VOL. 33, NO.4.
Friday, January 27, 1989
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts'Largest Weekly
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$11 Per Year
Roe vs. Wade anniversary
A 16th mourning
BISHOP REGAN with his sister sister.
A Maryknoll'record By Father Jim Kroeger, MM 60 years of priesthood and mission - no mean achievement! Today, Fairhaven native Bishop Joseph W. Regan, MM, 83, celebrated his 60th anniversary of priestly ordination. He is the only member of the Maryknoll Fathers, living or dead, to have spent all 60 years of his priesthood overseas, 22 years in China and 38 in the Philippines. After ordination at Maryknoll Seminary in New York, then-Father Regan served in China from 1929-1951. During much of this time he was vicar general and society superior in Kweilin, South China, Establishment of the communist regime caused the expulsion of foreign missioners and was the end of the bishop's first missionary career, although he made a short return visit to Kweilin in 1983. With a small group of missioners, the diamond jubilarian began his second career in 1952 in the Phillipine diocese of Lipa, near Manila. Setting aside the Cantonese and Mandarin languages he learned in China, the dedicated missionary took up the Tagalog tongue. His service in the Manila area lasted a short six years - a more urgent need had surfaced. Post-war migration to the southern island of Mindanao had greatly swelled the population and local diocesan priests were in very short supply. The future bishop, now in his third missionary career, led the
first group of Maryknollers to the Cebuano-speaking Davao area in 1958. This group, of which Father Regan was superior, eventually grew to more than 60 Maryknollers in the mid-1970s. The prelate of Tagum, Davao, was established in 1962 with Bishop Regan as its Ordinary. There the new bishop worked tirelessly, establishing parishes, schools, a hospital, a radio station and a seminary. He supported his priests in establishing basic Christian communities in Mindanao, a movement which eventually spread to the entire Philippines. He was one of many bishops called to advocacy on behalf of church workers imprisoned and harassed during the martial law years of the Marcos regime. Through all the work and turmoil of those years, never was Bishop Regan deflected from seeking local vocations for the diocesan priesthood. By the time he retired in 1980, there were 35 indigenous priests in his diocese. In a few years he saw that number climb to more than 50 in the dioceses ofTagum and Mati, formed from the original prelature of Tagum. Upon "retirement" in 1980, the bishop launched his fourth career. He is now the very, active "grandfather" of the diocese, especially of its priests and sisters. Besides assisting the bishop ofTagum, he offers monthly Masses in the private and public schools in that diocese and Turn to Page Six
WASHINGTON (NC) Bishop Stang High School, Abortion opponents, including North Dartmouth, was represented Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of by a group of students. Chicago and President Reagan, "It was ,very satisfying," Mrs. noted the '16th anniversary of McAndrews said, "to have such a legalized abortion with prayer viglarge group of people enthusiastiils, statements, protests and the cally taking part in this demonstraannual March for Life in Washingtion." ton, held on Monday. The need to protect the unborn also was mentioned by President Bush in his Jan. 20 inaugural address (see story below) and by Cardinal James A. Hickey of Washington Jan. 21 as he celebrated a Mass to mark the Bush inauguration. The Fall River diocese was well ' represented in Washington. The local group visited the offiA bus carrying a 41-member ces of Massachusetts Senators mostly-Catholic contingent of Edward M. Kennedy and John pro-lifers was organized by Alice Kerry and were heard by RepreMcAndrews of Holy Ghost par- sentative Barney Frank. Group ish, Attleboro. The group included members were also present to hear persons from all over the diocese, Dr. Jerome Gideon, pro-life legisMrs. McAndrews said. She, her lative assistant to California husband and two adult children Representative Robert K. Dornan, and the others left at 10 p.m. speak on "how a legislator is able Sunday. to help if he will, by getting antiUpon arriving, they attended a abortion laws through." morning Mass at St. Peter's Church The bus returned at 12:30 a.m. in Washington, "in the shadow of Tuesday. the capito!." Pro-life organizer Mary Ann Mrs. McAndrews said that other Booth of South Dartmouth said persons from the Fall River diothat bells rang at I p.m. Sunday in cese traveled to the anniversary some diocesan churches to mark celebration in their own cars. the Roe vs. Wade anniversary.
Participating churches, she said, include St. Lawrence parish, New Bedford, Blessed Sacrament, Fall River, and St. John Neumann, East Freetown. Protestant churches, Mrs. Booth added, also participated. Bells were rung 23 times, she said, for the 23 million babies killed since Roe vs. Wade. The pr'o-lifer attended tobe 16th annual Assembly for Life Rally, held. Sunday in Boston. Bernard Cardinal Law was principal speaker at the event, sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Cardinal Law traveled to Washington after his Boston engagement. He celebrated Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington before the March for Life on Monday. Mrs. Booth notes that she is able to provide the pro-life film "Eclipse of Reason" to interested parties at no charge. She can be reached at 636-4903. The film, she said, was recently viewed by an area woman who had scheduled an abortion. After watching, she said, the young lady changed her mind about terminating her pregnancy. Turn to Page Six
Bush begins with prayer WASHINGTON (NC) George Bush in his inaugural address Jan. 20 launched his presidency with a prayer to God "to write on our hearts" that "the one just use of power ... is to serve people." Saying that "a new breeze is blowing" in the nation, he also called all citizens to "a new engagement" in people's lives and to "a new activism" to solve domestic problems of abortion, homelessness, drug addiction and crime. "America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral purpose," Bush said. "We have such a purpose - it is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world." Bush was sworn in under cloudy skies on the steps of the U.S. Capitol by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. He placed his hand on a family Bible that rested atop the Bible George Washington used in his inauguration 200 years ago. Prior to that, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor administered the oath of office to Vice President J. Danforth Quayle. Inauguration Day was breezy but warmer than in 1985, when extremdycold weather forced President Reagan to deliver his address inside the Capitol instead of at the traditional outdoor ceremonies.
Bush, who is Episcopalian, began his inauguration day with a visit to St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House, where he told reporters he offered a prayer for world peace and "the well-being of the nation." In his inaugural address, the
41st U.S. president urged a new spirit of cooperation between the Congress and the executive branch to rein in the largest federal deficit in the nation's history and to balance the federal budget. Turn to Page Six
PRESIDENT BUSH and his wife, Barbara, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before the start of ceremonies opening inauguration activities. (NCJ UPI photo)