02.18.11

Diocese of Fall River

The Anchor

F riday , February 18, 2011

The joy of adoption

By Rebecca Aubut Anchor Staff

ATTLEBORO — Her bright blue eyes peer out from underneath a decorative winter hat, her impish grin outshined by her big brother’s blazing smile, his arm around her back — just two children enjoying the white wonderland of snow mounds and the occasional snowball fight.

“These are great, happy kids,” said their mother, Linda Sousa.

“Evan is in first grade, takes tae-kwon-do, is very animated and likes to talk. Kaia is a little more content playing by herself, but is definitely more social too.

Dance class is the highlight of her week.”

For Elaine Abdow, adoption program coordinator for Catho-

lic Social Services of Fall River, the Sousa Family’s happiness is just another chapter in the agency’s long history of connecting birth parents with a local adoptive family.

“We’ve placed many children,” said Abdow, adding the agency also has additional programs consisting of supportive services, counseling, on-going interventions and pregnancy counseling, and that every pregnant mom doesn’t always choose adoption.

“It’s to help them look at all their options and make an informed choice,” said Abdow.

“Even if in their minds that adoption is the very best choice for that child, it hurts a great deal.

Turn to page 15

Here we go again — The parking lot and walkways are covered again at St. Joseph’s Church in Fall River, during one of this winter’s many snowstorms. Parishes across the diocese are feeling the crunch of the high costs of property maintenance during an unusually harsh winter. (Photo by Dave Jolivet)

Parishes coping with harsh ‘winter of discontent’

By Kenneth J. Souza Anchor Staff

FALL RIVER — While it was Shakespeare’s “Richard III” that first made reference to “the winter of our discontent,” the phrase could easily become the mantra of pastors across the diocese as they grapple with escalating heating bills and excessive snow removal costs in the aftermath of relentless winter Field of plenty — Linda and Victor Sousa pose for a family photo with their adopted children, three-year-old Kaia and sevenyear-old Evan. After experiencing fertility problems, the couple has been able to enjoy the joys of parenting through two separate, open adoptions of their son and daughter.

Day of reflection to key on evangelizing young adults

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

NORTH DARTMOUTH — Passionist Father Robin Ryan will lead a day of prayer for priests of the Fall River Diocese, themed, “Evangelizing Young Adults.”

The event will take place at St. Julie Billiart Parish on February 24.

weather.

“I just calculated what we’ve spent so far so I could put it in the bulletin, and the figure is just about $16,000,” said Father George E. Harrison, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in East Sandwich. “That is quite an expense, especially at the end of January when we’ve still got another month or two to go. I’m worTurn to page 14

Bishop Connolly students go ‘green’ to right an inadvertent wrong

By Dave Jolivet, Editor

Father Ryan, who recently edited a book called “Catholics on Call, Discerning a Way of Service in the Church,” joined the Passionist community while in college. Since ordination in 1984, his ministry has been divided among Turn to page 14

it’s easy being green — Bishop Connolly High School juniors Kristyn Furtado, center, and Peter Le, right, display some of the surprises lavished on their math teacher Paula Kelley, left. The students at the Fall River school went the extra mile to help out their teacher and mentor. (Photo by Justin Shay)

FALL RIVER — What happened recently at Bishop Connolly High School is, in the secular world, a perfect example of “What goes around, comes around.” In Christian circles it’s the living out of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, “Blest are those who show mercy, mercy shall be theirs.”

The remarkable and inspiring story involves Connolly students rallying around a teacher, who has devoted her talents to enriching the lives of her students.

Paula Kelley, a math teacher who taught for 39 years in the public school system, and is now in her second year at Connolly, knows all too much about suffering. Over the years she has Turn to page 18

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News From the Vatican

February 18, 2011

Prelates say words from Scripture should guide treatment of immigrants

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — In speeches the same day, Los Angeles’ cardinal and its coadjutor archbishop talked about immigration in the United States, with one calling some of the rhetoric about the issue “not worthy of the Gospel,” and the other saying the current system “is an immoral system that thrives upon the weakness and suffering of those without a voice.”

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony told an audience at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill February 2 that the ethical injunctions of Scripture require “compassion for the stranger, the alien, and the worker. Whatever economic, political or social policies we discuss — and whatever discussion of constitutional rights and liberties — we cannot turn our backs to this biblical legacy of hope.”

Taking up the question of whether undocumented immigrants are good for the economy, Cardinal Mahony traced the roots of the word economy to its Greek origins, where the principal focus was not monetary but how a household is ordered.

“God’s household, God’s grand economy, is one in which holiness and truth, justice and love, and above all, peace ... prevail,” the cardinal said. “In my view, what makes for a good economy is the full flourishing of everyone who is part of God’s economy, household or community.”

He said that no other commitments can trump the biblical tradition of compassion for the stranger, the alien and the worker.

“Whatever economic, political or social policies we discuss — and whatever discussion of constitutional rights and liberties — we cannot turn our backs to this biblical legacy of hope,” he said.

Speaking the same day in Naples, Fla., to Legatus, a Catholic business leaders organization, Coadjutor Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles also drew on Scripture to explain that “the Church’s approach to immigration — like the Church’s approach to every social issue — is never about politics. It is about preaching the good news of God’s love for all peoples. It is about transforming the city of man into the family of God.” As coadjutor, Archbishop Gomez will take over as head of the

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Archdiocese of Los Angeles, when Cardinal Mahony retires, which is expected to be in late February.

Noting he is among those who are bothered by the illegal immigration status of some people, the archbishop said, “I don’t like it when our rule of law is flouted. And I support just and appropriate punishments.”

However, he added, “right now, we are imposing penalties that leave wives without husbands, children without parents. We are deporting fathers and leaving single mothers to raise children on little to no income.

“We are a better people than that.

We have always been a nation of justice and law,” said Archbishop Gomez. “But we have also been a nation of mercy and forgiveness.

We can find a better way. It begins in seeing immigrants as human beings.

As mothers and fathers. As children of God.” Archbishop Gomez said that as an immigrant from Mexico himself, he understands well that “family means everything for Hispanics,” who make up the majority of new immigrants. “The Hispanic idea of community is a family of families — great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And always, family is connected to the Catholic Church and to God.” That’s why current enforcement policies “workplace raids, detentions and deportations are such a humanitarian tragedy,” he said. “We are destroying families in the name of enforcing our laws.”

Calling current immigration laws unjust, Cardinal Mahony said society gladly accepts the toil and taxes of the immigrant work force, “but look the other way when they are exploited in the workplace, die in the desert, or are arrested and deported for the most minor of civil violations, like jaywalking.

He noted that of the nearly half million immigrants who enter the country without permission or stay beyond the limits of their visas, nearly 90 percent get jobs within six months, but there are only 5,000 visas available annually by which they might come in legally.

“This is a disordered system,” he said. “hardly the arrangement of a household according to a plan where there is room enough for all at the table.”

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER Vol. 55, No. 07

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field trip to remember — Schoolgirls cheer during Pope Benedict XVI’s general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican recently. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Vatican statistics show increase in world wide number of priests

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholic priests in the world has increased consistently over the past decade and the “relative superabundance” of priests in Europe and North America has begun to attenuate, the Vatican said.

The “relative superabundance” refers to the percentage of the world’s priests who live in Europe and North America compared to the percentage of the world’s Catholics who live there.

Anticipating some of the figures that would be released in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church later in February, the Vatican newspaper said that in 1999, just more than 15 percent of the world’s priests lived and ministered in Central and South America while 42.4 percent of the world’s Catholics lived there.

At the end of 2009, the percentage had changed slightly: Latin America had 17.3 percent of the priests and 42.2 percent of the world’s Catholics.

L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, published its article February 10 with a small selection of statistics from the yearbook reporting worldwide church figures as of Dec. 31, 2009.

The newspaper article focused on the statistics’ demonstration of 10 years of steady growth in the number of Catholic priests in the world. A more complete set of statistics was expected to be released when the Vatican had finished printing the yearbook.

The Vatican reported an increase of 809 priests during the 2009 calendar year and an in-

crease of close to 5,600 priests between 1999 and 2009, the newspaper said.

The overall increase came despite the continuing steep decline in the number of religious-order priests, it reported.

Of the 410,593 priests in the world reported at the end of 2009, the Vatican said 275,542 were diocesan priests and 135,051 were members of religious orders. Ten years earlier, there were only 265,012 diocesan priests, but there were 139,997 religious order priests, the Vatican said.

The worldwide increase, however, did not mean the number of

priests increased on every continent, the newspaper reported. In North America, the number of diocesan clergy decreased seven percent and the number of religious clergy fell by 21 percent, it said.

The uneven distribution of priests in the world is still remarkable but is easing a bit, the newspaper said. The ratio is changing not only because more priests are being ordained in Africa, Asia and Latin America, it said, but also because the average age of priests is much younger in those regions than in Europe and North America, so the death rate is lower.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican’s ambassador to Egypt said he hoped the country’s future would include greater social justice and greater freedom for all of the country’s people.

In an interview with Vatican Radio February 11, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald said he hoped the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which is running Egypt, would follow the direction of constitutional reform and “will also respond to the other demands of the population with regard to social justice and with regard to political liberties as well.”

Archbishop Fitzgerald, the Vatican nuncio in Cairo, said that even before President Hosni Mubarak resigned February 11, the Egyptian leader had given his vice president the task of studying various articles of the constitution with a view of amending them in

response to protesters’ demands for greater democracy.

Mubarak’s promises of reform were not enough for protesters, and he was forced to hand over power to the military and step down.

As Mubarak left the capital and the military took over, the nuncio told Vatican Radio, “We are still in an uncertain position, but the people are very happy — they are rejoicing — and we hope that this euphoria will produce a moment of solidarity for the people in this country.”

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announced February 13 a series of steps needed for a democratic transition, including the dissolution of Mubarak’s parliament, a suspension of the constitution with the promise of establishing a committee to rewrite it, and the promise of elections in six months.

Nuncio says he hopes Egypt’s future brings more justice, freedom

February 18, 2011

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The International Church

Bishops of France reject manipulation of ‘savior sibling’

a united cause — A Muslim man holding the Koran and a Coptic Christian man holding a cross are carried through demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Cairo recently. In a televised statement February 11, Egypt’s Vice President Omar Suleiman said Mubarak had bowed to pressure from demonstrators in the streets and had resigned, handing power to the army. (CNS photo/Dylan Martinez, Reuters)

Irish bishop asks laypeople to help ‘reform and renew’ Church

B y Michael K elly C atholic News Service

DUBLIN — An Irish bishop has called on parishioners to “reform and renew” the Catholic Church toward a future that is more transparent and in which leaders are accountable.

Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor, the diocese based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, launched a new “listening program” across the 88 parishes of the diocese February 8. The program is aimed at giving laypeople a chance to have their say about the Church.

“The history of the Church includes moments when the people of God are called to reform and renew the Church,” Bishop Treanor said. “This is one such moment.”

More than 50 parishioners have been commissioned to lead listening sessions in anticipation of a diocesan assembly at Pentecost in 2013.

While the process is seen as a response to the widespread sense of disappointment and anger felt by Irish Catholics in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandals, Bishop Treanor insisted that “even if the scandals didn’t happen, even if there were just as many priests now as there were 50 years ago, this process would still be necessary.”

“We have been grappling since the 1960s with the whole idea of how we make the

Church more participative,” he explained. “This will be a step toward that, a step toward a Church that is more open, transparent and where there is accountability.”

Bishop Treanor said he wanted “to live in a Church where someone can feel free to say exactly what they think to a bishop and where a bishop can be free to say exactly what he thinks.”

The bishop, who worked as the Catholic Church’s representative to the European Union in Brussels for 20 years before being appointed bishop in 2008, said he was “greatly inspired by the faith of people in difficult times.”

“What you notice on the one side is the obvious feeling of disenchantment and disappointment — sometimes horror — at the scandals in the area of child sexual abuse and the nonmanagement, inadequate management and sometimes cover-up, but at the same time, and often in the same people, an amazing commitment to living out the faith in God incarnate,” he said.

Although young people are encouraged to participate in the listening process, special sessions are also being organized for teen-agers, young adults and for those who feel estranged from the Church, the bishop said.

ROME (CNA) — The Bishops’ Conference of France has condemned the manipulation of France’s first “savior sibling.”

Umut Talha, whose name in Turkish means “hope,” was born January 26 at a hospital in Paris.

The boy was “designed” through in vitro fertilization and genetic selection to cure one of his siblings of a serious genetic disease that causes anemia and requires repeated blood transfusions.

Using in vitro fertilization, scientists conceived a number of embryos and discarded those considered “unfit.” They then implanted the embryo that did not carry the disease so that the baby could be a compatible donor.

In the future, cells extracted from Umut’s umbilical cord could be transplanted to his older brother to cure him.

In their statement issued February 9, the French bishops noted that the desire “to cure a sibling for humane reasons is honorable.”

They expressed their understanding of the parents’ sadness and their hope in a medical solution, but stated, “to legalize the use of the most vulnerable human beings to cure another is not worthy of man. To conceive a child in order to use him — even if to cure another human being — is disrespectful of human dignity.”

“Utilitarianism is always a step backwards. It is dangerous for a society not to respect the primordial

interests of the child as stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of Children,” the bishops said.

They called for “acceptable research be carried out so appropriate therapeutic treatments will be found.”

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris rejected the use of “savior siblings” as “the exploitation of one human being for another,” as he spoke February 8 before the French National Assembly. It is wrong “to use someone exclusively for another, as one child would become an instrument for seeking a cure for another child. Are we going to turn each other into instruments?” he asked.

The first “savior sibling” was born in the United States in 2000, followed by similar cases in Spain and Belgium.

The Church opposes the manipulation of persons as tools for scientific research, and differentiates between the humane act of wishing to help one’s neighbor from the use of defenseless persons as instruments of research.

Catholic teaching also opposes in vitro fertilization for two main reasons: First, because it is a procedure contrary to the natural order of sexuality and attacks the dignity of the spouses and of marriage. The technique also involves the elimination of human embryos both inside and outside the womb, resulting in numerous abortions in each case.

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4

The Church in the U.S.

February 18, 2011

Grand jury indicts five after Philadelphia sex abuse investigation

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — In a reprise of 2005’s sensational grand jury report of sexual assaults by clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams released a new report February 10 by a grand jury investigating similar abuse.

While the 2005 report detailed dozens of cases of sexual abuse of children by clergy over many decades, the new report brings criminal indictments for the first time.

Charged with rape, assault and other felonies related to minors, as recommended by the grand jury, are former archdiocesan priest Edward V. Avery, 68, of Haverford; Father Charles Engelhardt, 64, of Wyndmoor and an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales; an archdiocesan priest, Father James J. Brennan, 47, of Linfield; and former lay teacher, Bernard Shero, 48, of Bristol. All four were arrested February 10.

