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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

Friday, January 12, 2018

The Sister Rose House in New Bedford has been providing overflow shelter for the homeless during the recent cold snap that has been making it difficult for those living on the streets. The need is great for supplies and volunteers. Story on page three. (Photo by Kenneth J. Souza)

Diocese offering exciting career opportunity to lead local Church into the future. Explore details in ad on page two.

Artwork by Emilie Jolivet

Photo by Dave Jolivet The Anchor - January 12, 2018 1

Catholic Communications Collection supports diocesan TV Mass FALL RIVER — The annual Catholic Communication Campaign collection will

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be taken up at parish Masses in the Fall River Diocese during the weekend of Janu-

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

ary 20 and 21.

This yearly national campaign is designed as a shared collection,

meaning half of the proceeds stay in the local diocese and the other half is forwarded

to the Catholic Communication Campaign office of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference.

The portion remaining in the Fall River Diocese is used to fund the weekly Television Mass, which airs at 11 a.m. each Sunday on WLNETV, Channel 6. The annual cost for the Television Mass averages slightly over $10,000 each year including production, airtime and closedcaptioning — all of which are handled by different entities.

In addition to proceeds from the weekend’s CCC collection, the Television Mass is also supported by the Catholic Charities Appeal.

At the national level, the CCC helps the Church spread the Gospel message through television, radio, print, social networks and the Internet by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference staff and other grantee organizations here in the U.S. and abroad.

To learn more about the Catholic Communication Campaign and the important work it supports, visit www. usccb.org/ccc.

Donations to support the Diocesan Television Mass may also be sent directly at any time to the Television Mass, Fall River Diocese, P.O. Box 2577, Fall River, Mass. 02722.

CSS shelters offer overflow accommodations during cold snap

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff kensouza@anchornews.org

NEW BEDFORD — In the midst of an extended cold snap where evening temperatures dipped into the singledigit marks for nearly two weeks, emergency shelters within the Fall River Diocese managed by Catholic Social Services have become a warm and welcomed respite for the homeless and indigent.

“I’m hearing that we haven’t seen temperatures like this in more than 100 years, which startled everybody,” said Raymond Duarte, manager of the Sister Rose House and companion Grace House in New Bedford. “I think today makes day 20 and during our total season last year, we opened (the overflow shelter) 43 times.

We’re always trying to raise money — that’s our big concern right there.”

Places like the Sister Rose House, Grace House, and the St. Joseph

House in Hyannis have extreme temperatures.” ity two or three times last seen a steady influx of Thankfully, Duarte year, and it’s already been “overflow” clients added said the City of New many times this year. That’s to their short- and longBedford does provide our major concern with the term guest lists in recent about $10,000 in funding (remaining) funding.” weeks. to handle the overflow, But by the time a blizAccording to Duarte, and he receives another zard dumped up to a foot the lower level of snow or more on soup kitchen uarte said it’s important to keep the area last week, facility at the Duarte said they in mind that we all could f ind former St. Hedhad already used wig Church has ourselves in a similar situation one day, about half of that needing a helping hand. “If I was unbeen filled to overflow source employed, it probably would be a short capacity during funding. the day and even time before I needed to seek shelter, so While the dayI keep that in mind,” he said. “I don’t more critical to-day operations overnight hours. bank on homelessness — I would give of the Sister Rose up my job tomorrow if homelessness “They’ve House and Grace could be eradicated and not look back.” been coming in House are manand we can at aged and funded least sit them at through the diocesan tables,” Duarte recently $10,000 from Rise Up Catholic Social Services, told The Anchor. “Some For Homes, a collaboraDuarte said the additionof them will put their tive non-profit dedicated al funding is used to hire legs up on two chairs and to helping the homeless. per diem volunteers. we try to rotate them.

“On average, I’d say we “With the money we I’ve been allowing them have 25 people here (every get from Rise Up For to sit and stay in the night),” Duarte said. “The Homes and the City of soup kitchen. Where the highest number I’ve seen New Bedford, we’re able weather is this brutal, a is 32. In weather like this, to hire per diem staff to lot of towns will have to you will get some people handle the overflow,” he plan some type of emerwho will come just to get said. “We usually staff in gency management serthe meal, and we allow that, four-hour intervals. I try vices to provide help to too. We were only at capac- to keep the counts down those in need with these

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to keep everybody wanting to come. It’s been pretty easy going and there’s been an endless stream of food coming in and Robin Muise has been a Godsend in helping coordinate the volunteers. She takes a huge workload off my back so I can pay attention to some of the other details here with the main floor.”

Even without the recent arctic temperatures to contend with, Duarte said November, December and January are typically the busiest months at the shelter.

“At this time of year, we tend on average to only have one or two extra beds available on any given night,” he said.

“But we tend to be right at capacity on the floors, which is 36 total — 25 males at the main facility and 11 females at the Grace House (next door).

And normally it would be 25 in the overflow, but Turn to page 15

Diocese of Fall River

OFFICIAL His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River, has accepted the nomination of the Reverend Louis M. Caputo, S.D.V., USA Delegate of the Vocationist Fathers, and has made the following appointment: Rev. Rowland Onuegbu, S.D.V., part-time Chaplain of Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis and Chaplain to the Bristol County Correctional Facility with residence at Saint Patrick Rectory in Wareham.

Effective: January 15, 2018 The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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Eleven Diocese of Fall River Catholic schools receive School Solutions Seed Fund Grants

FALL RIVER — The Diocese of Fall River Catholic Schools Alliance is excited to announce that 11 of its schools have received School Solutions Seed Fund Grants from the Carney Family Charitable Foundation for a total of $66,498.

Each school submitted an application identifying a promising on-the-ground solution to address current challenges facing their school. Seed fund grants will provide an opportunity for schools to move quickly to test, create, or pilot innovative solutions or new ideas, or make a mid-course correction to work already underway as a response to an identified need or challenge students face.

The following is a brief summary of each of the 11 projects that will be implemented during the spring 2018 semester.

Bishop Stang High School, New Bedford Project Name: Let There Be Light Let There Be Light is a multidisciplinary project through which faculty and students from environmental science, chemistry, biochemistry and physics classes will create a Microbial Fuel Cell from mud that will produce enough elec-

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tricity to light a bulb bright enough to allow someone to read in the dark. Additionally, the project will be completed in collaboration with students and faculty at St. Mary’s Junior Seminary, located on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In addition to enhancing global awareness, success for this project means that faculty and students have taken a challenging, “realworld” issue; collaboratively applied research, STEM and problem-solving skills; and worked to solve it.

Coyle and Cassidy High School, Taunton Project Name: Implementing Brown University’s Choices Program The Choices Program from Brown University is a series of 41 historical and current events modules that will help students understand pivotal points in history and current issues.

The Choices Program will help students develop an understanding of historical contingency as well as events in the present day.

Each module combines primary sources, videos, online activities, and handson activities. Through the implementation of the Choices Program students will learn to engage in

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

thoughtful discussion and develop a language of values that helps them understand the past and current events.

Espirito Santo School, Fall River Project Name: Strengthening Math-Science Connections in the Middle Grades “Strengthening MathScience Connections in the Middle Grades” will provide students with some of the tools needed to appropriately address the updated science standards while focusing on encouraging students’ mathematical thinking and bolstering their skills. Success would be reflected not only in improved assessment scores but also in the quantity and quality of “math talk” during science.

Holy Family-Holy Name School, New Bedford Project Name: Responsive Classroom Holy Family-Holy Name School, in collaboration with St. Joseph School in Fairhaven, St. James-St. John School in New Bedford, St. Francis Xavier School in Acushnet and All Saints Catholic School in New Bedford will be providing an opportunity for their staff to be trained in the Responsive Classroom model. The Responsive Classroom approach aims to bring a strong focus between academic success and social-emotional learning (SEL). Training in Responsive Classroom will empower educators to create safe, joyful and engaging learning settings where students have a sense of belonging and feel that they can and do succeed. It will be known that it is successful when the difference in the students’ approach to learning, their connectedness in

their lives between academics and social skills, and in the overall receptiveness to learn in a safe setting in the classroom is seen.

Holy Trinity School, Fall River Project Name: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Ceramics Holy Trinity is excited to implement “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Ceramics” to help children who are dealing with special learning and behavioral concerns. Through their work in creating slab and wheel thrown projects students will learn fine motor skills, attention to detail, and patience. These skills will translate into the classroom, allowing students to reach their full potential.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Taunton Project Name: Social-Emotional Curriculum With so many challenges in society today, the faculty of Our Lady of Lourdes School realizes that children need support on the social and emotional levels.

Children who are struggling with social or emotional problems have difficulty learning. The school chose to invest in a curriculum that will help students to identify and handle their feelings and to navigate the social world, so that they can be more successful in school and learn important life skills.

St. James-St. John School, New Bedford Project Name: 3-D Printer St. James-St. John School will be purchasing a 3-D printer package to further enhance its Middle School Science and Math programs. Working with community partners, with a focus on STREAM, the

school will be able to offer students an opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment that is innovative and challenging. This new tool will spark the imagination of students, engaging reluctant learners, and preparing students to be well-equipped, and strong leaders of the future.

St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro Project Name: Interactive Learning through Coding Learning facts is an obvious necessity in an academic environment, but facts are not the final goal. This grant will enable the school to enhance learning by incorporating a flexible technological platform. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate and find solutions in open-ended problems.

This project uses coding as a platform for employing the academic principles learned in the classroom.

St. Joseph School, Fairhaven Project Name: New Bedford Symphony Orchestra Symphony Symbiosis Students from St. Joseph’s will attend the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra Symphony Symbiosis. Through this program students will explore the concept of balance in music and ecology. Students will explore various ecosystems to analyze whether they demonstrate elements of stability or imbalance. In music, students will explore balance in classical music — hear how composers achieve balance through the orchestration of musical parts among musical instruments. Students will also create observation squares and visit local salt marshes.

St. Pius X School, South Turn to page 16

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor davejolivet@anchornews.org

Area clergy, faithful thrilled with news of ‘Rosary Priest’ being recognized as Venerable

of the Father Peyton Guild, stricken with tuberculoPriest’s tireless efforts, Holy told The Anchor. sis. A priest advisor at the Cross Family Ministries Susan Wallace, director University of Notre Dame became and still is a vital EASTON — Although of Marketing at presence in the signs were pointing toward Holy Cross Family salvific mission of a favorable result, the DeMinistries, an embringing souls to cember 18 announcement ployee there since Christ. In 1941 that Pope Francis autho2000, and who has Father Peyton rized the Congregation for assisted Father founded Family the Causes of Saints to pro- Raymond told The Rosary and Family mulgate a decree regarding Anchor, “When it Theater ProducHoly Cross Father Patrick became definite, tions in 1943. UnPeyton recognizing his I welled up with der the umbrella of heroic virtues, thus declartears, with such joy.

