01.23.09

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , January 23, 2009

Diocese to host Reconciliation Weekend March 21-22

Area parishes may mark conversion of St. Paul Sunday

NEW BEDFORD — When Christ declared Peter the rock upon which he would build his Church, he said, ““I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19).

St. Paul, reiterated the Lord’s request for the faithful to reconcile with God in

FALL RIVER — As part of the 20082009 celebration of the special year devoted to St. Paul, Catholic parishes may mark the traditional feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on Sunday even though it falls on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments issued a decree May 30, 2008, saying Pope Benedict XVI, “in an extraordinary manner,” has given permission for parishes and churches to use the prayers and readings for the feast instead of those for Sunday January 25.

A special diocesan Mass in honor of St. Paul will be celebrated Sunday by Bishop George W. Coleman in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River at 10 a.m.

Father Andrew Johnson, OCSO, a parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, and director of the Pauline Year in the diocese, will be the homilist.

A plenary indulgence may be gained by the faithful who attend this Mass and observe the listed requirements.

Generally, the Mass texts for a feast such as the Conversion of St. Paul are not used when the feast falls on a Sunday.

“The Apostle St. Paul, who proclaimed the truth of Christ to the whole world,” and who converted after having persecuted followers of Christ, “always was and still is venerated by the faithful, especially in this particular year,” which marks the 2,000th anniversary of his birth, the decree said.

For that reason, “only for the year 2009,” Pope Benedict has decided that parishes may opt to use the prayers and readings for the January 25 feast day, the decree, signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, then prefect of the Congregation of Turn to page 12

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

his second letter to the Corinthians. “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation....

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled with God” (2 Cor 18, 20).

For more than 2,000 years Christ has implored his followers to confess their sins and repent wrongdoings.

In recent years, the numbers of those taking advantage of Christ’s healing forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation have dwindled. In an effort to resurrect an awareness and appreciation for the sacrament, the Diocese of Fall River has instituted a Reconciliation Weekend to be held March 20-21.

Seeds for the endeavor were planted last March when priests of the New Bedford Deanery unanimously proposed the idea to Bishop George W. Coleman and members of the Presbyteral Council. The Turn to page two

By Deacon James N. Dunbar

Catholic Schools Week drawing submitted by fifth-grader Madison Raposa of St. James-St. John School in New Bedford

Catholic school students: Vibrant models of service to community

By Deacon James N. Dunbar

FALL RIVER — The theme logo for Catholic Schools Week 2009 carries the words “Celebrate Service” — the “T” in the word formed as a cross — and showing hands reaching out and surrounding a globe.

According to teachers and principals who contacted The Anchor as local schools join in the annual Catholic Schools Week observance January 25-31, the logo perfectly captures their goal to not only instill life-long Gospel values to their charges in a Christ-centered

academic community, but also to inspire them to carry that message into the marketplace for the good of all mankind.

Taking a cue from that, The Anchor posed this question to the educators: “How does your school try to inspire its students to imitate Christ who came to serve and not to be served?”

Noting that Christian service is a hallmark of Catholic education, the reports from Fall River diocesan elementary, middle and high school administrators proudly told of their students eagerly participating in a variety of faith-driven service projects that affect so many.

Those range from collecting canned goods for the homeless; assisting and donating to food pantries; visiting the homebound and those in nursing homes; sending goodwill messages and materials to Turn to page seven

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The Anchor

January 23, 2009

Diocese to host Reconciliation Weekend continued from page one

recommendation was for the weekend of the Fourth Sunday of Lent in 2009.

Based on a very successful Reconciliation Weekend held in 1999 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where 100,000 people came to confess their sins to 1,100 priests in an eighthour stretch on a Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon, Bishop Coleman eagerly accepted the proposal.

He asked representatives from each of the five diocesan deaneries to discuss the idea at their next meeting and to report back to the Presbyteral Council with feedback.

An appropriate proposal suggested that the weekend should be incorporated within the context of the Pauline Year. Bishop Coleman and Father Andrew Johnson, OCSO, diocesan director of the Pauline Year readily approved and decided to take the title for the weekend, “Be Reconciled to God,” from St. Paul’s writings. With that in mind, preparations for the diocesan Reconciliation Weekend will be officially launched this Sunday, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

“We thought it would be fitting to begin public preparations for the Reconciliation Weekend on the feast of St. Paul’s Conversion,” said Father Roger J. Landry, one of the priests on the committee coordinating the effort. “Thinking about Paul’s conversion is an opportunity to think about our own and how the Lord has established the sacrament of reconciliation to assist us in that conversion and bring us God’s forgiveness.”

Diocesan faithful should expect to see Reconciliation Weekend posters spring up in churches across the diocese as well as advertisements in bulletins and on parish Websites.

In an all-out effort to bring Catholics back to the confessional, cathechetical leaflets explaining the sacrament and its importance, as well as respons-

The Anchor

es to frequently asked questions will be published. Also on tap is an easy-to-use “How to go to confession,” sheet along with an examination of conscience instruction. The hope is that these tutorials will ease the fears of those who may be intimidated from an extended absence from the sacrament.

In the weeks leading up to the weekend, many priests and deacons will incorporate the reconciliation process within their homilies.

The diocese also plans on utilizing the electronic media to get the word out. Hopes are for radio ads, a half-hour television program on the sacrament for cable access TV stations, and a 10-minute video that can be shown in parishes.

A special Anchor supplement will also be devoted to the weekend leading up to the March event.

Additionally, a specifically designed Pauline penance service has been designed for those parishes that would like to utilize it on that weekend.

The priests of the Fall River Diocese have worked hard to put this weekend together with the purpose of emphasizing to the faithful the importance of the sacrament of confession in their spiritual lives and committing themselves to be available.

“It’s not easy for a priest on a busy Lenten weekend to commit to sacrificing at least six hours of his time sitting in the confessional,” Father Landry said.

“But we wanted to demonstrate to people our commitment to the sacrament and to them.

“Priests are the only creatures in the universe who have been given God’s power to forgive sins in his name, and for that reason we have a corresponding responsibility to make ourselves available.”

This Reconciliation Weekend is occurring during the year celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Continued on page 12 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 53, No. 3

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PUBLISHER - Most Reverend George W. Coleman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Father Roger J. Landry fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org EDITOR David B. Jolivet davejolivet@anchornews.org NEWS EDITOR Deacon James N. Dunbar jimdunbar@anchornews.org OFFICE MANAGER Mary Chase m arychase@anchornews.org ADVERTISING Wayne Powers waynepowers@anchornews.org REPORTER Michael Pare michaelpare@anchornews.org REPORTER Kenneth J. Souza k ensouza@anchornews.org Send Letters to the Editor to: fatherrogerlandry@anchornews.org POSTMASTERS send address changes to The Anchor, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.

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A PAT FROM THE POPE — Pope Benedict XVI greets a child after a recent weekly general audience at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Chris Helgren, Reuters)

Vatican report: Most U.S. seminaries are generally healthy

By Chaz Muth Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — An apostolic visitation team concluded that U.S. Catholic seminaries and houses of priestly formation are generally healthy, but recommended a stronger focus on moral theology, increased oversight of seminarians and greater involvement of diocesan bishops in the formation process.

“This visitation has demonstrated that, since the 1990s, a greater sense of stability now prevails in the U.S. seminaries,” the report said. “The appointment, over time, of rectors who are wise and faithful to the Church has meant a gradual improvement, at least in the diocesan seminaries.”

The report, sparked by the sexual abuse crisis that hit the U.S. Church, concluded that seminaries appeared to have made improvements in the area of seminarian morality, most notably with regard to homosexual behavior.

“Of course, here and there some case or other of immorality — again, usually homosexual behavior — continues to show up,” the report said. “However, in the main, the superiors now deal with these issues promptly and appropriately.”

The report was dated December 15 and signed by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, head of the Congregation for Catholic Education, which deals with seminaries.

It was published on the Website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to coincide with National Vocation Awareness Week, which began January 12.

The report said some seminaries need to examine how educators can ensure the good behavior of their students when they are off-campus as well as their access to emerging technology.

“Seminaries face extra challenges today, as compared to recent years,” the report said.

“Among these is how to monitor the students’ use of the Internet.” It recommended that seminaries and religious houses of priestly formation use Internet-filtering programs and restrict Internet use to public rooms within the seminary.

Bishops sometimes delegate too much responsibility for the acceptance of diocesan candidates to their vocation directors and other subordinates, the report said.

“This is unfortunate, as it is the bishop who will ultimately have to call, or not call, the candidate to orders,” it said, recommending a more collaborative approach to the formation process.

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, said in a letter to U.S. bishops that it was “gratifying to read in the report that our seminaries are generally in a healthy condition that strongly promotes the formation of men for the sacred ministry in this country.”

“The general conclusions of the visitation are positive,” Cardinal O’Malley added. “I am sure that all bishops and religious superiors will take seriously the observations and recommendations of the congregation that will further strengthen our seminaries

and houses of formation.”

The plan to hold apostolic visitations to assess the quality of formation in seminaries arose in Rome at an April 2002 special meeting of the U.S. cardinals and U.S. bishops’ officials with top Vatican officials.

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, now head of the Baltimore Archdiocese, was chosen to coordinate the visitation team, which included 117 bishops and seminary personnel. Archbishop O’Brien was rector of the Pontifical North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome, from 1990 to 1994.

For five years before that and two years after, he headed the New York archdiocesan seminary, St. Joseph’s in Yonkers, N.Y. Working in teams of three for smaller programs or four for the larger ones, the panels visited more than 200 U.S. seminaries and formation houses in 2005 and 2006. The visitations paid special attention to areas such as the quality of the seminarians’ human and spiritual formation for living chastely and of their intellectual formation for faithfulness to Church teachings, especially in the area of moral theology.

Cardinal O’Malley noted that although the report generally praised the academic standards of most institutions for both philosophy and theology it reported gaps in some programs, particularly in the areas of the theological study of Mary and the study of early Christian writers, as well as some lack of commitment to “sentire cum ecclesia” (to think with the Church) in the area of moral theology.

