Anchor 12.10.10

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , December 10, 2010

Celebrating and venerating the ‘Empress of America’ B y Kenneth J. Souza, Anchor Staff

tas — or ‘little morning songs’ — to the Blessed Mother in Spanish before NEW BEDFORD — In his homily during the opening Mass for the Synod our regular Masses at 8:30 and 10 a.m. in English and 11:30 a.m. in Spanof Bishops on Nov. 16, 1997, Pope John Paul II said: “There really are not ish,” Father Wilson said. “Also on that day, at Holy Family-Holy Name three Americas; there is only one America in the eyes of the Good Shepherd, School in New Bedford they will be having breakfast at 9 a.m. and then I’ll whose redemption is poured forth so generously across this great continent.” be giving a talk on Our Lady of Guadalupe. That talk is open to everyone.”

Since the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego in MexTwo years later the pope dubbed Our Lady of Guadalupe “Empress ico in December 1531, devotion to Our Lady of Guaof America” in his “Ecclesia in America” on dalupe has continued to flourish in the Americas Jan. 22, 1999 and personally dedicated a chaand beyond. One of the earliest documented Marpel within St. Peter’s Basilica in her honor. ian apparitions, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains December 12 is the official feast day of Our Lady one of the most popular and well-recognized iconic of Guadalupe and celebrations throughout the Fall images of the Blessed Mother along with her subRiver Diocese are planned throughout the weekend. sequent appearances in La Salette, France (1846); A diocesan Mass to commemorate the feast of Lourdes, France (1858); and Fatima, Portugal (1917).

Our Lady of Guadalupe will be celebrated tomorAlthough her name might suggest the series of row at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish in Attleapparitions between December 9 and 12 took place boro, according to Father Richard Wilson, pasin “Guadalupe,” they actually occurred on a hillside tor of the namesake Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tepeyac, northwest of present-day Mexico City.

Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford.

It was the Blessed Mother herself who asked to be “After Mass there will be a dinner and identified as the “Virgin of Guadalupe,” the latter folklore presentation,” Father Wilson said. word thought to be a loose translation of the origiFather Wilson just completed a week-long nonal Aztec phrase for “(she) who crushes the serpent.” vena to Our Lady of Guadalupe at his own parish After requesting that a church be erected in her honand is also planning an early-morning service on the EMPRESS IMPRESSION — This image of Our actual feast day prior to his regular Sunday Mass- Lady of Guadalupe hangs in the basilica named for or, Our Lady instructed Juan Diego to collect an ases, which will be for the third Sunday of Advent. her in Mexico City. The feast of Our Lady of Guada- sortment of roses that were growing nearby despite the “At 6 a.m. Sunday we will be singing mañani- lupe is Sunday. (CNS photo) Turn to page 13

Cardinal Burke stresses keeping Christ on Catholic campuses

By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent

Cardinal Burke has served in the Vatican as prefect of the SuBOSTON — “The name preme Tribunal of the Apostolic ‘Catholic’ accepts no qualifiers,” Signatura since 2008 and was Cardinal Raymond Burke said archbishop of the Diocese of St. in his first public address since Louis before that. the November Known for 20 consistory speaking with Third sunday at which Pope c o n v i c t ion of advent Benedict XVI about moral elevated him issues, most to the College often the proof Cardinals. tection of the His comdignity of hument was met man life, Carwith resounddinal Burke ing applause has announced from supportpublicly that ers of Thomas he would deny More College Dec. 12, 2010 Communion in Merrimack, to Catholic N.H. at its annual President’s politicians who are obstinately Council Dinner. The event was persistent in holding positions held at the Harvard Club in Bos- contrary to Catholic teaching ton on December 4.

Turn to page 14

preparing for Christ’s coming — Fourth-graders from St. Mary’s School in Mansfield are preparing for their annual Christmas pageant on December 21. From left are featured performers: John Meawad (shepherd), Ryan Burke (Joseph), Cassandra Gloekler (Mary), and Linnea Carchedi (angel).

‘What Child is this?’ — Diocesan students know

B y D ave Jolivet, Editor

MANSFIELD — Go to 10 different shopping malls, and you’ll find 10 different looking Santas. Decorations include, but are by no means limited to Grinches, snowmen, nutcrackers, candy canes, elves, and polar bears. Shoppers are bombarded with a smorgasbord of secular sights

and sounds; a helter-skelter array of images that have taken over the Christmas season like weeds in a garden.

The secular world has transformed Christmas from one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar to a money-making exploitation explosion.

Would there be a “holiday

season” today if it were not for the traditional remembrance of Christ’s birth? Probably not, but large-scale retailers would have eventually found something else to transpose.

Although it’s difficult to find the real meaning of Christmas in public surroundings, true Christians around Turn to page 18

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News From the Vatican

December 10, 2010

While a cardinal, pope asked for swift action against abusive priests

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A newly disclosed letter reveals that as early as 1988, the future Pope Benedict XVI pressed for swifter and more streamlined procedures to punish priests guilty of “grave and scandalous conduct.”

The letter, written by thenCardinal Joseph Ratzinger when he was head of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, expressed concern that the normal process for dealing with such priests — which typically involved a request for dispensation from priestly obligations — took too long and was seen more as a favor than a punishment.

Eventually, with Cardinal Ratzinger’s involvement, the penal procedures were simplified and sanctions were strengthened. But in 1988, the cardinal’s suggestion of a “more rapid and simplified penal process” was rebuffed by the Vatican’s canon law experts.

The letter was cited in a lengthy article published December 1 by the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

The article highlighted what it described as a “crucial role” and “decisive action” by Cardinal Ratzinger in the 20-year process of strengthening sanctions against errant priests.

Cardinal Ratzinger’s letter, dated Feb. 19, 1988, was addressed to the president of the Pontifical Commission for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, who at that time was Venezuelan Cardinal Jose Rosalio Castillo Lara.

The doctrinal congregation was in charge of examining petitions for dispensation from priestly obligations, some of which involved priests guilty of grave crimes. Those offenses included sexual abuse, although sexual abuse was not specifically mentioned in Cardinal Ratzinger’s letter.

Cardinal Ratzinger’s concern was that not enough attention was being given to penalties foreseen by Church law for priest-offenders — including “reduction to the lay state” — because the penal process was too cumbersome.

He wrote that such penalties “in the judgment of this dicastery, ought in some cases, for the good of the faithful, to take precedence over the request for dispensation from priestly obligations, which, by its nature, involves a ‘grace’ in fa-

vor of the petitioner.”

“Yet in view of the complexity of the penal process required by the code (of canon law) in these circumstances, some ordinaries are likely to experience considerable difficulty in implementing such a penal process,” Cardinal Ratzinger said.

“I would be grateful to your eminence, therefore, if you were to communicate your valued opinion regarding the possibility of making provision, in specific cases, for a more rapid and simplified penal process,” he said.

The response from Cardinal Castillo Lara came less than a month later. It was sympathetic with Cardinal Ratzinger’s concerns but recommended reminding bishops to exercise their authority rather than streamlining penal procedures.

“To seek to simplify the judicial procedure further so as to impose or declare sanctions as grave as dismissal from the clerical state ... does not seem at all appropriate,” Cardinal Castillo Lara wrote. He likewise rejected changes that would allow an “extra-judicial administrative decree in these cases.”

Cardinal Castillo Lara said such modifications would “endanger the fundamental right of defense” and would favor the “deplorable tendency” toward “so-called ‘pastoral’ governance” that obscures the due exercise of authority.

Instead, he said, bishops should be reminded “not to omit their judicial and coercive power” in such cases, “instead of forwarding petitions for dispensation to the Holy See.” In 2001, the doctrinal congregation was given exclusive jurisdiction over a number of “most grave crimes,” including the sexual abuse of a minor by a priest. In 2003, Cardinal Ratzinger obtained from Pope John Paul II new faculties to deal with sex abuse offenders, including those making it easier to dismiss them from the priesthood.

The Vatican newspaper article was written by Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. He said Cardinal Ratzinger’s letter came to light during the council’s preparation of a revision of the penal section of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

helping them heal — Pope Benedict XVI greets a young man at the Vatican recently who was injured when the Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad, Iraq, was attacked October 31. The Italian foreign ministry arranged for 26 injured Iraqis, including three children, and 21 accompanying family members to fly to Rome for treatment of their injuries soon after the incident. (CNS photo/ L’Osservatore Romano via Catholic Press Photos)

Pope meets injured Iraqi Catholics receiving medical treatment in Rome

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI met privately December 1 with two dozen Iraqis who were injured when their cathedral in Baghdad was attacked on October 31.

In early November, the Italian foreign ministry arranged for 26 injured Iraqis — including three children — and 21 accompanying family members to fly to Rome.

The injured were treated at

the Gemelli Hospital and their family members were housed in apartments belonging to the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, which operates the hospital.

Nicola Cerbino, hospital spokesman, said December 1 that only two of the injured were still hospitalized, but they were well enough to travel with their family members to the Vatican for the brief audience with the pope.

The entire Iraqi group — nearly 50 people — will remain guests of the university until mid-December, Cerbino said. After that, the Italian foreign minister will help them return home or settle elsewhere, he said.

Fifty-eight people died in the attack on the Syrian Catholic church in Baghdad October 31 after military officials tried to end a terrorist siege of the church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI blessed a statue of Our Lady of Loreto, which will be placed in Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport at Fiumicino to mark the 90th anniversary of the proclamation of Our Lady of Loreto as the patron saint of aviation.

At the end of his weekly general audience December 1, the pope blessed the modern bronze statue of Mary holding the baby Jesus and standing on globe with airplanes attached to it; he also received a foottall replica of the statue.

Airport executives said the statue, which is just over eight feet tall, would be placed in a “public and visible” location at the airport after a Mass there today, the feast of Our Lady of Loreto.

In 1920, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed Our Lady of Loreto the patroness of aviation; tradition holds that Mary’s house was flown by angels from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy,

in 1292.

Today, millions of pilgrims flock to Loreto each year to venerate the tiny cottage in which the Holy Family is thought to have lived when Jesus was young.

Placing the statue at Fiumicino is “associated with the cultural choice of the airport, which serves the capital city of Italy and the center of Chris-

tianity, with the intention to stress the historical truth of a Europe with Christian roots,” said a press release from the company that runs the airport.

The release said special Masses would be celebrated today in airport chapels in several other European cities “to witness the depth and vitality of the same Christian roots that they share with Rome.”

Benedict blesses Our Lady of Loreto statue for Rome airport

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OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 54, No. 47

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December 10, 2010

The International Church

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U.S. seminarians in Belgium sad at decision to close school but resilient B y Rick Snizek Catholic News Service

changes needed — Protesters hold up placards while demanding the release of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who has been sentenced to death for blasphemy, at a rally in Karachi recently. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari may not have the political strength needed to abolish the anti-blasphemy law that places Christians at risk, but he promised to try to revise the law, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. (CNS photo/Akhtar Soomro, Reuters)

Cardinal says Pakistan’s president wants to revise blasphemy law

B y Cindy Wooden C atholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pakistan’s president may not have the political strength needed to abolish the anti-blasphemy law that places Christians’ lives at risk, but he has promised to try to revise the law, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

The cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, spent four days in Pakistan in late November and met there with President Asif Ali Zardari, he told Vatican Radio December 1.

“He demonstrated great interest in the Holy See’s position on religious freedom,” the cardinal said.

President Zardari has formed a commission “to reexamine the blasphemy law with a view toward possibly eventually abrogating it,” Cardinal Tauran said.

“I told the president and everyone else I met that Christians in Pakistan are under the impression that they are considered second-class citizens,” Cardinal Tauran said.

The country’s blasphemy laws make insulting the Quran, the sacred book of Islam, an offense punishable by life imprisonment, while being found guilty of insult-

ing the Prophet Mohammed brings an automatic death sentence.

The Catholic Church, other Christian groups and human rights observers repeatedly have complained that making an accusation is so easy and disproving it is so difficult that the blasphemy law is often abused as a way to harm a Christian with whom one has a complaint or grudge.

Cardinal Tauran told Vatican Radio, “The president is aware of the fact that authorizing a revision of the law

would expose him to strong criticism. But I sincerely believe that he realizes this law must at least be revised.”

In mid-November, Pope Benedict XVI added his voice to international calls for the release of a 37-yearold Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who faces the death penalty in Pakistan after being convicted of blasphemy.

