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Diocese of Fall River
The Anchor
F riday , September 2, 2011
Catholic cadets sustain faith life at Massachusetts Maritime Academy
B y Kenneth J. Souza A nchor Staff
BUZZARDS BAY — As cadets returned for another year of study and training at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay this week, they were preparing to begin their academic calendar by attending two early morning Masses at nearby St. Margaret's Parish on Sunday. But due to the looming threat of Hurricane Irene this year, the traditional Masses — usually held at 8 and 9:30 a.m. — were called off, as was the procession of cadets in their dress uniforms marching from the MMA campus down Main Street to the church. For Cadet First Class Matthew Miles, a Catholic now entering his senior year at MMA, the Masses are the perfect way to begin the school year. "We all line up in our saltand-pepper uniforms, which consists of white shirt and black pants, and we march
in walking cadence from the academy, through the town to St. Margaret's Church," Miles said. "It's a real nice event and the whole town comes out. Then we march into the church for Mass." A parishioner of St. Joseph's Parish in Haverhill who hails from nearby Groveland, Miles said he's enjoyed his experience at MMA and he appreciates being able to practice his faith while attending the academy. "Every Wednesday night we celebrate Mass with our chaplain, Father James A. Houston," Miles said. "We have Masses every week during the fall and spring semesters." Cadet Second Class Richard Lutter, who is now beginning his junior year at MMA, is also a practicing Catholic who participates in weekly Masses at the academy. A parishioner at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Leominster, Lutter serves as a Turn to page 14
MARITIME MASS — Cadets from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy marched from campus to attend one of two Sunday Masses at nearby St. Margaret's Parish last year in Buzzards Bay. This annual event was cancelled this year due to Hurricane Irene.
Weighing their options — Preschoolers at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford learn if already-popped popcorn's weight is equal or lighter than its pre-popped cousins during a science experiment.
Laying and building upon the cornerstone of faith By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff
NEW BEDFORD — They may not be able to write the entire alphabet, but knowing right from wrong using Jesus' parables gives preschool children enrolled in area Catholic schools a strong foundation in their faith.
"It gives us the opportunity to introduce Jesus to them, to make good choices and learn lessons like, 'What would Jesus do?' and bring it down to their level," said Melanie Michaud, lead preschool teacher at Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford. "I think it helps them to understand it, the basic Turn to page 19
The joy of being God's 'house' keeper
By Dave Jolivet, Editor
NEW BEDFORD — After years of scattered "Labor Day" observances in several states across the U.S., Congress officially designated the first Monday in September as a national holiday in 1894. The U.S. Department of Labor website states Labor Day "is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." Many things have changed on the labor front since 1894, but there are still some constants: American workers "love" their jobs, hate their jobs, or simply see it as a means to an end. Andrew Rivet, the sexton at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford falls into the first category. He has lovingly cared for the mammoth St. James Church, the beautiful grounds, and the rectory located in New Bedford's south end for just four months shy of 25 years. Ironically, it was a labor dispute that opened the door to Rivet's new career. "The company I was working for was on strike," Rivet told The Anchor. "I had
done some odd jobs around St. James Church at times. One day we were hit by a snowstorm that dumped about six inches. The part-time sexton didn't show up
to clear the grounds, so I took care of it so people could make it safely to Mass. Knowing I needed a job, the pastor, Father Turn to page 15
love of labor — Andrew Rivet, the sexton at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church in New Bedford, considers his calling a blessing. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)
News From the Vatican
September 2, 2011
Vatican archbishop urges Catholics to rediscover motherhood
Rome (CNA) — The president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, recently said that the original definition of motherhood as a gift from God must be rediscovered. Archbishop Carrasco said, "The reaction to the news of becoming a mother should return to being what it has always been, a reaction of joy" that leads us to say "congratulations." He added that the response to a mother should not be "'I'm so sorry,' like we say to people who get sick." He recalled that it was Blessed John Paul II who was inspired 25 years ago to create the Pontifical Academy, which is dedicated to the defense of human life. "He was the first to realize that the Church needed an academy devoted to the issues of life such as biomedicine or biotechnology," the archbishop added. The archbishop said the dicastery's focus this year has been on three areas: post-abortion trauma, umbilical cord banks and treatments for infertility. Regarding post-abortion trauma, he said it is necessary that the condition be "de-
fined as well as whether or not there is a cure." He also discussed the new ethical problems "of an economic nature," surrounding umbilical cord banks, because "there is a new market in which there is supply and demand." This factor is where ethical problems come into play, the archbishop said. Likewise, he explained that the in-vitro fertilization treatments imply "very serious moral problems because a child is created in the laboratory and can easily become an object of manipulation." The process is further complicated by the selection and destruction of multiple embryos, he added. Archbishop Carrasco also noted that the defense of human life should also include helping the elderly. "In this last great trial that they must overcome, they need particular help, and by help I mean not only the technically, but also personal and emotional help and respect for their dignity." We must recall "they are not people who have become useless to society and have nothing left to say," the archbishop added.
high fives — Pope Benedict XVI gives a blessing as he leads a weekly general audience at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, recently. (CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)
Carry your cross with faith and courage, Pope Benedict tells new U.S. seminarians
Castel Gandolfo, Italy (CNA/EWTN News) — Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the new class of seminarians at the Pontifical North American College in Rome to be unafraid to carry the cross of Christ. "Dear seminarians, do not be afraid to take up the challenge in today's Gospel to give your lives
completely to Christ," he told the new students during his Sunday Angelus address recently at Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence. "Indeed, may all of us be generous in our commitment to Him, carrying our cross with faith and courage." Moments earlier the American students, along with several thousand other pilgrims, listened as the pope explained in more detail the need for all Christians to embrace the cross. The pope invited all present to surrender their will to Jesus who, in return, will transform their ways of thinking for the better. "The Christian follows the Lord with love when he accepts his cross which in the eyes of the world appears as a defeat and a 'loss of life,' while that man knows that he does not bear his alone but with Jesus, sharing the same path of self-giving," the pope said. In doing so, he added, "we allow ourselves to be transformed through Divine grace, renewing our way of thinking in order to discern the will of God, which is good and acceptable and perfect." The pope based his comments upon the Gospel in which Jesus rebukes St. Peter for reacting negatively to the revelation that the Christ must "go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders
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and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." This prediction by Jesus presented "a clear discrepancy between the loving plan of the Father" observed the pope "and the expectations, desires, projects of the disciples." He said it's a discrepancy that often continues to this modern day. "When the fulfillment of one's life is only aimed towards social success, and physical and economic well-being, man is not thinking according to God but according to man." Such an attempt to refuse God's "project of love," said the pope, "almost prevents man from carrying out His masterly will." Hence, said the pope, the challenge of Jesus to the first Apostles, "if any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me," is equally applicable to anybody who seeks true happiness in the modern world. The Pontifical North American College was founded in 1859 in response to an appeal by Pope Pius IX for an American seminary in Rome. Its present building sits on Rome's Janiculum Hill only minutes from St. Peter's Basilica. Regarded as one of the most flourishing seminaries in the city, the college is currently home to more than 300 students and priests. OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 55, No. 33
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The International Church Bosnian Church official warns of new threats to peace
September 2, 2011
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A Bosnian Church leader is concerned that peace could again be at risk in the wartorn Balkan country because of failure by the international community to ensure "justice and human rights for all." "The peace agreement and constitution which ended the war here were designed not by the people and parliament of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but in the United States," said Msgr. Ivo Tomasevic, secretarygeneral of the Sarajevo-based Catholic bishops' conference. "For politicians everywhere, what's most important is power. They'll use every means available to get it, including people's fears that they're being marginalized by other ethnic groups," he said. The priest was speaking amid preparations for the trial of General Ratko Mladic, commander of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb army, three months after he was extradited on war crimes charges to a U.N. tribunal in The Hague. In an August 26 Catholic News Service interview, Msgr. Tomasevic said the 1995 peace accord, signed at Dayton, Ohio, had ended the country's bloody three-year conflict but failed to bring a "stable and lasting peace." He said conditions had since worsened for the country's depleted Catholic minority. The monsignor added that only three percent of the 200,000 Catholics who fled Bosnia's northern Serb-controlled Republika Srpska had come home since the Dayton
Accords were finalized, while 40 Catholic parishes in the Sarajevo Archdiocese remained "destroyed and depopulated." "This accord stopped the fighting, but only by compromising with injustice and legalizing the ethnic cleansing carried out by the strongest factions," Msgr. Tomasevic said. "Even after 16 years, people still don't feel safe, since they know they're living in a state where war crimes have been rewarded, rather than challenged and condemned. If someone throws me violently out of my home, and then offers to let me have half of it back, how can people outside applaud and tell me I should stop complaining?" Catholics made up 18 percent of Bosnia-Herzegovina's 4.3 million inhabitants before war broke out in 1992. At the time, 44 percent of the population were Muslims and 35 percent were Serbian Orthodox. However, the country's four Catholic dioceses currently number fewer than half their inhabitants before the conflict, according to Church statistics. The conflict claimed 200,000 lives and ended with the formation of a separate Bosnian Serb state and Croat-Muslim federation in a single country. In summer 2010, Church leaders in Sarajevo accused radical Muslims of stirring interfaith tensions after a group of city council officials threatened to tear down a planned monument honoring Blessed John Paul II outside of the cap-
ital's Heart of Jesus Cathedral. In January, they accused the country's Muslim-dominated government of "legalizing injustices" after it ordered Cardinal Vinko Puljic to hand over his episcopal palace to a former communist police agent who claimed to be the lawful owner. In his CNS interview, Msgr. Tomasevic said the bishops' conference had welcomed the Dayton Accords for ending the war, but believed the agreement had failed to stability for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was still governed by different laws and procedures. He added that alterations to the accords in 2001, giving Bosnian Muslims eight ministerial posts in the federation government, and Croats and Serbs five and three, respectively, had given full decisionmaking power to Muslims, who also appointed the president and premier. "Changes to the Dayton Accords have made things continually worse for Catholics. Instead, we should be ensuring the same rights for all in every part of Bosnia-Herzegovina," the monsignor said. "When NATO troops were occupying our country and removing power from its warlords, they should have taken much firmer steps to ensure all ethnic groups were treated equally and fairly. Today, when those with the biggest slice of the power cake have no intention of changing anything, there's a real danger that the lack of solutions will drive some people to extremes."
Maryknoll leader urges reconciliation as a priority in South Sudan
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) — The president of the U.S.-based Maryknoll Sisters urged leaders of the newly independent Republic of South Sudan to prioritize peacemaking and reconciliation within its national concerns. Maryknoll Sister Janice McLaughlin also suggested that the fledgling country's leaders begin efforts to disarm and demobilize ex-combatants in South Sudan's militia. Her recommendations came during an interview with Catholic News Service after she spent nearly three weeks in the country recently leading a series of workshops on conflict transformation. The workshops were for nursing students, seminarians and radio broadcasters in the Diocese
of Wau and the Archdiocese of Juba. She previously served as a missionary in Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. "It is critical to provide skills training and employment possibilities for former fighters so they have means of making a living and contributing to rebuilding the nation," Sister Janice said. "If they feel left out and have no way to support themselves, they can easily turn to crime or to extortion to survive." Counseling for trauma and other means to help people emotionally heal from the violence they have experienced also is needed, she said. Sister Janice said she found most people hopeful and optimistic about the future. Young people
in particular, she said, view South Sudan's independence as a miracle that they thought would never be realized in their lifetimes. People seem to be aware of the challenges ahead and realize that it will take united action to rebuild the war-torn country, she added. She commended the new government under President Salva Kiir for establishing an anti-corruption body to prevent the misuse of funds. The Catholic nun recalled that the Maryknoll community of priests, brothers, Sisters and lay missioners has been rendering pastoral services in the region since 1976, when the community was invited by the bishops of Sudan to start a pastoral institute in Juba, now South Sudan's capital.
The Church in the U.S.
