At $3.4M, Annual Catholic Appeal in final stretch; still time to donate
FALL RIVER — The 81st Annual Catholic Appeal has raised $3.4 million of its $4.8 million goal to date, with less than one week remaining in the campaign, which ends on Thursday, June 30. There is still time to make a gift in support of the many agencies assisting tens of thousands in need throughout the Diocese of Fall River each year. The Appeal invites parishioners of the diocese
and community supporters to bear witness to the good works their gifts make possible. Since 1942, the Appeal has helped meet the spiritual and corporal needs of individuals and families throughout the diocese: from the Attleboros, Mansfield, Taunton, and the greater Fall River and New Bedford areas, to Cape Cod and the Islands. The following are 8 Turn to page seven
Diocese of Fall River, Mass. † Friday, June 24, 2022
Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., raises the host during the Consecration at the opening Mass of the Eucharistic Revival in the diocese on June 18 at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. (Screen shot from live-stream on Facebook)
Celebrating the ‘food for our journey,’ Bishop opens Eucharistic Revival in diocese By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — With the vigil Mass for the solemnity of Corpus Chris-
ti as the anchor, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., gathered with hundreds of faithful, priests and deacons to launch the National Eucharistic Revival in the
Diocese of Fall River on June 18 at Bishop Connolly High School. A Eucharistic procession on the campus 8 Turn to page three
Inaugural Lumen Christi Gala to support Cathedral a big success
The Lumen Christi Gala to support renovations to St. Mary’s Cathedral was held June 8 at White’s of Westport. From left: co-chair, Nick Christ; Meg Christ; Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V.; co-chair, Maryellen Sullivan Hughes; and James S. Hughes.
WESTPORT — With a showing of faith and energy at White’s of Westport on June 8, more than 260 people gathered to raise funds to repair and renovate the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. The Lumen Christi Gala celebrated the Cathedral’s history and helped begin the fund-raising effort to chart a renewed future for the Mother Church and Seat of the Bishop in service to all diocesan faithful and the wider community. While the focus was the collective effort of the Diocese of Fall River to help restore the Cathedral, special moments included
the presentation of the first thers Matthew Laird and Larry Valliere who were Bishop’s Luminary Award just ordained to the priestand the much-anticipated performance by Vatican III hood on June 4, and Father Patrick Fiorillo from Jazz. Bishop Edgar da Cunha the Archdiocese of Boston, played twice during presented Bob and Christhe evening much to the tine Long of Long Built Homes and parishioners at delight of the crowd. The St. Mary’s Church in South emcee for the evening was Bristol County District AtDartmouth with an award torney Thomas Quinn III. recognizing their signifiEvent co-chairs and Cathcant contributions to the olic Foundation of Southdiocese, stating, “Bob and eastern Massachusetts Chris exemplify the volunteer spirit, offering their board member Nicholas Christ, president and CEO time, talent and treasure to make a difference for so of BayCoast Bank, and Maryellen Sullivan Hughes, many.” thanked all of the guests Vatican III, which and donors from across the includes Father Matt Gill and newly-ordained FaJune 24, 2022 † to page two 1 8 Turn
Lumen Christi Gala is big success continued from page one
diocese who supported the event. Miriam Finn Sherman, CEO of the Catholic Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, who coordinated the evening togeth-
er with the Gala’s Committee shared, “We could not be happier or more grateful for the incredible showing of support to begin restoring the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption to
her former glory. So much has been celebrated and memorialized within the Cathedral’s walls for more than 100 years. Thank you to all the generous donors, and special thanks to our
Bishop da Cunha presented Christine and Bob Long the Bishop’s Luminary Award recognizing their significant contributions to the Diocese of Fall River.
Father Patrick Fiorillo from the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fathers Matthew Gill, Larry Valliere and Matthew Laird from the Diocese of Fall River, who comprise the group Vatican III, performed at the Lumen Christi Gala.
lead sponsors.” More than 165 years ago, the Cathedral’s first stones were laid. Since then, it has served as a parish and, starting in 1904, as the diocese’s Cathedral. Mother Church, the Seat of the Bishop, and the spiritual home where diocesan liturgies take place, so much has been celebrated within the Cathedral’s walls. Given the Cathedral’s age, many repair and renovation projects are becoming critical – including work needed on the roof, the bell
tower, and the stained-glass windows. Learn more by visiting the Catholic Foundation website at: www. catholicfoundationsema. org/cathedral-gala or scan the Q code below.
Lumen Christi Gala emcee, Tom Quinn, Bristol County District Attorney, with Bishop da Cunha. 2
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Bishop launches Eucharistic Revival with Mass, procession, Adoration continued from page one
grounds, Adoration and Benediction followed the Mass. Similar events took place in dioceses across the country as part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ three-year grassroots initiative to increase faith and devotion to Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. In his homily, the bishop concentrated on several topics, including keeping the memory of Christ’s supreme sacrifice and gift alive. He described how the Diocese of Fall River is a beautiful example of diverse ethnicities and cultures maintaining their faith and traditions. He also focused on the faithfuls’ responsibility to believe in the real presence
of Christ in the Eucharist, and to carry that message beyond the walls of the church at Sunday Mass. “Lord, in this wonderful sacrament You left us a memorial of Your Passion,” the bishop opened. He told the congregation that around 2,000 years ago, Jesus gathered His disciples around the table in the Upper Room, gave them His Body and Blood and the command to “Do this in memory of Me.” The bishop said he often thinks of what would have happened had what the Apostles heard that night faded from their memories. “But it didn’t,” the bishop said. “Not only did they not forget, but they made sure that others would learn and
† Diocese of Fall River † OFFICIAL Appointments
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., Bishop of Fall River, has made the following appointments: Reverend Jason Brilhante, from Parochial Administrator of Saint John of God Parish in Somerset, to Pastor of Saint John of God Parish in Somerset
who came here, and they brought with them stories of who we are today. understand and believe. Together we all form God’s And so they went to the people in the diocese.” four corners of the world, The bishop said that repeating the words and actions of Jesus, ‘Do this in 100 years ago, it wasn’t hard for people to pass on memory of Me.’ their faith and traditions, “Every time we do this but today it is a challenge we remember the Passion with every distraction of the Lord, what He did facing young people. “We for us. As I was reflecting on this, I thought of people have lost something,” he said, with regards to the who came to Southeastern traditions being passed Massachusetts a century down. “The fervor for and ago. We had Portuguese, faith in Jesus and the EuFrench, Irish, English, charist has faded.” French Canadian, Cape The bishop told the Verdean, Puerto Rican and faithful that each time we other Latino and Spanreceive the Eucharist, “we ish-speaking peoples, African-Americans, Asian, become what we receive.” “That’s the challenge and more recently Brafor us,” he continued. “If zilians and other Latino we truly believe we are the nations. Native Americans were here. Each group came Body of Christ then we care for each other, we love one here not only to find work another, we are there for and feed their families, but to build a new life. But each each other, we support one another especially when we group brought with them are hurting, when we are in their memories of their pain and suffering. faith, their culture, values “This particular meal and traditions.” of the Eucharist, where we He said everywhere gather around the table of one looks in the diocese the Lord, promotes and one can see the history in brings about our unity church buildings, monwith Jesus and each other. uments, architecture, art “The Church is our and traditions. This history contains “the story of those body, and as part of that
body, we have an obligation of service to the rest of the body. We are connected to each other through Christ. The Eucharist is food for our journey.” The bishop said that we must integrate our faith with our actions, not just professing our faith at Mass on Sundays. “We can’t go home like we didn’t believe. That’s why others don’t believe. The heart of the Eucharistic community and parish is that we live for each other 24 hours a day, and do it reverently, devoutly and fervently. “Today we are here to say, ‘Thank You, Lord for the gift of the Eucharist.’ We sometimes take for granted this awesome and great gift. May we never receive the Eucharist without the due reverence, fervor, devotion and attention. Let the memory remain alive in you and in me and in those who come after.” He asked what will the next generation say about how we passed on the faith, and how will they revere the Eucharist. “It depends on how we live our lives,” he reminded the congregation.
