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VOL. 47, NO.46 • Friday, December 5,2003 FALL RIVER, MASS. Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year

Massachusetts bishops respondto same-sex marriage issue

Editor's note: The followingstatement, issued jointly by thefour Catholic bishops in Massa­chusetts, was requested to hereadatall Masses last weekend, in allparishes in the Commonwealth.

The recent ruling of the Mas­sachusetts Supreme JudicialCourt which radically redefinesmarriage is a national tragedy. Bytheir action the justices who havedecreed this have set the stage to

erode even further the institutionof marriage as a human realitywhich the state should protect andstrengthen for the good of soci­ety.

We hope that all citizens willcome to recognize what is at stakeand work to ensure that marriageas the fundamental institution ofsociety will be safeguarded. Themisguided decision has alsoserved to promote divisions insociety by villainizing as bigotry

the legitimate defense of thou­sands of years of tradition.

It is not the intention of theCatholic community to infringeon the civil rights of homosexu­als or anyone else. Our opposi­tion to a redefinition of marriageis to safeguard the institution ofmarriage for future generations.Marriage is a gift of God whichin its natural order allows for thegrowth of the human family andsociety. It is not just one life-style

choice among many. The genera­tions to come are the ones whoserights are being violated by thecourt. Changing the definition ofmarriage in the long run will se­riously harm family life. The del­eterious effects of the court's rul­ing are compounded by the direc­tive to implement its decision in180 days. This time frame is asure formula for chaos. It deniesthe citizens of Massachusetts anyreal opportunity to respond re-

sponsibly. Every effort must bemade to extend the stay beyondthe 180 days mandated by thecourt.

Ultimately, we advocate a con­stitutional amendment that reaf­firms marriage as the union be­tween one man and one woman.Thirty-seven states have alreadyenacted legislation to protect thedefinition of marriage. We askeveryone to contact the governor

Thm to page 13 - Letter

RETIRED MEMBERS of religious communities living in the Fall River diocese benefitgreatly from the support received from the laity. These Sisters of Good Shepherd live atCranberry Pointe in Harwich. From left: Sisters Helen (104 years old), Imelda, Catherine,Rita, and Lena. (Photo by Mercy Sister Elaine Heffernan)

Appeal for Retired Religiousslated for December 13-14

ents that will come in handy whenthey become priests and pastors.

The seminarians hope that pro­ceeds from sale of the bookletswill assist them to join in a pil­grimage to Rome and Assisi inApril 2004, led by Bishop GeorgeW. Coleman.

In order to invite parishionersthroughout the diocese to join inprayer to prepare for the centen­nial, the seminarians have put to­gether "100 Days of Prayer,"which begin tomorrow - De­cember 6, and continues throughMarch 14, 2004.

Thrn to page 10 - Book

~. Sales of the dailyreader "100 Days ofPrayer" will help fundtheir pilgrimage toRome and Assisi.

FALL RIVER - Seminariansof the Fall River diocese havewritten a timely booklet of inspir­ing reflections that hopefully willlink people in common prayerduring the diocese's upcomingcentennial celebrations.

And as they demonstrate thatthey are men of prayer, they arealso honing entrepreneurial tal-

Diocese's senJinariansprepareprayerbookto nJark centennial

ners," she wrote in a letter to pastors.She reported that the diocese contributed

$137,000 last year, bringing the total contributionfor the 14 years of the Appeal to $2.2 million.

"For that and for your support you can be as­sured that 52,000 retired religious will rememberyou in prayer," she added.

The Appeal, conducted nationally, is a brightlight to thousands of religious still impacted whenunfunded retirement reached a crisis stage in the1980s. As projected by auditors, that unfundedliability for religious throughout the United States,remains in the billions of dollars.

Health care costs continue to increase, as doesthe number of fragile religious past age 70.

According to the National Religious RetirementOffice, sponsor for the Retirement Fund for Reli­gious, donations declined 14 percent in. 2002.

The theme of this year's campaign is "Letnun to page 12 - Religious

By DEACON JAMES N. DUNBAR

FALL RIVER - Catholics in the Fall Riverdiocese are being asked to collaborate with Godin a special way on the weekend of December 13-14 in fulfilling the hopes of 52,000 retired reli­gious nationwide.

Even as the Advent Scripture readings thatweekend prompt us to believe that what God haspromised will occur, the annual Appeal for Re­tired Religious to be taken up in area parishes isan opportunity to say "Thank You" to the reli­gious priests, Sisters and Brothers who have beenbeacons of hope in our lives, in our Church, andin our world, says Mercy Sister Elaine Heffernan,diocesan episcopal representative for religious.

"Over the past 14 years, parishes in our dio­cese have given without stint to assist religiouscongregations of men and women to care for theirelderly and retired members, and for this I expressmy personal gratitude to you and your parishio-

Bristol CommunityCollege

Fri,day, December 5, 2003

@bituary

thea~·

PATRICIA LEVESQUEdisplays a plaque she wasawarded upon being namedEmployee of the Quarter atthe Catholic Memorial Home,Fall River, where she worksas a dietary aide. She alsoreceived a recognition pin, areserved parking space andcash award. From left: Tho­mas Healy, administrator;Levesque; Jocelyn Cunha,director of dietary services;and Erin Kanuse, assistantadministrator.

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1'2

Sister Vera Herbert SUSC

.. ".,-."

the Sacred Hearts in Fall River.After retirement in 1986, she

taught volunteer courses at Coyleand Cassidy until 1994, whenshe tau~t English as a SecondLanguage at Taunton Public Li­brary and began a ministry toshut-ins. She moved to TheLandmark in 1996, where shetaught a poetry book discussioncourse for interested residentsuntil June 2002.

She leaves two sisters, NormaFlanders of Baltimore and GraceDreisens of Clark, N.J.; and herHoly Union Sisters. She was alsothe sister of the late Sister RitaHerbert, CSB.

Her funeral Mass' was cel-'ebrated Tuesday in St. AnthonyChurch in Taunton. Burial wasin St. Patrick's Cemetery. FallRiver.

The Hathaway-Crapo FuneralHome, 350 Somerset Avenue,Taunton, was in charge of ar­rangements.

Dec. 141970, Rev. Msgr. John 1. Hayes, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford

Dec. 131972, Rev. Reginald Theriault, a.p., St. Anne, Dominican Priory,

Fall River1991, Rev. Adrien L. Francoeur, M.S., LaSalette Shrine, North

Attleboro

Dec. 121996, Rev. Paul F. McCarrick, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River

":Dec.91983, Rev. Rene Patenaude.' O.~, Retired Associate Pastor, St. Anne,

. Fall River; Director of Youth Aet~viti~,~. ..;. -

Dec.S1940, Rev~ John F. Broderick, Pastor, St. Mary, South Dartmouth

In Your Prayers

./. ·~·~Dec.lO,I'; :;. --'. • -\

1971, Rev. Andrew-S.P. BaJ '."

Dec. ii ,1959, Rev. Edward L. Killigrew, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford, '

Please pray for the followingpriests during the coming. weeks

a bachelor's degree in Englishfrom The Catholic University ofAmerica in Washington, D.C.,and a master's degree in teach­ing from Boston College. Shestudied The Film at MarygroveCollege in Detroit, and receiveda fellowship in journalism fromSyracuse College in New York.She also received fellowshipsfrom Oxford University andHarvard University and took en­richment classes at Elderhostels.

From 1949 to 1986, exceptfor two years working on HolyUnion Communications inRome, she taught high schoolEnglish at Sacred Hearts Acad­emy where she was also princi­pal;the Holy Union Prep Schoolin Tiverton, R.I.; and at Coyle­Cassidy High School inTaunton.

At the college level, SisterVera taught a film course atStonehill College and variousEnglish courses at the College of

Dec 8 Gn 3:9-15,20; Ps98:1-4; Eph 1:3­6,11-12; Lk 1:26­38

Dec 9 Is40:1-11;Ps96:1-3,10-13; Mt18:12-14

Dec 10 Is 40:25-31; Ps103:1-4,8,10; Mt11 :28-30

Dec 11 Is 41 :13-20; Ps145:1 ,9-13ab; Mt11:11-15

Dec 12 Zec 2:14-17 orRv 11 :19a;12:1­6a,10ab; (Ps) Jdt.13:18bc,19; Lk1:26-38 or Lk1:39-47

Dec 13 Sir48:1-4,9-11;Ps 80:2-3,15-.16,18-19; Mt17:9a,10-13

Dec 14 Zep 3:14-18a;(Ps) Is 12:2-6;Phil 4:4-7; Lk3:10-18

Daily Readings

FALL RIVER - Holy UnionSister Vera Herbert, formerlyknown as Sister Mary Hortense,94, an educator for more than 70years, died November 24 in St.Anne's Hospital. She was a resi­dent of The Landmark.

Born in Baltimore, Md., shewas one of four daughters of thelate Richard Oliver Herbert andthe late Mary Grace (Hayden)Herbert. After completing highschool she entered the HolyUnion Novitiate in Fall River onAug. 17, 1926, made her firstprofession of vows on March 24,1928, and her final profession onJuly26, 1933.

Sister Vera continued herstudies at the Sacred HeartSchool of Education. She earned

1111111111111111111111111111111THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-020) PeriodicalPostage Paid at Fall River, Mass. Publishedweekly except for the first two weeks in JulyaOO the week after Christmas at 887 HighlandAvernre, Fall River, Mass. 02720 by the CatholicPress ofthe Diocese ofFall River. Subscriptionprice by mail, postpaid $14.00 per year.POSTMASTERS seoo address changes to TheAn:hor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

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FUNERAL PLANNING

fMak.! it easierfor tliose you row

December 7,2003,2:00 PM - Our Lady of Victory Church, CentervilleA Mass for bereaved parents who have experienced the loss

of a child in pregnancy, infancy, sudden death, illness,accident, murder or suicide will be celebrated.