September 2, 2011
Phoenix cathedral's policy change on altar servers ignites discussion
PHOENIX (CNS) — When the news broke that Father John Lankeit, rector of SS. Simon and Jude Cathedra, was changing policy on altar servers, secular media outlets were quick to offer their take on the development. From now on at the Phoenix Diocese's cathedral, only boys will be altar servers. Girls who are currently serving in that capacity will have the opportunity to train as sacristans. "There were about five or six girls who were still serving and I called their parents to explain there would be a transition," Father Lankeit said. "I invited them, told them they are welcome right away to begin training as sacristans." The news may have come as a bit of a shock to some local Catholics, but Father Lankeit attributes that to those who are, unknowingly perhaps, more influenced by society rather than by Church teaching. The decision, he said, is a way to honor the God-given dignity of both men and women. It's also one way to encourage more vocations to the priesthood and religious life. "If you look around the Church — and I'm talking about the overall Church — if you look at dioceses, if you look at religious orders and you look at parishes where they have the clear honoring of the distinction and the complementarity of men and women, you see both vocations flourish," Father Lankeit said. "And when I say both vocations, I mean to the priesthood as well as vocations to the consecrated religious life." He pointed to a parish in Ann Arbor, Mich., as an example. In 2008, the parish had 22 seminarians, Father Lankeit said. The Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., which similarly reserves altar service to boys
and has seen strong growth in vocations to the priesthood. Father Lankeit understands his decision regarding altar servers may be upsetting to some. "If the question is approached just from an emotional standpoint, I can understand why people would be upset because they're looking at it in terms of a question of rights — and they're interpreting it in such a way that somebody's rights are being denied," he said. "Prior to my ordination, as a single, Catholic man, I had no right whatsoever to the priesthood. And so when I went into the seminary, I was determining whether or not Jesus Christ was calling me to be a priest, but the Church was likewise discerning me and the ultimate decision was the Church's," Father Lankeit said. "Even if I felt very, very strongly at the bottom of my heart that I was called to be a priest and the Church didn't recognize that, I had to accept that." Unfortunately, when the secular world steps in to comment on whether altar servers should only be male, the issue is examined from an emotional point of view, rather than considered in light of the reasons behind the decision, he said. Father Lankeit pointed to paragraph 47 of the 2004 liturgical instruction, "Redemptionis Sacramentum" ("The Sacrament of Redemption"), promulgated by the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacrament. The text, he said, confirms something he already knew: The vast majority of men who are priests were once altar servers. While the "Redemptionis Sacramentum" says girls or women may be admitted as altar servers, it leaves the decision to the local bishop's discretion.
the power of prayer — Father Matthew Henry prays the Rosary with more than 600 Catholics outside a Planned Parenthood center in Glendale, Ariz. The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled recently that restrictions on abortion passed by the state Legislature were reasonable and constitutional. Following the decision, Planned Parenthood announced it would no longer perform abortions at seven of its Arizona clinics. (CNS photo/ J.D. Long-Garcia, Catholic Sun)
Bishop links today's workforce to laborers who inspired 'Rerum Novarum'
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The head of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, in an annual Labor Day statement, likened today's workers and the difficulties they face to those who inspired Pope Leo XIII's landmark encyclical of 120 years ago, "Rerum Novarum" ("On New Things"). The encyclical on capital and labor ushered in the era of Catholic social teaching. "Over nine percent of Americans are looking for work and cannot find it. Other workers fear they could lose their jobs. Joblessness is higher among African-American and Hispanic workers. Wages are not keeping up with expenses for many," said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., commit-
tee chairman, in the statement. "Countless families have lost their homes, and others owe more on their homes than they are worth. Union workers are part of a smaller labor movement and experience new efforts to restrict collective bargaining rights," he continued. "Hunger and homelessness are a part of life for too many children. "Most Americans fear our nation and economy are headed in the wrong direction. Many are confused and dismayed by polarization over how our nation can work together to deal with joblessness and declining wages, debt and deficits, economic stagnation, and global fiscal crises. Workers are rightfully anxious and fearful about the future," he added. But, Bishop Blaire noted, "at the time of the Industrial Revolution workers also faced great difficulties. Pope Leo XIII identified the situation of workers as the key moral challenge of that time and issued his groundbreaking encyclical 'Rerum Novarum.' This letter has served as the cornerstone for more than a century of Catholic social teaching." "This timely encyclical lifted up the inherent dignity of the worker in the midst of massive economic changes," he said. "This encyclical is best remembered for Pope Leo's prophetic call for the Church to support workers' associations for the protection of workers and the advancement of the common good." Dated for Labor Day, September 5, Bishop Blaire's 3,400-word statement on "Human Costs and Moral Challenges of a Broken Economy" was released August 24 in Washington. "Beginning in 'Rerum Novarum,' the Church has consistently supported efforts of workers to join together to defend their rights and protect their dignity. Pope Leo XIII taught that the right of workers to
choose to join a union was based on a natural right and that it was the government's obligation to protect that right rather than undermine it," Bishop Blaire said. "This teaching has been affirmed consistently by his successors," he added, including Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, the latter of whom said in his 2009 encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" ("Charity in Truth"), "The repeated calls issued within the Church's social doctrine, beginning with 'Rerum Novarum,' for the promotion of workers' associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past." "Our Church continues to teach that unions remain an effective instrument to protect the dignity of work and the rights of workers," Bishop Blaire said. "At their best, unions are important not just for the economic protections and benefits they can provide for their members, but especially for the voice and participation they can offer to workers. They are important not only for what they achieve for their members, but also for the contributions they make to the whole society." But by the same token, he added, "unions, like other human institutions, can be misused or can abuse their role. The Church has urged leaders of the labor movement to avoid the temptations of excessive partisanship and the pursuit of only narrow interests." In those instances in which some unions have taken public positions the Church cannot support, Church and labor leaders "should address them in principled, respectful and candid dialogue," Bishop Blaire said. "This should not keep us from working on our own and together to advance common priorities of protecting worker rights, economic and social justice, overcoming poverty, and creating economic opportunity for all."
September 2, 2011
The Church in the U.S.
Cardinal O'Malley names 159 Boston archdiocesan clergy accused of abuse BOSTON (CNS) — Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, OFM, Cap., of Boston has released the names of 159 of the 250 Boston archdiocesan priests or deacons accused of sexually abusing a minor, including 22 whose cases have not been resolved canonically. In a six-page letter to the people of his archdiocese August 25, the cardinal said the decision represented "one more step forward in our efforts to assume responsibility for our past failures and reaffirm our commitment to assure that our present-day standards protect the children of our community." The list of names published at www.bostoncatholic.org includes five categories of Boston archdiocesan priests or deacons: — Anyone found guilty of sexually abusing a child under Church or civil law or both. — Anyone laicized after having been accused of sexually abusing a minor. — Anyone publicly accused of sexually abusing a child but whose "canonical proceedings remain to be completed." — Anyone who had already been laicized before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing a child. — Anyone who died before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing a child or before
the criminal or canonical proceedings against him could be completed. Cardinal O'Malley also released a separate list of Boston archdiocesan priests who had been publicly accused of sexual abuse where the allegations have been found unsubstantiated by the archdiocesan Review Board or who were acquitted of charges in a canonical process. The 91 names that were not released by the cardinal included 62 dead priests for whom allegations were not fully investigated and whose names had not been made public earlier; 22 priests against whom allegations could not be substantiated; four priests or former priests not in active ministry for whom a preliminary investigation has not been completed; and three who had already been laicized or dismissed before they were accused and whose names were not made public previously. Cardinal O'Malley also said he would not release the names of religious-order priests or those from other dioceses who had been accused of abuse while working in the Boston Archdiocese because other Church officials were responsible for following up on accusations of misconduct against those priests.
"I hope that other dioceses and religious orders will review our new policy and consider making similar information available to the public to the extent they have not already done so," he said. The cardinal said he had attempted to "balance appropriately several considerations" in drawing up the revised policy. These include a need for the Church "to be open about clergy accused of crimes against children in order to help foster the process of healing and restoration of trust," as well as the fact that former priests or deacons who have been laicized or dismissed are "no longer under the authority of the archdiocese" but could "pose an ongoing risk to children." But the policy also takes into account that "in the present environment, a priest who is accused of sexually abusing a minor may never be able to fully restore his reputation even if cleared after civil or canonical proceedings" and the fact that a priest accused years after his death would have "no opportunity to address the accusations." "I believe that, to the extent possible, our revised policy addresses the concerns and views that have been expressed, is consistent with if not more expansive than civil law, and
best balance the considerations mentioned above," Cardinal O'Malley said. The cardinal also wrote separate letters to the priests of the archdiocese and to survivors of sexual abuse. "It is not easy for us to face the realities of the terrible betrayal of children and criminal acts perpetrated by some of our brethren," he told priests. "With the commitment to serve the people entrusted to our care, always for the good and never to harm, let us go forward to continue the work of renewing the Church." Cardinal O'Malley, who served as a Vatican representative studying how the Church in Ireland handled its sex abuse problem, told survivors that "nothing I can say will be sufficient to heal the psychological and spiritual wounds you have endured." "No matter how frequently expressions of apology and remorse are offered, it is never enough," he added. "You have shown great courage by telling a terrible truth, and we as a Church must with sincerity and humility ask for your forgiveness." He noted that in his letter to the people of the archdiocese that most allegations of sexual abuse against archdiocesan priests do not report recent in-
cidents but those that happened long ago. "I do not say this in any way to minimize the abuse of minors by Boston priests, which is heinous, or the serious mistakes made by the Church hierarchy in responding to it," the cardinal said. "Nor do I seek to ignore the harm caused to survivors by these historical incidents, harm which is both current and the subject of our ongoing pastoral response. "Rather I simply seek to place the problem in context and to give the faithful some confidence that the policies adopted by the Church to protect its children starting in the early 1990s have been effective," he said. He reiterated the archdiocese's policy of immediately reporting to law enforcement all allegations of clergy sexual abuse of children and outlined other steps taken to protect children. These include "equipping children to report abuse; training our clergy, volunteers and staff to identify and report suspected abuse; conducting annual background checks for all clergy, volunteers and staff; and upholding the norm of zero tolerance by ensuring that no priest who has sexually abused a child will be permitted to exercise any ministry," he said.
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all shaken up — Inspectors evaluate the damaged steeple of St. Patrick Church in the Fells Point area of Baltimore. The church has been closed indefinitely after being affected by an August 23 magnitude 5.8 earthquake. (CNS photo/Christopher Gunty, Catholic Review)
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The Anchor Singing the Mass
Those attending Masses at many of the parishes in the Fall River Diocese this weekend will hear something different: the new and improved English translation of various sung parts of the Mass, like the "Glory to God in the Highest," the "Holy, Holy, Holy," new Memorial Acclamations like "We Proclaim Your Death, O Lord," and "Save Us, Savior of the World," and, for parishes that sing the Profession of Faith, a new "I Believe In One God." The full implementation of the new English translation of the Roman Missal will take place on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, but the U.S. bishops thought it would be wise for parishes to start introducing the new music at the beginning of September. There was a clear practical reason for doing so. Since there is no "Glory to God" during Advent, unless parishes had a chance to learn it during Ordinary Time, they would have had only one occasion (the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8) to sing it before Christmas. That would mean, in many parishes, that the Christmas Gloria, which builds on the words of the angels on Christmas night, might prove disorienting and distracting rather than buoyant and beautiful. There is, moreover, a profound catechetical reason for implementing the sung Mass parts early: As St. Francis Xavier grasped in teaching young children how to pray in lands new to the Gospel, it is much easier for people to learn the words of prayers by singing them than by reciting them. Therefore, singing the prayers of the new translation now will help people to learn them more easily, so that they will already be familiar by the time the missals change in three months. Hopefully, however, the significance of introducing the sung parts of the Mass this weekend will give pastors and parishioners a chance to focus on something that is more consequential than these practical considerations: the place and importance of music in the Liturgy. As Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, the executive director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy — which works with English-speaking bishops' conferences to produce liturgical translations, like the new translation of the Roman Missal — said in a powerful speech to liturgical musicians last August in Atlanta, "Maybe the greatest challenge that lies before us [in the implementation of the new translations] is the invitation once again to sing the Mass rather than merely to sing at Mass." That summons to "sing the Mass" rather than merely "sing at Mass" was made in the liturgical reforms of and after the Second Vatican Council but has yet to be acted upon in many American parishes. "Musicam Sacram," the Church's instruction on music in the Liturgy, stated in 1967, "Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song, with the ministers of each degree fulfilling their ministry and the people participating in it. Indeed, through this form, prayer is expressed in a more attractive way, the mystery of the Liturgy, with its hierarchical and community nature, is more openly shown, the unity of hearts is more profoundly achieved by the union of voices, minds are more easily raised to heavenly things by the beauty of the sacred rites, and the whole celebration more clearly prefigures that heavenly Liturgy which is enacted in the holy city of Jerusalem. Pastors of souls will therefore do all they can to achieve this form of celebration." Msgr. Wadsworth said that the Council Fathers expressed a "deeply held instinct that the majority of the texts contained in the Missal can and in many cases should be sung." He went on to clarify that this means "not only the congregational acclamations of the Order of Mass, but also the orations [prayers], the chants in response to the readings, the eucharistic prayer and the antiphons which accompany the Entrance, the Offertory, and the Communion processions." "Musicam Sacram," for its part, said, "in selecting the parts that are to be sung, one should start with those that are by their nature of greater importance, and especially those which are to be sung by the priest or by the ministers, with the people replying, or those which are to be sung by the priest and people together. The other parts may be gradually added according as they are proper to the people alone or to the choir alone." It may come as a surprise to many Catholics what sung parts of the Mass the Church believes are of "greater importance." Most Catholics from experience might think that the hymns are the most important, because that's where most attention is given in the sacred singing of most parishes. "Musicam Sacram," however, categorizes the music at Mass in three "degrees." The first and most important degree includes the Entrance Rites (the greeting of the priest together with the reply of the people and the opening prayer), the Acclamations at the Gospel, the Prayer Over the Gifts, the Preface Dialogue, the Preface itself and the Sanctus, the Doxology (through Him, with Him…), the Lord's Prayer through the "For the Kingdom…", the Sign of Peace, the Prayer After Communion, and the Blessing and Dismissal. In the second degree are listed the typical "Mass parts," the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei, but also the Creed and the Prayer of the Faithful (which the Church wishes to have sung, just like on Good Friday). In the third degree are the songs at the Entrance, the Offertory and Communion, the Responsorial Psalm, the Alleluia before the Gospel, and the readings of Sacred Scripture. As is apparent, since the Council, the majority of Catholic parishes in the United States have gotten it almost exactly backwards, singing things considered by the Church to be of "lower" degree and not singing the things of "greater importance." Since the bishops of the United States hope that the occasion of the new translation will be a time of liturgical renewal in every parish, in which we will do — and do better — what the Latin Rite asks of us, this time of the introduction of the new sung prayers at Mass is an excellent opportunity for pastors and parishioners both to focus on the importance of liturgical music at the Mass and the Church's goal that the Mass will be sung rather than merely feature some singing. This is a time to begin a gradual change of the Church's culture with respect to liturgical music, one parish at a time. "Ours has essentially become a predominantly Low Mass culture with music increasingly seen as incidental rather than integral to our liturgical celebration," Msgr. Wadsworth noted. "Regardless of the quantity of musical overlay, the underlying impression remains basically that of a said Mass with music added. In this respect, it is not only our lay people who face the challenge of a changing liturgical culture," but also priests, deacons, lectors and liturgical musicians. There's a certain urgency, he continued, to change the culture of the "Low Mass" and the temporal and aesthetic minimalism that undergirds it, both in terms of the formation of those who come to Mass as well as to draw back those who have given up the regular practice of the faith. "The Liturgy is the point of contact for the greatest number of our Catholic people. It is not only a window to heaven, but also the Church's shop-window in a largely unbelieving world. If we are to draw many more to the hope that we hold, I believe that our experience of the Mystery which is 'ever ancient, ever new' must effectively convey the spiritual realities that we celebrate in all their richness and depth, both to the Catholics of our own time and those yet to come. … We need both beauty and truth and our liturgical song can be a vehicle for them both." "The one who sings well prays twice," according to the ancient aphorism most often attributed to St. Augustine. The introduction of the new sung parts of the Mass is an opportunity for all of us not merely to increase the quality and quantity of singing at Mass, but also to learn how to "sing the Mass" itself and show the Mass to the Church and the world as the most beautiful prayer ever lifted heavenward, the prayer Christ and His mystical Body and Bride make in unison to the Father for the salvation of the world.