Vatican Radio reported that the charges were filed against Bibi after she had an argument with a group of Muslim women.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Although the 18 seminarians studying at the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven, Belgium, were sad to hear that the 154-year-old school will close at the end of this academic year, they are resilient, according to the Rhode Island priest who broke the news to them.

“They believe strongly that God, who has called them to be priests, has not changed his mind,” said Father Christopher Mahar, vice rector of the college, in a recent interview with the Rhode Island Catholic, Providence diocesan newspaper, by telephone.

“They’re still full of hope and faith in God, even if the location where they will undergo their formation changes,” he added.

Father Mahar, 40, a Coventry, R.I., native, said he, like the seminarians, was “in sorrow” at the news. He had just returned to Leuven after assisting chaplains at the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany.

The shift in dioceses sending more of their seminarians to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, founded in 1859, has led to a significant drop in the number of di-

oceses sending seminarians to the American College, which is associated with the Catholic University of Louvain.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is responsible for the American College, recommended closure of the seminary based upon a current conference study concerning the number of seminaries in the United States.

The apostolic commission responsible for the study, directed by the bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, cited low enrollment numbers, the significant challenges in peer formation in a small seminary environment, the shortage of priest faculty and the small number of sending dioceses as reasons for the closing. Stewardship of priestly and financial resources considered from a more universal Church perspective also was cited.

The U.S. seminary in Belgium has prepared countless men — including many from the Diocese of Providence — for a life of service to God. Included among those were Providence Bishops Russell J. McVinney and Robert E. Mulvee and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Maloney, who served as rector there following World War II.

Specializing in: Brand Name/ Foreign Auto Parts 1420 Fall River Avenue (Route 6) Seekonk, MA 02771

December 10, 2010 The Church in the U.S. Religious leaders’ open letter reaffirms protection of man-woman marriage

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Washington D.C. (CNA/ EWTN News) — The U.S. Catholic bishops have joined other American religious leaders in signing an open letter reaffirming their commitment to the protection of marriage as “the permanent and faithful union of one man and one woman.”

“As religious leaders across different faith communities, we join together and affirm our shared commitment to promote and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” the December 6 letter notes. “We honor the unique love between husbands and wives; the indispensable place of fathers and mothers; and the corresponding

rights and dignity of all children.”

The letter, titled “The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment,” notes that marriage is fundamental not just to the well-being of religious communities but to the well-being of “all of society.” Marriage is a “great good” in itself and serves the good of society in “innumerable ways,” the leaders say.

“The preservation of the unique meaning of marriage is not a special or limited interest but serves the good of all. Therefore, we invite and encourage all people, both within and beyond our faith communities, to stand with us in promoting and protecting marriage

as the union of one man and one woman,” the letter concludes.

The letter was released on the same day that oral arguments on the Proposition 8 federal lawsuit were set to begin. In August, Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the California ballot measure to be unconstitutional, claiming that the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman lacked any rational basis and reflected religious-based hostility to homosexuals.

“Today is the moment to stand for marriage and its unchangeable meaning. We hope this letter will encourage just that,” commented Archbishop Timothy Dolan of

New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) and a signatory to the letter.

He said the letter reflects a “broad consensus” across religious divides.

“The law of marriage is not about imposing the religion of anyone, but about protecting the common good of everyone,” he explained. The legal recognition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman reinforces “the founda-

tional cell of human society.”

Other signatories to the letter were Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; Nathan Diament, director of the Institute for Public Affairs for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; and Presiding Bishop David Burton of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among others.

San Francisco (CNA/ EWTN News) — A panel of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges is hearing arguments from Proposition 8 supporters and opponents this week in a landmark case that will most likely reach the Supreme Court.

U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker had ruled on August 4 that Prop. 8 — a traditional marriage initiative which passed in November 2008 with the support of seven million Californians — was unconstitutional and mandated that it be null and void on August 18.

On August 17, however, a panel from the Ninth Circuit issued an emergency stay of Judge Walker’s ruling. The court granted a motion filed by the ProtectMarriage.com legal team.

As part of its order, the Ninth Circuit issued an expedited appeal schedule for the case. Oral arguments for the case started December 6, broadcast on C-SPAN. The randomly selected, three member panel consists of Judge Michael Hawkins, Judge Stephen Reinhardt and Judge N. Randy Smith.

Judge Reinhardt — whose wife Ramona Ripston is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California — denied requests to recuse himself from the hearing. According to the New York Times, he claimed that despite his personal connections, he is able to remain impartial in the case.

As the hearings are underway, a vigorous cultural debate around legalizing same-sex “marriage” is once again being reignited. Yet there are those that hold fast to the idea that redefining marriage poses serious dangers for American society.

Dr. Christopher Kaczor, author and philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said that the legalization of same-sex “marriage” would have far-reaching and detrimental affects.

In a December 6 email to CNA, Kaczor outlined several predictions including that divorce rates will rise, marriage in general will destabilize, and increased numbers of children will the lack the sociological benefit of having one father and one mother.

“Since same-sex couples can-

not have children together, one would expect that their relationships would tend to be less stable,” he said. “If same-sex couples are granted a legal right to marry, and if they end up divorcing at a rate even higher than opposite sex couples, then divorce would be come even more widespread than it currently is,” Kaczor said.

Kaczor noted that increases in rates of legal divorce “further destabilize marriages that are troubled.”

“The more divorce there is in society, the more socially acceptable it becomes, and the more likely it is that opposite sex couples will choose divorce over working harder on their marriages,” he said.

Also, if same-sex marriage is legalized, opponents of it “would be forced to act against their consciences or be penalized.”

The professor outlined the further concern that advocates of traditional marriage with kids in public schools would be taught about marriage in a way that undermines the values that are taught in the home.

Kaczor also said that “society has an interest in promoting the family as a union of a father and a mother, since this form of the family is sociologically proven to be the most beneficial for children.”

Approval of same-sex “marriage,” then, makes either the father or the mother “dispensable” in a legally recognized family, he warned.

Newly-elected president of the U.S. Bishop’s Conference, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, also weighed in on the Prop.

8 hearings on Monday.

He pointed to an open letter written by various religious leaders in the U.S who reaffirmed their stance in maintaining marriage as defined between one man and one woman.

“The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment,” was released December 6 by leaders from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish, Lutheran, Mormon, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Sikh communities in the United States.

“The broad consensus reflected in this letter — across great religious divides — is clear: The law of marriage is not about imposing the religion of anyone, but about protecting the common good of everyone,” Archbishop Dolan said.

Prop. 8 hearings begin in Court of Appeals

December 10, 2010

The Church in the U.S.

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Petition-signers protest removal of Manhattan Declaration app from iTunes

New York City (CNA) — After Apple Inc. removed the Manhattan Declaration application from iTunes over complaints that it had offensive material, signers are urging the corporation to make it available again.

The Manhattan Declaration application for iPhones and iPads was dropped last month when the activist group Change.org gathered 7,000 signatures for a petition claiming that the application promoted “bigotry” and “homophobia.”

The Declaration — a Christian statement drafted in 2009 that supports religious liberty, traditional marriage and right to life issues — has nearly 500,000 supporters.

The iPhone application, which was previously available for purchase on iTunes, was removed around Thanksgiving.

CNA contacted Apple December 2 for the reason behind the pull. Spokesperson Trudy Muller said via phone that the company “removed the Manhattan Declaration app from the App Store because it violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people.”

When asked if Apple plans to release additional statements on the matter, Muller said she had no further comment.

Manhattan Declaration organizers have started an online petition of their own, urging Apple to reinstate the application. On the site’s blog, they explained that the application was initially accepted by Apple and rated as 4+, meaning it contained no objectionable material.

“Yet Apple pulled the app shortly after a small but very vocal protest by those who favor gay marriage and abortion,” they said.

“Anyone who takes the time to read the Manhattan Declaration can see that the language used to defend traditional marriage, the sanctity of human life, and religious liberty is civil, non-inflammatory, and respectful.”

Disagreement, they added, “is not ‘gay-bashing.’”

Organizers said they have personally contacted Apple founder Steve Jobs and are awaiting a response. Their petition to reinstate the Manhattan Declaration application had over 24,000 signatures as of December 2.

Washington D.C. (CNA) — Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles has articulated the U.S. bishops’ support for the DREAM Act, a proposal that would grant citizenship to many children whose parents brought them into the U.S. illegally.

The Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, Archbishop Gomez advocated the act’s passage in a December 2 letter to the U.S. Congress. He described the DREAM act as “a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons” who had not voluntarily broken the law.

“It is important to note that these young people entered the United States with their parents at a young age,” he wrote, “and therefore did not enter without inspection on their own volition. We would all do the same thing in a similar situation.” Many of them, he said, have never known any country other than the U.S. The act’s full title is the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act. It would allow young people who entered the United States before the age of 16 to apply for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship, as long as they completed two years of higher education or military service.

The act’s main support in Congress comes from Democrats, many of whom consider it an effective and fair solution to a problem that young people did not bring on themselves. However, some Republicans have warned that the bill

would create more incentive for others to enter the country illegally in the future.

A spokesperson for Senator John McCain (R – Ariz.) has said the 2008 presidential candidate, a former sponsor of the bill, now “opposes the DREAM Act and believes we must secure our borders first.” Most Republicans currently oppose the act, and some have threatened to block its passage with a filibuster. President Barack Obama strongly supports its passage.

Archbishop Gomez called attention to a number of qualifications in the bill, which differentiate it from the blanket immigration amnesty some Republicans fear.

He explained that it allows “deserving immigrant youth” to become permanent residents, provided they meet certain age and circumstance requirements, have “demonstrated good moral character, have no criminal record and … have earned their high school diploma.” The further step of citizenship would require two years of college or military service.

Given these requirements, the archbishop said, the act’s passage was not only a matter of fairness, but an opportunity for the U.S. to reward hardworking and motivated young people who could otherwise be forced to leave.

“Those who would benefit,” he offered, “are talented, intelligent, and dedicated young persons … They can become some of the future leaders of our country, provided we are wise enough to provide them the opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

U.S. bishops encourage Congress to pass DREAM Act

preparing the way — Children place lampions near the altar at the beginning of a recent Mass at St. Hyacinth Basilica in Chicago as part of “roraty,” a Polish Advent devotion. The name comes from the first words that begin the service, “rorate coeli,” which means “ heaven, drop dew” in Latin. It is celebrated by Polish Catholics to show their readiness for Christ’s coming. (CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World)

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The Anchor

The Church’s response to our hurried and anxious society

Among the many means bishops have to form their people, one of the greatest teaching tools is the pastoral letter, in which the leader of a local Church focuses the attention of the faithful, religious and clergy of his diocese on a subject he believes is important for living out the Church’s mission in the particular part of the vineyard the Lord has asked them to harvest.

Over the past few years, individual U.S. bishops have written pastoral letters on evangelization, the renewal of the Church, living the eucharistic mystery, the family, child protection, frequent confession, religious freedom, the sanctity and protection of human life, health care, youth ministry, the priesthood and priestly vocations, child and adult catechesis, the scourge of pornography, morality and conscience, the civic responsibilities of Catholic politicians and voters, the evil of racism, the truth of the Catholic faith in an age of relativism and dissent, in-vitro fertilization, the evil of contraception, and even the safety of miners.

Very few bishops are by personality or background prodigious authors. When they write, it’s normally after a great deal of deliberation, study and prayer. The topics they choose, in addition to being important to Catholics in their dioceses, are generally those that they believe need to be spotlighted, either because of confusion or inadequate emphasis elsewhere.

This is what makes the subject of the first pastoral letter of the Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City all the more noteworthy. Bishop Wester has been the leader of Utah Catholics now for almost four years, a bishop for 12 and a priest for 34. Over the course of his priesthood, like many other Catholics, he has been noticing a worrisome and gradually worsening trend in society and in the Church: the loss of a sense of the Advent season and the resulting loss of the genuine Christmas season. For this reason, on November 24, he penned a pastoral letter entitled “Waiting in Joyful Hope!”on the importance of the Advent season.

“Few would disagree,” Bishop Wester began his pastoral, “that we live in a busy and rushed society. We rush from one thing to the next; in the end, many of us are restless and tired, yearning for stability and peace in our community and family. You may have noticed that in our hurried society many stores have already decorated for Christmas, radio stations are sneaking in a Christmas song here and there, and even some of our own parishes have begun preparing for Christmas parties for early December. … What is the rush? Are we really so eager to get all the decorations up, celebrate the event, and quickly dismantle all the decorations so we can move on to the next event?”