Reverend Marcelo da Silva, I.V.E., Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in New Bedford, while remaining Parochial Vicar of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford Reverend Mariano Varela, I.V.E., Pastor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in New Bedford, while remaining Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford Reverend Riley J. Williams, Priest Chaplain of Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, while remaining Pastor of Holy Name Parish in Fall River Effective: July 1, 2022
Bishop da Cunha incenses the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction following a Mass and procession to open the Eucharistic Revival in diocese, June 18 at Bishop Connolly High School. (Photo by Deacon Alan Thadeu) June 24, 2022 †
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One at a time
ne at a time. It’s a common phrase I have to use with my kids, whether it’s when they grab all their toys at once or shovel food into their mouths. It’s also a phrase we commonly use as adults. “I’m taking things one day at a time” is often heard interchangeably with “living the dream,” especially when life becomes difficult and sarcasm sets in. Certain we’ve seen things become difficult, especially for the Church. This past year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a National Eucharistic Revival, citing the 2019 Pew Study which found that only 30 percent of Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. To this end, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., commenced this revival in our diocese with Mass and a procession on June 18, where a 1st class relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis was
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also be present. Blessed Acutis died in 2006 at the age of 15 and notably had a great devotion to Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist, so much so that he created an online exhibit of all the Eucharistic miracles in the world (www. miracolieucaristici. org). The diocese has a physical version of this exhibit available to be loaned to parishes and schools. Recently, I was able to bring a portion of the exhibit to a local festa for public viewing. Apart from the nostalgia of smelling like grilled sardines and enjoying a bowl of favas guisadas — like my dad and I would always get — festas are always interesting times to people-watch and talk. Throw in an exhibit on the Eucharist and you double the fun. Some would view the panels, which depicted several Eucharistic miracles,
† June 24, 2022
and spoke the Gospel to them. Acts shares that “one of them, a women named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened.” One person listened. One. That seems extremely unsuccessful. One person in an entire city? And St. Paul is considered to be one of the most (if not the most) successful evangelists of all time? Yet, Acts goes on to say woman sharing that she still that as Lydia listened to believes. A very nice man talking, and talking. And of St. Paul, “the Lord opened course, pockets of time with her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.” no one there. Afterwards, she and her The tricky part about household were baptized. evangelizing is that we can All the Lord needs is be tempted to approach it one person truly to listen like consumerism. We want and He will move in their big results, fast. What’s the silver bullet? What’s the full hearts as He did with Lydia. I would argue that this proof plan or strategy? How is what made St. Paul, and can we get more people in the pews? How can I get my many other saints throughout the ages, successful at family back to church? sharing the Good News. Being there with the While on various occaexhibit, through the ebbs sions they may have spoand flows of foot traffic, ken to crowds, they truly reminded me of the daily evangelized and mentored Mass readings, specificalindividuals one person at ly the reading from Acts 16:11-15. In it, St. Paul went a time. It’s not a bad rule to to Philipi in Macedonia and put into practice. It can be sits by the city gate to pray. overwhelming to consider While there, he encounhow to bring more people tered a group of women to church. But one person? That can be more manageable. I’ve shared before how I pray with my son when I put him to bed. The other day, he was particularly nervous as the next day he would be visiting his future kindergarten. After I read him a story, talked and prayed with him, my wife put him to bed. Meanwhile, I took our two-year-old daughter for bedtime. In and move on. Others would linger and talk. There was an aunt explaining to her niece who Blessed Acutis was. A fallen away Catholic asking questions about a book. A Catholic and non-Catholic discussing together. A
the process I asked her if we could pray together for her brother, and so we did. Our two-year-old stood there and prayed for her brother. She was my “one person” that day. Can sharing the Good News with someone else be hard? Certainly. That’s why I started with my five- and two-year-old. Does it take time and effort? Yes. For instance, while the pandemic greatly exacerbated a decline in Mass attendance, that decline was already occurring before the pandemic. Similarly, it will take time and effort to turn this trend around. Can it be awkward? Absolutely. Just ask the guy who went to a festa to share about the Eucharist while eating favas. But imagine if all of us who already are in the pews were each willing to build a relationship with one other person, share the Good News of Christ with them, and invite them into the community. And, conversely, imagine if we don’t. Will the next generation have faith? Well, that in part depends on us. We can’t afford not to act; to not try. If we want to see more people have a relationship with the Lord, if we want to see revival actually happen, if we want to see more people in church, then commit to reaching one person. Then, someone else. One at a time. Anchor columnist David Carvalho is the senior director for Faith Formation, Youth, Young Adult and Family Life Ministries for the Diocese of Fall River. Contact: dcarvalho@dioc-fr.org.