September 2, 2011
Benedict and young people
deeply, we must learn to love it. hortly after his election in April of In 2008, World Youth Day was held in 2005, many wondered how Pope Sydney, Australia. At the closing Mass, the Benedict XVI would relate with young Holy Father challenged young people in people. His beloved predecessor, Blessed his homily by asking, "Dear young people, Pope John Paul II had a tremendous love for and rapport with young people. In fact, how are you using the gifts you have been given, the power which the Holy Spirit it was John Paul II who began an internais even now prepared to release within tional gathering of young people back in 1985. Since his beatification, he is consid- you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will ered one of the co-patrons of the event. you make?" Every two or three years, this single And just last week, Pope Benedict XVI event brings together young people from celebrated his third World Youth Day, this all over the globe to be strengthened in time in Madrid, Spain. Despite extreme their faith in Jesus Christ and encouraged heat and a rainstorm that cut short the to live out that faith when they return pope's remarks during the vigil celebrahome. Depending on the location, World tion, it was yet another well-attended and Youth Day usually draws about two powerful moment for those who attended. million people. More than five million Again, the pope connected with the young gathered in the Philippines in 1995. The event was held in the United States in 1993 people in a profound way. He joked with them about the rain, he personally heard when John Paul invited young people to confessions, and once again, he challenged join him in Denver, Colo. them to grow in their friendship with Jesus In addition to being with other young Christ and His Catholics, and Church. the opportu"Following nity for intense Jesus in faith experiences Putting Into is to walk with of prayer and the Deep Him in the catechetical communion instruction, one of the Church. of the highBy Father You cannot lights of the Jay Mello follow Jesus World Youth alone," he Day event is explained. The pope then cautioned them spending time with the pope. Though he against the temptation of "going it alone" is usually not present the whole week, he and "of living the faith according to the is usually there for a couple of days at the individualistic mentality that predominates end of the week before he celebrates the in society" because in this way there is "the closing Mass and sends the young people home to their own countries to be disciples risk of never meeting Jesus Christ, or of ending up following a false image of Him." of Christ. The pope also encouraged them to In April of 2005, many wondered "love the Church," by inserting themselves if Pope Benedict would continue this in their "parishes, communities and movetradition. Some of his critics warned that ments," and "to participate in the Eucharist he didn't have the same connection with young people as the more charismatic John every Sunday, to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently and to Paul II did and the event would not draw cultivate prayer and meditate on the Word the same huge crowds as previous years. of God." Pope Benedict once again proved his critThe world, the pope stressed, "needs ics wrong and at the same time showed that there were a lot of similarities between the witness of your faith, it certainly needs God," exhorting the young people to be him and John Paul II. "disciples and missionaries of Christ in The 2005 World Youth Day event had other lands and countries where there is already been scheduled to be in Cologne, Germany when Benedict was elected. And I a multitude of youth who aspire to great don't mean to presume to know the mind of things and, glimpsing in their hearts the the Holy Father, or have any special insight possibility of the most authentic values, do not let themselves be seduced be the false into the conversations that were had inside promises of a lifestyle without God." the Vatican, but I don't think there was a Among those who travelled to Madrid moment in which Benedict considered not was a contingent from our own diocese, continuing this important event. Forming young people in the traditions of our Catho- including a number of our seminarians. World Youth Day — and especially the lic faith is very much one of his priorities. encounter and encouragement from the In mid-August of 2005 more than a pope — is a moment in which many million-and-a-half youth showed up to be with the new pope. It was an awesome sight young men and women think about their vocations, and in particular vocations to watching the new pope make his entrance to World Youth Day by travelling down the the priesthood or religious life. Perhaps the one negative thing that can Rhine River by boat as the young people be said is about the lack of media coverwelcomed him from along the shore line. age of this event. Amidst all the bad news Once again, Pope Benedict seemed to pick throughout the world, the bloodshed, up right where John Paul left off. the wars, the economic crisis and politiIn Germany, the theme of the event cians complaining about how awful their was "We Have Come To Worship Him," opponents are, one would think that there referencing the Magi who came to see the newborn baby Jesus. The pope framed his would be more coverage of this positive event in which our youth travelled around homily around our imitation of the Magi the globe to strengthen their faith. Thanks when we gather for Sunday Mass. The pope said, "Do not be deterred from taking be to God that Pope Benedict or the young people did not allow this to distract them part in Sunday Mass, and help others to discover it, too. This is because the Eucha- during their blessed days together. Father Mello is a parochial vicar at St. rist releases the joy that we need so much, Patrick's Parish in Falmouth. and we must learn to grasp it ever more
September 2, 2011
The Anchor
Q: I am involved in a Latin schola, consisting mostly of people in their 20s and 30s, which sings Gregorian Masses, Latin hymns, as well as appropriate songs in English, our vernacular. It has been my experience that young people, used to contemporary music at Mass, quite appreciate Latin and other beautiful liturgical hymns when they hear them. What guidelines could you give for the use of Gregorian chant in a parish Mass? — JMG, Philadelphia, Penn. A: Gregorian chant may be used in any parish, even when Mass is celebrated in the vernacular. Not only is it appropriate, but Church documents positively recommend that all Catholics know at least some Gregorian melodies. No. 41 of the new General Instruction on the Roman Missal, published in 2002, specifically states: "All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to
Gregorian chant in the parish
Other Gregorian motets from the spirit of the liturgical action the proper of the Mass, as well and that they foster the particias many hymns, would probably pation of all the faithful. Since be beyond the ken of the average faithful from different counassembly but may be sung by tries come together ever more the choir. Of course, some space frequently, it is fitting that they should be reserved for singing by know how to sing together at the whole assembly. But there is least some parts of the Ordinary no reason why the people should of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, set to the simpler melodies." Therefore any parish may sing, for example, the Kyrie, Glory, Creed, Sanctus, Pater Noster, By Father Agnus Dei and even Edward McNamara some newer parts such as the acclamation after the Mysterium fidei and the "For yours is the Kingdom" which follows the have to sing everything. There are some moments, embolism of the Our Father. such as the preparation of the Some Gregorian melodies gifts or just after the distribution are very simple. From personal of Communion, when a Greexperience I have found that if repeated for a while most parish- gorian or polyphonic piece can ioners can pick up more complex create a climate of prayer and meditation. melodies such as the Missa de While all should know some Angelis and readily join the choir. chants, from a pastoral and pracEventually the assembly even tical point of view it might be becomes capable of alternating better to reserve the habitual use with the choir. The people may of chant to one of the principal also learn some of the simpler Masses so that those who wish to eucharistic and Marian hymns.
Liturgical Q&A
The answer and other things were blowin' in the wind
n the tumultuous 60s, rain was pelting and the winds it was rock/folk legend were growling. OK, now it Bob Dylan who honked, "The was my call. Do I herd Denise answer, my friend, is blowin' and Emilie and venture out to in the wind." Mass or not? "It was just a rain Well, we all know that storm," I said to myself. No last Sunday, it wasn't only reason to forsake my Sunday the answer that was blowing in the wind. Irene, whether she was a hurricane or a tropical storm, was, to put it mildly, a pain in the neck. One of the dilemBy Dave Jolivet mas I faced last Sunday was whether or not to make an attempt to go obligation. to Mass. I took our pooch, Igor, out Not being able to attend the before we headed to Mass. I Saturday night vigil Mass, I should have heeded the warnkept close eye on Irene's eye ing sign then. She took two trying to make plans for my Sunday morning. But as we all steps onto the deck and made a U-turn back into the house. know, the term weather forecaster is a misnomer, especial- "Are you nuts? I can wait," was the look she gave me. ly when it comes to predicting Undaunted, I gathered the hurricanes and snow storms. troops and headed out. Sign All week long, Irene was number two was the lack of speeding up then she was traffic — except for police cars slowing down. She was intenwith lights flashing. Hmmm. sifying, and she was weakenWe made it to St. Mary's ing. She was veering eastward, Cathedral at 7:55. There was then she was wiggling westno problem getting a parking ward. She would hit New Jerspot. Hmmm. We walked a few sey; she would hit New York feet to the church and Denise City; she would hit Connecticut; she would hit Boston. The was literally blown into the road. Hmmm. only place she wasn't forecast Just as we got to the front to hit was the moon. door, it blew open, with recCome Sunday morning, the
My View From the Stands
tor Father Paul Bernier right behind. Counting the Jolivets, there was a congregation of five. "This isn't such a good idea," the good Father told us, nervously glancing up at the steeple reaching into the darkening skies. "This isn't even the height of the storm," he said with great concern for the quintet swaying in front of the edifice. "This isn't a good idea. Please go back. It isn't a sin," he said lovingly. Now, I've been asked to "leave" places several times in my life, particularly in high school, but I've never been kicked out of church. Thanks for that, Irene. But the good Father was correct ... things were going downhill fast. Going back to the car, the wind whipping through the trees and buildings moaned like a scene with Ichabod Crane. Emilie and I threw each other a sideward glance and scurried into the car. On the ride home we witnessed street signs and branches and all kinds of projectiles blowing in the wind. And last Sunday, the answer, too, was blowing in the wind. The answer was "Go home!" And that we did. Next time I'll bow to Igor's discretion.
worship using vernacular settings have the opportunity to do so. A Belgian reader asked about where a choir should be positioned in a church. "As a member of a Gregorian choir," he writes, "I am wondering at what place in the church a singing choir is allowed to take place. We are singing regularly in five churches. In one of them we take place between the altar and the tabernacle [behind the priest]. We do so because there is not really an alternative location possible (mainly for acoustical reasons). In another church we do not do so because the priest there says it is "not allowed" to sit between the altar and the tabernacle, but he does not mention a specific reason for his judgment. So, what are the rules and what is the best we can do?" No. 312 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal briefly treats this theme saying: "The choir should be positioned with respect to the design of each church so as to make clearly evident its character as a part of the gathered community of the faithful fulfilling a specific function. The location should also assist the choir to exercise its function more easily and conveniently allow each choir member full, sacramental participation in the Mass." Clearly a document destined for the whole Church cannot enter into details given the vast array of church designs. But the principle is clear. The GIRM reminds us that the choir is fulfilling a specific and worthy liturgical service yet at the same time remains a part of the assembly. Thus the
choir's location should avoid being so prominent as to distract the rest of the assembly or give the impression of its being mere entertainment. At the same time, the location should safeguard the choir's mission to guide and uplift the assembly through its music, while allowing its members full, conscious and active participation in the eucharistic mystery. The choir should thus seek to strike a balance between the demands of acoustics and the far more important element of full liturgical participation. So, may the choir be situated behind the altar, between priest and tabernacle? This position would appear to be incorrect, above all due to the excessive prominence given to the choir and the real danger of distracting the assembly's attention from the mystery celebrated on the altar itself. This would probably be true of most churches even for those where the tabernacle is not directly behind the altar. Some church designs may allow for this disposition however — for example, if the altar is somewhat elevated, or is located toward the front of a deep presbytery, making the choir less conspicuous. Therefore the priest who said that such a location is "not allowed" is following sound liturgical principles. 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. Send questions to firstname.lastname@example.com. Put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. Text should include initials, city and state.
