FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHU$ETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 33, NO. 10
.. Friday, March 10, 1989
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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USCC, K of C ask high court to rethink Roevs. Wade WASHINGTON(NC)- TheU.S. bishops and Knights of Columbus have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rethink its 1973 abortion ruling before it resolves a dispute over a Missouri ab~rtion cOAtrollaw. The U.S. Catholic Conference, public action agency of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Knights commented in separate friend-of-the-court briefs submitted on the Missouri case, Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services, slated for court arguments later this year. "Before addressing the merits of this [Missouri] case," the USCC wrote, "the courr should recon.sider its decision in Roe vs. Wade," the 1973 abortion ruling. But the Knights suggested that "this case is an appropriate vehicle not only for 'reconsidering' Roe vs. Wade but for overruling it." Both the USCC and Knights focused on· what they said were
inherent errors in Roe vs. Wade rather than on reasons for allowing a state to restrict abortions. Missouri's law, largely negated by lower federal district and appeals courts, declared life begins at conception; banned abortions at public hospitals except where a woman's life was at stake; prohibited use of public funds for encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion not necessary to save her life; and required various viability tests on fetuses apparently of 20 weeks old or older before abortions. In their brief, the USCC attorneys - General Counsel Mark E. Chopko, Phillip H. Harris, solicitor, and lawyer Helen M. Alvare - attacked the 1973 ruling's use of a right of privacy to justify abortion. "The court's application of privacy principles to abortion in Roe vs. Wade was fundamentally flawed," the USCC attorneys wrote.
"There is no basis for Roe vs. Wade's inclusion of abortion within the right of privacy," The USCC asked the high court to reverse the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision against the Missouri law "after this court has reconsidered its essential constitutional and jurisdictional holdings in the area of abortion." "This court set us on our present path and this court can initiate a process to correct the errors of its jurisp~udence," the bishops' conference brief stated. "The first step is to reconsider federal jurisdiction over abortion by reviewing the decision that first, brought abortion within the Constitution - Roe vs. Wade." Far more than privacy is involved in an abortion, the USCC said. "The decision ... can affect the sanctity of a marriage relationship, ends a life, and has other Turn to Page Six
Bishop hopes for record..setting CCA At a recent meeting of priest-directors of the 1989 Catholic Charities Appeal with Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, the bishop noted his hope that this year's drive would surpass 1988 totals. The final tally of last year's gifts amounted to $1 ,974,486. It was the 13th year the appeal has surpassed the $1 million mark. At the meeting the bishop reviewed last year's Appeal, noting that funds were allocated to a wide variety of diocesan apostolates. He said that costs for the programs will rise due to inflation and mounting prices and that a compensatory increase in giving will be needed for that reason and also to care for rising numbers of individuals and families in stressful situations. Diocesan A-ppeal director Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes explained techniques to the directors and announced that the annual kickoff meeting will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River. Hundreds of religious, clergy and laity are expected to be present. The Special Gift phase of the Appeal will take place from April24 to May6 and a !iouse-to·h9use campaign will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, MaY 7. At this time over 115,000 diocesan homes will be contacted by more than 20,000 volunteer collectors.
. THE MAIN MEN: Directing the 48th annu~.l diocesan Catholic Charities Appe~1 will be front, from left, Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, diocesan and Fall River area director; Bishop Daniel A. Cronin, honorary chairman; Rev. Ralph D. Tetrault, Attleboro area assistant; rear, Rev. John J. Steakem, Taunton area assistant; Rev. Thomas L. Rita, Attleboro area; Very Rev. Gerald T. Shovelton, Taunton area; Rev. John F. Andrews, Cape and Islands director. Rev. Richard L. Ch~etien, Ne\V Bedfor~ area, is not pictured. (Studio D p h o t o ) " r ' .. ...
DAVID PROVENCAL with Michael, II weeks old at the time of the picture. (NC photo)
The gift of life for Michael SPRINGFIELD, Mass. '(NC) - Surgery for her cancer discovered during her pregnancy might have saved her from death, but Michelle Provencal of St. Patrick parish in Chicopee preferred to give the gift of life; even if it meant sacrificing her own. Carrying her fifth child, Mrs. Provencal, 33, had a difficult pregnancy. An ultrasound test done in October revealed cysts on her ovaries. That same month, when the fetus was 28 weeks old, doctors removed both ovaries when they were found to be cancerous. Further tests confirmed suspicions that the cancer had infected the colon, but family and physicians decided against more surgery at that time because the pr.ocedure probably would have jeopardized the child's life. Removing the ovaries had already induced premature labor, which the' doctors suppressed. . On Dec. 8, during her 35th week of pregnancy, doctors induced labor and Mrs. Provencal delivered a healthy son, Michael. Doctors had hoped she would improve after the stress of pregnancy ended with her delivery. Instead, her condition worsened: The cancer had spread. Two weeks later, on the 16th anniversary of the day she met her husband David on a blind date, Mrs. Provencal died. "She gave what she had left to that baby," Provencal told 1he Catholic Observer, newspaper of the diocese of Springfield. His 'Wife's love and faithfulness, he
added, seem to have been rewarded by God in blessing the family through the community. "The outpouring was fairly overwhelming,". Provencal said of the assistance the family has received: more than $12,000 in donations from St. Patrick parish, Massachusetts Citizens for Life and private citizens. Friends take care of Michael while Provencal is at work, make dinners, clean the family's house and help out with the other four children, ages 5 to 12. "I think it's had a great effect on the community," said Marie Lussier, a member of Holy Cross parish' in Springfield, who belongs to a Marriage Encounter group of which the Provencals were members and who has helped the familya great deal. "Many people that she didn't know have been touched just hearing the story." Provencal said his wife would not have been surprised by all of the kindness and charity. "She understood about spiritual dependency," he said. "She believed that no matter what happened we would survive. We've been fed out of the coffers of God a number of times. Friends and family described Mrs. Provencal as a very giving person. Mrs. Lussier recalled a time when the pregnant Mrs. Provencal watched the Lussier children despite not feeling well. "She was always so cheerful," Turn to Page Six
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