FALL RIVE~ DiOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR sOUTHEAst MASSACHUSETTS cAPS CoO & THE ISLANDS VOL. 43, NO.6· Friday, February 5, 1999
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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Bishop O'Malley: Energized pope inspired St. Louis By JAMES N. DUNBAR FALL RIVER - Pope John Paul II appeared to be energized by the thousands of cheering young people who came to hail him on his 30-hour visit to St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 26 and 27, reports Bishop Sean P. O'Malley "The pope, truly a renaissance man and most appealing to the youths, talked to them and they to him at the youth rally the evening of Jan. 26 at St. Louis' Kiel Center and it was a real exchange. I was inspired by it all; it was most m9ving," the bishop said in an interview with The Anchor this week. Bishop O'Malley, who was among approximately 160 bishops who were concelPope John Paul II ebrants at a waves from a stage at Mass with Lambert-St. Louis the pope in the Trans International Airport World Dome Jan. 26. (CNS photo) on Jan. 27, said, "I was especially pleased by how well the pope, despite his ailments and age, got about and how wonderfully he interacted with the crowds and the many young people." . "He has dedicated so much of his life to young people, especially as a teacher. The pope was up for it and I thought he looked particularly welL" "The rally had about 20,000 young people who earlieihad participated in a whole day of activities - concerts and conferences - and the Holy Father came in and conducted a very beautiful prayer service for them that centered on a baptismal theme," Bishop O'Malley said. "It was a
~ Religious men and women very challenging talk." At the end he was greeted by a number of youngsters from a children's hospital where they are in long-term care for various disabilities. "It was a very touching scene," the bishop recalled. . Later, the young people gave the Holy Father a hockey stick and ajersey. "So his final remarks to them was that he had to come back to St. Louis and play hockey with them," the bishop said, laughing. The following morning, Bishop O'Malley and his fellow bishops celebrated Mass with the pope at the Trans World Dome. "Having 160 bishops there represented a large percentage of the bishops in this country. It was a beautiful experience. I don't think how well the pope's medication is managed is as great a factor as how much he is energized by the young people and the crowds. The Holy Father has a great sense of mission and when he's in those circumstances he just draws so much energy from the people." . Bishop O'Malley said that he was a Iso v e r y pleased to see how well the pope appeared as he moved around in his Jan. 22-26 visit to Mexico. He remembers 20 years ago being there whe.n the pontiff, just newly elected as pope, made his first journey. The bishop was there then as a delegate to the Pueblo Conference. "He (the pope) was young and vigorous at the time. The crowd, literally mi~lions of people, extended 60 miles from Mexico City to Pueblo. This time, as I watched on television, I saw huge crowds again and I think the pope did Tum to page J3 - St. Louis
Faith-based communication is basis of Catholic Press ~ On the threshold of a new millennium it's appropriate to say thanks and so long to the only one we've known. By JOSEPH K. RYAN MANAGING EDITOR, THE CATHOUC STANDARD & TIMES PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The 1,000year span that saw the development of the printing press itself was obviously a good millennium for the Catholic Press. From Gutenberg's first Bible to papal encyclicals published on the Vatican's Web site, the methods of spreading the Good News have taken a millennium leap from scribes
World Day for Consecrated Life to be'observed Sunday
hand-lettering scrolls. The rise of books, magazines and newspapers could hardly have been predicted in the year 1001 A.D. Who knows what kind of media await the "readers" qf. 2500 A.D., or even 2050?
But printed Catholic literature, now abundantly available in books, magazines and newspapers, has lost much of the luster it carried in earlier centuries. As it became more obtainable, it became less respected. And print finds itself in a crowded media field at the close of this century. Parish bulletins discarded in the pews might signify the word-weariness of potential readers already bombarded by TV, radio, e-mail, advertising and phone information before they arrive at church. If the written word's future seems precarious, don't think it's doomed. Writing and imprinting information goes back several millennia, and it's hard to image a mere 1,000 years eliminating it. Tum to page J3 - Press
will renew
their vows at a 3 p.m. Mass Sunday in St. Mary's Cathedral.
FALL RIVER - World D.ay for Consecrated Life will be observed Sunday beginning at 3 p.m., when· members of various religious orders and congregations in the diocese renew their vows during Mass in St. Mary's Cathedral at which Bishop Sean P. O'Malley will be the principal celebrant and homilist. The public is invited to attend. This is the second year that the Fall River Diocese has celebrated the observance, which was instituted by Pope John Paul II last year. The initial date for the observance was set for February 2, the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple. Because that date falls on a weekday, dioceses can opt to have a more widespread celebration on the weekend. "In his message for the first World Day for Consecrated Life, the pope said the day offers the opportunity to thank God for the gift of consecrated life," says Mercy Sister Mary Noel Blute of the Office for Religious. "The day also promotes knowledge of that life and invites consecrated people to celebrate what the Lord has accomplished in them and to acquire more awareness of their mission in
At the Sunday liturgy, Bishop O'Malley will ask religious men and women present to stand and renew their vows, Sister Blu.te reported. "It will bea i very solemn moment as they re-consecrate themselves to God through their congregations in service to the Church and the people of God." the Church and in the world." At the Sunday liturgy, Bishop O'Malley will ask religious men and women present to stand and renew their vows, Sister Blute reported. "It will be a very solemn moment as they reconsecrate themselves to God through their congregations in service to the Church and the people of God.", Currently there are approximately 550 religious women and men within the diocese, Sister Blute said. While numbers have declined in recent years, the zeal for service and love of the Church remains strong in those serving. Most of those men and women responding to a vocation to religious life, as well as the priesthood, are at an older age than previously. "Some respond at great sacrifice, leaving possessions and positions of prestige and influence to serve the needs of God's people," said Sister Blute. "They bring a maturity and life experience which is invaluable in understanding the problems facing people in the modern world." Men who are part of 16 congregations of religious in the diocese are engaged in a variety of ministries including education, parish work, pastoral care, youth ministry, campus ministry, social services and spiritual direction. Members of the 35 orders of women religious are involved in health services, hospital and pastoral care, secretarial services, literacy education, education and contemplative prayer. "Many religious orders came to the United States following the great waves of immigrants from Western Europe before and at the turn of the century," Sister Blute said. "They helped their people to adjust to the difficult life here and to preserve the faith. Today, these same religious groups seek out the current daily needs of people in parish communities of faith and strive with the same zeal to help them preserve their faith."