Msgr. William J. Lynn, 60, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Downingtown, was charged on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem, according to the report, from Msgr.

Lynn’s conduct as archdiocesan secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004. In that role, he was responsible for recommending the assignment of priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

He is believed to be the first high-ranking diocesan official indicted under a criminal statute in the United States for charges related to the sexual abuse scandal that came to light in 2002.

Because of the volume of evidence collected by the grand jury, which includes testimony of some 45 witnesses, Williams said a preliminary hearing for the charges will be waived. No trial date has been set.

In a series of statements February 10 and 12, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia categorically denied that any archdiocesan priests with “an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them” remained in ministry. He also urged all Catholics to “join me in praying every day for victims of sexual abuse ... that they will have real hope in Christ and truly know that they do not stand alone.”

“I encourage you to join me

as we turn together to Jesus,” he said in a February 12 statement and YouTube video in English and Spanish. “His cross and resurrection conquer all sin and give us faith and hope, which must remain strong in our hearts as we vigorously commit ourselves anew to do everything possible for the protection of all children and for the prevention of any abuse in the future.”

The archdiocese announced February 12 that a new “delegate for investigations” will be hired, who will operate independently from the archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, and that psychologist Joseph A. Cronin had been hired to the new post of clergy support associate in the Office for Clergy. Since October 2008 Cronin has been in charge of the supervision and treatment of priests permanently removed from ministry and living a life of prayer and penance.

Mary Achilles, former victim advocate for Pennsylvania, will serve as a consultant to the cardinal “regarding how best to address the needs of victims of sexual abuse and to assist in our review of the observations and recommendations of the grand jury report,” the archdiocese said.

At a February 10 news conference, Williams said that as a practicing Catholic, presenting the grand jury’s findings caused him discomfort.

“This isn’t a witch hunt into the Catholic Church,” said Williams, a member of St. Cyprian Parish in West Philadelphia. “The criminal acts that occurred here are not representative of my religion. They are the bad acts of individual men.

“I recognize all the good that the Roman Catholic Church has done and continues to do in the world,” he added. “But I am sworn to uphold the law, and I will do what is necessary to protect children.”

The grand jury’s charges stem from cases in recent years. The report alleges that Avery, Shero and Father Engelhardt were involved in the abuse of an altar boy at St. Jerome Parish in Philadelphia from 1998 to 2000, beginning when the boy was 10.

According to archdiocesan records, an allegation was received concerning Father Engelhardt in

2009 and reported it to the Philadelphia district attorney. A statement from Father James J. Greenfield, provincial of the Oblates’ Wilmington-Philadelphia province, said Father Engelhardt was removed from ministry in January 2009 while the case was investigated.

“Father Engelhardt strongly denies these charges and claims his innocence,” said a news release from the province. “Prior to this incident, there had never been a complaint against Father Engelhardt in his more than 40 years of Oblate life.”

The archdiocese received a report concerning then-Father Avery that alleged he had inappropriate contact with a minor as far back as 1992. It limited his ministry to chaplain at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia from 1993 to 2003.

After the archdiocese substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against him and removed him from ministry in 2003, he was laicized in 2006.

New allegations against him were received in 2007 and 2009, which were forwarded to the district attorneys of Delaware County and Philadelphia, respectively.

The charges against Father Brennan, who has been prohib-

ited from performing the duties of a priest or presenting himself as a priest since 2006, stem from an allegation of abuse concerning a 14-year-old boy in 1996, according to the report. The allegation was received by the archdiocese in 2006 and reported to the district attorney’s office.

Williams noted that since the 2005 grand jury report, positive changes have resulted in the archdiocese’s procedures for handling allegations of abuse and its impact upon victims.

“Victims are receiving counseling and support, and the Church is reporting some abusers to law enforcement, something that never happened in the past,” he said.

“This investigation, in fact, began as a result of reports received from the archdiocese.”

Williams commended the archdiocese for these improvements, but emphasized that more needs to be done regarding concerns of victims’ confidentiality and the nature of abuse allegations against priests.

Barbara Dorris, outreach director of the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, a support group for clergy abuse victims,

expressed hope in a February 10 statement that the Philadelphia district attorney’s actions would “cause prosecutors across the U.S. to examine their consciences and work harder to file similar charges against others in the Catholic hierarchy who continue to put the reputations of Church officials ahead of the safety of innocent children.”

The cardinal’s initial statements on the archdiocese’s website, www.archphila.org, were published along with a document titled “Creating a Network of Protection and Prevention.” It describes the archdiocese’s efforts to assist victims of sexual abuse and to prevent abuse and protect children through Church-sponsored training programs for adults and young people.

The cardinal pledged the Catholic community will “do everything possible to rectify the injustices suffered by victims.”

“Victims of sexual abuse by clergy may find this news (in the grand jury report) deeply painful,” he said. “It is in this spirit that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is cooperating fully with the civil authorities in this and all related matters.”

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CNS) — Can modern technology help strengthen our faith? Some techno-savvy Catholics from South Bend think so.

In his message for the 2011 World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI said it’s not enough to just “proclaim the Gospel through the new media,” but one must also “witness consistently.” The developers of “Confession: A Roman Catholic App” for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch think their product helps people do both.

Brothers Patrick and Chip Leinen and their friend Ryan Kreager said feedback has been positive. The app, reportedly the only one with an imprimatur, is designed to help people make a better confession.

Given in this case by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend, an imprimatur is an official declaration by a Church authority that a book or other printed work may be published. It declares the published work contains nothing offensive to Catholic teaching on faith and morals.

“The app is really built for two kinds of people,” Kreager explained. “For Catholics who go to confession regularly, it gives the user information. They enter their name, age, their sex, their vocation and their last confession date, and it generates an examination of conscience based on that information.”

Centered on the Ten Commandments, the examination

would be different for a young mother than for a teen-age boy, for example. The examinations were provided by two different priests, the app developers said.

In addition to helping Catholics who already make use of the sacrament of reconciliation, Kreager said the confession app is helping another group of people.

“It’s also for people who’ve been away from the Church and want the opportunity to go to confession,” he told Today’s Catholic, newspaper of the Fort WayneSouth Bend Diocese. “You go to the examination of conscience and it literally walks you through, step by step, your confessions as you’re in the confessional.”

Patrick Leinen said that during testing, a man who hadn’t been to confession in 20 years used the app and made his way back to the sacrament.

“Just the fact that someone had used the app like that, even before it was released to Apple. ... That’s the coolest thing in the world,” he said.

Serving as a kind of digital notebook designed to help people remember the various prayers as well as to list the sins they want to confess, the confession app provides several versions of the act of contrition, including one in Latin.

Melanie Williams, a 17-yearold junior at Marian High School in Mishawaka, said going to confession is an important part of her life. A fan of technology, she appreciates the customized exami-

nation of conscience.

“It makes me evaluate my personal situation in life,” she said, noting how easy it is for her to understand and remember the sins she wants to confess. “My favorite part is definitely the inspirational quote that pops up after you have gone to confession. Each time I feel like it really tells me what I really need to hear at that moment. It is a great motivational tool after a good confession.”

In addition to customizing each user’s list, everything is password-protected for privacy.

“Once you go to confession, all that information is wiped out,” said Kreager. “All it’s going to remember is personal data like your name, age and date of last confession.”

The three developers of the confession app named their company Littleiapps. Little “i” as in “I must decrease and he must increase,” explained Chip Leinen. They say they hope to create more Catholic apps in the future.

“I think it has the potential to bring many teens back to the faith and confession,” said Williams, adding that she knows kids who haven’t been to confession in years for various reasons. “I think this app will be a wonderful helper for teens to encourage them to go to confession. They won’t have the excuse that they don’t know how to go to confession anymore.”

For information on downloading the confession app, go to www.littleiapps.com.

Developers of app say it could bring Catholics back to confession

February 18, 2011

The Church in the U.S.

5

House begins debate on ‘long overdue’ abortion funding restrictions

the message is clear — Pro-Life advocate Patricia Bankeser of St. Joseph Parish in Kings Park, N.Y., holds a placard near the entrance to a Planned Parenthood center in Smithtown, N.Y., recently. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Chicago Pro-Life project helps women halt second trimester abortions

CHICAGO (CNA/EWTN News) — With the help of two Pro-Life groups in the area, a Catholic hospital in Illinois has become one of the first in the U.S. to assist women who’ve changed their minds and want to stop the process of a second trimester abortion, which can often take several days.

Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago — in partnership with the Pro-Life Action League and local Women’s Center — officially launched an initiative called the “Bethlehem Project” in January, which entails immediately treating women who enter the hospital and want to halt their second trimester abortion.

Pro-Life Action League vice president Ann Scheidler explained in a February 10 interview with CNA that the abortion procedure at that stage of fetal development can take place over multiple days.

She said that a woman seeking a second trimester abortion is initially medicated with laminaria — seaweed sticks bound together — which cause the cervix to soften and dilate. Depending on how late into the pregnancy the abortion is and the size of the baby, the woman may have to return to the clinic a second day to have more laminaria inserted.

“Once the cervix is sufficiently dilated, the laminaria are removed in order to proceed with a dilation and evacuation abortion,” Scheidler said. “The baby is dismembered in the womb and sucked out through a cannula into a jar.”

Since October of last year, four women have entered the hospital to stop the process and

three of them have had their abortions prevented.

The initiative came about after a young woman approached two Pro-life Action League employees standing outside a Chicago abortion clinic last July and asked for help. Desperate, she explained that she had undergone the first step in a second trimester abortion the day before but had decided on her way home that she didn’t want to go through with it.

“She called several medical clinics for help in reversing the procedure, but no one could help her,” recalled Scheidler. “They just told her to go back to the abortion clinic and ask them for help.”

Scheidler said that the employees then took the young woman to a pregnancy resource facility called the Women’s Center, just around the corner, where staff members recommended that the sidewalk counselors take the woman directly to the nearby Resurrection Hospital.

At the hospital, the emergency room personnel referred the woman to the obstetrics unit where she “happened to get a good Pro-Life doctor and nurse,” Scheidler said.

Although neither the doctor or nurse had ever done the procedure of removing laminaria to reverse an abortion, “they went ahead with the removal, monitored the woman for a couple of hours and all was fine.”

A few weeks later, another sidewalk counselor encountered a woman who had initiated the late-term procedure the day before, Scheidler said. Although the woman was ambivalent

about her abortion, she agreed to go to Resurrection Hospital to have the laminaria removed.

“But once she got there she again had doubts,” Scheidler said. “In private consultation with the doctor she told him she felt pressured to change her mind and the doctor chose not to influence her either way.”

Sister Donna Marie Wolowicki, CEO of the hospital, “intervened to help calm the girl and it seemed she would choose life,” Scheidler said. “But in the end she did not continue the process of reversing the abortion procedure.”

Scheidler explained that it was at this point that both the Pro-Life Action League and the hospital recognized that it was important to “establish a protocol for these eventualities.”

In October, the Pro-Life Action League arranged to bring Dr. Anthony Levatino — a former abortionist who is a practicing gynecologist — to the hospital to advise doctors and staff on removing the laminaria.

Scheidler said that as far as she knows, Resurrection Medical Center is “breaking new ground with their protocol” and that “they are more than willing to assist any other Catholic hospitals that would like to put such a program in place.”

She said that Sister Donna Marie Wolowicki is planning to introduce the protocol at the five other hospitals they operate in the Chicago area and that members of the Bethlehem Project are currently looking into the question of whether an early chemical abortion can be stopped once it has begun.

Washington D.C. (CNA/ EWTN News) — The House of Representatives has begun debate on proposals targeting funding of abortion in the federal budget.

The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would create a “long overdue” permanent ban on abortion funding, Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities testified at a crowded February 8 hearing.

Other abortion-related proposals prepared for this Congress include the Protect Life Act and the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. The Protect Life Act would prevent the 2010 health care law from subsidizing abortion or health care plans that cover abortion. The Title X Abortion Provider bill aims to de-fund Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider.

Doerflinger told the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution on February 8 that there has been “strong” popular and congressional agreement that the federal government should not use tax dollars to support or promote elective abortion.

However, this agreement has been implemented in a “piecemeal” and “sometimes sadly inadequate” way.

The occasional discovery of gaps or loopholes in abortion funding restrictions shows the need for a general ban. A general ban would also make unnecessary the need to reapprove annual legislative provisions, he said.

An overarching ban would also remove the abortion debate from other legislation. Had the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act been in place, Doerflinger contended, a major obstacle to last year’s health care legislation would have been removed.

He also praised the legislation’s conscience protections for individuals and institutions which refuse to perform abortions. These provisions, which are similar to those in the proposed Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, would defend against “overt efforts” by the ACLU and other to suppress or eliminate health care guided by Catholic principles.

Cathy Ruse, a Senior Fellow for Legal Studies at the Family Research Council, told the hearing that 67 percent of Americans oppose federal funding for abortion or abortion coverage.

“For more than three decades Americans have come together in what may be the only truly bipartisan agreement possible: That whatever our differences on the underlying question of legality, we agree that the federal government should not subsidize abortions with taxpayer dollars,” Ruse stated.

Kellie Fiedorek, national coordinator of the Americans United for Life initiative Advocates for Life, on February 9 said the hearing was “packed” and required overflow

seating. The mood of the hearing was “truly exciting,” in her view, and showed that Americans are ready to “settle” the issue of abortion funding rather than renew antifunding riders each year.

While some opponents of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act have charged that it distracts from economic issues, Fiedorek thought the proposal would appeal to fiscal concerns.

“People are concerned about the economy. They are concerned about jobs, and they want to cut spending.

“The majority of Americans do not want their tax dollars to support abortion. Their tax dollars should be spent on things other than abortion,” she told CNA. While members of the U.S. House are now predominately opposed to abortion, the Pro-Life legislation faces obstacles in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Fiedorek said the key to passage in the Senate is whether its leaders will allow an up-or-down vote.

The House is expecting a vote on the bill by the end of February or early March. There is discussion in the Senate to introduce corresponding legislation in upcoming months. Senate Democrats such as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) worry Republicans will be able to force a vote on abortion-related bills by attaching them as riders to mustpass legislation, the congressional newspaper The Hill reports.

“We’re going to fight this with everything we have,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) commented.

Opposition to the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act was also present at the February 8 hearing.

Sara Rosenbaum, a chairman of George Washington University’s Department of Health Policy, testified that the bill “dramatically expands” the Hyde Amendment’s conception of public funding and could exclude “certain types of medically necessary procedures” from coverage as well as treatment for post-abortion complications.

She voiced concerns that the legislation does not allow time for the IRS to develop compliance procedures, which could cause employers temporarily to halt health benefits for fear of non-compliance.

Insurance and health benefits providers could simply exclude coverage of all abortions rather than risk violating the law and losing their tax-favored treatment.

