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Diocese of Fall River, Mass.

F riday , January 24, 2014

Quality Catholic education requires continued renewal of purpose, commitment

By Dr. Michael S. Griffin Diocesan Superintendent of Schools

Members of the Life Teen band at St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet perform during a recent Mass. The group includes Adam Carreira, Cruz Faria, Jenna Perry, Selma Faria, Leah Berbine, Xavier Faria, Hailey Coelho, Connor Graca, Zachary Nawrocki, and is coordinated by Nancy and Michael Faria. Missing from the photo is band member Zakary Ganhadeiro.

Life Teen band rocks its faith

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

ASSONET — If St. Peter was the rock upon which Christ built His Church, then the music that the members of the Life Teen band at St. Bernard’s Parish in Assonet have been performing could be considered the rock that has strengthen these young Catholics’ faith.

“I like rock music a lot more than traditional (Church) music,” said singer Selma Faria. “I think kids can relate to it more than traditional music.”

A thriving ministry that has evolved from the parish’s Confirmation program, the band has been faithfully performing during monthly Life Teen Liturgies for the past two years.

Currently comprised of 10 past, present and future Confirmation students who vary in ages from high school freshmen to

college grad students, the group performs a repertoire of Christian rock from artists that have gained popularity on FM stations like K-LOVE and Sirius XM’s The Message satellite channel.

“We don’t perform anything original yet, but we’re working up to that,” said Nancy Faria, who coordinates the band with her husband, Michael.

Faria told The Anchor how the genesis for the Life Teen band project could be traced back to her husband’s love for Christian rock and the impromptu jam sessions that originated with her own family.

“My husband got hooked on Christian rock just by listening to the satellite radio stations,” Faria said. “My oldest son, Xavier, (plays guitar) and my husband would always look for music for him to play, so he would listen to the station and Xavier Turn to page 21

FALL RIVER — As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week January 26 to February 1, we are reminded of the contributions of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River, not only to the children attending our schools, but to society and Church as well. Graduates of our schools have been challenged to think and to act with integrity, grounded in Catholic faith, values, and the intellectual traditions that have long characterized Catholic schools.

Studies have shown that the faith nurtured in Catholic schools is passed on to the next generation; is carried into the workplace; inspires participation as

adults in parish life; and guides roles of responsible citizenship in pursuit of meaningful and ethical responses to the challenges of today’s world.

Academic excellence is a primary guiding value of our schools. It is evidenced in such measures as 2013 SAT scores in which our five diocesan high schools averaged 134 points above the national average and 79 points above the Massachusetts state average. In the lower grades, this same kind of achievement is seen in the 2013 Iowa test scores, which placed the elementary and middle schools of the Diocese of Fall River in the top third of students nationally. The high schools were Turn to page 11

Advice to catechists: Engage your students

By Becky Aubut Anchor Staff

for a year, we would go to Regis College and what they did was have difFRAMINGHAM — During the ferent speakers depending on what early 1970s, as he was studying to be- track you were in, and at the time I come a teacher, John Collins, already was in the junior high track. What it an active member at Immaculate was doing was providing background Conception Parish in Marlboro, en- training in theology, methodology; rolled in the Master Teacher Program, the idea was to identify particular a newly-created program run by the people at different grade levels who Archdiocese of Boston. could then be a lead teacher [in their “The idea was to identify volun- parish].” teers in parishes to participate in this The master teacher would then go program, which was quite involved,” back to his or her parish, continue recalled Collins. “Every Tuesday night Turn to page sevenx

UMD campus ministry teams with Charis Ministries for retreat program

By Dave Jolivet Anchor Editor

NORTH DARTMOUTH — On its website, Charis Ministries asks today’s college students, “Too much going on? Pulled in a million directions? You’re not the only one.”

There’s no question that students in colleges and universities are stretched very thin, sometimes to the limit, with all that life entails in a school of higher education.

Oftentimes that lifestyle leaves little or no room for God for Catholic students who were once active in the Church.

These circumstances and consequences have not been lost on the two men directing the diocesan Campus Ministry pro-

grams at three secular campuses located within the Fall River Diocese: UMass Dartmouth, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Mass.

Maritime, and Wheaton College — Father David C. Frederici and Deacon Frank Lucca.

Always with their fingers on the pulse of today’s college student life, the pair have made the decision to team with Charis Ministries, a national Jesuit ministry that helps local young adult ministries serve the ever-increasing spiritual needs of college students, with, among other things, retreat programs.

“An important part of successful CamTurn to page 13

Screen shot of Charis Ministries website promoting a Seekers’ Retreat in the Fall River Diocese.

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January 24, 2014

Engaged couples to meet with pope on Valentine’s Day Vatican City (CNA/ EWTN News) — The Pontifical Council for the Family is promoting a special encounter between Pope Francis and couples who have been engaged, which will take place on the upcoming feast of St. Valentine.

Invited to the meeting with the pope are those couples “who have already attended, or are currently going through their Marriage preparation courses,” the council’s webpage states.

Couples who meet these qualifications will gather in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall on February 14 at 11 a.m. to receive the personal greetings and message of the pope.

On Sept. 11, 2011, thenpontiff Benedict XVI met with young couples in Ancona, Italy in honor of the Eucharistic Congress at the time, and Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Diocese of Terni has also promoted similar activities each year on the holiday.

In his speech to engaged couples, Benedict XVI expressed some of the challenges which can inhibit relationships from flourishing, including difficulties in finding a steady job and living amid an individualistic culture.

Encouraging the couples not to “fear to face these challenges,” and to “never lose hope,” the former pontiff emphasized to them the importance of maintaining an encounter with God, “especially in personal and community prayer.”

“The Church too is close to you, supports you and never ceases to look at you with great trust,” he said, and cautioned them against shutting themselves into “intimist” and “falsely reassuring relationships.”

Reminding the couples also to choose “with conviction” the “forever” that connotes love, Benedict noted that this indissolubility “is a gift,” to be “desired” and “lived out,” also affirming that authentic love requires a process of “maturation.”

Couples who wish to register for the special February 14 encounter with Pope Francis can do so at the diocesan office of the family, the secretariats of the movements and associations, or by writing to events@ family.va. Registration closes on January 30.

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January 24, 2014

Sexuality instruction the duty of parents, bishops say

By Christine M. Willams Anchor Correspondent

BOSTON — The four Catholic bishops of Massachusetts have come together to support the rights of parents to educate their children on the issue of sexuality. Through their public policy arm, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, they oppose a bill being debated by the legislature that would make the Massachusetts frameworks for health education mandatory at public schools across the Commonwealth.

“An act relative to healthy behaviors,” HB 3793, could be voted on at any time. In recent years, similar pieces of legislation were left to linger in study and did not come up for a vote.

HB 3793 was sent to the House floor late last year.

The bishops are urging concerned parents to call their legislators and request that they vote “no” on HB 3793.

“Make it clear to the legislature that there is a way to address this issue, and that is by getting parents involved, clearly, on the front end,” said James Driscoll, executive director of the MCC. “We believe that parents play the critical roll when it comes to a topic as sensitive as sexual education, and that the parents should be the ones who decide what their child learns based on the age of the child and the maturity of the child.”

Driscoll went on to say that the MCC does not support schools teaching about human sexuality, contraceptives and abortion at all.

Currently, Massachusetts school districts determine how human sexuality will be taught in public schools. Some

already choose to follow the state frameworks but none are required to do so. The law also requires schools to notify parents about sexuality education, though the manner in which they must do so is not specified.

Parents are given the option to remove their children from sex education.

Driscoll said the bishops support replacing the current opt-out policy with an opt-in provision.

A piece of legislation currently in committee, HB 440 “An act regarding parental notification and consent,” would have parents actively choose to send their children to sex education classes.

HB 440 is supported by groups like the Massachusetts Family Institute. Maureen Vacca, director of public policy for MFI, said parental notification laws must be strengthened, particularly if the health frameworks become mandatory at all public schools.

When the default is that students are opted in to sex education, parents must request that their child be removed from a class or from specific lessons. Because the laws on parental notification are nonspecific, schools can notify parents at the beginning of the year about the child’s courses but not name all of the topics that will be covered, how the topics will be handled and when guest speakers may come in from organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

“The more people know about the content, the more apt you would see kids pulled out for certain segments,” Vacca

predicted.

Vacca, who served on the school board in North Reading for 15 years, advocates for strengthening parental and local control. For that reason, MFI also opposes efforts to make the state health education frameworks mandatory.

“The frameworks are written for one size fits all for all of the kids in the state, and I know that the kids who live in the inner city are dealing with different things than my kids were out in the suburbs. And shouldn’t we have that flexibility to adjust?” she said.

The unfunded mandate would also place a burden on struggling school districts that would be forced to change their health curriculum, she added.

Created in 1999, the health frameworks purport to provide “young people with the knowledge and the skills necessary to make informed choices” regarding their sexuality. While they do require discussing abstinence and postponement of sexual intercourse, they also require instruction on “how to avoid sexually-transmitted infections.”

The frameworks require schools to teach students as young as 11 years old about alternative sexual behaviors to avoid pregnancy and to instruct students as young as 14 how to obtain contraceptives and abortion without parental knowledge. They also require that by the end of grade-five, students be able to “define sexual orientation using the correct terminology.”

Vacca said she is concerned that without strong opposition from concerned citizens, the bill will become law.

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January 24, 2014 News From the Vatican Protecting children is Church priority, Vatican officials tell U.N.

Geneva, Switzerland (CNA/EWTN News) — Violence against children and child exploitation are “crimes” and Pope Francis is working to protect children from the “scourge” of sex abuse, leading Vatican figures told a U.N. committee recently.

“There is no excuse for any form of violence or exploitation of children,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said to a hearing of the U.N. committee that oversees the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Archbishop Tomasi heads the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the United Nations in Geneva. Bishop Charles Scicluna, a former promoter of justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, also attended the U.N. committee hearing, Vatican Radio reports.

Ahead of the hearing, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See’s press office, issued a note about the Holy See’s adherence to the U.N. convention and Vatican efforts to combat sex abuse.

“The Holy See is deeply saddened by the scourge of sexual abuse of minors, which harms

millions of children throughout the world,” his note said. He added that the Vatican “laments that, sadly, certain members of the clergy have been involved in such abuse.”

The note acknowledged that sex abuse and the suffering of abuse victims has posed a direct challenge to the Church’s credibility regarding the welfare of children.