The fitting response to Christ’s Sacrament of Love
T
oday, June 24, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is particularly special this year, for two reasons. First, June 24 is normally every year the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, basically six months before Christ’s birth. But since the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart takes place on the Friday after Corpus Christi, this year the celebration of the birth of the Lord’s precursor was moved to June 23. This shows the importance of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart not just as an historical devotion but as a celebration of the Lord Jesus Himself. As John the Baptist once said, “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). The second reason why this year’s celebration is special is because it is taking place at the beginning of the U.S. bishops’ three-year Eucharistic Revival, which began Sunday on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. As such, what Jesus revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque between 1673-75 can provide an important program for all of us in the Church about how to live this Revival. That’s because Jesus’ revelations to this 17th-century Visitation nun in Paray-le-Monial, France, were essentially Eucharistic. Not only did three major revelations of Christ to St. Margaret Mary take place in connection to the Holy Eucharist — twice in Eucharistic adoration and once while she was preparing to receive Holy Communion — but devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is devotion to the mystery of Christ’s human and divine love, which led Jesus to give His Body and Blood for us on Calvary and to continue to give that Body and Blood to us on the altar. In his third and final revelation to St. Margaret Mary, Jesus made the connection between His Sacred Heart and the Holy Eucharist quite
explicit. On June 16, 1675, during the Octave of preparation for the celebration of Corpus Christi, Jesus, pointing toward His flaming heart crowned with thorns, said to her: “Behold the heart that has so much loved men that it has spared nothing, even exhausting and consuming itself in testimony of its love. In recognition, I receive from most only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and scorn they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel the most keenly is that it is hearts that are consecrated to Me that treat Me in this way.” Jesus connects the “heart that has so much loved men” with our response to Him in His “Sacrament of Love,” which is the way He Himself refers to the Holy Eucharist, an expression adopted by Pope Benedict in his 2007 apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, on the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Church’s life and mission. Jesus laments with candor the extent of His unrequited self-gift. He spared nothing out of love, exhausting and consuming Himself to show us how much He loved us, taking on our nature, putting up patiently with us as His creatures, even allowing us to persecute, mock, torture and crucify Him, and then going so far as to give us Himself under the appearance of bread and wine as our spiritual nourishment. In response, He says He receives from most, including priests and religious, only ingratitude, irreverence, sacrilege, coldness and scorn. Such words should pierce anyone who truly loves the Lord. But they also provide a path of reparation and love. The words Jesus gives us reveal what He would like to see from us with regard to
His Eucharistic outpouring, namely, the reverse of what He laments. These should become the touchstones of the Eucharistic Revival. Instead of ingratitude, we ought to approach Him with unceasing thanks; instead of irreverence, great piety; instead of sacrilege, with pure souls; instead of coldness, with ardent love; instead of scorn, full of praise. Let’s look at each. First, gratitude. We can never thank the Lord enough
for humbling Himself to become our food and remaining with us always in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus once healed 10 lepers but only one of the 10 returned to thank Him (Lk 17:11-19). The Eucharist is something far greater than a miraculous cure from the world’s most foul and debilitating malady. How do we thank Him for that gift of love? First, we should not take Him for granted, but come to receive Him as often as we can and as well as we can, going to Mass not just when we are obliged to but because we want to. When we do receive Him, we should spend time in thanksgiving, immediately after receiving Holy Communion and for some time after Mass. If athletes winning championship can effuse on television with thanks to the Lord for an earthly crown how much more should we thank Jesus for His eternal gift? Similarly, grateful for His presence, we should come to Him in prayer, especially in Eucharistic adoration. The eternal Son of God awaits us in the Tabernacle and in gratitude we should draw near. Second, reverence. We live in a casual and irreverent
age, shown in our gestures, clothing, advertising, political discourse, vocabulary and many other ways. This irreverence has impacted the liturgy, seen, for example, in the banalization of worship, art, music, posture, dress and attitudes in various parishes. The Lord deserves and desires reverence, which is a fruit of fervent faith and love. We can show that reverence by how we prepare for Mass, how we genuflect and kneel, how we dress, how we speak to and about Him, especially in the Eucharist. We should behave as those who realize they are in the presence of God. Third, holiness. There are so many sacrileges against the Blessed Sacrament: Satan worshipers stealing hosts for desecration, tabernacles vandalized, Eucharistic adoration mocked as “cookie worship” or the tabernacle as a “bread box.” But the most common form of sacrilege is receiving Jesus in Holy Communion unworthily. This is a problem for greater than various Catholic politicians who obstinately persevere in manifest grave sin like support for the destruction of innocent human life in the womb or false notions of the family who nevertheless dare to approach the Lord. We see it in the many Catholics who, without sacramental absolution, routinely receive Communion after having voluntarily missed Sunday Mass, or who harbor hatred, or who are engaging in conduct or in relationships incompatible with the Gospel. The Eucharist is not just food for saints but medicine for sinners, but sinners who have committed grave sins must first go to Jesus in the sacrament He established to receive His cleansing and be restored to grace before they come to receive Him in Holy Communion. God forbid we should receive Him unworthily!
Fourth, ardent love. Some in the Church have been called, for good reason, the “frozen chosen.” They celebrate or attend Mass as a dry duty, without enthusiasm, without joy, devoid of passion. Jesus’ Sacred Heart is aflame with love for us and, like He did with St. Margaret Mary, He wants to immerse our heart within the furnace of His own and restore it to us, so that we might truly love Him and others in response. The Eucharist is meant to be a sacrament of love not just because of Christ’s divine and human love for us, but our reciprocal love for Him. If we love Him, we will want to be with Him, please Him, spread knowledge and love of Him. The Eucharistic revival should feature many acts of love. Fifth, praise. There are some who deride Catholic faith in the Eucharist, but the most common form of scorn is indifference. How important it is for us to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us, to make Him in the Eucharist the biggest difference of our life, to bless Him, as the Church does in the “Divine Praises” at Benediction. Praise is the highest form of prayer, because it expresses love for God for who He is, even before we consider all He has given. The revival is a time for each of us and the whole Church to cry out, “Praise the Lord, my soul! All my being bless His holy name!” (Ps 103:1) As the Church celebrates today a special Solemnity of the Sacred Heart at the beginning of this Eucharistic revival, let us strive to do so in a way Jesus has indicated will please Him most keenly and continue to do so through the Revival and beyond: by responding to His love with the Eucharist with our sparing nothing out of love, exhausting and consuming ourselves to show our gratitude. Father Landry is Interim Executive Editor. fatherlandry@catholicpreaching.com.