Holy Cross Family ing him as Venerable, was Years ago I never Ministries, these received with overwhelmknew if I would entities, along with ing joy and excitement by be around to see Father Peyton Holy Cross Father Willy something like this Family Institutes Raymond, president of happen for Father in Peru and InHoly Cross Family MinPeyton. I became dia, form an army istries and Father David S. more emotional whose weapon of Marcham, vice postulator than I thought I choice is the Rosaof the cause. would.” ry, and the desire to “We knew the vote was Father Peyton strengthen families going before the cardinals introduced the Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., across the world. and it looked good, but faithful to two Venerable Faspeaking at a Rosary rally in 1958. (Photo from when it became official on well-known mes- FatherPeyton.org) ther Peyton once December 18, it was such a sages: “The family said, “The Rosary joy and momentous step in that prays together reaches the coal Father Peyton’s sainthood stays together,” and “A where Patrick was studyminer, the taxi driver, the cause,” Father Raymond world at prayer is a world at ing urged the young man housewife, all the lonely told The Anchor. “On a Spir- peace.” to trust in the power of the people in their sorrows and itual level, it’s something “Having come up with Blessed Mother’s intercesfears. It gives them somethat many people have those iconic sayings so long sion. He did and astonished thing for their intelligence been praying for for 25 ago, some people don’t real- his doctors with a complete and their senses. It embodyears. Some here at Holy ize that it was Father Peyrecovery. ies the Good News that Cross Family Ministries ton who first said them,” At that moment Patrick Jesus loves you because you have been here for 17 or so said Father Raymond.

Peyton felt the calling to are His brother or sister.” years and prayed the Rosary “Some folks attribute them spread devotion to Mary The Anchor spoke with every day for this, and the to Archbishop Fulton so all could learn of and Dorothy Halloran via a prayers were answered.

Sheen or even St. Mother utilize her great intercestelephone interview from “On a practical level, all Teresa. But it was Father sory powers with her Son, her home in Albany, N.Y., the hard work of all those Peyton.”

Jesus. the first headquarters for involved in the process of Father Peyton, also well Over the next half cenFather Peyton’s Family Father Peyton’s sainthood known as the “Rosary tury Father Patrick Peyton Rosary ministry. She was cause has been rewarded Priest,” was introduced to introduced millions to the thus far. This will help our the prayer as a young lad power of the Rosary all ministry with the publicity growing up with his moth- across the globe. that this will bring.” er, father and siblings in It was his zeal and pas“My initial reaction after Carracastle, County Mayo, sion for Our Lord and His learning that Father Peyton Ireland.

Blessed Mother that drove would become Venerable The Peyton Family, him to share it with all he was one of joy; the type of though eking out a meager met. joy that makes you want to living on the farm, prayed Father Peyton died in share the good news and the Rosary every evening.

1992 at the age of 83 in all that it means with your That faith sustained PatSan Pedro, Calif. His final family, friends, parishioners rick, especially through the words were, “Mary, my — the world,” Father Mar- time that, as a seminarian queen, my mother.” cham, who is also director in the United States, he was Through the Rosary

delighted with the news of his becoming Venerable.

“I was so pleased with the news,” she said. “He was a man so involved with the ministries of family Rosary and family prayer that his head was in the clouds sometimes.”

Halloran began working at Family Rosary in Albany while still attending high school. She began working there full time when she graduated in 1948. “It was hard work,” she continued.

“Father Peyton was not an easy man to work for, but you always wanted to be there and do what he asked.”

Halloran attended some of the worldwide Rosary Rallies with Father Peyton.

“That’s when the work was really tough, but it was rewarding,” she said. “He said the same thing, but it was how he said it that was so touching to me.”

Halloran worked with Father Peyton until 1960 when she was married.

She returned when her children had grown in 1982. “You know,” she told The Anchor, “when I went back and I began taking dictation or he wrote something, I started to keep every slip of paper. I didn’t think of sainthood, but I had a feeling I should keep them. Those papers turned Turn to page 19

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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Anchor Editorial

DACA and TPS

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles said in a statement on Tuesday, “Once again, we begin a new year with uncertainty and fear over immigration, and this year our leaders in Congress face a hard deadline. On March 5, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will expire, meaning that some 690,000 young people will lose their permission to work in this country and will face deportation.”

The archbishop’s statement came out in the midst of National Migration Week ( January 7 to 13), an annual observance of the Catholic Church. The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, had issued a message to the nation before the week began.

He wrote, “For nearly 50 years, this week has been a time of prayer and reflection on our history as a migrant Church and nation. In these five decades, the face of the immigrant may have changed — European, Asian, South American, and elsewhere — but their faces reveal a common desire to secure the great blessings of American opportunity.

“Pope Francis, in his statement on the World Day of Peace on Jan. 1, 2018 [which you can read on page 20 of this edition of The Anchor], advises us that if we view the situation of migrants and refugees through the wisdom of our faith ‘we discover that they do not arrive empty-handed. They bring their courage, skills, energy and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures; and in this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them.’”

The cardinal concluded, “This week, I invite everyone to reflect on the Holy Father’s words as well as on your own family’s immigration story. Please also join me in prayer for all families, as together, we ‘Share the Journey’ toward a better life” [The cardinal was referring at the end to the “Share the Journey” initiative which Pope Francis kicked off last year].

Monday the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it was ending the Temporary Protective Status program for people who came here from El Salvador after some natural disasters at the beginning of the millennium. In response, Bishop José Vasquez of Austin, the chairman of the USCCB’s committee on migration, stated, “The decision to terminate TPS for El Salvador is heartbreaking. El Salvador is currently not in a position to adequately handle the return of the roughly 200,000 Salvadoran TPS recipients. Families will be needlessly separated because of this decision.”

Bishop Vasquez continued, “We believe that God has called us to care for the foreigner and the marginalized: ‘So you too should love the resident alien, for that is what you were in the land of Egypt’ (Deut 10:19). Our nation must not turn its back on TPS recipients and their families; they too are children of God. DHS has provided an 18-month period (through Sept. 9, 2019) during which TPS recipients from El Salvador can legally stay in the United States and prepare for their departure. “We renew our call to Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to find a legislative solution for long-term TPS recipients, and we stand ready to support such efforts. TPS recipients are an integral part of our communities, churches, and nation.” This is especially true in New Bedford, on Cape Cod and Nantucket, each of which have significant Salvadoran populations, who had been assisted by Catholic Social Services’ immigration attorneys to apply for TPS more than a decade ago.

Bishop Vasquez concluded, “As with DACA, we strongly urge Congressional OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER www.anchornews.org

Vol. 62, No. 1

Published bi-weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720, Telephone 508-675-7151 — FAX 508-675-7048, email: theanchor@anchornews.org. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $20.00 per year, for U.S. addresses.

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PUBLISHER - Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Richard D. Wilson fatherwilson@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne R. Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza kensouza@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherwilson@anchornews.org

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018

members and leadership to come together and address this issue as soon as possible. To Salvadoran TPS recipients, we promise to continue to stand in solidarity with you and pray for you and your families, and all those who are displaced or forced to flee from their homes.”

Returning to the DACA program, Archbishop Gomez wrote, “The story of these young people, called ‘Dreamers,’ is well-known. Brought to this country as children by undocumented parents or family members, they are not ‘illegal’ through any fault of their own. Today, the ‘Dreamers’ are the ‘poster children’ for how broken our system is and how unhealthy and unproductive our political discourse has become.

“By any measure, these are the kind of young people that our country should be encouraging. Nearly everyone — 97 percent — is either in school or in the workforce. About five percent have already started their own business; 15 percent have bought their first homes. These are good kids and we should want to help them to develop their God-given potentials, to keep their families together and to make their own contribution to the American dream.

“They are vital to our economic future. In a letter to congressional leaders in September, more than 800 executives representing every sector of the economy agreed that DACA youths contribute more than $460 billion to our economy and another $24 billion in taxes,” according to the archbishop.

Later in his statement, he wrote, “There is a lot of passionate talk about how immigrants take jobs from Americans and drive down wages. Is this really the case? In agricultural centers like California’s Central Valley, farmers this year again could not find enough workers to harvest their crops. Even as minimum wages and benefits have risen across the country, employers say there are not enough American-born workers who want to do the low-skilled and low-wage work needed in our fields and construction sites, hotels and other areas.”

The California prelate lamented, “Fixing DACA, then, should be easy. Everybody seems to realize that it would be cruel to punish them for the wrongs of their parents, deporting them to countries of origin that they have never seen, where they may not even know the language. And yet here we are. It is eight weeks until the deadline and these young people find themselves stuck in the middle of a much broader debate about border walls, national security and the inner workings of our visa system.”

The archbishop agreed that lengthy debates should be had about the other issues he mentioned, but that resolving DACA is a pressing issue, affecting the lives of human beings (who could be at risk in the countries they left as children), while reworking the entire immigration system cannot be done in two months.

“Our system has been broken for too long and there is too much that is wrong.

Congress should take the time to debate the issues properly and to truly fashion an immigration system that reflects the global realities of the 21st-century economy,” he said. “The point is that we need a total reform of our immigration system, and it should not be tied to the current debate over DACA and the ‘Dreamers.’”

The archbishop concluded (and we concur with him), “So, I hope you will join me in urging our leaders in Congress to help them in a spirit of generosity and justice. And we need to tell our leaders that fixing DACA should be the first step in the systematic immigration reform that has long been overdue in our country.”

Daily Readings Jan. 13 — Jan. 26

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 13, 1 Sm 9:1-4,17-19; 10:1a; Ps 19:8-10; Mk 2:13-17. Sun. Jan. 14, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1 Sm 3:3b-10,19; Ps 40:2, 4,7-10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a,17-20; Jn 1:35-42. Mon. Jan. 15, 1 Sm 15:16-23; Ps 50:8-9, 16-17,21,23; Mk 2:18-22. Tues. Jan. 16, 1 Sm 16:1-13; Ps 89:20-22,27-28; Mk 2:2328. Wed. Jan. 17, 1 Sm 17:32-33,37,40-51; Ps 144:1-2,9-10; Mk 3:1-6. Thurs. Jan. 18, 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Ps 56:2-3,9-14; Mk 3:7-12. Fri. Jan. 19, 1 Sm 24:3-21; Ps 57:2-4,6,11; Mk 3:13-19.

Sat. Jan. 20, 2 Sm 1:1-4,11-12,19,23-27; Ps 80:2-3,5-7; Mk 3:20-21. Sun. Jan. 21, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jon 3:1-5,10; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20. Mon. Jan. 22, 2 Sm 5:1-7,10; Ps 89:20-22,25-26; Mk 3:22-30. Tues.

Jan. 23, 2 Sm 6:12b-15,17-19; Ps 24:7-10; Mk 3:31-35. Wed. Jan. 24, 2 Sm 7:417; Ps 89:4-5,27-30; Mk 4:1-20. Thurs. Jan. 25, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-18. Fri. Jan. 26, 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:1-3,7-8a,10; Mk 4:26-34.

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efore Christmas, Time magazine named the “Silence Breakers” their 2017 Persons of the Year. Time focused fundamentally on the women who courageously came forward to bring into the light the sordid sexual abuse and harassment they had suffered silently for years at the clutches of powerful entertainment and political leaders who, once acclaimed and admired, are now scorned and humiliated as perverts.

The sudden fall of so many is yet one more instance of Jesus’ prophetic warning to hypocrites of every age, “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.

Whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops” (Lk 12:2-3).

Eventually the truth comes out. Eventually some form of justice, in this world or the next, comes to those who commit injustice, and to those who endure it.