Father Lombardi said this challenge has led to the Church’s development of “a series of initiatives and directives” that are also “extremely helpful” to other communities.

Archbishop Tomasi noted Pope Francis’ establishment of a commission for the protection of minors in order to defend the best interest of children and to prevent “any abuse or any harm that may come to them.”

He told Vatican Radio that future efforts must “strengthen the good steps and the good measures that have already been taken.” He said attention given to the Holy See is “understandable,” noting that there are criticisms and claims that the Holy See has covered up some crimes against children.

However, the archbishop said that some accusations against the Vatican are based in “a lack of knowledge” of the measures taken by the Holy See and by local churches. He said the Holy See’s attitude and directives make transparency and child protection “a priority.”

Archbishop Tomasi said the Holy See recognizes that a crime involving children “needs to be addressed more forcefully.” He said obstruction of justice should be prosecuted “in every case.” The Holy See’s policy is “to encourage the prosecution of any crime, including crimes, and especially crimes, against children.”

The committee hearing coincides with the Holy See’s criminal investigation of Polish Archbishop Joseph Wesolowski for alleged sex abuse. The archbishop, who served as papal nuncio to the Dominican Republic, is currently under investigation by authorities of the Holy See for alleged sexual misconduct involving minors in that country. He could be convicted under the Holy See’s civil law and jailed in Vatican City.

Archbishop Tomasi said that the U.N. committee hearing is

“a constructive moment” and “an important occasion” to reaffirm the convention, which the Holy See ratified in 1990. The Holy See is willing “to promote and to sustain the good principles and the good values” in the convention.

He said the committee hearing is a great opportunity to accept “any good advice” about child protection. He said the Holy See will fulfill its international obligations and accept any suggestions about its commitment to children’s rights.

Father Lombardi said that Catholic teaching emphasizes respect for the dignity of the human person. The Holy See’s adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is “in keeping with the teaching and constant stance

of the Church.”

He said the Holy See is “an active promoter of an immense current of caring service for the good of children throughout the world.”

Pope Francis’ “inspiring guidance and leadership” gives “a new and evident energy to this commitment,” the Vatican spokesman said.

Father Lombardi also criticized the assumption that bishops or religious superiors act “as representatives or delegates of the pope.” He said this belief is “utterly without foundation.” Rather, civil authorities in countries that have signed the U.N. convention are directly responsible for its implementation and for the enforcement of laws that protect children.

Argentine rabbi: Pope’s visit to Holy Land could foster peace

Buenos Aires, Argentina (CNA/EWTN News) — Rabbi Abraham Skorka, rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, believes that Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the Holy Land is a chance to bring a message of

peace to the world.

The rabbi, who is a close friend of the pope from Argentina, said he received news of the Holy Father’s May 24-26 visit to the Holy Land “with great joy.”

“We dreamed of this visit to the Holy Land, to Israel in particular, based on deep friendship and with a message of peace for all the citizens of the region,” he explained.

In statements to the Jewish News Agency, Skorka recalled that when he recently visited the Vatican, he spoke to Pope Francis “about the contribution that he can make from his own place in order to begin to make this vision a reality in some way, if God wills, or at least to give it a much more accentuated dimension in human reality.”

“According to the prophets, with a sincere, honest and profound peace in Zion there will be a solid message of peace that will materialize throughout the world.

Let us remember the vision of the prophet Isaiah, chapter two: ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares.’ No one will prepare for war any longer,” the rabbi said.

“If this trip takes place in this way it will be something grand, because the dream is to embrace him before the Kotel (the Wailing Wall).

It would be a symbol to try to end 2,000 years of disagreements between Jews and Christians and begin a new era,” he added.

Over the last three years, Rabbi Skorka and then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio — who is now Pope Francis — became close friends in Buenos Aires and worked together on inter-religious dialogue, meeting numerous times for discussion.

January 24, 2014

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January 24, 2014

Anchor Editorial

Pope Francis and Catholic schools

In his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis discusses (at #65) the role of the Church in secular societies and notes, “And how much good has been done by Catholic schools and universities around the world!” In the same paragraph he mentions how “we find it difficult to make people see that when we raise … questions less palatable to public opinion [then when we are doing social work], we are doing so out of fidelity to precisely the same convictions about human dignity and the common good.”

When speaking with bishops from the Netherlands (one of the most secularized countries in the world, with great hostility to the teachings of the Church) this past December, the pope told them, “By giving youth a sound education, Catholic schools will continue to nourish their human and spiritual formation, in a spirit of dialogue and fraternity with those who do not share their faith. It is important, then, that young Christians receive a high quality catechesis that supports their faith and leads them to an encounter with Christ. A good formation and a spirit of openness! This is how the Good News continues to be spread.”

The most detailed discourse our new pontiff has given publicly about Catholic schools was in a meeting he had with students and faculty from Jesuit-run schools last June 7. Being a Jesuit himself, he expressed to them how “at home” he felt to be with them.

In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis posed the question to the students, “Why do you go to school, what would you answer me? There would probably be a whole range of replies, according to the sensibility of each person. Yet I think that they could all be summed up together by saying that school is one of the educational environments in which we develop through learning how to live, how to become grown-up, mature men and women who can travel, who can follow the road of life. How does school help you to grow? It helps you not only by developing your intelligence, but also by an integral formation of all the aspects of your personality.” What he said is not always true of non-church schools (or, at times, when those schools are trying to do an integrated formation, they would be inculcating values which are hostile to the Gospel).

The Holy Father continued, with a hopeful view of schools: “In following what St. Ignatius teaches us, the main element at school is to learn to be magnanimous. Magnanimity: this virtue of the great and the small, which always makes us look at the horizon. What does being magnanimous mean? It means having a great heart, having greatness of mind; it means having great ideals, the wish to do great things to respond to what God asks of us. Hence also, for this very reason, to do well the routine things of every day and all the daily actions, tasks, meetings with people; doing the little everyday things with a great heart open to God and to others. It is therefore important to cultivate human formation with a view to magnanimity. School does not only broaden your intellectual dimension but also your human one.”

Besides explaining what that virtue was which often confused us while preparing for Confirmation, the pope reminds us that Catholic education is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is a training ground for the heart, helping our hearts to be open to God in the Sacraments and in other people.

Returning to magnanimity, Pope Francis challenged the students: “In order to be magnanimous with inner freedom and a spirit of service, spiritual formation is necessary. Dear young people, love Jesus Christ more and more! Our life is a response to His call and you will be happy and will build your life well if you can answer this call. May you feel the Lord’s presence in your life. He is close to each one of you as a Companion, as a Friend Who knows how to help and understand you, Who encourages you in difficult times and never abandons you. In prayer, in conversation with Him and in reading the Bible you will discover that He is truly close. You will also learn to read God’s signs in your life. He always speaks to us, also through the events of our time and our daily life; it is up to us to listen to Him.” The Catholic schools and Religious Education programs of our diocese do what they can to help young people meet that pontifical challenge. We know that the first teachers of the youth are not those behind a desk, but those across from them at the kitchen table (which, unfortunately, has become more and more a way station for grabbing food, which will be eaten alone before a computer or a steering wheel). Optimally, the Church has to be present in the home and in a classroom for an integrated Christian formation to take root in a young person’s heart.

Speaking to teachers and parents, Pope Francis said, “Do not be disheartened in the face of the difficulties that the educational challenge presents! Educating is not a profession but an attitude, a way of being; in order to educate it is necessary to step out of ourselves and be among young people, to accompany them in the stages of their growth and to set ourselves beside them. Give them hope and optimism for their journey in the world. Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of Creation and of man who always retains the Creator’s hallmark. But above all with your life be witnesses of what you communicate. Educators — teachers and parents — pass on knowledge and values with their words; but their words will have an incisive effect on children and young people if they are accompanied by their witness, their consistent way of life. Without consistency it is impossible to educate! You are all educators, there are no delegates in this field.”

May the saints of Catholic education whom we celebrate next week, St. Angela Merici (Monday), St. Thomas Aquinas (Tuesday) and St. John Bosco (Friday), intercede for our young people, our families, and our educators this week, so that they may all embody the teachings of Christ.

Pope Francis’ weekly Angelus address and prayer

Dear brothers and sisters, hello!

With the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated last Sunday, we have entered into the Liturgical time that we call “ordinary.” On this second Sunday, the Gospel presents to us the scene of the meeting between Jesus and John the Baptist at the Jordan River. The narrator is the eyewitness, John the Evangelist, who, before he was a disciple of Jesus was a disciple of the baptist, together with his brother James, with Simon and Andrew, all are from Galilee, all are fisherman. So John the Baptist sees Jesus, Who steps forward from the crowd and, inspired from above, sees in Jesus the One sent by God. For this reason he points Him out with theses

words: “Behold the Lamb of God, He Who takes away the sin of the world!” ( Jn 1:29).

The word that is translated with “take away” literally means “to relieve,” “to take upon oneself.” Jesus has come into the world with a precise mission: to free it from the slavery of sin, taking humanity’s faults upon Himself. In what way? By loving. There is no other way to defeat evil and sin than with the love that moves one to give the gift of his life for others. In the testimony of John the Baptist, Jesus is given the traits of the Servant of the Lord, Who “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Is 53:4), to the point of dying on the cross. He is the true Passover Lamb, Who imOFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER

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merses Himself in the river of our sin, to purify us.

The baptist sees before him a Man Who gets in line with sinners to be baptized even though He does not need to. He is the Man Who God sent into the world as the Sacrificial Lamb. The word “lamb” appears several times in the New Testament and always in reference to Jesus. This image of the lamb might surprise us: an animal that is certainly not characterized by its strength and hardiness takes upon Himself such an oppressive weight. The enormous mass of evil is removed and taken away by a weak and fragile creature, who is a symbol of obedience, docility and defenseless love, who goes to the point of sacrificing Himself. The lamb is not an oppressor but is docile; he is not aggressive but peaceful; he does not show his claws or teeth in the face of an attack, but endures it and is submissive. And this is how Jesus is! This is how Jesus is! He is like a lamb.

What does it mean for the Church, for us today to be disciples of Jesus the Lamb of God? It means putting innocence in the place of malice; love in the place of force; humility in the place of pride; service in the place of prestige. It is good work! We Christians must do this: put innocence in the place of malice; love in the place of force; humility in the place of pride; ser-

vice in the place of prestige. Being disciples of the Lamb means that we must not live like a “city under siege,” but like a city on a hill, open, welcoming, in solidarity. It means not having an attitude of closedness, but proposing the Gospel to everyone, testifying with our life that following Jesus makes us more free and more joyful.

