t eanc 0 VOL. 41, NO. 10 •
Friday, March 7, 1997
FALL RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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Abortion supporter lied. about abortion procedure
THE CATHOUC Committee on Scouting for the Diocese of Fall River sponsored a Religious Emblem Ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River last Sunday. Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap., presented 76 boys and girls with awards at the ceremony. Story appears on page two. (Anchor/Jolivet photo)
Diocesan youth prepare to live out "Building a Culture of Life" Uy Dave Jolivet Anchor staff 18 young men and women from various parishes throughout. the Diocese of Fall River and four adult chaperones are preparing to embark on a journey that will take them to Monticello, KY, in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains from April 18 to 27. The purpose of "Mission '97" is to, in a small way, assist those in need, working through the Holy Union Sisters in Monticello. Mission '97 is a Lenten service project conceived by the diocesan Office for Youth Ministry. Father David A. Costa, director, will accompany the young people to Kentucky. "This project stems from the theme of this year's World Youth Day celebration, "Building a Culture of Life," said Father Costa. "We wanted to somehow . ''The projeCts connect this theme this W' . with a concrete '~uild,inga. project, getting as to somehow COnD many young people crete proj~ct"g involved as possible. people iDvo~ved,: Unfortunately, we can only take a small number of kids to Appalachia, but others can be involved in raising much needed funds for the various projects the Holy Union Sisters are involved in." Appalachia is one of the poorest areas in the United States. "We chose this place because it's a great opportunity to broaden the horizons of our youth. We can sometimes be very provincial in our outlook, focusing simply on local needs. These are important, but we also need to see a bigger picture," said Father Costa.
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The grou p will leave in two vans from Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River on April 18 following a send-off prayer and blessing by Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap., and will be guests of the Holy Union Sisters in Monticello. Once they arrive in Kentucky, their accommodations will be at the local parish center and will be quite simple. Each traveler will bring a sleeping bag, and shower facilities will be at the center. Sister Barbara Walsh, a native of the Fall River Diocese apd former principal of Holy Name School, Fall River, lives in the Monticello community. She serves young children and their families through a School on Wheels program, and through other outreach services. While in Kentucky, the young adults will be quite busy. Sister Barbara is lining up a number of projects, including house repair, child care, working with the Mountain Moms workshop (sewing, pottery, computer skills), and a literacy program for children and adults. "Each morning and evening we will gather for prayer," said Father Costa. "There will also be time for journaling, reflecting upon the experiences of the day and learning from each other's experience." The Holy Union Sisters have been very active in the Fall River Diocese since its inception in 1904, and well before that in the area. Sister Celine Teresa of the Office ofYouth Ministry is a Turn
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WASHINGTON (CNS) - The executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers has admitted that he and other supporters of keeping abortion legal lied about the partial-birth abortion procedure during debate over legislation to ban it. Ron Fitzsimmons, whose organization represents more than 200 independently owned abortion clinics, said in an interview in the March 3 issue of American Medical News that abortion supporters used "spins" and "half-truths" in the debate that ultimately led Congress to fail to override President Clinton's veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Fitzsimmons said he personally lied when he said in a November 1995 interview on "Nightline" that women have partial-birth abortions only in cases of danger to the mother's life or severe fetal abnormalities. "It was not a shining moment for me personally," said Fitzsimmons, who said he stayed out of
the partial-birth debate after that. The legislation vetoed by Clinton would have banned a procedure used in late-term abortions in which the unborn child is partially delivered, feet first, before surgical scissors are stabbed into the base of the infant's head. The child's brain is then removed by suction, allowing for easier delivery of the collapsed head. Fitzsimmons told the American Medical News, published by the American Medical Association, that the vast majority of partialbirth abortions are performed in the second trimester on healthy fetuses and healthy mothers. "The abortion rights folks know it, the anti-abortion folks know it, and so, probably, does everyone else," he said. When the debate began over the partial-birth abortion procedure, Fitzsimmons said, "I learned right away that this was being done for the most part in cases that did not involve those extreme circumTurn to Page 13
TOPIC OF CONTROVERSY: The world's first clone of an adult animal, a 7-month-old sheep named Dolly, stands in its pen at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. The announcement of the successful cloning prompted immediate discussion of the ethics of such procedures and the potential for human clones. Father Kevin Harrington writes about cloning in his column on page four of this issue. (CNS/ Reuters photo)