The Anchor F riday , February 6, 2009
Diocese of Fall River
St. Stan’s School offers special needs program
B y D eacon James N. Dunbar
FALL RIVER — Breaking the ice to become an inclusion school and bring support services to children with disabilities rather than moving the child to the services, came readily at St. Stanislaus School. “I have listened to parents who thought they could not
send their child to a Catholic School because of his or her disability and the heartbreak it caused,” said Jean Willis, the principal. “Now I am seeing how grateful those parents are,” said Willis, who initiated and developed the program this year that serves 28 children spread Turn to page 18
PROUD PAPA — Permanent Deacon Paul F. Fournier vests his son Peter J. Fournier during a Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral January 31 at which the younger Fournier was ordained a transitional deacon, and is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood this June. (Photo by Eric Rodrigues)
Fournier ordained transitional deacon at cathedral ceremony By Deacon James N. Dunbar
SPECIAL MENTOR — Colleen Hauser, a special education teacher in the inclusion school program at St. Stanislaus School in Fall River, and prize pupil Ashley Banalewicz, who has Down’s syndrome. (Anchor photo)
New England bishops begin monthly series on Catholic education By Dave Jolivet, Editor
FALL RIVER — Adhering to a document published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2005, the New England Catholic bishops have pledged to write a monthly letter extolling the virtues of a Catholic education. The document, “Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium,” was the source of the monthly topics to be addressed by one bishop each month. The letters will appear in the 11 Catholic newspapers across New England. “The idea for this campaign was introduced to the New England bishops at their yearly meeting late last year,” said George Milot, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Fall River. “It was initiated by the New England chapter of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education.”
CACE is comprised of diocesan school superintendents and assistant superintendents. “The bishops greeted the recommendation with enthusiasm,” Milot told The Anchor. “Each of the 11 bishops and Cardinal O’Malley are already on a monthly schedule through April 2010.” Auxiliary bishops are also participating. CACE administrators selected the topics based on the USCCB’s 2005 document. “Each bishop will write on a specific topic related to Catholic education.” In the bishops’ document they concluded, “As we, the Catholic bishops of the United States, and the entire Catholic community continue our journey through the 21st century, it remains our duty to model the person of Jesus Christ, to teach the Gospel, and to evangelize our culture. We are convinced that Catholic elemenTurn to page seven
FALL RIVER — A jubilant Peter J. Fournier was ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop George W. Coleman at rites in St. Mary’s Cathedral January 31. Hundreds, including 10 priests and 25 deacons, among the latter the ordinand’s father, Permanent Deacon Paul Fournier — as well as his mother, Florence Fournier, other family members, and parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church in Attleboro, his home parish — attended the ordination Mass. As a transitional deacon, Deacon Peter Fournier will continue his theological studies at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, and hopes to be ordained to the priesthood for the Fall River Diocese in June.
He will, as a deacon, exercise his office by baptizing, proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, officiating at weddings and funerals, being an ordinary minister of holy Communion, assisting at Mass, and presiding at Benediction and prayer and Communion services, among others. Deacon Peter Fournier’s joy of becoming a member of the clergy was reflected in his ever-present smile throughout the ancient rites, in which he was told: “Believe what you read. Preach what you believe. Practice what you preach.” He was vested in the stole and dalmatic, the traditional vestments of a deacon, by his father. Turn to page 18
Father Looney proud of growing ministry efforts at Stonehill College
B y K enneth J. Souza A nchor Staff
EASTON — Since taking over an already-vibrant campus ministry at Stonehill College, Congregation of Holy Cross Father Thomas Looney has managed to make students keenly aware that there’s much more to their Catholic faith than a personal connection to God or even the dogmatic facts that can be learned within an academic setting. It’s about putting that knowledge and faith into practice in the real world each and every day. As the vice president for Mission at Stonehill College, Father Looney has built upon
the school’s solid tradition of outreach efforts and expanded them to other areas of the diocese and beyond. “Our mission statement says we want every graduate to help make the world a more just and compassionate place,” Father Father Thomas Looney said. Looney, CSC “Education is a privilege and education is a gift, not simply for your own self-improvement in the world, but also a gift to share. The best example we can be to our students is to
show our faith always needs to be put into action. The Catholic faith is not something that is simply an interior relationship between a person and God, but a relationship that is lived out in a community of faith that seeks to serve our brothers and sisters in this world.” To that end, Father Looney has helped organize and maintain many popular student programs at Stonehill College such as “Into the Streets,” a local community service effort, and Hope, an international spring break alternative mission. “For Into the Streets, our Turn to page 13