June 24, 2022 †
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Editorial Choosing the flag underneath to stand
In St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, the training manual of authentic Jesuit spirituality and the most influential retreat program in the history of the Church, the founder of the Jesuits has us meditate on “Two Standards” — two flags or military banners — under one of which we must choose to march and fight. One flag is Lucifer’s, the other Christ’s. Lucifer offers a life of riches, worldly honor and pride, as a prelude to other vices. Christ promises, in respective contrast, spiritual poverty, being hated and humility, which induce to other virtues. St. Ignatius instructs us to make the meditation four times and to beg Our Lady to intercede with Jesus for the grace to be received under His standard and to live in communion with His virtues. The purpose of the meditation is to help us to choose definitively whether we’re going to live by Christ’s principles or those of the world. It makes plain that worldly values and vices are popular, enticing, and enslaving, and that the values and virtues of Christ are unpopular, intimidating, and demanding. Yet those who seek to become disciples of the One who said, “Come, follow Me,” are those who make the determined choice to stand and walk with Christ under His standard. St. Ignatius’ summary of the Christian life and the way of the world — and the choice we have to make between the two — with the image of contrasting flags is a helpful and fitting backdrop to understand the recent decree of Worcester Bishop Robert McManus to prohibit Nativity School of Worcester from identifying itself as a “Catholic” school and from having institutional access to Mass, sacraments and sacramentals. Flags matter. They symbolize our values. And Catholic institutions have a duty to transmit authentically Catholic values. Bishop McManus’ decision came after Nativity School in Worcester, despite an official warning and several interventions, refused to take down from its flagpole Gay Pride and Black Lives Matter Flags that were flying under the Stars and Stripes. Bishop McManus stated that “these symbols embody specific agendas or ideologies [that] contradict Catholic social and moral teaching.” The Gay Pride flag, he said, “represents support of gay marriage and actively living a LGBTQ+ lifestyle,” and, while “the Catholic Church teaches that all life is sacred and … certainly stands unequivocally behind the phrase ‘black lives matter,’ … the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement has co-opted the phrase and promotes a platform that directly contradicts Catholic social teaching on the importance and role of the nuclear family and seeks to disrupt the family structure in clear opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The flying of these flags in front of a Catholic school sends a mixed, confusing and scandalous message to the public about the Church’s stance on these important moral and social issues.” In response, Thomas McKenney, the president of Nativity School of Worcester, said that the school started flying the two flags “following our students’ (the majority of whom are people of color) call to express support for making our communities more just and inclusive. Both flags are now widely understood to celebrate the human dignity of our relatives, friends and neighbors who have faced, and continue to face, hate and discrimination. Though any symbol or flag can be co-opted by political groups or organizations, flying our flags is not an endorsement of any organization or ideology; they fly in support of marginalized people.” Announcing that Nativity would defy the decree and appeal the decision to the Vatican, McKenney declared that “Nativity will continue to display the OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 66, No. 13
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Published biweekly except for one week in autumn by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720, Tel. 508-675-7151; FAX 508-675-7048; email: davejolivet@anchornews.org. To subscribe to The Anchor online visit www.fallriverdiocese.org;subscribe Subscription price by mail, prepaid $29.00 per year for U.S. addresses. Please send address changes to The Anchor, PO Box 318, Congers, NY 10920, call or use email address.
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† June 24, 2022
flags in question to give visible witness to the school’s solidarity with our students, families, and their communities,” stating that “Gospel values, Catholic Social Teaching, and our Jesuit heritage compels us to do so.” McKenney essentially admitted that he is aware that the Gay Pride and Black Lives Matter flags have become symbols of movements that go far beyond justice, inclusivity, and the defense of those who face hatred and discrimination. They have indeed been co-opted by political groups, organizations and movements that — as both gay leaders and the co-founders of Black Lives Matter Global Foundation have attested — push notions of human anthropology, sexuality, race and social harmony diametrically opposed to Catholic teaching. In the introduction to his decree, Bishop McManus said that the diocese had attempted “to find alternatives to flying the Black Lives Matter and Gay Pride flags,” so that unambiguous Catholic teaching with regard to the dignity of every person regardless of race or sexual self-identification could be affirmed without recourse to highly ambiguous and politicized symbols. It doesn’t seem, however, that the school finds the coopted “mixed, confusing and scandalous” meanings a problem. McKenney’s affirmation that continuing to fly the flags is “not an endorsement” of the other meanings is obviously not equivalent to saying the school shares Bishop McManus’ legitimate concerns. If a Catholic school below the Mason-Dixon line were flying a Confederate flag out of “support for southern values” while declaring it was not endorsing any organizations or ideologies that might “co-opt” the symbol, McKinney, likely every student at Nativity and doubtless the local bishop would recognize the insufficient justification and rightly object. Nativity School of Worcester was founded in 2003 by Jesuits associated with the College of the Holy Cross to provide a tuition-free fifth-to-eighth-grade education to inner-city boys from families facing economic hardship. It is one of 64 such schools across the country, including in New Bedford, all of which follow a very successful model of low student teacher ratio (Nativity Worcester has 61 students, 14 teachers and 10 staff), high academic standards and rigorous discipline, including mandatory after school and summer programs, which leads to extraordinary results in getting its alumni into top high schools, seeing them graduate and head on to university, where most are first generation college students. But its discipline and high standards do not seem to extend to forming its students to grasp, in contrast to the spirit of the world, the full teaching of the Church with regard to racial, social, sexual morality or to appreciate the responsibility and authority of a Catholic bishop to ensure unequivocal fidelity to Catholic teaching in institutions claiming to be Catholic. An institution that prides itself on “Gospel values, Catholic Social Teaching, and … Jesuit heritage” has a particular responsibility to help students distinguish between the zeitgeist and the truth entrusted by Christ to His Church, and to set the example of choosing wisely and well the flag they will wave and underneath which they will live. St. Ignatius did not call his spiritual sons to stand under banners celebrating the sexual revolution and family disintegration, but with the Church under the Standard of Christ. Bishop McManus has forthrightly made Nativity choose between waving the Pride and BLM flags or flying under the Catholic banner. Let’s pray, through the intercession of Our Lady and St. Ignatius, that after further reflection Nativity’s leaders will choose the latter and set an example that will lead students to, rather than away from, Christ and the way of the Gospel.
Daily Readings † June 25 — July 8
Sat. June 25, Lam 2:2,10-14,18-19; Ps 74:1b-7,20-21; Lk 2:41-51. Sun. June 26, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 Kgs 19:16b,19-21; Ps 16:1-2,5,7-11; Gal 5:1,13-18; Lk 9:51-62. Mon. June 27, Am 2:6-10,13-16; Ps 50:16bc-23; Mt 8:18-22. Tue. June 28, Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12; Ps 5:4b-8; Mt 8:23-27. Wed. June 29, Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8,17-18; Mt 16:13-19. Thu. June 30, Am 7:10-17; Ps 19:8-11; Mt 9:1-8. Fri. July 1, Am 8:4-6,9-12; Ps 119:2,10,20,30,40,131; Mt 9:9-13. Sat. July 2, Am 9:11-15; Ps 85:9ab,10-14; Mt 9:14-17. Sun. July 3, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinay Time, Is 66:10-14c; Ps 66:1-7,16,20; Gal 6:1418; Lk 10:1-12,17-20 or 10:1-9. Mon. July 4, Hos 2:16,17b-18,21-22; Ps 145:2-9; Mt 9:18-26. Tue. July 5, Hos 8:4-7,11-13; Ps 115:3-6,7ab-8,9-10; Mt 9:32-38. Wed. July 6, Hos 10:1-3,7-8,12; Ps 105:2-7; Mt 10:1-7. Thu. July 7, Hos 11:1-4,8c-9; Ps 80:2ac,3b,15-16; Mt 10:7-15. Fri. July 8, Hos 14:2-10; Ps 51:3-4,8-9,12-14,17; Mt 10:16-23.
