INSIDE: The Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiative
FALL RIVER — A new multi-year effort, Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes and Stronger Church Initiative, was introduced in the December 2024 Pastoral Letter by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., entitled A Time For Fortitude.
This initiative is centered on strengthening our priests through six strategic priorities to be implemented over three years. The fruits of this endeavor, as the Bishop explains in his letter, will be “a Priesthood set up for success for years to come and a new positive ministerial environment where Christ can more readily reach every soul in our Diocese through the mediation of His priests.”
Please turn to page seven to read Bishop da Cunha’s letter to the faithful and learn about this new and important initiative in the Diocese of Fall River.
Pope confers Honors on Father Landry
By Joan D. Warren Editor joandwarren@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — As the new year begins, it is one of significant change for one priest of the Diocese of Fall River.
In November, Pope Francis conferred papal honors on Rev. Roger J. Landry, naming him a Chaplain of His Holiness. With the honor, he now has the title of Reverend Monsignor.
Earlier this month Msgr. Landry began his service as the new National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
“I was really surprised to get the news that I had been named a Monsignor. I know
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Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
A year to reconnect and come back to God
By Joan D. Warren Editor joandwarren@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — 2025 is a Jubilee Year for the Roman Catholic Church. A jubilee is a special year of prayer, reconciliation, and spiritual renewal, ordinarily taking place every 25 years. The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.”
During the jubilee, Catholics are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Rome. For pilgrims who can’t travel to Rome, the bishops in the United States designate important local shrines and pilgrimage sites as special sites for the jubilee, according to the USCCB.
Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., has designated four sites where pilgrims can visit and may obtain a plenary indulgence. They are: the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River, National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette in Attleboro, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in New Bedford, and Saint
Francis Xavier Church in Hyannis.
In a February 2022 letter, the Holy Father Pope Francis announced 2025 as a Jubilee Year for the Universal Church, with the theme, Pilgrims of Hope.
Pope Francis stated, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire…”
On Sunday, December 29, in union with bishops throughout the world, Bishop da Cunha celebrated a special Mass to open the Fall River diocesan observance of the Jubilee Year 2025.
The Mass followed the opening of the Holy
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January 10, 2025
Left: Bishop Edgar da Cunha reads from the Rite of the Opening of the Jubilee Year in a December 29 Mass. Right: Pope Francis at the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, inaugurating the Jubilee Year 2025. (CNS photo by Cristian Gennari, pool)
Diocese celebrates start of Jubilee Year with Mass on December 29
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Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Eve by Pope Francis to officially begin the Jubilee Year for the Universal Church.
The opening Mass took place here in St. Mary’s Cathedral, and many of the faithful from the Diocese of Fall River attended.
Bishop da Cunha said this is a holy year for people to reconnect and come back to God.
“As we know, the focus of the Jubilee Year is hope. With this celebration we begin our journey, our pilgrimage, to embrace penance, coming back to God asking for forgiveness and conversion,” he said.
The Mass began in the Cathedral chapel with a reading of the Papal Bull that announced the Jubilee Year, Spes Non Confundit, or, Hope does not disappoint (Rom 5:5), and was followed by a procession into the main church as the Litany of the Saints was sung.
In his homily, Bishop da Cunha shared how we are invited to embrace the profound theme of hope—a hope rooted in God’s mercy, forgiveness, and transformative love.
“This special year is a spiritual pilgrimage, an opportunity to step out of ourselves and encounter God where His love shines most brightly.”
The Jubilee Year offers the chance to rediscover this hope through a renewed relationship with God. Hope, grounded in Christ’s resurrection, assures that God will bring good out of every challenge.
‘‘As Pope Francis urges, we are called to bring hope to the weary, the brokenhearted, and the oppressed. In our woundedness, we can become sources of life – hope – for others in the greatest of need. This year is an opportunity to grow in hope and share it as light amid the world’s darkness,” Bishop da Cunha said.
“We know life is full of uncertainties. We face challenges in our relationships, our work, our health and our world. Yet, hope reminds us that these struggles are not the end of the story. Hope gives us courage to believe that no matter how bleak things appear, God can and will bring good out of every situation.
“Hope sustains us in our darkest moments and gives us strength to press on even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Hope is not merely optimism or wishful thinking; it is a profound trust in God’s promises and a confidence that His plans for us are good, even when we cannot see the outcome.”
Throughout the year, each designated pilgrimage location will have special Masses and liturgies.
Diocese of Fall River
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River has accepted the recommendation of the the Very Reverend Andrew E. Whiting, I.V.E.Provincial Superior of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and has made the following appointments:
Reverend Jeffrey R. Obniski, I.V.E., as Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in New Bedford
Reverend Mario Rojas, I.V.E.as Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in New Bedford
Effective: January 1, 2025
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointment:
Reverend Mebounou (Herve) N. Gbedey as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community, Chaplain of the Brazilian/Cape Verdean Community at Holy Rosary Church in Taunton, with residence at St. Mary’s Cathedral Rectory in Fall River
Effective: January 1, 2025
January 10, 2025
Salt, Light and Leaven
Meet Sr. Muriel Lebeau, spiritual advisor, teacher of 60 years
By Joan D. Warren Editor joandwarren@anchornews.org
FAIRHAVEN — Sr. Muriel Lebeau, ss.cc., is the Campus Ministry Facilitator at St. Joseph’s School in Fairhaven. A Sister of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary for the past 54 years, she was born and raised in Fairhaven. She attended Notre Dame College in Manchester, NH, which has since closed, and earned a degree in religious studies and elementary education.
How long have you been teaching? I started my 60th year last year. I was 18 when I went into the convent and began teaching kindergarten. There were 54 students! It was then I got the calling to teach. I started at St. Joseph’s and was there for 34 years, principal for 19 years. I went over to Holy Family - Holy Name School for 20 years and was at St. Stanislaus School until I came back ‘‘home” at St. Joseph’s a few years ago.
What is your favorite age group? I am most comfortable with younger kids because they are so open and have a sense of wonder. They soak it up and go home and tell their parents what they learned. Over the years, I have run into former students who remember the Easter experiences they had with me. That makes me happy. You don’t know if you’re getting the message across when you are giving lessons, and hearing that it made a difference in their lives is fulfilling.
What do you do as St. Joseph Campus Ministry Facilitator? Every year I prepare Lenten prayer experiences for students from pre-kindergarten through grade four and an Easter experience for kindergartners through third grade. I plan a Christian Seder meal for grades four through eight and live stations of the cross for middle school students.
When did you decide to become a nun? I was in the 3rd grade. I went into Sacred Hearts Academy where we had 24 hr. adoration. I watched eight sisters going into adoration and eight sisters leaving adoration. I was fascinated by their dedication and knew that is what I wanted to do with my life.