While much ink has been dedicated to the names of celebrity predators and victims and the breadth of the plague, analysis of the causes has been shallow to nonexistent. With sexual abuse, the problem is popularly framed as fundamentally a lack of any or true consent; the link to sexual harassment, though, in rejected unwanted advances or in degrading comments, glances, or other behavior, points us to a deeper root: a total failure to appreciate the other’s personal dignity, through relating to the other mainly as an object for one’s gratification or consumption.

And where does that sexual objectification of the other originate? It comes from not just the lust of the flesh and the desire for domination that are consequences of original sin. It is abetted, and abetted strongly, by a culture that is increasingly celebrating and enslaved to lust, one that, rather than fighting it, features, foments, and fêtes the

Reaping what we’re sowing

but downright destructive, sexually-addicted objectification of others. We are reaping focused fundamentally on what we’re sowing. And when technique and the importance of consent, rather than on we sow poisonous seeds, we forming hearts and minds shouldn’t be shocked by a to respect the others’ dignity. harvest of toxic fruit.

It treats sex as a recreational We know that lust and contact sport rather than as a license, perverts and predathing of genuine love linked tors, have to some degree to commitment and to the always existed. What’s different in the 50 years since the sexual revolution — like the Putting Into episodic degeneracy of the bacchanalia the Deep that preceded the fall of ancient emperors

By Father and empires — is that Roger J. Landry they’re no longer seen as evils to be opposed.

Just like sadists can use a situation of war for their natural generation of children.

The general permissiveness bloodlust and get cover for killing innocents, so the sexual that leads educators to train young kids how to use various revolution has made it possible for predators to carry out forms of contraception — under the pessimistic premise their flesh lust. How many that they could never exercise more casualties from the self-control for the sake of a sexual revolution do we want greater good, like fidelity to to make? a future spouse, or their own Sexual predators aren’t dignity and long-term hapjust those who violate others’ piness, or even justice to their freedom; they’re those who Creator — teaches them, violate others’ dignity. While consent may make exploiting explicitly or subliminally, that they’re animals without power others for sexual gratificaultimately to say no to their tion legal, it doesn’t make sexual urges. Once the young it any less immoral. Those have ingested that moral who use prostitutes prey on poison, the only means left them and fuel the demand to restrain future Weinsteins behind the whole sex trafis really the threat of legal ficking scourge. Those who fuel the pornography industry punishment, or public shame, or perhaps venereal disease. prey on the women, men or There’s a better way, which children objectified as well we’ll talk about below. as on the consumers who While multiple causes have become increasingly intericontributed to the widespread orly enslaved. Those who use sexual objectification, coerTinder or otherwise engage cion, and abuse of women, in the hookup culture are one that deserves special note mutually using each other as this year is contraception. objects to satisfy harmonious hedonisms. Now we have the 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Blessed Paul VI’s Humanae rise of the sexbots — robots Vitae, the Church’s prescient resembling movie stars or response, basically, to the models, or even children or invention of the birth conrape victims — with which trol pill. Paul VI recognized the owners can fantasize and that contraception would masturbate. What habits, we have to ask, are being formed change the way men looked at women and interacted in the hearts of people who with them sexually, inside and make such choices? outside of Marriage. Before, For two-plus generations, every woman was a potential moreover, in most places, sexual education has not only mother of the man’s child, a fact that often sharpened his been woefully inadequate

eyes and put brakes on his impulses. With widespread contraception — and later, access to abortion as a fall back when contraception was forgotten or failed — man began to regard women far more easily as an object, to use her body for his pleasure, and to discard her afterward.

Paul VI said that it doesn’t take much reflection on the consequences of birth control methods to realize that contraception would “open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards.” Once a man, he said, “grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods [he] may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection” (HV 17).

A culture of contraception rejects the maternal meaning of a woman’s body in the very act by which a woman can become a mother. Once woman’s full dignity and nature are no longer embraced in the love making between spouses, we should not be surprised at how quickly, Paul VI was indicating, respect for women and woman’s dignity will collapse in other sexual contexts.

What’s the alternative? If we’re really serious at creating a culture in which no woman

ever has to tweet #MeToo, then we must stop sowing toxic weeds and start spreading fruitful wheat. It’s time for an honest conversation about, and vigorous education in, personal and cultural chastity.

Contrary to popular confusion, chastity is not equated with continence, abstinence or celibacy; it’s raising one’s attractions and interactions with another to the dignity of the person as a whole. St. John Paul II taught that it’s tied to purity (seeking God in another, for “the pure of heart will see God”), piety (reverencing the other as God’s image) and love (willing the good of the other as other; treating the other as a subject with his or her own ends, rather than as a means to one’s own; and ultimately sacrificing oneself and others desires for the other’s good).

A culture of chastity is one in which a woman is more easily respected as she ought to be, so that no woman needs to suffer the objectification that can lead to harassment and abuse.

A culture of chastity forms people with the self-mastery necessary to love rather than exploit others, to recognize lust for the poison it is, to reject the interior attitudes that can lead to objectification and predatory behavior, and to strengthen them courageously to say no to sexual coercion.

A culture of chastity is long overdue and needed now more than ever.

Anchor columnist Father Landry can be contacted at fatherlandry@ catholicpreaching.com.

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A

major study published on December 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that hormonal contraception increases the risk of breast cancer for women. The research used all of Denmark as its sample, following nearly 1.8 million Danish women of childbearing age for over a decade.

The study, as described by the New York Times, “upends widely-held assumptions about modern contraceptives for younger generations of women,” especially the view that “newer hormonal contraceptives are much safer than those taken by their mothers or grandmothers.” It also establishes that the risk to women increases with longer periods of use. Major media

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The ‘bitter pill’ of false liberation outlets have done their Countless women, she best to minimize the imemphasizes, have ended plications of the study and up being vulnerable to, “soften the blow” for the and harmed by, the sexual millions who, for decades, revolution and its promohave faithfully embraced a tion of contraception as “contraceptive mentality.” “the solution.” They have This mentality has been given a “bitter pill” in promoted contraception, the form of the Pill. especially the Pill, as a In a remarkably prepath for women to move toward Making Sense equality with men by enabling them Out of to reap the “benBioethics efits” of the sexual

By Father Tad revolution.

Pacholczyk But Mary Rice Hasson, J.D., director of the Catholic Women’s Forum scient passage dating back at the Ethics and Public to July, 1968, Pope Paul Policy Center in Washing- VI already foresaw this ton, D.C. notes that the in his encyclical Humareality for women is very nae Vitae, the momentous different, and “our lived and beautiful document experience has shown that explaining not only the this is a false promise.” moral problems with contraception, but also its devastating effects on men, families and women in particular.

Contraception, he writes, opens a wide and easy road “towards conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality. Not much experience is needed in order to know human weakness, and to understand that men — especially the young, who are so vulnerable on this point — have need of encouragement to be faithful to the moral law, so that they must not be offered some easy means of eluding its observance.

It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anticonceptive practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and, no longer caring for her physical and psychological equilibrium, may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

his respected and beloved companion.”

Paul VI offers a profound, but unpopular, observation — that contraception is harmful to women, and is, in fact, anti-woman. The widespread adoption of the “contraceptive mentality” has led inexorably to a new perspective on women, namely, that they should be more like men, and therefore they should, like men, become impregnable, through the ongoing practice of contraception. Very young women, sometimes just entering puberty, are now placed onto regimens of hormonal contraception that can continue for years or even decades. From this perspective, their ability to conceive life becomes tantamount to a malady needing to be remedied, a “defect” that renders them “unequal” to men. Strikingly, though, ever greater numbers of women are discovering an authentic and liberating form of feminism as they come to the awareness that, in the words of Hasson, “we don’t have a design flaw. Being a woman is good and it’s a wonderful thing.”

Wonderful, too, is that confident feminism and liberating sense of selfcontrol that enables a woman to choose abstinence before Marriage, rather than contraception, and, once married, to choose periodic abstinence in agreement with her husband if their circumstances indicate they ought to avoid a pregnancy.

Hormonal contraceptives, meanwhile, throw a wrench into the works

on a number of different levels. Beyond setting up a woman to be “used” by men, the Pill (and hormone-releasing IUDs) cause significant alterations in her delicatelybalanced physiology. These include restricting her ability to ovulate, altering her cycles and secretions, and modifying her uterine lining — in effect, forcing her body into a pseudopregnant state to exclude the possibility of a real pregnancy.

Whenever a woman takes these kinds of steps to disrupt her natural fertility, it should come as little surprise that her body rebels in one fashion or another, including possible weight gain, headaches, depression, and the heightened and well-documented risk of thrombotic stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and — as confirmed by the recent study — breast cancer. A woman’s body doesn’t stand in need of being “fixed” by these powerful drugs that wreak havoc on her biology.

The Church’s ageless but countercultural teaching on contraception respects and uplifts women. It supports them in an authentic feminism that affirms their uniquely important maternal role in family and society, and esteems their fruitfulness in Marriage not as a defect, but as a real gift.

Anchor columnist Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, and serves as the director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www. ncbcenter.org.

T

he holiday season is behind us and we are quickly reminded that the gloom of winter is in much need of welcoming light and warmth.

Yet it is in the silence of winter that we are invited to listen, to hear, and to recognize the voice of God. Winter is an austere reminder of what we dislike most in our lives. The long cold days, the frozen tundra, and the feeling of isolation as visitors become limited due to weather and temperatures. Yet, the readings this weekend offer promise and hope, a way out of our desolate lives and frozen existences.

The first reading gives us Samuel, a young man who was learning all he could from Eli, who heard a voice calling, and with help, was able to understand its meaning. In the Gospel, John’s Apostles heard his comment, “Behold the Lamb of God,” and quickly heeded the message, approaching Jesus and following Him. Like Samuel and John’s Apostles, we too, are being asked to listen, to hear and to take heed of the messages. When we look out our windows at the snow-covered terrain, lets us remember that so much promise lies beneath that white veil.

There is life waiting to sprout forth, green grass and flowers lie dormant waiting to adorn pastures and fields. Waiting on the warmth of the sun to awaken them, making them whole and new again.

We, too, are like the winter landscape, with something within us that also longs for the warmth

Speak Lord, I am listening of the Son, and a deeper in our troubled world. We awakening. We, too, are yearn for peace, for love, listening and searching for compassion and truth. for what can make us feel We want these things for whole and alive. It took ourselves, our families Samuel and Eli to figure and for the world. out that God was the Back in 2000, there was One calling and stirring Samuel into action. It was In the Palm John who helped of His Hands the Apostles recognize the MesBy Rose Mary siah, prompting Saraiva them to follow Jesus.

For many of us, it takes the nudging of a movie, “Pay It Forothers to help us discern ward,” in which Trevor our paths, and give us (Haley Joel Osment), a clarity and direction. For young boy affects change myself — retreats, days of in his world with simple reflections and Spiritual acts of kindness. But advisors to name a few, rather than repaying the have helped me along person who did him a my life’s journey. In all kindness, he prompts circumstances, I have others to do something found the hand of God kind for another person stirring in my life, and in in response. His actions all that I have done and created a chain reaction accomplished. But to say that went way beyond his that I recognized God’s school and community. handiwork in every turn would be a lie, often it was the Eli’s and John’s in my life who helped me to hear and see more clearly.

They were my guides FALMOUTH — Once helping me recognize again, supporters of Catholic the voice of God and the education are invited to enpresence of the Messiah joy a winter brunch on Cape in my life.