Still time to support Annual Catholic Appeal continued from page one
Catholic Appeal testimonials, what can be called “Ministry Moments From Across Our Diocese.”
“I am 18 years old. I was living on the streets of New Bedford, sleeping in doorways. I heard about Kilian’s from Pedro Ramos (Kilian’s Youth and Young Adult Outreach Case Manager). I don’t want to go back on the streets. I plan to better myself — not just money-wise, but mentally, etc. At Kilian’s, you have access to showers, meals, and housing assistance. People here really appreciate the donations to the Appeal. The donors are helping people who would not otherwise have the daily needs of life. We appreciate the donors and we are thankful for them.” — Greggorey Guest of St. Kilian’s House
“At my ordination in May 1970, my father and I took a picture outside the Cathedral. Above our heads was the logo of the Catholic Appeal. I’ve been a friend of the Appeal ever since. It’s a wonderful thing and helps not
to Sister Rose House, they want to get you back to living again. There are so many people that I’ve seen only certain charities, but it’s also here that also made it through or a boost to the morale of the clerare just now starting to get their gy and the bishop because there’s life back on track. And there are so much that they are unable to plenty more that need that same do, but we’re able to consequently help. Those that want the help, do, through the generosity of the need the help, all they have to do people. The diocese couldn’t run is come and do the right thing, without it. It’s very necessary. I and they’ll be blessed. And it does wouldn’t want to be in a diocese where they didn’t have any of these work, because I am an example.” — James Turner things. It’s just phenomenal.” Former guest of Sister Rose — Father Thomas L. Rita House and now an employee of Retired Priest of the Diocese of Sister Rose’s Soup Kitchen Fall River There are many ways to support the Catholic Appeal during its home stretch. Contributions to the Appeal may be made either through a one-time donation or through
monthly, quarterly, or semiannual pledges. Donations may be mailed to the Catholic Appeal office, 450 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass., 02720; made online at www.GiveFRDiocese. org; or dropped off at any parish in the diocese. Please contact the Catholic Appeal office at 508675-1311 with any questions.
“The youth today speak, think, and experience life differently. The Gospel becomes their message of hope in times of despair, love during times of hate, and faithfulness, no matter the obstacles. My goal is to help bring them closer to holiness and allow them to take ownership of the beauty which is their Catholic faith.” — Oscar Rivera, Jr. Director of Youth Ministry, Diocese of Fall River
“There are a lot of people out there that need help and don’t know where to get it or don’t know how to get it. But when they come June 24, 2022 †
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A
Waltzing Matilda
s the great Irish seanchaí (story teller), Eamon Kelly, would say, “I take you back now to the days of the parish carnival dances in the west of Ireland.” By this time the local parish priest felt that the devil himself would not dare show up in cloven hoofs at the dances in those great tents. Anyway, it so happened that Pat showed up at the dance on the last night of the parish carnival knowing that his pal, Mike, would be there to give him courage and support. As it turned out, Pat could see that this girl that he was secretly sweet on was putting on quite a show on the dance floor. So he asked Mike, “How
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can I get Mary to dance with me?” Mike replied, “Pat, just say to her the most romantic thing you can think of.” Pat picked up his courage and made it across the busy floor to the girls’ sideline. Some time later, he crossed that busy floor back to where Mike was sitting on the boys’ sideline. Pat was now sporting a black eye and Mike said to him, “What in God’s name happened to you, Pat?” and Pat replied, “I said the most romantic thing I could think of. I said ‘Mary, You don’t sweat too much for such a fat girl.’” Suffice it to say
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that Pat didn’t seek any more advice from Mike. Now this brings me to my own fateful night at the Newbridge carnival dance. I was all spiffed up for the night and was sit-
ting on the boys’ sideline with a few of my school pals. I wondered out loud whom I might ask for a dance and one of my pals suggested a certain young lady who was a great dancer. “Matilda (not her
real name) will surely dance with you,” he said. So I strode across to the girls’ side and said, “Will you dance with me, Matilda?” She said, “No, thank you, Paddy.” I was stunned for the moment, but I couldn’t blame her. After all, here I was, a skinny teen-ager and she was already a young woman. Besides that, I could hardly put one foot in front of the other in dance mode. I headed back to the boys’ side with my tail between my legs. Luckily, one of my sister Kathleen’s classmates, Katie Murray, was at the dance and she took me for a few twirls around the floor. She had saved me from eternal humiliation, and we still keep in
touch across the oceans via the modern miracle of email — but don’t tell that to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Honolulu! LOL. One could say that life is like a great waltz, ebbing and flowing with the music. I remember when I came here to Kalaupapa 10 years ago, we had a group of ladies who would come together in Damien Hall to practice the hula, which had its birth on Topside Molokai. They were preparing for the first celebration of St. Marianne Cope’s feast day. I watched them on a number of occasions. The dance was so graceful. I was so enthralled that I had a friend make a colorful skirt for me and I showed up in it as a gag one day. It created a few hilarious moments, but I didn’t make the squad. My hips did not co-operate. I was created for the waltz. Aloha. Anchor columnist Father Killilea is pastor of St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.
Raynham Faith Formation class assists in making beds for children in need RAYNHAM — This past year, the Faith Formation classes of St. Ann’s Parish in Raynham worked with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless on a service project. Its Build a Bed program provides twin beds for children in the area who do not currently have their own bed to sleep. The students sold candy bars to cover the costs of materials for the beds as well as the mattresses and bedding. They raised more than $10,000. Due to the hard work of the children and the generosity of the parishioners of St Ann’s, they were able to purchase 30 beds. Once the fundraising was completed, the fun part of assembling began. On April 30 more than 100
volunteers of “builders and finish carpenters” as well as supporters came out on a chilly and windy morning to help build twin beds in the church parking lot. The volunteers were divided into teams. Each team quickly learned how to work together, follow directions, and have fun as they worked toward the finished product of one bed per team. A team of volunteers helped with registration, refreshments, and general support for such a large parish undertaking. This project was a great opportunity for the students to help support those in need and a wonderful event to bring together the parishioners to work side by side.
The Cabral Family were part of more than 100 volunteers from St. Ann Parish in Raynham who gathered to help make twin beds for children in need. It was part of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless’ Build a Bed project.
The parking lot at St. Ann Parish in Raynham was recently filled with Faith Formation students and other volunteers who helped make beds for children in need.