The Anchor

January 23, 2009

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Cardinal George pledges to work with Obama on various policy concerns

By Catholic News Service

dinal George advised Obama to the Church’s firm belief that WASHINGTON — The pres- make poor families and vulner- marriage is a “faithful, excluident of the U.S. Conference of able workers a “clear priority,” sive, lifelong union of a man Catholic Bishops has pledged suggesting that recovery mea- and a woman and must remain that he and his fellow prel- sures include new investments such in law.” ates will work with the incom- and ways to strengthen the pubHe also said the bishops will ing administration of Barack lic safety net. “We also support continue to support programs Obama and the 111th Congress greater accountability and over- that give parents choices in to “advance the common good sight to address irresponsible education that best address the and defend the life and dignity abuses of the system that con- needs of their children. of all, especially the vulnerable tributed to the financial crisis,” The bishops welcome comand poor.” the cardinal’s letter said. mitments by the federal governIn a January 13 letter to the Cardinal George also urged ment to empower faith-based president-elect, Chicago Cardi- action to “ensure truly univer- groups as partners in overcomnal Francis E. George offered a sal health care coverage” that ing poverty and other threats to broad outline of policy priori- would protect all life including human dignity, Cardinal George ties that concern the U.S. bish- unborn children and would pro- said. ops, ranging from economic re- vide access to health care for “We will work with the adcovery that covers all segments all, especially poor people. ministration and Congress to of society to protecting the lives strengthen these partof the “most vulnere will oppose legislative and nerships in ways that able and voiceless not encourage govother measures to expand do members of the human ernment to abandon family,” especially un- abortion,” the letter said. “We will work its responsibilities, born children. to retain essential, widely supported poli- and do not require A corresponding cies which show respect for unborn life, religious groups to letter was sent to Vice abandon their identity President-elect Joseph protect the conscience rights of health and mission,” the letBiden and each mem- care providers and other Americans, and ter said. ber of Congress.

Cardinal George prevent government funding and promoCardinal George tion of abortion.” told Obama that the reminded Obama that issues concerning the the bishops approach bishops go beyond public policy as pastors and Any health care reform mea- those outlined in his letter. For teachers and that the moral sures must respect a person’s a list of other concerns, he reprinciples that guide them have right to choose from a variety of ferred the administration and been developed through their care options, Cardinal George Congress to the bishops’ “Formexperience in caring for people said, while ensuring respect for ing Consciences for Faithful in need. the moral and religious convic- Citizenship,” the document adThe cardinal’s letter particu- tions of patients and health care opted in 2007 for the 2008 preslarly addressed the economic providers. idential election. crisis, health care, international The letter addressed several “We offer this outline as an affairs and immigration; mar- concerns related to internation- agenda for dialogue and action,” riage as the union of a man and al affairs, including a responsi- Cardinal George said. “We hope a woman; the empowerment ble transition in Iraq so that the to offer a constructive and prinof faith-based groups as part- country is free of religious per- cipled contribution to national ners in overcoming poverty and secution. The letter also stressed discussion over the values and threats to human dignity; and the importance of ending the policies that will shape our nathe importance of protecting the ongoing violent conflicts in the tion’s future.” vulnerable and voiceless, espe- Holy Land.

“I renew our expression of cially the unborn.

Foreign aid should support hope and our Cardinal George restated the programs to end hunger and offer of cooperChurch’s long-held opposition poverty, fight diseases such as ation as you beto efforts to expand abortion or HIV and AIDS and reduce the gin this new peto fund abortion with tax dol- impact of climate change on riod of service lars. poor and vulnerable people, the to our nation “We will oppose legislative cardinal wrote. in these chaland other measures to expand In addition, Cardinal George lenging times,” abortion,” the letter said. “We urged the new administration to he said in closwill work to retain essential, “fix a broken immigration sys- ing. “We promwidely supported policies which tem which harms both our na- ise our prayers show respect for unborn life, tion and immigrants.” for you, that protect the conscience rights of He called for comprehen- the days ahead health care providers and other sive immigration reform, which will be a time Americans, and prevent govern- would include a path to earned of renewal and ment funding and promotion of citizenship for undocumented progress for our abortion.” immigrants; the unification of nation and that “Efforts to force Americans families separated by arrest or we can work to fund abortions with their tax deportation; protection of hu- together to dedollars would pose a serious man rights for immigrants; and fend human life moral challenge and jeopardize the adoption of development and dignity and the passage of essential health policies that positively affect build a nation care reforms,” Cardinal George the economies in countries from of greater jussaid. which immigrants come. tice and a world On the economic front, CarCardinal George reiterated at peace.”

“W

SOCIAL CONSCIENCE — Claretian Father Richard White signs a commitment to participate in a pre-inaugural novena during a press conference at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. At the press conference, Catholic groups supporting immigrants and their families in the Archdiocese of Chicago issued a call to President-elect Barack Obama and his administration to suspend deportations and work toward comprehensive immigration reform within his first 100 days in office. The novena was to lead up to the presidential inauguration. (CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World)

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The Anchor

The fundamental content of St. Paul’s conversion

This Sunday we celebrate one of the highlights of the Year of St. Paul now underway: his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Pope Benedict has both authorized and encouraged Catholic priests to celebrate the liturgical feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on Sunday.

Normally, when January 25, the annual commemoration of this dramatic scene, falls on a Sunday, it is suppressed, like most saints’ feast days, in favor of the Sunday Mass. Pope Benedict has made an exception this year so that all Catholics, as we continue to mark the 2,000th anniversary of St. Paul’s birth, can focus together on one of the pivotal movements not only in his life but in the history of the Church.

When most people consider St. Paul’s conversion, they place it into the category of other great conversions, like those of the greedy tax-collector Matthew in the first century, or the proud, sensualist Augustine in the fourth, or the blood-drenched abortionist Bernard Nathanson in the 20th. They think that St. Paul’s conversion was a metamorphosis from a wicked life to a good one: the one who once terrorized and killed Christians for a living all of a sudden became a Christian and dedicated the rest of his life to making Christians.

Because of this conception, Christians who have always lived a relatively moral life and avoided the slavery of great sins look toward St. Paul’s conversion as historically relevant but not personally relevant.

This is, however, a superficial understanding of St. Paul’s conversion. As Pope Benedict pointed out in a November 2006 catechesis, St. Paul’s conversion was not principally from an evil life to a holy one, but from a false notion of a holy life to a true one.

The “fundamental content of his conversion, the new direction his life took as a result of his encounter with the risen Christ,” the pope said, was a totally new recognition of how one is saved. Before his conversion, as a Pharisee, he believed that one was saved by doing good works according to the Mosaic law. It was in defense of the Mosaic Law that Paul, with great zeal, persecuted the early Church. After the encounter with the Lord Jesus, however, he realized that holiness depends on the pure grace of God (Rom 3:24).

“Before his conversion,” the pope stressed, “Paul had not been a man distant from God and from his Law. On the contrary, he had been observant, with an observance faithful to the point of fanaticism. In the light of the encounter with Christ, however, he understood that with this he had sought to build up himself and his own justice, and that with all this justice he had lived for himself. He realized that a new approach in his life was absolutely essential. And we find this new approach expressed in his words: ‘The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (Gal 2:20). Paul, therefore, no longer lives for himself, for his own justice. He lives for Christ and with Christ: in giving of himself, he is no longer seeking to build himself up. This is the new justice, the new orientation given to us by the Lord, given to us by faith.”

This is why St. Paul’s conversion is personally pertinent to all of us, for so many Christians, like Paul before his conversion, have a false or defective notion of the holy life to which God calls us. Many Catholics think, for example, that all God is asking of us is that we avoid mortal sins. Some approach the Christian life, not as a reciprocally passionate love-life with God, but as merely “obeying the rules.” Others, convinced by false modern ideas of eschatology that think that all or most of us go to heaven no matter what we do — in other words, that most of us become saints no matter what — go through life with a shallow prayer life, a weak sacramental life, and a superficial moral life. Many think that they can be good Christians without the cross, without denying themselves, picking up their cross each day, and following the Lord even and especially when it is hard (see Mt 16:24).

One of the most common inadequate notions of holiness, however, is the one closest to St. Paul’s formerly false understanding. When many who actually seek holiness think about advancing on the path to sanctity, they consider first their own works, their own fidelity to God, their own acts of love. These human acts are all, indisputably, part of the pursuit of holiness, but they are a secondary part. The main means to holiness is given to us by God. St. John wrote in his first letter, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he has loved us and handed over his Son as an expiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). We could paraphrase this truth by saying, “In this is holiness, not principally what we do for God but what he has done and does for us.” God provides the means. Specifically, he has given us the sacraments to make us holy, because in each of the sacraments we encounter Christ who wishes through them to carry out in us his work of salvation and sanctification. He has given us prayer as a living encounter with the Blessed Trinity so that we might deepen our friendship with each of the three persons and grow into God’s holy image and likeness. He has given us the moral life so that, living by the Holy Spirit, become one with Christ through entering into his virtues. In short, holiness is fundamentally not a result of our actions, but a consequence of God’s grace, which with his help we seek to receive without resistance.

The type of conversion that the celebration of the conversion of St. Paul is meant to provoke in each of us is a transformation from whatever false or defective notion of the Christian life we have to the true one, whereby, through a continual encounter with Christ, we become gradually united to him who is holiness incarnate. This is what happened with St. Paul, who was eventually able to say, humbly and honestly, to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20) and to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Holiness comes through union with Christ, in whom we can do all things and without whom we can do nothing” (Phil 4:3; Jn 15:5).

To celebrate well the conversion of St. Paul is to seek to convert to become more like St. Paul in total loving adhesion to, and dependence on, God, who wills us to be saved and come to intimate communion with him (1 Tim 4:3). As we prepare solemnly to mark his dramatic conversion on Sunday, St. Paul beckons us, as he once implored the first Christians, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). In other words, “Imitate me in conversion, so that you may imitate me in holiness, just as I imitated the Lord.” The same Lord whom Paul met on the road to Damascus we will hear, meet, see in disguise, and possibly even receive on Sunday. May that encounter change our lives like it changed Paul’s so that, converted to the truth path of holiness, we, like Paul, may be God’s supple instruments through which he may change the world.