Cod, complete with food We are all students and and festivities while at the searchers, straining to same time assisting Catholic hear the words that can school students in the Fall change us, and seeking River Diocese. the truth that can bring The 13th annual Foundaus closer to God. In the tion to Advance Catholic Gospel, Jesus’ asks the Education, Inc., winter Apostles, “What are you brunch will be hosted by looking for?” A question Bishop of Fall River Edgar that was not only true for M. da Cunha, S.D.V. those followers then, but The event will take place stands true for us today. on Sunday, February 4, at What is it that we feel the Coonamessett Inn of stirring inside, what voice Falmouth. Proceeds from do we long to hear, what the event benefit FACE, pulls at our hearts? Jesus which provides need-based is calling us, asking us to scholarships to children atfollow, to be the change tending Catholic schools on

He heeded the words of his teacher, and impacted a change.

In the reading and the Gospel, we are being reminded that God works within us and through us to exact change in our world, to improve upon the human condition, and to be catalysts for justice and all it represents. We, like Samuel and the Apostles, are asked to trust, to believe and to follow the stirrings of our hearts. We are asked to be disciples, to learn to live with open hearts and minds, open to the promptings of God and all that comes from His Divine love. To be ready and willing to do the work of the Lord, helping others to hear, understand, and find what they are looking for.

We live in a world that is

searching for good, longing to believe, a world hungry for the change, and searching for the truth and knowledge that we are all deserving children of God. A change that can come about, when we ourselves begin to change in positive, loving ways, recognizing that we carry within the warmth of the Son. When we allow this light and warmth to radiate from within, we can begin to break through the frozen tundra that has enveloped so many around us. The world needs those who are willing to be like Samuel, inviting God into our lives, by repeating his words, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Anchor columnist Rose Mary Saraiva is Events Coordinator and Bereavement Ministry for the diocesan Office of Faith Formation. rsaraiva@dfrcs.com.

Falmouth brunch to support Catholic school scholarship fund Cape Cod and throughout southeastern Massachusetts.

Mary and Larry McGrath, Esq. are serving as co-chairs for this year’s event and with their committee are planning an afternoon of delicious food, children’s entertainment and merriment.

Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the festivities will include an award-winning Sunday brunch buffet, silent auction and a fun filled raffle with fantastic prizes.

In his letter of invitation to the winter brunch, Bishop da Cunha noted the diocese’s Catholic schools are committed to academic excellence: “Knowing your ongoing support and the current

trajectory of our Catholic schools, I am so hopeful for the future of Catholic education in the Diocese of Fall River.

“I am so appreciative to the many generous and dedicated people who have given their time, shared their talents, and supported us with their resources to make our schools vibrant for the future,” wrote the bishop.

The FACE winter brunch offers a great opportunity to help support Catholic education in the Fall River Diocese. For details, including ticket information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jane Robin at 508-759-3566.

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H

appy New Year!

How are those resolutions doing? Resolutions are not always easy to keep, especially if they are unrealistic, but some are absolutely necessary. Exercising more; eating healthy meals; cutting back on alcohol; getting more sleep — all of these are the habits that give us a better chance at a healthy life.

This year the parishes in our diocese are also going to make resolutions to revitalize and become places that we can focus on our mission to bring people to Christ by centering on our Gospel values.

Just about every selfhelp books for parishes emphasize that revitalization must center on the three H’s: Hospitality, Hymns and Homilies.

What this says is that the most important area in need of revitalization is their Sunday Liturgies. Giving priority to the weekend experience is a good start, but real change may bother some of the faithful parishioners who want to get in and get out of Mass without being bothered or held too long. The

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Divine renovation

people most likely to Keith Lockhart to proscuttle any attempt at re- vide a veritable Parish vitalizing the parish may Pops concert each Sunbe the ones who have day, there has to be more. supported it through all Parish revitalization must those years when numbegin with the individubers have declined and als sitting in the pews, seekers have found Spiri- especially those who tual homes in evangelical faithfully attend. They Protestant churches. are the community that This is the challenge Christ has gathered, and facing parishes as they He asks that they combegin to transform into mit to having a stronger places that exude welrelationship with Him. come. Some authors of parish renewal programs say that these The Great people should Commission become the collateral damage of

By Claire McManus changes that need to be made, but this would be an abdication of the respon- Facilitating that relationsibility of the parish. ship must be a priority in The verb “revitalize” is a parish. used as if a parish is a livRenewing the parish is ing, breathing organism not about making it new that exists in a vacuum; so much as it is about doling out Sacraments to flipping the script. Someworthy visitors who enter times we forget that our on their own volition. It parishes are not landing is as if better Liturgies, places for the perfect great music and excellent few, but conduits for homilies are all we need the Salvation everyone to make a parish great. seeks. Pope Francis made But even if our clergy that clear in Evangelii channel their inner Billy Gaudium: “The Church Graham; we get every must be a place of mercy person at Mass to smile freely given, where everyat newcomers; and hire one can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven, and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.”

If we pay close attention to the order of his words, we can see where

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we might have gotten our priorities mixed up. First comes mercy and love, then forgiveness, and last, encouragement to turn one’s life around. In his book, “Divine Renovation,” Father James Mallon points out that for many in the Church the priority is first you behave and believe, and then maybe we’ll let you belong. Father Mallon worked hard at changing the culture of his parish so that the order could shift to, “Belong-BelieveBehave;” more in line with Pope Francis’ vision of evangelization.

This is a paradigm shift that may be uncomfortable for many because it means welcoming those whom we have long considered the sinful and marginalized. It should be noted that this vision of evangelization is not unique to Pope Francis, but comes from Jesus Himself.

Parish transformation is the linchpin of the New Evangelization, and we are on the cusp of a sweeping revitalization in our diocese. Before investing in the latest program or the most dynamic staff, parishes should make a decision to bring every person who walks through the door into a personal

encounter with Christ.

The transformation of individuals in the parish will bear great fruit. Many of our parishes have already recognized the need for personal transformation and have invited parishioners to take part in weekend retreat programs such as Christ Renews His Parish or the ACTS Retreat (Adoration, Community, Theology and Service). Cursillo retreats and Emmaus have been instruments of transformation for decades, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask people to give a witness talk about their experience. No matter where people are in their relationship with Christ, parishes should offer a way to bring them to a deeper level. Some people may need a very basic introduction to the Christian life, and programs like the Alpha courses have been very well received in parishes throughout the region.

As we take stock of our lives this new year let’s not forget our Spiritual well-being. What can we do to spend more time on becoming better disciples of Jesus? This might be the most important change we make for ourselves, and also for our parish.

Anchor columnist Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Off ice of Faith Formation.

Monday 8 January 2018 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — Christmas Season ends today ombogenesis.” I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I had never before heard the word until this month.

Some say the term has been around since the 1940s (so have I, but it’s still new to me). It’s a combination of “bomb” (an explosive occurrence) and “cyclogenesis” (the development of a low pressure system). It’s used to describe a weather process during which there’s a drastic drop in a storm’s barometric pressure within a few hours. Bombogenesis results in intense winds, costal flooding, and heavy precipitation. You can also call the phenomenon a “weather bomb” or simply “the bomb.” When used in this sense, it has nothing to do with North Korea.

I am not making this up.

I saw the term “bombogenesis” used in a recent Cape Cod weather forecast. “Expect a significant amount of wind-driven snow,” it explained. Oh, dear. Here we go again.

I will add “bombogenesis” to my weather lexicon where it will join “polar vortex,” “derecho,” “thunder-snow,” “tsunami,” “sharknado,” and “windchill factor.”

Speaking of wind-chill factor, they say we haven’t had so much cold weather for this long in a hundred years.

I recently decided to tend the houseplants and carried the empty watering can to the copper sink in the butler’s pantry. No water. The pipes were frozen. If those plants hadn’t withered when they did, it would probably have taken the butler a very long time to discover the problem.

“B

Gone with the wind

In fact, I’ve been searchtell it’s getting cold when ing for years and I still my greyhound Lurch picks can’t even find the butler. up in the middle of the I’m beginning to suspect night and moves into the there’s never been a butler, sitting room. It’s warmer even though he has his own there. I just add another pantry. blanket.

Fortunately, I remembered there was a handheld hair The Ship’s Log dryer on the shelf in Reflections of a the laundry room. It’s Parish Priest been gathering dust since the washing

By Father Tim machine pipes burst Goldrick a while back. It saved the day by thawing out the pantry pipes before I leave the faucets dripthey had a chance to burst. ping. I run a space heater A disaster was averted. in the two places most Frozen pipes can be a susceptible to frozen pipes problem in an old house — the laundry room and like this. I take all the the downstairs restroom. necessary precautions. I The laundry room is off start by turning up the the breezeway. It’s the end thermostats. Most of the of the line, so pipes out thermostats work, but some there are vulnerable. The have little effect. In fact, restroom issue is more difsome you can push up to ficult to understand. The 75 degrees, but the room restroom was built with no temperature will still read indoor heating. It’s akin to 57 degrees. My thermostat an outhouse. is dyslexic.

Of course, you never The problem goes back really know whether or not decades to a reconfiguration the water pipes have been of the heating system. The compromised by the cold thermostat for my beduntil the temperature rises room, for example, ended above freezing. Only time up in the guest room. I can will tell.

Over the years, I’ve heard from other pastors in town that they too, have had some rectory problems, albeit not frozen pipes.

Although both of those Falmouth rectories are newer than this one, the ground beneath them has shown evidence of shifting.

Then there’s our church steeple. Fortunately, it’s structurally sound. It has been shored up by massive steel beams sunk into the bedrock. The vinyl cladding, however, is failing.

After a windstorm, I look out the window to see if any more pieces have blown away. At least there are no leaks in the choir loft.

I can see the original cedar shakes underneath.

They seem in relatively good shape. Last month, steeplejacks came to take a closer look. They used a newfangled drone to film the structure. They are now analyzing the data on their computers in order to suggest the most effective solution.

High winds can also take out sections of the stockade

fence marking the boundaries of the church property.

The old cedar posts are letting go. I check that out too after a windstorm.

I was celebrating the 9 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day when my crazy greyhound began to howl like a banshee. He sometimes does that if he hears my voice in the distance. But this time he seemed much closer. I soon figured out that it wasn’t Lurch at all.

Near-hurricane force winds were howling through the church. I could see horizontal snow out the glass front door.

I suspected some anonymous person had silently slipped a prayer for a white Christmas into the General Intercessions. I quickly added my own petition, “O Lord, please disregard that white Christmas prayer.”

The storm was over in 15 minutes. The assembly was impressed.

So, the next time the weather forecast mentions “bombogenesis,” you’ll know to hang onto your hats.

Anchor columnist Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

Respect Life Ministry ~ Christ the King Parish ~ Mashpee, MA The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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Pope Francis: The world needs stable families, relationships

Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — In a recent speech to diplomats, Pope Francis said that the stability of the family is integral for the future, and that such stability is created when founded upon the faithful and lasting relationship of a man and woman.

“Today fleeting relationships are preferred to the stability of a definitive life project. But a house built on the sand of frail and fickle relationships cannot stand,” the pope said.

“What is needed instead is a rock on which to build solid foundations.