Doerflinger anticipated Rosenbaum’s point in his testimony, saying: “As the Supreme Court noted approvingly three decades ago, the purpose of a federal funding ban is to use the government’s funding power to encourage childbirth over abortion. Abortion coverage, and therefore abortion, may become more rare, a result favored by all but the most committed advocates for abortion.”

6

The Anchor The importance of the Christian name

On January 9, after baptizing 21 infants in the Sistine Chapel on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Benedict captured international headlines for reminding Catholic parents throughout the world that they should be choosing Christian names for their children. The choice of a name, he emphasized, shouldn’t be done “by chance” or whim, but should reinforce and communicate to the growing child and others one of the essential realities of the sacrament of baptism and the Christian life. The Christian name — in contrast to a non-Christian name — signifies that in baptism “every baptized person acquires the character of a son” and is “an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit gives birth to man ‘anew’ from the womb of the Church.” A Christian name manifests that through baptism a child is “raised to the supernatural order” and “placed in communication with God,” who then calls that child by that given name. Naming the child after a Christian saint or biblical hero is a concrete reminder for the child and everyone else that God is calling that child, like his or her Christian namesake, to holiness and heaven. A Christian name concretely indicates that there is, and is meant to be, a connection and continuity between natural and supernatural life, and between earthly and eternal life.

Much of this connection has been getting gradually lost in Christian practice, which is the reason why Pope Benedict needed to bring it to our attention. Recently, the Social Security Administration published a list of the 1,000 most popular boys’ and girls’ names chosen by American parents in 2009. The main headline for most of the press accounts was that the name “Mary” — which in every year from 1910-1965 was either the first or the second most popular girls’ name — was no longer even in the top 100. American parents as a whole were choosing the names Alyssa, Aubrey, Avery, and Aaliyah, Hailey, Bailey, Kaylee, and Riley, Layla, Makayla, Morgan and Destiny more than they were choosing to name their child over the spiritual mother Jesus on the cross gave to the human race. While Marian derivatives Maria (71st) and Mariah (88th) did make the top 100, they still trailed those named after Manhattan boulevards (Madison, seventh), adrenal disorders (Addison, 12th), Big Apple Boroughs (Brooklyn, 37th) and even the suggested overturning of heaven (Nevaeh — heaven spelled backwards — 34th) by large margins.

On the boys’ side, things are not much better. Beginning in 1910, when the frequency of names began to be documented, through 1972, the names of the foster-father of Jesus and of the four evangelists were firmly entrenched in the top 10 each year. They haven’t fallen nearly as much as the name of the Mother of God, but Joseph is now 16th (its lowest since records began getting kept in 1910), Matthew is 13th, John is 26th, Luke is 48th, Mark is 154th. At a practical level, parents are opting just as much or more for Braydon, Brody and Bryson, Jayden, Jaxon, and Jace, Colton, Caden and Camden.

At a human level, one of the first and most long-lasting gifts — or burdens — parents give to a child is a name. This is the way the child will generally be referred to for the rest of his or her life. The child will hear that name literally millions of times over the course of a lifetime.

The choice of a name can have a profound impact on the child’s development and self-identity.

If, for example, the child receives a name that is equally given to boys and girls — in 2009, like Peyton (43rd for girls, 147th for boys), Taylor (22nd for girls, 298th for boys), or Jordan (45th for boys, 150th for girls) — he or she will likely have a lifetime of misaddressed envelopes, salutations and other tiresome or embarrassing situations. If someone is given a neologism like Addisyn, Aditya, Alayna, Arjun, Ayaan, Deandre, Jaliyah, Jamarion, Jaxen, Kaydence, Kimora, Misael, Nayeli, Saniyah, Xander, Xiomara, Xzavier, Yamilet, Yareli Yaritza, or Zavion — all of which are among the top 1,000 U.S. names in 2009 — not only will these children have to suffer through others’ not knowing by their name whether they’re male or female but they’ll also have to endure a lifetime of mispronunciations as well as having to repeat and spell out their names over-and-over-again. What may have begun with the parents’ wanting to give a “special” name to a beloved child will turn into a lifetime of unnecessary hassles, when others will be forced to ask them, “What did you say your name was again?”

A child’s name is not an email handle where one can basically get as creative as one wants.

A child’s name, rather, communicates in a sense a person’s identity and can dramatically impact a child’s development. If Mr. and Mrs. Dover call their son Ben, they’re setting him up for a life of ridicule. If they name him Benorenaliyah, they’re setting him up for a life of social confusion and awkwardness. If they name their child after a soap opera star, professional athlete, rock star, or reality show personality, not only are they manifesting a regrettable superficiality, but they are also linking their child to someone who likely will be irrelevant later. How many adults today would prefer to be called Humphrey or Petula? It’s quite possible that in 50 years, people will feel the same way about being called Eminem or Rihanna, Shaquille or Shakira.

As the saying goes, a name is not just for a birthday, but for a lifetime, and Pope Benedict is reminding us that this audible personal symbol is meant for an eternal lifetime. We know from sacred Scripture how seriously God took names. He famously changed the names of Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel and Simon to Peter. He commanded Zechariah to name his son John, to incarnate God’s graciousness, and Joseph to name Mary’s Son, Jesus, to enflesh and effectuate God’s salvation. In order to help Adam grow into the image and likeness of the creator, God allowed Adam to name the beasts, the birds, the cattle, then Eve, then their sons.

To give someone a name, as we see from the beginning, is a sacred act, an act that participates in God’s creative plan, a solemn responsibility that should be carried out with prayer and joyful seriousness rather than done capriciously and carelessly ignorant of the consequences. One of the questions pregnant couples should ask themselves is what their child will think of the name chosen and the reasons why it was chosen. Was it chosen to honor a beloved family member whose influence and virtue really impacted them or chosen simply because they liked the way it sounded and no one had ever heard such associated sounds before? Was it selected to link the person to a genuine hero in this life or in the next, or was it chosen nihilistically with no connection to anyone or anything whatsoever?

A baptismal ceremony begins significantly with the minister’s asking the parents, “What name do you give your child?” This name is given before God. The “Catechism” says the child’s name and God’s name are thereby linked. “The sacrament of Baptism is conferred ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord. The patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his intercession. The ‘baptismal name’ can also express a Christian mystery or Christian virtue. ‘Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment.’” It adds, “God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it” (CCC 2156, 2158).

The name is a holy icon of the person. In our age of titular iconoclasm, Pope Benedict is calling Christian parents back to connect the names of their children with the name of God and the names of those who have lived — and continue to live forever — in that holy name, entrusting their children to their namesakes’ holy patronage so that one day the Good Shepherd will call their children by name to his eternal right side.

February 18, 2011

With faithful and courageous hearts

T

he “Wizard of Oz” is one of the The virtue of courage takes on many classic movies and plays of all forms: when we persist in standing up time. We all know the story line, the char- for what is right, even when we may face acters and songs, and many of us could criticism; when we remain faithful to probably quote many of the lines. Each of the teachings of Christ and his Church, the main characters — Dorothy, the Scare- although they might be difficult; when we crow, the Tin-Man and the Lion — are all do what we believe the Lord is calling us on their way to the Emerald City to see the to do, even though it might be unpopular.

Wizard of Oz whom they hope will grant As is the case with all the virtues, our them what each of them is seeking.

Lord himself is the paradigm. When he At the end of the movie, after making faced criticism for the radical way in the long journey, destroying the wicked which he preached, he continued because witch and bringing back her broomit was the will of his Father. When he was stick to the Wizard he attempts to grant forced to carry his own cross through the their wishes. While he is unable to help streets to the place of his crucifixion, he Dorothy get back to Kansas, he does give didn’t run away or hide, but he embraced a brain to the Scarecrow and a heart to the his cross and carried it. He calls each of Tin-Man. But it is with the Lion, who was his disciples to do the same. asking for courage, that we find the heart In the last chapter of his second letof this week’s topic: the virtue of “courter to Timothy, St. Paul writes of the age” or “fortitude.” challenges that will inevitably face the In the movie, the Lion, who is supposed Church. He exhorts Timothy and all of to be the “king of the forest,” finds himself us to “proclaim the word, to be persistent without this virtue. Because he is easwhether it is convenient or inconvenient.” ily frightened by things, such as his own St. Paul explains, “The time will come shadow, he believes that he doesn’t have when people will not tolerate sound any courage. doctrine but, The Wizard following their explains to him own desires Putting Into at the end of and insatiable the Deep the movie that curiosity, will he is a “victim accumulate

By Father of disorganized teachers and Jay Mello thinking; you will stop are under the listening to the unfortunate truth and will delusion that just because you run away be diverted to myths.” from danger, you have no courage. You In the following lines of that epistle St. are confusing courage with wisdom. Back Paul articulates what the virtue of courage where I come from, we have men called really is: “You must be self-possessed in heroes. Once a year, they take their fortiall circumstances; put up with hardship; tude out of moth balls and parade it down perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill the street. They have no more courage your ministry.” than you do, but they have one thing that These are not just empty or shallow you don’t have, a medal. Therefore for words given by St. Paul. He courageously meritorious conduct, extraordinary valor witnessed to the faith and humbly admitand conspicuous bravery against wicked ted that he was “being poured out like a witches, I award you the triple cross.” libation,” being emptied by suffering in The wizard’s remarks touch upon one proclaiming the Gospel. In his valedictory, of the mysteries of virtue: namely how we he said, “I have competed well. I have know whether we possess a virtue. The finished the race. I have kept the faith.

Wizard doesn’t give the Lion the virtue of From now on the crown of righteousness courage any more than he gave the Scare- awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, crow a brain or the Tin-Man a heart. What will award to me on that day, and not only he did was to give them external symbols to me, but to all who have longed for his of the quality they desired. appearance” (2 Tim 4:2-8).

Courage can often be exemplified by The Lion showed his courage in his medals or awards, such as those given to “conspicuous bravery against wicked the many military men and women who witches” and for it, he was awarded a exercise bravery and courage each day in medal to prove it. But real life isn’t a fairy defending our nation. The question I ask, tale or a movie that ends “happily ever however, is: Would they possess any less after.” Real life is not that simple. It would courage if they were not given any medal be nice if we had our own wonderful or recognition? Of course not. One’s “wizard” or “good witch” to help us along courage is demonstrated in his ability to the way, but what we have is much greater exercise it in face of challenges, difficuland more efficacious: We have Jesus ties or criticism.

Christ and his Holy Spirit. We have the The “Catechism” explains that the example of Mary and the saints. We have virtue of courage or fortitude is the “moral the sacraments. virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties Throughout our lives, we will ineviand constancy in the pursuit of the good. tably face many tough choices, some of It strengthens the resolve to resist temptawhich will come with great cost, but as tions and to overcome obstacles in the disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables be courageous and to have no fear, for, as one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and Jesus reminds us, “I am with you always, to face trials and persecutions. It disposes even until the end of time” (Mt 28:20). one even to renounce and sacrifice his life Father Mello is a parochial vicar at in defense of a just cause” (CCC 1808).

St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

February 18, 2011

Q: Are there guidelines for slide shows shown during the homily at Mass? Are there guidelines for who (pastor/ bishop) can authorize slide shows? Are there guidelines for the music played during a slide show? Is it OK to have a slide show and no homily? — M.M., Howell, N.J. Q: Each year, in our archdiocese, on two Sundays the homily at all the Masses is replaced by a recorded fundraising appeal, one for the archdiocesan annual appeal and one for Catholic Charities.

The celebrant does not give a separate homily. In the past it has been an audio recording; one year it was to be a video. I am not at all opposed to giving money to the archdiocesan appeal and Catholic Charities, but this seems like an abuse of the rubrics for Mass. — B.W., Oklahoma City, Okla.

A: The most recent norms regarding the homily are found in the instruction “Redemptionis Sacramentum.” Here are two key norms: “[64.] The homily, which is given in the course of the cel-

T

he original goal of the Liturgical Movement was to deepen people’s spiritual connection to the Church’s liturgy in its inherited forms. As the movement gained momentum in the first half of the 20th century, voices began calling for a reform of the liturgy itself. We have here the beginnings of a Copernican revolution: initially the idea is to make modern life revolve around the liturgy, but now it is said that the liturgy should revolve around modern life. As early as 1938 one of the movement’s leading American pioneers, William Busch, had reason to ask, “If modern life finds Liturgy difficult, is it the Liturgy that should be changed?

Ought we not adjust ourselves to the Liturgy, rather than wish to adjust it to our liking?”

But talk of revising the rites and texts of the liturgy arose.

Some of the changes promoted by the movement were the same practices promoted nearly two centuries earlier by would-be reformers during the so-called Age of Enlightenment. At that time, motivated by the skeptical and rationalistic spirit of the age, many sought to empty the liturgy of mystery, thus making it more acceptable to the prejudices of human reason. When proponents of the Liturgical Movement began talking about such things as an increased use of the vernacular, Mass “facing the people,”

7

The Anchor

Slide shows and recordings at homilies

ebration of holy Mass and is a context of the liturgical celebrapart of the Liturgy itself, ‘should tion. In the homily to be given, ordinarily be given by the priest care is to be taken so that the celebrant himself. He may light of Christ may shine upon entrust it to a concelebrating life’s events. Even so, this is to priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to a deacon, but never to a layperson. In particular cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by a

By Father bishop or a priest who is Edward McNamara present at the celebration but cannot concelebrate.’ “[67.] Particular care is to be taken so that the homily be done so as not to obscure the is firmly based upon the myster- true and unadulterated word of ies of salvation, expounding the God: for instance, treating only mysteries of the faith and the of politics or profane subjects, norms of Christian life from the or drawing upon notions derived biblical readings and liturgical from contemporary pseudo-relitexts throughout the course of gious currents as a source.” the liturgical year and providing It is clear, therefore, that the commentary on the texts of the priest or deacon who gives the Ordinary or the Proper of the homily must be physically presMass, or of some other rite of ent. Thus, tapes or videos cannot the Church. It is clear that all in- replace the homily. terpretations of sacred Scripture Likewise the proper place are to be referred back to Christ for an appeal is preferably after himself as the one upon whom the post-Communion prayer, the entire economy of salvaalthough in some cases a priest tion hinges, though this should may effectively tie in a direct be done in light of the specific appeal with the themes of the

Liturgical Q&A

liturgy during the homily. If a taped appeal is to be made, a priest may shorten his homily so as not to prolong the Mass.

It could be argued that when the bishop himself makes the tape or video, it is merely a modern version of a pastoral letter. These letters, which the bishop addresses to the whole diocese as its pastor, usually deal with matters of particular concern. Because of their importance they are sometimes read out at Mass in place of the homily.

A case could be made for this argument, but I believe that when dealing with regular annual appeals, and not some particular pastoral concern, it is still better to place them at the end of Mass and not replace the homily.