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by work of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary ...

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy Word.

Hail Mary ...

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary ...

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those present]: Today we celebrate the World day of Migrants and Refugees on the theme of “Migrants and Refugees: Toward a Better World,”

which I developed in a message that was published some time ago.

I offer a special greeting to the representatives of the different ethnic communities who have come here, especially to the Catholic communities of Rome. Dear friends, you are near to the heart of the Church because the Church is a people on a journey toward the Kingdom of God, which Jesus Christ brought among us. Do not lose hope for a better world! I hope you will live in peace in the countries that receive you, bringing the values of your culture of origin with you. I would like to thank those who work with migrants, who welcome them and accompany them in their difficult moments, to defend them against those whom Blessed Giovanni Battista Scalabrini called “the merchants in human flesh,” who want to enslave the migrants. In a special way I want to thank the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles, the Scalabrini priests and Sisters, who do much good for the Church and become migrants with the migrants.

At this time we think of the many migrants, the many refugees, of their sufferings, of their life, often without work, without documents, with such grief. And we can together say a prayer for the migrants and the refugees who live in the worst and most difficult situations.

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January 24, 2014

Advice to catechists: Engage your students continued from page one

to teach their own class, but also work with other teachers in their level to offer support and curriculum ideas.

“I gravitated towards the hands-on, active learning type things,” said Collins, of what he took from the program. “I remember the idea sheets of ways to do activities with the kids, to get kids engaged and involved.”

Collins now travels throughout the area offering presentations to help catechists make the most of their time as teachers of the Catholic faith. Many parishes view catechists as the backbone of their Religious Education programs and offer as much support as they can, but Collins helps bridge that gap from the parish to the catechists, many of whom don’t have a formal background as an educator but feel the call to teach.

“You give [the catechist] a book, 12 students and an hour to get something to happen, and they don’t have the tools themselves or the forethought to manage and make it work,” said Collins.

His presentation breaks it down into two pieces. One is the instruction part that comes in the form of the book or manual, and the second part is time management.

“From the time they come in to when they walk out the door — how are you managing the time? How do you use what you have available?” asked Collins.

Collins draws on his years of being a teacher in a public school in addition to his years as a Faith Formation teacher. Shortly after he completed the master teacher program, he used his role as master teacher for the junior high level Faith Formation

classes at Immaculate Conception Parish in Marlboro to plan activities and create ideal class curriculums that used time management in its solid framework.

“We did a lot,” he said of the many teacher meetings held outside of regular classroom time, bouncing ideas around and installing a cohesive program. “They would say, ‘I need some ideas’ or ‘I’m having a problem with discipline.’ We really supported our teachers in our parish.”

When Collins became a teacher in the master teacher program itself, he recognized that many of the volunteers taking part in the master teacher course were not educators by trade, so he “made it his own” and applied his own teaching experience to his class. He continued to build on his ideas, becoming coordinator at Immaculate Conception Parish, then moving on to St. Matthias Parish in Marlboro, a smaller parish that allowed Collins to become more involved.

He saw that the program, especially at the junior high level was struggling; “They’re in that in-between age, not elementary, not high school — they’re trying to find themselves, so I think it’s difficult to get their attention,” said Collins. “When I started, I introduced an elective program for grades seven and eight.”

Instead of having one teacher all year, students were given the option of choosing three subjects for the whole year, with each student having one teacher for seven weeks teaching a specific subject.

As long as the students took one class focused on learning Church basics, other classes created novel ways of teaching the students about the

Catholic faith.

“I had the choir director do seven weeks of music and Liturgy, or I had an art teacher do Biblical calligraphy, all around referencing the Bible.

There was a class called, ‘A Trek Through the Bible,’ a mini-seven weeks looking at key events. Another class was called, ‘Jesus Was a LawBreaker,’ which really had to do with morality but it was a catchy title,” said Collins. “I remember sharing my elective option with the master teacher program and some of the people who were in the program took that idea back into their own parishes. They looked at that option as a better way to motivate junior high kids.”

Collins took a break from parish work when he got married in 1990, eventually moving to Framingham and joining St. Jeremiah’s Parish; he returned to teaching Faith Formation when his daughter was in first grade. He also gravitated towards working in publishing, first with Benziger and later becoming a consultant for Sadlier. His workshops continue to connect with many who attend, said Collins, adding that the feedback he’s received has been incredibly positive.

“A lot of what I try to do in the workshops is give ideas; there is a premise with all my presentations — I’m an educator and I know how kids learn, what works and it’s not just reading a book,” said Collins. “Unfortunately, with so many catechists, I don’t think they’re getting the support that they need. I think a lot of them are left on their own.”

So Collins tries to help catechists see from their students’ point of view; the child not raising his or her hand

may not be from an unwillingness to participate, but from an embarrassment of not knowing the answer to the question. If you’re trying to reinforce a lesson learned the previous week, have an activity covering the previous lesson already waiting for the students when they arrive the following week.

Keep the kids engaged from the moment they walk in, or else they can get bored and then into trouble. And nip discipline problems before it gets out of hand, said Collins. Difficult students require planning. He recalled teaching a class of roughly 16 students, but there were four students who could not be sat together, so he meticulously hashed out a seating plan that would enable each lesson to be learned with minimal distractions from the students.

“I tell people that I had to do a seating plan every week;

sometimes you have to do that,” said Collins. “I bring common sense and practical ideas to people who only have these kids for an hour a week.”

“You have to get them involved in a different way.

Sometimes manuals can be daunting, to say the least, but you break can it down,” said Collins, adding catechists can play around with lessons, even taking chapters out of order to make each lesson more accommodating to the students’ pace.

“Everyone is trying to fit more in, and I think everyone needs to take a step back [and say] ‘Less is more.’ If they know their programs from grade to grade, a lot of topics repeat themselves, so where is there a focus on Sacraments?” asked Collins. “Take out some lessons so that you can fit in what you want to do; I think we try to do too much and in the end people aren’t accomplishing much at all.”

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January 24, 2014

Proclaiming Gospel at ‘heart’ of Catholic education, says archbishop

WASHINGTON (CNS) — National Catholic Schools Week will be observed in U.S. dioceses January 26-February 1 with the theme: “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

“Our schools have educated millions of young people over the years by providing them a superior academic background, always pointing the way to eternal life,” said Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha, Neb., chairman of the education committee of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The success of Catholic schools in handing on the faith, generation after generation, is a bright light in the history of the Church in the United States,” he added.

About 2.1 million students are currently educated in more than 6,600 Catholic schools across the country.

Of these students, an estimated 99 percent graduate from high school and 85 percent attend college.

“The heart of the apostolate of

Catholic education is the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Catholic schools provide a rich environment of faith and learning where students experience how much God loves them in Christ,” Archbishop Lucas said.

“They are free to express their own love for God in prayer and the celebration of the Sacraments and to express love of neighbor in a community where each is respected as a gift from God,” he added.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week, sponsored by USCCB and the National Catholic Educational Association. Schools and parishes around the country planned to mark the week with special Masses, school activities, open houses and potluck gatherings.

The NCEA urged schools to specifically celebrate the 40th anniversary of the observance by pledging 40 hours of service to their local communities.

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January 24, 2014

I

n this week’s Gospel St. Matthew starts the story about the calling of the Twelve Apostles with Jesus’ invitation to Simon and his brother Andrew.

The remaining 10 Apostles will follow in short order and together they will begin their three years of training which will culminate in two things.

The first is their ordination at the Last Supper, together with the washing of their feet by Christ. Jesus does this to show them that their calling is not about themselves; rather it is to be a servant to others. Second they will learn the form of the Mass, with the bread and wine, which 2,000 years later we still hear and see at every Eucharist. They heard our Lord tell them to “Do this in memory of Me” not because Jesus needed to be memorialized, but the Apostles needed a formalized remembrance, as do we, to be collectively reminded as often as possible that Jesus loved us

Pointing us toward the Lamb

and sacrificed Himself for us call, God lets him sit in the dark and as a way to regularly unite of a fish’s belly and think about with Our Lord. A little later it; after his time out, he does the remaining 11 Apostles will what God asks of him. receive the power of the Holy The point is that God has Spirit and with it the start of a calling for each of us. He their ministry of preaching the doesn’t always pick the best or Good News, making disciples of all nations, Homily of the Week healing, baptizing, and teaching all that Jesus Third Sunday commanded. in Ordinary Time When we look back through the Old and

By Deacon New Testaments God Gary Porter calls all kinds of people.

Young ones, like Samuel who was a teen-ager at the time of his calling and the brightest, the most popular answered, “Speak, for Your or glamorous, the rich or most servant is listening” and Mary powerful, although sometimes who like Samuel was young and He does that too. He someaccepted her call with “May it times chooses a boy tending be done me according to Your the sheep, the least among his Word.” Much older folks like father’s children to become Moses, who had not lived an King David; or a fisherman, altogether holy life, yet despite named Simon who Jesus calls his concerns followed God’s to be Peter, to lead the other call. Jonah at first resists God’s Apostles when Jesus left to

prepare a place for us, and to became the Church’s rock, and our first pope.

The Gospel says: Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” When we repent of our sins, God uses our weakness, our brokenness, and our flaws to increase the effectiveness of our callings.

God’s initiative with regard to men permits them to have a renewed relationship with Him and others, a personal witness that draws others to God through our experiences.

Each of us is called to something, it could be to be the employee that is the glue holding a fractured team together, or a nurturing mom or dad, a role model teacher or coach, a supportive spouse, the backer of religious programming on TV or radio, a Religious Sister or

Brother, a deacon or a priest.

This Sunday’s Gospel invites us to remember that our personal vocation is founded on God’s original and absolutely free choice. His invitation to us, therefore, is an invitation to make a final decision to let Him conquer, or re-conquer us, to mark a turning point in our lives. Let us ask the Lord for the gift of a true conversion of our hearts, enabling us to receive Christ as the only light to follow. Then listen to and answer His call, as Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening” or Mary’s “May it be done me according to Your Word,” then with courage, faith and gratitude follow wherever He leads.