The Church’s response to this hurried and harried culture is supposed to be “to slow down, to be patient, and to wait.” Advent, he says, is a “season of preparation,” but it has “come to be neglected in many places,” including within Catholic families, parishes and schools. The consequence of that neglect, he says, is not only do we lose the meaning of Advent, which is supposed to be a “season of joyful hope,” but we also lose the ability to joyfully celebrate Christmas.

“Too often,” he wrote, “the season of Advent is overshadowed by the ‘holiday season’ as we move too quickly into celebrating Christmas. By the time that the actual solemnity of Christmas arrives, many of us are burned out. We are already tired of all the ‘Christmas hype.’ Christmas has become anticlimactic.”

Catholics, he said, “must celebrate Advent differently” not only so that we can mark Christmas with the joy it deserves but also so that the other purposes of Advent are not neglected or lost altogether. “This season is not just about preparing for the birth of Christ at Christmas, but for the Christ who is continually being born in our midst and transforming the Church ever more into his Body in the world.” It’s in Advent that we’re called to ask ourselves, “Is our hope really in Christ? Have we really allowed ourselves to wait in silence and ponder the great mystery of salvation? Have we been changed by our reflection on this mystery so that we live differently as our relationship with the risen Christ deepens?” He stressed that Advent is a time of “darkness” in which “we watch for the coming Lord. We must not let our busyness distract us from that, lest we be caught unawares like the foolish virgins in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 25:1-13). The season calls us to be attentive to our preparations for the final day and attentive to the quality of our life in union with Christ.”

He appealed to Catholics “to remain faithful to the celebration of the four weeks of Advent,” warning that it is “so easy to be consumed by the hype of the ‘holiday season’: to decorate our churches and houses for Christmas, to spend more time shopping than in prayer, and to host Christmas parties before the season has arrived.” He admitted that, for that reason, “it is an enormous challenge to remain faithful to the Advent season when we are surrounded by a society that, while claiming to be Christian, does not take the time to reflect and prepare as the Church calls us to do.” But he called them nonetheless to rise up to that challenge.

He added that not only do individual Catholics need to give a witness to the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons, but Catholic institutions do as well. “Our reckoning of time,” he says, “is itself a sacramental witness to the fullness of the paschal mystery. If we were to skip the Advent season or any other season, we would impoverish that witness.” He called on Catholics and Catholic schools, parishes and households “to strive to enter into the spirit of the season” of Advent, and “celebrate the four weeks of Advent with rich prayer,” noting that in order to pass on the genuine Catholic faith to the young “we must practice and model what we preach.”

He then got very practical in terms of what entering into the spirit of Advent for four weeks would entail — with suggestions that clearly would require a conversion on the part of some.

“Schools should not decorate for Christmas, but can decorate with simple wreaths and greenery.

They might celebrate ‘Gaudete parties’ before departing for Christmas break. I encourage each home to display and bless an Advent wreath where the family can gather for prayer either in the morning, at dinner, or some other practical time. I urge you to hold-off on displaying a decorated Christmas tree until the season of Christmas begins. You may want to incorporate a Jesse Tree in your family’s observance of the season. As the season draws to its close, I also invite you to discover the beauty of the O Antiphons, which are sung as part of evening prayer from December 17 to 23, and are most familiar to most of us in the hymn ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.’”

Then he gave concrete recommendations for Christmastide: “Once Christmas comes, the season stretches far beyond the 25th of December. It continues until the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. … We should leave the decorations that are testimonies to our joy up for the entire season. There is plenty of time for us to celebrate our joy at Christ’s birth and we should make the most of it. You might consider having a Christmas gathering in the parish, or at home with family and friends during this time.”

He said that our living the entire Advent season as a season of joyful preparation before celebrating Christ’s birth and the meaning of the Incarnation all the days of Christmas would not only “renew us” but also “be an example of patience, silence, and joy to our hurried and anxious society.”

That good Christian example is something that individual Catholics, Catholic parishes and schools in our diocese ought to offer to the hurried and anxious world that surrounds us as well.

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December 10, 2010

‘Come, follow me’

hat does it mean to be a disinvites us to become his disciples and ciple? What does it mean to follow him. In humbling himself, he has follow Jesus Christ? What does it practi- given us an example to imitate, through cally look like? These are questions his prayer he draws us to pray, and by that men and women have been asking his poverty he calls us to accept freely for centuries — and they are very good the privation and persecutions that may questions to ask. come our way” (CCC, 520).

Throughout the Gospel and throughMany of us are familiar with the story out the history of the Church we find of the rich young man who approached many examples of people who have Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what must been called “disciples of Jesus Christ” I do to inherit eternal life?” Perhaps — those men and women who have put another way, what must I do to be professed belief in the fact that “Jesus a faithful disciple? Pope Benedict XVI Christ is Lord.” The disciple is one that gave an insightful reflection upon this believes that Jesus Christ is the only encounter and why it is important for us Son of the Father, that he was conceived in a homily in October 2009: by the power of the Holy Spirit in the “We do not have many details about womb of Blessed Virgin Mary and this anonymous figure; yet from a few became man. The disciple believes that characteristics we succeed in perceivChrist suffered under Pontius Pilate, that ing his sincere desire to attain eternal he was crucified, died and was buried life by leading an honest and virtuous and on the third day he rose from the earthly existence. In fact he knows the dead, ascended into heaven and is now Commandments and has observed them seated at the right hand of the Father. faithfully from his youth.

The disciple believes that he will come Yet, all this, which is of course imporagain. tant, is not enough the pope continues.

A disciple “Jesus says is first and he lacks one foremost one thing, but it is Putting Into who professes something esthe Deep belief in what sential. Then, Christ reseeing him vealed. But well disposed,

By Father discipleship the Divine Jay Mello is more than Teacher just professing looks at him belief in the creed (the articles of faith). lovingly and suggests to him a leap in Discipleship is also living each day of quality; he calls the young man to heroour life in conformity with those beliefs ism in holiness, he asks him to abandon and the teachings of Christ and his everything to follow him, ‘go, sell what Church. Jesus explained to his first folyou have, and give to the poor and lowers that he is “the way, the truth and come, follow me.’ the life” (Jn 14:6). Imitating the example “‘Come, follow me.’ This is the of Jesus is the way, believing him who is Christian vocation which is born from the truth and embracing the life that he the Lord’s proposal of love and can offers is what it means to be his disciple. only be fulfilled in our loving response.

This life that Jesus offers us is the life Jesus invites his disciples to give their for which we were created to live and it lives completely, without calculation or is only in following him that we can truly personal interest, with unreserved trust find that meaning to our lives. He said, “I in God. Saints accept this demandcame that you might have life and have ing invitation and set out with humble it to the fullest” (Jn 10:10). The Secdocility in the following of the cruciond Vatican Council’s document on the fied and risen Christ. Their perfection “Church in the Modern World” (Gaudium consists in no longer putting themet Spes) reaffirms this truth: “It is only in selves at the center but in choosing to the mystery of the Word made flesh that go against the tide, living in line with the mystery of man truly becomes clear” the Gospel.”

(GS 22). It is in the mystery of Jesus Pope Benedict concludes by saybecoming man that we find the meaning ing, “In the saints we contemplate the of our lives, namely, that we are created Apostle Peter’s words fulfilled, ‘Lord, to be in communion with God. we have left everything and followed And here we come to the third reason you’ (Mt. 19:28), and Jesus’ comfortfor the Incarnation. In paragraph 459, the ing reassurance: ‘There is no one who “Catechism” teaches that, “The Word has left house or brothers or sisters or became flesh to be our model of holimother or father or children or lands, for ness: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn my sake and for the Gospel, who will from me’ (Mat 11:29). ‘I am the way, not receive a hundredfold.’” and the truth, and the life; no one comes God’s only Son embraced our huto the Father, but by me’ (Jn 14:6). On manity to be the model of holiness. He the mountain of the Transfiguration, the became one of us to show us what we Father commands: ‘Listen to him’ (Mk are to do. He invites us to follow his 9:7). Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes example of holiness. He shows us how and the norm of the new law: ‘Love one to be faithful disciples. He shows us that another as I have loved you’” (Jn 15:12). even though it may be challenging at In another section of the “Catechism,” times, following his example is possible this point is further explained: “In all and necessary. of his life Jesus presents himself as our Father Mello is a parochial vicar at model. He is ‘the perfect man,’ who St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

December 10, 2010

Q: I have always observed that the priest wore a rose or pink vestment on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent. Last year, around this time, our pastor informed us that such a practice was abandoned and, as such, there were no longer any pink vestments nor pink candles during Advent (and that there was a move away from considering Advent a penitential season).

But, lo and behold, a visiting priest wore them on the following Sunday, and, when asked, insisted that the practice was never changed. — RL, Frederick, Md. A: Our reader from Maryland (and others) have asked questions regarding the use of rosecolored vestments on Gaudete and Laetare Sundays. The essential norms dealing with the use of liturgical colors are found in the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 346.

“As to the color of sacred vestments, the traditional usage

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key argument in the embryonic stem-cell debate — widely invoked by scientists, patient advocacy groups, and politicians — involves the fate of frozen embryos. Barack Obama put it this way in 2008: “If we are going to discard those embryos, and we know there is potential research that could lead to curing debilitating diseases — Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease — if that possibility presents itself, then I think that we should, in a careful way, go ahead and pursue that research.” The head of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, embraced this same line of reasoning by asking a rhetorical question during a recent CNN interview: “Ethically, isn’t it more justifiable, if those embryos have been created, to use them for a purpose that might help somebody with a disease as opposed to simply discarding them?”

This argument sounds reasonable on first hearing. We prefer to recycle aluminum cans, rather than uselessly tossing them into landfills. It seems as if we should handle surplus frozen embryos in a similar way, getting some benefit out of them rather than discarding them.

Yet this argument has a deceptive, even seductive character because of the way it sets up a false dichotomy: either one discards the embryos or one destroys them in the laboratory to obtain miraculous cures for diseases. An important third

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Rose vestments for Gaudete Sunday

for a more exact description of is to be retained: namely, … these liturgical colors as some Rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday priests appeared to confuse blue with violet and pink with rose.

(Third Sunday of Advent) and Although aware of the hazon Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).”

From this it is clear that the custom of using rose-colored vestments on Gaudete and Laetare Sundays is to be maintained whenBy Father ever possible.

Edward McNamara The names Gaudete and Laetare come from the traditional entrance ardous nature of attempting to antiphon, or introit, sung at describe colors with words, we these Masses. will try to satisfy our readers.

Both terms may be broadly Violet (“violaceus”) is a hue translated as “rejoice” or “desimilar to that of the synonylight” and refer to the impormous flower and is defined by tance of the theme of Christian the Collins dictionary as “any joy, even in the midst of a penitential season, which is reflected of a group of colors that vary in saturation but have the same in the formulas and readings of purplish-blue hue. They lie at both these Masses. one end of the visible spectrum, If a parish lacks rose vestnext to blue” — actually, next to ments then the usual violet is indigo — “approximate waveused. length range 445-390 nanomeSome readers have asked

Liturgical Q&A

ters.”

Purple is a similar color and comprises “any of various colors with a hue lying between red and blue and often highly saturated; a nonspectral color.”

Therefore, while various shades of purple and violet may be legitimately used, neither purple nor violet is blue, and blue vestments, except for those countries and religious orders with special privileges, have been explicitly forbidden in all of the color’s different shades such as turquoise, azure, etc. (Decrees of the Sacred Congregation of Rites 2704, 2788).

In seems that some places distinguish between Advent and Lent by varying the tones of purple and violet used in each season.

While such a distinction is not required by any liturgical law, there is no norm that would oppose it and the practice may

Humans in ‘frozen orphanages’

option is often not even menIn the building next door tioned: namely, that we continue there happens to be a real to store the embryos in their orphanage filled with toddlers current, frozen state as part of between the ages of one and our moral duty to care for our three years old who are awaitown offspring. They could be cryopreserved until a morally acceptable option for rescuing them presents itself (if such an option, in fact, exists), or until they

By Father Tad eventually die of their Pacholczyk own accord in the deep freeze.