January 23, 2009

The setting for the formation of the heart

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hree years ago this Sunday, Pope Bene- of them became indistinguishable from secular dict published his first encyclical let- social service outreaches. ter, Deus Caritas Est, about the love of God I remember once giving a day of recollection that we are called to receive and to share. In it to students in such a Catholic service program. he described that all Christians need to receive I asked them, “How does the good work that a “formation of the heart,” a two-step training you’re doing bring you closer to Christ?” The that occurs through an “encounter with God in normally garrulous students fell silent. Even Christ that awakens their love and opens their with sympathetic prodding, they were unable to spirit to others.” answer what I thought was a rather easy quesThis first step of the process, the pope says, tion. For them, what they were doing was not rebegins with a living experience of God’s love ally flowing from the Lord or toward him. Their incarnate in Jesus Christ. “Love of neighbor … good fruits were detached from a truly life-givconsists in the very fact that, in God and with ing faithful tree. They lacked — I think for no God, I love even the person whom I do not like fault of their own — an authentically Christian or even know. This can only take place on the formation of the heart. basis of an intimate encounter with God, an enWhat was so refreshing for me in reading counter that has become a communion of will, this year’s Catholic Schools Week essays was even affecting my feelings. Then I learn to look that students today are in fact receiving that twoon this other person not simply with my eyes step training in Christ-like love in their Catholic and my feelings, but from the perspective of Je- schools. Even in the younger grades, the students sus Christ. His friend is my friend.” give evidence that they are impelled not merely Once people begin to look at others with the by an unselfish desire to do good for others but eyes of Christ, once they start to reciprocate his by the love and example of Christ. They cited love for others and share his love for others, it how Christ washed the feet of his disciples durbecomes possible for them to love others with ing the Last Supper and left that as an example the same self-sacrificial love with which Jesus for us, so that we might likewise not hesitate to loves them. “As a result,” the pontiff continues, do the “dirty work” for others. They pointed out “love of neighthat Jesus came, bor will no lonnot to be served, ger be for them but to serve. a commandment They noted that imposed, so Jesus did not to speak, from say, “Love me without, but a as I have loved consequence deyou,” but, “Love

By Father riving from their one another as I Roger J. Landry faith, a faith that have loved you.” becomes active They observed through love.” that when Jesus This is the second step in the formation of the asked Simon Peter three times if he loved him, heart. The “freely-bestowed experience of love and three times Peter said he did, Jesus did not from within,” Benedict says, “by its very nature stop there, with requited love. Jesus wanted, must then be shared with others.” Once hearts rather, that Peter out of love for him would “feed have been moved and conquered by Christ’s his sheep” and “tend his lambs.” Christ’s exlove, the love of Christ becomes the criterion ample, as these insights show, moves students to of their existence and activity and “urges them seek to care for those in need. on” (cf. 2 Cor 5:14) in the consciousness that The essayists also described how their Cath“in Christ, God has given himself for us, even olic schools have what could be best termed a unto death, [and this] must inspire us to live no community of Christian charity, in which sacrilonger for ourselves but for him, and, with him, fices for others are so commonplace as to become for others.” contagious. Several called explicit attention to I was reminded of these insights of the Holy the sacrifices their principals and teachers make Father about the authentically Christian training in patiently helping them after school through in love as I read hundreds of Catholic Schools difficulties of one sort or another; the huge Week essays during the past week. The theme monetary renunciations these same staff make for the 2009 Catholic Schools Week, which be- just to work in a Catholic school; the legions of gins on Sunday, is “Catholic Schools Celebrate volunteers who come to the school to work for Service.” We translated that theme into three nothing; the huge sacrifices their parents make age-specific interrogatives for The Anchor es- in working extra jobs or forfeiting vacations in say contest. The youngest students we asked to order to be able to pay for their tuition. Students write on “What do I do for others that pleases raised in such a culture receive a formation of the Jesus?” Middle school students were solicited heart not just by instruction but by osmosis. to respond to, “How has my Catholic school inThus it should really not come as a surprise spired me to imitate Christ in serving others?” that the students in Catholic schools take such iniHigh schoolers were given the question, “Serv- tiative in leading food, toy and clothing drives; set ing others: What did Jesus do? What will I do?” up buddy programs to help new students joyfully While I have always enjoyed reading the es- integrate in their scholastic family; go to visit and says of the crème de la crème of our Catholic sing for nursing home residents; and raise money schools and viewing the inestimably important for sick classmates or their relatives. enterprise of Catholic education anew each year Catholic school students do not just do serthrough their eyes, the responses to this year’s vice, begrudgingly, as a part of their curriculum. contest moved me deeply. They were a resplen- They celebrate it, as the theme for this week dent testimony to how profoundly today’s gener- announces, because it is an expression of the ation of students, formed in our Catholic parishes overflowing love for God that has been poured and schools, have internalized Jesus’ call faith- into their hearts (Rom 5:5). The whole Church fully to love others as Jesus has first loved us. rightly celebrates this liturgy of loving service As I was growing up, many Catholic edu- just like she celebrates the liturgy of the Word cational institutions and parishes framed their and the sacramental liturgies. “As a community, service programs in a way detached from faith the Church must practice love,” Pope Benedict in Christ and in the Church he founded. Some wrote three years ago. “Love for widows and Catholic colleges and universities, for example, orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of would laud their service programs as the only every kind, is as essential to her as the ministry tangible evidence needed of their institution’s of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel.

“Catholic values,” as if service-week programs The Church cannot neglect the service of charin Appalachia or South America were sufficient ity any more than she can neglect the sacraments exoneration for their failure to affirm and put in and the Word.” practice some of the more difficult teachings of Young people can learn the “three r’s” and the Gospel in other areas. The push for “service” many other subjects in various educational instioften became a diversion from a striving for “fi- tutions, but there are few settings in which they delity” to God in all aspects of the faith. Because can receive, along with excellent instruction, of the disconnect between service and full fidel- the true formation of the heart. That’s what sets ity to Christ’s teachings, moreover, it was un- Catholic schools apart. surprising that the connection to Christ in such Father Landry is pastor of St. Anthony’s programs began to dissipate so much that many Parish in New Bedford.

Putting Into the Deep

January 23, 2009

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Paul and the sacraments

recent catechesis of the tragic story of Adam and Eve and Holy Father was a medireplaces it with a new narrative of tation on the New and the Old grace and mercy.

Adam. What made the Old Adam truly old was Living the his abuse of the freedom which God had given him Pauline Year and Eve in Eden, their rebellion against the divine

By Father Andrew plan. What made Jesus, Johnson, OCSO the New Adam, really new was his embrace of obedience in a new divine plan of salvation. With Jesus, This being so, how is it passed there is a new beginning to huon to us, so many centuries after man history which takes away the Christ and his redemptive life and

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death? How is communion with Jesus realized? St. Paul would say, by the power of that same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, the Spirit of the risen Christ.

All right, we could say, and how does that happen? There are three ways: the Holy Spirit can touch our hearts directly, in an unmediated way.

He can do this because he is divine. But given that we are body as well as soul and spirit, the Spirit must also reach us

Orthodox belief and worship

esides the “Filioque” the fact that Western Christianity is, controversy and the papal in most instances, content to pour claims, there were lesser matters of a little water over the candidate’s worship and discipline that caused forehead; as they see it, pouring (or trouble between the Western and worse, sprinkling) undercuts, cerEastern churches, once two parts of tainly not the validity of the sacraa single communion. The Greeks ment, but the sacramental symbolallowed married priests (though ism; for, as Catholic theology itself not married bishops), the Latins maintains, sacramental rites should required clerical celibacy; the accurately symbolize the spiritual Greeks used leavened bread for the realities they convey.

Eucharist, the Latins used unleavWhereas in the West it is the ened bread (“azymes”); the Greeks bishop who normally confirms, in and Latins had different laws of the East chrismation is administered fasting; and so forth. Still, there is by a priest, who takes a special ointmuch more that unites than divides ment, the sacred chrism (in Greek, Roman Catholicism and Eastern myron), which has been blessed by Orthodoxy. a bishop, and with this he anoints We focus now on the worship of the Orthodox Church. After all, “OrthoThe Fullness doxy” literally means both “right belief” and “right of the Truth worship,” being derived from two Greek words:

By Father orthos (correct) and doxa Thomas M. Kocik (glory, worship, doctrine).

Because of their common apostolic heritage, Orthodox and Catholics agree that various parts of the child’s body, the chief place in Christian worship marking them with the sign of the belongs to the sacraments or, as Cross. Like Catholics, Orthodox Eastern Christians call them, the believe that confirmation is an ex“mysteries.” The Orthodox Church tension of Pentecost: the same Holy speaks customarily of seven sacraSpirit who descended visibly on ments, the same seven as in Cathothe Apostles in tongues of fire now lic theology: baptism, chrismation descends invisibly on the baptized. (equivalent to confirmation in the As regards the Eucharist, the West), the Eucharist, repentance or laity as well as the clergy always confession, holy orders, matrimony, receive Communion under both and the anointing of the sick. species. Communion is given to In Orthodoxy, as in the early the laity in a spoon, containing a Church, the three sacraments of small piece of the consecrated Host Christian initiation — baptism, together with a portion of the Prechrismation, and the Eucharist — cious Blood; it is always received are linked closely together. Orthostanding. Both Catholics and dox children are not only baptized Orthodox believe that the Euchain infancy but also confirmed and rist is truly the Body and Blood of given Communion in infancy – a Christ, although they understand strong testimony to the fact that all the “moment of consecration” the sacraments are divine gifts, not somewhat differently. According merited by age or training. (Those to Latin theology (since about the who advocate delaying reception 12th century), the consecration is of confirmation, in some cases until brought about solely by the words the late teens, would do well to pon- of institution: “This is my Body,” der this point.)