Best and worst subject when you were in school? My least favorite subject was math, I don’t like math. My favorite was (and still is)
January 10, 2025
If you weren’t a teacher, what would you like to have done? I probably would have gotten married. I did date. I am not sure how my life would have turned out. In the 1960’s that was what young women did - get married and have children.
Do you cook and if so, what are your specialties? I like to do chicken and fish. I use Ritz crackers and butter, like a shake and bake. I live with Sister Claire. The two of us take turns cooking. We work with the Fathers of the Sacred Heart. We eat lunch there with the brothers. They are in Fairhaven as well.
Are you allowed pets in the convent? Yes, but we don’t have any.
Free time activities? I like to read. One of my favorite authors is Danielle Steele. I spend a lot of time preparing for prayer services and am now working on Lent. I like to get ahead and watch the news at the same time. I try and stay informed so I can bring current events to prayer. I also enjoy the program Blue Bloods.
Family: I have a brother in Acushnet and a sister in New Bedford. We have a family dinner every Sunday.
Bucket list: I used to play guitar. I would play church music for the kids. I would like to take it up again. I just need to find time to do that.
Travel: I’m a home body and don’t like to travel. The furthest I have been is Canada and New Jersey.
Hope for the New Year: I pray for peace in the world. I pray hard to bring that to the children in intercession through Mary, especially with 2025 being a Jubilee Year. I pray that God gives me many more years in active ministry.
Praying for Vocations: I hope more young men and women discern a life of service to the Church. We are mostly getting young women from Indonesia, and the Philippines to join. Sisters like me, we’re getting older. Today, parents don’t talk about vocations. I have one third grade student who said, ‘I would love to be a sister, but I want to get married and have kids.’” All
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that the Holy Father has stopped naming monsignors those under 65 and I’m still well under. There are exceptions made for a few circumstances, like those who are in the Holy See's diplomatic corps and those who serve for five years in the Vatican. But after nothing happened after I worked for seven years as an attaché to the Holy See’s diplomatic corps at the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York, I figured I was safe!”
“I don’t know the reason why an exception was made in my case, but I presume it was a nod to the importance of my new work as the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, and maybe, too, to my work as a parish priest, in service to the Holy See, at Columbia University, as a Missionary of Mercy, as Ecclesiastical Assistant to Aid to the Church in Need, and as part of the National Eucharistic Revival and particularly the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage,” he said.
Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., said, ‘‘I am grateful to the Holy Father Pope Francis for choosing to honor a priest of our Diocese, Father Landry, in recognition of his distinguished service to the Church. On my own behalf and on that of the entire Diocese of Fall River, I congratulate Msgr. Landry and extend prayful best wishes as he begins his new ministry this month with the Pontifical Mission Societies.”
“I am eager to begin full-time my duties as National Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies. In every age, Jesus asks us to look out
Msgr. Roger Landry carries the monstrance on his pilgrimage to Indianapollis for the National Eucharistic Congress last summer.
and see that the fields are white and ripe for the harvest, and so the Church’s mission is ever urgent. I can’t wait to try to catalyze the work of U.S. Catholics to fulfill Jesus’ commission to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
The Pontifical Mission Societies has four distinct societies: The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which supports missionary work in 1,100 dioceses in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and Latin America; the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, which supports vocations to the priesthood and religious life; the Missionary Childhood Association, which helps provide young people religious education, health care, advocacy and the necessities of life; and the Missionary Union, which prays for the missions and supports catechists across the world.
Msgr. Landry was ordained a priest for the diocese in 1999. He served as a parochial vicar
at parishes in Fall River and Hyannis before becoming a pastor in New Bedford and Fall River.
For the past nine years he has worked in assignments outside of his diocese.
He served as attaché to the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2015 to 2022, when Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, appointed him Catholic chaplain at Columbia University.
He served as ecclesiastical assistant to Aid to the Church in Need between 2021 and 2024.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops selected him as one of 60 priests to serve as a Eucharistic preacher for the recent three-year National Eucharistic Revival.
He has also been serving as Interim Executive Editor of The Anchor since 2022.
One thing is for certain, Msgr. Landry will remain the same dedicated servant he has always been, just with a new title.
“It will require adjustments on my part. I really love being called ‘Father,’ which is an ever-present challenge, every time it’s used, to respond as a spiritual father in the image of God the Father and of my own hard-working manly dad. I think it’s the greatest title to which any man and priest ought to aspire. But I anticipate those who have always known me as ‘Father’ or strangers who see me dressed in black, will still use it as the most natural vocative. I hope they do. At the end of the day, I’m still just an ordained foot washer given the privilege to proclaim the greatest news of all time.”
Published monthly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720, Tel. 508-675-7151; FAX 508-675-7048; email: joandwarren@anchornews.org.
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PUBLISHER – Most ReveRend edgaR M. da Cunha, s.d.v., d.d. Vol. 70, No. 1
EDITOR; PRODUCTION
Joan d. WaRRen joandwarren@anchornews.org
January 10, 2025 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER
ADVERTISING
Wayne R. PoWeRs waynepowers@anchornews.org
Editorial
The Diocese of Fall River justly made national news last month with the launch of its insightful and bold three-year initiative entitled “Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church.”
It was introduced by a Dec. 8 pastoral letter by Bishop Edgar da Cunha entitled, “A Time for Fortitude,” and mentioned by priests throughout the Diocese at Masses for the Second Sunday of Advent.
The endeavor features the fortitude to which the bishop is calling all of the faithful, religious and clergy of the Diocese. It courageously confronts the data about priestly spiritual, physical, psychological health and the cultural and ecclesial realities that are negatively impacting priestly well-being. It bravely has come out with a plan to address those problems. And it has daringly, and prudently, sought to prioritize care for priests after decades in which any specialized attention given to the clergy has been erroneously attacked by some as a de facto form of clericalism or as a recapitulation of the prioritization of priests that exacerbated the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
As Bishop da Cunha describes in his pastoral letter, the renewal and flourishing of the priesthood is essential to the rejuvenation and thriving of the Diocese. “Without the Priesthood, there would be no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, there would be no Church. By God’s design, our very existence as a Church is permanently tied to the priesthood,” he underlines. This is something that the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival is helping all believers more easily to grasp.
The Eucharistic Jesus makes the Church and is the source, summit, root and center of the Church’s life, and fewer priests, or priests who are in one way or another suffering, makes it more difficult for everyone to encounter Jesus Christ in the way he told us to remember him. “Thriving priests lead to vibrant parishes and apostolates. … There is a clear link between a priest’s personal well-being (both natural and spiritual) and the success of his ministries. This is a fundamental reality that must take deeper root within our Diocese.”
The bishop comments that there is a causal relationship between the priest’s holiness and the growth in holiness of his flock. As the spiritual writer Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard famously and penetratingly wrote in his 1946 spiritual classic The Soul of the Apostolate: “If the priest is a saint, the people will be fervent; if the priest is fervent, the people will be pious; if the priest is pious, the people will at least be decent; if the priest is only decent, the people will be godless.