School leaders, faculty, students and supporters gathered on June 15 at Bishop Feehan High School to mark the ceremonial groundbreaking for the school’s latest major improvement — a 10,000 square foot Arts & Innovation Center that will open in August 2023. June 24, 2022 †
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Fall River St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store reopens after two years By Dave Jolivet Editor
davejolivet@anchornews.org
FALL RIVER — Each week more signs of normalcy appear in all aspects of life. Some are a welcome to relief to those for whom the pandemic was a greater burden than most. While the virus itself was a grave danger for many for a time, the fallout from the lock-downs and business closures affected those who were already down and out. On Friday, June 17, the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Fall River reopened after a twoyear absence, to the delight of
many in the neighborhood. The store has been a Pleasant Street staple for more than 50 years. When the COVID-19 crisis hit in early 2020, Len Nicolan was the manager of the shop at 1799 Pleasant Street in Fall River. Len was in his second stint as manager, having once retired but taking on the role when his son, Michael, who had run the business for 10 years, passed away from an aggressive brain tumor. During the pandemic, the elder Nicolan was very cautious about reopening. Cyndy Michaud, a parishioner at St. Bernard’s Parish in
A colorful window display at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Fall River tells people the store is again open for business. Below, volunteers are ready to help customers.
Assonet and who volunteered at the store for eight years told The Anchor, “When the pandemic hit, we didn’t know if the virus was remaining in clothing and furniture, so we closed, although the furniture store on County Street in Fall River remained open on Saturdays. “We eventually learned the clothing was safe, so we cleanly packed everything and simply waited for the time that we could reopen.” Nicolan was still wary about reopening early this year. He retired as manager. “When Len retired, the board named Brian McNally the new manager and I was named the assistant manag10
† June 24, 2022
er,” Michaud said. “We had several board meetings and in April we decided it was time for the store to reopen, and efforts began immediately to prepare the building for business again.” The staff and volunteers have been working diligently preparing the store and unpacking the goods to be sold. McNally, a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Swansea, was handling all of the furniture repairs when he was named manager. With such a high profile on Pleasant Street, it wasn’t difficult for area residents to see the business coming back to life. “People were looking into the windows 8 Turn to page 12
W
My most unforgettable character
hen I was a kid, we always got the Readers Digest. It was a magazine that had a smattering of everything — human interest stories, self-help information, funny anecdotes, and often, a condensed book. My favorite was always the series called, “My Most Unforgettable Character.” I think we all have unforgettable people who come into our lives — people who are funny, or kind, or somehow make a deep and abiding impression on us. Margie was one of those people for me. I suspect she was in her early 70s when I met her. She was the very definition of a “church lady.” She was a daily Mass communicant and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. She lived just up the hill from the church and she walked to and from church each day in spike high heels! She was very proud of her Italian heritage and prepared meals for the priests frequently — the traditional seven-fish dinner on Christmas Eve and pizza rustica for Easter morning breakfast. And she made the best Italian cookies I’ve ever had! Margie hadn’t had an easy life. She was widowed at an early age and raised her two children on her own. I never heard her complain. Despite difficult times in her life, nothing could have prepared Margie for what happened on a perfect spring day. Her only grandson was tragically killed in an automobile accident just a mile down the road from where she lived. Her grief was palpable and Margie was inconsolable. She immediately went to the parish rectory to talk to the pastor and what she told him, and then many others including me, was shocking. These were her exact words: “We need a new god. The one we have is too old, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore.” What? I absolutely could not wrap my head around what she had said and how she felt. How could a person of faith, someone
so devout and devoted suddenly turn their back on God? I was shocked because I thought Margie was denying the very existence of God. But the thing is, she wasn’t. She didn’t say that God didn’t exist — in fact, she affirmed God’s existence. What she did was question how God could have allowed this tragedy to happen. I suspect many of us at some point in time have asked the same question — how a tender, loving, and caring God allows suffering to happen. We need only turn on our TVs or read a newspaper to know that we are surrounded by tragedy and violence. We are overcome daily with news of war and bloodshed, hate and brutality. We are sickened by shootings in schools, stores, and on our streets. Some of us even question our own safety when attending church or any public gathering like a concert or a movie. Like Margie, we question how and why bad things happen in our world and in our lives. There are questions that we will have during the course of our lives that may and can never be answered. But there are things that I believe beyond believing. God does not cause suffering. God does not delight in our distress. When we weep, God weeps with us. God sent his only Son who suffered and died for us and our salvation; when we are in pain, through our faith and our prayer, we can unite our pain and suffering to Christ’s death and passion. And when we suffer, Christ walks with us in our suffering and never leaves us alone. He is with us the whole time. Margie died a few years ago at the age of 98. She lived through
many difficult times — the Great Depression, a world war, nuclear proliferation, and the struggle for civil rights. Like many of us, she endured tremendous personal loss. And like many of us, she looked to the heavens and searched for an answer to a question that has no answer. Why? The loss of a child, the loss of a spouse, the loss of a parent, the loss of a friend — all of these may cause us to question our faith and the goodness of God. I lost touch with Margie over the last few years of her life,
but here’s what I know. She questioned God, but she never turned her back on God or her faith. She remained the same “church lady” she’d always been and I believe I know why — because she trusted in the power of God’s unconditional love and Christ’s resurrection and promise of eternal life. And that, my friends, is the Good News. “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die”(Jn 11:25). Anchor columnist Ada Simpson is former editor of Ministry & Liturgy magazine, holds an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry, and is the director of Music Ministry at St. Francis and St. Dominic parishes in Swansea.
The new and fully updated Diocesan Directory 2022 is NOW AVAILABLE! Only $30 per copy, including shipping
Order TODAY! Please send _____ copy(ies) of Diocesan Directory 2022. I am enclosing $30 for each directory ordered. Total amount enclosed: $__________. Please make checks payable to “The Anchor”
Name: ________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ City: ____________________________________ State: ________ Zip: _________________ Telephone: _______________________ Complete and return original form or photocopy to: The Anchor (Attention Directory) 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 June 24, 2022 †
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T
T he C hurch and Y outh & Y oung A dults Supporting our spiritual fathers
ime moves fast, but hopefully not too fast to remember last Sunday. It was Father’s Day! And since no edition of The Anchor was scheduled to drop that weekend, I am taking the liberty to reflect on fatherhood this weekend. My own dad, Frank Shaughnessy, is an excellent starting point for reflecting on fatherhood. Part of the “greatest generation,” my dad served in the Navy Air Corps during WWII. He considered the priesthood (even living as a Trappist Monk for two
years), but his vocation would ultimately involve marriage, being a father to eight children, and serving the People of God as a permanent deacon. My dad saw his life as a vocation and opportunity to serve. He was a man of deep prayer and led a very simple life. He provided for his children, but material gain was of little interest to him. Before his death at the age of 92, he had been married for 56 years
to my mother and became “papa” to 24 grandchildren. My father was a
great model of Christian virtue, service and love. He was not a perfect man, but no matter the choices made by his children, he was always there to support, encourage, protect
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store reopens in Fall River continued from page 10
and saw things were happening to provide good quality clothing and furniture at a very good price,” Michaud told The Anchor. “The neighbors were very glad to see it reopening and for many, it was much needed. “We cleaned and decorated the large glass panes, which brought more excitement to the area.” Because all of the wares were neatly packed away, there was no shortage of goods for the reopening. The Pleasant Street store will now open and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the furniture location at 392 County Street will continue to open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “The furniture is very good,” added Michaud. 12
“An area furniture store generously donates pieces that may have slight cosmetic imperfections, but they’re basically new. And the donations we receive are good quality and have folks to repair them. If they are not of good quality, we don’t accept them.