Please bring the whole family to share the memory. It will be your spiritualChristmas gift to your child and yourselves.

'" am the light of the world: whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness,but shall have the light of life." John 8: 12

There will be refreshments served in the Parish Center immediately followingthe service. For more information call Estelle Stanley 508-775-4319. .

PRACTICE THE DEVOTION OF THE FIRST SATURDAYS,

AS REQUESTED BY OUR LADY OF FATIMA

. On December 10, 1925, Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia(seer of Fatima) and spoke these words: "Announce in myname that I promise to assist at the hour ofdeath with the graces

necessary for the salvation oftheir souls, all those who on the firstSaturday of five consecutive months shall.'

1. Go to confession; 2. Receive Holy Communion; 3. Recite theRosary (5 decades); and 4. Keep me company for 15 minutes whilemeditating on the 15 mysteries ofthe Rosary, with the intention of

making reparation to me."In a spirit of reparation, the above conditions are each to be

preceded by the words: "In reparation for the offensescommitted against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:'

Confessions may be made during 8 days before or after thefirst Saturday, and Holy Communion may be received at

either the morning or evening Mass on the first Sa~urday.

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Friday, December 5, 2003 the ancholS>

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ternational community to prayas a people of hope."

He encouraged students totake two things from the Gos­pel reading of Matthew regard­ing the Roman centurion whosought Jesus' help in healingthe paralyzed servant. "Notethe compassion of Jesus and be

Turn to page 10 - Mass

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A PERFECTCHRISTMAS GIFT

readers' views

Mass and said, "We gather topray for those who suffer fromAIDS and HIY and pray alsothat a cure will be found for thisdreaded disease."

The bishop said that WorldAIDS Day is an opportunity torthe world to join hands andhearts and "a ti me for us asCatholics to unite with the in-

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peace eternal to those who havedied."

She thanked Bishop Colemanfor celebrating the Mass and allthe studen'ts, teachers and par­ents who worked to providethem with a beautiful quilt thatwas hanging in the sanctuaryand all who brought the Massto fruition.

Students did the readings atMass and brought up the gifts.Bishop Coleman in his homilythanked the students for turn­ing out in large numbers at the

Ministry Office spoke on behalfof Dr. Winter-Green and wel­comed students and attende~s

to the Mass."We are gathered here today,

in this context of prayer to re­flect and remember all personswho are living with and af:fee ted by HIY and AIDS andall persons who have died dur­ing the course of this pan­demic," said Lake. "We askAlmighty God to bring respiteto those who suffer and to grant

BISHOP GEORGE W. Coleman is surrounded by studentswho attended the annual World AIDS Day Mass at St. Mary'sCathedral in Fall River. (Anchor/Gordon photo)

Students attend Massf~r World AIDS Day

By MIKE GORDON

ANCHOR STAFF

FALL RIVER - Hun'dredsof students representing manyof the Catholic schools withinthe diocese attended a Mass cel­ebrated by Bishop George W.Coleman to mark World AIDSDay last Monday at St. Mary'sCathedral. It was organized byDr. Krysten Winter-Green andthe diocesan AIDS MinistryOffice.

Louise Lake of the AIDS

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ADULT FAITHENRICHMENT

~

thea~ Friday, December 5, 2003 I

EDITORDavid B. Jolivet

. "COME, YOU CHILDREN, LISTEN TO ME; I WILL

TEACH YOU THE FEAR OF THE -LORD" (PSALM 34:11).

the living word

which these tools of accu-" racy are capable be reduced

to evil as they becomeinstruments for destruction?Could our technologybecome a destructive mon­ster?

No doubt there are sometoday who wish we neverhad witnessed the develop­ment of this modern age ofaccurac~ even though theyhave benefited from it. Theywould argue, for example,

. that even though moreaccurate bombs may savecivilian lives, the more wemanufacture such tools ofdestruction, the more wewant; this fosters a desire forthe bomb to end all bombs.

There is some truth inthis. But the race to extendour human reach and toenhance our human skillswith tools of accuracy ishere to stay. Faith wouldcounsel us that as we entermore deeply into this era weneed a new accuracy of ourown; we need accurately toknow the difference betweenthe virtues and vices of thesenewfound capabilities.

awesome accuracy and toexcise it without damaging,surrounding tissue.

The word "precision"comes from a Latin wordthat means "to cut off infront." It giYes us the imageof cutting away that whichobstructs our view so thatwe can see more clearly.

Without a doubt, moderntools of accuracy are extend­ing our vision. Our eyes areseeing things never fath­omed before'. Doesn't itstand to reason that thedeeper we see into thedepths of things, the furtherwe'll be led into the myster­ies of lif~? Viewing thesemysteries through eyes of

'faith can and should meanentering more deeply intothe magnificent world ofGod.

Religion would caution usthat good things - like ourmodern tools of greateraccuracy - can also be usedfor wrong ends. W'ill w,e seea time when the arms raceboils down simply to a racefor greater and greateraccuracy? Will the good of

Our modern skil,lsof accuracy

CATHY CARPENTER LEADS STUDENTS WORKING IN GROUPS DURING A VALUES INDICATOR

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By FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Not long ago a group ofterrorists in Iraq thoughtthey were travelirig undetec.­ted under the coyer of night.But they were spotted by asophisticated drone planethat fired a laser-guidedrocket that killed them.

Whether in war or in thepeacef~1 mountains ofMontana, new sophisticatedinstruments of accuracy aremaking it easier for us to:execute tasks that once wereextremely difficult. Hunters,for example, can now benefitfrom scopes on their riflesthat greatly improve accu­racy. Fishermen now canmake use of sophisticatedsounding devices and evenhire planes to help them lookfor the 'best place to findfish.

There's a side of thisstory about a surge in accu­racy that has nothing to dowith the destructioQ of life,but instead enhances it.Take, for example', lasersused in surgical operationsto pinpoint a problem with

theanchofS)OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

PUblish,ed weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River'

887 Highland AveQue P.O. BOX 7Fall River, MA 02720 Fall River, MA 02722·0007

'. Telephone 508·675·7151 FAX 508·675-7048E·mail: TheAnchor@Anchornews.org .

Send address changes to P.O. Box, call or use E-mail address

EXECUTIVE EDITORRev. Msgr. John F. Moore

NEWS EDITOR OFFICE MANAGE'RJames N. Dunbar Barbara M. Reis

The Executive Editor

the moorifl9..-,Walk in the light

On the Friday after Thanksgiving millions ofAmericans flockedto their favorite stores to begin their proverbial Christmas shop­ping. It has become the kickoff ofAmerican consumerism. Econo­mists hail this event because spending is the '~good news" for theeconomy. As more and more people enjoy the good life, they wantall the things that go with this lifestyle. Consumers are encouragedto keep spending, even if they go deeper into debt. They have somany needs, some that were luxuries only a few years ago. Thedream world of credit cards has become the incentive for people toenjoy what they want when they want it. Those in the businessworld encqurage this instant gratification by their advertising/andpromotion. In a special way they have targeted teens as a new sourcefor profit. Millions of teens now have not only their own phone,but also their own credit cards. Their spending habits are oftenquite immature. However, they kriow they always have the mon-

. etary backup of mom and dad, and business knows this. Given thetemper of the times, consumerism is the real preparation for Christ­mas.

Whatever happened to Advent? Seemingly it is strictly a Churchthing. With few people and teens going to Church, Advent couldeasily be reduced to a quaint custom. Christmas and'all that it meansbecomes a mere interlude and an excuse to keep the economy

. pumped up. What are we doing to this wonderful special time inour lives? Are we giving it away because of the things we want inthe passing now, forgetting the reality of our tomorrows? We needto focus in on Advent that can help us to build a world that seeks toknow something mor~ than the gratification of the now.

The one person who can give us a needed Advent boost is Isaiah.Thewords he has given us are riot only inspired, they are inspira­tional. If it were not for them, Handel would have no text for his"Messiah." We hear; "Comfort ye my people, for every valley shallbe exalted" and "the glory of the Lord shall be exalted." We re­joice hearing the words, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son isgiven"; "We who have walked in darkness have seen a great light";"He is named Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting'Father, Prince of Peace."

As thousands more Americans prepare for war in Iraq, this lasttitle shoul~ be a very sobering reality as we prepare for Christmas.

-There will be more and more empty chairs in homes across thisland if we fail to heed Isaiah's directions. He tells us"We must goto the mountain ofthe Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob. Hewill teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths"'; "Swords willbe beaten into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks. No longershall nation use them against nation or resort to war." Then he sayswhat we all must do, "Let us walk in the light of the Lord."

The mind of Isaiah, must be ours as we prepare to celebrate thegreat gift of Christmas. How can we turn our t:>acks on the worksof peace, especially at this time ofyear? Ifwe get caught up in thisnational consumer binge and forget the very real world in whichwe move and have our being, then we can expect to be broughtvery, ve~y low.

Our credit cards cannot bring-us peace. It is only our hearts thatshow us the way we should walk in Advent time. We must work toestablish the kingdom of peace in our souls. If the kingdom of Godis a kingdom of peace, then we must become peace promoters.Advent is the kind of gift that enables us to see clearly, even in ourdarkness. Light a candle and dispel 'the'darkness of our own livingand lives, and truly pray for peace.

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In fact they haven't lost sincebefore the Sox even made the .playoffs.

But it has not been easy.Weekend after weekend the

Patriots take our fragilepsyches and twist theminside out - beforeputting up another W.