I am unaware of specific norms regarding the use of slide shows or presentations. But the norms above would certainly exclude the substitution of the homily by a presentation.

Another question is if they may be used as aids to the homily. The question has been de-

The Second Phase: A Storm Brews

and a single altar in the church obligation ought to be transferred which would be kept completely to Sundays. bare when Mass was not being Abbot Guéranger, the founding celebrated, they were advocatfather of the Liturgical Moveing the very things that had been ment, had strongly spoken against proposed by the “Enlightenment such “reforms” as being without liturgists” of the 18th century. appropriate papal authorization The most formal move in this and, more importantly, unfaithful direction occurred at the diocesan to the Church’s living, developed Synod of Pistoia in Tuscany, convened in 1786 by Scipio de’ Ricci, the radical bishop of Pistoia-Prato, and condemned in 1794 by Pope Pius VI. Among the proposiBy Father tions affirmed by this Thomas M. Kocik rogue assembly were the following: the clergy act as delegates of the laity and derive their Tradition. When a century later authority from them; the pope Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical likewise receives his authority Mediator Dei of 1947, cautioned from the consent of the faithful, the Liturgical Movement against not from Christ through St. Peter; going down the wrong path, he bishops are not answerable to the explicitly gave as an example the pope; frequent use of the sacraSynod of Pistoia. ment of penance should be done Still, some activists in the away with and venial sins should movement sought to justify their not be confessed; devotion to the designs. They argued that while Sacred Heart should be abolished; the Enlightenment reformers Masses cannot be offered for par- favored similar reforms, they faticular intentions; priests should vored them for very different reaproclaim all of the Mass prayers sons. The motivations behind the aloud and in the vernacular; the decrees of Pistoia, they said, were doctrine of transubstantiation anti-papal and rationalistic. On the should not be insisted upon; side other hand, the motivations of the altars should be removed; the use Liturgical Movement were rooted of sacred images and relics should in the general renewal of Catholic be downplayed; holy days of theology that had been underway

The Liturgical Movement

since about 1930. This renewal, captured by the French term ressourcement (“a return to the sources”), brought into fresh perspective many aspects of Christian faith and practice as found in the Bible, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the liturgy itself. And so, it was argued, some of the same practices promoted in the 18th century for very bad reasons took on a different meaning when seen in the light of ressourcement.

For example, up until this time the predominant understanding of the Church (since the 16th century) had been the institutional model of a “perfect society,” organized as a state, with a hierarchy and governing powers. When 20thcentury theologians retrieved the idea of the Church as primarily a communion of believers united in Christ through baptism and the Eucharist, it was only natural that the Liturgical Movement should want to bring the communitarian nature of the liturgy into bolder relief. And it sought to achieve this goal by some of the same means that had been denounced earlier, though for different reasons.

Another important influence on the Liturgical Movement came from the foreign missions after World War II. The move-

bated among pastoral liturgists and I find the arguments against their use more convincing. Images tend to remind people of television and thus they tend to induce a passivity that distracts from the core message being transmitted by the words.

Some would argue that “an image is worth a thousand words,” but this is a fallacy for whatever message is suggested by an image is understood in words by our linguistic intelligence. We think and hear in words, and nothing is understood without words. The spoken word is indispensable for all interpersonal communication.

Faith, as St. Paul said, is transmitted above all by hearing — which is one reason why preaching has always been privileged in Church practice.

Father Edward McNamara is a Legionary of Christ and professor of Liturgy at Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. His column appears weekly at zenit. org. To submit questions, email liturgy@zenit.org. Please put the word “Liturgy” in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and state.

ment had grown up in the monasteries of Europe, in countries with a long history of Christianity. Many involved in the foreign missions felt that imposing the traditional Roman liturgy upon the indigenous peoples was practically an act of imperialism, especially when seen in relation to the European political domination of these same regions. As the European nations began to rid themselves of their overseas colonies, the missionaries that were left behind felt embarrassed by anything that associated their work with the “colonial oppressors.” Hence, the cry of “inculturation” was raised, with its ideal of a liturgy rooted in the local cultures rather than in the traditions of the West.

Meanwhile, in parishes throughout Europe and the Americas, the celebration of Mass and the other liturgical rites of the Church went on pretty much as it had in previous generations.

Few could have imagined the transformation of Roman Catholic worship that would take place following the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Father Kocik, parochial vicar of Santo Christo Parish in Fall River, is editor of “Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal,” author of two liturgy-related books, and contributor to the forthcoming “T&T Clark Companion to Liturgical Studies.”

8

H

ow do we handle those who strike out at us, want to hurt us, those who wound us with their words, who would even want to hurt us physically?

At first, Jesus tells us not to offer resistance, not to take revenge, to turn the other cheek, to lend what we have.

He seems to invite us to be naïve. Often Jesus’ words are seen in today’s world as being weak and stupid, making us doormats over whom the whole of humanity can walk.

Are we asked to stay passive before injustice while not becoming passive-aggressive?

The Old Testament and ancient laws obligated the next of kin to avenge an injury of one’s kinsman.

But the law imposed many restrictions on this law of revenge, namely, that the injury inflicted by the avenger did not exceed the damage

February 18, 2011

The Anchor

Am I a doormat?

done by the aggressor. him justify himself; don’t Jesus does not preach a accept being treated as an obtype of passivity; he does ject of contempt.” Jesus asks preach a type of nonviolence, for justification. He asks that but he does not tell us to be we should begin the work of doormats. For when Jesus revealing to them the truth, says, “If anyone hits you on of challenging and inviting the right cheek, offer him your left one,” he is telling to do Homily of the Week what he himself did Seventh Sunday not do: When he in John’s Gospel was in Ordinary Time hit on the cheek, he

By Father Daniel did not turn his other W. Lacroix cheek, but said to the soldier, “If what I said was wrong, tell me. If it was right, why do them to conversion. But Jesus you hit me?” also gives us an example of When Jesus speaks of ofchanging their hearts. When fering him your left cheek, Jesus hung upon the cross, he Jesus is expressing a state of said, “Father, forgive them; disdain, disrespect or scorn. they do not know what they He is basically saying, “If are doing.” Christ was putanyone hits you on the right ting into action his command cheek, offer your left cheek; to love his enemies. challenge your attacker, let Love your enemies, con-

tradicts Leviticus’ statement: “You shall love your countrymen but hate your enemies.”

Jesus tells us to love your enemies and pray for your persecutors. In the Old Testament, Jews were a very nationalistic people. Their religion was identifiable with their nation, their culture. They were forbidden by law to intermarry with foreign people — namely, the Gentiles. Hence they felt no obligation to foreigners in any way.

Disliking them was not considered wrong. Jesus now points out to them that those who live beyond their borders are also their neighbors and that they have an obligation to love these people as well as their own. Do we do the same today? Is their hatred for foreigners, those not part of our soil, the illegal or

even legal immigrants? How do we speak about and how do we joke about those who speak a different language than English or whose culture is not what we belong to nor understand?

Being a doormat serves no one. If we love our enemies as we love ourselves, we should hope, pray and work for their personal conversion, for a change in their attitude and life. Christ even told us that we must pray for our persecutors. This is a real test of our will. When we pray for a person, we ask God to bestow his graces upon them, which is the greatest good that can befall one here on earth. For if we love our enemies, we have to challenge them to experiencing the salvation Christ has won for us.

Father Lacroix is pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis.

Upcoming Daily Readings: Sat. Feb. 19, Heb 11:1-7; Ps 145:2-5,10-11; Mk 9:2-13. Sun. Feb. 20, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lv 19:1-2,17-18; Ps 103:1-4,8,10,12-13; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48. Mon. Feb. 21, Sir 1:1-10 Ps 93:1-2,5; Mk 9:14-29. Tues. Feb. 22, 1 Pt 5:1-4; Ps 23:1-3a, 4-6; Mt 16:13-19. Wed. Feb. 23, Sir 4:11-19; Ps 119:154,171-172,174-175; Mk 9:38-40. Thur. Feb. 24, Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1:1-4,6; Mk 9:41-50. Fri. Feb. 25, Sir 6:5-17; Ps 119:12,16,18,27,34-35; Mk 10:1-12.

R

obert Sargent Shriver, who died on January 18, was the last of the classic American Catholic liberals.

Advocate of racial justice when that took real courage; founding director of the Peace Corps and inspiration of a generation of Americans dedicated to serving the global poor; director of Lyndon Johnson’s well-intended if ill-conceived domestic War on Poverty; ambassador to France and vice-presidential candidate — Shriver lived one of the richest of public lives, which included his partnership with his equally Pro-Life wife,

Sargent Shriver and his times

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, in the mentioned, “Lunch might be interesting, because I can’t Special Olympics movement. remember anything I’ve said We last met several years 10 minutes after I’ve said it.” ago when Sarge called me up and invited me to lunch. He had read and liked my “Letters to a Young Catholic” and wanted me to sign copies for several of the younger members of the Shriver clan,

By George Weigel which I was happy to do in his Special Olympics office before we repaired across The Alzheimer’s that finally the street to the Willard Hotel killed him was already workfor lunch. While I was signing, he casually and cheerfully ing its wicked ways, as his friendly warning indicated. Yet he was taking his condition with the equanimity that comes from deep faith — and long experience with those battling various handicaps, physical and mental.

Lunch was utterly charming. I got Sarge to reminisce a bit about being an altar boy for Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore, who used to visit the Shrivers’ country place when Sarge was in short pants. He then changed the subject and asked me, “Where was I ambassador?” I said I thought his embassy had been to France, which he then described with gusto, remembering several run-ins with Le Grand Charles (de Gaulle).

I didn’t ask him about my favorite Shriver story, which involved him trying to be one

The Catholic Difference

of the boys at a steelworkers’ bar in Johnstown, Pa., during the 1972 campaign; Sarge blew the gaffe by ordering “A Courvoisier; no, make it a double!” Still, I remember the strange, wonderful sense of being in the presence of a man who had not only made history in his own right but whose first American ancestor, David Shriver, had signed the Maryland Constitution and Bill of Rights in 1776.

Had his potential candidacy not have been vetoed by his Kennedy in-laws, Sarge might have been President Johnson’s vice-presidential running mate in 1964, a historical “what if” full of possibility: Shriver, as vice president or, later, president, might have been able to connect the Democratic Party’s civil rights commitments to a robust Pro-Life commitment, for Sarge knew in his heart that the Pro-Life cause was the logical, moral extension of the civil rights cause to which he had long dedicated himself. Instead, brother-in-law Ted Kennedy helped lead the Democratic Party into the pro-choice fever swamps from which the party has never extricated itself — and seems unlikely to do so in the future.

Sarge and Eunice fought the good fight, but they never did

the most dramatic thing they might have done for the ProLife cause, which was to leave the Democratic Party after the Clintonistas denied ProLife Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey an opportunity to speak at the 1992 Democratic national convention. That was the break-point for many of us who had been lifelong, genetically programmed Democrats.

That the Shrivers stayed put was a sadness; their departure would have sent shock waves through Democratic circles and might have provided an antidote to Mario Cuomo’s “I’m personally opposed, but … .” mantra.

Had Sarge and Eunice Shriver prevailed over Ted Kennedy, the United States might not be heading toward a European-style two party system, with a lifestylelibertine, secularist party of the left contending against a quasi-Christian Democratic party on the right. America might have had two parties that understood that the right to life from conception until natural death is the first of “pre-political” human rights; indeed, it’s the right whose acknowledgment makes a decent polity possible.

That was not to be. The country is the poorer for it.

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

This is for the birds

Monday 14 February 2011 every bird comes there to — at home in The Dightons choose his mate.)

— Feast of the saint formerly For this reason doves (along known as Valentine with hearts, flowers, and alentine’s Day is for the birds, according to Geoffrey Chaucer. In the High Reflections of a Middle Ages, Chaucer Parish Priest wrote a poem in honor of the first anniversary

By Father Tim of the official engageGoldrick ment of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia: cherubs) are often featured on For this was on seynt Volan- Valentine cards. I’m a romantynys day. (For this was on St. tic at heart, but I also know Valentine’s Day.) that the association of matWhan euery bryd comyth ing birds with February 14 is there to chese his make. (When zoologically inaccurate, given

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February 18, 2011

The Ship’s Log

England’s clime. Further, the Decree of the Engagement of King Richard II and Anne was not signed on February 14, but rather on May 2. It seems there are numerous saints named Valentine. May 2 was the feast of St. Valentine of Genoa. Chaucer was saying that May 2, not February 14, was for the birds. This makes more sense.

In the year 496, Pope Gelasius replaced pagan Rome’s fertility festival of Lupercalia (Festival of the Wolf), celebrated on February 14, with the feast of St. Valentine. But

Babies and bonding

into question at this point in he Rhode Island legtime is because our culture islature is taking its has cut marriage adrift from turn amongst a parade of U.S. those two guiding principles. states to discuss the quesDecades back, the western tion of marriage, specifically world embraced the conwho can enter into that legal traceptive mentality that estate. The proponents of the separated the marital embrace traditional understanding of from its natural fertility. The the institution — reserved to Protestant churches officially the joining of a man and a signed off on this fact as woman — have been pressing early as 1930 at the Lamfirmly for a referendum on the matter, while those who wish to fundamentally change the definition of marriage — sensing a favorable political climate — hope to bring it to a

By Genevieve Kineke swift vote, and settle it without deferring to the will of the people. beth Conference, eventually Both sides recognize the fact leaving the Catholic Church that referenda consistently as the only religious body to reject efforts to allow samestand firmly against contrasex couples to marry, and that ception within marriage. explains the current strategy Just as Paul VI predicted of each. in Humanae Vitae (1968), While it is true that acquiescing to contraception every state that has asked — even within marriage — its citizens to decide who would have a snowball effect can marry has clung to the on the wider society, so that traditional arrangement, it is promiscuity could flourish also true that few can explain with fewer visible consethe actual nature of marriage quences, and leading directly — nor can they adequately to acceptance of abortion as define its ends. The “Cathoits natural corollary. lic Catechism” says: “The The other part of marriage matrimonial covenant, by — the lifelong bond — has which a man and a woman also lost society’s censure, as establish between themselves the next generation incora partnership of the whole of porated the newer attitudes life, is by its nature ordered towards intimacy. Premarital toward the good of the sex and declining sexual spouses and the procreation fidelity led to more divorces, and education of offspring” which gradually became (CCC, 1601). Or to put it easier to obtain. Whereas more succinctly: marriage is previously those who chose a gift of God, given for the to end their unions faced a sake of babies and bonding. subtle form of shunning by The reason that such a the larger community, such foundational understanding attitudes are entirely forof marriage has been called

The Feminine Genius

eign to us today. Long gone is widespread denigration of promiscuity, cohabitation, out-of-wedlock births, divorce or serial monogamy, and each has subsequently risen to shocking heights.