Deacon Porter retired to serve as a full-time deacon. He was ordained in 2013. He was employed in Logistics, Logistics software development and human resources. He serves at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Jan. 25, Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-18. Sun. Jan. 26, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Is 8:23—9:3; Ps 27:1,4,13-14; 1 Cor 1:10-13,17; Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17. Mon. Jan. 27, 2 Sm 5:1-7,10; Ps 89:20-22,25-26; Mk 3:22-30. Tues. Jan. 28, 2 Sm 6:12b-15,17-19; Ps 24:7-10; Mk 3:31-35. Wed. Jan. 29, 2 Sm 7:4-17; Ps 89:4-5,27-30; Mk 4:1-20. Thurs. Jan. 30, 2 Sm 7:18-19,24-29; Ps 132:1-5,11-14; Mk 4:21-25. Fri. Jan. 31, 2 Sm 11:1-4a,510a,13-17; Ps 51:3-7,10-11; Mk 4:26-34.

B

ack in May during a daily Mass homily, Pope Francis described the type of earthly promotion and honor to which priests should aspire and for which the lay faithful should hope for the priests they admire.

“When someone is given a higher position — in the world’s eyes — we say, ‘Ah, that person has been promoted to’” vicepresident or principal or to the starting rotation. He added, “It’s a lovely phrase and we in the Church should use it,” but in a very specific way. We should say, “This person was promoted to the cross. That is true promotion. It is what makes us more like Jesus.”

To be more like Jesus through sacrificial love to the point of total self-giving, according to Pope Francis, ought to be every priest’s great ambition and reward. If lay faithful want to see their priest honored, the best thing would be to pray for them to be “promoted to humiliation,” he said, because God always exalts the humble.

This is, I think, some of the background needed to understand Pope Francis’ decision, announced earlier this month, to restrict the title monsignor to priests 65 and older or to those who hold specific offices in the Church. The reform of the Church in any age begins with a reform of the clergy and Pope Francis seems to believe that such titles impede rather than

Pope Francis and monsignors

impel that reform. noble and important and who This change had been long wasn’t. rumored. Since his election, Pope The title monsignor, of course, Francis had put a quiet moratori- means “my lord,” and I’ve always um on the naming of monsignors thought it’s awkward calling in diocesan priestly work and had anyone “my lord” other than the never named a monsignor in his Lord.

15 years as the Archbishop of In the Gospel, Jesus told Buenos Aires.

His disciples that we needed to It’s clear that Pope Francis be behave differently than the doesn’t favor the use of exalted Gentiles who sought to lord ecclesiastical titles and the status themselves over others and make they suggest. When he was archbishop, rather than being called “Your Putting Into Excellency,” later “Your Eminence” or even the Deep “Monseñor,” he had people call him, “Padre

By Father Jorge.”

Roger J. Landry During a telephone conversation in August he encouraged 19-yearold Stefano Cabizza to refer to their prominence felt (Mt 20:25). him not with the formal “lei” He told us not to desire places of form of address given to superihonor, special greetings or longer ors but rather with the informal tassels (Mt 23:5-7). Instead He “tu” that is used among friends, taught that true greatness comes family members and inferiors. from being a humble servant of When Stefano expressed his all the rest. astonishment, Pope Francis reThere are of course many plied, “You don’t think that Jesus exemplary priests who have been had the Apostles refer to Him as given the title monsignor who ‘Your Excellency,’ do you?” never sought it. At the same Like Pope Francis, I’ve long time the designation perpetuates been uncomfortable with various a type of spiritual worldliness ecclesiastical titles that his— the worst evil that can afflict torically emulate the culture of the Church, according to Pope European nobility that codified a Francis — in which some can way of speaking that would make be tempted to seek vainly after everyone else remember who was personal glory rather than God’s.

The naming of some priests monsignor can also provoke useless resentment, cynicism and envy in a diocesan presbyterate, especially when priests believe that a brother was named not because of exemplary priestly service, sacrifice and holiness but because he was the bishop’s friend or brought home the bacon in a wealthy parish for a diocesan fund-raising campaign.

Nothing is gained and much can be lost from a priestly caste system.

I wish that Pope Francis had gone further and decided to cease to award the title altogether, including to those over 65, those who serve in special offices like vicar general, seminary rector, or general secretary of a bishops’ conference, those who work in the Vatican for five years or those who serve in the Vatican diplomatic corps for three. Banning the title outright, however, is a bolder step than restricting its use, and still may come in time.

I also hope as part of his reforms that Pope Francis will reexamine the use of the traditional titles that have us to refer to bishops as the personal embodiment of excellence, eminent superiority, grace, beatitude, and holiness. It’s clear that at a personal level “Padre Jorge” shunned people referring to him in such

ways, but such princely appellatives should make any humble prelate blush. The titles of the office — bishop, archbishop, cardinal — ought to suffice.

Perhaps the reform could begin at the top. In the Gloria, we proclaim to God, “You Alone are the Holy One.” There is therefore an obvious theological awkwardness in referring to the pope as “Your Holiness.”

None of this is meant to imply any lack of love or respect for the Successor of St. Peter, the successors of the Apostles or meritorious priests. It’s simply to suggest that such inopportune nomenclature doesn’t flow from the mentality of the Gospel and hinders, rather than helps, authentic priestly identity and spiritual paternity.

If children were to cease to refer to their fathers as “dad” but instead call them “my lord” or “your magnificence,” it would obviously change the tenor of their relationship. The same thing happens spiritually with those called to be spiritual fathers for Christ’s family.

That’s why the papal reform of the title monsignor is a muchneeded step in the right direction.

Anchor columnist Father Landry is pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River. fatherlandry@catholicpreaching. com.

10 Friday 24 January 2014 — Homeport: Falmouth Harbor — National Compliment Day. his is the time of year, dear readers, when media outlets are buzzing about “red carpet” award events. The thought came to me to recognize certain priests of the diocese by presenting them with, not Oscars, but “Vianneys” — after St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests. Unfortunately, the perfect occasion for the presentation of the Vianneys had passed before I came up with the idea. That was the recent Convocation of Priests of the Diocese of Fall River. Better late than never, as they say. I will, therefore, revisit the convocation in my mind and imagine my brother priests being called to the podium to receive their awards, all the while overwhelmed by thunderous applause. The carpet in the room, as I remember, was not red but rather various shades of blue and beige in a sort of ocean wave design. It will have to do.

The Toastmaster General Award goes to Msgr. Barry Wall. There was only one toast — at the closing lunch — but Msgr. Wall outdid himself. He wins hands down.

The Best Photographer

T

H

appy New Year friends!

I’m happy to report that I’m writing to you from the comforts of my own home here in Massachusetts. Though I never outright stated it, I was living and working in Maryland from May of last year until December and moved back home around Christmastime. While it was a wonderful experience words cannot seem to adequately express how good it is to be home. There seems to be this pull, this tug to the place that our heart is quietly telling us where we need to be. The more I think about it, the more I try to fall back on my faith to explain this to me

Anchor Columnists And the winner is ...

The Best Facebook CorreAward goes to Father Tom Lopes. He was right there with spondent is Father Jeff Cabral.

He and Father John Murray his camera as just about every convocation event unfolded. He posted their observations on Facebook moments after the has done a great service for the convocation concluded. diocesan archives.

Father John Murray may The Best Storyteller would have come in second in the be Father George Scales.

Facebook category, but he won Between sessions, he enlivened every klatch of priests he happened to encounter in the corridor.

The Ship’s Log The Best Written Reflections of a Note Taker? Envelope, Parish Priest please. Father Karl Bissinger. He precisely

By Father Tim outlined all of the forGoldrick mal presentations with great diligence.

The Up-and-Coming Facial The Most Tech Savvy is a shared award tonight. The win- Hair Award for his new look. ners are Fathers Roger Landry The long-time winner in the facial hair category is none other and Tad Pacholczyk. They had than Father Mike Nagle. their electronics with them The Best All-around Hugwherever they went. ger Award goes to Msgr. Tom The Most Improved ZoHarrington. Generally speakologist Award goes to Father Arnie Medeiros. The presenter, ing, priests are not all that skilled in this area of human Father Simeon Gallagher, made a passing reference to the interaction, given that they don’t teach us this sort of thing creature known as an aardvark. in the seminary. Tom, howArnie had never heard of such ever, modeled for us the proper an animal. He suspected it technique by routinely greeting might be mythological or, at the brother priests with big bear the very least, extinct. He went hugs. back to his room and Googled The Most Elaborate Stole the word. He now knows more Award goes to Father Paul than any of us about aardvarks.

Caron. A farewell gift from his former parishioners at St. Mary/Our Lady of the Isle Parish, the stole is covered with handcrafted needlework portraying signs and symbols of his time spent as pastor of Nantucket. I couldn’t see the detail in the stole because I was sitting across the aisle from him at Mass, but it still looked beautiful.

The Biggest Smile Award goes to Father Tom Rita, who seldom is seen without his trademark grin.

The Widest Vocal Range Award goes to the youngest priest present at the convocation — Father Riley Williams. He normally has a rather deep voice, but is amazingly able to adjust it when another tone might be more appropriate, as in proclaiming the Scriptures, for example.

The Best Use of Sign Language Award goes to Father Greg Mathias. Without saying a word, he got our attention and clearly signaled that the convocation had ended. We were free to go.

With the dismissal, 90some-odd priests scrambled to get back to their busy lives. The hotel garage reminded me of

The house that built me

— because if we’re being honest, I like to have a reason for everything — and the passage from Luke about Jesus straying from Joseph and Mary in His childhood seems to be a good fit. Luke 2:41-52 recounts the festival of Passover in Jerusalem that Joseph and Mary attended each year. Upon disembarking, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, causing panic amongst His parents when to their dismay they could not find Him amongst the caravan.

When Joseph and Mary returned to Jerusalem to search for Him, they

found Him in the temple courts, surrounded by teachers, listening and curious. Emotional and most likely sick with worry, Jesus was

Radiate Your Faith

By Renee Bernier asked why He would do such a thing, why He would allow His parents to feel such anguish. Didn’t He know they would worry? Jesus’ response was this: “Why were you searching for Me?” “Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?” And while the passage continues to tell us that Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus meant by saying that, it makes sense when we reflect on that pull, that tug of the heart calling us home.