January 10, 2025
A STRONGER CHURCH THROUGH STRONGER PRIESTS
The spiritual generation is always one degree less intense in its life than the one who begets it in Christ.” To form people to live holy lives in the image and likeness of God, the faithful need not just men who are ordained but priests genuinely striving for sanctity themselves.
Bishop da Cunha notes, however, that “new unprecedented challenges and realities are being imposed on our priests, making it more difficult, perhaps at any time in our Diocesan history, for them to thrive.” He mentions many of those trials flowing from the demands of juggling multiple assignments and the consequences to which they can lead: stress, personal isolation, lack of time for fraternity, burnout, addictive behaviors, and chronic health issues that for middle age priests are twice the normal rate; the continued fallout from the sexual abuse crisis and its consequences not just on priests’ reputations and moral credibility but the chronic fear of catastrophic consequences through a false accusation; demoralization from trends within the Church like decreased faith practice; and a secularized culture that makes the basic proclamation of the Gospel today far more challenging.
“Despite its many joys,” writes the bishop, “the priesthood is in great need of healing and renewal.” He emphasizes, “Doing nothing is not an option.”
Although the Diocese, he states, “is blessed with many devoted, holy, and effective priests, it is imperative that we take decisive action to strengthen our priests and create a healthier environment that is more conducive to priestly thriving, holiness, and an impactful ministry. Our parishes and apostolates’ long-term health and vibrancy depend on such an outcome.”
The initiative to strengthen priests and thereby strengthen parishes and the Church involves six priorities.
The first is pastoral planning, to accelerate the Diocese’s work to consolidate parishes for the sake of priestly health. Studies have shown that the ratio of priests to practicing Catholics in the Diocese is actually sustainable — one priest for every 630 who practice — but that priests are often being overextended to manage multiple parishes to the demands of previous generations rather than present ones. The quickest way to improve presbyteral health, various experts argue, is to reduce the amount of hats individual priests must wear. Some parishes’ best days are long behind them and such assignments can often frustrate young priests’ holy desires to help build, lead and grow. The bishop is asking for the prayerful support of all in the Diocese for this difficult but necessary work ahead.
The second objective is to reinvigorate parish ministry so that priests are able to do what they were ordained to do — preach the Gospel, pray for God’s people, give people the sacraments, and care for those in need — rather than many of the other, increasingly technical, tasks that are involved in parochial administration. This means providing increased training not just to priests but parish staffs.
The third is presbyteral culture, in which the Diocese is dedicating itself to promoting priestly fraternity, care, accountability and stability, through priest support groups, improved channels for candid conversation, clarity on expectations, a task force on rectories, and other means.
The fourth is for priests to commit with greater resolve to their well-being and growth spiritually, physically, psychologically and pastorally. Often priests can use the amount of work they have on their plates as an excuse to defer prioritizing the health of their soul, mind and body. The bishop is asking them to reprioritize not just for their own sakes but for the benefit of all those they’re sent to serve.
The fifth is better training to help priests thrive and minister successfully in a changing and challenging world. There will be a series of videos and online courses to help fill in the gaps of what they didn’t receive in seminary and in ongoing formation sessions, so that they may be better equipped to meet the demands of the moment.
The last is a greater emphasis on the promotion of priestly vocations and the accompaniment and training necessary to help young men persevere in holy vocations, especially since newly ordained priests are becoming pastors now so quickly after ordination. There is an urgent need for many more priests and the bishop is asking everyone to follow Jesus’ words and turn to the Harvest Master beseeching laborers for the harvest, as well as to help encourage and support those who are generously responding to God’s call.
Concluding his pastoral letter, Bishop da Cunha expressed his hope that this initiative to strengthen priests will “result in our priests and our Diocese as a whole unleashing its full evangelical potential, resulting in more thriving parishes, apostolates, and happy and holy priests.”
He asks all of us to ask God for the virtue of fortitude to do God’s will boldly, joyfully and confidently despite fears, to increase our prayer and docility to the Holy Spirit’s work, and to take the appropriate actions for a stronger present and future of our Diocese. The time has come for that candor, courage and wisdom!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Peace be with you!
As the Universal Church celebrates the great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and we stand at the beginning of a new Liturgical Year, I want to take this opportunity to share with you an important vision for the future of our Diocese, which has been in my heart for some time. A vision that focuses on moving the local Church forward in relationship to Christ by actively working towards bringing to our priests more stability, hope, holiness, and wellness.
Thank you for spending time with this letter as I share how the unprecedented challenges facing our priests affect us all and highlight the actions needed to support our priests and fortify our Diocese. This will serve as our guiding vision in the years to come
Reflections on the Past and Present
The past year has been a time of great blessing, gratitude, and joy in our Diocese.
The Diocese of Fall River celebrated 120 years of existence, bringing the truth and love of Christ and His Church to every corner of our region. We give thanks to Almighty God for the many bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and laity who have faithfully led and supported the Diocese of Fall River for so many decades. Their sacrifices, hard work, and holiness are both an occasion to gratefully recall God’s abundant graces bestowed upon us and a continual call to each one of us to take personal responsibility for our local Church and to live in a way that is worthy of the call that each of us has received (cf. Eph 4:1)
Personally, it has been an occasion of immeasurable joy to celebrate my 10th anniversary as the Bishop of Fall River in concert with our 120th Diocesan commemoration. Prayerfully reflecting upon the last ten years together, I am filled with a tremendous sense of awe that comes with the responsibility of being a Successor of the Apostles and your bishop despite my own unworthiness. While I might not always “get it right,” I thank my Father in Heaven for the last decade, helping me to serve, love, and lead faithfully in my role as your bishop.
By the grace of God, we have accomplished tremendous things together, and I want to thank you for your collaboration and generosity in our many undertakings toward building a vibrant Diocese. I would especially like to thank my brothers, our priests, the often-unsung heroes of our Diocese, who pray and labor frequently in the quiet and without recognition. I know you do not need recognition because you do everything for the Lord, but thank you, brothers, for serving our people every day with great joy.
To each of you—clergy and lay faithful alike—I echo Saint Augustine’s words: “For you, I am a bishop; with you, I am a Christian.” I look forward to continuing our pilgrimage of holiness together as brothers and sisters in Christ in the years ahead.
Another recent highlight for the Church and the Diocese of Fall River has been the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Revival. The National Eucharistic Revival was a three-year initiative (2022-2024) sponsored by the U.S. Bishops to inspire, educate, and unite the faithful more intimately with Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist. This three-year movement reached its summit when tens of thousands of Catholics and pilgrims joined together in Indianapolis for the five-day Eucharistic Congress last July, which Pope Francis called a “significant moment in the life of the American Church.”