Such is the state of “traditional marriage” today.

While the majority of people instinctively know that it should be reserved for one man and one women, very few would agree that it’s the foundational institution ordered to children and lifelong unions.

Having already made peace with physical intimacy that is often meant to be sterile and non-exclusive, it is harder to exclude from marriage those whose unions are equally unstable and sterile.

Only when we recommit ourselves to embracing marriage as it was intended will we fortify our position on traditional marriage. Only when we open our embrace to the children that conjugal love naturally generates and then provide them with the lifelong care that only a mother and father can offer will we really understand what God intends for family life.

A generation of shattered families may find this truth hard to grasp and even harder to fight for — unless they acknowledge their woundedness, and allow that to enlighten them.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman” (Servant Books).

She can be found online at www.catholicexchange.com.

which St. Valentine was it?

The date was dedicated to St. Valentine of Rome and St. Valentine of Teni. Both of these early martyrs were buried on the Via Flaminia in Rome. Did I mention that there is a possible third St. Valentine whose feast was observed on February 14? He was martyred in the Roman colony of South Africa.

Maybe he and St. Valentine of Teni are the same man. I put my money on St. Valentine of Rome.

In 1969, the Vatican decreed, “Though the memorial of St. Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of St. Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14.” I presume this deleted both SS. Valentine from the Universal Church Calendar.

February 14 is now worldwide the obligatory memorial of SS. Cyril and Methodius.

Look all you want, but you will find no Hallmark cards available at your local CVS for the feast of SS. Cyril and Methodius, only Valentines.

The title “saint” has also slipped off the radar. It has become another generic “holiday.” In fact, Valentine’s Day is the precursor of all commercialized holidays in the United States.

So, where did these cards called “Valentines” originate in the first place? Some maintain St. Valentine himself sent a mushy missive from his prison cell and signed it “from your Valentine,” but this seems far-fetched. The variation of the story that says he did this by sending text messages on his Apple-Verizon iPhone 4 is definitely a modern invention. Why would an ordained cleric be sending love letters in the first place? I do know, however, that one or both of these SS. Valentine became associated with romantic love in European royal courts of the 14 century. The earliest example of a hand written Valentine comes from a 15thcentury Frenchman (why am I not surprised?). It’s a note card

written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife. The return address was the prison in the Tower of London, where the lonely duke was pining away at the time. Printed “Valentines” were first mass-produced in England in the 19th century. In 1847, they were introduced in the United States in, of all places, Worcester, Mass.

In our day, human love birds are encouraged to show their true feelings for each other by purchasing not only greeting cards, but also roses and chocolates. It has become a multi-billion-dollar business.

Lately, diamond merchants have jumped on the band wagon. The media is filled with diamond sales events. None of the advertisements mention that diamonds are not precious gemstones but only semiprecious. Nor do they mention that the international diamond market is artificially inflated by the world’s largest diamond mining operation, DeBeers.

Valentine’s Day and Christmas Eve vie for position as the most popular day for marriage proposals. Starry-eyed but tongue-tied young men can find the perfect words online.

Ah, the miracle of the Internet.

In the United States, the favored location for “popping the question” is in an elegant restaurant following a romantic candlelight dinner. It’s best to avoid a McDonald’s drivethrough. It may send the wrong message.

Across the United States, as the number of marriages continues to plummet, there are fewer marriage proposals on Valentine’s Day — or any other.

I celebrated February 14 in my very “particular calendar,” as permitted by the Vatican.

While munching a bon-bon, I watched the pigeons in my backyard. I soon lost interest in both. According to yours truly, Valentine’s Day really is for the birds. Chaucer was right.

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

10 B y Rebecca Aubut A nchor Staff WESTPORT — Jeanette Ferri considers herself very blessed.

“The older I get, the more aware I am that it’s all a given,” said Ferri. “It’s not something I manufacture. I’m just very grateful.”

A parishioner of St. John the Baptist Parish in Westport since 1992, Ferri’s actions speak just as loudly as her words. A member of Residents Encounter Christ team since its inception as a ministry program for the Dartmouth House of Corrections, Ferri not only spends time singing, praying and reflecting on sacred Scripture with the inmates — she sees beyond their stark surroundings to embrace the humanity in each jailed individual.

“It blows my mind that they come from such sad stories and beginnings, and as compassionate as they are, as talented as they are,” said Ferri, “their self-worth is like nothing. And we go in there and we treat them as human beings, with respect. It’s amazing what that

The Anchor

A faith life built on a foundation of rock does. Hopefully we plant seeds women and one for men. Ferri a lifeline because they are so in some of them, and when we remembers meeting a young isolated, and when they resee someone who has turned man during her first retreat, ceive a letter — I don’t know their life around, it’s worth it.” sadly relating the story of his how to describe it. Receiving mail is such a big thing After attending an for them. They are so informational meeting grateful.” in 1998, Ferri said she When Ferri heard knew right away that about Father Richard REC was for her. Even Donahue’s missionary as the ministry program work in Juticalpa, Honhas struggled to sustain duras after attending itself through the years, a meeting more than Ferri said the group will three years ago, Ferri never give up its misimmediately signed up sion. to become a member “It’s always wonof the inaugural group derful, no matter the from St. John the Bapchanges we’ve expetist Parish to fly down rienced. The inmates and volunteer their need so much help and services to Father Dostart off with very little nahue’s mission. Now in their lives. People every year Ferri is part have no compassion,” of a team consisting of said Ferri, who often roughly a dozen people gets remarks from peowho pack 30 suitcases ple stating that inmates full of donated supplies are in jail for a reason that include clothes, and should do their sandals, toiletries, and time. “There is a story behind it. If you were Anchor Person of the Week — Jeanette children’s toys, and takes the two-week walking in their shoes, Ferri. journey through one of you’d be there.” the poorest countries in They hold two weekend retreats a year, one for being sentenced to life with- Central America.

“The minute we would pull out parole by being involved in drugs and then doing some- into the village, people would just come swarming in,” said thing “terrible.”

“He is a good man but did Ferri of a past trip. “Kids would something bad under the in- come all around us. It was so fluence. I keep in touch with touching. After we finished, him, and a couple of others,” we’d stay there and the delegate said Ferri. “For them it’s like would invite us to her house.”

The delegate is a woman of the village who helps to setup the area for the volunteers to dispense the donated items, and then invites the volunteers to her home. During one trip the delegate made them a dinner of beans and rice. Ferri remembers the dirt floor, a wood stove

February 18, 2011

and an incredibly generous nature.

“She couldn’t do enough for us, and she had so very little,” recalled Ferri. “That’s what astounded me, how very little they had and how very generous they were. It was just so good. It’s a different culture.

We just take it for granted what we have.”

Sunday Mass was another highlight of the trip.

“That was a great experience,” said Ferri. “We got into our trucks and followed Father Donahue to his church.

When we got there, the church was full and they had saved us seats way down in the front.

The Mass was joyful, you just wanted to stand up and bounce.

During the peace offering, people all over the church came down to us to give us a peace offering. They came all the way down the aisle and welcomed us to the church. It was just wonderful.”

Not one to boast about her volunteer work, Ferri credits a childhood full of love and faith that helped shape who she is today.

“People say you are great and you do all this work, and I have a hard time with that,” said Ferri. “St. Francis said that it’s in the giving that you receive. If I didn’t like the work and received all these wonderful blessings, I’d stop in a heartbeat. I know the work — like the REC ministry and in Honduras — I know that it helps others but it also gives us many blessings. It comes back.”

To submit a Person of the Week nominee, send an email to fatherrogerlandry@ anchornews.org.

February 18, 2011

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To advertise in The Anchor, contact Wayne Powers at 508-675-7151 or Email waynepowers@anchornews.org

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February 18, 2011

Cardinal Wuerl’s new book seeks to deepen Catholics’ love for the Mass

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl and author Mike Aquilina have teamed together to write a new book on the Mass, and they hope that their labor of love will enkindle a deeper love and devotion for the Mass among Catholics, and inspire them to share that love with others.

Titled “The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition,” the book was published by Doubleday. It was launched at a February 1 book signing that Cardinal Wuerl held at the bookstore of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

The signing, which drew more than 100 people, “was for me a very joyful experience,” said Cardinal Wuerl in an interview the next day with the Catholic Standard, the archdiocesan newspaper.

“I did not anticipate there would be that many people, a whole range of Catholics from a university professor to a mother and her children, from a college student to a manual laborer,” he said. “The one thing they all shared in common was their desire to learn more about the Mass.”

Cardinal Wuerl said he senses a hunger among people to understand what is taking place in the Mass, and to experience the beauty of the Mass in a more profound way.

Helping Catholics have a deeper appreciation for the Mass is the “starting point of the book,’ he said, noting that the introduction begins, “The Mass is what Catholics do. It’s the heart of Catholic life, for individuals and for the community.”

In the interview, the cardinal said, “The primary purpose for the book is to re-propose, to reintroduce people to the beauty and mystery of the Mass.”

Cardinal Wuerl noted that the effort is part of Pope Benedict XVI’s call for the new evangelization, encouraging Catholics to deepen their faith and to share their love for Christ with others. “There are so many people who simply don’t know what the Mass is, what the Church understands the Mass to be, what this great gift of Jesus is,” he said.

Last fall, the cardinal issued a pastoral letter on the new evangelization, “Disciples of the Lord: Sharing the Vision,” and programs promoting that effort are under way at parishes and schools throughout the archdiocese.

Speaking about his new book, the cardinal said, “I would hope that in the overall context of the new evangelization, this book might reawaken in the hearts of our Catholic people, a love for the Mass that would be so intense, that they would tell other people who drifted away or who never heard what the Mass is all about.”

Cardinal Wuerl believes that the reason so many Catholics do not attend Mass each Sunday is “they were never sufficiently catechized, they never truly learned what is happening at the altar.”

“Once you realize that, once you understand and experience that, you want to be there. The reason some Catholics hold on so dearly to the Mass is because they do know this is the re-presentation of the mystery

of Christ’s death and resurrection,” he said.

The cardinal hopes that people will give the book to family members and friends, “people we know who should be with us at Mass” and invite them back to Mass.

It was written to coincide with the use of the new English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal, which begins in U.S. parishes November 27, the first Sunday of Advent.

Cardinal Wuerl, the author of many books who has dedicated much of his life to teaching the faith, noted: “In all the materials our conference of bishops has put out, we’ve said this is not a time to focus on rubrics or specific words, but on the meaning and wonder of the Mass itself.”

He said he envisions his book “being used in an RCIA program, in a parish Religious Education program and in our Catholic schools. I would also see all those different adult faith formation groups that meet in parishes using this” to refresh their own understanding of the Mass.

In his foreword to the book, Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, warned that Catholics should not let the Mass become so commonplace, that they “go through the motions” unthinkingly. He wrote that in the Mass, “God is present as he promised he would be. This is the mystery of an event more significant, and more life giving, than the breaths we take.”

In a review of the book, Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman, former executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, says the cardinal and Aquilina have provided “us with an excellent and timely tool for a clear catechesis.” The book is “is a clear, concise, and very accessible explanation of the Mass that allows Catholics to enrich their understanding about the sacred liturgy and the Eucharist,” he said. “‘The Mass’ is precisely suited for a broader liturgical formation for Catholics, something that is needed at this crucial time in the life of the Church in the United States,” Msgr.

Sherman said.

He calls the book’s language “exceptionally clear.” “With powerful pastoral sensitivity, this book puts into the hands of the average parishioner a fundamental introduction to the Mass,” Msgr. Sherman added.

The book’s authors explain that by entering the mystery of the Mass, Catholics “are not bystanders, but participants.” The book explains the words and gestures used at Mass, and the sacred vessels used at the altar and the vestments worn by the priest, offering frequent Massgoers and those new to the Mass a “user’s guide” to what is taking place.

At every Mass, the cardinal noted, “the mystery of our salvation is made present.”

That story doesn’t end at the end of Mass,” said the cardinal. “Every good gift we’ve received is not meant for ourselves. It’s meant to be shared, and then as the Mass concludes, we’re told, ‘Go carry the fruit of this gift into the world, and as you’ve been changed, change the world.’”

gnome sweet gnome — Animated characters are shown in a scene from the movie “Gnomeo & Juliet.” For a brief review of this film, see CNS Movie Capsules below. ((CNS photo/Touchtone))

CNS Movie Capsules NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

“The Eagle” (Focus) Vigorous screen version of Rosemary Sutcliff’s popular 1954 novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” in which a young Roman soldier (Channing Tatum) in second-century Britain goes in quest of the titular military symbol lost 20 years earlier when the legion his father commanded disappeared, under unexplained circumstances, in the wilds of Scotland. Though discouraged from venturing beyond Hadrian’s Wall — the northern limit of the Empire — by his cautious uncle (Donald Sutherland), the youth is guided on his daring foray by a native slave (Jamie Bell) whose mix of resentment toward Rome and personal loyalty toward his master makes for a fraught friendship. Director Kevin Macdonald keeps the pace lively and the battles mostly gore-free while themes of intercultural respect and conflict-transcending human solidarity help leaven the macho atmosphere. Probably acceptable for older adolescents.

Considerable but largely bloodless combat violence, brief distant images of unclothed corpses, a single use of the S-word, a couple of crass terms. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Gnomeo & Juliet” (Touchstone) William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy about star-crossed lovers morphs into a clever animated comedy as rival families of garden

gnomes face off in a battle for backyard supremacy. It’s love at first ceramic clink for Juliet Capulet (voice of Emily Blunt) and Gnomeo Montague (voice of James McAvoy), but differences in clan allegiance threaten to drive them apart. Until, that is, a wise pink flamingo (voice of Jim Cummings) assures them that love conquers all including, in this case, the Bard’s original ending. Director Kelly Asbury’s slightly warped but ultimately winning film offers good, clean, wholesome fun for the entire family. The Catholic News Service classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences, all ages admitted.

“Just Go With It” (Columbia) Very loose — and sloppy — remake of the classic 1969 farce “Cactus Flower” weighed down by stale writing and a seemingly endless parade of potty jokes. Adam Sandler plays a philandering plastic surgeon who escapes commitment by telling his many girlfriends he’s

trapped in a bad marriage. So, once he decides to settle down with a schoolteacher (Brooklyn Decker), he needs to produce a “wife” he can divorce, the start of an increasingly complicated effort at deception in which he eventually enlists not only his sensible office assistant (Jennifer Aniston) but her two precocious kids (Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) as well. Director Dennis Dugan and screenwriters Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling dumb down what was originally a sweet adult romance involving an escalating series of funny complications and a modest message about being true to one’s self. The resulting comedy is not only frequently distasteful, but comatose almost from the start. An implied premarital situation, considerable scatological humor, sexual banter, fleeting crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Diocese of Fall River TV Mass on WLNE Channel 6 Sunday, February 20 at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrant is Father Thomas McElroy, SSCC., pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Fairhaven

February 18, 2011

E

gypt is erupting and the revolution began with a group of young adults on Facebook. Those young voices are not going to be easily silenced, not in Egypt and not in our Church. The message is loud and clear: if you don’t listen to our needs then we will revolt.