September 2, 2011
The Anchor
rather intricate weaving of Holy Scripture readings presents to us some profound, encouraging and even a bit scary set of messages. Responsibility, empowerment and the power of prayer within a believing community are the major emphases in the set of this weekend's readings. Let's look at one, the prophetic responsibility. In Ezekiel, the first reading, the prophet is given a serious responsibility. Just as a night watchman must stay alert to warn the people of approaching danger from the outside, a prophet is called to warn the people when they stray from God and His laws. His words must call the people back to the safety of His covenant and the observance
Being comfortable with dogma
of His commandments. and we need to listen to them. Today, we may have no At times, the rest of us may prophets of Ezekiel's caliber, occasionally find ourselves but each Christian vocation has in circumstances where we a piece of that old prophetic are called to be prophets. voice within them. At Baptism, each of us is given the call of priest, Homily of the Week prophet and king. So Twenty-third Sunday there may be times we in Ordinary Time are called to profess, correct and teach the By Father truths that we hold Hugh J. McCullough dear. For example, in the circle of the family, parents must serve as prophets, teaching their Every month, a group of our children the values of our faith parishioners from St. Peter as well as the challenges and the Apostle Parish provide truths of the Gospel message. a home-cooked meal for the In the Church, bishops are our AIDS Support Group here first and foremost teachers and in Provincetown. I learned prophets guiding us through the they have been doing this for many complex religious, ethiyears and are financed by the cal and social issues of our day Knights of Columbus.
On the first week I arrived in Provincetown last July, I was invited to participate in that meal. During that meal last summer, I sat with an older gentleman and told him that I was the new pastor of St. Peter's. He told me that he was a raised a Catholic but now belongs to such and such a church "because it has no dogma." I listened to his story politely, made some comments and because in many ways our early religious experiences were similar, I realized that I had made a friend. As the meal was about to end, I finished our conversation by making a point of inviting him to Mass at St. Peter's the following
Sunday, saying that he would always be welcomed there and said goodbye. Well, on the following Sunday, needless to say, he did not show up. But in all honestly, I did not invite him back to help fill the pews, but wanted him to hear an invitation, an invitation to be welcomed back with kindness. Although I do not possess the gifts of the great prophets of old in a real way, on that day, perhaps a part of my baptismal prophetic vocation was realized, and I hope some day to see an old familiar face coming to Mass at St. Peter's, who can once again be comfortable with dogma. Father McCullough is pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Wellfleet and St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Provincetown.
Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Sept. 3, Col 1:21-23; Ps 54:3-4,6,8; Lk 6:1-5. Sun. Sept. 4, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ez 33:7-9; Ps 95:12,6-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20. Mon. Sept. 5, Col 1:24-2:3; Ps 62:6-7,9; Lk 6:6-11. Tues. Sept. 6, Col 2:6-15; Ps 145:1-2,8-11; Lk 6:12-19. Wed. Sept. 7, Col 3:1-11; Ps 145:2-3,10-13; Lk 6:20-26. Thu. Sept. 8, Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30; Ps 13:6; Mt 1:1-16,18-23 or 1:18-23. Fri. Sept. 9, 1 Tm 1:1-2,12-14; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-8,11; Lk 6:39-42.
t the end of his new intellectual memoir, "Adventures of an Accidental Sociology: How to Explain the World Without Becoming a Bore" (Prometheus Books), Peter L. Berger recounts a telling tale from his Viennese childhood: "… I must have been about four or five years old. For my birthday or for Christmas I was given the present of a very sophisticated electric toy train. One could control its movements through multiple tracks and tunnels across a miniature landscape. I had no interest in the mechanical wonders of this toy. Instead,
In praise of Peter Berger
sociologist in whose books the I lay flat on the ground and talked with imaginary passen- only numbers are at the bottom of each page. To which I gers on the train." say, good for him. It was, the eminent sociFrom his earliest days at ologist notes, something he's been doing ever since: indulging an "endless fascination with the vagaries of the human world and with the efforts to understand them." Happily, Berger was able to By George Weigel indulge this curiosity through the medium of an intellectual discipline, sociology, to which he the New School for Social Research in New York, the thenhas made notable and enduryoung émigré and aspiring ining contributions. His critics aver that Berger is the kind of tellectual thought of sociology as a humanistic discipline, not an exercise in number-crunching. It was, Berger quickly became convinced, a discipline that had a lot of affinities with literature. Just as story-telling unveils aspects of the human condition that could never be probed by statistics, so could August 25, 2011 sociological analysis informed Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina by the humanities. In following this conviction "Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my throughout a half-century of intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I intellectual work, Peter Berger began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many made, and continues to make, original contributions to our have responded, but there is an enormous number of those understanding of ourselves, who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you our cultures, our societies, who have said 'yes,' be strong and resolute. and our ideas of "How Things "Thank you for having responded to my call." Are." Those contributions
The Catholic Difference
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have most certainly included our understanding of our religious selves. Berger has been an influential analyst of secularization as a modern
phenomenon, debunking the notion that modernization necessarily and inevitably leads to secularization — a claim that was once considered bedrock truth among social scientists. Modernization does pose "a deep challenge to all religious traditions and their truth claims," he writes. But modernization does not necessarily result in the unmitigated triumph of what one of Berger's intellectual lodestars, Max Weber, once called the "disenchantment of the world." Belief is still possible, because one can still have faith absent premodern, unexamined certainties. When Catholics were forgetting the core social ethical principle of subsidiarity, Berger and colleagues like Richard John Neuhaus explored the "mediating structures" that stand between the individual and the mega-structures of the political community and the economy — and helped change American social welfare policy in the process. When much of the rest of the intellectual world tilted left in its thinking about Third World development, Berger looked hard at the evidence and concluded that the path beyond poverty lay through robust market-based economies, even as he recog-
nized the human costs of any serious break with traditional patterns of life. While many of his colleagues thought that modernization implied Westernization, Berger thought that there were, in fact, many modernities and that there was no one path to modernization and "take-off": a conviction vindicated by Japan, India and the Asian "tigers." And when both churchmen and social scientists dismissed evangelicalism as a pre-modern side-show of little consequence, Peter Berger rightly saw in it a distinctive response to modernity that would dramatically reshape the world religious landscape — as it manifestly has. One happy and unexpected facet of my professional life has been that men whose books I first read in college and graduate school have become friends and colleagues. I first read Peter Berger's splendid little book, "A Rumor of Angels," when I was a college sophomore, as I read his "Invitation to Sociology" a year later, and more than a dozen of his books in the decades to follow. That this brilliant and endlessly entertaining man has become a friend and co-belligerent in several causes is something I count as a blessing — as I do his eminently readable intellectual autobiography. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Back to the future
Thursday 1 September 2011 — Miami, Florida — International Enthusiasm Week begins recently received a letter from the Island of Maui, Hawaii, inquiring about the (very) late Barnet Loverage of Makawao. He died and was buried on Maui in 1869, but he hailed from the Taunton area. The letter asked if Barnet Loverage might have been a member of this parish during the first half of the 19th century. The inquir-
The Anchor
September 2, 2011 er, who is writing a book, had not only the wrong pew, but also the wrong church. This
parish was founded in 2008. We do, however, keep records going back to 1913 — the year the church in North Dighton
became a parish in its own right. Until then, since 1883, we had been a mission of St. Mary's Church in Taunton. Catholics in the Taunton area were then under the pastoral care of the Diocese of Providence. There was no Diocese of Fall River. Barnet Loverage was born in Raynham, according to his headstone. The parish in Raynham wasn't created until 1960. Before that, Raynham, too, was a mission of St. Mary's
Will America choose God or Mammon?
oseph Biden is a Catholic who has made his peace with working on behalf of the most pro-abortion White House in history. While vice-presidents aren't known for setting policy or making cutting edge news, their words are important — especially while traveling abroad. On his recent trip to China, to whom our country is deeply in debt, he clearly gave the impression that he had no problem with the morality of their one-child policy. Ethics aside, he said the greater challenge is to construct workable societal models. The following is a portion of his remarks in which he responds to a question about our own deficit and America's need to curb spending: "But as I was talking to some of your leaders, you share a similar concern here in China. You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand — I'm not second-guessing — of one child per family. The result being that you're in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable. So hopefully we can act in a way on a problem that's much less severe than yours, and maybe we can learn together from how we can do that." Interestingly, he points out that there is a harsh financial price to be paid when limiting families to one child: it is not sustainable. But what he glosses over in that equation (each
worker supporting four elderly relatives) is the means by which they arrive at this state of affairs — lots of contraception, mandatory sterilizations for some, and forced abortions for those who break the rules. But, as he said, he's not "secondguessing" that! In an effort to clarify his remarks, he simply said that he had been misunderstood, but our foreign policy is
clear: there are few with whom we will not do business, and gravely immoral state policies are not necessarily an obstacle when there is something larger to be gained. Presently, the United States needs to borrow money, and China has the ability to lend it. While many in the "prochoice" camp are uncomfortable with forced abortions, and even more are appalled at sex-selection abortions that predominantly destroy girls out of cultural preference, few are wringing their hands about the massive body count that is growing worldwide. No, the overwhelming anxiety today is about markets and economies. Ultimately, these financial discussions look at persons almost strictly in terms of demographics, wondering how many babies can
be sacrificed on the altar of economic growth while not adversely impacting the twilight years of their would be grand-parents. Thankfully, the Speaker of the House (also Catholic), John Boehner responded forcefully: "I'm deeply troubled by the comments reportedly made by the Vice President yesterday regarding China's reprehensible one-child policy, which has resulted in forced sterilizations and coerced abortions and should not be condoned by any American official. No government on Earth has the authority to place quotas on the value of innocent human life, or to treat life as an economic commodity that can be regulated and taken away on a whim by the state." The same battle is being waged among the emerging presidential candidates. It will become distilled around two fundamental approaches. One camp will prioritize economic policy in terms of numbers and charts, stressing fiscal discipline and accountability. The other camp will stress the moral problem at the heart of the issue, due to a disoriented nation that has lost touch with God. They know that all the fiscal restraint in the world cannot save a nation that doesn't know the price of a child. Mrs. Kineke is the author of "The Authentic Catholic Woman" (Servant Books) and can be found online at feminine-genius.com.
Church, Taunton. According to John F. Quinn, professor of history at Salve Regina University, in a recent article regarding early Catholicism in Rhode Island published in the "Journal of the Newport Historical Society," the pastoral situation of Catholics in the city of Taunton and Rhode Island was initially evaluated by a newlyordained, enthusiastic, and energetic young priest named Father Robert Woodley of the Diocese of Boston. Boston was then the only diocese in all of New England. There was no Diocese of Providence. Father Woodley had been ordained not for the Diocese of Boston, however, but rather for the Diocese of Charleston, S.C.. Nor was Father Woodley a native of South Carolina but rather of Virginia. Nor was he a life-long Catholic, but rather a convert from Methodism. Father Woodley found South Carolina summers unbearably hot. He happened to know the Bishop of Boston, Benedict Fenwick (a jovial Jesuit weighing in at 300 pounds), who, before being installed in Boston in 1825, had been the president of Georgetown College at the same time Robert Woodley was a student there. Bishop Fenwick accepted the young priest. In 1827, two days after Father Woodley arrived in Boston, Bishop Fenwick sent him to investigate the pastoral situation of Catholics in Taunton and Rhode Island, with an eye to establishing a parish church in either Providence or Pawtucket. According to the most recently published history of the Diocese of Fall River, Father Woodley would also eventually serve existing parishes in New Bedford and Sandwich and minister to groups of Catholics in Wareham, Fall River, Quincy, Dorchester, Worchester, New London, New Haven, and Hartford. Father Woodley rented a room in a Providence boarding house and set out to found a parish not in either Providence or Pawtucket but in Newport. There he purchased a schoolhouse and converted it into a church. When Bishop Fenwick made his first on-site visitation, he was disappointed at what he saw.
Then land in Pawtucket became available. On this land Father Woodley erected a brand-new Catholic church. It was dedicated in 1829. Unfortunately, money was so tight Father Woodley was unable to pay some of the construction workers. Father Woodley was inexplicably recalled to the Boston cathedral from his Taunton and Rhode Island mission. He had done yeoman's work in the vineyard of the Lord, but after six months of soul-searching, Father Woodley, perhaps with the mentoring of Bishop Fenwick, discerned God calling him to another form of priesthood. He returned to his old alma mater, Georgetown College, and spent the rest of his life as a Jesuit. Father Woodley's replacement was a newly-ordained Irish-born priest named Father John Corry. His pastoral responsibilities were the same as Father Woodley's, including the city of Taunton. Father Corry resided in Taunton while overseeing the construction of St. Mary's Church there (not the present structure). It was dedicated in 1832. In 1836, Father Corry was still living in Taunton while simultaneously building new churches in Newport and Fall River. Perhaps Barnet Loverage of Raynham and Father Corry of Taunton knew each other; or perhaps they were just two ships passing in the night. These early priests bore enormous responsibility for the pastoral care of souls. They spent most of their waking hours traveling far and wide in stagecoaches and carriages. They were circuit riders. Today the ratio of Catholics to priests is again increasing, but it's nowhere near what it was in earlier days — in the days of priestly giants like Bishop Fenwick, Father Woodley and Father Corey. Surely, if we pray in faith and hope and if we actively encourage vocations to the priesthood, God will inspire young men of our own day with the faith, courage, and enthusiasm to take up the challenge. I sometimes wonder if God may be leading us back to the future — to the days of the giants. Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.