Discarding an embryo, it is ing adoption. Suppose that important to be clear, means the owner of the orphanage ending the life of a young huhappens to be a shady characman being, the tiny life that each ter who has recently decided of us once was at an earlier time. to take some of the “unadoptThe embryos to be discarded able” infants and clandestinely are usually first thawed, and discard them into the dumpster many do not survive this first behind the orphanage where step; those that do are summarthey eventually die. Suppose ily discarded as medical waste. also that when the local mayor A few years ago, Cardinal Sean learned about the children O’Malley described the reality being put into the dumpster, of what happens in the fertility he had the gall to suggest that clinic this way: “In discardsince they were going to be ing these embryos, the medical thrown out anyway, we should staff become their unwilling start sacrificing them for sciexecutioners, but executioners entific research and harvesting nonetheless.” their organs for transplantation Perhaps an analogy can into sick patients. help us better visualize why Our first instinct would be we should not discard embryos to recoil with abhorrence at the or sacrifice them for research. proposal. We might prosecute Imagine a typical fertility clinic the orphanage owner and drum with a large room where several the mayor out of office as well. tanks filled with liquid nitrogen We would insist that each infant were holding a few hundred in the orphanage deserves full cryo-preserved human embryos, protection. Our children in a kind of “frozen orphanage,” frozen orphanages deserve the as these tanks are sometimes same protection and care. called.

Most of us, upon reflection,

Making Sense Out of Bioethics

have a practical awareness that embryos ought not be discarded. A few years ago, the New York Times ran a piece entitled, “The Job Nobody at the Fertility Clinic Wants.” That job was the destruction of spare embryos. Medical staff members, when interviewed, said they dreaded being picked to carry out the discarding of embryos when patients requested it. A clinic director in Chicago described how often he had to destroy the embryos himself because his staff found the task so distasteful. The staff understood and had seen firsthand how these same embryos,

be considered legitimate.

Rose (“rosaceo”) is defined by the dictionary as “a moderate purplish-red color; purplish pink.”

The liturgical color is thus a lightened violet and is darker than the pale hue usually associated with pink. It is rather a tincture closer to that of a pale incarnadine or the reddish “Naples yellow” used by artists.

Pink, “any of a group of colors with a reddish hue that are of low to moderate saturation and can usually reflect or transmit a large amount of light; a pale reddish tint,” is not counted among the liturgical colors.

Father Edward McNamara is a Legionary of Christ and professor of Liturgy at Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. His column appears weekly at zenit.org. To submit questions, email liturgy@ zenit.org. Please put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field.

The text should include your initials, your city and state.

when implanted, would yield beautiful, bubbly babies who brought joy and happiness to their parents. They seemed to appreciate instinctively, as each of us should, how living human embryos, even in the deep freeze, should never be discarded down the chute into the biohazard disposal or used as “raw material” for possible medical advances.

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.

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December 10, 2010

The Anchor

‘Are you he who is to come? Or do we look for another?’

hat is the question John poses to Jesus through his disciples in today’s Gospel.

It raises some serious questions: Was John having second thoughts about whether Jesus was the true messiah? Was he indeed the “coming one”?

Had Jesus turned out to be a different kind of messiah from the one John had expected?

One meek and lowly of heart, rather than one who was mighty and powerful by our human standards?

These are certainly interesting questions but they really miss the issue on which I’d like to focus: Can we believe that he is the “coming one” or must we look for another?

That is clearly a matter of faith. And it requires a faithfilled response.

Jesus never says he is healing the blind or the lame or the deaf. He never says he is raising the dead to life. What he does say is that these things

are happening. He affirms sus had given abundant proof that his miracles are works of the Holy Spirit at work in of God wrought through him, gentleness and compassion. but he never says so directly.

He had performed his works We have to work this out for of mercy. ourselves, to make a decision So where does all this leave of faith: Do we believe or us? don’t we?

All we have to go on is his activity as Homily of the Week recounted in scripThird Sunday ture: The blind see, of Advent the lame walk and so forth.

By Deacon James When John first J. Meloni Jr. announced Jesus, ‘he identified him as “one coming after me.”

Here we have an apparently He spoke of Jesus in terms of disillusioned prophet wonderGod’s wrath, with images of ing if he had totally missed fire, a winnowing fan and an what these messianic propheax laid to the roots of trees. cies were all about. And we He said that Jesus would have Jesus not admitting to baptize with “Holy Spirit anything, except that all kinds and fire” and seemed disapof strange and wonderful pointed when no “fire” was things are going on, presumevident, no fury of wrath and ably at the behest of the judgment. Obviously, Jesus Father working through him. had failed to live up to John’s And we are left to piece toexpectations, even though Je-

gether what all of this means.

The only way it can have meaning for us is through faith, a faith that comes from the belief that the prophets down through history said that there would be a Messiah who would come and save us all, a faith that comes from believing they were right, that Jesus is that messiah. It is something we either accept on faith or reject.

Many of the Jews rejected it.

They didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, they didn’t believe it to the very end of Jesus’ life on earth. Many they still don’t believe it, even to this day.

Even though all kinds of astonishing things occurred at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross, and even though all manner of still more remarkable events occurred after

his death – specifically his resurrection and ascension, to underscore further that he was, and is the Son of God. Many Jews continue “to look for another.”

Our faith tells us that Jesus is Lord, that he is our Savior, that we will celebrate again his glorious birth, his coming among us to save us.

So we approach Christmas with a sense of awe and wonder, as we once again remember the birth of our Lord and all the events that took place at the time. All of this is the result of a faith response on our part. As faith-filled people, we won’t be disappointed.

We won’t have to “look for another” because we believe.

We believe that the Babe of Bethlehem is the Messiah. We believe that Jesus is Lord.

What a wonderful Christmas gift.

Deacon Meloni serves at St. Mary’s Parish in North Attleboro.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Dec. 11, Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Mt 17:9a,10-13. Sun. Dec. 2, Third Sunday of Advent, Is 35:1-6a,10; Ps 146:6-10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11. Mon. Dec. 13, Nm 24:2-7,15-17a; Mt 21:23-27. Tues. Dec. 14, Zep 3:1-2,9-13; Mt 21:28-32. Wed. Dec. 15, Is 45:6b-8,18,21b-25; Lk 7:18b-23. Thur. Dec. 16, Is 54:1-10; Lk 7:24-30. Fri. Dec. 17, Gn 49:2,8-10; Mt 1:1-17.

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sked to name the most populous American dioceses, alert Catholics would likely name Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. I rather doubt that most of us would rank Brooklyn (the country’s only completely urban diocese) as high on the league table as it in fact is, and I’m willing to wager that not one in 20 Catholics would put Rockville Centre and Orange (California) in the top 10. Then there is the real sleeper, which is the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA — a global jurisdiction whose congregants include Catholics serving in the armed forces and their family members; students at the service academies; all patients in Veterans Administration hospitals; and U.S. govern-

An archdiocese spanning the globe

ment personnel and their families on Archbishop Timothy Broglio serving abroad, such as members and his auxiliary bishops, who spend much of their time on of the foreign service and those the road visiting, celebrating American Catholics working the sacraments, counseling, and abroad in foreign aid programs. otherwise encouraging their Add all that up, and the Archfar-flung flock. diocese for the Military Services The AMS also has unique is the fifth-largest diocese in the United States.

It also faces unique challenges.

The first is geographic. While its administrative headquarters is in Washington, D.C., near the Catholic

By George Weigel University of America, the AMS literally spans the globe, with responsibilities in every personnel challenges. It is the time-zone and on every console authority for recognizing tinent (including Antarctica).

Catholic chaplains in the armed That puts an enormous strain forces and at VA hospitals; but its military chaplains are under the command of the chiefs-ofchaplains of their respective services. Its priests are drawn from all over the United States; but they must have the permission of the local bishop to serve, and they remain canonically a part of their home diocese. Thus the only clergy canonically incardinated in the AMS are the archbishop and his auxiliaries. Given the current shortage of priests in many dioceses, some bishops are reluctant to release priests for work in the AMS as mili-

The Catholic Difference

tary chaplains; thus Catholic billets in the chaplain corps are chronically under-filled, and Catholics on overseas deployments can go weeks, sometimes months, without having access to the sacraments.

Military chaplaincy also places unique demands on the priests who volunteer for service with the armed forces. The Capodanno Room at AMS’s headquarters in Washington bears poignant and powerful testimony to what the fulfillment of those demands can require.

Father Vincent Robert Capodanno was a native of Staten Island and a Maryknoll missionary with years of service in China when he volunteered for the Navy chaplains corps during the Vietnam War and asked to serve with the Marines. On Sept. 4, 1967, Father Capodanno, despite having been severely wounded while tending to his troops, rushed to interpose his torn body between a wounded Marine medic and an enemy machine-gunner, and was killed instantly when dozens of bullets tore through his head, neck, and back. He was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest decoration for valor, the Congressional Medal

of Honor, and the cause for his beatification has been recognized, such that Lieutenant Capodanno is now the Servant of God Vincent Capodanno.

Another unique challenge facing AMS is funding. The archdiocese is not a governmental body, nor is it a part of the armed forces. Rather, it’s a Church body that receives no federal funding for its work with federal employees. Thus AMS must rely on donations from individuals, parish, diocesan and military communities, bequests from wills, and grants from philanthropies. One might think that a national collection in support of such vital work — which is done on behalf of all U.S. Catholics — would be a good idea, but there are objections to increasing the number of national collections.

So let’s have an informal national collection: If you’re looking for a unique Christmas gift, consider making a tax-deductible charitable donation to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, directing your check to the archdiocesan headquarters at P.O. Box 4469, Washington, D.C. 20017-0469.

Your gift will be much appreciated around the world.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

A basket case

6 December 2010 – at home not just at Thanksgiving and in The Dightons – St. Nicholas Christmas. Most human beings Day need to eat every day in order onsider, dear readers, the case of the basket. I’m not referring to those people Reflections of a in our lives that we Parish Priest sometimes call “basket cases.” I mean the

By Father Tim ancient and honorable Goldrick custom of providing baskets of food to the hungry. The principle is this: to survive.

Those who have more than On a parish level, the apossufficient food have a moral tolic work of feeding the hunresponsibility to provide for gry all year long is often acthose who have none. In a complished by the St. Vincent sense, food above and beyond de Paul Society. What a fine what one needs belongs to the organization it is – providing poor. It’s their food, not ours. not only food but clothes, fuel, This applies all year long, and other urgent needs to those

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December 10, 2010

The Ship’s Log

within the boundaries of the parish, be they Catholic or not.

The manual of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is a masterpiece of spirituality and service to the poor. Another word for “charity” is “love.”

Charity begins at home, as they say. It’s ideal if a parish St. Vincent de Paul Society is able to meet the needs of the neighborhood poor without having to resort to the resources of the district-level St. Vincent de Paul Society unless absolutely necessary.

By custom, the parish collection on a holy day of obligation is distributed to the poor as needed through the stewardship

Mary and the Muslims — part III

and spirit, intellect and will. hile Muslims and Mary’s free assent was more Christians share a important than the mere corlove for Mary, the mother of poral reality of being Jesus’ Jesus, her maternity is seen mother, to which the Muslim differently through their account reduces her, but a respective prisms of faith, free embrace of that spiritual and it’s not only the identity motherhood. of her Son that is at issue.

In “Mother of the ReSurely, the most obvious difdeemer,” John Paul II ference is that Jesus is honexplains: “This fiat of Mary ored by Muslims as a fellow — ‘let it be done unto to Muslim — since he spent his me’ — was decisive, on the life doing the will of God, human level, for the accomwhile Christians recognize plishment of the divine myshim as the second person of the Blessed Trinity, God Incarnate. But there is an additional theological divide that is more pernicious, particularly to women.

By Genevieve Kineke It was previously pointed out that the Qur’anic account of Jesus’ conceptery … and as the Fathers tion leaves out Mary’s freely of the Church teach — she given consent, because Allah conceived this Son in her simply used her to show his mind before she conceived power. While the Muslim achim in her womb: precisely ceptance of the virginal birth in faith.” acknowledges that Allah can Only in light of this truth do as he likes in all things, is this biblical exchange Christians see motherhood properly understood: “While as something more than Jesus was saying these just bringing forth physithings, one of the women in cal children — which God the crowd raised her voice could draw from stones if he and said to him, ‘Blessed wished. is the womb that bore you Beyond the question of and the breasts at which you freedom, Mary’s consent benursed.’ But he said, ‘On the fore being overshadowed by contrary, blessed are those the Holy Spirit reveals the who hear the word of God truth about spiritual materand observe it’” (Luke 11: nity, which is essential to the 27-28). He was clearly indifeminine vocation. Chriscating that motherhood was tians believe that women are more than a physical phenot called to mere physical nomenon — and while it was motherhood, nor do they deeper, it was also universal. breed for God in some John Paul wrote further in debased sub-human way. A Mulieris Dignitatem: “Mothwoman’s personhood implies erhood has been introduced an integrated whole — body

The Feminine Genius

into the order of the covenant that God made with humanity in Jesus Christ. Each and every time that motherhood is repeated in human history, it is always related to the covenant which God established with the human race through the motherhood of the Mother of God.” Therefore, the Christian understanding of the incarnation adds great depth to our view of motherhood, perceiving it to be free, spiritually profound and deeply personal — bearing on the very relationship between God and man. To be a spiritual mother means that the relationship with one’s offspring is understood primarily as an opportunity for evangelization, a means for both to grow in holiness, and the relationship itself will be a path to truth.