And this rock is precisely that faithful and indissoluble communion of love that joins man and woman, a communion that has an austere and simple beauty, a Sacred and inviolable

character and a natural role in the social order.”

Therefore, it is urgent, he continued, that government policies support the family, on which “the future and the development of states depend,” and without which future challenges cannot be met.

Pope Francis’ words were addressed to ambassadors and other members of the Diplomatic Corps in a message for the start of the new year.

Currently, the Holy See has diplomatic relations with 183 states, as well as the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, after having established diplomatic ties with Burma — also known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar — in May 2017.

Of these, 89 states maintain embassies to the Holy See in Rome, including the Embassy of South Africa, which was established last year.

In his lengthy speech, which centered on human rights, Pope Francis not only emphasized the importance of the family, but also the right to life, beginning in the womb.

Seventy years after the creation of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it’s painful to see the many ways the fundamental rights of human beings continue to be violated, he said.

The first among these is the right of every human person to “life, liberty and personal security,” he noted, which are not only frequently destroyed by war and violence, but by even more “subtle means,” such as abortion.

“I think primarily of innocent children discarded even before they are born, unwanted at times simply because they are ill or malformed, or as a result of the selfishness of adults,” the pope stated.

This disregard for life and the family has had an immense effect; particularly in those parts of the world experiencing a decline in birth rate, which has led to a true “demographic winter” he underlined.

The pope also pointed to the waning birth rate as a sign of societies which are struggling to face present challenges, growing even more fearful of the future.

Discussing the importance of the right to life, Pope Francis also drew attention to the maltreatment of the elderly, who are often seen as a burden, and of women, who repeatedly

suffer from violence and oppression.

Defending the right to life also includes “safeguarding the right to health on the part of individuals and families,” he said, as well as “actively striving for peace, universally recognized as one of the supreme values to be sought and defended.”

Commenting on maintaining peace, particularly in the relationships between states, he quoted St. Pope John XXIII’s 1963 encyclical, “Pacem in Terris,” which says that “love, not fear, must dominate the relationships between individuals and between nations.”

In light of this, Pope Francis made note of places which are experiencing difficult moments and in need of special attention, including the Korean peninsula, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine.

He also drew attention to the situation in Venezuela, and the violence in many parts of Africa, especially South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

Relations between nations, like all human relationships, “must likewise be harmonized in accordance with the dictates of truth, justice, willing cooperation, and freedom,” Pope Francis stated, quoting from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The basic premise of this approach,” he said, “is the recognition of the dignity of the human person.” It is a disregard and contempt for that dignity, he continued, which has resulted in “barbarous acts that have outraged the conscience of mankind.”

Pope Francis addresses members of the Diplomatic Corps January 8.

(Photo by Hannah Brockhaus, Vatican Media)

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018

USCCB calls for January 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The more than 56 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v.

Wade and Doe v. Bolton reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.” However, we [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] have great trust in God’s providence. We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”: “In

all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”

As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms.

Another way to take part is through participating in special events to observe the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Call your local diocese or parish to find out what events might be taking place in your area.

A DAY OF PRAYER FOR LIFE Jan. 22, 2018

Let us observe this day as a day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. Everyone is invited to prayer and Eucharistic Adoration in St. Jude’s Chapel, at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee, on Monday, January 22 immediately following the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet will open the hours of Adoration.

Benediction will be at noon.

There is no action more powerful than prayer. Please join us!

U.S. bishops introduce ‘digital pilgrimage’ for life in ‘9 Days for Life’ Novena

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “9 Days for Life” is a “digital pilgrimage” of prayer and action focused on cherishing the gift of every person’s life.

Introduced on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, the Novena runs from January 18-26.

A multi-faceted Novena highlighting a

different intention each day provides reflections, bonus information, and suggested actions.

Join to receive the novena through the 9 Days for Life app, daily emails, or daily texts.

Visit usccb.org and click on 9 Days For Life for more information. #9DaysforLife #OurPrayersMatter

Visit us online at www.anchornews.org The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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M

ost of us know the old adage, “A leopard can’t change its spots.” I feel this is one of those sayings that has many gray areas, or is spotty (yes, pun intended) at best.

Allow me to explain (I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve included that in a column).

Ever since I was a young boy (to use a line from The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”) I was a winter person.

I enjoyed going to Horseneck Beach in the summer, and the colors of the autumn, but winter was my time of year.

Oh how I looked forward to ice skating at Kennedy (South) Park in Fall River, chasing the girls and stealing their long stocking caps, and later playing pond hockey for hours upon end.

I reveled in jumping on our

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Spot removal

iconic wooden American Flyer one-week journeys to North sled and swooshing down the Conway, N.H. to ski Mounts massive hills, again at Kennedy Cranmore and Attitash.

Park.

But after having children, It warmed my heart to play my winter sports activities befootball in the aforementioned came less and less. Aside from park on a Saturday during snow storms, My View when you would tackle or be tackled and slide From for what were seemingthe Stands ly miles, all the while getting snow down the

By Dave Jolivet back of your coat and shirt and thermal shirt.

Oh, good stuff! hitting the outdoor ice rinks It also didn’t hurt that there in Providence or Patriot Place, were inevitable snow days to my last hurrah was playing a keep us home where we could year of ice hockey in an overbe safe and warm. Right. As 40 league. When I realized I soon as Salty Brine announced struggled to bend over to tie “no school” on WPRO, out the my skates, it was time to hang door we were where we could them up. be cold and risk frostbite and But my affinity towards falls. Good stuff.

Old Man Winter has taken a Later there were the wicked big you-ee (New Eng-

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

land axiom for u-turn).

This last blizzard on January 4 completed my 180-degree relationship with winter.

It was a day of hoping the power wouldn’t go out as the wind drove the snow sideways outside. On the occasion when Igor needed to go out, we both reluctantly headed for the door hoping to find a spot where she could hit and run.

When the snow finally abated, Emilie and I reluctantly headed for the door to shovel out our cars.

We started with Em’s. I knew we were in for a long evening when the driver’s side door handle of her car broke off in my gloved hand. Her piercing glare was one of, “Really dad?”

Moving on to my car, we shoveled four-foot drifts as best we could as the wind whipped about us.

I shoveled what I thought was enough to get out, but my car got stuck half-way through the tiny tunnel in the snow.

That wasn’t the only problem. I couldn’t open my door now, being wedged against a snow bank.

Emilie shook her head as she watched me crawl from the driver’s seat to the back seat to get out of the car. More shoveling. So much so that one shovel snapped, and the metal one bent out of shape.

I trudged back in with my jeans frozen to my boots. Em went through two pairs of gloves. Bad stuff.

There was a day when I couldn’t wait for snow and ice.

Those days are long gone. Now I’ll take Horseneck on a hot muggy day any time.

This leopard didn’t change his spots, he shed them completely. davejolivet@anchornews. org.

Diocesan shelters filled to capacity during brutal winter stretch continued from page three

we’re resetting that to 30.

That gives us the potential of getting as many people off the street as we can.”

Duarte said New Bedford is unique in providing money to fund the overflow, and there are a lot of other communities in the area without similar resources. Fall River, for example, designates select church locations and rotates them every seven days as sites to

handle the overflow shelter needs.

“On average, the overflow might open two or three days in a row, and then there might be a lapse of a couple of days,” Duarte said. “But I think we’re looking at two weeks straight of temperatures (below 28 degrees). We just want to do the right thing here at this agency.”

“It’s not good,” agreed Karen Ready, coordina-

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 January 14, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Michael S. Racine, pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet.

January 21 , 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Edward J. Healey, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Mashpee.

to check on the homeless and bring them back to the shelter. tor for CSS’ Sister Rose “On a day like today, Network, which includes he could be in the mothe Sister Rose House tor home riding around and Grace House in New and interacting with Bedford; St. Joseph’s any homeless individuHouse in Hyannis; and als in the street,” he said. the Samaritan House in “There’s a good amount Taunton. of them downstairs in the Even though they’ve soup kitchen right now. added 10 overflow beds If we did get a call, we to the existing 50 at St. would go to the encampJoseph House in Hyannis, ments and see how many Ready said they have still tents there are and interbeen at full capacity every act with the individuals night. And while the and try to get them to shelter will typically close come in for services.” during daytime hours, Duarte said the winit has remained open ter overflow has been around-the-clock to allow “more successful this year guests to stay inside and than last year,” and most keep warm. clients have been thankful “We certainly don’t to have somewhere to go. want anyone to freeze to “You can’t please evdeath,” Ready said. “We’re erybody, but more or less trying to do what we can sometimes certain poputo help.” lations choose to stay Unlike New Bedford, outside because of freemany of the homeless will choices or curfews or on Cape Cod tend to be they don’t like the direcolder and consistently tion or there’s too much cold temperatures in the structure,” he said. single-digits can be danAnd although makgerous. ing accommodations to “It’s more scattered handle the overflow can in the Hyannis area and be challenging and may there are more elders,” temporarily disrupt the Duarte said. “But the normal flow of the shelneed out there, meanter, Duarte said “everyone ing the excesses, isn’t as knows the main idea is to high as it is here in New save lives.”

Bedford, where roughly at “I’ve even had in-house any given time you might guests volunteer to cook have 47 to 52 unsheltered or help assemble carts people.” and set up tables,” he said.

Duarte said he has also “So in times like this, deployed members of his everyone comes together encampment outreach and I think they understaff to drive around the stand. Sometimes the best city in a CSS mobile van workers are the people

who have been through it, because they know what the people need.”

As always, monetary donations are most welcome and Duarte said he has been brainstorming the idea of possibly reaching out to local businesses that might be willing to “buy a night” for maybe $400 or $500 to keep the overflow shelter open.

“We’ve been getting food donations, but every little bit helps,” Duarte said. “These can be trying times because of what people are going through, but you have to be that light. And I’m learning from my guests as well.”

Duarte said it’s important to keep in mind that we all could find ourselves in a similar situation one day, needing a helping hand.

“If I was unemployed, it probably would be a short time before I needed to seek shelter, so I keep that in mind,” he said. “I don’t bank on homelessness — I would give up my job tomorrow if homelessness could be eradicated and not look back.”

Those interested in assisting one of the diocesan shelters are urged to visit www. cssdioc.org/sr-rosenetwork or call the Sister Rose House directly at 508-997-3202.

Anyone needing shelter within the Fall River Diocese should call 1-800-HOMELESS.

To become a subscriber, to renew your existing subscription to The Anchor, or to give it as a gift, contact 508-675-7151 or email subscriptions@anchornews.org The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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For and About Our Church Youth Eleven diocesan schools receive grants The Bible makes me Appy continued from page four

Yarmouth Project Name: Responsive Classroom SPXS sought, through this grant, additional training and support to increase the efficacy of Responsive Classroom Techniques throughout the school. Outcomes, measured through observation and formative and summative assessments, will gauge student learning, and the impact on teachermentoring in these areas.

The school pursued the grant because of the success of last year’s introductory initiative, which was funded through the inaugural School Solutions Seed Fund.

St. Stanislaus School, Fall River Project Name: Outdoor multi-disciplinary learning atelier Based on the traditional

16

artist’s atelier, a learning atelier is a space filled with tools and materials that fosters collaborative learning under the guidance of an expert. St. Stanislaus’ atelier will contain areas for science, math, writing, dramatic performance, music, and art, as well as a tinkering table. As an example of how it would be used, students might read a classic such as, “Old Mother West Wind,” monitor the weather outside, construct a squirrel-proof bird feeder, learn a folk song while accompanying it on rhythm instruments, and study the geography of Massachusetts.