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The Anchor By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff
EAST SANDWICH — When it comes to staunch defenders of life, there are few voices stronger and louder than Patricia F. Stebbins'. For more than 12 years, Stebbins has been president of the Cape Cod Family Life Alliance, an amalgam of parish Pro-Life apostolates she co-founded to educate fellow Catholics on family and Pro-Life issues, particularly those that are being decided in the state and federal legislatures. "We're a lay organization dedicated to the defense of life — from conception to death — and to family values based on our Catholic faith," Stebbins said. "We remain obedient and devoted to the teachings of our Church and the magisterium, we defer to our parish priest at all times to make sure we're doing things the right way, and we're always open to their comments, suggestions or requests." With the active support of 11 Cape Cod-based parishes, the alliance has spearheaded postcard, email and letter writing campaigns; sponsored voter registration drives; and has actively monitored and lobbied against proposed legislative bills that are contrary to Church teachings. "I long ago realized that the battleground for life is in the state and federal legislature, and that's where we focus our efforts," Stebbins said. "We stay within the guidelines of the bishops, but we go after every piece of legislation out there that is bad for us." Among the alliance's recent targets: the pending euthanasia bill in Boston, the controversial "bathroom bill," and the pro-choice "Maria Talks" website. But after more than a decade at the helm, Stebbins is stepping down as president of the Cape Cod Family Life Alliance to take on a lesser role as the group's vice president. "To me, this is not an ending at all; it's the beginning of new horizons," Stebbins said. "I have a wonderful woman taking over who will keep things going. We are very much the same philosophically, and I'm looking forward to working with her." Stebbins remains very proud of all that the alliance has accomplished over the years, and she's confident it will continue to play an important role on the state and federal level. "We have a wonderful group of people involved, many of whom have been with us since the beginning," she said. As a way of getting its message out, the alliance has provided Pro-Life literature to area schools, has sponsored lectures and talks from noted Church scholars and
A dedicated voice for life clergy members, and has worked in tandem with groups like Catholic Citizenship and Mass Citizens for Life to lobby legislators. They also produce a long-running cable access TV program that is broadcast in every Cape Cod community. "We have a member who was the chief engineer at
Anchor Person of the Week — Patricia Stebbins. WGBH for 22 years and he videotapes and edits these programs, so they are very professional," Stebbins said. "We've had guests like Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I.; we've had authors Scott Hahn and Peter Kreeft; along with many of our priests from here in the
September 2, 2011 diocese. It's a wonderful program." The alliance also supports A Woman's Concern, a counseling service to pregnant women based in Hyannis, and every year it has been responsible for sponsoring and physically putting up and taking down a crèche at the Cape Cod Mall. "We're proud that it's been there every year, reminding people of what Christmas is really about," she said. With only one abortion clinic still operating within the Fall River Diocese and news of others closing across the nation, Stebbins said she's pleased that the Pro-Life message is garnering more and more support. "I think you're seeing the tide is turning nationally, because all of the indications are that the majority of people oppose abortion on demand, and that's a very good thing," she said. "The other thing is, we're noticing more young people — college students and even high school students — who are turning away from abortion as an option. It's beautiful to see. I'm sure those million-and-ahalf people over in Madrid (at World Youth Day) recently can attest to that." When she isn't working on family or Pro-Life issues, Stebbins divides the rest of her time between her husband John, their four children, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren; and being an active parishioner at Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich, where she's been a member for nearly two decades now. "When I first moved here, Bishop George W. Coleman was our pastor and he allowed me to start a parish library, which is still going strong today," Stebbins said. "I'm very proud of it and I still volunteer there." Over the years, Stebbins has also served as president of the parish Pro-Life committee, has been a member of the parish council, and has assisted with fund-raisers for A Woman's Concern and worked with members of the Knights of Columbus to provide a pizza party for the first-ever diocesan Pro-Life Boot Camp held recently at Stonehill College. "Pat is a true and faithful servant of the Church," said Father George E. Harrison, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish. "She faithfully lives her baptismal vocation and fearlessly exercises her share in Christ's prophetic role. She is indefatigable in her effort to proclaim the Gospel of Life and to promote the dignity of every human person." When asked what she would say to encourage others to get involved in their parish, Stebbins offers a simple suggestion. "If you're not involved in your parish, put aside at least 15 minutes a day to pray and develop a real, close bond with Jesus," she said. "You'll find that He will lead you to more ways to get involved. Also, look into your parish: talk to your pastor, ask him what you can do that won't take much time." Hearing that, it somehow makes sense where Stebbins gets her inspiration and boundless energy. "I try to go to daily Mass," she said. "Being retired I can do that, but I just find that going everyday and listening to a homily and being fed the Eucharist starts my day on a high note. I just feel stronger when I spend time with Jesus. It helps me to trust in Him, because I know He can do anything." "Besides," she added, "you should never feel that you are so busy that you can do something better than God." Even though she'll no longer be president of the Cape Cod Family Life Alliance, it's clear that Stebbins isn't about to slow down. "I'm not done yet. As long as I draw breath, I'm going to keep going," she said. And she remains hopeful and committed to keeping her eye on the prize. "I think I'll live to see the day when Roe v. Wade is reversed," she said. "I'm also very confident that you'll see another petition to reverse the same-sex marriage bill in the Commonwealth. And this time we're going to take it to the people (for a vote). We're very optimistic." To submit a Person of the Week nominee, send an email with information to fatherrogerlandry@ anchornews.org.
September 2, 2011
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light show — Rowan Blanchard stars in a scene from the movie "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D." For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. (CNS photo/Focus Features)
CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service. "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" (FilmDistrict) This staid and stale remake of the 1973 made-for-TV horror movie indulges in little bloodletting, but offers no genuine chills, at least after the initial appearance of the evil goblins who live in the basement of a spooky old house in Providence, R.I. — and pursue the young daughter (Bailee Madison) of its new owner (Guy Pearce). Director Troy Nixey attempts an elegant homage but ends up with a fright-free misfire. Intense action scenes with a bit of gore, cohabitation, fleeting profane and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating
is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. "Our Idiot Brother" (Weinstein) Occasionally effective, but sexually errant, satire about a ridiculously naive produce farmer (Paul Rudd) who emerges from a stint in prison after selling marijuana to a uniformed police officer only to find that his selfish live-in girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn) has taken up with someone new (T.J. Miller). Homeless and broke, he seeks shelter with his mother (Shirley Knight) before lodging, in succession, with each of his tightly wound sisters (Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks and Zooey Deschanel). But his habit of guileless truth-telling complicates the driven lives of all three. Though director Jesse Peretz's underplayed comedy scores a few hits on modern mores, its use of nudity and sexual situations to elicit laughs, as well as its mainstreaming of one sibling's lesbian relationship, make it inappropriate for all. Strong sexual content, including graphic aberrant sexual activity, adultery, partial
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, September 4, 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Maurice O. Gauvin, pastor of St. George Parish in Westport
frontal, upper female and rear nudity, implicit acceptance of homosexual behavior, a narcotics theme, about a dozen uses of profanity, much rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D" (Dimension) Writer-director (and series creator) Robert Rodriguez's third sequel to 2001's "Spy Kids" offers the novelty of "Aroma-Scope," giving viewers the chance, via a scratchand-sniff card, to "smell" the action as they watch (in 3-D) our young heroes — and their parents — fight to save the world. Now retired to be a housewife, the former top agent (Jessica Alba) for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies) is called back into service when a villain (Jeremy Piven) threatens to unleash a super weapon that will take away all time. Her stepchildren (Mason Cook and Rowan Blanchard) also join the struggle as Spy Kids, members of the "elite juvenile division" of the OSS. As the family — which also includes dad Joel McHale — learns to work together to rescue humanity, they discover that time is a precious commodity that must be used wisely. Light comic-book action, mildly rude humor. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
September 2, 2011
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Fierce response to Beacon Hill leadership's deal on casino bill BOSTON — Last year, Governor Deval Patrick and state House Speaker Robert DeLeo reached an impasse that prevented expanded gambling from coming to the Commonwealth. On August 23, the pair, alongside state Senate President Therese Murray, unveiled a bill that proposes three casinos and one slot parlor in Massachusetts. The casino in the southeast would be offered first to Native American tribes — a provision that some say may result in legal action. In 2010, the House and Senate passed a casino bill that died on the governor's desk. The measure would have instituted three casinos and two slot parlors at racetracks. Governor Patrick, who has often spoken out against stand-alone slots, said he would only approve one such parlor and would require an open bidding process — both of which have been incorporated in the 2011 bill. James Driscoll, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, said the state's Catholic bishops, have always been "adamantly opposed to expanded gaming." Any upside of such gambling is outweighed by its social costs, he said.
Opponents of Class 3 gaming continue to call for an independent cost-benefits analysis, but a bill requiring such has received little attention. SB150, filed by Senator Stephen Brewer (DBarre) on January 19, asks for a qualified research institution to look into all outcomes for the state and individual communities. The only study, produced by the gambling industry in 2008, expects that the state's current economic woes will be in the past by the time casinos arrive. It neglects to factor in the consequences of other bordering states like New York and New Hampshire legalizing casinos. It also never considers the social costs of excessive gambling. Critics say that these oversights lead the study to greatly overestimate revenue and job creation. According to statistics provided by the American Gaming Association, revenue at commercial casinos in the country has increased by more than 30 percent over the last 10 years. During the same time period, casinos opened for the first time in two states and racetrack slot parlors started business in three states. Casino revenue first dropped in 2008 and again in 2009. There was a less than one percent gain in 2010 when casinos brought in $34.60 billion. But most of that
money goes to the casino owners, not state coffers. About 22 percent, $7.59 billion, became public funds. In Massachusetts, the leadership's casino bill proposes that 25 percent of revenues would go to the Commonwealth. The projected amount of $400 million predicts that there will be $1.6 billion in total revenues. Critics say that even considering a sizable recapture of funds spent by Massachusetts gamblers in outof-state casinos, residents would still need to gamble and lose more than one billion dollars. That amount is neither realistic nor prudent, they say. "Casinos represent the most predatory business in America today because they are based on pushing people into deeper debt," Les Bernal, executive director of Stop Predatory Gambling, told The Anchor. "Government needs to get out of the predatory gambling business." Bernal went on to say that states should be encouraging their citizens to save money and get out of debt, not to rack up credit card debt on slot machines. While the national antigaming organization is based in Washington D.C., Bernal works out of its Lawrence, Mass. office. The website for United to Stop the Slots in Massachusetts
says casinos and slots prey on the addicted, gaining the highest profits from the few who visit frequently and lose the most money. Somewhere between 70-90 percent of casinos' profits come from 10 percent of gamblers. Studies have shown that five years after a casino opens, the neighborhood sees an increase in robberies by 136 percent, aggravated assaults by 91 percent, auto theft by 78 percent, burglary 50 percent, larceny 38 percent and rape 21 percent. They have also shown that within a 50-mile radius, addiction to gambling doubles. In Massachusetts, the new bill would establish three casinos in three different regions, putting nearly every inch of the state within 50 miles of a casino. USS Mass president of the board Tom Larkin said a fullthroated debate of the issues is necessary considering the irreversible consequences that will have long-term negative effects. The governor, along with the Senate and House leaders, has acted as if expanded gaming is a "done deal." All three have concerned themselves with how to implement Class 3 gaming, not whether or not they should. Larkin said he is sure that the bill will sound very reasonable and include constraints to try to minimize the negative impacts.
But he warned that such laws could be changed. Government becomes addicted to gambling revenue, and the casinos become powerful lobbyists. In other states, restrictions on expanded gaming have been thrown out the window within years after the casinos are up and running, he said. "There's no right way to exploit people, and there's no right way to collaborate with a predatory industry," he added. Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said casinos are a losing proposition. They are destructive to families and a regressive tax on the poor. He said he hopes legislators will realize that and vote the measure down. "I just hope that greed and confusion will settle," he said. Mineau added that the casino bill's supporters, who crafted the legislation behind closed doors, want to push it through to a vote on the House floor as early as this month. Concerned citizens should act now, he said. He and others urged voters to call the governor and their elected representatives. Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling said, "We live in a country where everyone is a part owner in our democracy. What we own is broken, and it's up to each and every one of us to fix it."