Imagine how strong that must have been for Jesus? Here He was in Jerusalem, close to the temple, feeling a call of belonging. There is something about this feeling, this discovery that we’ve found our niche, our place in time and

space. It’s a feeling of completion, of being whole. However, there is a complementary feeling to that, a sense of loss, discomfort, and unfamiliarity that accompanies our arrival into a place and time that isn’t home; a feeling of being unsettled in a place where nothing seems to belong to you. Country singer Miranda Lambert sums this up nicely in her song, “The House That Built Me.” She sings that “You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can. I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.” While the lyrics may ring true for many, what they don’t say may be a more powerful statement.

Though we may lose ourselves in the world, sometimes we are blessed to gain clarity into what we truly need, who we truly are. We endure the loss and the discomfort and we discover, through that, our strength and our faith in what is yet to come. And then if we are fortunate enough to come home, then we remember who we are.

How true is this of us, and in the story that Luke tells of Jesus? How comforting to know that we are not alone in our human struggle. So often we are told of Jesus’ human-

January 24, 2014

a church parking lot after one of those weekly Bingo games.

And the Best Sense of Direction Award goes to Msgr. John Perry, who single-handedly led our clergy caravan to boldly go where no man has gone before — by exiting the entrance.

One of the points Father Gallagher made in his presentations was that each of us is unique; each priest has particular gifts and talents needed by the Church. Our task is to freely share the gifts we have received, whatever they may be and wherever we may find ourselves. This is balanced by the reality that we do not act alone, but as members of the presbyterate. The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Bishop George W. Coleman, for obvious reasons.

I don’t know when or where the next Priests’ Convocation will be, but I’m already preparing for the next Vianneys.

Nominations are now being accepted. On second thought, why don’t you just compliment a priest yourself? It would save me a lot of work.

Anchor columnist Father Tim Goldrick is pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth. He can be reached at frxmas@aol. com.

ity, His historical personhood. As Catholics we trust that God sent His Son, Jesus, to live as we would live and to walk the earth with us.

The challenge, when things are trying or difficult, is believing this.

And so through this one example, we can see that it is indeed true.

For just as we may travel outside of our comfort zones or lose ourselves, we’ll always feel the tug home as Jesus did when He stayed in the temple in Jerusalem. Though He managed to make His parents nervous, another undeniably human trait, He could still make sense of why He did what He did, even if they couldn’t understand.

He was home. And so even when we make choices to return back to somewhere or something, and others may not understand us, we must follow our hearts. In a way the temple is the house that built Jesus. It was His father’s house and through God’s will Christ lived among us. So I encourage you all this year, to stay true to yourselves, and to acknowledge your roots, be they physical or faith-based. It’s never too late to return home to the houses that built us.

Anchor columnist Renee Bernier is a Stonehill College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

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January 24, 2014

Quality Catholic education requires continued commitment continued from page one

further recognized for excellence in the Advanced Placement Program, being named to the College Board’s 2013 AP District Honor Roll, an honor awarded to only 33 school districts in Massachusetts and 477 nationwide. The Diocese of Fall River was the only Catholic diocese in Massachusetts to receive this distinction.

The national theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week, “Catholic Schools — Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service,” embodies the integration of academics, faith and values that occurs each day in our schools. Faith is not an abstract ideal in Catholic schools. Rather, it is fostered every day by morning prayer and religion classes, in a classroom environment in which a crucifix and religious imagery are prominently displayed. At a time when violence and bullying are growing concerns, Catholic schools are uncompromising in expectations of respect for self and others, calling students to high standards in accord with the Gospel’s call to love one’s neighbor as oneself. In a world that too often calls young people to be selfabsorbed, Catholic schools teach them that God is an active and personal presence in their lives, and calls them to nothing less than greatness as human beings and children of God. Catholic schools connect families through a spirit of community and service. Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children. They are united through a bond of common values, so that what is taught at home and school are mutually reinforced.

A commitment to service and leadership is deeply instilled, with Catholic school graduates going on to serve society in roles ranging from volunteer service in the parish and local government, to seats on the Supreme Court of the United States. The roots of Catholic faith and values grow deeply in our schools, and guide Catholic school graduates as moral decision makers and responsible leaders in our economic and social institutions.

More than 7,000 students attend Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River today. But this gift of Catholic education to our children and our nation also requires a continued renewal of purpose and commitment. It is no secret

that rising costs, essential for maintaining the high quality academic standards that characterize our schools, have also made affordability a key issue.

Some schools, here and across the country, have closed because of it. Yet, nearly half of the schools of the Diocese of Fall River had an increase in enrollment this past year. This is due to the sacrifice of many families, the dedicated work of faculty and staff, and efforts by the schools and diocese to raise funds for the schools and

scholarships. This includes the diocesan St. Mary Education Fund. In their 2005 statement, “Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium,” the United States Catholic bishops stated the need for broad based support beyond that of tuition paid by families. “We call on the entire Catholic community — clergy, religious, and laity — to assist in addressing the critical financial questions that continue to face our Catholic

schools” (USCCB, 2005). A broadening of the base of support could play a vital role in sustaining Catholic education and expanding opportunities for families of limited economic means.

Throughout Catholic Schools Week, our Catholic schools will celebrate the spiritual, academic and social dimensions of their schools. This will include Mass with Bishop George W. Coleman for the schools of the Attleboro and Taunton deaneries, and an academic competition at Bishop Stang High School for the elementary schools of the New Bedford Deanery.

The week will include open houses at most of the elementary schools, as well as science fairs, living Rosaries, vocations talks, career days, Liturgies, social events and service projects in Catholic schools across the diocese. The Catholic schools of the Diocese of Fall River are proud to celebrate their identity as communities of faith, knowledge and service. In the process, our Catholic school students will renew their commitment to put their faith into to action as young people today, and as future servant leaders in our parishes and communities through the decades ahead.

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January 24, 2014

UMD to offer Seekers’ Retreat continued from page one

pus Ministry programs is a strong retreat program, Father Frederici told The Anchor. “At the same time, perhaps the greatest challenge is starting up a retreat program.

“Two challenges faced us: designing a retreat and offering a different retreat each year. Needless to say, putting on a retreat involves a lot of work. Designing it from scratch even more. That’s when we explored Charis. It is a very successful program in the U.S. They also offer different themed retreats (about a half dozen). The Office for Campus Ministry entered into a formal partnership with Charis and Seekers’ is our first retreat. The long-term plan is to offer Seekers’ at each of the schools as well as other programs.

Potentially, each school may have two or more retreats being offered each academic year.”

According to its website Charis Ministries concentrates on women and men in their 20s and 30s, offering retreats, leadership development and formation activities that brings the gift of Ignatian Spirituality to the lives of young adults. Charis is a Greek word that can be translated as grace or special presence of the Divine.

Father Frederici also said that at UMass Dartmouth there are not only undergraduate students, but other students in their 20s and 30s, and older. “With these different age groups come different focuses and needs. Our partnership with Charis will allow us to offer programs to these students as well.”

“Charis Retreats are to help our retreatants to recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in their lives,” said Lucca. “At this time in their lives, we are helping to prepare young adults to take responsibility for their own spiritual journey with God and to be active in their faith. We are hoping to empower them to be leaders in their faith communities, and we provide tools for discernment at a time in their lives when they are facing serious adult decisions that will affect their career, family and future. These retreats will help to build a bridge between the world of young adults and the Catholic faith community, hopefully leading to a lifelong engagement that extends from generation to generation.

“Finally, Charis Retreats can also be adapted from one-day to three-day retreats as needed. Currently our retreats run Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Charis Retreats also give us the flexibility that will help meet the needs of the young adults in our diocese.”

Plans are for two Seekers’ retreats, one in February and one in the fall. “Beginning in 2015, we will add the ‘Jesus Retreat — Who do you say that I am?’ which will be held each spring,” added Lucca.

The three-day Seekers’ Retreat is made up of five talks, personal reflection, group discussions, prayer, Mass, spiritual direction, meals and social opportunities.

“Seekers’ Retreats specifically present an intentional time of sharing and reflection for young adults seeking insight and understanding about some of their deepest, innermost longings,” said Lucca. “As the title suggests, this time away is designed for individuals who are on a quest to fill some of the holes they are experiencing in life, relationships, faith. The retreatant walks through a process of personal and shared reflection that help identify, describe, and illuminate key personal factors.”

The initial retreat team will be comprised of men and women in their 20s and 30s as well as five spiritual directors. Future plans are to draw some team members from previous local retreats.

“This particular Seekers’ is being advertised to college students throughout the Diocese of Fall River,” explained Father Frederici. “It is my hope that this becomes an important tool in feeding campus ministry at each of the schools within the diocese that we serve. I am very excited about the partnership and very grateful to the work that Frank has done in the re-

search and behind-the-scenes coordination of the Seekers’ Retreat.”

“There has been a great deal of interest in our initial Seekers’ Retreat,” said Lucca. “Registrations are starting to come in. It would be wonderful to fill the first Seekers’ Re-

treat and I think we’re well on the way to doing that this year.”

For more information about the Seekers’ Retreat, contact Father Frederici at david.frederici@umassd.edu, or Deacon Lucca at flucca@umassd.edu.

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Knowing someone up for sainthood

I

had the good fortune of knowing Father Joseph Muzquiz, who died at age 70 in 1983 in Plymouth’s Jordan Hospital and whose cause of beatification was formally opened in Boston in 2011. There’s a new 55-minute documentary about his life, entitled “Everyday Holiness,” which had its New England premier yesterday (Thursday) at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Braintree.

Full disclosure: I’m biased. For me, as for anyone I know whoever met Father Joseph, his holiness was evident, a no-brainer. I got a sneak preview of the film, and think it’s great, a real inspiration. In fact, I even placed an ad in The Pilot advertising the documentary (Some might think this column another commercial — so be it). It’s produced by Emmy-award winning John Paulson.

OK, just the facts: Father Joseph Muzquiz started Opus Dei in the United States in 1949, along with then-layman Sal Ferigle.

Both had met the founder of Opus Dei, St. Josemaria

States from Spain to serve Escriva, while they were as the head of Opus Dei in students. Both committed the country. At the time, I themselves at a young age was living and studying as a to seek holiness through law student in Washington, ordinary life and to spread the message of holiness through one’s daily work and the fulfillment of the Christian’s ordinary duties.