Likewise, our Diocese was blessed by our Diocesan Eucharistic Encounter in September, which drew more than 1,200 individuals to pray and worship together. In my homily that day, I echoed the words of Bishop Cozzens, Chairman of the Board of the Eucharistic Congress, that this must always be about starting a “movement and not a program.” I urge each of us to make this principle a reality by going forth in our Diocese, spreading the truth about the Eucharist and how it transforms lives. We will only have a Eucharistic Diocese if we (each person in their own capacity) make it so. My heartfelt appreciation to all who have made and continue to make increased Eucharistic Devotion a reality in our Diocese.
A vision that focuses on moving the local Church forward in relationship to Christ by actively working towards bringing to our priests more stability, hope, holiness, and wellness.
Even as we have accomplished many great things together spurred on by love for Christ and those we serve, there has been a sense, through prayerful discernment and collaboration with many, that the Holy Spirit is calling our Diocese to an important vision in the years ahead. As we continue our journey of faith together, let us now consider that vision.
A Hopeful Vision for the Future
In Journeying Together: With Jesus on the Path of Faith & Hope, my Pastoral Letter to the Diocese in 2021, there was an envisioning of our Diocese having a focus on Sacramental Living, especially through personal encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. One excerpt in that letter says, “There is no more extraordinary way to encounter Jesus than the Eucharist, where we believe him to be truly present—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.”
Why does the Eucharist lead to a personal relationship with Christ? Saint John Paul II explained it best when he said, “Love cannot tolerate distance or bear separation,” and for this reason, our Lord “invented the Eucharist where His closeness to us exceeds anything we could possibly imagine” (Letter to the Eucharistic Congress at the Diocese of Setubal, Portugal, 2002)
So, while we continue to emphasize a renewal of Eucharistic Devotion as a means to a personal encounter with the living God, such an emphasis brings with it another deeply connected reality, which I believe the Holy Spirit desires in our Diocese to make the center of its attention – the Priesthood
Theologians discuss the fact that there is an indissoluble connection between the Eucharist and the Priesthood. When Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, saying to His Apostles, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24), He was simultaneously instituting the Priesthood. In 2008, Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio (Pope Francis) identified this reality when saying the following:
“In the Last Supper, we [priests] have been born as priests. There isn’t the Eucharist without the Priesthood. And the Priesthood doesn’t exist without the Eucharist. Only the Priest who has received the Sacrament of Orders can validly celebrate the Eucharist because there is something mysterious. The Eucharist isn’t a reunion of friends who come to pray and eat bread and wine. The Eucharist is fundamentally priestly. Because the first Eucharist was celebrated in a priestly way by the unique High Priest in whose Priesthood we ourselves participate. Jesus Christ. He was the Priest and was the Victim of this Sacrifice” (Episode 9 of “El Sacerdocio Y La Eucaristia,” EWTN Spanish Television Series, 2008).
Yes, without the Priesthood, there would be no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, there would be no Church. By God’s design, our very existence as a Church is permanently tied to the Priesthood
This intrinsic link between the Eucharist and the Priesthood offers the ideal and clear theological foundation for our Diocese’s continued Eucharistic focus with the new and added focus on our priests
In addition to this theological foundation, we might ask why this vision is essential for our Diocese at this specific time.
There are two reasons for this evolution of our vision:
1. Thriving priests lead to vibrant parishes and apostolates.
2. New unprecedented challenges and realities are being imposed on our priests, making it more difficult, perhaps at any time in our Diocesan history, for them to thrive.
Thriving Priests Lead to Vibrant Parishes and Apostolates
It is important to acknowledge the consistent research showing that thriving parishes and Church apostolates are typically led by happy and flourishing priests. Let’s emphasize this truth once more: flourishing priests are key to flourishing parishes. There is a clear link between a priest’s personal well-being (both natural and spiritual) and the success of his ministries. This is a fundamental reality that must take deeper root within our Diocese.
Let’s emphasize this truth once more: flourishing priests are key to flourishing parishes.
There is a spiritual foundation for this reality as well. The Spiritual Law of Causality points out that there is a causal relationship between the priest’s holiness and the laity’s holiness. As the Congregation for Clergy puts it in The Priest, Pastor, and Leader of the Parish Community, “a certain osmosis exists between the faith of the priest and that of the other faithful” (#16).
Many of us intuitively understand this reality when we reflect on the priests who have significantly impacted our lives. Last year, we launched a campaign called Our Priests Make a Difference, inviting our parishioners to submit stories about how our priests have impacted them. Catholics and non-Catholics alike submitted hundreds of heartwarming stories
How Our Priests Are Making a Difference – Stories of Impact
* While we received hundreds of positive stories about our priests, due to limited space, only a few can be shared here.*
• Fr. Fred Babiczuk
“Fr. Fred shows us by example how to live our Faith… He spends all his energy on the flock.”
— Parishioner, Taunton Catholic North, Taunton
• Fr. David Frederici
“Fr. David Frederici is one of the main reasons I came back to the faith permanently. There’s not enough ‘thank you’ s’ in the world for saving my soul. Fr. David Frederici being nice/positive/welcoming gave me that hope and something to look forward to I needed to hear. Meant a lot to me. Still does. He’s the best…Do priests make a difference? MORE THAN WE KNOW! Love this man! Thank you.”
— Parishioner, Our Lady of Fall River Catholic Community, Fall River
• Fr. Matt Gill
“In the heart of Taunton, Massachusetts, there is a beacon of spiritual guidance and warmth at Our Lady of Lourdes School, and his name is Father Matt Gill. Serving as the chaplain of our close-knit community, Father Matt has become more than just a spiritual advisor; he is a genuine friend and
an inspirational figure to students, faculty, and parents alike.”
— Parishioner, Holy Family Parish, Taunton
• Fr. John Kelleher
“Our parish of St. Pius the Tenth in South Yarmouth is blessed to have Fr. John Kelleher as our pastor for the past 3 years. The parish continues to thrive as we journey to build the Body of Christ under Fr. John’s leadership and example. Being pastor is no easy task. Fr. John Kelleher is a wonderful pastor, priest and friend. We try to emulate his example as a person who models his life after Christ.”
— Parishioner, St. Pius X Parish, S. Yarmouth
• Fr. Chris Peschel
“Father Chris Peschel deserves my deepest thanks and prayers… I am deeply thankful for Fr. Chris and for all priests who so generously say yes when someone comes to them in need.”
— Parishioner, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford
• Fr. Craig Pregana
“Fr. Craig has been our pastor for the past 4 years and has brought so much joy back into the parish during some pretty tough times, with the pandemic, etc. He has raised up our parish to a level of full capacity at all the masses, has brought so much positivity and prayer to each and every one of us as a parish family. He has embraced the youth, who is our future in the Church. For that we are very grateful for all the programs Fr. Craig has initiated since becoming our pastor. The evangelization we share is endless!”