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI has named Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien of Baltimore as pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem in Rome. The appointment was announced in Washington August 29 by Msgr. Jean-Francois Lantheaume, charge d'affaires of the Vatican Embassy to the United States. Archbishop O'Brien, 72, succeeds Cardinal John P. Foley, 75, a former editor of The Catholic Standard & Times in Philadelphia and former director of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications at the Vatican, who retired in February after being diagnosed with leukemia and anemia. Also known as the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, the order is a fraternal organization dedicated to supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and responding to the needs of Catholics in the Holy Land. The order is usually headed by a cardinal, and past Vatican protocol would call for Archbishop O'Brien's title to become grand master once he is
named to the College of Cardinals. Born in New York, the archbishop has served as an auxiliary bishop of New York, 1996-97; coadjutor archbishop and then archbishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, 1997-2007; and archbishop of Baltimore since 2007. In Baltimore, Archbishop O'Brien has been outspoken against efforts to legalize samesex marriage in Maryland and to place restrictions on crisis pregnancy centers. He recently sent a private letter to Maryland Governor Martin J. O'Malley, urging the Catholic governor to refrain from promoting a redefinition of marriage in the state. On the national level, he is chairman-elect of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace and would have become chairman in November. A former seminary rector in Rome and New York, he also coordinated the Vaticanordered visitation of U.S. seminaries, which concluded in a 2009 report that U.S. Catholic seminaries and houses of
priestly formation were generally healthy, but recommended a stronger focus on moral theology, increased oversight of seminarians and greater involvement of diocesan bishops in the formation process. Born April 8, 1939, in New York, Edwin Frederick O'Brien describes himself as a typical "Bronx Irish Catholic" whose schooling, sports and social activities centered on Our Lady of Solace Parish there. He attended St. Joseph's Seminary outside New York, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1961, a master's of divinity in 1964 and a master's of arts in 1965. "There wasn't a day in my life that I didn't want to be a priest, and not a day in my life that I've regretted it," he said at a news conference after his appointment in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York on May 29, 1965. For his first five years as a priest, he was a civilian chaplain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., as associate pastor of the academy's Catholic Chapel of the
Most Holy Trinity. He became an Army chaplain in 1970 and over the next three years served in Fort Bragg, N.C.; Vietnam; and Fort Gordon, Ga. From 1973 to 1976, he studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, earning a doctorate in theology. On his return to New York he was named archdiocesan vice chancellor and assistant pastor of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Appointed archdiocesan director of communications in 1981, he helped launch Catholic New York, the archdiocesan newspaper. Two years later, he was named secretary to New York Cardinal Terence Cooke, who was succeeded in 1984 by Archbishop John J. O'Connor, who was made a cardinal in 1985. Then-Msgr. O'Brien was made rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, N.Y., in 1985 and rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome in 1989. On his return to New York in 1994, he was again made rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. He was named an auxiliary
bishop of New York on Feb. 6, 1996, and ordained a bishop March 25. He was named coadjutor archbishop of the military archdiocese in April 1997. He took up the post in May and became head of the archdiocese in August when Archbishop Joseph T. Dimino resigned for health reasons. As head of the military archdiocese, he directed a worldwide archdiocese that includes 1.5 million Catholics serving in military installations around the world or at Veterans Affairs hospitals in the United States, as well as the approximately 300 Catholic military chaplains who minister to them. He was named to the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education in 2007. A member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and the Canon Law Society of America, Archbishop O'Brien also has chaired the board of trustees of the Pontifical North American College and served on the boards of St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
By Christine M. Williams Anchor Correspondent
Baltimore archbishop named to head the Knights of Holy Sepulcher
The Anchor
September 2, 2011
Catholic cadets sustain faith life at Mass. Maritime Academy continued from page one
lector for campus Masses and also provides music for the Liturgy on his guitar. "Father Houston provides other service opportunities for us to live out our faith in the community," Lutter said. "We've done community service projects like helping the elderly move out of the their homes or constructing a ramp for handicap access." Even when their maritime training takes them out to sea for about eight weeks from the beginning of January to the end of February each year, Lutter said accommodations are made to provide Masses and religious services for the cadets. "We are constantly offering religious services," Lutter said. "We advertise them and encourage people to attend." "Father Houston flies out for a two-week period when we are out to sea," Miles added. "When we're on the ship if we have any religious needs, they accommodate us accordingly. It's tough when you're out to sea and don't have a priest onboard, but Father Houston does come onboard and has services for us." Father Gregory A. Mathias, pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth and a 1986 graduate of MMA, remembers those weekly Masses as well.
"Msgr. Norman Ferris, a Maronite priest who died some time ago, was the volunteer chaplain there at the time," Father Mathias said. "He was very generous and provided a good Catholic presence. He helped us maintain our faith and grow in it. He would celebrate Mass for us on Wednesday and I had the role of sacristan." During the two-month stint at sea, Father Mathias remembered having to celebrate daily Mass on a makeshift altar inside the ship's mess hall. "We'd have to set things up on a dining table that was bolted to the deck, because the ship was always moving," he said. Father Mathias said those daily Masses were an important part of his faith formation and he credits Msgr. Ferris with helping him discern his vocation to the priesthood. "It was there, with the help and shepherding of Msgr. Ferris, that my vocation was cultivated," Father Mathias said. "Like Jonah, I was trying to escape my vocation by hopping on a ship. But God put this chaplain there who didn't allow me to escape. I was trying to escape my calling but was caught anyway." Upon graduating from MMA with a bachelor of science degree and a license as
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a third mate, Father Mathias immediately entered St. John's Seminary in Brighton to begin his five-year postgraduate work. "Instead of pursuing a career, I felt called and decided to enter the seminary," he said. Many of the cadets who attend MMA say it's the military training and strict regimen that appeal to them. "Other members of my family have attended MMA and my father was in the Navy, so I thought it was the perfect fit for me," Miles said. "I like the regimental lifestyle and you definitely learn a lot. You walk out of here with a good understanding of the real world." Miles is studying international business at the academy and hopes to work as an insurance underwriter upon graduating. Lutter was equally impressed with the leadership qualities that MMA instills in its cadets and he said that's what motivated him to apply. "I'm majoring in environmental protection, which is one of the less popular majors here, but it's been a great experience," Lutter said. "I'd like to work on a research vessel, or maybe at Woods Hole." Father Mathias said the military regiment he was taught at MMA has actually helped him in his pastoral ministry. "It actually did teach me how to comport myself liturgically," he said. "In other words, I think it instilled in me a sense of being dignified. There is a certain way one should bear oneself, and I think the Liturgy calls for that certain sense of dignity."
space for hope and healing — Bishop George W. Coleman blesses Saint Anne's Hospital's new medical office building.
Saint Anne's Hospital marks opening of new medical office building
Fall River — For more than 80 years, it was a very good neighbor. It shared a name, as well as the heritage, of the nearby parish church. It had a distinct mission in serving the community, and like its parish church and the neighboring hospital that had been commissioned by the church's pastor in 1905, it inspired generations of residents and, especially, provided an elementary education that prepared its young students for life. When hospital officials marked the opening of its new medical office building on the grounds of the former St. Anne's School, they did so with a deep sense of appreciation. Despite the new purpose of providing medical offices that are marked by new architecture and new surrounding amenities, they are continuing the legacy of the building's forebear in two important ways: by taking care of those entrusting themselves to the professionals within, as well as furthering the focus of Steward Health Care, the hospital's parent organization, to provide compassionate quality care in the community. St. Anne's School, which closed when it graduated its last eighthgrade class in 2008, was purchased by the hospital from the Diocese of Fall River in late 2009 to accommodate growing medical practices'
mission of health and healing. Today, the new three-story, 39,000-square-foot Saint Anne's Hospital Medical Office Building, located at 851 Middle Street, offers area physicians and their patients modern all-new facilities with numerous benefits. The new facility also resulted in the building of new retaining walls and re-grading to create adjacent parking and walkways and direct access from Middle Street. The building includes three floors of office suites, an outpatient laboratory, and plentiful on-site parking. It is located directly across from the hospital's emergency room and complete array of outpatient and inpatient diagnostic and treatment services. Located near the building's main entrance, is a "tranquility garden," created to foster a feeling of healing and hope, as well as an appreciation for the location's history. It features the school's original 1923 cornerstone as a symbol of the school's legacy of educating thousands of children; landscaping chosen for privacy and beauty; and seating for quiet reflection. Most notably, the centerpiece of the tranquility garden is the statue of St. Anne that was originally incorporated into the front entrance of St. Anne's School.
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50 years ago — A record number of more than 23,000 boys and girls enrolled in diocesan Catholic schools for the 1961-1962 academic year. The Anchor ran photos of pupils throughout the diocese attending their first day of classes. 25 years ago — The Sisters of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts celebrated the 100th anniversary of their arrival in Sacred Heart Parish, Fall River. All came together for a day of affectionate reminiscences at Bishop Connolly High School, followed by an all-day picnic for family, friends and former community members.
Diocesan history 10 years ago — Scottie Foley, who with her husband Jerry was director of the Family Ministry Program in the Fall River Diocese, was elected secretary of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers. Foley's election came at the symposium in Arlington, Va. One year ago — The youth program formerly known as Extreme East and held on the first Friday of every month at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro was renamed "La Salette eXtreme" and kicked off with a program entitled "No Strings Attached," with free pizza for all attendees.
September 2, 2011
The joy of being God's 'house' keeper continued from page one
James F. Greene called a short time later to offer me the job full time." Rivet, who was then 31, married to his wife Nancy, and the father of a son, quickly grew into his new role as caretaker of the beautiful and very large house of worship at 233 County Street. "I think one of the biggest adjustments was working without bosses watching everything," Rivet said. "I liked the idea of not working for a boss who was getting rich with earthly treasures. Now I was interacting with people and priests and I truly enjoyed doing that. I still do." Rivet did have plenty of experience in finding his way around the church. "I grew up at St. Lawrence Parish and was an altar server there," he said. "In fact I first learned the Mass in Latin. I went to Holy Family Grammar School and attended Holy Family High School for three years." Things have changed a great deal over the years. When Rivet first started, his duties included making sure the church was clean, light bulbs were changed as necessary, preparing for the celebration of Masses, taking care of the grounds and rectory, and making sure everything was safe and secure. "As time went on, my duties grew and grew," said Rivet. "Because of the lesser number of priests, their responsibilities increased a great deal. Often times they have two parishes to be concerned about and all of them are spread very thin. The lay people have a responsibility to help fill in the gaps. Now I meet with contractors and put jobs out to bid when necessary and take the proposals back to the parish finance council. These are things I didn't have to do years ago. But I don't mind, I like doing whatever I can for our priests and the Church." And that includes the occasional stroll across the
catwalks located high above the pews in the church. "I have to go up there sometimes to check for leaks," said Rivet. "It really doesn't bother me at all." Rivet has seen other changes along the way. "I started using whatever talents God gave me as part of my job," he told The Anchor. "I began working more and more with the parishioners, something I really enjoy. I prepare for yard sales and worked with the various parish groups. I want to be there for them. It's much better when you stay in touch with the people." Pastor Father Richard D. Wilson told The Anchor, "Andy is a great asset to this parish. He's there to do anything that needs to be done. Not only that, but he has become a bridge to the Spanish community in the parish through his music. He plays the upright bass with the Spanish choir." "I'm definitely not the leader of the Spanish choir," Rivet said, "but I am the music director for them and it's a great experience. I love it. I've made so many friends in the Spanish community." Rivet was there for the parish choir as well when its beloved director of 25 years, Steve Massoud, took ill with cancer. When Massoud, a good friend of Rivet's stepped down, Rivet stepped up and led the choir, playing the guitar at weekend Masses for nearly a year. Sadly, Massoud passed away just before Rivet's interview with The Anchor, and as usual, Rivet stepped in, preparing the church for the wake and funeral, and playing a guitar solo at the wake service. Rivet is one of only a handful of full-time parish sextons across the Diocese of Fall River. Many parishes now have parttime sextons, or contract work out. "I have absolutely no re-
Decree issued
FALL RIVER — Bishop George W. Coleman has decreed that the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Taunton be relegated to profane but not sordid use. This action was taken in accord with Canon 1222, §2 of the Code of Canon Law. The decree was given Friday, September 2, 2011 and will take effect on Thursday, September 22, 2011. Relegation to profane use is a term used in Church law when a Church building is converted from sacred uses and will no longer be used for
The Anchor
Catholic liturgical worship. The former Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish and the former Saint Jacques Parish, also in Taunton, were joined in 2007 to become Saint Jude the Apostle Parish in that city. In accordance with Canon Law, the decision of the bishop to issue the decree on the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception followed consultation with the pastor of Saint Jude the Apostle Parish, the Parish Pastoral Council, and the Presbyteral Council of the Fall River Diocese.
grets about taking this job 25 years ago," added Rivet. "I have learned a lot during this time, more than in all my years in school. I learned from those I've encountered along the way: the priests, the people and the musicians. I wear many, many hats, and if they don't fit right, I wear it until the job is done." The labor part of the job isn't the only joy for Rivet. "There's no better feeling than being alone in a church, God's house," he said. "At first it was almost overwhelming. When I got the job, it was right after Christmas and the church was still decorated for the season. It was amazing to think, 'This is mine to take care of.'" "Some seasons are busier than others," Rivet said. "The Christmas and Easter seasons and school time are busy." And late summer can be as well, as Rivet was making sure everything was in order for the approach of Hurricane Irene. "Winters can be tough," Rivet added. "There are times when it's snowing and you're alone shoveling and then it starts to rain and you're cold and soaked. But you know Mass will be starting soon and you have to clear the way. I am the captain of this ship and I won't let it go down." Spoken like a man whose life is a labor of love, and a love of labor.