The revolution in our Church is not happening through picket lines and protests, but through buy-in or boycott. Young adults are either walking away or taking over. They are removing themselves from the sacramental life of the Church, and not just skipping Mass. They are not marrying in the Catholic Church, and are not having their children baptized. Another group of young adults is leaving behind a world of moral compromise and spiritual ambiguity and have returned to transform the Catholic Church through their active involvement. They are returning to traditional piety, embracing chastity as the foundation of healthy relationships, and they are taking over the leadership roles in the Church. We have two competing revolutions in our Church, and both rebellions must be reckoned with or we will be left behind in the ashes.

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A radical change on the way

These Catholic young adult strongly committed to the Cathorevolutionaries have much in lic faith. “Young people are common. Their Church had only looking for what is true and auone pope, John Paul II. They thentic.” She is finding truth and have heard of Vatican II, but it is authenticity by turning towards as relevant to them as is World traditionalism. They are rebelWar II and the Great Depression. ling by embracing a counter-culTheir experience with members ture Catholicism; rejecting not of religious life was minimal, just the secular cultural norms, and their catechetical formation but mainstream Catholicism as was very poor. They came of age during the sex abuse crisis and have thus been inundated with anti-Catholic rhetoric everywhere they turn.

They may be children of

By Claire McManus divorce, or they certainly know people very close to them in broken or irregular marriages. They have well. Their experience with brobeen raised in an inclusive world ken marriages is being countered where discrimination because of by a commitment to strong and gender, race or sexual identity large families. They are making is taboo. They have also expeup for their poor catechetical forrienced the excess of entitlemation by educating themselves ment, the fear of terrorism, the through online sources or lay fractious rhetoric of polarized organizations dedicated to adult politics, and the culture of death. religious formation. They are They were raised in an uncertain turning away from our Catholic world and they are looking for a schools to home-school their rock solid foundation on which children. They are centered on to build their faith. the Eucharist, and frequent daily A young woman in her late Mass and adoration.

20s summarized the reason why The boycott crowd is also she and others like her are so looking for truth and authentic-

The Great Commission

public domain — This is a screen grab of the new website launched for the beatification of Pope John Paul II. (CNS)

Rome Diocese launches site dedicated to John Paul II’s beatification

ROME (CNS) — The Diocese of Rome launched a new website dedicated to the beatification and canonization of Pope John Paul II. Published in seven languages, the site — www.karol-wojtyla.org — offers news updates and background information on the late pope and his sainthood cause, as well as a live webcam of his tomb in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The website also announced that the beatification ceremony in St. Peter’s Square May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday, will be open to the public and no tickets will be required to attend.

The evening before the ceremony, April 30, there will be a prayer vigil at Rome’s an-

cient Circus Maximus racetrack, it said.

The website offers the diocesan-approved prayer asking for graces through the intercession of Pope John Paul in 31 languages, including Chinese, Arabic, and Russian.

A miracle after Pope John Paul’s beatification would be needed for his canonization, which is a Church declaration that the person is a saint and worthy of universal veneration.

On January 14, Pope Benedict XVI approved a first miracle attributed to the late pope’s intercession, clearing the way for his beatification.

The approval came after more than five years of investigation into the life and writings of the Polish pontiff, who died in April 2005 after more than 26 years as pope.

ity, but they haven’t felt empowered enough to make change happen within. An interesting exchange of thoughts on this subject appeared on Facebook during the snowy month of January. Someone put the question out there on the social network hotline: Why have you stopped coming to Mass? The answers varied, but most of them expressed disappointment in their Church. They sought involvement, and were turned away: “I came to a parish ready to serve, all the stuff I did as a youth in my home parish: play flute, teach CCD, CYO, lector. The pastor held me at arms length and said ‘maybe CYO.’” They asked for commitment and they got complacency: “The Church has lost touch with who the modern Christians are. They are losing Christians to other denominations.” A young woman agreed: “I left the Catholic Church, but I didn’t leave church … I wanted the fellowship of others that lived out the teachings of the Bible, so I went to another denomination.” It’s too bad that she didn’t search harder within

the walls, for she would have found like-minded people from the buy-in rebellion.

Jesus stood on top of that mountain addressing a crowd filled with young adults like these. His manifesto of a new world order began with Beatitudes, but ended with a rejection of hypocrisy. His message was clear, and his methodology was innovative. He didn’t sit back in the synagogue and wait for them to show up. He took his vision to the place where they are, proclaiming a revolution that was counter-cultural and counterlegalistic. He upheld the law by interiorizing it. The young adults were captured by his words and brought Jesus’ revolution out onto the streets.

The young adults are our Church and their revolution is now. We need them to do the work of evangelization because they know where to find their own. When the buy-ins reach out to the boycotters there is going to be a radical change in our Church, and we better be ready or we will be swept away.

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

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February 18, 2011

Speaker to discuss evangelizing young adults Parishes coping with harsh ‘winter of discontent’ continued from page one

retreat ministry, teaching theology, and ministerial formation. He is vice-provincial of St. Paul of the Cross Province in the Bronx, N.Y. “The time of Lent for which we are preparing in a couple of weeks is a time of conversion and a time of calling others to return home,” Father Ryan told The Anchor. “It’s important that we reach out to the many young adults who call themselves Catholic, but who are not active in the faith, and bring them home. We can do this by creating a parish where young adults can feel at home.”

Father Ryan said reaching those young Catholics who are searching is one of the biggest challenges facing the Church today. “A poll taken in 2003 calls this one of the top three concerns of the Church,” said Father Ryan. “But the importance of evangelizing young adults is not to see them as the object of concern, but as a people we need to interact with.”

A national study of youth and religion indicates that roughly 80 percent of young adult Catholics do not practice the faith. “But the 20 percent of young adult Catholics who do participate in the Church are very sincere and motivated in their faith,” said Father Ryan. “The key is to do more to reach out to the others.”

He indicated that the young practicing Catholics can be a big help in providing peer support and encouragement to others. “But they are not necessarily going to go out and preach on street corners.”

So in his address to clergy, Father Ryan hopes to stress that par-

ish priests and parish ministers must find the marginal Catholics and prove they are interested in young adults’ faith concerns and listen to them.

Some ways to reach out to young adults is through college campus ministries, Theology on Tap sessions, and prayer gatherings. The Internet is also a strong resource, “but it must be used carefully,” Father Ryan stressed.

“The Internet is not a replacement for interaction, which is vital to connecting with people.”

Crystal Medeiros, assistant director of the Diocese of Fall River’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry, thinks Father Ryan’s February 24 presentation a good idea. “Father Ryan will be addressing a topic that’s much needed,” she told The Anchor. “Our young adults are not sitting in the pews on Sundays. Hopefully Father Ryan can provide some creative insights and ideas that our priests can bring back to their parish ministers on how we can evangelize these young adults.”

Medeiros can empathize with young Catholics who are searching. “I left the Church for quite a few years before I came back,” she said. “I tried other faiths, but they were lacking the Eucharist and the core teachings I was looking for. I realized the Catholic Church was different than my original perception. It’s then when I came back.”

Medeiros said many of today’s young adult Catholics are also searching. “They’re afraid to question the Church and they’re not sure how to make it gel with their secular beliefs.”

continued from page one

ried about February; that’s when the big blizzard came in ’78.”

“We have a small church,” said Father Timothy J. Goldrick, pastor of St. Nicholas of Myra Parish in North Dighton. “I just added our combined heating and snow removal costs this winter so far and it’s been about $30,000. It’s just been overwhelming. People sometimes don’t realize the enormous amount of expense in dealing with these things, because they use the criteria for their own home: what they pay the kids to shovel off their walk and such.”

One of the biggest challenges for pastors this year has been being able to keep up with unanticipated expenses like weekly snow removal that is taking a noticeable bite out of their budgets.

“These expenses that vary from winter to winter are always hard to budget for, because we are in New England and we just don’t know what to expect,” said Father Jay T. Maddock, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Fall River. “We do the best we can to take care of them, but certainly the clearing away of the snow can become quite an expense; especially when you have so much snow like we’ve had. The people who do the work have to keep on top of it, so they just can’t wait until the snow ends, sometimes you have to have them here on a consistent basis and it does add up.”

“No matter how hard you try to keep the sidewalks clean, the ice is always something that’s going to frighten people,” added Father Kevin J. Harrington, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New Bedford, who said he’s noticed a slight dip in weekly Mass attendance as a result.

“And it’s not just in front of the church, but in getting out of their own houses, too.”

Father Maddock noted that the

growing piles of snow near his church have become even more troublesome given the parish’s lack of a parking lot.

“It makes it very difficult for people to find parking places out on the street,” he said. “But I give credit to our parishioners because I know some of them are parking several blocks away and walking to Mass.”

One saving grace has been the fact that all the weekly storms that hit the area last month took place mid-week and didn’t directly affect weekend Mass attendance.

“The storms, thanks be to God, seem to be coming on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” said Father Harrison of East Sandwich. “If they had hit on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, I think we’d be wiped out.”

“I think we’ve been blessed in the sense that I don’t think we’ve had anything really big on the weekends,” Father Maddock agreed. “Most of it has been in the middle of the week. However, because we have so much snow on the ground, it’s been difficult for people to get around, to get out of their own homes, and the icing up can become dangerous for some people.”

Although most parishes have seen spikes in heating and snow removal bills during the first month of the year, many parishioners have been helping to make up the shortfall by diligently sending in their budget envelopes.

“A lot of people who aren’t coming to Mass are mailing the budget envelopes back to us, so it seems they’re doing their very best to keep us solvent during the winter months,” said Father Joseph F. Viveiros, pastor of St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea. “The heating costs have really skyrocketed. I think between our three buildings — the church, rectory and parish center

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— every two weeks we’re easily spending close to $2,000 or better, and our buildings are small.”

“I’ve always found that people continue to be generous with their budget envelopes,” agreed Father Harrington. “Many of our parishioners know it’s an additional burden on the parish this time of year, so they try to give more. I’ve never worried about money during the winter.”

Another potential hurdle that pastors have had to face is whether or not to cancel various parish fund-raising activities due to inclement weather.

“We had a big craft fair here this past weekend and we did alright, but people are hesitant to come out in bad weather,” said Father Goldrick. “And for heaven’s sake, you don’t want to cancel bingo. I’ve found people will come out in a tsunami to a bingo game. They’ll come in a canoe if they have to.

But we’ve lucked out; we haven’t had any accidents.”

Father Viveiros was pleased that a recent Super Bowl of Caring Program sponsored by his youth group not only went on as planned but also helped raise some additional funds for the parish.

“They were able to collect food cans and donations which totaled well over $1,000, so the people have been responding to the needs of the poor and the needs of the parish,” he said. “I think our parishioners have done very well.”

With a welcomed reprieve from snow this past week, many pastors are clearly looking forward to the promise of an early spring.

“My hope is that spring will be here before we know it,” Father Maddock said.

“It’s nice to know we’re not alone in this,” Father Harrison said of his fellow pastors’ plight.

“We’re just a bit bigger and have bigger bills to contend with.”

Diocesan history

50 years ago — Father John E. Boyd represented the Fall River Diocese at the Cuban Refugee Resettlement Conference held in Miami. Father Boyd said that representatives of every diocese and archdiocese in the United States were at the meeting, as well as members of Protestant and Jewish agencies

10 years ago — Saying that it was no longer possible to maintain them as two separate parishes, Bishop Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., asked parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes and Sacred Heart parishes in Taunton for their cooperation in the creation of the new Annunciation of the Lord Parish.

25 years ago — Father Clarence J. d’Entremont, former chaplain of Our Lady’s Haven in Fairhaven, who retired in 1982, celebrated his golden jubilee of priestly ordination.

Father d’Entremont also previously served at St. Anthony’s Parish in New Bedford.

One year ago — Parishes throughout the Fall River Diocese reported an “overwhelming response” to two weekend special collections at all Masses to benefit the victims of the horrendous 7.0 earthquake that struck the Port-au-Prince region of Haiti on January 12.

February 18, 2011

The joy of adoption continued from page one

We try to help them through that and educate their families.”

“I think that people need to view birth parents as not giving up their children,” said Sousa.

“They are giving them, in their view, a better life that they are not able to give. They’re not giving up on anything. When I think about what they did, it brings me to tears because it’s the greatest, selfless thing you could ever do.”

Sousa and her husband Victor experienced a miscarriage a few years after they were married, and the couple decided to adopt.

“It was always something, when we couldn’t conceive on our own, that we thought about,” Sousa explained. She also said her diagnosis of unexplained fertility problems was a difficult period in her life.

“We have some acquaintances that had adopted through Catholic Social Services, so they recommended Elaine,” added Sousa.

An adoption social worker before becoming the program coordinator, Abdow has been at CSS for 30 years. Only a few decades ago, said Abdow, when a woman placed a baby up for adoption, the agency would take and place the child with a family, keeping everything confidential.

“You wanted to protect the birth mother’s reputation,” said Abdow, “but the process has grown and evolved. People began to realize how much healthier it would be for these women, and a lot more has been done to enable them to deal with that grief. What we do now is birth parents tend to select the family they want the child placed with by viewing profiles.”

Sousa laughingly deemed compiling their profile, “the biggest job interview you’ll ever go on,” as the couple wrote “dear birth-parents” letters, as well as personal information that focused on the couple’s beliefs and ideals.

When their first adoption fell through, the couple was understandably guarded when the phone call came that a little boy had been born to birth parents that had selected the Sousas.

Three weeks later the papers were signed, Sousa found herself holding little Evan, who incidentally had been born on her grandfather’s birthday.

“It was surreal for like four weeks,” she said. “You pinch yourself.”

When Evan was three-anda-half, Kaia was added to their family. Both children have open adoptions, something Sousa didn’t think she would be able to handle.

15

The Anchor “When we started thinking about adoption, I was like, open adoption? That’s crazy,” said Sousa, “and now we’ve come full circle and seen the benefits of the entire process.”

“People realize how much healthier it would be for these women to deal with the grief,” said Abdow. “We found that it has been tremendously helpful, not just for birth parents for also for the adoptive parents. There’s less fear, the mystery has been lifted; they’re not always wondering.”

For Judy Sokoloski and her husband Francis, their Barnstable home on Cape Cod is filled with the laughter of their three children, their biological son and two children from China.

“When I was in high school, it just came to me that’s what I wanted to do,” said Judy, of deciding to adopt from China.