Only Red Sox fanscould endure this kindof treatment - andenjoy it.

We all crave an easyvictory: one when ourheart rate wouldn't

flutter more than a weather vanein a hurricane.

Yet, deep down inside we allknow that wouldn't be any fun.What pleasure would there be insitting back in an easy chairsipping your favorite beverage?

Nope, it's far more enjoyablesitting on one's knees three feetin front of the set wringing yourhands in anxiety.

There are surely more kicksthinking one moment the gameis won, and then next wonder­ing if the Pats can come back.

Even my dog is having thetime of her life when I watchthe Pats. She barks"howls andjumps about as much as I do ­following my cue of course.

No, we can't take much moreof this - until next weekend.

Oh, and by the way, welcometo Boston Curt Schilling..

Dave Jolivet, editor of TheAnchor, is a former sports edi­tor/writer, and regularly givesone fan's perspective on theunique world of sports.

Comments are welcome atdavejolivet@anchomews.org.

~I'1'.t'· 'fI" I

~

I.

1

the funk of Game Seven. Atleast not for a loooong time.

But what's this? Sox fanswere the recipients of someunexpected comfort. Comfort

that came from the likes of menwho live to knock each other'sbrains out. Traveling under thebaseball playoff radar, therestood the Patriots with anrespectabl~ 4-2 record.

"Could this ~e the team that. was bashed in Buffalo andwalloped in Washington?" weasked ourselves.

Three days later, wroughtwith the pain of Game Seven,we half-heartedly watched thePats travel to Miami - a placewhere they'd never won inSeptember or October since thedawn of pigskindom.

Still waiting for Grady Littleto pull Pedro, we couldn't helpbut be drawn to the television as'the mighty Dolphins werepushed to overtime, and ulti­mately defeat, by the Patriots."Sweeeet!" we cried.

Yep, after that gamt; we hada spring back in our step. We'dworry about the Red Sox later.Now it was time to follow thisnever-say-die squad of banged­up and bruised warriors.

And they haven't disap­pointed.

By Dave Jolivet

My ViewFrom the

Stands

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We can't take much more ofthis. The New England Patriotsare going to be the death of usyet.

But, I'm not complaining.How fun of a ride is .

this Patriots' season? ----------....Since we can't do athing about thisweekend's matchup wi~h

the Miami Dolphins atFoxboro, and we knowit won't be easy on thenerves, let's take a lookback at how we got here- with an awesome 10­2 record.

This is the same Patriots teamthat cut fan-favorite LawyerMilloy just days before theseason opener. This is the samePatriots team that watched theirformer defensive leader signwith the division rival BuffaloBills, who also happened to betheir opening day opponent.This is the same Patriots teamthat was humiliated by the Bills31-0.

I must admit, I was one ofthose fans who, while remaininga diehard, envisioned a long,painful season ahead.

Ahh, but at that time the RedSox had our attention. Remem­ber? This was the year!

For the next month-and-a­half, the Pats went to work toright the ship that was nearlySlink in early September. Theirefforts went nearly unnoticed byRed Sox Nation.

Then came October 16 - thenight the roof caved in on theRed Sox faithful - again.Game Seven. The nightmarecontinues.

Nothing, nothing, would ease

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16 theanc~ Friday, December 5, 2003

Who is the ownerof the Church's

property?

How little we know ofVietn.amThe Noones immediately

adopted another daughter, Jennie,who today is the Mental HealthCoordinator for a homelessshelter in New York City. Theysoon after adopted Jason, a SouthKorean orphan, who now is a 'social studies teacher inHempstead, N. Y

Byron Noone, a dear friend, ateacher and poet, died two years

ago, but Lana has kept upthe work of inspiringfamilies to considerinternational adoptions. Ina new booklet she haswritten called "GlobalMom, Notes From aPioneer AdoptiveFamily" (Gateway Press),she expresses her beliefthat "uniting families

across continents and oceans is apowerful spiritual journey."

Lana maintains that the Baby­Lift adoptees have been "rebornin the USA'~ but always will havea connection to Vietnam. "Nomatter what we do, how hard wehave tried, there will still bemoments of grief in our children'slives. Somewhere deep insidethey 'remember' another place. Apart of their being will alwaysmourn this loss and, as theirparents, we mourn with them."

The exhibit in New Yorkbecame forme a specialaffirmation of the rich culturethe Baby-Lift adoptees carrywith them. '

relative instead of 'a realpriest.'''

"Press 7 if you are just sickand tired of the Chu'rch alwayswanting money from you.

"Do not press anything if youare calIing to point out that altar

girls have been bannedby the Vatican. Pleasenote that female altarservers have not beenbanned by anyone. Also,the young altar serverwhose tennis shoes wereblinking during Masshas been asked to usealternative footwear.

"Press 8 if you'vereached this number in error but

I· want to register yourlongstanding concerns about theCatholic Church.

,"Press 9 if yo,u wish to leavea message for a member of theparish staff, except forLawrence, who left youth

·ministry recently for a lessdangerous and better payingcareer: freeway flagging for thehighway department.

"Press 0 if you'd like to bark ­at a real person.

"If you've called to deliver akind, caring message about allthe hard and loving work we dohere, please leave it twice afterthe tone."

Comments are welcome. E­mail Uncle Dan atcnsuncleOl @yahoo.com.

ancestors." I saw the "babycarriers," with colorful patternsdesigned to .repel evil so that achild would not get sick.

And children's hats are part oftheir cultural identity, reflectingideals of beauty and spiritual .beliefs. Every family keeps faithwith the dead, believing thatwhile death may end a life, it doesnot end a relationship. Ancestors,

they believe, help protect afamily..'

During the Vietnam War,people in that cOuntry and in theUnited States did make specialefforts to help save the children.My friends Byron and LanaNoone were one of the familiesthat participated in the VietnamBaby Lift, the program begun toget adoptive parents in Americafor the young ones there whowere orphaned by the war. Theyadopted little Heather in 1979,who tragically died two monthsafter her arrival. So many of thechildren alr~ady were harmedphysically because of the destruc­tion in their lives.

not necessary to repeatedly jamdown the button indicating yourselection. Also, this system doesnot recognize voice commandsor screeching.

"Press I if you would like toberate the pastor for last

Sunday's homily."Press 2 if you would like to

scream about not being in- .formed of the parish changesmentioned during Masses, .Sunday bulletins, home mail­ings aJld our Website for thepast six weeks.

"Press 3 if you would like tovent about the sex-abusescandal.

"Press 4 if you want tosuggest parishioners stop holdinghands during the Our Father.

"Press 5 if you are angrybecause you were informedyour daughter may not bemarried wearing scuba 'gear atthe marine park where she mether fiance. .

~'Press 6 if you are upset thata deacon called .on your sick

By Dan Morris

By Antoinette Bosco

The BottomLine

The offbeatworld of

Uncle Dan

Vietnam was a nation with itsown good history, customs andspirituality. Sadly: we ignoredthat at the time of the VietnamWar. Now, the American Mu­seum of Natural H,istory. inManhattan has done something torectify that. They have a magnifi­cent display called "Vietnam:Journeys of Body, Mind andSpirit" that will be on view untilJanuary 4.. I saw this greatpresentation recently and

. was surprised at all Ilearned about thiscountry, which hasundergone so muchsuffering in our genera­tion because,of war andyet has recuperated socourageously. Vietnam, .smaller in size than California, istoday the world's 14th mostpopulous country, with' 50different ethnic groups maintrun­ing their own languages. Morethan half the population is under25 years of age. Admirably, theliteracy rate is more than 85percent. .

I learned about Lady Trieu, a19-year-old girl who led an

. insurrection against the Chinesein the year 248. She rode el- .egantly into battle, a symbol ofresistance against foreign'invaders - so long ago!

I didn't know that the sacredcenter of a home is the familyaltar, which is there to "welcome

A button to press just for youThere was a time I thought

people who work in parish .offices or Catholic schools ortfiat kind of thing must truly ,have a good time - alwaysbeing around priests and nunsand deacons and holy people'and stuff like that.

That was a long timeago.

Oh, don't hear mewrong. The people Iknow who do work forthe institutional Churchgenerally enjoy it a lot- probably not unlikeBret Favre likes .quarterbacking theGreen Bay Packers, except forthose times 320-pound defen­sive linemen plow him into theground and spew spittle all overhim while they do the "sack .dance" over his crumpled body.

Candidly, I am a littlesurprised one of these finefolks (parish workers, notdefensive linemen) has not ­after. one of those plowed-into­the-grOund kind of days ­come up with a parish answer-

. ing-machine message along thelines of:

"Hello, and peace of Christbe with you. You have reachedthe office of St. All SaintsParish. Please listen to thefollowing menu items and selectthe touch tone number that best·addresses your call. Note: It is

accountability procedures(such as annual reports) (0

assure that pastors and otherproperty administrators carryout their responsibilitiescompetently andhonestiy.

Local bishops also have theright and responsibility toimpose moderate taxes,establish special collectionsand prescribe other donationsnecessary for the healthyfunctioning of the diocese 'andthe unjversal Church.

This is a bare-bonesresponse to your question. Asyou see, usually the bishopdoes not .own all property. Heis responsible, however, forassuring that whatever proper-

::--_"'1-' ties the. Church

does Qwnare usedproperlyfor thegood ofeveryone.

Theseregulationsare found

basically in the Code of CanonLaw, Nos. 1254-1310).

Q. My widowed sistermarried her present hus­band out of the Church.They now have an eight­year-old son.

She talked with a priestabout the annulmeht of herhusband's previous marriage,but he refused to cooperate atthat time. Her son is beingraised Catholic, and, shedesperately desires to return \to Communion. She asked meto write this letter seekingyour advice on what steps shemust take. (Ohio) .