“This is … my Blood” (Mt 26:26Except in emergencies, Ortho29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:19-21; 1 doxy regards baptism by immersion Cor 11:24-25). While not denying as essential, since baptism signifies the efficacy of those words, Orthoa burial and resurrection with Christ dox theology follows the earlier (Rom 6:4-5; Col 2:12); and the out- common tradition of East and West ward sign of this is the plunging of in regarding the entire anaphora or the candidate into the font, followed Eucharistic Prayer, and not just one by his emergence from the water. part of it, as consecratory.

Hence, Orthodox are troubled by The Orthodox Church, like

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the Catholic Church, believes the Eucharist to be not only a sacrament but also a sacrifice offered to God. Timothy Ware explains the Orthodox position in terms that fully accord with Catholic teaching as defined at the Council of Trent in 1562: “The Eucharist is not a bare commemoration nor an imaginary representation of Christ’s sacrifice, but the true sacrifice itself; yet on the other hand it is not a new sacrifice, nor a repetition of the sacrifice on Calvary, since the Lamb was sacrificed ‘once only, for all time.’

The events of Christ’s sacrifice — the Incarnation, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension — are not repeated in the Eucharist, but they are made present” (emphasis his).

Although the Roman and Eastern churches have differed for many centuries and in many respects regarding the sacraments of initiation, both sides teach that Christian initiation is a unity in which confirmation is the perfection of baptism and the Eucharist is the completion of both (see “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” 1233). Therefore, the fact that in the West a baptized child will normally receive the Eucharist long before being confirmed is, to put it mildly, an anomaly.

Of great importance to Orthodox piety are icons — images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints, and biblical events, often painted on wood with a gold leaf background, and kept and venerated both in churches and in private homes. These holy images, together with frescoes and mosaics — Orthodox churches generally don’t have statues — aren’t mere ornaments designed to add warmth and color to the church, but have a theological and liturgical function. What the Gospel is to the ears, icons are to the eyes. What’s more, icons remind the Orthodox faithful of another truth that they profess with Catholics, namely, that the liturgy on earth is one with the heavenly Liturgy (see “Catechism,” 1137-39).

Our study of Orthodox faith and worship continues next time.

Father Kocik is a parochial vicar at Santo Christo Parish in Fall River.

through the senses; this he does

by Word and by sacrament, especially baptism and the Eucharist.

The proclamation of the Word, of the Gospel of Christ, is not something we take upon ourselves. Apostle means “sent” in Greek, so we can see even from the language that the commission to preach which the Apostles and their successors have is not self-bestowed. Even the Apostles didn’t send themselves; the preachers of the Word are chosen rather than choosers.

To become even more effective and immediate, to bring us even more deeply into the saving death of Jesus, the Word of preaching becomes something more: the sacrament of baptism, which is a rebirth of water and the Spirit. In his letter to the Romans, Paul spells out his understanding of its power: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (6:3-4). This is a very rich and difficult text, but Benedict wants us only to note three things: First, “we have been baptized” is in the passive voice. No one baptizes himself, just as no one makes himself a Christian. We become Christians through God’s call and through the community of faith, the Church. Second, baptism is more than cleansing; it is a death and a rising. To quote directly from the pope: “To be a Christian is more than an aesthetic operation, which would add something nice to an existence that is more or less complete. It is a new beginning, it is a rebirth: death and resurrection.” Third, matter must form part of the sacrament. No one can receive the sacrament of baptism without water. “Christianity is not a purely spiritual reality. It involves the body. It involves the cosmos. It extends to the new earth and the new heavens.”

Turning to the Eucharist, the Holy Father invokes the words of the Apostle: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the

night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

How carefully Paul passes on the treasure of the Lord’s words. He is well aware that the Eucharist shares in the Lord’s redemption, and more. It makes present his Body and Blood, offered in an unbloody manner. “To celebrate the Eucharist means that Christ gives himself to us, his love, to conform us to himself and thus create the new world.” The bloody sacrifices of the old law have been fulfilled in the death of Jesus, and it is made present to us in every Mass.

Another text of St. Paul (1 Cor 10:16-17) shows that our communion is both personal and social: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (10:16-17). Christ and our neighbor are inseparable here, and thus we are only one bread, only one body. And though we are meant to consume the Eucharist, yet the Eucharist in a sense reverses the process and consumes us, uniting us mystically to Christ, and so, altogether, as Church, we become his body.

Finally, the Holy Father looks briefly at the sacrament of matrimony in view of these two initial sacraments. The mutual submission of the spouses in marriage, he says, “must adopt the language of love, which has as its model the love of Christ for his Church. This Christ-Church relation makes the theological aspect of marital love primary, it exalts the affective relation between spouses.

A genuine marriage will be well lived if in the constant human and affective growth there is an effort to remain connected with the efficacy of the Word and the meaning of baptism.” Not just baptism, Eucharist, and marriage, but really, all the sacraments bind us to God and to one another in an indissoluble union of grace.

Father Johnson is diocesan director of the Pauline Year and parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis.

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Cooked to perfection

A

nyone who has ever cooked rice knows very well it shouldn’t be under-cooked, resulting in a crunchy goopy mess; or over-cooked, resulting in a mushy, goopy mess. Neither very appetizing.

There’s a small window of time when the rice is perfect.

Last week, the baseball writers who perennially vote for those who will enter the prestigious National Baseball Hall of Fame steamed, boiled or microwaved their helping of rice nearly to the over-cooked stage.

James Edward Rice, a stalwart in left field at Fenway Park

My View From the Stands

By Dave Jolivet for 15 years, and the producer of 382 home runs, 1,451 RBI, and a lifetime .298 batting average was voted into the HOF on his 15th and final try.

Oh so very close to over-cooking this Rice.

Much has been said about why Jim Ed was not elected before this.

Many claim it was how the PRESS perceived Rice treated them. As my sports-frenzied neighbor would say, “Boo-hoo for them.”

To Rice’s credit, over the last decade and a half, he never moaned and groaned about coming up short every year. He was, is and always will be a gentleman.

Red Sox Nation is fortunate to have him hooked up with NESN

and its coverage of Red Sox baseball for the last five seasons.

Finally Jim Ed is a Hall of Famer — cooked to perfection.

I have several fond memories of Rice — two in particular. The first is big Jim carrying an injured Jerry Remy off the field following a serious knee injury. The second is big Jim emerging from the Sox dugout, entering the stands and heading to a four-year-old fan who had just been struck in the head by a line drive. Rice cradled the lad in his arms, took him off the field and into the Red Sox clubhouse.

The Red Sox team doctor said the gesture may have saved the young boy’s life.

I must admit, Rice was also the source of one of my most shameful acts as a Sox fan.

Following a Rice strikeout in the 1986 A.L. Championship Series, I hurled a chocolate chip cookie at the TV as my wife watched in utter amazement.

As soon as the Rice vote came in last week, I jumped online to reserve a hotel room for the HOF induction ceremony weekend. It took a while to find a chain that wasn’t already sold out. You gotta love Red Sox Nation. I booked a room 30 miles from Cooperstown, N.Y. — not too bad.

Denise, Emilie and I will be there in full Red Sox regalia as Jim Ed is inducted this July, but I had to promise not to launch any baked goods at him. There’ll be no need to — I’ll be enjoying a big helping of Rice, perfectly prepared.

Please visit us at: www.CarmelTerrace.org or 508 788 8000 933 Central St. Framingham, MA 01701 On the campus of St. Patrick's Manor

January 23, 2009

Talk about area homeless spurs Wareham teen to spearhead successful food drive B y Michael Pare A nchor Staff

quired to do for her Religious Education class.

But she learned that it wasn’t a requirement.

WAREHAM — As director of Religious It was simply something her daughter wanted Education and Youth Ministry at St. Pat- to do. rick’s Parish on High Street, Paula Wilk typiLisa reminded Olivia that she worked in cally knows what’s going on with the parish Boston and would not be of much help with youth. all of this. Yes, she would call the school and But when her pastor, Father Arnold Me- confirm some of the details, and Bryan would deiros, approached her during the holidays deliver the food on Tuesdays, but aside from and asked if she knew about a young girl that, Olivia was on her own. bringing in lots of food for the needy, Wilk “I thought it was kind of special that she was admittedly stumped. took the initiative,” said Lisa. “She made up So she did some digging and soon learned the fliers and put them up at her school.” that the girl was Olivia DelGreco, a 13-yearDelGreco’s classmates responded. Her enold parishioner and a student at Wareham Mid- thusiasm for the effort was contagious and dle School. Just a few weeks earlier, Olivia had soon, students started to compete against one been among a group another to see who of eighth- and ninthcould bring in the most grade Religious Educacans. tion students who had Lisa knows that in listened intently to a Olivia, she has a good presentation by Patrikid. But she also knows cia Grenda and Claire that it was special for a Hartnett, who run the 13-year-old to follow parish’s St. Vincent de through with such prePaul Society. cision — to turn a nice Grenda and Hartidea into a tangible act nett talked about the of kindness toward othimportance of the food ers. pantry and the homeStill, Lisa is not lessness that they ensurprised that Olivia counter in town. They pulled this off. talked about people “She is extremely struggling in a bad empathetic,” said Lisa. economy. They talked “That’s what prompted about families who her to do this.” would experience a DelGreco doesn’t very different kind of see a fuss in all of this.

Christmas season.

It’s simple, really. She “Pat and Claire said that she was in fact gave a moving speech struck by the talk deto the students,” said livered by the women Wilk. “You could hear from the St. Vincent de a pin drop while they Paul Society. were talking. The fact ANCHOR PERSON OF THE WEEK — Olivia Homelessness was that there are people DelGreco. no longer something in Wareham who are you read about or heard hungry … I think it really hit the children that about on the news. It was right there in Waresome people go home at night and have noth- ham, right there in the neighborhoods suring in their refrigerator.” rounding St. Patrick’s Parish.