“Then when I was in my 20s, I didn’t think about children at all; I was busy working and so forth. When I was in my 30s and my husband and I were talking about children, he said that he wanted one biological child.”

After their oldest son Matthew was born, the couple began to create a comprehensive profile that included medical tests, fingerprinting and criminal background check, personal letters of recommendation and more; the entire process taking six months and all done with a help of a social worker. After being translated into Chinese, the documents were sent over and put into a pile to be logged in and matched with a child.

“Working with China was different back then,” said Sokoloski, of their first foray into the international adoption arena in 1999. “There were a lot more girls and you didn’t have to wait that long for a healthy baby.

Back then you waited maybe a year and a half, or just a year.

We had, at that time, asked for a healthy child. This was all new and we weren’t sure how the bonding process was going to be or anything.”

After traveling to China to pick up their nine-month-old daughter, Mei, it only took Sokoloski a few minutes to realize that everything was going to work out fine.

“She basically cried for two minutes when the nanny handed her to me, and then after that we just bonded. It was just wonderful,” said Sokoloski, who said after returning home, she immediately included Mei into her everyday routine. “Because she was one and was healthy, I just went out and did what I needed to do. It all depends on the parent

and the child for what works and what is comfortable, whether it’s a biological child or the child is adopted. There is no recipe.”

Inspired by a serendipitous meeting on a playground with a woman who had adopted three special needs children from China, Sokoloski happened upon an international adoption website, RainbowKids.com, and was drawn to a picture of a little boy with a heart condition. Reaching out to the fully Hague-accredited Catholic Social Services to help put them in contact with an agency, Sokoloski was slightly anxious adopting an older child, especially one with special needs.

“This was a different experience because Mei was only nine months old and Boe was five-and-a-half” when he was adopted, said Sokoloski. “I was also worried if he would be screaming and crying, that it would be some nightmare situation. I know there are a couple of bad stories out there, and you don’t know what to expect. They brought him in and put him on my lap. He was kind of crying, you could tell in his eyes that he knew something was going on.”

Now six years old, Boe has settled in with his 12-yearold sister Mei and 15-year-old brother Matthew, and is putting the “special” in special needs.

“He’s amazing. We are just so blessed,” said Sokoloski, who said she has changed since giving birth to her oldest. “It was just a little superficial in a way, focusing on stuffed animals and the nursery. I feel like I’ve grown over the years and took the next step as far as adopting and providing a home for a child, and now one with special needs. I’m at a point where I’m not even thinking about a nursery, it’s just about taking care of them. It’s what being a parent is all about.

“I know we could have had another child, so it may be easier for me to say, but being a parent is just about loving and caring.

In both cases, it was just a won-

Marian Medal awards presentation on video

FALL RIVER — The 2010 Marian Medals Awards Ceremony is now available on DVD from the Diocesan Office of Communications. The DVD cost is $24.95. To obtain one, please forward a check in that amount payable to the Diocesan Office of Communications, Diocese of Fall River, PO Box 7, Fall River, Mass.

02722. Shipping is included in the video cost.

derful experience. I know there are a couple of horror stories and I know that things do happen, but it can happen with your own biological child. The reality is that when you decide to become a parent, you have to wear your heart on your sleeve.”

Both families are on their respective waiting lists for a third adoption, and Sokoloski said she is going to adopt a special needs

child again. Sousa offers this advice to parents waiting to embrace an adoptive baby in their arms.

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “You know when you get your baby, that that is your baby. That’s part of the process of why you had to wait.

It’s just some intervention that is taking place that is beyond our control; it makes everything turn out right in the end.”

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16

Youth Pages

confectionery construction — As part of Catholic Schools Week activities the eighth-graders at St. Mary-Sacred Heart School in North Attleboro organized and ran “SMaSH A Record” for students in grades K-7. Each class divided into groups and competed in four activities to set a record and win a prize. Activities included hula-hooping for the longest amount of time, competing in a long-jump, and obtaining the greatest amount of ringers in Toss-theBall. Pictured are third-graders Joe Welch, Ryan Powers, Kaitlyn McMahon, and Olivia Serak building a marshmallow tower.

winter wonderland — Seventh- and eighth-grade students from St. Pius X School in South Yarmouth and St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School in Hyannis recently attended the second annual Snowball Dance held at St. Pius X School.

faith in action — Bishop Feehan High School senior Meghan Casey was recently awarded local winner for the National Fireside Bible Essay Contest. In Casey’s essay entitled “How the Study of Religion Has Influenced My Life” she reflected on how her faith was discovered during times of difficulty, “My Catholic education has taught me grace and poise, an inner strength and fire that I never thought possible. It has taught me perseverance in times of hardship, faith in times of question, and, perhaps most of all, deep belief that God has a plan for each one of his sons and daughters. My Catholic education has taught me the most important lesson that I’ve ever been and ever will be given: we are not alone.” The essay has now advanced for judging on a national level. Casey accepted her award from Principal Bill Runey.

February 18, 2011

repeat performance — St. John the Evangelist School in Attleboro celebrated Catholic Schools Week with an 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, with a groundbreaking ceremony immediately following for the school’s new expansion project. St. John’s Open House was on the same day from 2-4 p.m.

Students took part in a crazy hat day, twins day, my idol day and activities all day Friday in the gym. Pictured are students on twin day. Front, from left, fourth-grade students: Caleigh D’Angelo, Meaghan Lancaster, Colleen Carroll and Lauren Chapman; middle row: second-grade students Shea O’Brien, Lincoln Schneider, Ryan Sullivan and Jacob Gorman; back: third-grade students Ocean Calpin, Makenzie Killough, Jillian Margetta and Olivia Grivers.

hearts for heroes — The kindergarten students at St. Joseph School in Fairhaven spent time writing and decorating Valentine cards for soldiers over seas to help them have a happy Valentine’s Day.

right up their alley — Third-grade students from Holy Name School in Fall River had the opportunity to go bowling as part of the Catholic Schools Week celebration.

Youth Pages

February 18, 2011

success stories — The Coyle and Cassidy High School community recently recognized five alumni for their continued service and commitment to living the school’s motto “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.” Each recipient cited the significance of Catholic education in their lives. From left: Father David A. Costa, Coyle and Cassidy Class of 1977; Joseph Lane, Msgr. Coyle Class of 1956; Barbara Dooley Laughlin, St. Mary’s Class of 1947; Frank O’Boy, Msgr. Coyle Class of 1957; and Paul O’Boy, Msgr. Coyle Class of 1960.

I

Prayer: Just do it

n Spiritual Theology class, velop a prayer life, consistency my high school juniors and is important. Use that prayer I have been discussing how to space every day. I suggest to my develop a healthy prayer life. I students to begin with just 10 would like to devote an article minutes. To those who pray regor two to that topic. ularly, this may seem much too The first assignment I gave small a time period, but to high to my class was to go home and school students who believe create a prayer space. It is so themselves to be stretched to the helpful to have a place set aside limit, 10 minutes is a managefor prayer, so that when you enter that space, you know immediately what you are there to do. For example, you could use the chair in your bedroom that up

By Jean Revil to this point has simply been a place to leave your clothes. Clean off the chair, reposition it slightly, able beginning. The truth is if and place a Bible and a jouryou commit to the 10 minutes nal nearby and perhaps a focal every day, you will find that you point such as a crucifix or statue not only need more time, you that could help you focus when want more time. The amount of you start to drift. Some of my time is not nearly as important students created a prayer space as the content of the prayer. in the corner of the bedroom I find that most people have by placing some pillows on the a very narrow view of prayer. floor and using the walls as back Prayer is not limited to asking support. One of my students God for help. Our prayer should is using a place in the basebegin with offering thanks and ment that his father had already praise to God. Some have sugdesignated as a place of prayer gested that the first quarter of for himself, now it’s a father and our prayer time should be devotson prayer space. There must ed to praising God. I encourage be a place somewhere in your you to try it. There is something home that can be quiet and free about simply praising God that of distraction which you could helps us to appreciate who it is designate as your prayer space. we’re talking to. God is not our If we are going to take prayer personal assistant that we simply seriously, it will help to have a give directives to. God is God. place just for that purpose.

You could use a psalm of praise The next step is to show up. to get you started.

If you are just beginning to deAfter praising God, we

Be Not Afraid

should try to listen to God. Most people believe that prayer consists of us talking to God, but if God knows everything we are going to say anyway, perhaps we should spend less time talking and more time listening. I’m not saying we shouldn’t express our needs to God, we absolutely should. But it is more for our benefit than it is for God’s. We need to be able to put into words what we are seeking.

We need to be able to give voice to the fact that we are dependent on God. However, most of us are not very good listeners. God longs to speak to us but we don’t quiet ourselves down enough to recognize the sound of his voice.

So maybe the second quarter of our prayer time should be devoted to listening for God’s voice, either through Scripture, or music, or in the silence of our open hearts. Praising God and listening for his voice would be an excellent beginning to our prayer. We’ll explore the second half of our prayer time in the next article.

When it comes to developing a prayer life, Nike has the best slogan — Just Do It. Make your relationship with God a priority and spend a little time building it up.

Jean Revil teaches theology and is campus minister at Bishop Stang High School.

Comments welcome at: jrevil@ bishopStang.com.

17

MTV plays ‘Skins’ game cagily but with little to edify viewers

NEW YORK (CNS) — Considerable controversy has been generated by the new comedydrama series “Skins,” which premiered on MTV January 17 and is slated to continue running Mondays 10-11 p.m. EST. Adapted from a British series, the program follows a group of high school students who regard sexual activity, drinking and drug use as normal aspects of their lifestyle.

The show’s content has led a number of sponsors to withdraw, and the Parents Television Council has condemned it vigorously. Some Catholic groups may also be mobilizing to oppose the show. Yet, for the moment at least, MTV insists that it will not be canceled.

In short, “Skins” plays a cagey game, avoiding outright nudity or fully graphic sexual content. But the debased values underlying the series — taken for granted by its characters and lived out in a thoroughly edgy way on screen — constitute an unmistakable, and alarmingly irresponsible, precedent for television programming aimed at young people.

While what might be called the “Porky’s mindset” may be well entrenched in R-rated films, its marketing to teen viewers via prime-time TV is a disturbing innovation.

The plotlines of the show’s first two episodes speak for themselves. In the first, the smug, supposedly sophisticated main character, Tony, is determined to help his nerdy pal Stanley liberate himself from the intolerable burden of his virginity, announcing that unless Stanley “gets laid before he turns 17,” they can no longer be friends. There is also this exchange, quoted on the Parents Television Council website: Stanley: “It’s totally normal for a kid of 16 not to have had sex.”

Tony: “It’s embarrassing, Stan. So we go to a party and get some girl racopiously spliffed up, in a confused state, and she comes to believe, however momentarily of course, that you’re attractive, and she bangs your brains out.”

As this dialogue suggests,

the pursuit of casual sex leads to the purchase of a large haul of marijuana, intended to induce Katie — an avowedly narcotics-loving, psychologically disturbed fellow student — to facilitate Stanley’s initiation. As for Tony, he and his girlfriend spend so much time passionately necking in the school cafeteria — and, it’s clearly implied, doing a great deal more off-screen — that it’s a wonder he can fit Stanley’s woes into his schedule.

The second episode revolves around Tea, a lesbian cheerleader who not only frequents a gay bar — where the vast majority of the other patrons appear to be minors, like herself — but also brings a bisexual school chum home for a semi-graphic romp in her bedroom. As a close-up of her face makes clear toward the end of this encounter, Tea does not lack for the kind of satisfaction after which Mick Jagger once musically pined.

According to the script, of course, Tea’s problem is not same-sex attraction, but that she finds the girls with whom she sleeps “uninteresting” and unworthy of her. Tony, who fancies himself quite interesting, startles Tea by inveigling her into a heterosexual liaison, which we also witness.

In case anyone might be inclined to question Tea’s choices, the episode includes a manipulative scene in which her grandmother recounts the persecution of gays at the hands of the Nazis and the effect this had on the grandmother’s youthful relationship with a female lover. The takeaway?

Even granny liked girls in her time, and anyone with moral concerns about homosexual behavior must be a jackbooted fascist.

In addition to all of that, online viewers are subjected to an outrageously sacrilegious ad for Red Bull, one of the few advertisers still on the show — a puerile cartoon mocking confession — before the episodes unroll.

As for the series itself, its potentially toxic impact on impressionable youngsters is undeniable.

The Anchor is always pleased to run news and photos about our diocesan youth. If schools or parish Religious Education programs have newsworthy stories and photos they would like to share with our readers, send them to: schools@anchornews.org

18

The Anchor

Connolly students go ‘green’ to right an inadvertent wrong continued from page one

endured three brain surgeries that nearly took her life.

Currently, it’s her husband Fred who is battling cancer, and shortly before this past Christmas, the couple received troubling news about a recurrence of Fred’s melanoma.

Realizing she didn’t know what the future held, Paula decided to make the best of her time with Fred and surprise him with a very special Christmas gift.

The couple are avid theater and Boston Celtics fans. Paula concocted a plan to bring Fred to a matinee showing of “Jersey Boys” in Boston in January, capped by a Celtics game that night.

“I got the theater tickets for January 27, and immediately did a Google search for the Celtics on that date,” Paula told The Anchor. “Up popped a game with the Portland Trailblazers. The tickets were $300, and it was difficult to spend so much on them, but I didn’t know what the future would bring, so I gladly bought the tickets.”

Kelley excitedly shared her story with her students. As time passed, Kristyn Furtado, a junior in Kelley’s class realized that the Celtics were heading off on a four-game West Coast swing at the time the Kelleys were to head to Boston.

“I knew Mrs. Kelley had bought tickets for a game in

an emotional slam dunk — Paula Kelley, a math teacher at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, reacts with tears of joy and appreciation upon receiving a surprise gift of Boston Celtics tickets, after the efforts of two of her students triggered a series of acts of kindness on her behalf. (Photo by Justin Shay)

Portland, Ore.,” Furtado told The Anchor. “It was a difficult thing to do, but I had to tell her.”

When Kelley heard about her mistake, she was heartbroken. “I immediately contacted Ticketmaster and told them about my mistake,” said Kelley. She was told that the ticket agency would repost the tickets, and if they were sold, she would be reimbursed whatever the sale price was.

For days Kelley checked with the ticket broker, and the posting never appeared. “I was out $300 and I knew it,” added Kelley.

Without giving it any thought,

Furtado and classmate Peter Le, a member of the Connolly basketball team, sprung into action.

“When I heard about Mrs. Kelley’s mistake, I turned to Peter and said we had to do something,” said Furtado.

“I knew she wouldn’t get the money back,” Le told The Anchor. “Kristyn and I decided we would tell Mrs. Kelley’s story and see if we could get her Celtic tickets to another game.”