Annual Day of Recollection for Religious is September 10
NORTH DARTMOUTH — cut, and has served as adjunct The annual Day of Recollection faculty of the Regis College for Religious and the celebration Ministry Institute teaching a of jubilarians of 75, 70, 60, and course on Liturgy. 50 years will take place SeptemCurrently, he is pastor of St. ber 10 at St. Julie BilMargaret's Parish in liart Church. Buzzards Bay and St. Father Tom WashMary Star of the Sea burn, OFM, will presMission in Onset, and ent a talk and will convocation director for the celebrate a special Mass Franciscan Province. He with Bishop George W. also serves as executive Coleman and other relidirector of the English gious priests. Speaking Conference Father Washburn of the Franciscan Order. is a Roman Catholic Father Washburn has had priest and a member of several articles published Father Tom the Franciscan Order. in The Cord magazine Washburn, OFM He holds a master of as well as Living Light, divinity degree and a a publication of the U.S. master of theology in Sacred Lit- Conference of Catholic Bishops. urgy degree, both from Weston His talk is entitled: "Religious Jesuit School of Theology in as Prophets of Hope in Times of Cambridge, as well as a certifi- Crisis." cate in Youth Ministry from the Center for Ministry Development in Naugatuck, Conn. He entered the Franciscan Order in 1991 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. Father Washburn has served as an associate pastor and director of Youth Ministry in parishes in New Hampshire and Connecti-
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Youth Pages
September 2, 2011
At audience, pope announces themes for coming WYD celebrations
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — After reviewing his trip to Madrid for World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI announced the themes he has chosen to guide the reflections of young Catholics next year on a diocesan level and in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. The 2012 theme, he said at his weekly general audience August 24, will be, "Rejoice in the Lord Always." The theme for the international gathering with the pope in Rio, he said, will be: "Go and Make Disciples of All Nations." The pope's audience with about 2,000 people gathered in the courtyard of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo lasted just over 15 minutes. As is customary at the first general audience after a trip abroad, Pope Benedict dedicated his talk to a review of the meetings and experiences of his trip August 18-21 — "extraordinary days" — in Madrid. "It was a very moving Church event," he said. "Almost two million young people from every continent joyfully lived the formidable experience of brotherhood, encounters with the Lord, sharing and growing in the faith. "I thank God for this precious gift, which gives hope for the future of the Church," he said. Pope Benedict quickly re-
viewed the main point of each talk he gave in Madrid and described the atmosphere of each meeting. He said World Youth Day has proven to be a significant event in the lives of many young people who later pursue a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. "I am certain that in Madrid, as well, the Lord knocked on the doors of the hearts of many young people so that they would follow Him with generosity in priestly ministry or in religious life," the pope said. Talking about the World Youth Day vigil the night of August 20, which was interrupted by a storm, the pope said the young people "weren't frightened at all by the rain and the wind" and participated with great devotion and silence in eucharistic adoration. The pope described World Youth Day 2011 as a "stupendous manifestation of faith" and a special occasion for young Catholics "to reflect, dialogue, exchange positive experiences and, especially, to pray together, and to renew their commitment to living their lives rooted in Christ, the faithful Friend." Pope Benedict promised he would "continue to accompany them with prayers so they would remain faithful to the commitment they have made."
Revised and updated ...
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light show — Lightning flashes behind pilgrims as they attend the World Youth Day prayer vigil led by Pope Benedict XVI at the Cuatro Vientos airfield in Madrid August 20. (CNS photo/Juan Medina, Reuters)
'Spiritual Communion': Youths learn a traditional concept the hard way
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — More than a million young Catholics learned the hard way about a venerable Catholic tradition: "spiritual Communion" or the "Communion of desire." After a wild storm August 20 at World Youth Day in Madrid left six people injured — including two with broken legs — Spanish police collapsed the tents where most of the unconsecrated hosts for the next morning's Mass were being kept. Without the hosts in the tents, where organizers had 5,000 ciboriums holding 200 hosts each, Communion was distributed at Mass August 21 only to pilgrims in the section closest to the altar. Distributing Communion to just 100,000 people wasn't a decision anyone took lightly, and apparently there were long discussions with World Youth Day organizers and Vatican officials trying to find a solution. In the end, it just wasn't possible logistically to locate another one million hosts. The decision to cancel Communion for most Mass participants was reached "with the greatest pain," Yago de la Cierva, director of World Youth Day Madrid, told reporters August 21. Whenever there is a huge crowd for a Mass, whether in St. Peter's Square or at a World Youth Day, there always are some people unable to get to the Communion distribution point in time to receive. But in Madrid, de la Cierva said, "almost everyone" was among those not receiving. Obviously, receiving Communion is the way to participate most fully in the Mass, but it's not always possible for everyone to receive at every Mass, nor do many Catholics in the world even have regular access to Mass. The idea of "spiritual Communion" — inviting Jesus into one's heart and soul when receiving the actual Sacrament
isn't possible — is part of Catholic tradition. In the 1700s, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote a special prayer for spiritual communion: "My Jesus, I believe you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to receive you. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you." Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said it would be a huge mistake to believe the Mass had no value for those who were unable to receive Communion. "Communion is always an extraordinary gift, and one must be in awe of being able to receive it," he told Catholic News Service August 24. "It is not something one can presume to have an absolute right to as if he'd bought a ticket for it by going to Mass. Someone who thinks that hasn't understood who is in the consecrated host and what the Mass is," the spokesman said. The eucharistic adoration and benediction at the vigil in Madrid underlined that point, he said. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, which is why it is adored and why Catholics spend time in its presence, even outside of Mass. The "eucharistic fasting" many of the young pilgrims in Madrid were forced to endure could also help them be in spiritual solidarity with other people who find themselves desiring the Eucharist, but unable to receive it, he said. "I'm thinking of Catholics deprived of priests in many parts of the world for many reasons," he said, but there also are those "who would like to celebrate the Lord's Supper with other Christians, but don't have inter-
communion out of respect for the norms of the Church. Isn't it meaningful in these situations to know we can unite ourselves with Christ through love and desire?" In an era when people are encouraged to receive the Sacrament frequently, they don't hear the term "spiritual Communion" very often, but it is still mentioned in Church documents. The Vatican's preparatory document for the 2012 International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin said those who cannot receive the Eucharist can have spiritual Communion, declaring their desire to receiving the Eucharist and uniting "their suffering of that moment with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ." The working document for the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist in 2005 addressed the idea of offering up the sacrifice of being unable to receive Communion. It said: "Spiritual Communion, for example, is always possible for elderly persons and the sick who cannot go to church. In manifesting their love for the Eucharist, they participate in the communion of saints with great spiritual benefit for themselves and the Church. By offering their sufferings to God, the Church is enriched." In "Sacramentum Caritatis," the document he issued in 2007 reflecting on the synod, Pope Benedict cautioned people against thinking they had "a right or even an obligation" to receive the Eucharist every time they went to Mass. "Even in cases where it is not possible to receive sacramental Communion, participation at Mass remains necessary, important, meaningful and fruitful. In such circumstances it is beneficial to cultivate a desire for full union with Christ through the practice of spiritual communion," Pope Benedict wrote.
Youth Pages
September 2, 2011
n October 16, we will celebrate World Youth Day in our diocese. Young people from throughout the diocese will gather at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth for our Diocesan Youth Convention. The theme for World Youth Day 2011 and for our Diocesan Youth Convention, as set by Pope Benedict XVI, is "Planted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith" (Col 2:7). At an elementary level, the theme brings to mind visions of trees and plants with roots reaching into the soil to gain nourishment and water. With the proper nourishment and water and sun, the plants grow tall and remains firm. Without it, the plants eventually wither and die. These images are used often in our faith life to help us understand how we must grow in our faith, to be nourished in our faith and to stand firm in our faith. But exactly how does one do that? As each of our children was baptized, we parents agreed to be our child's first and best teacher in the faith. Dedicated catechists and religious have also supported many parents in fulfilling that commitment to God, the Church and our children themselves. Unfortunately, it seems today that more and more parents have relin-
Firm in the faith?
quished their role in teaching the colleges from grade one through faith. No matter how good the grad school! Religious Education program I think what concerns me and is, can 30 hours of class time a others most is that many young year substitute in any way for people (and adults) have such a the example given in the day-to- lack of the fundamental beliefs day living-out of the faith in the of our faith and so many think lives of the family? that they can adjust their beliefs Where do these young people to suit their needs. How else can get nourished? How can they plant deep roots and stand firm in the face of the world and the evil that surrounds them? Many of our young people are By Frank Lucca fortunate to meet up with mentors, teachers, priests or other religious who do help instill in we explain so many abortions, them and nurture the seeds of or the decrease in Church wedfaith, but it takes a strong young dings, or simply skipping Mass? person who can live in faith Of course, this attitude is hardly when the family around them exclusive to young people. It is does not. quickly becoming a prevalent In my role as a youth minattitude of so many adults, too! ister, I speak to many young So many think that the Church people and while they have faith is like a smorgasbord that you in the sense of a belief and trust can choose what you like and in God, they seem to be lackavoid the rest. ing in an understanding of the How did we get here? I'm content of our Catholic faith. sure we can all list where things I have been studying our faith may have gone wrong. Did we in many courses over the last as parents set the expectations several years and I am amazed that young people deserve? Did each time I learn something our spiritual leaders shy away new about our faith that I never from teaching the truth? Perknew before, especially since I haps, have we just not provided attended Catholic schools and the proper guidance and made
Be Not Afraid
protecting and serving — Members of the Fall River Police Department's Motorcycle Division served as escorts for the sixth annual St. Vincent's Home Motorcycle Run.
Hundreds revved up at annual St. Vincent's Home Motorcycle Run
FALL RIVER — More than 200 motorcycle enthusiasts — riders and passengers — recently gathered at St. Vincent's Home for the sixth annual Motorcycle Run, raising more than $20,000 to benefit children, youth and families. The 58-mile Motorcycle Run began at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent's Fall River campus with an escort from the Fall River Police Department's Motorcycle Division as well
as additional support from the Freetown and Dartmouth Police Departments. Volunteer Road Guards from the Wicked Wild Weekend Warriors provided additional safety support at key intersections. The Motorcycle Run wound through the scenic back roads of Freetown to the shores of Dartmouth and ended back at St. Vincent's in Fall River. The event was sponsored by
Platinum Sponsor, Preferred Concrete of East Freetown. Guests enjoyed a cookout at the finale of the run and other fun events. The Children's Choice Award trophies for favorite bike as judged by the youth of St. Vincent's were presented to the first-, second-, and third-place winners at the conclusion of the event. Funds were raised to support programming for the children and youth of the home.
available the truths of the faith in a format that is understandable to all? If we aren't committed, faithful Catholics, how will our children learn what Jesus expects of us? The further we move from the truth, the more difficult life becomes for all of us. If you have any doubts about this, just look at the world today! Where can we learn these truths? Well, my friends, it does take some study. Not necessarily in a course but by taking the time to learn about our faith. And where can you learn more about the truths of our faith? First, there is the "Catechism of the Catholic Church." Unfortunately, I can tell you, through experience, that it is not an easy read. Now, for young people, and even the rest of us, the Holy Father has released an aid to the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" designed for youth and young adults. The book is called "YOUCAT," for "Youth Catechism." In its 300 pages, you will find answers to just about any question you may have about our faith. I highly recommend it. After Vatican II (1962-1965) and in the changed cultural climate, many people did not know what Christians should really believe; what the Church teaches; if it can teach something outright; and how this might fit into the new cultural climate. Thus, John Paul II entrusted his successor, Cardinal Ratzinger, with the task of coordinating the work of bishops, theologians and young people into a book, edited by the now-Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn. Pope Benedict writes in the introduction to "YOUCAT" that he "was afraid of this task," and confesses his doubts that "it would succeed," describing its existence as something of a "miracle," the labor of many meetings and "passionate discussions over individual texts." He then
goes on to express the hope that young people will allow themselves to be "captivated" by the "Catechism," and his certainty that they are far more interested in it than most believe. In fact he writes; "This aide to the catechism does not offer you any empty praise, it does not offer easy solutions, it requires a new life on your part." He asks young people to "study the 'Catechism' with passion and perseverance! Sacrifice your time for it!" The pope continues; "You need to know what you believe, you need to know your faith with the same precision with which a computer specialist knows the operating system of a computer. You need Divine help, so your faith does not dry up like a drop of dew in the sun, so you do not succumb to the temptations of consumerism, so your love is not drowned in pornography, so you do not betray the weak, the victims of abuse and violence." In one last piece of advice Pope Benedict XVI goes right to the heart of many young people's concerns about and disillusionment with the Church. He writes; "You all know how the community of believers was recently wounded by the attacks of evil, by the penetration of sin within, within the very heart of the Church. Do not make this an excuse to escape the sight of God, you yourselves are the body of Christ, the Church! Bring the wholesome fire of your love to this Church every time men obscure its face. 'Do not be lazy in zeal, let the Spirit ignite and serve the Lord'" (Rom 12:11). Amen! Frank Lucca is a youth minister at St. Dominic's Parish in Swansea. He is chairman 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 may be reached at stdominicyouthministry@ comcast.net.