— Parishioner, St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro
• Fr. Mike Racine
“No matter what time of the day, Fr. Mike is always available for his parishioners. He covers three parishes and serves all three well…He is full of life and energy and brings that to his ministry. Our once nearly empty church is once again filled. We have activities again and Fr. Mike always shows up for whatever is going on in any of the three parishes. He is kind and caring and very involved with his parishioners. Many people come once to a service and register for the parish as a result. I cannot say enough good things about Fr. Mike.”
— Parishioner, St. Lawrence Martyr, New Bedford
In my own life, I remember with gratitude the example of Father Nicola Carandente, SDV, who was my novice master in the Society Divine Vocations. He was a missionary from Italy who spent many years in Brazil and served as master of novice to many who are now priests throughout the congregation. Subsequently, he became a missionary in Argentina, Nigeria, and Colombia, where he also served as master of Novices and contributed to the formation of many future priests. Once, I went to ordain a group of priests in Nigeria who had been his novices, and they all remembered him with gratitude and respect. His life of simplicity, prayerfulness, and generosity remains with me to this day as an example of a dedicated and faithful priest.
As we see, the impact of a single priest can hardly be overstated. Consequently, focusing on our priests and their ability to flourish will subsequently ensure the vibrancy of our parishes and apostolates
New Challenges Facing Our Priests
Another critical reason to work towards a vision of strengthening our presbyterate is due to the new and unparalleled challenges our
priests face
Before addressing some of these new and challenging realities, it is important to remember that every vocation comes with its own joys and struggles. Those of you who are married certainly understand this truth. As we reflect on the challenges facing the Priesthood, we should not imply that it is any different from other vocations in that each state of life has its own unique joys and struggles.
We also know that we have many devoted, holy, and happy priests who work extremely hard for those entrusted to their care. Despite unprecedented challenges, they have responded heroically. It has been and continues to be one of the great joys of my life to be able
to minister alongside my brothers, and I am extremely grateful to the priests of the Diocese of Fall River.
However, these realities do not mean we shouldn’t look clearly and courageously at some of the severe struggles and trials many priests face. It is naïve to view priests as individuals alone without reference to the broader context of priest morale, ecclesial relationships, and the community. Not only are humans social by nature, but, more importantly, we are connected as the Mystical Body of Christ – the Church (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31).
In 2023, the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations released a new document entitled Guide to Ongoing Formation of Priests. The document identifies the following obstacles to priestly flourishing:
Obstacles from Within the Priesthood
• Repercussions from the priest’s own unhealthy family dynamics We all need to realize that priests are, first and foremost, human beings. As human beings, they enter the Priesthood with their own life experiences, family of origin woundedness, and struggles. As the American male population continues to struggle according to many metrics, these same human issues affect our priests, who, at times, are tempted to focus on serving others to the detriment of attentiveness to their own inner world. This may be one of the reasons why our priests suffer from the same high rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction as the general population
• Priest shortages and aging presbyterates contributing to a higher workload and greater stress. Our priests are being forced to cover multiple assignments because of our massive priest shortage and aging presbyterate. 50% of our pastors are pastoring multiple large-scale parishes or have multiple full-time assignments. Without intervention, this issue will continue to trend in a negative direction. In the next five years, we project twice as many retiring pastors as priests available to replace them. In
January 10, 2025
priest shortage and aging presbyterate. 50% of our pastors are pastoring multiple large -scale parishes or have multiple full-time assignments. Without intervention, this issue will continue to trend in a negative direction. In the next five years, we project twice as many retiring pastors as priests available to replace them. In very short order, we will simply be unable to replace retiring pastors.
• Feeling trapped by expectations of work that can never be accomplished. Due to the declining number of priests, which has significantly outpaced the needed closure of churches (and the subsequent need for priests to cover multiple assignments), many priests feel the weight of impossible tasks. It seems like an untenable expectation of superhuman performance just to meet the basic needs of our parishes with multiple worship sites. This is exacerbated by the increasing complexity of pastoring and administering parishes in the modern world, requiring an in -depth understanding of Human Resources, Finances, Facilities, and Law, for example. Likewise, our young priests are being asked to become pastors within a few years of ordination, whereas, not so long ago, priests would typically be ordained 10 -20 years before being asked to
…we know that about 50% of priests report at least one symptom of ministry burnout.
become pastors. As one of this situation’s many adverse outcomes, we know that about 50% of priests report at least one symptom of ministry burnout. Likewise, our priests are also contracting chronic illnesses in middle age at twice the rate of the general population
• Personal isolation. While our priests are being asked to do more than ever before, priests have fewer social supports. Again, due to the priest shortage, our priests often live alone in large rectories initially built for 4 -6 priests. Likewise, because priests are already overextended, finding time for fraternity and social support can be a real challenge.
Obstacles from Within the Church
• Demoralization caused by various trends in the Church. It’s important to understand that despite their best efforts, many priests face the often -discouraging reality of declining trends in the Church, such as decreases in Mass attendance and the closing of schools and parishes.
• The lingering impact of sexual abuse scandals that seems to never go away. Our faithful priests are yet another victim in the scourge of the abuse crisis. Given a certain climate of suspicion the abuse crisis has caused, priests have, at times, learned to fear their pastoral situations as never before. Some priests keep their distance from important moments in people’s lives for fear of a false accusation. This reality has also led to tension between priests and their bishops, as some priests do not trust that they will be supported should an abuse or misconduct allegation be made against them.
• A divisive atmosphere inflamed by the erosion of ecclesial and fraternal communion, including deep theological and liturgical differences within presbyterates. As we experience division in the wider community, there likewise exists deeply held (and often generational) theological differences within the Church itself, which can lead to ecclesial disharmony and weakened morale.
Obstacles From the Wider Culture
• A highly secularized culture. From the broader societal context, our priests are trying to live and minister in a world that seems increasingly antagonistic to Catholic values and doctrine. Likewise, the Church remains at a disadvantage because of the credibility lost due to the abuse crisis. For these reasons, proposing the truth and love of our Faith has become increasingly difficult for our priests, who are already being pulled in a multitude of directions.
As these new and untenable realities unfold, the increasingly difficult ecclesial and secular landscape in which our priests live and minister becomes ever more evident. We can recall the prophetic words of Servant of God Fr. John Hardon, S.J., the holy and brilliant Jesuit priest who died about 20 years ago, who said, “Having taught priests over 30 years, having lived with priests, and having labored for them, loving them and suffering with them - no words I can use would be too strong to state that the Catholic Priesthood needs prayer and sacrifice as never before since Calvary. One saint after another has declared that the devil’s principal target on earth is the Catholic Priest. Priests need, Lord how they need, special graces from God.”
If that was true a few decades ago, it appears even more so today. With over 42 years of priestly experience, including vocations and seminarian formation with the Vocationist Fathers, and 21 years as a bishop, I can confirm that, despite its many joys, the Priesthood is in great need of healing and renewal.