Undoubtedly, the way that women understand Mary’s motherhood will affect how they understand their own vocations. Those who see only the physical will have a onedimensional view of femininity, and those who perceive that a woman’s entire being is engaged in the divine realities will come closer to grasping authentic human dignity.

For such layered realities are ultimately what draw us into a deeper, richer communion with God — and as usual, Mary is the key.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman” (Servant Books) and editor of the Feminine Genius channel at catholicexchange.com.

of the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society. Even with an effective parish society, however, charity remains the responsibility of all parishioners, and not just a delegated few women and men.

Not long ago, the elderly president of the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society came to me with tears in his eyes.

He told me that the organization had voted to disband.

He explained that the society members were old and tired.

The same people had been doing this charitable work for decades and, for one reason or another, attempts at recruiting younger members had not been successful. Times have changed.

I believe that those who’ve worked long and hard in the vineyard of the Lord should be allowed to retire with dignity and not be brow-beaten into “hanging in for a few more years.” I also believe that if a parish organization falters and dies, its passing needs to be grieved and then we need to get on with the task at hand.

In the case of the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, the task of feeding the hungry is essential to the life of a faith community.

The time had come to share the work of service to the poor with the broader parish. It took no extraordinary effort to do so.

Parishioners were invited to bring non-perishable foods to Sunday Mass. Religious Education students were invited to bring the same to their weekly classes. The students of the Bristol County Agricultural School prepared several complete baskets for our distribution. The larder filled quickly.

The children of our Religious Education Program, the members of our parish youth group, and their parents, were activated. The folks of the former St. Vincent de Paul Society participated in the group effort to the best of their ability. The parish ministry to

the poor was invigorated.

“Many hands make light work,” said John Benjamin Heywood, the 16th-century Catholic writer. The ministry of the former St. Vincent de Paul has been not only continued but expanded.

As always, we were able to provide needy families with heating oil and cord wood to keep them warm. We were able to continue to provide food vouchers and meet other immediate needs. Now, through the services of a parish staff member who is also a Master Social Worker, we are also able to connect those who qualify with government or specialized non-profit assistance. But it was the food baskets that took my breath away.

The day before Thanksgiving, the Pastoral Life Center was abuzz. More than 50 children, youth, and adults gathered to prepare the food baskets. We wanted to add a personal touch, so the little ones drew “Happy Thanksgiving from St. Nicholas” cards for inclusion in the baskets.

The young Girl Scouts called Brownies pitched in. The food donations filled several tables. What was lacking in the Thanksgiving menu (turkeys, for example) we ran out and purchased with funds from the holy day collections, a designated fund for the poor.

If anyone told us they needed food, they received it with no questions asked. Who cares if there may have been a couple of “scam artists” among them?

By the end of the afternoon, we had distributed 700 pounds of turkey, 200 pounds of potatoes, and 150 pounds of carrots — along with all the other fixings for a feast. Members of the former St. Vincent de Paul Society beamed with delight.

I, however, was a basket case.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.

team work — In a collaborative effort, parishioners of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton, along with Religious Education students, their parents, students from Bristol County Agricultural School, and the former parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, amassed more than 1,000 pounds of food stuffs to distribute to area people in need.

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The Anchor

December 10, 2010

At Christmas and year-round, man strives to fill St. Nick’s boots

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

ASSONET — As Advent approached this year, Father Michael Racine, pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Assonet, was a little concerned that Santa Claus might not be able to attend the parish’s annual “Breakfast With Santa” event on Sunday morning.

But he needn’t have worried.

One of Santa’s own longtime helpers — and a devoted parishioner at St. Bernard’s — was ready and willing to fill St. Nick’s boots, even though he just underwent major surgery.

“When I got home from the hospital, Father Racine asked me if I would still be able to play Santa Claus,” said Dennis K. Morris Jr., who has donned the red velvet suit for the past five years. “I told him not to worry, I’d be there.”

Morris would never miss an opportunity to bring a smile to a child’s face with his yuletide Christmas antics, and filling in as Santa’s surrogate has become something of a second calling for him.

“When I put that suit on, it’s just magical,” he said.

“When I look in the mirror, it’s like I really am Santa Claus.”

What began as a part-time gig at a local Walmart even-

tually led to Morris’ becom- singing and just seeing the Bedford, the Catholic Memoing St. Bernard Parish’s own eyes of the children as Santa rial Home in Fall River, and walks in is worth it,” Mor- the Somerset Ridge Nursing resident St. Nicholas. home in Somerset.

“I’ve been doing “I also like visitSanta Claus for St. ing nursing homes,” Bernard Parish for he said. “It’s almost the past five years as much fun to put now,” Morris said. a smile on the older “I just enjoy doing people’s faces as it is anything like that. It with the kids. I love gives me so much joy it and I put on a show to put on a costume for them they’ll nevand put a smile on a er forget. They sing child’s face.”

Christmas carols and Although he’s I go around and hand game to celebrate out gifts. It’s so heartother holidays with warming for me.” everything from a Those who think full-size Easter Bunkids say the darnedest ny suit to a giant things would be surpumpkin costume, prised to learn some it’s Santa Claus and of the requests Morthe joy of the Christris has received from mas season that renursing home clients. main closest to Mor“I get some strange ris’ heart. requests for gifts,” “I enjoy all holidays, I really do, but Anchor person of the week — Dennis K. he said. “One elderly Morris Jr.. man wanted a new Christmas is a speMercedes, and anothcial time for me,” he said. “To see Christmas ris said. “After Communion, er woman just wanted four through the eyes of a child, Santa goes down the aisle new tires.”

While some might view it makes me feel young and kneels and says a prayer to the baby Jesus. Then I go Santa Claus as a secular or again.”

Not only will Morris be back down the aisle and wish commercial product of the behind the white beard and everyone a ‘Merry Christ- Christmas season, Morris prefers to view him as a red cap for Sunday morn- mas.’”

Having invested in his saintly figure who manifests ing’s “Breakfast With Santa” at St. Bernard Parish, he’ll own signature red-and-white the true joy of the season: also make his annual ap- suit, Morris has also volun- the ultimate gift from God pearance during the parish’s teered to play Santa for sev- who doesn’t expect anything eral other non-profit groups in return.

Christmas Eve Mass.

“Christmas is about “I go to 4 p.m. Mass with and agencies throughout the my Santa suit on and they area, including the P.A.C.E. Christ’s birth, but it’s also have the children’s choir Head Start Program in New about the joy of receiving God’s gift,” he said.

A faithful Catholic and vibrant parishioner at St. Bernard’s since moving from Swansea where he and his wife Julia previously attended St. Dominic’s Parish, Morris is also a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus, occasionally fills in as an altar server, and is an extraordinary minister

of holy Communion.

“That’s one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Morris said of administering the Body and Blood of Christ. “I also visit the sick and bring them holy Communion as well.”

Father Racine said the joy he sees in Morris’ eyes every week as he approaches the altar to serve as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion almost rivals the same glint he sees behind the snow-white beard at Christmas.

“You can see it means a lot to him,” Father Racine said. “He’s a very faithfilled man.”

“My faith is the most important thing I have,” Morris agreed. “It’s my most valued possession.”

He and his wife live out that faith every Sunday at Mass — and Morris makes a point of stressing Sunday.

“To me, Sunday is for Church; I’m old-fashioned that way,” he said. “I know some people go to Mass on Saturday, but I don’t. I would never work on a Sunday, either. When people ask me why I don’t work on Sunday, I say it’s against my religion.”

The self-described “people person” is pleased that his five grandchildren are now also attending Mass at his beloved St. Bernard’s Parish … although he’s yet to attempt to play Santa Claus for them.

“I’ve never dressed up as Santa for my grandchildren, because they would recognize me right away,” he laughed.

To submit a Person of the Week nominee, send an email with information to fatherrogerlandry@anchornews. org.

The Anchor

December 10, 2010

There’s greatness in our midst

W

hen I was a senior at Durfee High School in Fall River, I was the sports editor for the school newspaper, The Hilltop.

I wrote a column called “Athletes’ Footnotes” (read into that what you will).

One of the first columns I penned was about the chemistry in the ABC Monday Night Football booth between Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and “Dandy” Don Meredith.

MNF began in 1970, and by 1973 when I wrote the column, its popularity was rocketing skyward.

It was such a pleasure back then to listen to the banter in the booth with the knowledgeable Gifford, the

By Dave Jolivet controversial and opinionated Cosell, and the seemingly simple, country-boy mentality of Meredith. The trio was as entertaining as the game, sometimes more so.

Good old Dandy Don, who, by the way, was far from a simpleton, passed away this week, and I fondly remembered the laughs he evoked, and the joy with which he did his job. In addition, Meredith was a fine quarterback in his playing days with the Dallas Cowboys (appropriately enough).

As a kid I was a Boston Patriots fan first, but they played in the “inferior” AFL, and most of the stars played in the NFL. My heroes back then were NFLers like Meredith, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, and Johnny Unitas.

In fact some great QBs have graced the MNF set; guys like Tarkenton, Joe Na-

math, Joe Theisman, and Boomer Esiason.

There’s nothing much better than watching a great quarterback in his prime.

And when I was a kid there were some good ones. But boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, there’s another one in our own back yard, and don’t take him for granted.

Sit back and watch Tom Brady ply his trade. It’s sheer poetry, symmetry, and precision.

Brady will go down in NFL history as one of the all-time greats — in the same class as Unitas, Starr, Meredith, Staubach, and Y.A. Tittle.

Please don’t take Tom for granted. We are very blessed to have him calling signals for the Pats for a few more years to come. Enjoy it while it lasts.

He was overlooked in high school, was a mop-up QB at the University of Michigan, was picked up deep in the NFL draft, and played second fiddle to Drew Bledsoe, before Bledsoe’s unfortunate injury.

Given the opportunity, Brady has evolved into a football machine, welloiled and fine-tuned.

After Monday night’s pasting of the Jets, Jets, Jets, the nation should be aware of Brady’s greatness, if it wasn’t already.

There’s going to come a day when Brady hangs up his spikes, but until then folks, let’s enjoy the ride. And if Dandy Don was still with us, he would have broken into “Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” after the first half of this week’s MNF shellacking.

My View From the Stands

11

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12

The Anchor

By Rebecca Aubut Anchor Staff

DARTMOUTH — He was the unassuming, gray-haired man whose footsteps echoed in the cavernous space of the gym as he walked around, studiously setting up his presentation. After the seats were filled with the entire student body of Bishop Stang High School,

Rachel’s Challenge: Chain reaction

Daryl Scott began his heartbreaking story about his daughter, Rachel — the first victim in the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999.

With his voice narrating over the speakers, Rachel’s innocent face flashed on the screen and was quickly followed by the ominous images of the news footage featur-

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

Celebrant is Father Roger J. Landry, pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in New Bedford, and executive editor of The Anchor

The Anchor provides a weekly wealth of Catholic information.

This would make a perfect gift this season.

December 10, 2010

ing the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy as families were shown holding vigil outside the school while SWAT teams swarmed the buildings.

“The wait for loved ones was agony, and one by one families were reunited,” said Scott. “But for the families of 12 students, and one great teacher, there would be no joyous reunion.”

Sponsored by the Bishop Stang Student Council, Rachel’s Challenge is a program focused on encouraging people to create a permanent positive culture change in their school or community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. Named for his daughter and inspired by the words found in her diary, Scott has taken his message around the world.

There are five basic steps to the challenge, said Scott, beginning with eliminating prejudices in your lives and looking for the best in others. Rachel, continued Scott, always gave people a chance; give people three chances, she would say, because maybe they were having a bad day.

