FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 44, NO. 10 • Friday, March 10, 2000
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
FA,LL RIVER, MASS.
Deacons, pope mark Jubilee ~
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Six local men were among thousands of permanent deacons W!70 accepted Pope John Pauill's invitation to celebrate their diaconate with him in the Eternal City.
Also makipg the trip were Deacon Patrick and Lorraine Mahoney of East Falmouth; and Deacon Donald Battiston and his wife, Pamela, who returned directly to wintering in Florida. They were among more than 2,500 permanent deacons from around the world who celebrated their jubilee in By JAMES N. DUNBAR Rome in the middle weeks of FebruFALL RIVER - Six permanent ary. On Friday, Feb. 18, the deacons, deacons and their wives traveled to many of them accompanied by their' Rome last month to join with deacons wives, prayed the rosary and attended from around the world who celebrated Eucharistic adoration at the Basilica the Jubilee Year with Pope John Paul of St. Mary Major. II at colorful cerOn the Saturemonies in St. II ' • day morning they Peter's Basilica. It~asawesometobemSt. participated in More pilgrims Peter s and have the pope Mass in the Paul than tourists, the speak to us. Later we had a II Hall and lisvisitors journeyed general audience and did see tened to a conferon to attend litur- him. He is an amazing man ence on St. gies not only in and is inspiring." L~wrence, a Florence, Assisi thIrd-century deaand Venice, but - Deacon Leonard Dexter con and martyr, some of them Pocasset as an example for traveled to today's deacons. Jerusalem and the Holy Land, where That was followed by an audience they said Scripture "suddenly came with the Holy Father. alive for them." In the evening there was a meetIn interviews this week, they said iog for married permanent deacons candidly that they came away with and their families at the Church of memories tl1at will continue to inspire the Holy Spirit "in Sassia," followed their diaconal ministry in their life- by a penitential procession of all the times. deacons from the penitential obelisk Taking time to talk with The An- in St. Peter's Square through the Holy chor were deacons and wives Dana and Door into the Vatican Basilica. On the final day of the pilgrimDiane McCarthy of Holy Trinity Parish, West Harwich; Norman and Nancy age, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, McEnaney of St. Joan of Arc Parish, celebrated Mass with diaconal ordiOrleans; Leonard and Virginia Dex- nations at the Altar of the Chair in ter of St. John the Evangelist Parish St. Peter's Basilica. At his audience with permanent in Pocasset; and James and Joan Marzelli, also of St. )ohn the Evan- deacons and their families on SaturTum to page 13 - Deacons gelist.
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CHANCE MEETING on a routine walk in Rome, found Deacon Dana McCarthy of West Harwich running into Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith. Luckily, another companion of the deacon was able to capture the meeting on film. (Photo courtesy of Deacon Dana McCarthy)
Deacon councilformed By JAMES N. DUNBAR
FALL RIVER - A Deacon Council of the Diocese of Fall River, comprised of deacons and priests, has recently been established. Deacon Lawrence A. St. Onge, assistant director of the Permanent Diaconate program, said
the Council was organized "because it was wanted by the deacon's as well as Bishop O'Malley." He said that sometime last year the deacons met with the bishop to discuss various things on Tum to page 11 - Council
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to page three for coverage of the diocesan scouting awards. • ST. GEORGE EMBLEM recipient Father Michael Racine, chaplain of the Moby Dick Council, is surrounded by award-winning Scouts in the sanctuary of S1. Mary's Cathedral ,Sunday, after they congratulated him on his receiving the highest award giv,en by the Church to volunteers serving Catholic youth in the Boy Scout Program.