Given these complex and challenging realities, doing nothing is not an option. The time has come for our Diocese to be more single -minded in strengthening and renewing our presbyterate. A Diocese with a Priesthood living their best lives in wellness and holiness will be a Diocese that is set aflame for the love of the Lord and the Eucharist. Was this not the model handed down by our Lord Himself, Who started with 12 Apostle -Priests and changed the world? If it worked for Him, it will work for us.
I am happy to announce the next steps toward this aim through the “Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church” initiative.
The “Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church” initiative is a three-year enterprise (2025-2027) focused on achieving the foundational changes necessary to adapt our Priesthood to the current realities of life and ministry (which are much different than in times past), and, as much as possible, to set up our priests for success. The goal is to comprehensively address the systemic personal and organizational obstacles that are hindering these outcomes and to set a new norm not based on an expectation of “superhuman performance” but on priestly flourishing and holiness
…set a new norm not based on an expectation of “superhuman performance” but on priestly flourishing and holiness.
As lasting and foundational improvements require changes at the environmental and individual levels, we will accomplish this goal via three Diocesan-centric priorities combined with three Priest-centric priorities strategically implemented from 2025 to 2027.
Diocesan-Centric Priorities
1. Pastoral Planning: We will commit to accelerating pastoral planning efforts to bring relief to our priests who are overextended by too many assignments. This will include the closure of some churches based on a substantial review of information, including Mass attendance, Sacraments, church utilization, population growth/decline, and more. I ask for your prayerful support as we make these decisions to help our priests and act as better stewards of
our resources.
2. Parish Ministry: Parish Ministry will be invigorated to allow our priests to focus on what they love to do most and what is at the heart of priestly ministry – evangelization, spiritual life, pastoral care, and Sacramental ministry.
3. Presbyteral Culture: Knowing the importance of positive culture in any organization, our priests’ culture will be strengthened to promote fraternity and stability.
Priest-Centric Priorities
1. Priestly Well-being & Holiness: Human wellness and spiritual holiness are the single most important factors in priestly thriving and pastoral effectiveness. Consequently, our priests have committed to taking the time to deepen these realities in their lives. We will provide them with both the resources and time to do so.
2. Personal & Ministerial Training and Standards: We will focus on enhanced training of our priests to help them thrive and successfully minister in an increasingly challenging world. These efforts will also extend to those who support and collaborate with our priests (such as Diocesan/ parish staff and the lay faithful). In the months ahead, our lay faithful will be asked to do their part in supporting our priests.
3. Vocations & Seminarian Formation: We must beseech God for an increase in vocations to our Diocesan Priesthood. As many may know, we have already announced that our Vocations Office has launched the Called By Name initiative as a practical means to do so. We’ll also enact improvements to the current Seminarian Formation, ensuring that our young priests are confidently prepared to thrive on day one of priestly ministry.
The “Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church” initiative is, in effect, the whole Diocese working together to help our priests be as holy, thriving, and successful as possible. In our Diocese’s history, there has never been a comprehensive and innovative plan ordered singularly toward a thriving Priesthood. I hope and believe that, by the grace of God, such an effort will result in our priests and our Diocese as a whole unleashing its full evangelical potential, resulting in more thriving parishes, apostolates, and happy and holy priests.
I encourage you to visit www.fallriverdiocese.org to review the full initiative in greater detail.
Call to Action
Given the many unprecedented challenges that our Diocese and priests are facing, we can be tempted to think, “What could I possibly do?” To that question, we must call to mind the great insight from Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who said, “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
Each one of us can do something! I strongly encourage you to consider supporting this endeavor in the following three ways:
1. Embrace Fortitude: This time in our Diocese, our Church, and our world requires fortitude. As a cardinal virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit, fortitude strengthens us to joyfully and confidently do God’s holy will despite fear, risk, and rejection. Each of us – clergy and laity alike – must focus on this virtue and pray for its increase to accomplish this initiative, strengthen our Diocese, and live our faith boldly in everyday life.
2. Increase Prayer: While our organizational efforts to strengthen our priests are informed by natural wisdom and secular sciences (cf. Gaudium et Spes, #62), it should remain clear that this is primarily a spiritual undertaking requiring spiritual foundations such as faith in God, fervent prayer, and constant attention to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Without these spiritual foundations, this plan will be unable to bear fruit. Please include the “Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church” initiative and the strengthening of our priests in your regular prayers and sacrifices. At www.fallriverdiocese. org, I encourage you to participate in a Spiritual Banquet by anonymously submitting the spiritual practices you will undertake towards this intention.
3. Take Action: Saint Augustine reminds us to “pray as though everything depends on God and work as though everything depends on you.” In addition to your prayerful support, please visit our diocesan website to learn more about the concrete ways you can support this mission and our priests. In the next three years, everyone will be asked to participate in ways fitting to their state of life.
Conclusion
At this critical juncture, it is clear that both the Diocese and the Priesthood require a “paradigm shift” towards newer and more effective ways of operating so that our priests are more able to uninhibitedly exercise the sacred ministry of the Priesthood. Such a process will result in a Priesthood set up for success for years to come and a new positive ministerial environment where Christ can more readily reach every soul in our Diocese
through the mediation of His priests
As the Universal Church prepares to celebrate a Jubilee Year (The Jubilee of Hope) in 2025, may we move forward with this important Diocesan vision in hope, joy, and fortitude to boldly and innovatively focus on strengthening the Priesthood, thereby impacting every person, parish, and apostolate in our Diocese.
Finally, let us call upon the Holy Spirit, without Whom no undertaking in the Church can bear fruit. We pray both that the Holy Spirit will lead us through this process and that the hearts of our priests and people will be purified from sin, strengthened in virtue, and inflamed with divine charity on an even deeper level.
May the intercessions of Our Lady of Fall River and Saint John Vianney lead us into this new era of priestly holiness, stability, and joy in ministry.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D. Bishop of Fall River
Given on December 8, 2024, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiati ve 2025 -2 02 7
A Time f or F ortitude
As a cardinal virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit, fortitude strengthens us to joyfully and confidently do God’s holy will despite fear, risk, and rejection.