Arthur Francoeur, a 20year volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift furniture store in Fall River.
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The Pleasant Street store will be operated by McNally and Michaud with the help of a handful of volunteers from St. Bernard’s Parish. The County Street furniture store is still managed by Arthur Francoeur, a 20-year volunteer, who once repaired the furniture. The stores were originally opened by the then Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in the Flint section of Fall River. After many years, the store was handed over to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and remained a successful venture up until the pandemic. Michaud told The Anchor that people who wish to donate clothing or furniture to the store can do so by calling 508-954-7254.
and forgive us. While I am certainly a different person from my own father, shaped by different experiences, I, too, strive to be a model of faith for my four children. Honestly, I can’t see myself as even half the man my father was, but nonetheless, my calling is no different: to lead my wife and children to Jesus Christ and salvation. No matter the challenges or triumphs of family life, that must always remain the focus of fatherhood. In Paul’s Letter to Ephesians, he writes: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed Himself over for her” (Eph 5:25). To be a husband and a father, it is not about power, control, comfort, or material success. Rather, the very foundation of family life is rooted in the sacrifice of Jesus. If Jesus laid down His life for us, so must we for our wife and children. Yes we are called to provide for our families. Material things, however, can never provide the sustenance that the love of God does. In the Church, priests are spiritual fathers to their people. Pope Francis has written often about how important it is for priests to be close to their people. This closeness brings the grace of God
to His people during times of great joy and great sorrow. Just as good children should never stop honoring and caring for their father, so should we Catholics support and honor our priests. By doing so, we strengthen the bonds that lead us to our Heavenly Father. Priests, like fathers, come from diverse backgrounds and are unique individuals. We should celebrate all the men who make the selfless commitment to spiritual fatherhood during this challenging period. Furthermore, we should do our part to encourage and inspire vocations to the priesthood. Father’s Day, celebrated once a year, is a renewal of what we should recall every day: we were created to live in the loving, merciful care of our Father for all of eternity. As disciples of Jesus, that is the destination of our journey, and we can’t find the way without Him. If we choose to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us the power and strength to find our way home to the Father. Everything else in life is a footnote to this reality. Anchor columnist Peter Shaughnessy resides in Fairhaven with his wife, Anabela Vasconcelos Shaughnessy (Class of ’94), and their four children: Luke (Class of ’24), Emilia (Class of ’25), Dominic (Class of ’27) and Clare (Class of ’30).
My Brother’s Keeper holds 12th annual Family Walk EASTON — More than 700 pairs of laces were tied on June 11 as walkers and volunteers assembled for the My Brother’s Keeper 12th annual Family Walk. My Brother’s Keeper is a 501(c)3 non-profit with facilities in Easton and Dartmouth that delivers healthy groceries,
household furniture, and Christmas gifts free of charge to families throughout Southeastern and the South Coast of Massachusetts. Their mission is “To Bring the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ to those we serve.” Anyone residing in their geographic area is eligible to receive assistance with-
out regard to religion. Since COVID-19 first affected Massachusetts in
March 2020, My Brother’s Keeper has made 42,000 deliveries worth almost
$10 million to 140,000 children and adults. In 8 Turn to page 15
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, June 26 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Santo Christo Church in Fall River
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass
on the Portuguese Channel Sunday, July 3 at 7 p.m. Broadcast from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in New Bedford
Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6
Scenes from the 12th annual My Brother’s Keeper Family Walk.
Sunday, June 26 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Freddie Babiczuk, Pastor of St. Anthony, St. Jude the Apostle, and St. Mary parishes in Taunton.
Sunday, July 3 at 11:00 a.m. Celebrant is Father Leonard Kayondo, in residence at Good Shepherd Parish, part of the Catholic Community of Central Fall River.
June 24, 2022 †
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In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests and deacons during the coming weeks: June 25 Rev. Msgr. Louis A. Marchand, Retired Pastor, St. Anthony, New Bedford,1941 Rev. Raymond J. Hamel, Chaplain, St. Joseph Orphanage, Fall River, 1960 June 26 Rev. William Moran, Former Pastor, St. Peter, Sandwich, 1891 Rev. Charles P. Gaboury, Former Pastor, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1931 Rev. Msgr. Albert Berube, Retried Pastor, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1973 June 27 Rev. John Corry, Founder, St. Mary, Taunton; Founder, St. Mary, Fall River, 1863 Rev. Dario Raposo, Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton, 1933 Rev. Msgr. Thomas F. Walsh, Retired Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro, 1980 Rev. Msgr. Bernard J. Fenton, USA Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, North Dighton, 1984 Rev. George F. Almeida, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Fatima, Swansea, 2012 June 28 Rev. Thomas C. Gunning, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1947 Rev. Kenneth J. Delano, Former Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 2017 June 30 Rev. Simon Pease, SS.CC., Administrator, Sacred Hearts, Fairhaven, 1952 Rev. Alphonse M. Reniere, O.P., Dominican Priory, Fall River, 1961 Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington, Retired Fire Chaplain, Fall River Fire Department, 2017 Permanent Deacon Edward J. Hussey, 2020 July 1 Rev. Fernando A. Veiga, CM, Vincentian Mission House, Fall River, 1993 Rev. David Stopyra, OFM, Conv., Retired Pastor, Our Lady of the Rosary, Taunton, 2018 July 2 Rev. Gerard A. Boisvert, Assistant, St. Anthony, New Bedford, 1967 Rev. Maurice H. Lamontagne, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Grace, Westport, 1996 Rev. James T. Donohue, C.S.C., 2006 July 3 Rev. Thomas P. Doherty, Pastor, St. Kilian, New Bedford, 1942 Rev. William G. Condon, C.S.C., Retired, St. Joseph Hall, North Dartmouth; Nativity Prep School, New Bedford; Assistant Superior, North Dartmouth, 2016 July 4 Rev. James A. Coyle, S.T.L., Pastor, Holy Name, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Pierre E. Lachance, O.P., Director, St. Anne’s Shrine, Fall River, 2006 July 5 Rev. J.F. LaBonte, Retired Assistant, Sacred Heart, New Bedford, 1943 Rev. Edward P. Versailles, M.S., La Salette Shrine, North Attleboro, 1985 Rev. Richard John Neilson, Retired, New York Archdiocese; Holy Redeemer, Chatham; Our Lady of Grace Chapel, South Chatham, 2016 July 6 Rev. Edmond Francis, SS.CC., Pastor, St. Mary, Fairhaven, 1963 Rev. Paul J. Price, SS.CC., 2006 July 7 Rev. James E. Lynch, Founder, St. Joan of Arc, Orleans, 1965 July 8 Rev. Edward J. Murphy, Pastor, St. Mary, Fall River, 1887 Rev. Msgr. Patrick J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, St. Julie Billiart, North Dartmouth, 1995