After the speech, said Wilk, several stu“They said that by Wednesdays, they usualdents approached her and wanted to help out ly run out of food,” said DelGreco. “I wanted at the food pantry. Plans were set in place. to do something about that. I knew there were But Olivia DelGreco couldn’t wait. homeless people in every town, but I didn’t “She went to school the next day and she know there were that many.” wanted to start a food drive,” said Wilk.

DelGreco is a quick to deflect credit toward Olivia set about doing it right. She got per- her classmates at Wareham Middle School. None mission from school officials to put up signs of this would have happened without them. and to send all of the food collected to St. “They really helped out a lot,” she said.

Patrick’s St. Vincent de Paul Society.”

Asked what makes her most proud, Lisa For four consecutive Tuesdays, DelGreco’s said it is the fact that her daughter acted out father, Bryan, picked up the food at the mid- of the goodness of a kind heart. dle school and delivered it to the food pantry “You don’t always see that at 13,” said Lisa. at St. Patrick’s. At the church, they stopped “Or if they do have those kind instincts, they may counting the cans that came in after about be afraid to show that … I feel very blessed.”

700.

DelGreco learned a valuable lesson from Even weeks after the drive, Wilk is moved the experience. by the kindness, the drive, and the humility “It’s good to help out,” she said. “You rethat DelGreco demonstrated. ally can make a difference for those less for“She was so humble about it,” said Wilk. tunate than you.”

“She didn’t tell anyone.”

To nominate a Person of the Week, send Olivia’s mom, Lisa, thought at first that an email message to FatherRogerLandry@ maybe this was something Olivia was re- AnchorNews.org.

Catholic schools students: Vibrant models of service to community continued from page one

their marginalized peers in mission parishes and even visiting them; various grass roots fundraising endeavors, and offering their Masses and prayers as well.

Michael Scanlan, principal at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, said his school’s mission “is to be not only hearers, but doers of the Word. We try to inculcate the values of a muscular, active Catholic Christianity in our students, one in which love of and service to others are key components.”

He said the emphasis on caring for others manifests itself most clearly in a four-year sequence of service requirements for students “in which students and faculty go beyond what is required of them and attempt to imitate the example of Christ by engaging in countless acts of service … and creating an environment which fosters a commitment to putting the needs of others before our own.”

At St. Stanislaus School in Fall River, Principal Jean Willis made it clear that “our service must flow from our baptismal commitment and our relationship with Christ, who pours out his love on us. Rooted in him, we cannot help but serve.”

She added, “At St. Stan’s, we begin with prayer and study of Scripture, so that our service has depth and meaning. Our students are taught that we don’t do things for others just because it’s the right thing or it makes us feel good. Students are encouraged to look around them through the merciful eyes of Christ and to put other’s needs before their own.”

Through their study of current events, students become aware of needs in the local and global communities and organize service projects to address some of those needs, which include food and clothing drives, school supplies for the missions and making hygiene bags for the diocesan AIDS Ministry, Willis reported.

The 2009 theme links to a recently completed National Catholic Educational Association initiative, “Birthday Blessings for Pope Benedict.”

During the pope’s April 2008 visit to the United States, Catholic youth were asked to pledge hours of community service to honor the pope’s 81st birthday, and more than two million hours of service were pledged.

And students aren’t just sitting back and enjoying the opportunity to grow in and enjoy the joys of the faith preparing them for their life as living stones in the Church.

On Wednesday in Catholic Schools Week, students tradition-

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January 23, 2009

ally observe National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools. On that day, student delegations meet on Capitol Hill in Washington to deliver packets of information about the good news of Catholic Education to U.S. congressional leaders.

And on January 22, hundreds of students from the diocese will take a recess from the classroom and take a tiring bus trip to Washington for the annual March for Life to demonstrate once again against the dreadful 1973 Roe v.

Wade decision that made abortion legal in the United States, and add their pilgrim prayers and pleas for national leaders to change their outlook to favoring respect for life at all stages.

Kathleen A. Burt, principal at SS. Peter and Paul School in Fall River, said the goal “is to encourage our students to put their faith in action and follow Christ’s example in all they do. We remind them to be his light today by bringing his love, compassion and mercy to others through the gift of service — to Church, family, school, community and our global family throughout the world.”

Denise Peixoto, principal at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro, speaking of the various community service projects in which her students and staff participate, asked, “What better, more effective way to inspire students and teach them to imitate Christ than to model service as a way to live your life teaching by example?”

At Holy Name School in Fall River, Principal Patricia M. Wardell said the importance of serving others as students develop a relationship with Jesus not only in prayer but is seen in programs that finds them assisting absent students and their families with assignments, paired with younger students as prayer partners, reading 100 books thereby enabling books to be sent to a Navajo reservation, raising funds to purchase clothing for the needy as well as scholarships for the Diocesan Mission in Honduras.

Students entering St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro are greeted by the saint’s words “Little children, love one another,” and they constantly undertake projects to show that love and support, reported Sister Mary Jane Holden, the principal.

“They support our parish food and coat drives, they funded tuition to the Catholic school in Honduras, and some have even substituted birthday gifts and Christmas presents with requests for donations,” she said.

“The most rewarding projects

the students undertake are those initiated by the students themselves,” explained Sister Holden.

“When this happens, it shows they have truly received and understood the message: ‘Whatever you do for the least of my people, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40).

Providing a safe and loving environment where students learn academics, what’s more important is one in which they become good Catholics and good citizens, said Daphne Costa, principal at St. Mary’s School in New Bedford.

“They will learn to help their neighbors, be kind, patient and responsible; they will learn to imitate Christ in all they do,” Costa said. “As educators, we will foster this growth every step of the way, by modeling Catholic values and using teachable moments to discuss ‘What would Jesus do?’ when faced with a difficult decision.”

Patricia Marmen, principal at St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth, said that as its students grow in their faith, they are called be Christ-like to others and that is what makes their Love in Action Service Project more meaningful.

“We point out that the words of Jesus: ‘You are the light of the world, let your light shine before men, that they many see your good works and give glory to God,’ are meant to inspire our students to imitate Christ who came to serve,” she added.

Catholic Schools Week is a joint project of the NCEA and

the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Schools typically celebrate Catholic Schools Week with Masses, open houses and registration of new families, activities for students and families such as book and science fairs, games and other entertainment, as well as lunches and events for administrators, faculty, school staff and the community.

As part of that, The Anchor sponsored an essay contest for Catholic school students in the Fall River Diocese, as well as an Artwork contest. Winning essays and art appear in today’s edition.

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oday is dedicated to the experience that Paul had on his way to Damascus, and therefore on what is commonly known as his conversion. It was precisely on the road to Damascus, at the beginning of the 30s in the first century and after a period in which he had persecuted the Church that the decisive moment in Paul’s life occurred. He reached a turning point there, indeed a reversal of perspective. And so he began, unexpectedly, to consider as “loss” and “refuse” all that had earlier constituted his greatest ideal, as it were the raison d’être of his life (cf. Phil 3: 7-8).

What had happened?

In this regard we have two types of source. The first kind, the best known, consists of the accounts we owe to the pen of Luke, who tells of the event at least three times in the Acts of the Apostles (cf.

9: 1-19; 22: 3-21; 26: 4-23).

The average reader may be tempted to linger too long on certain details, such as the light in the sky, falling to the ground, the voice that called

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January 23, 2009

St. Paul’s conversion and ours

him, his new condition of in a fundamental way; in this blindness, his healing like sense one can and must speak scales falling from his eyes of a conversion. and the fast that he made. But The second type of source all these details refer to the concerning the conversion heart of the event: the risen consists in St Paul’s actual Christ appears as a brilliant Letters. He never spoke of light and speaks to Saul, this event in detail, I think transforms his thinking and because he presumed that his entire life. The dazzling everyone knew the essentials radiance of the risen Christ of his story: everyone knew blinds him; thus what was that from being a persecutor his inner reality is also outwardly apparent, his blindness to the Homily of the Week truth, to the light that Conversion is Christ. And then of St. Paul his definitive “yes”

By Pope to Christ in Baptism restores his sight and Benedict XVI makes him really see.

In Paul what is pointed out theologically was he had been transformed into also brought about physicala fervent Apostle of Christ. ly: healed of his inner blindAnd this had not happened ness, he sees clearly. Thus St after his own reflection, but Paul was not transformed by after a powerful event, an ena thought but by an event, by counter with the Risen One. the irresistible presence of “Last of all,” he wrote to the the Risen One whom subseCorinthians, “he appeared quently he would never be also to me” (1 Cor 15: 8). able to doubt, so powerful Thus he makes it clear that had been the evidence of the this is the foundation of his event, of this encounter. It apostolate and of his new life. radically changed Paul’s life This turning point in his

life, this transformation of his whole being was not the fruit of a psychological process, of a maturation or intellectual and moral development.

Rather it came from the outside: it was not the fruit of his thought but of his encounter with Jesus Christ. In this sense it was not simply a conversion, a development of his “ego”, but rather a death and a resurrection for Paul himself. One existence died and another, new one was born with the Risen Christ.

In this deeper sense we can and we must speak of conversion.

This encounter is a real renewal that changed all his parameters. Now he could say that what had been essential and fundamental for him earlier had become “refuse” for him; it was no longer “gain” but loss, because henceforth the only thing that counted for him was life in Christ.

Turning now to ourselves, let us ask what this means for us. It means that for us too Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new morality.

We are only Christians if we encounter Christ. Of course, he does not show himself to us in this overwhelming, luminous way, as he did to Paul to make him the Apostle to all peoples. But we too can encounter Christ in reading sacred Scripture, in prayer, in the liturgical life of the Church. We can touch Christ’s heart and feel him touching ours. Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we truly become Christians. And in this way our reason opens, all Christ’s wisdom opens as do all the riches of truth.

Therefore let us pray the Lord to illumine us, to grant us an encounter with his presence in our world, and thus to grant us a lively faith, an open heart and great love for all, which is capable of renewing the world.

