trying to practice casting with a rod and reel. I reared back and the sinker’s momentum brought it backward through the pane. I never ran so fast in my life. I feel bad my pal got in trouble. But hey, it was him or me.

Golly, as most of you know, I even broke my own arm falling from a tree. I did go on later in life to break a nose, a thumb, and a toe.

Come Christmas season when I was in my hurricane prime, my parents welcomed my brother and me to help decorate the tree (always a real one). I inevitably would break the glass ornaments. Thus, I was relegated to putting up the tinsel. There was no way I could mess that up, and if you’re waiting for my story on how I did, sorry to disappoint you. That was one task I routinely accomplished without incident.

When I finished, I would stand back and admire my handiwork, along with the lights and ornaments put up by the three other Jolivets.

It was beautiful; the lights, the ornaments, the garland, and the tinsel — going half-way up the tree (remember, I was a wee thing). My dad would take care of the rest.

Once the tree was up, that didn’t mean le petit ouragan (the little hurricane) couldn’t wreak havoc. There were times when, while playing, I would hit the tree and still break an ornament. And there was the time when I took an ornament I made at St. Anne’s School made from little paper medicine cups, and placed it on a bulb (back then we had the big ones, not the small LED lights of today). Luckily my mom found it before it heated up enough to catch fire. I got in trouble for that one too.

But now, as an adult, I have the duties to put up and decorate the whole shebang. And if I do say so myself, I break, on average, only one ornament per Christmas.

When Igor was alive, it would be a contest to see if dog or human would break more in a given Christmas season (I would give anything to have that again).

They say that God has given everyone a specific talent. Mine shown through as a lad — I was the “go to” if you wanted the bottom half your tree covered with tinsel. davejolivet@anchornews.org

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or at waynepowers@ anchornews.org December 10, 2021 †

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† December 10, 2021