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Father Richard L. Chretien FALL RIVER — Father Richard L. Chretien, (80), a retired priest of the Diocese of Fall River, passed away Wednesday, June 15, at Catholic Memorial Home. Born in Fall River, he was a son of the late Charles E. and Lena R. (Longchamps) Chretien. Father Chretien was a graduate of Msgr. Prevost High School, class of 1959. He went on to pursue his education at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, R.I., and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, MD. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1967. Following his ordination, Father Chretien went on to be parochial vicar of St. George Church in Westport from 1967-1969; Sacred Heart Church in North Attleboro from 1969-1979; St. Joseph’s
Church in New Bedford from 1979-1983; and St. Theresa’s Church in New Bedford from 1983–1990. He served as Pastor of our Lady of Grace Church
in Westport from 19902000 and Notre Dame de Lourdes Church from 2000 until his retirement in 2012. He also became pastor of and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, while still at Notre Dame. He was the Chaplain of the Msgr. Prevost Council
of the Knights of Columbus in Fall River. Survivors include his brother Lucien A. Chretien and his wife Janet of Acushnet; his sister-inlaw Cheryl Chretien of Middleboro; his nephews: Patrick Chretien of Middleboro and David Chretien of Taunton; his nieces: Margaret Coe of Middleboro and Dr. Yvette Rose Chretien, DVM of Chelmsford; and several great nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Marcel R. Chretien. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated June 22, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, followed by interment in Notre Dame Cemetery, Fall River. Arrangements were entrusted to South Coast Funeral Home, 1555 Pleasant Street Fall River, 02723.
FACE preparing for 25th annual Cape Cod Summer Gala OSTERVILLE — The Foundation to Advance Catholic Education (FACE) raises money for scholarships to assist with the costs of a Catholic education. It works very closely with every Catholic school in the Diocese of Fall River to help make a Catholic education a reality. FACE is excited for the 25th Anniversary FACE Summer Gala on Cape Cod to be held on Thursday, August 4, at the Wianno Club in Osterville. Marilyn and Richard Colman, parishioners of
Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Osterville, will serve as co-chairs for this spectacular evening. During the event, the Al Makkay Sr. Award in recognition of outstanding contributions by an educator or staff member in the Catholic schools of Cape Cod will be presented to the honored recipient at the event. Guests will participate in the Exclusive Gift Raffle, Live Auction and Fund A Mission all while raising critical scholarship dollars for students in need! Hyannis Sound,
an a cappella group will perform. To learn more please visit the link to purchase tickets, become a sponsor or donate www.FACEsummergala.org or Scan the QR code below with your mobile device to go directly to the FACE Summer Gala page.
I
The news comes, and goes too quickly at times
was seven years old, a first-grader at St. Anne School in Fall River, when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed. We were in “ranks,” walking home, when the news started to spread. By the reactions of the adults I saw, I thought the world was coming to an end. Literally. That was my first exposure to real news. And back then, that news came in dribs and drabs. Of course the three major networks had around the clock coverage, but nothing like today. As I grew older the news became more and more a part of daily life, even for a youngster like me. The Vietnam War was ripe with all its horrors and controversy. I watched every evening as Walter Cronkite or Huntley and Brinkley gave the “scores” of the days battles: the killed, the wounded, the missing — for both sides. Footage from southeast Asia left a scary black and white image of a world I didn’t know. Later, I saw the news break of the assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. Again, it dominated the three
stations, but in dribs and drabs. There was good news, too, once in a while. I fondly remember watching the old black and white with my dad as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon with his iconic, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I watched in horror at the race riots and the violence at the party presidential conventions. In the early 1980s came the advent of CNN, where one could watch the suffering of the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The world was becoming much smaller each year. Society was also becoming the instant knowledge generation. We were becoming “spoiled” with knowing everything about everything — instantly. We got to see the opening salvos of Desert Storm and the bombing of Baghdad. Every conflict, every war, every bit of violence was
at our fingertips and eyeballs at the press of a remote. Today we can add the worldwide web to the equation, making news faster and the world even smaller. But all that came with a price. The price was the hardening of the human heart. We watched young students gunned down in their classrooms; brutalities of police against citizens and citizens against police; scandals and human atrocities. And we’ve grown colder with each. The latest war to be broadcast as it started was the war in Ukraine. The first few weeks, people were glued to their laptops, smart phones, and large screen TVs. We were horrified to see innocent people and modern cities killed and bombed beyond recognition. That
all started this past February 24. That ugly part of history hasn’t eased a bit. But interest has. I implore anyone who reads this column, please do not forget our brothers and sisters in Ukraine; what they are going through, what their world, which was so similar to ours, has become. While we’re complaining about food and fuel costs, please let’s say a prayer for the people there. This instant world has seemingly forgotten all about them. We cannot do the same. Let’s keep the hellish images of an insane war fresh in our minds and souls. Forgetting about it doesn’t make it go away — for them. There is still killing, rapes, destruction and evil in eastern Europe. Unlike our modern news availability, their suffering won’t go away in an instant. Remember Ukraine. Remember the people, and pray for both. davejolivet@anchornews.org
My Brother’s Keeper holds 12th Family Walk continued from page 13
particular, the demand for food in assistance in Massachusetts remains 30 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels and, unfortunately, shows no sign of slowing. While the walk and its ensuing family gathering was free for all participants, this event raised funds through generous donations and sponsorships alike. As My Brother’s Keeper’s largest event of the year, it will enable it to continue operating at an increased capacity in a time of significant need. All together, the event raised more than $223,000 to deliver food, furniture, and Christmas assistance to neighbors in need. While their services are an important part of their work, volunteers and staff at My Broth-
er’s Keeper know that even more important is delivering these items in a loving manner, which offers those they serve hope for better times ahead. This summer My Brother’s Keeper will begin a major renovation project at its Easton location. This project will provide the organization the space necessary to grow along with the increasing needs in our community. During this time, their work serving local families in need will take place out of a temporary location. This will include My Brother’s Keepers much loved Christmas program. To learn more about My Brother’s Keeper or to request assistance please visit their website at www.MyBrothersKeeper. org or call (508) 238–7512. June 24, 2022 †
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† June 24, 2022