Pope Benedict is the successor not merely of St. Peter but also of St. Paul as the teacher to the nations. These thoughts are excerpted from his September 3, 2008 general audience catechesis.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 24, Heb 9:2-3,11-14; Ps 47:2-3,6-9; Mk 3:20-21. Sun. Jan. 25, Conversion of St. Paul, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; 1Cor 7:29-31; Mk 16:15-18; 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 26, 2 Tim 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5; Ps 96:1-3,7-8a,10; Mk 3:22-30. Tues. Jan. 27, Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2,4,7-8,10-11; Mk 3:31-35. Wed. Jan 28, Heb 10:11-18; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 4:1-20. Thu. Jan. 29, Heb 10:19-25; Ps 24:1-4ab,5-6; Mk 4:21-25. Fri. Jan. 30, Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6,23-24,39-40; Mk 4:26-34.

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he readings we encounter this Sunday speak to us of God’s calling.

They do not speak of compromise but of conversion.

Compromise is a word that suggests a peaceful contented living arrangement has been made. We do not want any major changes in our lives.

We are perfectly willing to be the way we are.

The readings suggest that there needs to be some changes made in our lives and there is some urgency to this. They suggest also that in any process requiring change there can be and usually is some pain. This would be the process of conversion.

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.

Set out for the great city of Nineveh and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”

The message Jonah was to deliver was one of doom to the wicked city. Jonah was asked by God to do something he really did not

Compromise or conversion

want to do. He was to bring a In this brief verse, Paul message of conversion to Niasks us how ready we are to neveh and its inhabitants that disentangle ourselves from he felt they did not deserve. our current relationships and Jonah knew God was grapersonal circumstances to cious and merciful but what become followers of Christ. he really needed to underHe tells us that life is brief stand was that other people and things we hold onto are and nations could be dear to his God also.

Before Jonah could Homily of the Week bring this message he Third Sunday had to undergo a conin Ordinary Time version himself. His old thoughts and ways

By Deacon needed to change, a James Barrett change of life. The message God was sending to Nineveh did not involve compromise in the short term. Paul speaks but a conversion to a new life. to our comfort zone and asks When God saw their converus to change our old ways, atsion in response to Jonah’s titudes and thoughts to a new message, he relented from his way of seeing life and the punishment and displayed his people around us. compassion.

As with Jonah this change St. Paul, in today’s second does not come easily and can reading, suggests that those make us very uncomfortable. using the world as not using Paul asks us not to comproit fully. “For the world in mise but to convert. He asks its present form is passing us just as he did the Corinthiaway.” ans to participate in this new

reality — a Christ-centered existence.

Jonah in his message of doom, a message without any sign of mercy, caused panic in the minds of the Ninevites.

It was a do or die scenario.

Paul in his message on surrendering our attachment to our life styles would not give us any peace of mind.

Jesus has a different approach when he says, “Repent and believe.” Compared to the previous terse approach of Jonah and Paul, Jesus’ words of turning around could lead us to say this is a workable proposition.

Mark summarizes in his Gospel the message Jesus preached: Be open to the Word of God and its power and be prepared to serve one another. For Jesus himself is the new message.

Jesus offers us one other thing. He asks us to be his disciples and apostles: “Come

follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark).

In his preaching of the Kingdom of God and conversion he asked Andrew and Simon to join him. For them there was no hesitation; they left their nets and followed him. James and John too left their nets and their family as well. How powerful this message must have been. For them there was no compromise there was total conversion.

Those gentle words Jesus uses today, “Come follow me,” do mean that in order to follow we must be willing to convert and be ready for all the ramifications these words entail. In doing this we are asked to repent — to change — and to believe in the Gospel. For the Gospel message is the same for us as it was for the Apostles. Share my message and become fishers of men.

Deacon James Barrett is assigned to Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville.

Feathers in the wind

23 January 2009 — Three Mile protested. “The wind has blown River — Lent begins in just four the feathers all over the place.” weeks “Exactly,” said the wise old priest. n otherwise pious woman “You come here week after week constantly confessed the saying you wish to overcome this same sin — starting rumors. Final- sin, but there is no way you can ly, her confessor (maybe St. Philip Neri) told her, as a penance, to go into the town square and rip Reflections of a open a feather pillow. The Parish Priest woman, befuddled by this strange penance, did it

By Father Tim anyway. Then she returned Goldrick to the confessional. “I have completed my penance,” she announced. “You’ve complet- make restitution. It’s as impossible ed the first part of your penance,” to correct the harm you’ve done by the priest corrected. “The second starting rumors as it is to recover part is go back and collect the the feathers. Your rumors have feathers.” “That’s impossible!” she spread all over town.” The woman

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went away and sinned no more.

Rumor can do a great deal of harm to a parish community and to its individual members, yet there is no paucity of rumor in a parish. Mark Twain once said that it takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to throw you into a tizzy with a rumor: the enemy to start the rumor and the friend to tell you about it. Rumor happens when you gather in one place mutually concerned people with time on their hands. It seems that the smaller and tighter the parish community, the more numerous and stronger the rumors.

Rumor has now gone high-

Service as a way of life

and, anyway, they’re going to have to confess that I order us pizza.” gave a little sigh when I Yes, it’s tough to be genusaw that this year’s theme for inely thankful or compasCatholic Schools Week was sionate when the timing is “Celebrate Service.” Now, inconvenient, and, yes, we all don’t get me wrong. I firmly have to prioritize conflicting believe that serving others is at demands on our time, energy, the very heart of what it means and money. There are, howto be a Catholic Christian. ever, some ways that we as What I firmly oppose is packparents and educators can eiaging Christian service in slick ther help or hinder our children marketing schemes designed in the process of integrating to promote and benefit an service into their faith lives. institution instead of to really help the needy. I am reminded of the times when, as a child, I would offer to help my mother bake cookies just so I could snitch some of the chocolate

By Heidi Bratton chip dough. My offer was not about being of help to my mother, and A short examination of our I am quite sure she knew what I was up to. Likewise, I believe own motivations and of our expectations of our children is God knows what we are up to a good place to start. Do we when we parents and educators help or teach our children or push our children and students students to help only when it to “do” service hours for the will get noticed or add up to a sole purpose of fulfilling a reward? Do we help in order to requirement or padding their gain prestige or earn esteem? college applications.

Are we more concerned with Serving others shouldn’t be documenting than performsomething that we “do,” but ing our service? Do we give something that characterizes help as a way to manipulate our very person; something the receiver? Do we know, or that comes as naturally as even care to know, the names breathing to a well-formed or personal stories of those we Catholic. What good, for are helping? example, have we taught the As a parent and as a president of a school’s service club if, while running down the Catholic educator, I have set a controversial, but firm policy hall to make the service club in our Catholic home school. meeting, he or she consistently Students may not, under any blows by the janitor without a circumstances, keep account of word of thanks, yells “tough their Christian service. I have luck” to a friend who failed this policy because I resolutely today’s exam, and calls his believe that once we begin or her mom and sighs, “Can’t to keep track of “hours” of stop by the grocery store for service, we will inevitably lose you after school. Sorry. The track of why and whom we are service club called a meeting,

Home Grown Faith

serving. My students/children regularly do things like tutor one another, pray for the unborn and their mothers, shovel snow for neighbors, cook meals, give their own money to missionaries, email with their grandparents, serve on the altar at Mass, and change our one-year-old’s diaper. Which of these should I tell them to count as official service activities? None. All of these should all be done as naturally as breathing and therefore, do not need to be added up, average out, and presented for approval like a grade point average to me or anyone else.

I love the way service has been reinforced to my teen-agers at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth. Instead of service hours, students are required to participate in one of several organized service experiences and then to write a paper on the experience.

The service program is called F.I.A.T. (Faith In Action Together) and uses Mary and her “fiat” or “yes” to the challenge and responsibility of being the mother of Jesus as its primary role model of Christian service.

How perfect. How many hours would the teen-aged Mother of God have recorded her for service to Jesus? None. Service was not something Mary would have done, but something that would have characterized her very being. May it be the same for us and all our Catholic children and students.

Heidi is an author, photographer, and full-time mother.

She and her husband raise their six children in Falmouth. homegrownfaith@gmail.com.

tech. Thanks to the Internet, slanderous rumors spread faster than ever. It’s called “dissing.”

An enemy on-line is now capable of ruining your life without your friend’s help. There’s even a popular Website devoted to rumors about the hierarchy. Let’s call it “News from the Narthex.” Priests are its biggest fans.

One of the tasks of a parish priest is to squelch harmful rumors in his community. There is no seminary course I know of that teaches a strategy for this. Maybe there should be. Often the rumors are directed towards the community as a whole, towards prominent lay leaders, other Church members, or most likely towards the priest himself.

Here’s what I’ve learned about Church rumors over the years. Rumors are informal ways of gathering information when official systems are perceived as secretive or are just not trusted.

A lack of transparency fuels the rumor mill. Rumors often have nothing to do with facts, or even with common sense. As high as 95 percent of rumors are untrue.

Rumors are based on emotion, not on intellect. This is why even the most intelligent people succumb to spreading rumors. This is also why rumors, like emotions, are difficult to control.

Rumors, I think, stem from the need to feel secure. People must make sense out of their world.

When folks search for facts in a social setting, as at a parish supper, it can lead to rumors. Everyone needs to sort out reality from fantasy. Talking it over with others helps.

Gossip is a subcategory of rumor. The higher the level of anxiety, the more widespread the gossip.

The phrase “idle gossip” is an oxymoron. Gossip, true or not, has work to do. Maybe gossip’s work is to amuse. On a slow day at the rectory, gossip can be fun. Maybe

gossip’s work is to impress. Those with the inside scope can wow their family, friends and neighbors by how in-the-know they are. Gossip can be used to bolster prestige.

Maybe gossip’s work is to help you bond with some individual or group. If people believe your gossip, it means they trust you. This gives you an edge.

My strategy is this. Whatever you do, don’t ignore rumor. True or untrue, address the rumor and then let go of it. Be positive, not negative. If the rumor happens to be true, don’t deny it. If not, state the truth briefly, clearly, and specifically. Humor helps. Here’s an example. Last year I heard from a friend (a pastor in Fall River) a rumor that I intended to build a “crystal cathedral” in the Town of Dighton. This rumor was untrue. The following weekend, in my “pastor’s report” at the end of Mass, I addressed the subject.