. A. Many people write to merequesting assistance involvinga previous marriage. Often Ican offer information that mayhelp, and I am always willingto speak with them.

. 13ut to pursue a personal.case 'and find a spiljtuallyprofitable solution, theyalw,ays need to work with apriest where they live. Pleaseask your sister to do that. Fromwhat you told me, there is a:good chance she can receivethe help she needs to return tothe sacraments.

A free brochure describ­ing basic Cath~licprayeJ"s,beliefs and moral precepts isavailable by sending astamped, self-addressedenvelope to Father JohnDietzen, Box 325, Peoria, IL61651.

Questions for this columnshould be sent to the sameaddress, or E-mail

. iidietzen@aol.com.

Questionsand

An,swer§By Father

John J. Dietzen

of any Church property is thejuridic (legal) person wholegitimately acquired it (Canon1256). Parishes, for example, '.are juridic persons. 'as aredioceses and provinces ofreligious orders. And there areothers.

Thus, both by civil andcanon law, normally when aparish acquires property itbelongs to the parish, not tothe diocese or the bishop.

Some dioceses and archdio­ceses in the United States havebeen historically structured asa corporation sole. This meansthat nearly all Church propertyis owned by a single corpora­tion, of which the bishop is theonly member.

There are some advantagesto this arrangement, but it canalso be dangerous, especially'for reasons of liability, whichyou mention. For a long timethe Vatican has urged Ameri­can bishops to avoid corpora­tions sole in favor of structuresallowing ownership by parishcorporations where this ispossible under civil law. Butsome still exist in our country.

While parishes and otherpublic juridic persons within adiocese may own the prop­City, however, the localbishop is still responsible forsupervision of the administra­tion of these properties(Canon 1276).

The bishop may, forexample, within the limits oflaw, establi~ regulations forobservance of civil laws, forobtaining insurance and for

Q. Is it true that allCatholic Church proper.ty isowned by the bishops? If so,isn't this total ownershipdangerous in case of law­suits? Shouldn't the peopleown the churches? (Mis-souri) ,

A. Church legislation andpractice concerning ownershipand administr(;ltion of propertyis lengthy and highly complex,even inore so as it intersectswith civil laws, which ofcourse vary from country tocountry and state to state. So,without going into great detail,I will limit my response to

, your direct question.Under canon law, the owner

Friday. December 5, 2003

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FOR TICKETS CALL JANE ROBIN, 508-759-35666 TICKETS FOR $5.00

St. Mary's Education Fund, PO Box 405, Monument Beach, MA 02553Raffle Drawing will take place at St. Margaret Regional School in

Buzzards Bay on December 16. Winners will be called.

MANY FABULOUS PRIZESAll Proceeds will go towards the St. Mary's Education Fund which

enables need-based scholarships to students in the Fall River Dioceseto attend Catholic schools for quality and excellence in education.

Sponsored by International House of Pallcakes ofBourne and Hyannis

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LECTURES, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Introduction to Lay Presiding and Preaching, Hudson, NH (Konicek, SJ) 13 & 27

Moving Toward Collaborative Leadership in Today's Parish (Part I of Series) 16

(Stypa/Husmer)

Women Changing the Face of Christianity (Griffith) 20

Parish Staffs: Can We All lust Get Along? (Part II of Series) (Stypa/Husmer) 23

In Dialogue: The Many Faces of Silence in the Church (Remillard) 25 & 29

APRIL: DATES

The Maturation of the Faithful and Its Potential Impact on an Evolving Church

(Sofield, ST!Juliano, SHC))

Leadership Issues in the Church Today: Educating for Coliaboration and

Group Decision Making in a Redefined Church (Sofield, ST!Juliano, SHCJ) 3

From Pastoral Care to Pastoral Prayer: Workshop for Parish Nurses (Konicek. SJ) 28

DATES

SPRING OPEN HOUSE: February 26, 2004

WEEKEND COURSE: 1/23-24; 2/20-21; 3/'9-20Death and Dying-Pastoral, Psychological andTheological Perspectives, Catherine O'Connor, CS8

ANNUAL EVELYN UNDERHILL lECTURE:Saturday, July 10, 2004, 10:00 am-12:00 noonPresenter: Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI

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MARCH:

FEBRUARY: DATES

In Dialogue: Maintaining a Spirituality for Ministry (Remillard) 2 & 12

Addiction and Ministry: A Comprehensive Introduction (McDargh/Costikyan) 7

Advanced Lay Presiding and Preaching (Konicek, S)) 19.26 & 3/4, 11. 18, 25

The Future of Religious Life in the Catholic Church (Johnson, SND) 21

Restorative Justice as Model of Healing a Wounded Church Community (Petersen) 24

NUESTRA SENORA de Guadalupe Church, New Bedford, was the site of a recent His­panic Diocesan Rosary event. Above some of the faithful in prayer. Below, parish youthdisplay a banner in the church.

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dawn on her feast day.Scheduled to participate are

groups from Nuestra Senora deGuadalupe and St. Kilian parishesin New Bedford; St. Mary's Par­ish, Taunton; St. Mary's Cathedral,Fall River; St. Joseph's Parish,Attleboro; and St. Mary/Our Ladyof the Isle Parish, Nantucket.

For the past two decades theseHispanic communities have gath­ered together to celebrate the feastof Our Lady of Guadalupe. Ini­tially held in New Bedford, thecelebration has rotated around thediocese in the past six years toother parishes with Hispanicapostolates. This is the first yearthat the diocesan celebration willbe held in Hyannis.

Bus transportation to Hyanniswill be offered from Fall River.Departure is set for 3:30 p.m.;from the parking lot ofSt. Mary'sCathedral, 327 Second Street. In­terested persons should reservea space by calling Father Rich­ard W. Wilson, diocesan directorof the Hispanic Apostolate, at

HYANNIS - The Hispaniccommunities of the Diocese of FallRiver are hosting their annual cel­ebration in honor of Our Lady ofGuadalupe on Saturday at St.Francis Xavier Church, SouthStreet.

A 5:30 p.m. Mass celebrated byBishop George W. Coleman willbegin the celebration. Afiesta willfollow in the hall of St. FrancisXavier Preparatory School thatwill include a Latin American din­ner and entertainment.

Plans call for the celebration tobe tri-lingual, with parts in En­glish. Spanish and Portuguese.

A procession of flags fromcountries in the Americas willbegin the event, and people areinvited to come dressed in thetraditional clothing of theirhomelands.

An inter-parochial choir, underthe leadership of Guadalupan Mis­sionaries of the Holy Spirit SisterAida Sansor, has been rehearsing the"Maiianitas," the traditional songssung to the Virgin of Guadalupe at

Fall River diocese marks its centennialThe following are the next in a series ofhistorical sketches of the parishes comprising the Diocese ofFall River, founded in 1904. The series will run in chronological

order from oldest to newest parish, according to diocesan archives, concluding in March, 2004, the centennial anniversary of the diocese. Please note that ALL parishhistories will run in the order they were founded - includingparishes thathave been suppressed ormerged. Histories ofmergedparishes will run according to the time-line.

St. Casimir's Parish, New Bedford

ST. CASIMIR'S CHURCH, NEW BEDFORD

NEW BEDFORD - St. The next pastor was FatherCasimir's, the third parish Joseph Sutula, who served thefounded to serve the Polish parish for 30 years, supervisingpopulation of New Bedford, was many renovations and partici­originally a mission ofOur Lady pating actively in civic and pa­of Perpetual Help Parish, the triotic organizations of the Pol­mo(her church of the Whaling ish-American community ofCity. . greater New Bedford.

The first Mass was said in its In 1956, Father Sutula wasoriginal building on Feb. 3,1927 joined in his pastoral tasks byby Father Lawrence Malecki, Father Casimir Kwiatkowski,pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in who had been ordained a yearCentral Falls, R.I. earlier. The young curate gave

However, work on the small' priority to work among the par­wooden Tudor Gothic chapel ish youth, organizing religiouswas not completed until Octo- education classes, Boy and Girlber 1927, at which time it was Scouts, as well as a bowlingofficially declared a parish and league and St. Casimir's CircleFather Albert Folta, appointed for adults.its first pastor, chose St. Casimir After successful fund-raisingas its patron. efforts, the old church was de-

In 1928, Father Folta began molished in 1961 anda program to acquire vestments, groundbreaking for the newstatues, and altar appointments, brick, Colonial style edifice tookmany of which were offered as place. Later, the old hall and thememorials by, parishioners. old rectory were demolished.

He continued his pioneer Father Sutula died in 1961 andwork until 1930, when he was . Father Kwiatkowski was namedsucceeded by Father Stanislaus temporary administrator. The new,Rycek, who, in 1932, left the church was completed and dedi­parish to assume leadership of cated on May 30, 1962 by BishopOur Lady ofPerpetual Help Par- James L. Connolly. A new rectoryish. .. was purchased in 1963, and the

mortgage was paid off on thechurch and rectory in January,1976.

In 1978, Father HenryKropiwnicki became pastor. He

retired in November 2000. Atthe same time, Bishop Sean P.O'Malley, OFM Cap., an­nounced that St. Casimir'swould, on Dec. 1, 2000, be sup-

pressed and become a chapel ofits mother parish, Our Lady ofPerpetual Help, which wasstaffed by priests of the Conven­tual Franciscan Order.

St. Therese's Parish, New BedfordST. THERESE'S

CHURCH,

NEW BEDFORD

\ n

NEW BEDFORD - The historyof St. Therese Church is inextricablybound to the life of its first pastor,Father Joseph N. Hamel.

The parish was established byBishop Daniel F. Feehan in 1926 for250 Franco-American families in theNorth End of New Bedford.