Rev. Robert Baker, C.S.C., 2021
Jan. 11
Jan. 12
In Your Prayers
Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks:
Rev. Thomas P. Grace , Pastor, St Patrick, Fall River, 1918
Rev. Manuel C. Terra, Retired Pastor, St. Peter, Provincetown, 1930
Jan. 13
Rev. Emile Plante, M.S., LaSalette Seminary, Attleboro, 1954
Rev. Ralph D. Tetrault, Retired, Former Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 2007
Jan. 14
Rev. John J. Lawler, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1977
Jan. 15
Rev. Thomas F. Kennedy, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1948
Rev. Vincent Marchildon, O.P., Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 1972
Rev. Msgr. John E. Boyd, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 1977
Rev. Harold A. Whelan, Jr., SS.CC., Ph. D., 1997
Jan. 17
Rev. John F. Laughlin, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro
Rev. Daniel J. McCarthy, SS.CC., Former Provincial Superior, Retired Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 2002
Rev. Gilles M. Genest, M.S., 2012
Jan. 18
Rev. Paul J. Duff, C.S.C., Retired, Holy Cross Parish, South Easton, 2012
Rev. Deacon James Paul Leavitt, 2018
Jan. 19
Rev. Thomas E. O’Dea, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1999
Jan. 20
Rev. Roland J. Masse, Assistant, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1952
Jan. 21
Rev. Msgr. Henri A. Hamel, USAF, Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1983
Jan. 23
Rev. Deacon John Cwiekowski, 2001
Jan. 24
Rev. Aaron L. Roche, O.P., Immaculate Conception Mission, North Easton, 1870
Rev. Louis A. Casgrain, Pastor, St Mathieu, Fall River, 1920
Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Boston College Faculty, 1951
Rev. Thomas F. McMorrow, Assistant, Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, 1977
Rev. Cornelius J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1999
Jan. 25
Rev. Jack Hickey, O.P., Dismas House, Nashville, Tenn., 1987
Rev. David M. Andrade, Pastor, St. Louis de France, Swansea, 2018
Jan. 27
Rev. John T. O’Grady, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1919
Rev. Joseph M. Silvia, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 1955
Rev. Thomas E. Lockary, C.S.C., Stonehill College, North Easton, 1988
Jan. 28
Rev. Joseph M. Griffin, Pastor, St. Mary, Nantucket, 1947
Rt. Rev. Msgr. John J. Shay, V.F., Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro, 1961
Jan. 29
Rev. Christiano J. Borges, Retired Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1944
Rev. Albert J. Masse, Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1950
Jan. 30
Rev. Peter A. Carlin, 1880
Rev. Raymond F.X. Cahill, S.J., Assistant, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis, 1983
Rev. Sebastian Slesinski, O.F.M., Conv., 2006
Rev. Raul M. Lagoa, Pastor, St. John of God, Somerset, 2012
Jan. 31
Rev. Charles J. Burns, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1901
Rev. William F. Sullivan, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset, 1930
Rev. Manuel C. Terra, 1930
Feb. 1
Rev. Msgr. Michael J. O’Reilly, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1948
Rev. Msgr. Patrick H. Hurley, V.F., Pastor, St. Joseph, Taunton, 1968
Rev. Anatole F. Desmarais, Pastor, St. Jacques, Taunton, 1975
Rev. Msgr. Gerard J. Chabot, Pastor, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, South Attleboro, 1983
Rev. William F. O’Connell, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford, 1995
Rev. Arthur T. DeMello, Retired Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 2004
Rev. Albert J. Ryan, Retired, U.S. Air Force Chaplain, Former Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi, New Bedford, 2015
Feb. 2
Most Rev. William Stang, D.D., First Bishop of Fall River: 1904-07, 1907
Rev. Patrick F. McKenna, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1913
Rev. John L. McNamara, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1941
Rev. P. Roland Decosse, Pastor, St. Hyacinth, New Bedford, 1947
Rev. Daniel F. Morarty, Assistant, St. Brendan, Riverside, R.I., 1991
Feb. 3
Rev. Antonio O. Ponte, Pastor, Our Lady of Angels, Fall River, 1952
Feb. 4
Rev. Msgr. Hugh J. Smyth, P.R., Pastor, St. Lawrence, New Bedford. First Vicar General, Fall River, 1904-07. Administrator of Diocese, February-July 1907, 1921
Rev. Raymond Graham, S.M.M., 1988
Feb. 6
Most Rev. Frederick A. Donaghy, M.M, Bishop of Wuchow, 1988
January 10, 2025
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River will observe Catholic Schools Week from January 26 through February 1 with Masses, open houses, and a variety of special programs and activities. Celebrated annually across the country beginning on the last Sunday in January, the week is designed to highlight the value of a Catholic education to young people and its contributions to the Church and wider community. Please visit the website of a nearby Catholic school for Catholic School Week events specific to that school.
Around the Diocese
CYO Basketball Jamboree January 20th
The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), with the Knights of Columbus, the Diocesan Office of Vocations, and the Secretariat For the New Evangelization, which oversees CYO, will be holding a basketball jamboree at Bishop Connolly Gymnasium in Fall River.
The evening will begin at 5:30 pm with the annual Knights of Columbus free throw contest, followed by the CYO All Stars vs Priests Basketball Game. All are invited to support the youth in the diocesan CYO and our priests.
Divorced
and Separated Healing Mass
The second annual Divorced and Separated Healing Mass, a part of the Divorced and Separated Ministry in the Diocese, will take place on Sunday, January 26 at 10:30 am at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River.
The Mass will be celebrated by Very Rev. Jeffrey Cabral, J.C.L., Judicial Vicar for the Diocese. For more information, email Irena Robinson at irobinson@ dioc-fr.org.
Please support the TV Mass
"What Next?" Young Adult Retreat
A retreat for young adults will take place Feb. 14 - 16, 2025 at LaSalette Retreat Center in Attleboro.
As 20 and 30 somethings, careers, living situations, and relationships are always changing. The Catholic faith gives tools to reflect on the past and move forward with courage and grace, although the future is often uncertain.
The "What Next? Finding Answers with Faith" Retreat is for those in their 20s and 30s. Take time away to reflect with others, listen to the experiences of a young adult team, and spend time with Christ in the Eucharist. For more information, contact Deacon Frank Lucca at 508-999-8872.
January 10, 2025
Daily Readings † Jan. 11 — Feb. 7
Sat. Jan. 11: 1 Jn 5: 14-21/ Ps 149: 1-2. 3-4. 5 and 6a and 9b/ Jn 3: 22-30
Sun. Jan. 12: Is 40: 1-5. 9-11/ Ps 104: 1b-2. 3-4. 24-25. 27-28. 29-30 (1)/
Ti 2: 11-14; 3: 4-7/ Lk 3: 15-16. 21-22
Mon. Jan. 13: Heb 1: 1-6/ Ps 97: 1 and 2b. 6 and 7c. 9/ Mk 1: 14-20
Tues. Jan. 14: Heb 2: 5-12/ Ps 8: 2ab and 5. 6-7. 8-9/ Mk 1: 21-28
Wed. Jan. 15: Heb 2: 14-18/ Ps 105: 1-2. 3-4. 6-7. 8-9/ Mk 1: 29-39
Thurs. Jan. 16: Heb 3: 7-14/ Ps 95: 6-7c. 8-9. 10-11/ Mk 1: 40-45
Fri. Jan. 17: Heb 4: 1-5. 11/ Ps 78: 3 and 4bc. 6c-7. 8/ Mk 2: 1-12
Sat. Jan. 18: Heb 4: 12-16/ Ps 19: 8. 9. 10. 15/ Mk 2: 13-17
Sun. Jan. 19: Is 62: 1-5/ Ps 96: 1-2. 2-3. 7-8. 9-10 (3)/ 1 Cor 12: 4-11/ Jn 2: 1-11
Mon. Jan. 20: Heb 5: 1-10/ Ps 110: 1. 2. 3. 4/ Mk 2: 18-22
Tues. Jan. 21: Heb 6: 10-20/ Ps 111: 1-2. 4-5. 9 and 10c/ Mk 2: 23-28
Wed. Jan. 22: Heb 7: 1-3. 15-17/ Ps 110: 1. 2. 3. 4/ Mk 3: 1-6
Thurs. Jan. 23: Heb 7: 25 -- 8: 6/ Ps 40: 7-8a. 8b-9. 10. 17/ Mk 3: 7-12
Fri. Jan. 24: Heb 8: 6-13/ Ps 85: 8 and 10. 11-12. 13-14/ Mk 3: 13-19
Diocese of Fall River
TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel
Sunday, January 12 at 7 p.m.
