Night to shine
at Bishop's Ball
This is the night to shine for thousands of friends of excep tional and Underprivileged child ren. They'll be dancing until 1 a.m. to the music of the AI Rain one and Buddy Braga orchestras at the 29th annual Bishop's Ball. Among highlights of the tra ditional winter social event at Lincoln Park Ballroom, North Dartmouth, will be presentation of 38 young ladies from dioce san parishes to ·Bishop Daniel A. Cronin Iby V.incentian Robert McGuirk of North Dighton. Festivities will begin at 8 p.m. in the ballroom with music by the AI Rainone group and at 9 p.m. in the lounge with the
Buddy Braga musicians. At 9:05 the bishop will be es corted to his box by honorary blll1l chairmen Russell J. April, president of the Altleboro dis trict council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Mrs. David Sellmayer, president of the Dio cesan .Council of Catholic Wom en. The presentee ceremony will begin at 9:10, .followed by danc ing, a grand march, singing of· the National Anthem by Kenneth Leger and introduction of Bishop Cronin by Msgr. Anthony M~ Gomes, diocesan ball director. Dancing to both orchestras will then resume until 1 a.m.
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.,. -.J , "YOU'LL HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR UVES" presentee chairman Mrs. James A. O'Brien Jr. assured pretty Ann Marie Pfeninger, Robin Campinha, Christine Mary McCoy and Renee Domagala at last year's Bishop's Ball. Tonight she'll be giving tine same message to 1984's young stars. '(Rosa Photo)
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t eanco VOL. 28, NO. 2
FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1984
$8 Per Year
US embassy
for Vatican:
. By Jim Lackey
ORDAINED TO THE TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE in ceremonies last Saturday at St. Mary's Cathedral were, from left, Thoma s E. McGlynn, James M. Fitzpatrick, James Ferry, Mark R. Hession. (Gaudette Photo)
WASHINGTON (NC) - End ing more than a century of offi cial non-recognition, the Vatican and the United 'States announced establishment of full diplomatic relations Jan. 10. The Vatican, in a brief state ment, said the two countries, "desirous of developing mutual friendly relations already exist· ing" had decided to estabHsh re lations at the level of an em bassy at the Holy See and an apostolic nunciature in Wash ington. The State Department issued the same statement six hours later in Washington, and the White House announced that President Reagan had nominated William A. Wilson, his current persona'! representative to the Vatican, as the first U.S. am bassador to the city-state. Although the United States had diplomatic relations with the then Papal States until 1867,. it was represented at the Vatican by "resident ministers," there fore Wilson will be the first full fledged ambassador. The Vatican's spokesman, Father Romeo Panciroli, said the name of the Vatican's pronun cio to the United States would be announced later. . Pope John Paul II's current
representative to the U.S. bish ops, Archbishop Pio Laghi, who has served as apostolic delegate in Washington since 1980, could be appointed the new pronuncio. But the Vatican normally does not announce the name of the pronuncio until some time after the announcement of the estab Hshment of the diplomatic rela tions. The announcement raised. to 107 thEl number of nations with diplomatic relations with the Vatican,inc1uding several com munist countries. The United States had diplomatic relations with what then was known as the Papal States during a por tion of the 19th century, but Congress in 1867 passed legisla tion prohibiting funding "of an American legation. .in Rome." Late last year Congress agreed to lift the ban on fuB diplomatic relations with the Vatican, lead ing to the Jan. 10 announcement. Though the U.S. bishops over the years have taken no position in the public debate over U.S. recognition of the Vatican, their president, -Bishop James W. Ma lone of Youngstown, Ohio, wel comed the announcement. "The decision reflects the role played so effectively by the Holy See, under the leadership of Pope .John Paul II and his predeTurn to Page Twelve