Father Hamel, often in overalls, la­bored with his parishioners in the con­struction of the first church. Prior tothat, he celebrated the first Mass inthe parish in a large store on AshleyBoulevard near the junction ofAcushnet Avenue. After that, threelarge downtown stores were rentedand rebuilt into a small church. Butthe growing parish needed largerquarters.

Ground for a new church was bro.:.ken in May 1929. The first floor'ofthe church building was constructedfor a school and auditorium while the·basement was fitted out as a recreationroom and gymnasium.

A shrine to St. Therese ofUsIe wasbuilt and it included a reclining statueof the patron saint as well as relics.

The first Mass was celebrated in thenew church on Easter Sunday, 1930.The same year an outdoor Way of theCross was erected. In 1935, a new al­tar was installed and dedicated to theBlessed Virgin.

Father Hamel was pastor until his.death in 1956 and was succeeded byFather William E. Collard, who con­tinued to make changes and improve­ments in the parish, including a newbrick fa9ade for the church in June1959.

Subsequent pastors included FatherJoseph A. Martineau, Father Richard

. L. Chretien, and Father RolandBousquet.

In.1958, the auditorium was parti­tioned into regular classrooms and aconvent for the Sisters of St. Joseph,'who staffed St. Therese's School, wasbuilt on Acushnet Avenue.

In 1999, the community of faith atSt. Therese where Father Bousquetwas pastor, and St. Joseph's Parish at51 Duncan Street, were merged. Thenew parish is St. Joseph-St. Therese.The pastor is Father Roger J. Levesque.

Friday, December S~2003 _,aLL."-_%'1he~ 9

St. Mary's Parish, New BedfordNEW BEDFORD - In 1923, a mis­

sion named St. Kilian's Chapel was con­structed as an adjunct to St. Kilian's Parishin the North End of the city to accommo­date 300 members of that community, andFather James B. Brady was assigned there.

In 1927, Father Francis McKeon, a cu­rate at St. Kilian's, was named shepherdof the newly-founded church of St. Maryof the Assumption.

Father Thomas Taylor succeeded Fa­ther McKeon as the second pastor and itwas during his tenure that the 1938 hurri­cane roared ashore, demolishing the wood­frame church. The small community offaith reverted back to St. Kilian's.

Following World War II, the area wit­nessed a rapid population growth and St.Mary's was canonically reinstated in 1952.It was the first new parish established byBishop James L. Connolly, who dedicatedthe lower structure of a new St. Mary ofthe Assumption on Nov. 8, 1953.

The parishioners then concentrated theirefforts to building St. Mary's School.

In the 1980s, the basement church ranout of room for the then-l ,600 families inthe parish. And Father John F. Moore, thepastor, concluded that a new church wasthe answer.

As the North End of the city continuedto grow, so did St. Mary's Parish. In an

effort to educate its parishioner, St. Mary'sSchool was dedicated in 1965 on propertyacross the street from the church. To thisday, the majority Qf students come fromthe parish.

Originally staffed by the Sisters ofMercy, the school is currently staffed bylay people who continue the mission andtradition of Catholic education.

The religious education program meetsin the school on Sunday. CombiningMass times and the schedule, it is ar­ranged to accommodate parents in bring­ing their children to Catechism classesand Mass.

With the growth of the faith commu­nity, there came a need for the expansionof church facilities. A new parish com­plex was constructed in the 1980s underthe direction of Father Moore.

The completion of a church, the reno­vation of the old church into a parish cen­ter, and the addition of a second floor tothe original church were part of the ex­pansion. The additional rooms above theparish center allowed the school's seventhand eighth grades to have their homeroomsin the Annex. It al.so houses the computerlab, the library, and the Propagation of theFaith office.

New parish offices and a connectingrectory completed the expansion program.

In 1995, Msgr. John J. Oliveira was as­signed as pastor. Since his arrival, renova­tions and renewals have been made to theparish properties. The parish has been apart of the RENEW Program in prepara­tion for the 2004 Jubilee Year of the cen­tennial of the diocese.

Msgr. Oliveira is the current pastor andcoordinator of religious education. DavidB. Pepin is the deacon. The rectory is at106 Illinois Street, New Bedford, MA02745. It can be reached by telephone at508-995-3593; by FAX at 508-995-2453;and by E-mail atcsmpnb@aol.com.

Maryknoll sisters in California open home for 'Secret Santa' TV movie

JENNIE GARTH and Barbara Billingsley star in a scenefrom the NBC-TV movie "Secret Santa."The movie was filmedat the Maryknoll Sisters complex in Monrovia, Calif., and sixMaryknoll nuns appear in the film. (CNS photo from NBC)

got money for helping out."They paid me $500 just to bewith the location manager," Sis­ter Lyons said.

At age 80, Sister Lyons is re­tired from active ministry. But,with her knowledge of Spanishgained from ministering 30years in Chile and six in EI Sal­vador, she volunteers to teach aBible reflections course at Im­maculate Conception Church inMonrovia.

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Barbara Billingsley ("Leave It to for filming. It had been used forBeaver") and Charl~e Robinson the made-for-TV movie "Desert("Night Court"). It airs Sunday, Storm," "when they had that ter­December 14,9~11 p.m. EST on rible war over there," SisterNBC.' Lyons said, referring to the first

With sunny Southern Califor- U.S.-led war against Iraq.nia having to double for a cold. The sisters received moneynorthern town, "they had a ma- ( from the production companychine that blew that snow -m. It for allowing the use of their resi­was like confectioners' sugar," dence for filming "SecretSister Lyons told Catholic News Santa." The six sisters who ap­Service in a telephone interview. pear in the film were paid for

Sister Lyons' is not the being extras. Even theMaryknoll community's superior Maryknollers' groundskeeperin Monrovia, but the superiorwas away when the film's loca-tion manager came to ask per-mission to use the grounds. "Isaid yes," she said, although thesuperior would need to give herassent. "She's only 60" years old,Sister Lyons said of the superior."I'm 80," she added. She has beena Maryknoll sister for 57 years.

As it turned out, at the timethe filming request came lastspring, one sister from the com­munity had died, and three oth­ers were in the hospital. Whenthe sisters considered it, SisterLyons recalled, they said, "Weneed something to get us out ofwhat we've been going through."

When the superior said yes,Sister Lyons added, the film crew"came in the very next after­noon."

The crew was "very polite. Nobad words," she recalled. Onecrew member kept talking dur­ing the shoot about "his littlecutie pie," Sister Lyons said.And, after the movie was com­pleted, "he came here for dinnerso we could see his little cutiepie" - his six-month-old daugh­ter.

This wasn't the first time theMaryknoll house had been used

sisters in residence got bit partsin the movie. Of the five build­ings in the complex, purchasedby Maryknoll in 1950 as a tu­berculosis hospital for Japanesesufferers of the disease, most ofthe shooting was done in onebuilding to portray a rest home.

In the movie,. an Indianapo­lis newspaper reporter played byJennie Garth ("Beverly Hills,90210") is assigned to report onthe phenomenon of a small In­diana town's secret Santa. Withno room at the inn in town,Garth's character stays nights atthe town rest home while shespends her days trying to solvethe mystery.

"Secret Santa" also starsSteven Eckholdt ("Providence"),

By MARK PATnSON

CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON - A groupof Maryknoll sisters :in the LosAngeles suburbs will have partof their home on display beforemillions of television viewerswho tune in to the NBC made­for-TV movie "Secret Santa."

Maryknoll Sister MargaretLyons, who helped arrange forthe movie crew to film at theircomplex for a week, said themovie's message reflects whatthe sisters themselves do: "It'sdoing for others. That's what se­cret Santa was doing. He wasdoing for others."

In addition to filming at theMaryknoll complex inMonrovia, Calif., six of the eight

"j

CHRISTM SA~!SLJ

CRAFTSFAIR

desire to lead others to prayer asmen preparing for the priesthoodin the Diocese of Fall River.

Each of the seminarians hascontributed to the booklet by writ­ing prayers, or selecting tradi­tional prayers for each week.There ar~ more Scripture pas­sages throughout the booklet.

Seminarians David Nichols,from Our Lady of Mt. CarmelParish in New Bedford, andGabriel Giel1a, a second-yearseminarian at Franciscan Univer­sity in Steubenville, assisted withthe cover design.

Ron Floyd, a seminarian inpre-theology at Mount Saint MarySeminary, sought the assistanceof the Knights of Columbus inprinting the booklets, which arenow available.

As part of the celebrations, thediocese is coordinating a pilgrim­age to Rome and Assisi fromApril 17 to 24, 2004. The pro­ceeds from the prayer booklet willassist with the expenses for theseminarians to participate.

The booklets will be availablethrough parishes, or by visitingthe Vocation Office Website(www.FallRiverVocations.org).The suggested donation foreach booklet is $5. If would liketo receive a booklet, send a noteto: Centennial Prayer Book,Vocations Office, P.O. Box2577, Fall River, MA 02722­2577.

. ,

Friday, December 5, 2003

could join in the preparations forthe 100th anniversary of the dio­cese..

Gregory Bettencourt, a third­year seminarian at FranciscanUniversity in Steubenville, sharedhow he had prepared a similarprayer booklet for the centennialof his parish, Holy Family in EastTaunton. The seminarians agreedthat this would be an ideal way toparticipate in the centennial cel­ebrations, as well as foster their

DECEMBER 6th & 7th

B.M.C. DURFEEHIGH SCHOOL

FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETIS

Our Lady'sMonthly MessageFrom Medjugorje

November 25, 2003Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Continued from page one

...,~"thea':·,','.··,'.