“So simple,” said Scott. “Just look for the best in others. The Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue.”

Choosing positive influences is also part of the challenge, and Rachel embraced the power of the written word by emulating Anne Frank and her diary, said Scott.

“Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer,” wrote Rachel in one entry.

“Glory only comes when one pursues their dreams. How many of us know what we really want and go after it? How many of us have enough trust, strength and faith to believe that we could do the impossible?” she wrote in another entry.

Dare to dream, challenged Scott, and set goals for yourself.

“I am amazed by the influence of my daughter’s writings,” said Scott. “My wish for every person in this room is to find your sense of purpose in life.”

“My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached,” wrote Rachel, in another entry.

“But test them for yourself and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You may just start a chain reaction.”

Even before she died, Rachel had already set her own chain reaction in motion. Sadly, it took her death to discover all the lives she touched during her life, said Scott.

Stories included befriending a new girl at the school after she was snubbed by a table-full of girls — a story that was later featured in a commercial by the Foundation For a Better Life.

Then there was Adam, who was being picked on, and had his bullies confronted by Rachel in the hallway. This moment happened only a month before she died, and Adam later told Rachel’s parents how he wished he could have told Rachel all that she meant to him.

“She saved my life,” said Scott, relaying Adam’s conversation. “I wanted to commit suicide.”

“Treat people with kindness,” said Scott. “There is nothing macho or cool about pushing people around. Words can hurt, and words can heal.”

According to her friends, Rachel seemed to know she would die at a young age, with these thoughts often reflected in her conversations or poetry. She seemed comfortable with the knowledge, said a friend in the video.

A few weeks after she died, Scott received a phone call from a man who lived in Illinois, who relayed to him a dream he recently had. In it, the man saw a young girl’s eyes crying tears that fell onto

the ground, where something was growing.

“Does this mean anything to you?” asked the man, to which Scott replied no.

After exchanging information with the promise to tell him if it ever did, Scott said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. Sometime later the school called, letting Scott know that he could pick up his late daughter’s backpack.

After going through her things, Scott reached the bottom and found her final diary. As he sat and read her words, he turned one of the pages, said Scott, and he saw something that made him begin to hyperventilate. There was a drawing of the eyes, like in the man’s dream, and there was a flower being watered with the tears pouring down.

Most eerie was the number of tears hanging off the plant — 13, echoing the exact number of those killed at Columbine.

Little acts of kindness can have big results, said Scott, bringing that idea home during the closing of his presentation by asking the audience to close their eyes and ask God for his forgiveness, and then asking everyone to forgive themselves for any acts of unkindness they may have directed towards other people.

“I feel passionate about this,” said Scott. “Your words and your actions have an impact on everyone around you.”

On one of the slides, the image of Rachel’s tracing of her overlapping hands had these words written on one of the palms, “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of people’s hearts,” wrote Rachel.

“Let your words be words of kindness,” said Scott. “Rachel wanted to start a chain reaction, and she has.”

For more information, go to www.RachelsChallenge.org.

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from tragedy comes hope — Sponsored by the Bishop Stang Student Council, guest speaker Daryl Scott spoke about the tragic story of his daughter Rachel, the first victim in the Columbine High School shooting. Those featured in the slide on the screen are Rachel and her brother Craig, who was also present during that fateful day but survived the shooting. (Photo by Rebecca Aubut)

December 10, 2010

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The Anchor Venerating the ‘Empress of America’ continued from page one

KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS — Members of the God Squad set up the outdoor crèche at Chicago’s Daley Plaza for the official opening of the city’s Nativity scene recently. The God Squad, which is made up of volunteers from Chicago-area parishes, has set up the outdoor crèche scene annually for the past 25 years. (CNS photo/ Karen Callaway, Catholic New World)

Catholics weigh in on teens’ excessive use of Facebook, texting

Denver (CNA) — A new study linking teen’s excessive use of Facebook and texting to alcohol abuse and sexual activity has ignited discussion among Catholics as to whether or not the drastic rise in impersonal communication among young people can be seen as a good thing.

But no matter one’s stance on the issue, Catholics from the parish priest to the tech-savvy teen agree that parental involvement is crucial — and often, sadly lacking.

Business Week sparked debate by reporting that teens who “hyper texted” (more than 120 messages sent per school day) and “hyper social networked” (more than three hours spent on networking sites per school day) showed an increase risk of dangerous health behaviors such as smoking, drinking and sexual activity.

Hyper-networking was also associated with increased likelihood of stress, depression, suicide, poor sleep, poor academics, television watching and parental permissiveness, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland.

Although the amount of texting and hours spent networking online cited by the study might sound drastic to the average adult, many teens don’t see it as abnormal.

“Today’s young people are raised in a media saturated culture and using these various forms of communication is really like breathing to them,” Catholic author Teresa Tomeo told CNA. Tomeo, a former journalist and syndicated talk show host who also writes faith-based books for teens, said that parents are overwhelmed and often can’t keep up with their children’s ability to communicate through modern technology. She added that many parents are also caught up in “their own addictive media habits” and lack the discipline to challenge their kids to use media responsibly.

“Parents need to be more involved and really get a handle on what their children are doing online,” she stressed. “They need to

educate themselves, set and stick to guidelines and not be afraid to be parents or to set limits and restrictions on the amount and types of media usage.”

One unlikely supporter of parental involvement is 16 year-old Jonathan from Omaha, Neb., who spoke to CNA on December 6. Although excessive texting didn’t land him in rehab, he noticed a sharp decline in his school performance when he got a cell phone earlier this year.

His homework began to suffer and he even found himself losing sleep, carrying on conversations with friends via text long into the night. When his parents noticed on their cell phone bill that he had racked up 3,000 texts in one month, they staged an intervention of sorts.

“They took my phone away,” he recalled. Though he was angry at first, Jonathan said he eventually understood. He said that he felt strangely relieved and noticed one day while riding in the car with his mom that they were actually carrying on a conversation instead of him being perpetually glued to his phone. Additionally, his school work started to improve.

Jonathan also opened up his own Facebook account a few months ago at the urging of his friends. He said his reactions to the online networking site have been mixed.

“The positive thing about Facebook is that you stay connected with people to a certain extent,” he said, adding that he can chat with friends and catch up with people he may have lost touch with.

The negatives though, he added, are that it’s “time consuming” and often includes interactions with others that are “superficial” and can leave one feeling empty.

“It doesn’t really match talking on the phone or going out for coffee with somebody,” he said.

Jonathan also cited safety concerns regarding online social networking such as stalking or predators baiting underage kids.

“Your parents shouldn’t have to stand over your shoulder,” he noted, “but they should know what’s going on. You should be open with

them about what’s happening.”

Father Michael Warren, parochial vicar of Holy Ghost Church in downtown Denver, Colo. also added to the discussion, saying that aside from the dangers of early drinking and sexual behaviors outlined in the study, there are deeper, more ominous affects of faceless communication lurking beneath the surface.

He cited intense isolation and the inability to form real, selfless relationships with others as results of excessive texting and online networking.

“In real face-to-face encounters you stand before me as a real person in your own right, invested with value that does not originate in me,” he said. “But in the cyber world I am the determiner of all value and therefore am free from the demands of the face-to-face encounter.”

Through online communication, he added, “the only value you have in my eyes are the values I permit you to have in my own small world.”

Father Warren said an additional concern is having this mentality spill over into one’s spiritual life.

“As a person becomes habituated to living this way, it is not likely that God will be spared this indignity,” he said.

“Like everything else in my cyber world, God will have the value I allow him to have, and I can ‘defriend’ him just as easily as I do everyone else.”

cold winter weather and take them to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga as proof of her appearance and intentions. Juan Diego dutifully gathered the roses in his tilma, a coarse cloak woven from cactus fibers, and took them to Bishop Zumarraga.

But when he opened his tilma to reveal the roses, the iconic image we’ve come to know as Our Lady of Guadalupe miraculously appeared on the cloak itself.

Our Lady’s message to this humble Native American and recent Christian convert was a simple mission of evangelization — a call to bring the inhabitants of the then-New World to the Catholic faith.

Her timely appearance at the end of Spain’s conquest of Mexico and before the fledgling country fought to win its independence would lead to her first being proclaimed the patroness of “New Spain” by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754 and then as “Queen of Mexico” by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

While venerated by many different cultures over the years, Hispanics have always held a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Father Wilson said.

“There are a lot of Hispanic children in Holy Family-Holy Name School, many of whom are my parishioners, so that’s why they asked me to come give the talk about her,” he said.

The magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, built near the site of the 1531 apparitions, still draws millions of pilgrims each year and is cited as the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. Reproductions of her iconic image — based on the miraculous image that appeared on St. Juan Diego’s tilma, which itself remains housed within the basilica and hasn’t shown any signs of deterioration in 479 years — have been adopted by ProLife supporters in response to Pope John Paul II’s entrusting of the innocent lives of children, especially the unborn, to her maternal care.

“She became the protector of the unborn in the way she appears as a pregnant woman, with the black belt tied around her waist,” Father Wilson said, referring to the traditional Aztec maternity symbol.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is also the patroness of the diocesan-wide Spanish apostolate that encompasses seven parishes: Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Parish and St. Kilian’s Parish in New Bedford; St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis; St. Mary/ Our Lady of the Isle Parish in Nantucket; St. Mary Parish in Taunton; the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River; and St. Joseph Parish in Attleboro.

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The Anchor

December 10, 2010

Cardinal Burke stresses keeping Christ on Catholic campuses continued from page one

on intrinsically evil actions, like supporting abortion.

To a culture full of ambiguity and moral relativism, Burke speaks decisively about right and wrong.

He told those gathered at the Thomas More College dinner to be wary of Catholic organizations that brand their names with adjectives and modifying phrases. He lamented the practice of many colleges qualifying

their identity, calling themselves things like “Catholic university in the Franciscan or Jesuit tradition.” This “tradition” has little to do with the great tradition of the universal Church, he said.

The name Catholic has its full authentication, he added.

Secularism in the United States has created a “culture of violence and death” that denies the dignity of human life, integrity of marriage and right order

of relationships between people.

Now more than ever, the Church needs Catholic institutions of higher learning to form their students in the faith properly, he said.

“At the Catholic university, the very manner of study and research should manifest the bankruptcy of the abuse of human life and human sexuality which has come to be standard on many university campuses,” he said. “How tragic that the very secularism which a Catholic university should be helping its students to battle and overcome has entered into several Catholic universities, leading to the grievous compromise of their high mission.”

One of the first things every Catholic college must address is the “prevalent and utterly destructive error of our time that somehow faith is contradicted by reason,” he said.

Students must be equipped to address the truth in their personal lives and society so that they will be able to resist the “secularist dictatorship” that seeks to exclude all religious discourse from the professions and from public life, he said.

In a time marked by religious illiteracy, when many young Catholics are poorly catechized, Catholic schools must teach Scripture and tradition. Students must study the fathers of the Church and approved theologians, above all St. Thomas Aquinas.

“There is really no place for engaging in speculative theology and certainly no time to waste on superficial and tendentious theological writing of the time. What sense does it make, for example, to engage students in the discussion of the possibility of the addition of women to holy orders

stressing Christ on catholic campuses — Cardinal Raymond Burke spoke recently at the annual President’s Council Dinner of Thomas More College located in Merrimack, N.H.

when the students have little or no knowledge of the consistent teaching of the Scriptures and tradition on the holy priesthood and on the reservation of priestly ordination to men?” he said.

Cardinal Burke stressed that the primary instructor at every Catholic university must by Jesus Christ. Christ who is alive in his Church must be taught, encountered in the liturgy and followed by leading a life of virtue.

Otherwise, the school is not worthy of the name Catholic, he said.

“The presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the campus of the college and university is not something additional to or even extraneous to the pursuit of truth.

It is rather he alone who can inspire, guide and discipline the professors and students so that they remain faithful in the pursuit and do not fall prey to the temptation which Satan cleverly offers to corrupt us every time we set out to obtain a great good,” he said.

Burke said Catholic colleges “nurture the soul of our nation” and praised the great work of

This week in 50 years ago — Construction began in earnest on three buildings within the Fall River Diocese that would be ready for occupancy the following year: a new church for St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham; a new church for St. William’s Parish in Fall River; and Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro.

25 years ago — St. James-St. John School in New Bedford commemorated its 100th anniversary with a Mass at St. James Church celebrated by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, just before the school moved to its new location on Orchard Street.