After World War

By Dwight G. Duncan II, Opus Dei, which is now a personal prelature international in scope, D.C., my hometown. He began to move beyond the would frequently visit, and Spain of its birth in 1928, I still have a few personal and Father Joseph and Sal letters from him during that moved to Chicago to begin time, always supernatural its work among Americans. and encouraging. When his Eventually, after an eventhealth deteriorated in 1980, ful life that brought him to he stepped down as regional various cities and countries, vicar and moved to Boston he moved to Boston for the to serve as chaplain and to last three years of his life.

Father Sal Ferigle also spent preach retreats.

Venerable Alvaro del Porthe last years of his life tillo, then head of Opus Dei here, which in his case was world-wide and who would a quarter-century, and he in be named its first prelate in turn died in 1997. They are 1982 and made bishop in buried alongside each other 1991, and who will himself at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in be beatified later this year, West Roxbury. wrote him at the time: “I I got to know Father want to thank you with my Joseph in 1976, when he whole heart … for the spirit returned to the United

Judge For Yourself

World Day for Consecrated Life to be celebrated in Dighton February 2

By Sister Catherine Donovan, RSM Special to The Anchor

DIGHTON — Diocesan parishes nationwide will soon celebrate “World Day for Consecrated Life.” Religious in the Fall River Diocese will gather with Bishop George W. Coleman to celebrate conse-

crated life, as a special gift to the Church, on February 2 at 11 a.m. at the Dominican Sister’s Chapel, 3012 Elm Street, Dighton.

United in the gift of their lives to God, consecrated men and women work for the coming of God’s reign. In the

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, January 26, 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Kevin J. Harrington, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Bedford

words of Pope Francis, “The charisms of the various religious institutes need to be respected and fostered because they are needed in dioceses.”

Let us hear and heed faith’s cry: The Word of God ever alive and active here and now in our lives and in the lives of the young whom God invites to consecrated life in the Church. Please join the diocesan religious in praying for young adults who are being called to religious life. May they have our support to answer this invitation with courage and generosity.

Offer your congratulations to the religious you know.

Please give gratitude to God for their espoused lives. Our religious, living and deceased, have graced the Church of Fall River throughout their lives and ministries among us. They have had a profound influence in the lives of our diocesan faithful.

Sister Donovan is the diocesan Episcopal Representative for Religious.

of sacrifice that you have shown so abundantly during all this time in carrying out the work. I am fulfilling an obligation of justice in providing you a little well-deserved rest.

Your successor has asked me to leave you in that region where you worked with all your heart from the beginning, and where you are so justly loved.”

There is a very good if short biography of Father Joseph written

by John Coverdale, a law professor and historian at Seton Hall University.

The book is entitled “Putting Down Roots: Father Joseph Muzquiz and the Growth of Opus Dei” (New York: Scepter Publishers 2009).

A trailer of the documentary can be viewed at www. josephmuzquiz.org. Prayer cards for his intercession can also be obtained through the website. I understand that the testimony on his life and virtues in the diocesan stage of his beatification process is wrapping up. If his heroic virtue is established and approved, ultimately by the Vatican, then there will be an investigation of any alleged miracles due to his intercession. If you need such a miracle (of healing, for example), I recommend asking Father Joseph to intercede with God on your behalf. He’s a great friend to have in Heaven.

Anchor columnist Dwight Duncan is a professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth. He holds degrees in civil and canon law.

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January 24, 2014

On abortion and contraception, Vatican puts words in context

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — On successive days in mid-January, Pope Francis and his top collaborator at the Vatican made public statements that provided a lesson in Franciscan contextualization of

highly-loaded moral issues.

On January 13, the pope told the Vatican diplomatic corps that he found it “horrifying just to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the

light of day.”

That was strong language, especially for a pope who has spoken relatively little about abortion. His words had even more impact given the setting: not before a group of

clergy, nuns or Catholic doctors, but in a room full of ambassadors, almost all of them from countries where abortion is legal in at least some cases.

Pope Francis’ words were even

more significant because of the kind of speech in which they occurred. Popes normally use talks to diplomats to survey crises and conflicts around the globe and urge the pursuit of peace, which is what Pope Francis for the most part did.

In such a context, references to anything other than geopolitics are bound to stand out.

More specifically, Pope Francis’ mention of abortion came in the middle of a paragraph about threats to human dignity such as hunger and human trafficking — issues about which the pope has spoken more often, as consistent with the priority he has set on helping the world’s poor. The appearance of abortion in that company suggests the defense of unborn life is at the heart of Pope Francis’ agenda.

The next day came a statement no less striking or significant in its implications for Vatican policy, even though it did not come from the pope himself.

Cardinal-designate Pietro Parolin, who as secretary of state is considered the highest Vatican official, met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry January 14 for a conversation that lasted an hour-and40-minutes.

Peace in the Middle East, and particularly Syria, had been expected to be Topic A. Kerry was stopping in Rome between meetings in Paris and Kuwait devoted to the crisis in Syria. And Pope Francis has made ending the civil war in Syria a major focus, among other ways by leading a prayer vigil last September that drew 100,000 people to St. Peter’s Square.

Father Lombardi said the two men “also discussed the United States, especially the themes that have been the object of concern and discussion by the U.S. bishops: the health care reform and its relationship to guarantees of religious freedom.”

That was evidently a reference to the contraceptive mandate: the Obama Administration’s requirement that nearly all health insurance plans, including those offered by most Catholic universities and agencies, cover sterilizations, contraceptives and some abortion-inducing drugs — all of which are forbidden by the Church’s moral teaching.

While legal challenges to the mandate are making their way through the U.S. courts, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., president of the bishops’ conference, asked President Barack Obama December 31 to exempt from fines religious institutions who believe funding contraception and sterilization violate their religious principles.

If there were any doubts about the Vatican’s support for the bishops’ stand, they were dispelled by Cardinal-designate Parolin’s decision to include the contraception mandate in a discussion of geopolitical priorities with Obama’s top diplomat — and then have the Vatican spokesman tell the press about it.

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January 24, 2014

Notre Dame marks 20th anniversary of teacher-training program on road

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Some organizations celebrate milestone anniversaries by hosting big events at their headquarters, but not the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education. The program — which serves under-resourced Catholic schools — is marking its 20th anniversary on the road. Alliance for Catholic Education, called ACE, began a nine-month 50-city bus tour in October, bringing the program’s leaders to Catholic schools around the country in a donated bus decorated with the slogan “Fighting for Our Children’s Future National Bus Tour.”

The tour, divided into four sections, started in Dallas and made stops during the fall

in the Midwest and the East Coast. After a December and January break, it was set to resume in February touring the South, Southwest and West Coast before finishing in Seattle in May. It can be followed on Twitter @ theACEbus and stops are posted online at http://ace.nd.edu/20/route. Holy Cross Father Timothy Scully, a co-founder of ACE, which began in 1993, came up with the bus tour idea as a way to see what’s going on at the local level at Catholic schools. At stops en route program officials awarded a school and educator in each diocese and met with local politicians and diocesan and educational leaders.

18

Youth Pages

Second-grade students at St. Michael School in Fall River recently made butter from scratch as part of a science project.

January 24, 2014

Students of the Trimester for the first trimester at St. James-St. John School in New Bedford proudly display their awards.

The fourth-grade girls basketball teams from St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro and Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland, R.I., recently gathered for a scrimmage at Mercymount for the first annual Class of 2018 Hoops for the Hungry. The girls asked for a non-perishable food donation in lieu of an admission fee. They collected four boxes of food which will be split between the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry and The Hebron Food Pantry.

Holy Name School in Fall River held its first Alfabeto Bee for students in grades one through eight. Pictured are the winners from each grade. The overall school winner was from grade seven.

Bishop Feehan High School girls lacrosse team joined St. Jude supporters in the Boston community and in 75 cities nationwide for the “St. Jude Give Thanks Walk” in Mansfield to raise money for the hospital. Players from the Attleboro school and others raised more than $90,000 to help support the hospital which, thanks to fund-raising activities such as this walk, does not charge families for the services it provides treating children with cancer. Front row, from left: Jennifer McCarthy, Rachel Brunelle, Lizzie Dietz, Emily Crawford, Alexandra Stockman, Elizabeth Spellman, Ellie Biscoe, and Megan Cooke. Back row: Meghan Kelley, Maggie Lynch, Catherine Murray, Shannon Coady, Maddie McLaughlin, Lauren Berube, and Mandy Semple.

Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth announced that two of its teachers, Matthew Voci, left, Math Department chairperson, and Timothy Wojcik, physics teacher, have been named members of the Fall 2013 cohort of the STEM Certificate program at the Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program aims to improve the effectiveness of educators in these disciplines through Product Development Education. In partnership with PTC, the aim is to create an “interdisciplinary, projectbased curriculum model rooted in engineering/design education as well as industry practices.” The pair will partner with educators across the educational community to develop a curriculum and teaching pedagogy influenced by best practices with a project-based, interdisciplinary learning and engineering education with a support model focused on human relationships and modern technologies. Participation in the program will include access to the PTC creativity lab, STEM Curriculum Authoring Toolkit, a PTC software package worth approximately $50,000, and the opportunity to qualify Bishop Stang to become a PTC STEM Academy.

Youth Pages

January 24, 2014

“N

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We need to be with others and with God

o man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

— John Donne Many people can call to mind the closing line from this poem by John Donne. I wonder how many know the entire poem. He speaks a great truth of the human condition: we are not meant to go through life on our own, we need other people.

In his message for the World Day of Peace just a few weeks ago, Pope Francis wrote, “In the heart of every man and woman is the desire for a full life, including that irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us to fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced.”

This really isn’t anything new in our time or in John Donne’s day.

The ancient Greeks realized this, and it is found throughout the Scriptures. We can see this truth play itself out in our lives as well.

Look at our times of great joy or great sadness. The human tendency is to be with others. There is something consoling, something encouraging and life-giving when we do so.

By Father I have David C. Frederici been reflecting on this whole topic in recent weeks. Just last week I had the opportunity to gather with my brother priests and Bishop George W. Coleman for our convocation. During our time together, we prayed with one another, we heard talks about living the priestly vocation in the dayto-day (one of the topics by the way was the need for fraternity and friendship to live a healthy life) and we had time to be with one another for a meal and a time of fellowship.

I and my brothers came away with a renewed sense of priestly identity and enthusiasm for the ministry that has been entrusted to us.