The booklet is divided into 15weeks, which include a weeklyopening and closing prayer.There are assigned Scripture pas­sages and reflections for each day.The hope is that parishioners willjoin in"prayer throughout the dio­cese.

The idea of the booklet sprangfrom a meeting of the seminariansduring their annual convocationin the summer of2002. They dis­cussed how, as a group, they

-

Spiritual Life Center of Marian Community154 Summer Street

Medway, MA 02053· Tel. 508-533-5377

"Dear Children! I call you that this time be for you an .even greater incentive to prayer. In this time little children,pray that Jesus be born in all hearts, especially in those whodo not know Him. Be love, joy and peace in this peacelessworld. I am with you and intercede before God for each ofyou.

"Thank you for having responded to my call."

LARGEST CRAFT FAIR IN .SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

~~ f~~~~zoO \6\10 P,S 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. ~O~\f.\~GE.~~ FALL RIVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION ~~

STUDENTS FROM SS. Peter & Paul School walk to the AIDS Day Mass at St. Mary'sCathedral in Fall River. (Anchor/Gordon photo)

'Book

\\

ing.".Msgr. John A. Perry and

Father Thomas E. McGlynnconcelebrated the Mass. Fa­ther Richard D. Wilson servedas master of ceremonies. Dea­'con Bruce J. Bonneau as c

sisted. Elizabeth Grace wascan tor.

Continued from page three

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Masscompassionate to those whosu ffer," said the bishop. "Weshould also place our faith inJesus like the centurion did," headded.'

The bishop concluded his. talk by stating "We hope lifewill triumph over death andjoy will triumph over suffer-

..

Friday, December 5, 2003 11 I

PILGRIMAGES/ TOURS /HEALING RETREATS

r~.,

Immaculate Conception ChurchUnder the spiritual direction of:Rev. Joseph P. McDermott

Pastor of Immaculate Co~ception

122 Call,on StreetStoughtoll, Massachusetts 02072

For further information,

Please call Margaret Oliverio @

781-762-2029 or 781-344-2073

POLANDIRUSSIA: May 31 - June 11,2004Planned visits to: Shrine of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina's Convent; tourof Krakow featuring the Wawel Castle; Aushwitz; the Salt Mines; OurLady ofCzestochowa, Jasna Gora Monastery; tour ofWarsaw, ChurchofSt. Stanislaus, Fr. Capiusco Memorial, home of Maximill ian Kolbe:Neo Gothic Church of St. Wenceslas; tour of Moscow, Kremlin Wall.Red Square, St. Basil's Church; tour of Volga River; Novgorod; tourof St. Petersburg, Peter & Paul Fortress housing the crypt of RussianEmperors, the Hermitage (DAILY Breakfast & Dinner, includingone cultural performance & one river boat tour)

PHOENIx/SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA: Oct. 13 • 22, 2004Exciting trips are planned to the Grand Canyon, Sedona,Montezuma's Castle, Meteor Crater, the Petrified Forest, and thePainted Desert. Also, visits to St. Thomas the Apostle & Canaan inthe Desert (the garden of Jesus' Suffering &'Resurrection) in Phoe­nix, St. Timothy's in Mesa, & St. Maria Goretti's in Scottsdale

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS: January 13 • 22, 2004Tours planned to the San Fernando, Santa Barbara, & Santa InezMissions; visits to Solvang (a quaint Danish village), PurisimaConception, & Hearst's Castle; also trips to Carmel, San Carlos,

.San Juan Bautista, & San Francisco Missions; tour of San Fran­cisco

Each trip includes comfortable rooms with private bath. Mass.. ~su­ally, each day. Fr. Joseph McDermott will serve as your SplfltualDirector. There is time for relaxation, socializing, etc. For brochureswith itinerary, prices, and conditions, contact Margaret Oliverio.

Call to reserve your place: Retreat Secretary,Glastonbury Abbey, 16 Hull St., Hingham, MA 02043

Tel. 781-749-2155 (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.)FAX 781-749-6236

.Website: www.glastonbu..yabbey.orgE-mail: office@glastonburyabbey.org

~-,......'J '- '

..,. . - ~.~ ~ -c·, .......:.. " ..,..,~idThe monks of GlastOnbury Abbey invite you to nourish y~land refresh

your spirit in a peaceful environment of Benedictine hospitality, community andprayer.

Give yourself a few days of prayer and peace, relaxation and renewal. Listento the voice of God speaking to your heart. Enjoy the ocean, less than two milesfrom the abbey, or stroll through the 60 acres of woods on the property.

During the summer we offer space tor private retreats and some directedretreats. A daily conferehce on Benedictine themes is offered during July andAugust. Guests are welcome to join the monastic community at prayer.

Come spend some time with us!

WINTER 2004Jan. 9-11, "Women's Spirituality of Recovery," with Fr. Justin, assJan. 23-25, "AI-Anon Retreat" (men & women) with Sr. Maurice DoodyJan. 30-Feb. 1, "Monastic Spirituality" with Fr. Andrew, assFeb. 16-20,. "Vacation Week Retreat" with Fr. Andrew, assMar. 5-7, "Intro. Celtic Workshop" with Fr. Timothy, ass and

Harpist Mairead DohertyMar. 12-14, "Women's Retreat" with Sandra DeRome, abl.SSMar. 19-21, "AAlAI-Anon Retreat" (men & women) with Sr. Maurice DoodyApr. 2-4, "Lenten Weekend of Contemplative Prayer" with Fr. John, assApr. 8-11, "Easter Triduum Celebration" with the monksApr. 16-18, "Poetry as Prayer" with author Robert WaldonJuly 11-16, Womens Guided/Directed Retreat with Sandra DeRome,

abl.aS

WEST HARWICH - TheHoly Trinity- Parish CharismaticPrayer Group is sponsoring an Ad­vent Celebration December II at 7p.m., in the chureh. It will include acommunion service hosted by Dea­cons Dana McCarthy and VincentWalsh.

SOUTH EASTON - Singermusician John PoIce will perform.aconcert Sunday at 7 p.m., at HolyCross Church, 225 Purehase Street.Refreshments will follow in the par-'ish center. For more information call.508-238-2235.

Separated Catholics Advent/Christmas dinner will be held De­cember 21 at 5:30 p.m., at St. JoanofArc Parish Center, Canal Road.Participants are asked to bring anappetizer or dessert and a $10wrapped gift for a Yankee Swap.To register call 508-385-2259,508-428-4595 or 508-362-4398by December 18.

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Angela and Kisse are two ofthe orphans lovingly caredfor by Sisters in Tanzania.Their parents died fromthe AIDS virus. Otherchildren in the Missionsare left orphans from waror civil strife. Someparents are so poor theyneed help caring for theirlittle ones. ~ Sistersthroughout the Missions reach out with the love ofChrist to serve the needs of these children, offeringth.em the great "Good News" proclaimed by theangel that first Christmas: "a savior has beenborn for you." ~ This Christmas, won't you offeragift to our mission family, through the Propaga­tion of the Faith, to support those who, throughtheir words and actions, reveal Christ's love andpeace to the suffering and the poor? .--------------~~

,

'" The Society for THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH. . Reverend Monsignor John J. Oliveira, V.E. 106 I~linois Street. New Bedford, MA 02745 Attention: Column ANCH. 12105/03

My Christmas gift to the Missions ...o $100 0 $50 0 $25 0 $10 0 Other $. _

Name .,--_Address__--'- _City ,State Zip _

.' www.worldmissions-catholicchurch.org

ORLEANS - A Divorced-

NORTH DARTMOUTH ­The Franciscans of the Immaculatewill give a prayerful concert withFather Maximilian Mary featuringclassical guitar and voice Sunday at7 p.m., at St. Julie BilliaJ1 Chureh,494 Slocum Road. Rosary will pre­cede the concert at 6:40 p.m. Formore information call 508-993­2351.

NORTH DARTMOUTH-ADivorced-Separated Support Groupwill hold its annual Christmas paJ1YDecember 8 from 7-9 p.m., at thediocesan Family Life Center, 500Slocum Road. For more informationcall Bob Menard at 508-999-6420.

FALL RIVER - A First Fri­day Club will meet tonight for Masscelebrated by Father Richard R.Gendreau at Sacred Hem1 Churchat 6 p.m. A hot meal will follow inthe church hall, and a presentationby guest speakers Ray and EdnaMOI;n who will talk about their min­istry as man;age preparation coun­selors. For more information callNormand Valiquette at 508-672­8174.

MASHPEE - The Third Or­der of Camlelites will meet Decem­ber21 beginning at 5:30p.m., in theSt. Jude Chapel at Christ the KingChurch. It will include prayer, ro­sary and study. For more informa­tion call Dottie Cawley at 508-999­6420.

MISCELLANEOUS - Thenext Retrouvaille weekend will beheld January 16-18 and offerscouples a chance to heal and renewtroubled marriages. Rediscoveryourself and your spouse and a lov­ing relationship in marriage. Formore information call 1-800-470­2230 or the diocesan Office of Fam­ily Ministry at 508-999-6420.

NEW BEDFORD - TheCourage Group will meet Decem­ber 13 at 7 p.m., in the rectory of

. Holy Name of the Sacred HeaJ1 ofJesus PaI;sh. Courage is a SUppOt1group for Catholic men and womenwho are confronting Sanle sex attrac­tion issues and who m:e sl1;ving tolead chaste lives. For more infOlma­tion call Msgr. Thomas Harringtonat 508-992-3184. .

NEW BEDFORD - Calix, agroup which enlists Catholic menand women who are gratefully cel­ebrating recovelY from alcoholism,dl1lg addiction and other dependen­cies will meet December 14 at 6:30p.m., at the parish center of HolyName of the Sacred Heatt of JesusChurch. Newcomers always wel­come.