“My dear people, we cannot even afford the Windex to wash the windows of a crystal cathedral, let alone build one. And that’s the honest truth.” End of rumor.

Most Church people I know are painfully aware of what’s wrong with them and don’t need others to point it out; it’s what’s good about them they just can’t seem to comprehend. Are you looking for something to give up for Lent?

Instead of fasting from chocolate, consider fasting from gossip. Resolve to tell someone what’s good about them and forget any negative gossip you may have heard.

Father Goldrick is pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton.

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January 23, 2009

Cyber evangelization

reading of theology as if I am in conversation with the authors, even though they lived and wrote hundreds of years before I was born. I thought of this when I first took part in an on-line learning experience. People are now conversing with the authors from the past, and with other readers throughout the world, all in the comfort of their own homes. The Diocese of Fall River has partnered with Notre Dame’s STEP Education Program so that people can grow in their faith by breaking open the teachings of the Catholic Church.

There are so many ways in which technology enhances our ability to evangelize. The story of Jesus Christ has been captured in this digital age and is spreading fast. There is a whole new language out there: Websites, IPods, Social networking, blogs, podcasts, Wi-Fi, Google … I could go on and on. We need to catch up.

On January 14 we invited Tim Welch to come to the diocese and spread his message about technology and the Gospel that he has proclaimed in his book, “Technology Tools for Your Ministry; No Mousing Around.”

He believes that we can utilize the tools of technology to tell the story of Jesus Christ. He gives the most compelling argument in his book for why we need to become technological savvy. “So when Jesus says, ‘I love them.

Will you go out to them with me?’ We can say ‘yes’ even if they have their noses in a computer screen. We can say ‘yes’ even if they have a cell phone to their ear while driving. We can say ‘yes’ because we have one another, we have tools to use, we have a community for support, and because we have the reign of God to make present and to proclaim, even to the ends of the earth. Even to the ends of the cyberworld.”

Claire McManus is the director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Formation.

here has been a lot of deeds must not have been that talk this past week about “heroic” after all. However, I heroes … who they are, where can state with absolute certainty to find them, what defines who my hero is as of late. them. After U.S. Airways pilot He is a simple man of meaChelsey B. “Sully” Sullenger means. He wandered away berger III safely crash landed from his parents when he was a his plane into the Hudson River child. He wandered from place saving the lives of everyone to place never staying in one on board, he has been dubbed place very long but he always by all — media, passenger and left his mark wherever he went. crew alike — as a hero.

He surrounded himself with a We have so many classificagroup of friends. He stuck to tions of “hero” within our culture. There’s the “sports hero” who champions his or her team to claiming the championship title or seems to excel beyond

By Crystal Medeiros expectation to set records as we saw this summer with gold medalist Michael Phelps. There are his convictions in and beliefs the “action heroes” of film that even when the rest of the world we cling to like Harrison Ford was against him. He welcomed in the Indiana Jones franchise. the children and chastised There are the “mythological adults for not being more like heroes” like Hercules and the them. And he had, correction civil heroes like Martin Luther … has a great capacity to love King Jr. even those who persecute him.

Who are the heroes in our It’s probably fairly easy to lives and how do we define guess who my hero is at this them? point in my life. He is someone I cannot fathom to say who we as Christians should conthe heroes are for our young tinuously try to emulate in our people these days. Yes, I am daily lives no matter how difadmitting that level disconnect ficult it may be for us. For Jesus with teen-agers. It was bound to knows that his sandals may happen sooner or later as I get be too big for us to fill, but all older and they get younger. And he wants us to do is love him as I sit here writing this article, enough to try. He wants for us I find it difficult to remember to love him enough to serve the which hero captured the eye poor, help the sick, and love all of my childhood. His or her of mankind no matter the dif-

ferences. He wants us to be the heroes his Father created us to become at the dawn of creation — beings capable of great love and kindness if we put our trust and our faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In a society that too often mistakes heroism with fame and success, can our young people look to Jesus as the true hero of humanity? I believe it’s very possible and very likely that they can and will so long as we (the adults) help guide them or even take a much larger leap of faith and allow them to guide us. As we enter 2009, our hopes pinned on brighter future for all of us, I implore our young people to not only turn to Jesus as their hero but to also search within themselves for their inner hero. All of us, young and old, have the capacity to be a hero to others. In reading the headlines, we can strive to be someone’s Sully Sullenberger but shouldn’t our aspirations be even higher than that?

If we search for the Christ that rests in all of us, we will find our inner heroes. Let’s not wait for other heroes to come along. Let’s be a hero to others.

Crystal is assistant director for Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the diocese and youth ministry coordinator for St. Lawrence Martyr Parish in New Bedford. You can contact her at cmedeiros@dfrcec.com.

he medium is the message,” was the catchy slogan that permeated the culture of the early 70s. As Christians we are quite aware of this since we have staked our lives on the Incarnation, the most powerful a medium ever experienced in history. As people infused with the Holy Spirit, we have always endeavored to find engaging new ways of bringing God’s plan of salvation to each generation. At the time that communications guru Marshall McLuhan coined that slogan, telecommunications was transforming the culture.

The Vatican appointed McLuhan as Consultor of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications in 1973, in recognition of his insight into the power of communication on the culture.

At that time, television was just emerging as the icon of the global cultural revolution. Thirty-five years later we have watched our world shrink before our eyes, and our children become masters of a medium that wasn’t even on the radar screen when McLuhan

spread his visionary message. first to the Web. A quick glance There are many people out through the diocesan directory there who are very suspicious reveals that many parishes have of the incessant communication also created Websites. Christ of the Instant Message Genthe King Parish in Mashpee, eration. The medium has gone for example, has a Website with way beyond the imagination of nearly 40 pages. You can go on 20th-century visionaries, racing their Website and hear Msgr. past telecommunications into the boundless region of the World Wide Web. Suddenly, the Kingdom of God is neither lo here, nor lo there, but the Kingdom is streaming through

By Claire McManus cyberspace. It is time that we recognize this and use the tools of this century Dan Hoye’s latest homily. There to spread the Good News of is even a page that reaches out Jesus Christ. to fallen away Catholics, invitTechnology is a way of life in ing them to come home. What this century. This simple fact has a beautiful use of technology. impacted the way we live, learn, Can’t you just imagine a re-telland teach. A little over a year ing of the parable of the Prodigal ago the Office of Faith FormaSon in which the son checks his tion built a Website to help imfather’s Website and sees a mesprove communication between sage begging him to come home, our office and the people of all is forgiven? the diocese. When people want One of my teachers once told information these days, they go me that I should approach my

FALL RIVER — A video of the 2008 Marian Medals Ceremony that took place on November 16 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River continues to air on several cable television public access channels in the Fall River Diocese.

The schedule is as follows: — Dartmouth, Fall River and New Bedford, cable channel 9, Jan. 23, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m.

— New Bedford, cable channel 95, Jan. 29, Feb. 5 and 12 at

8:30 p.m.

— Somerset, cable channel 9, Jan. 26 and 28 at 12 noon, Jan. 29 at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Jan. 30 at 1 p.m., Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 1 at 9 a.m.

Please note that public access channels in other communities are also airing the Marian Medal Ceremony video. However, not all airings are scheduled far enough in advance to include the information in this listing. Additional airtime information for other communities will be published as the information is made available to us.

The ceremony video is also available for purchase. Copies may be ordered in either VHS format ($21.95) or DVD format ($23.95). To obtain a video, please forward a check payable to the Diocesan Office of Communications, Diocese of Fall River, P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722. Shipping is included in the video cost.

The Great Commission

Marian Medals Ceremony on local cable TV

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When a hero comes along

Be Not Afraid

January 23, 2009

Around the Diocese Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration:

ACUSHNET — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Church, 125 Main Street, Mondays from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ending with Evening Prayer and Benediction.

EAST TAUNTON — Eucharistic adoration takes place First Fridays at Holy Family Church, 370 Middleboro Avenue, following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 8 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place at St. JosephSt. Therese Church, 51 Duncan Street, Mondays following the 8:30 a.m. Mass until 1:30 p.m. For more information call 508-995-2354.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic adoration takes place 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 233 County Street, with night prayer and Benediction at 8:45 p.m., and confessions offered during the evening.

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.

TAUNTON — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord Church, 31 First Street, immediately following the 8 a.m.

Mass and continues throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m., concluding with recitation of the rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

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.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street, holds perpetual eucharistic adoration. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous: CHATHAM — A Tridentine Mass will be celebrated Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Chapel on Route 137.

FALL RIVER — Catholic Social Services will host “Adoption by Choice,” an informational session for individuals and families interested in domestic newborn or international adoption Sunday, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at 1600 Bay Street. A snow date is February 1. To register and for information call 508-674-4681.

FALL RIVER — “A Faith and Culture Forum” focusing on assisting children to lead disciplined lives and achieve academic excellence, an observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, will be held Sunday at 2 p.m., in Union Methodist Church, 600 Highland Avenue. Participants from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River will include Father Marc Bergeron, ecumenical officer; and George A. Milot, superintendent of schools.

FALMOUTH — The St. Mary’s Education Fund Winter Brunch has been rescheduled to Sunday at noon at the Coonamessett Inn. Call Jane at 508-7593566 for reservations.

MASHPEE — ECHO of Cape Cod is looking for Youth Applicants for its Spring Retreat weekends to be held at the Craigville Conference Center in Centerville. Applicants must be high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or freshmen in college.

Scheduled retreats are February 6-8 for boys and March 6-8 for girls. For information and to download an application visit echoofcapecod.com or call Mary Fuller at 508-759-4265.

MASHPEE — Non-practicing Catholics who feel separated from the Church or seldom attend Mass are encouraged to participate in the six-session “Catholics Returning Home” to be held on Tuesday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Christ the King Parish Hall beginning February 3. No matter how long you have been away and no matter the reason, you are invited to renew your relationship with the Catholic Church. For information call 508-477-7700.