I mention this, because as universal as this truth is, it seems that we often try to take on life by ourselves. The result is we become an overly-independent society that

Be Not Afraid

St. Vincent’s Home achieves three-year re-accreditation

FALL RIVER — St. Vincent’s Home recently announced that it has been re-accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, an international, independent, not-for-profit, child- and family-service and behavioral healthcare accrediting organization. COA accreditation attests that an organization meets the highest national standards of best practice and is delivering the best quality services to the communities it serves. St. Vincent’s is proud to continue its association with COA’s Community of Excellence, which is comprised of more than 2,000 organizations that serve more than seven million children, youth and families internationally. St. Vincent’s was first nationally-accredited in January of 2002.

The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administrative operations, policies and procedures, and service delivery against national standards of best practice. All of the programs contained within an organization for which COA has a service standard are subject to review as COA reviews and accredits the entire organization, not just a single program. St. Vincent’s re-accreditation process began more than a year ago with an intensive self-study preparation, survey questionnaire sent to stakeholders,

COA standards compliance review and completed executive narrative for each standard, culminating in a three-day site visit by the COA review team which began on October 27. The review team evaluated St. Vincent’s compliance with more than 600 standards, including standards relating to new programs and services implemented by St. Vincent’s since its last re-accreditation process.

“COA’s program of quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have met high performance standards and have made a commitment to their stakeholders to deliver the very best quality services,” said Richard Klarberg, president and CEO of the Council on Accreditation. “COA is proud to recognize St. Vincent’s as one of these outstanding providers,” Jack Weldon, St. Vincent’s executive director said, “The re-accreditation process is an on-going, consistent process of maintaining best practice standards in each program, every day. I am proud, humbled and very appreciative of all of our staff ’s efforts and commitment to achieving St. Vincent’s mission with quality initiatives embedded in all of our interactions with clients and within our staff team. As always, the youth and families in our care are ultimately the beneficiaries of our excellent practice,” he added.

encourages a philosophy of “every man for himself ” and a life lived with an overwhelming stress that can result in our losing our sense of purpose and meaning.

Honest and loving friendships and companionship help us to keep our focus outside of ourselves. It gives us the support and love of others and through that love and support, keeps us aware of God’s presence and love.

Jesus tells us that the greatest Commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself ” (Mt 22:37,39).

We cannot grow emotionally or spiritually without the help and assistance of others. At the same time, it is important to remember that we do need to take some time alone with God. Balance is the name of the game here. In his book, “No Man is an Island,” Thomas Merton wrote, “The man

who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely, no matter how much he may surround himself with people. But the man who learns, in solitude and recollection, to be at peace with his own loneliness, and to prefer its reality to the illusion of merely natural companionship, comes to know the invisible companionship of God. Such a one is alone with God in all places, and he alone truly enjoys the companionship of other men, because he loves them in God.” To be happy, to live in joy, to be able to persevere through the storms of life, to have a faith that is realistic and life-giving, to be fully human we need love and friendship. Take time in the busy-ness of life to be with friends and family.

Be sure also to take time to be with the family of faith each Sunday.

Finally, be sure to make time each day to be alone with God. This extra effort on our part will lead us to the joy we seek.

Anchor columnist Father Frederici is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pocasset and diocesan director of Campus Ministry and Chaplain at UMass Dartmouth and Cape Cod Community College.

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January 24, 2014

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waynepowers@anchornews.org

21

January 24, 2014

Life Teen band rocks its faith continued from page one

mostly plays by ear.”

These Sunday afternoon lessons would eventually grow to include the couple’s other children — daughter Selma and son Cruz — along with Michael, Xavier and Nancy.

“We’d have these little (family) jam sessions at home,” Faria said. “It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon.”

With Xavier preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and his younger siblings waiting in the wings, Michael Faria approached Father Michael Racine, pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish, about forming a Christian rock band for teen-agers.

“It was actually my husband’s brainchild to start the Life Teen band,” Faria said. “He told (Father Racine) the kids needed something to make them feel comfortable and to make them feel like this was their Mass.”

“The idea for a Christian rock group always stuck in my head,” added Brian Correia, Religious Education coordinator for St. Bernard’s Parish. “I asked Michael, ‘What would you think about doing a Christian rock group?’ He said: ‘Let me talk to my wife and kids and see what I can come up with.’

“The last component we needed to fall into place was Father Racine, because that would involve him celebrating an additional Mass on Sunday afternoon once a month for the kids. I told him how the program was going to run, whom we had as our musical talent, and he said: ‘Let’s go for it.’ He was in full support of the program. We turned the music over to Michael and Nancy and we haven’t looked back since and they’ve done a phenomenal job with it. We’re very proud of the work they’ve done.”

With Correia’s support and Father Racine’s blessing, the Life Teen band was soon rockin’ the House of God in Assonet during monthly 5 p.m. Sunday Masses.

The group has since expanded its ranks to include talented musicians outside of the Faria household, with a cadre of singers complemented by two guitarists, a bassist, keyboardist, drummer and newly-added saxophonist.

“When we first started, it was mostly the (Confirmation) students with a few parents — some of them came just to see what it was all about,” Faria said. “But we’ve seen such an increase in the number of parents coming to Mass with their kids. This past month, we had a full house in at-

tendance.”

“This is really what we’ve been hoping for,” agreed Correia. “After each class receives Confirmation, we used to get two, maybe three students who came back to help out. This year we had 12 return — and that’s not including those who are in the band. These are students who want to participate as peer ministers, so apparently it’s working.”

Like many parishes in the diocese that have adopted the Life Teen model as a means of getting teen-agers to participate more in the Church, Correia said the program has really begun to bear fruit.

“We don’t have a youth group program here at St. Bernard’s Parish,” he said. “We went to dinner one night with some friends and (their kids) kept complaining that they were going to be late to get to their Confirmation class. We immediately thought: ‘Whatever they are doing, we need to start doing it here as well.’

So we learned about the Life Teen program that St. Julie Billiart Parish in North Dartmouth had in place.”

Launched as a parish-based youth ministry in Mesa, Ariz. in 1985, Life Teen is, according to its mission statement: “A Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church … that leads teen-agers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. With the Blessed Virgin Mary as (its) intercessor and guide, Life Teen seeks to unleash the fullness of the Sacramental power present within the young Church.”

Using a combination of traditional tools such as retreats, summer camps and social gatherings with more modern resources like web and social media and Christian rock music to evangelize, Life Teen aims to “equip parishes worldwide with timely, highquality resources to train Catechists and ‘reach’ today’s teens … while creating an environment where Catholic teen-agers feel supported and engaged the other 167 hours a week, outside of Sunday Mass.”

For Connor Graca, lead guitarist with the Life Teen band, the whole experience has been a revelation.

“Before you’d come to (Religious Education) class and there was nothing that really brought it down to your level; it was all very traditional,” Graca said. “For a kid like me who grew up in a Portuguese/Irish household, Catholi-

cism was always right there. But for everyone else it didn’t seem like such a big deal, they didn’t understand it. I think Life Teen brings it down to a level where it (relates) to the kids better.”

Within a year of joining the Life Teen band, Graca said he noticed it was having an impact even beyond the confines of the Assonet-based parish.

“Last year when we first did the Life Teen band, I walked into a study hall with one of my teachers — it was a freshman class — and I heard someone humming or singing one of the songs we had been playing and I thought that was pretty awesome,” he said. “It was so cool to me that it made such an impression on them.”

Having worked closely together for the past two years, the members of the Life Teen band have also forged a quick bond.

And for Selma Faria, who had previously sung in the church choir and performed in school musicals, it’s become like an extended family of sorts.

“Singing in front of a packed church is a lot less stressful than you might think — it’s not like performing on a stage, because everyone there is one of your peers,” she said. “It’s not like they’re going to make fun of you if you do something wrong. You just go out there and do the best you can. Even if you mess up, you don’t feel bad afterwards because everyone enjoys it.”

Her brother, Cruz, agreed.

“I usually don’t like performing in front of people, but with the Life Teen band I feel comfortable,” he said. “If I was alone, I don’t think I would want to do it. But if I’m up there with other people, it’s OK.” Even though he didn’t consider himself a fan of the Christian rock genre when he was first invited to join the Life Teen band, Graca said he’s learned to appreciate it and playing this style of music has been more edifying than he anticipated.

“I’m into more of the hard rock, punk rock type stuff,” he said. “And this really forces me to slow down and look at things from different angles. It’s really interesting from a musical standpoint for me.”

An admitted fan of many different styles, Graca said his taste in music was greatly influenced by his parents.

“My mom has a strong love for the music she listened to growing up — bands like Kiss, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Journey, Aeros-

mith, Bruce Springsteen, Boston — that whole era of music was ingrained in my head by the time I was sitting in a car seat,” he said. “My father has some of the strangest taste in music. He will listen to stuff that me, my brother and my sister listen to, but he also likes folk, bluegrass, and he’ll come home and tell me about a song he heard and we’ll pick up our acoustic guitars and try to play it together.”

Outside of the Christian rock repertoire she performs with the Life Teen group, Selma Faria said she gravitates toward more contemporary rap and “hardcore” rock music.

“There’s one band, Bullet for My Valentine, that’s a little too much but I like them a lot,” she said. “I like stuff like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, too. I like a whole array of music.”

And even though some of these would-be rockers might want to play something a little edgier from time to time, Nancy Faria said they try to select songs that are appropriate for the Mass setting.

“We did one song by Switchfoot called ‘Meant to Live’ and we kicked off the Mass with that and after Mass Father Racine said to me: ‘That was a little heavy,’” she said. “But the kids loved it so much. Our drummer is really hardcore and he’s always asking if we can play certain songs; I tell him: ‘We’ll try.’ We don’t want to scare Father Racine too much.”

When the Life Teen band performed for the two Confirmation Masses held at St. Bernard’s Church last year, they even

found an unexpected fan in Bishop George W. Coleman.

“Because our church is so small and our Confirmation class is so large, we had two Confirmation Masses — and the bishop was here for both evenings,” Correia said. “He gave a thumbs up to the band.”

“Bishop Coleman wanted to know how often we play and what effect we think it has on the parish,” Faria added. “He seemed to be happy that the kids were so involved.”

Although some of the Life Teen band members may soon be moving on — Graca, for one, will be attending college to study music in the fall — Faria said they are confident the ministry will be able to continue as new talent comes into the fold. Another parishioner who is also a musician with younger children has already expressed interest in getting involved with the group.

