FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD &"THE ISLANDS
teanc 0 FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1986
VOL. 30, NO.2
$8 Per Year
What the unchurched say
Gallup Poll results WASHINGTON (NC)·-· Some "unchurched" Americans would :consider joining the Catholic Church because it teaches that human life is sacred, that marriage is forever, and because of a sense of strong family ties among Catholics as well as moral and emotional support.
- 'Having Catholic relatives, friends or neighbors. - The teaching that marriage is a Hfelong vocation. - The belief Jesus Christ is both true God and true man and that Jesus Christ is alive today and is lord and savior of all people. Others find the church un- The teaching that human attractive because of its teach- life is sacred. . ings that abortion, artificial" - The availability of relibirth control 'and sex outside of gious instruction for children marriage are wrong, its "empha- and youth. sis" on money, and its upholding Reasons unchurched Ameri· of the pope as "universal shepcans gave for finding the Cath· herd of all Catholics." olic Church unattractive inThe reasons were given by cluded: people interviewed in a Gallup - The teaching that abortion, Poll conducted for the Paulist birth control and sex outside of Fathers' National Catholic Evan- mardageare wrong and that gelization Ass()ciation to assess marriage is lifelong. attitudes toward - joining the - The church's "emphasis" on Catholic Church. money. - The tradition of the pope A total of 3,050 adults, age 18 and older and selected at ran- as "universal shepherd of all dom from across the' country, Catholics." were interviewed in person. - Devotions to Mary and the saints. Sixty-seven percent of those. - The use of statues, rosainterviewed could be described as "churched" and 33 percent as ries, incense, holy water, candles and medals. "unchurched." The Gallup Poll results will The, study defined "unchurched" as,.those who had worshiped affect the type of materials the less than two times in a church Paulists' evangelization associaor synagogue during a 12-month tion designs to !l'each the un· period, excluding weiddings, churched, said Father Alvin funerals, Ch~istmas, Easter or Illig, director of the association. holy days. What the unchurched find atThe unchurched were asked to tractive about the. Catholic choose from a list of 45 items Church wiH be emphasized and !those wltich would be rtlhei'l" what is perceived as unattracmalin .reasons for considering tive, like its teaching on aborjoining - or rejoining - the tion and birth control, win· be Catholic Church and those rea- explained in detail, he said. sons that would keep them from "We had the survey conducted considering such 'a move. because we want to raise public Some reasons given for rOin- . awareness about the unchurched ing included: . and make Catholics realize that - The belief God exists and each one has the responsibility is creator of everything. to evangelize," said Father Illig.
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ORDAINED TO THE TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, center, in ceremonies last Saturday at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River, were, from left, Freddie Babiczuk, .David M. Andrade, Thomas A. Frechette, Timothy P. Reis and Maurice' O. Gauvin Jr. (Torchia photo)
Pro;olifers active here, on national level The Greater New Bedford chapter of Massachusetts Citizens for Life is spearheading diocesan observance of the 13th anniversary of the pro-abortion decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Members will sponsor a March for Life at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, gathering at Old New Bedford High SchOOl at County and William Streets. It will be followed by a rally at the old high school auditorium. The event will take place "rain, shine or snow," said Mary Ann Booth, among its organizers.
Rally mistress .of ceremonies will ,be Evelyn Geary Paquette, MeL vice-chairperson. Speakers will include Father Thomas L. Rita, director of the diocesan Pro-Life Apostolate; former New Bedford mayor Brian Lawler; Dr. Cynthia Kruger, chairperson of the department of education of Southeastern Massachusetts University and New Bedford Ward 3 city councilor; Rev. Mark Gelinas, pastor of the First Christian Church, Hicksvifle. Also Rev. Neil Damgaard of the Dartmouth Dible Church; Dr. David Constantine, past presi-
dent of Greater New Bedford MCL; Martha Su,llivan, the present president; Joseph Goyette, president of the Concerned Christian Coalition. Chris Spoor, Fall River, of Women Exploited by Abortion; Ron Burnett, minister, First Church of Christ, Fall River; Robert Kiess, MD, family practitioner, North Dartmouth; Karen Brienzo, mother of a child for whom abortion was advised for medical reasons but who was delivered in good health. Singers on the program will be David Andrews, First Christian Turn to Page Two
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Tanigllt at LiA~olnPad~. room, North Dartmouth, tt of exceptional and underprlyileged children will dance to the music at the AIRairi~me.9t chestra 'and Mont'MusicatUle :315t annual nishop's Charity Ball. Benefiting fraIt!. the proc~4s of the SOCial andc~@,ritableev~llt will be four di<ltesan summer camps serving exceptional arid
.ndS ':~,~~~l')dX~~~~ds distrjc~iicou:ne!l1:lilg ·of.t 'of>the St;"Vincent de Paul 'Kenneth ger -and'. the ·l S"O¢iety, and Mrs. Aubtey Arm- duction of Bishop <::ronin by: F:estivitieswm:l . begin "at 8 . the 'Qailroom' wi" usic ~tl'Qng. president of the.· Dioce.. Msgr. Al')thony M. Gomes, di~ri ·Council.ofCatholic.:Women..· san b~I~.)~irector.':Villfol1o~!i,' ';' Rainone's'orcand ' · · : . o i l 'j "',", . . will bei~e 16th appearance<>~i at " '. p;m. irt'the lounge' with ..Robert ·McGuirk of North ··Bishop Cronin as the Charity; Monte Music.. Pighton, repl'esenting the Vin- . .' At 9:05 the bishop Will be ceotians' Taunton district Coun' .' Ball's honored guest. bers, eremo
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am To of Ele will e presentation of young ladieS from diocesan parishes to Bishop Daniel A. ' . The. g womeri'wiU' senteel e bishop by their 'fathers or other
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}( .. tQ ....w •. •. . .• . .men. ~li~¢sJC it ishop. ," .. . .. . ... .dent of the Cape Dancing, a grand march, sing. Ball tickets will be available. Maneely, pre at the door.
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