“It was the right thing to do,” added Furtado. The students collaborated on a letter they would send to more than 20 TV, radio stations, and newspapers in and around the Boston, Providence, and Fall River areas. They even contacted the ESPN sports mega-network in Connecticut. “We worked on the letter while in Mrs. Kelley’s study hall, so we had to be careful she didn’t see us,” said Furtado.

The students detailed Kelley’s plight, ending with “We are reaching out to you in hope that you can help out our deserving teacher. She has been through so much already in her life. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she teaches us to have an optimistic view in life and to truly appreciate what we have in

February 18, 2011 our lives. Anything you could do to help would be greatly appreciated.”

Eventually, the letter made its way to an executive at Citizen’s Union Savings Bank. The individual, who wishes to remain unidentified, is a Celtics’ season ticket holder, and he offered Kelley a pair of tickets in the luxury boxes at TD Garden.

This act of generosity set off a chain of acts of kindness towards the Kelleys that snowballed as time passed.

“As more people in the area heard the story, more people wanted to help,” said Furtado.

One individual donated a brand new Ray Allen Celtics jersey; another donated a night’s stay at a hotel close to the TD Garden the night of the game; another donated money toward a limousine ride to and from Boston for the Kelleys; and another, a limo owner, donated a very special rate for the service.

All this happened without Kelley’s knowledge.

As if the initiative to help out their teacher wasn’t enough, Furtado and Le also showed off a flare for the dramatic in their preparations for surprising their beloved teacher.

“I was called to the office one morning,” said Kelley. “I wondered what it could be for. When I got there, I was presented a nicely-wrapped gift. I knew it wasn’t my birthday, but was prompted to open it. It was the beautiful Ray Allen Jersey.

“But that wasn’t the end of it. Next they brought in two balloons with an envelope tied to the end. It was a pair of tickets, in Boston, to a Celtics-Nets game. I started to cry, but that wasn’t the end of it.

“Another pair of balloons with another envelope attached was brought in. It was a donated hotel stay. I was blown away.

But that wasn’t the end of it. The next day I was told about the limo ride to and from Boston.”

As the dust settled from all the excitement, Kelley said she “got chills” when she realized the irony of the whole situation.

“Earlier this school year, I worked on the junior retreat here at Connolly with another teacher,” explained Kelley. “We based the retreat on the movie released in 2000 called ‘Pay it Forward.’ The premise of the movie is a young boy is challenged to perform a difficult act of kindness towards three people, and ask them to do the same, until the ‘pay it forward’ premise expands to many, many people.

“I realized that this is what Kristyn and Peter started, and it grew and grew.”

“I didn’t think of the movie until all this began to grow,”said Furtado. “But it’s very similar.”

What goes around, comes around.

“I am so blessed to be here at Connolly,” said Kelley. “We start every morning with prayer, and that’s something you can’t do in public schools. I get to share my faith and lessons about life, and that’s more important than math. I am so moved by what Kristyn and Peter and everyone has done.”

“Mrs. Kelley has inspired us with everything she’s been through,” said Furtado. “This has been so rewarding. We didn’t set out for all this to happen.”

“I really feel good about doing this,” added Le. “If we didn’t come up with Celtics tickets, we were going to raise the money ourselves. And I know we wouldn’t have any problem coming up with the money from our fellow students. They would have done it ... especially here at Connolly.”

Kelley added that she and Fred are hosting a student from China this year. “Selina couldn’t believe what the students did for me,” said Kelley. “She said ‘I want to meet them. I want to be their friend.’”

“I keep telling my students ‘Work smarter, not harder,’” added Kelley. “I should have done that when I ordered the tickets.”

Kelley said there has been some promising news on Fred’s cancer, but there are other steps he has to go through. “We’ll see what happens,” she said.

“I’m proud to say Kristyn and Peter are students at Bishop Connolly,” said Principal E. Christopher Myron. “Their love and compassion are inspired by God. Their action is everything you would want from students in a Catholic school. Their openness is truly inspirational.”

While the future may be unsure for the Kelleys, one thing is certain — their extended family at Bishop Connolly High School, including the students, will be with them in prayer and compassion.

The Anchor

February 18, 2011

Our readers respond

Mean-spirited letter What possible purpose did you intend to accomplish by publishing a provocative and rather mean-spirited letter promoting the practice of waterboarding (in the January 21 edition)? I find it appalling and offensive that our diocesan newspaper should accommodate such a communication.

Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington Fall River Father Landry replies: Provided that letters are within word-limit guidelines, are wellexpressed both in tone and substance, and respond directly to things that have appeared in our paper, we generally print them.

When they make claims about the Catholic faith that are erroneous, we either edit out the errors or print a correction so that readers may not be misinformed about Catholic teaching.

If they’re solely expressing their opinions, we generally leave their opinions unchallenged, even when we might not agree with them. As for the letter in question, it was certainly critical of a previous letter’s categorical denunciation of President Bush’s decision to use waterboarding to extract information from terrorists, but I did not think that it was mean-spirited or unfit to be printed.

The real leading cause of death Reading the January 28 editorial on “The Good and the Wicked” inspired me to look up the

In Your Prayers Please pray for these priests during the coming weeks Feb. 19 Rev. Andrew J. Brady, Pastor, St. Joseph, Fall River, 1895 Rev. Leopold Jeurissen, SS.CC., Pastor, Sacred Hearts, Fairhaven, 1953 Feb. 20 Rev. James H. Fogarty, Pastor, St. Louis, Fall River, 1922 Rev. Raymond M. Giguere, O.P., Assistant, St. Anne, Fall River, 1986 Feb. 21 Rev. Msgr. Luiz G. Mendonca, PA, Retired Pastor, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, New Bedford, 1997 Feb. 22 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Jovite Chagnon, Founder, St. Joseph, New Bedford, 1954 Feb. 24 Rev. Edward F. McIsaac, Retired Chaplain, Rose Hawthorn Lathrop Home, 2002 Feb. 25 Rev. Leo J. Ferreira, V.G., Pastor, St. Mary, Brownsville, Texas, 1988 Rev. William T. Babbitt, Assistant, St. Mary, North Attleboro, 1998

leading causes of deaths in the United States. I found that heart disease, cancer, and strokes were listed as the top three causes of death. It is a medically-known fact, however, that life begins at conception. Therefore, the leading cause of death in 2008 — which killed 1.21 million infants — was abortion. This is a nice word, not feared universally like heart disease, cancer and strokes, but it means killing the innocents. To use the word of the editorial’s title, how “wicked” this is under the guise of prochoice? How sad for all of us and our society. We need to pray for an end to this holocaust and to pray for all of those who have been “duped” by pro-choice and so-called women’s rights.

Margaret Dittami East Sandwich

Mention all kids Whenever I read The Anchor during Catholic Schools Week, I

feel like I am doing my children a great injustice because my husband I have chosen to send our children to public school and not to a Catholic school. Then I go to our church or volunteer at our schools and I see several other families whom we consider to be good Catholics who have made the same choice and it makes me feel better. I feel compelled to write about this now because my son, along with several of his peers, are on the front page of your insert “Catholic Schools in Action” at the March for Life in Washington in front of the White House. Father Ron Floyd indeed accompanied several students from St. Margaret’s School in Buzzards Bay but also in this group are several exceptional Catholic citizens and students from St. Patrick’s Church in Wareham who attend Wareham Middle School. I want those kids to be recognized as well.

Marie Garrity Wareham

Around the Diocese 2/22

The Catholic Women’s Club of Christ the King Parish will host a screening of the film “Bella” on February 22 from 9:15 to 11 a.m. at the Mashpee Senior Center, 26 Frank Hicks Drive, Mashpee.

2/23

The Celebrate Life Committee will have its monthly holy hour February 23 following the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity Parish, Route 28, West Harwich. Sponsored by the ProLife Prayer Groups of Holy Trinity and Holy Redeemer parishes, the holy hour will include recitation of the rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

2/24

The Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will host Edith McDaniel, regional coordinator for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, on February 24 at St. George’s Parish, 12 Highland Avenue, Westport beginning at 7 p.m. McDaniel speaks of her own abortion experience and her continuing research regarding abortion’s effects on the individuals involved and society. For more information call 508-678-3351.

2/24

The Divorced and Separated Support Group will have an open meeting February 24 at 7 p.m. in parish center of St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth.

All participants are invited to speak freely and openly during this session.

For more information call 508-678-2828, 508-993-0589 or 508-673-2997.

2/26

Courage, a group for people dealing with same-sex attraction while trying to live chastely, will next meet on February 26 at 7 p.m. The group is faithful to the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality. The meeting lasts about an hour and all are welcome. For location and more information call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.

2/26

An indoor yard sale sponsored by the Couples Club at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 121 Mount Pleasant Street, New Bedford, will be held February 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 508-992-6583.

2/27

International Irish Tenor Mark Forrest will be performing at Corpus Christi Parish, 324 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, East Sandwich, on February 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. The acclaimed Irish Tenor, who has sung for Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, will present an inspiration concert. For tickets or more information call 508-888-2740.

3/4

A World Day of Prayer 2011 service will be held March 4 at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 82 High Street, Wareham. World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday of March. For more information visit www.wdpusa.org or contact Judith Hewey at 508-295-1787.

3/5

St. Margaret Regional School will hold its annual auction fundraiser March 5 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Coonnamessett Inn, 311 Gifford Street, Falmouth. Funds will benefit the students of St. Margaret Regional School for school improvement planning. Silent auction bidding will begin February 28 online at www.saintmargaretregional.com. Click on auction tab and follow instructions for bid placement. The event will include full dinner buffet, dessert, cash bar, DJ entertainment, and Irish Step Dancing by students.

19 Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese Acushnet — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Francis Xavier Parish on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays end with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays end with Benediction at 2:45 p.m.

ATTLEBORO — St. Joseph Church holds eucharistic adoration in the Adoration Chapel located at the (south) side entrance at 208 South Main Street, Sunday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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 following the 11 a.m.

Mass until 7:45 a.m. on the First Saturday, concluding with Benediction and Mass.

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 — Eucharistic Adoration takes place at the Corpus Christi Parish Adoration Chapel, 324 Quaker Meeting House Road, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Also, 24-hour eucharistic adoration takes place on the First Friday of every month with Benediction at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.

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

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 — Notre Dame Church, 529 Eastern Ave., has eucharistic adoration on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the chapel.

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 until 6 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. There is a bilingual Holy Hour in English and Portuguese from 5-6 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.

HYANNIS — A Holy Hour with eucharistic adoration will take place each First Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, 21 Cross Street, beginning at 4 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.

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.

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

NORTH DIGHTON — Eucharistic adoration 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 5 p.m.; and every Friday from noon to 5 p.m., with Benediction at 5 p.m.

Taunton — Eucharistic adoration takes place every Tuesday at St. Anthony Church, 126 School Street, following the 8 a.m. Mass with prayers including the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for vocations, concluding at 6 p.m. with Chaplet of St. Anthony and Benediction. Recitation of the rosary for peace is prayed Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. prior to the 8 a.m. Mass.

WAREHAM — Adoration with opportunities for private and formal prayer is offered on the First Friday of each month from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, High Street.

The Prayer Schedule is as follows: 7:30 a.m. the rosary; 8 a.m. Mass; 8:30 a.m. exposition and Morning Prayer; 12 p.m. the Angelus; 3 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet; 5:30 p.m. Evening Prayer; 7 p.m. sacrament of confession; 8 p.m. Benediction.

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.

WOODS HOLE — Eucharistic adoration takes place at St. Joseph’s Church, 33 Millfield Street, year-round on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No adoration on Sundays, Wednesdays, and holidays. For information call 508-274-5435.

20

I

n last night’s first of three installments of “Jeopardy,” it was like a modern-day version of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi classic film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

The special three-day contest pits IBM’s super-computer,

The Anchor

February 18, 2011

2011: A game show odyssey

Watson, against the two greatest “Jeopardy” humans ever. Last night was the Jeopardy round, tonight is Double Jeopardy, and tomorrow night is Final Jeopardy.

Right now Watson is tied for first with $5,000.

Right from the get-go, I HAL’s avatar, I mean Watcouldn’t help but think of son’s avatar, is intriguing — and Kubrick’s artificially intelligent mesmerizing. It’s a globe circled android HAL. As soon as Watby protons or neutrons or some son answered his first question, kind of trons. When Watson is a correct answer, I was a bit incorrect, he turns red. It makes freaked out. Yet, I immediately my Wii avatar look as intelligent started to root for him. With his as Bullwinkle J. Moose. first category request, Watson Like HAL, Watson is monoselected the game’s only Daily tone and emotionless. That’s Double, with 90 percent of where my Wii Mii has it all the board still covered.

Hmmm. Another correct answer.

What really endeared me to Watson was that he answered four Beatles questions correctly. He would have run the catBy Dave Jolivet egory, but he didn’t buzz in quickly enough on one of the selections. over him. Mine jumps around When Watson hears a quesand whoops and hollers when tion in text format it instantaI answer correctly. And luckily neously scans trillions of informine doesn’t turn red with an inmation bytes and whittles his correct response. Otherwise I’d choice down to three answers, look like a humanoid beet most complete with the percentage of of the game. Instead I just moan. it being correct. If the percentDuring the roughly 15 age isn’t high enough, he won’t minutes of play time last night, attempt to buzz in. All this is Watson began like gang-busters. performed in less than a second. He had several consecutive corAmazing. rect answers. I wondered if he’d I’ve always been a big “Jeop- ever err. He did. In fact several ardy” fan. In fact my family got times in a row. At one point he me the Wii game for Christmas. responded with the same incorI created my own Wii Mii, an rect answer one of his opponents avatar that looks pretty much gave. Looks like there’s still a like my mug shot on this page. few bugs in Watson.

So far I lose more than I win, But he turned it on at the end and that’s on the medium difof the game to creep into the ficulty level. tie. Truthfully, the game passed

My View From the Stands

much too quickly. I can’t wait for tonight’s second round. It’s like being part of a sci-fi thriller.

And it’s a bit scary as well. How far can mankind go with technology? And when is enough too much? But enough waxing philosophical here, this is fun to watch.

One of the greatest scenes from “2001” is when Dave converses with HAL, who knows he’s about to be unplugged because of mechanical problems.

Dave asks HAL to open the pod doors. HAL says he can’t do that.

On tomorrow night’s broadcast, I half expect host Alex Trebek to say, “And now we’ll pause for a commercial,” and Watson respond, “I’m sorry Alex, I can’t do that.” And then all the doors and exits to the studio lock simultaneously, and Watson insists on playing round after round of Jeopardy infinitum.

Good stuff.

I’m tempted to contact Watson following his national TV debut, feed him a headline, and have him write my column. It should be done in mere seconds.

That would keep me out of jeopardy every deadline day.

On a serious note, I’d like to say Debbie, you ran the good race as well as anyone. Well done. And Moe, Steve, Katie and Peter, dance on.