“My son Cruz will be receiving Confirmation next year, so we’ll still be involved, but wouldn’t it be nice if we kept the program going with someone who was already in the role?” she said. “Some of the kids are going to college and will be moving away; but I see so much talent in the Church I think this is a way to keep things going.”

Given its success, Correia hopes the ministry will continue to thrive as well.

“The first time we heard the Life Teen band perform at Mass, it was just unbelievable,” he said.

“We were just blown away by it, considering what little preparation they had. We are just so proud of them.”

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January 24, 2014

Livestock, pets flock to St. Peter’s Square for feast day blessing

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Bleats, barks and honks accompanied the “Our Father” as Cardinal Angelo Comastri blessed farm animals and pets gathered outside St. Peter’s Square.

Hundreds of local residents and tourists gathered for the January 17 blessing to mark the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of animals and farmers.

Members of an Italian association of farmers and ranch-

ers brought their donkeys, cows, horses, rabbits, hens, geese, sheep, goats and pigs, who munched on hay or feed in their wooden pens.

Many Rome residents brought their pets — ranging from a giant Neapolitan Mastiff to a tiny kitten named Birba, who got a special caress from the cardinal, the papal vicar for Vatican City. Cats and dogs could enjoy a free veterinary checkup at two tents nearby.

Italian police mounted on

Around the Diocese

The ninth annual St. Mary’s Education Fund Winter Brunch will be held January 26 at the Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth beginning at 11:30 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the St. Mary’s Education Fund, which provides need-based scholarships to children in need of financial assistance to attend one of the schools in the Fall River Diocese. For reservations or to make a donation, call Jane Robin at 508-759-3566.

The placement exam for prospective students wishing to attend Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River will be held on February 1 at 8 a.m. The test fee is $20. For more information, please call Anthony Ciampanelli, director of admissions, at 508676-1071, extension 333.

A Day with Mary will be held on February 1 at Holy Family Parish, 370 Middleboro Avene in East Taunton from 7:50 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It will include a video presentation, procession and crowning of the Blessed Mother with Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. There will be an opportunity for Reconciliation and a bookstore will be available. Please bring a bag lunch. For more information call 508-996-8274.

The Knights of Columbus council at St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton will sponsor a craft fair on February 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be more than 40 diverse crafters on hand. The fair will feature food, raffles, bake sale, face painting and more. For more information, call 774-217-0390.

Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River is searching for missing alumni as the school plans for its 50th anniversary to take place during the 2015-2016 school year. If you or someone you know is an alumnus of Bishop Connolly High School and is not receiving communications from the school, please send your contact information via the school’s website at www.bishopconnolly. com; by email to Anthony Ciampanelli in the Alumni Office at aciampanelli@bishopconnolly.com; by phone at 508-676-1071 extension 333; or mail the school at 373 Elsbree Street, Fall River, Mass. 02720. Please provide the graduate’s name (including maiden name if appropriate), complete mailing address, telephone number, email address, and the year of graduation.

horseback paraded up the wide boulevard leading to the square and two police dogs, with their agents, circled and sniffed pedestrians enthusiastically — unaware they were off-duty to get a blessing.

Before the blessing, Cardinal Comastri celebrated a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with members of the livestock association and their families.

Standing near the animals’ pens, he thanked Italian farmers for helping care for nature and providing communities with healthy, wholesome food.

He said Pope Francis has reminded people of their duty to protect creation.

The cardinal said the recent cleaning and restoration of Bernini’s colonnade surrounding St. Peter’s Square revealed the extent and seriousness of urban pollution.

Workers spent the past five years scrubbing and sandblasting off black grime, showing just how much pollution is ending up in people’s lungs, he said.

He said he hoped the farmers’ example of being ethical and honest stewards of God’s gifts would “become contagious” and influence everyone.

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Jan. 25 Rev. Jack Hickey, O.P., Dismas House, Nashville, Tenn., 1987 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 Rev. Raul M. Lagoa, Pastor, St. John of God, Somerset, 2012 Jan. 31 Rev. Charles J. Burns, Pastor, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1901 Rev. William F. Sullivan, Pastor, St. Patrick, Somerset, 1930 Rev. Manuel C. Terra, 1930

Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Evening prayer and Benediction is held Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Holy Ghost Church, 71 Linden Street, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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

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

Mass.

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

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

Use the Chapel entrance on the side of the church.

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

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

Fall River — Espirito Santo Parish, 311 Alden Street, Fall River. Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays following the 8 a.m. Mass until Rosary and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Falmouth — St. Patrick’s Church has Eucharistic Adoration each First Friday, following the 9 a.m. Mass until Benediction at 4:30 p.m. The Rosary is recited Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

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

MASHPEE — Christ the King Parish, Route 151 and Job’s Fishing Road has 8:30 a.m.

Mass every First Friday with special intentions for Respect Life, followed by 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel, concluding with Benediction Saturday morning followed immediately by an 8:30 Mass.

NEW BEDFORD — Eucharistic Adoration 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. Please use the side entrance.

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

NEW BEDFORD — St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, 565 County Street, holds Eucharistic Adoration in the side chapel every Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Slocum Road, every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., ending with Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at this time.

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

OSTERVILLE — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 76 Wianno Avenue on First Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

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

Taunton — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction.

Recitation of the Rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

Taunton — Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place every First Friday at Annunciation of the Lord, 31 First Street. Exposition begins following the 8 a.m.

Mass. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, and Adoration will continue throughout the day. Confessions are heard from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Rosary and Benediction begin at 6:30 p.m.

WAREHAM — Eucharistic Adoration at St. Patrick’s Church begins each Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. and ends on Friday night at midnight. Adoration is held in our Adoration Chapel in the lower Parish Hall.

WEST HARWICH — Our Lady of Life Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish, 246 Main Street (Rte. 28), holds perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. We are a regional chapel serving all of the surrounding parishes. All from other parishes are invited to sign up to cover open hours. For open hours, or to sign up call 508-430-4716.

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January 24, 2014 Why send your child to a Catholic school?

Miss Cecilia Felix, principal of Holy Family-Holy Name School in New Bedford, asked me this question recently as we spoke about the upcoming Catholic Schools Week. I have to admit, I couldn’t answer it right away because I had so many reasons “why” my husband and I chose to do it and I couldn’t sum it up in a sentence or two. After pondering that question, though, I can now answer her in just a few words, “Because it’s an environment that supports the moral teachings of our home and the Church.” I know that spiritually, my kids are much better off in a Catholic school. Not to mention the fact that raising kids is hard enough without having to counter the immoral messages they receive all day. I want my children to have moral teachings, and be in a place where prayer is considered normal and right, not wrong.

My husband and I have been educated both in a Catholic and public school setting. I can’t speak for other Catholic schools, but in regards to Holy Family-Holy Name School, the moral teachings are solid, and are reflected in everything they do! It is a very loving and supportive place and the students from pre-k to grade eight spend time working together and fostering a real family attitude. The academics are solid, the teachers are caring, the principal is involved. Community service is a major component of the HFHN experience which fosters a sense of duty and kindness within the school, neighborhood, and world. I not only notice this as a parent of children who are currently attending the school, but also as a staff member.

Don’t get me wrong. If the education our children was receiving at any school struck us as academically inferior, they would be attending elsewhere. In our experience, there is no loss in academic quality in Catholic schools.

On the contrary, it’s more often the case that the education Catholic schools deliver ranks as every bit as good if not better than competitor schools. Maybe the fact is because the majority of educators in Catholic schools seem to regard their work as a “calling.” Let’s face it, they could all be making more money elsewhere. But the dedicated veterans and enthusiastic newcomers, precisely who I’d want teaching our child, choose to stay, because they believe perpetuating the Catholic faith is at or near the top of what schools are supposed to do.

Catholic schools deserve our support This coming week, Catholic Schools Week, occurs in the wake of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., which coincides with the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand in all 50 states. Allow me to draw a connection. I believe that without Catholic schools there would have been no serious Pro-Life movement in the United States. Why? Because the government schools begin their indoctrination programs in the earliest years of elementary school and thus create a cadre of youth in their own “image and likeness.” The Catholic schools also pass on a value system from the earliest years, but from a Gospel perspective.

The secularization taking Europe by storm and menacing the United States to a lesser but still troubling degree can only be held off, and even reversed, if the Church is able to offer her members an alternative vision of life and what sociologists call a viable “sub-culture.” In essence, that is what St. Benedict did as the decadent Roman culture was breathing its last, and that alternate vision saved not only the Church but Western culture. The principal agent of that renewal was a monasticism, which founded schools everywhere. What emerged was the glorious Middle Ages, the “Age of Faith,” with the good, the true and the beautiful producing a superabundance of magnificent works of literature, art, music, and architecture.

An education devoid of God is an anti-education, the fruits of which we are witnessing in spades for at least two generations now. Catholic schools deserve the full support of the entire Catholic community.

Rev. Thomas M. Kocik St. Anne’s Parish, Fall River

The Rev. George A. Kelly explains it best when he stated: “The most important assignment parents have from God is to see that their children are properly educated.

“When your child attends elementary school, his teacher probably influences him for more hours each day than you do. What he learns from her will have a powerful affect upon his character. Simple prudence dictates, therefore, that the influence to which he is exposed at school should intensify and reinforce your own teachings. This is possible only in a school which recognizes God, because your child will learn to be truthful, honest and just in his dealings with his fellow man and to respect authority only as he understands God. The only true motive for these and all other virtues is the knowledge that we are dependent on God for everything and that He requires obedience to His law as a test of our love for Him. “How can your child recognize the pre-eminence of God and the necessity of religious faith for his Salvation if these facts are completely ignored by one of the most

important influences in his life? Even a young child will tend to question the religious beliefs and moral lessons taught to him at home when they are considered of such little importance that they go unmentioned at school. No Christian parent could maintain that a knowledge of geography or music or dancing — is more important to a child’s development than his religious training; yet public schools, by their very ignoring of God, can subtly create this impression.”

Here’s a quote by the daughter of the Education Dean at Marquette University: “Dad, when I was in elementary and middle school I didn’t really get why going to Catholic schools mattered so much. Now that I’m about to graduate and go out into the world, I know that God will always be with me, that He’ll keep me safe, and that He’ll help me with whatever life has in store. I’m not afraid any more; I’m ready. Thank you for sending me.” Isn’t that what it’s all about? With gratitude, Holly Clavell — www.hfhn.org

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January 24, 2014