For more information please see our website, www. catholicschoolsalliance.org or contact Sarah Heaton at 508-678-2828 or sheaton@ catholicsa.org.

The Anchor - January 12, 2018

H

appy New Year! It the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is that time of year so that you can pray along again where we use this fresh with them. I have used this start to try and make ourtool several times when I am selves a better person. I saw on my own and need to stay a commercial the other day focused on prayer. Lastly, this that apologized to January app includes two versions of because we made it a month of cleanses and juice diets, gym workouts and hydration challenges. Most people this time of

By Amanda year make resoluTarantelli tions. The new trend this year seems to be to choose a word to focus on for the year. Either the Catholic Bible, Vatican way we promise ourselves documents, the Breviary, that we are going to make and the “Catechism of the ourselves better. Self-imCatholic Church.” The one provement is important but downside to this app is that we can also use this time to in order to use many of the improve ourselves Spiritually. tools you have to be conOne of the hardest parts nected to data or WiFi. to keeping our resolutions is Along with being a part that our life is so busy that we of the Laudate app, you can lose track of what we need also download iBreviary. to do. Many people turn to iBreviary allows you to easdifferent apps to help them ily pray the Liturgy of the stay in shape or get in shape Hours, when sometimes the as a part of their “new year, Breviary can be difficult to new me” campaign. In today’s navigate. While you need to world we are so used to bebe connected to data or WiFi ing connected to our devices for this app, you can down(sometimes literally, as I sit load all of the readings up to here typing with my iPad one week at a time so that plugged into a charger). If we you can use it when you are use our devices to keep track offline. of our steps, our calories, or Idisciple is an app that I our cardio, then we can also just recently discovered. This use them to help us on our app lets you create a growth walk with Christ. plan for yourself so that you I downloaded different can either borrow a plan that apps on my phone to see is already created or you can which ones would be helpful create one yourself that you to me to grow in my prayer think best fits your needs. It life. I found some more help- also includes a daily devotional ful than others for my own and the ability to connect to personal preference but in and listen to worship music. general, I think these are all We have all probably helpful tools in our Spiritual been in that situation where growth. someone asks us to pray Laudate is a Catholic app for someone or something. that is great for daily readings The app Prayermate allows and for the saint of the day. you to make and keep lists This app also includes audio of prayer intentions. It can versions of the Rosary and be divided by relationships

Be Not Afraid

and communities. You can set an alarm through the app to remind you to pray. It also creates a new daily list for you that includes formal prayer, Scripture, and a reflection that you can choose to shape in the direction you would like.

The last app that I have been exploring is called Prompter.

Prompter helps you to pray by giving you a starting off point when we have those moments where words are hard to come by. Prompter is separated into two sections: Meditation and Prayer and Petition/Intercession.

Within each section they are subsections that allow you to focus in more specifically. It’s helpful if you want to pray for a specific person or event.

When you click on that subcategory, the app gives you a prayer to pray for that intention. I did find the app to be a little confusing at first and probably the least userfriendly of all of the apps.

Whether you are comfortable with technology or not, we all know that this time of year is a great opportunity to step back and see where we can improve in our faith lives.

Although technology often gets labeled as a device that takes us further away from God (and it absolutely can be), we have this chance to use it to help us grow in faith.

I pray that you have a Happy New Year and that we all use this time to work on our journey with Christ.

Anchor columnist Amanda Tarantelli has been a campus minister at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth since 2005. She is married, a die-hard sports fan, and resides in Cranston, R.I. She can be reached at atarantelli@bishopstang.org.

For and About Our Church Youth

Students in the Religious Education program at St. Joseph-St. Therese Parish in New Bedford celebrated the birth of Christ. The children were taught that Jesus has a birthday just like they do.

One of the highlights of the kindergarten class was watching them perform their version of the Christmas Story at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro. The kindergartners taught

by Maria Stathakis, all dressed in costumes showing the night Jesus was born and the true meaning of Christmas. They then sang a few Christmas songs, while accompanied by guitar music from the school music teacher Andrew Solberg.

The children and choir of Holy Family Parish in East Taunton took part in an Advent Reflection to prepare for Christmas.

Eighth-graders from St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro delivered holiday cheer to the residents of Attleboro Healthcare in Attleboro. Families from the school donated items such as blankets, slippers, calendars, lotion and shaving cream for the residents to take as gifts for others as well as themselves. After the students gift-wrapped the items, they sang holiday carols for the residents.

The Holy Family-Holy Name School Knitting Club spread Christmas joy. The young ladies from the New Bedford School knitted Santa hats for the December newborns at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. The girls have also knitted hats and scarves for those in need. The club is run by Marianne McGlynn, middle school science teacher, and the girls represent grades five through eight.

Families from Holy Name School in Fall River once again participated in the “clothe a child” program through the Salvation Army. Students collected 14 coats along with accessories as well as various gift cards and a monetary donation.

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For and About Our Church Youth

Father Riley Williams, parish and school administrator at St. Francis Xavier School and Parish in Acushnet, has made it a priority to be a strong presence to the school community, and he is teaching Latin in grades seven and eight. Here he blesses the kindergartners and their classroom.

Cam Ferreira, Colleen MacDonald and Ava Garfinkel worked together to organize gifts by age, gender, and activity for Bishop Feehan High School’s 22nd annual Santa Shop, a school-wide Advent service project that’s been running continuously since 1995.

The effort is organized by the Attleboro school’s St. Vincent de Paul Ministry in partnership with the Attleboro area St. Vincent de Paul Society. Santa Shop is devoted to providing Christmas presents for the children of families in need in the greater Attleboro area. Feehan’s SVDP Ministry manages the gift drive and distribution (including watching hundreds of excited youngsters, while parents “shop” privately), while the Attleboro Area SVDP Society identifies and coordinates the family recipients.

Bishop Feehan students were able to serve more than 500 children in need this year.

Students from St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis caroled at Cape Cod Hospital, an annual custom.

These are the Students of the First Trimester at St. JamesSt. John School in New Bedford.

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018

The Student Council at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth sponsored the annual holiday drive to provide dinner for families in the community. Homeroom representatives collected non-perishable food items; student council members carved the turkeys, peeled potatoes and delivered the meals; and parents and faculty helped cook the turkeys. Donations were received from the Melissa Duarte Foundation and Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento, Inc. This year the council was able to assemble 20 dinner baskets for St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River and feed more than 300 people with donations of food to Catholic Social Services.

Spirits soar as ‘Rosary Priest’ declared Venerable continued from page five

out to be very important later on in the sainthood cause.”

Halloran remained with Family Rosary until it moved to Easton in 2000.

Father Peyton’s becoming Venerable is the second stage in what is a four-stage process to sainthood.

The first step occurred in July 1997 when the Congregation of Holy Cross, through a postulator, asked then-Fall River Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., to open an investigation of Father Peyton’s actions and writings. This took place in the Fall River Diocese because it is where Father Peyton is buried at the Holy Cross Congregation’s cemetery on the grounds of Stonehill College in Easton.

In June 2001, the Vatican granted a “nihil obstat,” (nothing stands in the way) which gave Father Peyton the title “Servant of God.” In October of 2003, then-Fall River Bishop George W. Coleman presided over the opening of the Diocesan Inquiry, during which diocesan tribunal members would review the heroic practice of virtue and reputation for holiness and hear witnesses testimonies on his heroic Christian virtues and holiness of life.

Father Peyton’s cause was transferred in November 2008 to the Archdiocese of Baltimore because of the significant scope of the study.

In 2010 the Baltimore Tribunal sent 6,000 pages of documentation (the “Acts,” a six-year study of Father Peyton), to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome.

Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, postulator of the Cause, prepared a summary of the “Acts” in December 2014.

Anchor that Pope Francis seems eager to move along the process of sainthood This document, a Positio ‘Saint for Families.’” candidates who are from (Position Document), endOn Dec. 18, 2017, Pope ed up being 1,300 pages.

Francis decreed that Father outside Europe.

That and the fact that The following April, Dr. Peyton could now be called Father Peyton lived a very Ambrosi, Fathers Raymond Venerable. high-profile holy life may and Marcham, and Car“This is so joyful,” said help move along the cause. dinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Father Raymond. “Many The next step in the proArchbishop of Manila, causes for sainthood are cess is to find a candidate Philippines, delivered the opened, but not many reach Positio to the Vatican to the stage of becoming Ven- Blessed, which entails confirming a miracle attributed Cardinal Angelo Amato, erable.”

S.D.B., Prefect of the ConFather Raymond said he to the intercession of the gregation for the Causes was a bit surprised that the candidate.

According of Saints for to the Holy further review.

Cross FamIn June ily Ministries 2017, at the website (hcfm. annual Anorg), “Presently, niversary Mass hundreds of at the Father testimonies to Peyton Center Father Peyton’s in Easton, Fall holiness of River Bishop life have been Edgar M. da recorded. Tens Cunha, S.D.V., of thousands announced that of prayer cards the Theological containing a Congress for prayer for a the Congregafavor through tion for the Father Peyton’s Causes of Saints intercession are voted in favor of in circulation.

Father Peyton’s Hundreds of cause movfavors have been ing forward: reported. Some “By their vote of these favors they recognized are remarkwhat so many able healings people around for which there the world have is no medical come to know explanation.” through perShould the sonal encounsainthood conter, study and Venerable Father Peyton stands before the billboard gregation find prayer: that erected near the Family Theater Productions’ build- that a miracle Father Peyton ing for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., had indeed lived a life of in 1984. (Photo from fatherpeyton.org) taken place, heroic virtue Father Peyton and holiness,” the bishop said. “We are cause has moved as quickly could move on to become Blessed, and if another pleased to receive this as it has thus far. miracle is verified, he could notice as we celebrate the “My hope is that this become a saint.

25th anniversary of Father can now move quickly to “The reactions to Father Peyton’s death ( June 3, the next step,” he added.

Peyton becoming Vener1992) and the 75th an“The next step, studying a able have been so joyful and niversary of the founding possible miracle through encouraging,” said Father of Family Rosary (1942).

Venerable Father Peyton’s Raymond. “The folks here Please continue to keep Fa- intercession, should not be at the Family Ministries, ther Peyton’s Cause in your as labor-intensive.” Father Family Rosary and Famprayers. Let us pray for a Raymond also told The

ily Theater are elated. And the Father Peyton Family Institutes in Peru and India are particularly joyous.

“We have members of the Holy Cross Congregation around the world and this is a very good boost for them and the works they do carrying out their mission.

“Our hope is to reintroduce the Rosary to a new generation. In some ways, the tradition has been lost by young adults who are lukewarm or don’t have the faith at all. We work hard to bring them back to the Church and with them their children, and the Rosary is such a powerful tool to achieve that.”

Father Marcham added, “I have been so happy to hear and read the overwhelmingly positive and affirming messages in reaction to Father Peyton becoming Venerable. People from Easton, Taunton, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Diocese of Albany, and Fall River, Rome, and India and from places in between have been energized by this great news.”

This is an especially powerful time for Father Raymond, having interacted with Father Peyton several times in his lifetime.