Publicity Chairmen areasked to submit news items forthis column to The Allchor, P.O.Box 7, Fall River, 02722. Nameof city or town should be in­cluded, as well as full dates ofall activities. DEADLINE ISNOON ON FRIDAYS.

Events published must be ofinterest and open to our generalreadership. We do not carry no­tices of fund-raising activities,which may be advertised at ourregular rates, obtainable from ourbusiness office at 508-675-7151.

ATTLEBORO - The annualFestival of Lights begins at 5 p.m.,daily now through January 4 at theLa Salelte Shrine. This year's themeis "50 Years of Grace." This annualChristmas display features thou­sands of lights and decorations. Formore information call 508-222­5410.

1·:12'· theanchol\) Friday, December 5, 2003

SISTERS OF MERCY living atThe Landmark in Fall River,from left, Sisters Denista and Patricia.

ReligionsMercy Triumph," derived fromthe ancient rule.of St. Benedict,who wrote: "It is a liberating ex­perience when individuals dis­cover that the difficulties andtroubles they experience linkthem with, rather than separatethem from, the rest of Human­ity."

St. Benedict and St.Scholastica bestowed on theCh!Jrch a lega'iY of wisdom andtrust that offers inspiration andhope for every circumstance, Sis­ter Heffernan pointed out.

Even though the communitiesof religious have large numbersofretired and infirm members andrelatively few aspiring to jointhem, they are still confident in

RETIRED RELIGIOUS ofthe Sacred Heart order livingat Damien Residence,Fairhaven, top from left,Brother Joe andFatherDavis;and at right, Father Creighton.

Continued from page one· .

God's fidelity, she said.Sister Heffernan also noted

that with great optimism theworking religious. continue toserve the needs of others inschools and hospitals, parish andsoup kitchens, retreatcenters andhomes for the elderly.

"This (Appeal) aid has enabledthe religious to continue their ser­vice to the people of this diocesein spite of reduced numbers avail­able for their works," she stated.. In asking people to be as gen­

erous as they can in the parishcollections, "Be assured of myprayers, .too, for your intentionsand for the choicest of blessingsduring the Advent season," Sis­ter Heffernan said.

HOLY UNION Sisters residing at The Landmark in Fall River: seated from lE;)ft - SistersEvelyn, Mary Louise and Pauline; rear: Sisters Eugenia and Pauline.

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DOMINICAN SISTERS of the Presentation of North Dighton: from left - Sisters Maria,Cecilia, Emelia and Therese Joseph.

~ DOMINICAN SISTERS of Hope atThe Landmark in Fall River: seated; fromleft - Sisters Mary of Lourdes, MariePauline, and Catherine; rear - SistersRita, Marie Jean, and Gertrude.

~ SISTERS OF St. Dorothy in Taunton:seated - Sister M. Teixeira; rear, from left­Sisters·M. Franco and M. Patrillo.

Continued from page one

Friday. December 5, 2003

HOLY CROSS Fathers in South Dartmouth: from left - Fathers Hebert, Tobin, Quinn,Croce. and Bourgeois.

Letterand their state legislators to urgethem to find a way to give our citi­zens more time to deal with thisissue.

In the coming weeks, our di­ocesan newspapers, the Massa- .chusetts Catholic Conferencethrough its Website and MCC-

ArchbishopArchdiocese of Boston

BishopDiocese of Springfield

13

Net alerts, and your- parish bulle­tins will provide more informa­tion about the ways you can help.It is vital to stay informed.

This is a serious challenge thatconfronts us. Thank you for lis­tening and may God continue tobless you.

B;~P.~Diocese of Worcester

~4tdfk.--BishopDiocese of Fall River

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SISTER OF Good Shep­herd at Cranberry Pointe,Harwich, Sister HelenRochford, age 104, from Ire­land.

(All photos by Mercy Sis­ter Elaine Heffernan.)

CHAPLAINS AT Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River, seated, from left: Holy Union SisterFrancis; Dominican Sister Celine; Religious of Jesus and Mary Sister Lillian; and ReligiousSister of Mercy Romana; rear: Religious Sister of Mercy Cathy; and Holy Union Sister MaryEllen.

.-

Friday, December 5, 2003

'''T

~ MATH AND SCIENCEteacher Adam Branch fromSS. Joseph-Therese School,New Bedford, smiles as heholds a pig for its recent "Kissthe Pig," contest. Studentsmade donations so that ateacher would have to kiss .the pig and the event raised$300 for the playground fund.Above, students and teach­ers enjoy the festivities.

THESE FIRST-GRADERS from Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford, were allsmiles during their recent social studies unit on Native Americans and Pilgrims. It culmi­nated in the creation of a model of Plimoth Plantation and a dinner featuring corn bread,homemade cranberry sauce, butter, popcorn and apple cider.

THIRD-GRADER Michael F~rreira of Our Lady of MountCarmel School, New Bedford, displays a wreath that waspart of a recent school raffle for Thanksgiving baskets. Alsopictured are sixth-grader Filipe Andre and fifth-grader BreannaBranco. Below, these first-graders got into the Thanksgiving.spirit recently as they colored turkeys. From left are KaylaMedeiros and Maeve O'Malley.

THE FRESHMAN class at Bishop Stang High School,North Dartmouth, recently held elections. Seated: ThaisGutierrez, president; standing, from left: Andrew Parent,'vice' president; Mary Rivet, secretary; and Michael Nelson,treasurer.

Friday, December 5, 2003 151

Convening youth reminded to live energetically in God's love

BISHOP GEORGE W. Coleman and six of the Youth Convention attendees take time fora photo. From left, Breandan Arbuckle of St. Mary's Parish, Mansfield; Kristin Morris of St.Pius X Parish, South Yarmouth; Jennifer Alves of Annunciation of the Lord Parish, Taunton;Bishop Coleman; Melissa Cabral and Mandy Aguiar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, NewBedford; and William Melendez of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Parish, New Bedford.

....:._-_._.- ....-_ ..;. -.--

statements such as: making fun ofpeople is an acceptable form ofhumor; cheating is OK as long asyou don't get caught; I believe capi­tal punishment is sometimes justi­fied; I will raise my children differ­ently than my parents raised me;and parties are no fun if there is noalcohol.

By their reaction the studentsdemonstrated the value statementsthat the religious teachings they hadbeen acquiring were having a posi­tive effect .on their decision-mak­ing skills.

The Spanish Apostolate offereda session entitled "loven a loven."The focus was that a youth is bet­ter for witnessing to another youththan an adult is. Participants wereasked to take part in a group task,inflating a balloon. However, theperson who would blow air into theballoon could not physically touchthe balloon. In order to inflate theballoon the group had to work to­gether; this proved to be very inter­esting.

The sessions "Sing Your HearsOut!" lead by Dan Davey and"Let's Prepare to Celebrate!" leadby Jean Kelly and assisted by BobbiParadis, dealt with the preparationfor the celebration of the Eucharist.Jean Kelly's session keyed on theenvironment for the Mass (decora­tions), the Liturgical Ministry (al­tar servers, lectors, prayer of thefaithful), and otherpertinent aspectsof preparing for the holy Sacrificeof the Mass.

Davey's session enabled thestudents to lend their voice andhands to make the music for thecelebration of the Eucharist reallyspecial.

Marge Copeland, the conven­tion coordinator, and conventioncommittee members said they werepleased not only with the numberof young adults attending and theirprayerful at~itude and genuine in­terest in learning more about theirfaith, but were also grateful toMichael Levine and to BishopColeman for their motivatingwords.

TWO OF the groups working on the project in Spanish,"Youth to Youth."

pated in a humanitarian trip to Hon­duras. Pam Potenza and travelersMichaela Maynard, Jenn Mota, andSean Lynch were the presenters forthis session. They spoke of thegreat poverty they witnessed, butalso of the great spiritual richnessthat the Hondurans had. They toldof the supplies they brought withthem, the great need the people hadfor items we take for granted, thegratitude and appreciation theHondurans offered for the help andaid being given to them. The stu­dents also described how the tripimpacted their lives as well as thelives of others who traveled withthem.

Cathy Carpenter gave those ather sessions an opportunity to"Evaluate. Your Values." Studentsworked in groups and decided onvalue indicators such as: obeyingrules, dressing up for school, go­ing to Church, fighting, using tablemanners, being polite to adults,smoking· cigarettes, cheating ontests, going out for sports and ap­proximately 25 others. Later, theyoung ad~lts responded to 30 value

joyed a pizza break, the other halfenjoyed "Talk Back Live with JeanRevil and Michael Lavigne." Thissession showed how truly interestedthe participants were in learningmore about their faith, theirChurch's teachings and beliefs.Some of the questions asked andanswered included "If God lovesus so much, why is there a heavenand a hell?" "If someone lives in adifferent part of the world and doesnot know Christ but lives a virtu­ous life, what happens when thatperson dies?" "Did Jesus know Hismission?" "Do you think Mary hadpain in child birth?" "Did Maryhave other children?" "Did Jesusmarry?" "If God created every­thing, did he create Satan?" "Whydid God create choice if he knew itwould backfire?"

Like all the sessions, this onerevealed the participants desire toknow more about their Catholicfaith, a high level of respect for thepresenters, one another, and thequestions, ideas, and commentsmade by others.

"Listen to Me on HIV" pre­sented by Joan Cuttlegave the lis­teners startling information and fig­ures about the disease: that morethan 25 percent of all new infec­tions may occur in people under 25years of age; 44 million have beendiagnosed with mv; 58 percent ofthose inflected in the Fall River areaare woman; and that 3.11 millionhave died ofHIV- related illnesses.Two area residents with HIV sharedtheir stories, answered questionsand asked the students thought pro­voking questions about behaviorthat places one at risk of contract­ing the virus.