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: email@example.com
The Anchor
Pending Florida, Oregon executions face Church objections
WASHINGTON (CNS) — As Florida's Supreme Court lifted a stay of execution for Manuel Valle, clearing the path for him to be put to death September 6, the state's Catholic bishops urged Governor
Rick Scott to stop it. The unanimous court lifted the stay August 23, upholding a lower court finding that a new drug to be used for execution meets constitutional standards. Florida, like other
Around the Diocese 9/3
A Day With Mary will take place tomorrow from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church, 125 Main Street, Acushnet. It will include a video instruction, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother along with Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and an opportunity for reconciliation. A bookstore is available during breaks. For information call 774-328-8394.
A Mass will be celebrated on the feast day of Blessed Mother Teresa, September 5 at 10 a.m., at St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 110 Summer Street, New Bedford. After Mass, there will be a screening of the movie "Legacy" about her life. All are welcome.
9/8 9/8
A Healing Mass will be celebrated on September 8 beginning with Rosary at 6 p.m. at St. Anne's Church, 818 Middle Street, Fall River. Benediction and healing prayers will follow the Mass.
The Lazarus Ministry of Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster is offering a six-week bereavement support program called "Come Walk With Me" that begins September 8 and runs through October 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The program meets in the parish center and is designed for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one within the past year. Pre-registration is required and there is a nominal charge for materials. Call 508-385-3252 or 508385-8942 to register or for more information.
The Cape Cod and Islands Deanery Prayer Group will host a directed personal retreat at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham Sept. 9-11, facilitated by Father Stan Kolasa, SS.CC. The theme is "Lord, if it is really You, tell me to come to You across the water." Space must be reserved by September 4. For information call Pat at 508-349-1641 or Pam at 508-7592734.
St. Mark's Parish, 105 Stanley Street, Attleboro Falls, will host its annual fair on September 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include a variety of activities, music and food, along with arts and crafts and a raffle with prizes totaling $1,750. For information call 508-699-7566.
The national Parental Rights Organization will examine the controversial "United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child" on September 10 at 7 p.m. at the parish center of Corpus Christi Parish, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Speakers will include David Parker, a parent jailed for objecting to material being taught to his kindergartenaged child. The program is supported by Catholic Citizenship of the Fall River Diocese. For more information contact Barbara Bowers at 508-385-7867.
The Our Lady of Grace Council of Catholic Women will be sponsoring a Yard Sale at the parish center, 569 Sanford Road in Westport, on September 10 and September 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, rain or shine. The kitchen will be open serving food and refreshments. For more information call 508-672-6900.
"For God and Country," a special 10th anniversary commemorative observance of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy will be presented by the Holy Trinity Choir under the direction of Steven Grubiak on September 11 at 3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish, Route 28, West Harwich. Come join with the choir to sing traditional patriotic and sacred songs, Music will include "God Of Our Fathers," "America the Beautiful," "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory," "America," "God Bless America" and other selections familiar and easy to sing along for all. Prayers will be offered for our country, our government, our men and women in the service of our country and for the victims of 9/11. The service is free and open to all.
St. Louis de France Parish, 56 Buffington Street, Swansea, will host weekly Scripture Study on St. John's Gospel, on the second floor in the parish school at 7 p.m. every Monday from September 12 through November 21 (except October 31, the meeting will be on November 2). The Little Rock guides will be used for study and discussion. To register or for information, contact Nancy Toolin at firstname.lastname@example.com or 508-674-1103.
states, has had executions put on hold over the last couple of years while new drugs were sought to replace one that has become unavailable for executions. In their letter to the governor, Florida's bishops urged Scott to stay Valle's execution on the grounds that: "Killing someone because they killed diminishes respect for life and promotes a culture of violence and vengeance." The letter, which was dated August 3 and released publicly August 23 by the Florida Catholic Conference, conceded the state's right to impose the death penalty "when absolutely necessary, that is when it is otherwise impossible to defend society. However, given the ability of Florida to protect its residents by incarcerating inmates for life without possibility of parole, we pray you will exercise that option." Valle, 61, was sentenced to death for killing Coral Gables police officer Louis Pena in 1978 following a traffic stop. Meanwhile, in Oregon, opponents of the death penalty continued to press for a stay of execution for Gary Haugen, whose August execution was stayed by the state Supreme Court so Haugen could undergo a mental health evaluation. "When we mistake vengeance for justice and kill those who have devalued human life, we become complicit with killers," said Mary Jo Tully, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Portland. "As Americans, I believe that we are better than that." The Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Portland Archdiocese, reported that Haugen, 49, was to be executed by lethal injection August 16, but the Oregon Supreme Court in early July ordered a better psychological evaluation.
In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Sept. 3 Rev. Thomas J. McGee, D.D., Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1912
Sept. 4 Rev. Joseph P. Tallon, Pastor, St. Mary, New Bedford, 1864 Rev. John J. Maguire, Founder, St. Peter the Apostle, Provincetown, 1894 Sept. 5 Rev. Napoleon, A. Messier, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1948 Sept. 7 Very Rev. James E. McMahon, V.F. Pastor, Sacred Heart, Oak Bluffs, 1966 Rev. Raymond Pelletier, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1984 Sept. 8 Rev. Thomas Sheehan, Founder, Holy Trinity, Harwich Center, 1868
September 2, 2011
Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese
Acushnet — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 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 Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 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 Sandwich — Eucharistic adoration takes place at the Corpus Christi Parish Adoration Chapel, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Also, 24-hour eucharistic adoration takes place on the First Friday of every month. EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, eucharistic adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8 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 — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic adoration on Mondays following the 8:00 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.
FALL RIVER — Notre Dame Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has eucharistic adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel. FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has eucharistic adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 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, 347 South Street, beginning immediately after the 12:10 p.m. Mass and ending with adoration 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. NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.
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. 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. 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.
The Anchor
September 2, 2011
Laying and building upon the cornerstone of faith continued from page one
understanding, so that they can grow. They soak everything up." Getting down to a three- or fouryear-old's level of understanding is a strategy that Nancy McKenna of St. Francis Xavier School of Acushnet uses to answer the common questions of, "Did Jesus go to school?" and "Did Jesus play outside?" "I always try to show Jesus beginning His ministry as a child, just like them," said McKenna. "It becomes more realistic to them and more concrete. Jesus is just an idea for them. He's not real for them because there's nothing in reality that they can touch. But if I bring it down to their level, and explain to them that Jesus was a person just like they are, it's a concrete idea in their minds and they can correlate it to their lives." Learning basic prayers like the "Our Father," "Hail Mary" and "Glory Be" are woven into weekly academics. Daily exposure to faith is the ultimate benefit that families can garner from a Catholic education and when a young student strays from the path, using Jesus as an example creates an easy blueprint for the young student to follow. "There is no better character than Christ Himself," said Cecilia Felix, principal of Holy FamilyHoly Name School in New Bedford. "You can use 'Ziggy' or the 'Smurfs' and they can all teach right from wrong but let's face it, the greatest loving character in all of history has been Jesus Christ. He gave us the best of both worlds and gave us two basic commandments: 'Love God,' and 'Love one another.' If you do that, you've got it all. It's putting our faith into action, and you can do that in our school." McKenna agreed: "If you have another person coming into this, that Jesus was like this, the students realize that this might be a goal that they could achieve because they are so very egotistical. Their self-control is very limited at that age, so they tend to act out a little bit, so this way when
Be sure to visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to other diocesan and national sites, including The Anchor.
we're explaining these concepts to them, they grasp them. We're allowed to take them out of situations — if someone is misbehaving or doing certain things — and speak to them, talk to them and bring the religion in and explain it to them. I think they're very fortunate because every day they are exposed to some type of religion." It's the ease of working religion into daily lessons that cements that Catholic foundation, and even the youngest of the students will pick up ideal behaviors. At St. Francis Xavier School, all students attend the weekly Mass. The preschool class has to play catch-up with the rest of the student body. "They don't know how to genuflect, are moving around a lot and are antsy," said McKenna of those first few weeks of school. "By mid-year, these children will go in and genuflect properly, will recognize certain aspects of Mass and do quite well." Holidays take on a whole new meaning as the young students gain a deeper appreciation for the celebration that goes beyond a white-bearded man in a red suit or a furry bunny bearing a basket of eggs. "Our holidays and celebrations always have the religious aspect to it," said McKenna. "Lent and Easter isn't just the Easter Bunny coming; every week during those 40 days for Lent, we have different aspects on how we are preparing for Lent and what Lent is. We explain Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter, so everything is intertwined. They know it's not just a commercial holiday, they realize that Christmas is not just Santa Claus and toys; they realize the origins of these holidays and why we celebrate them." The gift-of-giving is seen in the charitable contributions from students, including the preschool class at Holy Family-Holy Name, who participate in the school's Adopt-A-Charity event. From collecting food to bringing in baby toys for the Pro-Life minis-
try, Felix said the youngest children of her school are as active in the giving as the oldest. "They want to learn, they're eager," she said. "They are such people-pleasers at that age. When I look at our preschool, or any of our classes, we don't have pigeonholes for religion. It's a way of who we are. From the moment they walk into the building, they should be able to feel Christ's presence in how they treat each other and how the teachers treat them. That doesn't need the preface of, 'Jesus told me to do this.' It's a way of life." Having been a preschool teacher for the past 15 years, McKenna has seen the positive effect of enrolling a student in a Catholic preschool program. "They become more comfortable in their faith at an earlier age," she said. "If they've been in preschool, when they get into kindergarten they already know how to bless themselves, know the basic prayers, know Mass behavior, have their basic understanding of Jesus and the Holy Family; they'll have that basis, the seeds have already been sown." And while Felix feels that society is the biggest challenge the children need to overcome while following in the footsteps of Jesus, she is reassured that many of her students got a head-start in their devotion. "The benefit of a Catholic preschool is the gift of faith, and what better way to start someone's education in a preschool than with a Catholic faith background. They get the foundation of why you do this, and being free to use Jesus' name as we try to teach them the right from wrong. That's very important," said Felix, adding that it's the teachers who make learning those lessons possible. "It truly is a gift of faith; it's their vocation. They're giving their time, talent and treasure, and what better way than to give it to children. They're going to take it, plant those seeds and make it come alive."
patch work — Preschoolers from Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford stand in line and patiently wait their turn to pick a pumpkin during a field trip to the pumpkin patch at the Harvest Festival St. Bernard's Parish of Assonet.
The Anchor
September 2, 2011
Middle East Christians must be courageous, open, says Franciscan custos
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians in the Middle East should not live in fear of the changes happening across the region but should act with courage to denounce situations of injustice and with a Christian attitude of willingness to dialogue, said the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. "There is great uncertainty and great fear" among Christians in Egypt and Syria, Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa told Vatican Radio Father Pizzaballa said that,
too often, if Christians in the Middle East express concern about problems or potential tensions between Christians and Muslims, they are accused of "wanting to accentuate the differences. If, on the other hand, you say there is collaboration and sharing, you're (accused of being) naive," he said. "Both these experiences exist. It's not one or the other. There are experiences of sharing, but also elements of fundamentalism, division and persecution" in the region, he said.
holy spiritual bouquets — Catholic Memorial Home celebrated the Feast of the Holy Ghost with a Mass in the home's St. Margaret Mary Chapel. The Mass was celebrated in Portuguese by Fathers Jose dos Santos and John Raposo, chaplains at Catholic Memorial Home, along with Deacon Peter Cote, director of Pastoral Care at the skilled nursing facility. The music and singing was performed by guest Caterina Avelar.
In Mexico City, Blessed John Paul's relics bring hope
MEXICO CITY (CNS) — Julian Salvador and his wife, Paola Rivera, hold fond memories of Blessed John Paul II. The couple saw him during his inaugural visit to Mexico City in 1979. "It was the most beautiful thing and incomparable to anything I've ever experienced," Rivera recalled. Holding onto memories and candles, they prayed the Rosary recently outside the papal nuncio's office in Mexico City. Inside was blood drawn from Blessed John Paul shortly before his death. It was there to be venerated and taken to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe the following day. Later, it will be taken to all of the country's dioceses as part of a pilgrimage of peace. Peace in Mexico was on the minds of Salvador and Rivera as they prayed with approximately 100 others on a cool evening. "We're praying for a miracle," his wife added. Salvador and Rivera came to pray for peace in a country where drug violence has claimed more than 40,000 lives since December 2006. The Church has confronted the challenges of ministering to populations in violent pockets of Mexico and fending off allegations that cartel kingpins — who are often described as religious — have laundered money through collection plates.
Published on Sep 6, 2011
The official Catholic newspaper of the Fall River Diocese.