Broadcast from St. Francis Xavier Church, East Providence
Sunday, January 19 at 7 p.m.
Broadcast from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, Providence
Sunday, January 26 at 7 p.m.
Broadcast from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, New Bedford
Sunday, February 2 at 7 p.m.
Broadcast from Santo Christo Church, Fall River
Sat. Jan. 25: Acts 22: 3-16 or Acts 9: 1-22/ Ps 117: 1bc. 2/ Mk 16: 15-18
Sun. Jan. 26: Neh 8: 2-4a. 5-6. 8-10/ Ps 19: 8. 9. 10. 15/ 1 Cor 12: 12-30/ Lk 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21
Mon. Jan. 27: Heb 9: 15. 24-28/ Ps 98: 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 5-6/ Mk 3: 22-30
Tues. Jan. 28: Heb 10: 1-10/ Ps 40: 2 and 4ab. 7-8a. 10. 11/ Mk 3: 31-35
Wed. Jan. 29: Heb 10: 11-18/ Ps 110: 1. 2. 3. 4/ Mk 4: 1-20
Thurs. Jan. 30: Heb 10: 19-25/ Ps 24: 1-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Mk 4: 21-25
Fri. Jan. 31: Heb 10: 32-39/ Ps 37: 3-4. 5-6. 23-24. 39-40/ Mk 4: 26-34
Sat. Feb. 1: Heb 11: 1-2. 8-19/ Lk 1: 69-70. 71-72. 73-75/ Mk 4: 35-41
Sun. Feb 2: Mal 3: 1-4/ Ps 24: 7. 8. 9. 10/ Heb 2: 14-18/ Lk 2: 22-40
Mon. Feb. 3: Heb. 11: 32-40/ Ps 31: 20. 21. 22. 23. 24/ Mk 5: 1-20
Tues. Feb. 4: Heb 12: 1-4/ Ps 22: 26b-27. 28 and 30. 31-32/ Mk 5: 21-43
Wed. Feb. 5: Heb 12: 4-7. 11-15/ Ps 103: 1-2. 13-14. 17-18a/ Mk 6: 1-6
Thurs. Feb. 6: Heb 12: 18-19. 21-24/ Ps 48: 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 9. 10-11/ Mk 6: 7-13
Fri. Feb. 7: Heb 13: 1-8/ Ps 27: 1. 3. 5. 8b-9abc/ Mk 6: 14-29
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6
Sunday, January 12 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Robert A. Oliveira, Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, Fall River
Sunday, January 19 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Father Daniel M. Nunes, Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, New Bedford, and Chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford
Sunday, January 26 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Christopher M. Peschel, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, New Bedford
Sunday, February 2 at 11:00 a.m.
Celebrant is Father Anthony V. Szakaly, C.S.C., Director of Campus Ministry, Stonehill College, Easton
January 10, 2025
Obituaries
Sister Marie Pauline Collette, SUSC
Sister Marie Pauline Collette, SUSC, died December 4, 2024, at The Jewish Home, Fall River, MA. Born in Pawtucket, RI on October 23, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Paul and Eva (Tougas) Collette. She was predeceased by her sisters, Jeanne Couture, Madeline Duval, Lucille Goyette, Pauline Cloeppner, Claire Johnson, Lorraine Whalen and brother Raymond Collette.
In addition to her Holy Union Sisters, her sisters Elaine Laquerre, Rita Stegnicki, brother Richard Collette, many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews survive her.
Sister Marie Pauline was educated by the Holy Union Sisters
Rev. Arthur K. Wingate, 94, died on December 30, 2024, in Sacred Heart Nursing Home in New Bedford. Rev. Wingate lived at Cardinal Medeiros Residence in Fall River for the past 24 years prior to his passing.
Born in Wellesley, MA on October 22, 1930, he was the son of Angela (Kirby) and Raymond Wingate.
He graduated from Coyle High School in Taunton, studied for the priesthood at Providence College and graduated from St.
at St. Jean the Baptist Academy in Pawtucket. She attended the Sacred Heart School of Education and earned a B.S. in Education from Fordham University and an M.A. in French from Rivier College.
Sister Marie Pauline joined the Holy Union Sisters on September 3, 1946, and professed her final vows on August 22, 1955. At the time of her death, she had been a Holy Union Sister for seventy-eight years. Early in her religious life, Sr. Marie Pauline taught in parish
schools staffed by her community in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. She served as principal at Immaculate Conception School, Astoria, New York. She taught at the former Bishop Cassidy High School in Taunton and moved to administrative duties at high schools in New York. For several years she was the administrative assistant and secretary to the principal at Cathedral High School in New York City.
During this time, she resided at Immaculate Conception Convent, Astoria and was active in parish ministry, serving as Eucha-
Rev. Arthur K. Wingate
John Seminary in Brighton. He was ordained on February 2, 1957 by Most Rev. James L. Connolly.
Rev. Wingate served as assistant at St. Joseph Parish, Taunton;
St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, New Bedford; St. Mary Parish, Taunton; Sacred Heart Parish, Fall River; St. Mary Parish, Mansfield; St. Mary Parish, Nor-
ristic Minister, visitor to homebound parishioners, and volunteer in the parish homeless shelter.
In 2016 Sr. Marie Pauline retired to Fall River, where she joined other Holy Union Sisters at Prosper, Fall River, formerly The Landmark. Declining health necessitated a move to the Fall River Jewish Home in 2022.
Her Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, December 12, 2024 in Holy Name Church, Fall River, followed by burial in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Fall River.
Donations in Sister Marie Pauline’s name may be made to the Mission Advancement Office of the Holy Union Sisters, 205 Bedford Street, Fall River MA.
ton, and was the parochial vicar at St. Dominic’s in Swansea. He was the Chaplain at Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River from 1990 until his retirement on June 28, 2000.
Rev. Wingate’s wake was held on Monday, January 6, in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Fall River, and a Mass of Christian Burial was held also there on Tuesday, January 7. Burial was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Fall River immediately following the Mass.