“When I entered the congregation in 1964, Father Peyton and I were in the same Eastern Province and we would attend the same meetings or retreats at times. I could tell there was something uniquely remarkable about him right from the start.

“I recall a time when he came to the seminary at Stonehill College in North Easton, and one of the seminarians gave Father Peyton a haircut. The seminarian later told me that he was going to collect the hair that was cut and save Turn to page 23

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Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace Message 2018 Migrants and refugees: men and women in search of peace 1. Heartfelt good wishes for peace Peace to all people and to all nations on earth! Peace, which the angels proclaimed to the shepherds on Christmas night,[1] is a profound aspiration for everyone, for each individual and all peoples, and especially for those who most keenly suffer its absence. Among these whom I constantly keep in my thoughts and prayers, I would once again mention the over 250 million migrants worldwide, of whom 22.5 million are refugees. Pope Benedict XVI, my beloved predecessor, spoke of them as “men and women, children, young and elderly people, who are searching for somewhere to live in peace.” [2] In order to find that peace, they are willing to risk their lives on a journey that is often long and perilous, to endure hardships and suffering, and to encounter fences and walls built to keep them far from their goal.

In a spirit of compassion, let us embrace all those fleeing from war and hunger, or forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty and environmental degradation to leave their homelands.

We know that it is not enough to open our hearts to the suffering of others. Much more remains to be done before our brothers and sisters can once again live peacefully in a safe home. Welcoming others requires concrete commitment, a network of assistance and goodwill, vigilant and sympathetic attention, the responsible management of new and complex situations that at times compound numerous existing problems, to say nothing of resources, which are always limited. By practising the virtue of prudence, government leaders should take practical measures to welcome, promote, protect, integrate and, “within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good, to permit [them] to become part of a new society.” [3] Leaders have a clear responsibility towards their own communities, whose legitimate rights and harmonious development they must ensure, lest they become like the rash builder who miscalculated and failed to complete the tower he had begun to construct. [4] 2. Why so many refugees and migrants?

As he looked to the Great Jubilee marking the passage of 2,000 years since the proclamation of peace by the angels in Bethlehem, St. John Paul II pointed to the increased numbers of displaced persons as one of the consequences of the “endless and horrifying sequence of wars, conflicts, genocides and ethnic cleansings” [5] that had characterized the 20th century. To this date, the new century has registered no real breakthrough: armed conflicts and other forms of organized violence continue to trigger the movement of peoples within national borders and beyond.

Yet people migrate for other reasons as

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018

well, principally because they “desire a better life, and not infrequently try to leave behind the ‘hopelessness’ of an unpromising future.”

[6] They set out to join their families or to seek professional or educational opportunities, for those who cannot enjoy these rights do not live in peace. Furthermore, as I noted in the Encyclical Laudato Si’, there has been “a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation.” [7] Most people migrate through regular channels. Some, however, take different routes, mainly out of desperation, when their own countries offer neither safety nor opportunity, and every legal pathway appears impractical, blocked or too slow.

Many destination countries have seen the spread of rhetoric decrying the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals, and thus demeaning the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God. Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia, which are matters of great concern for all those concerned for the safety of every human being. [8] All indicators available to the international community suggest that global migration will continue for the future. Some consider this a threat. For my part, I ask you to view it with confidence as an opportunity to build peace.

3. With a contemplative gaze The wisdom of faith fosters a contemplative gaze that recognizes that all of us “belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth, whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches.

It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded.” [9] These words evoke the Biblical image of the new Jerusalem. The book of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 60) and that of Revelation (chapter 21) describe the city with its gates always open to people of every nation, who marvel at it and fill it with riches. Peace is the sovereign that guides it and justice the principle that governs coexistence within it.

We must also turn this contemplative gaze to the cities where we live, “a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their houses, in their streets and squares, fostering solidarity, fraternity, and the desire for goodness, truth and justice” [10] — in other words, fulfilling the promise of peace.

When we turn that gaze to migrants and refugees, we discover that they do not arrive empty-handed. They bring their courage, skills, energy and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures; and in this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them. We also come to see the creativity, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice of

the countless individuals, families and communities around the world who open their doors and hearts to migrants and refugees, even where resources are scarce.

A contemplative gaze should also guide the discernment of those responsible for the public good, and encourage them to pursue policies of welcome, “within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good” [11] — bearing in mind, that is, the needs of all members of the human family and the welfare of each.

Those who see things in this way will be able to recognize the seeds of peace that are already sprouting and nurture their growth.

Our cities, often divided and polarized by conflicts regarding the presence of migrants and refugees, will thus turn into workshops of peace.

4. Four mileposts for action Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace they seek requires a strategy combining four actions: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating. [12] “Welcoming” calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” [13] “Protecting” has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow.” [14] “Promoting” entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” [15] “Integrating,” lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral

human development of the local community. St. Paul expresses it in these words: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people.” [16] 5. A proposal for two international compacts It is my heartfelt hope this spirit will guide the process that in the course of 2018 will lead the United Nations to draft and approve two Global Compacts, one for safe, orderly and regular migration and the other for refugees. As shared agreements at a global level, these compacts will provide a framework for policy proposals and practical measures. For this reason, they need to be inspired by compassion, foresight and courage, so as to take advantage of every opportunity to advance the peace-building process. Only in this way can the realism required of international politics avoid surrendering to cynicism and to the globalization of indifference.

Dialogue and coordination are a necessity and a specific duty for the international community. Beyond national borders, higher numbers of refugees may be welcomed — or better welcomed — also by less wealthy countries, if international cooperation guarantees them the necessary funding.

The Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has published a set of 20 action points that provide concrete leads for implementing these four verbs in public policy and in the attitudes and activities of Christian communities. [17] The aim of this and other contributions is to express the interest of the Catholic Church in the process leading to the adoption of the two U.N. Global Compacts. This interest is the sign of a more general pastoral concern that goes back to the very origins of the Church and has continued in her many works up to the present time.

6. For our common home Let us draw inspiration from the words of St. John Paul II: “If the ‘dream’ of a peaceful world is shared by all, if the refugees’ and migrants’ contribution is properly evaluated, then humanity can become more and more a universal family and our earth a true ‘common home.’” [18] Throughout history, many have believed in this “dream,” and their achievements are a testament to the fact that it is no mere utopia.

Among these, we remember St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in this year that marks the 100th anniversary of her death. On this 13th day of November, many ecclesial communities celebrate her memory. This remarkable woman, who devoted her life to the service of migrants and became their patron saint, taught us to welcome, protect, promote and integrate our brothers and sisters. Through her intercession, may the Lord enable all of us to experience that “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” [19]

FAIRHAVEN — Father William Joseph Heffron, SS.CC., an ordained member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary-United States Province, passed away Dec. 20, 2017 at Our Lady’s Haven Nursing Home in Fairhaven, where he had resided for the past several years.

Father Heffron, who would have celebrated his 84th birthday on December 30, was born to William and Mary (Toomey) Heffron in Malden, in 1933.

In addition to his SS.CC. family, he is survived by his brother Bob; nephews Bill, Brian and Bobby Heffron; niece Andrea Surette; 10 grand-nieces and nephews, References from Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace Message [1 Luke 2:14.

[2] Angelus, 15 January 2012.

[3] JOHN XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 106.

[4] Luke 14:28-30.

[5] Message for the 2000 World Day of Peace, 3.

[6] BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 2013 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[7] No. 25.

[8] Cf. Address to the National Directors of Pastoral Care for Migrants of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, 22 September 2017.

[9] BENEDICT XVI, Message for the 2011 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[10] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 71.

[11] JOHN XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 106.

[12] Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

[13] Hebrews 13:2.

[14] Psalm 146:9.

[15] Deuteronomy 10:18-19.

[16] Ephesians 2:19.

[17] “20 Pastoral Action Points” and “20 Action Points for the Global Compacts,” Migrants and Refugees Section, Rome, 2017. See also Document UN A/72/528.

[18] Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2004, 6.

[19] James 3:18.

Father William Joseph Heffron, SS.CC.

three great-grand nieces and nephews and many extended family members and friends.

He was pre-deceased by his sister Margaret Howard and his sister-in-law Janet Heffron.

At the age of 18, Father Heffron enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served for four years, receiving the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal and United Nations Service Medal for his actions. Following the Korean conflict, he became a Medical Service Specialist at Fort Sam Houston in Texas,

where he remained until his honorable discharge in 1955.

In August of 1961, he entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in Fairhaven and professed his first vows on Aug. 22, 1962. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1968 at Queen of Peace Seminary in Jaffrey, N.H. During his first years of ministry, Father Heffron was assigned to the province’s

In Your Prayers Please Please pray pray for for these these priests priests during during the the coming coming weeks weeks

Jan. 13 Rev. Emile Plante, M.S., La Salette Seminary, Attleboro, 1954 Rev. Ralph D. Tetrault, Retired, Catholic Memorial Home, Former Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 2007 Rev. Michael Annunziato, SS.CC., Damien Residence, Fairhaven, 2015 Jan. 14 Rev. John J. Lawler, M.M., Maryknoll Missioner, 1977 Jan. 15 Rev. Thomas F. Kennedy, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, Woods Hole, 1948 Rev. Vincent Marchildon, O.P., Director, St. Anne Shrine, Fall River, 1972 Rev. Msgr. John E. Boyd, Retired Pastor, St. Patrick, Wareham, 1977 Rev. Harold A. Whelan Jr., SS.CC., Ph. D., 1997 Rev. Benedict (Frank) Folger, SS.CC., Damien Residence, Fairhaven, 2015 Jan. 17 Rev. John F. Laughlin, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost, Attleboro, 1967 Rev. Daniel J. McCarthy, SS.CC., Former Provincial Superior, Retired Pastor, Holy Redeemer, Chatham, 2002 Rev. Gilles M. Genest, M.S., 2012 Jan. 18 Rev. Paul J. Duff, C.S.C., 2012 Jan. 19 Rev. Thomas E. O’Dea, Assistant, St. Lawrence, New Bedford, 1999 Jan. 20 Rev. Roland J. Masse, Assistant, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River, 1952 Jan. 21 Rev. Msgr. Henri A. Hamel, USAF, Retired Chaplain, Retired Pastor, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1983 Jan. 23 Deacon John Cwiekowski, 2001 Jan. 24 Rev. Aaron L. Roche, O.P., Immaculate Conception Mission, North Easton, 1870 Rev.Louis A. Casgrain, Pastor, St. Mathieu, Fall River, 1920 Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Boston College Faculty, 1951 Rev. Thomas F. McMorrow, Assistant, Our Lady of Victory, Centerville, 1977 Rev. Cornelius J. O’Neill, Retired Pastor, Sacred Heart, Taunton, 1999 Jan. 25 Rev. Jack Hickey, O.P., Dismas House, Nashville, Tenn., 1987

mission in Japan from 1968 to 1973. Following his return to the U.S., he became part of the Formation Team until 1979, when he was assigned as Pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Rochester, N.Y. He remained in New York until 1983 when he was elected as provincial superior of the USA East Province in Fairhaven, a position which he held for six years.

In 1988, he was called to Rome to serve on the General Government of the Congregation and continued there as a General Councilor for six years, returning to Fairhaven in 1994, where he stayed active, assisting at St. Joseph’s Parish and as mission coordinator, until his health forced him into retirement.