Thomas More College in particular. The school imparts a truly Catholic education to which “students and professors grow in their love of Christ.”

Dr. William Fahey, president of Thomas More College, spoke with pride about the institution. The college was ranked seventh in the category “most Catholic institutions” out of the nation’s 235 Catholic universities by First Things, an online Catholic publication. It is number one in New England.

Fahey added that it is one of 20 Catholic undergraduate institutions in the United States that conform to all requirements of canon law, including maintaining a majority of Catholics on the board and requiring faculty to make a profession of faith and fidelity.

The college has fewer than 100 students and keeps the student to faculty ratio at 10:1. Fahey said the school is small by design and for a reason. Its size allows them to take a “craftsman-like approach to intellectual excellence and family-like approach to character formation.”

Diocesan history 10 years ago — St. Bernard’s Parish joined with the United Church of Christ, both in Assonet, to celebrate the first “Christmas in the Village,” a month-long series of events and religious services designed to “Keep Christ in Christmas.”

One year ago — With the gleaming 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies in tow, Boston Red Sox President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Lucchino was the guest speaker at the 15th annual St. Mary’s Education Fund Fall Scholarship Dinner held at White’s of Westport.

December 10, 2010

great turnout — The St. Mary’s Education Fund got a boost at the conclusion of the December 1 annual Fall Scholarship Dinner as Bishop George W. Coleman accepted a check for it in the amount of $592,879.66. The total represents the proceeds of the Fall Dinner and July’s Summer Dinner Event on Cape Cod along with the annual interest earned on the fund. Helping the bishop with the big check are Michael Tamburro, Fall Dinner chairman and Jane Robin, Summer Dinner director.

Lost in translation: The true gift of Christmas

By Rebecca Aubut Anchor staff

ATTLEBORO — We are in the middle of Advent, and yet for most people the official sign that Christmas is near can be found in the weekly flyers “celebrating” the latest great deals. According to a National Retail Federation survey conducted regarding this year’s Black Friday weekend, 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites and spent an estimated total of $45 billion.

And with retailers opening their doors earlier than ever this year, the Thanksgiving turkey was still warm when people went from being thankful to all-out giving. Even the annual Macy’s Day parade had a number of musical numbers performed that were all seasonal but secular, and the star of the parade was Santa Claus. Kids are already jumping up on Santa’s lap, surrounded by decorated trees but with nary a manger scene in sight.

While covering the opening weekend of the 57th annual Festival of Lights at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, a common thread began to emerge. When asked what brought them to the shrine, most visitors easily answered, saying the trip is a family tradition or that the kids wanted to see all the lights.

When asked how each family is working to highlight the spiritual aspect of Christmas instead of getting caught up in the rampant commercialism of the holiday, one family answered, “We aren’t letting the kids watch as much TV.” Others looked puzzled at the question. Yet for Lyn Tyler from Hudson, N.H., the answer was easy.

“I am saying Merry Christmas

15

The Anchor

whether they answer back or not,” said the grandmother of 13, laughing. “To me it’s Christmas, and it’s not how much you spend on gifts, to me it’s getting together with my family.”

People took their time viewing a number of scenes at the International Display of Nativity Sets, and Lucile Brane, longtime volunteer at the shrine, hopes that seeing Christ at his most innocent will help balance out people’s Christmas spirit.

“To come to places like this and to see the religious atmosphere, that it isn’t all Santa Claus,” said Brane, “and to keep Christ in Christmas.”

Sister Eleanor Cyr, Religious Education director at St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven, said people need to remember that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, and that people have to keep Christ first in their lives.

“One way of doing that is to give the gift of ourselves,” she said, “and be of service to the people that we meet.”

When she asked her fifth-grade class what the best gifts they could give during Christmas, she said their answers warmed her heart.

“Gifts are not the best things you can have, but family and friends and life,” said Sister Eleanor. “Have love, and be able to love.”

Today Christmas is inextricably linked to commercialism with our love displayed in decorative paper with a bow on top. Gifts are not bad things, said Sister Eleanor, but it is up to the family to find a balance between giving gifts and just simply embracing the act of giving.

“The greatest gift we can give to our families is our presence and our whole being,” said Sister Eleanor. “The material things are not necessary to show love. It isn’t things that make us happy. I would just say to pray together and recognize the gifts of each member of the family, and how important that is. The greatest gift we give is of our love and ourselves.”

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Date: February 8 - 17, 2011 (10 days, 9 nights) Amount: $3,290.00 per person, Double Occupancy

$850.00 (additional), Single Occupancy INCLUSIVE FEATURES: - Round trip air - Round trip transfers to hotel - Baggage handling - 9 nights accommodations @ Hotel - Hotel taxes & service charges - 9 breakfasts - 8 dinners - All sightseeing per itinerary - Daily Mass when possible - Lei Greeting

- Polynesian Cultural Center - Pearl Harbor & Arizona Tour - Guided tour of USS Missouri & National Cemetery - Circle Island Tour - 5 nights @ Outrigger Reef Hotel (5 Star) in Honolulu, located on the beach - 4 nights Royal Lahaina Hotel in Maui - 3 Luaus - Tour Iao Valley & Iao Needle & Wailuku Town

For further information you may contact Margaret Oliverio @ 781-762-2029 or 781-344-2073

16

Youth Pages

December 10, 2010

Doers of the Word — This motto of Bishop Connolly High School was exemplified during the Thanksgiving season by extending a hand to the less fortunate families of the community. Donations of food items by students from the Fall River school led to the production of 43 oversized baskets of Thanksgiving foods such as mashed potatoes, stuffing and canned vegetables along with turkeys — one for each basket. On November 24, seven National Honor Society students transported the donated goods to Big Friend, Little Friend, and local churches. Bishop Connolly’s food pantry, led by teacher Daniel Boudria and the National Honor Society, collaborated to provide Thanksgiving meals and cheer to those facing difficulties during the holiday season. From left: Amanda Tavares, Bethany Taylor, Mary-Catherine Maher, Amy Marques, Emily Dyer, Boudria, Blaine Honohan, and Julianne Earle.

young settlers — The first-grade class at Holy Name School in Fall River gathered for a group photo after the completion of their unit on “The Pilgrims.”

READY, WILLING AND ABLE — Students from St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth recently prepared to deliver Thanksgiving baskets to those in need in the area.

greek classic — Students of the Coyle & Cassidy Drama Club recently brought its production of “Antigone” to Abington High School. The play, not performed often, was well received. Pictured: Creon (Ben Williams) is confronted by the Greek Chorus (Julia Aparicio, Tyler Pearson, David McConnell, and Cayla Barbou).

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

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

December 10, 2010

“J

ust gotta have that Xbox with Kinect!

Can I have it … can I, can I, can I PLEEEEEZZZZ?” Does this sound like one of your younger brothers or sisters?

Does it sound like you? Or is it perhaps the sound of your dad pleading for the latest and greatest 3D LED/LCD TV to hit the streets … ever?

This is the time of the year that most of us think about getting and giving stuff. We make the list and we check it twice.

We don’t want to disappoint or be disappointed by those we love. We need to find the latest video or toy, iPod Touch, Coach bag, Ugg boots, or any other item that we know we just can’t live without and that will truly make us happy … at least for this year, or month, or week or day.

Then we also hear about those who are going without. We see that our parishes sponsor Giving Tree projects or collect food and money for those less fortunate. We see people drop a dollar into those red pots staffed by those wonderful volunteers outside of the mall. We feel for those

Youth Pages

17

Not spoiled … blessed!

people who don’t have stuff. mas gift-opening went on for We want to help … we really hours. We wanted our children do … some day. to have everything. Their As a young person in aunt, uncle, and grandparents today’s world, you are pulled wanted them to have everyin many directions. You’re thing too. And believe me … told that you need and should they got everything. want stuff, and you’re told by others that you shouldn’t want stuff. The difficulty is that you get a mixed message. So who do you believe? It is unfortunate, for most

By Frank Lucca people, that the “you need and should want stuff” message is usually stronger and better reI recall, however, as if it ceived than the “you shouldn’t were yesterday, an important want stuff” message. turning point in our lives. One I’ve admitted to you all day my eldest daughter (who in the past that I have a lot was young at the time) was of stuff. I have the latest told by a friend that she was computer, the newest car, spoiled because of all of the the house, the “stuff” of life. stuff she had. I’ll never forget My daughters have a ton of when she turned to the person stuff, too. We are not lacking and said, “I’m not spoiled … anything. Christmas, until a I’m blessed.” Wow, what wisfew years back, was another dom from the mouth of babes. opportunity to add to the stuff. And she was right. We are Oh yeah. Family would gather blessed. We have been given around the tree with dozens so much. It was at that point and dozens of presents unthat we realized how much we derneath. Sometimes, Christhad to give back.

Be Not Afraid

garden party — Grade-three students at St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro created a thankful garden with flowers made of construction paper and petals used to write something they are thankful for. The garden has been displayed outside the classroom. Shown are the students with their garden.

Over the years since that day, we have made an effort as a family to give back. We no longer exchange dozens of gifts, but rather give of ourselves to others and to each other. Finally, last year for the first time, we cut back on gifts to other family members and offered those funds toward the needs of others.

Of course, we all still want “stuff.” That new boat or car, that new iPad, but as long as it doesn’t take top priority in our lives, as long as we don’t “worship” the stuff as more important that anything else; as long as the stuff doesn’t stand between us and others, especially our God; as long as we know that we’re “blessed” and that we work hard to help others, we know we’re OK. Our family anthem, that we all adhere to, is taken from the Gospel of Luke 12:48: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” We know that the more blessed we are, the more we’re expected to give back.

Sometimes that is a daunt-

ing thought, but everyday we strive to follow what God asks of us. He says that if he blesses us with anything — health, good families, or a roof over our heads — then we in turn must also think of others.

Give some thought to where you are this Christmas season. The joy of giving and receiving is part of our lives.

But remember, that it is not the only thing that is important. Christmas is the time to remember and celebrate the greatest gift ever given — the gift of God’s own Son. We’ve received that awesome gift.

We are truly blessed. By that one gift alone we have been given much. As a result of that one gift alone, much is therefore expected of us. What more could we need or want?

So what are you giving this Christmas?

Frank Lucca is a youth minister at St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea. He is chair and director of the YES! Retreat and director of the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI). He is a husband and a father of two daughters. He is truly blessed.

18

The Anchor

‘What Child is This?’ — Diocesan students know continued from page one

the world continue to await Christ’s coming during Advent and celebrate his arrival at Christmas.

Included among those faithful followers of Jesus are the Diocese of Fall River’s hundreds of parochial school students, who, through the noble efforts of their school administrators, teachers and volunteers, are taught, and accept, the real reason for the season — the birth of our savior.

Christmas pageants and programs have become commonplace in Catholic schools across the diocese in many shapes and forms — but with one common theme, Jesus Christ.

Students at St. Mary’s School in Mansfield are putting on a pageant at the school December 21 at 10 a.m. Principal Joanne Riley said this year’s theme is “Carriers of the Light.”

The program includes traditional Christ-based carols and the story of the Nativity.

While rehearsing for the performance, students portraying the biblical characters see in a very real way what Christmas is all about.

Fourth-grader Cassandra Gloeker was delighted to land the role of Mary. “I am excited to play Mary because she was

Revised and updated ...

that age, they’re really aware of what it truly means.”

The parts haven’t yet been very important to Jesus,” she Principal Lincoln A. DeMoura handed out at Our Lady of told The Anchor, “The chil- Lourdes, but fifth-grade teachsaid. “She protected him.”

Classmate Ryan Burke por- dren work very hard on this er Mary Turner solicited retrays Joseph in the play. He production. The entire fifth- sponses from potential canditold The Anchor, “I feel I am grade class, 18 students in all, dates as to what it would mean playing an important role in participate. We’re a Catholic to play Mary or Joseph. the pageant because Joseph school with a Catholic mission “To play Joseph means that was a strong character in Je- and we stress a focus on val- you are responsible for Mary ues. We don’t hide our faith, and Jesus at the same time,” sus’ life.”

There are no characters in nor do we ever intend to do said Kelvin Kariuki. “There the biblical account who were so.” would be no Christmas without The students will perform Joseph’s taking care of Mary not crucial to the event or there for no reason — from the shep- the play for the rest of the stu- who is bearing the Son of God.” herds to the angels, to the Wise dent body on the last day of “Playing Joseph tells me Men. Even the animals that Christmas isn’t all ocelyn Medeiros said, “To about the presents, it’s had their roles.