Students were asked "Do youlive in a jChecke Leke! world?" ­come and find out. Those choos­ing this session heard stories fromstudents and an adult who partici-

twice yearly, in November andMarch, at Cathedral Camp in EastFreetown. At these retreats youngadults experience the power andpresence of God in sacrament andWord.

John and Christine Gregorek's"Running with the SPIRIT!," drewan overflow audience. It focused onhow our society has turned sportsinto a religion. They discussed howsports, as well as everything else inthis world, is meant to be used as ameans to glorify God. Interestingcomparisons were made betweenthe life of an athlete and the life ofthe saints. All aspects of an athlete'slife, such as goals, need for a coachand sport's injuries were comparedand contrasted with the goalsneeded to attain holiness in life.

"Making Time for a Quiet PlaceApart" gave the participants theopportunity to experience a 12- toIS-minute guided meditation byJane Ayer. She asked each person"What takes up most of your time- school, sports, chores, jobs?We're intentional about so much inour lives, why not sp~nd time withthe Lord who loves us without mea­sure." 'The experience of a guidedprayer meditation brought muchpeace and serenity to those present.

As half of the young adults en-

FRANK LUCCA and a section of the class of "I Say Yes."

By FATliER GEORGE E. HARRISON

SECRETARY FOR VOUTli

FALL RIVER - Young peopleand youth ministers from parishesthroughout the Fall River diocesepmticipated in this year's recent,day-long Youth Convention atBishop Connolly High School.

The convcntion began with aninspirational talk by MichaelLavigne, a youth minister from theProvidence diocese, who chal­lenged his listeners to spread theirwings, soar, and find out who Godcreated them to be. He encouragedthem, like Pope John Paul II, notto be afraid because they are thehope of the Church. He remindedthem that the Church needs themand that they have enthusiasm andenergy that cannot be matched byothers.

In his homily, Bishop GeorgeW. Coleman, the principal cel­ebrant of the Mass which ended theconvention, echoed many of thethoughts presented throughout theday. The young adults listenedprayerfully as Bishop Colemantaught them that Jesus Christ is theone who invites them to himselfbecause he alone conquered sin anddeath; that he loves each one ofthem in a personal and practicalway; that he loves them in all as­pects of their lives even in the mostsevere trials; that he will love themeven when they disappoint him;and that he never fails to embraceall his children in his mercy.

After the keynote address, theyoung adults chose to attend oneof nine workshop sessions. Theyworkshops included Frank Lucca's"I Say Yes" where they learned thata definition of a retreat includes anarea where one can be alone, a placeof privacy, a place affording peaceand quiet and a withdrawal forprayer, study and meditation. A re­treat is a safe place where nobodystares when we give thanks beforemeals; a place to go where the onlysocial norms are the ones we takewith us; a time and place where wecan talk about as well as live outour Christian lives without the fearof ridicule and rejection; and a placeto have some fun too.

The "Yes" retreats have beenheld in the diocese for 12 years;

·...~~..,.,-." .. ,Pecem./,btilr:-!). 2003',I., '- ':'I '

ADVENT REFLECTION-: The Visitation'Editor's note: The Anc,hor is pleased to announce

,that Congregation of Holy Cross Father ThomasFeeley will offer Advent reflections this blessed sea­

son....---------"i Born and raised in New!Bedford, Father Feeley made his

" . i religious profession in the Con­t:.;i~"'::'l gregation ofHoly Cross in 1948.

~.' 'fl!~..?,..p....1He taught philosophyat Stonehill, '\::,~'j College for more than 35 years

Y , and currently is the vice postula­. tor of the Cause for Canoniza­

tion of Servant of God FatherPatrick Peyton, CSc.

FATHER THOMAS ' LUke's Gospel tells us that af­FEELEY, esc ter receiving the angel's message,

Mary went in haste to visit Eliza­beth. Mary had believed the angel and did not go forconfirmation of his word. She went to help her eld­erly cousin· in the last three months of her pregnancy.Elizabeth was, no doubt, grateful for she knew shewould need more and more assistance as the birth ofher baby approached. She also knew ofthe great privi­lege bestowed on Mary, for when she heard Mary'sgreeting she cried out, "Who am I that the mother ofmy Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth welcomedMary warmly and accepted her assistance for threemonths, humbly, gratefully, and without embarrass­ment.

St. Paul quotes a saying of Our Lord, "It is moreblessed to give than to receive." It is indeed, providedthe gifts are given with genuine love, as Our Lord in­tends. But gifts can be given for the wrong reasons andthen they can poison both giver and recipient alike.Christ, for example, condemned the Pharisees for trum­peting their alms to the poor. The poor in desperationno doubt, accepted the alms, but felt humiliated andembarrassed by the publicity. Because their motives wereselfish, the Pharisees turned an act of compassion intoan act of selfishness and vanity. Their alms had no valuein God's sight.

L some ways, it is flattering to give. It is proof ofthe giver's superiority and abundance and indepengence.An offer of help made in the spirit of pride, however,humiliates the recipient by emphasizing his weaknessand his inability to provide for himself. We ask forhelp when we recognize our weakness, need, or depen­dence. Our pride suffers. Is this not the reason we oftenhesitate to make our own needs known and then com­plain about the insensitivity of others to our plight?When we are proud we accept with bad grace and,feigned nonchalance the gifts that others give us. We

accept the gift but refuse the love behind it. When weaccept humbly and gratefully a gift given with genuinelove, we confer a blessing on the giver. Our gifts givenwith genuine love and compassion generate genuinelove and gratitude in return. Gifts given and receivedin love bring joy.

There are times when we must accept graciouslyand times when we must give generously. Selfless loveensures that we will do both, and this was the case withMary and Elizabeth. Mary rejoiced because He who ismighty has done great things for her. During the threemonths they spent together, Mary offered her serviceswith love and humility and generosity. Elizabeth ac~

cepted with love and humility and gratitude and bothexperienced joy.

St. Luke doesn't tell us precisely ~hat Mary didduring the three months she spent with Elizabeth butwe can surmise. She, no doubt, spent her time doingthe routine household tasks. Lacking the convenienceswe take for granted today, Mary would have had togo to the village well with the other women earlyevery morning to draw water and carry the pitcheron her head up the hill to the house. She had to 'knead dough and bake bread, milk the goat andbuy provisions from the market. 'She had to pre­pare the meals and wash the dishes. She had tokeep the house clean and make preparationsfor the arrival of the baby. Mary's days nodoubt passed quickly with hermany household tasks.

But Mary and Elizabethwere relatives and friends andthey must have enjoyed eachother's company. They couldtalk freely among themselvesabout all the things that Godwas doing and wonder aboutthe role he wanted them andtheir babies to play. Theycould not share with otherswhat they themselves couldscarcely understand. Howgreat must have been thecomfort they found in hav- .ing each other to share their i

thoughts 'and prayers along.',with the simple household

tasks! They shared eachother's joy.

.Later on St. Paul wouldwrite, "Bear one another's

burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ." Mary,who bore God within her, has shown us that we fulfillthe law of Christ when we bear one another's burdenswith selfless love and genuine compassion. Gifts givenin this way bringjoy to giver and recipient alike. Mary'sexample teaches us that we cannot separate love of Godand neighbor, as Jesus would later tell us. She shows usthat the proof of the genuineness of our love for God isthe service we give to others in need. Ifwe claim Maryas our Mother, we must imitate her love for God andher generous eager service of God's children. There isno better way to prepare ourselves for the joy and peaceof Christmas than to go about our daily tasks duringthis sacred season of Advent with faith, hope and char­ity like hers.

Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries onthe works ofServant ofGod Father Patrick Peyton,CSC, is headquartered in North Easton, and serves

Jesus Christ and His Church by pro­moting and supporting the

spiritual well-being of thefamily in 15 countries

worldwide. For moreinformation call 800·299·PRAY or log on to

www.hcfm.om·

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Vatican trims pope's Christmasschedule, cutting some events

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MEMBERS OF the Kennedy family pray at the gravesiteof President John'F. Kennedy, at Arlington National Cemeteryin Arlington, Va., November 22. It was the 40th anniversaryof his assassination. (CNS photo from Reuters)

By CINDY WOODEN

CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY - PopeJohn Paul II's Christmas season'schedule has been trimmed, ap­parently excluding his usual or­dination of new bishops on the'January 6 feast of the Epiphanyand his custom of baptizing in­fants on the feast of the Baptismof the Lord.

The pope's liturgical schedulefor December and January listshim as presiding over six events,but does not specify if he will bethe principal celebrant of the lit­urgies.

The 83-year-old pope's sched­ule includes:

- laying a wreath at aMarian statue, in central Romeon the December 8 feast of theImmaculate Conception, but notmaking his annual visit after­ward to the Basilica of St. MaryMajor;

- a December 11 Mass withRome university students inpreparation for Christmas;

- Christmas Mass at mid­night in St. Peter's Basilica;

- the December 25 solemnblessing "urbi et orbi"(to the cityand the world) at noon;

- an evening thanksgivingprayer service December 31 inSt. Peter's Basilica;

- the January 1 Mass for the

feast of Mary, Mother of God,and World Peace Day in St.Peter's Square.

In addition, Vatican Radio re­ported that the pope would holdhis annual meeting with cardi­nals and Vatican officials Decem­ber 22; his speech for the occa­sion usually provides a review ofthe past year in the life of theChurch.

The radio said he would nothold his weekly general audiences'December 24 and 31.

A Vatican official said the factthat the calendar did not go be­yond January I indicated noother papal liturgical events werescheduled for the month.