Always ready with a

jovial smile, people will best remember Father Heffron for his kindness and endless good spirit.

The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and Father Heffron’s family extends their sincere thanks to the staff at Damien Residence, Our Lady’s Haven Nursing Home, the Fairhaven Community Nurse and Hospice, and Brother Jim Rukavina, SS.CC., for the love and care given to Father Heffron.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Church in Fairhaven on December 27, followed by burial in the Sacred Hearts Community Cemetery.

Donations may be made to the Sacred Hearts Community at Damien Residence, 73 Adams Street, P.O. Box 111, Fairhaven, Mass., 02719.

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Around the Diocese “Here for a Purpose: A Retreat with Peggy Patenaude,” will be held on Tuesday, February 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Our Lady of the Cape Parish, 468 Stony Brook Road in Brewster. Patenaude is the founder of Taking Time Out and has worked in education and pastoral ministry for more than 45 years. Pre-registration is required and the deadline to register for the retreat is February 1. For more information, call 508-385-3252 or visit www.ourladyofthecape.org.

Entries for the 2018 Annual Pro-Life Essay Contest for Catholic students in the Diocese of Fall River (grades six to eight and nine to 12) are now being accepted. The theme this year is “Be Not Afraid.” First prize winners will be awarded $150 cash and second prize will be $75 cash. Deadline for submissions is February 9. Entries should be mailed to the Office of the Pro-Life Apostolate at the Chancery, P.O. Box 2577, Fall River, Mass. 02722. For more information, call 508-675-1311.

The second annual Fall River Diocese’s 2018 Women and Men’s Conference will take place on Saturday, March 10 at Stonehill College in Easton. Building on last year’s firstever such event, the one-day Lenten program will include keynote talks by noted speakers, prayer, music, fellowship, Mass, and — new for 2018 — a separate track for young adults, ages 18 to 30. Please mark your calendars now and look for details on the conference in the coming months.

The Third Order of Carmelites meets on the third Sunday of the month at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee for 10:30 a.m. Mass followed by a teaching in Room A and daytime prayer in St. Jude’s Chapel. They meet every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in St. Jude’s Chapel for evening prayer. All are welcome.

For more information about the Lay Carmelite Order of St. John of the Cross, contact Dottie Cawley at 508-477-2798.

A Holy Hour will be held every Monday (with the exception of holy days or holidays) beginning at 7 p.m. at Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street in Fall River. It will include Benediction and Confession (once a month) and every week will feature the Rosary, Novena, and prayers for vocations to the priesthood will be recited along with a short meditation.

All are welcome.

The Diocesan Marriage Preparation Program needs more team couples — newly-married and veterans (age is not a consideration) who would like to enrich their Marriage while helping engaged couples prepare for their lifetime together.

The Diocesan Marriage Preparation program meets in three locations: Mansfield, Dartmouth and Harwich on Cape Cod. In each location there is a team of volunteers that facilitate three to five sessions per year. If you are interested in serving in this ministry, email Claire McManus at cmcmanus@dfrcs. org or call her at 508-678-2828, extension 19.

To submit an event for consideration in The Anchor’s “Around the Diocese” listing, send the information by email to kensouza@anchornews.org

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ASSONET — Beginning September 14, St. Bernard’s Parish will have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar at the conclusion of 9 a.m. Mass and the church will be open all day, concluding with evening prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

ATTLEBORO — The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette holds Eucharistic Adoration in the Shrine Church every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November 17.

ATTLEBORO — There is a weekly time of Eucharistic Adoration Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church on North Main Street.

Brewster — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the La Salette Chapel in the lower level of Our Lady of the Cape Church, 468 Stony Brook Road, on First Fridays beginning at noon until 7:45 a.m. First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and concluding with Mass at 8 a.m. buzzards Bay — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Margaret Church, 141 Main Street, Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 to 8 a.m.; and every first Friday from noon to 8 a.m. on Saturday.

East Freetown — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. John Neumann Church every Monday (excluding legal holidays) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady, Mother of All Nations Chapel. (The base of the bell tower).

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the chapel at Holy Family Parish Center, 438 Middleboro Avenue, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On First Fridays, Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN — St. Mary’s Church, Main St., has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation, with Benediction at 11:30 a.m. Also, there is a First Friday Mass each month at 7 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration. Refreshments follow.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of Padua Church, on the corner of Bedford and Sixteenth streets, has Eucharistic Adoration accompanied by music and prayer every first Wednesday of the month from 6-7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Bernadette’s Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has continuous Eucharistic Adoration from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.

FALL RIVER — St. Anthony of the Desert Church, 300 North Eastern Avenue, has Eucharistic Adoration Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FALL RIVER — Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover Street, has Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Our Lady of Grace Chapel.

FALL RIVER — Good Shepherd Parish has Eucharistic Adoration every Friday following the 8 a.m. Mass and concluding with 3 p.m. Benediction in the Daily Mass Chapel. A bilingual holy hour takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. Park behind the church and enter the back door of the connector between the church and the rectory.

FALL RIVER — St. Joseph’s Church has a Holy Hour every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m., with Benediction at 6:45 p.m.

FALL RIVER — St. Michael’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with Benediction at 5:30 p.m.

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday following the 7 a.m. Mass, with Benediction at 4:30 p.m.

HYANNIS — St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, 347 South Street, Hyannis, has Eucharistic Adoration from noon to 3 p.m., daily Monday through Friday.

MANSFIELD — St. Mary’s Parish, 330 Pratt Street, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Benediction at 5:45 p.m.

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m. Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration is held every Thursday, with Confessions, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church. Please use the side entrance.

NEW BEDFORD — There is a daily holy hour from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1359 Acushnet Avenue. It includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Liturgy of the Hours, recitation of the Rosary, and the opportunity for Confession.

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel Fridays from 7:30-11:45 a.m. ending with a simple Benediction NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Wednesday following 8:00 a.m. Mass and concludes with Benediction at 5 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration also takes place every First Friday at St. Nicholas of Myra Church, 499 Spring Street following the 8 a.m. Mass, ending with Benediction at 6 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

NORTH EASTON — A Holy Hour for Families including Eucharistic Adoration is held every Friday from 3-4 p.m. at The Father Peyton Center, 518 Washington Street.

NORTH EASTON — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Immaculate Conception Church Chapel on the first Wednesday of the month beginning after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, until 6:40 p.m. Those wishing to make a monthly commitment can sign up on the parish website at www.icceaston.org or call the parish office at 508-238-3232.

ORLEANS — St. Joan of Arc Parish, 61 Canal Road, has Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday starting after the 8 a.m.

Mass and ending with Benediction at 11:45 a.m. The Sacrament of the Sick is also available immediately after the 8 a.m. Mass.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 5 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church takes place 9 a.m. Thursday through 7 p.m. Friday. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall. ~ PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION ~

East Sandwich — The Corpus Christi Parish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, East Sandwich. Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

NEW BEDFORD — Our Lady’s Chapel, 600 Pleasant Street, offers Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day. For information call 508-996-8274.

SEEKONK ­— Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish has perpetual Eucharistic Adoration seven days a week, 24 hours a day in the chapel at 984 Taunton Avenue. For information call 508-336-5549.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes.

All are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Continued from page 19

them for relics some day.”

Father Raymond recalled a retreat he attended in 1971 when Father Peyton put his hand on Father Raymond’s and said he had a feeling that “Mary was calling you to work at Family Rosary,” “I was so honored, but to be truthful, he also said that to a number of others on the retreat as well,” said Father Raymond. “But that was the way he was, always trying to recruit people to work for Jesus through His Blessed Mother.”

Father Raymond also told The Anchor about a time when Father Peyton spoke at a Mass at Stonehill, celebrating his and another priest’s 50th anniversary of ordination.

“He didn’t preach the homily, he really wasn’t a great preacher, but he did ask to speak at the end of the Mass,” said Father Raymond.

“He went on to tell the story of his life. That was such a privilege to be there and hear it from his own lips. He always referred to himself as ‘Our Lady’s Donkey,’ and he mentioned that that day.”

Being vice postulator of Venerable Father Peyton’s sainthood cause is an awesome experience for Father Marcham. “I feel blessed and also a sense of responsibility to share in the study and sharing of the sainthood cause for this beloved Rosary Priest,” he told The Anchor. “It’s a blessing because I have the opportunity to delve into the life and ministry of a fellow priest and in the process to encounter people whose lives were richly transformed by Father Peyton’s message and ministry and to be personally inspired.

“I feel a responsibility to the Church to properly study and represent Father Peyton’s life and ministry in a way that is true to his incredible life of virtue and holiness.”

HCFM continues the work of Venerable Father Patrick Peyton as a family of Catholic ministries that inspires, promotes and fosters the prayer life and Spiritual well-being of families throughout the world.

“We help families pray!” its website proclaims.

It continues the mindset of Father Patrick Peyton who believed one of God’s greatest blessings is the family and he believed the best way to support the family is through prayer — particularly daily Rosary prayer. He knew that the family is the foundation of society and when the family maintains a deep and healthy mutual love, this in turn strengthens the family of the Church and the entire family of humanity.

The website says, “Father Peyton’s messages, ‘The family that prays together stays together,’ and ‘A world at prayer is a world at peace,’ continue to be the focus of all the efforts of his continuing ministry. Families are served today through Family Rosary, Family Theater Productions, the Father Peyton Family Institutes and the newly-instituted Catholic Mom where 110 young Catholic mothers and fathers contribute features extolling the attributes of the Catholic faith.

Each ministry’s unique charism provides impactful resources that strengthen families.”

HCFM also hosts the Father Peyton Guild established to: pray

for Father Peyton’s canonization; pray for the continuation of the family of ministries he founded; and pray for your family and families around the world.

In addition, 1.4 million people have downloaded the Rosary app and 1.25 million follow the ministries at its Facebook page, FR.org.

“This recent announcement made me reflect upon the people who have helped me in my work in this cause for sainthood: beginning with my parents and the Holy Cross priests and Brothers and my colleagues at Holy Cross Family Ministries and then the other faith-filled people that I’ve encountered in the Fall River and Albany dioceses and in the Archdiocese of

Baltimore and as far away as Rome and the Philippines,” said Father Marcham. “This good news is their good news as they have been an important part of Father Peyton’s cause through their prayers and efforts each in their own wonderful way. In a way, it reflects the Mystical Body of Christ and the fruits are seeing the goodness and holiness that flow from following the will of God that leads to giving glory to God.” For more information on Father Peyton, the sainthood cause, and/or any of the members of the Holy Cross Family Ministries clan visit hcfm.org. Or visit the Father Peyton Center at 518 Washington Street, North Easton, Mass. 02356, 508-238-4095.

Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Father Patrick Peyton

Dear Jesus, Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary. His message is as important for us now as it was during his life on earth.

We beg You, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification, so that Your faithful people everywhere will remember his message that the family that prays together stays together, will imitate him in his devotion to Your mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to You with childlike confidence and love. Amen.

To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@ anchornews.org The Anchor - January 12, 2018

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Visit the Diocese of Fall River website at fallriverdiocese.org The site includes links to parishes, diocesan offices and national sites.

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It’s a publication that provides a Spiritual uplift and keeps Catholics connected to our beloved Church — locally and beyond.

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The Anchor - January 12, 2018