John Meawad, another play the character of Mary about Jesus’ birthday,” fourth-grader, is a shep- means to see what it must have added Ryan Hackett. herd in the play. “It’s a Jocelyn Medeiros been like to give birth to our Lord great experience,” he said, “To play the characsaid, “and I am excited to and Savior, Jesus Christ. It means ter of Mary means to see that we should appreciate all that what it must have been play a shepherd.”

Meawad’s classmate we are because of him. It brings like to give birth to our Linnea Carchedi is an warmth into my heart knowing Lord and Savior, Jesus angel in the producChrist. It means that we how much he sacrificed for us.” tion, and her perspective should appreciate all that echoes what many of the we are because of him. It St. Mary’s students feel about school before Christmas vaca- brings warmth into my heart Christmas. “The pageant is tion. knowing how much he sacri“Throughout Advent we ficed for us.” important for us to be part of because so many people think stress that Advent is part of the “It would mean a lot to be Christmas is all about the gifts, Christmas season,” added De- able to play Mary because she presents and Santa,” she said. Moura. “We offer confessions is the mother of Jesus,” said “But it’s really about the birth and Advent prayers. With these Kennedy Reyes. “She is the of Jesus and the great story and the pageant, we help keep one who brought him to us. the students focused on the Without her, there would be no that is told.”

The fifth-graders at Our true meaning of Christmas.”

Christmas.”

DeMoura said the fifthLady of Lourdes School in In addition to the traditional Taunton are also offering a graders start getting excited Nativity story, students at St. traditional Nativity program. about the pageant in October. Francis Xavier Preparatory “They look forward to the School in Hyannis take part in birth of the Baby Jesus, and at a unique Christmas program

J

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December 10, 2010 called “Lessons and Carols.”

“The students are taught about the true meaning of Christmas through a Scripture reading from the Gospel of Luke and a traditional hymn that goes along with it,” said Headmaster Robert Deburro.

“For instance, the students hear the story of the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she is to become the mother of the savior,” he continued.

“Then they sing ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel.’”

Deburro said other examples are the story of the census-taking episode followed by “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and the birth of Jesus, followed by “What Child is This?” “There are seven lessons in all, and it’s always a beautiful ceremony,” said Deburro. “It’s quite moving, and the ceremony concludes with prayers of petitions, a blessing from pastor Father Daniel W. Lacroix, and singing ‘Silent Night.’”

There is also a concert of traditional Christmas carols, most of which are Christ-centered.

The Nativity performance at St. Francis Prep is “a gift to the parishioners,” said Deburro. This year it will take place at a parish breakfast following a 9 a.m. Sunday Mass.

Another unique Christmas performance takes place this year at Espirito Santo School in Fall River. Under the direction of teacher assistant Deb Cabral, the eighth-grade class will perform the play, “Super Gift From Heaven,” by Fred Bock, with music by Betty Hager.

The play is set in a toy store. When the store closes for the night, the toys come to life. They sing and play and eventually question what a gift really is. As the story progresses, the toys realize that Jesus is the real gift — the super gift from God. Original songs from the production include “Baby Dolls’ Silent Night,” “Lullaby for Jesus,” “What is a Gift,” “Listen While the Angels Sing,” and “Super Gift From Heaven.”

“The eighth-graders offer their performance as a gift to their families,” said Cabral.

Families are invited to attend the performance at Bishop Connolly High School on December 16. Cabral said the pre-school and kindergarten students will also sing English and Portuguese Christmas carols.

The Anchor

December 10, 2010

Father Robert J. Malone, C.S.C., served as missionary in Africa and chaplain at Madonna Manor in North Attleboro

EASTON — Father Robert J. Malone, C.S.C., 77, died unexpectedly at the Holy Cross Community Residence in North Easton, on November 26.

Father Malone was born on March 4, 1933 in Hartford, Conn., the son of Joseph and Edna (Powers) Malone. He was awarded a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1957 and a M.A. in Theology from Holy Cross College at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He made his first profession of religious vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross on Aug. 16, 1955, and his final profession on Aug. 16, 1958.

He was ordained a priest on June 6, 1961.

Father Malone served as a missionary in Uganda from 1961 to 1972. Upon his return to the United States he completed a master’s degree in counseling at the University of Notre Dame in 1974.

He served as a counselor in Mishawaka and South Bend, Ind. before serving as a chaplain and rehabilitation assistant with Catholic Relief Services in Thailand.

He served as a hospital chaplain at North Central Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y. and St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn.

Among his other ministries, Father Malone served as an associate pastor in Bennington, Vt. and in Taunton; as a campus minister at the Uni-

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Dec. 13 Rev. Reginald Theriault, O.P., St. Anne, Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1972 Rev. Adrien L. Francoeur, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1991 Dec. 14 Rev. Msgr. John J. Hayes, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford, 1970 Dec. 15 Rev. Mortimer Downing, Pastor, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis, 1942 Rev. John F. O’Keefe, Assistant, St. Patrick, Fall River, 1955 Dec. 19 Permanent Deacon Eugene L. Orosz, 1988 Permanent Deacon Maurice LaValle, 2007

versity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del. and Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Conn.

He returned to Africa as a Father Robert J. Malone, C.S.C. missionary in Ghana from 1998 to 1999. Since 2003 Father

Malone served as a chaplain at Madonna Manor Nursing Home in North Attleboro.

Father Malone is survived by his stepsister, Barbara Escobar of Meriden, Conn., and members of the congregation.

A wake was held in the Chapel of Mary on the campus of Stonehill College in North Easton, on November 29. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated there November 30. Internment followed at the Holy Cross Cemetery on the grounds of Stonehill College.

Around the Diocese 12/12

Holy Family Parish, 370 Middleboro Avenue, Taunton, will host its 20th annual Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. The Cranberry Brass Quartet will perform this year and following the service there will be other entertainment and refreshments served in the parish center.

12/12

Holy Cross Church, South Easton, will host its Holly Fair and Breakfast with Santa on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parish center. The first seating will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and a second seating will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be raffles for various prizes and great Christmas gift ideas.

12/12

St. James-St. John School, 180 Orchard Street, New Bedford, will host a Holiday Fair Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring more than 20 vendors of hand-crafted items and home party items. There will also be a bake sale and hourly door prizes will be drawn. For more information, email pto@sjsjschool.com.

12/12

St. Bernard’s Parish, 30 South Main Street, Assonet, will host Breakfast with Santa on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to noon (snow date: December 19). The menu will include pancakes, scrambled eggs, home fries, juice, coffee, or hot chocolate and there will be a Santa’s Gift Shop for Christmas shopping. Tickets will be available at the door.

12/14

The Daughters of Isabella will be celebrating Christ’s birthday with a party on December 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 121 Mount Pleasant Street, New Bedford.

The business meeting will follow the Christmas party. The meal will be catered and any current member is welcome to join. For more information or reservations call 508-5673288.

12/14

The next meeting of the Catholic Cancer Support Group at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville will be December 14 beginning with Mass and anointing of the sick at 7 p.m. in the church.

Following Mass there will be a reception at the Priest’s Residence and all Cancer Support Group members are most welcome to attend. For more information call Mary Lees at 508-771-1106.

12/16 12/16

A Healing Mass will be held at St. Anne’s Church, 818 Middle Street, Fall River on December 16 at 6:30 p.m. Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. with Benediction and healing prayers after the Mass.

The members of Holy Trinity Charismatic Prayer Group, West Harwich, invite all to join them for an Advent Celebration on December 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Damien Hall. The evening will begin with praise and worship followed by an Advent presentation by Deacon Ralph Cox. For more information call 508-432-8149 or 508-430-0014.

12/17

SS. Peter and Paul Parish at Holy Cross Church in Fall River is hosting a visit of the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim virgin statue on December 17. She will arrive for the 8 a.m. Mass in the chapel (ground floor of the school, 240 Dover Street) and at 1 p.m. there will be a procession to the church (47 Pulaski Street) where eucharistic adoration will be held until 6 p.m. when a closing Mass will be celebrated. For more information call 508-676-8463.

12/24

There will be no Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve this year at St. Anne’s Church and Shrine, Fall River. St. Anne’s Choir will be singing at the 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass.

19 Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays end with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays end with Benediction at 2:45 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph Church holds eucharistic adoration in the Adoration Chapel located at the (south) side entrance at 208 South Main Street, Sunday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to midnight, with overnight adoration on Friday and Saturday only.

Brewster — Eucharistic adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays following the 11 a.m.

Mass until 7:45 a.m. on the First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and Mass.

Buzzards Bay — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, every first Friday after the 8 a.m. Mass and ending the following day before the 8 a.m. Mass.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place First Fridays at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has eucharistic adoration every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at noon. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration. Refreshments follow.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has eucharistic adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has eucharistic adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has eucharistic adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has eucharistic adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

HYANNIS — A Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration will take place each First Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 21 Cross Street, beginning at 4 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of eucharistic adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and confessions offered during the evening.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the rosary, and the opportunity for confession.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has eucharistic adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m.

The rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and every Friday from noon to 5 p.m., with Benediction at 5 p.m.

Taunton — Eucharistic adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction.

Recitation of the rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

WAREHAM — Adoration with opportunities for private and formal prayer is offered on the First Friday of each month from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, High Street.

The Prayer Schedule is as follows: 7:30 a.m. the rosary; 8 a.m. Mass; 8:30 a.m. exposition and Morning Prayer; 12 p.m. the Angelus; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet; 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer; 7 p.m. sacrament of confession; 8 p.m. Benediction.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

20

The Anchor

December 10, 2010

community life — Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts located in the Diocese of Fall River recently gathered for a group photo, left. At right, the community enjoys a meal together. This weekend, diocesan parishes will be holding a collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious, an annual appeal to provide support for thousands of elderly Catholic priests, Brothers and Sisters of religious orders.

Catholics can ‘share in the care’ of elderly religious

Parishes to conduct annual collection for retired priests, Sisters, Brothers in religious orders

FALL RIVER — Catholics in the Diocese of Fall River will have the opportunity to

“Share in the Care” of senior religious by participating in the annual collection for the

Retirement Fund for Religious, to be held December 11-12.

The collection is coordinated

by the National Religious Retirement Office in Washington and provides financial support for the day-to-day care of thousands of elderly Catholic Sisters, Brothers, and religious order priests.

Last year, the Diocese of Fall River contributed $144,900.59 to this collection.

In 2010, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and Dominican Sisters of Charity received financial assistance made possible by the RFR. Additionally women and men religious who serve or have served in the diocese but whose institutes are headquartered elsewhere may benefit from this fund.

Since 1988, Catholics in the United States have donated $617 million to this initiative.

Nearly 95 cents of every dollar is used to aid senior religious.

Despite the overwhelming generosity to this fund, many religious communities continue to lack resources sufficient to support retirement and elder care. Of 573 communities submitting data to the NRRO in 2009, fewer than seven percent were fully funded for retirement.

Traditionally, religious served for small stipends that did not include retirement benefits. Their sacrifices now leave their religious communities without adequate savings for retirement. Compounding the funding shortage are the rising cost of care and the substantial loss of income that has resulted from the declining number of religious able to serve in compensated ministry.

“As the number of wageearning religious drops, so does income,” explained

NRRO Executive Director Sister Janice Bader, a member of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Mo. “Census projections indicate that by 2019, religious past age 70 will outnumber those under 70 by nearly four to one.

We want to do everything possible to help religious communities prepare for the dramatic income reduction that will accompany this demographic shift.”

As a result of the 2009 collection, which garnered more than $28.1 million, the National Religious Retirement Office was able to distribute more than $23 million in financial assistance to 477 communities, representing more than 45,000 women and men religious. By underwriting necessities, such as prescription medication and nursing support, these funds help religious communities provide for the ongoing care of elder members. Additional funding was allocated to initiatives targeted for religious institutes with the greatest needs.

Like many other Americans, religious communities struggle with the ever-rising cost of health care. In 2009 alone, the total cost of care for nearly 35,000 women and men religious past age 70 exceeded $1 billion. “Despite the troubling statistics, many religious communities have made great strides in addressing their funding deficits,” notes Sister Bader. “Religious are humbled by the generous donations to this fund and determined to make the most out of every dollar.”

To learn more, visit www. retiredreligious.org.