NEW BEDFORD — “A Day With Mary” will take place February 7, 8:15 a.m.3:25 p.m., in St. John the Baptist Church, 344 County Street. It will include a video, instruction, devotion, a procession and crowning of Mary, Mass, an opportunity for the sacrament of penance, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, rosary, and enrollment in the Brown Scapular and investiture in the Miraculous Medal. For information call Mary Creeden at 508-984-1823.

NEW BEDFORD — There will be a visual presentation on the life of St. Paul at St. Anthony of Padua Parish February 8 at 2 p.m. Entitled, “The Listening Eye: Seeing St. Paul,” it will be given by New York painter, sculptor and curator Henry Artis. The presentation is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.

WEST HARWICH — The Pro-Life Prayer Groups of Holy Trinity and Holy Redeemer parishes will host a Holy Hour to pray for an end to abortion, January 26 at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, Route 28. The rosary will be followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Support Groups NORTH DARTMOUTH — COURAGE is a group for people who are experiencing same-sex attraction and would like to live the Church’s teaching for chastity. They gather for prayer and conversation, seeking to support each other with the support of Christ. The next meeting will be held on January 31 at 7 p.m. For location information, call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — The Diocesan Divorced and Separated Support Group will meet January 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Family Life Center, 500 Slocum Road, to view and discuss the video “New Relationships.” Refreshments will be served. For information call Joanne Dupre at 508-965-9296.

Pro-Life ATTLEBORO — Concerned faithful are needed to pray the rosary outside Four Women, Inc., an abortion clinic at 150 Emory Street, Thursdays from 3-4 p.m., or 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m. For information call 508-238-5743.

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In praise of George W. Bush

ought to count for Catholics. he following is best appreciI should like to praise him for ated if read aloud in the best his steadfast support of the Pro-Life Irish accent you can manage: cause, domestically and internaPaddy, the local scoundrel, was tionally. Thanks to President Bush, dead. The entire population of the we have two more Supreme Court village where he spent a lifetime justices who likely know that Roe making others miserable attended the funeral Mass — some, doubtless, v. Wade was terrible constitutional judging, and dozens more federal to make sure he was really gone. district court and appellate court Knowing the congregation’s sentiments, the wise old pastor said to his people, before the final commendation, “Now, dear brother and sisters, before we commit our brother to the sod, it would be an act of charity if one of you were to come forBy George Weigel ward and say a good word about ’im.” No one moved.

“Come, now, brothers and judges with similar convictions. sisters,” the pastor pleaded, “surely there’s someone who can say a good Thanks to President Bush, the U.S. government drew an important word for the man.” Total silence. moral line in stem-cell research, “My dear people, I’ll be tellin’ even as the administration accelerthe sacristan to lock the door in a ated bioethically sound research minute, and not a one of you’s goin’ strategies that have produced real to leave this church until someone results. Internationally, the Bush comes forward to say a good word administration stood firm against the for this departed brother.” Finally, Gadarene rush to use international an ancient villager got up, shuffled law to declare abortion an internato the side of the casket, turned his back to the pastor, and said in a clear tional human right and a necessary component of the emancipation voice, “I think his brother was even of women; as one senior Vatican worse.” official put it to me, a year ago, “We As he leaves office, George W. know we’re never going to have Bush could be forgiven for feeling another American administration as like Paddy, were he a man given supportive of our core issues as the to self-pity. Happily, he isn’t. And Bush administration has been.” it’s emphatically not in the spirit I should like to praise the of, “Well, James J. Buchanan and president for his work to rid Africa Herbert Hoover were even worse” of the plagues of AIDS and malaria that I should like to praise President Bush at the end of his two terms. For and to relieve the suffering of those what, you ask? For many things that afflicted with those awful diseases.

George W. Bush may be an object of

The Catholic Difference

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

Jan. 27 Rev. John T. O’Grady, Assistant, Immaculate Conception, Fall River, 1919 Rev. Joseph M. Silvia, Pastor, St. Michael, Fall River, 1955 Rev. Thomas E. Lockary, C.S.C., Stonehill College, North Easton, 1988 Jan. 28 Rev. Joseph M. Griffin, Pastor, St. Mary, Nantucket, 1947 Rt. Rev. Msgr. John J. Shay, V.F., Pastor, St. John the Evangelist, Attleboro, 1961 Jan. 29 Rev. Christiano J. Borges, Retired Pastor, St. John the Baptist, New Bedford, 1944 Rev. Albert J. Masse, Pastor, St. Joseph, Attleboro, 1950 Jan. 30 Rev. Raymond F.X. Cahill, S.J., Assistant, St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis, 1983 Rev. Sebastian Slesinski, OFM Conv., 2006 Jan. 31 Rev. Charles J. Burns, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1901 Rev. William F. Sullivan, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset; Rev. Manuel C. Terra, 1930 Feb. 1 Rev. Msgr. Michael J. O’Reilly, Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Taunton, 1948 Rev. Msgr. Patrick H. Hurley, V.F. Pastor, St. Joseph, Taunton, 1968 Rev. Anatole F. Desmarais, Pastor, St. Jacques, Taunton, 1975 Rev. Msgr. Gerard J. Chabot, Pastor, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, South Attleboro, 1983 Rev. William F. O’Connell, Pastor, Holy Name, New Bedford, 1995 Rev. Arthur T. DeMello, Retired Pastor, St. Elizabeth, Fall River, 2004

ridicule in certain U.S. zip codes; he is the subject of veneration among those in the “bottom billion” whose lives his policies have saved or enhanced.

I should like to thank the president for offering Pope Benedict XVI such a warm welcome on the South Lawn of the White House on April 15, 2008 — a welcome that ought to have put paid, once and for all, to the notion that there is something incompatible between robust Catholic faith and a mature gratitude for the political miracle of American democracy.

I should like to thank President Bush for his personal decency, manifest in his (unpublicized) personal attention to our wounded and to the families of the fallen; in his refusal to become bitter in the face of outrageous slander; and in his calm amidst tribulations that most of us can’t imagine. I should like to thank him for his unapologetic confession of Christian faith, and for his testimony to the importance that prayer plays in his life. And I should like to thank him for not giving a hoot about the mockery that such a witness draws from a secularized mass media, from American high culture, from cretins like Michael Moore, and from Euro-secularist snobs who spent eight years sneering at the evangelical cowboy in the White House while their continent was dying from spiritual boredom.

Thank you, Mr. President.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

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January 23, 2009

A letter from Bishop Coleman on FOCA

Dear Friends in Christ,

I am writing to you about an extremely urgent issue. Certain lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have currently brought before Congress a piece of legislation known as the Freedom of Choice Act, also referred to as FOCA. This bill has to do with abortion. If passed, FOCA would go beyond keeping abortion legal; it would invalidate for the entire United States all restrictions on abortion before the viability of a new life in the womb of his or her mother. FOCA would cancel requirements about parental notification, waiting periods, and partial-birth abortion bans. FOCA, in short, is as extreme a measure as the nation has ever seen.

Still more daunting, the Freedom of Choice Act would eliminate the possibility of an individual doctor, nurse, or other health care worker — or even a facility — to refuse to provide abortions on the grounds of belief, conscience or conscientious objection. This would result in a severe impact on the operations of our own Catholic hospitals. In this way, FOCA

would actually take away a most precious freedom, the freedom to excuse oneself from participating in an evil on the basis of one’s own deeply held convictions and moral values.

Finally, FOCA would make abortion an entitlement, guaranteed by the U.S. government.

This means that a woman would have not only the right to choose abortion, but also that taxpayer money would actually purchase the procurement of abortions.

FOCA would also allow groups who receive federal funds to promote and perform abortions

overseas.

For these reasons, I am asking you to participate in a postcard campaign being carried out in the Diocese of Fall River. Similar campaigns are taking place in dioceses throughout the United States and are supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Through this campaign, we as a Church and as individual citizens and voters can register our opposition to FOCA and to the measures such legislation would entail. Together we can inform our Senators and Representatives in Congress that we do not want them to pass the Freedom of Choice Act. Together we can stop this bill.

Please pray for the protection of the lives of the unborn, for the success of this campaign, and for the safeguarding of a person’s ability to act according to his or her conscience. With my personal gratitude for your valued help in this most important matter, I remain Sincerely yours in the Lord Bishop of Fall River

Area parishes may mark conversion of St. Paul Sunday continued from page one

Divine Worship, stated.

Because the weekday feast day Mass does not include a second reading, the second reading from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time should be used, and the Creed, usually not recited on weekdays, but on Sundays, also recited.

Continued from page two

Marie Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, whose confessional in Ars, France became so renowned and crowded that people used to spend eight days waiting to have

Because pastors may opt to use the readings of the feast or of the Sunday, two homilies — one pertaining to the readings for the feast and the other for the Sunday — are featured in this week’s Anchor.

Pope Benedict proclaimed the Pauline jubilee year marking the 2,000th year of the birth of St. Paul in Tarsus circa A.D. 8, that began June 28, 2008 and will continue to June 29, of this year, to inspire a meaningful personal encounter with Christ for which

Paul is an ideal model.

As part of that, the Holy Father has authorized a plenary indulgence that can be gained by meeting certain criteria and may be applied to oneself or to the souls of the deceased.

The conditions to be met to gain the indulgence are: being in a state of detachment from any inclination to sin; devoutly making a sacramental confession; receiving the Eucharist; and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.

their confessions heard, even though he heard confessions 18 hours a day for 40 years. Father Landry said that the example of the famous Curé of Ars remains an inspiration to all parish priests today.

“The Curé d’Ars’ example shows that when a priest commits himself to be available to hear people’s confessions, people eventually come, even to a barely accessible village like

Ars. We also see the miracles of grace and spiritual healing that God can work through that priest.”

Even though the priests won’t be in the confessional for quite as long as the Curé of Ars did, they hope that their added collective commitment will help people of the Diocese of Fall River to experience the same miracles of conversion, grace and healing.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, January 25 at 11:00 a.m.

Scheduled celebrant is Father Andrew Johnson, OCSO, diocesan director of the Pauline Year and parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis.